i don’t know why, but every spring i have a joni mitchell moment. i think it’s because it’s a time to remember that the bleak winter eventually ends, and the world won’t always be exhausting and brutal—it can be soft and sweet, and fun and romantic. by kl
they sound a whole lot cooler than they look, and i can’t wait for summer. by kl
after one of those long stressful days making you question the merits of life, this was just the perfect mindless film to watch. beautifully filmed and art directed, yet horribly written and acted. it’s a deviance worth the trouble especially given what a hidden “gem” it has been considered by some. story of a girl band rise and fall, featuring a beautiful super cool diane lane, the young laura dern who seems identical to the old laura dern, paul simonon of the clash, and paul cook and steve jones of the sex pistols. thanx kc for the reco xx. by dd
i don’t know, but i somehow loved this guy. in a funny way i feel like i always knew who he was. even before knowing him. in my opinion camille had this amazing being, and she really fucked it up. if i was a girl jarvis would be my dream. by ay
even though the front page news has shifted, haiti still remains a mess. macgowan and johnny depp took their sweet time assembling and releasing this alternative-star jam that includes: the great shane macgowan, johnny depp, nick cave, the clash’s mick jones, chrissie hynde, glen matlock, paloma faith, and others. to quote amrit at stereogum,
“their cover of screamin’ jay hawkins’ i put a spell on you benefits the dublin based concern worldwide, who have been in haiti for 16 years. depp is mostly charged with looking cool and fingering a guitar solo (that isn’t at all the guitar solo on the recording, but who cares he’s so pretty), the rest lay down vocals on a song that doesn’t so obviously address the state and need of the haitian people through self-aggrandized posturing (“everybody hurts”; “we are the world”, and so on) and is all the more effective for it. seems to be more like, let’s get together, realize our place in this thing, smoke a cigarette, remind ourselves that we can still do a little something to help without being patronizing assholes about it.”
well put. we couldn’t have said it better. track available march 7th. by cdc
what’s up? there’s just too much gentrification going on over here. by xy
and for the record here he is… judge for yourself, but i think this video would have been more apt if paul weller was actually playing the gretsch, and mark ronson was one of the people in the audience coming up on stage. by dd
a nice idea for those against the pompous grand piano or those with limited space. nicely crafted just too bad its an electric piano. i know, there is the dilemma of size and sound. available for around $5,999.99 by dd
did jeffrey deitch already take over? film by swedish film maker jonas akerlund. gotta love the voice and tone: “listen, this is muuuch better than my stage.” by uh
south african zef: given the recent interest in freak shows, i’m not sure who wins the gold, lady gaga or die antwoord? i hope at least one of ’em is in on the joke. we’re still debating that one. an entertaining find indeed, thanx to kl! so who wins the freak show contest? gaga or die antwoord? by dd
south african pop culture at its finest. see more here. by kl
fashion week is around the corner, hipsters are getting ready, magazines, luxury brands and model agents are throwing their parties… and hell, we will probably dread to a few, but i strongly doubt if we’ll find anything this beautiful and tempting at any one place in new york this season…
let me tell you… 12 years ago i bought a hand made classical/acoustic guitar from the legendary rudy’s music on 48th street (NYC) built by a small unknown guitar maker from spain for a little over a 1000. this guitar has become my love ever since, and the soft warm sound and the cedar smell has been my sole source of inspiration in unsuccessfully mastering eric satie triads… fast-forward to last friday, a cold sunny new york day, when i was strolling past the window of a music store in soho (who ever knew there was one?) where i saw a vintage gretsch. i walked in… past the gretschs, and simply fell in love again. upstairs were 12-16 pieces of craftsmanship to die for. it was only then, that i realized that this was in fact the newly opened rudy’s music downtown… and of course… (i mean who else?) now all i need is enough practice to earn and more importantly deserve one, and a lot more money to ever afford one. here are just 3 of my new loves. all totally acoustic, and all beautifully crafted…
item # 1: the 1998 d’aquisto prototype – $140,000 +plus“james d’aquisto became an apprentice to acclaimed archtop builder john d’angelico when he was 17 and started making guitars under his own name when d’angelico died in 1964. in the opinion of many collectors, d’aquisto’s archtops were actually superior to d’angelico’s legendary instruments. the model above (avant garde) is considered one of d’aquisto’s finest achievements. he made this prototype in 1988 for vintage guitar dealer/collector hank risan who supplied the luthier with many ideas about its construction. risan sold the guitar to a private collector for $140,000. that said perhaps the most valuable d’aquisto is a one-of-a-kind advance model (not pictured) that was made for renowned vintage guitar collector, scott chinery. the estimated value of that guitar is $250,000, but, according to chinery collection curator, mike carey, it is not for sale”.
these are not electric guitars, but fully acoustic ones
item #2: gibson (1939) super-400C
you cant ever compare any two but here’s a more affordable masterpiece that still beckons a certain mastery. a beautifully crafted acoustic gem. (1939 gibson super 400C – S/N EA5384) “with original sunburst finish and spruce top, maple back/sides, 2 piece maple neck, ebony fingerboard and chrome hardware.”
item #3: gibson (1929) L-5 “snakehead”and yet another rare dream… closer in reach than the first, but still a handful of responsibilities. “…a 1929 Gibson L-5 “snakehead” in original vintage sunburst finish. the guitar had the fretboard professionally replaced years ago. a little bit of binding repair has been done on the body, but very minimal. otherwise in fantastic original condition! plays beautifully, and sounds gorgeous!”
so if you are here, for what ever reason, and if you care for such things, don’t miss the chance to visit rudy’s. conveniently located near cipriani downtown. please park all cheesy italian sports cars in the back. by dd
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