THE KRAYS PREMIERE NEW SONG “DRONE”– NYC underground punk icon The Krays has teamed up with AbsolutePunk.net to premiere a brand new track, “Drone”, from the band’s forthcoming full-length Sangre. Sangre, The Krays’ first record in nearly a decade, will hit stores May 31st on Dead City Records.
OBNOX, I’M BLEEDING NOW LP OUT NOW ON SMOG VEIL RECORDS
Smog Veil Records announces debut album by Cleveland underground hero, Lamont “Bim” Thomas titled, I’m Bleeding Now, to street on June 7th, 2011. The record was pressed on heart of darkness (aka, black) vinyl, with eco-friendly recycled content jacket and full color two-sided insert. This collectable release is strictly limited to a single pressing of 500 pieces. The OBNOX album was produced by Bim and Paul Maccarone (formerly of Zombie Proof Studios, production credits include Homostupids, This Moment in Black History, Puffy Areolas). I’m Bleeding Now was completed in just seven days at John Neely’s Loft on St. Clair Ave. in Cleveland, Ohio July and August, 2010. The mix was done at Columbus Discount Recording by Adam Smith (Bassholes, Psychedelic Horseshit, Times New Viking). Bim’s existing body of work includes several full lengths, EPs and 7″s with Bassholes, This Moment in Black History, Deathers, and Puffy Areolas. Bim explains the move to a solo release stating “After 15 years of recording with Bassholes and eight years with This Moment in Black History I decided I wanted to do a recording that was raw and blown out, done quickly for cheap. So we opened up the four track tape machine with a lot of scotch, whiskey, and reefer around, for one of the funnest sessions I’ve ever had. After recording for so many different labels and going all over the world to play, I’ve come to the conclusion that punk rarely gets more fun than recording with a pal, and releasing the tape on another pals label. With that in mind, it’s great to be running with Frank Mauceri and recording for Smog Veil Records.” SmogVeil.com
NEIL YOUNG LAUNCHES BRAND-NEW ONLINE STORE AT NEILYOUNG.COM – Neil Young has launched a brand-new online store at his official website that is the best place to get official Neil Young merchandise and music. Visitors to http://store.neilyoung.com are invited to take a drive down a country road, walk up to Young’s porch, and enter the living room where they can visit a theater room that hosts various Young-related videos, play a jukebox that features audio samples from the legendary singer-songwriter’s catalog of music, and browse the store room to buy official merchandise and music. http://store.neilyoung.com
SHRED GRIND CARVE EXHIBITION – THE WORKS OF GEORGE PETERSON – June 3-July 31, 2011 – Circle Factory presents Shred Grind Carve – The Works of George Peterson @ Altered Space Gallery, 1221 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice, CA. In his “Shred Grind Carve” exhibition, artist George Peterson cuts, burns and abuses discarded skateboard decks into pre-wheel primitivism. Skateboarding may be a crime… but it can also be an art. ”I channel a lot of destructive energy into my art,” says George Peterson. Throughout his process, Peterson unearths a well of cultural history associated with the lifestyle his raw material hails from – the celebration of physicality, the mystification of scarring, and a skate and destroy ethos that honors the destruction of both vehicle and terrain – and yet the artist’s finished product is an elegant, hand-crafted piece of wall art, more museum object than skatepark detritus. Peterson’s works are included in celebrated collections internationally, including the Oval Office, Tom Ford, Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Boston Fine Arts Museum, and the Wustum Museum. AlteredSpaceGallery.com 310-452-8121. circlefactory.com
George Peterson debuts a collection of sculptures made from used decks in the exhibition Shred / Grind / Carve, opening on Friday, June 3, 6-10pm, at Altered Space Gallery on Abbot Kinney in Venice Beach. We caught up with him beforehand for a little back story.
You’ve been quoted as saying you “channel a lot of destructive energy” into your work. Sounds, well, destructive.
You can take any feeling and channel it into art to get a result. For me it tends to be an aggressive energy, almost vandalism. My process is pretty destructive. It’s physical—I cut and I sew. There’s an emotional quality to that act, to creating a scar and exaggerating it.
The sewing almost looks like African art.
Yes, there is definitely that aesthetic. And there’s an implication of cultural history in that look. There are actually a lot of parallels between African and Western society. Take tattoos for instance: intentional scarring for stylistic purposes. Tattoos definitely influence my work.
How exactly did the wood “scars” come about?
My work hasn’t always been so destructive. I used to strive for perfection in my earlier work. I began using unseasoned wood in an attempt to keep up with demand and the warping and cracking started appearing. I loved seeing the wood like that. It lets the wood speak and adds a lot of character to the finished piece. Music has a big influence on the finished product. You’ll see my work respond to what I’m listening to at the time—Social Distortion, Rancid, Jack White, Dead Weather, Fu Manchu, the Flaming Lips, DEVO, the Hives, the Kills, Nick Cave, the list goes on. There’s a harmony between the chainsaw and the electric guitar or the percussion in a song and the chopping of wood.
Why skateboards?
I like to carve and paint on almost anything: old doors or furniture, used plywood, logs…and then one day I was looking at my skateboard and I thought, damn, that’s a piece of wood, why haven’t I carved on a skateboard? Still, it took me awhile to do it. I was hesitant because there is so much deck art being done these days and I thought it might seem somewhat kitschy, but after I did that first one, I knew it was on. I’ve done about 300 of them in the last few years. I really have fun making them. My goal now is to do larger and more complex installations of them. One day, I’d also like to make a big skateboard totem out of one piece of wood. It would be my version of those chainsawn bears you see everywhere. How cool would that be? A 10 foot, primitive skateboard, charred with fire and then left to weather? Oh baby…
Are you skating at all these days or is it studio-time all the time?
I have a ramp in my studio and skate all the time.
You can find details on the exhibition at http://alteredspacegallery.com/events-exhibitions
You can visit George’s website at http://circlefactory.com/
ART IN THE STREETS – The Museum of Contemporary Art presents Art in the Streets, the first major U.S. museum exhibition of the history of graffiti and street art. The exhibition traces the development of graffiti and street art from the 1970s to the global movement it has become today, concentrating on key cities where a unique visual language or attitude has evolved. Following MOCA’s presentation, the exhibition will travel to the Brooklyn Museum, where it will be on view through July 8, 2012. See photos from opening night at juicemagazine.com/ARTINTHESTREETS2011.html
AWESOME – Collaborative Exhibit “Awesome!” Opening at Hurley’s )( Space Gallery Featuring Artists Martin Ontiveros, Skinner Davis, Justin Scrapper Morrison, and Brandon Bwana Spoons. Hurley is joining forces with four celebrated artists from the Pacific Northwest – Skinner, Martin Ontiveros, Scrappers, and Bwana – to bring an explosion of color to Hurley’s )( Space Gallery via the “Awesome!” exhibit, opening June 11th, 2011 at 6:00pm. www.hurley.com
SURF ART FESTIVAL IN FRANCE – June 1-13, 2011 – M.I.A.C.S. 2001 SURF ART FESTIVAL IN BIARRITZ, FRANCE – 50 artists from around the world will be invited to participate. The association Surf Art Festival, created at the initiative of Gerard Decoster in 2007, aims to promote artistic creation in all its forms and promoting surf culture to all audiences. The action of the association is therefore developing the promotion of artistic creation applied to the world of “surfing” also called “Surf Art”, and activities resulting in environmental values, the sustainable development and openness to all forms of culture. For up-to-date information, please visit http://www.miacs.org
SURFING PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY JEFF DIVINE – BOOK SIGNING + TALK + INSTALLATION ON JUNE 15, 2011 FROM 7PM-9PM AT 7174 SUNSET BOULEVARD (corner Sunset & Formosa) HOLLYWOOD, CA 90046. ARTBOOK + Paper Chase are pleased to announce they will host the book launch of SURFING PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE EIGHTIES TAKEN BY JEFF DIVINE (T. Alder Books) on June 15, 2011 from 7pm-9pm. The event will include a talk and books signing with Jeff Divine and an installation of Divine’s surfing photographs from the 1970s and 80s. Both of Divine’s books published with T. Adler Books, SURFING PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE SEVENTIES and SURFING PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE EIGHTIES will be available for purchase during the signing.
WATER BROTHERS WELCOMES BILL MURRAY TO THE TEAM!
He’s been making you laugh for longer than you can remember and now, OG funny man Bill Murray is on the Original Waterbrothers Surf Team. He cruised into the shop last week to hook up with Sid “The Package” Abruzzi and got inducted into the Waterbrothers Hall of Fame. For more about WaterBrothers visit them at http://www.facebook.com/WaterBrothers
ASTRODECK NEWS – Wave Warriors Vol. 1-5 is available now, as well as Astrodeck surfpads and Astrodeck sandals that are a must have for any true surfaholic. Get it all at astrodeck.com
THE HOTTEST HUNDRED YARDS – THE EIGHTIES AT ECHO BEACH
Book Launch Party Wednesday, June 1st Quiksilver and Partners and Spade celebrated Jamie Brisick and Mike Moir’s surf retrospective The Eighties at Echo Beach with the Hottest Hundred Yards book launch party and photo exhibit in downtown Manhattan. 500 guests attended the store front for an evening filled with everything representative of the radical era of surf in the 80′s that was Echo Beach.
The exhibition will be open to the public starting June 1, Saturdays 12-7 and Sundays 12-6, or by appointment at 40 Great Jones Street, New York City. From the custom 80′s boardshorts and tees to the vintage surfboards, wax and fins complete with Pacifico Beer in attendees hands the event paid homage to an important time in surfing history. 100 of the evening’s guests received an early-release copy of the book, signed by Brisick. Guests included designer Cynthia Rowley, surfers Herbie and Christian Fletcher, shaper Shawn Stussy, and many more.
BILLABONG SURF EXPERIENCE @ ZJ BOARDING HOUSE -2619 Main St. Santa Monica, Ca on Thursday, June 16th from 1pm-3pm. Don’t miss an awesome opportunity for FREE surf lessons, Subaru test drives, BBQ, drinks & a special appearance by singer/ songwriter DONAVON FRAKENREITER a charming character who’ll hang out, sign give away CDs and maybe even strum a chord or two! Billabong Camps are offering free surf lessons and clinics during this event. Subaru is shuttling surfers to and from a local Billabong Surf Camp in a Subaru Outback. And, a wetsuit and surfboard is provided to each participant for their surf lesson. Space is limited though, so sign up in advance. The Outback, voted Best Sports Utility Vehicle for 2010, along with other Subaru vehicles are on hand to test-drive during the event. And best of all, for every Outback test-drive that takes place, Subaru makes a well-deserved donation to the California State Parks on behalf of ZJ, Billabong and Subaru. In addition, customers making any purchase are invited to step up to the Billabong Prize Wheel and take a spin for a free gift of Billabong Men’s or Junior’s product. ZJ, Billabong and team riders will BBQ burgers & dogs, plus, chips and cold drinks are available so you should bring an empty stomach. ZJ Boarding House
SANTA BARBARA SURF MUSEUM – Established in 1992, the Santa Barbara Surfing Museum is the premiere surfing museum in S.B. Complete with vintage skateboards, surfboards, hula girls, classic guitars and ukuleles, this museum will take you on a surf/sk8 safari that you will never want to leave. James O’Mahoney’s one-of-a-kind collection is located at 16 1/2 Helena Ave #C, Santa Barbara, CA. sbsurfingmuseum.com.
US OPEN OF SURFING – the summer’s biggest youth culture festival – returns to “Surf City, USA” (Huntington Beach, CA) July 30 – August 7. Currently in its third year under the Nike 6.0, Hurley and Converse banner, the nine-day event showcases the world’s best surfers, skaters, BMX riders, musicians, emerging designers and artists. A press release with more exciting information is forthcoming. The “Super Bowl of Action Sports”, owned and produced by IMG, the global leader in sports and entertainment is headlined by the one-of-a-kind, 20,000-square-foot Action Sports’ retail and brand experience. US Open spectators will enjoy an interactive festival featuring more than 100 exhibits, autograph signings, DJs, guest emcees and prize giveaways. Some of the best names in music will perform on the USO music stage from Thursday, August 4 to Saturday, August 6. All events are open to the public and free of charge. Live webcast and consumer information is available on www.usopenofsurfing.com
THE 2011 QUIKSILVER CEREMONIAL PUNTA DE LOBOS BIG WAVE INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY SONY ERICSSON AND SUZUKI IS A GO! – Event Called for Saturday, May 28th; Kick Off of the 2011 Big Wave World Tour
Punta del Lobos, Pichilemu, Chile (May 23, 2011) – The 2011 Quiksilver Ceremonial Punta De Lobos Big Wave Invitational presented by Sony Ericsson and Suzuki has officially been called “ON” by Big Wave World Tour Contest Director Gary Linden for Saturday, May 28. The Quiksilver Ceremonial Punta De Lobos Big Wave Invitational will commence this weekend with the world’s top big wave riders competing for a $20,000 prize purse. As the first stop on the 2011 Big Wave World Tour, the Quiksilver Ceremonial is one of the world’s most anticipated big wave events, featuring some of the best waves and skilled surfers from around the globe. Past winners of the event Christian Merello (2010) and Grant “Twiggy” Baker (2009) will return in an attempt to reclaim their titles. The complete line-up of 2011 Quiksilver Ceremonial participants includes: Jamie Sterling, Kohl Christensen, Anthony Taschnick, Carlos Burle, Marcos Monteiro, Peter Mel, Chris Bertish, Cristian Merello, Greg Long, Gabriel Villarán, Mark Healey, Kealii Mamala, Jaimie Mitchell, Danilo Couto, Sebastian De Romana, Rusty Long, Grant “Twiggy” Baker, Ramón Navarro, Diego Medina, Fernando Zegers, Reinaldo Ibarra, Matías LópezandLeón Vicuna.
The event will be webcast live and hosted by Chad Wells & Strider Wasilewski at
www.quiksilver.com/chile.
