Check out our street edition on Issuu.

On the cover of this issue is Dave 1 and P-Thugg from Chromeo. Being retro in the Western world ain’t easy. Having busted through the plexiglass window of sophomore slumpery with the hit LP Fancy Footwork, Chromeo are sticking to their guns—not re-inventing themselves, but rather sticking with the sound that they hold so dear. The new record, Business Casual, is a classic Chromeo record (yes, by the third record a band’s sound can be classic) that will delight both fans of their earlier work and fans of electro funk pop from decades past. ION was lucky enough to have Love & Electrik, a young and popular act of a similar genre, interview Dave1 and P-Thugg. Never again shall these two bands be in the same room, as any catastrophe would drain the Canadian funk pool down to zero.

So we got to listen to your album Business Casual. What was your inspiration musically on this record compared to previous records?
Dave 1: I’d say we were listening to a lot more classic rock—late Seventies classic rock, soft rock, Toto, Boz Scaggs, but I mean…
P-Thugg: Still a lot of funk, but the soft rock kinda gave us a bit of a new direction.
Dave 1: There’s also songs that sound like nothing, kind of. “Don’t Turn the Lights Out,” to me, the only influence was, like, maybe Sade for certain melodies.

You guys are both spokespeople for Bushmills whiskey. Do you drink it dry or on the rocks?
P-Thugg: On the rocks.
Dave 1: It’s actually quite good. I don’t know much about whiskey so the fact that I can drink it… I mean, here’s the thing, when you’re a band like us, and you’re not on radio and you’re not on mainstream television, there’s only so many ways to finance a tour and also get any kind of promotion money. I know a very traditional sort of indie minded person might think that’s kind of a sellout thing, but that doesn’t really mean anything in this day and age. How I see it is like this: record companies give out these new deals where they have your publishing, your merch and touring rights and they give you this huge advance. We said no to that because for us that’s important. That’s ours. For us, I feel like if you sign that deal you’re just as much of a sellout as someone else who licenses something to a commercial. I mean, I would feel more like a sellout if the record label was making money off our live show. I’m happy to talk about this. We actually got a couple
comments. I mean, you don’t see us drinking. There’s nowhere you see us drinking. It’s not like, “Whoa, soo good Bushmills.” You don’t see us drinking it anywhere. The pictures are just cool photos. We had all the approval of every artistic dimension. It’s about friendship. Every time they have a little clip of us we’re not talking about Bushmills. Like there’s no mention of us doing anything with their product.
P-Thugg: It’s kind of a win-win situation—the three-way win-win. The Bushmills people win, we win and the fans win. We get to put on a better show.
Dave 1: We put all the money back into everything, the videos, the album. We reinvest back into stuff so that everyone benefits.

When you first recognized success back in the She’s In Control-era, are there any regrets or things your would do differently?
P-Thugg: The whole thing! [laughter]
Dave 1: I listened to it the other day and I mean, it was dope, it was alright. There was no precedent for that back then. Sometimes I look back and I’m like, “Ugh, the artwork. Ack it’s terrible.” But, like, it’s our first album.
P-Thugg: We were still kind of looking for our sound.
Dave 1: We had no managers; we didn’t know what a booking agent was. She’s In Control didn’t blow up. It was pretty much a failure at all levels. But we had “Needy Girl,” and “Needy Girl” was like a musical passport. That song went all around the world and DJs played it everywhere, but there were no remixes on She’s In Control but one— actually lousy one: Paper Faces.
P-Thugg: Our best remix was two years after.
Dave 1: The label put all their money into getting a DFA remix for “Destination Overdrive,” and they were like, “We spent everything” and we were like, “Oyyyy.” So it was a tough learning experience but I look back and actually in a way I’m proudest of what we did, ‘cause it was just me and P, schlepping everywhere. Just the two of us.
P-Thugg: Recording everything, mixing everything…
Dave 1: Now that I look back, our band sort of chronicles the coming of blogs or YouTube. When we came out with our first album, MySpace didn’t exist yet and YouTube didn’t exist yet. Our “Needy Girl” video was almost one of the first viral videos… but people had to send a crazy link. It’s weird ‘cause we kind of saw all that happening. DJs were the first people to support us. At first that’s really how it got around. With the first album it was the DJs and a snowboard video. So many kids learned about us through that.

How many videos have you guys done with Surface to Air?
Dave 1: Two. I like Surface to Air a lot. We owe a lot to them—they’re kind of part of our image. We collabed closely with those guys. The logo was them, the legs were their idea, the album covers for Business Casual and Fancy Footwork was them. The guy who owns the whole company is a good friend. A lot of credit must be given to them… we have fun with the videos but our videos are not very self-indulgent, it’s really a service. I mean, I have fun, but I really hope that the millions of people that watch the videos, like “Night By Night,” had more fun than me. We see it as something to really show people a good time.

How does it feel to have such an influence on young musicians?
P-Thugg: It feels great, especially when we get questions, you know, about production with people really interested in what’s going on behind the scenes… more specifically asking me about the talk box or the synths we use. It’s very rewarding, just as much as being in front of a sold-out crowd dancing.
Dave 1: I agree with P. It’s really humbling, and we talk to musicians all the time and give advice and P’s geeking out with all the guys and stuff. I feel like, at the same time, when the smoke clears, I hope that at one point people realize that we were one of the first to do it—as far as the Eighties funk. Obviously there’s Daft Punk—they hinted at it. But in terms of really trying to rehabilitate the Rick James, the Hall and Oates thing, the squiggly synths and stuff… you know, we were some of the first. Not that we want a special achievement award or anything, but that recognition feels good when we get it. Even at our shows when we first started, P having a synthesized voice was a curiousity. He would go, “What’s up?” and people would be like, “What’s that?” We never get that anymore. Now, people barely react. But back when we started, it was like. “What’s that? It’s a tube! It’s a robot! It’s a guy!”

What was it like collaborating with Yo Gabba Gabba! and writing a song that was kid friendly?
Dave 1: P always answers the “What was it like?” questions, but another thing we should clear is that we didn’t write that song. Believe it or not, they have their own songwriter over there. So all the songs for Yo Gabba Gabba! is like one dude. I think his name was Ken Lee, this Asian hipster guy with, like, big glasses. He’s dope. He writes all the stuff and sent us, like, three songs, they were like demo quality so we took the songs, picked one and made it into a funky Chromeo thing.
P-Thugg: All three of his ideas were actually very compatible to us. So he had you guys in mind when he was creating the tunes?
Dave 1: Definitely, especially the one we picked. A couple of the songs they might have had already sitting on the shelf, but that one was already very funky.

So Dave, you’re earning your PHD in French literature and now teaching in NYC. How do you manage to balance this with music and what’s it like when students recognize you?
Dave 1: I don’t really know. You need to ask my students, but I think it’s kinda funny for them. I don’t think about it when I teach class because there’s so much to do. It’s tough balancing them. At the same time, with a band, you have time when you’re not touring. Writing music for us luckily comes fairly quick. And the way we split the work, P can do a lot of stuff in my absence and then I can come in and we can do binges. Hopefully by the next time we do an interview with ION I’ll be a full-on professor.

Have you ever taught in your leather vest?
Dave 1: I’ve worn other leather jackets, but that one is a little too sleeveless, you know?

Chromeo has been around for eight years, which dismisses any kind of novelty act assumptions people might have about you. What are your thoughts on that issue?
Dave 1: It’s understandable. I mean, look at what we look like. This guy’s got a tube in his mouth; I’m talking about chicks. I mean, obviously I’d have my suspicions too. But I think that Fancy Footwork kind of dispelled that. When we started we just looked at the White Stripes. I mean, Jack White’s wearing red pants, he’s got swirls everywhere, he does like retro music too. How come nobody thinks they’re a joke band? They’ve just been doing the same thing and the image is über consistent. Maybe subconsciously we tried to apply that. And if you look at what we’re doing now, the legs everywhere, the chromed out logo everywhere, everything is consistent. We’re trying to create a universe that’s between us and our album covers and our lyrics and theme. The more you do that the more it makes it harder for others to imitate you. That’s why, by the way, you can’t imitate Jack White, Like what are you gonna do? I mean, who can walk around imitating Jack White? He’s untouchable. He’s the only guy who wears the red pants, sings the way he does, and has that retro sound and crazy artwork. So I think it’s a cool model for us to follow. That’s what leads to credibility in the long run.

www.chromeo.net
Chromeo on Facebook
Chromeo on Twitter

Words: Kevin and Roxy from Love & Electrik
Photography: Felix Wong
Photo Assistant: Julia Visentin
Styling: Toyo Tsuchiya
Hair and Makeup: Eduardo Mella, TRESemmé Hair Care, judyinc.com

Purchase this issue from here.

People judge you by your bag. Diamante-encrusted clasp equals trashy valley girl. Expensive looking leather satchel empty save for a copy of Kerouac’s On the Road is a sure sign of a non-prescription eyeglass-wearing hipster. Oversized backpack wearers identified by a slight hunch as they bear the brunt of their schoolbooks are often sadly identified as nerds. Regardless of what group you identify with, Vancouver based bag company Herschel Supply Co. may be able to take some weight off your mind with their range of simple, classically designed backpacks and bags for adults.

Co-owner Jamie Cormack set up shop with his brother Lyndon and the pair kept it in the family by naming the company Herschel after the adopted hometown of their great grandparents who emigrated from Scotland to Canada (and yes there is a tartan bag in their collection). The brothers draw inspiration for their bags from vintage mountaineering, American heritage, world travel and fashion. “I have been traveling a lot of late and really pulling ideas and inspiration for all type of places,” explains Jamie. “I have been looking at everything from footwear to old vintage flags. But really inspiration comes from just building things that we like.”

As they launch their Fall line with new styles, fabrics and designs, Jamie is confident that the future looks bright for Herschel. “We are already out growing our office in Gastown and are looking forward to introducing a few new brand extensions for Fall. So in the next year we have a new work space, more bags, kids’ bags, more fabric options, wallets and luggage coming up.”

The best thing about these bags is that they are durable, affordable and they look good. That’s all you need to know really.

[www.herschelsupply.com]

Words: Sinead Keane
Photography: Tyler Quarles
Styling: Charlotte Stokes
Model: Julian at Liz Bell

by calen knauf and dan climan

PF Flyers laces sneakers and art even closer together with Art and Sole 2010—an art shoe project and auction taking place across Canada during August and September. With no-fewer than 40 artists on the roster, it’s of little surprise that this four-city art project is gearing up to be one of the most influential events of the season. There are no limitations set on the background, or the approach of the contributing artists; the common goal is a simple one: put a unique twist on the classic sneaker silhouette. Forty per cent of the proceeds from Art and Sole 2010 will be donated to various organizations around Canada; the rest goes back to the artists—some of whom we’ve profiled below.
[artandsole2010.tumblr.com]

Calen Knauf
This resident of East Vancouver is an industrial design student at Emily Carr who finds great pleasure in examining the natural and built spaces that surround him. A self-described ‘stickler for furniture,’ Calen has been featured in numerous ‘creative spaces’ profiles—his being meticulously organized, which can be seen as an almost direct contrast to his organic flowing artist style. His design work has been commissioned by the likes of Adidas, Stüssy, Trakstar, Color Magazine and ION. And when not working on something creative, Calen can be found mentally preparing for the day when aliens invade earth—he’ll be the only one well and truly prepared.
[www.calenknauf.com]

Dan Climan
Dan is another Vancouver-based artist who focuses on hand-drawn illustrations, but with a grungy New York City skate-punk aesthetic. Originally from Montreal, Dan is now enrolled at the Emily Carr where he is studying painting. To make ends meet, he also designs flyers for weekly parties and events in the Vancouver area. Dan’s vibrant and humourous design work consists mainly of his signature script and character based themes; not surprisingly, this sneaker enthusiast is also a regular contributor to Color Magazine. When not working on his personal projects, Dan is known to collaborate with Calen Knauf (with whom he shares a creative live/work space) and punking friends around town.
[www.dancliman.blogspot.com]

by lupe martinez

Lupe Martinez
Born in Buenos Aires in 1980, Lupe Martinez is a talented Vancouver-based illustrator, painter and conceptual artist. Her work ranges from dream-like landscape paintings to textile-based installations that are founded on a philosophy that art is a medium for creating awareness and igniting the exploration of one’s inner self. With a BFA at the National University of Arts (IUNA), the 30-year-old artist has an extensive list of exhibitions to her name, not to mention a stint at Emily Carr in 2007, as well as myriad workshops and seminars in Europe, South America and Canada. Today the award-winning artist works from her permanent studio at the Dynamo.
[www.lupe-martinez.com]

by zema lam

Zema Lam
Comic-cum-pop artist Zema Lam calls Montreal home and as such, the streets are adorned with her unique graffiti murals and illustrations. Working in tandem with husband Frank Lam, the multidisciplinary artist is as comfortable painting in Montreal’s back alleys as she is with canvas and other media. Her style has been described as “pop-surrealist” and “lowbrow cartoon-trash,” yet whichever way you choose to look at it, Zema is on the cutting edge of Canada’s contemporary arts movement. From video to graphic design and everything in between, Zema’s creations are exaggerated and emotive. There is simply no avoiding the charming allure of her work.
[www.zema-ink.com]

by andrew tong

Andrew Tong
Vancouver’s own Andrew Tong is a fine artist in every sense. Born and raised in London, England, Andrew is a graduate of Reigate School of Art and Design and has had a pencil or paint brush in-hand from an early age. His work varies from the fantastic to the horrific and captures the imagination in a twisted fashion. Each image, character or scene has a life unto itself. And while his work is technical and multi-layered, Andrew creates portraits and still-life studies that are approachable and enticing. Well versed in the ways of the Old Masters, Andrew Tong brings a philosophy of exploration and self-discovery to the masses.
[www.andrewtongart.com]

by juliana neufeld

Juliana Neufeld
Torontonian Juliana Neufeld is a talented artist whose illustrations, paintings and mixed-media creations grace the pages of many local and international magazines, packages and gallery spaces. Recently voted the winner of Applied Arts Magazine’s Photography and Design Award for best packaging, the young artist is on the fast track to great things. Her work is both multi-faceted and vivid, without being overly involved or complex. It is therefore no wonder that the likes of Exclaim Magazine and Element Skateboards are commissioning work from this bright young star. Along with her work in books and magazines, Juliana is preparing for her first solo show, which will be hosted by Toronto’s Sleeping Giant gallery in September.
[www.juliananeufeld.com]

by peru dyer

Peru Dyer
An avid traveller and linguist, Peru Dyer (aka Peru143) is originally from Lima, Peru, but he now calls Montreal home. His moniker, as you might gather, is an homage to the country of his birth; the ‘143’ inspired by the self-assigned number of the home he grew up in. Now firmly entrenched in the Canadian art world, the freelance illustrator and muralist is making his indelible mark on the streets and in galleries alike. His work ranges from vibrantly colourful lettering and pop-art characters on the streets to images of geometric shapes and figure studies on canvas and paper. A humanitarian at heart, Peru Dyer gives particular focus to issues affecting the environment and aims to “educate and inspire” through his God-given talent.
[www.peru143.com]

Words: Nick Hanekom

Highly recommend watching/experiencing the video for The Arcade Fire’s The Wilderness Downtown.

Get acquainted with Charlotte Stokes and Alicia Wrobel…

STYLIST
CHARLOTTE STOKES
Charlotte styled our fashion editorial in this issue. Australia seems like a cruel place for a red headed girl to be born but Charlotte Stokes thrived while living directly under the hole in our ozone. She worked down under as a fashion editor and stylist until she made the move to Canada, just over a year ago. Vancouver has kept her busy and the area’s moderate climate has been easier on her complexion. She’s stoked to be working with ION and looks forward to flawless skin in 20 years thanks to a rigorous dedication to sun screen.

[www.nobasura.com]

WRITER
ALICIA WROBEL
Alicia wrote the swimwear article in this issue. She hopes her cool glasses will convince someone to hire her as her degree in communications with a minor in publishing is proving to be more use folded as a paper airplane. She likes traveling, vintage teacups, Starbucks, sangria, mason jars, coffee ice cream, and still has yet to find a horror movie that scares her. Put a picture of a moth in front of her, or worse yet a real moth, and she will probably rip your head off—or the moth’s. In her free time she enjoys finding the most interesting words in the English language, one of which will always be ‘loaf’. She often wonders why she doesn’t get mail from carrier pigeons because it would be awesome.

Get acquainted with Jenkin Au and Andrea Tiller…

WRITER
JENKIN AU
Jenkin interviewed Vladimir Kato for this issue. Bio in third person? Jenkin would normally laugh. In fact, I know Jenkin so well that he’d probably make something up on the spot, like the chocolate chunking up on his teeth. Jenkin thinks photography is a sham and would never touch it. He also thinks writing is for the dogs and will never write a single piece in his life. Jenkin is a short scrawny Asian kid who thinks he was born here and wishes he was a super chef. He’s also a comic book nerd and he thinks that porn would be great in a 4-D theatre. Jenkin is my best friend.
[www.justalilhype.com/blog/jenk]

MAKEUP
ANDREA TILLER
Andrea did the makeup for our shoot with Die Antwoord. Dre was born and raised for most of her childhood in Peru by an Austrian father and Peruvian mother. This explains why she has Latina flare and an appreciation for art, music, fashion and culture. She’s been painting faces for the last five years in Vancouver and has been a regular contributor to ION. She dreams of doing makeup for Lil Wayne one day and possibly marrying him.

[www.andreatillermakeup.com]

Reviews of the latest from Kylie, Mogwai, Procedure Club and Wolf Parade.

Kylie
Aphrodite
Capitol
The beauty of what sets Kylie Minogue’s 20-year career apart from that of other decade-spanning pop icons like Madonna is that while Madge and co. have radically reinvented themselves for every comeback, Kylie has fought all conventional wisdom and stuck to what she does best: dance. (Dance! DANCE!) When she did experiment—with Body Language’s R&B flavour, or X’s scattershot of electro, disco and conventional radio bait—her unrepentant club beats lacked their usual luster. But Aphrodite is as precisely and distinctively Kylie as we’ve seen since Fever—catchy, heart pumping, love struck pop. Kylie sums up her 11th album in its title track (over a primal Rhythm Nation-style drum line): “It’s the truth / It’s a fact / I was gone and now I’m back.” It’s an auspicious return that hits every note longtime fans want their nouveau-disco queen to hit. Pop-rock “Cupid Boy” is a characteristically exuberant love song, and “All the Lovers,” the lead single whose music video has Kylie writhing in a 15-story-high dogpile of half-naked models (think Human Centipede meets the video for “Slow”—don’t fight it, you know it sounds hot), is simply euphoric synthpop. And “Get Outta My Way,” the album’s pièce de résistance, marks Kylie’s throwdown dance floor hit, every bit as infectious as “In Your Eyes” or “Love at First Sight.”
-Nojan Aminosharei

Mogwai
Special Moves
Rock Action
Mogwai are a cute, fuzzy, little chipmunk things that you buy from secret underground shops in Chinatown. They make delightful pets, multiply in numbers if you get them wet and turn into fiendish gremlins if fed after midnight. Mogwai is also a band from Scotland. They do really long, really pretty, cinematic sounding songs. Their live album is an elegant sampling of their best work. It comes with a DVD of the concert. As far as live albums go, there’s nothing absolutely mind blowing here. That said, Mogwai themselves are mindblowing. This might be a good introduction for the unfamiliar or a good way to revisit them if you haven’t paid attention to them in a while. -Kellen Powell

Procedure Club
Doomed Forever
Slumberland
Like
Halley’s Comet or a successful Oakland Raiders season, noise pop is a thing again for the first time in decades and we’re all paying attention. The best part about the genre is the idea that the melody is the Aspirin you require to ease the pain while the unearthly tones and production are the jam to spoon-feed to the contrarian music fan. If Procedure Club’s Doomed Forever was stripped down the songs would be more akin to Shonen Knife’s than they are to Prolapse’s. But with 8-bit drums and guitars referencing the out-of-tune stylings of Chin Chin (an excellent re-release by Slumberland Records, by the way) the band becomes both catchy to the easy summer listener and respected by the stubborn I-Hate-All-Pop-Music art house fatty. Add the fact that the song structures range from the waltzy finger waggling of “Rather” to the sludgy butt-rock crawl of “Nautical Song” and you’ve got yourself a record to give you late night cred at a gallery opening while you secretly smooch it goodnight before you place it in a lavender scented box under your bed next to a copy of The Gentle Waves’ The Green Fields of Foreverland.
-Trevor Risk

Wolf Parade
Expo 86
Sub Pop
A sentence I hear more and more lately is, “(band name) had to make (mediocre album) so that they could make (clearly superior album).” I’ve heard it said about Ariel Pink’s latest. I’ve heard it said about the last two or three Animal Collective releases. I am hoping beyond hope to hear it when the next Strokes album is released. However, I may have to use that sentence to talk about Expo 86. At Mount Zoomer, Wolf Parade’s previous release, fell short of my ridiculously high expectations. However, Wolf Parade brought the sprawling, ass-kicking aspects of Zoomer into the fold with the flawless hooks and energy of Apologies to the Queen Mary. On Expo 86, it no longer seems that the primary songwriters, Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug, are dueling with each other. Rather, they seemed to work that relationship out on Zoomer and their respective side projects. What we are left with is a more cohesive, focused album that seems more representative of the talent involved. Plus, the album art is effing amazing.
-Ian Urbanski

Really bad gig posters are the equivalent of projectile vomiting on the audience according to Christine Hale. And let’s face it, there is only a small minority of sick perverts out there who enjoy that. The illustrator, designer and musician with Montreal-based band, The Hoof & The Heel, hopes that instead, her surrealist, cartoon animations simply speak to people. “There are three kinds of gig posters: the ones that just speak, the ones that are visually stunning, but kind of mumble or speak their own language; and then the ones that can speak, but also be visually aesthetic, which is what I try to do with my posters.” If you’re a charity or non-profit, Christine may just pick up her pencil and make you a poster for free because that’s just the kind of nice gal that she is.

[www.posterswiththemosters.com]

Check out some more of her posters…

LEO
Even when it’s your time of year, remember that even the cutest of polar bears can’t smile or wink away the melting ice caps. Nor can your excellent hair save you from terrible shoes. Avoiding areas that need attention will only lead to, well, less excellent hair overall.

VIRGO
You’ll never get anything done if you just stand there. Take off your pop-bottle glasses and headgear and step into the friggin’ sunshine already! I’m sure that under all that nonsense, you’re even an attractive person. And if not, follow someone attractive to a Pilates class!

LIBRA
Remember to sort your plastics from your paper and glass—especially now. Avoid certain death by reading from solar-powered iPads instead of wasteful printed pulp and paper publications. You don’t want the Green Army to penalize you for not donating enough endangered Milk Thistle seeds to the We-Live-Better-Than-You-Live Society. Or maybe you DO!

SCORPIO
Sylvester Stallone’s mother, Jackie, is also an astrologer. In addition to inventing “rumpology” (AKA the palmistry of your butt), she has published books on more traditional star signs. In one, she says Scorpians are known for their beautiful genitalia. Share my confidence in Jackie and make your gifts KNOWN already!

SAGITTARIUS
It’s not your fault if that lunchtime quickie left your house and was immediately hit by a bus. Fact is, bad stuff happens. If you ever wanna avert a global disaster—ie a Backstreet Boys Reunion LP—don’t be so fucking hard on yourself. Only a useless idiot would keep that up!

CAPRICORN
Being alive is a lot like baking a cake. Too much salt and it’s game over. Plus, you only get one chance (per cake). Just for kicks, why not try a new approach to creating something you can be proud of. Season these upcoming months with moderate doses of fun rather than typical binge drinking marathons. You’re an irritating drunk.

AQUARIUS
When the Aquarian Sun aligns with the Pescatarian Moon, a Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian will become a Twilight Vegan. Translation: you will be bombarded with watery, meaningless tripe this season. Question is, will you choose to ingest it?

PISCES
Dear Piscean, allow me to impart some wise words I once shared with my fishy mother. MAKE A FUCKING DECISION ALREADY. It’s not like you haven’t weighed the shit out of the options. Or, conversely, don’t. It’s not my life.

ARIES
Aries-heads have a lot goin’ on. Always good with your hands, great skin etc, etc. It’s just that dour-as-shit grimace you’ve been sporting recently that’s putting people off. You know that expression about lemons? Well stop sucking them already! Whiney looks about as good on you as navy socks in tan leather sandals look on my mother.

TAURUS
You bulls have such a crummy reputation. It’s always you, bottle in hand, clumsily smashing delicate objects with your knobby heads. More than once, you are the first to leave the party—out of shame. I’ve always felt that you have so much more to offer. But you know what? I’ve been wrong before!

GEMINI
Using the expression “polar opposites” to describe two incomparable things seems wrong to me. First of all, the North and South Poles are BOTH fucking inhabitable wastes of space. Secondly, they’re similarly icy cold, lame, and remote. Maybe your “bi-polar” personalities aren’t such opposites either. Think about it…

CANCER
Not everyone wants a Cancer. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you can dump that piece of trash you’re dating and aim for someone who actually wants you for you. Someone hot? Focused maybe? Even rich? Nevermind, you’re gonna ignore this and just “take a break” aren’t you?

Ryan Kerr is an artist, author and performer based in Toronto. His first book, On Growin’ Up was just recently published and should be 10% as successful as a Canadian Bestseller by the end of this year. Ryan has a fetish for vintage glassware and things in general that are pretty but impractical. He also laughs at his own jokes.
[www.ongrowinup.com]

Here’s a sneak peek of the cover of our Fall Fashion issue. It’s features Dave 1 and P-Thugg from Chromeo. It’s printing right now so stay tuned!

Reviews of the latest by The Clientele, DVAS, Hot Panda and M.I.A.

The Clientele
Minotaur
Merge
The Clientele have always been the band that I’ve listened to on cold and rainy days, but their sixth release, Minotaur EP, is being released in the middle of summer. “What the fuck?” Listening to this on a hot and humid evening, though, I begin to see how the violin and dreamy guitar perfectly soundtrack a barely dressed girl, in her apartment holding a flower that moves in the wind from her fan. “That romantic shit or whatever!” The electric bass sound. The English man’s voice. The yams in the oven. A song gets dark. “I love you, okay?” The eighth track comes on, “Nothing Here Is What It Seems,” and the pop gets wet and the drunk outside is still screaming: “I’ll learn Greek. So fuck you!” This is a nice and seasonal record to play in your living room.
-Stefana Fratila

DVAS
Society
Upper Class Recordings
Not for nothing but this album didn’t make my backbone slide; nor did it make my pants feel tight. Society’s strongest moments are achieved at the beginning of the album, with the title track and “Consenting Adults” being the best offerings. After the midpoint all of the tracks sound repetitive and more like an afterthought. Their last two tracks, “Giving it All Away” and “Passionate Persuasion,” would do better by not being on the album at all. My advice to DVAS would be to release strong singles, rather than throw out a full length that doesn’t have any real umphh. It’s not that it’s a bad album, it just isn’t really great. In summation, if Society was a Star Trek phaser setting, it would be meh.
-Dr. Ian Super

Hot Panda
How Come I’m Dead?
Mint
Boy, this is nice! How Come I’m Dead sounds like the perfect soundtrack for a sick new movie you could write in your head. Imagine the playful new alterations of the title that you could come up with … for instance: “How Come I’m Dad?” or “Homecoming, I’m Done.” Don’t those sound like nice movies to watch? It seems like Edmonton’s Hot Panda are ready. A song like “Fuck Shit Up/ Hell Hey Hex” is asking for a toss an’ turn in a busy and abandoned ‘venue’. Maybe I’m losing my grip on what music really is to me. But right now I just wish I could see this band live because, man, when I hear “Start Making Sense” I know those are the kind of guitar riffs I want to hear now and then… like the moment when we first felt something from music in ninth grade. Where were Hot Panda when we were in ninth grade!?
-Stefana Fratila

M.I.A.
/\/\ /\ Y /\
Interscope
There comes a moment in every controversial musician’s career where the tides turn and the fans that once anticipated her songs with genuine relish pull the pedestal out from under their idol and wait to watch her fall. For M.I.A., her third and possibly most personal album, /\/\ /\ Y /\, is that moment. But then again, that moment has been coming in fits and starts for months. First, there was the online release of M.I.A.’s uber-violent music video for “Born Free,” a calculated controversy that missed the mark with its oversimplified human rights allegory. Then there was Lynn Hirschberg’s New York Times Magazine takedown, which publicly shredded M.I.A.’s credibility as a revolutionary (if indeed anyone ever took her self-appointed role of pop star-pundit seriously). /\/\ /\ Y /\’s lyrics are often clumsy attempts at incendiary political statement, and lines like “Connected to the Google / Connected the government” (in opener “The Message”) are off-putting enough even before you realize they include not a shred of irony. The album is full of misses (and several near-hits), and it’s not as catchy as its predecessors, but it will hardly be the end of M.I.A. Behind /\/\ /\ Y /\’s over-aggresiveness are the makings of solid hip hop. If she learns to lay off, she might have us eating out of the palm of her truffle-fry-stained hands all over again.
-Nojan Aminosharei

For this issue we got the oddest and awesomest request from an artist ever. Prior to our photoshoot with Die Antwoord, we received an email asking, “Can you bring XL boxers of Canadian flag and maple leaves for Ninja to wear for this?” We were, of course, ecstatic and immediately dropped everything we were doing to go on a quest for him. Said Ninja of the boxers we gave him, “They’re nice. I love new boxers and underpants and socks. We never had money so for a few birthdays Yo-landi always bought me underpants and socks and I always liked them. I have nice affection with new underpants.” If you’d like to look like Ninja does on our cover, his maple leaf boxers can be purchased for $15 at almost any tourist store in Gastown, Vancouver.

Two things about Montreal artist Dave Arnold: A) He is hilarious, and B) He doesn’t like to be pigeonholed. In an attempt to avoid this, he’s currently working under the alias Mr. Sign, and is bringing a new face to many storefronts in an old way: by hand-painting signs for businesses eager to recreate that old nostalgic charm. He also has a collection of paintings titled “Teenage Nudes,” consisting of Betty and Veronica from Archie comics posing in the nude. “It seemed like a decent idea,” he says, laughing.

One commonality within all of Dave’s work is his rampant penchant for nostalgia. “I think a lot of it’s based on reading Archie comics actually,” he reveals. “The stuff I think looks interesting mostly can be traced back to all those funny, weird little ads in them that have tricky wording, but are also real simple.” Having never really been interested in the “newer stuff,” he shares that he’s basically been stuck in the Twenties, adding that this has made business successful. “It almost seems to be like a trendy thing now, to take a place and give it that old-fashioned, almost cottagey type vibe, and it seems to be appealing to all sorts of different people—to go back to the sort of older look, like not as crisp and clean.”

Mr. Sign’s success in Montreal has had people talking, with store owners eager to commission his work and clients brought to tears of utter joy with the results. Dave laughs, “Oh my god, I think that was the best response you could ask for. If someone breaks into tears, then you know that you’ve hit the mark.”

And although he’s always had a knack for artistry, Dave unabashedly admits that really, he’s just trying to get by. It’s all about, “How can I take what I’m doing and charge more money for it, basically. It’s always been the goal to sell everything I’ve got!” He further divulges that he doesn’t have much of a connection to, or interest in art as self-expression. “The whole ‘express what’s on the inside’, like, ‘put yourself on the canvas’, has never interested me. I just like pumping this stuff out, and if I can somehow pay my bills doing it, I’m happy.”

Apart from his flourishing sign painting business, “Teenage Nudes” has been Dave’s greatest success to-date, garnering overwhelmingly positive public interest. Always candid, he laughs, “People actually give a shit about Archie?” But after doing the show it hit him, “At that age you have no idea what sex is about, and then you see a boob in a magazine and giggle yourself to death, just trying to figure out what is actually going on. So a lot of people were like, ‘This really speaks to how my brain used to work, and how my brain works now,’ and the fact that I was able to bring them back to an older time.”

As for what’s next, Dave says not to expect to see him in the sign business for much longer, as he tends to bore easily. He’s planning his next show to be titled “Mr. Sign” and it will consist of signs he describes as a little bit more twisted or weird, thus marking the end of Mr. Sign, and the beginning of something new. His motivation for doing this? “So my brain doesn’t explode.”

[www.davearnoldart.com]

Words: Chelsea Moore

If the rhythm sounds nice, you gotta do it twice. So we’re doing it again. On Saturday August 21th, you are cordially invited to spend an afternoon with us on one of the most seldom available rooftops in the city. Be prepared for a day filled with familiar faces, tempting libations, BBQ and general revelry. From 2-7pm the rooftop of Scotiabank Dance Centre will be home to an array of summer favorites from past and present.

Selectors: AJK, Zeeaa + U-Tern and All Hands In
When: Saturday August 21st. 5-10pm.
Where: Scotiabank Dance Centre. 677 Davie Street. Google Map
How much:$7
RSVP on the Facebook Event Page

Generously sponsored by the good people at:
Bear Flag Wine www.bearflagwine.com
Steam Whistle www.steamwhistle.ca

Apparently the Swedes are good at a few things: crafting perfect pop songs, furniture you put together yourself and meatballs. They can add making sunglasses to that list with this month’s prize, a pair of WESC shades. The heat is on which means beach days aplenty—what better way to spot your summer crush while you’re catching some rays than through the lenses of a pair of WESCs.

Enter after the jump…

[contact-form]
One entry per person!

It’s about time you ditch that itsy-bitsy-teenie-weenie-yellow-polka-dot-bikini for something a bit more original. Swimwear companies are upping the ante when it comes to merging fashion with function, and you don’t want to be left behind. If you’re not sure where to start your search, why not try a couple of buzz-worthy ones on for size.

Anna Kosturova’s swimwear has graced many famous bodies, including those in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, which she describes as the holy grail of the industry. As a youngster, she spent her summers lounging by the pool from morning to night, and it is because of this she believes she developed her love for all things aquatic. Designing swimwear was a natural progression for her, “I’m just perpetuating my childhood dream by making the beach my office.”

Well known for using crochet in her pieces to give her control over design, structure and texture, Anna Kosturova promises that, “There will always be lots of colour, sparkle, and emphasis on maximizing the hotness.” If you’re a fan of her innovative designs, that’s good news. Anna has big plans for her company—she envisions offering a head-to-toe resortlook, that would include wrap dresses, swimsuits, shoes, bags and dresses.

If you’re looking for something a little more earthy, add a botanical touch to your wardrobe with Maaji Swimwear. In 2002 the brand leads, Veronica Velez and Manuela Sierra, launched the Columbian company. Producing creative swimwear with an eclectic yet modern flair, designers mix patterns and textures to bring uniqueness to each piece. Their 2010 collection, Botanical Touch, brings elegance to bohemian style and offers an array of options including strapless, oneshouldered, halter, and one-piece.

As if you didn’t already have enough excuses to leave work and hit the beach, now you have two more. If you’re in the market for a new swimsuit, be sure to check out Anna Kosturova and Maaji Swimwear. They’ll guarantee that no matter where you are, you’ll arrive in style. Mojitos are, unfortunately, not included.

[www.annakosturova.com]
[www.maajiswimwear.com

Words: Alicia Wrobel
Photography: Felix Wong

Having a stamp of approval from New York’s famed DFA label is one way to turn heads in your direction. Another is to tastefully remix hit songs for bands such as Cut Copy, MGMT and Phoenix. But most of all, the best way to turn heads and keep them turned is to simply make good music—music that won’t rapidly vanish in the pile of hype-machined rubble. Remember when it was acceptable to take your time composing music and actually write those things called songs? Alex Frankel and Nick Millhiser of Holy Ghost! sure do. We got a chance to sit down with them on the Vancouver stop of their tour with LCD Soundsystem.

How did your involvement with DFA come about?
Nick: We met them through our old band Automato—which was Alex and I and four other guys. James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy produced that band. After that band fell apart, we all just sort of remained friends and Alex and I started working on what became Holy Ghost! very shortly after.

What did your musical background consist of when you formed the Holy Ghost! outfit?
Nick: We’d both kind of been into dance music, as teenagers, but Automato was straight up rap. We both grew up listening to anything and everything. Meeting James and Tim was definitely a catalyst to start moving towards dancier tempo’s and sounds. It was also out of necessity after Automata broke up. We had been making rap for so long and thought that’s what we’d be doing, but we didn’t know any rappers [laughs]. So I guess we had to figure something else out.
Alex: Direction also came from searching through dollar bins at record stores. We’d stumble across disco records from the late Seventies and early Eighties with the intent to sample them for rap music but then sort of started to actually like those songs that we were looking to sample from. Those weird dollar bin records definitely had an influence.

What would you say distinguishes Holy Ghost! from other dance music out there? What’s your trademark sound?
Alex: Live drums. We were lucky enough to record a lot with Jerry Fuchs before he passed away. I’ve always said the drums are the most important thing in our sound. Live drums, not samples. Nick’s a good drummer and Jerry was obviously an amazing drummer. That combined with old kits, old mics, compressors, pre-amps kinda help us get as close to a Fleetwood Mac drum sound or whatever we’re after. We’ll often go to bigger studio just to do the drums because you can’t really do that in your bedroom.
Nick: Also, I think in general, along the same lines as using live drums, we use a lot of synths. A lot of the stuff we do is played by hand. Even if it’s just a really simple one- or two-bar loop, instead of programming it with midi and recording it back into the computer—Alex or I will play it and do a really long take, even if it’s the same thing over and over again,
Alex: You sometimes make weird mistakes due to human error and those accidents turn into the best parts. Like when you hit the wrong note or turn the phrase around on itself by accident and end up like “Oh shit, that’s it!” It’s just more fun too. It’s performative.
Nick: I think a big part of our love for older gear is simply hands on is more fun. But at the same time I guess there is a slight hatred of staring at a computer screen.
Alex: Pretending we’re controlling a spaceship is more fun than pretending to be an accountant at a tax office.

Being a two-man band, translating your recorded music into a live show was presumably a bit tricky given the abundance of old and delicate outboard gear you guys use. How did you manage to accomplish that?
Nick: It’s been really hard, but we’ve been fortunate. We got hooked up with this company called Dave Smith Instruments, which is a new company that makes analog stuff run by Dave Smith who ran Sequential Circuits in the Eighties when they created some of the most amazing and beautiful synthesizers ever. So we’ve been using a lot of their stuff which sounds really great but is also small, durable, affordable and designed to be taken on the road… We also had to find some awesome dudes to play with us. None of our stuff is super technically demanding, but it can be physically demanding.
Alex:. We’re still figuring it out. I think we’ll just keep adding elements as we go and live by the LCD motto: Start how you can and anytime you can get a little more money throw it back into the band.

How has it been touring with LCD Soundsystem thus far, both on and off the stage?
Alex: Amazing. On most tours, I assume there is usually a divide between the headliners and the support and they’re called that: support and headline. They travel separately, they don’t necessarily know each other’s songs and they’re kind of put together by a record label because they think it’s a bill that’ll work or whatever. But in this case, these are the same people we’ll be drinking with around the corner in Brooklyn if we weren’t all on tour. That, plus the fact they know our music really well. James knows the lyrics to our songs and of course we know their songs by heart. It’s pretty fun and relaxed and musically it’s really nice to have them all there to help and give us advice from their experience. I don’t think we’ll probably ever go on a tour this fun again… it’s all down hill from here [laughs].

To kick off the tour with LCD, you guys jumped into the fire with a series of sold out shows in New York. How was it playing some of your first live shows as Holy Ghost! in your hometown?
Alex: Scaaaaary!
Nick: As daunting as it was to playing in New York for our first shows, it’s also really nice to do four shows in a row with literally all your best friends standing right behind you.
Alex: Plus, being in New York you can take the subway home after the show!

[www.holyghostnyc.com]

Words: Aleem Jamal-Kabani @aleemjk
Photography: Justin Tyler Close www.justintylerclose.com

Toronto artist Vladimir Kato is an animator by day and a glorious painter by any-other-time-of-the-day. Vladimir’s twisted and hilarious creations include concepts from the far reaches of his mind such as R-rated movies and dark-humoured Italian comics. Luckily, he keeps some of that stuff out of his animation work, as he works on a lot of childrens’ programs. Recently I had a chance to chat with him following his most recent solo art show, titled Wilderness.

As an animator, have you had trouble deciding whether a character or concept should go in an animation or your artwork?
It depends what it is. My full time job is character design and background design for Teletoon and stuff like that. For instance, right now maybe a more retro character would totally belong in an art gallery. A piece back from the past is not ironic but it brings out the retro cool. People would mock the newer stuff that I would do and they wouldn’t take it seriously, even if my intention was to provoke them. If I were to draw any of the 3D or newer animation styles, they wouldn’t take it seriously in an art gallery.

Why is that?
I’m not sure. Maybe because it doesn’t have any credibility or it’s too commercial and they don’t understand it. If I were to do that, I would do it on purpose to provoke them to get a reaction and get hate out of them. It would be where I knew they would hate it, but I would do it just to prove that humanity is shitty.

Where would you find the separation between work and art?
My artwork definitely has my personal humour in it. I would try to explain my personality through my humour. My animation work is completely commercial and I do work based on what my clients want to see. I use technical skills for that. Both works are kind of weird—I have to put emotion into both of them. I do a lot of background work and you have to convey a lot of emotions and feelings. My personal work is kind of like a party. If I were to describe my personal work, it would be a scene from Trading Places where Eddie Murphy takes all the scumbags from the bar back to his house and the place goes wild.

What would you say is your kind of humour?
It’s just really obnoxious stuff like a drunk guy in high heels. I am totally going to go back to that kind of stuff because it’s really fun for me. I’m going to be staying away from the upscale hipster stuff.

Your artwork is quite spontaneous. More on the serious side, does your artwork hide any political motives that emerge subconsciously?
It kind of does. There are political motives that I want to do but I’m being safe and holding it back. I grew up in a communist country and we were isolated from the West, yet we still got exposure to everything, even if it was forbidden, showing how corrupt the government can be at times. Right now, I’m just trying to have some fun with it and find my themes and style. Maybe later I will become more serious with a serious message.

Are the tranny pictures a political move?
I was upset about the way they were treating the trannies. Even though I am not a homosexual, I admire their culture. This was kind of like an ode to that and how awesome it is, kind of in your face with a Prince vibe. The colours are also totally my colour scheme with the blue, the red, and the black. Prince is one of my favourite artists and I was just listening to him the other night. Wanting to keep your work life separate from your art life is quite difficult, especially with running two solo shows in two years.

Did preparing for these two shows at any point feel like work more than pleasure?
Definitely. The first art show was pretty fun because it was my introduction to everybody. With the second one, I had to stick with a theme and I also had my full time job picking up at the same time. I set a theme but I’m so spontaneous that I can never pick something and do it. I always like to explore other options and do random shit, like an artist with A.D.D. The problem with all this was that sometimes, I had a wicked idea in my head but when I go to paint it, I wasn’t having fun painting it and it was almost a chore. When I was goofing off, I have the best time ever. There are a few paintings I planned out this year and it was just a total chore.

What will your next show be based around?
The next show will definitely be the whole package – some of the technicals and lots of humour. I still haven’t decided on a theme but it will be stuff that I like to see and a bit on what people want to see. This will be the last show and I want to have some fun with it.

Finally, how do you see the evolution of your artwork taking place?
It is definitely going to evolve. Everything that fazes me always changes and I like to put out the most recent thing that fazes me. The quality will definitely improve and my painting skills will become more complex. My painting skills are getting better each year and right now. It is completely different than it was three or four years ago. I’m going to try some different media, too. I used to do a lot of film and film funny things, following people around with amazing music over top. It will always change and evolve.

[www.vladkato.com]
Words: Jenkin Au

Reviews of the latest by CocoRosie, Hank III, Jon & Roy and Konono N° 1

CocoRosie
Grey Oceans
Sub Pop
CCR: the next generation? Since 2003, we’ve come to know CocoRosie as the quirky sister-duet whose baby alien voices conjure the most poetic atmospheres and pornographic images imaginable. With the release of their fourth album, Grey Oceans, Bianca “Coco” and Sierra “Rosie” Casady welcome us into yet another dreamscape of Tantric chants, quivering Congo beats and their trademark twinkle-twinkle-little-starisms. For those who haven’t heard of CocoRosie, well, if you have a tendency to get lost in the deep space of contemplation, meditation or masturbation, Grey Oceans could be a very useful tool for your music box. What exactly are they singing? Who knows… but it sure feels good down there.
-Jules Moore

Hank III
Rebel
Within Curb
Boring, uninspired, and unoriginal . . . go ahead and add contrived to the list. The lyrics are shallow and full of more clichés than a highschooler’s LiveJournal, all delivered with a ridiculous cartoonish Southern drawl that feels more put-on than Clay Aiken’s heterosexuality. Listening to this was like having a conversation with someone who has the life experience of a 14-year-old with the brain deterioration of a 98-year-old. Instead of reminding us of Sex Pistols, Ramones, The Clash, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard or even Hank Sr., Rebel Within is far more reminiscent of a mixture of some modern linedancing Cotton-Eyed-Joe-Macarena bullshit, that slow Kid Rock song (the one from like 2001 or some shit where he used auto tune on his voice to hide how terrible a singer he is), every song by Flogging Molly, a little bit of Limp Bizkit and a whole lot of your dad’s buddy’s band that plays at that shitty bar outside of town on Thursday nights.
-Jeremy McAnulty

Jon & Roy
Homes
Independent
For those that are fans of Jon & Roy, huzzah! Homes is now here. Ranging from folksy lullabies, afrorhythms and reggae, the album once again showcases Jon Middleton’s talents as a songwriter and Roy Vizer’s skills at percussion. Homes provides a nice summertime release for those beer-swilling, fire pit party nights that we all so enjoy. My primary concern for the album is its overall relevance. It doesn’t seem to forcefully move the listener in any direction as it sort of just toddles along. This sentiment is nice for days of rest, but I think that Jon & Roy would benefit by getting outside of their comfort zone as they do have the talent. “Get Myself a Gun” and “Deerfoot” are my two favourite tracks, with the latter being one of the stronger closing tracks that I’ve heard this year. Worth a listen… especially at the beach.
-Dr. Ian Super

Konono N° 1
Assume Crash Position
Crammed Disc
I once had a conversation with a good friend of who worked in advertising. He told me that he dealt with the guilt of working in advertising because it gave him the resources to create artistic specta cles that previously were out of his reach. This conversation came to mind when reviewing the new Konono N°1 album. Not only are they going full out already by manipulating parts of dead cars to create their own PA systems to amplify traditional African instruments, Konono N°1 are going for broke in one fell swoop via the plethora of guest musicians littering the album (as well as employing a Konono cover band, who use electric guitars and basses). Much like the advertising friend they’re making something popular by taking ignored material and pushing it to the forefront. They are bringing together the contemporary history of Congotronics by mashing together their peers, their influences and their influence on the next generation of African street bands in one recording. Whether or not you like this, you need to listen to this artistic spectacle.
-V Vecker