NYLON TV: Converse

We feel extremely connected to this video from NYLON TV because quite often we have had to go through the same struggle to get our converses perfect... poor us.

VIDEO: Converse

Knife

You know your song is really popular when everyone starts remixing it and all the remixes are amazing! Grizzly Bear is a band from Brooklyn consisting of Daniel Rossen (songwriting/guitar), Ed Droste (songwriting/guitar), Chris Taylor (clarinet/production) and Christopher Bear (drums). Their song Knife was released on the album Yellow House in 2006.

Girl Talk's remix is a little more hip hop:
Knife Girl Talk Remix (from blogsarefordogs)

The Born Ruffian's remix is a little more pop:
Knife Born Ruffians (from iguessimfloating)

But of course, we always like the originial:
VIDEO: Knife- Grizzly Bear

Rip Off

What's not to love about Urban Outfitters? They're fun, cheap, and the clothes are cool. Well, we were upset to hear that all of these reasons can be attributed to the artists Urban and other stores like Hot Topic rip off. At http://youthoughtwewouldntnotice.com/ artists post their work and pictures and stories of the ripoffs.

Also, check out http://urbncounterfeiters.blogspot.com/ which is mostly about Urban Outfitters and think twice about buying that Urban Outfitters shirt.

MGMT

Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden make up the band MGMT. They started at Wesleyan University and have toured with Of Montreal. Nylon Mag writes: "It wasn't all work—"we had a great time taking LSD in Los Angeles although we didn't talk to any celebrities or end up swimming at a mansion"—but, in the end, the time was certainly productive: Columbia scooped the boys from Cantora (an independent label that NYU students, early MGMT fans, formed to release the band's 2005 EP Time To Pretend) and signed them to a six-figure, four-album deal. The result: Oracular Spectacular, their sure-to-be-a-hit debut out now on iTunes and in stores January 22 from Flaming Lips' producer Dave Fridmann." They have an interactive music video for their song Electric Feel. Watch a screen capture of it now:

VIDEO: Electric Feel - MGMT

http://www.myspace.com/mgmt

Be Kind Rewind

We can't wait to see Be Kind Rewind, the newest film from Director Michel Gondry coming out January 25th. Jerry (Jack Black) becomes magnatized and erases all the movies in his friend Mike's (Mos Def) video store. In order to save the video store the two recreate all the films, including the Lion King, Ghostbusters, Driving Miss Daisy, and Rush Hour, and become celebrities in their home town. We can count on Mr Gondry to make it so much more than another Jack Black movie (Nacho Libre?), check out the trailer to see for yourself:

VIDEO: Be Kind Rewind Trailer



Also, check out this funny (we know it's old) sketch from Olde English about Michel Gondry!

Jim Noir

We were watching television and happened to notice an extremely catchy tune in (we don't joke) a Target commercial (the Christmas one). We did a little googling and found out it was 'My Patch' by Jim Noir, an Englishman from Manchester. If you're wondering where he got his cool name from it's taken from English commedian Vic Reeves aka Jim Moir (Noir's real name is Alan Roberts). Maybe you feel like you've heard him before? He was also featured in Grey's Anatomy, but we won't hold all this mainstream attention against him. He says to BBC.co.uk: “Music comes easily to me. I’m a very lazy man. My manager has to phone to get me out of bed on a morning.” An EP 'All Right' was released November 12th, 2007.

VIDEO: Jim Noir - My Patch

Some of Our Favorite Girls

We've found some new music videos from some of our favorite girly singers.

VIDEO: Amy Winehouse - Love is a Losing Game


VIDEO: MIA - Paper Planes


VIDEO: Kate Nash - Pumpkin Soup


VIDEO: The Pipettes - Because it's Not Love

Improv Everywhere

Causing scenes of chaos and joy in public places? Sounds crazy, but it's Improv Everywhere's mission statement. The New York group is most known for it's No Shirts mission where over 100 shirtless men shopped in an Ambercrombie Fitch store in October. On their websites they have videos, photos, and personal accounts of all their missions. We personally enjoyed Redheads, where a group of redheads picketed outside of a Wendy's in protest of Wendy's racist mascot, and Slow motion shopping in Home Depot. Ride the subway on January 12th and maybe you'll see large numbers of pantless people.

VIDEO: Abercrombie and Fitch - Improv Everywhere


http://www.improveverywhere.com/

2007 Gummy Awards

Ever wish their were imaginary awards where you could vote for your favorite most obscure indie rock bands and not have Kanye win everything? Well, now there is. Sterogum.com brings you the 2007 Gummy Awards.

Radiohead won Best Album.

Justice won Best Video for D.A.N.C.E.

and Arcade Fire won Best Live Act.

To see who else won and who else didn't win go to:

http://www.stereogum.com/gummys/winners.html

VIDEO: D.A.N.C.E. - Justice

The Virgins

You're going to be hearing a lot of The Virgins! Recently Mark Ronson played this track on his show and five of their songs were featured on Gossip Girls (yes, we watch Gossip Girls). All we know is that they're from New York (obviously our favorite city) and they're names are Donald, Nick, Wade, Erik. They're a lil rock, a lil disco, and a whole lot of cool. We approve.

DOWNLOAD: Rich Girls

VIDEO: The Virgins - Radio Christine (rehearsal 2006)

http://www.myspace.com/thevirginsnyc

Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend is an indie rock band from New York City. Despite the band members' occasionally preppy style, they are influenced by both African, pop, western, and classical music.


On Saturday the band members laid down a series of playful indie-rock grooves: plinky keyboards and spidery guitar lines, rattling drums and nudging bass. One of the band’s best-loved songs, “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” seems to evoke the pleasant confusion of making out, or not making out:

"Can you stay up to see the dawn,
in the colors of Benetton?
Is your bed made? Is your sweater off?
Do you want to? Like you know I do?"
The band members all attended Columbia (online they claim to be specialists in “Upper West Side Soweto,” among other styles), and something about their preppie, polyrhythmic sound feels fresh and funny and, weirdly, inevitable. (KELEFA SANNEH)

VIDEO: Mansard Roof


http://www.myspace.com/vampireweekend

Insight 51

Insight Clothing emerged from humble beginnings from Sydney's Northern Beaches in the late 90's as a complimentary line to the already established Insight Surfboards. Fast developing into one of the industries most well regarded and cutting edge clothing labels, Insight, in 2005, is distributed to 28 countries worldwide. Insight's personality encompasses a lifestyle that surrounds everything surf, skate, art, music, fashion and popular culture. The designers (tsubi's George Gorrow and Sample and Beauty of Nature's Natalie Wood) don't wish to be pigeon holed into a particular 'genre' that limits the ethos behind the brand. They just want to design clothing that they themselves would want to wear. It isn't high science, however they do have good ideas and good ideas can be priceless and that is one (of the many) secrets behind the labels success. The brand's credibility is gained though a determination to create something a little left of centre, relaxed, with a sense of truth. To surf, skate and create. Backing up this mentality, Insight has a diverse team of surfers, skaters and artists all over the world. Teaming up with aerial surf legend Christian Fletcher, Insight continues to bring a certain rebellion and f%#k you attitude to the world of fashion. Skater / Artist Benny Barretto thrashes around with a style that is unparalleled by anyone. His fear of being 'ordinary' drives him to constantly change his style in both art and skating to new levels of originality. All of these attributes compliment Insight's personality so completely as a brand that continues to push the boundaries of all that it surrounds.

We Say: F%#k you world! We're only wearing Insight!

http://www.insight51.com/