Nudie SS10

Nudie is the "naked truth about denim". Founded in 2001, Nudie Jeans Co. has gone from strength to strength, and is now today considered amongst many as one of the worlds leaders in producing quality denim products. The products are produced in Italy from top quality materials and processes, which ensures the designs age well as planned by the brand, in order to fulfill their aim of providing denim that becomes a second skin to the owner of such items.

Below are pictures of products from Nudie's spring/summer 2010 collection. I have been very impressed with what the brand have released this season, once again producing jeans of a high standard, but also in the brilliant design and fine material of their flannel shirts. Although Nudie's clothing tends to be quite expensive, I think the products are worth investing in, with the great designs in both look and material providing long lasting and attractive clothing. The best place to find Nudie products in the UK is without doubt your local Urban Outfitters store, and also check out their website which is http://www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk/Shop-By-Brand/Nudie/icat/nudie&bklist=icat,5,shop,mens,mensbrands,nudie. Also, for more information on the brand and its designs, visit http://www.nudiejeans.com/start.

Nike Blazer High Vintage

In recent years Nike have been reworking their classic blazer style trainer with numerous innovative styles. Their latest project seems them produce an original line of vintage style blazers to be included in the 2010 spring/summer line.

The Nike blazer is a classic Nike trainer, first released in 1972 when they were then used as basketball trainers, worn by legends such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This release sees Nike take the classic blazer style and reconstructing the trainer to give it a vintage look which makes it seem as though the trainer is indeed from the 70's or 80's. The 'vintage' collection has been released in two colourways, black and white, with suede and yellowed midsoles utilised to help create the sense of the vintage look.

The Nike blazer has always been one of my favourite designs, and I really like what Nike have done in bringing out this new range. They much less bulky than your usual basketball trainer, which allows you to wear them without looking slightly ridiculous (especially when you happen to be slightly lanky, and I'm sure Tempa T wears these when he's parring daily). I would highly recommend getting a pair of these, and you will probably be able to find these in more independent specialised trainer stores, as well as better known ones such as Size? (also try http://size.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10701_11551_19331_365976_-1_footwear).

Jack Steadman Interview

For those of you who follow the blog (if anyone does), you will have probably realised by now that I'm not the biggest fan of the indie/alternative genre. However, every now and again I will find an artist in the genre who I really grow to like, especially those who have a distinct and unique sound, rather than the abundance of rubbish which has been forming where mediocre bands try and replicate the painfully average model set by the leaders of this type of music, The Maccabees.

One of these artists is Bombay Bicycle Club. I came across them quite late with the release of 'Always Like This' in April 2009. The band actually formed 5 years ago when the four members (Jack Steadman, Jamie MacColl, Ed Nash and Suren de Saram) met at school. Their first release actually came in February 2007 with 'The Boy I Used To Be' EP. Since this time the band have slowly been building their reputation, gaining a lot of interest from magazine's such as NME who are great supporters of the group.

Their debut album, the brilliant 'I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose' LP, was released in July 2009 to both great commercial and critical success, which has led to a large number of tour dates, as well as being selected to play on the 2010 NME tour. The great debut album (it's a really great listen, not a bad track on the album, it's worth buying for the final minute of 'Magnets' alone) has been quickly followed up with a new second album due for release later this year, and if sources are correct this is set to be an acoustic album.

I have been lucky enough to grab a quick interview with Bombay frontman Jack Steadman. Here's what he had to say on the band's new album, future plans and also on his solo work.

Interview:

Last year was a highly successful one for the band, what are your thoughts on it in reflection?

"It was very surreal, I don't think about it too much. There are only a few moments when you suddenly get freaked out about what is happening. I am very grateful for the position we have stumbled into, getting to travel the world for free is pretty sweet."

Do you feel there is any pressure on you to quickly follow up 'I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose' with a second album?

"I guess that was one of the reasons we wanted to release our album of acoustic songs. It will be an "in-between" album, and takes a lot of the pressure off. Creativity seems to come in waves, so there are moments of panic followed by moments of enthusiasm."

Will there be any surprises on the new album?

"There aren't many surprises I guess, unless you've never heard us play with banjos and mandolins. There is a cover of "Swansea" by Joanna Newsom."

Are there any particular artists or genres that interest you at present?

"Right now I'm going through a very cheesy Burt Bacharach phase. Mainly his songs sung by Dionne Warwick. And I just got an MPC1000 which means I'm starting to produce a lot more hip-hop at the moment. Those two seem to go together well because her songs are great for sampling."

Would you ever consider recording your own solo album?

"Without a doubt."

What are your hopes/plans in the near future for Bombay Bicycle Club?

"I hope to travel as much as possible, and I hope people like the acoustic album, because I'm very proud of it. I hope I don't go bald."

Before the interview I had no idea Jack was producing his own stuff, so after I went away and had a listen, and I was pleasantly surprised. The tracks he's made so far are more hip-hop/electro based, and I was really impressed by the quality of the tracks. This was a style of music I would never have expected him to be making, which is testament to his incredible talent for music. You can find these tracks on his myspace page which is http://www.myspace.com/jacksteadman. Look out in particular for the tracks 'November', 'Like This Like This', 'Travelling Song' and also 'I'm Only 19 But My Mind Is Older', which is a really cool reworking of the Mobb Deep classic 'Shook Ones Part II'. I really hope he pushes his individual work, he's without doubt got a talent for this style of production.

I was also luck enough to see Bombay play live at the HMV Forum in Kentish Town, London on Saturday. This was my third time seeing them, and they produced another fine performance, playing the majority of their older material with the addition of a few new tracks that are set to be on the new album. These new tracks were impressive, and if they are anything to go by the new album will match the success of their debut. Bombay will be playing a number of acoustic gigs in the months of June and July, and these I'm sure will be well worth going to, with Bombay having a great reputation for their acoustic sets. For more information on dates for gigs and new releases visit the bands myspace page which is http://www.myspace.com/bombaybicycleclub.

I would just like to say thank you very much to Jack Steadman for the interview, and make sure you look out for the new acoustic album which will be unveiled very soon.

Rough Trade

Yesterday saw my first visit to the Rough Trade East store, and I was literally blown away. The only way I can describe this experience is by comparing it to the feeling of watching Juan Roman Riquelme dictating the play of a football match (for those of you who don't know him make sure you look him up, a true artist and footballing genius), magic arises. This store made me so excited it's unreal, I don't think I had been this happy since discovering Joy Orbison.

As soon as I entered the shop I came across the 'dubstep' vinyl section, which was so extensive it was beyond belief. And this wasn't terrible dubstep, it was vinyl of the highest quality, with brand EP's and LP's from the likes of Mount Kimbie, Scuba, Ramadanman, Shackleton, F, Pangaea, Martyn, Peverelist, Joy Orbison etc. Next to this was the 'hip-hop' section, which quite brilliantly had a whole section for J Dilla, which I was delighted to see. It's the little details of the shop that I appreciated as much as the brilliant vinyl/CD collection. Whether it's the description of the artist/album on the sticker on the from of the vinyl/CD you're looking at or the multiple turntables placed around the shop to enable you to listen to vinyl before you purchase it, the store creates the perfect conditions for a music lover.

Rough Trade began trading in 1976, with a shop based on Kensington Park Road in Notting Hill. The store originally was know for specialising in imports of US and Jamaican material, but soon established itself as a leader in the distribution of the punk scene in the late 1970's and early 80's. Rough Trade's reputation is great worldwide, renowned as the taste maker and leading specialist in both old and new music. There is literally something for everyone here, and the genres they specialise in are Rock-Pop, Reggae-Dub, Techno, House, Breakbeat, Downtempo, Electronic, Country-Folk-Blues, Jazz, Modern Composition, Rap-Hip Hop, Soul-Funk, and World.

There are currently two Rough Trade stores in business. The first is Rough Trade East, the much larger of the two, which can be found at 'Dray Walk', Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL. The second is Rough Trade West, a much smaller store, which can be found at 130 Talbot Road, London, W11 1JA. Both stores are excellent in all honesty, but if you do get the chance to visit Rough Trade East then you must, you will not be disappointed.

I thank my lucky stars that I don't live too close to this place, I mean I'd love to, but I think I would be quite a way into my overdraft if I did in all honesty. Please do visit the place, it's heaven for anyone who really loves their music. Just ask Dave Wood. For more information, and to purchase goods online, visit http://www.roughtrade.com/.

Julio Bashmore

Julio Bashmore is a young up-coming producer/DJ from Bristol, where the dubstep/electronic scene seems to be growing greater as every day passes. He produces a fresh sound, which he perfectly describes on his myspace page as "an awkward mix of house, disco and dubstep". This experimental mix has gained him a number of admirer's in the underground music scene of Bristol, and he is rapidly building a reputation as one of the most exciting dance/electronic producers around with the more material he releases.

So far Bashmore only has the one release to his name. His debut EP, titled 'Julio Bashmore' and featuring the tracks 'Um Bongo's Revenge' and 'World Peace', was released on the 12th January under the San Francisco based 'Dirtybird' label. Bashmore also has produced a few more tracks which are yet to be released, but can be found on his myspace page which is http://www.myspace.com/juliobashmore. The tracks to look out for are 'Banda 2' and my personal favourite 'Around', which for me finds a really nice balance between the dubstep and house sound which he is trying to push forward in his work.

Julio Bashmore also regularly DJ's, and in doing so has created a couple of mixes which can be found online. The first mix I came across was his 40 minute mix for Vice Magazine, and I heard this before listening too any of his solo work. This mix really does exhibit his desire to blend house, disco and dubstep, featuring a number of promising artists which are all emerging from these genres as well. I'm a big fan of this mix, and it was after listening to this that I decided to have a listen to his own production. You can download this mix by clicking here. The tracklist for the Vice Magazine mix is as follows:

1. Deadboy - “Heartbreaker (Julio Bashmore Remix)”
2. Cooly G - “Love Dub”
3. Deadboy - “U Cheated”
4. Julio Bashmore - “Around”
5. Son of Aphrodite - “Vibrations”
6. DJ Sneak - “Fix My Sink”
7. Blackjoy - “Untitled (Solid Groove Remix)”
8. Mosca - “Gold Bricks, I See You”
9. L-Vis 1990 - “United Groove (Baobinga and I.D Remix)”
10. LV & Untold - “Beacon (Mount Kimbie Remix)”
11. Breach - “Fatherless”
12. Julio Bashmore - “Um Bongo’s Revenge”

He has also made a mix for the Curb Crawlers music blog, and this follows the disco-house and dubstep sounds established both in his own works and his previous mixes. Tracks are taken from up-coming artists once again, with the dubstep provided in the form of Untold, and the house/electronic sounds coming from the likes of Foamo and Jesse Rose. You can download this mix by clicking here. The tracklist for this mix is a follows:

1. KSD - Khattabi
2. Roska & Untold - Myth
3. Julio Bashmore - Batak Groove
4. Buraka Som Sistema - Restless (Julio Bashmore Remix)
5. Boris Dlugosch - Bangkok (Roska Remix)
6. Mosca - Square One (Julio Bashmore Remix)
7. Sekta - Peterpan (Julio Bashmore Remix)
8. Foamo - Jookie
9. Al Ripken Jr & Diamond K - Hands in the Air (Bok Bok Remix)
10. Sekta - Jabba Jaws (Dub)
11. Jesse Rose - Heavy Still (Zombie Disco Squad Remix)
12. Mike Monday - Grace (Justin Martin Remix)
13. MJ Cole - Gotta Have it (Dub)
14. Untold - Don’t Know Don’t Care

Look out for this man in the near future, I think he's got big things ahead of him.

Penfield SS10

Penfield is a brand I have always known of, but which I have never taken that much of an interest in. Why this is I'm not sure, whether I didn't really like previous designs or whether it was just an immature taste in clothing. The spring/summer 2010 collection has really caught my eye, with some really great designs in the collection which are the best I have seen for a couple of years now. Once again the brand manages to produce excellent products in its area of speciality, jackets and shirts.

Penfield was founded in Massachusetts in 1975, and over this period the brand has established itself worldwide as making the highest quality jackets and outerwear. The clothing produced by the brand is meant to be practical and suited to the climate of New England, protecting you from harsh weather conditions. This requirement though is balanced by the fashion elements as well, resulting in the creation of outerwear which is both practical and aesthetically pleasing.

The spring/summer 2010 line marks the 35th anniversary of the brand, and in order to celebrate this Penfield have re-issued a 35th anniversary Pacjac (as can be seen below). The pacjac was first released in the late 1980's as a lightweight trail jacket. The items from the SS10 collection, as pictured in the collection's lookbook below, can be purchased from a couple different stores, although very few places stock the brand. The best places to find the items are probably selected Size? stores around the country and also in locations where Dogfish menswear stores are based. To find out more information on the brand and to view the SS10 collection in fill view, visit the brand's homepage which is http://www.penfieldusa.com/store_eu/index.php/.

SS10 Lookbook Collection

Deadboy

Deadboy is a producer/DJ from South East London who emerged on the dubstep/electronic scene in 2009, and 2010 looks set to be a big year for the young man. The music he produces seems to blend a mix of genres and influences, with traces of R&B, house, garage and dubstep (an approach taken by the likes of Joy Orbison, Mosca, Bok Bok etc...) all being found within his work. Some have even gone to the extent of describing his work as 'future garage', a style we may be hearing more of in the next couple of years.

Deadboy has two releases to his name as of yet. His first EP, which brought him a lot of attention, was 'U Cheated'. This EP includes the tracks 'U Cheated', 'Heartbreaker' and 'Brock Lee Riddim', and was released on the 7th December 2009 under the 'Well Rounded' label. This EP immediately establishes the signature style of Deadboy, which fuses garage with dubstep. The chopped up vocals and warbling bassline on the track 'U Cheated' are testament to this. His second release came on the Glasgow label Numbers, which Deadboy has only recently been signed to. The single 'If U Want Me' was released on the 5th April, and builds upon the success of the first EP in further his trademark future garage sound.

As well as producing his own work, Deadboy regularly DJ's and has recorded a couple of mixes for a few different sources. The first mix comes for FACT magazine, and this exemplifies Deadboy's interest in the ever changing face of the dubstep and garage scene, with tracks from Martyn, Julio Bashmore and Deadboy himself selected. You can listen to this mix now by clicking here. Deadboy has also recorded a similarly styled mix for the Take Flight Club, which includes a future garage/dubstep sound once again in the form of artists such as Joy Orbison and L-Vis 1990. The highlight of the mix for me is his transition from Orbison's 'J.Doe' into Martyn's brilliant 'All I Have Is Memories', the timing is immaculate, and the selection of songs to mix couldn't have been much better. To download this mix click here.

For more information on Deadboy's releases and live dates visit his Myspace page which is http://www.myspace.com/deadboysoundboy, and I'll let you know of any future releases he has in store.

The Big Chill Presents Joy Orbison 23rd April

After looking at the line-up for tonight's event at The Big Chill House, it becomes apparent that there is no better place to be. Not only have they managed to get one of the hottest and most in demand DJ's/producer's Joy Orbison to headline the night, but also a number of brilliant artists provide support for the headliner.

Orbison needs no introduction. You know what he is all about, and you can expect as ever a set that includes a vast spectrum of styles and genres, ranging from dubstep and dancehall to funky and US house. Darkstar are an edgy dubstep artists, who have had successful releases on Kode9's Hyperdub label, and whose fans include Radiohead. There are big things ahead of these guys, with their new album expected later on in the year. Their set should be quite interesting, containing the latest in experimental dubstep's offerings.

Mount Kimbie, one of the most experimental dubstep outfits out there, should provide one of the highlights of the evening with their live set. These lives sets have been well documented about in recent months, and so far they have mesmerised audiences all over Europe. The duo from London, who have two releases on the Hotflush label, also have a new album on the way soon, and this is expected for release in early June.

Julio Bashmore and Altered Natives will kick things off earlier in the evening, and these are both very promising artists. Julio Bashmore produces music which he describes as an "awkward mix of house, disco and dubstep". The youngster from Bristol is definitely one for the future, and he has released a few mixes, one particularly impressive mix for Vice Magazine which is without doubt worth downloading.

The night would be an incredible one for the set of Joy Orbison alone, but additional support from the likes of Darkstar and Mount Kimbie means this is one event you can't miss. The event starts at 9pm and ends at 3am, with free entry before 10pm (which is quite frankly ridiculous, although I wouldn't complain) and £5 thereafter. If you're a fan of future dubstep I recommend you try and attend this event, the line-up couldn't get much better.

If tonight's line-up wasn't enough, The Big Chill presents the brilliant DJ Format and Bullion on Saturday. I am a huge fan of both these artists, and having seen Format mixing live in November I would highly recommend it to anybody who enjoys experimental/old school hip-hop (not the supposedly 'modern hip-hop' where idiots rap about women and ice). Bullion also experiments with hip-hop, combing the sounds with an electronic influence.

If you don't know where The Big Chill House is take a look at the map below, and for more information on tonight's event visit The Big Chill website which is http://www.bigchill.net/house. This is without doubt the place you'll want to be at tonight.

Humor SS10

Humor is a relatively new and up coming Danish brand of menswear clothing. The brand has been generated from a number of different influences, most notably the metropolitan underground music scene and DJ cultures in New York, Berlin and Tokyo, as well as by colours from advertising posters in the 1980's and graphic designs on tracksuits from the early 1970's.

Humor produces streetwear clothing for men that encompasses funk, off-beat samplings of colours and patterns, giving a really unique and distinctive identity to the brands clothing. I particularly like the styles of the jackets and t-shirts, with the bright colouring and individual graphics creating a very individual style.

Below are pictures from Humor's lookbook of the spring/summer 2010 collection. There are some interesting designs in this season's collection, with the knitwear and sweatshirts standing out as the highlight of the line for me. For more information on Humor visit the website at http://www.humorclothing.com/, and if you wish to purchase any of the items on display below, I would recommend heading to department stores in London such as Selfridges, and independent stores that may stock the items as there is no Humor flagship store in the UK at present. On a final note, Urban Outfitters have started to stock a few of Humor's items, and these can be found online at http://www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk/Shop-By-Brand/Hum+oumlr/icat/menshumor&bklist=icat,5,shop,mens,mensbrands,menshumor, and also in Urban Outfitters stores later on in the year.

Humor SS10 Collection