Toronto's Young Empires send us straight to the dancefloor with this mixtape for The Block. www.myspace.com/youngempires
01. Sabali (Vitalic Remix) - Amadou & Miriam
02. Lies (Herve Remix) - Fenech-Soler
03. Hour of the Wolf (Lifelike Remix) - Adam Kesher
04. Dance the Way I Feel (Armand Van Helden Remix) - Ou Est Le Swimming Pool
05. Snake Charmer - Bag Raiders
06. Wait & See - Holy Ghost!
07. All Night (Azari & III Remix) - Voltage
08. You Know I Know It - Tensnake
09. La Mezcla - Michel Cleis
10. Rain of Gold (French Horn Rebellion Remix) - Young Empires
Today’s modern woman is a minefield of contradictions, and we all know we’re guilty. Pretty in pink, combat boots, edgy couture – all beckon us to worship at their fashionable altars. Sydney-based designer Sara Philipsis making a name for herself balancing this push-and-pull. Every season since her namesake label’s 2007 launch, she’s offered up a focused, inspired collection, and the alternately colour-blocked and lacy pieces of Spring 11/12 are no exception. Though it’s cold and snowy on our side of the world, it’s summer down under, and we’re jealously coveting these pretty yet sophisticated designs. We caught up with Sara to chat about childhood inspiration, travels in Egyptian, and her take on femininity.
If you’re fascinated by what models look like off the catwalk, you’re probably already familiar with Altamira. The site, also know as Models Off Duty, has been operated by photographer Craig Arend since 2007, providing ample visual evidence that when models aren’t working, they still look like models. Need more proof? Witness Arend’s street photos of a glowing Liu Wen and ethereal Abbey Lee, en route to it-doesn’t-matter-where — totally casual, yet completely amazing.
Big Freedia is a New Orleans rapper who uses the feminine pronoun despite the fact that she is a tall African-American man with a penchant for wearing sequined jackets and capes. At any of her notorious live gigs, the following scenario unfolds: when the beat kicks in, Freedia, like a shamanic conjurer, shouts the hypersexual lyrics to her anthem “Azz Everywhere” while scantily-clad ladies race to the front. Men are relegated to the back, and there’s an onslaught of booty shaking so intense it looks as though someone may become pregnant via immaculate conception. “There’s always a lot of energy,” she explains enthusiastically over the phone in her sweet-yet-authoritative Southern drawl. “No matter when I hit the floor, I make ‘em shake. I make ‘em work hard. When I come, the party starts.”
When Interview magazine dubbed Philly-based artist Alex da Corte the “heir to the American school of pop,” he thought it was kind of funny. The up-and-coming sculptor admits that while he “loves, loves to make pop art; I mean, who doesn’t?” he figures minimalism is maybe more his bag. His favourite colour is white, after all.
When I first told a friend that I’d be interviewing Frank Grillo, she innocently asked, “Who’s that?” To which I responded, “Trust me, you’d know him to see him. He’s been in practically everything — usually he plays a cop.” Despite two decades as a series regular on popular shows like Prison Break and The Shield, and an impressive resume of supporting roles in big-ticket films like Gavin O’Connor’s Pride and Glory, starring Colin Farrell and Edward Norton, 46-year-old Grillo is far from being a household name. But this may be the year all of that changes.
On Chuck: Hat, Sweatshirt and Printed Shorts, Givenchy; On Mikey: Vest, Sweatshirt and Shorts, Rick Owens
When Fish Ride Bicycles, The Cool Kids’ debut album, has been a long time in the making – with an original release date in 2008, some fans were skeptical about whether it would ever see the light of day. But with their label issues behind them and a new deal with Mountain Dew’s Green Label Sound, the Chicago/Detroit-based rappers are once again on every indie hip hop lover’s radar. Chuck Inglish and Mikey Rocks gave us a few minutes to tell us about the album, working with Pharrell, and partying on the road.
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THE BLOCK MIXTAPE
by Young Empires
Mixtape: Young Empires
Toronto's Young Empires send us straight to the dancefloor with this mixtape for The Block.
www.myspace.com/youngempires
01. Sabali (Vitalic Remix) - Amadou & Miriam
02. Lies (Herve Remix) - Fenech-Soler
03. Hour of the Wolf (Lifelike Remix) - Adam Kesher
04. Dance the Way I Feel (Armand Van Helden Remix) - Ou Est Le Swimming Pool
05. Snake Charmer - Bag Raiders
06. Wait & See - Holy Ghost!
07. All Night (Azari & III Remix) - Voltage
08. You Know I Know It - Tensnake
09. La Mezcla - Michel Cleis
10. Rain of Gold (French Horn Rebellion Remix) - Young Empires
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