Thieves Like Us

If there is one decade who's influence never ceases, its the 80s. Although sometimes this might kill any sense of originality from the new reverbers, occasionally there's a combination of old and new that works flawlessly.

The American/Swedish trio Thieves Like Us has been on both sides of this game - sometimes you can hear too much of a resemblence of the band they took their name from (*New Order*, just in case you didn't know) - but with their new single, 'Never Known Love', they are definitely on the good side of it.

The song starts just like any climatic synthpop track from the last twenty years, but when the vocals kick in, the hairs on the back of your neck start to rise and you'll notice the Johnny Marr-alike guitars and you feel yourself merging into it's sexy atmosphere and not wanting to leave.

You can watch a video below that Andy Grier, the singer, put together. Apparently he used some Russian movie about a circus and don't ask me how, but it works very well with 'Never Known Love'. Great comeback!

Lemonade is back with a refreshing new sound. The trio from Brooklyn is releasing a new EP at the beginning of March as the follow up to their immensely enjoyable self-titled debut album - and by now we hope you know how the internet world works. If something is going to be released next month, you can have the whole deal now (or at least the tasty bits).

So what about listening to this flavorish mix of influences that is their new single right now? Just check the video below (you can also download the track for free at the buttom of this post).

'Lifted' is at the same time dubby, with a Brooklyn and Baltimore feel, as well as being danceable, nostalgic, fresh and wrapped in beautiful lyrics ("I see my whole life come together around you"). And it's only one of the five new tracks that are going to be released on Pure Moods. Lemonade's awesomely named Myspace (/bananasandecstasy) has another track up called 'Underwater Sonics' that is a smartly crafted, darkly urgent electronic song. Also, there's something about Callan Clendenin's vocals here that remimd me of early Incubus and that's a compliment.

Pure Moods is out via True Panther Sounds/Matador on the 9^th of March. We think you should order it now.

Danny Sangra

The scope of Danny Sangra's mad skillz is seriously enviable. Truly of the multi-media, multi-talented breed, Danny Sangra's work spans everything from film, illustration, collage to knitwear and all in between. Further more, he's not just a dabbler, or even a jack of all trades; London based Danny in fact excels at all the mediums he manipulates and embodies the ultimate in a modern, multifaceted young artist.

From videos for Metronomy to designing prints for Louis Vuitton Homme and tees for Uniqlo in Japan as well as others he's not even allowed to mention yet, he is also responsible for the infamous I Hope You Die Soon print which the most excellent Fanny and Jessy (FAJ) turned into a tee. Danny has also worked with another talent; IM//UR alumni Gabriella Marina Gonzalez, who along with FAJ, has Danny directed short films about. And in a sweet bit of cross-creative-pollination, Danny has also used the super hot Fanny and Jessy to model his latest project, clothing label AMS (or A Minute's Silence) with Lynnda Needles (I'll be posting their lookbook this week...wait for it, their stuff is GENIUS).

Stills from the shoot for the AMS lookbook

So. Danny works with a huge variety of people. And in a huge variety of creative mediums. And he does it supremely well. All evident in the crazy wicked background he's done for us this month. "I know you have the 'I Hope You Die Soon' t-shirt, so I kept the type as my own hand drawn type. The image is a collage image of my illustration work. I make images with multiple meanings and idea. One image doesn't necessarily mean it's one idea." (Images in this post are collated).

How and when did you know you were going to be an illustrator?

I never thought of being an illustrator...I mean, I don't consider that as what I am now. It's one thing I do and can do fairly easy but it's not the only thing I do. I grew up just wanting to make things. Be it drawn, photographed, filmed or glued together. I still pretty much work in the same way I did when I was 8 years old. I just start something and see what happens with it. However, I am slightly smarter than when I was 8. Only slightly though.

Danny Sangra for Louis Vuitton

What have been are your biggest influences?

Growing up I had artistic influences like most people, but when I left college I was lucky to meet people that had been in the industry for many years and had a profound way of looking at it. Namely Camilla Lowther (CLM UK) and Johnny Chatters (owner of Double Identity); these were people who had faith in me at a young age and guided my approach into what I should be trying to achieve.

Film stills

Who (else) would you love to work for or collaborate with?

It's weird as I have have pretty much worked with almost everyone I have wanted to work with, however the one person/label I have always wanted to work with is Vivienne Westwood. It can seem like an obvious choice for most people, I know. I would usually give a stupid answer to that question.

What did you dream about last night?

Apples, gun fights and a Fox.

Favourite medium?

Film

On To The Next One (I even made a gif)

I've been obsessed with Jay-Z and Swizz Beats' super bad ass 'On To The Next One' since my friend Michael (incidentally, who's track 'Drop Down', is currently on the latest Skins trailer) dropped into Sydney for a few gigs and tipped me off to the awesome video which I've been playing incessantly since.

I'd heard whispers of a Justice sample in the track but didn't pay very much attention to until I came across a break down (though by now, CRLS did a post on this too) by Swizz explaining the jump from Justice to Jay-Z and his process of sampling 'D.A.N.C.E.' to create the hook for 'On To The Next One'. Truly beat swizzing with MAD FREAKIN' SKILLZZZ.

(via)

Charlotte Gainsbourg

photographs by Kurt Iswarienko

Taken from Flaunt Magazine's

latest issue (#107, the art issue) are the photos from a feature editorial spread on 'France's favourite daughter', and that of virtually royal creative blood, Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Gainsbourg is coquettishly gamine and the eternal ingenue even at 38; captured flitting about the Chateau Marmont in LA.

The last couple of years have been somewhat of a roller coaster for Gainsbourg; but the result is a full length album produced by Beck entitled IRM in the French fashion, inspired by the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRIs) that she underwent as a result of an accident she had.

And here's Nosaj Thing's smoothly slinking remix of 'Heaven Can Wait', the single of which is from IRM released last week via Because Music:

GALLERY

Sheer, sheer goodness - as I love me anything black and sheer. And the latest R. Groove collection delivers all that and more. Designer Rique Gonçalves burst onto the Brazilian fashion scene in 2007, and has since been a rising star. Producing one of the most interesting collections in the Fashion Rio season, he's been collecting numerous awards for his work since he debuted, including what's considered the Oscars of fashion awards in Brazil: being named Breakthrough Fashion Designer (alongside Alexandre Herchcovitch who received Best Menswear Designer that year) in 2008.

This collection includes a number of elements that I have particular soft spots for: black sheer fabrics, boiler suits, and (more recent fave), wetsuits for land-lubbing...AND some Na'vi-esque coiffure action!

Knit shorts and a lightly quilted, zippered water bottle shaped cape. Odd at first glance, but actually clever when thinking of the Brazilian climate.

Love a good boiler suit...

And for all you fashion forward Aqua Men out there - the half wetsuit topped with a sheer hoodie.

GALLERY

The xx & These New Puritans on tour

For all those outside - as well as inside - of Europe crying blood tears about not being able to catch this most heartbreakingly amazing double header of both The xx and These New Puritans TOGETHER on their absolutely gruelling tour schedule around Europe, the best consolation we can offer you right now is that Domino are giving away 'Orion' as a tissue to dab your eyes with.

And from The xx, here's their cover (somewhat ironically) of Womack and Womack's 'Teardrops' that I dug up.

If it will make you feel any better, just think: everytime a fan has a *CRY* (all together now y'all), DAWSON CRIES TOO.

Full tour schedule after the jump

photograph via Disney Roller Girl

Let's take a trip back to the 80s, or perhaps just over to the Eastern Bloc in this freshly dug up footage of Marina and the Diamonds and Gonzales on Estonian television, performing this super pretty, incredibly wholesome (but not without a lick of tongue in cheek) orchestral rework of Marina's new single, 'Hollywood', as concocted by Gonzales who tinkles the ivories with white gloved hands.

The video is complete with fade ins and overlaps of Marina and her tastefully crimped coiffure - an oxymoron I know, but somehow whoever did her hair managed to make the crimp fairly low key. Perhaps it's just the quality of the vid? See for yourself, and cop the track below that: