Interview with Sizzla Kalonji
***
On the war-beaten trails of August Town-Kingston, Jamaica lies a village accustomed to the smell of sweet coconut and nectar. Amongst fresh water springs and cocoa trees, a population lives in the maw of political unrest and social inequity. The urban neighborhood that borders the eastern region of Jamaica and the dangerous inner-city communities of Angola and Hermitage suffers under a destabilized government, a fallen economy, drug trafficking and gang warfare. Heavily patrolled by the oppressive Jamaica Defense Force soldiers, residents have been subjected to life under stringent laws and curfews. More recently, suspected rivalry between neighboring areas such as Jungle 12 and Judgment Yard has sparked violence among both civilians and police. →

A Glorious Commingling of Central & South American Music
Verdugo Bar – Glassell Park, CA
8/11/09
***
East Los Angeles residents and beyond have come to appreciate the healthy serving of musical gems dished out by the crew at Mas Exitos.  And tomorrow should prove to be no different.  Featuring the usual DJs, ENORBITO, LENGUA, HOSEH and our dear friend, GANAS, this night will only burn brighter with special guest DJ, GOMEZ COMES ALIVE.  Drop on by for your daily fix of cumbia psych, mexican freakbeats and everything else in the ponderous depths of their esoteric crates.  →

Cinefamily Presents Anna May Wong
The Silent Film Theater – Los Angeles, CA
8/19/09
***
With this sensitive adaptation of “Madame Butterfly”, Anna May Wong became known to the world as an actress of subtle skill and loveliness. This film belongs completely to Wong, who shattered convention and prejudice in a heartbreaking turn as opera’s classic jilted lover. Up until this film, Asian roles were typically played by Caucasian actors–but with Toll of the Sea, Wong became the first American-born Asian performer to star in a major Hollywood movie. →

Downtown art meets high fashion with the latest Missoni campaign shot by New York based photographer Ryan McGinley. A regular contributor to Vice and also seen in the pages of Dazed and Confused, The Fader and I-D, at 24 McGinley was the youngest artist to have a solo show at the Whitney and in 2003 he was named Photographer of the Year by American Photo Magazine. →

Licensed under Creative Commons

Downtown Film Festival
The GRAMMY Museum- Los Angeles, CA 
08/18/09

Los Angeles and The GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE announce the first-ever music film festival at the Museum, running seven consecutive nights during the film festival, Aug. 15 – August 21. Each night will present a different film in the Museum’s 200-seat Sound Stage auditorium. Many of the film programs will include artist and filmmaker Q&As, live musical performances and after-screening parties. “This film series perfectly reflects The GRAMMY Museum’s mission to celebrate the enduring legacies of all forms of music. From classic rock to rap, Latin jazz to new wave, the series has a film for virtually every musical taste,” said Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli. →

Mastodon Remix

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

DJ Troublemaker is back at it again, flushing out heavy, dubstep remixes. Taking a swing at Mastodon’s “Oblivion,” Troublemaker plays around with a mash-up of grimey bass, warped out trebles, rock laden guitar riffs and drum sequences. →

Street Art Fresh off the Streets of Iran
Crewest Gallery – Los Angeles, CA
9/10/09 – 9/26/09
***
The youth in Iran have it tough, what with a repressive regime bent on arresting “blood-drinking Satan-worshippers” and censoring what artistic expression seems too unorthodox for authorities. Street art and détournement in Iran are alive and well, however, and the upcoming exhibit “From the Streets of Iran” at the Crewest Gallery in Los Angeles features the graffiti-based works of ICY, SOT, FRZ, MAD and CK1. This is the U.S. debut of these artists and the works demonstrate the disparate styles and subject matters these individuals tackle in their home country. →

Hooked on the late-night beats and grooves of his childhood peñas, Roberto Carlos Lange grew up listening to the Latin American sounds of his Ecuadorian parents and South Florida neighborhood. In 2006, a move to New York prompted the beginning of Helado Negro, his current project that features instrumental-heavy tropical beats and psychedelic moods. Latin folk, American hip-hop, Tropicália and electronica make up Helado Negro’s palette, and the songs result in soulful and enigmatic soundscapes. →

Last September, Arkitip Issue No. 48 featured the work of Ryan McGinness. The custom-designed issue holds a 144-page artist’s book entitled Aesthetic Comfort, printed entirely in fluorescent orange, yellow, pink and green, with a full-bleed varnish and details of Ryan’s paintings presented in coarse halftones. →

Announcing Stones Throw’s collab with Serato Scratch Live: 2 discs, 2 slipmats, 8 tracks. The records are clear vinyl with Serato tones b/w exclusive Stones Throw tracks from Dam-Funk, Mayer Hawthorne, Guilty Simpson, Madlib, PB Wolf and others. Only 2000 of these will be made. →