Let's go flash mobbing!

8pm. Tonight. Stag's Head. Draw a circle on your hand.

More information over here.

And another one...

More bad news came today when we heard that Road Records will close it's doors for the last time in just a few weeks. It's been around since 1997 when we were only young and has played a very important part in our musical education.

This really is devastating news for the city and the music scene, and of course for Dave and Julie. You can read their little note over here on Thumped. I really hope that things turn out alright for these two. I know that especially our Lil, a dedicated and very generous customer will miss them dearly.

To anyone who still has a job and a bit of money, spend it wisely, or this wont be the last time we wish we'd gone to Road instead.

2009, although has only just begun, is for MMK, a complete write-off.

And another one bites the dust...

I know some people felt that State magazine was a bit of a let down when it was first released back in April 08. Most thought of State as the magazine that was going to take over where Foggy Notions left off. Then for their debut front cover they threw on a massive photo of Michael Stipe with his beautiful shiny head and our hopes were immediately slashed.

In saying that my heart did sink today when I read that State will cease to exist as a print publication. From here on in they will continue on as an online magazine exclusively. I’m guessing as a pitchfork style deal.
This is what state.ie had to say:

The announcement of a new issue of State is usually a cause for celebration. In this case, our tenth issue is tinged with a certain sadness. This month is a little different to what’s gone before as there will be no printed version of this issue. It has been a real year of ups and downs for the magazine. We’ve had a ball in the last twelve months but circumstances beyond our control have interfered. We always felt the magazine was something which was sorely missing from the dialogue around music in Ireland, which judged Irish artists on the same criteria as international artists and treated music as the important cultural art it has become to us all.

Though State, as a magazine is in a better shape creatively in 2009 than it ever was, there are certain palpable economic circumstances which mean that the costs involved in printing a magazine of such high-quality (in our opinion, as that is our currency) have become even more difficult to meet. We have always been an entity in transition, learning as we went, incorporating that knowledge into making a deserved better product for music fans. Sadly though, State felt the cold, icy hands of the recession in the last two months. Advertising has become an increasingly difficult prospect for any industry which relies on it and the standards which we had set for ourselves were no longer achievable.

Fret not. As you’re reading this on State.ie, you will be all too aware of the resource it can be. So our plans for the future involve us shifting our focus wholly to State.ie, which will now become the hub of all our activity with reviews, interviews, mp3s, news and everything else in the navigation above. As a parting gift from State Magazine and as a way to pass the baton to state.ie, we offer up to you our tenth issue as a digital issue so you can see for yourself what would have looked amazing on paper. State remains free to all… (who have broadband internet access) and we will STILL BE producing a monthly digital issue every month to complement the website.

What struck me straight away was that it appears as if any sort of "independent" music publication that takes a stab at the Irish market, fails. It’s a real shame that they just can't seem to exist successfully in this country. This is true recession or not.

So who will be next on the chopping block on it’s way to magazine heaven? Analogue? We certainly hope not!
Unfortunately I fear that the likes of Hotpress are like Ozzy Osbourne; immortal and destined to live on forever just to piss us all off.

When he says James, i think he means Lillian.

"Make me a record that sounds worse than My Bloody Valentine, and I'll make you a star" is the title of a very interesting article that i read this morning. It describes exactly how i feel about a lot of the music im supposed to like but really, i couldn't be bothered with.
I am the stain on MMK's music credibility. Ill dance to pretty much anything and i have recently gone public about my love for Death Cab for Cutie. Lillian, on the other hand, is completely different and she even has an expression that describes her djing style that goes something along the lines of, "i don't play what they want to hear, i play what they need to hear."

You'll find it here.

This is an offshoot

Blogee Blogee is going back to its roots. From now on it's all about the music over here while Lil and myself (Catherine) will continue our fashion musings over at Offshoot; www.thisisanoffshoot.blogspot.com

And thank god, this way i don't have to keep pretending i know anything about music.

Sexy Americans

Me & My Korg love AA. So much so that Anna is even doing her thesis on them. So when a friend told me that American Apparel will be opening their first shop here just before Christmas my initial reaction was pure excitement. When i was living in Paris i used to go into their stores to just walk around. I loved the impeccable organisation, colour co-ordination, typeface, and of course the ridiculously attractive staff. Then i started to think about it. Was it going to be like when the mainstream catches onto your new favourite band and just ruines them for you? No more, "oh i got it when i was in Stockholm/Paris/Berlin, im just sooo alt". I also wonder why they choose Grafton St, did nobody tell them that South William St is so hot right now?

But then i went on a little adventure down to the new store location at 114 Grafton St. It's all lovely red brick and black marble pillars. Just imagine the wonderfull Helvetica sign, all modern and gleaming against this traditional facade.

Then there is the advertising campaigns, and future calls to Joe Duffy about the "filth" that will be on billboards all over the city.

We made it. We live in a city that's finally cool enough to have an AA. Wow!

Beau comme un garçon

I cannot wait for November. The dark, the rain, the college assignments and the sweet thrill of avant garde Japanese fashion.
That's right, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons will step up and become the sixth designer to collaborate with Swedish giant H&M. This is their most exciting venture so far. On one side you've got H&M playing it safe, as they do, and on the other you've got one of the most utterly outrageous designers working today. Comme des Garcons is unlike any of the collaborators who have gone before; what the hell were they thinking with the whole Madonna thing? Lets just hope Rei doesn't dilute down her imagination like Victor & Rolf, eh hands up who was disappointed with that?
The big challenge here is whether commercialism and creativity can co-exist in fashion harmony? Well, if they can, that's exactly what it'll be, harmonious.
November 8th: put it in your Moleskine.