NEWS

Monkey Duo Talks ‘Journey To The West’ Opera

Damon Albarn is a musician who loves the alter-ego. The multi-facted Londoner started as the vocalist/keyboarder for seminal ’90s brit-pop band Blur, before breathing life into four animated pop stars called the Gorillaz in 2001. His partner Jamie Hewlett (co-creator of the comic book Tank Girl) designed the foursome of 2D, Noodle, Russel Hobbs, and Murdoc Niccals, who became the face of two multi-platinum albums (Gorillaz, Demon Days).

His most recent project goes under a new name: Monkey. With Hewlett once again handling the visuals, Monkey recently released Journey to the West as an album, which is also currently being performed as an opera in the UK. Yes, the kind where the fat lady sings. Damon and Jamie greeted press at the Spotted Pig in New York last week to give more insight to the production of the soundtrack, the struggle of animation, and advertising at the Beijing Olympics. Read the interview below…

The Streets Discusses ‘Everything Is Borrowed’

The Streets a.k.a. Mike Skinner is unlike most musicians. For starters, he’s a soft-spoken Brit that tells in-depth stories about sex, drugs, and alcohol, while toeing the line between rap and electronica. Although his content has changed significantly since his seminal debut Original Pirate Material (2002), his next LP Everything Is Borrowed shows a more enlightened Mike coming full circle.

With the new album set to drop next Tuesday, we hit up Skinner to get a preview of what to expect, plus his plans for the future. Retirement is on his mind, sort of. But not just yet as he is already working on his last release, which will bring fans back to the rave-friendly, detail-oriented MC we first came to know. Get a sense of where Mike Skinner is in his life in the exclusive interview below…

Futuristic ‘Flooded London’ Gets On Swimmingly

From I Am Legend to Cloverfield, it seems like people love to imagine the apocalypse jumping off in New York. So we were a little relieved to see somebody else’s hometown get it in a new exhibit called “Flooded London.”

As part of the London Festival of Architecture 2008, British design studio Squint/Opera has done a series of digital renderings of London in the year 2090, after the effects of global warming have flooded the streets. In fact, the London of 2090 that they imagine is so far removed from the flood that citizens have learned to cope: a fat dude prepares to dive from a ledge in St. Paul’s Cathedral, and a couple of office workers fish off their multi-story building. Looks like global warming could be fun! Check more images from the exhibit after the jump.

Dizzee Rascal Hits The Club In “Dance Wiv Me”

After waiting a full year to release it in the U.S., Dizzee Rascal must be sick of his last album Maths + English. So what’s next? Well, after he donned a wig and imitated Simon Cowell in his last video “Flex,” we should have expected to see more of the British MC’s light-hearted side. His new video “Dance Wiv Me” just dropped, and he’s definitely having fun with it, spitting game to the ladies in his most club-friendly track to date. Is this the future of the Boy In Da Corner?

To help him out with the new sound, Dizzee’s joined by in-demand singer/producer Calvin Harris (Kylie Minogue, the Mitchell Brothers) and singer Chrome. The song will be released as a single in July on his own Dirtee Stank Recordings. Watch the video after the jump.

Update On Dizzee Rascal And Bun B’s Albums

Get your money right for another shell game with the music industry. Bun B’s II Trill is slated to drop May 20th, when originally scheduled for April 29th. In a similar twist, Dizzee Rascal’s Maths + English, which was only available on iTunes last year will be distributed via Def Jux on April 29th. Watch Dizzee and the trill legend hunt for authentic G’s in the latest video from Dizzee’s third album after the jump.

Pointer Mathieson

Pointer’s been huge in London. Considering the Brits have gotten behind everything from chav culture to Robbie Williams, you could take that statement or leave it. But Pointer deserves some well-earned praise as a next-level sneaker brand priding themselves on offering something different. This spring, the company will land on the shelves of superior sneaker boutiques around the U.S, thanks to a recent expansion in distribution. Boasting sneakers sporting a cleaned up aesthetic like this Mathieson model, expect trend-treading shoe heads to get on board.
$132, pointerfootwear.com