The middle of October already and I am just putting together the finishing touches on this year's St. Crispin's Day shoe party. It's time for you to go out and purchase your shoes for the festivities and prepare for a fun night. We are looking forward to celebrating with all of you, fancy shoes, good food, lots of drinks and all.

We are moving the party back to the Nihon Whiskey Bar on Folsom at 14th St. Their collection of over 400 malt whiskeys is the largest on the West Coast and they serve contemporary Japanese cuisine with a sophisticated twist on the traditional Japanese Izakaya (Japanese version of tapas). The cuisine also offers a wide array of fresh sashimi and sushi rolls.

Hope you can come and celebrate with all of us.

Date:
October 21th, 2011, 7:30pm

Location:
Nihon Whiskey Lounge

Address:
1779 Folsom St.
San Francisco, CA (map)

RSVP on Facebook

What is this all about?

Shoe making has a long history and one that is rich in tradition. Within the trade itself – among shoe and bootmakers – the legends, the traditions, and the history really begin with St. Crispin. St. Crispin is the patron saint of shoemakers. Since medieval times, October 25th has been celebrated as St. Crispin's Day and the Shoemaker's Holiday. In the past, boot and shoemakers traditionally closed their shops on this day, in celebration and commemoration. Read more

While you are at it, like the St. Crispin's Day Page

Posted by Marcus at 10:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Riding a 300 mile (500 km) unsupported ride through Italy requires some planning. Beyond route planning and hotel reservations figuring out how to bring just enough stuff with you on a road bike to get by for 4 days isn't the easiest task. Racks and panniers are out of the question as the my 85 Colnago doesn't have rack mounts and the aesthetics just don't cut it. So I have been looking at packs.

Cycling packs are mostly designed for commuting and not long distance riding. What I need is a bag that isn't too big but will allow me to carry what I need for a few days (1 pair shorts, 4 t-shirts, 4 pairs underwear, light shoes, 1 extra pair of cycling shorts, 4 pairs cycling socks, 2 jerseys, arm warmers, leg warmers, shell, Garmin and iPhone charger, paper map of Italy, some snacks and a dopp kit). It should have an aerodynamic shape, allow for strap adjustment so I can get down off of my neck, and fit closely on my back. It should have some form of waist belt so it doesn't bounce around but not too tight so it keeps me from breathing.

Incase Messenger Backpack

A design collaboration between Incase and the guys at MASH. This bag is beautifully designed with the commuter in mind. It has a faux fur lined computer compartment, spacious but probably too big main interior compartment and comfortable straps. The material is nice and smooth and gives a good aerodynamic feel. But, it doesn't have a waist belt and the shoulder straps do not allow for adjustment so the bag will rest low on your shoulders and away from your neck. I would pick it if I was commuting to work but not for a long ride. Its the perfect fixie cyclist bag

Price: $149.95

Construction: Unspecified Nylon Construction

Size and weight: 42L, weight unspecified

Holds up to a 17in MacBook Pro

Further details at Incase

Mission Workshop The Rambler Roll Top Backpack

This bag is a nice compromise between a large bag and a compact tactical pack. It starts of small and expands to double its size with out a increase in weight. The shoulder straps are comfortable and adjust for a low profile position on the shoulders. The bag is shorter and wider than the TAD FAST Pack but the materials are smooth and give off a nice aerodynamic finish. Feel like a backpack but optimized for the cyclist. You wouldn't expect anything less from these former Chrome guys.

Price: $239

Construction: Unspecified Nylon Construction

Size and Weight: 22L expands to 44L, 3.7lbs (1.67kg)

Optional Waist Belt available for $30

Further details at Mission Workshop

Triple Aught Design FAST Pack Litespeed

This bag feels like a bullet on your back. Although it is made from rough Cordura nylon, the slim shape and small size fits perfectly on your back. The shoulder straps keep it low on your shoulders and it comes a waist belts that helps keep it stable and transfers weight off of your shoulders. Big plus is that it also come with a water bladder compartment so it serves as a hydration unit as well as storage. This is the kind of bag a Navy Seal would carry on long bike ride. Triple Aught Design has been known for their urban tactical gear but this pack makes the cross-over. I would like to see made out of ripstop sail cloth for a more bike friendly aerodynamic feel but with its lower weight and smaller size I think that this is bag for me.

Price: $239

Construction: 1000 Denier DuPont Cordura

Size and Weight: 21.30L, 3.5lbs (1.58kg)

Further info at Triple Aught Design

Posted by Marcus at 10:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So my planning for L'Eroica 2011 begins. L'Eroica is a 205 km ride through the Tuscan country side on Vintage bikes on asphalt and "Strade Bianchi", packed clay and gravel roads. I found a 1985 Colnago Master through A Bicycle Odyssey and Tony has been helping me size it and get it ready for the trip. Outfitted with Vittoria Pave's, new toe clips and 1976 Classic - Vittoria Shoes.

This jaunt in Chianti is only the start of the trip. I am planning a 400 - 450 km tour from Gaiole in Chianti through Liguria, Emilia-Romagna ending in Milano. Destinations are still in planning but hopefully I can work this all out soon. More to come.

Posted by Marcus at 9:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KCRW announced for their World Festival concert series that Yellow Magic Orchestra will perform at the Hollywood Bowl on June 26, 2011. This is the first LA appearance since 1979. They will be perfoming with Cibo Matto and Towa Tei.

Continue reading "YMO: Hollywood Bowl June 25" »

Posted by Marcus at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Its time again for St. Crispin's Day. Time to party with our friends and our coolest sexiest pair of shoes. New pictures, stories and participants are on their way so stay tuned. In the meantime, RSVP at Facebook.

Thanks to Orson for hosting the event again this year. www.orsonsf.com

Date:
October 24th, 2008, 8pm

Location:
Orson

Address:
508 4th St.
San Francisco, CA (map)

RSVP to Facebook

What is this all about?

Shoe making has a long history and one that is rich in tradition. Within the trade itself – among shoe and bootmakers – the legends, the traditions, and the history really begin with St. Crispin. St. Crispin is the patron saint of shoemakers. Since medieval times, October 25th has been celebrated as St. Crispin's Day and the Shoemaker's Holiday. In the past, boot and shoemakers traditionally closed their shops on this day, in celebration and commemoration.

Posted by Marcus at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Though they're one of the most important groups in the history of industrial and electronic music, Cabaret Voltaire are sometimes forgotten in the style's timeline -- perhaps because they continued recording long after other luminaries (Throbbing Gristle, Suicide, Chrome) called it quits. Also related to the fact is that CV rarely stayed in one place for long, instead moving quickly from free-form experimentalism through arty white-boy funk and on to house music in the late '80s and electronica the following decade. The band, formed by guitarist Richard H. Kirk, bassist Stephen Mallinder and tape manipulator Chris Watson, were influenced by the Dadaist movement (whence came their name) and as such, came closer to performance art than music during many of their early performances. After several years of recording with no contract, the group signed to the newly formed Rough Trade label in 1978 and began releasing records that alternated punk-influenced chargers with more experimental pieces incorporating tape loops and sampled effects.

Following Watson's departure, the remaining duo inaugurated a new contract with Some Bizzare/Virgin in 1983 by shifting their sound, away from raging industro-funk and towards a more danceable form. The singles "Sensoria" and "James Brown" hit the indie charts during 1984, and Cabaret Voltaire moved to EMI/Parlophone in 1986 for The Code. Two years later, the band traveled to Chicago to record Groovy, Laidback & Nasty with Marshall Jefferson, one of the mavericks in the new house sound blowing up in the British charts. After another break of several years, the new-electronica label Instinct released a trio of CV LPs during 1993-94, after which the band's future appeared cloudy. Kirk continued his solo career (recording as Electronic Eye, Sandoz and himself) while Mallinder moved to Australia.

— John Bush, allmusic

Posted by Marcus at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A product of the same mid-'70s Sheffield industrial music community which also gave rise to Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire, Clock DVA emerged in 1980 from the ashes of area bands including the Studs, Block Opposite, Veer and They Must Be Russians as well as the Future, an early incarnation of the Human League. After a series of shifting lineups, a roster comprised of vocalist Adi Newton, bassist Steven Taylor, guitarist Paul Widger, saxophonist Charlie Collins and drummer Roger Quail recorded Clock DVA's debut White Souls in Black Suits, a cassette-only, improvisational release fusing metallic noise with funk and soul designs which was issued on Throbbing Gristle's Industrial label.

In 1981, the group issued Thirst, which abandoned R&B accoutrements in favor of edgy, abrasive electronic noise. Following its release, all of Clock DVA except Newton defected to form Box; after assembling a new lineup of saxophonist Paul Browse, future Siouxsie and the Banshees guitarist John Carruthers, bassist Dean Dennis and drummer Nick Sanderson, Newton wrangled a major-label deal with Polydor, and Clock DVA soon resurfaced with 1983's Advantage, an intense montage of dance beats, piercing feedback and jarring tape manipulations. However, Carruthers and Sanderson both exited following the LP's release; after a brief attempt to forge on as a trio, Clock DVA disbanded in late 1983.

Newton subsequently turned his focus to the Anti Group, an industrial jazz and visual arts project created in tandem with engineer Robert Baker; after a series of singles, he reformed Clock DVA in 1988 with Browse and Dennis, releasing the sample-fueled 1988 EPs The Hacker and The Act, as well as 1990's full-length Buried Dreams, on the Wax/Trax label. By 1991's Transitional Voices, Newton's Anti Group partner Baker had replaced Browse; Dennis departed soon after, leaving the remaining duo to record a staggeringly prolific amount of material including 1992's Man-Amplified, 1993's Sign, Black Words on White Paper and Virtual Reality Handbook, 1994's 150 Erotic Calibrations and 1995's Anterior.

— Jason Ankeny, allmusic

Posted by Marcus at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tiga is on tour with his new album and look what I found, a video for Shoes. Directed by Alex & Liane, the new video for Tiga's "Shoes" is cooler than Obama with frosted tips. "It imagines a horrifying dystopia in which people other than myself are interviewed," says the Man of Music Future, "I had to calm myself down by staring at my MySpace photos for a couple of hours."

He is playing next week in San Francisco at the Independent Thursday, May 28th 10PM.

Based in Montreal, Tiga is a DJ/producer who has effectively worked the underground and the mainstream with his wry brand of campy electro and stark techno. Born in Montreal, Canada, Tiga's first exposure to his future came from touring the Goa area of India with his DJ father throughout the '80s. Following in his father's footsteps, Tiga began spinning in Montreal's cooler clubs in the early '90s, bringing the acid house sound to Canada. Seeing as how there weren't any events like the Goa parties he had attended, the DJ made his own and later was credited with throwing Canada's first proper rave. The events continued as Tiga opened one of the earliest techno-only record stores, DNA, and he also started the Turbo label with fellow DJ Mark Dillon. The DJ was comfortable playing and releasing other people's music and didn't seriously concentrate on creating his own tunes until the 2000s. After spinning Miss Kittin & the Hacker's version of Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams" at a club, Tiga had the idea to record some kind of cover version with Finnish DJ and friend Jori Hulkkonen. A day in the studio yielded a disappointing version of Prince's "When Doves Cry" and a better version of U2's "New Years Day," but it was their version of fellow Montreal resident Corey Hart's "Sunglasses at Night" that the duo decided to release in 2001 under the name Tiga & Zyntherius. It was a huge hit and Tiga rounded out the year with two successful mix CDs, American Gigolo and Mixed Emotions. Interviews, remixes, and touring kept the DJ busy until he helmed an edition of K7's successful mix CD series DJ Kicks. In the DJ Kicks tradition, he recorded one new track, "Man Hrdina," for the album, which the label released as a single. Most DJs chose the single's B-side, an electro version of Nelly's "Hot in Herre," and both the single and the mix CD were re-released to feature the surprise smash hit.

— David Jeffries, allmusic

Posted by Marcus at 10:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While we were building Avantgarde // Swayzak Presents Serieculture a couple of years ago, I stumbled upon SCSI-9. Early last year I built a Pandora Radio Station crafted and fine tuned with their music but as much I tried to listen to the other artists on the channel, I couldn't help but want to listen to SCSI-9 all the time. So I purchased Line of Nine. What a great alternate to Swayzak all the time.

Bio

Comprised of Anton Kubikov and Maxim Milyutenko, the Moscow techno duo SCSI-9 made an international impact during its stint with Force Tracks, which began with some 12"s followed by the pair's full-length debut, Digital Russian (2003). Before signing to Force Tracks, SCSI-9 recorded tracks for labels like Trapez, Salo, and Freizeitglauben. Kubikov is the best known of the two because of his popularity as a DJ. SCSI-9 had begun as one of his solo projects but became a joint project in 2001 with the addition of Milyutenko, whom Kubikov had been collaborating with as Hero City Movers, Snowboarder, and Snooker Boy. Of the many projects helmed by the duo, SCSI-9 is by far the most successful. This became all the more apparent once the guys joined the Kompakt label following the collapse of the Force Inc. empire, which had included Force Tracks. Kompakt released a good number of SCSI-9 productions, including the duo's second full-length effort, The Line of Nine (2006).

Posted by Marcus at 10:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

To honor the Avantgarde holiday tradition, this year we produced a limited production run of 48 bottles of Absinthe Blanche. This special mix of Chardonnay Brandy infused with Star Anise, Wormwood and Fennel was originally distilled to 65 percent by our friends at St George's Spirits and mixed down to 60 percent in house with a special aqueous extraction of Wormwood.

A note on our special mix...

Unlike Absinthe Verte, Absinthe Blanche (also referred to as la Bleue in Switzerland) is bottled directly following distillation and is unaltered. It is a clear liquid which contains the distilled oils of the herbs used in its production. The name la Bleue was originally a term used for bootleg Swiss absinthe, but has become a popular term for Swiss absinthe in general.

Posted by Marcus at 4:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)