BLΛCKBVCK

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[blackbvck]

Coming to a Festival Near You

Just when we had resigned ourselves to festival line-ups getting more and more bloated with Top 40 headliners, LA golden child FYF Fest ruins the pity-party by reminding us that all hope is not lost. The weekend long summer music festival returns with an commendably solid roster to Expo Park on August 27 + 28 (I know, we miss LA State Historic too).

Tickets on sale Fri 4/1. Payment plans available. Fun will be had, or else. 

Explore FYF here.

[blackbvck]

Coming to a Festival Near You

Just when we had resigned ourselves to festival line-ups getting more and more bloated with Top 40 headliners, LA golden child FYF Fest ruins the pity-party by reminding us that all hope is not lost. The weekend long summer music festival returns to Expo Park August 27 + 28 (I know, we miss LA State Historic too).

Tickets on sale Fri 4/1. Payment plans available. Fun will be had, or else. 

Explore FYF here.

[blackbvck]

Coming to a Festival Near You

Just when we had resigned ourselves to festival line-ups getting more and more bloated with Top 40 headliners, LA golden child FYF Fest ruins the pity-party by reminding us that all hope is not lost. The weekend long summer music festival returns to Expo Park August 27 + 28 (I know, we miss LA State Historic too).

Tickets on sale Fri 4/1. Payment plans available. Fun will be had, or else. 

Explore FYF here.

[blackbvck]

Coming to a Festival Near You

Just when we had resigned ourselves to festival line-ups getting more and more bloated with Top 40 headliners, LA golden child FYF Fest ruins the pity-party by reminding us that all hope is not lost. The weekend long summer music festival returns to Expo Park August 27 + 28 (I know, we miss LA State Historic too).

Tickets on sale Fri 4/1. Payment plans available. Fun will be had, or else. 

Explore FYF here.

[blackbvck]

Fifty Shades Of Bend

Dear Internet,

It's time we talked about your color fixation. A quick Pinterest search gone awry will undoubtedly lead you down a labyrinth of magenta front doors, teal painted mason jars, and smaragdine accent walls (yeah, it's a real color, Google it). A chromatic orgy of the architecturally-bound variety, if you will. It would then make sense that some of your favorite digitally savvy brands, would share a similar obsession. Enter minimalist design pioneer, and geometric outdoor furniture enthusiast Bend Goods. Showcasing some of their latest product, Bend has taken over a nondescript house off Highland, and transformed it into a hypnotic color masterpiece. Bend Lab: An Exhibit of Color transcends your average branded experiment. It’s an ode to Bend’s history producing simple, bright, fun, and incomprehensibly captivating furniture and accessories. For anyone championing spaces as blank canvases, or design as art, #BendColorLab might be the answer to your prayers (assuming that you were praying for a house full of minimalist wire trophy-heads). The concept is deceptively simple and unapologetically whimsical. One house, five-ish areas, each one painted some shade of something, decked out in Bend furniture & accessories. 

Unusual things you might encounter:

Mounted cub heads in orange and white.

Strangers taking selfies with a teal gazelle hanging over a fire place.

Shiny metallic lawn furniture, eerily reminiscent of Mardi Gras beads.

An all-pink kitchen.

Oddly low-hanging chandeliers.

A white chair with leather accents hanging from a wall.

Garage craft cocktails by Pharmacie.

Pink carpet.

Blue carpet.

An all green bathroom.

  Editorial disclaimer: we’re bound to be shamelessly biased in favor of any brand that conceives this.  

[blackbvck]

Fifty Shades Of Taxidermy

Dear Internet,

It's time we talked about your color fixation. A quick Pinterest search gone awry will undoubtedly lead you down a labyrinth of magenta front doors, teal painted mason jars, and smaragdine accent walls (yeah, it's a real color, Google it). A chromatic orgy of the architecturally-bound variety, if you will. It would then make sense that some of your favorite digitally savvy brands, would share a similar obsession. Enter minimalist design pioneer, and geometric outdoor furniture enthusiast Bend Goods. Showcasing some of their latest product, Bend has taken over a nondescript house off Highland, and transformed it into a hypnotic color masterpiece. Bend Lab: An Exhibit of Color transcends your average branded experiment. It’s an ode to Bend’s history producing simple, bright, fun, and incomprehensibly captivating furniture and accessories. For anyone championing spaces as blank canvases, or design as art, #BendColorLab might be the answer to your prayers (assuming that you were praying for a house full of minimalist wire trophy-heads). The concept is deceptively simple and unapologetically whimsical. One house, five-ish areas, each one painted some shade of something, decked out in Bend furniture & accessories. 

Unusual things you might encounter:

Mounted cub heads in orange and white.

Strangers taking selfies with a teal gazelle hanging over a fire place.

Shiny metallic lawn furniture, eerily reminiscent of Mardi Gras beads.

An all-pink kitchen.

Oddly low-hanging chandeliers.

A white chair with leather accents hanging from a wall.

Garage craft cocktails by Pharmacie.

Pink carpet.

Blue carpet.

An all green bathroom.

  Editorial disclaimer: we’re bound to be shamelessly biased in favor of any brand that conceives this.  

[blackbvck]

Fifty Shades Of Taxidermy

Dear Internet,

It's time we talked about your color fixation. A quick Pinterest search gone awry will undoubtedly lead you down a labyrinth of magenta front doors, teal painted mason jars, and smaragdine accent walls (yeah, it's a real color, Google it). A chromatic orgy of the architecturally-bound variety, if you will. It would then make sense that some of your favorite digitally savvy brands, would share a similar obsession. Enter minimalist design pioneer, and geometric outdoor furniture enthusiast Bend Goods. Showcasing some of their latest product, Bend has taken over a nondescript house off Highland, and transformed it into a hypnotic color masterpiece. Bend Lab: An Exhibit of Color transcends your average branded experiment. It’s an ode to Bend’s history producing simple, bright, fun, and incomprehensibly captivating furniture and accessories. For anyone championing spaces as blank canvases, or design as art, #BendColorLab might be the answer to your prayers (assuming that you were praying for a house full of minimalist wire trophy-heads). The concept is deceptively simple and unapologetically whimsical. One house, five-ish areas, each one painted some shade of something, decked out in Bend furniture & accessories. 

Unusual things you might encounter:

Mounted cub heads in orange and white.

Strangers taking selfies with a teal gazelle hanging over a fire place.

Shiny metallic lawn furniture, eerily reminiscent of Mardi Gras beads.

An all-pink kitchen.

Oddly low-hanging chandeliers.

A white chair with leather accents hanging from a wall.

Garage craft cocktails by Pharmacie.

Pink carpet.

Blue carpet.

An all green bathroom.

  Editorial disclaimer: we’re bound to be shamelessly biased in favor of any brand that conceives this.  

[blackbvck]

Eat This // Sidecar Doughnuts

Fried dough is serious business, and no one seems to understand this better than Costa Mesa carb wunderkind, Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee. The impeccably designed Santa Monica location (est. late 2015), cranks out the same beautifully composed treats that put chef Brooke Desprez, along with co-creators Sumter + Chi-Lin Pendergast on the map. To say that Sidecar merely stands out in the largely banal LA donut scene might be a gross understatement— there is little that these intentionally monikered “doughnuts” have in common with their 24-hour strip mall counterparts. Conceptualized with almost obsessive attention to detail, and made freshly throughout the day, Desprez elevates the simple fried-dough canvas with local and seasonal ingredients, and flavor combinations ranging from the familiar to the unapologetically exotic. 

What seems to set Sidecar apart from the growing number of artisanal offerings around the US, is that the OC native almost entirely lacks the self-aware gimmicks that seem ubiquitous to other high-end donut shops. Yes there is a Bacon-Maple doughnut, a savory breakfast “Country Ham & Egg” doughnut, and an assortment of non-traditional flavors and toppings, but they all seem somewhat appropriate and at home in the pint-sized establishment. Most importantly, they are all skillfully executed, simple, and for the mostpart unassuming. Take for example their signature Huckleberry (Oregon huckleberry dough with huckleberry glaze), a unexpectedly light, balanced, and moist cake doughnut, which might be among the best of its kind. Or perhaps our favorite, the Blood Orange (raised dough, blood orange glaze, candied blood orange), for an impeccably bright, subtle, and impossibly airy treat. 

Some friendly advice: eat them warm, preferably fresh out of the frier, & pair them with one of their exceptional coffee drinks.

[blackbvck]

A Dystopian Art Experiment // Rob Pruitt's Flea Market

Sure it's not exactly the end of the world... yet. Post-apocalyptic flea markets don't materialize like specters from the æther (yet), particularly artist flea markets hiding among multi-million dollar lofts in the ever popular DTLA Arts District. However, the diligent folks at the Los Angeles Nomadic Division are on a mission to change that ASAP: enter Rob Pruitt's Flea Market. Mobilizing some of the finest Southern California dystopian art, the factory-like floor of this nondescript warehouse venue was packed tight with artist/vendors hawking nearly everything you can silk-screen on a $40 T-Shirt. Beneath the pale-white floodlights, and enveloped by the drone of progressive industrial rock, a menagerie of one of a kind esoteric pieces competed for attention and $$$ of a sizable heard of art-savvy, image-conscious attendees. The overall zombie-like atmosphere may have been in part due to the surprisingly palatable artisan vodka, but the sea of self=aware, cheeky, hyper-consciously provocative art, well, that might just be an honest attempt at survival.

[blackbvck]

Imbibe // Colonel E.H Taylor Single Barrel: A Coming of Age Story

The Basics

Nose: Intense tobacco, caramel, vanilla, musky aftershave.

Mouthfeel: Campfire; Yosemite or Joshua Tree.  

H2O: Holds its own to ice, opens up beautifully, like a young Sharon Stone circa 1992.

Verdict: Intensely layered, sweet, woodsy, yet refined. A dapper lumberjack. Spine-stiffening, comforting if you have a complicated relationship with your barber. 

 We took Colonel E.H. Taylor out for a night of drinking, LA style. The following events are entirely fictional. Alcohol, after all, can’t write. 

I’ve never been a morning spirit. What the hell happened? I should probably start talking before I forget the rest of the night. I’m not even sure how I got here, face down in a garbage parking lot off of Sunset, a shell of my former self, insides scattered across every bathroom stall and bar countertop in Hollywood. The promise of fame and fortune and cocaine fueled parties with aspiring supermodels and rehabbed B-listers. Besides, I spent a barrel-sheltered life for over 11 years, it was about time I got out of the proverbial box and lived a little. Time that I dropped the Kentucky act and joined the multitudes of thirsty star struck groupies and bottle service aficionados crowding every corner of every black-lit bar on The Strip. 

Since the Taylor moniker means about as much in Los Angeles as racial sensitivity does at a Trump rally, here’s a brief history lesson: Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. was the adoptive grand-nephew of former President Zachary Taylor. He is widely considered to be the father of modern bourbon, and was essentially responsible for the Bottle-in-Bond Act of 1897, dictating that bourbon be bottled at a throat-warming 100 proof. That’s a delightfully pleasant 50% Alcohol by Volume for those of you that don’t speak liquor. Lot’s of heritage, legacy, and tradition out the window in one night. Seven or ten drinks in, I lost my phone, got in an unmarked limo with Andy Dick, and somehow ended up here. You might be lucky to find whatever’s left of my dignity at your local celebrity-studded watering hole, or sticking to Yeezy's Adidas on the floor at the Chateau Marmont. 

Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Bourbon is made by the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Other hits include Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year, Blanton’s Single Barrel, and something called White Dog.

[blackbvck]

Space and Time // Sean from Texas

 It's sort of a manifesto on the cruelty of humanity. Or commentary on the transient nature of life, and absurdity of existence. Take a closer look at all of the pain and suffering and ugliness in the world, at the frailty and sensitivity and lust brought upon by life, and you'll begin to understand Space and Time, Sean from Texas' latest exhibition at Stone Malone Gallery. 

Much like his tattoos, Space and Time is unapologetically vicious, raw, and usually disturbing. Gratuitous sex and violence somehow deeply entwined with interstellar themes like astronauts and UFOs, yet the humor within the absurdity and filth is not at all one dimensional. Sean's work is deeply layered with themes of sadness and insecurity, loneliness, lust, escapism, and death permeating nearly every ink on paper print. Most importantly, none of the pieces take themselves too seriously. Call it social commentary or just a twisted look at suffering and our place in the universe. Hold on to your feelings.  No one probably cares, and it really doesn't matter. 

[blackbvck]

Dizzy Wright, Boogie, and Blaison Maven Walk Into a Bar

Thursday, January 8 - 2015 is gone, so they tell us. Coming down from a busy November, Red Bull Sound Select decided to cope with the New Year the only way it knows how, taking over a not-exactly-sleepy corner of the city of angels, the infamous Bootleg Theater, to showcase some of LA's most vibrant emerging hip-hop acts. The lineup, curated by Amoeba Music, included Blaison Maven, Long Beach native Boogie, and the ever progressive Dizzy Wright.

A packed and diverse crowd buzzed to freestyle beats by Blaison Maven, who's sharp wordplay, and vivid storytelling was deeply rooted in the folklore of South Los Angeles. Not to be upstaged, Boogie's complex and layered sound paved the way for a powerhouse performance by Dizzy Wright, who's infectious energy created an atmosphere somewhere between a house party and political rally.

All in all, not a bad way to welcome 2016. 

[blackbvck]

Adopt a Succulent // Unique LA Holiday Market

Face it, there is no war on Christmas. In fact, Christmas is alive and well and living pretty much everywhere through absurd Black Friday/Cyber Monday/Buy Crap Wednesday efforts that recently flooded our collective inbox, and perpetuated through nearly every 'holiday' promotion & 'Secular-Red' Starbucks cup out there. 

Moving away from 'once-in-a-lifetime' deals, Unique LA's 8th Annual Holiday Market took over The Penthouse at the ever unremarkable California Market Center on December 5 & 6, showcasing an array of stunning design forward products and local (and not so local) craft makers. If ever there was evidence that urban millennials might be fed-up with disposable, mass manufactured consumerism, this might be it. Art prints, hand-stiched leather goods, handcrafted greeting cards, minimalist shelving, gender neutral renewable grooming products, impossibly hip baby fashion, house-made jams, and succulents in every shape and form imaginable. 

Market highlights included Concrete Geometric's collection of metallic accented octahedrons, Lumi's DYI craft station, Mallow Mallow's artisan s'more cart (featuring the deadly "All American" bacon & bourbon), and Portland's Revolution Design House, particularly their iconic Boxcar Succulent Planter.

While we wouldn't go as far as to say that Unique LA restores our faith in contemporary capitalism, it is at least a welcome escape from the season's overload of  'you won't want to miss this' or 'last chance free-shippings'. 

[blackbvck]

Flume’s Blinding Sound

There’s no gentle way to put it. Flume will overwhelm your senses. He will overwhelm them until you are barely able to discern reality, through an intoxicatingly intricate assault of multicolor lights carefully synchronized to deep, hypnotic, and highly addictive beats. Exhibit A • The Mayan Theater for Night 12 of Red Bull Sound Select’s 30 Days in LA. It all started innocently enough, bright neon buzzing in anticipation, booze flowing freely, bodies half-filling the floor as Taskforce mans his laptop like a battle station. Just another normal Thursday in November. You move past the winding restroom lines and wait impatiently for an always venue appropriate vodka & red bull while Toronto’s River Tiber takes the stage.

HOLIDAY RECIPE // vodka & red bull (OG)

2oz vodka 1 can red bull {250ml; full sugar}

Pour. Drink. Repeat. 

His music is a welcome escape from the madness. Mellow beats, down-tempo rhythm & blues (almost), boasting good looks unheard of since boy-bands of yore, you forget that there are thousands of warm bodies around you. Bathroom break #2: the awkwardness of forced interaction with drunk people who would happily stab you for your place in line. You wait— it all seems quiet for a second and then: fog, a beam of purple light, and a constellation of white projecting from a hollow chrome octagon. Harley Streten, aka Flume, the Sydney-born electronic musician and producer whose world-celebrated collaborations include Chet Faker, Moon Holiday, Jezzabell Doran, and (wait for it) Mike Snow’s Andrew Wyatt, takes over. Too late for playing it cool. Your body reverberates and moves along to the beat of Drop the Game, Insane, and the recently released Some Minds featuring a surprise guest appearance by, you guessed it, Andrew Wyatt. Time stands still, and music becomes the great equalizer for. Your senses are overwhelmed. You are not a person. None of us are. Just music and light. 

[blackbvck]

Flume’s Blinding Sound

There’s no gentle way to put it. Flume will overwhelm your senses. He will overwhelm them until you are barely able to discern reality, through an intoxicatingly intricate assault of multicolor lights carefully synchronized to deep, hypnotic, and highly addictive beats. Exhibit A • The Mayan Theater for Night 12 of Red Bull Sound Select’s 30 Days in LA. It all started innocently enough, bright neon buzzing in anticipation, booze flowing freely, bodies half-filling the floor as Taskforce mans his laptop like a battle station. Just another normal Thursday in November. You move past the winding restroom lines and wait impatiently for an always venue appropriate vodka & red bull while Toronto’s River Tiber takes the stage.

HOLIDAY RECIPE // vodka & red bull (OG)

2oz vodka 1 can red bull {250ml; full sugar}

Pour. Drink. Repeat. 

His music is a welcome escape from the madness. Mellow beats, down-tempo rhythm & blues (almost), boasting good looks unheard of since boy-bands of yore, you forget that there are thousands of warm bodies around you. Bathroom break #2: the awkwardness of forced interaction with drunk people who would happily stab you for your place in line. You wait— it all seems quiet for a second and then: fog, a beam of purple light, and a constellation of white projecting from a hollow chrome octagon. Harley Streten, aka Flume, the Sydney-born electronic musician and producer whose world-celebrated collaborations include Chet Faker, Moon Holiday, Jezzabell Doran, and (wait for it) Mike Snow’s Andrew Wyatt, takes over. Too late for playing it cool. Your body reverberates and moves along to the beat of Drop the Game, Insane, and the recently released Some Minds featuring a surprise guest appearance by, you guessed it, Andrew Wyatt. Time stands still, and music becomes the great equalizer for. Your senses are overwhelmed. You are not a person. None of us are. Just music and light. 

[blackbvck]

Alchemy Will Set You Free

It might be the impeccably restored rotating collection of vintage cars (and occasional alternate mode of transportation) tastefully crowding the middle of the space, or perhaps the beautifully displayed and curated selection of mismatched product that makes Alchemy Works arguably the most tasteful and comprehensive boutique in DTLA’s Arts District. Conceptualized by Apolis’ Raan and Lindsay Parton, there’s something distinctly inviting and approachable about the concept, which features a spread of art magazines, leather goods, beautifully tailored clothing, and artisan decor. Pushing the limits of conventional retail offers, Alchemy embodies a truly immersive and wholistic modern lifestyle experience, including a gallery component (photography by Will Adler), and an always tasteful Warby Parker showroom. 

The space has a distinct editorial quality, which allows visitors to discover an assortment of unique design-forward brands and products— many of them surprisingly affordable. Alchemy incorporates a deeply-rooted level of hospitality rarely seen in contemporary retail, beginning with Blacktop’s exceptional coffee program, and enhanced by an unquestionably welcoming and passionate team. While the term "curated" might have been appropriated from the art world and tarnished beyond recognition by the retail industry, this seems like the only appropriate word to explain the reasoning behind the brands represented at AW, which include favorites like Miansai, This Is Ground, Givenchy, and Shinola.

With this in mind, one might consider Alchemy Works to be an advocate for craftsmanship, and champion for both emerging and established design-forward brands. It is rare for a retail boutique to inspire this much trust in judgement and selection, making every experience there an opportunity to discover something perfect and unexpected. 

 826 E. 3rd Street Los Angeles, CA 90013 323-487-1497 Monday-Friday 11-7pm, Saturday - Sunday 10-7pm

[blackbvck]

30 Days in LA: Sylvan Esso // Race Banyon, Akua

Let's call it a hat trick. The third night of Red Bull Sound Select's 30 Days in LA reimagined Hollywood's infamous Fonda Theater with just the right amount of green neon, vintage televisions, and a night of solid electro pop courtesy of Sylvan Esso and a supporting cast of international emerging talent including Race Banyon and Canada's ethereal electronic soul artist Akua. To say that this was one of the most well crafted lineups in recent memory might be hyperbole, after all, RB 30 Days is almost as much about showcasing new and emerging talent as it is about saturating an entire month with as much quality live music as possible. Exhibit A: Tuesday, a great example of what Red Bull is trying to accomplish as a brand with deep roots in the music scene — a solid showcase for lesser known acts and a curated platform for established independent talent to put on context significant performances. In this particular instance, Sylvan Esso's last official gig featuring their widely successful eponymous debut album. 

In some ways, Day 3 was several different shows in one, painting a diverse picture of the landscape of contemporary electronic music. Akua's haunting ethereal R&B quietly filled the space with tracks like One's Company, reminiscent of a more experimental Lianne La Havas. Taking the evening to Ibiza by way of Hard Fest, Race Banyon's hypnotic beats expertly controlled a nearly packed floor, creating an effective counterargument for anyone of the "laptops are not an instrument" ilk. The crown jewel of the evening was of course Sylvan Esso's set, which was the kind of performance that stays with you for a few weeks. Not only did Amelia Meath's stage presence make you wonder how any one musician could have a more playful and direct connection with a captive audience, but Nick Sunburn's skill as a producer (and awe-inspiring dance moves) turned nearly every moment into a transcending experience. Favorites like Play It Right, H.S.K.T, and Coffee, were skillfully interspersed with a selection of new songs that paint an equally exciting future for the North Carolina duo. 

If the first few days are any indicator for what Red Bull has unleashed across various LA venues, we are in for an exceptional month in live music.