IM // UR

BEFORE TODAY by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

It doesn’t take much to make me feel stupid. Trying to find the words to describe the debut album of Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti at 4AD is just one of many examples I could give you. To me, ‘Before Today’ sounds like an album that Kevin Barnes could be recording if he loved goth bands more than funk ones. Or like the cold wave genre entering a multicoloured psychedelic stage instead of glazing at it's own depression. Don’t mind my threadbare examples; this is the album that will make it onto every interesting top 10 of the year and you don’t wanna miss it.

WE // R \\ WEARING

I can't resist (probably overpriced) basics-with-a-twist. My wardrobe, full of T by Wang, Oak, Bassike and yes, American Apparel is proof of this; and since in Australia, a new favourite has emerged in the form of Nathan Smith. His selection of supersoft tees, tanks and dresses have sucked me into buying multiples of a number of styles in different colourways. You just can't go wrong with these though! Addictively and endlessly wearable - and not in actual fact, overpriced in the slightlest - Nathan Smith is the way forward for your wardrobe.

WE // R \\ WATCHING

I don’t think any series will treat teenagers the same way that Freaks and Geeks did almost 10 years ago. Although relying on every teen American cliché they could, this series was the closest thing to reality you could get whilst still being something fun and interesting to watch – cause, you know, life is boring. With bands like The Who, The Clash and XTC being either part of episodes or the soundtrack, this 80’s based cult show was short-lived (only 18 episodes), but long enough to enrich the careers of some young actors (i.e. James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Busy Philipps and, erm, Linda Cardellini) and is greatly missed. Can we have a movie about them meeting again in the 00’s?

WE // R \\ GOING

Once, a friend of mine wanted to take me to this 'cheap Chinese restaurant', situated in the heart of Liberdade, a Japanese neighborhood in São Paulo. When we got there the place was packed, but because it looked cheesy and kinda poor, I didn't want to wait it out. It took another friend for me to go back there and fall in love with it. Now, every time the mood for some freshly made noodles (you can watch the chief making the noodle dough through a window) framed in some horribly painted pink walls takes me, I go for Rong He. Did I mention the food is also incredibly generous and cheap?

WE // R \\ READING

The ultimate in peeping tom into other, cooler, more fashionable, richer, quirkier and more-hipster-than-thou lives is Todd Selby's The Selby. Having previously been an internet only voyeur's dream, Todd has just last month released The Selby Is In Your Place, a book the coffee table tome full of twee drawings, colourful interiors and people showering. Half of the images in the books are favourites from the website and the other is stuff he hasn't published online yet. So go check it out, maybe buy it if you can to make your crappy coffee table in your crappy apartment that little bit cooler with pictures of someone else's cool stuff.

Posts tagged with mika_miko

(New New New) Mika Miko Video

Wednesday // June 03, 2009 at 16:43 // filed under Music

photographer for IM//UR by Agnes Lloyd-Platt

We interviewed Mika Miko a little while back; and we even gave you an mp3. Now here's the video to accompany it. They're super fun live, and I was kinda expecting something with a little less, well, finesse than what they've given us for 'I Got a Lot (New New New)', directed by No Age's Randy Randall. I have no idea what the girls are singing about, but who would have thought that some painted walls and floor, and a smooth camera slide to the right could give such a cool effect?

I Got A Lot (New New New) by Mika Miko

POSTED BY CHRISTEL ESCOSA

TAGS: Mika Miko, No Age // LINKS: Mika Miko

COMMENTS // 1

Interview // Mika Miko

Friday // May 29, 2009 at 19:37 // filed under Music

They Be Xuxa

photographed for IM//UR by Agnes Lloyd-Platt

Jessie, Jenna, Michelle, Seth, and Jennifer are the current members of self described pony thrash band, Mika Miko. This five piece from Los Angeles have actually been around since 2003; emerging from the tight knit, noisy experimental heart of the DIY community in LA, The Smell, where the list of patrons and regulars include No Age, HEALTH and The Mae Shi. The band though, have further come to light from an international point of view after touring the shit out of America, Europe and Japan with their blistering thirty minute set. Mika Miko aren't a musical revelation by any stretch; but their reinterpretation of Californian punk is, at the very least, a violent and raucous good time.

Everyone talks about their live presence; with their explosive energy, thrashingly danceable and good-natured punk mettle that has famously made theirs a fun show to attend. Just this month they headed over to the UK to give it some tour love before heading back over to the US to do it all over again. Whilst they were in London we caught up with them to talk Xuxa, the Smell and periods.

Before we continue, this be Xuxa, yo.

Interview and more pics from our exclusive shoot after the jump.

› Read the rest of this entry

POSTED BY CHRISTEL ESCOSA

TAGS: Mika Miko, Xuxa // LINKS: Mika Miko

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