Portraits of Keef by German painter Sebastian Kruger…
JOHNNY DEPP has announced that he’ll soon be directing an in-depth documentary on legendary rock cockroach KEITH RICHARDS. “I’m very touched that Keith has agreed to show up in front of my cameras,” said Depp, whose last rock documentary was a short film titled “Stuff” chronicling the squalid living conditions of a then-dying John Frusciante after he’d quit the Red Hot Chili Peppers and settled into a life of speedball-fueled seclusion in his Hollywood Hills home (which later burned down). We can only imagine that Mick is probably lining up his own rival documentary crew at this very moment…
Johnny Depp’s “Stuff”, a Film About John Frusciante:
We at Supertouch have literally not purchased a single physical CD in well over a year. Given that fact, news of the imminent release of a fully remastered BEATLES back catalog in both stereo and true mono mixes accompanied by all original artwork and packaging comes brings a tear of joy to our jaded eyes. This is because the entire range of true studio albums has not been upgraded since first being transferred to CD in the 80s with some of the least dynamic, fully crap digital transfers ever produced. The NY TIMES breaks it down in full:
“Like the original set of Beatles CDs, released in 1987 and not upgraded since, the reissue series will include only the 12 albums the Beatles released in Britain between 1963 and 1970, from “Please Please Me” through “Let It Be,” along with “Magical Mystery Tour” — an American album that was originally released as a two-EP set in England — and the two-CD “Past Masters” compilation of the group’s nonalbum singles. All told, the set includes 16 CDs. (Beatles projects are typically tightly guarded; few outside EMI have heard the remasters yet.) Compilations released since 1987, including the “Beatles Anthology” series, “The Beatles Live at the BBC,” “Yellow Submarine Songtrack,” “1” and “Love,” the soundtrack for the Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas, are not included in the new series. Nor are the two “Capitol Albums” boxed sets, which presented several of the Beatles’ albums in the versions released in the United States.
The main reason collectors have been so intent on reissues of music they already own is that the 1987 CDs, like many discs released in the early years of the format, sound comparatively harsh and brittle by today’s standards. Since then, improvements in digital sound technology and remastering equipment have yielded a richer, smoother sound, and most of the major groups and artists from the 1960s — from Bob Dylan, the Byrds and Simon and Garfunkel to the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd — have had their catalogs refurbished at least once since their first appearance on CD. And the Beatles’ own recent releases, including the “Capitol Albums” and “Love” discs, showed that the band’s recordings could sound vastly better — warmer and with far greater presence — than they do on the 1987 discs.” Click HERE to continue reading…
Though the band technically still has four living, breathing members, Metallica has been dead and gone for years. Luckily, stepping in to fill that monstrous gap is Atlanta-based MASTODON whose hybrid hard rock/metal sound is every bit as heavy (and members as hairy) as the name. Released last week, the band’s fourth album (following 2006’s incredibly epic “Blood Mountain”) “Crack The Skye” is a brutally gorgeous seven-track ticket to heaven via a long and twisted road through czarist Russian Hell. Continuing the band’s penchant for thematic content, the new disc focuses on they mythical life of Rasputin, whose existence the Mastodonians embellish with an array of compulsory metal mythology. The record’s story arc is perhaps best described by the band’s guitarist Bill Kelliher:
“There is a paraplegic and the only way that he can go anywhere is if he astral travels. He goes out of his body, into outer space and a bit like Icarus, he goes too close to the sun, burning off the golden umbilical cord that is attached to his solar plexus. So he is in outer space and he is lost, he gets sucked into a wormhole, he ends up in the spirit realm and he talks to spirits telling them that he is not really dead. So they send him to the Russian cult, they use him in a divination and they find out his problem. They decide they are going to help him. They put his soul inside Rasputin’s body. Rasputin goes to usurp the czar and he is murdered. The two souls fly out of Rasputin’s body through the crack in the sky(e) and Rasputin is the wise man that is trying to lead the child home to his body because his parents have discovered him by now and think that he is dead. Rasputin needs to get him back into his body before it’s too late. But they end up running into the Devil along the way and the Devil tries to steal their souls and bring them down…there are some obstacles along the way.”
When questioned about the archaic spelling of the word Skye in the disc’s title, Dailor went on to explain that “Crack the Skye” is also meant as an homage to his sister, Skye Dailor, who committed suicide at age 14: “My sister passed away when I was a teenager and it was awful, and there’s no better way to pay tribute to a lost loved one than having an opportunity to be in a group with my friends and we make art together. Her name was Skye, so Crack the Skye means a lot of different things. For me personally, it means the moment of being told you lost someone dear to you, [that moment] is enough to crack the sky.”
As a bonus for fans who still BUY music, the iTunes version of “Crack the Skye” comes with the to-die-for bonus of an instrumental version of the entire disc that plays like a full-fledged metal symphony in seven parts. Touring across the US now, and throughout Europe this summer with (unfortunately) Metallica, the prehistoric rockers should be considered a must-see for even the most jaded live music fan.
We’ve said it many times before on ST: We don’t do streetwear collabs here, but this one’s bulletproof (and guaranteed to leave a nation of young sneakerhead zombies scratching their heads wondering who LOU REED is). Too bad the old man’s not still in his “Transformer” period…
Undoubtedly, a legion of young hipsters, streetwear fashionistas, and luxury goods junkies would be left scratching their heads in bewilderment if pressed to elaborate on the legacy of STEPHEN SPROUSE. Luckily, the legendary downtown art shrine known as DEITCH PROJECTS, in collaboration with Parisian luxury brand LOUIS VUITTON has provided an immersive introduction to the late artist’s indelible legacy in the form of their epic “Rock on Mars” retrospective exhibition that opened its doors to a cadre of NYC’s illuminati last nite. A pioneering designer who cut his teeth in the fertile late ’70s & early ’80s downtown scene (his earliest client was downstairs neighbor Debbie Harry), Sprouse daringly infused day-glo graphic elements of crucial counterculture scenes like graffiti, punk, and hippies into an array of groundbreaking and always rock-centric fashion statements over the course of his roughly 20 year career. Forever plagued by soaring highs and crushing financial lows, the designer was rescued from the brink of obscurity by Marc Jacobs when the designer tapped him to create a new line of instantly sold-out designs for Louis Vuitton in 2001, effectively revitalizing his name in the process. Unfortunately, lung cancer would claim the Sprouse’s life in 2004 exactly at the precipice of a major comeback that would never be. Funded by Louis Vuitton as a grand homage to the oft-underappreciated visionary, the Deitch exhibition collected previously unshown fine artworks originally created by Sprouse for an unrealized show called “Rock on Mars,” with vintage fashion drawings and iconic clothing designs to provide the most comprehensive overview of the artist’s prodigious oeuvre ever assembled. Opening to the public this weekend, the show is the first must-see event of the New Year, shining a much-needed light on an otherwise gloomy art scene still coping with the “morning after” of 2008’s crippling economic collapse. HAVE A LOOK:Read the rest of this entry »
KAWS hits the big time with Kanye in Times Square…
It seems KAWS has finally hit the big time with his artwork for the special edition packaging of KANYE WEST’s new “808s & Heartbreak” album hitting Times Square this week. Based on a painting featured in KAWS’ recent NY show at GERING & LOPEZ GALLERY, the cover is available for a limited time on physical copies of the CD at select retailers.
Kanye’s special edition “808s & Heartbreak” cover…
KAWS’ original painting as shown at Gering & Lopez Gallery in November 2008…
Ron Asheton (right) rips it up onstage with Iggy in 2007…
It may only be January 6th but 2009 has already claimed its first casualty of rock royalty. This morning the body of Supertouch friend and heretofore living legend of punk guitar RON ASHETON of Detroit supergroup, THE STOOGES was discovered in his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Suspected of dying several days ago of unknown causes, the 60-year-old was found by local police after a personal friend reported an inability to reach Ronnie for several days. Ironically, Asheton died in the same home where the first rehearsal with Iggy Pop and fellow Stooges Scott Asheton and Dave Alexander took place in 1967. His phone number was, until this day, the very same that a teenaged, trailer park-bound Jim “Iggy” Osterberg would call to arrange rehearsal times during the summer of love. Having effectively pioneered what would become the template for true punk rock guitar on the Stooges gorgeously ugly and iconoclastic debut “The Stooges” in 1969, Asheton went on to perfect the sound on the band’s subsequent masterpiece “Fun House” in 1970, an LP that remains one of rock’s high water marks to this day. At a time when the rest of Pop Culture was coming to grips with the imminent demise of an imaginary hippie wonderland, one only needed to listen to Read the rest of this entry »
Supertouch buddy and self-proclaimed “voice of a generation” KANYE WEST has upped the ante on his highly anticipated new album “808s & Heartbreak” by drafting fast-rising Pop Art star KAWS to design a custom cover available exclusively on the iTunes version of the album dropping Tuesday, November 25th, and in stores on December 16th as a sepcial Christmas edition of the record.
The world economy might be on hold (much like Metallica’s creative streak post-”Master of Puppets”) but at CHRISTIE’S big contemporary art auction this week METALLICA drummer LARS ULRICH’s phenomenal 1982 JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT painting, “Untitled (Boxer),” changed hands for a very healthy $13,522,500 USD against a pre-sale estimate of $12 million. A standout amidst an otherwise lackluster sale overall, the auction proved that Basquiat’s finest work is indeed recession-proof. Meanwhile, we’re more than happy to see the rest of the fine art world’s prices readjusting for a new market after a ridiculously bullish escalation over that past few years. Without a doubt, for serious collectors 2009 & ‘10 are gonna be great years for headhunting masterpieces at bargain prices. The rest of us will just have to enjoy our canned beans in the company of our children’s refrigerator drawings…
Yeah, you read that correctly. Last week a newly reunited, totally OG lineup of legendary LA band JANE’S ADDITION played the hipster hotspot LA CITA as part of DANCERIGHT for a capacity crowd of 200 lucky fans. Joining the band for the first time since their breakup in 1991 was founding bassist Eric Avery whose role had been filled by Flea and Mike Watt in previous reunions. Playing a set that drew heavily on the band’s earliest material including several songs from the first live album “xxx,” including “Whores,” “Trip Away,” and “One Percent,” the quartet gave the kids a glimpse of the fury that was once the most formidable and influential band of its era. A straight-ahead Mexican cantina during the week, La Cita’s innate “Tijuana Modern” decor provided the perfect backdrop for the boys, with Christmas lights and religious iconography straight from the “Ritual de lo Habitual” aesthetic playbook. Of course Danceright mainstay SHEPARD FAIREY warmed up the crowd as “DJ Diabetic,” and provided the highly coveted poster art for the gig. HAVE A LOOK:Read the rest of this entry »
MOCA’S “COLLECTION: THE FIRST THIRTY YEARS” PROVES THE MUSEUM SHOULD BE AROUND FOR 30 MORE
Despite MOCA’s financial woes of late and near collapse last year amid the chaos of the economic holocaust, the veritable Southland institution seems on to a bright future now, having secured ST buddy JEFFREY DEITCH as its new director (starting June 1) and financial security (for the moment). If ever there was a time to celebrate, it is now. HAVE A LOOK:
FEATURE///IN THE STUDIO WITH SHEPARD FAIREY AS HE PREPARES FOR DEITCH GALLERY’S CLOSING SHOW
By now it’s no secret thatJEFFREY DEITCH is closing shop in downtown NYC to head West for the sunnier confines of the MoCA Director’s office, starting June 1st. That leaves SHEPARD FAIREY’s upcoming portrait show as the farewell exhibition at one of the city’s most legendary and influential commercial art institutions in the city’s history.
UKRAINE///FIRST LOOK: DAMIEN HIRST’S “REQUIEM” CAREER RETROSPECTIVE AT THE PINCHUK ART CENTER
Last weekend saw the DAMIEN HIRST’s first grand spectacle of 2009 when his daunting career retrospective “Requiem” opened at the PINCHUK ART CENTER in the unlikely city of Kiev, Ukraine. Not exactly known as an epicenter of fine art (unless you count the Ukrainian girls, that is), resident steel billionaire and obsessed Hirst collector VICTOR PINCHUK aims to change that by launching the epic visual spectacle that includes over 100 works (a vast amount of which came from Pinchuk’s private collection) by the British artist from 1998 – 2008 in his own privately funded art palace that holds the title as the largest private museum in the former Soviet Union. The fact that this grandiose show of power comes at a time when…
NEWS///RIP///IN LOVING MEMORY OF PHOTOGRAPHER SHAWN MORTENSEN 1966—2009
It is truly with a heavy heart that we must break the news that one of Supertouch’s dear friends, photographer SHAWN MORTENSEN, passed away last nite. A kinetic force of optimism and seemingly limitless positive energy, Shawn’s hearty career as a photojournalist and artist took him around the world several times over, unselfishly spreading his endless supply of good vibes as he went. Particularly renowned for his portraits of musicians, artists, and entertainers, Shawn photographed a stunning array of pop culture demigods in his 20+ year career including…
BEVERLY HILLS///JOHN WATERS BRINGS “REAR PROJECTION” TO HOLLYWOOD
As a director of some of the most acclaimed highbrow B-movies of all time, Supertouch amigo JOHN WATERS needs no further introduction. Quietly working the night shift as a fine artist for years now, the Baltimore-bound obsessive’s hard work has finally landed him a spot in the most hallowed hall of the modern art world, namely, the GAGOSIAN GALLERY, where the artist’s solo “Rear Projection” show opened to a throng of Hollywood players, weirdos, fanboys and girls, and well-wishing lookie-loos on Saturday nite. Comprised largely of C-prints of photos Waters has taken of TV screens bearing his favorite stills from movies of all kinds, the works pulse with the raw humor and dry wit that is Waters’ hallmark…
J O'Shea/Editor
Shepard Fairey
Everlast
Dr Romanelli
Lupe Fiasco
Billy Gibbons
Christian Parkes
Davey Havok
Eric White
Erik Foss
Christian Hosoi
Josh Davis
Kenna
Mark Ryden
Masa/Three Tides
Sarah/Colette
Scott Campbell
Tim Biskup
WK Interact
Donny Miller
Lance Mountain
James Jean
Andy Cruz
Adam Glickman
Ron English
Jose Parla
D* Face
Eric Nakamura
Nathan Cabrera
Kostas Seremetis
Phil Frost
Kyle Ng
Suitman
