Futura Laboratories releases items from their 2008 Spring/Summer Collection. A variety of hats are included in the ever-popular 5-panel style. Available now at Purist.

Info.Image: Purist

KICKS/HI releases their 2008 Spring/Summer Collection, featuring native Hawaiian themes in patterns and geometric shapes. Available now at Kicks Hi.

Info.Image: Kicks Hi

Atmos collaborates with Puma to create the Puma Endangered Species Pack. Featuring inspiration from the Arctic and Antartic, Atmos uses the Clyde Mid to parlay the work of wildlife photographer Mitsuaki Iwago. Including the Harp Seal Clyde, Polar Bear Clyde, and Macaroni Penguin Mid, this pack is exclusive to Atmos June 28th and retails at approx. $150 USD.

De-Noted is a blog that reveals questions and statements on bank notes. Having already been active for over a year, De-Noted has amassed a huge collection of notes globally. For money or art? How about both.

Info.Image: DeNoted

Rockwell, the brainchild of Dutch designer PARRA, releases its Spring/Summer 2008 Collection. Featuring the signature sexual close-ups PARRA has been releasing lately, these pieces are sure to turn a few heads. Head on over to End Clothing for the Titty, Upskirt, and New Wave tees.

Info.Image: End Clothing

As things slow down for me I have a chance to post past events and projects:

Here is a recap of this year PT3. The images were by the man himself Jay Lewis and the video captures the energy of the night! Check’em out.

VIDEO

PIX

Shout out to Khairi for being the HNIC of the whole operation.

So I am finally done with finals and graduation is on Saturday, see you there. I have been busy but things are starting to settle.

I wanted to take a minute out to give a shout out to Tyler Askew. Home boy provided me with the musical motivation to bang out case study after case study this semester. He dose a series of mix shows called “My Favorite Things” for Shibuya FM. I had the pleasure of meeting Tyler at the last PT3 and I remember telling him jokingly that I thought he was some big black dude with dreds lol, Never the less if you get a chance visit his blog and download a mix or two they are well worth the bandwith.

My Favorite Things 2

Tracklisting

Recloose / Can It Be / CDR
Simbad / After the Dance (Bugz mix) / Raw Fusion
Soil & Pimp / AIE (Cobblestone Jazz mix) / Brownswood
Lady Alma / Pressure / Especial
Roland Appel / Changes / Sonar Kollektiv
KemeticJust / In The Morning (Volcov mix) / Xenithsound
Reel People feat Darien / Alibi / Papa
Shape of Broad Minds / Jazz / Lex
Pete Rock feat Jim Jones / We Roll / BBE
Large Professor / Slick Money / Paul Sea
Leon King / You Will Never Know / CDR
Cinematic Orchestra / Child Song (Taylor McFerrin mix) / Ninja Tune

Download the mix here.

My Favorite Things 3

Tracklisting

Leon King – Digital Church (Venomz EQ – CDR
Unkown – Unknown – CDR
RH Factor – On The One (SA-RA remix) – Verve
Harmonic 313 – Word Games – Warp
Ta’raach – Untitled – Lovelution
Snowman – I Need U – CDR
Omar feat Stevie Wonder – Feeling Me, Feeling You (Henrik Schwartz remix) – CDR
Wahoo – Don’t Take It Personal (Dixon edit) – Fine
Rednose Distrikt feat U-Gene – Not Today – Kindred Spirits
Phlash – Revolution Solution – Archive
Karizma – A Drumz Nightmare – CDR
Hudson People – Trip To Your Mind – Arision

Download the mix here.

Ohio Rapper Camutao (Weathermen & DefJux) passed away Sunday after a two year battle with cancer. The underground hiphop world will forever miss him and his unique flow. I grew up going to DefJux Shows and it was always an epic night when Camutao was rocking. My heart goes out to his family and friends. Rest in Peace.

Cruised up to Maine this weekend to see friends and enjoy the springtime weather. I stopped in to see big-bro Tim Clorius in his studio. Always amazing and inspirational. Tim is a truly talented artist. We got to scheming on a massive mural idea over beers Friday night, and painted all day Saturday. Tim did the portraits, I did the abstract funk in the background. Good times. Click-Zoom.Anyone who has tried photo-realistic art knows how hard it is, especially portraits. Now imagine doing it with a spraycan. The homies Eydl, Rich, and Thot were burning too. Click-Zoom.Sunday I stopped in to see the new Evolve2Advance Studio in Westbrook. Dom was there and he showed me around the new spot. Full screen-printing operation in an incredible space. Nice work dudes! Then I met up with big-bro Ratio for dinner. We were both in the mood for a real Maine experience. He just got back from a month in Cambodia, so we went and got some seafood and lobster. Always good times in Maine.

Imagine if the music industry played out like the NBA draft lottery – proverbial powerhouse record labels vying for the next great music artist. If we were only so lucky. Still, if you think about it, having the former “president” (we’re still trying to figure out exactly what the Brooklyn emcee’s job duties were, any takers?) of Def Jam – Jay-Z – in attendance representing his squad, the New Jersey Nets, is probably as close as we’ll ever get.

The water cooler has made for some interesting debates over the last week on who would be our No. 1 pick, and, after hours of competitive banter (yes, we keep score), the STD crew finally came to a decision. He’s our Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley and Kevin Love rolled into one – rapper Jay Electronica (Blu, was a close second). Dude is about to dominate the game and his cross-genre appeal doesn’t hurt either. Either way, we’ll be attending the real NBA draft on June 26 at Madison Square Garden. The boos in section 8 will be coming from us. Word to Big Bird.

Bun B
II Trill

Bun B’s II Trill reminds me of a skit from Katt Williams’ the Pimp Chronicles where he talks about having a homie who’s too gangster; like the homie who wakes up eating Cheerios with a mug on. From top to bottom, you’re inundated with gangster bravado – odd given how articulate Bun Beater is and also how in regular convo he has so much more to speak on. II Trill has poignant social commentary (”Get Cha Issue”), a stirring tribute to Pimp C (”Angel In the Sky”) but it’s kinda difficult to take Bun serious as an insightful rapper with make-it-rain, booty-shaking and uber thug anthems juxtaposed next to the aforementioned tracks. If you’re said guy who wakes up gangster then II Trill will be that demo for you. But for the rest of population, it may be just what the title claims.

- John Burnett

Amy Wienhouse
Frank: Deluxe Edition

What happens when an increasingly controversial artist is too busy frequenting pipes and pubs to record a follow-up to their award-winning album? Their record label tries to repackage something we heard nearly five years ago under the assumption that we’re just as high as their artist is. Although the repackaged version of Amy Wino’s debut, Frank, does offer some pretty cool extra’s (unheard tracks, demos, live tracks), one has to wonder if people are really willing to shell out more money for something so old this soon. Besides, with this release, are fans supporting Amy’s music or her habit?

- Michael Arceneaux

Cherish
The Truth

The truth is no matter how good or bad this Cherish album is, you probably don’t care. These days R&B girl groups are about as welcome as your mother at the club. Unfortunately for Cherish, their record label isn’t doing much to help matters. Despite scoring a hit single and a gold-selling debut, the label this foursome signed its life to tossed their sophomore effort into the market with no real promotional push — treating them with the same level of care as Britney Spears does with her children. Hopefully they haven’t spent all their money on hair.

- Michael Arceneaux

Death Cab For Cutie
Narrow Stairs

The album cut of Death Cab’s new single, “I Will Possess Your Heart,” is eight-and-a-half minutes long and eight-and-a-half minutes boring. It’s always nice to root for songster Benjamin Gibbard because he just seems like a cool dude in a nerdy sort of way, and he writes sentimental soft rock songs for people who hate easy listening with every fiber of their beings. But the band’s new album, Narrow Stairs, is less Transatlanticism and more Plans, which is horribly disappointing. Sort of makes you want to stop rooting for him. We’ll always have “The New Year,” Ben.

- Kevin Doran

Mudcrutch
Mudcrutch

Why would Tom Petty revisit the band he was in 30-plus years ago, before he started Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers? My guess is that it had something to do with the atrocity that was his Super Bowl halftime performance earlier this year. It works out well for Petty’s band mates, who get to share the spotlight for once. The lineup only has two dudes who aren’t in the Heartbreakers, but it sounds like a different band, one that has a bit more country and folk influence. Mostly, it sounds like some dudes who are tired of playing “American Girl” every night.

- Kevin Doran

Kidz in the Hall
The In Crowd

Remember how in high school the lunchroom tables were separated by groups: the jocks, the nerds, the popular girls, the slackers, etc.? Well … that’s the sound Naledge and Double-O went for with their latest album, The In Crowd, as each track represents a different table in the cafeteria. Unfortunately, they forgot that when making an album there has to be this thing called cohesiveness. The fairly stellar production and respectable lyrics—with an impressive guest list to boot (Bun-B, Pusha T, Camp Lo, Sean Price and Buckshot)—don’t quite make up for the unfocused feel of the album. With hit or miss tracks throughout, their lunchroom experiment turns out to be more of a food fight. The Kidz In The Hall deserve detention for this one.

- A. Hugh Leonard