RockersNYC SS08 The Sound & Fury is proud to present?¢‚Ǩ¬¶the Sound & Fury Artist Series, featuring the ?¢‚Ǩ?ìWardance?¢‚Ǩ¬ù tee, a collabo with photographer Shawn Mortensen, and the ?¢‚Ǩ?ìYouth vs. Youth?¢‚Ǩ¬ù tee, a collabo with artist and musician, Brian DeGraw.
WARDANCE
RockersNYC is blessed to have worked with the world-renowned photographer, Shawn Mortensen, on the epic tee, Wardance. In 1991, a war was waged on the Jamaican dancehall battlefield. Two artists, Super Cat, aka Don Dada, and Ninja Man, aka Don Gargon, clashed at Sting in Kingston in a historical battle, captured by Shawn Mortensen on one of his many travels.
A bit about Shawn:
?¢‚Ǩ?ìIn addition to photographing well-known fashion and advertising campaigns and an eclectic list of celebrities and artists, he has shown his photographs with exhibitions at New York’s Whitney & Guggenheim Museums, The Getty Museum & has won an MTV Video Music Award. Mortensen has also documented his global travels in provocative photo-essays, from rare access in Chiapas, Mexico, where he captured haunting images of the Zapatista uprising, to the dancehalls & shantytowns of Kingston, Jamaica, to the unspoiled landscapes of Mongolia, as well as intensive work in Ethiopia, South Africa & Nigeria.?¢‚Ǩ¬ù (http://www.slamxhype.com/blogs/shawn)
YOUTH VS. YOUTH
RockersNYC also had the honor of producing a tee using Brian DeGraw?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s multimedia piece ?¢‚Ǩ?ìThe Youth of Today?¢‚Ǩ¬ù (2006). This piece features two albums by two very different, but equally influential, groups ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú Musical Youth, an English reggae group, and The Youth of Today, an American hardcore band. As a work of art, and a tee, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìthe piece suggests that beneath heterogeneous surfaces and commercial artifices there is a universality of artistic ambition transcending class, borders, genres, and disciplines.?¢‚Ǩ?ì (http://www.brooklynrail.org/2007/03/artseen/brian-degraw)
A bit about Brian:
Brian DeGraw is a New York-based artist and musician. He is currently a member of Gang Gang Dance, an ?¢‚Ǩ?ìorganic, outerspace L.E.S. art band?¢‚Ǩ¬ù (S.R.). As a DJ, Brian is most frequently heard at one of the Lower East Side?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s longest running nights, Smiths Night at Sway, where he DJs alongside designer Ben Cho. As an artist, he has shown in galleries across the nation and the world, including New York?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s famous Alleged Gallery. His work reflects his musicality and colorful worldview, and has earned him a lot of respect in the art world.
Saturday March 15th, 2008, marks the 5th anniversary of the US occupation of Iraq! A time to celebrate the despicable violence perpetrated against the Iraqi people on a daily basis for the past five years. A time to celebrate the lies we were told then, and the lies we are told today, about the US mission to bring “freedom” and “democracy” to Iraq.
FREEDOM, AS BROUGHT TO IRAQ BY THE US MILITARY.
Whatever the “good intentions” at the time, I think we can all agree that it hasn’t exactly turned out as planned. G.W.B. said in May 2003 that “in this battle, we have fought for the cause of liberty, and for the peace of the world…our nation is more secure…the tyrant has fallen, and Iraq is free” (1). Yet here we are, five years later, still killing and being killed in the newly improved democratic Iraq.
US SOLDIERS IN IRAQ
The beauty of a democracy is that we have a voice. In the US, we pride ourselves on being free to express our political opinions – but how can we be proud when so many of us don’t use that freedom? The mantra behind most of this century’s crusades has been to bring our free and democratic way of life to others. While this is definitely not the bottom line for the many military occupations in Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East, it is still a noble thought. However, the best way to do this is not by military force, but by example.
PROTESTERS IN THE PHILLIPPINES
Democracy means speaking out against injustices, especially when they are perpetrated by your own government and military. It means taking the power away from a corrupt leader and government, and putting it in the hands of the people. Truly democratic actions happen in places that the White House tells us are dictatorships – for example, the mass protests in Venezuela that brought Chavez back into power after the US backed a military coup in 2004.
Let’s follow this example this Saturday the 15th, and leave our comfy homes & routines for a couple of hours to express our opinions. In cities all across the US and the world, there will be demonstrations against the continued occupation of Iraq. If you believe there’s something wrong with the 1,185,800 Iraqi children & adults that have been murdered and the 3,987 American soldiers that have been killed since the war began (2), then go out and do something about it tomorrow!!!!!!
If you are STILL not convinced you need to act, take 5 minutes to watch this: OCCUPIED
RockersNYC T.V. is proud to present?¢‚Ǩ¬¶
The premiere of the Sound & Fury episodes!!!
In this episode, Chuck Dukowski, founding member and legendary bassist of Black Flag, invites us into his home to talk about the early 80s punk movement, police brutality and life in general.
Tune in?¢‚Ǩ¬¶don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t tune out!
RockersNYC T.V. Interviews Chuck Dukowski – PARTS 1 & 2.
etnies and Verte have joined forces and created a collection of footwear and apparel that includes an updated version of the classic etnies Ollie King, the new Jameson shoe and the Pleather Jacket. The collaboration will be offered exclusively at core skate shops beginning in June.
HI-TOP.STYLES.
Founded by Andre, Athena, Tino, Desiree and Marc Razo in 2002, Verte is a skate-influenced NYC-based apparel brand. Andre, Tino and Marc grew up skateboarding in Vermont and later moved to New York City. Initially their line of T-shirts sold at stores like DQM and Supreme. Verte has grown organically through a strong demand and will offer a complete cut-and-sew apparel line in 2009.
LO-TOPS.STYLES.
This collaboration series is very solid. All sneakers come in black, as well as the premium apparel that was designed along.
RockersNYC is a Lower East Side streetwear company that its built on originality and music as the foundation of their inspiration. Most of their designs are heavily influenced by Jamaican Reggae culture, Punk Rock, Speed Metal, Hip Hop & Rasta because these cultures inspired them with their rebelliousness and intelligence. Believe me, they cover streetwear culture like it has never been seen before!
Now, HPDC have an amazing opportunity to have a small interview with its founders, which are Marcus Burrowes and Sean Reveron. Here, we’re allowed to discover their ideas behind RockersNYC latest S/S 08 collection, “The Sound & Fury”.
MARCUS.BURROWES.RockersNYC.CREATIVE.DIR.
Hows it goin mate.
MB: Wicked!
SR: It?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s all gravy?¢‚Ǩ¬¶totally hyphy?¢‚Ǩ¬¶smiles kill war!
So, what are you into at the moment?
SR: Fruit smoothies?¢‚Ǩ¬¶bike rides?¢‚Ǩ¬¶creating epic gear?¢‚Ǩ¬¶post-punk?¢‚Ǩ¬¶grindcore?¢‚Ǩ¬¶taking flicks!
You just released your latest S/S 08 collection, why the name “THE SOUND & FURY”?
SR: Music was the theme of this season?¢‚Ǩ¬¶we brought the sound?¢‚Ǩ¬¶& killed it with fury!
What’s the philosophy behind the new season SS 08 collection?
SR: Rules are made to be broken?¢‚Ǩ¬¶music rules & war kills!
What was the first time you were exposed to the punk/speed metal?
MB: I was exposed to the Clash and the Ramones before, but in 1984 I was 10 and I discovered Suicidal Tendencies?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ “Institutionalized” and Black Flag, and it was on!
SR: I was first exposed to hardcore in 1981 in L.A., CA?¢‚Ǩ¬¶I got into speed metal around 1983?¢‚Ǩ¬¶I really started feeling Motorhead ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú they were my gateway metal. Then I got into Venom, Oz, Voivod, Exciter, Raven, Metallica, Slayer & Exodus (I saw them perform @ the Mab in SF in 1983). I still love both hardcore & thrash metal!
SEAN.REVERON.RockersNYC.CULTURAL.
And what types of music do you like these days?
MB: If you?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re talking current music, right now I’m big into dancehall.
Do you play any instruments at all?
SR: My voice?¢‚Ǩ¬¶I guess you could call me a singer.
What’s the biggest obstacle when you started doing this retail business?
MB: That would probably be not knowing much about the business at first, and also trying to keep the integrity of the brand while the money was tight.
SR: I don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t believe in obstacles?¢‚Ǩ¬¶whatever you perceive you can achieve!
You move a lot as a child (Kingston, California, London, New York). What did your parents do for a living while you were a child?
MB: My mom is a poet/folklorist/historian and my dad is a painter.
SR: Traveling is in my blood?¢‚Ǩ¬¶my dad was a rolling stone & my mom is a chef!
Do you like travel a lot?
SR: Yep yep!
What are some of your favorite cities?
MB: I would have to say Kingston and New York because of the non stop inspiration!
SR: Saturn, the ocean, the moon?¢‚Ǩ¬¶Ethiopia (but I have not been there yet) Tokyo & Rome!
Well, don’t forget to visit Jakarta next time. So, any last words for all the RockersNYC lovers in Indonesia?
SR: Expect the unexpected…we could be in Jakarta at any time!
….thanx for all of the support styles!
These are our FINAL CONCLUSIONS, we will: Destroy the cult of the past, the obsession with the ancients, pedantry and academic formalism. Totally invalidate all kinds of imitation. Elevate all attempts at originality, however daring, however violent. Bear bravely and proudly the smear of ‘madness’ with which they try to gag all innovators. Regard art critics as useless and dangerous. Rebel against the tyranny of words: ‘Harmony’ and ‘good taste’ and other loose expressions which can be used to destroy the works of Rembrandt, Goya, Rodin… Sweep the whole field of art clean of all themes and subjects which have been used in the past. Support and glory in our day-to-day world, a world which is going to be continually and splendidly transformed by victorious Science. The dead shall be buried in the earth’s deepest bowels! The threshold of the future will be swept free of mummies! Make room for youth, for violence, for daring!
