POSITIVE JAM, MAN

YOUTUBE SAFARI:::::::::::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,,,,,,,,,,,....................>

The screen door protects.

Like watching t-ball practice / just before dark.



GOD DAMN IT YONI.



Best little kid dancin' evah.



I special ordered this album in high school, way before The Roots song came out; that's the actual cover.



STAR WIPE, AND WE'RE OUT.

FOAM INJECTED AXL ROSE

We bring to your attention today a smattering of goodnesses, like the lovely-yet-kooky blog of totez Badass McGee book/graphic designer John Gall.  Insert your own "who is John Gall?" joke here.  Msr Blanco Hood brought this to my attention, and hot damn if it isn't the bees knees.

What else? 

STYLE GUIDE: DIRTBAGS ARE PEOPLE TOO

All of the sudden, it's fuckin' April, and Mr. Hood and I are looking forward to New York's sometimes pleasant/always crazy spring weather--not to mention the looming sweaty drunkfest that is summertime in NYC.  


So, it's time for some new duds, and so, without further ado, we present to you Yo Stevie's very own "Dirtbag's Guide to Style." 


You can expect additional updates--and special, muy bueno guest contributors--in the coming weeks, but today we're starting off with three simple items.  Spring means that it's gonna be wet n rainy, it's gonna be hot and then cold and then windy, and you're gonna wanna be outside n shit.  


With these factors in mind, here are a couple essentials we at YSH have got our peeperz on:


1) Anorak Attack Motherfucker!  Rain sucks, but you know what else sucks?  Umbrellas.  They break all of the time, plus they're nerdy and not super effective; also, if it stops raining, you have to carry that shit around.  That's why a versatile anorak or rain jacket of some sort is the best move--stay dry, look cool and a little like a Japanese street thug.  On a loosely related note, in the UK "anorak" is a slang term with meanings similar to Japan's otaku.  Or so says Wikipedia.  Actually, in writing this paragraph, I realized that B. Hood and I have been using the term "anorak" for weeks now, in an entirely inaccurate way.  I guess an anorak is more of a heavier jacket/lighter parka.  But you know what?  Fuck that, I like the word.     


If I were a baller, I'd probably cop this sweet Paul Smith rain jacket.


2) Born Slippy.  Listen, in summer, stuff gets all sweaty.  Including your feet.  So you wanna keep 'em cool, and not cramp their style with some socks.  Let those dawgs breath!  (I used to have an aversion--some would call it a neurosis--about wearing shoes without socks.  I got over it)  Plus, you can get some sweet street stompers that just slip right on and right off; like these Fred Perry's I saw at Shoe Market last week.  You never know when you might need to take off your shoes like really, really fast.     


3) Carry Your Shit Around.  Ignore any stupid "jokes" from douchebags in your office about "Murses" etc.  When they're sweating a cell-phone shape through the pocket of their distressed A&F denim, or, like, holding a bunch of crap in their hands, you'll be bounding around like a gazelle, hands free to scale fire escapes or smoke two cigarettes at once.  That's because you'll be rocking a light weight yet oh so necessary bag of some sort.  YSH recommends grabbin' one of these streamlined, mildly futuristic totes from Muji.  And if you want them to, they fold into their own little carrying pouch. 


Cool.    

~ ~ ~

To the Dirtbags:

HEY IDIOTS

Yep, you:

~ Dorky couple making out on the subway.

~The guy with the cell phone that's playing crap-jams super loud out of his cell phone.

~Fucker saving multiple seats at the movie theatre with just an article of clothing.

~Sales asshole calling my stupid office job and then trying to sell me something when I have neither the want nor the authority to purchase anything.

~Dumb-fuck textin' n' walkin' all slow ass down the sidewalk.

~Boring jerks.

~Slutty bartender girls at Applebee's.

OH LORD, WE DON'T TAKE THAT SHIT

Roller coaster couple of weeks, to be certain.  We have ascertained that certain things suck, while other things are awesome.

~Things That Suck, And Verily~

Working (see also, "Almost getting fired")

Doin' shit you don't wanna do

Almost dying (more on that later from Mr. Hood)

Being a long-haired hippie

40Loko

~The Things of Awesome~

The Nic Cage version of The Wicker Man

Looking like you got punched in the face (again, I bow in Mr. Hood's direction)

Books about Michael Jordan

Eastern European weirdos that cut hair at a barbershop that exclusively plays dub reggae

The "Boombox" video

40Loko

~~~

HE'S NOT YOUR FRIEND, HE'S OURS! IF SOMEBODY'S GOING TO KILL HIM, IT SHOULD BE US!

Spring break is upon me, and while I have a lot of piled up school work I need to get to, I’ve decided to make sure I get in at least two substantial posts to Yo Stevie. Here’s the first. It’s about that dirtbaggiest of films, Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1988 animated classic, Akira.

For those of you who don’t know Akira, it’s a cyberpunk anime about the end of the world (oh those Japanese and their obsession with the apocalypse). It involves teenage motorcycle gangs, government conspiracies, and beings who can end existence with their minds.

Hmmm, what to say about this movie…oh, I know, it’s totally fucking awesome. But that’s nothing new, Kanye did pretty much remake the film for the “Stronger” video after all, and regardless of your stance on the rapper (I’m totally for him) I think we can all agree that he knows what’s up. But I’m not really interested in telling you how good Akira is. Google the film and you’ll find a thousand fan boyish run-ons about it. But I’m going to write about it, because this is a film that latches onto your brain and can’t be easily shook. So here are some thoughts that have been bouncing around my head since the last time I saw the cyberpunk masterpiece:


i. Kaneda

Kaneda, Akira’s hero, isn’t much of one. But he’s not the typical anti-hero either. Yeah, he’s the bad ass leader of The Capsules, the motorcycle gang at the center of the film, but his behavior isn’t as affected as the typical anti-hero we’re used to in so many films, books, and comics. Kaneda could care less about being cool, or mysterious, or anything, he just wants to do what he wants. And that’s what makes him awesome. He ends up saving the world, but rarely does the protector of the planet, come off as such a repellant dick.

Just look at his relationship with Tetsuo, the gang member Kaneda has to stop from using his psychokinetic powers to destroy the world. Kaneda cares for him like a brother, but it’s key that he sees him as a little brother, even though they are the same age. There’s a love there, but really it’s just another opportunity for Kaneda to establish superiority. You almost get the feeling, that it’s more important to him to defeat Tetsuo, and maintain his position over him, than to save the planet. Things are similar with Kei, the only girl member of the rebel group. Kaneda saves her time and time again, but it’s clear he’s only coming to her rescue in the hopes that he’ll eventually get to see her without her clothes on. It’s not that he’s heartless, it’s just that with Kaneda, his interests come before others.

Out of context, this probably sounds shitty, but it isn’t. It works perfectly with the films attitude. You do shit because its cool and because you have to. If you end up being a hero along the way, then so be it.

ii. The Animation

I can’t think of another animated film, made traditionally or with computers, that looks better than Akira. That’s impressive, especially when you consider that the film is turns 22 this year. You see crazy stuff in animated films all the time, especially in anime, but few if any pack the visceral punch of Otomo’s film.

From the characters to the machines, there’s a sense of detail that just isn’t in present in other animated movies. Clothes ruffle in the wind, individual bricks fall from crumbling buildings, singular tendons are visible when limbs explode. To some, it might be a bit much, but it shows the care put into the film, the obsessive need to render everything, to give a cartoon a sense of reality, regardless of how absurd or fantastical the film is.

The movement throughout the film also looks incredibly realistic. Cars and motorcycles actually seem to interact with the pavement beneath them and the characters move like people really do. It’s almost as if they whole thing were rotoscoped. It’s still a cartoonish of course, but there’s enough of a hint of reality for it to look believable. Like when Kaneda leaps off the back of a bike to save Tetsuo from the Clowns. He jumps from the bike, and hit’s the ground sprinting, nearly spilling but somehow keeping his feet. I’ve never seen someone leap from the back of a motorcycle and not fall, but I doubt it looks the same, but its done in such a way that it looks real.

But really, there’s probably no better animated touch than the light trails that follow the motorcycles as they tear through Neo Tokyo. It’s a simple stylized effect, but it’s haunting, one of the images from the film guaranteed to stick in anyone’s head.

iii. The Fashion

I want to dress like one of the Capsules. No lie. Pretty much everyone in the gang has kick-ass style (well, not Tetsuo, but he’s a vessel of destruction, he’s got other things to worry about). An ’80s touch is readily apparent in all the outfits (the film is a product of its time), but there’s also a classic bent to them as well. Think cyber punk meets the yacht club.

The clothes are casual and sharp at the same time. The most classic styles have an air of nonchalance to them, and that’s true of the best outfits in Akira. I wish gang members dressed like this in America, with sharp lapelled blazers, floppy polos, and well fitted jeans and slacks. Oh and the shoes! I’ve never been a fan of the slip on, but when they look like this, how can you not like them.


iv. Gangs

Not much to say about this one other than we started one because of the film. Otomo just makes them look so cool. You could say Akira is our bible. DB4L

***

Akira, not just a great anime, but a great film. If you haven’t seen it, Netflix or better yet, buy it. Immediately.