Still Proud Clothing
Still Proud Clothing is an upcoming brand which should appeal to both hardcore and hip hop kids. So far, the designs are amazing! The guys who run it have been around for some time so you know that when buying their stuff you're supporting the scene not some new jacks trying to cash in on hardcore.
So first of all, what inspired you to start your brand?
I was motivated to start Still Proud Clothing after some years of involvement in the hardcore scene. I’ve been in bands, booked shows and also ran a music section for my college newspaper when I was in school. Clothing seemed like the next logical move as I like the fact that it has the power to convey such a powerful message and I also felt that I could bring something different to the table with SP.
How do you think your designs stand out amongst the plethora of other hardcore brands? While there are many clothing companies out right now, I don’t think that many of them have as wide approach as Still Proud. Most are geared towards certain niches ( straightedge, posi, etc.) whereas with SP, I’m aiming for the hardcore and hip-hop scene as a whole. Our designs are merely observations of the different walks of life within our scene.
Who creates the designs for the shirts?
I (Gavin) come up with the concepts and have a graphic designer with Mammoth Graphics translate them into the designs you see on the shirts.
Is there a theme to Still Proud Clothing, such as SxE or hardcore, or you’re open to various ideas?
Still Proud will always be a brand rooted in the Hardcore and Independent Hip-Hop community but that does not mean it’s exclusively for those individuals. I decided to go with the name Still Proud because pride is very much a strong attribute in these genres and regardless of your cause (god-free, posi, christian, straightedge etc.), it is something that everyone can relate to. I put out clothing for individuals who are strong willed and passionate about their beliefs no matter where those fall. With the first release, I was looking to make a bold statement and based upon the responses so far, I think I’ve made a mark. There will always be people who disagree and I’m not expecting everyone to catch on but those that support us get what we are aiming for and for that I’m very grateful.
Can you give us the meaning behind Keep Metal Out tee?
First off, I will say that it’s all a matter of personal preference that we can argue all day long and thus you will either love it or hate it. When I first got into hardcore, metal was starting to really saturate the music and take it away from its punk foundation and I know that there are many people tired of this, which is why we put this design out. Obviously, metal has made its mark and is not going anywhere, but for those that want to make a statement for the latter, have now got an outlet to do so. That’s not to say there are no bands out there past or present that merge the two well, but overall I’m sure we can find some common understanding that hardcore has changed which metal (among other things) appears to have more than a hand in.
What is your personal favorite tshirt design (done by you) and why? My personal favorite design would be the FCK Fighting shirt. Fighting at shows is always a problem and having been a promoter and lost many venues to it, I wanted to create something to convey my feelings on the matter. It also has a broader appeal and can be wore in just about any setting which is why I wanted to release it and based upon that observation, has shown to be one of our best sellers.
What are some of the bands you are working with and what was the reason to choose them?
We currently have three sponsored artists: Outerspace (PA), Knock Em Dead (FL) and Thick As Blood (FL). I decided to sponsor these three because besides being fans of their music, I know that they are hardworking individuals that mesh well with what we are trying to do. I’ve personally known Knock Em Dead and Thick As Blood over the years and have watched them grow to the level that they are currently at and Outerspace drew me in because of their awesome sound and appeal. The artists I sponsor don’t need to be exclusively hardcore but as long as they embody that sentiment , have a hard work ethic and are pushing the envelope , I’m likely to work with them.
What has been the hardest part of this business? The best? The hardest part about running a clothing company is the amount of time it takes to market the designs. I literally spend hours online through the various social media applications (Myspace, Facebook, Twitter) spreading the word about SP, but being unemployed at the moment has allowed me to get it off the ground. The best part is certainly running your own business and interacting with like minded individuals on a day to day basis. This music has been an integral part of my life for some years and being able to give something back and see people’s positive reactions, in itself is rewarding. So far, the companies started off on the right foot with various orders coming in from around the world (including a recent purchase of 18 shirts to Japan) and of course support from the U.S has been solid and is gaining ground regardless of the grim economy we’re all facing.
Are you sticking with shirts only or will you expand?
I have a lot of plans to expand the line to other articles of clothing such as hats, sweatshirts, b-ball shorts in addition to better quality fabrics but first and foremost I need the help of our community to get there.
What else can we expect from Still Proud Clothing in the future?
You can expect to see SP everywhere as we are just getting started. I’m planning to work with bands across the globe and even have some design ideas in the works with certain organizations that I think many in this scene will appreciate. In the meantime, please visit our store and pick up some t’s: http://stillproudclothing.bigcartel.com/. Every order comes with a custom SP hangtag sticker and I’ve also partnered up with some awesome record labels (Thinkfast, Rhyme Sayers, Significant, Caboose (Japan) and Deathwish) which have given me some rad extras for my orders. Also note that we ship WORLDWIDE!
You can also stay up to date with us on the following sites:
http://www.stillproudclothing.com/
http://www.myspace.com/stillproudclothing
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Still-Proud-Clothing/118810700672
http://twitter.com/StillProud
New King Of Clubz merch
To Celebrate the signing of the Mighty KING OF CLUBZ, Goodlife just released a new, killer full color design available in black or white and as T-shirts in all sizes and Hoodies ! The Design was made by bandmember and bassplayer John Kautz and the print of it is HUGE. Check out their site for more info!
Unchained
Band ‘s name: Unchained
Location: San Francisco
Active since: 07
How do you define your overall style?
Hardcore punk
What’s your goal with this band? Record some CDs, play awesome shows, tour a little, make as many friends as possible
What do you have recorded so far?
3 Demos, only 2 were released
How did you all meet and how long have you all been a band?
Almost 3 years, we all met through mutual friends and the internet
Coming from San Francisco, did the local music scene have an influence on you?
I listened to alot of Allegiance and Lights Out and people say we sound like those bands, so i guess so haha
Do you think that because of the strong hippie movement, San Francisco hardcore scene is in any way different from the rest of Cali and USA hardcore scene?
The hippie movement died 30 years ago now its just a bunch of assholes
What are other bands from your area kids should give a listen?
DONT TRIP, Caulfield, internal conflict, grace alley, skin like iron, punch, ordstro, flat out, swank
What is the message you're trying to send with your music? Pay attention to the world around you or it will bleed you dry
You guys got a lot of old school sound in your music, so I wonder how do you feel about the hardcore nowadays? I’m talking about metalcore, deathcore etc. That shit sucks, all those genres just cause division and breeds elitist attitudes
What can we expect in the future from the Unchained? Is there an album coming soon?
Yes, keep an eye out!
Unchained at myspace.
Built on Respect has been a mantra for alt-culture personality heidiminx for years. It graced the hang tags of her fashion line, Franky & Minx, and continues to be her driving mission, "Treating people with respect, and sewing the seeds of fairness creates solidarity"
It was with this attitude that Minx did volunteer work in Haiti, and more recently, twice this past year in Dharamsala, India.
On her first visit, Minx volunteered in two communities; she helped oversee the development of an online store that taught computer and English skills to her rural students, which ultimately saved the school from closing. In addition, she worked in the Tibetan community, teaching English to refugees at the Hope Center, a fledgling community organization.
Upon her return to the US, Minx began to explore charitable initiatives. The human rights violations she heard from her students spurned a desire to return, and to leverage and share her business contacts, her award-winning marketing skills, her DIY approach, and the support of her influential musician friends to gain awareness. Built on Respect has a fiscal sponsor for its 501 (c3) status.
On her second trip, Minx worked solely within the Tibetan community for three months. She continued to support the Hope Center, working with board members on marketing and sustainability. She also worked with Jamtse in Action, a fledgling group that supports the elders at the Jampaling elders home and The Institute for Tibetan Thangka Art; a free school that keeps traditional Tibetan art alive. In addition, she worked with two local artists to help develop their non-profits, met frequently with NGOs to discuss marketing and development, and also sponsored English classes for the monks of Ganden Monastery, all while teaching English and participating in conversation classes.
In addition, Minx worked to educate youth worldwide. She secured interviews with HH the 17th Karmapa, the head of Students for A Free Tibet, the president of the Tibetan National Women’s Association, the director of the Federation for a Democratic China, and also took footage of the political and social events occurring in the village at that time. Her continuing theme in these interviews was youth in action.
It is Minx's goal to embrace the DIY mentality, and to personally work to raise funds, and also to directly oversee their disbursement while documenting it, working side by side with different community organizations.
It was with this attitude that Minx did volunteer work in Haiti, and more recently, twice this past year in Dharamsala, India.
On her first visit, Minx volunteered in two communities; she helped oversee the development of an online store that taught computer and English skills to her rural students, which ultimately saved the school from closing. In addition, she worked in the Tibetan community, teaching English to refugees at the Hope Center, a fledgling community organization.
Upon her return to the US, Minx began to explore charitable initiatives. The human rights violations she heard from her students spurned a desire to return, and to leverage and share her business contacts, her award-winning marketing skills, her DIY approach, and the support of her influential musician friends to gain awareness. Built on Respect has a fiscal sponsor for its 501 (c3) status.
On her second trip, Minx worked solely within the Tibetan community for three months. She continued to support the Hope Center, working with board members on marketing and sustainability. She also worked with Jamtse in Action, a fledgling group that supports the elders at the Jampaling elders home and The Institute for Tibetan Thangka Art; a free school that keeps traditional Tibetan art alive. In addition, she worked with two local artists to help develop their non-profits, met frequently with NGOs to discuss marketing and development, and also sponsored English classes for the monks of Ganden Monastery, all while teaching English and participating in conversation classes.
In addition, Minx worked to educate youth worldwide. She secured interviews with HH the 17th Karmapa, the head of Students for A Free Tibet, the president of the Tibetan National Women’s Association, the director of the Federation for a Democratic China, and also took footage of the political and social events occurring in the village at that time. Her continuing theme in these interviews was youth in action.
It is Minx's goal to embrace the DIY mentality, and to personally work to raise funds, and also to directly oversee their disbursement while documenting it, working side by side with different community organizations.
Learn more at:
http://www.builtonrespect.com/
http://www.myspace.com/BuiltOnRespect
The king of Italian horror is back!
Here's the official trailer of Dario Argento's upcoming "Giallo" starring Adrien Brody. The Mother Of Tears wasn't so great but I'm still looking forward to this one. It won't top Suspiria, that's given.
Grave Mistake Records news
Official news:
It's been a long time coming, but all five new releases are now available in the webstore (and sooner or later in your favorite distro). Here is what's available now:
GRAVE032 - WASTED TIME "FUTILITY" 12" - RED VINYL
GRAVE033 - LOGIC PROBLEM "NO CENTER" 7" - RED VINYL
GRAVE034 - THE LADIES - S/T 7"
GRAVE035 - GOVERNMENT WARNING - PARANOID MESS 12" - CLEAR VINYL
GRAVE036 - GOVERNMENT WARNING - EXECUTED 7" - RED/WHITE MIX VINYL
There are some left over NO WAY FEST / RECORD RELEASE versions of the GOVERNMENT WARNING and WASTED TIME records, but when they are gone, they're gone. There are also some leftover limited sleeves for THE LADIES 7" from the "ROMANTIC GETAWAY" Fest in Cleveland a few months back. And of course, colored vinyl is available for these new releases (except for all but THE LADIES 7")
I also added over 100 7"s, 12"s, and zines to the webstore ... a lot of new stuff, some brand new releases and some that have been out for several months but this can be a good chance for you to pick up anything you've missed.
http://www.gravemistakerecords.com/site/
It's been a long time coming, but all five new releases are now available in the webstore (and sooner or later in your favorite distro). Here is what's available now:
GRAVE032 - WASTED TIME "FUTILITY" 12" - RED VINYL
GRAVE033 - LOGIC PROBLEM "NO CENTER" 7" - RED VINYL
GRAVE034 - THE LADIES - S/T 7"
GRAVE035 - GOVERNMENT WARNING - PARANOID MESS 12" - CLEAR VINYL
GRAVE036 - GOVERNMENT WARNING - EXECUTED 7" - RED/WHITE MIX VINYL
There are some left over NO WAY FEST / RECORD RELEASE versions of the GOVERNMENT WARNING and WASTED TIME records, but when they are gone, they're gone. There are also some leftover limited sleeves for THE LADIES 7" from the "ROMANTIC GETAWAY" Fest in Cleveland a few months back. And of course, colored vinyl is available for these new releases (except for all but THE LADIES 7")
I also added over 100 7"s, 12"s, and zines to the webstore ... a lot of new stuff, some brand new releases and some that have been out for several months but this can be a good chance for you to pick up anything you've missed.
http://www.gravemistakerecords.com/site/
