Melvins 4xLP Exclusive Giveaway

by Josh Teixeira

The Melvins have been around forever. I mean, Kurt Cobain tried out to be their bassist and supposedly got so nervous he forgot all the songs. Heavily influenced (no pun intended) by Black Flag and Black Sabbath, the Melvins’ experimentally-tinged amalgam of early hardcore and stoner sludge has in turn inspired some of the most successful and revered bands on the heavier end of the spectrum—Nirvana, Tool, Boris, to name just a few.

After 20 years building an unequalled discography and a fanatical cult following, the Melvins teamed up with members of Northwest drone upstarts Big Business for 2006’s release (A) Senile Animal. A terse, rugged, muscular effort, (A) Senile Animal moves from Paranoid-esque riff-heavy jams to crushing fuzzed-out stoner dirges. Some critics dismiss bands of this ilk, but (A) Senile Animal is everything I could want in a record—completely intense but incredibly sophisticated.

So why are we so stoked on a two-year old record? Because our pals at hardcore / metal / noise stalwarts Hydra Head sent us over an incredible Melvins box set consisting of a 4XLP version of (A) Senile Animal, a custom Melvins comic book entitled "Your Disease Spread Quick" by Tom Neely and a badass belt buckle. The LP packaging looks amazing and the vinyl is colored and etched on one side.

Even though the Melvins 4xLP is not available from retailers until 21 October, we are giving our set away to one lucky CH reader for free. Just follow the contact link at the bottom of the page, select "Melvins Giveaway" from the drop-down menu and tell us what your favorite Melvin song is and why by Wednesday, 15 October 2008, 11:59 pm EST. We’ll pick our favorite response and get it out to you pronto.

Porter x Buzz Rickson x William Gibson

by Doug Black

Porter, the famed Japanese bag makers, are back with a new collection of vintage military-styled bags. Its design comes from Buzz Rickson, the company responsible for Sugar Cane Denim, as well as iconic flight jackets and Army attire dating back to the WWII era. The bags are drawn from the William Gibson line, which is inspired by the science fiction writer of the same name.

The collection features a shoulder bag (pictured at right) and laptop variety. The material is the same nylon used in the military's bulletproof vests, which is five times as strong as the normal nylon found in everyday wear. The accents use genuine horse leather similar to that on Buzz Rickson's A-2 jackets. Both bags come complete with a miniature Porter MAG light on the zipper, plenty of inner and outer pockets and removable shoulder straps.

The shoulder bag costs $340 while the laptop bag goes for $530. The bags are exclusively available in limited numbers from Self Edge in San Francisco. The store is also planning on hosting a William Gibson party on 9 November with the man himself. More images after the jump.

Tonke Campers

by Tim Yu

Campers are usually unsightly hunks of metal spewing smoke all over the highways. We'd much prefer traveling in the dutch countryside in a Tonke Camper.

Tonke of Holland manufactures eco-friendly campers that offer a timeless look and lifestyle. Completely handcrafted, for its old-world styling there are plenty of modern facilities that combine comfort with classic looks. Luxurious features include polished mahogany fittings, teak wood floors, porcelain sinks and fully chrome faucets. Both the toilet and shower conserve more water than your average variety, there is a water boiler for hot water, large fridge and gas burning stove. Even better, after you're done with your trip you can detach the camper unit off the van chassis to serve as a stand alone guest room or office.

Inspired by old yachts and gypsy caravans, Tonke offers two different models—the Explorer (fitted for the Renault Master van) and the longer Fieldsleeper (fitted for a Mercedes Sprinter). Both provide living space, a kitchen, bathroom and can comfortably sleep two—three is a squeeze but doable.

Expectedly, they're not cheap starting at €70,000. If you don't want to make that sort of investment you can always rent one starting at €500 per week. There is currently some availability for 2009. Visit Tonke for more info and contact them directly for sale or rental inquiries.

More images after the jump.

via selectism

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Animated

by Tim Yu

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, CH friend and colleague Seth Brau recently completed the rather daunting task of bringing the words to life with motion graphics. The result is on one hand elegant — using a two-tone palette, linear — and on the other an experimental take on scale, the use of typography and symbolism.

Given complete creative freedom and a little over a month's time, Seth used a mix of After Effects and Illustrator to seamlessly connect the 30 articles of the document into a captivating piece. In this case, no plan was the best plan. Seth comments, "There were times when I had no idea what I was going to do for the next section of the document. I would churn out something that I would hate but in that process I would come up with the idea, layout or imagery for something I ended up developing and liking."

To recreate the feeling of an older document Seth chose a simple color palette of black against a textured tan and kept it modern with Helvetica. "Originally, I hoped using to a two-color scheme would simplify the process but it actually ended up making things harder because creating single color imagery, especially when it's the the same color of the text, was very challenging." He proved up to the challenge, creating a dynamic flow between the text and the morphing illustrations that impels the viewer to follow along. Using the text itself as a graphic element that shifts and plays across the screen, both pays homage to the original document and cleverly blurs the line between words and images. The melodic music, "Minds Awake," by Rumspringa off Cantora Records is also nice touch.

Originally written by Eleanor Roosevelt 60 years ago, it's astonishing that less than five percent of the world even knows that the document exists. The message rings particularly true now and we're proud to be associated with Seth, whose work enhances the Declaration of Human Rights with his motions graphics to spread the word to both the younger and older generations.

Graffiti Japan

by CH Contributor

by Ariston Anderson

After the recent publication of a few books focusing on graffiti in Asia, photographer Remo Camerota is bringing his two cents to the table with his new book "Graffiti Japan."

For anyone that has visited Tokyo, it's no secret that Japanese graffiti artists, while of course influenced by the New York scene, have created a beast all of their own with the popular influences of calligraphy, kanji, and anime and magna characters. You may have come across KAMI and SUSU, who have traveled the world in group and solo shows, but there's a whole other scene out on the streets. Yet for anyone who hasn't been there, it's hard to get a hold of these images.

Camerota spent years documenting rackgaki, or the Japanese graffiti scene, to bring this local tradition to the mainstream. Supplemented with interviews from BELX2, EMAR, FATE, KRESS, SUIKO and TENGA, the book provides a new definition on street painting in Japan. But it's worth viewing just for the intricacies and depth of the Japanese murals alone. In many ways they're picking up on the crew scene where American artists have left off.

The book is available for purchase from Amazon or Powell's.