Available 2/1 – 2/7: Cloud Nothings “Stay Useless”
Bratty and disaffected, this new single from Cloud Nothings takes the spirit of late ‘70s punk and power pop and eloquently translates it for 2012. It’s an alternately timeless and modern anthem for lost souls of all ages, brashly spat out by 20-year-old bandleader/wunderkind Dylan Baldi. Intriguingly, we hear that the Cleveland band’s upcoming record, Attack On Memory, was recorded by one of the most legendary producers ever, Steve Albini – one more reason we’re super-excited that it’s finally out!
This month Roxy hosted their Summer 12 Press Preview at Ditch Plains in NYC. Market Editors from over 60 publications got the chance to DIY their own bikinis, chat with Roxy Pro Monyca Byrne Wickey and enjoy refreshing Roxy-fied food and beverages. Here is a sneak peak at the event and upcoming Summer 12 line.
Board bags are zipped up, skis packed away, and red tail lights line the road leading out of Aspen as another Winter X Games comes to a close and the world’s best freeskiers and snowboarders disperse to their next mountain adventures. And while they may all go their separate ways this week, whether to the next contest, photoshoot, or distant backcountry terrain, they all leave with a renewed sense of love for the snow community they are so lucky to be a part of. This is one of many valuable reminders that the passing of freesking legend Sarah Burke has inspired.
X Games practice began mere days after the snow community was faced with the loss of one of its brightest stars. This devastating news left a gaping hole in the hearts of all in attendance. But as the practice days turned into competition days, signs of Sarah began to pop up. At first it was the purple ribbons with “Sarah” hand written on them. Then red “Sarah” stickers and blue “Celebrate Sarah” stickers appeared on helmets, boards, skis and goggle lenses. Next came the white armbands embroidered with her name and a snowflake (a nod to one of her many nicknames). By the evening of the beautiful tribute that ESPN organized in honor of Sarah, reminders of Sarah were everywhere, and it was clear that she was with us and would never be forgotten.
The athletes did not let their grief hold them back, but filled with love for Sarah, they rode strong and surely made her proud. By the weekend finals, white Sarah armbands emblazoned almost every shoulder– from Sarah’s fellow skiers to boardercross racers, and even Shaun White himself– it seems that everyone found strength in Sarah.
In fitting tribute, her close friends and fellow Canadian Olympic freeski teammates won gold in both women’s freeski events with performances that are sure to help further Sarah’s efforts towards getting recognition for women in freeskiing (see Kaya Turski’s mind blowing slopestyle run and Roz Groenewoud’s 14 foot superpipe airs). Fellow Roxy teammate Kjersti Buaas wore a Sarah sticker and armband as she rode her way to a bronze medal in women’s snowboard slopestyle. And snowboarders Kelly Clark, Marc McMorris, Jamie Anderson, and Shaun White all wore the arm band to gold medal victory.
By the end of X Games 16, the armbands, stickers, and ribbons came to symbolize more than just the memory of Sarah, they are a symbol of the bond tying the snow community together. In wearing them we recognize that we are a family until the end. Sarah symbolizes all that draws us to the mountains and to each other: a shared love of snow and the endless possibilities it presents, the exhilaration of learning something new and pushing ourselves, and the ultimate joy of playing in the mountains with those you love.
The story goes that Evan Abeele and Denise Nouvion of Memoryhouse never intended to collaborate in a proper band setting. Rather, composer Abeele and photographer/filmmaker Nouvion originally envisioned a collaborative art project pairing Abeele’s compositions with Nouvion’s photographs and short films. We all know what often happens to the best-laid plans, however, and it wasn’t long before the Toronto duo was gigging across the US and Europe. The momentum they sustained turned into a recording contract with Sub Pop, and following 2011’s The Years EP – one of our favorite releases of last year – the legendary Seattle label is now prepping to release Memoryhouse’s full-length debut, The Slideshow Effect, in February.
Available 1/25 – 2/1: Plastic Flowers “Strange Neighbors”
From New York by way of Tallahassee, Florida comes Plastic Flowers, the wonderfully early ’80s-inspired synth pop project of Sean Earl Beard. Taking sonic cues from the genre’s forebearers (Yaz, early Depeche Mode), as well as other luminaries of the age such as Joy Division and The Cure, the haunting music of Plastic Flowers packs a subtle emotional punch…if you listen closely enough. It sounds to us like the perfect accompaniment to a pensive drive on a quiet winter night.
It’s a new week here at Roxy, and a new day. We’re getting a later start than normal (these posts usually go up first thing in the morning), so we’re going to need something extra special to get us going today. Mining similar sonic territory to Robyn and La Roux, Little Boots (a.k.a. Victoria Hesketh) first broke through in 2009 with a pair of infectious powerhouse singles, “New In Town” and “Remedy,” from her full-length debut, Hands. In the time since, the beautiful blonde Brit has delivered other dancefloor staples, including “Stuck On Repeat” and “Meddle.” Rumor has it she’s cooking up some new grooves for release this coming spring…so, naturally, we can’t wait to hear what’s next! For now, visit her Soundcloud page for several remixes of her current killer single, “Shake.”
Today, January 19, 2012, our community lost an icon. Sarah Burke, freeskiing pioneer, six-time X Games gold medalist and beloved wife, daughter, sister, aunt and friend passed away. Sarah was truly a legendary athlete, role model and an inspiration. She was everything so many of us aspire to be. Sarah brought worldwide recognition and validation to the sport she so loved. Every ski athlete chosen to represent his or her country at the 2014 Sochi Olympics will feel her influence. Without her, the sport of freeskiing would not be included. Sarah is a pioneer of her generation. Her life and legacy embody the defining spirit of action sports; a movement of individuals driven to innovate, master and explore the frontier of physical possibility. Sarah’s love of skiing took her life to amazing places. Her accomplishments on skis continue to inspire girls everywhere to believe in themselves and follow their hearts. Her passing is not a cause to pack up our skis, but rather a reason to step-in and ski for Sarah and the dreams that inspired her star to shine.Sarah did so much for females and winter sports during her time with us.
Sarah leaves behind her beloved husband Rory, loving parents Jan and Gordon and her supportive sister Anna.
If you would like to pay tribute to Sarah and honor her memory, donations may be made in her name at www.giveforward.com/sarahburke.We encourage you to share this link with others who have been touched by Sarah.
***PLEASE be patient with the www.giveforward.com/sarahburke site. Due to high traffic the page may be slow to load***
Available 1/18 – 1/25: Pond “Fantastic Explosion of Time”
Cut from the same cloth as Australian psych-rockers Tame Impala – one of our favorite bands of the last decade – comes Oz trio Pond. The band taps the same wicked psychedelic vein as their aforementioned labelmates and has been gathering fans around their native Australia for a few years; they’re finally getting ready to cross over Stateside with an upcoming album, Beard Wives Denim, that’s set to drop in March. Recorded in a farmhouse in Western Australia along with the rest of the record, advance single “Fantastic Explosion Of Time” is just the soundtrack for your spring snowboarding excursions!
We’re feeling completely refreshed after watching episode 2 of the Roxy Refreshments. In this episode you’ll see Team Riders Torah Bright, Erin Comstock, Kjersti Buaas, and Aimee Fuller on an epic team trip to Revelstoke and Retallack Lodge, British Columbia – we’re still at home wishing we could partake in this snowy adventure. Watch as these girls take a heli-ride, make their own jumps, get warm by the fire and have a few goofy moments along the way. Did we mention the music alone makes us want to get up and ride. Add this to your next pow playlist: Hesta Prynn Le Cox Aux Folles.
