Greetings!

As most of you know, crud recently wrapped up a very special night entitled ‘The Blackout‘. It was an incredible exhibit ranging from vintage streetwear to visual arts by world-renown artists to live music that kept the energy up all night. It was specifically organized by crud in order to do two things:

1. Stick a middle finger to ‘The Recession’ and evolve from the doom and gloom mentality as a unified community.

2. Raise funds for our host West Side Arts’ Laundry Love Project, an initiative to provide laundry services for the homeless.

In order to accomplish goal #2, we assembled and sold Emergency Kits and we donated proceeds to West Side Arts. We still have a few Emergency Kits in our stock available for purchase online (see below) and we encourage everyone to support their causes.

The box makes a perfect gift for yourself, friends, colleagues and family members and you will feel really good inside knowing that your purchase also acts as a generous donation.

Our stock is very limited so act quickly before they are all sold out!

The Blackout Emergency Kit Staple Design tee (blind box) 2 mixtapes crud lighter Cubeecraft – crud Edition Rhodia No. 12 notepad Sizes Women’s Small (W1) Women’s Medium (W2) Men’s Small (S) Men’s Medium (M) Men’s Large (L) Men’s X-Large (XL) Men’s XX-Large (XXL)

Your package should arrive within 5-7 business days in the U.S., but delivery time could alter depending on the shipping location. The Staple Design tees will vary in each box – not knowing which design you will receive is half the fun!

Don Pedro: I was listening to your track “What the Game’s Been Missing.”  It seemed like an anti-mainstream rap track.  What niche do you plan on filling in the market?

Access Immortal: If you look at artists like Slaughterhouse, I feel like they were really respected for their lyrical ability.  Back then, they were making really good songs, and now they’re getting all these offers for millions, but they didn’t really compromise anything about their substance.  I feel like we’re in the same area that Slaughterhouse has come into.  We could fall into that category.

DJ Ruckspin: Firstly, I feel like we’re gonna end up being that group where even if you’re not a fan of hip-hop, we’re going to be one of those few exceptions where people will be like, ‘I don’t really listen to hip-hop, but I love Project Gotham.’  Kind of like in the realm of rock, people are like, ‘I don’t really listen to rock, but I like Coldplay.

DP: Do you feel as if you’re trying to define your own genre at this point, or are you simply trying to branch off in a different direction from the mainstream?

DJR: We’re just gonna do whatever we want as far as music.  If we feel like making a certain type of record one day, we’ll make it.  We don’t want to limit ourselves.

DP: Some of your tracks seem funk-inspired.  What kind of music did you guys grow up on?

AI: With me, I was listening to a lot of hip-hop.  I wasn’t really old enough to buy my own stuff, so I was borrowing as much as I could.  There were a lot of R&B records that sounded like today’s house music and were a lot different from R&B in the 90’s.  They had a lot of fast beats.  Every once in a while, I would get turned on to rock music.  I wouldn’t necessarily know the name of the band, but I just liked what I heard.  It was so different from the environment I was growing up in.

DP: Do you guys have any dream collaborations?

DJR: I would like to work with the White Stripes or the Black Keys.  I love how their sound is so raw and stripped-down.  Music that’s polished and cold, as far as the way it sounds, is a turn-off for me.  I like music that has a warp and a raw-ness to it.  It’s why I gravitate towards producers like your DJ Premier or J. Dilla.  The whole sound they provide with their music, it kinda jumps out at you.

DP: One of the lines in your song is “The future of the artform is evolvin’ / As long as it’s dope, it’s something I’m involved in…”  What’s the dopest product of evolution that hip-hop has brought to society?

AI: The best thing that hip-hop brings right now is that it has so many sub-categories. It allows you to be that ‘commercial’ artist or that ‘hipster’ artist or the ‘political’ artist.  There’s so many fields there that you can pretty much exist wherever you want because of different fan bases.  Also, I think we’re past the point where everybody was braggin’ about how much money they had before the recession, and people aren’t necessarily ballin’ like that anymore.  You got a lot of people comin’ out like you know what, it’s okay for them to wear their tight jeans or to go around with their skateboards.  Now, there’s a ton of people like that in the world so now they can do hip-hop and still be accepted with a large fan base.  They can do what they wanna do and be who they wanna be, and nobody is looking at ‘em really strange.

DP: So, Access, you’re from Bed-Stuy.  What other parts of NYC have inspired you?

AI: Definitely Queens.  They have this unity that a lot of people don’t have.  Artists from Brooklyn have a loyalty to Brooklyn, but they definitely don’t have loyalty toward each other.  But in a place like Queensbridge, you can really find in early days that artists like Nas, Mobb Deep, Capone and Noreaga, Tragedy – they were all over each other’s projects.  I mean, they were just doing ciphers together and were at each other’s shows and everything.  I feel like that area right there, that small little housing section, they just had all this unity.  They were collaborating on songs together, and that really inspired me. I feel like they helped each other get to the point where they’re at.

DP: You guys have played at live venues before.

DJR: Once, but not together.

AI: Not since we really put together, but we did a show before in Providence (Rhode Island)

DP:  Access, you’re in Bed-Stuy, and Ruckspin, you’re in Providence.  Do you find that the distance creates barriers for you in terms of creativity or does it actually facilitate more creativity?  Is there an advantage to it, or does it bring about a disadvantage?

AI:  For me, it helps with the creativeness, because I feel that with the distance, he might get an idea from where he’s at, and I might get one from where I’m at since we got these totally different environments going on. He’ll be like, ‘Yo, I got a hot idea for a song or a beat’ and it’s the same thing for me. The way we record, he’ll send me the beat and then I’ll write the track, record it and send it back, and then we’ll have a phone conversation about it and try to come up with how the beat should sound.  I feel like being in two different places and having two different lives going on actually helps because we don’t actually see the same things.  

DJR:  Yo, it’s funny that you mention that, cuz looking at the situation from an outsider’s perspective it’s like, ‘Yo, how do they even get anything done.’  As far as this creativity goes, I feel like me and Acc, we are the same but different.  We think along the same lines on a lot of things, and there are some things that we think about differently.  But we trust each other enough so that when I have a weird idea for a beat, he’ll go with it and see what happens, and if he has a weird idea for a song concept, I’ll go with it and see what happens. It’s worked pretty damn well so far. I mean, we haven’t done a record that we personally don’t like or wanna throw away.  This isn’t bragging.  It just comes from trust and chemisty.  And the other thing is obviously, being from two different places we have different sources of inspiration, and I think it helps everything.  It doesn’t really hinder our creativity. 

DP: What’s in the works right now for Project Gotham?

DJR: Well, obviously, the album “Birth of a Dream”.

AI: We don’t know the release date yet, but as time goes on, we just build up a bigger and bigger buzz. We’re not trying to rush it out or anything.  But, yeah, Project Gotham, ‘Birth of a Dream’.

DJR: We’ll, we’re performing at the ‘The Blackout’ show on November 7^th, too.  We’re actually going to be playing  our latest EP, and we’re going to give that out.  We’re going to also be making a mixtape of rock tracks that Acc and I both personally like and love.  Back in the day, you heard so many cover albums, and even now you hear certain rock bands doing cover albums, but you never hear a hip-hop group doing covers of rock stuff, so we thought that was a fun concept to play with.  We’ve already done a couple tracks in that style and we’ve gotten good responses about it.

DP: Thanks, guys.  Best of luck to you.  We’ll see you at ‘The Blackout’ on November 7th.

There are not too many painters left that you can say are truly original, but I had the chance to catch up with one. Richard Whitten’s paintings are honestly some of the most beautiful pieces of art I’ve ever come across. The images I’ve captured of this recent studio visit really don’t do justice as to how beautifully crafted and painted these pieces are.

Richard’s paintings are inspired by history and classical architecture. His brush is so precise that you can almost mistake these paintings for computer generated Art. It’s even hard to tell from up close which is why there are no details of the work in this article. Visually, his paintings are stunning, but I almost feel like a kid stuck in a 1950’s candy store. Everywhere I turned these vibrant colors and patterns reminded me of candy canes which for me was an enjoyable experience. At least for me, the paintings helped me reconnect with childhood memories. Richard’s paintings are so architecturally precise that I also couldn’t help but feel that I was in a place of worship which really throws you off at first.

Richard paints on wood, so you can imagine the amount of work that goes into carving and smoothing these massive wooden canvases. Sometimes two or three pieces have to be cut, glued, and supported together just to gain the size he’s looking for. His work ranges in size anywhere from a book to a large doorway, or even a wall.

Equally as impressive are the drawings and prints he has lying around which are the blueprints of all his paintings. Details are everything and there is no shortage of these in his paintings. Light sources are almost perfect to give it a three dimensional feeling as well as shading. He often adds intricate patterns to the background of his images that reward the viewers for stepping in closer.

Richard’s love for painting is eclipsed by his love for his cat; a cat that sits on top of all his drawings as if they were a resting place.

With everything set aside, we managed some quick games of pool. I lost both the games I played. Not much of a pool player, but here’s a nice shot below of the upstairs portion of his barn/studio. Overall, it was an impressive showing by Richard. As always, I like to update you guys on all my artists, so updates will be posted as they come. If this didn’t quench your thirst for paint, check out Richard’s website at www.richardcwhitten.com to see all the goodies he’s created over the years.

I can’t believe I just wasted this space along with your time.

As I sat down with my girlfriend and my textbooks on the soft, brown leather chairs at the local tea café, I had a notion in my head that my productivity would skyrocket into the clouds.  However, the only thing that penetrated my brain that afternoon was a deafening sequence of quips from a gaggle of high school girls discussing something that should be deleted off the face of the Earth.  Or at least, my nearby vicinity.

First of all, let me start with some background information.  Since school is about to start soon, education has been knocking on my mind’s door, so I decided to answer it that day by going to the tea spot to find a place to read quietly.  However, after my girlfriend received her iced tea and I got my black milk tea from the girl working behind the counter, we sat down to be greeted by the seemingly innocent giggling from the table behind me.

“Like, Oh my god!  Have you ever taken that facebook quiz?” squeaked the first girl.

“What quiz?” asked another.

“The one where it’s like… ‘Which evil dictator are you?” she replied.

“OH MY GOD!!” exclaimed the gaggle as they erupted into laughter.

“Yeaahhhhh!  Like, it tells you if you’re Hitler or like, Stalin, or one of those guys!” she added.

The conversation that followed was in the same fashion of shrieking laughter about the same topic:  Facebook quizzes.  Had they switched to a topic more fit for apparent “intelligent” conversation, I wouldn’t have written this article at all.  However, I say thank you to Facebook for giving me the wood to fuel this fire; although, it’s not Facebook that got my panties in a bunch, but rather, the despicable morons behind the creation of such why-the-fuck-can-I-not-forget-about-these numbers as the “Which evil dictator are you?”or “Which Harry Potter character are you?” quizzes, which are only supported by Facebook.

All the while, as I sat at my table in the tea café, the same high-pitched sentence rippled through my brain: “Like, it tells you if you’re Hitler or like, Stalin, or one of those guys!”  Taking in a comment as stupid as this requires almost surgical attention so as it won’t ruin your whole day.  While sitting there, my eyebrow raised in thought and then quickly turned into a facial recoil as the sourness of the girl’s comment registered through my head.  I thought, 1.  Why are these quizzes telling people who they are? Do we, as a society, really need to be told by some arbitrary surveys what the character we possess as a human being is? And 2.  Do people like this girl actually believe that they are who these quizzes say they are?  If that is so, then I’m happy to say that I’m glad there is a population on the other side of people like her, because it’s the one I’m in.

And I know I shouldn’t be making such a big deal about this, but what the fuck?  I wanted to get my study on.  In conclusion, delete Facebook quizzes.

Or your Facebook account.

If you’re into stuffed animals and don’t really mind gross humor, than these new plush toys are just what you need. Road Kill Toys based in the United Kingdom created a line of stuffed animals that will either disgust and upset you or, for people like me, make you smile and laugh. I was really pleased with the quality of the product and the idea is pretty cool. I mean, how many people are sick enough to think of and go through with an idea like this? I thank them for doing so, because I’m one of those people who give credit to those who take risks.

As of now, the creators have three animals for sale with more on the way. Twitch the Careless Raccoon, Grind the Bunny, and Hodge all come complete with tire marks and nicely sown intestines, rib bones, and protruding eyeballs. Though they depict something gruesome, there is something quite cute about these helpless little creatures. Honestly, is your two-year old daughter even going to know the difference between these stuffed animals and a nice cuddly teddy bear? Come on… who doesn’t like cute little creatures with their innards spewed all over the floor?

Check out their website at roadkilltoys.com and buy one or all for your own two-year old.

Probably one of the more intriguing artists I’ve interviewed thus far, the artwork of Michael Kachanis will leave you perplexed, but in awe of skill. He’s a recent Rhode Island College Graduate from the printmaking program and we’re getting an exclusive look into some of his new work.

During his undergrad days, much of his work consisted of black and white self-portraiture, but he’s beginning to focus on color and an entirely new entourage of subject matter. When asked what challenges he found in his work, mike said “consistency…I’m a jack of all trades but a master of none. Sometimes I will mesh 2 different styles that I have worked in, & at times the mixture can become quite confusing. I think of it in terms of a battle between the styles I want to work in opposed to the style I need to be working in. I am my own worst enemy & critic & find @ times it is difficult to give myself a break.”

When looking at Mike’s images you may come to one of two conclusions: You may think his work is a one man group show with no sense of theme or you think his work is unique. However, I will tell you what I know. What connects all of his work is his is gorgeous sense of line. Does it truly matter if there is a theme that connects the work as a whole? This is some traditional malarkey that art schools want you to believe. I think if you can pull it off then why not? I like to look at mike’s work on an individual basis, how unique they are, because at the end of the day that is what sets Mike apart from the rest. “If what you do is widely viewed & accepted, then the patrons will find a way to get your product, @ any cost. By the way what is the measure of success? I believe  it’s pretty relative; I am living for the moment, & being self content w/ the level of success I reach that day’s self fulfilling prophecy.”

Mike has plans to go to graduate school where he’ll be looking to get his MFA in printmaking. He currently has work at the 5 traverse gallery in Providence, RI and also at As220 where he is currently an artist in residence. To purchase his work, go to the As220.org website, and then click on shop.

It didn’t take very long for this recent Rhode Island College grad to strike success. As a matter of fact, she struck success before she graduated – selling out her first ever solo show at the Providence Art Club back in 2008. Melissa Brown is back at it now, recovering from a 6-week trip to Italy, as I took a sneak peek into her daily routines inside her print shop.

Officially a painter, Melissa Brown became a familiar face in the Providence Art scene very early. She beat out dozens of artists from all over the state, including RISD students, for the Eleanor Parker Anderson Scholarship which led to her first ever solo show. As mentioned, she sold out her entire show; something I haven’t seen… well let’s say… ever! “It felt pretty surreal,” she claimed while describing that moment. “I was so ecstatic just to have the show in the first place and to have so many people show up at the opening; when the red dots started appearing next to several pieces it surprised me (quite pleasantly). As the weeks went by and more work sold, it served as a huge boost of confidence to have that kind of outside affirmation.”

Melissa’s art, however, is not limited to just paintings. Her prints and drawings are equally as impressive. But what makes her brand of art so unique that patrons are just gobbling them up? “It’s the mark-making,” she claims. “My sense of touch, I think. When I’m drawing or painting, the action comes from my core. The mark-making is something that happens right then, in that particular moment, in my immediate response to my surroundings.”

Melissa is fascinated by the infinite complexity of nature and often depicts tangled branches and leaves, plants and twigs that form this gorgeous sense of space and variation in line. Sometimes, she goes back into the drawings to pull out some lights or fade lines with the eraser; purely instinctual.

The solo exhibition was an impressive showing for the young artist. The sold-out show led to her 6-week trip to Italy and its surrounding countries where she wandered through major cities such as Rome and Florence. “Soaking up the artwork was incredible, and seeing new work in out-of-the-way galleries and the modern art museums stretched me a lot. But, I think, the biggest impact on my work came through the experience of traveling alone. I discovered this entirely new sense of freedom and risk-taking, and I got a better understanding of who I am as a person and, therefore, an artist.”

Melissa is continuing her success through graduate school. She received a nearly-free ride to Southern Methodist University in Texas where she is going to be studying painting. She has big plans of becoming a professor of art outside of the States – perhaps Tuscany, Scotland or Southern France. She’s still pumping out work as we speak and gearing up for her upcoming trip to the Lone Star State.

Once again, The Folk Fest hit up Newport Rhode Island, where those who can afford a steep ticket price are serenaded by Folk’s finest. The Folk Fest was held at Fort Adam’s State Park. I had the chance to hang at the festival, and although folk music isn’t really my cup of tea, I’ve got to say it was an interesting experience. I’m really not sure what I enjoyed more: the $6 beers, the large half-naked drunk people wiggling their bodies around next to me, or waiting in line for 20 minutes to use the Port-a-John. But aside from all that, it truly was a gathering of extremely talented artists whose performances were nothing short of captivating.

The line-up included Gillian Welch, Fleet Foxes, Ben Kweller, Mavis Staples, Iron & Wine, Pete Seeger, The Decemberists, Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman, The Avett Brothers and more. Because traffic absolutely sucked trying to get into Newport, which is nothing unusual, I ended up sitting on the Newport Bridge for an hour – sweating bullets in the 80-degree weather, subsequently missing both Ben Kweller and Tom Morello’s performances.

I did get a chance to talk with Morello later in the day, however, which sort of redeemed the fact that I missed his show earlier. He presented me with a copy of The Nightwatchman Little Red Song Book and, let me tell you, if you haven’t gotten into Morello’s folk stuff yet, please check it out; it’s exactly the type of beautiful politically-charged music that you’d expect from him.

Grammy Award winner, Gillian Welch blew me away with her performance. Her voice radiates that indie/blue-grass feeling, and her cover of Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit was phenomenal. Iron & Wine opened with the romantic cover of the Postal Service’s Such Great Heights, and Sam Beam launched into an amazing performance, which included indie hits such as Naked as We Came and Flightless Bird, American Mouth.

The Decemberists’ set was extravagant; they were very talkative with the audience and cleverly staged a re-enactment of that legendary 1965 Folk Fest performance when Bob Dylan went acoustic. Pete Seeger closed the show with a performance moving enough to bring the audience to tears. The 90-year-old artist is by far one of folk music’s greatest talents.

The following day’s lineup included Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Neko Case and Rhode Island’s own Deer Tick. With so many talented artists gathering together in such beautiful surroundings, it’s easy to overlook the price of the ticket for two days full of good music and good times.

Today was like any other typical day and I was walking through the mall, nonchalantly, getting ready to attend one of our productive writers’ meetings. Suddenly, my eyes noticed something and I became totally entranced, like a fly to a bug lamp. I started getting butterflies in my stomach and had that weak-at-the-knees feeling. Next thing you know, my body was a full two steps in front of my head and I was about ready to fall flat on my ass.

To make a long story short, the next thing I consciously remember was staring at a really pretty girl smile at me and say, “The total comes out to $116.98.” Whoa! What?! Why?! I looked down and notice that she’s bagging a pair of jeans and a sweater that I subconsciously bought. Not again!

This isn’t the first time this has happened and I’m pretty sure it’s not gonna be the last. I have a problem that can only be diagnosed as one word: shopaholicism. No, it’s not the problem where you come home and beat your wife and yell at your children. It’s the one where you constantly keep buying clothes just because you have a sudden attraction towards them.  

How am I going to fulfill my dream of becoming an ultra-suave multi-millionaire if I’m stuck in some sort of trance and spending hundreds of dollars every single time I walk by a clothing store? Shoot, at the rate I’m going, I might as well reserve a room at the nearest homeless shelter and make it permanent. They better have decent closet space too!

Next time I walk through a mall or some sort of fashion district, I better come with some sort of protection. I’m gonna hire a professional to come with me and when she notices that I start to drift towards a store, I’m gonna authorize the person to sucker punch me in the face in order to keep me in check. I’m either gonna end up going home with a bloody nose or a black eye or even both.  But that’s much better than an empty wallet. Straight up, homie!