Tuesday, September 30, 2003
Is there a secret right-wing in the "hipster" community?
I always thought the kids at the Vice empire (magazines, clothing shop, record label etc.) were too cool for school and a bit too hip for their own good. As someone who tries to keep up with the newest, freshest sh!t in (at least) music, it's a bit disconcerting to read a magazine like Vice and realize you can never know it all.
So I have to admit that a small chuckle came to my face after reading that the good folks there might actually be closet conservatives espousing a philosophy verging on white surpemacy according to an article entitled "The Edge of Hip: Vice, the Brand" in the "Sunday Styles" section of this past Sunday's NY Times. I would have bet the charge was based on way over-the-top inferences on the part of the article's author based on my own reading of old issues of the magazine and reacalling its frequent coverage and support of black artists, hip hop culture etc. However, Vice co-founder Gavin McInnes did himself a disservice with his weak rebuttal and defence, sent to The Times and also published on the anti-hipster blog "The New York Anti-Hipster Forum," claiming that he was only being quotably provocative because The Times said the Vice article was turning out too boring and threatened not to run it. Is Vice that desperate for press?
Turns out Vice might not be the only hipsters on the right wing tip. Newsweek has an article entitled "The New Cool" exploring the odd blend of conservatism, underground cool and pornographic aesthetic currently prevading "hipster" mags like Vice, Tokion and WYWS (While You Were Sleeping) published this week on their website. Typical hipster behavior I guess: as conservatism falls out of favor in the mainstream, they rush to adopt it as a badge of uniqueness and difference from the masses.
For all you aspiring hipsters out there though, if you're not cool enough to be still buying vinyl you probably have been missing all the great singles very cool record label DFA records has been releasing over the past year and need to buy their new album Compilation #1 which is out TODAY.
This label, founded by producers James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy (the original co-producer for Mo' Wax's UNKLE project), has been hyped to death by critics and name-checked by real trendsetters and wanna-be's alike, but you know what? This album showcases music that justifies all the hype and is one CD definitely worth buying. If you've been wondering what all the fuss about the new wave of punk-funk has been over the last couple of years, get this now. I promise it won't be a disc you look at 6 months down the road wondering: "Why did I buy this?" as you try to unload it on Half.com. After all, why would I lie to you? Juan Maclean has been on my current "Hot Ish" list for a while now (see the left side of this Blog) so you know this is a genuine recommendation.
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So I have to admit that a small chuckle came to my face after reading that the good folks there might actually be closet conservatives espousing a philosophy verging on white surpemacy according to an article entitled "The Edge of Hip: Vice, the Brand" in the "Sunday Styles" section of this past Sunday's NY Times. I would have bet the charge was based on way over-the-top inferences on the part of the article's author based on my own reading of old issues of the magazine and reacalling its frequent coverage and support of black artists, hip hop culture etc. However, Vice co-founder Gavin McInnes did himself a disservice with his weak rebuttal and defence, sent to The Times and also published on the anti-hipster blog "The New York Anti-Hipster Forum," claiming that he was only being quotably provocative because The Times said the Vice article was turning out too boring and threatened not to run it. Is Vice that desperate for press?
Turns out Vice might not be the only hipsters on the right wing tip. Newsweek has an article entitled "The New Cool" exploring the odd blend of conservatism, underground cool and pornographic aesthetic currently prevading "hipster" mags like Vice, Tokion and WYWS (While You Were Sleeping) published this week on their website. Typical hipster behavior I guess: as conservatism falls out of favor in the mainstream, they rush to adopt it as a badge of uniqueness and difference from the masses.
For all you aspiring hipsters out there though, if you're not cool enough to be still buying vinyl you probably have been missing all the great singles very cool record label DFA records has been releasing over the past year and need to buy their new album Compilation #1 which is out TODAY.
This label, founded by producers James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy (the original co-producer for Mo' Wax's UNKLE project), has been hyped to death by critics and name-checked by real trendsetters and wanna-be's alike, but you know what? This album showcases music that justifies all the hype and is one CD definitely worth buying. If you've been wondering what all the fuss about the new wave of punk-funk has been over the last couple of years, get this now. I promise it won't be a disc you look at 6 months down the road wondering: "Why did I buy this?" as you try to unload it on Half.com. After all, why would I lie to you? Juan Maclean has been on my current "Hot Ish" list for a while now (see the left side of this Blog) so you know this is a genuine recommendation.
