Krzeszowska Sisters | I am your brand We love this new project from Poland. The tagline is the “new season in art//,” and we agree wholeheartedly that ‘fashion’ is ready for a new season. Particularly interesting to us is that neither of the Krzeszowska sisters describe themselves as photographers. Marta is a graphic designer—she [...]
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Editorial No. 65
Krzeszowska Sisters | I am your brand We love this new project from Poland. The tagline is the “new season in art//,” and we agree wholeheartedly that ‘fashion’ is ready for a new season. Particularly interesting to us is that neither of the Krzeszowska sisters describe themselves as photographers. Marta is a graphic designer—she [...]
The Festival that Divides a City—Looking Back on SXSW
It’s been almost exactly one month since South by Southwest 2013, and Austin’s quiet again. We’ve cleaned up (most of) the taco and beer-related trash, the population’s back down to semi-reasonable levels, I-35 has returned to the lie of a usable highway that we collectively believe in again, and we’ve started in on our traditional [...]
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher – Too Many Questions for Majical Cloudz
Majical Cloudz @ Le Belmont 3/1/2013 He invited me to the le after party. And by the time I was half way down the block I couldn’t remember why I refused. There was a freezing snow falling that crunched under my boots. I was replaying the moment after the kiss. We both blinked dumbly, smiling. [...]
Editorial No. 63, The Ampere State
THE NUTMEG STATE for six years i was a lawyer. now i’ve left new york and can confirm that outside the city there are trees and outside the trees there are birds who unlike brooklynites don’t give a damn that i have fifty silk ties i can’t throw away and a danteist friend who [...]
Editorial No. 61, Gardenhead
MY WAR is every whisper— an echo— and every echo an empty room where words move like helium and the helium is tangible, brittle and empty as the sound of an axe striking dry wood and the wood splintering out in the night after the ice storm where [...]
MS MR, Or How Music Videos Look in Brooklyn
MS MR released a legit interesting video about an hour ago. It’s Monday morning, so here are my reactions on watching it before and after getting high. BEFORE -0:30: Trying to find the skip ad button. Sigh. Ignore. Ignore. Volkswagen something. 0:00: Okay, HD. Mini-expand. 0:10: Slo-mo. Always with the effin slo-mo. I mean, I [...]
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher – Getting Weird with The Growlers
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher – The Growlers @ Sala Rossa 1/27/13 It was that time of night when I had to cock block the lead singer. Ana swayed gracelessly on her high-heeled boots. Her eyelashes rustled her bangs. “You guys were so great,” she was saying to Growlers’ vocalist Brooks Neilson. Her body weight lurched [...]
Video Portrait of Liz Gray
A few months back, fellow photographer/nerd Shelby Marie Lloyd and our mutual friend Liz Gray decided to put together a quick video portrait to show off Liz’s stupidly cool haircut and general babeness. This is the result. Hope you like it.
No. 59, Southern Gothic
conveyance what I thought were snakes moving through the granite turned out to be broken strings of silver beads. then I milled around in the miracle of ash and light. this is what happens when you build temples to the rainwater where innocent gods grew pregnant with daughters. they gave a name * to [...]
Shakey Graves
Here’s another blast from the past. Last summer we caught a set from Shakey Graves, and it was a wonderful experience. Even Austin’s mayor is a fan. (February 9th is officially Shakey Graves day.) Check out his performance (“Word of Mouth”) live at the Parish.
People Who Frenched at Igloofest
People Who Frenched (me) at Igloofest @ le Vieux Port, Montreal 2/9/2013 There was a moment I stopped dancing and looked up into the night sky. The snow fell like confetti, suspended in ribbons by the stage light beams. Tommy Four Seven was building his next deep-house drop, and I was pushed forward by a [...]
Vesper Exclusive: Interview with HUMANS
Peter Ricq and Robbie Slade are two humans. They make music together. Their crazy-fun live shows and genre-bending electro has taken them on tour with Junior Boys, How to Dress Well, Grimes, and Kid Sister, among others. And yet, they maintain they’re just two dudes, trying to make enough money to buy beer. Robbie, a [...]
Chasca drops a “Cherry Bomb” Live in Austin, TX
This is a blast from the past. We caught the last half of Chasca’s set at The Fort ATX way back last summer. It was fabulous. I reached out to the band for a brief description, and they gave me this chestnut: Chasca is as Chasca does. We’ll leave it at that. Check out more [...]
Top 10 Montréal Bands at SXSW—No. 1: Suuns
[Above: Ben Shemie, Joe Yarmush, Liam O’Neill, and Max Henry of Suuns. Photo: Joel Blair] There are amazing things happening in Montréal. And thanks to SXSW, you don’t have to travel to the arctic circle to hear them. That is, if you know where to look. Here’s my top ten: 1. Suuns Sexy, surprising, [...]
No. 57, LUMINOSA
LUMINOSA | MATTHEW LIPPMAN, KRISTEN WRZESNIEWSKI LUMINOSA You can put a woman into a tree and have the tree come out a woman, all blonde and brunette, full of wood, a soft wood, like pears, that everyone wants to eat, a pear tree, or smoke, a cigarette tree. A woman can put a man [...]
Vesper Food!: An Evening at SWAY
“I think this one’s a branzino,” Jesse Herman said, pointing ahead. Sitting at the bar of Austin’s newest Thai restaurant, Sway, he gets a perfect view of the chef deftly scoring a whole fish before swaddling it in a banana leaf and escorting the package away to be steamed: a beautifully wrapped gift for one [...]
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher—A Koriass kick to the ovaries
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher | Koriass —@ L’Astral 2012 Gangsters. In sweaters. I drink my Boréale Rousse from the balcony. Looking down, I’m both amused and bewildered by the sea of skinny white kids in baseball caps. The hologram stickers reflect off their flat bills. This may be the only hip hop concert I’ve ever [...]
No. 55 | UNFATHOMABLE SPIRIT
In the UK and other rollicking places, standard depth for a grave is 36 inches which is up from 54″ in 1977. So this rest eternal seems not the commitment, the hunkering down we thought. At this rate there will soon be little sod between us, our dead so close to the surface, they [...]
OMEN: A New Fashion Film for Designer Sebastian Alexander
________________ Cain Dustin Elliott Abel Jace Wergin Directed by Joshua MacLeod Producers: Star Lee and Vesper Magazine Art: Lalique Martinez Styling: Sebastian Alexander Makeup: Erin Free-Man Chest Pieces: Deconstructed Design Editor: Joshua MacLeod
Editorial No. 53
SHAYNE STROUD | MOONCHILD _______ Stylist/Designer: Bekah DuBose Hair: Mel Martell Makeup: Chad Alvarado Clothes: Kulturegeist Clothing and Feathers Boutique
Video Portrait of Marilyn Bautista
Vesper Magazine has been quietly cooking up a series of fashion videos with our favorite models and brands. Check out our first featuring the stunning and strong Marilyn Bautista, “Walking on the Moon.” Dir.: Joshua MacLeod DP: Jake Bayless PA: Derek Weikel Editor: Joshua MacLeod _________ Interested in being featured on Vesper? Get [...]
Editorial Submission, No. 51
MARIANA QUEVEDO | FASHION COLLAGE Model: Echo Nittolitto Mariana Quevedo is a 25-year-old fashion photographer born in Lima, Peru and raised in Ohio, where she currently resides.
New Music Video From OTHER LOVERS (Exclusive)
The young and effervescent pair known as OTHER LOVERS (Megan Fowler and Brandon Boyd) have released their first album Sweet Lovin’. And sweet it is. We first fell for OTHER LOVERS about six months ago when we caught their live show in Austin, TX. So charming, so bittersweet, so jejune. Vesper Magazine had the distinct [...]
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher—Spitballing with Juveniles
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher | Juveniles @ Le Divan Orange 9/5/2012 In the basement of Le Divan Orange there actually exists an orange couch. It’s a burnt umber floral with velveteen cushions. And it’s terrifying. This is the environment I chose for a sweaty french kiss? Nervous, half-drunk Emily decided oui. It had all been [...]
Editorial No. 49
_____________________ Photographer: Joanne Leah Model: Clara Rae City: Brooklyn, NY Bio: I was born in 1978 in Germany and adopted at birth. My family moved to the American South when I was 4 years old. I grew up in the mountains of Virginia., When I was a child, I would explore the woods [...]
David Thomas Jones— “Our Lives”—Official Music Video Debut
David Thomas Jones | “Our Lives” David Thomas Jones is a force to be reckoned with. You’ll find his name in the credits of an impressive variety of local acts: Watch Out For Rockets, The Murdocks, Scan Hopper, Les RAV, and so on. But, Jones is far from spread thin. His latest project is a [...]
Editorial Submission, No. 47
Millennial | Kayoua Xiong How did you first start expressing yourself through photography? At first photography was just a hobby for me, taking pretty pictures, just for fun. I didn’t start actually expressing myself, really, until I began wanting my photography to mean something, or have a statement. And then with my fashion photography, it [...]
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher—Breton
Musisciens Je Veux Frencher | Breton @ Casa del Popolo 9/8/2012 Roman Rappak is looking at me from under a red hoodie, pulling his hair across his brow and behind his ear. The wind is blowing the tree branches wildly around above our heads. He says that he admires his band who “all came from [...]
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher – POP Montréal 3: Rich Aucoin
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher | Rich Aucoin @ Le Divan Orange for Pop Montréal 9/22/12 I felt the sweat slipping down the nape of my neck. It was pooling in the crooks of my elbows, dripping in hot condensation from the air ducts. I was pressed against a stranger’s back. Someone’s hand was gripping my [...]
Editorial Submission, No. 45
on injury Shayne Stroud . _________________________ Photographer: Shayne Stroud Model: Echo Nittolitto Styling: Summer Lawson of The Black Swan Theory +
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher – POP Montréal 2: Violett Sees Red
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher | Violett Pi @ Commission des Liquers for POP Montreal 9/20/12 We are standing next to a urinal. Karl tells me about his shirt. “I prefer ugly things because I know exactly why they’re ugly, whereas beautiful things I can’t always explain why I find them beautiful…” He looks down at [...]
Baths Time—Exclusive Interview with Will Wiesenfeld
When I meet up with Will Wiesenfeld, aka Baths, prior to his set at Frontier Fest, he’s hungry. He has just gotten in from LA. He greets me and our photographer outside of the Mohawk, then leads us in the direction of a restaurant, which he thinks is located a few blocks from the club. [...]
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher – POP Montréal 1: DRY THE RIVER
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher | Dry the River @ La Sala Rossa, POP Montreal 9/23/12 Back stage the Dry the River tour manager gives me a strange look. The band files in behind me. I turn to the mustachio’d guy in the trench coat, “Ok, so you must be Pete?” They all exchange glances. He [...]
Interview with Photographer Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer, thank you for taking time with us. I’d like to jump right in to your series, Medic, which I think has been described accurately as a ‘sensitive’ and ‘intimate’ glimpse into certain difficult moments in life—moments, where we have no choice to but to try to heal. Is that right? Is Medic about healing? [...]
POP Montreal French Off (Preview!)
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher Upcoming Series: POP Montreal French Off POP Montréal is a five day music and art free-for-all covering everything from pop (duh), electro, punk, and opera, to vintage fashion, handmade art, and all-star panels and lectures. In many ways POP is Montréal’s answer to SXSW. With Boulevard Saint Laurent as Sixth Street, [...]
NEW INTERVIEW: Music Video Director Nima Nabili Rad
So, your video for Dialect & Despair’s track “New Testament” just hit Vimeo’s Staff Picks…Congrats!! How’d it feel? Thank You! It feels very good. Its been one of my goals for the last year or so, and to see it happen it was great. According to the credits, you directed, produced, designed and DP’d [...]
MUSICIENS JE VEUX FRENCHER— Murderess
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher | Murderess @ Les Katacombes 8/13/12 Christian tipped his beer at me and asked me my name. I was working hard to look aloof and confident, leaning against the bar. He was a petit, stubble-faced bike messenger with some serious neck tats. I had to lean down to hear him. He’d [...]
MUSICIENS JE VEUX FRENCHER—A Sweet Tooth for Honhee
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher | Honheehonhee @ Quai des Brumes 8/2/12 We arrive at the after party and I can only think of one thing. Gum. The tiny club is covered in mirrors and fringed lampshades. I’m headed to the bathroom as an excuse to ask everyone en route for a stick of Winterfresh. Always [...]
NEW: Interview with Fashion Photographer Jai Mayhew
“In art there are no mistakes, just new discoveries.” —Jai Mayhew How do you approach the sexuality of women, particularly in your ‘Noir’ set? I love that sexuality is so flexible! [The Noir set is] a sensual, grainy celebration of women with emotions ranging from soft to playful to strong. What inspires you? Strong concepts, [...]
FROM MONTREAL: Musiciens Je Veux Frencher—Mac DeMarco Edition
Musiciens Je Veux Frencher | Mac DeMarco @ Le Divan Orange 8/22/12 The audience at Le Divan Orange is predominantly male. And tall. I peak over shoulders on my tiptoes. A guy in the audience hits me with his skateboard. The only girls present are dance-jumping, tossing their hair around. Because immobile audiences are way [...]
NEW INTERVIEW COLUMN: Photographer Shayne Stroud Talks About the Ocean
Taylor Anne Prewitt: When did you begin photographing and what did you first photograph? Shayne Stroud: My first photograph was of a seagull when I was around 5 years old. My dad’s friend handed me a camera at the beach. But, I didn’t take it seriously until high school photo class. TAP: Film or digital? [...]
NEW COLUMN from Montréal’s Emily Hill: “Musiciens Je Veux Frencher”
Getting Fresh with YouYourself&i | 7/25/12 – Casa del Popolo, Montréal It was loud. We were doing that thing where you talk to the sides of each other’s faces. He was holding a beer and a shot. Excellent, I thought. Looking into his ear, I told him the name of my column, “Musiciens je veux [...]
Les RAV Live in Austin, TX
In a music world flooded with guitar-centric indie outfits, Les RAV brings a refreshing image, sound and message to the Austin scene. Winners of the Recording Conservancy of Austin’s 2011 Best Unsigned Artist Competition, Les RAV has been featured on countless local and international music channels: from KUT, KLRU-PBS, and Austin’s CultureMap to European radio. [...]
Filth-Queen CHRISTEENE Tells Vesper Why Her P*ssy is Crying (VIDEO) (NSFW!)
CHRISTEENE—“a sexually infused sewer of live rap and vile shamelessness”—is a character created by Austin-based performance artist Paul Soileau. Hailed as the “filthy future” of drag, CHRISTEENE’s unique charm—if it can be called that—is her unequivocal departure from the airbrushed glamor of RuPaul and Lady Chablis. She is decidedly an ANTI-queen who prefers jock straps [...]
New Pop Act ‘Gospel Music’ Isn’t Exactly Religious (Video)
In late 2010, Owen Holmes (bassist of indie darlings Black Kids) branched out on a solo project called Gospel Music. Holmes’ new act—of course—has nothing to do with its eponymous genre. Instead, the new LP How to Get to Heaven from Jacksonville, FL covers the more or less typical mix of alcohol, ennui and noncommittal [...]
INDIE: Bobby Jealousy (Episode 2, Pt. 1)
Bobby Jealousy is a self-described “throwback,” “dirt pop,” “melodic,” “soul-inspired,” and (charmingly) “death-obsessed” band from Austin, TX. The members are somewhat seasoned players—one is particularly accomplished as a solo artist—and each is undeniably gifted. The ethos seems to be: work hard, master the melodies in studio, then get drunk and play the imperfect f*ck out [...]
The Stray Cat Lee Rocker: Rockabilly, Revival Fest and “Fishnet Stockings”
Last week, Vesper Magazine had the incredible honor of sitting down with rockabilly legend Lee Rocker. Rocker is probably best known for his work with The Stray Cats—an act that garnered 23 gold and platinum records worldwide and established itself as an essential figure in the post-punk era. But Rocker’s list of collaborators after the [...]
UPDATED: Bear in Heaven–Two Live Tracks at The Parish
Pop yet unequivocally experimental, Bear in Heaven is a Brooklyn outfit founded by frontman Jon Philpot. The band is synth-driven three piece that Pitchfork laments as impossibly hard to classify: “something familiar, wholly of the moment, and yet impossible to pin down – you knew some combination of ‘indie,’ ‘rock,’ ‘synth,’ ‘dance,’ and ‘electro’ should [...]
The Magnificent Snails: Their Final Song was a Funky One
Last week, a young Austin band died, then like Saint Lazarus, rose from the dead. And though we wish the band had selected guitarist Charlie Magnone’s submission–The Vintage Years–as their new moniker, we genuinely enjoyed their set and wish the former Magnificent Snails, now The Gorgeous Hands, the very best. We especially liked their wide [...]
OTHER LOVERS: New Folk Rock Duo from Austin, TX (Video)
Megan Fowler and Brandon Boyd (not of Incubus) appear to be relatively new to the scene, at least in this incarnation—the band formed less than a year ago. Vesper very much enjoyed their straightforward orchestration and the surprising depth of Megan’s voice (which we thought reminiscent of Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir). You can listen to more [...]
INDIE: A New Web Series for the Austin Music Scene
Six weeks ago, we decided to approach the Austin music scene very differently from what we initially had envisioned. We had one basic impulse: get closer to our community’s musicians. If Vesper Magazine is a baby publication—and it is: we’re only a few months old—then it’s in a stage of development in which it has [...]
INDIE: Jason Ludwig (Episode 1)
For our first installment of INDIE we introduce local transplant Jason Ludwig, a singer/songwriter with a vocal range as luscious and full as his beard. Ladies, vice grip your man—because even the most uptight heterosexuals will be wooed by Jason’s vocal prowess. Hailing from Cincinnati, Jason gained local celebrity with rock group Noctaluca before trading [...]
Dangeresque
Look, there’s no avoiding it. Dangeresque is >75% thick-rimmed glasses and ironic T-shirts. They opened their set with Brad Neely’s “Be Aggressive” of Babycake’s fame (which we, regrettably, did not commit to video). So, yeah. They’re hipsters. But they put on a great, unpretentious and thrilling show. We can’t wait to see them again. A [...]
Just Ask the Axis: Trailer; Waldo and The Naturals
Last weekend, Vesper co-sponsored Just Ask the Axis at Cheer Up Charlie’s, where we got facerocked by a a genuinely impressive assortment of bands, most of whom were new or newish to the scene. Check out our trailer above. That’s a small slice of what we saw. To give ya’ll the bigger picture, we’re rolling [...]
Just Ask the Axis Preview: The Sweet Nuthin
Vesper spent the weekend with The Sweet Nuthin. We brought our cameras and our preposterously attractive staff to shoot a Summer send-off. That’s right: it’s Summer in Texas, ya’ll. Anyway, Sweet Nuthin’s “One More Way of Moving On” will get your blood flowing. Remember, it ain’t nuthin if you’re just making eyes–so ogle away. [...]
Charmingly Infamous Courtney Taylor-Taylor Tells Us How to Eat and Drink Like Henry VIII
In an exclusive interview on the eve of the first Dandy Warhols release in three years (This Machine), lead vocalist and guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor confides what he loves and hates about album unveilings, his faith in the DW fan base, and his weakness for Norwegian women. The result? The (sometimes solecistic) musings of a notoriously [...]
The Time Traveler–Brian Day
By now, we all know the story. After the economic crisis of 2008, Detroit became the poster child for urban blight. Metro area homes were abandoned by the hundreds of thousands. Of the homes that were sold, some went for as little as a single dollar.* Even the big guys were hurting. Remember the GM [...]
Black Taxi: The New Standard for Live, Indie Performance?
Black Taxi is a wonderful, wacky, high-energy, double-fronted, musically promiscuous band from Brooklyn. Their live show is one of the best on the indie scene. We caught them at Firehouse last week. If you get a chance to see these guys, take it. Not everybody has this kind of bravura. © Vesper Magazine 2012
Kool Keith.
I hadn’t experienced the awesome that is Kool Keith (AKA, Dr. Octagon) until we happened to see him perform at the Mohawk. We caught it and cut it. Look, if Kool Keith doesn’t make you want to engage in risk-taking behaviors then you’re doing it wrong. © Vesper Magazine 2012
Lee Fields is Your New God
We caught this badass last night at ND Studios. He’s Lee Fields and his new album Faithful Man pulverizes anything I’ve heard a white person do in the last ten years. The title track made Vesper-contributor Heather Brown cry three bars in. Sorry people, Rock and Roll is dead. I don’t have time to explain [...]
Awesome New Republic Are All Over Usher’s ‘Climax’
Our SXSW rollout begins today with this teaser from ANR. We caught their show on Wednesday at Firehouse. Here’s their finale–Usher’s Climax. Caveat: This video was made with haste not taste. We’ll be dropping much more from ANR shortly, including our interview with MJ. Check back. © Vesper Magazine 2012
The White White Lights Perform ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night’
The response to our first WWL’s video was pretty overwhelming, so we decided to cut another track off of the block. Keep in mind we have a bunch of SXSW coverage coming, and it’ll be here as fast as our editorial monkeys can monkey. Meanwhile, sit back, relax, and enjoy– © Vesper Magazine 2012
Vesper Video: The White White Lights Kill It at Total Crush 2
Looking for demonstration of the badassness of Austin’s music scene? Look no further. As promised, here is an ecstatic, contagious, guitar-string-ripping performance from The White White Lights, delivered last week at Cheer Up Charlie’s. Huge thanks to KINDFORM for putting this show on. The White White Lights will be performing during SXSW. Don’t miss them. [...]
Photobooth at KINDFORM’s Total Crush
(Photo by Steph Gajewski) We were invited to cover Kindform‘s party Total Crush 2 at Cheer Up Charlie’s on Friday. The music was Austin-tops. I don’t know how many times we have to say it: The White White Lights. We also enjoyed Boy + Kite, Magnificent Snails, and New Roman Times. Today, we’ll give you [...]
Austin’s 6th Street through the lens of Jeff Vaillancourt
Vesper: What draws you to 6th Street? Jeff Vaillancourt: It’s all about stolen moments. I truly enjoy waiting and searching for that perfect moment that will tell a story, or stories, in a single shot. V: Influences? JV: I have influences, yeah. Henri Cartier-Bresson, Peter Turnley, and so on, but I discovered these photographers after [...]
Ash Wednesday, New York
Evelyn: Thousands of roses and lots of chocolate truffles. Godiva, and oysters in the half-shell. Patrick: [Narrating] I’m trying to listen to the new Robert Palmer tape, but Evelyn, my supposed fiancée, keeps buzzing in my ear. Evelyn: Annie Leibovitz. We’ll get Annie Leibovitz. And we’ll have to get someone to videotape. Patrick, we should [...]
M.i.’s “Paradise” and Interview
M.i is an Austin-based hip hop artist. His LP, “The Coldplay Sessions,” dropped today. Vesper sat down with M.i and his collaborator and video director Aaron Vazquez. See our interview after the break. V: M.i, how long have you been involved in hip hop? M.i: I was 14 when I started, so I’m going [...]
The Sour Notes and Marmalakes get their release on at the mohawk
After the jump, Vesper sits down with Amarah and Jared of The Sour Notes to discuss their latest effort, ‘Two Hands Wait’, released Thursday, February 9, 2012 on a joint vinyl with Marmalakes called ‘Wait // White’. Vesper: This is the bands third 7-inch vinyl. What’s evolved since first coming together? Amarah: Biggest [...]
Interview With Writer/Producer Nikol Hasler
V: Hi Nikol. Thanks for sitting down with us. Let’s jump right into it if you don’t mind. NH: Not at all. V: What was your first long-form writing project? I’m talking novella, epic poem, serious essay, etc. NH: I don’t know if this counts, but in my junior year of high school I was [...]
An Encounter with Proph3t
Proph3t is an austin-based rapper. We met him on Sixth Street on Thursday and were invited his after party on Friday. All pictures shot January 19-20. The light was green. © Vesper Magazine 2012
Austin Nightlife/Still-life
Bars pictured: Vice, The Blind Pig, The Trophy Room, The Jackalope, Mohawk, Stubbs. All pictures © Vesper Magazine 2012
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