features
 

Echo Park Folk

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Sylvia J. Adams Sylvia J. Adams
Sylvia was born in Texas, lived for 2-years in Korea, then for a briefer stint in Germany, before returning back to the States. While attending UC San Diego, she met Rickey Kim, the Founder of Evil Monito Magazine, started off as their Music Editor and now holds the position of Editor-in-Chief. Sylvia is an avid cinephile, whose taste ranges from Yakuzas to Nouvelle Vagues. She has a predilection for 3-letter scrabble words and succulents from Madagascar.

Editorial
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Welcome to the neighborhood of Echo Park. A visual reference point for consciously clad hipsters, flanneled Cholos with a penchant for


Geographical Existentialism

Geographical Existentialism

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Kevin Biggers Kevin Biggers
Kevin was born and later abandoned in Seoul, South Korea in 1985. Shortly thereafter, two kind merchants from northern New Jersey adopted him, hoping he'd one day play professional football. So much for vicariousness and big dreams! As punishment, Kevin's parents forced him for extended periods of time to watch L'Avventura on loop, which became more pleasure than punishment. He graduated from University of Southern California in 2007, and now spends his weekdays developing and doing strategic marketing for kid-oriented websites. He is writing a novel about solipsism. Facebook Friend him, if you have a heart.

Interview with T. C. Boyle
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For many a novelist, personal geography can be an unwanted poetry. Suffused with lived-in details, sensorial charm, and familiar beauty, localism bears a wealth


Ambassador of Ethio-Jazz

Ambassador of Ethio-Jazz

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Sylvia J. Adams Sylvia J. Adams
Sylvia was born in Texas, lived for 2-years in Korea, then for a briefer stint in Germany, before returning back to the States. While attending UC San Diego, she met Rickey Kim, the Founder of Evil Monito Magazine, started off as their Music Editor and now holds the position of Editor-in-Chief. Sylvia is an avid cinephile, whose taste ranges from Yakuzas to Nouvelle Vagues. She has a predilection for 3-letter scrabble words and succulents from Madagascar.

Interview with Mulatu Astatke
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Mulatu Astatke, 67, as an extraordinary multi-instrumentalist, composer, and community builder; he is one of those rare individuals


Rebirth of Cumbia-psych

Rebirth of Cumbia-psych

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Ethan Holtzman Ethan Holtzman
Ethan Holtzman moved to Topanga Canyon when he was two years old. During his childhood years, he caught blue-belly lizards and foraged for edible fungi. He grew up singing folk songs with his family around the potbelly stove, the sole source of heat. Eventually he bought an accordion and studied under the late master, Milton Mann. He currently plays a Farfisa in the band, Dengue Fever, and tours the world.

Interview with Chicha Libre
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Surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes, I wiped the jet lag off my brow and took a moment to catch my breath—a belabored process due to high elevation


Townfolk

Townfolk

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Phil Chang Phil Chang
Phil Chang enjoys watching Gary Busey clips on YouTube and earnestly wishes he could do the Roger Rabbit. The internet has taught him not to publicly write things that he will regret, or of things that won't apply in a week. Life has taught him to value the people behind great ideas.

Interview with Blue Scholars
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Keeping it local is a whole different ballgame when you call Seattle home. The clash and melding of America’s titanic super-corporations with our nation’s


Harm Reduction Case Manager

Harm Reduction Case Manager

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Erin Barajas Erin Barajas
Erin Barajas, loves Los Angeles. Born and raised in the city, she's lived everywhere from South Central and the LBC to Venice Beach and her home in Silverlake where legend has it, the cult flick, “Heathers,” was written. Now living in Eagle Rock, Erin writes about fashion for California Apparel News as their Manufacturing Editor. Until she strikes it rich with a million-dollar idea, she spends her time reading novels in her tub and making up names for fictional bands. She has a very rich interior dialogue.

Interview with Mario Gonzalez
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Downtown Los Angeles is home to a new kind of turf war, the likes of which hasn’t been seen here for decades and – as is fitting in the world’s most cinematic city


the daily

Marc Atlan


Marc Atlan is a visionary. His client list reads like a dream: Comme Des Garcons, Oliver Stone, A.P.C., Taschen, James Perse, Yves Saint Laurent, Helmet Lang, etc. He handles creative direction, design and photography. His packaging of perfumes and his installations

via Rickey Y. Kim 19 minutes ago

Parra x Stones Throw

Stones Throw Records continues their artistic collaborations with Parra. Purchase your tees via their online store.

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www.stonesthrow.com/store

via EM Staff 36 minutes ago

Hitchcock vs. Mattel

During my visit to NYC last week, our EM contributor, Emily Baines, sent me a link to a limited edition Barbie doll from Mattel, the Purveyors of Amerikitsch and anatomically incorrect role models. Presumably to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Sir Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds , the corporation is releasing a doll this Fall that is modeled after Tippi Hedren in a memorable scene: where the lovely blonde sylph runs for dear life, shielding her perfect face from a murder of crows.

via Sylvia J. Adams 8 hours ago

Generation Kill

HBO’s new mini-series, Generation Kill is an eye opener. A candid portrayal of the lives of US soldiers in the battlefield of Iraq. The screenplay is raw, direct and intelligent. A refreshing perspective of the intimate conversations that take place between the camaraderie of young men fighting for a war which at times leaves them equally perplexed and frustrated.

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www.hbo.com/generationkill

via EM Staff 9 hours ago

House of Cassette Fall ‘08

House of Cassette has recently released their look book online of their Fall ‘08 collection. We have been ardent supporters of Cassette from day one and we are impressed with the constant growth of the brand. This latest shoot called forth the styling talent of fellow EM writer - Josh Madden, as well as the photography of Robert Hamada; both dear friends of the Evil Monito family. Cassette Creative Director, Peter James Lee showcases new shirtings for men as well as woven knit dresses for women.

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www.houseofcassette.com 

via EM Staff 9 hours ago

Looky See: A Summer Show

Looky See: A Summer Show
Ben Maltz Gallery - Los Angeles
Event: 7/26/08
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This large group show features inspired work by 29 artists who draw, cut, film, pin, perforate, perform, and journal. This exhibition is organized by Meg Linton, Director of the Ben Maltz Gallery and Public Programs, and Curatorial Intern Nina Laurinolli, and is a selection of work made from dozens of studio and gallery visits and lengthy reviews of artists’ materials over a one-year period.

via EM Staff 10 hours ago

The Devil in Denim


One of our featured EM illustrator, Carson Mell, written and directed this terrific short entitled, Bobby Bird: The Devil in Denim. It showed at the 2007 Sundance Festival and was also featured in the third issue of Wholphin , a DVD magazine that focuses on independent and experimental short films and distributed where any McSweeney’s or Believer magazine can be found. This clever film shortly thereafter became a pictorial novella he wrote called, Saguaro.

via EM Staff 10 hours ago

EM Issue 01: Triads - Chinese Crime Syndicate

From the Evil Monito archives:
Editorial on the Triads - Chinese Crime Syndicate
Originally published January 2001.
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www.evilmonito.com/archives/001/triads.htm

via EM Staff 23 hours ago

Theme Issue No. 15

Theme Magazine continues to up the bar with each issue. For their latest installment, themed as the Beijing Olympics issue, coverage of residents of Beijing as well as notable artists such as Cai Guo-Qiang is generously discussed. We particularly enjoyed the piece on conversations with Beijing’s taxi drivers as well as the well designed graphic chart of Olympic factoids. A very comprehensive read that gives you great context of the cultural backdrop that is Beijing.

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www.thememagazine.com

via EM Staff 23 hours ago

Junya Watanabe x Vans

My boy Ryota (Cinpila) was so kind to grace me with these fresh pairs of Vans. These shoes are a Japanese exclusive and is the result of a collaboration between Junya Watanabe (Comme Des Garcons) and Vans. The feel of the leather feels like sandpaper. You can’t go wrong with wingtips on a vulcanized sole. The side zipper is a nice touch as well.

via Rickey Y. Kim 1 day, 0 hours ago