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Saturday, June 30, 2012

Cliche x adidas - Lucas Puig Pro Model


After seeing Lucas Puig's new pro model on Hypebeast, I found out that we would be receiving these at Momentum Marketplace too. The graphic is very simple but I love it. There is a black model with a size 8 width and this blue one which is 8.1. I don't collect boards but only skate them, otherwise I would have definitely copped both of them. I gripped it tonight and got to skate it for about an hour. So far, so good! The concave isn't as deep as my last board but I am able to land many of the basic flip tricks still. If you want one too, you can get them at both Momentum's here in the city or possibly online!




Love the North

A$AP Rocky Ft. Lana Del Rey - Ridin'

This song has finally released. Everything Rocky has touched recently has turned to gold. People have been commenting that the collaboration between Lana and Rocky is strange but it definitely seemed to work. Maybe the two of them will gain new fans with this track.



Download Here

Love the North

Friday, June 29, 2012

Good Night Scratch


On June 26, 2012, Neil Malik, the owner of Scratch tweeted the following.


It's a darn shame that Scratch has closed its doors. From my 19th birthday, to Legacy Arcade, to Canada's national treasure DJ Baby Yu, I've had many great memories at Scratch, and not one of them was a bad night.

In a city of country lovers and top 40 sing along clubs, I saw Scratch to be a shining beacon of musical dancing shoe hope in the city of Saskatoon. They always had bomb ass music that you could just jam to, and now with its doors closed, who will rise from the ashes?

The only time I will allow myself to sweat is when I'm dancing like a fool on that dance floor. Now I will become a recluse and never go out ever again.

I'm sure there are many out there just like me who will miss you dearly Scratch.

It was a grand run and as a wise woman once sang:

Flames to dust
Lovers to friends
Why do all good things come to an end?
- Nelly Furtado

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Nike SB x Levi's




A while ago, pictures of leather denim tabs by Nike and Levi's were released. Now we finally get to see what it's all about. The two brands come together to release an Omar Salazar model, jean jacket, 511 denim model and a Dunk Pro SB.The video above is of Omar Salazar modeling the clothing by doing what he does best.


Love the North

Lupe Fiasco - Around My Way (Freedom Ain't Free)

Lupe is back? Then again, I always keep my faith in people/things deep in the ground (ex. Fernando Torres and Nike SB).



Food and Liquor II is expected to release September 25, 2012.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Saskatchewan Jazz Fest: Feist

This past Saturday I had the greatest honour to see Feist perform live in concert for the second time. The first time I had seen her in Regina, being dead set in the center this time around, it was so much sweeter.



Feist has this certain charm about her in which she looks like a doll on stage, but she goes hard when the time calls, like some sort musical Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide. She's truly a lady who loves her job.

Feist is accompanied by several new live band members for her Metals tour. The most notable being the back-up singers, these ladies are actually a band themselves: Mountain Man.

As Feist was going along, these ladies were almost like 21st Century doo-wop revival singers. And by that I mean they were dancing the entire time as they were singing. It was a nice little addition to the live show.

The majority of the show were songs from Feist's new album, Metals. I won't lie to you, I wasn't a huge fan of Metals, but seeing it performed live did the album a great justice.

But on top of all that were some of her other songs from previous albums such as Let It Die or The Reminder. Most of these songs were re-done live which made them sound like new songs. I'm guessing they were done this way so that they matched the mood of her Metals album, which is a bit darker.

But when she played some of her old songs, in their original format, the crowd ate it all up. Such classics as My Moon, My Man or Sea Lion Woman.



(This video belongs to shuabert via YouTube)

If a live show isn't interesting, then you may as well stay home and listen to the albums. Leslie Feist knows that, and sweet baby does she put on a good show.

Summer: Skateboarding 2012

I recently started skateboarding again after over a year. I have decided that I won't spend time re-learning all of my flip tricks but to just have fun with gapping things, cruising and manualing. I have been recently been picking up new pieces and skate gear (that I may show you in the future), but I would like to share with you some of my favourite skate parts. Although "Yeah Right" by Girl is my favourite film to date, I will select parts from different videos too! Technical and clean parts with good music can really do it for me.











Love the North

Monday, June 25, 2012

Durr Movies: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Alright, normally I try to stay away from being crabby when watching a movie, even more so when I'm reviewing it. But not today.

Today I review Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, the film adaptation of the 2010 book of the same name by Seth Grahame-Smith.

I should've stuck to my gut and abstained from watching this movie, but my brother wanted to go watch it so I impulsively went along.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter tells the fictitious untold story of Abraham Lincoln. Before Abraham Lincoln became the 16th President of the United States, he was a vampire hunter. Taught in the ways of vampire hunting by Henry Sturges, a veteran vampire hunter, Lincoln learns the skills needed to exact his revenge on the vampire that killed his mother.

Probably 75% of the movie is a flash back. I assumed when the narrator (Lincoln) rambled on about his "untold story", that it was just gonna be a 20 minute scene where he sees so and so get killed and then showing honest Abe getting all angry and what not.

Nope, the entire movie was his origin.

So the entire movie, I was kinda just sitting there thinking, "this is a really long flash back". I blame the narrator's wording.

It might as well have been a flash back because the scenes in the movie moved so bloody fast. At one point you see Mr. Lincoln swinging an axe with kung fu fluidity, next he's in Illinois looking for work. The segue with the scenes was brutal. It was a keep up or die, I mean, not that it was hard to follow this movie at all.

I think the problem was that this movie tried so hard to be blade, but it couldn't pull it off.

The fighting scenes were highly stylized in that every. little. thing. had. to. be. bullet. time.

It drove me insane. Every axe swing, every decapitation, every gunshot, was all slowed down. Like, I realize that this was super cool at one point, but I think we've passed that point. It was almost as bad as if a movie were to parody the famous bullet dodge scene from the first Matrix.

You can do better dang it.



Should you go see it? Probably not. Just buy the book, it'll benefit your brain.

Case and Point
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is: like getting dumped; it gets worse the more you think about it.

Just a Taste: Sushiro

Location
Sushiro is located right off of Broadway beside the Starbucks.

Environment
The best way to explain the interior of Sushiro is "simple". There are little chandeliers, white walls with artwork and Ninetimes skateboards, chalkboard menus for drinks and dessert and a plain concrete floor. It's quite small and very clean looking. You can faintly hear music, but can clearly hear many people enjoying themselves. Service is also awesome, customers get the attention they deserve and want. If this is your first time eating sushi or have difficulty ordering, they will help you out or even do an order for you (if you trust them).

Menu
There is an assortment of appetizers, noodles, soups, sushi dishes, drinks and desserts. Prices are more expensive in comparison to other places in the city.

Food
I was impressed with all of the food that we ordered. Everything was fresh and tasty. You can tell that presentation is very important to the staff at Sushiro. They provide a lot colour to each dish, the squid for example had an orange chili sauce and green and purple lettuce beneath it. So not only does it look beautiful, but it tastes beautifully too. It was nice that all of the food had a different texture too. The dishes are fusion-styled, it's the North's take on sushi.


We ordered:
-Edamame
-Panko crusted mushroom risotto cakes
-Chili squid tempura with chili mayo
-Cobra maki (tempura shrimp, crab and avocado)
-Porcupine maki (unagi, tempura yam and avocado)
-Omega maki (salmon sashimi on a tuna, avocado and hemp seed roll)
-Inari sushi with avocado (fried tofu filled with rice)








Conclusion
I really enjoyed Sushiro and Aashna kept saying "this is the best sushi in the city". The decor is trendy, the service was good and above all, the food was delicious. But I would like to warn you that if you are quite hungry, be expected to spend some cash.

Sushiro Sushi Bar on UrbanspoonLove the North



Sunday, June 24, 2012

Dom Kennedy - Yellow Album


Dom Kennedy always puts out good music right when the Summer begins. Once again we get a chance to hear that cool calm flow on relaxed beats. This West coast rapper managed to get Too $hort, Kendrick Lamar and Rick Ross on the album too! My favourite track at the moment is "We Ball" featuring Kendrick. Check out the official "My Type of Party" underneath.



Download Here

Love the North

Saturday, June 23, 2012

DC Teak


I recently won a pair of these from Momentum in a Battle of the Berrics contest. We all made predictions of who would advance from each round and received points for doing so. Because my picks managed to get me in second place, I got a pair of these DC Teak's.

I skated in them one for one night, and was very impressed with the comfort and style. Most shoes don't fit me fresh out of the box but these sure did. I like the camel coloured suede because it goes well with the moccasin style toe box and leather laces. For me that vulcanized sole or vulc-like sole is a must too. I haven't bought a pair of DC's for almost seven years too but I notice that they still use their classic tread pattern for grip. I can still pop decent ollies, land kick flips and be comfortable at the same time so I am quite happy with this model.


Love the North

Friday, June 22, 2012

Bape x UNDFTD


Street wear heavy weights A Bathing Ape and Undefeated link up for a Summer release. A lot of Hawaiian flavour is easily noticed, but I find myself being drawn to the simple pieces. I really like the "Strikes" tee with Bape camo, "Undefeated" tee with Bape camo and the skateboard at the bottom of the post. Like usual, this will be expensive and limited but kudos to you if you purchase a piece or two!


Thursday, June 21, 2012

Taken 2 - Trailer



Released today is the first trailer for Taken 2. Sequel to Taken, clearly.

If you have never seen Taken, I suggest you watch it. It's Liam Neeson at his finest, doing what he does best, which is be grizzled and old and hurt people with various chops and grapple holds.


It's scheduled to be released worldwide October 5, 2012.

Jordan V Fire Red Re-Release


In January of 2013, I am super excited to say that the Fire Red V is releasing! This is my favourite Jordan from the 1-23. The silhouette is great, the tongue, midsole design and rubber meshing really do it for me. In the past you can see many celebrities wearing this basketball shoe for every day where including Will Smith in the first Fresh Prince season.

There are many other good drops too including a Royal Blue Jordan I.

Love the North

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Air Jordan XII "Obsidian"

These are set to release on Saturday July 23, 2012. The original pair released back in 1997. These will probably be sold at Footlocker and Momentum.

Love the North

Monday, June 18, 2012

WDYWT: Brennan E.


The Hundreds "Phoenix"
American Apparel Sweater
10 Deep Tank
G-Shock x The Hundreds
Obey Pants
Vans Rata Vulc


Brennan and I are co-workers and friends, you can often find him at Momentum Marketplace in that 90's-ish looking apparel. We've been talking about doing his WDYWT for months now, so I am glad we finally got around to doing it. Brennan enjoys chatting about fashion and skateboarding and he's definitely not shy, so spark up a conversation with him.

Follow Brennan on Twitter: @_Method_Madness

Who's next?

PG 1/60 Gundam Astray Louis Vuitton



While I was internetting I stumbled upon this Gundam Model with the Louis Vuitton scheme painted onto it.

This was done by a person or maybe team from Korea named Club S.

Who knew that the LV Monogram could look so suave on a sword sheath.

You can check it out more here.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson


Most people I think recognize the name and face on the cover of this book here. Steve Jobs is the founder and visionary behind Apple Inc. and also Pixar Animated Studios.

In the 70's when computers were so complex that only computer geeks and businesses had any use for them, Steve had the vision that computers could be made simple and friendly enough for everyone to use. With that vision Steve Jobs and his buddy Steve Wozniak create Apple Inc., which I'm sure everyone is familiar with today.

Mac computers and iPods are cool and all, but what's really great about this book is how interesting of a man Steve Jobs is. You may have heard about how Steve was a perfectionist, had to micromanage every aspect of a product, and was hard to get along with, but you really don't know until you've read this biography. Dare I say, Steve Jobs is The Most Interesting Man in the World (Sorry Dos Equis Man).

Steve Jobs may have been arrogant, ruthless, disrespectful, and dramatic which makes him extremely difficult to deal with. But at the same time he was inspiring, motivating, alluring, and just outright brilliant. The biography follows his entire life, highlights include: experiments with LSD and acid as a teenager, trip to India to find his "guru", personal rivalry with Bill Gates, unique management style, and his dramatic departure from Apple in the 80's and later his return.

I'm only half way through the book but it's been quite the joy to read so far. If you're looking for something to read this summer, give this book a shot. It is quite captivating.

Here is one of my favorite passages from the book:

A few weeks later he called Bob Belleville, one of the hardware designers on the Xerox Star team. "Everything you've done in your life is shit," Jobs said, "so why don't you come work for me?" Belleville did, and so did Larry Tesler.



Stay classy Saskatoon,
Jason Tran


Saturday, June 16, 2012

Momentum 8th, Momentum Marketplace and Outtabounds Sale

Chang Mang Apparel

Chang Mang just released an advertisement for the new shorts they're about to drop this Summer. This is a brand that was started here in Saskatoon. The commercial is goofy and fun just like the shorts themselves. The cool colour ways and that above knee cut is perfect for the beach or cabin.



I need to get myself a pair of these.

Love the North

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Edmonton: Foosh

I just got back tonight from a short mid-week trip to Edmonton. As usual, I ate good food and did a lot of shopping. One of my favourite places to stop is Foosh on Whyte Avenue. Foosh is a lifestyle store that carries a variety of clothing for men and women, collectibles and musical items. They supply brands such as Stussy, UNDFTD, Nike, Billionaire Boys Club and Insight just to name a few. I was able to roll through the shop a couple of times. Thanks to my homie Pat for hooking me up with some goodies!


Love the North

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Joey Bada$$ - 1999 (Mixtape)


Download Joey Bada$$' 1999 here

Saskatoon Sounds: Andrea An

I met Andrea An once before -- I think it was sometime in 2011 through a mutual friend -- and I had no idea she was a singer; let alone a Youtubing singer. Even more recently, I saw someone tweet about a live broadcast on an Ustream type site. She and her friends were casually performing for whoever happened to stop in. Now my story is caught up to the present time, where I noticed another mutual friend commenting on a newly uploaded cover of Beyonce's "Halo" performed by Andrea on Facebook. Talk about networking. The cover is actually pretty good considering she is only using a single microphone in an ordinary room. The song starts picking up around the one minute mark. So you don't have to wait long before you realize what she's all about. It's also an acoustic cover, I thought I'd mention that if you haven't hit play yet.

Download Andrea An's Halo cover here



I'm not exactly a long time fan of hers but what has me geeking out, and is consequently the reason I'm doing this post, is her Youtube account. I've been on Youtube for a very long time and I've watched the likes of AJ Rafael and Passion thrive for years now. It's very surreal seeing someone in Saskatoon do what they're doing and do a good job at it. Below there are two covers that really strengthen my belief in this girl. Most importantly for me, I liked Drake's "Marvin's Room" and it spawned a ton of covers on the Internet. The problem with those covers is that not many people swore in the song. Oops, the word they're not saying isn't the F-word but the other one. Anyway, she performs Jojo's version almost flawlessly. It's a shame it's so short. The most prominent cover she has done (to me at least) is of Adele's "Someone Like You". Trust, it's a tough, tough, tough song to sing. It's about wishing your former lover to find happiness with their new relationship and not to forget you. Instead of blowing your soul out of your body like Adele does; Andrea's voice is much softer, obviously less powerful, and more delicate.

You may not agree with everything I've said but music is one of the most subjective art-forms in the world. I like what she's doing and I hope you do too.



Below, you'll see "Coming Home" which is Andrea's first official single and it's available for purchase via iTunes or Bandcamp. She displays her ability for song-writing and it's a fine one at that. The structure of the song is properly organized, and sonically, it gives you a better understanding of her voice and style.




Buy -- Coming Home by Andrea An -- iTunes -- Bandcamp

Follow Andrea on Twitter -- Facebook -- Tumblr -- Formspring -- Youtube

Air Jordan IV "Military Blue"


I decided that I should stop sleeping on all of the Jordan's and purchase the odd pair on release day. This past Saturday (June 9, 2012), the Yeezy 2's, "Military Blue" IV's and a pair of Kobes all dropped. I was fortunate enough to at least get one of three. I am happy with the colour way of the model, I am always getting sucked into buying blue sneakers. I will finally give my Jordan V "Stealth's" a break and pick on another blue pair of J's. I will use these in a WDYWT one of these days and let everyone see how they look on if they haven't already seen them on another person.





Love the North