Photo by Alexey Yurenev

Done to Death artists, US Royalty, just recently collaborated with Joseph Pepper from Cartel & Stuart Luptin from The Child Ballads / Jonathan Fire*Eater covering The Rolling Stones “Sweet Virgina.”

I had a chance to catch up with Joseph at El Bar a couple weekends back and he mentioned that the idea for collaborating was very impromptu, yet welcomed. Apparently he hit the studio immediately, recorded the guitar track, and was pleased to hear the final result!

Download: US Royalty & Friends - Sweet Virginia

Photo by Dan Hall

Name:
Farshad Arshid

Aka:  
Rashad, Vershad, Far-shaad, Rasheed, FarshaRd, RashaRd, and any other way my name is butchered…

Website:
standardatl.com

Where are you from?
Born in Tehran Iran (gotta rep the motherland) grew up in Houston, TEJAS (as GDub says it), here in Atlanta for 13 years now.

Who do you work for? 
For the man… Damn the man… Oh, and I own the Standard boutiques in town.

What are your Current Project(s)? 
Collaboration with DC Shoes, collab with Process (clears throat)… Spring/Summer In-Store series at 1841. And a few more that I can’t talk about yet…..

Who would you love to work with?
Too many to name, but here are a few: Nike, The Hundreds, 10 Deep, Alife, Benny Gold, Huf, Maharishi

If you had to give all your sneakers away to charity except for one pair, which ones would you keep? 
Adidas Milano Navy with gold Stripes… I have 2 pairs… a beat up pair that wore while building the original store… and a pair I found at Sporty LA 2 years ago which I paid entirely too much for… This is strictly for sentimental reasons…

What’s on your iPod right now?
The new Depeche Mode (single), George Michael (4life), Ghostland Observatory, Sam Roberts Band, Rehab, Elton John, Morrissey, The Smiths, Cartel, Ponderosa, UGK, the Cool Kids, Phoenix, US Royalty, Chester French, NERD, Grip Plyaz, Biggie, Erik B & Rakim, Ice T, New Order, The Cure, Duran Duran.

What’s your Favorite ATL food?
Spice Market, Eugene’s, Rumi’s Kitchen, Flip Burger Boutique, Surin, Holeman & Finch, Taqueria Del Sol, FAB, MF Sushi, Shaun’s, Hong Kong Harbor (best dim sum in town).

What’s your Favorite ATL hangout?
STANDARD Boutiques (look man, I work gazillion hours a weeks… my only social activity is talking shit to whoever visits… but other favorite spot that I don’t visit nearly enough is El Bar.

What are your Pet Peeves?
Assholes (with the exception of myself), being late, bluetooth headsets, sunglasses indoors, stupid questions (Is the grass real? Is this Pharrell’s store? Where do you guys get your stuff from? Do you guys make your own clothes? Can I get a recession discount?)

Shout outs?
Man toooo many…. 1st and foremost, the bosslady my wife Sandy… My family, My Standard crew (Daniel, Ryan, Nellie, Mourad, Xavier, Cory), CHRIS BLACK, Bun B, My Process boys of course (keep doing what you’re doing), Greg Street, Don Cannon, Coach K, Vik S, Shawn from Walters, The entire Rehab Family, Demun Jones, Germaine, the Willis Twins, Smiles, xText message Timx, Kaos, Jason Geter, Brian @ DC, C to the JL, Kaan Ergun (kaandre 3000), FNDTN crew, BBC crew, Scotty ILL, Eric V, Meg, Benny Gold, Rob Wonder & Rosa, Zach Wolfe, Sumner, Henry, Serious Ron, The Joneses, Will Lundy, Lavish Life crew, AC, Myk and the rest of The Charlotte crew, Dallas Austin, and the Rowdy Crew, G Mike, Caleb, Ross, Reggie, Patrick, and last but not least my boys Zero, Cosmo, and Paco.

Here’s a closer look at the custom Vans from the Laced Up sneaker event we took part in a few weeks back. If you happen to be in Charlotte, they’re on display at Niche right now. Stop in and say hello to Bobby, and while you’re there, take some photos and send ‘em over!

View more custom Vans from Laced Up after the jump. Read more »

ATL’s best interior design company, Habachy Designs, came to Epidemik Coalition needing a new website. After a few meetings at their downtown Atlanta office, which has an amazing view of the city, we quickly had wireframes and site-structure in hand. It was only a matter of days to implement everything and get it live. It was a pleasure working with Michael and Evan on this project and we’re looking forward to future EC/Habachy collaborations.

Yesterday, a special package came in the mail from Quintin, a new hat company owned by some of our friends on the west coast. What sets them apart from the norm is that they specialize in fitted 5 panel caps, thus eliminating the need for a pesky adjustable strap and delivering some class to the 5 panel category. Their first wave of releases will take place on May 2nd, kicking off a summer of weekly releases bearing collaborations with many heavy-hitting design teams (the line sheet looks amazing). We’re honored to be included in this succession of releases and are currently tweaking the final details on the first PROCESS x Quintin collaboration set for later this summer. Read more »

Thousands of independent record stores across the country are celebrating Record Store Day today, including our very own Criminal Records. It’s important to support these local stores in your city because life would suck if you were limited to the internet for new music.

From 10am to 10pm today, Criminal will be having a huge sidewalk sale and giving away FREE beer and cake. Also, a ton of great local bands will be playing sets in-store.

Here are the set times:
11:00AM – Death on Two Wheels
12:00PM – Thy Mighty Contract
1:00PM – Carolina Chocolate Drops
2:00PM – Mike Farris & the Roseland Rhythm Revue
3:00PM – Ocha La Rocha
4:00PM – Noot d’Noot
5:00PM – Player/Kommander
6:00PM – Carnivores
7:00PM – Selmanaires
8:00PM – Manchester Orchestra
9:00PM – Judi Chicago

So as I have written on here before, I work primarily as a photo assistant for the majority of my income. What this basically means is that I carry around all the gear and put up the lights where the photographer wants them and then make sure everything runs smoothly so that the photographer has nothing to worry about except making sure they get the right picture. So yesterday I was fortunate to work with a really awesome photographer out of New York by the name of Ben Baker. One of the most refreshing things to see while working with someone is their total control with lighting. What I mean by this is that no matter what the image or situation the lighting is spot on and Ben is one of these people. Even while inside the Georgia World Congress Center with a million kids around he still was able to keep his cool and know exactly what he wanted his lighting to look like. I went through his website and tried to find the images that best showed this. Check out the rest of his work on his website, you might see some images you have seen before.

Read more »

Tonight, join the crew at El Bar with special guest, DJ Rashida, on the turntables. You may have seen her on stage with Prince, or on MTV on America’s Best Dance Crew. She’s major!

Don’t know what to wear? I’d suggest swinging by Standard 1841 and picking up a PROCESS tee…

Our buddy, Myk Pate, sent me this photo of him and BLNGxBDGT (Bling on a Budget) on the Camden block in Charlotte. If you didn’t already know, PROCESS is available at Black Sheep located at the fork on Camden Road. It’s great to see the line being embraced by what is quickly becoming our home away from home.

As a side note, we’re bringing BLNGxBDGT to El Bar on May 22nd in what will be the 1st of many SWARM [ATL Edition] parties that we’re throwing in conjunction with Kitchworth. Fun times coming this summer!

Name:
Stefán Kjartansson

Aka:  
To my mom I’m Stebbi.

Website:
howdoyouspellkjartansson.com
armchairmedia.com/work/

Where are you from?
I was born in Siglufjörður, which is a small fishing town in a fjord north of Iceland.

Who do you work for? 
I’m a founding partner and designer at Armchair.

What are your Current Project(s)? 
Philips Van-Heusen, FusionBrands, SAT.

Who would you love to work with?
Peter Seville, I just want to see how he thinks. I would like to work with Michael Bierut to experience his process.

If you had to give all your sneakers away to charity except for one pair, which ones would you keep? 
I have two pairs of Tretorns. The high-tops could easily fetch $7.

What’s on your iPod right now?
Nate introduced me to this band today called Tuxedomoon. I plan listen to them obsessively.

What’s your Favorite ATL food?
Floataway Cafe, MF Sushi, Star Provisions, Top Flr

What’s your Favorite ATL hangout?
Octane Coffee.

What are your Pet Peeves?
Designers that are not passionate about their work.

Shout outs?
I wanna give a shout out to my Armchairs: Scott, Dave, Kenny, Kevin,
Farbod, Nate, Tiffany, Marta, Aaron, Michelle, Travis, Reena, Erick,
Emily, Darcey, Alice, Erica, Rebecca, Jamie. I also wanna give a shout
out to Elise and Thor. And God.

I’ve been doing a lot of traveling lately… Asia, New York, New Orleans. On each of the trips, design has been at the reigns. I’d like to take a minute to describe my travels to Asia during one week in March and share a once-in-a-lifetime project I’ve been involved with at Georgia Tech this spring.

A group of 9 architects, 1 industrial designer (me), 1 anthropologist, and 2 health system engineers have been working since January to design a health clinic for a village in Sukadana, West Kalimantan. Kalimantan, otherwise known as Borneo to us westerners, is an island in Indonesia situated on the equator, exactly 12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. The weather is a constant 85° with 90% humidity, making HOTlanta seem like the arctic.

Who are we working for? An American MD named Kinari Webb and her health organization named Health in Harmony provides integrated essential health care and environmental education to the citizens of Sukadana. It is one of Health in Harmony’s missions to reduce the local illegal logging industry towards preservation of the Bornean rainforest, home to one of the planet’s largest assets of flora and fauna including wild orangutans! It turns out Dr. Webb had a connection to a fellow at Georgia Tech, who pulled resources to organize the course.

After months of work, six students from our group were sent to Borneo (expenses paid via a grant) to present architectural plans as proposals to the organization. During an intense 3-day charette, we gathered their feedback in order to create a more informed design. Those involved in the charette included Dr. Webb, her health clinic staff, and the community who would ultimately be using and building the clinic. Each day of the design discussions took place at Health in Harmony’s current health clinic which is a 3-room house next to the ocean.

We returned from Asia full of ideas, rice, and a realistic outlook on what life looks like in Indonesia. On a personal note, it was humbling to be in a place so disconnected from western culture and so full of noise and LIFE. This information is being pumped into a final, refined design that will be handed over to the Health in Harmony group in a few weeks at a final presentation in Atlanta. Those architectural plans will be used to gather funding in America to be put towards construction starting in November.

See some pics of my journey after the jump
Read more »

We just finished redesigning the Fugees Family website. Their unique story has been featured on CNN, The New York Times, NPR, and Sports Illustrated. I can’t say enough for the organization and what they do for refugee families. Head over to fugeesfamily.org to find out more. It was a pleasure to work with Luma Mufleh and the rest of the Fugees Family organization on this project. Head over to their new site, and donate if you’re down with the cause.

Just Jack gives a new spin to a familiar tune about ignoring haters via BBC’s Radio 1. This is definitely more on the grill out with your friends and drink Terrapin all summer side of things than the get in fights with strangers at El Bar and come home smelling like smoke & Bear Fights original. I think this is the only way I’m gonna get my girlfriend to listen to the King.

Download: Just Jack - Live Your Life (T.I. & Rihanna Cover)

Thanks to my lackluster work schedule lately, I have been fortunate to catch up on a lot of daytime television and one of my new favorite shows is Deadliest Catch on Discovery. I know that I am a few years behind on this one but over the past couple of days I have been glued to my screen biting my nails and freaking out over all the crazy stuff that happens over a single episode of this show. Now you might be trying to figure out what Deadliest Catch has to do with Photo Fridayz and here is the link. This weeks photographer made a name for himself by getting onto an Alaskan King Crab fishing vessel and creating a body of work from his time there. The images are like stills straight from the Deadliest Catch and are pretty incredible to look at. There are tons more images at his website and even an interview of how he got his start here.

See more of Corey’s work after the jump. Read more »

This track has been bangin’ all over town as of late, so I felt it was necessary to post sooner than later. Atlanta-based DJ Smiles flipped the original Miami Bitch track by LMFAO for our city. He also brought in some local talent such as, Niko Villamor, 080 from T!Katz, and Grip Plyaz to mention some of the city’s most-endearing spots, such as the infamous EL BAR. Check out the 3rd verse by Grip. It’s the best one.

Shouts to Tunde from Fresh.I.Am for the track’s artwork! They’ve been doing a great job highlighting talent in this city, so make sure you follow their RSS feed.

Download: DJ Smiles - Atlanta Bitch [Feat. Niko Villamor, 080 from T!Katz, & Grip Plyaz]

Name:
Colleen Burley

Aka:  
Charlie, Queen La Queefa, Chachi, Crazy cat Lady, I have to mention Captain Butt Balls the Litter Box Magician (I do not go by this, so never call me this unless you are Daks).

Website:
You need to make me one. I know, I know, it is pretty sad that I do not have one. I am sure the hobos who live off the dead tracks on ponce will have web sites before me. I guess I am just old school hahah!

Where are you from?
Queens New York Son!

Who do you work for? 
Americans.

What are your Current Project(s)? 
Shit i have a bunch! Laundry, dishes, dusting, setting up my painting studio and waiting for George to call me to come silk screen with him. I will be partaking in the annual  Skateboard Show @Young Blood  coming up May 2nd (my birthday)! I have agreed to teach children at some art camp over at Eyedrum in April. I got three jobs and they keep me busy. The creative juices in my brain have started flowing again so we will se what happens. Oh and I am in a band, GuyLiner. We are playing at the Drunken Unicorn on Friday April 24th. I think we go on last, well yeah we do… we are headlining. 

Who would you love to work with?
Shit this is a good question!  Well of coarse you fuckers. I would love to work with Cy Twombly, Jeff Soto, Barry McGee, Daks, Camille Rose Garcia, Espo, John K (creator of Ren and Stimpy), Tim and Eric, Mark Van Orman (creator of Flap Jack), Stephan Hillenburg (Spongebob), Trey Parker and Matt Stone. There are a bunch of artists whom I wish I could have worked with but due to death it is not at all possible. One of those was Margaret Killgallen. I remember when I first found out about her death. I was checking out the mags in the tower over off Broadway and Astor Place. I read about it and almost fell down. It sucked she was AMAZING! 

If you had to give all your sneakers away to charity except for one pair, which ones would you keep? 
Shit I do not think charity would take any of my shoes. They are all fucked up from working behind the bar. So i guess i would say my slippers. Final answer.

What’s on your iPod right now?
I am unsure of where it is but that shit  has too much crap on it. I havent even heard of half of the bands, groups, what ever is on my piss-pod.

What’s your Favorite ATL food?
I am a sucker for Nakato and Alfedos.

What’s your Favorite ATL hangout?
My house. I am pretty boring I guess. My job is being “out” not like gay but you know up in the club, so i guess that is a good reason to stay at home when I am not working. I do love the bookhouse! NO SMOKING there and thats fantastic. Its also really chill, not loud, and the food is amazing. If I want to dance then its El Bar.

What are your Pet Peeves?
People who do not wash their hands after using the bathroom.People who think they are doing the bartender a service by ordering drinks for random people who are waiting and not with them.People who scream,smack the bar, or wave their bottle around to get a bartenders attention. Daks giving me my once a month lecture about being a quitter.

Shout outs?
TV anchors give shot outs on the news does that mean shot outs are whack? Like we all knew gold teeth were done once Hulk Hogans daughter got a grill. You can give shot outs on Cash cab too. Thats pretty sweet… well shit… Patrick, My cats, Shannon and Erin, My mom + Dad, Grandma, all my family, Leah, Helen, Jaime, Melanie, Kasia, Dangle, Reed, Candice, Peter, Philip, Lex, Amy, Kripdog, Raven, Sarah, Gill, Danny, Naomi, Mags, Jenn, Dangle, Reed, Sharon, Rosa, Rob, Little Wonder, Kayla, Ed, Cory, Lord, Rasta, Kevin, Cristo, Steve, Sek, Kenyon, Mane, Grant, Seth P, Daniel, Jonathan, BoomBox, Elvira, Tara, Ali, Jeff, The Midway Pub, MJQ, EL Bar, The Local, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixion, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzon, Holy shit I am over this… If I forgot you sorry let me know and I will pour a beer out for you’s. So Remember Spay and Neuter your Pets AND ALWAYS — LOVE THE PROCESS ITS ALL ABOUT THE PROCESS!

Turntablist icons/DMC Champions, DJ Craze and DJ Klever, showcase Traktor Scratch Duo in this demo video for Native Instruments. Peep Klever’s tee!

Our feature on Vimby.com just went live! Thanks to Chandler K. for spending the day with us and producing this great piece. Don’t forget to give us a rating!

This is kind of a big deal. Both Klever and Craze will be at El Bar tonight in what is sure to be memorable. Email for sure entry and more details.

This week I bring to you Jerry Hsu. He’s not only an awesome photographer but an amazing skateboarder as well. I guess its a common thing these days for skateboarders to be photographers as well considering all the crazy/awesome things they get to see. Either way, Jerry has been around for a while and I’ve been a huge fan of his even before I knew that he was a popular photographer. After the jump not only can you check out some of his awesome black and white work but you can also see one of his best video parts from Enjoi’s last video, Bag of Suck.

Read more »