Robot Love

You've seen the sticker, now go to the store. Robot Love, located on 27th and Lyndale in Uptown MPLS features designer toys, clothes, mags and more. Keep up to date with Robot Love events and join thier mailing list to find out about artists signings and featured shows.

2007 DMC REGIONALS

June 6th, at The Foundation in Minneapolis. DJ's will battle it out for thier chance to become the 2007 DMC champion. A title held by many in the past including Roc Raida, DJ Craze, the Scratch Perverts and more. To see video from past events, go to:

http://www.dmcworld.com/championships/2007/home.asp

Some Assembly Required

Expiremental mash ups, sound collage, turntablism and more. Based out of Minneapolis MN, and featured on radio stations all over Canada and the US, Jon Nelson's weekly radio show Some Assembly Required features bands like Evolution Control Committee, Splatt and more. Here is one of the more recent show's playlist:

01 Mr. Dibbs - "Outreach 5"

02 Orchid Spangiafora - "The persistence of F.M."

03 Cheekyboys - "Get Back Sledgehammer"

04 Avalanches - "Tonight"

05 Forty One - "Hip Hip Hop"

06 DJ Zebra - "Upside down tonight"

07 Wobbly - "Anger"

08 The Tape-beatles - "Desire"

09 DJ Marvel - "Turntable Menace"

10 Lecture On Nothing - "The Custom Apocalypse"

11 Pop Chop - "Wonder Fill"

12 Wax Audio - "Unparalleled Danger"

13 Jeffrey Sconce - "Goofy And The Feds"

14 Steinski - "Collage #9"

15 Activist Queer Folk - "Mixed Messages"

16 Go Home Productions - "Notorious Trick"

Download the podcast here: http://www.some-assembly-required.net/index.html

And visit Jon Nelson's label Recombinations to order Nelson's own creation, Escape Mechanism. Along with Lecture on Nothing, an album by a former 2 Live Crew producer.

l'etoile magazine

Check out this MN based art magazine, featuring local artist from Minnesota, along with artists from around the world. Fashion, photography, music... its all there. The current issue features: Two Bit Bling, Cut Chemist, Chuck U and much more.

Buy it here: http://www.letoilemagazine.com/

And locals make sure to check out thier blog to find out out about weekly events.

No Hit Wonder: KC Flightt

Once a month or so the staff at The Medium raid the bargain bins at our local record stores. Our goal is to find music from the past that never broke through to the main stream, or even the underground, or anything at all. Some of these albums will be newly discovered gems, and some will be exactly what you would expect from the bargain bin... Like our first Review: KC Flightt's In Flightt. The artwork of the album says it all, "Check out those Nikes!" with a high top fade to match. The albums first track reveals to us that Diddy was not the first rap "artist" to take a famous song and chorus from the past and pretty much use it in it's entirety with out much change. Luckily for most, it didn't work as well for KC, so you never heard his "remix" of the Talking Head's Once in a Lifetime. And you aren't going to hear it now either, if you really feel the need, you will have to go drop .95 cents at your own record shop. You can however, listen to the party anthem of the album, Bassline. My favorite thing about this song is the way he trys to get you pumped up politely and then drops the weakest xylophone beat you could possibly imagine. Other tracks on the album are hard not to laugh at, while other show glimpses of maturity that make we wonder if KC Flightt went on to become a Jazz musician. Stay tuned for more No Hit Wonders in the future, and if you have an album you think is a no hit wonder, send an email to medium@popvomit.com

Ducky Waddle's

The best little art house in California. A great stop on the Pacific Coast highway in Encinitas, Ducky Waddle's has a little bit of everything. You will have to get past the owner's obsession with Shepard Fairey first, but once you have done that, you can enjoy sifting through shelves of art books, action figures, posters, prints, coasters, lunch boxes. You can find Crumb collectibles next to the Enid doll from Ghost World, next to the Cunt Coloring book. If you are ever in the area, stop in. And make sure to stop at Lou's Records while you are there.

David Lynch is selling

David Lynch is selling his own brand of Coffee beans.
David Lynch is selling mouse pads.
David Lynch is selling hats.
David Lynch is selling t-shirts.
David Lynch is selling buttons.
David Lynch is selling Distorted Nude books.
David Lynch is selling posters.
David Lynch is selling CD's.
David Lynch is selling fine art.
David Lynch is selling DVD's.
David Lynch is selling Coffee Cups.

A Long Way Down

Only a select few of Nick Hornby's novels have not been made into movies. It seems that A Long Way Down is will not be one of those select few. According to Hornby's website, Johnny Depp has signed on to produce the Movie adaptation. If you have not read this book, now is the time. While most Nick Hornby adapted films have proven very strong, none of them aside from High Fidelity really captured the characters from his books. And there are 4 distinct ones in A Long Way Down, these 4 strangers happen upon each other as each was planning to commit suicide. Hornby does a perfect job revealing thier motives throughout the book, and the friction between the characters carry through until the end. Check this book out from the library and then have fun guessing who the cast should be in the upcoming film. And while you are at it, check out 31 Songs, Hornby's paperback mixtape.

American Job

This is the first film from the director of American Movie and Home Movies, Chris Smith. Before Mark Borchardt, there was Randy Scott, and while he may resemble Mark Borchardt in appearance, Randy Scott's personality traits are near opposite. Randy is very soft spoken, and seemingly naive. But there is a deep, hidden rebellious side to him, that may or may not be brought out in this film. The camera trails Randy as he attempts different minimum wage jobs. From the fast food to warehouses, American Job covers just about every style of work you have ever heard any one complain about. This is definitely a premeditatedly slow paced movie, dragging you into the grinding reality that is the American workplace. Download a clip of American Job here. And if you still have a VCR or know someone who does, you can purchase the VHS Tape of this movie here.

ANDREW THOMPSON

Brooklyn native Andrew Thompson looks like a cross between Sally Jessie Raphael and take your pick of the Beastie Boys. And he sounds like a cross between Peter Gabriel and Har Mar Superstar, definitely not someone you can nail down to one genre, let alone five. Label mate to hip hop's Edan, Andrew Thompson pulls his own weight in more ways than one. A jazz singing competition winner that does not take himself too seriously makes for some enjoyable listening, along with creative and quirky videos, he definitely stands out from the crowd.

Check out the Go Bananas video.

And download the free Coast is Clear.mp3

For more on Andrew Thompson:
Andrew Thompson at Lewis Recordings
3 vids, Hi-Res Images
Andrew Thompson Official Site
3 mp3s
Andrew Thompson's Myspace