You like A. A. Bondy? Well I do as you can see here. Recently on the Conan O’ Brien show, the Bob Dylanesque musician is headed on tour with Bon Iver this August, so mark the date near you.July 25 -

Woodstock, NY - Colony Cafe
August 10 - Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light
August 11 - Nashville, TN - Exit/In
August 12 - Bloomington, IN - Waldron Arts Center
August 14 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
August 15 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
August 23 - San Francisco, CA - Hotel Utah
August 25 - Los Angeles, CA - Troudbadour
August 26 - Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour
August 29 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater

Click here to purchase his new album “American Heart,” it’s the mellow goods.

August 30 - Seattle, WA - Neumos

“I want to give them more reasons not to like me.” – Ryan Sheckler

Oh my god! Ryan Sheckler on the cover of ESPN Magazine for the X-games preview! Go figure they’d choose one of the most marketable faces in skateboarding, teen beat heart-throb right?

Ryan is the first legitimate teenage heartthrob in our industry. People who watch him aren’t skateboarding fans, they’re Ryan Sheckler fans.” – Vert skater Andy Macdonald

(My thoughts exactly, they aren’t skateboarding fans)

“Personally, I think skateboarding is harder than throwing a basketball in a hoop, so I’m all for it growing up and being taken seriously. Ryan is helping do that, and he gets hated on the hardest.” – Pro street skater Jereme Rogers

Don’t get me wrong, the kid can skate but so can a grip of other skaters, who some are waaaay better, only difference, they aren’t marketed to high school tweens with their pocket heavy parents. Nor do they carry themselves in a manner set to receive ridicule. Just cut the bitching and drama, but I guess that’s OC steez in “The life of Ryan.”

Read more here.

Before there was Micky Avalon, before there was Dirty Nasty there was another cheeky white boy throwing down some funny hip hop shit. Does “Original Pirate Material” ring a bell?  On a serious note, his beats and rhymes can also be sent with a meaning like that of Atmosphere. Mike Skinner, the British flow master of The Streets is gearing up for completion on his forth coming album “Everything is Borrowed.” The album is due out in the fall.

“I know the title sounds like a Kaiser Chiefs song but I promise it will be better than that. This album started off life as parables but then I realised that it might get a bit cheesy so I got rid of the alien song and the devil song and replaced them with more straight up songs.”

- Mike Skinner

Just like Jurassic 5, it was “a day at the races.” Only these were the swanky Del Mar Races in sunny Dan Diego. It was hot and sweaty like a fat plumber’s butt crack but the scenery was a sight to see. From pretty ladies to fucked up outfits, Barnum and Bailey ring masters, and jockey’s the size of Tom Thumb, opening day was far from spectacular, but aight.

Click here for some photos of the scene.

Amongst the many skate related blogs and magazine sites, the Skateboarder Magazine has always been a little on the weak side. Well now they’re putting more focus on their online site www.skateboardermag.com and it’s looking good. Check out the goods here.

Shepard Fairey is one of the most revolutionary artists of this time. Always delivering beautiful imagery with a strong political meaning, he never ceases to amaze. The creator of one of the most potent political images in recent history - the OBAMA “HOPE” poster, the image found such immediate resonance with Obama supporters that it became ubiquitous throughout the primary campaign and across the web.  Now, at the request of Russell Simmons, Shepard has donated one of three fine art versions of the poster to the charity auction, Art For Life, an annual event which benefits Simmons’ Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation.  Hope is being auctioned of for some serious greens. If you got the cash, make your bid here or lurk if you just want to see what it’s going for $$$!

I wrote about the upcoming release of this awesome live Bowie set back in April, and now the goods are out. The album’s mastered at some great audio quality, long guitar solos and way more sic instrumentals, the kind you only get at a live show. If you close your eyes and listen with out any outside interference, it’s almost like you’re there. Listen to the album in its entirety for free here.

The track-listing for ‘David Bowie, Live Santa Monica ‘72′:

‘Introduction’
‘Hang On To Yourself’
‘Ziggy Stardust’
‘Changes’
‘The Supermen’
‘Life On Mars?’
‘Five Years’
‘Space Oddity’
‘Andy Warhol’
‘My Death’
‘The Width Of A Circle’
‘Queen Bitch’
‘Moonage Daydream’
‘John, I’m Only Dancing’
‘I’m Waiting For The Man’
‘The Jean Genie’
‘Suffragette City’
‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide’

Lightyear Entertainment will release of the award-winning and critically acclaimed music documentary “Get Thrashed: The Story of Thrash Metal” on September 16, 2008. The film covers the evolution, cultural impact, and musical influence of thrash metal , an extreme form of heavy metal which burst on to the scene in the early-to-mid-1980s. The documentary features interviews with over 50 artists, including past and current members of METALLICA, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX, SLAYER, PANTERA and more! Click here for the scoop.

Check the trailer below:

Yo yo, check the Vox near you.  Headin’ out to all you pokies in the Midwest this July 20, get ready to see some serious shredding from the likes of Dan Drehobl, JT Aultz, Justin Strubing, and more! Click flyer for details.

Here’s the last batch of photos from the Maloof Money Cup! So much money was given away I could smell it! Congrats to all the winners and everyone that skated hard and gave it their all. Until next year …

Click here for photos

For even more details pick up the August issue of LUCID Magazine for a 6-page spread on the entire event and catch all the action on CBS, Sunday, July 20, 2008 at noon PST.

Click here for some more shots of what went down at the Maloof Money Cup and the drunken good times at the Etnies party.

Check out this awesome garage, skate punk music festival coming atcha this weekend. If your near the San Diego area come on down to the first annual Johnny Rad Fest. There’s a whole slew of kick ass bands playing: The Spits, The Atoms, The Sess and The Clean Cuts just to name a few. The kick off starts Thursday, July 17th in San Diego and ends Sunday the 20th just south of the border!  With day time BBQ’s, skate launch ramp contests, thrashing night shows and some mexican madness down in Tijuana, you’re gonna want to be a part of this hot mess. For more info click here. See you there!

Yes, you read right, the What the Fuck is a Bachinsky DVD has set it’s premiere dates. So get on it! If it ain’t at a shop near you, tell your favorite shop to hook it up and give City Skateboards a call. The world premiere kicks of Friday, June 18 in San Fran with a live performance by Mistah F.A.B. (whoever that is).

Check out all the photos of the first day of the Maloof Money Cup here. Lots of pros, hotties and more! Be sure to check back for Day 2 and Day 3! And for even more details pick up the August issue of LUCID Magazine for a 6-page spread on the entire event.

Catch all of the action from the Maloof Money Cup on CBS, Sunday, July 20, 2008 at noon PST.

Paul Rodriguez with his Dad holding the $100,000 1st place street check.

Well after 3 fun filled days of intense skating, the Maloof Money Cup has come to an end. Of all the skate competitions and events I’ve been to, the Maloof Money Cup definitely topped the charts for me, as well as for many pro skaters, industry associates, media, and fans. There was an insane display of skating shown and a variety of tricks pulled for the first time ever. The shit was off the hook!

Besides the sweet eye candy going around for both men and woman, there was also some interesting looking characters. The Etnies festival village was like Halloween all over again for all the little groms trick or treating with their CCS grab bags going booth to booth for some swag. Lots of great give aways from Black Box Distribution, LRG, Blitz, and more!

As for the VIP amenities, the goods were good! Lots of free cold bevies from Vitamin Water to Coors, our bodies were always hydrated with something in the intense summer heat. Free turkey and prime rib dinners, Carls Jr, Pizza Hut, and a bunch of other delicious delights were provided in large abundance leaving our appetites satisfied. The Monster Energy lounge kept us refreshed and cool with some guitar hero action going on.

The only downer was the gestapo like security and too many different wristbands giving inconsistent levels of clearance. Lots of media and pro skaters were getting hasled, but we all prevailed in the end. With all the VIP’s and media on board it was a crowded house, but all the designated areas gave us great views of the competition for some and not so much for others.

Night life was fully of crazy shananigans especially at the Etnies party at the Huddle and of course the Radisson Hotel in Newport. Too much funny fun times! As for Sutra, well we all know I hate clubs like Sutra and the douches that frequent them. We did make a quick stop there before hitting the Etnies party, but left as soon as we saw 5 shiny shirts (A Night at the Roxbury steez) and one to many stuck up OC bubble heads. Nonetheless, they rolled out the red carpet, VIP photo wall, and had Dilated Peoples performing.

All in all, the Maloof Money Cup was absofuckinlutely fantastic! Check out the final results below and be sure to pick up the August issue of LUCID Magazine for a 6-page spread on the entire event. Lots of photos, interviews and funny shit to be read! Click here to view the San Diego premiere issue.

Lacey Baker, womans 1st place street champ and Gavin Maloof with her $25,000 check.

U.S. MEN’S PRO STREET CHAMPIONSHIP:

1st – Paul Rodriguez $100,000 and Nixon watch worth $10,000
2nd — Nyjah Huston $40,000
3rd – Chris Cole $25,000
4th – Ryan Sheckler $15,000
5th – Darrell Stanton $6,250
6th — Jereme Rogers $5,000
7th – Terry Kennedy $4,000
8th – Andrew Reynolds $3,000
9th – Greg Lutzka $2,500
10th – Dennis Busenitz $2,000
11th – Adam Dyet $1,500
12th – Tommy Sandoval $1,250
13th – Billy Marks $1,000
14th – Kurtis Colamonico $1,000
15th – Sean Malto $1,000
16th – Bryan Herman $750
17th – Eric Koston $750
18th – Mike Carroll $750
19th – Jake Duncombe $500
20th – Sierra Fellers $500

CARL’S JR U.S. MEN’S PRO VERT CHAMPIONSHIPS:

1st — Pierre-Luc Gagnon $75,000, a New Ford Flex SUV and Nixon watch worth $10,000
2nd –Shaun White $35,000
3rd –Bucky Lasek $20,000
4th — Danny Mayer $10,000
5th – Sandro Dias $6,000
6th – Andy MacDonald $5,000
7th — Bob Burnquist $4,000
8th – Lincoln Ueda $3,000
9th – Rodrigo Menenez $2,000
10th — Rob Buster Halterman $1,000
11th – Rune Glifberg $250
12th – Rob Lorifice $250
13th – Neal Hendrix $250
14th – Alex Perelson $250
15th — Jake Brown $250
16th – Josh Stafford $250
17th – Darren Navarrette $250
18th – Jean Postec $250
19th – Max Dufour $250
20th – Adam Taylor $250

U.S. WOMEN’S PRO STREET CHAMPIONSHIPS:

1st – Lacey Baker $25,000 and a Nixon watch worth $10,000
2nd – Rachel Reinhard $8,000
3rd — Vanessa Torres $4,000
4th – Elissa Steamer $2,000
5th – Leticia Bufoni $1,500
6th – Amy Caron $250
7th – Lorena Lima $250
8th – Lauren Perkins $250
9th – Evelien Bouilliart $250
10th – Marissa Del Santo $250

Zumiez BEST TRICK:

Lane 1 — Greg Lutzka Frontside-flip Back Lipslide $2,000
Lane 2 — Jake Duncombe Bluntslide to Back Nose-blunt $2,000
Lane 3 — Greg Lutzka Frontside 270 Kickflip Nose-blunt $2,000
Lane 4 — Leo Romero Frontside Nose-blunt Upledge $2,000
Lane 5 — Nyjah Houston Big Spin Flip to Frontside Boardslide $5,000

Chris Cole won the Es Game of SKATE at $15,000 big ones!

Be sure to catch all of the action from the Maloof Money Cup on CBS, Sunday, July 20, 2008 at noon PST.

As an exciting and skillful a sport skateboarding is, skaters are constantly putting their bodies at risk. With crazy injuries such as Jake Brown’s slam at the 2007 X-games, and Pat Duffy’s crash back in 2006 on Bob Burnquist’s mega ramp, the medical assistance can be a tumultuous time if not properly insured.

As Joe Maloof brings the “world’s greates skateboarding competion” to us this weekend, he has also started a kick ass foundation. The Maloof Skateboarding Assistance Foundation is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing support to professional skaters who suffer catastrophic injuries arising from skateboarding events as well as educating the public about the sport of Skateboarding. The
Foundation was established in 2008 by Joe and Gavin Maloof.

Board of Directors:
Joe Maloof, Chairman
Gavin Maloof, Vice-Chairman
Tom Land, Secretary & Treasurer
Carlton Fletcher
Matina Kolokotronis

Good news for the world of skateboarding.

The spawn of the infamous Baker skateboards is going on tour. Get ready for the Deathwish bad boys to raise some hell at a park near you. With Baker’s finest, Jim Greco, Erik Ellington, Antwuan Dixon, the crazy Lizard King, and bad ass ams Brian “Slash” Hansen and Ramiro “Furby” Salcedo, the skating’s gonna be visious. Hide your women and babies, the Deathwish team is here.

Get ready for Alice Cooper’s frightening new album “Along Came a Spider.” This OG dark rocker, who thrives on vaudeville horror fused with thrashing metal rifts, and some catchy classic rock tunes (School’s Out) has some 5 decades of entertaining the masses. This new album blends the old Alice Cooper with his modern day persona. Ain’t nothing like the coolness of the old Alice Cooper, but it’s aight … stream all the tracks here and see for yourself.

“Along Came a Spider” is set to drop July 29 via SPV Records.

Click here to read more about his new album and check out the creepy trailer to his new album below.

Okay, so were less than 2 days away from one of the most exciting skateboard contests to date. With all the big greens at stake, this is gonna be an insane display of skating. You got Eric Koston, Marc Johnson, Jake Brown, The Flying Tomato, Lacey Baker, and many more greats up in the action. Check out the current list of skaters competing here.

Wisely away from the Cali heat, the majority of the competitions will be held in the evening. Click here for the full event itinerary. On top of all the great skating to be shown, the Etnies Festival Village will be hosting some live music and lots of free give-aways. Hollah!

And for all you Sheckler obsessed fans, the “Life of Ryan” will be shooting its season 3 premiere at the Maloof Money Cup. Oh boy …. so be sure to wear your best silk screened shirt of Ryan’s face, expressing how much you adore him. Apparently the boy broke his wrist and is refusing a cast, that should be interesting. And the bad ass Aussie, Jake Brown WILL be competing even though he too has a cast on his arm. Jake’s one tough dude.

$100k for First Place Pro Street
$75k for First Place Plus Tricked Out SUV for First Place Pro Vert
$25k for Women’s Pro Street

So get on it! It’s only $12 bucks for a ticket to watch a hell of a show! Otherwise check out skateboard.com for live coverage. And be sure to check back here for photos of the entire event and pick up the August issue of LUCID Magazine for the entire story! See you there.

Skate legend Jay Adams, the OG bad boy of the infamous Z-boys was released Monday morning after almost 3 years in the concrete jungle. Getting his life back together, Jay will be living at a halfway house in Southern California. He’s also been offered a job as facilities manager at the Hurley headquarters in Costa Mesa.

In November of 2005, Jay was arrested by the feds at his North Shore home for his middleman role in a heavy meth deal between California and Hawaii. Best of luck to Jay and another chance at a healthy begining. For more info click here.