It’s been a great year for LEGENDmag! We’ve done some really great things with our team, our content, our look and now it’s time for us to bring you more!
We’re more excited then ever about 2009, a year of even more focused independent content. What do you have to look forward too?
Indie/pendent Calender - Independent events around the country.
The Indies: Business list - A list of the nations most independent businesses.
The Indies: Artist list - A list of the nations most independent artists.
The Top Twenty Independent Cities in the US.
Indie/dependence Day: The Indies Are Coming! - The Book
And much more!
Look forward to this and much more from your team of independent lifestyle junkies.
We, here at LEGENDmag, would like to thank the folks over at Alltop for selecting us as a go-to site for their lifehacks and life topics.
Alltop is an “online magazine rack” of popular topics, which is updated hourly. From Addiction to Zoology, chances are they’ve got a topic you’ll care about and the matching blogs you’ll want to follow. It’s also a great tool for all you microbloggers and Twitter-lovers out there.
Here’s a quick vid on what they do…
We’re honored that they’ve chosen us, and promise to continue to provide content worthy to be featured on their site. It’s definitely one of the best holiday gifts we, at LEGENDmag, could ask for!
Here it comes, the chance to buy yourself back into bondage! Now instead of buying your mp3 straight from the source or atleast cutting out hardwhere (which should’ve also cut out cost by the way), now you can go back to buying hardware and worrying about a player!
The slot card is a new format (out in September) and found a places like Best Buy and Wal-Mart (nuff said) and is pushed by the music industry big guys. They are promising more content (music, videos, pictures, notes, etc.) and a more “interactive experience” in exchange for you going from mp3 downloads to purchasing a microSD card (memory card).
This has been put forth by the people at SanDisk who’s products currently allow us to load any song we want from any artist along with tons of other content on an card they sell. Why they would want us to do otherwise is beyond me but it might have something to do withUniversal, Sony, EMI and Warner Music supporting the effort.
I want to make sure it’s said here that this is not to your benifit. It is yet to be seen what will come of the slot card but I for one am not trying to go backwards into the future.
If you are searching for that perfect indie-art gift for your special someone, look no further! San Jose’s Gallery AD hosts a yearly “Fresh Produce” showing where you literally buy the original, one-of-a-kind art right off the walls!
There is a website set up which has samples of the work, but it’s much more fun to actually be there and experience the art in person! However, given that all of your aren’t fortunate to be in the Bay Area for xMas, it is grand that they offer to sell and ship anywhere in the world!
Here are a few select pieces we like (click to enlarge):
For more information, contact:
Anno Domini (the second coming of Art & Design)
366 So. First Street
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 271-5155 www.galleryAD.com
Gallery & Store Hours:
Tuesday through Friday, noon - 7 p.m.
Saturday, noon - 5 p.m.
I’m not sure if this is a exactly a comprehensive list but it’s a good start! I have to mention that although I’m not sure if Def Jam was independent when it first started (wasn’t it?) but Christmas in Hollis by Run DMC is classic! If you think or know we missed some music hit us up so we can add to the list.
1. The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song
2. Dismemberment Plan - This Christmas
3. Death Cab For Cutie - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
4. The Polyphonic Spree - Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
5. Sufjan Stevens - We Three Kings Of Orient Are
6. The Flaming Lips - A Change at Christmas
7. The Walkmen - No Christmas While I’m Talking
8. Mogwai - Christmas Song
9. Sufjan Stevens - O Holy Night
10. Yo La Tengo - It’s Christmas Time
11. The Flaming Lips - Christmas At The Zoo
12. Eels - Christmas Is Going To The Dogs
13. Coldplay - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
14. Low - Just Like Christmas
15. Copeland - Do You Hear What I Hear
16. Ron Sexsmith - Maybe This Christmas
17. Sufjan Stevens - What Child Is This Anyway
Ohmega Watts decided to do a xmas mix and we figured we’d pass it on. Enjoy Say Ho Mix by Ohmega Watts
(pluglabel)
I.N.T. is known as one half of the group La Melodia made 20 Christmas Tracks that are really dope. Check it out. Welcome to Christmas Wonderland by I.N.T
(rappersiknow)
Got a new list from Rachel
Parker Lewis–Xmas Carol, NYC
Rosie Thomas–Why Can’t it Be Christmastime All Year
Service Group–Merry Xmas Everybody
Sufjan Stevens–Hey Guys! It’s Christmas Time
The Wombats–Is This Christmas?
Master Slash Slave–All I Want For Christmas
Rogue Wave–Christmas
Low–Santa’s Coming Over
The Awkward Stage–Mini Skirt of Xmas Lights
Zee Avi–No Christmas For Me
Frightened Rabbit–It’s Christmas So We’ll Stop
Thanks Ernie
Jonathan Coulton’s “Merry Christmas (from Chiron Beta Prime)”:
——————————————-
I should mention at this juncture that this list has not been checked twice (as Santa would) to make sure these bands are indie, but I figure anything is better then the old classics. Some more progressive (I.N.T) and some not but either way enjoy.
Being single is by definition, a very independent way to live one’s life. I like not having anyone to answer to. I like my life being all mine. I like that my friendships do not suffer because I suddenly start spending every waking moment with my boyfriend. When you enter into a relationship, quite often, your other relationships suffer because your attention is so focused on this other person. I get that. I’ve been there. I hope never to be there again, however. I think it’s so important, as with everything else in life, to have balance. Where’s the mystery if you’re always together? Sometimes it can be fun to miss that person. Sometimes it can be fun to just be with yourself and remember that you are good with or without someone else to tell you that they love you. Sometimes, it’s vital to remind yourself about the person you were before your significant other entered the picture. Of course this is all very easy to say, being that I am single. I may sing a very different tune when and if the man of my dreams suddenly appears through the ether of the internet…
Unfortunately for me, but fortunately for all of you, he still remains an anomaly. The last three dates I have gone on have been interesting, entertaining, even hot. But none of them have been the kind that stick.
Date #1) “Where is it???”
So, Craig and I met online and had a really nice rapport. He was sarcastic and charming. Upfront without being abrasive and very funny. There was just one thing about him that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. He admitted to having a third nipple. Since he was so free about it, I felt that I could ask some questions.
Me: “Really? Is it like a little nubbin or is it like the other two…areola and all?”
Craig: “It looks exactly like the other two.”
Me: “Where is it?”
Craig:”I’m not going to tell you.”
Of course, this completely weirded me out while intriguing me all the more. I HAD to go out with this guy. If only to see the nipple. Friends challenged me to “take one for the team” and sleep with him so that I could see it and preferably, get photographic evidence. While I had no intention of taking things that far, I still showed up for the date, dreading it a little and wondering if I would cast my gaze on his oddity.
We met at a really great little art bar near my house. When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised. Craig was much better looking in person than in his pictures. This is very rare, so I was thrilled. He was very well dressed, smooth and we both ordered Jameson. Things were off to a good start! That nipple was as good as mine! (Out of context, that’s a pretty funny thing to say.) We found a spot in the back, settled in and started talking. We had a great time, quite a few drinks and lots of lively conversation. I almost forgot about the third nipple, but suddenly, the whiskey kicked in and my tongue got loose.
Me: “Sooo, wait…can we talk about your third nipple?”
Craig: *blank stare*
Me: “I mean, where is it?”
Craig: “I’m not going to tell you.”
Me: “Awwww…Come on.”
Craig: “No.”
It was time to go home.
Craig insisted on walking me home, which was very nice of him. We got to my door and proceeded to have a very hot make out session on the steps. I sent him home, alone, and went upstairs to curse the fact that I liked a guy with three nipples. He sent me a text to say thank you…and then I never heard from him again. I don’t get it. Did I ask too many questions about the nipple? Was he afraid that I was just another girl who wanted him for his nipples?
Date #2) “Oh hell, I’ll admit it. I’m a ho.”
Mike, as he will be known, was a good looking guy. The funny part is that we met on a dating site, but we had seen each other while I was on the date with Craig (see above). Mike had been at the same very small bar that night with some friends and we had each noticed each other. Strangely enough while chatting online, we didn’t recognize each other from pictures. But we eventually deduced that he was “the guy with the arms!” and I was the “girl in the black dress!” from the other night. We decided to meet at that same bar for a drink. When he arrived, he looked good but seemed kind of awkward. I soon realized that he was missing a tooth and had a pretty significant lisp. He seemed like a nice enough guy that these tawdry details were worth getting past. Eventually, he started to open up. He admitted to having a “stick up his ass.” He then volunteered that he was rather sexually experienced. “Oh hell, I’ll admit it. I’m a ho.” This admission was shortly followed by an even more puzzling one. “I was a virgin until I was 30.” I guess he felt the need to make up for lost time. When I asked him why he had been a virgin for so long, his answer was perfection. “Well, I haven’t always been this hot.” Charming. This date ended shortly thereafter, not surprisingly.
Date #3) Kid with a Car
Darren, as he will be known, is 26. I am 32. I’ve pretty much sworn off younger men, after two highly unfortunate experiences with two 21 year olds in the span of two weeks. A year ago. (I know. I know.) But, Darren was highly accomplished, well spoken, thoughtful and got my sarcasm. So, I figured it couldn’t hurt to give him a shot. The date itself was fairly innocuous. We had drinks at Docs Clock, he kicked my ass at Connect Four, and we talked. Really, he talked. A lot. But, the thing about Darren was his car. He drove a brand new Porsche. What 26 year old drives a Porsche? Not only that, but he had a matching Porsche visor and towel in his car. (See picture above). Are there women out there who find this sort of thing attractive? I find it hilarious.
So, I remain committed to my independence, my singularly happy existence of friends and family, work and play. As for sex and romance, it’s back to the drawing board, people. It’s tough out there.
A quick trip around the “indiesphere” has revealed quite a few independent business people sharing their stories. What better place to share them then here! Etsy has done a lot for a lot of indies including these two!
Hip hop has been pretty stail lately. That’s not to say people aren’t making good music but when you look around at times it just seems that it’s all been done. Kev Choice is here to dispell any such thoughts. An MC with a Masters degree in music is definatley something new but Kev is resting on the laurals of a music degree he’s making good music. He’s mixtape The Bailout is an intro for everyone into his world. Music loves will have a lot of fun listening to the chord progressions and piano improve Kev Delivers and true school mc’s will have no problem with Kev’s flow or swag!
I for one am excited at what Kev Choice brings to the table and what we’ll see from him in the future. Oakland has been waiting for someone who can carry the load and I think Kev Choice is it. Look for a feature in the mag in ‘09!
I’ve been thinking about doing this for years. I’ve always wanted to just pack it all up and go on a a trip around the world, atleast then my back hurting from all the couch surfing would be worth it. Well here are some people who know how to help you do just that. Craig and Linda Martin have been traveling since Feb of ‘06 and have alot of tips for how to get it all done on the their site The Indie Travelers Podcast. Check out their site here and then tell us about your adventures so we can publish them here.
It’s all about knowing what’s indie/independent and what’s not! Here’s a search on a great independent site that helps you search the social-media space on the internet. I decided to do a search on what’s independent, what’s indie, and what’s mainstream. It’s really only the words themselves without much context but it’s a start for finding relevant sites (besides ours), tweeters, and blogs.
The funny thing about this message is that I feel like most people are doing this in life. Missing some really great things simply because they aren’t looking for them. The hard part here is to let a group of people knowing that they are missing something and getting them to go back and look again (that dancing bear just pops out at you once you go back and look).
So while your’e shopping this season remember to check for companies that are independent. Thanks
She was at once a sex kitten and the girl next door. Bettie Page was one of America’s most treasured icons. The bad girl’s Marilyn Monroe. She was playful and funny, charming and affable and without question, hotter than a red hot poker. Bettie Page is Americana. She is the personification of the woman trapped inside every repressed Mormon girl in Utah. She is you. She is me. She is perfection. And she is gone.
She has been a personal inspiration to me as a woman, as she was someone who presented herself seemingly fearlessly. She smiled even while being bound and gagged, as if she realized how silly it all was. She never knew how beautiful she really was. After a couple of brief marriages, and a subpoena to appear in a court case to determine a link between juvenile delinquency and pornography (for which she never showed up!) Bettie disappeared. She went on to lead a quiet, rather normal life, unaware for many years of the impact and scope of her influence. In later years, whenever she granted an interview, she refused to be photographed for fear it would disappoint her fans. If she only knew how much we loved and respected her! If she only knew that she was the spark, the impetus for so many women to be comfortable, to be proud of their shape, their sexuality and their power.
I am so grateful that she was. I am so grateful that she did not die without first knowing how much she meant to so many of us. May you rest in peace, Kitten.
From Amanda:
“This Vans shoe series project is my self portrait. Though you don’t see my face, you see where I have been and how I see the world. I’ve never felt comfortable shooting pictures of myself, but this project enabled me to create images and physically be in them without showing my face. My shoes of choice are black-and-white checkered Vans, and these pictures were taken in such far-flung cities as New York City, San Francisco, Oakland, Havana, Pinar del Rio, Mexico City, Teotihuacan, Los Angeles and Sacramento. My shoes are my proof that I was there at that moment, in that place, at that time.”
(Editor’s Note: Amanda is LEGENDmag’s first Photo Editor and always fam. So make sure you come out and support!!!)
Etsy has done a lot for a lot of indies including these two! 
