Alba was founded in 1989 under the parent company of Avalon Natural Products. Avalon has created their product lines (Alba Botanica, Unpetroleum, and Avalon Organics) based on what they call the “Five Elements of Consciousness.” The first element is purity and safety. Alba Botanica products contain no parabens, chemical preservatives that increase a product’s shelf […]
Beauty, performance, and sustainability are the three concepts that drive Portland, Oregon-based retailer Nau to create hip, functional, and environmentally conscious clothing. The mission statement of this company, whose namesake is a native Maori (the native New Zealand language) word for “welcome,” is “to combine the generosity of the human spirit and the power of […]
Before dismissing Otep as just another band that’s caught in the tentacles of the dysfunctional nu-metal post goth/metal family—an analysis is of the utmost importance. Consider the following (Otep has): raspy female-fronted vocals in artsy poetic verse, an emphasis on driven bass-fronted metal, a firm idea of what having dynamics actually means and an ultra […]
With a distinct influence from Legendary Pink Dots, New Order and later goth-industrial emotionalists, Plane dishes out tracks of ominous melancholy on their sophomore drop, I See Love In The Future. Guitars strum serenely on “Blood On The Waves,” and a drum machine paces gently. Gradually the track builds into a chugging train of intention, […]
Before I get started, if you play Guitar Hero and purchase this CD, you get three more songs compared to the game. I’m not sure how it works, as I’m not a Guitar Hero player, but I’m sure you can figure it out if you are. That’s a great incentive to buy this CD. I […]
We’ve all been to the hip bar downtown, where every Friday night there is sure to be that same band you’ve seen about nine times the past year is playing those same songs that you are so sick of hearing. So sick of the songs, that you can’t wait to hear the one they always […]
You’re up at three in the morning watching infomercials, finishing off a 12-pack of PBR that you opened at 1:00am, and wondering where you’re life went so very wrong. In between trips to the bathroom, you actually become intrigued by the many education paths you can take by simply completing this or that course that […]
Dance addicts and late-night partiers—take notice and remember the name Justin Martin. This DJ/producer/remixer is really starting to make some noise as the”next-big-thing” and one of San Francisco’s best. Martin, a regular on Ben Watt’s Buzzin’ Fly London label and part of the “dirty bird” crew in SF, comes highly regarded as a unique European […]
The White Fires of Venus – Skin and LightA Corporate Nightmare RecordsJeff Sparks seems like a nice guy. From the hand-written note he included in the CD he sent us, to his unassuming description on his Myspace page. He is a solo artist who doesn’t feel comfortable producing music under his own name. The band […]
This week’s article finds me looking east for what can be found to the west: Japanese company DHC is a mail order operation offering wide variety of skin care products and cosmetics all made from the same fruit: the Spanish olive. Olive oil is the main ingredient in a large percentage of its products. Olive […]
