With 120,000 Beetles sold in 2013, VW is reportedly planning to expand the retro-styled lineup with new models, turning the Beetle
name into a sub-brand. The German automaker has confirmed that it is
working on new Beetle models, including a modern take on the VW Microbus
based on the Beetle platform. According to a report from Auto Bild, VW wants to profit from the Beetle’s cult image by launching new models such as the VW Bulli, previewed by the 2011 namesake study. However, the Bulli won’t arrive before 2019, when VW will launch a new generation of the Beetle. The
five-passenger van will be longer and taller than the Beetle and will
source parts from the Touran and the Golf Sportsvan. The Bulli will be
available with 4Motion all-wheel drive as well as with a newly developed
supercharged three-cylinder engine. There could also be an electric
drive model. Besides the Bulli, VW is said to be working a sporty Beetle Coupe, which will combine styling cues from the Beetle Dune and E-Bugster
concepts, while also looking back at historical Beetles for
inspiration. The Beetle Coupe will feature a high beltline, narrow
windows and a distinctive roof. It will be powered by a 300 hp gasoline
engine in its sportiest iteration and will feature all-wheel drive. Finally,
the Beetle could also spawn an SUV version with a higher ground
clearance and off-road styling. It will be available with all-wheel
drive and even a hybrid setup. (Carscoops)
The official lyric video for the new Prong song "Turnover" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Ruining Lives", which was released through Steamhammer/SPV in Scandinavia on April 23, in Germany on April 25, in the rest of Europe on April 28 and will be made available in the U.S./Canada on May 13.
The Search for General Tso is a feature-length documentary
tracing the origins of Chinese American food through what is arguably
America’s most popular takeout meal – General Tso’s Chicken. In the
filmmaker’s own words, the film “uses the Americanized dish and its
mysterious mastermind as a lens into a larger story of immigration,
adaptation and innovation, and follows a lighthearted journey, grounded
in cultural and culinary history, through restaurants, Chinatowns, and
the American imagination.” The Search for General Tso premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival. (highsnobiety)
Moby recently remixed David Lynch's song "The Big Dream," and now he's directed a video to go along with his "Reversion" of the track. This remix comes from The Big Dream Remix EP, which can be purchased digitally on iTunes.
Over the weekend copies of Atari's disastrous 1982 E.T game
adaptation were excavated from a landfill in New Mexico. The
long-rumored cache of trash contained copies of the game, promotional
materials, and other games, according to published reports. A documentary team accompanied by senior figures at Microsoft were on
hand, as were several media outlets who spent the Saturday enjoying the
fragrance and ambience that only a landfill can provide. The idea that Atari dumped huge quantities of its financially
disastrous 1982 game had long been rumored to exists. The excavation was
the result of investigative work by a team of filmmakers who are
creating a documentary about the rise and fall of Atari - and inevitably
the video games industry as it was way back in 1982. Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb and social media director Jeff
Rubenstein were present for excavation, and both tweeted pictures of
their success to a waiting world. The moment was filmed for the
documentary backed by Microsoft, Fuel Entertainment and Lightbox
Entertainment as well.
While the excavation does indeed prove that Atari dumped some
materials in this particular landfill, it is unclear just how many
copies of E.T were unearthed. Rumors over the years estimated that Atari
dumped thousands and even millions of cartridges. How many are actually
in the New Mexico desert landfill remains to be seen.
Karen O and N.A.S.A.'s cover of Bob Marley's classic, "I Shot The Sheriff",
got its own animated music/lyric video this week. The rendition
originally aired during a Super Bowl commercial for Sonos. Directed,
illustrated, and animated by San Charoenchai, check it out below.
Prior to the inaugural FIA World Rallycross Championship kicking off
soon, Swedish racing driver Mattias Ekström has previewed the absolutely
insane car which he will be piloting during the epic racing series. Ekström along with his outfit EKS will field two brutally modified Audi
S1s. One will of course be driven by Ekström himself while the other
will be raced by Junior World Rally Champion Pontus Tidemand. Featuring a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine just like the
road-going S1, this race-prepped version will deliver a brutal 600 hp.
All of this power will be sent through all four wheels and consequently,
the car will rocket to 100 km/h from a standstill in a mere 1.9
seconds! Some of the other drivers set to compete in the FIA World Rallycross
Championship in the ‘Supercar’ class like Ekström will be Tanner Foust,
Ken Block, Petter Solberg and Jacques Villeneuve. (gtspirit)
New York’s Madball have released a lyric video for the brand new song, DNA. The track is from their upcoming record, Hardcore Lives, which will be released in the US June 27th via the band’s own The Black N Blue Label and in Europe via Nuclear Blast. Check out the video below.
This is a trailer for upcoming documentary Havana Motor Club, which
explores Cuba's underground community of car racers, and their quest to
host the first legal drag race since the revolution in 1959. Because the film, created by Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt, is a Kickstarter project, there's no official release date yet.
Big Freedia, one of the pioneers of New Orleans bounce who put twerking
on the map, just released a new single called “Explode.” It’s the first
track off of his new upcoming album, “Just Be Free,” which is set to be
released on June 17.
The American/Canadian duo Duck Sauce have just released the official video for their latest track, “NRG,” which is taken off their debut album, Quack, out now via Fool’s Gold.
Slayer debuted a new song titled "Implode" duing a
surprise three-song set at last night's Revolver Golden Gods awards
show in Los Angeles, CA. The song was recorded with producer Terry Date (Pantera) and is available as a free download via Slayer.net. Meanwhile, a stream of "Implode" has surfaced online and can be heard below.
The Lytro Illum is a light-field camera specifically designed for creative professionals. Lytro’s initial camera
made waves in 2011 thanks to a fascinating method of capturing all the
light available rather than a single pane, allowing the focus to be
changed multiple times after being taken. The Illum features a 40-megaray sensor compared to the initial
camera’s 11-megaray sensor, a 30mm to 250mm range, an aperture of f/2.0,
and is powered by a Snapdragon 800
processor. Lytro has also produced a new iPad app that makes use of the
gyroscope to provide a kind of 3D viewing experience for photos. The Illum will be available in July for $1,599, or at a pre-order
price of $1,499. Current Lytro owners can get $200 off the purchase
price.
White Lung have released a new song titled “Snake Jaw.” The track is a B-side taken from the band’s upcoming Down With The Monster seven-inch, which will be out April 29 via Domino Recording Co. Listen to the song below. White Lung will release their third full-length album, Deep Fantasy, on June 17 via Domino Recording Co.
Peugeot has presented the 2008 DKR, a purpose-designed race car built
to spearhead the automaker's return to the iconic Dakar Rally after a
25-year hiatus. Driven by experienced pilots Carlos Sainz and
Cyril Depres, the race car features a menacing look with angular
headlights similar to the ones found on the regular-production 2008, a
thin radiator grille and black alloy wheels mounted on off-road
competition tires manufactured by Michelin. A two-tone flat paint job
wraps up the murdered-out look, while a coupe-like silhouette adds a
sporty touch to the overall appearance. Interior pictures are not
available but expect the car to boast a driver-focused cockpit with
just the bare minimum level of equipment. What powers the 2008
DKR is a mystery but Peugeot has revealed the car is rear-wheel drive.
Although critics are skeptical Peugeot can win Dakar with a two-wheel
drive car, engineers believe the 2008 DKR has the potential to perform
better than four-wheel drive racers entered in the event by competing
automakers. "Given the off-road capability of two-wheel drive transmission
and its ability to run on sand, that's the choice we ultimately went
for. It enabled us to fit bigger wheels and also to benefit from more
suspension travel," explained Jean-Christophe Pailler, Peugeot Sport's
Project Leader. The 2008 DKR is scheduled to make its competition
debut in January of 2015 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It will face
stiff competition from an eclectic field of rivals including a heavily-modified MINI Countryman that has placed first in every edition of the grueling race since 2012. (leftlanenews)
Courtney Love has revealed her new single 'You Know My Name', which is set to be officially released as a double A-side single with 'Wedding Day' on May 4th.
Toronto’s 'Dogs'
have just released a new music video for their song “The Nightrider”.
The track is an unreleased song from a 2006 recording session. You can check out the video below. The group will be releasing their debut 7″ via Rubber Factory Records this summer.
Japanese advertising agency TBWA\Hakuhodo partnered up with a
well known whiskey company Suntory to create the world’s first 3D-milled ice
cubes. ‘3D on the Rocks’ is the title of this latest ad campaign for Japanese
liquor company in which they amazingly use CNC router technology to create extremely
detailed ice cube sculptures. All these incredible creations are the result of a
time-consuming modeling process and took between one and six hours to complete.
The final designs include a great white shark, an astronaut, the Statue of
Liberty, and Michaelango’s David.
BMW has traveled to the Beijing Motor Show to introduce a concept car
called Vision Future Luxury. As its name implies, the Vision Future
Luxury concept provides a glimpse into the direction the German
company's design language will take in the coming years. Crafted
out of aluminum and carbon fiber, the Vision Future Luxury wears an
elegant design defined by a heavily-sculpted hood, thin headlights that
pack laser technology, elegant chrome trim and oversized kidney grills
with eight vertical slats each. Engineers have eliminated the B-pillar
by fitting rear doors that open in a suicide fashion. The Vision
Future Luxury concept packs an innovative interior with a heads-up
display that provides the driver with key information about the car and
its surroundings. A large touch screen mounted on the right side of the
dashboard enables the passenger to share information with the driver by
using swiping motions. Finally, two more large touch screens are
integrated into the front seatbacks. The concept's cockpit lives
up to BMW's high standards with acres of supple leather upholstery, real
wood trim and discreet chrome touches. The Munich-based
automaker has opted not to release any technical details about its
latest concept but the "eDrive" emblem on the left side of the rear
fascia and the quad exhaust pipes integrated into the rear bumper reveal
the Vision Future Luxury concept is powered by a plug-in hybrid
drivetrain. BMW says the Vision Future Luxury concept is merely a
design study, but we suspect some of its styling cues will be found on
the next-gen 7-Series when it bows in 2016. (leftlanenews)
L.A. crossover thrash/hardcore punk legends Suicidal Tendencies have debuted a music video for their track ”Slam City”. You can watch it below. “Slam City” is taken from Suicidal Tendencies’ latest album 13, which was released last year.
Michael Jordan has introduced the 29th edition of his
shoe, the Air Jordan, on Thursday in Manhattan. Air Jordan XX9 will be
available for purchase in September. Each pair will reportedly cost $225. According to Tinker Hatfield, designer for 19 of the 29 Air Jordan
shoes, the new version consists of a high-tech weaving process from
Italy, where a part of the shoe will be manufactured. The same process
is used for manufacturing high-quality silk neckties. The remaining
parts of the shoe will be created and assembled in Asia. Designing the
Air Jordan XX9 took over two years to complete, with over 20 people
involved.
Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson star in the new film from David Michôd,
director of Animal Kingdom. Set in the Australian desert in the near
future, Pearce plays a desperate man whose last possession is stolen by a
gang of criminals. He embarks on a mission to track them down,
enlisting the help of the gang's youngest member, played by Pattinson. "The Rover opens in New York and L.A. on June 13th and expands nationwide on June 20th. Watch the new trailer below.
Four Tet’s been releasing songs under his Percussions alias over the
past few days in a lead-up to the release of two 12-inches on his own
label. Listen below. Both singles are out 4/28 on Four Tet’s own TEXT label.
Brooklyn-based Dan Witz is known for his unusual street art installations
and figurative paintings. This collection of mixed media works painted
onto canvas captures the essence of being in the middle of a real mosh
pit.
Here's the official music video for "Aerosol Can" by Major Lazer featuring Pharrell Williams. This is off of the Apocalypse Soon EP, available now on iTunes.
IFC Films has released the Cold in July trailer and poster. Here’s the official synopsis for Cold in July: "On a hot Texas summer night in 1989, family man Richard Dane (Dexter’s Michael C. Hall) awakens to the sound of a burglar breaking into his home. In a panic, he shoots the intruder dead—but this nightmare is only just beginning. Although he’s hailed as a small-town hero, Dane soon finds himself fearing for his family’s safety when the burglar’s ex-con father, Ben (Sam Shepard), rolls into town; hell-bent on revenge. However, not all is as it seems. Misled by the cops and desperate for answers, Richard embarks on an increasingly berserk, bloodstained quest to discover what really happened that night. The plot twists pile up faster than the body count in this blistering mystery of vengeance and vice, directed by Jim Mickle (Stake Land, We Are What We Are) with scene-stealing performances from Sam Shepard and Don Johnson as a pair of Texan badasses. Based on the novel by Joe R. Lansdale." Cold in July opens May 23rd.
Mastodon have premiered a new song, “High Road.” Check it out below.
The song comes off Once More Round the Sun, their sixth studio album to be released this summer.
Pink Mountaintops, the solo-ish project of Black Mountain frontman Stephen McBean, is about to release its new album, Get Back, on April 29, via Jagjaguwar. And today, Pink Mountaintops has released a brand new track from the album, titled “The Second Summer of Love.” Check it out below.
Open Road Films has debuted, via Moviefone, the trailer for Eli Roth's upcoming horror thriller The Green Inferno. Check it out in the player below! Directed and co-written by Roth (with Guillermo Amoedo), The Green Inferno
stars Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy, Daryl Sabara and Kirby Bliss Blanton
and follows a group of student activists who from New York City travel
to the Amazon to protect a dying tribe, but crash in the jungle and are
taken hostage by the very natives they saved. The Green Inferno opens in theaters September 5, 2014. (comingsoon)
Following the release of their new album 'Wasted Years', OFF!
have released a video for album track 'Red White and Black' starring
Dave Foley (Kids in the Hall) and Brian Posehn (Mr. Show) directed by
The Admiral, with cameos by Danny Carey (Tool), Dale Crover (Melvins),
David Yow (Jesus Lizard), and Jack Grisham (TSOL).
Former Moloko vocalist Róisín Murphy will release the Mi Senti EP on May 28th, a six-track collection of Italian pop songs, including five covers of classic pop hits from Italian singers and songwriters, and one original. ‘Ancora Tu’ is from that EP and is a cover of the Lucio Battisti original. Mi Senti will be released as a digital download, and limited edition gatefold vinyl.
Part two of a documentary web series focusing on Swedish occult rockers Ghost can be seen below (courtesy of Vice's Noisey.com). Director Greg Olliver, who co-directed and produced 2010's "Lemmy" film and the psychological thriller/horror film "Devoured", directed the video for Ghost.
The Black Keys' new album Turn Blue, the Danger Mouse-produced follow-up to 2011's El Camino, is out May 13. Following their single "Fever", check out another new song from the album, "Turn Blue". (pitchfork)
A new Kevin Smith movie is coming out in a few weeks. Kind of. Fresh off last year’s small theatrical tour, Jay and Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Moviehits on demand May 6. Smith wrote and provides his voice to the film, leaving the directorial duties to Steve Stark.
In this Askewneverse animated film, everyone’s favorite New Jersey
stoners, Jay and Silent Bob, win the lottery and use the cash to turn
into their crime fighting alter-egos, Bluntman and Chronic. A longer trailer hit last year but a new poster and trailer have now been released for the on-demand release. Check them both out below. (slashfilm)
Montreal ska veterans The Planet Smashers have released a music video for their song “Tear It Up” and you can check it out below.
The track appears on the band’s new album “Mixed Messages,” which was released on April 8th through Stomp Records.
The Span watch is Box Celver’s vision on how modern timepiece should
look like and function. It combines the “analog age” with the “digital
age”, managing to pull off a perfectly balanced watch. The Span watch
can be used in combination with your smartphone, giving you the most
needed messages through the OLED display. Time reading is still analog
but yet not traditional. It has two separate hands indicating the hour
and minutes. The watch can be recharged using a micro-USB charging cable
and port on the back of the watch.
Land Rover
has unveiled a new concept system that makes the hood of the car see
through so that the driver can see what is under the car and out of
their line of sight. The tech is called the Transparent Bonnet concept
and provides a full view of what is under and in front of the car, so
drivers can see hidden obstacles. Land Rover says that the transparent
bonnet system is part of a suite of concept tech being showcased in the
Discovery Vision Concept car at the New York International Motor Show. Land Rover uses cameras in the grille of the vehicle to capture video
data that is sent to a HUD to create a "see-through" view of the
terrain through the hood and engine bay of the car. The system also
allows the driver to see the angle and position of the wheels of the
vehicle. The tech involves a smart windscreen. It's unclear if the HUD is a
virtual system that uses a projector of some sort, or if the windscreen
of the concept has a built in video screen. (slashgear)
