Gorillaz
Standing centerstage at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado, Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn is backed by a massive screen buzzing with wild visuals. Murdoc, Noodle, 2D and Russel—the four characters that make up the British cartoon band—bounce along to music from the Gorillaz’ extensive catalog, including their newest album, Humanz. Before he was selling out legacy venues with Gorillaz, Albarn fronted Blur, which was an indie-rock phenomenon all its own. Albarn and Gorillaz’s cocreator Jamie Hewlett never imagined they’d still be here 16 years after Gorillaz self-titled debut. Albarn had some time to talk hip-hop, his fear of robots and what makes him a “dystopian melancholic.” —Kyle Eustice
I understand you grew up playing piano.
I’m a piano player at heart. I’m at my happiest when I’m singing and playing the piano, but in the early days of Blur, I had to switch very quickly to writing on the guitar because lush elaborate piano chords in an indie band are not really ideal.
Right—unless you’re trying to be Coldplay.
That’s not one of my aspirations.
Where did your interest in hip-hop come from?
I think it’s just living in West London and that’s what all my friends were into. They weren’t into indie music at all. When I met Suzi, she didn’t even know who I was. She’d spent the ‘90s abroad and was totally into hip-hop. There was a lot more of that in my environment at that time.
When I was in London, I remember seeing all these guys with mohawks and purple hair. It was this punk thing. It was fascinating but I always think of punk rock when I think of London.
This story is from the February 2018 edition of THRASHER.
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This story is from the February 2018 edition of THRASHER.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign in
The Cool Kids
The Cool Kids are officially back. After a lengthy hiatus, Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish have decided the timing was right to pick up where they left off and have already released two new singles: “Running Man” and “Connect Four” ahead of their upcoming 2017 release, Special Edition Grand Master Deluxe. As the duo was in Miami attending Art Basel, they had some time to talk about their reunion, rappers going crazy and why 2008’s The Bake Sale EP never would have happened without skateboarding and Vicodin. —Kyle Eustice
Don't Mess With Texans!
We were standing on the side of the building with our dicks in hands when we heard the gun cock behind us.
Na-Kel Smith
Like Henny and ‘cream, even Nak’s bails are smooth
Jesse Garza: Deck Restorer
Ever seen a badass fully restored ‘57 Chevy, all cherry’d out looking like it just rolled off the showroom floor? Well my buddy Jesse Garza does similar work but with skate decks. He can take your dusted, crusted old plank and time machine that bad boy straight back to the ‘80s. I hit him up to see what goes into restoring a skate deck and why it’s such a rare discipline.
Metallica
Kill ‘Em All and Ride the Lightning have fueled many heated sessions over the years. Now Metallica is ten albums deep spanning over their 35-plus years existence. Hardwired… to Self-Destruct fits right in with their early albums and they’ve been promoting it by playing smaller venues around the world, giving their fans an intimate experience to blow out their eardrums. James Hetfield took some time before playing Oakland’s Fox Theater to talk about technology, the symphony and longevity.
FLO Mirtain
I Don't Even Have My License Interview
Tales Of Rails Al Partanen Gets Kinky
Tales Of Rails Al Partanen Gets Kinky
Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Dress Up
"Punk fuck hardcore skate punk thrash Austin Texas”—eight words that perfectly sum up the eccentric (read: controversial) four-piece outfit, Dress Up. Comprised of vocalist Alex Bond, guitarist Anthony Sardella, bassist Max Fitzgibbon and drummer JoJo Williamson, Dress Up is band of skaters who just happen to cross dress at every performance. Bond explains, “We have fun doing it and that’s exactly why—as skaters—we thought it was cool to eliminate the masculine vibe you would expect from us. Our main message is having fun and doing what you want.” Bond had some time in between shows to talk “Drug Abuse,” the band’s moniker and one of their wildest shows.
Grieves
I caught Grieves at the Mystic Theater in Petaluma, CA. I laughed on the way when we passed the Birkenstock sandals headquarters. That ain’t gangsta. When we got to the show and my wife said, “It smells like manure,” I laughed again; hell of a setting for a night of rap music. On the car ride up we’d been listening to Kendrick and YG spin tales about Compton, or “Bompton” if you will. I was a little sad to see that no one in Petaluma was “bickin’ back bein bool.” And yet, when Grieves took the stage I was transported to another world. One where hip-hop and culture are a nation without borders and there is the promise of transcendent unity in booty shaking. All it took was flow, and heart and Grieves had them in abundance.
Major Rivers
The Mississippi isn't the only river to have an important role in the nation's history.
London
Wrong side of the road, right good time.
DRUGS: A WIN FOR PHARMACOLOGICAL FREEDOM IN COLORADO
A DECADE AGO, Colorado became the first state to legalize marijuana for recreational use, something 20 other states have done since then. Colorado set a new precedent for drug policy reform in November, when its voters approved a ballot initiative that decriminalizes a wide range of conduct related to consuming five natural psychedelics.
An exclusive interview with Lucas Lamenha
"The following pieces are part of a new collection developed from universal pop culture references and bring new characters and elements created from memories and inspirations of my daily life and reflections."
FALL FORGEABLES: Pinon Nuts
first learned of pinon nuts by drinking pinon coffee from New Mexico.
Women's training
Does exercise actually help or hinder your chances of falling pregnant? Here, Lauren takes over these pages to share her own very personal fertility journey in an effort to shed some much-needed light on this little-discussed subject...
Capital Gains
With the return of tourists and business travellers to the city, London has a slew of new hotels ready to welcome them in style
WARWICK DENVER
Whether you live in the United States, or not, this article is going to be very useful to you when planning your wedding, either as a local, or as a destination wedding.
17 States Weigh Adopting California's Electric Car Mandate
Seventeen states with vehicle emission standards tied to rules established in California face weighty decisions on whether to follow that state’s strictest-in-the nation new rules that require all new cars, pickups and SUVs to be electric or hydrogen powered by 2035.
American Ruins
This country's unmatched and unlimited industrial might helped define the 20th century. But that was then, and this is now.