MThis is another REPOST of a popular topic here: HALLOWEEN!!!!
We sure have a reputation for keeping it spooky (since 2011!) so THANK YOU to everyone who helped get us to where we are today with this humble treasure trove of vintage musings...TRICK or TREAT?
It’s Halloween, and we thought that called for a special {PHOTOBLAST} in honor of the occasion!
We’ve devised a ghoulish buffet of vintage Halloween treats for your eyes and minds to delight in and devour!!!
Square
Halloween Mid-West Mag Cover 1955 Costumes popular with kids and adults as shown on Mid-West Magazine’s cover Oct 30, 1955
We say this a lot, but some things just never change, and if anything, our brothers and sisters of the past were forced to be a bit more creative when it came to the challenges of costuming yourself for the big night!
So, that said, what are you being for Halloween (or what were you, for those enjoying the early bird weekend special)? Let us know in the comment section below! And make sure you have a Happy Scary Halloween!
Science is a land where the truth of our reality (whether space, the earth, our bodies, its cells, of time and reality…the list goes on) is seeked and summoned by lonely hermits determined to find the answer to it all. And there have been many!
Alan Turing in a way also because he he found the truth of his soul and desire…that for which of course he was medically castrated for being queer, and soon thereafter took his life from an apple he had poison himself (a la the Witch in his favourite film Snow White and the Seven Dwarves).
I guess there really is a mystical aspect to the art of science…tapping into the unknown is not easy for most.
So that these minds could reach the very depth of their own humanity to unsource some unbelievable triumphs for humanity forevermore.
Click here to read more about the top 5 spiritually mystical scientists 🤟
Let us know what you thought in the COMMENTS below !
We have featured other spiritually mystical folks on our blog including Jack Parsons, and the notorious L. Ron Hubbard so get lost down the rabbit hole of the true {past} that has made our {present} which propels is into the unknown {future} 🔥🔥🔥!!!
If you were in South America yesterday {July 2, 2019}, you may have been blessed to observe the glory of a total eclipse of the Sun by the New Moon in Cancer. Even if you weren’t able to observe the moment the moon was able to cover the face of the Sun, its affects and energies permeated everyone, and will continue to do so.
Cancer is a cardinal sign of the zodiac – an initiator of action. Cancer being a water sign ruled by the moon (a bearer of shadows and introspection) will be sure to have waves of emotions crashing into the shores of our understanding.
It is a great moment to reflect on life, and let go of any frustrations or worries. If this is hard, maybe it is beneficial to ask yourself why you have these frustrations and worries and act accordingly.
This could lead to certain aspects of your life that aren’t serving you to be eclipsed. Death can only bring rebirths – so expect many new beginnings, and perhaps even old endings to resurface. Focus on the pieces of the puzzle that bring you emotional fulfilment like true friendships, love, family, creativity….major ME time.
Ancient people revered moments like this, and how could you not? What a glorious spectacle. So for the next few weeks leading up to the Lunar Eclipse (July 16-17) take time to reevaluate and make sure you are lined up with your path of destiny for the remainder of the year.
Remember to always have faith…
^BFrench solar eclipses of 1724 and 1912.^b Historical artwork of people watching the total solar eclipse of 22 May 1724 (upper left) and the annular solar eclipse of 17 April 1912 (lower right). Both eclipses were visible from Paris, France. In both cases, the observers are using darkened glass with which to view the eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, as seen from the Earth. When the Moon is slightly further from the Earth than normal, an annular eclipse takes place. Total solar eclipses usually occur less than once a year, and can only be seen from a small area of the Earth’s surface. Centuries can pass before another total solar eclipse is visible from the same location. Artwork published in 1912, in the Parisian daily newspaper ^ILe Petit Journal^i.
This song has always been up there, but for the first time it struck that this song is about a total solar eclipse…and if you listen to the words in this context you can gather so much more meaning from it.
I just assumed a Black Hole Sun was some sort of weird 90s grunge baseless aesthetic thing – like some cool term a bunch of stoner guys had come up with around a bong being like “thats rad”. But I should have been wiser seeing as the 90s were undeniably bringing esoterica to the forefront of the mainstream.
Enjoy this jam, and hope you are able to gain some insight and clarity into your own personal well-being.
Style is more than just what you wear. Its how you live…
photo by Aaron Robert Duartephoto by Aaron Robert Duarte
This was way back in 2014 for Supercrawl here in Hamilton, ON. James Street sure was the shit back then – still kind of is, but it definitely had a bit more grit than you might find nowadays.
It was the year we also had the opportunity to style Mr. Charles Bradley after his luggage was lost on his way into the city. Remember it being so sad to hear that this legend of soul passed back in 2017…we will be forever grateful for that opportunity and being in the pure presence of this legend!!!
Fatefully we would also have the pleasure of running into the stylish foursome – “The Beaches” whose lead singer walked away with that smashing shiny black PVC trench coat (made in Switzerland if my memory serves me correct) and wore it for their kick ass performance, which I was privy to watch, as well as sneak some behind the scenes takes.
The Beaches kicking ass in The Eye of Faith! photo by Aaron Robert Duarte
photo by Aaron Robert Duarte
photo by Aaron Robert Duarte
photo by Aaron Robert Duarte
photo by Aaron Robert Duarte
photo by Aaron Robert Duarte
photo by Aaron Robert Duarte
photo by Aaron Robert Duarte
photo by Aaron Robert Duarte
photo by Aaron Robert Duarte
photo by Aaron Robert Duarte
photo by Aaron Robert Duarte
So lets give it up for Jordan, Eliza, Kylie, and Leandra for all their wicked success since! As well as winning Best Breakthrough Group at the 2018 Juno Awards, the group has also been centred out by an extremely prominent rock n roll rebel icon … Sir Elton John!
+ Thank you ladies for keeping it classy and not assy +
Too many thots in the mist…
Just a thought.
+
Love how they always sport a bit of a vintage edge like any cool Toronto girl would, and of course should! Check out their videos below.
Their latest, “Snake Tongue”, which is an epic ballad for the young millenial woman (“Stop sending me all your dick picks They are boring me to pieces”) followed up by the song that caught the attention of Elton John – “T-Shirt”! Love the video for that one since they do a cool throwback to 70s television music showcases.
Lets give these bad ass ladies some love, shall we?
Well it sure has been a minute since we’ve had the chance for another addition to our beloved {MUSIC MINUTE} corner of our blog. Things have been really hectic and full, which is great, but with summer officially in full swing we are hoping to take the opportunity to put up more content here to ensure treasures of the {PAST} can be upheld here in the {PRESENT} and hopefully continue shaping our {FUTURE}…
Here we have a wicked piece called “The Devil is Loose” by one of those icons that everyone should know (but doesn’t) – Asha Pulthi! This song is from her album by the same name, and was her third of eight recorded albums.
Asha was born in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) February 4, 1945 and trained in classical Indian music and opera before falling for the devils of jazz which she infused into her traditional roots. After graduating from a public University in India, she received a scholarship to go to New York City and study with legendary choreographer Martha Graham (that aspect will make total sense when you see her moves in the video).
Her fate was setlled when her appearance on “Aint it Peculiar” by the Peter Ivers Band which was covered by major music magazines like Billboard and Rolling Stone. Her reckless abandon and joyful reverie was heard (and you can hear it too here– HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) and soon she had avant-garde jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman knocking on her door, or calling her phone? We may never know…but she would make the most prophetic and signature vocals for his out-of-this-world improvisational jazz album Science Fiction, and the rest is history!
She was signed by John Hammond who most famously discovered Billie Holliday, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen – so very good company indeed!
Like I mentioned, this is from her third album of the same name (“The Devil is Loose”). Sadly not much is written about this album at all (at least in English) since it never saw its release in the US. But throughout, her vocals are sultry, soft, sweet, soulful and mysterious… her voice vaguely reminiscent of Diana Ross and then at other times as great and grand as Aretha Franklin.
Unfortunately for Asha, the money men at CBS London found an easy way out of hoisting her up and getting paid her proper dues when she became pregnant which effectively brought an end to her escalating royalties.
But before they could stiff her completely, performances on British television would ensure her the right to negotiate royalties that only major acts such as The Beatles were able to obtain at the time- 14%!!! This and coupled with her pregnancy, Asha was shipped off to Germany much the same way The Beatles had been shipped to Hamburg.
However, unlike The Beatles, this choice by CBS London essentially hindered her career much more into obscurity and allowed for artists like Donna Summer to build their brand off what Asha had rightfully developed.
She herself claims that Donna Summer, alleged Queen of Space Disco, copped her style- not only vocally, but literally too!
According to Asha, during one of her performances in Germany in the early 1970s she was approached by Ms. Summer herself.
Donna was in this moment “belting out songs” according to Pulthi, rather than the subdued dreamy vocals of Asha, inspired by her Hinduistic classical training, which gave that otherworldly style that would become the virtual sound of any major Munich disco…and would soon be adapted by the now famous Disco Queen that EVERYONE has heard of.
Not only that, Donna Summer allegedly approached Ms. Puthli backstage asking where she could find Asha’s custom made dress, to which Puthli would not oblige.
Donna, unbeknownst to Asha, went ahead and asked designer Bill Gibb to which he refused. Them’s the breaks, I guess.
“A lot of people say that this album [The Devil Is Loose] and the other album are templates that later on Donna Summer, Pete Bellotte, Georgio Moroder all ripped off from my sound. Now, remember I’ve mentioned to you that I was suspended because I was pregnant. So at that time was when they jumped on the bandwagon, apparently. This is what I’m told by people in Germany, in the industry. Because when they called me up they said, ‘We want to work with the real McCoy,”
Nonetheless, she is more and more recognized in importance and relevance for her ethno-fusion cosmic disco avant-garde synthy soul vibes, her out of the world stage presence (her moves have also been centred out as a major influence to Kate Bush), and undeniable individuality. A rebel spirit through and through.
Her first album “Asha Pulthri” was shot by Mick Rock who was David Bowie’s official photographer (she would also go on to hire Pierre LaRoche, Bowie’s iconic makeup artist), and was admired by art influencers such as Richard Avedon, Manolo Blahnik Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Diane Vreeland, and even headlined at Studio 54.
Her style was always changing and was always an eclectic mash up of her heritage, the {present} day (for her, {past} for us), and the unknown frontiers of space and time….So, how about that Donna Summer?
She most notably also made an appearance in the obscure Merchant-Ivory art film “Savages”, as one of the three wild women leaving very little to the imagination.
Her music was even literally blasted into space in 2009 from the Goonhilly British Satellite Earth Station on the 40th Anniversary of the Moon Landing. Why, you ask? Well
“{her music is} a form of free-floating, ultra-sexualized intergalactic disco that matched hyperventilating time with erotic electronics and surreal sonic environments. Puthli has gone so far out that she has space walked into inner space.”
As well, she has been sampled by the likes of P. Diddy, The Notorious B.I.G., Redman, 50 Cent, and Dilated Peoples. She even owns writing credits to “The World is Filled” by Biggie Ft. Too Short and Puff Daddy…so yeah!
SHE’S A BOSS
Nowadays the notion of a globalized pop star like Asha isn’t too uncommon. Artists like BTS get millions of fans around the world; or take for instance, K-Pop Girl Band BLACKPINK who just performed at Coachella…even the song ‘Jai-Ho’ from Slumdog Millionaire went on to win both an Academy Award and a Grammy!
That is NOW…but back THEN, artists to cross-over these racial boundaries were even rarer which is why still today, we can look back in awe on the incredible artistry, bravery and honesty Asha put forth to just be who she is!
I was not encouraged to do my own songs. They wanted me glam, more Shirley Bassey than Joan Baez. I insisted upon including at least one of my own songs, just one. They (the CBS record producers) already thought I was difficult because I wouldn’t change my name. There is a cognitive dissonance when you have a name like mine….They gave me suggestions like Ann Peters, Ann Powers. I said no as I had already won the Down Beat at that time and had a fan base in India. As Asha Puthli!”
Some people might even blame THE DEVIL…which I’m sure is why she created this cosmic disco masterpiece.
See for yourself below:
HOW EPIC WAS THAT?!
{the dress, the moves, that audience, the song…EVERYTHING}
Luckily, so much of her music is resurfacing so we hope this post will help in the manifestation of her glory. Please enjoy “The Devil is Loose” and let us know what you think in the COMMENTS.
If you are intrigued, Red Bull Music Academy has a wonderful interview with this legend published just this last February, 2019.
We barely scraped the tip of the iceberg with this one, so don’t let us down! Go check her out, channel her spirit, and play those funky cosmic disco sounds hard into the night…
When it comes to artists like Kate Bush, they are truly few and far between, if not non-existent! Her music is a wild ride between pop, rock, experimental, and the ethereal sounds of another universe. Haunting, delicate, and slightly witchy… Bush’s music explores unusual themes that many other artists would dare no even attempt.
One of our favourite obscure references is featured in the video “Cloudbusting” which was conceived by iconic British director Terry Gilliam and Kate Bush, herself. Watching the video for the first time, you feel like you are watching a breathtaking sci-fi fantasy accompanied by Bush’s haunting music. However, this story is far from fiction, and is in fact based on the most incredible stranger than fiction true story of scientist Wilhelm Reich.
The video depicts Kate Bush as son, Peter Reich (whose memoir Book of Dreams was an immense inspiration for Bush), watching as his father (played by Donald Sutherland) develops an intricate machine the “Cloudbuster” before men in black come knocking on the door taking the father and destroying his laboratory, as well as taking many of his files for “safe keeping”. As their car drives off, the boy turns the cloud buster to the sky and unleashes a downpour of rain as his father drives off as a captive into the distance.
Strangely enough, this device was absolutely real, and even documented in local newspapers of the time. The basis of its functioning was the concept of “orgone” – an esoteric energy seen as a universal force that could be harvested. This energy was theorized to be an invisible mass of living energy that is omnipresent throughout the universe.
His research garnered a fairly strong following in the United States, with many students who congregated at the Organon Ranch Laboratory (now the Willhelm Reich Museum) located in Rangeley, Maine.
Interestingly Organon is also the formal name of Greek philosopher Aristotle’s works on logic given by his followers…
Being able to control this energy, Reich believed could help people be cured of various diseases or mental health issues (the Orgone Accumulator – a small room made from layers of metal and wood), as well as controlling the weather – hence the Cloudbuster!
The most famous incident would have to be The Maine Blueberry Experiment which took place in Bangor, Maine at 10am on July 6, 1953 after a devastating drought which was directly affecting the blueberry crops that summer. Reich and his assistants set up the cloud buster – a set of hollow tubes suspended over a small cylinder. Later that night
“Rain began to fall shortly after ten o’clock Monday evening, first as a drizzle and then by midnight as a gentle, steady rain. Rain continued throughout the night, and a rainfall of 0.24 inches was recorded in Ellsworth the following morning…The queerest looking clouds you ever saw began to form soon after they got the thing rolling.”
Eyewitness, Bangor Maine (1953)
Much like other great minds in our world, Reich was punished for his forbidden knowledge of the available resources of our universe, and was promptly punished. A salacious article written by Ms. Mildred Eddie Brady also helped to taint his reputation painting him as a sex crazed mad scientist. He was accused of being a communist (of course), and seen as a bit of a loon when he made comments about U.F.O.s (which we all know exist…).Eventually, the U.S. Food an Drug Administration obtained a federal injunction, and seized and destroyed all orgone-related material.
Reich was put into prison where he would die at the age of 60 in 1957. Thankfully, his knowledge has not been forgotten…although you know they wish it were!!!
Reich was definitely a rebel figurehead; part of the second generation of psychoanalysts after Sigmund Freud. His most distinctive works included Character Analysis (1933), The Mass Psychology of Fascism (1933), and The Sexual Revolution (1936). We definitely always characterize the idea of a sexual revolution with the free love era of the 60s and 70s, but this guy was far beyond his times. During the 1968 student riots in Paris and Berlin, protesters even threw copies of The Mass Psychology of Fascism at the police!
He was quite the activist and fought for the abolition of laws against abortion and homosexuality, free birth control advice and contraceptives,health protection for women and children, day cares in factories, and the abolition of laws prohibiting sex education. And this was in the 1930s, and people are still fighting for the same things!
Interestingly enough, Kate Bush may not have even known about this story if she hadn’t stumbled upon A Book of Dreams (1973) – a memoir written by Reich’s son Peter Reich by coincidence in 1976.
“I was inspired by a book that I first found on a shelf nearly nine years ago. It was just calling me from the shelf, and when I read it I was very moved by the magic of it. It’s about a special relationship between a young son and his father. The book was written from a child’s point of view. His father is everything to him; he is the magic in his life, and he teaches him everything, teaching him to be open-minded and not to build up barriers… But there’s nothing he can do about his father being taken away, he is completely helpless. But it’s very much more to do with how the son does begin to cope with the whole loneliness and pain of being without his father. It is the magic moments of a relationship through a child’s eyes, but told by a sad adult.”
-Kate Bush
Thank god she did, because when we first stumbled upon this masterpiece we were taken away to another world that is as much fantasy as it is real life…
Funny enough, she isn’t the only rebel poet to be inspired by this story. Punk icon Patti Smith, was inspired by the book’s scene where Peter is convinced a fleet of flying saucers are skimming his boarding school’s lacrosse field to reunite him with his imprisoned father in her 9 minute epic “Birdland”…
Sad that much like Nikola Tesla, or our recent {STYLE IDOL} Jack Parsons, knowledge and powers that could greatly benefit our world as a whole have to be held captive by greedy forces…
However, if you have that rebel spirit within YOU ready to soar – let it free, and let it be!!!
Definitely if you found all this interesting, please look more into Orgone, Organon, and everything you can Wilhelm Reich!!!
We recently acquired some really sick classic 90s mens shirts that are perfect for a classic cool vibe this Spring / Summer! And weirdly enough, they all fell into this awesome blue palette which is super timeless and versatile.
We always gravitate towards that preppy ivy style but with a bit of a twist, and these shirts do that trick to give you that dapper playboy who still loves a little rock n roll!
Grab more details on these shirts, and more of our latest time traveled pieces! Also if you are in the Hamilton, ON area, we will be bringing some new pieces to our booth at the Hamilton Antique Mall {3RD FLOOR- 33E} this coming week, so definitely check it out.
Remember XIXIXI gets you 25% at the CHECKOUT, and we offer FREE SHIPPING in Canada and the U.S. – so don’t miss out!
2018 was such an exciting year for us in fashion, and our collection “The Visitors” was the perfect way to cap it off, at the annual Supercrawl festival here in Hamilton, ON.
This collection was our most encompassing yet, with 13 looks on 13 models, rocking the runway in the hot September sun! We really wanted to go for a more eclectic party vibe this time around, and I think we really captured the essence of what we were looking to achieve!
The collection was inspired by the ABBA song “The Visitors” – a wicked disco jam, about the anxiety of having guests showing up at your home for a party! Strangers surrounded by your books, paintings, and furniture…it can leave you in a quite a tizzy.
Disco glamour, divas, glitter, and rock n roll definitely played a hand, and we really wanted to play off the idea of visitors – who perhaps could be from a different dimension; so, there’s also a bit of space and sci-fi moments happening throughout.
Each piece is one of a kind, handmade, and uses vintage fabrics and materials.
Styled by The Eye of Faith
Makeup Up by Janet Granados & Claudia Alaimo
Hair by Hexe Noire & Poison IV
Best of all, we got to end the show with our girl Amanda Lear’s “Fashion Pack”, who was another inspiration for this collection!
For more information on any of these pieces, feel free to email us:
For our first post of 2019, we thought we’d do a classic vintage post about this most bizarre and unusual moment in time: The Miss American Vampire competition of 1970!
Move over Miss Universe (as amazing as that Lava walk was, Ms Catriona Gray), these ladies came to slay in their most imaginative Vampire-esque looks, coupled with their charm, poise, and stage presence, as well as their videogenic quality; contestants were all hoping to take the grand prize of a role in House of Dark Shadows!
There aren’t many photos of the competition, or archival imagery available but these are some photos from the New Jersey regional competition in which Ms. Christine Domaniecki was crowned by Barnabas Collins himself (played by actor Jonathan Frid; who is also definitely deserved of a {STYLE IDOL} moment)!
The competition was held in several cities including Miami, Dallas, Philadelphia, with the finalists competing for the title in Los Angeles on September 10, 1970.
According to one of the judges:
“It was fun for the first five minutes. After that it got terribly depressing. Some of the girls came in bikinis. Some of them came dressed as witches or vampires or dead bodies. One girl stood in front of me and just stared.”
In a strange turn of events, the eventual winner of the National Competition actually never followed through with any of the rewards of her title choosing instead to stay in Los Angeles (House of Dark Shadows was shot in New York).
The full reasons are unclear, however, you may recognize the original Miss American Vampire, actress and activist Sacheen Littlefeather {AKA Marie Louise Cruz), from her perhaps her most famous role: accepting Marlon Brando’s Academy Award for “The Godfather” in 1973!
Brando was boycotting the Academy Awards in reaction to Hollywood’s portrayal of Indigenous Americans in the movies, as well as the recent incidents at Wounded Knee, and so Ms. Littlefeather took the stage to speak on behalf of the legendary actor.
Whilst her message was powerful, it was not so well received, garnering boos and jeers from the audience. Also, two days after the ceremony, while visiting Mr. Brando at his house bullets were fired into his front door. Scrupulous media slander also followed, and she claims that this also led to her being blacklisted in Hollywood.
So, in the end, the title of Miss American Vampire and the prize of appearing on House of Dark Shadows eventually went to New Jersey Regional Winner, Christine Domaniecki, who appeared on the show in the highly coveted role of . . . Bar Maid.
I guess, any opportunity is an opportunity!
Funny enough, even with all the dramas and confusion, the Dark Shadows crew was ready to do it again with new pageant: Miss Ghost America in promotion of their new show Night of Dark Shadows!
Granted, the prize was not as exciting as a cameo appearance (Dark Shadows was technically off the air), however, the winner did receive an appearance on The Dating Game , as well as a $250 savings bond. The winner was 18 year old Kate Sarchet.
I’d kill to find some video footage of either pageant, so if you know a source, please let us know!!!
So what do you think? Should we be bringing back these ghouly pageants??? Tell us in the comments sections below!
It’s Halloween, and we thought that called for a special {PHOTOBLAST} in honor of the occasion!
