Daniel David Freeman, the man behind the artwork for both Melé’s Mixpak EPs – Bombay and Starlight – will be launching a new London exhibition this week, ‘Azalea’s Amazons’:

Beach London is proud to present a solo show from London based artist Daniel David Freeman. This show explores the life of fictional character, Rick Azalea. ‘Azalea’s Amazons’ is an exploration of the character’s inner most fantasies. Using the humble mediums of felt tip pen and paper, the artists invites the viewer to engage with a range of abstract and extraordinary characters who live only in the realm of Azalea’s imagination.

Opening 12th January for private view and showing until 1st February at Beach London. Check DDF’s site for more.

For the London crew: Mixpak fam Warrior One and Rubi Dan will be holding it down next to a stellar line-up next week, all in the aid of the current famine in East Africa. Dance to the finest bass music with a clear conscience. Check the Facebook event right here.

They’re not in Miami…they’re in Texas!! Our favourite girl band Hard Nips are set for a series of live shows out at SXSW next week, so if you’re there, get yourself to one of these:

March 17th @ Spider House

Hard Nips presents: A PRUS (A+!) JAPAN NIGHT, 1.30pm – 10pm

March 17th @ Ohk Korral

SXSWASTED, 12am

March 18th @ The Long Branch Inn

Day of the Degenerates, 3pm

March 18th @ Baby Blue

Tom Tom Magazine & Cake Shop showcase, 4.30pm

March 19th @ The Grackle, 4pm

And they’ll be doing a post-SXSW guest appearance on KXLU (88.9FM) in LA, on March 24th at 10.30pm.

One mean solar day ago, The Weekend popped up everywhere around the digital globules after being featured on Drizzy ‘Big Up The Massive Man’ Drake’s blog, October’s Very Own, not too long after they were featured on a couple of different platforms. The Fader asked themselves the accurate question, “How did we miss this?”. Good question, but I’m glad we’re in the loop now: these guys are goooood.

The Weekend, a duo consisting of Abel Tesfaye and Jeremy Rose from Toronto, are a part of the She’s So Lovely Crew: there is not much to be found on these talented cats yet – they’re described here as “A brotherhood of musicians, writers, photographers, these kids are full-blown artists and they continually fuck my mind”, and it seems like all of them are teaming up to set up an online magazine.

The point of this article however, is the music they’ve uploaded to their YouTube account over the last couple of months. The Weekend’s ‘What You Need‘ blows minds: a super slow jam to be played out very loud, preferably on your headphones. It might be the smoothest R&B tune I’ve heard in ages. While you’re there, listen to their tracks ‘Loft Music‘ and ‘The Morning‘. Their tracks are very nicely produced, on some parts even sounding as if Samiyam helped them out, and the vocals are so catchy The-Dream is going to lose sleep over them. Take a look at their channel for more good things such as Omari Shakir’s ‘Like a Book‘, Nique’s track ft. Tha Daredevil ‘Old School‘, not to mention Rick Ross and Pinky swaggin’ out to’Bad Bitch‘.

Hailed as the “most feel-good film” of the South by Southwest Film Festival, director Meghan Eckman’s irreverently funny debut celebrates a brotherhood of eccentric attendants who man a unique parking lot in Charlottesville, Virginia. From grad students to middle-age slackers, indie-rock musicians to surly philosophers, these overeducated part-timers wax profoundly about car culture and capitalism, seek vengeance against entitled patrons and thieves, and make fun of drunken jerks.

Check out other clips and deleted scenes on their Youtube channel and grab The Parking Lot Movie on DVD.

Recommended.

Elephant & Castle is the alter-ego of producer David Reeps (who confusingly hails from Oakland, California), who has just released his debut, The Analogue EP. Sampling-wise, it’s pretty much like anything else I’ve heard in the last few years; his style owes as much to producers like Daedelus and Four Tet as it does to Phil Spector. Needless to say, it’s immense.

You can download the EP for free from E&C’s bandcamp page.

Seen is one of our go to blogs when it comes to Caribbean music and culture. In addition to the writing, they always keep a fresh line of t-shirts in their shop, take a look at their new Spring 2010 Collection.

Grimetapes.com is an amazing resource for anyone who wants to check out some proper Grime sets. Seriously, this archive is deep!

Start with this set from N.A.S.T.Y Crew (Mack10, Ghetto, Stormin, Big Seac & Escobar) from 2004.

N.A.S.T.Y Crew – Mack10, Ghetto, Stormin, Big Seac & Escobar (last set ever on Deja) – 10/05/04

It can be exceedingly difficult to buy bounce music and support the artists like you want. Fret no more because now you can finally buy Big Freedia’s Hitz Vol. 1 1999-2010 on iTunes. Give Freedia your support and do yourself a favor and check all these hits! Seriously, some big tracks on here.

Tom Hohmann, of USAISAMONSTER fame has started selling custom, one of a kind sweaters knitted to your specifications. Above is a one-off he did for a customer featuring bunny rabbits in a Super Mario Brothers context – pretty incredible. If you have an idea, he can knit it. It’s that simple. Are the holidays around the corner? Yep. So check out his work and order one for a special friend.

And if you’re not familiar with USAISAMONSTER or Load Records, get involved.