Ubiquity Tees

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     Ubiquity, band t-shirts, band tees, music t-shirts, music tees

Based out of Costa Mesa California, Ubiquity Records are as you’ve probably guessed by now, a music label. But don’t let that sway you, I mean if anyone is going to know how to design great music tees, it has to be a guy inside the music biz. Their Spring Collection is out now, I’ve taken a pick of old and new to give you and overview. Most are on sale in sizes S-XXL (where supplies are available). Anyway I’ll let you decide for yourself, but to be honest I haven’t seen music tees this cool in a long old while…

Sunset Analog Tee

Currently their bestseller, inspired by album art of the 60′s to the 80′s, and designed by Freddy Allen Anzures – an Art Director, Designer for Wax Poetics and Apple and a DJ. Only small sizes left but plenty more in S-XL in white. From the new Spring Collection.

Music On The Mind Tee

A nice ‘n’ jazzy little number from the Spring Collection, this one’s available in white and navy in sizes S-XL. Designed by Christopher David Ryan.

Radio Citizen Tee

Inspired by German Jazz/Soul combo Radio Citizen‘s new LP. $24.99 in White and Kelly Green sizes S-XXL.

Boombox Tee

Part of the classic collection, and my fave, still. Available in white but personally I think it looks far better in black (although only S-M sizes left) at $22.99 each.

The prices don’t include tax but I guess that’s local taxes.  I’d think about hiving off the apparel side in the future and get a domain name like ‘ubiquitees”. Even a subdomain could help exposure for their tees but I s’pose it’s all about the music ;)

More?

Circus Tee

admin    T-Shirts     Circus Tee, band t-shirts, band tees, musical apparel

Check out the Circus Tee by the brand Musical Apparel, a musician/fan collective that turned to fashion to spread its love for music. Based out of Southern California, Musical Apparel has quite a few screen printed tees on offer, but this one jumped out at me:-

Circus Tee

I’d really like to see MA branch out more in this direction, there’s obviously someone on the team with a real knack for the abstract. The Circus Tee is available in black for guys and girls in sizes S-XXL for $24.95 each.

The other tees lean more towards traditional illustration, photo montage and typography, though less successfully in my humble opinion.

Abstract music tees are a rarity fir me. most seem to be pretty literal even nowadays except for a few labels such as 101Apparel (who happen to be one of my all-time fave t-shirt brands as it goes). These days you can see the trend has slowly permeated the music merchandise scene, when I was a teen almost all music tees featured some idiot in a band sticking their tongue out and sticking it to the man) except for D.S.O.T.M by Floyd of course.

Nowadays the music biz is getting wise “to the street” and is gradually grasping the concept that loudly marketing your favourite band isn’t far off the tactics of loudly branded corporations like Nike The fact is that companies, bands, and just about anyone with a website gets enough marketing these days without slamming it in your face at the local mosh pit.

Abstract. Abstract. Abstract. Until that day dawns see the rest of Musical Apparel’s collection at www.MusicalApparel.com.

T-Shirts For A Jilted Generation

admin    T-Shirt News     Disturbia Clothing, DisturbiaClothing.co.uk, Invaders Must Die, Prodigy, band t-shirts, music t-shirts, recordstore.co.uk.The Prodigy

Here’s some exciting news for Prodigy fans and t-shirt lovers alike… Disturbia Clothing (the anarchic UK fashion label we reviewed recently here) have been in talks with the (in)famous UK’s favourite underground bigbeat pioneers The Prodigy for the last three months and now they’ve released some of their best tees yet under the watchful eye and approval of the band.

If you don’t know The Prodigy then you’re probably a classical music buff, lost in the wilds of some far and distant country, mad, or hard of hearing, if you do you’ll know exactly what to expect from Disturbia’s latest release of three phenomenal t-shirts that are so in-keeping with the band’s ethos, it hurts. I am an original raver, as in I was converted to dance music in the very late Eighties, I actually remember the day a friend at college dragged me out of yet another goth/grunge hell hole of a club and led me over the road, popped a smiley pill in my hand and pointed to a man apparently playing records with a degree of skill. I had no idea what was going on but for almost a decade I never looked back.

Things have changed now, I’m getting on, really, and I can’t be doing with full-on drug-crazed blowouts and dancing in my own pool of sweat till dawn. However I will always have fond memories of the M25 circuit, the squat raves of S.E London and the free parties around Brighton and Bristol. One band guaranteed to take me way back are The Prodigy, they’re still going strong to this day, although personally I will always prefer their earlier stuff i.e: “Charly“, “Out of Space“, “No Good (Start the Dance)“, “Voodoo People“, “Firestarter“, “Breathe“, “Smack My Bitch Up“. I loved the commotion that Smack My Bitch Up caused at the time (the protagonist in the video was a woman by the way) – controversy will always follow this band like a hungry dog so expect to see them riding the underground scene for many years to come.

Down to business – Disturbia have released (via Prodigy’s web store Recordstore.co.uk) three limited edition Prodigy designs named Zombie, Flag and Crest – there are only 100 shirts of each available so if you’re after one I’d hurry! Each tee is individually embroidered with the Prodigy Ant logo, and the edition monogram., silk-screen printed with black and fluro inks printed on 100% cotton destroyed men’s tees (the collar, sleeves and hem are grinded for their trademark worn and deconstructed look, and are super soft. I’ve included some detailed pics so you can see just how cool these tees really are! read more

Counter-Culture Fights Back at Assault Shirts

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     Ecko, John Staniforth, assault shirts, assaultshirts.com, band t-shirts, human rights, illustrated tees, political shirts, rock t-shirts

If you’re of a nervous disposition turn away now, Assault Shirts take no prisoners. they make no apologies, the revolution will not be televised, it will be illustrated and printed on some of the most astounding counter-culture urban wear to hit the street in years. If you’re ready to bring down “The Man’ and wage war against the dull conformity of modern society, then you have to check out this definitively elaborate illustrated graphic t-shirt collection. Rise up and break the shackles of fashion’s elitist tyranny, turn away from the setting sun of tradition and embrace the revolutionary stylings of Assaultshirts.com.

The future isn’t going to be neat and tidy, we won’t be wearing grey jumpsuits and living under a false sun in a giant glass dome, we won’t be flying through space at warp speed fighting aliens with a barrage of laser cannons – we will be here, under the thumb of our self-appointed lords and masters of the politically and culturally imposed nanny state that is the 21st Century. This is not the time for hesitancy and deliberation, take cover or stand and fight, your senses are about to be assaulted by some of the most fiery and politically charged t-shirts this side of the oncoming social, ecological and cultural Armageddon… get ready to rumble! read more

New Tees At 101Apparel.com

admin    T-Shirt News     101apparel, 101apparel.com, band t-shirts, music t-shirts, music tees

101 Apparel have just released a new set of music-related tees for Summer 09 and yes as usual they rock, erm, they jazz, they RnB, they soul, you get the idea, if you love music you’ll love this lot!

As usual expect fine designs, interesting concepts, great background stories and high quality tees you can wear just about anywhere and still get a knowing nod from a savvy muso or two. Some are old favourites in new colours others are brand new designs to get your toes tapping.

Check them out now – we have some great 101 Apparel product images to wet your whistle… read more

My New Invisible Friend

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     UK t-shirts, band shirts, band t-shirts, band tees, designer tees, invisible friend, invisible-friend.co.uk, music t-shirts, music tees, rock t-shirts

My old pal, well an online friend, perhaps he’s my invisible friend, anyway, Ian Cretney of Invisible Friend has just released his latest collection of revamped and highly original new tees at his fresh and snazzily redesigned site at www.invisible-friend.co.uk. This is probably a collection you won’t be familiar with, and it always surprises me that I.F haven’t had far more exposure than they do, the truth is that it just takes time for the public to catch on to new ideas and new ways of thinking.

To be frank, one of my all-time favourite t-shirts is by this guy, it’s called Dead Rock Stars, he sent me a freebie when I first reviewed the site, totally out of the blue, as you know I don’t ask for freebies to review t-shirts, I do it for the lurve as they say. Anyway, I love that t-shirt to death, which is rather apt, and looking down I’ve just noticed I’m wearing it again! Ian is what I’d call a true craftsman in the field of t-shirt design and production, he’s a dedicated soul who spent the first few years hand screen printing every single shirt, as the business has grown he’s branched out and took on a little help to keep up with demand, (in fact he’s promised to guide me through the art of screen printing so I can start producing my own graffiti posters), but rest assured, the ethos and philosophy of Invisible Friend is still as strong and true as ever.

Trying to pin down exactly what that might be is a tricky thing though, I suppose you could say it lies somewhere in an artistic mind’s interpretation of urban myth, social revolution and music folklore peppered with a healthy dose of cynical humour and a rather laid-back attitude to mortality. Each t-shirt is almost a work of modern art in itself, the iconography lies halfway between graffiti and Post-Modern illustration, the attitude, quirky, irreverent, and with an undercurrent of ever-so-slightly solemnity, which for me is an extremely refreshing change from the usual run-of-the-mill funny one-liners tees you’ll usually come across on the Net. read more