Editorials—Topic: The Streets


Look for Eleven Issue 7.5 on the streets early next week.

Rags-to-riches stories of hip-hop icons and Kurt Cobain’s homeless-under-a-bridge saga prove that the streets give cred.  And cred matters.  Watch Eminmen emasculate “Clarence” in 8-Mile: “You went to Cranbook – that’s a private school,” he taunts.  I’m sure Pearl Jam snarled out similar jabs to prep school bands.

So, if cred matters so much, why is my ipod so damn preppy?

Where you’re from makes you.  Springsteen couldn’t be an artist of the people from an ivory tower, munching on caviar and drinking Dom Pérignon.  Spike Lee couldn’t direct from an ostrich-skin recliner while gently caressing his pet cheetah.  Cred makes sense.

But the suburbs have stolen the spotlight from the streets. Stages now bend to the boat shoes of Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig.  The liberal arts degrees of MGMT and the biomedical engineering studies of Girl Talk give credence to a new landscape of music.  Even Kanye readily admits he rocked his report cards, and we haven’t even mentioned his pink Polos.

Hell, Arcade Fire just won Album of the Year with a record actually called “The Suburbs”.  You caught that, right?

The underlying truth is that cred doesn’t equate to being poor or sleeping under bridges.  Cred is just our litmus of sincerity.  Represent yourself as you are.  Kanye and Ezra have never given a semblance of being more than themselves.  And the kids in the suburbs – the ones plucking shiny new guitars and toying with Pro Tools – are taking notice that they can have cred, too.

This entry was written by Elliot Cole, posted on March 4, 2011 at 10:23 am, filed under Editorials and tagged , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Editorial – “We’re All f#@!&ers. Including You.”

Look for Eleven Issue 7.4 on the streets early next week.

Cee-Lo—the purveyor of this year’s best heartbreak song as well as Eleven’s handsomely rendered cover boy—is onto something.  He’s tapped into the collective consciousness of millions of forlorn, wallowing breakup victims with one swoop of soulful Motown revivalist pop (and, of course, one bitingly gratifying phrase). (more…)

This entry was written by Elliot Cole, posted on December 4, 2010 at 10:00 am, filed under Editorials and tagged , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Editorial: Welcome to Novembeard


Look for Eleven Issue 7.3 on the streets early next week.

With fall leafing its way upon us, so comes the beginning of the holy trilogy of beard months: Novembeard, Decembeard, and of course, Manuary.  Clean-shaven October faces become obscured by scruff, paying homage to the follicles of ZZ Top, Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam, and that huge guy from the Harry Potter movies.

Of course, no two beards are the same.  From the French Fork to the Fu Manchu, each beard taps into the depths of our determination, creativity, and hatred of razor nicks.  The beard is more than just an icon; it’s functional, too.  We submit the following uses of a well-grown Novembeard:

Warmth:  There are few ways to cover your cheeks, unless you want to be that idiot that rolls a turtleneck up to your nose and gets snot all over it.  (Who owns turtlenecks these days, anyways?)  Thankfully, man has beards for keeping our cheeks warm during the balmy months ahead.

Protection:  Who is a mugger more likely to follow down a dark alley: the babyfaced, innocent looking pedestrian, or the guy with a ferociously grizzled beard that says, “I punch bears and pick my teeth with warthog bones”?  Exactly.

Storage:  It’s difficult to fit a cell phone or wallet in super skinny jeans.  With a tasteful beard, these problems are cured instantly.  Wedge that Blackberry into the shaggy storage space and never worry about missing a call again.

Musical Ability:  Let’s face it, you’re not Mozart.  Or Dave Navarro.  Hell, you couldn’t even be the touring guitarist for a pop punk band still playing songs from 1998.  Thankfully, with a rocking beard, your lackluster talents don’t matter.  You’ll suddenly find that droves of fans will think you’re just a hot mess of awesome with every screwed up chord and out-of-tune note.  Your lack of talent is, suddenly, a talent in itself, and it’s all thanks to the rock star prowess of beards.

Style:  A well-maintained beard can mesh perfectly with a nice suit, adding a touch of class and mystique.  Of course, a rugged mountain man beard can be just as useful, giving its owner a dangerous edge and the ability to punch bears.  For every style, there’s a beard to match.

So take the time to celebrate beards this fall.  As patchy Novembeards smooth into Manuary manscapes, let’s applaud the hordes of dudes that look like Chia pets left out in a storm.  Just remember to use these reasons to explain to your girlfriend/boss/mother why you have potato salad caught in your ‘stache.

This entry was written by Elliot Cole, posted on October 28, 2010 at 2:03 pm, filed under Editorials and tagged , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.