GIFT IDEA #4: GOT YOUR SKATE PUNK LITTLE BROTHER COVERED

Everybody's got a cousin or a nephew or a little brother who just turned fifteen and acts so bored and world-weary that you wonder if he's into anything at all. Invariably you'll find out that the grumpy, sarcastic little blank starer actually does enjoy a handful of things: skating, hanging out, listening to music, etc. This holiday season, you may as well cater to the kid's interests.

You know the following things: He needs a beanie to hang low over his eyes when he comes to school "tired." He can always use a new punk rock T-shirt and a slouchy cardigan. His jeans need to be comfy and skate-friendly, and while you're at it you can upgrade him to a real belt - the shoe lace he's been using is all stretched out. Lastly, get him a backpack that he can draw all over with Sharpie, and throw a new pair of headphones at him. All of a sudden, he's like, "Wow, dude. You're way cooler than the rest of this lame family, huh!" Look who just got a new best friend on Facebook. Nice.

RVCA - Westside Beanie
in army drab (also available in black)
$34

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April 77 - Mountain Springfield Cardigan
in black gray
$310

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Lad Musician - 2208-808 Photo T-Shirt
in black
$135

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KZO - Canyon Belt
in black leather with pony hair
$149

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RVCA - Spanky Denim Pants
in red (also available in raw black)
$89

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Fjallraven - Kanken 23510 Backpack
in sand (also available in a million other colors and three different sizes)
$87

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APRIL in AUTUMN - JEANS WHEN YOU NEED THEM

Oh April 77... if you could only have a giant warehouse of jeans down the street from me to sell all year round to anyone that wants that perfect jean for the perfect price. But no... you are in France and that is far.

Please take this moment to welcome back April 77 to the Blackbird denim assortment and know that they always sell out fast every 6 months when we get them.

APRIL 77 - JOEY COLORDRIVE

in black cloudness

DETAILS: 98% cotton, 2% elastane unisex five pocket skinny jeans with signature guitar pick holder at right-hand front pocket, and tarnished copper colored rivets, button, and zip fly in faded black. This super skinny's pegged cut and low rise sets the standard for rock club kids worldwide - Paris to London to soggy Seattle, WA. They fit right in with a shrunken silhouette's tiny blazer and button up, but this shape's potential contributions to your wardrobe don't stop there. We love playing their narrowness against chunky boots or sneakers and a ratty loose-fitting top.

sizes: 27 - 34

$186.00

APRIL 77 - Dictator

in new morning dust

DETAILS: 100% cotton slim straight leg five pocket jeans with signature guitar pick holder at right-hand front pocket, and tarnished copper colored rivets and button fly in vintage washed indigo. This faded straight leg comes with an authentic looking wash that gives them a worry free worn in look without the years of effort. Slouch them around your hips and wear them with a loosely tucked oxford, work boots, and a wool jacket for a country boy vibe or do them up with a pair of streamlined sneakers and a heavy wool sweater.

sizes: 26 - 34

$186.00

APRIL 77 - Joey Drugstore

in garage

DETAILS: 98% cotton, 2% elastane unisex five pocket skinny jeans with signature guitar pick holder at right-hand front pocket, and tarnished copper colored rivets, button, and zip fly in dusty washed indigo. April 77's authentic wash makes this pair of super-skinny jeans look like they've been yours for years even though you just took them off the rack, and the look is nothing if not versatile. Wear them with a drab M-65 jacket or a brown leather bomber, a simple button-up, and a long knit scarf for the hip kid look that's not going to have every other show-goer in line rolling their eyes - leave that to the kid in the Day Glo sneakers and neon keffiyeh.

sizes: 29 - 33

$186.00

PUNK UNCLE: APRIL 77 MOUNTAIN SPRINGFIELD CARDIGAN

April 77 - Mountain Springfield Cardigan
in black gray

DETAILS: 80% wool, 20% polyamide five button cardigan with metal studded alpine pattern. This punked up twist on your Uncle Ed's favorite winter sweater takes the traditionally tame garment in a fun new direction. Fashion savvy pop punks everywhere rejoice in how easy this piece is to mix with any of their other studded black garments, but we like it styled a little more subtly. Try pairing this sweater's barely noticeable hardware and off-kilter asymmetrical pattern with a basic oxford, faded jean jacket, and slim trousers. We bet it comes off a little cooler and a lot less obvious.
$310

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Editor's note: I just want to shout a "happy birthday" to my very punk rock little brother. Hope your day was rad, Morgan! -Kris

APRIL 77 RECORDS, ARTIST OF THE MONTH, Last Rapes of Mister Teach

If you purchased a pair of April 77 Records jeans from us, you could scratch off the gold crud on the little record to reveal a code. This code can be used on the April 77 site to download a single from the recording artist of the month.

January's band: Last Rapes of Mister Teach

HERE'S WHAT THE SITE SAYS ABOUT LRMT: "It's not always easy when you don't come from places like L.A., NYC, London, or any other big city that makes your band feel soooooo cool & soooooooo hype because you come from a city that looks sooooo cool & soooooo hype. Even Iggy Pop had to leave Detroit.

The guys from THE LAST RAPES OF MISTER TEACH come from:

Pierre: Villard Saint-Pancrace (High Alps/France)
Martin: Loutre (High Alps/France)
Maxime: L'argentière La Bessée (High Alps/France)
Xavier: Val Des Prés (High Alps/France)

Not very easy, huh ?!?

Believe us, these places deep in the deep depths of deep France, we know them well. Perhaps they are our first homes or the homes of our loved ones. In these lands one admires no go-go dancers, meets no rock stars, snorts no cocaine, and covets no free issues from Vice.

The only remedy for the regional snow that encourages the amputation of kneecaps is called Genepi, a.k.a. strong alcohol made of aromatic Alpine plants with weird, yet repetitive names such as Artemisia mutellina, Artemisia spicata, Artemisia umbelliformis and Artemisia glacialis. Say that five times fast. Mr. Teach can.

Moving on. The youngsters met in high school and started playing punk music, seeing as they were all fans of the Sex Pistols, and it was one less thing to argue about, since everyone else in their painful pubescent childhood was into Pink Zeppelin. Thanks to the microfilm technology available in the French public libraries of the day, they started diggin' more and more into the punk movement. They traveled all the way back in time to the famous "Nuggets" compilation, feeling at ease in this garage-world of Seeds, Sonics, & Electric Prunes.

Then one summer, after the thawing of their kneecaps of course, they tackled the epic descent from the brutal High Alps mountains and headed towards the Bay of Biscay and the warm sunny beaches of Biarritz. A-ba-ba-ba-Ba-Ba-Barbara-Ann.

They loved it. Sunny beaches, clear sand, girls, girls in bikinis, melted chocolate, and surf are hard to hate, right? With wandering minds and the thirst of life in need of quenching, along with one look at the ocean, several dreams of rhum and women (the bikini effect), the name of the band came naturally: They were indeed the last rapes of Mister Teach (Mister Teach is the real name of the infamous English pirate, duh).

Their mission became soforth: "To conquer the planet aboard a genuine rock'n'roll ship."

So now watch out big cities! Especially ones that aren't landlocked!

These 4 pirates use their songs as weapons, stealing away your gold, your women, and your wine. They've already ravaged many cities in France, Italy, Poland, Deutschland (German for Germany), and the United Kingdom.

Lock up your treasures: THE LAST RAPES OF MISTER TEACH are coming!

Arrrrrgh!"

APRIL 77 RECORDS T-SHIRTS

April 77 Records - Neils Children T-shirt
in white
DETAILS: Neils Children band t-shirt. Includes free 7" single and code for free MP3 downloads from www.april77records.com.
sizes: XS, S, M, L
$58


April 77 Records - The Red Hearts T-shirt
in white
DETAILS: The Red Hearts band t-shirt. Includes free 7" single and code for free MP3 downloads from www.april77records.com.
sizes: XS, S, M, L
$58


April 77 Records - "Vinyl" Print T-shirt
in white
DETAILS: Includes free 7" single and code for free MP3 downloads from www.april77records.com.
sizes: XS, S, M, L
$58


April 77 Records - "77" Print T-shirt
in black
DETAILS: Includes free 7" single and code for free MP3 downloads from www.april77records.com.
sizes: XS, S, M, L
$58

NEW JEANS: April 77 Records

April 77 Records - Sinner (front)

April 77 Records - Sinner (back)

(coin pocket detail)
April 77 Records - Sinner Transistor Jeans
in raw indigo
DETAILS: 100% cotton, slim fit
sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
$145

April 77 Records - Dictator (front)

April 77 Records - Dictator (back)

(coin pocket detail)
April 77 Records - Dictator

April 77 Records - Joey Overdrive Jeans
in raw indigo
DETAILS: 98% cotton/2% elasthane, tight fit, great for girls too.
sizes: 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
$145

April 77 Records - Joey Overdrive Sabbath Jeans
in raw navy
DETAILS: 98% cotton/2% elasthane, tight fit
sizes: 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
$145

April 77 Records - Joey Thunder Jeans
in navy fight
DETAILS: 98% cotton/2% elasthane, tight fit, soft material which has a very subtle luster
sizes: 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33
$145

April 77 Records - Joey Thunder Jeans (front)

April 77 Records - Joey Thunder Jeans (back)

(coin pocket detail)
April 77 Records - Joey Thunder Jeans
in black fight
DETAILS: 98% cotton/2% elasthane, tight fit, soft material which has a very subtle luster
sizes: 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
$145