Urban Outfitters

Avant/Garde Premiers The Cycle Revealed

The Avant/Garde Diaries’ spring season is starting off with a new series entitled “The Avant/Garde Diaries Premieres.” Samantha Casolari’s film, The Cycle Revealed, a "ruminative exploration of Robert Lepage’s production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle at The Metropolitan Opera," will be the first event in the series. The event will take place Thursday, May 16 from 8-11 PM at 372 Broome St., NYC. There will also be performances by Valentin Stip, and a DJ set by Dave Harrington, one half of Darkside. —Katie

05/17/13 10:21AM

Peace: "Lovesick"

Peace are made up of four guys from Birmingham, England, that a) know how to dress better than me, and b) know how to make some pretty excellent music. Their new video for the song "Lovesick," from debut album In Love, is a whirlwind true to the feelings of actually being lovesick. Watch Harry and Sam Koisser, Doug Castle, and Dom Boyce do donuts in the parking lot while serenading us with an incredibly catchy tune. These boys are my new favorite. —Maddie

05/16/13 02:45PM

UO x Arts Thread Contest

Urban Outfitters & Arts Thread are proud to introduce the Make It Design Competition! We like to party, but we need your help getting ready! Design something amazing for our Urban Outfitter girl to wear to a party this winter. Five winning designers will receive an incredible prize package and have their pieces sold at select Urban Outfitters stores! Can you make it?!

Make It Design Competition

05/16/13 11:36AM

Trend: Glow in the Dark

Not all things go bump in the night, some glow instead. Just like those stars you stuck to your ceiling in grade school that are still stuck there even though it's been almost 15 years. Those stars aren't burning out anytime soon, and neither is the glow in the dark trend that has been popping up! Here's what's inspiring us at the moment, followed some products to get you glowing like a worm. A really pretty, cool worm.—Ally

Alexander Wang

Johan Ku

Get Glowin':

UO Glow-In-The-Dark Nail Polish

Your fingers are now glow sticks. (Click the image above to watch this nail polish in action!)

Corner Shop Yolo Glow-In-The-Dark Cropped Tee

You might only live once, but you can glow every day in this Corner Shop Tee. GLOW-LO!!!!

Colorini Waterproof Body Paint

It's time to get out your black light, head to your local warehouse rave and dance the night away with these amazing glow-in-the-dark body paints!

Magical Thinking Wild Thing Glow-In-The-Dark Tapestry

I know what you're thinking: "No way."Well... YES way. THIS TAPESTRY SERIOUSLY GLOWS IN THE DARK. This takes things like glamping, nighttime beach parties and indoor forts to the next level. Count me in.

Stance x Lizard King Glow-In-The-Dark Sock

These socks would look so cool at that all-night kegger you're going to this weekend in the woods. Good luck trying to hide from the cops in these babies.

UO Glow-In-The-Dark Risky Sunglasses

So far, these are the only reason I can find for wearing sunglasses at night.

Glow-In-The-Dark Moon Wall Clock

It's time to add a new element to your eighth grade ceiling with this Moon Wall Clock. A few more gems like this and your entire room will start to look like a Plane-arium.

Glow-In-The-Dark Vinyl Cruiser Skateboard

You know, for when it's like... dark. Or whatever.

(Photo by Bekah Cope)

05/16/13 09:40AM

Interview: Turf War

Turf War are a band made up of five dudes (John, Cecil, Brian, Brad and Ian) from Augusta, Georgia that have now made a name for themselves with their new EP, entitled The Great Escape. Their sound is heavily influenced by classic rock and roll, which I'm a massive fan of, but there is also a taste of the South, where the band grew up. Below I talk to frontman John Robinson about the importance of that one band Nirvana, how where you live can influence your sound, and how the Strokes are still up there for him, and probably all of us. - Maddie

First off, how did you guys meet and start playing together?
We all grew up around each other with the exception of Ian. A few of us played in crappy punk and hardcore bands in Augusta when we were younger so we knew each other from that scene. We come from a smaller town so you can't be picky about who you play with. There's a small minority of people that are into the music I was into, and they all played in Turf War at some point.

Did growing up in the South have any influence on your music?
Yeah, big time. We like simple pleasures. My parents grew up in rural Alabama so they're some sweet home Alabama chanting motha fuckas. My mom listened to a lot of '90s country, some Clarence Carter and my dad got me into good country and Tom Petty, I also grew up listening to CCR a lot. I always thought they made the perfect music for what I thought of the South. Then I watched "Behind the Music" and found out they're from California. Oh well. Shit happens.

(Photo by Tim Song)

Your new EP, The Great Escape, definitely has some true rock and roll roots. Did any specific artists influence you when writing and recording the songs for it?
I take influences from the wide variety of music I listen to. For The Great Escape EP I wanted to go more roots rock than the first album. I don't think the title song is roots rock but the rest of it is more rock 'n' roll that anybody can get into. Kids, moms, dads, hipsters, druggies, homeless people... anybody.

How did you decide on the name 'Turf War' for the band?
Everyone asks that question. There really wasn't that much thought put into naming the band. I thought Turf War sounded cooler than the other names I came up with, and John Robinson and the whatevers just didn't have a good ring to it.

What is the album that had the most influence on you growing up that you still listen to today?
Nirvana, Nevermind. I can't escape the influence that Nirvana had on my life from age ten on. That was the first band that I knew who all the members were and I studied religiously and dressed like them and wanted to be them. We'll never be Nirvana but it would be nice to influence at least one kid the way they influenced me.

Since you guys are touring and will be playing Hopscotch Festival in North Carolina in September, who would your ultimate festival headliners be?
Man. That's a hard question to answer. I'm so fuckin' excited about Spiritualized headlining Hopscotch. That's a dream in its own. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers would be an amazing headliner.

Last but not least, what album could you never live without?
I would love to lie and say something cool like Exile on Main Street or a Replacements album, but honestly the first Strokes album is a time capsule for me. I can listen to that with some folks my age and for at least half of the record I feel 19 again. I don't get straight outta Compton I get straight outta high school.

Check out The Great Escape on SoundCloud, or get the limited white cassette tape here!

05/15/13 12:27PM

Trend: Maxi Skirts

Maxi skirts are all over the place right now, and we should all rejoice. Don't feel like shaving your legs? Throw on a maxi! Don't feel like having your organs crunched by high-waisted denim? Throw on a maxi! Don't feel like taking off your PJ pants? Take 'em off, and throw on a maxi! With maxis you get to feel easy breezy and look good with almost no effort. It's a win/win! Here are some of our favorites. —Katie

The Reformation X Urban Renewal Bowery Maxi Skirt

Urban Renewal Button Front Maxi Skirt

Sparkle & Fade Silky Ombre Maxi Skirt

Ecote Double Slit Maxi Skirt

Pins And Needles Silky Double-Slit Maxi Skirt

Ecote Lace-Block Knit Maxi Skirt

Silence & Noise Geo Print High-Slit Maxi Skirt

Shop Maxis

05/15/13 10:29AM

Album Review: Foxygen

Foxygen is your typical talented "damn-it-they're-so-cool" band from California, and their newest (awesome) LP, We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic, was released earlier this year. As it turns out, the January release is perfect summer music. —Katie

Packaging:
There's no double-gatefold action going on with this album, but the cover art is pretty awesome. Plus, the lyrics for all the songs are included on the inner sleeve, just in case you hear something that really speaks to you and you're too lazy to hop on the ol' Google.

Best song:
Really into "No Destruction" (track 2) because it's kind of got some Dylan-esque vocal shenanigans going on, and I'm always down for anything that's Dylan-esque. The band has an overall "classic rock" vibe, especially on their first single from the album, "Shuggie." (Like, '60s-psych-band classic rock, not Rush-in-1984 classic rock [even though Rush is delightful in their own special way].)

What it's good for:
You know when there's a movie montage about everyone having a good time in the sunshine, and maybe there are some slow-mo shots of people laughing in the grass and like, a dripping ice cream cone? That's what this album reminds me of. It's great summertime hangouts music. And it also makes cleaning your room feel a lot less terrible. (Because as I found out when trying to take these pictures inside, my room is a dark hell-hole covered in dust, but now it's clean. Thanks, Foxygen!)

Shop Foxygen's We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic

From Los Angeles

05/14/13 11:05AM

FYF Fest 2013

So here's the FYF Fest lineup for 2013, which I personally think is massive! They've got some huge names on there, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Deerhunter, The Breeders, MGMT, Jonathan Richman, and My Bloody Valentine, which is a BIG deal! They haven't been in the states since 2009. FYF this year will take place in Los Angeles on August 24th and 25th, for its tenth year running! This year will be huge! For more info on tickets, check the fest's site. —Maddie

From Los Angeles

Photo by Bobby Whigham

05/14/13 11:03AM

Trend: Get Buckets

I was super bummed when I was ten and my camo bucket hat flew off my head while boating, but I'm even sadder now because that hat was way ahead of the game. Fashion dudez know bucket hats have been coming on strong for the past few seasons on the runway, in lookbooks from steezy Japanese brands, and soon, rested comfortably atop your domepiece. It's finally hot most places (sorry if it's snowy where you are) and we've got your easily-sunburnt ears covered with a selection of bucket hats from legendary brands like Stussy, Penfield and L.A. streetwear mainstay Undefeated. Just be careful on boats. —Angelo

Undefeated Bucket Hat
Perfect for expert level jungle creepin'.

Stussy Camouflage Bucket Hat
Very chill safari life.

Penfield Baker Bucket Hat
#floralife, like grandma's couch but cool and not smelling like Lucky Strikes.

Undefeated U-Man Bucket Hat
It's like the cool bucket hat version of those preppy shorts with embroidered penguins and boats.

05/13/13 03:28PM

Stream Random Access Memories

Look out, y'all. Daft Punk dropped another teaser for Random Access Memories in anticipation of their album release on the 21st of May. In the video we get a preview of the actual vinyl packaging, plus a snippet of the track "Give Life Back to Music." More importantly, the full album streaming is now available on iTunes! Pretty hyped for this. —Lorin

05/13/13 02:50PM

Animated Murals By Insa

Whoa, talk about patience. INSA, an artist based out of the UK, re-paints these pieces several times in order to snap enough pics for the .gif effect. The end result is awesome (not to mention that INSA should win a Nobel Peace Prize for patience). —Katie
(via Boooooooom)

From Austin

05/13/13 12:25PM

ACL Lineup

Austin City Limits Music Festival has announced their lineup and it is pretty incredible. It's actually much longer than that little graphic up there would lead you to believe, so make sure you check out the lineup in its entirety here. This year, the festival is taking a page from Coachella's book and running two weekends, Oct. 4-6 and Oct. 11-13 (tickets are available here). While it sucks that you have to wait 5+ months to go, at least you can look forward to how pleasantly unsweaty you'll be at an October music fest! —Katie

From Chicago

05/10/13 10:31AM

Look Of The Week: Anna Rafferty

Hi Anna! What do you do at UO?
Hello, blog team! I am the women's department manager at Urban Outfitters on Rush St. in Chicago's magical Gold Coast neighborhood.

Can you tell us what you're wearing?
It's all thrifted, except the socks are from Urban. The '90s mom jeans I thrifted in Omaha, Nebraska (where I'm from); everything else I scored in Chicago.

Did you make your shirt, or thrift it? What are your favorite thrift stores in Chicago?
Well, both! I found this amazing Simpsons printed flat sheet for 50 cents at the Village Discount Outlet in Irving Park in Chicago and couldn't pass it up. I thought maybe I'd make it into curtains or something. Then my best friend, Lauren (a fashion student and sales associate at the Urban in London, UK), designed an outfit from the fabric when she was here for a visit recently. There's a matching skirt, too!

I'm obsessed with thrifting, and Chicago is home to some of my favorite thrift stores. I love the Village Discount Outlet in Logan Square. It's a massive space, not the kind of thrift store you can peruse if you have only 10 minutes to kill. You gotta commit to an hour at least and do a lot of digging. But it's worth it when you leave with a garbage bag full of treasure!

But seriously, that Simpsons tank is amazing. Who is your favorite character on The Simpsons?
Ralph! He has some of the best quotes on the show. "Eww, Daddy, this tastes like Grandma!"

Do you love donuts the way Homer loves donuts? Any favorite donut places in Chicago? (MMM, donuts.)
That's a tough passion to rival. No, Homer has me beat. But I do love Glazed and Infused in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. They make some really creative donuts, like Peach Iced Tea or Blackberry Goat Cheese.

Where can we find you online?
I have an Instagram page where I post a lot of thrifted looks. Annarifraf is me!

05/10/13 09:52AM

Great Gatsby Record Set

If you have $250 lyin' around, please buy this ridiculously awesome Great Gatsby soundtrack vinyl. They are literally coated in gold and platinum! Whaaaaat? You probably can't play them, but they sure do look cool. If you are a normal human and can't spend $250 but still want to hear the tunes, you can listen to them all fo' free on Spotify. —Katie

05/09/13 12:34PM

Listen to TORRES' self-titled debut album now!

Interview: TORRES

Tennessee-based band TORRES is playing at our new Knoxville store's opening party. We spoke with frontwoman Mackenzie Scott about finding her voice, her favorite thing about living in Tennessee, and her love for the "Man in Black."

Interview by Ally Mullen

Introduce yourself!
My name is Mackenzie Scott. I sometimes write and sing and play the guitar, and sometimes I do these things at the same time in front of people (the singing and the playing the guitar, that is). I also drink ungodly amounts of coffee and run a Facebook account for my cat, Little Bat.

Are you a born and raised Tennessean?
I’m actually not a born and raised Tennessean at all. I was born in Orlando, Florida and grew up in Macon, Georgia from the age of three. I’ve only been in Tennessee since 2009.

What's your favorite part about Tennessee?

I’d have to say it’s probably the whiskey.

Your voice is amazingly dreamy yet raw at the same time. Have you always been a singer? When did you realize you could sing well?
Thank you. I’ve always tried to sing, but I kept it a secret when I was young. I’d lock my door and sing Britney Spears songs into the mirror, but when I was around people I’d always make it a joke. I’d sing in cartoonish voices and play characters because I was too insecure to sing seriously and be myself. That’s why I got into musical theatre when I was in middle school and continued through high school. That’s also when I learned that I could actually carry a tune without having to be afraid of someone listening. Ironically, playing characters on the stage gave me the confidence I needed to be myself, unabashedly.

When did you first decide you wanted to make music?
I’m not sure. I think I’ve always made music in some form, since I was six or seven. My parents gave me the opportunity to learn to play a lot of instruments at a young age.

How old were you when you began to play guitar?

I started playing the guitar when I was about 16.

What musicians did you look up to when you began? As a female, did you specifically look up to women at all?
Male and female alike, I had a lot of influences: Johnny Cash, Joan Jett, Ryan Adams, Brandi Carlile and Tori Amos were some of my early heroes around the time I started writing songs.

Can you tell us five things that you sing about/that have influenced your writing?
1. Heartache in the morning
2. Heartache in the afternoon
3. Heartache in the evening
4. Jesus
5. Lucifer

How much does living in TN influence your music?
It doesn’t really affect the music at all.

How about your style?

It does affect my style. The Man in Black lived here; I pretty much wear whatever I think Johnny would wear. That usually means I’m wearing black, even on a scorching summer day.

What's your go-to live performance outfit?
Black pants, black boots, collared button-down shirt, black blazer, and sometimes a wide-brimmed hat.

When you're not singing your own songs, what's your #1 karaoke song to sing to?
"Crimson & Clover" by Joan Jett

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05/09/13 12:34PM

Grimes: "Venus in Fleurs"

Grimes, aka the greatest woman ever, released a video for "Venus in Fleurs," a song surprisingly not off of Visions, an album you are probably very familiar with by now. What makes me most happy about this video is that she released it herself on her Tumblr, with a note making it clear that she doesn't really care about the press. You tell 'em, Claire! Anyway, besides the politics of the music biz, this video is very nice, and was created by Video Marsh, all using footage from the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in British Columbia, that is beautiful but also super spooky at the same time. —Maddie

05/09/13 12:31PM

10 Years of Justin

In case you didn't hear, we are all going to be blessed with a second installation of Justin Timberlake's 20/20 Experience. Set to be released September 30, the album's release date will also coincide with (ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?) a Justin Timberlake tour. He's also doing a tour with Jay-Z this summer (because bestiez always tour together), but the fall tour will be his first solo outing since 2007. That's six years without Justin! And I can't even believe that his first solo album came out way back in 2002 (much love, Justified). So, in honor of 10-ish years of solo Justin, and the month of May, and everything else good in the world, let's take a look back at J. Tims illustrious solo career. —Katie

"Cry Me A River" 2002
Remember when this first came out and it was like, "Oh my god, Justin is so edgy! This is about Britney! Cool dance moves! Hot bod! Did you see the way that sliding glass door shattered!?" And then it's 2013 and you watch the video again and get a little depressed because you realize Justin was actually being a total weirdo stalker and even the sexy countertop dance moves don't help us forget that? Me too. :(

"Senorita" 2003
If you ignore Justin's baggy & casual cargo khakis, then this video is pretty much timeless. Everyone in it is so hot. Justin was on his A-game with his head hair and face hair in this video. Also, the red-dress-wearing dancing girl is someone I still aspire to be if I'm ever trying to woo someone at a bar. Of course, when I attempt to be her, it looks more like this, but it's the thought that counts, right?

"SexyBack" 2006
I mean, do I even have to tell you about the cultural impact this little ditty had on the world? No. I do not.

"My Love" 2006
This is when we realized Justin had thrown all his fedoras in the garbage for good ("Goodbye, hats! I am now a serious artist!"), and was now permanently doing the "I'm a cool, sexy guy in a suit" thing. Which was sad for a minute because Justin in legit clothes isn't as fun as this. But the beauty of this song helped us move on.

"Babyback Ribs" 2002
And also, how can we ever feel sad when this video is just a short YouTube trip away? LYLAS forever, dude.

05/09/13 09:50AM

Knoxville Opening Party

This Saturday, May 11, come on out to our newly opened Knoxville, TN, store and celebrate with us! We'll have free beer (for you of-age folk, of course), and free tunes, including a DJ set by Washed Out, as well as sets by Jackson Scott and TORRES. The fun starts at 6 PM, so set yo' clocks. The new store is located at 503 Market St., Arnstein Building, Knoxville, TN. See you there!

05/08/13 03:15PM