Tangible Worldwide just opened the virtual doors to their new online shop. If you’ve got love for Chicago or Portland (both fine cities), take a look at some great gocco prints, T-shirts and posters that reflect the civic pride. I may not be from Chi Town, but I’m really digging the Chicago Gocco print. In celebration of the store’s opening, they’re having an introductory/holiday-special sale until January 1st, so this is your chance to pick up a few limited edition pieces at a nice price. You’ll want to keep your eye on these guys, because they’ll be rolling out new designs in the near future.

While there are plenty of P-Funk recordings to keep us warm and fuzzy through winter, it never hurts when we get something unheard from the original line-up. Toys is a lounge seat in a Detroit studio circa 1973, featuring only a handful of complete songs, but plenty of long, driving, funked out jam sessions. The album features work done with Detroit’s legendary Westbound Records, an era that was many labels and personnel changes ago for George Clinton, who is still working on music today. Insight into the energy that moved the funk sound through its evolution is provided by expert Rob Bowman. For a non-album, this is a pretty cohesive set of unfinished tracks that remind us there was a time when sugary and good were not mutually exclusive.

The psychobilly genre was made most popular in the mainstream by Reverend Horton Heat, but the history of this distinct, mutt genre goes back to a movement that began alongside punks and greasers in the 1970s and 80s. After the style’s conception by The Cramps, perhaps the most influential psychobilly albums released were those by The Meteors, who are credited with taking an idea and making it a sound. Now we can live the history of this movement, fraught with sci-fi references and grim death. The Kings of Psychobilly is a five CD boxset that takes you through the entire journey, including a nice long interview in the liner notes with the often quiet P. Paul Fenech.

In a world of T-shirts where slogans are dying at the hands of graphics, I/denti/tee (a collaboration between iTunes and Edun Live, founded by Bono and his wife) brings us memorable, meaningful lyrics from classic songs in a subtle size and font. They’re simple tee designs that hint at your fanhood but don’t scream it. Anyone can propose a slogan in the form of their favorite lyrics beginning with “I…” Already available are “I Will Survive”, “I’m a Hustler Baby”, and of course “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” We will be waiting eagerly for the “I’m a Maniac on the Dance Floor” one to show up on the site.

While times are pretty tough, a lot of us still have it pretty good. Unfortunately, there are plenty of families who need a little extra help. The good people from the Chicago based Firebelly Design are giving back this holiday season. They’ve created Reasons To Give to help families in need. The site features individual families with their stories told with their own voices. It is great to actually see the faces of the people you’re helping. If you’re in a giving-mood you should head on over and contribute.

Lego and hip-hop might have absolutely nothing to do with each other, but that doesn’t mean they can’t combine forces to yield something awesome. Twenty classic hip hop album covers have been recreated in Lego by Formatmag.com, including Three Feet High and Rising, Stillmatic, Violent by Design, and for some reason Big Doe Rehab and not an earlier Ghostface record. Nevertheless, the whole line up will have any connoisseur smiling. The closest resemblance is probably Common’s Be. We never would have made the comparison, but the man has a permanent Lego man smile.

Via Formatmag

The photo above is of the customizing area at Brazil’s first Nike Sportswear store, which opened on Saturday here in Sao Paulo to an excited crowd. No doubt they were there in part to see super-special guest of honor and returning soccer star Ronaldo doing the honors of opening the doors to the wood-flanked space. BMX demos, b-boys and DJs like Zegon (one-half of NASA) kept the crowd entertained in the plaza in front of the store all afternoon and into the early evening. Inside, people were getting shirts customized with heat-stamped prints. The service that also lets customers pick out other pre-designed prints — like Sao Paulo’s distinctive sidewalk pattern — to build their own unique Dunk or Cortez kicks. While it’s an opportunity for locals to get the most complete current line of Nike Sportswear, it offers travelers from outside of Brazil a chance to get their hands on limited-edition, Brazil-only releases. The shop will host free events from workshops to film showings beginning January.

The Prize: More? You want more? Well, you deserve more. If you still haven’t had any luck with the holiday freebies, we’re giving away travel bags (one Checkpoint, and one Suitcase) from Timbuk2 to two winners, as well as one of the new accessories that go with them (Inflight Case, Travel Wallet, or Clear Zip Pouch).

The Rules: We’ve already gotten into the eggnog — and you probably have too. If you can still fill out the name and e-mail fields in the COMMENTS section, then you’re probably sober enough to receive a beautiful new Timbuk2 bag. One entry per reader. Duplicate entries will be discarded.

The Deadline: Contest runs now through midnight on December 18.