Can you believe I've been doing giveaways for over a year?! That's insane. While I wish I could give everyone who emails something every week, given the numbers of emails I get, it's impossible. Even if you haven't won recently, keep emailing. The person who sends in the most emails for giveaways will win something hot very shortly. No hints, but trust me on this one.
Up this week, I've got 3 copies (retail value $30) of the latest edition of the Journal of Popular Noise's limited edition, bi-yearly audio magazine featuring spoken word by Andrew W.K., Ian Svenonius, and Walker & Cantrell and photography by Roe Etheridge, Flora Hanitijo, and Bryan Whitson.
This time around, there will be a Letterpress version (edition of 100) and a "zine" version (edition of 400). Within the package are 3 issues, each in the form of 7" vinyl records. Every issue conforms to the same prescribed editorial structures but is composed by a different artist or group.
I'm in love with a band from the UK I found today on MySpace called Amusement Parks On Fire. They're one of Silversun Pickups favorite bands, so you know they've gotta be good. If you're into shoegaze, you're going to wet yourself when you hear these guys.
Formed by Michael Feerick in 2004, who wrote and performed all the instruments for the self-titled debut album, Amusement Parks on Fire now writes and performs as a five-piece group: Michael Feerick (guitar/vocals), Daniel Knowles (guitar/production), Peter Dale (drums), Gavin Poole (bass) and Joe Hardy (keyboard).
The band began as the solo project of Michael Feerick in 2004, who wrote and recorded nine songs on a small budget with friend Daniel Knowles engineering the sessions. The self-titled debut album was released in the UK on INVADA Records, a label run by Geoff Barrow of Portishead in 2005. The band signed to V2 Records in 2005 and recorded their second studio album Out of the Angeles at Sigur Ros' Sundlaugin studio in Iceland and toured Europe and America extensively.
I just got a tip from Charles -- who just spent the week in Paris Fashion Week Homme checking out the hottest new collections including a day chez Rick Owens -- about a line called Tuesday Night Band Practice. While in their third season, it's the first I've heard or seen of the line, which isn't surprising given they currently have no US retailers. That'll all change next spring when Bonnie & Clyde's in Chicago starts to carry the line.
Tuesday Night Band Practice (TNBP) was born when 4 designers from the UK and Australia (one of whom is rumored to be one of the original Ksubi designers) met and bonded over their love of fashion and music. They began designing a capsule collection, which was immediately picked up by some of the best stores in the world.
Currently selling their third season, they are now stocked in over 70 stores globally, including heavy hitters like Harvey Nichols, Loveless, Feathers, Pollyanna, and And-A.
The line consists of tailoring and suiting, denim, knits, and, of course, the super hot tees you can check out on their site and in the pics below. The fit, fabric, details and graphics on these tees all look right on point.
Finding a hot guys back is tough. They're out there for sure. Well, kinda. This Margiela bag I'd have bought in a heartbeat from oki-ni was sold out almost as soon as they came in.
In my never ending search for a hot new bag, I came across a women's bag that while not your typical "it" bag is still too girly for a guy to use, despite being a rugged black leather duffel bag.
Behold Alexander Wang's must-have Black Coco Mini Duffel Bag. So hot. And while I think the brass studs are a bit much in this incarnation for a guy, if tweaked in just the right manner to take the girly away, I'd buy this bag in before you could say Alexander Wang Black Coco Mini Duffel Bag.
This Thursday, Deitch opens a show called Black Acid Co-op -- a series of installations addressing the notiong of counter and drug culture in urban America -- at its Wooster Street space.
Black Acid Co-op is the third collaborative project of Justin Lowe and Jonah Freeman. Their first installation Hello Meth Lab In The Sun (with Alexandre Singh), commissioned by Ballroom Marfa, consisted of a labyrinthine assemblage of rooms, hallways, closets and observation platforms. A variation entitled Hello Meth Lab With A View then traveled to Miami, where it was installed in a duplex apartment. Their new piece continues the themes of previous versions specifically that of alchemy in a modern context and community, ritual and psychosis.
Black Acid Co-Op is the moniker for a counter-culture enclave embedded in the metropolis. In this incarnation, the artists shift the focus from the production of illegal drugs to sites of sub-cultural groups and how they are situated in the larger urban environment.
Check out this interview I did with The Maccabees for CITY. And if for some reason you still don't know who these guys are, check out their MySpace now. I saw them last week at Music Hall of Williamsburg and they're an amazing live band.
Every now and then, I hear a record that sucks me in and won't let me go for a week or more. Sometimes, though, my musical obsessions last longer, much longer. This was the case with the debut record – Colour It In -- from British band The Maccabees, who had me in their clutches for nearly a month. On iTunes while at home and on my iPod while everywhere else: there was just no getting away from them.
With all of the music available these days – in large part thanks to sites like music-friendly MySpace – it's a part-time job navigating the world of indie music. Whereas in the past there were a finite amount of artists being funneled to the world via radio and MTV through major labels, now anyone and everyone who makes music and has a computer can upload tracks to MySpace and let the world have a listen. The upside: so much amazing music that would have gone unnoticed in the past is now available to anyone who wants to hear it. The downside: at any given time, there are hundreds of bands – some of whom are amazing and worth a listen – who may not get the attention they deserve.
One such band is The Maccabees. While not completely unknown in the music world, given the strength of their first record – released in 2005 – I'm shocked they didn't become an instant hit. Once you've listened to Colour It In, you too will wonder how it is that they've not taken the world by storm. Having toured with Bloc Party and currently enjoying huge success in the UK, The Maccabees' time to shine worldwide is just around the corner. They're good looking, have a unique musical style, and man can they play live, something many current indie bands struggle with.
Felix, the guitar player for the band, took a minute out of the band's currently jam-packed UK tour schedule to answer a few burning questions I had about the band whose music once again I can't stop listening to.
For all you Nice Collective addicts out there, I've got some great news. The SF designers have just launched the latest component of their fashion empire -- an online store selling exclusive products called The StoreRoom.
The design team at Nice Collective go back into the studio to give some of their favorite products special attention for release on their new online store. Aptly named, The StoreRoom is an online "community" shop for design aficionados looking for custom and rare Nice Collective additions to their wardrobe or home.
Each item produced for The StoreRoom is handcrafted by Nice Collective. These exclusive design offerings will highlight various aspects of Nice Collective's design process and will not be sold at any other locations.
The StoreRoom clothing and objects will be produced in extremely limited quantities, numbered with a custom metal tag and accompanied by a matching certificate of authenticity.
Check out these hot sneakers by Italian designers Golden Goose.
Golden Goose was launched in 2000 by two not so ambitious designers, Alessandro Gallo and Francesca Rinaldo who just wanted more cool stuff for themselves. Before they knew it, they were supporting MTV Italy's wardrobe.
Golden Goose gets its originality from their effort put into researching and reinventing vintage materials. Despite their down-to-earth philosophy, we will be seeing a lot of their fun and extraordinary pieces around the world soon.
They're a bit pricey, but super hot and available at Aloha Rag, which you can buy from online or, if you're in New York, stop by their store at 505 Greenwich Street.
Don't forget to check out the full men's and women's lines available at Aloha Rag.
If you're not familiar with the PBS series Art:21 -- and even if you are -- listen up: Season Five of the popular series has just been announced and the roster is pretty hot.
Art21 is pleased to announce Season Five of Art:21 - Art in the Twenty-First Century, premiering in October 2009 on PBS, and available on iTunes, Hulu, and other online platforms (I got it from Netflix and watched them all at once which rocked) in the United States and Canada. Meet fourteen of today's most intriguing and thought-provoking contemporary artists as they create works that reflect important and timely issues. In its most international season to date, Art21 traveled to every continent (except Antarctica) to film artists in museums, galleries, studios and homes.
Season Five features four one-hour episodes: Compassion, Fantasy, Transformation, and Systems. As in previous seasons, the thematic groupings serve as threads that loosely tie the artists together into a single episode.
Who's involved?? Some of my favorites, including William Kentridge, Cao Fei, Mary Heilmann, Jeff Koons, Paul McCarthy, Cindy Sherman, John Baldessari, Allan McCollum, and Julie Mehretu.
Just before I head off to the beach on one of the first nice days this summer, I leave you with this list of the top 10 songs I've been listening to this past week. And no. I am not including a Michael Jackson song because he just died. That'd be tired. I will tell you though that my favorite MJ song -- maybe not ever, but the one I listen to the most -- is Butterflies, which is really embarrassing, but whatever.
I've been wearing my own tees for so long that I don't really shop for tees. Lately, though, I've begun to stray.
On Wednesday, I bought a short-sleeve Tonal Stripe Crew t-shirt by Alternative Apparel at Argosy for an event. If you're not famiar with Alternative Apparel, check out their site. They're like American Apparel, but better. The styles aren't so played and it's not owned by that freakshow who's trying to be the Starbucks of overpriced basics. The fabric on the tee I got is amazing. The fit of the body and the cut of the neck are both really hot and all for only $28. Check it out.
Now onto the tee I really want, but even with the 20% sale at online store S|SENSE I could never bring myself to do anything other than drool over it and tell you all about it. It's the Two-Tone Dark Shadow tee from the DRKSHDW collection by the high priest of fashion at the moment Rick Owens.
I swear I'm not turning this into a blog where all I do is post videos -- although that might be hot -- but I was very uhm "under the weather" this morning and then this hot video for Teenage Lakes by PRE landed in my Inbox.
If you haven't listened to these guys yet, check out their MySpace and check out the original post I did on them a few weeks back.
I can't believe we have to wait until 07.10.09 to see this. It looks hysterical. "What kind of belt is that candidate? D&G. What is D&G? Dolce & Gabbana, hallo!"
I should really invest in Margiela. Everything the guy makes is genius. Well, maybe not to everyone and maybe not EVERYTHING, but, let's just say, he makes a lot of stuff I want like the Rubber Effect Trainer.
A replica piece in the style of an Austrian 70s running shoe. Made from lambskin and split calf leather, the shoe is grey in a matt patent with matching stitching and brand patch on the tongue. The sole is vulcanized rubber and they come with contrasting off-white laces, but I prefer them laceless.
Get yours at oki-ni, where they also have lots of new items from Margiela in stock. And did I mention they're running a 30% off sale right now??
Terence Koh's gallery ASS (Asia Song Society) and BUTT Magazine have teamed up for a short, but sweet art exhibit at ASS's Canal Street location entitled BUTT in ASS, which officially opened Monday and runs through Friday, 07.03.09.
BUTT Magazine presents BUTT IN ASS, an exhibition of queer video art that transforms the gallery into a mock porn shop, complete with a three unit video-buddy-booth sculpture (Shawn Maximo) screening art films in lieu of porn. Curated by Michael Bullock and Yasmine Dubois-Ziai, BUTT IN ASS honors BUTT Magazine's tradition of showcasing the artistic gamut from established luminaries to emerging talents, and is organized in support of the ethos of Gay Pride. This show was made possible by the generous support of American Apparel, a long time friend and supporter of the gay community.
BUTT IN ASS features videos by: Kathryn Garcia, Paul Pfeiffer, Ely Kim, Jean Genet, Paul Lee, Kalup Linzy, Lovett/ Codagnone, Nayland Blake, and Isaac Julien, among others.
Not sure if you've spent much time trolling MySpace for new music, but there's a lot of f'ing bands in Brooklyn. It's really astounding, especially when you realize how much amazing music is out there. One that caught my ear today: Obits.
These guys crank out some serious rock n roll. On first listen, I was sure it was a secret Iggy and The Stooges MySpace page and even now when I listen, it's hard not to make the association; and don't get me wrong, it's not derivative at all and sounding like The Stooges could never be a bad thing at all.
Says their iconic indie rock label Sub Pop: Every so often over the past few years you'd hear a whisper about this new Brooklyn band featuring a couple of indie rock veterans. Supposedly they'd been practicing since 2006, but weren't ready to play live yet. Then they finally did play and immediately a bootleg recording of that first show spread all over the web. In lieu of having anything recorded for people to hear, the band even put some of the songs on its MySpace page.
I'm on a bit of an Atelier New York tip these days. Not only do they carry some of my favorite lines at the moment -- Damir Doma, Boris Bidjan Saberi, The Viridi-Anne, m.a+, Guidi, Julius, et al -- but they carry the hard to find, super high-end line of shoes and bags called Augusta.
Augusta -- founded by Simone Cecchetto in 2007, specializes in leather shoes and bags, utilizing skins such as horse, pig, and fish. Beginning this spring, Augusta has begun making leather garments too.
Check out the pics below of two hot custom oiled styles -- one boot and one shoe -- called the Oiled Cordovan. The wear and tear treatment is incredible. Not like other treatments of this nature, the oil adds to the lushness of the decay, giving the shoes and boots that extra something that separates the men from the boys.
See these styles and more from Augusta on Atelier's site. Sorry I can't direct link, but their site is built in Flash.
I'm not big on jewelry -- save a coke spoon charm necklace here and there -- but I'm in love with almost all of the jewelry and accessories by Margiela. Most of the pieces are very simple, yet luxe, with slight twists that make them all the more appealling.
The Gun Metal Ring -- a dark brass coiled ring with a high shine finish that's made in Italy and measures about 2.5" inside -- fits the bill perfectly. It's simple and chic and puts the perfect twist on the old school band rings that a lot of guys who want to wear a ring, but don't want some fancy thing on their hands generally wear.
Check it out at oki-ni. For $172, it's a total steal if you ask me and it's a step up from that non-descript band you're wearing now, but not so crazy that it'll feel like too much. I want one!
I just came across a shoe and bag line out Italy called Guidi 1896 that has some amazing shoes and bags. Atelier -- the super high-end boutique in SoHo I never go to because everything costs $1 million -- carries the line so you know it's hot.
Since 1896, Guido Guidi, Giovanni Rosellini and Gino Ulivo established Conceria Guidi e Rosellini at Pescia in Tuscany. Here the art of leather tanning can be traced to the Middle Age, when a guild of tanners and shoemakers existed since the XIV Century.
Ruggero Guidi is actually running the tannery and he spent time and energy looking for the perfect balance between advanced technologies and respect for his heritage of traditions and skills. The Conceria Guidi e Rosellini is well-known all over the world: the most demanding designers ask Guidi for special leathers and treatments and he always finds how to get exactly what they want.
Read the full Guidi bio here. According to their site, they're currently showing a line of new designs for the SS10 season in Paris right now called mutAted shOes, mutAted bOots, and mutAted shOppers. To view the current and past collections, click here. To find out where the line is sold, click here. In the US, you can find it at Atelier (NY), Maxfield (LA), The Archive (SF), and MixMix (Honolulu).
I'm addicted to posting YouTube videos on the site now, as I'm sure you're well aware.
I've been into the Crookers for a few weeks now -- the Italian DJ duo I mentioned earlier who did a version of Miike Snow's Animals -- and despite my not really being into DJs and dance music at the moment, can't stop listening to them.
Their remix of Kid Cudi's Day 'n' Night is highly addictive. Check out the video below.
Don't forget to check out Crookers on MySpace, read their Wiki, and listen to Crookers' Radio on Last.fm And, of course, don't forget to check out Kid Cudi's site, where you'' find more info on the singer and a link to iTunes to buy the official single for Day 'n' Night, that I just downloaded. Hot.
Brooklyn indie rockers Miike Snow opened for The Maccabees last night at Music Hall of Williamsburg. All I can say is that they're amazing. And for the record: The Maccabees killed it. They're incredible live. The crowd was eating them up. Why they're not the biggest band in the world right now remains a mystery to me.
But who exactly is/are Miike Snow? And why the two i's in Miike? According to the bio on their label's website: Up to this point they've remained pretty mysterious, proving nearly impossible to find any information about, photographic or otherwise. Man? DJ? Robot? Miike Snow is a band. Swedish duo Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg are childhood friends who spent time playing in bands and working on various projects in studios throughout Gothenburg. After separate moves to Stockholm they reunited in 2000 when their paths crossed with American Andrew Wyatt to write a pop album for a someone else. The release was small, there was little distribution and an alleged large sum of money was lost in the process the three stayed in touch and a friendship was formed and in 2007 Miike Snow was born.
Check it out. You know how much I love these guys. HTRK (Hate Rock Trio) from Australia. Check out my original post here and make sure to check out their MySpace. Listen to Disco first. It'll be the gateway drug to your HTRK addiction. Thanks to Singer at Nice Collective for the video link.
If you like video art, you're going to want to check out the upcoming three man show tht opens 06.25.09 at Team Gallery entitled Arcangel, Pinard, Routson.
Cory Arcangel will be represented by a new video, Drei Klavierstücke, Op. 11, which debuted last month at the Kunstmuseum in Graz. Arcangel painstakingly edited YouTube footage of cats playing on pianos into an arrangement of Schoenberg's Three Piano Pieces, a pioneering work of 'atonal' music. Alongside the video, Arcangel will show two new Photoshop Gradients, large abstract photographs created to highlight a very artificial tool for bending colors. Both the photographs and the video continue the artist's explorations into the possibility that the sublime can be invoked by rapidly outdating technologies.
Guillaume Pinard, based in Marseille, creates darkly funny videos using Flash animation to draw bleak, flat realms populated by animals and insects. The acts of violent aggression and images of grotesque decomposition are softened by the manner in which they are rendered — bold color and fascinating geometric compositions belie cruel slaughter and conniving betrayals.
So word on the street is that Oak is opening a new store called a.ok. I've not seen an official press release or anything, but the general gist is that everything they carry is a little more reasonably priced than their usual stuff.
There's a mix of trendy yet cheap and chic mens and womenwear, including sunglasses, t-shirts, bags, hoodies, jewelry, jeans, shoes, and even a hot one piece bathing suit for the ladies. Check out the full spread here.
Don't miss this hot remake of the iconic cracked out smiley face Nirvana t-shirt from the 90s in super soft 100% cotton. It's a keeper.
If you're free on Tuesday 06.23.09 between 9pm - 2am, drop by the a.ok launch party at Don Hill's. There's no list and no RSVP required. I'm sure it's going to be a shitshow and I mean that in the best of ways, because you know I'll be there.
In my continued effort to bring you Autumn/Winter 2009 collections that were shown so long ago, you've probably forgotten what they were. Keep in mind, although it's still June, Autumn is just around the corner and the collections start arriving in stores in late July early August. I now present to you Wood Wood's Autumn/Winter 2009 collection.
For those of you not familiar with the line, here's more info courteousy of their European showroom Agentur V: Based in Copenhagen, Wood Wood embodies a laid back blend of the underground and the avant-garde. In 2002, Wood Wood opened the first of its two stores in Copenhagen, and introduced a collection of tees, sweats and hoodies.
Over the past few years, an illustrious graphics profile has established Wood Wood as a driving force in the European street couture scene. In addition, Wood Wood actively engages in numerous collaborations and projects involving an international network of friends and likeminded creators; collaborators so far include Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Comme des Garcons, Asics, Fred Perry, and Medicom Toys.
"Wood Wood is a way of life - it's not about anything special, it's just about doing stuff that comes to our minds. .
Remember the hot pair of custom Chuck Taylors by Brooklyn designers Love Brigade I was drooling over last month? Well, as fate would have it, I've gotten my hands on a pair (retail $99) that I'm giving away to one of you this week.
Check out my original post: This week, it's more tricked out Chucks by Brooklyn's Love Brigade to celebrate the release of indie rapper Rob Roy's album King Warrior Magician Lover.
Check out the sneakers on the Love Brigade's blog, where you can buy them for $99. They have a sort of post apocolyptic, Beyond Thunderdome look, which is probably why I think they're hot. These are definitely not your dad's Chuck Taylors and for $99, quite a bargain.
Make sure to check out Love Brigade's site, where you can see images of designs from their latest men's and women's collections.
I just got an email with a cryptic flyer attached from Sean Hanratty at Evident Records announcing a secret show featuring one of my favorite super underground bands SALEM.
Check out one of my original posts on SALEM and check out their MySpace to test drive a few songs. They're amazing. Don't forget to checkout the flyer below for Saturday's show, which you have to RSVP to in order to get the time and venue. I'm sure it's going to be insanity.
I forgot to mention, the infamous asianpunkboy will be making a guest appearance. If you know who that is, great. If not, you'll have to do some Googling.
There's a new line at oki-ni that you need to checkout called Kite.
Central St. Martins graduate Julia Herderus has revealed her new avant garde collection under the name Kites, taking inspiration from a kite's construction and playful movement in the air. The 30 piece menswear range consists of a curious mix of highly original tops, bottoms and accessories.
Designed in Sweden, the clothes are luxury sportswear and are created for men who appreciate an unconventional cut and shape. Design direction follows previous seasons where rectangles are still present with a slight distortion. The designs are in pointed shapes, triangular or diamond shapes and the colour palattes are calm greys, green, black and white with small blue leather details. Flowing silk is used alongside wrinkled polyester.
Read more about Kiteshere and check out all of the pieces by designer Julia Hederushere, including this really hot silk Kite Tank Top that I've got to get my hands on.
No, it's not THAT Steve McQueen. Even I thought it was before I realized the latest installment of Creative Time's At 44 1/2 Times Square video art series was presenting the work of Steve McQueen -- UK artist and Turner Prize winner.
At 44 1/2, Creative Time's presentation of video art on MTV's outdoor, gilded screen located in the heart of New York City's Times Square, will showcase the classic video work Deadpan (1997) by Turner Prize–winning artist Steve McQueen, who is representing Great Britain at the 53rd Venice Biennale of Art, Venice, Italy, this summer. McQueen's work will be on view between 07.01 and 07.30.09
Following the phenomenal success of McQueen's debut feature film Hunger (2008), which won the Camera d'Or at Cannes in 2008, Deadpan in Times Square will activate an already vibrant New York City site in new and unexpected ways. In Deadpan, McQueen restages a stock-in-trade Buster Keaton gag in which a house falls on top of a figure, who somehow emerges unscathed.
I can't say I've ever owned a pair of Reeboks. They're maybe the only brand of sneakers I've never had a pair of...until now.
While I have to admit I'm not too crazy about the Running and Fitness styles, you won't be surprised at all to know that the Basketball sneakers -- Commitment Mid, Sir Jam Mid, and infamous Pump Omni Lite -- have me foaming at the mouth.
Whether it be marquee athletes in the 80's and 90's wearing shoes from the Jam Series or Dee Brown pumping up his Omni's in the 1991 Slam Dunk Contest, we know that Reebok and basketball go hand in hand. This summer in retro-sport, Reebok brings back the basketball models like the Commitment, the Pump Omni Lite and the Sir Jam< in flashy, streaming colors that will blow up the courts.
Can't you just see me in my new gingham shorts rockin the Commitment Mids? Now to find out where I can buy them. I just checked Reebook.com and was able to find the Sir Jam Mid and Pump Omni Lite, but no Commitment Mid.
Came across a band -- Pan sonic -- from the 80s / 90s last night that I'd never heard of, whose sound is dark, electronic, and really hot. Industrial music isn't really my thing at the moment, but I always appreciate good music when I hear it.
The most famous act to originate from Sahko Recordings, Panasonic (now called Pan Sonic), first came into being in the summer of 1993 through the meeting of two creative minds, Mika Vainio and Ilpo Vaisanen.
So far there has been three Pan Sonic albums from Blast First, Vakio in September 1995, Kulma in January 1997 and A in February 1999; with also one EP, Osasto out in July 1996. Furthermore, they broadcast a live session with John Peel for BBC in autumn 1995.
Pan Sonic cite as their influences, first of all, Alan Vega's and Martin Rev's legendary proto-techno duo Suicide. (with which they were gigging in March 1998; not to mention the recorded collaboration with Alan Vega), industrial pioneers Throbbing Gristle and Einsturzende Neubauten.
My new favorite "I can't believe it took me this long to catch onto these guys band" MGMT have a new video coming out for their hit KIDS. And I thought this video was the official video!
This Saturday 06.20.09, Deitch is hosting a video screening and release party at its LIC space -- Deitch Studios (4-40 44th Drive, Long Island City). An immersive aural and visual presentation celebrating the release of MGMT's new music video, KIDS, featuring hand-made puppets and behind the scenes video and photographs from the shoot.
DJ Simon O'Connor of Amazing Baby spins from 8-11 pm and the KIDS video premiere is at 9 pm.
Check out the flyer here for all the details. See you there!
It's true, I'm slightly obsessed with people who choose pornography as their profession. Not only is it majorly tabboo, but the risk factor is huge. I mean how many porn actors can really make a career out of it? And once you've done porn these days, you can't really just go get an office job.
My fascination with the film The Girlfriend Experience goes just a bit further though: not only does it star teen porn queen Sasha Grey, but to make it even better, it was directed by none other than Hollywood superstar Stephen Soderbergh and premiered at Sundance!? I mean the guy did direct sex, lies and videotape, but again it's not just his involvement, it's the fact that Sasha Grey is in a Hollywood movie that's being directed by Soderbergh.
Says Sundance: in 2009, Soderbergh offers sex, truth, and digital video. Much fuss was made when Soderbergh announced this film, and even more was made when he cast adult actress (the polite euphemism for 'porn star,' and that itself a polite euphemism for 'someone who has sex on-camera for money') Sasha Grey in the lead role as a Manhattan call girl who offers not just rushed release but the more refined "girlfriend experience" -- a suite of services including, as we see in the opener, fine red wine and Marc Jacobs black dresses, soft kisses and small talk, and many more things, an experience that goes far beyond sex.
It's so not like anything else I've heard lately...maybe ever. Without thinking too much -- which for me is as close to impossible as it gets -- I just like how Made in Mexico's music sounds. Kinda like Arcade Fire first time around, I didn't quite know what to do with it and it wasn't like anything else I'd ever heard. It took me a few listens, but once I got used to the sound, I was sold.
I know it's not Facebook and MySpace has all those crazy ads and kinda makes me wanna throw up from too much information, flashing graphics, and customized landing pages, BUT, as I've said time and time again, MySpace's tagline may be "a place for friends", but as far as I'm concerned, MySpace is "the place for music." If you're an unknown or indie band and you're not using MySpace as you're main promotional tool, you're kinda dumb.
That having been said, I just came across another band that I'd never heard of before called HTRK, who have recently released their first full length record called Marry Me Tonight.
Originated in Melbourne, art rock project HTRK -- pronounced "Hate Rock" and also known as Hate Rock Trio -- began performing in 2003. After their former group, Portraits of Hugo Perez, disbanded, bassist Sean Stewart and guitarist Nigel Yang recruited vocalist Jonnine D with aims to create a project like the Birthday Party with slow mechanical repetition (courtesy of a drum machine and Jonnine playing percussion), simplistic basslines, and deafening guitar feedback.
After singing the praises of one hot suit made by Swedish line ACNE, I've managed to get my hands on a very hot fitted men's sweatshirt from the line (retail value $199) that's perfect for cool summer nights, which we seem to be getting a lot of this year.
The sweatshirt is very simple, in light weight cotton and is very fitted, making it perfect for all occasions. Until you've worn a well cut, fitted sweatshirt, you just don't know how chic a sweatshirt can be.
You can check it out in their web store and in the pics below. Make sure to check out their official site, where you'll find pictures from their collections, a link to their publication ACNE Paper, which has some cool interviews, and a list of ACNE stores worldwide.
Email me with a short list of your current favorite bands and clothing lines. Please note: if you don't click this link to email me -- that includes a special subject line -- your email might get lost in the shuffle.
As always, make sure to include your full name, size, and mailing address.
You remember how crazy I was about my white on white Vans SK8-HI sneakers last spring? They were canvas and cost $50 and looked so hot with everything. Needless to say, they got trashed. Winter rolled around and white sneakers weren't really practical, so I got some low top black classic Vans, which are cool, but not quite the same as the SK8-HI's, I have to admit.
I was thinking about maybe stopping by Classic Kicks to get myself another pair this weekend, when I stumbled on this really sick pair of Sk8 Hi LX's in white and chalk (kind of a light off white), but instead of all canvas, they're canvas combined with soft calf skin leather.
Vans Skate Hi LX in butter soft calfskin leather In a white and chalk colourway with white outsole, stitching and laces.
The Vans classic hi-top shoe with a calfskin leather upper, a padded collar for comfort, sidestripe and the Vans classic waffle sole. It was designed in '78 to be the toughest skate shoe available, the original canvas and leather combination meant the SK8-Hi was very strong and very light.
I know this is a long way off, but Tim Burton fans mark your calendars: the Museum of Modern Art will present a major exhibition exploring the full scale of renowned filmmaker Tim Burton's career, both as a director and concept artist for live-action and animated films, and as an artist, illustrator, photographer, and writer. The exhibition will be on view from 11.22.09, through 04.26.10. Wow.
Tracing the current of Burton's visual imagination—from his earliest childhood drawings through his mature work in film—the exhibition Tim Burton will bring together over 700 examples of rarely or never-before-seen drawings, paintings, storyboards, moving-image works, puppets, maquettes, costumes, and cinematic ephemera, and includes an extensive film series spanning Burton's 27-year career. The exhibition explores how Burton has taken inspiration from sources in pop culture and reinvented Hollywood genre filmmaking as an expression of personal vision, garnering him an international audience of fans and influencing a generation of young artists working in film, video, and graphics.
Tim Burton is organized by Ron Magliozzi, Assistant Curator, and Jenny He, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Film, with Rajendra Roy, The Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film.
Mr. Magliozzi states: "There is no other living filmmaker possessing Tim Burton's level of accomplishment and reputation whose full body of work has been so well hidden from public view.
Canadian electronica band Holy Fuck -- who I'd been avoiding based on their name -- fucking rock.
Little over three years ago Graham Walsh and Brian Borcherdt started Holy Fuck, a chaotic live celebration of lo-fi noise and weirdo casio-driven rock. With a rotating rhythm section consisting of some close friends and multi-talented players they were described as "Toronto's evil super group". Read their full bio here.
Since their formation in 2004, Holy Fuck have performed at Coachella (supporting Brooklyn rapper Beans who recruited the band to serve as his backing unit), the CMJ Music Marathon, the Halifax Pop Explosion, POP Montreal, the Montreal Jazz Festival, All Tomorrow's Parties, Vegoose, Evolve Festival, Lollapalooza, Osheaga Festival, and SXSW. In the summer of 2007, Holy Fuck performed at the Glastonbury Festival, one of the largest music festivals in the world, where they were named the #3 top new act at the festival by NME magazine. Maybe that name thing is working against them. Anyone with those credentials, such killer music, and that much exposure should be way more famous by now.
In light of the recent Keith Carradine incident, covering a belt line named Tie-Ups could be construed as being in poor taste, but I assure you: these belts are for holding up your pants, not for use in crazy Thai cross-dressing sex games.
You may not know this, but I have a very tough time finding belts I like. It's really hard to find a belt that's the right thickness, the right style, and has the right size buckle. Buckles are either too big, too thick, or the wrong finish. I'm currently beltless for this reason. I just happened upon a line of plastic belts called Tie-Ups out of Italy, though, that may just solve my problem.
They sum it up nicely on their site: Tie-Ups are the desmonstration that in the world of fashion, there are still many ideas to be realized. The belt has always been linked to traditional features that identify it and define it like the materials, for example. Belts are either leather or fabric with a metal buckle. Leather goes with classic/dress clothes and fabric with casual wear. Tie-Ups overcome that: plastic and rubber substitute for leather, fabric, and metal and can accompany any style.
Just in case you're leary, these belts are really chic. Don't think plastic and rubber and get the wrong idea.
Guess who's coming to New York? One of my new favorite bands that I wrote about last week -- Health.
I don't know what to say exactly, but it's a little math rock, a little droney stoner at times, and reminds me a bit of Battles and early Secret Machines, but their sound is pretty unique. It's hot.
InSound has a little bio on these guys. Check it out: Stemming from a D.I.Y. noise scene based around the downtown L.A. art space The Smell, Health make mathy indie rock with tribal drums, squealing guitars, asymmetrical basslines, and a homemade guitar pedal/microphone called a Zoothorn. As a four-piece led by Jacob Duzsik, the band played its first show after practicing together for six months, and after a short tour started making a go in L.A., playing ten-minute sets with likeminded local bands like Ex Models, No Age, and Mika Miko.
Check out the full piece I wrote about them and get your tickets starting this Friday at noon for their show at the Bowery Ballroom on 09.24.09.
Sometimes art makes us uncomfortable. The goal of most artists is to challenge the viewer and to make us think and see things differently, but the upcoming show at Invisible Exports entitled RAPE NEW YORK An Open Archive by Spanish artist Jana Leo takes it one step further.
In January 2001, soon after moving to New York, Jana Leo was held hostage and raped during the course of an afternoon in her apartment.
The documents assembled here, seven years in the making, accompany the release of her book RAPE NEW YORK. The archive consists of photographs from her emergency visit to the hospital, police reports, crime scene photographs, notes from her therapist, as well as records from the civil suit and other assorted items and documents related to the rape and the legal case that followed, none of which can be reproduced, or even reviewed without the victims consent. The documents are kept in organized boxes to be retrieved by the archivist, not displayed on the gallery walls. The archive is not presented to the visitor; instead, each guest must fully identify oneself (photo ID is required), and request materials from the archivist. This way, the visitor takes responsibility for whats requested, making private again what was made public by Leothe latest revolution in a cycle of public and private that began with the rape itself.
If you've learned anything at all from reading this blog is that I'm crazy for UK indie band the Maccabees and as I'm sure you're aware, they're coming to New York in a few weeks. They're making two quick stops in the US and will then announce more US tour dates.
London boys, the Maccabees are now coming to America with a brand new bag-o-tricks from their soon-to-be-released sophomore album Wall of Arms and will be making a fleeting visit to NYC on June 20th at Music Hall of Williamsburg (with Miike Snow) and at Mercury Lounge on June 22nd 9pm (more US dates TBA).
The Maccabees are Orlando Weeks (vox and guitar), Hugo White (guitar), Felix White (backing vocals/guitar), Rupert Jarvis (bass) and Sam Doyle (drums), who released their second album Wall of Arms in the UK to rave reviews, blasting the myth of the "difficult second album" out of the water. Wall of Arms is "the meticulously evolved sound of a band aiming to bid to breathe life into British indie" (Observer Music Monthly). It is not just the critics who are hailing the album a triumph, Wall of Arms entered the UK album charts at number 13.
I think I have an Obsessive Personality Disorder. Or is that Addictive Personality Disorder? Either way, I currently obsessed/addicated to trolling MySpace for music. The upside: there's a lot of music to check out. The downside: there's a lot of crap, but it makes finding a good band that much more rewarding, right??
Last night I came upon a band named Made in Mexico who describe their music as: Punk / Reggaeton / Salsa. That coupled with some crazy graphical treatment to their home page drew me in for a listen.
The crazy part: they kinda sound like an angry lesbian separatist band and I liked it and as I sit here listening to them again, I'm not sure why. It really reminds me of something that I can't place right now, but I keep thinking of the Mia Zapata / Gits documentary I saw recently.
Hailing from Providence, Rhode Island, these ex-members of Arab On Radar, La Machine, and Bossman play music. The kind that inspired Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore to buy them drinks the last time they played Brooklyn. Made in Mexico came into existence when Rebecca Mitchell moved to Providence from Oklahoma and was asked by Dare Matheson and Jon Loper (members of Providence's psychedelic freak-out ensemble La Machine) to start a band.
I really don't intentionally cover 95% men's fashion and 5% women's. Without even thinking, I (selfishly) surf the web window shopping. Daydreaming about what I could be wearing, but buying very little.
Today, I was checking out the women's line by Chronicles of Never on Oak's site and found the the hottest women's tank t-shirt. It's the Black Logo Tank T-Shirt. Check out the pic below and get yourself one at Oak. I've been by the store to check out the Chronicle of Never tees and they're really good: great fabric and amazing fit.
While you're at it, check out Chronicles of Never's site, their online store, and this PDF of images (lots of hot tees) from the C.O.N. (Chronicles of Never) Spring/Summer 2009 collection.
Project One Gallery presents Come As You Are, a collective exhibition curated by Brooke Waterhouse and Rachel Lena Esterline. The selection of pieces for this exhibition manifests a wide range of interpretations by the viewer. The curators picked work with the goal of creating a show that allowed for an open dialogue between the works and their audience.
In a world where so many of us are sleep walking through the daily barrage of advertisements and news scares, Come As You Are prompts us to snap out of it, to be present so we can create a conversation with art and artists instead of the mainstream media that overpowers us.
The exhibition will allow you to look inside yourself for a meaning, a connotation, an explanation. The curators have stripped away the pretensions of a so-called "culture" and left us on our own.
With all of my recent scouring of MySpace for hot music, I came across a band named PRE that a handful of the cooler, up-and-coming indie bands -- Health, Mika Miko, AIDS Wolf, and the like -- have in their Top Friends list. I wasn't so into it at first, but kept going back for some reason and now it's totally grown on me. It reminds me of Kathleen Hanna of Le Tigre on Adderall and helium, or as their site says "Ren and Stimpy playing Black Flag"; although I think I sum it up much better.
Says their lable SkinGraftRecords: Born in a basement, based in London, the first outing of PRE had the entire audience locked outside, watching through barred windows from above. To the assemblage up top, it was clear that these five noise sprinkled nu-wavers had already figured it out - sound moves quicker in high pressure.
In the months that followed, PRE's rhythmically infectious skip-alongs were demonstrated on a flurry of releases. The band's debut 7" EP Treasure Trails caught ears by surprise and wouldn't let go. A rash of vinyl came in quick succession, pairing the band up with acts like AIDS Wolf, Dmonstrations, Bardo Pond, and Comanechi.
Iconic New York streetwear brand ALIFE is set to launch a new art space called ALIFE PRESENTS on the LES. The inaugural show will feature work by New York artist/photographer Kai Regan.
ALIFE is pleased to announce the launch of ALIFE PRESENTS, a space dedicated to the production of art exhibits and other creative installations. ALIFE PRESENTS marks ALIFE's commitment to its cultural roots and dedication to the artists and creative community of which it is an integral part.
From the day it opened its first shop, ALIFE described itself as a cultural exchange platform where artists and corporations alike could create and showcase ideas. This resulted in many art exhibits, live performances, product collaborations and popup shops. ALIFE exhibits have included some of this generation's most notable pop and contemporary young artists.
In its physical form, ALIFE PRESENTS is located at 157 Rivington street, directly across the ALIFE and ALIFE RIVINGTON CLUB (A.R.C.) shops, and adjacent to the recently opened A.R.C. SPORTS store.
There's a 4 day exhibit -- Joy Ride -- organized by Anonymous Gallery in conjunction with the Bicycle Film Festival that opens on 06.19 that you don't want to miss.
Bicycle Film Festival is pleased to announce Joy Ride a group exhibition in collaboration with Anonymous Gallery, curated by Brendt Barbur, Joseph Ian Henrikson, and Tanya Arakawa Rosenstein. This multi-location exhibition brings together a select group of internationally established and emerging artists, all who share a passion for the bicycle. Joy Ride is a visual manifestation of one of the most culturally relevant and urban, youth-based movements of this century: the urban bike movement.
The artwork will be exhibited at 4 locations in New York City's Soho and Lower East Side. Each venue will feature uniquely curated multimedia installations. Hungry March Band kicks off opening night at 6 PM with a performance in "the pit" at Sara D. Roosevelt Park on Chrystie Street and Broome Street. Joy Ride maps will be available at each location.
Joy Ride originated in 2005 as part of Bicycle Film Festival Los Angeles and since traveled to Paris, Tokyo, Toronto, Milano, San Francisco, New York, and London.
I had a friend over the other night and we were listening to my Top 25 iTunes list. Given my obsession with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs latest record -- It's The Blitz! -- inevitably a few of their songs came up. He hadn't heard it and, although he knows the Y's, couldn't place it at first. It reminded me, though, how much Karen O sounds like Terri Nunn from 80s New Wave band Berlin.
They're the quintessential 80s one hit (record) wonder band. The cover art is so amazing and so 80s, it hurts. I remember listening to Sex (I'm A...) and The Metro non-stop and wondering who these guys were and where they'd come from. I had no clue until I just looked on Wikipedia that they're from Orange County. Who knew.
Berlin was formed in Orange County, California in the late 1970s. Their first single, A Matter of Time, was released in 1980 on I.R.S. Records and featured replacement vocalist Virginia Macolino on lead vocals after Terri Nunn had temporarily left the band to pursue an acting career (Nunn at one point auditioned for the role of Princess Leia in the movie Star Wars.)
After singing the praises of the latest additions to the J Crew empire -- two recently-opened, stand alone men's stores in New York aptly named The Mens Shop and The Liquor Store -- I was able to get my hands on a $100 gift certificate from the clothiers that we all know and love (again).
The verdict is in: this isn't the J Crew we used to know. They've definitely put some effort into the shop: it looks more like Steven Alan than J Crew and it's really hot. The selection of clothes is very pared down, with more tailored items, button ups galore, cashmere sweaters, slim fit tees, and accessories to go with it all.
In addition to the new Mens Shop at 484 Broadway, it seems that they've also opened a custom mens shop called Liquor Store (235 Browadway at White Street), which looks very similar to the one I went into, but just a bit south in Tribeca.
"Featuring a handpicked selection of carefully edited pieces for style connoisseurs and individualists a like".
Described by the Paris-based artist as a "smiling fist, a sweet cocktail of blood, bubble gum and motor oil", Théo Mercier's first solo New York exhibit OIL NOW opens at Envoy tomorrow night and runs through 07.12.09.
The exhibition is largely comprised of found objects, original photographs, computer generated images, drawings, paintings, and subversive text.
Mercier juxtaposes the real and the artificial, the mundane and the extraordinary, the traditional and the radical. He functions as an experimental chemist, combining ordinary objects and social references in a lab, resulting in sublime mutations.
Punk's Not Dead transforms the envoy's cube space into a of realm of purgatory. Mercier's creations exist in this environment somewhere between the living and the dead, the growing and the decaying.
For the piece entitled The Mall, Mercier refers to Pink Floyd's The Wall, constructing a grid of objects, abandoned by their owners and re-acquired by the artist at local flea markets. Mercier then removes these objects from society, isolating them from the conventional culture in which they functioned and re-animating them in a sophisticated conceptual conversation on American consumerism.
The second in a series of exhibits at MoMA focusing on the interplay between artists and musicians -- Looking at Music: Side 2 -- opens on 06.10.09, following the highly succesful exhibit Looking at Music from 2008. For most of us currently living in New York, the upcoming show, which focuses on the much talked about and much romanticized New York of the 80s is much more exciting than the first installment.
Following the 2008 MoMA exhibition Looking at Music, which focused on the cross-fertilization between artists and musicians from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, Looking at Music: Side 2 picks up with the subsequent decade of artistic interactions based in New York City. In the early 1970s a bankrupt New York became a haven for young renegade artists, who often doubled as musicians and poets. Art and music cross-fertilized with a vengeance following a stripped-down, hard-edged, anti-establishment ethos. Appropriating city spaces, artists plastered posters and spray-painted walls throughout the city.
Oh how things change. The fact that I'm even looking at a suit and thinking "God, that's a hot suit." is something of a miracle. Not to mention that for whatever reason, I almost never look at anything from Acne, despite having just checked out their current offerings and realizing they've really got some hot designs. I think I still think of them as a jeans only company, but they've grown quite a bit in the past few years.
Check out the Wall Street Suit, which unfortunately, must be bought separately as a suit jacket and pants. Unless you want to look at the brightside and realize this allows you to get one or the other without having to buy the thing. While not as expensive as some other lines, with the jacket at $799 and the pants at $425, it doesn't come cheap.
While you're at it, make sure to check out the rest of their line for men here and for women here, including the Acne/Lanvin collaboration which is now available online for women and for men.
And let's not forget, the online outlet with prices of up to 75% off, including these hot Pop Chinos.
Creative Time keeps hitting us with these major art projects, including their most recent -- PLOT09: This World + Nearer Ones -- that opens 06.29.09 on Governor's Island.
PLOT is a new public art quadrennial, produced and presented by Creative Time. This World + Nearer Ones is the first edition of PLOT, and will be held this summer on Governors Island. 19 artworks by international, contemporary artists will be presented. The exhibition is free and open to the public Friday - Sunday.
This World + Nearer Ones will intervene in the architectural and natural fabric of the island, transforming its historic buildings and vast lawns, from the iconic Fort Jay to St. Cornelius Chapel through installation, performance, video, and auditory works—inviting audiences to reconsider the island's past and future.
Creative Time will open 5 buildings not usually accessible to the public, and artwork will activate other historic buildings and the verdant green spaces of the island that was one of the first settlements of the Dutch West India Company back in 1624, a strategic coastal fortification in the early 1800s for the new American military, and home to a 1988 summit meeting between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.
How did it take me this long to listen to the Handsome Furs? A few readers have sent me emails letting me know they're a hot band, but I have to say the name wasn't very appealing to me and, for that reason, I never even went to their MySpace to have a listen.
Now that I'm working a freelance day job, one of the only things I can do while working -- I don't do Facebook or update the site between 9-5 at the moment -- is listen to music on Pandora, Grooveshark, and, of course, MySpace, which is the best place to find new bands ever.
Needless to say, today I happened upon the Handsome Furs on MySpace and they fucking rock!!
I didn't realize that Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade is in Handsome Furs. His voice is instantly recognizable if you're a WP fan and his voice is the one I love from their music.
The juxtaposition of cold, metronomic, electronic beats, courtesy of Alexei Perry, with the jagged, dissonant and frail, broken or breaking, guitars of Dan Boeckner portray what it is to be a human being at the bottom of the 21st century.
I kinda can't believe I'm writing this. I mean I haven't bought anything at J Crew since college. I recently had to get some nice pants and the thought of spending more than $100 wasn't really appealing to me, so I took a chance and stopped into what used to be the J Crew store in SoHo. To my surprise, it's no longer a unisex store, but has been converted into a women's only store. The shop clerk said the new men's store was on Broome and Broadway -- next to Top Shop -- so I went to check it out.
The verdict is in: this isn't the J Crew we used to know. They've definitely put some effort into the shop: it looks more like Steven Alan than J Crew and it's really hot. The selection of clothes is very pared down, with more tailored items, button ups galore, cashmere sweaters, slim fit tees, and accessories to go with it all.
I must say the Classic Slim Fit Chinos ($69) are a total steal: the fabric is amazing and the fit is spot on. I've gotten three pairs now and every time I wear them someone comments on how well they fit. If I were to buy similar pants from one of the hot indie designers I love to write about, we all know the price tag would be 3-4 times as much minimum.
