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September 28, 2007
Friday Videos - Sept 28th - Bonus Videos
»

The Calamari Wrestler

Peter Sarstedt

Yes, The Calamari Wrestler is already in my Netflix Queue. It should be in yours too.

The Peter Sarstedt song is featured in that new Wes Anderson short Hotel Chavalier and seemed appropriate to post given that's what most people will be watching this weekend while they wait for the full-length movie to be released in their market.

02:26 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

Friday Videos - Sept 28th
»

Darth Vader Blues

Stupid Cat

Raquel Welch - Muppet Inappropriateness

Don't Tase Me Remix

MK12 History of America Trailer

Warhol Cheeseburger

More next week... have a great weekend.

02:04 PM » [ Comments (5) ]

Luke Cheuh - Possessed
»

Big thanks to Falfa for the heads up on the Luke Chueh designed vinyl toy (and it's alternate variations). Granted, they're all sold out and getting one on eBay is looking to be fairly expensive but I like knowing that they exist.. and that someday I may possess one.

12:05 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Stick Figures in Peril
»

The Stick Figures in Peril Flickr Pool is an amusing collection of images and, occasionally, reminds me of Airtoons but instead of ridiculously great captions you are greeted with hilarious absurd warnings of danger. I give my vote for this one being the most gruesome. Link via Daniel.

11:38 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

Emptees
»

Indie Labs and Big Cartel have teamed up to create a new t-shirt showcase palace known as Emptee. The design and interface are super clean and easy to use - leaving lots of room to let you focus on the designs. The amount of tees is growing steadily and is well worth checking back on regularly for new submissions, inspiration or (hopefully) submitting your own.

11:24 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Daytrotter - still killing it
»

Sadly, it's been some time since I visited Daytrotter. I hadn't been keeping up with their exclusive releases like I should have been (what happened to the weekly email?) but upon visiting it again I've encountered an absolute cornucopia of goods that I had no idea they had available. Sessions by The Rentals, Catfish Haven (Encore session), Yeasayer, Dr. Dog, Blitzen Trapper, Menomena, Robbers on High Street and a bunch more. Just check out the archives. Oh, and they have video now too!?

10:44 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

September 27, 2007
Hotel Chevalier
»

Hotel Chevalier is the 13-minute short film that, apparently, acts as a story setup for Jason Schwartzman's character in the upcoming Wes Anderson film The Darjeeling Limited. You knew this. What you might now know is that it is available for free download on iTunes right now. You can get it here and then thank these guys for the heads up.

01:08 PM » [ Comments (7) ]

The Great Logo Inquiry
»

Logo's are everywhere, that's a given. However, have you ever taken a moment to take personal index of how many logos are currently on your own person? A quick rundown of your shoes, pants, shirt label and undergarments will yield roughly 4 - 5 logos (don't forget your YKK branded zipper). Then you add in the logo's found on your keys - oddly, you'll add at least another 2 - 3 logos, even if you've never heard of the key making company. Then comes the real challenge - your wallet or purse. Taking count of every single logo contained within should result in at least 30 - 50 additional logos that you carry around at all times.

So I'd love to see a count of everyone's own personal logo count. Please supply both the count before and after including your wallet / purse:

Physically on me: 10
Counting wallet: 59

So, what's your logo count?

11:57 AM » [ Comments (21) ]

Stina Persson
»

I ran across Stina Persson being referenced as "The Queen of Watercolour" and I can't say that I disagree with such a title. There is a great use of color (particularly blended color) and texture throughout the portfolio but I suppose that comes with the territory when you're dealing with watercolour.

11:26 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

gMail mobile
»

Has anyone else noticed that gMail Mobile keeps improving just a little bit every day. Over the course of the past week I've noticed that one tiny little aesthetic thing will change a day - a bigger button here, more spacing here, better layout on the inbox, etc. etc. It's interesting to watch the redesign process take place organically instead of as a full force one-time blowout update.

11:10 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

September 26, 2007
Interpol - No I In Threesome
»

The new Interpol video for "No I In Threesome" seems much more appropos after having seen them live this past weekend. The performance footage is subdued and slow with little highlights here and there of activity - overall, a very straight ahead and no-surprises run through. That's pretty much what the concert was like. I likened it to making the best Interpol mix CD I could muster and then turning it up really loud. The band played such a tight set that it was almost too tight, leaving no room to give the songs any new life. So, while I certainly enjoyed seeing them I would say if you're ever on the fence about spending the money to catch them you may want to pass and just put your Interpol mp3's on shuffle.

11:25 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Gondry RAZR
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If you couldn't tell what you're looking at in that image let me clear it up - it's a Giant Flying Robot Hand swooping by some rooftop party people. This is but one fantastic image captured from the Michel Gondry RAZR ad. His visual style persists throughout the ad in the best of ways but, as an advertisement, I've no idea what's going on or how it pertains to selling a cell phone.

10:18 AM » [ Comments (7) ]

Furniture Ideas
» Now that I'm moved in to my new place and slowly unpacking my crap it is dawning on me that I need some new furniture - particularly something rather nice for my office / screenprinting area. I've got a lot of shirts, ink and paper that need to be organized. If anyone has any suggestions of how to tackle such a thing, let me know.

10:03 AM » [ Comments (8) ]

September 25, 2007
Southland Tales - Official Trailer
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Southland Tales Trailer

So the official trailer has been released for Richard Kelly's Southland Tales. I think my prediction back in 2005 was probably true, as well as my skepticism just a little while ago. I thought maybe the trailer would give some context to the terrible clips I saw previously.. but, no, it does not. In fact, it sort of baffles me even more. Is it possible to regret seeing a movie before you've actually even experienced it?

11:19 AM » [ Comments (13) ]

Then vs Now
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So if this image is One Gigabyte Then vs. One Gigabyte Now - what's going to happen when the next generation of technology takes over and we scoffingly laugh at the notion of a gigabyte disc slightly larger than your thumbnail? Via The Great Hale.

11:05 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

KAWS Vader
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KAWS has designed a figure for Star Wars/Lucas Films that is set for release this coming Saturday. His take on Darth Vader is exactly what you'd expect as a mix of Star Wars and KAWS - and it works perfectly.

11:01 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Missing Monday
» Apologies for missing out on posting yesterday but I was moving into my new house and it sort of made it difficult to browse the web and post random links. I'm back to it today with a full plate of work but regularly scheduled yewknee writing should now continue as normal.

10:40 AM » [ Comments (6) ]

September 21, 2007
Friday Videos - Sept 21st
»

Rabid Pluto

Horror Workout

Rabbit and Penguin

Gross Bart

1960's Colormation

SNL PBS Sketch with Conan - Lrg

I really wanted to link this cats video but I assumed that'd be too much of a copout.. Man, I love cat videos.

Have a great weekend.

11:49 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

Russian Poster Design
»

Ryan clued me in to the Museum of Russian Poster - an absolutely massive archive of designs originating from the depths of Soviet Russia. I've always found this style to be inspiring and being exposed to a batch of hundreds of new images is a bit overwhelming. Just about every page browsed so far has had something worth saving into my "Inspiration" folder. Regardless of the message behind them, you have to love images like these.

11:23 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Bob and David
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For those of you who know, and care, who Bob and David are it appears that they are working on something new for HBO. A few more details are found here but it's obviously still very much in development. Anyway, their site has been redesigned with a bunch of new content and is worth spending some time with.

For those of you that don't know too much about Bob and David please watch this and this to get started.

10:48 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Garfield Variations
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Maybe my humor filter is degrading but after reading this article I knew I was going to be enamored with Garfield Variations. The drawings are intentionally crude or vulgar (or both) and always bizarre. I mean, Garfield Hamburger! Be prepared for some bottom of the barrel NSFW imagery.

10:36 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Five to Nine - Issue 05
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The fifth issue of Five to Nine has been put online - a collection of 78 polaroids from 24 designers all paired in some sort of diptych or triptych style fashion. I think you can even buy a print version if you really enjoy it.

10:05 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

September 20, 2007
Music Videos
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Battles - "Tonto"

MuteMath - "Typical (Live and Backwards)"

Office - "Oh My"

Some notes:
· The BATTLES video a great concept but I wish they went even further with it.

· MuteMath performing "Typical" live on Jimmy Kimmel - backwards. I can't imagine the amount of rehearsal that this took and I imagine that the end editing really isn't more than just a documentation of the events that took place.

· Repurposing the plotline of pornographic films for your music video is bound to result in some absurd amount of kitsch - and it does. Why aren't these guys on tour with Ok Go?

12:36 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Installer.app
»

So, the popular iPhone hack tool Installer.app is gaining speed both in terms of available software and in terms of people I know running it (Eric being the most robust in its usage). I've been contemplating running it on my phone but there aren't really any applications that it offers that make it really worth the time. The GPS locator is cool but I don't think it really even works in the greater Nashville area (plus, I know where I am most of the time).

So I guess my question is, now that the iPhone is open to almost any software application - what is it lacking that would be a must have addition?

12:28 PM » [ Comments (7) ]

Abe Says...
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As I've said before I'm not really so much into the kitschy / clever tee shirt but occasionally a concession must be made. Such is the case with this Abe Says... shirt. It's pretty much the perfect combo of elegant and vulgar - always a great recipe for a chuckle.

12:20 PM » [ Comments (5) ]

Juno Trailer
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Juno Trailer

The trailer for Juno reminds me of "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Thumbsucker" - mostly just in the tone and visual vibe. It's obviously shot well and the storyline seems to center around some sort of suburban family situation that is bigger than the people involved. Plus, the cast (includes Michel Cera, Jason Bateman and up-and-coming Ellen Page) seems to be well put together. All and all, I'm into it and look forward to the release. Via Big Screen, Little Screen.

11:07 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

September 19, 2007
Mix Goodies
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Seeing as how I've been neglected my mix duties during my hobo sabbatical it's good to see that others are fighting the good fight. Be sure to snag the following: The Boys of Fall mix by Jeremy Davis, Cover Me, I'm Goin' In mix by birthday specialist Janet and a bunch of new Doves demos conveniently hot linked from Elastic Heart. That should tide you over until I get my act together!

05:03 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Too Sad
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The I'm Too Sad To Tell You gallery is a growing photo collection of people crying. The voyeurism of it is engaging but you have to wonder if the emotions are legit or not. I'd say roughly half of the photos are not of people really having a hard time but merely faking a little cry. I don't know which is odder, putting a picture of yourself having an emotionally desperate moment online or faking that moment. Regardless, it's an interesting gallery to peruse.

11:47 AM » [ Comments (5) ]

Student Tasering
» I had a bit of a rant forming in my head about this whole student tasering fiasco that went down at a John Kerry forum at the University of Florida but it's just too obvious of a sentiment to make. You can watch more of the video here but it still doesn't tell the whole story. The basic gist is that police officers still don't seem to get the idea that they don't have to go insane when someone is acting up. In this specific case the kid was just lying on the ground asking to leave and then they tasered him? What's with that? I certainly don't think his actions were unwarranting of some sort of punishment but to say that his experience was a bit extreme is somewhat of an understatement.

11:36 AM » [ Comments (20) ]

The End
»

The 24 FPS photoset is a large series of photographs taken of a television set during interesting moments. There are a ton of great typography examples like the ones pictured here but also just some great moments. I am particularly partial to the diptych pairings of images.

11:10 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

TLAP Day
» I was going to say something about how International Talk Like A Pirate Day is played out and not really my thing but then I realized that I could say "Avast!" all day long and it would be completely appropriate. Approved.

10:19 AM » [ Comments (4) ]

September 18, 2007
Wes Anderson ATT Commercials
»

There are more to watch - and I know you will. Thanks Chad.

11:51 AM » [ Comments (5) ]

A Question
» Is becoming a hermit the next progressive step for a hobo?

11:01 AM » [ Comments (10) ]

Chris Hope Illustration
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When I ran across the Flickr photostream and, ultimately, the portfolio site of Chris Hope I was treated to a slew of illustrations and the occasional screenprinted gem. The Annuals tee is probably my favorite of the goods but the Pinback illustration is pretty great too (really, they are all enjoyable).

10:55 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

September 17, 2007
Beasts of Blankenship
»

Blankenship has put up an art piece for sale on his site entitled Three Beasts. I spy influences of Ninjacruise and Steven Harrington peeking through - and I say that in the best way I know possible. There's a lot going on but it all works. Check it.

03:42 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

Winamp 5.5 takes on iTunes
»

WIRED is reporting that Winamp will celebrate their 10th birthday by releasing Winamp 5.5 on 10/10 at 10:10am (it's been 10 years you see). The new version is, supposedly, much more iTunes like in that it is all contained in a single window, focuses on a users Library and allows you to manage your music all in one place. It also comes touting some bigger better features like "Winamp Remote" that will let you stream music / videos to another computer or your Wii - even remotely via winamp.com. Actually the list of new goods is pretty extensive and can be seen here.

If I had my PC hooked up I'd certainly be trying it out but since I don't I'm going to hope that someone reading this goes and downloads the beta and reports back. The screenshots do not look promising but winamp has never been known for having the best look, it's always been about simplicity and functionality. Let's hope they kept that intact.

03:07 PM » [ Comments (6) ]

jQuery releases UI
»

Today, jQuery released a new set of User Interface tools. You can read more about it here but the basic jist of it is that they've now got a pre-packaged set of goods for creating a lot of the effects / interfaces that people use. Having some sort of consistency across interface elements is absolutely key for a pleasant web experience so I'm happy to see them going in this direction. Some of the draggables / selectables were a little buggy in Firefox on Mac - as well as a bit of weirdness on the Advanced Image Gallery but it could be a matter of too much going on with one page at a time instead of just keeping things simple. Regardless, it seems like a great depot of code to have at hand and I suggest anyone that is partial to jQuery check it out.

01:54 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

Interpol B-Sides
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» Interpol - Mind Over Time

» Interpol - The Heinrich Manuever (Phones Remix)

12:25 PM » [ Comments (5) ]

September 14, 2007
Friday Videos - Sept 14th
»

Tokyo Time Lapse

Disturbing Claymation

Serious Actors

Mario Automation

Leave Britney Alone

New Wheels on the Block

¹ Tokyo Time Lapse is 35 years of construction in 10 seconds.

² This clip is taken from "The Adventures of Mark Twain" - back when California Raisins style claymation was all the rage. It is quite bizarre.

³ - Watch all of the Pete and Brian sketches - great stuff.

⁴ There are actually a ton of these fan-made "automated" levels on YouTube - think of it as the new LineRider.

⁵ If you haven't seen this one yet, you aren't browsing enough.

⁶ I think the likelihood of me going to hell just increased by 400%. Worth it.

03:08 PM » [ Comments (12) ]

Crazy Technology
» Use your Nintendo DS as a phone - oddly, I never thought about the fact that with a little bit of software and the right accounts you could actually make your DS double as a wi-fi enabled phone.

Explain this guy - seriously. Someone please explain what's going on in that image. Two cameras, a laptop, a projector (possibly two projectors) and a backpack for power. I really hope this guy walks around at shows being the most bad ass mobile media man-machine alive.

12:39 PM » [ Comments (6) ]

Cottyn Launch
»

Today the VIRB guys launched their latest endeavour, Cottyn - a site for t-shirts. They've only got three shirts right out of the gate but Blankenship says quite a few more are on the way. Honestly, I'm not into the designs they are offering at the moment, particularly the twitter shirt - which just seems too kitschy and web nerdy. BUT that's not to say that they aren't high quality shirts.. they just don't have anything for me quite yet. I've got a feeling it won't be that way for long.

12:28 PM » [ Comments (5) ]

September 13, 2007
Nearly Ruined? I disagree.
» The AV Club has an article entitled Don't Blow It: 10 Great Songs Nearly Ruined By Saxophone - blasphemy! I can't believe The Cure's "A Night Like This" was even considered for such a list! My leanings towards saxophone integration is almost entirely unbiased - if you can work it into a song, do it. There is no such thing as inappropriate saxophone.

12:16 PM » [ Comments (6) ]

Best Domain Name On The Entire Internets
» Geostationary Banana Over Texas dot com - seriously. And to boot, it's a full blown site and an actual proposition. My fingers are crossed that it happens and that it entices other states to float fruit in their skies for an undetermined amount of time. Via Paige.

12:09 PM » [ Comments (8) ]

Beirut - Flying Club Cup - in Video
»

Things must have gone really well between Beirut and La Blogotheque because they've teamed up to film a video for every song off the upcoming Flying Club Cup album and are posting them (non-sequentially) online. Maybe it's the style of music, maybe it's the performers themselves, maybe it's just the production behind it but the songs lend themselves very well to this sort of presentation. I know a lot of people get tired of the ole Beirut sound but it has yet to grow old on me yet.

12:05 PM » [ Comments (6) ]

Okai Photo
» Jeremy Davis has been going nuts with some great photography lately. Be sure to check this pic as his whole Bumbershoot set.

11:04 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

September 12, 2007
Interviews
»

Tracy Morgan - WGN

Larry David Letterman

The Tracy Morgan clip is a new dose of local news style early morning goodness.

Larry David is just fantastic.

Both via Big Screen, Little Screen.

11:30 AM » [ Comments (7) ]

iPhone NYC
» The Pocket Subway Guide is probably one of the more brilliant uses of the iPhone that I've seen. It takes advantage of the thumbnail view to create an overall map and the detail views are intuitively easy to navigate through. Now if only I was in NYC.

11:26 AM » [ Comments (4) ]

Paleo-Future
»

Anytime I encounter the past's vision of the future I am hooked. Paleo-Future is a collection of French prints from 1910 envisioning the world of 2000. Pictured here is "The Barber" - a mechanized process that looks incredibly scary. It's nuts to see what happened and what unfortunately hasn't. Via Landry.

11:21 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Threadless Store
»

Photo Credit: cshimala

You gotta hand it to the Threadless guys. They started as a small t-shirt dot com many years ago and now they are opening a store in Chicago. Many congratulations to them - that's quite a huge leap in terms of success.

11:14 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

September 11, 2007
The Problem with Work
» The problem with having a job is that, occasionally, you actually have to buckle down and really get some work done. Such is the case today and maybe the rest of the week. Posting will be sparse and for that I apologize. We're starting in on a number of big projects and my browsing time is being squandered because of it.

To make up for this loss, please enjoy the following:

La Blogoteque - Beirut - there's no way this isn't amazing.

Bill Murray Fact Checkers Unit - again, haven't watched it but it's Bill Murray. How could he go wrong?*

iToner - drag an mp3 in, have it converted to an iPhone ringtone in moments. If it weren't $15 I'd be all over it.

* The answer is "Garfield" and/or "Garfield 2"

02:07 PM » [ Comments (5) ]

September 10, 2007
The Trial of Colonel Sweeto
»

Chris brings great news of the first Perry Bible Fellowship book - The Trial of Colonel Sweeto and Other Stories. I couldn't believe how affordable it was! I would pay six times that amount just for a high quality print version of the greatest comic strip of our time.

01:30 PM » [ Comments (4) ]

The Shoe Project
»

There are plenty of great portraits over at 21 Pictures but The Shoe Project is certainly my favorite of the bunch. Aside from creating a visually bizarre squat person the photos of people and their shoes tells so much about the individual - their choice in footwear, how they place their feet, etc. Great stuff. Via Jessica.

01:14 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Bad Veins / Rogue Wave
»

Bad Veins - "Falling Tide"

I don't know too much about Bad Veins but I'm liking what I'm hearing so far. I will have to discover some more. Via Mac.

I was also planning to embed the new Rogue Wave video for "Lake Michigan" but it appears that AOL's Spinner.com has the exclusive and their video player can only exist at one size. Lame. The video is decent enough though - so go watch it on the bands recently relaunched site.

11:53 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Web Development linkery
» Occasionally I run across a good link or two in my web development research. Here are a few of them.

Stupid htaccess Tricks - not really so much stupid as it is a nice quick handy reference guide.
FlashTracer - see your "trace()" actions from Flash from within the browser. Aside from being handy in development it might be fun to see what developers are outputting in their projects. Via Mike.
Charles Proxy - view the traffic between your machine and the internet, as well as emulate different connection speeds to see how your site holds up for those people not connected via T3 quite yet.

11:48 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Iron Man Trailer
»

So, the official trailer for the forthcoming Iron Man movie has made its way online. So if you missed the Comic-Con cam version, you can nerd out on this high quality version. I don't know a ton about the canon of the character but I'd be willing to bet this is fairly accurate in terms of back story. Robert Downey Jr nails the sarcastic rich boy vibe.

11:40 AM » [ Comments (8) ]

September 07, 2007
Friday Videos - Sept 7th
»

Bugs Bunny 3D

Mickey 3D

Kidz Bop

Ziggy Vocoder

Scraper Bikes

Ultimate Slip 'n' Slide

If you think you're ready for it, please partake in the videos from Doctor Legua.. every single one is absolutely bizarre and filled with grotesque character modeling. I mean, look at that Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse! Why are they so muscular? Look at this Donald Duck! He has human toes and a nightmare inducing bill!

Scraper Bikes is a classic that I can't believe I never posted before now.

Have a great weekend.

03:19 PM » [ Comments (5) ]

Next Big Nashville - Friday
»

Tonight's lineup of quality shows around town is not as contained to the small area that it was last night. In fact, I'd venture to say that the pickings are somewhat slim tonight overall. Hopefully a quick ride on the NBN Shuttle will help quell any travel woes and maybe taking a chance on something new will turn out to be a good choice.

» Lone Official - The Basement - 9:30pm - Le Coq Sportif

» Sleeptalker - The Rutledge - 9:30pm - Great Wall of China

» Butterfly Boucher - Cannery Ballroom - 9:30pm

» Cake Bake Betty - The End - 10:00pm - 64 Little White Things

» The Privates - Exit/In - 11:00pm - Heart's Got A Hole

» Paper Route - Cannery Ballroom - 11:45pm - Carousel (Rough)

I am sure there are other goodies to be heard tonight, this is by no means a complete list. So, if there is anything you think I should really check out, let me know.

02:45 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

A Series of Quick Links
» iTunes Ringtone "Hack" - I'm not sure if renaming a file extension really counts as a hack but regardless, someone discovered an all too easy way to exploit the new Ringtones feature in iTunes.

IKEA Hacker - a blog of projects involving taking IKEA products and re-imagining them into something different and, sometimes, superior.

VALERIE - for anyone that enjoys imagery from the 80's just take a quick scroll through this page. It's actually a really interesting mp3 blog but if you're just in it for the pictures, this one has the goods.

02:09 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Gay Werewolf launches
»

Madrid has launched a new endeavor - Gay Werewolf, a Lifestyle Label & Cultural Attaché. Right out of the gate he's got two free downloads from Jensen Sportag and the promise of a weekly "Fannypack" of downloadable goods. Oh, and two great shirt designs coming soon. Hopefully he keeps this one up!

02:01 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Brian Dettmer
»

The small versions of this do zero good, you absolutely must see the enlarged versions of this work from Brian Dettmer. Here's a quick explanation of what's happening:

In this work I begin with an existing book and seal its edges, creating an enclosed vessel full of unearthed potential. I cut into the cover of the book and dissect through it from the front. I work with knives, tweezers and other surgical tools to carve one page at a time, exposing each page while cutting around ideas and images of interest. Nothing inside the books is relocated or implanted, only removed. Images and ideas are revealed to expose a book�s hidden, fragmented memory. The completed pieces expose new relationships of a book�s internal elements exactly where they have been since their original conception.

I can't imagine the time it must take to perform such a task but the outcome is pretty much unbelievable.

10:21 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

September 06, 2007
Link Hodge-Podge
» Time Machine Theory - while a bit over my head I have to say, if Time Travel were possible (even if just in one direction, backwards) wouldn't we know about it? I mean, if people of the future can travel back in time, wouldn't they inform us of the ability and make society progress even faster? Sci-fi contradictions abound!

The Qube - I've considered adding a backyard studio to my new house.. this one looks pretty much incredible.

iPhone Open Letter - feeling the heat from his early adopters Steve Jobs has openly promised to give a $100 Apple Store credit to those of us that paid $599 for the iPhone just two months ago. This softens the blow a bit and goes to show that griping and complaining can change things.

Tenori - video board game or new Yamaha musical instrument? It's actually tough to tell the difference.

02:39 PM » [ Comments (9) ]

Next Big Nashville - Thursday
»

Alright, so we're in Day 2 of Next Big Nashville - which is really the first day of the onslaught of shows to choose from. To help with this decision making process I'll post the shows that are sure bets for a good time and others that may expose you to some new music if you're feeling adventurous.

The End - Grand Palace Showcase

» Henry Daggs

» Kindergarten Circus

» Those Darlin's

» Turncoats - Shoot That Girl

» SJ & The Props - Tragedy

» Glossary

Exit/In

» Hotpipes - If Don't

» Black Diamond Heavies

» The Clutters - Rock and Roll

» Ghostfinger - Aminal Eye

» Wax Fang

» Umbrella Tree

If you're feeling a bit more low key I suggest checking out The Basement to hear the likes of Cortney Tidwell and Sean Williams from The Nobility.

02:26 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

VICE meets Guy Maddin
»

VBS has a new installment of their VBS Meets program entitled VICE Meets Guy Maddin. If you weren't aware, Guy Maddin is responsible for Brand Upon The Brain and The Saddest Music in the World (among others). His filmmaking style is unique and the three part interview is worth giving a gander.

01:43 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Cowart Polaroids
»

Jeremy Cowart has posted a whole bunch of new experimental polaroids to his site. The super bright saturation on the Iron and Wine pics is a great contrast to his old world looks and the various distortion to the photo. And photos with polaroid borders just never get old.

01:32 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Feltron iPhone Redux
»

Feltron has put together an iPhone redux (of which this thumbnail does no justice) consisting of a few new icons and a completely black/white color scheme. It looks quite sleek when implemented.

12:05 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

September 05, 2007
Apple Roundup
» Alright, so tech geeks (myself included) are all aflutter at the latest Apple news. The previous announcement of renovated iMacs didn't get half of this hype, I guess people love new iPod technology. So let's have a look at what was announced:

iPhone Ringtones - new iTunes will allow you to purchased ringtones for an additional .99. So that's approximately $2 for a shortened version of a song that anyone with Quicktime Pro could create themselves. I've never understood why people pay for ringtones and still don't. This feature is almost insulting to me as a customer.
New iPod Nano - now with a more squat design. No longer tall and sleek but now rather fat and video enabled. I suppose this is cool for those people that wish to have video on their cheaper iPod but why not just buy a regular iPod? This new design seemingly defeats the purpose of the Nano (smaller, sleeker, cheaper, fewer features - the iPod Lite) and just makes it like an iPod 3rd Gen with a mashed design. I won't fully judge it until I've seen it in my hands but another underwhelming announcement in my book.
iPod Classic - new name for the regular ole iPod. Now available as either 80GB or 160GB - both relatively cheaper in comparison to previous price points. Love the super high capacity though, personally, I don't keep much video on my iPod so I would never fill it.
iPod Touch - aka, the iPhone without the Phone capabilities. It's got the sleek touch interface, calendar, contacts, photos and the Wi-Fi capabilities of Safari and the YouTube browser. So, basically, the iPhone without the phone part and some different icons. Only available as 8GB or 16GB models but does come with a new "Wi-Fi Music Store" that will let you download new songs whenever you have Wi-Fi. This is pretty brilliant and should have been available on the iPhone from the start.

Not so brilliant is the super lame Starbucks Music feature. Not all iPod owners are yuppies and not all iPod owners get their coffee at Starbucks. I don't have a problem with Starbucks as a company I just don't like the overt cross promotion and being told that I'm "missing out" if I don't use the feature. Paying for a feature I have no interest in using is a waste of time.
iPhone Price Point - now it's only $399 for the 8GB iPhone, sort of a giant slap in the face to the first million customers (myself included) that bought one at $599.

So, that's it. I can't wait until my first encounter with someone who has both the iPhone and the iPod Touch - just to see how it is that they differentiate between the two. Maybe they'll have two saddle bags strapped to their belt with iPod on the left, iPhone on the right.

01:44 PM » [ Comments (23) ]

Next Big Nashville Starts Tonight
»

Alright, so Next Big Nashville starts tonight. Just a few more days and I'll stop talking about it.. promise. But until then...

The festivities kick off tonight at the Belcourt with the premiere / sneak peek "Sound Check" and "LMNO" - two documentary-esque films revolving around local music, musicians and the surrounding culture. After that a few bands (Lylas, Turbo Fruits and Eaglebreeze) will finish out the night. Should be a solid start to the next few days.

I'll post my official show picks each day and hopefully some mp3 links along with them so you can get familiar with the music.

12:40 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Because buying b-sides is lame...
»

» Feist - Somewhere Down The Road

12:22 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Evil Bee
»

The PF Flyers / Menomena music video collab is available for viewing. It seemed pretty suspect that PF Flyers would want to underwrite the band purely because they viewed them as "kindred spirits" but the end result is a fitting animation. I actually expected it to a have a triumphantly happy ending but it keeps things pretty dark. Regardless, it's more fodder for my Menomena obsessiveness.

10:52 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

LLFS Spots
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Lifelong Friendship Society has posted up a bunch of new notable work to check out. The Virgin Mobile spot has a particularly great look to it - love the dull greys being attacked by the swirling color. There are lots of other great ones to check out too. Via Mike.

10:47 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Science! Gorilla!
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3D Hologram

Cadbury Gorilla

The 3D Hologram is a Tron Dream come true. Thanks Chad.

The Cadbury Gorilla is one of the oddest things I've seen in a long time and I commend the ad house for creating a spot that has absolutely nothing to do with the product and just creates a memorable commercial. It's really making the rounds too - I saw it posted via Lee, Joshua, Paige and Ronnie. And now me.

10:38 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

The World's "Wackiest" Foreign Homes...
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Why this article is entitled The World's Wackiest Foreign Homes is sort of beyond me. With the exception of a very few I wouldn't place any of them in a "wacky" category. Many of the homes are incredibly modern or integrate some strange aspect of the owners interest. I have to say that this one may be my favorite of the whole bunch - love the desert sci-fi vibe.

10:26 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

September 04, 2007
Misc Postings of Interest
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If Moustache May had a blog, or a mascot, this guy would easily be the front runner for both.

Why can't people design more like this anymore? I love the subtle texturing and simplicity of it all.

The Dante's Orgy photo set is pretty clever. Your initial reaction may be that it's just some low level pornography but in reality it's just some well done photography of the seething crowd at Coachella.

12:44 PM » [ Comments (4) ]

Next Big Nashville - Wristband Giveaway 2
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Alright, I've already given away one pair of wristbands so let's dive right into pair #2. If you've already submitted your name / email in the previous post you are already entered in the running. I plan on picking the winner at the end of day today, so get your submissions in quick if you want these things.

For those of you that don't win, remember you can actually buy a wristband here for just $30 and you get into all the shows you want.

Update: So I ran another randomized script to choose the next winner and it appears that Colleen won the second pair. So, Collin and Colleen - a strange, true coincendence. The power of MySQL random. Sorry to all of you that didn't win - I wish I had MORE to giveaway but congratulations to the two of you that did get to take home a little something.

12:03 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Pinback's Latest Video
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Pinkback - From Nothing to Nowhere

Rob Crow looks nuts in the latest video from Pinback - like seriously deranged. I'm rather looking forward to the album release next week but have heard a few reviews say that this single isn't an accurate portrayal of what to expect. This is an unsurprising observation as Pinback never sounds that rocking and I never expect them to. If anything this song is an anomaly - a good anomaly but still a total deviation.

11:53 AM » [ Comments (5) ]

James Callahan Tee
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The Beautiful/Decay tee from James Callahan is another quality installment in their Artist Series of shirts. The 3D effect goes along perfectly with the barfing skull imagery. Link via Crown Dozen.

10:44 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

Upcoming Movies
» There are always some upcoming movies worth checking out.. try these trailers on for size:

Right At Your Door - a terrorist attack on LA seperates man and wife through a thin layer of plastic and duct tape. It's a fairly intense trailer and seems to deal with the hysteria of what would happen in a major city if a biological attack were to happen but really I think it just boils down to 'hey man, open the door.. it's your wife.'

Great World of Sound - something about this feels all too accurate in terms of peoples desire to be famous, producers underhandedness in feeding that ego and the absurdity of peoples taste. That being said, it also looks quite amusing and ridiculous.

10:36 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Praire Cat - Attacks!
» Check out the latest from Catbird Records Special Projects - Praire Cat - Attacks is a limited run of 100 featuring hand-painted cat covers. CBR continues to be benchmark for indie labels in my mind - always putting out music they believe in with packaging that makes for a special treat.

» Praire Cat - Grumpy Forever

10:10 AM » [ Comments (1) ]