determine dominant color of an image and set a background. NEAT.

a new GIF format seems to be taking shape

an incredibly good long read about the problem with trolls

JAson said it best - October is usually known as the beginning of "Fall" or "Autumn" but it should be known as Shaboi season. The single album, Curse Walk, released back in 2009 continues to hold up as one of the finest pieces of Halloween themed goodness that exists. I stand by that. It's got everything and never wears itself out.

I'm slowly posting the full album over on Soundcloud but you can go hear it full on Bandcamp or Rdio or Spotify if you prefer.

Please enjoy and spread the word. I want everyone to think of October as "Shaboi season" as much as I do.

It is no secret that I love Drafthouse Films - their catalog of releases has always been unbelievably solid and continues to get better as they continue to grow. So, I was very pleased to see them offering a wonderful film bundle featuring five films for just $10. Oh, and all the bonus content that comes along with those movies. Some I have seen, some I have not.

• Ms. 45 - a 1981 remastered work from Abel Ferrara depicting female empowerment through vigilantism.
• A Band Called Death - phenomenal documentary about one of the first punk bands, comprised of three black musicians from Detroit that predated the Sex Pistols or The Ramones. Super good.
• The Visitor - a 1979 Italian headtrip. I haven't watched this yet but it looks pretty incredible.
• The Final Member - a documentary about the penis museum in Iceland. Yes, there's a penis museum and no, they don't have a human specimen on display. Yet. That's the movie. Unsurprisingly hilarious.
• The Dog - the true story behind the bank robber depicted in Dog Day Afternoon. He's quite a kook and his story is fascinating.

I am actually stunned this is $10. I realize it's a limited time offer but it still seems like a bonkers deal. Buy It Now - I firmly believe you will enjoy it.

Without fail, the one full-length album from Ambulance LTD comes up in my rotation and I can't stop listening. On repeat. For days. But it's just the one album (and two EP's). Part of me likes that they did one and never had the chance to release something else potentially disappointing (pessimistic, I know) but a bigger part of me was curious what happened. Surely they something more planned, right?!

Turns out, yes, they had plenty more planned. This blog post gives a nice summary of what they were up to - including recording a sophomore album with John Cale - and, more importantly, a link to two discs of demos from those sessions. And they do not disappoint. They aren't as fleshed out as the original LP album but they're enough to satisfy and wish that they'd been finished.

Oh, and if that isn't enough - check out this shared Google Drive with tons of bootlegs, demos and instrumental versions. AKA The Motherload.

Oh, and singer John Congleton has a new project but more on that later

I've not heard of Last Gasp Books until recently but I am quite familiar with their creations; art books by the likes of Ron English, tons of Robert Crumb publications, Daniel Johnston and tons more. The list is really exhaustive and beyond impressive.

But, unsurprisingly, funds and resources for print publications are running thin and they've turned to Kickstarter to help them flesh out their Fall schedule. The rewards are great - I opted for the Punks Git Cut anthology by Jay Howell but there's no shortage of desirable goods you can nab while supporting a 40+ year art print house.

Many thanks to Matt Thomas and Austin Kleon for the literary mashup First Line, Last Line - combining the first line of a novel with the last line of another. Kleon suggests referencing the 100 Best First Lines vs 100 Best Closing Lines but I'd be curious what creations come from plucking the lines from your favorite books. Do they work at all?

Check the #firstlinelastline tag or tumblr for more results.

It's unfortunate that there isn't a more robust official portfolio of works from Herbert Baglione but if you check his Instagram or these Juxtapoz pieces you'll get a solid idea of the kind of environmental art he's undertaking. He uses a lot of haunting ghost figures that play especially well in abandoned psychiatric hospitals, old French buildings or right out in the open.

via Becky.

The new version of Squarespace that recently launched - Seven - is another impressive refinement of the Squarespace brand. Goes without saying, there's some classy work going on here! The intro video is phenomenal and there are several very inventive implementations for scrolling - check the cover pages or Google apps pages for prime examples.

will probably post more about this but some amazing rewards on this if you're into art books and zines. Jay Howell compilation!

digital theaters are not real pleased about this. kind of hilarious. the vinyl of movies!

how did I not know this existed? And it's two discs?!

sci-fi reality

new version of the lay-flat notebook from Baron Fig

MOVIES Coming Soon

compiling all my Read Later links from my trip

new album stream

new trailer is great

Back in 2009, How I Became the Bomb released their album Deadly Art - a synth pop undertaking that was right up my alley. After a bit of touring and playing around town to bigger and bigger crowds they just disappeared. I've heard tale of a followup every year since and kind of decided that it was just local fairy tale that it would ever happen.

I am happy to report that they've released a new track - Break Hearts - and promise a new album, Adonis, in the coming months. I'll still believe it when I see it but the prospects are looking quite good.