The Floor is Jelly OST

posted February 17, 2014 #

need to get this Disasterpiece OST a listen

Experience Sleep No More

posted February 17, 2014 #

I had the absolute privilege of experiencing Sleep No More last night. For those that do not know, it's a bit of a concept to wrap your brain around. At the heart of it, it's a contemporary, wordless, retelling of MacBeth set inside a highly curated, immersive, four story hotel. All of the attendees wear masks and are forbidden from speaking.

I've been wanting to attend this thing since it opened many years ago and really built up what it would be like to actually dive in. I can happily report that it was 100% what I expected and it delivered on every level. If you're a fan of the work of David Lynch, Gregory Crewdson, Matthew Barney, the 1920's, Shakespeare, Hitchcock (the space is named after Vertigo's McKittrick Hotel) and.. well.. there isn't a person out there that appreciates art or set design or new experiences that wouldn't absolutely love it. I'm not telling you anything new, just confirming that it was phenomenal.

Friday Videos - Feb 14th, 2014

posted February 14, 2014 #

It's Valentine's Day! But I don't really have much of a thematic collection for this week. Hopefully the distraction itself will prove to be enough:

Stepping on M83 - I'm sure I've seen this before but I think we could all stand to watch it again a few times.
Movie Title Breakup - this conversation is comprised entirely of movie titles. At first I was rolling my eyes at the concept but a solid ten seconds later I could not believe how rapid fire it was happening. Sure, some of the back and forth is a bit rigid but it's an impressive accomplishment.
AT-AT Sochi - I can't help it. I'm a sucker for a good laser blast.
Facebook Fraud - not a funny video but, rather, an educational one. It's 9 minutes, which is entirely too long for all of our collective attention spans, but it goes through an educational walkthrough of why buying Facebook likes - properly or improperly - is really a rather bad idea. I found it quite interesting.
Ken Burns - Past is Present - this ends up being an ad for a new Ken Burns app but I love the first portion of it that speaks to the ongoing repetitious cycle of history. Can't get enough of that.
Fatal Farm Robocop Remake - this is very NSFW and maybe even NSFL but given that it's Valentine's Day, you should probably watch it.

Have a great weekend!

Poolside Radio

posted February 13, 2014 #

It's snowing like crazy here in Brooklyn. In celebration, we're blasting Poolside Radio all day. Great music, ridiculous videos and a warm feeling to get through the snowy onslaught. Enjoy!

via Casey.

Tokyo Police Club: 10 Days, 10 Covers, 10 Years

posted February 12, 2014 #

some real gems in here

The Restart Page

posted February 12, 2014 #

I can't explain it but I'm locked in to The Restart Page - a repository of rebooting experiences from all your favorite operating systems. Yes, that sounds absurd but I'm actually immersed in the page and can't stop watching.

Retronaut WTF Valentine Cards

posted February 12, 2014 #

The other day I ran across these vintage Batman Valentine's Cards and thought they were pretty weird. I mean, Batman stabbing a dragon just seems out of character. Then I ran across these 1920's Valentine's Day Cards and I had a new definition of weird. They are sweet in their own way but there's something oddly grotesque about some of the illustrations - not to mention grotesque, depressing and sometimes brutal. That is to say - I highly enjoy them!

via.

Precomposed Touch Gestures

posted February 12, 2014 #

I'm not gonna lie. I don't think I have much practical, personal, use for this Precomposed Touch Gesture pack of Quicktime animations. That being said, I love the simple page design, the color choices throughout and the type choices. Just feels good to look at!

via Paige

Alex Baker

posted February 11, 2014 #

the man behind Dewey Decibel has a new solo record. Fingers crossed.

The Double - 2 Snakes

posted February 11, 2014 #

While I'm not a huge fan of Jesse Eisenberg, I have to say that the latest trailer for Richard Ayoade's new movie, The Double, looks as great as I'd hope for it to be. Basing a movie on a Dostoevsky novel is walking a fine line of overt pretension but I've faith that it can be done. The trailer is tense, intriguing and still a bit funny. Fingers crossed my expectations don't exceed the actual output.

Schwartzblog Pants Party

posted February 11, 2014 #

Any time Dan Schwartzbaum posts a new mix it is a a good day. Today is such a day. Go listen to Pants Party - a "non-stop Soul/Motown dance party." Yes, please and thank you.

Tesla Font

posted February 11, 2014 #

I dunno when you're going to have the grand occasion to use but this Tesla typeface is pretty great.

The inspiration for this typeface was found in the circuitry of lightbulb filament and wiring intricately crossing paths.

That's a pretty clever place for inspiration and the results are solid.

It's On

posted February 11, 2014 #

https://i1.sndcdn.com/artworks-000071333259-i8a90o-large.jpg?e76cf77

The REM Experiment

posted February 10, 2014 #

During 2012 I decided to listen to every album from XTC - a band that I knew I was a fan of but didn't have the full story on. So, for 2013, I decided to take on another band's entire discography in order to get a better understanding of their offerings, their influence and their place in the history of rock and roll. I'm a bit behind schedule on finishing in 2013 but I can officially say I've heard every single R.E.M. album there is to hear.

Prior to this undertaking, I was familiar with Automatic for the People and Monster - the two albums released during my high school days. I knew pieces of Green and Out of Time because I am person that listened to the radio and "It's The End of the World As We Know It" is pretty much ubiquitous to everyone. Even with all that in mind, I still had a lot to consume.

Unlike the XTC project, I just decided to start at the top Discography and work my way forward (for the record, I also tacked Dead Letter Office on before Murmur). Hearing the band change from their early 80's days on IRS records to their late 80's Warner Bros debut of Green is fascinating. You can definitely hear a band finding their footing as they grow in their songwriting and it's unsurprising just how much you hear more contemporary bands moved by their works. The influence of R.E.M. is not to be understated.

Equally interesting as their first eight releases is the back half of their catalog - another seven albums that seems to really get glossed over when thinking about the band. Their confidence seems to stumble after Monster - are they a rock band? Are they experimenting with electronic music? Are they able to harken back to their more withdrawn beginnings? Maybe those questions are only clear in hindsight. Just by looking at the album titles you can assume the band is trying to push forward as they all have some positive slant to them - New Adventures in Hi-Fi, Up, Reveal, Around the Sun, Accelerate and, finally, Collapse Into Now. Not unsurprising, the final album is probably their finest of the back half.

There's absolutely no way I can go on about REM in a manner that is more educated than those that have been following them since their inception. My insight into the bands musical offerings is cursory compared to the true fans but I find myself with an affinity for them that I certainly lacked before. It even helps inform my enjoyment of Michael Stipe's Tumblr, which was already well established.

If anyone else is curious to take on this discography experiment, I highly recommend REM as a candidate. There's not a single album that doesn't have something worth hearing on it and, for the most part, every album is an enjoyable experience on the whole. Some are certainly far better than others but having such a strong catalog is not an easy task.

The Froxonian

posted February 10, 2014 #

I met French photographer Matthieu Dessier in Oxford, Mississippi and rather enjoyed his company. Now, months later, I come to find that he has a long standing Tumblog and Instagram account showcasing his wonderful photography. Since our meeting he's moved back to France but it seems his eye for Southern style still runs strong in his homeland. His photos are gorgeous - it's as simple as that.

HT

Phantogram - Fall In Love

posted February 10, 2014 #

The new Phantogram music video for "Fall In Love" is pretty incredible. The high contrast black and white mixed with the bonkers visualizations is phenomenal. The song is quite enjoyable too. I predict I'll watch this a good ten times this week.

Atomic Design

posted February 10, 2014 #

Having joined VHX I really feel like I've had to step up my design game. I never felt that I was bad at it before but I most certainly didn't feel confident in the Language of Design - I always deferred to more skilled coworkers for that in the past. But I'm really looking to improve and grow in every facet possible.. so I'm starting out at the beginning, the basics!

Atomic Web Design seems like a great fundamental attitude to take on when looking to design systems. Break your designs down to the core elements - atoms if you will - and build up from there - molecules, organisms, etc. It's a simple but powerful metaphor that I'm taking to heart. Hey, if it worked for Mailchimp it can work for me, right?

Friday Videos - Feb 7th, 2014

posted February 7, 2014 #

February already! I've officially gone once more around the sun - that's 35 years under the belt. No complaints. I've had a great week and hope you have as well. Enjoy the playlist - got some things stirring for this month!

The Sunday Times - Icons - nice single shot of some rather recognizable icons. Some surprising inclusions in there (Daft Punk is well known enough to be iconic?) but a delightful piece.
THE GAP by Ira Glass - I'm sure you've seen this Ira Glass quote but this Daniel Sax piece putting it into a more visual form is a delightful undertaking.
Jerry Seinfeld on Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee - very interesting to hear him speak about having a show you can take with you anywhere. Very much a different mentality than many others have.
Pause Fest ID 2014 - just an incredible piece of animation. Period.
C.H.O.M.P.S. trailer - a 1979 film about a robot dog. I find this hilarious and somewhat disturbing for a number of reasons.
Marijuana Session 1 - this really has nothing to do with Marijuana and more to do with the notion that people are weird. Beyond words really. Oh, and there's lots more where that came from. A wellspring of weirdness if you will.
Sophie's First Time To See Snow - yup, I'm a sucker for animals enjoying snow.

Need more entertainment? Just stare at this for an hour or enjoy this.

Have a great weekend!

Natural Landscapes Made Of Processed Food

posted February 7, 2014 #

Kind of loving this set of Food Landscapes from Barbara Ciurej and Lindsay Lochman. The images are based on real places and manage to be both delightful and somewhat unsettling. An enjoyably powerful combo.

Camcorder Font Family

posted February 7, 2014 #

Lots of good projects from Bad. Mean. Good. but I'm particularly smitten with the spot-on Camcorder Font Family. Is the usage limited? Sure. Is it effective when it works? Absolutely.

via Chad