Procrastination is not the business. Until it is. And being that I still need to knock out this 10-page paper, it seems like the ideal time to drop a handful of tracks on the Bowties. Jesse already knows, but the real gem in here is the Jose James. Trey Songz goin in over Gucci’s “Lemonade” is a highlight too. Folks out there are grinding too, so if I can distract them from something “important” for a minute, I think I’ve done my job for the day. For all the things we try to do here, we can’t really claim to be helpful as far as homework goes. My apologies.
I don’t know what to do. You’re so used to expecting the unexpected now. What’s a writer a to do? Keep going I suppose. Keep going. The Glasswing Butterfly is part of the brush-footed family, known for their front legs that resemble hairy brushes. However, it is the transparent tissue between the veins that gives the butterfly its name. Found throughout Central America and into Mexico, this species is just another example of natures beauty. Click the pic.
While it might not be his strongest work to date, “Nothing On You” should give B.O.B. the chance to leapfrog a handful of cats in the game right now. At the end of the day, hits get peoples’ attention, and the song is still smashing on most of the shit on the radio lately. Bobby picked the right director for the job though. Ethan Lader, the mind behind quality videos from Pac Div, Kidz in the Hall and my personal favorite, Rob Roy’s “Fur In My Cap”, put together some creative visuals to accompany the song. Expect to see Bobby and Ethan back soon.
I’m really starting appreciate the touch of simplicity. In design and presentation, it seems as though less is often times much much more. I think this rule applies to creativity as well. We see big brands imitate and small brands originate. Cough cough smiley face. But it’s good. We’re all just out here trying to make it… Velour was started back in ‘97 out of curiosity, when Per Andersson was going through his grandmothers defunct clothing store. His experiences led him to create Velour in 2002, and they haven’t looked back since.
This is pretty spectacular. Meet the PS22 Choir. A group of elementary and middle school kids from Staten Island who have found global fame by finding their voice. This song leaves a little to be desired, but kids are great so it’s all good. But what if this became the norm? Kids just started singing pop songs on the regular? Forget amazing grace, what if kids were singing some Lykke or Trey Songz in class? Ok, the Trey Songz is a stretch, but it’d be amusing to see nonetheless. Some 8 year olds singing out, “She gon think I invented sex!” Could you see it?
The folks looking for an easy, party-friendly follow-up to say, “Kids” or “Electric Feel”, might want to find a new trendy band to follow. The first two tracks let loose from MGMT’s sophomore album, “Flash Delirium” and “Congratulations” find the indie sensations rebelling against the instant pop appeal of the singles from Oracular Spectacular. “Flash” is a dense and exciting psychedelic pop song that recalls recent Flaming Lips and late-’60s Beatles, while “Congratulations” is more of a stripped down, acoustic slow jam. Congratulations is due out April 13, and will feature a grand total of zero singles. Interesting to say the least.
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Today, I’d like share one of my favorite movies with you. Sweet Elizabeth brought this into my life many years ago and it has been my answer to “what’s your favorite movie?” ever since. I can’t even begin to relate to you how wet this movie is. Kof & Lan know. I watched it over and over in Tendrich. I don’t know. It’s just my kinda shit. Reality will always outdo fiction, because that shit actually happened. And nothing is crazier than that.
Seven years ago, a little known trio from North Carolina dropped an album that made an extraordinary amount of noise. Within months of The Listening being released, 9th Wonder was being commissioned for a beat on The Black Album, and the album was drawing unsolicited praise from hip-hop royalty like Pete Rock and ?uestlove. A few years later, their soulful sound has led each of LB’s three members on different paths. Phonte’s Foreign Exchange is Grammy-nominated, Pooh is a few quality solo projects deep, and 9th, who bowed out of the group in ‘07, is a certified super-producer for everyone from Erykah to De La. Next month should see the release of Leftback, unfortunately billed as Pooh and Phonte’s final album together, with “Curtain Call” as the first single. Khrysis killed this one though, and if this a sign of things to come, we got one more quality album to look forward to.
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Yoshiro Nakamatsu is a pretty unusual cat. Known to the world as Dr. NakaMats, the 81-year old Japanese inventor holds the world record, with over 3000 inventions. Included on his long list are the floppy disk, CD technology, the digital watch and the karaoke machine, some of which is confirmed by his longstanding relationship as a consultant to IBM. Of course, more than a few of his claims are hard to prove, but at the least, NakaMats knows how to entertain. Some of this shit you just have to see to believe.
Last month, Max, Danny and myself had the privilege of being among a small group of folks who witnessed the first live performance of Broken Bells, the collaborative project put together by Danger Mouse and James Mercer. With a capacity that couldn’t have been more than 200, the show was a firsthand, intimate look at exactly what it was these two had in store. When this particular joint dropped, Max and I could already tell it was bad. In other words, it’s good. And “The Ghost”, like this song and this song, is nothing if not good. The album drops today, and to say I’m giving it a cosign would be a serious understatement. Cop that.
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Growing up, our image of the ’60s was shaped as a time of massive social and cultural change. After all, this was the era synonymous with political upheaval, brilliant popular art and sexual freedom. It’s also no secret that these movements were linked inextricably to drugs, and a little healthy experimentation. The Harvard Psychedelic Club, written by Don Lattin, documents the life and work of Timothy Leary, later known as the “high priest of LSD” and Richard Alpert (Ram Dass), the two Harvard professors whose research led them from being fired at Harvard to becoming veritable leaders of a movement, all amid heavy drug experimentation alongside icons like Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs. Below is an excerpt from the book, which is available here and here.
I still have yet to step through the doors of Opening Ceremony but when I do it’ll be a joyous occassion. Morgan’s in there now, so now ceremony is about to commence. In this short, Spike Jonze sits down with the creators of Opening Ceremony, Carol Lim and Humberto Leon to chat about the inspiration for the space, the importance of limitless branding, and their aspirations to promote culture and creativity. A well done piece, the video shows what the power of passion can lead to. Be sure to say hi to Morgan when you hit up the store. Hit the MORE for part II.
Ladies and gentleman, I’ve come to a stark realization at 3:26PM. Today, I’ve realized that text messages are played out. They’re boring. They’re impersonal. They’re generic. Anyone can push some buttons with their thumbs. But who can show you the world through their eyes? It’s a little more work, but if you mean it then it’s worth it. It’s as simple as that. We all send and receive boring ass text messages everyday, me included. The “What you doing tonight,” the “What’s Good,” and the infamous two letter, “OK” response. This technology is great and all but let’s not forget that we’re humans. We’ve got emotions to share and love to give. So let me raise the bar one time. Get with the picture message. It’s ten times flyer, and the girls will like it more.
Blockbuster collabs are a funny thing. Sometimes we get a classic, sometimes we forget they even happened. In my humble, this one doesn’t really fall into either category. The latest from Cudi, presumably off the upcoming Cudder doesn’t really deviate too far from the subject matter we’ve come to expect, but it’s not a major problem with the song. At the end of the day, we can always use more songs to smoke weed and drink to. The outro might just be the cleanest part though.
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Recently I had the opportunity to chat with Mykola Dosenko, also known as Myk Dawg. Born and raised in Kiev, Ukraine, Mykola’s inspirations paint an interesting portrait of popular culture in the late 80’s and early 90’s. A self proclaimed graphic designer, celebrity chef, comedian and stunt driver, it was not difficult to strike up a conversation about Myk’s interests and inspirations. With his graphic design work popping up on popular websites across the net, Mykola’s aesthetic is becoming recognized for it’s vibrant colors and retro influences. Touching on everything from Lebron James to zombie snails, our conversation was peculiar to say the very least.
