20 October 2009
Memory Tapes, “Walk Me Home”
If you haven’t yet found yourself compulsively listening to Memory Tapes‘ debut album “Seek Magic” this fall season, you’re just in time to catch the bug on “Walk Me Home”, the Hallowe’en-inspired track released on ARAWA today.
At 17 minutes long, it’s a sinister-sounding ode to the fine art of good horror movie soundtracks, not to mention it’s the perfect way to get in the right mindset for the holiday ahead. See for yourself.
29 July 2009
Summer Music: Washed Out, “New Theory”
As someone who relies heavily on word of mouth when discovering new music, it’s always nice when you get a good tip.
In this case, it seems only fair that I should pass this along to you: here’s Washed Out, a lo-thrown dreamy electro outfit from the West Coast that is perfectly suitable music for the summer we’re still longing for right now.
22 June 2009
Simian Mobile Disco, “Audacity of Huge”
A new video from Simian Mobile Disco emerged online a few days ago, but what most impressed me was the discovery of its director — a 22 year-old London-based creative named Kate Moross. Kate has established an inspiring level of success for her age, working in illustration and graphic design, and boasting an impressive range of commercial contacts thus far.
Her online portfolio is certainly something to get you feeling motivated on a Monday. The video for “Audacity of Huge” isn’t too bad, either.
29 May 2009
Hear Ye Hear Ye, Thomas Mars Questionnaire
As a follow-up to last week’s Phoenix post, this week marked a new installment for Opening Ceremony stores, which will rotate a different guest musician to pick their top ten records to play in the store environment and be available for purchase. Each feature will also come with a questionnaire on their blog. And to kick things off, their first edition is with Thomas Mars.
While some of the choices and tidbit information is surprising, it’s all nothing short of solid. From his favourite band tee shirt to his favourite guilty pleasure, check out Thomas’ music survery here.
21 May 2009
New Video: Phoenix, “1901”
As Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix gets ready to assume an unfaltering position as one of this summer’s best releases, it was just as pleasing to see this week’s unveiling of the record’s second video for 1901 as it was to see the weather finally catching up with the claim.
Hopefully the two will be more closely in sync for when the record releases online on May 25th. Until then, you can count on some pretty cute tidbits showing up on the Phoenix blog.
02 February 2009
Kim Jones for Dunhill, Autumn 2009
Last week was the debut of a much anticipated Dunhill’s Autumn 2009 collection, the first line of a new partnership with menswear maverick-designer Kim Jones.
After transforming the Umbro brand into one that lead the way in understanding contemporary streetwear-infused athletic wear, combining a more synthetic line of fabrics with a more casual and highly-modernized sensibility, here we have Jones reworking the exact opposite aesthetic with a similar premise: men’s formal basics with a twist. Beautiful clean lines, dynamic construction, and a young and spirited attitude to formality — a look that leaves the stuffy dress of the conservative to the conservatives.
To see the collection in full, click here.
30 January 2009
Gang Gang Dance feat. Tinchy Stryder (Live)
This appears to be more of a studio session than a live performance video, with audio that sounds almost exactly like it does on record, but it’s good to get a little Gang Gang visual in whenever possible. And, whatever this video might be, it’s not a bad look.
Via Tower of Sleep
29 January 2009
Nikolay Saveliev, Pop Matters
As a promotion for Brown University Student Radio, Nikolay Saveliev created mock-academic pamphlets in record sleeves, discussing the state of the record industry, and then secretly distributed them around local record shops.
However, what’s most noteworthy about the project is the incredible aesthetics of the covers he produced. To see more, click here.
Via Ffffound
20 January 2009
Thom Browne, Pitti Uomo 2009
Our blog may not have been updated for awhile, but that doesn’t mean that Thom Browne’s showcasing at Pitti Uomo this year went unnoticed. Every season, the Pitti Immagine group holds a men’s-wear fair in Florence. They invite upwards of 30,000 people, including buyers, journalists and about 800 designers from all over the globe. Each season, they also select one designer to put on a show or exhibition of some kind.
And, it’s always a very interesting profile to watch — last year’s guest being Adam Kimmel, who’s Semina-inspired collection last fall is still the subject of magazine features (the most recent was in this month’s issue of Another Man). He even became a point of interest on our site.
02 January 2009
Recession 2009: January Retail Sales A’Cometh
You might already know it, or you might not want to know it, but some good online sales have been popping up this afternoon — my inbox informed me of a 40% off pre-sale at Acne online with nice items from their Fall/Winter collection, along with some ‘reduced-but-still-dreaming’ deals at TRÈS BIEN shop, with markdowns on some Scandinavian-designer favourites, along with some sweet pieces by Raf by Raf Simons, and Martin Margiela.
Unsurprisingly, the sale at Steven Alan is still going strong, with up to 70% off, and after visiting their boutique in New York, I can vouch for it being a good retail opportunity to score some of those well-made basics before they return back to “yeah right” territory, though admittedly, that margin has definitely expanded as of late.
30 December 2008
NYT: Change? It Wasn’t in Fashion—Really?
While it seems that you can always rely upon a greater cynicism out there than your own, Eric Wilson’s article in the Times on the lack of originality in fashion this year really drives home the whining about the ever-presence of coloured shades and skinny denim. If anything, the piece speaks to me about how fast paced our standards and expectations have become — as if the iconic trends of our generation need carry a much more sporadic, hyper-aware shelf life than before.
As H(Y)R suggests, and ironically so, the article also excludes the mention of many different kinds trend facets that were born out of this past year, from silhouettes to pants to heels, along with many fresh and unusual faces.
21 December 2008
Holiday Giftgiving: Christmas at the New Yorker
If you’re the type to save your Christmas shopping to the last possible minute — present company included — gifting the New Yorker holiday edition, Christmas at the New Yorker might not be such a bad idea. (Retail: $21.95)
While one might recoil at the cheesiness of a themed gift, just imagine how nice this would look as an annual touch on the family coffee table.
Photo: Mark Coatsworth (Now)
19 December 2008
Bergh Stalker: Bad Holiday Fundraiser Tonight
For those of you on Bergh watch, you might have already noticed Colin in Now Magazine’s dj spotlight this week. However, if uninformed, perhaps this could yield to a further suggestion of catching him tonight as Wyrd Visions at the Bad Holiday Fundraiser, supporting our favourite local mag, Bad Day magazine.
If you’re committed, you’re in luck — you’ll have the pleasure of checking out more Colin afterwards at his monthly party, The Clap. It may be the snowpocalypse outside, but take note: Bergh stalkers work in rain or sleet.
14 December 2008
Online: Kenneth Anger, Scorpio Rising (1964)
On a late weekend blogging, still in a haze from last Friday’s More Proof party, finding a full-length version of Kenneth Anger’s seminal film, Scorpio Rising is a sweet sight for sore eyes.
While the quality isn’t its greatest, the film is typically impossible to find otherwise. And as a touchstone of the avant-garde film era of the 60s, you would think you’d see it around more: Scorpio Rising has been a well-known influence on some of America’s greatest film directors, the likes of David Lynch, Martin Scorsese and John Waters, as well as being a great slice of Americana on its own.
Plus, it has one of the best soundtracks in film history — the perfect tunes for a chilled-out Sunday afternoon.
02 December 2008
Jjjjfound: Men’s Winter Classics Shortlist
Though we’re definitely not the first to mention Justin R. Saunders’ blog, Jjjjfound — an untiring congregation of sharp cultural products and other miscellaneous stimuli — his recent article on The Moment blog has been an enjoyable read and re-read many times this week for me, never leaving the gang of leafed tabs that are perpetually hanging out on my browser window.
Apart from his fondness for undeniable staples like the Ralph Lauren Polo and the A.P.C standard jean, my interest peaked at his inclusion of Patek Philippe time pieces, and his education on the 1992 Jetta, the year the model stopped being made in Germany.
Though some might frown on this particular porthole of the internet, it’s also worth noting that J’s tumblr is a very digestible regular intake of his findings.
November 2008
25 November 2008
Dazed and Confused Online: Dazed Digital
If one wasn’t interested in the art issue of this month’s Dazed and Confused, with a featured 12-page photoshoot between icon Grace Jones and avant-garde director Chris Cunningham, a profile on big time Canadian artist David Altmejd, and without having any faint speckle of heed towards Gang Gang Dance, Ed Templeton, Agathe Snow, or elusive fashion designer Martin Margiela, one could easily set all that aside and enjoy their online site, Dazed Digital.
With a great cast of contributors, and awesome web-only articles, it’s possible you might like an expose on seven days in the art world, or 18 of the next best fashion designers, or speculation as to whether the royal family looks at porn. We are still a constitutional monarchy, after all.
Via blogto
14 November 2008
AGO Opening Weekend, Nov. 14 – 16th
Speaking of Canadians and moments to be proud of, the new AGO redesign by world famous Toronto-born architect Frank Gehry is finally open to the public. While his designs have always been met with controversy – and his first building in Canada was no exception – Gehry has always managed to trump his skeptics’ suspicions by the time he unleashes the final product.
Anyone who has ever stood in the presence of one of his buildings cannot ignore the awe-inspiring imagination and provocative level of sculptural complexity involved in his work. It’s phenomenal, and a real gift for our city in terms of both art and architecture.
For its opening weekend, the AGO will be providing free admission all weekend long. Their site won’t reveal what new exhibits they’re featuring, but my research tells me there’s new work included by Canadian artist Dan Bergeron, and Kara Walker.
Admission hours:
* Friday, November 14, 4 pm to 12 midnight
* Saturday, November 15, 10 am to 12 midnight
* Sunday, November 16, 10 am to 5:30 pm
11 November 2008
Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers
The internet is a twitter over new features on Malcolm Gladwell’s new book, Outliers: The Story of Success, with a rumoured $4 million advance given by his publishers and bound to surpass his two previous bestsellers, The Tipping Point and Blink.
From the Globe to the New York Times, two out of three articles I read yesterday referred to him as a “geek pop star”. But leave it to New York magazine to introduce a new adjective, gladwellian, as well as providing the most in-depth, lengthy coverage of them all. Outliers hits stores on November 18, 2008.
09 November 2008
Weekend Reading: British Style GQ
At a retail Canadian price of $16.80, the British GQ Style edition this month has been the perfect Sunday impulse buy. With featured articles on “Francis Bacon and the Male Muse”, by Will Self, and an article by Burberry designer Christopher Bailey on the famous paintings by L.S. Lowry, it’s the article on “Why Whisky is for Winners” by Mark E Smith, punk legendary and frontman of The Fall that launches this issue into the no-brainer buying category.
Personally, I always get a female voyeuristic kick out of keeping up to date with the fine points of male maintenance, so the the feature on the hottest electric razors on the market is also worth noting. Always a reminder to tuck in your dress shirts to create a slimmer look.
