Love is a ghost in America

WE'RE SUPPORTING

When I was a kid, I used to make all kinds of things out of cardboard boxes – tanks, cars, houses, robots, etc. The Box Doodle Project invites people to do it all over again, recycling cigarette packs, tissue boxes, emptied care packages, and all manner of cardboard containers into works of art. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

The Nine Streets, or ‘De Negen Straatjes’, is so named for the nine small, cosy streets between Raadhuisstraat and Leidsestraat, just minutes from the heart of Amsterdam. Read more

WE'RE WEARING

Australian designer Ruby Smallbone takes us into the chill of Winter with clockwork pieces and sharp cuts. This Sydney-based label is fast becoming an international hit with its distinct mix of European tailoring and street-inspired style. Ruby Smallbone’s Winter 09 collection proves there is a fine line between art and fashion, creating the perfect fusion of luxury fabrics within a creative and unexpected aesthetic.

WE'RE THINKING

I’ve been a big fan of Babak Radboy’s designs for a while now. I love how complex and time consuming some of his pieces look and how fresh and original they are.

WE'RE READING

Google recently demonstrated their ability to predict flu outbreaks across America weeks in advance of the outbreaks themselves. It would seem that they are more than just a pretty search engine. And as if that wasn’t enough, they’ve now teamed up with Life Magazine, what was the cornerstone of photojournalism for the Twentieth Century, to digitize 95 per cent of their image bank that never saw the light of day. Now millions of photos stretching from the 1750s to the present day are available on Google Images at the click of a button. Read more

Sparks’ album Kimono My House is a demented mix of hard rock, pop, glam, new wave, and baroque pop. Why this record never caught on in the States I’ll never know. The songs will get stuck in your head and prevent you from sleeping. Oh yeah, and the keyboard player has a nice mustache too, as evidenced by this track above — This Town Ain’t Big Enough.

WE'RE LISTENING TO

If you ever happen to find yourself riding across the mid-west on horseback with an iPod jangling about in your holster, be sure to let Calexico soundtrack the experience. They’re cleverly fusing a range of genres, mixing some good old country with US indie, a bit of jazz and even, in 2003’s Feast of Wire, some smatterings of electronica. Lead singer Joey Burns gives a healthy amount of cowboy twang and the soaring orchestral background and sweet country guitar licks add a real atmosphere to the music.

Listen to the Calexico song, Convict Pool.