Louise Belcourt

WE'RE SUPPORTING

Canadian artist Brandon Jan Blommeart’s trash monsters lumber across beautiful landscapes, happily playing with each other as if they had inherited the earth from their human creators. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

While Flushing is still the place to go for the best Chinese food in New York City, those for whom the hour-long subway ride on the 7 is simply out of the question on most nights can now get their mapo tofu fix right in Manhattan. While the masses queue out the door at Joe’s Shanghai across the street, Famous Sichuan offers real-deal Sichuanese food such as cold sliced beef tendon in chili sauce, braised fish fillet with napa cabbage and roasted chili, and the most delicious cumin lamb this side of the East River. Read more

WE'RE WEARING

You’ve got to give it to the guys at American fashion label, Attus Apparel. Just over a year into business and already they are producing some of the more … ummm … interesting photo shoots out there. Read more

WE'RE THINKING

Now here’s a serious treat. The digital work of illustrator Aleks Senvald possess all the handmade charm of an actual painting, brimming with a giddy charm and sweetness, played out through her wonderfully rich narrative. Read more

WE'RE READING

Artist Bill Zeman has an ruthless, hard-nosed art director giving him orders — his four-year-old daughter. He posts the products of their stormy collaboration along with her devastating critiques on his blog, Tiny Art Director, where you can also purchase the book version. Read more

Oh boy, this is fun. Omaha’s Tilly and the Wall are kitsch-cool-camp-vauderville meets pop-folk-flamenco, with a tap dancer for a drummer and some serious, serious charisma for a calling card.

WE'RE LISTENING TO

It’s pretty bold to release a 25 track double CD as your first album, but singer-songwriter Benji Hughes doesn’t care. Themes of love and heartbreak run though the album and his folk-tinged pop draws comparisons to Beck, The Eels and The Magnetic Fields. [portrait by Vanessa Prager]