October 11, 2008 | Music | by Gerry Mak |
Strip away the cookie monster vocals and downtuned, distorted guitars, it’s hard to imagine death metal still reading as death metal, but 8-bit duo Dr. Zilog manage to do just that. The Floridian sound-card tweakers make some pretty amazing original, NES tunes that are strangely compelling, catchy, and actually quite metal.
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October 11, 2008 | Illustration | by Ilana Kohn 
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I declare New York-based illustrator Phillip Fivel Nessen one of the most chameleon-like illustrators I have ever come across. In many cases, for someone working as an illustrator, this sort of quality tends to be seen as a negative. Nessen commands each style so effortlessly, though, and with such originality, that we can hardly complain? Despite the wide range of styles, I find I can easily pin it down as having come from him each and every time. I love everything in his portfolio, from the illustrated type (which seems to be his latest obsession), to his colourful print like illustrations, to his moody, scratchy older work, to his trippy Milton Glaser-like works, to his amazing alter ego, Abe Twist. And I wait in anticipation for his next whim.
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October 11, 2008 | Events | by Jenn Porreca |
Well, it seems I’ve been in a vacuum of art since the spring. And now, its just a week or so out from the upcoming Young Blood exhibit, which features my paintings and opens at the Opera Gallery in New York. I find myself feeling both excited and nervous at the thought that this show is just around the corner. These past few months have seemed like one of the great feats of my lifetime. I have been working for five months on these two upcoming shows, immersed deeply in the studio, being on a complete mission to create what will be my debut show in Manhattan alongside a handful of other rising international artists. I would wake at once at 4:30 in the morning, to a strict regimen of coffee by five, and paint through the sunny summer days into late in the evening to complete these works. Read more
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October 11, 2008 | Trends | by Casper Johansson |
I’ve just seen a fun Nokia clip about the making of a collaborative film to be directed by Spike Lee. The tagline is simple but direct: ‘For the people, by the people! No, we’re not establishing a democratic government, but talking about the latest Spike Lee film. Throw out the billion dollar Hollywood budget for production and do it all with your phone — special effects are definitely optional’. Intrigued? Check the site for details.
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October 10, 2008 | Products | by Casper Johansson |
The Teddy Bear’s Picnic is a series of art works which place a sinister twist to popular fairytale characters. Within this world, Gretal discovers something more delicious than candy, Little Red Hiding Hood undergoes a ghastly transformation, and Repunzel uses her long, golden locks to commit atrocious acts. It is a world where button fetishes are contagious, childhood nursery rhymes are interwoven with macabre themes and happily ever after is anything but. Read more
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October 10, 2008 | Art | by Gerry Mak |
Aurie Ramirez’s elegant watercolors have something outsider-y about them, with a slight nod of Henry Darger, but the fantasy world she depicts is less manic and angry — the whimsical and characters that inhabit her work seem more playful and less tormented by religious repression. Read more
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October 10, 2008 | Video | 
by Gerry Mak |
Like any fan of a genre, I can’t stand bands that water down the basic elements of said genre in order to make it more accessible to the masses. I used to consider Gojira one of these bands, but it may be because I couldn’t get past their lame album covers. To be honest, they’re still a little too influenced by hardcore on their new album, but I have to admit, the debut video from The Way of All Flesh is brutal as hell. As a matter of fact, the tracks that the French four-piece is streaming on its MySpace page are pretty freaking incredible — unapologetically death metal, but with a few left-field elements, and again, some hardcore-isms with the vocals I could do without. I have to stop being so prejudiced.
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October 10, 2008 | Fashion | by Zolton |
Ok, so it’s 3.30 on Thursday afternoon and I’m sitting in a Brooklyn cafe, tapping away as fast as two fingers possibly can. As I look around, discreetly to my left and then more openly to my right, I cannot see a single person in this warm and friendly place wearing a more stylish and comfortable scarf than the one that I have wrapped around my neck. Yes, as my grandfather would say, it’s a very ‘handsome’ scarf — a soft, playful, ‘handsome’ scarf. And you know what? There’s not a single damn person in this room who can compete with it. Ha! That feels good. That feels very, very good. Mind you, it is 76 degrees outside, and I’m starting to sweat, so perhaps I’m just a little … ummm … over-dressed.
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October 9, 2008 | Photography | 
by Alison Whittington |
A couple of weeks back we featured the work of New York-based photographer Alison Malone, who went into the secretive environment of the Job’s Daughters to photograph the girls who are direct blood relatives of the Master Masons. This is the second part of that interview. The portraits of girls [below] are angelic. What was your intention of photographing them in this light? ‘There are many reasons that I chose to photograph the girls in this way. The first is the simple love I have of the straight photographic portrait and its ability to transmit the subtle nuances that come from an individual. When a portrait is made there is an opportunity for a delicate exchange between the photographer and the subject that creates a place to examine how one holds oneself in a moment’. Read more
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October 9, 2008 | Places | by Nelson and Nelson |
The perfect balance between shiraz and parmesan is what came to mind when we met Nat Denning, a fashion retailer and Michael, a retail shopfitter, who have combined to create Fallow, one of Australia’s most stylish and unique boutiques. Stocking the best of Australian and international labels including Friedrich Gray, Claude Maus, St Augustine Academy and Chronicles of Never, this boutique is a gem, hidden behind an anonymous door in Brisbane’s uber-hip area, The Valley. Fallow oozes style with a harmony of antique furniture and modern fashion. It is a rare retail space that has a soul and is an inspiration to those who come across it.
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October 9, 2008 | Film | by Yuko Shimizu |
I spent last weekend at the New York Film Festival watching director Wong Ka-Wai’s inspiring lecture and premier of Ashes Of Time Redux, the remastered, re-edited, re-scored 1994 Hong Kong classic. It was just drop-dead gorgeous and painfully beautiful. Words fail me. Wong Ka-Wai is just pure genius. It opens Friday in New York City. Don’t miss it.
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October 9, 2008 | Websites | 
by Zolton |
Australian singer-songwriter, Lenka, responsible for the catchiest song of 2008, has written a Secret Playlist for us which cites a disparate range of musical influences, from She and Him, to Goldfrapp, The Beatles and The Stranglers. It makes for a fun read, even if we do say ourselves. Listen to Lenka’s debut single, The Show.
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October 8, 2008 | Eco | by Laura McWhinnie |
Now I’m sure you think you’ve got better things to talk about than storing vegetables in your fridge. Well, that was until you heard what the designer for Bruno Super Deluxe was up too. This Boston-based label is redefining mushroom and garlic storage as we know it by creating reusable bags for vegies that just aren’t used to this kind of attention. Sealed in an unbleached cotton cocoon of goodness, your vegies will be blissfully unaware of any suspicious smelling surroundings. And with original Bruno designs screen printed onto them, they’re just what you need to spruce up the interior of your fridge. Stocking up your shelves has never looked better.
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October 8, 2008 | Design | by Yuko Shimizu |
I often do. And whenever I get stuck for ideas, I go to Charles & Marie. They always have the latest design-y gift ideas. Today, for instance, I fetched this new product, Tengu for my agent’s birthday. It’s a little USB toy lip that syncs with music. So cute.
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September 30, 2008 | Architecture | by Snell |
Located on a mountain in country outside Mudgee, in New South Wales, Australia, a permanent camp designed by Casey Brown has been set. A timber structure clad in copper has been designed to have a closed state and an open state. From the closed position, the flanks of copper are hoisted and capture views across the valley. With an imagery of structures, materials and mechanics of old, there is something romantic about this foothold on the hill.
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Silence. In this world of near constant noise and motion, it really has become a sadly neglected and undervalued commodity. Yet, as I sit, looking down on a bustling metropolis of speeding cars, people, and minds, I can’t help but wonder what impact this sensory overload will have on not just our generation, but on all those to follow. Read more
A broken snare drum rolling gently over a scratchy acoustic guitar; a deep lyrical catharsis smothering a melody which is predictable but endearing. Your Rocky Spine by Great Lake Swimmers is a magical song; all wrapped up in three and half minutes of lustful introspection.
Australian group Pivot have recently signed with the mighty Warp label and — even better (well, for us anyway) — have written a fun Secret Playlist for us. You can see where the many disparate influences have seeped into their latest recording, the beautiful and colourful, O Soundtrack My Heart.
We have a bunch of new playlists up on our sister site, My Secret Playlist, a music discovery website and weekly email publication in which we invite our favourite bands and musicians to give us the rundown on their eight favourite songs right now. Over the past few weeks, acts such as The B52s, Team Genius, Pivot, Jukebox the Ghost, Moby, Katy Perry, and the Dandy Warhols, among many others, have written about the music that inspires them. To sign-up to receive the weekly My Secret Playlist publication, just enter your email address into the website’s subscription box.
Steven LaRose’s abstract, inky paintings and drawings are a modern interpretation of Japanese textile and scroll art. While not directly representational, except for some repeated flower-like shapes, LaRose’s images are like apparitions, vaguely hinting at more tangible and recognizable forms. Read more
Located on a mountain in country outside Mudgee, in New South Wales, Australia, a permanent camp designed by Casey Brown has been set. A timber structure clad in copper has been designed to have a closed state and an open state. From the closed position, the flanks of copper are hoisted and capture views across the valley. With an imagery of structures, materials and mechanics of old, there is something romantic about this foothold on the hill.
‘NaCo was created in 1999 by Tijuana’s Edoardo Chavarín and Mazatlan’s Robby Vient, schoolmates at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Read more
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Herzog and de Meuron, the Swiss architects, have led the way with this re-use of the existing building fabric of CaixaForum in Madrid. Rather than being slavish to the existing openings, the building has been cut away for a contemporary practicality. We think this is an example of heritage not getting in the way of progress. Check out a similar concept of a previous post re-using the city fabric, where we were dreaming of such thing.
The Grind 2.0, a charity auction show to fund construction of the Swift-Cantrell Skatepark in Atlanta, opens on Friday, October 10 at Atlanta’s The Rabbit Hole Gallery. The show features more than 60 hand-painted skate decks painted by some of today’s top underground artists from across America and Europe, and I couldn’t be more excited to be part of it! Other artists include Amy Sol, Dave Kinsey, Chris Stain, Jason Limon, Tara McPherson, Tessar Lo, and many more. The gallery is even offering an online bidding through their website.
Swiss manufacturer Peraves has recently introduced the Monotracer, a two-wheeled vehicle that’s remarkably similar to the lightcycles in Tron. Buckminster Fuller would be proud.
Alison Malone on her Daughters of Job photos
A couple of weeks back we featured the work of New York-based photographer Alison Malone, who went into the secretive environment of the Job’s Daughters to photograph the girls who are direct blood relatives of the Master Masons. This is the second part of that interview. The portraits of girls [below] are angelic. What was your intention of photographing them in this light? ‘There are many reasons that I chose to photograph the girls in this way. The first is the simple love I have of the straight photographic portrait and its ability to transmit the subtle nuances that come from an individual. When a portrait is made there is an opportunity for a delicate exchange between the photographer and the subject that creates a place to examine how one holds oneself in a moment’. Read more
Scour, a new way of searching the net
Have you heard about Scour yet? If not you will. It is quickly emerging as the most serious competitor to the Google search engine, with an approach based on votes and comments from users focusing on relevance. It delivers search results from Google, Yahoo and MSN, and the best feature is that each time you search, vote or comment, you receive points which can be exchaged for VISA gift cards. Sour gives you one point for each search, two points for each vote and three points for each comment. With around 6,500 points, you will receive a $25 VISA gift card. Not bad for doing something you’re doing now anyway for free.
Your enemies can always be counted upon to be just that. Unfortunately, your friends sometimes cannot.
Created by graphic-tee fashion label, the-affair, and printed on beautifully soft American Apparel in a limited edition of 200. Purchase now. Read more
Happy, happy, joy, joy! We have a TV On The Radio poster designed by Tunde, as well as Dear Science on vinyl, to give away to a randomly selected Lost At E Minor subscriber who leaves a comment under this post telling us why they simply must have it.