Max Kauffman

Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire

Grindcore is usually super fast and spazzy, with bands of the genre trying to pound out as many notes as possible within songs that are never longer than a minute or two, but Denver’s Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire slow things down every so often to show you how menacing their riffs truly are. The vocals are also as good as they come for this genre, with frontman Ethan changing flawlessly from high-pitched screeches to gutteral, Cookie Monster growls without the help of any effects.

Air Forest Pavilion is mobile

Mass Studies, a Korean architecture design firm, constructed the Air Forest for Denver’s annual Dialog:City, a meeting of minds to create interactive products for urban areas. The Air Forest is made to work with, and not against, its environment, allowing for wind, weather, and the sun to shift it. The easy set-up (all that is required to do is set the anchors) and interactive light display inside the 35 hexagonal pillars allows for shade, visual texture, and a mimicry of the surrounding environment. And because it’s not a permanent adjustment, we may well see the Air Forest at concerts and festivals in the years to come.

The Antlers’ Hospice

I’ll admit it, on first listen and in a terrible figity mood, i jumped though the tracks, looking for the instant gratification of a big melody before switching to something else. Despite a few negative reviews from others also too quick to judge, the response to this album has been so astoundingly positive, it’s impossible to dismiss. Written after emerging from a period of social isolation and centered around issues of a man and his dying lover, The Antlers’ album, Hospice, slowly creeps up upon the listener. With delicately constructed chords and small movements, the journey of the album unravels loneliness, isolation and deep catharsis.

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James Joyce

It takes guts to be simple. Overcrowding, overworking and over-thinking are far easier. London-based artist and illustrator James Joyce shows how good color choice, clever concepts, and a keen eye for type can get you work with big clients, such as Wallpaper, Nike and Penguin Books, to name a few. Read more

Supermundane

I can tell how much I like a designer by the the speed at which I bookmark their site. With Rob Lowe (aka Supermundane), it was on the home page. That’s a pretty good sign. Supermundane is a multi-disciplined creative who impressively creates all text himself for every project he does. Prepare yourself to be jealous.