Wavves’ No Hope Kids clip

WE'RE SUPPORTING

This illustration by Richard Lee was on the cover of a motorcycle magazine in San Francisco, published in September 2008. They were doing an issue on motorcycle bar fights. Says Lee of the work: ‘The version I sent was the original, but the editor decided that he didn’t want the pink dildo in there, so the actual printed version was replaced with a wrench. I still think the original idea with the pink dildo was funnier’. Yes, so do we.

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

Pickle Hut was designed by architect Dan Hoffman and The Cranbrook Architectural Office. It is a place where the children of Brookside School can play, recite stories and dream. Set up for children to enter into this mysterious U-Shape building, the Pickle Hut offers up a little hub of sanctuary in order to let their imaginations fly. If only I had such a magical edifice to call my own and run to when head nun, Sister Mary, was on one of her many Catholic tirades. Eek! [photo by Paul Hitz]

WE'RE WEARING

With the recent financial qualms, a moment of reflection takes over as we begin to wonder how we all became so out of touch with reality. Somehow Luxury lost its way and mistook itself for decadence, joining the Bling-Bling parade and gravitating towards the streets of self-indulgence. Yet, the true essence of Luxury, as the divine Coco Chanel states ‘is not in the richness and ornateness, but in the absence of vulgarity’. Bravo, I say! Read more

WE'RE THINKING

Sure, President Obama is just as human as the rest of us, and there is a certain excessiveness to the extent to which he’s been idealized, but I’d rather have a President the world views as a secret agent ninja than one the world views as a bumbling, ignorant fool. Can you imagine an action figure like this one by Hong Kong-based DID Corporation made of Dubya? If they did make one, it’d probably be along the lines of Maxwell Smart.

WE'RE READING

Says Yuko Shimizu on the artwork of legendary Japanese illustrator Katsushika Hokusai: ‘I was just at Kinokuniya Bookstore [a Japanese book store at Rockefeller Center in New York] a few days ago and bought The Complete Hokusai-Manga Sketchbooks [published by Shogakukan]. It was $150, but worth every penny with its mind-blowing works of art by Katsushika Hokusai from cover to cover’
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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'RE LISTENING TO

Pre-eminent Norwegian Viking metal band Enslaved has evolved over the years from a straight-forward black metal band into a moody, post-rock outfit without completely abandoning their roots. Their last few albums have seen a shift towards English lyrics, sweeping and majestic instrumentals, and diverse influences — everything from Pink Floyd and ’70s prog and psych rock to ’80s goth and shoegaze pop. Read more