New Illustration / Brooke Allen

December 28, 2011 | New Illustration | by USF |

Brooke Allen is seriously in a class of her own. Her art is disciplined, charming and human. Her color schemes are natural and creative. Every new piece I see from her is a jolt of inspiration and motivation. Her use of painted gifs has opened my eyes to what can be possible when an artist takes true advantage of their medium and the tools at their disposal. Read more

New Illustration / Mould Map: a collection of one-page sci-fi vignettes

November 18, 2011 | New Illustration | by USF |

This handsome oversized collection of one-page sci-fi vignettes from London’s Landfill Editions is classy as fuck and a joy to behold: printed in vibrant orange and blue. My favorite inclusions come from C.F. (POWR MASTRS) and Dave “Lando” Lander, whose Untranslated series — illustrated in a scratchy, Moebius-y style, and laced with Jodorowsky-esque psychedelic vibes — is well worth exploring. All the dialog is redundant, written in an alien language (that Lander no doubt devised an entire etymology for regardless), and the emphasis is placed squarely on the considerable strength of his visual storytelling.

November 9, 2011 | New Music | by USF |

Black Secret Technology, the fourth and definitive album from UK jungle pioneer Gerald Simpson, quickly proves itself exceptional in its ability to merge forward-thinking rhythms with moody, complex melodies and heady emotional subtext, something rare in the early 90’s drum & bass scene that Simpson was birthed from. The 2008 reissue of Black Secret Technology is the one to get, as the re-mastering makes all the difference here: just one listen to highlight Silent Cry [below], with its dank sub-bass, shuffling high-hats and proto-Burial soft-synth swells, and you’ll hear why. Read more

November 5, 2011 | New Music | by USF |

The long-awaited full-length from this Canadian outfit (formerly Gobble Gobble) is a giddy, unrelenting pop masterpiece — everything that’s sinfully sweet about the FM dial cranked up to 13 and Cuisinarted by the warped and brilliant mind of songwriter Cecil Frena. Read more

New Illustration / Casanova: Avaritia by Matt Fraction and Gabriel Ba

November 5, 2011 | New Illustration | by USF |

The difficult love/hate relationship shared by super-spy Casanova Quinn and his soon-to-be arch enemy Luther Desmond Diamond mirrors my own relationship with this, the third volume of Matt Fraction’s mind-bending creator owned series. This book is devastatingly good, the kind of thing that makes you want to throw your arms in the air and walk away from trying forever. Read more

November 5, 2011 | New Film | by USF |

My friends recently introduced me to this holy grail of profane, late-80s cinematic schlock. About 75 percent of the shots are lit like the cover to the new M83 album, and the story follows a young man who becomes addicted to a parasitic alien phallus that speaks and sings to him in a weirdly dignified accent (when he isn’t injecting electrified liquid into his brain or devouring the grey matter of punk wastrels). It’s like young Cronenberg on coke and psilocybin.

November 5, 2011 | New Film | by USF |

Beyond providing an arena in which to reunite Double Indemnity co-stars Barbara Stanwyck (the best!) and Fred MacMurray (him too!), this 1956 melodrama (as if Douglas Sirk made any other kind) goes right for your ventricles with a simple story of a father and toy magnate (MacMurray) who’s reached a breaking point with a family that takes him for granted, and faces temptation when an old flame (Stanwyck, duh) saunters back into his toy factory late one night. It’s an unusually vulnerable character for a leading man of the era, and one that stands in stark contrast to some of MacMurray’s more well-known roles.

November 5, 2011 | New Music | by USF |

Like a Brazilian Van Dykes Park adorned in pineapple shades and a white feather boa, Rogério Duprat swept through the tropicalia movement of the late 1960s, providing radiant string and orchestral arrangements for the likes of Os Mutantes, Caetano Veloso and Tom Zé. 1968’s A Banda Tropicalista do Duprat was his sole attempt at going it alone, a kaleidoscopic hot air balloon ride through tropicalia instrumentals as well as medleys of popular songs from up north (The Beatles’ Flying and Johnny Rivers’ Summer Rain are both highlights).