WE'RE SUPPORTING

When looking at the beautiful paintings of Mamma Anderson, I almost get the impression that the art world is being forced to look back upon itself. The body of her work seems to present itself like a textured snapshot of galleries, coffeshops and well-designed interiors. The rough, folksy execution of these paintings stands in pretty stark contrast to the particularly slick world she chooses to depict. Refreshing, to say the least. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

We asked some of New York’s more creative residents where they like to hang out in the city, and got a mixed bag of responses back. We’ll be running their insider tips over the next few weeks. This is illustrator Marcos Chin on his favorite arcade bar, aptly named … wait for it … Barcade: ‘Barcade is a time-warp into the 1980s when going to the arcade was the major past time for many of my friends and I. Lined throughout the space are a series of classic 25 cent video arcade games, like Q-bert, Donkey Kong, Arkanoid and Tetris. There’s also a pool table near the back of the space, and a terrific selection of beers to choose from. And yes, you can drink-and-play. It’s located near the Lorimer stop on the L train, at 388 Union Avenue, in Williamsburg’. Read more

WE'RE WEARING

It’s official, I’m back into jewellery after detoxing from the 2001 chandelier earring craze. Aurélie Bidermann used to work at Sotheby’s New York in their Impressionist and Contemporary Art department but has been slowly raising though the ranks as one of the most innovative jewellery designers around today. Her website doesn’t showcase her fantastic Spring 09 pieces. Check out the accessory report on style.com for a good look at some of her new work.

WE'RE THINKING

Multimedia art group Raqs Media Collective create striking installations dealing with their complex relationship to the changes happening in their home country of India. Their categorization based on national identity, however, would make them chafe, as they reject traditional notions of nation state. The main concept scrutinized by the group is modernity itself, and the so-called progress it embodies. Read more

WE'RE READING

Yes, we’d like to believe we’re all adults, but sometimes, after a few beers, it’s fun to play a game of Who’d You Rather? Read more

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

Fate is the record, Dr. Dog were destined to make a timeless yet contemporary distillation of the band’s open-armed, big-hearted sound. Inventive, magnificently realized, and absolutely irresistible, the Park The Van Records release sees the Philadelphia-based quintet filtering the gamut of American popular music into its own idiosyncratic brand of blue-eyed, dilated-pupil soul. As ever, Dr. Dog makes magic from an enduring pop palette of intricate harmonies, shape-shifting melodies, and ramshackle audio ingenuity all presented through their slightly skewed and utterly individualistic outlook.