WE'RE SUPPORTING

UK artist Wirrow creates some nicely childlike, ethereal work smudging, dragging and delicately managing his charcoal to rather nice darkly dreamlike effect. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

Along with San Francisco and Barcelona, New York is arguably the modern street skating city, both in reality and image. Because of the unique background, experience and perspective of the film’s creators and the decision to “cast” the city of New York as one of the main characters, Deathbowl to Downtown promises to be an unprecedented, seminal film. Read more

WE'RE WEARING

In celebration of an election year, Attus Apparel is offering thirty percent off all of their rad shirts using the promo code “rexforpres” at checkout. In conjunction with the big sale, they are dabbling a little in politics by introducing their own candidate for President, Rex Vanderwoodsen, representing the Strange Party. They have kicked off the campaign with a blog, campaign posters, buttons, stickers, and have all sorts of fun stuff on the way like campaign parties, and videos. Read more

WE'RE THINKING

Riffing on the idea that ‘eating was tending toward breathing’, Harvard professor David Edwards, in conjunction with design studio Le Laboratoire, has created Le Whif, the breathable chocolate. No chewing, no calories, and it comes in mint, rasberry, mango, and plain chocolate flavors. The product may just be a fancy scratch-and-sniff sticker, but it looks so sleek and design-y.

WE'RE READING

DM Stith recently signed to Asthmatic Kitty, the same label as Sufjan Stevens, and has a new EP out this week titled Curtain Speech, featuring contributions from Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond), Rafter, Sebastian Krueger and the string quartet Osso. Think Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear meets Arthur Russell. We got the rundown from him on his eight favourite songs right now and he kicked off with The Shangri-Las’ Out In The Streets [listen below]: ‘1:22 – 1:43 is a miracle. I’ve never been so obsessed with twenty seconds of high-hat and high school girl shrieks: it’s a raging teenage fantasy that all the composition notebooks in all the lockers of 1965 couldn’t write better. That the singers have managed to preserve their naivety perfectly in this three minute song may be the reason I feel recording pop music is worthwhile’. Read the rest of DM Stith’s Secret Playlist.

Oh man, it’s a good thing I’m not living in Tokyo as I’d probably never leave the house. Japanese TV is the best. Want proof? Check out this clip from a prank show called Wake You Up where hapless victims are woken from their slumber in the most … ummm … ruthless of ways.

WE'RE LISTENING TO

Not all dark, epic music has to be harsh. British songstress Rose Kemp builds operatic folk tunes that crescendo from acoustic, string-infused atmospherics into menacing, down-tuned heaviness, drawing as much from Neurosis as she does from PJ Harvey, Kate Bush, and even Massive Attack. Read more