So excited for this announcement to finally be made! The Diafero Collective team of Europeans are Coming to America! They’ll be spending the entire 2011/12 snowy season stationed out of Colorado and will be documenting their journey all along the way. We will also have exclusive postings of their The Triple Annal Blog of Videos. Though they didn’t have ANY good footage of their “Xtreme skill level of shred-sticking,” we still wanted to give a tease of what they are planning for their pure gold video blogs. Enjoy!

If that teaser doesn’t get you pumped… Keep an eye out for the crew as they storm in to town this snowy season for “party time with everyone!”

This calls for a Neil Diamond marathon!

Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline (Live)

Neil Diamond – Cracklin’ Rose

Neil Diamond – Forever in Blue Jeans

Neil Diamond – Cherry

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I haven’t curated a new gallery for a few months, so that’s on my list of things to do this week. I’ve also got some more features planned for it (specifically, an archive navigation) that I hope to get around to sometime this month. Until then, take it for what it is. I hope at least a few of the images can provide you with some inspiration.

This collection is curated by me, Brandon Russell, and was primarily created for me. So if there is something that offends you, get over it and please point your browser elsewhere.

Suggested listenings for viewing the gallery

CocoRosie – R.I.P. Burnface (Daytrotter Studio)

Radiohead – Reckoner (Bangalore Mashup)

Lil’ Wayne – Drop the World

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Post tags: Beautiful, Demonic, Disturbing, Iconic, Ritualistic, Spiritual

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Freitag Zurich – 9 Stories of Shipping Container Glory

9 Stories of Shipping Container Glory

Freitag Zurich – Storefront

That's what I call Signage

Freitag Zurich – Interior

Industrial Interior

Freitag Zurich – Go Truckspotting

Truckspotting sooo not Trainspotting

Freitag Zurich – Open Air Roof, perfect for Truckspotting

Proper Truckspotting Equiptment

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Post tags: architecture, design, freitag, shipping containers, switzerland, zurich

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Hot Chip gets amazingly weird with I Feel Better

I wrote the draft to this post using OmmWriter. If you have a Mac I highly recommend this free application. It’s great to just quiet everything down and type your thoughts out in a nice peaceful environment with all your distractions removed.

I know it’s been too long, sorry. I’ve been busy trying to make things happen, as well as simply pay the bills. There’s some great stuff that I’m really looking forward to release in 2010. On the industrial front I’ve been working on a new platform bed, a couch set, and a wall clock. Also, my new portfolio is getting really close to being done. I’m excited to be able to share it with you all soon.

On the personal side of things, I have a new obsession that scares the shit out of me but I’m in love with it. I may or may not give more details in the future. Sorry to be such a tease.

Enough about me, here are some treats for you to enjoy.

Hot Chip released their new album One Life Stand last month and I’ve really been enjoying it thus far. Their latest single I Feel Better has one of the best videos I’ve seen in a long time. It’s totally ridiculous and will leaving you pondering “what… the… fuck… just… happened?” And that’s what makes it so great! Props to Peter Serafinowicz for directing such a rad video.

The next band, Bear in Heaven, received the “Best New Music” award from Pitchfork Media for their album Beast Rest Forth Mouth.

Hot Chip – We Have Love

Bear in Heaven – Ultimate Satisfaction

Bear in Heaven – You Do You

Hot Chip – I Feel Better

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Post tags: Bear in Heaven, Hot Chip, I Feel Better, OmmWriter, Peter Serafinowicz

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When I first saw The Big Lebowski, I was at a loss. I couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on, or what any of it meant. But, I suppose that makes sense as I was about 12 when it came out. Since then, I’ve come to love it. With Netflix instant viewing, I now watch it about once a week. And while I still don’t know what a lot of it means (that’s actually one of its great strengths), I now count it among my favorite films.

So imagine my great joy when I came across this: The Big Lebowski as written by William Shakespeare. The entire screenplay re-written, as if by Shakespeare. That alone should be enough for you to follow the link and check it out. But, if it isn’t, here are a couple of choice excerpts.

1) The Big Lebowski and Brandt question The Dude (Knave) in the Limo.

LEBOWSKI
Speak, and speak quickly, foul vagrant!

THE KNAVE
I beseech ye, there is a beverage here.

BRANDT
Our attempts to reach thee have been frantic and numerous, Knave.

LEBOWSKI
Whither my money? They did not receive the money. Thou liest, thou shag-haired villain! Thou odious maggot! Her life was in thy hands!

BRANDT
Verily, this be our concern, Knave.

2) Donny and Walter.

DONALD
I be the walrus.

WALTER
Hold thy tongue, Donald! Thy mind is Lenten.
The quality of wealth has sicken’d me.
An had I known that this would come to pass
(O vilest strumpet! Sinner! Painted whore!)
I might have tarried ere accepting service.
War in far-flung jungles, as my friends
Did die face-down in mire and muck and fens!

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Music: @AmazonMP3 If you’re still buying music on iTunes, I only have one question: Why? AmazonMP3 albums are always cheaper, and every month they have at least 50 albums for $5. Plus, they offer $3 off coupons all the time. I bought the Antlers’ album, Hospice*, the other day for $2.00. Follow them on Twitter for the daily deal and special discounts.

Entertainment: @Variety Probably the best source for Entertainment news. And one of the news sources best-suited to 140 characters. For casting updates and box office reports, a headline is all you need.

Important: @TheEconomist For when you CNN isn’t really enough. More in-depth and thoughtful articles on finance, business, and world news.

Funny: @TheSulk Alec Sulkin*, a writer/actor/producer of Family Guy, has becomes my favorite for quality one-liners. It’s nice to see things like,“God, I wish I was 5 years younger, and not me.” in your feed every once in a while.

*My thanks to @TylerRomes for recommending both of these things to me.

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Jesse Eisenberg

Here’s a list of my very favorite films* of 2009.

1) ADVENTURELAND. This is an interesting choice, I know. I get shit all the time for liking this movie and now I’ll hear about it even more for placing it atop my list. But, I love it. Adventureland was mis-marketed when it came out. Sure Greg Mottola directed it, but this is no Superbad 2. It’s an honest, slow, and caring look at growing up. A coming of age story that deals with work, family, and love in familiar yet fresh ways. Jesse Eisenberg may play the same character he does in every film, but he plays it brilliantly here. And you almost forget Kristin Stewart is Bella Swan in those other movies, as she pulls off a moving and subtle performance here as Em, Eisenberg’s love interest. Rounding out the cast are favorites like Martin Starr, Bill Hader, and Kristing Wiig each adding another layer to the film.

2) UP IN THE AIR. You know those movies you go into with such high expectations you just can’t help but be let down? Up in the Air was already on a number of top ten lists before I got a chance to see it. I had already heard that George Clooney gave a career-defining performance, and that Anna Kendrick was sure to be a star. My expectations could not have been higher. But, then I saw it. And Up in the Air delivered. Topical in a way Director Jason Reitman never could have anticipated, this film about a corporate downsizer who spends 250 lonely days per year flying, somehow manages to make you care about a man who fires (sometimes dozens of) people every day. The performances are astounding, particularly Clooney and Kendrick, but what’s surprising is the heart.

3) (500) DAYS OF SUMMER. Is there anything more tired and cliche than the Romantic Comedy? I mean, this is the year that gave us The Ugly Truth and Confessions of a Shopaholic. (500) Days of Summer while not completely free of the usual Romantic Comedy trappings (goofy best friend, precocious little sister) rises above the genre with inventive writing and direction, a non-linear plot, and dashes of creativity that in lesser hands would have felt like trite indie-movie tropes. Instead we get an engaging story about love (not a love story), led by my favorite new pair of leading actors: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel.

4) STAR TREK. I’ve only seen two episodes of the original series, and I have no interest in dressing up and attending a Star Trek convention, but I still loved this movie. And that says a lot about what Director J.J. Abrams accomplished here.  A movie for fans and novices alike, what makes Star Trek so successful are the intense action, the seamless effects, and a story we care about. We know who these characters are, and we care what happens, whether or not we’ve already been watching them for 40 years.

5) INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS. This is easily my favorite Quentin Tarantino movie. For the first time in his career, I feel like style serves the substance instead of the other way around. He’s confident enough to leave scenes at a desperately-long 25 minutes, even when the only thing happening is a conversation. But, it’s in these scenes that the tension rises to levels higher than in any other film this year. Lives are threatened here just as often by the tone of a voice as by the end of a bat. It’s thrilling, unexpected, and altogether original.

6) AVATAR. Talk about a movie with high expectations. James Cameron’s first feature in over a decade was famous well before anyone ever saw a screen shot. Estimates of the film’s enormous budget were circulating before any reviews came in. But now that the film is out and the dust has settled, what remains? A beautiful and groundbreaking film. I won’t argue the merits of the story, as it is indeed a sort of environmentalist  Dances with Wolves. But the effects are incredible. It’s the best 3D and motion capture I’ve ever seen. You forget that the Na’vi aren’t a real people Cameron found, that Pandora isn’t a real place. As promised, I think we’ll find that Avatar was the beginning of a new wave of filmmaking.

7) FANTASTIC MR. FOX. If Cameron demonstrated the possibilities of cutting edge technology, Wes Anderson showed just how much could be accomplished with anachronistic stop motion. A project years in the making, Fantastic Mr. Fox looks like a handmade art school project. And I mean that in the best possible way. Every frame is filled with Anderson’s details: Carpet patches as farmland seen from above, a tiny corduroy suit, miniature paintings.  The things we came to love about The Royal Tenenbaums and Rushmore years before somehow feel original again in this context. Here’s proof that Anderson one of the best directors of the 1990′s still has some originality left nearly 20 years later.

8) UP. Pixar has yet to make a bad film, and even with this impressive pedigree, Up is one of their best. Where they’ve dealt with children and families before, Up takes a decidedly different approach, as the main character is an older man whose life has largely already passed. In perhaps the best montage of the year, we see his whole life progress from childhood, up until the death of his long-time love. It’s new ground for Pixar and it works. The story falters only slightly near the end with a villain that’s a little too stilted.

9) WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. There are only two ways to view this film: 1) It’s boring, slow, confusing, and seems to have little to do with the book or anything else -or- 2) It’s brilliant, visually-rich, emotionally complex, and challenging. I’m in the latter camp. Spike Jonze, working from a screenplay he co-wrote with Dave Eggers, created the strangest mainstream film of the year. Love it or hate it, it’s absolutely worth viewing.

10) ZOMBIELAND/THE HANGOVER. I guess this is cheating, but I liked these two for the same reason. They’re just fun. They aren’t trying to be anything more than pure, simple entertainment. And sometimes that’s what we really want. They can’t all be Up in the Air.

* I should mention that there are a few movies I haven’t seen yet that probably would have made this list. Among them are: The Hurt Locker, Big Fan, Precious, A serious Man, and A Singe Man.

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I just came across a great clip from the late, great Bill Hicks, and had to post about it so others wouldn’t miss it. You may consider me posting this as “biting the hand that feeds.” But, for me it’s a good clip to keep the people(including myself) involved in advertising/marketing in check with their sense of morality. Sorry William, I’ve got bills to pay, hopefully someday I won’t have that as an excuse.

Bill Hicks – Marketing & Advertising

If that clip was your first experience of Bill Hicks, then you might be a little put-off by him. Below is a clip that’s a bit more inspirational. It’s Bill Hicks words from his “It’s Just a Ride” segment with a simple underlying track by the Kleptones.

Bill Hicks – Last Words (A Tribute)

“… I had a vision of a way we could have no enemies ever again, if you’re interested in this. Anybody interested in hearing this? It’s kind of an interesting theory, and all we have to do is make one decisive act and we can rid the world of all our enemies at once. Here’s what we do. You know all that money we spend on nuclear weapons and defense every year? Trillions of dollars. Instead, if we spent that money feeding and clothing the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over, not one human being excluded… not one… we could as one race explore outer space together in peace, forever.”

It’s been said (since 2008) that a film about Hicks’ life and career is in the pre-production stage with Russell Crowe possibly playing the main role of Hicks, and is rumored that Ron Howard may be directing it. Hopefully the movie will come together at some point in the near future. There’s also an animated feature documentary coming out about Hicks, American: The Bill Hicks Story, that has been receiving praise. It’s has a UK release dated the 31st of March, 2010. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a release date for here in the States.

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Post tags: Advertising, American: The Bill Hicks Story, Bill Hicks, Marketing, Ride, Ron Howard, Russell Crowe

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Not only is this my second post of the day, this one again has Karin Dreijer Andersson, of Fever Ray and The Knife, at the center of the topic. If you don’t know about Fever Ray or The Knife then I feel bad for you because you have been missing out on the amazing art they create. If you do know about them, then you probably know all about the Darwin Electro-Opera that Karin and brother Olof Dreijer have been working on. Tomorrow, in a Year premiered September 2nd at Hotel Pro Forma to great reviews and is currently on tour throughout Europe. Unfortunately, I can’t find any rumors or plans for the show to come to the States. I guess we’ll have to settle for the studio recording, set to be released early 2010, and hopefully a DVD (fingers-crossed). Other Musical collaborators include Mt. Sims and Planningtorock. Judging by the videos Hotel Pro Forma has posted, I think it would be absolutely spectacular to have the privilege of witnessing this performance live, and even more so in an elevated state (if you know what I’m saying).

Here is the description from Hotel Pro Forma’s website:

The world seen through the eyes of Charles Darwin forms the basis for the performance Tomorrow, in a Year. Theatre production company Hotel Pro Forma’s striking visuals blend with pop-duo The Knife’s ground-breaking music to create a new species of electro-opera.

An opera singer, a pop singer and an actor perform The Knife’s music and represent Darwin, time and nature on stage. Six dancers form the raw material of life. Together with the newest technology in light and sound, our image of the world as a place of incredible variation, similarity and unity is re-discovered.

Tomorrow, in a Year – A Darwin Electro-Opera

Colouring of Pigeons, from Tomorrow, in a Year

Tomorrow, in a Year is a performance that, with its exquisite scenic narrative technique and boldly exploratory music, shifts the positions of operatic art in a single leap… The Knife do not stick to the forms they have already mastered and their own internationally recognised sound. In Tomorrow, in a Year they actually play Darwin himself, bringing into play the entire tradition of electronic music.
- Dagens Nyheter (SE)

With mezzo-soprano Kristina Wahlin in blinding red, standing upright with a staff in her hand as though she were guarding something holy, with a voice that reaches the heavens. It’s beautiful! Strøbech wanders, like the romanticist and scientist that he is, convincingly in Darwin’s footsteps and respectively in his shadow… The collaboration with The Knife is pure genius.
- Politiken (DK)

Certain frequences in the performance make the chairs at the Royal Theatre vibrate… Darwin’s world is brought to life in front of our eyes.
- Helsingborg Dagblad (SE)

I am so jealous that I will likely never have the chance to experience this performance!

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Post tags: Darwin Electro-Opera, fever ray, Hotel Pro Forma, the knife, Tomorrow in a Year

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Karin Dreijer Andersson of Fever Ray

Last night I was listening to the new Resident Advisor podcast put together by Karin Dreijer Andersson of Fever Ray and The Knife. She is by far one of the best artist for a Halloween themed mix. The mix is great, especially for background listening while working, but I wasn’t really going to write a post about it. That is until I got to the 52 minute mark and Entombed’s cover of Night of the Vampire came on. I haven’t really listened to metal for quite awhile, but when this blasted in, it broke me out of my work trance and got me head-banging. After the little jam session I knew I had to share this for others to enjoy.

Karin Dreijer Andersson – Halloween Mix

Tracklisting

1. Neil Young – Guitar Solo 1
2. Yo La Tengo – Everyday
3. Journey To Ixtlan – Corpse On The Mesa
4. Jad & David Fair – Nosferatu
5. Zola Jesus – Devil Take You
6. Bruce Haack – Mean Old Devil
7. Krause – Duo Canopolis
8. Burial Hex – Will To Chapel
9. Suicide – Ghost Rider
10. Amadou & Miriam – Ja Pense À Toi
11. Shackleton – Death Is Not Final
12. Entombed – Night of the Vampire
13. Maddalena Fagandini – Interval Signals
14. Burundi: Musiques Traditionnelles – Chant Avec Cithare

For those of you that don’t have any patience, here is the single of Night of the Vampire as covered by Entombed. The original song was written and performed by the criminally insane, but brilliant, Roky Erickson.

Entombed – Night of the Vampire

Roky Erickson – Night of the Vampire (acoustic)

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Post tags: Entombed, fever ray, Halloween, Karin Andersson, Roky Erickson, Vampire

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The first time I saw the commercial I was amazed and wanting to listen to every Jay-Z song in my library. The commercial definitely succeeded in hyping his new album, however, now that I’ve had the chance to watch the commercial a few times it’s not perfect and it left me wishing for something more. Firstly, I wish the covers were represented in chronological order. Two, it’s as if they got lazy with planning out the ending, they just fade to the cover of The Blueprint 3? What is that?! Why couldn’t they finish it in the same “on set” style as the rest of the piece? It probably wouldn’t have been too hard either, considering the cover for the new album isn’t CG (see video below). Trés, they use some pretty mediocre screen wipes in post to link the scenes together. I think with a bit more time and planning this could have been accomplished in a single take and that would have made the commercial AMAZING!

Heir to the Throne Reasonable Doubt (1996)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life (1998)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter (1999)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (2000)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

The Blueprint (2001)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

The Blueprint ²: The Gift & the Curse (2002)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

The Black Album (2003)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

Kingdom Come (2006)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

American Gangster (2007)

Photograph by Arthur Elgort

The Blueprint 3 (2009)

Photograph by Dan Tobin Smith

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Post tags: Chronology, Cover Art, Jay-Z, Rhapsody

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The short answer is simply because I haven’t had the time. I’m totally swamped in freelance work right now, which financially is a great thing! Although it has some down sides (primarily with my social life), the benefits far out weigh them. Perhaps some of my contributing authors will step it up and help out in my absence over the next few weeks.

The long answer… Well… It’s too long for me to spend the time typing out right now.

Watch for some new great things to be released over the next couple months! Here are some hints:

• Sticky Animal Love
• Softness On Your Skin
• Something Fitted
• Take Some Weight Off
• No Longer Bare

If you’re really that bored (**cough* Brian Hale *cough**), then go join Digg, they have tons of great content that’s updated all the time. Or if you’re needing new music, I highly suggestion listening to the CocoRosie or Crystal Castles stations over on Pandora.

I’ll be nice and not leave you completely empty handed. Here is some of the music that has been getting me through.

J. Howells Werthman – Biking Home on the Tail End of Something Good

Jenny Wilson – Would I Play With My Band?

CocoRosie – Noah’s Ark

Kasabian – Where Did All the Love Go?

Jenny Wilson – Let My Shoes Lead Me Forever (Joachime Remix)

Jay-Z – Young Forever (featuring Mr. Hudson)

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With two award winning titles, Flavor Country and Time Well Wasted, already under their belts, Sandbox Films has nothing to prove. But that doesn’t stop them from continuing to prove their one of the best in the game every season. Say what you will about Canadians, but Whistler is by far one of the best snow towns I have ever been to and I’m pretty jealous that it’s Sandbox’s daily backyard playground. Unfortunately this last season many ski areas suffered poor snow conditions, and Whistler wasn’t an exception. Sandbox also had to deal with quite a few injuries to their riders.

Andrew took a bad slam at a park session with Snowboarder Mag. They built a massive jump with a sketchy inrun. Andrew got tossed off the take off and came down hard on his side. His femur bone shot up and shattered his pelvis and his arm broke really bad.

Sounds like they had an unluckily season. Judging by the trailer though, it appears that Sandbox has still been able to make the best of it and put together a quality film.

Bonus Material! 30 Seconds in a Heli

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Post tags: 09/10, Sandbox Films, Shine On, Snowboard, Teaser, Trailer

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After seeing this video last week of Iced-T destroying his his Mac Book Pro because the screen quite working, I thought I would give everyone some options to actually do something useful with their old or slightly broken computer equipment by donating it to help others.

If you have a computer that is less then five years old, chances are that it can be put to good use by someone else. Rather than donate equipment directly to a charity or school, however, it is usually best for all involved if you can send it to a refurbisher, especially if you need to wipe your hard drive or are uncertain about the computer’s condition. Refurbishers will ensure that equipment they send to nonprofits and schools works well and runs legal copies of software, and that any e-waste is disposed of properly. The best service I have found for donating your computer gear is TechSoup Stock. TechSoup Stock is an online product donation service that connects nonprofits with technology product donations from more than twenty-five leading corporate and nonprofit technology partners. TechSoup Stock is a nonprofit serving nonprofits. Their low fees have saved over 50,000 nonprofits approximately $400 million, a savings they can redirect into their programs. According to the EPA’s Plug in to eCycling program, only 15-20% of retired personal computers, TVs, cell phones and other electronic devices are being recycled in the United States. Every computer dumped into a landfill represents a missed opportunity to provide Information-Age tools to individuals and organizations in need of helping to bridge the digital gap. So before you go off and try to act like a bad ass because you can break a laptop with a hammer, I’d urge you to do some good, not just for the environment, but also for others in need.

In order to make computer donation and refurbishing less of a burden than gift for the non-profits, here are ten tips for donating your computer hardware:

• Determine if your old computer can actually be reused.
• Recycle hardware that is too old and/or broken.
• Contact the refurbisher or recycler before donating.
• Remember the accessories.
• If possible, keep the operating system intact.
• Provide the original software media and documentation if available.
• Use secure disk-cleaning software to clear your computer of personal information.
  • Windows Free-Ware Disk Cleaners
  • Active @ Kill Disk
  • Darik’s Boot and Nuke
  • Macintosh Disk Cleaners
  • Disk Utility (built-in in Mac OS X, Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility)
  • WipeDrive for Mac
• Make sure and follow computer donation center’s delivery instructions.
• Keep a list of what you donated for your records.
• Plan for future donations.

Find a Donation Center for your Personal Home Computer

Find More Information on Corporate Donation

Computer Not Worth Donating? Please Recycle It!

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Post tags: Donate Computers, E-Waste, Ice T, Movement, Non-Profit, Recycle Computers

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Over the past couple years I’ve been seeing more and more projected videos on buildings. Created by Urban Screen, this one is by far the best I have seen. The way the architecture of the building is incorporated with the 3D animations makes the building come alive.

The art direction was done by Daniel Rossa out of Germany. He’s got a nice collection of work in his portfolio that includes some great looking posters as well as other wall projections.

Manifest 01 by Daniel Rossa

Manifest 02 by Daniel Rossa

Manifest 03 by Daniel Rossa

Manifest by Daniel Rossa

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Post tags: 555 Kubik, Building Video Projection, Galerie der Gegenwart, UrbanScreen

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Think Thank usually comes with some great music too. The song used in the trailer is an older song called My Coco by Stellastarr*. Here’s a song a bit more up to date from their recently released album Civilized.

Stellastarr* – Freak Out

Bonus Material! Who doesn’t like wreck sections?!

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Post tags: 09/10, Cool Story, Snowboard, Stellastarr*, Teaser, Think Thank, Trailer

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I rather enjoyed the song featured in Isenseven’s Let’s Go Get Lost trailer. So naturally I looked into the artist a bit more was very pleased. Not only does Kyle Andrews have one of the most sweetical looking boombox audio players on his site, but the music coming out of the speakers is also Real Blasty and a good listen.

With Thrice being plagued by a leaked album months before the release date, they went ahead and decided to release a digital version early with the hard copy to be released on September 15th that will include extra material. I think this is possible one of their best albums to date. It’s definitely their most mature sounding. Here’s what they had to say about the leak:

“Obviously, we’re incredibly disappointed with what happened. We understand that records leak constantly and that it’s almost entirely unavoidable nowadays, but we never thought we’d have to deal with a record leaking three months before it’s release date, and certainly never thought we’d have to deal with a leak before anyone in the band had even gotten a master reference of the record, or before the artwork for the booklet had even been completed. We’re also disappointed that you’re hearing the record for the first time, watermarked, with a Vagrant Records voiceover over every song. And we’re disappointed that the leak has thrown a massive and immovable wrench into the efforts that many people have made to prepare for the three months leading up to release. That said, what’s done is done, and we’re moving forward.” You can read the rest of Thrice’s statement here.

Interpol lead singer Paul Banks has released his first solo album Julian Plenti… Is Skyscraper. I’ve always loved his voice and I’m really enjoying the album so far. He also has some weird ass videos on the Julian Plenti Vimeo page, but I love them!

Kyle Andrews – I wanted to Paint a Rainbow

Thrice – Beggars

Julian Plenti – Only if You Run

Julian Plenti – Games For Days

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Post tags: Beggars, Interpol, Is Skyscraper, Julian Plenti, Kyle Andrews, Real Blasty, Thrice

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Post tags: 09/10, Alterna Films, Elektro, Snowboard, Teaser, Trailer

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I’m not exactly sure what it is about these Deer heads by Jennifer Khoshbin, but I absolutely love them. I will definitely be purchasing one of them but I’m not sure which one yet, I have it narrowed down to two. And I probably wouldn’t tell you which one anyway because I wouldn’t want it to sell out before I got a hold of it.

Jennifer’s book manipulations and illustrations are also spectacular. The cut out circle concept is great and her word selection is so fitting for each piece. Jen is currently on exhibition with the Jen11 Show, which features the work of 11 artists named Jennifer. The exhibit will be displayed at Composition through September. I will be making my way down to see the peices and I suggest you do the same.

“My work expresses the idea of the story, fable, or tale, attempting to sort out the past and create new beginnings. How these stories have affected me and my culture are represented through a combination of book and animal sculptures, drawings and writings. I am artificially reimagining things in a handmade wilderness.”

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Post tags: Deer Head, Jen11, Jennifer Khoshbin, Wilderness

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The Insight Dopamine (I & II) campaign is stunning. What’s even more amazing is these pictures aren’t photoshopped. The underwater scenes are very intriguing alone, and then you add a surfer completely barreled and you have some of the most extraordinary surf photos ever. I absolutely love this campaign and can’t imagine the type of coordinating it must have taken to capture some of these scenes.

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Post tags: Ad Campaign, Dopamine, Insight, Surfing

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An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. – Martin Luther King Jr.

TOMS Shoes

I thought that I’d start out this first week with something easy for everyone. TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. It doesn’t get much easier than purchasing something for yourself in order to give to someone else. I went with the Burlap Woven TOMS. Some of my other favorite designs that I’d recommend (for men) are the Rope Sole TOMS, Vegan Stitchout TOMS, and the Gabe Lacktman TOMS. Go find a pair of TOMS shoes that fit your style and help give to those in need!

Here the story of TOMS movement: In 2006 an American traveler, Blake Mycoskie, befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by caring TOMS customers.

Since our beginning, TOMS has given over 140,000* pairs of shoes to children in need through the One for One model. Because of your support, TOMS plans to give over 300,000 pairs of shoes to children in need around the world in 2009.

Our ongoing community events and Shoe Drop Tours allow TOMS supporters and enthusiasts to be part of our One for One movement. Join us.

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Post tags: Change, Movement, Non-Profit, TOMS Shoes

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Let’s Go Get Lost will be Isenseven’s 8th consecutive movie, presenting you fun and creative snowboarding, sophisticated filmmaking plus tons of bonus footage. It features the riding of your well-known Isenseven friends Erik Botner, Ludwig Lejkner, Fredrik Evensen, André Kuhlmann, Christophe Schmidt, Philipp Strauss, Torgeir Berre, Michi Zirngibl, Tobi Strauss as well as the recent team-additions Marc Swoboda, Alex Tank, Tom Klocker and Anton Gunnarson.

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It’s easy to see the influence of Russian poster design in many of today’s design, it’s also easy to see why. There are so many great pieces of inspiration to be found and one of the best resources for them online is A Soviet Poster A Day. Although the site hasn’t been updated with any new posts since December 2007, there is a great archive of posters with wonderful descriptions and “historical reference essential for understanding the layers of meaning” each poster carries through time. I grabbed 10 of my favorites to present here, but make sure and go look through the archives for yourself.

Nowhere but in Mosselprom

To Defend USSR

Glory to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War! Glory to the Stalin’s falcons!

Moscow is the capital of the USSR

Let Pluralism Live Long!

(...)
Read the rest of Power to the Posters of the CCCP (43 words)

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Post tags: CCCP, Design Inspiration, Propaganda Posters, Soviet Posters, USSR

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Back in June I posted Ken Block’s newest Gymkhana video. To date, the video has received over 5 million views, something that the producers over at Top Gear could not ignore. With Ken Block’s driving skills, the production quality of Top Gear, and a cameo by Ricky Carmichael, this is one of the most epic rally car television segments I’ve ever seen.

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Post tags: Gymkhana, Ken Block, Rally Car Racing, Ricky Carmichael, Top Gear

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If you follow me on Twitter then you have probably read some of my twats recently about the @Flashbulb Fires. My friend Pat McGuire is the lead vocalist and pianist for Flashbulb Fires and I’ve enjoyed watching his, I say “his” because oddly enough I’ve never really met the rest of the band, progression as an artist. He/They really have grown leaps and bounds. My recent twating about Flashbulb Fires has been in regards to two things:

First, they have been recording and producing their new album Glory, on track to be released later this Fall, and as a gift to their fans they have made two of the songs off the new album available for FREE! Since downloading the songs I have been quite addicted, listening to them double digit times per day. So I’ll say it again, go download the two new Flashbulb Fires’ songs, what do you have to lose? It’s free.

Second, I am very excited to let everyone know that I’m going to be involved in the artwork for their new album. The only way I happily take on pro-bono work is if I’m extremely excited about the project and if I see potential in the outcome. And obviously I’m excited for this opportunity and see a lot of potential in the Flashbulb Fires and their new album. It’s going to be big and I know they are going to kill it, I feel fortunate they’re allowing me to be a part of it and wish them the best of luck. Stayed tuned for more as we get further into the artwork.

I don’t know if Pat remembers this story, but when Pat was a freshman in High School I was his room leader on a youth trip to San Francisco. I wasn’t the most responsible kid back then and one morning we all slept in, missing the departure of the rest of the group. My dad lives in the Bay Area so I felt comfortable leading my roomies to Pier 39, trying to catch up with the rest of the group. But really, I didn’t have much of an idea if we were even going in the right direction. During our hour(s) long trip there was plenty of complaining, sore feet, tired pouting, and “scary” situations. In the end we eventually met up with the group, but I’m pretty sure the guys hated me for awhile. Haha.

Beyond their main pop singles that I recognize and many songs that I didn’t realize was them, I’ve never really dove into the music of the Talking Heads. I find this fact very odd since many, many of the bands I enjoy were heavily influenced by them. For example, Radiohead got their name from the Talking Heads song Radio Head. I recently got the Talking Heads discography and have found many gems beyond all their radio popular songs.

If you’re a fan of Pinback, you’ll be a fan of Years Around the Sun. They released a remix EP over the weekend and it sounds great. All 4 songs, remixed by Ginormous and The Protist, will fit perfectly into your late night electro playlist.

Flashbulb Fires – Revenge

Talking Heads – Road to Nowhere

Years Around the Sun – In the Lights (Ginormous Remix)

Years Around the Sun – Failing at Art

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Post tags: Fiance, Flashbulb Fires, Talking Heads, YATS, Years Around the Sun

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So I know I can be a bit behind on things, and this is a perfect example. I don’t know how it has taken me so long to come across this wonderful site, and if it wasn’t for Ben I still wouldn’t know about it. Daytrotter gives “you exclusive, re-worked, alternate versions of old songs and unreleased tracks by some of your favorite bands and by a lot of your next favorite bands.” As of today, they have served up 649 sessions, all available to download for free. How good is that?! Daytrotter’s list of artists is so impressive that I became a kid in a candy shop. I was only planning on posting 2-3 songs, but the list grew to 6 and if I hadn’t forced myself to stop looking then I’m sure it would have easily grown bigger.

Tricky – Dear God,

Spoon – Peace Like a River

Annuals – Ida, My

Cold War Kids – Hospital Beds

Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal

Bon Iver – Lump Sum

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Post tags: Annuals, bon iver, Cold War Kids, Daytrotter, Fleet Foxes, Spoon, Tricky

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To kick things off is Neverland by Absinthe Films. The title graphics look nice and although the editing is better than most, I’d still say it’s only so-so. But with a rider list that includes Travis Rice, Nicolas Müller, Romain deMarchi, DCP, Eero Ettala, Gigi Rüf and many others, Neverland is sure to be one of the years best films.

As a little bonus, an upcoming German production company asked us to post their trailer. Although the riding isn’t on par with Neverland, for obvious reasons, it’s still a fun little flick to check out. And besides, I always like supporting people that are trying to make their dreams happen, so here is the trailer for S-Cut Productions film In Between.

P.S. I hope everyone decides to use Vimeo as their video sharing site this year. It’s just such a nice compression and video player.

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Post tags: Absinthe Films, In Between, Neverland, S-Cut Productions, Snowboarding

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Nico Stai is an independent artist coming out of Los Angeles. In fact he’s so independent that it’s been hard to find much info about him, but what I can tell you is that it doesn’t take a “Bio” to get hooked on his music. I could care less about finding anything else out about him, as long as I find out whenever he drops new music. Released in November ’08, his most recent album was The Victory of Miss Friday How to Bury Your Heart and the Five Songs You Died For. He has 3 albums available on itunes, I recommend purchasing them all. Nico will be sure to go down with the likes of Bob Dylan, Greg Dulli, and Jeff Buckley. For more information on Nico you can find him on Facebook or MySpace.

What happens when “two of the alt-rock era’s greatest frontmen” come together? You get some of the greatest albums released in the 2000′s, and that’s exactly what we’ve got from the collaborations between Greg Dulli And Mark Lanegan. The first of their projects was The Twilight Singers. They have released 4 albums, the last of which came out in 2006. Dulli has begun work on a new album slated to be released in 2010. After The Twilight Singers, came The Gutter Twins. This is the most recent work between the two artists and has been received with amazing amounts of praise. The two are currently on tour as the Gutter Twins, but unfortunately for us there are no U.S. tour dates remaining.

Another wonderful project that Mark Lanegan has contributed is Soulsavers. Starting with the album It’ Not How Far You Fall, It’s the Way You Land, Lanegan has been a lead vocalist and contributing songwriter. Soulsavers have a new album, Broken, set to be released on August 17, 2009. You can hear two singles off Broken on the Soulsavers’ MySpace page. The video for Revival is a must see (below).

Nico Stai – Dead Pony

The Twilight Singers – Please Stay (Once You Go Away)

The Gutter Twins – God’s Children

Soulsavers – Ask the Dust

Soulsavers – Revival

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Post tags: Greg Dulli, Gutter Twins, Mark Lanegan, Nico Stai, Soulsavers, Twilight Singers

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There has obviously been a lot of Twitter hype over the past 6 months, so I finally caved in. It’s been pretty fun and I’ve enjoyed learning about new people (or at least who they perceive themselves to be). I’ve got the Diafero site integrated in with Twitter, from both ends. Any new posts from the Diafero blog will be linked directly to the Diafero Twitter Feed (via Post to Twitter). As well, the Diafero blog is now showing my five last Twitter updates in the sidebar (via Twitter for WordPress).

Twitter will be a nice viaduct to everything Diafero. So come join up and follow Diafero!

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Riley Breckenridge of Thrice

Obama Selects Phelps as V.P.

You Are Now One Of Us

Best Snowboard Websites of ‘08

Mikey LeBlanc – Workin’ Hard

Further Seems Forever Interview

Deliver Me

Brandon Rike of Dead Poetic

Emery – Words With Josh

Bradley Hathaway is a Manly Man

Mike Basich – Keepin’ It Fresh

I Wasn’t Catholic

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Post tags: Archive, idiom life

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Thanks to following Todd Richards on twitter, I got Sunset Rubdown‘s recently released album Dragonslayer. It has been a joy to listen to. Also thanks to Todd and his opinion that although he really likes Sunset Rubdown, the side project isn’t as good as the original. That obviously triggered me to find out who the original is. I’m not quite sure why it took me so long to come across Wolf Parade, but it did. I’ve heard, and liked, many of their songs for a long time, but never investigated who this great band was. I’m just happy to have finally added them to my library.

Another artist recently added to my library is Bonobo. I heard one of his songs on Rescue Me and it instantly got added to my Current Listens playlist.

Wolf Parade – Dear Sons And Daughters Of Hungry Ghosts

Sunset Rubdown – Idiot Heart

Bonobo – If You Stayed Over (featuring Fink)

Wolf Parade – No One Sleeps When I’m Awake

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If you’re not watching this show, you should be. The Cleaner, on A&E Tuesdays at 10/9c, is a new show based on the redemption story of Warren Boyd. Two episodes into it’s sophomore season, The Cleaner seems to be picking up some steam and getting quite a bit of good press. “Starring Benjamin Bratt as William Banks, a recovering addict who must balance his unwavering dedication to helping others get clean with an increasingly rocky personal life and the ghosts of his addictions. Banks and his teammates employ an unconventional – and often by any means necessary – approach to getting addicts and those who surround them to realize they’ve reached rock-bottom and help them begin the process of recovery. With every success and failure, William wrestles with his commitment to his work and his love for his wife Melissa and their children through an unusual relationship with God.”

Basically, in my own words, the show is a refreshingly emotional and powerful offering in a sea of increasingly dull, dry, and ridiculous television. Both the first two episodes of the new season have had me choked up by the end. With a new season comes a new budget, and they are using their new budget wisely. You can see the cinematic difference in quality between seasons 1 & 2, as well as the licensing of some wonderful closing songs. The promos are making great use of Hallelujah (performed by Ari Hest), episode one ended with 9 Crimes by Damien Rice, and episode two with When the Night Comes by Dan Auerbach.

For those looking to simply be entertained, you may want to watch something else. But if you want to feel and be inspired this is a must see. You can watch full episodes of The Cleaner on AETV.com or catch them on OnDemand.

Damien Rice – 9 Crimes

Dan Auerbach – When the Night Comes

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Post tags: a&e, benjamin bratt, intervention, television, the cleaner, warren boyd, william banks

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Post tags: 3d gif, animated gifs, jaime martinez, Photography

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One of my favorite bands, The Sounds, have recently released their new album and I’m totally loving it. Not just because I’m attracted to Maja and her hot voice, but because it’s still the same amazing style of music they’re known for along with progression and adventure into new sounds. Their new album, Crossing the Rubicon, puts me into a good mood every time I listen to it, which has been a lot lately. I know The Sounds are one band that I’ll be extremely upset with myself if I don’t see them live before it’s too late. I’m pretty booked out for the next 2 months so I’m thinking I’ll deserve a little vacation come August, The Sounds in Sweden anyone?

I don’t know much about CocoRosie yet, other than what I’ve read on Wikipedia. But what I do know is they sound different than most the stuff I listen too, and I totally like it. So I thought I’d share them with you.

Sierra, the younger sister of CocoRosie, has also started another band with friend Matteah Baim called Metallic Falcons. Their album, Desert Doughnuts, was released by older sister’s label, Voodoo Eros Records. Again, different but definitely starting to grow on me.

The Sounds – My Lover

CocoRosie – Werewolf

Metallic Falcons – Airships

The Sounds – No One Sleeps When I’m Awake

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Post tags: Airships, CocoRosie, Crossing Rubicon, Maja Ivarsson, Metallic Falcons, My Lover, The Sounds, Werewolf

© Brandon for Diafero Collective, 2009. | Permalink | %%comment_text%%

Yesterday my friend Tyler Romes tweeted about the song Oh My God by Ida Maria. I gave the song a listen and instantly had to get her recently released (in the U.S.) album Fortress ‘Round My Heart. It’s all I listened to yesterday so I thought I’d go ahead and pass it along to all of you.

Another band that’s been taking up most of my listening time is Ghostland Observatory. They basically kept me sane during my 5 hour flight to and from Baltimore last week. Honestly, there are quite a few song of theirs that just don’t do it for me. But there are also many, many that really do. Hailing out of Austin, TX, the duo has had some great hits off of each of their three releases.

Ida Maria – Oh My God

Ida Maria – I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked

Ghostland Observatory – Best Won’t Do

Ghostland Observatory – The Band Marches On

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Post tags: Best Won't Do, Ghostland Observatory, Ida Maria, Naked, Oh My God

© Brandon for Diafero Collective, 2009. | Permalink | %%comment_text%%

If you’ve never seen the first video of Ken Block’s Gymkhana Practice it’s definitely worth a watch. And now this new video takes it to a whole other level! The skill behind his driving is mind blowing and the cinematography is gorgeous! The infomercial was produced specifically to market Block’s first-ever Rally TeamWorks Collection. For more info on all this here are some links:

Ken Block Racing
DC Shoes – Auto
DC Shoes – Gymkhana Project

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Post tags: Dc Shoes auto, Gymkhana, Infomercial, Ken Block

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Moon by Duncan Jones starring Sam Rockwell

“It is the near future. Astronaut Sam Bell is living on the far side of the moon, completing a three-year contract with Lunar Industries to mine Earth’s primary source of energy, Helium-3. It is a lonely job, made harder by a broken satellite that allows no live communications home. Taped messages are all Sam can send and receive. Thankfully, his time on the moon is nearly over, and Sam will be reunited with his wife, Tess, and their three-year-old daughter, Eve, in only a few short weeks. Finally, he will leave the isolation of “Sarang,” the moon base that has been his home for so long, and he will finally have someone to talk to beyond “Gerty,” the base’s well-intentioned, but rather uncomplicated computer.”

Tetro by Francis Ford Coppola

“Tetro is Francis Ford Coppola’s first original screenplay since The Conversation. It is his most personal film yet, arising from memories and emotions from his early life, though totally fictional. It is the bittersweet story of two brothers, of family lost and found and the conflicts and secrets within a highly creative Argentine-Italian family.”

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Ventury Paris recently released their limited edition Divine lounge chair. Ventury is looking at furniture design through eyes inspired by fashion, creating what they are tagging as couture furniture. I really like the mix clean, elegant, modern lines with a touch of old world and traditional details. I also like their approach to doing limited color ways in the realm of furniture.

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Post tags: divine chair, industrial design, ventury paris

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I found out about Cowart when I picked up his photojournalism book Hope in the Dark. The photos were so awesome that I went to Jeremy’s website and recognized a lot of his work from band/musician photos and CD covers I’ve seen.

I don’t really know much about the specifics of what makes great photography so I just go off intuition and I know I really like his stuff. I could look at for hours… well, put together I probably do. I’ll shut up now and let you see his work.

Oh, last thing… he is a fun guy to follow on Twitter. There are almost always cool pictures to go with his tweets. (nerd alert, I know)

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Post tags: Add new tag, Africa, Hope in the Dark, Imogen Heap, Iron and Wine, Jeremy Cowart, KT Tunstall, photo, Twitter, Wes Hutchinson

© Ben for Diafero Collective, 2009. | Permalink | %%comment_text%%

Dear Sasha Vujabic, either quit crying and stay on your damn feet or please do the honorable thing and remove yourself from the NBA.

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I really liked Twitter. I liked getting updates throughout the day on what crazy things Rainn Wilson is doing, or how Eddie Izzard’s show went last night. I liked posting stupid pictures for people to see (or not). And I liked that only about 10 of my friends were on Twitter.

Then Oprah had to go and ruin everything. Pretty soon I’m going to get requests from all those people from high school I didn’t have the heart to reject on Facebook either  trying to “follow” me. Obscure relatives will want to follow my updates. 

I’ve come to grips with the fact that Facebook is no longer ours – it’s been hijacked by the 40-somethings of the world, and now I have to live with that. But, shit Oprah, couldn’t you have just left Twitter alone? We needed it.

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Immediately after seeing this duo you’re asking yourself three things…

1. Are they husband & wife, brother & sister, lovers…?
2. Which one is more attractive?
3. Has my sexual preference just been compromised for asking that?

I only have the answer to one of those and the answer is “yes!” Actually I know the answer to all of them. They happen to be brother and sister. (but not twins)

It’s a pretty interesting dynamic but I guess it wasn’t always that way. In fact, until a few years ago Angus and Julia each did their own music. They came together when being jobless, their father offered them both free rent. Naturally, without anything to do besides surf, they began playing and singing together. However, their songs did and still do remain uniquely separate. Each sing harmonies and play on the others’ but you won’t find the alternating verses that you might see on a track like Ben Gibbard and Jenny Lewis’ “Nothing Better.”

With the US release of their latest album A Book Like This and a recent appearance at this year’s SXSW these guys are rapidly gaining popularity… and for good reason. Their melodies are catchy, song structures have a jazzy undertone to them, and they’ve created uniqueness within that folk genre, which is hard to do. A lot of their appeal is from their unique vocal styles. Tracks like “Bella” and “Paper Aeroplane” don’t immediately queue you in on the fact that the soft, comforting, almost childlike voice, belongs to Angus… that is until you Julia whose distinct vocals have subtle hints of Bjork and Jolie Holland.

Check em’ out… A friend helped Angus and Julia make this video for their most popular song, “Just A Boy.”

Here is another guy that pairs well with Angus and Julia Stone for your lazy/sleepy day playlist…

Mike Kinsella is guy I saw a few years back touring and recording under the name Owen. As you can see, on stage you’ll find Mike, a guitar, a stool and his iPod which serves as his band/orchestra. He dedicates time to take questions from the audience, casually starts/stops songs as if it were a rehearsal, and tells intense stories about broken relationships with family members. Worth seeing if you get a chance.

Angus & Julia Stone – Paper Aeroplane

Owen – The Sad Waltzes of Pietro Crespi

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Post tags: angus and julia stone, Iron and Wine, Just A Boy, Mike Kinsella, Owen, SXSW

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The other thing that I love about this video is the song selection. The song is The Funeral by Band of Horses. For some reason they’re not the first band that comes to my mind when creating a playlist, but then I hear them in a video like this and it reminds me what I’m missing when I don’t have them in my playlist.

Band of Horses – Ode to LRC

Band of Horses – Island on the Coast

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Post tags: Band of Horses, cease to begin, Danny MacAskill

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So where do you find a man whose cult status is beginning to rival that of Sufjan and Connor Oberst…. who has been receiving national and international acclaim for his creativity with the release of For Emma, Forever Ago with his most recent project Bon Iver… who is being sought after for collaboration by some of the industry’s most respected artists?

A high school jazz auditorium.

That’s right. A high school jazz auditorium. Last night Justin Vernon (frontman of Bon Iver) performed a fundraiser show with his former high school’s jazz band. Pimping a white suit and staying out of the spotlight as much as possible, Vernon and the Memorial High School Jazz Ensemble performed both Bon Iver tunes such as “Lump Sum” and “For Emma” as well as more peculiar pieces such as Sinatra’s “The Lady is a Tramp” and Mahalia Jackson’s “Satisfied Mind.”

This guy is the shit.

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Post tags: bon iver, jazz, justin vernon, lump sum, memorial high school, wisconsin

© Ben for Diafero Collective, 2009. | Permalink | %%comment_text%%

After three years sans recording, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ new album, It’s Blitz!, will undoubtedly go down as one of the years greatest releases. With remixes already out by Animal Collective and N.A.S.A. it’s proving to live up to the hype. This album is quite the glorious offering.

Ben was recently telling me about Angus & Julia Stone, so I decided to look into them and was extremely pleased. I’ll let Ben tell us more about them, but I thought I’d mention them in this post so you can now go and look into them yourselves. So good. Thank you Ben!

Over the past couple years I’ve been a huge fan of The Knife. Unfortunately they haven’t had a new release since Silent Shout came out in 2006 (they’re now actually working on a darwin opera due to premiere in September 2009). Swooping in to fill the void, with a self-titled album, is Fever Ray. Fever Ray is is the project of Karin Dreijer Andersson, one-half of The Knife. This debut album is exactly what I’ve been craving lately.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Runaway

Angus & Julia Stone – A Book Like This

Fever Ray – Now’s the Only Time I Know

Fever Ray – When I Grow Up (Lissvik Remix)

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Post tags: angus and julia stone, fever ray, it's blitz, the knife, yeah yeah yeahs

© Brandon for Diafero Collective, 2009. | Permalink | %%comment_text%%

I’ve been searching the internets to try and find some history on them and get an official year, but I haven’t found anything useful. If you have any info, let us know in the comments.

(...)
Read the rest of Bolle Circa ’87 (0 words)

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Post tags: 80's, Bolle, brandon russell, rec specs, sunglasses, vintage

© Brandon for Diafero Collective, 2009. | Permalink | %%comment_text%%

Diafero is basically all the things I loved about Idiom with none of the extra weight and a little extra help from some guest contributors. Now without all the bells and whistles, that was IdiomLife.com, I have more time to work on the things I truly love.

So here’s to new begins and what will hopefully be a great new project that I can share with you all. Thank you for the continued support.

♥

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Post tags: brandon russell, Diafero, idiom life

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The verse above comes from Lady Gaga’s smash hit “Just Dance”. The soul-less dribble found in this song makes the text messages of 12 year old girls sound like intricate scholarly poetry. This music is obviously trash, but who is Gaga, and where did she come from?

According to ladygaga.com, Lady Gaga is a stage name for Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. The New York native derived her stage name from the Queen song “Radio Gaga”.

“I always loved rock and pop and theater. When I discovered Queen and David Bowie is when it really came together for me and I realized I could do all three,” claims Gaga. It’s one thing to make extremely catchy dance music with trite and senseless lyrics, but it is flat out ridiculous to call this shit “rock” and claim it was Bowie and Queen inspired. When TI shows up in the Lonely Island song “I’m on a Boat”, we all laugh and secretly tolerate his horrible music a little bit more. But Gaga really believes that she is making credible and progressive art, and that truly makes her a joke. So Gaga, I Rebuke Thee!!! Avoid this music at all cost. If you are looking for accessible dance music with lyrical depth and wit, might I suggest MIA, Of Montreal, and LCD Soundsystem.

Here is the ridiculous video for “Just Dance”. Try to stick with it until she sings, “why can’t I shut my playboy mouth?” Hilarious.

MIA – Jimmy

LCD Soundsystem – Someone Great

Of Montreal – Gallery Piece

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Post tags: Lady Gaga Rebuke Patrick McGuire the fame just dance

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In an era of populist angst and discontent, Animal Collective has recorded an album that is brimming with vibrant color and optimism. The trio blends electronic beats and synth soundscapes with complex pop harmonies to form a progressive yet accessible sound. In “My Girls”, front man Panda Bear (aka Noah Lennox) makes an argument in favor of modern simplicity: “I don’t mean to seem like I care about material things, like our social status. I just want four walls and adobe slabs for my girls.” “Daily Routine,” a highlight on Merriweather Post Pavilion, unravels from an ultra catchy pop anthem into a gorgeous dream of a song.

In the midst of trite and mediocre pop, Merriweather Post Pavilion is a towering success. It very well could be one of the greatest albums of the last ten years.

Watch the video for “My Girls”

Animal Collective – Daily Routine

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Post tags: animal collective merriweather post pavilion album review, Scene

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Mostly, I like to write about things I hate on here, so this should be a fun change of pace.

Dave Eggers, who has long been one of my very favorite authors, somehow just keeps getting better. You may have read his memoir, the Pulitzer Prize-Finalist “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.” And trust me, it’s just that. Or maybe you’ve read “What is the What,” a novel about a Sudanese refugee’s early life. While it’s billed as a novel, it had major factual components, as the main character is a friend of Eggers’, Valentino Achak Deng. All of the proceeds from this best-selling book went to Valentino’s foundation, which is in place to rebuild his hometown of Muriel Bai in Sudan. Pretty cool.

Also, Eggers is responsible for starting McSweeney’s, one of the funniest, smartest literary journals out there. A sample of their online offerings.

Oh, and he started an incredible non-profit group (826 Valencia*) to offer tutoring in reading and writing to kids around the country. The guy’s not even 40 yet.

So, Eggers is a brilliant writer, publisher, humanitarian, etc.

This month, it came to my attention that he has yet another job description: Screenwriter. Remember the “Where the Wild Things Are” trailer Brandon posted? Remember how it looks so amazing it almost made you want to cry (be honest)? Guess who wrote that. Dave Eggers. And as if that weren’t enough, he’s also responsible (along with his wife Vida) for the screenplay for “Away We Go,” certain to be one of the better films of the year (it’s directed by Sam Mendes, “American Beauty”).

All that to say, Eggers is brilliant, and I am so pleased he is expanding into the world of film.

*Eggers won the TED award last year for his work with 826 Valencia. Check out the video. It’s awesome.

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Kevin James seems like a nice enough guy. I mean, I’ve watched “King of Queens” a few times when nothing else was on. It’s just a fat-guy-has-a-hot-wife sitcom, but James is fairly enjoyable. And he was fine in “Hitch.” Whatever.

What troubles me is the success of “Pall Blart: Mall Cop.” As I write this, “Paul Blart” just surpassed a domestic box office gross of $140,000,000.

To put that in perspective, here is a list of the movies nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture last year, and their earnings. Also, “Paul Blart” has been in theaters for a shorter time than any of these.

- “Frost/Nixon” – $18,000,000
- “Milk” – $32,000,000
- “The Reader” – $33,000,000
- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” – $127,000,000
- “Slumdog Millionaire” – $137,000,000

How the hell did this happen? Are we really such suckers for the lowest common denominator of comedy?

I’ll finish with one piece of related, positive news. There’s another mall cop movie coming out that looks risky, intelligent, and creative (Read: Another film that will make less money than “Paul Blart”).

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Post tags: Kevin James, Paul Blart, Seth Rogen

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When Chris agreed to join the Diafero Collective blog he only request one thing, the addition of the “Things I Hate” category. I love him for that, because now I have the opportunity to call out all the little babies in the league that are ruining the sport.

First up is Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets. He had me infuriated last night after many horrible flops were rewarded with free throws, somehow the refs are still giving CP3 calls. The Nuggets won the game 101-88, but it would have been an even bigger lead if it weren’t for the horrible refereeing.

(...)
Read the rest of Mastering the Flop: CP3(60) (0 words)

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If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been asking yourself the same question I have these 5 long years since the release of Limp Bizkit’s final album: “When will the multi-talented Fred Durst see fit to offer his art up to the world again?”

Nope. I hate Fred Durst. Who doesn’t? But what happens when something you hate makes something that looks good?

Recently, I saw a movie trailer for “The Education of Charlie Banks” that got me feeling a bit excited. “Charlie Banks” is an Independent coming-of-age story starring Jesse Eisenberg (Squid and the Whale, Adventureland). The movie ran the festival circuit in late 2007, winning the “Made in NY Narrative Award” at the Tribeca Film Festival, and by all accounts looks like a pretty decent movie.

The problem for me while watching the trailer occurred in the final seconds as these words crossed the screen: “A Fred Durst Film.” Shit. Did I accidentally get excited about a film directed by a man who named his band after this?

But, it looks like Fred Durst is back, and he may even have a reasonable film on his hands. Even so, there is hope for all of us Durst haters out there. He made this movie, too, which looks like a cross between “Little Giants” and “Are We There Yet?” And I mean that in the worst possible way. Plus, there are reports of a Limp Bizkit reunion tour later this year.

I just hope that “Charlie Banks” is as terrible as everything else I’ve come to expect from Durst. I know how to hate the man, but if “Charlie Banks” is good, I won’t know what to do. Wait for a summer blockbuster from the drummer of Nickelback, I guess.

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Post tags: Fred Durst, Hate

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Post tags: glosoli, music video, Sigur Ros

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I know this doesn’t quite fit in with most of the posts we make on here, but man is it great.

Scott Hastings on Jay Cutler

Deion Sanders on Jay Cutler

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Post tags: deion sanders, jay cutler, little bitch, man up

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I’m always amazed at the timelessness of Leonard Cohen’s song Hallelujah. You would think people would get tired of it, but it seems like every couple of months I run across an artist who has had success covering this song. Even still, it doesn’t crack the top 100 most covered songs according to Second Hand Songs. Though, I find that hard to believe since it has been recorded by around 185 different artists. (Here’s a list of all the artists to cover the song)

Just as interesting as the song’s popularity is its ambiguity. Probably because Cohen was a more of a poet than a songwriter, the song is left open to interpretation and everyone seems to have their own. I love how Cohen describes the meaning… “It explains that many kinds of hallelujahs do exist, and all the perfect and broken hallelujahs have equal value.” Supposedly, Cohen told Bob Dylan this song took him 2 years to write and the original composition had 80 verses. The full version has been slimed down to a mere 15 verses.

So, with all those versions out there, I decided to rank my personal favorites. Like most people, I secretly used Jeff Buckley’s version as the standard. I leaned towards artists who were creative with their melodies and instrumentation without killing the feel. There are some good voices covering this song but their too similar to Buckley’s version. Anyways, here are my top 5:

No. 1 – Jeff Buckley

No. 2 – Phil Wickham

No. 3 – Rufus Wainwright

No. 4 – Brandi Carlile

No. 5 – Bob Dylan

Honorable mention: Beirut

Dishonorable mention: Bono

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Post tags: Bob Dylan, Bono, Brandi Carlile, Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen, Phil Wickham, Rufus Wainwright

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Let me take a minute and introduce you to two bands that will make you think you’re on an acid trip when you’re not and remind you when you are. Son Lux and Riceboy Sleeps. Let’s start with the latter…

Sigur Ros frontman Jón (Jónsi) Þór Birgisson and his boyfriend Alex Somers made a conscious decision to begin making art together in the summer of 2003. Their work began as a musical collaboration but evolved into still images, videos and storytelling (as well as music). Their work is known today as Riceboy Sleeps. Most people have become familiar with Riceboy from their recent appearance on the prolific Dark Was the Night album created by the Dessner twins of The National. Riceboy’s two previously released tracks accompany videos and a storybook found under the Riceboy Sleeps name. Watching these videos and listening to their sounds becomes this mind-blowing, ethereal experience. So much so, that I only “do” Riceboy if they have my full attention. If you appreciate anything similar the sounds of The Album Leaf, Explosions in the Sky, Mogwei or Sigur Ros then Riceboy Sleeps will give back every second you give them.

The second and a personal favorite is Son Lux. I’m a guy who hates mash-ups and seldom enjoys a remix. Because, for all of the remixes out there very few are actually good. Ryan Lott who is Son Lux, is a guy who does them right. He is one of the industry’s most sought-after “remixers” for his work with artists such as Mute Math, My Brightest Diamond, Beirut, Anathallo and several others. Alongside his remixes, Lott has recorded his own debut album At War With Walls & Mazes. It’s crazy to think that one of last year’s best albums was done in between Lott’s day-to-day job of writing jingles for TV and radio commercials.

Riceboy Sleeps – Hapiness

Son Lux – Wither

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Post tags: Acid Trip, Alex Somers, Jonsi Birgisson, Riceboy Sleeps, Ryan Lott, Sigur Ros, Son Lux

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Over the past few years my friends and I have had the tremendous opportunity of being able to travel to many countries around the world. Meet many people from many cultures. And be blessed by the relationships developed with these people. This is a video honoring the people that have welcomed us with open arms and open hearts. A lot of times it’s easy for me to forget what I’ve experienced during my travels. This video still gives me goose-bumps and makes me say, “Wow, I experienced that?”

The pictures in the video were primarily photographed by Myself, Ryan Welborn along with contributions from Craig & Cassie Nason and Sara Houy. And feature the people of Uganda, Africa; Lima, Peru; Iquitos, Peru; and Puerto Escondido, Mexico. Set to the music of David Crowder Band’s – Deliver Me (Antidromic Mix).<

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Post tags: Africa, brandon russell, Deliver me, idiom life, Mexico, Peru, Photo Montage, Uganda

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