Ben Wolf at SPRING 2011 ART + ARCHITECTURE SHOW

Ben Wolf (b. 1983, Nashville) is a Brooklyn-based sculptor whose abstract assemblages and installations express the “decadence of abandonment” in architectural materials including rotten boards, rusted stair wells, peeling paint and other found and salvaged objects. Wolf often works on a large scale, taking over and reconfiguring entire lost buildings and towns. He received a B.F.A. from Pratt Institute in 2005 and in 2008 received a Brooklyn Arts Council grant for public art works and a residency with the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC). In 2010 Wolf participated in a Power House Productions group residency in Detroit, constructing a massive sculptural work from the remnants of forgotten homes. An avid traveler, Wolf has produced and exhibited projects in Australia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland, as well as throughout the U.S. You can see more of Ben’s work on his website.

Art + Architecture 2011 at the Gowanus Ballroom
55 9th Street Building 61, Brooklyn, NY 11215 April 8th – April 17th

Raphael Saadiq's "Good Man"

Beautiful new video from Raphael Saadiq featuring Chad Coleman (Cutty, from The Wire) and Yaya Da Costa.

Hipstamatic, GQ Taiwan & 3rd Ward...mmmm

The Chunky Lens World Release & Gallery Show
Presented by Hipstamatic, GQ Taiwan & 3rd Ward
Thursday, February 10, 2011, 7-9pm
195 Morgan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
FREE Admission includes Chunky app, gallery show, live music & drinks

At this interactive gallery show, experience what Chunky and his lens are all about. Meet Chunky himself and view Chunky's GQ Taiwan fashion spread with Taylor Fuchs (shot entirely on the iPhone). If you’re a fashion-type, art enthusiast, app-buying addict, or just looking for a fun Thursday night, stop by. Music by DJ Travis Kavovit, free drinks...With support from ILFORD.

GQ Taiwan

Harper's Bazaar China here.

RSVPs are required at www.3rdward.com/rsvp

*FREE beer provided by Brooklyn Brewery!

Erykah Badu x Flying Lotus, "Gone Baby, Don't Be Long"

Erykah Badu - Gone Baby, Don't be Long from beeple on Vimeo.

New video from Erykah Badu, directed by Flying Lotus. Cool Open Source platform from the post-production folks at Beeple!

Slim Gaillard's Yep Roc Heresy, the first Jazz Song in Arabic

Food is always an amazing inspiration. Just learned about the great Slim Gaillard today and loved Yep Roc Heresy.

From Wikipedia:
Arabic is sprinkled about Gaillard's songs. The song "Yep-Roc-Heresy" 3:07 - 1945 is a good example. This song is made up almost entirely of Arabic food names. The title of the song is taken from the first two words of the song, which are "yabraq" or in Arabic "يبرق" (pronounced "يبرأ" "yabra'" in the Levant, and mostly in northern parts of today's Syria), which is another name for the Turkish Dolma or stuffed grape leaves. The second word is "[harisseh]," which is a sweet desert made from semolina flour - recipe.

Other Arabic words used in the song are: Burghal (burghal), Mahshi (stuffed), kibbeh siniyyeh (kibbe in a tray), anna biddi (I want), Masari bahh (No money), banadoura (tomato), ruzz (rice), eidi maksura (I am broke), Arak (Arabic: عرق [ʕaraq]) (a liquorice liquor), lahame mishwie (grilled meat), basal (onion).

This may be the first jazz song in Arabic. Some say he was reading from a menu of an Arabic restaurant, but this does not explain for his use of phrases such as, "no money" or "I am broke."

In the 1940s, the song was "banned in the radio for being suggestive", for its suspicious lyric references to drugs and crime.

The actual origin from these phrases comes from his time living in Detroit. He was out of money by the time he made it to Detroit and was turned down a job at Ford. An Armenian woman named Rose Malhalab (last name indicates connection to Aleppo, Syria) took Slim in, where he lived in the basement of her and her husband's beauty shop on Woodward Avenue. She cooked much Arabic food for him, explaining Slim's entire song.

Blvck America + Bidoun present Vintage Short Films

This Sunday join Blvck America and the folks at Bidoun to check out some awesome vintage short films from the Middle East. This is the last of the Liberty Hall screenings at the Ace Hotel for January. Not only is the screening free, but they'll have DJs spinning and a drink special for folks who get there early.

Sunday, January 30th
7PM
Liberty Hall at the Ace Hotel

The Suzan

The Suzan "Home" from Mr Goldbar on Vimeo.

The Suzan are a boundlessly energetic all-girl band from Japan, and director Pomp&Clout perfectly captures their colorful, kinectic approach to music with his kaleidoscopic video for "Home."

Be sure to check the free, interactive iPhone / iPad app version, allowing users to play with the kaleidoscope speed, position, angle and more themselves, while the Suzan knock out their xylophone riffs, surf guitar, and tom tom grooves.

HAPPY NEW YEAR from Turquoise Jeep + Slick Mahony

I ride for Turquoise Jeep. Tummiscratch is my hero. This New Year gift dropped on 1/1/11. BANG!!!

FYMW vs. GQ

I heart Fuckyeahmenswear. Will you be my valentine? GQ got an exclusive interview with the poet and critic here. Check it below:
GQ: Juelz Santana often brags on his Twitter: “I hopped up out the bed I don’t have to turn my swag on…it’s in my blood I don’t know how to turn it off.” But surely a dude has to spend some time and energy getting fresh in the morning, right? What’s the quickest and easiest way for a guy to turn his swag on?
FYMW: This all depends on how naturally crispy you are. Me, I don’t have to do shit, but that should be pretty clear at this point. The quickest and easiest way for your everyday wannabe herb? Read FYMW, obviously.
GQ: Should a man have any other hobbies besides looking fresh and blogging about it?
FYMW: Yeah, you want to diversify your activities. Throw in macking on bomb dot com broads and you’ve pretty much pinned down what I do on the reg.
GQ: What’s crispy in the streets these days as far as you’re concerned? Which brands are coming correct with the steez? Which are faking the funk?
FYMW: First off, can we officially dead “faking the funk” for good? I’m going on record, “fuck outta here with that bullshit”. I’ll say this, if you need to ask what’s crispy in the streets or who is coming correct with steez then there is a good chance you stay losing.
GQ: Any advice you can offer to aspiring menswear bloggers that want to get their follower, retweet, and @reply weight up?
FYMW: Quit. Just fucking quit. It was all over before it even began. FYMW killed your dreams.
GQ: Favorite Wes Andy movie? Least favorite?
FYMW: I only watch Face/Off. The epitome of steez is Nick Cage’s face. No homme-o.
GQ: Should a guy build an outfit around his Aldies or choose his Aldies based on his outfit?
FYMW: I caught my doorman wearing some Aldies—J. Crizzy collabs, natch—the other day so I’m officially off that shit. This F/W I’m wearing my Brooks Bro moon boots exclusively.
GQ: What’s your aim with FYMW? Are you here to “curate the curators”?
FYMW: Whatever I need to do to smash the game is what I does. End of story.

Lunar Booties and Space Suiting

In more space news...a traveling exhibition of the Smithsonian's collection of relics from the Space Race will open this Spring! The Times got a sneak peak at some of these technical wonders that helped launch man to the moon. love love love. Read the whole article here and check out the awesome gallery of xray scans and photographed suits. Thanks Core77!

Solstice Lunar Eclipse TONITE!!!!

Tonight will be a special astrological event with a lunar eclipse falling on the same night as the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. The full eclipse will happen at 3:17AM so if youre up celebrating take a moment to enjoy the moon. The last time this happened was 372 years ago and it wont happen again until 2094! Check out NASA's writeup of this occassion!

Brownbook Magazine: Contemporary Arab Culture

One of my favorite things I saw at Miami Basel was Brownbook, an urban lifestyle magazine that covers contemporary design, politics and creative culture coming out of the Middle East and North Africa. Based in Dubai, the beautifully printed and bound publication feels a little bit like Monocle with its layout but the coverage is more diverse ranging from Istanbul Design Week to Afghani indie rock. The current issue, Urban 50, is their annual survey of fifty unique people and ideas that are transforming the Middle East.

For our annual roundup issue, we’ve scoured the region for the people, ideas, places, businesses and buildings that we think are making the Middle East better today. In Brownbook 24, Our search has taken us to a Cairene radio station, to a college on the banks of the Red Sea, to a rundown area in Casablanca that’s had an injection of community spirit from a converted abattoir.

The coverage in Brownbook along with the NYTimes' recent feature on the many ambitious architectural projects in the Middle East gets me excited about visiting in the upcoming years. Check out the full NYTimes article here and Nicolai Ouroussoff's the accompanying video piece featuring IM Pei, Frank Gehry, Norman Foster and Jean Nouvel speaking about their individual museum projects in Abu Dhabi and Qatar.

Miracle Toilets in Haiti

A great interview with Sasha Kramer, the founder of a Haitian NGO, SOIL. The organization builds dry composting toilets throughout Haiti and turns human waste into nutrient-rich soil for urban agriculture. Check out her amazing work in the video above!

Brownswood 2010 Christmas Mix

Free Holiday mix from Gilles Peterson's Brownswood label in anticipation of their holiday party next Saturday. If youre in London, definitely go get your holiday groove on. Mixed by DJ Mumblz it features some of his favorite tracks of the year, download it here!

1. Quest – Smooth Skin
2. Space Dimension Controller – 2ez (Autopilots Lament)
3. Grooveman Spot – Think About
4. Onra – High Hopes (Instrumental)
5. George Fitzgerald – The Let Down
6. Four Tet – Sing (Mosca Remix)
7. F – Spacewalker
8. Jack Dixon – Substitute
9. Bonobo – Eyesdown (Floating Points Remix)
10. Pedestrian – Hei Poa
11. Gold Panda – Same Dream Chine
12. Jay Electronica ft. John F. Kennedy – The Announcement
13. Spectrasoul ft. dBridge – Glimpse
14. Jose James – Warrior (Rockwell Remix)
15. Scuba – So You Think You’re Special
16. Erykah Badu – Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long
17. Little Brother – Curtain Call
18. The Roots – Radio Daze
19. Submotion Orchestra – Sunshine

We Speak No Americano

Happy Friday! The single-shot takes and set design on this video are great and if this hand dancing doesnt make you smile, the fact that we have a whole weekend ahead of us surely will. The original song with Renato Carosone is just as charming!

Honeysuckle:: Color of the Year

Pantone announced their 2011 color of the year, honeysuckle! Its got me excited for spring.

Ryan McGinness' Women Series

Ryan McGinness' new "Women" Series debuted during Basel last week. Four new pieces were hung on the walls of a local strip club flanking three stages. It was awesome to see the pieces glowing under the black light as both art world folks and underage kids tried to act too cool for school. Here's a video that was looping at the Madonna Strip Club on South Beach during the opening showing some of McGinness' process drawings. I swiped a poster off the doors of the strip club last night before heading back to NYC!

25 Women Sketch Process (2010) from Ryan McGinness Studios, Inc. on Vimeo.

Flying Lotus' Zodiac Shit

Its this kinda day...

Gar-De + Friends Sample Sale

Starts on Wednesday!!! Pickup Gar-De's beautifully tailored leather outerwear and some amazing pieces from downtown's finest!

Team Awesome Space Pizza

TEAM AWESOME SPACE PIZZA from Farolito Films on Vimeo.

The guys from Roberta's are at it again with this phenomenal video for Yoxi the social change/challenge site. The Challenge: To Reinvent Fast Food. The Answer: Team Awesome Space Pizza. Roberta's short film is about solving world hunger, putting a farm on every rooftop in NYC, and making pizza in outer space. Cheggit!!

Buffalo Trace Oral History Project

Its no secret that Im an avid bourbon drinker, a testament to my southern roots and impeccable taste, I'm sure. I recently came across the Buffalo Trace Oral History project and love that this historic distillery is documenting some of the lore and stories from their former employees. I wasnt sure that it was possible, but after watching some of these clips, I actually savor each sip of bourbon more. The image above is actually of Colonel Blanton at the distillery.

Buffalo Trace is the oldest distillery in the US. Based in Frankfurt, Kentucky, they release their namesake bourbon as well as a variety of small batch, single barrel bourbons including George T Stagg, one of the most highly coveted bourbons. George T Stagg is a 15-year aged bourbon that is uncut and unfiltered. It used to be released only once a year and is known for its high alcohol volume. Super hard to find, I sampled it last year when i was in Lexington. Besides Buffalo Trace and George T Stagg, the distillery also produces favorites like Blanton's, Eagle Rare, Pappy Van Winkle, and Elmer T Lee.

JR in Shanghai

Beautiful new work from French street artist/photographer JR. After photographing portraits of people from the neighborhoods and cities he works in, he installs his large scale images on surrounding architecture. Check out his transformative work in the Rio favelas here. Thanks Wooster!

Donkey Punching and the Dirty Sanchez

Just in time for holiday gift-giving, Sanchez & Friends is releasing a line of plushy toys. The Golden Shower, Dirty Sanchez, Donkey Punch and the Cleveland Steamer are great stocking stuffers.

Wanda Jackson: Hard-Headed Woman

Wanda Jackson is the Queen of Rock -- she pioneered the sound and was on the forefront of the rockabilly movement as early as the '50s. Jackson still tours today and is working on a new album with Jack White, slated to drop early next year.

Huey P. Newton

Whip My Hair: Cockatoo Remix

Willow Smith's, "Whip My Hair" is all the rage amongst 9 year olds and cockatoos. Club Banger! Thanks Julian!!!

Seu Jorge + Almaz "The Model"

Check out the homies from What Matters Most -- amazing work guys!!

****

Now-Again Records and What Matters Most present a short film duo entiled “The Model,” inspired by the recently released Seu Jorge and Almaz album by Brazilian singer and actor Seu Jorge.

The first part "Chapter 1: Marcello in Limbo" is a one-take affair that follows Jorge as he weaves through a cliff-side mansion in the Hollywood Hills. The film showcases three cover songs from the album (Roy Ayers’ “Everybody Loves The Sunshine,” Martinho da Vila and João de Aquino's “Cirandar” and Kraftwerk’s “The Model”) and features the members of his band Almaz, as well as the producer Mario C and keyboardist Money Mark.

The first chapter acts as an introduction to the second part of the short film "Oshun and The Dream," which will be released in the next couple of weeks.

Seu Jorge and Almaz - The Model (Chapter One) from Now-Again on Vimeo.

CREATURE :: Kim Ann Foxman + Andy Butler

KIM ANN FOXMAN "CREATURE" [mr.intl records] from KIM ANN FOXMAN on Vimeo.

Phenomenal Video for Kim Ann Foxman on a beat by Andy Butler. Gorgeous styling and art direction with cameos from Shane (hood by air) and Tigga Calore. This feels like the new New York. Check out mixes from Shane and some of his partners from the Ghe20 Gothik party here!! Thanks Sai!!
GHE20 GOTHIK PRESENTS TRIBUTE 2 $HAYNE BY PHYSICAL THERAPY by GHE2O GOTHIK MIX SERIES

Skating Shanghai

Filmmaker Charles Lanceplaine created Shanghai Five, a documentary about the burgeoning skateboard scene in Shanghai and released as an online feature. This trailer is pretty badass -- cant wait for it to come out! Check out his skateboarding blog here. Below is another short film he did on surfing the "Silver Dragon" in Hangzhou.

The Dog Days are Over

Thank God for Florence and the Machine!