A Journey Round My Skull

My new favorite blog, A Journey Round My Skull, collects illustration and graphic design inspiration in a variety of printed matter. Posting imagery from around the world, a recent post shows the work from Czech illustrator Bohumil Stepan for The Green Mare. I love the simple but playful collage. I could spend days checking out the amazing collection of matchbox art, illustrated books, and packaging.

A couple of other awesome collections:
Besuboru Bromides: vintage B+W japanese baseball cards
Paul Landacre: intricate and lush nature-inspired woodblock prints
Tiger Mountain: Chinese Opera Masks on Cigarette cards

NYC Premiere: Downtown Calling

FINALLY!! This Wednesday my good friend Ben Velez's film, Downtown Calling, is making its NYC hometown debut. Chronicling the underground art, music and culture scene of New York during the late 70's and narrated by Deborah Harry, this film is an important document of the people and creative energy that birthed an undeniable NYC youth culture. The icons of Punk, Hip Hop, DJ and Downtown culture continue to influence the way we see and think about the world around us today! Buy tickets here and support the film at the NY International Latino Film Festival!

Report from TAIPEI: BOYZ & GIRL

Boyz & Girl are an indie rock fourtet made of twenty-something teachers Jon Du, Guo Guo, Sonoko, and Ban Ban (who fronts the band with a captivating bowl haircut and cartoon demeanor). Their self-titled LP's haphazard production method (in a makeshift studio in Banqiao, assisted by a New York pal) matches its "stream-of-consciousness" mentality. Released locally by White Wabbit Records (who also distributes Broken Social Scene and Beach House), BOYZ & GIRL is noisy, unhurried and nostalgic.

Most songs were recorded live, and some make you feel like you’re in a Wong Kar-Wai movie. Others have that Sonic Youth swagger. Boyz & Girl recently toured China for the first time. Taiwanese artists tend not to suffer the stigma of their mainland counterparts —we aren’t compelled to search for political meaning in their creative expression. In fact, the spectrum of Taiwanese rock n roll runs from indie rockers to pop stars like A-Mei and this guy. Boyz & Girl’s homecoming album release party will be at Underworld on July 31st. Thank you Jon Du!