ARTSIFY - Contemporary Arts and Culture

TIME's 2011 Person of the Year - Fairey Designs Cover

2011-12-14T23:45:00.000-08:00

Back in October, I asked on this blog whether Shepard Fairey would design the Occupy movement? It seems like the answer is: Yes! It turns out that he did the amazing cover for TIME Magazine's 2011 Person of the Year issue, naming The Protester as their choice. It goes without saying that both the choice of topic and cover art illustrator meet my approval. The Internet is bringing about monumental changes to societies around the world and artists like Fairey and scholars like the late Marshall McLuhan are at the forefront in this "revolution" of the 99%. Can't wait to see where this is going...

Hyundai Veloster Has The Right Idea, But...

2011-12-11T22:51:00.001-08:00

The Hyundai Veloster RE:MIX LAB is a festival of art, music, fashion, technology, culture and design taking place in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami and Los Angeles. Having seen the video above from Art Basel in Miami, I was very excited to go to Re:Mix Lab in LA this past Friday and even brought some influential friends. However, the experience was a disappointment. It was not the fault of Shira Lazar or Jane McGonigal or anyone else on stage but the ad agency involved or whoever produced the concept. It was just poor execution and if I was Hyundai I would not be happy. The ad agencies need to do more than to sell a paper-product, but actually understand what they are doing, or it won't feel authentic. You can't just put a PS3 in the trunk of a car and think that the geeks will will approve, you need to tie it all together in a way that makes sense. The car is actually kinda cool, but this event was just a distraction for any serious car-buyer.

Amon Tobin Gets Squared in LA

2011-12-06T18:20:00.001-08:00

Amon Tobin is an amazing Brazilian musician, composer and producer of electronic music. A true contemporary artist, Tobin has released seven major studio albums since 1996 under the London-based Ninja Tune record label, but also scored movies and video-games. For his latest tour, he has teamed up with Blasthaus, LA-based visual arts shop V Squared Labs, Vita Motus Design, Leviathan and others to create something really unique: A 3D Audion/Visual experience that is so much more than a DJ-set. Check out the video below to see what I'm talking about!

Will Shepard Fairey Design the OCCUPATION Movement?

2011-10-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

LA-based street artist Shepard Fairey has designed the official poster for tonight's OCCUPATION PARTY in NYC's Times Square (above). Maybe he will also be the artist who creates an official image for the OCCUPATION movement, which is increasingly gaining popularity across the nation? He certainly has the right credentials. Specialized in "worldwide propaganda delivery," Fairey is perhaps most famous for designing the defining poster for the Obama-campaign, but has a ton of other ironic propaganda poster well worth checking out on his website. Obey!

Best Indie Music Venues in The City of Angels

2011-10-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

Here's the list of good places: The Echo (its sister venue Spaceland used to be the best when I lived next door in Silver Lake, but it's under new management, so I don't know what the deal is now), Troubadour, Bootleg Theatre and Fais Do-Do (once in a while). Catch neat indie bands like Datarock from Norway (pictured) plus odd entertaining underground music that you won't see anywhere else, such as Gil Mantera embedded below. As a bonus, here's also a list of 10 good hipster bars in Silver Lake worth checking out for a beer before or after the show, personal favs are Red Lion and Cha Cha Lounge, not on the list but also really good are Hyperion Tavern and El Cid.

Indie Bands Join Up With Real Estate Moguls in Hollywood

2011-09-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

Two industries in hard times, the music industry and the real estate industry, have found a new creative way to work together in Hollywood: Free "intimate rooftop shows." The first one is hosted by KYSR-FM and offered as a perk to every resident at very nice newly renovated Hollywood Tower and La Belle. So if you can afford $1907 for a studio, you can get an 'all access pass' upon move in, which allows you plus a guest to attend all of the uber exclusive shows. Now isn't that a better perk than granite countertops? Past shows include Incubus, Florence and the Machine, and Broken Bells. Via Hollywood Patch.

Scarlett Johansson Naked and Miles the Cat

2011-09-25T23:57:00.000-07:00

Two of the latest examples of creative street artists worth noticing include Xvala (he also does those zonked out monkeys that say "Google my wiki"), with this "Fear Google" poster on the abandoned Hollywood Video on Wilshire Blvd window, and an unknown artist's take on a missing cat posting. This stuff makes my day. Xvala picture via Curbed LA.

Is Your Haircut Considered Notable in Hollywood?

2011-09-19T23:36:00.000-07:00

A Visual Compendium of Notable Haircuts in Hollywood by Pop Chart Lab, which has all kinds of cool prints based on charts, from Wrestler Names to Video Game Controllers (click through to their website to zoom in and take a closer look at all the haircuts). Silver-toned print is only 20 bucks.

Artists Gear Up in the Flavor City

2011-09-16T00:50:00.000-07:00

Jarritos Flavor City and Gears United / Arists United are two of the latest examples from California of user/fan-generated art competitions for brands as an integrated part of their online marketing mix. I'm a big supporter of these initiatives as a way to engage the creative community and support independent artists. The Jarritos competition is already over (check out the winning submission here), but the Gears United is competition is still on with $35,000 worth of prices up for grabs!

Riding Shotgun Down Sunset Blvd

2011-09-14T00:39:00.000-07:00

Pacific Standard Time is the Getty-organized look at the birth of the postwar art scene in Los Angeles. As part of this initiative, project organizers are conducting an extensive series of oral histories with many of Los Angeles's key artists, filmmakers, curators, collectors, and critics. Here is one video from that series. The second one is my submission, with director John Cassavetes driving around the Hollywood Hills in the 1960s, listening to "California Girls" and complaining about Los Angeles, but still kinda liking it.

Morgan Freeman Explains the Universe

2011-09-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

More than 50 new alien planets — including one so-called super-Earth that could potentially support life — have been discovered by an exoplanet-hunting telescope from the European Southern Observatory (ESO), according to reports this week. Puts things in perspective. So I just had to post the latest science music video mash-up based on the classic PBS Series Cosmos. This one is an investigation into the nature of atoms and subatomic particles, the jiggly things that make up everything we see, featuring Morgan Freeman, Stephen Hawking, Michio Kaku, Brian Cox, Richard Feynman, and Frank Close. "The Quantum World" is the eleventh installment in the ongoing Symphony of Science music video series. The Symphony of Science is a musical project by John Boswell designed to deliver scientific knowledge and philosophy in musical form. John is available for hire as a composer / video producer: john@symphonyofscience.com.

Xbox Kinect Launch in Germany with Interactive Arts

2010-11-28T21:50:00.000-08:00

Microsoft's new motion-sensor controller for xBox 360 is a game-changer - you don't need a controller anymore! Easy to use and instantly fun, Kinect gets everyone off the couch and moving, laughing and cheering. See a ball? Kick it. It's an interface you don't need to learn. Beyond it's applications in gaming, smart artists have already started using it in creating interactive art. Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect was launched in Germany with an interactive projection mapping installation by Seeper, as reported by Digital Buzz. The projection mapping installation was set at Stachus in central Munich, and featured an interactive particle game based off your movement, played out in front of hundreds of guests. Check out the video below for a taste of it. I bet we'll see much more of this in the future!

Xbox Kinect Launch - Interactive Art Installation from seeper on Vimeo.

Buzz Watch: A Life On Facebook by Maxime Luère

2010-11-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

A Life on Facebook is a short film made by Maxime Luère–the lead CG artist at Akama Studio (picture of the team) that is doing some very cool work.
So far, the video has more than 1.7M views on YouTube and it's spreading like wildfire on, you guessed it, Facebook.

If you liked the video you should also check out Maxime’s website and video reel at http://www.maxluere.com. Via Digital Buzz Blog and Adventure Paul.

Check out The Creators Project

2010-08-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

Check out this cool online video arts project, a partnership between Vice and Intel. This one features Mira Calix.

YouTube Plays with HP and Intel

2010-06-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

Guggenheim Foundation and YouTube launched a cool project called ”YouTube Play” in collabration with HP and Intel. The project, conceived as a biennial event and aims to discover innovative and creative video work from unexpected sources. It is open project for everyone from around the world, entrants will be experienced video artists or just a student who has no experience in video.\

The Making Of a Viral Video: Chatroulette + Improv Piano Player

2010-03-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

Chatro ulette is a website that pairs random strangers for webcam-based conversations and perhaps the most exciting phenomenon on the Internet right now. The idea behind it is as simple as it is genious - visitors to the website randomly begin an online chat (video and text) with another visitor. Created by Andrey Ternovskiy, a 17-year-old high school student in Moscow, the site was launched in November 2009 and was originally known as Head-to-Head, according to Wikipedia. It gained popularity in February 2010 after being featured on Good Morning America, in The New York Times, in New York magazine, and on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Part of the thrill is of course that you don't know whom you will meet. Celebrities claiming to have used Chatroulette include Kelly Osbourne, Joel Madden, Nicole Richie, and Perez Hilton. It's one of those underground phenomena that will only be cool for a while, but it's already creating stars of its own as well.

Toyota, Gov't anti-Toyota campaign, PR and Great Ads

2010-02-18T17:46:00.000-08:00

A great article in the Wall Street Journal recently highlighted the Toyota spectacle, which has become slightly surreal, as a few uncertain questions about "sudden acceleration" morphed into a media and political firestorm over the safety of its entire fleet. It is also proving an interesting case study in the treacherous politics that accompany government ownership of U.S. industry. As a media and marketing professional, it is painful to see how a brand built on quality totally gets its image turned over in such a short time, while doing, in my opinion, a fairly good job with damage control under the circumstances. It's not like domestic car-makers have never had similar issues, just remember the job that Edward Norton's character had in "Fight-Club" determining whether there were enough accidents with a certain car to do a recall. Yes, it's fiction, but as with all good scripts, probably not a far cry from reality. With all this negative press, I figured that I'll do my part to balance the scale and point to something positive: Toyota has launched a new campaign called: “Sponsafy Your Ride” for their involvement in NASCAR in 2010. It pokes fun at the UGC and brand sponsorship trends in a very clever way, showing that Toyota can be a fun brand too. Go figure.

Banksy and Sundance

2010-01-25T00:23:00.000-08:00

Judging by friends' Facebook updates, I'm once again missing out on a good time again in Utah and the Sundance festival, especially curious about the documentary about Banksy, with a trailer such as the one below.

Google Sponsored? Ninja’s Unboxing Nexus One

2010-01-19T08:37:00.000-08:00

Google has taken unboxing (the process of documenting a products removal from its packaging) to the next level with the latest promotion for its “superphone” the Nexus One: “NINJA’S UNBOXING”. Readers familiar with this blog will recognize the film as the work of Patrick Boivin (born 1975), a self-taught and fiercely independent filmmaker from Canada. Is it Google-sponsored or not? Who cares? That's the beauty of this new form of online (branded) entertainment.

Live Tip - The Phenomenal Handclap Band

2010-01-11T21:56:00.000-08:00

NPR: "The Phenomenal Handclap Band makes music that’s as sprawling and unwieldy as its name: To watch the group on stage is to witness what seems like several bands at once. With eight members — from hipsters and beautiful women to long-haired rockers and what look like everyday office workers — the group has been painstakingly engineered to generate a big, bold sensory overload. Fortunately, its sound is outrageously danceable, fusing grimy funk with cooing disco, retro rock and sweet pop. The Phenomenal Handclap Band was the subject of breathless buzz well before its self-titled debut came out this month, and its live show makes it easy to see and hear why." Sounds like a band you would wanna see live, right? Be at The Echo on Wednesday. It seems like their material is a little uneven, but if they have more songs like the one below, it should be well worth the price of the ticket...

Lexus L Studio - Mixes Contemporary Art and Autos

2009-12-30T02:10:00.000-08:00

In this excellent piece of branded entertainment, Artists deconstruct a Lexus, then use the parts to build their own amazing works of art. BMW has used online video featuring artists and cars for a long time, but Lexus has found an own story to tell and the website for the campaign L Studio is very scaled back and classy, which is the way to market an exclusive automobile. Well worth checking out. BTW, my company Viking's work with IKEA on Easy To Assemble was named as one of five best branded entertainment deals of the year for 2009 in Ad Age. Very happy about that. And last, but not least, Happy New Year!

Holiday Sweaters

2009-12-19T10:11:00.000-08:00

Missed Santacon in San Francisco for the first time in three years, so no cools pics of hipster santas to share this time, but here's a video instead... Now time to do some holiday shopping!

Avatar - A Transmedia 3D Adventure?

2009-12-12T17:28:00.000-08:00

Avatar premiered in London over the weekend and will hit theaters here in the US next week on December 18th. I saw a 3D preview on a Panasonic 103 inch screen at DMW's and Variety's Future of Film Summit last week, it was impressive, but didn't blow me away. The latest trailer (embedded below) gives a better idea of what the film is about. 3D adds another dimension to the experience, but the story is still the most important aspect of the movie. I think Jim Cameron gets that and he is more focused on using technology to tell the story in the best possible way, or rather a "symphony of narratives" as Jeff Gomez of Starlight Runner Entertainment puts it in an interview I did with him earlier this year. It will be interesting to see if he is successful with that aspect of Avatar, and if, for example, the video game will be as good as everyone is expecting the movie to be....

Subaru and DC Shoes - What Infomercial?

2009-12-09T15:57:00.000-08:00

Walternaeslund.com reminds me of the fact that bad ass is just… bad ass. But there is more to it. The video below shows how well integrated branded entertainment can be just... entertaining. DC Shoes' websit e is very much like a media hub for all things cool (I wish Subaru's website was just as good.) I'm sure that this didn't just happen, but it looks so natural when you go there, doesn't it. BTW, the video below is approaching 10 million views on YouTube alone! Spoke to My Damn Channel's Rob Barnett about branded entertainment today as well, he gets it and I think he has built a wonderful platforms for brands to do cool stuff, like the IKEA-sponsored web series Easy To Assemble that my company Viking Digital Media has done the interactive and social stuff for. Stay tuned to see more of this in the future. At DMW's and Variety's Future of Film Summit yesterday, it seems like filmmakers are increasingly open to this as well and I think all this will come together nicely in 2010 and bottom line is -more great content for viewers to enjoy.

Tim Burton at MoMA and Pop Surrealism

2009-12-01T00:40:00.001-08:00

We all know Tim Burton for his stylistic movies such as the Corpse Bride pictured above, but for all of you who are as curious as me as to what else he has been up to in his life, there is a great show going on right now at MoMA in NYC. Taking inspiration from popular culture, Burton's work on display include drawings, paintings, photographs, moving image works, concept art, storyboards, puppets, maquettes, costumes, and cinematic ephemera from such films as Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Batman, Mars Attacks!, Ed Wood, and Beetlejuice, and from unrealized and little-known personal projects that reveal his talent as an artist, illustrator, photographer, and writer working in the spirit of Pop Surrealism.

Expand Your Mind With Symphony of Science

2009-11-25T10:56:00.000-08:00

The Symphony of Science is a musical project by John Boswell designed to deliver scientific knowledge and philosophy in musical form. “We Are All Connected” was made from sampling Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, The History Channel’s Universe series, Richard Feynman’s 1983 interviews, Neil deGrasse Tyson’s cosmic sermon, and Bill Nye’s Eyes of Nye Series, plus added visuals from The Elegant Universe (NOVA), Stephen Hawking’s Universe, Cosmos, the Powers of 10, and more. Via Laughing Squid.

Check Out Patrick Boivin's Videos on YouTube

2009-11-23T23:08:00.000-08:00

Patrick Boivin (born 1975) is a self-taught and fiercely independent filmmaker from Canada, who in addition to directing, is often involved in the lighting, editing, animation, special effects and even music in his films. Check out his YouTube channel, which is full of cool stuff. Boivin started his creative career by drawing comic books, and, in his words, “quickly discovered that it was faster to tell a story with video." He cites Tom Waits, Roy Andersson, Federico Fellini, and Paul Thomas Anderson as influences on his style, according to Wikipedia. Check out one of his coolest videos here, in which he turns a series of YouTube-videos into an interactive dance game.

From the Basement - Fantastic Live Music Site

2009-11-05T23:52:00.000-08:00

I have blogged before about the simple beauty of the live performances on U. K. video site The Black Cab Sessions. A huge fan of live music and online video, I was equally happy to see the really cool site that Ted Cohen showed me and Ned today called From the Basement. Recorded at Nigel Godrich’s basement studio (Nigel is a producer who has worked with artists like Radiohead, Beck and Travis), it showcases many similar indie artist, stripped down and in HD. Right now I'm listening/watching PJ Harvey. Girl can sing. White Stripes' performance is also amazing, as well as many of the other ones. Just wish they had an embed button (the video below is pulled from YouTube) so I could pull the videos straight from their site. I always seem to default to YouTubes for my blog when I need to pull something...

Don't miss Stellastarr, Gil Mantera & Grand Buffet

2009-11-01T21:21:00.000-08:00

Three of my favorite live bands are dropping by SoCal in the next month and I highly recommend getting tickets. The first one of the videos below is the best known know - Stellastarr - which plays Spaceland on December 5th. The second one is playing Spaceland as well (November 14th). I have blogged about them before, Gil Mantera's Party Dream, the crazy brothers from Ohio whose over-the-top live shows and updated channeling of 1980s synth-pop à la Tears for Fears is highly, eeh, entertaining? The third one if Grand Buffet, is a hip-hop duo from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (pictured above), which have toured several times with notable artists such as Gil Mantera's Party Dream, Sage Francis, Of Montreal, Cex, Sole, Magnolia Electric Co., Streetlight Manifesto, and the late Wesley Willis. They are playing at the Groove of Anaheim on November 15th.

Hollywood ArtWalk Monday October 26

2009-10-25T19:46:00.000-07:00

Hollywood Artwalk seems like a cool event tomorrow, Oct. 26. If you're in town, check it out. Thanks for the heads-up Nicole @ Fabric Interactive.

Spärhusen - A Swedish Spinal Tap?

2009-10-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

The second episode of Spärhusen, a spinoff from the IKEA sponsored web series Easy To Assemble, is now online. It's a Spinal Tap for the web about the almost great band of Sweden. It features Keanu Reeves and the band can actually play. I took the picture above at the Easy To Assemble premiere the other week.

IKEA, Easy To Assemble and Spärhusen

2009-10-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

Easy to Assemble - Illeana Douglas' web series sponsored by IKEA - is one of the first interactive projects that Erlend Wilhelmsen and I are in charge of under the banner of our new company Viking Digital Media (the official website will be launched next week). Season 2 premiered first week of October and the feedback has been fantastic. OMMA recently called it "one of the most successful branded media projects ever appear online" and this is just the beginning. The spin off web series, Spärhusen, is also getting a lot of attention and features Keanu Reeves as an eclectic record producer. We have many other exciting projects in the works and invite you to take a ride in the viking ship with us to the future of marketing! Check out the videos below.

Jonas Åkerlund's Rammstein Video Too Hot For YouTube

2009-09-22T01:08:00.000-07:00

Swedish Director Jonas Åkerlund has worked with some of the world's biggest stars like Madonna and Metallica and is know for his edgy and stylish touch, but his latest video for German cult-rockers Rammstein's song German Pussy turned out to be a little too much for their record label Universal and they pulled it from YouTube. Now it's hidden behind an age verification wall. Check it out here.

Bid for Warhol's Edward Kennedy

2009-09-21T01:06:00.001-07:00

Kennedy loved his Warhol portrait, and a copy of the print hung in Kennedy’s Senatorial office in Washington D.C. for many years. In remembrance of the late Senator, the print is on currently exhibit at The National Portrait Gallery. Starting bid id $9,500. Check out more great contemporary art pieces on artnet.

District 9 and Visual Effects

2009-09-09T22:53:00.000-07:00

District 9 was the last movie I saw that has amazing visual effects. It's said to represent a new generation of sci-fi movies, made with a fraction of the budget of the big Hollywood movies like Transformers, but still with really advanced visual effects. As computer animation and visual effects programs have become cheaper and cheaper and more user friendly, I can't wait to see what the movies will look like a few years from now. DMW's and Variety's Future of Film Summit will give you a glimpse of what is to come. Until then, enjoy the video below which represents the last 100 years of evolution in terms of visual effects for movies.

Slap Chop Rap Gets Over 5 Million Views - More To The Story

2009-09-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

Many of you have already seem DJ Steve Porter's remix of an infomercial with Vince Offer or "ShamWow Guy," which has logged over 5 million views on YouTube.

But there is more to this video than what meets the eye. Reading Vince Offer's Wikipedia page gives you some background to the life of the "ShamWow Guy": On February 7, 2009, Offer was arrested in Miami Beach, Florida on a charge of felony battery after an altercation with a 26-year-old prostitute. Offer, who appears in police reports under his real name Vince Shlomi, contended that he struck the prostitute when she "bit his tongue and would not let go." Prosecutors later declined to file formal charges against either individual." The success of the viral video above can be explained by the nature of social media and viral gossip, explained well by fellow Swede Walter Naeslund in the following presentation, well worth taking a look at:

Do Social / Never Lie

View more documents from Walter Naeslund.

I Love Vans As Much As Katy Perry Does

2009-09-03T23:11:00.000-07:00

Check out the custom pair of Vans Katy Perry has been sporting lately. Go to Vans.com/customs and check out how to customize your own pair of Vans! Vans are doing everything right, in my humble opinion, keeping true to their brand, great style, easy and stylish web-interface that lets everyone create a custom pair of shoes, upload artwork, interact and even find skate-parks in their area. Success!

The Founder of "New Age" Music?

2009-09-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

ISOS is one of the original founders of "New Age" music according to his website, which he describes is targeted to those who "cherish Beauty and prefer Love, Happiness, & Ecstasy." Is this guy is the real deal? Check out that smile, the jacket, the piece of art pinned up on the wall - someone cast him in a web-tv show already! I'll write the script. I promise it will be better than Love Guru, which is not saying much, but still.

Is Social Media the New Punk Rock?

2009-08-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

The stylish video below compares social media to punk rock. It's an interesting analogy, but I agree to with one of the comments on the YouTube clip which goes as follows: "Social Media is more Hip Hop than punk, because it has evolved from its early rap roots it is changing but still harks back to older forms of communication or 'samples'. Either way comparing Social Media to punk, Hip Hop or any other musical genre just sounds a bit wanky to me and for the sake of videos like this Social Media is fast becoming just another fucking ace marketing tool." But music genres aside, I think the real lesson in comparing the two is that what we're really talking about is authenticity and the ability to listen to, and acknowledge, your audience. I think that there is nothing wrong with marketing, as long as it's done right, but it so often isn't, which is why punks and other rebelled against it. Social media has actually made it possible for big media companies and other businesses, and even governments, to become more "real" and actually participate in a conversation and listen. But if they try to use social media like mass-media to do in-you-face branding and push product, then they're missing the point and the opportunity becomes a threat. So listen up. BTW, I'm born 1976, so I missed the boat on the punk movement. But I'm really into Hip Hop. Check out some of my earlier posts for Hip Hop artists successfully using social media to communicate with their audience and build up a community of fans.

Rymdreglage's Stop-Motion Lego Animation Impresses

2009-08-23T17:48:00.000-07:00

“8-Bit Trip” is an amazing stop-motion lego animation by the Swedish band Rymdreglage that pays tribute to classic video games. It's an impressive piece of geek-art! Via Laughing Squid.

New Boyz: Nerds are Now the Cool Kids

2009-08-23T00:42:00.000-07:00

There is a nerdy urban fashion movement in LA, which I really like. Baggy and gangster is out, skinny jeans and color is in. Check out the two videos below, Jerkin is more than just music and dancing, it is a fashion focused movement as well. Met these kids in the park today when I was walking the doggie..

Felix da Housecat and Kid Cudi

2009-08-22T23:31:00.000-07:00

Terry McBride (Nettwerk) just Facebooked the very cool new video from Felix da Housecat below. Living in Chicago as an up and coming graffiti artist, Felix was perfectly located to develop a keen interest in the emergent House music scene, which found its hub in Chicago. Felix is regarded as a member of the second wave of Chicago house. He entered the dance music elite not only via his recordings (under a number of aliases, including Thee Maddkatt Courtship, Aphrohead and Sharkimaxx), but also for his ownership of Radikal Fear Records, one of the premiere Chicago labels of the 1990s. In 2009 Felix released He Was King, via Nettwerk Records. The album pays homage to artist like Prince and is heavily steeped in the elctrohouse touchstones Felix is known for.Felix Da Housecat - We All Wanna Be Prince
When it comes to up-and-coming artists, check out the Cleveland rapper Kid Cudi, which Rolling Stone Magazine recently gave good reviews with a killer sing-song flow got a major boost at South by Southwest, where he showed up higher-billed acts like Chromeo and Kid Sister. Check him out in the video below featuring Kanye.Kid Cudi - "Make Her Say" (feat. Kanye West & Common)

Alive in Joburg - The short that Inspired District 9

2009-08-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

Neill Blomkamp, the Director of District 9, looks back on District 9 and reveals his future with Halo in this interview with Creativity. The director had launched into the project after spending nearly half a year trying to bring the popular Halo franchise to the big screen with producer Peter Jackson, only to be booted off the project by the film studios. Now it looks like the young talent's naysayers should be eating huge heaps of humble pie. D9 crushed the competitors at the box office, earning $37 million during its opening weekend and drawing raves from the critics, some who have even called it the next "sci-fi classic." Just check out the short that inspired the movie, so innovative and visionary!

The Norwegian five step program - an Arts video

2009-08-19T21:04:00.000-07:00

Moods of Norway has been doing the hibbedy-dibbedy on the international fashion dance floor for 6 years now, the philosophy is still the same even though the Norwegian oil price is as flexible as an Bulgarian gymnast after 14 tequila shots. Their main goal, besides making their grandmas happy, is to make happy clothes for happy people around the world, according to their blog.

One iPhone Case + One App To Buy This Week

2009-08-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

This is the next case I'm getting for the iPhone, 12 bucks and ultra slim. Also, I downloaded the iLike Challenge over the weekend, it's a new app that let's you play "name that song" against another player. Doesn't sound like much fun perhaps, but it's pretty fun. Check it out here. I think it's $3.99 at the app store.

Interns at Crispin Porter + Bogusky Had a Fun Summer

2009-08-16T16:58:00.000-07:00

The ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Miami has a creative way to pay for their interns, while making it a prestigious gig - make clients bid for their services. Winning bid this summer - $17,655! The interns produced this hilarious video, proving that they can do much more than fetch coffee and have fun too!

Sunset Junction Street Fair August 22 & 23

2009-08-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

Success! After nearly a year of grueling and dramatic meetings between Sunset Junction Festival organizers, the city and local neighbors and businesses, the festival will now go on as planned! The organizers had been fighting local residents and business, which have now been provided free wristbands among other things and the area is a little smaller than last year. See you there!

Missing Out On iPhoneDevCamp This Week

2009-08-04T03:11:00.000-07:00

I was invited to attend iPhoneDevCamp 3 this week at Yahoo! Headquarters in Sunnyvale, CA, but could not make it, since I'm in Sweden right now. David Newman has been drawing some really awesome Japanese brushpen ink sketches featuring developers at the Camp (thanks to Laughing Squid for making me see them), which really makes me want to go next year. BTW he sketched the Dan White trial in 1979. Dan White is the former San Francisco Supervisor who assassinated Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978 (see below). See the movie! iPhoneDevCamp sponsors this year include Yahoo!, Medialets, DollarApp, Small
Society, iPhone in Action by Manning, PayPal, AppSpace (ZAGG),
Twittelator Pro, Mobclix, Blinksale, iPhone Life, Pinch Media, Wirefly
(Simplexity), Urban Airship, Sugarcube, iLime, Greystripe, Tadow!, EZ-
Tracks, Offerpal Media, DeviceAnywhere, Push.IO, Appcelerator,
Fastmac, Belkin, SiK, AdMob, Tapulous, and Tapjoy.

Wow - Street Art Comes Alive in Luke Jackson's New Music Video

2009-07-22T23:14:00.000-07:00

Wow, great song and a fantastic music video from Canada’s next biggest and brightest star, Luke Jackson. His new album has "Beatles-esque poppiness, unpredictable and catchy key changes, and a big, sentimental sound that drives an exceptional, distinctive style," as one review reads.
Luke Jackson: Goodbye London

Watch Coldplay's New Strawberry Swing video

2009-07-22T00:15:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, they don't allow you to embed it :-( but here's a link to where you can watch it on Coldplay's website. Although the label/band did not allow it to go viral, safe to say, it's pretty cool stuff created by visual artists Shynola. The film will be shown at ODEON cinemas across the UK from July 22nd, where it will be programmed in front of both Bruno and The Proposal.

Music Video Featuring a Montage of Fan’s Webcam Videos

2009-07-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

The music video for “Hibi no Neiro” by Sour from their Water Flavor EP features a clever montage of webcam videos of their fans from around the world. Great way to both interact and engage with fans and use of new technology. I don't know if I particularly dig the music, but apparently lots of other people do. Via Laughingsquid.

Buzz Watch: My Mother's Red Hat w/Alicia Silverstone & Alanis Morissette

2009-07-17T23:26:00.000-07:00

For all of you who thought that Funny or Die would die after Obama was elected President and all the political videos lost momentum, check out this parody of an indie movie starring Alicia Silverstone & Alanis Morissette. Right on.

My Mother's Red Hat w/Alicia Silverstone & Alanis Morissette from Alicia Silverstone

Exclusive Video of Michael Jackson's Hair On Fire in 1984 Pepsi Commercial

2009-07-15T15:17:00.001-07:00

Usmagazine.com has exclusive, never-before-seen footage of Michael Jackson's Pepsi commercial accident, filmed in L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium on Jan. 27, 1984 (embedded above). On the sixth take, things went horribly wrong: The fireworks erupted too early, igniting Jackson's head in flames. Jackson is at first unaware he's on fire, and continues dancing. The resulting burns are, supposedly, what started his addiction to pain-killers. Talk about a video that will go viral. Poor guy.

Latte Art and Russian baristas

2009-07-13T20:05:00.000-07:00

Latte Art is a style of pouring steamed milk into a shot of espresso that creates a pattern or design on the surface of the resulting latte. It can also be created or embellished by simply “drawing” in the top layer of foam, according to Wikipedia. Latte art is growing in popularity and now even Russian baristas can show their skills at pouring milk in a creative way, making designs on the tops of coffee drinks.

Canadians Find It Hip To Be Square In Social Media

2009-07-12T23:11:00.000-07:00

The Nissan Cube has a, well, different appeal than many other cars on the market. In fact, it's not even branded as a car, but a "Mobile Device". So Nissan gave the green light for an innovative marketing campaign in Canada. They solicited entries about how to personify the car and spread the word about it from anyone who self-identified as “creative, hip, interesting or unique, including musicians, DJs, dancers, programmers, designers, bloggers, podcasters, poets, writers, storytellers and artists.” Entrants were narrowed down to 500 finalists, who used both online content and real-world chutzpah to muscle their way to the top 50 in order to win a car. That's right, they gave away 50 cars to the winner (which is smart marketing in itself, because there trendsetters will likely continue to spread the word)! The campaign began with a Twitter announcement and spread via word of mouth, nobody got to borrow a free car, and no “missions” were required. Read more in this Wired article and check out the car here.

Cool Retro iPhone Cover and Lenses

2009-07-07T12:09:00.001-07:00

Check out this iPhone case from Factron that lets you attach a Fisheye lens to your iPhone Camera and give it a retro look. Makes sense for the new 3G S, bet you can shoot some cool video with the fisheye. There are also other lenses available including a Superwide lens and a Zoom lens, the case is available for about $200 and the lens are available from between $18 and $55.

She Wants Revenge at The Echo on Thursday

2009-07-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are staying in town over Independence Day weekend, don't miss She Wants Revenge at The Echo. I'm going to try to make it for sure!

Check Out Theresa Andersson - she'll make you smile

2009-06-30T23:07:00.000-07:00

Theresa Andersson (born 1972, Gotland, Sweden) is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who has has performed and recorded with several well known New Orleans Musicians, including Allen Toussaint, The Neville Brothers, The Meters and Betty Harris. Theresa’s idea for her most recent release was borne while touring Sweden, when she met with producer Tobias Froberg. With little prodding, like-minded Tobias flew to New Orleans in the fall of 2007, where the two recorded Hummingbird, Go! in Theresa’s kitchen. Theresa played most of the instruments on the album, with exception on two duets: one with New Orleans producer Allen Toussaint, and the other with Norwegian Singer Ane Brun. The album was mixed by Linus Larsson (Peter, Bjorn and John, Mercury Rev). Source: Wikipedia. Also check out this video podcast of her live performance on KCRW. Below a recent appearance on COB.

Buzz Watch: Carousel by Tribal DDB and Stink Digital for Philips

2009-06-29T22:08:00.000-07:00

Congrats to fellow Swede Adam Berg who directed this amazing commercial "Carousel", which won the Grand Prix at Cannes, and to Philips for making it possible. This is part of a new new interactive campaign promotes Philips’ latest entrant into the television market, the CINEMA 21:9. This is truly video art!

Michael Jackson is Dead - What Really Happened?

2009-06-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, died in Los Angeles at the age of 50 on Thursday afternoon, after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest, reports in LA Times and elsewhere say. A city official confirmed his death. Call him a freak if you want, but he was a great artist and a modern legend. The circumstances of Jackson’s death remain unclear. Law enforcement sources said to the LA Times that Los Angeles Police Department robbery-homicide detectives have opened an investigation into the death, though they stressed that there is no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

Cirque Berzerk Is Open!

2009-06-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

Cirque Berzerk just opened downtown in the Los Angeles State Historic Park. A friend of mine who saw the show on Sunday described it on Facebook as "cirque de soleil w burning man theme". Can't beat that! They also have a cirque-themed bar down there "Berzerk Lounge" where there is an afterparty with the entire troupe while Vaud and the Villains perform live music, so if you're not afraid of clowns, what are you waiting for? Oh yeah, there'a a pre-party too, they invite people to come early to the park and bring a picnic basket and dine al fresco. If you left the dinner at home, their kitchen and bar are fully stocked...

Feed The Horse - Fagget Fairys

2009-06-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

Chick With Guns make fantastic women's wear. They have a good blog too you can check out here. I heard a really cool song on their website and decided to check it out. It's by a Danish band called Fagget Fairys (recently released an album) and the song is Feed The Horse from 2008. Fantastic video too it turns out (check out below).

Mindshare Tonight at The Firehouse!

2009-06-18T15:42:00.001-07:00

Mindshare, June 18th. Topics include:

Jessica Jackley / Founder, KIVA
Microloans to Change the World

Geoffrey Sommer / Aviator & Risk Analyst
Keeping Calm When The Killer Comet Cometh

Ariel Blumenthal / Composer, Founder Sentient Music for Media
Music Environment as a Design Element

Dr. Alex Benzer / Author, Tao of Dating for Women, Tao of Dating For Men
Why Do Smart People Have a Difficult Time Dating?

Jason Porath / DreamWorks Animation
A Short History of Hollywood's Genitalia Coverups

Unfortunately already sold out, in case you didn't get your tickets in time. But if you did, see you there!

Shepard Fairey paints at Studio No. 2 in Los Angeles.

2009-06-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

Arkitip is a hand numbered 4/color art book. The fact that the magazine publishes site specific work at a lower price point than what hangs on gallery walls makes it available to art collectors of all economic levels. Each issue is like an original piece of art in and of itself. The magazine's founding principles remain as they were when we began:

* Support the arts
* Promote freedom of expression
* Make art affordable and accessible

The following is a video of Shepard Fairey creating art, which was created to accompany the latest issue.

Buzz Watch: BMW Art of Driving

2009-06-14T02:35:00.000-07:00

BMW launched a neat new advertising campaign, Art of Driving, earlier this year using a BMW Z4 Roadster as a paintbrush on a canvas the size of a football field. The campaign builds on the historical association BMW has developed with cars painted by artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. BMW has a long tradition of iconic Art Cars designed by artists Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Rauschenberg. The Art Cars are part of an ongoing effort for BMW to enlist artists to use the cars as their canvasses. But it seems BMW still has a thing or two to learn about viral marketing. Several of the YouTube videos I found online were not working anymore, they had been removed, probably flagged by BMW, who wanted people to go to their site to see them. However, found the following video, which, for now, seem to still be working...

The Ting Tings are coming to Club Nokia...dance paaaartay!

2009-06-11T20:43:00.000-07:00

Get your pre-sale tickets for The Ting Tings live tomorrow Friday, through Club Nokia, click here and use password "TINGTING" and you can get tickets before they are released to the public on Saturday. This is one you don't want to miss (unless you'll see them on tour with Pink later). Bummed I'll be in Europe on August 4th, but at least you can take advantage of this offer. Check out there cool video below:
The Ting Tings - Shut Up And Let Me Go

The Beatles on Rock Band - A New Generation Get To Live The Dream

2009-06-08T00:45:00.000-07:00

The Beatles on Rock Band is scheduled for release in September 2009. Pete Candeland of Passion Pictures, who does the animation work for Gorillaz, created an truly fantastic opening cinematic for the game (Thanks Laughing Squid for posting it), which is the big thing on the net today. Below is a video of Microsoft's recent E3 party, where they packed the top floors of The Standard in downtown LA with their best games and a bunch of gamers. The entire thing was topped off with The Beatles Rock Band set up on a rooftop stage. Via Kotako. It's cool to see how well The Beatles translates to new media. Shows that good music is always good music (and good business is good business).

Buzz Watch: $108,880 iPhone Shells

2009-05-31T00:55:00.000-07:00

German label GnG has created a luxury phone cover that is comprised of 18-carat gold and then filled with 200 diamonds. On top of that there are a staggering 400 more diamonds on the customizable logo itself. So tacky, it's almost cool. Who would possibly want to been seen with one of these, except for some oil sheik or Michael Jackson...

Regarding Jorge Colombo's New Yorker iPhone app cover

2009-05-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm not that excited to see an old media property recognizing that you can create art using other methods than paint on canvas, but there is an interesting irony in that it might just recognize the greatness of the medium that is eventually going to kill its print edition. If you check out the video below, you can see that Jorge Colombo can use the iPhone app to display that as he draws a picture, he is at the same time telling a story, and he is hoping to build suspense as he builds up layers of color and shape, something you can never do with old media... BTW he is part of the cool 20x200 art project, leveraging Internet and limited edition paintings.

Mindshare LA May 21st - Good Times!

2009-05-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

Mindshare yesterday was lots of fun, getting a good rep now, kinda like a mini-TED downtown. Check out this cool social media mirror from the Mindshare Labs website:

Like the Idea - But Not The Design

2009-05-20T14:07:00.000-07:00

Apple emailed me a promo of this today, among other things. I'd like to have a wallet/case combo, it's practical, but please, less Moulin Rouge! (Sena WalletBook Case, 49.99 Apple Store)

Engrave your iPod and iPhone

2009-05-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

Apple now allows you to personalize your iPhone/iPod with engraving text on the back. A no-brainer, wish they just made the engraving a little more artsy, know what I mean? Apple usually do design better then most, so I'm a little disappointed they didn't take this opportunity to do something more.

Kid Zoom - Australian Low-Brow Art Dirtbag

2009-05-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

I wish I was in Sidney, Australia, this week to see the really cool art show that Kid Zoom is part of. Fortunately, he has a lot of great pics on his website, including some from his artist loft. And BTW, he has a taste for irony, if you didn't pick that up. The title of his website is actually "Kid Zoom - Australian Low-Brow Art Dirtbag"

Kevin Rose digs the foursquare iPhone app

2009-05-17T22:23:00.000-07:00

Smart use of badges and a game-like rewards system, which I'm a big believer in (as an Event Director for Games Conferences would be expected too...) Check it out here. BTW - Random is a great geeky show for digital media professionals and social media marketers, but it won't have the broad appeal of Diggnation.

Ze Frank on Outsourcing

2009-05-17T22:07:00.000-07:00

Ze Frank is back with a new video series “Hard Times”. In the video embedded above, he experiments with outsourcing his jokes, perhaps inspired by Tim Farriss' 4 hour work week blog... Via Laughing Squid. If you have ever delt with outsourcing IT services, this is seriously funny.

Pimp Your iPhone with ColorWare

2009-05-14T23:45:00.001-07:00

For those of you not happy with cases and stickers, ColorWare is offering a paint solution that allows you to change the color of the backside, frame, button and earbuds of your iPhone 3G. You can choose from a range of solid and metallic colors that are available of Colorware's website. The backside paint job costs $150 and the frame, button and earbuds paint jobs cost $20, $10 and $10 respectively. Pretty pricey, but the result is slick, don't you think? Via SmartPDA.

Mindshare May 21st

2009-05-14T23:09:00.000-07:00

Don't miss Mindshare, one of the coolest events in LA right now. The next one is Thursday, May 21st. Here's the agenda:

William Pomerantz / Senior Director of Space Projects, The X PRIZE Foundation

Winning Our Way to the Moon

Heather Knight / Roboticist, MIT Media Lab

Social Robotics - Exploring the Human-Robot Relationships

David de Rothschild / Founder, Adventure Ecology

The Plastiki - Rethinking Plastic as a Resource!

Daniel Yoder / Hacker, Zeraweb Labs

Flash Fundraising for The Abruzzo Earthquake

Unnamed Military Source / US Air Force

Apocalypse Survival (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Breakdown of Society)

Evonne Heyning & Matt Davis / Lightning Temple Artists

INTERACTIVATION: Collaborative Visions of Human Evolution

And of course there will be and open bar, hors d'ouevres, music and a number of installations on display from the great brains from Mindshare Labs!

Billboard Chess

2009-05-12T12:00:00.001-07:00

This is both funny and clever billboard advertising. A local BMW dealer uses a billboard in responding to a national Audi ad. Audi’s 2009 A4 ad on the left side of the street says “Your move, BMW.” Santa Monica BMW comes back with an M3 ad across the street that says “Checkmate.” Via 37 Signals.

The Fly

2009-05-10T15:02:00.001-07:00

Featured Artist: Marissa Tamari. The fly ($500) sold out a limited edition of 10 prints, but check out what is still available here.

Steve Lambert On Advertising and Public Space

2009-05-07T23:23:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know that I like the intersection of art and technology and business. Steve Lambert is an artist that works with advertising and public space. The video below features a short walkthrough of his show “Everything You Want - Right Now!” at Charlie James Gallery in Los Angeles’ Chinatown which runs through June 6th. Also check out illegalbillboards.org. Via Laughing Squid.

Joshua Petker

2009-05-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

Hollywood-based artist Joshua Petker goes from graffiti to fine art using acrylic paint, ink, paint pens, glitter or nail polish. His next show is in October at the Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles.

Damien Jurado at Spaceland tonight!

2009-05-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

Damien Jurado, one of my favorite singer/songwriters, is playing at Spaceland tonight at 11PM! His latest video is a little creepy, but beautiful, and the song is fantastic.

Don't Miss The LA Games Conference

2009-04-27T16:47:00.001-07:00

LA Games Conference starts tomorrow April 28th. Our whole team has been hard at work putting this event together and I think it will show. The picture above is a T-shirt print created for the conference by Urban Spirit. Good job on this one Dee!

Facebook Status Art

2009-04-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

How's this for an original idea for art? Stacey Williams-Ng is an artist who makes oil paintings inspired by her friends’ Facebook updates. The image above for example. Stacey Williams-Ng painted after reading a status that said simply, “Tony R. could’ve died a superhero but instead he lived to become the villain.” Don't you want to be friends with her? That would certainly challenge you to put something more creative on your status update than "Tony R. is happy it's Friday." Via Trendhunter Magazine.

Buzz Watch: Honda Insight

2009-04-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

I'm a big believer in branded entertainment and sponsored content as the future of interactive advertising and marketing. While advertising agencies have been doing cool commercials like the one embedded above for a long time, the Internet facilitates the commercials to spread virally, allow "the making of" videos as well as allow the piece of creative to act as a starting point for conversation about the brand.

Bienvenidos A La Mission

2009-04-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

Homegrown Peter Bratt directs his brother Benjamin Bratt playing an ex-con still reforming pieces of his life in one of San Francisco's most beloved districts. Classic lowriders and handlebar mustaches fill the big screen with wonder and compassion. This is the opening film for the San Francisco International Film Festival. Via SF Appeal.

In Four Days - Coachella!

2009-04-13T01:24:00.001-07:00

In just four days it's that time again - the awesome Coachella music festival takes place in the desert not far from Palm Springs. Yes, Amy Winehouse cancelled, but the lineup is still stellar. The festival is also going high-tech this year with an iPhone app and a live webcast powered by AT&T. I hope I can make it there this year, but we'll see... It's Coachella or Burning Man as far as desert events go for me in 2009.

Front Sight - A Reality Series?

2009-04-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

Front Sight is profiled in four episodes of Americana, the VBS.TV show about American culture. It's a firearms training institute in the vicious heat of the Nevada desert, where you can learn how to shoot a Glock handgun better, faster, and with more accuracy than probably anybody you know. The questions is, why is the American culture so closely tied to firearms and do you really need those skills? Does it really have anything to do with freedom? For a European, this kind of facility seems a little wacko. But at the same time interesting and it would make a fun field-trip. Front Sight is now also starting a TV/Web reality series, can't wait to see what that would be like, sounds dangerous if you ask me...

PimpStar

2009-04-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

I love it when art and technology come together - especially to create pimped-out wheels. This cheesy 80's lookin' video seals the deal. "With the PimpStar's built-in full color LED lights, microprocessor and wireless modem, you can display virtually any image, including text, graphics, logos, and even digital photos! The included software allows you to create your own images and send them to each wheel individually or all wheels at the same time as you drive! You can even pre-load up to six images into each wheel and program them to change automatically at the time intervals you select." Starting at ~$12K at CustomWheel.com. Via Advertising Lab.

Nerd-Kultur

2009-04-05T23:42:00.000-07:00

You don't need to understand German to enjoy this piece. It's awesome. Thanks for sending Irina.

Big Art For Everyone!

2009-03-31T15:27:00.000-07:00

My favorite progressive SF contemporary art gallery SOMA has an open call for submissions to their new "big art" show. All prints $69! BIG WALL GRAPHICS are printed with eco-solvent digital inks on state-of-the-art self-adhesive fabric paper, with fibers actually woven between the matte presentation layer and the repositionable adhesive substrate. The result is a final product that is both gorgeous AND durable. BIG WALL GRAPHICS can be stuck on any surface and re-positioned countless times, while still retaining adhesion without leaving a residue. It's basically big stickers!

Will Dante's Inferno Be Any Better Then Tomb Raider?

2009-03-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

Today, EA and Starz Media’s Film Roman announced the production of a feature-length animated movie based on epic poem Dante’s Inferno – one that will expand on the story told in the game of the same name being released by EA in 2010. Co-produced by EA and Film Roman, the movie will feature animation from different studios to depict each of the nine circles of Hell. Starz Media’s Anchor Bay Entertainment will hold exclusive worldwide home entertainment distribution rights to the movie, with Starz Media’s Worldwide Distribution group handling international television and domestic syndication sales and Starz Digital Media responsible for global digital distribution. The trailer sure looks cool.

Making Art and Shining Some Light On Homelessness

2009-03-23T23:20:00.000-07:00

This is a good example of how you can use art and technology to create awareness of a social problem. Local filmmakers projected video of a street scene on a homeless man in Dusseldorf, Germany, making him appear transparent. I can relate to this, especially since I'm in San Francicso this week and there are just so many homeless people here that it is impossible not to be affected by their presence, still most people pretend to ignore them. Via Laughing Squid.

Curious About How They Designed Alien Genitalia in the Star Trek Movie?

2009-03-19T10:05:00.001-07:00

If you want to make it a full night of art inspiration and culture, first hit Getto Gloss gallery for the show described in the post below and then Mindshare downtown. The line-up for the latter is as follows:

Neville Page / Character Designer (Watchmen, Star Trek, Cloverfield)
Designing Alien Genitalia

Jose Caballer / CEO and Executive Creative Director, The Groop
Rebranding the Republican Party: Bringing ‘Cool’ to the Right Wing

Lindsey Richardson / Marketing Specialist, S Factor
Fitness through Poledancing

David Markoff / World Renowned “Memory Man”
Hacking Your Memory: Unleashing Memory Reserves in Daily Life

Gregory Ferenstein / Organizational Psychology Researcher, UCI
Decentralizing Organization: From Economics to Capoeira

DOORS ARE AT 7PM, PRESENTATIONS WILL START AN HOUR EARLIER AT 8:30PM
Address: 1018 S Santa Fe Ave, LA, CA, 90021

Get Some Ghetto Gloss Tonight!

2009-03-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

Check out some cool new paintings tonight by my buddies Jeremy Bernstein and Morgan Kelly, as well as J.J. Villard, Tim Lamb, John Chiu, Samir Rahimi, Adam Greene, Tony Ortiz, and Jimmy Thompson. The show runs from March 19th to April 1st. 2380 Glendale Blvd. Doors open at 7PM.

Trendhunter's 64 Outrageous Skins, Prints and Object Wraps

2009-03-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

Gadget tattoos, hence custom design etches on computers and cellphones, are slick alternatives to stickers. It is just one example of what's on a very interesting list of skins, prints and objects which Trendhunter.com recently posted. Check out the whole list here.

Forget the skins from AT&T and Speck - Go with Infectious.com

2009-03-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

So you finally got your hands on an iPhone? Congrats. Now make it your own, inside and out. Forget about the boring skins and cases you can get in the Apple store or at the AT&T store. Check out the website Infectious.com. They have what you need.

Coming Soon: The Grateful Dead iPhone App

2009-03-05T00:04:00.000-08:00

San Francisco-based rock photographer Jay Blakesberg goes web 2.0 with a little help from Mosaic Legends, a digital media company. Together they have created a cool interactive electronic book of the Grateful Dead. Available exclusively at the Apple iTunes App Store, this eBook utilizes over four hundred photographs and original text to create a content rich experience.
“Working with this project has given me the opportunity to share my photographs with Deadheads in a whole new ground breaking way,” says Blakesberg. “I’m looking forward to opening my archive to Mosaic Legends so they can continue to create new and entertaining Apps of the many artists I’ve had the opportunity to photograph.”

Take that, Flickr!

Buzz Watch: “Latin Revenge”

2009-03-02T16:01:00.000-08:00

Oakland based mc Azeem ascends the New Mission Cinema marque, in the new “Latin Revenge” music video off of his album Air Cartoons. Reportedly, the animated video was created by shooting thousands of photos in San Francisco’s Mission District and animating them in After Effects. Another great example of what I call "video-game cinematics," leveraging the look and feel of a video game, supposedly a great way to speak to the Millennial generation. (Via Laughing Squid)

A BASE Jump World Record

2009-02-24T21:43:00.000-08:00

The Burj Dubai - a crazy-high skyscraper under construction in the United Arab Emirates, reaches 2,684 feet over the sea. This makes it the tallest man-made structure ever built. In May of 2008, a crazy Brit, Robin Schmidt, and his French buddy, Jan Bednarz, climbed all the way up the unfinished building and completed an (illegal) jump each. Watch them tell the story of their world-record jump and see the incredible footage in the video embedded above. Their jump is pure art to my eyes. Wow. (Via Laughing Squid).