itself it speaks

the answers

What the flip? I just found clips that show Sleigh Bells with Die Antwoord. That concert would've been SICK! What perplexes me is why didn't I go to this? This was in the city, around $15 and I think maybe the first tour Die Antwoord and Sleigh Bells were doing... o the follies of youth.

Sleigh Bells & Die Antwoord from NOW Magazine on Vimeo.

Sources: www.vimeo.com

them girls

Alright, so I gotta admit that I love Florence + the Machines with their song The Dog Days Are Over. It's just so darned catchy. I don't usually watch sappy girl dramas (like Grey's Anatomy and such) and it pains me that they're such a good source of indie music. For some reason it's the age of female-led bands and boy is it awesome. Here are two.

Sleigh Bells "Infinity Guitars" from Phil Pinto on Vimeo.

Don McLean vs Florence + The Machine - American Days Are Over (mashup) from Reborn Identity on Vimeo.

Nothing To Fear from Simon Russell on Vimeo.

I threw in the "Nothing to Fear" for the fun of it. Reminds me a bit of the dystopian societies we read about in high school. The 1984s, Handmaid's Tale, Brave New World etc.

Sources: www.vimeo.com, www.thecuriousbrain.com

Sweet Heart Street Art

There are no apparent meanings to the titles of these entries if you haven't noticed by now. They're usually just alliterations that sometimes point to the content of the posts being provided.

So Christmas time is almost here and as my thoughts drift regularly to my blanket I'm reminded of the staggering cold that confronts the people living outdoors. I have contemplated the idea of living outdoors, free from a roof impeding my view of the night sky but the harsh winters leave me wanting anything but. There are others out there who do not choose their homeless predicaments, but are forced upon them. The livelihood of these people are dependent on encounters of chance offers of food, shelter, clothing or money.

The art of Michael Aaron Williams reminds me of these fortuitous chance encounters. His subject matter is homelessness; his art is homeless. His pieces linger in temporal fragility, waiting for destruction. They beg to be claimed and brought into a house that welcome them.

From his website:

"Some of the pieces I create are made for a gallery and some for the street in which the placement is necessary to add to the thematic meaning of the piece. Making something that has its own natural lifespan is very interesting to me. Because the paintings are of people on the street I also put them on the street where they are exposed to that which can destroy them. I want the pieces to have hope, so I dont glue them to the wall I simply tape them so that the viewer can take them down and hopefully take them home. So when the pictures are left up and if no one takes them they will cease to exist. They will be destroyed and blown away in the wind or other forces that will rip them down and throw them away. However, when people take home the pieces from the street. It is symbolic of how Christ has saved me. Without Him I would still be on the street. I would still be exposed to the wind, rain, and people that would tear me down. So, the meaning of the pieces on the street is not found in the pieces themselves. Rather, what the pieces are exposed to and see. What they experience and where they will end up, on the streets or in the hands of someone who has taken them home and put them up on there wall, as a prize and as a wanted piece of there home."

It's funny how easy it is to give worth to things/people/objects if we just take a little time to look.

You can take a look at the interview done of him here.

Sources: http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/homeless-street-art-10-pieces, http://www.michaelaaronart.com/michaelaaronart.com/The_Artwork/Pages/street_art.html

Chicken a la King

I love the animation on this vid. It reminds me of another off-the-wall yellow protagonist named Sponge Bob Square Pants but a little more adult themed. If you're offended by chicken breasts and other anatomical features I would advise to skip over this one. But lemme tell you that you'd be missing on some crazy nice watercolour backgrounds. If you're one for psychedelic colour explosions, pirate ships and space exploration then click play already!

Seymour Bits - Put It Back Down from magnetron music on Vimeo.

Sources: http://www.cluttermagazine.com/news/seymour-bits-put-it-back-down

freelance whales and mia riddle

After a little break from the concert scene, I got the chance to head to El Mocambo with a couple friends to enjoy a good ol' indie rock-out. I never thought of myself as a hipster, and I still don't really think of myself as one. The old clothes I wear, the music I listen to, I adhere to because I'm trying to be as thrifty as possible. I love the fact that with indie music and artists you don't need to bust the bank to listen to some really extravagant stuff. You can download a bunch of their music for free (legally) and they're just so grateful for you showing up to their gigs.

So Tuesday night we get into the ElMo just in time to stumble in on a wicked band headed up by a nice looking girl named Mia Riddle. That girl had stage presence, a few times I thought that she'd shed a tear, she was so into the music. The funniest part of the set by far was the drummer. I don't know if they didn't have a high enough seat for him (he was a pretty tall guy) but he was hunched over the drums throughout the whole thing. Now that I sit here listening to their myspace stuff I can say that they were much much much better live (and they're not half bad on myspace).

Then there was the Freelance whales, and they were whoa. You know how in most bands there's a guitarist, drummer, a bassist and a singer? They had those roles in Freelance Whales, 'cept they were freeflowing and changing. I wouldn't be stretching if I said everyone in that band could play the instrument of any other person. They have a great digital sound, interspersed with very innocent overtones and they got some interesting tones. There was one set where the guitarist took a violin bow to his guitar and made a sound that I can only describe as whale-esque.

Anyways that's more writing than I've done in a LONG time so take a listen to these folk. Mia Riddle and those Freelance Whales.

Picture sources: http://www.aheartisaspade.com/2010/11/08/freelance-whales-visit-wxpn/, http://www.sharkpartymedia.com/

rough and tumbleweeds

Just some awesome vids. A Manimal making it in the the wilds of human society and a couple've humans conquering the natural world. What ties these videos together? Wicked sequences on bicycles.

Meet Buck from TeamCerf on Vimeo.

FRAMED-Andi Wittmann Rider profile from Felix Urbauer on Vimeo.

the elegant machine

SHIRO Cheers System from HN on Vimeo.

I love videos that feature ultraly convoluted pieces of mechanically engineered masterworks made to do nothing except to entertain and waste time until it ends with spectacular triumphant product placement and lemme tell you this video delivers in spades! The thing that takes the cake is that this video has nicely clothed girls, enjoying alcohol (sans male counterparts) accompanied with She and Him's "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here". I love this classy advertising, not having to sex up the players in the scene with scanty clothing or red hot lips. I love the choice of using white in these shots and playing with the amount of light to create different levels of varying colour. I love the explanation that's tagged to the video on youtube:

This is a promotion movie of a Shochu, "Shiro" by Takahashi shuzo.
http://cheers-system.jp/

When we say "Cheer!", the happiness is born between two people.
And it spreads to others like a chain reaction and grows bigger and bigger.
We hope the Japanese Shochu "SHIRO" can bring people bit closer and happy by making them "Cheers!".

If you feel like to say "Cheers!" with friends even a little after watching this movie, we are pleasure to hear so.

With nothing left to say let's end with this: Cheers friends!

Sources: http://blog.rainbowhill.com.au/2010/07/shiro-cheers-system.html, http://www.booooooom.com/, http://www.youtube.com/

Elementary My Dear, Elementary

You know you've made a splash in the world when one name isn't enough for you. May I present to you the man with the many monikers Mr. Stephane Massa-Bidal aka Hulk4598 aka retrofutur. The coolest part about this guy is that he's a graduated chemist, but you wouldn't know it looking at his works. He mixes-n-matches old-school and new-school photos throwing in text and visuals in a way that makes you nostalgic of the past but firm in the present.

As you can see with this Elements album he still draws inspiration from his chemistry background. Science and art, old and new, I love it when people draw two poles of a spectrum together. That is harmony. You can see more of his work right here.

O yea! Check out his interview!

Source: http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blog/list?user=2udpd7cec1v2w

More Elevation Ruminations

Alright kiddies, I got two vids to show off. Both to do with more flying. One of flying kites, one of flying fists. I'll let you figure out which is which.

Since I have the time I guess I could give a synopsis of both. How to fly a kite is about a guy who wants to start his own cult, but finds himself his only supporter. Stupid People is a music video 'bout imagination and the interplay of boys and girls. Enjoy.

How To Fly A Kite from Paul Trillo on Vimeo.

Dirty Deeds - Stupid People from Flying V on Vimeo.

Sources: http://thecuriousbrain.com/

Let's Fly Away

Check these flights of fancy out. Maia Flore and her Sleep Elevations. Take a peek right here.

Source: http://www.sweet-station.com/blog/