xx – A Sculpture of the Album

This is an exhibit from the creators project by Saam Farahmand. Apparently each sculpture is suposed to represent a member of the band the xx, with a screen and a speaker inside of it. With the room blacked out, lights shine in rhythm with the music of the self-titled album to create a sort of inside the album effect. I wasn’t there, but I read about the exhibit on one of my favorite blogs Start With Typewriters. The music industry as we know it may be dying or changing, but musicians keep coming out with great music, and artists like Saam Farahmand are changing the way we experience it.

Twin Sister – Lady Daydream

Following in the same direction as George, here is a music video from bliss-pop group, Twin Sister, which correlates well with the current season. Beaches, carnivals and early-California style skateboarding…makes Lawrence out to be an unsuitable place to spend a summer.

Unconventional Introductions

It’s funny how you get turned on to things. Reading Kerouac introduced me to the jazz of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, listening to The Hold Steady (who also reference Kerouac) exposed me to the poetry of John Berryman, watching Tarantino movies showed me all sorts of incredibly odd pop culture nuggets, and listening to Surfer Blood has got me into Twin Peaks, the David Lynch 1990s television series. Astro Coast, the Florida band’s debut album has a great song on it called “Twin Peaks“. The song talks about a frustrating love in which a young couple watches the show on the girl’s couch in Syracuse, among other things. I don’t know why, but that was enough to spark my interest in Lynch and the television series. Today I picked up the Twin Peaks complete box set from the library and have been staring, spellbound at my television for the past few hours. It is a bizarre account of a murder mystery in a small Seattle town (I won’t say more for obvious plot spoiling reasons), but the cinematography, casting, music, plot, etc. are all so perfectly insane. Watch this show, you won’t regret it, though you may have some frightening dreams for the next few weeks.

So yes, this post was random (though the song “Twin Peaks” did come out this year), but so is life, and pop culture references in art are a great way to pass on traditions and oddities to unsuspecting generations that may not want to hear about these things from their parents.

Animal Collective – Guys Eyes (music video)

Here’s a trippy new video from Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavillion album. Maybe they waited for a while to release this video because they wanted it to be seasonal. Well, in that case, it’s perfect for this summer.

Best of Paris

Instead of covering only a few other collections from the mens shows in Paris, I thought I would pick my favorite look from a wider range of labels.

Junya Wantanabe. First and foremost, I really like the complete construction of this jacket, from color to design, it’s done perfectly.  The rest of the outfit compliments this garment, from the blue-and-white striped sailor’s shirt, to the white beach pants, driving cap, and oxfords.

Balmain. What I like most about this look is the clean profile it gives off.  Truthfully, this is more inspiring for a Fall/Winter collection and not its intended Spring/Summer look.  I really love this peacoat–cropped, fitted and simplistic.

Dior Homme. Minimilist design. I love the room given in the upper-leg of the pant, but at the same time it is just as tapered at the bottom as you’d see in a much slimmer substitute.  This is how I would like all of my pants to fit.  And look at the no-collar shirt, of which I don’t know the appropriate name for..but with the suit, it just looks great.  One of my favorite looks right here.

Dries Van Noten. Once again, great fitting pant.  I really enjoy the color palate used with an almost identical brown leather for the shoes and bag.

Paul Smith. Everything is right, here.  Using brown, navy and black together is very difficult, but works perfectly in this look.  The shawl lapel on the jacket (which also has flawless tailoring), the profile given in the black patch-work pant, and the brown boots are simplistic and appropriate.  The mustache this guy is rockin is probably the coolest part about this photograph.

Paul Smith. I had to do two from Paul Smith, because there were just too many looks I enjoyed.  A double-breasted trench is on the top of my list for fall.  Once again, the pants are perfect, the boots have changed to a suede and I want them, and the overall combination of color is subtle and almost monochromatic.

Dunhill.  The leather book-bag straps show that he’s probably carrying a pretty cool rucksack on his back, which I definitely approve of.  The overall look gives off a sportier feel, with the more casual parka and shoes.  I’m diggin the blue and gray combination as well.

Hermés.  This model is just awesome.  Reminds me of a Lords of Dogtown, California skateboarder.  The double-breasted cream suit looks comfortable and completely fitting for a more formal, summer occasion.  I just really enjoy the vibe that this entire look gives off.

Raf Simons.  I’ve gotta finish this post with a perfectly tailored suit.  It’s a beautifully simplistic look, in navy, and is actually an outlier compared to the rest of the collection from Raf.  I do love a great fitting suit though.

All pictures via GQ.com

Women for the Weekend

Yours Truly – Toro y Moi

Another favorite artist of George and I (Toro y Moi), and another featured video by the genius talent at Yours Truly.  When you watch a video like this, and are able to see each instrument being played by one person, it makes you appreciate the artist that much more for their true understanding of music.

And if you’ve taken the time to listen to this guy, and his first full length album Causers Of This released last January, then you will be more then surprised by his youth.  I mean, “Low Shoulder” and “Causers of This” are two of my top songs of 2010.

Wavves – King of the Beach

Last summer when I first heard “Mickey Mouse” and “Cool Jumper” I knew Nathan Williams had survived his onstage meltdown in Spain for the better. These songs were different, but filled with the same angsty energy that had made 2009’s Wavves such an exciting release. Williams was recording again, and judging by his new sound, had been listening to a lot of Merriweather Post Pavilion. I was enamored by those two songs and went to his concert this August, hoping to hear them. He played neither. Typical of the young lo-fi, punk rocker, he played what he wanted to play, and until I heard King of the Beach, I figured he’d forgotten all about both songs (“Mickey Mouse” is included on the album). Then last month I heard “Post-Acid“, a decisively more “punk” song than the previous two. My first listen led me to believe he’d lost it all on drugs and was trying to make it as a Blink 182 revivalist. But, after numerous listens, the song reveals its depth and the melody in Williams’ voice is surprisingly charming. This was a solid pop-punk song by a California kid with a serious ear for discerning the most glorious melodies beneath pales and pales full of beach sand distortion. Joined by former members of the late Jay Reatard’s touring band, Wavves sound fuller and more pumped on this album. In last years’ Wavves, Williams used his voice to force a pop element into what were essentially noise-punk songs; he does the same here, it’s just that the cleaned up production and intentionally craftier songwriting emphasises the pop and punk elements of beach rock much more so.

King of the Beach is an easier, and all in all better album than anything from Wavves’ past. And when I say easier, I say that with the deepest respect to artistic intention and experimental devotion. This is by no means a standard punk-rock album, and it’s certainly not as lo-fi poppy as the music of Best Coast (Nathan’s girlfriend is lead singer Bethany Cosentino), but Williams uses his discretion in drawing on elements of both genres, though the last two songs “Convertable Balloon” and “Baby Say Goodbye” are about as Beach Boys sounding as a punk kid could ever sound. His songwriting is very similar to previous works, with lyrics like “Let the sun burn my eyes, let it burn my back” from the very fun title track, and “I hate myself man, but whose to blame” from “Take on the World”. He’s still a young kid who loves the beach and the sun, but is very at odds with the world and the growing up process. In his typically self-effacing way, Williams even takes a stab at a love song with the charming “Green Eyes”. Lyrically I’m not sure that it’s true, but the cleaner sound makes this album a lighter affair than last year’s album. Barcelona meltdown and brash immaturity be damned, this is an excellent follow-up album and an improvement in nearly every way. King of the Beach should expose Nathan Williams and his band to a broader audience when it releases August 3 via Fat Possum.

Read our friend Corban Goble’s interview with Nathan Williams for Time Out magazine here.

Donavan Goal Reaction

This just tweeted from Landon Donavan.  The video has only 303 views as of right now, but I have a feeling there will be hundreds of thousands within the next couple weeks.  Being a guy who has always been frustrated with America’s lack of interest and respect for soccer, this is really a great video to watch.

Congrats Isner

After witnessing an incredible last-minute goal by Landon Donavan yesterday to advance the USA into the World Cup round-of-16, my attention turned to American John Isner, who was in the middle of an epic 5th-set match again Frenchman Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon. Excitement flooded my veins as the match carried on, as I thought a win for Isner in this match would be, overall, one of the greatest days for American sports that I had the pleasure of viewing.

Too bad they couldn’t finish by day two–tied at 59-games-all in the 5th set by sundown.  Play carried on this morning, and after another hour and more of play, Isner came out victorious, winning 70 games to 68 in the 5th set.  Obviously many records were broken–Longest match in the history of tennis: 11 hours and 5 minutes.  Most aces in a match: 112 by John Isner.  Most games played in a set with 138… definitely a memorable match, so congratulations Isner!

Picture via MSNBC.com.