Terence Koh + PERFORMA 2009

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By Editor in Art on October 31st, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Terence KohPERFORMA officially begins tomorrow. I just got word that New York artist Terence Koh will be involved in 3 events on 3 different days.

First up, SAAQIOU — a special performance that blends vocals, rock and synthesized music, mixed with a light and media installation — will take place on Saturday, 11.09.09 at 9:30pm at the Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Parkway). It’s free and open to the public.

Next up, a lecture at the National Arts Club –that hot old school place on Gramercy Park South. Following on the club’s century-old tradition of salon-style intellectual discussions and as part of its ongoing PERFORMA series, the Contemporary Art Department of The National Arts Club is pleased to present a special lecture by artist Terence Koh on the history of art from 1642-2009. This one’s invite only, but sounds amazing so I had to include it.

Last but not least, another free one open to the public Untitled, which will take place on Saturday, 11.21.09 at 7pm in Tompkins Square Park. People will gather in the park, following a set of instructions sent by the artist via various viral media. As soon as I know what’s up on this one, I’ll post it for you.

For more information on all PERFORMA 2009 events, click here.

The Viridi Anne @ FAE

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By Editor in Fashion on October 31st, 2009 | No Comments »

Japanese menswear line The Viridi-Anne’s Fall/Winter 2009 collection has landed in the US and is now available in New York at FAE (First Among Equals) on the LES.

Established in Tokyo in 2001 by Tomoaki Okaniwa, The Viridi-Anne creates high-end menswear in breakthrough styles. The pieces carry an appearance of re-worked classics, and have become a recent fixture of the fashion circuit.

The aesthetic of this collection is characterized by the emphasis in layering and the relaxed style of the Japanese silhouette. This brings together a flawless mix of the avant-garde and the wearable.

The Viridi-Anne’s designs bring a sense of concept to practical and wearable styles, accented by a muted colour palette and impeccable construction.

Check out FAE’s site and stop by shop (177 Orchard Street) if you’re in New York. Don’t forget to check out The Viridi-Anne’s site. It’s chock full of pics, projects, and a list of shops where you can find the line worldwide.

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Interview | Joe Shanahan of The Metro

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By Editor in Interview, Music on October 30th, 2009 | 2 Comments »

Vedera350In the first part of this series on behind the scenes people in the industry, I contacted Joe Shanahan, owner of The Metro in Chicago. I had previously worked for Joe in production and a little monitor engineering, and had kept in contact with him over the years.

In the last 7 years that I have been in Chicago, the music industry has changed a lot. A lot of venues were being bought up by giants like Clear Channel, and less and less independently owned venues were around, yet Joe fought the good fight, and didn’t give in. Here is a little history of The Metro and Smart Bar.

What is the Metro?

My musical dream….

How long has it been around?

25 plus years….

How did you get into the music business?

I bought a record….

What are some of the more memorable shows you can remember through out the years?

Prince when he did covers for 4 hours, musical genius…Nirvana when they launched Nevermind, complete pandemonium!

I know that you have helped jump start quite a few careers for bands….is this a passion of yours, or was this just a byproduct of you doing what you do?

Passion for sure…but brought on by the position I have at The Metro.

You have stayed an independent venue the whole time, while many venues are falling to the Clear Channel curse. What has kept you fighting the good fight?

Good bands and good djs who care about staying credible and not just getting rich.

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Lost and Found

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By Editor in Fashion on October 28th, 2009 | No Comments »

Check out the exquisitely made Italian line Lost and Found. It’s simple and chic and made only the way Italians make clothing.

The design studio resides in the countryside of Tuscany, in an abandoned textile mill. It is here where all of the influences of culture, international travel and local research come together to create the Lost & Found collection.

Lost & Found is a collection dedicated to pure ideas based on the diminishing craftsmanship and artisanal nature that has been lost or replaced by hyper industrialization and the obsessive desire for constant change. In an attempt to preserve and revive old techniques and materials, the collection evolves from research and creative experimentation aspiring to define a more complex sense of luxury.

Seeking the most unique materials, the knitting yarns are experimented with and combined to create something individual and rare. We work with the highest quality cashmere and alpaca and deepen their characteristics by working them with durable yarns such as raw linen or hemp. This creates an exclusive product that is luxurious not only in it’s noble composition, but also in it’s long lasting, imperishable qualities.

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Florence and the Machine

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By Editor in Music on October 28th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Florence And The MachineAlthough I missed the show and the after party at B.East last night (I had to watch 30 Rock and put up my new Halloween decorations!), I did finally get around to listening to UK’s Florence and the Machine and she rocks.

Says her label Island Records: Crowned NME’s number 1 band to see this summer and best new act of SXSW after a typically jawdropping live performance on BBC 3’s Introducing stage, Florence And The Machine’s debut single on Moshi Moshi is set to confirm 21 year old Florence Welch’s status as one of the hottest new talents in British music today.

Armed with a songbook bursting with a surreal selection of darkly romantic murder ballads, and blessed with a voice that seems to channel the spirits of Patti Smith, Kate Bush, and Bjork (editor’s note: she’s nothing like Patti Smith, fyi) through one slight Camberwell art student, Florence was first spotted 18 months ago by her manager singing in the toilets at a party and since then has been wowing audiences across London with a life-affirmingly joyous stage presence that belies the dark voodoo at the heart of her songs.

Appearing on the same SXSW bill as MGMT led to Florence taking the coveted support slot on the MGMT European tour in May, which received much praise. Florence and the Machine headlined their first show in conjunction with the single release in June and are performing at many of this summers festivals, including, Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party, Electric Picnic and Reading and Leeds festival.

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Picture Yourself… @ MoMA

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By Editor in Art on October 27th, 2009 | No Comments »

Sara VanDerBeek If you haven’t stopped by MoMA yet to check out the current exhibit New Photography 2009, you may want to do it after hours at a private viewing event called Picture Yourself on 11.11.09.

New Photography 2009 is a thematic presentation of significant recent work in photography that examines and expands the conventional definitions of the medium. Although the six artists in this installation–Walead Beshty, Daniel Gordon, Leslie Hewitt, Carter Mull, Sterling Ruby, and Sara VanDerBeek–represent diverse points of view, working methods, and pictorial modes ranging from abstract to representational, their images all begin in the studio or the darkroom and result from processes involving collection, assembly, and manipulation.

Many of the works are made with everyday materials and objects, as well as images from the Internet, magazines, newspapers, and books. Some of the artists also work in other mediums and their pictures relate to disciplines such as drawing, sculpture, and installation. As traditional photographic techniques are being quickly replaced by digital technologies, the artists included here examine the process and structure of making photographs.

Click here for more info on New Photography 2009 and here for info on tickets to the after hours event done in coordination with PopRally.

Cold War Kids | Behave Yourself

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By Editor in Music on October 27th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Cold War KidsGreat news: Cold War Kids have just announced that they’ll be releasing a 4 track record on 01.19.10. I cannnnnnnnot wait!

A note from the band: As promised we will be releasing a 4 song EP called Behave Yourself on January 19. We made a 1 minute video with our friend Vern to give you a preview of the songs and the video for Audience that will come soon. We had a great time filming it in San Pedro; in our rehearsal space, skating on the docks, driving on the bluffs, shaving in the tide pools and being nude in a friend of a friend’s bathroom. Thanks to O’Brien for letting us borrow the ‘71 Triumph.

We are in the studio now writing and recording so we are only going to do 4 shows in January. We are going to find a way to make them special by giving a free recording of each show that you can dowload with ticket purchase. Hopefully. If we can figure out the technology.

So, in the interim, go to the band’s official website to check out the teaser video. 1 minute? Oh man. It’s just enough to get your whistle wet, but I guarantee you’ll be left wanting more. I won’t even mention the music — which you can kind of get a sense of in the teaser, but if you’ve listened to CWK before you know the songs grow on you as time passes — but the quality of the video is gorgeous. I hope this guy is making a video for them for each track.

Don’t forget to check them out on MySpace, where you can test drive some songs.

La Colombe Torrefaction

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By Editor in Etc on October 26th, 2009 | No Comments »

Dove645Just like the white winged dove…

There’s a hot new high-end indie coffee shop in town by way of Philly called La Colombe Torrefaction that you need to check out. Says New York Mag: Philadelphia’s renowned artisanal coffee roaster supplies beans to some of the City’s top restaurants including Daniel and Le Bernardin, and has finally opened shop in New York. Who knew, but that explains why their espresso tastes so damn good.

They currently have two cafes in town: one in Tribeca (319 Church St.) and one in Soho (270 Lafayette). Stop by and you’ll see what I mean and check out their site for more info.

Don’t forget to watch the video for Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks. It’s so awesomely cheesey.

Golden Goose Francy Hightop

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By Editor in Fashion on October 26th, 2009 | No Comments »

GGFrancyWhite645AThe more sneakers I see from Italian brand Golden Goose, the more they grow on me.

Golden Goose was launched in 2000 by two not so ambitious designers, Alessandro Gallo and Francesca Rinaldo who just wanted more cool stuff for themselves. Before they knew it, they were supporting MTV Italy’s wardrobe. Golden Goose gets its originality from their effort put into researching and reinventing vintage materials. Despite their down-to-earth philosophy, we will be seeing a lot of their fun and extraordinary pieces around the world soon.

I have to admit, I’d have to really have to have a reason to treat myself to a $550 pair of canvas sneakers, but in a perfect world, I’d have a few pairs of Golden Goose high tops in my sneaker rotation. Given the current state of my white high top canvas Tretorns, I’m definitely in need and the treatment on this style makes me think I should go buy a can of spray paint and extend the life of these Tretorns and make them look like $550 sneakers!

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Anish Kapoor | Memory

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By Editor in Art on October 24th, 2009 | No Comments »

Anish Kapoor MemoryTime for a trip to the Guggenheim to see Anish Kapoor’s latest sculpture, which he also refers to as a mental sculpture because of the fragmented way in which the viewer must piece together the site-specific work.

Memory (2008) was conceived to engage two different exhibition locations at the Guggenheim museums in Berlin and New York.

Utilizing Cor-Ten steel for the first time, the sculpture represents a milestone in Kapoor’s career. Memory’s thin steel skin, only eight millimeters thick, suggests a form that is ephemeral and unmonumental. The sculpture appears to defy gravity as it gently glances against the periphery of the gallery walls and ceiling. However, as a 24-ton volume, Memory is also raw, industrial, and foreboding.

Positioned tightly within the gallery, Memory is never fully visible; instead the work fractures and divides the gallery into several distinct viewing areas. The division compels visitors to navigate the museum, searching for vantage points that offer only glimpses of the sculpture. This processional method of viewing Memory is an intrinsic aspect of the work. Visitors are asked to contemplate the ensuing fragmentation by attempting to piece together images retained in their minds, exerting effort in the act of seeing — a process Kapoor describes as creating a “mental sculpture.”

Click here for more info.

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