They're dropping like flies!

Designers are flocking to the art world in droves!! Well, not quite, but first there was Hedi Slimane and his work and now it's Helmut Lang (who's no longer associated with the Helmut Lang brand, by the way) and his first institutional solo art exhibition Alles Gleich Schwer, to be held at the renowned kestnergesellschaft from 08.31 - 11.02.08.

"Alles Gleich Schwer is curated by Frank-Thorsten Moll and Neville Wakefield and marks Helmut Lang's move away from the physical body's articulation through clothes.

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I have 2 Kenzo Minami tees ($180 value/tee) to give away this week.

Minami's tees are at the top of the highend tee game and worth their weight in gold: the graphics are simultaneously simple, yet complex; the fabric is perfectly washed to feel like that tee you've had since junior high; and the cut is sheer prefection. The Rolls Royce of tees, if you will.

I have 2 men's size Medium tees for you in the "XV" design from his Spring/Summer 08 collection: one in black with white graphics, one in white with black graphics. The design is a dedication to Kenzo's 15 year anniversary in New York City. See more pics on Seven's site.

Click here for your chance to win.

The Patti Smith documentary Dream Of Life has it US premiere at Film Forum one week from today on 08.06.08 and Ms. Smith will be present for a Q&A along with the Director Steven Sebring for the 7:50pm show.

Says Terrence Rafferty of the NY Times: "The singer, poet and artist's 1975 album Horses had if not revolutionized rock 'n' roll, at least infused it with a new and arresting sort of incantatory power. The film bears almost no resemblance to any other documentary about the punk-rock heroes of Ms. Smith's turbulent era."

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Dan Deacon! This guy is the shizzzz.

"Dan Deacon attended the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College in Purchase, New York, where he played in many bands, including tuba for Langhorne Slim and guitar in the improvisational grindcore band Rated R. He completed his graduate studies in electro-acoustic and computer music composition. He studied under composer/conductor Joel Thome. He is a member of Wham City, an art collective in Baltimore."

"Deacon's compositional style is best classified in the future shock genre along with other bands in the growing Baltimore music scene. In February 2008 Deacon performed at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York." Who else is part of the Baltimore music scene I've never heard of!?! Time to investigate.

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This week's going to be tough.

I mean look at that picture of Dina Lohan circa 1980 something. This is Long Island at its worst. T-rashy porn star mom on a budget. If this pic was taken during the 90's, then it's even worse.

Note: I'm not saying Perez isn't justified with his thrashing of Lezzee's mom, she's pretty trashy, as this gem of a pic pre hair and makeup by professionals attests to. In addition to her looks, her actions are horrific and she really seems like the kind of mom who would sleep with her daughters boyfriends like they do in porn (not that I've ever watched a porno, mind you) and on Springer.

I bet it's happened at least once and Lindsay had to swallow her pride in order to keep what's left of her career and public image to not let the cat out of the bag. Who do you think it was? Callum Best definitely seems like a MILF hunter and I bet they took pics!

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If you haven't seen The Dark Knight, do it now. I'm not a fan of the Batman series or any superhero movies, but after hearing the unanimous rave reviews, I had to check it out this weekend. It's not just Heath Ledger's posthumous brilliance that makes the film amazing -- although his performance is show stopping -- but the parts, the sum of the parts, and everything in between. It's hands down one of the best movies Hollywood has ever made. Period.

During the 20+ minutes worth of previews, I saw a few films you need to know about. First up, the film that opened this year's Cannes Festival -- Blindness.

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It's the original summer blockbuster that we all know and love -- Jaws.

UK store Microzine has an exhibit opening 07.31.08 that will feature all Jaws related items that you won't want to miss. "Microzine presents one of the most extensive and wide-range collections of Jaws memorabilia in the world, ranging from original movie posters to actual movie props and even the odd severed limb."

Not to mention a new range of Jaws related products that will be launched in conjunction with the exhibit.

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I stopped by Project No 8 the other night after a very satifying dinner at Bacaro.

*Side note: If you haven't been to Bacaro for drinks or dinner, do yourself a favor and go now. The stuffed artichoke, the gnocchi, and the steak are unbelievable. Not to mention the atmosphere and the crowd.

In addition to the killer selection of clothing and shoes, Project No 8 has an amazingly well-curated selection of jewelry. One line of particular interest is the leather wrapped accessories by Belgian designer Natalia Brilli, featuring wrist watches cum bracelets tightly wrapped in white, grey, and black leather. Other wrapped pieces at the shop include dominoes, whistles, and origami.

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I just got word of a hot new UK band named White Lies.

"White Lies are an alternative post-punk indie band based in London. The band members consist of Harry McVeigh, Charles Cave, and Jack Lawrence-Brown. Their style has been compared to Echo & The Bunnymen and The Teardrop Explodes." Read their short but sweet Wikipedia entry here.

The band is currently signed to Interscope and are slowly but surely making their ascent from obscurity to a venue near you.

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Leave it to Damien Hirst to actually produce something as hot as an 18 carat gold charm bracelet featuring Rx drugs.

"Made with 18 carat gold, this charm bracelet carries 23 casts of pills, perhaps the most familiar and recurring motif of Hirst's ongoing fascination with the dichotomy between art and science."

It's an edition of only 10 pieces from 2004 and with a price tag of $47,500 + VAT, it's no wonder there are still a few left.

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I stopped by the new Rick Owens store in Tribeca (250 Hudson Street) over the weekend to see what all the hype is about.

For anyone who's unfamiliar, Rick Owens is THE darling of the fashion world and has been for the past several years.

"Rick Owens, (born 1962) is an American fashion designer known for his edgy fashions favored by rock stars and people who like to cultivate an avant garde reputation. Since 2003, he has worked out of Paris where in addition to his own line, he serves as creative director for Revillon, the furrier."

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If you happen to be in Dallas between 07.31 and 09.06.08, drop by Light & Sie Gallery to checkout Sehnsucht.

"Sehnsucht (Aspiration), a group exhibition of paintings, photographs, video and works on paper organized by Georges Armaos. The works selected are a mix of emerging and well established international artists. Contemporary abstract painting is approached through works by Ingrid Calame, David Reed, and Dan Walsh. Photography is represented with works by Vanessa Beecroft, Todd Eberle, Thomas Ruff, Hedi Slimane, and Jeremy Kost while two important projections by Kimsooja and Joseph Dadoune complete the exhibition."

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It's all about big music festivals all over the country these days. Coachella, Bonaroo, All Points West, and now Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, which will be held in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park from Friday 08.22 through Sunday 08.24.08.

Unlike it's counerparts, Outside Lands has an ecco mission underlying the music, including a solar powered stage, which rocks. There's going to be something called Crowdfire, an artisan winery tent called Winehaven, a mini food festival featuring SF cuisine, and each of the six (6) stages will be decorated by a different artist, including Thomas Campbell, R. Pimple, Jeff Canham, Matt Leines, Monica Canilao, and Rich Jacobs.

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New York artist and graphic designer Kenzo Minami's Fall/Winter 2008 line of tees have just shipped. Expect them to hit the racks in the next few weeks and to sellout shortly thereafter.

Minami's tees are at the top of the highend tee game and worth their weight in gold: the graphics are simultaneously simple, yet complex; the fabric is perfectly washed to feel like that tee you've had since junior high; and they're cut to flatter. Once you see the collection and try one of these tees on, you'll be addicted. Trust me.

Says Minami: There are 2 elements for theme and concept for FW 2008 - 2009.

One is POISON.

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Seems like the boys from Broken Social Scene like to make music together and separatetly.

In September of 2007, fellow BSS co-founder Kevin Drew released his solo EP Spirit If.... Now it's the other half of the band -- Brendan Canning's -- turn with his just-released EP Something For All Of Us.., which you can listen to in its entirety on MySpace.

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New York photographer Clayton Cubitt debuts two (2) prints from his latest series Decay in a group show This Eclectic Explosion tomorrow.

"New Orleans-raised and New York-based photographer Clayton Cubitt will be showing publicly for the first time two new images in his Decay body of work. Several months in the making, Cubitt subjects each large-scale pigment print to a brutal trial by elemental fire, leaving them unprotected in sun and rain, even going so far as to bury them in secret sites to culture toxic mold on them.

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My friend Sarah -- half of the genius behind London-based magazine BLAG -- will be sending us weekly updates of life on the other side of the pond, including party hopping, fashion updates, and celebrity run ins. Check it out!

Life can throw some seriously strange curve balls at you. Recently I'd say I've had more than my fair share, but through the challenges and difficulties I could never have imagined how much fun I could have in between.

This summer Sally (who runs BLAG with me) and I wanted to see the return of the classic aftershow party. Dancing on tables and laughing until the sun comes up, so we decided to hook up with our number one party spot Bungalow 8 and put on some aftershow parties for our favourite artists performing at Somerset House, UNKLE, Lupe Fiasco, and We Are Scientists.

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I ♥ the Cold War Kids and so should you.

I missed them at the free show in Prospect Park last month, but won't miss them again. They're playing Webster Hall on 10.14.08 and Music Hall of Williamsburg on 10.15.08. Checkout their site for a complete listing of tour dates.

And don't miss the early leak of the first single from their upcoming EP Loyalty To Loyalty, which won't be available until 09.23.08, on MySpace.

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» Name + Age
Jeremy Kost - 31 (since when did this become an acceptable question!!)

» Job Title
Artist

» What'd you want to be when you were little?
Indiana Jones

» First memory of creating art?
My friend Pedro Andrade was coatchecking/bar tending in the East Village, specifically coatchecking at the old Ave A Cock. One night in 2002 I took the Polaroid camera that was on the wall of his apt out and began taking pix. The one attached is possibly my first Polaroid and surely from the first night!

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I remember it as if it were yesterday: going to the I.M. Pei designed museum at Cornell and seeing Piss Christ. (If you're unfamiliar with the work click here.) The NEA and the late Jesse Helms were up in arms over the piece, as they'd indirectly and unknowingly funded its production. Definitely checkout this transcript of a Senate discussion on the piece.

New York artist Andres Serrano - the man behind Piss Christ -- is at it again. This time with concurrent shows in New York (09.04 - 10.04.08) and Paris (09.12 - 10.16.08) at Yvonne Lambert entitled SHIT.

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If you haven't seen Julian Schnabel's latest film Lou Reed's Berlin at Film Forum yet, get tickets for the 8:15pm show next Monday, 07.28.08. Lou Reed will be on hand for a Q&A, which will prove to be amazing.

"Lou Reed records the album Berlin in 1973. It was a commercial failure. Over the next 33 years, he never performed the album live. For five nights in December 2006 at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn, Lou Reed performed his masterwork about love’s dark sisters: jealousy, rage and loss."

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If you're in London, stop by The Kowalsky Gallery to checkout MASHUPS, a group show curated by my good friend UK artist Stuart Semple.

"The Kowalsky Gallery is proud to present MASHUPS, an exhibition curated by British artist Stuart Semple, who will tackle the concept of appropriation and the re-articulation of mass culture in his first curated group show in London."

"Featuring 5 of the UK’s most fascinating young artists (Nicky Carvell, Piers Secunda, Nathan James, Stuart Semple, and Adham Faramawy), this show is more than just a bright and glossy homage to pop, but an interesting insight into how a new generation make sense of the complexities of mass culture. Fittingly the private view will also feature a live performance and interactive music video shoot by Top 20 band, Subliminal Girls."

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Checkout Boy A at Film Forum, Mark O’Rowe's latest film, an adaptation of the 2004 novel by British writer Jonathan Trigell.

"A haunting British drama that owes something to the postwar kitchen-sink sensibility pioneered by John Osborne and his angry young men. Can a young man who has spent most of his life in prison for committing a horrendous crime re-enter the world under a new identity and find the strength to redeem himself?"

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If you're a fan of The Modern Lovers as I am, you'll definitely want to get tickets to the upcoming show by former lead singer of the band Jonathan Richman. He's playing at The Concert Hall (it's part of New York Society for Ethical Culture) on 10.14.08 at 8pm. Tickets went on sale this morning.

"Jonathan Richman is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970 he founded The Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band, but since the mid-1970s has worked either solo or with low-key, generally acoustic backing. He is known for his wide-eyed, unaffected (and occasionally near-childlike) lyrical outlook, and music that, while rooted in rock and roll, often draws on influences from around the world."

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My friends at PUMA (who own Tretorn) really want you to know about last week's opening of the first ever Tretorn store in New York at 150 Spring Street in Soho. It's the second free standing Tretorn store in the world! Stop by and check it out.

In honor of the opening, PUMA has given me a Reality Bag ($1,200 retail value) designed in collaboration with the Serpentine Gallery (London) to give away to my faithful readers.

"The Reality Bag is an exciting new product, adapted from the PUMA Urban Mobility Edition Bag, which launched last season. The Reality Bag is designed to reflect the world inside and out through a clever use of innovative materials and design detail."

Click here for your chance to win.

I am a sneaker freaker. I just saw the collections from Italian sneaker company D.A.T.E. and am in love.

From DNR, "Founded by four friends in 2006, D.A.T.E. takes its name from their initials: Damiano Innocenti, Alessandro Zanobini, Tommaso Santoni, and Emiliano Paci. The foursome first met in London in 2004 and decided to create D.A.T.E. inspired by the look of '70s sneakers and London street culture and nightlife. Simple forms embellished with colorful materials and accents, such as printed textiles, linen insets, and laminated gold calfskin."

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Don't tell anyone, but I still haven't stepped foot in the new New Museum space. Given it's 10 blocks away makes it even worse than it would be if I had the excuse of it being on the UES.

Finally, though, I'm going to the opening of After Nature tonight and will get to see the museum in all its glory, and, of course, give my two cents on what I think of the space and the collection.

"This summer the New Museum will present After Nature, on view from July 17 through September 21, 2008."

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Make sure to stop by KS Art before the current show NO WAVE 1976 - 1980, goes down on 07.31.08.

It's an "exhibition of photographs, paintings, sculptures and ephemera from that era. This show is organized in conjunction with the publication of NO WAVE. POST-PUNK. UNDERGROUND. NEW YORK 1976-1980. by Thurston Moore and Byron Coley."

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I want my two dollars!

That's possibly one of my favorite lines from any movie ever. (Another is from La Bamba: "Smells like fish, tastes like chicken.") Classy, highbrow stuff. That's how I roll.

The 1985 classic Better Off Dead is playing 07.30.08 in Tompkins Square Park. Gates and festivities begin at 6pm. The movie begins at sundown. I honestly can't wait. It's been forever since I've seen it.

"Better Off Dead takes place in the fictional town of Greendale in the state of Northern California and centers on high-schooler Lane Meyer, whose girlfriend Beth dumps him for the arrogant and bullying captain of the high school ski team, Roy Stalin."

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Arkitip rules.

Ju$t out: the KRINK Sleeve for MacBook and MacBook Pro 15 In. The first item from the Curated by Arkitip series, this is one of the hottest tech things I've seen in a while. It's simple, yet cool.

Unsure who KRINK is?

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Whether or not you like it, celebrities are the new religion. There's no two ways about it. Like the weather, everyone can talk to anyone on the topic of celebrity, and, like the popular kids at school, we all love people to talk about and look up to in order to save us from our own realities.

So what do you get when you marry the new religion with something like fantasy football? Celebrifantasy, of course.

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Living in the East Village just a block away from Tompkins Square Park, I spend a lot of time there sitting on the benches, eating, and watching people. It's one of my favorite parks in the city and still has an interesting mix of people, despite all the strollers and stay-at-home moms who've moved here in the last few years.

powerHOUSE books releases Tompkins Square Park photos by Q. Sakamaki on 08.06.08. The pics hark back to a much different time for the park, the one that we all know from the stories that have passed down, but may not have any visual imagery for until now.

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European art power house Haunch Of Venison is slated to open its first US space in New York. It's inaugural show -- Abstract Expressionism - A World Elsewhere -- opens 09.12.08 and runs through 11.21.08.

"The addition of Haunch of Venison New York will bring new and vital dimensions to the gallery's current exhibition program as well as a reenergized international gallery presence. The space, an intelligent, cutting-edge design by Steven Learner Studios, has 17,000 square feet of gallery space on two floors, marking Haunch of Venison's first major entry into the US market."

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If you're as a big a Westwood fan as I am, you'll want to have the Vivienne Westwood Opus. Whether or not you can afford it at roughly $2,800, is another story.

"The Vivienne Westwood Opus offers a startling insight into Vivienne Westwood, her manifesto and her stunning designs, which reflect the passion of her collections. Since it is a very personal and special project for the Grand Dame of British Fashion, only a very limited number of 900 copies will be available to the public worldwide."

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I haven't been to PS1's Warmup Series in years. Everything went south when it got really popular (it's so crowded that it's not fun) and, despite their efforts to make it chill (literally, not figuratively) on hot summer days, it's like being in a frying pan.

I just looked at the lineup and I'm not sure who any of the people are, except DFA, who hosted last night, and will do so again on 07.26.08 with a performace by DFA's James Murphy & Pat Mahoney as LCD Soundsystem.

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Zeitgeist: The Films Of Our Time opened at MoMA on 06.26.08 and runs through 07.26.08. The lineup is pretty amazing.

In case you're not familiar with Zeitgeist: "In 1988, in an office the size of an elevator, two women of extraordinary vision launched a distribution company they named Zeitgeist Films. The films and directors that Emily Russo and Nancy Gerstman have consistently sought out and championed encompass the full spectrum of international cinematic innovation over the last twenty years."

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Tickets go on sale tomorrow for Black Mountain shows in September.

They're playing Bowery Ballroom on 09.23.08 and at Music Hall of Williamsburg, which I still haven't been to, on 09.24.08. It'll be interesting to see if they sell out.

As you all know, I think the world revolves around Black Mountain, but I'm not sure if word has caught on yet in New York.

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In case you missed it, Chris Burden's WHAT MY DAD GAVE ME -- a 65 foot tall sculpture in the shape of a skyscraper made from parts of an Erector set -- currently towers over Rockefeller Center.

Says the artist: "I have always wanted to build a model skyscraper using Erector parts. The model skyscraper, built from a toy and 65 feet in height, takes on the dimensions of a full sized building. The circle of actual buildings inspiring a toy in 1909, which is then used to build a model skyscraper the size of an actual building in 2008, is a beautiful metamorphosis."

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My friends at Tretorn want you to know they're opening their first ever store in New York at 150 Spring Street in Soho on 07.15.08. It's only the second free standing Tretorn store in the world! Stop by and check it out.

In honor of the opening, they've given me his + hers Tretorns to give away to my faithful readers. For the guys a pair of Skymra Canvas ($70 retail value) and for the ladies a pair of Madeleine W ($55 retail value).

Click here for your chance to win.

Next time you're on the LES having wine and dinner at Bacaro, stop outside PROJECT No. 8 to checkout their light installation. You may have peeked in their windows already after hours and not even been aware of what was going on.

"Nothing happens.

All lights inside PROJECT No. 8 are turned off after hours. Nothing unusual happens.

Everytime anybody stops in front of the windows something may go on inside. Something unpredictable - sometimes nothing that anyone would notice. But noticed or not, anyone will leave a passing trace in time and space short as a breath.

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Crazy how time flies. Seems like it was just yesterday that I said "Mark you calendars. Lou Reed's Berlin will be at Film Forum in July." It was during the Tribeca Film Festival, where the Julian Schnabel film premiered.

"Lou Reed records the album Berlin in 1973. It was a commercial failure. Over the next 33 years, he never performed the album live. For five nights in December 2006 at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn, Lou Reed performed his masterwork about love’s dark sisters: jealousy, rage and loss." Failure? Never played between 1973 and 2006? Hot.

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Anna Kustera took the advice of friend and mega artist Maurizio Cattelan and is hosting what will go down in history as The World's Smallest Art Fair, which will feature work by artists and galleries from around the world and be on display for the world to see in the front window of her Chelsea gallery.

Why is it The World's Smallest Art Fair? All of the work will be shown only in the 72 square foot space in the front window of the gallery, with the main room featuring a video program curated by Alix Pearlstein and an information center curated by Ju$t Another Rich Kid.

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Super cool New York store Odin's brother store DEN is set to reinvent itself yet again. This time teaming up with uber hip shoe brand Common Projects thereby transforming DEN into a stand alone shoe store in the East Village.

"Common Projects is a collaboration between designers Prathan Poopat and Flavio Girolami. Combining their collective graphic and industrial design backgrounds, the pair formed the company in the winter of 2004. Inspired by utilitarian design and luxury product, the designers set out to create minimalist design basics and accessories. Inspired by fundamental achitectures found in everyday objects, each product is infused with a tailored approach and executed using the finest materials and processes."

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No, it's not some hot new movie or exhibit, I'm sick in bed. Hopefully, I'll be back writing later this afternoon. Check back then!

I'm going to keep posting songs and videos by Silversun Pickups until: a) they get famous or b) they come out with a new EP. When they come out with a new EP, I'll keep posting the new stuff until they get famous. Everybody needs to hear these guys.

I really can't believe that I'm just hearing about these guys now and that they're not huge. Although being a band out of LA this day in age means you're going to have to work overtime to prove your worth. No good music has come out of LA in ages. They should really move to New York. Trust me on this one, though: their music works on every level.

Lazy Eye is their big HIT song. Get ready to listen to it 50 times in a row. It's like audio crack cocaine. The first few times I heard it and thought the lead singer was a raspy-voiced chick, a Beavis-like voice in the back of my head kept saying: "She's pissed."

Don't forget to become their friend on MySpace. Maybe that will help them along.

Watch the video for Lazy Eye.

It's not over till the fat lady sings.

Perez is losing to Tori Spelling in this week's Celebrity Deth Match. The question is: Who Would You Rather Go Skinny Dipping With?? I tried to make it so there's less disparity between Perez and the real celebrity so he'd stand at a better chance at winning, but it's not working.

See for yourself.

And if some of you could vote for Perez (I can't believe I just typed that) it'd make me feel better. Losing to Jesse Metcalfe and Lindsay Lohan is one thing, but TORI SPELLING in a landslide defeat??! This is just so embarrassing.

Daniela @ GoGallery in Milan has graciously offered up 1 copy of the only 500 printed of Keiichi Nitta's hot-off-the-presses photography book Everyday is like Sunday for me to give away to my faithful readers.

Nitta -- Terry Richardson's former assistant -- has a body of photos with the same name currently showing at GoGallery, his first solo show since leaving Richardson's studio and heading back to his native Japan to setup shop.

Win It ...

One of my favorite bands -- The Kills -- are finally getting the exposure they've long deserved, and will perform at Palais de Tokyo on 07.09.08 @ 8pm.

There's only one catch: it's already SOLD OUT!!! Maybe if you go and beg, they'll let you in, but I have a feeling it might be a waste of time.

What you should do instead: try to get tickets to Stage Of The Art #4 , which will be held London @ the ICA on 07.11.08.

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Wow. It's been 3 weeks since the last Celebrity Deth Match, in which Perez got his ass kicked by Amy Crackhouse.

Da-yum! That's gotta hurt. Can you imagine kissing Crackhouse? There's no Listerine strong enough to make that mouth kissable and she must smell like one of the junkies in Tompkins Square Park.

I'm opening up the contest to include everyone, not just the people Perez picks on since he only picks on hot people, which has made the Deth Matches a no-brainer so far.

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Getting a bike changed my New York life. Getting around downtown with a bike is so much easier and quicker than walking or using public transportation. I think everyone should have one. If you all only knew.

In an effort to promote bike culture (and its killer custom bikes, I'm sure), PUMA has teamed up with New York film production company Cinecycle for a special online film project called I-Cycle.

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Big shot photog Nick Knight of SHOWstudio's got something very hot up his sleeve: Fashion DJ sets broadcast live on SHOWstudio.com and swarovskisparkles.tv and also transmitted via radio for London listeners, on 87.7FM.

"SHOWstudio and Swarovski are partnering on Fashion DJs: an ambitious, three-day music and fashion event to be held at the legendary Abbey Road Studios on 9, 10 and 11 July 2008."

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