Monday, December 24, 2007

Patagonia Das Parka

A handy light jacket. It’s warm enough to keep you toasty in freezing weather with just a t-shirt on underneath. Completely waterproof too (not a given with cold-weather jackets) and non-puffy. Apparently, Patagonia found this great Ranger Green color to be undesirable and foisted extras to this hunting website where it was quickly marked down to less than $150.

Note: the Patagonia patch is lightly sewn on and can be easily removed with no trace.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Goat House

Rural Studio is a student program at Auburn University where students design and build inexpensive and sustainable homes using salvaged or donated materials. Their Goat House was remodeled from a concrete-block shed.



Friday, December 21, 2007

The Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

Javier Bardem has spent the better part of the last month scaring audiences with his mesmerizing performance in the Coen Brother's No Country For Old Men. Come the New Year, I suspect we might begin to see him on the heads of kids all throughout Williamsburg. Suddenly, the Prince Valiant paige boy-look has lost its pinnings to valor and has gone off the deep end. Girls beware! You might want to think twice before talking to the once shy-boy with the awkward haircut. He very well may be a bounty hunter.

Spider

Spider, aka Jane Herships, self-released her beautiful debut, The Way to Bitter Lake, sometime ago. And while it's gotten some attention, it certainly never seemed to garner the proper type that it demands. But all that's about to change. She's since found a home on Canada's The Storyboard Label who were wise enough to to re-release and beautifully repackage it. And now it won't be long before we're all singing about scones come morning.


Listen to her on WNYC's Spinning On Air.

Andrea Ayala

28-year-old Andrea Ayala just graduated from the Academie in Antwerp. For her senior year collection she created some of the most breathtaking, dreamy pieces I have ever seen—and the photos are amazing. Can't wait to see what she does next...


Check out her work here. Check out her classmates' work here.


Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Julie Sokolow

Julie Sokolow debuted with a small, quiet recording done entirely on her Mac Laptop for Western Vinyl. Her voice sounded lovely and wild, but it only captured probably one-eighth of its capability. And that's not a bad thing, because it was still a lovely debut. But somewhere right about now, she's holed up putting together her sophomore release. While no release date has been slated, nor a proper label, when the time comes, those who haven't heard will quickly be forced to listen. And those who already have will kindly say, told you so.

Arts & Crafts, Sort Of

What do you get when you get six buttons, a thread and needle, and a pair of dark jeans? Answer: an opportunity for suspenders. Nom de Guerre so cleverly included this option with their S/S 08 Rancher Jeans, but there's no reason you can't do it on your own. Remake those jeans now, the ones that are in need of some new life.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Club "Eton" Collars

Do you regret not going to that prestigious all-boys prep school in the middle of England? Probably not. But if so, here's your chance to get in on what you missed. Club collars are here, first made-popular by Eton College.

NOW: Club collars (though narrower than this one)



SUMMER 2008: Detachable Club collars

Vampire Weekend

Spot is blown but the band is good enough to deserve it. Paul Simon-Graceland-Afro-Pop-New Wave-Ska (is cool again). Perfect soundtrack for a Wes Anderson film (in a good way). Catch them on tour now. On XL Recordings.

Stream Vampire Weekend.

The Brothers Kehoe

Pittsburgh artists Andy & Ben Kehoe's illustrative stylings are catching everyone's eye, as well they should be. Andy's work contains glimpses of Where The Wild Things Are, but his political and moral bent wisely take it out of the world of children. Ben's works walks us through an inverted Crusades of sorts, where fighting for valor doesn't seem to be worth fighting for anymore. Visit their sites. Buy some prints. Because next year you won't be able to afford them anymore. Or, catch them in Chicago in February at the Green Lantern Gallery.