Post II

There are moments in the early morning where you've got nothing to do but no mood to sleep either. After I've exhausted all my energy to read words, I watch videos. Here are 2:

Adam Freeland - We Want Your Soul (directed by Happy) 

Radiohead - Knives Out (directed by Michel Gondry)

Source: Jeff Hamada @ Hypebeast

Artsyy

AJ Fosik (myspace, I couldn't find his website) + See more of his work. All I can say is...OMGGG!!
Jon Burgerman


Sidenote: You know that person...The person who likes art, but never goes to galleries.... OR really likes music but never really mastered an instrument? I'm that person. So what can I do? Talk about it.

Source: Bunnywax + Jeff Soto @ Fecal Face + Wooser Collective

Happy Holidays!!

Sorry kids, I totally forgot to say "Happy Holidays!!!!" 

I think 'happy holidays' is a safer bet compared to 'merry Christmas' because I don't know what you're celebrating... At least I don't really celebrate Christmas, I think it's just an excuse for some Chinese to get a holiday break ('Some' referring to the fact that mainland Chinese don't get those days off). 

You can skip the rest of the entry, it's just personal ranting.

Anyway, it's weird coming back to the city. Everything seems to be in a hurry. People, in general, don't seem to give a shit about you and so most of them end up treating you like shit. Got that vibe a couple times already. I think people in college just don't really care, which is quite different from chucking crap your way. My Dad, brother, and I kinda got that treatment when we were at the British Consulate when we were renewing our passports.

The British lady was very impatient with us and verbally abusing us throughout, as if we were some soft-spoken Chinese who were easily pushed around (which we end up being, we couldn't do much to her other than bitch about her in Cantonese). 

One instant was that my brother didn't have the right photos, his face wasn't big enough in it, so the lady told him to use the photo booth on the other side of the floor. But we found out that we didn't have enough change. So we were discussing if he should get his passport done in HK or the States, cause the lady said that she couldn't insure that it'll be done before the day he leaves. Then the lady looked up and said, "Why are you still here? Go over there and take the photo." She even gave us a look. As if we were so stupid that we couldn't follow her simple order. 

I'm not making a generalization that British people are like this, but I hate it when people in power do shit like that. You're pretty much at their mercy. I hate that. We're cooperating. We're being polite. Why take advantage of that and push us around? 

The sad thing is, there's no way out of that. Like, you need a passport. You can't just say, "I'm not taking this shit anymore" and walk out. You need it as a part of your legal identity. You need it to travel. I need it to get back to the States to study. I just felt so dependent.

I don't know if it's just me, but I seem to have pretty bad experiences with government-related people... The lady who took my ID photo and stuff kinda did the same thing.

Well, all I know is: Treat people like people and not like shit. I guess for certain people and certain circumstances, it's easier said than done... But I know I'll try.

Something about the Colors

Calvin Harris - The Girls

Hot Chip - Ready for the Dance Floor

David E. Sugar - Chelsea Girls

The indies are doing 'color-explosion' in their music videos. 

The gangstas are doing them in black and white. Talk about 

opposite ends of the spectrum.

With all this hype going about mish-mash of colors, American Apparel is certainly one of the vehicles that's moving this trend along. All this hype about the brand is kinda bugging me 

though... It's great they're doing this 'anti-sweatshop' thing, but

something nags me about them. I'm not sure what... I feel like 

there's this evil monster lurking behind the curtains...Or I've just become a lot more cynical in this past year or so...

Music Trends of 2007

The crew over at XLR8R compiled a list of music trends of 2007. The best list didn't do much for me, a few were true but weren't that funny. The worst list turns out better...

Here are a few:

Mp3 Blogs
It's a love/hate thing. Blogs do promotion for bands, but also for a lot of shitty music that gets the same attention. The blog is run by some 17-year-old kid who doesn't know anything about music and production, kids download the music in a crap quality months before the release, play it in the club (aaaahhh), and throw it away after a week. That really makes me start to think if the new generation appreciates music at all.
Boys Noize

One thing is that your fame pretty much came from the Internet too... So you're either saying your music's shit or you're kinda being obnoxious in saying that you're one of the better ones out of the bunch.

I think most kids do appreciate music. There's such a wealth of music out there that it's hard for bloggers to consistently refer back to older artists on a monthly basis. This blogging thing started out with the intent to share. This 'come fast, go fast" thing is just an unforeseen consequence, in my opinion.

Haha, here's the link to the Oxford American article that I said I would post before.

Every DJ with a laptop and an internet connection having the exact same playlist.
Mike Davis, Burlesque Design

Justice's D.A.N.C.E.?? Hot Chip's Over and Over??
Oh check out the Hood Internet, if you haven't already, they've got this Girl Talk thing going.

Club Rap
I can't think of anything worse than oversexed fashionista 20-somethings charging promoters $2000 just so they can get on stage and lip-synch to their little MySpace hit. I don't want to name any offenders because I might have to interview them next year.
Mosi Reeves, XLR8R writer

Yay High School Musical!!!

Banner and above info via XLR8R

Friendly Fires

Nice vid with a slo-mo balloon and a great hook. Friendly Fires' band name just reminds me of one of Sean Lennon's title of his most recent album.

Fine, I'll be nice and provide you an mp3 link too...

Friendly Fires - Paris

Via Good Weather for Airstrikes

Cut It Out

Must have taken lots of paper...A band called Trenchcoat.

When Your Lost

Kimya Dawson's "I Like Giants".

When I go for a drive I like to pull off to the side
Of the road, turn out the lights, get out and look up at the sky
And I do this to remind me that I'm really, really tiny
In the grand scheme of things and sometimes this terrifies me

But it's only really scary cause it makes me feel serene
In a way I never thought I'd be because I've never been
So grounded, and so humbled, and so one with everything
I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything

Rock and roll is fun but if you ever hear someone
Say you are huge, look at the moon, look at the stars, look at the sun
Look at the ocean and the desert and the mountains and the sky
Say I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye
I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye

When I saw Geneviève I really liked it when she said
What she said about the giant and the lemmings on the cliff
She said 'I like giants
Especially girl giants
Cause all girls feel too big sometimes
Regardless of their size'

When I go for a drive I like to pull off to the side
Of the road and run and jump into the ocean in my clothes
And I'm smaller than a poppyseed inside a great big bowl
And the ocean is a giant that can swallow me whole

So I swim for all salvation and I swim to save my soul
But my soul is just a whisper trapped inside a tornado
So I flip to my back and I float and I sing
I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything
I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything

So I talked to Geneviève and almost cried when she said
That the giant on the cliff wished that she was dead
And the lemmings on the cliff wished that they were dead
So the giant told the lemmings why they ought to live instead

When she thought up all those reasons that they ought to live instead
It made her reconsider all the sad thoughts in her head
So thank you Geneviève, cause you take what is in your head
And you make things that are so beautiful and share them with your friends

We all become important when we realize our goal
Should be to figure out our role within the context of the whole
And yeah, rock and roll is fun, but if you ever hear someone
Say you are huge, look at the moon, look at the stars, look at the sun
Look at the ocean and the desert and the mountains and the sky

Say I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye
I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye
I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye
And I don't wanna make her cry
Cause I like giants

It's Almost Over

Juno



2 Days in Paris



Go watch some movies when your done with your finals.

It's OK

Sighn is going to produce 1 million hand-made wood cutouts, which is going to take him most of his life to finish.

Check the clip he posted.

I think it's a good word to repeat over 1 million times. It's got this comforting and optimistic tone to it. That it's ok you've made this mistake. Or that it's ok, you shall overcome this hardship.

With finals coming up, and all the stressful shit that comes with it, I'm telling myself, "It's ok. You'll be home in a week." Even though this doesn't change much of the crap that's going to come, it certainly make things look a bit brighter.

Source: Fecal Face

Glitches and Such

Maybe it's just me who's making a big deal out of this. But I just found out that if I don't take my flight on the 16th, I can't get leave St. Louis until 12/28. When I do get back to HK, it'll be 30th. Then I've got to leave and get back to St.Lo on 1/12. Then there's no point in getting back because the tickets are just too freakin' expensive to just go home for like 11 days.

I don't want to spend Christmas here alone, cause all my suitemates are heading back home. I told my little brother about this and he said that it's just Christmas, some freakin' holiday that Chinese don't celebrate. I told him that he'll understand next year, when he's in college. It's not about the holiday, I just want to spend some time with my family. I really miss home :(

Like when I tell my suitemates about this, they said that there'll always be tickets available, it's just the matter of price. But I don't want to waste my family's money, the ticket's like $1500! And I'm not getting a refund for the ticket I currently have.

It's funny. Cause people just don't see your situation as you see it. I'm kinda stressed out right now. I think they're trying to be objective so that I won't get all upset over this. But all I want right now is someone's sympathy. Pathetic, I know.

Well, I hope my professor will move my exam date earlier. Cause he said he stands quite firm on no make-ups unless it's a family or medical emergency. One of my suitemates said I should've lied. Who knew that honesty can be such a bitch.

Sorry if this isn't an entry you were expecting. But one day, I'll read this and just laugh at how this thing unfolded, how upset I got over this little mess up. Life is more than this. I know. People are starving out there and I'm brought down by this?! I know. But little things like these can bog you down.

Kids are Truly Amazing

DJs Sara and Ryusei, aged 8 and 5 respectively.

Who said all Asian kids learn how to play the piano and violin??

Thank You Seabear

It's innocent moments like these that remind to step out of my bubble of self-pity and think about the good stuff in life. Ah it's been a bit stressful after Thanksgiving, needing to catch up with work and all. My flight schedule didn't work out that well. I most probably need to extend my stay here until the 23rd, which means I won't get back to HK until the 25th :(. I might miss out on Christmas day with my family.

But it's OK. I love my family and my family loves me. Just can't wait!

Seabear - I Sing I Swim

Patch-em-Up

Source: Afhakers.nl

Hillman Curtis Shorts: Embrace

Watch here.
Check out more shorts here.

It's All about RE-Inventing

CocoRosie brought a Beat Box along

Never been a big CocoRosie fan, but I really like this take on their song "Werewolf" from their The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn album. The beat box dude reminds me of Kraftwerk somehow...

Source: nialler9

Holy Hail!!

Check it. A New York 4 piece called Holy Hail. Song's called Cool Town Rock.

Download:
Holy Hail - Born of a Star

What's up with the scene lately? Bands seem to be determined to get indie kids to dance. CSS, New Young Pony Club, Shy Child...

Source: Skatterbrain

Domo Domo Domo-Kun

I love this seemingly intimidating, but kind-hearted monster.

Source: Toys r Evil

Panda's Hideout!! #202 - Finally Some Rest

A present for you guys. Hope you find some new gems in it.

Tracklist

Thao Nguyen - Feet Asleep
Pet Politics - In My Head
Ola Podrida - The New Science
Phosphorescent - A Picture of our Torn Up Praise
Okay - Panda
Boat Club - Warmer Climes
advantage Lucy - Miharu
Flipper's Guitar - 3 a.m. op
Supercar - Yumegiwa Last Boy
Entre Rios - Cerca & Extrano
Electric President - I'm not the Lonely Son (I'm the Ghost)
Pandatone - I Forgot if we Dreamed

DOWNLOAD

Martha Sue

"Imagining plant-life that has evolved monstrous traits, Harris' strange chimerical trees, flowers, and fungi are displayed in their (un)natural habitat. Martha Sue deviant vision of botany illustrates relationships and issues within the plant kingdom, but is equally imbued with insights into human emotion and interaction." - from her website

She was also in the Strange Fruit - Bad Seeds exhibitions, displaying her artwork along with John Casey.
Check out more photos from the gallery via John Casey's blog!

Source: John Casey, Martha Sue

John Casey

"My creatures are called monsters by some, but I often feel that the connotations associated with 'monster' don't always apply to these little guys unless one can add descriptors like 'vulnerable' and 'fragile' to the definition of monster. Maybe I have issue with the monster moniker because I see my critters as self-portraits. Nick Capasso, director of the DeCordova Museum, once referred to my work as 'little exorcisms' and I like that description. The idea that I expel my inner demons in the form of drawn, painted, or sculpted critters appeals to me." - John Casey

Some work from a recent gallery of his: Strange Fruit - Bad Seeds

The branch-like nose reminds me of the ones you see on snowmen. Or like an alternate take on Pinocchio...

Go check his blog, he posts up some pictures of his ongoing pieces and gallery visits. Awesome stuff.

Source: Oh-so-fabulous Fecal Face

Socalled aka Josh Dolgin

“Hip hop is all about representing who you are, your crew. I’m this little white Jewish dude living in the country. It doesn’t make sense for me to rap about guns, cars, and hos. I’m not going to rap about hos. What should I make music about? I should try to represent who I am. When I began digging for samples, I found these old Jewish records, and they were a clue about this funky, old tradition that had been forgotten. Yiddish theater, Cantorial music...all kinds of weird sounds…and the records had the most amazing breaks! And I realized that I could make my hip hop - my music from them.” –SoCalled

Download:
Socalled - You are Never Alone (mp3)
Socalled - (These are the) Good Old Days (mp3)

He's got a peculiar way of making music. He's also got a peculiar way of making his MVs.

You are Never Alone


(These are the) Good Old Days

Our Information Age

It's great that we're contributing and sharing what we know with everyone else in the world. However, we also need to look at all these info with critical eyes. Not everything's credible - including this entry.

Gum-to-Gum

Anna Bullus’s Bubble Gum Bin is made from Gumnetic - a new biodegradable material that's made of sterilized chewing gum and bio resin. So more gum in the Gum Bins will make more Gum Bins!

From what I know, Singapore banned the sale of chewing gum because of how well gum sticks to concrete surfaces, like on the sidewalks, etc. It takes high-pressured washing to get them off, wasting water, time, money, and energy that can be directed elsewhere.

Throw your gum away properly OR to save you all that trouble, don't chew gum at all! I don't think gum does much for me... Get mints if you want to freshen your breath.

Anyway, Anna Bullus also made a cushion to go with it: Gunnetic Chewy Pad. Love the packaging.
Source: Inhabitat.com

Green Street Art by Edina Tokodi + Clips by JR

"Eco-minded street artist Edina Tokodi is putting a new spin on green guerilla tactics in the trendy art enclave of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Tokodi’s site-specific moss installations of prancing animal figures and camouflage outgrowths are the talk of a local urban neighborhood typically accustomed to gallery hype and commercial real estate take-overs. Unlike the market-driven art featured in sterile, white box galleries, the work of Tokodi is meant to be touched, felt, and in turn touch you in the playful ways that her animated installations call to mind a more familiar, environmentally friendly state in the barren patches of urban existence." - Inhabitat.com

Edina Tokodi says:

“I think that our distance from nature is already a cliché. City dwellers often have no relationship with animals or greenery. As a public artist I feel a sense of duty to draw attention to deficiencies in our everyday life."

Street art is constantly transformed and it's exciting to see it's progress. It's not just about marking your territory or reclaiming public space from advertising companies, triggering awareness and the lot; now it's stepped up to artist-audience interaction. Art is a type of one-way-communication, where you just take in and contemplate about the messages the artists are trying to convey. Now you can play with moss! How fun is that?!


Relating to awareness-raising, check out JR's FACE 2 FACE & Soweto project if you haven't.

FACE 2 FACE trailer by JR and Marco
Uploaded by 28millimetres

SOWETO - SOUTH AFRICA BY JR
Uploaded by JR

Source: Wooster Collective

Trevi Turned Red

"On October 19th, the waters of Rome’s famous Trevi Fountain turned blood red when a man threw paint into the basin in a bizarre act of vandalism apparently inspired by the Futurists of the early 20th century.

The man, reportedly wearing a beret and a light-colored jacket, struck at around 4.30 pm and then disappeared into the crowd of tourists, leaving behind a pile of leaflets. The fountain, which re-uses the same water in a continuous cycle, soon started spurting red water into the air from its jets, providing an unprecedented spectacle which tourists immediately began photographing. Police arrived and technicians briefly shut off the water before restoring a clear flow.

Experts said the baroque fountain was not permanently damaged and the marble statues depicting the sea deity Neptune on his chariot had not absorbed the color.

“There shouldn’t be any relevant damage,” said Eugenio La Rocca, superintendent for Rome’s monuments.

The news agency ANSA reported that a box was found near the fountain containing leaflets by a group that claimed responsibility for the act. The leaflets found beside the fountain claimed that the coloring of the monument had been carried out by ‘FTM Futurist Action 2007,’ a group which has not been heard of before.

The leaflets state that the group aims to battle against “everything and everyone with a spirit of healthy violence” and to turn this “grey bourgeois society into a triumph of color.” As well, the leaflets proclaim that the red paint was a protest for expenses incurred in organizing the Rome Film Festival and symbolically referred to the event’s red carpet."

Source: Wooster Collective

Learn more about the history of the Trevi Fountain - EternallyCool.net
Or about Futurists - Wikipedia.org

Futurology is the detailed critical inspection and reasoning of the state in which things will develop in the future on the basis of existing circumstances in history. - Wikipedia

(I actually found out that 2 of my professors took their definitions off of Wiki. Cause when I was confused by what I scribbled on my notebook, I went on Wiki and found that their definitions were the same, word for word...)

Takashi Murakami

"Has recently opened his most comprehensive and complete exhibition to date at the MOCA in Los Angeles. The exhibition his showing works from the early days up until now and has a vibrant mix of paintings and sculptures. The ones among you that cannot make it to the exhibition have the chance to get an idea of what there is to see here thanks to the Hundreds."

Don't really know much about the guy behind all this cuteness-explosion?
Jonathan Ross will tell you more about him on Japanorama:



Source: High Snobiety