Bon Iver - Justin Vernon Gets Mellow..er. (AUDIO)

Justin Vernon, aka 'Bon Iver' aside his Bruce Hornsby-channeling, synthesizer-driven studio take on the closing track to his new sophomore record, Bon Iver, Bon Iver, for NPR’s World Cafe recently, unplugging the tune with just a solo piano backing. The new version recalls his alternate version of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” we saw — and loved — earlier this year.

In addition to trading the keyboard for the ivory keys, Vernon varies his pitch more, alternating between his trademark falsetto and a breathy baritone--both of which compliment each other well. In short, this version is quite hauntingly beautiful in its own right and well worth a couple spins. Check out and download below:

Bon Iver - Beth/Rest (Solo Piano Version) by MiscMusic.net

On “Calgary,” Justin Vernon’s vocals lay in a cloud of gloomy synths and anxious electric guitar tones, suggesting a sonic shift from the grainy For Emma formula. But not too much has changed — the ghostly falsetto remains Bon Iver’s calling card. JV’s voice has also been unmistakable on recent collaborations (GAYNGS, Volcano Choir, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy) and an asset when he takes on someone else’s song. So I’m especially looking forward to the “Calgary” 12″ b-side, a combined cover of two Bonnie Raitt classics, “I Can’t Make You Love Me” > “Nick Of Time.” (Bon Iver once deejayed the latter at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.) While we wait to hear that (it’s out 7/4), let’s take a listen back at all the tunes by other folks Justin’s successfully made his own.

DOWNLOAD MP3:

Bon Iver - Beth/Rest (Piano Version) @ NPR Cafe

Bon Iver – “Why” (Annie Lennox Cover) [w/ St. Vincent]

Bon Iver – “A Satisfied Mind” (Red Hayes & Jack Rhodes Cover)

Bon Iver – “Blue Tulip” (Okkervil River Cover)

Bon Iver – “Mercury” (Kathleen Edwards Cover)

Bon Iver – “Crawling Back To You” (Tom Petty Cover)

Bon Iver – “Train Song” (Vashti Bunyan Cover) [w/ Feist & Colin Stetson]

Bon Iver – “The Park” (Feist Cover)

Bon Iver – “Bruised Orange (Chain Of Sorrow)” (John Prine Cover)

Bon Iver – “Come Talk To Me” (Peter Gabriel Cover)

Bon Iver – “Your Love” (The Outfield Cover)

Bon Iver – “I Can’t Make You Love Me”/”Nick Of Time” (Bonnie Raitt Cover)

Bon Iver – “Love More” (Sharon Van Etten Cover)

Bon Iver – “Who Is It” (Björk Cover)

Mos Def To Retire...His Name! Will Now Become Yasiin (VIDEO)

Mos Def will soon be the rapper formerly known as Mos Def.

At this weekend's "Rock the Bells" concert in New York City, where the musician performed with Talib Kweli, Mos Def revealed that he's retiring his name by the end of 2011. The new name? Yasiin.

"I’m retiring the Mos Def name after 2011. I’m actually doing it," he told Sucker Free. "Mos Def is a name that I built and cultivated over the years, it’s a name that the streets taught me, a figure of speech that was given to me by the culture and by my environment, and I feel I’ve done quite a bit with that name and it’s time to expand and move on."

Check out the video below:

Get More: Sucker Free

 
After only knowing the talented wordsmith by this name, its hard to imagine starting over as someone else. Will his style change too?? Who knows. But it will undoubtedly be something worth watching!

ODE2AMY - Artistic Tribute To Amy Winehouse

The late, Grammy-award winning Amy Winehouse was no stranger to the demons shared by fellow lost but not forgotten artists such as Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, & Heath Ledger--to name a few. And while the world may argue and dispute the true meaning and causes behind their deaths, some people prefer to take a more literal, sometimes less-than-subtle way of paying tribute to the undeniable talent that they all possessed.

One such tribute has been crafted by mosaic and multimedia artist Jason Mecier. His work is known to combine elements that make up part of the specific individual that he was focusing on. He has crafted spectacular portraits of Michael Jackson and Sigmund Freud using pills, Rosario Dawson and Ashanti using makeup, and Farrah Fosset and Florence Henderson using household products. In the case of Florence, she even sent him random objects to use.

Amy Winehouse has sadly become another face on the wall of the infamous '27 club.' A group whose  permanent members have struggled with countless addictions, self-loathing, feelings of abandonment and the perhaps most dangerous of all characteristics--the unavoidable, unforgettable and highly exploited raw talent that the world cried for constantly. The weight of which fell heavy on the shoulders of these troubled few.

"Amy Winehouse" Mosaic - 17'' x 21'' (pills, 2011)

Attributing her death to be the result of drugs and/or other substances, the media has created very little doubt in the minds of others. The result is a morbid fascination and beautiful homage to pay respect to the late pop-star using thousands of multi-color painkillers--one of the addictions that she suffered from. But this fascination is not aimed at exploiting her suffering or to say that this is all she or others should be remembered for. Its to high-light the tragic consequences of such addictions and the media's sensationalistic tendencies to exploit celebrities and reduce them to their actions.

Many of Amy's closest friends and family believe that she was indeed ready to get her life back on track and had been clean and sober for sometime. They are confident that when autopsy results are returned that it will show just that. I too would like to believe that beneath the tarnished surface of her less than perfect reputation, was the soul of a true singer who was overcoming her own demons in order to strive for deserved and proper recognition once more.

You can check out more artistic renditions of celebrities, real people and even request your own portrait be made at Jason's website. Be sure to take a look at Andy Warhol, Dolly Parton and a rendition of Billy Bob Thornton from 'Bad Santa'!

Hail To McQueen!

If you have followed the fashion world at all in the past 20 years, then the name McQueen is sure to pop up quite frequently--and not Steve McQueen! And if you still don't know who he is, then perhaps you should check out some highlights from the latest exhibit honoring his triumphantly vivid and hauntingly beautiful legacy: Savage Beauty

There is no doubt that McQueen was one of the most imaginative pioneers in modern fashion, essentially using his endless creativity to paint pictures with fabric and weave stories through stitching. His goal was always to break the constraints of traditional design whilst still upholding its fundamentals principles--confidence, precision and the of course, the belief in endless possibilities!

Coat

Dante, autumn/winter 1996–97

Black wool felt embroidered with gold bullion cord

From the collection of Isabella Blow courtesy of the Hon. Daphne Guinness

Photograph © Sølve Sundsbø / Art + Commerce


“I spent a long time learning how to construct clothes, which is important to do before you can deconstruct them.”
-- Self Service, Spring/Summer 2002

 
 
By breaking away from traditional, finite notions of construction, Alex was able to push the boundaries of his work by looking deep into his own mind and channeling the more detailed and imaginative aspects of fashion that were rarely seen to this day. A real type of raw originality and daring gusto that made his work the stuff of dreams [...and the cinematic costume designers of Pan's Labyrinth might salivate over].
 
 
 

Often influenced by his own Scottish heritage, McQueen was also adamant about implementing the cultures from throughout Europe and various historical periods while at the same time romanticizing them. By adding modern elements, these nationalistic collections took on a whole new life.
 
 
 
 
“The reason I’m patriotic about Scotland is because I think it’s been dealt a really hard hand. It’s marketed the world over as . . . haggis . . . bagpipes. But no one ever puts anything back into it.” --McQueen


 
 

Alexander McQueen (British, 1969–2010)


Ensemble

Widows of Culloden, autumn/winter 2006–7

Dress of McQueen wool tartan; top of nude silk net appliquéd with black lace; underskirt of cream silk tulle

Courtesy of Alexander McQueen

Photograph © Sølve Sundsbø / Art + Commerce




Romantic Gothic and Cabinet of Curiosities
 

Combining elements of horror and Gothic romanticism, each piece in this set reflects his work from different points in his career; from
Dante (autumn/winter 1996–97), Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (autumn/winter 2002–3), and the posthumous, unofficially entitled Angels and Demons (autumn/winter 2010–11). 
 
 
 
 

 
 
For more incredible images, be sure to check out The MET where you can get a closer look at just how intricate and beautifully savage these designs truly are!
 
 
 
Gallery photography by The Photograph Studio, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Nestrest

Considering how design and structure are practically inseparable when creating functional yet comfortable living spaces, its no wonder that designers Daniel Pouzet and Fred Frety use a pairing of both structural simplicity and almost ethereal beauty to create their Nestrest. However, what is wondrous, IS the Nestrest!


This dangling, darlingly simple teardrop shaped pod of plushy goodness is something you don't see everyday. But it is a wonderful alternative to the boring ol' hammock and other pretentious (not to mention pricey) and annoyingly uncomfortable patio furniture one might find at C2B.

'NESTREST is made of an especially strong DEDON fiber (4 cm wide, instead of 2 cm), guaranteeing a sturdy and solid weave with excellent properties: it shelters those within, allowing them to look out while preventing outsiders from seeing in – a perfect feeling of security!' - Dedon.de


Whether relaxing, reading, or rejoicing in the company of nature and friends--this pod is sure to please.
 
 
 

Balancing natural beauty with nature itself...
 
 
Head over to Dedon to check out more about the Nestrest and and how to procure one for your abode or perhaps more likely your favorite tree!
 

the teepee 2.0...

Street Art - Bringing People Together by Mashing Them Up

What' s one way to make something more unique than it already is?

By taking two other unique things and mashing them together! Well, that's exactly what Jaime Rojo and Steven Harrington are doing. And with your help (yes...you!) their art can be part of your hood. Putting a fresh spin on street art by combining the elements from your face and others, this dynamic duo can generate prints that can be set-up virtually anywhere as a poster size tribute to your homage, or even as a massive billboard overlooking your fellow citizens. Welcome to Brooklyn Street Art!

JR "Inside Out" Project, The Bronx, New York 2011 (photo © Jaime Rojo)



Of course street artists like Fauxreel, C215, Swoon, Specter and others have thoughtfully introduced neighbors into the public space with their work also, each with their individual technique, but the scale of this TED-fueled interactive project really impacts many perceptions of people, neighborhoods, and the concept of public space.


Check some cool hybrid Harlemites and of course my WAY more badass Brooklyn brethren:

The Brothers Grimm: Jake & Dinos Chapman

The Chapman brothers are not shy. Since first bursting onto the art scene in the early 90s with work featured in the notorious YBA exhibition, Sensation, the Chapman brothers have become known as bad boys of Britart. And with a quick Google of them it's not hard to see why: spats with journalists, death threats and "pornographic, vulgar" work fill the Internet pages. Yikes.

Since their work featured in both YBA exhibitions in the mid-nineties the Chapman brothers - Jake and Dinos - have become synonymous with controversial art, often having their work labelled as vulgar and offensive. But despite the labels and occasional spats with the press the Chapman brothers have been hugely important to British art and were nominated for the Turner prize in 2003. Here, Crane.tv talk to the brothers about their latest exhibition at the White Cube gallery, which for the first time they worked separately on, and finds out their message for fellow YBA Tracey Emin.

Fucking Hell

2008


Glass-fibre, plastic and mixed media (nine parts)


8 parts: 84 5/8 x 50 11/16 x 98 3/8 in. (215 x 128.7 x 249.8 cm) / 1 part: 84 13/16 x 50 3/8 x 50 3/8 in. (215.4 x 128 x 128 cm)


Photo: Todd-White Art Photography




Head over to White Cube to check out some more pics of their work and for a sense of just how truly unforgiving and creatively eerie history can be!


DATES:
From 15 July to 17 September. Address: 48 Hoxton Square, London, N1 6PB and 25-26 Mason's Yard, London, SW1Y 6BU, http://www.jakeanddinoschapman.com/

Introducing....LOLA!!

Well!

Its been quite a while, but we're finally back with a vengeance!...and with a new addition to my family!
Recently my apartment has gained a new tenant full of love and fur and endless wiggles! Meet Lola!
My new husky companion!

http://www.buddysbubbles.com/blog/doggyviews/doggyview-lola



She's 2/12 months old, cute as a button--whatever that means--yet to see a button cuter than her thats for sure!! She sleeps most of the day, is incredibly laid back and is just so damn loveable that its stupid.
Cant wait to get home and see her.

Everyday looks to be a new adventure and full of wonder. She's pretty big now already, but will get a lot bigger in no time :)

Stay tuned for more photos and updates. Check out the link for more info on her traits and how she likes to hide food in my Adidas'.

Stella im Hultberg: going rouge

Stella im Hultberg: going rogue.

Coming from an industrial design background one might think this shy South Korean artist would have be working FOR the machine but instead she is working for her own damn self these days, all the while searching for her next meal and favorite ice cream spot. Born in Seoul, she has slowly made her way to NYC via Hong Kong, Taiwan, and California. She was previously in the toy manufacturing business designing things that share similar qualities to her current work. Stella im Hultberg’s paintings are conceived in varying combinations of ink, watercolor, and oils on paper, wood and canvas. Her portraits of women are rendered in easy, flowing lines with soft hues that transcend the typical critiques of feminine beauty, inherent in today’s self conscious society. Hultberg originally studied Industrial Design at CSU, which naturally segued into work as a toy designer early on in her career. Working in the design industry serendipitously led to her building upon her own natural talents as an artist then a toy designer and then a self-taught painter. Having grown up in Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan, she has a diverse blend of cultural influences to pull from. Hultberg has shown her work with such prestigious galleries at Lineage Gallery (now Joshua Liner Gallery), Roq La Rue, Gallery 1988, Limited Addiction, and Corey Helford. With solo shows ahead at Copro Gallery and Josh Liner Gallery in the coming year, things will only continue to bloom for this young artist.
Now residing in Brooklyn, she explores the female form even more. Pushing its meaning and redefining every part of it in a fantastic fashion.

  

Never odd or even. 9'' x 12''. Oil & Ink on tea-stained paper. 2006.

beautiful and enchanting. captures a warming side of youth.

Ache. 12'' x 24'', Oil on Canvas, 2007.
gettin' more surreal with a hint of underwater dream scape.

Waiting in Dreams. 20'' x 24''. Oil on Canvas. 2008

passionate, lovely. seemingly devoid of emotions while simultaneously possessing every one.

Whisper. 4'' x 4''. Mixed Media on wood. 2009.

this year she meant minimalist and then did a 360 once again to way heavy expressionism. The faces tell some stories.

Like A Sad Song. 3'' x 2.5''. Acrylic, Wood, Clay. 2010.

Stella now brings us some wonderfully crafted wooden pieces.

Check out all of her stuff at her site Painting.Drawings.Sculptures. (yea..that's right; she sculpts too.)

you can also purchase her prints and original artwork as well at her shop. For first dibs, make sure you check out when she's rolling into a town near you.

How To Embarrass Yourself Thoroughly: Dating Blues

Gregory J. Shaw
Male.
NYC.
24.
Afro-Caucasian.
Jewish.


How To Embarrass Yourself Thoroughly: Dating Blues


I remember having a 'birds & bees' conversation with my father when I was growing up, but never was there a 'what to do on a first date' precursor.


By the end of High School I had already had sex but oddly enough--I had never been a a date. I wonder why. I had never felt awkward or uncomfortable around women. In fact, my best friends were all girls and in many ways they showed me the ropes when it came to communicating and such. What I didn't learn from them unfortunately was how my ability to talk to women would affect my love life when it came to dating.

There was one girl in particular I knew at the beginning of my college experience that I would absolutely kill to be with. Her name was Hannah. She was smart, sexy and out of my league (in that order). And with a lot of personality, it made her the envy of many women--and men. I had to talk to her. And so over the next few weeks I began to warm up to her and eventually asked if she wanted to get coffee sometime. With just a hope and a prayer she said yes.

That Friday she and I went out for dinner. I had hoped she hadn't eaten yet because in case it had gotten awkward, dinner is easier to deal with then coffee because half the time your mouth is full of food. But to my surprise the dinner could not have gone better. We laughed, flirted and even cozied-up on a park bench. Things were looking good. As the night progressed our conversations got deeper and when I walked her home we even held hands. After a semi-romantic walk home I was sure I would land a second date. After we exchanged the ceremonial 'goodnights,' I went in for the kiss without thought.

"Um..What are you doing?!" she exclaimed. What had I done? The night was going so well!

"What's wrong? I thought that we were vibing!"
I was ever so confused. Maybe she doesn't kiss on first dates?


"I thought we were too, but why would you kiss me? I thought you were gay!"
Wow.

Hannah had said it with such certainty that I was truly surprised. My ability to relate to women had manifested in such a way that now women thought I was one!

"I only did those things with you tonight because I thought you were NOT into me!"
Apparently I had broken the trust in the now defunct relationship I had with her. And before I knew it I was on my way home trying to figure out to what extent, if any, I was actually gay in the eyes of women. I was pretty sure up until that point that I was indeed a straight man. I had some serious thinking to do.

Girl Talk.

It's Been A While.

I sit and I stare, watching my strange little world go passing me by.


Realizing that one must do, quite the opposite of what one wants to do is like discovering fire.
Dangerous, confusing, and all consuming.
And this discovery is unburdened by personal desires.
A wiser man than I once said, that to be yourself in a world that tries night and day to make you like everyone else is the greatest fight there is to fight.
I agree.

It's been a while since I've felt like myself.
Constantly struggling to manuever through a world that tries not just to conform, but consolidate.
The water is rising. The gap is widening.
Will I float? Or will I sink to the depths of nothingness?
I need to find my way.
For my own sake.

As I stare out into the vast, seemingly endless urban jungle, I'm reminded that there are a million people.
Doing a million things.
For a million reasons.
What's mine?
What's my purpose?





I suppose time will tell.