We are pleased to present our 25th installment of Sound Advice featuring z†. A society of 12 individuals who craft, collaborate and create objects, products and ephemera, z† is.
Sound Advice 25 – z†
01 King Of Carrot Flowers Part 1 – Neutral Milk Hotel
02 This Is The One – The Stone Roses
03 Lost – The Mary Onettes
04 The Old Man’s Back Again (Dedicated To The Neo-Stalinist Regime) – Scott Walker
05 This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) – Talking Heads
06 So Sad – The Everly Brothers
07 Gentle As – Elbow
08 Remember (Walking In The Sand) – The Shangri-Las
09 The Selecter – The Selecter
10 This Is How We Walk On The Moon – Arthur Russell
11 Chistelle – ESG
12 October (Love Song) ’86 Version – Chris & Cosey
13 If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next – Manic Street Preachers
14 Life’s Little Tragedy – Lambchop
15 Golden Hours – Brian Eno
16 Goodbye Sadness (Tristeza) – Astrud Gilberto
17 Days I Had With You – Kings Of Convenience
18 Kicker Of Elves – Guided By Voices
19 Break My Body – Pixies
20 Disintegration (Live XFM Great Expectations) – The Cure
21 Vapour Trail – Ride
22 happY – frYars
23 No Fit State – Hot Chip
24 The Wanderer (Featuring Johnny Cash) – U2
25 Bonus Medley
From the minds of a Subject, a Big Animal a Champion and someone Sinister comes a “sketchbook, archive and dialogue” of drawn and digitized typographic endeavors. Friends of Type is validation of sorts for those who spent their afternoons scrawling on walls, desks, skateboards and notebooks in study hall some 18 years ago. Displayed in a brilliantly large format with in-jokes and pop cultural references abound (dumpling trucks, New Order lyrics and of course, Kate Moss) it’s instantly become an essential daily destination.
Initially intrigued by the boastfulness of their name (not to mention their stunning “crowns” card), Brooklyn’s own enormouschampion is a brilliantly tidy (read: small but mighty) design group / stationer started by photographer Jordan Provost and design director Jason Wong who are responsible for all of the letterpressing, printing and production of every cleverly-designed and perfectly-executed piece.
Collaborating occasionally with artists who have included Tim Fite (bike series) and Erik Marinovich (nautical series), their work taps into those perfect artful sentiments for moments that may require impact, yet something a bit less sappy. They’ve outdone themselves with their newest sets aptly titled “Bats & Bunnies” and Seagulls & Eagles,” inspired by houndstooth and herringbone woven fabric patterns, respectively. These two sets will undoubtedly join many of their other cards and prints as framed pieces on the walls here at headquarters and at home.
The future, primitive: party pictures in the form of animated GIFs. This lot are definitely on to something. We’re eagerly awaiting the inevitable Facehuntorialist.
French indie mag Magic RPM spent some time with former Joy Division/New Order bassist Peter Hook during his recent cross-continent jaunt with A Certain Ratio. The results are in the form of five fantastic vids covering everything from “Blue Monday,” Anton Corbijn, David Hasslehoff, the Happy Mondays’ “thieving ways” and the disappointment with the recent reissues of the New Order: The Factory Years catalog. ‘Ave it!
On 13 January 2009, Royal Mail will release a series of stamps dedicated to British Design Classics. Included in the series of ten are the Mini, the K2 telephone kiosk, the London Underground Map, the Routemaster bus, and our favorites—the Concorde and mini skirt. See them all at CR Blog.
The current issue of Japanese design mag +81 is dedicated to the artists who in Geoff McFetridge’s words have been “exposed to a really advanced visual culture,” via the ever-changing language of skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing. Nahoko Mori and staff have compiled an impressive group of artists, ranging from Shepard Fairey, Aaron Rose, Michael Leon, Ryotatsu Tanaka and Hedi Slimane who pontificate on the virtues and rewards of “boardom.”
Take a quick flip through the entire issue at at their site.
“One of the things I’ve learnt as I’ve got older, about movements and working with other people, is that in pop culture particularly, but in any of the arts, it’s almost more important to define yourself by what you’re against than by what you’re for.”
A transcript of guitar legend Johnny Marr’s November 4 lecture at University of Salford entitled “Always from the Outside: Mavericks, Innovators and Building Your Own Ark” can be found here.
The December 2008 issue of Creative Review hits the newsstands this week with a typographically stunning cover by fellow New Yorker Sam Potts of Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. fame. Read more about it at CR Blog.
TWBE: Name, occupation, clothing label and beverage of choice?
David Casey / Producer, Current TV / APC / Jameson on the rocks
TWBE: What inspired your initial trek from Kansas to NYC?
DC: The Village. I used to drive an hour to Wichita to *buy* a Village Voice. I read Burroughs and Langston Hughes – both Kansas guys with romantic ideals about New York.
When I got here, I thought that type of scene still existed. I was the only New Yorker my age that knew why the West 4th Basketball courts were really famous (because Jaco Pastorius would sleep on the court). This didn’t really hit me until I forced a music journalist friend to meet me on MacDougal Street for dinner – he said he hadn’t been west of Broadway for years. He had no idea Café Wha was still around.
My favorite time in the city is to walk down Bleecker, Houston or Canal very early in the morning – trying to imagine what it was like. [Read more]
This past weekend was spent at a relaxing retreat at Breathe Inn, located a little over two hours from NYC, in the heart of the Catskills. A labour of love for Brooklynites Camella Ehlke (founder of Triple-Five Soul) and Marlon Aitcheson (former personal “chef to the stars,” including Russell Simmons), they have successfully curated the Maple Tree Farm, (former home to Videofreex, America’s first pirate tv station) with a perfect blend of mid-century modern furniture, Asian and North African flair and some incredible art from the likes of Rostarr, Doze, Ryan McGinness, David Ellis, Banksy and more.
Thoughtful accents to the experience include a full vegetarian breakfast, laptop-friendly projector, full dvd library, ipod stereos in each room and complimentary Malin + Goetz toiletries. Overall, it’s a brilliant and peaceful experience with the amenities and attractions of city living, without the constant dirge of Flatbush Avenue. [Read more]
