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Just in case, in the huge and confusing world of the internet, you have missed the joys of Ashley Macomber's art, here's a link to her website.
And an interesting interview where she talks about her relationship with TV, including a love of Twin Peaks, Six Feet Under, and the Mighty Boosh. (<3!)
And a couple of her paintings:
She captures the flow of fur with so few lines, and the expressions are way intense for two dimensions. This painting's a good example of the value of efficience in art.
She evokes the mysticism of nature and creation, and you can see the connection to David Lynch and Alan Ball through the impending feeling that something dark lurks beneath the surface. On that note, David Lynch's latest tunes have been haunting my abode, especially the song Ghost of Love that he wrote for Inland Empire and recently rereleased on Itunes along with a B side Imaginary Girl. It's worth the $1.98 : )
In the spirit of George Sand: "My profession is to be free."
There's a cool store opening this Saturday December 13th called Kill City. The party sounds excellent with Sean Reveron on the 1's & 2's (I have my DJ lingo down and my own turntables thank you very much) free beer and sodas.
Kill City carries everything you need to for men and women and the design of the store is urban fresh. Check them out at 7975 Melrose Avenue or on the web at www.killcity.net
You know Bolt, that dog cartoon? Yeah it's Disney, and the ads are annoying, but there are some reasons that it's totally worth seeing.
First of all, you have to see it at El Capitan on Hollywood because it's in 3D, entirely, even the previews! This is no "right eye red, left eye blue" 3D either, it's practically psychadelic. You may even want to consider not going if you're anywhere over a level 3 hangover (out of 10). Also at said theater there is a live pre-show with dancers, costume changes, props, and singing, on headsets, like Janet Jackson! The smiles are intense, verging on scary, but that's part of the thrill. It looks a little like an Old Navy Christmas commercial, with a sprinkle of Rocky Horror. Did I mention that it snows at the end? Inside! And this is all before the movie starts. Another reason to see it is Mittens, the cat that Bolt befriends on his cross country journey. Mittens is voiced by none other than Susie Essman.
You might recognize her as Susie Green, the obnoxious wife of Jeff Green (Jeff Garlin) on Curb your Enthusiasm. She is hilarious on that show when she can swear and hurl insults like "carwash c***" but to be able to capture that same brashness with a G rated vocabulary is impressive and she does it well. As a bonus, James Lipton from Inside the Actor's Studio does the voice of the snobby director, and Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley wrote and performed the song Barking At The Moon that accompanies my favorite scene, the cross country montage. This film might not multiply your hipster cred, but is that a good reason to see a movie in the first place? Naw!
Luxury Loves Company is a new brand that will blow your mind in comfort and cutting edge style by incorporating imagery in an artistic manner and slogans which compel us to think. This gauze shirt (loving it) pays homage to Vivienne Westwood's original punk shirt and is perfection. Featuring Patty Hearst iconic image and her famous "Pardon Me" slogan I felt like I was wearing couture.
Forget what you thought about slogan t-shirts these organic t-shirts created by designer Diane Rosentstein are hand screened using eco-friendly water based inks. Rosenstein references her favorite images from the late 70's and early 80's and since shifting her tastes from the Melrose Avenue modernist gallery "Russell Simpson Company" (whose clients include Tom Ford, Mario Testino and Cameron Diaz) to clothing she is off to a triumphant start with her debut collection.
The graphic tees for Men and Women are available at top fashion boutiques Kitson, Tracey Ross and soon Fred Segal Fun in Santa Monica. If you can't get enough (ummm I can't) you can also go online at www.luxurylovescompany.com and see the full line. My favorites you ask? The Patty Hearst dress and I'm dying over the gauze shirt. Rosenstein plans on developing LLC into a full luxury brand to include handbags, hoodies and joint ventures with major labels. As far as I'm concerned this is it, the future is here... produced in Fair Trade factories, bamboo and organic cottons, eco-friendly inks and style that is timeless. My wardrobe just got so much more luxurious.
I know this recession sucks for everyone but if there is an upside to be had it's that some of my favorite brands are having sales. Case in point, Frankie B. is having a Holiday Sale next friday December 5th at their warehouse in downtown LA. I'm ditching school early and buying up some jeans... see you there.
On Saturday I went over to the new Alternative store on Cahuenga to check it out (Cahuenga between Sunset and Hollywood). Alternative Apparel t-shirts and comfortables are made of some of the best fabrics ever so I was pretty excited to check out their new store that was opening later in the afternoon.
The design is rough and raw very New York and was filled with unexpected finds. The store carries Toms Shoes (on my list of favorites they're comfortable and by giving a pair to a child in need was my original hook I continue to buy them and know my money goes further than just my own feet).
Also there were my favorite jeans DITTOS a bit of an obsession, Dittos were brought back by Frankie B. designer Daniella Clarke. I love the high wasted 70's style and they are always my go to jean to wear with vintage tops (I have a remarkable collection of Mary Tyler Moore tops) or just a t-shirt. Dittos are amazing I recently found a vintage Dittos jumpsuit at Buffalo Exchange that I wear all the time. See the whole line at www.dittosbrand.com it's inspiring.
Nike Sportswear has partnered with New York street smart label Married To The Mob to re-interpret the sporting icon's tennis shoe to create more grown up kicks that appeal to the fashion savvy girl who wants to rock some tennis shoes with her skinnies. Married To The Mob founder and all around rad chick Leah McSweeney is behind MTTM's streetwise and fashion forward look. The Nike Dunk Hi is a testament to the self-expression of it's co-creator and is made of ecru boucle fabric with contrasting black patent leather and gold accents which accentuate the Nike Dunk silhoutte. Not to be outdone Nike and McSweeney thru a party last week in NYC (sadness I couldn't go) with insanely cool Sky Nellor as DJ. MTTM is a brand that has global appeal previously collaborating with Reebok and french boutique Colette on the kiss splattered shoe that sold out in record time. Leah definitely lives up to her motto of "Most Official Bitches" and the shoes are definitely on my top 5 Wish List. See the bitchin' full line at http://www.mttmnyc.com/
Dude, have you ever heard of Alfajores? I hadn't either until I went to Argentina. By the looks of the corner bodegas, you'd think that's all they eat. They're like a cookie sandwich with dulce de leche, dipped in chocolate, not quite health food. Jorgitos seem to be one of the most common kinds...
...also the favorite of the nice lady working at the corner store:
The thing that's so remarkable about them is the sheer number of different kinds. Every kind of cookie or candy seems to have their own alfajor version:
There are fancy ones, "healthy" ones, and mini ones. Even Oreo has one!
It's a South American Snack phenomenon!
Fresh from a 2 week tour in Brazil and Argentina and I'm full of new favorites, one of which is this clothing and shoe company out of Buenos Aires: Cover Your Bones.
http://www.coveryourbones.com/
The styles and patterns are a well balanced blend of then and now. They have Converse, Keds and Dunks-like styles, and patterns like Warhol bananas, Pacman ghosts, and splatter paint. They make shoes that match their wallpaper!!!
We were lucky enough to go to the warehouse and check out the new stuff: sunglasses, huge shoulder bags, and their new Flashdance inspired LA Gear style mid-hightop. Just the artwork on the box is enough to give an Irene Cara fan a heart attack.
These guys know how to make a shoe for a child of the 80's!
The graphics blew our minds and we were a little nauseated, in a good way, possibly due to the after-effects of our raging party the night before at Mundo Bizzaro, a fun bar somewhere in Buenos Aires that made us feel right at home with Guacamole at 3 am!
http://www.buenosaires-argentina.com/nightlife/Mundo-Bizzaro.html
I wanna go back right now!!
MC Yogi (Nicholas Giacomini) grew up in Northern California painting graffiti and listening to hip hop. He spent much of his high school years in a group home for at-risk youth then at the age of 18 he discovered yoga which changed his life. By combining yoga with his love of hip hop music, MC Yogi brings the wisdom of yoga and peace to his music and now has an internet hit on his hands with "Vote For Change".
Over 150,000 people have watched your "Vote For Hope" video on You Tube and for many young people this is the first election where we feel that there is a candidate that speaks to us and will hear us and protect our future. How has this election changed you?
I think what has occurred to me and a lot of other Americans is that voting for Barack Obama in this election is not just voting for a Democrat over a Republican. It's about voting for a paradigm shift. Our country has gone so off course in the last eight years with unrestricted corporate corruption, an imploded economy, and this unjust war. Barack Obama is a smart man with sound values. Qualities that our head of state desperately needs. In making "Vote For Hope" I am adding my voice to the voices of so many other young people calling for change. It gives me hope to think that I can get involved in the political process through my art.
Does the world of viral videos and marketing make it easier to get your music out or is it a crowded market? And if so what do you do to get noticed like you have with "Vote For Change". How did digg.com help your video spike recently.
To be honest, this is the first video I have ever made. I wrote the song and my record label supported the project by printing 15,000 hard copies of it which we gave away, mostly on the streets of Denver during the Democratic convention. I knew that having a visual to the song would make the message even more powerful, and started designing the artwork for the video. I had no idea how I was going to fund the video, I just had faith. I started to raise some money from my community, and then out of no where an amazing man contacted me and donated the bulk of the funds we needed to pay for the animation and production. It all happened so fast, maybe a week from start to finish. As soon as the video was done, we sent it out to our email contacts through the yoga studio that my wife and I run, I sent it out to my friends on Facebook, the other people who worked on the video sent it out to their personal email lists, and then BOOM! It spread like wildfire. We posted it on vimeo and youtube. For the first week I was logging in every few hours to see how the views were escalating by the thousands. It was an amazing thing to witness. When digg posted it on their homepage the views almost doubled overnight. It had a huge impact. As I write this there are over 250,000 views between youtube and vimeo combined in only a couple of weeks.
I learned more about Mahatma Ghandi from your "Be The Change" song that I did in school how did you become so influenced by Indian culture? Why is Ghandi's message still so relevant today?
Mahatma Gandhi has been a hero of mine for a long time now. I loved the movie Gandhi and watched it over and over when I was a teenager. Then I got into yoga and traveled to India to study with the masters. The idea of being a non-violent revolutionary, a spiritual warrior, had a huge impact on me. I think Gandhi's message is so relevant today because he believed that true change can only begin with ourselves. Today, we are so disillusioned with our leaders and our government, we are starting to realize that if we want change we have to make it happen. We can no longer pretend that someone or something outside ourselves is going to do it for us.
Hip Hop gets generalized as negative or having a negative impact yet you've found a way to enlighten people to not only eastern sounds but concepts such as non-violence, vegetarianism, meditation, history and a true message from Obama without the spin. What do you think is the future of hip hop?
Barack Obama actually said one of the coolest things about hip hop I have heard in awhile. In an interview given earlier this year he said, "hip hop is not just a mirror of what is, it should also be a reflection of what can be." This basically sums up my purpose for being an emcee.
How has meditation changed your life?
Meditation continues to be one of the most valuable practices I've found. It has helped me to realize the Truth that underneath all the layers of separation there is Oneness.
Obama is going to have a tough job ahead. If you were djing and had to pick a victory song (other than your own of course) for Obama on the night of the 4th what would it be?
Harold Melvin "Wake Up Everybody" and Bill Withers "Lovely Day"
Do you have kids?
Not yet. Our "baby" right now is our very spoiled, very beautiful, rescued pitbull mix named Mo, short for Mahatma (which means 'great soul' in sanskrit). In fact my wife, Amanda, just illustrated a children's book about Mo's adventures called "Mo Smells Red" . Check it out on www.MosNose.com. A portion of proceeds from the book are donated to help animals in need.
The album ELEPHANT POWER is available on itunes, www.mcyogi.com and the next video "Be The Change" about Mahatma Gandhi is coming soon.
Over 150,000 people have watched your "Vote For Hope" video on You Tube and for many young people this is the first election where we feel that there is a candidate that speaks to us and will hear us and protect our future. How has this election changed you?
I think what has occurred to me and a lot of other Americans is that voting for Barack Obama in this election is not just voting for a Democrat over a Republican. It's about voting for a paradigm shift. Our country has gone so off course in the last eight years with unrestricted corporate corruption, an imploded economy, and this unjust war. Barack Obama is a smart man with sound values. Qualities that our head of state desperately needs. In making "Vote For Hope" I am adding my voice to the voices of so many other young people calling for change. It gives me hope to think that I can get involved in the political process through my art.
Does the world of viral videos and marketing make it easier to get your music out or is it a crowded market? And if so what do you do to get noticed like you have with "Vote For Change". How did digg.com help your video spike recently.
To be honest, this is the first video I have ever made. I wrote the song and my record label supported the project by printing 15,000 hard copies of it which we gave away, mostly on the streets of Denver during the Democratic convention. I knew that having a visual to the song would make the message even more powerful, and started designing the artwork for the video. I had no idea how I was going to fund the video, I just had faith. I started to raise some money from my community, and then out of no where an amazing man contacted me and donated the bulk of the funds we needed to pay for the animation and production. It all happened so fast, maybe a week from start to finish. As soon as the video was done, we sent it out to our email contacts through the yoga studio that my wife and I run, I sent it out to my friends on Facebook, the other people who worked on the video sent it out to their personal email lists, and then BOOM! It spread like wildfire. We posted it on vimeo and youtube. For the first week I was logging in every few hours to see how the views were escalating by the thousands. It was an amazing thing to witness. When digg posted it on their homepage the views almost doubled overnight. It had a huge impact. As I write this there are over 250,000 views between youtube and vimeo combined in only a couple of weeks.
I learned more about Mahatma Ghandi from your "Be The Change" song that I did in school how did you become so influenced by Indian culture? Why is Ghandi's message still so relevant today?
Mahatma Gandhi has been a hero of mine for a long time now. I loved the movie Gandhi and watched it over and over when I was a teenager. Then I got into yoga and traveled to India to study with the masters. The idea of being a non-violent revolutionary, a spiritual warrior, had a huge impact on me. I think Gandhi's message is so relevant today because he believed that true change can only begin with ourselves. Today, we are so disillusioned with our leaders and our government, we are starting to realize that if we want change we have to make it happen. We can no longer pretend that someone or something outside ourselves is going to do it for us.
Hip Hop gets generalized as negative or having a negative impact yet you've found a way to enlighten people to not only eastern sounds but concepts such as non-violence, vegetarianism, meditation, history and a true message from Obama without the spin. What do you think is the future of hip hop?
Barack Obama actually said one of the coolest things about hip hop I have heard in awhile. In an interview given earlier this year he said, "hip hop is not just a mirror of what is, it should also be a reflection of what can be." This basically sums up my purpose for being an emcee.
How has meditation changed your life?
Meditation continues to be one of the most valuable practices I've found. It has helped me to realize the Truth that underneath all the layers of separation there is Oneness.
Obama is going to have a tough job ahead. If you were djing and had to pick a victory song (other than your own of course) for Obama on the night of the 4th what would it be?
Harold Melvin "Wake Up Everybody" and Bill Withers "Lovely Day"
Do you have kids?
Not yet. Our "baby" right now is our very spoiled, very beautiful, rescued pitbull mix named Mo, short for Mahatma (which means 'great soul' in sanskrit). In fact my wife, Amanda, just illustrated a children's book about Mo's adventures called "Mo Smells Red" . Check it out on www.MosNose.com. A portion of proceeds from the book are donated to help animals in need.
The album ELEPHANT POWER is available on itunes, www.mcyogi.com and the next video "Be The Change" about Mahatma Gandhi is coming soon.
Copyright © 2008 LipstickTracez and Brett Andersonsavannah
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