"Proof Of Evolution That You Can Find On Your Body"

Here is a fascinating short film from Vox about vestigial parts of our bodies.

http://www.vox.com/

BEAUTY: Photography--The New York Pizza Project

The New York Pizza Project is a coffee table book documenting the heart and soul of New York City’s last authentic pizzerias through photography and interviews with a foreword written by New York Times best-selling author, and native Brooklynite, Jonathan Lethem.

The book, created and published by five 30-year-old native New Yorkers--Gabe Zimmer, Nick Johnson, Ian Manheimer, Corey Mintz, and Tim Reitzes--is a wonderful and colorful journey through a classic New York City landmark, the pizzeria, which can be found on every block, in every neighborhood...

http://www.nypizzaproject.com/

"Perfect Houseguest" by Tiny Inventions

"Perfect Houseguest," a very sweet, very short film by Tiny Inventions (Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata). Just adorable.

http://www.tinyinventions.com/

Happy Easter 2016!

Happy Easter and happy spring renewal to all! Easter developed from the Old English word Ēastre or Ēostre, derived from the Anglo-Saxon Pagan month of Eostur-monath (which roughly corresponds to our month of April). This month was named after the goddess Ēostre or Ostara who symbolized the dawn, spring, renewal, and rebirth of the earth after the long winter.

Now we celebrate by decorating eggs, a symbol of birth and fertility and new growth, and with chocolate rabbits, since bunnies are also a symbol of spring.

When I was little, I always loved Easter time because my grandmother displayed vases of daffodils and lilies, and panoramic sugar eggs around the house. And my aunt hollowed out eggs, cut a window in the side of the shell, and painstakingly assembled pastoral scenes inside using miniature trees and flowers, and tiny ceramic rabbits to make literal panoramic eggs. But the best part was the Easter Bunny who came to deliver beautifully dyed and decorated eggs in a basket full of chocolate and treats; my mom and dad would guide me through the house with clues as to where the Easter Bunny hid my basket (thanks Mom and Dad--I miss you)!

I hope the Easter Bunny brought you some treats! Happy Easter!

Bunnies...

...because the Easter Bunny comes tomorrow!

I always say if you want to see me turn into a five year old boy, just show me bunnies...

"Proud" by Jam City

Jam City (the nom de musique of London DJ/producer and musician Jack Latham) has released a new record, "Dream A Garden," and its sound is quite different from what Latham has created in the past. I am liking the mash-up of styles in this track, "Proud." It's a bit ambient, a bit electronic, and a bit 80s funk (slow jam Prince?). The repetitive groove is lulling, soothing...

His manifesto for the new collection is quite inspiring. Latham  believes in a neoliberal perspective. He told Crack Magazine, “As part of an underground culture, even if it is global now, it’s important to realise the power in not being immediately monetised or having capital expectations of ourselves. We can honestly take things wherever we want. We have this huge opportunity to talk about these things, to open up conversations. I really want to contribute to that, to start a dialogue.”

“It comes from learning to love yourself, to love others, reclaiming your ability to dream. I don’t know how we can change this world systematically, but I do know that it’s possible. The first step is resisting, saying no to a lot of the awful ideologies of this world, selfishness, greed, money, to reclaim the dream. The society we live in tries to buy our bodies and sell them back to us in a strange form. It conspires to estrange us from our own bodies, our sexualities, our own capacities to love and genuinely respect one another. It’s important to begin a process of saying no to this. While I don’t have the direct solution to dismantle the apparatus, it’s a starting point to realise that as a world we’re allowed to dream, we’re allowed to create a space that hasn’t been colonised, been alienated from us yet. A dream is the first step, allowing love into your life in whatever capacity, and trying to live according to those principles in a way.”

http://www.jam-city.net/

BEAUTY: Furniture--Bel & Bel Vespa Scooter Chair

A Spanish company, Bel & Bel has made good use of old Vespa parts--they have turned them into one-of-a-kind, limited edition chairs!

Their website says:
"Bel & Bel Chair is made from original parts of the legendary Italian scooter from the 80’s. Re-using the chassis we have created an original and unique model of swivel chair. Our Scooter Chair is manufactured, customized and handmade in full by Bel & Bel. It is a numbered series what makes each piece unique. All come with a Bel & Bel certificate of authenticity. The chair has a reclining feature, a reinforced internal structure and a base with hydraulic piston to regulate and adjust to the most convenient height. It is a very comfortable ergonomic chair, imitation leather upholstered and soft tread silent wheels."

It also comes with actual working tail lights!

http://belybel.com/eng/

"Beautiful People" by Mark Pritchard with Thom Yorke

Enigmatic. Hypnotizing. Mark Pritchard's new song "Beautiful People" with vocals by Thom Yorke of Radiohead.
Delicate, mournful.
Really sort of sublime.

In a press release, Pritchard said, "The original instrumental to 'Beautiful People' is a personal song about loss, hopelessness and chaos, but ultimately the message is love and hope. Thom's contribution to this collaboration captured perfectly what the piece is about. I will be forever grateful to have worked with such a immense talent."

http://markprtchrd.com/
https://www.facebook.com/markprtchrd

BEAUTY: Painting--Warner Williams

Warner Williams paints kaleidoscopic images of California's landscapes and locations, creating an homage to the Golden State. I love how he layers classic West Coast architecture on the bottom of the canvas over an equally classic California vista on top. He says, "By using multiple vanishing points I can see over many horizons. I seek the level of poetry and music in a tightly structured whole." Whether we are seeing an A-frame cabin, a Southern California ranch house, or a South San Francisco split-level, we get to enjoy the Hollywood Hills, the Santa Monica pier or Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, or the Marin Headlands behind them. And all in candy-colored, psychedelic, technicolor!

Top to bottom: Burbank; Candyland; Daly City Fog; Frontality Motel; Hillbilly Deluxe; Liquor Store; Postcard; River Inn; Temporary Office; The Lost Coast; Trestle Glen; Dreamdate

http://www.warnerwilliams.com/
http://warnerwilliams.weebly.com/

"The Nomadic Alternative" by Delta Club

London-based Italian producer and musician Mattia Del Moro's nom de musique is Delta Club and he has released "Fortitude," an EP featuring this marvelous song "The Nomadic Alternative." Digital snippets arranged in layers of swirling world music while at the same time an expansive, yearning ballad floats below...

Speaking about the track, Del Moro told the website goiongsolo, “The song is inspired by Bruce Chatwin’s book ‘The Nomadic Alternative’ in which the author explores the concept of a new nomadism. The fact that the book has never been published gave us a chance to think about the impossibility for the art to fully represent such an experience as traveling. The music of Delta Club lies on this contradiction.”

On a related note, Bruce Chatwin inspired not only Mattia Del Moro's song, but a marvelous collection of clothes by Christopher Bailey at Burberry, previously here.

https://www.facebook.com/deltaclubsound/