Last Week of Summer № 5 ● Music | Feel Good Hit of the Summer courtesy of Queens of the Stone Age

It’s the last week of summer. It’s Friday. Do I really need to add more?

 

Last Week of Summer № 4 ● Music | Luscious Jackson Naked Eye

What ever happened to…? Named after a basketball player active in the 60s, they quietly reactivated in 2011. Matthew Perpetua wrote about it in February 2012. Now, that is definitely a quiet reunion – 2011 and we hear about it in big music press in 2012?! Rockers! In true fashion of current times, and to be honest very much in line with the ethos they have always exuded, Luscious Jackson released their new single “Are you ready?” via internet and bypassed dealing with a music label. Very luscious! This is how I got hooked:

Last Week of Summer № 3 ● Music to the Rescue | So the summer romance is over? Cee Lo has the remedy.

Cee Lo Green with Purrfect
Portrait by Art Streiber

There is a lovely, i.e.censored, version of this song that Cee Lo Green also performed live
on Jools Holland’s show, but the original is just that more satisfying.

 

Last Week of Summer № 2 ● Movies on Music | Human Traffic’s Koop – the Ultimate Vinyl Pusher

Now let’s perk up a bit. It’s not over yet, and Tuesday is a prelude to Friday night, yeah?

 œ

New record anyone?

Yes, know what you are getting.

Know the artistic economics of the goods.

Know their high potential to corrupt.

Last Week of Summer № 1 ● Music | Cibo Matto Sugar Water

According to the calendar, September 22^nd is the first day of autumn north of the equator,

but to all intents and purposes, last week of August is the last week of summer.

If the academic year hasn’t started for you already, by September 1^st there will be no mistaking that summer play is over –

it’s school time. New classes. New teachers. New students. It’s just different.

If you work at a place where it’s all about the Quarters and Fiscal Years, September 1^st marks another change.

If you live north of the ~45-degree latitude, the weather would typically start to change in an unmistakable way.

It might start slowly. Or not.

So here is № 1 for the last week of summer.  A week of something-somethings to ease into the season change.

 œ

In Italian, it is crazy food, but the ingredients were two New York City-based Japanese expatriates – Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori (the latter was the first voice of Gorillaz’ Noodle). No longer together, but Yuka was nicely Zen at the time of disbanding –

“Cibo Matto broke up, because it was time. We felt the need to move to the next step. It was a healthy decision, though it was sad at the same time. Things just need to grow out of things sometimes.”

Have a mellow mid-90s start to the week J

Music | Peeping Tom “Your Neighborhood Spaceman” over “La Marche des Sans Nom”

Not quite what I saw in my brain when I first heard this song back in 2006. But I’ll take it. I’ll take it for sure. I mean, what a swell homage to the man with vocal chords and technique, NO – techniques! , that can sound out the weird, the beautiful and everything in between. Yes, the dude called Mike Patton. OK, disclosure time. I am a fan of the man. Like, I will not obsess and stuff (when is his birthday and stuff??), but when I hear him I am happy. 

Alright then. Some knowledge. 

Peeping Tom is a band led by Mike Patton, who assembled a crew of his dream collaborators. One for each song. Maybe two for one song. Maybe more for more songs. The band still has only one album to its name, but the music is the man’s vision of what pop could sound like if it was up to him. And if you like it wacky, you will be very happy. Check out the Peeping Tom roster at Ipecac Recordings Artist page. 

LaMarch des Sans Nom (The March of the Nameless, 2007) is a student project, directed by Jean Constantial, Lucas Vigroux and Nicolas Laverdure. Vimeo shares the full thing, as originally created. 

Now – mash up time!

Fashion | Pissoir Etiquette à la House of Chanel, Courtesy of Karl Lagerfeld

Still from “Lagerfeld Confidential”

Food | Sushi “Inflight Passenger Announcement”, or Sushi Etiquette with a Wink

“Maa maa maa maa”      “Oh toh toh toh”

“Maa maa maa maa”      “Oh toh toh toh”

Beauty | Killing Us Softly: Advertising’s image of women

Back in early 2010, I had, let’s say, an interesting reaction to the latest, at the time, advertising campaign for Victoria's Secret, “Get ready for your all new body…”. It was full of nubile models (women? girls?), that were also glaringly skinny. Nothing new there, and this trailer sums nicely where it’s been, and still is, when it comes to the ideals of female beauty as promoted by the “Mad (Wo)Men”. Why do you think that Vogue Italia’s June 2011 Belle Vere spread piqued more than one person’s curiosity?  It was different. Closer to real, and still in shape.

Mad (Wo)Men, lemmie know when the brave new world truly arrives and you are card carrying members of the chosen humanoids. Won’t hold my breath though, Darlings!

Coded Candy | How to Lead a Creative Life, according to Fast Company magazine

There is a simple way (with or without my suggested by-pass) or the interesting, ahem, creative way to lead a creative life. Got to love Pop Chart Lab’s roadmap. It explains a lot… ah, creative genius requires many a thing.

If you do not want to by-pass the reading goodies, go to fastcompany.com/magazine/161/cocreate

Booze | Anthony Bourdain No Reservations Tokyo Japan – Supreme cocktail

Coded Candy | Most Popular Infographics You Can Find around the Web, according to Fast Company magazine

Got to say, yep very true – “a crapload of irrelevant data put together in a big vertical image”.

Guilty. And a bit like a blog *wink wink*

fastcompany.com/infographics

Sport | Skiing vs. Snowboarding

As Australia nears the end of its winter season,

the rivalry is unlikely to end  - even in Falls Creek.

A T-shirt from years ago... Thanks Paul and Chris!

Art | Gallery 37 Center for the Arts: TWENTY

Created in 1991 on a vacant downtown lot known as Block 37, Gallery 37 is a space for the Chicago’s youth to practice art, to work with and be mentored by professional artists. Currently run by the not-for-profit After School Matters, it is a program created by Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs' Lois Weisberg and late Maggie Daley, wife of the city's former mayor, Richard M. Daley. Currently, the space features a show called TWENTY – a cabaret of songs, scenes and dances from 20 popular Broadway shows – performed by young and very talented “Triple Threats”, i.e. teens who can act, dance and, boy can they, sing!

There are eight shows left:

Monday August 6 – 12 noon and 7 pm,

Tuesday August 7 – 12 noon and 7 pm,

Wednesday August 8 – 12 noon and 7 pm, and

Thursday August 9 – 12 noon and 7 pm,

at The Storefront Theater at 66 E. Randolph ( at Michigan Ave and Randolph), the home of Gallery 37.

The tickets are FREE. Go to http://twenty.eventbrite.com/ to reserve and print your tickets!

Support the growing talent!



At Home | Benefits of Travel – Accidental Collections

©MAK

Few days ago I took a random stock of my kitchen cupboards and noticed a selection of mugs recently eschewed in favor of simple white ones (no reason in particular). Those mugs had something in common. Travel is all about collecting memories, stories and education. Photographs extend the wanderer’s bliss. Souvenirs serve the same purpose, but I got much much better at giving those a pass in the name of less clutter. Or so I thought. Here it was – an accidental collection of mugs from some of my travels. Ha! I realized what was going on – a sly attempt by the recesses of my brain at preserving the need to “gather” those souvenirs, bring back that loot from foreign lands, all under the guise (or excuse?) of practicality! Well… The white mugs will have to retire for a little while, so that each coffee or tea sip may become a “Remembrance of Things Past” and a stimulus for collecting more memories, stories and education, a.k.a. more travel.

Interesting Couple | Farrah Fawcett & Ryan O’Neal

From Oprah.com

Potentially interesting.

Definitely glamorous.

For this installment of Interesting Couple,

you have to check out {great love story № 16 | farrah fawcett & ryan o’neal} at {this is glamorous}.

Random | DailyZen.com Quote

From DailyZen.com