Obama does The City

For those of you who are fans of The City / The Hills, Newsweek.com brings you The District. A spoof based on The City [MTV's spin off reali-teen show following Whitney Port a la Hills fame on her move to New York City], The District centres Obama as its Lauren Conrad, taking over the Whitehouse webisode by webisode.

Great job to Iman Crosson who provides impeccable voice work as Obama. For more on Crosson, click here.

Episode 4 of The District is out now. To watch, click here.

Oh to Walk on Water...

To learn more of Michael Krondl's work, click here.

Deskter Dexter

Ever been staring at your desk and wishing that you had a paper Barack Obama or Dexter to advise you?

Cubeecraft is here, friends. All you need to do is visit the site, print off your toy for free [yay!] and fold up your model. No glue or tape required, so you won't have any unnecessary bonding sessions with your post-its.

To view all of Cubeecraft's free toys, click here.

War Child: Benefit Album

Speaking of great covers, a benefit album for War Child is being released in Canada on March 3. War Child asked music legends to pick one of their most classic tracks and to nominate an artist or group they'd like to see cover it.

The Full Track List is as follows:

1. Beck (Bob Dylan - “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat”)
2. The Kooks (The Kinks – “Victoria”)
3. The Hold Steady (Bruce Springsteen – “Atlantic City”)
4. Hot Chip (Joy Division – “Transmission”)
5. Lily Allen feat. Mick Jones (The Clash – “Straight To Hell”)
6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs (The Ramones – “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker”)
7. Franz Ferdinand (Blondie – “Call Me”)
8. Duffy (Paul McCartney – “Live And Let Die”)
9. Estelle (Stevie Wonder – “Superstition”)
10. Rufus Wainwright (Brian Wilson –“ Wonderful & Song For Children”)
11. Scissor Sisters (Roxy Music – “Do The Strand”)
12. Peaches (Iggy Pop – “Search And Destroy”)
13. Adam Cohen (Leonard Cohen – “Take This Waltz”)
14. Elbow (U2 – “Running To Stand Still”)
15. The Like (Elvis Costello – “You Belong To Me”)
16. TV On The Radio (David Bowie – “Heroes”)

For more info on the album and War Child, click here.

Cover: Womanizer

Lily Allen kicks some serious ash. Not only does she have her own music innovations, but she keeps pretty active on the cover scene. For those of you who missed her energetic cover of the Kaiser Chiefs' Oh My God in '07, don't you worry. Listen to it here. But first, have a little listen to Miss Allen taking a spear [oh yes I went there] to Britney's hit Womanizer:



Lily Allen will be coming to Toronto in April 2009. For all the tour dates, click here.

1 Girl, 50,000 Cups

No no no no. Stop what you're thinking.

Tara Donovan has given us all reason to contemplate "waste not, want not." The New York artist has impeccable skill in taking materials that most would consider - well, garbage - and creating beautiful installations. This sculpture was made of just styrofoam cups and hot glue and hung at the Ace Gallery in 2003:





For more on Ms. Donovan's work, click here.

R is for Recession

A very reassuring email has been circulating around the offices in Toronto.
Due to budget cuts, this is your new cubicle:





To view more of your new beautiful office, click here.

Those looking to upgrade their condos can find luxury living under a roof of one of these babies:



It even flat packs so you can take it to work!

Oscars, We Salute Thee

Ah, the Oscars. From Tina Fey falling in love with Steve Martin to Sean Penn shaming anti-gay protesters during his acceptance speech and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [thankfully] not winning much, the 81st Academy Awards was a show not to be missed. The Oscars are back, baby, recession or not. Top marks go to host Hugh Jackman for his dancing skills while performing "The Reader", Gus Van Sant's sneaker + suit combo, and of course, Ben Stiller's hilarious take on Joaquin Phoenix:




We've even picked out next year's outfit for Goldie Hawn:


We still love you, GH.
Good show, Academy.

I Don't Know What To Wear...

This almost seems too difficult. What about days when I'm too lazy to do laundry?
Will the shirts turn inside out and turn into an Emergency T-Shirt?


All my problems solved at once. Thanks, Design Museum Shop!

One Flag, One World

You gotta love the anti-culture kids at Adbusters. Their most recent project is One Flag - a design competition inviting participants to develop a flag - One Flag, if you will - that will lead the world ahead on a collective mission of... Oneness? Says Adbusters: "We invite you to create a flag – free from language and well-worn clichés – that embodies the idea of global citizenship".

They go on. "We are now faced with some of the most daunting global challenges in human history... These are real targets, worthy of our problem-solving skills, ripe for our intervention. Yet those who have the vision to rise above national and political boundaries still have no symbol to rally under."

But of course, a flag will help us!



Adbusters is currently showcasing the shortlist of 32 One Flags that you can view and vote for here.

My pick is The Eternal Round, created by Vikki Miller of Scotland, who encourages One Flaggers to make their own flags from their sheets, fabrics and scraps to the provided pattern. Says Miller, "Don’t let people take the easy option: flying their flag while watching TV. Have them working, constructing and crafting, and they will appreciate their relationship to planet earth a lot more."

Yes, yes, yes! Revolution we can sew. And if you get cold when mobbing, the flag can double up as a blanket.

Needless to say, my flag design didn't make the shortlist:



Next year, perhaps.

Mind The Tap

Yesterday we reported on having Dinner With A Stranger. Now you can get your ole bump n' grind on by dancing with one!

Improv In Toronto is hosting their second annual Subway Dance Party this weekend. Get your steps together for Saturday, February 21 at 3:00 PM. Interested participants can dance for free; all that's required is for you to meet the rest of your Hip Hop posse at the giant horseman statue in the middle of Queen's Park with a subway token, an mp3 player or iPod, and a willingness to dance.

Here's a vid covering last year's event:



Further details about Saturday's fancy dancey can be found here. The beat stops at 5PM, so catch the party train while you still can.

The Best Job In The World

Tourism Queensland is opening up a video competition as a recruitment process for the job of Island Caretaker. Basically you'd live on Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef, post a weekly blog/video updates and experience the island. WOW!! It really sounds too good to be true, but it's REALLY REAL. Bring lots of sunscreen.

Here's my friend Targa's application. Let's help her win so we can all visit her.


visit: www.islandreefjob.com

UFO's and Mushrooms and 3-D glasses and ....

Here's a video from Towa Tei, former member of Deee Lite. Ya, you remember them! "Groove is in the Heart"! Well now he's producing music of his own and has put out this video. It wins "The Trippiest Video EVER" award. YA! I just made that award i up, so what?

Things that hero's are made of

BOOMBOX from Ely Kim on Vimeo.

This is an outstandingly fun video. I really want the shirt that he wears in 015 and 092. Someone let me know where I can get it!

Dinner With A Stranger

"If you got an email from a stranger who said they'd donate $200 to a charity of your choice if you'd have them (and a friend) to a dinner [at your house], would you say yes?"

And so marks the opening statement of Franke James' most recent artistic diary/social experiment. James, an incredibly talented artist and equally as talented environmentalist, received an email across the December period from said stranger, Mark Shouldice, who proposed the entire scenario and enticed the lovely James with the invitation.

"We often talk about how some of our best conversations are with strangers," said Shouldice, whose intentions were strictly whimsical. No creepy romances included in this invite.

To view the entire drawn diary of the account, click here.

James is now set on developing "Dinner With A Stranger" into a charity event. Read all about her ponderings here.

Question is, if your safety was entirely guaranteed, would you like to have dinner with a stranger? I would definitely be game. Who's cooking?

Kidrobot x Stones Throw = Quasimoto

Image via StonesThrow.com

Kidrobot and Stones Throw have joined forces and created Quasimoto, rapper/producer Madlib's alter ego. It's going to be released tomorrow (February 19, 2009 at 11AM EST on the Kidrobot online store). The Quasimoto figure is 8-inches tall, available in yellow and blue (1333 of each) with a brick in hand and joint in mouth.

Madlib - www.myspace.com/madlib

Indie Rock Alphabet

Paste Magazine has put together an illustrative book which covers the A to Z of indie rock bands. Each letter of the alphabet has a short rhyme about a band and then a great illustration. Get it for your kids, keep it for yourself!


LOOK at Weezer!! Awwww!


To order or preview the book see Paste Magazine.

Great Podcast

The short story is a beautiful thing. In the preface of In The Bedroom, a short story collection by Andre Dubus, Todd Field says of Dubus' style, "Like Chekhov, [Dubus] didn't write novels - because he didn't have to."

If you're stuck for reading time and are craving a great story, please go drive somewhere for half an hour [your commute perhaps?] and listen to this one.

Fans of Jane Goodall's work and Roger Fouts' novel Next Of Kin will love this podcast. Infact, anyone fascinated with the concept of thinking will love this podcast.

Have a listen here.

SoundClip for iPhone

If you have an iPhone you don't need me to tell you what it sounds like when you play audio off it. For those who don't...let's just say it's not great. But that can now be improved with SoundClip. SoundClip redirects sound from the iPhone toward you which increases the volume and clarity when you are playing your pals that hot new Lil' Wayne jam.

It's so easy! The device clips on to your dock connector and directs the sound waves towards you instead of away. And it comes in at a very reasonable $7.95. Why didn't I think of that?

From the desk of Scooter

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! YAY! I'm turning 27. Hooray!

Topless Dancers!!

The Presets just came out with a new video for "If I Know You" directed by Eva Husson. She's the genius behind M83's "Kim & Jessie" video. One of the best from 2008.

Not what you were thinking of when I said Topless Dancers?

Artist: Relleno De Mono

Relleno De Mono is a talented Chilean illustrator who has taken old photographs and improved them with his little monsters.





The bright colours that he uses against the faded photos looks stunning. Please check out more of this work on his Flickr account.

Music: Damn Arms

There's this sound that keeps coming out of Australia that makes me realize why beaches are necessary to happiness. Or is it the koalas? Either way, Aussie's have the electro/dance scene covered. Damn Arms are one of the new gems that I came across that I've had on permanent repeat the last week. They've remixed Cut Copy and been remixed by Midnight Juggernauts.

The double sided single which features Destination Pt. I and Destination Pt. II (both tracks can be streamed from their myspace)

www.myspace.com/damnarms

Joaquin on Crazy Ground

Get it? Hee ho he he. "Walking" - "Joaquin"? Ho. Ha. Geez.

Ahem.



What do we all think of this? I think it's wonderfully defiant, whether he's gone crazy or not. Scooter?

Hallo Fashion Lovers!

It's Friday the 13th... the first of three this year. If you're in New York / Miami / Berlin this weekend, watch out for any supermodels walking under your ladders as today marks the kick off for MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK! Woo woo! To view all of the Fall 2009 Collections and line up, click here.

Looking for free runway videos? The NewsMarket will be showing every runway show for almost every designer for free. Click here.

Happy Couture to You.

BEST: Sneakers and Toys

Photo via EUKicks
Overkill recently teamed up with Nike and did the official release of the Nike Cortez Pack on January 31st. The worldwide pack will be released on February 14th. The pack comes with 2 pairs of sneakers. One which is blue is based on the classic 1972 style Cortez and the other a silver metallic which embodies a forward thinking, futuristic 2009 look.


Photo via EUKicks

I prefer the classic looking sneaker over the 2009 version. But in reality I perfer they toy. What toy you say? Well hold on a second and I'll tell you.


Photo via HighSnobiety

To promote the release of the sneakers Tokyoplastic created two characters Phil & Bill, based on Nike's co-founders Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman. And there is even this slick animation film so you can see how these little guys move.

Music: Max Tundra

There's a hell of a lot going on in Max Tundra's brain. The layers and layers and layers of programming in his music will overwhelm most people. I welcome it. He's remixed the likes of Franz Ferdinand, The Futureheads and Pet Shop Boys. His 3rd album "Parallax Error Beheads You" came out in October 2008 on Domino.

The twisted video for "Will Get Fooled Around" pretty much sums up the insanity.

Max Tundra - Will Get Fooled Again

Do That Dance.

Here's a look at the new Club Coke bottle design. Club Coke is an exclusive line available only at the best clubs around the world. For the 5th anniversary there was a collaboration on the design between Justice and Ed Banger creative director So Me. All made in aluminium, it was launched in Paris last night with a performance by Justice. The bottle is red during the day and then glows in the dark at night!

Photos via BKRW

Hand held DJ

Deadmau5 is a progressive house and electro house producer and DJ from Toronto who can now add iPhone application creator to his resume. He's just released the Deadmau5 Touch Mix which allows users to mix and remix ten of his tracks on your iPhone. Apply delays, effects, rewinds, cuts, and even use a scratch pad anywhere you can use your iPhone. (also known as EVERYWHERE)

The app is priced at $2.99 on the Apple App Store.

Artist: KAWS

You know he's cool if CBS is profiling.

Music: Royksopp

Fan video by mushroomsmoke.

I'm crazy for the first Röyksopp single from their soon to be released album "Junior". It's going to be released March 23rd in the UK. I don't think it has a release date yet this side of the ocean. The album is going to feature appearances by fellow [thanks Kat!] Swedes Robyn, Lykke Li and the Knife’s Karin Dreijer.

Who's excited? Scooter!

Class Action

US Airways Flight 1549
photo from: Calacanis.com

This sort of thing is really interesting. I am sure there is a logistical explanation for why the first class passengers get a flotation raft with seats and the coach passengers get...the wing. I'll wait for the answer.

A little bird told me...

This is Andrew Bird.



He likes to have far away photos taken of himself in fields so no one can make out who he is.





He is also an incredibly talented musician.



And he'll be playing in Toronto on April 3rd.

Fly Bird, Fly.

For more on Andrew Bird, click here.

Music: E-603

Straight off the bat, the need to mention Girl Talk in the same breath as E-603 (formerly known as Ethan Ward) is pretty much obligatory. I can actually say that I like the samples that E-603 uses much better. His mash-ups are more current than classic, at least for the indie rock. Hip hop and I have a tenuous relationship at best anyways. But in this framework, I can dig.

He also has these sweet tees:


Check him out here: www.myspace.com/e603

Pepsi Punk'd!

Lawrence Yang has re-imagined the new Pepsi logo. It's pretty genius! Please check out his other work on his blog: blow at life.

Becoming Kate

Anyone with the February blahs is bound to have their heartstrings tugged at by this ad. Tourism Australia's Destination Campaign is pretty much flawless. Produced by Baz Luhrmann, it appeals to the overworked, the underplayed, and has impeccable timing. Who doesn't want a small aborigonal child to transport you to a sunny place and remind you of the important things in your life right now?

The format is as simple as IKEA flat pack. Take your pick of an overworked capitalized city, add a romance tale, the promise of better days and bam! Advertising gold. You almost expect Monster.com to pop up as the end graphic, almost like the commercial is a twisted Australian double date between Daniel Kleinman and Baz Luhrmann. Watch the Shanghai version here:



Read more on the Destination Campaign here.

This Ain't No Disco

This Ain't No Disco is a blog that features some amazing work spaces. Agencies are asked to send in photos of their interesting and unique working environments. A few of them make me really jealous. I call it e-bragging.



OneMethod Digital + Design which is located in Liberty Village in Toronto was recently featured on the blog. And of course, it looks really fun to work there. Urban inspired illustrations, ambient lighting, private meeting areas, and smiling faces everywhere.

All new way to Wake & Bake

Fear not, pale web surfers! Computer Tan has arrived. No, we're not joking. There's even a downloadable version for your iPhone!
Just watch that that webcam of yours is switched to "off" when tanning any unsightly angles.

Visit Computer Tan here.

Music: Timber Timbre

Front man Taylor Kirk's voice is hushed yet confident. After two releases they are now on tour supporting the self-titled third album released by Toronto record label Out of this Spark this past January. Their blues heavy folk sound is often eerie, but always enjoyable.

They'll be playing Wavelength's anniversary party next Thursday February 12th along with Ghost Bees at The Music Gallery in Toronto


www.myspace.com/timbertimbre
Check out the track: Lay Down in the Tall Grass