Ridin’ out in Metro Manila

On a drizzly, humid July afternoon I squeeze into an overflowing train headed for Las Piñas, a city in southern Metro Manila. I hop from the train onto the Philippines’ most ubiquitous forms of transportation, the jeepney, a functioning relic of the United States military ostentatiously stylized with distinct Filipino flavor: bright paint, shiny chrome, and customized body kits. →

An interesting weekly segment care courtesy of Whitehouse.gov

Pantha Du Prince
Rough Trade
(2010)

The German techno musician Hendrik Weber is well-known for drawing inspiration from shoegaze and minimalism, but the Berlin-based producer looks to nature in the form of the Swiss Alps to craft his latest record of textured sounds and haunting soundscapes. →

Caribou
Merge Records
(2010)

Daniel Snaith has been making music professionally for almost ten years. Since his first EP in October 2000, he has covered more musical ground than just about anyone in the business. His records range from the “indietronica” of his first record Start Breaking My Heart (released as Manitoba) to the brash psychedelic flourishes of 2007′s Andorra →

The Artform Studio Salon- Los Angeles, CA
05/01/10

The Artform Studio salon has relocated to the thriving downtown Arts District, adjacent to Little Tokyo. This metropolitan salon caters to working professionals, as well as the TV, film, editorial, and wedding industries.  →

Genre Hound
Film Opinion

Love him or hate him, Lars Von Trier knows how to push people’s buttons. He also knows a thing or two about making films. Whether the average filmgoer is aware of it or not, Von Trier has been responsible for some of the major trends that have influenced independent cinema over the last decade. →

You Say Party! We Say Die! is glorious melodic stuff- the kind of music you put on and toss your head along to with new-wavey, dark, thrashy riffs and organ synthesizers, recognizing the current milieu of poppy beeps and bops. →

The Joshua Tree Lake Campground- Joshua Tree, CA
05/14-05/16

The 8th annual Joshua Tree Music Festival has arrived.  The festivals are produced by a family of friends and funsters convinced that music is the soul of life, that art enriches and saves lives and that the  experience is enhanced when embraced in the great outdoors amongst fellow music lovers. →

Owen Pallett
Domino Records
(2010)

Originally going by the name “Final Fantasy,” Owen Pallett releasing his third full-length album under his own name should have been the sign of a songwriter showing maturity. Instead, it was out of necessity, as Heartland is his first album to be released in Japan, home to the iconic video game series by which Pallett was inspired. →

Flying Lotus
Warp Records
(2010)

Should I pick up Cosmogramma? That’s the million dollar question, right? If that’s all you need to know then let’s cut to the bloody chase: yes—buy it, download it, do what you do—because FlyLo’s latest is what some might call magic. Put simply, it’s a bit of a masterpiece. →