The new video from The Bird and The Bee’s self-titled debut available now courtesy of Blue Note records.  Inara George breathes charm and natural grace into every lilting word.  Nicely complemented by the nimble-fingered pianist and gifted producer, Greg Kurstin.

I had a chance to check out the newly designed Mondrian Los Angeles the other night. They revamped their bar area to now include more seating area. Out went the long community table and the vibe in the area is more relaxed and chill. The rooms inside are decked out to look like some Alice and Wonderland theme. flat screen television screens are inside these large pivoting mirrors. In the suites, there are see through glass showers (use your imagination). The decor of the environment is lively and carefree. Of course the Skybar still maintains its exclusivity level. The view from the top floor is very impressive.

Mondrian Los Angeles
8440 Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069

(323) 848-6086

www.morganshotelgroup.com

Our friends at Lovemade referred us to Helena Hörstedt, a Swedish design label established in 2004. The label provides handmade garments with emphasis on structures and techniques, advanced details and classic tailoring.

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http://www.helenahorstedt.com

Supreme along with the Miles Davis Foundation, and Sony Music will re-release a Limited Edition series of three of Miles’ most influential records. Digitally remastered. Exact reproduction of the original 12″ album.

According to Supreme:

Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was at the forefront of almost every major development in Jazz from World War II to the 1990s. In his career he touched on be-bop, cool jazz, modal jazz, funk, and on his last album, even hip-hop. Many leading jazz musicians made their names in Davis’ groups, including pianist Herbie Hancock and saxophonist John Coltrane. Outside of his genius as a musician, Miles was an iconic figure in terms of his personal style and his attitude and defined what ‘cool’ really was.

In light of the 50th anniversary of the release of ‘Kind of Blue’ which is regarded by many as one of the greatest records of all time, Supreme along with the Miles Davis Foundation, and Sony Music will re-release a Limited Edition series of three of Miles’ most influential records, marking three distinct moments in his musical evolution - Kind of Blue originally released in 1959, Nefertiti originally released in 1968, and On The Corner originally released in 1972. Each CD cover is a unique, exact replica of the original 12″ Album Cover. Each has been digitally remastered for superior sound, and includes bonus tracks as well as a custom sticker for each title. Along with these CDs Supreme will be releasing a group of Tees, one corresponding to each of the three albums.

Available at the NY and LA stores on November 6th and online on November 10th. Available in Japan store locations on November 8th and online on November 10th.

Essay by Andre Torres (Wax Poetics)

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www.supremenewyork.com

Steve Kroft speaks with President-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, about his historic election victory, his personal transition, and his family; And, Andy Rooney salutes the art of print journalism.

First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA
Live Review: 11/11/08
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Seeing a show at the First Unitarian Church, and being there enclosed within dank, basement wood-paneling is a bizarre, surreal time warp to a simpler era – the days of seeing your best friend’s band perform at a community center – except the acts coming through here can actually play their instruments. Tuesday night’s show brought a bit more of the ‘way-back-machine’ feel than usual. Patrons were sprawled on the floor in between bands, drinking beer out of backpacks and messenger bags. The crowd, surprisingly young for a weeknight, brought with it the nervous energy of a house party thrown when someone’s parents are out of town, or an impromptu gathering at a neighbor’s drained pool with a few skateboards and some speakers. Point is, aside from the kids only just settling into their teens, the rest of us at the First Unitarian felt as though we’d re-entered that revealing, awkward, and (in certain respects) refreshingly innocent phase of life.

It was past half the audience’s bedtime by the time No Age took the stage. The Los Angeles-based duo combines forces to form a potent future-punk (thanks to Titus Andronicus front man Patrick Stickles for explaining that this means pioneering a forward-looking musical aesthetic, not being punks from the future) sound so thick with fuzz an industrial-grade food strainer couldn’t separate it from the melody. And given the band’s undeclared musical purpose — it is important to distinguish this from its greater artistic aspirations — attempting to disjoin their audio output would slight their alternately idyllic and ragingly violent passages (which are often found within the same two-minute tracks). No Age is no frills, just music.

The duo’s set mixed the old with the new, combining highlights from Weirdo Rippers and this year’s Nouns and adding some freshly composed material. Dean Spunt and guitarist Randy Randall (excellent name) opened with “Teen Creeps”, using its sparing, signature six-note guitar solo to buoy an already excited crowd. Something about No Age’s performance reminds me of seminal pop-punkers The Descendants; not so much in their sound, but their like ability to appear nonchalant and sloppy yet actually be meticulously purposeful and unified on every note and drum beat. There is a complexity manufactured of No Age’s seemingly simple compositions. Filling the gaps between songs, Spunt and Randall took time to profess their love for the locals and President-Elect – both topics went over well with the crowd. By the time they got around to playing “Boy Void”, a highlight off Weirdo Rippers, the crowd was hanging on the band’s every gesture. Allowing for a bit of insight into their working process, the band also played a new song tentatively titled, “Prop 8 Fucks Me in the Face”, before rounding out its set with a few oldies but goodies.

Whatever complaints one could have lodged about sound quality (for half the set, the main microphone was so poorly adjusted that attempting to decipher a complete syllable from singer/drummer Dean Spunt was near impossible) and venue sheen were easily quelled by the energetic performance. That the crowd did not seem to notice this is a testament to No Age’s live energy, and even I must admit I have always had a deep admiration for anyone able to play the drums, much less a person able to sing or scream (not-so-commonly known as scringing) while doing so. Even the more clichéd moments, such as Randall’s in-the-crowd guitar solo, came off as impromptu and genuine. The No Age live experience suffices to bridge the musical and generational gaps between their influences and audience.

Photo credits: © Julia Koprak 2008

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For more on the band, check out their page on Sub Pop Records: http://www.subpop.com/artists/no_age

Street brands are fraternal by a default. And it’s no wonder that the collaborative items that come out of street wear are always such that traces back to real genuine relationships. In4mation continues to set the bar high with fellow collaborators, Diamond Supply Co. and Gravis. This trademark Diamond “tiffany” colorway will surely be well received. Available at In4mation, Diamond Supply Co. Shop and Aloha Army.

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www.in4mants.com
www.diamondsupplyco.com

Keep Company has opened up their new storefront in the Fairfax district. Keep is carrying their full range of footwear alongside their new women’s apparel. You can also find Hamburger Eyes zines and t-shirts. The store is designed with a clean aesthetic. A welcome addition to the already heavily foot trafficked area. Be sure to swing by and say Mr. Kim sent ya!

Keep Store
523 North Fairfax
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 655-1010

www.keepcompany.com

Anodized and patent materials, side zips… You can’t go wrong with that.

I’ve known Rick for over three years now. He’s a friendly face that you would recognize time and time again. Rick has had his fair share working in the field of fashion. Rick is an avid photographer. Take a look at his site - http://rickrodneyphoto.blogspot.com - and take a look at his work.

His recent photo entries exudes a documentary feel of the horse race track culture. A lot of his flics remind me of pictures I’ve seen as a kid in National Geographic. I enjoy this man’s aesthetic and we will be planning to work together on a few more projects. Good chatting with you the other day Rick!