Latapaza Band – “Odi-Yoo” (bonus track)

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Out-of-print since 2002, Duncan Brooker’s Afro-Rock Vol. 1 was one of many influential compilations to kindle interest in “world music” and African music of the sixties and seventies. Jazz, funk, and soul fans along with compulsive crate-diggers began exploring the music of a continent →

Dwele with the Suite for Ma Dukes Orchestra – “Angel”

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On March 30, Mochilla will release a DVD box set of three incredible performances set in Los Angeles: Suite for Ma Dukes, Mulatu Astatke and Arthur Verocai at the Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex. These three performances took place during last February and March and boasted rare appearances by American and foreign artists. →

By now, unless you live under a rock, everybody has heard of the disastrous damage and suffering that the Haitians have faced after being hit by the most powerful earthquake in a century. Everyone and their moms are making their way to the closest charity group to do their part in helping out and now, guess who’s also deciding to pause for a cause? Yes, the cool kid’s hotspot, Urban Outfitters . Urban Outfitters has partnered with contemporary label Apolis Activism to offer a Restore Haiti T-Shirt. →

Fashion magazines are not the only ones infamous for their sexiness and edginess. Fire & Knives, a quarterly food magazine produced in London and edited by Tim Hayward of the Guardian, is the magazine that is all about the sexy featuring Thermos flasks and quail eggs: it is porn for food lovers. The magazine focuses on a variety of topics and cute illustrations to go along with it. The magazine released their first launch back in November 2009 and has stuck strictly to print only (very brave move). Designed by the firm Supermundane and produced by the independent print shop Present Joys, Fire & Knives is the perfect guilty pleasure for a stressful work day.

When it comes to futuristic and innovative ideas, Japan is one of those countries to jump on it. Currently, the Japanese government have yet another ambitious dream worth billions of dollars, to produce clean energy in unlimited amounts. This dream has been in the works for a while now, but with the dependence on imports due to their limited sources of energy they have now, it will take time and persistence. Aside from their ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Japan has set their sights on the development of the Space Solar Power System (SSPS), which is set to launch by 2030. The SSPS is created from a series of →

Scion is bringing it this year. In collaboration with XLR8R, Scion and XLR8R are proud to introduce the City Guide application for the Google Nexus One and Motorola Droid. XLR8R’s picks for the best music, food, shops, galleries and more in top cities across the U.S. What can phones NOT do these days? Just watch, there’ll be applications on our phone sooner or later that will automatically let our phones drive our cars for us and do our daily chores. City Guide is kind of like Bing or Yelp! for your phone, but better because of it connects you to the hottest joints around. Curious? Check it out for yourself, you can install the City Guide application now on their website.

Evan Hecox features cinematic depictions of London, New York and Tokyo.
Artist and designer Evan Hecox displays his fascination with the urban landscape on Incase products for the sixth installment of Curated by Arkitip. Available today , the Evan Hecox series has been issued in three limited editions: London, New York and Tokyo. As the project’s first artist to present a series of products, Hecox brings to life nontraditional depictions of the famed cities →

There is nothing as great as a strong father-son relationship; and when there is a common interest that can be shared between the two, it brings them even closer together. Artist and son,Jim Holyoak and poet and father, Kieth Holyoak explores the dualities and borders between life and death, reason and passion, reality and dream through a collaborative project. The father-son duo, Keith and Jim Holyoak both make use of their passion for the arts and have decided to collaborate their artistic talents in their recently published book by Dos Madres Press, My Minotaur, which combines formal poetry with art and edgy subject matter, and present it in their own unique and engaging way. Keith’s poetic voice is juxtaposed with the real and imaginary creations of Jim Holyoak,complementing each other’s work. →

Alexander McQueen has made his mark in the world of fashion with his controversial and anarchic collections, known for pushing the boundaries. Alexander’s designs have caught the eyes of a range of stylish celebs including the lovable Sarah Jessica Parker and the one and only Madonna. Celebs aren’t the only ones who’ve grown fond of McQueen’s work. MissLawn, creator of one of my favorite brands out there, Hellz Bellz, has been greatly influenced and inspired by his work. To pay homage to the recent loss of McQueen, a one-of-a-kind limited edition t-shirt will be sold on the Hellz online shop, in honor of McQueen. →

The Bloggomist: Design in the Blood
Design Opinion

We live in a branded world. It’s a phenomenon that is both glaringly obvious yet completely unnoticeable at the same time. A good brand experience can command lifetime loyalty, whereas a bad experience can do quite the opposite. If a company puts all its weight behind their brand image and something goes wrong, however trivial, they have much further to fall in the court of public opinion than a low-key competitor.
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