Awesome dude's guide to mean things

Lisa Simpson’s Wedding Day

I have just been alerted via a facebook feed that it was Lisa Simpson’s wedding yesterday! Remember when this day was supposed to be the distant future? Fuck I am old.

Biennale of Sydney

Today is the last day of the Biennale of Sydney. If you have not checked this out hop on a free boat at Circular Quay and head to Cockatoo Island. 

Check out contemporary art displayed in unique spaces such as abandoned warehouses, convict build prison buildings and small victorian era houses. Modern art and really old stuff— This is next level !

Some pieces are just plain visually spectacular like the installation from Chinese (New York based) artist CAI GUO-QIANG.

The piece is called Inopportune: Stage One, 2004 and it involves nine cars and sequenced multichannel light tubes, dimensions variable. Check out the pics above. 

http://www.biennaleofsydney.com.au/

Urban Experiment 

In my continual search for things to satisfy my thirst for commercialism and blatant materialism.   I recently ran into this brand. 

Preppy aesthetics have become a hipster staple. Urban Experiment a Japanese brand has just released images of their new collection. It’s preppy and a little edgy which equals fucking awesome. Check them out.

Outside Lands

Splendour is on at the moment up north and I am not there. Other festivals I am obsessing over at the moment include Outside Lands in San Francisco. I love how even small festivals in the states encourage me to froth hard.  Think Al Green,The Strokes, Phoenix, Kings of Leon, My Morning Jacket plus Aussie bands such as Wolfmother and Empire of the Sun. 

It is on in a few weeks so there is still time to book your flights.

Speaking of B.O.B…

He ended his recent Sydney gig with a cover of MGMT’s Kids. Needless to say I lost my shit. 

Check out the his version in the video above. 

Mega Diner

Are you craving something fresh, stylish and something downright original? Well the Mega Diner is supposedly the place where you can  get all of the above served.

Addidas Original’s latest TVC is set in a diner, and shows all the slick visual aesthetics and projects all the general coolness one might expect from the brand that bought us the last cool ad (see below). 

While I do not necessarily vouch for the shoes , B.O.B certainty does and serves them up in this creative piece. This means something! (well to me anyway)

B.O.B has become the this years hip hop style maven especially if what he was wearing at his recent Sydney gig was an indication. 

How do you feel about the chef’s recommendation? 

Why can’t life be this Original ?

Lee Party tonight. Excitement happens!

Urban Outfitters at Monster Gallery

The Urban Outfitters invasion is happening in Australia. I can’t decide if this is a good thing or not. I love the stores but I also liked that it was only accessible via epic state side trips.

The great thing is you would be able come back and have rad items at relatively low prices that no one else would have. They have started shipping to Australia which is awesome because it gives those in the know access to their rad steez.

But it appears they are setting themselves up to do more business in oz, offering free shipping in May and sussing out interest of the hipster inclined with a photography exhibition at Monster Gallery launching tomorrow Thursday 6^th of March.

Before you know it prices of the line will go up to match horrendous amount aussies are willing to pay for poorly made gear and every schmo on the street will be wearing the same jacket.

So much to look forward to!

Mortal Engine

Feels like so much is happening in Sydney this May. Mortal Engine is a dance group who uses technology to create innovative and visually stunning contemporary art performances.  

You should check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbjOMualLVs

The Dream has been realized.

Every stylish mans right to be comfortable and look RAD can now be fully fulfilled.

Skinny track pants that look dressy enough to wear out are now available from Bonds. After searching high and low (the intense search of 08 for the Stussy variation comes to mind) I am relived that this is really happening. I am a little disappointed that it is Bonds led initiative because this might make it a little too common.

Doesn’t matter beggers can’t be choosers.

Stephen Mai

Animal Collective Inhabits the Guggenheim Museum -NYC

It’s when I hear about events like these that I sometimes feel like I am wasting my dwindling “youth” not living in New York City. Animal Collective did a showcase on Thursday night taking over one of the worlds most interestingly designed museum buildings.  This Frank Lloyd Wright designed space lends itself to out of the norm indie bands to showcase their quirky but mesmerizing sound.  Thus creating the type of art that everybody with eyes and ears should be frothing over.  yes?

Stephen Mai

Check out what Rolling Stone had to say about the event:

Boundary-pushing avant-indie crew Animal Collective and video artist Danny Perez took over the iconic rotunda of New York’s Guggenheim Museum last night, bringing their signature weirdness to a capacity audience of 1,500 people. Billed as an “immersive environment for visitors to come and go through,” the unique performance titled Transverse Temporal Gyrus was part rock concert, part art installation, part hang-out session, and part Night at the Museum, where wild things come to life after the sun goes down.

The piece was a mix of Matthew Barney andWicker Man, as three of the four members of Animal Collective — Avey Tare, Deakin and Geologist — stood nearly motionless for three hours in the center of the room, guarding glowing video orbs and donning black robes, white gloves and creep-tastic white bunny masks. A pool of glass stalagmites jetted upwards, a puffy 8-foot-tall mountain stood menacingly in the background and Perez’s epileptic video art flickered up the rotunda, whose walls were absent of any other art. A 36-speaker system cycled a series of drones reminiscent of the VHS horror films that Animal Collective sites as an early influence — swirling masses of surround-sound gurgles, moans, static, squawks and terror-noise.

After being let in at 9 pm, the crowd started off confused — “Do you think something is gonna happen” was one comment overheard. But once the absorbed the piece’s ambient embrace and gloriously disorienting soundwork, the gallery quickly turned into a wild party. Two people snuck behind the couch-like mountain to cuddle, and soon, tons of spectators were climbing up it like a puffy jungle gym. Two guys in animal masks spazzed out wildly while other people just crashed on the floor; people joyously snarfed Pernod absinthe cocktails; one eager fan unsuccessfully tried to start “a Guggenheim wave” to corkscrew up the gallery; a thick puddle of barf was spotted in the unisex bathroom.

Artist Perez was on hand, doing live video mixing about three floors up, dressed in a striped tee and twiddling a mixer with an alien sticker affixed to the center. He said the mountain in the center of the room was the biggest thing his crew had ever made, taking a team of six to eight people three days to create. Of the face-painted fans bouncing on it, he says, “That’s cool if they want to. It’s foam, no shame.” Perez was offered the Guggenheim gig on January 29th, and had been working every day since, figuring out a 36-speaker system “designed to create the sensation of enveloping you” and nabbing H.R. Giger’s glass guy to make the craggy spikes. “I’m definitely ready to collapse,” says Perez.

Tireless as usual, however, were the hardcore Animal Collective fans. A pack of 20 or so ran up and down the rotunda, whooping, hollering and caterwauling in a feral pack as a guard trailed them. Many arrived sporting Technicolor bursts of tribal paint on their faces. “We wanted something to do in the car,” said Sarah, an 18-year-old Vassar student whose face was dotted with multi-color streaks of water color pencil. Lena, an 18-year-old literary studies major at the New School arrived with thick white outlines circling her eyes and temple. “People have been commenting as they’ve been walking by, but I’m not here for other people, I’m here for the show.”

The Guggenheim performance follows Tuesday’s New York premier of Oddsac, Animal Collective and Perez’s long-awaited “video album.” As reported in our in-depth interview with Perez and Avey Tare, the 53-minute piece is a mix of Stan Brakhage’s fluttery edit work and haunting imagery, a fantastic jumble of sad vampires, whirling fireballs, killer marshmallows, flaming heads, glittered faces, a sexy hipster food fight, and a closing number as good as anything on their universally acclaimed Merriweather Post Pavillion. At the screening, the audience laughed at little kid cameos and energetically bobbed in their seats to the new songs. Perez and three-fourths of the band showed up for a Q&A that was partially gushing (one eager fan tried to give them his EP), part confrontational (one woman tried to infer call their casting as sexist) and mostly reverential. When the elusive Deakin was asked if he would be part of their next project, he replied, “I don’t know what the next project is. Sorry to be evasive, but that’s the answer.”

Shady Pines Saloon and the continuation of the Sydney Small Bar Revolution

I finally found Shady Pines yesterday, it’s tucked behind American Apparel on Crown st Sydney. It is 4 days old and already has Syd hipsters in a tizzy, despite no website, or phone number. I had concerns about the concept but those fears have been rested, its cowboy but restraint (read not tackey), the bar staff is friendly and the crowd eclectic and cool but lacks the pretension of places like Pocket Bar. Highlights of last night include the fresh squeezed apple juice/ vodka mix (yes they have a juicer)!!!! Just like they did in the Wild West!

Timeout has also released a list of other small gems to look forward to. Syd city is more Melbourne than Melbourne right now….

Flinders
Sydney was sad to see the Flinders close late 2009 but mourn not, sweet town: it’s coming back under new management. Paul Wilson, marketing manager of Ksubi, has taken over with restaurateur Nick Mathers. Sydney star bartender Andy Penney will be doing the drinks and has described the new-look Flinders as a “New York-style dive bar where everyone’s welcome.”

Shady Pines Saloon
Bartenders Anton Forte and Jason Scott have been working on opening Shady Pines Saloon for quite some time now. And it looks like 2010 will be their year. “It’ll be a sly-grog venue with country music. There’ll be lots of whiskey, lots of bourbon and lots of fun.” We can’t wait.

Grasshopper
Grasshopper, set to open in early 2010, will occupy as spot neatly in between Ash St Cellar, Establishment and Ivy in Temperance Lane. “Temperance Lane has a great Sydney drinking vibe,” observes Martin O’Sullivan. “The space we’ve chosen is perfect - old world with exposed beams and wooden floors, no plastic and all recycled furniture. And the bar itself is big and there to be perched at to drink and eat.”

Ivy Small Bar
It may seem like an oxymoron, but we kid you not. The word on the street is that super-club Ivy is opening a small bar this year. If it’s anything like Ivy’s Ash St Cellar, winner of Best Bar Food at the Time Out Bar Awards, you’ll know where to find us. 

Rooftop
Barrie Barton’s small-scale hospitality site in the old Paramount Cinema Building will serve food and screen arthouse cinema to punters slouched in deck chairs and sipping wine and beer. Barton is currently recruiting a Sydney chef for the kitchen and scouting local producers to cater to what he hopes will be a 200-250 seat capacity venue.

March Into Merivale : 

Hey Syd-City its time for the not so well heeled to tap into your inner foodie. Merivale group responsible for Sydney’s more design savvy and but obnoxiously pretentious dining and drinking establishments are having a sale of sorts.  March into Merivale is a food festival were for a few hours during Lunch and Dinner people can get a main (from a limited menu) and a beer or a wine for $33 bucks.  I suggest Mad Cow for its modern yet classic décor and perfectly cooked steaks, or Ucello for it’s views of the Ivy rooftop pool and home made pasta, or perhaps hit up Est for some of Peter Doyle’s finest culinary creations.

Stephen Mai

Digital READS

Anybody who has really spoken to me lately knows I am ready to pounce on the digital revolution of books and magazines. I find it beyond frustrating that the whole Kindle/ Book reader phenom has yet to hit the shores of sunny Australia yet.

Well at least not in any way where it would be a useful tool (Copyright laws have ensured we have limited access to literature in digital form and the books we do have are a blatant rip off).  

I like the idea of reading physical books or magazines but I hate the idea of clutter (ironic considering the dire state of my apartment). I have unsuccessfully tried to use I Phone apps to create a make shift Kindle but to no avail, I just can’t seem to access decent content from this remote island.  In December things changed for the better, US GQ magazine started selling their entire issue digitally delivered to your I Phone in a form of an APP.  EPIC right? For a measly $3.99 I can get the latest issue delivered from the states saving me a monumental $14 a month (Yes I did spend a ridiculous amount of money on mags)

Unfortunately it doesn’t seem others on must read international publications list have followed suit just yet.

Thank god for Zino.  This website allows you to subscribe to rad magazines such as Nylon guys, Rolling Stone US and Spin for approx $1 an issue. You can keep the mag digitally. The only major flaw I have found is that you must read on your Mac or PC as the I Phone app is not available to Aussies

http://www.zinio.com/