headfawns

fantastic 4

2008-06-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

medusa creeps

2008-06-23T00:00:00.001-04:00

What has no heart, bones, eyes or brain, is made up of 95% water, and yet is still a remarkably efficient ocean predator? more...

CHANGE.

2008-06-20T00:00:00.006-04:00

i suppose this is how Barack Hussein Obama plans on getting the cash to fund all his revolutionary socio-economic reform ideas. where else could he find the money he needs to throw at all of his sit back, relax and let daddy government take care of you programs? i mean, how are we going to pay our mortages otherwise? if he doesn't save us, we might have to start working..or even... oh, it's almost too dreadful to think about... stop using credit cards. but maybe i've got it all wrong. maybe we don't really need national defense anymore. maybe he'll save us from all of our enemies once he's done saving us from everything else. in fact, "enemies" could just be another invention of those dastardly conservatives - them and their old fashioned, patriotic tactics, but if terrorists are real, perhaps he can just yell "HOPE!" from atop the Whitehouse balcony and send all them packing. heck! he can probably even invite them up for some Earl Grey, a round of Cribbage and a bit of light-hearted, leftist conversation. oh, they'd just love that. whatever the case may be, it should serve as a truly spectacular end to a once great nation.

israeli iconography

2008-06-19T00:00:00.002-04:00

Eliezer Weisshoff's wonderfully modern Israeli postage stamps from 1975 - found on MoT

6.18

2008-06-18T07:00:00.002-04:00

sunglasses

2008-06-15T00:00:00.003-04:00

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called sons of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are sons of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1 John 3:1-3

Ezer, O. revisited

2008-06-14T00:00:00.002-04:00

The Finger by Oded Ezer from www.odedezer.com. trying to keep it holy, here's a short & sweet Shabbat post on my man, Oded, ruler of paper and many other materials. see his site & watch this twice.

paraskavedekatriaphobia

2008-06-13T00:00:00.004-04:00

with what will man concern himself when his iPhone then is become likened unto his Walkman now? in that yet undetermined, but swiftly approaching day, what will be the measure of his heart? might introspection spring forth from lust? as his youthful clamor and desirous grasp yields to his deliberate stammer and labored gasp - shall he then wake? shall he turn and receive in his soul joy's reward when once he, himself, has become the obsolete and outmoded device?

cloud appreciation society

2008-06-12T00:00:00.003-04:00

everything under the sky from fallstreak holes to sun dogs and mamma to sun pillars - just go.

Christo's trees

2008-05-24T10:00:00.000-04:00

even though i've been familiar with Christo's work for over a decade, i'm having trouble getting over these. i suppose it could have something to do with the fact that the aspect of translucency has never really come into it with the buildings and bridges and all being relatively opaque. come to think of it, i've never seen him wrap anything actually living either. whatever the case, these are just beautiful.

remember flickr?

2008-05-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

i just remembered i kinda have a flickr page.

low flying, high res cloud

2008-05-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

these beautiful captures submitted by Starling 4,370 (of Hollow Boned & Feathered Shoal fame) illustrate so vividly what he's always carrying on about. it has also, for the time being, satisfied my accumulation fixation.

accumulation

2008-05-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

\ə-ˌkyü-m(y)ə-ˈlā-shən\ (noun) - increase or growth by addition especially when continuous or repeated. truth be known, it's been on my mind a lot lately - as has it's complete and utter opposite.

seven

2008-04-23T10:00:00.001-04:00

represent

2008-04-17T22:00:00.000-04:00

New Jerusalem - Rev. 21

2008-04-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

“There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.” ~ Douglas Adams

Tarako

2008-04-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

i beg of you. see. why don't we have pasta sauce derived from fish eggs? or egg sac encased kewpie invaders?

tech

2008-04-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

Anonymous

2008-04-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

the first one was Anonymous' hello to the Co$ right before it dismantled its website in february. yes, it's still down today. what's next remains to be seen. there is so much more to this story - so much more to this cult than the average person could possibly imagine. it is not a joke. honestly, it's mindblowing. if you're interested, there's some entry level stuff here, here and here. more to come.

touched by an angel

2008-03-26T10:00:00.000-04:00

surface to air

2008-03-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

have a glance at my miniscule flickr page. i know it's not much.. still, i thought you might like to know about it. it'll be fulled up in a sennight. sooner if it rains.

Judah, G.

2008-03-10T10:00:00.000-04:00

art mimics life. an intriguing example of this is the work of Gerry Judah. in my ongoing exploration into the beauty of decay, events dissolving to memory and design subject to entropy, his paintings earn, at least, a day's worth of reflection. presentation is everything and Judah does it right by displaying these in such a way that positions the viewer hovering overhead, surveying the decimation of a once proud metropolis - or even, the discovery of an ancient, sprawling, lunar colony. in this way, the scale is very believable. if these were displayed on a table, they wouldn't have nearly the same effect. as sculpture, they're beautifully detailed testaments to industry and altruistic ambition overcome by destructive intent and desolation. as paintings, they're large scale, deceptively minimal compositions that would look incredible in any modern, state of the art architectural space - a pleasantly nagging reminder of the inevitable. for more, view the very informative mini documentary on his site.

Ishigami, J.

2008-03-08T22:00:00.000-05:00

Denty pointed this one out to me & i appreciated it/him. no, it's not mylar. yes, it's super heavy & floating. no, it's not like anything you've seen before. yes, it's japanese. it's called: balloon and it's Ishigami's contribution to the Space For Your Future exhibit in Tokyo. what else can we learn about this Junya Ishigami fellow?

Rodriguez-Gerada, J.

2008-03-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

i stumbled upon Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada's work much the same way someone might encounter it on the street - a pleasant surprise from one talented individual. i've been pouring over similar concepts (with little result) for years now - namely, being tied to a place and deriving identity and sometimes frustration or even alienation from that association. of course, the beauty of decay, the temporal distortions involved with memory and perhaps, even the loss of loved ones are all at play here in a thought provoking way. it seems i've been drawn to both artwork and music that employs these themes recently so, the serendipity was largely inescapable. let's talk.

iphone wallpaper

2008-02-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

this is the first in a series of iPhone & iPod Touch wallpapers i'm currently working on. i thought i should do my part to combat the tide of worldly, egocentric and generally lame designs i've seen floating around. promote Messiah with Aleph Tav action on your ubiquitous mobile device.

Hundley, W.

2008-02-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

acrobatic apparitions appear in abandoned alleys and an assortment of arid, asphalt areas - their armor, an array of aura actualizing awnings in angorra, argyle and algodon. for your consideration: the works of William Hundley

what's next?

2008-02-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

shoot now, focus later. yet another incredible development from camp Adobe. see more here.

tekin, o.

2008-02-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

irregular flow

math vandal

2008-01-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

finally, some Polish graffiti you can get excited about! truthtag waxes geometric on Warsaw. i'm really getting into unseen art recently. the creation left behind to fend for itself - the art many would never notice hovering right next to them. in most instances, this fellow fits the bill nicely. i bet Polish mathematics professors discuss him over coffee. be sure to visit his change section to see how some of these algebraic installations deal with time and the elements - loving those sno-capped cubes.

glass corridor & a line you can cross

2008-01-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

if the face of the world were comprised of only vast, black and glassy seas speckled with miniscule, white sand islands, atop which stood groves of metal framed forms mistakingly perceived to be little more than columns of air and geometry, brightly lit from within, closely resembling the urban edifices of an era long since past (in both aesthetic and function) and containing at their lowest level, tangible spaces bringing to mind what we once considered rooms - this is, perhaps, what one might expect to hear while found within such architectural containers - imagined or otherwise.

Nor Way!

2008-01-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

this definitely takes the kake (that's Norwegian for cake) for best commercial of recent memory. the concept, being; what today's youth will engineer tomorrow, and the execution, being...well, i don't want to ruin it - together make this really creative and really, really memorable. it sure brings back memories for me anyway... well, i wish, actually. it does, however, make for exceedingly successful advertising. takk, HYDRO - fortreffelig!

hiph op

2008-01-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

i'm not a fan of hip hop. then again, i've never cared for categorizing music into genres either (unless it assists you in finding what you like). i should say, there are so many things i dislike about what is commonly referred to and packaged as hip hop. it's disgusting mostly... but i could certainly say the same for most popular music today. perhaps it's unfair to judge an entire genre of music by the dross that surfaces. sure it is. i don't judge experimental or rock or electronic by the same standard. perhaps, as with those other genres, there are artists beneath the surface of hip hop, creating music that might be perceived as hip hop by many, but is actually something entirely different. obviously, there are many times each day that we allow an association, stereotype or misapplied impression to color our perception of an object's true nature or intent. if i go on any further, i run the risk of sounding like a complete dolt, but what i'm trying to say is that sometimes i hear things that i like submerged below the surface of something that i don't like. sounds i recognize from other places - beautiful ideas shrouded in unpleasant, foreign skins. i like them, so they can't really be hip hop, right?

Happy Christmas!

2007-12-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

Ezer, O.

2007-12-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

the work of Oded Ezer is rad - and it gave me an idea that you'll be learning more about very soon.

the 2007 music review

2007-12-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

2007 was, by all accounts, an incredible year in music. with new releases from the likes of Ulrich Schnauss, the Shins, Curtains, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Bodies of Water, Tunng, Amiina, Interpol, Feist, Grizzly Bear, Department of Eagles, Efterklang, To Rococo Rot, Air, Beirut, the North Sea, Takeshi Nishimoto, Sunset Rubdown, Múm, Stars, Peter Bjorn & John, Eluvium, 4 Bonjour's Parties, Sawako, Letters, Jeremy Enigk, Sylvain Chauveau and even David Shrigley, it was almost too much to process. i still can't believe Dinosaur Jr beat My Bloody Valentine to the reunite & release party - i guess Barlow was just kidding all those times he sang of his hate for Mascis. at any rate, it was certainly a year to remember and one worthy of far more than my limited writing ability affords.

i'll just get right to it and highlight a few of my personal favorites. by now, most folks know how to look something up, (and i should probably get to bed) so i'm not gonna go through all the linking and audio sample stuff. if any of these interest you (or if you're forming an argument against me), you can hear samples at boomkat or amazon. ok, with little explanation and in no particular order (for the most part), i present my 07 favorites off the top of my 'pod.

deerhoof's friend opportunity spent more hours assaulting my speakers during scenic drives than i care to calculate. this is, by far, their most accessible and experimental album so far. yes, that's right - it's both. don't ask me how. it just is. it's also their most enjoyable. highly, highly recommended.

curveland by Aus is what you listen to in order to calm down after listening to deerhoof. both feature lovely, female, japanese vocals - but Aus is definitely the white to deerhoof's black. recommended for fans of piana, SO, tujiko noriko, moskitoo and oval.

what would a best of 07 list be without a mention of person pitch by Panda Bear? original, that's what. this album has been touted by every mp3 amigo as the best thing since chocolate rain and it's completely merited. it's so well crafted and tasty, i read about it on your mom's blog.

in related news, Animal Collective (for which Panda Bear's Noah drums) is responsible for the deaths of several inner city high school teachers since their release of Strawberry Jam. details vary, but most reports include similarities regarding teachers stumbling upon their students' earbuds and experiencing subsequent rushes of morbid curiousity. this one really took me by surprise. i grew to love it, but you won't. seriously, i dare you.

while we're discussing surprise, allow me to expand the concept to include complete and utter shock. Mirrored by warp recording artist, Battles, is the kinda record you don't take home to Mother (i'm done with the Mom references).. seriously though, this album is a stunning testament to the skill of these four lads and, ultimatetly, the capabilities of the human mind - some really incredible chops found here and incomparable to anything before it. music of the future. very, very should want to buy this.

there's nothing i could write concerning Caribou's Andorra that has not already been said by everyone and their brother. this disc sings like unimaginably beautiful national anthems of a world very far from (but somehow familiar to) our own. actually, has that been said? i love this album. anyone in their right mind would. buy this for a friend (or yourself) for Christmas this year. attend live shows. die smiling.

it wouldn't be right to talk about Mark Templeton's Standing on a Hummingbird. it's just that quietly beautiful. sleep to this for great dreams & long life.

wow! did Of Montreal's Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? really come out this year? it feels like i've been listening to this forever - in a good way. this is as strange as pop music could ever be (i hope). each track is, somehow, so instantly memorable, but still skews your sonic barometer to the point where you almost think what you're hearing is normal. normal for a really scary children's cereal commercial maybe... buy two copies, leave one on the subway.

Klimek's Dedications just barely made the list by hitting this month, but man-o-man, it makes the list! this is the one for driving in the rain, shopping for live bait, woodcarving or putting down a sick dog. honestly, it's just super beautiful strings, piano and things. i think i may have listened to this every day since i got it. what would you expect with a track dedicated to Mark Hollis? for fans of great music by which to watch silent films.

i love Menomena. their Friend and Foe was easily the most pleasant surprise of the year for me. i pretty much relish everything here, but since i don't know anyone else that likes it (besides countless music critics) i won't bore you with the details. super great, though. you only wish you could dig something this good. zoinks!

the collaboration between Fennesz & Sakamoto has yielded stunning results. Cendre will cause you to believe that haunted fabric is softly blowing off the surface of the ocean directly onto the contours of your face. fragile simplicity, quiet noise, subtle warmth and faded memories are what come to mind when i attempt to articulate the emotions these breathtaking compositions induce. stellar album and very essential to own, i'm afraid.

as many of you know, not every band in Iceland is concerned with writing music that sounds of fjords and comes careening through caverns. Seabear is one of the new multi-instrumental folk-pop breed crafting beautiful songs for folks who live near forests or streams - or only wish they did. there are some very lovely summer moments on this album and i really can't wait to see where they take this very pleasant sound. put on the ghost that carried us away to score points with that girl in your car/house/life.

i already went on for a bit about Le Loup here and here (as well as on some of your blogs) so, in the interest of your time and mine, i won't repeat myself. let me just say that this is probably one of the most unsung treasures of 2007 - a truly incredible release. it's kinda sad that more folks aren't talking about this one really. totally great.

i guess i can end this thing with Icy Demons' new one, Miami Ice. this would be tied with deerhoof's friend opportunity for my top release of 2007, only it hasn't really come out yet - not in the States anyway. however, on my list, Japanese imports certainly count and this one takes the cake. i'd venture to say that Icy Demons are one of the absolute most unique acts performing today. they have a sound all their own and have perfected it without compromise. Miami Ice is incredible from start to finish - much happier and melodic (who thought that was even possible?) than both their previous releases. they're one of only a few groups to get me really excited about where music is headed. i wish there were more intellectual artists this pioneering, experimental, talented and engaging. while they could stand to lose the bonus tracks for the domestic release, i honestly can't think of anything i'd rather listen to on my morning commute to the office. i only wish i knew how to make music like this. essential purchase.

thanks for reading all (or even some of) this, guys. i hope you've found something to your liking. i'm gonna go like my pillow now.

sk8 or destroy

2007-12-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

here's the surprisingly beautiful opening for the new Lakai video, directed by Spike Jonze (to the tune of M83) and featuring my childhood pal, Cairo Foster. it's really strange to me that he's actually known pretty much all over the world solely by the nickname we gave him when he first moved to Florida (with his mother, fleeing his extremely violent, Muslim Father) from Egypt. we really had some tremendous times as kids. i was always so proud to call him my friend and i'll always cherish our high school (and numerous skate roadtrip) memories. he's just such a great guy. so, Roger, if you should ever stumble across this post one day - know that I miss you, Brother. back on topic, and regardless of your skateboarding affiliation, this is just a very entertaining shard of filmmaking.

okeanos

2007-12-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

Dieter Paulmann is a great guy. not only has he and his crew captured amazing footage of the diverse inhabitants of our alien, undersea realm, but they've put some of it up for us landlovers to watch and are happily providing even more of it absolutely free of charge to anyone of noble intent. how cool. set some time aside for this one. there is some really beautiful stuff (not to mention the interface) and a few rewards tucked away for the explorer.

oceanliner

2007-12-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

sala = secret

2007-11-02T10:00:00.000-04:00

for anyone who ever wanted to try a beard. wool does not burn. polar animals know by experience how to keep you best warm. ostrobotnian lady power. trees make flowers too. for lazy rocking.

time travel

2007-11-01T03:01:00.000-04:00

perhaps, it's long been perceived as clichè to utter things like, "what a strange and wondrous time in which we live." so, i'll simply say, "some stuff sucks nowadays - other things are radical." one such rad thing is the World Clock Project. the potential for philosophical discussions on the nature of time (or maniacal tirades concerning the intangible binds with which the illusionary spectre, Chronos, falsely imprisons this dimension's oblivious inhabitants) abounds. however, i'd prefer to view it only as a collection of time measuring devices from around the world. now, the pertinent question might be - how long to spend viewing the site...?

let's celebrate!

2007-10-31T10:00:00.000-04:00

this post was originally about the observation of the "holiday" that many seemingly sane people celebrate every October 31st. it served to question our culture's preoccupation with death and even discuss a few (of the many) pagan vestiges now commonplace in our everyday lives - customs absorbed largely by the catholic church's extremely deficient approach (and that's putting it nicely) of "evangelizing" ancient cultures by simply altering pagan character names and feast days in an effort to annex their lands and build a global (or, in the greek, katholikos) kingdom at any cost. it's pretty interesting stuff, really. finally, it concluded with my thoughts on the apparent surge in popularity of the tenets of paganism (if not paganism overtly) in America and where we might be headed in a very short time as a country - not solely because of these issues but, simply illustrating that they are symptoms of something far worse.

then i realized that is was just too heavy. i'm sure (all two of) my readers didn't want to trudge through all that stuff. thankfully, i can edit these little posties. so, i now conclude with the scariest thing i've ever seen in my entire life... and that's right here.

the voice returneth

2007-10-30T10:00:00.000-04:00

i have to thank my man, Branden for providing the best breakfast i've had in some time. so inspired was I, that my inspiration quickly turned to compulsion (once i found myself only 1 or 2 minutes into the album) to lift his latest post idea and slather a remix right here on Headfawns. ok, this album is amazing. this is an understatement. those responsible, Le Loup, are a seven (or eight) piece ensemble (featuring Sam of Christian & the Jews) that could probably split into 4 seperate groups tomorrow, it's that saturated with talent.

now, i don't pretend to know what's happening in true music currently but, if you examine Bodies of Water, Sufjan Stevens, Danielson, Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, Menomena, Arcade Fire, Yeasayer, A Silver Mt. Zion and too many others to mention - you quickly find something important is afoot. i mean, could Panda Bear have done what he's doing (to much acclaim) even five years ago? also, has there ever been this many groups employing banjoes at the same time? it was a novelty when the Books did it...but, Sufjan, Arcade Fire, Anathallo, Le Loup? while there seems to be a return to true instrumentation, the most notable arrival (and the reason i write) is the apparent return of the voice. not that folks haven't always sang - it's more like, from what i can tell, a return to the beginnings of American popular music..like we saw in the 30's & 4o's. i'm as jazzed as can be and predict we'll see even more of this type of thing in many unexpected places in the near future. with acts like Caribou and Deerhoof really pushing listener's conceptions in front of buses, music is getting turned on it's head - in a good way. i think this (i'm still not sure what to call it- or if it even needs to be called) is the newest, most imporatant and somehow, most secret movement at play right now. i may be wrong but, i haven't been yet... not here, at least. so, in an effort to bring this meandering post home, do yourself a favor and pick Le Loup's album up before week's end.

force the rabbits

2007-10-29T22:00:00.000-04:00

Mike... i mean, Lionel over at the Argyle Academy has a great contest going on right now. he provides the anthropomorphic rabbit drawing and you, the conversation. you have a few days left and can submit as many as you like. i wish more people would do stuff like this. you can win a shirt but, who cares? i'm stumped on my fourth currently but, it's a lot of fun. everything you need to know is at the link above. i'm fairly certain you can submit them as text - but, i just had to type in the bubbles.

here's one that i sent him yesterday:

judith mountain cabin

2007-10-28T10:00:00.000-04:00

can you imagine calling this amazing place home? this beautiful structure is the product of Montana's Prairie Wind Architecture. from the site: "the fire towers that guarded these lands represented a romantic ideal of life to his family as he grew up. Lookouts were always in the most spectacular locations. They were a place where life and relationships were condensed to their most essential elements - where nature overwhelmed and embraced those lives." click the above link, then projects for more photos of the captivating Judith Mountain Cabin.

launch party

2007-10-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

while suffering at the cruel hands of wind and rain (read: all the other things i should be taking care of right now) - I heed the call from Commander Ghenov, "You should start a blog". how else could i ever hope to process such a directive? so, i looked up the term Blog... and at this point, adding yet another meandering weblog to the myriad seems irrational, yet somehow inevitable - inescapable even... and, as Theodore Geisl, the pioneer, nay, the father of modern blogging once said, "i gotta give the people want they want - and the people want sneetches". i thank Commander Ghenov for considering me worthy to do just that.