Dave Bush

Sticks

2012-01-27T00:15:00.001-05:00

A website devoted to Neil Peart's drumsticks. Yep, it's neilpeartdrumsticks.com

Enrico Rava

2012-01-17T18:28:00.001-05:00

Long, interesting interview with jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava.

The Soft Bulletin

2012-01-12T08:45:00.001-05:00

Thoroughly enjoyable documentary on The Flaming Lips' terrific 1999 album, "The Soft Bulletin".

The Falls

2011-12-31T09:35:00.002-05:00

I'm a fan of Access Niagara, a regularly updated blog on all the tourism related happenings in Niagara Falls. If you're ever wondering about some Clifton Hill restaurant's renovation, or what's going on behind that tarp on Victoria - this is your place.

Trent Reznor

2011-12-19T15:35:00.002-05:00

Trent Reznor talks with NPR's Terry Gross.

Charlie Kaufman

2011-12-15T10:17:00.001-05:00

Charlie Kaufman: Screenwriters Lecture

If there's any creative person worth listening to, it's this guy.

Hitchhiking

2011-12-12T00:14:00.002-05:00

A quite interesting Freakonomics podcast on the dangers, and true reasons for the demise of, hitchhiking.

Until the End of the World

2011-12-10T22:57:00.001-05:00

Wim Wenders talks about "Until the End of the World" - one of my favourite movies, still unreleased on DVD (in North America at least).

Radiohead Artwork

2011-12-10T20:50:00.002-05:00

An interview with Radiohead art director, Stanley Donwood, mainly discussing the "Newspaper Edition" of "The King of Limbs".

Stones

2011-11-08T20:19:00.002-05:00

The first 12 minutes of my only live Rolling Stones experience. Sept 27, 1981. Rich Stadium, Buffalo NY. I was really, really into The Stones at that point of my life.

Nest

2011-10-26T20:20:00.002-04:00

This is everything done right - Nest is a beautifully designed thermostat that "learns" what you want, then adjusts itself accordingly. I'm assuming it actually works as advertised, but this is perfect execution - the product, the branding and the website.

Kubrick

2011-10-19T22:37:00.001-04:00

Stanley Kubrick cinemagraphs. These are good.

What is a Cinemagraph?

Cinemagraphs are still photographs in which a minor and repeated movement action occurs. The term “cinemagraph” was coined by U.S. photographers Kevin Burg and Jamie Beck, who used the technique to animate their fashion and news photographs beginning in early 2011.

Urban Perspectives

2011-10-11T22:41:00.004-04:00

Very nice set of inner-city London photographs by British photographer Jonathan Smith.

Steve Roach

2011-10-07T21:24:00.004-04:00

PBS feature on musician Steve Roach, whose music I listen to almost every morning while ingesting strong black coffee.

Slime

2011-10-04T12:02:00.000-04:00

A quick, but interesting look at slime molds, of all things.

Pink Floyd

2011-09-27T09:26:00.003-04:00

To mark the launch of their massive catalog reissue (AKA cash grab - just buy and savour the original albums), Pink Floyd flew the pig once again.

Burning Man

2011-09-21T08:31:00.001-04:00

Impressive collection of Burning Man 2011 photographs.

Nick Lowe

2011-09-15T22:02:00.003-04:00

Great Nick Lowe interview (with in-studio performances) on NPR's Fresh Air.

In Concert

2011-09-09T00:43:00.001-04:00

Quiet Ensemble use the movement of goldfish to create sounds in "Quintetto". The movement of the 5 goldfish are translated into digital sound signals to create a live concert.

Quintetto promo from Quiet ensemble on Vimeo.

Burning Man

2011-09-01T21:02:00.001-04:00

Kevin Kelly's re-posted an old article he wrote about Burning Man in 1999. It'll make you want to be there.

Here Again

2011-09-01T10:27:00.000-04:00

Glory Days

2011-08-27T22:21:00.002-04:00

26 years ago today, the newly married me saw Springsteen at the old Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. The concert lives on as a bootleg. Pretty sure I have a copy on tape somewhere.

Set list:
Born in the USA
Badlands
Out in the Street
Johnny 99
Seeds
Darkness on the Edge of Town
The River
Working on the Highway
Trapped
Darlington County
Glory Days
My Hometown
Thunder Road
Cover Me
Dancing in the Dark
Hungry Heart
Cadillac Ranch
Downbound Train
I'm on Fire
Growin' Up
Bobby Jean
Can't Help Falling in Love
Born to Run
Ramrod
Twist and Shout
Do You Love Me?
Sherry Darling

Stable

2011-08-27T12:37:00.002-04:00

Los Lobos has existed with the same line-up since the mid-seventies (the lone exception is Steve Berlin, who offically joined the band in 1984). Maybe more impressive - they're all still married to their first wives. An under appreciated, hard working band. I've been a fan for a long time.

Stillspotting NYC

2011-08-18T09:40:00.004-04:00

'To a Great City' is a self-guided tour exploring the relationship between space and sound, the collaborative work of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and New York City and Oslo -based architecture and design firm, Snøhetta. Organized for the Manhattan edition of the Guggenheim's Stillspotting NYC program, the project offers visitors the opportunity to visit five quiet spaces throughout Manhattan, curated by Snøhetta and ranging from the Battery Conservancy to an underground chamber at Governors Island National Monument to normally inaccessible interior rooms of skyscrapers.

More info (including the music) here.

Cold Stations

2011-08-16T21:50:00.002-04:00

Nice series of gas station photos, all taken at night, in winter. The photographer is Matt Barnes.

Alastair Mackie

2011-08-12T09:25:00.003-04:00

Alastair Mackie is a U.K. artist who uses samples and specimens from nature (mouse skulls for instance) to create some pretty remarkable pieces.

Grab Bag

2011-08-06T17:43:00.007-04:00

A small assortment of interesting things, recently stumbled upon.

Rainbow Ants / Nice series of posters for Beach House Miami / Limited edition Springsteen/Hornby "Thunder Road" letterpress book / Interesting New Yorker article on the Bin Laden raid / Not so surprising "reality" show insight

Daylight

2011-07-10T08:35:00.007-04:00

One of the best movie posters I've ever seen. One simple image conveys all kinds of mystery and dread. This is the proper way to market a film.

Editing

2011-07-07T20:32:00.002-04:00

A fairly short, but insightful article on film editing.

Bonus: this scene from Albert Brooks' "Modern Romance", which is actually a great little film editing lesson.

Scope

2011-06-30T18:15:00.001-04:00

EarthCam has positioned a live webcam in the southeast window on the sixth floor of the former Texas School Book Depository in Dallas, where an assassin is alleged to have fired the shots that killed President John F. Kennedy and severely wounded Texas Governor John Connally as the presidential motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963.

They Walked Away

2011-06-25T14:51:00.001-04:00

Three talented musicians who abandoned their careers in mid-stream - Mark Hollis, songwriter and vocalist for Talk Talk, who also released one solo album. Harriet Wheeler, songwriter and vocalist for The Sundays. Christina "Licorice" McKechnie, vocalist for the Incredible String Band.

Born to Run

2011-06-25T09:10:00.002-04:00

Photographer Eric Meola's essay on the session that resulted in the now-famous "Born to Run" album cover.

Big Man

2011-06-22T18:44:00.002-04:00

NJ.com has a nice article on Clarence Clemons' Jersey Shore legacy.

African Air

2011-06-07T18:06:00.001-04:00

Flying in a motorized paraglider over one of the most diverse continents in the world, George Steinmetz captures in his photographs the stunning beauty, potential and hope of Africa's landscapes and people. See the project at http://mediastorm.com/publication/african-air

A Walk in Milan

2011-06-04T15:52:00.001-04:00

A walk in Milan from Giuseppe Vetrano on Vimeo.

Tornado Photo

2011-05-23T22:12:00.001-04:00

From the world of photojournalism, art emerges - this stunning photo from the recent Missouri tornado.

Eden MusicFest

2011-05-21T10:47:00.002-04:00

The official website for the Eden MusicFest, which took place at Mosport Park over three days during the summer of 1996, is magically still online and looking, well...like 1996.

Greg Calbi Making Sense

2011-05-08T20:36:00.001-04:00

Bin Laden Death

2011-05-06T16:36:00.001-04:00

Interesting article on newspaper designer approaches to the "Bin Laden's Dead" front page story.

Cinemagraphs

2011-04-22T12:06:00.002-04:00

The lowly animated gif - elevated to fine art.

Poster

2011-04-16T13:14:00.005-04:00

New Replacements documentary on the horizon. The film's poster (below) is just fantastic.

Blue Note

2011-04-07T20:55:00.001-04:00

Blue Note album design - animated. Love this.

Hi-Fi from bante on Vimeo.

Album / App

2011-03-26T21:37:00.002-04:00

Bluebrain, a band from Washington D.C., have created an album that's also an iPhone app. It's location specific and location aware - the music changes its rhythms and beats as the user walks around The National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Robot Bird

2011-03-26T10:23:00.007-04:00

Impressive robotic bird, developed by Festo, an industrial control and automation company based in Esslingen, Germany.

Earthquake

2011-03-16T23:16:00.003-04:00

This NY Times interactive infographic (with photos) does a terrific job of conveying the recent Japan quake's range and extent of damage.

Labour of Lust

2011-03-15T18:32:00.003-04:00

One of the most exquisite pop albums ever released, Nick Lowe's "Labour of Lust", was reissued today on the Yep Roc label. The CD's been out of print for 20 years.

Peru

2011-03-13T23:26:00.001-04:00

Led by their tourism ministry, the country of Peru has rebranded itself, quite effectively.

Joe Jackson

2011-03-10T23:34:00.002-05:00

I've been listening to a fair amount of Joe Jackson this week (specifically, his "Blaze of Glory" and "Night and Day" albums), which prompted me to drop by his website. Surprisingly, he has an entire section of his site devoted to his position on "antismoking hysteria".

Aurland Lookout

2011-03-10T20:26:00.002-05:00

Insanely beautiful viewing platform, 2,133 feet over the water in Aurland, Norway.

Organize

2011-03-09T17:30:00.000-05:00

Clever idea from IKEA - desktop shelving and storage icons to hold your files.

Dolce Press

2011-03-09T13:15:00.000-05:00

Nice photographs by Dolce Press of a business card I designed for Joseph Vetrone Photography.

You are

2011-03-08T19:55:00.002-05:00

listening to Los Angeles

Covers

2011-02-25T00:34:00.001-05:00

No idea who this guy is, but I really like his flickr set of album covers. Eclectic and tasteful.

SOMA FM & NASA

2011-02-24T21:24:00.001-05:00

At SomaFM - A mix of ambient and experimental music mixed with live mission audio of STS-133, the final voyage of the Space Shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station, live from launch to landing.

Selective Memory Theater

2011-02-16T13:32:00.000-05:00

Selective Memory Theatre from moka on Vimeo.

Created by Matthias ‘moka’ Dörfelt, Selective Memory Theatre is a machine-like perception and memory installation which receives the newest images from flickr that get distorted, mixed and blended to pursue notion of sensory noise and portray memory and perception. Simultaneously these images are mapped as “similar memories” to the secondary projection representing short- and long-term memory layer and their mutual relationships.

2.13.61

2011-02-12T22:01:00.000-05:00

Henry's 50. Happy birthday Mr. Rollins.

Finca Bellavista

2011-02-10T23:15:00.000-05:00

Incredible treehouse community in Costa Rica.
Finca Bellavista is named after Rio Bellavista, which flows through the middle of the community, and for the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding vistas, vibe, and bountiful flora and fauna present.

Holga

2011-02-09T20:21:00.000-05:00

A digital camera designed to function sort of poorly - which is entirely the appeal. Confused? Learn more.

Eponymous Hat Tricks

2011-02-08T23:03:00.003-05:00

A list of songs that share a name with the artist who perform it, and the album it's on.As an example, "Black Sabbath" by Black Sabbath, on the album "Black Sabbath".

*Update - someone's compiled a better, massive list.

George Thorogood

2011-02-07T23:22:00.004-05:00

Cool little story via Wikipedia -

George and the Delaware Destroyers were friends with Jimmy Thackery and the Nighthawks. While touring in the 1970s, the Destroyers and the Nighthawks happened to be playing shows in Georgetown (DC) at venues across the street from each other. The Destroyers were engaged at The Cellar Door and the Nighthawks at Desperados. At midnight, by prior arrangement, while both bands played Elmore James' "Madison Blues" in the key of E, Thorogood and Thackery left their clubs, met in the middle of M Street, exchanged guitar cables and went on to play with the opposite band.

J.G. Ballard

2011-02-05T01:17:00.000-05:00

Terrific Rick Poynor examination of the cover art of J.G. Ballard books.

The Thomas Beale Cipher

2011-01-28T23:35:00.000-05:00

"The Thomas Beale Cipher," an award-winning short film, updates a classic animation technique to make paper cutouts move as fluidly as live-action footage.

Under Paris

2011-01-20T10:41:00.000-05:00

Interesting photo gallery of Paris catacombs.

Under Paris there are spaces of all kinds: canals and reservoirs, crypts and bank vaults, wine cellars transformed into nightclubs and galleries. Most surprising of all are the carrières—the old limestone quarries that fan out in a deep and intricate web under many neighborhoods, mostly in the southern part of the metropolis.

Cultural-Industrial Complex

2011-01-11T10:06:00.002-05:00

A brief but insightful blog post from Kevin Kelly, outlining the ad hoc networking process of the southern California entertainment industry.

Nebraska

2011-01-10T15:07:00.001-05:00

Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska" - A PortaStudio, two SM57's, and Inspiration - The story of a home recording that became an album, as told by Bruce's long-time engineer Toby Scott.

Hotel DeBrett

2011-01-08T13:01:00.000-05:00

Hotel DeBrett in Auckland, New Zealand looks inspiring. Some nice design features, maybe bordering on trying too hard, but certainly interesting.

The Wilderness Below Your Feet

2011-01-02T10:04:00.000-05:00

Urban exploration beneath New York City. “The last frontier in an over-mapped, Google-Earthed world.”

Music 2010

2011-01-01T14:05:00.002-05:00

Some of the old and new music that had my attention during 2010:

Joanna Newsom: Have One On Me
Flying Lotus: Cosmogramma
Radiohead: The Bends
Elvis Costello: National Ransom
The Orb: Metallic Spheres
Morrissey: Vauxhall and I
Gonjasufi: A Sufi and a Killer
Ariel Pink: Before Today
Brian Eno: Small Craft on a Milk Sea
Jan Bang: ...and Poppies from Kandahar
Can: Tago Mago
Can: Ege Bamyasi
Tyshawn Sorey: Koan
New Order: Brotherhood
New Order: Technique
Keith Jarrett: Vienna Concert
Peter Gabriel: Scratch My Back
Jane Siberry: The Walking
Sleigh Bells: Treats
Steve Tibbetts: Natural Causes
King Crimson: Starless and Bible Black
Beach House: Teen Dream
Dire Straits: Communique
36: Hypersona
Jellyfish: Bellybutton
Autechre: Move of Ten
Autechre: Oversteps
Rush: A Farewell to Kings
Laurie Anderson: Homeland
Anouar Brahem: The Astounding Eyes of Rita
Darren Harper: Descend

Doug Bush

2010-12-26T16:30:00.000-05:00

Dec 8 1924 - Dec 24 2010
Loved golf, jazz, photography and birds. Hated the Montreal Canadiens, slow golfers, laugh tracks, politicians and taxes.

Bye Dad. We'll miss you.

Kubrick

2010-12-24T01:21:00.000-05:00

Stanley Kubrick fan? Feast on this massive collection of Kubrick-related links, collected and presented by Coudal Partners.

The Dust Blows Forward 'N The Dust Blows Back

2010-12-17T20:59:00.001-05:00

RIP Don Van Vliet. Farewell, Captain.

Ants

2010-12-12T23:52:00.000-05:00

Stanford professor Deborah Gordon studies ants. Her TED talk on their task allocation process is fascinating. Seriously.

PG1

2010-12-11T09:10:00.000-05:00

As a follow up to an earlier post, here's a Hard Format overview of the memorable artwork and design from Peter Gabriel's first solo album.

Inspiration

2010-12-01T09:42:00.000-05:00

Great post today over at Freelance Switch - 25 Unusual Places to get Design Inspiration. Works for me.

Astonished, Me

2010-11-27T22:51:00.002-05:00

30 years after the last Max Webster album, a British tribute band has emerged and released a CD of Max covers. Dreamers and schemers on the loose.

Album Art

2010-11-26T19:32:00.001-05:00

Peter Gabriel album artwork available as fine art prints.

The Master

2010-11-19T15:24:00.000-05:00

Mastering master Bob Ludwig talks about his work on Springsteen's new "Darkness on the Edge of Town" box set.

Hajj

2010-11-15T20:26:00.000-05:00

boston.com's "The Big Picture" photoblog is featuring an incredible set of photos from Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Clip

2010-11-14T11:17:00.000-05:00

We've endured awkward nail clipping at the expense of poorly designed clippers for far too long. Finally, someone has developed a better product.

Interview

2010-11-11T22:46:00.000-05:00

Very surprised to find this on YouTube - Bjork interviews Arvo Part.

Song to the Siren

2010-11-06T15:29:00.000-04:00

My favourite vocal performance ever - Liz Fraser from the This Mortal Coil album, "It'll End in Tears." I bet I've listened to this track a few hundred times since it was released in 1983.

Kris Kuksi

2010-10-31T13:38:00.000-04:00

American sculptor Kris Kuksi creates incredible pieces that look like they come from dreams. I don't know any better way to describe his art.

Big Boat

2010-10-28T01:39:00.003-04:00

Marvel at the absurdity of Allure of the Seas - the largest cruise ship ever. I realize that thousands and thousands of people will enjoy wonderful vacations aboard this ship, but I can't help viewing this thing as a monument to crass indulgence.

In our future post-apocalyptic world, many people won't believe the legend of these massive floating cities, filled with joyful people travelling to and from distant tropical islands for no apparent reason - and eating all the way.

Burton/Elfman

2010-10-27T21:00:00.002-04:00

16 disc 25th anniversary box set of the 13 original scores Danny Elfman's done for Tim Burton films. It's a monstrous (!), lovingly designed package and it's not cheap - got 500 bucks?

Gravestone

2010-10-25T23:12:00.000-04:00

A simply brilliant new gravestone concept. Elegant and inspiring.

Lost In Ireland

2010-10-24T19:23:00.000-04:00

A nice little NY Times piece by travel writer, Matt Gross. He wandered around rural Ireland, exploring the environment without a map.

Goodbye Walkman

2010-10-23T12:09:00.001-04:00

Sony is halting production of the cassette Walkman. Frankly, I was surprised to learn they've still been making them.

I have extremely fond memories of mine from 30 years back.

"If they find us they find us, if not, that's that. "

2010-10-14T18:41:00.001-04:00

Some fascinating early insight from Chilean mine survivor, Luis Urzúa.

It wasn't exactly 33 guys united through hope. A lifetime's worth of good and bad human interaction, introspection, despair and bravery - crammed into 2 months. Some understandably rough stuff happened down there.

Flashback

2010-10-14T01:12:00.000-04:00

A childhood staple for generations of Canadian kids - Laurentien Pencil Crayons. Still available, although no longer in the vinyl pouch.

Journalism

2010-10-12T12:07:00.000-04:00

I make a point of not being negative here, but how does this piece of journalism get through an editor? The story boils down to: musician Evan Dando's apartment is messy.

Facebook

2010-10-08T14:03:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking that Facebook's new "Groups" feature promotes a kind of clique approach to "Friends", which follows a path that leads to Facebook potentially acting as nothing more than a bloated email program with photo galleries.

Sandy Duncan Meets Gandalf

2010-10-06T18:40:00.001-04:00

Letraset

2010-10-05T21:56:00.000-04:00

Before Photoshop and Illustrator, before computers, graphic designing with Letraset.

Harp Guitar

2010-10-02T10:15:00.000-04:00

I didn't know this instrument existed until 5 minutes ago. The Harp Guitar.

Tilt Shift

2010-09-25T21:39:00.001-04:00

I'm surprised this idea hasn't appeared sooner (at least to me) - the pseudo tilt-shit effect applied to Van Gogh paintings.

Bernard Trainor + Associates

2010-09-19T18:35:00.000-04:00

Bernard Trainor + Associates, California landscape architects. Beautiful work showcased by a great website. Impressed = me.

Miapolis

2010-09-16T14:23:00.000-04:00

There are plans to build a megastructure "city within a city" in Miami, which will include a tower 183 meters taller than the current world's highest, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. Have a look.

I hate this sort of thing.

Bladerunner

2010-09-13T10:17:00.000-04:00

The first 2 minutes of "Bladerunner" in 720p HD. Load it up in full screen and soak it in.

Learn about the film's effects here.

Stubbies

2010-09-06T22:02:00.001-04:00

Some old stubby beer bottle label designs. For those of us who remember.

Extraordinary Records

2010-09-05T11:46:00.000-04:00

Colored vinyl, picture discs, etched vinyl, unusual vinyl, shaped vinyl...a great new book from Taschen.