Gearing Up...

...for getting down.

Working with Mike Vallely in preparation for our joint event on February 12th. We printed my Pettibon-inspired illustration on about 12 dozen tees. They are available for purchase NOW.

Thanks to Greg Roman for shooting some footage that we will get sorted out in the future..

Die Antwoord

Die Antwoord...

I am not trying to help this viral snowball, but I haven't seen a music video this TRULY awesome in sooooo long! It's like Peaches, Sascha Baron Cohen, Terry Richardson and Harmony Korine all collaborated on directing it or something.

Put these guys on the Coachella roster this summer and I bet you a million dollars that Echo Park hipsters lap it up.....

(their website is also totally amazing!)

THIS "These Friends"

Some folks I know have started up an interesting creative collective venue called THIS. They've already hosted a few music-based events, but These Friends is their debut art-based event. I am honored to amongst the deep roster of artists.

The show opens Friday night, February 12, 2010. Info at THIS.

Banksy's 'EXIT'

Some 'big' news from Sundance this week, as Banksy has debuted his table-turning doc, Exit Through the Gift Shop. The film began life as the aimless, street art documentary Life Remote Control in the hands of Thierry Guetta (AKA 'Mr. Brainwash'). However, once Thierry caught a piece of the notoriety and adrenalin already being enjoyed by his subject matter, he put the cameras down to pursue street art himself (unfortunately catalyzed by his first, self-promoting portrait above, which he commissioned me to design and illustrate. Also, let it be known that I respectfully declined the request to be interviewed for Exit)....

Of course, one irony of this story is that Thierry has violated entire chapters of the unspoken 'code' amongst the street artists and their culture in his pursuit. The other, and perhaps more stomach-churning irony, is that Thierry's work is an unapologetic exploitation and 'wholesale ripoff' (LA Times succinct review) of the entire street/pop art aesthetic, which has somehow gained commercial success.

Speed Freaks

Vallely's above segment was completely epic when it debuted in 1989, Speed Freaks. It also helped to introduce Dinosaur Jr. to a (then younger) audience...

Endless Tunes

"BLOGGING ABOUT BLOGS"?

Gross.....yeah, well, I guess that's what happens when you're buckled down and aren't getting out into the real world quite enough. Anyways, since I have been thrashing daily to meet all of my commercial deadlines, there has been an endless trickle of music running here in my makeshift office...and I am tired of pretty much ALL of the music jammed onto three different iPods.

-I have been giving the Pandora website a test drive, but I have already discovered it's irritating limits.

-I have also been giving my Fanatic buddy, JoelfromOhio, AKA The Daily Guru a few listens. Joel has a great blog happening, having just completed his epic 365 Albums posts last month. (Thumbs up on this one, too).

-But for my $$$, there is still no beating this site, Rollins Archive. Some dedicated super-Fanatics keep that stuff running...a big thank you goes to out those Fanatics, Engineer X and Henry for all the hours of good listening!

(Above is some sort of punk still life/sneak peek, nice and random)

Work Work Work

And To Hell With Poverty!

Thankfully, I am kicking off 2010 with a full calendar of new commercial and personal projects, from which I will share much more over the coming weeks. In the meantime, (since the creative impulse-machine is in overdrive right now and music is a required companion) above is a great selection from Gang Of Four, To Hell with Poverty.

From The Old Grey Whistle Test, 1981.

MARFA

Thinking about making the trip to visit Judd's compounds in Marfa, Texas this year. It's been something I have wanted to do for more than 10 years now...