Broad City Tackles Gum Phobia

September 24, 2014, 7:00 am

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Broad City has a new web short that will speak deeply to all you anti-gum people out there.
 

Two dudes lip-sync a conversation between 60-something sisters. This is tender.
 

"My name is Olivia Poop and I'm a fixer." Scandal reenacted by kittens is very, very necessary. [Jezebel]



Speaking of Scandal, Kerry Washington played Box of Lies with Jimmy Fallon on last night's Tonight Show and it was delightful.



A lamb named Tansy (TANSY!!!!!) is best friends with a corgi. Here they are playing and having a great time. Are you already crying? [TastefullyOffensive]

Just one of life's funny little things. Accept it! [FYouNoFMe]

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Watch Chris Pratt Get Felt Up And Open An Insane Amount of Pickle Jars

September 24, 2014, 9:40 am

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Now that the Parks and Recreation goof is a muscle-y movie hunk, Chris Pratt needs to watch his back. And his abs. And basically his entire ripped-as-hell body.

In the promo reel, above, for Pratt's SNL hosting debut, Kate Mckinnon mercilessly hits on the Gaurdians of the Galaxy star and it gets real awkward. There's a whole lot of rubbing, lustful facial expressions, a discreet display of abs, and pickles. Lots of pickles.

Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin Explains Why Multitasking Is a Harmful Addiction

September 24, 2014, 10:15 am

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A scientist/musician/author/record producer is how Daniel Levitin thinks of himself. But more formally, he is also the James McGill Professor of Psychology and Behavioural Neuroscience at McGill University in Montreal, where he runs the Laboratory for Music Cognition, Perception and Expertise. After writing Your Brain on Music and The World in Six Songs, his new book, The Organized Mind: Thinking Strange in the Age of Information Overload, continues his efforts to translate neuroscience to a general audience, this time with practical advice on how to manage your time, emails, sleep, multitasking, all the evils of modern life brought on by TMI. Here, we talk to Levitin about his research including why we can't stop multitasking and whether music helps you study.

Let's talk about your research that says the brain wasn't designed to absorb as much information as we're absorbing today.

By some estimates, scientists have generated as much information in the last 25 years as in all of human history before that. Information overload is real. I think we have to impose a little bit of filtering on our own lives so that we don't get distracted by things that we don't want to be.

I'm interested in what you call offloading where you can manage all this information by not having to remember everything, by writing it down on index cards instead. I've been doing that and i think it really works. It frees me up but now I have this strange state of mind where I'm thinking, "Why aren't I worried about anything?"

You raise an interesting point in that you find yourself in this disoriented state where you're not worried about things and that feels unnatural or you find you have time on your hands and that feels unnatural. There's this addictive quality to the over-caffeinated, multi-tasking mode that many of us find ourselves in these days. There was a study that came out too late for me to put into the book that's relevant to this -- people came into a laboratory and they were given the choice to either just be alone with their own thoughts for a few minutes or receive a mild electric shock.

And everybody wanted the shock.

Yes, exactly.

Really?

Men more than women, but not just twenty year-olds. People all the way up to 70 were in the study. People chose the shock because the idea of being alone with their own thoughts was very uncomfortable. I hate to sound like an old fogey but I think that life is more rewarding and more enriching and pleasurable when you actually have time to contemplate a bit. Walking promotes daydreaming. It allows you to hit a neuro reset button in the brain.

Do you find resistance to your ideas about multi-tasking because that's become so prevalent and actually something that people brag about. They feel, "I'm a multi-tasker, I can do everything!"

I think they are habits that are hard to break because there's a neuro-rewards system. This multi-tasking and all this task switching depletes glucose in the brain, which causes us to get cloudy-headed and tired. We feel depleted because we've literally depleted these chemicals. Each time we task switch to get some new piece of information, like a new email or a new text message, our newness detector starts firing and that's where the dopamine comes in. The dopamine rewards circuit is what's responsible for people getting addicted to cocaine and heroine. So, the idea is people are going to be resistant because it feels like they are multitasking, and it feels good. But multi-tasking doesn't work -- people get less done. They think they are getting more done but their judgment is off. Not only do they get less done but their work is less creative.

Sleep is another area that you've spent some time looking into and you've concluded that short naps, even ten minutes, can really help in getting the brain back into that default mode or giving it a chance to relax.

There are two different advantages. One is that taking a nap really does hit a neural reset button. It loosens and relaxes some circuits that have gotten tightly bound up and it replenishes base line levels of glucose, and other chemicals in the prefrontal cortex. The second thing it does that's not obvious is related to nighttime sleep. What happens during nighttime sleep is that your brain is consolidating the memories of the previous day by making links between them and other things you've experienced. It's a kind of pre-processing prior to them being stored in your long-term memory forever. With the amount of information coming at us it's often too much for our brain to accomplish in a single night's sleep, but a nap can do some of that pre-processing for you and ease the burden for nighttime sleep. That's one of the reasons it helps you to feel so restored.

With regard to decision-making you write that if there are too many elements in play the brain turns off. Can that be applied to a Powerpoint presentation, for example?

Yes, I would agree with that. The conventional wisdom about presentations is you're going to get people to remember three ideas. That's consistent with what we know about working memory, which is that the limit is about four ideas. If you aim for three you can hope that they'll get all of them.

Does music help one concentrate?

You know, this is the most studied topic in all of contemporary psychology because every high school student and college student that's given an independent experiment to do, does this one! It's very clear that music is a distraction for most people, and it makes the studying more fun but there's not evidence that it makes them study better.

But is it worse? Is it a negative as well.

Yes.

One of my son's middle school art teacher lets students listen to headphones in class. Is that actually distracting the students?

Music is not bad for everything. It's actually an advantage for driving. It might be an advantage for people doing visual art... I can see that. The thing about driving is that once you've learned to do it your brain more or less does it automatically without you having to consciously think about every little thing. Whenever we have something automatic like that, it lowers our arousal level because it's boring. If you don't have something to think about or keep you challenged, the reduced arousal can lead to accidents or problems. The thing about music is, if you choose the right music -- not something that's going to put you more to sleep and not something that's going to be so engaging that you'll want to close your eyes or take your eyes off the road -- it can raise your arousal level just enough to keep you vigilant and alert. Now for painting I can imagine the current thinking is that there are different physiological centers for visual input and auditory input and processing. I can imagine that you can listen to music and paint and that they won't interfere with one another and they may even help one another. But if you're trying to study math or read literature or something like that, the evidence is that music is a detriment for most people under most circumstances. 

SBTRKT's Animated Video For "New Dorp. New York." Is Fucking Cool

September 24, 2014, 10:30 am

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Lots of reasons to check out the latest clip from SBTRKT -- not even counting the fact that's it's way f*#$ing cool! The artist behind the ceremonial masks prefers his anonymity, but I don't think we're spilling any beans by saying he's a British dude named Aaron Jerome; and this song, "New Dorp. New York." is off his second album, Wonder Where We Land, out this week. SBTRKT has been working with a really diverse group of collaborators this time around including A$AP Ferg, Jessie Ware, Caroline Polachek and, here, you'll recognize the voice of Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend. The noir, animated clip was created by the acclaimed Dutch director/artist Fons Schiedon. BTW: In case you were wondering, New Dorp is a neighborhood on New York City's Staten Island.

Cara Delevingne and Nicki Minaj Are The Best Besties Yet

September 24, 2014, 11:46 am

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Cara Delevingne is a notorious serial-bestie. When she's not hanging out with Rihanna, she's hanging out with Rita Ora. And when she's not with the British songstress and former Paper cover girl she hangs with a bevy of American pop-stars. Her hoard of BFFs include Taylor Swift, Azealia Banks, Jordan Dunn, Miley Cyrus, and Selena Gomez. Here's to hoping that one day they all get together and form the world's most feared and powerful girl gang of our dreams.

Now, according to the Daily Mail, Nicki Minaj is the supermodel's newest BFF and there's not enough prayer-hand emojis in the world to express how we feel about this. An anonymous source (probably Drake, out of jealousy and severe FOMO), said that "Cara has developed a new and deep friendship with Nicki."

Reportedly, the two met backstage at Beyoncé and Jay Z's On The Run tour in Paris and the rest -- as they say -- is history, gossiping about Drake during late night phone calls, and synced cycles. 

The 8 Most Annoying Things About Hot NYC Restaurants

September 24, 2014, 12:00 pm

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Eating should be nourishing and enjoyable, not the culinary answer to a dental drill, but sometimes the experience doesn't turn out to be quite as delicious as one had hoped. Here's an octet of bad s**t that hits the pan, especially in NYC's busier hotspots.

1. "When your entire party is here, we can seat you." WHAT? You mean I have to suffer because I agreed to tag along with some out-of-town friends who've swept in, and I must pay the price for the fact that most of them have no idea what a New York schedule is, and besides, they've invited some people I don't even know, and I have to be responsible for their chronic lack of punctuality too? I am here, people. SEAT ME NOW!

2. "We're trying to get your table ready. You can sit at the bar and order some highly priced drinks while you wait it out." WHAT? I waited till my whole freakin' party got here, including some freaks I never even met before, and now I still have to wait for my table? Please! Surely you're not realizing that I can take my business to another fine establishment where I won't have to wait a second! Is there a Wendy's nearby?

3. "The specials are a linguini with orange ragout and razor clams; bronzini with scalloped potatoes and mung nuts; and a mahi mahi with roasted tomatoes, kale, and kumquat juice." Oh, that's nice. You have delightfully told me every single thing about these wonderful dishes du jour, except for.....HOW MUCH?????

4. "We're sorry you didn't order an appetizer, sir, but everyone else at your table did, so you'll have to wait at least 40 minutes till they're done with theirs before you get your first drop of food." [They don't actually say this, but it's in the air. And it's really sadistic.]

5. [Sounds of screaming, drunken, bellowing, chirping, guffawing bachelorettes at the next table. If they're all as funny as they seem to think they are, this is the real breeding ground for new comic talent, not Second City or UCB. Talent agents need to start coming with me to restaurants so they can scope out this hilarious treasure trove of talent at the next table.]

6. "What do you recommend for dessert?" I'll gamely ask a waitserver. And instead of just replying "the sorbet," they'll say, "Well, the sorbet has an earthy leanness that's full of depth, while the gelato strives for profundity though it's admittedly poignant in its transitional aspirations." I listened to some similar horseshit at a trendy boîte recently, and felt like I was at a pulp novel convention, but at least the place had an "A" rating, so the kitchen was clean.

7. "OK, can I take that?" [while you're still slurping on it]. "You don't want anything else, do you?" [Uh...Uh...Maybe. Give me a second to think...] "OK, we need your table, so get the hell out." [Again, this isn't exactly verbatim, but I swear at some restaurants, they can have you in and out in under five minutes. Even if they can make more money off of you, they still want to whoosh you to the exit, just so they can see if they can. Sick!]

8. "OK, Michael had the clams and the soda and we had the caviar bruschetta, the hangar steak pavilion, and the eight bottles of wine, so let's divide it evenly. That's $180 a person." WHAT?????

Listen to Saint Pepsi's Excellent Remix of Drake's "Worst Behavior"

September 24, 2014, 12:45 pm

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In celebration of the one-year anniversary of Drake's Nothing Was The Same, producer and (occasional) singer Saint Pepsi has released his own edit of 'Worst Behavior.' While Pepsi's recent songs lean in a pop direction, this remix is a return to his roots as a vaporwave producer with elevator music-esque riffs and lighthearted background singers. It's not the first time Saint Pepsi tipped his hat to Drizzy -- one of the producer's favorite shows is Degrassi and his track 'Fiona Coyne,' both samples and is named after a character from the Canadian teen soap that gave Drake his start.

While the song premiered as a single on Complex earlier today, it's originally part of a mix Saint Pepsi made for LFTF a few months ago which can be listened to, below. "Worst Behavior" starts at the 1:42 mark.

The 15 Grungiest Grunge Artists: A Power Ranking

September 24, 2014, 2:30 pm

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It's been more than 20 years since grunge's heyday, but since we've got Courtney Love on our cover this month, PAPERMAG is releasing our (very relevant) Grunge Power Rankings.

The rules are simple: Only one grungester per band can make the list. Now put on some thermals under your shorts, because it's time to mosh:

15) Neil Young

Grungiest Fact: He's known as the "Godfather of Grunge," but Neil's grunginess ranking has slipped since he's become Daryl Hannah's BF.  
Grungiest Track: "Rockin' in the Free World" with Pearl Jam
 

14) Kim Deal


Grungiest Fact: Inspired nearly every grunge band as the bassist and co-vocalist in the Pixies, then released the transcendent Pod LP with the Breeders in 1990.
Grungiest Track: "Cannonball" -- the Breeders



13) Donita Sparks


Grungiest Fact: While being pelted with mud by an unruly crowd at the 1992 Reading Festival, Sparks removed a bloody tampon, threw it at the audience, and said, "Eat my used tampon, fuckers!" It's the grungiest moment of all-time.
Grungiest Track: "Wargasm" -- L7
 


12) Kat Bjelland

Grungiest Fact: In the mid-'80s, Bjelland was a member of Sugar Babydoll, a proto-grunge band featuring Courtney Love and L7's Jennifer Finch. They never recorded any music, though Bjelland and Love did have a brief stint in another band called "The Pagan Babies." They released a demo featuring eventual Hole single "Best Sunday Dress." In the '90s, Bjelland helped popularize the "kinderwhore" fashion trend.
Grungiest Track: "Handsome and Gretel" -- Babes in Toyland




11) Dave Grohl


Grungiest Fact: Grohl plays drums on Mike Watt's "Against the '70s," one of the grungiest, anti-nostalgia songs ever. In addition to Watt and Grohl, that song features Eddie Vedder on vocals and Pat Smear on guitar.
Grungiest Track: "Weenie Beenie" -- Foo Fighters




10) Buzz Osborne

Grungiest Fact: In the early '80s, Kurt Cobain was his roadie.
Grungiest Track: "Night Goat" -- Melvins




9) Tad Doyle


Grungiest Fact: Doyle's early Sub Pop Records band, TAD, had the two grungiest album titles: God's Balls and 8-Way Santa.
Grungiest Track: "Woodgoblins"  -- TAD




8) Mark Lanegan
 

Grungiest Fact: In 1989, Screaming Trees frontman Lanegan sang in The Jury, a Leadbelly cover band featuring Krist Novoselic and Kurt Cobain.
Grungiest Track: "Nearly Lost You" -- Screaming Trees



7) Courtney Love


Grungiest Fact: In the '80s, Love squatted in the basement of the NYC punk venue ABC No Rio. Our current cover star told Paper: "I was sleeping on dirt. Once a month, I'd have to get up on stage while [drag queen performance artist] Lady Bunny would throw fish at me. I was covered with hamburger meat and was being beaten with fish -- fresh mackerel and flounder."
Grungiest Track: "Plump" -- Hole



6) Layne Staley

Grungiest Fact: In addition to fronting Alice In Chains, the late Staley also sang for Mad Season, a grunge supergroup featuring Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and Barrett Martin of the Screaming Trees.
Grungiest Track: "Man in the Box" -- Alice In Chains



5) Eddie Vedder

Grungiest Fact: Vedder plays the drummer of the fictional grunge band Citizen Dick in Cameron Crowe's 1992 grunge rom-com, Singles.
Grungiest Track: "Even Flow" -- Pearl Jam



4) Chris Cornell
 

Grungiest Fact: Cornell was the main songwriter and singer in Temple of the Dog, a band that paid tribute to Mother Love Bone frontman Andrew Wood. Wood and Cornell were roommates. And, without question, Temple of the Dog holds the title of Grungiest Band.
Grungiest Track: "Outshined" -- Soundgarden



3) Kim Gordon and Kathleen Hanna (tie)
 
Grungiest Fact: Gordon steals the documentary 1991: The Year Punk Broke, which follows Sonic Youth's tour with Nirvana, Babes in Toyland and Mudhoney. Bikini Kill, Hanna's punk band, launched the riot grrrl movement and infused the grunge scene with a revolutionary spirit. Hanna makes a cameo in the 1994 Sonic Youth video "Bull in the Heather."
Grungiest Track: "Kool Thing" -- Sonic Youth



"Rebel Girl" -Bikini Kill



2) Mark Arm

Grungiest Fact: Arm is currently Sub Pop Records' warehouse manager. He still rocks harder than anyone on this list.
Grungiest Track: "Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More" -Mudhoney



1) Kurt Cobain

Grungiest Fact: Kept pet turtles.
Grungiest Track: "Blew" -Nirvana

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Drake Out-Draked Himself By Getting This Totally Drake Emoji Tattoo

September 25, 2014, 8:00 am

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Yep, that's right. Drake out-Draked himself and got a prayer-hands emoji tattoo. [via Daily Dot]
 
Justin Bieber totally works for Satan.
 

Puppies! Fall leaves! Pumpkin Spice Lattes! [via Jezebel]

Same.
 


Andy Samberg and Jimmy Fallon try to summarize movies in 5-seconds and it's completely hilarious. "Black guy! White guy! Aliens!" Umm, what?  

Rap's Recluse Jay Electronica Gives "Kingdom" a Remix

September 25, 2014, 9:22 am

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Jay Electronica is rap's rarest MC and any crumb of a song that he releases makes us feel #blessed. So when he hopped on Common featuring Vince Staple's already excellent track, "Kingdom," we couldn't have been more excited.

Although Jay Electronica has dissed Drake before, his verse starts off by referencing Drake's "Started from the Bottom." But the reclusive rapper quickly moves from posturing to a purely incredible display of lyricism -- he also throws in another Drake/Degrassi diss for good measure.

Listen to Kingdom (Remix) featuring Common, Vince Staples, and Jay Electronica, above.

A New Book Looks at the Art World's Star Wars Obsession

September 25, 2014, 9:45 am

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Tom Sachs, Vader, Mixed Mediums (2009)

Star Wars fanatics -- and art geeks, too -- will get a kick out of a new online-only "book" called Star Warps. The image collection already includes over 400 works by 200 artists including Bill McMullen, The Sucklord, JK5, Kostas Seremetis and many more who use the classic films and characters as a starting point for their own wild re-imaginations and culture jams. New York-based DJ, writer and the recent curator of Rizzoli's book Stickers: From Punk Rock to Contemporary Art, DB Burkeman, put the project together over the last couple of years with some help from Philip Kuperberg, who designed and "constructed" the book. DB credits his first Star Wars memories to his mom's friendship with Irvin Kershner, director of The Empire Strikes Back, who would recount the day's events from the film's soundstage in London in the late '70s: "I remember his describing the Millennium Falcon falling apart, and how they had to spend the day busting up vacuum cleaners and hairdryers to glue bits onto the ship." Go HERE and check out "Star Warps" and look below for a little taste.

Ben Turnbull, The Empire Likes Black, 52" x 14" x 7". Wood, acrylic, vinyl, mixed media (2008)

BÄST, Title Unknown, Street Art (2009) (Photo by Sabeth718)

Cédric Delsaux, AT-AT in fog, Dubai. Digital (2009)

INVADER, PA_1051 Paris, Ceramic Tile (2013)

Strippers, Thugs, and the "Most Interesting Man" Star In Wannabe Jalva's New, NSFW Video

September 25, 2014, 10:15 am

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Here's a little NSFW video for you to watch at...well, go ahead and watch it at work for all we care. The clip, "Miracle," comes from Brazilian band Wannabe Jalva who will be up in NYC during CMJ playing five gigs (so far) at every venue we've ever heard of, so I guess they're serious -- and committed. This is one of those "short film" type clips with a big intro and ending, directed by Antonio Torriani. There's a stripper, a dude that looks like The Most Interesting Man in the World from the Dos Equis ads and a creepy gang of petty thugs. The song is nice, but I wish the thugs had gotten what they deserve at the end. Stay thirsty!

Hilary Duff's "All About You" Is Infuriatingly Catchy

September 25, 2014, 10:16 am

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We're so over "guilty pleasures." That's why we're going to enjoy something -- like Hilary Duff's Taylor Swift tribute, "All About You" -- and be only slightly ashamed. The country-pop track, complete with handclaps and banjos, isn't bad. And if we're judging by how easily as song can get stuck in your head, "All About You" is actually really good.

The video, which isn't that good, starts at dance practice and ends in the bizarre, smoky hoedown that Hilary Duff and her friends have been rehearsing for all day. But that aside, Lizzie Mcguire's comeback is alright by us.

Watch the video for "All About You," above.

10 Things That Make Dolly Parton Happy

September 25, 2014, 10:30 am

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Photo copyright Slick Lawson. Courtesy of Sony Music

Country music legend Dolly Parton has plenty to be happy about these days. Her performance at the Glastonbury Festival this past summer knocked the kids' socks off, and her 42nd album, Blue Smoke, is the highest-charting record of her career. In our new column, "Happy Endings," the buxom blonde legend lists 10 things that always put a smile on her pretty, well-painted face.

1. God
Throughout my lifetime God has been my ultimate source of happiness and I consider my time spent with him the highlight of my day.

2. Music
Music has always been something from deep inside of me that I had to get out and share with the world. Writing, playing and singing have been the largest source of happiness in my life.

3. My husband
Carl has been making me laugh since the day I met him in 1964. There is not a funnier person on the planet and just the thought of him makes me happy.

4. Family
Everyone knows I come from a huge family and in my family there is always someone entertaining. Being with any one of them makes me happy.

5. Dreaming
Dreaming makes me happy. I wake up with new dreams every day and I am energized by the new creativity they instill in me.

6. Children
Since I never had kids of my own, I have always felt that all children were mine. There is no other happiness like the happiness children bring you, whether they are yours or not.

7. Reading
Reading is an all-encompassing happiness because it can take you anywhere. I read daily. It brings me joy and peace.

8. Working
I am a workhorse, just like my daddy. I take great pride in working hard. I get a tremendous amount of personal satisfaction and happiness from a job well done.

9. Food
I have had a love affair with food my entire life. Southern cooking makes me really happy.

10. Fans
Everything I am, everything I have and everything I will do is somehow influenced by my fans. I will forever be grateful to every person who has supported me. Feeling that love from them fills me and makes me truly happy.

11 New Art Shows To Hit Up This Week

September 25, 2014, 11:01 am

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This week's main event is the opening of Printed Matter's ninth annual NY Art Book Fair on Thursday, September 25, from 6 to 9 p.m. over at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City.  In addition to the over 350 vendors from 28 countries, there will be a DJ set from JD Sampson and a live set by Thurston Moore on the building's back "steps."  Yes, the opening will be mobbed, but you can always check it out over the weekend, too.  The fair is open on Friday from noon to 7 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 to 7.  Moore will also be signing copies of his new book of lyrics, The Best Day, at 7 p.m. on opening night in the Printed Matter booth in the lobby of PS1. It's all free and open to the public.

The DUMBO Arts Festival is also happening this weekend, September 26, 27 and 28.  The numbers attest to the popularity of this annual celebration: over 200,000 visitors, 400 artists, 100 studios, 50 galleries. plus stages and pop-ups presenting music, dancers, poets and performers.  It's FREE and open to everybody, so go here to check out the big list of what's happening.

From the Affordable Art Fair: Onishi Projects. Suzy Kellems Dominik. BADASSERY, 2014. Digital c-print with plexiglass. 16x16 in. $5,000 for four

Also running all weekend is the 2014 edition of the Affordable Art Fair at The Tunnel (269 11th Avenue) with over 50 local and international galleries participating.  By "affordable," the organizers promise that more than half of the works on offer will be priced under $5,000 and some for as little as $100.  It's open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. through September 29th, but on Monday they'll close up shop at 6 p.m.  Advance tickets for $15 are available here and it's FREE on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. --  sponsored by Keurig.

And it's your last chance to check out the 7th Annual Governors Island Art Fair. () Over 100 rooms in the old military barracks on Colonel's Row are packed with paintings, sculpture, photos, video and installations and admission is FREE, but the ferry from either the Battery Maritime Building or from Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park is $2.  Check it out on Saturday or Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This is also the last weekend to visit Photoville  on Pier 5 in Brooklyn Bridge Park.  The massive photography exhibition is held in-and-around 50 shipping containers, plus there are talks, panels, workshops and a bunch of cool food vendors and a beer garden put together by the folks at Smorgasburg.  On Thursday and Friday, it's open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday starting at noon.  The Manhattan skyline views are great after dark.


Storefront Gallery (222 West 23rd Street) in the Chelsea Hotel has a show celebrating the 40th anniversary of the band Blondie that's on view from 1 to 8 p.m. daily from September 23rd to 29th.  Jeffrey Deitch curated the exhibition of photos and memorabilia.  Look for works by Chris Stein, David Godlis, Bobby Grossman, Mick Rock, Robert Mapplethorpe, Roberta Bayley and more. We spotted Sting at last night's opening.

On Thursday, September 25, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. there's an exhibition called "How Things Don't Work: The Dreamspace of Victor Papanek" opening in the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center, Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Gallery (66 Fifth Avenue @ 13th Street). The exhibition juxtaposes the work of the late, "controversial" artist Papanek with the work of emerging designers from Vienna, London and New York. It's hosted by Parsons The New School for Design and the University of Applied Arts Vienna and will be up until December 15.

Grace Exhibition Space (840 Broadway, Brooklyn) presents a performance of "Life Is Beautiful" by the Philippines-based artist Mideo Cruz on Friday, September 26, 9 p.m.  Not exactly sure what to expect here, but the artist - also "controversial" - has been known to show "strong allegorical images that challenge the social order" and will discuss "the diarrhea of information that demands us to believe that we live in a beautiful world."

If you really miss MOSS, the iconic SoHo design gallery that closed in 2012, there's a new design shop called Chamber opening on September 24th under the High Line at 515 West 23rd Street in NYC, in a building designed by Neil Denari.  It's the brainchild of Argentinean-born Juan Garcia Mosqueda, with some help for it's inaugural collection from the Belgian/Dutch designers Studio Job  who "curated" 100 objects for the new space.  There's even a special scent that's been created just for the opening by Julian Bedel.

The big (private) launch party for Rizzoli's "homage" to PAPER OG Jeffrey Deitch and the 15 years of his incredible Deitch Projects on Grand Street in SoHo is this Friday, September 26th, with a "dinner and performance program."  The book was designed by Stefan Sagmeister and it comes with a 3-D dinner plate attached to the cover.  Order a copy here.

47 Canal (291 Grand Street, 2nd floor) has an all-day opening of a show called "New Feelings" by the New York-based artist Antoine Catala on September 28, from noon to 6 p.m.  It's up until November 2.  Note that  by the 28th, the gallery will have moved permanently to it's new location at 291 Grand Street, but will still retain the "47 Canal" moniker.

Dan Colen, Ride of the Valkyries, 2013, oil on canvas, 89 1/2 x 119 inches (227.3 x 302.3 cm)

And, before we go, we'd like to recommend checking out Dan Colen's new "Miracle Paintings" at Gagosian Gallery (555 West 24th Street).  You will be pleasantly surprised by these works, even if you're not a Colen fan. They are on view until October 18.


Also check out Pierogi (177 North Ninth Street, Brooklyn) gallery's Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition before it closes on October 5 and stop by their satellite space, The Boiler (191 N. 14th Street, Brooklyn), on Friday, September 26th, 8 to 10 p.m. for the opening reception for "The GROSSMALERMAN Show,"  a sitcom collab by Guy Richards Smit and Josua White, creator of the Joshua Light Show. We spy Champagne Jerry, Ana Matronic and Dynasty Handbag!

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Emily Gould Shares Her Top 10 Fall Must-Reads

September 25, 2014, 12:00 pm

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Emily Gould, author of the buzzed-about novel Friendship, has been our unofficial bookshelf curator for a few years now. Since starting an e-book club, Emily Books, with her long-time bestie Ruth Curry, she has steadily championed the secret genius of overlooked female writers. Her monthly selections are hidden gems that are always on point. That's why we asked the author to select her top 10 new and forthcoming books to cozy up to for Fall. Read her picks, below.


1. Edgewise: A Portrait of Cookie Mueller by Chloe Griffin (b_books)

Cookie Mueller is one of my heroes and one of my favorite writers, but until I read this book all my knowledge of her life came from her own stories pretty much. She lived so much in her cut-short-by-AIDS life: photographic muse and star of stage and screen, author, drug dealer, party animal, mother. Edgewise is an oral history that also contains photos and collages that give a beautiful visual sense of Cookie's life and times. Her friends' stories about her sometimes beggar belief, painting a portrait not just of Cookie but of the '70s and '80s demimondes in Provincetown and downtown NYC. Unmissable.

2. The Wallcreeper by Nell Zink (Dorothy Project)

Nell Zink might be the best living writer you haven't heard of yet, but prepare to hear her name a lot this fall. Her novel, about a bird-loving American couple who move to Europe and become eco-terrorists, has attracted raves from Jonathan Franzen, who appreciates not only her subject matter but also her zany, one of a kind style. If you like unexpected perspectives on monogamy and love, you might like this book, too.

3. Florence Gordon by Brian Morton (HMH)

It's such a cliché to say a book makes you laugh and cry, but this one does, in the deftest way. The titular Florence is a renowned second-wave feminist writer and activist whose fans revere her and whose family barely tolerates her; the same irascible truth-telling that's made her a hero to millions also makes her impossible to live with. When her precocious granddaughter semi-penetrates her rigid world, it has unexpected effects that ripple through both their lives. Morton is that rarest of birds: a dude who's really, truly a feminist. His characters live and breathe, and I still miss hanging out with them.

4. Ugly Girls by Lindsay Hunter (FSG, forthcoming in November)

Ok, I haven't read this one yet but I'm very excited to because I loved Hunter's debut story collection, Don't Kiss Me. It involves teen girls with a tumultuous friendship, an all-night Denny's, and a catfishing villain.

5. The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters (Riverhead)

We are all so lucky to be living in the time of Sarah Waters. All her books are great, but with this one, she has mastered her craft. The story takes place, as many of Waters' stories do, in interwar London. A twenty-something upper-class woman and her mother whose male relatives are all dead are forced to take in a young married couple as lodgers. Our heroine's dogged attempts to not be a lesbian are soon challenged by her new tenant, and insanely hot sex and crime ensues. The plot's amazing, every sentence is a gem, and the characters struggle with morality in ways I'm still thinking about.

6. The Unspeakable by Meghan Daum (FSG, forthcoming in November)

I'm about to start it and I cannot wait. Daum's essay collection My Misspent Youth is one of my favorite books of all time; it captured Daum as she was closing the New York City chapter of her life and moving on to something less debt-ridden and more like adulthood. This follow-up catches Daum at another interesting moment: she writes about celebrity, the death of her mother, and other "unspeakable" topics.

7. Small Mercies by Eddie Joyce (Viking, forthcoming in March)

The Staten Island family whose voices tell this story in turns are so real I feel like I've been to their house and eaten their baked ziti. Yes, it's a 9/11 novel, but maybe it's exactly the right kind of 9/11 novel: earnest, unabashedly sentimental, real and not manipulatively tear-jerking. SI native Joyce knows what he's talking about, and how to talk about it.

8. The Second Sex by Michael Robbins (Penguin Poets)

Robbins is a perfect poet for right now: mean, shrewd, brusque and rude. Totally necessary.


9. New York 1, Tel Aviv 0 by Shelly Oria (FSG, forthcoming in November)

The cacophony of voices in this excellent collection tell all kinds of different stories, but themes of gender and dislocation recur in artful ways. I felt like I hadn't heard these perspectives before, and I read a lot of weird stuff. Shelly's voice is different and funny and strange. Also hilarious.

10. After Birth by Elisa Albert (HMH, forthcoming in February)

Ok, this is the book about which I tweeted: "this book takes your essay about likable female characters, writes FUCK YOU on it in menstrual blood, then sets it on fire" and I stand by that. Anyone thinking of having a baby probably shouldn't read this story of a woman who's exiled herself upstate to raise her infant with a barely-present spouse and who falls in toxic friend-love with a charismatic fellow new mother. Anyone who's just had a baby absolutely needs to read this.

Kate Mara and Ellen Page Are The Tiny Stars of This True Detective Spoof

September 25, 2014, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: Our Favorite Fall Fashion Looks

≪ Previous: Emily Gould Shares Her Top 10 Fall Must-Reads

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Super average white guys Vince Vaughn and Colin Farrell have filled out two of the four leads for the second season of True Detective. If you do the math, that leaves only two spots for people that we actually care about. While Rachel McAdams and Mad Men's Elizabeth Moss have been rumored to be possible contenders, we're pulling for Kate Mara and Ellen Page -- although that might be a stretch for these Tiny Detectives.

For now, watch the hilariously ladder-phobic duo as the least helpful crime-solvers in Tiny Detectives, above.


[h/t Jezebel]

Our Favorite Fall Fashion Looks

September 25, 2014, 2:00 pm

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Anastasia wears Sonia Rykiel dress, Cartier earrings. Magdalena wears Chloé blouse and coat and Altuzarra skirt. Jemma wears Lanvin dress and gloves, Dolce & Gabbana clutch, Cartier ring. Maria wears Burberry Prorsum coat.

Maria wears Rodarte

Magdalena wears Proenza Schouler

Anastasia wears Louis Vuitton

Jemma wears Chanel jacket and pants, Loewe handbag and Delfina Delettrez earring

Jemma wears 3.1 Phillip Lim jacket top and shorts and Alexander Wang boots. Maria wears Derek Lam tunic, skirt and boots, Delfina Delettrez necklace and Cartier ring. Anastasia wears Dries Van Noten sweater top, skirt and shoes and Italia Independent sunglasses. Magdalena wears Valentino.

Jemma wears Missoni hat and dress and Eddie Borgo bracelet. Anastasia wears Dolce and Gabbana dress and David Yurman ring.

Anastasia wears Versace. Maria wears Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane dress and tights amd David Yurman bracelets.

Maria wears Kenzo shirt and pants, Manolo Blahnik shoes and Italia Independent sunglasses. Anastasia wears Max Mara blazer, sweater, skirt and handbag, Christian Louboutin boots and David Yurman necklace. Jemma wears Tom Ford.

Magdalena wears Gucci

Hair by Hiro + Mari, Bryan Bantry Agency / Makeup by Samantha Lau for MAC Cosmetics

Casting by Megan McCluskie

Modeled by Maria Flavia, Jemma Baines, Magdalena Langrova and Anastasia Kolganova at Next Models

Interns: Haley Sherif, Cassidy George, Gillian Miles

Location: Acme Studios

The 10 Films to See at the 52nd New York Film Festival

September 25, 2014, 2:50 pm

≫ Next: Chris Pratt and Jimmy Fallon Play a Delightful Round of Word Sneak

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One of fall's great pleasures -- the exceptional New York film festival at Lincoln Center (September 26-October 12) -- continues with a wildly diverse mix of commercial and foreign fare. This year is one of their strongest yet and while I've seen many of these, there are still a few I cannot wait for.




Gone Girl
The book by Gillian Flynn was a huge success but the allure of this film about a woman's mysterious disappearance, is that the director of the film version is David Fincher and the star is Ben Affleck. It's bound to be stylish and riveting.


Goodbye to Language
A 3D movie by Jean-Luc Godard? I am so there! Goodbye to Language proves that, even in his 80s, Godard is still as radical and visionary as ever.


Foxcatcher
A mesmerizing, bizarre, true-crime tale expertly directed by Bennett Miller (Capote) about an Olympic-gold-medal wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) who is sponsored by the wealthy eccentric millionaire, John du Pont (played by an almost unrecognizable and  brilliant Steve Carell).
 

Misunderstood
Director Asia Argento's personal and poignant portrait of the chaotic childhood of 9-year-old Aria (Giulia Salerno) shuttling back and forth (along with her street cat named "Dac" in a cage) between the homes of her separated self-obsessed parents.


Maps to the Stars
David Cronenberg's  blistering dark comedy about the grubby desperate side of Hollywood with a harrowing performance by Julianne Moore as a needy, difficult movie star.


Pasolini
Abel Ferrara's latest is a savagely beautiful portrait of the last days of the great master of Italian cinema, Pier Paolo Pasolini (uncannily played by Willem Dafoe).


Whiplash
 I've only been hearing great things about Damien Chazelle's film about a jazz drummer at a music academy (Miles Teller) and his demanding teacher (J. K. Simmons)


Two Days, One Night
A heart wrenching new film by French masters Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne starring the luminous Marion Cotillard as a mother who has to spend the weekend hunting down people she works with to convince them to vote for her to keep her job.

Inherent Vice
A new film by one of my favorites,Paul Thomas Anderson, based on a Thomas Pynchon novel about a druggy investigator (Joaquin Phoenix) in '70s California.


Mr. Turner 
Timothy Spall is glorious in Mike Leigh's stunning looking portrait of the artist J. M. W Turner, the British romantic painter and a cranky, grunting, fascinating eccentric.

Chris Pratt and Jimmy Fallon Play a Delightful Round of Word Sneak

September 26, 2014, 7:00 am

≫ Next: Nu Shooz's "I Can't Wait" Is Still Such a Jam

≪ Previous: The 10 Films to See at the 52nd New York Film Festival

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Chris Pratt and Jimmy Fallon played "word sneak" on the Tonight Show last night and it was totally charming, duh. Our only question: What if you DO want to be Norm from Cheers?



Eric Stonestreet went on Ellen and, well, you'll see.

What does it mean that we stared at this for like 20 minutes? [Mlkshk]



Conan O'Brien and his producer and arch-nemesis, Jordan Schlanksy, went to couples therapy and things got real weird.

Sallie Mae is watching you while you sleep, kids. [Mlkshk]

GPOY. [TheState]

This video of a little boy debating the weather with two twin sisters is better than any movie you will see at the New York Film Festival. "You poked my heart." [TastefullyOffensive]
 

Benedict Cumberbatch can't say "penguin." Pray for him. [TastefullyOffensive]