We already got a glimpse into season 4 of GIRLS and now HBO has released the official trailer. As per the first look, Hannah is off to Iowa, with Elijah in tow and a really homely haircut, and it looks like we'll finally get to see some of her writing. Marnie is caught up in a singer-songwriter love affair and Shosh is trying to get a job post-college (good luck). As for Jessa, well, it looks like she gets arrested at some point.
Will Hannah and Adam officially break up? Will anyone actually get their shit together? Adam sums up the season, and perhaps the entire series, best: "To Hannah. Taking the next step in a series of random steps."
Season 4 of GIRLS premieres January 11 but for now, watch the trailer, above.
PHONY PPL, the Brooklyn-based experimental funk, hip-hop and R&B band, have been making some waves in the indie-sphere since their debut album 53,000. After opening for acts like Theophilus London, Erykah Badu and The Roots -- and even getting attention from NPR -- the group is poised for a big break.
In anticipation of their upcoming album, Yesterday's Tomorrow, which is being released on January 13th, we're premiering their new music video for the song "End of the Night." The clip takes place at the kind of backyard bash that we all hope to get invited to -- but with a psychedelic twist. As the scene shifts between day and night -- and the party-goers drink some smokey jungle juice made by a masked man -- the video get slowed-down and kaleidoscopic; creating the perfect visuals for the funky, fuzzed-out hip-hop that PHONY PPL produces.
Apparently, Drake was in temper-tantrum mode when he originally recorded "Never Satisfied," a track from Future's sophomore album, Honest. The emotional rapper didn't like his verse and -- since Drake gets what Drake wants -- the song was cut short, leaving it at only 2 minutes.
"We went on tour at the beginning of the year and I was about to turn my
album in and [Drake] was like, 'Man I wanna save my verse, I don't like my
verse.' I was just like man, I couldn't do nothing about it," Future said in an interview around the time the album came out. But now, producer Mike WiLL Made-It has released the full version of the track (shouts out to 4:20), whether Drake likes it or not. Listen to the extended cut of "Never Satisfied," above.
If Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig is the sweater-wearing man of your dreams, hold on to your woolen hats! Diplo's forthcoming cartoon on FXX, based on his rasta-superhero alter ego Major Lazer, features Koenig voice acting as a vegan vampire we can already tell is better than Edward. Come for Ezra's vampire angst and stay for the Oscar-winning dialogue like "Yeah, you can come wherever you want."
The Norwegian electro-pop duo Röyksopp are set to release their new album next week, but for those of us who have a hard time with patience, The Inevitable End is available to stream today through iTunes radio.
As it turns out, the album's ominous title could actually signal the close of Röyksopp's album-making career. In a press release, Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland explained that "with this album it became clear we wanted to make an album in a classical sense even if it's the last one we make... We feel like this is a goodbye to the traditional album format."
No matter the format -- whether LP or full album -- as long as Berge and Brundtland keep teaming up with powerhouse vocalist Robyn to make dreamy dance tunes, we're happy.
Stream the album here and check out the DIY tour music video for The Inevitable End single, "Monument," below.
Best Pizza Commercial of the Week: Tim & Eric's Totino's pizza spot, which is weird and amazing. While it's one of the only commercials we'd willingly watch, let's get real, people -- *gently whispers* you don't have to advertise pizza. As the greatest food of all time, it basically sells itself. -- Gabby Bess
We'll also take 5,000 of these so that we can eat all of our dainty, feminine pizzas on the go, thanks. -- Gabby Bess
Free-ist Nipples of the Week: Keira Knightley's. In a recent piece for Interview magazine, The Imitation Game actress protested photo-retouching by going topless, sans photoshop. The results are stunning and bad-ass. -- Adelle Brodbeck
Best Nicolas Cage-Themed Car Accessory:This one. It's amazing that no one has thought of this before, but we're so happy that the perfect car accessory is now in existence. -- AB [Uproxx]
Cutest Kanye Moment Of The Week:This Vine of Kanye living it up with Theophilus London. This was a hard decision because every Kanye moment is pretty adorable, but, ultimately, a winner has to be chosen. Trust us, this clip will bring a smile to your face every time. Plus, it has the added bonus of an equally endearing and confused Kim Kardashian next to her man. -- Kyla Bills
Most "Marnie" Performance of the Week: Zosia Mamet's. Who knew that Shosh was actually a Marnie? The Girls star tried to be a rapper once, way back in the pre-Girls era of 2010. It's an enthralling performance, in the same way a car crash is enthralling. The video is like one giant, slow motion fall. -- KB
Most "PARKLIFE!" Celebrity: Russell Brand. Someone realized that his inane chatter -- however much you agree or disagree with it -- is way too similar to the jammering in Blur's music video for Parklife. And, of course, a mash-up ensued. -- KB
Most Adorable Late Night Performance Of The Week: Bleachers took the stage at Conan, but let's be honest mini-Bleachers definitely stole the show/our hearts/the title of cutest late night performance in recent history. -- KB
Saddest Micro-Penis Story of the Week: New York magazine's interview with a self-loathing dude who never gets laid (because of his micro-penis, but perhaps it's also due to his personality?). Cue the world's saddest micro-violin. -- GB
Sorry Miss Trainor, but L'Trimm was all about the bass back in 1988. The Miami duo of Lady Tigra and Bunny D hit it big time with their ode to the boom car, 50-inch woofers and turnt down treble. Though the song's title is actually "Cars with the Boom," it will always be remembered as "Cars That Go Boom." And supposedly they named the group after a brand of 70s "slenderizing" jeans called Trim-Jeans, but added the "L' to make it sound French.
Our last issue's Happy Ender was riding a yearlong wave of success with his gonzo hit "Happy." This time, we're going with the guy who sings, "Make no mistake, my friend / Your pointless life will end." 30 years into a career that has spawned hundreds of indelible love songs -- most recently on this year's World Peace is None of Your Business -- and some of the most devoted fans in pop, Morrissey is proving that even serious health scares cannot dilute his caustic, life-affirming wit. Here are 10 things that make the boy with the thorn in his side happy.
1. Hospital staff saying "You're free to go."
2. Friendships without financial gain.
3. The mental exercise of laughter.
4. Television reporters who do NOT bounce their hands around in order to emphasize their words.
5. People who offer more honesty than most are willing to give.
6. Those who listen instead of merely waiting for a gap to butt in.
7. Showing kindness to animals -- it saves the world.
8. Succeeding after your record label has deliberately dumped you in a ditch.
9. When the day ahead is yours to waste as you wish.
Kanye West's logic is often brilliantly illogical and to attempt to figure out what the rapper is thinking -- or even to decipher what he's said aloud -- is a futile pursuit. It's like you almost have to be trapped in a van with 'Ye for two hours to even begin to understand what goes on behind that Maison Martin Margiela diamond mask. Well, as it turns out, Seth Rogen has already subjected himself to this unconventional form of enlightenment seeking and he came out alive to tell the tale to Rolling Stone:
"Me and my wife had gotten some dessert and were in the
lobby getting plates to bring back to our room ... And Kanye was like,
'What are you guys doing? Want to hear my new album?' So he takes us to
this limo van and starts playing his album -- except there's no lyrics
only beats. So he raps the whole album and after each song, he stops it,
like 'So what do you think?' We were in the van for 2 hours!'
"Now I realize the next person he sees that he knows is getting
pulled into that van," Rogen says, laughing, "But I learned a lesson
from it -- which is that Kanye is seeking input at all times. Processwise,
it showed an openness and a fearlessness. We started screening our
movies more and in rougher versions for our friends because of that."
So there you have it. Once again, life guru Kanye West has made the world a better place by simply being himself -- open, fearless, and unconcerned about inconveniencing his friends.
Jeanette Hayes is known for bringing together the oddest of couples through her paintings. She's done brilliant mash-ups of Picasso and Sailor Moon, the old masters and cell phone screens, and now -- thanks to Sprout by HP -- Jeff Koons shares space with a motocross derby. Below, we talked to the artist about how she creates her unlikely pairings.
It looks like there's a lot of different textures and materials that make up your collage. What exactly went into it?
Bikers images, a review from Artnews of the first show at the New Museum, a mood ring color key, a gun, a rodeo pic, a Koons [balloon dog] at Versailles, a "cool girl" sticker set, a LINE doll [making a kissing face], a bike winner image, painted brushstrokes, a little lens flare, and a little love.
Does this piece have a name?
"Winner Winner Chicken Dinner"
It looks like the piece clearly has a beginning and an end. It starts with a motorcycle race and ends in a victory pose. What's the deal with the motorcycles?
I just like them. I like strong, usually male associated imagery, i.e. motorcycles, guns, trucks, rodeos, basketball stills, etc. I love boy art.
It looks like you hid a Jeff Koons balloon in your college. How does referencing other artists factor into your practice?
It's hard for me not to talk about [other] art when I make work because I spend so much of my life looking at it. Right now I just like making work about things I like. Contemporary (and historical too, to be honest) art is a huge part of that.
Your work usually takes something digital or contemporary and translates it into a painting, like your cell phone screen series. For this project you sort of did the opposite. What was your experience of using Sprout to paint?
I was seeing the brushstrokes more like line drawing marks -- just with thicker and thinner lines. I think of it as it's own thing, completely separate from traditional painting. I like making these "drawings" that are "paintings," but are also "collages" and overall they're just "art."
In 2014, what role does technology play in art?
Technology plays a big part in life in general, so I think it's hard for art to avoid technology -- and why would it?
To close out the most ass-tastic year yet, Rae Sremmurd -- who brought us "No Flex Zone" and subsequently the cutest wedding moment of 2014 -- just released a new track, "Throw Sum Mo." The Nicki Minaj and Young Thug featuring single is off their debut album SremmLife that's set to drop next month. Minaj, who previously collaborated with the trap duo on a "No Flex Zone" remix, has dubbed Rae Sremmurd "the TRUTH," so as per the queen's recommendation, check out the catchy track, above.
As explained in harrowing detail over at The Cut, Queen Bey and Jay Z met Prince William and Kate Middleton while attending an otherwise boring sports event. Basically, all you need to know about the NBA's most historic moment was beautifully captured in slow motion, above, and in this prophecy-fulfilling picture:
It never seems to end, does it? Exhausting as it may be, there's never going to be a shortage of new bands and rappers and singers flooding our general consciousness. It's tempting to retreat to a corner of your apartment with an armful of Steely Dan LPs, but there's so much cool stuff happening right now that it would be criminal not to press your ear to the ground every so often. So with the new year right around the corner, allow us to present 10 acts -- from leftfield hip-hop to brooding post-punk to, yes, even more '90s revivalism -- who could have some seriously big 2015s.
Vic Mensa This past summer, Chicago native and XXL 2014 Freshman Vic Mensa dropped "Down on My Luck," an absolute pop-house banger that seemed tailor-made to fit between hits like Kiesza's "Hideaway" and Disclosure's unkillable "Latch." Funny thing is, Vic Mensa isn't a pop star, but a rapper. While more straightforward rap cuts like the "Wimme Nah" weren't quite on the level of "Down on My Luck," they're proof that Mensa has versatility and ambition to spare.
JoyceManor The Torrance, California pop-punk outfit Joyce Manor has been around for a minute, but with this year's breakout LP, Never Hungover Again, they finally came into their own. Though its short, hooky shout-alongs barely amount to 20 minutes' worth of music, Never Hungover Again is one of the finest documents about being young, dumb and in and out of love that we've seen in a long time. In 2015, hope for at least another 20-minute blast of new music, and make sure to catch one of their much talked-about live shows.
DejLoaf iLoveMakonnen, Rae Sremmurd... has 2014 been The Year of the Terrible Rap Name? Dej Loaf, the up-and-coming Detroit MC, got her name thanks to a fondness for loafers in high school. Go figure. Unorthodox footwear notwithstanding, Loaf has slowly become one of the most compelling voices in hip-hop. Take "Try Me," her breakthrough single, which features some of the most vicious threats presented in the coolest, calmest manner possible. It's also one of the most effortlessly catchy releases of this year. A Drake co-sign and a new freebie mixtape later (all at only 23, no less), Dej is officially the new rapper to beat in 2015.
Jessica Pratt This San Francisco-based singer-songwriter released her self-titled debut in 2012, racking up some notable acclaim albeit on a modest scale. Next year, Jessica Pratt will release her second full-length, On Your Own Love Again, on Drag City, and if lead single "Back, Baby" is any indication, it'll be a big debut for the Chicago-based indie artist. With the fragility of her vocal delivery and her simple but timeless melodies, Pratt could find herself in the company of Angel Olsen and Sharon Van Etten.
Viet Cong The dissolution of beloved Calgary art-rockers Women in 2010 left a gaping hole in the hearts of all who were familiar the band's 2008 self-titled debut and their sophomore effort, Public Strain. But from the ashes of Women comes Viet Cong, featuring former Women members Matthew Flegel and Michael Wallace. Earlier this year, Mexican Summer released Cassette, initially a tour-only tape. Next month, the band will release their self-titled debut; we're expecting more apocalyptic post-punk and obtuse, experimental guitar pop. Advance single "Continental Shelf" is easily one of the best tracks of 2014.
Young Fathers Safe to say that very few people stateside had heard of the Scottish avant-garde hip-hop group Young Fathers before last October. Upsetting the likes of FKA twigs and Damon Albarn, the trio took home the Mercury Prize for their debut, Dead. Days later, the album entered the UK charts at number 35. Though their warped sonics and genre-mashing approach might turn less adventurous listeners off, fans of left-of-center acts like Shabazz Palaces will find plenty to chew on here.
Rae Sremmurd It's "Ear Drummers" backwards, and yes, it's stupid. But these young Mississippians practically owned this past summer with their hit "No Flex Zone" (which got a helpful reboot from Nicki Minaj and Pusha T). Under the tutelage of super-producer Mike Will Made It, Rae Sremmurd went on to release a second hit -- "No Type," which reached number 16 on the Hot 100 -- and bizarrely made a cameo on the cover of the first issue of Marvel's All-New Captain America. They might come off as the millennial answer to Kriss Kross; let's hope they stick around longer than those dudes.
Mourn Speaking of youngsters trying to bring the '90s back, there's Catalan band Mourn, made up entirely of teenagers (the youngest, bassist Leia Rodríguez Bueno, is 15). And while these PJ Harvey-obsessives' ages have been a topic of much discussion, they really have the chops to back it all up. Their great self-titled debut is available now digitally, but it will get a physical release, via Captured Tracks, in February. And what's not to like about songs titled "Boys Are Cunts"?
Father Whether you loved it or hated it, there's no chance that Father's under-the-radar summer hit "Look At Wrist" (featuring iLoveMakonnen and Key!) wasn't lodged in your head for days after first hearing it. The Atlanta rapper -- who recently dropped his Young Hot Ebony mixtape -- is riding a wave of creatively charged rap alongside Migos, Rich Homie Quan, Young Thug and countless others. But with his drugged-out flow, Father is etching out his own space, in weird, exciting ways.
Shamir If you haven't checked out the video for Shamir's infectious dance single "On the Regular," do yourself a favor and right that immediately. In it, the underage MC dances, raps and goofs off, all in his adorkable own way. It's fresh, fierce and fun, not unlike Shamir's sartorial leanings (those Bermuda shorts!). Having released an EP on Godmode in June, Shamir has moved onto bigger things, signing with British powerhouse XL to release his debut sometime in 2015.
InnerCity Projects presents "The Station" -- a two-hour "immersive live installation of sound, light, movement and sculpture" -- on December 9th, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Whitebox Art Center (329 Broome Street). The work is by multi-media artist Jo Wood-Brown and dancer Miriam Parker in collaboration with several others including So Young An, Li Cata, Carly Czach, Carlye Eckert, Mandie Erickson and many others. The full list and more info is HERE.
The 17th annual "Friends of Friends" photography auction is December 9th, 6 to 8:30 p.m., at Metropolitan Pavilion (123 West 18th Street). Proceeds will benefit children's medical care in Southeast Asia via the non-profit organization Friends Without a Border. The 120 works up for auction include photos by Annie Leibovitz, Bruce Davidson, Irving Penn, Joel-Peter Witkin, Ruth Orkin and others. Check out all the lots and bid online HERE. Tickets to the reception and auction are $75.
The Swiss Institute (18 Wooster Street) opens "David Weiss: Works, 1968 - 1979" on Wednesday, December 10, 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibition looks at the the solo career of the Swiss artist before his collabs with Peter Fischli that began in 1979. On view until February 22, 2015.
Peter Blum Gallery (20 West 57th Street) opens an exhibition of new works by Luisa Rabbia called "Drawing" on December 11th from 6 to 8 p.m. Rabbia was born in Turin, Italy, but currently lives and works in Brooklyn. It's her second solo show at the gallery. On view until February 7, 2015. If you're up in Boston before February 1st, check out her installation, "Waterfall," on the facade of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
"Fortress of Solitude" by Sebastio Salgado
Yancey Richardson Gallery (525 West 22nd Street) opens "Genesis" by Sebastiao Salgado on Thursday, December 11, 6 to 8 p.m. The show includes works selected from the artistʼs eight-year project photographing the natural world in its pristine, untouched state. Up until the end of January. The entire "Genesis" exhibition is still on view at the International Center of Photography (1133 Sixth Avenue) until January 11th.
The New York Academy of Art (111 Franklin Street) kicks off the holiday season with "Deck the Walls," a party featuring small works by Academy artists on Friday, December 12th, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Works for sale at $200, $300 or $400 include several by artists including Elizabeth Glaessner, Yungsung Jang, Alyssa Monks, Nicolas V. Sanchez and more. RSVP mandatory to deckthewalls@nyaa.edu
Andrea Rosen Gallery (544 West 24th Street) hosts the opening reception for a show by Michael Wang called "Rivals" on Friday, December 12th, 6 to 8 p.m. The gallery will house metal shelves filled with familiar consumer products appropriated from rival firms and the sale of the art will fund fund an equal investment in each firm as the artist is paid for the work in common stock of both, thus creating a "conceptual merger." (Apologies to the artist if my interpretation of this work is not 100% accurate.) Up until January 24th, 2015.
Also opening at Andrea Rosen on the same evening is a group show of "20th-century masterworks" curated by the art historian Robert Hobbs. "The Thing and the Thing-in-Itself" includes works by Marcel Duchamp, Joseph Kosuth, Rene Magritte, Piero Manzoni, Yoko Ono and others. Also up until January 24th.
The "Artists For Artists" 51st anniversary exhibition to benefit the Foundation for Contemporary Arts opens Saturday, December 13, 3 to 5 p.m., at Mathew Marks Gallery (526 West 22nd Street). The artists include Ai Weiwei, Liam Gillick, Robert Gober, Jasper Johns, Jeff Koons, Ed Ruscha, Kara Walker, Pae White and many more.
Also on Saturday, December 13th, 2 to 4 p.m., Steven Kasher Gallery (515 West 26th Street) hosts a panel discussion moderated by Andrea Belag on the impact of the Studio School featuring Barry Schwabsky, Mira Schor, Robert Bordo and David Reed. It's presented in conjunction with the gallery's current exhibition, "12 Painters: The Studio School, 1974/2014."
The L.E.S. Art Drive benefits The Bowery Mission with a one-day silent auction on Sunday, December 14, 1 to 6 p.m., on the ground floor of the New Museum (231 Bowery). Get a sneak peak and start the bidding HERE.
Legendary hip-hop DJ Grandwizzard Theodore spins at this Sunday's, December 14, Pioneer Works (159 Pioneer Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn) open house from 5 to 10 p.m. along with music from I Love Vinyl, klezmer punks Golem, plus open studios and food and drinks. And it's FREE.
Like Lil' B before him, Cam'ron now has his own line of emojis. The rapper's had a lot of great moments, including that time he offered up a fashionable option for Ebola protection, so we're excited that he's finally getting his much deserved emoji-props. We can definitely think of more than a few situations in which this "blinged-out/all pink everything" emoji will be crucial, but if you're not a Killa Cam fan Hi-Art also has these excellent Ghostface Killa emojis for you.
The Wynwood Walls. Photo by Cami Zapata/BFAnyc.com
"The mayor says Miami Beach is going to be the next Monaco," Nathan Lieberman tells me as we zip around the city's Design District in his Porsche and take in all of the new construction that will soon be home to luxury stores like Dior, Valentino and Louis Vuitton. Lieberman, who, along with his father, Alan, runs a growing empire of boutique hotels and restaurants through their company, South Beach Group, brokered his first hotel deal before graduating from college at NYU. He hasn't slowed down in the decade-plus since. Before we meet around 2pm, he's just finished personally delivering about $2500 worth of sushi from one of his restaurants to a private party on the Venetian Islands. And as we ogle all of the brand new development in the Design District, indicative of the city's larger revitalization -- a revitalization that has also extended into areas like Midtown, Brickell and its own Bushwick-meets-Venice Beach creative hub, Wynwood -- Lieberman's eyes light up when talking about all of the opportunity his city has to offer.
But as exciting as the high-end stores are, the young hotelier is not as interested in the jet-set crowds they'll attract as he is in what he describes as the "new 80%." If the luxury hotels on Collins Avenue are priced to attract the 2-3%, Lieberman says his properties go after the 80th percentile, which a few years ago, used to mean customers in search of "3-star hotels" but who today want 4-star accommodations at reasonable prices.
The city's booming economy and invigorated creative class -- not to mention a cultural anchor like Art Basel -- has started drawing in a new type of visitor to Miami that you'd have been hard pressed to find a few years ago. It's no longer a city whose visitors are split between yacht-hopping South American playboys or college kids looking to party on a tight budget; with cultural amenities like the Bass, Wolfsonian and Pérez art museums, Tony Goldman's Wynwood Walls and farm-to-table restaurants like Michael's Genuine Food & Drink and Tongue & Cheek, the city's drawing in a clientele whose more modest resources have not made them less discerning. "The majority of these new people are more sophisticated [than before] and more aware," Lieberman says. "They're looking for a more upscale product."
To that end, Lieberman's newest property, the Hotel Croydon, is poised to attract exactly those kinds of guests who favor single-origin pour-over coffee, hot yoga and A.P.C. sample sales. The boutique property, which sits on Collins Avenue in what's been dubbed "Mid Beach," is home to 104 rooms and a penthouse suite whose rate tops off at only $450 during high season. Tastefully decorated by Lieberman's father, the small rooms feature dark wooden floors and fresh orchids in the bathroom while the restaurant and lobby have family mementos and the kind of stylish bric-a-brac you're accustomed to finding in a Brooklyn gastropub.
The Hotel Croydon
"I wanted the hotel to be an experience," Lieberman says. "Whereas I
used to throw food and drinks at people and just hope they were happy,
here, I wanted to make sure everyone was engulfed." He's hired the "top
yoga instructors" in the city and boxing coaches from the famed 5th St.
Gym -- where Muhammed Ali used to train -- to teach classes in the
hotel, booked live jazz on the rooftop every Friday and given a
rent-free space to retailer Andria Mitsakos to open her concept store, Wanderlista,
which features a hyper-curated selection of international brands that
include leather jackets from London-based HIDE, turquoise and
gold-plated brass bracelets by Greek designer Danai Giannelli and cosmic
one-pieces from Brooklyn-based swimwear line (and PAPER fave), Shadowplaynyc.
Even the food he serves in the restaurant, the Tavern, is well-sourced. "I found this guy that makes these pies in Wynwood," Lieberman says. "He's this giant, retired fireman and he's amazing. His spot is called Fireman Derek's and he probably thought I was out of my motherfucking mind when I came in one day and was like, 'I heard about your pies and I want to carry them in my restaurants and I need to taste all of them right now.' He probably looked at me and was like, 'There's no way all 170lbs of you is going to be able to eat all of my pies.'" The bakery, which opened this past July, is, in Lieberman's eyes, an example of the changes the city is undergoing. Though single-menu item shops in New York City or L.A. are a dime a dozen, in Miami, where the artisanal movement is still a relatively recent phenomenon, the fact that a pie shop is thriving in a former industrial neighborhood is no small feat.
Driving out of the Design District and into Wynwood, it wasn't hard to see all of Lieberman's points illustrated in the buzzy neighborhood; it was filled with throngs of well-dressed young people no doubt taking a break from Basel goings-on in South Beach, trading in the crowded art shows and invitation-only parties for street art and popsicles sold out of pushcarts. But I'd be remiss not to point out that I was getting the chance to see the neighborhood -- and the city in general -- during Miami's single busiest time of the year. Whether places like the Hotel Croydon can attract this "new 80%" during the remaining 361 days of the year is a good question but not one that Lieberman worries too much about.
"Miami isn't just about the beach anymore," he says confidently. "It's more interesting. There's more interesting people living here and more interesting people coming here at different times of the year. It's not just a seasonal place." He pauses. "It's cool again."
Soon we'll all be shipping back to our hometowns -- you know, that nightmarish place where all the people (haters) you've worked so hard to get away from will be -- and that's why there's no better way to celebrate Christmas than by smoking a shit ton of weed and avoiding everyone! Let Dent May's catchy jingle, "I'll Be Stoned For Christmas," provide the soundtrack to your holiday toking, above.
The holidays can be a tough time for a lot of people. Add seasonal affective disorder and the sun going down at like 2:30 pm every day and, despite it being the most wonderful time of the year, it's easy find yourself walking around with just low, humming "fuuuuuuck" in the back of your head at all times. Don't fight it. Embrace your general discontent with our favorite new Tumblr, Herzog Inspirationals. Combining the inspiring stock imagery of motivational posters with the soul-decimating pith of director Werner Herzog, Herzog Inspirationals will make you want to scream into the abyss and drink whiskey in a dark room for the rest of your life. So go get 'em today and be grateful that the universe knows no smile.
Ex Cops, the Brooklyn-based duo comprised of Dane Amalie Bruun and North Carolina native Brian Harding, just released their sophomore LP, Daggers, and we're psyched to be premiering the video for one of our favorite tracks on the album, "White Noise." Accompanying the track's fizzy, '80s synth pop are shots of teenagers carrying pillows and running around LA until they reach a warehouse where Bruun and Harding are rocking out. Dancing, moshing, and a massive pillow fight ensues. Of the clip, the band says:
"The video for us was almost like a social experiment. The song is about longing for something pure in a dark place, and about the wish to silence the noise of the world and the voices in your head. So we wanted to have teenagers in our video, because kids are more pure than most grownups. And we wanted them to just dance and fight and lose it and do whatever they felt like, while we performed the song for them."
Although we've already seen the event in pictures, the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show aired last night and we finally got to see Taylor Swift's robe clad performance. T-Swift, who reportedly got a model fired from this year's show, has been all about girl power lately, so undoubtedly she loved shouting "TWINSIES!" as she strutted around backstage with all the other models in matching lingerie sets. That same energy was carried onstage when Swift opened the VS show with "Blank Space" and closed with the TV premiere of "Style," all while her new-found BFFs danced down the catwalk and lip-synced alongside her. Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, and Hozier also performed that night but Taylor Swift stole the show in terms of intense, smoldering looks. Watch both performances, below.
The Norwegian electro-pop duo Röyksopp are set to release their new album next week, but for those of us who have a hard time with patience, The Inevitable End is available to stream today through iTunes radio. 
We'll also take 5,000 of these so that we can eat all of our dainty, feminine pizzas on the go, thanks. -- Gabby Bess
Free-ist Nipples of the Week: Keira Knightley's. In a recent piece for 
Best Nicolas Cage-Themed Car Accessory: 
Best Bucket Hat of the Week: 
Our last issue's 
Photos via 
It looks like there's a lot of different textures and materials that make up your collage. What exactly went into it? 
Vic Mensa
Joyce Manor
Dej Loaf
Jessica Pratt
Viet Cong
Young Fathers
Rae Sremmurd
Mourn
Father
Shamir
InnerCity Projects presents "The Station" -- a two-hour "immersive live installation of sound, light, movement and sculpture" -- on December 9th, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Whitebox Art Center (329 Broome Street). The work is by multi-media artist Jo Wood-Brown and dancer Miriam Parker in collaboration with several others including So Young An, Li Cata, Carly Czach, Carlye Eckert, Mandie Erickson and many others. The full list and more info is 
The 17th annual "Friends of Friends" photography auction is December 9th, 6 to 8:30 p.m., at Metropolitan Pavilion (123 West 18th Street). Proceeds will benefit children's medical care in Southeast Asia via the non-profit organization Friends Without a Border. The 120 works up for auction include photos by Annie Leibovitz, Bruce Davidson, Irving Penn, Joel-Peter Witkin, Ruth Orkin and others. Check out all the lots and bid online 
"Fortress of Solitude" by Sebastio Salgado
Also opening at Andrea Rosen on the same evening is a group show of "20th-century masterworks" curated by the art historian Robert Hobbs. "
The "Artists For Artists" 51st anniversary exhibition to benefit the Foundation for Contemporary Arts opens Saturday, December 13, 3 to 5 p.m., at 
Also on Saturday, December 13th, 2 to 4 p.m., 
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The Wynwood Walls. Photo by Cami Zapata/
The Hotel Croydon
