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Meet Your Urban Outfitters Boyfriend
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For Sale: Keith Haring-Illustrated Leather Jacket
If you're looking for a lavish gift for an art-lover you know, but want something more unique (and less expensive) than just a painting, you might want to check out Artnet's annual holiday ephemera auction, which starts today at 1 p.m. and runs for the following week. Or you can just look. The sale includes memorabilia signed, and often illustrated, by some of the big names of the late twentieth century. There are postcards created by Andy Warhol (estimated at $4,000-$6,000) and Sam Francis (estimated at $10,000-$15,000), a t-shirt magic-markered by David Hockney (estimated at $5,000-$6,000) and the above jacket, which Keith Haring marked up for a sixteen-year-old fan (estimated at $30,000-$40,000).
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Dog Drives Car...
1. Dog drives car! Seriously. An animal rescue organization in New Zealand taught several dogs to drive a MINI around a track.
(Autoblog)
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2. The NYC off-shoot of Ibiza's Space nightclub won approval from Community Board 4 to apply for a liquor license. Plans include a 24-hour cafe, a ground floor lounge and a club with a capacity of 900. (DNAinfo)
3. For the first time, a rare Belgian beer called Westvleteren XII -- brewed by monks at the Saint Sixtus Abbey -- will be sold in the US. A six-pack will set you back $85 at Whole Foods Bowery. Here's the full list of outlets.
4. Skrillex is launching a $12/month, subscription-based digital music service called The Nest. Sign up here.
5. Grey Area launches their holiday-themed "Ornamental" exhibit on Saturday, December 15, 6 to 9 p.m., featuring 29 artist interpretations of those things you hang from a tree. The show will be up at Coates Wyllie (12 West 29th Street) until the 23rd. [Above: Ray Geary, "Bath Time," 2012. Photo by Jordan Doner]
6. Google Maps have returned to iPhones as a free app.
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PREMIERE: Reptile Youth's "Be My Yoko Ono"
A song with the name "Be My Yoko Ono" might sound like fighting words for a band, but fortunately, Reptile Youth's new track seems like a better indicator of the Danish duo's momentum than of their unraveling. The self-described "occult pop" group -- whose dance-y electronica has drawn comparisons to The Rapture -- just released a clip for the new song and, contrary to what you might expect, there's not a single Yoko archetype in sight. Instead, band members Mads Damsgaard Kristiansen and Esben Valløe worked with nearly 40 students at digital media firm Hyper Island to create one of the most technologically-sophisticated music videos we've seen in a while. The band members sing the lyrics while their faces appear in the pages of a medical textbook, a flip book and on 3D cardboard cubes while disembodied hands select and customize their features; all that tinkering vaguely reminds us of Frankenstein's lab -- that is if the lab had the airy, modern feel of a medical facility located somewhere in Scandinavia. The band was recently in the States for CMJ and, for those who missed them, will come back to play SXSW in March. In the meantime, watch "Be My Yoko Ono" above.
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Memes, Coloring Books and Edward Scissorhands This Weekend in NYC
Thursday, December 13
PHOTOGRAPHY: Impose Photo Show at Secret Project Robot
Brooklyn-based magazine-turned-website Impose is celebrating its tenth anniversary with an exhibit of photos from its history. Tonight's opening offers free cocktails and a performance by goth-disco trio Alan Watts (whose lineup includes a former Impose editor).
Secret Project Robot, 389 Melrose Street, Brooklyn. 8 p.m.
PANEL: Parallel Lines: Visual Art, CBGB, and Downtown Nightlife at the New Museum
Punk magazine founder John Holmstrom, Bush Tetras guitarist Pat Place, photographer Marcia Resnick, and Ramones illustrator Arturo Vega assemble to discuss the ways art and music intersected in '70s New York.
New Museum, 235 Bowery. 7 p.m. $8. Tickets here.
PARTY: #NYANCATCITY Opening at the Hole
This weekend-long festival aims to celebrate internet culture and its influence on the arts. Tonight's opening reception will be soundtracked by DJ George Constanza and followed by an after-party at Santos Party House.
The Hole, 312 Bowery. 7-10 p.m.
MUSIC: Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs at Webster Hall
England's Orlando Higginbottom (above) changed his name to Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and released one of our fave albums of 2012: Trouble. We put him in our summer music issue, caught his fab live performance at SONAR in June, talked to him backstage and can confirm that -- besides being well dressed -- he's an all-around swell guy, too.
Webster Hall, 125 East 11th Street, (212) 353-1600. 6 p.m. $20.
Friday, December 14
MUSIC: Occupy Sandy Benefit at Saint Vitus
Local art-grunge quartet The Men join hazy jangle-poppers Widowspeak, minimal synth-tickler Lust for Youth, and punk-inspired singer-songwriter Waxahatchee at Pitchfork's Occupy Sandy benefit.
Saint Vitus Bar, 1120 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn. 8 p.m. $12. Tickets here.
PARTY: Dick the Balls with Loads of Molly at Loft 594
If this party sounds like hot, sweaty chaos ... it's only because it will be hot, sweaty chaos. Hosted by provocative BK blog The Culture Whore along with Mark Dommu and the performance group Descent, the night is sure to impair some memories. The expected acts make up an indulgent buffet of talent, with performers like delicious rapper Cakes Da Killa; DJ sets courtesy of Breezy B, John Sokolowski and Jx Cannon; and art installations by up-and-coming talents.
Loft 594, 594 Bushwick Avenue, Second Floor. 10 p.m. $5
ART: Masterpieces: A Fact-Filled Coloring Book at ABC No Rio
When Curtis Cates found a discarded copy of this educational coloring book outside his Lower East Side apartment, he invited his artist friends to put their touches on the black-and-white reproductions within, which they did by means of crayons, collage and even needlepoint.
ABC No Rio, 156 Rivington Street, (212) 254-3697. 8-10 p.m.
Saturday, December 15
COMEDY: A Murray Little Christmas at (le) poisson rouge
The island of misfit toys is brought to life by the collection of colorful personalities at this variety show: cabaret stars and performance artists like Bridget Everett, Erin Markey and Carmine Covelli; the sultry NYC Burlesque Choir; and Mr. Showbiz himself, Murray Hill and his The Craig's List Quartet. Come one, come all, enjoy some Christmas carols and innuendo!
(le) poisson rouge, 158 Bleecker Street, (212) 505-3474. 7:30 p.m. $20-50. Tickets here.
FILM: Any Day Now at Sunshine Cinema
Any Day Now's plot may read like a sentimental family drama: a gay couple battles the legal system to care for an abandoned teen with Downs Syndrome in the 1970s. But with a spirited performance from Alan Cumming and the careful direction of Travis Fine, the moving film is elevated from heart-warming kitsch to something more palpable and gripping. Cumming will be present after tonight's screening for a Q & A.Landmark Sunshine Cinema, 143 East Houston Street, (212) 260-7289. 7:20 p.m. $13. Tickets here.
DANCING: Soul Clap & Dance-Off at Brooklyn Bowl
This special holiday installment of DJ Jonathan Toubin's monthly residency promises to highlight 45-rpm singles by James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones. Joining Toubin in the booth will be no-wave legend James Chance (author of the classic "Christmas with Satan"), who will curate a dance-off with a $100 prize.
Brooklyn Bowl, 61 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, (718) 963-3369. 11:30 p.m. $7. Tickets here.
READING: Gigantic Launch Party at Public Assembly
This annual literary journal includes in its mission statement an aim to be "unlovely," which its founders explain thusly: "We will work hard to ensure you do not see the following words or phrases, or words or phrases like them: glimmer, shimmer, swaths, bleating, said flatly, beads of sweat, strange, tussle, clouded, glares, beamed, throbbed, grasped, lapis lazuli, gem, flew out of her hand." Tonight's party will feature (presumably unlovely) readings from the new fourth issue by Michael Kimball, Joe Wenderoth, and others as well as live music by Jonas Reinhardt.
Public Assembly, 70 North 6th Street, Brooklyn. 8:30 p.m. $12 (includes copy of magazine). Tickets here.
MUSIC: Silent Barn Public Meeting at Shea Stadium
Over the past year, as D.I.Y. venue Silent Barn has sought a new home, they've held a series of "public meetings" around Brooklyn to engage with the community in planning for the future. Now they've signed a lease for a new location, but the public meetings continue. Come to Shea Stadium tonight for a panel discussion on the economics of touring; stay for performances by So So Glos, Nonhorse, and the Beets.
Shea Stadium, 20 Meadow Street, Brooklyn. 8:30 p.m. $7
Sunday, December 16
FILM: Edward Scissorhands at Nitehawk Cinema
A boy with scissor hands is created by Vincent Price and lives as an outcast in suburbia. Sounds like Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands is a holiday classic to us! The director's films often flirt with Christmas cheer; Scissorhands is in fact framed as a Christmas story. Catch a screening today at Nitehawk, and pray for snow so you can spin around in it like Winona.Nitehawk Cinema, 136 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn, (718) 384-3980. 12 p.m. $11. Tickets here.
Today's your last chance to scope the goods at the fashion site's pop-up shop featuring brands like Ernest Alexander, Lulu Frost & George Frost and White + Warren. While you're stocking up on last-minute holiday gifts, take advantage of their braid bar and make-up stations and get gussied up before going out.
201 Mulberry St. 12-6 p.m.
SHOPPING: The Free Marketplace
Philadelphia-based avant soul/electro artist Suzi Analogue hosts this one-day only indoor shopping mecca featuring local vendors like Bed-Vyne, Feli Kiwi and Pipsqueak, a wellness lounge, children's play area and live performances from rapper Iampopula and rockers The Sunday Belts. Shoppers can also get nail art manicures from Ms. Analogue, who's bringing her high-concept nail art shop, Nail Tite, to the marketplace for the occasion.
905 Atlantic Ave., 2nd Floor, Brooklyn. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
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10 Must-Have Blu-rays Or DVD Sets For the Holidays
This has 15 of the master of suspense's greatest films on Blu-ray, including his masterworks like Vertigo, Psycho, Rear Window, North By Northwest and Shadow Of A Doubt as well as fascinating experiments like Rope and the misunderstood Marnie. These recent exploitative bio-pics delving into the psycho-sexual peculiarities of Alfred Hitchcock still don't come close to the giddy thrills of watching his movies. If Santa doesn't leave this for me this Christmas I'm burning the house to the ground. $206.99 via Amazon.
Universal Studios Classic Monster Collection (Universal) Unbelievably stunning restorations of some of Universal Studios' classic fright films. This box set includes Dracula, Frankenstein, the fabulous Bride Of Frankenstein, the sardonic The Invisible Man, the haunting The Wolf Man and The Creature From The Black Lagoon (in 3D no less). This set floored me. $119.99 via Amazon.
Lawrence Of Arabia (Sony) This amazing restoration to David Lean's award-winning 1962 film looks so fabulous it may be the reason some people finally switch to Blu-ray. (And not to mention the knock-out performance by Peter O'Toole in the lead.) $17.99 via Sonypictures.com
The Otto Preminger Collection (Olive Films) This DVD collection includes notorious, lesser films from director Otto Preminger, but they're ones I've been dying to get my hands on anyway. Skidoo -- Preminger's whacky LSD comedy with a cast of oldsters and hideous Harry Nilsson songs, will burn out your eyeballs. Hurry Sundown, his outlandish film about race relations in the south, features lurid performances by Jane Fonda and Michael Caine among others. And Such Good Friends, an offbeat dark comedy, stars the always winning Dyan Cannon who discovers unpleasant surprises when her husband goes in for a simple operation only to suddenly lapse into a coma from complications. $59.99 via Amazon.
When Horror Came To Shochiku (Criterion) This set includes four exceptionally weird and wild Japanese horror films from the late 1960s: The X From Outer Space (about a destructive space creature), Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell (a fascinating chiller about a plane crash and the systematic destruction of the crew by an vampiric alien), The Living Skeleton (about a young woman haunted by the ghost of her twin) and Genocide (a crazy apocalyptic film about insects genetically engineered to attack mankind). $47.96 via Criterion.
The Pete Walker Collection (Kino Lorber) A collection featuring the works of a favorite director of mine, Pete Walker, who made a series of bizarre, unique, thrillers in the 1970s. Included is House Of Whipcord, about a fashion model kidnapped by crazies who are are trying to make a statement about morality. Schizo is about a figure skater and a psycho stalker, and Die Screaming, Marianne stars a luscious Susan George as a nightclub dancer who is being chased by her murderous father for her inheritance. The Comeback stars crooner Jack Jones as a singer haunted by his wife's death. Walker's nihilistic films are memorably nasty. $76.46 via Kino Lorber.
MST 3000 Volume XXV (Shout Factory) God knows one needs some laughs during the holidays. You can't beat this hilarious TV show about an astronaut and his robots stranded in space forced to watch bad movies. Their wisecracks are always genius and the episodes included in this collection are four of the best, including Revenge of the Creature, the silly sequel to Creature From the Black Lagoon, Operation Kid Brother, a spy film starring Sean Connery's brother, the ludicrous Robot Holocaust and my personal favorite, Kitten With a Whip, starring Ann-Margret as a nasty juvenile delinquent who terrorizes a politician (played by John Forsyth). $49.99 via Amazon.
Pier Paolo Pasolini's Trilogy Of Life (Criterion) Finally, Criterion does Pier Paolo Pasolini's work justice with these gorgeous transfers of three films by the master poet and filmmaker. The Decameron, The Canterbury Tales and Arabian Nights were all made in the '70s, all bristle with ribald humor and are all filled with wonderful non-actors and inventive costumes and sets. The digital restorations are a joy and there are countless extras. $53.99 via Amazon
American Horror Story (Vol.1) (20th Century Fox)If you haven't experienced creator Ryan Murphy's outlandish first season of this series -- starring Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton as a couple who unwisely move into the most fucked-up haunted house in L.A. -- then you haven't lived. And then there's the demented neighbor (played with fiendish gusto by Jessica Lange). With wild plot twists, kinky flourishes, and a stellar supporting cast of players, this has to be one of the best things on television. $27.99 via Amazon
Copper (BBC)
I still haven't finished watching Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson's wild take on law and disorder in 1864 New York City's crime-ridden Five Points, but Kevin Corcoran is riveting as the Irish-American fighter turned cop. I can't wait to sit down and do a marathon of all 10 episodes of this inventive first season. That's if I ever get through the rest of these sets! $21.99 via Amazon
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Screaming Mimi's Is Now Selling Ugly Hanukkah Sweaters
Screaming Mimi's owner Laura Wills has had an "ugly Christmas sweater" rack in her store for almost 10 years now. This year, she's expanded her stock to include ugly Hanukkah sweaters. Below, we chat with her about what she looks for in an ugly Christmas sweater and her love of the hunt.
Why did you decide to put an ugly Christmas sweater rack in the store?
I just keep seeing them and they started growing on me. I kept thinking, 'I wonder if there's a market for this.' We'd just come out of the ironic t-shirt phase and I could see people perhaps being interested, but at the same time I was worried about my 'fashion' customers coming in an being like, 'What is this?' At first it was very slow-going, people would look at them and be like, 'hmm,'and walk away. And then we started selling out. They're almost irresistible. And now it's snowballed into its own thing.
Do the ugly Christmas sweaters that you buy have any special criteria? Do you look for anything specifically?
Literally, anything with bells and whistles. Anything that has sound effects. Bells. Lights. My buyers and I are all about that.
Do you go on buying trips just for sweaters?
No, but it's become a big part of what we look for. Last year we completely sold out. We were featured on the Today show; Jimmy Fallon was wearing one of our sweaters. Now I really have to actively seek them out.
When I contacted you for this interview, you were out of town following a lead on some ugly Hanukkah sweaters. How did that pan out?
Pretty good. They're not nearly as plentiful as Christmas sweaters, obviously. But I kept thinking, 'Wouldn't it be refreshing to see some ugly Hanukkah sweaters?' I came across a Hanukkah sweatshirt, which I tweeted, and it re-ignited the whole ugly sweater thing for me. At that point I was so tired of the whole thing. Here, I had a new hunt. Though there are some manufactured ones I've found, Hanukkah sweaters are more homemade and one-of-a kind. I love that.
Do you own any ugly Christmas sweaters?
I don't. It would be too hard of a choice. I let the kids who work here borrow sweaters if they're going to parties. We have a few that are in rotation, ones that are part of our ugly sweater universe. Because there are always more out there to find.
Below, some of Screaming Mimi's Hanukkah sweaters and uglier Christmas inventory.
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Why did you decide to put an ugly Christmas sweater rack in the store?
I just keep seeing them and they started growing on me. I kept thinking, 'I wonder if there's a market for this.' We'd just come out of the ironic t-shirt phase and I could see people perhaps being interested, but at the same time I was worried about my 'fashion' customers coming in an being like, 'What is this?' At first it was very slow-going, people would look at them and be like, 'hmm,'and walk away. And then we started selling out. They're almost irresistible. And now it's snowballed into its own thing.
Do the ugly Christmas sweaters that you buy have any special criteria? Do you look for anything specifically?
Literally, anything with bells and whistles. Anything that has sound effects. Bells. Lights. My buyers and I are all about that.
Do you go on buying trips just for sweaters?
No, but it's become a big part of what we look for. Last year we completely sold out. We were featured on the Today show; Jimmy Fallon was wearing one of our sweaters. Now I really have to actively seek them out.
When I contacted you for this interview, you were out of town following a lead on some ugly Hanukkah sweaters. How did that pan out?
Pretty good. They're not nearly as plentiful as Christmas sweaters, obviously. But I kept thinking, 'Wouldn't it be refreshing to see some ugly Hanukkah sweaters?' I came across a Hanukkah sweatshirt, which I tweeted, and it re-ignited the whole ugly sweater thing for me. At that point I was so tired of the whole thing. Here, I had a new hunt. Though there are some manufactured ones I've found, Hanukkah sweaters are more homemade and one-of-a kind. I love that.
Do you own any ugly Christmas sweaters?
I don't. It would be too hard of a choice. I let the kids who work here borrow sweaters if they're going to parties. We have a few that are in rotation, ones that are part of our ugly sweater universe. Because there are always more out there to find.
Below, some of Screaming Mimi's Hanukkah sweaters and uglier Christmas inventory.
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Morning Funnies: Amanda Seyfried Performed "California Love" In a Frog Costume
In case you missed it, here's Amanda Seyfried wearing a frog costume, drinking sake and singing "California Love" on Ellen. She's really on a roll lately. (H/T Max)
Eugene Mirmian's Comedy Central special is on at midnight tonight! Above, he shares some hot tips on how not to forget about it.
This is genius. [BobbyFinger]
A masterpiece. [TheFroghat]
Sometimes honesty is the best policy. Especially when it comes to gingerbread house-building competitions. [Reddit]
This is just half of an amazing list of alternative names for Golden Globe-nominee Benedict Cumberbatch by tumblr xsingintomymouthx. Banjobox Toodlesnorts is our fav.
Do you prefer candy cane mohawk or.....
Christmas tree mohawk, complete with a pantsless tree-decorating Mario Lopez? [LaughingSquid; TheClearlyDope]This video of a beaver waving to a tiny kid is too much, too much. [Vulture]
Haters Gonna Hate GIF by Kirsten Lepore via Aritzia.
Devil's advocate is the devil. [amajor7 via AfternoonSnoozeButton]From the Daily Dot: "How to Talk To Your Family About That Folgers Incest Ad." (Honestly, how the hell is this ad on the air? People have been talking about how creepy it is for years and it's still on ALL OF THE TIME.)
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Here's a Little Something For All You New-Wave Nostalgia Freaks
Who's going to "like" today's oldie-but goodie video? Drummers, first of all, and also new-wave nostalgia freaks that can't get over the '80s. It's a nonsensical ear worm and a great one-hit-wonder by George Kranz -- it even has two titles: "Trommeltanz" and "Din Daa Daa." The song was the #1 club track in 1984, the year PAPER magazine started and it's been sampled by tons of people including Flo Rida. Where can we get a pair of those wrap-around shades?
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Look at Those Moves! C2C's "Happy"
Simply brilliant clip by French turntablists C2C -- featuring the "golden voice" of Detroit gospel singer Derek Martin -- hits all the right spots and should make you "Happy." Feel free to to get up and boogie. The black and white video was directed by Wendy Morgan with choreography by King Charles.
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Style Scraps: Kristen Stewart Wears...Something + Cathy Horyn Calls Pre-Fall A "House Plant"
Cathy Horyn's take on the existence of the pre-fall season begins thusly: "Stores are marking down the stuff they couldn't sell as designers
present their new duds. There is no time to mourn in fashion, and
apparently no room for a guilty conscience about the glut of clothes,
since it keeps right on growing like a berserk house plant." Two thumbs up for the use of "berserk house plant!" [via On the Runway Blog]The former PAPER contributor who wrote that Brad Pitt/Chanel commercial, Glenn O'Brien, is happy it's being parodied. He told The Cut: "I've done quite a few ads that have been parodied, and you always know you've really got it made when that happens. I did this campaign for Calvin Klein with Steven Meisel years ago that was considered to be very risqué, and President Clinton spoke out against it, but then we were parodied by Beavis and Butt-Head." Here's the original Calvin Klein ad and the video above is the Beavis and Butthead version it, all for your edification.
Sigh. This.
Drew Barrymore is releasing a full-range makeup line exclusively at Walmart. Several things are unusual about this: a), Barrymore owns a large part of the company that makes the line and is therefore actually very involved in the process, b), she'll use many of the same ingredients that are in fancier makeup lines, and c) the reason she can use those ingredients and price it for Walmart is because they won't be running big ads. We like that business model. [via WWD] 
Fashion truly meets functionality with this double-flask bracelet by Cynthia Rowley. [via Cheezburger]
Carly Rae Jepsen kind of looks like she went to a fun party, fell asleep in her clothes and woke up relieved that she doesn't have a massive hangover on the new cover of Cosmo. Maybe she'd been wearing that Cynthia Rowley bracelet the night before. [via Hollywood Gossip] 
Sarah Burton was given an OBE (The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire honor) pretty much out of the blue for "services to the fashion industry" in her role as creative director of Alexander McQueen. Aaaand probably for designing Kate Middleton's wedding dress. Go Sarah! [via Fashionista]
John Galliano's label -- not the man -- has had its contract renewed for another three years. [via WWD] ↧
Pro-Skater Stefan Janoski On the Holidays + Making A Shoe In Honor of His Dead Cat
Stefan Janoski is a very busy guy: he's a very well-respected pro-skater, he's the second skateboarder ever to have his own line of Nike shoes, and he recently had his first art show in Chelsea. While celebrating the launch of his signature line on NikeID -- which means you can customize your own Stefan Janoski shoes online -- we sat down with skateboarder-cum-artist about his cats, the holidays, and growing up with vintners. Look at your blue hair! What made you decide on blue?
It was white before and it was driving me crazy. I'm going back slowly to normal. I tried to go sci-fi white, which is a hard process. It was kind of fun for a few hours but then you're that weird guy with long white hair! I'm waiting for it to grow out enough to cut it all off, since I don't want a shaved head.
You're from California, right?
Yeah, I'm from Vacaville.
That's right near Davis.
Yeah! I didn't go to college at Davis, but I built my skateboarding skills at UC Davis, so I'm always like "Yeah, I sort of used to go to college there. I just didn't take any classes." I was actually on a first-name basis with the cop who pepper-sprayed those students! He was on patrol around Davis. He'd be like "Ah, Stefan, you're here again!" He was actually pretty cool. We had a thing going there: he knew I was there and he knew that I was gonna come back. I've still got probably 11 tickets over my years of skating there.
You've got a father who's a vintner. What's that like?
I've just always loved wine. My father's like a mountain man. My stepmother is a botanist and a vintner -- she works in all the Napa wineries, consults in their fields. They used to sell their grapes to different wineries in Napa, but now they make their own. It's pretty new, and great. They just started making rosé. It's some strong stuff. You'll wake up with some purple lips if you drink too much.
Tell us about the shoes. What kinds of materials will they be available in?
They have leather and suede, and you can do both. We might have canvas as well. You can choose between square leather laces and cotton laces. But [the cotton laces] are not an option. You can't choose those! Leather laces are awesome and make it look better. And if you skate, they won't break. I personally put a little drop of superglue on the bow I tie my laces in, tie 'em loose, and don't ever untie them.
Why are there names stitched on the side of the shoe?
I had a cat that recently died named "Bob." So I put Bob on there. And we have a new cat named "Syd," so I put "Syd" and "Bob." They're tribute shoes.
Do you have any big holiday plans?
I have no feelings about the holidays, actually. They mean nothing to me. But my parents love holidays. I totally ignored Thanksgiving, I even didn't remember that it was a holiday, and they called me and asked whether I was coming and I was like, "What? When is it?" But for Christmas I'll go see my parents. My mom will probably have Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas all in an hour just because I'm there. Personally though, I think holidays are for children under 6.
What artists excite you right now?
I don't a know lot about current artists I like Van Gogh, Impressionism. And René Magritte's paintings. And lately I'm into sculpture, so I like Rodin. I know anyone could say that, but as far as "How the fuck did you do that," Rodin is just the shit. I also like I like skate art -- Ed Templeton, Lance Mountain, and Mark Gonzalez, Chet Childress and Brian Anderson. Skaters and art have always gone together.
Do you have any upcoming projects?
You know, I've just started sharing [my art]. It's a recent thing. Last December I had a show in Chelsea and even people I'm friends with didn't know I do art. It's a little weird, I'm not used to self-promoting. Even recording yourself skateboarding was something I had to learn to do. I've always played music, and done art, and written stuff, but skateboarding was what I showed people. So I'm learning to show.
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Williamsburg Veterans Nada Surf on Their New Album and Their Old 'Hood
Venerable indie rockers Nada Surf formed in Williamsburg, Brooklyn during the early '90s. With a benediction from producer/Cars frontman Ric Ocasek, the band (frontman Matthew Caws, bassist Daniel Lorca and drummer Ira Elliot) was signed to legacy label Elektra and surfaced on the pop-culture radar with the 1996 MTV hit "Popular." Their latest album, The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy, was recorded at their spawning ground with the recent addition of former Guided By Voices lead guitarist Doug Gillard. With two sold-out shows at the Bowery Ballroom this weekend, the band owes their continued success to devoted fans like author Jennifer Egan, who listened to them for inspiration while writing A Visit From the Goon Squad. Below, we chat with the band, who are playing two sold out shows tonight and tomorrow night at Bowery Ballroom.
Photo by Peter Ellenby
On the last line of the album you sing, "and I cannot believe/the future is happening to me" What does the future hold for Nada Surf? Will you, like the Rolling Stones, be playing a 50th Anniversary show in New York in 2042?
Matthew Caws: I can't imagine ever stopping. It feels so natural to make music with the other guys and we get so much joy from falling into the kinds of rhythms that we've been playing all these years. The future that I can't believe happening to me is the one of self-checkout, disappearing newspapers and record stores, misleading style-over-substance politics and a changing planet.
Is there anything special about playing in front of a hometown NYC audience?
Daniel Lorca: It's kind of like meeting your girlfriend's parents for the first time...you want everything to go well. And to do it twice in a place we really love is a super huge treat and honor.
How has the advent of Pandora and Spotify helped or hindered your success?
DL: I'm a supporter of the web but it's a bit tough when services that are making money don't really seem connected to their content. It's difficult for bands because we get paid so little for what's out there. But I feel that will change when other services come along. I think if people knew they could use a service that paid the bands better they would go for it.
What's next for you guys once these final dates are played?
Ira Elliot: I think we're gonna take some downtime and reassess. Maybe we'll open that 24-hour breakfast cereal restaurant we've been talking about.
When you look back on the early recordings and tours, how do you think Nada Surf has changed or remained the same?
IE: The most important things have remained the same: our friendship, the thrill of plugging in and playing. Daniel's chain smoking. But we've also become battle-hardened rock marines with thousand-yard stares, mildly damaged livers, ringy ears and highly-developed taste in snack foods.
How do you feel about how much Williamsburg has changed over the years?
IE: My wife and I are focused on raising our now 18-month-old daughter and having so many families and family-oriented businesses in the hood is helpful.
MC: Looking back years from now, after many more changes, we may realize that the neighborhood's "golden age" lasted longer than we thought. In other words, enjoy it. There are still no McDonald's.
DL: It's to be expected. It still retains a bit of its flavor. At least now if you need basil you can get it a half a block from my place in four different locations.
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What A Trip: 11 Travel Tales From PAPER Favorites
Hit the road with a crazy cast of creative types -- from Oscar-winning actresses to international DJs -- as they share their travel tales with us. Buckle up!
Tig Notaro: The Great Escape 
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The South By South Bronx Festival Kicks Off This Weekend...
1. UK artist Damien Hirst is leaving Gagosian after 17 years with the New York gallery. The split was "amicable." (Financial Times, photo by Luke Stephenson on Flickr) 
2. It's a little too soon to head down to Austin, but NYC now has its own cool festival called SXSBX, aka South By South Bronx. The two-day event starts today, December 14, at Hostos Community College (450 Grand Concourse, Bronx) and it's a big celebration of hip-hop culture. There's a full schedule of workshops, concerts and special guests including Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Kool Herc and Grand Wizard Theodore.
3. NASA jumped the gun on the upcoming December 21st apocalypse by releasing this video explaining "why the world didn't end yesterday."
4. NYC-based photographer Marlis Momber captured the Lower East Side back in the '70s. Her 1978 documentary film, Viva Loisaida!, is being screened at Tu Casa Rehearsal Studio (95 Avenue B) on Sunday, December 16, at 3 p.m., with a $10 suggested donation. (EV Grieve)
5. What made Sandy so destructive? In case you were wondering. (Global Economic Intersection)
6. Photo of the day: No Parking!
7. Los Angeles literary 'zine DUM DUM is raising money for their third issue, "Punks and Scholars," featuring work by Adam J. Kurtz and others. [Kickstarter]
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Spacewar! Opens Tomorrow at the Museum of the Moving Image
Is 2012 the year video games became accepted as art? First there was "The Art of Video Games" at the Smithsonian. There was an exhibition at London's City Hall. The Museum of Modern Art started a games collection. And this weekend, the Museum of the Moving Image looks closely at one specific game, 1961's Spacewar!, and its influence over the past several decades. Though perhaps not the first video game, Spacewar!, developed by students and researchers at MIT, was the first shooting game and among the first to use digital (as opposed to analog) technology. "Spacewar! Video Games Blast Off" has a catalogue of twenty-one games for arcade consoles, Game Gear, iPad, and other devices, including classics like Asteroids, Space Invaders, and Star Fox as well as less-remembered games like Vertical Force and Yar's Revenge and works as recent as Halo 4. Upon entry, visitors are given four arcade tokens to play. You can play Spacewar! with a friend here.
"Spacewar! Video Games Blast Off" runs December 15-March 3 at the Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Avenue, Astoria, Queens, (718) 777-6888. Closed Mondays.
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Julia Chiang Gets "Crafty" at New Museum
"Irascible" artist Julia Chiang will continue her five-day residency at the New Museum store each day this weekend from 2 to 6 p.m., working on A Word (Starting 2013), a group of twenty paintings inspired by hopes for the new year. Chiang is soliciting suggestions for words to turn into paintings: to contribute anonymously, email store@newmuseum.org with the subject line "She's Crafty - Julia Chiang." Chiang also asks visitors to "add a layer of 'I Love You' to a drawing I've started." The museum's "She's Crafty" program has invited eleven female artists (including Jennifer Herrema and Maggie Lee) to come work in the storefront window over a two-month span.
Image via
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So Excited For Pedro Almodóvar's Latest Flick
After watching a 45-second teaser trailer for Pedro Almodóvar's new film, I'm So Excited -- the majority of which features three flamboyant flight attendants serving some face and lip syncing to "I'm So Excited" by the Pointer Sisters -- we are, well, deeply excited. The Spanish director dabbled in making thrillers with 2011's The Skin I Live In (read our cover story with the film's star, Elena Anaya, HERE) but judging by this brief glimpse of his latest, it seems like Almodóvar is returning to the high camp that cemented his reputation with films like Women On the Verge of A Nervous Breakdown and Time Me Up! Tie Me Down! Details about I'm So Excited are hard to come by but a caption under the teaser trailer posted by iHD says the film centers on "a mixed bag of passengers and crew who face a life-threatening situation on board a plane flying to Mexico City." We're ready for take off.
I'm So Excited comes out in the UK on May 3 but U.S. release date is still TBA.
I'm So Excited comes out in the UK on May 3 but U.S. release date is still TBA.
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Artist Hassan Rahim's Miami Beach Photo Diary
Welcome to You Should Check Out..., a weekly blog in which Chris Black of Words For Young Men and Done to Death Projects tells you about something or someone he really likes and that he thinks you'll like too. Follow him on Twitter at @donetodeath.
Hassan Rahim is an artist and art director living and working in Los Angeles. His work, reminiscent of adolescent fantasies, uses photography, collage and mixed media to create strong contextual pieces. I asked Hassan to capture his experience at Art Basel Miami Beach 2012. He produced a wonderful collection of striking photographs that give us a different view of the otherwise sun-soaked, party-filled weekend.
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Black chair still life at Design Miami
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Staircase architecture, Collins St.
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Art Deco pillar, Collins St.
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Color-blocked paint and patterned floor, Ocean Drive
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My artworks from the HVW8 group exhibition, Downtown Miami
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My shirt with Nadja Stabouli's nails, Le Pompon at Victor Hotel
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Behind closed doors (private collection closet), Downtown Miami
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Private collection installation, Downtown Miami
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Private collection sculpture, Downtown Miami
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Private Collection still-life, Downtown Miami
Hassan Rahim is an artist and art director living and working in Los Angeles. His work, reminiscent of adolescent fantasies, uses photography, collage and mixed media to create strong contextual pieces. I asked Hassan to capture his experience at Art Basel Miami Beach 2012. He produced a wonderful collection of striking photographs that give us a different view of the otherwise sun-soaked, party-filled weekend.
Black chair still life at Design Miami
Staircase architecture, Collins St.
Art Deco pillar, Collins St.
Color-blocked paint and patterned floor, Ocean Drive
My artworks from the HVW8 group exhibition, Downtown Miami
My shirt with Nadja Stabouli's nails, Le Pompon at Victor Hotel
Behind closed doors (private collection closet), Downtown Miami
Private collection installation, Downtown Miami
Private collection sculpture, Downtown Miami
Private Collection still-life, Downtown Miami↧
Here's the New Tim Burton-Directed Killers Video, Starring Winona Ryder
Tim Burton directed the "Here With Me" video for The Killers and it stars Winona Ryder and British actor Craig Roberts. After the band went on hiatus for some solo activity and returned with a new album, Battle Born, several dates on their current tour -- including last Friday's stop at Madison Square Garden -- were postponed due to singer Brandon Flowers' bout with laryngitis. For the video, Ryder alternates between real person and wax dummy until the final scene when...guess you'd better watch and see.
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