Hustler of Culture

Please Support "Hello, Skater Girl"!

Hello, Skater Girl from Hello, Skater Girl on Vimeo.

I support the skateboarding community, young women, and my big brother Julian who launched this Kickstarter campaign to finish a photobook about women and skateboarding. Kick in some change and help Hello, Skater Girl get published.

More about the project:

"Hello, Skater Girl" is a photo book that captures the spirit, determination and playfulness of girls skateboarding over a year in 2011. It mixes image, illustration and text to document the lives of several skaters doing what they love to do: skate — at competitions, alone and together at parks, backyard pools and favorite skate spots.

Keep an eye out for our exclusive in-depth interview with photographer and tinkerer, Julian Bleecker soon!

José Parlá “Character Gestures”

From the Parlá brothers:

OHWOW presents this exclusive video with a visual tease of the exhibit, illustrating Jose Parla's handiwork while birthing his cement infused pieces. It's been recently announced that due to popular engagement, the exhibit has now been extended one more week through October 29, 2011. If you have not witnessed the works of art in person, there's a few more days to treat yourself to the experience.

"Satellite" by Brandon Schott

Have you guys had a chance to check out sweetheart singer, Brandon Schott's new music video, "Satellite"? Wait no further and transport yourself to director Matt Barrios' magical wonderland of pretty images and soothing sounds.

Like what you are hearing (ahem, Beatles)? Consider spending your hard earned dollars on Brandon's newest record, "13 Satellites" (I did). It's such a joyful musical adventure! The album is now available on Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify.

Eye-to-eye With a Blue Whale

UNBELIEVABLE. This blue whale sighting just happened a few days ago. The crowd's excitement is infectious! We love Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari and highly recommend you take a short ocean trip if you're visiting Southern California -- it's a game changer to see the largest mammal to ever "walk" the planet.

Banks Violette: Vinyl Aesthetics

Banks Violette: Vinyl Aesthetics on Nowness.com.

I've never heard installation artist Banks Violette speak before. Thanks to Nowness, I can enjoy this intriguing video with mouth agape. I didn't think I could love Banks more. But I do. More, more, more please!

"Art in the Streets: The Murals Project"

Art in the Streets project for Vanity Fair, Cadillac and MOCA with Shepard Fairey, Kenny Scharf and RETNA from sage seb on Vimeo.

Check out this dope teaser video by Sage Seb of "Art in the Streets: The Murals Project". Following the MOCA street art exhibition, friends Shepard Fairey, Kenny Scharf and RETNA took their art back to the streets. Congrats to all three!

Hey Angelenos, if you want to sneak a peek, the murals are located at the West Hollywood Library.

First Of The Year (Equinox) by Skrillex

This generation's Firestarter (and I don't mean The Prodigy).

Rostarr: B-Boy Abstraction

Rostarr: B-Boy Abstraction on Nowness.com.

It's easy to love Ro. He's so charming, talented, and humble. And those dimples. Man... Ro is the shit!

Marc Jacobs for Native!

Everybody knows how much I love Native Shoes. It's nice to see the rest of the world catch up. Two of my favorite brands collaborating is a win for me and you! The limited edition Jimmy boot is available exclusively at Marc Jacobs stores on September 8th.

Going To The Store

These stores are in Santa Monica (Ocean Park Boulevard in Sunset Park to be exact). I've been local for more than a decade but I've never picked up the walk. I need to. Starting now.

[Thank you Cesar for never disappointing me with your video links and for sending me stuff with less than 300 view hits on them!]

This Week In Music: Andy Gould - Manager (Rob Zombie, Guns n Roses, Morrissey)

Fifteen years ago, I used to attend semi-regular dinners with my uncle Mike and his two best buds, legendary music manager Andy Gould and Rick Sales, my former employer and Slayer's manager. I used to sit quietly and listen to the three rock industry vets shoot the shit and talk about "the good old days". They regaled me with industry lore, drummer jokes (mainly aimed at Tommy Lee), and stories that seemed too-crazy-to-be-true. My 39-year-old-self regrets that my 24-year-old-self had not recorded the dinner conversations -- there was definitely enough material for a comic industry tell-all.

Anyone who cares about attending a masterclass with someone who's worked hard, for a long time, in an ever changing media industry should carve out 45 minutes of their day and watch this interview by Ian Rogers for This Week In Music. My two favorite takeaways:

"I want new music to succeed more than ever."

"I never really managed anyone that I didn't like."

These are semi-serious thoughts from someone who's always made me laugh.

It was especially cool to stumble upon Andy's interview, considering I ran into Nigel Grainge yesterday at Uncle Mike's house (Ian, you should interview him too) and there's something to learn from all these guys.

I'm  looking forward to following this video series... very, very cool!

Jay-Z and Kanye West's "Otis"

So I was watching this nicely shot new Spike Jonze video for Jay-Z and Kanye and it was making me feel funny inside. Simply put, I don't believe or buy Jay-Z, the dapper don, hanging out in the desert in a t-shirt and jeans. Seriously. It's too disturbing. Where's his tailored made European suit? And Kanye? Who cares about Kanye.

I did love the opening. But that's about it. I need to hear more of this album.

Metropolis II by Chris Burden

Traffic is a burden all Angelenos live with. Seeing something so beautiful inspired by something so ugly is pretty rad and breathtaking. I cannot wait to see artist Chris Burden's new kinetic sculpture "Metropolis II", opening this Fall at LACMA.

Directed by Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman
Edited by Max Joseph
Cinemtography by Schulman, Joost & Van Neistat
Music by Tortoise (Ten-Day interval) & Mahogany (Windmill International A)

[Thanks for sharing, Cousin Diana]

Call For Submissions: SFMOMA Art Game Laboratory

SFMOMA Art Game Laboratory: Call for participants

SFMOMA’s Education Department is looking for proposals from artists and designers of all disciplines for simple experiments that use the vocabulary of game play to engage SFMOMA’s visitors. Selected projects will be installed in the Koret Visitor Education Center on the SFMOMA’s second floor, where they will be available for public use. Art Game Lab participants are also encouraged to present components of their projects at alternate community venues or online. The onsite display will open at SFMOMA in January 2012; once a project is selected, satellite and online components may begin before the exhibition’s opening and continue after its closing.

About the project:
Art Game Lab is a participatory educational display space in which artists, curators, game designers and experience designers present new platforms for collaboration and audience participation at SFMOMA. Building on ideas of experimentation, critique, and play, the project will engage visitors to ask their own questions about the art on view and the institutional context of the museum. Proposed projects should use the vocabulary of game play to encourage audiences to access the artworks, galleries, space and culture of the museum in enjoyable and innovative ways. They may also present complex issues of institutional authority, empowering audiences to ask questions about how meaning and value are
constructed within the walls of a museum.

PAS House

Etnies' founder/owner, Pierre-André Senizergues' ambitious plans to build a completely skateable home in Malibu are under way. I've seen a few skate-centric homes before where parts of the house were skateable. But I've never seen a home that was 100% built for skating. More info:

Imagine a city of the future where skateboards are used as the primary form of transportation and recreation – in and out of your home. A utopia city for skateboarders would mean that a skateable path, like a ribbon connecting everything together, links each building in an unending ability to keep in motion on your board. The PAS House takes this concept and brings it to life through an architectural project mixing a modern single family home with a skateboard ramp structure – all from an environmentally-driven perspective.

GOOD: 4th of July

Our friends at GOOD posted a video in honor of Independence Day showcasing what our community loves about America. Check out this clip of sixty answers in sixty seconds.

[Thanks to Rob for the link!]

Korea's Got Talent: Choi Sung-Bong

Warning! Tearjerker alert! Check out Korean orphan Choi Sung-Bong's performance on Korea's Got Talent. There is no way a person can watch this video and not shed a few tears for this boy. And that's before he even starts singing. His story is heart wrenching. I hope he's the real deal.

Everyone's saying Choi Sung-Bong may be the next Susan Boyle. Good luck, young man! May you go very far in this competition and more importantly, may you find love and family and go farther in life.

[Thanks, Eva for the share!]

Turtle Traffic at JFK Airport (ATC Conversation)

After reading this NY Times article about turtles on JFK's runway, I clicked on this link to hear air traffic controllers talk about the same subject from 2009 and I'm so happy I did. It's hilarious. Best overheard convo, ever! [Thanks Paddy for the link!]

Doze Green > SPFW for Chilli Beans

Getting Real in the Whole Foods Neighborhood

I know it's been getting real in the Whole Foods parking lot. But nobody's talking about the biggest oversight by the viral video depicting life of the LA-Westside-Prius-driving-artisanal-cheese-set. Like, where's my grocery gang at?

Nine out of ten visits to the Venice Whole Foods, I'm going to run into a neighbor at the deli counter or warm food station and sure enough, I'm going to high five, hug or handshake a few more people before I run through the register.For example, 48 hours after the music video gripped the imagination of the nation's good-problems-to-have-posse, I ran into photographer/director and Mumble contributor, Tobin Yelland at the soup station. At the soup station from the actual Whole Foods made famous by a viral video, only a few nights before!

Tobin and I caught up and I suggested what soup I thought might be tastiest and then I snapped a lame phone cam picture of him so I could write about our accidental meet up. At the time, Tobin hadn't seen the Whole Foods Parking Lot video yet (he's been traveling for work). Now the two are entwined forever on the internets. Bon appetit, Tobin!