On the Subject of: Steve Keene.

Steve Keene "Tanglewood Numbers"/Silver Jews, 2005.

In the Details: Zipper Porn, pt. IV.

(Big thanks to Max for contributing)

GQ, Behind the Scenes: Frank Muytjens, J. Crew.

When it was announced a while back, I was stoked to hear that Frank had been nominated as one of GQ's Best New Designers of 2010. Like most of the other nominees, Frank is anything but new to design. Having done his requisite time at RL, Frank took the helm of men's design at J. Crew a few years back and in the meantime has, with the help of his able design team, the pitch perfect Creative Direction of Jenna Lyons and the CEO-ness of Mickey Drexler, steered J.Crew into a whole new direction. There may be some debate, and when I say "may" I mean "is", as to whether what J.Crew is doing is anything other than co-opting what many feel is something that belongs to the initiated few and mass-retailing it across the country. I know this due to the amount of comments, left here and elsewhere, whenever a J.Crew post pops up. And I can't say that, at times, I don't see that side of the argument. The fact remains that J.Crew has surfaced on radars where, a few years prior, they hadn't even blipped.
Knowing Frank and Jenna a bit, it's a very genuine excitement that gives genus to what they do over there. Frank has an earnest and totally legit love for the same things that we all do. He just happens to be the head of Men's design at J.Crew.
We all have our opinions on the matter. Feel free to leave yours in the comments if you like.
Congratulations to Frank for the nomination. Well deserved.

Repeater: Steve Keene.

My first encounter with the slapdash work of Steve Keene, like most I would imagine, was the cover of Pavement's 1995 classic "Wowee Zowee".
The man is nothing if not the definition of prolific. Painting dozens of the same image at a time, stroke by stroke, each painting (usually on 1/4" or 1/2" ply) is a subtle and unique variation on the next.
I have a couple. I think a lot of people have a couple. It's difficult not to. With the volume of work Steve has created (noted on his site as presently 140,000. Up from the 36,000 in the 1998 film below), they are everywhere.
As described on his site Steve says, “I want buying my paintings to be like buying a CD: it’s cheap, it’s art and it changes your life, but the object has no status. Musicians create something for the moment, something with no boundaries and that kind of expansiveness is what I want to come across in my work.”
The film was made by Brett Vapnek over a decade ago, but I would imagine Steve has yet to slow down.

Over 36,000 Sold (1998) from Brett Vapnek on Vimeo.

"Do you need to be touching my horse?"

Machotaildrop
spotted over at Saturdays

Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White...

In 4 parts. Minor Threat @ the 9:30 Club, D.C., 1983. So fucking good.

L'iconique: The Quiet Charm of Jacques Tati.

Late one night years ago, on a trip to France for a friend's wedding, in bed with my now wife, while she slept, the television was on and it's there that I found myself watching Jacques Tati's brilliant "Jour de Fete".

Tati, born 1907, after a stint as a professional rugby player and success as a mime, would move into film, starring in all but his last film, and for the better part of his career, as Monsieur Hulot, the bumbling outsider to the rapidly advancing post-war cultural march toward modernity.


"Jour de Fete" however, the most singularly rural of his chosen settings, came two years following his first film, "L'École des Facteurs", a short from 1947 in which Tati first debuted his easily distracted postman in training.


There's much to like about the man and his films. Do yourself a favor, if you haven't already, and acquaint yourself with Tati's films.


Below, "Trafic", 1971. His final M. Hulot film.

Nostalgia: Dinosaur jr.

the soundtrack of my adolescence.
(the video for Just Like Heaven is so damn good)

The Great Outdoors: The Life & Times of Claude and Mary Tidd.

Claude Tidd. Born in England, 1886. Left for the Yukon at age 24. 20 years as a Royal Mountie. Married Mary Ryder in 1925. Avid outdoorsm
an, photographer
, musician, writer and film maker. Died in Dersingham, England, 1949. A frontier renaissance man. The real deal. To read more on Claude and Mary, click HERE. To view more of Claude's photos from his life in the Yukon, click HERE.

Johnny Cash, b. 2/26/32

Released today, Johnny's final American Recording, produced by Rick Rubin, America VI:Ain't No Grave.
HERE Rick talks about his work with Johnny and the final recording.
I had the pleasure of meeting Johnny on a number of occasions throughout my teenage years. He was a big man, in both stature and presence, with that deep drawl and booming laugh. It would take some time for me to fully appreciate having met the man in black all those years ago.

Moving Pictures: Rapha + Apolis Activism.

In late 2009, Shea Parton of Apolis Activism, Cole Maness of Rapha and videographer Dave Christenson took a trip to Kathmandu, Nepal to finalize the project that had brought them all together, the Transit Elite sweater. 70% merino wool, 30% cashmere, it is the marriage of the understated style of Rapha and Apolis Activism's continuously growing dedication to sustainable production methods on a global level. In their own words, "NEPAL BEING ONE OF THE WORLD’S CAPITALS FOR ADVENTURE CYCLING, THE STARS BEGAN TO ALIGN. LEADING US TO SEEK OUT RAPHA WITH OUR MERINO CASHMERE SOURCE, THE HAND KNIT STORY OF CITTA’S WOMEN CENTER AND THE CLASSIC HIMALAYAN TERRAIN. RAPHA WAS INTRIGUED WITH THE PROJECT AND AGREED TO HELP CURATE THE PERFECT REWARD AFTER A LONG RIDE – THE TRANSIT ELITE SWEATER."
This video gives a glimpse into what was surely a once in a lifetime experience. Well done fellas.

TRANSIT ELITE from Dave Christenson on Vimeo.