Steady Clappin'

via Goldcoast

I’m (maybe unfortunately) nostalgic about a lot of things. The end of summer is prime for feeling that way. There’s that blanket sunset light that makes everything orange and dream-like. There’s the heat that you savor because you know it’s about to go away. It’s the last day before school. It’s the last day of vacation. It’s Sunday night. It’s bitter sweet. Sure, it’s August now, but before you know it, leaves are gonna be strewn across the ground like training bras at a Justin Bieber concert.

Nostalgia is the reason we take pictures and write in journals. It’s why we can gather around a table and talk for hours into the night. If it’s anything, it’s a love for life lived.

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Everyone’s favorite zombie killing voodoo warrior is back with another EP, entitled Lazers Never Die. Collie Buddz and Lindi Ortega provide the vocals on this jawn. What’s hilarious is that every single person that was involved with this song is whiter than white. Diplo, Switch, Collie, Lindi. It’s like they mixed rice with milk, placed it on copy paper, packed it in some snow, and when they took it out, it was weed.

Major Lazer // Good Enuff (Cash Flow Dub)

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So for graduation from Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Eran Hilleli created this short film called Between Bears. It’s worth to watch it for the color palette alone. Very Mathew Lyons-esque. Upon posting of this video, I immediately felt really small and untalented and unaccomplished. Thanks, Eran. Thanks.

If there’s an example of how much music can mean to film, it’s this cinema reel by Brain Farm. While the footage itself is absolutely incredible, the first half using Imogen Heap’s Hide and Seek is so well executed that I pooped my pants for the second time today. It almost made me forget about how Jason Derulo tried his hardest to ruin the aforementioned song.

Thanks, Paul Mayne.

It’s interesting how some things come your way at just the right time. A friend just forwarded along this perfect article by Whitney Hess for A List Apart entitled No One Nos: Learning to Say No to Bad Ideas. I don’t know if the designer/client relationship will ever change; particularly in this age where anyone can get Photoshop, realize that there’s an effects palette, and post something to DeviantArt. The universal get-anything-anywhere nature of the internet has simultaneously helped and hurt the profession of graphic design. It’s opened up all these new possibilities, yet given the masses the same resources as the professionals.

The difference though, is a matter of education—and to a meaner degree, taste. You either have it or you don’t. Steve Jobs has taste. Steve Ballmer doesn’t. Karl Lagerfield has taste. Christian Audigier doesn’t. Windows became popular because of a real lack of competition. Von Dutch and Ed Hardy have become popular because of the “well-that-guy-is-wearing-it” attitude. Windows, since realizing that good design is a good thing, has made huge strides in the last few years. There’s no chance for Audigier. That guy’s a whore. The point of it is that as purveyors of good design, we have to work hard to fight for what’s right. We have to learn how to say “no”.

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Neil makes good pictures. He uses expired polaroid film to get all that fun vintage stuffness. His work reminds me of terrible 70′s fantasy movies on VHS. That is a good thing. He’s got loads of work up on his Flickr.

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Mikey Rocks, of Cool Kids fame, just came out with a couple solo joints that he damn sure better be proud of. The one below, Bat Phone, is just so smooth. It’s like metaphorical butter for my ears; because real butter in your ears is weird.

Mikey Rocks // Bat Phone

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I can’t get enough of Jade Castrinos in this video. She’s like this little kid that couldn’t be happier being where she is at that very moment. And her voice is amazing. It makes me want to quit everything I’m doing, grow a beard, get a backpack and walk to Los Angeles.

The version of Home they do is incredible as well.

This is a 1960′s ad for Tory’s Whiskey animated by Ryohei Yanagihara. I’m a big fan of Yanagihara’s style. It’s fun and carefree with a smart choice of colors. This commercial makes my inner 10-year-old want to go get hammered. As that’s impossible, maybe I’ll just go give some booze to a 10-year-old. That’s cool, right?