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Best of the Week – May 18, 2012

posted May 18th, 2012 & filed under digital trends, Fun Stuff, social networking, technology

1.  Facebook IPO Goes Public

This week Facebook went public with a record $104 billion dollar IPO offering that’s sure to solidify their future success.  A lot of industry experts worry that this might be the second coming of the late 90s tech bubble, but so far Social Media is garnering a substantial payday on Wall Street.  Another interesting article on Facebook this week is from The New York Times about the trend of not flaunting wealth in Silicon Valley, which seems like a perspective that’s shared by the entire tech industry.

via Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times

http://stream.wsj.com/story/facebook-ipo/SS-2-9640/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/18/facebook-ipo-live-updates-fb_n_1526829.html?ref=technology

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/18/technology/a-start-up-is-gold-for-facebooks-new-millionaires.htm

2.  Pinterest Gets Valued at 1.5 Billion

After another recent round of additional $100 million dollar financing, the Visual Social Media platform Pinterest is now valued at over $1.5 billion dollars.  It recently crossed the 20 million user mark and that’s a massive increase from only one million users as of July 2011.  It’s nowhere near the recent record breaking Facebook offering, but it looks likely it could be purchased by one of the tech giants the same way Instagram was recently acquired by Facebook.

via Huffington Post

3.  The Next Big Tech Start-Ups

This is a really interesting piece in The New York Times about the next tech start-ups with the most potential.  Everything from file sharing sites like DropBox, mobile payment apps like Square, and even Uber, an instantaneous private car reservation app are all featured in the article.  These are definitely some of the best tech upstarts and new companies to look out for in the coming year.

via The New York Times

4.  Internet Week Kicks Off in NYC

Internet Week kicked off this week in New York City and immediately became a must-go destination for anyone who wants to see the future of technology and what tech trends that’ll become popular in the coming year.  Everything from conferences and guest speakers to parties, social events, and even the 2012 Webby awards which are presented for the best web has to offer are all part of Internet Week, which ends this weekend on Sunday May 21st.  Check out Ad Week’s coverage for the best highlights and must see events from Internet Week.

http://www.adweek.com/internet-week-blog

https://www.internetweekny.com/

5.  New Animal Collective Album Announced

This week Animal Collective announced their new album Centipede Hz will be released in September on Domino as the follow-up to their critically acclaimed Merriweather Post Pavaillion, which was at the top of everyone’s best of the year list in 2009.  Centipede Hz seems like a return to AnCo’s more expansive jam band sound as evidenced in two new tracks “Honeycomb” and Gotham” that were also released this week.  Check out this interview on Pitchfork with AnCo member Dave Portner (Avey Tare) on the making of the  new album.

via Fader and Pitchfork

http://www.thefader.com/2012/05/14/new-animal-collective-album-centipede-hz/

http://pitchfork.com/news/46495-animal-collective-announce-new-album/

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/13564-honeycomb/

http://pitchfork.com/news/46517-animal-collective-new-album-back-to-our-roots/

http://pitchfork.com/features/update/8842-animal-collective

6.  New Squarepusher Album Ufabulum

IDM and Drum & Bass forefather Squarepusher makes a return this week with his new album Ufabulum which mixes a lot of modern production touches with his signature jagged drum patterns and carnival gone mad buzzsaw synths.  He’s always been known  for his erratic but oddly controlled sound and his new album definitely doe not disappoint; even fans of EDM and Corey Feldman lookalike Skrillex might enjoy his new tracks, with their glitchy warbles and stadium sized rave-era synth lines.  Check out the interview in FACT Mag with Squarepusher on the making of his new record and his feature in XLR8R about his five favorite classic jungle and drum & bass tunes.

http://www.factmag.com/2012/05/13/squarepusher-on-grappling-with-pop-pomposity-and-leds/

http://www.xlr8r.com/features/2012/05/high-five-squarepusher

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/13530-drax-2/

http://pitchfork.com/news/46108-video-squarepusher-dark-steering/

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16608-ufabulum/

7.  Loiter Squad Gets Renewed for a Second Season

Odd Future has almost become the de facto Internet rap group over the last year or so and they recently translated their mischief and merriment mentality to their amazing Adult Swim late night show Loiter Squad.  Their show just got picked up for a second season which solidifies another round of their signature style of Jackass style pranks, Tim & Eric esque parodies, and all around musically-tinged debauchery.  Even if you’re not quite a fan of their music, this show is really a must see.

via Pitchfork

http://www.adultswim.com/shows/loiter-squad/index.html

8.  New Azealia Banks track “Jumanji”

Tons of new cutting edge female MCs have been releasing music recently, and Azealia Banks might just have the most talent of all of them.  She’s gone from Harlem to performing in Karl Lagerfeld’s Parisian living room and then back to NYC playing the Met Gala draped in Alexander Wang.  On top of that her musical output is brimming with new releases: her full length album is dropping in the Fall, her 1991 EP drops May 29th, and her mixtape Fantastic comes out on July 4th.  Listen to this new Fantastic cut “Jumanji” with steller cross-genre production from Hudson Mohawke; it sounds the best Nicki Minaj mixtape track Nicki never made, and the HudMo beat really takes it to another level.

via Fader and Pitchfork

9.   New El-P Album and Performance on Late Show with David Letterman

El-P is probably one of the most legendary experimental rappers and producers and on May 22nd he’s gearing up to release his new record Cancer4Cure on Fat Possum, but you can already stream it in it’s entirety over at Rolling Stone.  El-P is known for his stream of consciousness rhymes and Mad Max post-apocalyptic soundscapes and his new album is a perfect example of the evolution of his hard-edged sci-fi sound.  Check out the video of the album cut “Stay Down” he performed on Late Show with David Letterman this week and a great piece from Fader on El-P’s production style in making his new album.

via Fader, Pitchfork, and Rolling Stone

http://pitchfork.com/news/46528-watch-el-p-perform-on-late-show-with-david-letterman-with-nick-diamond-of-islands/

http://www.thefader.com/2012/05/18/stream-el-ps-album-cancer4cure/

http://www.thefader.com/2012/05/14/beat-construction-el-p/

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/album-premiere-el-p-cancer-for-cure-20120518

10.   Wylie Dufresne Premieres New Menu at WD-50

Wylie Dufresne is known in the foodie world as one of the original molecular gastronomy innovators in the States and this month he look his bold and daring recipes one step further and created an entirely new tasting menu overflowing with his out of this world signature dishes.  Molecular gastronomy is known as one of the true avant garde facets of modern cuisine and Dufresne never disappoints with his original takes on classic dishes and wtf combinations that make so much sense on your palette, but sound outlandish in their conception.  The New York Times did a great piece and interview with Dufresne on the new menu and the unorthodox methods behind his madness.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/05/02/dining/20120502-WYLIE.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/02/dining/at-wd-50-wylie-dufresne-is-shaking-up-the-entire-menu.html

11.   Community premieres 8-bit Finale Episode “Digital Estate Planning”

Last night’s amazing finale episode of Community, “Digital Estate Planning”, was probably the first time that an entire primetime show took place inside of a fully rendered video game.  Almost the entire episode was in a classic Nintendo style 8-bit universe where the show’s signature characters controlled avatars of themselves on a quest to win an inheritance from Pierce’s father.  As always on Community, there were so many inside jokes, throwaway gags, and hyper-astute satirical jabs, and this episode was a special gift for video game fans with a non-stop barrage of inside gamer humor.  A.V. Club has a great in-depth review of all the episodes from last night’s three part Community finale.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/see-the-greendale-seven-as-video-game-characters-i,75182

http://www.avclub.com/articles/digital-estate-planning-the-first-chang-dynasty-in,73676/

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Chris Crocker and the Tale of What Happens After Internet Fame

posted May 11th, 2012 & filed under digital trends, Fun Stuff, insightful, social networking

This week’s issue of V Magazine had an interesting profile of Chris Croker, the YouTube star behind the infamous 2007 “Leave Britney (Spears) Alone!” video, who’s now featured in the documentary Me at the Zoo, which has been getting alot of buzz and publicity lately.

I’m intrigued to see what the fuss is really all about; not only did it get selected for inclusion in this year’s Sundance, but it’s also premiering June 25th on HBO.  I’m especially curious since it seems the style of the doc is a somewhat scattered collection of his Youtube videos, response videos, and other miscellaneous Croker material.

Overall I feel kind of conflicted about the idea of a Chris Crocker comeback.  On one hand, his interview with V Magazine made it seem like he has some substance and an interesting perspective of what it’s like to be gay and growing up in Tennessee.  But on the other hand, while watching his YouTube videos, he also seems extremely narcissistic – me, me, me and more me.

A lot of his content and persona pertains more to the early Social Media internet famous era, when Facebook was still a new platform and most of our time was spent on either YouTube, Blogs, or MySpace.  But with a fanbase of 100,000 Twitter followers and over 253 million YouTube views, he’s isn’t completely irrelevant and is well respected within the gay community.

So the real question becomes is he a genius or just another Internet fame whore attempting a comeback?  I guess only time will tell.  The only commentary and reflection I have is that it seems like the online world is quickly dividing itself between the content producers and the watchers and how your status quo is only based on how many followers you have.

Which really got me thinking — who was Internet Famous in 2007 and where are they today?  I found a Forbes List of the top 25 Web Celebs of 2007, and it’s definitely a mixed bag compared to the current top stars of the web.  Some are still around and popular like Perez Hilton, but most of their Internet buzz quickly faded away to make room for the next overnight meme.

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Assignment in Singapore: Pictures

posted May 10th, 2012 & filed under Fun Stuff, just because

Like some of you know, I returned in March from an assignment in Asia – Singapore to be exact.
Here are some pics of various locations I visited. If you need any Asia traveling recommendations, make sure to email me.

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#MetGala – #2 Worldwide Trending Topic on Monday

posted May 10th, 2012 & filed under events, Fun Stuff, insightful, social networking

Jessica Stam in Dior Couture, Anja Rubik in Anthony Vaccarello, and Karolina Kurkova in Custom Rachel Zoe Collection via FabSugar

On Monday night Vogue did a live broadcast of the Met Gala and the entire concept was pure genius.  It was immediately ranked #2 as a WORLDWIDE Twitter trending topic, which is an incredible amount of online buzz for this type of event.  It’s not surprising though; when you combine celebrities and high end couture, its fashion porn at its best.  The online chatter and responses generated by the event alone were incredible.

The combination of the interactive experience of watching the Gala on Vogue while catching commentary on live Twitter feeds was so fun.  It was such a spectacle seeing everyone’s ridiculous fashion choices and the wave of twitter trends that followed, from Marc Jacobs lingerie outfit to Anja Rubik’s naked dress and Beyonce’s barely legal sheer Givenchy number.

Marc Jacobs in Commes Des Garcon and Beyonce in Givenchy via StyleBlazer

I’m also miraculously linked to Ivanka Trump’s Instagram and got to see sneak pics of her getting ready for the event.  It got me thinking about the future of entertainment and how the lines are so blurred; with online culture there’s almost no defining point when an event begins and ends.

There’s such a voyeuristic feel where we can peep into everyone’s lives and create these stories.  From the celebrity tweets before they’ve arrived, to the post-show wrap-ups of the fashion bloggers commenting on everyone’s outfit.  I’m thrilled to see more and more interactive cultural experiences as every minute detail unfolds online.

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Best of the Week – April 27, 2012

posted April 27th, 2012 & filed under digital trends, Miscellaneous, technology

1. New App lets you Communicate through Animated Images

A new app for iPhones called MotionPhone was recently released that allows people to communicate through animated images instead of voice or text.  The app allows you to create and design your own abstract animated images which can then be shared with your friend’s images to create new and endless animated combinations.  It’s definitely an innovative way of using mobile techonology to communicate in a very unorthodox fashion.

via Huffington Post

http://itunes.com/apps/motionphonehd

2. Apple releases Specs on the iPhone 5

The Apple rumor mill never stops churning out new stories.  According to the Huffington Post, when the new iPhone 5 is launched it’ll be made of a liquid metal alloy casing instead of glass, it’ll be 4G LTE compatible, and 0.44 millimeters thinner then the iPhone 4S, which definitely makes it seem like an entirely new design, versus the interim changes on previous models.

via Huffington Post

3. YouTube Now Offers Over 100 Channels of Original Programming

In a move to compete with the online offerings of Hulu and Netflix, YouTube recently launched over 100 channels of original programming.  The content ranges in every category you can think of; home improvement, science queries, music / TV / entertainment news, and even something called “American Hipster” which is probably amazing and leaves you befuddled at the same time.  There are probably tons of unusual gems among the content; a good bulk of the programming was culled from the more successful channels that were on YouTube before the original programming launch.

via The New York Times

http://www.youtube.com/creators/original-channels.html

4. Mobile Lorm Glove Allows the Deaf and Blind to Communicate Through Mobile Technology

The Mobile Lorm is an amazing form of technology that allows deaf and blind people to communicate through mobile devices.  The Glove itself relies on Lorm, which is a tactile signing language that’s then transferred to sensors on the glove which is then translated to a mobile device and converted into speech or a text message.  It even allows the user to send and receive text messages through the glove.  It’s definitely a huge advancement in bringing the world of mobile tech and communication to the disabled.

via UberGizmo

5. Are Pheromone Parties the new Dating Trend?

Science and Singles became an unlikely combination recently with the launch of Pheromone Parties.  It’s a social event where you bring a T-Shirt you’ve worn for three days prior without washing it in a plastic bag and then everyone smells the shirts to determine who they should be matched with.  It sounds kind of odd at first, but maybe it makes more sense then meeting potential suitors based on eHarmony algorithms.

via LA Weekly

Pheromone Parties

6. New Mykki Blanco Single “Wavvy”

“Wavvy” is the first track from Mykki Blanco’s upcoming mixtape Cosmic Angel and if the rest of it sounds anything like this, it’ll be one of the most raw and next level releases out this year.  Blanco is a cross dressing performer that’s part of a new quasi-movement of gay rappers that are making some of the most innovative rap music out right now.  Also check out the interview Pitchfork did with Blanco and other artists about their new perspective on hip hop and how they’re changing the genre.

via Fader

http://soundcloud.com/mykkiblanco

http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/8793-we-invented-swag/

7. New iamamiwhoami video “Idle Talk”

iamamiwhoami created a huge mystique around her identity through her beautiful but cryptic viral videos and atmospheric sounds.  Eventually her identity was revealed as musician Jonna Lee, but it didn’t detract at all from the amazing project and tracks.  She released a new video this week for the song “Idle Talk” and it’s just as mesmerizing as the other vids in her iamamiwhoami catalogue.

via Fader

http://www.youtube.com/user/iamamiwhoami

8. New Cassie “King of Hearts” Richard X Remix

Cassie is one of those artists that has such a huge cult-following that every time she releases a track, even if its years between them, the entire blogosphere turns to shambles.  Her most recent club ready junt “King of Hearts” got the amazing Kanye West remix treatment a few weeks ago, and now Richard X, who’s worked with Annie and M.I.A., has also remixed it into a 4 on the floor club thumper with tons of murky synths stuttering under Cassie’s saccharine vocals.  If Diddy ever gets around to releasing her second album, bloggers will positively implode with excitement.

via Fader

9. Pitchfork Article: Social Media and the Influx of Music Writing

This is an interesting article from Pitchfork’s extremely well written and always astute Resonant Frequency column that discusses how the influx of music writing, mostly due to Social Media and web culture, has changed our opinions and how we think about music.  The author Mark Richardson brings up some really interesting points about the collective music critique culture online and how it changes and informs our own perspectives on music.

Resonant Frequency: Follow People If You Like Their Music | Features | Pitchfork

10. New Interactive Animal Collective Website Recreates Guggenheim Installation

Animal Collective has just launched a new website that seeks to recreate their 2010 Guggenheim Installation accompanied by music from their recent Record Store Day Limted release Transverse Temporal Gyrus.  By combining video and images by artist Danny Perez, and the signature atmospherics and otherworldly sounds Animal Collective is known for, the website is probably the closest thing to seeing one of the world’s most experimental bands take over an entire Frank Lloyd Wright architectural landmark.

via Pitchfork

http://ttg.myanimalhome.net/

11. New Death Grips album The Money Store

Death Grips new album The Money Store was released this week and it’s an unreal almost indefinable sound; its nonstop abrasive noise and industrial elements with earworm synths and guttural rap vocals. The most interesting aspect is it was released by the major label Epic and they were signed by L.A. Reid, who famously also signed Outkast to their first record deal.  They don’t have a lot in common as far as their sound, but they’re both similar in being completely experimental within the rap genre.  Also check out the interview Pitchfork did with Death Grips member Zach Hill, who’s also a member of Hella and Boredoms.  He gives some insight on the philosophy and sound behind the group.

http://soundcloud.com/deathgrips

Death Grips: The Money Store | Album Reviews | Pitchfork

Interviews: Death Grips | Features | Pitchfork

stream: Death Grips – The Money Store | GORILLA VS. BEAR

12. New Purity Ring 4AD single “Obedear”

Purity Ring, along with Sleep ∞ Over, have perfected the art of hazy atmospherics and dream-gaze synths over half-cooed vocals.  Their new single “Obedear” is the perfect evolution of their sound with an electro-backbeat and woozy infectious synth lines.  “Obedear” is the first single off their forthcoming debut album which comes out via 4AD on July 24.

via Pitchfork

http://soundcloud.com/purity-ring

13. New Planet Mu album and Mix by Traxman

Planet Mu has almost become the de facto record label for popularizing juke and footwork music in England and all over Europe.  Traxman is their latest artist that really represents the culture and roots of juke and ghetto house for the seminal label started by idm godfather Mike Paradinas.  Also check out Traxman’s recent FACT mix for a essential primer on juke and footwork, and their earlier incarnations ghetto house and ghetto tech in a masterfully put together set.

http://www.planet.mu/artists/traxman

Traxman: Da Mind of Traxman | Album Reviews | Pitchfork

FACT mix 326: Traxman – FACT magazine: music and art

14. Check It Out! With Dr. Steve Brule “Life and Death” A.V. Club Review

John C. Reilly has inhabited a diverse array of characters over the years but Dr Steve Brule is probably the most engrossing and absolutely bewildering of them all.  Just watching a single episode of Check It Out! could leave you befuddled for days.  A.V. Club writer Brandon Nowalk does a really great review of the second season episode “Life and Death” that really hones in on some of the influences and stylistic elements of the show.

“Life And Death” | Check It Out! With Dr. Steve Brule | TV Club | TV | The A.V. Club

http://video.adultswim.com/check-it-out-with-dr-steve-brule/index.html

15. Grimes plays “Genesis” on Later with Jools Holland

Indie darling Grimes recently played her track “Genesis” on the British late night show Later with Jools Holland and gave an amazing performance that keeps reminding listeners why her 4AD album Visions is one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year.  It’s an enchanted and intimate performance that really brings the track to life.

via Stereogum

http://lunavega.net/2012/04/deconstructing-grimes-will-her-internet-fame-last/

16. Left Eye to Join TLC in Reunion Tour

Weeks after the massive fanfare for Tupac’s digital return to Coachella, TLC announced that Left Eye will join them on their upcoming reunion tour.  The details are still up in the air whether it’ll be similar technology to the Tupac performance, or if they’ll use archival footage, but it’s definitely an interesting concept that’ll defeintely be a big draw for their upcoming tour.

via Huffington Post

17. P’Trique Tells Everyone About Charlotte Free’s New Gig

P’Trique and a gaggle of fashion’s who’s who star in this campy viral vid  as they play telephone spreading the word about model Charlotte Free’s new gig with Maybelline.  Everyone from Betsey Johnson to RHONY’s favorite yenta Jill Zarin makes hilarious cameos.

via Fashionista

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Television and the Interactive Realm of Social Media

posted April 11th, 2012 & filed under digital trends, marketing/advertising, Miscellaneous, Serious Stuff, social networking

Every aspect of our lives have completely merged with Social Media, including the entertainment we take in and how we interact with it.  Out of all the mediums television has definitely seen the most seamless integration with a huge a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and tons of different websites that solely focus on fan participation.  The viewing experience has taken on a completely new level of interactivity in addition to the benefits of essential marketing and research tools only available on Social Media.

One of the major changes that has come with Social Media integration into television are fully interactive viewing experiences.  There are shows that have premiered in the last few months where Social Media has allowed the viewer to actually become another character on the show.  One of the best examples is the recent NBC reality show Escape Routes.  It’s an Amazing Race style series that pits teams of two against each other in urban locales as they go on scavenger hunts to accomplish different tasks, but the major difference is the viewer at home can help out the teams with their missions in real time, through Social Media as a virtual teammate.  The competitors on the show update their whereabouts and specific tasks while getting assistance online from the viewers at home who become virtual team members and if you’re local enough you can go to the city they’re in and help them out with the tasks, which completely breaks down the wall between a passive audience member and actually becoming an part of the show.

Escape Routes is one of the best examples of a fully interactive and immersive television experience, but lots of producers have integrated Social Media into different facets of their shows.  Watch What Happens Live, a late night talk show on Bravo hosted by reality show dilettante Andy Cohen, takes questions from Facebook and Twitter followers in real time that alter the show’s content and sometimes get a rise out of otherwise stale guests.  Bravo has been one of the early adapters of Social Media presence for their stable of reality show franchises.  They encourage their most prominent cast members to maintain weekly blogs that expand on each episodes weekly storylines, and they air what they call “Social” editions of some episodes that have pertinent tweets from the cast members commenting on the storylines as the action unfolds on screen.

Beyond integration with Social Media into a show’s actual storyline, producers and creators have turned to Facebook and Twitter as another gauge for a show’s success.  Before the Internet one of the only ways for a network to grasp the popularity of a show was through Nielson boxes, which are doled out to a mix of different demographics to get a numerical gauge of actual viewership.  Social Media hasn’t made Nielson numbers irrelevant, (they’re still the main way that advertising revenue is determined for networks), but Social Media has become a different type of barometer that can sometimes even save a low rated show from cancellation.  One of the best examples is the cult favorite absurdist NBC sitcom Community.  Even though it was shelved midway though it’s third season, the outpouring of support from its dedicated and mostly younger fanbase was enough for the network to let it finish out the last 12 episodes of its season and then make a final decision after that.

Series creator Dan Harmon attributed this turnaround to a new television audience that does most of their viewing online in unmeasured venues outside of the Nielson system.  In an interview with The New York Times Mr. Harmon said, “The most coveted demographic, and most coveted of that demographic, these very smart, upwardly mobile, college-age kids just don’t watch TV anymore.”  Social Media has become such a huge factor in not only changing the television experience, but also as marketing research for show developers and networks who can get tangible real world opinions from their actual audience instead of the sometimes unrealistic Nielson numbers.  The Internet has completely reshaped the entire entertainment industry, and especially television has gone through a complete transformation in every venue, from the couch, to the computer screen, to the boardroom.

Resources:

Escape Routes

http://www.escaperoutes.com/welcome

http://www.nbc.com/escape-routes/

http://thefutoncritic.com/news/2012/03/07/ford-teams-up-with-nbc-and-emmy-award-winning-reality-producer-for-prime-time-tv-reality-show-escape-routes-436412/20120308ford01/

Bravo

http://www.bravotv.com/

http://www.bravotv.com/watch-what-happens-live

http://www.bravotv.com/blogs

http://www.bravotv.com/blogs/the-dish/get-social-with-the-real-housewives-of-atlanta-tonight

https://twitter.com/#!/BRAVOANDY

Community

http://www.nbc.com/community/

The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/arts/television/nbc-brings-community-back-to-its-passionate-fan-base.html?pagewanted=all

No Comments »

The Social Media K-Pop Fever

posted March 22nd, 2012 & filed under Fun Stuff, insightful, Miscellaneous, social networking

A new kind of Korean pop music has been taking over the American airwaves recently and it goes by the name of K-Pop.  While on my recent stay in Asia I experienced this  new wave of boy bands and pop music first hand. Not only are these groups huge in their own country, but they’re also turning their success into international fame.  In Korea the term is “hallyu” which translates simply into Korean wave, or an influx of Korean culture into different foreign markets.  It started in the 1990s with massively popular N*Sync and Spice Girls style boy bands and girl groups, and slowly over the years they’ve begun to expand their fanbase into different Asian markets and eventually into America.  Everyone from The New York Times, to Gawker, and even The Guardian have written recent stories about the growing K-Pop phenomenon.

                                                                                 Girls’ Generation

If you take a closer look, K-pop has actually been making huge strides in America over the last year or so.  Girls’ Generation, one of the most popular K-Pop all girl groups, performed on the The David Letterman Show, and they also recently signed with Interscope Records to release their latest album in the US.  Another girl group, Wonder Girls, even made a TV-movie for the TeenNick cable channel, which goes to show there’s definitely an expanding interest for K-Pop in tons of different American venues.

Last year one of the largest K-Pop production companies SM Entertainment hosted a sold out Madison Square Garden performance for their diverse roster of stars, some of which even covered American pop songs like Kesha’s “Tik Tok”, which is definitely an aesthetic parallel to the visual and musical component of the genre.  Although K-Pop is popular in the US, it’s not as widely covered in the mainstream media, so the ardent fans are using Social Media and other platforms to really expand the fanbase and share in their adoration of this cult-like phenomenon.  K-Pop music videos are some of the most widely watched clips on all of YouTube, with the recent Girls’ Generation #1 single “Hoot” racking up 2 million views on YouTube within 24 hours of it’s release.

Musically K-Pop shares tons of different similarities with Western Pop, Electronic Music and Hip Hop culture.  A lot of the tracks are a perfect pastiche of over the top trance and electro with modern R&B and Hip Hop tropes thrown in for good measure.  Famed East Coast Rap producer Swizz Beatz even recently partnered up with the Korean entertainment group O&Media to a create a cross-pollination of influences across the two diverse markets.

In a recent interview with MTV he talked about his admiration for the work ethic and marketing strategies within K-Pop culture, which is something he said was sorely lacking in American pop music: “They still do artist development [in Asia], where back here in the States, the labels and our culture lacks artist development,” he said. “Nowadays, an artist can go into the booth, put out a song the next day, and that person thinks that they’re a superstar. But within the K-Pop movement, artists actually go through artist development. They take music classes that allow them to be ready for when they do become that big star.”

Aesthetically K-Pop artists blend a huge mix of eclectic influences into their visual amalgam.  Many of the K-Pop girl groups have styles reminiscent of the classic Fruits magazine candy colored Harajuku style with different contemporary stylistic changes and nuances, while the boy bands, especially the massively popular Big Bang, has a really diverse and far reaching palette that often times mimics and remixes popular western fashion trends.

Big Bang Album Art for “Alive”

At certain times they’re resembled classic but punky Ralph Lauren yuppies, to rocking old school Nike and Reebok sportswear, and recently they’re gone a little bit into the Lady Gaga route, with androgynous retro-cyberpunk costumes, mixed in with a little Harajuku avant garde street style and fully customized getups, awesomely displayed in their recent video for their single “Bad Boy” which oddly enough was filmed under the JMZ subway tracks in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (which is definitely another nod to their influence and appreciation of Western culture).

While I was in Asia I was so excited to see this K-Pop movement in all of it’s awesome poppy and eccentric glory from billboards to clothing stores, and even MTV Asia, and then coming back to the states it was interesting to see NYC and other markets really embrace this amazing new style of pop music.  It’ll only be a matter of time before K-Pop has completely taken over the American charts.

Resources:

New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/05/business/global/using-social-media-to-bring-korean-pop-music-to-the-west.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/25/arts/music/shinee-and-south-korean-k-pop-groups-at-madison-square-garden-review.html

Gawker:

http://gawker.com/5892072/the-real-perfect-new-pop-song-is-this-k+pop-hit-bad-boy

The Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2011/apr/20/k-pop-sweden-pelle-lidell

MTV News:

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1680335/swizz-beatz-k-pop-venture.jhtml

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Marilyn Hagerty: Olive Garden & the Overnight Social Media Darling

posted March 20th, 2012 & filed under digital trends, Fun Stuff, social networking

A new meme that’s been exploding over the Web in the last week or so has given a solid foundation to the intersection between Social Media and foodie culture.  Food Writer Marilyn Hagerty, a 30-year veteran with the Grand Forks, North Dakota Hearld, has seen her recent review of the newly opened Grand Forks Olive Garden become a viral hit seemingly overnight.  The review eventually garnered over million page views, and a combination of 55,000 shares between Facebook and Twitter, which compelled her son James Hagerty, a writer for the Wall Street Journal to tell her about the overnight success, to which she responded: “Could you tell me what viral means?”

From there her instant fame kept growing larger by the hour.  A few days after her review was posted she was invited by The New York Times for a whirlwind food tour that included sampling her first taste of a NY style street dog, and decidedly more elevated fare at the Michelin star restaurants Dovetail NYC and Le Bernadin, which she adoringly detailed in her weekly “The Eatbeat” food blog, even calling her meal at Dovetail “probably the best meal I’ve ever had”.

There are so many interesting components of this story that you almost couldn’t have made up if you wanted to.  One day she was sending in a rather glowing review of the newly opened Olive Garden praising that their “…Chicken Alfredo ($10.95) was warm and comforting on a cold day“, and a week later she was being whisked away on a big city tour getting to eat at and socialize with some of the world’s most renowned chefs (including Eric Ripert of the New York French haute cuisine institution Le Bernadin).

Food Bloggers immediately caught on to the review both for its simple and folksy prose, and in an ironic, self-detached way that poked fun at the very concept of even reviewing an Olive Garden in the first place.  For the most part though, her meme experience has been overwhelmingly positive.  She even received praise from the self-declared “snarkologist” himself Anthony Bourdain on his twitter feed.  The only real detractors she’s encountered are from the hyper-sarcastic corners of the web that view every single meme with an air of haughty condescension.

She’s really become an endearing and successful example that shows Social Media isn’t all bullying and one-upmanship.  Hagerty has been reviewing her hometown restaurants for over thirty years, and as she stated in an interview with the Village Voice, there just aren’t enough fine dining restaurants in her locale, and she wanted to review places that everyone would go to and enjoy.

The culture clash aspect of this story is really interesting in how it’s being interpreted across the Web.  Social Media has an uncanny ability to break down cultural and economic barriers to create an even playing field that illustrates the most captivating stories will rise to the top of the heap.  It’s almost too easy to just denounce her praise of what most consider at best a sub-standard homogenized franchise; in the context of her article it’s probably completely accurate.

As she explained after being interviewed by her son following the success of her review “I’m working on my Sunday column and I’m going to play bridge this afternoon, so I don’t have time to read all this crap”, referencing the thousands of comments she received on Facebook and Twitter after the article went viral.  She seems like she’s already accustomed to the immediate snark that encounters most viral sensations, and she’s ready to fight back with a salad fork in one hand and a breadstick in the other.

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The Weird Hip Hop Movement

posted March 9th, 2012 & filed under Fun Stuff, insightful, just because, Miscellaneous, Trends

Jel & Doseone of Themselves and Anticon

Throughout the last year or so a new hip hop movement has emerged that many critics and fans of the genre has deemed “weird hip hop”.  With their nonstop release of free mixtapes, weekly YouTube videos, and a new more accepting audience with an eclectic taste, weird hip hop has really become an underground phenomenon that’s bursting from every corner of the web.  Beyond the relatively young and more tech savvy artists, weird hip hop has had a long and elaborate history in its rather organic and experimental evolution.  We’re going to give you a little primer on the most important artists within the movement and exactly how they fit into some of the most exciting and next level music that’s being released.

Cam’ron

If Cam’ron was white and from Portland, there would an endless amount of students writing their Graduate thesis’ about him instead of Beckett.  Cam’ron and his Dipset compadres effortlessly cram as many Theater of Absurd non sequiturs and bon mots into a 3 minute song that makes Endgame look like Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark.  He weaves complex narratives and nonsensical witticisms from intricate syncopated homonyms, self-created inside joke slang, and tongue twisting alliteration, all while maintaining the most astute anti-hero / stand up comic persona that’s ever been put on record.  He’s from Harlem but his Dada overtones are straight out of the marrow bones wafting out of every Paris brasserie.

Essential Listening: Come Home With Me, Purple Haze, Diplomatic Immunity, Boss of All Bosses

E-40

E-40 has been recording and releasing music longer then most of us have had fully developed ear drums.  He personifies the authentic, never contrived brand of west coast experimental gangsta rap that is seen as an absolute pinnacle within the genre.  From his use of extremely off kilter flows / cadences, and his creation of the some of the most innovative and commonly used slang has made him an absolute legend within the genre.  He’s probably one of the most original and inimitable rappers to ever come out of the west coast gangsta rap canon.

Essential Listening: Breakin News, Grit & Grind, Revenue Retrievin’

Wu Tang Clan

The Wu Tang Clan has been creating some of the most innovative and absolutely avant garde east coast rap music since their inception in the early 1990s.  From their use of eastern philosophy, martial arts metaphorical life lessons, and some of the most obtuse and abstract slang ever put to record, they’ve always been ahead of the curve compared to their mainstream counterparts, while at the same time being able to crossover and attain mass fandom.  Every member contains their own amazing idiosyncrasies, but Ghostface Killah has some of the most avant garde and wtf rhymes that have ever been uttered.  You could spend months just dissecting their catalogue and you would only be able to grasp a small portion of their prolific output.

Essential Listening: Wu Tang Clan – Wu Tang Forever, Ghostface Killah – Ironman / Supreme Clientale, Gza – Liquid Swords, Rza – Bobby Digital in Stereo

Freestyle Fellowship

Some might argue that Freestyle Fellowship doesn’t necessarily fit in with some of these other groups, but their progressive and next level records have decidedly laid the groundwork for every contemporary MC that might mildly pass within the “weirdo” conglomerate.  They have some of the most mindblowing flows / cadences that have ever existed in rap music, which were very often based on the scatting and improvisation commonly associated with Jazz music.  Every single member has their amazing individual flourishes, and especially Aceyalone and Myka 9 are two of the most important MCs as far as the legacy of their influence.  Everyone from Bone Thugs to Anticon would have never had a blueprint if wasn’t for what Freestyle Fellowship was recording over twenty years ago.

Essential Listening: Freestyle Fellowship – Innercity Griots, Aceyalone – All Balls Don’t Bounce / A Book of Human Language, Myka 9 – 1969, Project Blowed

Anticon

Anticon took the blueprint laid out by Freestyle Fellowship and the entire west coast underground and expanded upon it into absolutely unheard of territory.  For the last 15 years Anticon has released the most experimental and progressive hip hop that has probably ever existed in the genre.  Besides the releases on their own label, if you sought out the solo albums and group affiliations of each member, there is an endless array of records one more mind-blowing then the next.  Even if the collective never released another album, their catalogue will always be known as one of the most forward thinking and next level discographies in possibly the entire hip hop genre.

Essential Listening: Anticon – Music for the Advancement of Hip Hop,

Affilated Members & Groups: Clouddead, Why?, Sole, Doseone, Buck 65, Awol One, Circus, Radioinactive, Themselves, Deep Puddle Dynamics

Outkast

Southern Rap has always really had a special place in experimental and progressive hip hop.  Over the last decade or so it’s really become more popular and radio friendly, but there’s so much innovation and raw energy behind so many artists that could easily be seen as the origins of the weird hip hop movement.  Outkast has been releasing some of the most otherworldly and highly listenable rap music for the last nearly twenty years. Way before southern rap was accepted as a genre staple on the east coast, Outkast was making music that they wanted to hear, without contemplating if their fans would understand it.  They’ve effectively created an amazing formula for themselves incorporating some of the best aspects of the diverse hip hop landscape; the raw 808s of Miami bass music, the experimental synth lines of Bounce and electronic music, and some of the most interesting flows and cadences that have influenced generations of Southern Mcs.  Not to mention “Hey Ya!” by André 3000, is probably considered one of the best pop songs ever recorded; they can really do it all and make it seem effortless.

Essential Listening: Aquemini, Stankonia, ATLiens, Speakerboxxx / The Love Below

Kool Keith

No mention of weird hip hop is really complete without talking about Kool Keith.  He was almost similar to a golden era Lil B before the Based God was even able to lace up his Vans.  From his early output with the Ultramagnetic MCs, to his increasingly strange solo albums, Kool Keith is a rapper who never ceases to amaze. Just a short listen of his outer space gynecologist concept album “Dr. Octagonecologyst” to his amazing smooth R&B 808-centric “The Personal Album”, you’ll begin to realize his catalogue is just as diverse and outlandish as the multiple personas he creates for nearly every album.  He would have been right at home with Dali and Ernst in the Surrealist movement, eating snails out of a conch shell while coming up with non-sequiturs assembled from discarded napkin fragments.

Essential Listening: Dr. Octagonecologyst, The Personal Album, Black Elvis, Sex Style, First Come First Served

Lil B

Lil B has just as many fans as he has detractors, but no matter what you think of him, his massive online fanbase and prolific output has become one of the most substantial catalogues in experimental rap music.  From his creation of the “Based” genre, a philosophy that incorporates free association rhymes gathered from your subconscious, he’s taken the innovation of the last 30 years of hip hop, put it all in a Cusianart and out comes the most amazing smoothie that appeals to even the most discerning of palettes.  Through his innovative and steadfast approach to Social Media, he’s garnered a massive cult following that crosses all cultures, ethnicities, and demographics. He’s making some of the most progressive and experimental music that’s ever been released in any genre, while completely utilizing every tool within the hip hop canon.  He’s abstract like Rothko, a maximalist like Hirst, with a touch of the tongue in cheek humor of Warhol or  John Waters to boot; every song he releases is innovation in its purest form.

Essential Listening: The Flame Series, Angels Exodus, Rain in England, The Bitch Mob Series, Illusions of Grandeur, I Forgive You

These are a few other important artists or labels that need to be mentioned.  They’re all just as impressive in their amazing experimental releases:

Company Flow – Funcrusher Plus, EL-P – Fantastic Damage

Anti-Pop Consortium - Arrhythmia, Fluorescent Black, Airborn Audio, Shopping Carts Crashing

Busdriver - Jhelli Beam, Flash Bang Grenada, Temporary Forever, Fear of a Black Tangent

Gucci Mane – The Burrprint, The Movie, The Cold War

Fake Four Inc – Ceschi, David Ramos, Awol One, Myka 9, Factor, Busdriver, Sole and the Skyrider Band, Common Grackle

 

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Beijing: Wuhao reinvents the luxury shopping experience

posted March 5th, 2012 & filed under Fun Stuff, insightful

Beijing is a city bubbling with raw energy and creativity, and during my travels I’ve been absolutely amazed with the creative power of this city.

Within its enclaves, I discovered the Wuhao concept store. Hidden in a traditional style courtyard house or “siheyuan” in one of Beijing’s up and coming neighborhoods, Wuhao (which means five in Mandarin), is the only street sign outside the door. Once you enter the experimental store you’ll notice collections from various Chinese artists highly skilled in a wide variety of mediums.

From high end fashion to design pieces, this store exemplifies that notion that “Made in China” doesn’t mean poor quality products. When the owner, Isabelle Pascal, created the store a little over 2 years ago, her main goal was to defy all stereotypes while showcasing the abundance of talent available in China, which is evident in every piece that’s on display.

From Naihan Li’s furniture “Crates Series”, to the futuristic light reflecting gear by MPMP, and hats by Capouche, Wuhao is full of eclectic surprises. The shopping experience also feels like a euphoric dream. All of the retail pieces are displayed in separate rooms in a gallery style model.

In addition to curating luxury pieces, Wuhao also focuses on nurturing the artists it takes under its wing.  It’s important to the owner, Isabelle Pascal, to provide support to the growing Asian Art community. The fashion / art world is very often fickle and they need the proper guidance to be put on the map and give their career a solid foundation.

I urge you to go check out the store if your travels bring you to Beijing, China.  You won’t be disappointed.

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