Long acclaimed as among the most innovative and spellbinding bands
on the contemporary British pop scene, the Verve finally broke through
to a mass international audience in 1997 with the instant classic
"Bittersweet Symphony." Originally
known simply as Verve, the group was formed in the small Northern
English city of Wigan in 1989. Led by the magnetic Richard Ashcroft --
a swaggering, shamanic figure in the classic rock star mold -- the
original lineup also included guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon
Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Sharing a collective fondness for
the Beatles, Funkadelic, and Krautrock -- as well as a legendary
appetite for psychedelics -- the quartet signed to the Hut label within
months, debuting in March 1992 with the single "All in the Mind," the
first in a series of indie chart-topping efforts featuring the
eye-catching artwork of designer Brian Cannon. Subsequent efforts like
the brilliant "She's a Superstar" and "Gravity Grave" captured an
original musical identity growing by leaps and bounds, distinguished
chiefly by Ashcroft's elemental vocals and McCabe's echoing guitar
leads. The Singles: 92 - 98 represents a landmark collection of releases from one of the most celebrated British bands of the last decade download music - listen to them here
What has more fold lines than Cher, a hotter body than Jolie and gets around town faster than Paris Hilton changes boyfriends? The new GoBike from Japan. It's the innovative mobile solution for the modern urbanite.
Unlike other fold ups, this bike is for serious riding. Don't let its good looks fool you, the Gobike is strong, durable and can take a hard ride. It's one size fits all, light weight and ultra funky. The Gobike is set to do to the biking world what Razor did for scooters. by Andy G
If Nike where to launch a safe sex campaign, this would be it. Photographer Simon Wakelin came up with this smart concept image for Pony Sneakers which Pony rejected. (They didn't have the BALLS to use it) . The advertising project depicts an adonis champion
standing to attention with his most valuable assets covered by his
second most valuable assets. Sexy, striking and bold, if Nike decide to take this on, it will bring
new meaning to the phrase JUST DO IT .
A countercultural self-help book compiled by a veteran of the underground who has spent 30 years in the alternative art trenches, these experiential, very real commentaries from today's underground luminaries offer honest and humorous advice on everything from "Door Etiquette for the Nightlife-Challenged" by Clint Catalyst to "How to be an Art Star" by downtown NYC scenester Reverend Jen. Without a hint of irony, Good Advice for Young Trendy People of All Ages shows would-be bohemians how things really are ("How to Live in Debt" by Mykel Board), instead of selling far-fetched dreams of writing the great novel or producing the top gallery show. The book includes chapters on how to work a room, how to raise kids, drugs (doing `em and not doing `em), how to survive in prison and buying, using and packing a strap-on. Contributors include Jennifer Blowdryer, Clint Catalyst, Bucky Sinister, Lynn Breedlove and many other talented peeps.
Could Lizz Wright be the next big vocal thing? I discovered Lizz Wright on the hip music blog Aurgasm.
The 25 yr old, Atlanta-born stretches beyond the jazz confines of her
impressive debut, Salt. Her new album, "Dreaming Wide Awake," is like
a new breed of Americana: a gentle crossover pop music neither black
nor white, neither urban nor rural, neither modern nor old fashioned.
This more mature new sound is a nifty, dreamy invention. "Each element
is recorded with killer clarity: her voice, the guitar plucks and
strums, the deep double bass string rattle". This CD is a musical
investment. Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to the musical elegance
of Lizz Wright.
Featherlift is a new cosmetic procedure that lifts the face with
threads. It was developed by Moscow based, Georgian cosmetic surgeon,
Dr. Marlen Sulamandize.
The procedure actually involves facial
lifting, (not pulling) which is done with Aptos threads. Once inserted
under the skin, the Aptos thread cog will form a permanent support
structure for the tissue of the face, actually lifting and contouring
it. Nasolabial lines (smile lines) will lessen as the patient's cheeks
are raised and their jowls retracted.
It takes only 20 minutes
and is performed under local anesthesia with the patient remaining
comfortably awake. There is no surgery involved; rather the Aptos
threads are inserted through a needle.
The Design Trust for Public Space a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality and understanding of New York City's public realm unveiled last week what possibly could be New York's new taxis. As the 100th anniversary of the New York City taxi approaches in 2007, the Design Trust for Public Spaces and the Parsons School of Design invited designers, architects, landscape architects, urban planners, city officials and representatives of taxi owners, drivers and regulators to a "Designing the Taxi" workshop to discuss how to improve the comforts and composition of the iconic yellow cab. One design firm pitched a baby seat incorporated into the cab. Another company, Antenna Design of Manhattan, (pictured here) submitted a new roof-top duty light that makes it more clear whether a cab is vacant. Designers can be submitted from both design firms and regular New Yorkers.
If you had braces, wore corduroy, watched Dr Who or were in the debating team then this book is your new bible.
There's
never been a better time to be a geek and "Geek Chic" is a testimony to
all things Geeky. It traces the rise of geek culture
and its history through television music and media. Part two is hotter
than a hyper-color tee shirt on vanilla ice, focusing on computer
games, robots and dare we say ' fashion '! Wether you are the geek in
question or a geek sympathiser, this book is the last word in nerd.
Take a nice dip in the random chapter pool or throw yourself in from go
to whoa . Either way Geek Chic makes being a geek too cool for school.
Available in the US in August $20, UK/AUS/July £9.00/$39
The new 'wild ones' of the architectural scene,
GRAFT (best known for their work on Brad Pitt's Hollywood Hills studio)
have designed a new super lifestyle hotel in Berlin. Named 'Q', this
5-star hotel earns a spot on Conde Nast Traveller's roundup of best
cool hotels for its inventive and striking design.
Thomas
Willemeit, Lars Krückeberg and Wolfram Putz, the trio behind Graft have
designed a unique room experience in Q!. For the first time in a hotel,
walls are no longer just the boundaries of a room but actual pieces of
furniture. Therefore, guests change their interaction with furniture
and architecture and become the actors on the lifestyle stage,
explains Thomas Willemeit. It is as if the room has been formed by
movement, he adds. The rooms at Q! convey energy, tranquillity and
inspiration and remind you of futuristic cocoons. Q! Berlin
The representation of three-dimensional objects on a surface so as to produce the same impression of distance and relative size as that received by the human eye is a practical definition of perspective. Now imagine the perspective created by a portable, inexpensive three-dimensional immersive viewing system that could be useful in a variety of real-world applications. Definitions and imagination aside, The VisionStation by Elumens is an exciting and cutting-edge product that will be appreciated by optic nerves everywhere. Seeing is truly believing with this product. by Isla Verde
Designed by Swiss celebrity architects, Jacques
Herzog and Pierre de Meuron (think Tate Modern in London), the Allianz
Arena in Munich, Germany was opened last week after 3 years in the
making. The 66,000 seat super-modern stadium is the home to both
Munich's 1st division football clubs (FC Bayern München and TSV 1860
München). The translucent wall/roof which looks like a rubber
dinghy is made up of high-tech inflatable air cushions that can be
illuminated in 3 colors; red, blue & white. When FC Bayern plays it
turns red and blue when TSV 1860 plays. World Cup 2006 has never looked
better. allianz-arena.de
The most frustrating part of air travel is about to be revolutionised.
The on-board passenger visual reference where passengers view the
planes distance covered on a map that looks like an ancient 80's Atari
Video Game is getting an extreme makeover.
Developed by Lufthansa-Technik, Airtrack is a satellite based moving
map system that is designed to provide passengers with an entertaining,
informative and highly detailed view of the ground covered directly
below the planes flight path as well as the earth's surface. The 2D and
3D imaging is so sharp that even individual streets can be viewed on
the high resolution screen. The added benefit of the Airtrack system
stems beyond entertainment into safety. The System can record and store
up to 40 hours of flight monitored video which can be invaluable data
in the case of an air line disaster. Air Berlin and a middle eastern
airline which has not been announced yet are the first to offer the up
close and personal tracking system to their passengers, with the system
set to be standard across the board in the not too distant future.
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