Double Dutch by Malcolm McLaren. In case you don't know who Malcolm McLaren is, he was the guy who founded the Sex Pistol in the late 1970s, he was not in the band but he was the brain behind it and was the manager, though short-lived, it became one of the most famous punk rock bands of all time. This song was released in 1982 and by then McLaren had already transformed into a pop/dance music star heavily influenced by hip hop. Another hit song by McLaren from that year was Buffalo Girls. Check out the video for Double Dutch here.
I'm so excited that this week I have Portland's favorite bird, Amy Ruppel for my Five Whats segment. Her next wildly popular online sale is on Monday 2.25 at 10am (Pacific Time, 1pm Eastern Time), so make sure to check out her very affordable and super cute paintings!
images: Rare Device & Tiny Showcase
I made a new Gocco print called "Silver Flamingo". I like flamingos, but I'm not crazy about pink so I colored him in metallic silver instead. I think it's a more grown-up look than my usual animal series.
Lately I'm really into My Morning Jacket's 2001 album- At Dawn, it features a beautiful little song called Lowdown. Jim James' voice is god-sent, it's addictive that you'd want to hear him sing all day! I just checked their tour dates on their website and they are having a busy spring with South By Southwest in Austin in March, Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee in June, plus a show at Radio City Music Hall in New York also in June that is already sold out. 
I am thinking of going to Bonnaroo this year because my dad-in-law lives just 20 minutes from Manchester, TN., and this year's line up is really exciting, I'd love to see MMJ, The Raconteurs, Willie, M.I.A., Gogol Bordello, Rilo Kiley, Lupe, Ladytron, Fiery Furnaces, etc. Curious to see Led Zeppelin too (how can you not?!) Let me know if you are interested in going to Bonnaroo!
Today I'm staring a new feature called "Five Whats", a fun Q&A with my artist and designer friends.
images: Faiyaz Jafri
In a previous post I mentioned that I can't wait to see Michel Gondry's new movie- Be Kind Rewind, it is opening this Friday Feb 22, finally! I went to the official website and learned a new vocab- sweding, it means "remaking something from scratch using whatever you can get your hands on." So in that spirit, the first thing I encountered entering the website was my internet got magnetized and destroyed and it needed to be recreated, the 2 images above are the recreations of Google and You Tube. Very clever, right?! 
Michel Gondry also has a show at Deitch Gallery that he recreated the set of the video store in the movie. Bet is is a lot of fun and allows visitors to interact with the installations, so make sure you go there on a slow day to fully enjoy the show, which opened on Saturday Feb 16 and closes on March 22 (Tues-Sat: 12pm-6pm) at Deitch Projects- 18 Wooster Street, 213.343.7300.
My friend in Seattle told me the good news that my favorite radio station from Seattle- KEXP will be simulcasting on WNYE 91.5 FM in New York starting March 24, you can read about it here. I'm so stoked because I've been listening to the live broadcast online and soon I'll be able to listen to it when I'm not glued to the computer! My favorite shows are John in the Morning (weekdays from 6am-10pm Seattle time), and Cheryl Waters (weekdays from 10am-2pm), they are THE sources for cool indie music. There are also lots of live performances at their studio, by major artists like M.I.A., Bob Mould, Les Savy Favs and The Kills. Their website is also a great place for podcasts and streaming archive of shows from the past 2 weeks. Trust me, you will be hooked on the station if you give it a try!
I've blogged about my good friend Siu Yin Chau before, and I can't tell you how much I love wearing her knits this winter. I am psyched that she has just posted her new Fall/Winter 2008-09 collection online. I love the scarf with shawl collar and pockets for its multi-functional design, the primary color would really brighten a dark winter wardrobe! The hat/scarf in raspberry below is also very practical and pretty (the picture doesn't do it justice!) 
But the best pieces in the collection has to be the mixed color wool pieces (last picture shown below), I've seen the yarn in person and it is really soft and beautiful, I must have the pink hat with ties and the purple/gray scarf!!! Too bad I'll have to wait about 10 months before I get to wear them! You can check out her current line at Opening Ceremony, who is also her showroom agent.
images: siuyinchau.com
It is not easy to get up at 9am to catch CBS Sunday Morning Show, but the show really makes my day. Before I started watching the show I used to think that it's a show for "old people", but if you give it a try you'd be hooked. Why? Each week it has a segment on Art, mostly contemporary, my favorite ones are stories on Murakami, Banksy, and this week's story is on the late Charley Harper (with Todd Oldham who catalogued his work for 5 years and published an amazing book- Charley Harper- An Illustrated Life). There is also an interview with Julian Schnabel on his career as an artist and now a great director.
Another favorite segment is by reporter Bill Geist, who travels to the most random places in the country discovering what these places are known for, from visiting the psychic capitol of the world- Cassadega, Florida to find out what's in the cards for 2008, to fishing on the frigid cold waterways in the capitol of ice smelt fishing- Bowdoinham, Maine. It looks much funnier than it sounds because Geist reminds me of Flanders from the Simpsons! So if you have DTV or Tivo or a morning person, make sure you catch CBS Sunday Morning, it's got everything you want to know and is a great source of interesting conversation topics for the coming work week!
images: cbs
I admit that I wear A.P.C. clothes way too much, and I even love their Jasmine candle, it's the only candle I use and will never get tired of! And now, I can feel like a cool Parisian even when I'm singing Karaoke with this DVD! It features some of my favorites- Like A Virgin, Addicted to Love, Sheena is a Punk Rock Star, Search and Destroy, and Billie Jean. The instrumental tracks were rearranged and recorded in A.P.C.'s studio in Paris and the legendary Bill Laswell's studio in New York. These classic tunes are accompanied by beautiful scenic images of Greenland shot by Ariane Michel. I don't really know how well they go together but the concept is great, and I applaud A.P.C. for making a tasteful-looking karaoke that may convince you it's cool to sing in public.
