Perhaps you recall, waaaaaaay back at the beginning of April, I reported that Solar One and Brooklyn Vegan had teamed up to organize an FREE weekend-long event for NYC. At the time, they were still looking for volunteers, including bands, to help out. The people of NYC responded and the result is an awareness raising, green energy, arts, and music festival that will be completely powered by solar power and bio-diesel generators! Today Brooklyn Vegan announced the lineup and other goodies one can participate in during the weekend of July13-15th. For example, you can bring your energy bill to the event and switch on the spot to a green plan with ConEdison. In return you receive credit for free beer at the concert! Or, simply bring a mug and get $1 off beer! These folks know the right language to speak when talking about improving the environment!
Here is the digs from Brooklyn Vegan:

Brooklyn Vegan & Solar One present Citysol:

A FREE SHOW on SATURDAY JULY 14 (1pm-10pm) in NYC w/
LES SAVY FAV (!!)
Land Of Talk (previously announced)
O’Death (yeah)
The Besnard Lakes (previously announced)
These Are Powers (ex-Liars)
The Budos Band (funky)
Frankpollis (starring Jackson)
plus a very special performance from OCDJ
(Dance Party until the solar goes out!)

@ Solar One at Stuyvesant Cove Park – located along the East River between 18th and 23rd Streets. Solar One sits in the north end of the park, near the 23rd Street entrance and the Gulf Gas station.

Righteous! There is so much excellent information to discover, it would be difficult to reproduce all of it here, so go over to the BV and check it out:

Brooklyn Vegan Presents Citysol 2007
The Citysol page on the Solar One website

Previous Citysol News On HearingTest:

Citysol Seeks Bands-Aid on HearingTest

One of my favorite design communities – Threadless – busted out this week with new contests and new releases as part of their Wear I $pent My Summer Vacation Sale. By the end of the weekend, someone is going to win an ipod and digital camera, and everyone will find great designs by so many fabulous artists- on smooth american apparel shirts for as low as $10! Ten frickin US dollars! And they will be releasing another new design everyday until June 3rd.

I’m particularly fond of this one that I bought on sight (I’m actually wearing it as I write this):

Aww YEAH! Iz gonna be a Beat Street Beat Down!!

That’s not all… By coincidence, I submitted a slogan for a tshirt idea this week. It’s a sweet little philosophical one-liner that I have used for years in conjunction with my solo music project. If you want to make a dedicated music journalist super happy, vote to get it printed as a tshirt. Check-check-check it out y’all:

Robots don’t leave fingerprints

Click the slogan there to vote!

You need to sign in or sign up for a Threadless account, but go ahead, you’ll need one to order anyhow. If you get a chance to tell them who referred you, my Threadless name is robotanist . For those not familiar with the Threadless community, they RULE! Check out the next contest coming up – they are seeking Tshirt design submissions inspired by “awkward love” in celebration of the quirky romance comedy Eagle vs. Shark… The regular contests are located behind the big red heart at the top of the page. If you don’t see it, hover over “Participate” and you will see the heart to the right.So go ahead, find something cool to wear to the show next weekend, and enter to win some cool prizes! Thanks for your support! If I win this slogan contest, I will have some credit to spend on Tshirts, which means HearingTest will definitely be having a contest with Tshirt prizes!!
Enjoy your Threadless Summer Vacation!

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If you love quality concert posters, in the vein of Frank Kozik’s legendary style, then you will probably love the eye candy that Niek Schutter and Ricky Van Durren have compiled for you. It’s called Rockin’ On Paper, and it’s a collection of vibrant concert posters from the Vera Club in Groningen, Netherlands.
The Vera website describes it best :

Rockin on Paper’ is a 320 pages full color history on the Vera Club and it’s posters. The Vera Club in Groningen has been renowned for being a cool place to perform for the Alternative Music Scene. Part of it’s charm are the posters: silk screened with lots of original artwork. Memento’s for both audience and band. This book contains a broad selection of the archived posters (more than 300) between the really early years and somewhere around 2005. Next to it a short historical overview of the Club and some personal memories on some of the -for a variety of reasons- more memorable performances. Interviews with: Lee Ranaldo, Mick Collins, Lou Barlow, Kim Gordon, David Yow, Ross Knight.
Text is in both Dutch and English.
With the book comes a DVD containing original live footage shot at and by the VERA Club itself. Exciting performances by:the Gunclub, Monster Magnet, Dead Moon,Giant Sand, Sebadoh,Cosmic Psychos, the Gories, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Dinosaur jr., Sonic Youth and Beat Happening.

The DVD is equally exciting, check out this tracklist!

01 The Gun Club – “Ghost on the Highway”
02 Dead Moon – “54/40 or Fight”
03 Dead Moon – “I’m Wise”
04 Dead Moon – “Out on a Wire”
05 The Band of Blacky Ranchette – “Moon Over Memphis”
06 Sebadoh – “Sacred Attention”
07 Sebadoh – “Brand New Love”
08 Sebadoh – “Ride the Darker Wave”
09 Sonic Youth – “Schizophrenia”
10 Sonic Youth – “Expressway to Yr. Skull” (aka “The Crucifixion of Sean Penn” aka “Madonna, Sean and Me”)
11 Sonic Youth – “Pacific Coast Highway”
12 Sonic Youth – “Beauty Lies in the Eye”
13 Sonic Youth – “Tom Violence”
14 Sonic Youth – “White Kross”
15 Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – “Backslider”
16 Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – “History of Lies”
17 Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – “The Feeling of Love”
18 Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – “White Tail”
19 Cosmic Psychos – “Pub”
20 Cosmic Psychos – “Lost Cause”
21 Cosmic Psychos – “David Lee Roth”
22 Dinosaur Jr. – “The Lung”
23 Dinosaur Jr. – “Kracked”
24 The Gories – “To Find Out”
25 The Gories – “He’s Doin’ It”
26 The Gories – “Queenie”
27 Beat Happening – “Revolution Come and Gone”
28 Beat Happening – “Nancy Sin”
29 Beat Happening – “Fortune Cookie Prize”
30 Monster Magnet – “Medicine”

To order, go to this manic page.

LA PHIL PRESENTS – SHADOW OF STALIN SPECIAL EVENTS:

RUSSIAN CHANSON EXPLORES UNDERGROUND MUSICAL MOVEMENT
PRAVDA RE-IMAGINES RUSSIAN CULTURE FOR LATE-NIGHT DJ AND VJ MULTI-MEDIA EVENT

the LA Philharmonic Association published a press release today with the following information :

On Thursday, May 24 and Saturday, May 26, Walt Disney Concert Hall hosts two unprecedented events that explore the influence of political oppression on artistic expression during the Stalin era. These two contemporary programs are presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic as part of Shadow of Stalin, a series of programs that examine the effects of government decisions on creativity.

Denver-based indie-gypsy-folk group DeVotchka performs on Thursday, May 24, at 8 p.m. in a program that explores Russian Chanson, an anti-folk musical movement with its roots in injustice and disappointment in Russian life. DeVotchka’s instrumentation includes guitar, bouzouki, piano, trumpet, violin, accordion, piano, sousaphone, double bass, theremin and percussion. They perform original material in the style and spirit of Russian chanson, as well as original songs written by great chanson songwriters. Saul Williams, a leader of the spoken word/slam poetry movement, and star of Slam, winner of the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, also performs. Special guest to be added.

On Saturday, May 26, from 10 p.m. – 3 a.m., a line-up of DJs, VJs, artists and musicians converge at Walt Disney Concert Hall for PRAVDA – a progressive exploration of the sounds, sights, and philosophies of the Stalin era. Amon Tobin, Cut Chemist, DJ Spooky, J-Rocc, Peanut Butter Wolf, and Mumbles with special guests dublab soundsystem, collaborate to remix the music of Shostakovich, Prokofiev, and Mosolov, complemented by improvised visuals from iconic Russian films, painting live onstage by Norton Wisdom, and mobile video projection produced by MC This. Film footage from Battleship Potemkin, Alexander Nevsky, The Cranes are Flying, and Soy Cuba, as well as rare clips from Russian documentaries, interviews, and propaganda films give a historical reference point against modern interpretations of Russian culture. Additional special guest artists to be announced.

info :

May 25 (8pm)
Walt Disney Concert Hall in L.A. CA

DeVotchka
Saul Williams
Special guest tba

May 26 (10 pm-3 am)
Walt Disney Concert Hall in L.A. CA
$30-50 seats

Amon Tobin
Cut Chemist
DJ Spooky
J-Rocc
dublab soundsystem
Peanut Butter Wolf
Mumbles
Shostakovich
Prokofiev
Mosolov

also – iconic Russian films, painting live onstage by Norton Wisdom, special guest Thomas Golubic, and mobile video projection produced by MC This.

oh, but wait, this is the the best part—

At midnight on May 26th, Christoph Bull gives a special dramatic organ performance, and for the first time since Leon Theremin conducted the original ten Theremin Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in 1932, the concert is recreated with ten theremin players on the stage at Walt Disney Concert Hall. In celebration of the birthdate of the late Robert Moog, pioneer of this electronic instrument, the evening also features a special tribute to Moog, whose company is the leading manufacturer of theremins today.

WOWSA! i’m so excited right now, i’m emitting variable frequencies!!

this might be a splendid week to visit the southern side of the sunny state! i hope there is not intentional trickery hidden in that description – it says that 10 theremin players will be on stage together, but never clarifies that they will be playing any instruments! surely they would not be playing air theremin. oh wait, all theremins are air played, i suppose. well, hopefully you see what i’m getting at… oh, and Moog’s Theremin company is called Big Briar, if you should want to find a very reasonably priced “aether instrument” of your own. especially after experiencing a Theremin Orchestra!

For a complete listing of Shadow of Stalin events, please visit:
LAPhil.com/ShadowofStalin

read the entire press release with lots more information at – LA Philharmonic Association

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the Speakeasy PR newsletter announced today that The Melvins will return to the road with a mid-September through October 2007 run of dates. but there is something different about this tour – the opening act. it’s a bizarre cartoon character…. read on:

What do Jon Spencer, Grant Hart (Husker Du), The Melvins and David Yow have in common? Dalek.
Dalek, the pop artist best known for his weapon-wielding rodent, alongside Amphetamine Reptile’s Tom Hazelmeyer, brought all of the above musicians together for a soundtrack to animated versions of his highly sought after works. The result is “A Purge Of Dissidents” which is both a CD, DVD and 30+ page book. Release is now JUNE 5 on Ipecac. The animated soundtrack will serve as the opening “act” on The Melvins fall tour.

it’s actually not the first time that the band has collaborated with a cartoon friend. they have also added their eccentric style to Qee –

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Juxtapoz Magazine recently attended Dalek’s latest art opening and there are lots of fantastic pictures to gawk at on the Jux website as well as the Gallery website.

Dalek has an exhibit open at the Jonathan Levine Gallery in NYC that will run until April 28th. Mars 1 also has an exhibit at the Gallery that will run until April 28th 2007.

but then, how could you expect anything less from these guys -

more music and info for The Melvins :
http://www.myspace.com/themelvins

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that’s right! to promote the Simpsons Movie coming out this summer, a slew of 7-11 convenience stores in the US will be transformed to look like the fictitous Kwik-E-Mart. it has not been announced yet which cities will get the Springfield staple, nor whether Duff Beer will be available.

chances are, you will not find Apu Nahasapeemapetilon behind the counter, nor his altar to Ganesha. how about Squishees and Buzz Cola, you ask? YES, both will be sold at the Kwik-E-Marts! tofu dogs and paradise behind the non-alcoholic beer? ummm, no.

will owners of the chain of “real” Kwik-E-Mart stores in Minnesota and Pittsburgh take issue with the conversions, or reap the free publicity? only time will tell….

actually, i can’t wait to see what other transformations occur in preparation for this movie! the movie will hit theatres in the US on july 27th, 2007.

news from :: gadling.com ::
Kwik-E-Mart trivia from :: wikipedia.com :: and my obsessive addiction to the Simpson’s tv show

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SONAR, the avant-garde electronic music conference/concert/museum exhibition that takes place every year in Barcelona, has announced its lineup of djs and live bands. The 3 day event takes place June 14th-17th and includes individual showcases by representatives from many different aspects of the music industry.

Think daytime schmoozing with everyone from radio, labels, and bands, to designers, artists, and press. And it’s in Spain, where daytime means after the peak of the day. Imagine warm nights of sizzling concerts by Legends of pop/electronic/rock/funk. For an entire weekend!

This lineup is tugging at my passport. It’s tugging hard! Here is a tiny taste, but you’ll have to go to the Sonar website for the full list.

Beastie Boys – Still rockin the mic!
Devo! Mogwai! Mala Rodriguez! Clark! Dizzee Rascal! Wolf Eyes! Jeff Mills! NYPC! Simian Mobile Disco! oh I have to stop, you *must* go look!

This bare bones list with its tiny font would take up half the blogOsphere : Sonar 2007 Line-Up
once you have seen the entire lineup, you can scope the concert and showcase info here : Concerts & Dj’s

Also, many other artists and musicians will be playing via the individual showcases. Some of the highlights include :

BBC radio – Kode 9, Skream
Ed Banger Recs – Uffie feat. Feadz

oh, how i wish i could teleport. i need a TARDIS. maybe i’ll check ebay this week…..

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Flavorpill announces this event for NYC on March 17th, 2007 :

Conference
SweetTalk 20 NYC
when: Sat 3.17 (2-9pm)
where: Center for Architecture (536 LaGuardia Pl, 212.683.0023)
price: $20
details: Event Info

In case you need another reason to love the Emerald Isle, Irish indie-design mag CANDY and image specialists Veer present the first stateside installation of their mini-con on St. Paddy’s Day. SweetTalk NYC brings Designers Republic alum and Build founder Michael C. Place, art crusader and irreverent Dubliner cartoonist BrenB, hardcore hero and skater shutterbug Glen E. Friedman, and graf legend Dalek together with three more of their contemporaries for informally curated conversations about inspiration and their respective creations. Past forums have yielded spectacles like black-lit, neon-tagged Perspex walls, hot-seat Q&As, and felt-tipped mural collaborations, and tonight’s alternative to the more pedestrian pub crawl promises to be even more memorable.

- IB

Other speakers include – Michael Gillette, Timothy Saccenti, and Elisabeth Arkiphoff.
Dalek is a big deal out here in SF. We’re big on skate/graf/comic stuff. This is a little conference of all that yumminess. once AgAin, i wish i was in NYC this week for all the amazing art shows going on RIGHT NOW!

Candy has a great website with more information about the conference. They label themselves as the “world’s largest independent free creative magazine”!

BBC News reported today that a “valuable 25ft-long artwork” on the side of a garage in Bristol, was accidentally painted over by graffiti-removal contractors. The giant tag was painted by the infamous artist, Banksy, in his early days. Since then, his artwork has sold to art collectors for 50-100,000 Pounds Sterling.

The mural that was, is now blank :

this is the art show that i really want to attend. too bad i’m in cali…

Ruas de São Paulo:
A Survey of Brazilian Street Art from São Paulo
Presented in association with Choque Cultural Gallery

Artists Included: Boleta, Fefê, Highraff, Kboco, Onesto, Speto, Titi Freak, and Zezão

Opening reception – Saturday, February 17th, 6pm-9pm

February 17, 2007
through March 17, 2007

EIGHT BRAZILIAN STREET ARTISTS TRAVEL TO NEW YORK FOR LANDMARK EXHIBITION IN NEWLY EXPANDED GALLERY SPACE

NEW YORK (January, 2007) — On February 17, 2007, Jonathan LeVine Gallery, in association with Choque Cultural Gallery, presents Ruas de São Paulo: A Survey of Brazilian Street Art From São Paulo, featuring artists Boleto, Fefê, Highraff, Kboco, Onesto, Speto, Titi Freak, and Zezão. This landmark exhibition will be on view through March 17, 2007 in a newly renovated and expanded gallery space, which will cover approximately 4500 square feet, creating an arena for one of the largest events ever to take place at Jonathan LeVine Gallery. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, February 17, from 6p.m. to 9p.m. at Jonathan LeVine Gallery.

Ruas de São Paulo allows eight Brazilian street artists to present their non-traditional painting styles and native culture. Choque Cultural Gallery, based in São Paulo, will collaborate on this exhibition of contemporary Brazilian art, and explore Brazil’s graffiti heritage and influence on current South American mural art. Ruas de São Paulo will offer exposure for these talented artists in the art capital of the world, bringing recognition to a growing international graffiti art scene. For many of the artists, this will be their first time traveling to and showcasing their work in the United States. This will be the first group exhibition of its kind, a distinct collaboration between Jonathan LeVine Gallery and Choque Cultural Gallery.

Video monitors featuring short video clips of interviews with artists, footage of site-specific murals in Brazil, as well as the Choque Cultural Gallery exhibition space and São Paulo artist community, will be on view.

Choque Cultural Gallery’s pivotal role in creating an environment where artists congregate, collaborate, and share ideas, and the story of this “new Brazilian art” is explored in documentaries highlighting the vibrant lifestyle of the Brazilian street art scene. The film ‘Zezão’s Art & Life’ (55 minutes) will feature Baixo and Mariana Ribeiro, owners of Choque Cultural Gallery, who explain Zezão’s creative process and the influence of his urban experiences in his fine art.

Ruas de São Paulo captures the changing Brazilian urban landscape, raw and uninhibited graffiti scene, and is a snapshot of a thriving movement stemming from a rich political and poetic history. A city destroyed by pichação (markings originating from inner-city, impoverished neighborhoods), these young, innovative Brazilian muralists are now transforming, and beautifying, the city of São Paulo. The result is a hybrid of graffiti and mural art, a cultural reflection of contemporary São Paulo. Viewers can observe the influence São Paulo has had on each artist through their individual style, which combines a distinctly Brazilian aesthetic with talent, innovation, and imagination. Each of the eight artists will present more than a dozen individual works, including acrylic and spray-painting on wood, canvas, paper and found objects.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

SPETO , at 34 years old, is one of Brazil’s most popular street artists. He attributes his visual style to hip-hop influences, local popular culture, and eclectic world styles. Speto’s original graffiti blends lines of traditional Brazilian northeastern woodcarving styles with sophisticated textures and figurative imagery. Working in variety of mediums, including murals, illustration, and graphics, he fuses modern techniques with Brazilian cultural heritage to create a distinctive form of street art.
BOLETA 29, represents the psychedelic side of Brazilian graffiti. Influenced primarily by tattoo themes, the construction of his drawings results in an
original style — rich with line work, colors, interesting forms and figures.

FEFÊ TALAVERA , 27, graduated with a focus in fine arts, but found that street art was the fuel she was looking for to give more strength to her ideas. Her most well known work is made of gluing cut out letterings from popular concert-announcement posters found on almost every wall in São Paulo. Fefê also has an extensive vocabulary present in her paintings, drawings, and carvings. She is inspired by Mayan and Aztec mythologies, and Mexican heritage.

ALEX HORNEST , 30, has a striking history in Brazilian graffiti. He has 72 different signatures, one for each working concept, which he identifies as “72 d.i.e.s.e.l.” The oldest signature, Onesto, is recognized primarily for portraits of fantastic beings. Alex Hornest blends these different visual codes and intertwines their styles to create stunning imagery.
RAFAEL CALAZANS , 29, whose codename is Highraff, creates imagery of cities and colorful landscapes, with vibrant results. In his latest body of work, Highraff develops his drawings by adding a three-dimensional component. Through use of MDF material, he turns mural imagery into elaborate sceneries and sculptures. His process creates depth and design of monumental proportions.

KBOCO , 27 years old, was born and raised in Goiânia, an innermost city of Brazil. His drawing style —— strongly influenced by his origins —— is more ornate and delicate than those found in the city São Paulo. He has developed an original calligraphy mixing arabesques and “pichação”. His styles has a strong decorative appeal resulting in elaborate paintings, full of layers, details and refined colors.

TITI FREAK 32, draws inspirations from his Japanese heritage. His style fuses eastern and western cultures, where fashion, pop imagery, illustration, yo-yo, graffiti and comic strips intertwine. He maintains a curious spirit, through an exploration of painting surfaces and the creation of elaborate and densely patterned canvases.

ZEZÃO , 34, is one of the leaders of Brazilian abstract graffiti. His trademark arabesques have roots in the Brazilian style of tagging letters called “pixação”. His most striking works are creations in the São Paulo sewer system and subterranean water ducts.

ABOUT CHOQUE CULTURAL GALLERY

Choque Cultural is a contemporary art gallery exhibiting pop, outsider art. Since its first exhibition in 2004, Choque Cultural Gallery has become a safe harbor for artists inspired by an eclectic mix of origins including tattoo, graffiti, graphic design and illustration.

Choque Cultural is a contemporary art gallery exhibiting pop, outsider art. Since its first exhibition in 2004, Choque Cultural Gallery has become a safe harbor for artists inspired by an eclectic mix of origins including tattoo, graffiti, graphic design and illustration.

Choque Cultural is based in São Paulo, Brazil — a city known for vibrant street art, talented graffiti artists, and culturally expressive art. All this creative energy ignites inside the gallery with its ever-changing environment. Each exhibition is a creative installation and reflection of the contemporary Brazilian street art movement.

Choque Cultural has an important role in cultivating these emerging art forms and cutting-edge contemporary styles. Through fresh and unconventional programs, Choque Cultural receives a loyal following of young collectors and prominent recognition in the Brazilian contemporary art world.

Boleta Fefê Highraff Kboco

Onesto Speto Titi Freak Zezão

my fave graf artists are not representing at the one in nyc, but i think it will be rad to see some less-known painters.
Nina and Os Gemeos are the ones that turned me on to the vibrant and oversized bombs that are possible in brazil. There is a fantastic website called Lost Art which has gorgeous photos of Os G’s art – http://www.lost.art.br/osgemeos_02_67.htm

Nina has pieces preserved in the fine book, Graffiti Women.