Dark Was The Night

What album would you direct people to that represents perfectly your ideal music? Not your favorite song, or artist... I think that is an impossible question to answer for most people. But what's the style that you are into.

I found mine yesterday thanks to my buddy Scott of Surly Birds acclaim. He heard just a snippet of the the compilation album Dark Was the Night and was on a mission to get it to me. He had a feeling that I would geek out about it, and I have to tell you that he was absolutely right. I am in his music sharing debt for at least a year.

I had read about this album back in February on a few blogs, and seen it on iTunes as well. I even downloaded a few tracks from it randomly, with out knowing their original source. But I passed it up, didn't pursue it. I missed out on some amazing music on account of it. Til' now.

Check out the artists featured on this two disc compilation:
Andrew Bird
Antony (of Antony and the Johnsons)
Arcade Fire
Beach House
Beirut
Blonde Redhead
Bon Iver
The Books
Buck 65
David Byrne
Cat Power & Dirty Delta Blues
The Decemberists
Aaron Dessner + Bryce Dessner
Devastations
Dirty Projectors
Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene)
Feist
Ben Gibbard (Deathcab for Cutie)
Grizzly Bear
Iron & Wine
Jose Gonzalez
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
Kronos Quartet
Stuart Murdoch (Belle & Sebastian)
My Brightest Diamond
My Morning Jacket
The National
The New Pornographers
Conor Oberst
Riceboy Sleeps
Serengeti
Dave Sitek (TV on the Radio)
Spoon
Sufjan Stevens
Gillian Welch
Yeasayer
Yo La Tengo

If that list doesn't mean anything to you, I'm sorry. You are missing out on some tremendous musical forces dominating the ears of the world for the past few years, and the years to come.

These some 31 tracks are a part of an ongoing project from Red Hot, who describe themselves this way:

The Red Hot Organization is the leading international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.

Since 1989, Red Hot has produced fourteen groundbreaking albums, related television programs and media events incorporating the talents of leading performers, visual artists, producers and directors to raise funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS.

To date, these efforts have donated nearly 7 million dollars for AIDS relief around the world.

So, in essence this auditory bliss of a project is some of the best artists of today and tomorrow performing everything from original music to covers and remixes in order to raise awareness about and money to fight the AIDS virus.

This isn't your standard charity song project. We're not talking Springstein, Wonder and Jackson in a recording boothe here. These are amazing songs with powerful writing, playing and arrangement. Awesome original music written by the performers or amazing covers of underground classics.

Many of these tracks also offer unexpected but obvious musical pairings I haven't heard before, but hope the colaboration continues. For example, check out the song Train Song featuring Feist and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab and Postal Service fame.

Check out these songs, but please, consider buying this amazing album which goes to support a really good cause and other musical projects hopefully just as good or better than this one.














So next time you ask me what kind of music I am into, I will direct you immediately to this album. Hopefully you will like this enough to do the same when you are asked.

Thanks Scotty.David

Honda Insight

I've been toying around with getting a new car. Mine is on the brink of needing a lot of repairs, I feel. Plus I have lost 70 MPG over the last year. I take MPGs very seriously these days, especially after the gas prices of last summer.

I think I might want the 2010 Honda Insight. What do you think?:





Check out this commerical/project that these people (I think from Vimeo) are doing for the Honda Insight. They are using car headlights to make a LEDstyle movie. It's pretty amazing, though I'm not so sure its very "Green". Regardless, if this cool execution puts 100,000 more Hybrids on the road, then the end will justify the means of wasting gas.


Honda Insight - Let It Shine from Honda on Vimeo.

You can see a making of here:


Honda Insight - The Making of "Let it Shine” from Honda on Vimeo.

I saw these on Google Reader, which pulled it from Gizmodo.

Google Reader is worth checking out if you haven't done so. It is a blog and friend aggregator. Keeping not only your favorite blogs and news sites updated in one centralized location, but also letting your friends see what your reading and you what they're reading. It aids in video, article and music sharing. Plus, the site offers recommendations as to other sites and blogs that you might be interested in due to the blogs that you are following or writing.

Pretty cool.

Let me know if I should get this car, or if you think I should get something else. Smart BRABUS, anyone?

This Guy is CRAP!

Have we seen this?



This guy hates your business card, rolladexes and probably puppies.

But he can get a crowd, damn it!

Here's my business card. It's on a 110lb paper stock with an aqueous coating. It's terrible for the environment, but feels like silk. 1.5"x3.5" of raw business contact identification. Stolze Priniting here in St. Louis made these happen:



I like it, but I bet it gets lost in a rolladex. Damn.

Wisdom from Andrew Zuckerman

I have been seeing this book, Wisdom, around for a while. On design sites, in bookstores and on Amazon.com. However, I didn't know there was a film associated with it. I saw this trailer for the film thanks to this really cool blog Changethethought.com.


Wisdom - Introduction from SLNSW on Vimeo.

Aside from the superb design, layout and art direction of the book and portraits, the film adds another level to this historical chronicle of figures over the age of 65 speaking about their lives, what they have learned and their perception of the wisdom that is supposed to come with age. Actually hearing the voices associated with the face and the story is tremendously impactful.

Look at this line-up of great figures of our time:
Chuck Close
Clint Eastwood
Nelson Mandela
Bill Withers
Jane Goodall
Dave Brubeck
Ted Kennedy
Buzz Aldren
And like 40 more more amazing people...

Everything about this is really smart and beautiful. Just the concept of all theses figures speaking about their experiences, and their take on a similar subject is a conversation for the ages.

Wisdom is directed by photographic master Andrew Zuckerman. He specializes in that super high contrast, high resolution, HDR style of photography, where every detail of a photo is present and beautiful. Take a look at some of his photos from his last project Creature:







The great thing about this is that the 60 minute film comes Free with the book Wisdom. You can buy it here. It's like $30, which is not bad for what would be a perfect coffee table book, but also I can't think of a better gift for someone who is either approaching that 65 age, or just starting out their adult lives.

Check out this book and film, and if you don't find inspiration from the photos, people or stories you might need a hug.