Guess where i am

Musical Interlude

Here is a video of the best beats from J Dilla's amazing 'donuts' album. If you pay attention to hip hop you will notice a HELL of a lot of hype for J Dilla. Its all true. Everything he put his touch to has been amazing. RIP DILLA!

New Work: Ruby Blue Relaunch Party

Here is a poster i have designed for my dear friend and Ruby Blue Vintage owner Damian. He is having a shuffle of his shop, adding some beautiful new clothes and a range of homewear products and to celebrate, he is throwing a relaunching party (champagne reception my friends!) at the shop on the 7th of August. Ruby Blue is a hidden gem in Carlisle and everyone should go along and look at what treats he has to offer. Heres some stuff he wrote about the shop on the facebook fan page:

Ruby Blue is an exciting new retail development for the city of Carlisle, housing unique vintage fashion and gifts in a highly stylish and elegant manner, boasting an extravagant boutique style interior.

Strictly speaking, vintage fashion is clothing that is at least 20-25 years old. Just a few years ago, this wasn’t a fashion slant you leant towards unless preparing for a fancy-dress party. ‘Vintage’ was simply another word for second hand. Today, the sartorial ethos couldn’t be more different as vintage fashion is coveted the world over. Wearing vintage provides an opportunity to sport beautifully made clothes that are individual and a unique piece of fashion history.

8 Treasury Court (off Fisher Street)

Carlisle

CA3 8RF

open tuesday - saturday: 10am - 5pm

Judging books by their covers

Bookcase is probably my favourite shop in Carlisle. It is incredible. It is a gigantic second hand book shop housed in an old townhouse which i assume used to be a hotel or something due to its epicness. Seriously, you can get lost in this place. Thousands upon thousands of second hand books (antiques to modern publications) on pretty much every topic you can imagine. In the basement houses an obscene collection of classical (and a little bit of jazz and showtunes) LPs which makes me a little emotional when i go down there. It's like a nuclear bunker of awesome. I estimate there is upwards of 30,000 records in there. Anyway, i spent a fair chunk of today just hanging out there and going through books and seeing what i could find, and heres a small selection. Expect follow up posts! Apologies for the rubbish cameraphone pictures.

Bit of modernism married to an old etching of someone being executed. nice.

Something that makes Bookcase extra special is that its not just a huge pile of random second hand crap. A lot of love and care has gone into the collection (on four floors i might add) and often you will find whole series and collections (that goes for the records too which really blows my mind, seriously i could rave all day about the vinyl basement). Also, this looks exactly like the cover of 'in rainbows' by Radiohead.

This book was genuinly incredible in that it was 80s style and design concentrated into one design manual. Ferraris outside of bedsits in bookform.

I thought this was funny. I might actually go back tomorrow and buy this one.

I really liked these collection of stories by D H Lawrence. Ironically 'lady chatterly's lover' is my least favourite novel of all time hands down. There was another version with a slightly different pastel colour way.

......amazing.

I urger everyone in Carlisle (infact, all of Cumbria) to go check the shop out because honestly its amazing, even if you're not interested in reading (or looking at pictures) or records or old things. I think ill take a slightly better camera down soon and do a proper post about it (ESPECIALLY THE BASEMENT)

New work: Bad For Lazarus

Poster i've just done for the fine people at The Brickyard for upcoming big for 'violent pop'-sters Bad For Lazarus. Should be a rockin' night! And yes, i did spell 'gauge' wrong on the poster, walter pointed it out and i fixed it before i sent it off, oh and also i got rid of the hyphenation of the word 'vintage'  (just couldn't be bothered to change my flickr). Anyway, let me know what you think!

Saturday 25th July 2009
BAD FOR LAZARUS
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS
Who are Bad For Lazarus? In the band’s own words: "We like heavy, nasty pop with guitars; so that is what we do. We all play / played in other bands : The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster / UNKLE / The James Cleaver Quintet / With Scissors, but this doesn’t sound much like any of that..."
Times: 8pm until 2am
Admission: £4.00 advance. All shows at The Brickyard are 18+ unless otherwise stated.
Tickets: Buy tickets online, call Ticketweb on 08700 600 100 or pop into Ruby Blue (Carlisle)

Albums to photoshop to No. 2

New Work: Friday

Friday is a new alternative night at The Brickyard, every friday. A new poster is going to be done every month so this will be a series over the next coming months. Keep your eyes peeled for badges too if youre lucky. Maybe.

Anyway, should be a lot of fun and hopefully a bit different to what else is going on around Carlisle at the moment.

FRIDAY
A new Friday night alternative with DJ's playing the best in old and new musics accompanied by projections. From Friendly Fires to Fugazi, Beastie Boys to Pet Shop Boys, BRMC to MGMT, Ziggy, Jimi, Iggy, Dizzee and everything else inbetween! 
Times: 10pm until 3am
Admission: £2.00. All shows at The Brickyard are 18+ unless otherwise stated.

Musical interlude

lovely indie pop from 2009 'it band', the slightly ridiculously named The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, who i think sound a lot like a cross between Ride and The Smiths. Song is titled 'young adult friction' and i dont care if it makes me a sissy girl, i love it. Really cool video too.

New Work: Happy Birthday Kevin Bacon (and Middy!)

New poster for The Brickyard for a night titled: "Happy Birthday Kevin Bacon, Pauline Quirke, Ferdinand Von Zeppelin, Will Smith's Kid and Middy!" which is pretty much just a birthday party for our pal Middy disguised as a celebration of the life and times of all singing all dancing mushed face evil douchebag Kevin Bacon. The poster features some but not all of the people featured in the name. You would (wouldn't) be surprised how difficult it is to source a good picture of Pauline Quirke. Anyway the idea was that Kevin Bacon, an evil voodoo witch is trying to hypnotize you. Resistance is futile, you will obey Bacon. You will party.

Should be a good night:

Saturday 11th July 2009
HAPPY BIRTHDAY...KEVIN BACON, PAULINE QUIRKE, FERDINAND VON ZEPPELIN, WILL SMITH'S KID AND MIDDY!
A night of DJ's playing an eclectic mix of styles/genres accompanied by projections to celebrate the birthdays of true legends born on the 8th of July. Featuring sets from David 'Middy' Middlemiss, Chris Emmerson, Mark Howlette, Lee Gowland, Dan Atkinson and Tim Forrester.
Times: 10pm until 3am
Admission: £2.00. All shows at The Brickyard are 18+ unless otherwise stated.

Albums to photoshop to No. 1

Do you like vampires?

and do you like sunglasses?

YEAH YOU DO!

New work: Revolver (re design)

You may remember that i designed a poster for flash in the pan carlisle night 'Revolver' aaaages ago now. People seemed to like the poster (which you can see here - please note i did not design the ghastly rainbow logo, sorry, designer of logo). Anyway, i completely hated that poster, so thought i'd give it a do over. Kind of like as if the night was re launching. Maybe it should? I always had fun when i went and we got to play whatever songs we liked pretty much. This should hopefully we expanded very soon in to a series running over a couple of months.

cheer up mr tough

Today is a really grey, sweaty day in Carlisle, but don't worry because Yo La Tengo can make everything ok for you and me and everyone else.

Jorn Kaspuhl

really dig the illustrations of Jorn Kaspuhl. He reminds me quite a lot of Benjamin Gudel. Gudel is a bad ass. Above is Jorn Kaspuhl's drawing of the one and only Bonnie Prince Billy.

New Work: Vivian Girls

This is a poster i just did for a gig that doesn't even exist, but it would be pretty awesome if it did. Check it out its even on my birthday what a happy coincidence. The photo i used i found on an old postcard in the loft, but I jazzed her up a little. 

The bands do exist though, and i highly recommend you check them all out if you like lo-fi fuzzy garage punk (who doesn't?!). Links:

Vivian Girls

Eat Skull

Graffiti Island

James Victore

Hilman Curtis video about iconoclastic and inspirational NYC based designer James Victore. "Graphic design is a big fucking club with spikes in it, and i want to use it"

New Work: Birds Vs Planes. and a tiger.

Here are two versions of a poster i've put together for a gig of local superstars Birds Vs Planes at the ubiquitous club of clubs CONCRETE! Which version is better? I can't quite decide and people have been quite 50/50 about it, and the client hasn't yet got back to me. Everyone who i've told about this has asked me the exact same question: how is a band going to play in Concrete? and to them all, i have the same response: i have no idea. I'm sure it will be good fun though one way or another!

p.s Anyone been to the new day time concrete? If you are hungry and in town, GO THERE. You'll get sorted with a decent meal and a drink for like 2.90 and its way better, way more food and way cheaper than anything you could get at uni...or greggs.

New work: Media show programs

Just did these programs for the 3rd year Media Production end of year show. They look not bad although i don't think i am 100% happy with them really but they do the job, and besides i am never all that happy with my work i guess. It is an A4 sheet with a single fold, and the images are stills from the films which were shown. I had some grander ideas for this project but time was a little against me on this one. No matter!

New work: Deerhunter

Deerhunter could be my favourite band. Maybe i love them more than Sonic Youth? I can't quite decide. Anyway, today i watched 'The Office Christmas Specials' (the all time greatest tv show?) and got in the post 'Hunger' on dvd. I havn't watched 'Hunger' yet, but i am really excited about it, as i have heard only good things about it, and it is directed by Steve McQueen (no, not Bullit) who is a firm favourite artist of mine also. It is his directorial debut and won the palm 'dor at cannes and blah blah blah. Did you know that Steve McQueen is the only man alive to have won the Turner Prize AND the Palm D'Or. Pretty sweet huh? ANYWAY, i decided to make some posters about Deerhunter, just for a bit of fun. The japanese text SHOULD HOPEFULLY read 'Deerhunter live in japan' but i imagine its probably not right. whateverrr. Let me know what you think of the poster, i think i might work some more on it later.

This is really was just a post about favourites?

p.s you obviously want to know that i do also really like the US version of The Office but the UK version is definitely better.

When i grow up i want to be....a graphic designer?

Here is a poster i've just done for Concrete (which is pretty much Carlisles biggest/best club for all you non-cumbrian folk) for an end of term night they're doing where the theme is you dress up like what you wanted to be when you were a kid. I did this poster on the fly when i was at home for a few days so i guess its a little rough around the edges, but its not too bad. Let me know what you think! I've been invited to do another poster for them soon too. Fun fun fun.

Found

i found this when clearing out the loft before we move house in London. I love it. Its an invitation to a party i assume my parents went to many many moons ago. On the back it says to bing 'plenny booze'. I bet it was a good party haha. I found loads of other great stuff i scanned, expect to see it all soon.

Knitosaurus!

My nearest and dearest Zoe Davidson, aka Knitosaurus, studies fashion and textiles in bristol and specialises in knitwear. Shes a doll and her work is very amazing. Click her name to find yourself on her newly set up blog showcasing her work. Be nice to her and maybe she will even knit you a scarf or something.

A list of very awesomeness

a collection, in no particular order of designers, studios, illustrators, photographers and artists i dig right now:

Natsuko Seki

Zhuo Fan

Marq Spusta

Tina Berning (her book 100 girls on cheap paper is a joy)

Paul Insect

Hannah Davis

Maximilian Haidacher

RJ Shaughnessy (the Egypt fashion story is insanely good)

Anders Petersen

Keiichi Nitta

Patrick Fry

Praline

Telegramme

The Bird Machine (aka Jay Ryan)

Frank Kozik

that'll do you for now!

ATP

Just got back from ATP! What can i say, one hell of a weekend of beautiful music and beautiful people. This is the ideal festival for me because a) all the bands are handpicked, so there is no filler and no bullshit, and b) no. fucking. tents. anywhere. The chalets are pretty basic, but whatever, its better than a tent. Anyway, heres some photos and possibly some anecdotes:

The Bronx. First band we saw, and they were EPIC.

Bon Iver. Best set of the weekend (almost) hands down. Really really beautiful, especially at the end. The guitarist on the left of this photo would later compliment me on my tshirt. Awesome.

Ok so this thing may look like a weird and freaky sex toy but it is in fact what passes for a shower at Butlins. However, much like a weird and freaky sex toy, it has the ability to strip you of any dignity you thought you had, and then degrade you on a whole bunch of different levels. Trying to use this thing sends you on an emotional rollercoaster. Never before has taking a shower made me go from feeling confused, to homeless, to mentally ill, to orphaned and then to clean. I would later get very drunk and pretend that it was a stethoscope. 

Wire. Really, really good. Saw these on my own because the others wanted to watch CSS, but thats fine. Pink Flag will always be my favourite by them, they only played 12XU from that album, but whatever, it was class.

Shellac. Boring photo but no big deal because they were so good. Surgically tight. They played twice over the weekend, i saw them the first time but i heard the second set was better? Oh well.

Holy Fuck. holy fuck, Holy Fuck were so good. The most fun set of the whhoole weekend, without a shadow of a doubt. It was really just a blurry, sweaty mess and everyone went totally nuts for them. So, so fun.

James, loving it.

Deerhunter. Oh man, was so excited for this and it was my favourite set of the whole weekend. Deerhunter are officially one of my favourite bands. Set was absolutely magical and gave me shivvers on more than one occasion. Especially right at the beginning when the drummer counted time on his sticks and the sound came out backwards and Bradford Cox yelped into the mic, drenched in reverb as they slipped into "cover me slowly". They were effortless and charming throughout. Bradford Cox is also, as it turns out, the sweetest man in music right now. Kim and Kelley Deal came out and sang a cover with them too which was a nice little treat. Can you tell i was pretty into it? <3

Gang of Four. Absolutely classic band obviously ("entertainment" is a must have) and they put on a HELL of a show. One of the best performances i saw and one of my favourites as i didn't really have a preconception of what it was going to be like and they just kicked the shit out of pavillion. Here is a photo of the singer using a microwave as a drum. Why not.

Foals. I was expecting them to suck a little bit, but actually, it turned out they were really really good. Very danceable too.

Foals

more Foals.

Other highlights included:

Passing Kim Deal on the stairs

The Breeders, of course

Melt Banana playing in total darkness aside from two tiny torches.

Queining to get some fish and chips with Steve Albini

X and Billy Zoom's relentless shit eating grin

Going nuts to Pavement and Gang of Four in Crazy Horse at 4am

Super geeky girl crush

Tara McPherson art show/print sale

Getting totally wasted with Andy and feeling very VIP standing next to The Bronx

Ham and pringle roll at 5am

Getting a copy of the limited to 750 copies Deerhunter cassette :D

and so so so so so much more that i cant even think of right now. Thank you ATP! I will see you next time! Roll on december (curated by My Blood Valentine, and Sonic Youth are already confirmed. hot. damn.)

damn!

saw this on Tony's blog and HAD to repost. He got it via Magculture. Simply genius.

Photocopied

how have i not posted this already? This is a very short little film/animation made by my brother Doug, starring his friend Ricky as a young man who gets trapped in the photocopying room, and has to figure out how to escape. Check it out!

102!

I just noticed that the Silicon Zoo post below was my 100th post! hooray!

www.yooouuutuuube.com

www.yooouuutuuube.com is my new favourite thing on the internet. Basically, you put a youtube URL into it, and then it plays it, but instead of just playing it like boring old youtube, it plays every single frame of the video at the same time with beautiful rhythmic and psychadelic results. It works better if you watch the original version first, so i have linked them both. Here are some that work particularly well:

Electrelane "to the east" music video - original and yooouuutuuube version

Akron/Family "running returning" fan vid - original and yoooooouuuttuuuubbeeee version

Alice In Wonderland remix video - original and yoooouuttuuubbbee version

Found this over at Boooooooom! (one of my favourite blogs, make sure to bookmark it) which is also where i linked the above image from.

Silicon Zoo on VBS

So my good buddy graham told me about this video on VBS' show Motherboard (their series all about technology and stuff like that) in which they meet this guy whos job it is to take microscopic photographs of microscopic things. Anyway, to cut a long story short, when photographing some microchips he found that the microchips designers had been adding little drawings and tags to the microchips! GENIUS.

watch the video HERE

YES!

If you know me you might be aware that i freakin' LOVE Sonic Youth. Theyre my favourite band. Looks like me and sarah and tony might be hitting ATP Nightmare Before Christmas to catch them play with My Bloody Valentine, EPMD and De La Soul. If thats not something pretty special i dont know what is...

Tutor tony peart (hey tony) said he thinks theyre showing their age in this clip from jools holland the other night buuutt HE IS WRONG. New album is going to be class. Cant wait.

New Mika Miko album out really soon. hooray!