I suspect that holograms will soon become consumer friendly and will make a big splash in the performance art/music/nightclub worlds. I haven’t figured out how people are doing it yet, but a number of fashion shows have been produced with holograms to the point of near cliche, first with Alexander McQueen’s stunning Kate Moss hologram, and now even lowbrow retailers like Forever 21 are using them. It’s only a matter of time before the art world, and high concept performing musicians are interacting with holograms to exciting new horizons.

erm… ok

Following a slight Teddy Boy resurgence for fashion inclined men, Suedehead and Skinhead looks are seeing a slight revival as well. Neither of the looks are executed verbatim, thank god, but we see a lot more Doc Martins with rolled jeans that fit more like Red-tab Levis than skinny designer, as well as chunky loafers and brogues worn with wool socks.

It’s a good look for colder months, and for some reason drab sweaters and button downs are looking really smooth with checked winter coats and sheerling for the first time in a while. Regarding hairstyle, there is no 70’s glam styles (also thank god), just neat combs or close cuts. Welcome back soft mods.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have brought us “The Row” which is much more amazing than their Elizabeth and James line which is kinda just a party girl clothing line for aspiring socialites. I am using their images here to show how velvet is becoming a real fashion obsession, at least in NY.

First it was velvet skirts everywhere and vintage 90’s Betsy Johnson velvet dresses, but now it’s just about the material being used for anything. It’s a side of the 70’s that is coming back around, along with suede and fringe. Note the hair in these images, as it is also part of the emerging look. Thanks Olsens, I didn’t know how I was gonna show this style.

Having cutting edge visuals has been an important aspect of dance culture and electronic music since the Hacienda threw its first raves, and the two have always been as intertwined as peanut-butter-and-jelly are in the the world of the American sandwich.

Today we see a lot of crossover between the cutting-edge visuals world and hi-tech video game design. Its pretty amazing. When I was a kid, I used to watch “The Mind’s Eye” and adults would say things like “that 3 minute short took 6 months to make.” Look at us now, these types of things are being made by college students with Blender Software.

This is the most spellbinding version of live visuals I have discovered even if the music is kinda cheesy and Canadian.

Ok.

As far as art-film is concerned right now, Steve McQueen’s (UK video artist, not American actor) Shame is the most Art and Film a movie has been simultaneously that I have seen in quite a while. Combining bleak realism, minimalism, trance-inducing repetition, corporate malaise, limited color palette, controlled coldness of landscape, etc.

On a side-note McQueen has touched on many of the same themes that make Tri Angle records one of the most fascinating and modern labels for music. In my humble opinion, Shame is as modern as a story can be told right now. The setting is bleak, and there is lots of gratuitous sex, so many people will be offended or turned off to it immediately, but it is my opinion that they are not “getting it” or perhaps just some sort of Philistine that should stick to re-runs of Cheers.

Flor Zabala represents Argentine rock in the hottest city and David Patillo is the experienced musician and producer who miraculously found her in New York. Together they formed The Zabalas in 2011 and played everywhere in Brooklyn, and now they have new projects for this year.

In February they will edit an EP, in April a vinyl with one single and one remix by Restless Leg Records in NY and they are planning a visit to Buenos Aires.

 ***

Flor Zabala es la representación argentina del rock en la city más caliente y David Patillo es el experimentado músico y productor que la encontró en New York.  Juntos formaron The Zabalas en 2011, tocaron en todos los bares y boliches de Brooklyn y este año tienen muchos proyectos.
En febrero editan su EP, en abril lanzan vinilo con un single y un remix por Restless Leg Records en NY y planean visitar Buenos Aires.

I have never been a fan of the diary style blogs and the internet pseudo-celebrities that generate them, but Karley Sciortino, of Slutever fame, is a hilarious writer and really does not give a f*ck, in the best possible way. 

I was introduced to Slutever when a friend of mine guest posted on the “Ask Slutever” column (sex advice, duh) a few months back, and have since noticed her various writing contributions to magazines such as the still pretty funny Vice Magazine, and she has even released a book of collected musings and anecdotes from the past few years.  Someone could write about how she represents a young, hip subculture’s open attitude toward sex and alternative lifestyles, but you don’t have to think about that to be entertained by her edgy wit, it’s just a bonus,

Recently, mysterious personality/avant-bass musician ZOMBY mentioned in a rare interview for Self-Titled Magazine that he really likes the dark psychological vision of UK director Mike Leigh, specifically the film NAKED.

Since then, I have noticed the ripples that his suggestion has caused throughout my social network of bloggers and “tastemakers” in various references or links. I tried to watch it on Netflix Instant Watch and was thwarted.  A few weeks later-it’s there! Netflix reads the internet and may even listen to ZOMBY. Now, everyone will watch it, just like they all watched Twin Peaks once it went streaming, and will all start watching past seasons of Mad Men again this month. Also, this movie is kinda intense.

The Hipster Surfer in its current incarnation may have emerged when the graffiti gallery artist elite decided longboarding was cool a few years back. Beginning in San Francisco with the shop Mollusk and artists such as Barry McGee (formerly Twist) and Kevin Ansel and culminating with luxury dive-resort “The Surf Lodge” in Montauk and SoHo Boutique/coffee shop “Saturdays,” the image of the Soul Surfer is pretty trendy at the moment. 

This causes me much dismay at the fact that I grew up in the presence of real soul surfers (who surf all week and often not on Saturdays to avoid weekend warriors), but also…. I dunno. I went to The Surf Lodge and it was beautifully designed and my girlfriend spent $600 at the Surf Bazaar boutique they have set up. I kinda wanted to stay for the rest of the summer and avoid the suckyness of NY right now. It was pretty dreamy. I still prefer classic OP to Saturdays but I wouldn’t return it if i got it for Christmas.

So the Balearic sound (a musical style that relates to the dreamy euro-pop music played at Amnesia on the island of Ibiza in the mid 80′s and the house music played at the club Pacha, Cafe del Mar etc in the late 80s) keeps going this summer, proving it is not some indie trend revival.

Unlike styles like Goth, whose popularity grows and dies regularly based on what the timewave is for fashion, there is less of an iconic culture for Balearic music, not to mention no strict definition for the musical style. It’s mostly personified through blissful melodies and images of sunsets, and is essentially just a feeling of warmth and interconnectedness to nature and the ocean. Its music that makes you feel like you are swimming with dolphins on ecstasy as a coral red sun sets over the Mediterranean. At least it should. Sometimes it gets sexy and you do the lambada, but more likely its just you, and the only thing that separates you from nature is a sarong.

Check the tunes:

It is a good life.

Showing “Sideboob” was surely around last summer, but this summer I have heard people discuss it as “the new cleavage,” in the midst of many other serious academic discussions. Its a different angle on sexy.  Girls wear sleeveless shirts with low cut arm-holes or a tank top and wear a lacy bra underneath, or nothing at all.  The other look I see for women that kinda does the same thing of showing skin without cleavage is wearing just a black bra with a sheer top over it, or just a sheer top (yikes!). Both ultra-prevalent.