‘Haters’, forgiveness for M.I.A.?
M.I.A. is a hot mess, we are all too familiar with that latest “video” that caused such a kurfuffle on the internet. And theres more involving the latest face-off between M.I.A. and a journalist misrepresenting her during an interview, and yes, what kind of french fries she was eating.
I really don’t care about all this, but I do care about what I am hearing with her new song Haters. Is it good enough for me to forgive M.I.A.—probably. I just hope she is able to consistently create such unique sounds and experiences rather than be the center of drama-rama. And no I’m not equating her drama with what goes on in her homeland of Sri Lanka, just to be clear.
Ok forget all that and just listen to Haters:
M.I.A. — Haters
Making/ crafting/ building
What a timely video. I found myself furiously sawing wood panels on my dining table in my kitchen yesterday, spreading dust everywhere. What I wouldn’t give for a proper shop! This video follows the creation of a Corvo Chair from lumber to finished elegance. Shouldn’t he be wearing gloves? It’s almost like he is using affection to finish the chair near the end—I love his slow, methodical movements!
Speaking of making/crafting/building things, friend of the Fort Dieter Amick is about to graduate from the Industrial Design program up at WWU, and was recently featured in a department vid. These packs are super handy, but I love checking out his sketches and imagining his process in the plastics lab (do they have those?).
Check out more of Dieters work:
Hvass & Hannibal
Hvass&Hannibal is a multi-disciplinary arts and design studio based in Copenhagen. I found these guys via Baubauhaus and am swooning over their work. It looks like they work with musicians quite a bit—but I really appreciate the craft they put into their work. Check out that folded piece up there! I have a paper-gangster friend who would just squeal over such a thing. It looks SO GREAT once they photographed it!
Putting that much human touch & love into a project is it—the difference. It becomes instantly artisan, instantly valuable, and honorable.
Best Made Pocket Axes
Best Made Axes has released a new collection of Pocket Axes which according to the site are constructed with “hickory, steel, and sex appeal.” At 95$ a piece they are a bit more affordable than their full sized counterparts and just as beautiful. There’s something magical about Best Made Axes that I have yet to put my finger on. Maybe I’ll have to buy one to try solve the mystery. I think that I’d get more work done with one of these hanging on the wall in my office.
Stomacher
Thanks to the Vimeo HD Channel I now have a new free album from a solid group here on the West Coast. These guys hail from San Francisco and first caught my attention with their music video for a song called Untitled/Dark Divider.
It is shot with a Canon 5D Mark II camera in a variety of locations – I’m proud to see Oregon + The Columbia River Gorge on here! Those are my spots! In addition there are some stunning shots of Yosemite, Prague, and Japan, among others. I have a distinct feeling that these guys create what they can with the tools they have on hand. It feels super authentic rather than overproduced.
Also, I may be loving on them because they are offering a free download of their album, which, as you know, is magical. Free is magical.