Write More: Notebooks

I'm developing some stationery in an ongoing effort to get people to write more letters, diary entries, grocery lists, ransom notes and requests for Jesus. It's called "Write More" because I exist in a dimension parallel to yours in which everything is obsotively, posilutely, literally literal. "Write More: 'Cuz, y'know, you ought to." We've got our very best admen working on that bullshit slogan. I plan to throw myself into all efforts fancy paper after January. Until then, here are a few prototypes that I whipped up. They're Moleskine Cahier notebooks and they come with ruled or blank pages. "Write More: 'Cuz it's high time you made that Japanese girl on the train next to you insanely jealous." Bit better.

(flickr)

App'velopes

These are the finished envelopes that hold some of the material for my applications. In some cases, my recommendation folks have to mail material in boring old white, pre-addressed, stamped envelopes so some of the presentation is lost. But my favorite schools are getting the whole shebang. For my personal statement letter, I picked a few of the synonyms used by different schools and threw in a few of my own. I will circle the appropriate noun that corresponds to each school's usage. Blurgh.

Nice Ass!

This is the digital mock-up of the rear of my grad school app. pckg. It mixes spray paint, cardboard and screen printing. It'll rule. Pictures next month!

Pleasing to Your Ears, The Lost Podcast

I miss podcasting. I promise that there is an episode in our respective futures, I just can't promise when it might arrive. Near the end of my previous run, I was tacking on so many extra features in addition to prepping two streams and beefing up the enhanced cast, that the production time was pushing 3 hours. Lately I haven't had that much time to spare.

And so I continue to compile tracks to play for you. And I continue to compile letters and complaints from those of you who are left high and dry on Monday mornings. One thing I can guarantee is that once I finally scrounge up the time, you can guarantee that it is gonna be fucking long and fucking amazing. Promises xOne Jillion! In the mean time, listen to an old episode and re-discover your love for Blondie, Bjork and Beirut all over again.

Corporate Yoke

Dubbs asked me to design some placemats for her company's holiday party. I was at first reluctant to take on more work during the apps season, but then I got the idea of slapping some paper crafts on the reverse side, complete with perforation so that people could play with them at the dinner table. In a perfect world, the mats would be distributed with a 4-pack of Crayola crayons and people would, for a night, rediscover their playful inner child. But it's an accounting firm, so I'm not holding my breath. Click on the images below for a detailed view.



This is one of those handjobby things where you have someone pick a color/number and then spell/count it out and reveal their fortune. So awesome.

A mask of the boss, perfect for taking the piss.

I'm working on an alternate version with a Manhattan version of M*A*S*H. Delight!

Happy Accident

I'm working on this series of posters for my applications/portfolio which utilize this extreme pixelated drop shadow. While I was fucking around with the style and degree that I wanted to use in the final versions, I stopped for a nosh. When I came back to the project I was struck by the scratch pallette. While I don't intend to use this text as is, I really like it.

Meteorological End Times

It's 20 degrees cooler in my hometown which is in South Fucking Texas! New York is muggy and cool and my office is balmy. It snowed a bit in Dalls. You might want to consider renting this.

Envelopes for Recommendations (Portfolio_1)

This eve I'm printing this text on a set of business envelopes that are being sent to the folks who agreed to write the recommendations for my grad school apps. The third recommendation is a video and will therefore be represented by an envelope with a cautionary warning and a treasure inside. Blurgh.

Upcoming

Holy shit, my beautiful babies! It's been so long. In the past week I've moved a few steps closer to completing my applications but I made no headway on a new podcast. Sincerest apologies, particularly to those of you who greeted last week's absence the same way you might the death of a parent.

Hyperbole. But there were plenty of e-mails and snide comments via phone and promises made, so I'm going to work on one for this week(end?). It will blow your mind out of your ass, that is all I can promise. I have so much new music to share. So stay tuned for new cuts from Bloc Party, The Blow, Joanna Newsom, Prototypes, Teddybears, Cold War Kids, Damien Rice and more. Balls!

New Record Design

I'm printing this design on some vinyl records today. Each record comes with two custom-cut vinyl stickers that adhere to the wall, creating the illusion that the artwork continues beyond the canvas. Flickr photos are just around the corner. Hooray!

Listen: Podcast, no18

Sort of thrown together. My regrets. The tracks:

“Alec Eiffel” by Pixies
“Comeback Kid” by Silversun Pickups
“Stray Dog and the Chocolate Shake” by Grandaddy
“Nuclear War” by Electric Six
“99 Luftballoons” by Nena
“Playgirl” by Ladytron
“Just Like You Imagined” by Nine Inch Nails
“Breakfast in NYC” by Oppenheimer
“In the City” by The Jam
“Exotic Talk” by RJD2
“The Same Fire” by Bishop Allen
“Above You” by The Whitest Boy Alive
“Hey Now Now” by The Cloud Room
“Islands in the Stream” by Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers
“Strange” by Built to Spill
“Walking With a Ghost” by The White Stripes

As usual, the podcast is available through RSS or iTunes. Here are the appropriate links:

* Subscribe to the enhanced podcast. (rss)
* Subscribe to the mp3 podcast. (rss)
* Click here to visit the "Pleasing To Your Ears" page in the iTunes Music Store, where you can pick and choose from available episodes.
* no18 :: We Got Dem' Fever (mp3)
* no18 :: We Got Dem' Fever (enhanced)

Here's some link(s) I mentioned in this episode:

* Trailer for Frank Miller's 300
* Track listing for all songs played to date (Excel)

Here are the supplementary tracks for this week's episode. They'll only be live for a week, so grab fast:

* "Bone Machine" by Pixies (mp3)
* "Destroy Everything You Touch" by Ladytron (mp3)
* "Ghostwriter" by RJD2 (mp3)

That's it for episode 18. Please tell your friends. Please tell me what you think. Please post a link on your blogs. Please use the hotline: (206) 202-3142. Please tune in for a new episode next weekend.

Rick "Man on Dog" Santorum

While Daddy was conceding, it dawned on young Samantha that he would be spending a lot more time at home with Cuddles, the family beagle. In his office, behind a locked door. Making "grown up noises".

Cover Songs

Hey folks. I'm throwing this request out there for a podcast I'd like to do in December. The idea is quite simple: "Transcendent Covers". I want to compile a show of unique, beautiful cover songs. There is too much ground to cover so you'll earn points for originality. But overall, I want covers that are (and this is open for debate) better than the original versions. Think "Wonderwall" by Ryan Adams or "Mad World" by Gary Jules. Cheers!

Puttin' It Down on Wax

I've finished my latest silkscreening experiment and it is drying on the bookshelf. Well, hanging from the bookshelf is more apt. I printed a design I posted here a week ago on vinyl. They look fucking brilliant. Unfortunately, vinyl presents a problem when drying so I followed Dubbs suggestion to suspend them from the bookcase. Stick a chopstick under a heavier tome and slip a few on and dry all day and night. I'm going to print a few more designs before I move on from the vinyl. If you'd like to secure one of these for your very own send me an e-mail. More shots on flickr.

Listen: Podcast, no17

I get a headache once a day. I could stop sitting in front of a computer for 15 hours at a stretch, but then I'd have to kill myself. Until that day, I podcast away. The tracks:

“Here’s Your Future” by The Thermals
“Public Warning” by Lady Sovereign
“The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living” by The Streets
“Gotta Reason” by Hard-Fi
“Jellybones” by The Unicorns
“Hitman” by The Fags
“Amsterdam” by Peter Bjorn and John
“Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect” by The Decemberists
“XR2 TURBO” by M.I.A.
“Tripped” by The Oohlas
“Roll With It” by Oasis
“Country House” by Blur
“Steal the Blueprints” by +/-
“We Share Our Mother’s Health” by The Knife
“I Buy the Drugs” by Electric Six
“My England” by Lady Sovereign

As usual, the podcast is available through RSS or iTunes. Here are the appropriate links:

* Subscribe to the enhanced podcast. (rss)
* Subscribe to the mp3 podcast. (rss)
* Click here to visit the "Pleasing To Your Ears" page in the iTunes Music Store, where you can pick and choose from available episodes.
* no17 :: Brilliant, Innit? (mp3)
* no17 :: Brilliant, Innit? (enhanced)

Here's some link(s) I mentioned in this episode:

* Video for "A Pillar of Salt" by The Thermals (YouTube)
* Video for "We Share Our Mother's Health" by The Knife (YouTube)
* Track listing for all songs played to date (Excel)

Here are the supplementary tracks for this week's episode. They'll only be live for a week, so grab fast:

* "Gatheration" by Lady Sovereign (mp3)
* "I Don't Wanna Die" by The Unicorns (mp3)
* "The Island/Come And See, The Landlord's Daughter, You'll Not Feel The Drowning" by The Decemberists (mp3)
* "A Pillar of Salt" by The Thermals (m4a)

That's it for episode 17. Please tell your friends. Please tell me what you think. Please post a link on your blogs. Please use the hotline: (206) 202-3142. Please tune in for a new episode next weekend.

But You Promised

Today, while watching marathon runners jog down 4th AVE and listening to Claire and Dubbs shout out to every runner with a Texas flag/Runtex/UT jersey on, I thought of an idea for Reagan's b-day present. I'm gonna print her a custom shirt:

On another note, no residents from any other states felt it necessary to rep their homes on their jerseys. And there certainly weren't people rooting on Montanans from the sidelines. Fucking Texas...

Pervasive [WEB] Presence

A year ago this week:

R.I.P.

Med School Mania!!! is officially offline Med School Maniacs. We had a great run. Gotta go, I'm late for a tea party.

XOXOX Unicorns, Glitter, Cuddles XOXOX

You Are Wasting Your Life

In news related to my post yesterday about NaNoWriMo, I give you NaBloPoMo. If you can't muster the time/energy to write a novel, at least you can compose a fucking blog post. Also, my sister passed the Bar (extreme congrats!) and my girlfriend is editing her own novel. Stop wasting your life.

NaNoWriMo!

It's November, which means it's National Novel Writing Month. From the website:

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

I wanted to take a moment to send some good luck vibes to my Dad and Chris who are both scribbling in the dark of night to hit the 50,000 word mark. G'luck.

Linkology: 10.31.06

Hey sons and daughters of hungry posts! It's time to drink deep from the trough of new and old links:

* The 13 scariest people in America
* Pubic hair dye
* Pixies return to the studio
* 100% line rider
* Tetris - From Russia With Love
* Scott Adams figures out how to hack his own brain
* Sonic fabric
* Rock/Paper/Scissors - 101
* Dice Wars (best flash game ever)
* Good day, Mr. Kubrick!
* Hello again, Stanley.
* Miami Zoo's shit exhibition
* Hooray! Studio 60 is getting canned

Workout: 10.24-30.06

Some workout pages from the past week that I haven't had a chance to upload until tonight. Enjoy.

This week, I'm going to print a series on old vinyl records. I spraypainted the label black so the canvas will be uniform. These are a few that I may print as a starting point to a bunch of stuff I want to do on vinyl.


This is 1/3 of a larger piece that I'm going to be printing in November and sending to many of you in the mail. Seeeecrets...


This started out as a potential print but now it's just this. Nothing else.

Listen: Podcast, no16

I just accidentally jabbed a finger into my left ball. Beware: sometimes you make a move to scratch and instead you bash. The tracks:

“Hell Yeah (Pimp the System)” by Dead Prez
“The Start of Something” by Voxtrot
“Remote Control” by The Beastie Boys
“Vincent Come on Down” by Brainiac
“Calm Like a Bomb” by Rage Against the Machine
“Better Time” by French Kicks
“Orange Crush” by Editors
“Rave On” by Buddy Holly & the Crickets
“Sleepwalking” by The Raveonettes
“Patriarch On a Vespa” by Metric
“Cut Dead” by The Jesus and Mary Chain
“Hey Ya” by Outkast”
“Contrast” by The Features
“Twins” by Maritime
“The Room Got Heavy” by Yo La Tengo
“Fuckie Suckie” by Freak Nasty

As usual, the podcast is available through RSS or iTunes. Here are the appropriate links:

* Subscribe to the enhanced podcast. (rss)
* Subscribe to the mp3 podcast. (rss)
* Click here to visit the "Pleasing To Your Ears" page in the iTunes Music Store, where you can pick and choose from available episodes.
* no16 :: The Sun Goes Down & The Tears Start To Flow (mp3)
* no16 :: The Sun Goes Down & The Tears Start To Flow (enhanced)

Here's some link(s) I mentioned in this episode:

* Q Magazine, Best of 86/06
* Are You SAD?
* Andre 3000's Fresh Air interview

That's it for episode 16. Please tell your friends. Please tell me what you think. Please post a link on your blogs. Please use the hotline: (206) 202-3142. Please tune in for a new episode next weekend.

Rules Are Rules

Male Postal Clerk: Nothing'll get you fired faster than showing up late.
Female Postal Clerk: Is that right?
Male Postal Clerk: Yeah.
Female Postal Clerk: So I could come in here, shoot up the place and not get fired.
Male Postal Clerk: Yeah.
Female Postal Clerk: But if I'm late doing it?
Male Postal Clerk: Fired.
Both: (laughter)

Just Like Everybody Else

I finished the first print in my "Victorian Graffiti" series. The Silkscreening Law of Numbers and Human Error strongly encourages you to print more than you need, so I made 4x the demand. What can I say, I was squeege happy. The next two prints are being put on the backburner until November while I print on fabrics and vinyl. My eye and alignment is getting better so the next two prints should be quite good. Hell, I might even re-visit this piece in an effort to get it just right. More shots (flickr).

Lost in Caffeination

Barista: Can I get your name please?
Non-fluent Tourist: ...
Barista: Can I have your name? For the drink?
Non-fluent Tourist: Err...
Barista: What is your name?
Non-fluent Tourist: ...
Barista: What is your name as it appears on your birth certificate?
Non-fluent Tourist: ...
Barista: Can I get a non-fat latte for Miscellaneous?

No Podcast

No podcast this week folks. I was swamped yesterday with work and an interview so I didn't have time to pull anything together. I'll be back next week at the usual time. And there's a good chance I'll have a Supplement up on Thursday. Thanks.

Linkology: 10.16.06

I haven't done one of these in a couple of weeks. While some of this is old, if you haven't seen it yet, it's new to you:

* Got a pregnant friend? Why not buy them the creepiest pillows, ever!
* I had a nightmare about bedbugs last nite
* Air America is financially bankrupt. Competitors are morally bankrupt.
* Rabbit
* Blogs v. God
* Rubik's Cube-solving ro-but
* Deep-fried Coca Cola
* Mechanical steampunk lion
* Animatronic fashion (at the end of the video)
* The Glass Book of the Dream Eaters
* Professor of Public Speaking at U. of New Mexico

Workout: 10.16.06

Maybe I'll print a more varied version of this on some tote bags. That could be loverly.

Rules to Follow

While I was picking up some lunch, I passed a guy who was wearing gigantic, mirrored sunglasses. He had another pair clipped to the breast pocket of his jean jacket.

Rule No. Thirteen of Being a Badass: A badass is never caught unawares without his aviators.

Workout: 10.15.06

I am working on a series of 2-4 color prints. The genesis for this project comes from this series of Victorian wallpapers that I thought would make for a great background, especially if I incorporated the opaque Silver Swirl ink I purchased last week from Standard Supply. I wasn't sure what I wanted to print over the wallpaper (shoes? suicide implements? portraits?). I eventually struck on an idea I'm happy with. The series will feature a lot of shadowy figures defacing the wallpaper with cryptic graffiti and sloganeering. I'm still unsure on how the whole thing will come together, but I plan on spending a great deal of time in the studio after work this week sorting it all out. Click on the image below for a larger res of the design.

Listen: Podcast, no15

Oy, it's podcast time, shitbags! Drink deep, this draught of musical goodliness. The tracks:

“Sad Sad City” by Ghostland Observatory
“Fools Gold” by The Stone Roses
“Eau D’Bedroom Dancing” by Le Tigre
“Who Is It” by Björk
“Standing In the Way of Control” by The Gossip
“Don’t Panic” by Coldplay
“London Bridge” by Fergie
“No More Surprises” by The Ettes
“Movie Ending Romance” by Math & Physics Club
“Club Foot” by Kasabian
“People Who Died” by Jim Carroll Band
“Citizens of Tomorrow” by Tokyo Police Club
“In the Morning” by Junior Boys
“Pretend We’re Dead” by L7
“Rich Man” by Ghostland Observatory

As usual, the podcast is available through RSS or iTunes. Here are the appropriate links:

* Subscribe to the enhanced podcast. (rss)
* Subscribe to the mp3 podcast. (rss)
* Click here to visit the "Pleasing To Your Ears" page in the iTunes Music Store, where you can pick and choose from available episodes.
* no15 :: Questions About Queries and Queries About Questions (mp3)
* no15 :: Questions About Queries and Queries About Questions (enhanced)

Here's some link(s) I mentioned in this episode:

* My London, London, London, Wanna Go Down

That's it for episode 15. Please tell your friends. Please tell me what you think. Please post a link on your blogs. Please use the hotline: (206) 202-3142. Please tune in for a new episode this weekend.

Gateway Darks

About six months ago I bid a fond farewell to milk chocolate and fell backward into the smooth, velvety bosom of dark. Damn that shit is good. It's got lasting power on your tongue. It's fucking indulgent. When I eat dark chocolate, I feel like I'm one vagina away from guest illustrating a "Cathy" comic. Darks are like gateway chocolates. I've been seeking out harder and harder darks. Right now, I'm eating a Ghirardelli Intense Dark Twilight Delight candy bar. 72% cacao. There was one that was 83%, but I'm not quite ready to ride that particular dragon.

Give That Man a Raise

This comes courtesy of online conspiracy theory mentalists:

A plane crashed into a building in NY...today's date:
10-11-06.

Now read that [shit] upside down!

WOOOOOOOOOAAAAAHHHHHHHH! Good job Internet rumor mill. You've made Nostradamus proud.

Over and Out

"This Is Radio Clash" was playing in Starbucks this morning.

You can pack it in, boys. Let's head on home. We put up a good fight. But, I'm fairly sure this is definitive proof that we lost.

On the Subject of Portfolios and the Parsons Paradigm

The portfolio evaluation on Saturday was an inspiration. Representatives from more than a dozen art schools converged on Parsons with the goal of advising potential graduate students on the best way to prepare a portfolio for the admissions process. For art school the portfolio is the focus of any application, so everyone there looked strained to say the least.

As a complete outsider, totally unversed in the protocol of art school undergrad programs and portfolio preparation, I was just there to get an insider’s opinion. If they laughed and sent me on my way with a pat on the head, then at least I would know I was way off base. And I could always scream, “I don’t wanna go to your stupid school anyway, least not ‘til 2008, fartface,” and then run for the nearest exit. I was able to avoid the dirty business of scene-causing b’c the response I got was extremely positive, across the board.

I was able to meet with Department Chair and Co-chair of the Design+Technology program at Parsons. I requested a brochure and course catalog from the New School a while back and when I read the section on the Design+Technology program, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. It’s the cream dream of graduate degrees as far as I’m concerned. It would be the perfect place to finally synthesize my disparate interests (design, graffiti, social justice, new media, digital filmmaking, comedy) into a larger body of work and learning. From the Parsons’ website:

Innovation, exploration, collaboration and social activism drive the BFA and MFA Design and Technology programs at Parsons. Situated in the heart of New York City’s vibrant art and design scene, Design and Technology students take their work to the streets, directly engaging the communities and people that inform them. In both programs, students explore areas such as Game Design, Physical Computing, Animation, Digital Filmmaking, Interaction Design, the Web, and more. From bicycles that create Wi-Fi hotspots at neighborhood parks, to walking tours mediated through PDAs and cell phones, to animations projected on the side of buildings, the work created Design and Technology students is part of the city’s constant dialogue with its citizens.

The Department Chair told me students come into the program with humble backgrounds in graphic design and other disciplines and leave completely transformed. She told me that my background in computer science, anthropology, improv, stand-up, design and new media all made perfect sense to her and that I was the kind of schizo the program needed. Phew. Let the application process…BEGIN!

Listen: Podcast, no14

Columbus Day is one of great import to true blue, dyed-in-the-wool Americans like myself. I was off from work so I took the time to sleep in, eat chocolate and masturbate. Thus, the 'cast she was late. Apologies. The tracks:

“I Gotcha” by Lupe Fiasco
“When You Were Young” by The Killers
“Do The Robot” by Turf Talk
“Some Sweet Day” by Sparklehorse
“Better Git It In Your Soul” by Charles Mingus
“I Want Candy (Kevin Shields Remix)” by Bow Wow Wow
“What Deaner Was Talkin’ About” by Ween
“Circle Cysquatch” by Mastodon
“The Illiad” by Tapes ‘n Tapes
“Same Thing” by Pete Yorn
“Planetarium” by Squarepusher
“Backstabber” by Dresden Dolls
“Creeps Me Out” by Ima Robot
“Daydreamin’” by Lupe Fiasco

As usual, the podcast is available through RSS or iTunes. Here are the appropriate links:

* Subscribe to the enhanced podcast. (rss)
* Subscribe to the mp3 podcast. (rss)
* Click here to visit the "Pleasing To Your Ears" page in the iTunes Music Store, where you can pick and choose from available episodes.
* no14 :: Kink Senator iPod Theater (mp3)
* no14 :: Kink Senator iPod Theater (enhanced)

Here's some links I mentioned in this episode:

* Dresden Doll's v. Panic! At the Disco
* Marie Anoinette Soundtrack
* Lead singer of Panic! At the Disco gets bottled at Reading Festival
* Senator Mark Foley's kinky IM chats
* HOT! HOT! HOT! Mark Foley e-mails

That's it for episode 13. Please tell your friends. Please tell me what you think. Please post a link on your blogs. Please use the hotline: (206) 202-3142. Please tune in for a new episode this weekend.

PEG LEG: The Lost Issue

As many of you know, I designed, printed and wrote for (almost entirely) my own comedy magazine in college. It was a labor of love which boasted a subscription base of two to three hundred readers. I released Peg Leg (Southwestern's mascot was a pirate) sporadically over a few years, usually whenever I was overwhelmed by an abundance of creativity. I would stay up for a week, writing, editing, layint out and gorging on Papa John's. It was one of the most wonderful projects I've ever undertaken. The product, while far from perfect, projected a certain charm in it's often poorly conceived comedic premises, flagrant grammatical mistakes and xeroxed shoddiness. I began working on a sixth issue in my senior year but never had the energy to finish it up. While compiling work for my portfolio, I found three rough draft covers of what I was calling "the asshole issue". Three different covers...so fucking ambitious. No wonder I never finished it.





That's myself, Chris and Claire on the covers.

I Lied: The Last of 'Em

I'm supposed to have "10-15 pieces of artwork" for the evaluation. I have a lot of disparate work that I've completed over the years, but a lot of it doesn't explicitly scream design. Nevertheless, I think these three represent my sensibility and graphic taste. Plus, they're inappropraite as hell. Awesome.

Yet More Portfolio Pages

This is it for the moment. I'm gonna go print these puppies and get some shit eye. That's shit eye. I'm going to shit in my own eye. Blurgh!

Even More Portfolio Pages

These is the sum total of design work that I've done for Rapzilla and MC Record Deal, otherwise known as Cracked Out. Distillation.

More Portfolio Pages

This is another one of the pages I've prepared for Saturday's portfolio critique. Shirts and stuff.

Portfolio Pages

This is one of the pages I've prepared for Saturday's portfolio critique. It's the buttons. The one inch ones? That you pin to your shirt? Yeah.

He Doesn't [Write Songs] Like Jesus

A month ago, Brandon Flowers said Sam's Town would be "one of the best albums of the last 20 years". He also wrote these lyrics:

We're burning down the highway skyline,
On the back of a hurricane,
That started turning,
When you were young

Brandon Flowers has a gift for turning shit into diarrhea.

Workout: 10.03.06

I'm burning the candle at both ends this week to finish up a design for my portfolio website and bring all my work together to present at a portfolio critique on Saturday. Late nights, interesting output.

Rub Fish On Your Tits and Skull Fuck Some Shellfish

Happy Yom Kippur!

Listen: Podcast, no13

It's never a good idea to operate podcasting software when you're under the influence. I had a bit too much caffeine this afternoon and I think it shows in this episode. Apologies all around. The tracks:

“Nausea” by Beck
“Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt” by We Are Scientists
“Free Stress Test” by Professor Murder
“The Price I Pay” by Billy Bragg
“Walking the Cow” by T.V. on the Radio
“Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Your Grievience” by Daniel Johnston
“Insane In the Membrane” by Cypress Hill
“I Gotta Move” by Ben Kweller
“3 Freaks” by DJ Shadow
“I Don’t Believe You” by The Magnetic Fields
“Suspicious Character” by The Blood Arm
“In the Morning” by Razorlight
“The Rainbow” by Apples in Stereo
“Summersong” by The Decemberists
“Casssettesingle” by Fujiya & Miyagi

As usual, the podcast is available through RSS or iTunes. Here are the appropriate links:

* Subscribe to the enhanced podcast. (rss)
* Subscribe to the mp3 podcast. (rss)
* Click here to visit the "Pleasing To Your Ears" page in the iTunes Music Store, where you can pick and choose from available episodes.
* no13 :: Roofed to the Gills (mp3)
* no13 :: Roofed to the Gills (enhanced)

Here's some links I mentioned in this episode:

* Lo-fi viral videos for Beck's new album The Information
* Ben Kweller's Bloody Nose
* Razorlight's "In the Morning" video
* Apples in Stereo sign to Simian records

That's it for episode 13. Please tell your friends. Please tell me what you think. Please post a link on your blogs. Please use the hotline: (206) 202-3142. Please tune in for a new episode this weekend.

Silkscreen Photoset

I setup a photoset on my flickr account to document some of the silkscreen work I'm doing. There should be updates at least once a week, probably more. The first set of prints were previewed in Friday's workout page. These pages are just a method for me to produce/play on a more regular basis since all of my design work is digital and, as a result, I'm without a traditional sketchbook.

Workout: 09.29.06

I had to whip up a black and white image as source material for my first print tomorrow morning. I had a lot of ideas that were in various stages of completion, but the Bean Boy Bomb was the easiest and most striking. I'm going to print it in a few colors and I may, time permitting, dribble a mix of colors on the screen and try a gradient effect. Tit balls.

Workout: 09.26.06

Linkology: 09.25.06

This is fucking brilliant, so make use of it while you can. I'm fairly confident the sites will be gone by the week's end:

* Every episode of The Simpsons
* Every episode of Futurama

Workout: 09.24.06

Listen: Podcast, no12

The hotline is live and taking calls. What requests will be made? What demands will be turned down? Did anybody even bother calling in? Answers and more await you in this week's episode. The tracks:

“Nature of the Experiment” by Tokyo Police Club (MySpace)
“Beware (feat. Cali Agents)” by Oh No
“Enough to Get Away” by Joseph Arthur
“Delicious Demon” by The Sugarcubes
“Goodbye” by Asobi Seksu (MySpace)
“Suzie” by Boy Kill Boy (MySpace)
“You and Me and the Moon” by Magnetic Fields
“Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)” by Talking Heads
“Natural’s Not In It” by Gang of Four
“Bloodhounds on My Trail” by The Black Angels (MySpace)
“Grass” by Animal Collective
“I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” by Scissor Sisters
“Not California” by Hem
“In This Home On Ice” by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
“Crime Does Pay” by The Hourly Radio

As usual, the podcast is available through RSS or iTunes. Here are the appropriate links:

* Subscribe to the enhanced podcast. (rss)
* Subscribe to the mp3 podcast. (rss)
* Click here to visit the "Pleasing To Your Ears" page in the iTunes Music Store, where you can pick and choose from available episodes.
* no12 :: What Would Freak Nasty Do? (mp3)
* no12 :: What Would Freak Nasty Do? (enhanced)

Here's some links I mentioned in this episode:

* HBO message board about "Living Dolls"
* The soundtrack of NY Fashion Week
* A Sugarcubes Reunion

That's it for episode 12. Please tell your friends. Please tell me what you think. Please post a link on your blogs. Please use the hotline: (206) 202-3142. Please tune in for a new episode this weekend.

Listen: Supplement_A :: The Nationwide Mercury Prize

I like supplements, yes I do. I like supplements, how 'bout you? This is the inaugural supplementary podcast, where the music is more closely curated around a particular theme. This week, I'm spotlighting the albums/artists shortlisted for the Nationwide Mercury Prize, the nominees of which represent the best British and Irish albums of the last 12 months. The tracks:

"Fake Tales of San Francisco" by Arctic Monkeys
"Munich" by Editors
"Made-up Lovesong #43" by Guillemots
"I Sleep Alone" by Richard Hawley
"Boys From School" by Hot Chip
"Map of the Problematique" by Muse
"The Boom Boom Bap" by Scritti Politti
"Flo' Fashion" by Sway
"Black Swan" by Thom Yorke
"You Probably Couldn't See For the Lights But You Were Staring Straight At Me" by Arctic Monkeys

As usual, the podcast is available throught RSS or iTunes. Here are the appropriate links:

* Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes.
* Click here to visit the "Pleasing To Your Ears" page in the iTunes Music Store, where you can pick and choose from available episodes.

And for you folks that poo poo the enhanced podcast, here's the mp3 for Supplement_A:

Supplement_A :: The Nationwide Mercury Prize

Here's some links I mentioned in this episode:

* Official Nationwide Mercury Prize site
* BBC Mercury Prize site
* Mercury Prize on Wikipedia
* Slowly Downward (cover of "The Eraser" by Thom Yorke)

That's it for the first supplementary podcast. Please tell your friends. Please tell me what you think. Please link on your blogs. Please use the hotline: (206) 202-3142. Please tune in for a new episode this weekend.

Linkology: 09.21.06

* Judging your friends by their Netflix queues
* New York is the safest big city in the U.S. Fuck you, Dallas.
* Sugarcubes reunion show
* NY Times profile of Michel Gondry
* With the premiere of the 4th season, I've been reading a lot of good stuff about The Wire. It's queued.
* London Design Festival :(
* David Sedaris in The New Yorker
* 1,000 words of advice for design teachers
* 1,000 words of advice for design students
* Michael Bierut on his design process
* Jeff Zeen on his design process

Pleasing To Your Ears Hotline

Pleasing To Your Ears, now has it's very own request/feedback hotline. That din you hear outside is rejoicing in the streets. People are beside themselves with ecstasy, practically fucking strangers on the roofs of cars they're so amped.

In an ongoing effort to diversify and expand in episodes 11-20, I've setup a voicemail box where you can leave me a digital missive. Once you're finished, your zeroes and ones are sent to me via e-mail and I can post your clip in the upcoming episode. So fire off those song requests, show ideas, criticisms and sophomoric pranks. I welcome it all. Just speak up for fuck's sake. The adoring public will want to be able to understand what you're saying.

The hotline: (206) 202-3142

Let loose the dogs of listener response. All 13 of them.

Fucking Classic

Delivery Girl: What apartment number is this going to?
Steven: FF4. Like, FRANK-FRANK-4?
Delivery Girl: What?
Steven: It's FF4. Like--
Delivery Girl: FUCK-FUCK-4!
Steven: Uhh, yeah...
Delivery Girl: OK. Is that all?
Steven: Yeah.
Delivery Girl: You didn't get offended by what I said, did you?
Steven: (laughing) No, of course not.
Delivery Girl: OK, cool.

Listen: Podcast, no11

Episode 11: a new beginning. In life, I rarely maintain anything for the duration. So it's exciting to be starting the second set of ten episodes. Plus, I gots me a motherfucking guest host. The tracks:

“Black Flowers” by Yo La Tengo
“Break” by Jurassic 5
“Walking to New Orleans” by Fats Domino
“Je Ne Te Connais Pas” by Prototypes
“Yoo Hoo” by Imperial Teen
“He Brings Out the Whiskey In Me” by Amy Millan
“House of Regret” by Wild Sweet Orange
“Suds and Soda” by Deus
“Acquiesce” by Oasis
“Lounge Act” by Nirvana
“Heroin” by The Velvet Underground & Nico
“Have Love Will Travel” by The Sonics
“Heads High” by Mr. Vegas
“Tea for the Tillerman” by Cat Stevens
“Jique” by Brazilian Girls

As usual, the podcast is available throught RSS or iTunes. Here are the appropriate links:

* Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes.
* Click here to visit the "Pleasing To Your Ears" page in the iTunes Music Store, where you can pick and choose from available episodes.

And for you folks that poo poo the enhanced podcast, here's the mp3 for episode eleven:

no11 :: Music for Jewish Robots

That's it for episode eleBen. Please tell your friends. Please tell me what you think. Please link on your blogs. Please tune in Thursday for a supplementary podcast about the Mercury Awards.