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Showing posts with label ICONS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ICONS. Show all posts

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Detroit




There is a certain elegance, power and strength to Detroit. Most young people living today unless you are from there have no clue of the significance the city has played in progress of culture, arts and economy of modern day America. At one point in the city's tumultuous history it was the heartbeat of America, General Motors and Ford controlled the automotive industry while Motown literally produced every legendary black recording artist of its era.


Unfortunately those days are gone now and whats left is a city with a fall comparable to that of ancient Rome. Detroit is like the rich woman who lost everything, she may not be what she once was but you can still detect her pride and sophistication. 

Detroit's Beautiful, Horrible Decline
 Spanish Goth Theater


Maybe its in the name, Detroit obviously hints at french ancestry (City was founded by French-Canadian Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac) there is a adherent subtle flair and sophistication to the old architecture, even the ones considered ruins. Detroit is glorious from an artistic standpoint, even at its low point. Anyone with mild taste will stand in awe of the vacant old Detroit Central Station, it majestic. The GM building has uniqueness, the Joe Louis Fist personifies the city's tough culture, the Spirit of Detroit statue is elegant and strong. The Fox and Fillmore brings that theatrical flair. Detroit screams revival, and once it does it will be the toast of America.





The city will return, it has to. Whether it is back to its prominent form remains to be seen but it will come back to a form greater than what we see today. The city that's known for its Joe Louis sculptured fist of course still has that fighters chance. All that it has been through will only make it stronger on its rise to the top.

Quicken Loans Building



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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

YEEZUS



There is no middle ground with Kanye West. Very rarely do you hear people say "He's okay" Most feelings about Mr West are geared toward the extreme, its either "Kanye West is a talentless douchebag" or "Kanye West is the greatest musician/rapper of our generation." Bold claims? Maybe, but it all depends on who you ask and through what lens you choose to view americas human exclamation point...the guy they call "Yeezus".


Its that time of the year again, its Yeezy season. Love him or hate him he sure does know how to push the right/wrong buttons. They say one cannot know how far they can go unless they are willing to go overboard, Kanye West's career is a true example of that. Kanye has pushed buttons that had not his skill level and music prowess be so high he would be banned from the face of the planet. There are those who hate him and say vicious things but what you can't call him is "talentless".





Mr.West by all accounts and by leaps and bounds is the most interesting, avant garde, and polarizing figure in hip hop and the cheif "button pusher" in all of music. Kanye being Kanye was on full display this past week when he debuted the campaign for his new album entitled "Yeezus" a very clever play on words using his nickname Yeezy and the christian savior Jesus Christ. Some may see this as blasphemous, or see it as creative expression. Either way from the looks of the new songs "New Slaves" and "Black Skinhead" (debuted on Saturday Night Live and guerrilla style on buildings from a projector) the new Yeezus album is going to be some kind of incredible that we dont see in hip hop very often these days.

YEEZUS ALBUM ARTWORK
Music should be about pushing the envelope and provoking emotion, somewhere along the way the music has become predictable and cheesy. When someone is willing to go to the lengths that Kanye does to get his point across then we all should pause and give it a listen. June 18th's "Yeezus" album drop will be a moment in hip hop history most fans wouldn't dare miss.

NEW SLAVES

BLACK SKINHEAD

MUSIC: KANYE WEST VEVO


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Balmain - Olivier Rousteing

In 2011 at the age of 24 Olivier Rousteing became the head designer at french fashion house Pierre Balmain. Take a deep breath.. you heard that right. At that same age while most of us will either be stuck with a job we don't like or jobless Olivier is at the helm of one of the worlds most prestigious fashion houses. 





Balmain is a not just a brand, its a lifestyle. The dark colors and bold patterns screams confidence for the individual wearing it. Balmain is one of the rare fashion lines that can seamlessly fuse casual wear and couture and make it look cool and approachable. For the common person into fashion many of the styles in high end wear can seem a bit much and overt. Balmain although can be ambitious also has a simplistic and ready to wear feel.






Sky is the limit for Rousteing. He is in rarefied air being that he is so young given so much power in the fashion world. He has been compared to the likes of a young Marc Jacobs in terms of being a prodigy and there is no sign of falter to come. Balmain rests in the hands of a 26 year old creative genius, expect nothing but quality and youthful innovation for years to come.

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Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Daft Punk - Nostalgia Electronica




Daft Punk has always been apart of the subconscious of  the annals of my brain. I can remember when I first heard "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" via a Kanye West sample for his hit "Stronger", hipsters were upset because Kanye sampled their beloved Daft, yet still at that point I had no clue who they were. I was mildly interested in the controversy but not enough to search for more. Then there was a commercial, I believe it was a  "NOW thats what I call music" compilation album commercial and it would always play Daft's hit single "One More Time". I cannot tell you how long "One More Time" played in my head (maybe one more time? *comedic drum roll*). Even with the almost physhic reoccurance of them entering my consciousness it never clicked with me to uncover the music. Finally, I went to a party were my friend was playing their new single "Get Lucky" and  he explained to me the story of the robots..... Legendary music makers whose identities are shrouded in a mystery so secret that it transformed them into robots, this was enough to have me on the edge of my seat.

Needless to say I went home listened to every Daft Punk song imaginable on YouTube and I am now currently a crazed fan of the robot duo. If you are not as well you should definitely have your own Daft epihany.


The undisputed electro Gods are back at and in due time. There is no other musical act in history that has the mystique surrounding them that the robots have. Daft has been pretty quiet musically( with the exception of the Tron soundtrack) since their 2007 ALIVE record. 8 years between albums would be a path to irrelevance for most acts but the anticpation for Random Access Memories, the duos 6th studio album is at a fever pitch. With the recent undeniable rise of the electronic dance music movement it is no wonder why fans are clammering for the Pablo Picasso and Leonardo Da Vinci of electronice music to paint another masterpiece.

New to Daft Punk? Here is the essentials:

What you need to know? They are robots from another, more groovy planet who have decided to stake out in undisclosed hideaways in Paris and Los Angeles to create music.

Where should I start? Daft's first album was titled "Homework" this is a great album for people familiar with dance music but a more crossover and grandiose production that would catch anyones fancy is their "Discovery" album.

Must listen to song? One More Time , Robot Rock, Around The World.

Photos: GQ
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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Mother Nature: Florence Welch

If you dont know who Florence Welch of "Florence And The Machine" then you have alot of catching up to do. Florence Welch is one of those singers who come along every once in a while and completely floors you. Her voice is strong and heavenly, im sure this is what goddesses sound like. Just one listen to her hit "Cosmic Love" or her performance at London's Glastonbury Festival of "Dog Days" you will see clearly she is something special, mythical almost. Florence Welch has the potential to be one of the most powerful voices in her generation. Embrace the woman I like to call Mother Nature










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Friday, January 18, 2013

Picasso


Picasso is the God of art. Period. No other artist has cause such a fixation about their work among others. No matter what kind of art an artist may create today, most of them draw great influence from the great Pablo Picasso. Picasso's style fused together different themes, ideas and techniques which in result made him and innovator, his work has changed the landscape of art forever. Indulge in some of his greatest pieces, recognize the immense greatness that is Picasso.

Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, o/c, 1907 (MoMA)
Picasso-WeepingWoman
P
Picasso-L-Acrobat
 The 15 Most Expensive Paintings in the World
 The 15 Most Expensive Paintings in the World
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