THE HIGHLARK EMISSARY

iPhone Users Beware! And An Unrelated Tale of Mistaken Identity

2009-07-30T06:14:00.004-04:00

iPhones users! Goodchild informed me that there may be some crazy phone virus headed your way, check out this article on Forbes.com.

Yeah so Tim is my band mate slash room mate and Goodchild had a funny incident with a person whom he thought was Tim. Read the story below as if Tim is someone you know.

- Sonic

so ... the attached pic is of Tim, though not of tim:

i walked to the 7th ave stop on the B/Q line on the way to work, as I do when it's not pouring rain.
I was waiting for the train underground, sweating my ass off, when I decided to take my glasses off a second and wipe my brow.
without my glasses, I saw someone come down the stairs to the platform, and the fuzzy out of focus shape had a familiar feel to it ...
I put my glasses on, and i saw Tim standing there, looking at me, wearing slacks, a button down shirt, a tie and a sport coat.
"Hey!" I said.
Tim stared at me a moment more, said nothing, then turned away ...
When I caught the profile, it occurred to me that it might not be Tim -
after all, what the fuck is Tim doing waiting for the B or Q train in park slope at 9am?
And - I hoped - wouldn't Tim have at least said "Hi" back to me before ignoring me?
I thought we were friends ...
I looked closer, and, yeah, it was Tim ...
So I took a few steps towards him, and saw that, No, No Way, it was NOT Tim.
Shit.
My bad.
The B train came, I hopped on ... and he hopped on the same car.
I got a seat, and he stood, almost facing me, and for a while I was staring at him ...
same height
same weight
same hair (though it was sweaty and matted down)
same mannerisms
same gait (is that the word for the way someone walks?)
and similar fashion, to a sense - As it was a workday, I totally believed Tim would wear this getup.
I realized I had to get a picture ... i kinda snapped one, it's not the best, and it doesn't do justice to how much this guy looks like -
no, how much this guy IS Tim...
Tim has a doppleganger in park slope, i swear it.

- Goodchild

Why The Japanese Are Way Cooler Than Us Americans

2009-07-27T05:34:00.002-04:00

Perhaps a bit overstating there, but in many ways it seems true. For example, Americans created baseball, and it is our national pastime – but even though we have always been rather dominant in the sport, once an actual world championship was created (the World Baseball Classic), Japan showed the world who’s got game (they’ve won both tournaments so far). That’s just cool.

Know what else is cool? Studio Ghibli. I mean, these guys are just the absolute greatest at what they do – and what they do is make awesome animated films.

… I’m looking at that last sentence and it’s not doing it for me. “Awesome” is a word that simply gets bandied about too much, and has lost its punch. Ok, how about this: Studio Ghibli makes films that will instill a wholly childlike sense of awe and wonder in you, and make you wish that the film never ends so that you never have to go back to the real world. Alright, I like that better, but it still doesn’t do them justice. The films these guys put out there just exude a coolness on a level that no American animation even comes close to – not even our mighty Pixar.

Helmed by the masterful Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli has created some of the most wonderful films (and think about that word a minute – wonderful … FULL of WONDER) the world has ever seen. The films are so wildly successful in their native Japan, that Disney secured rights to dub them in English for North American release. If you’ve ever seen a Japanese movie dubbed in English, you might think this is a terrible idea – but in their defense, Disney does the right thing by Miyazaki’s films, hiring the right actors to get down the rightly translated dialogue. While I usually insist on watching anime in Japanese with English subtitles, Disney’s dubs of Miyazaki’s films are a pleasant exception, and are excellently done. They are even so well received here that Spirited Away won the Academy Award for best animated film in 2002.

Last year, Japanese audiences were treated to Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s newest film – and the slow process of properly translating the script, finding the right actors and redubbing it in English has finally come to fruition for Disney, who will be releasing Ponyo on August 14th. Check the trailer, then get the family together and tell them not to make plans for August 14th!

- Goodchild

Portugal. The Man - New Album Out Today!

2009-07-21T03:54:00.002-04:00

Portugal. The Man's new record The Satanic Satanist comes out today! They are also playing some gigs in our neck of the woods, August 4th at Union Pool (Brooklyn) and August 5th at Mercury Lounge (NYC). See you there!

- Sonic

As Tall As Lions - New Record Hits August 18th

2009-07-20T05:23:00.001-04:00

It’s Been Fun, But Looks Like We’re All Doomed!

To quote the last line in the song Be Here Now, by the ridiculously cool band As Tall As Lions: “It’s been a good life – I’ll be sad to see it go …”

Clicking this link will explain why and apparently how we’ll all die.

So, why not check out a sweet ass live version of the aforementioned As Tall As Lions song?

- Goodchild

Watch Out, SoCal!

2009-07-17T05:28:00.001-04:00

Two weeks ago, I was on vacation visiting the folks in Las Vegas. Being huge baseball fans, we took a day to drive down to San Diego to watch our beloved Boys in Blue (still the best team in baseball!) beat up on the hometown Padres. Thankfully, they did beat up on them – then promptly blew the lead, and finally won the game in an exhausting 13 innings (hey, at least we got our money’s worth). We walked around downtown San Diego a bit before and after the game, and I simply couldn’t stop talking about how beautiful the city is. I mean, I just love it out there. The architecture, the people, the culture, the food …

Oh, and don’t forget the beaches. San Diego has some awesome beaches, with some great surfing. In fact, with the weather there being almost perfect year round, there’s really only one problem.

Humbolt squid – “aggressive 5-foot-long sea monsters with razor-sharp beaks and toothy tentacles”, to quote the article I just read – are invading the shallow waters off the coast in San Diego, and perhaps moving further north.

Click here to read about some of the experiences people have been having with the giant sea monsters.

Would you head into the sea to swim with them? They’re big … check this video for some being caught by fishermen earlier this year.

- Goodchild

Julian Casablancas of The Strokes Releasing New Solo Album

2009-07-16T13:00:00.000-04:00

Julian Casablancas of The Strokes will be releasing a solo record entitled Phrazes For The Young. All of the other members of The Strokes have released work on side projects but this will be the first for Casablancas. The record is due out in Fall of this year, but check out the preview video for now.

- Sonic

Discover: Roy Lichtenstein

2009-07-16T04:13:00.000-04:00

Roy Lichtenstein (1923 – 1997) was influenced by advertisement art and comic books. He was the quintessential ‘pop artist.’ However, he made a point of addressing that his works were more of an ‘industrial painting’ than anything else.

Lichtenstein studied art in college, but his education was interrupted by a three year stint in the army during World War II. After he was discharged from the army, he continued his studies and earned a graduate degree in the arts. Later he moved to Cleveland Ohio (his place of origin) and traveled back and forth from New York.

Lichtenstein taught at Rutgers University as he continued to enhance his personal technique and gain fame. Currently his works are on display from the Museum of Modern Art to the National Gallery of Art and various locations in between.

+ see more of Lichtenstein's work at art.com

- Adam Wise

9th Annual Siren Music Festival

2009-07-15T15:01:00.007-04:00

illustration by Paul Antonson

9th Annual SIREN MUSIC FESTIVAL™ Saturday, July 18, 2009

BUILT TO SPILL, SPANK ROCK, THE RAVEONETTES, FRIGHTENED RABBIT, GRAND DUCHY, MONOTONIX, A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS,
THEE OH SEES, FUTURE OF THE LEFT, JAPANDROIDS, MICACHU & THE SHAPES, TINY MASTERS OF TODAY, BEAR HANDS, THE BLUE VAN, JUSTINE D. and DeadHeat DJs Play the Siren Festival this weekend!

SIREN MUSIC FESTIVAL returns this Saturday, July 18, 2009 from noon — 9pm! This free, all ages festival features performances throughout the day on two outdoor stages in historic Coney Island, NYC.

+ Click Here For More Details

- Sonic

Travel Tips - Las Vegas

2009-07-15T04:33:00.001-04:00

Time for something a bit unusual for one of my posts, but something I nonetheless had to give some props to. I’m usually blathering about video games, movies, television, or other forms of media, but today I thought I’d talk about another form of gaming.

I am, of course, talking about gambling – and I thought I’d tip you off on a brand new spot to head off to.

A few years ago, my parents retired and moved away from the loving embrace of New York City, to the bright lights of fabulous Las Vegas. Since that time, I’ve gone out to visit quite a few times, and in many respects stopped considering myself a tourist while there. Now, if you know anything about Las Vegas, you know the strip – that long stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard where all the mega hotel/casinos are. Where you book a room at one hotel, but spend your vacation tooling up and down, visiting each of the others – and why not, it’s legal to walk on the strip with open alcoholic beverages!

My main problem is that I spend most of my time at home at work, and I work right near Times Square. Times Square is one of, if not the largest tourist destination in our country. Since I spend 5 days a week surrounded by the thickest flow of tourists imaginable, when I go away to relax and visit my folks, I try not to go near the strip – it’s like being at work when I’m 2,500 miles from home. There are plenty of really nice places off of the strip that offer everything the mega joints do – sometimes even more. For example, until my last trip, I’d say that my favorite place in Las Vegas was Red Rock Casino. The architecture of the building is incredibly cool, with long, low waterfalls and fire pits outside. The gaming floor has a very pretty red aesthetic, to match the nearby red rocks of the Nevada mountains. They have all the games you want to play – and with better table limits and less restrictions on rules than on the strip. There are a lot of food choices, ranging from good all the way to great. There’s a ton more than the casino, too – an amazing spa, a huge movie theater, the coolest bowling alley I’ve even been to (which is cheap as hell, too!!), and the sweetest pool area I’d seen yet. Oh, and it’s populated by really cool, mellow locals, all friendly and just looking for a good time – the exact opposite of the huge jostling crowds giving off heavy and bad vibes on the strip. All that, and if you’re free during the day, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is right nearby, with some breathtaking views, trails, and a great scenic drive. I recommend climbing to the top of the tallest peak there, Mt. Turtlehead – my brothers and I did it, and it was exhilarating, offering great views of all of Las Vegas.

So … what could be better than all that?

M.

That’s it. Just one letter and it says it all. M is the newest luxury joint in Las Vegas, and it sits just south of the strip, just off I-15. Inside, it offers all the amenities on its gaming floor that Red Rock does, but bigger, newer and nicer. I’ve never met a friendlier staff at a casino, with people always looking to help out and hook you up – anytime I saw anyone ask for any type of comp, they got it. Now, I can’t truly speak on what all those peoples gambling tendencies were, but I can say I’ve never seen pit bosses jump so energetically at the prospect of getting something for free for the customers.

And the free things seem to be everywhere. Simply for signing up for a comp card, I was treated to a free buffet. As good as that may sound, consider this: the family that runs the M owns their own farm where they raise the delicious beef used there. They own their own vineyards, and supply their own delicious wine. They own their own microbrewery and supply their own beer. And in the buffet, which featured probably the most amazing selection of gourmet international foods I’ve ever seen assembled in one room, all the wine and beer you want is included. How’s that for value?

My first day in town was July 4th, and my parents and I went to M, outside by the pool area to watch their fireworks show. I was fairly impressed by it, and I’ve seen the one they put on in Redbank, NJ. But what really impressed me was the sweet layout of the pool area itself, and how beautiful it was – and the fact that the strikingly gorgeous sunsets over the mountains around the M didn’t hurt at all. My last night in town, my ‘rents and I went to the Veloce Cibo, at the top of M. The impressive views of Las Vegas were almost as good as those from Mt. Turtlehead (though there wasn’t the I-just-climbed-a-mountain sense of accomplishment to heighten it), and the food there was flat out ridiculous. Seriously. No peppercorn sauce should be that good – that’s how people get addicted.

All this, supported by what is by far the most attractive wait staff I’ve ever seen (why, if I didn’t have my Norah Jones, I’d be in love with every woman there), and you’ve got my favorite destination spot in all of Nevada.

- Goodchild

Brand New Brand New Song - Bed

2009-07-14T13:11:00.001-04:00

As promised here is a live video of the song "Bed" which will be on Brand New's new record entitled Daisy coming out September 22nd 2009.

- Sonic

Get Ready To Point And Click

2009-07-14T04:18:00.000-04:00

This Wednesday, July 15th, something I’ve been waiting a very long time for is going to happen. The Secret Of Monkey Island: Special Edition will be released for download on Xbox Live Arcade and PC.

To those who didn’t play it when it originally came out years ago, it is an old school point-and-click adventure game. It may not have all the bells and whistles of a new HD console or PC game, but what it lacks in flashiness, it makes up for with its awesomely funny dialogue, great characters, and a truly fun-as-hell experience – and it was the first game I think I played that Tim Schafer worked on (Brutal Legend comes out soon!!). Check the trailer, and download it on Wednesday.

- Goodchild

A Vote For 3D IMAX Movies

2009-07-13T12:23:00.002-04:00

With Hollywood’s current shifting towards 3D films, I’ve taken a real interest in something that moves alongside this: ticket prices. It’s bad enough that I have to pay between 12 and 13 dollars when I want to catch a flick with friends after work in New York City – but when you want to go see something in 3d, the price jumps up from there. With nights out at the cinema reaching ridiculous prices, it’s easy to feel like you’re just not getting your money’s worth. This is why you simply have to pick the correct overly expensive movie ticket to buy.

For around $16 a ticket, I can go see a “3D IMAX Experience!” movie at the Lincoln Center IMAX on 68th street. The screen is enormous, the sound system is awesome – if it’s the right movie it’s well worth the money. But how do you know it’s the right movie? Well, reading the book first helps.

When it released, I hopped the 1 train up to the IMAX theater to see the 5th Harry Potter movie. How did I know that it would be well worth the admission? Because I’d read the book, and knew that there was an incredible spectacle of an action sequence in the 3rd act that would not just be something to watch, but more something to experience.

Well, it’s almost time once again, my friends, for the show that is far from ending (as the final book 7 is being broken into 2 movies). This week, the 6th Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, is released, and you can expect some incredible action and some awesome sights and fights to behold this time around. If you’ve got an IMAX theater near you, I highly recommend dropping the extra loot for it – it’s going to be quite the experience when [EDITOR’S NOTE: The end of this post has been removed for spoilers of the worst kind. Though, you really should have read the books by now. Seriously, you’ve got no excuses.]

- Goodchild

Brand New: Music Hall Of Williamsburg 07.11.09

2009-07-13T05:18:00.005-04:00

Music Hall of Williamsburg is a rather small venue for a band like Brand New, and as our very own Mitch will tell you it sold out in minutes. There was a 2 ticket limit and a will call only policy on the show to prevent people from selling tickets for ridiculous prices.

The first half of their 90 minutes ish show was mostly songs off of Your Favorite Weapon and Deja Entendu. Then they played a few songs of their upcoming album Daisy which will hit the US on September 22nd. On first listen I definitely liked it, kind of in the vein of God And The Devil Are Raging Inside Me but a little heavier.

They finished the show with "Soco Amaretto Lime" and the whole place was singing along. A great show and I know a lot of you missed it but they will be playing Nassau Coliseum with Glassjaw on November 27th so keep you eyes and ears out for ticket info. I will also have an exclusive video up of them playing a song off of Daisy so check back tomorrow!

- Sonic

Discover: Alice Dalton Brown - Artist

2009-07-09T06:30:00.003-04:00

Alice Dalton Brown was born in Pennsylvania, hails from Oberlin College in Ohio and also and studied art at the Académie Julian in Paris. Since 1975 when she first burst onto the scene, she has been on solo exhibition as well as select group displays across the United States and abroad.

I thoroughly enjoy her theme of windows which may also be seen as a theme of possibilities? When one typically looks out a window, they are often confronted with a grass is always greener mentality – basically that, they would be outside amongst the world than trapped inside with the issues of daily life.

The open air space that one is often treated to when looking outside is often synonymous with freedom which is why, I believe, Dalton’s work is so successful. That her paintings also take on a summery quality treats the viewer to a brief vacation of the mind.

- Adam Wise

Video Pick: The Lonely Island - Like A Boss

2009-07-08T16:36:00.002-04:00

Another video off of The Lonely Island's Incredibad album. Do a YouTube search for these guys all the videos are pretty hilarious.

- Sonic

Featured Band: Wavves

2009-07-06T13:16:00.002-04:00

Wavves' is a band from California playing some surf rock with a punk rock attitude and lofi textures. Maybe the word band is inaccurate since it is currently comprised only of singer Nathan Williams. Drug and alcohol problems led to an abrupt end of their set in Spain earlier this year where he fought with drummer Ryan Ulsh and the crowd. The rest of the European tour was cancelled and Ulsh left the group earlier this summer.

Williams is back though with a few gigs booked including one at Bowery Ballroom on July 15th.

- Sonic

(2) Weeks Until (500) Days

2009-07-03T02:31:00.002-04:00

Anyone who knows me knows I have a strange fascination following the career of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I liked his old sitcom (3rd Rock From The Sun), and always thought it was weird turning the TV on and seeing John Lithgow talk to the kid from that silly, silly movie Angels In The Outfield. Stupid Angels … nobody likes Anaheim …

I didn’t really take a shine to him until I saw him in one of my proudly admitted “guilty pleasure” movies, 10 Things I Hate About You. I’m a Shakespeare geek, and it was Shakespeare. And it was awesome. So, when a movie called Brick came on HBO one day, I saw he was the star and watched it – and not only was the movie amazing, but he was absolutely great in it – the kid was all grown up, and can act his damn ass off. In case anyone thought different, the same year Brick came out, so did The Lookout – another great film, with Gordon-Levitt as the star, and doing one hell of a job. So, I get a little excited about almost anything he’s in – it seems he picks real winners (we won’t talk about the upcoming disaster he’s in called G.I Joe).

On July 17th, his new film, (500) Days Of Summer, comes out. It has him starring opposite a great actress I also really like, Zooey Deschanel. You know her from Yes Man, Almost Famous, a brief stint on the show Weeds, and my personal favorite bit of her resume – The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.

This movie has gotten rave reviews at its showings at film festivals, and after seeing the trailer, I know where I’ll be on July 17th.

- Goodchild

Discover: Dan May - Artist

2009-07-02T05:36:00.002-04:00

Stay Off The Grass © Dan May

Dan May is an American artist originally from Rochester, New York. I really enjoy his versatility in his style where he can use very solid strokes as he does in Stay Off The Grass (above) but also is capable of creating soft images like the piece shown below.

Pulled From The Heavens © Dan May

His piece entitled Henry's Burden (below) is based on David Lynch's film Eraserhead and will be a part of David Lynch's tribute show at Alcove Arts in Atlanta Georgia on July 10th.

Henry's Burden © Dan May

+ Dan May Interview [The Little Chimp Society]

- Sonic

Video Pick: The National - Mistaken for Strangers

2009-07-01T03:59:00.003-04:00

This video is from The National and the song is called Mistaken for Strangers. They will be at the All Points West Festival this year, we will be doing a preview of the festival soon. For now enjoy the video to a really good song.

- Sonic

Brandt Peters - Artist

2009-06-30T03:37:00.002-04:00

Our eye candy today is brought to you by Brandt Peters, an American artist. He has a unique style which I would describe as if Disney cartoons were more demented and done in graffiti.

He is another artist whose work translates very well to toys and sculptures. Make sure you take a look at the toys section on his site.

I think it would be awesome if they made an animated film using his artwork, but that's just me. Check out Brandt's site here, and more links at Gelaskins.

- Sonic

Featured Band: Phoenix

2009-06-29T05:07:00.002-04:00

Phoenix

The synth has definitely made a comeback lately but these guys have incorporated that element to their music for years. Phoenix is a band from France and one you guys should check out. They are on a big European tour but will be stopping by LA and NYC. The September 25th show at Central Park is sold out but they added another show on the 26th and Passion Pit is opening which is awesome because Passion Pit is one of my faves as of late.

+ Phoenix on Myspace

- Sonic

What I've Been Doing, and What You Should Be Doing

2009-06-26T12:38:00.003-04:00

photo courtesy of IGN

For the last few weeks, I have been mildly obsessed with [Prototype], the new game from Radical Entertainment.

I really wanted to finish the game before sharing my thoughts, but it took me a dang long time, since I there was just so much to do aside from the missions. And while everything is exceptionally fun, taking my time with the game also let me see its (few) flaws as well. Let’s start with those, since this will mostly be a glowing review.

The story of the game starts off at the end – you are a super powered viral freak, 18 days after a major infection has spread throughout all of Manhattan. The military is out in full effect trying to maintain order (and keep the virus from spreading off the island), but there are monstrous mutants wreaking havoc all over the city. You play as Alex Mercer, who seems to be patient zero, and within whom the virus has taken a unique form – Alex can jump over buildings, glide through the air, mutate into different combat forms, run up the sides of buildings, throw cars at helicopters … the list goes on. So, starting at the end, fully powered and causing destruction, is fun, but you must realize what comes next – the flashback. So, jump back 18 days to Alex waking up in a morgue. He has no memories, and doesn’t even know he has powers yet. I don’t mind the taste of the good life to come before having to learn it all over again, but as the game starts as a flashback to a specific point in time my problem with the story is that if I run around doing all the side quests and not the main missions while the sun rises and sets over my head 25 times – well, that was more than 18 days, wasn’t it?

photo courtesy of IGN

This nitpicking is far from the only problem the game has. The targeting system can be horrible at times, refusing to catch on to close and/or strong threats. Many times I found myself on a rooftop, surrounded by Hunter mutants and helicopters, only to have my targeting system lock on to the “hive” building across the street. Also, while the graphics in the game are pretty good, they’re nothing spectacular, and they stay the same. What I mean by that is, from the beginning of the game, all of Manhattan is open for you to explore. And, since running around as a super powered freak is ridiculous fun, explore you will. But that’s it – you can easily plug anywhere from 15-20+ hours into the game if you take the time to go after everything, and the sights never really change, and all the brownish buildings do kind of get a bit boring. Staying with the graphics, there is also a problem with pop-ins coming through the dreaded haze. At the beginning of the game, I climbed up to the top of the empire state building and looked around, and the haze wasn’t all that bad – but as the infection spreads throughout the city and more and more of it is on fire, it’s hard to see a few blocks ahead of you sometimes. The pop-in graphics sometimes don’t pop-in until you’re right within a few meters of them, which also makes finding all the collectible landmark orbs in the city a lot harder – you can be on one rooftop looking at another, not see an orb, and then jump over to it and there it is.

But this all aside, this game is pure fun and enjoyment. While I knew it would be heavy on hand to hand combat, I had no idea that the game was a huge open-world brawler, whose combat mechanics reminded me of old school favorites like Streets of Rage. I must have been more than 5 hours into the game before I realized how cool the combat was, and I spent about 2 hours just running through infected streets brawling with mutants in various forms – not a mission, just having fun. The RPG elements of earning experience points to spend on new powers and moves were great, and truly rewarding.

photo Courtesy of IGN

Once the flashback has started, as I said, you have to learn all the powers you tasted in the opening scene. You start off being able to do a few cool tricks, but right around the time you are able to upgrade, the enemies get harder (hello, hunters!) and make you plan out your upgrades. I got this damn cool claw power, running around with lady deathstrike-esque hands and ripping people to shreds – then I met the hunters and had my ass handed to me. So, upgrade to the hammer fists, and then I could hold my own. And once I got the whip fist power and could hijack helicopters mid-air …

The (main) missions started out a bit run of the mill for me – I was ok with that because the game was so fun, but I thought they would be like that for the rest of the game. Nope. Right when you’re getting used to things, the hook comes and you get stripped of powers, forcing you to plan different attacks and new strategies. The missions get varied, the boss fights are cool, and the learning curve is just about spot on.

If you just stick to the main missions, you can probably run through the game in about 10 hours – but as I’ve been saying, there’s a ton of other stuff to do. Race events, challenges to get a certain amount of kills with certain weapons, and these really cool gliding events, where you jump from a rooftop, glide towards the target and try to land in a bulls eye. There are the landmark orbs I mentioned – 200 of them hidden throughout the city, plus an extra 50 hint orbs. And if that’s not enough, the in-game military is constantly setting up new bases to fight the infection – and each new set up is a new chance to infiltrate the base and consume key personnel in order to upgrade your abilities. Plus, once you finish the game, you can play through again using all the powers you’ve built up your first time through.

The game is nothing but extremely fun, and has more than enough to keep you coming back – if you haven’t played it yet, get to your local retailer and plunk your money down – you won’t be disappointed.

- Goodchild

Discover: Georges-Pierre Seurat: Artist/Theoretician

2009-06-25T04:51:00.002-04:00

Georges-Pierre Seurat lived from 1859 to 1891. He was born into a wealthy family and studied art in his early years. His painting “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” is his most recognized painting and is famous for historical reasons as much for aesthetic ones: this painting has been credited as the catalyst for the Neo-Impressionist movement.

Seurat allied himself with independent artists in Paris and formed the Société des Artistes Indépendants. He was also friends with famous contemporary Paul Signac. While Seurat is a well known innovator of “Pointillism,” his interest in the written works of Sutter, Rood, and Chevreul helped influence Seurat’s perspective on the usage of color in tandem with optical effects and viewer. It is important to note that Chevreul created the color wheel of primary colors and intermediary hues.

In one of Chevreul’s books, he wrote lots on the topic of color harmony which Seurat referred to as ‘emotion’ when implementing the technique in his own works. Also, Seurat (like other Neoimpressionists) often did not use equal intensities of color; instead, he focused more on the role of hues in his works. Seurat also created a ‘language’ in art known as Chromoluminarism which was based on his theory that the scientific application of color was much like other natural laws, and therefore, an in depth understanding of the laws would enable harmony in practice.

Seurat once said "Art is Harmony. Harmony is the analogy of the contrary and of similar elements of tone, of color and of line, considered according to their dominance and under the influence of light, in gay, calm or sad combinations."

+ Georges-Pierre Seurat at art.com

- Adam Wise

Thoughts on E3 (Part V)

2009-06-24T14:02:00.001-04:00

Looking at Sony’s offerings at E3, I wasn’t all too enthused with everything – but the two games I drooled over the most were over in their camp.

Starting with the obvious, God of War 3 will simply be the coolest action game ever. The series may not be as hardcore as the Ninja Gaiden series, but in terms of sheer visceral fun, it simply can NOT be beat. I don’t even know where to begin in talking about this game – at the end of the second game, Kratos and the Titans were climbing Olympus to fight the Gods. Well, it’s war, and it’s war on the appropriate epic scale. Don’t believe me?

Watch this, but then remember to wipe the drool off the ground before you slip on it and hurt yourself.

Video Game - E3 2009 - Videogames

But even that wasn’t as titillating as The Last Guardian. Team Ico, the developers behind Ico and the other-worldly Shadow of the Colossus (one of my absolute favorite games ever), showed off the trailer for their new game – and it looks just as epic and soaring as I hoped it would. Even more than GoW3, this looks to me like it will be the number 1 reason to own a Playstation 3 when it releases.

Video Games - E3 2009 - Video Game Trailers

- Goodchild

Upper Playground and Juxtapoz Magazine's Free Trip to Brazil Contest

2009-06-24T04:47:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I wrote about Upper Playground and Juxtapoz before so I have been keeping up with them and I found out some awesome news. They put together this awesome contest where you can win a trip to Brazil! It doesn't hurt to try and win, I know I will enter the contest fo sho. Here are the details:

Issue 102 of Juxtapoz Magazine, the Brazil Issue, reviews the contemporary art scene in Brazil. To celebrate its 10th Anniversary, and to coincide with Juxtapoz’s Brazil Issue, Upper Playground is giving away a paid trip to São Paulo, Brazil. The trip includes:

• Round trip plane tickets for two to São Paulo, Brazil;
• 4 nights at a hotel in São Paulo, Brazil;
• Day tour of São Paulo with local artists William and Herbert Baglione;
• Private tour of the Choque Cultural (Culture Shock) Gallery with the curators;
• $500 Upper Playground Online Store Gift Certificate;
• There is only one Grand Prize and one winner who can choose a travel guest.

The São Paulo Super Summer trip will be scheduled for early August. To enter, fill out the registration form online. The winner can take a friend so the more friends you tell to enter, the more chances you have to win. The contest is open for 2 weeks and a winner will be announced on Wednesday, July 8th. For details, rules and more information please visit the Upper Playground website.

+ ENTER CONTEST HERE

- Sonic