Atelier Franck Durand: "Man About Town"

Most videos I receive from friends often fall short of memorable. Then there's ones like this from Atelier Franck Durand that stick with you in your day dreams, night visions and everywhere in between. Soundtracked with Ricky Nelson's legendary It's All in the Game, this insanely cool short film features the talents of Kilian Martin's four-wheeled waltzes and Durand's impressive styling to match (think Dior Homme, John Varvatos, and Uniqlo). While I love the derelict fairground setting (is that a broke-down Gravitron?), the unique artistic touches - like Martin's colored socks and coy slides of hands into pockets - that make this worth repeated visits. And next time you're having trouble breaking in your Vans, think of what Martin does here in a well-polished pair of Church's.



[via the wonderlust journal]

Toro Y Moi: "Still Sound"

Toro Y Moi has recently dropped a rather fresh first single off his forthcoming LP Underneath the Pine, and from the sound of things it appears as if Mr. Bundick has once again struck lo-fi gold. Let's put it this way: it's the kind of track that sends topsiders spiraling into a vortex of uncontrollable jive walking and Peanuts dancing. If you still have no idea what I'm speaking of, just go ahead and hit the play button below...turkey.



[video: Pitchfork TV]
[image: Forest Casey]

CK and You Shall Find...

If you have a few free moments today, might I recommend a visit to ck/ck. The beautifully haunting images here are just a little taste of this Swedish designer who has a keen eye, an apparent obsession with vintage New York and the generosity to share some lessons on the beauty of his native language. Apparently, the word "gift" has two meanings: being married and poison. If that doesn't have an autobiography title written all over it, nothing does. Check out his photography here.

Out of the Blue

Photographers like Travis Blue are those characters that make you clench your fists and throw a small fit in a why-can't-I-f***ing-do-that sort of way. I'm not exactly sure where he drums these things up or how he gets the colors to explode off the image, but I will say they are a pleasure on the senses. And hey, if the folks at the Ace Hotel are digging him, I'm certainly jumping on the wagon as well. Enjoy the weekend!

BMX Wonderlust

Growing up as a chubby little gremlin in Michigan suburbia, there were two seasons: winter and BMX. With a hand-me-down heavyweight Murray and a pair of Huffy slip-ons, I raced in circles dreaming of the days I too could rock the slim team pants while speeding through dirt tracks and floating above the shopping malled masses at a local demo. Sadly, the most flying I did was over the handle bars. And no, I never actually got the dream Haro with an illustrious number plate. Luckily, there's still a few images floating around of the guys who did it right - the ones who flew with impeccable flare (and amazing color coding), giving new definition to a soaring style that defined so many of our radical summers.

[images via The Selvedge Yard]

Un Café, S'il Vous Plait

I'll be the first to admit my tastes often outshine my bank account when it comes to motorcycles. Luckily, there are still budget gems like this 1972 CB750 that I found via Bike EXIF (which you should immediately add to your daily read). Believe it or not, this little custom whip cost a grand total of about $650, including purchase price. It's a cafe racer in the truest form, proving what can happen with the help of a few friends, some clever trading and a little bit of well-crafted ingenuity. Less, my friends, is still more.

Black Friday

Having recently seen Black Swan, I'm now finding myself mildly obsessed with much of the film-inspired works popping up in the art and design worlds. While I won't be scratching my shoulders or sharing cake with an extra creepy Barbara Hershey anytime soon, I will say the Little White Lies cover art from David Carson (above) and the poster art from London-based La Boca (below) are worth some attention. Dark, haunting, fantastical, clever (see how the "H" crosses into the "Lies" to make a dollar sign) and loaded with well-stylized references to stark deco and maybe even a little wartime propaganda. Me thinks Tchaikovsky would dig.

[via Creative Review and booooooom!]

Fanfarlo "Atlas" Video

I've pretty much reached the point where I like just about anything involving Fanfarlo. Now, once your done with your Eclipse "sell-out" speech, I ask you to check out the video they just dropped for Atlas, which was filmed entirely in their dressing room at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney. Clever. Simple. Catchy. Cool. Seriously, there's just something unexplainably connecting with their sound and the wintry days that have us huddled by the fire. And yes, your fangs, of course, are always optional.

White Out

For those who of us who haven't been fortunate enough to visit the tropics of Svalbard, Norway, photographer Greg White stirs the umbrella of our creative cocktails with a series of images he took while on location at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Truth be told, these images are a recipe for my imagination to run rampant with endless James Bond references and grotesque amounts of cinematic seed espionage (yes, Svalbard is a "secured" seedbank). Along with having a rather Star-Trekkie name, Svalbard is a land of much obscurity and mystery, a place seemingly hospitable to only the most brave and determined (cue four months of total darkness). But through White's lens, this other-worldly landscape warms with new life and indescribable beauty. In a land of eternal suns and endless darkness, White presents enough haunting serenity and surrealism to frostbite the chilliest GoldenEye trigger finger. Check out his blog here. Then buy the Svalbard book here.

[via Greg White and DOMO-A]