Anthem - The Latest

Mercedes Helnwein, "Whistling Past the Graveyard" Recap

nik.mercer — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 16:07:08 -0700

Los Angeles art shows too often are drab excuses to enjoy free booze on weekdays and weekends alike, so it was with great enthusiasm and excitement that we co-presented "Whistling Past the Graveyard," a solo exhibition featuring the work of artist Mercedes Helnwein, hosted by Jason Lee, on August 30: the event's sole purpose was to hail the beautiful, deftly drawn illustrations of Helnwein.

Quite a varied and diverse crowd showed up at the Merry Karnowski Gallery for the opening reception, making it all the more enjoyable to spend the evening there. Not a single piece was poorly placed, and while the selection of Helnwein's art was rather massive and all-inclusive, the cohesiveness of the show made it easy to digest and move through.

For those of you who missed the debut night, fear not! "Whistling Past the Graveyard" runs through September 20 and we will be dropping a film online about the skillful, somewhat eerie, and uniquely creative artist online soon.

Mercedes Helnwein homepage,

Merry Karnowski Gallery homepage

Merry Karnowski Gallery

170 S. La Brea Ave.

Los Angeles, CA

90036

Sabre Releases New Shades

nik.mercer — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 12:31:03 -0700

When it comes to sunglasses, you can't get much better than Sabre, a Newport Beach-based company that infuses the easy-going skateboarder lifestyle with the ultra-trendy fashion sensibilities. Quality has never been an issue for the SoCal designers, either; every frame is handcrafted with artful care.

Sabre just announced four new sunglasses for the remaining Summer days—and beyond!

All are pictured in the media player to the right: Madness is a squarish, bulkier frame; Madrid is a more angular one that looks its name pretty well; Poolside Revo Lens is an updating of a longstanding Sabre classic; Purple Haze is a refreshingly new twist on the old-school aviator. Buy a pair (or two or three) at one of these fine retailers or at the New port Beach store.

Sabre homepage

436 32nd St.

Newport Beach, CA

92663

File Under Idiot: Human Resources Gets Dumb

nik.mercer — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:17:59 -0700

Note to all "Chief People Officers" out there in corporate America: try not to be a total, flailing, moronic imbecile. Gawker pointed us to this enlightening piece in Advertising Age, which tells the sad tale of an HR exec at Carat who sent out bullet-pointed plans for corporate downsizing, a sort of "how to ax your underlings in these harsh times." There was only one problem—he sent that very touchy material to the entire company in a mass email. Perhaps this particular human resources boss is actually a saboteur inspired by Office Space and Fight Club. Then again, maybe he’s just a jackass.

The Fader Profiles D.F.A. Records

nik.mercer — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:05:48 -0700

D.F.A. Records is simultaneously one of the most outwardly public labels around and one of the most secretive and opaque. No one knows for sure what keeps the James Murphy/Tim Goldsworthy-founded LLC going and promoting an ever-changing, dynamic roster, but whatever it is, it's working.

The Fader magazine recently profiled the N.Y.C. company with flying colors. The article leaves you wanting more, but at least it clues you in to some aspects of the impressively shadowy dance label.

"When dance music first emerged across America three decades ago, it was a much sloppier culture. There was no mainstream audience, no Ibiza, no glowsticks, just an organic convergence of classic R&B, new technologies and a growing gay club scene. In Chicago, Detroit and New York where the house, techno and disco that forms DFA’s backbone first emerged, it was still underground music. DFA began with the Rapture, a band who had previously released records on a hardcore label before discovering the backbeat and slapbass in Gang of Four was actually kind of funky. The Rapture beefed up its own rhythm section, concentrated on the high-hat and became surprisingly successful, new recruits acting as dance music ambassadors to uninitiated fans. Now, six years into DFA, artists and fans alike have had the time and tools to absorb a broader dance history. Whereas the Rapture’s success was due in large part to untamed enthusiasm, the tracks being released by DFA today are studied and careful; made in bedrooms for bedrooms, music for club speakers and headphones no longer mutually exclusive.

Maybe it’s a natural alteration to dance music’s lineage. Disco is nearly 35 years old—old enough that a bulk of its social history was not soaked up by the young artists on DFA firsthand. And while that doesn’t change how that music sounds, it does change how it’s heard, and, thus, how it’s created. “No longer am I treated like a wizard with the computer,” says Goldsworthy of technology’s new ease, and this evolved simplicity allows for a wider field of musicians to emerge; so much more chaff but also better wheat. And while such quality goodness has always been a part of DFA, the following artists—Black Meteoric Star, Holy Ghost!, Still Going and Hercules and Love Affair—represent a broad and deep new guard for the label: enthusiastic men at work, turning catchiness into a 21st century science."