Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Puma's PT3 Ping Pong Tournament @ Zune L.A.

This past Saturday Nass, $tyles G and I checked out a really random but super fun event- get this... a Ping Pong Tournament (PT3) hosted by Puma over at the Zune L.A. space. The tournament has been an annual event in NY for a couple years now, but made it's first trip to LA. The tournament featured teams from all sorts of well known LA based groups including, KCRW, Flaunt Magazine, Undefeated, Paramount Pictures, Smashbox Studios, and Stones Throw Records (to name a few). Here are a few photos from the madness that was PT3 (for a whole lot more checkout Nass' full gallery, and the official PT3 gallery):

Nass, KCRW Music Librarian Eric J Lawrence, and the KCRW Team:


Peanut Butter Wolf and the Stones Throw squad:




Foundtrack Friend Adam Bobrow was volunteering as a ref for the tournament. Bobrow's the founder of USC's Table Tennis team "the Ping Pong Posse," a stand up comedian and an actor... make sure to check him out in "Balls of Fury" (as one of Christopher Walken's prisoners) and "Ping Pong Playa." I used to do a radioshow with this dude in college and he's a really funny dude:


Nass and Eric depict their Love/Hate relationship:



Tournament of Cultural Champions:


They had a bunch of tables where guests could play as well, including this rad one one of the outdoor patios:



Random cutie checking out the intense playing style of the Undefeated crew:


And finally the championship came down to Cosmo St vs Smashbox Studios:

Andrew W.K. getting down on the piano with some Bach

Just saw this on Camerin's blog Liber Metawitch and thought I'd share. Everyone's favorite party animal, musician and all around crazy dude Andrew W.K. gets down and dirty with a keyboard and some Bach... this $hit is nuts!:



Source

Keane - "Spiralling" Music Video


This is definitely my track and music video of the week. I just love the fact that it doesn't sound like Keane and its got an obvious 80s/David Bowie vibe to it. In a recent interview songwriter Tim Rice-Oxley said that Ovid's poem Pygmalion inspired the lyrics for "Spiralling", whilst bandmate Tom Chaplin admits that doing a cover of Under Pressure by David Bowie/Queen inspired them for the new album. Check out the Spiralling vid below along with a live performance of Under Pressure.





Keane's new album "Perfect Symmetry" will be released on Oct 13th (UK)/Oct 14th (US)

Source: Stereogum

Microsoft's Zune L.A. Space (ft. Photography by Craig Wetherby)

As some of you might have noticed as of late, Microsoft has been trying to create a more hip brand image for itself with products such as their iPod competitor the Zune, the Xbox 360, and ads featuring the likes of Jerry Seinfeld and Pharrell. As part of all this buzz creating, a few months ago the software giant took over a photo studio in Los Angeles and turned it into a really cool invite only lounge space called "Zune L.A." The spot serves as office space for the LA Zune team during the day, and in the evenings and weekends turns into a rad spot for special events. The Zuners have a few special friends helping out as well, including Vans, New Era, Puma and Paramount. We recently got a chance to check out the space:

Here's the badass multipurpose main room that can serve as a dancefloor... the padded walls are fall of you clumsy folks out there:


Obligatory DJ Booth photo:


Intermixed with the boutique hotel like atmospher are product demos guests can play with:


Lord of the Castle:


I pity the fool that clowns Abe Lincoln's mohawk!:


This thing here was by far my favorite gadget in the whole place! It's the new "Microsoft Surface" which is basically a coffee table sized touch screen computer... screw the iPhone! Here's me doing my best Beethoven impression on the built in piano software:

AND it can scan any object you lay on it... kinda scary like a real life Eagle Eye:

The Zune L.A. space is currently showcasing photography by the uber talented Craig Wetherby all throughout the venue. His work is super stylized and a blast to checkout- Make sure to take a peep at more of the photos at his official site:


The original hip hop pirate, Slick Rick:


Iron Lung aka Method Man aka the first rapper to blast ya with a hockey puck:


I don't know, but everyone loves seventies pilots and stewardesses:

And last but not least, you'll have to contend with these dudes to get in... they're there to protect all of the V.I.G.'s inside (Very Important Geeks):


** Learn more about Zune L.A. in this LA Times article

Monday, September 29, 2008

A few photos from KnewJack's gig @ Dance Right

Our Main Man on the wheels of steel, DJ KnewJack spun over at LA's weekly Dance Right party @ La Cita last week. FoundTrack featured artists, Yeti Beats and Kelli Love were also on deck and performed as well. All in all a night of fun and somewhat bizarre antics... did I mention Kool Keith was in the house? Here are a few random snapshots from the night (click any of them to enlarge):













Movie Trailer Monday - New "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" Trailer

A few weeks ago Jini posted the first trailer to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the new film by Fight Club director David Fincher starring Brad Pitt. In the film, Pitt plays a man who by strange circumstance is born old and ages backwards. The film follows his life and the complexities that arise give his situation... one can only imagine the love aspect of the film (Cate Blanchett costars). Early buzz around this film is that it will be a big one in the Oscar nomination race- Fincher is sure to get nominated for Directing. Here now for your viewing pleasure is the second trailer to the film- this one dives much deeper into the story of the film:



** Checkout the quicktime HD version of the above over at Apple Trailers

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Weekly Events Calendar : F.I.L.A. (Found in LA) September 29-October 5th



Monday September 29th

Jamie Lidell, Janelle Monae @ Avalon
Chrissie Hynde & James Walbourne (The Pretenders)@ Amoeba (FREE w/Live Stream)
Calexico, Cave Singers @ Henry Fonda
Death to Anders, Fol Chen, Rademacher, Die Rockers Die @ Echo (FREE)
Dios (Malos), Devon Williams, Toco/Jomo @ Spaceland (FREE)

Tuesday September 30th
Temple Bar Closing Party feat. Carlos Nino @ Temple Bar
Beach House, Lazarus, Shugo Tokumaru @ Spaceland
Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, B Dolan, DJ Paul V @ Echo
Murs @ Amoeba (FREE w/live stream)
Talib Kweli w/ David Banner & Little Brother @ House of Blues (West Hollywood)
Journey, Cheap Trick, & Heart @ The Greek Theatre
Cinefamily Presents Spirit of '68 - Protest Films from the decade of Revolution @ Silent Movie Theatre
thenewno2, Mezzanine Owls, The Outline, & Drive A @ The Key Club

Wednesday October 1st
My Bloody Valentine @ Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
Stars, Think About Life, Pepi Ginsberg @ Avalon
Sloan, The Golden Dogs @ Troubadour
Whispertown 2000, Neva Divona, McCarthy Trenching, Biirdie @ Silverlake Lounge (Fold)
Pattern is Movement, The Minor Canon @ Spaceland (CLUB NME)
Spindrift, Rocking Horse People, Candy Apple @ Echo
Lift Off @ The Cat Club
Joe Frank "I'm Just An Ordinary Man" @ Largo
Neil Diamond @ Hollywood Bowl
Juliette Comagere (Hello Stranger), Chris Merritt @ Tangier (Fold)

Thursday October 2nd
KCRW Presents Sigur Ros @ Greek Theatre
My Bloody Valentine @ Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
McCabe's 50th Anniversary Show @ Royce Hall
Unclassified: Lou Reed and Ulrich Krieger @ REDCAT Theater
James, Unkle Bob @ El Rey (SOLD OUT)
Neil Diamond @ Hollywood Bowl
Santana @ Nokia Theatre
Darker My Love @ Amoeba (FREE)
Kurt Wagner (Lambchop), The Chapin Sisters @ Echoplex
Ben Kweller, Whitley @ Troubadour
Gram Rabbit, Semi Precious Weapons @ House of Blues (West Hollywood)
The Rumble LA #3 feat. The Noises 10, Django James & the Squires, Bad Veins @ Three Of Clubs - FREE entry before 10 w/RSVP to www.sonicliving.com/therumble-LA

Friday October 3rd
KCRW Presents David Byrne: The Songs of David Byrne & Brian Eno @ Greek Theatre
KCRW Presents Deerhoof, Okay, The Happy Hollows @ Avalon
The Dandy Warhols, A Place to Bury Strangers, UpsideDown @ Wiltern
Unclassified: Lou Reed and Ulrich Krieger @ REDCAT Theater
Kronos Quartet @ Royce Hall (Awakening: A Musical Meditation on the Anniversary of 9/11)
Santana @ Nokia Theatre
Nikka Costa, Pictures and Sound @ El Rey
Indie 103/Web In Front Presents The Henry Clay People, The Parson Red Heads, Downtown/Union, Le Switch @ Spaceland - Henry Clay People Record Release
Love Grenades @ Echo (Club Underground)
Warpaint, God's Gang, Rainbow Arabia, Them Hills @ Troubadour
Jessica Fichot, Vagabond Opera @ Tangier (Fold)

Saturday October 4th
LA Weekly Detour Festival (Downtown LA) feat. The Mars Volta, Gogol Bordello, The Presets, Cut Copy, Matt Costa, The Black Lips, Hercules and Love Affair, Bitter:Sweet, The Submarines, Peanut Butter Wolf, more
Eagle Rock Music Festival feat. Earlimart, The Parson Red Heads, Princeton, and more @ Eagle Rock Music Festival
Tarfest Music Program feat. Love Lies Sleeping, Castledoor, DJ Diabetic (aka Shepard Fairey) and The Illuminoids @ El Rey
The Swell Season (Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova), Iron and Wine @ Greek Theatre
Love You Long Time, Jonezetta @ Chain Reaction
Manimal Vinyl Presents Rio En Medio, Voices Voices, Weave, ExitMusic @ Spaceland

Sunday October 5th
Jackson Browne @ Orpheum Theatre
Liz Phair (performs Exile In Guyville) @ Troubadour (SOLD OUT)
Horse Feathers, Travel By Sea @ Spaceland

Resources
losangeles.ohmyrockness.com
KCRW Presents
LosAnjealous.com
Upcoming.yahoo.com
Going.com
Metromix.com
theguide.latimes.com

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Nom de Guerre Utility Jacket in Black

Nom de Guerre continues to impress after their impressive fall/winter '08 showing. This time, they're bringing it with this stylin' and modern utility jacket. The piece features a nice blend of military styled elements (such as the throat clasps and other metal details), and high fashion (ie the wax cotton exterior). Make sure to wear this next time you've got some international super spies on your ass. Now available at British store, The End.




Source