Jay-Z | the Holy Grail video

Chopped and screwed. Flipped and bounced. Rearranged and deranged. Jay is not to be out done. The artistry of the video plays out like a ruthless ballet depicting all the spoils of fame and fortune turning into rotted fruit.

Recall The Black Album's The Allure because that was the first episode of this cautionary tale. Kingdom Come's Hollywood would have to be the second installment and Holy Grail is surely the vicious part 3. These songs are Mr. Carter's stories of addiction, masterfully told, from the inside out. And though none of us will ever find the elusive 'Holy Grail', including Jay, we continue to stop at nothing in our poisonous search of it.

Mutwale | An animated kickstarter project!

We never said our friends were ONLY gorgeous and glamorous... Some of our friends are that AND conscious of social issues as well as insanely talented. Jeff Martell is an animator and filmmaker who launched a kickstarter to fund his deeply moving project. He's so close to the finish line it would be a shame not to try and help him get all the way there. Watch the video above to get the full story and click the link below to visit the kickstarter page. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jeffmartell/mutwale-an-epic-animated-short-film

Mutwale (moo-TWALL-ay) is an animated short film about an elephant who is pulled into the chaos of the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Based on true events, this story follows a young elephant who is banished from his herd in Rwanda’s Akagera National Park. A local fisherman earns his trust with sugarcane, but their burgeoning friendship is threatened when the genocide intrudes into the protected territory.

Justin's Suit & Tie | Playing at the office | 3.7.13

Dear LORD, JT! Did you really have to MURDER everybody?! They say this is Justin's comeback album as if the kid ever fell off. The song is gorgeous and the video is spectacular. Classy on top of classy. Smooth on top of smooth. Sexy as all ever. Jay makes his ice cold yet splashy entrance at 3 minutes flat for those of you who NEED not to miss that part. (Me)

On a personal note and as a test of a songs real ability to live up to the class it conveys... I heard this track in a chandelier laden ballroom at Lombardi's by the Bay, at a wedding, champagne in hand, all my boys in suits, all are dates looking like elegantly wrapped pieces of candy and this song felt so right. What an amazing way to kick off the early summer music stampede to follow. I eagerly await Mirrors, JT's new album, when it drops later this month. I expect him to keep us pretty well covered with hits throughout the summer months. Stand and applaud, the kid KILLED it.

Also... anyone else feel like the video was inspired by the show Magic City? Because we did. ;)

Sky Ferreira - Red Lips | music video premier

Sky Ferreira heads over to Terry Richardson's studios to shoot the music video for her latest, "Red Lips". The song is co-written by Sky and Shirley Manson of "Garbage" fame. Sky looks good in all red. ;) 

Latest music obsession | Nas - The Don

I can't stop listening to this track. I go places and this is on repeat on the way. I just can't. Stop. Listening. Nas KILLED it and it feel like a golden age track. I'm also kind of obsessed with that American flag scarf. Gotta get my hands on one. Okay. Enough babble... LISTEN to the track. NEW YORK CITY IS BACK! 

The Occult as Imagined by Adrienne Kammerer

If you know me then you can probably guess I want every single one of Adrienne Kammerer's illustrations. The delicate hand, historic look and occult imagery make my eyes light up with joy. They're not only beautiful but also interesting which don't always go hand in hand.

The Photorealism of Alyssa Monks

I love photography. I'm awestruck when I see a painter with such skill as to trick even my eye. Moreover when it's the difficult task of depicting condensation and fogged up glass and the many layers of transparencies. Pretty amazing stuff. Check out the rest of Alyssa Monks' work and be as amazed as I am right now. ...and she's actually a stone cold fox to boot. Check her bio and judge for yourself. ;)

In her bio, Monk says about her work... "Using filters such as glass, vinyl, water, and steam, I distort the body in shallow painted spaces. These filters allow for large areas of abstract design - islands of color with activated surfaces - while bits of the human form peak through. In a contemporary take on the traditional bathing women, my subjects are pushing against the glass “window”, distorting their own body, aware of and commanding the proverbial male gaze. Thick paint strokes in delicate color relationships are pushed and pulled to imitate glass, steam, water and flesh from a distance. However, up close, the delicious physical properties of oil paint are apparent. Thus sustaining the moment when abstract paint strokes become something else."

The Work of Rory Kurtz

I found Rory Kurtz's work and can't really explain why I can't stop staring at it! There's an air of disaster and corruption in the beauty of the work that appeals to me. Check out more of his work at his site.

Igloo made of books? Bookgloo?

Miler Lagos creates the perfect little haven for the avid reader EXCEPT... what if the next book you want to read is structurally integral to your new little bookgloo? ;) Still pretty cool though.

Axel Sigurðarson's Melted Iceland

Axel Sigurðarson photographed his native Iceland from above and created views that look more like puddles of melted ice cream. The colors are absolutely amazing and soft and they run into each other in a delicate balance. There's suite of this work can be found at his site.

What's a Mob to a King?

Presented without comment. Jay-Z X Kanye | No Church In The Wild | Directed by Romain Gavras 

Metronomy - The Bay | current obsession [nsfw]

As the summer months approach and we're getting into that very chic, pool side vibe, this track is getting some pretty heavy rotation at the offices. The video itself is pretty bizarre. We've tagged it as NSFW for bikini girls and general weirdness. We like weird. Enjoy!

 

NBC's "Revolution" | coming this fall

Okay. OKAY! I'm a sucker for anything post apocalyptic and NBC's latest offering looks like it could deliver the goods. If it doesn't, take it easy on us okay? The 4 minute sneak peek looks very yummy and we're easily excitable. At the very least we think this it's going to be some exquisite, doomsday-esque, eye candy and who doesn't love candy?! Oh. You in the back huh? You don't like candy?! WHO DOESN'T LIKE CANDY?!?! Seriously, who let that fun sucker in here anyway?! Shoo! ;)

It's from the director of Iron Man and producer J.J. Abrams... but you already read that in the video.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery | RIP MCA

James Winters masterfully matches the Beastie Boys' Sabotage video shot for shot using pint sized actors as the subject of this tribute to MCA. Any true 80s kid was rocked by the recent passing of one of hip hop's longest running legends. I remember being about 6 years old, being poorly taught how to do a head spin by the older kids, with a Beastie Boys track blaring in the background; Paul Revere to be exact. Adam, we'll all miss you for years to come. 

And of course, below is the Sabotage video for you to compare and contrast the original with it's latest reincarnation. In my opinion, bothe pretty damned classic.

Paul Mutant at Talk of Tea

Paul Mutant, once again mentioned by us, brings his steady hand and colorful artistry to the walls of Talk of Tea's Tea House Garden in Brighton. We brought him up once before when we found this, very cool, and very "inside-jokey" painting about YouTube's little "geo-blocking problem". Check out the past story here and be sure to hit up his site at paulmutant.com.

"Always on the run" | YUKSEK [nsfw]

Pretty dope track. Beautifully shot video. Good storyline. Beautiful styling. NSFW for crime and boobies. So... okay, just hear me out... who's down to join my band of marauders so we can cross country this bitch while sticking up gas stations for ice cream and spending money? Oh. No one? Ugh! Pussies. ;)

 

P.s. There's something about the American flag as fashion accessory that really makes me feel good. Not quite sure if it's patriotism (it isn't) or if it's the reckless abandon that usually comes with it. Either way, hot for sure.

 

How English sounds to non-English speakers

This is an interesting concept. It made me think about how when we start to learn a new language, we learn a few basic words like "good" and "today" AND all the bad words... which were precisely the ONLY English words in this entire short. Very clever. 

Swedish House Mafia X Absolut Vodka

THIS. MOTHERFUCKINGTHIS! This is where/how/when I'd like to live. I'd be in the House of Gold and I'd love my Gold Queen.

Seriously though, the styling in this video makes me feel all funny inside. I kinda wish everyone looked like this all the time. It makes me miss all my pretty girls in NYC.

This might be the dress code at the compound, err, I mean, office over at AVideoMagazine HQ. And the company retreat will HAVE TO involve DJ-operated-techno-laden-robotic-war-greyhound-racing. ...and it'll be called that. Nothing this beautiful should be called something boring.

Captain Morgan's Secret Passage

Okay okay, you got me. You're asking yourself, "Why is billi talking about so many commercials?!" I have cable now, Nosey Noserton. IS THAT OKAY?! ...kidding. I've been watching shows on TV more rather than watching them online which means I've been exposed to more advertising and I have to say... They're good! There's some pretty dope shit happening in the commercial break world. Not gonna hate. 

I'm a sucker for anything with a "royalty" vibe so this speaks directly to my star-complex demons. It also speaks to my "IDGAF" demons and well, the Captain DGAF. SOLD!

Kanye West | Way Too Cold | UNofficial Music Video

Okay #1, I've been jamming this track in my car non-stop. If you could see me bouncing around in the driver seat you'd think some just dropped an ice cube in my shorts. I go hard. No apologies. And #B, someone made this for this track. MADE it. Someone went out on the streets of midtown NYC, cast some swaggy kid and some bettie blonde and MADE THIS. Gotta love that. You have to. I SAID YOU HAVE TO! SIT THERE AND LOVE IT! Woah... sorry... let me compose myself. Apologies. Whew! 

I also have something else to apologize for. I'm just NEVER going to call this track "Way Too Cold". I know the title was changed BUT I'm forever going to call this track "TheraFlu" cause it just sounds hotter. Anyway, in my opinion, this SHOULD be the official video and should go into rotation on those music channel things. "Lil' Yeezy" kills it and that model has just enough of that "I really don't give a fuck about being in this video" vibe to sell it for me. Just my two cents.