Justice – D.A.N.C.E.

More evidence to the power of quality content and creativity. Over 5 million views on YouTube – who needs MTV!?  Justice is old news, I know, but they are everywhere right now.

Cadbury Ape – The Remixes

First, you have to watch the original spot below, but then check out these creative remixes. I have to applaud Cadbury for being so open minded. I have no idea if this resulted in a single incremental sale of the chocolate bar, but if they have grand plans to elevate their cultural status, they got off to a good start in 2007.

• The Warp Brothers
• Sabotage!
• Skillz – 290,000 views!
• Minor Threat
• Gorilla as Dave Grohl
• Total Eclipse of the Heart – 372,000 views

But I have to say… the original is still the best.

The Cadbury Ape

My favorite spot from 2007 hands down!  Volume up!

An Outsider’s Streetwear Predictions for 2008

Random thoughts….

• Bulky, dirty sneakers will complement tight jeans. Think Jordan 6-10s with skinny jeans on hipsters. Note: This is not a sneaker-head thing… more of a waify, pasty hipster thing. Hipsters will rebel against the current trend of wearing women’s Keds.
• The lines between streetwear and luxury will continue to blur. The more mature streetwear kids will step their game up, which will no doubt require new jobs. Nigo has been spotted in a vest/tie/jacket combo more in the last 3 months of 2007 than in the last 10 years. You’ll hear streetwear kids rattle off high-end designers/labels with ease.
• Legacy will be the dominate theme of 2008. Brands with a real history will reign supreme. Think Levis, Vans, Stussy, Reebok, Carhartt, etc. The hot new-ish brands will stick around, but nobody will be excited about new brands, and nobody will want to endorse them. That is not to say that new brands won’t give it a shot, but it will not be pretty. Hypebeast has already reached total laughable status.
• More to come…. I still have few weeks until 2008.

Final Starter Jacket Post

How appropriate is this one.

via http://www.hypebeast.com

A David Bowie Christmas

If David Bowie was magically teleported from this clip in 1977 to the present, there is no doubt he’d still be the coolest guy in the room – landing all of the ladies (and dudes).

Most Played Artists of 2007

I have had this copy of iTunes here on my office computer since May.  Here are the most played artists.  This seems a bit random, because I don’t recall over-playing some of these – for example, I think there was only one Timbaland and one 50 Cent song that I listened to all year.  Oh well, I must’ve played thoes suckas out!  From this list, you are probably thinking I am the biggest nerd on the planet, but it is the truth – at least for the work version of me.

10.  Seal

9. Mark Ronson

8. The Smiths

7.  Echo and the Bunnymen

6.  Depeche Mode

5.  Feist

4.  Timbaland

3.  50 Cent

2.  Peter, Bjorn and John

1.  Kanye West

2007 Top Ten Lists

The Top Ten lists are everywhere this time of year.  Music, movies, ads, you name it.   Since I am technically not qualified to curate a top ten list on one particular topic, here are a few random things that topped 2007 for me.

10. The 11th Hour
Less flashy and less popular than An Inconvenient Truth, this global warming documentary was far, far superior in my opinion.  I don’t mind admitting… I teared up on three different occasions during the movie, which was almost entirely people talking right into the camera.  Very powerful.

9.  Fully Flared
You’d expect nothing less from the Girl / Lakai guys and of course they delivered.   Although it was a pain in the ass trying to watch the clips on YouTube as they were yanked almost as fast as they appeared.

8.  Films by Musicians:  Heima (Sigur Ros) and Electroma (Daft Punk)
Let’s hope this continues well into 2008!

7.  Kanye West
Actually any and everything related to Kanye West.  His brand, his choices, his talent.  If he was underground, everything he does would be expected.  But he is on top of the game, slaps traditionalists in the face, and he sells more records and retains his credibility.  Love him or hate him, he is a walking contradiction and that’s why I love him.  And he is the most convincing celeb blogger that I read on a regular basis.  If Kanye’s blog is maintained by an assistant… job well done.

6.  The Man Who Soled the World
The story of Steve Rocco is an incredible history lesson for young skaters and a nostalgic time machine ride for old people like me.

5.  Honeyee Blogs
I am a HUGE fan of the celebrity blog.  Honeyee is the higher-quality, wasabi-flavored version of Riottt.com, loaded with blogs from all sorts of Japanese icons, and a couple of their American friends:  John Mayer, Eric Clapton, and other such as Jeff Staple and Keith Hufnagel.

4. Ed Banger Records
If you subscribe to the belief that hip-hop is dead, Ed Banger records belongs in the line-up of suspects.  When hip-hop started to fail the influential kids that once loved it, they turned to Ed Banger.  You may think it is a stretch, but I am convinced.  Well, at least I have convinced myself.

3. Vans & Visvim
See multiple posts on this site to understand why.   These two tied for my favorite footwear brands of 2007, followed very closely by the re-launch of Clae, however, without the Russell, Clae wouldn’t have made the list at all.

2.  Superbad
I think the last time I saw a movie twice while it was at the theaters was Raiders of the Lost Ark, when my cousin and I saw the movie 14 times over one summer.  But it took a highbrow classic to get me to pay for a movie twice, and that highbrow classic was Superbad.  The dialogue was so perfect – I felt like I was watching myself at that age, except everyone of those guys were way cooler than I was.

1.  Brooklyn Kids
No that’s not the name of a new rap group… I am talking about the teen-aged, regular-ass kids currently growing up in Brooklyn.  I am convinced they are some of most influential beings walking the planet, and most haven’t a clue.  Their style is a creative blend of the most unlikely influences, and that is their most amazing talent – taking all of these interesting influences, making them their own, and simply doing it better.

Honorable, random mentions:

• Silverchair.  How’s that for random?  The song Straight Lines was probably my favorite rock song this year.  I know, feel free to hate you indie rockers.  My brother lives in Australia where apparently Silverchair is HUGE!
• ‘Solo Grande Soy Chai’ to the tune of about $180/month.

Sigur Ros – Heima Trailer

Absolutely beautiful, amazing, etc., etc.  Every frame would make a beautiful photo. 

 View the trailer.

More Starter Jacket Blah

Do I really need to document the onslaught?  I would love to see an animated .gif of all of these Starter jackets, if for any reason, just to show how un-original the world of streetwear is.  Will someone do the same for flannel shirts – I don’t remember how to animate anything anymore!

via http://www.culturafina.com