Claire Matthews: Santa Clara undergrad and the newest blogger for Apples and VCRs. She writes about culture (internet and otherwise) from San Francisco, CA.
Yes. Hipsters. I know, I know, why would anyone want to discuss this undying breed of smug, ironic, know-it-all, college-attending, cigarette-smoking, city-living, swallow tattoo-sporting, vinyl-listening, non-meat-eating, vintage-wearing humans? Nobody wants to talk about hipsters… because everybody is a hipster.
For all of you out there who are gasping and denying any relation whatsoever to being a hipster, do not fret; I understand your rapid repulse to this idea. I myself would never claim to be a hipster, despite the fact that I do retain some hipster-esque qualities (I am currently writing a blog post…). What I mean by this statement is that most people, particularly those in their 20′s who have access to an at least moderate urban lifestyle, have a little hipster in them (that’s what she said).
Hipsterdom, while remaining a clichéd subculture, has spread it’s little wings and flown straight into the mainstream. Without this mini-civilization of coolness, the rest of the population would be a far less educated place. It has brought us knowledge of many things, which include (but are not limited to) : Nylon, American Apparel, Buddy Holly glasses, Lookbook, Neutral Milk Hotel, Ray Ban Wayfarers, coffee, Animal Collective, namedropping, PBR, vintage jewelry, plaid, vintage cameras, The Mission, vintage clothing, veganism, vintage hats, vegetarianism, Williamsburg, organic food, Blackspot sneakers, and so on. Of course, many of these things and places were known of before the Hipster era began; however, their popularity has surely increased since.
I am not accusing everyone associated with some, or even all, of these things to be a hipster stereotype (such as those showcased in the video above). I am merely pointing out the fact that most web-browsing, blog-reading, cultured human beings possess interests that can definitely be categorized as hipsterish. Now my question is, why deny the hipster when we can embrace it?
They crash corporate parties, redefine the very meaning of a marching band, and (most importantly) look good doing it- they’re The Extra-Action Marching Band. Catch them on Flickr, Facebook, and the plain old Intertubes.
Or maybe you have. I’m talking about Galt MacDermot’s 1966 recording of his song Coffee Cold. And while you might not know the name, guys like Busta Rhymes, Run DMC, Prince Paul, Dan the Automator sure do, with each of them having taken a hit of the Galt for their own work. The Handsome Boy Modeling School made this ridiculously good track.
So it should come as no surprise that when I saw this on Vimeo, I had a minor freak out. Playing off the concept of a real time digital global jam session, musician Dumbfoundead organized a tribute to basically everyone who has ever heard of Galt MacDermot, either directly or indirectly. I fucking love the addition of the spanish language and the guitar solo. Really great stuff.
A short film by Adam Berg and Stink Digital for Phillips’ Cinema 21:6 project. Basically, it’s an epic version of the Matrix-esque “frozen action” style of cinematography. I’m not really sure what the plot is but…who cares? Click here for the original site.
So, two things: first off, YouTube and The Sundance Film Festival have teamed up to play some of the 2010 entries online for a limited time. Check them out.
Second, related to the first, is the film Voice on the Line (above), which tells a fairytale plot of wire tapping, covert CIA ploys, and phone operators. But the coolest thing about the film is the jerky photo flip book style, giving the impression of authenticity and fantasy. And, at the end, subliminal images of girls in their skivvies getting playfully spanked by their, let’s say, husbands. Neat.
Yeah, so I am a little biased, but it’s not unfounded. This is a seriously cool video, coffee geek aside. Back in my days as a barista, we actually used Intelligentsia Coffee as a supplier and roaster. Intelligentsia runs a very cool outfit out of Venice, California, and over the years have exploded onto the national scene.
Anyway, they recently released a very spiffy video detailing the finer points of making espresso. I recently got into a discussion about the use of black/white + one color combo in film and art…here, I think they’ve struck a nice balance. Keep an eye on their Vimeo page, as there are still another two installments left in the series.
And Gawker praises the “Ivy League dorks…warbling and dancing awkwardly…”
And don’t miss the cameo by Brian Williams!
You can’t help but hate that it’s soooo damn catchy. The brainchild of Class of ’06 grad and 17th President, Andrew Johnson (if Wikipedia serves me right on this), who says that the video is “campy on purpose,” intending to make Yale more “accessible and pop-friendly.” Sounds about right, given Yale’s upcoming brush with the cast of Jersey Shore.
The smartest aspect of this entire project? Choosing to disable comments on YouTube.
Nothing but three high definition minutes of ample facial hair reading selections from classic literature about beards. Further proof that Vimeo > than YouTube.
Without a doubt, one of the best things to come out of the German theater scene in quite some time. And boy oh boy, John McCain has got some pipes on him, even if he looks like an Anthony Hopkins/Richard Nixon hybrid. Read more about Hope: The Musical here. Get your tickets here.
There’s nothing about this I don’t love. The sick dance moves, thumping disco beat, and special effects reminiscent of either really good or really bad acid. The best part? It just keeps going on and on and on and on… Good luck with not humming this all day.
