Faile: Lost in Glimmering Shadows

by CH Contributor

by Ariston Anderson

For London street art fans, the must see-show this week is Faile's "Lost in Glimmering Shadows," as they bring their inimitable prints and paintings across the Atlantic. The art collective's London show last year, "From Brooklyn with Love," sold out instantly, and led to an invitation from the TATE Modern Gallery to invite them to paint their exterior this past May.

This time, in conjunction with Lazarides Gallery, they're featuring a series of new work, drawing inspiration from cowboys and Indians comic books, a frequent source of material for the group. They've transformed Native American heroes into an urban setting through a multitude of colors and collage. And Faile will be sure to hit up the streets with a variety of new prints which tap at the same theme.

Lost in Glimmering Shadows
Through 16 November 2008
Lazarides Gallery
Lilian Baylis Old School
Lollard Street
London SE11 6PY map

The Economist Branded Pizza Boxes

by Doug Black

As part of their "Get a World View" campaign, The Economist distributed branded pizza boxes through 20 pizzerias in the Greater Philadelphia area. Each box displays one of a handful of pie charts that show a statistic related to world food distribution, with an emphasis on those used in pizza production. They list things like global wheat consumption, world cheese imports and arable crop land.

The placement of shops wasn't random either. The shops were chosen because of a close proximity to one of Philly's institutions of higher learning. The idea was to target a youth market by branding their favorite source of sustenance. While undoubtedly a promotion for the British newsmagazine, the pizza boxes represent a creative, through-provoking method of essentially force-feeding information. Perhaps it's a subject matter slightly heavier than the average pizza consumer is expecting. Do we need to know that 96.8 percent of American mushroom imports come from Canada? Probably not, but it's definitely food for thought.

via AdFreak

School of Seven Bells

by Brian Fichtner

Since watching their revelatory performance at the Ghostly International CMJ showcase two weeks ago, the School of Seven Bells have accompanied me every day, lilting my step on morning commutes and late night walks with their dreamy soundscapes and yearning anthems.

A new addition to Ghostly's eclectic roster of artists, the Brooklyn-based School of Seven Bells is comprised of guitarist Benjamin Curtis, formerly of the psych-rock outfit Secret Machines, and the seraphic twins Alejandra and Claudia Deheza, whose soaring harmonies stand out on the Bells' debut album, Alpinisms.

Alpinisms is a particularly apt title for an album whose songs inspire the kind of transcendental feelings one finds atop wind-swept summits. In fact, the album title is a derivation of René Daumal's concept of alpinism, which he defined as "the art of climbing mountains." For the Bells, alpinisms are "mountain-climbing songs," both literally and metaphorically.

From the glitchy tribal beat and choral chant of opening track, "Iamundernodisguise," to the starry sequencing and imploring verse of the closer, "My Cabal," these songs offer a cadence to carry the everyday climber through both peak and valley. A quote from Daumal's "Mount Analogue" might describe the general tone of Alpinisms best: "There is an art to finding your way in the lower regions by the memory of what you have seen when you were higher up. When you can no longer see, you can at least still know..."

By their very optimism, the School of Seven Bells manage to eschew any shoegaze comparisons that might come readily to listeners making hasty judgments. While likenesses to the lush guitar tremors of My Bloody Valentine and the ethereal vocals of The Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser are notable, the Bells offer something new entirely. They make being a stargazer relevant again, albeit one teetering on a rocky precipice.

We've included a tease of the Ghostly Presents School of Seven Bells video above, along with two songs from Alpinisms after the jump. Buy the album at the Ghostly Store or on iTunes.

Cho-Cho San Restaurant

by Ted Cahill

What happens when an Italian opera director and a Japanese chef collaborate on a restaurant? Cho-Cho San, a new culinary hot spot in NYC's Greenwich Village, is the result of famed Metropolitan Opera director, Fabrizio Melano, and Jun Nagano, of the venerable Taste of Tokyo, joining forces.

Named after the heroine of the opera Madama Butterfly, Cho-Cho San's menu combines traditional Japanese fare with western overtones and musical references, resulting in novel dishes like the Puccini Roll, a delightful ring of squid tempura stuffed with sushi rice, olives and shiso, or Bakudan, Japanese meatballs with pecorino cheese flecks, and Jun's sister's special sauce.

The interior takes its cues from a traditional Japanese house in which Madama Butterfly might have lived. An outer dinning room faces the street and is connected to a back sanctuary by a sushi bar in the shadow of an imported cherry tree branch. With such a unique combination of eastern and western cultures, it's no wonder that Cho-Cho San is already a melting pot for uptown and downtown denizens, where celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and opera stars like conductor James Levine and soprano Teresa Stratas have all been spotted.

For foodies with Bar Masa tastes but recessionista budgets, the giant sized, reasonably priced sushi boats and student lunch menu make Cho-Cho San an even more appealing destination.

Cho-Cho San
15 West 8th Street
New York, New York 10011 map
tel. +1 212 473 3333

Miju Feather Jewelry

by Ami Kealoha

Started a few short months ago by minimalist design duo Mike Giles (of Furni) and his lovely lady Judy Lawrence, Miju's first collection, "The wind beneath," consists of feather-shaped laser-cut and -etched jewelry. Each pendant-style necklaces and earrings are precision cut form either white or black acrylic, then hand assembled and packaged with simple, elegant attention to detail.

Starting at $18, these items will make excellent early gifts with the holidays fast approaching. The complete collection is available online from Miju.

Nadège David Illustrations

by Lost At E Minor

The work of Ho Chi Minh-based French illustrator, Nadège David, is stunning: intricate patterns woven deep amongst gently rolling, and pleasantly muted, colors.