So being that I'm a sucker for animation and I think Owl's are pretty cool animals. I wanted to talk about the movie Legend of the Guardians which I saw the preview last night at the opening of Alice in Wonderland. Legend of the Guardians is directed by Zack Snyder, a former commercials director who has directed Dawn of the Dead, 300, and Watchmen, and is currently working on SuckerPunch. This movie is specifically based on the first three books in Kathryn Lasky's popular series of novels known as the Guardians of Ga'Hoole. Warner Brothers will be bringing Legend of the Guardians to theaters everywhere, in both 2D and 3D, starting on September 24th this year. The story plot may be a little cheesy but the manner in which it is produced looks amazing. Planning on seeing this?
Legend of the Guardians Official Trailer
If your wondering who does the song to this trailer it is 30 Seconds to Mars.
Well it's arriving in less than 11 post away. We will reach the 200th post on Damion DJ & Producer Blog. I would like to take the time and thank everyone who visits, comments and supports this blog. It definitely has been a learning experience and its nice when I get feedback. I basically started this blog because I kept finding so many cool things online and didn't want to forget them. So I started this blog and have watched it grow slowly but surely.
So with that being said as a thank you I would like to have a Giveway Contest. The Winner of the contest will win a New 11x17 Poster designed by Damion Schweizer (see below). Here is how to enter: Leave a comment explaining what your favorite post was, or sign up to my RSS feed, or follow me on Twitter. You can be enter into the contest by three different ways (be sure to include an email so I can track you down if you win). Also if you do subscribe leave me a message so that I know that you have become a subscriber. If you’re already a subscriber, then just add a comment or follow me on Twitter and you’re good. The winner will be chosen randomly and will be notified. The winner will be announced on the 200th post.
So again Thank you and I value your opinions so please feel free to take this as an opportunity as well to make any suggestions.
Gorillaz have released their third album "Plastic Beach". It has been an anticipated album that so many fans have been waiting for its release. Gorillaz started twelve years ago by Damon Albran from Blur and the visual aspect of Gorillaz was done by James Hewlett who was also known for being the co-creator of the comic Tank Girl. Together they made the first fictional multi-media band. In this release you could basically call it Damon Albarn Project due to he writes, produces, sings and plays most of the music. I give him props for including a very comprehensive collection of guest on this album: Snoop Dogg, De La Soul, Mos Def, Lou Reed, and Clash's Mick Jones who all give great depth and style to each song they perform.
In the World of Plastic Beach feat. Snoop Dogg I enjoyed how Orchestral Intro (feat. Sinfonia Viva) slowly works your way up to Snoop Dogg's what would you call it dub funk track. The style in which he flows and his rhymes are slick that is why he is the boss dogg. Favorite line from this song is "Yeah, just like that Belly floppin' lockin' while I'm rockin' in the bubble bath" just the way he says it sounds smooth even though it doesn't make since. Then there is the Superfast Jellyfish (feat. Gruff Rhys & De La Soul) this is another great track on this CD. Gruff Rhys and De La Soul provide a fun rap-slap song which seem to be a spoof on a commercial for a morning breakfast product. When I hear this song it takes me back to the 80's cartoon style drawings and the cheesiness that went with it. Over all this is a great album which deserves a listen to. It may not have the same feel as previous albums but it definitely gives a whole new feel and style on this one.
Welcome to the new installment of the playlist series with Playlist-11 Compiled by Damion. In this playlist I have included some upbeat songs with some interesting piano synth sounds in a lot of the tracks that give each song a unique appeal. I would advice though to check out the last song "That White Girl" by Track Rockers Ent. It was written by Raybones and Produced by Mic Vicious. It currently is a promo track that as of yet is an untitled project by Raybones. Raybones and his partner Mic Vicious, the two collaborated on Raybone's first EP Dirty White Boy; together, the pair established Track Rockers, a dynamic duo who creates original beats and lyrics. Mic Vicious is actually a good friend of mine who is very talented in the producer arena. This man can put together a nice hip hop track for your listening pleasure. If you want to check out more by Raybones and Mic Vicious then check out their Myspace pages. If you want to check out any of the other playlist then click on Archived Playlist in this post or on the right hand side of this blog.
Cover art by: Damion Schweizer
Tracklist
1. Buoy by The Nightgowns
2. Falling From The Sun by Album Leaf
3. Flashes by Spirit Spine
4. Folding Under Stories Told by Letting Up Despite Great Faults
5. He Was Worse Than The Needle He Gave You by The Delta Mirror
6. I Can't Wait To Come Home by Dreamboat Money
7. Icarus by White Hinterland
8. In A Dream by Skybox
9. July Flame by Laura Veirs
10. Artichoke by Pandit
11. Sundy by Field
12. The Kids Don't Stand A Chance (Miike Snow Remix) by Vampire Weekend
13. The King and All Of His Men by Wolf Gang
14. Wide Eyes by Local Natives
15. Young Intentions (Feat. Goddamn Electric Bill) by IMMOOR
16. That White Girl by Track Rockers Ent.
I found some very interesting postcards from back in the day of the Expo67. If you want to know what the Expo67 was here is some information on it from Wikipedia. The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, or Expo 67 as it was commonly known, was the general exhibition, category one World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It was considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century, with over 50 million visitors and 62 nations participating. It also set the single-day attendance record for a world's fair with 569,000 visitors on its third day.
After Expo 67 ended in October 1967, the site and most of the pavilions lived on as an exhibition called Man and His World, open during the summer months from 1968 until 1981. By that time, most of the buildings, which had not been designed to last beyond the original exhibition, had deteriorated and were dismantled. Today, the islands that hosted the world exhibition are mainly used as parkland and for recreational use, with only a few remaining structures from Expo 67 to show that the event was held there. Many Canadians from that time still regard it as one of the country's finest cultural achievements. Below are some old postcards from the Expo 67 that provide a great visual look back at 1967. More postcards click here.
I'm a sucker for interesting buildings and architecture and this one has caught my eye. What you are seeing is a real building. A company called Vitra a Swiss furniture manufacturer wanted to jump into the market of home interior and wanted a space for their collection. So they had designer Herzog and de Meuron design an amazing modern building which is comprised of 12 stacked houses. It was created in order to target individual customers with an interest in design. If you think the outside looks beautiful you should see the inside as well. The building is located on the border of Germany and Switzerland, in the town of Weil am Rhein. So if you every visit Germany I would check this out.
I found Steven Beckly work on Flickr and I can say I'm enjoying a lot of his photography and wanted to share with the readers his works. Steven Beckly is a photographer living and working in Toronto, Canada. He believes there is a beauty in everyday moments that normally go unnoticed. You can tell from his photography that he captures a lot of the everyday moments even when no one is around. If you want to check out more of his work or follow him on his social networks your in luck then. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Flickr and his Blog.
I'm not one for camping but the Opera Camper could change my mind on the wonders of camping. The Opera Camper is a sleek tow-behind package and from the looks of this camper. It is a luxury type suite camper that can be taken where ever you want it to go. It includes a tweaked veranda, two electrically-adjustable beds that can be combined to make a larger single sleeping surface. It has a boiler for the hot water in your own compact kitchen and it includes a top-loaded fridge with 36L of storage. It comes with the a ceramic toilet of your own so no port A potty for you. Lastly it comes with a corian fountain with pull-out faucet head that doubles as an outdoor shower. It current price for this camper is not known yet so it is (TBA). If you want more info check out the brochure.
I found a new band that I haven't been able to stop listening to since I found him via Paul Tebbott twitter page. Portland-based Keith Kenniff, who creates music under the solo projects of Helios and Goldmund, as well as collaborating with his wife Hollie in Mint Julep. His music consists mostly of piano and guitar with atmospheric background sounds which will put your mind at ease. It will take you to places where you feel warm and safe like when you were a kid playing in the autumn leaves with the sun shining and your feeling care free to the world. It's producers like Helios that not only reflect on the sounds that they hear and produce but also the reflections of sounds the listener might feel. Music like Helios takes you places it might be to past experiences or thoughts of new futures. It's all up to how the music shapes your mind.
On a non philosophical note though Keith also runs a blog where he posts tracks that he produced or remixed as well as videos that he produced and wrote the music for. He currently is going to be releasing two limited edition CD's of "Unleft" and “Live at the Triple Door”. He states that he is having the albums professionally manufactured with full artwork, and remastered. Unleft will have the same track-listing as “Unreleased Vol.1” but will feature an extra bonus track called “The Morning Room”. He will only have 150 copies of each available for sale, and doesn't plan to repress them unless he receives another large order. If you want to preorder his CD's you can do so at the Unseen Shop. The albums are due to be released on March 1st. I have added some of his videos that I found interesting for you to check out as well as some of his tracks.
We all remember the days before the CD and the mp3 player. If you do then you can remember making mix tapes. You probably made many compilations of all your favorite music, to share with your friends and loved ones, on good old fashioned blank cassette tapes (I know I did). I have memories of trying to dub a tape or trying to record a song from the radio with my dual cassette recorder. Just saying that make me sound old school. If you miss making mixed tapes this product will inspire you again! I give you the Mix Tape USB Stick($16.00). It comes with a 128mb USB memory stick and can store up to 2hrs of music and comes in 6 different designs.
A while back ago I did a post about Ecospace and the Mini-Jot which are office spaces that could be placed in your back yard. Well I found another one that I think is pretty interesting and it's called the Archipod (pronounced ‘ark-ee-pod’, as in ‘architecture’). The company was looking for a way to decrease the cost and inconvenience of commuting to work every day. So then they created the Archipod which comes with an ergonomic semicircular computer desk, concealed background mood lighting, electric heater, smoke alarm, data ports and electrical outlets. The ‘Pod’ is primarily suited to use as a garden office, but could easily be adapted to anything you choose and it is about 2.9m diameter internally at the widest point x 2.5m to top of dome. I actually find this one to be interesting due to the shape of the pod. It looks futuristic with its back to the future like door entrance and its round windows.
Thinksound offers an eco-friendly alternative to other portable headphones. Go green while you upgrade your lousy pack-in earphones with Thinksound Rain & Thunder Headphones ($75-$100). Both of these headphones feature a wooden body which it source is from renewable sources and it comes in a recycled, bleach-free packaging with a cotton carrying pouch that's sewn from renewable sources. Thinksound has found their niche that they were looking for in their products by offering eco-friendly products.
The best part of these headphones is that they have great sound quality in two different styles to fit your need. There are currently two Thinksound models to choose from. The Thunder, priced at $75, features a 10mm driver and passive noise cancelation (meaning the speaker cover blocks outside noise from entering the ear canal) with an emphasis on bass. The smaller Thinksound Rain priced at $100 is supposed to be catered to audio purists who prefer a flat frequency response. Both models are considered IEM (in-ear monitor) canal headphones because they sit inside the ear canal with a snug fit. Typically, models of this design produce better sound because they have a direct shot to your ears without letting outside noise interfere or leak into the soundstage.
If you think that the price is a little steep you can always check out Amazon. You can find the Rains for $60 on Amazon, and the Thunders for about $45.
I was made a aware of the Sasquatch! Festival last Friday from a friend and I wanted to check it out and see what it was all about. I was very impressed by what I found and the lineup for this festival is packed full of great acts. They have bands like Vampire Weekend, Passion Pit, Mumford & Sons, Deadmau5, MGMT, Band of Horses and many more talented acts over a 3 day festival. The festival is to begin on May 29th to May 31st in Quincy, WA. So far this year's lineup keeps Sasquatch! in the conversation of must-attend destination festival and makes the Sasquatch! 2010 well worth the price of admission, which is $170 for a three-day pass or $70 a day.
Another factor about this festival is how green this festival has become. For the past three years Esurance, the auto insurance provider, has teamed up with Sasquatch! to promote a more sustainable event. By increasing sustainable practices at the Gorge, including an expanded recycling program, eco-friendly signage, and energy-efficient lighting, they are able to reduce the overall carbon footprint at the venue. They even setup a way for folks to share a ride and minimize the environmental impact on this large event. The three day festival will be 100% wind powered. Additionally, Carbon Harmony will offset 125% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced during the festival at The Gorge Amphitheater. I think that many more large events should use some of the sustainable solutions available to them when putting together their large events. It's rather refreshing to know that you can not only have a blast watching great bands but your also helping out the environment. That's something to feel pretty good about.
I thought this would be a fun little post about some of the most unusual bus stops from around the world. These are some very interesting designs that will make your time spent waiting for the bus a bit more intriguing.
Hammock Bus Stop
Relax while you wait for the bus or just take a quick nap if you want.
Curitiba Bust Stop
This futuristic public transport bus stop is located in Curitiba, Brazil.
Casar de Caceres Bus Stop
This is a minimalist structure that looks like a single sheet of white concrete. It was designed by architect Justo Garcia Rubio and located in Casar de Caceras, Spain. I like this one for it art and structure.
Vitra Bus Stop
Bus stop was designed for the Vitra design museum in Germany
LED Bus Stop
Designed as part of the smart mobilities project, this bus stop was presented in Paris in 2008. Users waiting inside the bus stop could engage via a touch screen interface while pedestrians waiting outside could interact with a 6ft. custom LED display.
I will be heading to the Winter Jam 2010 in Daytona this weekend with some friends from Ohio and I wanted to share with the reader what Winter Jam is all about. WinterJam is the first event of its kind in the USA. Its a 4 Day VW, Surf, Skate & Music Lifestyle Festival that encompasses 14 events / activities held at 7 Unique Venues in & around the Greater Daytona Beach area.
Volkswagen Enthusiasts will enjoy the 3 Automotive Events including a VW Bus Show, a huge Vintage VW Show & the Premier Indoor H2O Show & Expo. Plus there's a Motorsports event that features an Autocross, Burnout Contest & Dyno Competition. The H2O show will have DJ Andy Hughes throwing down a good set. That in itself makes for a good time.
Surf & Skate enthusiasts will enjoy the 3 Action Sports Events including a Pro/Am Longboard Surf Contest & Indoor Arena Street & Mini Ramp Skateboard Competition. I'm looking forward to the Longboard and Skating competitions.
Everyone will let loose at the 3 themed parties. Plus there's the legendary Ms WinterJam Contest which who doesn't want to miss that. The 2010 WinterJam Festival sets out to be the biggest & best yet. Now in its 4th year its definitely an event not to be missed..!
Ticket Info
SbamJam Skate Bmx & Music Friday & Saturday, Feb 19th & 20th Ocean Center Arena Adult 13 & up 1 Day: $10 Advance / $15 @ Gate Adult 13 & up 2 Day: $15 Advance / $20 @ Gate Child 3 - 12 1 Day: $5 Advance / $7.50 @ Gate Child 3 - 12 2 Day: $7.50 Advance / $10 @ Gate Child 0 - 2: No Charge *All SbamJam Tickets get you into DubJam H2O on Saturday (except for Friday 1 Day Ticket) TicketMaster.com
So being that I'm a sucker for animation and I think Owl's are pretty cool animals. I wanted to talk about the movie Legend of the Guardians which I saw the preview last night at the opening of Alice in Wonderland. Legend of the Guardians is directed by Zack Snyder, a former commercials director who has directed Dawn of the Dead, 300, and Watchmen, and is currently working on SuckerPunch. This movie is specifically based on the first three books in Kathryn Lasky's popular series of novels known as the Guardians of Ga'Hoole. Warner Brothers will be bringing Legend of the Guardians to theaters everywhere, in both 2D and 3D, starting on September 24th this year. The story plot may be a little cheesy but the manner in which it is produced looks amazing. Planning on seeing this?
