This is Cool: Japanese Barcodes

"Masters of turning the mundane cute, we recently came across this collection of the clever ways Japanese designers have extended this eccentricity down to the boring barcode" [from Cool Hunting-- visit them for more!]

Those wacky Japs-- as in Japanese--and their insanely cute things. Make sure to visit Cool Hunting for more, some are quite funny, all are stupid cute. You can see the hippie gun barcode over there and more at Barcode Design Gallery, which designs and licenses out the retooled barcodes.

iko iko

There are a few songs I really, really hate-- can't stand. I know it sounds high maintenance but there is something about these tracks that makes me cringe. Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl." Any version (even the Clash version) of "Louie Louie." "Chapel of Love"- "sing-songy, cloying, childish"- by the Dixie Cups, a group which I wrote off for a long time solely based on that insipid, insidious track that stays in your head the way Tootsie Rolls stay stuck to your molars and then makes you get cavities and have to have Novocaine and pay insurance on false advertised filling material that isn't covered by insurance but Dr Dentist Evil failed to mention that before.

Which is too bad, because 1, they're a seminal group that really can sing, etc, and 2, the Dixie Cups do a fantastic (my favorite, probably) version of the oft-covered"Iko Iko" (or "Jock-a-mo.")

"Jock-a-mo" was the original version of the song "Iko Iko" recorded by The Dixie Cups in 1965. Their version came about by accident. They were in a New York City studio for a recording session when they began an impromptu version of "Iko Iko," accompanied only by drumsticks on a coke bottle [Barbara Hawkins: "We were just clowning around with it during a session using drumsticks on ashtrays. We didn't realize that Jerry and Mike had the tapes running". ]. The tape happened to be running and session producers Leiber and Stoller added bass and drums and released it [wikip]

The bare bones beat from those Coke bottles mesh perfectly with the precise, ultra-clean, almost blase vocals. The song is about a fight between two Mardi Gras crewes, which explains the epically threatening lyrics, which kind of form the fun with the contrast to the bright melody. I've also included the version off of the Diplo/Santogold collab "Top Rankin Mixtape," which I listen to more than Santogold's (or however she spells it now) s/t. Enjoy!

• Iko Iko - Dixie Cups
• Iko Iko - Dixie Cups/Diplo & Santogold
  

ps. What??

backk.

guess which one was the shit hole. hint. t's the one with blood everywhere.

hey all. So it's been awhile, but I have an excuse! I've spent the last few weeks embarking on a less-than-expected chaos but still overwhelming move out of the old shithole and into a fab new apartment downtown. We just got the wireless set up two days ago, after 5 or so customer service calls, 2 of which didn't get us anywhere because the party making the call was drunk. Wasn't me. But here's the best part, besides that we have a real kitchen and we're by some mediocre but cheap bars. . . we NO LONGER HAVE BED BUGGIES. (And our friends will visit us again. I think.)

So some party music to welcome me, you, us (?) back. I don't know why I've been listening to this song so much. I don't own nor have I ever worn Adidas, but you could probably hate Adidas for your own personal secret important reasons and still (had better) dig this track. According to the Adidas website, it was the first time a major artist endorsed a brand, though interestingly, "no checks were signed[, n]o managers were approached." So of course Adidas is a little bitter about it all, or would be except that group is plastered all over their website.

PS. What's with the explosion of Run DMC shirts everwhere? They're even before my time and I saw a 12 year old wearing one on 9th Ave the other day. Is Urban Outfitters selling them?

	Run-D.M.C. - My Adidas
	Found at skreemr.com

artsy fartsy friday with bil donovan

I name these things using the day of the week (it is Friday, right?) like it will become a regular thing. Bil Donovan does fashion and design stuff, and it's all delightful and colorful, but what I really like is his portraits of classic movie stars.

For more, including Marlene, Grace Kelly, and Katherine Hepburn. . . Continue reading!

Check out his website for others like Sophia Loren and Mae West, as well as his other work.

Jesus Hates Zombies feat Abraham Lincoln Hates Werewolves?

Came across this picture on Ben Templesmith's blog. He is illustrating the cover for the comic called Jesus Hates Zombies by Stephen Lindsay. Which sounds like the best thing ever. Templesmith used on old Russian-style icon, very cool, and it's a picture of Jesus hatin on zombies. Look at the shit. Look at that nail through the bat. Shit.

Unfortunately I've been drinking and it's making research hard. Yes, it's noon. Yes, this is an auspicious start to the day and the weekend.

And yes, even with minimal research, it is easy to find out how awesome Jesus Hates Zombies sounds. From the Amazon.com description:

The zombie plague has swept across the Earth, and Jesus has been sent down to take care of it. Along with Laz, (his loyal zombie sidekick) Jesus must unite the remaining humans to stand up and defeat the zombie menace. A werewolf-slaying Abe Lincoln makes his debut here, fighting in the 19th century while Jesus saves the world in the 21st century. Will these two historical heroes finally cross paths? You'll have to read to find out!

You think you're cooler than that? You think you are? Cos you're not.

fuck you new york, and thanks for the bedbugs.

slings & arrows of outrageous fortune

My roommate showed up last night, drunk, and threw a book down on the table. "This is for you. Hi, dollar table." What was it?

The PRIMA WindWaker guide. Yeah. . . And the rest of the story goes. And B picked it up and started flipping through it and that was it. She needs more Zelda. And then it turns out new roommate starting 10/01/09 (COUNTDOWN) HAS a GC and HAS WindWaker and HAS a TV screen?!

Shiiit. WW is the only of the games that I have played that I have played once. (That makes sense in there, somehow.) But I was just on the ZeldaWiki (shut up) and looked up the upcoming Wii game. Ok. So look at the concept art. Really, you're not excited?

But on the other hand. . . "He indicated that he would like to have a whole new control system for the game, and that it was possible that one-to-one swordplay (first person perspective sword combat) could be implemented." I dunno. I'm all for innovation but I don't even like FPSs. (They make me motion sick. I'm lame.) But we'll see. Having never used a Wii, maybe it makes sense, and I'm sure people will sound off. Til then. . .

to take arms against a sea of troubles
I don't got a Wii.

and by opposing them, end them
So the thing on the other end of the equal sign of this equation is. . . I need more local geeky friends. Who have Wiis. Hi. Can I borrow that?