FILTER

ART: The Decapitator strikes again! Daft Punk beheaded.

If you're not too familiar with UK street artist, The Decapitator you might want to pay attention! Much like other street artists who take advantage of their surroundings and use existing spaces as canvases, The Decapitator rocks and rolls...literally. His gory signature mark comes from beheading the individuals, whether famous or not, on street advertisements he finds. His latest victims include electronic masters, Daft Punk and pop star, Shakira on the cover of Rolling Stone.

Daft Punk before:

 

Daft Punk after:

 

Shakira before:

Shakira after:

Here's a video of him in action: 

What do you think? Pretty gnarly, right?! To see more of his pictures, click here. The ultimate question is, do you think what he is doing is right or wrong? In the words of the Queen of hearts, OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!

Fun With Anagrams

An anagram is when you take a word or phrase and rearrange the letters to form new words or phrases.  I found this website which does it all for you in a matter of seconds.  Check out some "FILTER anagrams" below and feel free to let us know what your name turns into in the comment section.  Have fun!

FILTER Magazine = Tamale Fire Zing

Alan Miller = All Mineral

Patrick Strange = Strategic Prank

Eli Thomas = Hot Emails

FILTER's Staff Pays Homage To The Greats

....Through Our Pets

We here at FILTER pay tribute to our favorite artists through the names of our furry companions.

Meet Alan Sartirana's Rhodesian Ridgeback, Cash (named after Johnny Cash)

 

Meet Samantha Feld's Chocolate Lab mix, Stevie (Nicks)

 

Meet Ewan Anderson's lovable ragdoll, Steve Albini

 

Meet Mike Bell's friendly feline, Ziggy (Stardust)

 

And meet Holly Gray's Puggle, Sadie, named after The Beatles tune "Sexy Sadie"
 

Who inspired your pet's name?

TECH: BlackBerry 9700 First Impressions

 

My anticipation for the new BlackBerry 9700 could not have been higher. Early reviews called it "the perfect BlackBerry." So,how has it fared in my pocket, away from home, the last few days? Lets break it down.

Whats great about it
* the best camera ever
* amazing memory and performance
* the best OS yet
* incredible battery life
* 3g on Tmobile - finally i can talk on the phone and email


whats not great yet

* I didnt hate the size of the Bold 9000 so this small form factor is going to take some getting used to

* the trackpad is a welcome change due to the trackball always freezing on previous devices but it takes some getting used to. Its also very sensitive and often keeps the device active even when in my pocket

Full review coming soon!

How To Unwind On a Friday Afternoon: FILTER Style

It's no secret that FILTER knows how to throw a good party.  But what about bringing the good times home?  How does Team FILTER like to unwind on a Friday afternoon moments from happy hour?

The answer may surprise you....PINATAS!

A few weeks ago, the entire LA office gathered to celebrate two darling employee birthdays.  This is how to let loose, FILTER style.

 

 

Till the next party!

TECH: the big blackberry week ahead

We can hardly contain our excitement. In the next few days we will get

* the official release date for the new BlackBerry 9700 - the greatest Berry to date

* the official release date for the new BlackBerry Storm 2 - Verizon subscribers celebrate

* the official 5.0 OS upgrade fro all devices

Deep breaths by fellow BlackBerry addicts. Only a few more days...

Austin City Limits Celebrates 35 Years

As FILTER's resident Austinite, I hold a special place in my heart for the good ole' capital of the Lone Star State. Beloved public television music program Austin City Limits is currently celebrating its 35th season on PBS. 35!!! That's a whole lot of years. I grew up watching the show, as many did, but, because it filmed in my hometown, I felt especially attached to the show. Attending tapings, difficult and crowded as they were, was a chance at an exciting and intimate look at the performing artist. Add some free Lone Star beer into the mix, and well, you have yourself an excellent evening of live music. Filmed not in a park, but in a crowded soundstage on The University of Texas campus, the show is just as personal if viewed at home. In my book, it's one of the best, if not THE best live music-on-TV programs around.

Newshour's Jim Leher devoted a segment of his most recent show to the Willie Nelson-founded program, and interviewed artists such as Ben Harper, Eddie Vedder, and Carolyn Wonderland. Check out a portion of Leher's segment below- It's sure to make you long for some laid-back live music. Upcoming show performances include Andrew Bird, M. Ward, Okkervil River, and St. Vincent. Finally, I'll leave you with one of the most eclectic performances of the recent years- Sufjan Stevens with "Casimir Pulaski Day."

I Kind Of Wish I Was Susanna Hoffs

Who's your inner 80's rocker?

Ears Open: My Hollow Drum

   

One of my favorite things to do when it comes to ingesting music, is to close my eyes and let the music take me on a voyage.  Lately, my voyages have been soundtracked by syncopated backdrops, moments of broken bliss and spacey atmospheres.  Who is responsible for creating the sounds that have quickly permeated my current state of mind?  My Hollow Drum. 

My Hollow Drum (MHD) is a collective of deejays/musicians/artists devoted to the fixation of art & sounds alike.  They collide sound collage chemistry, 8-bit digitalism and dimlit psychedelia, with the squishiest of textures to create music of all mediums.

These ten Southern California contemporaries consist of Teebs (recently signed to Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder imprint), Kab, Swass, pLo, Yuk, Co.fee, Bahwee, Arti, Drol and Tully.  Their kaleidoscopic soundscapes have been on display at one of Los Angeles' best kept secrets, Low End Theory, LA culture and fashion destination, Space 1520, monthly residency at The Crosby in Orange County and various airwave blasts (Dublab's Future Roots Radio, 90.7 KPFK, NY's Vibes and Stuff and the UK's We Are...).

Get in the drum line and check out My Hollow Drum at Low End Theory's Three Year Anniversary this Wednesday, October 21st at the Airliner.  Or follow the boys on Twitter.

TECH: get smart

Helping us look smarter every day, Thesaurus.com has announced a free BlackBerry (and ipone) add on. The new application includes a dictionary and thesaurus built into the email client.

As an added bonus you can learn a "word of the day."

Today's word

turbid

\TUR-bid\ , adjective:

1.

Muddy; thick with or as if with roiled sediment; not clear; -- used of liquids of any kind.

2.

Thick; dense; dark; -- used of clouds, air, fog, smoke, etc.

3.

Disturbed; confused; disordered.