Web: Site Pairs

A couple quick links for inspiration:

• Digital Thread Web Design Gallery
  
• Cool Homepages Gallery

And for instruction:

• A List Apart Magazine brought to you by Zeldman
  
• Evolt.org

Category: Web

Music: TV on the Radio

The rock band TV on the Radio followed up their "Young Liars" EP with a strong full length titled "Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes."

This dark, hypnotic album is described very well on Pitchfork Media and All Music, which also has audio samples.

Category: Music

Music: iPod Ubiquity

OK, I understand the iPod is the hottest digital music player out there but Karl Lagerfeld's obsession has gone over the top:

Couture maven Karl Lagerfeld's iPod collection is up to 60, coded in the back by laser etching so he can tell what's on them. "It's the way to store music," he says. Lagerfeld's tribute to the iPod is a $1,500 Fendi pink copper rectangular purse that holds 12 iPods.

The Newsweek article is titled iPod Nation. I have a severe addiction to my Archos player. I upgraded it to 60GB for music and file backups.

Category: Music

Web: Defensive Design for the Web

I'm currently reading the 37signals book Defensive Design for the Web: How To Improve Error Messages, Help, Forms, and Other Crisis Points. It provides a bunch of helpful examples in plain language. They offer a sample chapter on 37signals.com. Overstock has a great price on it.

Category: Web

Music: Fiona Apple

Fiona Apple hasn't released an album since 1999's "When the Pawn..." (one of my favorites). I'm disappointed to see her upcoming album has been shelved according to her producer, Jon Brion, in a Rolling Stone interview:

Sony has yet to find the magic song on Brion's latest production, Apple's new record. The album has been finished for months but sits on the shelves at the label as, Brion says, execs search for a single."

A leaked MP3 called "Extraordinary Machine" can be found with a quick Google search. It is a cool song but not exactly ready for the radio - it is too quirky for the masses. But I like it.

Category: Music

Music: Rachael Yamagata

New artist Rachael Yamagata's recent release "Happenstance" reminds at times of Fiona Apple, Norah Jones, and the more obscure female vocalist Imogen Heap of Frou Frou.

I highly recommend Rachael's album (along with Frou Frou's 2002 release "Details").

Category: Music

Design: Photoshop Extrude Filter

Here's a quick tutorial on using the Extrude filter to create crystals. It recommends the "pyramids" setting - the "blocks" setting generates some interesting results as well.

Category: Design, Photoshop

Music: Gift of Gab

"4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up" is the first solo album from Gift of Gab, a member of the underground hip hop group Blackalicious. Gab delivers fast rhymes surrounded by smooth beats and samples.

There are a few audio samples on Amazon and a 4 star review on AllMusic.

Gift of Gab is a member of the Quannum crew (formerly known as Solesides) along with one of my favorite artists, DJ Shadow.

Category: Music

Design: Photoshop Tutorial Sites

Many of the effects presented in these tutorials are too techie for my every day design work but the techniques are still very useful:

• Eyeball Design
  
• Phong
  
• Anders Qvicker
  

Category: Design, Photoshop

Music: Interpol

Listening to the 2002 Interpol album "Turn on the Bright Lights." They're very reminiscent of Joy Division and still fit in nicely with current rock groups Franz Ferdinand, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Phantom Planet's last album.

There are audio samples on Amazon and a 4.5 star review at AllMusic.

Category: Music

Welcome

I'm just getting started here. I'm a website designer, artist, and music fan of many styles: rock, hip hop, house, jazz, funk, latin, and turntablist DJs. On this site I'll be covering music and design and whatever else comes up.

My web portfolio is viewable at LoudStyle.com and a few of my abstract paintings are on Absolute Arts.