How did we miss these guys? I Tried, from Baltimore’s Lands & People’s starts out with more feeling than most songs can hit by the halfway mark. Timely percussions and perfectly layered background sounds create a song that you really need to hear more than once. The band’s defining element though is the soaring and dynamic pipes of Beauregard Cole and Caleb Moore—two Oxford, Mississippi transplants and best friends since the 11th grade.

Their head-turning harmonies cut through every track’s heady tapestry of sounds and lend their debut LP, Pop Guilt, its brightest and most indelible pop color. Lands & Peoples weave pop hooks through experimental, immersive, and intricately layered soundscapes with a diverse arsenal of instruments, from a quietly plucked acoustic to growling swells of electric guitar and room-shaking crashes of synthesizer.

Lands & People – I Try [download]

Adler, born in 1985, is an incredibly young designer to have received such prestige. Founded in 2002, Soulland’s design aesthetic is rooted in traditional Scandinavian craftsmanship and through great attention to the detailing of the clothes, classic menswear is re-interpreted with a present-day aesthetic. Congratulations to Silas and Soulland. Shop our Soulland selection here.

If you’ve ever been to Richmond, Virginia, you quickly realize that Virginia Commonwealth University is the heart and soul of downtown. Its size and population allow life, creativity, and energy to circulate into the city. Even though the university is home to a nationally renowned art school, there still lacks a common space to express this. Besides the VMFA, located roughly a mile and a half way from the campus, there is no real home for art on campus.

That is, until now. It’s been talked about for a while, but VCU has finally released renderings for their new facility.

“Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia has unveiled the design for the ‘institute for contemporary art’ 
by new york-based practice Steven Holl Architects. The 38,000 square foot center will contain program to facilitate visual art, 
theater, music, dance and film performances for both the academic and public audiences. Positioned at the intersection of 
Belvidere and Broad Street, the building will address the corner and campus with two main entrances. Outdoor plazas and 
a sculpture garden transition from the urban context. 

The interior features an auditorium which accommodates 247 seats along with exhibition areas and incubator spaces. A cafe, 
classrooms and offices complete the program, with the intention of forming an educational and cultural resource for the city.
Three stories of galleries radiate within forked arms shaping the garden arrangement. Accessed through large pivoting doors, 
the ground level boundary is blurred to create a seamless circulation from inside to outside. Translucent glass walls introduce
natural daylight while the pre-weathered satin finish zinc panels enclose the rest of the structure.” – via DesignBoom

All images courtesy of Steven Holl Architects.

Yuketen pieces pay homage to the American craft of shoe-making by remaining truly handmade products from bona fide craftsmen and women. Almost all components are American-made, and each shoe is made in America using ancient genuine hand-sewing techniques. This means that an actual human hand punctures the leather to create each thread-hole, a process that is almost extinct.

These days, it’s rare to see a product made with such care and precision. Yuketen’s are made to last, and take on the character of the wearer with each step. The genuine hand-sewing process produces the most comfortable shoe possible, and the American “naked” leather, known for it’s thickness and softness, contours to the shape of your imprint. Yuketen also uses 100% rubber natural crepe soles, which “learn” your tread pattern, and are completely Earth-friendly and decompose over a considerable amount of time (don’t worry- you can wear them for the long haul).

Based in Hermosa Beach, California, Yuki is known as a ‘rockabilly aficionado’, and those punk rock influences can be seen in the details of his designs. With a backbone of pure American leather heritage and a touch of rock n’ roll flair, he is able to marry exacting quality with playfulness, and has made serious headway with his risk-taking collections. Yuketen shoes are made in small runs, and available only in stores where Yuki feels the customer can understand and appreciate their true value. We’re proud to be one of them. Shop Yuketen here.

Tanner Goods is a throwback to a time when things were produced with simple tools by hand. They utilize age-old techniques that have been around for generations, and put great energy into each and every item. The result is a product that is handcrafted domestically from some of our oldest renewable resources, and will last for years to come. We think you’ll enjoy this nice little film by Ryan Bush and Aaron Rayburn.

Shop Tanner Goods.

While we were at our friends lake house a couple of weekends ago celebrating a birthday, our old faithful iPod speakers were playing Yo La Tengo’s “Leaving Home” from They Shoot, We Score. When one friend inquired as to what movie soundtrack this song was from, we really had no clue. Fortunately, one of our house guests did. Charlottesville’s Yo La Tengo did the entire score for Kelly Reichardt’s Old Joy, a 2006 film that follows two good buddies as they explore Oregon’s Cascade Mountains. If you’ve ever wondered what the Oregon wilderness looks like, this movie is a good start.

The film is a true beauty in the sense of modesty, seriousness, and the way these emotions are expressed between two very different friends. The monotone of the film doesn’t really seem like one, yet supplies you with beauty and feeling, making the trip seem less like a bummer and more like a revelation. Actors Daniel London and Will Oldham do the job perfectly.

It’s the perfect weeknight movie that leaves you on a truly peaceful note. Enjoy it over a nice bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir – that’s our recommendation.

Getting a text message that says, “Be sure to listen to some Father John Misty today, you’ll be hooked.” is a hint that you should listen to some Father John Misty. Besides having a name like Father John Misty, the music and lyrics that come out of this man’s mouth back his title up entirely. Father John Misty just so happens to be Josh Tillman, the former drummer of Fleet Foxes, who is about to release his first album “Fear Fun” on Sub Pop Records.

Sub Pop sure did a good job with this one.

Father John Misty – Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings [download]