Cool Aggregator

Every Tuesday, Critical Mass sifts through the art blog world so you don’t have to.

— McJAWN gives us a peek of one of the pieces in “The Cosby Show,” a bad sweater-inspired exhibit up at CafĂ© Mocha (263 S. 10th St., 215-592-4303). Is it just me, or does the Temple grad look kinda smug in the illustration?

— Breast painting is an artistic endeavor pursuable only by those endowed enough to put bosom to canvas without smearing too much paint. PW Style finds out more from local breast artiste and Craigslist find, Ashley, in this odd yet stimulating interview. Can’t wait till the prick painter comes out of the woodwork.

— Phrequency offers a look at this past Friday’s Making Time, featuring The XX and the Phenomenal Handclap Band at Voyeur. Without being able to hear the music, it’s not at all like being there. But with the help of the photos, you can easily channel your inner awkwardly observational drunk. My favorites: Nos. 19, 34, 54, and 73.

— Ahh, Phooey posts Dilbert-esque irreverent comics on an infrequent but pleasurable basis. Not all are all that funny, but this one is.

— Weeks after its blowout annual event, Design Philadelphia is hosting a free lecture by designer Tord Boontje, who works with lace. His exhibit “Lace in Transition” at the Design Center puts all doilies to shame. Prepare to have your mind Boontjed.

Tweeting Colors

Tweet the rainbow.

Every Tuesday, Critical Mass sifts through the art blog world so you don’t have to.

— One of the better things to come out of the Great Depression was the temporary public pursuit of what typically is part of the private sector: the arts. As part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, the Works Progress Administration helped stimulate the weak economy by funding artists of all shapes and styles. In honor of this pretty damn wonderful idea, Phillyist reports that the National Constitution Center is hosting a WPA poster contest, open to all ages.

— Since the Phils lost last week, the cloud of Philly’s bruised pride has hung low over the city. Uwishunu is trying to ameliorate this precipitation by promoting a list of Philly firsts, which include the first fire department and stock exchange in the U.S. Take that NYC!

— In conjunction with First Friday, FunnelPages curated its own show … of Internet art. Pieces include a photographic storytelling of a whale hunt, a searchable, visual database of all of the nation’s business leaders, and an interactive color bar that changes along with your tweets. Now where’s the Internet wine and cheese?

— Something I’ve wanted for a really long time: a Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff reunion. Unfortunately, according to Make Major Moves, Will Smith’s movie career keeps getting in the way. Maybe the two of them can find some time to sing the national anthem at Citizens Park during next year’s World Series.

— Leave it to Peter Dobrin, the Inky’s go-to music writer, to find a positive in the SEPTA strike. On his blog Arts Watch, Dobrin notes that there was one thing he really didn’t miss about the buses — the noise. But isn’t it a part of the city’s well-wrought orchestra? Almost like the low rumblings of timpani, if you will?

Todd Marrone

Every Tuesday, Critical Mass sifts through the art blog world so you don’t have to.

— Local music blog Phrequency reported yesterday that it just turned one, and will be celebrating its time on this cyber Earth with a party at Kung Fu Necktie (1248 N. Front St., 215-291-4919) on Wed., Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. McRad, Dragonzord, Deep Possum and DJ PHSH will be performing, and it’s free. Not including the present.

— If the steep decline of This Is It ticket sales is any indication, MJ hype may have reached its dĂ©nouement. Or not: The Piazza offers its own take on “Thriller” with a video of the world’s largest simultaneous performance of the dance, which took place last Saturday. The scene is especially set ’cause all the Zombies are wet.

— The medium for most reviews is words, but local artist Todd Marrone expresses his impressions through art produced during a performance, or what he calls “sketchy reviews.” His newest is a rather enthusiastic portrait of Kyp Malone from his set at Johnny Brenda’s.

— PW Style did the leg work for fashion-conscious fans and found a strange/fun “Phil-box” hat on a Japanese Web site. PW also featured a T-shirt tribute to Utley’s beating of New York last night. His new nickname should be King Kong.

Every Tuesday, Critical Mass sifts through the art blog world so you don’t have to.

-Urban Outfitters blog got wind of the MJ-Twilight tribute trailer that Making Time @ 2424 Studios produced for its Halloween gathering. The video is as odd and intriguing as the mold pattern forming on that old block of cheese in your fridge – you just can’t look away.

-Tie or Die was featured on Shmitten Kitten a week back, but it needs a shout out all its own. Philly mad men Ryan and Jon created a self-imposed competition — both must wear a tie every workday in October. They do daily picture posts on TieorDie.com, where visitors can vote on the best dressed. The loser has to go to a tanning bed donning only his undies and a tie.

-Philly-based Free People gives a send-off to the Spectrum as its final day looms near on the horizon. The Dead win for the most prolific Spectrum players (of music), gracing its stage 53 times since it’s opening in 1967.

-Birds of a feather flock together, even if one bird prefers dapper suits and the other rocks “tattered French brogues.” Lord Whimsy reports on a magical evening spent watching Danish musician and artist Goodiepal scrawl notes over a rooftop and strew oddly-shaped vinyl records about. And you thought your Saturday night was crazy.

-One Review a Month rode the blue-line from Girard to 63rd and back just to get a glimpse of Love Letter, the clever and sometimes naughty Mural Arts Project piece that we at Critical Mass have also taken a liking to. Murals include such phrases as “Prepay is on, let’s talk till my minutes are gone,” and the simple yet provocative, “Had a nice dream about you.” ORM likes it, giving the unusual exhibit “high-fives all around.”

Alicia Gbur

Every Tuesday, Critical Mass sifts through the art blog world so you don’t have to.

— PW Style divulged some neat fashion savors — such as high-heeled galoshes and a DIY recipe for Chanel’s yet-to-be-released Particulière nail color — in its “Over the Top” roundup. But what got me was their coverage of inappropriate costumes. Gentlemen, it’s true: Mangina costume = going home alone.

— Most people think of U2 as the music industry’s front-runner in the saving-the-planet, d0-gooder contest, but Green Philly is quick to out the Bono-fronted group for “emitting carbon like it’s their job.” Conversely, take the green band members of Cake, who not only run their recording studio on 100 percent solar energy, but also promote carpooling to their concerts.

— In celebration of Quirktober, Irreference is providing helpful tips to put you in a quirky, sorta spooky mood. Unreported by both Cosmo and Shmitten Kitten, the “How to Tell if Your Boyfriend is a Time Traveler from the Past” post will help you identify and address quandaries that come from any Kate & Leopold situation.

— When it comes to music, I’m usually the last to know. Take the fact that I thought Electric Six was the name of another whiny pop-punk band (minus Pete Wentz). When it’s more like … The Darkness or The Scissor Sisters. (My attempt at comparison ends there.) Anywho, the E6 is playing tonight at 9.m. at Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684), for $13-$15. Check out Phillyist’s coverage of the band, complete with one of the most entertaining music videos I’ve seen in a while. (Anyone else notice the Rocky Horror influence?)

— It’s a good thing the funny bone isn’t located in your head, as local comedian Spins Nitely was one of the victims of Shane Victorino’s wayward flying bat on Sunday. Hawaii’s 5-0 is the generous sort, as he gave autographed bats to those he whacked. Nitely told The Insider he passed the gift on to his son, who the comedian identified as “Two Shows.” Two Shows? I don’t get it. Perhaps it’s an inside joke? Or maybe the funny bone is in your head. Wah wah.

MusicalNews

— After three successful Shmitten Kitten Mixtape Speed Dating events (and clever blog posts like last week’s mini-rant on the glory of receiving a true-blue, US Postal Service-sent letter), it’s fitting that Kitten-in-Chief Anna Goldfarb says she’ll be speaking at tonight’s Ignite Philly 4, where locals will strut their start-up stuff. May sound like a snooze, but it’s at Johnny Brenda’s, and Goldfarb’s promise of a presentation that combines “your middle-school class picture laser backdrop” with the Gettysburg Address should help.

— Philly illustrators’ collective The Autumn Society posted a cheeky piece by UArts Grad Danielle Rizzolo — specifically, her portrait of Kevin Smith as a “Fat Kenickie.” She created it for L.A.’s Gallery 1988 (which is quite shmitten itself with The Autumn Society’s 8-bit repertoire) to include in its upcoming Smod Art Show.

— Philly’s a pretty friendly place, whether in regards to the guy with the snake at Market and 9th who asks if I’d like to take a picture or the current takeover of the “With Love, Philadelphia XOXO” signage. Uwishunu reports that a variety of artists will give 50 more windows in Old City more love. Today’s the last day to vote for your favorite.

— PW’s Make Major Moves noted that yesterday was the anniversary of Sex Pistols’ groupie Nancy Spungen’s fatal stabbing in ‘78. And wouldn’t you know it? Spungen was buried in Bensalem.

— In other odd music news, Philebrity wrote about the cat-fight between Fishie hipster dwellings Kung Fu Necktie and Barbary, and then dually noted that they shouldn’t be wasting blog posts on such things (but it’s the Internet, so why not?). According to the commenting public at large, the Barbary is “unbearably stinky” and Kung Fu Necktie’s street name is “Fishtown Pearl Necklace” — don’t know who wins there.

Lord Whimsy

Every Tuesday, Critical Mass sifts through the art blog world so you don’t have to.

-Roberta Fallon and Libby Rosof’s artblog offers up a taste of the current letterpress exhibit, “Poems/Posters,” which is up at the Kelly Writers House. It features broadsides that pair text with prints, including visiting artist Megan O’Connell’s Agile Reactions: 33 Bean Games, which is a humorous, cutesy ode to female anatomy.

-After a long summer hiatus, Funnel Pages is back. They’ve got a new feature, “Ask An Art Question,” where readers can submit a query and have the community add its two cents. But not just any question. Curator Shaun insists that something like, “Is shooting paint out of my butt awesome or what?” won’t make the cut.

-PW Style has picked up on the fact that a certain go-to-shop for trashy club wear has gone a bit biblical. Unfortunately, it was Black Box — not the Bible — that said, “you got the body, so why don’t you use it?”

-Lord Whimsy (pictured, right) wrote on his blog that he got a sneak peak of Brat Production’s Haunted Poe, a haunted house-cum-tour that we told you about in this week’s Agenda section. To commemorate the poet’s 200th birthday, the troupe is setting up a warehouse with Poe-inspired spooks and specters. Whimsy wasn’t afraid to dress up for the event, so neither should you.

Every Tuesday, Critical Mass sifts through the art blog world so you don’t have to.

-From the Oprah mad-cow scandal to the Quarter-Pounder, Americans can’t seem to get enough of beef. It’s no wonder, then, that the Urban Outfitters blog took a liking to local artist Dominic Episcopo’s “United Steaks,” a collection of photographs featuring slabs of meat carved to resemble Texas, Jersey, California and other states. Sidenote: We’ve been diggining Episcopo for a while.

-Miss Bee from Phillyist gives a recount of NFL stats — Twitter-style. Which is quite a bit more approachable than reading something like ESPN.com, especially if you know jack about football (comme moi).

-The art of bookmaking is enjoying a comeback. (Perhaps because the Kindle is dooming the future of mass-produced books?) By binding antique books in recycled leather from old holsters and chaps, Philly artist Margaux Kent is already tackling the arty book market, which both Free People and alpha blog Boing Boing gave props to last week.

-Many people are familiar with Quirk Books’ Worst-Case Scenario guides, but this Philly publisher is starting to take the literary world by leaps and giggles with its newer collections, which add a monster spin to classic books. As noted on their Irreference blog, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies just got a plug on the season premiere of Heroes. Check out the book trailer for Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters up top.

-Last week City Paper gave a Choice Award to Munish Narula, the creator of Tiffin, a Web-based Indian food delivery company that’s seen huge success in the region. But things are getting even better for those who fuel themselves with Tiffin’s cuisine. Meal Ticket reports that along with their meal, Northern Liberties residents can now order a Bollywood film — making those Urvashi turnovers feel even more authentic.

Business Week

He was here, in our fair city? No no no no!

Every Tuesday, Critical Mass sifts through the art blog world so you don’t have to.

-The breadth of Facebook’s influence is reflected in NEXUS/foundation’s most recent exhibit, “My Face in Your Space.” Each artist did a portrait of another artist, the catch being that the subject had to then reciprocate with a portrait of the original artist — the FB equivalent of having a friend request accepted. The artblog reports that artist Austin Lee is the most popular, having done 20 portraits (and receiving 20 in return).

-Roberta Fallon of Philadelphia Weekly interviewed UPenn grad Manya Scheps. Fed up with Philly DIY-ers’ self-satisfaction, Scheps created the critique zine New Asshole. Ahead of the game, Scheps claims that the beginning of her discontent was this past winter, two full seasons before City Paper’s Bruce Schimmel noted that this summer has been one of the perturbed.

-To coincide with the It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’s season premiere, Philebrity pointed out the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation’s earnest, but perhaps misguided, attempt to promote our city — which is shown affectionately, but crudely, in It’s Always Sunny. But hey, whatever it takes to get people to sleep over.

-September tends to be a month of new tenants. Walls looking a bit bare? Pick the perfect hi-res image and send it to Old City-based Larger Than Life Prints, which will create a giant, wall-safe sticker to your liking. Technically Philly chose a mouse icon, but feel free to slap on something a wee less dorky.

-You can’t spell Philly without “Phil.” Unfortunately. And that’s the only reasoning I can find as to why the TV shrink Dr. Phil is sticking his mustache into local business, which the Inquirer reported on last week. Not only will the man be adding his two cents on the Vick controversy, he’ll also try to heal the rift between Pat’s and Geno’s. Please.