Dig 'em.

Here are three of my favorite YouTube videos of 2008. (1) The Grizzly Bear performance is dazzling; I probably watched it twenty times. (2) Gillis pulls a remix out of his ass, likens his process to your band's last Beatles ripoff, subtly toots his own horn, and smirks. (3) The Bon Iver song builds to a percussive and emotive frenzy. For me, this band strikes the same nerve that Elliot Smith's music does. Dig 'em.


Grizzly Bear 'Two Weeks' on Letterman June 08


Greg Gillis (Girl Talk) mashes up Elvis Costello


Bon Iver 'Skinny Love' on Letterman 12/11/08

List Fever

It's that time of year again! The time of year when every publication under the sun publishes its 'best of the year' list or '2008 roundup.' Hell, Time even published a 'list issue.' So it is in the spirit of the season that I present the 'Magnet Cat Best of the Best of Lists' award for 2008. The best 'Best Of' list of 2008 is actually a 'Worst Of' list and it's located here.

Christmas in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Ween Designs!

So I came into contact with the mighty Ween recently and they were kind enough to consider four t-shirt designs that I pitched to them. Unfortunately, they did not decide to print any. Here are two of the four designs (click images to enlarge). For those of you who are not initiated Ween fans like the rest of us, here are three very brown facts about the band: that toothy face you see below is The Boognish (Ween's logo/mascot), the band's debut album is titled GodWeenSatan: The Oneness, and Ween's favorite adjective is 'brown' (carrying connotations of 'cool,' 'chocolate,' and 'shitty'). Thanks to Ween. Stay brown.

Design #1 'God Ween Satan'





Design #2 'The Ween Trinity'

Jenny Holzer's Truisms

Confusing yourself is a way to stay honest


People are nuts if they think they control their lives


Being happy is more important than anything else


Lack of charisma can be fatal


Protect me from what I want


Myths make reality more intelligible


Anything is a legitimate area of investigation


Believing in rebirth is the same as admitting defeat


It's crucial to have an active fantasy life


Stupid people shouldn't breed


more info

Werewolf Sale

'The Party Werewolf' shirt by Magnetic State is on sale for only $8.99! Everybody knows that the economy blows and everything's on sale this year. Celebrate by taking advantage of this great deal before these shirts are gone!

Garment Goodness.

I often surf the web looking for artists and designers that are up to interesting things. Rarely do I find them. Here are three t-shirts that rule.

'Arpie Tee' by Jon Knox at Hello, Brute



'Slime City' shirt by Creep Street



'4-point' tee by M. Carter

Comes with FREE MC Hammer Pants

Sometimes you find the funniest (not to mention manliest) writing where you least expect it. Now put down that barbell, crank up the Van Halen, and read this.

Perpetrators.

DJ A-Trak has a blog and he is calling out suckas that perpetrate. He recently blogged about a flagrantly ripped-off Maroon 5 album cover design as well as another by Good Charlotte. Read/watch this post I wrote about A-Trak in June.

Bookend Cat

Check out these cool cat bookends by Alpha Workshops, mentioned in the New York Times' Gifts For Hard Cases feature (I also thought these were particularly ingenious). Alpha Workshops is a cool nonprofit, so proceeds from the bookends go to a good cause. Plus, you never have to empty a litter box.