Mixtapes, skulls, characters from eighties video games… that’s right, hipsters, it’s 2007 in the form of a scarf! Copenhagen’s Wood Wood, which is once again profusely stocked at New Dandyism, is looking awesome this season, and (have no fear) the designs on that scarf are the only cliches you’ll find in the collection. Wood Wood, which started in 2002 with a line of printed tees and sweats, has now expanded their line to include anoraks, bags, basic tees, and bags. I haven’t examined anything up close(r than my computer screen), but New Dandyism has some high standards when it comes to menswear, so I imagine these clothes offer as much quality as they do style. My faves: Ludwig in Acid Green and Sven in Black. And, okay, even though buying one would kind of be like listening to Cold War Kids for the first time today, I still kinda like the scarf. You know, to have around for my kids in 20 years.

Related: New Dandyism

At any given time I have between fifteen and forty playlists that I actively listen to, each of them slightly different and tailored to fit exactly what mood I’m in, and generally the only time I actually share these with other people is when I’m tending bar and playing the iPod-DJ. Every now and then, though, I get inspired and/or get in one of those sappy-generous moods and start making mixtapes (okay, more like mix-zips or mixcds, but you get my point) for people left and right — a lovely tradition originally started by my friends Angela and Eric. I shared a playlist with you earlier this summer, and it got such a great response that I thought I’d do it again. This one’s a mix of some artists I consider go-to’s (The Wrens, Cold War Kids, Built to Spill) and some amazingly terrific new stuff pilfered from the goodness that is Peel (Spoon, Pinback, John Vanderslice). My full playlist is after the jump; you know what to do in the comments*.

*Addendum: You’re supposed to go ahead and post a playlist of your own. Sorry for the confusion.
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Both Carmel and I are rather fond of Nathan Willett, the lead singer of Cold War Kids. By “rather fond” I mean “completely lose our shit over him at least once a day via IM because we are utter and complete dorks,” but whichever way you look at it, we love him and that band unconditionally. The first time I remember feeling this way was listening to Thom Yorke and Radiohead’s OK Computer, which was released ten years ago (!!!) on July 1st. I know there’s a generation of musicians and fans alike whose careers and lives were shaped, inspired and changed by this album — including our boy, Nathan — and there’s a reason it’s on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Definitive 200 list.

It’s flawless.

Some purists may argue that covering such an album is sacralige, but the kids over at Stereogum beg to differ. In celebration OK Computer’s 10th anniversary, they’ve compiled OKX: A Tribute to OK Computer, featuring twelve of their most favorite indie bands and artists, including Slaraffenland (”Paranoid Android”), My Brightest Diamond (”Lucky”), Marissa Nadler (”No Surprises”) and, of course, Cold War Kids (”Electioneering”) covering each track of the classic album, forging an eclectic mix of emotion and intensity. The album and liner notes are available for download — free of charge — over at Stereogum’s OKX page, and additional tracks and b-sides will be made available throughout July. Full track listing after the jump.

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This week has brought us some of the most gorgeous weather we’ve had so far this week in NYC, and something that marks a definite shift in season for me, personally, is when I trade the typical winter depressive-type playlist (I can generally gauge how bad things are by how much Eliott Smith and Death Cab I’m listening to) for material that’s a bit more…fun. Summery. The type that makes me bounce a little more than usual when I’m walking down the street. The stuff that you’d listen to whilst barbecuing with friends, or drinking beer on some stoop in Brooklyn, watching kids play in open fire hydrants.

My current playlist is after the jump, and in Talk Shop Friday tradition, go ahead and add yours in the comments.
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Jon Stetzen, a designer at the Brooklyn based studio Standard Motion, is now distributing some of his awesome limited edition concert poster prints through Insound, my favorite online indie music retailer (and force behind the “Save the Album” campaign). Stetzen, along with other great artists/designers like Scott McPherson and Cole Gerst, only has a few up for grabs (for bands such as Cold War Kids and Sufjan Stevens), and they all look like great quality, reasonably priced prints (about $13-20 each). I’m crossing my fingers that the plan is to keep adding to the selection– right now there’s only 19 to choose from– because buying a band’s posters and music at the same time sounds like a killer one-stop shopping opportunity.