Designs by Genevieve Gauckler, Eero Aarnio, Parra, and more make up the bulk of what Publik has to offer. The Japanese venture pulls together the talents of an international crew of artists to bring us tote bags, bandanas, and not to mention a great line of tees. From Gauckler’s ‘(verb) Me’ line to Parra’s word collages, Publik keeps the product line interesting without sticking to one theme in particular. The site’s mainly formatted in Japanese, making for some of that adorably bad translation, the product is good and that’s what counts. We especially dig the Feed Me shirt.

When we first heard Balkan Beat Box, the awful connotation of ‘world music’ received a makeover in our minds. The project by former Gogol Bordello member Tamir Muskat takes the rhythmic bounce of traditional music and brings it into the realm of modern production. JDub records, a non-profit label established to shed light on innovative Jewish music around the world, gives us a free listen into the Balkan Beat Box remix album entitled Nu Made. Also available for free play is The Sway Machinery, somewhat of a supergroup lead by guitarist Jeremiah Lockwood of Balkan Beat Box and members of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Antibalas and Arcade Fire.

This Saturday marks the second international Support Women Artists Now (SWAN) day, a commemoration and series of celebrations to raise visibility for women artists around the world. Whether you're in Austin, Jerusalem, or Nairobi, there are a series of events near you. From jazz fests to Girls Write Now Days, use the SWAN Day online map to find out what’s happening locally. The project, which was started by San Francisco's collaborative network Fund for Women Artists, also has a local partnership with the upcoming SF Women's Film Festival to highlight filmmakers behind and in front of the camera.