Great recap over at Hypebeast of the opening of “Low Fidelity” at Lazarides Gallery in London last week for the very sneaky French artist Invader. The show runs through September 17th, check it out if you’re in the UK!

Lazarides Gallery
11 Rathbone Place
London, W1T 1HR
+ 44 (0) 207 636 5443

One of my favorite artists (I’ve been following him since 2004), Ogi just had a show in Tokyo– here are some pictures. The new work looks really fantastic. Congrats Ogi!

We can thank Diplo and Switch for boldly auto tuning Andy Milonakis toasting, but there’s a lot more to Major Lazer than a comedy gimmick. The tracks heard so far are killer, notably the collaboration with Santogold. This summer their tweaked out brand of dancefloor crack is on the road and there are free and discounted tickets up for grabs (I know the Philadelphia show at Electric Factory is free). Hit ‘tour dates’ on the Bacardi Live website and pick your city. Depending on which show you catch, you might see A-Trak as well.

I’ve been a Parla collector and fan for years– since he came on to the mainstream art buying radar in a big way at the Art Basel Cityscapes exhibition in Miami a few years ago, his work (and the prices) have just skyrocketed, and for good reason. He’s one talented dude.

His latest show is at the Elms Lester Painting Rooms in London, and it once again raises the bar in a huge way. More detail, more pieces, more powerful images, large scale canvases, and a world view from his travels he didn’t have a few years ago. Words can not describe the work– so I won’t even really bother. On with the pictures.

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Brazilian artist Alex Hornest, or Ornesto as he’s otherwise known by his street name, is a different kind of artist than the others I’ve been sharing with you lately. A rooted legend in this country’s street art scene, Ornesto’s just released a book of drawings with another street artist, called 100COTIDIANO . Rojo Magazine is dedicating its art space in Sao Paulo to his work starting tomorrow at the Livraria Pop store in a show called That Isn’t Easily Found, which will show Ornesto flexing his artistic muscle on found materials, from sculpture to paint works. I’ve always liked his drawings, but will find his mixed-media stuff equally as thrilling if it all looks like what you see in the photo. The theme of this show revolves around his heroic task of sorts: to save and remind the public about basic human values such as sincerity, generosity and friendship. Simple, but we need someone to put them in our face once in a while. The show runs through April 19th.

Ever since I finally saw Hurtmold in their Sao Paulo hometown after countless recommendations from friends, I can’t get their new eponymous album (on a great indie label called Submarine) off my daily listening playlist. This seasoned band’s got their math rock on lock with fine grooves punctuated by glistening shots of xylophone, topped off with mounting layers of clarinet and keyboard like on a cake. The show I checked out was packed with elated fans standing in place, shaking their heads to the rhythm — and lots of it, really, because Hurtmold make percussion their best friend. It takes six members to create their wall of sound. Of these six, Mauricio Takara is the biggest name among them, a super-productive guy who also has his own solo project going on. As Hurtmold, though, the band have half a dozen good, solid albums out already and play live often. Rock out to them here.

If the thought of another boozy New Years romp has lost its charm, here’s something that should help you spend the night in a less exaggerated, if not less exciting, manner. Current TV, the Emmy award-winning peer-to-peer news and information network, will be broadcasting a free, private performance of Radiohead’s In Rainbows in its entirety on New Years Eve. Showing on both the Current TV Network and the network’s website, the concert will give you an excuse to stay in that even your most dedicated drinking buddies should understand. If holing up isn’t part of your plans, have no fear — the concert will run again on New Years Day. That and a few bloody Mary’s and your hangover should be just about dealt with. Find broadcast times here.

Before I had even heard of the movie, my friends were raving about the Garden State soundtrack. I picked up a copy (of the CD, I didn’t watch the movie until years later) and thought it was pretty good. If you have the CD, pull it out and listen to Track 6 and you might recognize the singer’s voice. It’s Cary Brothers (first name Cary, last name Brothers) and he’s been featured on all kinds of shows like Bones, Smallville, and ER, and is one of those kids lucky (or unlucky, depending on your indie-music snobbery levels) to have Zach Braff as a huge fan — in addition to GS, it landed him on the soundtrack for The Last Kiss as well. Regardless, Who You Are dropped May 29 and the 14 tracks really showcase his deliberate and down-home sound. Paired with an acoustic guitar and a slightly rough voice, he sings a blend of dreamy pop songs which I think are more coffee shop and less driving music. He also is the founder of the Hotel Cafe Tour, which is based off what I consider one of the best small music venues in Los Angeles, which is also the namesake for the tour. His tour kicks off on July 11th with a night at SoHo in my town of Santa Barbara. I know that Heather is a massive fan, and was fortunate enough to be invited to his private showcase last week at The Box in NYC. She says despite both his and his bands’ mountain-man appearances — an element she found strangely endearing — he’s the real deal and definitely worth checking out both live and on record.

Local heroes 3oh!3 are about to hit California with a few dates in San Diego, Anaheim and Echo Park, and if you live within a 3 hour radius of any of those places, GO. I’m not really saying that in a sweetly suggestive way, either; Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte throw down a nastily amazing live show, and if you don’t make it you’ll be smashing your head on hard things once you realize what you missed. The best way to describe 3oh!3 — a band which has been around barely a year, yet manages to have some of the craziest fans I’ve ever seen — is thrashy electronic rock blended into hip hop beats, then shaken vigorously with viciously snarky lyrics and about a hippopotamus-weight’s worth of energy. Maybe even two hippopotamus’s worth of energy. In fact, the last time a brought a new inductee to a 3oh!3 show, she sort of got mad at me for not advising her to wear a sports bra. You can listen to Sean and Nat’s music on their MySpace page, but be sure to turn it up loud and only press play once you’re in a room with padded walls.

Locals: The boys are playing a sold-out show with The Faint at The Fox in Boulder tonight, but as of the hour, a few tickets for tomorrow night are still up for grabs. I’ll see you there.

Summer is nearly upon us here in the Midwest. To celebrate its imminent arrival along with onslaught of street festivals, block parties, outdoor exhibitions, backyard barbecues, and shows, shows, and more shows, spend this weekend catching one of Chicago’s finest up-and-coming indie rockers, The Ponys. The Ponys play a weird but compelling mix of country, rock, and psychedelia and can be found all over the Windy City this weekend supporting their most recent album, Turn The Lights Out. You can find them tonight at Looptopia (I don’t think anybody knows what to expect from Chicago’s first foray into an all-night downtown party, but I digress) along with Mucca Pazza and others, or Saturday night at Subterranean.

Tomorrow evening (April 12th), the True Believers Show is kicking off with an opening reception at the Riviera Gallery in Williamsburg. The show will continue until Sunday, May 8th, showcasing original work– through a variety of mediums– from some super talented designers inspired by everything from skateboarding, punk/postpunk, and early hip hop to 70s educational graphics, 60’s countercultures, and the Swiss style. Each piece in the show will either be one of a kind, or part of a limited edition series, and will reflect each designer’s perception of the world around them. The show’s being curated by Matt Owens from the Volumeone Design Studio and founder of the Athletics design collective– definitely worth a pop by the gallery I’d say; 103 Metropolitan Ave.

For all of you who will be in the Portland, OR area in the next month or so, Jason Thielke– who’s an esteemed member of the Spear Collective, and a virtual fixture on JoshSpear.com, will be showing his work at Hecklewood’s Toxic show. Starting with the launch party tomorrow night, March 16th from 6-10 P.M. with ice cold PBR’s and music from hip hopper Ohmega Watts, you’ll be able to see the latest and greatest of Jason’s industrial inspired art. If you’ve never seen Jason’s work in a live show setting, this is a must-see. And while we’re on the subject of Hecklewood, it appears as though they’ve just released some new additions to their TANNER line of leather goods, with a fresh Spring apparel line on the way. Niiice, I liiiiike!

Lisa Solberg, local Artist and JoshSpear.com friend is having a show at the Aspen Art Museum October 13-29th. After graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Lisa is now a full-time traveling artist. Inspired by fashion, travel, freaks, fortune, buddhas, lions, owls tigers, oceans, surfing, skateboarding, cathedrals and statues her work is both refreshing and fun. Check her out, and if you’re in Aspen on the 12th make sure to pop by the museum for the reception party that evening.

Puppet shows are popping up in the most unlikely places, and this one, recommended by a French friend, has me considering a trip to Canada. The Calgary-based Old Trout Puppet Workshop puts on quite the metaphorical and innovative performance with their designed-for-adults show, Famous Puppet Death Scenes. I'm told it's poignant, preposterous, utterly comical and sometimes satirical– the perfect introduction to this intense and talented world. Granted, sometimes, the eye-candy is worth more than the ear-candy, but with puppets, I think that's the point. Bottom string: if you find the guy to the left twisted or frightening in a good way, or if you've seen the Dark Crystal multiple times, this will please.

Outer Edge Studio, the creation of fine artist Andrew Jackson, is a wonderful space enveloped in eye-catching art and people happy to engage in intelligent conversation about it. Previously the youngest gallery owner in Carmel, Andrew's background in art includes working as a color specialist correcting fine art Giclee prints and creating his self published book “Intensity”. However, it is the great highs and terrible lows from working with galleries, publishers, and collectors that he took to heart when creating Outer Edge Studio, which he hopes will be a wonderful experience for all artist who show with him. Currently he is featuring Austin, TX based artist Bonnie Gammill whose show will run until August 22nd. Make sure to check out Bonnie's work or stop by every six weeks for a fresh new batch of artist and some great company to share it with!