Here's the art-pop Brooklynites' lush take on Snoop's "Sensual Seduction." When described it sounds like they're taking the piss, but Chairlift are pretty damned committed to the tune. If you already have the hots for Caroline, just wait until starts rapping.

My man Jason (Perfect Sound Forever) was on a corrido kick this weekend and he hipped me to El Tigrillo Palma.   A standout track on El Tigrillo's Al Cien Por Millon is a narcocorrido called, Los Chiquinarcos (hear it below).   For y'all gringos, narcocorridos have a rich history in Mexico -- they're ballads that celebrate drug smugglers.  Think Bob Dylan's Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid soundtrack (amazing), take it farther south, add cocaine and border-crossing.   Narcocorridos have been around since the 70s (murderous history here on wikipedia), but recently, Jason told us,  "Homeland Security (in the US) paid an ad agency to make an album of corrido music which included songs about the terrible things that happen in illegal border crossings. The album actually became a hit and they're planning to do another album of this music."

Homeland Security mix:
http://www.azfamily.com/video/3tvextra-index.html?nvid=356288&shu=1

Los Chiquinarcos by El Tigrillo Palma:

Being reunited with the So So Glos sure feels neat and Santos Party House owner, Andrew WK, is a zany character. Seems to me magic will be in the air tonight. Join us, for magic.... and saving people! Good shows = good times. 

Higher def here.

That's exactly what the So So Glos are gonna be like this Saturday night at Santos. 
Thanks to http://blog.erikcarter.net/ for the link.

For you squares who haven't had your dose of some live Ninjasonik, you may redeem yourself tomorrow night. The boss trio will play at The Wreck Room, 940 Flushing Ave, in Brooklyn. Make sure to dress in your Sunday best, so you'll look less a sweaty mess when you see Brooklyn's best. Be there or be square... Oh wait, we already went over that.

Most billion dollar ideas are those sterile plazas and cement parking structures virtually every city has (Boo to urban renewal). But this 27 billion dollar idea is genius and is in the conceptual planning stages right now. Solar Bullet, LLC is an engineering firm out of Tuscan, Arizona. Retired civil engineer Bill Gaither and business partner, Raymond Wright, are driving to open a solar powered bullet train in Arizona by 2018.

The train will reach up to speeds of 220 mph and zip its way from Tuscan to Phoenix in just 30 minutes (116 miles). The overhead solar panels would power the 110 watts needed for the train to run. Also, hopefuls see it as an economic stimulator for cities and encouraging social mobility for residents in less prominent towns. In the future, Gaither and Wright see extending the lines from Nogales, Mexico to North of the Grand Canyon.

Boss idea but anything that utilizes tax payer’s money deserves research for the challenges and possibilities of more tax monies. Regardless of the potential benefits or obstacles, these kinds of large scale projects can be a waste of time and money if not properly executed. One way Gaither wants to achieve this is to promote public workshops in order to get citizen input, ideas and concerns.  You know Green Owl gives it 200 Owls, we feel it’s these types of ideas that will lead into the future without chocking to death on the air supply.

I first met filmmaker, Vincent Moon (of Le Blogothque) in Austin at the Green Owl ranch.  He arrived in a caravan with the BLK JKS and sound recordist, Grace Jones.  Since then, I've spent more and more time on his blog, Fiume Nights, where he posts weekly films (see above) that blur the line (and create new lines) between music, cinema, ethnography and the like.  Vincent sites many influences (especially interesting is a recent posting about Iranian cinema), but what comes to mind for me as a comparison is the work of John Cohen -- an ethnographer-artist-filmmaker-banjoman who took cinema verite into the mountains of Kentucky.   A few weeks ago in NY, Vincent was kind enough to bring me on board (on that Alan Lomax for the blogosphere) as his sound recordist for the North African group, Tinariwen.   We posted a video from that session last week on Green Owl.  Here's the other from Fiume Nights:

Fiume Night 12 _ Tinariwen, part1 _ Manhattan, april 2009 from vincent moon / temporary areas on Vimeo.

Fodder for that Green Owl love canon from our man, Robert Penn Warren.

Affordable public housing has a rap as bad as Michael Vick, but the good folks down in San Diego are turning that stigma around. Wakeland Housing Development is responsible for building the first Platinum LEED-Certified affordable housing unit, Los Vecinos, located in the Chula Vista area of San Diego. The 42 unit building is 100% solar powered and features tankless water heaters, energy star appliances and natural ventilation.

The three story building has 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units and is applicable for families making $16,600 to $58,800 annually. One of the most dynamite assets in this amazing structure, are the classes and programs available for residents. Residents have options for classes in financial planning, computer literacy and green lifestyle: now that’s sustainable! We give Wakeland Housing Development 800 owls. It’s about time low income individuals are granted access to social mobility, technology and a home they can be proud of. I just had a single tear moment.

Read more at Treehugger.com

Here's a spot of promotional video art (or Void-e-o art) from about-to-blow-up Bronx born boogie maestro Gordon Voidwell (aka Will Johnson). This is the title track off his Ivy League Circus EP; out soon, streamable here.

Last week in New Orleans, we found a diamond in the rough or maybe a rough in the diamond.  It was Saturday and Dwayne Dopsie was playing in the neon-shimmering French Quarter.  When we arrived, Dopsie and scratch-board player, Alex McDonald were kind enough -- between their 5th and 6th sets of the day -- to walk us around the block.  Dwayne is the son of Lafayette, Louisiana legend, Rockin' Dopsie (photo below).  It was from his father that Dwayne learned the accordion.   For more info, Dwayne's site is here.

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Green Owl's Wills Glasspiegel (pictured above to the left of Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez) joined forces today with CARE International to lobby representatives in congress and in the senate to support sustainable development and international aid.   Wills and his colleagues urged Ms. Velazquez (Lower-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens) to sponsor the Waxman-Markey bill which promises new support for the fight against climate change, especially in regards to funding adaptation programs in the world's poorest communities.  By supporting this bill -- if she decides to do so -- Ms. Velazquez will help the US make serious headway before arriving at international climate talks this December in Copenhagen.  

Conrad Shawcross creates "light knots" that move based on basic harmonic patterns.  From the Liverpool Museum: "Each of the five oak machines in Loop System Quintet – connected by a single drive-shaft - draws a different ‘knot’ of light in space, predetermined by the ratio of the cogs that drive it. These ratios are directly related to formal theories of musical harmony. The resulting light patterns, perceived by the viewer only as the machines rotate, can therefore be regarded as visual transcriptions of musical chords."  Shawcross to exhibit his work in NY this summer. 

conrad shawcross from hihihi on Vimeo.

Hey Gang, The So So Glos are back from Europe and ready rock their roots in good old New York City. Check them out May 7th at the Mercury Lounge, supporting Cut Off Your Hands. Doors open at 7:30 and The So So Glos will be on at 9:30. All the cool kids are going so be there or we'll cut off your face.