- CUTS: [music, design, and culture]

.dresden dolls "sing" video.

Dresden Dolls - "Sing" [Quicktime]
Directed by Michael Pope

"Sing" comes off their upcoming release Yes, Virginia [April 22nd]. I'm digging the live-statues and theater settings, but not crazy about the handheld footage intercuts. Having the quality of footages switch from the rich blacks and poetic atmosphere to the gritty footages slightly throws off the consistency - if not, feeling - to the video. Even if it's going for juxtapositioning in storytelling:

.cover me: eyes open + cut off new Vega 4.

Snow Patrol Eyes Open

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New single on my heavy rotation:

Vega 4 - "You & Me"
- British rock act's new single, which certainly has that Snow Patrol/Strokes feel. The only other time I heard of Vega 4 when they collaborated with Paul van Dyk on "Time of Our Lives".

.cover me: renaissance master series 7.

Artwork: Vault 49
Renaissance Series 7, Dave Seaman

Vault 49 previous Renaissance Master Series cover work:

Renaissance Master Series, Vol. 2: Hernan Cattaneo
- Slightly disappointed with the music set, but not overall bad.

Renaissance: The Mix Collection [3CD Box Set]: Sasha & Digweed
- Awesome package design. And, for music coming from the 90s, this still gets some rotation on my playlist. At least it used to - I played it out a tad too much.

.cover me: upcoming releases.

Calexico "Garden Ruin" April 11th Cover/Package Artwork: James Jean Feature single is titled "Cruel". Cut: "Cruel" Mellowdrone - "Box" April 4th Cover/Package Photography: Sean McCabe - A recent phone conversation with Sean McCabe (photographer) explains the band's concept behind the word "Box". It's an erethism to a particular organ of the female. (Need I say what it is?) Hence the

.control - the cast.

Cast announced for upcoming Joy Division bio-flick "Control". Music video director Anton Corbijn is set to direct the film. Corbijn had previously work with the band in the past. New Order will be recording an exclusive original soundtrack and re-playing some Joy Division ones.

.Slimane get art and trunks.

Hedi Slimane venture off into art. Once again.

Canadian artist Paul P. joins Hedi Slimane on the Summer 06 Dior Homme collection, which presents to you Slimane's take, yet again, on music culture (more so the British rock scene) and its culture. The graphite drawings, however, are not used in the ad campaigns.

Some of Paul P.'s other figurative work can be found here.

Want to travel in style? Slimane offers a line of trunks.

.new music: fiction plane.

I found this UK act by random chance: Fiction Plane

You can sample their music off their website particularly "Patience".

.videos - Mew + Ladytron.

Mew
Why Are You Looking So Grave? [Quicktime]
Director: Jaron Albertin

Coming off one of my favorite releases of the year, here's Mew's follow-up single to "Special". Surreal with tons of interesting visual compositions. Check it out.

Ladytron
"Destroy Everything You Touch" [Quicktime]
Director: Adam Bartley

Tons of visual effects created and produced in a Flame Studio. I think tackling Affect Effects is enough for me. I don't know about you, but I love how the girls in Ladytron look.