Weller in "Drunk in Prague" shocker!

Paul Weller has been questioned by police after he was found drunk in the street in the Czech capital Prague, according to the NME (well, it was actually The Sun newspaper, but I hate those slags so I'm not crediting them or linking to them). He'd been "drinking heavily with a young lady", which is startlingly apparent from the evidence.

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Yes, it's a non-story, but I had to post that picture of the ever-cool 'Modfather' plastered all over the pavement like an ordinary bloke. Superstars... they're just like us, y'know.

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Click the image for a close-up of Weller's nice grey slacks getting grubby, a gratuitous shot of his mate's knickers, and the two distinct splashes of dog piss on the wall they've decided to bed down next to.

Best Albums of 2008 - Part 1

Numbers 10-6 of my (cross-genre) best albums of 2008. I'll get to Part 2 in the New Year:

10. Johnson & Jonson (Blu & Mainframe) - Johnson & Jonson

Conscious, soulful, everyman lyrics from LA's Blu (who delivers the fitting follow up that Below The Heavens deserved... we'll give him a pass for the C.R.A.C. project) and music with warmth that compliments the rhymes, courtesy of new beatsmith Mainframe resulted in one of the years best Hip Hop albums.

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9. Portishead - Third

After a 10,000 year break from the sharp end of the music industry, I was slightly worried that a new album from Portishead wouldn't be anywhere near as relevant or interesting as their important duo of LP's from the 90's. Then I heard the mind melting 'Machine Gun' and my fears were put to rest.

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8. White Denim - Workout Holiday

The Austin, Texas garage/blues-rock trio rode the crest of the wave created by their lead EP 'Let's Talk About It' and toured their high energy show extensively. They must be shattered. Punky, soulful, always raucous, often psychedelic but always technically excellent, White Denim provided a spiky and progressive alternative to the White Stripes or the Black Keys.

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7. Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid

The lads from Bury struck gold in 2008, after years of digging, by winning the Mercury Music Prize ahead of my personal tip, Burial (who doesn't feature in this list on account of his Untrue album having been released in 2007). The Seldom Seen Kid is a soaring, beautiful album that can lift you up and carry you away. What more can I say...

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6. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago...

After the breakup of a band, relationship, and a bout of sickness, Justin 'Bon Iver' Vernon left Raleigh, North Carolina and moved back to Wisconsin, spending three months alone in his father's cabin in the woods. The result is this gentle, atmospheric, heartbreaking and heartwarming folk album. Recorded entirely in the log cabin, Vernon plays all instruments, sings all backing vocals and presses the record and stop button himself (as his footsteps across the floor at the end of the standout 'Re: Stacks' will attest). Perfect listening whether you are up or down.

Puma City - Shipping Container Store

I spotted this over at Arch Daily. NYC/Napoli-based architecture and design firm Lot-Ek have used 24 old shipping containers to create this movable Puma retail space spread over three floors. Checking in at 11,000 sq/ft, it features a bar & lounge area and two decks upon which to take a drink while pawing over your new kicks.

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You can find the store at the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009, where it is taken apart and transported to each location (Alicante, Boston, Stockholm).

9 - Trailer

From 'visionaries' (which seems to be the phrase du jour for anyone who is a bit mental) Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov.

Visually incredible, but I find it difficult to get really excited about animation... we'll see.

Mikkey Halstead - Karma mp3 & video

Up & coming (pause) Chicago emcee Mikkey Halsted's latest single, produced by Kanye West's mentor and regular Common collaborator No I.D.

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Karma mp3

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mp3 pinched from eskay at Nah. Go visit him for the video to the track.

I Love You, Man - Trailer (Video)

Paul Rudd has quietly become the new king of these lighthearted comedies.

'Star Wars The Musical' to hit London

The NME are telling anyone who'll listen that a live-action show, fully co-signed by George Lucas, called 'Star Wars: A Musical Journey' will be hitting London next year. The London Philharmonic Orchestra will be on hand to play John Williams classic score throughout.

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At present, the 02 looks like the most likely venue, which means that the tickets will be expensive (although details of how much and where to get them have yet to be released).

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And if you were wondering... yes, this post was purely an excuse to put that picture up.

Sene and Blu are Patch Adams - ABC's (Video)

I know it's old, but it's an excellent track from Brookly'ns Sene and LA's Blu. I like this a lot.

The video... er, not so much.

The Mother of Invention - Trailer (Video)

This looks mildly amusing.

Epic Fail: Soulja Boy sells just 35k in first week

I'm delighted.

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XXL is reporting that the poster-boy for God-awful, shallow, artless, cookie-cutter, soul-free rap music will sell just 35,000 copies of his second album 'Souljaboytellem' in the all-important first week.

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Let's remember that when Kanye sold just shy of a million copies of 'Graduation' in Week 1, people were saying he'd failed. Let's hope the woeful sales of Soulja Boy are as much a reaction to his abysmal music as the death-knell of big first week sales.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Trailer

Daniel Merriweather - Change (Video)

Australian Daniel Merriweather's first single from his Mark Ronson-helmed debut album 'Love & War', out next year. Features labelmate and fellow Ronson buddy Wale.

Wow...

The above picture, that looks a bit like a giant pair of floating electric-powered lungs, or an angry brain, is actually a lightning storm in Chile. Click the image for a close up. It's worth it.

Then go Here and Here for more stunning 'photos of the year' courtesy of the Boston Globe.

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Spotted over at hypebeast

Scientists: "People Still Willing to Torture"

The BBC is reporting that a group of scientists from, you guessed it, the US have repeated the famous Milgram experiments, to assess a persons capacity to 'torture' another, by administering electric shocks (think Peter Venkman at the start of Ghostbusters).

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The results this time? Same as last time:

"What we found is validation of the same argument - if you put people in certain situations, they will act in surprising and maybe often even disturbing ways."

What. A .Shock. (No pun intended)

Anthony Hamilton - A Change Is Gonna Come (Live)

Everyone calls this "the Sam Cooke classic".

Well... Sam wrote it, but Otis Redding owned it.

Anthony gets a pass for even trying it, because he's one of the more soulful young dudes currently singing that neo-soul/R&B shenanigans.

Time 'Man of The Year': Barack Obama

It was never going to be X Factor's 'Dead Wife Bloke' was it?

Click image to go to Time.com

N.E.R.D. - Sooner or Later (Video)

Visuals for their new Credit Crunch-friendly single from 'Seeing Sounds'.

No words...

...other than they must have been slip-ons.

Bob and weave George.

Skills to pay the bills...

Synecdoche, New York - Trailer (Video)

Kaufman + Seymour-Hoffman should = GENIUS.

Sneaker Freaker - Best of 2008

The worlds premier Sneaker magazine, Melbourne-based 'Sneaker Freaker', have just put together a list of the years best releases.

Go to their website or pick up Sneaker Freaker #14 to see the gallery in full.

Kidrobot to open in Selfridges

Freshness are reporting that for one month, starting in January 20089, Selfridges will be hosting a Kidrobot store-gallery in their 'Wonder Room'.

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This is Kidrobot's first ever overseas project, and to mark this, Kidrobot and Selfridges are holding a release party for their 'Ye Olde English Dunny' Series, a 17-figure lineup of art toys designed by top UK artists such as ilovedust, Clutter, Triclops, Jon Burgerman and TADO.

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In addition, Kidrobot created an exclusive version of their highly anticipated Kidrobot 16, which will be available only at the Kidrobot x Selfridges store-gallery. Known as UK Punk, this insanely rare figure comes complete with a Union Jack paint job, a studded belt, and will drop in a limited edition run of 300 pieces.

NASA x Kanye x Santi x Lykke

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NASA featuring Kanye West, Santogold & Lykke Li - Gifted mp3

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Learn more about NASA, whose first album is out in February and features a diverse guest-list, from Ghostface Killah and M.I.A. to Tom Waits and Seu Jorge, by clicking HERE.

Terminator Salvation - Trailer (Video)

Wow.

I'm no sci-fi gimp, but I'll happily queue up on opening night for this with all the trekkies and dickheads.

Baby madness...

I really don't know what to say about this phenomenon.

Collectables, whether it be sought-after deadstock sneakers or limited-edition collaborative t-shirts, has always seemed fairly harmless to me (and, personally, I'd go as far as saying interesting, cool and addictive too!).

But this baby-focused nonsense is just weird. And gratuitous.

In fact, it's dictionary-definition 'fuckery'.

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The picture directly above is Marc Jacobs' limited edition Bugaboo buggy (only 15 made, starting bid of $2500 on ebay), and at the top is part of Henrik Vibskov's capsule collection for Quinny (which are bloody expensive anyway, without the marquee-name design).

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If you must, go to Fabric Mag for more images of this Vibskov mess, including a bloody poncho!

NOWHERE at Dover Street Market

Nigo (BAPE) and Jun Takahashi (Undercover) are recreating their Harajuku-based vintage streetwear store 'NOWHERE' in London's Dover Street Market. The space will be open for a limited time only, starting on 19th January, and will offer A Bathing Ape products as well as collaborative peices under the NOWHERE brand.

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Start queueing now!

J5 - Ducky Boy (Video)

From Disc 2 of THIS.

"Santa's fucking dead"

Go HERE to read Charlie Brookers' take on the "Rubbish Lapland" controversy of last week, from today's G2.

Evan Roth x Jay-Z - Brooklyn (Go Hard) Video

Renowned artist Evan Roth, of the Graffiti Research Lab (famed for their use of LED and laser technology in graffiti), contributes the above visuals to the recently released leaked Jay-Z & Santogold track.

The Wrestler - Trailer (Video)

This is being tipped HEAVILY for next years Oscars.

Worst. Song. EVER.

The second verse and chorus... unbelievable. Did they not listen back to this at any point?

Plus, the video is SO bad, that it's almost a work of art. Not even Larry David or Ricky Gervais could create something as hilariously cringe-worthy...

Joell Ortiz ft. Immortal Technique - Modern Day Slavery (Video)

Featuring a sample of Otis Redding's superior version of the Sam Cooke classic "A Change Is Gonna Come".

What Doesn't Kill You - Trailer (Video)

Another blue-collar crime drama from the streets of Boston. If it's half as good as 'Mystic River', 'The Departed' or 'Gone Baby Gone', it will be very good indeed.

Brooklyn (Go Hard) - Jay-Z feat. Santogold mp3

Produced by Kanye West. From the soundtrack to the Big biopic 'Notorious'.

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Brooklyn (Go Hard) mp3

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Courtesy of Nah Right