LIFE: Does anyone even watch MTV for the videos anymore?

Below, a link to the video MTV doesn't want you to see in its original form, at least on their network anyway. M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" clip has caused a grip of controversy because of its political content paired with the sound of bullets--content MTV felt the need to censor. To be honest, we're surprised the channel even screened the video in the first place. Whenever we flip to the network we only see episodes of The Hills, that Tila Tequila show, and America's Next Top Model marathons. Love the Beasties cameo.

SOUNDS: Our new favorite work of music journalism

We read Greg Tate's review of Alicia Keys' "As I Am" for the Village Voice weeks ago and still think about it. That alone, is enough reason for it to replace Sasha Frere-Jones' article on indie rock and race as our new favorite work of music journalism in 2007. We used to read Tate's work obsessively in college when he regularly wrote for the Voice, before the paper went through all kinds of changes in staffing, tone and voice (as most publications unfortunately do these days). So we hope this article is a sign that he'll be writing more in 2008. In other Tate news, his band, Burnt Sugar, The Arkestra Chamber, will be performing The Rise of the Mojosexual Cotillion, "a suite of new trans-genre works inspired by the musical and cultural aesthetic of post-Katrina New Orleans" on January 18 and 19 at 8pm at The Kitchen. Go here for details.

SOUNDS: On today's playlist

"Paper Planes" remix by M.I.A. and Rye Rye (click song title to listen)
Hip hop today would be one thousand times better if more rappers were talking like this.
Then again, we love the drop-it-like-it's-hot stuff too. Rye Rye's "Shake It To The Ground" is quintessential B-more booty-shaking material.

SOUNDS: On today's playlist

"Down On My Knees," by Ayo (click song title to listen)

BOOKS: Laws of attraction or just a coincidence?

Seriously, whomever the director of programming is at the 92nd Street Y needs to get out of our brain--either that, or the laws of attraction must be true because we just received a press release about our dream reading. This past summer, we read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's "Half Of a Yellow Sun" and "Purple Hibiscus" and Dave Egger's "What is the What" back-to-back (it also sparked our current obsession with contemporary fiction about Africa, we're preparing to read Chris Abani's "Graceland") and thought to ourselves, "these two should do a reading together." Lo and behold, the two will be reading excerpts from their novels on Monday, January 7 at 8pm. Valentino Achak Deng, the Sudanese Lost Boy who Eggers based his latest book on, will also be there. Get the deets here.

SOUNDS: On today's playlist

"Violet Stars Happy Hunting CyberHop Mix," by Janelle Monae (click song title to listen)
We read about her on Turpmagazine.com and then realized that this is the same girl who sang on Outkast's "Idlewild" soundtrack, which kind of explains the Andre 3000 comparisons--that and her flair for spaced-out, cartoon-like ensembles and equally animated vocal delivery. We love.

ART: More Art Basel Miami: Days 2 and 3: The big fair

It's kind of impossible to cover everything in the convention center in one day; to call the experience sensory overload is somewhat of an understatement. While many experts in art land have been watching for signs that the market's bubble is about to burst, we didn't see them. Like last year, people seemed in the mood to shop (we heard that Deitch sold everything in their booth on the first day?). Then again, that's also an understatement. You know the collectors who frequent this fair are doing okay for themselves, when they travel to Miami in the middle of the holiday season (when everyone else is budgeting for the new talking Elmo or whatever the new gift is) to purchase multi-million works. And with our worthless currency, it seems like European collectors would be even more eager to purchase in U.S. fairs.
During our walk, we saw older works by Picasso and Duchamp, younger old pieces by Basquiat and Haring and completely new art by Kehinde Wiley and Dzine.













































































T Magazine has even more coverage here.

FOOD: Art Basel days 2 and 3: Dinner at Puerto Sagua

This Cuban dive is legendary in South Beach, but for some reason, we ordered all the wrong things the night we went. Of our party of 12, these were the only two dishes worth eating. Regardless of the food, the restaurant was beyond packed, with a mix of art, fashion and local peeps. Just make a note to self, if you're ever in the restaurant, stick with safe dishes (think roasted chicken, rice and beans, plantains, marinated fish, etc.)

ART: More Art Basel Miami: Days 2 and 3

Outside of the main fair, 23 satellite shows were also going on. Here are images from a few of them.

ART: More Art Basel Miami: Days 2 and 3

The Ginzo Tropicalia opening was a highlight not only because it was curated by Simon Watson (the man who helped build the careers of Richard Prince among a slew of other artists whose work we love to look at but can't afford) and featured work by street artists and graffiti writers from Japan, Brazil and New York with cult followings (scroll a few posts back for images of the making of a few of the works), the food and drink was also slamming. Seriously, we shamelessly stood by the cater water entrance for most of the night waiting for the marinated miso sea bass, while the rest of our group got wasted on the ginger mojitos.


Curator Simon Watson and artist Kiji















Designer Jose Duran

ART: Art Basel Miami Day One

10pm: Steve Powers show with Deitch Projects, which also made for fun art and people watching.
























The artist Kehinde Wiley























Artists Lele, McGuinness, and Ivano

ART: Art Basel Miami Day One

8pm: The "Distinctive Messengers" Show featuring Paul Mpagi Sepuya's live portrait sessions; a toasted Frenchman/performance artist who couldn't remember what day it was but knew which direction the camera flash was coming from; and a lively crowd.

































































































































Lainie Dalby

ART: Art Basel Miami Day One

3pm: The artists Jacqueline Tarry and Bradley McCallum and two pieces from their series, "Whitewash."





















































5pm: Work in progress for a show opening tonight featuring street artists and graffiti writers from Japan, Brazil and New York (it also includes McGuinness mentioned a few posts ago).

ART: Art Basel Miami Day One

We missed all of the VIP/Preview happenings on Wednesday, but arrived in Miami bright and early on Thursday to catch the official opening day. Here are a few of yesterday's highlights. More to come throughout the day...

12 noon
Rudolf: A Salutary Pipeline at Scope Art Fair, a project by Matt McGuinness featuring a solar pavilion (contributed by Situ Studio), and collage drawings housed inside a special shipping container covered in art.