April Round Up (Part 1)

April has been a crazy month in the world of music, design, and local –with so many great things flying around, we’ve decided to round up a few things that have more than piqued our interests this month.

MUSIC

Autre Ne Veut Anxiety:

The newest album from Arthur Ashin et al has been touted as their most accessible work to date, though their combination of several different musical genres makes Anxiety so much more than your average R&B record. The opening track “Play by Play” has been a definite favorite on our rotation over the last month -we can’t get enough of its lo-fi “Purple Rain inspired” gospel build, and hauntingly addicting chorus.

DESIGN

Ira Glass:

Inspiring short motion graphics video by filmmaker David Shiyang Liu. In this video, Ira Glass shares the Secret of Success in creative work.The message is simple, but insightful –especially for those looking to bridge the gap between having great taste to producing great work. Check it out here

Nalata Nalata:

Our friends at Nalata Nalata have built an online retail experience founded on showcasing the people and stories behind the items that they curate. Here are some of our favorites from their collection of lifestyle products:

Koizumi Studio Cast Iron door stop
“The concept of Japanese lifestyle design is defined as ‘making necessary tools for everyday life, beautifully.'”

Lemnos Riki Steel Clock
This ivory white clock is the epitome of clean, calm minimalism.

Futagami Brass Knife Stand
We love this combination of the brass base with wood detail.

29Armstrong:

The guys at 29 Armstrong are often the cause of our design lust, but who can blame us? This month’s new arrivals have us seriously considering taking up kick boxing, and tea parties –though perhaps not at the same time.

Hybrid Dinnerware from Seletti puts a completely different spin on “fine china” and would make for one seriously good looking dinner party.

Boxitalia vintage leather and brass punching bag, gloves and skipping rope.

LOCAL SCENE

Haven Shop and Hypebeast:

Recently Daniel Chmielewski, co-founder of Haven was asked to do an interview with online magazine Hypebeast. In the interview, Daniel talks about the Canadian retail market, forward-thinking fashion, and what has helped place Haven at the fore of Canada’s retail scene. Check out the interview here.

Check back tomorrow for part 2 of our April round up where we’ll fill you in on our favorite food, Art, and travel highlights.