“Vincent Laforet is a three-time winner at the prestigious 2010 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, a director, and Pulitzer Prize–winning photographer who is known for his forward-thinking approach to image-making and storytelling. In addition to having been commissioned by just about every important international publication—including Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, and Life—Vincent is considered a pioneer both for his innovative tilt-shift and aerial photography and in the field of HD-capable DSLR cameras.” - Kristina Feliciano

These aerial shots are bonkers. Check out his website and his blog and his book for more.

- PS

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Symmetry - Thicker Than Blood

If you like the soundtrack to Drive, you should probably be rocking with this album.

“Thicker Than Blood” from Chromatic’s Symmetry’s Themes For an Imaginary Film

Suggested listening environment: Driving at night in the rain.

- Patrick Simons

59 plays

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I revisited a favorite flick of mine with my girlfriend this weekend.

Filmed across 10 countries, The Fall, directed by Tarsem Singh (The Cell) details the morphine-induced tale of five mystical heros as told by an injured stuntman to a fellow patient - a little girl with a broken arm - in a 1920s Los Angeles hospital.

From Butterfly Reef in Fiji, to the Deadvlei in Namibia, to Hadrian’s Villa in Italy, to Jodhpur in Rajasthan, the locations and settings of The Fall really make the film fantastical.

Next time you find yourself cooped up on a rainy day, check this one out.

- Patrick Simons

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Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Bended

It’s hard for me to pick just one, but I tend to fall back on “Bended” as being my favorite Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin song.

Hailing from Missouri, SSLYBY churns out some of the best pop rock there is. If you don’t know, get familiar.

This track was released as a digital bonus to those who purchased the band’s 2010 album, “Let It Sway” on iTunes. It was then released for all on the recent B-sides and rarities collection, “Tape Club.” 

Enjoy.

- Patrick Simons

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What is your position at Block Club? I’m the Office Manager. That should be lower cased though, right? I’m the office manager. What’s your favorite object and where/how did you find it? My Jon Spencer Blues Explosion “Acme Plus” record. I bought it from Spiral Scratch after I got my first check from the Buffalo News.  My silkscreened Locust tour poster is also a favorite. I got it when I saw them in Cleveland with Daughters and Cattle Decapitation back in 2007. It has the four faces of the Locust members in their signature masks imposed on Mount Rushmore with a big volcano behind them erupting toxic green lava. I got drummer Gabe Serbian to scribble something on it after the show too, so that makes it even cooler. Go-to inspiration blog: The Billionaire Boys Club blog for assorted awesome stuff. The Kinfolk Magazine blog for assorted pretty stuff. Your favorite childhood halloween costume:  I vividly remember one year, I must have been 4, that I was Batman. The homemade costume came complete with felt details sewn to a black sweatshirt, high tech utility belt (also made of felt) and some sort of mask over my eyes. Only it snowed that year, so my costume was hidden under snow pants and a stonewash denim jacket. That one stands out. This is probably my favorite costume of all time, though:

What is your position at Block Club?

I’m the Office Manager. That should be lower cased though, right? I’m the office manager.

What’s your favorite object and where/how did you find it?

My Jon Spencer Blues Explosion “Acme Plus” record. I bought it from Spiral Scratch after I got my first check from the Buffalo News. 

My silkscreened Locust tour poster is also a favorite. I got it when I saw them in Cleveland with Daughters and Cattle Decapitation back in 2007. It has the four faces of the Locust members in their signature masks imposed on Mount Rushmore with a big volcano behind them erupting toxic green lava. I got drummer Gabe Serbian to scribble something on it after the show too, so that makes it even cooler.

Go-to inspiration blog:

The Billionaire Boys Club blog for assorted awesome stuff.

The Kinfolk Magazine blog for assorted pretty stuff.

Your favorite childhood halloween costume: 

I vividly remember one year, I must have been 4, that I was Batman. The homemade costume came complete with felt details sewn to a black sweatshirt, high tech utility belt (also made of felt) and some sort of mask over my eyes. Only it snowed that year, so my costume was hidden under snow pants and a stonewash denim jacket. That one stands out.

This is probably my favorite costume of all time, though:

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Patrick Simons, what’s on your desk right now?  - a photo of my girlfriend feeding a horse an apple - a picture of my favorite dog, Patinka - a whistle, a stack of magazines, some notebooks, a plastic duck - my Alife x Irak stress cube - a pear, a peach, two bananas, a clementine - business cards with a strikingly handsome Block Club employee on them - an AP Style book - a Tide pen, hand sanitizer, a leather sheath containing some old scissors and an envelope opener - a phone, an Apple iMac - a small wooden tree my friend Eric whittled and gave to me - an androgynous paper character reading Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Ethics of Ambiguity” - a glass of water, an empty cup of coffee, crumbs from the cookie I ate a little while ago - some invoices that need to be mailed out - a paper star that says “hey girl!!!” that Margaret and Patrick made for me at WNYBAC UPDATE: - Patrick would like to warmly welcome the new addition of a Stone Cold Steve Austin action figure to his desk.

Patrick Simons, what’s on your desk right now? 

- a photo of my girlfriend feeding a horse an apple

- a picture of my favorite dog, Patinka

- a whistle, a stack of magazines, some notebooks, a plastic duck

- my Alife x Irak stress cube

- a pear, a peach, two bananas, a clementine

- business cards with a strikingly handsome Block Club employee on them

- an AP Style book

- a Tide pen, hand sanitizer, a leather sheath containing some old scissors and an envelope opener

- a phone, an Apple iMac

- a small wooden tree my friend Eric whittled and gave to me

- an androgynous paper character reading Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Ethics of Ambiguity”

- a glass of water, an empty cup of coffee, crumbs from the cookie I ate a little while ago

- some invoices that need to be mailed out

- a paper star that says “hey girl!!!” that Margaret and Patrick made for me at WNYBAC

UPDATE:

- Patrick would like to warmly welcome the new addition of a Stone Cold Steve Austin action figure to his desk.

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In the new issue of Block Club Magazine, the Sports Fans Issue, we featured the art work of Buffalo native Megan Greene. Greene, who now lives in Chicago, has work displayed in an exhibit at Buffalo Arts Studio inside the Tri-Main Center, along with artists Esther Neisen and Balint Zsako.

Ben, Block Club’s good friend Vera and I went to the opening of the show last Saturday to show some support and check out the art. All of the work was awesome and there was a really great turnout. The fifth floor of the Tri-Main Center has some awesome things going on up there.

While we knew Greene’s work was intriguing, involved and often exotic, we were almost caught off guard when we entered the third room of the show to find Zsako’s pieces. Zsako called his selection of works in the show, “Guilt & Pleasure,” and those themes were evident throughout. All of the works Zsako featured were almost entirely watercolor paintings/drawings, but I’m not 100 percent positive. While the works may look sort of basic from afar, or even on a computer screen, they are brilliantly detailed when seen up close. 

Zsako got his Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography from Ryerson University in Toronto in 2002, but his works over the years have spanned far beyond just photographs.

The top four images shown here are in the same style of the works that are featured at Buffalo Arts Studio, although none of them are actually featured in the show. The next two are collages that are reminiscent of Greene’s J.J. Audubon collages. The bottom two display his photographic expertise. Zsako’s body of work also includes sculptures.

Check out Zsako’s website, as well as Greene’s and Neisen’s, and do yourself a favor and head over to Buffalo Arts Studio to check out the exhibit for yourself. It’s on display through March 10.

- Patrick Simons

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Block Club: Single(s) and Ready to Mingle

What are the sounds of this week’s Block Heads? Let’s hit it.

Brandon:

I’ve got the new Real Estate (Days) and M83 (Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming) albums on non stop. No specific tracks– they’re all good.

(Check out Real Estate’s “It’s Real” (above), and head over here if you’d like to hear the entire m83 album streaming in full, plus an interview with Anthony Gonzalez.)

Maggie: 

I’ve been carrying around Blackbird Blackbird’s “Blind” and the Niva remix of their “Hawaii” all week, with Oregon Bike Trails’ “High School Lover” in my back pocket for when I need a fun jumpstart.

Patrick Simons:

For the last week or two, I’ve been constantly listening to this old beat by The Heatmakerz and another one of these freestyles from Wiley. I also can’t stop listening to the songs “NBA” by Chromatics and “Some Constellation” by Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.

Also recommended - Ifan Dafydd with Amy Winehouse’s “No Good.”

Julie:

I’ve been really getting back into my favorite late autumn/winter albums lately. I rediscovered Department of Eagles In Ear Park this week after a two year listening hiatus. This whole album really centers me and the fourth track, Teenagers, in particular, is such a great song for the November transition into colder, dead leafy kind of days.

On a completely different, 100% serious note, I have been listening to Beyonce’s Countdown nonstop for the last week and a half. The song and video for it are fantastic. Get it girl.

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