Audio Obsession = Passion PitWhat: This American alt pop band is the reason we’re smiling this week.

The Dirt:
A hipster, an activist and a Dalton alumnus enter a Hell’s Kitchen bar, each the king of his own world, but when Passion Pit starts blaring, all of a sudden they are just New Yorkers. This is the kind of subtle but significant impact a new inspiring band like Passion Pit can make. [...]

Viva Cuba What: Lively music with soul is what you’ll get on this double-disc set paying tribute to the music of Cuba.

The Dirt:Castro, refugees, Communism and sugar are the common modern characteristics of modern Cuba, but others may argue the lack of modernization has kept much of the art community intact. While the freedom of the people has been stifled for too long, the mixture of Spanish and African cultures in this isolated Caribbean island nation [...]

Fashion RocksA retailer and an entertainment firm team up to organize an innovative shopping experience.

The Dirt:Lucky Brand, the makers of the go-to designer jean, has launched a new event series, Lucky Brand Neighborhood Social, a series of grassroots events at Lucky Brand stores. The inaugural event will give Los Angeles residents access to an amazing event with a talented new European alternative pop musician. Enter Bat for Lashes, the [...]

Wearable Art What: Tarina Tarantino taps an art toy made for KidRobot to produce a funky jewelry collection.

The Dirt:
Jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino has tapped a KidRobot Dunny art toy made by Queens, New York-native Toofly as a pendent for her necklace. While the exposure is great, apparently Toofly, an established graffiti artist, was not contacted to get permission. Still, we love the mix of both artists’ work used to create Lucite necklaces. [...]

Budget BoHo What: Forever 21 Inc. expands with two labels that offer Bohemian-inspired clothes and trendy fashions for plus-size women.

The Dirt: Would you drool over Bohemian-inspired clothes at the price of Forever21 or H&M prices? A trip to the Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles led us to Heritage 1981, a unit of Forever 21 Inc. Upon entering the store, we found clothes that resemble Free People at the H&M prices. Imagine sun [...]

Cannes 2009 What: Some of our favorite directors from around the globe are showing new films, as cinema junkies await the next crop of winners.

The Dirt:While journalists mourn the death of print, it seems filmmakers are also dealing with an industry in transformation. Cannes Festival President Gilles Jacob issued a note with the release of the opening and closing films of the festival, which takes place May 13-24.
Commenting on the change in cinema trends and different demands [...]

A New Kind of Folk What: The artist known as Vienna Teng impressed us with her range of sounds and thought-provoking lyrics.

The Dirt:Vienna Tang is one of those rare individuals that can boast strengths on both sides of the brain. The Taiwanese-American California native was born Cynthia Yih Shih and has a past life as a software engineer. It’s not often a Stanford University graduate leaves behind a gig at one of the biggest telecommunications firms [...]

Ethereal Electronica SongstressWhat: Britain’s Bat for Lashes is sure to continue making waves in the U.S. once mainstream discovers her.

The Dirt:We admin our nightly perusal of gossip sites was what alerted us to this budding British talent. Sometimes there are known stories a writer just has to cover, there’s no choice, and this is one of them. It’s time America learned about Bat for Lashes. She is a category unto herself, some amalgamation of [...]

Gypsy Tunes What: World Music Network’s latest release will be a love/hate album, but is certainly unique.

The Dirt: Putumayo appears mainstream compared to Rough Guide’s World Music Network, which sprung off the guide book company years ago. The group offers compilation CDs with music from EVERYWHERE on the planet, from Mongolia, to the Caribbean, and now Eastern Europe with the latest CD, The Rough Guide To Gypsy Music. You [...]

Two To Watch What: The music industry might have an injection of new hip-hop talent. Here are two to watch.

The Dirt: An African in America and an Ohio-native turned Brooklynite, both emerging from the underground scene, may be Nas and Kanye, the next generation. Where Nas was the hip-hop artist with a soul, telling of Queensbridge projects and beyond, Kanye was the producer-cum-artist that proved rock and rap can mix. Now, two others are [...]

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