Hear the word “community” and what comes to mind is a cloying picture of clasped hands or multihued, smiling children. The word smacks of meaningless, feel-good phrases about commitment. This image of “cuddly community,” as its termed by artist, educator, and activist Christian Nold, is impotent and non-threatening; engaging it involves no real concessions or consequences.”Real communities tend to have many issues both externally and internally,” says Nold. “They don’t tend to follow the corporate image of an Asian, a European, a black person, and an American holding hands, smiling.” (more…)

Though they are often among our most treasured possessions, books usually have all the aesthetic zest of your average match box-and even less of an inventive design. Despite the fact that they provide us great comfort, hope, and inspiration-often forever altering the course of our lives- books are wedged onto shelves and into cardboard boxes like coffins stacked in an LA mortuary. (more…)

Sam Beam, aka Iron and Wine, has been making quiet sound glorious since his 2002 Sub Pop debut The Creek Drank the Cradle. No synonym for “hushed” or “serene” has failed to be employed when describing Beam and his music. (more…)

Last week, Chronicle Books and fashion editor Tiffany Godoy released Style Deficit Disorder, the first book to depict the fashion of Tokyo’s Harajuku neighborhood. The book captures the area’s international style with almost 200 photos, essays by Japanese fashion editors, and commentary by cultural icons. (more…)

Les Savy Fav singer Tim Harrington hates sneaks. He not only hates them — he considers this hatred a “defining factor in [his] life.” (more…)

Experimental indie rapper Sole, A.K.A. Tim Holland, has released a grim new music video with his three-piece backing group, The Skyrider Band. The video is for their song “Stupid Things Implode On Themselves,” featured on their collaborative self-titled debut. (more…)

Savannah, Georgia-based metal band Kylesa have announced their return to Europe with a tour in support of Time Will Fuse Its Worth, their October 2006 release on Prosthetic Records. Starting January 26, they will be performing around Europe for nearly a month with sludge metal band and hometown friends Baroness. (more…)

Noise/grind band The Locust recently suffered a robbery during a show in St. Louis. After performing on November 25, they returned to their tour van to find it broken into and a significant amount of their personal belongings missing. (more…)

Celebrating independent art, music, film, and culture, the Noise Pop Festival will reach its sixteenth birthday in February 2008. Musical performers Magnetic Fields, The Mountain Goats, Cursive, and The Gutter Twins (Afghan Whigs’ Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan) have all been confirmed for the event. (more…)

Scion Installation, an innovative art tour encouraging artistic expression, is making a stop in Miami for Art Basel on December 7. Scion’s fourth installment is titled It’s A Beautiful World. (more…)