Karen magazine puts all focus on the ordinary. Never have everyday occurrences been more interesting. Kind of the way it should always be.

Visit their website to order a copy or just get some more of the Karen world.

Sending out a humble wish to be a few miles closer to a shop with a pile of Vestojs on the shelf.

Issue #4 of Nico magazine. Interviews w/ shoe designer Pierre Hardy & photograph Miles Aldridge particularly caught my attention.

Swedish magazine Livraison. 

Those new-folk little texts below the photographs of Vincent Gapaillard are just charming. Go see VG site for more lucky finds.

“Cent cinquante-deux proverbes mis au goût du jour” (”152 proverbs adapted to the taste of the day”) is a brilliant example of surrealist automatic writing by Paul Eluard and Benjamin Péret, first published in 1925.

Ferrari, born in Argentinia, and Schendel, born in Switzerland, are thought to be two of the most important artists of the second half on the 20th century in Latin America.

Instead of using letters to form recognizable words to give ideas or express thought, the two artists used letters themselves as the subject matter, creating visually and mentally stimulating works.

Interview by Laura Lotti.

Sharon Van Etten is a new folk singer songwriter from New York gifted with hauntingly beautiful voice.
Listening to her is a truly life-changing experience.
Her voice is limpid and angelic yet husky and sensual, the lyrics of a disarming simplicity and hypnotic.
After a series of hand-made, tour-only EPs, she’s finally presenting her first full-length album, Because I Was in Love. And that’s how me met here and managed to have a chat with her.
And, besides discovering lots of interesting bits about her music, we found out that she’s actually a lovely person.

Can you introduce yourself?
Hi. My name is Sharon Van Etten. I live in Brooklyn, NY.

This one you are presenting at Rough Trade is your second album, isn’t it?
I self-released my home recordings and Greg Weeks is putting Because I Was In Love out on his label, Language of Stone.

I know it might be a stupid question, but would you be able to describe it?
Sad prairie folk music.

How does this relate to the first one? Are there many differences between the two?
They are my songs re-realized. From my home recordings to a studio recording, from just me and guitar to some accompaniment.

What are the main inspirations behind it?
Love and loss and admittingly not knowing…

How did everything start? How did you get into music?
I did choir and musicals growing up and started playing guitar when I was in junior high but I never really played in front of people until my 20’s.

All the artworks related to your music (album covers, posters…) they’ve all got a precise visual imprinting. How important is the “visual” aspect of your music for you?
Do you look after it personally?
I have handmade my CDs in the past and when I didn’t have the time to make them by hand anymore I had my friends do artwork. I like having my friends involved because they “get” me and I am so proud of what they do I want to share it with those who enjoy what I do.

How is your European tour going so far? Is it your first time in Europe? Are you enjoying it?
This is one of the best times I have ever had.
Great Lake Swimmers are amazing and I feel lucky to share the stage with them every night and the van with them every day. I have never played outside of the UK before. My favourite cities have been Berlin and Brussels. The most outwardly friendly and happy people I have ever met.

Touring can be definitely stressful but also pretty crazy. What’s the oddest, craziest thing happened to you on tour?
We got to a hotel a t1am and although we had a reservation there we didn’t know the last name it was under and we had to wait in the lobby for an hour….

Some musicians have got some special “rituals” before going on stage – like, forbid music on the tour bus, eat raw fish and seeds for 3 weeks, down a bottle of whisky just before jumping on stage, touring with their yoga instructor/personal tarot reader or whatever other oddities may come up to their mind or may make them feel more secure about their performance… What’s yours – if you’ve ever got one?
I like to have one drink before I play to loosen up a little bit. I get pretty nervous before I go on… I do like quiet before I play and if there is time I like to practice. But no crazy ritual or anything…

Is this your first time in London? Do you find many differences between the contemporary Brooklyn/American flourishing music scene, and the London/British one? Why?
People are very polite in London. Very quiet. Very respectful. In New York people can talk – people can listen too… but it is a mix. Most of the UK people were very polite, but so polite they didn’t laugh at jokes and were afraid to approach you after the show.

Is there any musician you want to recommend to Appendix readers?
Diane Cluck. She changed my life and the way I sing and they way I look at writing and phrasing.

You have recently recorded a song with She Keeps Bees – Cuddle Alone – for Let’s Kiss and Make Up compilation. How did this collaboration start?
Jessica is definitely one of my favourite singers in New York. My friend Nicky asked me to be a part of the compilation. The theme was kiss and make up and duets were encouraged. She was the first person that came to mind. To sing with her is a DREAM!

Are you new to this kind of collaboration? Yes.

Is there any other artist from that compilation that you particularly like? Glasser.

Is there any other artist you’d like to collaborate with? Julie Fader

Where will you be tomorrow? Brooklyn

Where do you want to be in 5 years time? The country somewhere

Anything you want to say to Appendix readers? Thank you!!!

When they got together in 2002, Vava, a fashion designer, was working with Fabrice Lorrain on the mythical and nonconformist collection ” Vava Dudu”, which was a hit with the hip and trendy across the globe. As for Stéphane, a musician and graphic artist, as a member of the collective France Fiction, published the magazine “revue d’art pratique” 9/9. They decided to present their collection in CD form. The music on their first self-produced CD was recorded. And Nikolu, who was a member of various bands (ii, Genau, Lustrine), joined La Chatte in 2003, when he met Vava and they both fell madly in love.

These days, Vava still roams around the fashion world without submitting its codes. Her passion for clothes is the secret of her livelihood. She sketches and invents psychedelic outfits.

They make some “trans-art” shows, for fashion and art.

They’re now recording a new album.

Check out their MySpace page. They can also be found on the Kiss and Make Up (Slow & Fast) album. 

GIGS 

• Nouveau Casino, Paris – juin 2003 (festival Série Limitée)
• Soirée Disciple Films chez Jacques Fivel, Paris – janvier 2004
• La Miroiterie, Paris – mars 2004
• Brandshof Festival, Hambourg – juin 2004
• Nouveau Casino, Paris – juin 2004 (festival Série Limitée)
• Le Woo-Doo, Paris – septembre 2004
• Le Twins, Paris – novembre 2004
• Halle St Pierre, Paris – novembre/décembre 2004 (illustration sonore en live pour un spectacle chorégraphique à l’occasion d’une rétrospective H.G. Giger)
• Le Pulp, Paris – janvier 2005
• festival Circuit, Barcelone– septembre 2005
• La Flèche d’Or, Paris- décembre 2005
• La Féline, Paris – juin 2006
• Festival Rock’n Rave, Pantin – novembre 2006
• Le Klub, Paris – Janvier 2007
• Le Point Ephemere, Paris – janvier 2007
• OPA, Paris – janvier 2007
• OCCI, Amsterdam – juin 2007
• Fashion biennale, Arnhem – juin 2007
• La Noche en Blanco, Madrid – octobre 2007
• Demolition Party, Hôtel Royal Monceau, Paris – juin 2008
• Le Point Ephémère, Paris, festival In Famous Carousel – septembre 2008
• Le Couvent des Trinitaires, Metz, festival Musiques Volantes – novembre 2008
• La Féline, Paris – mai 2009