Polaroid Grey Label and Lady Gaga at CES

I wrote about Gaga's appointment as creative director back in May, and it looks like she lived up to her title, not just as a celebrity spokesperson, but as a legit part of the creative team. Gaga and Polaroid debuted 3 new products at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas this past week.

GL 20: Camera Sunglasses

Gaga got the idea for this initially on her Fame Ball tour, where she made glasses out of iPod screens for her set on stage. Now her idea has become functional. These glasses take photo and video, and it registers them into a USB that is the earpiece of the sunglasses. The earpiece (USB) comes out and can be connected to comp or you can use the bluetooth capability to connect it to your devices.

This is rather innovative in the way that it is bridging together fashion and technology. Gaga calls the product 'innovative and also cultural'. I guess we will have to wait and see if the glasses take on cultural iconography.

GL 10: Mobile Printer

When asked what the camera of the future was (presumably by her Polaroid creative consorts), Gaga held up her cell phone. I guess this ticked them off a bit seeing as how their brand is built on a camera which she is suggesting now be replaced by a phone no less. But she has a point. How many of us actually carry around digital cameras (even to special events)? Most of us rely heavily on our camera phones, which take pretty good photos these days as evidenced by the number of mobile uploads on facebook and the twitpic overflow.

So the idea is to integrate the cell phone camera into the polaroid family, and it seems they have found a way to do so. This could possess even more utility when you think about how many times we have actually printed our digital content. I'd venture to say, not often, because it's just too much of a hassle in most cases.

All you have to do is set up the bluetooth on your phone to connect to the printer. The printer produces 3 x 4 prints, and you have the option of the polaroid trade dress or full bleed.

Unfortunately, the printer is NOT compatible with the iPhone, but it does work with all phones with bluetooth capability.

GL 30: New Polaroid Camera

Last but definitely not least, they unvelied THE camera. Gaga described it as sexy, sleek, and hearty. It takes regular instant polaroids, and has a zink printer (zero ink) which is in the actual camera and the printer and makes this fantastically eco-friendly. Each cartridge holds 10 photos, and the photos register both digitally and as a regular polaroid. Pretty freaking awesome, and should be out by Christmas.

***In the future, they are working on a forward camera that is also digital and will link to all social media outlets, yikes.

Instant Gratification: Polaroid edition

Polaroid is making a comeback.

That's right. Don't believe me? Check out who they just named as their new Creative Director...

If their website is any indication, they are definitely riding on the tech wave, and doing a pretty kick ass job of it.

Polaroid says,

The collaboration will deliver new products that mix the best of “instant” with digital era multi-media. Lady Gaga has a personal connection to the Polaroid experience that she wants to share with the world through the introduction of products that will appeal to a new generation –building on the Polaroid movement into the future.

Gaga looks so Grace Kelley-esque in the bottom right polaroid

If I remember correctly, Polaroid ended instant film in 2008, and hipsters everywhere were rushing to Wal-Mart (who I think was the only retailer carrying the film) to buy out all the stock. Urban Outfitters, being the representative for hipsters everywhere, announced in late 2008 that they would sell the remaining 700 sets of instant film across the US and UK. Well, never fear hipsters, it may have been a tough year without your film, but Polaroid has come back with a vengeance.

It seems that they have realized that they need to get back to the core of their brand. Polaroid was at one point a noun. You would say, check out this Polaroid, instead of 'photo' or 'picture'. I think they may have figured out a way to get back. Enlisting Lady Gaga (recently named Time's most influential person) was not a bad idea.

Only time well tell if this realization comes too little too late, or if there is still a viable market out there for instant. I am putting my money on my feeling that there are enough people out there too keep the brand relevant. The new Polaroid 300 I must admit looks pretty cool, and it even comes in 3 colors!

Electro-______ music genres: The Hybrid of the hybrid

Electricity. A spark. A pulse. A presence that has been consistent in maintaining an identity in music for quite some time. Adding this pre-fix to genres of music i.e. (electro-pop, electro-rock) can almost be seen as an injustice... for Electro has all the capabilities of standing on its own. The hybridity between electro and other genres is essentially what induces an inflammatory reception in the senses. An electric-feel per say (to borrow from MGMT).

I started thinking of this post in terms of what first comes to mind when I think of electronic music. I first thought geographically, and mostly associated the genre with Europe. Then I started to think of the music I am listening to these days, and I realized most of the stuff I am really digging is one form of electro or another. Either electro pop, electro-synth-pop, electro indie-rock, etc etc etc….Even Wikipedia has a very extensive list of the different sub-genres which you can check out here:

So, in terms of a breakdown here are some interesting sub-genres that I think are worth looking at:

The resurgence of the DJ: (EURO style)

Tiesto

Armin Van Buren

David Guetta

Paul Van Dyk

Ferry Corsten

Electro-pop (UK style)

La Roux

is an English electropop duo band whose music is influenced by 1980s synthpop including Yazoo, Depeche Mode, The Human League, Heaven 17, and Blancmange. I got to see them live this summer in Los Angeles and they really had that element that literally put a jolt of electricity through the crowd. The playful melodies in songs such as "I'm Not Your Toy" and "Tigerlily" re-charged the initially dull audience into replicas of the energizer bunny.

Little Boots

is an English electropop musician who sings and plays the keyboard, piano, stylophone and a Japanese electronic instrument, called Tenori-on is definitely putting her stamp on the electro-pop movement. Check out her songs "Stuck on Repeat" and "New in Town"

and across the Pond...

In Lady GaGa’s new album The Fame Mons†er: a new, monstrous side of GaGa is shown. A side that can be attributed to the European Electro-Industrial vibe present in her songs such as "Dance in the Dark". This new eerie and metallic sound substantiates her equally eerie lyrics that allude to other highly respected artists such as Plath and Kubrick. The album’s high-voltage delivers and liberates the listener. An escape to a filthy over-sized 'warehouse' somewhere in Eastern Europe, echoing with the sharp current of electricity.

Down Under

Sneaky Sound System

are very well received in the dance scene, and some of their stuff has been remixed by Tiesto making for an interesting sound:

Cut Copy

is a synthpop band from Melbourne, Australia. Their sound, often labeled as electropop, draws considerable influence from 80s new wave, synth-pop and post-punk genres.

Ladyhawke

all of her music is very nostalgic of the 1980s, (her name is a riff on the movie of that decade), but her music featuring PNAU is especially noteworthy.

Rock fusion

MGMT

"We weren't trying to start a band," remarked Goldwasser. "We were just hanging out, showing each other music that we liked." They experimented with noise rock and electronica before settling on what David Marchese of Spin calls "their current brand of shape-shifting psychedelic pop."

Phoenix

An interesting thing about Phoenix (who I think are one of the best indie rock outfits on the scene today): In early 2009, it was announced that the band was returning with a new album titled Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, which was released on May 25, 2009. The album was recorded in Paris by Cassius's Philippe Zdar who co-produced and mixed the album. Cassius is a French house music duo consisting of producers Philippe Cerboneschi and Hubert Blanc-Francard, better known as Philippe Zdar and Boom Bass. You can definitely hear the house influence on Phoenix's new record (especially in Fences, Girlfriend, and Armistice) which I think makes for an amazing one, and the technique in the recording is phenomenal.

Experimental (goes Canadian)

Crystal Castles

is an experimental electronic music band from the province of Ontario consisting of producer Ethan Kath and vocalist Alice Glass. Crystal Castles are known for their chaotic live shows and their low-fi melancholic home productions. To listen to Crystal Castles "is to be cast adrift in a vortex of deafening pain without a safety net. You get the feeling you could do anything in the world, but that that "anything" would ultimately mean nothing. Crystal Castles marks a nuanced emotional territory that dance music never covered before." (BBC).

MSTRKRFT

is an electronic music group from Toronto. MSTRKRFT (pronounced Master Kraft) have been commissioned to remix songs by such artists as Justice, Bloc Party, Metric, Wolfmother, and Annie and The Kills...and you have probably heard Heartbreaker featuring John Legend, one of their singles:

These are just some of my favorites, and hopefully are illustrative of how influential electronic music is across the board...perhaps it is THE postmodern musical genre of our time, and can be counted on for constantly mixing and remixing (quite literally) the music scene for our enjoyment and paving the way for more groundbreaking sounds to come...

PS... I also love this Felix Da Housecat Remix of the Nina Simone song "Sinnerman" which is now being featured in the new HTC mobile phone commercial you have probably seen on TV in the past couple of weeks...

War-HOLLA Back!

The Dandy Warhols Album Cover

Whether or not you like Warhol, which I can't understand why you could dislike such an iconic force that essentially represents much of American culture in the 60s (which was probably one of the most creatively glamorous times in history), you can't deny the mark he has left not only on the art world, but on culture across all categories...

The Dandy Warhols and The Velvet Underground

Aside from the nod they give to Warhol in the name of their band, The Dandy Warhols riff on the album cover artwork Andy Warhol did for The Velvet Underground in their own album art. Interestingly enough, the band cites The Velvet Underground as one of their musical influences…a dose of postmodernism perhaps?

Lady Gaga

I am sure you are all thoroughly sick of my posts on Lady Gaga, and I have been told by colleagues that the idea of Lady Gaga being a force in art made them nauseous...but I don't care. I found a quote from her from some time ago that might respond to this notion in a very Warholian way...

She says, "The Fame [her album] is about how anyone can feel famous. Pop culture is art. It doesn’t make you cool to hate pop culture, so I embraced it and you hear it all over The Fame. But, it’s a sharable fame. I want to invite you all to the party. I want people to feel a part of this lifestyle."

She's inviting everyone to the party. If you're not sold on that point, keep in mind that there is a category called Performance Art, which clearly has her name stamped all over.

Around the globe...

Just to add to the discussion that Warhol is in fact an international icon, I just read an article that there are plans to open a Warhol museum in the United Arab Emirates. I find it interesting that the UAE, which is definitely more conservative than Western culture still sees the appeal in Warhol's work, which goes back to my original question...How can you really dislike Warhol? (just my opinion, of course!)

Postmodernism in the MusicScene

I thought of a few examples in music that I thought I'd share. Some of these may be way off, but then again, as Jameson points out, 'the concept of modernism is not widely accepted or even understood today'. The first example I thought of was the Clash, who Jameson mentions, but I remembered a story I read some time ago that brought in Bhabha's more globalized vision of the postmodern. There is an Algerian rock artist by the name of Rachid Taha, who tells a story of how he went to see the Clash at the Mogador in Paris as a teenager and handed them his demo. Before the gig at the Mogador, Rachid met the band, spoke to them for a few minutes and handed over a tape of Carte de Séjour songs. “I felt that they were interested,” remembers Rachid, “but when they didn’t get in touch afterwards I just thought that’s life.” “Having said that, when I heard ‘Rock the Casbah’ later that year, I thought that maybe something really had happened after all,” he adds with a wry mischievous smile." I thought this was an interesting take on how influence can be carried out in reverse, especially across borders (and only increasingly such with the advent of globalization).

Also, many of you may have seen the VMAs this weeekend, and I thought Lady Gaga's performance could be considered in the realm of the postmodern. There were definitely nostalgic elements in her performance with allusions to John Lennon, Princess Diana, and was very theatrical, reminiscient of 40s murder mystery and horror movies. As an artist, she very much blends high and low culture, as she performs pop music but infuses what she considers fine art. I would say she employs pastiche as opposed to parody, as the motive is not to mock but rather draws on a nostalgia for a different time.

After Warhol, it's tough to ask 'What is Art?'

The question of 'what is art' as has been addressed in the discussion is quite unrewarding. We know that we should really be asking 'Where' and 'When' instead. We also know that where art happens has a lot to do with the art itself (As it is institutional at the end of the day). For Warhol, New York City was the node that affected how his art 'happened'.

It is interesting to see how the revolution Warhol started in the Art world continues to be relevant today. Although it's only been twenty some odd years since his death, his popularity only seems to increase with time, and it is fascinating to me how that type of staying power is achieved.

In Danto's article on the Artworld, he discussed how for Socrates, art was simply a mirror image of nature (because contextually that was what was available, sort of the institution of the time). No offense to Socrates of course, but Danto explains that as we evolve, "an imitation" is not a sufficient condition for "is art".

Warhol did a similar thing in the 60s by re-appropriating art in a way, and challenging the institution of his time. He decided that he would define 'What is art' to be whatever he wanted. Not only was he going to make mass produced commercial items into art, but he was going to mass produce that art.He sort of turned capitalist America on its head in a weird socialist kind of framework. ""What's great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca Cola, and you know that the President drinks Coca Cola, Liz Taylor drinks Coca Cola, and just think, you can drink Coca Cola, too. A coke is a coke and no amount of money can get you a better coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking. All the cokes are the same and all the cokes are good. Liz Taylor knows it, the President knows it, the bum knows it, and you know it.""

Suze mentioned in her post how Bourdieu might appropriate this, especially due to his upbringing, and maybe his angle of thinking in this way falls into that same sort of category on symbolic and cultural capital because of his Slovak background and his upbringing in Pittsburgh.

It is interesting to note his influence on artists today. I would assume that he would be flattered by comments made by Lady Gaga, a recording artist who sets out to sort of blend as many elements of art as she enjoys. She says, "The Fame [her album] is about how anyone can feel famous. Pop culture is art. It doesn’t make you cool to hate pop culture, so I embraced it and you hear it all over The Fame. But, it’s a sharable fame. I want to invite you all to the party. I want people to feel a part of this lifestyle.""

In a way it seems she is setting out to mass produce the idea of fame and celebrity in the same ways Warhol wanted to capitalize on the commerical. Interestingly, I was reading that Warhol coined the concept of "15 minutes of fame", which refers to the fleeting condition of fame in the modern world, mainly attributed to mass media and transience in human beings.

Lady Gaga adds that ""In this industry, you get a lot of stylists and producers thrown at you, but this is my own creative team, modeled on Warhol’s Factory. Everyone is under 26 and we do everything together.""

His scope of influence on her art and lifestyle is very apparent here. Fascinating to see the continued redefinition and re-appropriation of art, despite the presence of institution.