Lil Wayne "On Fire"

The Art of the cover...

The highest form of flatery for an artist is to have one of their songs covered by another artist. That is unless it is Weird Al Yankovic. More times than not, the cover never stands up to the brilliance of the original and you're left saying "some songs are just not meant to be touched".  However there are some instances where an artist forms a bond with the music and lyrics that where written by or for somebody else and gives the song a new life. Two really great examples of this are Otis Redding's version of "Try a little Tenderness" (recorded in 1966). This song was originally recorded in 1933 and covered a number of times by several recording artists but when Otis Redding sang that song it forever became his. Another example would be Luther Vandross' cover of  "A House is not a home" which was originally recorded by Dionne Warwick in 1964. This song is and will forever be Luther's. The most recent instance of somebody completely taking  ownership of a song is The Noisettes cover of The Killers "When we where young". The Noisetts absolutely got everything right about thier version. Definitely check out the Noisettes. They are a indie rock band out of London. This is one of many dope things that my father in law turned me on to


The Killers


Noisettes

There is an app for that!!!

Unveiled at the COP15 United Nations Climate Conference, The Copenhagen Wheel transforms ordinary bicycles into hybrid e-bikes that also function as mobile sensing units. “The Copenhagen Wheel allows you to capture the energy dissipated while cycling and braking and save it for when you need a bit of a boost. Controlled through your smartphone, it also maps pollution levels, traffic congestion, and road conditions in real-time. The Copenhagen Wheel project demonstrates that small intelligent implementations can lead to major changes.” Check out the video for a full demonstration.





Source: Highsnobiety

This is really cool!

Peter Ammentorp works his magic in this awesome video of him making an avatar of his own. Inspired by James Cameron’s new film, the photoshop wizard spent a couple of hours with this new creation. Definitely a cool clip, backed by the original soundtrack from the film. Check it out!



Birth of an AVATAR from Peter Ammentorp Lund on Vimeo.

New Gil Scott-Heron!

New music from the forthcoming album I'm New Here by the Legendary Gil Scot-Heron due Feb. 9

                                          Click here for link

The Nexus One

We need another Black Star album soon!

Reflection Eternal - The REUnion Mixtape

Click here for link

Don't call it a comeback

One of the people I have my eye on for 2010 is non other that former Roc-a-fella label head Dame Dash. And so should you. After a tumultuous year filled with rumors of financial troubles and a well publicized split from clothing designer Rachel Roy, many counted Damon Dash out. Never shy of adversity Dash has alingned himself with a unlikely group of artists and recently released a compilation CD title BLAKROC. The highly independent project which was produced exclusively by the blues/rock group The Black Keys, featured Mos Def,Jim Jones, RZA, Q Tip and a host of other hip hop artists. To top it off the project was only made available at fine independent retailers and ITunes. Also Dash has recently opened DD172. An art gallery that doubles as a creative space for musicians to vibe and let their creative juices flow. This may seem totally opposite of the lifestyle Dame Dash is known for but trust me when I say he is on to something. Dame is a smart dude and sometimes it takes a little serving of humble pie to bring out the hustle in someone. Mark my words Dame Dash will be a major player some industry in 2010. Kanye told you Diamonds are forever!!!!!


DD172 GALLERY from Creative Control on Vimeo.

You are welcome!!!!!!

Hello all! As we bring to end another year, I have decided to do something that I've thought about for a while now but never got around to it......BLOG! I was inspired to do this by my wife. I've long been a fan of creative people and this is my way of celebrating them. Every piece of architecture, every work of art, every vehicle we drive started with a thought of what could be. It is absolutely amazing what can become from a simple pondering thought.

The meaning behind the title Ponder Playhouse is a nod to the kid in me. We are all kids at heart, the difference is in the toys that we long for. What once was a Tonka truck has now become a Range Rover. Ladies, what once was that beautiful doll house has now become a modern loft in the heart of Manhattan filled with professional grade stainless steel appliances. This blog will give you a look into my imaginary toy chest filled with everything that I feel is fresh and innovative. I will also throw in things that are timeless and deserve to be acknowledged and from time to time something that left me wondering WTF!

I invite you all contribute to this blog by sharing with me what you feel deserves to be added and shared with the viewers of this blog. All postings are up for discussion so if there is something that you have an opinion on please feel free to share.

I look forward to this journey into the blogosphere and thank you for joining me!!!!