When Reves Mechaniques (2005) by The Hacker came out I think I listened to it everyday for about 6 months and to this day I am still not sick the album.  So I am really excited to finally see him perform tonight with another one of my all time favorites Miss Kittin.

Photo taken from her myspace page

Photos by dear friend Abigail Feldman (thank you)

Wow this is pretty cool, too bad it is on vinyl only.
20 electronic artists, each renowned for their own inimitable style, were asked to cover a song from the past that holds particular significance to them? Recovery is a series of cover versions, tributes and appropriations of classic hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s, by the following artists:

Richard Chartier and coH, Fennesz, Jason Forrest, Robert Henke, Jenny Hoyston’s Paradise Island, Ryoji Ikeda, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Robert Lippok featuring Caroline Thorpe, Momus and Germlin, Matmos, Barbara Morgenstern, BJNilsen, alva noto, People Like Us and Ergo Phizmiz, snd, Susan Stenger, J.G.Thirlwell, Carter Tutti, Mika Vainio, :Zoviet*France:

site & sound samples

Yellow rotary Sculptura (Donut) phone. Western Electric Company – from 1970

article in NYTIMES

Awesome Format B press photos taken from their site, sorry photographer unknown.

Michael Dinges, Untitled, Dead Laptop Series, 2007
Engraved Plastic, Acrylic Paint
9.25 x 11.25 x 9.75 in
Packer Schopf Gallery, Chicago

Link on Gawker

One morning we work up at 5am and headed to the beach in Cirali,
Turkey. We met up with a scientist who helps the sea turtles get
through the sand and make their way to the sea after they hatched.
He let us watch the process.
It was an absolutely beautiful sight.

link to the full gallery

my friend JG Thirlwell photo by Seze Devres
Link to The Stone site

and check this awesome line up: www.brainwavesfest.org

I am not really interested in video games but this sounds really cool.

As an intelligent romp through the sometimes contradictory realms of science, mythology, religion and hope about the universe around us, Spore both provokes and amuses. And as an agent of creativity it is a landmark. Never before have everyday people been given such extensive tools to create their digital alter ego.

-NY Times review of a new video game called Spore

I just read the fabulously delightful Sin in the Second City by Karen Abbot and it reminded me of another favorite Devil in the White City by Eric Larson.  Both are historical non-fiction books, that read like novels, about turn of the century Chicago.  I highly recommend both if you are looking for a good read.