A beautiful rest stop lives in Norway, designed by Lars J burge

It would be easy to get the impression from perusing The Fox Is Black, that the entirety of Scandinavia is littered with small and delightful contemporary projects and not rainy parcels of land between aging modern housing plots. I’m happy to perpetuate the happier impression using the pubic toilets above as an example. The toilets in question live in Norway, along a road that snakes through scenic Aurlandsfjellet. Designed by Lars J Berge, the solar powered reststop, named Flotane, only looks like it’s falling over as it provides hikers with a place to park and start their hike into the mountains. Folks can even hike to the nearby Stegastein, a stunning overlook featured by Philip last year.

Found through Inhabitat

Alex

Bats, Goblins and Creatures by Matthew Bromley

Last weekend I visited some friends in London and managed to catch the excellent Cut & Run show at Shoreditch’s Kemistry Gallery. The exhibition features work by British illustrators Jack Teagle, Ryan Chapman, Matthew Dent and Matthew Bromley. I’m a big fan of all their work so it was great to see the exhibition.

I thought I’d share these great paintings by Matthew Bromley that feature in the show. I love how fun and playful Bromley’s crude and quirky style is – and his portfolio is filled with weird looking illustrations of strange creatures, goblins and bat-like creatures. They’re just plain fun to look at.

Folk in London should definitely try and catch Cut & Run before it closes this Saturday.

Philip

Matthew Dear’s new video for ‘In The Middle (I Met You There)’

To coincide with the release of Matthew Dear’s new EP Headcage he’s released a trippy new video directed by Morgan Beringer. The song is called In The Middle (I Met You There) and features vocals from Drums front man Jonny Pierce, which brings an interesting angle to Dear’s music. The song is rather vibrant and melodic, like a natural progression of where Dear’s music is potentially heading. The video itself is pretty crazy, like watching paint melt on drugs or something. It fits though, and certainly sets a mood for the song.

Bobby

The story behind the song, ‘She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain’

Every now and then I get the song She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain, totally randomly, for no real reason. I’m pretty sure I sang the song as a child, but I definitely never knew what the meaning was. It wasn’t till about 7 or 8 years ago that I was re-introduced to the song, through a comic called Promethea. Throughout the series there are characters singing the tune, which used as a prelude to the end of the world. When viewed that way it’s the song takes an entirely different meaning which is pretty interesting to me. For whatever reason, it popped back into my head again so i decided to look it up.

According to Wikipedia, the song is in reference to a spiritual song sung by enslaved Africans during the lat 1800′s. The song was actually a reference to the second coming of Christ and the Rapture. Here are the original lyrics:

O, who will drive the chariot When she comes? O, who will drive the chariot When she comes? O, who will drive the chariot, O, who will drive the chariot, O, who will drive the chariot When she comes?

King Jesus, he’ll be driver when she comes, When she comes . . . .
She’ll be loaded with bright Angels When she comes . . . .
She will neither rock nor totter, When she comes . . . .
She will run so level and steady, When she comes . . . .
She will take us to the portals, When she comes . . . .

The song eventually began to change in the early 1900′s into a children’s song, distorting it’s original meaning. It’s interesting how time changes the meaning of things, especially in a time when word of mouth and folk stories were so vital. However, even these may not even be the original meanings to this old, cryptic tune.

Bobby

‘Amen’ by Leonard Cohen

A former law student, a poet, a novelist, and a musician, Leonard Cohen is a master of the songwriting craft. You may know him from the innumerable covers of one of his hits, Hallelujah, or how many times people have said that Suzanne or So Long Marianne are some of the best songs ever written. Those people are right, of course, but for whatever reason it took his debut record 22 years to go gold. And that’s back when people bought records.

Somehow he’s still got it. Dorian Lynskey has written a great article about his new record which shows a man still looking for success on a day-by-day basis. His croons are imbued with a gruffness created by his path on the planet as a modern poet and musician. He not-so-famously hid in Mt. Baldy to study zen in the late 90′s. Since then Cohen’s work has been more reflective, accepting of human fate and Amen is no exception. The track moves like the pace of a funeral dirge and has cryptic, unforgiving lyrics.

“Tell me again, tell me over and over, tell me that you want me then… Amen.”

And just when it feels darkest, the track is rescued by a sax. Give me that Leonard Cohen afterworld, afterall.

Alec