Elizabeth & The Catapults’ feel good beats, confidently wise lyrics ,hot-sexy vocals, and harmonies reminiscent of The Bird and The Bee, immediately hooked this listener.  Elizabeth Ziman(vocal, keys) is a New York City native who has been singing and writing songs since the age of 4.  Elizabeth joined Pete Lalish(guitar) and Danny Molad(drums) to form Elizabeth and The Catapults in 2004.  The band’s style, at times, seems to mirror characteristics of  70′s greats like Carol King and Debbie Boone.

Taller Children, their first full length album is available June 9th, 2009.  The album has perfect timing as its blues-pop-indie hotness makes me crave for warm summer days and the cool of an ocean breeze on my face.  Take it on a drive, take it to the beach, take it any where you wish, just as long as you take it with you.

Hot Tracks: ”The Hang Up” “Rainiest Day of Summer,”and “Hit The Wall” 

Check out Elizabeth and The Catapults at Joe’s Pub on June 11th, 2009.

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Tags: ascap leiber and stoller, blues, carol king, danny molad, debbie boone, elizabeth and the catapults, elizabeth ziman, hit the wall, indie, jazz, joes pub, june 9th, New York City, pete lalish, pop, rainiest day of summer, taller children, the hang up

When Isabel Gillies’s husband got a job she packed up her two toddlers, and belongings and moved from New York City to Ohio.  After only a few months of doing so her husband informed her that he was leaving her and their two boys.  A friend told her it “happens every day.”  The story doens’t even have the slightest hint of self pity, Isabel writes candidly as if speaking with a close friend.  With divorce rates close to 60% this memoir hits close to home for many of us.

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Tags: book, divorce, happens every day, isabel gillies, Literature, memoir, New York City, nonfiction, ohio, read

The woman known for bringing us some of the best “street photography” in the history of American Photography died last month at the age of 95. With breathtaking dexterity  her photos of life on the streets in New York City captured a familiarity about the subject that made them feel like family.

Born and bread in Brooklyn, Levitt dropped out of highschool and taught herself photography.  In 1943 Levitt’s first solo exhibition opened at The Museum of Modern Art entitled “Helen Levitt: Photographs of Children,” and continued to create inspired works until the 1990s when sciatica prevented her from being able to stand for long periods of time.  The woman who claims her talent was purely luck  has left a huge hand print on the world of photography. 

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Tags: Art, black and white, brooklyn, helen levitt, museum of modern art, New York City, photography, still photos, street photography

Sociologist Sarah Thornton was a student and lover of art.   Her PhD on dance clubs and raves was published in a book form under the title, Club Cultures: Music, Media and Subcultural Capital.  Over ten years later Thornton has published a new work, Seven Days in the Art World, a behind the scenes artistic expedition in seven days, six cities, and five countries.  From The Auction in New York City to The Fair in Switzerland, The Prize in London to The Studio in Japan, Thornton depicts the ethnography and mindset of the contemporary art world.  A belief that nothing is more important than art itself brings all subcultures of the current and hip art macrocosm together.

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Tags: Club Cultures: Music, ethnography, Literature, london, Media and Subcultural Capital, New York City, Sarah Thornton, Seven Days in the Art World, Sociology of Culture, Switzerlands Fair, The Prize

Born into the Southern Californian surf culture of the 1940s Mary Heilmann brings a laid back, no fuss kind of attitude to her work.  One of the handful of female abstract painters of her generation, Heilmann paints as if the canvas is in fact a piece of pottery.  ”To Be Someone,” marks the first solo exhibition and retrospective of Heilmann’s work, and includes sculptures, furniture, and paintings from her years of being in the business of art.  The Exhibit will be open until January 26th at The New Museum in New York.

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Tags: 1940s, abstract, Art, culture, mary heilmann, New York City, painter, painting, southern california, surf, women

1967 marks the initiation of Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, a branch of the Smithsonian, whose entire collection focuses soley on design.  Cooper-Hewitt is located in the cornerstone Andrew Carnegie Mansion on 5th Avenue and 91st Street in Manhattan.  On the grand staircase you will find large, almost eerie portraits of Carnegie and his wife Louise Whitfield.  The couples’ eyes seem to follow you as you ascend or descend the ruby red carpeted staircase.  Browsing through the museums incredible displays and exhibits I couldn’t shake the feeling that any moment I would bump into Andrew Carnegie himself.  

Ghost or no ghost, the Cooper-Hewitt is improperly lost in the shadows of New York City’s more popularly known art museums, but an absolute must see.  Fall is prime time to drop in at the innovative mansion. October 19th marks the 3rd annual National Design Week which offers FREE admission and hosts a series of public programs. As a viewer, participation is encouraged through an online vote for the People’s Design Award.  Trophies, certificates, and ribbons will be issued on the night of October 23rd at the National Design Awards Gala.  Tickets are available online for the Gala After-Party with music by Cosmo Baker.

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Tags: 1967, After-Party, Andrew Carnegie, Art, Awards, Cooper-Hewitt, Cosmo Baker, Design, free, Gala, Louise Whitfield, Mansion, Museum, National Design Museum, National Design Week, New York City, october, Smithonian