When established artists decided to lend their talent to the music world, the creations that result from the collision of egos and imaginations are often mind blowing. From Pablo Picasso’s costumes for an avant garde ballet by Erik Satie to Andy Warhol’s management of the Velvet Underground, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite artist and musician collaborations. How did Salvador Dalí and Alice Cooper meet? How did the world survive? Read on to find out and drop us a comment if you think we missed any biggies. Read More »

Thursday’s meal may not be a crowning moment for the avian kind, but birds have done well making a name for themselves in pop culture. From the lovable Woodstock to Harper Lee’s lessons in morality, the trendy act of microblogging to birds that actually microblog, they have left their tiny tracks all over our consciousness. With anthropomorphic birds (see Big Bird), humans channeling birds (see Björk), and even birds killing humans (see Bird Flu), it seems that the two species have never been more closely linked. Below the jump, we’ve rounded up 40 cultural it birds who did better for themselves than the one on your Thanksgiving table. Read More »

In case you were wondering why fans of both The Hold Steady and Friday Night Lights have been losing their shit all week, here’s what happened: the band’s frontman has announced plans to release a solo album called Clear Heart Full Eyes, an homage to the show that was recorded in Texas and whose title is a play on FNL‘s most memorable catchphrase (“Clear eyes, full hearts can’t lose”). The news got us thinking about how wonderful it would be if our favorite programs were scored by bands we love, which led us to compile the following wish list of TV shows and the musicians who were born to soundtrack them. Add your pairings in the comments. Read More »

We were recently both delighted and spooked to see some of our favorite cartoon characters transformed into the undead. Today, the pre-Halloween zombification of familiar faces continues with Swiss comic-book artist Frederik Peeters‘ Portraits as Living Deads, a vast collection of illustrations that imagines what celebrities might look like as extras in a George A. Romero movie. Over the course of a long-term blog project, Peeters created hundreds of these portraits — since he finished in 2009, by far the creepiest images are of those who have already died, from Amy Winehouse to Muammar al-Gaddafi. After the jump, we’ve posted some of our favorite pieces from the pop-culture realm, including everyone from Bob Dylan to Karl Lagerfeld to Björk. And if those aren’t enough for you, page through a whole lot more at Peeters’ blog.

Read More »

If you’re not über crafty, fashioning a unique Halloween costume that sets you apart from the pack of party-store drones could pose a problem. Thankfully, there’s an army of skilled crafters and artisans who are willing and able to bring your fantasy Haunting Season ensemble to life — for a price. In case you have some extra dough lying around, we’ve followed up last year’s incredible list of high-end Halloween costumes with a gallery featuring extravagant Beetlejuice, My Little Pony, and Muppets-inspired outfits of the hand-crafted variety after the jump.

Read More »

In her CD Covers Tribute series, Amsterdam-based illustrator Elena Lloveria pays homage to famous bands by recreating record cover art with a twee twist. The seven-piece collection commemorates beloved covers such as The Beatles’ A Hard Days Night, Michael Jackson’s Bad, and Bjork’s Homogenic, depicting the musicians as doe-eyed anime characters with oversize heads. While Lloveria’s chibi-inspired style complements some of the artists in the series, Marilyn Manson and Prince look creepier than ever after their kawaii makeovers. Check out the covers, and decide whether you’re charmed or repulsed, after the cut.

Read More »

Yesterday, everyone’s favorite Icelandic lunatic posted a new video for her song ‘Moon,’ from her forthcoming ‘app album’ Biophilia, out October 11 in the US. In it, she has monstrous red brillo-pad hair, wears a harp as a belt and strums it sensuously, and plays with crystals, all while the moon waxes and wanes over her figure. It’s kind of great, actually, and the space exploration theme, though nothing new in music videos, does make a satisfactory nod to her new futuristic, multimedia album, partially recorded on iPad and, apparently, “encompassing music, apps, internet, installations, and live shows.” Click through to watch, and let us know whether you’re digging the lunar vibes or think Björk has really lost touch with her home planet.

Read More »

If you’ve ever wondered what your favorite literary characters might be listening to while they save the world/contemplate existence/get into trouble, or hallucinated a soundtrack to go along with your favorite novels, well, us too. But wonder no more! Here, we sneak a look at the hypothetical iPods of some of literature’s most interesting characters. What would be on the personal playlists of Holden Caulfield or Elizabeth Bennett, Huck Finn or Harry Potter, Tintin or Humbert Humbert? Something revealing, we bet. Or at least something danceable. Read on for a cozy reading soundtrack, character study, or yet another way to emulate your favorite literary hero. This week: the spunky heroine of the His Dark Materials trilogy, Lyra Belacqua.

Read More »

Good news for music lovers: there’s a wealth of new releases in September, and a lot of them look pretty fine indeed — so much so that it was more difficult than usual to prune our regular monthly selection of the best upcoming releases back to just 10 selections. But we’re a discipline bunch here, so we’ve restrained our urges and pared down our wishlist — the result is what you’ll find after the jump, the 10 records that Flavorpill’s most looking forward to getting hold of this month. What’s on your shopping list?

Read More »

1. David Letterman has reportedly been marked for death by a jihadist group because he “gloated” on air about the recent death of Osama bin Laden‘s Pakistani lieutenant Ilyas Kashmiri. While his show is currently on summer hiatus, its production company, Worldwide Pants, wouldn’t comment on the threat. [via The Daily News]

2. This is the world we live in: Some exciting new words have been added to the latest edition of the Concise English Oxford Dictionary, including retweet, sexting, jeggings, and mankini. [via Gizmodo]

3. Is it just us, or is it kind of funny watching Christine O’Donnell storm out of her interview with Piers Morgan last night after he asks her about gay marriage and her thoughts on the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy? [via Jezebel]

4. Speaking of funny, last week The Game thought it would be hilarious to post a phone number to Twitter that his followers could call about getting a music internship, but — wait for it — in reality it was the number for the Compton Sheriff’s office. Now, the rapper has apologized for his little prank, explaining on CNN that it “a joke gone wrong.” [via Gawker]

5. We think the album art for Björk’s Biophilia is pretty awesome — particularly her wig.

Bonus Buzz: 25 Foods You’ll Never Be Able To Eat Again