You may remember when we posted about Alex + Chloe’s quirky jewelry designs back in March. The LA based label has just introduced their fabulous new Sunglass Collection. The Cape Town style is available in red, woodgrain, turquoise and “tuxedo” black, and the Santa Cruz style is offered in grey, black, & brown. Both these styles are inspired from 2 classic Ray-Ban Sunglass styles, the Wafarer and the Aviator. All Alex + Chloe’s handcrafted and imported frames provide UV- 400 protection and come complete in a black box with soft case and wipe cloth. Don’t forget about the little message on inner temple of each pair- “Oui, il est vraiment moi” (”Yes, it is really me”).

Mari Inukai will be exhibiting her work at the Copro Nason Gallery in Santa Monica. Also at the gallery will be work by Luke Chueh and Chet Zar. Opening Reception Saturday May 10, 2008 8:00-11:30 pm. Show runs through May 31.

Copro Nason Gallery
2525 Michigan Ave. T5
Santa Monica, CA 90404
310.829.2156

Stina Perrson says her illustration style is basically about “finding the right balance between the edgy and the elegant the raw and the beautiful.” This Swedish born artist has quite an impressive list of corporate clients ranging from Coca Cola, Sony Music to Bloomingdale’s and Target that she creates work for in several different mediums- inks, watercolor, cut paper, and gouache. Each work is scribbly yet simple and adorned with stunningly fashionable female forms. Stina gives you a chance to purchase one of her originals at the Cosh Gallery. We are so inspired that we may purchase one of these works for the office.

If you are going to be in Los Angeles Area on May 10th you can catch some Stina Persson’s new work at the opening of Le Femme at the Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, California. Admission is free and this sounds like a really great Mother’s Day activity. They will even have complimentary flowers for Moms.

Our friends at Opportunity Green are hosting a fantastic networking event for young green-minded professionals at the Architecture and Design (A+D) Museum downtown. The speaker is UCLA’s own Michael Danenberg from GOOD Magazine. There’ll be an open bar, organic nibbles, a live DJ, free admission to A+D’s new main exhibit “After the Flood,”
When: Tuesday, May 6, 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Where: A&D Musuem, 5900 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
Cost: $20 for advance online registration, $25 at the door. Use the promo code “greenopia” to get a free copy of Greenopia, given to the first 100 registrants.

A new Los Angeles ordinance which takes effect next week makes it illegal for taco trucks to be in the same location for more than an hour. Those who do not comply are subject to fines or even jail time.

The taco truck has become a staple of LA’s identity. Whether it’s a break from a hot summer afternoon or a bite on your way home from the club, to lose this experience would be a blow to our city. There is a communal aspect to gathering together and eating on the street.

If this upsets you as much as it does us, add your name to this online petition which already has more than 5000 signatures.

Here we are again. Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival kicked off yesterday and is basically a complete eargasm in the desert. 100 degrees, a $500 a day VIP area, painted trash cans, fire sculptures, and The Breeders……..that’s what you can expect out here if you make the trip.

There is on-site camping with showers, and even an AT & T recharge cell tent for you to keep your cellphone going so you can text your friends all weekend. The music lineup is eclectic, with 2 large outdoor stages and 3 massive tents set up on the sprawling, green grass of the Empire Polo Field in Indio. Rogue wave, Diplo, Vampire Weekend, Aphex Twin, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Fatboy Slim, and Jack Johnson are only a small list of the bands that played yesterday.

Tonight, Prince is headlining, and he is flanked by such acts as Portishead, Sash & Digweed, Rilo Kiley, Death cab for Cutie and Cafe Tacuba. Tomorrow Roger Waters closes out the festival on one stage while Justice does in the large Sahara Tent…but not before My Morning Jacket, Autolux, and Murs do their thing. There’s a ton of music and all kinds of eye candy and people watching happening. Sony has a PS3 gaming tent up with gaming galore. There is a big-rig-jig that has two semi truck cabs connected by sheets of metal spiraling like a centipede into the sky. Pack your sunscreen and bring a lot of water if you plan on making the trip. It’s so worth it every year.

As you probably already know, the Coachella Music and Arts Festival is this weekend. This has become the defacto west coast jam over the last few years, and this year the purple one himself, Prince will be reigning down on saturday night.
In all honestly though, we kinda liked it better when it was just one day of cream of the crop talent, because-
A. It’s in the middle of the frickin desert.
and
B. Where as it used to be all the indie A listers for any given year, there are so many slots to fill over 3 days you get into a lot of B and C list territory (Dwight Yoakam??? Where are the Arcade Fire and LCD Sound System?).

Never the less, there are no doubt quite a few great acts to catch, with of course the inevitable over laps (who’s the jack ass that put JUSTICE and Chromeo in the same time slot?). But we’ll be sure and post our pix next week in case you can’t make it. For those of you who can and get some good photos, be sure and send your best shots to submissions@neublack.com and tell everyone else “Doooooode, (your favorite band) was sick, you shoulda been there.”

Sat, April 19th, 6:30-10PM
GR2
2062 Sawtelle Blvd in Los Angeles / 310.445.9276
“Deharavath: Zombie Children” featuring new works from Dehara X David Horvath + Sun-Min Kim
(On view through May 14th)
www.gr2.net

Sat, April 19th, 5-7PM
Richard Heller Gallery
2525 Michigan Ave, Space B-5A at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica / 310.453.9191
“Mapping The Great Hush” – new works from Randall Sellers
(On view through May 17th)
www.richardhellergallery.com

Sat, April 19th 4-8PM
Monkeyhouse Toys and Art Gallery
1618 ½ Silver Lake Blvd in Los Angeles / 323.662.3437
“Having Fun With Animals” featuring new works from Douglas Alvarez, Paul Torres, L. Croskey, Jeremy Szuder, Walt Hall, Catherine Brooks and many more
(On view through May 4th)
www.monkeyhousetoys.com

Sat, April 19th, 7-10PM
Project:
8545 W. Washington Blvd in Culver City / 310.558.0200
“Familiar Friends” featuring new works from Lisa Alisa, Cherri Wood, Erika Yamashiro and Lindsay Cambell
www.projectgalleryla.com

Via Sour Harvest

The insanely inspiring Takashi Murakami continues to keep us in absolute awe and apparently we aren’t the only ones. Murakami’s retrospective at the LA MOCA has been so successful its moving to New York at the Brooklyn Museum, April 5th through July 13th. If you’re in New York and want to catch a glimpse of what’s coming check out our feature on the LA MOCA show. No word yet on whether or not Kanye West will make an appearance at the New York opening but get your venetian blind sunglasses ready.

While everyone wants to be a rock star, very few can pull off leather pants, or the “Steven Tyler Look” (an assortment of interlocking scarves). For a classier breed of rocker-wear, try Sorum Noce.

Housed in a chandeliered gents’ boudoir, SN comes from the seemingly random pairing of fashionisto Max Noce (Valentino, D&G) and Zildjianisto Matt Sorum (G N’ R, The Cult, and the recently Weiland-bereft Velvet Revolver). The gear’s all custom-fitted, and rests on Noce’s timeless inspiration — “elegant, English tailored, black, and small” — but draws rock from the likes of Thin-White-Duke-era Bowie and Depeche Mode, who wore black, and were small. Pieces range from silk-lined vests and suit jackets with working-button sleeves, to polka-dotted button ups, to leather jackets conforming to a Slash-requested design: Italian zippers on the sides, and an extra-wide pocket for his lighter and Gitanes.

On April 22, SN’s hosting a Brent Bolthouse-organized opening party, and through the summer will be projecting flicks on the wall of a small adjacent courtyard — so if you’re caught wearing scarves, you can just say you’re emulating Jean-Paul Belmondo.

via Thrillist