If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives)

Metallica, Queen, AC/DC, Coldplay Turned Into Lullabyes For The Hip Baby

My generation must be thrilled with these ingenious "lullabyed" takes on the rock music we grew up with, now re-recorded as melodic instrumental versions for their little bundles of joy.

AC/DC, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, Queen, The Cure, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Eagles, U2, Bob Marley, The Rolling Stones, the Ramones.. even Metallica turned into lullabyes for mini hipsters-in-diapers.

Even the album covers are a hoot, taking the album art and transforming it into teddy bear and cartoon juvenile versions of the originals:

No, it's not just 'old folks' music you stinkin' young 20 and 30-somethings, they've also got your grunge: Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, your chick singers/bands like Bjork and No Doubt. Popular "alt" rock like Green Day, the Pixies, Coldplay, Tool and Radiohead. And of course your metal and rock such as Nine Inch Nails and Guns n' Roses.

Rockabye Baby! transforms timeless rock songs into beautiful instrumental lullabies. Guitars and drums are traded for soothing mellotrons, vibraphones and bells, and the volume is turned down from an eleven to a two.

They charge just under $17.00 a CD in their own online store, but all of the 29 Rockabye baby! titles are just $13.99 here at Amazon. They make great gifts for new parents or the holidays.

About Rockabye Baby!

Rockabye Baby! is staffed by music lovers from all corners of the world. Headquartered in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Silver Lake, the label was born of the need to make children's music cool--not only for babies but for their parents too. We turned to our record collections for inspiration: punk, metal, classic rock. The resulting albums are revolutionary yet reverential. In other words, the perfect gift for a newborn, new parents, or yourself.

Part of the CMH Label Group, a thirty-year-old independent bluegrass and roots-music stronghold that houses a variety of musical styles under its umbrella, including metal, rap, punk, and string quartet tributes, Rockabye Baby! is the latest addition to a diverse musical family. Says label Vice President Lisa Roth, "First and foremost, we're fans, so we take care to make every album musically interesting enough to satisfy adult listeners. Believe me, making an album that's gentle enough for sleeping babies but won't bore Mom and Dad is trickier than it sounds." Producer/arrangers would agree! The job's not easy, but it's immensely gratifying to hear from pleased parents that Rockabye Baby! is now a treasured piece of their family history.

Beer That's Out Of This World. Sapporo's Space Barley.

Now, I don't know how it tastes, but Sapporo has released a brew whose barleycorn was cultivated during a five month space mission. That's right, a beer brewed in zero gravity. Sapporo intends to sell limited quantities of the space brew with proceeds going to a charitable science program for Japanese children. CNET says there will be a lottery in which 250 winners will be able to purchase the brew, the price of which will be $115.00 a six-pack. Why they did this as well as how is explained in detail further on in this post.

Product specs:
Name: SAPPORO Space Barley
Material: Malt, hops
Content features: 100% use of the the seedlings of barleycorn that traveled the space for five months
Alcoholic content: 5.5%
Volume/Number per package: 330ml in a one-way bottle
Design: A chic design with Navy blue graduation representing the space set with stars, featuring the product name like a shooting star. Barley is an English word.
Manufacturing plant: Nasu Breweries, Sapporo Breweries The information below is from The Sapporo Bioresources Research & Development Department: SAPPORO Space Barley

In collaboration with Dr. Sugimoto, Associate Professor, (Speciality" Cytomolecular Biochemistry) of the Research Institute for Bioresources, Okayama University (Kurashiki City, "Okayama University) and the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences", Sapporo Breweries, Ltd. (Head office: Tokyo; President: Masaru Fukunaga) test brewed the first-in-the world beer brewed from the seedlings of barleycorn that traveled the space, "SAPPORO Space Barley."

Most of the only 100 litters of brewed beer will be used for experiments, but Sapporo would like to offer part of the beer for tasting events to be held at six breweries in Japan (Hokkaido, Sendai, Nasu, Chiba, Shizuoka and Shinkyushu,) and is inviting 60 persons (30 pairs) of customers.

The beer was brewed as part of the joint research with Okayama University conducted to exploit possibilities of barleycorn for beer in space, "Studies of Impact of Extreme Environmental Stresses on Barley" and uses 100% of the "seedlings of barleycorn that traveled the space."

Regarding the malt used for the beer, seeds of "Haruna Nijo," beer barley developed by Sapporo Breweries that stayed in space for five months in the Russian Research Modules of the International Space Station were brought back to earth, cultivated at their experimental field of Bioresearch and Development Department at our Gunma Plant and successfully harvested in this past May.

The company plans to offer opportunities for the invited guests to taste "Space Barley," and be awarded the chance to taste the brew and tour the breweries. Next year, in addition to this series of events, they also plan to hold a "space class" and an event to "roast and taste barley tea" for local children at these breweries by taking advantage of the "seedlings of barleycorn that traveled the space" still under cultivation. Sapporo Breweries hopes to contribute to awareness-raising about the space as well as the advancement of space science and children's education and continue to pursue possibilities of food and drink in space.

History of "space barley"
April 2006 Haruna Nijo malting barley developed by Sapporo Breweries through collaborative research with Okayama University and the Russian Academy of Sciences was kept aboard the Zvezda Service Module, a component of the International Space Station (ISS), for five months (first-generation "space barley").

April 2007 Seeded the first-generation "space barley".

November 2007 Harvested the second-generation "space barley"; seeded the second-generation "space barley".

May 2008 Harvested the third-generation "space barley".

October 2008 Trial brewing of the world's first beer made from the third-generation "space barley".

November 2008 Seeded the third-generation "space barley".

January 2009 Tasting events held at breweries nationwide for beer made from the third-generation "space barley".

May 2009 Harvested the fourth-generation "space barley".

August 2009 Hop seeds from Furano, Hokkaido launched into space.

September 2009 Tasting events held at five breweries nationwide for barley tea made from "space barley".

November 2009 Seeded the fourth-generation "space barley".

December 2009 Applications accepted to buy SAPPORO Space Barley-the beer brewed from the fourth-generation "space barley".

Sapporo Breweries Limited (PINK:SOOBF) was established in 1949 and is the foremost brewing company in Japan with a 120-year brewing history.

All information and images courtesy of Sapporo Breweries Ltd., Public Relations Section

TIME Magazine's First Moving Cover: The Decade From Hell

The Decade From Hell: Moving Cover

The moving image of the TIME cover shot was shot by photographer Finlay MacKay (the photographer who shot the stunning 2008 Lavazza Calendar), using a Red One® digital camera.

Two videos of the moving cover for you:

Although press releases and news claim that the current issue of TIME magazine is the first moving cover shot with the RED ONE® digital camera, that's not really accurate. Esquire magazine did the same last April with a moving cover of Megan Fox shot by Greg Williams.

above: three stills from the moving Megan Fox Esquire cover

Using the RED ONE, a video camera that captures images at four times the resolution of high-definition, photographer-director Greg Williams recorded ten minutes of loosely scripted footage with Fox for the April 2009 issue of Esquire magazine.

Apparently they also did a cover with Kate Beckinsdale using the RED ONE Camera.

And this "living" October cover for Outside Magazine was also shot with a RED ONE camera.

What the heck is a RED ONE® digital camera?

The RED ONE™ body – designed for flexibility and functionality. Weighing in at 10 lbs, this is a streamlined package specifically designed to maximize your shooting options. Matched with a 35mm PL lens mount, it allows you to take advantage of the world’s finest optics. Modular and upgradeable, the RED ONE™ camera is a future-proof acquisition system you can build upon. RED ONE™’s modular design means you can upgrade with us as we add new features and accessories, as well as benefitting from performance improvements with each new free firmware upgrade.

You can actually purchase your own RED ONE® camera now for $17,500.00 here.

Desks So Beautiful, They'll Turn Anyone Into A Workaholic.

The Tresserra Collection is a line of hand-crafted fine furnishings with showrooms in Barcelona and Paris, and includes everything from light fixtures to coffee tables. But what I really want to share with you are the desks, which are some of the most beautifully appointed hand crafted pieces in the world. Made with woods such as Sycamore, Maple, Cedar and Walnut, they have gun metal or silver-plated fittings, hardware and details, Italian leather and glass accents.

The craftsmanship is impeccable and the designs are simultaneously classic and modern. In a word, they are breathtaking. See for yourself.

Target Office Desk:

Paralelas Office Desk:

Nobel Office Desk:

Lettera Writing Desk:

The Carpett secreter and optional glass base:

Butterfly Desk (Carlton-House):

The Pupitress, home office lectern for reading or drawing:

About the designer:
Internationally acclaimed, Barcelona born designer Jaime Tresserra began his career in interior decorating, then started his own company, J. Tresserra design and designed interiors for several prestigious clients. His pieces have won several awards and in 2004, he started the Tresserra Collection.