Interview: Singer/Songwriter Arlo Parks

The London-based artist on her tender new song and creating while in isolation

NYPL’s “Missing Sounds of New York” Playlist

The latest in a line of digital offerings provided by the New York Public Library, the strangely emotional Missing Sounds of New York exists as an “auditory love letter to New Yorkers.” Beginning with chatter and clanking turnstiles, “To See An Underground Show” features those familiar screeching brakes and a little subway performance, while other tracks include “Serenity Is a Rowdy City Park” and “Romancing …

4-Cup Decorated Storage: Star Wars Droids

$8

Composed of Pyrex’s versatile high-quality tempered glass, this brand new Star Wars storage container features illustrations of several of the space saga’s beloved droids. It’s safe for dishwashers, freezers, microwaves, as well as pre-heated conventional and convection ovens—but oven use could lead to discoloration of the decoration. It comes complete with a purple BPA-free plastic lid.

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Link About It

Stories from around the web that we think you should read

The Perilous Relationship Between Antarctic Conditions + Scientific Equipment

This January, 18 days into a research initiative across Antarctica’s Outer Recovery Ice Fields, the last of the team’s specialized equipment failed. This mission (held around the 200th anniversary of the discovery of the continent) aimed to recover a hypothesized cache of iron-rich meteorites. The failure was just one more blockade on the path to scientific discovery among the ice. Though its history can be …

30 Years of Photos From the Hubble Telescope

Fresh off a celebration for the Hubble Space Telescope’s 30th birthday, National Geographic took time to peruse and publish select photos from the remarkable research tool’s past three decades. Living well beyond its initial 10-year term, the telescope has helped agencies answer long-held questions and inspire generations to continue searching. From “How old is the universe?” (13.8 billion years old) to “Do black holes actually exist? …

Send Yourself a Postcard and Donate to Important Organizations

Conceptualized by Denver-based design agency Cultivator, the “Remind Me What Matters” project was created to be “a reminder that even in the toughest times, something positive can always come out of it.” The activation is charitable in nature, but also encourages people to be kind to those around us, and to ourselves. In order to take part, begin by simply choosing a postcard from Cultivator’s …

Online Tools for Making Comics

J.D. Biersdorfer provides plenty of resources for making your own comic strips—from online tools and downloadable applications to guides for putting pen or paint to paper. “Got a tale to tell but don’t want to bang it out as a traditional book? Try doing it as a digital comic—and ignore anyone who thinks visual narratives are a lesser art form or basic fodder for Hollywood …

Editors’ Selects: At-Home Cinco de Mayo Celebrations

An opportunity to reflect on Mexican design, heritage and history

Buy Guide

The latest additions to our shoppable directory

Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah: Andy Sweet’s Summer Camp 1977

$30

In the summer of 1977, roughly 300 campers arrived at Mountain Lake summer camp in rural North Carolina. There, the camp’s photography instructor, Andy Sweet, would capture an experience and an era in the images that now compose his book Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah: Andy Sweet’s Summer Camp 1977. Sweet, who passed in 1982, balances the uniqueness of the time with the universality of camp life. …

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Embroidered Yin Yang Hoodie

$80

Embroidered with their Arran Gregory-designed yin yang logo, Ghostly’s newest piece of merchandise subtly nods to the record label’s spooky mascot. The boxy hoodie (available in small to extra large) suits all shapes and genders, and is crafted from 100% cotton. Made in the USA, this garment offers an understated way to represent the indie label.

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Liquid Live Resin Mimosa Cartridge

$35

Available in select legal cannabis dispensaries, Bloom Farms’ 500mg Liquid Live Resin Mimosa cartridge delivers cannabis concentrate produced with a focus on freshness. The live resin designation states that the concentrate is extracted from flash-frozen plant matter, ensuring that the true flavors and terpenes of the plant are embodied in the extract. Produced by Symbiotic Genetics, the Mimosa strain boasts notes of citrus and soft …

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Red Ikebana Cannabis Arrangement Art Print

$33

Made in collaboration with cannabis publication Broccoli Magazine, Goldleaf’s pretty ikebana prints embed the marijuana leaf subtly in larger, delicate floral arrangements by Amy Merrick. Printed on thick, uncoated archival paper, this print comes in one size (18 by 24 inches) and in three iterations: print only, print in walnut hanging rails, and print in maple hanging rails. Best of all, Goldleaf actively supports (financially …

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Christine and the Queens: Heart of Gold (Neil Young Cover)

Christine and the Queens (aka French singer/songwriter and producer Héloïse Letissier) just released an emotive and haunting cover of Neil Young’s 1972 hit, “Heart of Gold.” With spacey blips and echoing vocals, this minimal version (with Letissier’s sublime voice the focus) diverges from the acoustic, country-meets-folk original—yet carries all the same intense yearning.

Tom Misch + Yussef Dayes: The Real

From vocalist and instrumentalist Tom Misch and drummer Yussef Dayes, “The Real” features a pitched-up sample of “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. The song (appearing on Dayes and Misch’s collaborative album, What Kinda Music) mixes electronic elements with percussion and a bass line more typically used in hip-hop—all layered under Misch’s sultry vocals. The result is a hybrid piece …

TULU Provides Renters With Access to Household Products

Making appliances, tools and expensive equipment accessible

Factory Visit: Zanat, Traditional Woodcarving in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Touring the Konjic factory where tradition and contemporary design merge

Listen Up

Disco-inflected funk, raucous hip-hop, French pop and more of our favorite new music

SG Lewis: Chemicals

Carried by a buoyant bass line, “Chemicals” by SG Lewis (aka singer/songwriter Samuel Lewis) provides a dreamy, poolside disco soundtrack for a Friday morning. From the upcoming album (also called Chemicals), the song was written by Lewis, along with Steph Jones, Julian Bunetta, and Chad Hugo (The Neptunes and N*E*R*D) on the synth. “‘Chemicals’ is about being convinced to try something new by someone you …

Geographer: Slave To The Rhythm

“I think this song is about being an artist, a creator of consumable emotions, a performer,” Geographer (aka Mike Deni) says to us of “Slave To The Rhythm,” the spellbinding lead track off the celestial synth-pop musician’s upcoming LP, Down And Out In The Garden Of Earthly Delights (out 4 December). Deni recorded the track, a warm wave of emotion and instrumentation, in Tiny Telephone’s B room …

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

Jazz history, black holes explained, whimsical virtual exhibitions and discoveries from ancient ruins

The Casa Dragones #CocktailsAtHome Virtual Competition

Cash in hand for innovative but easy-to-make recipes, as part of the brand's Bartender Community Outreach project

Beirut’s 72-Hour Online Nightlife Fundraiser, Electronic Labor Day

A citizen-led virtual party organized to raise funds for hospitality workers

Before the pandemic arrived in Lebanon, Beirut’s nightlife pulsed with global renown. Then came the government-mandated lockdowns. Like in other cities, Lebanon’s hospitality industry took a major hit as non-essential businesses were shuttered. But the absence of state-sponsored assistance for those left jobless would be more glaring, further straining an already dire economic situation prior to the pandemic. It is estimated that 25,000 workers in …

Interview: Art-Pop Recording Artist Austra

Exploring the new genre-defying fourth album, "HiRUDiN," with the producer, songwriter and vocalist

At Home: COOL HUNTING in April

Our team strives for connection with a life in quarantine

Balmuda’s Steam Toaster Debuts in the US

Already adored in Japan, the impressive kitchen device is now available stateside