New information from the Depeche Mode rumor mill. After canceling the summer leg of the Exciter 2002 tour, both Dave Gahan and Martin Gore have promised to release solo albums within the next 14 months. Gahan has been working on demos with Knox Chandler with 15 pre-recorded so far (he even had a track rejected from Exciter). Dave also promised on US radio last week that he will tour with the new material in 2003 and he plans to throw in several Depeche Mode favourites to the set-list. Meanwhile, Martin Gore also confirmed that he will begin work of an album of cover versions from his home studio in California that will enable him to be with his wife during the pregnancy.

From Orak UK

Discogs is a great site for electro enthusiasts. You can create Collections (releases that you own) and Wantlists, read reviews, rate. Very nice indeed.

The Jack Stauffacher exxhibit, part of the SFMOMA's permanent collection is really gorgeous. If you're a fan of typography, or Russian constructivist-era art, then I'd highly recommend checking it out.

SHIT!

How could I have missed this?

Wednesday, February 27
Noise Pop 2002
Featuring The Faint plus I Am Spoonbender and Adult. and Ghost Orchid
Doors are at 7 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $14
18 & over are welcome
Bimbo's 365 Club
1025 Columbus Avenue (at Chestnut Street)
San Francisco, CA

Although not a huge fan of their music, one must give Detroit's White Stripes due props for their completely brilliant Fell In Love With A Girl video, done completely with stop animation and Legos. Awesome.

After a day of rain and the startling realization that our beachfront location wasn't as appealing in the midst of a downpour, and, in the absence of any extraneous creature-comforts (in the name of total relaxation and being unplugged - all well and good if you've got sun, sand and surf), there really wasn't a whole lot to do at Hotel Las Palapas, we decided to move our accommodations into town. We landed at the well executed Hotel Deseo, a beautiful oasis of good design and modernism awash in a sea of overpriced hammocks and badly cast pottery swathed in lead-tainted paint. Other than being just a bit to self-aware of it's uber-hip status, Hotel Deseo was a comfortable dream. I'd recommend it, and stay there again in a heartbeat.

Please. Think of the kittens.

Palaya del Carmen is unbelievably beautiful, and the accommodations at Hotel Las Palapas couldn't be better. I expect to be one tan robot by the time I return. Until then...bueños dias y hasta luego.

The aforementioned Found Magazine will be hosting an event at Cellspace in San Francisco on Sunday, march 3rd @ 8pm. Go if you can.

Sabrina has immortalized me yet again at pocketpig.com. Pretty spot-on if I do say so myself!

My enthusiasm for this probably seals my fate for being pegged as one sick individual.

Fun with science! Your very own home made magnetic linear accelerator from a wooden ruler, tape and four magnets. The plans can be found here.

Nice.
Nice too.

Today's guilty listening pleasure: No Doubt - Rock Steady.

Word from Megan is the Musee Mechanique is closing this fall, which is a tragedy in every sense of the word. A sign in the window says it will be closing September of 2002.

"I overheard the owner telling someone that all the machines will just be stored away, she said that it will never be forgotten, and he insisted that after some time, it will."

Any ideas on how to save it?

Found Magazine is a neat concept: love letters, birthday cards, kids' homework, to-do lists, ticket stubs, poetry on napkins, telephone bills, doodles- anything that gives a glimpse into someone else's life. anything goes...if they find it, they digitize it and post it.

Michael over at Burnlab has penned nice essay on Fischerspooner and the sorry state of pop music in general. As a bonus, you'll enjoy the electropop perfection otherwise known as Emerge as you read. Crank the volume. Consume. Enjoy.

Two potentially worthy books on the horizon: 800*600, a the crew of the Hungarian web mag Inertia attempt to capture the best of the ever changing web in 208 pages, and The Art of Looking Sideways by Phaidon Press, a collection of curious facts and useless information for the design obsessed.

Quality industrial design has finally penetrated (excuse the pun) sex toy industry.

Congratulations to Rob and Kathleen.

Tugboat vs. Draw Bridge - Stranger than fiction.

Robot Query: wisdom/knowledge/advice I am currently seeking:

1) Sandals: I’m desperately seeking a pair of Clone Pool sandals for my upcoming trip to the Caribbean. They’re sublimely designed and molded out of a featherweight single piece of plastic, and come in S, M, L and XL. Stores in San Francisco seem to either be out of stock, or clueless as to when they will get more, and numerous requests to Clone’s customer service department have been useless. If anyone has seen these in his or her area, let me know where.

2) I’ve been appointed the dubious distinction of penning the play list for To-Do-List’s magazine launch party. I’ve got the usual electro-suspects all lined up, but what I need suggestions on are songs that exemplify ‘self-loathing’ (the topic of TDL’s latest issue is – you guessed it, self loathing). Of course, numerous Smiths songs come to mind, but what other self loathing singles do you know?

Burnlab is a fantastic site chock full of music, fashion, photography, art, culture and all things worthy. I highly recommend checking it out.

I realize I'm probably last to this party, but if you haven't already, you must endulge in the pure fun otherwise known as dictionaraoke.

Astronomers at The Johns Hopkins University have produced a unique new insight into the nature of existence: They've determined the color of the universe.

Want to give your G4 a more personalized look? Try appleskinz.

One review of Morimoto Restaurant. Thanks, ace!

Kwazy

With a name like this, no wonder it's ranked dead-last on the Amazon sales list:

Corals and stromatoporoids from the Ordovician and Silurian of Kronprins Christian Land, Northeast Greenland by Colin Thomas Scrutton

From AmazonScan.com

Attention all Philidelphia-area robots: I'm very interested in any photos people have taken of the new Karim Rashid designed Morimoto Restaurant. Near the liberty bell, the restaurant boasts 140 seats and 6 Sushi Chefs along with the rest of the kitchen complement. I'm curious about what it looks like, any interesting little details in design and layout, as well as thoughts on the quality of the food and service, and how the design of the resturant either complimented or distracted from the dining experience. Send me your feedback here.