APRIL WAS ALL 'BOUT MUSIC, MAVENS, MAVERICKS AND PRIVATE JETS
MUSIC
The 11 Best Songs to Listen to in April
Heat up your music library with a new batch of breezy, spring-ready tracks.
Content Courtesy of: elle.com
Written By: NERISHA PENROSE
It's officially spring—and while spring cleaning is typically reserved for our closets, our playlist could use a little detoxing as well. Breezy, festival-ready bops from artists like Alison Wonderland, Twin Shadows, and Sofi Tukker, should do the job. If you're ready to warm it up, here are the 11 best songs to listen to this April.
Known for her ambient, gritty production style, Alison Wonderland has made a name for herself as a powerhouse DJ in the electronic music sphere. For her third single, Wonderland recruits rapper Trippie Redd to inject his flair into the track. His sweeping, ominous intro builds up for nearly two minutes before the big drop. Who else could make us wait that long? Alison Wonderland's new album, Awake, hits stores on April 6.
Alison Wonderland, Awake; Amazon
Cardi B rose to fame on the boisterous rhymes heard on singles like "Bodak Yellow" and "Bartier Cardi"; now she's showing off her softer side on "Be Careful." Well, sort of. The rapper's signature brash demeanor remains intact as she sounds off on an unfaithful lover: "You gon' gain the whole world / But is it worth the girl that you're losin'?" Cardi's also got reinforcements: She brings Lauryn Hill's 1998 hit "X-Factor" in on the hook.
Cardi B, Invasion of Privacy; Amazon
Kimbra is vulnerable on “Version of Me,” a story of someone who knows she's made mistakes and vows to change her ways. Kimbra questions if she’s to blame for the failed relationship. The song turns away from elaborate production and calls upon mellow piano and the New Zealander's delicate warble to encapsulate heartbreak. Look out for the album, Primal Heart, on April 20.
Kimbra, Primal Heart; Amazon
Every new release from Saba sounds like a breath of fresh air. Over a skittering drum beat and soulful synths, “Life” finds the Chicago MC touching on a wide range of subjects, and, most notably, mass incarceration: “They want a barcode on my wrist / To auction off the kids that don't fit their description of a utopia / Like a problem won't exist if I just don't exist.” With its account of family members' personal struggles, this track won't let any listener off the hook. Care For Me will be released on April 11.
Saba, Care For Me; Amazon
Sofi Tukker’s lead vocalist, Sophie Hawley-Weld, asserts her dominance from the opening line of this cheeky pop jaunt: “Baby I'm a queen, so why do you call me baby?” Alongside this self-assured swagger, Hawley-Weld celebrates vulnerability, singing, “I might prefer desire to self control / I might prefer crying to being composed / I might prefer chaos to even flow.” Their debut album, Treehouse, will be released on April 13.
Sofi Tukker, Treehouse; Amazon.com
Samantha Jade is stepping into new waters for her upcoming album Best of My Love; her latest singles are heavily influenced by the timeless sounds of the disco/funk era. Jade’s dazzling salute to The Emotions, a cover of “Best of My Love,” demonstrated just how versatile her voice is. “Roller Skates” (which boasts a giant disco ball on the cover) is a shimmering earworm with a drop designed for a 2 A.M. warehouse rave. Best of My Love is slated for release on April 20.
Samantha Jade, Best of My Love; Amazon
Twin Shadow's "Brace" playfully blends an angelic chant with colorful synths, the perfect base for vocalist George Lewis Jr.'s honeyed vocals. Amidst this deceptively delicate mélange, Lewis sings about being strong enough to let yourself fall but also allowing someone to fall for you—the perfect message for Aries season. Caer hits stores on April 27.
Twin Shadow, Caer; Amazon
"Thru The Cracks" has a folk-reminiscent sound that connects seamlessly with his gravelly sing-song. But while the bluesy guitar riff might feel light-hearted, King Tuff is opening up about losing a friend. "You know you had such a beautiful brain but no one understood you / You only saw one way to escape but I wish you didn’t have to," he laments, with help from singer Jenny Lewis. The Other will arrive on April 13.
King Tuff, The Other; Amazon
This is what spring sounds like. In Night Flowers' "Hey Love," bright guitar and harmonious vocals will captivate listeners—not to mention the infectious rock-tinged beat. The single is a taste of the UK indie pop group's upcoming debut album, which will be released on April 13.
Night Flowers, Wild Notion; Amazon
Electro, rock, and hip-hop collide on Thirty Seconds to Mars' latest single, "One Track Mind." For the slow-burning track, Jared Leto's band enlists Harlem-born A$AP Rocky, who opts for an auto-tune-drenched croon instead of his usual rap flow. America comes out on April 6.
Thirty Seconds to Mars, America; Amazon
Snooze is the last thing you'll want to do after hearing Say Sue Me's "After Falling Asleep." This is one of the South Korean indie pop band's Korean-language songs, which singer Sum Choi said was a deliberate choice for Korean fans. If you're not able to tune in to the lyrics, though, the tune's airy, chilled-out sound is all you need to get lost in a dream.
Say Sue Me, Where We Were Together; Amazon
ART
Content Courtesy of: artnews.com
Writteb by: Alex Greenberger
Citing ‘Frustration’ Over Delay for $8 M. Jeff Koons Sculpture, Producer Joel Silver Sues Gagosian Gallery [Updated]
The New York Daily News reports that film producer Joel Silver has sued Gagosian gallery, alleging that the gallery has not delivered a Jeff Koons sculpture he had agreed to purchase for $8 million. This is the second suit the gallery has faced this month. ARTnews previously reported that the collector Steven Tananbaum was suing Gagosian and Jeff Koons Studio, LLC for the “non-delivery” of three Koons sculptures for which he had paid more than $13 million.
According to the Daily News report, Silver, who has produced films in the Die Hard, The Matrix, and Lethal Weapon series, agreed to buy Koons’s 8.5-foot-tall sculpture Balloon Venus Hohlen Fels (2013–15) for $8 million in 2014. He worked out a payment plan with the gallery in which he would fulfill the cost in installments. He put down $3.2 million and was allegedly told that the sculpture would be ready in June 2017. But in January 2017, the gallery pushed back the completion date to July 2019, citing “purported difficulties in completing a ‘digital model,’ ” according to the suit. (Koons’s studio is not named in the Silver filing.)
Joel Silver.
Credit by: DAVID SHANKBONE
According to the Daily News report, Silver, who has produced films in the Die Hard, The Matrix, and Lethal Weapon series, agreed to buy Koons’s 8.5-foot-tall sculpture Balloon Venus Hohlen Fels (2013–15) for $8 million in 2014. He worked out a payment plan with the gallery in which he would fulfill the cost in installments. He put down $3.2 million and was allegedly told that the sculpture would be ready in June 2017. But in January 2017, the gallery pushed back the completion date to July 2019, citing “purported difficulties in completing a ‘digital model,’ ” according to the suit. (Koons’s studio is not named in the Silver filing.)
Silver then asked Gagosian gallery to return his money because he was “frustrated by the delay and skeptical of when, if ever, the Balloon Venus would be completed.” Gagosian reportedly refused and told the producer he couldn’t have his money back until he made his payments on the new schedule laid out by the gallery. One day before Silver was to make a payment, Tananbaum filed his suit, which claims that the gallery had engineered a Ponzi-style scheme that also involved delayed completion dates.
In a statement provided to ARTnews, a spokesperson for Gagosian gallery said, “Because of the unusual process used to create his pieces, and his impeccable standards for completion, [Koons’s] contracts for sale specifically state that the delivery dates are only estimates. For more than 30 years Jeff Koons has been creating works of art and to our knowledge, without exception, has never failed to deliver these works and always to the enormous satisfaction of the collector. Progress is being made on the pieces at issue in these litigations, and as always they will be delivered upon completion.”
Update 4/30/18, 9:05 p.m.: A statement from Gagosian gallery has been added to the post.
INNOVATION
Content Courtesy of: livescience.com
Written by: Brandon Specktor
'Mind-Reading' Headset Lets You Control a Computer with Your Thoughts … Sort Of
The AlterEgo headset being developed at MIT would allow users to communicate with their devices completely hands- and voice-free.
Credit By: Lorrie Lejeune/MIT
Regardless of whether your mouth is moving right now, you are talking to yourself.
As you read these words, the muscles in your larynx, jaw and face are fluttering with quick, imperceptible movements, sounding out the words so you can actually "hear" them in your head. This kind of silent speech is called "subvocalization," and unless you're a speed-reader who has trained yourself out of this habit, you're doing it all day, every time you read or even imagine a word.
Now, MIT researchers want to use those subvocalizations to decode your internal monologue and translate it into digital commands, using a wearable "augmented intelligence" headset called AlterEgo.
According to a statement from the MIT Media Lab, the device would allow users to send silent commands to the headset simply by thinking of a word. A neural network would translate the muscle movements to speech and do the user's bidding — totally hands- and voice-free.
The motivation for this was to build an IA device — an intelligence-augmentation device," Arnav Kapur, a graduate student at the MIT Media Lab and lead author of a paper describing the device, said in the statement. "Our idea was: Could we have a computing platform that's more internal, that melds human and machine in some ways and that feels like an internal extension of our own cognition?"
A promotional video accompanying the news release shows a student (Kapur) going about his daily routine while wearing the headset, using silent commands to navigate through a TV menu, check the time, tally up prices in the supermarket and, apparently, cheat at the game Go. His opponent is none the wiser.
So, how does it work?
Let's say you want to ask AlterEgo what time it is. First, you think the word "time." As you do, muscles in your face and jaw make micro-movements to sound out the word in your head. Electrodes on the underside of the AlterEgo headset press against your face and record these movements, then transmit them to an external computer via Bluetooth. A neural network processes these signals the same way a speech-to-text program might, and responds by telling you the time — "10:45."
In another twist, AlterEgo includes no earbuds. Instead, a pair of "bone conduction headphones" resting against your head sends vibrations through your facial bones into your inner ear, effectively letting you hear AlterEgo's responses inside your head. The effect is a completely silent conversation between you and your computer — no need to pull out a phone or laptop.
An early test of the technology showed promising results, MIT said. In a small study, 10 volunteers read a list of 750 randomly ordered numerical digits to themselves while wearing AlterEgo headsets. According to the researchers, AlterEgo correctly interpreted which digits the participants were reading with an average accuracy of 92 percent. (For comparison, Google's microphone-based speech-to-text translation service has an accuracy of about 95 percent, according to Recode.)
"We basically can't live without our cellphones, our digital devices," said Pattie Maes, an MIT professor and the paper's senior author. "But at the moment, the use of those devices is very disruptive…. My students and I have for a very long time been experimenting with new form factors and new types of experience that enable people to still benefit from all the wonderful knowledge and services that these devices give us, but do it in a way that lets them remain in the present."
The new paper describing the device was presented at the Association for Computing Machinery's ACM Intelligent User Interface conference in March, and has yet to appear in a peer-reviewed journal.
FASHION
Content Courtesy of: wwd.com
Written by: Tiffany Ap
Sarah Jessica Parker Partners With Gilt for Ready-to-Wear Bridal Collection
Credit By: GILT.COM
After her lavish wedding at the New York Public Library fell through, Carrie Bradshaw couldn't help but wonder if a low-key, less traditional ceremony was a better fit for her and Mr. Big. Spoiler alert: It was, and Sarah Jessica Parkerseems to have taken that revelation to heart with her latest collection.
This week the actress turned designer partnered with Gilt to release a ready-to-wear bridal collection, comprising 10 pieces perfect for the "modern, nontraditional bride," according to a press release.
Parker's wedding-ready line is designed to take brides from the bridal shower all the way through the reception, as well as get any bridesmaid or wedding guest ready for the occasion. Besides an assortment of classic dresses in varying cuts and lengths, the collection also includes tie-back and three-quarter-sleeve bodysuits, a halter-neck jumpsuit, and several skirts. Each piece comes in a range of colors—white, black, blush, blue, light gray, and poppy—and sizes (0–14 and XS–L). Prices range from $295 for the sleeveless, bow-back bodysuit to $2,395 for the full-length embroidered gown.
"Collaborating with Gilt on my first bridal ready-to-wear collection was an opportunity I couldn't pass up," Parker said in the release. "The team there is brilliant and allowed me to be imaginative and take risks as I was designing for the nontraditional bride. It has been quite fun to play around with colors, fabrics, and details to create unique pieces for all kinds of brides."
In addition to the apparel, Gilt is releasing 15 existing styles from the SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker shoe line in an exclusive new selection of colors and heel heights, to pair with the bridal collection. The shoes, which include popular styles like the Cosette and the Fawn, are priced between $350 and $485 on the Gilt site.
Check out some of the pieces in the SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker bridal collection below.
Credit By: GILT.COM
Credit By: GILT.COM
Credit By: GILT.COM
Credit By: GILT.COM
Credit By: GILT.COM
Credit By: GILT.COM
BRANDS
Content Courtesy of: cnbc.com
Written by: Karen Gilchrist
Jay-Z and Saudi royalty backed this 29-year-old to build a billion-dollar private jet app
When a 21-year-old Sergey Petrossov found himself on a private jet for the first time, he didn't anticipate he'd one day make it a regular occurrence — not only for himself, but for thousands of others.
Eight years on, however, he sits at the helm of JetSmarter, the billion-dollar, celebrity-backed private jet booking app commonly dubbed the Uber of the skies.
"At the time, I didn't know it was going to be a business," Petrossov told CNBC Make It, recalling his first trip in 2009.
It wasn't an obvious journey for Petrossov, after all. Back then, he was newly graduated from the University of Florida and cutting his entrepreneurial teeth on a start-up for schools in his native Russia. A chance encounter with the owner of a private jet company saw him and offered a ride.
Sergey Petrossov, founder of JetSmarter
Petrossov was quickly struck by what he called the "archaic" nature of the industry, which at that time relied entirely on analogue rather than digital management systems. Coming from a background in tech start-ups, that was foreign to him.
But it was in that process he stumbled across the real money maker: "I learned that (the industry) was highly underutilized," said Petrossov.
It was now 2012, and the sharing economy was gaining traction with the advent of Airbnb and Uber, yet private jets continued to fly at an average 10 to 15 percent capacity.
"It was an ineffective use of the plane," said Petrossov. "There needed to be a sharing medium."
"WE ALWAYS KNEW THAT SHARING IS HOW YOU CAN BROADEN THE MARKET."
-Sergey Petrossov, founder of JetSmarter
Despite being an asset-less concept, however, Petrossov and his new chief technology officer knew that it would be a costly endeavor. They decided to launch JetSmarter first as a digital data platform in 2013, with some initial backing, before going in search of additional funding for their sharing business.
"First, there was a digital theme, but sharing required more resources and capital. We always knew that sharing is how you can broaden the market," Petrossov said.
That funding soon came, and since launching its sharing platform in 2015 JetSmarter has received investments from several high-profile backers including rapper Jay-Z and Saudi Arabian royalty. Positioned as a "hybrid" to lower costs for existing private flyers, while providing greater convenience for new users, the platform allows members to both schedule flights and book empty seats on existing private jet routes.
"It evolved into a concept that provides a solution for existing jet users, but also for people who fly commercial and want flexibility," said Petrossov.
"WE WANT TO SET A NEW STANDARD. IT'S NOT ABOUT EXCLUSIVITY, IT'S ABOUT PROVIDING MORE EFFICIENT TRAVEL."
Over the past few years, membership packages have gone through several iterations, prompting criticism from some users who now face add-on fees for private hires. But Petrossov said he is focused on "democratizing access to private travel."
Today, basic membership is available for $5,000 per year, with varying additional fees for chartering flights and booking empty seats. A higher tier of membership is available from $50,000.
"We want to set a new standard. It's not about exclusivity, it's about providing more efficient travel," he said.
JetSmarter says it currently serves 15,000 members, primarily business travelers, across the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. In the next few years, Petrossov said he hopes to expand this customer base by offering lower costs for short journeys.
"Our goal is to take massive market share against commercial airlines, specifically business and first class, especially for routes under five hours," he added.
HOSPITALITY
Content Courtesy of: bighospitality.co.uk
Written by: Sophie Witts
People on the move in hospitality: April 2018
It's been another busy month in hospitality, with changes at the top for a struggling high street chain, and a new job for Masterchef's youngest professional champion.
Mini Patel
Mini Patel has been named as the new chef patron at D&D London’s Blueprint Café on the South Bank. The chef, who left The Pointer in Brill in Buckinghamshire in 2017 after two and a half years, has overhauled the menu to focus on small plates with a “playful, contemporary twist”. Patel also cooked under Angela Hartnett at her Michelin-starred restaurant at The Connaught, and represented the North East on Great British Menu in 2015 and 2016.
Martin Cahill
Martin Cahill has joined the Rosewood London hotel as executive chef. It follows the departure of Amandine Chaignot, who stepped down from the post in January after three years. The move marks a return to the UK for Cahill, who joins from DUKES Hotel in Dubai. In his new position he will oversee Rosewood’s The Mirror Room restaurant and Scarfes Bar. Calum Franklin remains executive chef at Holborn Dining Room and the Pie Room, which are also situated in the hotel.
Ruth Leigh
Ruth Leigh has been appointed general manager at Henry Harris’ The Coach gastropub in Clerkenwell, London. She began her career in London as assistant general manager at Le Café Anglais, before moving to Hong Kong to manage the restaurant at The Continental. Leigh returned to London in 2016 to work at Stevie Parle and Tom Dixon’s Dock Kitchen, where she grew the customer and events base. Leigh, who is the daughter of chef Rowley Leigh, has known Harris for years. “Both Henry and I are looking forward to this new chapter at The Coach, and I’m just excited to get started,” she says.
Tom Barnes
Tom Barnes has returned to Simon Rogan’s restaurant business as chef patron at Rogan & Co in Cartmel, Cumbria. Born and raised in the Lake District, Barnes began at L’Enclume as a chef de partie in 2011 and worked his way up to become head chef in spring 2014. He held the position for over three years, taking charge of day to day running of the kitchen and working alongside Rogan with the menu development and team training. He returns to Cumbria after spending a year at three-starred Restaurant Geranium in Copenhagen.
Jon Hendry Pickup
Prezzo CEO Jon Hendry Pickup is to step down after the group’s creditors approved a CVA to close 94 restaurants – a third of its estate. He will be replaced by Café Rouge co-founder Karen Jones, who is also chairman of Hawksmoor and Mowgli. Hendry Pickup, who joined Prezzo in 2016, will remain at the company through a transition period in April and May. The CVA comes after like-for-like sales at Prezzo fell 8.1% in the year to December 2017, with the chain blaming rising costs and competition from other chains. Since the CVA Hendry Pickup launched a transformation plan that has seen top-performing sites rebranded with an improved layout.
Craig Johnston
Youngest-MasterChef-The-Professionals-winner-joins-Marcus-at-The-Berkeley_wrbm_large
Craig Johnston, the 2017 MasterChef: The Professionals champion, has joined judge Marcus Wareing’s restaurant Marcus at The Berkeley Hotel as senior chef de partie. Johnston was just 21-year-old when he triumphed in the BBC show, becoming the youngest ever winner in its ten series. He left his role as sous chef at The Royal Oak gastropub in Maidenhead earlier this month to take up the position at the two-Michelin-starred kitchen.
Gordon Ramsay Group
Petrus head chef Larry Jayasekara has become the latest member of staff to depart the Gordon Ramsay Group (GRG). Jayasekara joined the restaurant as senior sous chef in 2015 and went on to win National Chef of the Year 2016. Speaking to BigHospitality in 2015 he said his “ultimate goal” was to win a Michelin star, either at GRG or his own restaurant. GRG chief executive Stuart Gillies is believed to have left his role earlier this year after filings show his position as director was terminated in February, with managing director Andy Wenlock tipped to have taken his place. Simon King, formerly of Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, has also stepped down as director of operations.
Stuart Geddes
Stuart Geddes has been promoted to general manager of London’s The Goring Hotel. Geddes first joined The Goring in 2006 after several years at The Ritz, and in 2013 the hotel was granted a Royal Warrant of appointment to HM The Queen for Hospitality Services. He now oversees the hotel’s 69 rooms and suites, bar and lounge and its restaurant The Dining Room, which won a Michelin star in 2016.
Daniel Lee
Daniel Lee has been appointed head chef at the Galvin brothers’ Galvin Green Man pub and restaurant near Chelmsford, Essex. Lee previously cooked with Jeff Galvin for three years at Michelin-starred Galvin La Chapelle in London, and will be working closely with Jeff’s brother, Chris Galvin, at the Green Man. “I’m really looking forward to working with the Galvins again and delighting our customers with outstanding food far beyond the normal gastro-pub fare,” says Lee. Since opening in 2016 Galvin Green Man has been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand and 2 AA Rosettes.
FOOD AND BEVERAGE
Content Courtesy of: thestate.com
Written by: DAVID TRAVIS BLAND
Scott Benny’s American & International Cuisine will participate in this weekend’s South Carolina Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival. Matt Walsh The State file photo
30-something food trucks + 17 craft breweries = 5 hours of deliciousness
The South Carolina Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival is set to line the State Fairgrounds with delicious grub and refreshing brews. This will be the event’s fourth year.
The good-time atmosphere features beer from at least 17 breweries and more than 30 food trucks — quite a few more trucks than what the organizers of the South Carolina Food Truck and Craft Beer started out with. Boston-based Food Truck Festivals of America is the company that puts together the South Carolina shindig.
Back in 2011, the budding company heard from a sister public relations agency that a client wanted to do something different.
“They were tired of art, tired of music (events),” recalls Janet Prensky, co-founder of Food Truck Festivals of America. “We had heard about food trucks but they were not vibrant in the New England area at all.”
They searched and got eight food trucks together from around the northeastern part of the United States for that inaugural festival. Now the company works with more than 3,500 trucks in the various festivals they put on across the country.
“We wondered if it was a fad or it was a trend,” Prensky says of food trucks. “We’ve learned over the years that it’s a trend that’s here to stay.”
Prensky and her group have also found that for the most part, South Carolinians are eager to participate in the new eating enterprise. But the weather can make folks a bit timid.
The first year of the S.C. Food Truck and Craft Beer Fest went off without a hitch. The second year, it was slammed, Prensky remembers. But last year, the Columbia heat kept would-be festivalgoers in the air conditioning.
With this upcoming go of the food and beverage party, the temperature is forecast in the mid to high 70s — and that’s “a very, very good temperature for a food truck festival,” Prensky says.
The trucks will show up rain or shine. In their history of putting on events, Food Truck Festivals of America have never canceled an event and only rescheduled one due to a forecast of lightning.
“We go out of our way to make sure we have a food truck and craft beer festival when we say we do,” Prensky says. “We’ll be there and depressed in the rain.”
The trucks’ grills will be smoking, friers crisping meats up, boilers boiling and ice creameries scooping. Just a taste of the diversity set for the festival:
Macarollin’ cooks up gourmet mac ‘n’ cheese with eclectic toppings, while Fat Bellies offer tacos Texas style. You can get fresh lobster rolls, a not-too-often-seen treat inland in the Palmetto State, from Low Country Lobster or pick up some authentic Puerto Rican bites from Chazito’s Latin Cuisine.
One truck that Prensky wants to brag on snagging up for the festival is the Charleston-based Braised in the South, which won Food Network’s 2017 season of "The Great Food Truck Race."
https://instagram.com/p/Be_f15dnMjk/?utm_source=ig_embed“What we like to do is bring in new trucks so it’s not always the same if you come to a festival,” Prensky says.
With a host of local and regional beers such Devils Backbone of Virginia; Asheville, North Carolina’s Wicked Weed; Columbia Craft and many more, a reliable selection of suds will wash down all the tastes you can get.
“We go out of our way to make sure our craft beers have a local representation,” Prensky says. “But we also makes sure to have regional and national beers.”
A few beer you might not have been able to get your hands on yet will be available. Golden Road Brewery is coming in from Los Angeles and 10 Barrel from Oregon, along with a couple more brews from further stretches out of South Carolina.
Music, lawn games, and an artist village are also planned.
But Prensky knows the stars of this show are the food trucks and beer givers. That’s what people come for, and over the years, she’s heard folks saying one thing about those handing out meals from a truck.
“I don’t think people realize these are chefs in food trucks,” Prenskly says. “We hear a lot of, “Oh my God. I had no idea that this was going to be this fantastic, that the food would be this good.’
