CITY OF SIGNS

Meet the artists behind Noble Signs, a Brooklyn-based design studio that specialises in custom hand-painted and neon signs for restaurants all over New York, from mom-and-pop shops to some of the buzziest new joints. 

As The New York Sign Museum, Noble Signs are also preserving and rescuing classic signage from shuttering businesses amid a rapidly changing city.

LINKED UP 127

The Rise of Intellectual Clout

Creators like Predictive History’s Jiang Xueqin and Sedo are ushering in a new era of scholarly consumption that trades brainrot for Plato. (SSENSE)

No Assholes Allowed: The World’s Most Exclusive Clubs Are Embracing a New Policy

Gatekeepers from Switzerland to Mexico have had it with their clientele’s entitlement: “Some behavior toward fellow human beings should simply never be dictated by someone’s wealth, or tolerated because of it.” (Vanity Fair)

If You Fired Your Agent...

Who would you complain about? (Dirt)

How – and Why – to Cull Your Book Collection

Maris Kreizman on the joy (and pain) of downsizing. (Lit Hub)

What Collectibles Crazes Can Tell Us About an Entire Era

The must-have objects of specific periods speak volumes about their societies – just look to Victorian fossil mania or the 1990s frenzy for Beanie Babies. (Dwell)

All the Cool Kids Are Birding

A younger crowd is flocking to a hobby once dominated by retirees – and transforming it along the way. (The Atlantic)

Finding the Art in the Beautiful Game 

LJ Rader is the person behind the wildly popular Art But Make It Sports social media accounts, where he uses photographs and screengrabs of pivotal or dynamic moments in sports and juxtaposes them against canonical paintings or statues. (CNN)

Zayy’s Music-Reaction Videos Are the Last Real Thing on Our Bankrupt Internet

The content creator talks to GQ columnist Chris Black about his hit video channel, discovering Gen X music as a Gen Z listener, and his newfound love of Wilco and Ministry. (GQ)

Reissue of the Week: Cat Power’s The Greatest

Stevie Chick gets to grips with a “miraculous” album, two decades after he first heard it. (The Quietus)

Alright, Still Turns 20 (Stereogum) 

The History and Triumph of Jay-Z’s Yankee Stadium Three-Night Stand

The rap mogul convened his starriest collaborators, showed off his still-dazzling skills and made a convincing argument for his singular legacy. (NYT)

Where Rap’s Avant-Garde Takes Shape

The Brooklyn festival Young World spotlights emergent indie rappers and veteran artists. It was the brainchild of Mike, an artist and label head who has become a fulcrum of the alt-rap scene. (NYT)

Eat, Sleep, Rave ... Make Peace! DJ Yousuke Yukimatsu’s Mission to Change the World With Topless Raves

He beat brain cancer. Now your favourite DJ’s favourite DJ is on a UK tour, armed with experimental techno, Beastie Boys and Taylor Swift. (The Guardian)

Is Ambient Music Evil?

Darkness in the clouds. (Blackbird Spyplane)

Herb Sundays 194: Chanel Beads

Third Eye Blind / Playboy Carti / Ricki Lee Jones = Enigmatic music for long drives. (Herb Sundays)

The Lost Joy of Music Piracy

What.CD, Oink, and the banalities of streaming. (Pigeons & Planes)

MUBI Podcast – This Is England: Shane Meadows’ 2-Toned Look at Skins and Ska

We wrap our season on needle drops with a deep dive into the soundtrack and story behind the film that became a surprise UK franchise. (MUBI)

A First Look at Sofia Coppola’s New Joseph Szabo Book

AnOther exclusively previews American Teen, a new book from Sofia Coppola’s Important Flowers imprint bringing together Joseph Szabo’s intimate photographs of teenage life, with texts by Coppola and Kim Gordon. (AnOther)

Tyrell Hampton’s Photos Capture the Freedom and Fantasy of NYC Nights

The legendary photographer’s new photo book, Last Call, documents some of the city’s cult icons and biggest stars. (Dazed)

Celebrating the African Diaspora: The Photography of Armet Francis

Hackney-based visual arts charity Autograph has received the entire photographic estate of Jamaican-British photographer Armet Francis – a major gift that brings more than 70,000 images into their permanent photography collection. (The Guardian)

Abstract Painting With Reginald Sylvester II

We get to know American painter Reginald Sylvester II as he opens his new exhibition in London. (Drake’s)

At Home With: Pierce Abernathy

Inside the 120+ year-old Brooklyn apartment of the chef, recipe developer and author. (Christopher Fenimore)

How Ina Garten, Everyone’s Favourite TV Chef, Learned to Trust Her Appetite

The Barefoot Contessa invites CULTURED inside her Hamptons home, where she has cultivated a sense of neighbourly warmth and abundance that's increasingly hard to find stateside. (CULTURED)

This Is TASTE 800: How Long Gone’s Jason Stewart on Erewhon Losing the Pizza Plot, Noma’s L.A. Adventure, and a Visit to Ballerina Farm

Jason Stewart, co-host of ⁠How Long Gone⁠ and one of food media’s sharpest outside voices, returns to the studio. (TASTE)

Anatomy of a Logo: Calvin Klein

A symbol of simplicity and sex appeal, the sans-serif logo has come to encapsulate contemporary American style. Here, we unpack the logo’s origins. (Calvin Klein)

The Anatomy of the Penny Loafer

A deep dive into one of the greatest shoes ever invented. (Sprezza)

Fit(s) For a Queen

The Serena Williams Fit-Dex is hands-down the best use of the internet. (Racquet)

‘Zara Death Pants’: Are These the World’s Most Dangerous Trousers?

Wide-legged and flowing, they are causing a storm on social media, with people posting videos of the fabric getting caught in escalators and causing painful trips. (The Guardian)

SAINTÉ – LATE CHECKOUT

Sainté’s new three-track EP, Late Checkout, is out now. Listen here.

HOMESICK

HOMESICK is one of New York City’s most prolific writers. Populist hung out with him for a week of bombing the city and talking about the story behind his name.

DAVID FLAUGHER

A look at Detroit-based painter David Flaugher’s current exhibition, In Dog Years I’m Dead, at Bernheim, London. More here.

SIR RENDER (STONE ISLAND SOUND EDITION)

Stone Island Sound presents an exclusive edition of Navy Blue’s latest project, Sir Render. The artwork, created by Liam MacRae, features a custom bust rendered in chainmail alongside a bespoke shield engraved with the Stone Island Star logo. Together, the diptych reflects the balance of vulnerability and protection that sits at the core of the project. 

The special edition vinyl will be available tomorrow.

“THE BEAUTIFUL GAME”

The cover for this week’s issue of The New Yorker is “The Beautiful Game”, by Lorenzo Mattotti.

(Via SporArts)

WIMBLE-DONE

Scenes from the past two weeks in SW19, captured by The Second Serve.

CENTRE COURT CROWD

Artwork by Marta Bazan.

(Via Dropshot magazine)

EARLY BIRDS BY JACOB ELWOOD

First in on Centre Court by Jacob Elwood.

(Via The Ace Club, again)

BLONDEY FOR MENTAL ATHLETIC

Blondey McCoy photographed by Lex Kembery for issue 5 of Mental Athletic magazine. Available here.

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Chanel Beads on Your Day Will Come (Not a 2.0)

Oh to be a band from New York in the summer with a new album out. (Monster Children)

Kwengletarianism: How Harrow Rapper Kibo Founded His Own Religion

From Sam’s Chicken to Stonebridge Park, we roam north-west London with the storied rapper to explore the fantastical philosophy behind his long-awaited sophomore album, Kwengletaria:Ragamyff. (Dazed)

Navy Blue on the Lyrics That Changed His Life

The rapper-producer, model, and skateboarder breaks down songs from Vashti Bunyan, Broadcast, and the late Brooklyn rapper Ka. (Hearing Things)

Healing With Kenny Mason

During a tour stop in Cleveland, the rapper opens up about therapy, Title Fight, and the hard-hitting world of BULLDAWG. (Alt Press)

Coming of Age: How Reasonable Doubt Launched Jay-Z’s Legacy

The debut album was not an instant classic upon its release in 1996. What changed? (POW)

Resolved: Aaliyah’s Final Album 25 Years On

Everything changed in 2001, not just in geopolitics but in culture as well, and Aaliyah's third and final album exemplified that more than most. (The Quietus)

Return to Cookie Mountain Turns 20 (Stereogum)

Jenkem Mix 165: Pavement

Often credited as pioneering the “slacker” sound we all know and love, we’re delighted to bring you Pavement’s very own mix. (Jenkem)

When Freaks Were Chic: An Oral History of Danceteria

Debi Mazar, Rick Rubin, Michael Musto, Fab 5 Freddy, and more remember the legendary ’80s nightclub that inspired a new Madonna single – and where she, RuPaul, Beastie Boys, and more invented themselves before they broke big. (Vanity Fair)

MUBI Podcast – Belly: Hype Williams and Soul II Soul Bring Hip-Hop ‘Back To Life’

Season 11 continues with a look at the 1998 feature debut from hip-hop’s most iconic music video director. (MUBI)

Courtney Love Looks Back on Her Life as a Movie Star

The beloved rock musician reflects on her formative experiences as an actor and her close collaborations with directors Milos Forman and Alex Cox. (Criterion Collection)

The Shards Is the Ryan Murphy/Bret Easton Ellis Collab Real Sickos Have Been Praying For

The king of horny murder shows is adapting the American Psycho author's autofiction serial-killer novel. Expect ‘80s excess, unbridled maximalism, and plenty of demon twinks. (GQ)

Jerry Hsu’s Nihilistic Photographs of Los Angeles

The skateboarder-turned-imagemaker exclusively reveals How About Never, his new book with MACK. (i-D)

Ryan McGinley Tries to Photograph What It Means to Be Alive

In Night Shift, his first New York show in eight years, the photographer brings his travelling bacchanal home to the city’s streets. (New Yorker)

Good News for Bill Cunningham Fans

The New York Historical announced a new show, We All Dress for Bill, with selections from parties, fashion shows, and the street, coming in 2027. (NYT)

Derek Blasberg and Mel Ottenberg on the Golden Age of Going Out

In his new book Fast + Louche, Blasberg waxes nostalgic for that time in his life, republishing all of his Interview columns and photographs of those unforgettable parties in one place. (Interview)

Anatomy of a Logo: Milton Glaser’s I Love NY

Born from a doodle sketched from the back of a cab, Milton Glaser’s I Love NY became one of the most successful, popular and beloved logos in history. (Wallpaper)

The Visual Codes of Wimbledon: Why It’s So Much More Than Tennis

What makes Wimbledon, Wimbledon? Photographer Barney Curran takes us through the tournament’s visual language, from pristine grass courts to strawberries and cream, showing that it’s more than tennis that makes the event a global hit. (Wallpaper)

Can Tennis Survive Its New Golden Age? 

The next generation of elite players has arrived. On the court, they are delivering astonishing play. Off the court, they aren’t entirely happy. (The Atlantic)

Too Many Books?

Mendel Uminer faced a crisis when his landlord objected to the 10,000 volumes in his New York studio apartment. (NYT)

Why the Cookbook Endures

Not too long ago, the physical cookbook seemed to be heading toward the same fate as the compact disc. What happened was just the opposite. (TASTE)

Pass Me the Aux… and a Paring Knife

From bakeries to fine dining restaurants, a good playlist is an essential tool in every kitchen. (TASTE)

At the Table: Kronenhalle

In Zurich for the day, we headed to the city’s finest and most historic dining institution, Kronenhalle, for lunch under the watchful gaze of their collection of Picassos, Chagalls and Miros. (Drake’s)

DAVID HOCKNEY: ANOTHER VIEW OF THE WORLD

David Hockney interviewed by Marc-Christoph Wagner at his home in France in March 2019. Courtesy of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.

THE MARTA DRESS

Is Marta Kostyuk’s Wimbledon two-piece one of the best tennis kits in recent memory? I think so. Congratulations to designer Joelle Michaeloff and the Wilson team on the collaboration.

(Via The Ace Club)

HOLLY LOWEN

A look at the tennis art of Holly Lowen.

(Via The Ace Club)