Seldom is someone so genuine you feel like you could instantly be friends, but that’s exactly how I felt about meeting Rocky Votolato. I caught up with the singer-songwriter in the car before his show to talk about his new album, True Devotion, and two things he’s totally excited about. But what I got was so much more – some excellent advice for any artist and life in general. Have a listen below.

Rocky Votolato Interview

I’m not sure if I’ve ever consciously bought something influenced by product placement, but I think Zazum has stumbled across something big. The Redwood City, CA startup is developing a mobile phone application that lists the products and clothing in your favorite television shows with links to external websites. So whether your thing is picking up some authentic Hank Moody shades or a piece in Blair and Serena’s infinite wardrobe, you’ll know where to get it, and of course be able to share with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. The verdict is TBD on the design and functionality, but I see this bumping up the value of product placement for advertisers.

My music reviews run the risk of being labeled amateur, but who’s really looking for the analytical take anyways? Wouldn’t you rather hear how an album makes someone feel? Me too – so I’ll tell ya. The Morning Benders’ Big Echo is catchy, dreamy indie pop that leaves me swaying side-to-side and singing along. And sometimes that’s all I need, although it doesn’t hurt that the guys from Berkeley brought in Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor on production. Choice tracks for me include “Excuses”, “Cold War” and “All Day Day Light”, a song that has me yearning for summer. Big Echo is out today on Rough Trade Records and here’s a ditty from it that may leave you wanting more.

The Morning Benders – Cold War (Nice Clean Fight)

We’re all about promoting creativity – it’s what we live to do and that’s why we’re launching a new monthly series on what we know will help you make awesome. It’s in your reach, but like anything sometimes you just need a little nudge. Inertia’s a bitch like that.

Being creative is about sharing ideas. So much so that I’d say any of us are only as creative as the company we keep. By sharing ideas we’re clued in on the minds of others from different places and backgrounds, which I believe makes us that more likely to foster great ideas. It doesn’t have to be mind blowing like time travel or inventing the electric blanket mobile. Sometimes being creative is simply taking an idea one step further or applying a concept differently like T-post did with t-shirt magazine subscriptions.

Co-working is a great way to surround yourself with a diverse group of people. We do it here and learn so much from participating. It’s blown up on a worldwide scale, but you don’t really even have to be that organized. Who do you know in your life that has a really cool job or interesting side project? Strike up a conversation, take them to coffee or lunch and get them talking about their passion. You’ll be surprised how much hearing the excitement in their voice will motivate you.

Ready to take action? Be sure to check out:
Jelly
The HIVE
Green Spaces
Benefits of Co-working

I want to high-five everyone that came out to support the release of our first book I Swear To Good You Are God At This and what I know was our best party yet. You packed the house at BASIC to celebrate creative culture in San Diego and we couldn’t have been any more excited. We hope you had an amazing time and got busy with the slew of activities that included screen-printing, art re-creation, live music, comedy videos and the wheel of creativity. Let’s keep the optimism and positivity up in 2010 as we press on!

Now what you waited so patiently for…photos from the party are posted to our Facebook fan page, so do us a favor and obsessively tag your friends. And if you’d like higher quality pics, hop over to our Flickr page. Major props to our sponsors, Trumer Pils and Three Olives Vodka for generous support and tasty adult beverages.

You probably recognize him as Jemaine and Bret’s buddy in Flight of the Conchords. But in case you didn’t know, Arj Barker has a solid stand-up routine. The dude also happens to have released a new DVD called LYAO, and we’ve hooked it up with Warner Music Group to provide three (3) giveaway copies for our readers. It’s definitely a good laugh and what I appreciate is how he works a theme of positivity into his observational comedy. Other highlights for me are Arj commenting on texting, the condescending nature of new parents, and talking to a bottle of water. If you want to score a copy, just tell us something funny in the comments. We’ll announce the winners live a week from today when our radio show Keep It Like A Secret resumes. Today’s show has been postponed due to Dave’s last minute trip deep into the heart of the Amazon to inspire native tribes.

Speed has always been sexy, but lately slowing down has become that guy or girl you never really noticed before that’s actually way cute. Everyone’s heard of slow food, but people are now embracing the concept of slow media (ironically online). It’s not about shunning new media altogether (admit it, the internet kinda rules) but it is about limiting use to make time for the finer things in life like nature or real human interaction. I know I personally relish some time away from the grid and always come back feeling refreshed. What about you though? What’s your favorite way to disconnect?

LG is a brand that totally gets it or at least has hired an agency that does, and I’m loving what they’ve come up with. For the past couple months they’ve been pushing an online ad campaign featuring James Lipton called Give It A Ponder that’s centered around the perils of texting before you think. It’s relevant to their audience, pays homage to the fine art of beard stroking, and just plain funny. What’s not to love about that?

Today’s the day! We’re celebrating the official release of our first book I Swear To Good You Are God At This and I’m more excited than when I first got Sega Genesis (that means a lot). While this is a huge day for us, it’s about celebrating the creative community and all the people that motivate, inspire and provoke us to make awesome. In fact, many of you will be there. Tonight will feature a live performance from Joel P West, DJ Brother Darkness, art installations from Sezio, interactive photography, creative presentations, the world premiere of Good Neighbor’s next comedy short, and more. Don’t be fashionably late to this one as the first 100 guests will receive gift bags filled with creative inspiration.

When: Tonight, February 18th, 2010 from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Where: BASIC on 410 10th Avenue – San Diego, CA 92101
Why: Because it’ll be epic, of course

Shit, a substitute for tp? Not quite, but a Japanese company has taken green to new level with a machine that recycles office paper into toilet paper. It’s apparently capable of turning 40 sheets into a roll at a cost of 11 cents. Given the price tag ($100K) and lofty break even point, we probably won’t be seeing this right away, but it would be funny to know your boss, or at least his printed PowerPoint slideset is kissing your ass. Regardless, it’s great to see that someone is trying to conserve our resources and we all know things get more efficient eventually.