Love At First Listen

Sometimes you fall completely in love with music on first listen. It can be a dazzling guitar solo, the exemplary vocal harmonies, the powerful lyrics, or the amazing orchestral backing tracks. And, before you know it, you're in love with the song, the artist, the entire album.

The general public may not recognize these two ladies, but to indie music fans worldwide, BOY, composed of Swiss singer Valeska Steiner and German bassist Sonja Glass, are bona fide superstars. The two met years ago at a music camp in Hamburg, and the friendship that prevailed over the years has produced Mutual Friends — the duo's debut album.

I remember staying for a bit more at the bar, the first time I heard Drive Darling. I was immediately hooked. From the in-wall speakers behind me it came; a song I can describe only as pure, unadulterated music. I had never seen BOY perform before but I admired them instantly. And I loved that I didn’t know anything about them even more.

And when we arrive

The hardest of goodbyes

You will dry my eyes

Somehow you're always by my side

The one who holds my kite

And watches over all my flights

BOY writes and sings catchy, straightforward pop-folk songs about life and relationships. There's one about a waitress, one about waiting by the phone, and another about moving to a big city. I am swept by their song's lyrical integrity, their austerity, the organic sound of real instruments, along with the delicate unraveling of the splendid musical arrangements.

Drive Darling is not just a song. It's a story, a beautiful yet sad story.

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The Adorable Sculptures of Yen Yen Lo

These images are from a series of wall sculptures created by Yen Yen Lo . Here you can see her intricately textured ceramic pieces, looking downright adorable. Yen Yen Lo's eye for the unique and whimsical is delightful. Apparently they are not intended for kids under 16. Fifteen-year-olds cannot be trusted with fragile stuff. Get them a Funko Pop instead.

Eric van Straaten's 3D-Printed Statuettes

I can't remember when I first became entranced with Eric van Straaten 's 3D-printed sculptures. I think I stumbled onto his work through tumblr when I was searching for new artists to follow. Eric's attention to detail is pretty amazing, and the image of the eroticized child-woman is familiar throughout his work. Most of his hyper surreal pieces are 3D-printed in sandstone material, which are created by laying down a thin layer of gypsum powder and using a binding agent and color inks to print a pattern onto it. Once the entire model is printed, it is withdrawn from the print bed and the excess powder is removed. The model is then sealed and ready for display. "I think that the girls I create in my work are visualizations of my own feelings, fantasies and thoughts," the Dutch artist explains. "The girls actually look like someone I (used to) know and the different ‘portraits’ tell something about what I think of myself in regards to her or women ...

Eric Ogden and his 'Half-Remembered Season'

Michigan-born Eric Ogden produces images that look as if they were stills captured from films. What I really like about his work is his ability to execute striking photos with great use of light. Eric's portfolio includes portraits of A-list celebs, breathtaking landscapes, and other commercial stuff. His photos have appeared in The New Yorker, Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, Time, and Rolling Stone, among others. My personal favorite is his photo series called A Half-Remembered Season , in which the subjects look like they were frozen in time. They're both intriguing and seductive. Whether it is a child on a swing in midair, a young waitress standing inside a soda shop, or a beautiful brunette floating in a swimming pool, someone is trying to tell a story. You can explore more of Eric's work on his website .

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