What do The Gap, American Airlines, the main titles for Little Miss Sunshine and Royal Bank of Scotland have in common? They all use the same typeface: Helvetica. Born in 1957 its clean, "neutral" look was revolutionary. 50 years later, and it's omnipresent. If you keep your eyes peeled you'll see it everywhere around you, on practically every city street, in every newspaper and magazine and, most of all, in advertising. Why? As Finlo... more ›

We like the wacky antics of Jeremy Piven. And, we also like the comfy basics of the Gap. Together? We like them not so much. Piven, along with Common, is one of the new faces of the Gap’s T-shirt campaign. The ads also feature Mia Farrow, Natasha Bedingfield, Pete Wentz and other semi-famed types. Common gets smoldering down pretty well. No complaints there. But, Piven looks like he’s about to molest us. We’re sorry, but... more ›

Everybody's favorite rock stars Bucktown and Wicker Park are selling out. It used to be about the art man, but now they're releasing sugary pop songs written by Swedes and advertisements disguised as pop-art. We knew the day would come, ">rumors have been circulating, and it's enough to make us cry little struggling-artist tears. Won't somebody please think of the hipsters! Crain's reports (subscription may be required) today that the following chain-stores are infiltrating the... more ›

For anyone who still hadn’t seen it, the line that can be drawn as the shortest distance between the two points of gospel and soul music was sketched quite neatly in a sequence from the film Ray. As Jamie Foxx’s Ray Charles is wooing his soon-to-be wife he steps into a version of “I Got A Woman” that’s even more tinged with the rhythm and movements of gospel than the version eventually laid down on... more ›

Remember that song “I Kissed A Girl” that you’ve been seeing on VH1’s “I Love The 90s” recently? That tune’s acoustic hooks and gentle mockery of then-trendy lesbian chic made Jill Sobule a brief shining light in the pop world. But pop stardom isn’t for those who name-drop Tennessee Williams or write songs about Mexican Wrestlers. Like Aimee Mann (without the songs about evil record companies), Sobule has built a solid following by writing brilliantly... more ›