For over a century, Northern New Mexico has lent inspiration to countless artists. Creatives– both fledgling and seasoned (the most famous of which range from D.H. Lawrence to Georgia O’Keefe) – have long found themselves seduced by the inimitably airy climate and breathtaking landscape. Combined with a laid-back lifestyle, the High Desert region, which includes Santa Fe, Taos and Albuquerque, proves a potent mix.

Thus, it’s no surprise Santa Fe-bred, NYC-based designer Anna Sheffield finds every excuse she can to return to her Southwest roots. Unfortunately, opportunities are increasingly rare as Sheffield, who won the fashion world over with her jewelry line Bing Bang (which earned her collaborations with the likes of Marc Jacobs), has since expanded her empire to include a higher-end namesake jewelry line, as well as a more recently launched collection of handbags. She’s one busy brunette to say the least, but, fortunately, after we caught up with the designer to discuss High Desert, she booked a flight in honor of her upcoming birthday. In her own words, the best of High Desert:

What’s your favorite thing about High Desert?
High Desert is at a high altitude, so what you have is a very beautiful combination of desert - big cacti, tumbleweeds and sagebrush – and mountains. [The mountains] blend in with the desert, so you have these beautiful areas where you have mesas that feel like big flat-topped mountains. It’s like being on top of a tabletop. There are a lot of different geological volcanic formations; activity similar to what you see at Brice Canyon or the Grand Canyon.

Is it safe to assume New Mexico has lent inspiration to your jewelry lines?
I grew up there, so inadvertently, I’ve always been inspired by the Native American [influence]. When I was a child, we lived on the Navaho reservation. What’s prevalent in that community is that it’s a very jewelry and craft-driven culture. I was inspired more by the artisan influence and the techniques. To me, the inspiration has been more about the craftsmanship and less about the aesthetic. With Bing Bang, there is evidence of the maker. Every single piece feels a little different because it’s been assembled by hand.

What are some of the most picturesque places in High Desert?
One of the most beautiful things to look at is the Rio Grande Gorge in Taos. It’s one of the most spellbindingly beautiful places in the world. When you drive up into the mountains from Santa Fe, you start out in more flat land; as you drive north, you start to drive up in elevation and it feels a little bit more mountainous. There’s water there, tall leafy trees. You can find rivers and creeks. As you inch your way towards Taos you start to see the mesa tops and mountains in the distance. You’ll come to this huge gorge, which the Rio Grande has carved out of this landscape. It’s epic. There’s a beautiful bridge like the bridge in Natural Born Killers where she throws off her veil. You can get out and hike down to these beautiful hot springs. It’s the most spectacular view.

What are some of your favorite places to shop?
In Taos there are two totally disparate but amazing places. El Rincon is one of the oldest trading posts in Taos. It’s been family-run since 1909, now run by the grandson of the woman that opened it. He’s goofy and so nice; you end up talking to him for hours. They have all of this really beautiful Indian jewelry, rugs, and one-of-a-kind stuff. In the back of the shop, they have a museum of things that their family has collected. They have relics from all different kinds of Indian tribes - museum quality stuff. Another place I love is, oddly enough, in the shopping plaza. The Maison Faurie is an antique shop that is owned by this French guy. He imports from France. It’s also kind of like a museum. He has beautiful jewelry; I’ve bought so many estate pieces. He also has a collection of oddities - prosthetic arms from a WWI fighter pilot, chastity belts, and beautiful reliquaries that old Catholics collected. Those are two of my favorite places in the world to get inspiration.

You studied fine art before pursuing jewelry design. What galleries or museums are must-sees for you?
I think the most obvious places, like the Georgia O’Keefe Museum, are actually really spectacular. And Canyon Road - it’s sort of like Chelsea [in NYC]. It has a lot of contemporary art galleries - some of them have beautiful art, some are more derivative, but the walk is worthwhile. SITE Santa Fe has a contemporary art collection that rivals the Whitney [Museum in NYC]. It’s just beautiful, and they do a lot of interesting shows and retrospectives, like one that I saw with South American art that related to the kidnappings in Latin America.

Is there anything you love getting in New Mexico that you can’t find anywhere else?
The real deal is New Mexican food - a combination of what you think of as Mexican food, mixed with colonial Spanish, mixed with Native Indian cuisine. It’s really beautiful, flavorful, rich food - lots of blue corn. The flavor that’s in everything is chili. There’s a New Mexican chili that’s native - they harvest it every fall and everyone roasts them. The green chili is the absolute flavor. You can go to Burger King and order a Green Chili Burger. Everything is really spicy. There are some great places in Santa Fe - one of the most old-school and amazing New Mexican restaurants is Tomasitas. It’s kind of touristy. It used to be this little dive; it felt like it was in someone’s house. They serve amazing green chili chicken and Sopapilla, which is kind of like Navajo bread. Also, there’s a place called Café Pasqual’s. That food is just amazing - blue corn pancakes and everything that you can possibly think of including green chili hot chocolate.

How spicy do you typically go?
The spicier the better… until my ears ring and I can’t hear.

Is there much of a local music scene?
Actually the Taos Inn, which is one of the oldest inns, is right on the main drag. It’s a beautiful adobe and inside the foyer, which is beautiful New Mexican tile, they have open mic. There’s a Mountain Man thing going on, so there’s kind of an outlaw vibe with harmonica players, banjos, all sorts of random people will turn out and play. It’s a good place to stumble upon and drink margaritas.

Speaking of margaritas, what’s the best way to cool off during the summer?
Believe it or not I like to go to the hot springs, because, even in the summer when it’s hot, it gets cold at night. And when you get in during the day the air feels so much cooler on your skin. Ojo Caliente is an amazing natural hot spring that’s been turned into a spa; it’s spectacular. It’s not really advertised, but little by little all of the hot springs are getting developed. I’d say that or just drink lots of margaritas or Tecates with lime.

What is High Desert’s best-kept secret?
I think I just spilled a bunch of them.

- Alisa Gould-Simon


Go There:
Maison Faurie, 1 McCarthy Plaza, Taos, New Mexico 87571
Tesuque Flea Market in the Pueblo just outside of Santa Fe.
Chimaya, Santurio do Chimayo

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 12:52 PM | Permalink

Though he'll be the first to tell you he's not a "real Argentine" London filmmaker-turned-Buenos Aires restaurateur Terry Walshe knows all about his accidentally-adopted city. The man-about-town has lived in the capital for about five years. Last year, Walshe launched 647 Dinner Club, a haute-cuisine establishment that hides in one of the last seedy corners of the quickly gentrifying San Telmo district. Around the corner there's a Bolivian squat, a handful of crackheads, and a hot dog stand where all the local taxi drivers hang. Terry has used his film director's sensibilities to create a glammed-up lounge and restaurant straight out of 1940s Shanghai, where he drops major tunes, and subsequently, Argentine celebs and international big spenders drop major pesos.

The restaurant has been featured in Argentine design magazine ****** and Condé Nast Traveler's Hot List, as well as in D-Mode (the Argie equivalent to V) and it was voted "best place to have an affair" in readers' polls. Apropos, the managers informed us that there have been more than a few risque escapades in the downstairs bathrooms. PsychoPEDIA spoke with Terry in his Las Cañitas lair and found out how he accidentally-on-purpose became the owner of one of Buenos Aires' most extravagant restaurants, where we should shop next time we come to town, and what's on his latest playlist:

How'd an English boy end up in Buenos Aires?
I came to write a film, and ended up opening a restaurant. Seriously, I wanted to get out of London for a year to write a film about distraction. Then I got distracted. I still haven't written that film.

How did 647 come about?
I got bored researching for the film. I had this friend, let's call him, "bankrupt Nick" who was sort of an alcoholic-on-the-run. And he was bored, too. We decided to open an underground club– a place to drop good music. We bought a huge warehouse in a run-down area, intending to use just a small part of it. And then we ended up with 647, which is this huge luxury restaurant.

Is it true not even Madonna can get into 647?
When we first opened, the press portrayed it as a "super exclusive" place no one could enter, even big name stars. One magazine ran a big picture of my ex-partner and me with Madonna photoshopped between us, with a quote, "Not even Madonna can get into 647."

Buenos Aires really isn't as hip as they say?
It’s actually a very conservative city that masquerades as ultra-hip. I like living here because it's a throwback. It's like living somewhere 30 years ago– there's a certain charm to it. You can get on the bus at 2 am, and it's full of kids just laughing, not looking for trouble. There's an openness and innocence to the people, especially the younger generation. The kids are very friendly and have got a good energy.

Where's good to eat other then 647?
Florencio for lunch— very cool, very chic, very tiny. I always recommend Restó in the Society of Architects. Also, in Palermo, Oui Oui for lunch. They've got good coffee, good everything. Another spot is the Hyatt– not hip at all, but the place is wicked. It's in an old mansion. You've got to sit outside in the gardens and have the lunch buffet.

Is there a variety of ethnic food available?
For Argentine food, there's El Pobre Luis which is a parilla in Belgrano—great for steak and chorizo, cosas así. It's actually Uruguayan. For sushi you go to Yuki, an old school place in Congreso. It's the best. There's another one at the Japanese Association in San Telmo which Ana, my girlfriend, says is really cool. For cheap Chinese, the best bet is Lai Lai in Barrio Chino. Chinatown is worth checking out anyway; you can find shit like tofu that you can't get anywhere else in this city, plus loads of bizarre cheap tacky shit that's come over from China. For ice cream you've gotta be dropping Persicco. Definitely the number one ice cream place. Mint Chocolate with White Chocolate is the best.

Where are the cool kids partying these days?
It's still Compass Friday nights at Niceto for a decent dance party. 878 is a good bar in Villa Crespo, like a hidden-door place where you ring a bell and they let you in. Cool restaurant, cool bar, good place for drinks. There's another place inside which you can only get in if they know you, on Thames 878. If you've got to see tango, go to a real Argentine Milonga. Salon Canning in Palermo has one. Never go to a tango show, they're brutal.

Where does your girlfriend shop?
For shoes, she likes Josefina Ferroni. For clothes, she says Kukla in Palermo, across the street from Mark's. Lupe is great too but she's gotten really expensive. This season Maria Cher has got some really good stuff, and there's a new place in Recoleta called Seco that has umbrellas and rainwear. Most of the men’s clothing here is really grasa. I suppose Felix is the best of the bunch. If I don't get to London this year, you could possibly find me in there. You know where I do buy stuff? That glasses shop in Quinta Avenida, the vintage gallery. I got some great big 80s Run-DMC style glasses. There's another great glasses place in San Telmo, in a galleria next to the square. It's run by a couple of real old ladies, and you can get vintage Yves St. Laurent and vintage Dior.

What about for antiques?
The top place for well-priced antiques is still San Telmo, even though you'd expect it to be a tourist trap. The big warehouse off Bolivar has very cool pieces like gramophones; the lower level has got the really good shit. You can even buy fruits and veggies there. It's an asi asi situation.

Are there any good exhibitions and galleries of late?
a href="http://www.ccborges.org.ar/" target="_blank">Centro Cultural Borges, I always recommend that. And Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo; they've got 120 Rodins right now. Ana and I just went to a great show called Peppermint Candy at Bellas Artes—it was a collection of work by Korean artists, all contemporary stuff. MALBA is usually worth checking out, but now they've got a retrospective on Latin American Art that doesn't really turn me on—Frida Kahlo and stuff. As far as galleries, Appetite is still the big "left of field" gallery. Ruth Benzácar and Braga Menéndez are good too.

What are your other favorite haunts?
I love the Recoleta Cemetery. It's a big tourist spot but still an essential thing to visit. The secret is to go around five in the afternoon on weekdays. At that hour, it's empty and full of shadows. The Japanese Garden is in all the books, but no tourists go there. All the Argie couples go to take pictures of themselves making out.

~Christine Whitney


Go There:
Resto Montevideo 938 (Soc. Central de Arquitectos), Barrio Norte, Tel: 4816-6711
Oui Oui Nicaragua 6068, y Dorrego, Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tel: 4778-9614
El Pobre Luis 2393 Arribeño, Belgrano, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tel: 54 11 4780 5847
Yuki Pasco 740 b/w Independencia & Chile, San Cristobal, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Tel: 11/4942-7510
Persicco 2591 Salguero, Palermo, Buenos Aires, Tel: 54 11 4808 0888
Bar Ocho7Ocho Thames 878, Between Loyola and Aguirre, Villa Crespo, Tel: 54 11 4773 1098
Salon Canning Scalabrini Ortiz 1331 Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tel: 4826-8351

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 01:10 PM | Permalink

Montreal is the quintessential urban melting pot. For centuries the francophone Canadian capital city has attracted a diverse group of immigrants.
A bustling metropolis often criticized for its harsh winters, the city boasts numerous local delights: a scenic, mountainous namesake park, historic Old Port, and poutine (a classic Quebecoise concoction of French fries, cheese curds, gravy and whatever else one’s heart desires). Thus, it’s no wonder the likes of Mexican-born fashion designer Renata Morales has chosen to call the captivating city home.

With local bands from Arcade Fire to Wolf Parade having won the collective heart of the music industry, Montreal’s burgeoning music scene has garnered international attention. But equally noteworthy is its fashion scene. Local lines like Morales’ eponymous label are fast sweeping the international fashion community, and for good reason: In Morales’ case, a uniquely vibrant palette combined with a delicate yet structurally adventurous silhouette make for covetable, wearable garments . And considering, in addition to making fantastic clothes, Morales happens to be an especially cool chick, we pegged her for the perfect Montreal tour guide. She happily obliged, treating psychoPEDIA to her secrets for vintage shopping, art browsing, and, of course, poutine:

What’s the best thing about living in Montreal?
There are too many things. It’s a cosmopolitan city that sometimes feels like a little town. It has the best of both worlds. It’s partly mountainous and partly on the water. It’s quite diverse, with many different cultures. There are fabulous shows, live music every night. Apart from winter… and it’s not really a bad city for winter.

Depending on who you ask…
What happens is, it’s horrible [laughs], but there are a lot of places where you can go underground. If you take public transportation, it connects to a lot of places underground. So, it’s not really a city that dies in the winter. It’s alive all year round. And in summer, everyone is naked in the park, going surfing, swimming. In the winter people are cross-country skiing.

How would you describe Montreal’s current fashion scene? Has it changed much in the last five or ten years?
For good or for bad?

Either …
It used to be more of a manufacturing city. With the market changing so much, the level of competition has changed. So a lot of people have gone to China and Asia. A lot of larger manufacturers have closed their doors. There have been younger people that want to keep producing here, and who are finding ways to produce here in Montreal. There has been a little bit of a rebel movement. There are seven fashion schools in Montreal; they keep popping out students. So, some are them are staying here and find new ways to compete.

What are some of your favorite places to shop?
There’s a store not too far from my studio called Reborn. They sell Opening Ceremony, Complexe Geometry, Rick Owens. I really like U&I. on Saint-Laurent; they have Comme des Garcons mixed with different designers. The guy who runs it imports from all different places. I really like the aesthetic of the store. Holt Renfrew is comparable to Barneys. I like going there too. And there’s a great shoe shop called Mona Moore. They used to have all the crazy shoes. They’ve gotten a bit more tame, but their selection [which includes Balenciaga, Nina Ricci and Dries Von Noten] is still nice. There are some good consignment shops as well. There’s one on Saint Denis – Memento. They bought all the old costumes from the CBC [Canadian Broadcast Corporation]; they have great stuff.

Where’s best for people-watching?
People-watching is fun in Mont Royal park on Sundays. In the summer there’s this crazy medieval fighting. It’s just a melting pot of people. There are a lot of young people. You have people fighting each other with these crazy costumes, some people playing the drums…

Any other great places to camp out, and soak in the sun come the weekend?
In Saint Vitare they have this great coffee shop, Olympico . Olympico is my hangout. There’s a Polish food shop across the street that sells amazing pea soup and borscht. During the summer people sit outside having coffee for hours. It’s a melting pot of students, musicians, and older people, and the coffee is delicious. There are also two markets in Montreal – Marché Jean Talon and Marché Atwater. They’re food markets and they have flowers, and all kinds of different things. They have a lot of local produce - people that make cheese, people that make syrup and all kinds of jam. Talon is crazy for fish. It’s really worth going to the markets.

Do you have a favorite place for poutine?
I’m terrible. My favorite, and not everyone agrees with me, is Frite Dorée on St-Laurent. It’s kind of in the red light district, a very raunchy area. I like the Italian poutine. It’s got the meat sauce on it. If I’m out late, it’s gonna suction me in. It’s an institution. Or, try La Banquise on Rachel. It’s famous for its large selection of poutines and it’s open 24 hours a day.

Any other eateries that are especially good for indulging?
Club Chasse et Peche : that’s a more expensive restaurant that’s really worth going to. The food is spectacular; it’s made with local produce. The co-owner Hubert Marsolais is one of my best friends and I made a woven piece for the entrance that’s sort of like a drape. It also has art by Nicolas Baier, a great local photographer, and looks a bit like a grotto. And Cocoa Locale on Park Avenue right off the mountain – it’s run by this crazy chick Rima, who knows everybody in Montreal. She makes delicious chocolate and spiced cupcakes with flowers and it’s really a crazy little place. It’s a bit addictive.

What hotel would you recommend?
A lot of people love Le Germain. There’s also a newly renovated hotel that’s from a very famous architect here in Montreal called the Opus. It’s a boutique hotel that’s kind of modern but not minimalist. They have some really good restaurants. Personally, right now I’m more into old school hotels. I love theRitz Carlton, but they’re closing it for renovation.

What museums and/or galleries are a must-see? Definitely the MAC and the Musée des Beaux Arts [which is currently showing an Yves Saint Laurent exhibition]. If you want to go see galleries there’s the whole Belgo Building on Saint-Catherine Street. It’s filled with galleries;Rene Blouin is one of the most famous.

What are three tourist traps that a first-time visitor shouldn’t miss?
Well they have to come to the Old Port of Montreal. The Botanical Garden is quite amazing. And to go all the way to the top of Mont Royal to the lookout – it’s beautiful.

Go There:
Renata also recommends La Sala Rossa- a concert venue and restaurant; Pop Montreal- a famous festival and year-round organization; Blue Skies turn Black- great local concert promoters; and DHC ART Foundation- an art foundation that is always free, open late and currently showing “Take care of yourself,” by Sophie Calle (a piece that represented France at the 2007 Venice Biennial).

~ Alisa Gould-Simon

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 10:02 PM | Permalink

Hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, Bowerbirds play a lush mix of folky, Americana tunes filled with accordion, violin, and acoustic instrumentals that invokes the tranquility of their Appalachian setting. Consisting of native resident Beth Tacular, her partner Phil Moore, and Mark Paulson–- two more recent Iowa imports-– the band has a clear connection to nature, reflected in their lyrics about the sounds of the forest up to their avian-inspired name, which Tacular adopted after reading about the particular breed in a children’s encyclopedia.

Having just released their latest album Hymns From A Dark Horse this week (June 17), and on the cusp of embarking on a hectic national tour supporting soul-folk-singing friend Bon Iver, psychoPEDIA caught up with the music-making couple of Tacular and Moore, who currently reside in an airstream trailer in the countryside outside of Raleigh, for a tour of their scenic hometown:

What are the hometown influences behind your newest album?
At the time the songs were written, we were living in the country. I think it has a lot of “space” because of that– a clarity.

Since your music is potent with natural elements, what are your favorite outdoor sites?
Umstead Park has a great trail system to walk around, and Lake Johnson. The whole of North Carolina is just trees. Everything’s lush and green here.

Is there a good spot for bird watching?
Out where we live is wonderful. We see so many different varieties. And the Hollow River is great— you see a lot of bald eagles.

As an earth-loving band, do you have favorite eco-friendly places in town? Piedmont Biofuels Co-op is a great place to get gasoline if you drive a diesel. With restaurants here, since there’s a big farming infrastructure, they get a lot of produce from local sources. At Enoteca Vin, where Mark works, they get a lot of their meat, greens, and other vegetables from local places. There are a few fair-trade, organic coffee places, too— Royal Bean, and Counter Culture. And a street market in Pittsboro called Chatam Marketplace, where 95% percent of the meat is organic and natural.

Best way to keep cool in the North Carolina heat?
Locopops, a new popsicle business started in Durham. It’s a little retail space, painted white with no decoration and a freezer against one wall. They have hundreds of varieties that they make them themselves. Cream-based and vegan ones, flavors like strawberry basil or rosemary chocolate. They also have dog popsicles!

Which shops are best for getting folk instruments like the ones you play? There’s a place called High Strung Music. Fat Sound has great amplifiers, guitars, and old acoustics. But we get our accordions from a guy in Wisconsin.

Favorite local clubs to play?
Bull City Headquarters— a little co-op space with a bicycle repair shop in it. Then there’s Local 506, which has the staple bands that come through, and Cat’s Cradle which houses larger bands.

Since aside from the music, you're also a visual artist, what are your favorite places to display or check out other work?
My favorite gallery is Lump. They bring the most avant-garde or cutting-edge emerging artists, established weird art, or locally progressive art to the Triangle. If I didn’t have it, my idea of art in the public world would’ve been limited to what I saw in magazines. Downtown Raleigh has an Art Walk on the first Friday of the month, where all galleries have an opening. I’ve also shown at Design Box. Wootini in Capitol Hill brings artists from around the country as well as local artists. They even have an area with Japanese toys. And Branch Gallery is fancier, but still has some aesthetically cutting-edge art.

Where do you go to get a dose of outside culture?
The Internationalist Bookstore and Community Center is great, because they have sections on ecology, gender studies, sexuality, and the best magazine selection. The Regulator Bookstorein Durham, and Quail Ridge, which has a classical music section. The Center for Documentary Studies has the International Documentary Film Festival every year-– put on by progressive-minded people to open eyes to an environmental issue or labor issue. And the American Dance Festival happens here.

Best places to pick up antiques or home furnishings for your nest?
Father & Son Antiques— it’s vintage mid-century stuff. We bought a lot of our furniture there. You can get second-hand things at the same price as a regular store. Beggars & Choosers has some furniture, cheaper than at other antique stores, but it’s good for vintage and antique clothes, neat old jewelry, and household things like pictures frames and fabrics. I get a lot of my clothes there, because they have dresses from 1910s and 1930s. I just bought a couple of slips from 1910 at 10 dollars each.

Young female bowerbirds are known for having a penchant for "fancy men." Where are the best places to pick up them up?
Mark in our band is “fancy.” He’s single and needs to be picked up. The Raleigh Times Bar is probably where you’d find them. It’s a cross-over place where hipsters and yuppies go. They seem to bathe. They’re the cleanest men, and put product in their hair. Clean-cut sort of dandies.

Where would you go to do a courtship dance after you’ve found your mate?
Hell has a dance night. And a bar called the Jackpot up the street from Mark’s house– the seedy, dirty, smoky hipster bar in town.

What about your own first date in town?
We went to Reservoir to see the band Caliphone. Afterwards, we went dumpster diving at the PTA Thrift Store. I used to do that because you could find the stuff people didn’t think was good enough to sell. We found My Little Pony figurines and 80s unicorn stickers. I was in the middle of doing a series of paintings about unicorns, so it was meant to be! Then we went to a bar called the Orange County Social Club, with a neat beer garden in the back. We had a couple drinks, then went to Forest Theater—an amphitheatre in Chapel Hill, near the UNC campus. There are hiking trails and woods on one side, and the university on the other. No one goes there at night, so it’s really quiet. We just climbed on a big wall where we hung out until 5 in the morning.

Best place to spend an overnight romantic stay?
There’s a B&B that’s an organic goat farm, called Celebrity Dairy. And there’s a nice camping site on the Eno River in the state park, which has a beautiful river and trees.

Favorite thing about Raleigh?
You can walk to everything. And everywhere you go, you run into 6 people you know.


~Leann Peterson

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 01:03 PM | Permalink