You've been seeing them everywhere: the kids in skinny jeans, neon-colored tops, funky bright shoes and greasy hair. They're the new hipsters. Their look arises from an urban subculture where music and fashion collide. Their alternative aesthetics can be seen in their bright clothing and loud T-shirts.

Want to join them? Pick up your own hipster clothing by one of the pioneer designers — Steve Aoki, creator of Dim Mak Clothing. Aoki is all about underground power: "Dim mak" refers to the pressure point in martial arts that can kill someone. Dim Mak is exclusively found at Dig Lifestyles. Being a hipster isn't cheap; prices range from $30 to $50. Dig Lifestyles, Ward Warehouse; 591-8501, www.diglifestyles.com.

— L.M.

SOUTHERN SHOWCASE

The annual Showcase fundraiser at the Honolulu Academy of Arts aims to please genteel sensibilities this year, with Southern, home-style cooking, mint juleps and California wines. This year's theme is "Bon Temps! An Evening in the Bayou, Y'all."

"I'm really looking forward to tasting my first mint julep. I'm also very excited about the food — I really want to eat everything," says event coordinator Denise Nakano. With more than 12 restaurants serving up Louisiana-style cuisine, and more than 15 participating wineries, it's a sultry temptation. Tickets, $85, help support the academy's Children's Art To Go Program; 6 to 9 p.m. today, Honolulu Academy of Arts; 532-3671, www.showcase08.com.

— Lacy Matsumoto

SOUL QUEEN OF NEW ORLEANS 'SIMPLY GRAND'

Here's a musical candidate for the Showcase soundtrack: Irma Thomas, the Soul Queen of New Orleans. The woman is a national treasure at age 67, and ready to celebrate her 50th anniversary as a recording artist in 2009. With new album "Simply Grand" (Rounder), she remains at the top of her talent. If anything, her lush voice, with its earthy tones and full-note roundness, has grown more nuanced and emotionally resonant with time.

On this follow-up to 2006 Grammy-winning "After the Rain," she pairs off with pianists accompanying her on a concert grand. Norah Jones plays while Thomas performs a version of Jones' hit, "Thinking About You," turning it into a wise lament. New Orleans hero Ellis Marsalis, father of jazz stars Wynton and Branford, supports Thomas on the stunning ballad, "This Bitter Earth."

— Michael McCall, Associated Press

WOODEN EXPRESSION

It started with a mystery package to an artist nicknamed "Mydogsighs," containing 27 painted, one-inch wooden blocks. Inspired, the artist posted images of the blocks on the Internet — and within 24 hours, more than 80 artists signed up to create their own pieces, forming the first blast of what would become the "I Got Wood" art show (www.igotwood.co.uk). The artist ordered more blocks and sent them around the world to create this international collective.

Now, some of these pieces are coming to Hawai'i for the first time. The "I Got Wood" show opens on Saturday at Split Obsession, Koko Marina Shopping Center; 395-3380, www.splitobsession.com.

— L.M.

SALES AND BARGAINS