runways, models, and treacherous heels

How does Katie Fogarty manage to maintain her perfection even when she's messing up so bad? Even with the deer in headlights look.  I don't get it.
From this...To this...No, but seriously though.  Just the fact that these models are willing to walk in these shoes is totally respectable.

retrospective

I finally dragged myself out of bed to make the ten minute trip to Midtown Comics. I must say, I've been feeling rather productive and leaning towards good clean fun. I'm not really sure what it is that's keeping me from acting up as prior- that being the past semester. A week of declining offers to go out to God knows where, and honestly I am perfectly fine with these decisions.  I kind of enjoy just staying in, drinking tea, and reading.  Perhaps it's just a realization that I need to concentrate better on my school work. My best guess is that being home during winter break during the economic distress is the reason. To see, actually see, the economic tension in personal settings complete with familiar faces and names resulted in a lot of thinking. I don't know exactly what I'm trying to say, but I know that I have a strong sense of hope for what's next. Whatever that entails.
tv on the radio: staring at the sun (in digital time remix)

well...

I am beginning to dislike night classes especially when they're accompanied by bad weather.

tahiti 80: all around (yuksek remix)

musicians in elevators

I stumbled across this video a long time ago and I've never gotten tired of watching it.  Arcade Fire has obviously maintained it's level of influence since they broke into mainstream attention with the release of their album "Funeral" in 2004.  The intimacy of the video is simply astounding and will cause at least some shift of emotions.  Something.  

And really, isn't that what matters in the end?

Watch it and you won't need a reminder of why they're just so damn fantastic.

The elevator magic happens around 3:53, so feel free to skip to that part.. but the quite little quirks and interactions between the band makes a smile or some shade of respect inevitable.

The website that makes these videos is La Blogotheque, which hosts a good amount of musicians in the indie/folk genre. Check it out. 

It's in French, but navigation isn't quite that hard.  

Just play around with the links and I'm sure you could make something of it.
If you need help, just click "Concerts a Emporter" on the top of the site.

empire of the sun

Spring semester 2009.  Here we go all over again.  

This past week has been really nerve wrecking in so many personal and generic ways, but I've managed to get my head wrapped around most of the situations and feel like I am ready for whichever direction things take.  I have had the worst luck with electronics since I came back to campus... my roommate tells me it's something called Mercury Retrograde, which I looked up and actually found to be an interesting phenomenon.  I'm not quite convinced that it's the cause of past technical difficulties, but I do find it entertaining that it is apparently relevant time-wise.  ANYWAY.  Classes so far have been good to me and I am okay with the ones I've been to thus far.  Three more to go, so perhaps I shouldn't speak so soon.

It's really nice seeing everyone again.

÷

empire of the sun: 

walking on a dream (dorkatronique's dirty dream remix)

Empire of the Sun is an electronic duo consisting of Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore.  Their single "Walking On a Dream" received recognizable success in their base of Australia and reached the iTunes top 10.  Dorkatronique's remix seals the single's catchy-ness and will most likely result in repeating itself in yo mind.  It's a good song in that it makes you want to dance or at least bob your head to the ascending and descending synth backdrop.  Download that.

peter bjorn and john

peter bjorn and john: hey (shut the fuck up boy)

Quite addicting.

on a side note...SS09

1. headman: catch me if u can2. ting tings: we started nothing2. css: believe achieve{repeat 1}{repeat 2}
4. css: jager yoga{repeat 1}

emiliana torrini

emiliana torrini: jungle drum

 SS09: Christian Lacroix, Paul Smith,Vera Wang

ev'ry day i'm hustlin'

Half a week prior to the Spring semester equals back to school shopping.  The last few moments we have before our parents stop paying for everything.  

I seriously need to get a job or something, right?

rick ross: everyday i'm hustling (xxxchange remix)

Rick Ross don't need no explainin.

you lookin kinda cute

lmfao: i'm in miami bitch

everyday i'm hustling

Lykke Li @ NTBR Part 4 - "Hustlin'" from Drew Innis on Vimeo.

I stumbled across this earlier and it made me intensely happy.  So I decided to share!

On a side note:

I'm working on changing my layout and banner.  It's not striking me as appealing in any sense so I plan on changing things up.  If my page happens to look like poo when you're on it, I'm probably trying to figure something out and playing with the template.  Sanks.

one of us is not like the other

The past two nights I've had dreams about a former fling, and it hasn't passed my attention that almost everyone I hold close is experiencing some kind of ex-something drama.  Oh, new year.

How about a catchy break up song?

Madi Diaz spent her childhood in Amish county Pennsylvania.  Swell!  Her parents were liberal musicians and she was encouraged to be creative at a young age.  At 16, she began writing her own songs and achieved minor celebrity status when she was highlighted in the 2005 documentary "Rock School."  

Since then, she joined a band called Talk Radio and has been pursuing a solo career starting in 2006.

÷

madi diaz: nothing at all

I can see this being the backtrack for an Apple commercial or something of the like.  Seriously, though.  Can't you?

pink, black, and blue

flosstradamus: big bills (feat. caroline polachek)

video premiere

Flosstradamus equals two DJs hailing from the city of Chicago.  Josh Young (J2K) and Curt Cameruci (Autobot) have remixed songs by artists like Matt & Kim, Bloc Party, and Kid Sister.  Sounds good right?  Well, the point is.. they like to make people dance.

Side note: Caroline Polachek is from Brooklyn based (sweeet) three person band Chairlift.  The band started out as a side project in California between Caroline and band member Aaron Pfenning.  

chairlift: bruises

What was first intended by the two to result in background music for haunted houses evolved into an ambitious band who resettled and formed their identity in Brooklyn.  

We'll label them indie pop.

I also just realized how strange and violating the word "bruises" is.  Awkward aesthetics.

conversations with myself

     It's funny how one month of being at home brings back all those uncomfortable feelings you've forgotten about.  How long as it been since I cared about such simple things?  I feel oddly pretentious being at home as compared to when I'm living my second life in New York... as if that is what's normal now.  

     The funny thing is that I am having difficulty coming to terms with that.  I always think of Dallas as my home but strangely it feels as if everything has subtly shifted.  When did I begin to lose focus?  The closest I can come to describing the feeling is comparing it to losing something you've taken for granted-- which is exactly what has happened in this case.  I suppose.

     Say your parents moved your old belongings from your room and you've found yourself in a bed that has suddenly become foreign.  It's the same room and you can point out the places where you used to live and breathe and move, but your things are gone and replaced with decorations marking what was formerly yours as a guest room.  Suddenly, you find yourself always looking.  You find yourself wishing that if only the shadows against your walls or the angle of your blinds were organized in a way you remember, then everything will return to how you once saw... That simply seeing something familiar will take away any uncertainty.  But that won't happen because things change.  People change.  More importantly, you realize that you have changed.  And this is how you got to feeling how you do now... leaving you to the question of where do you belong?  Where is home?  I guess that's something I'll have to figure out in time.

÷

     

     Telekinesis, on simpler terms just Michael Benjamin Lerner, hasn't been generating as much buzz as he rightfully deserves.  As with most one man bands, Michael wrote/sang all of his songs on upcoming album Telekinesis! and plays practically all of the instruments included.  It may be interesting to know that Chris Walla is behind the production of this album... Walla of the famed Death Cab for Cutie and who has produced bands along the lines of The Decemberists and Tegan and Sara.  

Retro pop?  Check.  

Michael gives credit to early pop of the 60s and 70s as a major influence in his songwriting.

telekinesis: coast of carolina

someday you'll die with the only woman you loved

Climactic Australian folk music, accompanied with trumpets and xylophones.

'NUFF SAID.

To be honest, there's nothing particularly innovative that sets The Middle East apart from other folk outfits, but what the genre calls for... they provide for quite well.  And the results are rather pleasing.  Save for a rainy day when you're feeling mellow.

÷

the middle east: blood

                                                 the darkest side

who boasts of birds they stole from

Mandolins, banjos, cellos, pianos, tigers, and bears, OH MY!  Or rather, Ohbijou.  The six-piece band is made up of the two Mecija sisters and their friends, who manage to convey frailty and vulnerability in a way that is inspiring and captivating.  Intricate melodies layered with harmonies provide rather an appetizing feast for the sentimental and nostalgic.  In some moments, Ohbijou's vocal styling is reminiscent of the DuPree sisters from Tyler, Texas' power force Eisley-- especially on "Black Ice," available on their Myspace page.  In others, you can see a hint of Múm's whispery vocals.  Definitely worth a listen and I can almost guarantee a desire to repeat what you hear.  

The band's latest release is a split 12" record with fellow Canadian's The Acorn.

÷

ohbijou: tender bones

           st. francis

                   black ice (live)

in the room where you sleep

What if Superman landed in Russia instead of good ol' Kansas?

÷

dead man's bones: in the room where you sleep

     Dead Man's Bones is a band composed of actor Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields.  Hailing from Los Angeles, the band describes themselves as a mix of the gothic and gospel genres.  Quite on the extremity of things, don't you think?  Unless of course they're referring to architecture in the former, then I can see how it ties in with the latter.  I highly doubt that they are though.  I personally find it to be quite surprising that Gosling has musical talent... talent that is pretty admirable.  Something about the children's choir in the background and Ryan, not to mention his borderline bass voice, taking up the foreground is haunting.  And mesmerizing all at the same time.  I'm interested in seeing the direction this band ends up taking.  Now that I think about it, it's kind of reminiscent of Arcade Fire's sounds in Funeral.  Keep in mind the recording is quite choppy and there are evident mistakes but if you're able to look past that, you'll find yourself as interested as I am in what the future holds for this project.  
I strongly recommend clicking this link to the YouTube page and watching the video in HD as the title suggests.  Definitely worth doing it simply for the children's costumes.

you love my style cause i'm not what you're used to

     Stating my complete legal name usually results in half raised eyebrows and a suspended exhale.  I, personally, don't find it to be particularly lengthy but I suppose I can understand why the action results in an expected reaction... mostly from those with names consisting of two first names.  You know which ones I'm talking about.  I guess I don't really have the authority to poke fun considering that I have been victim to the makeshift party trick of predictable reactions, so you can imagine my delight when I was informed of a body of water located in the United States called....

Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg.

Want proof?

     I know exactly what you're thinking right now... siiick.  

     This pronunciation monster is located in Massachusetts and translates to "fishing place at the boundary," though I find Larry Daly's alternative translation to be much more fun: "I fish on my side, you fish on your side, nobody fishes in the middle."  It seems much more of a rewarding explanation once you've "Jedi Master"-ed (yes, I verb-ed it) your way up to reciting the name flawlessly without effort.

As an added bit of information, I thought it might also be interesting to include the place with the longest name in the world, located in New Zealand and goes by the name of...

Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu

     I'll be honest.  I tried to pronounce it, but decided to stop after I saw myself looking at 6 vowels shoved together like an automobile accident... which is similar to the sound that came out of my mouth when I tried.

Incase you were wondering, I stumbled after Taumatawhakatangihangak and before tamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokai.... 

somewhere along those lines

I recommend the latter as an excellent hideout because anyone trying to find you will surely give up after acquiring a massive migraine, which I'm sure is inevitable.

÷

black milk: overdose

                        the matrix

Good old rap.  Legitimately one of the best albums I have listened to in the latter half of last year.  Black Milk crafts his songs with eloquence and supreme delivery... much more than I can say for most of the rappers featured on mainstream radio stations.  I'm surprised of the lack of attention he's been subject to.  Hear it out.  I'm sure you'll appreciate it on some level.

Did I mention that his beats are sick?

we've got obsessions

     Where did all the grace and redemption go?  I miss the amiable portrayals of living life recklessly through pages of novels like Anna Karenina and This Side of Paradise... of giving everything you have for happiness-- though it's not advisable.  I'm not the biggest fan of these 'A List' books and that 'Gossip Girl' show.  I find no entertainment value in watching self suffocated arrogance and, therefore, vote amscray modern representations of the noveau riche!  Replace these spoiled brats with paupers seeking vengeance against society with elegance, subtle disapproval, and lots of caviar.  Old school style with monocles and all.  Can somebody hand me a copy of Great Expectations?

What exactly is my point?  Nothing, actually.  

I just need to take a shower and go to Barnes and Noble to buy some good ol' Fitzgerald.  

Perhaps get better sleeping patterns while I'm at it.

÷

marina & the diamonds: obsessions

                                                mowgli's road

how you move from A to B

I just realized that I accidentally posted the wrong remix on my earlier post.  So, I'll leave that one up and just add the proper one.  

The one that actually has graduated vocals.

Here...

lykke li: little bit (css remix)

seemed like a dream... no, better.

Before you read this, you should probably know that this all happened in 2006.  Not recently.  I just stumbled across the pictures and felt compelled to put them up somewhere a.k.a here.

     When I was younger, I looked forward to the day my size 5 shoes would become introduced to European soil/gravel/horse dung.  It was never a possibility that I was being frivolous.  I knew that it was only an issue of time for my dream to become a reality.  My plan was to fit in as convincingly possible amongst the locals.  Language barrier?  No problem.  I would pretend as if i were a deaf local if I needed to.  If I was ever confronted or asked a question, I'd simply justshake my head and look around alarmingly as if I were waiting for Chris Hansen to save me.  Eaaaasy.

Eventually, I did get my wish... albeit not under the circumstances I imagined.

     Filipinos-- you know, those tricky ones who look like they might be Spanish, but then again not.. or maybe like a little bit but with a tad of (ethnicity here)-- tend to be very tightknit.  If you don't believe me, take a trip down to Dallas and I'll introduce you to at least 50 people who I am not related to in any way, shape, or form, but have known for practically the entirety of my childhood.  I've seen these same faces through parties, birthdays, dinners, banquets, performances, etc.  Actually, I went to go play laser tag with my favorites the other day.

ANYWAY.

    Two of our family friends' families children were getting married..waaait, that is so difficult to understand.  I'll make it easier.  Family A has a daughter who is in love with Family B's son, so they are getting married.  Capiche?  Lovey dovies decide to get married in Italy and BAM, dream becomes reality in motion.  We, my family, buy our tickets to go to Italy and figure, "Hey, we're already there... why don't we just go ahead and visit some neighboring countries during?"  I was estatic.

   I forget exactly how much a pain in the ass the flight was to get there... and whether or not I had difficulty in figuring how to pack my belongings but I do know for a fact that I brought practically all my clothes.  God forbid I look tacky in Europe, right?  Most likely I sleep throughout our flight and we land in Chicago for a plane transfer.  Resume.  Eventually, after hours and hours of derriére numbing, we land at La Guardia airport and proceed to claim our baggage.  Waiting... waiting... wait, seriously?... wait.. pacing... Oh, what the fuck, could it be?  

They've lost our luggage.

     At this point I am livid.  As a girl, you have to understand that I have lost, a) practically all my clothing, b) all my good makeup, and c) any hope of retaining dignity while I am in Europe.  We get the airport to check on our baggage and turns out it's hanging out somewhere in Chicago.  'Maybe.'  There's no guarantee we'll ever get our stuff back but, hey, they could compensate us for a monetary fraction of our belongings.

   I manage to pull together my composure and come to the realization that there's really nothing I can do at this point, and so my family and I just get on with our trip-- deciding not to worry about our troubles until we had to.  Which would be soon.  Did I mention we were going to a wedding?  Oh, I also forgot to say earlier that my parents were chosen as the couple's sponsors, meaning they'd have to somehow manage without their belongings.  My parents at least had their formal attire with them, sans shoes and embellishments.  Thankfully we were in the company of our good ol' crew and people were more than willing to offer their help towards our finding temporary replacements and the wedding went through perfectly.

     The wedding took place in perhaps the most gorgeous place I have ever visited: Assissi, Italy.  Assissi appears as a heavenly city resting on top of a hilltop, with its secrets hiding somewhere along each sequentially rising alley, fountainhead, and home.  Around midday, children are out playing soccer nearby churches and fountains as their elders rest against buildings and structures, looking out towards the grapevines and greenery.  AND!  That was a horrendous sentence so I will appease by giving you pretty things to look at.

     Throughout our duration, my family was able to go around both Italy and France.  Needless to say, we were without our familiar belongings and had to rely on purchasing replacements until the issue was settled.  In the end, we managed to eventually get our belongings back a week or so after we had given up all hope on ever seeing them again.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself, even though I lacked the image I preferred to present.  It was everything I had imagined it to be, minus having to pretend to be the local mute.  

Did I mention I also got my iPod stolen during this vacation?  

I suspect the nuns who fed us.

I plan on returning sometime in the near future.  

When it happens &there will be more pictures to share.

And, yes, I know... I am not a photographer.  Not even an amateur at that.

÷

alaska in winter: berlin

air france: collapsing at your doorstep
all the pictures: catherine of aragon

Artists all beginning with the letter "A' and referencing some element of Europe.  Touché.

you promised me an answer by today

Hoorah!!  

I put about an hour of my time trying to figure out how to work that HTML player on the bottom of your browser.  See it?  It's pretty swell.  If you haven't clicked any music links, then it should be hiding on the left-hand corner of your screen.  

Due to that gorgeous little pale grey box, you can just click the little arrows next to the mp3 files to preview them, rather than downloading them only to find noise vomit on the other side of your headphones/speakers.  I think you'll have to resort to right-clicking to download rather than just directly clicking the hyperlinks cause that will only trigger the Yahoo! player.

I feel pretty accomplished.  This is nice.

÷

oldfolks home: i hate dell

It's not a remix!

...but, it is pretty glitchy/electronic in a melancholic way.  

Give it a minute before it builds up to indie status.  It's worth it.  

I promise.  

Pinkie promise.

WTREMIXES?!

My iTunes is a plethora of remixes ever since I started going to school in New York.  I just realized this... and, so...

kanye west: homecoming (discotech remix)

lykke li: little bit (klumpfish remix)

ting tings: great dj (calvin harris remix)

britney spears v. madonna: trouble vs. get together

kid cudi: day'n'nite (crookers remix)

ANDD!!

as a finalé for you fine chirrin'...

I present an oldie, but a goodie from Ms. (or Mrs?) Kylie Minogue.

kylie minogue: come into my world (fischerspooner remix)

I have plenty more which I'm sure will eventually make their way onto some post in the future, but I am quite positive that I've given you enough to tap your feet to for awhile.  I don't plan on posting only remixes, but it so happened to have turned out that way so I figured why not pound out a couple while I'm at it?  Anyway, my point is, I won't post only remixes.  There will be some indie gems and such I'll share... but for now enjoy these lovely interpretations.

comment mon coeur a succombe

I watch as the remaining grains of time-- before the spring semester-- slip through my fingers with a cup of delicious tea.  Lots of sugar, naturally.  It seems that the closer I get to starting classes again, the more and more difficult it is to muster up enough strength to leave my parent's house.  

No wait.. actually that's a lie.  

I have been doing lots of driving around the suburbs, but I can't seem to find any motivation to see my good old friends.  This has to change.  

Perhaps it's due to having tasted the freedoms of going to college in New York.  Perhaps my inclination towards winter hibernation is to blame.  I'm not quite sure, but if you figure it out please let me know.  In any event, I plan on spending my last two weeks in Dallas in the company of familiar faces.

As of now, my shoulders hurt and I want to bake cupcakes so I am going to leave it at that.

P.S- On the subject of cupcakes, why are-- were?-- the FIT coke queens obese giggle muffins? Sorry for naiveté, but who the fuck is Plaxico Burress?

÷

sébastien tellier: divine (danger remix)

so little to say, but so much time

I decided it would be in my best interest to have some sort of space where I can post all the nonsense going through my head.  You are looking at it.

I'm not really quite sure where I want to go with this.  I do, how

ever, know I'll laugh when I look back on it some day... when the memory of having written it in the first place resurfaces after having forgotten it all.

We will see, won't we?

÷

mick boogie & adele: first love (remot remix feat naledge)