Fave albums of...2010

This is a fashion blog but I figured I would clue you in to what my musical favorites have been over the past 12 months. This isn't a complete list because blogger somehow deleted the other half of this post. I can do favorite songs of the month if you are interested so please give me your feedback.

Soulja Boy

Teenage Millionares

 Soulja Boy - Pretty Boy Swagg by broreis 

+Death Note

LISTEN HERE

Chris Brown

"Graffiti"

Okay. The album looks awful, just my opinion, but Deuces is a classic.

 Chris Brown - Deuces by flying_high 

The Dodos

"Time To Die"

 The Dodos - Fables by Wichita Recordings

That Kanye album

"My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"

What can I say, this album just sounds awesome. But I can definitely tell that the emotion....just isn't there.

   12 Lost In the World feat. Bon Iver by bahay kubo

The Walkmen

"Lisbon"

 The Walkmen - Victory by everythingstartssomewhere


Life is beautiful, let's share a little.
Joy D.

Fashion Film Friday: Andrea Crews

I like Herman Dune and love the craziness of Andrea Crews, who I will be interviewing next month! 

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Add this to a colorful wardrobe...

HURRAH! is a band I am fond of because it is average dudes playing music I love to dance to. And they look good doing it. There music always brings color to my life. And I have been listening to their albums while I look for some colorful things to wear. Their music is oddly melodramatic but damned if you don't wanna bounce around!



Every time I hear this song I think of the natural light phenomena. None in particular because they are all quite beautiful. Grizzly Bear is a pretty popular band. A band my friends would say is a "college chick band". [See Coldplay and Sufjan Stevens] Readers of my blog know I don't care and I rather like the picture their music paints. I found this late night this past weekend trolling YouTube for fun videos. Maybe it is just me...

Question: Are there bands that exist on your playlist that paint a beautiful picture in your head?

Life is beautiful, let's share a little.

Joy 

Examples in Good Living: Rob Crow

Yep he, and the next canidate (Alber Elbaz), are two men who's lives are pretty wonderful. Crow is best known for being in the band Pinback but his musical prowess did not start there (nor does it end there). Extremely excessive Crow has been in over 10 musical project including his own. He can play the guitar, drums, and keyboard. He does all this and has a family. I have a soft spot for hard working family men.

Zach Hill and Rob Crow of Pinback

I can't tell you how many parties and car rides were spent with the soundtrack of one of his bands. I highly recommend Heavy Vegetable, Pinback, Goblin Cock, Optiganally Yours, and his solo albums. Here are some videos!

Life is beautiful, let's share a little.
Joy D.

Style Heroes: Johnathon Richman

Yes indeed! "Roadrunner, Roadrunner!"

This is the same Jonathon Richman from the infamous band Modern Lovers. I'm fixated on his solo music lately. Is it his voice or his odd way of putting on a show, I'll never know. His style is classic. Striped shirts, boat shoes, sturdy jeans, and well....you'll see.

Richman on the left.

In retrospect they are considered a proto-punk. 

J. R. is often considered the Godfather of punk.

It all started with the Modern Lovers. They started as a high school band and I doubt they looked back. Their sound was heavily influenced by the Velvet Underground and they took than influence and ran with it. Later the sound gravitated to sloppy 50s pop. During this time the original Modern Lovers lineup changed several times. In 1988 the Modern Lovers, in any incarnation, were no more. Cue sad face....

One of my favorite albums of all time

What happens when the band breaks up? Solo career! As much as I love Modern Lovers I really love his solo recordings. They are America loving folk journeys. Yes, quote me on that. He has a true love for America which is not only refreshing but also a little comforting. With the advent of his solo career brought even more dancing on stage and fun songs about awkward relationships and situations. His style definitely came to the forefront. Very clean cut but always loose cotton shirts. And yes, slim jeans, *swoon*. 

Richman is the reason I am into menswear in the first place. My mom liked one song of his and recorded it off of the radio. When he re-emerged in the US in the mid 90s I was stoked as a little kid because his subject matter was perfect for my acquiring mind. I saw an interview he did with BBC and fell in love with striped shirts and oxfords. The rest is history.

Because I am a huge fan of his awkward white man dancing here is a video of him performing on Conan O'Brien in the 90s.

Style Heroes: The Go Betweens

Before indie was indie there was The Go Betweens. I first heard them 5 years ago and was really into drinking with friends and listening to it. This was one of those "cool" things to do. That is, pretend to be adult and listen to some heavy music. And occasionally we would discuss vapidly about how the music was somehow important to us. Throughout all the high school snobbery The Go Betweens have stayed in my music library. Only recently have I been looking at how they dressed. Tight jean jackets, "jazz" hats, loose work shirts, school girl dresses with big collars? Yes, I believe I am smitten.

Life is beautiful, let's share a little.

Joy D.

PS. Here is some FURTHER READING.

Mixtape Monday: Easy Listening

Mashable recenty posted about easy ways in which to share mixtapes online. Mashable, I love you. Today and every monday to come I will share with you some recent tunes I am into. I mean, music is my first inspiration. Most of my readers love music too. I feel music is just as important to me as fashion or my newely acquired Lula Mag! The pictures is of Beach House who, if I haven't turned you on to yet, are amazing. I also added a Genesis song to make the Captain happy.

In other news: I found a tailor and a cobbler! Time will tell if they live up to their good reputations. I bought some handmade sandals at the Brooklyn Flea and have to tweak them a bit.

Life is beautiful,let's share a little.

Joy D

Goodbye Mclaren :/

You will be missed. I am sure you are wreaking havoc in the universe somewhere....

Joy D.

Last weekend was AWESOME

Rarely do I use caps, it was highly necessary.
I took a bunch of drunken pictures and edited the good ones.
Now I am back to a month and a half of school.
Yes I have started the tedious countdown to no more school.
It is an age old tradition.

In other news Daria is definitely being released in May on DVD.
It will be my big purchase before I leave for Cali.
I am oozing with excitement.

Tonight I am seeing a riveting documentary on Picasso at a local theater.
How do I know it is riveting?
It has been recommended to me by friends and bloggers a like.
That is why. I trust them to tell me what is hot or not.
A lengthy review might follow.

Things of thought

So my camera decided to "lunch out", Kasai says that means f@#ked up. As a result I have been scoring the internet for evidence of this awesome conference. This is Imran Amed of Business of Fashion and Diane Pernet; great minds that stood their ground during the "imfamous" blog ethics panel. A special nod to Jessica of What I Wore who stood firm on her integrity as a personal fashion blogger. More picture updates from the IFB conference coming as I find them.

Yes, that is Tavi...and Susie...and Mr. Street Peeper. It was great to finally hear them speak on the recent spat that the media drummed up. I was happy to learn that everyone is a-okay with each other. I know it sounds dramatic of me...

I just received in my inbox a copy of the new Face Hunter book. I have already started to look through each page closely. I cannot wait to tell you about it!

I have been really into Everclear lately. I don't believe in guilty pleasures really but I guess this band would have to be in that category.

These shoes will be mine too! Thanks Solestruck for helpin' a sista out.

Life is beautiful, let's share a little.

Joy D.

seriously, mellow out

Just. listen to some soothing drone. Life is tough and sometimes we get stressed. Let's take a collective chill pill.
Joy D.

Julian, oh, Julian

The captain would kill me if he knew I was posting about the lead singer of the Strokes. He's a hottie and above all else I really enjoy his voice. Above is a video that is, in fact, a preview for his solo album. I enjoyed the first Strokes album but I don't know about the rest, it left me wanting more. I think Julian Casablancas is looking for something better to do with his vocals. He did a song with Sparklehorse that sounded fantastic. It seems he will be entering the realm of electronic sound (Brian Eno, Animal Collective, School of Seven Bells), something I am starting to get sick of seeing "re-invented". Enough of me yakking, watch this neato video. I originally found it at TOKYO DANDY.
HAPPY LABOR DAY!
JOY D.

ILISTEN Karen O. with children

I hope this Where the Wild Things Are movie doesn't break my heart. I mean they have Karen O. singing with children and others like Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Brian Chase and Nick Zinner, Bradford Cox(Deerhunter), and two Raconteurs, among others.! It doesn't get much better than that. Wanna take a listen? THE MYSPACE page is garnering a monoply on it right now but if you like it enough I will look for it.

JOY D.

This one's for G.

Hello everyone and good morning. Many moons ago I set out to make a 90s mixtape. This was first brought on by the girls over at Rebelle Zine going on and on about 90s music. The second inspiration came from providing a soundtrack to a club scene that took place in a play I directed late June. So that leads me to the mixtape project itself. After four heavy, and cubersome, torrents later I manufactured the peace de resistance of mixtapes. I like to call it: 90s Jammie Jams vol.1 . Just a note to make about the collage: I made it in tacky 90s clipart style on purpose. Anyone can indulge in this but this post is dedicated to G, no real reason really. I didn't think you could dedicate blog posts to fellow bloggers, but I just did! Any suggestions for another one? What about a fall theme. The collage will be much more kickass next time, scouts honor.

JOY D.

THE MUSIC issue

What always happens, and Jess B. can back me up on this, is that everytime I say I like a band...the Captain and his friends have snide remarks. Now I don't take it personally. They think I am aprat of the hipster agenda. I pretend I know what the fuck they are talking about but I don't. People have made crappy music since day one. People have made pretty good music in recent history. I don't see the point in bitching a moaning about which music is which because it will be replicated faster and faster. Just relax! You have the music that satifsfies you...FUCK OFF.

Alright, I am done now....all better.

Joy D.

A You Tube secret

I have all these little gifts from my you tube vault.
AND HERE IS A NEW ONE!
I just fond this yesterday.
It is from a band I am quite found of called Harlem Shakes.

*List of awesome music documentaries ((Work in Progress))

* DISCLAIMER: I intend to watch every movie on this list by the end of August. This will be hard, you should make a list too or just use my list. The movies listed are not in any order of significance. Most of the links were provided by Wikipedia.

xoxo,
Joy D.

New Beirut DVD! I repeat...

NEW BEIRUT DVD!

Untitled from Jakob Passion on Vimeo.

After disapointing everyone with the cancellation of his tour and the overall change of his line up. He is back with a DVD. You know I love my indie-music-documentaries, Maybe I should make a list because there are a lot out there. If any of your readers love his music as much as I do make sure to pinch yourselves to make sure this is real.

Canadians are alright!

IT's COMING! The (indie) super group of 2009 (and 2006): Swan Lake. If Spencer Krug could finish his other tour already we could get this party started, sort of speak. Mind you this is just a glimpse into the appreciation I will throw at awesome Canadians. Any large mass of people that can shake the beating that was given to them by South Park is an amazing mass indeed. Heck, even the scienctologists are still mad about the beating they took!

Enamored by the Disturbing Nature of: US Maple

Ask an average music lover who US Maple is and they they will have no clue. No they are not from my home town but me and the captain were watching you tube videos of them the other night and I had to spread the noise. If, at the very least, to give awareness about how amazing they are and the fact that their documentary seems to have been shelved. This band, amongst others, is an example of a chunk of time in music I haven't explored. In the 90s I was only interested in MTV. This was followed by an obsession to find "new" and "different" music. So in my quest some bands I rarely listened to, US Maple was one of them. I remember some of their songs but have never seen them live. At the time of their hey day I was less interested in live shows and more interested in zine writing (aka staying in my room working on things).

The Untitled work about US Maple.
Everyone gets off on saying they have an indescribable sound. BS! They deconstructed music, in turn creating a new sound that is equally listenable and unlistenable. The Captain has probably seen them live a thousand and one times. He was very much into live shows. Now there really isn't anything to replace either of our (maybe just mine) cravings. That is when we come to this awesome idea for a documentary. The you tube preview left me wanting more but the last time the director updated was on his myspace nearly a year ago. What's up with that?




Why do they inspire fashion? I guess they don't. I didn't even know what most of the band members looked like until a few days ago. They are all much older now but I still have a special place in my musical heart for them. Plus....I hear they still got it and always will.

Joy d.