Tuesday, May 31, 2011

make your mark on this room, there's no one here but you.

on sunday, my friends and i once again partook in the do-over, but this time the do-over took something from us. our memory! convinced el cid's sangria is actually some kind of jungle juice, it was all a haze under the sun that resulted in a sleepover with empty water bottles littering the floor and everyone wondering how we spent 6 afternoon hours.

the latest song from local melting pot musicians, fool's gold, kind of feels like the perfect anthem for sunday's antics. it's loud, it moves and most importantly it repeats the line "there's no holding back" over and over and over. 

go big, go home and wonder wtf happened.


-t

where you been darling? we've been holding this moment for you.

i've been wanting to watch bridesmaids for a while, but i knew that i should watch it with some girlfriends rather that on a date. i was right. at the core of bridesmaids isn't even a story about a wedding. it's really about friendship and despite how much it can change, evolve and at times suck beyond belief - real bonds are impossible to erase.

with beaming nods to the importance of love and loyalty, the film also successfully balanced being ridiculously funny with wildly obscene moments that will surely satisfy the male demographic being dragged by the ladies in their lives. extra kudos to the impeccable casting and for introducing me to the charming mr. chris o'dowd.

bridesmaids > the hangover 2
and if you don't believe me, check out the outtakes below. don draper you're killing me.



who doesn't love that wilson phillips song?!
-t

dear i fear we're facing a problem.

on saturday i helped pour pbrs and cheap two buck chuck to folks checking out a new art exhibition at xlarge in los feliz. co-presented by XL and archrival, it features new works by a handful of local artists and photogs as well as a handpainted floor upstairs. it's always a blast being in charge of everyone's alcohol content and shaking hands with new folks.



tips optional, hugs mandatory.
-t

Saturday, May 28, 2011

thunder only happens when it's raining.


joseph gordon levitt? i'm in.


50/50 hits theaters this september.
-t

Thursday, May 26, 2011

sip until i feel it, smoke until it's done.

"i know i got my issues, why you think i fucking flow?

love him or leave him.
the weeknd - "rolling stone"



-t

should i proceed? yes indeed.

something i hardly talk about unless you ask me about it first, was the fact that i used to play basketball in my younger (and definitely more fit) days. i was on varsity all throughout high school and remained a starter from my sophomore year on. i won a few awards and played in two all-star games my senior year. i shifted between point and shooting guard and was always one of the smallest on my team. and let me just say, small people who utilize the crossover effectively, can never really be stopped. 

check out the new york times breaking down my favorite move.



-t

ps: playing with/or against boys is so fun. you'll never believe how badly they act when you bruise their egos during the friendliest of competitions :)

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

let me sink, you'll help me swim.

i've had james blake's joni mitchell cover "a case of you" on steady rotation for the last two weeks. it all started because my friend has been having major significant other issues and i usually always provide a song to soundtrack the dramatics and advice sessions. so going into last night's show at the troubadour, i was really hoping he would pull that song out of his bag of tricks. 

as his voice echoed between selections from his stellar debut and the title track from the klavierwerke EP, he graciously announced his final song and joni's spirit was nowhere to be found. until the one song encore. bravo james blake. you were emotive, powerful and ripe with quiet charisma. but most importantly, you swept me off my feet.


i know your devils and your deeds,
-t

i'm frightened by the devil, but i'm drawn to those who aren't afraid.

not surprisingly, my only knowledge of jellyfish is from that episode of friends, where chandler has to pee on monica's leg after she got stung by one.

so join me in getting acquainted with the mysterious sea creatures in this amazing video from sarosh jacob. shot in the republic of palau, get your lesson on not through facts and scientific words, but instead through a rad radiohead track and an underwater handheld. 


-t

we are the flowers in your dustbin.


alex is a singer.
alex is hungry.
alex is dirty beaches.

dirty beaches take away show shot during sxsw, complete with a spontaneous song about wanting bbq and two cups of coffee. 


-t

Monday, May 23, 2011

welcome to the motor town. booming like an atom bomb.

the recession has affected many aspects of daily life. from your favorite places closing down, to people you love living jobless trying to make ends meet. its influence has also made its way onto subplots of popular tv shows and has become a platform for many conscious street artists, authors, singers and hip hop heads. 

despite currently residing in los angeles, my michigan-bred favorite isn't turning a blind eye to what the recession has done to the motor city he calls home. his latest single, "a long time", serves as a love letter to the state. although he calls out faceless names and unfortunate situations, he ultimately sings about hope and rejuvenation in one hell of a catchy way.


it's gonna take a long time, but we'll make it.
-t

i'm just trying to change the color of your mood ring.

see j-cole quote the lion king. hear j-cole roar. 

j-cole - "the return of simba"
but for the record, i still don't like his logo.


you're jv and i'm varsity.
-t

i'm pretty sure, i'm destined to endure.


hot sauce and honey? this appears to be love at first sight.

say hello to mike's hot honey.


doesn't mike kinda look like a bootleg jeremy renner?
-t

Saturday, May 21, 2011

it's nothing but time and a face that you lose.

how easy is it to watch a movie that perfectly follows the A + B = C equation. boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after. throw in a kid, puppy or a new house with a white picket fence and now they're just showing off. it's been done with acclaim and sometimes to utter shit, but it's a winning formula that resonates with audiences everywhere.

but the most challenging aspect of watching cinema is how to process negative exposures and opposing blueprints. the breakdown and tear-your-heart-straight-out-of-your-chest manipulation of love is so draining and difficult that it's hardly portrayed in it's rawest profile in fear of polarizing it's audience.

enter blue valentine. unafraid to be vulnerable or excruciatingly harsh, the film shines despite all of it's interior darkness and stands alone in it's brave and heartbreaking storytelling. and there aren't enough adjectives to compliment the performances from ryan gosling and michelle williams

it's on redbox now. definitely worth the dollar price tag.
and if you have patience to watch all of the deleted scenes, you can watch ryan gosling gag himself, yack and then make out with michelle for a good 5 minutes after.



you always hurt the one's you love.
-t

Friday, May 20, 2011

catching flashbacks over eye contact.

drake has always been on the defensive end, spilling rhymes about lost love, unfulfilled dreams and the assumptions of people who genuinely don't care for him. his message has always been there, but it's usually cloaked in dramatic allusions, moments of underdog storytelling or the occasional brush-off. 

but on his new single, "dreams money can buy", the message is loud and clear - don't fuck with drakkard noir. as the jai paul sample loops, it's a full court press towards everything and anyone negative.


-t

Thursday, May 19, 2011

getting up is not for amateurs.

let's all collectively take a minute to geek out over a giant magnet, primary color circles and the idea of inductance (don't worry, i had to google it's meaning too).

and you can thank physalia studio for the coolest 90 seconds of your day.



-t

honeymoon on the dancefloor.


it's no secret for my affinity for a great beyonce tune. but i really get amped whenever she releases a video. partially because my brother always jokingly learns the choreography and i get to LOL for days before it gets super played out.

with that said, the clip for "run the world (girls)" does not disappoint. IM WAITING ON YOU NOW BROTHERBEAR!

check out the best thighs in the music industry get her shoulder bounce on.


-t

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

good things tend to come in six packs and sidekicks.

symmetrical, hazy and beautiful. 

check out this 5 minute piece on british street artist, wordtomother.


y tu mama tambien,
-t

you say you think we are the best thing.

the newish EP from baby-faced seattle twosome, beat connection, is what i imagine the sun setting at a waterfront dance party to sound like. promoting assorted degrees of sunburnt simplicity and slick house grooves, it seamlessly bounces between the carefree nature of the daylight to the carelessness of the dark.

peep the surf noir EP via facebook and check out the video for "in the water" below.


-t

hang around baby, baby. we'll be baking a cake for you.

jessie spano said it best when she became a caffeine pill fiend in order to balance her newly found hot sundae fame with the pressures of bayside high. 

THERE'S NEVER ANY TIME.

enter personal faves (and well-covered-on-this-blog-band) cults and their simple advice for this complicated world. miss spano are you taking notes?


-t

Monday, May 16, 2011

keep your magic out of my house.

kids do the darnedest things.

james blake, i'm coming for you may 23rd.



-t

i could drink a case of you darling and would still be on my feet.

yesterday, some friends and i indulged in the first do-over of the season at el cid. but the over consumption of some things and the under consumption of the essentials (food/water) and things may have gotten a wee bit out of hand for some people. (i won't name names. haha) but like most sundays in los angeles, we can always do it all over again and attempt perfection next week.

the highlight of the party was flying lotus' set. and just in time to recollect dancing and spilling sangria all over the place, he's dropped his latest podcast, lovers melt via stones throw. download it via itunes for free and you won't be listening to anything else all day.

-t

Saturday, May 14, 2011

breathe in the future, breathe out the past.

long hair don't care in the new video, "abducted" from cults. taking inspiration from the song's title, the first part of the video does justice to the idea of kidnapping and capture, but surprisingly changes it's mind in the final 30 seconds. while both brooklyn-by-way-of-san-diego singers don perfectly parted coifs, the abductee hair whips and twists to an ambiguous (albeit cinematic) idea of freedom.

check it out below. cults self-titled debut drops july 7th via columbia.


-t

meet me in montauk.

i find myself continuously hypnotized by the sounds of san francisco's blackbird blackbird. the mind behind the moniker, mikey maraman, moves with fluidity and with a consciousness to reanimate familiar timbres and atmospheres. what does that mean to you? a consistent offering of contemporary and beautiful listening pleasures.

check out his new track, "euphoria" via his hometown mag, xlr8r.


-t

Friday, May 13, 2011

i know you've been waiting for the thunder, let's give 'em an indian summer.

it's ridiculously embarrassing, but sometimes i have a difficult time pronouncing certain (simple) words. despite repeated practice or even pausing to think about a word's pronunciation before attempting to say it...certain sounds just escape me. a glowing example is sushi chef. i literally cannot say it correctly. ever.

another word that i still have yet to perfect, despite my glowing affection for him is: theophilus. my god. even typing it out, i shivered at trying to attempt a correct pronunciation. so there is no one more excited for his latest single, "last name london".  TL repeats his first (and obviously last) name over and over and over. maybe i'll perfect how to say it before his highly anticipated debut full length, timez are weird these days drops on july 19th. perhaps.


-t

love you forever, but you're driving me insane.

there's always something quirky and original surrounding the work of miranda july. her films showcase humanity and complexity, never lacking interesting pieces to fill in the blank moments. me & you & everyone we know was one of my favorites of 2005 and her latest, the future, appears just as free and fearless as ever. 

peep the trailer and look out for it this july.


-t

Thursday, May 12, 2011

dance for another, she's gone under. undercover.

a little video about letterpress to jump start your day.

props if you can recognize which new york film's theme this short borrowed for it's soundtrack. hint: it rhymes with mick and flora's finfinite waylist.



-t

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

yesterday was the time of our lives.

there's unmeasurable beautiful in capturing humble, yet intense passion. that's exactly what director richard press was able to profile in his new documentary about famed fashion photographer, bill cunningham. hilarious and inspiring, the film showcases not only an artistic point of view, but the genuine heart and soul of a man who has photographed fashion's elite (and everyday) for decades. in pursuit of his craft and vision, bill cunningham may have sacrificed the traditional routes of marriage and children, but has won worldwide acclaim and love from millions who are not only the subjects of his lens, but are fans and friends on the other side. 

bill cunningham: new york, is available in limited release and i highly suggest tracking it down.


we all get dressed for bill.
-t

Monday, May 9, 2011

hey you with the pretty face. welcome to the human race.

throw a good cover song in any live set and i'm a happy camper. well my future husby is going one step further to ensure my happiness and will digitally drop an EP full of covers titled, impressions later this week. for a taste, check out his spot-on take of the ELO classic, "mr. blue sky".


-t

Friday, May 6, 2011

you wrestled your nightmares, the sweat from your bedsheets.

i've always been a fan of dev hynes various musical incarnations. from the quirkiness of lightspeed champion to his appropriate throwback hooks for theophilus london, his latest project blood orange seems to pick up exactly where TL left him - two decades behind.

decked in his finest threads (knicks snapback, hightop timberlands, harry potter circular frames complete with a jumpman earring), blood orange channels the vibe of 90's r&b predecessors: new edition, toni! tony! tone!, shai and blackstreet, but abandons the era's affinity for cheesy undertones in lieu of hyper-sensuality. it's all very new york undercover and no surprises here, i love it.


-t

something special happened today, i got green lights all the way.

if you've ever had the pleasure of hanging with a two year old, then these are the kind of sounds you'll hear and grow to love. i miss my niece!


-t

Thursday, May 5, 2011

i know what you're thinking and i dont care.

the new video from toronto trio austra reminds me of a performance piece. there's a whole lot going on without any semblance of cohesion or plot development. but if you enjoy random images rushing at you and people who are sometimes frozen but occasionally fight back, then "lose it" was probably made for (me and) you.



their debut, feel it break, drops later this month.

-t

dont wanna take a chance on your paper romance anyway.

just in time for the outdoor bbqs and day parties that springtime is synonymous with (ahem, we're looking at you do-over) parisan producer and resident cuteface, onra, has released this funky little gem. 

get your cinco de mayo two-step on.


-t

i'm allergic to selfishness.

while some advice is sought out, most advice is unwarranted and can sometimes be the bane of your existence in some circles. but for those of you looking for a few inspired words from a handful of strangers from copenhagen, i highly suggest checking out the good advice project.

sharing is caring.
-t

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

i know what's going on, don't accuse me otherwise.


purchase, personalize and bake. sounds like a plan.

hello postcup.



-t

Monday, May 2, 2011

intense but not actually in tents.

at any time of any day.



currently rocking beans from cafecito organico. one of my favorite silverlake joints.
-t

design is thoughtfulness made visible.

when love disappears, it's funny the little things you never stop associating with that missing person. sometimes it's their funny little habits, like coffee before breakfast or conversation. maybe it's even the stupid things they fancied, like the beat-up, circular black tupperwear they insisted housed their lunch. but sometimes, it's your own signature item that correlates a connection you wish you could forget.  
for sherry leblanc - lead singer from austin trio - love inks, she's expressing her current state of loneliness through her solo black glove and his found door.



with my special ink,
-t

you're my excuse to travel.

expect the unexpected when it comes to the music of sir james pants. it's a little bit of this, a pinch of that and a whole lot of something else.

his third self-titled gem officially drops tomorrow. until then, float amongst the los angeles sky with "clouds over the pacific."


-t

the power of positive sinking.


for me, the music of washed out seemed to appropriately parallel specific moments when the weather starts to become really beautiful. with vocals that slowly sprawl out, like lazy afternoon movements in bed and layered sounds that hover between the seductive and the inspiring, it's amazingly hazy and always perfectly sunkissed.

check out "eyes be closed" from ernest green's forthcoming debut, within and without.


-t

even in real life, there were screens between us.

yesterday i got to check out a local screening of hesher, the latest flick from joseph gordon-levitt, natalie portman and rainn wilson. i've seen the trailer and read a brief synopsis, but i was mainly attracted to the film for it's amazing cast.

however, the movie wasn't at all what i expected. it was vulgar, melancholic, funny and darker than i ever imagined. while remaining refreshing and strangely beautiful, i could definitely see this film not being for everyone. the three leads were excellent, but the star of the show for me was little TJ and his grandmother. no spoilers here. but if you ever wanted to know what JGL looked like in tidy whities, then it's on may 13th.



-t