Thursday, December 2, 2010

My Favorite Winter Albums

Happy December! While it's not technically winter yet, the air has definitely shifted. Gone are the days of crisp, fresh autumn. Now the air is dry and biting...and I'm loving it! I'm a very seasonal person and throw myself into certain occasions head first -- namely autumn and winter. Christmas decorations make their debut in my flat on December 1st and hot chocolate, mulled wine and the likes have been enjoyed here for a good week. Music and movies are also essential for getting into the winter spirit so I give to you, in no specific order, my top albums for winter! (I'll list specific songs and movies in another post.)

 The Marble Index by Nico - Quite the departure from her celebrated Chelsea Girl, Nico truely turns into her own with the moody and gothic Marble Index. The album is one beautifully haunting song after another and all are perfect for a late evening stroll in the snow. Standout tracks include Frozen Warnings and No One Is There. Also, Elliott Smith reportedly listened to The Marble Index exclusively for months and if it's good enough for Elliott, it's good enough for me.

Grace by Jeff Buckley - One of my favorite albums period, but also happens to be perfect for those cold, dark winter days. Buckley's unique voice gives each song such character and makes them come alive, none quite as apparent as his rendition of Hallelujah, which has become just as beloved as Cohen's original. Grace, Mojo Pin, and Lover You Should've Come Over are my favorites on this nearly flawless album.

Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins - I really could have picked any Cocteau Twins album, but Heaven or Las Vegas has a particularly wintery track listing. Cherry-Coloured Funk, Fifty-Fifty Clown, Heaven or Las Vegas, and Frou-Frou Foxes In Midsummer Fired are my picks for a frosty winter's morning.

Hell Train by Soltero - Soltero's slow, thoughtful songs feel familiar and cozy--too essential qualities of winter. Playing Songs of the Season while I'm getting dressed always puts me in a good mood in preparation for a blistery cold day.

When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog by Jens Lekman - I've been in a Jens Lekman "phase" since high school so, five years on, I guess I can't really call it a phase anymore. Jens is seriously one of my favorite songwriters ever. His lyrics are touching, clever, funny, insightful....he's just brilliant. I remember being 16 and walking home after my daily homework session at the coffee shop (okay, it was Starbucks) and listening so songs like Julia, The Cold Swedish Winter, Maple Leaves, Psychogirl, and Your Beat Kicks Back Like Death--all while tentatively climbing over mounds of ice and snow. I don't think my classifying of this album as wintery is purely nostalgia though. Jens' deep, breathy voice and quirky poetry is genuinely seasonal and goes best with a steaming mug of tea.

Portrait of a Legend by Sam Cooke - I. Love. Sam Cooke. His smooth voice is beautiful and perfect for a night of Christmas shopping, tree decorating, or anything that involves Christmas lights (not sure why, but Sam Cooke and Christmas lights go together like PB&J). You Send Me, Twistin' The Night Away, A Change is Gonna Come, You Were Made For Me, and Cupid are my favorites for winter.

Takk... by Sigur Rós - Sigur Rós is amazing. Seriously one of the most talented bands with arragements that are so complex that they make my head spin trying to soak it all in. Jónsi's beautiful falsetto is incredible when paired with the haunting instrumentals. I'm sitting here, literally lost for words...Sigur Rós is such an indescribable band that anything I say doesn't seem to be enough. Anyway, winter songs! Glósóli, Sé Lest, Saeglópur. Ba Da Bing!

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Tights love

I've been meaning to branch out from my usual black-sometimes-ripped tights for a while now and, after wearing a faux garter belt for Halloween, I decided I needed a real one. I checked online and hoooooly bitch, garter belts are expensive! I found this one for only £8 on topshop.co.uk and left class early the next say to pick it up. I haven't worn it yet (had to get some hold up tights first...found some at Waitrose of all places), but I'm so in love. I can't wait til it gets warm enough to wear them with dresses and even under shorts.
Then, today, I went back to Topshop and bought some different tights and a pair of socks. My favorite are the Henry Holland stockings with Big Ben plastered all over, but here are them all.

 Song of the day: Freak Scene by Dinosaur Jr.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

BOOTGASM

I got a new pair of Docs the other day and I. Am. Obsessed.





I've been searching for the perfect heeled boot for ages and DM's Darcie boot is definitely it. I got  cherry red. The pictures make the leather look really shiny, but they're much less loud in real life and, while you break them in, they get a nice, subtle distressed look.

Speaking of breaking them in, I think everyone who has ever owned a pair of Docs knows that they are a bitch to your feet. Not the Darcie though! Totally pain-free from day one!

My friend got the Diva Viviana boots in black and her feet have been fine too...must be the heel.
I'm lusting over the Vivianas too...total want.


They don't look like much in the picture, but they're so gorgeous on.

Song of the day: Disaster by The Besnard Lakes

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Today's Muse: Kim Deal

Sorry for the drought...I was without internet for a few weeks, but it's back now and posting can resume! Huzzah!

Kim Deal. Yes. I've been a fan of hers since I first started listening to the Pixies. Not the typical "style icon", but I've always looked up to her. She has such grunge appeal without being so I'm-trying-too-hard-can't-you-tell? So subtle. Love her.



Song of the day: "Gigantic" by Pixies (duh)

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Halloween Prepping

It's never too early to start planning for Halloween...usually I'll have my costume in the back of my mind starting November 1st, but come August it's full costume-hunting season. I'm one of those people who insist on being something bloody and gory for Halloween. It's the only night of the year I can look like an extra from Dawn of the Dead and, damnit, I make the most of it.

In the past month alone I've been set on 4 different costumes and I've finally decided 100% on one: I'm going as Laurie Strode from Halloween II (Rob Zombie version) when she's all bloody and gross in her Magenta (from Rocky Horror) costume. Say what you want about Rob Zombie (and yes, I'm aware that most people HATE him), but I think he makes friggen awesome movies. House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects? Easily two of my favorite movies, and I happen to think his take on the Halloween franchise is such a breath of fresh air after all the shitty slasher remakes we've been exposed to the past few years (I'm talking to you, Black Christmas and Prom Night).


I was planning on making this easy for myself and just buying a Magenta costume and slashing it with some fake blood and tearing in up a bit, but the only Magenta costume I could find looked pretty crappy so this is going to end up being a pretty DIY affair.

I just bought a black shirt dress, a garter belt, stockings, and some white fabric for the apron and I'm getting my costume designer friend to help me take in the dress and make the apron. Simple enough. So excited!

Song of the day: Magnet's Coil by Sebadoh
 

Thursday, September 23, 2010

The Vaselines!

Last night I went to see The Vaselines with my friend, Aimee, at Scala and it was such a rad show.
They just released their first album since 1989, but their fan base has been steadily growing since their debut, Dum Dum. Kurt Cobain famously professed his admiration to the band countless times throughout his career and named his daughter after singer, Frances McKee.

Haight-Ashbury opened, but we showed up an hour and a half after doors opened, so we were busy weaving our way to the front for the few minutes we actually saw Haight-Ashbury.
It didn't matter though; by the time they were off the stage we had secured our spots in the front row (it was a stupidly passive crowd, by the way. There were plenty of little gaps that were just waiting for obnoxious kids like us to claim...and people actually moved out of the way if they saw you were trying to push to the front).

5 minutes after Haight-Ashbury cleared the stage, The Vaselines came on and Frances' parked herself right in front of me. She's so adorable! She was wearing a short, flowery sundress; black, lacey biker shorts; and biker boots. They started right away with Oliver Twisted and The Day I Was a Horse before playing I Hate the 80's from their new album, Sex With an X. The rest of the show pretty much stuck to that pattern of mainly old songs, with some newer stuff sprinkled in here and there. The album only dropped a week ago and I haven't had time to listen to it much, so I was glad to hear mostly familiar songs.

During the entire gig I had my eyes on the set list down by Frances' feet and was plotting how I'd grab it. I didn't seem to have much competition except for the two people on either side of me, but I was determined and as soon as the final note of the last song played, me and some curly-haired dude dove for it...and I won. Chica chica yeah!

Here's the whole set list:
Oliver Twisted
The Day I Was A Horse
I Hate the 80's
Let's Get Ugly
Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam
Devil Inside
Monsterpussy
Sex With an X
Slushy
Overweight But Over You
Son of a Gun
No Hope
Poison Pen
Rory Rides Me Raw
Ruined
Mouth to Mouth
Molly's Lips
Turning It On
Dying for It
You Think You're A Man (encore)

Song of the day: Slushy by The Vaselines

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

First post in a grunge blog? It's got to be DM.

Dr. Martens have been producing iconic boots for 50 years and now there's more variety in the Docs than ever. Being the urban art student that I am, my budget is pretty much abysmal...but that doesn't mean I don't still have my style-lust moments. In fact, they happen all too often, and rarely more than when I step into the Dr. Marten shop down the road from my flat. Here are some of my current crushes (from drmartens.com)
Imagine pairing any of these with a cheap floral dress from a thrift store and some ripped tights. Immediate 90's stylegasm.

Song of the day: I Think That I Would Die - Hole