SHE AND HIM AND HIM AND SHE

have you guys been listening to this album on repeat like me all of holiday break? i can't get enough of zooey's sultry voice and m. ward's killer guitar chords. i want to pluck these two right off of this adorable album cover and ask them to sing to me around a roaring fire with a glass of bourbon in my hand. that's possible, right? if you haven't gotten a chance to listen, give your ears a treat! it's streaming right over here and you can buy your very own a very merry christmas album right here! enjoy!

MUSIC I CAN'T STOP LISTENING TO

i can't stop listening to these two songs. i mean it. the first is the kings of leon's song use somebody and it's brilliant. the second is off the drive soundtrack - which if you haven't heard yet, you gotta make that happen S.T.A.T. Enjoy!

CALL YOUR GIRLFRIEND

I don't know if you know this, but I have a intense secret L-O-V-E for the Swedish 90's pop icon, Robyn. Recently, Robyn has been making a comeback in the U.S. and I couldn't be more pleased. Another Swedish girl group, Erato, grabbed some old empty butter containers and beat boxed their way through Robyn's hit, "Call your Girlfriend" all while singing in perfect harmony. It's beautiful and I may have pressed listen approximately 45 times in the last day or so. Check it out below!


{Thanks, Kate!}

ADELE VS. MADONNA

I was at a wedding reception last weekend and Madonna's Holiday came on. And then 3 seconds later Adele's Rolling in the Deep came on. TOGETHER. My ears flipped out! This is, I have to say, the best remix I've ever heard. Sit back. Relax. And Enjoy!

MUSIC // CHATHAM COUNTY LINE

last night i put on my cowgirl boots and wrangled up the north carolina kids to see the bluegrass band, chatham county line.  these four dapper gentlemen hail from raleigh, north carolina. they have their state-flag hanging behind them on stage  while they play just in case anyone dares to forget it. they sing into an old-fashioned microphone, they play the banjo, the guitar, the cello and the violin, and they sound like they are seeping out of a record player.  i was standing in a dirty dive bar in echo park, but i felt like i was on a porch in the backwoods of north carolina on a rocking chair with a bourbon in my hand. we danced danced danced and i was taught the flat-footed shuffle and it was the most magical ole' country evening i've had in a long long time.

songs you must listen to: birmingham jail, the carolinian, chip of a star

Little Boxes

My glorious little worlds are colliding! The sensational Jenny Lewis is singing a rendition of the Weeds intro song, "Little Boxes". Check out the jingle here!

The Civil Wars

Have you guys heard of the Civil Wars? I love them. They sound like a cross between Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova (that adorable singing couple from Once) and Angus & Julia Stone. I'm addicted to their song, Poison & Wine. Check it out below!

Thursday

Thursday.

_ _ _ _ _ _

one week till brooklyn.
can't wait to catch the new art in the streets exhibit at MOCA tomorrow.
taking dance classes at atwater villages' heartbeat house and loving it (80s dance party? - yes please!)
listening to adele adele and more adele, and dabbling in old LCD soundsystem albums
nectarines and strawberries and banana milkshakes.
summer.

photos via here

A new holiday!

Did you know that today was international walkman day?!? Me neither but I love it!

Sugar & Spice

Two magical things happened last night: the new Jenny Lewis LP made its way onto my record player and Magnolia Cupcakes from the newly opened store in Los Angeles were brought into my new home. I listened to the record about 17 times (switchblade is as of date, my favorite jam) and tore through a menagerie of deliciousness featuring s'more, salted caramel and ding-dong flavored cupcakes. It was a decadent night and even though my stomach hurts and my ears are ringing a wee bit today, it was all totally worth it.

Music Mondays

Jenny Lewis is God. Her new album I'm Having Fun Now is released on August 31st and I can barely wait to elbow out the tween California hipsters at Amoeba when I go to purchase my copy. This is Jenny's 3rd solo album and this time she's paired up with her boyfriend Jonathan Rice. Check out the mix tape below and hear songs from Jenny's new album including "Big Wave", "Switch Blade" and " Scissor Runner".

Anthropologie Puppy

Well folks, we did it! The girl-Scout and I moved into our one bedroom Silverlake log cabin this weekend and we came out with all our fingers and paws in tact! There was an incredible amount of heavy lifting as well as Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros listening (Home anyone?), but my awesome Rock n' Roll movers made it a much simpler task (along with some incredible friends who deserve gold medals and cupcakes for their efforts!) I snapped this picture of the pup-lette lounging on my one and only favorite piece of furniture. She is sprawled on top of one of my anthropologie pillows looking a little too cozy if you ask me! At least she has good taste, right?

Poster Cabaret

Poster Cabaret began selling underground gig posters on its first website in 2002. Originally inspired by late 1990's gig poster art, the website has grown to include the top artists of the underground poster and print scene. Along the way, Poster Cabaret has been featured on countless art and design blogs. In 2010, the online gallery has most notably appeared on the Grain Edit design blog, the New York-based Apartment Therapy blog, and in Martha Stewart Living magazine. The current website launched from Austin, Texas, in August 2006. The online gallery, international in scope, includes over 2000 different posters and prints from over 75 artists. The web gallery is organized by artist, not band or concert venue. The site is intentionally void of extra content which makes the viewers eyes happy! Here are some of my favorite new releases from Poster Cabaret below!

Music Mondays

It's Monday and you need some new tunes! Check out my favorite new artist, Marina and the Diamonds. This 24-year-old Welsh/Greek songstress always felt she was destined to make music. She once even tried out for a boy band in an effort to get her foot in the door. But it was when she started writing her own music that her career and her agile voice really blossomed. Over the last couple years, she's taken the UK by storm and earned the praise of critics and music fans alike. Check out her latest album, The Family Jewels, and my favorite song below, I am not a Robot. For all your music lovers out there, Marina reminds me of Bjork mixed with a little bit of Metric and a dash of Hot Chip. Happy Monday!

Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Coco Sumner (Sting's daughter) joins forces with Fyfe Dangerfield (of the Guillemots) to cover this Neil Young classic due to be released on brand new label Luv Luv Luv Records. This song never gets old to me, and this cover is close to perfection. Happy Friday to you all!

Jenny & Johnny

Jenny and Johnny is Jenny Lewis and her boyfriend Jonathan Rice. The love carries over to the album art for their forthcoming I’m Having Fun Now. If you’re cool with PDA, they also have some high-profile shows this fall. I love how this album cover is a little bit of Grease mixed with a little bit of rock n' roll. Looks like you've done it again, sweet Jenny.

09/06 – Seattle, WA (Bumbershoot)
09/18 – Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena #
09/19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Williamsburg Waterfront #
09/22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero Theatre $
10/03 – Hollywood, CA @ Palladium !

# supporting Pavement
$ w/ Superchunk
! supporting Belle & Sebastian

Music Philosophy

Music Philosophy is a weekly graphic/typographic interpretation of philosophical song quotes, created by British designer and avid music-lover, Mico.  Music Philosophy spans the gamut; with music quotes from Belle and Sebastian to the Beatles - from Sondre Leche to the Smiths.  And the coolest thing? All the posters look great as an iPhone desktop wallpaper, so you can download them for free on Mico's website. Which poster is your favorite?

                 

One song. One Take. One Cab.

Hi! Have you heard of the Black Cab Confessions? Well, ya should. BCC is the brainchild of five friends, all driven by their love for music, film and doing something a little bit different with their time. In short, musicians sit in the back of a black cab and are driven around their city while they preform live in the backseat and are videotaped for our enjoyment. The coolest part? The videos are only one take so they have that super personal gritty concert feel. Some of my favorite recent confessions include Au Revoir Simone, Little Boots, and Peter Bjorn and John.

Below is my most recent favorite confession; Holly Miranda covering Lauryn Hill's Ex-Factor (and quite well, I may add!)

Artist Profile: Fay Wolf

Fay Wolf grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut, attended Boston University and now resides in Los Angeles. Fay is a musician, an actor and a professional organizer. Her songs have appeared on both Grey’s Anatomy and One Tree Hill, her first EP Blankets came out in November and she's releasing a live album this summer. I had the pleasure of seeing her show at the Hotel Cafe this month, and lucky for me,snagged an interview with her afterwards. Check it out below!

You are a both a musician and an actor. Can you tell me what made you want to become a performer?

I have a memory of asking for a piano when I was two years old. I think babies sometimes know what their jam is gonna be. So my parents gave me a toy piano. Fair enough. At six, I got a real one. Acting and singing both started at church I think. Taking "real" lessons after that always seemed like a natural progression. Beyond that, it’s kind of unexplainable, yes? The feeling that one gets. Performing is the thing that gives me my...feeling. That sounds dirty.

On a daily basis, what inspires you?

The bright orange wall in my apartment. I'm pretty convinced that it gives me some sort of magical fairy dust creative energy surge. My piano closet is housed behind and surrounded by the orange wall. It's powerful shit, this orange wall, I'm telling you. Otherwise: Friendship. Family. Weather. Vulgarity. People saying what they mean. Beards. Meditation. Productivity tools. Sugar. Wit. Stretching. Did I say my Orange Wall yet?

Who are some of your favorite musicians?

There’s so much music out there now. Like never before. This answer is constantly changing. And I wish I knew more. Historically, I listened to so much Tori Amos and Ani Difranco as a teenager that the music I write is a pretty clear hybrid of the two. Right now, today, I am on board with The Xx. Florence & The Machine. Whitney Houston. John Gold. Alice in Chains. Nina Simone. Rachael Cantu. Eastern Conference Champions. The Outfield. A band outta Austin called Dead Black Hearts. (Which I think is a wonderful band name!)

I hear you have an organizing company as well. Can you tell me a little about that?

I do indeed. I’ve got a company called New Order. I've spent the last four years marching into people's homes and murdering their clutter. It's not a perfect science, but that's what makes for some pretty profound experiences. There's quite a lot of deep emotion wrapped up in our possessions. At the risk of sounding like a complete tool, it feels really nice to help people.

What is your best advice for artists trying to make it in Los Angeles?

Surround yourself with good-hearted folks. And make shit yourself.

Dig Fay's vibe? This gal will be performing at Cafe Muse in Los Angeles on May 20th and The Living Room in NYC on May 25th! And, to check out some more of Fay's work, please visit her website here.

You're a Rich Girl

Happy, Happy Monday! So an amazing thing has happened: The Bird and the Bee (one of my all-time-faves) has come out with a new album which is 100% Hall & Oates covers. WHAT?!?! I have been tappin' my toes to this c.d.a all weekend and will share my favorite track below.



I suggest listening to this via ipod on the subway, in your car with the windows down on your way to work, or setting it as your wake-up alarm track! Enjoy and have a good week!