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Letter From The Editor Welcome to Vinyl and Vodka: The Magazine! Recently I was inspired by my latest film photographs, music blogs, magazines and one of my future goals careerwise was to work in a top position for any kind of entertainment (music, fashion, art, etc.) magazine, so I started this to jump-start on it. Here in this bi-monthly magazine you will see the fascination and the works of bloggers, contributors, friends, and readers of my blog to create and to celebrate each others’ work. While we are exposing our writers and photographers out to the public eye, we are at the same time promoting new and famed artists, introducing you guys to music, fashion, photographers and more to the world. This is such a big dream of
mine to share my point of view to you, I’m definitely not doing this for money and not for shameless exposure (this is a non-profit magazine!). This past month in November has been absolutlutely hectic. I’ve lost my job, so I’ve been spending more time working on this and getting it out as fast as possible, which is not at all easy. I also had a lot of exams during November as well. Trying to organize your writers and laying out the format of the magazine (I’ve had no experience in this before) is stressful, when you want everything to be perfect. I’m sure if I had more time this issue would be so much better, but that’s for the second issue. Also, at the same time I’m trying to keep up with the blog and as easy as it may look, it’s
not! So I just want to thank you for reading this, please download our Vodkast (explained in the next page), and I hope you will continue to share this and send it to all you friends! P.S. If you want this magazine shipped to you in print, send me an email and I will get back to you. vinylandvodka@gmail.com
-Willis
F WILLIS HIP
Editor, Creator, Designer Contributors Articles, JASMINE WILLIAMS, CHRIS BARTH, DAN MCGRATH Reviews, MAJA M, RONI BRUNN, RYAN RIVARD, CHRIS SCHERER, DARAN GRAY, MATT UNSWORTH Big Thank Yous Thank You: JESSICA WU, LUIS TOVAR, RONI BRUNN, DAN MCGRATH CONTACT: For advertising, contributing, photography, marketing, comments, questions, e-mail vinylandvodka@gmail.com
Contest: FILTER Prize Pack For this issue we have teamed up with Filter magazine to create a giveaway worth entering for! All you have to do is email vinylandvodka@gmail.com with the subject “Filter Contest” and write whatever you want in the email, but it has to be at least one sentence. Tell us a story, what you’re doing for Christmas or what you did for Christmas, your personal life problems, and we’ll pick out a random entry in the middle of January.
What you win: • •
• •
A copy of the latest issue of Filter A copy of the special Where The Wild Things Are edition of Filter 10 CDs from various artists And I may put in a copy of this magazine for you as well.
VODKAST 1: The Wasted Tapes
It is often said that behind every great man there’s a great woman. John had Yoko, Adam had Eve, and Bill had Monica (insert joke about Bill having Monica). Likewise, every great music blog needs its own mix series. Introducing Vinyl & Vodka’s very own Vodkast, a collection of songs compiled by Willis and Dan McGrath that will surely leave you three sheets to the wind (let’s see how long I can run with this alcohol motif…) Every issue will have a different one with a different cover. By the next issue, we will have it up on iTunes so you can subscribe. Download it and plug it into your iTunes and iPod. Listen to it on your way to work, make it your workout song, etc.! This month’s issue features music by Dragonette, Plastiscines, The XX, School of Seven Bells, Total Babe, and more. Go to http://vinylandvodka.com/2009/12/vodkast-1-the-wasted-tapes/ to download this issue! 1. Freelance Whales - Generator ^ First Floor
10. Israel Darling - Samson The Mason
I was skeptical when these guys (and girl) started popping up on all the blogs I frequent. What can I say, the hype beast and I rarely get along (case in point, I don’t really like Animal Collective’s My Girls… “Gasp!!!”). However, this is totally the exception. I’m a sucker for banjoes, harmoniums, and ethereal introductions, and lucky for me Freelance Whales rely heavily on all three. This is one for the year end lists.
Everything in this song is perfect. From the lyrics to the ‘hey heys’ to the band, you just have to put this on repeat.
2. Dragonette - Pick Up The Phone Dragonette has always been my favorite indie pop band, and “Pick Up The Phone” tones down the excitement from their previous single “Fixin To Thrill” but still remains Dragonette-cool.
3. Wolf Gang - The King And All Of His Men It might just be my childhood fixation with Humpty Dumpty speaking, but man I love this song. It’s quite catchy and could have fit seamlessly on Passion Pit’s debut Manners. I haven’t heard anything else from Wolf Gang at this point, but I sure as hell look forward to it.
4. Total Babe - Short Stories
11. Robert Francis - Junebug This song was the free single on iTunes a few weeks back and after downloading and loving it upon first listen, I was shocked to see it had been absolutely torn apart by everyone on iTunes. Then I saw that I Gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas was still the number one single for the millionth week in a row, and it all made sense… Part Ryan Adams, part Springsteen, with a little Delta Spirit thrown in, Francis shines on this track off his sophomore album Before Nightfall. If you like this one you’ll like them all.
12. The xx - Stars The xx exploded in 2009, and they were known for their minimalist sound. “Stars” is one of my favorites from the album, and both of the singers voices sound so beautiful in this.
I have to admit, I only gave this band a listen because their name intrigued me. Expecting some bass pounding euro-pop, I was pleasantly surprised when I heard fiddles and folkie vocals. Add them to your list of bands to watch in the upcoming year.
13. School of Seven Bells - Half Asleep (Alternate version)
5. Morning Bell - Marching Off To War
14. M83 - Kim & Jessie
This psychedelic-inspired indie pop band have some pretty interesting sounds backed up with screaming ’aaaahs’ from their single “Marching Off To War”.
6. The Basics - With This Ship (Peter Cobbin Mix) Those of you who’ve heard of Gotye already know 1/3 of this band (those of you who haven’t aren’t living life to its full potential). Lead singer and percussionist Wally DeBacker is another personal hero of mine and continues to wow with this track. Only a true musical genius would think to add audio clips of garrrhhing pirates in the middle of a song about sinking ships.
A good friend of mine sent this to me a couple of days ago. No explanation necessary, just watch the trippy video. This song reminds me of Molly Ringwald… probably because it reeks of the 80’s and would fit perfectly in any one of the John Hugh’s classics from that decade. For this reason, I love this song and so should you.
15. Erik Hassle - Hurtful (Penguin Prison Remix)
Get up and dance to this anthem by the French rock all-girl band. Who doesn’t like Barcelona?
Remember how shocked you were when you first saw a picture of Rick Astely (I mean come on, who would have guessed a skinny white ginger sang Never Gonna Give You Up)? Well the same thing happened when I googled Erik Hassle… who strangely looks like Astley… Either way, this song is awesome and constantly stuck in my head. You’d think after Susan Boyle I’d have learned once and for all to never judge a book by its cover… or in this case a cover by its book?… my head hurts.
8. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle
16. From - Fight For Your Right
7. Plastiscines - Barcelona
99.9% of the time I would say nothing good has ever come from suicide. However, in the case of Hitler and New Order (the remains of Joy Division post Ian Curtis’ death) I have to say otherwise. That sounded a lot less insensitive in my head… Often regarded as one of New Order’s best singles, this song has become a classic over the last decade and was ranked 201 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
9. Bell XI - Rocky Took A Love Seeing as how they are one of the biggest bands in Ireland, it’s befuddling (yes, you heard me, befuddling!) to me how this band hasn’t exploded stateside yet. The lyrics are great, and it’s just so damn catchy! “If there was a god then why is my ass the perfect height for kicking”
If you’ve never heard of From, you should, because their French cover of the Beastie Boys’ “Fight For Your Right” is truly amazing. Trust me.
17. Fyfe Dangerfield - When You Walk In The Room Fyfe, when you walk in the room, I see things that I do understand. “I want you endlessly, I want you endlessly…”
18. Jason Mraz - If It Kills Me Classic story. Friend hopelessly feels for friend. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
An hashtag derived from Twitter. A lis
Tiger Woods
Balloon Boy
The things that are happening to Tiger Woods right now are really showing just how shitty it is sometimes to be famous. Here's what we know, Tiger Woods crashed his car. That's about it.
The occurrences of October 15, 2009 will go down in history as the most exciting thing to ever air on television and conversely most anticlimatic. It was too good to be true. A boy trapped 7000 feet in the air in his father's experimental flying machine. The weird silver balloon looked like a UFO as it soared at over 50 miles an hour across Colorado farmland. Broadcasts raised endless questions: if the kid (Falcon) was in the ship, how they were going to get it down safely, where the family was? At one point they even had a Blackhawk helicopter on route for a mid-air rescue.
The rest of the story (at the time he was fighting with his wife about an affair) is pure journalistic speculation. Anytime you see reports about this story pay close attention to how many times the words “reportedly”, “seemingly” and “rumored” are used. This is what happens when there is no news, people just make it up. Don't fret Tiger, I guarantee if something happens next week of any interest this story will be long forgotten. But that’s not why we follow these stories is it? We follow these stories so that we don’t get left in the dark at the next water cooler meeting. No need to worry, here’s all you need to know.
• • • • • • • •
Tiger woods cashed his car No one was hurt Rumor has it he was fighting with his wife about an affair At first it seemed it was with Rachel Uchitel (New York night club hostess) Now it’s been reported it was Jaime Grubbs (Las Vegas cocktail waitress) A total of 8 women have admitted to having a fling with him. 8!!! Tiger got a 142 dollar driving ticket His wife may divorce him, his sponsors may drop him - Matt Unsworth
Eventually the strange sagging blimp grounded by itself, and it was revealed Falcon was not onboard. Of course that wasn't the end of the story. When all the dust settled it turned out the whole thing was just a big publicity stunt and Falcon was merely hiding in the attic. What followed was a media circus of accusations about the the father/media whore's motives behind the stunt, which later got charged from the state. One of the most peculiar moments of the aftermath was during an interview on The Today Show, when mid conversation Falcon puked into a tupperware container and neither Falcon's parents or Meredith Vieira even batted an eyelash at the over stimulated kid hurling his cereal on live television. A very suiting end to this year's biggest waste of public resources. I really hope they don't make a movie about it. -Matt Unsworth
st of fails is a win. H1N1 When the first people died because of a “swine flu”, people were scared, especially ones in North America, where people thought the flu originated from Mexico. In fact, it’s actually the H1N1 influenza, which isn’t actually as bad as you think. The seasonal flu kills more people than the H1N1, but be careful of what to do in order not to get it. When the treatment was released in October, people were either delighted or concerned that it took so fast to create a treatment that almost a billion people have injected into their bodies already. Is it safe? The government says it is. I’m not taking it. (I’m scared of needles) Is this a conspiracy?
The Jackson Family
Chris Brown
Where do I even start? As everyone knows, Chris Brown attacked Rihanna while he was driving RIhanna home from the Grammy Award Party. After that night, everybody was talking about him attacking Rihanna, even though there were no pictures for proof. But then a picture of Rihanna’s bruised face showed up on TMZ. Chris’s sponsors dropped their ads once they found out that he had gone to jail, and he hid from the public, only releasing a statement on Youtube. He went to court and was sentenced to 5 years of probation, one year of domestic violence counseling, and 6 months of community service, and he was giving a restraining order to stay 100 feet away from Rihanna and 10 at public events. From there, Chris had lost a ton of fans, and radio stations banned his songs. He went on to Larry King to apologize but that just made it worse, and Rihanna and Chris were both interviewed on 20/20. They both released singles around the same time, same with their albums. I’m going to bet you that his CD will flop. Chris, you ruined your entire career.
We all know that Michael Jackson died, so we must imagine the grief that the Jackson family was going through when they heard the news. But Joe Jackson (his father) had an idea. Joe decided to use the attention that everybody were talking about and slipped a little information about his record label in the middle of interviews. He wanted to get Michael Jackson’s kids and start a ‘Jackson 3’ empire all over again, but Michael’s siblings disagreed to that idea. A Michael Jackson movie “This Is It” was released, also with tons of new compilations of never heard before and upgraded hits of the past, which generated millions of CD sales. Janet Jackson also tried to make a ‘comeback’ as well.
Sarah Palin You can say that Sarah Palin is the ‘dumb blond’ in politics. She mutters and changes the subjects during interviews and she’s got that funny, unprofessional accent. Whenever someone asks her a question, she goes on and on talking about something else. She was just an attention gainer for John McCain, and she was never ready to join him if he became president. She resigned in July and said that she would not be up for the 2010 elections, but she stated that she is starting to think of running for president in 2012. All I have to say is: LOL.
Kanye West During the MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift’s speech when she won an award, which caused an outrage of “Ima let you finish…” jokes.
Other Fails • • • •
Lil Mama’s appearance in Jay-Z’s performance at MTV VMA’s Jon Gosselin David Letterman’s sex scandal The Vampire Trend
Is
Indie the new Written by Jasmine Williams
T
New findings that mainstream artists are lookING Ing towards the “inner” artists for inspiration
ake a break from swag surfin, and synchronized dance moves and try to keep up for a minute. There is a new trend happening in mainstream mu sic, and it’s bigger than any dance move or cliché beat sample you’ve ever heard. Indie music is beginning to join forces with mainstream artists in an even bigger way.
I recall this trend starting around a time when M.I.A.’s song, “Paper Planes” began to take flight after the movie Pineapple Express had hit the box office. After this indie turned mega hit entered the billboard charts, there were plenty attempts as remixes. As the song that I and plenty other people once loved, had transformed into a “trendy” craze, that became oversaturated with plenty of people imitating but never successfully duplicating the eclectic style of innovative hipsters. I say this, because almost instantly after the rise of M.I.A.’s single, I began to notice that mainstream artists were all of a sudden getting in touch with their “inner” artist, with artists by whom which the mainstream people hardly ever heard of, I also saw an emergence of artists who I felt only had a “underground” presence, being displayed all over the internet, television and radio. Some people who listen to underground music sincerely could tell you that it was only a matter of time before the artists we cherish as hipsters are now slowly unfolding into even bigger fame and starting to reap the benefits of collaborating, and creating a new style of music with mainstream artists. Now that auto tune is FINALLY out, and indie is in, I anticipate the upcoming sounds of Christina Aguileria with a twist of electro-pop. As I have read on the Rolling
Stone website, she has been working with artists such as M.I.A., Santigold, Sia, Goldfrapp, Le Tigre and Ladytron for her upcoming album. I also await the debut of Lil’ Wayne’s rock inspired album “Rebirth”, in which he has pulled rockers such as Pete Wentz, and Lenny Kravitz who are known as great musicians in their own respects as well. There’s also a buzz around Cuomo, from the band Weezer, doing a collaboration with Katy Perry in the near future according to sources. This is a fresh development that I am observing among artists, I am aware that it is quite normal to merge genres, and to collaborate with other artists, however when hearing a remake of Lykke Li’s ballad “Little Bit” over heavy snare and bass from the Canadian artist known as Drake, it just leaves you feeling somewhat perplexed. Even when I see that artists are actually enjoying the energy of merging genres, like R&B singer Kelly Rowland in her new power house song “When love takes over” produced by French DJ David Guetta, you have to wonder how they even crossed paths. Lil’ Wayne is also featured in a song with Shakira called “Give it Up to Me” that is produced by Timbaland. It’s definitely a mystery to me the intention of the apparent cross-referencing from indie to mainstream through media, fashion, and music. Even within the indie realm there has been abuzz around variety of artists, like another recent song with Major Lazer and Nina Sky, “Keep it Going Louder”, and let’s not forget the newest member of the Fool’s Gold Record Label, the Atlanta cardigan king rapper known as Donnis. One looks forward to hearing and seeing more of the cohesion, and having more of the hipster culture and music brought out to mainstream. As we progress in a new era of indie music, we only hope that our community gets bigger, and brings eccentricity and culture to the new generation of mainstream music.
The xx - XX Written by Chris Scherer
The xx, with their debut LP, XX, have managed to simultaneously embody the elusive vagabond spirit of the young, repressed and creatively conscious art culture, and still introduce something so fresh and inviting, and otherwise, void from a currently indistinguishable music scene. It is an aura so strenuously attempted at by electronic experimentation and rule-breaking acoustics. Yet with the most subtle production and musically simplistic arrangements, The xx has found the perfect formula in beautifully resonating minimalism. Living up to their blog-raved covers, the band has put together a beautifully crafted album, completely purposeful and artistic in its compilation. Each track reads with the kind of haunting, unsuspecting melodies that creep their way into your head in such a way that when you hum them, you aren’t sure you’ve got it right. This is a thread that rings through the bare, chilling qualities of two voices from the band of four 20-year-olds, Oliver Sim, Romy Madley Croft, Baria Qureshi and Jamie Smith. Their lyrics are pulled
off with a blase reduction to mere conversation, but the dialogue is intriguing. In songs like, “Basic Space,” amidst the perfect application of reverb, their voices have such a beautiful quality that they resonate just enough so that they never actually lift off of the instrumentation, but rather become an instrument themselves. From the start of the album, an intro sets the tone of repeating motifs and chords with plucking guitar hooks, popping snares and a tribal brigade of sampled electronic and acoustic drums. The songs are mostly about lost love and the tribulations that trial an impassioned youth. “Shelter,” one track that makes the most sense as a “single” of sorts, begs a question typical of sexual frustration in an emotionally introverted pairing, “Can I make it better ... with the lights turned on?” However, there’s heart to everything that’s sung about. Even in the more poporiented tracks which ride with a little more zest, there is contemplative thought to the words which turn poetry into rhythmic
plays. “Islands” consists of a fairly simpleminded hook, but its verses are riddled with a little more fodder. The lines, “See what I’ve done/That bridge is on fire/Going back to where I’ve been/I'm froze by desire/No need to leave,” provide an entirely implicit metaphor attesting to the emotional isolation identified by the song’s title. With thematically consistent instrumentation throughout, XX, is broken by musing interludes like, “Fantasy,” an affected reprise of the music from “Shelter.” Featuring vocals from Oliver (as opposed to “Shelter,” which features the band’s female counterpart, Romy), the interlude contrasts “Shelter” in such a way that it causes you to dig deeper into these connections within the album once they are noticed, as you wonder exactly what this response is saying. From what’s evident in their recorded music to what’s been spoken about their live set, it’s undeniable the considerable waves that are being forged in the wake of their gentle rippling of the tide. With primal
soft rock that calls upon basic R&B composition, and distorted electric guitars that make for the most beautifully ethereal sounds, what they’ve created is a beat that matches the pulse of a creative undercurrent in music today. Although they channel the individuality of an alternative indie band, the obvious appreciation for the most thunderous bass (which rolls like butter under a synthetic soundscape) is a small and subtle homage to an audio culture that thrives just left of the mainstream. This is synthesized rock and it is at the core of a crossover revolution in the music world that is fusing electronic practices with the most important skill of all: good old fashioned songwriting.
Rating: 88
Dragonette - Fixin To Thrill Written by Melina Bast
Dragonette, a Canadian electronic pop group, is back with their second album, Fixin to Thrill. “Fixin to Thrill,” “Gone Too Far” and “Pick up the Phone,” are all stand out singles from the album, which have grown in popularity over the course of the year. Fixin To Thrill is not a groundbreaking album or a beacon of undeniable greatness, but it is pleasure for the ears and an upbeat poppy record for the collection. Lead singer and songwriter, Martina Sorbara, said “We were just king of making up shit as we went along and we still are doing that.” No longer guitar heavy, the album stands out as much more polished than their first. Fixin to Thrill is perfectly produced and carries digitally pleasing blends throughout. It has catchy riffs in almost
Rain MachineMachineRain Machine Written by Ryan Rivard
With TV on the Radio going on hiatus for what will surely feel like an eternity, just where do you go to feed your hunger for TVotR music? Your answer: Kyp Malone. Malone goes by the moniker Rain Machine. The music is not like the quilt like blend of various genres TVotR fans are used to. Instead, Malone aims at minimalistic indie blues, using sparse instrumentation consisting of his guitar and a hodgepodge of percussion instruments. The unofficial First Aid anthem, "Give Blood," starts off with heavy bells before a guitar riff as fuzzy as Malone's beard cuts into the mix to spike up the album's most energetic track. After the punchy opener, the album begins to drift into a mellower state of conscious. There's a certain intimacy and vulnerability in Malone's husky howl and falsetto croon all over the album. A handful of
tracks span past the four minute mark, including the ballad "Smiling Black Faces." The track is a slowburn song, building up as it goes until unleashing full force in the last minute. His lyrics are the true vehicle that serve this song, as it is sung in a storytelling fashion with some political charge added in. There's no doubt in my mind that Kyp Malone is one of the most talented musicians out there today. He has an uncanny ability to assemble a beautiful portrait of music through his intricate, fluid guitar playing, poetic lyrics, and his emotionally charged vocals. However, the long tracktimes start to bore the listener at certain points. "Love Won't Save You" drags on far too long and becomes too selfindulgent. With soley vocals and guitar, Malone's lyrics are the centerpiece, unfortunately the listener will lose interest in this song that feels like it has no real direction. Instead it floats around for nearly eight minutes. Continuing with TVotR's quilt comparison, this album is but a piece of the fabric that makes up TVotR. Only this fabric could use a little patchwork in some spots.
Rating: 62
every track and pop hooks that make it up lifting. It opens with a bang, well, the hit single “Fixin to Thrill,” then continues into another possible chart breaker, “Gone Too Far.” “Gone Too Far” carries the electronic pop energy from “Fixin’ to Thrill” but adds a little something extra that sets the tone for the rest of the album, think electronic-pop meets a country hoedown with great vocals. The album takes a few dips from its livelihood mid way through. In these lethargic moments, you hear the lead singer’s frustration with her lying significant other and need to escape from it all (tracks #3, #5). The last third of the record (with the exception of track 11) gets a bit repetitive and the modernized 80’s vibe gets a little old. But it finishes with “Don’t be Funny,”
a personal favorite track that brings you into a musically perfect moment as you get lost in Sorbara’s angelic and charming voice. All in all, it’s a warm electronic record with driving, energetic choruses that carry the entirety of the album. You get lost in the good synths, which stimulate a care and reason free euphoria – perfect for a Sunday lounge.
Rating: 67
Freelance Whales - Weathervanes Written by Melina Bast Formed in late 2008, Freelance Whales, a band from Queens, is leaping onto the music scene with an undeniable presence. A few months ago they released their debut album, Weathervanes, and since then its been gaining rapid popularity because they are a group that just can’t be ignored. Freelance Whales brings us back to “old school” indie, if there is such a thing. They definitely don’t fit into the 2009 breakout band trend of electronic pop, which we see so often. The group has a theme that could be categorized as similar to Postal Service or Sufjan Stevens. Its what emo-electronic would sound like on a nice day in an open prairie field. Standout tracks include “Generator ^ First Floor,” “Starring,” and “The Great Estates”. “Generator ^ First Floor,” is the influential start to the album. A long instrumental introduction, filled with the guitar, banjo, harmonium, glockenspiel, and synthesizers, sets the tone for the
orchestrated heavy album. There is something very powerful and moving about the first song that lures you into the rest of the album. Continuing the buildup as you progress deeper into the album is “Starring.” This track has a sentimental melody with a poppy chorus that sets you free. The best part of this song and an aspect that makes the album stand out as great is the use of the banjo. Rounding out the epic album is the song “The Great Estates.” It carries a memorable melody that touches your emotions after a few listens, much like the entire album.
Rating: 85
Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster Written by Chris Scherer
Lady Gaga’s sophomore effort reads like a true project. The Fame Monster delves even deeper in theme both sonically and conceptually than its predecessor, and the translation is even brassier and bossier pop deftness. Lyrically, the new tracks may lack in catchiness where The Fame did not, but after several spins this is sure to catch on at another level. It’s a sound that is so unmistakably “Gaga,” and at that, a sound that has come to full fruition with a more conscious recognition of who, as an artist, she really is. Where, in the past, she needed to rely on sunglasses, spectacle, and superficial content in her lyrics to stake a claim, this new approach seems a much more liberating expression of what it really is that she’s trying to do. Her constant push to raise the bar is evident and triumphantly executed. It’s not a bad thing that the album is such an obviously influenced piece of work (for those who are keyed in well enough to catch the references). While other pop production rides the wave of cyclic change, this album guides it. Her influences are unabashed and a futuristic restyling of what would otherwise be
considered retro, and some of the instrumentation, themes and chords are hard to mistake. There’s classic 90’s dance (the birth of electro pop), Ace of Base, written all over “Alejandro,” a track that received early buzz when it leaked on the internet along with “Dance in the Dark.” From the sampling of very similar (if not exact) ocean waves breaking over a steady kick beat to the upper octave synth tune resounding throughout, it’s a mix of “All That She Wants,” “Don’t Turn Around,” and “The Sign” combined, but nevertheless, a clear nod in awareness to the roots of her music. “Speechless,” although one of the most outstanding tracks lyrically on the album, cannot be credited by Gaga for composition. That credit belongs to David Bowie (an inspiration that Gaga has never been shy about) and his 1972 single, “All The Young Dudes.” …But this is what Gaga is all about; taking the left-of-center and bringing it mainstream. If she can continue to do so with as much original, heartfelt, and progressive edge, then why should we hate it? If from nothing else, it may be discomfort from the thought of being
force-fed with such dramatic charm that spawns the Lady’s critics. For the majority…she wants our love and we will continue to provide it as we dance in the dark and are rendered speechless by her monster music. You can almost see the performances taking shape as you listen through the album – the theatrics, the visuals to it all that are sure to ensue as she gets ready to embark on a world tour – and still, she will keep us on the edge of our seats as she continues to peak the excitement by throwing us those imaginative curveballs.
Rating: 82
WHO’S
TOURING xx 12-15 Belfast, Ireland – The Speakeasy 12-16 Galway, Ireland – Roisin Dubh 12-17 Cork, Ireland – The Pavilion 12-19 Dublin, Ireland – The Button Factory 01-15 Copenhagen, Denmark – Vega 01-16 Aarhus, Denmark – Vox Hall 01-18 Oslo, Norway – Garage 01-19 Stockholm, Sweden – Debaser Slussen 01-20 Gothenburg, Sweden – Pusterviksbaren 01-21 Malmo, Sweden – Debaser 01-22 Berlin, Germany – Astra
Phoenix
1 1 1 1 F 1 1 1
12-08 Pontiac, MI – Clutch Cargo 12-09 Columbus, OH – The Newport 12-12 San Diego, CA – RIMAC Arena 12-15 Seattle, WA – Wamu Theater 01-22 Vancouver, British Columbia - Cultural Olympiad at The Orpheum
Cold War Kids
Spoon Passion Pit
12-09 Seattle, WA – Moore Theater 12-12 Pomona, CA – Fox Theater 01-08 New York, NY – Terminal 5 01-09 New York, NY – Terminal 5 01-10 New York, NY – Terminal 5
* We couldn’t fit all artists on one spread so go to http://pitchfork.com/news/tours/ to find tour dates for many, many more artists!
12-11 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom 12-12 La Jolla, CA - RIMAC Arena 12-31 Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theatre
01-22 Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theatre 01-23 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore 01-29 New York City, NY - Terminal 5 01-30 Chicago, IL - Vic Theater
Julian Casablancas 12-08 Paris, France – Le Bataclan 12-12 Glasgow, Scotland – ABC 12-14 Dublin, Ireland – The Academy 12-16 London, England – Forum
G? Animal Collective
Vampire Weekend 12-10 Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom 12-11 Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena 12-12 La Jolla, CA – RIMAC Arena/UC San Diego 12-13 Los Angeles, CA – Gibson Amphitheater 12-15 Seattle, WA – WaMu Theater 01-12 Los Angeles, CA – Henry Fonda Theater 01-17 New York, NY – United Palace Theater 01-18 New York, NY – Webster Hall 01-19 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
Wavves 12-08 Berlin, Germany - Bang Bang Club 12-09 Dresden, Germany - Beatpol 12-10 Munich, Germany - Babalua 12-11 Bern, Switzerland - ISC 12-12 Paris, France - Club Fol Amour 12-13 Lyon, France - Grrrnd Zero 12-14 Bordeaux, France - St Ex 12-16 Madrid, Spain - La Boite 12-17 Valladolid, Spain - Espacio 12-18 Lisbon, Portugal - ZDB 12-19 Barcelona, Spain - Sidecar
12-08 Auckland, New Zealand - Powerstation 12-10 Brisbane, Australia - Tivoli Theatre 12-11 Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre 12-12 Melbourne, Australia - Meredith Music Festival 12-14 Melbourne, Australia - Forum Theatre 12-15 Melbourne, Australia - Prince Bandroom 12-17 Perth, Australia - Capitol
Friendly Fires 12-11 London, England – The Coronet 12-18 London, England – Westbury 12-19 Oxford, England – The Cellars
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Frightened Rabbit 12-05 Galway, Ireland - Black Box 12-08 Dublin, Ireland - Academy 12-07 Dublin, Ireland - Academy 12-09 Belfast, Northern Ireland - Mandela Hall 12-13 Manchester, England - Ritz 12-14 London, England - Shepherds Bush Empire 12-22 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC
12-09 Birmingham, England – O2 Academy 12-10 Bournemouth, England – Opera House 12-11 Minehead, England – ATP Fest 12-29 Melbourne, Australia – Festival Hall 12-30 Lome, Australia – Falls Festival 12-31 Marion Bay, Australia – Falls Festival 01-07 Brisbane, Australia – Sunset Sounds Festival 01-08 Sydney, Australia – Hordern Pavillion 01-10 Bussleton, Australia – Southbound Festival 01-12 Singapore – Esplanade Concert Hall 01-15 Osaka, Japan – Club Quattro 01-16 Tokyo, Japan – Steller Ball
FIXIN TO
THRILL
We recently had the chance catch up and talk with Martina Sobrera (she likes to be called Tina) from Dragonette on their Edmonton stop while they were on their busy Canadian tour. (Mar)Tina shared with us some of the band’s experiences and songs on their new album, ‘Fixin To Thrill’.
I was waiting inside the venue from the cold weather waiting for Tina to come with her tour manager from their hotel across the street to meet us for our interview with my friend Jessica, who photographed Tina for me. They came in together and greeted us, and there I was, standing in front of the superstar herself, Dragonette (minus the band members). She was dressed up in a puffy
black down coat with faux fur lined across the hood, holding a little cup from the top of a thermal mug filled with boiling water or possibly tea (I couldn’t tell). They lead us into a small dressing room backstage where Tina started fixing her hair and acted so cute in front of the mirror above the seats that we were sitting.
Vinyl & Vodka: I’m so glad artists and bands from Canada are becoming successful in the music industry nowadays, and guys represent Canada well! Tina: Thank you!
should I deal with these girls? Should I try to get them to be nice and kiss and makeup, or do I just ignore them? So I just ignored them.
V&V: The first time I heard “Easy”, I immediately thought of the backing track something like a Britney Spears ‘In The Zone’ era type of track, which is not at all a bad thing. It’s a V&V: What happened in the pretty interesting track, and I end? can definitely hear Britney singTina: It just kind of went on and ing that song. What was the inthey fizzled down which I guess is fluence behind it? the best case scenario. Tina: Really? To me I feel like it is more like…one of the most un-pop V&V: Do you guys get weirded song on of a very pop-py record. I out when you are out shopping, don’t know, it’s just a blatant love in a café or listening to the radio song. But if Britney wants to sing and all of a sudden hear yourit, I guess she can. self? Tina: Actually, I get really ex-cited, V&V: I don’t know, when I hear V&V: Where it the instrumental sounds very are you guys I love it! dirty pop-pish to me. currently livV&V: Let’s rewind back to the Tina: But that’s the good thing ing? ‘Galore’ days for a second. I’ve about music, is that everybody Tina: We live always wondered, what has hears something differently. in the UK and “Competition” been about? London a lot Tina: It’s an exaggeration of a V&V: Each song on the album is of the time story of a boyfriend and his girla guaranteed satisfaction – and and in Tofriend, but the sentiment in the in this case for ‘FIxin To Thrill’ ronto song is like ‘haha, I’m doing your there’s a mix of tons of genres. some of the boyfriend’ but it’s an interesting What is your process into maktime. Mostly we just live in idea for the song, there’s not really ing different songs? a reality to the situation. a van. Tina: It’s not really intentional. When we start a song we have no V&V: So you V&V: Where does the title “Fixin idea what it’s going to turn out like. To Thrill” come from? We just start with a beat or a guys just Tina: Words just came out when I synth, then add vocals, and then started touring a couple weeks was writing that song. I said the the song takes its own path all by ago – what does it feel like bewords ‘Fixin To Thrill’ and was like itself, so we never know what’s ing on the road all of the time ‘Yeah, I like the sound of it’. But going to happen. That’s why every and not in one set place for a then I was like ‘But what does it song gallops away in its own sort period of time? mean?’ But that’s how my writing of direction. Tina: It’s really funny because it’s process is like. I like the way really gritty, and in our level it’s not something sounds and the mean- V&V: If your music could be like its easy but for some reasome ing of it comes afterwards. converted into any type of food, of the time. Mostly we just live in a In the case of that song, it’s basiwhat type of food would it be? van. cally ‘Don’t fucking drag your feet, Tina: I…Uh…(stumbles on on I want you to have a good time words) *sarcasm* I thought of this V&V: What has been your weird- with me right now! Start dancing!’ question a LOT, obviously. Every est encounter with a fan or live musician does. *laughs* If my performance? V&V: The title track “Fixin To music could be a food it would Tina: Once there was a cat fight in Thrill” to me is the biggest and probably be sour cherry pie. front of me! Total girls pulling each best pop song of 09. Do you others hair and pushing each think this is true? V&V: Tina, I think you have a other around because somebody Tina: 100%! It’s the best song of great fashion sense. Where was up in their space. They were all songs. *laughs* do you get your inspiration kinda scary, at first I thought
from? Tina: *looks down at her puffy winter jacket* Uh…*laughs* I totally feel so glamorous right now. I don’t know, sometimes I like to dress up and sometimes I like to wear pajamas for a week… I feel like the music that we make, we spend so much time on it and exactly the way we want it so when I come out to the world I like to make an effort to consciously spend some time to how I want to look, whether it’s a live show or a music video. I feel like I like to make it interesting to myself and to others. I’ve always liked to try to take some parts of things that are sexy and mix it with something manly and try to make something unique. V&V: Speaking of fashion, you know that song with Martin Solveig that you did for Jean Paul Gaultier? How did the collaboration happen? Tina: Well, it was his idea and it was his song and he just got to
“
I believe in ghosts. I al believe in the possibili of aliens.
me. We had met before in Australia and he just wrote me an e-mail and I love collaborating with people. I didn’t know it would be that kind of collaboro with someone like Jean Paul Gaultier! I was kind of surprised and it was really fun.
as? Tina: I need to think about it. Maybe I’ll dress up as the girl from the Fixin’ To Thrill video. V&V: That was such a hilarious music video.
V&V: Did you get any perks likefree clothes during that? V&V: What was your worst job Tina: No! as a teenager? Tina: I spent a couple of weeks V&V: You guys are playing a folding flyers in a warehouse. And show in Chicago on Halloween. like putting little information pamWhat are you guys dressing up phlets. But I was 13 and I didn’t
care. V&V: Do you believe in ghosts or aliens? Tina: I believe in ghosts. I believe in the possibility of aliens.
”
lso ity .
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ALEXANDER
MCQUEEN SS10
by
Roni
Brunn
photos by fashionologie.com
A
lexander McQueen first emerged as a fashion enfant terrible with his sharp Savile Row tailoring and the contro versial themes in his runway pres entations. Inspired by the 18th century brutal British defeat of his Scottish forefathers. his 1995 Highland Rape show featured ripped lace dresses and skirts dangling strings similar to those of tampons along with what he termed bumster pants, extremely low cut trousers. This explosive mix of dramatic, dark symbols with refined, commercially viable clothes would figure in all his subsequent collections. McQueen faced accusations of misogyny with each boundarychallenging collection. It's tough to look at a suit that binds a model's arms to her torso without lamenting the glamorization of a trapped, abused womancome to mind as aggres. Unsavory metaphors can easily sive robots spray paint on a single model in a white dress as presented for spring 1999. However, there are too many moments full of hope and lightness to ignore, and the underlying complexity in concept points to a creator whose work must be sophisticated beyond first impressions. In recent years, McQueen has been incorporating themes from nature in his collections, including birds (fall 2006, spring 2007) and flowers (fall 2008). Most of the latest seasons have featured geometric prints drawing from biological motifs. Since a couple of straight-forward presentations in the mid aughts, McQueen has put on spectacles on par with the breathtaking drama that launched his career. The spring 2010 show, Plato's Atlantis, was perhaps a culmination of McQueen's work starting with fall 2006. The colors, silhouette, production, beauty, and accessories all refine ideas previously presented by the label. An hourglass silhouette with a short hemline dominated the collection. That it offered the season's sharpest take on this directional
shape is unsurprising given McQueen's tailoring background as well as current 80s revivalism. It is, however, worth noting since McQueen does not chase trends. The color story was similarly on trend despite the designer's characteristic abstention from It hues. The most cohesive, brilliant examples of spring 2010's ocean blues and beach sunsets colored McQueen's engineered prints and couture embellishments. The designer's techniques looked their sharpest in this wide ranging yet tightly controlled palette. High end accessories of recent seasons have become an elitist showcase of impossibility of size, functionality, and detail. As such, shoes and handbags ascend to a creative peak in McQueen's science fiction foot-high hoofs and lushly layered clutches. The show's beauty and setting completed the departure from quotidian humanity. Models' basic facial features were erased and seemingly replaced with alien counterparts. Eyebrows were bleached out, lips were concealed, and shadowing re-shaped models' faces. Hair was styled into structures somewhere between mohawks and cornrows, or beehives and horns. Minx custom created extremely long fake nails in metallic finishes that match the fabrics in the collection. These elements stem from McQueen's apocalyptic vision of a future ecological disaster that brings humankind back to the sea from which it evolved. The show was introduced by photographer Nick Knight's film of model Raquel Zimmermann lying on sand as snakes writhe across her naked body. A sleek, holographiclooking runway jutted out of the wide screen. Just as images of the stage replaced the film, otherworldly models walked out to a haunting, abstract, futuristic soundtrack. Huge black booms motored two cameras that ran back and forth to capture the models for an internet stream. The stream crumbled under immense traffic, a painfully heavy handed and unintentional metaphor for unrestrained, lust-fueled consumption of the sort instigating the ice cap melting which inspired this collection: Lady GaGa premiered her new single at the show's final walk through and tweeted as much to her million followers half an hour before the show.
You Oughta Kno Plastiscines
French girls are glamorous.. Indie girls are pretty. Girls in bands are hot. Turns out that all these girls shown above fall in all of these categories together they form Plastiscines. Hailing from France, les jolies filles are four best friends who are eager to share girl power to the world. They’re not afraid of anything, and love to wear glitter.
English, with the occasional French songs. They released the glam poprock sophomore record earlier this summer when they were just getting known by most people. Titled “About Love”, it was released under Nylon Records which included fun and catchy songs for girls-only sleepover such as “Barcelona” and “I Could Rob You”.
EMI signed these girls to their Virgine France label in 2006, but haven’t been really recognized until Nylon featured “Barcelona” on their Summer Playlist, and since then their popularity has risen up a lot. They get published in Nylon quite a bit, and recently got featured and made cameo appearances on the teen CW hit Gossip Girl.
In the French song “Camera”, the girls chant out random lyrics that don’t make much sense but it’s hard to resist grabbing a fake microphone and shouting “Tu est le camera” (You are the camera) along with the girls.
Most of their tracks are sung in
They give a ‘bad-ass’ feminine kind of style while remaining role models for young. Check out their LP ‘About Love’ which is out now. http://www.myspace.com/plastiscine
Ellie Goulding If you love Little Boots, Florence + The Machine or Marina & The Diamonds, then you’re bound to love this amazing sensation rising from the UK, Ellie Goulding. Ellie Goulding was waiting for her big break in the music industry until Neon Gold Records discovered her, and signed her right away. Because of the music label, she has already released a single titled “Under The Sheets” in the end of September. She toured with Little Boots, and is now recording her debut album with superstar Mark Ronson. http://myspace.com/elliegoulding
ow: P P
g
From I have only heard of From once Confusion from the blog Pigeons and Planes introduced me to them, a band with many, many different stories. I could go on and talk about Roni Brunn’s (the lead singer) successes through these past years, like designing high-end hand bags that were sold all around the world and were showed on TV shows and magazines. I could talk about her social organization she created called ‘Math Club’ for young Hollywood and their brightest math minds. Or I could yap about her work as a web designer and how she has created websites for artists such as Justin Timberlake and Ringo Starr. Instead, let’s all think about the present work she has been doing. She found a couple of musicians who had the same insights as she did in the music industry and together, they form From.
Not only are they amazing at what they do, they are also quite the attractive and stylish indie pop band. I guess you would say they dress more classy than the other bands out there.
From what I hear, From is doing really good and making amazing music. What’s next for them? A new single called “Maple Drive” coming out soon, with a video planned to be released in 2010.
They played their first show in early December at Daydream Republic, a cool looking venue in Los Angeles. The night was a success for their first ever show, and tons of people attended.
If you’ve never heard ot them before, you have to. You will love them!
From has released 2 amazing EPs before, sans band. I feel like from there they have grown, and their French cover of the Beastie Boys hit “Fight For Your Right” proves that. The Beastie Boys cover was remixed by Jacob Safari recently, who ahs remixed the likes of artists like Major Lazer.
http://www.myspace.com/thebandfrom
You Oughta Kno
Israel Darli I don’t really know anyone that has heard of Israel Darling before. And you know what? It’s the people’s loss. They’re missing out on some great indie-folk/rock music. They just released their debut album ’Dinosaur Bones and Mechanical Hands’ in August, and so far they’re getting rave reviews from sites like Stark Magazine and Yes Weekly. All they need is the help of a post on Pitchfork and their worldwide success will start to grow in many levels. Israel Darling is made up of several members, including Jacob Darden, Mike Bannerman, Jeff Bechtel, Isaac Crouch, Anna Harris, Mat Masterson, Edwin Mericle, and Ben Welner, all located in North Carolina. (for some reason not all of them are in any picture) The history behind the band name is a completely different story itself. Jacob Darden, the lead singer of the group, was a good boy when he was a teenager, going to church every Sunday and making the choice to go even when his family stopped. But when he turned 18, that was when his life changed when he turned 18, that was when his life changed into a new direction. He got in trouble and ended up at a hospital at some point, and after he got released he decided to be an atheist. From then on
he has be with life. him and w instead o of Jacob, deal of st and decid
The firs tening to string of g lyrics got
The line your son Drug Add breaks ou keep on l upbeat b singing s
If you’re to check
My G
My Gold Mask is the comb two people, Gretta Rochelle lead singer and Jack Armon plays the nylon string electri
These Chicagao hipsters a ing back anything. They’ve b the attention that they’ve bee lately from all the blogs, and shouldn’t be ashamed of it. T serve it.
Gretta’s voice is of like Ka very screechy and haunting two people who like to make together. Together we like to extrinsic pop within a minima We hope you like it.” And yo what? We sure do.
Their minimalistic-ness mi the dreamy/indietronica/pun beats creates the perfect ble is called avant alternative m like my favorite martini at the
ow: indie
ing
egun to write songs about life situations and struggle When he was 15, a cougar at church decided to hit on when he told her his name she thought he said Darling of Darden. He then began to think about the Biblical tale , who was re-named Israel by an angel after a great truggling. Darden identified with this tale of inner turmoil ded to call the band Israel Darling.
st thing that captured me to listen to this band was listheir first single, “Samson The Mason”. The beautiful guitars in the beginning of the track and the touching t to me the first time I listened—and I wanted more.
es “When I’m gone tell my mother I love thee/ Sorry turned out to be/ Nothing more than a liar and a thief/ A dict With Crooked Teeth” “ starts the album, and then ut to a series of chanting “Hey Hey’s”. Then when you listening you will notice a strong consistency of good, but calming beats. This is what talent in songwriting and sounds like.
e a Modest Mouse and Broken Social Scene you have out this band, I promise you will fall in love.
Fyfe
Danger Gold Mask
bination of e who is the ndo, who ic guitar.
aren’t holdbeen loving en getting d they They de-
aren O’s, “We are e music o make alist context. ou know
ixed in with nkish/rock end to what music, just e bar I al-
ways go to. Hell, they should name a drink after “Violet Eyes” or “Gold Mask” or something!
“Violet Eyes” is their first single from an upcoming release, an EP that is slated to be released very soon. Alongisde that they also have their version of Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes” which was released for free, which is my favorite cover of the track, much better than Leighton Meester’s. Under the ’sounds like’ section of their myspace page, they put “A fuzzy blanket of cactus prickles. Plates crashing on the ground. Mist on a lake, echos in a cave. Fruit Loops in pink milk. Electrified nylon on wood. Sequins and clay. A hard thud and a soft whimper. Your Momma. “
field
When you, floating along through your day to day mortal being suddenly walk straight into a trap that any catchy song has so carefully placed for you, it seems like all in life is nothing compared to the wise lyrics or peppy beat of this all consuming tune. This tune, this anthem that has completely stolen your heart and thoughts and kept them for itself to selfishly goad and claim for its own. This happens often. And this my friends, is going to happen to you. When You Walk In The Room is the newest release from Guillemots founding member Fyfe Dangerfield's highly anticipated album Fly Yellow Moon, and this track is truly an earworm at it's best. The instant it starts you feel slightly guilty for somehow not knowing the words to do it justice by singing along. Don't worry though, with a couple listens you'll be belting "I want you endlessly" just as loud as he is. This Birmingham-born minstrel has been lower than usual on the radar since releasing a split vinyl single, but has supplied his cover of Larrikin Love's, Well, Love Does Furnish A Life on Guillemots EP Day In The Life and also lends his perfect pitch and charm to the band's upcoming album Tradesman's Entrance. Dangerfield has the credentials to back him up, and hopefully much more to come if it's anything like this. It's for anyone who's ever gotten butterflies in a totally new and different way and never forgotten what they felt like. It's the song Romeo would have been singing after his night with Juliet (had he been speaking modern English and not ended up a homicidal nutjob). It's the song you'd be singing loud and proud after that epic first kiss, while you recklessly dance through pedestrians and hang from lamp poles and street signs.
Toronto LG F Bustle
Philip S
canadawears.ca
Bustle was certainly one of the most laid back shows of the week, featuring runway queen Stacy McKenzie on bar duty (she pushed a cart of caesars and handed drinks to lucky attendants in the front row) and Rick Mercer brandishing a microphone. A day bed seating three models reading tabloids, a bar with barbeque and a lounge chair adorned the runway bringing an authentic Muskoka vibe into the runway tent. The collection itself was based on cottage parties, a staple of Canadian summer culture. Outfits were light and breezy, featuring quirky plaids, cheeky prints and a variety of light summery suits. Pieces that really stood out were the waxed cotton suit, which was a cool navy tone and featured a truly stunning sheen. The red plaid pants were also a standout, certainly not for the faint of heart but a definite musthave for the more daring fashionistos. The show, all in all, was a resounding success with the audience, while nothing groundbreaking, Bustle is always a go-to for good casually styled menswear with a cheeky, quirky edge.
Philip Sparks was one of the few off-site sh the ones to watch on the international scene. His atte seamlessly on both young and old, and the heavy inf make him an instant hit for men of fashion within Can When asked his inspiration for his Spring Su phrase, “Gone fishing”. It was certainly reflected well than his fall—and previous spring—collections. The p what geriatric concept and making it youthful, hip and next spring season, for layering or just single-layer u be horribly confident.) The suits were very classical, color. Favourites were certainly the synthetic parkas, managed to be incredibly slim fit and very chic. Prep jumpers and horizontally striped polo shirts are perfe was definitely the most show-stopping piece, a fabric an aura of old-world elegance which somehow mana
Fashion Week
-by Maja
Sparks
Gotstyle
fashionmagazine.com
hows, however the young designer is certainly one of ention to detail and classical tailoring style work fluences of Canadian history within his clothing nada. ummer 2010 collection, he replied simply with the l in this collection, which was far lighter and cheerier prints in this show were interesting, taking a somed wearable. The sheer tanks are a must have for use (though any man wearing one on its own must almost nautical with their double-breasted style and , which while intentionally fishermanly, somehow ppier pieces like the red and navy trimmed v-neck ect for the more classical man. The opening coat c trench based off of a fisherman’s raincoat, it had ages to translate perfectly to the street and beyond.
canadawears.ca
The GotStyle men’s show was perhaps one of the most anticipated of the week, one of the closing shows on Friday, it certainly went with a bang. The concept behind the show was a giant mashup of all of the best of Canada’s menswear designers, each presented in little “mini” runway segments. Not only were the designers well represented, but a slew of Canadian celebrities lined the catwalk, such as Ben Mulroney and Jian Gomeshi. Designers included Costa Pavlou, Bustle, Red Canoe, Skmpeez, Gregory Allen, 18 Waits, 1921 Jeans, Maison St. Piere, Ultra Menswear, Kwasi, Lipson, Trepaul and Empire Clothing. The show itself was lengthy but stunningly coordinated, each mini-feature boasting new and exciting collections. The small sample sizes kept the show interesting and somehow the entire thing managed to be incredibly cohesive. Red Canoe in particular was a standout, and the swimwear at skmpeez—which certainly lived up to it’s name—was cute and definitely a must-have for the 2010 season for the more body-centric male.
LIVE Antonia Schindle from Winnipeg, Canada isn’t just an ordinary blogger, she’s a fashionably, well dressed one. In fact, she even goes by the rule (which is also her blog name) “Live Glam or Die”. Just like any other fashion blogger, she occasionally posts her daily outfits which is full of liveliness and color. We got a chance to chat and discuss what’s next for her. Vinyl and Vodka: Live Glam Or Die is the name of your blog, why do the people who aren’t living so ’glam’ deserve to die? Antonia: Haha! I'm not as violent as the name may suggest. It's more of a play on words LIVE GLAM OR DIE...LIVE GLAMOR (GLAMOUR) DIE. You know that feeble saying"you live and then you die", well I think we all need some glamour in between those two pivotal moments of life. LIVE GLAMOUROUSLY!
Or
V&V: So when did you start the blog? A: February of this year [2009] V&V: Why did you start it? A: I always thought it would be interesting to document my wardrobe and daily outfits and watch how my style evolved over time – what changed and what influenced the transformation. I figured a fashion blog would be a great creative outlet to share my personal take on fashion while meeting people who share the same interests and outlook on fashion as me.
V&V: Do you have a job or are you a student? A: Both. I'm a full-time student in the Textile Sciences program at the University of Manitoba (I graduate with my BSc in April!!!) and I work part-time as a Key Holder at Le Chateau. V&V: So you must be pretty stressed out. A: all the time! I ALWAYS take on way more than I can handle - but always manage to somehow get everything done. I also do quite a bit of volunteer work and am entering a design competition as
well - all the while trying to maintain SOME form of social life. It's a lot, but I love being productive. V&V: Tell me about the design competition, I've heard you entered the Telio design contest earlier this year. What is it? A: The Telio Design Competition is put on each year by the Montreal-based fabric company, Telio. It is open to 20 design schools across Canada - the students are provided with a theme and 6 meters of fabric from a selection provided by the company. Students submit fashion & technical sketches of their design and 25 finalists are chosen from across Canada to construct their garments and have them featured in
a fashion show during Montreal Fashion Week. V&V: And what do the winners get? A: Each finalist gets an all expenses paid trip to Montreal and the chance to win one of 5 scholarships totally $10,000! It's an amazing opportunity! Last year was the first year they opened the competition up to all of Canada (it used to be just Quebec-based) and I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the 25 finalists! V&V: So you didn't end up winning? A: No, unfortunately I wasn't one of the 5 scholarship recipients, but just the whole experience alone
felt like I had already won! V&V: From what I saw of the whole competition, I feel like you should've been in the top 5. Your dress was breathtaking! A: Aw, thank you! The competition was fierce though. I find out tomorrow if I'm a finalist in this year's competition (fingers crossed!!!), and I love my design a million times more this year - you're only as good as your next design! I really want to have the opportunity to construct it I'm so anxious to hear whether or not I'm in. V&V: What was this years theme? A: "Art--Porter" - all the designs are very couture with a great
amount of detail. A huge challenge but very exciting! V&V: So what and where do you see yourself as in a couple of years? Still designing clothes? A: I get this question a LOT and the truth is, I have no idea! I would like to go to school for a few more years and take an intensive fashion design program - maybe Ryerson in Toronto or FIT in New York. I want to travel a lot in the next few years and hopefully have a career underway. I would love to be producing my own line or working on a design team. I love writing so it would be great to work for a fashion magazine too. There's so many things I'd love to do, I can't decide! I want to do EVERYTHING. V&V: I know! I want to do everything too. Describe your style what do you like and don't like? A: I don’t have a signature look; it basically comes down to the fact I love beautiful clothes and thus clothing itself directly evolves my personal style. I’ve traveled quite a bit and visiting new countries always inspires me – everyone is so different. This uniqueness makes the world so beautiful. I love mixing feminine items with edgy pieces like a colorful silk dress with a black motorcycle jacket. I love color and dresses and skirts. I hardly ever wear pants haven't got on the pants trend yet... I wear a lot of florals, color, faux fur, boots, heels....if I like it, I'll wear it. I don't really have any boundaries.
V&V: Name some of your favorite designers. A:It would be impossible to pick one favorite designer. I love Marin Margiela, Dries van Noten, Christopher Kane, Nicholas Ghesquiere, Gareth Pugh, Ann Demeulemeester is amazing...I like what Christophe Decarnin has done for Balmain.....I could never choose! V&V: Favorite bands/singers? A: I lovelovelove Kings of Leon...
White Lies are amazing, Muse, Bon Iver, Coldplay, Queen...Elton John! Lady GaGa is fierce and yes, I LOVE Justin Timberlake! V&V: Anything you want to say to our (and your) readers? A: You are the coolest most super-fab readers in the blogosphere. Stay fabulous! Peace & love!
3 Trends In Modern Music & Why they By Chris Barth
I
n our modern world of citizen journalism, par ticularly in the world of music, we find ourselves in an interesting position. Almost everyone in the online music criticism world publishes only what they want to publish - there are no editors telling them to review certain things, no deadlines forcing writers to snap up whatever music is lying around and write about it regardless of how bad it is. Instead, blogs post what they want to post, when they want to post it. And the majority of the time, the music they choose to write about is music worth sharing. Makes sense - after all, a blog dedicated to shitty music will most likely be, well, shitty. So music criticism has lost half of its name. It's not criticism, it's praise - or at the very least it's highly selective journal-
ism that tends to favor a good product over a bad. And as bloggers begin to experience the fun of receiving tracks (for free!) from real live musical artists, it's tempting to paint everything with a candy-coated brush and heap kind words upon undeserving songs. I'm here to be a resident crotchety old man, a get-off-my-lawn-and-stopplaying-that-damned-music-so-loud grandpa who can be counted on to yell at the young hooligans in the neighborhood. Although even I may disagree with some of the things I'm about to say, I'm going to say them anyway, since nobody else seems to be doing it. Here are three things that are wrong with today's music.
Lo-Fi Psychedelia, Fake Nostalgia The second I see an album cover that is fake sepia toned, with a sun burst or a blurry picture of someone, I throw the record out. Here are some options for making a good album cover: take a good picture, pay someone else to take a good picture, paint something, draw something, pay someone else to paint or draw something, get a friend to trace their hand and make it into a funny turkey, use MS Paint to make colored shapes, cut things out from magazines and collage them together, and on and on and on. The last, final, and worst option on this list is a fuzzy, blurry, crappy picture that looks like someone took on their cell phone, which they then dropped in a puddle. Not surprisingly, this is what the music on these albums also sounds like. It sounds like someone dropped all of their recording equipment into a lake, took it out, and then said “Well, we can't afford new microphones, so this will have to do�. This isn't the 60's. You're not recording on 8-tracks. SO STOP PRETENDING IT IS. If you have $30, you can buy a nice microphone. Take a night off from PBR and buy a damn mic. I know there are people who like lo-fi music and the resulting feeling. But know this - it's a sham. The medium is not the art, the art is. If you can't evoke the feeling you want to evoke without muddling your sound and covering everything with a gauzy haze, you're not doing it right. There's a time and a place for crappy recordings, and that time is high school and that place is a Bob Dylan tape trading message board. Grow up. Photo by Pomegranacat on Flickr
Remix Competitions
I know remixes are really important for building buzz in the blogosphere. A remix is a way to give a track a second life, to bring an artist's music to an alternate fan-base, blah blah blah blah blah blah. That shit needs to happen on its own. End of story. Remix competitions do absolutely nothing at all to create good music. If you want people to remix your song, release the stems and be done with it. There is absolutely no need to make a big hubbub and pick The Official Best Remix of your track. If a band is holding a remix competition, it's probably because no one listened to their tracks in the first place. If the tunes were good enough to listen to once, the band wouldn't need to e-mail everyone who has ever posted/ made/listened to a remix in the history of the world, to convince them to give remixing their tracks a try. All that happens when you do that is five hundred college kids download the stems, break out Garage Band, and pretend they are Diplo and/or Girl Talk. You end up with three hundred remixes, most of which have shit-eating titles like “DJ Yankees Suck Remix!” or “ALEXXX REMIXXX” and feature a pre-fab beat behind the original vocals. There are no exceptions to this rule. Radiohead, you are not an exception. You started this crap, you should renounce it as a mistake a move on. Your contest ended up having so many entries that anyone who listened to all of them would have spent years of their life doing so, and would have killed themselves upon completion. If you are a good band with good songs, commission a couple remixes or just release the stems for your track. If you are a bad band with bad songs, save our ears and go back to practicing.
Photo by Ubermeisters on Flickr
I know it's been railed against time and time again, but there really can't be enough negative press for Auto-tune. The way I see it, auto-tune should be treated like bathroom privileges in elementary school - you can use it as long as you don't abuse the privilege, and once you have abused it, you lose the right to use it unless it's an emergency (see: Britney Spears). See, Auto-tune used to be a legitimate tool. Producers could use vocoders to achieve some cool effects - Cher used it decently, Kid Rock used it passably, and more recently Bon Iver and Imogen Heap have used it to exceptional artistic ends. But now, a good year or two into the auto-tune craze, it has gone from tool to crutch, becoming the means by which sub-par singers and musicians reach the radio. Look, if I wanted to listen to a mediocre singer struggling to hit notes without computerized help, I'd just take longer showers. Instead - call me crazy - I'd like to hear people with musical talent when I choose to listen to music. And just because it's hip hop doesn't mean you're excused from being able to sing. If you are a hip hop artist who can legitimately sing, go ahead and sing, Lauryn. If you are a hip hop artist who can't legitimately sing, don't sing. *cough*Kanye West*cough* Simple as that. There is, of course, The T-Pain Clause that everyone breaks out at this point, where they point out that because he built a career on auto-tune before it became overpopularized, he should be excused from the auto-tunerelated rants. This is false. T-Pain started as a rapper. He wasn't good enough, so he became a “singer.” He has an album called “Rapper Turnt Sangah.” If that isn't reason enough to throw him under this bus, I don't know what is. Auto-tune is a sham, and T-Pain is to blame. Alright, I'm all ranted out for the moment. Plus, Matlock is about to come on, and you know I need my stories. Cut your hair, get out of my house, and avoid these things like the plague.
Where The Wild Things Are.
91/100
T
he anticipation for “Where the Wild Things Are” reached a mon strous level of hype. Director Spike Jonze embraced a difficult challenge taking the beloved children’s book by Maurice Sendak that consists of ten sentences into a 90-minute film? Well, after you it, you will have your answer. Jonze’s film is a wild beast that is flooded with a roller coaster ride of emotions. He captures the essence of being a nine-year old all over again in an honest, authentic piece of art. Coincidentally Max Records plays Max, a true child at heart, who has an untamed imagination. Early on, we see Max wrestling his dog in his wolf suit, armed with a fork, building an igloo, and chucking snowballs at his sister and her friends. Not only do you see a wild child with youthful energy, but you also get a glimpse of Max’s world. The majority of the shots are done with shaky handheld cameras, giving the feel of a child with
borderline A.D.D.After Max becomes upset that his divorced mother (Catherine Keener) is getting close to another man (Mark Ruffalo), he throws a temper tantrum by standing on the kitchen counter, yelling at the top of his lungs, “Woman, feed me” followed by “I hate you, I’ll eat you up!” Max bites his mother’s shoulder, runs out of the house and slowly wanders into the land of the wild things. This is where Jonze elevates this film into a realistic fantasy world. The clichéd “Disney-like” approach would have been to create the wild things with CGI animation. Instead, each wild thing comes to life as a nine-foot puppet costume. The film would simply not be as genuine if it had been done any other way. While you are in the land of the wild things, everything is still seen through Max’s perspective. There are numerous low-angle shots looking up at these beautiful creatures; examining their movements, and studying them without ever blinking. Each wild thing reflects different emotions that not only a child goes through, but an adult as well. Which I really think makes this a movie for every age. Max sees a little bit of himself in each wild thing. Loneliness, jealously, rage – all these emotions are thrown at you. Some scenes are just flat out intense. Carol, the leader of the wild things, asks Max if he will take the sadness away? Do not fret, Max has a sadness shield, and apparently a true gift for acting in is arguably one of the best performances by a child Hollywood has seen in awhile. Twelve-yearold Mr. Records has a bright future ahead of him. There simply is no other film out there that captures the raw emotional ups and downs of being nine-years old. Jonze’s tells an authentic tale that feels real. You can feel each breath of every wild thing. You feel their sadness. You feel their joy and happiness. You want to howl with Max and all of them. You become enraptured in this world for an hour and a half, and you do not want leave. -Ryan Rivard
$575 Coat, Flare Carol
xOpening &Pamela
Ira Military Jacket, $805
Ceremony
Love
Douglas Feather Necklace, $575
KW Bracelet, $345
Judith Single Claw Necklace, $175
Douglas Feather Cuff, $575
$220 i Skirt . der Min Alexan
K.W. Fitted Dress, $460
Reversible Wild Things Fur Tote - Judith, $85
by Melina Bast
The Freelance Whales from Queens, New York may just be one year old (their anniversary is on January), but they’ve been an internet success in the indie blogging world – and that’s just the beginning. They just got signed in December to Frenchkiss/Mom+Pop records after releasing their album independently and Stereogum mentioned them as “Band To Watch”. They’re very talented indeed - Judah is the lead singer/leader of the band, Jake is the drummer, while the other members play everything else (and can play any instrument!). Check out our interview with them after their performance in The Echo in Los Angeles (Doris hops in near the end of the interview because she was selling merchandise)
Judah Dadone Jake Hyman Kevin Read Chuck Criss Doris Cellar Vinyl and Vodka: Tell me about the Origins. J: We noticed almost immediately when we started playing on the streets that people were reacting. We were getting a strong reaction. Some were really really good. We were at this point we were so happy to be doing it and people were like “oh come, we’re having a party, play at our party.” It was all super impromptu and it was a really great way to get us out there. When people get the music and weren’t expecting it they find it is much more organic. Its kind of special. JA: I think people were listening to it as aggressively as we were putting it out there. It was like “Come play at our party.” “come listen to our music.” It was a lot of people returning the favor. V&V: Stereogum named you guys one of the breakout bands of the year/the band to watch. A lot of blogs say you guys are the real deal – what do you guys think of all that? J: We’re still a young band and we’re growing into all of that. We’re going to do all we can to catch up and make sure we are as great of a band as some people say we are. Overall, We’re really really happy and really proud of the record. The process of playing shows in different venues and in different capacities, we are learning a lot about what’s working and what’s not.
V&V: What is working for you guys?
V&V: How long have you guys been together?
J: You can’t necessarily put your finger on it. But when you find that moment that glows, you all know about it and talk about it after the show. You say “that was right” “lets try to keep doing that” Its like…. Lets try and find those moments that glow and expand them out.
J: When January Rolls around it will be the one year anniversary.
K: Plus we’re finding the moments that don’t work and trying to fix those.
JA: Like Judah was saying before, we want to catch up to where we are. Sometimes it gets a little ahead of us and sometimes we are a little a head of it. Its not a struggle, but a balancing act.
V&V: Did you have any glowing moments tonight? JA: Yeah. J: Absolutely we did. In Generators Second Floor song, we’re really developing. We’re trying to balance now making them sound right and making them feel good physically on stage and all that stuff. Its coming together you know. Part of the goal of this tour, by the end of it to be in this peaceful place. C: WE have this great metaphor – when you go to a traditional tea Chinese tea service, they serve you tea in these traditional old clay pots and they use the pots over the course of decades and over the course of these decades they build resin in the base of the pot and when you serve tea out of it, it tastes different. That same thing happens in bands.
V&V: Wow, you guys have done this very quickly. K: Sometimes its overwhelmingly quick.
V&V: Have you guys been able to continue the writing/producing process while you have been on the road? J: We write little bits and pieces and document the little fragments, which I think is a really great way to start songs. A lot of the places that we’ve been crashing have musical instruments laying around if we don’t have our own. If we wake up and someone will be playing the piano and someone will react to it. Then all of a sudden we’re going. In a way that could be a song; it is a song. A big part of this band’s process has been using home/home studios to develop ideas but not necessarily make a record. Part of the writing process has to do with recording – weather its in my bed room or in the studio.
C: I don’t’ know if we’ll ever end up all locked up in a studio as much as we are going to be in a house together growing gross beards J: Well Jake’s beard is always glorious. JA: I do it just to make people jealous. V&V: So switching gears a little, if you could describe your music in a fashion trend – which would it be? J: I don’t know a lot of fashion trends. C: Denim JA: Derelict - because we usually pick up what ever is laying around and that’s what Mugatu did…. I hope that’s not copywriting – Ben Stiller is going to come after us.
V&V: Where do you guys see yourself/ overall band deal? Really… do you guys want to be big? K: I want to be as big as I want to be. I don’t want people telling me how big we should be. I don’t to be smaller than I want to be. I want a chance to work hard to be what we can be. JA: Our expectations change really gradually. C: We do know that if we do become big, we’d want it to be something that happened organically. We don’t to force it upon anybody. It would be the after thought of putting in the hard work. J: The way I feel about it is – we need to make the music available to people that might like it and whoever enjoys it on
their own that will determine how big the band gets. V&V: What do you guys think about all the music blogs that are promoting you guys and making your tracks available for download? J: We have to take it in a big breath because it a place where people can find the music, but its also a place where people cycle thru the music very quickly. We are very happy to be in some people’s good favor, but we also very into the slow grow method. K: Its what makes this tour so important. We have to put on good shows to make sure that people get the experience of the album from the show and have it grow that way. V&V: How did you guys all meet?
C: Haha random. Well we were all in New York – looking to play music. J: For me its been a decade of song writing. None of us knew each other a year and a half ago. But everyone was looking for some sort of musical situation. We found each other by posting ads on the Internet and putting up a few tracks and asking if people want to be part of our sound. Didn’t want to delay on verbage so we put up links to our sound. I found Doris by myspace. She has these cute electronic pop like songs. There were three of us at first, then it took a few more months and then there were 4 and then another couple months and there were five and we said okay this is a good place to start. V&V: How would you describe your music/sound?
*very long pause*
J: I dig music.
C: I don’t know.
K: I think we could be friends.
K: Pop?
D: we could have been friends.
JA: Elecronic folk pop.
J: All I can come up with is I really really like you guys and I’m glad this is the way I’m going out. Just nothing profound.
D: With harmonies. J: We are reiterating in a way that shows that we love it. V&V: My final questions is – If you guys had one last thing to say to one another/or as a band before flying off a cliff what would it be in 10 seconds... GO! C: With the driving on this tour that is really realistic.
UG IDE There’s only 3 weeks left until Christmas, and if you don’t start thinking of presents to give to your closest friends, parents, and boyfriend / girlfriend, then you’ll be a stuck with a stressful shopping spree a week before Christmas. We have piled up a bunch of our favorite things and items on this years’ wishlist, and we’re going to show you a couple of our recommendations to get for your favorite people. There will be enough stuff here for everybody. (And just to let you know, none of these are ads!)
Photo by scene-sc on Flickr
For the... JvdF Wallets. Custom made with lizard skin and vintage silk. Starting at $290, place orders at jvdf.net
Boyfriend Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. 2 For the gamer boyfriend. If he doesn't have this yet for his PS3 or Xbox 360, then he’ll love you forever (but make sure he’s not addicted to video games!). Approximately $60, modernwarfare2.infinityward.com/buy.php
Vers Environmental Friendly iPhone shellcase. shellcase Available in different textures (bamboo, cherry, walnut) and available in iPod format. $40, versaudio.com/ and urbanoutfitters.com
Create Your Own Ralph Lauren Polo. A classic, easy gift. Choose from 15 fits, 17 different colors, and you can write his initials (15 different fonts) on the shirt or a cool embroidery to match his style and taste. Now everyone will know it’s HIS shirt if people try to take it. Ranges from *80-$145, Ralphlauren.com
Gap Snowflake handknit sweater. Limited edition handknit sweater that will keep your lover warm all winter. And he can share it with you too!. $148, Available in Gap stores and Gap.com
D&G Cologne: 1 Le Bateleur. Bateleur. The new D&G unisex colognes are irresistible, with 6 different scents. But Le Bateleur stands out the most. Top notes: cardamom, juniper berry, birch leaf. Heart notes: aquatic accord, coriander. Base notes: vetiver, white cedarwood, olbanum. $65, Norstrom.com
Nostalgia Electronics Hot Dog Toaster. Toaster. Who even knew these existed? Perfect for a guy who is always in a rush and is constantly eating. Approximately $70, walmart.com
La Roche Posay Anthelios Fluide sunscreen. Perfect for the active, outdoor boyfriend. Waterproof, fragrance free, non-greasy. $35, 50mL, pharmacymix.com
d Club Monaco TieTie-ItIt-Yourself Bowties. Bowties These bowties are simple and classic. Perfect for a wedding or a stroll in the park, girls love it when guys tie their own bowties instead of buying clip ons. $69, Club Monaco stores
The Beatles: Rockband. Rockband Start a band with your boyfriend and a couple of your friends at home and relive the moment of the Beatles. Available for Xbox, Playstation 3, and Wii. Approximately $50, Various electronic stores and on http://www.thebeatlesrockband.com/
Incase Neoprene Sleeve for Laptops. Laptops A simple laptop case could save hundreds of dollars if his laptop dropped. It’s sleek and cushioned with faux fur lined across its interior. $40, available in tons of other colors. Goincase.com
Cameras. Cameras If he likes to take pictures, get him a lens for his professional camera or a really cool looking vintage film one (or a replica of one)
TASCHEN Books: Architecture Now! Restaurants & Bars and 1000 Extra/ Ordinary Objects. Objects Taschen publishes books that will gain everyone’s interests. From food lovers to people who love to research on weird and extraordinary things, you’ll find the perfect book for your boyfriend at Taschen. Taschen.com Plaid. What else can we say? It’s the easiest thing to get if you don’t know what he wants. Vintage or new, he’ll like it if it’s good plaid.
Other Gifts What NOT to get • • • Laneus Knit Ski Hat. Hat It may be a “ski hat” but I’m sure he can wear it out for a casual day as well. A beautiful, warm dark navy hat by Laneus may be the best thing to give to him during this cold season. Approximately $85, Luisaviaroma.com. Too expensive? Try looking in H&M.
•
Make a homemade Christmas card and bake his favorite batch of cookies or make his favorite meal. If you know how to sew, make him a pair of cute pajamas - he’ll be impressed by your skills. If he likes sports, a gift card to his favorite sports store. If you guys are a new couple or don’t want to spend a lot of money, make a homemade, masculine bracelet out of chains to show your love, maybe your connection will grow!
• • •
• •
SOCKS. It’s his mom’s job, not yours. And you won’t impress him. CANDLES. It really depends on the guy. If he’s a bro, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want candles. SUNGLASSES. Unless you’ve been glasses shopping before and know which ones look good on him, don’t get him shades. You never know if they’re going to fit right or if he’ll like them. SHOES. Read above. Anything with a heart on it. He doesn’t want his friends to think he’s feminine.
For the...
GIRLfriend
Black Orchid Voile De Fleur by Tom Ford. A sensuous, sophisticated and modern, new twist on the iconic original blends lush florals with the signature potion of alluring black orchids. 1.7 oz, $65, Saks Fifth Avenue. Velvet Leaves Headband. If she likes headbands like Blair Waldorf (from Gossip Girl), then she’ll LOVE any Jennifer Ouellette headbands. $110, Barneys.com 3.1 Phillip Lim Rosie Driving Glove. Glove Leather short driving glove with lace overlay and snap closure with silk lining. $325, Barmeys.com Laboratory Flower Vases. Vases Flowers are and will always be an endless, romantic gift. Get a vase like this and put some flowers in it, set it up by her window when she wakes up on Christmas morning. $14, UrbanOutfitters.com
Dresses from the H&M Party Line. Line Beautiful, flattering, and VERY affordable. A woman loves when her man can dress her up. Black is the new black. Starting around $40, H&M stores
Heartbeats by Lady Gaga, Headphones from Dr. Dre. Dre Truth is, if your lady is a Gaga fan at all, she will want these amazing high quality ear phones designed by Lady Gaga and produced by Dr. Dre. $120, Beatsbydre.com
d
Topshop Premium Space Print Skirt. The perfect gift. Sexy, flattering, gorgeous. It’s so Little Boots. $90, Topshop.com
Customized Jelly Watch by The Toy Watch. Your girlfriend will love the customized watches from the Toy Watch. Choose her favorite colors and mix them together to make the perfect watch for her! These watches were worn by hundreds of celebrities and featured on Vogue. And they won’t break your wallet. $175, ToyWatchUSA.com
Where The Wild Things Are Slippers. Relive your childhoods together with these super cute slippers. $28, UrbanOutfitters.com
Lanvin 15/22 Faubourg Snowglobe. If a pair of Lanvin heels are on her wishlist this season and it’s totally out of your price range, try for Lanvin’s snowglobe instead. It’s totally cute and handcrafted, and there are hearts all over it to show your heart to your loving girlfriend. It’ll keep her happy until you get her that Lanvin dress for her birthday. $171, Lindestore.com
Other Gifts • • • • •
A gift certificate to her favorite spa at a salon or beauty spa. Every girl loves going to the spa to relax. Burn a playlist of both of your favorite songs. Play it when you’re both in bed. A charm bracelet. Easy! Magazine subscriptions to her favorite magazines - from Vogue to Nylon to Cosmopolitan to Rolling Stone, there are many choices. Buy or make a really cool picture frame and insert a picture of both of you guys in it. She’ll love it and put it in her room, work, coffee table and she’ll think of you every day!
What NOT to get • • • •
Marc by Marc Jacobs Pretty Nylon Computer Case. A sexy, fire red lizard/snake patterned laptop case by Marc Jacobs, who could resist? $72, Couture.zappos.com LOLA by Marc Jacobs. Jacobs Marc Jacobs is out with a new perfume called Lola and just by looking at the beautiful bottle you can tell right away that she will love it. $48 for 1 oz, Sephora.com
BRAS. Embarrasingly enough for you to be in a lingerie store, you shouldn’t ever get anyone a bra ever, in your lifetime. Bras are all about fit and personal tastes. If it doesn’t fit or if she doesn’t like it then you can’t return it anyways. BOOKS ON HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT OR SEX ADVICE BOOK. It’s pretty clear that this is a no-no - never, EVER get your girlfriend books on how to lose weight or a sex advice book. MAKEUP. Makeup is again, a personal choice. And even if you know her favorite blush, you shouldn’t. It’s weird. SUNGLASSES & SHOES. Same as the guys, Unless you’ve been glasses shopping before and know which ones look good on her, don’t get her shades. You never know if they’re going to fit right or if she’ll like them.
For the...
friend
Andy Warhol’s Coloring Books. A large format 24 page book of Andy Warhol's whimsical drawings of animals and various other pictures for coloring in. ApNationalgalleries.org proximately $20,
Sky Umbrella. Brighten up your day on a gray, cloudy, rainy one.$40, Momastores.org
MUJI x LEGO Paper & Punch Set. Lego teams up with Muji to create an amazing toy set that includes paper and punches to make your own 3D characters. It’s kinda like Kinder Surprise but much much better. Unknown price, Muji stores
Stainless Steel Water Pitcher. Fashion for your home. $30, CB2.com
Gift Cards. Stuck on ideas and don’t know what to get for your friend? Gift cards to their favorite store are easy to get and are efficient when you don’t know what they want. All stores have them including iTunes, American Apparel, Urban Outfitters, and even Wal-Mart. Chocolate. Everybody loves chocolate - there’s no denying it. If you have nothing else to give or if your budget is low the best thing to get is chocolate. You can go buy some gourmet chocolate in chocolate stores or make your own with millions of recipes online.
iPod Retro Mini Speaker. A portable speaker that fits in your pocket, shaped like a lego piece. Comes in multiple colors! $20, Delight.com
Personalized Coffee Mugs. Be creative and design your own coffee mug or insert a picture of you and your friend to show your friendship. It’s easy and fun!
Shower Caps. OK. So “shower caps” may sound lame but these ones from Urban Outfitters are totally cute! They come in Panda, Frog, Cow, Duck, Devil, Shark, or Hippo. $8, UrbanOutgitters.com
A look at my amateur personal street ‘photoshoots’ taken with a film camera which I don’t really know how to use(which is why the quality isn’t so good). And we ain’t Vogue, so we can’t borrow clothes from Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, or Ann Demeulemeester. The models featured are my personal friends: Allison, Weslee, Jessica, and I.