Band Beat, a day late

Image via Le Loup

Le Loup is a fun, five-man band from Washington, D.C., I recently found. Their song, Planes Like Vultures, is so soothing and makes me feel all hippie-like . . . I'm totally into feeling that way right now (as if you can't tell.) Below is a snippet from their bio page. And below that is the Planes Like Vultures vid. Check it!

Like most families, Le Loup has grown since its inception. What began as the bedroom project of Sam Simkoff is now a full-sized band, with all five members contributing vocals and songwriting credits. The band’s music – originally a blend of keyboard loops, banjo, and computer wizardry – has grown as well, encompassing everything from shape note harmonies to polyphonic percussion.

Planes Like Vultures
All too soon we’ve come to bloom
Blown about and dusty rivers
And pointed skywards, scrape the heavens
And should we end before we’re shriven
And call the names that we’ve been given
Grown in cities long since abandoned
Blown to pieces and thrown at random
This is what we see while standing
Long before the thought of landing

Oh this world was made for ending

Oh the storms that groan
Oh the lovely
Oh the homes that home
Oh the worlds not shown
Oh the storms that groan
Oh the lovely
Oh the homes that home
Oh the worlds not shown
Oh the storms that groan
Find the blind, de-blind
Our prayers our answered!

Le Loup - Planes Like Vultures from hardly art on Vimeo.

Still obsessin'

I am still on the lookout for a leather hooded bomber jacket! The Gap one I blogged about sold out in a flash . . . sigh. I really liked that one, but I wasn't quick enough (and didn't/don't have that kind of dough right now!) The other one I love is this Aqua brand beauty (which is just as expensive as the Gap one.)

Aqua Leather Jacket $298

Storing up for Nationals, I suppose

I've been eating like a banshee, and I'm attributing it to Nationals this weekend. I leave at 8 a.m. tomorrow and will dance nonstop until Sunday evening, and with that schedule, there's little time to eat a good, hearty meal.

I have a love/hate relationship with Nationals. I love being in the mountains, watching tradition hoedowns (oh yes, see one for yourself) and dancing my heart out when it's our time to shine. But I hate the long hours of waiting and waiting . . . and waiting. There are so many teams that compete and oftentimes, there are hours between your dances.

I also know, though, that this might be my last national competition with Rhythm & Class, so I've got to milk it. Sure, I can go again next year, but life happens, and I'll say I'll compete again next year (and mean it), but may never do it. We shall see.

I'll be back Sunday night!

Band Beat

Image via here

I have yet to see Where the Wild Things Are, which was released Oct. 16 and is waaaaay up on my To-Do List, but I have been sampling the soundtrack featuring Karen O and The Kids. How freaking amazing is it?! I absolutely love it! I didn't own the book (or at least I don't think I did) but my friend had it in her vast collection of cool books. I can remember running my hands over the pictures, intrigued . . . a little scared. I'm just as intrigued by the soundtrack. Give it a listen!

Image via Grow Fonder

KLF is gonna' rock you!

Halloween is just a hop, skip and a jump away!

It looks like I'll be heading to Charleston for Halloween, and I can't wait! But I don't know when I'm going to have the time to find/buy a costume. Bradford wants to go out in downtown Charleston (and his friends want to dress up as an old SNL skit.) And me? I'm at a loss. I have no idea what I'm going to do. Last year, Bradford painted this shirt, and I went as Devil Wears Prada (I thought it was pretty clever!)
So I need ideas! Are there any good websites I can peruse?

How pretty!

How cute is Michelle Williams' new do? I love these photos of her in the October issue of Vogue. I wish I had the balls to cut my hair this short . . . I was told the other day, though, that I would never look good with short hair. Well there goes that.

Image via StyleList

GREAT Polaroid news

Oh my! Just look!!! Polaroid is relaunching instant cameras!

Image via here

Band Beat

Image via The Spill

I literally just heard the tune, Yalira, by The Very Best, a trio consisting of two European DJs and a Malawi-born singer, and I can't stop hitting REPEAT. It's making me feel that good. And man, I could use some of that right now.

Here is the group's bio, via their MySpace page:
Esau Mwamwaya was born in Mzuzu in Malawi, East Africa. He grew up in the capital, Lilongwe, where he played drums in various bands such as Masaka Band. He was a good friend of the legendary Evison Matafale and they played together for several years before he was killed in Malawi police custody in 2003. In 1999 Esau Mwamwaya moved to London, England ran a second-hand furniture shop in Clapton, East London until Setpember 2008 when he returned to Malawi. Esau's shop was on the same street as Radioclit's old studio, and after the Radioclit boy's bought a bike from Esau they invited him to one of their house warming parties They made friends and started working on music together. Three years later and the project has gotten it's name The Very Best. The Album 'Warm heart Of Africa' is out worldwide now!

Fall, come on. I need you!

I'm soooooo ready for orange leaves, crisp air and cold days. I'm all-the-way done with 98-degree weather and 100 percent humidity. I want to wear jackets, scarves and boots!!! I also want to decorate my house (nothing major) for fall. I just asked Paula if she and her husband were getting a pumpkin this year. And yesterday, I saw Fefa's photos of Nico (my niece) in a newly-decorated pumpkin (so freakin' cute, by the way!) I'm really wanting to get into the spirit of fall, even if the weather isn't cooperating just yet.

Image via here

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

I came across this trailer for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and I must say, I can't wait to see it. I remember hearing about it when Heath Ledger died and wondered how they would complete it without him. You'll notice three additional actors in the role of Tony, which I think was a fantastically brilliant decision on the director's part!

Video via Pink is the New Blog

Whoa, like whoa!!!

I have GOT to get these, stat! Look at how beautiful, and they match my iPod! (Boyfriend, I hope you're reading this . . . HINT, HINT!)

Roxy On Ear Headphones $69.95

Band Beat

Image via Higher Ground

One of the things I loved about Whip It was the soundtrack. Since I saw it, I've been researching the songs featured in the movie, and Apollo Sunshine's song, Breeze, was in there . . . somewhere (I only saw it once, OK?) Anyway, I think it's super pretty and soft, and sure, I think you've got to be in a chill mood to fully appreciate it . . . or maybe that's just me. Nonetheless, my mood must have appropriately "chill" when I heard it because I really, for realz liked it. Check it out below the album review!

Here's an album review of AS's Shall Noise Upon via Filter Magazine: With its almost biblical yet inexplicably dark title, Shall Noise Upon is indeed a wonderfully twisted dichotomy of good versus evil, light versus dark, harmonious versus dissonant. Released in a season when all of America’s caught up in Batman, this disc is a sonic superhero tale even though there’s no conceptual plot or protagonist. Just music. And some of the music comes as catchy Beatles-esque tunes (“Money”), while others are vignettes of pure sound (“Wolf Frog White”). But on the drop of a dime, the music—as well as the lyrics—can shift from stunning and uplifting (the instrumental and vaguely Flaming Lips-ish “Happiness”) to outright antagonistic (the hillbilly punk-rock of “Brotherhood of Death”). With Shall Noise Upon, Apollo Sunshine has finally created the audio beast we’ve been waiting for—a feast of emotions, sounds and additional weirdness.

Breeze
The surface of streams
The fingers of trees
The sweet harmonies
The breeze and its lovers
Its hard to believe the wind
When it touches me
Isn't just the way that I long to touch you

The delicate petals
And all of the metals
The old and the hopeless
The young and inspired
The best and the worst times
The breeze is invited
That's just the way that I long to touch you

Too early?

I'm really, really digging this table . . . and I'm thinking that if I put two of these side-by-side (even though there would be a space in the middle since they're not perfect cubes), it would make a nice T.V. stand for the big flatscreen we're getting later this year (LOL, well, hopefully . . . maybe . . . when we win the lottery.) But they look short, right? It's definitely one of those situations where I'd have to see it in person first. Sooooo, who wants to go with me to a Pier 1 sometime in November? ('Cause my October is swamped.)

X-Cube $59.95

Whip It GOOD!!

My former boss and current officemates got a sneak peak yesterday of our new reorganization. It was . . . stressful to say the least. To the max. It's too much to go into, but I feel awful for some of my colleagues, and if I weren't moving to Charleston, I'd feel more anxious and scared than I already do.

So I'm glad the weekend is near. I'm going to see Whip It tonight with Fefa, and then Bradford and I are heading downtown to celebrate a dear friend's 30th birthday 80s Night style. Tomorrow is filled with dancing, dancing and more dancing. And then on Sunday, I'm shooting more scenes for this indie flick I'm doing. Busy, busy, busy!

Image via here

Band Beat

Image by Chloe Aftel via here

It was actually UO that introduced me to Glasser earlier this year. I heard Apply for the first time and fell in love with Cameron Mesirow's voice. Really. I couldn't stop listening! And look at how pretty she is! I'll spare you all the details about where she's from, how she became a musician, etc., because this LA Weekly article does a much more eloquent job than I ever could. Here's another cool tune from her EP called Tremel. Give it a listen!