Penelope and Coco Videos

I believe that women’s fashion is much more complicated and diverse than the simple lines of men’s style.  Therefore, I’m very impressed when I see a well put together women’s outfit.  The style of Penelope and Coco is, in my opinion, some of the best that is offered to us today.  They create a perfect combination of fun, imaginative and sexy looks that I really enjoyed seeing.  The music and vibe of the videos are spot on as well.  I’m in love with what this company is doing, and imagine my perfect girl to dress like this.

Australian Model Elyse Taylor

Urban Outfitters Top 20

We love the collaboration of music and style and hipster extraordinaries Urban Outfitters nail it with its Top Albums feature this year. Aside from listing its own choices, some of the year’s most exciting artists are also included with respective lists. Check it out here.

The First Great Album of 2011 (Maybe a bit premature)

I’ll be the first to admit I let this guy slip under my radar in 2010. I’d heard some of the buzz, but never really gave him much thought, aside from a few casual listens to the Klavierwerke EP. But then a week or so ago, I got my first listen to his self-titled debut LP and it. blew. me. away. Everyone talks about his use of silence, and it really cannot be touched on enough, he uses the emptiness around us like a true instrument. And the vocals, part Justin Vernon, part Antony Hegarty, part Burial, part auto-tune Kanye, but when it all boils down to it, are a unique wonder. The guy is in his early 20s and he’s displaying intense maturity and vision over there in London. 2010 was a monster year for Blake, with his The Bells Sketch/Klavierwerke/ and CMYK EPs all nearing the top of many music blogs’ year-end lists, but look for 2011 to be the year in which James Blake becomes a musician, and not a tennis player.

“CMYK” one of the standouts of his young discography.

Gorillaz – The Fall

Christmas is a time for sharing, just as jj showed us with their new mixtape that you can check out in the post below.  Damon Albarn is no stranger to generosity as well.  The album I have been anticipating since I heard that Albarn was creating the entire thing on an iPad — The Fall.  I’m four songs deep right now and I’m already blown away by the result.  The innovation and progression of music and how it is created is displayed fully.  The idea that anyone and everyone has the accessibility to an affordable device, in terms of music equipment, like an iPad, and an album like this can be created on it, is a huge milestone in my thinking.  Merry Christmas from The Gorillaz: Stream the album here, after giving up your name and email to their mailing list. I know I know..tough price to pay for free music. (Also, the only option is streaming because the album is only available for download to fan-club members at the moment)

A Christmas gift from jj

Swedish dream pop duo, jj, give us this delightful little homage to the ethereal gangsta in all of us. Just in time for this evening’s festivities, this is truly a gift for all music lovers. Download it here: http://www.sincerelyyours.se/yours0159.php (my hyperlink button isn’t working?)

A Unique Year End List

Most year end lists (ours included) have been pretty similar. Kanye, Beach House, Black Keys seem to be everywhere. While these artists and many others have been pretty ubiquitous this December, Altered Zones have given us a real treat with its Best Songs/Albums of 2010. Aside from Ariel Pink, How to Dress Well, and James Blake, most of the albums are ones you may not have heard of. I know I’m excited to give them a chance. Check it out, here.

Destroyer – Savage Night at the Opera

Bejar under the Destroyer moniker is truly the David Bowie of our generation. He continues to transform his sound like my favorite British chameleon of the 60s,70s and 80s. Kaputt is his take on a sort of midnight, literary disco, that is 100 percent different than his glammy folk of the 90s and the jangly prog of his albums in the 2000s.

Destroyer’s Kaputt is one of my most anticipated albums of the winter. I haven’t had the time to give it the proper listen yet, but aside from the year old epic “Bay of Pigs”, this song has revealed itself as one of Dan Bejar’s strongest.

 

Eminem and Lil Wayne on last night’s SNL

For anyone that watched the performance by Eminem and Lil Wayne on last night’s Saturday Night Live, I ask you to ponder the same question that I am–Are both artists a thing of the past?  For me personally, I’ve never been a fan of Eminem, but I was a big Weezy follower a few years back.  After watching that performance last night, I question if either of these two artists have the intelligence and creativity to innovate and become successful in the future.  With Kanye setting the bar in hip-hop, I see a future of similar artists who have the ability to do more than your average bitches, ho’s, and money hook, complimented by some decent metaphors.  So, I ask you all to check out the following video and make the decision for yourself.

Vampire Weekend – Fight For This Love

Here’s a nice little cover song of Cheryl Cole…hadn’t heard her version before, but I like the VW rendition.