Random | Comment on America

From year gone by:

Music | “Lady Venom” after “Blood Angels”

It is not unusual to have a whole song play during the closing credits – pay lists do get quite long – but to have a whole video play after the closing credits, well, that is something else. If you happen to have a vampire flick marathon that includes “Blood Angels” – just because that is how you roll when it comes to this genre – that is exactly what you will get. Or you can watch Swollen Members “Lady Venom” here.

At Home | Home library, newsstand, office & club

From Swedish Elle Interior, home of Emma Persson Lagerberg
(also featured in Danish RUM and ELLE Decoration UK)
by Petra Bindel

At Home | Just outside - a street "library"

"Book Lover" by Chuan Jeng 'CJ' Yap

Movies | “Reg, let’s have some noise, can we?”

And off goes the blues circa late 1960s (The Yardbirds?). This is after some great jazz backing the opening credits, courtesy of Herbie Hancock. “That’s good. That’s good. Hold that.” Probably by now the most classic line one can utter when photographing a model. Face close ups; hands close to the face; expression; hair, hair; give it to me. Dominant (or is it exacting?) and successful hipster photographer, lording over his roost and its minions, that of course includes those doll-like models and want-to-be models. He floats through his hipster arty crowd, which searches for some sublime visions, makes art, dismisses it, holds on to it. These arty boys are self-absorbed brats in a ‘candy store’, although they also search for and would rather transmit something ‘real’, but such is the ‘conundrum’ of genius amidst the perks of popularity – looking at but being cushioned from the uglier reality. Will it all explode? “Get off”? After how many pull backs? The trademark of tension. This is “Blow-Up”, a 1966-movie by legendary Michaelangelo Antonioni. Every still perfectly composed, as it should be, especially if the main character is an über fashion photographer. It has also been Antonioni’s thing to demand – that visual perfection. The movie is all about the ambiance – the cinematography that is not so much about capturing a rapid story arc, but about transmitting a feeling of being a fly on a wall or one of foreboding. Recommended viewing for visually and mood inspired. Recommended.

Music | Female singer-songwriters №9: Grace Potter

Multi-instrumentalist Grace is a co-founder and lead vocalist of Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, a band from Vermont, who also plays solo and collaborates with other musos. Ooh la la indeed.

Food | Fed Saturday – Roasted Vegetables

Photo ©MAK @ M / M Details

Olive oil ● Potatoes cut into chunks ● Onions quartered if big, halved if small ● Pumpkin cut into chunks ● Carrots cut into chunks ● Celery stalks cut into chunks ● Salt and freshly ground black pepper Pour the olive oil into a roasting pan and put into preheated oven at 400 degrees F / 205 degrees C to heat ● If the vegetables are wet, pat them dry with a paper towels ● Remove the pan of hot oil from the oven and add the potatoes, onions and pumpkin ● Carefully toss the vegetables until the vegetables are coated with oil, then return to the oven and cook for 20 minutes ● Add the carrots and celery to the roasting pan and carefully and gently toss all the vegetables around to ensure even cooking ● Return to the oven and cook for a further 30 minutes ● When ready, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve as a side dish, or the one and only dish you just have to have for comfort ● Enjoy!

Booze | On which side of the hangover are you? What now?

Whole Living magazine | December 2012

Related: Booze | The morning after

At Home | Lazy Sunday in the home library

By kelsee via flicker via Dust Jacket

Music | Female singer-songwriters №8: Dessa Darling

Photo Kai Benson

A singer and rapper hailing from Minneapolis, MN.

Still on tour.

January 8 | Chicago

January 9 | Cleveland

January 10 | Pittsburgh

January 11 | Philadelphia

January 12 | New York

January 13 | Cambridge

January 15 | Detroit

January 16 | Milwaukee

Music | So DJ K Yung has Mizlissa, Lyssaladyboss, Ly' Rique Nicole & Young X unpack hot ice

This is DJ K Yung’s video to “Truth Is”  done with Young X that features solo artists  from Illinois and Iowa:  Mizlissa, Lyssaladyboss, & Ly' Rique Nicole.

Music video by DJ K Yung presenting Truth Is (Explicit) | © 2012 MidSouth Muzik LLC | Free Download here | Produced by: Basement Beats LLC | Executive Prod. By Young X & DJ K Yung | Video Directed By. Devvon Terrell | Produced By. Young X |

Movies | Revisiting behind the scenes of Persepolis

As a movie, this brainchild of Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, is still an artistic feat bringing together many moving parts. For full “The hidden side of Persepolis” and “Behind the scenes of Persepolis” you will need to get your hands on the DVD of it. Absolutely worth it. You will see the dedication of many over two-three years it took to make this movie. Meanwhile, here are some teasers.

Fashion | Alchemist that is Iris van Herpen

irisvanherpen.com

Flicking through September 2012 issue of Vogue Paris. Mindless enough. Page 242. Not mindless. A sheath dress coming out of brown plume. “Refinery Smoke”. An encasement of bones. “Skeleton Dress”. These are some of the artworks of a Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen. And I thought I had plenty to speechlessly stare at and fantasize to, and generally melt into subconscious goo, with Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh flawlessly underscored by Ruth Hogben. I am a rabbit in the headlights, and the headlights look good.

Interesting Couple | Annie Leibovitz & Susan Sontag

From “Women Leibovitz Annie, Sontag Susan”  via Anna – Lou “Annie” Leibovitz Fans on Flicker

This is a tricky one, since one part of the couple is a really famous portrait photographer, so she is always behind the lens. The other was a powerhouse of intellectual writing, hence more likely to be in front of the lens. Plus, Susan once said that she “grew up in a time when the modus operandi was the ‘open secret’” so frequent showing off with Annie for social photographs was not likely or maybe encouraged. Then I found a copy of a photo of them together! Annie’s photos are iconic; Susan has written hell of a book “On Photography” and forever changed my view on what it means to photograph, how predatory of a task it can be.

At Home | Country residence decadence

From {this is glamorous}

Music | Très chic. Les bébés rockers. Les Plastiscines

Is the seventies-style rock living on as an all-female act? It just might, with a bit of dancey bomp. And I like Barcelona, the city.

Music | Purrrr or scratch, Kittie?

Today, my attention was brought to posts and articles about cat related matters. And my mind drifted to remembering this band. Kittie hails from Canada, is still very much heavy and alive, despite member changes, and at six albums to date. “Brackish” is from their debut album “Spit” (1999) – the song and the album that put them on my radar.

Music | The Pipettes backed by The Cassettes

An experiment in manufactured pop à la Spector pop girl bands “don't care what this song's about”. This jury’s still out… but likes good cheese.

Music | Spinnerette ….

I am sitting the fuck down.

Fashion | Alexa Chung sixties style

Red dress. Check.

Photo by fantabulous Ellen von Unwerth. Check.

‘It’ Girl. Alexa Chung this time. Check.

Daily Mail

Music | Female singer-songwriters №7: Tori Amos

Back in October 2012, Tori Amos released third retrospective of her work called Gold Dust. Tori reinterpreted songs written as her younger self the way she is now – some years later and back to her classical roots. Gold Dust is her second collaboration with the Dutch Metropole Orchestra. It suits her. With those great promotional photos for Gold Dust, this artist entering her third decade of recording is still definitely a fox and a keen observer of events – like Putin not being into ‘kittens’ and the short lived careers of female artists. NME | Tori Amos: “Vladmir Putin is terrified of pussy”

Booze | The morning after

Maybe these recommendations are a bit too late for you for today, but they will come handy some other time. “ Act Fast | Skip the sunrise breakfast; by the time you order pancakes, the alcohol’s been digested. Instead, chug Gatorade or water – at least 8 ounces – before bed. Pop a Pill | Take two Alka-Seltzer when you wake up to stave off nausea. Headachy? Swallow an Advil with your first meal. And throw down vitamin B and C supplements to make up for the reserves depleted by alcohol. Eat Breakfast | A greasy brunch will cause indigestion. Make white or wheat toast with honey to flood your cells with quick energy. If you’re a coffee drinker, have just half a cup today. Caffeine is a diuretic and a vasoconstrictor, so it increases your blood pressure, which can intensify a hangover. ” By Danielle Braff Marie Claire December 2012 issue

Movies | “I woke up this morning and I just hated everything”

If the events of the night get out of hand, sometimes the polite thing to do is to take the blame J Happy New Year!