HeatWAVE: A Summer Playlist

It's been in the high 90's and low 100's this week - which is pretty HOT for May. It seems summer has arrived ahead of schedule this year. I had to make a playlist to reflect this heatwave. I included some classics, some new stuff, Rhye for Daniel (he is obsessed), the True Detective theme song (I dream of the second season), and a few surprises. You can find it on my Spotify account. 

I hope you enjoy it!

"Summertime" - Janis Joplin

"Keep You" - Wild Belle

"The Fall" - Rhye

"Drop the Game" - Flume & Chet Faker

'Retrograde" - James Blake

"Ocean Bed" - King Krule

"Worms" - Youth Lagoon

"White Room" - Cream

"Mi Negrita" - Devendra Banhart

"Le temps de l'amour" - Francoise Hardy

"Frequencies" - Katie Herzig

"Far From Any Road" - The Handsome Family

"Origins" - Tennis

"For Your Love" - The Yardbirds

"Magic" - Leagues

"Lovers" - Brothertiger

Happy Friday!

Stay cool!

Rainy Day: A Playlist

It's been grey and rainy here in LA the last couple days, it's supposed to continue to tomorrow. It's such a welcome break from the drought. I am really digging it. It's been so windy and rainy. 

Thought I'd share a rainy day playlist to keep you vibing with the rain. 

"For 12" - Other Lives

"The Road" - Mirel Wagner

"Here Before" - Vashti Bunyan

"Riverside" - Agnes Obel

"Teardrop" - Jose Gonzalez

"J'Arrive A Toi" - Carla Bruni

"Home Again" - Michael Kiwanuka

"The Longer the Waiting" - Anna Ternheim

"Slow Cruel Hands of Time" - Band of Horses

"Nature Boy" - My Brightest Diamond

"Avalanche" - Leonard Cohen

"Ramblin' Man" - Isobel Campbell & Mark Lannegan

"Devil Do" - Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs

"Wild Horses" - The Rolling Stones

Happy Listening!
I hope this brightens your otherwise grey day.

Notes of Autumn: A Playlist

"Ramblin' Man" - Isobel Campbell & Mark Lannegan

A nice twist on one my favorite Hank Williams' songs. I have been listening to this song over and over. It makes me want to put on my boots and kick up some leaves.

"Love Lost - Acoustic" - The Temper Trap

This acoustic version is so haunting and soft like a gentle lullaby. The airy vocals and harmonious acoustic guitar are at once soothing and enchanting. 

"Girl From The North Country" - Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash

I have become utterly consumed by this song. In the last two weeks I must have listened to this song a million times. I cannot get enough of it. It is so incredibly beautiful. I love both of their voices so much and the sweet guitar melody strums my heart strings. This has to the ultimate song for fall this year for me.

"Between the Bars" - Elliott Smith

An oldie but goodie. I had just been missing Elliott lately. His music has accompanied me through many an autumn. This song will always have a place in my heart.

"Heartattack And Vine" - Tom Waits

This song has such a great beat. It makes me want to swing my hips as I strut down the street. It delivers energy and a bit of sassy sexpot. It definitely puts something in my step.

"Walk On The Wild Side" - Lou Reed

I love the laid back vibe of this track. It's just so chill and fun just like autumn in Los Angeles. It makes me think of fall back in film school.

"On The Road Again" - Canned Heat

So there's a few oldies but goodies on this playlist. I can't help myself. This groovy jam can take me from a 0 to a 60 in about ten seconds.  It has this badass on a mission feel that makes me feel like tapping into my inner femme fatale.

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Patti Smith

I really love this stripped down version of Nirvana's popular song. Patti Smith infuses it with her sultry country twang. It's just somehow quintessentially fall. Must be the flannels and Doc Martens...fall is the time for grunge after all.

"For 12" - Other Lives

The soothing, blooming intro gets me every time. The swelling and the pulsing - keeping the tempo beating away. I just want to run down a big hill with the wind dancing through my hair. And away I go...

"Un Jour Comme Un Autre" - Brigitte Bardot 

This is the perfect soundtrack to my skinny jeans, black sweaters and thigh high boots - wandering down the sidewalk scattered in leaves. Sipping wine or pumpkin spice lattes. This song has a warm, cozy quality that makes me yearn for fireplaces and rainy nights.

"Jagadamba, You Might" - First Aid Kit

No fall playlist is complete without a First Aid Kit song. Their folksy guitar and mesmerizing harmonies personify the autumn to me. And this one is an effortless anthem.

"So Real" - Jeff Buckley

I have a deep fascination with Jeff Buckley.  His mysterious death, gorgeous lyrics and honeyed vocals make me swoon. I love a talented, tortured soul. This song has a cold, weightiness that echoes the spirit of the season.

"October" - Broken Bells

I really dig this jam. I mean it's named October, of course I had to put it on my fall playlist. It is such an easy listen that brightens up whatever I am doing.

"You Ain't Alone" - Alabama Shakes

This song is nearly as if Otis Redding and John Lennon made a tune together. It has that angsty ballad, classic blues, rock'n'roll thing going full speed ahead. They just slay it to the last note. They're really something extraordinarily special.

"Ghost Towns" - Radical Fires

This song is very cinematic. It automatically makes looking out the window seem bleak, dramatic and moody. It makes me feel the imminence of life. Things are happening, changing, growing and dying.

"Minnesota, WI - S.Carey Remix" - Bon Iver

This is a mystical remake of an already magical song. This song is warm and soft like the afternoon sun. The notes dancing around like falling leaves.

Happy listening! 

Xo.

Sounds of Summer: A Playlist.

"You're No Good" - Major Lazer

I saw Major Lazer at Coachella back in April, and they were such great performers. This is probably my favorite song of theirs. I love Santogold's vocals, over the vibey beat. I can listen to this song no matter what I am doing or where I am going.

"Black Skinhead" - Kanye West

I was in Greece on my honeymoon when Kanye unleashed Yeezus on the world. I instantly loved it, and listened to it endlessly. Now that I 'm home, I love to listen to this track when I run the stairs. It unleashes my inner beast and taps into this raw energy inside me. It makes me unstoppable.

"Lose Yourself to Dance" - Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams

I keep finding myself wanting to listen to this album. This song specifically has this funky, space boogie quality to it. It's so 70s. I want to throw on a pair of low riding bell bottoms, platforms, get my hair as big as possible and boogie like I'll never stop.

"Elephant" - Tame Impala

I know this album came out last year, but this song, specifically, I keep finding myself tacking on to the end of my playlists. It brings out my inner bad ass and somehow gives me instant swagger. I just become like a sexy, Johnny Depp character in my head. lol. I dare you to try it.

"Femme Fatale" - The Velvet Underground

My obsession with The Velvet Underground has somehow reached new heights recently.  A month or so ago I watched "Factory Girl" and ever since I have become even more hypnotized by that era. I have been listening to even more 60s jams than usual, which I didn't even know was possible. This song is a top one for me. I adore Nico and the femme fatale she's singing about is Edie Sedgwick.

"Pushin' Too Hard" - The Seeds

This song is what I call gothic surf music, which I have big spot in my heart for. I just really dig this song, especially the thrashing guitars. I can't help but sway my hips when I hear it. And I relate, I am often pushing too hard on myself. It reminds me not to take myself so seriously, to enjoy life more.

"Lazuli" - Beach House

This song is magic. The dreamy scales. The airy vocals. The notes fall around me like raindrops. Yet, it still maintains this throbbing pulse to the beat. I could listen to Beach House every day of life.

"Ni**as In Paris" - Jay-Z and Kanye West

This song shifts it into fourth gear. I know it's old news. But on my honeymoon, we were on a private yacht tour of Thira aka Santorini, and this jam came on and took the day to another level. I was living out all of my fantasies from watching Jay-Z's 'Big Pimpin' video. I was just instantly transformed into the baddest bitch around. lol. But for real. This song always elevates me.

"Swimming Pools" - Kendrick Lamar

Now for a dark turn. This is a song for summer nights. I can't help but groove to the sexy, moody beat. You can sing along so easily too with the lyrics, "Pour up. Drank. Head shot. Drank. Sit down. Drank. Stand up. Drank. Pass out. Drank. Wake up. Drank. Faded. Drank. Faded. Drank." Take a shot and get down. 

"Hands On The Wheel" - Schoolboy Q, A$AP Rocky

This song samples Lissie covering Kid Cudi "Pursuit of Happiness" which I was really into a couple summers ago. This song brings me back to a time when I was wild and restless. It reminds me that it may seem like I am in control with my "hands on the wheel" but I am just on this ride we all call life. Doesn't really matter if I steer, I am going where I go.

"Losing You" - Solange

The beat of this song is so ridiculously good. It's primal and 80s all at once. The music video is awesome if you haven't seen it. Solange is super sexy and adorable, just like this epic song. Her dance moves are amazing, I wish I could move like her.

"Dropla" - Youth Lagoon

Honestly I just love the "you'll never die" line over and over again, it makes me feel immortal for a few minutes. The melody sounds like it's out of a dream land. Regardless of my mood this song definitely transport me to another place.

"Vanished" - Crystal Castle

This song wants to make you move right from the first note. It makes me feel like I am in a sexy laser tag game or something. It makes life become an instant music video. It has this relentless buzz to it that makes you feel like dancing all night might be a good idea.

"gun-shy" - Grizzly Bear

I love Grizzly Bear. This song is on their new album. It takes it down a notch. It's a very chill song, but can be really hypnotic. It's like one long deep breath. I love the break in the song, it draws me in so much deeper.

"Bleak Bake" - King Krule

This song is like floating through space. It has this twinkling, magical quality. It makes me feel like gravity might stop working and we will all just float away...Oh and the British kid behind this enchanting diddy is only nineteen.

"Feel It All Around" - Washed Out

I know its the theme song of Portlandia, but driving around to this song makes everything shift into slow motion. It feels like actual time slows. On hot days where you already feel stoned, this song makes the whole drive home feel like an out of body experience.

Happy listening!

Xo

Dancing Barefoot.

This video is just incredible. I love Patti Smith and I love First Aid Kit...But this performance of First Aid Kit covering Patti Smith's "Dancing Barefoot" is just on a whole other level. Sometimes I think music can be pure magic. And I think this is one of this moments. Johanna & Klara just transport me to another time and place with this touching rendition. Patti Smith is in the audience and is moved to tears. This moving performances stirs me deep in my inner well. I hope it stirs you too.

ENJOY SOME MAGIC. 

If You Dare Come a Little Closer.

I just seriously cannot get enough of this song! Rihanna & Mikky Ekko's "Stay". It's just playing in my head over and over, endlessly...and somehow I want more and more. It's so simple and powerful and raw and sweet and just cuts to the core. This performance on SNL is pretty amazing. Rihanna proves she doesn't have to shake it and show some skin to get you to listen. They also added some strings in this live version that take it to another level. I really dig how simple Mikky Ekko kept this song. I'm interested in seeing what he does in the future. I read on wiki that he had a nomadic childhood traveling around the south with his preacher father. He has a lot of gospel influences. I want to hear what he has up his sleeve.

If you like this song check out Mikky Ekko's "Feels Like The End".

Enjoy!

Coachella. Day Two. 2013.

 Here are snippets from Coachella this past weekend. We only brought the 7D along for Day Two, here it is in a nutshell: Natasha Khan, better known as Bat For Lashes, rocking a Rainbow Brite look while belting her heart out; massive sweaty crowds (not my favorite); Walshy Fire from Major Lazer crowd surfing and hugging Daniel mid-song before climbing back on stage(gotta find YouTube footage of that); a ton of walking through those Polo fields; Grizzly Bear was epic as usual, they surely never disappoint, and I love Ed Droste's shirt; Coachella at night is hypnotic even through sober eyes. Not Coachella's best line-up but overall it was fun. I am debating whether or not this will be my last year attending. It gets more corporate every year. But here is to hoping for a mega, epic lineup next year!

Peace, Love & Music!

No Fear.

Oh me. Oh my. I love Nina Simone. I have been obsessed, inspired and fascinated by her for quite some time now. I just had to post this candid interview of her. It's always interesting to me to watch interviews with artists. Nina is someone who I feel never had her light go out. Off stage, relaxing at home I bet she was just always glowing. I love what she says about freedom in the clip. It truly is no fear. I have a feeling Nina will continue to allude, hypnotize me until my last days.

"I had spent many years pursuing excellence, because that is what classical music is all about... Now it was dedicated to freedom, and that was far more important."

-Nina Simone

The Meeting of Winter & Spring.

These months are always the most inspirational to me. There's something about the meeting of winter and spring. Along with the flowers and the leaves,  it always makes me go through an inner death and rebirth every year. I always tend to look inward during this time, scrupulously. I am finding that each year I tend to cherish these months the most. Very transitional, very bittersweet, oh those growing pains every year, how you hurt so good. I find myself listening to this playlist I made nearly every day. Daniel and I were both working in silence yesterday and then he put it on. It made me smile.

"It Girl" - The Brian Jonestown Massacre
"Jupiter Teardrop" - Grant Lee Buffalo
"Lilac Wine" - Jeff Buckley
"The Drugs Don't Work" - The Verve
"Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" - covered by First Aid Kit
"The Suburbs" - Arcade Fire
"Breakers" - Local Natives"
"Speak In Rounds" - Grizzly Bear
"Ain't Fair" - Deap Valley
"Flatlands" - Chelsea Wolfe
"Daydream" - The Lovin' Spoonful
"Grazing In The Grass" - Hugh Masekela
"Rainwater Cassette Exchange" - Deehunter
"This Time Tomorrow" - The Kinks
"California Sunrise" - Dirty Gold
"Corcovado(Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars)"- Stan Getz, Astrid Gilb

Wild At Heart: Beloved Obsessions for Winter

1. Agnes Obel is a danish singer/songwriter. She has been playing piano since a she was a little girl, honing her skills. She seems to effortlessly pour out entrancing, waltzy, melodies with her perfect pitch. I just want to listen to her while I watch a delicate snow fall through the window. She transports me into another dimension. I find her to be truly hypnotic...and just so gorgeous and dreamy...

a live performance of her song "Smoke and Mirrors"  //Mahogany Session...

...performing her song "Philharmonics" in Bologna...

...and a Lulu Rouge remix of her song Riverside, 
for those of you who crave that bass and pulsing beat...

2. Twin Peaks is a television series created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, it aired in 1990-1991 on ABC. It's starts out with Agent Dale Cooper, played by Kyle MacLachlan, being called to Twin Peaks to investigate the murder of Laura Palmer(Sheryl Lee). I don't want to give too much away, but there's all kinds of mysterious, idiosyncratic occurrences and behaviors...including pretty ladies, owls, motorcycles, The Man from Another Place, a giant, coffee, spirits, a diner, a roadhouse, a cave, creepy woods, a crazy red room and David Lynch himself even makes an appearance in a few episodes. Twin Peaks is a great way to keep yourself entertained while cooped up inside. You'll want to watch episode after episode.

3. Stevie Morrison-Flower Child-Goth Hippy

 

(H&M Long Black Dress. MINKPINK Velvet Cape.)

I got Minkpink's 'Russian Roulette' Printed Burnout Velvet Cape from Dear Fieldbinder's on Smith St. in Brooklyn over Thanksgiving...And ever since I just want to wear it all the time. Like every day. I've been wanting to dress up like the love child of Stevie Nicks and Jim Morrison. In LA the weather has been strangely, hot and muggy. The heavy air is the perfect backdrop for my ethereal shenanigans to play out. It really makes me want to run around like a wild beast, the unnatural heat really brings it out in me. After all my tarot card is The Magician, it's really quite fun to channel.

 

(Johnny Was Tunic. U/O tights. Sam Edelman Zoe Booties.)

(vintage bangles collected from around the world.)

(Vintage Sunglasses and Fringe Tunic. Elizabeth & James Wedges) 

all photos of me taken by Daniel, my lovie.

4. "Le coeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît point" 

 It's a quote from Blaise Pascal, the translation is "The heart has its reasons, whereas reason know nothing of."
 

6. DELIRIUM Sensual Gardenia Candles
This candle is like a sultry garden and creeps up and slowly engulfs you in its sensual aroma. I placed mine on my bedside table. Even unlit I breathe in wafts of its deep, sweet trails. It's reminscent of a lush hideaway behind a wall of vines. I wish it would burn forever and ever! I think I have found my new scent.

5. ZICO Coconut Water is a miracle elixir. Whether you're at the computer, working out or had too much to drink, this is the drink you want within arm's reach to quench your thirst. Coconut water has been engineered by nature to keep things alive in a desert island scenario. When you  get home from the bar drink a glass before you go to sleep, I promise you no hangover. I like to drink a big glass 20 min before I workout and then I don't need to drink anything until after. It will make your skin healthier by moisturizing it from the inside out. It's great during winter months where skin tends to get a bit dry. Even if you don't like the taste they make it flavored with mango, lime and chocolate, although I prefer the original. So let's hydrate!

7. One Thousand and One Nights

If you're not familiar, it's a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian stories and folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. including Sinbad the Sailor, The Story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Aladdin and the magic lamp and more...I just got a Penguins Classic version for Hanukkah(shown above). The back of the book reads:

"These stories contain the very finest jinns, money-changers, princes and slave girls, viziers, fisherman and kings, magical gardens of paradise, warriors, princesses, palaces, wonderful talking birds, caliphs and merchants, sultans and dancing girls, robbers and enchanted rings, and fantastical fountains of youth.

Read these tales and be transported to a remarkable world of excitement and romance."

8. Nina Simone, Ricky Nelson and The Jungle Book

 All three of these records are so magical! Nina Simone at Newport is just the jazz and soul I need to inspire me for a night out. She howls away and pounds those keys, her spirit is contagious! Ricky Nelson takes it in a whole other direction. Light some candles, open a bottle of wine and get ready for your heart to break. He just captures the melancholy, loneliness of longing to be loved in his wholesome, country twang. "Lonesome Town" is my favorite song. Then there is The Jungle Book. This record is the whole Disney story, it's like watching the movie. I love putting it on and cleaning the house. I can sing along to all my old favorites (like "I Wanna Be Like You" "My Own Home" and "Bare Necessities") and reminisce of being a kid.

9. Zee Avi "Concrete Wall"

  I cannot get enough of this song! It's so catchy...and how cute is she banging the drum?

10. Natural Stone Mega Rings

 I love me some BIG rings. I usually wear pretty basic color pallets, so I rely a lot on accessories to punch up the ensemble. I love the natural stones because they remind me that untamed, natural beauty can be those most inspirational. There's so many astonishing textures occurring all around via mother nature. I love all the edges and many facets of raw quartz, it reveals to me the way the world comes together, and so do all the many parts of me. The Tiger's Eye reminds me of the inner life force, and to keep my fire blazing. The black gemstone is cut open allowing a peek at the shimmering colors inside. To me it represents holding back a little and not giving all your eggs away in one basket.

(Black Gemstone Cutout Ring by Anthropologie)

(White Quartz and Silver Ring by Free People)

 (Brass and Tiger's Eye ring by Jan Michaels)

(Gold and White Quartz Skull ring from a booth at The Melrose Trading Post)

 My unlisted rings are all vintage finds except my Letter D ring which is from U/O.

Until Next Time,

“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air…”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

<3,

R

Favorite Things: November.

I'm going to start posting my favorite things for each month. Starting with this month November 2011...Here are things I just love for this month:

1. Vietnamese Coffee. Ever since I went to Vietnam, I just can't get enough of Trung Nguyen's Gourmet Blend. It's so rich. creamy and strong enough to run a jet engine. I order it off amazon all the time. It ignites my fire. Though I drink it year around, it's great for November when you're starting to feel lazy and just want to stay in bed.

 Get Your Engine Running Full Speed.


2. Balsam + Cedar candles from Anthropologie. They are seriously the best smelling candles ever!!!! It's like the holiday season poured into a little tin. I am not a fan of the holidays but I do love this candle. It's everything there is for my holiday spirit. They only have them during this time of year, I always make sure to stock up.

 

It's like a pine forest filled with Balsam.

Get them here.

3. I have rediscovered my love Kaki King. She is truly an eclectic wonder! She is a musical alchemist the way she blends melancholy rock and ambient tones. Did I mention that she is a mind blowing guitar player? I especially love to listen to this track while I am writing, it has a great build and no lyrics to sidetrack my brain. I can see the drama playing out to the melody...

4. Bande à part. It's a 1964 French New Wave film directed by Jean-Luc Godard. 
The english title is Band of Outsiders, but the exact translation of the french title means 'to do something outside the group.' Godard describes it as Alice in Wonderland meets Franz Kafka. If that doesn't wet your whistle for this film, I don't know what will. It stars Anna Karina (my fave), Claude Brasseur and Sami Frey as Odile, Arthur and Franz.

 There's bicycles, guns, dancing, robbery, running through the Louvre and more....

 all screenshots by me.

5. Deadeye Dick by Kurt Vonnegut

A fictional story revolving around Rudy Waltz, a chilling and satirical look at the death of innocence. I read it this summer in Cape Cod but wish I had saved it for now. All the mention of snow in the novel, makes it ideal to curl up by the fire with.  It's has a double murder, a neutron bomb, radioactivity and a search for happiness and absolution...Oh, and Kurt Vonnegut is awesome.

 My cat Mr. Tail likes it too.

6. I love LACE!!!!! Especially lace dresses.

 

They're so feminine it's fun to use edgy accessories. 

 

u/o dress & wedges.

vintage dress. dolce vita boots.

left: free people sweater tunic. right: vintage navy dress.

topshop dress.

photos of me shot by my wonderful boyfriend Daniel.

7. I cannot get enough of composer Michael Galasso's "Baroque", from Chungking Express. It's so romantic and action oriented. I play it non stop.

8. "Look famous. Be legendary. Appear complex. Act easy. Radiate presence. Travel light. Seem a dream. Prove real." -Unknown

9. Pumpkin everything! Bread, lattes, scones, pie, cookies, etc.

 mmmmmm mmmmmmm.

10. Dark Purple Dahlias.  I love the deep, almost gothic feel of the dark dahlias. They are elegant, soft and feminine.

They look great with the bright sunflowers. I love the melancholy and cheer, they compliment each other. No matter your mood, this arrangement will enhance it.

11. Head-wear. I love putting things on my head...wreaths, hats, scarves, flowers, headbands, ribbons...
Now that the weather is getting a bit colder, it's the perfect time to pull em out.

 

wrap your head in a scarf.

a wreath of gold leaves.

a classic straw hat.

a retro head band.

a soft knit hat.

  Photos by Daniel, my love.

12. Owls. I always love owls but November seems to be their month to me. They are wise, solitary, nocturnal creatures. They hole up all day and creep out in the darkness to hunt their prey. What really gets me is that owls can fly almost completely silent. It is widely believed throughout Africa, Mexico, South America and most native Americans that owls are harbingers of death, evil and scorcery. They bring with them bad luck, ill health and even death. There's an old mexican saying, still in use today, "Cuando el tecolote canta, el indio muere ." It means 'that when the owl cries or sings, the Indian dies'. Despite all of this negativity surrounding owls, I really like them. Strangely I seem to identify with them. They remind me of Edgar Allen Poe.

Some of my owl collection.

13. Out of my records, I have recently been drawn to  

Bon Iver's self titled album, Bon Iver

and Panda Bear's Tomboy...over and over...

 

Bon Iver for late nights of candles, rain and romance. Panda Bear for getting ready to go somewhere, it's calming and energizing at once. 

all photos, unless otherwise noted, are taken by me.


Enjoy November!