PJ Harvey...and why I love her.

I am very much a newbie when it comes to PJ Harvey. As in, White Chalk (2007) is the chapter I started in. Probably the earliest song I have is "You Said Something" which was released in 2000, and she's been around since the early 90's. Based on that, I probably don't have strong grounds to say a whole lot...but I'm going to anyway.

It's safe to say that "You Said Something" and any songs off the White Chalk album are like night and day. The former at least has a little bit of mainstream potential, but I can assure you White Chalk does not. Whatever the difference is, I can appreciate it. The material isn't better, it hasn't gotten worse, but it's changed. There's something to be said for artists who can maintain quality while still exploring completely different sounds and going places they've never gone before. For me, three words sum up her sound: unpredictable, bizarre, and genius. I love it.

White Chalk is quite possibly one of the most haunting records I've ever heard (not sure I can even think of any others that would fit in the "haunting" category), and the overall tone of the album is dark and melancholy (my fave!). Timing was good considering it was released in the month of October...it was probably my favorite album for fall of '07. A lot of piano involved, too, which we all know I love, and there's kind of an old timey simplicity to it all. Seriously, if had to give a visual, it's of some 1800's era woman in a haunted cabin in the backwoods of some crazy mountain town (Boone, perhaps?) writing freaky ass songs on her piano. Some of that visual might stem from the album cover. A sidenote: Harvey taught herself how to play the piano, specifically for creativity purposes related to this album. From Wikipedia: "In an interview in The Wire she explained "the great thing about learning a new instrument from scratch is that it [...] liberates your imagination.""

So that was an interesting, but good, starting point for me. Now I'm looking forward to her upcoming album, Let England Shake. I've only heard "Written On The Forehead" so far, but it sure sounds like this album will be yet another venture into new sound for Harvey, and I can't wait. Bring on the weirdness! Saw a comparison somewhere between the sound for this new song and The Cocteau Twins who I LOVE. Either way, I'm anticipating greatness.

an early taste of spring

Ahh! First experience with polyvore.com. I feel lame for not knowing about this site earlier. Anyway, I'm thinking this spring/summer will be the seasons of coral and navy blue for me. I've placed a temporary ban on myself from buying cardigans. I have too many, and it is starting to get nerdy. For the record, I bought all this on a complete whim. It was a last-minute shopping trip limited to a couple hours to find the perfect outfit for engagement pictures. I found two pairs of jeans in addition to everything shown below. MAJOR SCORE.

early taste of spring by aubsmiles featuring a knit cardigan

Long Bow Striped Cardigan, $30
Contrast Trim Sweater Cardigan, $20
Ruffled Seafarer Tunic, $13
Jersey Mummy Wrap Flats, $20
Rugby Stripe Sequin Tote, $17
Striped Canvas Tote With Polka Dot Bows, $17

the covers list

...because I haven't made one yet! Discovered a really great cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" (you can listen here) on tumblr today. Well, "really great" coming from someone who is already a huge Ani DiFranco fan. But I am generally a fan of covers all around as long as they don't suck and ruin the original. I love it when talented artists make their own interpretations of what is already good. So here is my list, in no particular order, of some of my favorite covers.

1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" -Nirvana/Tori Amos. I know, I know, all my lists have to include Tori Amos. But seriously, a Nirvana song being performed by a girl on a lone piano? I promise, you'll see the song in a whole new light. Or at least I did.

2. "Oh Father" -Madonna/Sia. Case of the cover being better than the original.

3. "Real Love" -John Lennon/Regina Spektor. I just love Regina Spektor, that is all. Purchased this song off the Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur album.

4. "Bizarre Love Triangle" -New Order/Charlotte Martin. I love a good 80's song, and this cover=amazing.

5. "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" -Pearl Jam/Charlotte Martin. At this point we're seeing a pattern of my love for acoustic piano performances of 90's rock songs. Crazy how it completely changes the mood of the song.

6. "Bitches Ain't Shit" -Dr. Dre/Ben Folds. Ben Folds = genius. I love listening to this song in my car. haha.

7. "Free Fallin" -Tom Petty/John Mayer. Great, simple cover of a great song.

8. "Jolene" -Dolly Parton/The White Stripes. I think Jack White has a thing for old female country singers...?

9. "Where Is My Mind?" -The Pixies/Yoav. First heard of Yoav when he opened for Tori Amos. (Somehow, it all goes back to Tori amos, doesn't it?) This is a very trippy, weird version of Where is My Mind...but, that's kind of fitting.

10. "Come Talk to Me" -Peter Gabriel/Bon Iver. Love Peter Gabriel and this song. Love Bon Iver and love the banjo. A combination of all four, FTW!

Well, that's my strange little compilation...anyone have some favorites you'd like to share with the rest of us?

currently loving

I give you...the bubble scarf:



LOVE this look. I happened to find this exact one for $14 from the lovely Hooks & Hammers shop on Etsy. (and it looks even prettier in person, which tends to be the case with etsy items) If you are interested, I recommend just searching "bubble scarf" and seeing what pops up. so much etsy goodness!

My impulsive and highly ambitious next purchase was the pattern for said bubble scarf. I know enough to sit for long periods of time and make the same crochet stitch repeatedly, but so far I've lost my patience with trying anything else. Maybe someday, though.

I hate healthy...or, we don't seem to get along anyway.

Not really. I would love to be healthy. The idea of eating quality, healthy food really sounds good to me. I'm just not so good at the follow-through part, which I guess is the excuse most people use.

Unfortunately, I don't do well with things like Weight Watchers. It boils down to a black and white issue. Weight Watchers gives me too much freedom. They say, "why yes, you can have potato chips - but just three." Well I can't just eat three. I end up throwing my hands in the air and saying, screw this, I'm eating however many potato chips I want! I think what I *need* is a strict plan. Black or white. Yes or no. None of this "well, you can have HALF a cookie" business.

On top of that, I don't just want to limit my intake of the junk I already to eat. I want to cut it out. Which is why I think I need something drastic. Drastic is probably going to involve more time and money, but health is a worthy cause. Now I have to find a plan.

Although I'm not sure how healthy this is (actually, I'm pretty sure it isn't at all), I like the idea of Gwyneth Paltrow's detox diet. I mean it's pretty black and white. Down-to-the-minute play by play of exactly what you can and cannot have. That's what I'm going for. I need extreme.

It would also help if I was capable of cooking, which is why the word "easy" is a big factor in all of this as well. I think it's coming down to something like Nutrisystem...but really, I don't want to resort to frozen meals. :/ Something I actually have tried? A vegetable soup diet. Worst. Thing. Ever. I thought I was going to pass out at the end of the second day.

As far as working out goes, I'm considering hopping on the local YMCA bandwagon. A Planet Fitness just opened up right down the road from me, but I like the classes that the Y offers. Whether or not I will actually ever attend one is a different story.

This is why I never make New Year's Resolutions.

I Hope This Gets To You

So I just mentioned Sarah Jaffe in my previous post...I "liked" her facebook page, and she introduced this music video (evidently from her cousin's band, The Daylights). I am really loving it (good things all around coming from Sarah Jaffe!)..although I think the video is kind of weird. but I usually like weird.

better live.

I think as a general rule, it's safe to say that music is better live than recorded 99% of the time (barring that the band/artist doesn't suck). So, with a couple of the iTunes gift cards I was given for Christmas, I went on a bit of a live album spending spree!

Since I've been on a Ben Folds kick, I decided to buy Ben Folds Live. SO good. Just Ben Folds and the piano. Love it. Not to mention, he is a freaking genius. I recommend this album for anyone who is a fan. My favorites right now would be "Emaline," and "Jane."

I'm an Avett Brothers newbie (sadly, the only song I knew when I saw them at MerleFest last summer was "I and Love and You), and just bought I and Love and You (the album) a few weeks ago. I literally cannot stop listening to it. They are amazing. So I went ahead and bought The Avett Brothers Live, Vol. 3. Favorites are "When I Drink" and "The Ballad of Love and Hate."

And FINALLY...I got around to buying Snakes and Arrows Live from Rush. I am really starting to get into them...which I think is a result of seeing the documentary "Beyond the Lighted Stage" (which I've actually watched three times). They are a seriously talented group, and I find it pretty amazing that they've remained together for all these years. In fact, they are going to be in Greensboro in April and I'm definitely considering forking over the $90 to see them.

On a random note, I also cannot stop listening to a song called "Clementine" by Sarah Jaffe.

Happy 2011!

too good not to share...

I love Iron & Wine. My first introduction to them was "Love and Some Verses," and I absolutely love the simplicity of their sound, but their lyrics are amazing. Recently downloaded the Walking Far from Home EP and I'm loving it. The title track was my first favorite, but I finally got around to listening to "Biting Your Tail," and it's officially my second favorite Iron & Wine song ever. I think. A close second behind "The Trapeze Swinger." So anyway, here are the lyrics:

may your eyes be wide and seeing

may you learn from the view where you're kneeling

know the fear of the world that you're feeling

is the fear of a slave

may you know how the fight was started

and want as much for the snake as the garden

wear them both like a glove

that you can wave

may your mouth betray your wisdom

and may you get what they fail to mention

may your love be your only religion

and preach it to us all

may you lose what you offer gladly

may you worship the time and its passing

the stars won't ever wait for you

to watch them fall

we're the smoke on a burnt horizon

we're the boat on a tide that's rising

both the post and the pig you're untying

butcher gone for the blade

someday we may all be happy

someday all make a face worth slapping

someday we may be shocked to be laughing

at the way we behave

may your hands be strong and willing

may you know when to speak and to listen

may you find every friend that you're missing

there's no check in the mail

may you end there bruised and purple

and know the pieces the shape of a circle

round and round you'll go

biting your tail

we're the journey and the wind is whipping

the short hand's on the clock still ticking

both the egg and the red fox grinning

his belly full for the day

someday we may all want nothing

and all forget that we'll get whats coming

someday all say the world was something

that we just couldn't change

may your tongue be something wicked

and know your part in the calf and the killing

see straight through the captain you're kissing

the helm lose in his hand

may your words be well worth stealing

and put your hand on your heart when you're singing

the choir's sick of the song

but they still gotta stand

Just say no...to aspartame. (+Ten on Tuesday)

I'm at day 10 of my no-more-diet-drinks experiment (don't think I even mentioned that I was doing it, so there, now you know)...so far, so good. I've heard from multiple sources that artificial sweeteners are pretty awful, and my Diet Dr. Pepper habit was just getting out of control. Horribly dangerous or not, we can all agree that tea is a much better option than any soft drink. In light of this, however, when I absolutely must have a soft drink, I've gone back to normal rather than diet. Probably not the best choice. And I can't make the switch to unsweetened tea, for now it's half and half. Either way, I've managed successfully put a dent in my soft drink consumption which is progress.

And for the sake of randomness...Ten on Tuesday (found here)

1. What do you order at Starbucks?

Tough one. Depends on the season. Last purchase there was a Pumpkin Spice Latte, I believe.

2. Where is your favorite place to eat breakfast?

My options are limited since I live in such a small town, but there's a local joint called Ken & Mary's that's pretty good. I also LOVED Corner Bakery (specifically their Swiss Oatmeal) when I spent a summer in DC...but haven't been to one since.

3. Are you on Twitter? Why or why not?

Of course. All the cool kids are doing it.

4. What is your favorite Christmas movie?

Way too hard to choose. Ones that come to mind are Christmas Vacation, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Santa Clause.

5. Are you a gift giver?

I'm going to have to go with no on that one. :/ I try...but unfortunately, I'm lacking in the creativity department.

6. Do you like your handwriting? Bonus for posting a picture.

I do! And, yes, I also have too much time on my hands.

7. Is your signature legible? Bonus points for posting a picture.

Gonna skip out on the picture for this...but I don't think it's legible. My name is fairly long, so making it legible would take too much time.

8. Have you ever been to New York during Christmas season?

No! but close. I was there towards the beginning of November...there were a few signs of Christmas around, but I would love to go in December someday.

9. Are there any items that you are completely brand loyal?

Not really. Although I tend to stick with the same face wash for long periods of time. And I mostly stick to the "Simply" line of juice (Simply Orange, Simply Apple, etc).

10. Who is your favorite public speaker?

No clue.

Next on the agenda...my Christmas wishlist (a must-read)!

It's Christmas time, y'all...

and it's finally cold outside! Hooray! Yesterday it was 65 degrees, raining, and there was a tornado watch. Not what I would call ideal for the month of (or eve of) December. Living in Boone spoiled me though. Cold weather was frequently accompanied by snow there, and that rarely happens here. BUT I'm still happy that the Christmas season has arrived, and we've dipped below the 50 degree mark. :)

As far as gifts go this year...I intend on buying myself a semi-completely new wardrobe, since hardly anything I own fits. I thought I would try doing everything online, since it seems like that would be 100x easier than venturing into a mall this time of year. But I don't think it's going to work out. After spending an hour or so browsing around, I'm just hesitant to buy any piece of clothing that I can't actually pick up and feel. Plus, I'm never the same size in anything...it always just depends on the material/etc of whatever it is I'm buying. I know there are sizing charts, but I'm still leery. So I guess I'm stuck having to go out and shop for clothes, which honestly I think I'll be o.k. with.

I'm a last minute person when it comes to life in general, so I will be ahead of schedule if I have anything purchased for other people before December 15. Seems like it gets increasingly hard to buy gifts for people every year. I think it's because I look around, and it's like, no one I know is really in *need* of anything. And then you're just buying people random crap that they (a) didn't need and (b) probably didn't even really want. I go in circles with this every year.

Christmas music...I'm already tired of it I think. Which sucks. But you would be tired of it too if you had to listen to it eight hours a day. And for whatever reason, this particular station plays the SAME SONGS every day, eight hours a day. Not even a weekly variety. So I've about had my fill. However, I'm not tired of the movies on tv. I could watch How The Grinch Stole Christmas and Christmas Vacation every night until Christmas and be happy. And for whatever reason, Juno has been on tv the past five weekends in a row which = awesome.

I'll end with a playlist for the week, one that definitely does not have any Christmas songs on it.

1. Come Talk to Me -Bon Iver

2. I Grieve -Peter Gabirel

3. Solsbury Hill -Peter Gabriel

4. Bizarre Love Triangle -Charlotte Martin

5. Cloudbusting -Kate Bush

6. Keep Me In Your Pocket -Charlotte Martin

7. Walking Far from Home -Iron & Wine

8. Cosmic Love -Florence + The Machine

9. Unison -Bjork

10. Dog Days Are Over -Florence + The Machine

I've mostly been on a Peter Gabriel kick this week. He is hands down one of my most favorite artists of all time, and if you like Bon Iver, I'm very sure you'll love their cover of "Come Talk to Me."