– My favorite ongoing feature at Refinery 29 is the City Hall Weddings. I just love it. It’s always so sweet to just see the bride and groom on such a special day–and everyone’s fashion is so unique. (Refinery 29)
– I love me some Red Hot Chili Peppers and since I’ve always thought their drummer looks like Will Ferrell (or vice versa), this “long-awaited” drum-off between them is hilarious. (Funny or Die)
– Lately I’ve been liking the new algorithm or whatever is deciding who my Popular page on Instagram consists of. I’ve followed a bunch of new accounts lately based on some awesome curation. This company based in LA does beautiful leather goods. I kind of want this new Mod item–it’s like my dream wallet/notebook/life organizer thingy. (This Is Ground)
– Bar carts are all the rage right now, but honestly, all I can think is having to dust and keep it organized. This cabinet version is such a cool alternative. (A Beautiful Mess)
It’s warm in the evenings this week. So hot it makes my neighbors talk about the weather while I walk my dog in the morning. “It’s gonna be 90,” said the man who collects recycling as he bikes dumpster to dumpster.
I opened all the windows yesterday in our apartment and considered purchasing a fan for the summer. It’s only April. Last night, I had the TV on low waiting for John to arrive so we could watch the Clippers game at a nearby bar. The apartment was dark because any light seemed to generate heat. And then I heard it. What I thought initially was someone’s radio was the sound of someone playing guitar. Across the street, separated by a small parking lot was a man on a bench playing guitar. In the fluorescent light of the laundromat he sat in front of, he played music on his electric guitar that carried across the neighborhood through the small amplifier in the seat beside him.
It reminded me of New Orleans. The live music at almost any time of day and night throughout the French Quarter. It was my favorite part of my favorite city I’ve visited so far. John and I would be walking back late to our hotel room on Royal or Frenchmen Street and someone would be singing or playing music. The night sticky and humid but neither one of us too in a hurry to get back to air-conditioned rooms. There’s no music in those rooms.
I turned the TV off in the apartment and found myself standing on our balcony listening to this impromptu concert. Funny, since a serenade is music played in the air, often by a man to his lover beneath a window. By then the evening had cooled a bit and faint traces of cigarette smoke lingered in the air courtesy of the chain smoker in the parking lot. The guitar player would take breaks every now and then–short–but those moments of silence pierced the night air with loneliness. It was as if last night, a misplaced summer evening, required music. The heat would diminish, but each pluck and strung of the man’s guitar felt like a coda to a day that just wasn’t quite ready to end. I stood leaning over the railway completely engrossed in the music. I always find it comforting that strangers can have such an effect on people. Street musicians and their gifts of harmonic distraction in an otherwise dull day of sounds.
Later, we would find ourselves in the parking lot on the way to the game reconsidering leaving at all. As we drove past the man, I told John to roll down his window. Just a little bit more I insisted, not wanting it to end.
I’m in the living room now, windows wide open, waiting for a man who isn’t my lover.
I have no shame in my love for pop music, especially if it’s dance worthy. My roundup of tunes this week is a variety of artists who sing about the eternal and vast theme of love. Artists and their first and lost loves, unrequited loves, given up loves and the list can and will go on. What’s the saying?
It’s all been written before…
Regardless of one’s feeling about love, there’s no denying some ear candy.
Heard this on Pandora while cleaning and I had to stop scrubbing something or other. It was actually a remix version you can listen to here. I actually prefer the original and I think Estelle has this great big voice.
Heard this while driving and like “Back to Love,” it was a remix version. It’s with Wiz Khalifa, but I also prefer the original. I always feel like Miguel is just on the verge of breaking as he’s got really good R&B songs, but just isn’t a big enough name yet. And with so many artists moving across genres and going towards a more dance-centric sound with rappers making appearances, it’s nice to just get a song without all the bells and whistles that feels purely R&B.
The above is a still from the video which can be watched by clicking the artist and title above it (same goes for all the songs on this list). Temper Trap’s other more famous song, the inescapable “Sweet Disposition” introduced us to lead singer Dougy Mandagi’s incredible vocals. The video for “Love Lost” is fun and reminds me of how the Black Keys use stand-ins in their videos to sing lyrics. There’s also a Wes Anderson vibe to the video in how the shots are tracked. It’s a great combination of music and visuals.
Well, at one point, we were going to have to stop listening to “Call Me, Maybe.” Like any pop song taking over the world, it ran it’s course only to be taken over by a South Korean guy who does a horse dance. And yes, I danced it for like five minutes over the weekend at my favorite dance club. No judging!
Anyway, Carly Rae is close to my age and at 26 her songs skew surprisingly young. Whatever, I’m fine with it. I’m probably just a little jealous and besides, pop songs are supposed to make you feel happy and vibrant and young while you creep into your decidedly late 20s and realize you have more fun watching CNN than taking shots at a bar.
I lied. I have fun at bars, I just can’t do shots because my liver hates me. Ugh. At least it doesn’t hate this song. Hat tip to my sister for introducing. She always has her finger on the pulse of new music:
Love the image above. Sunday Girl is actually the stage name of English singer Jade Williams. The version I heard was a remix by RAC (Remix Artist Collective) which I’ve embedded below. I like both versions and I love how the official video feels like a shampoo commercial. This is a prime example of pure pop fun about its most popular subject.
Heard this song over the summer and I absolutely loved it. It’s definitely in the family of electronic dance music and the video makes you want to go to Ibiza like right now. While at the club I was doing the Gangnam dance (cringe), I heard Flo-Rida’s song “Cry” which samples this track. It’s okay, but the original is definitely better. I’m stretching the thematic element of love as I’m not entirely sure what the lyrics are about, but for the hell of it I’m keeping it on the list! Plus, any video about playing hookie is a good one.
joyce familara 