She & Him, and other sounds I like

Are you familiar with She? Zooey Deschanel. And Him? M. Ward.

Zooey is sweet as pie. Matt can shred a solo like none other, in my book. It sounds like three guitars syncopated, but it's just him with those magical chords. Love.

Want proof? I'm so glad someone got this footage.

M. Ward has had a pretty prolific career thus far, but things have definitely augmented with his recent collaboration projects. There's She & Him, who broke onto the scene in 2008 with Volume One. This album defines such a distinct period in my life, as I'm sure it does for tons of people. It's simple, artistic, and downright enjoyable. The second installment - you guessed it, Volume Two - is due out on March 23, 2010. It's already pre-ordered, and I'm waiting with baited breath. You can hear the single "In The Sun" here for free!

Usually, I love picking favorites. With She & Him, I find it hard to do this. Here's the audio from one of my preferred songs...

 

 These guys? Who's NOT excited?

More recently, Ward's vocals and playing can be found in the down-home, backyard jam sesh-esque music collective aptly titled Monsters of Folk. The group includes Ward; Jim James (of My Morning Jacket); Conor Oberst (of... a lot); and Mike Mogis, the producer and mastermind who has one fingernail involved in every worthwhile project in the music industry. Each of these guys has a considerably well-established reputation in the "biz". So, when their talents, experiences, and ideas are combined, the fans' brains almost imploded (at least mine did). They played a great show at the Beacon Theatre in November; it was probably one of the most comprehensive and stylistically diverse shows I've seen. They are each individual in their pursuits, but they come together to create an extremely complementary sound. The topper is the album art. It speaks for itself.

A music sample is so necessary:

Josh Ritter

He's releasing a new album on May 4! It's called So Runs The World Away. Lovely title. I'm so excited.

This is from his site. The new song is called "Change of Time". Enjoy!

 

If you've never heard him before, start here:

Shabd Is My Name

Like the Allman Brothers? Maybe some Dead? The Band? And that tie dye T that's on its last thread? There's a new trend of dye going around these days.

  

And I have to say, I like it.

Shabd somehow makes their styles seem... celestial. That's the word that comes to mind. When the first thing I see on a site is some beautiful artwork, I'm hooked.

The pieces: colorful, simple, fun. The best part? Made in the US and hand dyed in New York.

 

  

Jerry approves!

Modern Amusement

Modern Amusement has some very cute pieces. They're a bit hard to find on the internet though! Any suggestions? 

The Waves Tank 

The Henley Tide Dress 

 

             Pour les hommes... Hunter Vee 

Brilliant Green - Ovation TV

Do you ever have those days when you listen to the same song about 6 +/- 3 times at various points throughout the day?

Today's song: Simon and Garfunkel- I Am A Rock

"I won't disturb the slumber of feelings that have died/ If I never loved, I never would have cried"

Just the way he sings it... so bitter... I can't stop listening. (Especially, "I have my books and my poetry to protect me"... sometimes I'm scared at how much I can relate to the commonality of la tristesse in this life.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I watched a program called Brilliant Green on Ovation TV. This is totally the sort of television I relish in; the kind that is progressive and purposeful. (Guilty as charged: I do also watch Gossip Girl for fluff and Friday Night Lights for drama/ amazing acting/ breathtaking men... but this is a judgment free zone!)

Anywho, this program did a whole writeup on green architecture, design, business practices, art, and fashion. I'm happy to say that when I think of organic clothes I automatically think of Stewart & Brown. Probably because their tagline is "Organic Pioneers!" and I think that's really cute.

I've been a fan of the company for a good long while, but it seems recently that their style is becoming more streamlined and, for lack of better terms, frilly and pretty. In the best way possible, of course. It's been amazing to watch the evolution of a company. Their status is growing, and it makes me so pleased to see good, honest work rewarded.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a total sucker for advertising. GOOD advertising. Ads with an ethical purpose, I suppose? In general, I like things that are aesthetically pleasing. I consider it extra credit if these things are earth-friendly as well. And I love extra credit.

Expect more about these guys in the future. Especially when the Summer '10 collection debuts...*yay*

The White Ribbon

Michael Haneke's new film The White Ribbon has been creating a bit of buzz in my art-centric neighborhood. I was first attracted to it when I saw the preview at Séraphine (2008), which is a whole other post unto itself.

Firstly, Caché (2005) is one of the most... uncanny ("strange or mysterious, especially in and unsettling way") films, among other adjectives. If you haven't seen it, add it to the mental queue immediately. Now, after watching Ribbon, I completely see the commonality between the films. His style is fluid and yet broken; concise, yet ambiguous. These are great discussion films. I could talk about them for years. And I probably will.

Secondly, the cinematography is standout, balls-out amazing. Most any frame in his film(s) could be removed from its original context and be considered a photograph in its own right. This is especially true for Ribbon, I think. It might be the black and white format that does it for me. He has a wonderful sense of symmetry, if not balance. Not one scene is neglected. Intrigued?

Le sighhhhh.

Really though,

I can't get my mind off of Spring. 

Wearing light layers just sounds extremely appealing right about now.

I've found these MYMU espadrilles on multiple blogs now, including Camp Comfort, A Cup of Jo, and Unruly Things (three of my favorites !)

                                

Perhaps something Simple,                                                                or something a bit more kickin'

 I'm obviously tired of wearing wool socks.