Dead sound- New playlist

Dead sound from lizardpike on 8tracks.

11 tracks for the getting out of the blues.

1. Dead sound- Raveonettes

2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind theme- Jon Brion

3. The Funeral- Serena Ryder and The Beauties (Band of Horses cover)

4. Vanessa- Grimes

5. Peach Plum Pear- Joanna Newsom

6. The hours- Beach House

7. Weighty Ghost- Wintersleep

8. Genesis- Grimes

9. R.I.P Burn face- CocoRosie

10. Crazy- The Kooks

11. Myth- Beach House

Artist: Francis Upritchard

I have a new artist crush. Francis Upritchard's sculptures are so perfectly weird. I love the strange proportions of their bodies. Odly enough, some of them (particularly the one pictured below) remind me of Buddhist monks, but they all have a surreal dream-like feel about them. Check out more of her work.

Mary Katrantzou

I've fallen in love with Mary Katrantzou's designs. Deep, deep love. Some outfits I feel like I should find the excessive use of patterns and prints overbearing, but they all work so well.


As far as run way fashion goes, there's a lot of designs that people may love, but wouldn't really wear in every day life. Like in this Fall-Winter 2011-2012 collection (pictured left). While I absolutely adore the pieces individually, they seem like they'd be too intense to wear together like this anywhere other than the runway. Which is why I am swooning over Mary Katrantzou's clothing line for Topshop. While most of the dresses I adore have been scooped up already, there's still some cool pants and scarves left. They aren't too pricey, and with a bit of saving maybe one day I'll have my hands on one of her designs!

I think when paired with less patterned pieces (like the cutie pictured at the top), they're stunning. The Topshop collection seems to be a lot more accessible and easy to wear. They remind me of water colour paintings, especially the bell shape skirted dress pictured at the top of the page and the bottom right of this picture.I love interesting patterns that aren't necessarily symmetrical, They're kind of dreamy and whimsical.

Femmenism

There's this weird idea that you can't be a feminist and be interested in fashion, or be a cheer leader, or a makeup artist. It's as though people think being interested in aesthetical things must mean you're doing so to try and please men. It's the stupid stereotype that feminists are man-hating, lesbian, bra-burning, over powering characters who refuse to shave their arm pits- which is so painfully false. Feminists are anyone who advocates or believes in women's rights and equality.
"Femme is about being a babe inside of your own brain.It’s about feeling like you are taking care of you.It’s about knowing that you have assembled a team of experts – friends, partners, chosen family, lovers, mentors – to go through your life with. People who will see you the way you see you, and who aren’t afraid to set you to rights when you need a talking to.Femme is about trusting your own conceptions of beauty, power, pleasure, and generosity.If “femininity” is defined according to (sexist!) social expectations and separated entirely from “masculinity,” then Femme is looking over its shoulder and laughing at all those rules."
- On being a babe inside your own brain (Bossyfemme.com)

When I meet people who are against feminism, it seems really odd. I mean as far as females go, I can't understand women not believing they are equal to men (and I guess that leads to the idea some people have that feminism is preaching that women are better than men, rather than its message of equality.) And I'd like any male against feminism to explain to his mother or girlfriend why he doesn't believe she is an equal.  

Teen dreams of Lisa the Lizard queen.

Lisa Simpson, Dream Grrrl. 

As if a cooler, more inspiring and smarter young female cartoon character has ever existed. At just 8 years old, Lisa is a feminist, environmentalist, vegetarian and supporter of gay rights (I mean she even enters a movie to Sundance). There seems to be a common theme in cartoons (think 'family guy') of caring and often smart women marrying and spending their lives around males who are misogynists, extremely unintelligent and rather selfish. Like one particular episode of Family Guy where viewers are meant to find Quagmire's "rape machine" funny and  not offensive. While The Simpsons isn't as guilty of the pro-male/anti-female vibes, it's still apparent. Lisa's character is an obvious break free of this typical portrayal of female and male roles.

" I love Lisa" and "She of Little Faith" are some of my favourite Lisa oriented episodes. Check them out.

Boy Romantics- movies

Lars and the real girl (2007)

Ryan Gosling plays the painfully awkward and shy Lars Lindstorm who brings home his new girlfriend, Bianca. Only problemo is Bianca is a sex doll Lars customised and ordered off the internet, however he doesn't want sex,(Bianca is 'very christian') more so company and a relationship. He truely believes she is real, and as advised by the small towns doctor, the people of the town go along with it and pretend his new love interest is real. With his eyes set on Bianca, Lars doesn't pay much attention to the cutie, Margo, at work who is obviously interested in him. 

The movie was really funny, and I personally really liked it, but there were some kind of slow parts that might not be your thing if you're into action packed movies. Ryan Gosling played Lars so well, and it was kind of nice to see him in a roll where he wasn't playing the heart throb, dangerous or badass character. Kelli Garner is ridiculously cute as 'Margo', and Patricia Clarkson (love the lady, I'm a big fan) is brilliant as Lars' doctor. 

High Fidelity (2000)

John Cusack plays Rob, the thirty-something year old record store owner whose recent fights and breakup with his girlfriend, Laura, inspire him to look back over his past relationships, reviewing his "top five worst break ups". (The list is a theme throughout the movie, as he and his two colleagues at work often make top five music lists). Upset by his breakup, Rob looks at his past relationships to see where he went wrong, in the mean time Laura starts seeing the sleazy Ian 'ray' Raymond. 
The movie is brilliant, and I absolutely loved it. This was probably 30% thanks to the music throughout the film. The record stores stocks excellent bands and the soundtrack is equally as good. The combination of the three guys at the record store, Rob, Barry (Jack Black) and Dick (Todd Louiso) is perfect. Barry plays the sex driven male character, while Dick perfectly plays the sensitive soul, and Rob fits somewhere in between. Definitely worth a watch, the perfect mix of sad, funny and interesting.

Dad appreciation post.

 I went out with my Dad for some tea and lunch at Rolardor in Hamilton today. I've never appreciated someone as much as my Dad. As far as older folk go, he is the coolest person over the age of 50 I've ever met (sorry Robert Smith, I still love you I promise.) To be honest he probably is one of the coolest people ever. We talked about high school relationships, mental health and drugs, and I got to have the biggest rant of my life which I really needed to have. He said I could have had his old creepers if they didn't have holes in them, and recently I raided his wardrobe for old psychedelic shirts. He brings me home new Cd's, vinyl or DVDs (most recently 'high fidelity' which I loved- and might post about later). We go to concerts together, some people think that's kind of lame and not very good, and to those people I say 'fuck you'. We've been to Blonde Redhead, Arcade fire, New Order and a joy division 'unknown pleasures' tribute concert with Peter Hook (he's quite the dancer, and always throws me up into the air at concerts.) He brought me up listening to the Smiths and The Cure and Joy Division, and has always encouraged me to have my own opinions, to voice them and be an empowered and strong willed female. His degree is in Sociology, so he's always talking about the most interesting things and hasn't got a naive view of the world and teenagers like some parents. Really if I have half as much knowledge as he does when I'm older I'll be ecstatic.