How The Day Sounds

“Marathon”

Tennis

"Down By The Water"

The Drums

"Hot Lips"

Pacific!

"Rebel Rebel"

Seu Jorge

Tous Les Garcons et Les Filles

New style icon: Francoise Hardy.  

She rode the wave of the Yé-Yé craze in France to stardom after getting signed in 1961 and releasing the song "Tous Les Garcons et Les Filles".  Her effortless style is trés chic and oh so French, beloved by the fashion set and musicians alike (but probably for different reasons).      

 Alexa Chung + Freja Beha Erichsen + just a dash of Hilary Swank + a hint of Jane Birkin = Francoise, non?

(bob dylan)

I'm all about her fringe-y bangs, winged-out eyeliner, and delicate minimalism.

(serge gainsbourg)

(mick jagger)

Oh and at 66, she still looks pretty great.

HOW THE DAY SOUNDS

Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?

Peter Sarstedt

QUOTE UNQUOTE

PEOPLE TELL YOU WHO THEY ARE, BUT WE IGNORE IT BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO BE WHAT WE WANT THEM TO BE.

-Donald Draper

Coughing Up Colors

 Porch Sessions by DJ Slim Brit 

(modnest , in ghost colours album , yelena yemchuk for elle , evgeny kiselev , purple sweet potatoes from the kitchn , maggie weinheimer by mikael wardihana , sleepy sun gig poster , modnest , design*sponge , jak&jil , anna maria jagodzinska by greg kadel , jessica stam by solve sundsbo , carl kleiner , kori richardson by txema yeste , after stella mccartney by tommy ton , livelikeyou)

How The Day Sounds

Cold War

The Morning Benders

(photo via ffffound!)

The Reel Deal

A roundup of upcoming releases on my list of must sees.

BOARDWALK EMPIRE (sept. 19)

A period drama produced by Martin Scorsese and starring Steve Buscemi--do you need any more reasons to tune in?  Now if only I had HBO....

YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER (sept. 22)

This flick has Woody Allen smeared all over it, from the sordid affairs with questionable age differences to the quirky comedy.  While Allen can give me the heebie geebies, if you know what I mean, I did thoroughly enjoy his last film, Vicky Christina Barcelona, thanks to impeccable casting choices.  His latest includes an equally stellar cast of pretty faces and talents so let's hope it all comes together.  Plus we'll finally get a chance to see if Frieda Pinto is more than a damsel in distress.

MY DOG TULIP (sept. 1)

So charming, so retro and oh so british.  The old school animation is refreshing and makes the story that much more endearing (if that's possible).  Only downside is we all know what's going to happen in the end where the dog is concerned, and I can already feel the tears forming.

BLACK SWAN (dec. 1)

I've always wished I were a ballerina or had stuck out my dance lessons until I reached pointe shoes.  Alas, I have to live vicarisously and what better way than through Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis.  While on paper it may seem like a misnomer, pairing Darrenn Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream) with the fragile and beautiful world of ballet, but the trailer reveals an intense and unsettling psychological thriller that dissolves any trepidation.  Even more exciting are the and costumes, created specially by Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the duo behind Rodarte.   

QUOTE UNQUOTE

WE MAKE MUSIC FOR HIPSTER STRIPPERS.

-Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) in Spin

Sounds about right.  Then again, what does that make me?

How the Day Sounds

F*@k You

Cee-Lo Green

(Dang you Cee-Lo for making such a catchy song that is further desensitizing me foul language.  I quite like this although they totally missed making it "Song Of The Summer" by waiting to release it now.  Try as you might to disguise it under a blatantly acerbic title, the song is just a funky, feel-good song at heart.)

The Orchard

(release date: August 24)

Stream the entire album over at NPR now.  I thought I'd found an early copy but no luck, so I'll have to wait like everyone else for the band's second album.  Snap judgment after a once-through is definitely positive with "Too Dramatic" being a stand out favorite already.

How The Day Sounds

Wasp Nest

The National

All You Need Is...

Now, how do I get my hands on one of these?

(photos via Daily Front Row)

How the Day Sounds

Modern Man

Arcade Fire

Who is Don Draper?

Live blogging the season premiere of Mad Men.  
A few notes: 

I decided to do a live blog instead of a recap because that is an extremely intimidating idea.  I don't think I'd do the show justice with my analysis.  There's so much to talk about, it'd be impossible for me to really get into anything.   Also, some of the references are outside of my area of expertise being a product of the late 80's and all.  Oh, and the live blog skips the first 10 minutes because I didn't decide to do this until then.  Enjoy!

so well built, we can't show you the second floor.

10/9 c

Manhattan

ella fitzgerald

All The Pretty Girls Go To...Nashville

The Ghost Who Walks

photo by Solve Sundsbo

Like many models before her, Karen Elson is trying to add some hyphens to her job title.  Her successful modeling career all started when she agreed to shave her eyebrows and dye her hair red for Mario Testino, landing her on the cover of Vogue.  That decision translated into her signature look: fiery tresses that perfectly contrasts her porcelain pale skin.  From there she's walked many a runway, starred in countless campaigns (including Louis Vuitton's Fall 2010 campaign) and earned her the elusive title of super model.

Along the way she's of course garnered many fans including one White Stripe.  It's no surprise that being Mrs. Jack White has had an impact on her solo career.  This English-born beauty has dabbled in the music industry for awhile, contributing to cabaret acts and collaborating with Robert Plant and Cat Power.  Now with a family in toe, Elson is ready to break out on her own.  

Released in June, Elson's first album was produced by White, recorded in Nashville and already gaining indie cred.  Her voice is surprisingly rich and emotional with just a hint of country twang, amplified by the slightly gritty and old school southern rock influences.  

You can definitely hear White's presence on the album, but Elson is the main attraction.  She has a limited vocal range, but the arrangements make up for her short comings with marching drum beats, elusive harmonies and accordian riffs layered in the background.  The inclusion of jaunty pianos and fiddles hint at a bygone carnival on "100 Years From Now."  The album opens with one of its strongest tracks, "The Ghost Who Walks," a sexy and catchy 70's drenched plea that also personifies the album's artwork.  

The album switches gears part way through, trading country carnival for Bonnaroo, taking its bygone  influences and translating them for a modern crowd.  While it loses some of its charm in later songs, this experimenting gives Elson somewhere to go on future tries.  

By creating a credible first album, Elson has not only added musician to her resume but made her audience forget her modeling background all together, allowing her music to stand for itself.

How The Day Sounds

"(Your Love is Like A) Heat Wave"

Martha Reeves and The Vandellas

What is a 27-year-old photo worth?

If you were this girl, would you sue the band for $2 million?  What if your signature of consent was allegedly forged, making the use of this photo illegal?  More?  Maybe just free tickets and a new wardrobe of polos, madras plaid, and boat shoes?  

model kristen kennis in 1983  

The Ultimate Facebook "Creep"er

We've all been called out for facebook stalking without any real remorse because well, we're not using it to cheat or anything that serious.  Try perusing facebook while listening to Scala & Kolacny's cover of Creep.  

Either that or watch the new trailer for The Social Network, David Fincher's film about Mark Zuckerberg and the creation/controversy of Facebook.  Not quite the same carefree, harmless experience as before, huh?  The beginning of the trailer is nothing short of, well, creepy.  Sorry Zuckerberg, you may be rich but you are also the ultimate facebook creeper (according the Fincher).  Check it out after the jump....

smoke on the water

photos via trendnista

solve sundsbo, zink, christian anwander, the sartorialist, jacques dequeker, steven meisel, solve sundsbo

pure wonder

i'm loving ellen von unwerth's retro-styled photos, especially because she shares my love dramatic cat eyes.  while some of her stuff is a little too graphic for my tastes, most of it encapsulates a really authentic vintage vibe that propels my mission to look out-of-date.  (in a good way, of course) 

photos by ellen von unwerth