MIXTAPE - track nine, volume four

joanna newsom - peach, plum, pear

i'll be honest, i've been trying to love her music for a long time. i love her - she's so cute and she dresses great and she plays the harp beautifully and she just seems like such a cool person and i want to be a big fan. but, i just can't easily listen to her. except for this song, it's BY FAR the best one i've heard from her yet.
here's a live version:


her favorite animal is a sea horse but she'd rather be a real horse. a wild horse:

MIXTAPE - track eight, volume four

david bowie and marianne faithfull - i got you babe.
watch the video for full torque.
and when i'm sad, you're a clown.

MIXTAPE - track seven, volume four

morrissey - at amber
words can't describe. he's is my #1.
one fan's interpretation of at amber lyrics:

"Moz is talking to an invalid friend on the telephone, complaining about all the minor inconveniences of his life - the cold room, the slime & grime, the low-life tenants - when his friend gets frustrated and tells him that he's ungrateful and he shouldn't complain all the time about such pathetic little things because at least he can walk and go places and do things! And then Morrissey reminds his friend that there's more than one way to be an invalid; there's the psychological as well as the physical; and that, in a sense, they are the same. hence the title "At Amber" - at a yellow light, neither moving forward nor fully stopping. Rather like an invalid - somewhere between living and dying."

MIXTAPE - track six, volume four

cowboy junkies - sweet jane
this of course is a cover of the velvet underground song from loaded. lou reed described this cover as "the best and most authentic version i have ever heard".

MIXTAPE - track five, volume four

joy division - no love lost
just my very favorite joy division song of all time.

MIXTAPE - track four, volume four

marianne faithfull - as tears go by
i always thought of this as just a rolling stones song, never knowing that they originally wrote it for marianne who made it a hit in the 60's. back then she sang it in the most high pitched innocent soft voice.
but then she started hanging out with mick and keith and got real rough and rugged. i chose the rugged version for the mixtape.

MIXTAPE - track three, volume four

cat power - naked if i want to
this original song by moby grape was on the last mixtape. cat power is clearly the best of our time.

MIXTAPE - track two, volume four

david bowie - breaking glass
low is probably my favorite album by david bowie. i love when listening to old albums you can hear the transition in what would be the beginning of side two of the record. where they either place a super great song to begin side two, or a change in composition of songs entirely. this album has more droning experimental/electronic songs on the second side, but the whole thing remains very listenable.

joy division's original band name 'warsaw' was named after the song 'warszawa', which is on side two of this album.

MIXTAPE - track one, volume four

velvet underground - i found a reason
one of the standard questions i ask my brother when i get to hang out with him once or twice a year is "what's your favorite album right now?". this year the answer was loaded by velvet underground. i've been listening to it way too much lately, and i especially love this track. cat power covered this song and this is one of the very rare occasions that the original is actually better than chan's cover.

what comes is better than what came before.

art vandelay

a couple good art shows are happening this weekend in los angeles, both on saturday night.

my sister's best friend faythe made a documentary about the rise of DIY art, craft and design. she's having a silent art auction at the poketo headquarters to help fund the movie.
my cousin cody hudson has a new show opening on saturday at the new image art gallery. his amazing choice of colors is always a good time. i just wish lori would surprise me and be there.

mix tape volume 4

there's nothing better than a brand new mixtape. except maybe if it arrives wrapped at your door in a box full of brand new flair. that might be better.
track list coming soon.
p.s. everyone keeps asking me who that cute boy is in the picture, so here:
from his first album cover in 1967. the lady is of course a young marianne faithfull.

p.p.s. one of my helpers named christina had too many glasses of wine so the first 100 cd's say volume three. don't listen to her, it's really volume four. that christina, what am i gonna do with her.

jokes are funny

we saw ricky gervais do stand up in los angeles on saturday night. it's my belief that the original office is by far the funniest tv show ever invented, even better than seinfeld. the live show was real funny stuff but mostly when you could hear bits of david brent's character coming through.
stand up doesn't generally sound like a funny time. but c'mon guy, it's ricky gervais. the only other time i've seen a stand up comedian was mitch hedberg 5 or 6 years ago. and WOW, i hate to say it but he might win.

summer sandals and new flair

tan patent tall sandal boots - $58

high heel sandals - $40

feather necklaces - $68-76braided snake belts and bracelets - $130-210gorgeous madley one of a kind jewelry - $240-280bow bralette set - $144

cory madley

every time i visit lydia in venice, we plan to stop in at the madley boutique before dinner. but every time things always happen like dress up parties or finishing a glass of wine, and we never make it before it closes.
but last weekend that all changed and i visited the shop not once but twice - and i might even have to say it's my new favorite LA boutique. Every piece is gorgeous. luckily cory madley was there so i was able to meet her and fall in love with her and also place a wholesale order for some of her amazing knit dresses. i already bought one for myself off the rack because i really don't think i could have lived another day without it. i also picked up some of her beautiful handmade necklaces which will be up in the shop by next week. here are a few images of her work.

and here's the lovely cory herself. her skin is so white that it almost has a purple glow against her orange hair. she reminds me of an amethyst. have i mentioned that i'm really into crystals now? much more on that later.