Living in a Magazine

The soundtrack at my work has switched to holiday music and luckily our creative director has the same taste in music that I do. There is plenty of Queen and David Bowie, and even some fun with Camera Obscura. What took me by surprise was on old track by Zoot Woman. I was obsessed with the band at the pinnacle of my electro phase. They would prove to be my favorite band to listen to while applying eye make up. It is insane to think that this was about a decade ago. See how dated the looks are in these music videos. I am not praying for a come back for these styles, but these songs still have some power over me. Johnny Blake's voice can keep you warm at night.




- jerome

Beirut Live at The Independent, San Francisco

Last night I had the great pleasure of seeing Beirut live at the wonderfully intimate Independent in San Francisco. Beirut is one of those bands that I have wanted to see in concert, curious if their magic can be replicated live. There are certain songs and music styles that can capture exactly how I feel during significant moments in my life. Zach Condon's voice does just that, and he sounds perfect on the microphone. The blasts of the brass instuments, the deep and penetrating pitch of Condon's vocals, the haunting harmonies - they all come together in the most perfect way. If you have ever been to The Independent, you might have some idea of just how fantastic my view was. Jeremy and I arrived pretty early after we finished dinner to have a few drinks and save our spots on the benches of the terrace to the right of the stage. Here, I was able to stand and dance with a perfect view of the band. The carnival lights draped above the stage truly set the tone for the worldly music. I was in a trance the entire show. The band was in a particularly great mood and was so appreciative of the audience, rewarding us with a triple encore. It was quite an experience.


You can kind of see me standing all the way to the right of the screen. Look for a glare in a pair of eyeglasses :)
There are a handful of videos up on YouTube now from last night's show. High fives if you were there. I don't think I have ever seen a horn jam session, with a Tuba solo to boot. Someone buy me a ukulele.

- jerome

Ear to Ear

It has been a tough, trying month at work. My partner has also been busy with a hack-a-thon (building a video game in 48 hours with a team all the way in Argentina - play it here!) so we haven't been able to spend much time together this passed weekend. So finally when I came home from work and he had finished the game, we got to spend some well-deserved quality couch time together. These two videos that I made him watch made me smile incredibly big yesterday. I am assuming that is what this emoticon symbolizes :))))))))


Models aren't really paid to dance, but I wish more fashion campaigns would be like this Lanvin AW2011 video. Even Alber Elbaz got to dancing! Raquel Zimmerman and Karen Elson look stunning while Lowell Tautchin and Milo Spijkers shuffle sweetly to the awkwardly choreographed routine. This video shows the sense of humor that makes Elbaz and Lanvin so lovable. Prada also did a music video for Spring, but there is something so candid about this Lanvin one that I love.

Get More: 2011 VMA, Music, Beyoncé

It is no secret that I am a huge Beyoncé fan. No once can deny that she is the hardest working woman in show business. Her song and dance was flawless, but the true surprise came when B revealed her pregnancy. She concluded her performance by opening up her purple sequin Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo jacket and rubbing her belly to tell the world that DESTINY HAS A GRANDCHILD NOW. Some highlights of the video include Adele lipsyncing at 1:35 (which made my head explode from diva worship) and the beaming father Jay-Z and pround Uncle Kanye at 4:30 (that caused my eyes to well up). GO B! She is unstoppable.

- jerome

All Over the Place

It happened with Gaga, it happened with Beyoncé, and now it happened with Adele. I will never forgive myself for missing out on this broad during this tour.




I could listen to her both sing and speak forever. And sure, I feel like weeping while sitting at the bottom of my shower whenever I listen to her music, but it's like the good kind of weeping while sitting at the bottom of my shower - ya' know? This depressing non-summer in San Francisco has left me a bit uninspired. Going back to music helps a lot with this problem. But when I listen to music I always feel like traveling. Itchy feet. My plans for moving to New York in March are solidified in my mind. The motions have been taken to transfer with work to the East Coast and I am pretty anxious. I wish I could just fly away.

Photo via We Could Grow Up Together
Isn't this one of the best pictures of the sky taken from inside an airplane ever? I am pretty surprised with the view. Kwannam Chu took this photo on his way to Hong Kong from Tokyo. The skies I have seen on trips to Japan are truly inspiring. Chu's Blog We Could Grow Old Together has been my latest obsession. The colors, the plane tickets, the Céline... a brother from another mother.

Thus endeth this scatter brained post.

- jerome

Funny Grandma, Dick

Here is a video of Barbara Streisand in 1975. This is simply the best performance of this song, and it will never be sung like that ever again. I loved the smokiness of the 1970s and the attempted revival of art nouveau (or is that misty, watercolor VHS tracking?). But then there was also the whole moomoo period too. You can see B give a fatty "NAMASTE" to the crowd before she kills her own song. I happen to like this particular gown though. It reminds me of something Galliano would have designed for Dior haute couture, minus a head piece, crazy make up, and some ankle breaking heels . I must have posted this video in different places dozens of times, but I still cannot get over how perfect her profile is. GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY.

- jerome

Wallpaper.

Before I go to bed early for an early start, I wanted to share with the world what I listen to on the way to work; on the way to almost anything, really. They're a band called Wallpaper. (period included). Their debut album Doodoo Face is out now. I won't go into specifics on the band, other than the fact that they are from Oakland and they are one of the greatest live acts this side of the Mississippi... shoot, this hemisphere. Anyway, check out this video for the song "Gettin' Drip." It is perfect for actually getting some coffee before going to work, though I don't think that is what the song is really about. Oh yeah, and just to warn you, these guys are bad asses... in a unique sense of the word.



And the video for the first single "I've Got Soul (I'm So Wasted)" is near and dear to my heart. See if you can spot me in it. HINT:

Make sure to check out Wallpaper. for some ear candy of the light-hearted, danceable variety. And pay attention to the lyrics and background vocals that make me smile awkwardly on the bus so people think I am crazy because they cannot hear what I am listening to; lines like "Can't call her shorty cuz she taller than me/ 6 foot 3 in NYC for Fashion Week/ Just skip the beat, but emphasize I date MODELS." Enjoy.

- jerome