I just thought you should know:
 |
| Blue! Not exactly news. |
I'm just doing blue now.
Love,
J. Benny
P.S. Guess I'm not alone. See Lagerfeld, Chanel.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
lately I like blue
Dear Kristin,
I just thought you should know:
I'm just doing blue now.
Love,
J. Benny
P.S. Guess I'm not alone. See Lagerfeld, Chanel.
I just thought you should know:
I'm just doing blue now.
Love,
J. Benny
P.S. Guess I'm not alone. See Lagerfeld, Chanel.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Kathleen Edwards Kills It
Dear Kristin,
Kathleen at 2:45, she knows it's gold:
As a live performer, she cannot be beat. She is this girl--bouncing, sharp, raw and light--all night long. Do this now, Kathleen's newest, Voyageur (via Spotify). We'll talk about it once we've given it a few listens. I'm just thankful it's here; it feels like I've been waiting forever, all of 2011. Anticipation will do that.
Love,
J. Benny
Kathleen at 2:45, she knows it's gold:
David loves her. I love her. This is why we love her.
As a live performer, she cannot be beat. She is this girl--bouncing, sharp, raw and light--all night long. Do this now, Kathleen's newest, Voyageur (via Spotify). We'll talk about it once we've given it a few listens. I'm just thankful it's here; it feels like I've been waiting forever, all of 2011. Anticipation will do that.
Love,
J. Benny
Friday, January 27, 2012
I still haven't made the quiche, a mixtape: resolves, gchat, top albums
Dear Kristin,
The shapes cover the resolutions I'm too embarrassed to show you. Which is saying a lot, because this list is embarrassing. 50 books where a book over 400 pages equals two? Write to exhaustion? It's somehow both too highbrow and too ridiculous. But this is what it is--a personal list. Bear that in mind. I was writing it as reminder to myself, one I couldn't imagine away because there it was, on paper. And then I told you about it and my mom and then I thought, eh, blog.
So, the shapes: they're more like goals and not the type I can really control. Writing-related, employment-related. That sort of thing. I just felt a wee bit too sadsack with them out there. Plus, the shapes rather do the trick, yes? I think they convey the just-out-of-reachness of those particular resolves.
The quiche, of course, is not out of reach. I'm just saving it. I hope you understand:
Also, another year-end wrap-up for you. My most played albums! The post's title is a bit misleading. I'm not calling them "best" or "favorite." I'm not sure there is a best, a knock-your-socks-off number one. There was no National this year, no Walkmen, and even Bon Iver didn't make another For Emma, Forever Ago. Which I get. Don't just repeat yourself! Do something new! And he did! It's really good, but not year-changing. At least not my year.
Trends: This year, as I said in my Top 24 songs post, was the year of the song. And the year of the promising album. The album that bodes well for the artist's next album. Making this year a preview of next year's (or, more likely, 2013/14's) main attractions. So many of these albums are different riffs on the same near-nostalgia. It's new, has to be new (because the sound is too complicated to actually be from the 90s or 80s), but it reminds me of so much old. And yet over half of my top albums were from newcomers or bands/singers who were, despite there decades in the business, new to me.
So, my most played. Here was what my top ten looked like in December:
And now it's mid January and I've changed my mind on the last four. Hence the most played. It's just a little less fickle:
10. Big Deal - Lights Out
This got moved from 6th position to 10th because it reminds me of high school. The sweetest part of high school.
Meaning it's somewhat slight. A great, sweet slight! But slight is not perfect. I've been listening to it less. I do, however, see it with me five years from now, excited when it pops up on my shuffle. Great debut. They remind me of a less nuanced XX.
9. WU LYF - Go Tell Fire to the Mountain
My Titus Andronicus for the year, if Titus were more annoying, backed by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and they polished their instruments with magic. Until the next Titus LP, though, they're something of a growly, spirited replacement. Will I be playing it next year? Yes. Will the album last like Titus's Monitor or my Tom Waits collection? Unlikely. But it's good enough fun for now. Another new band. (Jackson, by the way, detests this CD. He actually prefers Pistol Annies to WU LYF.)
8. Yuck - Yuck
Is this our band of the year, our find? I know the internet found it first, but I can't help but feel like we found them too. Like we were part of the first and could pat ourselves on the back for it if being the first to hear something mattered in the age of the internet, which it doesn't. This is also high school to me, My So Called Life and almost adulthood. The hardest part of high school.
7. Josh T Pearson - Last of the Country Gentlemen
This will always be my kind of country. Townes tinged:
Josh T Pearson just does it longer and like he's talkin' at you, continuing a conversation you almost wish you hadn't started because damn.
6. Youth Lagoon - Year of Hibernation
Slow DANCE. Moody DANCE. Like he made this CD in his basement and cried but then got over it and tweaked some things and invited his friends over for a laser light show.
The big five remain unchanged.
5. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine
Sometimes I think I know music and then King Creosote comes around and he's totally new to me but he totally has 40 albums to his name. He sure showed me. Also, he's Scottish and I dream of meeting him in that pub on the album's first track, having a chat and drinking ale and breaking into song and falling asleep on at the bar. Like so:
4. James Blake - James Blake/Enough Thunder
The new easy listening. Do you hate me for saying that aloud? Complicated and perfect all day music. Engaging, but you could read a book with it on. You'd be missing out--missing out on album's introspective whisper--but it can be done.
3. Destroyer - Kaputt
2. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Shimmers, more new easy. Big music that combines the familiar and foreign. So much has been said about Justin Vernon. We've talked and talked. I'll not say more:
1. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
Surprise! I PICK GIRLS! A tight and varied rock and roll album by the boy I love, that awkward rascal, writer and nervous singer Christopher Owens. Listen to the whole shebang and pretty much everything else on hypemachine. Bye-bye.
Notes:
Why I kicked off my original 7th place, Atlas Sound: I wanted it to be last year's Halcyon Digest, an amazing album by another Bradford Cox band, Deerhunter, and it's just not. It's good, quiet, but no.
Why I kicked off my original 9th place, Cass McCombs: I wanted it all to be County Line and it's not.
Runners Up:
Cat's Eyes - Cat's Eye; They are my eleven. I no longer need Nancy Sinatra. What I need is here and smarter. And then sometimes it's something even better:
Fucked Up - David Comes to Life; What "rockopera" means to me:
Jay and Ye - Watch the Throne; it's not My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in scope, fullness, or consistency, but it can be just as fun. I'd need to cut it in half to really love it, though.
Middle Brother - Middle Brother; This will last for us, but it's nothing out of the ordinary:
But we are ordinary girls, after all.
Love,
J. Benny
P.S. Again, for more listening, the music blogger's top 5 of 50. Which, tragically, I don't have license to listen to in the UK. So listen for the both of us.
 |
| Abridged to save face. Still embarrassing. |
The shapes cover the resolutions I'm too embarrassed to show you. Which is saying a lot, because this list is embarrassing. 50 books where a book over 400 pages equals two? Write to exhaustion? It's somehow both too highbrow and too ridiculous. But this is what it is--a personal list. Bear that in mind. I was writing it as reminder to myself, one I couldn't imagine away because there it was, on paper. And then I told you about it and my mom and then I thought, eh, blog.
So, the shapes: they're more like goals and not the type I can really control. Writing-related, employment-related. That sort of thing. I just felt a wee bit too sadsack with them out there. Plus, the shapes rather do the trick, yes? I think they convey the just-out-of-reachness of those particular resolves.
The quiche, of course, is not out of reach. I'm just saving it. I hope you understand:
And I'm still saving that quiche.
Also, another year-end wrap-up for you. My most played albums! The post's title is a bit misleading. I'm not calling them "best" or "favorite." I'm not sure there is a best, a knock-your-socks-off number one. There was no National this year, no Walkmen, and even Bon Iver didn't make another For Emma, Forever Ago. Which I get. Don't just repeat yourself! Do something new! And he did! It's really good, but not year-changing. At least not my year.
Trends: This year, as I said in my Top 24 songs post, was the year of the song. And the year of the promising album. The album that bodes well for the artist's next album. Making this year a preview of next year's (or, more likely, 2013/14's) main attractions. So many of these albums are different riffs on the same near-nostalgia. It's new, has to be new (because the sound is too complicated to actually be from the 90s or 80s), but it reminds me of so much old. And yet over half of my top albums were from newcomers or bands/singers who were, despite there decades in the business, new to me.
So, my most played. Here was what my top ten looked like in December:
 |
| CLICK ME! I made some mistakes. A hasty top ten--click above for songs/samples. |
And now it's mid January and I've changed my mind on the last four. Hence the most played. It's just a little less fickle:
10. Big Deal - Lights Out
This got moved from 6th position to 10th because it reminds me of high school. The sweetest part of high school.
Pine. Classic piner Preston Meyers and his dream, Amanda Beckett--this really was The Dream.
Meaning it's somewhat slight. A great, sweet slight! But slight is not perfect. I've been listening to it less. I do, however, see it with me five years from now, excited when it pops up on my shuffle. Great debut. They remind me of a less nuanced XX.
9. WU LYF - Go Tell Fire to the Mountain
My Titus Andronicus for the year, if Titus were more annoying, backed by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and they polished their instruments with magic. Until the next Titus LP, though, they're something of a growly, spirited replacement. Will I be playing it next year? Yes. Will the album last like Titus's Monitor or my Tom Waits collection? Unlikely. But it's good enough fun for now. Another new band. (Jackson, by the way, detests this CD. He actually prefers Pistol Annies to WU LYF.)
They might be jerks. Some odd moves there at the end. David didn't seem to mind though.
8. Yuck - Yuck
Is this our band of the year, our find? I know the internet found it first, but I can't help but feel like we found them too. Like we were part of the first and could pat ourselves on the back for it if being the first to hear something mattered in the age of the internet, which it doesn't. This is also high school to me, My So Called Life and almost adulthood. The hardest part of high school.
Could be Yuck.
This will always be my kind of country. Townes tinged:
This man is irreplaceable. Townes's first song.
Josh T Pearson just does it longer and like he's talkin' at you, continuing a conversation you almost wish you hadn't started because damn.
6. Youth Lagoon - Year of Hibernation
Slow DANCE. Moody DANCE. Like he made this CD in his basement and cried but then got over it and tweaked some things and invited his friends over for a laser light show.
The big five remain unchanged.
5. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine
Sometimes I think I know music and then King Creosote comes around and he's totally new to me but he totally has 40 albums to his name. He sure showed me. Also, he's Scottish and I dream of meeting him in that pub on the album's first track, having a chat and drinking ale and breaking into song and falling asleep on at the bar. Like so:
But less cripplingly sad. Not King Creosote but, rather, cripplingly sad Shane MacGowan of The Pogues.
4. James Blake - James Blake/Enough Thunder
The new easy listening. Do you hate me for saying that aloud? Complicated and perfect all day music. Engaging, but you could read a book with it on. You'd be missing out--missing out on album's introspective whisper--but it can be done.
3. Destroyer - Kaputt
This is what I imagine the American Apparel main office is like.
More so the first part than the aquatic old man part.
More so the first part than the aquatic old man part.
2. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Shimmers, more new easy. Big music that combines the familiar and foreign. So much has been said about Justin Vernon. We've talked and talked. I'll not say more:
And yet there is more to say. Bon Iver + Bon Jovi = Bon Joviver.
1. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
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| Girls. Photo from Pitchfork |
Notes:
Why I kicked off my original 7th place, Atlas Sound: I wanted it to be last year's Halcyon Digest, an amazing album by another Bradford Cox band, Deerhunter, and it's just not. It's good, quiet, but no.
Why I kicked off my original 9th place, Cass McCombs: I wanted it all to be County Line and it's not.
Runners Up:
Cat's Eyes - Cat's Eye; They are my eleven. I no longer need Nancy Sinatra. What I need is here and smarter. And then sometimes it's something even better:
Fucked Up - David Comes to Life; What "rockopera" means to me:
Another filling the Titus void (and probably a more straight comparison). I'm still falling for these guys.
Jay and Ye - Watch the Throne; it's not My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in scope, fullness, or consistency, but it can be just as fun. I'd need to cut it in half to really love it, though.
Middle Brother - Middle Brother; This will last for us, but it's nothing out of the ordinary:
Good Deertick meets other good aspiring southerners (Dawes and Delta Spirit).
But we are ordinary girls, after all.
Love,
J. Benny
P.S. Again, for more listening, the music blogger's top 5 of 50. Which, tragically, I don't have license to listen to in the UK. So listen for the both of us.
Friday, January 20, 2012
She's 8 and cooler than us
Dear Kristin,
This little sparkler speaks for herself:
I love that this is somehow a happy song. A happy song to be played when in need of more happiness or in celebration of happiness or when happiness has just happened to you.
Love,
J. Benny
P.S. Perhaps it goes without saying but, technically/visually, this is a really impressive little hardcore video/pastiche.
This little sparkler speaks for herself:
She likes Robert and she likes her fishes.
I love that this is somehow a happy song. A happy song to be played when in need of more happiness or in celebration of happiness or when happiness has just happened to you.
Love,
J. Benny
P.S. Perhaps it goes without saying but, technically/visually, this is a really impressive little hardcore video/pastiche.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Golden Globes 2012 Best Dressed
Dear Kristin,
Let's start with some pretty disappointments:
So-so. Pretty but disappointing. I have my reasons here. My reason--high hopes. I expected a lot from these three ladies. And then they all looked nice, take it or leave it nice. But perhaps Emma Stone knew better than to go bigger. I can't fault her for that. She wasn't up for an award; she was an ensemble girl dressed for the occasion--to support her ensemble and the women in her ensemble (The Help) who were up for awards. This dress isn't a show stopper, doesn't scream for the attention reserved for nominees, but it's not exactly boring either. I get it. I wanted more, but she knew better. She wore something with an eagle on it and was happy to remain in the background.
Jessica Chastian, one of those aforementioned Help nominees, should have fought harder for the spotlight Emma gave up. Sure, she probably knew she wouldn't win. Probably actively wanted her Help costar Octavia Spencer to win, because Jessica is nice and Octavia is wonderful in the film (though Jessica was no slouch herself; she was nearly unrecognizable). Still, this was Jessica's year (with something like 6 new films) and it could still have been her night, even without a statue.
Michelle Williams has absolutely no excuse. She was expected to win, did win, and for playing Marilyn Monroe at that. Marilyn Monroe. There is no better opportunity to go big.
Boring But. This bunch all looked lovely, did a nice job of showcasing their finest assets, of which they have many, but again, the gowns themselves are lukewarm. I was able to stream the red carpet in the UK by essentially camping out with the paparazzi. There was a lot of shouting. A lot of "CLEAR THE BACKGROUND!" Natalie Portman radiated personality, despite the screaming, begging photographers. "PLEASE! Si'l vous plat! To your right! Over your shoulder! One more! Fix the train! One more! CLEAR THE DAMN BACKGROUND." She was thrilled to be there, laughed and waved and silently squealed when Meryl Streep wanted to take a couple's picture with her. So what if she might have been headed to the prom.
Angelina Jolie, too, was shockingly poised and casual, even to the tune of the photog's screams of bloody murder. She has an active face that, although it doesn't show in the above photo, reflects something of a personality. Also, my goodness, that gown flatters. Perhaps I'm just used to seeing her in caftans, so anything that hugs the body delights me, but I couldn't believe that waist.
Same, too, of Reese Witherspoon. The curves. The accentuated, accented hips and bust. She looked hot, if not especially original. And that, actually, was a trend of the evening: holy smokes bodies. There was a lot of body conscious dressing going on, a lot of hotness on display.
Originals. At least they're going for it, making it new, interesting. Tilda's hair is a masterpiece. I saw her and thought immediately of sculpture, of actual art. And that, I suspect, is what she's always going for. Fashion as art. And then there was Andrea Riseborough--from Madonna's film WE, hence the Madonna clutching--who probably looks amazing. Who's dress and general styling is both gorgeous and interesting. Probably. There isn't one picture of her without Madonna at her side, obscuring the dress in all its possibilities--maybe she's a princess Alice in Wonderland or maybe she's a doily. We'll never know. UPDATE: Or will we? (Why on earth didn't this get her more attention, good or bad?)
Good Girls. I just thought they looked shimmery and sweet, without being over-the-top about it. No tooth ache, nothing saccharine. Julianna's dress is one I'd borrow and wear, Nicole's dress I'd borrow and want to wear, but wouldn't (due the thin material's hugging at the hips), and Julie's dress I couldn't pull off. Or take myself seriously in. I'm not Mandy Moore and neither is Julie; still, she manages to make it work with help from her styling. It might have been a bit too young for her on the hanger, but the retro curls and classic, fresh face helped mature the look.
Almost Perfect. These colors are perfection. The fit is right. And they all seemed genuinely delighted to be there. Viola Davis has really been knocking me out lately. She's never looked better or happier. And yet...the high hopes. I wanted more POW. I wanted something memorable. I was saying to my mom last night that, with just one exception, I probably won't remember any of these dresses a year from now. Granted, that's a high bar. My memory isn't great and it's just The Golden Globes. But I remember Anne Hathaway's copper-plated gown from last year, as well as Angelina's old-fashioned, poofy-shouldered, sparkly number of the same vein. I wanted that from Viola and all she gave me was sexy.
Laura Dern's dress perhaps suffered from being another green sparkly dress against Angelina's previous one. It is the dress from last Sunday that I'd borrow before all others. But if I had to choose between her green and Angelina's green, I'd choose Angelina's. I also wonder, too, if perhaps this dress was too young for her. Like, if Jessica Chastain had worn this instead, would it have been my number favorite? Maybe. Laura looks fantastic, her body is the tops, but she hasn't totally sold me on it. Finally, quickly, Berenice Bejo.
The color, again, cannot be beat. But the skirt reminds me of layered silk curtains and something from the sea. She looks great, but there's nothing of her personality in the dress and her makeup is kinda lackluster. She is so alive in The Artist. So full of luster! No, this isn't her coming out dress--we'll just have to hope she takes full advantage of The Oscars.
Top 3:
And yet, I would never borrow Charlize's dress. It's a major dress. That's why I like it. But I could never carry it. She can carry it--but should she? Yes, it's pink with a train and she's wearing a headband. On me, too adorable. On Charlize, with a face like that--a perfect, icy face --it strikes a nice balance. This is an awards dress.
I really wish newcomer Shailene Woodley had gotten a bit more attention for this lavender gown. It's divine and to watch it move on TV--really the best and most effortless any Marchesa gown has looked in a long while. The pictures do not do it justice.
And, finally:
Love,
J. Benny
Let's start with some pretty disappointments:
 |
| Pleasant enough. Jessica Chastain in Givenchy; Emma Stone in Lanvin; Michelle Williams in Jason Wu |
Jessica Chastian, one of those aforementioned Help nominees, should have fought harder for the spotlight Emma gave up. Sure, she probably knew she wouldn't win. Probably actively wanted her Help costar Octavia Spencer to win, because Jessica is nice and Octavia is wonderful in the film (though Jessica was no slouch herself; she was nearly unrecognizable). Still, this was Jessica's year (with something like 6 new films) and it could still have been her night, even without a statue.
Michelle Williams has absolutely no excuse. She was expected to win, did win, and for playing Marilyn Monroe at that. Marilyn Monroe. There is no better opportunity to go big.
 |
| Natalie Portman in Lanvin; Reese Witherspoon in Zac Posen; Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace |
Angelina Jolie, too, was shockingly poised and casual, even to the tune of the photog's screams of bloody murder. She has an active face that, although it doesn't show in the above photo, reflects something of a personality. Also, my goodness, that gown flatters. Perhaps I'm just used to seeing her in caftans, so anything that hugs the body delights me, but I couldn't believe that waist.
Same, too, of Reese Witherspoon. The curves. The accentuated, accented hips and bust. She looked hot, if not especially original. And that, actually, was a trend of the evening: holy smokes bodies. There was a lot of body conscious dressing going on, a lot of hotness on display.
 |
| Tilda in Haider Ackermann; Andrea Riseborough (with Madonna) in Vivienne Westwood (stylebistro photo). |
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| Julianna Marguiles in Naeem Khan; Nicole Richie in Julien Macdonald; Julie Bowen in Reem Acra |
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| Viola Davis in Pucci; Laura Dern Andrew GN; Bérénice Bejo in Gucci |
Laura Dern's dress perhaps suffered from being another green sparkly dress against Angelina's previous one. It is the dress from last Sunday that I'd borrow before all others. But if I had to choose between her green and Angelina's green, I'd choose Angelina's. I also wonder, too, if perhaps this dress was too young for her. Like, if Jessica Chastain had worn this instead, would it have been my number favorite? Maybe. Laura looks fantastic, her body is the tops, but she hasn't totally sold me on it. Finally, quickly, Berenice Bejo.
 |
| For comparison's sake. Berenice Bejo in The Artist. |
Top 3:
 |
| Charlize Theron in Dior. Close ups and different angles. |
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| Shailene Woodley in Marchesa. Close ups. Sadly, there is a whiff of bathing-suit-tan-line. |
And, finally:
 |
| A little sass on the side. Nicole Kidman in Versace. Various angles well worth your time. And a large close up. (Photo from stylebistro.) |
The Best. Nicole Kidman in something spectacular. It's interesting without being only interesting or only art, without it, as the fashion folk say, wearing her. The details are incredible. Her body is, suddenly, incredible. The color against her hair and skin, incredible. Even the back, although there are no great pictures of it, is incredible. All the stops. She pulled out every stop and could not have looked better. This is the only Golden Globes dress I'll remember a year from now.
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| Group hug. Charlize, Nicole, and Shailene. All Golden Globe photos, unless noted otherwise, from style.com and nymag.com |
Love,
J. Benny
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Fashion Mixtape: Tom Ford, Wu for Target, High Hopes/Lovely Ladies
Dear Kristin,
Let's indulge in a little self-love, shall we?
I mean, we probably all talk about ourselves this much. And I'm sure he's being asked self-related questions during the interview portion. It's the cocking of the eyebrows that's the issue. The baths and the "I talk to them sometimes." He loves it. And by "it" I mean Tom Ford. Which, I get? Of course? Man can design. But that still just makes him a pompous ass who designs beautiful things. Not even an intriguing pompous ass who designs beautiful things and dresses only in black and white. Just another besuited ass.
Let's indulge in a little self-love, shall we?
THREE baths a day, SOMETIMES FIVE.
I mean, we probably all talk about ourselves this much. And I'm sure he's being asked self-related questions during the interview portion. It's the cocking of the eyebrows that's the issue. The baths and the "I talk to them sometimes." He loves it. And by "it" I mean Tom Ford. Which, I get? Of course? Man can design. But that still just makes him a pompous ass who designs beautiful things. Not even an intriguing pompous ass who designs beautiful things and dresses only in black and white. Just another besuited ass.
 |
| Not my best piece of Paint work. Good Wu, though. Jason Wu's best Target bags, in stores Feb 9. Via Target.
Does Jason Wu suffer from Fordian self-love? Does it matter? The man can design and designs for Target, design for us. And that seems to be enough for me. There's the expected stuff--flirty-prim dresses, sheer blouses, modish-prim dresses--but it's the bags that standout most. There's a timelessness to them. A timeless beigeness to them, sure, but that's Tom Ford's issue, not ours. I'd even go so far as to use the term "easy chic." Corny but true.
Here's what I'm most excited about though:
I want this for us. Busy Phillips and Michelle Williams in Chanel at the Critic's Choice Movie Awards. Lainey photo.
This girl. The more I stare at this dress, the more lovely and fresh it becomes. Which seems impossible--the freshness--because it also reminds me of vintage Audrey Hepburn. It, too, is classic. But it, too, has a modern easiness about it. The shape is wonderfully flattering without being sexed up or restrictive. She can sit down in this. Cross her legs in this. She can very carefully eat a condiment-free hotdog in this. It's as perfect for champagne flute-holding and award clutching as it is for the best friend hugging and screaming that comes after winning said award. Busy Phillips to her left there, by the way--Busy Phillips of Our Show--is Michelle's best friend and date for the evening. DATE. They go on glittery, fancy dates to glittery, fancy awards shows together. And they do this all the time.
The Help girls looking great. This is one hell of a group shot.
Jessica Chastain in Balenciaga, Emma Stone in Gucci, and Viola Davis in Raoul
These ladies will all be attending The Globes tonight, and if their past sartorial efforts are any indication of what we can expect, we're in for something enviably pretty. Do you remember how excited I was last year*? How I nearly cried when your new TV in your new apartment stopped functioning? Tears in my eyes. And then you helped me find an online stream. So nice. I'm not proud of how much I look forward to these awards. They have nothing to do with me. I care about my movies and shows and fake friends (The Artist, Episodes, Viola Davis, Jessica Chastian, constant joy Dame Maggie Smith, and all the residents of Downton), but I'm almost often disappointed by the winners. Still, there's so much hope! Before! So much dressing up! So much giddiness, fidgetiness, quiet enthusiasm! And crazy enthusiasm! Sometimes the winners even end up being real people, people who are so happy to be awarded big awards for doing a good job. It's a happy place! Tonight, sadly, I will under no circumstances be awake for all or even half of the actual awards ceremony, as it starts at 1 am GMT and I am a wee bit under the weather. But The Carpet--for The Carpet, I'll be wide awake, drinkin herbal tea and takin screenshots.
Love,
J. Benny
*May have been two years ago, may have been the Oscars.
|
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Well this is embarrassing (Top 24 to become standard Top 25)
Dear Kristin,
I forgot Phantogram. Gee, is my face red:
I forgot Phantogram. Gee, is my face red:
A Top 25er, to be included in the 20-25 chunk.
This is another one that requires dance, but it's a couple's dance, see? There's a conversation going on, a back and forth in this shake, shake. And so the dance requires that you know the lyrics and mouth them and slow shake and twist, like Uma in Pulp Fiction. Which is my favorite move--Uma's twist--because it's my best move. And I think this song deserves our best moves.
Love,
J. Benny
Sunday, January 8, 2012
24 Songs for the New Year, Coutesy of the Old Year (2011's Best Songs)
Dear Kristin,
I have some songs for you.* You will not be surprised. With few exceptions, these have all been loved on by me and the blog throughout the year. But now they are in one place! And numbered! Are they in order? Kind of. In an effort to go from most expected to almost surprising, they're in order from firsts to last. The first five are my top five. The first ten are my top ten. In these five group chunks, all songs are created equal. (I do have a list on Spotify of of 102 almosts, near Top 25ers, that promises an odd one or two.)
1. Bon Iver - Holocene; Best during winter/spring thaw. This one made me cry on a recent transatlantic flight. An indulgent, private cry. (Note: Airplanes and airports often make me cry.)
2. Cass McCombs - County Line; Fall, when everything is falling. I've been listening to this since I was 16. So much impossible wanting and not wanting, so much home.
3. Girls - Honey Bunny; Summer, of the barbequing, making friends with strangers, doin' a skippy jig on the sidewalk variety. THAT'S A CROP TOP HE'S WEARING.
4. Lana Del Ray - Video Games; Spring into summer, the first time you've sweat in months. For better or for worse, this is my most listened to song of the year. It's languid and big, consistently paced, features a harp, and boasts about three times the play-count of any other song on my little computer's iTunes. Which is not a surprise, as I listened to it for eight straight hours one afternoon. It shimmers.
5. Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend; A song for all seasons. It's got the winter longing, the fall falls apart, the summer sweaty dance party. And yet, "Here is the thing, sometimes, there are moments...I feel like Robyn fucking HATES dancing. Right? I get it, she is supposed to like it, like really be 'into' it, but maybe she also really fucking HATES it." - Kristin L.
6. Cut Copy - Need You Now; My dance: big hands, big arms, lots of beckoning and running in place. An 80s-ish romp I will listen to and love when I'm eighty. Can you imagine how happy I'll be at eighty when this surprises me as I try on skirt-suits and big hats in some department store dressing room?
7. Florence and the Machine - Shake It Out; Dance: a song for hair flips and swings. As I've documented. As you've seen with your own eyes.
8. Patrick Wolf - The City; Dance: arm flail and spins! It's our song, except we don't kiss. Hell, we barely even hug.
9. M83 - Midnight City; Damn near everyone's song of the year. (Thanks for the long-ago tip, Jane). Dance: Only you know what's right for you and Midnight C.
10. Austra - Lose It; Dance: Become witch and wave limbs/stoop/crouch/hop like a bunny. Follow Katie Stalmanis's lead in this pre-Austra, though totally Austra, video.
11. Jay - Z & Kanye West - Niggas in Paris; Sometimes I daydream about dating Kanye. We fight a lot. This is the song I'm listening to most right now.
12. Adele (Jamie XX) - Rolling in the Deep; We've all wept to Adele. Now you are permitted to clap to her.
13. Metronomy - The Look; jaunty and not afraid to synthisize. Reminds me of the color blue. Tropical blue. And they're from Brighton, England! Which is where I live! But they don't seem to play here much anymore! So, it's a wash.
14. St. Vincent - Cruel; this girl's got a hell of a face, no? And a hell of a voice. Pipes, even. She's also good at telling a vaguely discernible story that's vaguely 50s sweet and vaguely dead end scary.
15. James Blake - Wilhelm Scream; also slightly nightmarish, but pre-nightmare, the fantasy in the pre-dream, almost nightmare. A pleasant purgatory.
16. Destroyer - Blue Eye; Warning: the phrase "oh, baby" is repeated often.
Lyrics sample: Your first love's New Order, Mother Nature's Son, King Of The Everglades: Population 1, I write poetry for myself. I write poetry for myself.
17. Ghostpoet - Liiines; I mean, writers and their writer troubles? Plif. Am I right?
Lyrics: I keep on scribbling/ In the spare room I'm living in/ Body's here but I'm living in/ Why do I keep wasting time?/I keep on writing, writing/ But them folk ain't biting, biting.
18. Yuck - The Wall; the 90s music I never listened to in the 90s. Because I was too busy wearing jean shorts that hit the knee and singing along to Meatloaf The Great. The following are almost the song's only lyrics. And yet, even as a lyrics girl, I do not hate it.
Lyrics: Tryna make it through the wall/ Tryna make it through the wall/ You can see me if you're tall/You can see me if you're tall.
19. Alabama Shakes - Hold On; Things just got real. Classic, but necessary--we recognize the sound, but it's fresh, hasn't been done before. Not quite. I want them to have an LP.
20. Bright Eyes - Shell Games; A return to form. Sharper than his recent folksy dabblings, less pouty than his first albums (though I used to love him for his pain), and more interesting than his most accessible stuff (which was gloriously, heartwarmingly accessible). I've liked all his phases, but this one I love. Our Punch Something Day song!
21. Youth Lagoon - 17; His first LP and quietly splendid. It moves. Magical, great low-fi debut. This time last year, the legend goes, he was working at Urban Outfitters. He's just a kid!
22. Ryan Adams - Lucky Now; Another return to form (this song in particular, as opposed to the CD as a whole). I'll always be a little in love with my ex-boyfriend Ryan Adams. But at least I call him my ex now, yes?
23. Wilco - One Sunday Morning; And another return to form (song and CD). Thank the heavens.
24. Josh T. Pearson - Woman, When I've Raised Hell, You're Gonna Know It; Good lord this is country sad.
Oddly, this list is not entirely reflective of the my most loved CDs of the year, the ones I'll be listening to next year and five years from now. This was the year of the single, the spectacular song on the good record. The album suffered. It wasn't so bad, but it wasn't so great. I'll do a very quick top ten in the coming days, all of which you should be able to explore on Spotify. There may be some surprises there, too. I surprised myself this year.
Love,
J. Benny
P.S. If Jay Z & Kanye's Otis video were wrapped up with the song itself, if it could somehow flash before my eyes every time the song played, it would have made my top ten. This video is a delight:
I have some songs for you.* You will not be surprised. With few exceptions, these have all been loved on by me and the blog throughout the year. But now they are in one place! And numbered! Are they in order? Kind of. In an effort to go from most expected to almost surprising, they're in order from firsts to last. The first five are my top five. The first ten are my top ten. In these five group chunks, all songs are created equal. (I do have a list on Spotify of of 102 almosts, near Top 25ers, that promises an odd one or two.)
1. Bon Iver - Holocene; Best during winter/spring thaw. This one made me cry on a recent transatlantic flight. An indulgent, private cry. (Note: Airplanes and airports often make me cry.)
2. Cass McCombs - County Line; Fall, when everything is falling. I've been listening to this since I was 16. So much impossible wanting and not wanting, so much home.
3. Girls - Honey Bunny; Summer, of the barbequing, making friends with strangers, doin' a skippy jig on the sidewalk variety. THAT'S A CROP TOP HE'S WEARING.
4. Lana Del Ray - Video Games; Spring into summer, the first time you've sweat in months. For better or for worse, this is my most listened to song of the year. It's languid and big, consistently paced, features a harp, and boasts about three times the play-count of any other song on my little computer's iTunes. Which is not a surprise, as I listened to it for eight straight hours one afternoon. It shimmers.
5. Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend; A song for all seasons. It's got the winter longing, the fall falls apart, the summer sweaty dance party. And yet, "Here is the thing, sometimes, there are moments...I feel like Robyn fucking HATES dancing. Right? I get it, she is supposed to like it, like really be 'into' it, but maybe she also really fucking HATES it." - Kristin L.
She did such a good job! So much dance and whoop! I still dream about that backwards roll.
6. Cut Copy - Need You Now; My dance: big hands, big arms, lots of beckoning and running in place. An 80s-ish romp I will listen to and love when I'm eighty. Can you imagine how happy I'll be at eighty when this surprises me as I try on skirt-suits and big hats in some department store dressing room?
7. Florence and the Machine - Shake It Out; Dance: a song for hair flips and swings. As I've documented. As you've seen with your own eyes.
8. Patrick Wolf - The City; Dance: arm flail and spins! It's our song, except we don't kiss. Hell, we barely even hug.
9. M83 - Midnight City; Damn near everyone's song of the year. (Thanks for the long-ago tip, Jane). Dance: Only you know what's right for you and Midnight C.
10. Austra - Lose It; Dance: Become witch and wave limbs/stoop/crouch/hop like a bunny. Follow Katie Stalmanis's lead in this pre-Austra, though totally Austra, video.
We knew her when.
12. Adele (Jamie XX) - Rolling in the Deep; We've all wept to Adele. Now you are permitted to clap to her.
13. Metronomy - The Look; jaunty and not afraid to synthisize. Reminds me of the color blue. Tropical blue. And they're from Brighton, England! Which is where I live! But they don't seem to play here much anymore! So, it's a wash.
14. St. Vincent - Cruel; this girl's got a hell of a face, no? And a hell of a voice. Pipes, even. She's also good at telling a vaguely discernible story that's vaguely 50s sweet and vaguely dead end scary.
15. James Blake - Wilhelm Scream; also slightly nightmarish, but pre-nightmare, the fantasy in the pre-dream, almost nightmare. A pleasant purgatory.
This is what James Blake looks like. A handsome man.
16. Destroyer - Blue Eye; Warning: the phrase "oh, baby" is repeated often.
Lyrics sample: Your first love's New Order, Mother Nature's Son, King Of The Everglades: Population 1, I write poetry for myself. I write poetry for myself.
17. Ghostpoet - Liiines; I mean, writers and their writer troubles? Plif. Am I right?
Lyrics: I keep on scribbling/ In the spare room I'm living in/ Body's here but I'm living in/ Why do I keep wasting time?/I keep on writing, writing/ But them folk ain't biting, biting.
18. Yuck - The Wall; the 90s music I never listened to in the 90s. Because I was too busy wearing jean shorts that hit the knee and singing along to Meatloaf The Great. The following are almost the song's only lyrics. And yet, even as a lyrics girl, I do not hate it.
Lyrics: Tryna make it through the wall/ Tryna make it through the wall/ You can see me if you're tall/You can see me if you're tall.
19. Alabama Shakes - Hold On; Things just got real. Classic, but necessary--we recognize the sound, but it's fresh, hasn't been done before. Not quite. I want them to have an LP.
20. Bright Eyes - Shell Games; A return to form. Sharper than his recent folksy dabblings, less pouty than his first albums (though I used to love him for his pain), and more interesting than his most accessible stuff (which was gloriously, heartwarmingly accessible). I've liked all his phases, but this one I love. Our Punch Something Day song!
21. Youth Lagoon - 17; His first LP and quietly splendid. It moves. Magical, great low-fi debut. This time last year, the legend goes, he was working at Urban Outfitters. He's just a kid!
22. Ryan Adams - Lucky Now; Another return to form (this song in particular, as opposed to the CD as a whole). I'll always be a little in love with my ex-boyfriend Ryan Adams. But at least I call him my ex now, yes?
23. Wilco - One Sunday Morning; And another return to form (song and CD). Thank the heavens.
24. Josh T. Pearson - Woman, When I've Raised Hell, You're Gonna Know It; Good lord this is country sad.
A hurt man.
Oddly, this list is not entirely reflective of the my most loved CDs of the year, the ones I'll be listening to next year and five years from now. This was the year of the single, the spectacular song on the good record. The album suffered. It wasn't so bad, but it wasn't so great. I'll do a very quick top ten in the coming days, all of which you should be able to explore on Spotify. There may be some surprises there, too. I surprised myself this year.
Love,
J. Benny
P.S. If Jay Z & Kanye's Otis video were wrapped up with the song itself, if it could somehow flash before my eyes every time the song played, it would have made my top ten. This video is a delight:
I'm so damn charmed by these two. This is up there with Honey Bunny as the funnest, most fun.
Learn you but good
Dear Kristin,
Sharing is the whole point. Why we're here. And by "we" and "why" I mean you and the blog. And so we ought to be sharing and enjoying this gal:
I cannot overstate how great I think this post is. I did the laughing, the crying, and felt a big something welling up inside.
And I'd also like to remind you that Nick's little sister, Laura Kadner, is full of information and isn't afraid to learn you but good.
Dancing!
Love,
J. Benny
Sharing is the whole point. Why we're here. And by "we" and "why" I mean you and the blog. And so we ought to be sharing and enjoying this gal:
I cannot overstate how great I think this post is. I did the laughing, the crying, and felt a big something welling up inside.And I'd also like to remind you that Nick's little sister, Laura Kadner, is full of information and isn't afraid to learn you but good.
Dancing!
Love,
J. Benny
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Punch Something Day
Yesterday, I wanted to punch something. I spent all of today recovering from wanting to punch something yesterday. I didn't have a good reason--it wasn't even raining. It was just Punch Something Day. The day before, though, that was a bright beauty of a day. I wore my Eiffel Tower necklace and tucked in a soft t-shirt:
 |
| Simple: Old Gap v-neck, Uniqlo blazer, Earnest Sewn Harlan jeans, Urban mules, gifted Eiffle tower. |
It's been awhile since I liked him this much.
Love,
J. Benny
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