Music to Run To

I'll admit that I'm totally not feeling inspired lately. My entire wardrobe has got me bored to tears, I've been limited in what I can eat the past week due to the stupid wisdom teeth coming out, and as much as I want to buy new clothes, nothing has been fitting right. I'm in a general January funk.

Part of the reason why I'm in this funk is that I'm not really being active -- I'm not working out, I'm not roller-skating, I'm just kind of tired all of the time.I need to take it easy and let myself heal, but it's boring and I'm getting antsy. But I'm getting ready to start up again at the end of January, and I think I want to start running. I've never liked running (true story: Karen and I became friends over a mutual hatred of running in middle school gym class), but I absolutely need to work on my endurance. And with my boyfriend being a runner (he ran the Kauai half-marathon last year), it seems like a good idea -- he can give me tips and help me out.

And so I've been looking into music -- particularly podcasts -- to help get me going. I've never really been a podcast subscriber -- I don't know why, but I never really got into it! Way to be two thousand and late, J. Still, I can appreciate a good mix of music, especially if it's already fully set and timed for you so you don't have to stop and flip through to the next song (which is always my problem).

Since I'm really just starting running, I knew that there was the training program Couch to 5K, where you ease into running and gradually add time and speed. To go with the program, there's a Couch to 5K podcast with high BPM techno-y workout-y music and Robert (the podcast creator) letting you know when it's time to walk, run, rest, or cool down.

While standard workout music is fine, I had a feeling I would want something a little more indie rock, and so I found the Jogtunes Indie podcast. And when I found it in iTunes, I followed the "You might like..." links and discovered Indie Soup Runner, which is really cool and has all of its playlists available for you to pick and see which ones you want to download. (I recommend "Angry Rock Chick", because YEAH.) If you find that their websites are a little hard to navigate, because, well, we do, I highly recommend subscribing to them in iTunes and pulling them directly from there.

And don't forget: Kati did a workout mix as her first Lab Accident (I MISS YOUR MIXES, KATI) -- You Know You Really Were The Bomb.

So now I've got some awesome new music on my iPod, but I have a complication in that I'm very picky about headphones. I have tiny ears and earbuds just do not stay in. I hate them so much that when I was asked "hey, can I borrow your iPhone earbuds", I said, "I honestly have no idea where they are." I have a pair of ladybug earbuds that I use reluctantly and with the child-size buds (!), and a pair of behind the neck headphones that hurt my ears after too long. It's not ideal.

However, I could make an exception for the rad and vibrant Urbanears at Moxsie.com. I don't plan on running outside much, so running in the gym with a big colorful pair of headphones would be fine with me. I'm also craving the Heartbeats designed by Lady GaGa and featured in the Bad Romance video. They're enough to make me reconsider the whole "gah I hate earbuds" thing. (And they come with three sizes of buds, for the tiny-eared like me.) Either way, I will have to think about it.

How are you feeling this January? Are you feeling listless like me, or are you revved up for the new year? What's your favorite way to work out, if you're into working out?

image from moxsie.com

Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Media Madness!

I will admit: I am completely stuck on what to get most of the people on my list. Half is taken care of, and half I'm pretty much in the dark. Hoo boy. And so it's time to shuffle through the media list...

Just a reminder -- most of these links are Amazon affiliate links, so if you do choose to go through Amazon and make purchases through these links, we'll receive a small commission. That said, don't forget that most of your local places-to-buy-DVDs-and-CDs will likely have these too, may gift-wrap for you (hooray! I am not a fan of having to wrap stuff myself!), and will also gladly take your money. Plus then you don't have to deal with shipping stress if you buy local. It's totes your call, of course.

TV on DVD

It looks like I'm having a very New York-based DVD theme here, but that's totally coincidental. I can't help that some very awesome shows take place in New York!

- Of course, the first on my list is Gossip Girl: The Complete Seasons 1 & 2. I still don't have Season 2 on DVD yet, and since GG is on winter hiatus until, like, March, now is a good time to hunker down and refresh yourself on seasons one and two.

- Another blog favorite (and another "gah, I am missing season two") is Mad Men, both Season One and Season Two.

- So maybe you want something a little shorter and sweeter and brilliantly funny? Then there's always 30 Rock: Seasons 1-3. (If you are a Mad Men fan, then remember: Jon Hamm appears in Season Three. Boy howdy!)

- Last year I recommended Flight of the Conchords, and so I am following that up by recommending Flight of the Conchords: Season 2. Unfortunately, the boys have announced that Season Two is the final FotC season for sure. Aw. We still love you.

Music

I do think it's harder to pick out music for people, and so instead of making recommendations, I just have the albums that I've been digging in '09.

- While I haven't officially heard everything on Lady GaGa's The Fame Monster , I don't think anyone can argue that the original The Fame is pretty brilliant. Add in "Bad Romance", which refuses to get out of my head ever, and you're already golden.

- One of the albums that I will listen to straight-through without flipping around or skipping anything, is the Kills' Midnight Boom. Shout when you wanna get off the ride.

- Karen and Kati will laugh at me for my late boarding of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs train, but I am digging It's Blitz!. I cannot help it that I am not as versed in the ways of modern music as you guys.

- If you hadn't already guessed, we're all Glee fans here (of course we are). It shouldn't be a shock, due to the musical geek not so hidden inside of me, plus the obvious adoration we have for Jane Lynch. And so, I suggest Glee: The Music, Volume 1 and Volume 2 for indulging your inner Gleek, naturally. Go ahead, sing it out!

- While I said I wouldn't make recommendations, I have to make an exception for Pink Martini. If you can't figure out what to get your suave hipster guy friend, your tres chic would-be Parisienne friend, or your mom, Pink Martini's "Sympathique" is 100% classic and awesome. (For that hipster friend, it also comes in vinyl.) It's perfect for cocktail parties, for road trips, for vacuuming the house. I haven't picked up their newest album, "Splendor in the Grass", yet, but what I heard when I saw them this fall was excellent. Definitely "Sympathique" and "Hang On Little Tomato" should be on your radar, at the very least.

What's on your shopping list? Who's still on your shopping list?

image from pinkmartini.com
This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Science Fair for July 26th-August 2nd

I cannot BELIEVE it's August already. What a crazy month July was, we've barely had time to blog about anything! Jeanne just came back from BlogHer '09 in Chicago, I'm off to Denver in a week for vacation, it's summer and we have been CRAZY BUSY. I just got home from a local pub quiz with my friend E., where a guy who looked like a short/fat John Travolta was all over us. Last night, I trekked up to the city (that would be San Francisco, darlings) to see one of my all-time favorite, much-beloved bands, Stellastarr* play at Slim's with Wild Light and Mason Proper. Stellastarr*, as ALWAYS--this is now my sixth, possibly seventh time seeing them play live--was INTENSE and TOTALLY FREAKIN' AWESOME.

-Stellastarr*'s lead guitarist/backup vocalist Michael Jurin is far away one of the most innovative, talented guitarists I have seen in my life. Check out his work in the background of Christian Siriano's Fall 2009 collection: In one of his more remarkable performances, Michael uses a shot glass as a slide on his electric guitar in every performance of Moongirl. I first saw this happen in their show a million years ago at the Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in probably...2003? It never fails to be completely jaw-dropping and pristine. I can wholeheartedly recommend Stellastarr*'s new album, "Civilized," since I've been listening to it nonstop for the last three weeks. Recommended if you like late Joy Division, early Talking Heads, and HIGH INTENSITY.

-Heads up SF Bay ladies, the Bay Area Derby Girls (or BAD Girls, as we know and love them) are holding tryouts for flat-track roller derby rookies on August 30th in Oakland. Jeanne will be there with quad skates and helmet on! Down in my 'hood, the Silicon Valley Roller Girls have recruitment sessions far, far away in October, but I am terrible/awesome and looking at skates already. Think we can do it?

-I have a disgusting, shameful habit. I have to do it at least once every day. I do it at work, I do it at home, I do it on the sly, I talk about it openly. I am afraid of what I might become if I stop. It's...Tastespotting. I LOVE IT. This week, Smitten Kitchen's sour cherry slab pie caught our eye. Yes, that is in actual fact a GIANT POP-TART. I could eat that whole thing in a single sitting. To the kitchen for me!

-Another guilty pleasure of mine is looking at impossibly expensive real estate online. It's the voyeurism of it, I think, that gets me--I like to see how other people live, or at least how interior designers/stagers want people to aspire to. This week, I dove headfirst into Christie's Great Estates, where you would be surprised to see the sheer volume of famous and architecturally important properties they have listed. For example: the Pickfair Estate, built by none other than Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. The Frank Lloyd Wright=designed Ennis Brown House, which I have touched after my tour of the Hollyhock House. You may recognize it from Blade Runner and Black Rain--it's not open to the public, but I just want to let everyone know that I will be winning the lottery to the tune of oh, I don't know, $20 million, then buying the Ennis House, restoring it, and promptly resting on my laurels while throwing crazy Eyes Wide Shut-style parties in my new house.

-We already Tumbled this, but good god...have you SEEN Luxirare's floating lollipop-pies??! Are they not to die for?

-This week, the UK Times Online ran first, 101 Uses for A Man, and in response, 101 Uses for A Woman. What do you think? It's all very war of the sexes, to my mind. Tongue in cheek, though, obviously.

-Big props for us this week via a link from none other than the HuffPo! It's like Arianna Huffington is right in my house, watching me blog. CRAZY.

Have a great week, everyone! Anyone have must-see (or must-shop) tips in Denver? I've got a schedule somewhat full of eating, drinking, and outdoorsiness with friends and family. I am SO READY for a vacation!

Things I'm loving this summer

It's crazy-crunch time for me here, and while I'm fielding a bazillion emails and preparing to meet Tim Gunn (omg), here are some of the things that are making my life easier and prettier while I'm trying not to a. melt into a puddle or b. breathe fire.

- Band-Aid Friction Block stick. It's summer, it's hot, I'm walking three miles a day in sandals and my feet are tender. The Friction Block stick is definitely helping me out here.

- Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in "Bourbon". This came with the Get Baked set, and I love it. Normally you wouldn't think that I'd get excited over a brown eyeliner pencil, but it's really flipping pretty and lasts all day.

- Keeping a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge at home. I know I should have been doing this all along, but I finally got myself a cheap plastic pitcher and have been drinking it like crazy. Amazing! (I make unsweetened mugicha, but any iced tea would be delicious.)

- A nude American Apparel bra. I don't know why I didn't have one sooner, but it's great. I'm finally wearing summer shirts I'd previously banned for being too, shall we say, showy without a camisole underneath.

- Butter London nail polish in HRH. Really, I'm waiting for Mismas, but I'm still excited by the lovely purple HRH. (I think Karen will love it too!)

- Gel lip stains. You all know I love my Benetint, but lately I'm more interested in the gel lip stains like Stila's Cherry Crush Lip and Cheek Stain (I have Cherry and am waiting for Mango) or the MAC See Thru lip colors (I have the Ungaro one swatched there). Yes, they still get eaten off mid-day, because I do eat all day, but they're very pretty and, paired with a clear SPF balm like Softlips, boom -- tinted lips with SPF. Hooray!

- Speaking of tinted lips with SPF, I'm loving the Fresh Rose lip treatment balm. Like the classic Fresh Sugar balm, but with a rosy red tint. Fantastic, holy grail-worthy for someone like me who wants color and protection. The only problem is that it's so rich and so lovely that I'm terrified it's going to melt in my purse, so I've been leaving it at home on the scorcher days.

- The Flip Video! Yes, I've added a new gadget to my repertoire. I'm super-excited to have this tiny little video camera in my purse so that I can record my adventures (or misadventures) and share them with everyone. Yay!

- And now, anticipation for the Treasure Island Music Festival! Karen and I are both in, and I'd love to get Ms. Kati to come with us as well. It seriously looks like two days of awesome music. I've also never spent any time on Treasure Island, so it will be exciting!

What's rocking your summer?

Let's kick off July right!

Man, I don't know about everyone else, but this June was a supremely weird month. Not one of the worst months of my life, but a very weird one.

And now that it's just about July, which is a super-busy time for me (holla, Chicago), I'm ready for something fresh, something new, something cool. I'm ready to bring more good things back into my life.

So tell me something good, folks. Share what's rocking your world, what's new and exciting, what you're looking forward to this summer. What do you recommend, what's awesome, that sort of thing. I'm always curious to find out what people love, and that's why I'm here in this scene, you know? Everyone always has something to talk about. I don't today, so it's your turn to show me!

While you're letting me know, here's one of my favorite summer songs so far:



Share away!

If you like an ukulele lady...

At some point in late February, I decided that the most awesome thing I could do would be to learn how to play the ukulele. Because sometimes I just get the urge to do things like that. And so I bought a blue Mahalo ukulele and got to tab finding. I took an ill-fated quarter of guitar in college, so I'm not completely jumping in blind. Just a little bit blind.

I've gone right into learning how to play songs like Rilo Kiley's "Wires and Waves", Death Cab for Cutie's "Soul Meets Body", and Neko Case's "I Wish I Was the Moon", as well as things like Lily Allen's "Smile" (super-easy!), Rihanna's "Umbrella" (which translates really well to acoustic ukulele), and whatever I feel would be fun. (Surprisingly difficult? "Womanizer" and "Single Ladies", both of which would be a blast to play if they weren't so dang hard! Alas.)

And so, using my ukulele as an inspiration, I put together a little Polyvore set based around the two ways one might play an ukulele: at a luau/picnic, and at a swanky jazz club. (Because why not?)

ukulele lady! - by msjeanneb on Polyvore.com

I definitely wanted the blue accessories to play off of the blue ukulele, with only a couple of close-fitting bracelets so they wouldn't bang against the instrument (which knocks it out of tune). And, if you notice, the dress has fringe to sway a la a hula skirt -- fancy! Meanwhile, the more casual outfit plays with lei-like florals and shell earrings to bring up Hawaii style without running around in a muu muu (though there's nothing wrong with that either).

I'm still working on plunking around with my little ukulele, but if you want to see some really awesome ukulele in action, definitely check out Molly, or sweetafton23 on YouTube. Her covers, including "Toxic" and "Anyone Else But You", are awesome.

So here's the question: what songs do you think I should learn how to play on the ukulele? I'm always open to requests/suggestions...

image from polyvore.com

Braaains! and Etsy!

We're not dead, just kind of lurching along through the week! I promise things will perk up again soon...

In the meantime, while I'm dragging my feet, here's a various collection of some excellent zombie stuff from Etsy and beyond.

- Last weekend, I picked up Zombies Calling, the story of three college students who suddenly realize that yes, the z-words are real and taking over their campus. For more about Zombies Calling, check out the creator's website at FaithErinHicks.com.

- This zombie lolita dress from wearydrearies.etsy.com is absolutely haunting and gorgeous. (Is it too soon to start thinking about Halloween?)

- rockythezombie.etsy.com is a shop dedicated to the sweetest little zombies. I mean, they love cupcakes! And flowers!

- Bloodbath.etsy.com has some ghoulishly nifty products, from "Lip Embalm" to sugar scrubs with scents like Petrifying Pomegranate.

- HushHush.etsy.com has some killer (ahem) jewelry, including a ZOMBIE necklace and the slasher fan necklace.

- Oh, and how could I forget! Re: Your Brains. I'm among the zombie hordes here in this clip, and I would say "listen closely and you can hear me", but you can't. It's just too much zombie goodness.



Here's hoping this week doesn't continue to eat my brain!

image from amazon.com

Highlights from a New Year's Battle Royale

On New Year's Eve, you won't find me in Times Square with a glass of champagne. Nor will I be shivering on a rooftop to watch fireworks and drink wine. No, I spend my New Year's Eve with a belly full of Grandma's soba, fried fish fillets, chirashi sushi, and mochi, glued to the TV screen. From one o'clock in the afternoon to six at night, our local Asian programming station gives my family the gift of music, ridiculousness, reminiscence, and total hilarity--yes, it is time once again for the Kouhaku Utagassen (紅白歌合戦)! Now in its 59th year, Kouhaku is essentially a humongous, staged battle of the bands, only the bands compete on behalf of their gender as a whole. Women represent the red (紅, kou) and men represent the white (白, haku). All of the top-selling artists of the past year perform, and it is an honor to do so. The preparations take an entire year for costumes, scheduling, stage design, choreography, you name it. It's a massive, internationally broadcast singing-dancing-costumed battle of the sexes!

NHK's website has an appropriately festive website for its 59th annual Kouhaku. That's the official NHK (Nippon Housou Kyoku, or Japan Broadcast Station) website, with a full list of the artists and songs performed. Listen Japan even has a page chock-full of songs featured in recent Kouhaku competitions for your sampling pleasure!

Personally, I love seeing how Japanese music has (or hasn't) changed over the years. Compared to the Kouhaku five years ago, this year's songs incorporated influences from rap and hip-hop and had a far more international sound. With live broadcasts from Sao Paulo, Brazil's Japanese quarter and an awkward lip-synched performance by Enya beamed over from Ireland, Kouhaku is starting to embrace the outside influences in its pop music.

My parents, who lived in Japan in the 1970s and '80s, remember the pop music of that time and are big, big fans of Fuse Akira, Maekawa Kiyoshi, and Mori Shinichi. My grandmother, who believe she is the last "real" Japanese person on the planet because all of those young Japanese kids don't know what it is to be Japanese (I get this lecture a lot, despite the fact that I am her mixed-race grandchild) loves all of the traditional enka songs. She remembers taking the trolley to downtown Kobe as a teenager to the only record store that sold Western music. So really, what could be a tedious five-hour torture chamber of J-pop is a funny, memorable family affair. My mother has an incredible knack for singing along to songs she's never heard, helped by the naturally predictable melodies and transcribed lyrics on the TV screen.

Once upon a time, I was heavily into J-pop, and let me tell you it helped my Japanese-language vocabulary acquisition like no other. That was about seven years ago, so I've moved on, but once a year, I get to experience the glory and splendor of five hours of Kouhaku. Here are some of my favorite highlights:

-The adorably diaper-wearing techno-pop girl group PERFUME performing "Polyrhythm":

I love them! So manufactured, so upbeat and club-kid-esque, so well-coordinated! This is how J-pop should be.

-American-born enka singer Jero made his first appearance on this year's Kouhaku with a touching performance dedicated to his Japanese grandmother:

I have a special place in my heart for this guy, seeing as we are QAPA brethren. (QAPA is a term my brother and I invented when we were little to identify as, meaning "quarter Asian part American". Spread it around!) See his mother in the audience, weeping? Check out Jero's grandma's smiling face painted on his shirt! Way to go, buddy!

-My most favorite songs of all are the traditional enka performances. The singers are so impassioned and obviously moved by the lyrics, which have actual meaning compared to J-pop. Enka is mostly about longing, leaving your loved ones behind, the ocean, crying, mothers, and really just a lot of drinking. In the world of classic enka, sake is the purest expression of emotion possible for men. For women, it's all about the kimono:
This is the lovely Godai Natsuko performing "Kyoto Ninen-zaka" about an old district of the city. Doing an adorable dance to accompany her are twins Kana and Mana. I love Ms. Godai's peacock-themed kimono and matching oversize-pattern kimono! Did you know that the peacock features in the Jataka tales, stories of the Buddha's previous incarnations? Like Aesop's fables, Jataka tales end with a moral and pause for reflection. The peacock is also associated with Kannon-sama, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. Believe me, I took a class on this in Japan. Even the colors and patterns of Kana and Mana's kimonos evoke meaning and emotion. For now, we can just enjoy them aesthetically!

This dramatic performance featured infamous sixteen-year-old kabuki onna-gata Saotome Taichi (in the white kimono), with Fuji Ayako singing "Akai Ito," or "Red String." Here's a close-up of her ensemble, complete with obi tied in the front. Befitting the kabuki performance in the background, Ms. Fuji's kimono is evocative of Edo-period fashion.


Here is Sakamoto Fuyumi in a lovely East-Meets-West kimono, rainbow on the top and woodcut style foamy waves on the bottom.

Also big this year were decorative hairpins--coincidentally, our favorite accessories here at Periodic Style HQ! Traditionally, women in kimono will accessorize with kanzashi in similar themes to the patterns on their kimono. Wisteria, cherry blossoms, pine, plum blossoms, maple leaves, and all other manner of seasonal flora are popular hair adornments. Like all great wardrobe accoutrement, kanzashi began as functional hair-pins and quickly turned into a full-blown art form. Here's a few examples from this year's Kouhaku:

Nagashima Miki wove her dramatic white feather-laden hairpiece into a thick braid--Etsy seller Marissa Joanna Rojas has some lovely feathered hairpins to show off your combined Japanese-chic/flapper style!

Taiwanese-Japanese actress/singer Hitoto Yo always has large hair decor, this year it was a tulle number that matched well with her ethereal, bird-like dress. Does it overpower her short hair, though? What do you think?

Singer Aiko's flower has a zesty Spanish flair, tucked behind but under the ear. Simple, cute, and elegant! With a matching wristlet, it's a little prom-ish and adorable.

If you want to recreate these for yourself, grab some bobby pins, your computer mouse, and check out our friends here:
Hanatsukuri, Little Cookie, Atelier Kanawa, Mizusugi, Gochemoche, and Peachy Pan is Jeanne's favorite from Down Under!

Ultimately, this year's Kouhaku was won by the men's side. I disagreed, the ladies really pulled out all the stops, but you can't contest the men's side when they have a whole chorus line of samba-dancing transvestites on their side. Ah, well. I'll leave you with this lovely reminder of good times past, a celebration of one of Japan's most vibrant, food-crazed cities: OSAKA.

Wishing you all beautiful, fun, and joyous 2009!


Images from Sankei Shimbun, MSN.co.jp.

Science Fair for October 27th-November 2nd

For this week's installment of the Science Fair, let's go ahead and get all our Halloween ya-yas out, shall we? At my house, we were absolute grinches. I put out a bowl of mini Snickers bars with a nice, festive sign for the kiddies welcoming them to take some, have a happy, safe Halloween! ...Aaaand then I went to the gym. After hearing of Jeanne's exploits in the big city on Halloween night, I'm regretting my decision to be a holiday humbug! What should I dress up as next year? Louisa May Alcott, a French pierrot, a badass steampunk Victorian lady, or a sexy Rubik's cube? Of course NOW I have costume ideas, on November 2nd!

-Steampunk took over the Bay Area this weekend with the first annual convention right in our backyard: STEAM POWERED. I was, in fact, at a Japanese restaurant in Sunnyvale enjoying pork-kimchi stirfry when about seven steampunk-alicious individuals traipsed in, it was glorious! Article linked above from the Silicon Valley Metro Active.

-If you're still in a spooky mood, MSNBC had an interesting article about a whole realm of ghosts and ghouls new to the Western hemisphere: yokai. Yokai are seriously the stuff of (my) nightmares. I grew up watching GeGeGe no Kitaro and reading Lafcadio Hearn's interpretations of Japanese ghost stories. If you're interested, there's even a live-action version: Kitaro! Digital Monster Island can help you explore the world of Japanese monsters and ghosts to your heart's content, my friends!

-Moving on to the cute and cuddly, the LA Times's set of reader-submitted PHOTOS OF PETS IN COSTUMES had us tearing up with joy. The puppies! The kitties! The costumes! My favorites are, of course, the Boston terriers--check out Wonder Woman!

-Even Jezzies got into the Halloween spirit with amazing childhood photos. I think I was an "old-time" girl for the majority of my childhood Halloweens, because I had a super-awesome American Girl dress that matched my Kirsten doll's (Swedish-Americans, represent!) and little booties. One year, I absolutely demanded to dress as a businesswoman so I could be just like Daddy, and here I am an adult businesswoman. Maybe someday I'll be an adult old-time-girl?

-This has already been big news around the beauty blogosphere (alliteration!), but Goth is back. All the little moneyed boys and girls can class up their Hot Topic goth looks into something a little more stylish, and less runny-eyeliner now...maybe I need one of those FIVE shades of white foundation? My goodness. Thanks, pop culture, for making what once was a Crow-loving subculture into a mainstream fad!

-Back in the day, I was on the radio a couple of hours a week, spinning the tunes and trying not to laugh on air (laughing/giggling on air makes you sound like an idiot, FYI). If you're a lucky college radio fan/DJ, you get to attend, once a year, the College Music Journal Music Marathon in New York City. It is insane. You drag yourself from bar to club to burger joint to the gloriously beer-soaked human stain at the Bowery Ballroom for a week, an all-drinking, not-sleeping music festival of the greatest bands just on the verge of making it bigtime. CMJ provides a summary of the best Brit-pop to come out of this year's Marathon--enjoy!

Science Fair for August 25th-31st

Welcome to the dog days of summer, everybody! I just took a gorgeous walk around the neighborhood as part of my renewed investment in a daily exercise regimen. Watching FitTV while sitting on the couch being lazy is, I have to say, a great way to guilt yourself into kicking it into gear.

This week's Science Fair is looong, I've been gathering the most interesting tidbits while staying out of the hot, hot heat outside! First, the news:

-We've been hearing about the bees disappearing, a.k.a. colony collapse disorder, for a while now. Could Bayer Pharmaceuticals be responsible for colony collapse in Germany? There's been talk of the adverse effects of pesticides on friendly insects and humans ever since their use became widespread in the farming industry. (I'm sure if you're up at Slow Food Nation in San Francisco this week, your ears are positively buzzing with hoopla about natural, organic farming for all.)

-Yuri Ivanovich Nosenko, a KGB spy who came in out of the cold to become an informant for the CIA, passed away this week. I love those LeCarre-ish stories from real life, especially since the Cold War seems to have revived lately...keep your ears peeled, dear readers!

-Most of us know the Dead Sea because of its amazing mineral- and salt-laden powers used in marketing beauty products. Sixty years ago, the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered, the oldest known written version of the Bible as we know it. Now, NASA technology is being used to share the rich history of the Dead Sea scrolls with the entire world. Rejoice, religious scholars!

-I love Bollywood (The early films starring Amitabh Bacchan, anyone? Delightful!) as much as a Cinema Studies graduate can with one little heart, but maybe it's gone too far in taking hints from Hollywood. What do you think, is Hari Puttar a little too close for comfort to our beloved Hogwarts kids?

-Now, two stories out of our favorite country! Japanese women are rejecting traditional gender roles to, well, be more career-driven. I have a bunch of cousins in Japan, all female, who never married and barely dated in their youth. How is that a bad thing, tell me! Maybe it's the quality of Japanese men today, hm? When they're not kidnapping their neighbors or dismembering foreign English teachers, they're stuffing their apartments with snake cages, tsk tsk!

-Style.com's Beauty Counter blog is adorable, a blend of high-priced makeup tidbits and indie personality. This week, they have an interview with Blake Hazard of The Submarines (you MUST get their new album, Honeysuckle Weeks, love love love it), talking about her love of pigtails and life on the road. That and, gloriously, fascinating and mind-blowing pics from the Shu Uemura and Viktor+Rolf collaboration.

-Finally, I leave you with THE PERIODIC TABLE OF AWESOMEMENTS! Man, I wish we'd thought of that. So comprehensive, so complete! Obviously made by members of the male species, however--perhaps we ladies need to populate our own table of mightily awesome stuff. I will agree with the inclusion of bacon, penguins, sunglasses, and cheese on the list, but mullets? Boobs? Really?

Enjoy, and have a great week, everyone!

Science Fair for August 4th-10th

This week's Science Fair is super-duper mellow. I feel a cold coming on and these links made me rather happily distracted from my ever-present headache! Hooray!

-Out of the UK, the Daily Mail's "Femail" section is a veritable treasure trove of gossip about Victoria Beckham, random reality TV stars, and fascinating windows into the British woman's soul. They have features on women who suffered brain damage from extreme dieting and hyponatremia, teen pregnancy, and loads of other goodies. This week's highlight was profiles of three women who are devoted wives...circa 1950, 1940, and 1930. Meet the Time Warp Wives, guaranteed to give those Desperate bitches a run for their money!

-Moving right along with the retro-femme theme, Cooked Books shares with us some great resources on home canning, food safety, and the agricultural industry. All the foodie info websites you could ever possibly want, in one place! I also enjoy checking out HealthMap for new food poisonings and norovirus outbreaks.

-Eardrums Music, a blog with a great love for northern European indie-pop, shares with us the strings-and-vocals based Provkoket, and I think they're rather elegant. Provkoket reminds me of some of the earlier Arcade Fire, with the heavy cello and charmingly plaintive male vocals, what do you think?

-Nicole at Baking Bites finds the tart frozen yogurt sweeping the nation to be just too, well, tart, so she makes her own! Having lived on Tasti D-lite for the last three months in New York, I can say that all these "healthy" soft-serve places just don't taste right! Pinkberry is too sour with too-sweet toppings, and their green tea flavor tastes like nothing. We just got a Red Mango here in Ye Olde Hometown, but by all accounts it is not that great. We've even got a Pinkberry knock-off opening up! It's fro-yo madness, I tell you!

-Biggie, the preeminent bento-packing expert of Lunch In A Box and San Francisco-ite, has a new FAQ on everything you ever wanted to know about obento! My grandma always packs me obento before I go away from home for a while, for a plane trip, or just because she can. I have heard stories of kids getting beaten up and teased at school for having adorable Japanese-style packed lunches, though, hmm...

-Princess Poochie of Hello, Lover lets us into her awesomely cozy library. I love that it's an actual library, rather than a wimpy modern "den" or living room! A room, made for READING BOOKS, can you imagine it in this day and age?

Coming up soon in Karen-land will be a rare glimpse into the beauty regime of a totally lazy girl, wafer-thin beauty products, maybe something about babies, and a triple-play of snarky book reviews! Have a great week, everyone, stay cool!

Science Fair for July 14th-20th

Happy Sunday, everyone! I am safely back in beautiful California and drinking up the breezy, 70-degree days while my friends in New York are sweating out every drop of moisture in their bodies. Oh yes. To celebrate my summer of juicy, fresh fruits, swimming pools, and walking around the neighborhood without fear of crazed crack-smoking homeless dudes, I give you all some food for thought for the week ahead!

-As we all know by now, I love Doctor Who. I can't get enough of that David Tennant, the man is just one tall drink of...definitely nothing bland like water, let's call him a nice, cool drink of scotch and soda. If you haven't heard already, Doctor Who as a full series is on a break until 2010, and Monsieur Tennant is starring as Hamlet in Stratford-upon-Avon through November this year. Matthew Sweet explores the mysterious and manifold connections (or should I say 'connexions'?), from Patrick Troughton to David Tennant and back again.

-Also out of the United Kingdom (a country I am mildly obsessed with but have never been to), at Agent Bedhead there is a proposal offering the 'chav' as the world's newest and greatest cultural stereotype. I believe we call that 'downwardly mobile' in the United States, but that might be phrasing of a previous generation. Is class warfare still a viable topic today, or is this blog not serious enough with discussions of a social nature?

-For something completely different and more in line with Jeanne's musings of the purchasing of a vintage sun dress pattern, Erin at Dress A Day provides us with an explanation of the oft-ridiculous pricing of those wily vintage patterns. I bought a pattern for a vintage 4H silk pleated-skirt, belted and Peter Pan-collared dress for $5 at an antiques shop many moons ago for the pure kitsch of it. The dress itself turned out rather cutely despite my meager sewing abilities! That was certainly a finals period well spent.

-Moving on to one of my other favorite subjects, home decor, I've just discovered It's (K)not Wood, a blog all about fake-wood items. Vases that look like tree branches, faux-woodgrain placemats, you name it! I think it's glorious.

-Have you seen Linda Evanglista's June photospread in Vogue Italia? It's lush, lovely, and co-stars PUGS. Gotta love those smooshed-nose little pups!

-If you're a crafty sort, check out Amy Butler Designs, not only are her fabrics super-cheery, but that business card holder is a great way to personalize something that's otherwise soul-sucking and robotic. Birdie the Cat is just about the cutest little thing I have ever seen, and would be a great gift for a baby or a toddler!

-This just came up on CHOW for me, there is a Slow Food Nation 'Meat Up' coming to San Francisco over Labor Day weekend. I do believe a few of us Periodic Style ladies will have to make an appearance, food-loving gluttons that we are!

-Last but not least, let us take a moment to celebrate the life and musical gifts of Miss Jo Stafford, b. 1917 in Coalinga, California. Jo Stafford passed away at the grand old age of 90 years this Wednesday, generations of big band and jazz music lovers mourn her passing.

Have a great week, everyone, listen to a little Jo Stafford, feel a little crafty, and enjoy the lovely weather, wherever you may be!

Lab Accident: "Take a Taxi to the Darker Side of Town"

So this is a slight departure from the normal Lab Accident: A bit of a double theme and a bit of no theme at all. It's Jeanne's birthday mix, and it's also a Gossip Girl centric mix, because if you haven't noticed yet, J and I are total dorks about the show.

Take a Taxi to the Darker Side of Town: 16 songs, 60 minutes.

1. The Wombats- "Let's Dance to Joy Division." (Serena and Blair)
2. The Kills- "Sour Cherry." (Chuck)
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- "Way Out" (Nate)
4. Washington Social Scene- "Diamond Hipster Boy" (Dan)
5. Hot Chip- "And I Was a Boy From School" (Nate to Blair and Chuck)
6. Interpol- "Slow Hands" (Blair/Chuck)
7. Starlight Mints- "Submarine #3" (Blair/Chuck)
8. Violent Femmes- "Eep Opp Ork Ah Ah (Means I Love You)" (Dan/Serena)
9. Mike Dougherty- "I Hear the Bells" (Nate/Serena)
10. Metro Station- "Kelsey" (Blair/Nate)
11. Dresden Dolls- "Coin Operated Boy" (Blair to Nate and Chuck)
12. The Sounds- "Queen of Apology" (Serena)
13. Mirah- "This Dance" (Blair)
14. The Unicorns- "Les Os" (Dan/Serena)
15. Rilo Kiley- "Wires and Waves" (Blair/Chuck/Nate/Serena)
16. Explosions in the Sky- "First Breath After Coma" (Blair, Serena, Manhattan)

Image from youknowyouloveme.org.

Outfits for Living Room Rock Stars

I used to be a professional video game tester. It sounds like a dream job, right? Except for the part where I rarely play video games. I get frustrated fairly easily, and I also get really stressed out by things trying to kill me. (I think that's understandable.)

What I do have, however, is a fairly good sense of rhythm and the ability to hit a note properly. Therefore, it's no surprise that some of the video games I love best are the music games. My all-time favorite is UmJammer Lammy, the sequel to Parappa the Rapper, where you hit your PSone (yeah, old school!) buttons in time to play the guitar.

Needless to say, there's been a lot of changing and improving since '99 (was it really that long ago??). Now we've got full-on plastic instrument peripherals for Guitar Hero, plug-in microphones for Karaoke Revolution... and, of course, Rock Band's full band kit, with guitar, microphone, and drum kit.

For more on Rock Band, check out this podcast on real musicians, including Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney, playing Rock Band and talking about how even though it's not the same as really getting up there on stage and playing true music, it's still a lot of fun for the casual gamer/music fan. (Which is me!)

So, since Rock Band is meant to be played in a group and there's nothing better than having a full performance, I poked around Polyvore and made up some outfits for the four parts of Rock Band -- drums, guitar, bass, and vocals.

Drums:



I picked flats for easier use of the bass pedal, decided a no-go on bracelets because you'll be busy with your drumsticks and don't need bangles crashing around, and a cute yellow watch to keep time for you. Plus a Blondie t-shirt because female rockers need to rep-re-sent! (Seriously, there are far too few female-vocal songs on Rock Band.)

Guitar:



The guitarist, on the other hand, gets the awesome bracelets and heeled slouchy boots. Also, sequins. And naturally, our favorite colored tights.

Bass:



Like drums, the bassist has a watch to keep the beat, but is also more laidback with jeans and a loose tunic top, plus a headband to keep hair out of her eyes. Again, sequins, but this time on the shoes.

Vocals:



But ah, vocals! This is usually what I wind up playing if I'm in a group, although lately I've been going for drums. I originally went for more of a diva gold glam look, but realized it wasn't really rocker enough. Even this is on the girly side, but the pyramid bangles are a lot of fun (seriously, I want some) and I love the feathered headband. Plus, since everyone's going to be watching your lips, the original Viva Glam is obviously the red lipstick of choice. And, once more with feeling, there are sequins.

Honestly, I'm much more likely to play Rock Band in my pajamas than anything else, but it's fun to have the rock star dream, isn't it?

images from polyvore.com

Hopeless and Romantic

In the spirit of "April showers bring May flowers" on this thunderstorm-y day in Manhattan, I am going to share with everyone a little music for a rainy day.

You've heard of Broken Social Scene, right? And some of the great solo albums its approximately twelve thousand members have produced to great acclaim? Right behind Leslie Feist, Jason Collett is one of BSS's most prolific. In the past few years, he's worked with Broken Social Scene, put out three albums of his own, and taken time off to raise his kids. Can I say, I think that's adorable? His recent Here's to Being Here is a whiskey-splashed, pop-and-blues-tinged, two-days-of-beard-stubble sort of album to follow up the decidedly Dylan-esque Idols of Exile from 2005.


Like many of today's great unlauded indie albums, Here's to Being Here is music for a breaking heart on a gray day (the other band who can help you out in those times is The Submarines). It's a little bit bitter and a little bit melancholic, but there is a glimmer of excitement and hope in Collett's eye-closed and half-dancing guitar licks. In "Not Over You," surely the chorus is repetitive, but in a charmingly tantric way. It's soothing and cathartic to sing along to, like a great power ballad from the 80s that you realize is entirely underappreciated after rocking out to it in your car.

"This is very much an old school guitar record, in the sense of it being very tasteful... that's one of the greater accomplishments of this record" says Collett, "recording in bigger spaces and live off the floor allowed us to capture some of the band energy. This allowed for spontaneous creations, which led to many wonderful little accidents."


If you like Broken Social Scene's more ambiant, diamond in the rough tracks, check out member Kevin Drew's recent solo album, supposedly the first in a series of Broken Social Scene Presents...!


Image and quote from ArtsCrafts.ca. Arts and Crafts, I love you.

Lab Accident: "Do You Want To See The World?"

This was a difficult mix to make. Normally I'm limited by song choice when I'm making themed mixes, but when I started this mix I had over a hundred songs to work from. And yet, there were certain countries/cities that I did not have in my music at all! Whiter the Australia songs? Then there are certain iconic cities (Paris, New York, San Francisco) with a million songs written about them, and all of the songs are good, which makes narrowing them down difficult. (One of these days I will just make a East Coast Vs. West Coast mix, pitting the songs about New York against the songs about California.)

So if I left your city out... well, make me a mix with your city in it!

Do You Want To See The World?
17 songs, 58 minutes.

1. Reitzell / Beggs "Intro Versailles"
2. The Kooks, "See the World"
3. Siouxxsie and the Banshees, "Hong Kong Garden"
4. The Decemberists, "Los Angeles, I'm Yours"
5. Neutral Milk Hotel, "Holland, 1945"
6. Utada Hikaru, "Tokyo Nights"
7. Everclear, "Santa Monica"
8. Guster, "Amsterdam"
9. Taking Back Sunday, "Timberwolves At New Jersey"
10. Benny Goodman, "Swingtime in the Rockies"
11. Peter Bjorn and John, "Paris 2004"
12. Hot Hot Heat, "In Cairo"
13. Cake, "Mexico"
14. Matt Pond PA, "This is Montreal"
15. The Wombats, "Moving to New York"
16. Tegan and Sara vs. Mylo (Party Ben mashup), "Walking with a Ghost In Paris"
17. Bloc Party, "Kreuzburg"

Images from periodicstyle.blogspot.com.

Lab Accident: "You Know You Really Were The Bomb"

This is the first of a new regular feature here: A monthly mix cd! I'll be posting mix playlists the first Saturday of every month, and today it's a themed workout mix. It's inspired by the fab song "The Bomb" from New Young Pony Club, and all the songs are playing off the dual nature of the word. (Thanks due to palmsout.blogspot.com for posting the remix of the song that inspired this mix, see link below!)

This was an interesting mix to make-- I've played around with themed mixes before, but never on a workout mix, and it was tough finding enough up-tempo songs that fit the theme! Hopefully this isn't too slow overall, I'm taking it for a test run this afternoon!


16 songs, 56 minutes (includes warm-up, cool-down and stretching.)
A-Side (The Bomb)

1. The Gorillaz, "Kids With Guns" (stretch/warmup)
2. Gwen Stefani, "Danger Zone" (stretch warmup)
3. The Killers, "Under The Gun" (moving into cardio)
4. Beastie Boys, "Sabotage"
5. Metric, "Monster Hospital"
6. Moby, "James Bond Theme"
7. New Young Pony Club, "The Bomb"

B-Side (You Know You Really Were)

8. O.K. Go, "You're So Damn Hot"
9. Arctic Monkeys, "You Probably Couldn't See for the Lights But You Were Looking Straight At Me"
10. The Faint, "Desperate Guys"
11. The Veronicas "Untouched"
12. Bikini Kill, "Capri Pants"
13. Dandy Warhols, "Bohemian Like You"
14. New Young Pony Club, "The Bomb (Phones Edit)" (cool-down)
15. The Promise Ring "Best Looking Boys" (stretch)
16. Explosions in the Sky, "So Long, Lonesome." (stretch)


image from periodicstyle.blogspot.com.

A Long Distance Love Affair: A Valentine's Day Mix.

Jeanne challenged me today on Gchat to make a V-Day mix-- saying: "it could be a 'woo happy love' or 'wooooo valentine's day suuuucks' mix."

I'm not a romantic by any means. Sure I love fairy tale love stories as much as the next girl, but I'm also planning on playing Interpol's "Slow Hands" as my wedding song. Compare that to my former (male and straight) roommate, who planned to have Etta James's "At Last My Love Has Come Along" as his. I'm not sure I'm the best one to compose a "yay, happy love!" mix for you guys.

And while I don't always absolutely love love, I'm still generally a fan, so a "Valentine's Day sucks/Love Stinks" mix is right out.

So what to do? Well, thinking back on my non-single Valentine's Days, the majority of them have been spent with boyfriends not in town (either temporarily or because I was in a long-distance relationship.) And voilà, my inspiration for this mix.


A Long Distance Love Affair (It Rains a Lot This Time of Year)
14 songs, 58 minutes.

1) The Like Young-- "The Hell With this Whole Affair"
2) Metric-- "Combat Baby"
3) Rilo Kiley-- "Wires and Waves"
4) Coconut Records-- "West Coast"
5) Ozma-- "Continental Drift"
6) Death Cab For Cutie-- "Transatlanticism"
7) Grand National-- "By The Time (Mondkopf Remix)"
8) Benny Goodman-- "Goodnight, My Love"
9) The Decemberists, "The Legionnaire's Lament"
10) Franz Ferdinand-- "Eleanor Put Your Boots On"
11) Minus the Bear-- "Puchaca Sunrise"
12) Sleater-Kinney-- "A Quarter to Three"
13) Yeah Yeah Yeahs-- "Maps"
14) Arctic Monkeys-- "505"

Enjoy!

Images from acme.com/heartmaker/ and cintiadicker.org.

The nominees are in!

And I'm not talking about The Fabbies. (Finish your makeover soon so I can look at you!)

I'm talking the Academy Awards nominees. And I've actually seen (or know people who've seen) a good portion of the films this year.

Things I'm excited for:

- Three of the five original screenplay nominees are women (and one adapted screenplay nominee -- Sarah Polley). Awesome!

- "Persepolis" versus "Ratatouille" for best animated feature. Both are very different, but similar in that they're both animated films for adults. Sure, "Ratatouille" is Pixar, but it's not what I would consider a traditional kids' film (like "Surf's Up", the third nominee). So I'm glad to see that animation is being taken more seriously as an art form versus "moving pictures to make children happy".

- One of the original song nominees is "Falling Slowly" from "Once" -- yes!! A live performance by the "Once" pair!! If the show goes on! (Of course, if Amy Adams gets up and sings any of the three "Enchanted" nominated songs, that will also a fun time.)

So now I'm even more invested in the strike -- I really, really want this show to go on, but I really, really want the writers to get the deal they deserve.

What Oscar-nominated films have you seen this year? What, in your opinion, is the film I've got to see before the awards go out? For my recommendations, I'd say "Persepolis", "Juno", "Ratatouille", and "Once".

7 from 2007: Top Album Picks

Last year was a busy year for me, and I wasn't as involved in the music scene as I normally am, so I'm afraid my music picks this year are a little more mainstream than the norm. They're also heavily British (a disproportionate amount is, I have sources.) Still, here are my 7 favorite albums from last year in no particular order:

The Wombats: A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation: This is not out in the US yet! (Like I said, sources.) Which is kind of tragic, because I have been listening to it constantly and I cannot tell my friends to buy it. It's just an upbeat fun album with clever lyrics-- exactly my style.

Peter Bjorn and John- Writer's Block: An aptly named selection, if only because I have had writer's block on this post so many times. You've probably heard the single Young Folks on one of the TV shows you watched last year, and the rest of the album is even better. I was absolutely charmed by their NPR interview/concert here, it's what made me give up the ghost and go buy the album.

Stars- In our Bedroom After The War: I wrestled a lot with putting this on my list. It's a very good, very cohesive album, and I like the story it's telling. It just doesn't have the personal resonance for me that Set Yourself on Fire did. Still taken on its own merits, it's a clever album and shouldn't be a disappointment for Stars fans.

Coconut Records- Nighttiming: I got this around the same time I finally watched Marie Antoinette, and let's just say that April was Jason Schwartzman month. The absolutely charming "West Coast" makes this album for me- the rest of it is winsome, but that song. THAT SONG. And the cover art is some of my all-time favorite cover art. The whole album is light and late spring-y.

Interpol- Our Love To Admire: I know some people absolutely hate Interpol. I am not one of them. This whole album is just dark and brooding, with a delight of an upbeat track in the "Heinrich Maneuver." How are things on the west coast indeed!


Arctic Monkeys- Favourite Worst Nightmare: And I know even more people that hate the Arctic Monkeys. This is a more complex album than Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, and not as immediately accessible. It's all the better for it. I took one of my friends with me to see their show, and she was like, "yeah, I could tell the difference between the songs from their first album and the songs on their second album. I liked the ones that were different." So please keep on rocking and making me new albums to dance to in the future, guys. Especially if they're different.



The Once Soundtrack: This is all Jeanne's fault. I don't normally buy soundtracks to movies I haven't seen. I don't normally buy soundtracks, because they're hard to do right. I find most soundtracks to be lacking cohesion, something that is vitally important to me in selecting albums. Even when the music works in the film, it can be jarring to put the songs next to one another on an album.

But she informed me I had to buy this album, and put it on my best of list. And you know what? She is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. Favorite Soundtrack this year, hands down. I think it's helped that the majority of the songs are done by Glen Hansard. It's really just a stunning album, and it's been great background music for writing. Good stuff.

I'm looking forward to expanding my music horizons a bit beyond the Britrock this year and checking out some of what I missed last year. What's on your list?

Images from amazon.com.