Urban Outfitters Rant and Recent Music

I realized this morning that I would make a terrible "professional music critic." For that matter, I would make a terrible hipster; I don't like listening to an indie playlist or radio station just for the sake of the trend. The label "indie" does not automatically equal appealing. In fact, many of the big name indie bands sound pretty drab and boring to me, so actually having to listen to new releases and critiquing them for a publication would be difficult for me. I'd either say, "This one was pretty good," or "Nope."

It's easy for me to immediately relate the indie genre to Urban Outfitters. The store's name, in turn, has become my new favorite adjective. I feel like it's the easiest way to describe the subculture that wears $90 thrift store crap that I could find in my grandma's garage, and follows every self-proclaimed indie band that the store releases a vinyl LP for.

I don't hate Urban Outfitters. Every Christmas I generally order about $200 worth of stuff for my family, (and I can't deny a nice pair of clearance t-strap shoes or a fantastic deal on a vintage-style purse,) but I really dislike the fads that have been bred by its sales and endorsements. I don't like having to see those trends screaming at me when I go to a show in my tragically un-hip southwestern town, because most people have no idea what they're doing. They don't know how to adopt the look and make it work for them, (but maybe in general, few do.) Perhaps in a bigger city, I would be more accepting, but it would most likely be because I would have exposure to individuals who modify the style and add creativity to it--maybe a piece or two from UO, but also a vintage necklace, a thrift store sweatshirt, a handmade skirt.

I digress. It's hard to put a finger on my musical tastes. Rhapsody classifies me as a fan of Electropop, Indie Pop, Alt Dance, Post-Punk, and Brit Rock. Sometimes I'd like to expand my horizons, if only to not sound so dense and uncultured around people that have one or two bands in common, but if I don't like the first 10 seconds of any song on the album, I'm not going to go out of my way to become intimate with the band. Anyway, I suppose everyone can be a critic these days thanks to the internets!

The whole purpose of this post was to list the music I've been digging on recently because it's fun for me to come back to it months later and say, "Hey, I remember that song!" So in no particular order, here are a few songs off of albums that I dig in their entirety:

Grimes - Circumambient (album: Visions)
The Antlers - Parantheses (album: Burst Apart)
Flo & the Machine - Spectrum (album: Ceremonials)
Austra - The Noise (album: Feel it Break)
School of Seven Bells - The Night (album: Ghostory)
The Rapture - In the Grace of your Love (album: same title)
Youth Lagoon - Posters (album: The Year of Hibernation)
M83 - Midnight City (album: Hurry Up We're Dreaming)

Other songs:

Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks
Of Monsters and Men - Six Weeks
Phantogram - Turning into Stone
Zola Jesus - Animal
Zola Jesus - Vessel
Digitalism - Reeperbahn
Glasser - Apply
Hooray for Earth - True Loves
Gotye - Somebody That I Used to Know, (the new "Pumped up Kicks"? Nooo!)
Gotye - State of the Art
Bell X1 - Nightwatchmen

M83 - Midnight City

M83 | Midnight City from DIVISION on Vimeo.

Astrological Transits and Lykke Li

Courtesy of Cafe Astrology, these attributes are [supposedly] affecting me right now...Oh Venus, you slay me:

183 Sextile Venus - Sun

Positive aspect: You are feeling especially attractive these days, and that feeling can bring things to you. Good time for love affairs: you are in great form, and come across as especially attractive. You can have the world at your feet right now as Venus illuminates your Sun sign personality traits and you project these traits in a most pleasing manner.

98 Trine Mars - Venus

Positive aspect: Your loving feelings are wide awake. You are attracted to the charm of the opposite sex and will easily fall in love. These feelings are more physical than intellectual. Your senses will be awakened. You will feel in top form, wanting to go out and meet people. You are strongly focused on love and sexuality right now.

So in light of these transits, I'd like to point out that Lykke Li's video for "Get Some" compliments my feelings in a sensual, witchy kinda way:

Lykke Li - Get Some (Director: Johan Söderberg).

The Naked and Famous

The video is a little indie for my tastes, but it works with the song, (such a catchy song!)

The Naked And Famous - Young Blood from The Naked And Famous on Vimeo.

Two Things

I limit myself when I create blogs... Anyway, my boyfriend picked up a new toy for me at an estate sale this past weekend:


It came with a generic telephoto lens, but the body still seems to be in good shape. We couldn't find the lens that originally went with it, (because I highly doubt the original owner went straight for the telephoto lens,) but we did manage to sneak a bunch of extras into the camera case...like a nearly brand new Yashica lens that doesn't fit the model, but is in great condition. Can't wait to get back into the picture-taking mode!!

And since music goes hand in hand with inspiration [for me], I thought I'd post a recent playlist:

Gossip - Four Letter Word
Arcade Fire - Ready to Start
Metric - Gold Guns Girls
Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man
The XX - Crystalised
Brandon Flowers - Only the Young
The Constellations - Felicia
Robyn - Dancing On My Own
Miike Snow - Silvia
The Temper Trap - Love Lost
Scissor Sisters - Whole New Way

The Big Pink

I've been trying to catch up on music lately. I first heard The Big Pink a few months ago on an XM station, but it took me a while to check 'em out. This is their video for "Velvet." Check out their main site here.

The Big Pink - Velvet from felix on Vimeo.

Florence and the Machine

I downloaded her CD "Lungs" over the weekend, and I'm really digging it. She has kind of a folksy Goldfrapp vibe. I keep wanting her to be pretty when I watch her videos, but every time she smiles, she looks like a man. I love her hair, though! You can see more of her on her site.

Editors

I just found out that Editors will be releasing their third studio album entitled "In This Light & On This Evening" on 10/13/09. I had the opportunity to see them in San Francisco a few years back, and they put on an amazing show. I can't wait!

Check out their newest single below:

Editors - Papillon

And check out their official site for videos and news.

Muse - Undisclosed Desires

I love this song right now! It's one of those I could listen to on repeat all night...

Massive Attack

I've been listening to this song a lot lately...

Massive Attack - Live With Me

We Fell to Earth

Since most of my internet exploration is done at work, it's difficult to check out videos and new music on a consistent basis, (it doesn't help that video streaming is blocked.) I feel like an unworthy fan when I discover that some of my favorite bands have released new albums months before I'm ever aware.

I had some extra time today, and I was fortunate enough to discover We Fell to Earth, a new collaboration between UNKLE contributors Richard File and Wendy Rae Fowler. They're full length debut album is still in the works, but check out their website for more info and samples.

At the moment, I cannot get enough of their song, The Double.