perfect's back

no matter how poor the skills of the photographer are, sometimes the subject can just make the photo.

reason to move to europe #3485

girl in zürich rocking peacoat, black tights and blacker knee-high socks:



found on lookbook.nu

lolviet

my wonderful friend tayler sent me this via msn, and after rolling on the floor laughing my ass off (man, i wish there was a way to abbreviate that phrase) i looked in the corner and saw it was from cracked.com, internet home of cracked magazine. looks like they finally wrote something that made me lol.

remember to click the image to view it larger.

if the world could vote...

found this interesting link the other day.

if the world could vote?

what you do is cast your vote for either obama or mccain in the american presidential election, and then you can view the results. there are votes from 193 countries, over 260,000 votes so far.

the results are very interesting, mainly the results from burkina faso, guatemala and macedonia. the results for iraq don't really surprise me.

i watched a bit of the debate lastnight. i was offended by john mccain during the abortion discussion. he kept using pro-abortion to describe pro-choice; these are not interchangeable terms. i felt him belligerent overall, but to be fair i didn't watch the whole debate (mainly because i forgot all about it earlier that night).

either way, i voted in our own canadian federal election on tuesday and while i wasn't pleased with the results i'm proud of the progress my party made. we gained 8 seats since the last election!

i voted NDP (new democratic party) because i can agree most with them (though they could use more than a little work on the economy issue). i think jack layton would be a good leader; he certainly has more charisma than the others (which i know isn't everything but if you look at trudeau it was instrumental in his success). i mean, layton's favourite movies are STAR WARS! come on! how cool is that?!

he is perfect

he brought me flowers at work, completely by surprise.



edit



he is the best boyfriend ever.

be your own pet broke up

so apparently i am over a month behind in this news. if i hadn't checked the written blurb about them when my lastfm module popped up the other day while i was listening to them i would have never figured it out (as you can tell i don't read too many music blogs).

here is the wikipedia stub on it:

On August 1, 2008, the band announced on their website that after finishing a small tour of England, they would be breaking up.[2] The band posted the following message on their website; "To all of our fans, we are sad to bring you the news that our upcoming shows in the UK are going to be our last as a band. We thank you for all your love and support these past few years. It's been a blast, but the time has come for the four of us to go our separate ways".[3] Jemina explained to NME why they broke up, She said that it wasn't really fun for them anymore, especially Jonas who was considering leaving the band. They didn't want to be in BYOP without Jonas, so they decided the best thing to do was to just call it a day. She also said that its better we split now 'while people still give a fuck' than drag it on and on when our hearts wern't in it anymore. She also quoted a Neil Young song (and Kurt Cobain's suicide note) when she said 'someone once said "its better to burn out than to fade away" and maybe thats what we're doing'. On the brightside though, she said that Jonas Stein and John Eatherly would continue in Turbo Fruits, Nathan Vasquez will sill be part of Deluxin and she was heading to Oslo and Norway to write songs for a Jemina Pearl solo record which she said would be 'a little more mature'.

i've written about BYOP before, actually expounded on my initial hatred of them and how i grew to appreciate them. while it's sad they're broken up i'm concerned about what kind of progress they could have made together anyway. soon they won't be bratty teenagers (hell, jemina is already 20) and that's mostly their charm anyway. you can't be 35 and singing about food fights, beating up 12 year-olds or killing your best friend for fun.

so RIP BYOP! i've included a link to the zipped self-titled debut full-length album at the end of this post.

photos/video from the june 5 show at st. andrew's hall, detroit, mi (i know the quality's terrible, my camera is dying):







adventure:




becky:




links:

wikipedia
official website
myspace
flickr album of june 5 performance
previous byop post




01. thresher's flail
02. bunk trunk skunk
03. bicycle, bicycle, you are my bicycle
04. wildcat!
05. adventure
06. fuuuuuun
07. stairway to heaven
08. bog
09. girls on tv
10. we will vacation, you will be my parasol
11. let's get sandy (big problem)
12. october, first account
13. love your shotgun
14. fill my pill
15. ouch

download

this is such a good thing

the way i feel and the way he is.

back from t-dot

probably one of the most fun trips i've ever had in toronto.

lots of details, but probably won't post till god knows when.

ezra pound - in a station of the metro

The apparition of these faces in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough.

i love this. i haven't read much by pound, but the images created with this are just fantastic. i've tried writing stuff this short; actually have managed to distill something down to one sentence (which i'm proud of) but i haven't successfully done it again yet.

it's so hard to write anything with few words because it's so easy to miss what the writer is trying to say. i guess that's why when i write it's so wordy, lengthy. i think it's harder for me to be short because i want to say what i want without being misconstrued, but also to not be too obvious (or else what's the fun in reading/writing?!). and also, just because love i words so much, as cheesy as that sounds. i want to use as many interesting words as often as i can -- which also makes it hard for me to not be convuluted.

why i love americans

AMAZING advertizing!!



betty color - for the hair down there


a very, very subtle absolut vodka ad.



remember that clicking on the photos makes them bigger, because you NEED to read the smaller print of both of these ads. brilliant stuff.

hiatus

just until i get some shit together. summer 08, spring break!

ch-ch-changes

lots of things going on, which is why the updates have been so minimal.

things in my life are changing and while i like it i'm also a little scared.

these things include:
-finally going to university
-moving out
-various social things

i have been meeting great people over the last little while, i really appreciate them and am cultivating many of these friendships. i'm looking forward to the people i will meet when in school -- it seems like the people i meet now who go to the uni share my opinions, tastes, etc. so i can't wait to meet people who would be in my major and such.

also, dimitri is suppose to come home soon for a visit and i am so excited. i need need need to speak to him about my life and the epic mini-failures i endure throughout.

some trips are coming up, they include:
-toronto this weekend to see french kicks, these new puritans, ted leo and the pharmacists, etc. and also to shop around and see one of my closest friends, max
-nyc in july! seeing ted leo again! seeing spoon! seeing friends!
-toronto again with some people to see avenue q and apparently black sabbath? haha.

i am getting really excited about everything, and it feels good. i'm getting out of this rut i have been in for far too long.

i should update more soon. since the last entry, i have seen M.I.A. and be your own pet. i took two videos of BYOP. few pictures of M.I.A. because of how far away we were and how tightly packed the crowd was.

muxtape

i can't remember where i first heard of muxtape but after i saw the site and read about it's concept (create a 'mixtape' of sorts using 12 songs) i became interested. i created an account, made my tape and then realized that you can't download other people's, just listen to them. so it's kind of a waste of time (for me, at least), but i made a playlist anyway. it was quick and sloppy but it's a bit of cheery springtime music.

my muxtape

current list:
a sunny day in glasgow - best summer ever
french kicks - carried away
the natural history - julie tender
belaire - exploding, impacting
lykke li - dance dance dance
hello seahorse! - cassette
out hud - it's for you
kalkaska - anything else?
animal collective - grass
the walkmen - pictures of us
the coral -in the morning
band of horses - the first song

kate nash apr 30 2008 detroit mi.

jordan, angelica, her sister maranatha and i went to see cute as a button briton kate nash perform at st. andrew's hall on congress st. in detroit, mi. last wednesday. it was a beautiful day out; chicken schwarmas and an empty tunnel bus ride (with absolutely no security checks by customs - we didn't have to get off the bus/go inside!) complimented it well.

on the way to getting in line who did i happen to see chattering away on his cell phone but cribs frontman ryan jarman, who happens to be dating ms. nash herself. i was a little surprised and i kind of stared him down as we passed by. i like to think that the look i conveyed to him when we made brief eye contact was 'ryan jarman! i am a huge fan, and also probably the only person who knows who you are/likes you better than kate nash!'

the show openers were freaky faux-family the tratchenberg family slideshow. their songs were kind of funny but neither i nor the crowd were, as they say, 'feelin' it.' angelica did get quite into the song 'eggs' though. i just think the little girl looked miserable to be doing this; they said she was now 14 and had been doing it since she was 6. the novelty probably wore off around age 11 or 12, depending on her maturity level and when she became aware of what the hell she was actually doing.

before kate came on, motown classics were played but i can't for the life of me remember which song she actually came out to.

i keep reading that she is an arrogant person, but all she demonstrated at the show was a bit of shyness, nervous banter and generally seemed humble. the only time she got angry was when she explained that one of her songs was used in a pro-anorexia youtube video. she blamed the media for glorifying thin bodies and pretty blondes, while saying she wasn't a size zero and was quite proud of it. she also had some sort of inside joke with the band where she got everyone to say 'fuck swaz' or whatever she said.

she's a pretty engaging performer and i've not seen such enthusiastic piano-playing since... well, i can't remember the last time i saw piano-playing like that. she waited awhile to play her hits 'foundations' and 'mouthwash' and towards the end performed a punk-tinged song whose chours went, 'you don't have to suck to succeed.' she came out for one three-song chorus and no covers.

her merch was all cutesy stuff but nothing really interested me (the tote bag with a bee on it was cute and said, 'i can assure you i've been to an awful lot of kate nash gigs...' but if i bought that at this one gig that sort of makes me a retarded person until i see her again).

i would definently go see her again, for sure.


typical 'i'm bored in line' photo: shoes.

some of the tratchenberg family.











video i took of mouthwash that stops because i thought i was getting caught:




go to page to download:
kate nash - mouthwash
kate nash - hang me out to dry (live cold war kids cover)


seeing M.I.A. tomorrow night, so excited!

pictures of spring

aside from lillies, dutch crocuses might be my favourite flowers. i'm so jealous that it seems like everyone on my street has these growing in their gardens and on their grass unintentionally and we have none!



these are maple blossoms, i believe.


new growths between my driveway and the neighbour's.



it'll be a tulip, i think.

while i'm glad spring is here i still hate the unpredictable, slightly disappointing weather that can come with it. all last week was in the upper 70s but this week will drop down to the 40s and 50s.

so that makes my desire for summer to come intensify.

a sunny day in glasgow - best summer ever

follow the link to the download page.

spoon april 6 2008 mt. clemens, mi

i kind of forgot about this blog. i'll get better at this.

anyway, my friend joel and i (and eventually peggah and jessica showed up) went to mt. clemens, mi. to see white rabbits, the walkmen and spoon. this was basically my dream lineup, and getting in line early ensured the best spots: front and centre, right against the stage.

the venue itself (the emerald theatre) was just covered in camel cigarette ads and neon lights. this would never be allowed in ontario! i also hadn't been to a show in michigan in ages and wasn't used to everyone blowing smoke in my face. these weird hippie torontonians left because of the smoke i think. when joel and i were discussing a spoon album i pulled out my ipod to figure out which album it was and the hippie dude was really into the idea of going through the bands on it. no thanks, muddy mcgee.

anyway, there was no photography allowed, but i snuck my camera in. i couldn't get any decent shots in until spoon played, because for white rabbits and the walkmen the audience hadn't moved close enough together to offer me any crowd coverage to avoid the secutity 'spotters' posted at each end of the stage.

i was really, really impressed with white rabbits. i had heard of them last year but didn't really look into them until later on in 2007. they played at the siren fest at coney island, ny last summer but i missed them. i was at some other stage watching some other band i can't even remember.

i haven't seen the walkmen live since probably 2006. they played some new stuff, and surprised me with 'wake up.' some things never change though, like when walt plays the organ thing he looks like he's doing taxes and matt's drumming is still the same. but some things do change, like how none of hamilton's veins really popped out like they normally do, and paul maroon doesn't do his flirty little smiles anymore. still, they were good and i was pleased, very much so.

spoon. amazing. i was right infront of britt daniel which would have made for AWESOME photos if it were allowed.
britt daniel made eye contact with me (along with every other girl there) but i know ours was special, you guys! it was speciallll!
anyway, they played basically everything i wanted to hear ('i turn my camera on,' 'small stakes,' 'you got yr. cherry bomb,' and 'don't you evah'!) and (obviously) more. the crowd finally moved in closer to the stage and i would lean back occasionally and take photos really low. towards the end of the night when some of the white rabbits came out to clap along to 'the underdog' i almost got caught, but i like to think i covered it up quite smoothly: just pretended i was dancing and slipped the camera into my pocket.










some of the white rabbits came out for the encore song ('the underdog').

white rabbits - kid on my shoulders - fort nightly's awesome album opener.

the walkmen - this job is killing me - best song off of a hundred miles off.

spoon - don't you evah - great cover of 'don't you ever' by the brilliant, amazing, awesome natural history (both versions can be found on the don't you evah EP).

follow the links to the download page.


next week i'm seeing kate nash in detroit with angelica, and in may we're seeing M.I.A. at the fillmore.


i should also note that there's an SNL remembering chris farley special on NBC right now and it's come to mind that adam sandler was the jimmy fallon of the late 80s/early 90s, i.e. he laughed in every single sketch ever. the only difference is that adam sandler wasn't nearly as handsome, and jimmy fallon wasn't nearly as talented.

be your own pet

i used to hate be your own pet. when i first saw them it was at the siren fest in coney island, ny, in the summer of...2006, i want to say? possibly 2005. either way, i hated it. i thought jemina pearl was insane and it actually made me uncomfortable that she would swear so much. isn't that weird?!

anyway i saw them again accidently, when they opened up for le tigre. slightly more annoying.

but, being a big believer in second, and in this case third, chances, i downloaded the song 'bicycle bicycle you are my bicycle' and that was the end of hate. i finally 'got' what they were doing and i have enjoyed them since.

my impression of what some music bloggers thought would happen is that they would mature and wouldn't have the same fun, loud, teen-punk element to them. but, while they have successfully matured as musicians, lyrically it's like they never changed. and i like that. sometimes you just want something that you know will be constant.

what's disappointing is that they signed with universal and without asking them, the label took three songs off without asking them because they were deemed 'too violent.' which is too bad, because one of the songs, 'becky,' is becoming one of my favourites.

"When I found out that the songs were going to get taken off, I was just like, 'Is there anybody I can talk to?' " Pearl said. "It's like, I don't even really know who these people are. There's no one you can talk to to try to argue your case. Other than that, Universal has been great. But I guess that's just what happens when you decide to have something to do with a major label. They're going to be scared of anything that's not completely cookie cutter."

Pearl paused to take a breath. "I also feel like it's a good thing to have an outlet," she continued. "Like, maybe I would be a very violent person if I didn't have the chance to sing about what I want to sing about and express things I want and it's definitely helped me from being a destructive person in my life. And I think tons of people relate to that, so it's kind of frustrating that they want to censor me or whatever." (full story)

i've put the album up for download, but i've added the three rejected songs to the zip.


be your own pet - get awkward


tracklisting
01. super soaked
02. the kelly affair
03. twisted nerve
04. heart throb
05. bitches leave
06. bummer time
07. you're a waste
08. food fight!
09. zombie graveyard party!
10. what's your damage?
11. creepy crawl
12. the beast within

bonus tracks
01. black hole
02. becky
03. blow yr mind

download

sartorialist post

i think wes anderson is the only man in the world who can pull off a cordouroy suit!

i really like wes anderson; i haven't seen all his films but i have loved what i've seen. i like that he uses some of the same cast in each film (owen wilson, anjelica houston, etc.) and the atmosphere of his films -- they're set in the present, but have a very vintage feel to them. maybe it's the warm colours that seem to saturate the films.

the sartorialist is scott schurman, who goes around nyc, paris, london, milan, etc. and photographs street fashion and sometimes does spreads for magazines. his photos are beautiful -- not just the people and their clothes, but the locations -- he always meets these people in beautiful locations like parks, interesting city streets, etc. his photos are definently an inspiration and i wish i knew how he does it!

genius with siq moves or the elusive hamilton hipster

i can't tell!

this guy from hamilton, ontario named mike long is dancing everyday for a year. he chooses a different song and dances in a different location each time (various places in hamilton, toronto and even in europe, such as sweden or berlin, etc.). i think he'll be finished in may of this year. he's got excellent taste in music, the first video i saw of his was along to 'heartbeats' by the knife, where he danced in sweden!



another video really caught my attention: he's just dancing away in some park in hamilton and a random cute girl joins in! he looks too surprised for her to be someone he knew. more than i've wanted world peace, global warming to stop or amy winehouse to complete a stint at rehab, i wanted mike long and random girl to fall in love. they're dancing to such an appropriate song, too! ('genius of love' by tom tom club):




here is the link to mike long's youtube channel where you can view all of the videos he's shot so far and other things, like his short comedic films, etc.


tomorrow my mission is to frost some cupcakes, do the dishes and make a mix for a friend to cheer her up.

reason #45985 why summer needs to happen soon

so i can go outside and take more photos with my holga, and be inspired to use the duaflex as well.
i took this double-exposure last summer during the parade that opens up the fun fest. it's on main street, of my dad standing on the sidewalk then i took a photo of the flower bed on the sidewalk. my dad doesn't 'get it' and says he doesn't like this photo because he can't see himself properly!

i plan on modifying the holga this summer to be able to run 35mm through it. i'll have to count clicks to keep track of how many rotations the wheel needs to make to get to the next exposure (since holgas were made for medium-format film they can't properly convey the exposure).

more information on the holga:
official holga page on the lomography website.
wikipedia.

a great site for holga modifications: square frog.

and tonnes of groups dedicated to holga and lomography (the original movement, which you can read about here) can be found when you search flickr for holga, lomography or any other combinations.

check out the holga, diana camera and the original lomo lc-a at the home of the lomographic society, along with events, users' 'lomohomes' and the shop here.

+

whenever i want to feel better (usually in the wintertime) i listen to this jens lekman song, 'a sweet summer's night on hammer hill.' it's quite possibly one of my favourite songs of all time. it's so sweet!



and a better-quality recorded version of this song (with swedish banter at the end!)
jens lekman - a sweet summer's night on hammer hill
(you have to go to the page first, sorry no direct download)

tomato soup

i'd like winter to end soon so i can stop drinking soup. it burns my throat and takes ages to cool. or, when it cools it cools too fast to drink it while it's nice and warm.

once, when we used to live out in the county (and i was very little) my dad made chicken noodle soup. aside from remembering that i hated the taste of it (and told him i preferred campbell's), i remember the chicken fat floating to the surface of the pot.

there's a style of illustration, used primarily in 50s comic books (maybe only MAD magazine?) called 'chicken fat' where in each panel is basically as many little visual gags the artist can fit in.

françoise hardy

every woman in old photographs looks a little like my mother to me.
their hair.
or eyes.
françoise has the same healthy-looking dark brown hair, though a bit longer.
i don't know if my mum can sing, but i hope she would sound like françoise.

every woman is a little piece of what i imagine her to be.

"my uncle once punched a man so hard his legs became trombones."

- vince noir, king of the mods