The Debonaire

Androgynous Perfection

2012-01-20T08:05:00.000-05:00

Jeeyoung Kang, fashion director of GQ Korea. The cut, the colors, the shades, the shoes, the gloves. Represent.

[via all the pretty birds]

Piano Organ Bank

2012-01-06T16:46:00.000-05:00

A lovely short film about the oldest piano shop in Paris. Its owner, Marc Manceaux, says oh so correctly, "As long as I have some water, a candle, a hardback book, an old piano, I'll still be alive."

Amen.

A Day Spent with Sled Dogs

2011-12-30T13:48:00.000-05:00

I've always had a soft spot for huskies, but spending an entire day with a team of sweet and lovable rescued sled dogs really sealed the deal. There was one pup named Rabbit (see below) who blatantly stole my heart. Also: a beautiful hike on a clear day, seeing our first 'sun dog', and a very Alaskan post-hike snack (cheese, crackers, apples, and of course -- delicious smoked salmon).

Sidenote: one of the very few advantages of having 5 hours of daylight: it's either sunrise or sunset at any given moment -- which means best photography light ever, all the time.

Ice Fishing in the Last Frontier, NBD

2011-12-29T13:41:00.001-05:00

The past week has been a whirlwind -- flew up to Alaska for Christmas with the family, then went straight back to the airport to pick up a few dear friends and a dear boyfriend flying in from NYC. Yesterday we drilled holes in the lake and dangled bait into the dark, cold abyss below the ice for hours; after plenty of nibbles and lost bait, LO AND BEHOLD: A FISH! (We then fried it up and devoured it like real outdoorsmen/outdoorswomen. It was delicious.)

And speaking of the great outdoors, how adorable are these tents from Fieldcandy? They're maybe not-so-suitable for the arctic temperatures we're experiencing at the moment, but come summertime....

Sleep No More

2011-11-23T11:37:00.001-05:00

If you live in New York City, and haven't yet experienced 'Sleep No More,' stop reading this post and go buy tickets right this second. I'll wait.

Okay. Ready?

After months of anticipation (and one last-minute rescheduling), I finally got to experience 'Sleep No More' last night. And I'm sure anyone else who has seen the show will agree that it's one of those experiences you want -- nay, need to talk to about and process with everyone and anyone as soon as it's over.

'Sleep No More' is essentially the next step in the evolution of the stage play; a wholly immersive theatre-going experience for the audience member, where no two audience member's experiences will ever be remotely the same. To even try and describe it right now feels like trying to describe a dark, hazy, haunting, and gloriously beautiful dream; vivid details and moments jump out from my memory, then recede.

The show can be described as 'Macbeth' set in a 6-story hotel that is decked out as well as any Hitchcock movie you've ever seen, but don't expect to walk in a have a linear, cohesive narrative presented to you. Rather, one stumbles across characters and situations while exploring the hotel and its myriad settings -- at one point last night, two characters rushed down past me in the stairwell, followed by a stream of audience members hidden behind their requisite white masks. I could have turned to follow them, but decided to continue exploring on my own, before coming across Lady Macbeth balancing precariously on the edge of a porcelain bathtub. As my boyfriend put it, it's like a grown-up version of Choose Your Own Adventure.

The level of detail in the art direction is astounding -- I had heard people raving about it before I went, but it's hard to truly understand it until you're immersed in the set and are rifling through ledger books and letters and props with your own hands. Not to mention the choreography and music -- which are integral to the story-telling -- that are staggeringly impressive aspects of the show as well.

In all of my time here in this crazy city, this show stands out as one of the craziest and most spectacular experiences I can recall. Luckily, they seem to keep extending the show due to the overwhelming response its gotten. And is that really a surprise? I don't think I'll be able to stop thinking about 'Sleep No More' for weeks to come.

Stamped

2011-11-22T09:30:00.000-05:00

I've never been a fan of mass anonymous rating sites like Yelp, and I'd guess that I'm not the only one who would rather take recommendations from people whose tastes I know and trust. Now there's a sleek and stylish app that makes this totally possible: Stamped. I love the simplicity and design of the whole app, and I can already see myself getting majorly addicted.

Central Park Mini-Concert

2011-10-31T10:02:00.000-04:00

Alternate post title: I get by with a little help from my friends.

Here's a glimpse into a recent project the band and I were able to accomplish, thanks to the efforts of an extremely talented bunch of friends with really nice cameras. Over the summer, Sing for Hope placed pianos for the general public's use and amusement all around NYC for two weeks. And like last year, we took full advantage of said pianos and played an impromptu mini-concert at the Bandshell in Central Park on a lovely summer evening.

Undiscovered First

2011-10-27T09:33:00.002-04:00

Ms. Leslie Feist is undoubtedly one of my biggest heroes and influences in the game at the moment, and her newest album 'Metals' is, in my opinion, her best to date. Here's a video of Feist with a couple of her Mountain Men and drummer, playing 'Undiscovered First' for Black Cab Sessions.

A hello.

2011-10-24T12:58:00.004-04:00

Hey friends. It's been a hot minute.

I could say that I've been taking an voluntary, unannounced hiatus from blogging, but that's just not true. Fact of the matter is, the past year has been the most whirlwind year of my life so far (in a great way), and I have a feeling this sensation isn't letting up anytime soon. Somewhere in between juggling a busy day job, self-managing an ever-expanding band and music career, and life in general, blogging fell through the cracks. But the truth is, I miss blogging. I really do. I miss interacting with this unbelievably creative, kind, and funny community on a daily basis (let's not even get started on how long my Google Reader has been sitting at 1000+).

Basically, I miss you guys.

So I just wanted to give a quick shout-out into the ether of the blogosphere and say a hello. I can't promise that I'll be updating as regularly as I once used to, but I can promise that I'm still here.

Alright. Enough about me. What's new with you?

Illuminated Mixtapes

2011-07-08T10:56:00.003-04:00

In the age of Pandora, a beautifully-thought-out series like 'The Illuminated Mixtapes' is a sight for sore eyes. Various curated mixtapes ranging from 'Adagio' to 'Presto,' with illustrated covers accompanying each playlist. Illuminating, indeed.

[via swissmiss]

Nintendo Gatsby

2011-07-06T09:45:00.001-04:00

As you can imagine, I had a jaw-to-floor moment upon being directed to a Nintendo-fied version of 'The Great Gatsby'. I've never really been a video game girl, but this is more my speed.

[Image via Time]

Julia Kuo

2011-07-05T09:51:00.001-04:00

I've had the awesomest of luck and pleasure working with some seriously talented illustrators on various show posters, the latest of these collaborations being with the lovely Julia Kuo.

Julia has done some other beautiful work for artists including Efterklang, Elizabeth and the Catapult, and Priscilla Ahn. Needless to say, I'm honored and humbled to be included on that roster.

Be sure to check out more of her work here.

Taj Mahal

2011-04-11T10:34:00.004-04:00

There's some music that just makes you happy to the core. The one and only Taj Mahal played a great show at Brooklyn Bowl last night, which ended with a duet encore featuring his also-very-talented daughter, Deva -- too cute! Needless to say, I'm still experiencing residual waves of happiness (the gorgeous spring weather isn't hurting, either).

THIS IS JUST HOW MY FACE LOOKS

2011-03-28T11:02:00.003-04:00

Laughed out loud at krisatomic's latest (rad) illustration. I CAN TOTALLY RELATE, GIRL.

Careless Whisper

2011-03-25T14:03:00.004-04:00

It's been a while. I've been a tad busy since the EP release and consequently have been negligent on the blog front, but I have something very serious and important to share with you:

Rock on.

The Gentlewoman

2011-03-04T14:42:00.002-05:00

Love this zine. Love Adele. Love this cover. Love is all around.

Bow Tie Dog Collar FTW

2011-02-24T11:26:00.003-05:00

These dog collar bow-ties are killing me.

All together now: AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.

Tiny Desk Concert | Adele

2011-02-18T10:18:00.003-05:00

Holy hell, that voice. It's a voice that punches auto-tune in the neck and tells it good riddance.

Adele's sophomore album, '21,' has pretty much been on repeat for me the past couple of weeks -- and this Tiny Desk Concert will show you why.

Introducing: Jennifer Kahn

2011-02-16T09:58:00.001-05:00

First off, a BIG thank you for all the kind words and support since the 'Cold Glory' EP has gone live; your encouragement really does mean the world to me, and I can't tell you what an amazing feeling its been to see it pop up spontaneously on other blogs. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Secondly, I've been receiving lots of compliments on the beautiful album art -- and I just wanted to take a moment to re-direct that praise towards my talented friend, Jennifer Kahn. Jen is the one-woman machine behind all of my concert posters and album art; it all started when she decided to start doing some freelance graphic design and illustration -- I was simply lucky enough to be her guinea pig.

Here's some of the amazing work she's done:

Check out more of work here.

Live the Language

2011-02-15T09:43:00.000-05:00

These videos for EF Language Schools are quite simply, brilliant. Combining gorgeous cinematography, typography, geography, and the spirit of each of these cities, Albin Holmqvist is now single-handedly responsible for giving me the travel bug again.

[via The Fox Is Black]

Let's Make Out

2011-02-14T09:30:00.000-05:00

Back in college, I took a French class with a very talented fellow named Stephen, who happens to be an animator. And I mean crazy talented (check this out if you don't believe me). Here's a little piece of awesome that seems apropos, it being Valentine's Day and all.

In My Ears, In My Eyes

2011-02-13T13:03:00.003-05:00

Another gorgeous Take Away show from the Local Natives. I love the way they tailor their arrangements for these occasions -- this time opting for a lush, drawn-out version of 'Who Knows, Who Cares'

I've been on the James Blake bandwagon since his 'Limit To Your Love' Feist cover mega-melted my heart. This video for 'Wilhelm Scream' is understated perfection.

New single from Toro Y Moi's sophomore effort, 'Underneath the Pine' -- looking forward to hearing the whole album.

Guilty as Charged.

2011-02-12T11:12:00.003-05:00

[Thanks Ben]

In Brief

2011-02-09T10:33:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I wonder why more gals aren't rockin briefcases. Come on, ladies, how can you not fall in love with these sleek numbers from TravelTeq? There's a cigar cube pen compartment, for chrissakes.
[via cool hunting]

'Cold Glory' EP Release

2011-01-25T09:40:00.002-05:00

I'm literally buzzing with excitement to officially share with you all the debut EP album that has been my life for the past 6 months.

You can download it for free here -- and if you like what you hear, pass it on!