Weekly Perks version 5.0

via 

Just Tell Me That You Want Me is a collection of Fleetwood Mac covers. It officially comes out August 14, but seeing as the internet scoffs at release dates, they're streaming songs at their site. You should listen to the Lykke Li one at the very least, but the New Pornos, Best Coast, MGMT, Karen Elson and The Kills are among the other contributors, so play around. -- Amanda

via

It's nice to remember sometimes that in a world full of young people who love to go out and party, there are some (like us) who are just as content to stay home with a good friend, a beer, and a movie. I used to feel so inadequate, but in the past few years I've made peace with the fact that people are into different things. I love reading about people I respect and admire who have felt similarly. And as it turns out (though I feel like I kind of knew this about her already). This blog post, whose author feels really strongly adverse to social events, also recommends a great Charlie Kaufmann speech. -- Laura Kathleen

via

One of the many things I would do if I had a few more hours in the day is spend more time preparing stuff that I love to eat and drink. And as great as a cold beer is in the summer, I'd love to make fancy drinks that look good and taste even better. One of my fave blogs, Sweet Potato Chronicles, has recipes for simple syrups that you can basically customize to make any flavour you want. Orange peel and rosemary syrup for a cocktail? Cilantro and mint? The opportunities and endless, and they're calling me. --Laura Kathleen

via

If you are ever bored online ever again, you can refer to The Electric Typewriter's list of 150 Essential Articles and Essays. You've likely read a handful of these already (has any female who has ever dreamed of being a writer not read Didion's On Keeping a Notebook?) but they all look like the amazing 20-minute reads that'll bowl you over. I hope I'm not the only one who see's the list and is like "GAME ON. Summer goal." --Laura Kathleen

via

via

via

I watched three amazing films while I was home sick last Thursday and Friday: Sunset Boulevard, The Last Days of Disco, and Mildred Pierce. All amazing, and all highly recommended. Click on the movie names to check out the trailers. -- Laura Kathleen

Weekly Perks e04

Here's the fourth installation of our weekly content farming—or as we like to call it: content curation. 

via juliasegal

Our friend Laura Jane (and her friends Liz and Jen) has an awesome blog called Strawberry Fields Whatever. It's about music and life and everything. I think I may be kindred spirits with Liz based on this one post she wrote called My Top 6 Summertime Muses, which includes the Beastie Boys, the new Cat Power song, and her love for Springsteen.

One of the best articles I've read in a very long time – like, the kind that forced me to reassess life decisions. After reading I Was A Warehouse Wage Slave by Mac McClelland, you'll never feel the same about Amazon et al. again.

I got this incredible Cuchara necklace today from Muttonhead on Ossington. I am completely obsessed. It's big and bright and heavy, and it feels really nice and substantial. 

via Zomromcom

I love this picture because it looks like these girls are just having a great time rollerskating and talking shit. I had such an amazing Sunday hanging out with some of my favourite girls and talking lots of shit.

This hair tutorial (which I can't actually embed) shows you how to do two really cool top knots that are perfect for dirty-hair days and the summer heat. I especially love the super-teased bun and how much it looks like a birds nest. The aftermath of backcombing your hair can be really gross, but her tip of slathering it in oil before you shower makes it much easier to comb out. The one caveat of this awesome video, though, is that this cute, cool-glasses, tattooed girl makes a reference to Sideshow Bob and calls him "that crazy guy from the Simpsons." Like, c'mon, don't be lazy. Everyone knows his name. That's really dumb. 

Weekly Perks, pt. 2

Please enjoy our obsessions of the week.

via So Many Records, So Little Time

The website So Many Records, So Little Time is one of the places I go when I'm in a music rut. Its constantly giving amazing recommendations—my favourite being a recent post on Fischer-Z. I can't stop listening to these guys. They're Brian Eno and Roxy Music-esque with a little bit of The Police thrown in there? But in a good way. Check out the song that started it all (for me).

via Anywho

I can't really believe it's that time of year again, but Stella McCartney's Resort 2013 Collection has touched down and it's too cute to be true. I love the patterns, the lady-like silhouettes (even though they are the worst possible shape for my own figure, they look superb on others). These snaps taken at a garden party celebrating the season's release are the perfect setting for the collection to first be seen. Bonus points for making the whole look more playful by adding those star glasses.

via The Food is Out There

I haven't tried these amazing lime and pistachio cookies, but they're made by Club Sandwich, a baking company run by my friend Genna that has never made anything less than insanely delicious. You can get the recipe here—but for you non-baking cookie monsters, you can also get her to bake them for you by placing an email order.

Via The Hairpin

 When Mister Rogers' show ended, he gave an amazing goodbye speech that honestly makes me cry every time I hear it. Do you want to cry? Do you want to remember what a good fuckin' dude he was? If you grew up in the Neighbourhood then you'll probably get a serious heart boner from watching it.

I've seriously been digging this mashup of Biggie vs. the Strokes all week. Crazy classics from two different eras, made entirely fresh all over again.

And one last thing—you've got to check out this gif. I'm not going to tell you anything about it, you've just gotta trust me on this one. 

Gettin' Jiggy Wit It

Thanks, Will Smith, for making my day twice, in completely unrelated ways.

This first – this quote from an interview with Parade:

"We let Willow cut her hair. When you have a little girl, it’s like how can you teach her that you’re in control of her body? If I teach her that I’m in charge of whether or not she can touch her hair, she’s going to replace me with some other man when she goes out in the world. She can’t cut my hair but that’s her hair. She has got to have command of her body. So when she goes out into the world, she’s going out with a command that it is hers. She is used to making those decisions herself. We try to keep giving them those decisions until they can hold the full weight of their lives.”

I love how much he wants to empower his kids. I love that he's trying to create individuals who learn how to make actual choices. And I love that he wants his daughter to be a strong woman, who doesn't just replace her dad with a partner one day.

And secondly, for this moment on the Graham Norton Show (thanks for the tipoff, Karen):

Yeah, I sang along too.

Also note: I can't think about Will Smith anymore without thinking of this stellar Grantland article Bill Simmons wrote about a year ago called "The Movie Star", about how Will Smith is the only true movie star working today, and how that has been his dedicated goal above all else. It really is a fascinating look into how success works, and how Smith was able to essentially game the Hollywood system. I mean, the mere fact alone that I remember an internet article from a year ago speaks to its potency.

Pop Tarts

So a few nights ago Amanda and I sat around and watched Youtube videos and did our nails while nursing a magnum bottle of wine—a perfectly good activity for a cold weekday night. We thought we'd share an approximated version of our conversation with you readers—just coz we like to think of you as one of us, and you might find this as entertaining as we did.

LK: OMG have you seen the two latest Madonna videos? They're incredible.
A: No! Let's watch them.

LK: "Gimmie all your lovin, gimmie your love!"
A: I feel like her hair is doing a lot of work here.
LK: I mean she's got to bathe in the blood of virgins, right? She looks better than she ever has.
A: But she's not doing anything new. She's known for reinventing herself, but now she's doing what she's already done. Like you could take her out of the video and put in Avril Lavigne and there would be no major difference.
LK: Yeah, I guess, but... Let's watch the next one.



A: [halfway through] See, it's the same, there's nothing new happening.
LK: Jill said that if you don't like MDNA then you never liked Madonna to begin with.
A: But she is known for always moving forward and changing her look! This totally falters.
LK: But it's goooooood. So good.
[we silently agree to disagree]

LK: What about the new Drake, have you seen that yet?
A: The one with Rihanna?
LK: No, but we'll watch both.

LK: God, this is so good. I love the jewish bros in the beginning.
A: Have you seen The New Girl yet? I really didn't want to like it, but I like it. I binge-watched the whole season in two nights. Schmidt is such a jewish bro.
LK: I haven't... I don't want to like it either. Oh I love this part: "Keep some bad bitches in my circle."

LK: Is that a blue jay!? Representing Toronto, I love it! He is hot, I'm only noticing that now.
A: He's like the good guy who always gets looked over. Chris Brown's the bad boy, and everyone's like "God Rihanna, just pick Drake already! He'll treat you like a queen!"

A: Ooh, this one's been in my head all day.

A: Doesn't her green hair look incredible?
LK: I know, why does it work?
A: The song's a bit repetitive though. [further towards the end] The leopard print suit! So good. I showed some coworkers of mine Wally World this week.
LK: I wish. I could move. my butt like that.
A: Me too! It's so... wobbily.
LK: I think it just takes practice.

A: Here's one I hear in the office all the time. It's such happy music.

A: And this video that Molls posted makes me feel less guilty for totally liking it, because at least I'm not alone.
LK: Don't feel guilty! It's bad, you know, but it's like... good bad.
A: We all have our vices.

A: Here's another.
LK: A Holga? Oh god. It's too precious.
A: But catchy.

LK: I could do without this little rapper guy...
A: He was on the X Factor. Apparently when a judge gave him a bad review he was like "Yeah, well fuck you, you're just a hater."
LK: Geez... Ohhhh I get it now. She's British!


LK: Do you like Weird Al?!
A: No... not anymore?
LK: Okay, well there's this hilarious newish song he's got. At least just sit through it. I'm obsessed.

A: [silence until halfway through] Let's watch the original.



A: Much better. This is a classic.
LK: What a bod! She was always more developed than the other tweeny pop stars.
A: Have you seen her new haircut? It's a shorter bob.
LK: I saw her in Us Weekly in a feature called "Miley's wearing mom jeans!" They were making fun of her for wearing high-waisted pants but she looked awesome. I was like "Good for you, Miley."
A: High-waisted jeans are a godsend. Stretchy ones, that is.

A: Oh no. I know what we have to listen to next.

LK: Oh god! Remember this song! It's one of those ones that's awesome to play at karaoke because everyone knows the words and is completely embarrassed that they do.
A: I remember bonding with a guy friend over this song. Our shames unite us.
LK: Totally.

LK: Speaking of celebrities outside their comfort zone...



LK: Ahh! Remember useless scarves?
A: And look at how low her pants are cut! Oh god, what an ugly period of time the early aughts were. How did we even get trapped in this spiral?

Midweek Pick-Me-Up

Just a few things giving me a bit of reprieve from the daily grind.

This song's been rocking my socks off lately, but you should put headphones before you listen. Everyone will be looking at you all side-eyed, being like, "why's that girl silently wiggling in her chair?" and the answer is, "because it's one of THOSE beats," but it's pretty NSFW so you know, judge your sitch.

You guys are watching the new season of Game of Thrones, right? If not, just tune out for this paragraph (but do yourself a solid and start watching soon!) This season was off to a bang with last week's opener, and seeing as I'm in the thick of the third book in the series, I know we're going to have a good time. The creators have done a great job of adapting the book to a TV show format, keeping the episodes packed with action and giving smaller characters screen time to explore their motivations. I'm also happy to return to my habit of reading The AV Club's excellent reviews after each episode, although now I've graduated to the expert versions, for those who've read the books. (There are newbie versions for those who haven't read along as well.)

via

The new spring lookbook from Summerland is so, so, so good. I've made my love of this shop and photographer Anja no secret, but this collection just seems too perfect as spring inspiration. Cute bobs, collared shirts and pretty prints? Sign me up for an afternoon of lounging that looks this good, please.

You can check out more pictures on Clever Nettle and Summerland.

Remix: Sunny Bike Ride

I am shamelessly exploiting this weather. Like, seriously, nearly 20 degrees in March? You bet I've broken out the skirts and sockless flats like it's anyone's business. Rocking a pair of shades and power-walking in the sunshine is one of the best parts of summertime. And rediscovering last year's Sunny Bike Ride mixtape is perhaps one of the best things I could have done, giving me the perfect good-mood walking soundtrack.

There is everything you need in here – a little funk, a little nostalgia, a little twang, and an incredible Charles Manson song. SERIOUSLY. If you haven't listened yet and you're feeling cool vibes, download it and take on the road. Walk it, drive it, park it, but give it a good ol' sunshiny date.

Sunny Bike Ride

1. Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out) – The Hombres

2. Oogum Boogum – Brenton Wood

3. Two of Us – The Beatles

4. Brand New Key – Melanie

5. Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen

6. Carey – Joni Mitchell

7. Summer Breeze – Seals & Croft

8. My Baby and Me – The Kodaks

9. Jack the Ripper – Link Wray

10. How's Your New Love Treating You – Debonaires

11. Sweet Thing – Van Morrison

12. Frankie & Johnnie – Les Paul & Mary Ford

13. Look at Your Game Girl – Charles Manson

Edited to add: I spoke too soon! It's -10 today! NOOOOOO.

Sun-drenched Spring

Somehow we just skipped ahead to summer. Time warp? Season swap? Whatever, I’m not going to question it too closely – my favourite lightweight pants have just come out of hibernation, I actually got a little sunburn on Sunday and I’m getting to test run some warmer weather wear I’ve been hoarding.

A few more things to make it feel a bit more like summer:

This awesome Notorious B.I.G./Lana Del Rey mixtape, Born Ready to Die. 16 tracks of straight-up summertime jams. You sure can bet this’ll be in regular rotation on my picnic blanket.

via calivintage

This look from Boutique by Jaeger SS12 is pretty much my summer ideal. Big hair, big lips, little clothes, solid shoes. The only things that could push this look over the edge is a pair of massive Karen Walker sunnies, like this new version of her ever-wonderful Number Ones.

via Karen Walker

Dream dress alert! Oh ASOS, you're so bad and yet so good for me.

via ASOS

My favourite lowbrow summer beverage, kalimotxo. Half red wine, half Coca-Cola (or in my case, Diet Coke. Can't quit, won't quit), it sounds horrendous but tastes amazing, like sangria concentrate. Don't knock it 'til you try it, friends.

via International Recipe Syndicate

Are you reviving any favourite summer activities early?

Mixtape: Faux-Winter Blues

It's been a while since we've shared what we're listening to, and the first day of March is as good a day as any. It's cold out there, and kind of snowy. Are we finally getting the winter that never came? I sure hope not. Here are the songs I've been listening to while trudging through the half-snow, wearing my second-warmest winter jacket, curling up in bed, and hiding from the elements.

Faux-winter blues

photo by Dan Epstein

Kansas City - Wilbert Harrison

White Light/White Heat - The Velvet Undergorund

Stay Away - Charli XCX 

You Hit Me Where It Hurt Me - Alice Clark

Pourquoi Pas Moi - Stella

All Around and Away We Go - Twin Sister

Paradisco - Charlotte Gainsbourg

Strollin After Dark - The Shades

I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes - Slim Whitman

Taboo - Gene Summers

Life and Soul of the Party - Mally Page

Ramona - Craft Spells

A Real Hero - College (feat. Electric Youth)

Editions of You - Roxy Music

Long Distance Lover - Fanny 

DOWNLOAD HERE!!!

Valentine's Day Videos

Honestly, I think there's enough Valentine's-themed content out there today, but I couldn't resist. Here are my 5 favourite love-themed videos, for whatever Valentine's mood you are in.

Tapped Out

Feeling a little bummed, a little burnt out, bros. I've been pretty slammed getting my career on lately, but that hasn't left much time for the rejuvenation of my soul, you know? I've been feeling under the weather today, went to the chiropractor and got a wee bit pummeled, and then had to slog home through winter slush, which has finally reared its ugly head. To top it all off, I was planning on reviewing my January Luxe Box for you, but it has yet to arrive. It's in shipping purgatory. No, I'm not kidding.

#canadapostfail

It was at my damn house! They could have left it and they didn't! They even took the time to come back and take the notice card! And now its shipping status is unchanged, and it is back in Mississauga. We just haven't had much luck lately, Luxe Boxes and me.

Anyway, it was the icing to a day that felt altogether too long. So I did the only thing I could do.

I put on my Chainsaw Face t-shirt.

(Oh, you ask, what is Chainsaw Face? Just an easy two minutes that never fails to make me smile.)

Then I pretended I was someplace warm and sunny (which obviously requires mood music).

And I tried to become one with nature.

It's WORKING!

Then I cuddled with this little sausage.

And somehow, everything seemed a lot less awful.

5 Christmas songs that won't make you want to kill yourself

If you have tried to brave any retail stores in the month of December, chances are that you've been inundated with bad Christmas music. It's everywhere—Mariah Carey, Justin Bieber, and nameless, faceless other singers who, because it's a Christmas song, take advantage and go full-on cheesy and over the top. I've started to despise most Christmas music, but there are a few saving graces—songs that I go to year after year to get me in the holiday mood.

Putting this list together I realized that a few of the songs contain either racist and homophobic remarks, but I'm going to chock that up to the songs being from a different time. Besides, if you like them kind of ironically then it's not bad, right?


The Pogues "Fairytale of New York"
This is a classic that my dad introduced me to when I was a kid. Yesterday, a bad bar band played this when I was having drinks with some co-workers, and I kind of glazed over and let myself slip into the world of the toothless Shane McGowan, a world where it's okay to be in a drunk abusive relationship in New York. I feel like I'm not really selling it, but it's a great tune.




Bandaid "Do they know it's Christmas?"
This song is so mislead it's crazy to think that it was written and performed in the '80s. It's kind of a guilty pleasure, guilty because the lyrics are so fucked up ("The only water flowing [in Africa] is their bitter sting of tears"). But it was for a good cause, and look at how much fun they are all having! Thank God it's them instead of you, huh!




Elvis Presley "Blue Christmas"
Elvis makes it onto every top 5 list that I make, just because he is wonderful in every way. Here is a live performance of his, but he has a whole album of Christmas songs that are pretty cool. This is my fave by far. And I like this little country-ish take on a song that's usually pretty soulful.




Vince Guaraldi Trio "O Tannenbaum"
I usually steer clear of a lot of the other songs on this album (I hate the sound of children singing) but this instrumental is a jazzy take on the original. It also reminds me of my Grandma, who taught me the words in Estonian was I was a kid (I don't remember them). Also, if it's not already, you should make watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special a yearly ritual.

Joni Mitchell "River"
 This one is sad, but worth it. I have been listening to her album Blue on repeat these days, and I have this theory that listening to Joni does the same thing as what happened to the Grinch at the end of his story—your heart can actually get bigger and have the capacity to hold more love in it. (AWWWW.) This song makes me feel reminiscent of the past (a Christmas pasttime) and lucky for what I have write now. So many feeeeeelings! (If you really want a Christmas-themed heart boner, watch this version of the song.)



I am going to add one more song that doesn't make the top 5, mainly because it's really annoying and grating, but I love it nonetheless. WARNING: this one might make you want to kill yourself.

Alvin and the Chipmunks "Christmas Don't Be Late"

How to Cheer Up

via whoresatmydoor.tumblr.com

 You know those days when you're tired, you're grumpy, and you're just looking forward to going home and eating pizza in front of the TV with your parents (err, or something like that...)? Sometimes the best way to get through the day is to kind of proactively force yourself into a better mood. It takes some work, but the whole day will go by a lot faster, and you might even enjoy yourself. For me, writing things down or compiling a list of things that don't suck always helps (which is why I have a blog, duh). Here's a quick 5 things that make me feel pretty good.

via torontolife.com

1. This article on torontolife.com about raising chickens in Toronto. So what if it's still technically against the law? Each person interviewed gave totally positive, non-descript reasons for why owning chickens is so great. The neighbours love them! The eggs are tasty! They're not super loud or smelly! All kidding aside, I would want to get more information—it would be a huge responsibility—but I am seriously considering getting a hen for the backyard. I eat tons of eggs and it would be nice for Penelope to have a friend.

via juliasegal.tumblr.com

2. Pictures of cats. To share the happiness wealth a little (and because Google Reader no longer allows sharing) I started an album of (mostly) cat pics on my facebook. It always cheers me up and I love my friends' reactions to the stupidly cute pictures that I post. Most of them are from this one site that is just GOLD in terms of pictures that make me laugh out loud.

via loveraedar.com

 3. Pictures of peoples' homes, which are purposefully cluttered and look quirky and homey instead of sloppy. I have given up trying to get rid of all my stuff, (side note: About a month ago I was all like "Hey friends! Come over! I'm giving away a bunch of books! Slowly, without any friends coming over to take them, they all made their way back onto the bookshelf.) so now I am trying to study homes that are full of goodness but don't look messy. Or at least as messy as mine.

via nowness.com

 4. The photographs of Alexander Girard. Girard's photographs are those of an observer. I love that they are mostly of his wife during their travels together, I love the colours, and I love folksy quality of them. They're very genuine and real, and all that stuff is very aesthetically appealing to me. The bright pops of colour brighten my day. Check out the rest of them here. The picture of his wife in a yellow dress is the background on my computer.

via style.mtv.com

5. Robyn's performance on last week's SNL. I had momentarily forgotten about this wonderful little pixie until I saw the videos on The Hairpin. Some people are saying that her performance was subpar, but I think those people are crazy. I don't have words to describe how much I like Robyn (her shoes and her dancing give me the biggest heart boner) and her music does this thing to me, where I am sitting at work listening and like dancing inside my head without moving at all. I've been listening to Body Talk all week. I suggest you do the same.


Friends, that really seriously worked. I'm feeling great. (I also just got an email to say that there's rum and eggnog tasting this aft in the office, so that doesn't hurt.)

Amanda Digs Dave (Brubeck, That Is)

There's a quite a bit on my plate right now – a few big work projects are wrapping up at the same time and I've got to keep a sprightly pace to keep on target. The solution? Simple. Brubeck.

I won't pretend to know much about jazz, but for a while now, I've been a big fan of the Dave Brubeck Quartet's masterpiece album from 1959, Time Out. It's got such a creeping coolness and directness about it – it's straightforward and surprising, shifting time signatures with ease and pulling you in with familiar melodies. You've definitely heard some of these before, such as the memorable "Take Five":

But what I've been listening to recently a lot is less ballsy, and a lot more like comfort food: Dave Digs Disney. Brubeck put his signature spin on some of Disney's standards in 1957, like "Heigh-Ho" and "Someday My Prince Will Come", without getting too literal about it at all. It embodies a sort of breeziness that feels entirely nostalgic and grownup at the same time. Sort of what visiting Disney World might be like if you were an Aristocat, maybe.

I really love the album as a whole (which you can download here), the way each number builds upon the last and wraps me in a dreamy world just tinged with Disney. You bet, I'm still coming down from the trip, but I think this drifts away from the source material enough to make it feel modern and adult.

If you've only got time for one, try "When You Wish Upon A Star":

Beyonce and LV

Here are two videos that I can't stop watching this morning: so much fabulousness/style inspiration:

A slightly preggo B doing what she does best.



The breathtakingly beautiful LV spring collection. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this. The range that Jacob's has in his designs is stunning—these are perfectly ladylike, taking everything I loved about the Charles Anastase collection from last spring and making it even better.



Have a relaxing long weekend, and keep checking back for those photos that I'll start posting again next week!

Mixtape: Mouse Ear Swagger

So I'm back! I survived the wonderful world of Walt Disney, and made it back with a heap of great memories, delightful photos, and a lot more freckles. No seriously, my freckles have freckles.

Homegirl G and me, post-Tower of Terror ride

Getting that last blast of 35 degree weather was a nice swan song for summer, and after the week I had just before leaving, I needed a good, relaxing vacation (emergency stays and last minute changes and work overloads, oh my!)

Memory lane

When I get a chance to catch my breath, I'll do a followup to the rules for doing Disney right, but for now, here's our mixtape for the trip. There's a lot of sugary pop, a lot of cool jamz, and a lot of good ol' fashioned fun. You'll recognize many songs from my 6 tracks to rot your brain to post from a while back, but what can I say—I don't like to challenge myself musically that often, and now you can rot your brain on the road. Just go with it bros, download and enjoy away.

Mouse Ear Swagger

1. Two of Us – The Beatles

2. Party in the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus

3. Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) – Katy Perry

4. What Ever Happened – The Strokes

5. Gucci Gucci – Kreayshawn

6. Moves like Jagger (feat. Christina Aguilera) – Maroon 5

7. Touch the Sky – Kanye West

8. Gotta Have It – Kanye West & Jay-Z

9. Hypnotize U – N.E.R.D.

10. Too Close – Next

11. Ignition (Remix) – R. Kelly

12. Inside Out – Britney Spears

13. Umbrella (feat. Jay-Z) – Rihanna

14. E.T. – Katy Perry

15. Power – Kanye West

16. Why I Love You (feat. Mr. Hudson) – Kanye West & Jay-Z

17. Rocket Man – Elton John

18. Laura – Ricky Nelson

(I got the album artwork image here.)

6 Tracks to Rot Your Brain To

There comes a point, every few months, where I catch up on pop music. Where like, every single I've missed over the last four months hits me in a rush of about a week (and usually comes courtesy of my ride-or-die homegirl, Gillian), and I go on an all-sugar diet for a little while afterwards. Fuck any crumbling vestiges of cool I may still possess—this is my favourite kind of high calorie, no good for me, pop junk food (well, this and Ice Loves Coco).

Strap in, buddies, and let's have some fun.

This was a single way back in March, I think, but I only clued into it about a week ago. And hot damn, is it fun. It's so WEIRD. It's about sex with E.T., guys, not that you couldn't have guessed that—the lyrics possess nothing resembling subtlety. The production on this is pretty spectacular though, and the video, while cheesy and over-baked, has some really cool costuming. Gaga did the alien thing earlier this year too, but Katy looks like she's having about a million times more fun not making her career an undergrad thesis on pop culture.

This is such an embarrassing choice, but I truly can't get this out of my head. The video looks like a cross between that awkward Matrix rave/orgy and Street Fighter's Chun-Li, but this is a great song for keeping your pace up when working on something dull. Plus, how good is Kelly Rowland looking? Look at her nails! And she's definitely been doing Buns of Steel. Bey may get all the glory, but this lesser Destiny Child is smartly just making music that'll have her on endless loop in the gay clubs.

This song is such a sneak attack—the first time I heard it, I was like, "uhhh why should I care?" and then I found myself humming it in the shower, and as I did dishes, and on my way to work, and then I realized that it had worked. NERD had effectively hypnotized me, and I don't know why. This video makes me feel icky for a few reasons. 1) I can't buy Pharrell as sexy. Dude has the body of a 14 year old. 2) The harem of vacant women. They're his stripped down, sexed up version of Gwen Stefani's Harujuku Girls, and it weirds me out (I do find it hilarious and amazing how they bounce their chests though). Whatever, I'm not giving up my feminist card for loving this one.

This is as good as Blackout-era Britney, back when she was actually going to clubs and then went bathshit so she couldn't promote her album properly. This one, Femme Fatale, has some serious missteps, but this is a great roiling, steamy sort of pop song. Yeah, I can't believe I just said steamy either, ugh.

Easily the standout track on a pretty good album, Kanye and Jay-Z's collaboration, Watch the Throne. I love how dirty it sounds, and how ramped up—like the blurring lights of speeding through the city on a wet night. G made a great point about what a statement Jay's making on how success changes friendships, and I like how it feels like Jay's stepping down (although lord knows if he'll actually stay down). Kanye comes off as his guard dog, joining in only at the end to continue the message and show his loyalty. It's a good one...

But this one just hits my sweet spot on another level. Enjoy the next time you're rolling.

Any current earworms you just can't shake? Songs I should be listening to?

A Reason to Celebrate

I have a reason to celebrate today, because I just got a fabulous internship at the website of an incredible Toronto-based magazine! I am still too jittery and nervous/excited to write anything worth reading, so today I will leave you with four videos of hot ladies that I can't stop watching. Enjoy!

On Some Songs from My Youth

Whenever one of the below jams comes on the radio, or when I'm browsing the grocery store, or, let's be real, I'm hanging with my friends and we get sucked into a nineties timewarp, I wonder how I still know every. single. word. And not only every word, but every inflection, every riff, every solo. And I start twitching, because that's what happens when I try to stop myself from dancing. Yeah. Why my brain has decided to hang onto this shit and not, say, the proper spelling of 'separate' beats me (yeah, spelled it wrong then too.)

Let's take a trip down memory lane.

I can remember, for gym class, choreographing a dance to this. As you'd imagine, it involved a lot of finger wagging.

Anthem of honeys everywhere. Own that shit, girl.

This already awesome music video has been made even cooler by the realization that it's an homage to Russ Meyer's Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, one of my fave films. Also, the first time I've ever thought Scary Spice might be a total babe (Ginger is assumed as law, guys).

CLASSIC. I was an N'Sync gal over BSB any day.

That being said, this song still kicks ass.




I have no clue why I love this song as much as I do, but this is easily one of the top five Britney songs, maybe even top three. A perfect pop jam, really. And her hair. I longed for that hair as a kid, and I long for it still. And hey, Adrian Grenier before he became annoying, and Melissa Joan Hart when she was still relevant!

Cheating was such a big deal in the late nineties/early aughts, wasn't it? And look at what trendsetters these gals were—I feel like this colour blocking/monochrome thing became one of the hallmarks of the first half of the aughts (making a comeback already?).



Pure skrillz.



OBVIOUSLY. There is no excuse for not involuntarily moving your body to this. If you don't start feeling this pretty immediately, you're not a human—it's a simple as that.



This one goes out to my homegirl Stevie.
We gon' sip Bacardi like it's your birthday
('cause it's your actual birthday!)

The Top 5 Albums of Right Now, At This Moment

How very High Fidelity, you must be thinking.

I like to do this periodically, create a playlist of my favourite albums from right now, and then reflect back on it later. It's interesting to hear, the music that thrills you again like no time has passed, that just sounds good in your ears, or the music you've outgrown, the songs that just remind you of what it feels like to be 18. It's like a diary entry from a former self, and it's revisiting the narratives and emotions that worked for you then.

So, a gift to my future self: my top 5 albums, on July 13, 2011, 11:13 pm, are as follows.

1. Teen Dream – Beach House
I feel like this choice dates me somehow, because it's modern and I think it's just past the point of anyone caring about it, but I'll be damned if this album doesn't still thrill me. Something in the emotion of Victoria Lagrande's voice, its vulnerability, its earthiness grounding the sweetness of the synthentic backgrounds. This lush dream pop feels like emotions feel, rolling over you in tides with crests and lows, and bringing you to a new understanding by the end. And everytime I listen, I hear something different – tonight, it was the little banjo line on "Used To Be" that reminded me of a favourite band of mine growing up, Travis (was anyone else out there a Travis fan? I always feel like such a dork about that).

Choice pick:

2. Death Proof Soundtrack
I've already mentioned this one to you before, but this is just to say, no really, it's the best thing your ears have never heard. Just believe me already.

Choice pick:

3. Astral Weeks – Van Morrison
This album makes me feel back in touch with nature. Is that weird? I listen to it, and it feels like I've spent time in the park, around green, growing things, which totally makes a difference to your physical well-being. The lyrics tumble like pebbles in a creek bed, the feeling is easy, soothing and filled with possibility. The lyrics aren't lyrics at all, just rolling words that follow the form, but they have their own logic somehow. Morrison has never sounded so generous, so open and so peaceful. This is my go-to album whenever things need to make sense, whenever my nerves need calming or I'm feeling in awe about the world. I remember Daniel playing it on a car ride when I felt nauseous to make me feel better, and it totally worked. This is powerful, Gravol-type shit.

Choice pick:

(How dreamy is that album cover?)

4. Beatles For Sale – The Beatles

This pick actually comes a bit out of left field for me. Have you ever tried to do it? Pick your favourite Beatles album? I mean, I love them all for such different reasons. Some have such insane standouts alongside the lowest of low (The White Album), some have really wonderfully conceived stretches (Abbey Road),  and if you'd asked me this a year ago, or even a week ago, I'd probably have answered differently. I'll probably answer differently a week from now. But this is July 13, 2011 at 11:31 pm, and I want to say Beatles For Sale. There are some really amazing vocal performances on this album, and overall, it's just a lot of fun. When, like me, you've been unpacking for the past two weeks, it matters to play albums that make you move. And oh man, that the first 5 seconds of 'Mr. Moonlight'? John Lennon's finest vocal performance ever. Seriously:

Boy has pipes.

Choice pick (two for the price of one!):

5. The Sun Sessions – Elvis Presley
This is Elvis at his best, in the first recordings he did for Sun Studios between 1954 and 55. They are just brimming with life, with nerve, with pure talent – this is a guy with music in his bones. I'm so amazed that these are considered some of the first recordings of rock n roll, because they sound so natural, so easy and exciting. Reading Priscilla Presley's memoir Elvis and Me may have shown me a different side of the King, but this is the beginning, before he became the sad, lonely man he would become. Ugh, god, just typing that made me feel sad about it. Nevermind. Just listen to the album – it's the cure for all that ails you.

Choice pick:

What are some of your favourite albums right now?