The Speed of Sound: Little Hell by City and Colour

On June 7th, City and Colour officially releases his much anticipated third studio album Little Hell. I must say, I have been very unpatiently waiting for this to drop for some time.  Bring Me Your Love dropped in 2008 and it's still on heavy rotation on my disk changer and mp3. 

Dallas Green, as what he goes by alternatively when he's mashing it up on stage with Alexisonfire, is a prime example of true Canadian talent and what we have harvesting here in the Great North. With his melodic acoustic strumming style and airy and ethereal voice, City and Colour can clear the storm clouds brewing on a moody day and elevate my spirit, or contrastingly enough, dig me in a deeper hole when I feel like shit because his music is melancholy and heartbreakingly beautiful. 

Check out "Northern Wind" off the Little Hell which has already won me over:

And below is the first single "Fragile Bird" released off the album:

And one of my favs off of Bring Me Your Love, "Sleeping Sickness":

Also great news if you're in the Toronto area! June 6th at 8:15pm, City and Colour will be putting on a FREE show as a part of the Edge Sugar Beach Sessions to kick off the release of Little Hell! 

Check out the official website for details.

See you there!!

Visuals 101: Jean-Michel Basquiat

Probably on my list as one of the most interesting and influential artists, Jean-Michel Basquiat was like a Shakespearean tragedy.  An original New Yorker and highly gifted, he was destined for greatness and accomplished much of just that. But like so many cerebrally heightened artists, drugs was his bitch of choice as it had him by the balls eventually claiming his life at the forsaken age of 27, like so many before him...and some unfortunately after. 

Basquiat, aka SAMO which was his tag name, started bombing on buildings in NYC mainly between 1977 to the early '80s. SAMO was also associated as a crew of graffitti-ests such as Al Diaz and Shannon Dawson, who at first were an anonymous group artists tagging down the place attracting attention. Definitely my type of hype! A lot of his work was poetic and even political at times. 

 Eventually graduating to canvas and mixed media, Basquiat was very much involved with the Neo-expressionist movement and was showcased in many galleries internationally. He often incorporated words in his paintings which were all rich in expression and imagery. He also represented his Haitian and Puerto Rican heritages and black history studying the topics of slavery and also segregation and civil rights within America. 

Basquiat ran with the likes of Andy Warhol, David Bowie, Blondie and even dated Madonna prior to her stardom. He performed in a band called Gray which played at CBGB, Hurrah, the Mudd Club, etc.

Interesting fact, he loved to paint in Armani suits turning them into art pieces themselves, which were often covered in paint splatter. A true artist indeed. 

"Untitled"

image source: wikipedia

"Fallen Angel"

image source: egodesign.ca


"Untitled"

image source: artnet.com

Below: photo still of Basquiat tagging from the indie film Downtown 81, 1981

image source: artnet.com

The man himself:

image source: goldbergmcduffie.com

Street Style: Color Her Badd...but bad meaning good

So while picking up a pair of Vans today, I couldn't help but gawk at the beautifully coloured bracelets that were gracing the wrists of Christine, the girl who was helping me out. She had them paired with a simple white tank, boyfriend jeans, a brown leather belt and my fav, well worn white Chucks. You don't need anything more than that to accompany these bad boys below:

I love these :)

The Rundown

The Rundown: Almost Summer...

Black iridescent suede sandals by Joie, Citizens of Humanity denim, my trusty Art and Lutherie folk guitar (I'm self taught hence why I suck) and I'm also aware I'm in dire need of a pedicure :(

Today's Song: "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison cuz it's just so summery :)

The Rundown

The Rundown:

Marc Jacobs crossbody bag, Leather RetroSuperFuture frames, Jade Buddha necklace I got from a monastery in Hong Kong, faux vintage (by vintage I mean my bro's grade 6 field trip keepsake) raccoon tail key fob

Song: "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart

Random Things You Should Know About Me

I never really follow current trends when it comes to my personal style. But if I had to choose random things that influence my wardrobe, it would be a plethora of stuff.

I'm fashion bi-polar meaning it depends on how I feel at the moment. I love menswear, flirty florals, baggy boyfriends, sheers, Chucks, Choos, suspenders, pastel acordian skirts, lumberjack plaids and the list goes on...I'm mainly about comfort but on the flipside I'm also a cosmopolitan bitch.

I love Penfield jackets for men:

One of the best finds I ever bought from Lileo (my fav store owned by the hippest people, Syd Beder and Arlene Pastor). A pair of John Varvatos for Converse baggy pants with suspenders and zippered cuffs!

Not nearly as beat up as I like them:

The most comfortable heels I have chilling on a antique chair I bought for $40 at Abraham's Antiques on Queen St:

Original button fly's biatch! I love them boyfriend style

Superdry:

I can't tell you what's playing on the radio but I can tell you what's on my mp3: Band of Horses, Temper Trap, Neil Young, Aloe Blacc, Billie Holiday, Kanye, Tchaikovsky, Donny Hathaway, The Black Lips, Jay Z, Smif n Wessun, Air Traffic, Jimi Hendrix, Kid Cudi, Sam Cooke, Cat Power, Beethoven, Otis Redding, Joy Division, City and Colour, Biggie...ya I love music.

Vintage vinyl scored from an abandoned apartment:

I love weeping willow trees, summer nights, wildflowers, dirty Chucks, vintage finds, patterns, anything Native inspired and vinyl records.

image source: www.giverny-impression.com

So hello everyone, it's long delayed but it's very nice to meet you!

Toronto Alternative Fashion and Arts Week 2011: Friday April 29th, Day 4

The last day of FAT 2011 was full of anticipation and the venue was buzzing. Parking was a bitch and it took me 20 minutes to find a spot. Great expectations as they say and it definitely went above and beyond...literally...keep on reading and you'll see what i mean...

I missed quite a few runway and performances unfortunately but check out the pics below from what I did catch:

Antonella Sigismondi's The Coochie Store which features a line of eclectic lingerie:

Louis J. Manzo and Baby Steinberg teamed up to present us with their debut line Miller Monroe: WO*MAN which graces us with a contemporary and exclusive twist on menswear. 

I loved when the models came out with longboards and plaid patterned garments and coordinating wraps. It was fresh and laidback vibing a cool and comfortable spin on sexual masculinity. 

Translation: Stand out and be an individual...fuck everyone else! Words to live by...

Fashion Whore was glitzy and fun. Not anything I would rock personally but it was entertaining and a great show!

And finally, the last day of FAT 2011 ended with a spectacular theatrical runway performance from Imagozine. 

There's soooo much that was involved with this performance so instead of rewriting everything, you can click the below link to catch it in full on FAT's blog:

http://fashionarttoronto.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/imagozine-fat-2011/

And here are some pics of some attendees:

Ms Precious Keyz:

Hans Munoz of Isaac Boldt:

So in conclusion, it was an honor officially blogging for FAT 2011 and being in the presence of such talented and truly gifted artists. It's such a pleasure to be apart of something that supports artists who aren't afraid to be different and take risks in this dog eat dog industry. I'm a true believer and 100% supporter of the arts and more than anything, feel you should never compromise who you are. At the end of the day, if people don't love or respect you for you...just tell them to GO FUCK THEMSELVES.

Cheers!!