Two Day is the greatest...

 

I have two truly awesome pieces of news to share. First off, She & Him's new CD, Volume 2 is out today! Second, the dynamic duo is coming to the Phoenix on June 9 - and I gots myself some tickets this afternoon! Can you say study hall hula hoop party time?

Mood Music: "Don't Look Back" by She & Him

She & Him & Love..

Photo: BeatCrave

One of my favourite bands, She & Him (otherwise known as the dynamic duo that is M. Ward and the divine Miss Deschanel), is releasing a new album (Volume 2) at the end of this month and I, for one, can't wait. I loved their first CD and am seriously digging their first single off their new record, "In the Sun". Their songs are very 60s and soulful - pretty much the musical equivilant of a perfectly-fitting vintage cocktail dress. I don't know about you, but I love me a good retro-chic frock (especially on Zooey - she's been my girl-crush for years!).

Last week, the duo released a second song from their new album called "Thieves". It is actually gorgeous. I think it may even be better than "In the Sun". Listen and love.

P.S. - How adorable is the Volume 2 artwork?

Mood Music: "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here" by She & Him

Zooey and Joe steal my heart - again!

I didn't think I'd ever be able to say this, but this retro dance routine to She & Him's already irresistable "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" is even better than Tom's post-coital Hall & Oates lip sync party.

Zooey, I know you're married to that guy from Death Cab and all, but I think you should reconsider that union. You and Joe are the most adorkable fake couple I've ever seen.

P.S. - (500) Days of Summer needs to be on DVD right now. 

Mood Music: "Two Weeks" by Grizzly Bear

Christmas time is here...

 

It's the most wonderful time of the year again. It's time for advent calendars. It's time for excessive peppermint ingestion. It's time for milk and cookies. It's time for red and green to briefly remain an acceptable color combo. It's time to break out your Christmas Vacation DVD. It's time for egg nog and festive hob nobs. And most importantly, it's time for Christmas music.

I know. After getting invaded by terrible Christmas crooning at the malls (they always pick the worst ones to play at department stores), sometimes it's hard to remember how awesome Yuletide songs can be. But when they're good, they're golden.

Here are 12 of my favourite Christmas songs - one for each day of Christmas.

1. "Christmas Time is Here" - Charlie Brown

Classic. Classic. Classic. 

2. "White Christmas" - Otis Redding

This song has been done a million times, but nobody does it like Otis. He makes it so soulful it hurts. Gorgeous.

3. "Baby It's Cold Outside" - Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone (from the Elf soundtrack) 

This is why I fell in love with Miss Deschanel. (P.S. - She & Him are releasing a sequel to "Volume 1"! They better tour.)

4. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" - U2

I don't know about you, but I like my Christmas with a side of rock n' roll and an extra helping of yearning.

5. "Little Saint Nick" - The Beach Boys

This song is the definition of holiday cheer.

6. "All I Want for Christmas Is You" - Olivia Olsen

I love Mariah's original but this one wins because it was in  the best festive movie of the times, "Love, Actually".

7. "Christmas Wrapping" - The Waitresses 

This one gets my vote for so many reasons, but mostly because it indulges in the fine art of the pun right from the get go.

8. "Sleigh Ride" - Harry Connick Jr. 

Under Harry's guidance, sleigh bells become mighty saxxy. I love.

9. "Last Christmas" - Wham! 

An 80s Christmas classic by a gay icon? Yes, please.

10. "What's This" - Jack Skellington 

The sights, the sounds! They're everywhere and all around! I've never felt so good - before! This empty place inside of me is filling up. I simply cannot get enough. I want it, oh, I want it. Oh, I want it for my own. I've got to know. I've got to know! What is this place that I have found? What is this?

11. "Fairytale of New York" - The Pogues 

A little bit folky. A little bit rock n' roll. A little bit rude. All around wonderful.

12. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" - Judy Garland 

After that saucy Saint Nick tune, you'll want to amp up the class again. And who knows classy better than Judy?

Mood Music: "Last Christmas" - Glee Cast

An Education gets an A (in awkwardness)...

On Monday, my history prof asked if anyone had seen the movie, An Education. I eagerly put my hand up but no one else wanted to join the party. He asked me if I liked it, and I said it was creepy. He looked at me as if I had two heads and told the class, "Don't listen to her! It's a wonderful movie" While my prof and many critics seemed to have been charmed by the sorta-cute-sorta-totally-creepy flick, I'm can't say I'd give the Nick Hornby tale (I gave the man my heart with High Fidelity and About a Boy, and he gives me this?) a top grade. Except, maybe in utter sketchiness.

An Education seems like a text-book example of a movie I'd love. The story follows Jenny (played by Carey Mulligan), a Brit teen who dreams of living the life of an intellectual at Oxford. She's book smart, speaking French at the drop of a hat and referencing Camus over after school snacks, but she's yet to really get out in the social world. Enter, David, a charming man (played by the strangely off-putting Peter Sarsgaard). He takes her to clubs, buys her expensive perfume, showers her with flowers, whisks her to Paris and wins over her parents. I know, sounds like a cute coming-of-age flick right? It's not.

You see, David, is 30 and Jenny is 16. Perhaps I'm more conservative than I thought, but this particular May-December romance really weirded me out. I'm talking, I-was-squirming-in-my-seat weirded out. I love me some Sarsgaard, but the man just came out as a sketchy creeper from beginning to end for me. Whenever he and Jenny had a sensual moment, it got really uncomfortable for me - most notably when he suggests jokingly (I hope) that she try having sex with a banana before they actually do the deed (I'm serious).

Anthropologie's really got a hold on me...

Yesterday, I went to the new Anthropologie store at the Shops at Don Mills and fell in loverly about 140 times over.

I have been to the store several times in the States before, but I never fell as hard for the quirky looks of this upscale Urban Outfitters as I did last night. The moment I walked in, I was hooked. As I walked around the store, I was absolutely positive about three things. First, the dresses were ridiculously adorable vintage-inspired masterpieces of bohemian sass (and I'm putting that lightly). Second, that the funky styles were straight off the backs (not literally, but you know what I mean) of my favourite quirky girly style icons - Zooey Deschanel, Kate Nash and Charlotte Charles - complete with the flattering hourglass silhouettes and whimsically colorful patterns. And third, that I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with them (Bonus points if you catch that reference!)

If the price tags had been $100 less, I would have bought at least 5 of the summery frocks. But they were mighty expensive, leaving me with no choice but to admire them from afar (and briefly from underneath the extremely flattering lights of the change rooms). For now, I guess I'll have to settle for working some make-shift Zooey bangs (Vi showed me how to get em' goin'!), rockin' the occasional Kate-ish Forever 21 frock and eating amazing amounts of amusingly alliterative pie.

P.S. - Speaking of Zooey, is anyone else super-pumped for 500 Days of Summer?

Mood Music: "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" by She & Him