Bon Iver’s gorgeous follow-up to 2007’s For Emma, Forever Ago, simply titled Bon Iver, will be released on June 21, but I got my lucky hands on a copy a couple of weeks ago and it’s been my nightly soundtrack ever since. I’m a huge sucker for a good falsetto, and singer/songwriter Justin Vernon’s angelic one always sends me straight to sweet slumber. “Calgary,” the lead single from the new album, just got the music video treatment and although there’s a lot going on visually, it’s hard not to be swept away by the simple, powerful emotion that pulls throughout the song. Bon Iver just does it right—every time.
NYFW backstage beauty: The Chinese military meets ’40s Hollywood at Jason Wu
NYFW style snaps: We’re at Peter Som and Jason Wu, and so are Grace Coddington, Kate Lanphear, and Olivia Palermo
NYFW diary: The dispatch from day one including Jason Wu’s updated Mao jacket, Rag & Bone’s granny mishmash, and Suno’s sweet, sweet garden print
They said/We said: Kate Moss battles good and evil (like, really evil!) in a new W photoshoot
NYFW style snaps: We spy many fur coats, lots of studded leather, and is that Waris Ahluwalia?
All posts under ‘Music’
Scene
NXNE primer: The 5 most stylish bands hitting Toronto this week
Dum Dum Girls. Photography by Tyson Wirtzfield.
Toronto’s North by Northeast music and film festival lineup can seem unappealing versus its buzzier Austin-based cousin, South by Southwest, but the indie music fest gets bigger, louder, and more fashionable each year. Take style cues from these five ultra-styling must-see bands:
Dum Dum Girls
Though they play rah-rah garage rock, Dum Dum Girls are less dusty, girls-next-door, more enviably editorialized—expect red lips and lots of black.
Lee’s Palace, June 17, 11 P.M.
Fashion
Fashion news: William and Kate’s July cover, M.A.C’s new collection and Maje’s new lookbook
Photo by Mario Testino
Just in time for their North American tour, Wills and Kate grace the cover of July’s Vanity Fair. [Fashionista]
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Scene » Music
Sharlene Chiu’s FASHION + music pick: “You” by CREEP
CREEP is Brooklyn’s DJ/producer duo Lauren Flax and Lauren Dillard. These two make sleekly haunting music with clean electro beats with enough space for you to fall right into the song’s heart. If you find yourself going through the xx withdrawal like I am, you should check out CREEP’s “Days” which features the xx’s Romy Madley Croft’s hypnotic vocals. Apparently, “Days” was the first track written by Flax and Dillard while in bed and you can definitely hear the intimacy. CREEP’s recent single, “You”, features vocals from Nicole and Natalie Albino of Nina Sky and has a trip-hop, R&B feel, but the sheer darkness that links all of CREEP still permeates. Check out the minimalistic black and white video (dripping blood included, of course) for “You” that’ll leave you in a wicked double-take.
Scene » Music
Sharlene Chiu’s FASHION + music pick: “Real Love” by Delorean
Everything about Delorean screams summer to me. As I’m writing this on yet another rainy day in Toronto, I’m finding a sunny escape with a recent 3D video produced by Pitchfork for the Spanish four-piece’s track, “Real Love”, off their incredibly fun album Subiza. Subiza was one of my favourite albums of last year and its poppy combination of 90s techno and Italian house with Singer/bassist Ekhi Lopetegi’s alluring accented vocals still makes this a standby album to play before a big night out. I’ve only watched the 3D cut of “Real Love” sans glasses but it’s still a wonderful ride to watch as the song plays along a dancing astronaut bouncing through the streets of New York. If this doesn’t get you dancing, I don’t know what will!
Scene
Sharlene Chiu’s FASHION + music pick: “Sadness is a Blessing” by Lykke Li
When it comes to songs, there are few things I love more than a really good sad one. Lykke Li’s “Sadness is a Blessing”, off her latest album “Wounded Rhymes”, is one that I’ve had on repeat and I dare you to watch the video for it and not be moved. Not only is Lykke utterly mesmerizing in it but the video also features an equally powerful performance by Stellan Skarsgård (of Thor, Good Will Hunting and Alexander Skarsgård-spawning fame) that perfectly compliments the stripped down emotion that bleeds through the song. Go on, have a good cry.
Scene » Music
Sharlene Chiu’s FASHION + music pick: “Strawberry Swing” by Frank Ocean
To call Frank Ocean, of L.A. hip hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, an R&B artist is an understatement. Frank Ocean’s latest album “NOSTALGIA, Ultra” is a mixtape dripping with a ton of heart and soul and displays a remarkable storytelling talent that I seriously can’t wait to see develop into his next album. Expect samples from MGMT, Radiohead, Coldplay, Eagles, and even a clip from Eyes Wide Shut. I’ve been listening to this album a lot recently and even did a major cookout to it where I came up with this delicious recipe. Music and food… my loves.
Check out his single below and download his album for free here!
Scene » Music
Sharlene Chiu’s FASHION + music pick: “New Brigade” by Iceage
I started 2011 by travelling to Copenhagen for a week to shoot another episode of Sharlene Vs. While I was looking for new acts to meet up with, I came across this group of 18 and 19 year-olds called Iceage. Their debut album, New Brigade, comes out June 21st and is a blistering 26 minutes of frenetic raw punk that will knock you out so fast in the best way possible. Iceage’s bio describes them as a mixture of “punk, post-punk, Goth and hardcore as if they invented it.” Check out their lo-fi video for “New Brigade” and see for yourself.
