ear candy: lana del rey's "paradise"

 

   we all know who lana del rey is. whether it's because of her H & M campaign, that horrid SNL appearance, or just by becoming obsessed with her after the resurgence of her self-made, and albeit choppy, viral videos, miss lana del rey is somewhat of a household name.

 

i first fell in love with her in college. my friend put me on to her "born to die" album and it has stuck with me ever since. when i heard she was coming out with a second record, i knew it was something that couldn't be missed.

 

 

"paradise," named after a google-worthy unreleased track of hers, isn't of cult status as her first album, but it possess some songs with great lyricism and nerve.

 

 

 

with themes circling around america, cherry pie, lust, obsession, freedom, and the open road, "paradise" is def a hollywood record from one of the most hollywood artists out right now. mostly, down tempo, the record highlights del rey's famous girlish ad libs and deep crooning.

"paradise" is the type of record you put on when you want something pretty to listen to. not as angsty as "born to die," "paradise" is mature and honest and less of a caricature of her celebrity.

 

 

some of my faves are

 

ride (reminiscent of late-elvis)

body electric (sensual, with themes of celebrity and the thrill of stardom)

bel air (haunting and ballad-esque)

gods and monsters ( rock-fueled, and lyrical)

 

try it on for size and tell me what you think

 

jas

what to watch: "girl, interrupted."

 

movies about crazy people are either really entertaining or just laundry list of facts.

"girl, interrupted" was that happy medium of bringing awareness to mental illness and still being a great film to indulge in.

 

i had seen the film before, multiple times even. but there was something about watching it this time that put everything in perspective for me.

 

 

it stars some of the nineties great actresses: winona ryder, angelina jolie, brittany murphy (in probably my favorite role of hers), clea duvall, and whoopi goldberg as valerie, the mother superior figure of any mental hospital: the head RN.

 

 

"girl, interrupted" is the story of susanna kaysen (winona ryder) and her trials at the claymoore mental hospital after she checks herself in after a botched suicide attempt. here, susanna is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and spends her time figuring out what this means; befriending a sociopathic lisa (angelina jolie), who takes her under her wing. susanna becomes dependent on lisa, and agrees to go to flee the hospital and go to florida to get jobs at disney world. while, on route, they visit a former patient, daisy (brittany murphy). daisy, often cold and abrupt, seems happy in her newfound freedom. lisa uses this as a tactic to bring up the truth about daisy: bulimic, obsessive-compulsive, incestuous. the next day, daisy hangs herself and when susanna witnesses lisa's disdain for the death, she heads back to the hospital on her own.

 

watching "girl, interrupted" stirred up thoughts of my own mental illness; thoughts i usually try to black out.

 

can one truly overcome their illness?

 

get over it?

deal with it?

 

jas

in light of tonight's events: Margiela for H & M

 

of course we all know the lyrics to niggas in paris (whether we loved the song or not). and i'm pretty sure we all remember kanye's verse highlighting the well known avant garde european designer martin margiela. whether the line resulting in a spike in sales for margiela jackets, i'm pretty sure the dude was doing alright for himself without the shoutout.

 

 

this month, glorified forever 21 retailer, H & M (totally not a dig, because i love them both dearly) released a collection with Margiela and i can honestly say its the best shit they've done in about 2 seasons.

 

 

for the ladies, margiela gives us asymmetrical, grecian style dresses and skirts, leather, plexi-glassed boots and heels, and structured jackets that even mr. west would love for his girl kim to have in her newly renovated closet (totally a dig).

 

even the accessories are to die for! completely innovative and fresh, i'd love to rock any one of those bags with a white tee, high waisted skinnies and classic flats.

 

my faves are:

 

the white high top sneaks (129.00)

the cheeky nude colored bodysuit ($39.95)

the boyishly oversized wool jacket ($199.00)

the quirky flat-like shoe with built in heel (129.00)

and the leather glove crossbody bag (49.95)

 

margiela x H & M is def a collection to check out. worthy of cult status. definitely.

 

jas

for the foreigner in you: "lila says"

i got a little bored of having the same ol' same formula: what to watch, ear candy, betty's obsessions, song to download. sooo, i've added a new feature: for the foreigner in you, where i'll be showcasing my favorite foreign films. and believe me, there are quite a few.

 

this first one has been on my brain ever since i started this blog, probably because it highlights several sexual themes like, lust, obsession, virginity, obscenity...blah blah...the whole kit and caboodle. lila says is the story of chimo, a young muslim boy in paris who becomes obsessed with the sexually enchanting lila.

 

lila, played by vahina giacante, is beautiful and wayward. and chimo, who's always been labeled the "good kid" by his friends, is extremely taken by her (but who wouldn't be enamored with a girl who asks you if you want to see her "pussy?").

 

 

 

chimo is in for a little secret towards the end of the film, but then again so is everyone who knows lila.

 

quintessentially french. i wouldn't call it epic, but it definitely is entertaining.

 

try it on for size and tell me what you think

 

jas

song to download: jessie ware's "night light" (remix)

 

 

holy british invasion! it seems like everything good in life comes from the united kingdom. hmmm,

let's see: the spice girls, ricky gervais, the tv show "misfits," and my newest obsession: jessie ware.

 

 

 

jessie ware, south london-ite and sade sounding songtress, released her debut album earlier this summer titled, devotion (great album by the way) and on it is "night light." a fantastic song on its own, night light has been revamped and reupolstered by electro making dynamo, Perseus Traxx (yes, his name is capitalized because that is how glorious he is).

 

only about 3:30 mins long, perseus' remix of "night light" is a gratifyingly sensual reproduction of jessie ware's jewel of a record.

 

so, why isn't this post considered one of betty's obssesions? because, i just HAD to let you guys know about this great little ditty i found while cruising the world wide web.

 

so take it and enjoy it as much as i am

 

jas

betty's obsessions: ratchet pussy party (men's fashion)

i went to school for fashion. and like most college grads, i haven't done anything with my degree. womp womp. whenever i feel the need to express myself in regards to fashion, i head right over to polyvore.com. the site is a haven for fashionistas galore, and while i don't consider myself a fashionista, it still feels good to go gaga over some nice clothes.

 

in this particular post, i focused on menswear. i got an invite from a friend to go to something called a "ratchet pussy party." (check out the website if you don't believe me: ratchetpussyparty.com). truth be told, i had no idea what one would wear to this and i, like always, headed for polyvore.

 

instead of finding my own outfit, i found one for the dudes.

 

 

this look features finds like:

 

the comme des fuckdown ASAP beanie

true religion buffalo plaid flannel top

classic levi 508

hershel knapsack

billionaire boys club oxford style boots

and the greatest army green jacket from some company i don't know

 

 

what would you wear to a ratchet pussy party?

 

i'm still clueless

 

enjoy

 

jas

ear candy: "little dragon"

 

 

 

sigh. i honestly dont remember how i found out about this band. but, man, i'm so glad i did. little dragon, is a quartet featuring singer yukimi nagano and her bandmates fred, erik and hagan. together the four of them create magic. a mix of hip hop, neo soul, reggae, indie pop and straight up glorified my favorite of all genres, trip hop, their debut album "little dragon" is one for the record books. definitely one of those albums you head straight to the record store to buy and play over and over again whether your drug of choice is analog or digital.

 

 

 

it's yukimi's vocals that take the cake for me. who sounds, on occassion, like a mix of missy elliot and amel larrieux (of groove theory fame). the comparisons don't even make up for what she brings to album.

 

 

 

my personal faves:

 

twice

recommendation

after the rain

wink

 

try it on for size and tell me what you think

 

jas