IM // UR | Other kinds of Romance

BEFORE TODAY by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

It doesn’t take much to make me feel stupid. Trying to find the words to describe the debut album of Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti at 4AD is just one of many examples I could give you. To me, ‘Before Today’ sounds like an album that Kevin Barnes could be recording if he loved goth bands more than funk ones. Or like the cold wave genre entering a multicoloured psychedelic stage instead of glazing at it's own depression. Don’t mind my threadbare examples; this is the album that will make it onto every interesting top 10 of the year and you don’t wanna miss it.

WE // R \\ WEARING

I can't resist (probably overpriced) basics-with-a-twist. My wardrobe, full of T by Wang, Oak, Bassike and yes, American Apparel is proof of this; and since in Australia, a new favourite has emerged in the form of Nathan Smith. His selection of supersoft tees, tanks and dresses have sucked me into buying multiples of a number of styles in different colourways. You just can't go wrong with these though! Addictively and endlessly wearable - and not in actual fact, overpriced in the slightlest - Nathan Smith is the way forward for your wardrobe.

WE // R \\ WATCHING

I don’t think any series will treat teenagers the same way that Freaks and Geeks did almost 10 years ago. Although relying on every teen American cliché they could, this series was the closest thing to reality you could get whilst still being something fun and interesting to watch – cause, you know, life is boring. With bands like The Who, The Clash and XTC being either part of episodes or the soundtrack, this 80’s based cult show was short-lived (only 18 episodes), but long enough to enrich the careers of some young actors (i.e. James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Busy Philipps and, erm, Linda Cardellini) and is greatly missed. Can we have a movie about them meeting again in the 00’s?

WE // R \\ GOING

Once, a friend of mine wanted to take me to this 'cheap Chinese restaurant', situated in the heart of Liberdade, a Japanese neighborhood in São Paulo. When we got there the place was packed, but because it looked cheesy and kinda poor, I didn't want to wait it out. It took another friend for me to go back there and fall in love with it. Now, every time the mood for some freshly made noodles (you can watch the chief making the noodle dough through a window) framed in some horribly painted pink walls takes me, I go for Rong He. Did I mention the food is also incredibly generous and cheap?

WE // R \\ READING

The ultimate in peeping tom into other, cooler, more fashionable, richer, quirkier and more-hipster-than-thou lives is Todd Selby's The Selby. Having previously been an internet only voyeur's dream, Todd has just last month released The Selby Is In Your Place, a coffee table tome full of twee drawings, colourful interiors and people showering. Half of the images in the books are favourites from the website and the other is stuff he hasn't published online yet. So go check it out, maybe buy it if you can to make your crappy coffee table in your crappy apartment that little bit cooler with pictures of someone else's cool stuff.

Other kinds of Romance

Tuesday // November 17, 2009 at 07:33 // filed under Music

Gang signs - Lady Gaga goes Illuminati

The world is a-gog with Gaga right now, what with the whole Beyoncé collabo thing finally being released (did you manage to catch it before it went all restricted on youtube et al? If you missed it here, it's resurfaced again but I gotta say, Gaga struggles to even get a look in next to Sasha Fierce werking it out like that) and the 'Bad Romance' video phenomenon elevating her from making DIY Haus of Gags tribute attire to being a bona fide high end fashion goodie bagger.

I read on the internetz today, a breakdown and analysis of the signs and symbolism that 'Bad Romance' is apparently full of. Like, amongst the rest of the Da Vinci code stuff in the vid, Gags "...makes her trademark 'Eye in the triangle' hand gesture after initiation to make it clear who owns her now. The Illuminati." Everything about this conclusion boggles me, and I find it BEYOND WICKED (and hilarious, and BRILLIANT).

In the meantime a couple of unexpected remixes have surfaced, one from Hercules and Love Affair and the other from Leeds boy Grum.

Hercules and Gaga Affair

I heart photoshop...

Hercules and Love Affair caress 'Bad Romance' with their subtle but signature nostalgic neo house/disco filter; softening the track and giving it a far less aggressive, more sophisticated feel.

Flash Content

Lady Gaga - Bad Romance (Hercules & Love Affair Mix) [mp3]

Gaga for Grum

...I really do

Grum on the other hand goes for the icy synths and 80s flashback; turning it into a guilty pleasure of a synth pop gem.

Flash Content

Lady Gaga - Bad Romance (Grum Remix) [mp3]

Both in my opinion, endlessly improve on the original track. I ain't no huge fan of the Gags, nor am I a total hater, but you do have to love to hate/hate to love the whole circus. Girl wanted to create a monster and a monster she has become. Dreams can come true, so it seems. And any fashion head worth their salt can't help but at least begrudgingly respect that goddamn video.

POSTED BY CHRISTEL ESCOSA

TAGS: Lady Gaga, Hercules and Love Affair, Grum // LINKS: Hercules and Love Affair, Grum