I can only build if I tear the walls down
even if it breaks me I wont let it make me frown
I’m falling but no matter how hard I hit the ground
I’ll still smile
I can only build if I tear the walls down
even if it breaks me I wont let it make me frown
I’m falling but no matter how hard I hit the ground
I’ll still smile

… ear to ear as if that’s all I’m here for
despite the wars founded by the rich, funded by the poor
kids barely 18 are dying so billionaires can make more
elsewhere hungry mothers watch their babies starve to death in a beat up shack on a dirt floor
The aged professor quotes “Freedom’s without a path”
now he dresses like a widow and preaches “love is dead” in every class
But curiosity killed the cat and taught
the dog in him how to act
and it burned his bridge to Jill so he tries to drown the guilt with a bottle of Jack
Self proclaimed rebels say “We must oppose the system!”
“You gotta take a stand!” “If you’re not against them you’re with them!”
signs read “Support the troops bring em’ home!” “No more innocent victims!”
but when a homeless veteran asks for spare change you’re to busy protesting to even listen
And I’m no different I live in conflict and contradiction but it can be so beautiful
when I don’t reject what lies within
It’s beautiful the way agony connects us to the living
I think of the world when I hurt, and keep on existing in the now

I can only build if I tear the walls down
even if it breaks me I wont let it make me frown
I’m falling but no matter how hard I hit the ground
I’ll still smile
I can only build if I tear the walls down
even if it breaks me I wont let it make me frown
I’m falling but no matter how hard I hit the ground
I’ll still smile

On the 16th, the world lost a poet, rapper, freestylist, and a teacher – Eyedea.

He showed the world his world and taught lessons through his lyrics.

The lesson here?  No matter how hard you hit the ground – smile…

Kurt Cobain by Scott Fife

One of the most effective exhibits in the Kurt exhibition is not the larger-than-life and somewhat morbid rendition of Cobain’s cranium, by Scott Fife (2006). It was fairly impressive and haunting; with large bloodshot eyes staring through you, off into space. It also wasn’t Jordan Kantor’s Untitled (2006), a painstaking collaged rendition of crime scene photos – “perpetuating an air of mystery.” Truly, one of the most striking pieces may not be linked to Kurt at all, in that it could be anybody’s séance – Cobain, Morrison, Hendrix.

Standing Wave Séance by Hadley and Maxwell (2010) was one of the most effective pieces at the exhibit, giving the viewer a chance to enter the “pathos of Cobain’s disembodied voice” both “celebrated and destroyed by the same crowd”. It’s a conspicuous exhibit – fiberboard walls, padded with egg crate on the outside give the artwork a sort of humble appeal. Walking into the piece takes the viewer to a whole different level. A feedback loop plays through the mounted speakers next to a red Fender amp, and a microphone is the central focus, set on top of duct taped mats. This is the artist’s world, lit by a solitary bare bulb. Around the room, the viewer might find a number of artifacts, origami boxes and an accordion cut matchbook could have been a way to relieve the tension before recording or before a show. All these things represent a larger lifestyle, a lonely ascent from a “normal” reality. Clinging to that reality and to a sense of normalcy – taped to the mic stand – sits a lonely wisp of a plant in a plastic cup might suggest the artist’s rise towards the light, towards stardom and fame. The lonely little plant also suggests a wish to stay grounded. As the viewer circles the sound room, the roar of a crowd rises, replacing the feedback loop. The pressure is on, to tune up, to play a show, to impress crowds. Standing behind the mic, the viewer has a glimpse towards the gritty and well-known photos of Cobain crashing into the drum kit behind him at the Rijn. Kurt looks dazed as onlookers stand back and watch. The entire effect of the tiny sound room is haunting, even giving the viewer a sort of trapped feeling – the room is a little too small, too dark. In the background, beyond the room this exhibit stands in, Nirvana’s music floats through the rest of the exhibit with a note of tragedy.

Banks Violette - Lines of Wreckage (Love Songs for Assholes #2)

While many of the pieces in the exhibit are striking – including Banks Violette’s heavy-handed graphite work, some of the pieces seem trite and forced. They’re there as if to say “I want to ride this wave of stellar death.” What’s fashionable in art will always be copied whether through subject or technique and the topic of Cobain’s early demise is definitely still a sore subject.

Slater Bradley’s Marijuana (2004) is one such piece – taking on an air of textbook simplicity and attempting to grab the viewer’s attention through the title. It’s the kind of artwork we’d see taped to a dorm room wall, not from an artist who can get himself into the SAM with pieces like Silver I Love You So Much it Makes Me Sick (2008). It feels forced, showing off the covers of three different magazines, including High Times and Rolling Stone with the same photo of Cobain plastered across the front. The title and the subject matter show an obvious drug reference, but with all the triteness of an illogical connection between marijuana and premature celebrity expiration. It reads almost like a drug-free commercial, where marijuana is the gateway to Cobain’s death. Were the piece titled something different – Heroin, maybe – the connection would be believable. The main focus of the piece – noted from the placard on the wall is that Kurt’s face is used a number of times in different ways, with the only cannabis reference being the magazines featured. Sitting next to Silver, Marijuana definitely shows the gap in Bradley’s evolution as an artist.

Overall, the Kurt exhibit is melancholy, especially if you skip the derisive affront to Cobain’s fan base through Bradley’s elementary rendition of the passing of a rock legend. More so than not, the exhibit will leave you with a sense of loss, and loneliness representing the inner world of someone so tortured.

(Image via the KEXP blog)

Exceeeept… We bought them months in advance… And had inadvertently gotten tickets to the all-ages show.

We got them so early that I almost forgot about the concert (since I’ve been buried under a mountain of homework – yuck!) until Mister came around on Saturday night, and asked when we should head down.  Gasp!  Horreur! I threw something on, on the fly, and came up with this:

Top: Spun Sangria V-neck
Layered over: American Eagle beater tank
Shorts: H&M
Tights: From the Rack.
Boots: Blowfish
Scarf: Moksha (On the Ave)
Tatted cuffs: Totus Mel
Necklace: H&M

Oh yeah, and I’ve got a new hair color.  I needed something new for fall and my roots had grown out tremendously (we’re talking like 2″) so I had to do something, stat!  I went with a nice red, which ended up being super bright over the bleached (pink) parts, and overall, gave my ‘do a nice depth.

The show itself was fantastic.  We got there for the opening DJ who played some excellent cuts – including a remix of Heads Will Roll by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  LOVE that song.

GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY’s set was AMAZING.

(Image via AlmightyLiveStudio)

There were lasers and people dancing their asses off.  Aaron of Ghostland bounced around on the stage screaming into the mic in all his braided glory.  And props to Thomas’s fantastic silver cape!  Of course, they played “Sad Sad City” which had the entire crowd bouncing around to the echoes of their unique brand of electro-funk-dance-pop.

At the end of the night, it seemed those boys didn’t want to quit, and the crowd loved it.  Aaron would say “Okay… this is the last song…” and then they played again… and then Aaron said, “Okay this is REALLY the last song…” and burst out into song as the crowd cheered them on.

I snapped some quick photos from the event, from the corralled off 21+ section.

Hello, laser show!  It felt a little rave-y, but mixed with the beats Ghostland Observatory cranked out, it was definitely an awesome night!

♦ ♦ ♦

It all started when Rez (Trent Reznor) announced that Nine Inch Nails would not be touring after a last round of shows titled the “Wave Goodbye” tour. He said that after 20 years, Nails needed a break from the hardcore tour circuit, but that he’d still be making music. Fans were shocked, but still supportive of a man who’d come so far in the music world and in his own creative process. We had watched his musical endeavour grow, just as we had grown. 1989-2009 – it seems like they’ve been around forever and this tour marked the end of an era.

Image via BrooklynVegan

The day the tickets went on sale was excruciating. We reserved our virtual place marker on the ticketing website (NIN @ MusicToday) at 9am, and waited for sales to start at 5p – an 8 hour wait. We were buying for the Los Angeles shows – the closest the tour would come to Seattle.  It was an exhilarating experience, because we knew that we were one of a few to get tickets to this monumental last tour. We booked our flights around the ticket date. We rented a car, we called our families and friends and told them we’d be in town, and we waited.

The day before we flew to Los Angeles for the Wiltern show, the NIN site announced that Rez had been sick in New York and Chicago. Then they announced that the LA shows would be rescheduled. I crossed my fingers for our show – and to no avail.

The night before we flew out, they rescheduled the show at the Wiltern, and much to my dismay, the rescheduled date would fall the day after we’d left LA. We were crushed.

They say that where there is a will, there is a way – but willpower didn’t get us far enough. On the front page of the NIN site, Rez said they’d honor refunds for the fans who were unable to switch things around. The forums on NIN.com were ablaze with notes to and from users, attempting to swap tickets, and trying to find ways to get into shows because they wouldn’t be in town for their rescheduled show. We all waited. We expected them to be to help us out in trying to get to these shows. It didn’t help that MusicToday closed at 3p PST, for the Labor Day holiday weekend.

One might have expected preferential ticketing to those who already had tickets, or the possibility of trading tickets with other NIN fans. The result was much different than expected. Fans like myself were told that there would be no trades, no swaps, nothing but a refund if you replied by a certain time. I was lucky I was able to access mobile email or I might have missed out on my refund. There was no “switching things around” like Rez had mentioned on the site – there was nothing offered to those of us who’d spent a day waiting for tickets, and whose plans had been shattered by Trent Reznor’s illness. There were fans who’d flown over from the UK, and while it was apparent those fans had the ability to make other plans, they’d still flown to the US to be sent home empty-handed.  Many fans had a life to get back to, that wouldn’t allow the necessary flexibility to try to catch a rescheduled show.  The Music Today employee who handled my refund was entirely unsympathetic to the circumstances.

The refund process was fairly disconcerting as the entire refund was handled via email. I don’t have a smartphone, and I’m lucky to be able to access my email through my phone since I had to respond to the refund email by 9p the night we flew in. If I hadn’t been able to access my email, I may have never seen my refund for the $130.00 it cost to buy those tickets in the first place.

We had no luck at the venue… everything was “sold out”.  We could have gone through scalpers but at what cost?  NIN’s ticketing policy is directly aimed to stop scalping on tickets.  Still, the system doesn’t always work the way it should – especially in cases like this, where the bids for the last round of shows is so high.

Mister stopped me at going down to the Henry Fonda, on Tuesday, to try to get tickets at the venue.  “Honey,” He said, “Let it go.  There’s nothing you can do.”  He could see that I WOULD stand outside the theater from 5 to 9, trying to find tickets, and I think he didn’t want to see the agony of not being able to find tickets for both of us.

I couldn’t take the rental car down, because I wasn’t on the rental agreement… I had called to find tickets and there was nothing available.  I couldn’t log into the NIN site through my phone to read the 13 messages I had offering tickets for the show.  I think, that day I lost a little faith in the music industry to really cater to fans.    Music is less about the people who love the music, and more about the money to be made on reselling my tickets to the last NIN show. Some may say I’m bitter about losing my seat – which is partly true; but more importantly, I understand that those people throwing a show don’t care about me, as a fan.  They care about getting heads in the door.

ps – Dear Trent Reznor – No hard feelings, but your ticketing situation sucks.  Get well soon!

Let’s talk about Spygirl, who played the International Pop Overthrow Festival:

I’d never been to the Mars Bar before, but I know it’s not a big venue.  When we got there, Spygirl had been playing for about 3-4 minutes.  When I walked in, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect but on a quick survey of the room, I noticed that t was moderately full for something I’d heard very little about.  Everyone who  was there knew the band, knew the lyrics and knew exactly who they’d come to see.  It seemed like the same crowd that would stand, starry-eyed (while ironically drinking PBR or Oly), while Ben Gibbard lead Death Cab for Cutie on a series of break-your-heart-to-make-love tracks.  I felt sort of out of place with my New Belgium brew, taking notes on my phone.  I came to rock out and the scenario was nothing of the sort.  What did all these people have in common besides knowing all the words?  Mister astutely pointed it out: we were probably the youngest people there.

Maybe Spygirl is a “before my time” sort of thing – they’ve been making music for 12 years now, but in that 12 years, they’ve only put out two albums.  I suppose that’s how they missed my radar.  They play well together – they harmonize, they crescendo – you can tell they’ve been at it for ages.  Their sound had a very Neko Case, sort of melancholy, alt-pop, almost country twinge that isn’t normally indicative of my musical repertoire.

When Koralee Tonack crooned “It’s been awhile…”, lyrics to the song “Feeling Fine”, I could see how a girl with a good ear might fall for the well harmonized hook.  Still, it lacked something substantial behind it – as if the vocalist had never really felt those words in her own life (to be fair, the lyrics were written by keyboardist Jane Gowan).  The song held up better live than on the album, but there was such a rehearsed feel to it that they almost seemed bored, plugging through it.  Like maybe they were a little TOO rehearsed.

They played well, they sounded tight, but when it came down to the wire, Spygirl was a little square for my tastes.

You know what wasn’t square though?  Me.  Check this shit out:

Shorts: H&M
Tee: Flaming Lips – from the concert!
Double Fence Fishnets: Banana Republic
Shoes: Fluevog
Jacket: Trendy Wendy
Unicorn Necklace : Destroyed by Design on Etsy
Earrings: Carpedraco on Etsy

Fierce, non?  I thought so.  It’s too bad the occasion didn’t befit the outfit, but you can bet there was mischief later!

The point of a concert is for everyone to flock to a venue to rock the fuck out to their favorite band.  Now, I understand that some people’s version of “rock the fuck out” is different than yours, but take a cue from the girl standing in front of you or the guy standing next to you.  If they are not mosh-pit thrashing, but instead bopping along to the music, you probably shouldn’t be thrashing and throwing elbows.  SO to the tiny Asian girl who kept jumping on my heels at the Lips show – this means you.  You were exhibiting poor concert etiquette.

Along the same vein – I want to make a shout out to the obviously trashed guy.  Dude, how on earth can you enjoy a good concert when you’re wasted?  Being wasted at a concert is a giant waste of your money and our time.  I could do without you elbowing me on the top of the cranium and at that point, you could do with about 4-5 hours of really decent sleep.  When you’re so wasted at a concert that you can’t keep your balance, you’re in danger of hurting someone around you and you’re probably not going to remember the giant confetti balloons, or elbowing me on the top of the head the SECOND time.  If you can’t stand up straight, like a normal person, you probably need to get to the back and sit down.  It’ll keep you from vomiting down someone’s back too!  While you’re at it, keep an eye on your elbows; if you elbow someone, you are asking for a fight and I don’t want to be the one to have to knock you out because you elbowed my friend in the face.  I can understand a bubbly drunk… But if you can’t remember what song the band just sang, go sit down and get a hold of yourself.

OH!  And sweaty, drunk, no-shirt-guy?  You’re just as bad.  Put your shirt back on because I don’t need your body sweat all over my bare arms.

Good concert etiquette is knowing the appropriate time to mosh or to crowd surf.  It’s being respectful of others’ personal space.  If you’re a “shorty” and you can’t see and you feel like you’d die if you didn’t, go ahead and ask the person in front of you NICELY, instead of jumping all over them to try to budge them out of the way.  You have no idea how many taller people are totally okay with you standing in front of them because you’re so short, they have NO problem seeing over you.  Pushing into people to get them to move doesn’t work when you’re driving around in your car, it rarely works in line at the DMV, so what makes you think it’s any better at a concert?    And if you’re jumping to see over me, stop it.  I’ll make room for you if you’re shorter than me.  Sadly, your tall boyfriend can stand back there – but if you’re shorter than I am, you don’t need to jump all over the place to see over me, because generally you’re that jumping girl that’s stomping on my heels and I sort of want to choke you.

For the moshers out there – I know who you are, and I can tell if you’re experienced.  When you’re in the mosh pit, everyone is moshing and everyone in a good pit keeps an eye out.  Nobody gets punched in the face; if someone falls, your main goal is to get them up off the ground so nobody gets hurt.  I’ve seen limbs stepped on and people have had to be carried out by friends when the pit got too rough.  Just think – what would happen if you got pushed hard enough to hit the ground?  You don’t want your ankle busted because some asshole stomped on you instead of helping you get up off the ground.  Nobody is out to hurt each other and nobody moshes for the sake of moshing – it’s really about the music.  If the band is playing a slower jam, chill out and catch your breath.

(For bonus reading on Mosh Pits, go here!)

If you’re in a crowd with drinks, keep your drink down, instead of above the short chick’s head.  I’ve worn so many people’s drinks that I feel this one needs to be restated.  I’d rather have your beer on my shoes (I wear my Chucks specifically for concerts, for that reason because I can hose them off later) than in my hair.  If your drink is super full, you need to drink some off the top before pushing your way through the crowd.

About crowd surfing – if you’re crowd surfing in a skirt, you’re going to get a finger to the bum.  It probably won’t be on purpose, but if you’re crowd surfing in a skirt, you’re doin’ it wrong.  The same goes for people who wear boots to crowd surf.  I could see if they were soft cotton, but big old hard boots suck when someone’s crowd surfing and they catch you in the face.  I know a few taller guys who’ve caught a Doc to the face.  It’s about as fun as you can imagine.

There will always be some lech out there grabbing ass in a crowd, so keep an eye out for each other.  Don’t let each other get too drunk or get lost at a festival show (like Sasquatch – apparently some guy got separated from his friends and locked in a port-a-potty).  Keep each other hydrated and if your friend is getting too rowdy, tell them to chill out.

As with anywhere, if you wouldn’t do it in an open and public place, don’t do it at a concert – includes spitting on people, throwing gum at people or whipping out your unmentionables.  Don’t ruin the fun for everyone by being a douche.

If you can think of anything I forgot, leave us a comment!

Spygirl opens the Saturday shows of the Seattle festival with their lush, melodic, elegant, and dark pop-rock.

“If Spygirl were a martini, they’d be equal parts sonic assault, naked duets and lush harmonies with a dash of drum & bass, and garnished with a twist of Canadiana – shaken vigorously, of course. If Spygirl were an outfit, you’d look geek-slick, full in all the right places and your ass would look hot…” via Spygirl’s Myspace.

The Vancouver based 6-piece are still riding high from the momentum created from their 2008 release, “Pieces of Evidence”, which was produced by Tom Rothrock (he’s worked with Beck, Elliot Smith, and James Blunt, among others).  The album is well produced and evokes the feeling of eyes-closed dance party under pink and blue lights; it’s a delicious champagne-bubbly splash in your glass of spicy, dark sangria.  It’s the perfect compliment to your end-of-summer love and a and a smooth way to segue back into cooler days of fall.

“Spygirl’s sound, like their name, evokes scenes of espionage, glamour and mystery.” —The Vancouver Sun

“…sometimes sexy, often peppy…the biggest delight here lies in the encyclopedic talents of this experienced crew.” — The Westender

To me, their sound lands somewhere between Alanis Morissette rock, Tori Amos melodies, a little Pink Martini downtown lounge and the heartfelt wail of Neko Case.  Really, though, you should see for yourself – and that is why we’re giving away 2 fabulous goodies.

For our Seattle area readers, I have 2 tickets to the Spygirl show on the 22nd – one for you and one for a friend.  For one lucky reader outside of Seattle I have Spygirl’s “Pieces of Evidence” CD to send you.  There are SEVERAL ways you can enter and we’re accepting multiple entries – here’s how:

1. Go to Spygirl’s Myspace and report back here with the names of 3 of the band members.

2. Go to Spygirl’s Myspace and tell me which *official* music video they have available on the page.

3. Give us some press! Retweet the contest.

4. Post about this contest on your Facebook, blog, etc.

After you’ve done one (or more) of these things, comment here to let me know you’ve accomplished the mission.  Be sure to include your email and what state you’re from.

When the contest ends (Aug 20, Midnight PST), I’ll divide the Seattlites and the out-of-towners into 2 lists and pick a winner from each.

If you don’t win tickets, but still want to go to the show here’s what you need to know:
8/22 – Mars Bar – 8:00p w/ Gary Reynolds and The Brides Of Obscurity, The Liar’s Club, GE5, and more… $8

Mars Bar is located at 609 Eastlake Ave. E., Seattle WA.  Ph: 206 624-4516

I’ll be there – look for the girl with the conspicuously bright red hair.  Come say hi!

I remember watching her performance on Britain’s Got Talent and my eyes welled up as this woman, who looked like someone’s mom or one of my old piano teachers, belted out with this gorgeous voice.  As the article from MSNBC noted: Boyle’s fame also proves that beauty can be defined in many ways.

Here is a woman who didn’t glam up for a couture Harper’s Bazaar shoot.  She’s beautiful untouched, un-cut, and un-made.  She’s beautiful in this shoot with her minimal, natural-looking makeup; while I can guess that she was probably photoshopped here or there, she’s retained a lot of her OWN look.

Image: Harper's Bazaar

And while Harper’s calls this set the “Susan Boyle Makeover Photos”, Boyle’s retained who she is while becoming polished and refined.  She seems unlikely to worry about botox, she could care less about couture – though apparently she knows how to Moonwalk in a pair of Giuseppe Zanotti heels.

The article states:

“Despite her newfound fame, there are a lot of things Susan Boyle doesn’t do. She doesn’t go on holiday or go out much. She isn’t into fashion or gourmet food. She isn’t married, doesn’t have children, and hasn’t seen the world. When I ask her if she’s been shopping, for example, she shakes her head. Not even to Selfridges? “Where?” she asks, half joking. But feeling financially secure must surely be a bonus. “Hey, you don’t just do it for the money. I don’t do it for the money, babe! Who do you think I am?“”

This is a woman, fine with being herself – wrinkles, lumps, bumps, and all.

Image: Harper's Bazaar

In her own radiant persona she admits to singing “… to entertain people … I sing to make people happy.”  She gives herself fully to a beautiful passion, and in that, she is a beautiful and talented lady (no matter how convention defines beauty).  She doesn’t see herself as the frumpy older lady that many thought she was when she walked onto the stage at Britain’s Got Talent.  She’s maintained the ability to laugh at herself and be who she is, without trying to change that person because of a sense of elevated awareness (Ms Palin, are you reading this?).  She seems like any other non-celebrity, regular, every-day person.  She’s risen the ranks without worrying about her looks, becoming materialistic, or going overboard on being made to look like someone else’s ideal of beauty.

Boyle’s story teaches us that simply embracing our passions is beautiful.  We have the opportunity to see beauty in ourselves, though we may not be conventionally beautiful.

To you, Miss Boyle, I tip my hat.

♣   I want to remind ladies that there’s a little contest for you to enter here.  While the contest seems a little risqué, there’s nothing more stylish than being positive about all aspects of your life. 

Speaking of contests, gorgeous Ms. Ashe Mischief has a contest for her Blogiversary, and the lovely Dream Sequins is hosting a giveaway courtesy of Moxsie!

♣   The Bird has been quite busy this week – Sinner Saint Burlesque is presenting Harlotry tonight, at the Noc Noc in Seattle… Click for details!

♣   I’m definitely excited to see Unicorn on the Cob during their “Seattle Tour” – This band is hot shit!  Check them out August 2nd at the Funhouse.  Click here for more info on UotC.

♣   Also, Seattlites – Alabaster is playing Sunset Tavern in Ballard this Sunday.  Get yo’ butts down there!

♣  Kingdom of Style had a great post on the making of a Trent vid (*sigh!*)…

Anyhow… On to Links à la Mode!

Style Cravings & Indulgences

Edited by Jordana

This week’s edition of Links à la Mode provides a variety of sweet treats. We’ve got hair how-to’s from Fasshonaburu and Bonne-Vie, sorbet inspirations from Idiosyncratic Style, Paris Couture collection picks from Fashion Pulse Daily and interviews galore, among other juicy additions.

I also want to give a special shout-out to IFB editor Ashe Mischief of Dramatis Personae, who is celebrating her two year blog-aversary with a special giveaway.

Links à la Mode : July 23rd

• A Typical Atypical: A look at the unexpected fashion gems on offer at this year’s new designers exhibition in London – cut-out dresses, paper-like jewelry and more!
• Bonne-Vie: Pincurl project – experimenting with glamorous retro style techniques to create a saucy updo!
• Confessions of a Fashion Editor: Polling for the next Vogue Cover Girl – Bonnie Wright’s first fashion shoot.
• Denimaniac: Camo’s SS 2010 “Horses” collection and thoughts of Meryl Streep…
• Dramatis Personae: Celebrating a two year anniversary with a great giveaway –  $50 gift card to BeautyTicket.com!
• Duper: Interview with Raoul Keil, founder of NINETEEN74 and Schon! Magazine.
• Fashion Cents: How to get glam for a movie date so that there is real life lights, camera, action!
• Fashion is My Crush: It’s a mosh pit: A studded DIY belt, some jellies from the kids section at Payless and some concrete comfort.
• Fashion Pulse Daily: Hand-picked favorite looks from 10 of the Paris Couture collections.
• Fasshonaburu:Finding a new hair dresser and how to break up with your old one.
• Idiosyncratic Style: A design board of inspiring comparisons of cool sorbet treats and summer fashion choices.
• Retro Chick: Sunglasses to flatter your face.
• Shop Diary: Cozy up with a snood for fall and how to improvise in these recessionary times.
• Style Symmetry: Interview with Cammila of Dressed Up Like a Lady.
• The Coveted: Turning Red, How to go monochromatic…
• The Musings of Ondo Lady: A look at Style Sample Magazine – featuring articles about a wide variety of bloggers across the world.
• Unfunded: Drooling over the sexy styles of Brandon Boyd and Robert Pattinson.
• V is for Olive: Inspired by a road trip through the American West - taking color palette ideas from nature and applying them to your own summer wardrobe.
• WorkChic: Teamed with Polyvore to show examples of a blouse makeover by style and your office type.

The band is like a fantastic mechanical doll; churning out a whirl of circus and cabaret melodies, with a stage presence that is larger than life.  With dark music-box-style keys, Alexsandra Weil – the group’s vocalist and pianist – weaves elaborate stories, written by Scarlet Room’s drummer, Eloise Govedare.

Alexsandra is a sight to behold on stage.  Long dark hair swinging, it’s apparent how passionate she is about the music.  Eloise shines from the back of the low-lit stage.  Never missing a beat or breaking a sweat, her drums patter through like a quickened heartbeat…

Guitarists Michael Muir and Kris Darr are the perfect compliment to Alexsandra’s keys and connect the dots of Eloise’s beats.  Their sound fills the cracks and crevices between elaborately complex lyrics, and begs the audience to listen a little closer.

While their melodies float from heavy riffs to lighter strings, each word floats through the crowd like a puff of smoke – evoking images of their signature cabaret-rock-musical style.

The entire effect makes the listener feel as if they’ve possibly just fallen through the looking glass… that deck of cards could spring to life and march right out the door; this painting is definitely watching you as you cross the room.

Scarlet Room was the perfect compliment to Vagabond Opera’s Bohemian “Old World Yiddish” gypsy theatrics.  In the decadent setting of the Triple Door, this show was a night of hanging melodies and dark, eclectic, cabaret fun.