Something Old, Something New

In the spirit of the upcoming royal wedding, here's something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, (minus the borrowed and blue).

Something Old:Brian Eno-I'll Come Running (to Tie Your Shoes)













Something New:Brian Eno-Glitch










Brian Eno - glitch (taken from Drums Between The Bells) by Warp Records




Something Old:Fleet Foxes- White Winter Hymnal










Something New:Fleet Foxes- Grown Ocean

Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean from Fleet Foxes on Vimeo.

I guess here's something borrowed/blue?  Fleet Foxes-Mykonos (The Twelves Remix)

PS. How amazing is this year's lollapalooza line up?

Sold Out Toronto Concerts (Spring Edition)

At the beginning of every new year I fall victim to the concept of the new years resolution. Each year, the one resolution that makes it onto my list no-fail, is “no more procrastination”. And each year, by the time January 31^st rolls around I fail epically. Whatever, I’ll admit it, I’m a serial procrastinator, I can’t help myself. The all-nighters, annoyed friends, missed trains/busses etc are but a small price to pay for the blissful hours of watching MTV on repeat, creeping facebook or online window shopping (ok, so maybe blissful isn’t the word, but it sure as hell beats reading 200 pages of scientific literature).

While I usually don’t care about my procrastination problem, (my pp, if you will), the proverbial shit is definitely starting to hit the fan. Case in point, spring concerts.  Due to my sense of “I’ll do it later”, I’ve missed out on buying tickets for the upcoming Toronto concerts of some of my favourite bands. Here’s a short list of sold out concerts that I’m not going to, (but hopefully you are).

The Rural Alberta Advantage (April 29^th, The Phoenix)

Don’t be fooled by their name, this Toronto-based trio, (fronted by Nils Endenloff on vocals), sing songs that can get you through the most dreary of Toronto days (or in my case, through the most horrible of commutes in from suburbia). While their first album, Hometowns, is by far my favourite, their sophomore album Departing almost single handedly got me through my final papers.  Both albums contain super catchy songs that will get you from April showers to May flowers to patio season (with toes tapping all the way through).  For all of the non-believers out there, here's Stamp, the first single from their second album. I dare you to hate it.

Stamp

Foals (April 30^th, The Phoenix)

Kanye isn’t the only college dropout out on the block, and quite frankly, I like these ones much more. While I would never encourage anyone to drop out of university, (especially not Oxford), in the case of this particular band, all I can say is boys, well done. Ever since their song Red Socks Pugie, (from their first album, Antidotes), made its way onto my itunes nearly three years ago, it’s been a fixture on many of my playlists. For those of you who next Saturday will get to hear them sing Spanish Sahara live, all I can say is I envy you. It’s a long shot, but maybe they’ll even play their song Unthink This (a track originally released as a b-side on their Olympic Airways single).

If you haven’t yet done so, give their second album Total Life Forever a listen, you won’t regret it.

Spanish Sahara

Death Cab For Cutie (May 18^th, The Phoenix)

Friends and lovers come and go, but the one thing that remains constant is my love for Death Cab. The only person whose love for DCFC rivaled mine was Seth Cohen (The OC., RIP). I must note that in the case of this particular concert I didn’t lose tickets due to procrastination/lack of effort, I lost tickets due to the volumes of 17 year olds and Twilight fans wielding their parents’ plastic. Tickets sold out in one hour! In my old age (23!!!), I’m too slow to compete with these damned kids. (Although, let’s be honest, tickets likely sold out before I even rolled out of bed). This is too painful for me to even write about, so I’m just going to leave you with their new single You Are A Tourist from their upcoming album Codes and Keys (to be released May 31^st). 

Honourable Mentions

Yeasayer (June 7^th, The Phoenix)

I’m not too depressed about missing this concert, but anyone who can make me a Kristen Bell fan deserves a shout out. (The Madder Red music video almost makes up for three years of that shitty show Veronica Mars).

Madder Red

Adele (May 18^th, The Air Canada Centre)

I’m not a super fan, but let’s face it, the girl can sing. While I don’t like every song on either of her albums, I have loved the singles that she’s released. And admit it, you loved the song Hometown Glory even more when it played on season two of the UK show Skins, (you know, the part where Cassie runs away to NYC?!).

Hometown Glory

Top Five (for the week of April 18th)

So, I know that it’s kind of late to do a Top 5 for this week (it’s Friday!!!), but after a long week of final papers, exams (who knew that there were exams in grad school), and the beginning of not just one, but TWO new jobs, I think I deserve the extra time. 

This week, all five items are beauty products that I honestly don’t know how I lived without. Enjoy!

1.Easter Appropriate Nail Colour

In preparation for this upcoming weekend, I went to my local beauty supply shop and picked up three very easter friendly nail colours (all OPI of course-brand loyalty ladies and gentlemen!) The three winners were “Lucky Lucky Lavender”, “Got a Date To-Knight” and “Shorts Story”. I’ll admit that they all look pretty similar in their bottles, but once on, they’re completely different!  Got a Date To-Knight is definitely the tamest of the three, perfect for, well, a date. Shorts Story is a super fun, bright colour that’s perfect for a night out on the town (in my case El-Toro, aka the TDot, aka T.O.). Lucky Lucky Lavender is the happy medium between the two other polishes-what I like to call an “all purpose polish” (great for school, the office, home). I’ve never been a bright polish person, but as of this week I am converted. (Available for $10 each at selected beauty supply stores).

2. Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster

Now here’s a game changer. My life, (well, face), hasn’t been the same since this little orange bottle first made its appearance on my bathroom counter.  Like many other grad students, I classify myself among the caffeine addicted and sleep deprived. (I see the barista at Starbucks almost as many times per week as I see some of my family members, and my Goodlife Fitness card hasn’t been swiped since March). My terrible lifestyle definitely takes its toll on my skin.  I picked up a bottle of this serum at the recommendation of one of the beauty experts at Sephora Square One, and my face has been thanking me for it ever since. Instantly my face looked brighter and my skin felt smoother. My face had that elusive “glow” to it. (Available for $60 at Sephora.ca).

3. Philosophy Purity Made Simple Facial Cleanser

I call this my miracle in a bottle. (Again, this is one of those instant gratification products.  My face has never looked so clear, felt so smooth etc, etc. An added bonus is that it works great as a make up remover. This cleanser comes in both small and large sizes and the best part is you only need a little bit. (Available for $13- $42 at Sephora.ca).

4.Philosophy The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash

A mini-peel in a bottle, this exfoliator lets you bring the spa home to you. It’s super gentle, yet effective, improving your overall complexion in one easy minute. Although a bit on the pricey side, it’s worth every penny! I swear I’m not a Philosophy brand rep, I just find that with their products, you really get what you pay for.     (Available for $26.25 -$38.85 at Sephora.ca).

5. Bliss High Intensity Hand Cream

I’ll be the first person to admit that when shopping, I always fall victim to the strategically placed products that are next to the cash register.  From the grocery store, to Walmart (yes, I shop at Walmart, deal with it), every time I line up I have to pick up (and buy) a chocolate bar, a pack of gum, or a magazine. For me, this habit borders on pathological.  So obviously, my shopping trips to Sephora are no different. My latest in-line-find was Bliss’ High Intensity Hand Cream.  While not the best hand cream I’ve ever had, this product fits comfortably in any purse and makes dry hands happy.  While I don’t recommend running out in a snow/rain/hail storm to buy this product, if you happen to spot it while waiting in line to cash at Sephora, definitely pick one up, you won’t be sorry. (Available for $9-$20 at Sephora.ca).