November 8th's Linkerific Hot Spot V-Spot

by B Condon 4:04 PM

Finally out of my cheese coma that is the Welsh favorite "Mash o' Nine Sorts" which left me in a blissed out cheese coma for almost a week, plus more opportunities getting open for me (let's just say there will be more pictures and adventures to be documented with Public Space 1 and my newest stint at Channel 4 TV) -- but I know what you all are really waiting for...

 ....The Christmas Music Super-Playlist will be out Black Friday (November 25th) if you haven't gone Picasso on your ears already listening to Bing Crosby or Sinatra. Note: Super-Playlist will not have all my Christmas music because of 2011's "Best Xmas Music You've Never Heard Of" two-part mix tapes which is a gift for all of you for Christmas. Yeah I'm horrible at holding back.

Florence's Album Goes Viral 

 It's conclusive, it is the year of the Florence because she is everything that is pop culture right now -- she does fashion, she does music, she DROPS LITERARY REFERENCES IN HER SONGS! -- in other words, I cannot express my love for Florence any harder as of now since her music has officially been put up on youtube. 

Loving "What the Water Gave Me" and the anthemic "Shake it Out" (which may well succeed "Dog Days..." in terms of what is considered anthemic) will of course be standard, but what other songs should be spotlighted? While "Shake it Out" is still the main single for the moment, I would like to see "Breaking Down" as the next single -- something that fell out of the 80s and somewhat dreamy simultaneously. Plus it uses a hook that makes you wonder if you've heard it in another song before. (Really, help a girl out!)

But Florence continues to be the mistress of pop songwriting, while this album is more lyric-heavy than "Lungs" which focuses on being catchy. "Remain Nameless" and "All This and Heaven Too" really powers a punch where lyrics and music fuses perfectly together. 

KITTEHS! 

Because if I was a tumblr user, I would never leave the house -- so I resort to using an RSS feed to read select few tumblrs, like Fuck Yeah Iowa City (a must for local people), Hipster Disney with the few celebrity accounts such as Diablo Cody (d'uh), Blair, and Kristine Thune (because she has fantastic taste). But the true reason why the internet exists has come to my existence -- and no, it's not porn sadly to our very meaningful conversation during check in at the library Saturday -- it's KITTENS! Kittens... as rock stars? Once more, Nylon Magazine and I are on the same radar.

Amanda Palmer does a "Science Fiction, Double Feature"

What's sparkly, theatrical, and applauds Neil Gaiman every time he plays the keyboard, of which he looks like a trained monkey... anyway. The answer to this riddle is Amanda Palmer (of Dresden Dolls, Evelyn, Evelyn), Stephen Merritt (of Magnetic Fields), and Moby. Oh yeah, and Palmer's trained monkey husband, graphic novelist extraordinaire Gaiman, playing Craig Ferguson's Halloween show. Over the top? Maybe, but if you're not a fan of the theatrical and sparkly eyebrowed Palmer, then don't bother watching. Thank you, stereogum for posting this video, for rocking my face.

LOLdogs in Real Time

A musician's dog was with him in this interesting contraption of a shopping cart with instruments hanging off of it -- rattles, things that shake, and a keyboard on the handle bars. Obscure, yes. But I wasn't sure or not to cry at how adorable Harper (the dog) or just shake my head and think "that poor dog." The only reasonable thing to do was to take a picture and make a personal LOLdog picture. (He likes carrots)









Kim Punkrock = My New Favoritest Person

I love the unconventional classic movie freak, probably because I want to have that rare moment that there should be an underground club of people who you wouldn't expect that love of Cary Grant and Rudolph Valentino deliciousness out of them. Kim Punkrock is apart of this underground club I'm starting. Also a blogspot sister with her site, Out of Step, Alone in the Crowd, Punkrock (not her original last name, of course) was featured on Turner Classic Movie in her venture of getting a TCM logo tattooed on her wrist (if TCM was skin-close to me, I would so do that too!) as she cites her undying adoration for John Wayne. Granted, this was four years ago but I was not familiar with this TCM installment until I saw it Halloween night. Which should probably say something about everlasting epicness in my case (or just the sheer fact I'm always slow on the uptake of trends from years ago. Ask me in a few years about Harry Potter.) (Plus, she's pretty cute.)

Abbey Lee and Lara Stone does September's i-D Magazine

A new magazine has been getting my love -- but nothing will take Nylon and Bust's place, but i-D is like reading one of those French fashion magazines up in the Times Club in Prairie Lights sipping wine. It's thick with editorial pictorials of hardcore fashion models, in the last two issues I have noticed that a few common models for the English magazine, originally debuting in the 80s as a London-specific punk fashion zine, have remained the same. 

Both Lara Stone and Abbey Lee (sometimes with or without her surname, Kershaw) are veteran models for i-D and show it proudly in September's "Dreams and Aspirations" Issue. Lee goes Twiggy while Stone takes on classic high fashion shots, such as a great picture which makes me think about one of my fashion Goddesses Georgia May Jagger, both sharing that middle gap in their teeth, now the trend is becoming more in vogue than twenty years ago. I'm looking at you, Toothpick Klum!

Let the drooling begin: Sharon van Etten's new LP "Tramp"

BREAKING NEWS!!! As of 5:35 today, Sharon van Etten linked on facebook the latest information on her latest LP "Tramp" which will be out February 7th. This album will be another hodge podge of assisted vocalists and musicians like Zack Condon from Beirut, Julianna Barwick and others. Who is more excited than anyone in this coffee house? THIS GIRL! Having had insufferable lady wood for Etten's hot chocolate voice of warmth for over a year now, I intend on being at that February 17th concert in Chicago. Hope the train transit problems finally break through by then?

I've stopped asking when it comes to Iowa City...

I have no words...