You are on every talk show, newspaper, and blog, being held up as the issue du jour for the masses to “care about,” like they ever read you a story or wiped away your tears or spun you around in the air until you were dizzy. I wish it didn’t take you dying for your soul to know peace. I wish you could read the hundreds of letters we got, hear the thousands who rallied and marched for you, know the millions who followed your story on the 6 o’clock news. You were never alone; it just felt like it.
Letters to My Brother by James Clementi
Remember when I was going to do the Annotated Lana Del Rey? Yeah, well, Lana Del Rey Week is officially over. Sorry for RUINING YOUR DAY.
Filed under sharon van etten day
bbook:
When it comes to the age-old dispute over the relative greatness of Paris and New York, graphic designer and artistic director Vahram Muratyan refuses to play favorites. Despite being born in Paris, Muratyan isn’t shy about revealing that his heart belongs to the City of Lights as much as to the Big Apple. “When I’m in Paris, I miss New York, and when I’m in New York, I miss Paris. It’s really impossible to choose,” explains Muratyan, whose love affair with New York began to take shape as a young boy travelling to the city with his mother and older brother. What started off as summer trips with his family soon grew into trans-Atlantic solo voyages exploring the city as a young adult. Two years ago, at the age of 30, Muratyan’s three-month stay in New York inspired his fanciful blog, Paris versus New York: A Tally of Two Cities.
Through eye-catching, minimalist graphics and snappy copy, Muratyan translates this historical duel into art on the witty blog he launched back in October of 2010. Illustrations of instantly recognizable landscapes, clichés, and famous faces from both cities are pitted against each other. A macaroon vs. a cupcake, a bagel vs. a baguette, and a petite espresso vs. an obscene paper cup of joe are some of the friendly battles featured in the anticipated book version of Muratyan’s popular blog, currently available from Penguin Books. Over espresso at French restaurant Pastis in New York’s Meatpacking District, Muratyan talked to us about his devotion to both New York and Paris, his new book, and why he’ll always be a city boy at heart.
Vahram Muratyan’s Love Letters to Paris & New York
I really enjoyed reading this interview!
I wish I knew what crazy mathematical formula they used to create Brad Pitt’s perfect hair in Moneyball, but I’m afraid I gave up after 11th grade pre-calc.
Filed under moneyball brad pitt hair role models
Take Shelter is scaring the hell out of me.
Not only is The Bachelor on Foursquare, but A. he is my friend, B. his other “friends” comment on his check-ins to root for their favorite bachelorettes / profess their love, and C. he was right down the street from my office today, meaning that I missed a valuable opportunity to tell him to get a haircut.
Filed under WHAT A WORLD
interweber:
- If Fiona Apple and Lana Del Rey, through some miracle of science in which an egg could be fertilized by an egg, had a baby together, would that baby grow up to be a singer or an actress?
- If Lana Del Rey and Neil Patrick Harris started a gang would it be called “The Three Names Gang” and do you think they would let you join?
- If the world actually ended in 2012 and all that was left was Born to Die, would “National Anthem” BECOME the new national anthem?
- I just made up a rumor that Lana Del Rey is in a feud with Raven Symone. Why are they fighting?
- Explain the 2005 “incident” that caused Lana Del Rey to decide never to patronize another Chipotle?
- If Lana Del Rey were an ice cream, would she be dairy free?
- If Lana Del Rey were an ice cream, would YOU be dairy free?
- What is the name of Lana Del Rey’s favorite bakery in Paris and why can’t we find it anywhere?
- If Lana Del Rey and Meryl Streep played Dance Central 2 together, who would get the highest score?
- Would you describe Lana Del Rey as an “in-ground pool” or an “above-ground pool” and how cold is the water?
Filed under lana del rey week
Filed under lana del rey week
Are you a certified diver? (this will dictate which type of dive we do with the sharks) and do you want to golf? Golf is optional and will be at Atlantis, probably 9 holes. Let me know, thanks!
Tyler Gets His Groove Back, Is Eaten By Sharks.
Joe Reid provides a nice little wrap-up of the lessons that The Real World: Miami taught us over the weekend. My favorite part:
If we weren’t at the absolute apex of roller-blade usage in 1996, I would be very surprised. If they had gotten any more omnipresent, cities would have had to designate special “blading” lanes, and then we’d still be seeing them today, paint half-washed away, a sad/poignant symbol of urban blight and failed proto-green transportation initiatives. LOTS of roller-blading, is what I’m saying.
Filed under real world: miami miss u cynthia
THE ANNOTATED LANA DEL REY: “Born to Die”
Happy Lana Del Day, everyone! I figured you probably wouldn’t see much about Lana today or the next few weeks, so I decided to take this as an opportunity to finally share all of my thoughts about every single song on Born to Die on account of how important it is for music. This is the most important thing to happen to music since it died, you guys. How are you celebrating? I’m wearing blue jeans.
The album opens with the lush sounds of the title track. And then Lana chimes in. Well, if she was a wind chime, I doubt she’d be the metal, clangy variety, but rather the bamboo kind. Just clack-a-lackin’ on a warm summertime night. It’s the American dream!
Here’s the thing you need to know about Lana Del Rey: her lyrics are laughably bad, as most of them don’t make any sense and several of the songs just repeat ideas and phrases over and over again. This song starts off with the line, “Feet don’t fail me now,” which I am 90% sure is a reference to the Aaliyah song from Anastasia called “Journey to the Past,” which began with the line, “Heart don’t fail me now.” It’s appropriate, because when I think of Lana Del Rey I think of Anastasia, and also a little bit of Meg Ryan and Kelsey Grammer.
This song is also stuffed with samples from what I assume is a song from the Pure Moods compilation; it sounds like a monk chanting, or perhaps one of Enya’s contemporaries speaking in tongues. It’s also a good primer for Lana’s voice, which sounds like she goes through bottles and bottles of Chloraseptic spray.
I mean, there’s not much else to say about this one. It’s not terrible and not good, so it’s a good first representation of what this album (and Lana as a whole) is like.
Also, as a bonus:
Filed under the annotated lana del rey sorry not sorry unfollow me now
A dream come true, I guess?
Filed under i don't even follow it
