ALBUM REVIEW: Perplexity Of Things

PERPLEXITY OF THINGS
MOTION PICTURE SOUND TRACK
UNSIGNED

Brent Bartley of Perplexity Of Things never fails to impress me. I've been following him during the progression of completing their last album, STILL LIFE, all the way releasing this brand new EP earlier this month. A Motion Picture Soundtrack was titled perfectly and rightfully so, for the album feels like you’re being pulled through a modern love story film trailer. The quality of Perplexity's work, from production to songwriting, has matured and has never sounded better.

A musical concoction, consisting of perfectly measured amounts of The Cure and Sigor Ros combined, this album sounds like a recorded dream. Opening with the song “I’m Only Dreaming”, it has an uplifting start to the album. Postal Service-like dance beats married with a beautifully melodic chord progression gives you the perfect taste to what this album is all about.
The second track, “In The End”, has a very emotional beginning with deep string sounds, and then surprises you seconds later with a great dance beat. Not to mention the guitar riffs on this song are so catchy, you’ll wish you had written them. Surprisingly, a current and popular musical trend in vocal effects is used in this song; a vocoder. What’s even more surprising is how well it works. Watch out, Kanye. This song keeps getting better every time I listen to it.

By far, my most favorite track on the album is “Spirits”. This song is so perfectly titled, for singer Brent Bartley’s voice makes wavering appearances throughout the track; hidden in the background like ghosts calling out from a staticy television. It has a very dreamy, bittersweet feel to it and I find myself constantly hitting repeat.

“Melancholy”, as well as the last track on the album, “With Me”, are short but sweet musical interludes. They help carry on the tone and theme of the album like somber, electronic lullabies. “Sweet Nothings” is another song that carries on the Cure-like atmospheric sound, but with electronic beat and synth line a la Depeche Mode. Could this be P.O.T.’s token love song? I think so.

Over all, I guarantee that you will never skip a song while listening to this album. It flows so naturally, and will bring soothing sighs to your lips. And he is oh so kindly giving away a free digital download of the complete album here. Check out their myspace immediately!


4.5 kitties out of 5!

www.myspace.com/perplexityofthings

SHAVE ME SOME SLACK

okay, big shaving mishap happened today. basically went for a new hair cut, and i am NOT. PLEASED.

i'm trying to work with it the best that i can. but frankly, i think i look like sid vicious's half-dead heroin-sucking half sister. trust no one with an electric razor. you should need a fucking license to use one of those fuckers. looks like i'm going to have to come up with creative new ways to COVER THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE OF MY HEAD.

quiet nights

so, instead i'm sitting with a glass of wine going through my favorite fashion blogs. here are some of tonight's big winners.

FACE HUNTER

can't go wrong with hel-looks.






ps. i found out i got my design internship at VICE magazine! i start in a week or so. very excited!

ATTENTION

can someone please buy me this for my birthday? it's only 36 euros = $57 cdn!



from farfetch.com

BIRF

in one week, yours truly, the most shirkerish gal you know, is turning 23. is there even really a reason to be excited about 23? i mean to me, there's your first birthday, your sweet sixteen, nineteen for us canadian teen agers who are hurtin' to to have a drink in public and then 21 for when we want to road trip down to new york for the weekend and bump uglies with pretty american boys. so what the hell makes 23 so great?

i guess i can easily say that i'm one year older, and have had a lot of luck and happiness for the last 23 years. i have the most amazing friends in the world, the most amazing family in the world, a fucking wicked boyfriend and fuck; i'm happier with myself. i've done a lot of really awesome things that an average 23 year old wouldn't have done, and for that i'm celebrating especially hard with myself, FOR myself this year. with a bottle of something strong. and many cigarettes.

one thing i hope to be celebrating next weekend as well is if i happen to land a design internship at Vice magazine that i interviewed for last week. crossing my nail-less fingers!

and one more thing! i've just started to write for The Spill, an online magazine, thanks to the generous hook up by my main man, Max (check out his blog at the dirrtsheet) and have already had an album review posted. check out the album review for WHITE LIES, and there's more reviews and interviews on their way!

SPILL MAG


To Lose My Life
White Lies
Geffen

UK rockers White Lies’ debut album To Lose My Life landed the number one spot in it’s first week on the UK Album Chart this past January. Producers on the album include Pulp’s Ed Buller and mixing by Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, The Smashing Pumpkins), and the combination has an unexpected outcome. With such heavy influences combining to create this record, it’s surprising to hear how White Lies were able to make it so much their own. The production quality is very impressive, and they’ve taken songwriting to a storytelling level that has been unheard of for a long time. Most of the songs are very dark and mournful with a very heavy tone; yet the array of musical instruments used on this album makes it so full, powerful and extremely emotional. To Lose My Life definitely has an undergoing theme: death. All of the songs are about death, though every one is written in a different light; “Farewell to the Foreground” is about escaping a dead town, where “Unfinished Business” is about a recently deceased man trying to contact the love of his life. Definite Joy Division and Interpol fans will enjoy this musical trip to the funeral parlor.

http://www.myspace.com/whitelies

Brittney Townson

wear me now

wear me now by british featuring Gucci bags

i want everything you see above. on me now.

HAMMER TIME.

i gave in and bought the "Cotton Spandex Jersey Harem Pant" from work, american apparel, today.
i have had my eyes on these puppies for almost a year; and not these in particular; i know that they've been quite a staple in european fashion.

needless to say, they look better than expected due to being ridiculously short in height. the taller you are, the goofier they look.
they are tres comfortable, and look good with most things. not to mention i got them for dirt cheap with my awesome discount. just at times, at certain angles, it makes me look like i've shat myself. other than that, j'adore!

ONE FOR ME, AND ONE FOR MY GRANDFATHERS

absolutely two beautiful days yesterday and today in toronto. i spent the whole weekend outside; even had a bbq! genius.

because of the amazingly warm welcome to spring, i ran out and got my first tattoo of the year. i'd been planning this for a while, but my friend at the shop put a little more into it than expected. i'm quite pleased with the outcome. these are my two late grandfather's nicknames!



coming soon, more fucking spring fashions by yours truly!

French Girls are Easy

today is the first beautiful day that i've experienced in what feels like years... winter was FAR TOO FUCKING LONG.
so! i've spent most of the afternoon outside in the backyard with my belmonts and various glasses of juice and water beverages.

not to mention, i've been really busy doing some free lance design work lately. i recently just finished designing some print material and medals for the Toronto Gay Pride Week marathon events! so i decided to do some design work. for myself.



click to see the full size version

i'm starting to try to plan some amazing new events with shirk in the near future! i was so excited that i got the chance to interview VALKIR that now i feel i'm on a roll. TRUST.

SHIRK MAGAZINES first official interview!

i walked into starbucks expecting to meet valkir after weeks and weeks of calls and emails back and forth from his personal assistant. i didn't think he'd actually take the time to meet up one on one, but he did... 45 minutes late.

VALKIR never officially told me where he was from, but he did say he's been living in toronto for the last 8 years. with no actual training in design or tailoring, he's been running his own underground label for 5 years now. i'm telling you, he will be the toast of t.o. before you know it.

he refused to let me see anything he's been working on, and he refused to answer any questions about his umcoming line. i think the guy likes to appear mysterious, even though when i met him face to face i fell in love. but he was eager to let me know that his new line, expected this summer, will be called "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz". you think he's joking? he's not.

. . .


SHIRK: Valkir! Such a pleasure to finally meet you. I've been hearing a lot about you, and being a designer myself, I always appreciate someone with a real eye for something new. What are some of your inspirations?

VALKIR: I would have to say Vanilla and Carl Larerfield. Is that too typical? Haha.

SHIRK: What was life growing up like for Valkir?

VALKIR: Life was tough. I grew up in the backseat of a Chevy Oldsmobile. 18 inch rims. Hydraulics. I had a bumpy childhood.

SHIRK: What is your favorite colour, and why?

VALKIR: Stipes. You get two for the price of one. (laughs hysterically)

SHRIK: What is your favorite song?

VALKIR: That's too hard. Anything by Meatloaf.

SHIRK: What's your favorite part of being a designer?

VALKIR: Being able to touch people in ways I've never been able to before. And sometimes I touch myself. It all goes hand in hand.

SHIRK: What's your pet peeve?

VALKIR: Socks with Crocs. And Lights (the Canadian singer/songstress).

SHIRK: What's your vice?

VALKIR: The magazine. (laughs hysterically)

SHIRK: What's your favorite snack?

VALKIR: Dipping lettuce in mustard.

SHIRK: What can we expect from Valkir in 2009?

VALKIR: I can't give that away, I need to leave some mystery for shock value. Think lot's of stripes.

SHIRK: What is your all-time favorite outfit that you own?

VALKIR: Birkenstocks with hot shorts, thigh-high socks and see-through tank tops. Mostly within in the privacy of my own home.

SHIRK: What's an average night with Valkir?

VALKIR: Drinks in the bedroom. Drinks in my gift-wrapping room. Drinks on the terrace. Going out for drinks. Throwing up soon after.

SHIRK: Wow. Thank you so much for your time, Valkir.

bock bock bock

easta'. easta'. easta'.

the reason i love easter so much (besides the huge amounts of free chocolate, free food and drink at a random family member's easter party and a day off work) is that i have the right to wear head to toe pastels without looking like a golden girl.

pictured above is me on my boyfriend's drive way YESTERDAY. picture the black tights being raspberry and my top is a cute little golf shirt with turquoise and pink circle patters (very saved by the bell). not to mention my amazing purple peek-toe flats from some hole in the wall in new york.

i cracked a joke the other week about how all of a sudden a few years back my mother stopped hiding easter eggs for me and my little brother to find. my childhood came to a screeching halt that day.

and what happens this morning? the first thing i see when i wake up is a little dollar store chocolate tin-foil easter egg under my door. i put on my robe, stumbled to the bathroom and as i let the water run, i realize there is an egg in the sink. i look up to check out my nasty morning face and there's a FUCKING EGG STARING ME IN THE FACE. i grunted and wandered downstairs to make a cup of coffee. EGG IN MY MUG.

i made a piece of toast and sat down at my computer. my mom comes in wearing all yellow, blinding me, and cheeringly goes "You still have 30 eggs to go! Get... CRACKING!" i didn't even bother to answer that one back.

at this moment, there are probably still somewhere around 20 eggs scattered in my house. i have a feeling for the next year i will secretly be scared of finding an egg somewhere. my kitten's already found like 6 herself and is currently playing paw hockey with it on my wooden floors.

whatever. no complains about easter. it's innocent, fun and cute. annnnd in all of it's innocence, i plan on getting drunk for free on my aunt and uncles beer later tonight! happy easter!

DRAGONETTE

DRAGONETTE

i'm very proud to say my one and only has become the new guitar player for Toronto-based band, Dragonette!
not only is he going to be the best guitar player they've ever seen, but the best guitar player YOU'VE ever seen.



look out for some amazing new things coming your way from Dragonette, and look out for their very tall, very sexy guitar player too.

congratulations, christopher!

HUNTERESS

i don't think i will ever be more jealous of a human being other than bjork.

i bought lots of crazy shit today.