life post, what's ahead, and another band spotlight (Moto Boy)

Compact, Sunglasses (bought from a street vendor in LA -- here's a similar option), Spider ring, Eye ring

Hi! I figured it was about time I wrote a comprehensive post on what's been going on lately. I didn't expect April to be the exciting month it looks like it'll turn out to be -- all the fun stuff usually happens in May, when the semester finally ends, and when my birthday comes up. (May 23rd, hint hint.)

I haven't been working on any particular (creative) projects, but I finally have Photoshop installed on my new laptop, and I feel the drawing bug coming back, so I'm hoping to start that up again. I'm still researching how to properly price commissions when I open them in the future (and yes, I know I've been slacking in the art department, but I definitely will). In related news, Society6 recently added rugs to their list of products!

Art stuff aside, I'm looking forward to the rest of this month. I've been doing pretty well in terms of time management -- I've had to to a lot of things in advance to make sure I have time to enjoy all the fun stuff -- so I've just got to keep it up a little bit longer. 

Here's what I'm especially eager for:

After just having seen The National in LA, I thought it'd be a while till my next concert. But upon seeing that Drowners added a date here in San Francisco (they're opening for Temples), I knew I would regret it if I didn't go. So I went for it. I've already bought my Lana tickets a few months ago -- funny how these shows turned out to be in the same week. It's a good thing I've always got an abundant supply of coffee in the kitchen, because I'm definitely going to need it. (Though it is a wonderful coincidence that some of my classes were cancelled this week, too.) I'm sure these two shows will fill the void that missing HAIM's gigs here in SF have left behind.

I suppose it's pretty obvious that I'm not attending Coachella. There is always Outside Lands, of course, where both HAIM and Arctic Monkeys are playing...but I'm not quite sure if I can justify that just yet. I'll see. I have yet to plan any events for these next few months.

A few more things I have ahead:

+ I'm (finally) going to see The Grand Budapest Hotel this weekend. 

+ I have a photoshoot with the lovely Victoria Lubach on the 25th! It's been a long time since I've seen her, and I'm excited to work with someone of such talent! Check out her photography here.

+ I'm going to schedule another haircut soon. Nothing too dramatic of a change, just chopping off a few inches. Spring has definitely reached San Francisco, and anything above 70 degrees is too hot for me, so I'm preparing for the hell that is this upcoming summer.

Band spotlight: Moto Boy

(via Radar Magazine)

I've never heard of Moto Boy until my friend Miriam posted a track of theirs, "Blue Motorbike", on Tumblr a while ago. It was definitely love at first listen -- I immediately loaded up a playlist of Moto Boy songs the moment "Blue Motorbike" finished playing. While "Blue Motorbike" is a cheerful number, his music is not limited to that particular vibe -- I was pleasantly surprised at the poignant range of his songs. Moto Boy's tracks travel through various temperaments, from to the sunny character of "Blue Motorbike" to the melancholy, cinematic arrangement of "Someday". (Other favories of mine are "Too Young to Know" and "A Room Without You".)

Based in Sweden, Oskar Humlebo of Moto Boy has been involved with music since childhood, where he sang in a choir, and later came to play jazz and experimental music during his teenage years. He eventually created the stage name Moto Boy, and released his debut album in 2008 of the same name. You can view his discography here on his official website, and read more about him.

His music is described as the following on Moto Boy's Soundcloud page:

"Moto Boy makes lush, romantic pop songs. With emotive pop and impressive operatic vocals, the result is hair-raising music that evokes feelings parallel to that of a Jeff Buckley song or a David Lynch movie.  

"...The Malmo based artist influences go from Tchaikowskij, and Angelo Badalamenti to Scott Walker and Siouxsie Sioux, but most of all he is inspired by great movies."

I highly recommend his music (hence my featuring him here), and if there's an artist that definitely deserves more attention, it's Moto Boy. You can listen to his music on Spotify here. 

Follow Moto Boy:

Twitter

Instagram
Facebook

Official Website

--

By the way, it's been a while since I've done this bit at the end of a post, so why not:

What I've been wearing: Gone are the days of coats and leggings (not really, it's still cold here in the morning) and I'm finding myself having a harder time than usual figuring out to wear. Fashion for the warmer months has never been my forte. I haven't been really doing anything new in terms of clothes, but I am going through another ring phase right now. I've been wearing the heart ring I bought in LA, the eye ring, and this cute kitschy bug ring set.

What I've been inspired by: Bee jewelry -- that bug ring set came with a bee ring so I had to have it. (I suppose it's my way of showing my love for anything and anyone related to Euglassia Watsonia.) Eye patterns. The stunning Autumn Kim and her ensembles, especially "Another Autumn" and "Green Rainy Day". This gorgeous photoshoot of Suki Waterhouse for L'Officiel Singapore, and my favorite shot from her shoot with ELLE China:

Most of all, though, I've been especially inspired by everything about Annie Clark (of St. Vincent), from her sound to her style:

(gif via pigeonsandplanes.com / watch "Digital Witness" video)

What I've been listening to: I like to have the albums of bands I'm about to see live on repeat, so basically it's been a cycle of Drowners, Temples, and a whole lot of Lana del Rey. (I love Lana. Have you heard her new single? I absolutely adore it.) Other than those three bands: Moto Boy, obviously. Miles Kane's new song "Why?", which he wrote for Saint Laurent. I've had The National's Boxer and High Violet albums on repeat since LA. On gloomier days I'll switch on some of Kate Bush, The Cure, and The Vaccines. I've also had a few middle/high school throwback moments with CocoRosie and Dear and the Headlights.

What I've been reading: Still nothing outside of what's required for my literature classes (I've just finished Eduardo Halfon's The Polish Boxer, which I enjoyed, and a reread of Kerouac's On the Road). But! After the season 4 premiere of Game of Thrones and a few months of everyone telling me I should, I thought I'd finally start reading the A Song of Ice and Fire series. I'm excited.

band spotlight (Bad Girlfriend)

B A D   G I R L F R I E N D

via bad_girlfriend @ Instagram

I've got a weakness for all-girl bands. Current favorites include HAIM, The Like, First Aid Kit, and Little Mix. Then there's duos like Tegan & Sara and CocoRosie who've helped to bridge together those tough, slippery years of adolescence, while The Runaways influenced my style as I entered high school. And last but not least, the legendary groups I grew up with that I'll never forget: Spice Girls and Destiny's Child.

I came across Bad Girlfriend a few weeks ago and currently have their self-titled EP on repeat. I've got to say, "Bad Girlfriend" just has to be one of the greatest band names I've come across recently. Don't let their name fool you, though -- the only breakup you're going to want as a result of their music is with that of your busy agenda, so you can relax with their songs all day.

Based in Williamsburg, New York, Bad Girlfriend consists of the talented Christian Owens, Brianna Lance, Savannah King, and Lyla Vander. You might recognize Brianna Lance as the head designer at Reformation.

As for their sound: think beachy. Think of those tunes you play in the car that get you to roll your windows down. And with spring break around for the most of us, this is the band to add to your vacation playlist. (They're first on mine!) Bad Girlfriend straddles that blissful territory between soft and hard rock. If you like bands like Best Coast, you'll definitely enjoy Bad Girlfriend's music!

Anyway, they've got some upcoming shows: at the Bowery Ballroom on the 24th and at Grasslands on the 25th. Unfortunately I'm all the way here in San Francisco, so if you're in New York, you should definitely drop by, have fun, and tell me all about it so I can pretend to listen to you as my jealousy takes over. (Only kidding -- I promise I'll listen to you and live vicariously through your story. But I will be jealous.)

So far my favorite tracks are "Feelings", "Boxer", and "Tricky". I've been listening to them while getting ready in the morning and it's got the right amount of pep I need. Their stuff is perfect for the upcoming sunnier days. (I'll leave my favorite shoegaze songs for cloudier forecasts.)

You can listen to and purchase their songs here at their Bandcamp page.

Follow Bad Girlfriend:

Twitter

Instagram
Website (hosted on Tumblr)

virginia frances sterrett @ CF, band spotlight (The North), and a sudden craving for white go-go boots

Hello!

Hope you've had a nice Valentine's day. I know I did -- even though it involved more window shopping and laughing at things with friends on Twitter than it did cuddles and flowers. But still, there was plenty of chocolate, and that's all that mattered to me in the long run.

This is going to be another one of those posts that cover a variety of things, so without further ado:

This past Wednesday another post of mine was published over at College Fashion, featuring outfits inspired by both Virginia Frances Sterrett's illustration for Old French Fairy Tales and some trends seen at New York Fashion Week.

  

Click here to learn more about Virginia Frances Sterrett,
and to see three outfits inspired by her imaginative illustration.

I've never really been much of a pastels person, so it was interesting to see how they played out on the runway -- especially when paired with metallics, a trend I absolutely adore. If you want to stay updated on Fashion Week season, fashin over at Livejournal is pretty consistent.

♡ ♡ ♡

Anyway, moving along now to newer things -- I never thought of creating the following section over at this blog, but for this band, I must. I don't know how often I'll lend my posts to this category, especially since I don't go out of my way to discover new bands as much as I used to, but I know there's some great groups out there that deserve more attention -- so let me know if you have any recommendations!

Band spotlight: The North

via @TheNorthBand on Instagram

I came across The North a few weeks ago on Twitter, and have been enjoying their music since. They recently had a gig over in Sheffield, for which they gave tickets to those lucky enough to be nearby, and quick enough to message them on Facebook in time!

They're described on their Reverbnation page as sounding like Kasabian, Miles Kane, The Stone Roses, Oasis, and Paul Weller. If you enjoy any of the aforementioned artists, I guarantee you'll enjoy some of the music The North has put up for streaming and download. Confident that 2014 is their year, this band certainly sounds promising to me! So far my favorite tracks are "Spiders", "Into the Fire", and "Out of Line".

If you're in the area, I'd keep my tabs on them and go to one of their shows if you can. Oh, and have extra fun for me, who is unfortunately all the way in sunny California. (Bad time to not be across the pond, huh? Don't even get me started on the excruciating wait for my favorite artists to play here. I'm not about to name names, but...)

You can listen to The North here, and follow them on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Life stuff:

+ I'm seeing Lana del Rey in April! Maybe I'll see you there?

+ I'm still debating on whether to go to the St. Vincent show in March (whose latest album was, by the way, really good). I might have to pass on that one, and tighten the purse strings a little, because...

+ ...my laptop screen broke. While the laptop itself still works, I can't see anything, so I've synced the data and have been accessing it on a desktop computer. But until I get that repaired (or get a new laptop entirely, since I've been encountering problems with it for a while now), I'll be unable to do any artwork or personal outfit posts. I miss my webcam. And Photoshop. God, I miss Photoshop.

+ I'm going for lighter hair -- a lighter brown, which will be a nice change from my super-dark-brown-to-the-point-it's-pretty-much-black hair. I have a specific shade I'm going for, but I certainly wouldn't mind if it turned out lighter than my ideal result. After years of reading reviews, I finally tried out Palty hair dye -- I highly recommend it if you have stubborn, dark, Asian hair like me that has completely refused to cooperate with American brand dyes. I don't think I left it in long enough, because it still looks the same unless you're in the sun (I tried out Raspberry Macaron), so I'll try again once I've let my hair rest for a while. But I'm definitely impressed. One thing I noticed after my experience with Palty is that, unlike with the several American brand dyes I've tried, Palty didn't dry out my hair, and left it feeling baby soft!

+ A few thrift/vintage stores in the Mission district have caught my eye, and I'm making some plans to go vintage store hopping sometime soon. I've got this 60's getup in mind, and a few pieces from which I'll be on the lookout for. (Why would I go to vintage stores looking for something I could get at any other store, anyway?) When I fall upon the 60's for style inspiration, I usually drift towards its shift dresses, hairstyles, and eye makeup -- not once have I considered the footwear. But the moment I looked over to its signature shoes, I've been thinking a lot about white go-go boots. I haven't had any luck locating something similar anywhere else -- most of my search results yield to boots of questionable quality and durability sold at costume/Halloween stores. No thanks.

+ Still on that topic: if there's an outfit I'm dying to recreate/channel, it's this one as worn by Suki Waterhouse in 2012 at London Fashion Week. It includes a refreshing, modern interpretation of go-go boots I certainly wouldn't mind seeing in my shoe cabinet:

+ I've been wasting time playing around with sets over at Polyvore. It's equal parts entertainment and torture. I don't know why I do it, though I suppose it provides me with ideas when I'm blanking out in the morning, and am in a hurry to catch my train.

+ I'll be writing up the next post for my personal style influences section soon. There's so much I want to showcase, so it's hard choosing who and what to feature next!

What I've been wearing: As much as I love my skirts, I'm definitely going back to wearing pants more often. I've also been painting my nails. I'm awful with nail art and being creative with my nails in general, but I've been wearing this metallic/holographic nail polish from Wet & Wild I got on sale a while ago, and it certainly amps up anything I wear it with, such as my favorite turtleneck.

What I've been inspired by: Ming Xi's street style. Devon Aoki, because...how can you say no to Devon Aoki?! And monochromatic outfits, such as this number from Richard Nicoll's Fall/Winter 2014 Ready-to-Wear collection:

What I've been listening to: The Raveonettes, Natalia Kills (have you seen her new video yet?), The North, and Drowners (who recently released their first album). There's also this cover of Leonard Cohen's "Memories" by The Last Shadow Puppets that I've only just come across now for some reason and, as you've probably guessed, haven't been able to stop listening to. 

What I've been reading: Still not reading anything outside of what's required for class. Since my last post, I've finished Philip Roth's Goodbye Columbus (which I enjoyed) and Willa Cather's My Antonia (which admittedly put me to sleep in a few parts). Right now I'm reading Leonard Cohen's The Favourite Game, and yet another reread of The Great Gatsby for my American literature class. There are a lot of books I've been meaning to read, and the books I've been recommended is an exhaustive list  that only continues to grow -- but I'm always welcome to hear more, if you have any.

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