A Note...

Being a senior in high school is hard. Most of you know that. Unfortunately, I've only gotten started, and I've got awhile to go.

These next few months of my life are really going to command my attention, so I probably won't be thinking of much other than school. You can assume I will be especially M.I.A. this fall. Who knows? Maybe this winter, too.

God knows I'm not going to ignore this thing completely in that period of time. I've still got a lot of fun things to write about, so you'll be able to expect a post every now and then. September will have me writing a lot about new TV shows I'll be watching and concerts I'm hitting up-- I'll also have a fall playlist up for you guys once the weather cools down a bit.

I just thought that if I've been away for a long period of time, I should let you guys know why.

Y Lolita Hazed

OMGAUZE!

So. Ladies. Get this.

I have this gift card from Christmas that's Discover, and so far I've only found two fun places where I can use it: Amazon and Karmaloop. Today I was thinking, "I'm going to go look at Karmaloop and see if they have anything fun."
I did.

LOOK. AT. WHAT. I. FOUND.

This is the most beautiful thing I've seen all day. Missbehave + Karmaloop = SHOPPINGZ?

'Tis my favorite equation. What will they be selling us?! I can only assume it will be beautiful, and I will want it all.

Also, we can infer from the picture above that Santogold, who was in the Star Search for Issue #3 (which is finally in my reach, WOO!), will make a hot cover girl. And from being able to read the really tiny headline of "Hot Fall Trends" I can only assume it will be the next issue. It looks really hot! I'm beyond stoked for all of this. I think I forget how much I love Missbehave.

So in the words of Young MC, don't just stand there-- bust a move (and get yourself on the mailing list to be alerted for the Missbehave + Karmaloop Pop-Up Shop right here)!

You're welcome, and I love you, too (is the comma before "too" unnecessary? I was always told to leave commas before "too").

Y Your Friendly Neighborhood Missbehave Addict

P.S. Valentina, we miss you. If we were really Escape to Witch Mountain-esque twins, I could figure out where you where with my mind. But I can't. So come back.

Weird things I've done / considered doing

Say what you want about Knocked Up's morals-- I had a lot of fun with that movie, and what definitely became one of my favorite parts was when Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen were getting super drunk. They played this super-catchy song, "Swing" by Savage. Over the months since then, I guess this song has gotten semi-popular?

Anyway, my sister and I were totally weirded out when we saw THIS (blown-up for your viewing pleasure) on the website of Cain's Ballroom, perhaps Tulsa's most popular concert venue:
It almost makes me feel a little sad. There is a feeling of pity. Here is what else I'm feeling about it:

1. It feels like an inside joke I don't get.
   
2. This poor kid has done so little that we have to be reminded, hence "SWING!" being right below his name. No one really knows who the hell this dude is otherwise, and even if they know the song, they will probably be a wee bit confused.
   
3. The gig is $2. This is exactly how much I'd pay to hear "Swing" live.
   

This almost feels like a really sad trailer for how this guy's life is going to pan out. When you have one song in one movie and are thus relegated to playing "Two-Dolla Holla"s in towns like mine, I'd take a moment to stop and think.
The one song this guy does have is pretty damn infectious though. It's a booty jam.

I'm considering going.
I probably won't. I am not sure I care enough.

P.S. As I may have told you, for some reason, my little town has really been seeming to reel some great acts (for the first time in three years!) in for these next few upcoming months. So far, I've added Ratatat, Beck and MGMT to my concert agenda for September, but it looks like the fun won't end there! In October, the fantastic neo-psychedelia band The Black Angels are coming! This is definitely something else to get excited for!
For those unacquainted with The Black Angels, please don't hesitate to give these talented boys a listen. Their music is sexy, passionate, trippy and overall wonderfully mind-blowing. If it helps, The Brian Jonestown Massacre's Anton Newcombe is a big fan! Give them a listen to my current favorite from their recent release Directions to See a Ghost at the bottom of the post!

"Black Grease", my first Angels track, is also really, really hot. It's wonderfully sleazy music to get stoned and make out to at a wild party. Give their video a watch!


Download: Savage "Swing"
Download: The Black Angels "Doves"

Watch This Now: Sunshine (2007)

I rarely have time to go to the movies. No matter how badly I want to see something, I somehow just don't go very frequently. Last summer, when Danny Boyle's sci-fi opus Sunshine came out, I was very much interested in seeing it, but I couldn't really find it in me to go.

This is a movie where I should've known that decisions like that are regrettable. When I sat down in broad daylight to watch the Cinemax broadcast of this, captivation was immediate, and I began to curse myself for lacking the foresight to see this theatres.

For those unaware of Sunshine's premise (most of you, probably-- it wasn't hugely advertised), eight astronauts aboard the aptly-named Icarus II are sent to reignite the dying sun with a bomb after the first mission fails. This journey, however, cannot-- the sun doesn't have much time, and these specialists are the galaxy's last hope. Throughout the journey, the crew is met with several painstaking challenges that could threaten their mission, and they are forced to overcome them in a thrilling race against time.

This whole movie was questionably underrated and, if nothing else, I think Danny Boyle deserves some serious love for his chameleon status. The man is never afraid to explore genres-- whatever ground he can use, he stakes immediately, and that's unbelieveably admirable in an artist. He doesn't just have the potential to excel in one area. He could take them all.
And WOW, instant inspiration. This film left me in a state of wonder that has resonated since I saw it. If you can't tell from the above screenshot, this is cinematography that really shouldn't be missed. There's an unmistakable vibrance in greens, cold blues and sharp whites, as well as the manditorily piercing warm tones, making it more than a space-age thriller. As much science as this movie requires, it would be just as intelligent without the equations and formulas-- the spiritual and psychological backstories help to provoke question within yourself and the people around you. The storyboarding was pitch perfect, not to mention the unforgettable score done by Boyle staples John Murphy and Underworld, which makes this all the resonant piece it is.

If you come across the opportunity, please watch this movie. I think you'll be glad you did. (Showing on Cinemax throughout the month)

Download: John Murphy & Underworld "The Surface of the Sun" [Courtesy of The Playlist, to whom I'll never hesitate to give love]*

*If you guys ever want me to upload a certain song after its expiration, don't hesitate to ask me. I really don't mind, and I'm here for you guys. Sharing what I love is the least I can do!

Breaking News of Alison Lewis / My Mooka Kinney Eulogy

So remember how super bittersweetly sad we were after hearing Mooka Kinney jumped ship? Well, the happiness, of course, was from the news of Rachel Antonoff's release of a solo line. It was super awesome news, but I was wondering what was going on with fellow MK founder Alison Lewis. Well, it looks like she'll be starting a new line called "Lewis". No lookbook has been issued yet, but I'm sure it will be lovely, and I'm excited to see developments on both of these girls' projects. [Refinery 29]

Excited as I am, it's been a bad summer for our loved ones, hasn't it? Break-ups for Mooka Kinney, be your own PET; death for such soulful dudes as Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes-- who's next? Just let me know. Save me the sadness.
I feel as if I haven't properly mourned this brand I adore so much. It was so perfectly Lolita Hazed with its babydoll pin-up charm that I'm not sure I'll be able to find a replacement soon (spring's Astoria jumper is a gorgeous piece I reallly regret not picking up). Damn, in the Peach Pit Justice League, this stuff would've served as my costume. What a total "Big Yellow Taxi" moment.

Such a shame that such a great brand had to be taken in its prime.

Back when I ordered from Rachel, she was instantly friendly (we both love to write-- she occasionally contributes to Nylon, last article I remember being June/July 2007's article on Duffy), and the whole process of getting everything was so easy. Buying their dresses from places like Barney's or Satine was incomparable to the awesomeness, really. I sent my money to her in a pretty little envelope I decorated.

Once I got my dress, I was excited like a kid on Christmas morning-- not to mention the tissue in the envelope had Little Mermaid stickers and said "Mooka Kinney ♥'s Sarah!" (It's hung up on my wall. It was a happy moment.) I was so ecstatic that I immediately got to Photoshop to make a little "thank you" card/response.

*Sigh*, and genuine will the message be forevz. Always. And my pretty little swan dress will be one I'll want to continue jumping around in until I can't pull it off anymore.
I seriously wish these girls the best. Through great design and overall awesomeness, they have shown me love.

Peek the final Mooka Kinney collection's lookbook here. Feel free to pour one out.

Saturday TV Funhouse! TV Funhouse!

(I know it's not Saturday, bear with me.)
August is halfway over and us TV addicts can start to get super excited about the fun that will commence this fall! The days keep getting crossed off the calendar and the mayhem draws nearer and nearer...
Here's what I know I'm excited for (in order of appearance):

Gossip Girl (CW): 9/1
OMFG guyths! The teenage debauchery will return! I just saw the trailer and it's crazy. We can guess that Serena slutted it up this summer, but of course, we never know what to predict when it comes to Gossip Girl, do we? OMFG indeed. Check out the promo below!

Dayyum! Two more weeks, kids!

True Blood (HBO): 9/7
My man Alan Ball sure does love secrets in suburbia doesn't he? This time, he's taking it to Louisiana, where we'll meet Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin, back in blonde), your normal average waitress whose crush on a vampire down the street will lead her into an intense (probably sexy) road of mystery. Since it's Alan Ball, we can be sure it'll be delightfully fucked-up. Watch the trailer below:


Dexter (SHO): 9/28
America's favorite serial killer is back with a vengeance! And it's good, too. After the amount of plot resolution in Season 2, I was worried they wouldn't have much more to build. And thank God there is! *Sigh*, Michael C. Hall, why must you be married...

Also, art propagandist Shepard Fairey (OBEY Giant) designed Season 3's poster. It's pretty badass, isn't it? I'll let you judge for yourself.

Scrubs (ABC): TBA
All I can say is thank God for the writer's strike, eh? Anyone who saw Season 7's would-be finale was probably disappointed, as we all know Scrubs is all about closure. Because of this, we've been given a whole 'nother season! Woo! It's switching from NBC to ABC and because of the confusion that the writer's strike put everyone involved into, we can't really be sure when it'll air. I'm guessing it'll be in October-ish.

South Park (Comedy Central): TBA
ALL OF US can guess that if there's any year South Park is necessary for, it'll be this one. Wow, what will Matt & Trey have to say about the Olympics? The election? Do you think they'll finally make a happy ending for Chef after Isaac Hayes' death? God, I know I can't wait.

Get excited, kids! Gossip Girl kicks off the fun in two weeks!

I can't complain. I love my hometown!

As most of you know, I'm probably the Peach Pit girl from the smallest town. Hearing of antics in Atlanta, New York, Chicago and the like can induce jealousy in a little southwestern girl such as myself.

But you know what? I realized my town SO doesn't suck, especially recently. Every few years, Tulsa is really great for concerts and we draw some great people in...

...and even when we don't, I'm really so proud of the music scene here. I was reminded of this tonight when my girls dragged me out to one of my favorite more-underground venues The Monolith to see Juneaux, which a few of my friends are in.

(Inside note: The Monolith is so great because it's cheap and in a more run-down part of town, so anything goes around here. It's a really, really young venue and you can tell by the lack of furniture and all that, but having fun here is a given. My favorite recurring event here is the Milk and Knives dance party, which might be the only venue-supported dance party I can go to legally at my age. Shit goes down.)

Anyway, I totally forgot how amazing some local acts can be here-- for example, my friend Toad's band Guardant is really, really fucking good (my exact words to him afterward, except there were a few more "really"s. I was VERY impressed). I'd heard them before, but their music is CRAZY (imagine if The Rapture was around in the '80s and you'll get a good idea) and I was totally feeling that shit! Nathan, who sings for Juneaux, thinks they're "a better version of Hot Chip". I might agree. It seems almost DFA-worthy (which BTW, if you're reading this, you should sign these boys, kay?).

After Juneaux was another really great band called Hot Sauce Koalas, who seemed a lot like how U2 might sound if they became a jam band-- and I won't lie, I do love Bono, douchery ignored. This was music I really freaked out to and had an ambient quality that just made me want to float away into it at the same time. My hair was everywhere (screaming infidelities. Sorry).

We've also got a lot of other great acts with people I know around here, including Here is There, David "Benjamin" Lyman, the maverick Mason Remel and the more nationally famous Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, who live around here. Talented acts are very easy to find here. If any of you kids for some strange reason ever decide to head down here, I don't think you'll be disappointed by some really fun acts we have!

In other words, this town's got a great little scene, and we bring out some cool kids-- for example, ex-Polyphonic Spree babe St. Vincent is from here (Aqueduct and the Flaming Lips are Oklahoma natives, too)! Celebrated acts like Girl Talk and Rufus Wainwright love Tulsa (the latter even has a song called "Tulsa", written after his amazing concert at The Brady a few years back), and back in the '70s Eric Clapton and John Cale were known for some pretty crazy parties downtown. And with Project 2020 existing to improve our city's quality of life, this little town of mine is on the up and up...

Plus, I think I'll get to see Ratatat, Beck and MGMT next month-- which, of course, I'll totally fill you guys in on (Valentina knows where I'm going with this) once it happens.

Another year around here just might not be so bad.

P.S. Right now, you can give my friend's sister the opportunity to play at Austin City Limits this year! A contest called The Sound and the Jury is letting kids vote for their favorite band from a slew of nominees, and her band (Fiawna Forte and Mama's Fairway Revue) are in the top 50! Help them go higher? You know it'd be so cool.
Vote here and spread the word. It'd mean a lot :-)

Girls on Film: Kay Bergdahl (The Oscar)

Earlier this spring, my mom urged me to come downstairs and watch this cheesy '60s B-movie on digital cable called The Oscar. It's a classic rise-and-fall in Hollywood kind of story that's a lot of fun but definitely not amazing-- unless you count the endlessly lovely Elke Sommer's role...

The movie's main character, Frankie, sees my girl sitting pretty at a party. She's obviously the hottest chick in the room. He walks up to her and basically starts hitting on her. Endlessly classy, Kay (Sommer) steps on his offer flatly-- and she does it well. Look at this beautiful piece of dialogue here and you'll see what a badass she is.

Kay: You're wasting your time. I'm not the kind of woman who uses sex as a release or, or even as a weapon.
Frankie: You always talk like that?
Kay: I try.
Frankie: Then do me a favor, will ya? Try droppin' it with me, I'm not that smart. You free-thinkers confuse me.
Kay: Let me put it this way-- I think I have more to offer than just my body.
Frankie: [mocking] Now I understand.
Kay: I am the end result of everything I've ever learned, all I ever hope to be and all the experiences I've ever had.
Frankie: How many experiences have you had?
Kay: None. But when the right time comes I'll be special for some man. So it's worth waiting for.

Obviously, this is not a soliloquoy by any means, but it's astonishing to see this hot chick who wouldn't even have to try to be a seductress is a virgin. This girl, of course, was the equivalent of a real lady, smokin' enough to know she doesn't need to give away the goodies just yet.

Of course, Kay doesn't stay a virgin in the movie (these are spoilers, but the movie is missable apart from her)-- but staying true to her ladylike self. She ends up marrying Frankie, and in the movie's hottest scene, when the douchebag is freaking out about his career, Kay shows up in some really hot lingerie and writhes about on the bed, cooing for him to come to her. This is a show that in spite of Kay's lack of sex partners, she sure as hell doesn't lack a libido. Sexually, she's a live wire to whomever's lucky enough to get her. The woman is brimming with hotness as she slinks about in the bedroom, and it's a moment even the straightest girls ever would get super-confused. Dumbly enough, Frankie refuses her.

Despite the imminent shit that's going to go down in a Hollywood disaster movie, Sommer is stunning as Kay. Her outfits are the epitome of '60s femme chic, and totally sexy but always classy, of course.

So yeah, your husband has totally snapped. But think about it, honey-- why else would he be? With untouchable beauty like this, there's no need to question why...

Wrapped Up in Books

*Sigh*, summer equals freedom to me in so many different ways. Physical freedom, mental freedom, spiritual freedom-- I can go wherever I want, be alone when I want and of course, curl up with a good book.

Books become like my little babies in the summer-- this is why I detest reading lists. I'm a control freak who likes to pick what she reads, y'know? I like to read without a deadline. The past summers have gotten me to develop so many favorite books over the past few years. I usually have good taste in books during summer.

• Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
  
• Generation X by Douglas Coupland
  
• Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (obviously my favorite book of all time)
  
• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
  
• And the Ass Saw the Angel by Nick Cave
  
• Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

All of the books above were read in summers and magically became my favorites. Each of them left a lasting impression on me, but most importantly taught me the intimacy that comes with a good book. I think this idea came with Trainspotting, which, to me, is one of the most intimate books in the whole world. With each character's chapter (especially the endearing Spud), I felt as if I was sitting with them at a cafe, listening to them tell me about their day. It might've been the first time I felt like fictional people were my friends (*sigh*, I have to read it again soon).
So school's back and I'm feeling pretty hermity. Not only that, but I want to educate myself independently, you know? I want to lose myself in books again this year. I've got an ever-expanding library list and I'm way excited to get some checked off of it this year!

This is what it looks like at the moment:

• Gilbert Adair: The Holy Innocents (the book that inspired Bertolucci's famous adaptation The Dreamers-- it's rare as hell, so it'll be a challenge to score! The cheapest copies I've seen are anywhere from $40-80... and this is a short story!)
  
• Lesley Arfin: Dear Diary (not sure why I haven't gotten around to it yet. Have any of you guys read it?)
  
• Simone de Beauvoir: The Mandarins and The Second Sex (these selections were both inspired by reading Persepolis, not to mention I want to educate myself as a feminist. I'm so reading The Feminine Mystique one day.)
  
• Bret Easton Ellis: American Psycho and The Informers (the former is apparently a classic, and I can't find it at bookstores or libraries! I'm excited to read it though. The latter will be a movie soon, so I need to get that read ASAP!)
  
• John Milton: Paradise Lost (a book I kept getting confused with Lost Horizon by, um, James Hilton! Seriously, can you blame me?)

Do you guys have any summer favorites? What have been your beach reads this year? Tell me the good, the bad, the awesomely trashy-- I want to know it all! Let's give each other recommendations!

Does anyone else have a reading checklist for this year as well? Totally let me know about that! I'm here to hear.

P.S. Erika, apologies, I've totally stolen your layout hook-up. Was getting tired of the same ol' same ol', I hope you don't mind!

This will determine when I head to NYC for college tours.

For awhile, I wasn't super-sure if I was still attracted to Daniel Radcliffe-- because I totally always have been, maybe since forevz (even we were kids, he was just too damn cute in those little glasses), but I was all, "Hey, all the ladies will want him and he's not super-awesome, so I'm losing some interest."

This is no longer, because today I was reminded that Equus is coming to Broadway.

It's from September to February and tickets start at $61.50. I think I'd pay that to see Daniel Radcliffe's junk. It'd be such awkward fun! I'm just hoping that blonde chick in the ads isn't all-up-on him on stage, or else I'll pull the glock and pop.

Kidding(?).

(BTW I wish I had a stage name like Uffie, so if I had a name necklace and lost it, no one could reclaim it, y'know?)

I can't do it with high school anymore.

Le sigh. While the majority of you kids await the return (or first year) of college, I had to go back to school today. I've promised myself I'm really going to kick ass this year, and go out with a bang. But it doesn't feel that way at all.I'm a senior now. Woo? It's surprising, but I couldn't really give a rat's ass anymore, I'll be honest. Now that all the fun kids have left, school is bland and I don't feel like I have very many friends there.

At first I was worried about the classes, but now I'm not so much that anymore (except for Physics, which I'm trying really hard to get out of while I can) that's occupying my time. It's very lonely. For once, I feel so alone that it's not going to be a problem focusing on school. I hung out with older kids all the time, and now they're all gone. I can count the people who will still be here that I think I have a close mutual friendship with on two hands.

I just want to get out of here, really. I'm ready to move on, away from people I've spent four years feeling alienated from.

Let's get this year over with, shall we? *Sigh*.

This is my new favorite song.

I want an MP3 of this.
Now.

Dame Judi Dench is FURIOUS!

2008: A Year to Be Alive!

I was watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics and I couldn't help but think how much change was required for one event. Really. It's a little awe-inspiring. If you've been paying attention to the news over the past few years, you know that even an inkling of all this change is huge. This is a country notorious for heavy pollution, a strict Communist government and a rough past. These people worked their asses off for one event that will last for two weeks. And come on! Did you see that ceremony?! That was two-thousand eight drummers! Coordinated! How much work did that take? China is going to be changed forever because of this one event-- and for the better. They've ushered in a new era because of ONE thing. One thing!
And of course, 2008 is also going to be the year of the most important election of my life-- not just because I'll be freshly legal once the booths have opened. Of course, you know that this is the closest our country has ever come to putting a woman or a black man in the White House, and I'm so proud that I'll be able to get involved. I'm very lucky-- a lot of my friends won't get to vote.
Can you imagine what it would be like if Obama won? Wow. I can't even picture it, but I know that our country would truly, for the first time in so long, gain a vast amount of support around the globe and help to set a golden standard. I was in Paris when it was announced that Hillary was no longer in the running, and the whole city felt aflame with positive energy. I know because I could understand the headlines, and a man working at the Eiffel Tower approached us with excitement when he heard we were American, telling us how much he supported Obama.
But then again, what would happen if he won? I have no idea. Do you? Wow. And if he doesn't win? People are so stir-crazy for this man that I imagine '70s-style street lobbying or something.

Does all this not seem a little ridiculous to you?

I can't even explain how important this year feels.It feels like so much positivity is floating around. I wish more people would see it. This year has the potential to improve so much around the world. This year will determine the future for so many countries, not only that, but it is a year that will make history. I'm positive.

I wish everyone felt the way I did. I wish everyone felt like they really wanted to give the world a run for its money-- because this is exactly how I feel. The world is changing, and I'm ready to be a part of it. I'm so glad to be alive in this important year.

I hope you all are, too.

Y Lolita Hazed

P.S. Kids, if you didn't watch the opening ceremony last night, wow. Just... wow. You missed a hell of a show. Mind-blowing. I cried. Twice.

May Valentina and I present: The Best Idea Ever. ASSEMBLE!

So Valentina and I are Facebook besties now and after maybe only two wall postings (because we're quick like that), Valentina just got the GREATEST IDEA EVER.

Ladies of The Peach Pit, let's be superheroines. "Like the Justice League, but better."

Um, was I not right about this being the best idea ever? We've all gotta give some huge props to that creative mastermind Valentina.

But-- first things first, I have to get acquainted with more Peach Pit ladies! Valentina and Erika have quickly become my favorite people so now I have to get to know you all-- Alex? Jtalk? Bite Size Labella? Pussie Galore? Jessica? Friendship is a pre-requisite. Obviously Erika would be the ring-leader, because she's pretty much the life coach we all share.

But anyways, obviously our blog-names would be our superhero names-- you know, unless anyone has a problem with that. Superpowers usually come pretty easily from those-- for instance, I've decided I'll be irresistible kinda like my lady Poison Ivy, but in the creepy pre-pubescent Lolita way, of course. There are some really cute ideas for the Savage Sunshine and The Disco personas we had as well-- but of course, make yourself heard! Who do YOU want to be? It's up to you!

Other things to ponder:

• Costumes? (I'll be going for a Sue Lyon in Lolita look, obvi, heart-shaped glasses included)
• Our origins?
• Male counterparts? (Joseph Gordon-Levitt for me)
• Ideas for villains? (I've got a funny idea for two of them, but I'm waiting to see what you guys come up with!)
• Anything else I maybe forgot? I'm too lazy to get back on Facebook and see.

Comment on your thoughts below!

And like Uncle Ben said, with great power comes great responsibility-- but you knew that, right?

Spread the word to your fellow Peach Pit lady! Cuz, you know... I'm not sure if all of them read this or not.

If I could be anyone, I think I'd be Natasha Khan.

To me, Natasha Khan, AKA Bat for Lashes, is one of the most accessible people in music. A weird girl like me can really appreciate finding a girl who loves Kate Bush and Bjork (not to mention my girl-crush, PJ Harvey) because they made her feel good about being weird. I can totally dig. Oh Natasha, can't you see that's what you've done to me?

Fur and Gold came out very recently, but it's easily become one of my favorite albums ever. I never skip a track-- every song is just so well done, and the lyrics combined with the mystic instruments are like entering a fairy tale written for grown castaways. I've been taking piano lessons this summer and I think it might be because I want to be exactly like her. I wish she would adopt me as her little sister and teach me her amazing ways. I pretend her song "Sarah" is about me.

So, thanks to Erika (seriously, thank you), I found a really wonderful little gem today-- I normally don't look at Stereogum, but as I was downloading a song from her fall mix she just posted, I stumbled upon a beautiful cover of The Cure's classic "A Forest", and I'm falling in love with this lady all over again.

Best of all is that I think the players in this track are none other than Natasha's brand-new backing band The Blue Dreams! A preview for her next album, maybe?

*Sigh*, I love everything this woman does, so I'm sure that whatever she's got up her sleeve will be nothing short of fantastic.

Download: Bat for Lashes "A Forest"

Fifi Chachnil for Topshop launches in a week!!

OMG really I love lingerie. Loooovvee. And to me, it is one of the two things (second being champagne, yumz) that must be quality if I'm going to spend money on it. Fifi Chachnil, whose sets I pined for in Faline Tokyo, is definitely quality. It's pretty much the lingerie to wear if your secret ambition is to look like a French pin-up girl, which is totally true for me. I mean, come on, they totally sell petticoats!This is why I'm totes ecstatic about her having a collection coming up at Topshop. In the midst of the sadness of the online lingerie sale, this is lovely, light, still quality and, for what it is, won't break the bank! Keep in mind that if $70 for a bra shocks you, full-price at Topshop is basically half-price at Agent Provocateur.

Mark your calendars! Fifi Chachnil hits Topshop on August 12th. If I was in a city with one, I'd be first in line. (*Sigh*, I'll find redemption someday...)

Pardee Thyme!

Last time I remember talking to you kids, none of us seemed to be sure if the awesome Secret Diary of a Call Girl was returning to Showtime with its already-recorded second season.Well, the official Facebook page has confirmed it! Woo! That's right-- Showtime will get us reacquainted with Hannah/Belle's misadventures very soon.

So pop the champagne and don't forget to tune in for the season finale tonight at 10:30 PM ET/PT (even if most of you guys have already seen it)!

Sitting in Movie Limbo: Towelhead website is finally up!

God knows after Pineapple Express comes out on the 8th, theaters will be pretty bored of August. So what else do we have to look forward to?

Try and get me to shut up about Towelhead. You know it won't work.

BUT if you've never heard of Towelhead, this movie will be the directorial debut of the wonderful Alan Ball, who wrote the screenplay for American Beauty and created Six Feet Under. It's based on the epononymous book by Alicia Erian, which follows a young girl in late 20th century suburbia who must, all at once, come to terms with her adolescence and budding sexual curiosity, all while under the hawkeye of her strict Lebanese father. Ball has a gift for taking really fucked-up little towns and making them almost blossom (if you're familiar with his work, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about).

You also may know how easily manipulated I am by music, and the intense beauty of the trailer's closer, "Be Still" by The Alarm, juxtaposed with the rush of the plot almost makes my heart flush.

But anywho! The website's up! There are seven great clips from the movie, so if you're as excited for this as I am, you'll be all up on that like ants at a picnic.

Towelhead comes out on September 12 in LA and New York, moving to bigger cities on the 19th and 26th. *Sigh*, the drawbacks of my little town...

Sitting in Movie Limbo: "Choke"

When I was a kid, I read this book about a king who hated August because its lack of an important holiday. In a year of excitement, it seemed like a weird kind of limbo. And truth be told, that's what August pretty much is, especially movie-wise. As the bombacity of summer blockbusters dies down and Hollywood prepares for Oscar season, poor August just kinda chills there, so it's good to forget about that and focus on the more exciting things in the silver screen's future.

God knows I love me a good sex movie-- not the wild sex romp comedies, but the thinking man's sex movie (i.e. Y Tu Mama Tambien, The Dreamers, etc.)-- I find there's something so resonant about a movie that gets juices flowing above and below the belt. Because of this, Choke might prove to be this year's great sex movie.

I have a really good history with Chuck Palahniuk. I mean, come on, thanks to Invisible Monsters, I know I want to make writing a part of my lifetime career, so I'm always gonna hold a pretty bright torch for him. He's developed a great style that's all his own, thus achieving the dream status of writers everywhere: always imitated, never duplicated. He's a very special writer, and I've heard that this movie is going to be great, so I'm excited, even if Choke was one the books of his that I never read. The cast looks great (God, I love Kelly MacDonald) and you damn well couldn't say this movie's gotten a bad rap.
I can already tell this movie's going to be very sexy. If you don't believe me, watch the red band trailer here.

By the way, is anyone else totally loving the choice of music (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's "Satan Said Dance)? It's so fun and dangerous, and something about it is really hot. From what I can tell, it totally fits. Damn, at this rate, I might have to read this book fast in the next month...

Considering my past with Chuck, I'm sure it won't disappoint.

Choke comes out September 26.

Download: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah "Satan Said Dance"

P.S. I'm a dumbass. Tonight I learned that NSFW is "not safe for work" and not "no such fucking way", like I previously thought. Woo, do I feel dumb! Did anyone else think that, or am I the only one?