Reflection: White Trash Charms "1984" Collection

Back in the halcyon age of ELLEgirl, I remember when the severely popular jewelry brand White Trash Charms first came onto the scene. Something about them in all their hype was so instantly appealing, able to evoke a maturer version of walking into F.A.O. Schwartz. White Trash Charms has consistently prided itself on quality, and it is as sophisticated as it is childlike. This is represented best in one of their very first collections that would become one of their most famous and popular ones: the 1984 collection.
The 1984 collection of White Trash Charms was not only attractive and adorable, but totally genius. They had a bounty of candy-colored enamel charms inspired by tried-and-true cultural mainstays like The Karate Kid, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Andy Warhol, Xanadu, the mod sixties and much more. They could attract four-year-old girls unaware of the references as well as super fancy celebrities who flocked to the pieces, like Lindsay Lohan, who, pre-"fire crotch", was photographed on the cover of Seventeen wearing the necklace inspired by Little Darlings.
I surrendered to its power back in 2006, the year my ridiculous obsession with M.I.A. begun, after having seen her wearing the 15 Minutes necklace (above). I suddenly had to have it, and when I wore it, the compliments came at a surprisingly huge rate. I rocked that shit on the daily-- plus it looked REALLY cool if I wore it with my Velvet Underground shirt. The love and instant cheer it gave me was what made so sad to recently find that the collection is pretty much dead. If you look, it's now no longer on their site and almost nonexistent elsewhere. It's a crying shame considering how fresh, fun and instantly nostalgic these pieces are. This was stuff to get excited about wearing!

So ladies, pour one out for this seriously inspiring business right here. (And Brooke Dulien, if you're reading this, you know what must be done.)

Dude, M.I.A. is pregz.

Check it out-- thanks again to Jezebel for the gossip!

(They also dropped the knowledge that my favorite book, guess which one, is 50 today ^_^-- see here)

Temperature's Rising: Andrea Crews

Heat is accumulating in parts all over the northern hemisphere, but not just in temperature...

Of the sects currently gaining heat, Andrea Crews is one of the hottest. I've been watching them for over a year. I swear, it's like sitting on a radiator, and with the impending need for more things eco-friendly, it might be what the fashion industry is looking for.

Okay, so Andrea Crews is a badass collective of French people who take stuff that you'd never dream of liking or using and then making it totally candy-colored and club-friendly, and this stuff is intense-- you've got them turning crappy purses into hats, making running jackets into hella tight bodysuits, metal springs into scarves... it doesn't end. It's very inspired, not to mention amazingly inspiring.

Just so you know, I despise look at the Andrea Crews website. Why? Because, Goddammit, I want everything on there. It's painful to look at, it's all so badass. But keep in mind Andrea Crews is not just there for you to buy from: it's also a great reminder of the potential any object can possess, if you give it a chance. This is stuff you could do yourselves! AC just beat you to it, is all.

But if you DO like something and want it, you'd probably better get your hands on it quick. These pieces are super-unique and there's bound to be a small stock of certain objects.

In the runways of eco-friendly fashion, Andrea Crews needs to be a front-runner. Bono's wife can step back, and that family needs an ego deflation anyway.

Andrea Crews also designs for the likes of Katerine, a super-de-duper esoteric French techno group that sings songs about ejaculating onto the hair of older relatives, and M.I.A. (seen wearing a bow of theirs in a winter issue of French mag Jalouse).

SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT!

Then, why don't you buy it?

Get fucking excited.

N.A.S.A. is on board! Make way!

Ohhhh my sweet lord. NASA.

You've gotta hear this to believe it.
Karen O & Kool Keith... perhaps a preview for the NASA album which will be HOT AS HELL?!
Hear it. Now. Here. And now.
It won't be on the NASA album, but it's still a really good estimate of what it'll all sound like.

Sexy rock chicks + rappers = what to expect for NASA's hot-ass debut

NASA debut tracklisting:
'The People Tree' (featuring David Byrne, Chail 2na, Gift of Gab and Z-Trip)
'Nasa Music' (ft. E-40, Method Man and DJ Swamp)
'Way Down' (ft. RZA, John Frusciante and Barbie Hatch)
'Hip Hop' (ft. KRS- One, Fatlip and Slim Kid Tre)
'Four Rooms, Earth View''Money' (ft. David Byrne, Seu Jorge, Ras Congo and Z-Trip)
'Strange Enough' (ft. Karen O, Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Fatlip)
'Samba Hey' (Portuguese Version) (ft. Seu Jorge)
'A Volta' (ft. Lovefoxxx, Amanda Blank and Sizzle)
'The Ultimate' (ft. Fatlip and Gift Of Gab)
'Spacious Thoughts' (ft Tom Waits and Kool Keith)
'Electric Flowers' (ft. RZA and Nina Persson)
'There’s A Party' (ft. George Clinton)
'O Pato' (ft. Kool Kojak)
'Whachadoin?' (ft. MIA, Spank Rock and Nick Zinner)
'Samba Soul' (ft. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and DJ Obert)
'I Am God' (ft. Kool Kojak)
'Outro'

Love Letter: Missbehave

Dearest Missbehave,

When Nylon stopped being genuine and started shooting for an anorexic club-hopper audience, my heart sank. I thought I'd never love again.
Until there was you.
You came into my life, and became the first magazine I've ever read cover-to-cover. Your badassed fearlessness was enough to just break my lil' heart. And what with the coolest cover chicks ever? Lily Allen? Mena Suvari? M.I.A.? Amazing. Beautiful covers every time. But Missbehave, you've taught me that sometimes what's inside is as good, if not better than, the outside.
You've taken articles teen magazines would have, but polished 'em up and made them awesome so we can read them. Trap a boyfriend? Stick it to your ex? I love you for that.

You've kept me entertained during the most boring of school days and were there on stormy days where all I had was you and a warm fire.
You're so fun and unafraid. God, do you rep it. (Ever since Issue #4 came out, I've started collecting you. All I need now is #1 and #3.)
Love you to pieces and pieces. Saw the picture of the upcoming Issue #6 with Lydia Hearst on the cover. Hella eye-candy. Must have it right now.

Y from a hypnotized devotee

Review: M.I.A. "Kala"

No matter how tough anyone seems on the exterior, everyone gets a little broken inside...

...but of course, in the eyes of the artist, this internal breakage is a golden opportunity.

If there's anyone tougher than Maya Arulpragasam, AKA "M.I.A.", let me know. The London-born Sri Lankan has really seen it all, but you don't see the woman shed a tear. It's not hard to say that M.I.A. is the toughest woman in the business.

M.I.A. surfaced onto the music scene with her smashing 2005 debut Arular, a colorful, powerful, and sometimes whimsical portrait of war, especially the war she dealt with. Arular was M.I.A.'s masculine, somber autobiography put into music, and she does a wonderful job of getting her point across. It felt perfect to anybody who disagreed with their government because of its powerful political messages.

Those who loved M.I.A. so much for the politics may be a bit disappointed with her long-awaited sophomore disc, Kala. While Arular is masculine and named after her father, Kala is for her mother. And you definitely see the difference-- when Arular dealt with feelings toward corporate music sharks, idiots in office, sexual publicity, and issues that a country goes through, Kala is for the feelings of the individual. You don't hear many political complaints on Kala, which focuses a lot on having a good time, clubbing, and most uncommonly, heartbreak.

After a break-up with American DJ Diplo, M.I.A. seems to have used her music for venting. The amazing Bollywood disco track "Jimmy" is bound to be a hit, and the number one reason might be that it is M.I.A.'s first love song (outside of an underground collaboration with rapper Amanda Blank, which can be heard on her MySpace). Despite the fact that a love song seemed unlikely, it works... and it's already a Top 40 hit in Japan.

While M.I.A. doesn't talk about politics much, she doesn't avoid them completely... single-that-never-was "Bird Flu" speaks of retaining strength and dignity in the face of conflict, "Paper Planes" is an addition to her opinions on war, and standout "$20" paints a vivid portrait of organized crime (while effectively sampling The Pixies' "Where Is My Mind?", a wonderfully unexpected choice). The politics might not be in-your-face, but they're still there.

M.I.A. pinpoints issues dead-on, and Kala seems to have quite a great understanding of the world. And it was made all over-- and sounds like it. You get the vibes of Australia ("Mango Pickle Down River"), India's glitzy on-screen culture ("Jimmy"), the UK rave scene ("XR2"), the Parisian club-banger scene ("Bamboo Banger")... she captured the essence of places she didn't even record in. M.I.A. seems to understand the world more than most politicians.

While Kala is different, it blissfully shows M.I.A.'s growth as an artist and human being. M.I.A. recently turned 30, which is a big thing in a person's life... it's almost the unspoken, official transition into complete adulthood. She seems to have done some thinking over it, but M.I.A. has definitely not gone soft. M.I.A. has matured since Arular, but still knows how to have fun. It seems she's making a sure statement out of the saying "Grow up, but don't grow old."

Kala finally drops on August 21st, and it's worth the wait.