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 :-)