“If there’s nothing left to burn,

you have to set yourself of fire.”

I am not really sure how this got back into rotation, but I have re-kindled my love for Stars.  I have been listening to this record and Foreign Landscapes non-stop since xmas.  When I listen to this album, I almost have this instant nostalgic feeling about the excitement of new things.  I must have been doing some serious planning when this album came out.

I found this amazing blog post, where the writer became obsessed with origins of the quote above.

“Your Ex-Lover Is Dead”

God that was strange to see you again

Introduced by a friend of a friend

Smiled and said ‘yes I think we’ve met before’

In that instant it started to pour,

Captured a taxi despite all the rain

We drove in silence across Pont Champlain

And all of the time you thought I was sad

I was trying to remember your name…

This scar is a fleck on my porcelain skin

Tried to reach deep but you couldn’t get in

Now you’re outside me

You see all the beauty

Repent all your sin

It’s nothing but time and a face that you lose

I chose to feel it and you couldn’t choose

I’ll write you a postcard

I’ll send you the news

From a house down the road from real love…

Live through this, and you won’t look back…

Live through this, and you won’t look back…

Live through this, and you won’t look back…

There’s one thing I want to say, so I’ll be brave

You were what I wanted

I gave what I gave

I’m not sorry I met you 

I’m not sorry it’s over

I’m not sorry there’s nothing to save

I’m not sorry there’s nothing to save…

<3

Stars remind me of Kaarin, I MISS YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In 2011, I was very inspired by the world. It was random and erratic and disparate and polarizing.  2011 was about simplifying. Big changes were needed and big changes were made.  I feel like I know myself better than ever before and am ready to take on more than ever.

I am often told that I don’t stop and smell the roses.

So this is me, stopping to smell some of the roses of 2011.

I moved to Manahattan (by myself).

Found a box of war written love letters written by Kaarin’s grandparents

I got stuck in an elevator with Darrell (and many others) in Virginia.

The first baby of the next generation in my family was born.

Meet Perrin L’Hoste, the most perfect baby ever.

My sister moved to Buenos Ares. I hate living so far away, but I am very, very proud of her.

I made some incredible new friends (internet and IRL) and met amazing family members for the first time. Many adventures were had.  I lost touch with a couple of friends (soon to be rectified) because of my non-sensical travel schedule.

I bought an apartment in New Orleans, my hometown and favorite city in the world.

I almost finished my family history photo project, and I have been told that it has “brought the family together.” I never thought that this could mean anything to me, but it matters so very much.

Started passion projects. Many more to come in 2012.

Funded Kickstarter projects.

I traveld a lot (an am still upset that instagram killed the Apollo theme).

Work:
Switzerland
England
Sweden
Netherlands
France
Denmark
France
Japan
Singapore*
China*
Korea*

Play:
Bermuda*
Jamaica*
Iceland

Florida

*indicates a first time visit

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fortheartofit/5914345995

2011 was all over the place (literally and metaphorically).

In 2012, I am eager to fall back in love with New York. I am amped for Italy roadtrip with Tim. I am anxious to begin taking classes at 3rd Ward. I am ready to buckle down a focus a bit.

I am FULL of energy and have NEVER been so excited about a new year. <3 <3 <3

Sarah had to drag me out of Comme de garçon, Seoul

Museum of Art

View from Cheil Headquarters

IP Boutique Hotel, don’t jump santa!

Fish Market

LV at the airport:

Good Morning, New Orleans

House warming fruit from multiple moms

Perrin

Typical day at the office

Some kind of glitter faerie has been squished

Christmas shopping

The Dirty Commies

This little girl almost made me cry.  This is what I did on weekends as a child…watch street performances with my dad and he gave me money to tip them.

Brass

If you were wondering what The Dirty Commies sound like:

02 Duii Blues by fortheartofit

I think am in love with Volker Bertelmann….

I have been listening to Foreign Landscapes all day/night.  It’s so emotional, there is something about it that makes me feel more creative and empowered (or maybe that is all of my good juju blessed candles I got from the voodoo shop?)  Today was also the day that my apartment started to look like a place that someone could actually inhabit.  In the future, I suspect there will be a strong mental association between the two.

Happy.

Listening to a piece by Hauschka can be deceiving: What sounds like an ensemble of musicians and instruments is just one man, performing at one piano. His real name is Volker Bertelmann, and he hails from Dusseldorf, Germany, where he works with his “prepared piano.” He wrests disruptive sounds from the instrument’s 88 keys by outfitting the strings or mallets with objects such as ping-pong balls, aluminum foil and leather. 

Volker Bertelmann is a classically trained composer/pianist from Germany who currently resides in Düsseldorf. Having studied classical piano for ten years, his work as Hauschka is based upon a playful exploration of the possibilities of the ‘prepared’ piano – a disruptive intervention into the preconceived idea of the piano as a pure-toned instrument: by clamping wedges of leather , felt or rubber between the strings; preparing the hammers with aluminium paper or rough films; placing crown corks on the strings, weaving guitar strings around the piano’s guts, or pasting them down with gaffa tape – his resulting tracks are composed both originally and charmingly. The results are vivid, unconventional pieces made in a spirit of playful research-enthusiasm.

<3

<3

2011 was such a blur, I don’t even remember if I went to a lot of shows.  I don’t feel like I did, but Airwaves certainly made up for it.  I also spent a lot of time listening to Japanese bands, most of which were older albums, so they didn’t make this year’s list, but did lead to me making my first online mixed tape, (is it still a tape?) mostly because I loved 8tracks.

I feel like gogoyoko finally had their breakout year (yay!) and I find myself using it more and more, while emusic gets continually shittier.  I really dig soundcloud and have been somewhat consistently using it over the year.  Rockittothemoon has become my favorite music blog, and might be the only music blog that I religiously read.  2011 was the year that I finally removed most of big music blogs (Pitchfork, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, etc.) from my reader cause I don’t think I have actually had time to read them since 2008.

My favorite record label has whole heartedly moved to Morr Music (with Modular sliding down to second).  The best show of the year was without question, Biophila at the Reykjavik Opera House (also coolest iphone app).  The album that I should have been the most stoked about but kinda forgot to listen to was Okkervil River’s, I am Very Far (note to self: put in heavy rotation, this week).  The song that I listened to the most often while working at 2am was FM Belfast’s, “I Don’t Want to go to Sleep Either”, which is kinda Dan Deacon-ish. An album that deserves a special shout out for being the first ringtone I have ever downloaded is Lullatone’s, Sountracks for Everyday Adventures. I also fall asleep to it often.

Without further ado, my top 10 albums of 2011:

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10. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy, Cruel

9. The Civil Wars – Barton Hallow, Birds of a Feather

8.  Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo, Baby’s Arms

7. James Blake - James Blake, A Case of You

6. Sad Day For Puppets - Shift Another Color, Again

Again by fortheartofit

5. Cut Copy - Zonoscope, Need You Now

4. tUnE-yArDs – Whokill, Bizness

3. Givers – In Light, Words

2. Sin Fang – Summer Echoes, Two Boys

A few months ago, I had this conversation over email, which made me chuckle:

Ana: (probably after viewing my last.fm) WHERE did you that whole album, I have looked for it EVERYWHERE to download?????

Me: I bought the CD.  I’ll put it in your dropbox.

And never have I been so glad to make a last minute purchase at the airport; who knew that their record was so hard to find?  I have pretty much had this album on repeat since I saw these guys at Airwaves.  They seemed super young, so I am looking forward to seeing how they develop…it was super hard to pick a song to post, you REALLY must listen to the entire record.

1. Of Monsters and Men – My Head is An Animal, Dirty Paws

Of Monsters And Men – Dirty Paws by edin2sun

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Some that almost made the list were:  Sóley, Beirut, FM Belfast, Bon Iver, Radiohead, For a Minor Reflection, m83, and Lady Gaga.

Here are my favs from 2010.

Here are my favs from 2009.

Here are my favs from 2008.

<3

I AM SO BUMMED that I am missing the final performance!!

The Music Box: A Shantytown Sound Library, is the prelude or first phase in Swoon’s, Dithyrambalina: a musical architecture project in New Orleans. This might be the coolest art project I have seen in New Orleans, “it will look like a house, but it will function like a musical instrument.”  The best part about the project, is that is replacing a blighted 18th Century Creole Cottage that actually collapsed…

The project started out on Kickstarter and far surpassed it’s funding goal ($23,977 pledged of $12,000 goal by 357 backers).

This is exactly the kind of thing that this city needs – art that is accessible, collaborative and community centric and (BEAUTIFUL!)  I’m really looking forward to seeing the future projects that come out of New Orleans Airlift ^-^

This fall the New Orleans Airlift is hosting a changing roster of sound theorists, tinkerers, kineticists, musicians and the Gamelatron – a robotic orchestra. All present will be creating and experimenting with instruments for a musical architecture. Purpose built shacks and miniature houses made out of New Orleans beautiful architectural details and plentiful salvaged materials, will house each sound artist’s instrument. Visitors will interact with this musical shantytown’s singing walls, heart- beat triggered percussion machine, organ staircase and light sensitive oscillators. Tri-monthly live performances will bring together stellar groups of local and national musicians to play orchestrated works on these “instruments”. Quintron, the musician and local legend, will conduct this experimental shantytown orchestra.

The Music Box is an important and exciting prelude to the building of Dithyrambalina, an interactive sound sculpture in the form of a permanent three-story house. The project is being led by the influential street artist Swoon who is know for her community driven, collaborative endeavors. Swoon has designed the house, but will rely on collaborating artists to bring the Dithyrambalina to life. The Music Box is the platform for these artists to develop the instrumentation that will be built into the Dithyrambalina’s walls and ceilings and floorboards in the same way plumbing and electric are configured for a traditional home.  The Music Box will shine a spotlight on Swoon’s collaborators, while Swoon herself will be on hand to wheat paste the shantytown with her iconic art work and give an opening talk on her dream of a musical architecture for New Orleans.

Conducted by Quintron

Quintron & Miss Pussycat – Bananabeat by Bruise Cruise

<3

<3

I haven’t been very good with updates for the last couple of months, but I have a good excuse!

I bought my first apartment!  On my favorite streets in New Orleans!!!!

The process was just as grueling as everyone says and maybe even worse since I did almost everything from abroad. I AM SO EXCITED; so much vintage shopping in my future!

MORE TO COME ^-^

Built in 1830, smack in between the French Quarter and the Faubourg Marigny…

<3

<3

<3

<3

I am a little obsessed with Keren Ann.  Happy Monday!!

<3

My Name is Trouble

Happy Monday!  I have Paris on my mind since I am going in a couple of weeks for the IAB France conference.

Jamaica (formerly known as Poney Poney), is Antoine Hilaire and Florent Lyonnet. These guys are dropping new tracks with Justice’s Xavier de Rosnay and Daft Punk sound engineer Peter Franco on the production. 

<3

<3

aaaaaaaaand goodnight.

(or good morning)

Lullatone.

zzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

zzzzzzzz

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

zzzz

zz

zz

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z

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zzz

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<3

I just realized that I have been in the Caribbean Sea and on Langjökull Glacier, nearly in the same month.  I’m not sure which was more amazing…

                                                                  Langjökull Glacier                                                           

                                                      Gullfoss, canyon of Hvítá river

                                   Þingvallavatn, a lake you can drink from (literally)

                                                       the continental drift in full force

                       Entrance at Þingvellir, home of the world’s oldest Alþingi (Parliament)

                                        was established in 930! and remained there until 1789..

                                  Öxarárfoss, close to dusk in Þingvellir National Park

                                                       Þingvellir National Park at dusk

The rest of the photos are here.

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Iceland Airwaves night III:

For a Mínor Reflectíon - Without a doubt, these guys were my favorite Airwaves performance.

I still get giddy when I here this song…

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Ólöf  Arnalds did a short little set with her sister, they also did the sweetest cover of Mr. Tambourine Man, after telling a story about the cassette tape being stuck in the tape deck of their family car, when they were kids.

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Lára Runars was my massive surprise of the night.  I caught her set at Glaumbar, and she KILLED it!  I downloaded her album immediately when I got home.  The album doesn’t really have the edge that her live set did, but I can still imagine dancing around to it, on Saturday mornings while I clean my apartment ^-^

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Of Monsters and Men ended the night at Glaumbar, and it’s easy to hear that these guys are the next darlings from Iceland.  Adorably, clappy and young, I’ll be eager to hear as they grow into their sound.

<3

I pretty much do one major shopping trip a year. (Last year was my favorite: Melbourne, thanks to Brad…pretty sure that I have a 1/2 written blog post about it).  This year’s was iceland…

We tried not to act like children playing dress-up in GIANT sweater dresses,

but we were waaay too excited to be at KronKron.

(I ended up having to buy an extra suitcase to house my giant sweaters…)

First shoe purchase, post foot incident.

Anonymous sweater and dress, sold at one of the vintage stores on Laugavegur.

Lisa’s influence (obviously…)

Present for Alex (after I read it, of course) ^-^

And yes, the next time I have a dinner party, there will be ICELAND ICE!!

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Iceland Airwaves Night II:

It was great to start the festival seeing my two favorites in the same night, (was SO excited to  FINALLY see Hjaltalín live!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fortheartofit/6256413775/in/set-72157627908185734

and of course, a very short but still loved set from Sin Fang (with Caged Animals in between)

We also managed to catch the last part of Yoko Ono’s set! (which brought back memories of  SKIF)  It’s a little biz amazing to have seen Bjork and then Yoko the next ^-^

Thanks to Facebook, Airwaves ended up being a reunion with a few people that I didn’t even realize know were going.  (Including my Airwaves buddy from 2006, eep!)

<3