What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Giuseppe Zanotti

Best wishes for a healthy and Happy New Year! Dear Christian, I love you... will be back January 7th with loads of new features both shoes and music! 

Cheers to 2013!

And...Happy 2nd Birthday Dear Christian, I Love You!!!

All I Want For Christmas Is You

Christian Louboutin

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Alexander McQueen

tylerb.'s Year End Thoughts 2012

DCILYmusic: tylerb.'s Year End Thoughts 2012.

by tylerb.

This was one of the first years of my life where music took a back seat to more important matters happening around me. To say that I felt completely lost this year would be an understatement, and normally I turn to music to help me out in these types of situations. But this is one of the first years that I can remember in a long time where nothing really fit my mood (until the very end of the year), and I couldn't really remember if the album actually came out in 2011 or 2012. It wasn't until after I started listing out the albums I listened to here and there that I realized just how much stuff came out. I'm terrible with ranking things, so I'm just going to try and group them into some random categories.

Here goes:

1. The year of the old reliables: 

The Walkmen - Heaven

Pinback - Information Retrieved

Grizzly Bear - Shields

Dinosaur Jr. - I Bet On Sky

At this point in the above mentioned's careers you can pretty much predict that you're going to get a mostly consistent and solid album from front to back. These are albums you can throw on when you're having trouble figuring out what you're in the mood to listen to. That might not seem like the best compliment in the world, but whatever. Even though they've only put out two albums to date, I'd also like to lump The XX's "Coexist" into that mix too. If they continue down this similar path, then I'd be cool with that.

2. Albums I didn't pay as much attention to as I initially thought I would:
Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory

Japandroids - Celebration Rock

Lotus Plaza - Spooky Action at a Distance
Wild Nothing - Nocturne

Twin Shadow - Confess

These are all albums that started out in heavy rotation but then for whatever reason went by the wayside. However whenever a song from any of them come on my iPod's shuffle I thoroughly enjoy it and tell myself, "I really should go back and revisit this album." 

3a. The albums that I played the most: 

The Men - Open Your Heart

Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits
Chromatics - Kill For Love
The Evens - The Odds

The Weeknd - Trilogy

Crystal Castles - III

Schoolboy Q - Habits & Contradictions

Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city

3b. EP's I played the most:
Burial - Kindred

Solange - True

Empty Flowers - Six

This year my car's CD player decided that it would eject CDs whenever it damn well pleased, so sometimes I had to make a conscious choice of what I wanted to get stuck in there. The above albums and EPs were ones that I would actively choose to get stuck in there so I'm guessing those are the ones that could be classified as my "favorites" this year. With all that said, I'd like to give a huge shout out to the band Mineral. They aren't around anymore (though who knows, reunions are the new what next and I'm sure they've discussed it), but their two CDs The Power of Failing and EndSerenading were two CD's that got me through the absolute hardest thing I've ever had to experience on this Earth.

Here's to hoping 2013 has a much better outlook!

Everyone have a safe and happy holiday.

PL's 10 Favorite Albums of 2012

DCILYmusic: PL's 10 Favorite Albums of 2012.
*in alphabetical order
by Penny Lane

This has been an interesting year. Both in life and music. We are another year older but it remains to be seen if we have become wiser. At the end of every year I pretty much feel the same way...bring on the clean slate. Musically, is has been an equally interesting year. After perusing the many end of year lists, it is clear my list is a little off the beaten path. There were few similarities and at least one, maybe two, I am shocked appeared virtually no where else but on my list - though I have to admit I haven't read ALL the year end lists.

I think 2012 was a great year for music from newbies and old timers alike. I'm looking forward to not only a clean slate for life, but for music as well...

Cheers to a healthy and happy New Year!

Chairlift - Something: Chairlift – Something
Tracks: Wrong Opinion, Ghost Tonight

Dinosaur Jr. - I Bet On Sky: Dinosaur Jr. – I Bet On Sky
Tracks: Watch the Corners, Rude

Father John Misty - Fear Fun: Father John Misty – Fear Fun
Tracks: Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings

Frank Ocean - Channel Orange: Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE
Tracks: Sweet Life, Super Rich Kids, Lost

Good Old War - Come Back As Rain: Good Old War – Come Back As Rain
Tracks: Over and Over, Calling Me Names,Not Quite Happiness

Grizzly Bear - Shields: Grizzly Bear – Shields
Tracks: Yet Again, Half Gate, Sun In Your Eyes

Heartless Bastards - Arrow: Heartless Bastards – Arrow
Tracks: Marathon, The Arrow Killed The Beast

Norah Jones - Little Broken Hearts: Norah Jones – Little Broken Hearts
Tracks: Say Goodbye, After The Fall, Happy Pills

Passion Pit - Gossamer: Passion Pit – Gossamer
Tracks: Take A Walk, On My Way, Love Is Greed

Stars - The North: Stars – The North
Tracks: The Theory of Relativity, Through the Mines

Wanna hear my favorite songs from each album? PL's Favorite Songs of 2012

Let it Snow

DSQUARED2

Ave Maria

Seychelles

Baby It's Cold Outside

Olsenboye

Run Rudolph Run

Christian Siriano for Payless

Christmas Time Is Here

Furla

Christmas Wrapping

Dr. Martens

Back Door Santa

Qupid

B.B. King – Back Door Santa

Maybe This Christmas

Loly In The Sky

Ron Sexsmith – Maybe This Christmas

Wonderful Christmas Time

Penny Loves Kenny

I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day

Modcloth

The Civil Wars – I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day

Do They Know It's Christmas?

Jil Sander

Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas?

*Side note: Everything that was right about the 80s is in this video.

We Need A Little Christmas

Alexander McQueen

Just Like Christmas

J Crew

New Music Tuesday...

New Releases.

Alicia Keys - Alicia Keys – Girl On Fire
Review: Washington Post
I don't really have a lot to say about this album, except that I don't hate it. I feel the three songs listed in the 'Tracks' section really are the best of this album and I'd like you to notice "Girl On Fire" is not one of them. Probably the most annoying tracks released this year. A feeling that was compounded when AMEX decided to use it in a commercial this Fall. Why is it, you always hear the songs you hate, be it on TV, movies, radio? It never fails. On a whole, the album is average. Mind not blown...

Tracks: When It's All Over, Tears Always Win, 101

MISC.
As we approach the end of the year, the release schedule gets thinner and thinner. So I thought I would take this opportunity to feature some tracks I have found over the last few years from random artists unknown to me at the time, that are out of this world...


~ Natalie Hart "Jezebel" - Free EP on Noisetrade


~ Natalie Prass & Among Savages "When I Am Alone" - Free Download "When I Am Alone - Single"

~ Matthew Perryman Jones "Poisoning the Well" - Matthew Perryman Jones – Land of the Living

~ Chris Stills - "Landslide" - Chris Stills - self titled album available on Amazon

~ Jherek Bischoff "Eyes featuring David Byrne" - Jherek Bischoff – Composed

 

~ In the new year, New Music Tuesday will get a facelift! Maybe a nose job and some botox... Looking forward to bringing you more music and new shoes in 2013! And in celebration of the upcoming holiday, here is my 2012 Holiday Playlist on Spotify: This Christmas - 2012 

If you missed last year's playlist, well...here's that one too! Jingle Belling - 2011

Anticipation.

Bruno Mars - 12/11

Winter Wonderland

Boutique 9

Up on the Housetop

Marni

Aspenglow

UGG

Santa Baby

KORS Michael Kors

Silver Bells

Jimmy Choo

Blackbird

Manolo Blahnik

New Music Tuesday!

Every Tuesday is an exciting new day for music! Here are a few selections worth checking out (or avoiding), with links to articles, reviews, videos and anything else the Internet could provide...Happy Listening!

New Releases.

Soundgarden - 11/13
Spotify: Soundgarden – King Animal
Review: MTV.com

Is it 1992? Sadly, it is not. But the sound of Chris Cornell's voice takes me back to a time when my ears were ruled by rock n' roll. Pure and simple. I do enough nostalgia ranting so I will spare you my hostile bitching about the music (if you can call it that) of today. What I am more than happy to write about is the fact that it's 2012 and Soundgarden has released their first album in 16 years, King Animal. And it's fucking good. I wouldn't say it's their best, but I think it absolutely has the right to exist and is an album Soundgarden can be very proud of (No Doubt/Green Day, I hope you're taking notes). At almost 50, Cornell sounds completely amazing. I close my eyes and see a 20 year old kid with long hair, no shirt, long shorts, wearing Docs rocking out on stage in the movie Singles. It's as if time has left his voice unchanged.

In addition to Cornell. Matt Cameron. Kim Thayil. Ben Shepard. After 28 years as a band, the members have remained relatively unchanged, going through some growing pains early on. The lineup that gave us Badmotorfinger and Superunknown, is the lineup that gave us King Animal. So it should come as no surprise that this album is rockin. There is no mistaking this album for anyone but Soundgarden. The album feels neither old nor new. It simply feels like Soundgarden. And I have to say, it's good to have them back...

Tracks: By Crooked Steps, Bones of Birds, Attrition, Halfway There


Anticipation.
Rihanna - 11/20
Alicia Keyes - 11/27
Solange - 11/27

Bad, Bad Leroy Brown

ModCloth

Veronica

Steve Madden

Brighter

Ivanka Trump

Petals

ModCloth

Oxford Comma

Sole Society

How You Can Help: Hurricane Sandy

In light of the recent storm and it's subsequent devastation, DCILY posts will be suspended. I simply cannot in good conscience post pictures of expensive (albeit beautiful) shoes while so many are without the simplest of necessities.

Instead, here is a list of ways you can help if you are near or far...

I pray the road to recovery is a short one.
Best,
PL

NYC:
Food and Water Distribution Sites
Overnight Warm Shelter Locations
Disaster Assistance Service Centers
MTA Subway Recovery Map
MTA LIRR Recovery Map

How You Can Help NYC:
NYC Service

NJ:
NJ Office of Emergency Management
NJ Transit - Updates
PATH Train Updates

How You Can Help NJ:
NJ Food Bank

How You Can Help EVERYONE:
Donate to the American Red Cross

Girls Girls Girls

Camilla Skovgaard

I had the incredible pleasure to meet entrepreneur and former adult film star Jenna Jameson last night. The first thing I noticed were her shoes of course. She was a thoroughly lovely person and someone I have admired for years. I know that may sound a bit strange, considering her former profession, but I think it's amazing what she was able to do not only for herself but for her industry. Often times we turn our noses down at people like Jenna, thinking less of them because of what they do. The truth is she is not embarrassed by sex, which most people are. Afraid to talk about it let alone make it public. She turned her 'name' into a brand making her one of the most recognizable actresses of any kind. It was truly an honor to meet her...and her amazing shoes.

{in my closet} Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings

Vince Camuto

The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie

Giuseppe Zanotti

New Music Tuesday!!

Every Tuesday is an exciting new day for music! Here are a few selections worth checking out (or avoiding), with links to articles, reviews, videos and anything else the Internet could provide...Happy Listening!

New Releases.

Muse (Released 10/2/12)

Spotify: Muse – The 2nd Law
Review: Huffington Post

I remember vividly the first time I heard Muse. Summer of 2004, I was living at the beach in Maryland. A friend and I were on our way out and he had the CD, Absolution, playing. I remember asking, "Is this some forgotten Jeff Buckley?!" "No," he replied. "New Radiohead?!" "No," he replied again. "WHO IS THIS?!" I demanded. And the rest was history...

I've done a lot of complaining lately about artists that hold a special place in my heart abandoning their true sound for that of a more commercial friendly sound. Though I do not completely feel that way about Muse, they are headed down the same path. Absolution was an incredible listening experience for me. It was full, operatic, dramatic. The voice akin to Jeff Buckley and guitar riffs akin to Radiohead, the combination was truly out of this world. Tracks like Apocalypse Please and Stockholm Syndrome were so mind blowing to me, it didn't take me 24 hours to rush out to the only record store in the area and buy the album. Play after play I'd find something new about each track I hadn't heard before, something exciting. I can't say I feel the same about 2nd Law, but there are definitely things about it that remind me of the Muse I discovered so many years ago.

Upon its release, I asked a few people what they thought and it seemed the overwhelming opinion was they hadn't quite formulated an opinion of the whole album, but the first song, "Supremacy," was "SLAMMIN," the exact words of a friend. It took me a moment to figure out which song he was referring to and after listening a few times, I have to politely disagree with his assessment. This song does not sound like Muse, less the voice. The next song, on the other hand, "Madness," sounded more like Muse and at least piqued my interest enough to listen to the rest of the album. Though that feeling was short-lived. It was hard to really pinpoint what about this album I liked and what I didn't because it didn't sound like a Muse album, throughout 2nd Law, I heard Scissors Sisters ("Panic Station") and even a little Erasure ("Follow Me"). Perfectly good bands in their own right, but seriously Muse, What. The. Fuck. I know Muse can do better. They have done better. I only hope they do better before succumbing to the Green Doubt Syndrome (like that? I just made it up...).

I will not buy this album, but would consider going to see them live, just for the chance to hear some of their early hits.

Tracks: Madness, Save Me

Elle Goulding (Released 10/9/12)

Spotify: Ellie Goulding – Halcyon
Review: USA Today

I don't get this music. And I think this album is pretty awful, made worse only by the fact that her voice is completely annoying. Like nails down a chalkboard.

Not only would I not buy this album, I will never listen to it again, lest blood pours out of my ears. You can bet your sweet ass I won't be seeing her live either.

Tracks:

For a complete list of new releases, please visit Album Of The Year!!

Anticipation.
Bat For Lashes - 10/16/12
Ben Gibbard - 10/16/12
Pinback - 10/16/12
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - 10/23/12
Further Seems Forever - 10/23/12
Paul Banks - 10/23/12
SOUNDGARDEN!!! - 11/13/12
Alicia Keys - 11/27/12 

Stuck In The Middle With You

SW1

New Music Tuesday!!

Every Tuesday is an exciting new day for music! Here are a few selections worth checking out (or avoiding), with links to articles, reviews, videos and anything else the Internet could provide...Happy Listening!

New Releases.
Riding high from the amazing release week we just had, I was quickly brought back down to earth this week, which has proven to be nothing but disappointment for me and my ears. -PL


Mumford & Sons

Spotify: Mumford & Sons – Babel

Mumford & Sons is an amazing act and I have nothing but positive things to say about them as people, the music and lyrics they write and the happiness I usually feel after listening to them. While I don't think this album is at all bad, I am a little underwhelmed. This might as well be Sigh No More, because that's all I heard while listening to Babel. Only, Sigh No More had "Little Lion Man," and this album does not. I fail to hear the glaring hit they scored with "The Cave," in their eye-opening performance at the 2011 Grammys. That song, that performance, was a call to arms, awakening people to a genre of music long since forgotten by fans and even the industry. Not only did that performance launch their career, it also launched the entire genre into the mainstream. Babel does not have the same uplifting feel and for that disappointment comes.

Because I am such a HUGE fan of this band, and who they have become over the last two years, I will keep listening to this album, until the disappointment subsides and happiness overcomes me... -PL

Tracks: Babel, Holland Road



No Doubt

Spotify: No Doubt – Push And Shove

It doesn't suck as much as I thought (read: hoped) it would. But it's not good. Much like the Commercially Driven Corporate Punk Rock Group formerly known as Green Day, No Doubt is so far from where I thought they would be, disappointment doesn't even begin to explain how I feel about this album.

In 1995 I thought Tragic Kingdom was one of the best albums I had heard at the time. Fast forward 17 years and three albums, I wouldn't recognize this music belonging to this band if I had heard Push and Shove in passing. To me, this album is not No Doubt. It's Gwen Stefani. Nothing about this album says Tony Kanal or Adrian Young (or Tom Dumont. I didn't want to leave him out). Push and Shove should have been a Gwen Stefani solo project, plain and simple. It actually pisses me off a little that Kanal and Young (and Dumont) allowed the No Doubt name on this album. What I don't understand is, Stefani doesn't need to ride the coattails of the No Doubt brand in order to sell records. She has had a very successful solo career, why did she need to attach the band name to this album? A question that can't be answered. Or at least not by me.

Perhaps my nostalgia gets the best of me and, unlike the band, I am unable to move on from the past but this album is simply a disappointment. There is no rock. There is no roll. There is nothing but an album full of dance-pop hits, created purely for the sake of making money. I will not buy this album. I will not go see them live (not even if it's free, ZING!). And as far as I am concerned, No Doubt is dead to me *dramatic expression* -PL

Tracks:

For a complete list of new releases, please visit Album of the Year!!

Anticipation. 
Muse - 10/2/12
Converge - 10/9/12
Bat For Lashes - 10/16/12
Ben Gibbard - 10/16/12
Pinback - 10/16/12
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - 10/23/12
Further Seems Forever - 10/23/12
Paul Banks - 10/23/12
SOUNDGARDEN!!! - 11/13/12
Alicia Keys - 11/27/12

Walk or Ride

Rachel Roy

And the Emmy goes to...

Hollywood's night for glitz and glamour! 

The best dressed goes to...

Tina Fey in Vivienne Westwood

 Julianna Margulies in Giambattista Valli

 Leslie Mann in Naem Khan

 Lucy Liu in Versace

 Edie Falco in Stella McCartney

Photos care of US Weekly

New Music Tuesday!

Every Tuesday is an exciting new day for music! Here are a few selections worth checking out (or avoiding), with links to articles, reviews, videos and anything else the Internet could provide...Happy Listening!

New Releases.

Dinosaur Jr. (9/18/12)

Spotify: Dinosaur Jr. – I Bet On Sky

Usually it's not that hard for me to find the words to talk about an album I love, but I've written and re-written this review about 10 times, unable to settle on the message I want to send. So, when the words don't come I've found it best to just be short and sweet and to the point. I absolutely love this album. From start to finish there isn't much, actually anything about I Bet On Sky I would change. From guitar solos to J's voice, everything feels and sounds as it should be.

Tracks: They're all AWESOME, but Rude is my absolute FAVORITE!


Grizzly Bear (9/18/12)

Spotify: Grizzly Bear – Shields

I’m a bit burned out on music at the moment and given that I mainly listen to most new music on my work computer these days, I find it can be hard to focus on what I’m listening to. Once I start getting into a song my work phone blows up and interrupts whatever mood the music had put me in. Then I get irritated that I’m at work (where I don’t want to be) and not fully immersed in the music (where I want to be). I apologize if this sounds rushed and confused, but I’m going to give my reactionary impressions of these two albums without delving deep into the mechanics of either of them.

This Grizzly Bear album is, well, I don’t know - it’s just kind of there. I like “Sleeping Ute” a lot but right after that the album kind of disappears until I don’t even notice it’s over. How long have I been listening to silence? Is it a good thing that I don’t know how to answer that question? This has happened three times in a row now. My ears occasionally perk up here and there but for the most part my brain is on autopilot. I don’t know if that’s really a knock against the album because when I actually pay attention to the songs I don’t actually hate any of them. -TB

Tracks: Sleeping Ute, Yet Again, Gun-shy

Which brings me to the xx album.

The xx (released 9/11/12)

Spotify: The xx – Coexist

This band does not write barn-stomping stadium bashers. You will (most likely) not be blasting this out your car windows on a hot summer day, singing loud as hell at the top of your lungs. These are songs you hear in the back of your mind after a night out and you find yourself somewhere unfamiliar, making out with a stranger, and wondering just how you got in that situation in the first place. They are songs to listen to on the walk of shame while reflecting on your previous night’s choices. They can also be songs for wallflowers; each song playing out a little scenario in the head of that kid at the party who’s in the corner watching everyone without actually interacting with anyone.

I hate actually saying whether or not an album is good because who am I to tell you what you would or wouldn’t enjoy? If you are a fan of both of these bands then I can’t see any reason why either of these albums would turn you into a full blown hater (though I’d be interested to hear the opinion of those that have that experience). Consequently I also can’t find anything here that’s going to pull any haters on board. I know that’s about the biggest cop-out in album review history but you’ll have this. -TB

Tracks: Angels, Chained, Sunset, Tides


Anticipation. 

Mumford & Sons - 9/25

Muse - 10/2/12
Converge - 10/9/12
Bat For Lashes - 10/16/12
Ben Gibbard - 10/16/12
Pinback - 10/16/12
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - 10/23/12
Further Seems Forever - 10/23/12
Paul Banks - 10/23/12
SOUNDGARDEN!!! - 11/13/12
Alicia Keys - 11/27/12

Physical Connection Series: Part II

On July 11th, I posted the first installment of this series. With an optimistic outlook I thought it would be no big deal to relinquish my iTunes account for indie record stores. Boy was I fucking wrong... Here's where it all went to shit. In spite of there being three record stores in my neighborhood, the problem became finding a record store that actually carried the album(s) I was in search of...

On the day of the physical release of Frank Ocean's Channel Orange (7/17/12), I happily walked into THREE record stores only to walk right back out unsuccessful in my task. Two of them were out of stock and one of them hadn't even got the albums in yet. I called yet another record store thinking I could stop on my way home but instead had a tragic conversation with one of the workers who was confused and thought the album didn't come out until the week after. Pissed off and frustrated I went home. Broke down and bought it on iTunes. *hangs head in shame*

About three weeks later, I returned to one of the record stores in my neighborhood and by some miracle they had the physical CD. So I bought it. I spent $25.98 (11.99 on iTunes and 13.99 for physical) for one album. Frustration.

A similar experience happened to me yet again tonight. In anticipation of today's paycheck, I made a short list of albums I wanted to buy - Passion Pit's Gossamer, Stars' The North, Dinosaur Jr.'s I Bet On Sky and Grizzly Bear's Shields. I walked away with half of my list. When I asked the worker at the record store if I just wasn't looking in the right spot, a woman (I presumed an owner) popped her head out of the office, said they did not have either album but could order for me. And then disappeared just as fast as she appeared. I came home. Opened up my computer and waved the white flag of surrender. This time without the shame. Thank you iTunes.

This challenge has been nothing but disappointment from day one...

Bled White

Nicholas Kirkwood Spring 2013