Fiona Apple covers Elvis Costello's "I Want You"

I can't believe that this hasn't come up before, but aside from Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis, Fiona is my musical goddess.  The angst, the power, the glory; nobody does it like Fi.  She does no wrong.

Now, I'm not a huge Elvis Costello fan, so I wasn't familiar with the original version of this powerhouse ballad before hearing Fiona's take on it, but I know for a fact that his couldn't hold a candle.  The raw emotion in her voice is astonishing.  Visceral.  I can say that this is definitely my all-time favorite cover, if not my favorite song.



I can't say any more that I love you. Everything else is a waste of breath.

Notes From Chris

I guess you would refer to Notes From Chris as a guerilla art project of sorts.  Writer/Director Todd Lamb writes up random letters with weird requests from a guy named Chris and post them all around NYC.  It's funny and intriguing in the strangest way.  Watch Lamb reading some of the notes below.



Here are a few other good ones he didn't read.

 

If/when I learn an instrument and get a band together, I want all of our show's posters to be this dope.

via Karl Kwasny

via Banksy

Me In My Place

Me In My Place is a blog that posts photos of, as the site describes, "real girls in their own place." It's a very simple concept. Basically, a photographer invites especially self-assured everyday girls to contact him so that he can take pictures of them. I know it sounds a tad bit rape-y (did I mention most of the girls are in their underwear?), but trust me, it's not like that.

 

There's something so sexy about the fact that these girls aren't models.  I like to think it's the confidence that these everyday girls must have in order to put themselves out there like this.

Note to self: must date a girl who paints in her underwear.  Or nude.  I'm not picky.

Favorite Tracks of 2010

It's been a pretty good year for music.  Album after album has knocked me off my feet.  So, I figured why not run through a list of a few songs I've loved this year?  I'm not saying these are the best of the best, or even that all of these songs are from this year, but they have all kept me going over the last 12 months.  So here they are, in no specific order.  Dig it.

Two Door Cinema Club - "Something Good Can Work"

  TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB - Something Good Can Work by Pias France

At a time when everyone seems to be trying to reinvent the wheel, someone needs to go the other way, do what they know, and do it well.  In my book, nobody did that better than TDCC this year.  It's just danceable pop-rock meant to soundtrack the carefree days of youth.

Arcade Fire - "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)"

 

  15 Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) by penguinandpanda
I'm not the only one who will tell you that The Suburbs was one of the years best albums.  I always thought the Arcade Fire was a tad overrated, but then I heard this album and started to understand what the hype was all about.

Florence + The Machine - "You've Got The Love (The XX Remix)"

  Florence + The Machine - You've Got The Love (The XX Remix) by AntiRebel 
Florence hit the mainstream this year with Dog Days Are Over being played the world over.  It's always great to see a truly talented artist get their due.

Cee-Lo Green - "What Part Of Forever?"

  Cee-Lo Green - What Part of Forever by uristocrat
It actually pisses me off quite a bit that one of my favorite songs from Cee-Lo this year wasn't on his stellar album "The Lady Killer", but was instead featured on the soundtrack for a shitty vampire/werewolf/all around retarded love story.  Come on Cee-Lo, you're so much better than that.

More after the jump.

Emanuela de Paula

Wanna know what I really want for Christmas?

She & Coco & Him sing "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"

Conan O'Brien is a ginger God.  There's a million reasons to be happy he's back on the air, but my favorite one is his pull with indie artists and his penchant for doing things like this with them:



I love Zooey Deschanel.

(I don't really have anything else to say about that, I just though it would be a nice excuse for a picture.)

Kanye West - "Christmas In Harlem"

 

Kanye West's well seemed to have run dry after the release of the phenomenal My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, with G.O.O.D. Friday's tracks completely halting prematurely.  And just when we all stopped expecting new tracks, we get this little surprise.  Holiday spirit, Yeezy style.  Grab "Christmas In Harlem" below.

Download

EDIT:  Had to pull the download link, but here's a vid so you can still enjoy the song.  Just in time for the big day.

Kanye West - Christmas In Harlem from Nicklas Andreas Helberg Larsen on Vimeo.

No idea why, but I really love the line: "Pour some more eggnog in your drank Mami"

Ellen Wong

I watched Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World again recently, and I couldn't help but think that sure Knives Chau was suppose to be 17, but come on.  Look at Ellen Wong.

Wong is actually in her mid-20s, so don't judge me.

You were after the wrong one, Scott.

...then again...

Most Wanted 2010

Well, it's that time of year again.  They say that the true reward is in giving, but who the hell are we kidding?  It's all about the getting.  So, if you were looking for a little inspiration for your personal wish list, here's a few of the things I can't take my eyes off of.


Belstaff Leather Jacket

I don't think I need to point out why this jacket is on the list.  It's gorgeous.  Come on.  Look at that beautiful caramel color, and that belt, and so on and so on.  However, I could have just as easily chosen just about anything from J. Crew's catalog.  I love you, Patrick Robinson, but you seriously need to take some notes Jenna Lyons.  Homegirl's bringing it.

-J. Crew, $1489

'Inception' Blu Ray Special Edition

Pictured is the UK collector's edition, an American version of which has yet to surface.  But when it does, I'm so in that it's not even funny.  This edition includes the film in 3 version (Blu Ray, standard, and digital copy), a motion comic prologue, a PASIV Device User Manual, collector's briefcase, and that spinning top that we all watched so intently.  Gimme.

-N/A

HP Envy 14 Laptop with Beats by Dr. Dre Technology

Laptops, by nature, sound like shit.  It's the sacrifice you make for portability, but no longer.  First, Dr. Dre revolutionized music.  Then, he revolutionized the way we listen to that music.  Now, he's taken that technology and crammed it into a top of the line laptop.  Not trying to be funny, but this is probably the best thing Dr. Dre has ever done.

-HP.com, $1249.99

More after the jump

The Most Serene Republic - "Heavens To Purgatory"

Great song with a great video (and, *ahem*, title).  That's right, this is my blog's namesake.  A fun little pop gem that uses the word "gadzooks" in the chorus without flinching.  Enjoy.

The Most Serene Republic - Heavens To Purgatory from Arts & Crafts on Vimeo.