Black Wedding

life of a college student

Yet again, we have failed in maintaining this blog while at college. My life (I can't speak for my partner in crime) has been super hectic living in DC. But boy, have I sure learned things!! (And experienced some too!!) While those stories probably shouldn't be posted on the Internet as they might detract from our goal of remaining classy, everyone has those college moments in their life, right? Whether dating someone lower than them in the economic pyramid (re: me right now), bitching out their roommate in public and then spreading heinous rumors about them (oh yes, that was me last semester), partying at a frat house (eww!!), and yes, even taking public transportation. The things that I have learned during this year have made a dramatic impact on my life, things that I needed to learn on my own. So, basically, I encourage all of you to get out and experience life while listening to some kick-ass music, because everyone should have music playing in the background of their lives, even if you're the only one that can hear it. I'll be posting music from my personal life soundtrack soon.

Until then, remain classy!

Fashion 2.0

I know...it has been far too long since this blog has been updated. My partner-in-crime and I have had a whirlwind summer spent all around the United States.

This post has been one that I have wanted to do for quite some time. Last summer, I did an internship at a PR firm where I worked with fashion blogs (since blogs are the PR technology) and learned that there are so many out there and many are of poor quality. I personally am concerned about my appearance (and the appearance of others) and learned that I can get fashion advice for free instead of constantly paying for high price fashion magazines in today's failing economy (though I do support the economy through shopping!). So, here are fashion blogs that I personally respect...

fashionista.com

StyleBakery.com

ideeli.com

FashionFling.blogspot.com

CoutureInTheCity.com

thefashiontime.com

ma-petite-chou.com

omiru.com

BlogdorfGoodman.blogspot.com

iamfashion.blogspot.com

stylehive.com

myfashionlife.com

chicinspector.blogspot.com

chicintuition.com

thecoolhunter.net

glam.com

shefinds.com

coutorture.com

misscouturable.blogspot.com

styleitonline.com

bellavitastyle.com

closettherapyblog.com

whowhatwear.com

fashionsalad.com

bglam.com

agirlmustshop.com

coquette.blogs.com

eye4style.blogspot.com

fashiontribes.typepad.com

secondcitystyle.typepad.com

glamourgirltips.com

fabsugar.com

afewgoodygumdrops.com

hipcandy.blogspot.com

stylebubble.typepad.com

papierdoll.net

I know that it looks like a lot, but if you have already entered the world of fashion blogs, then you know that these are a select few. What I love about some of these is that you can sign up for emails from them- I get them on my BlackBerry and love to take a break from life and look at the latest fashion.

Also, my favorite places to shop online:

lulus.com

BuyDefinition.com

Anthropologie.com

UrbanOutfitters.com

And now, a little shopping music for you (the theme song of my life...)

Fashion by Lady GaGa

Another song from Fannius (aka fan_3)

Here she is rapping in a song off of Kay Hanley's latest album. Kay is a former member of Letters to Cleo. This song is my pick me up song in the morning that makes me think that everything is going to be okay.

Don't Drop a Bomb

The OC

Orange County, California is synonymous with luxury by the beach. The hit TV show, "The OC", displayed such but in a way that teens could relate to- drama, fashion, and of course, music. The soundtrack to the show propelled bands such as Death Cab for Cutie, The Killers, Eels, and Phantom Planet. Viewers tuned in to see what Marissa and Summer were wearing and what music all of the characters were listening to. The various installments of the soundtrack were loved by all kinds of people as geeky rock became cool again.


Let's return to a few years ago with these soundtracks...

The OC: Mix 1
Music from the OC: Mix 2
Music from the OC: Mix 4
Music from the OC: Mix 5

-K

shut up stella is my shit

By: John Conroy

Shut Up Stella is a trio of friends who cut their teeth on the L.A. dance and MTV video circuits. Tomboyish rapper Fan_3, enigmatic bombshell Jessie Malakouti, and consummate surfer chick Kristen Wagner started writing music together in 2005 as an antidote to what they heard on the radio every day. "We wanted to make music listenable again," says Fan_3. "And somebody needed to counter this Paris/Lindsay bullshit." 

What sets the group apart from the status quo is their wide range of musical influences. The combination of Fan_3s hip hop background, Kristens SoCal rock and Jessie's singer-songwriter world gives their music a refreshingly unique and surprisingly catchy edge, as if someone laced a Linkin Park and Sublime sandwich with a healthy dose of Bananarama. "Our sound is like nothing else out there," says Jessie. "But it's where music is headed, a mash-up of rock, pop, and hip hop." 

The group's collective creative vision is firmly grounded in the honesty that can only come from writing their own songs. This makes Shut Up Stella in many ways the voice of a gen

eration that hasnt been heard. "A lot of popular artists right now are simply mouthpieces for a bunch of 45 year-old songwriters to speak to young people," says Kristen. "Well, we are our audience. We've got our own point of view, and we write about things people our age can relate to." 

Their distinct point of view is what binds the band together, but its what the girls individual personalities bring to their music that makes it all click. The introspective Jessie is all about raw emotional honesty. Fan_3 is loose and playful, a walking rhyme who provides a dose of the abstract and an at times brutal sense of humor. Kristens irrepressible energy is the sonic shot in the arm, and her pragmatism bridges their different styles. Together they have found a common voice that transcends easy definition but is undeniably addictive, like all great music. 

These girls were phenomenal! Unfortunately, Epic dropped them before their album could be released. I first discovered this group because I had been a fan of fan_3 since her days with Disney (before she was dropped by them for her pot usage, etc) and was seeing what she was up to- ta da! All of the girls have gone on to do their separate projects. 

Shut Up Stella tracks

Twister

Welcome to My Party

Oprah for President

These are the Days

On My Bed

Waiting for You

Light It Up

fan_3 tracks

Geek Love

Digits

Jessie Malakouti tracks

PS

Trash Me

**Music from shockoflove.wordpress.com and myself

on my way to getting nowhere

Recently I had to do a project for an English teacher in which I had to find a song that would be the soundtrack to my life. While the project seemed to have nothing to do with learning the English language, it got me thinking about songs that I like to think were written about me. While my top pick was "Slaggin Off" by Shut Up Stella, it's not classroom appropriate. I ended up choosing "Opportunity" by Pete Murray because I really do have a story behind it and it's cute for seniors. But here is a song that I love. Did you ever see those previews for "The Perfect Score" and try to find the song that they played in the trailers? Well, here it is- "On My Way" by Off By One. For those of us who are just kinda stuck, this song seems to sum up life.

On My Way-Off By One