Wiley @ Fabric last night wasn't much of a show so much as it was random parts of new material + half of "Wearing My Rolex" ... To be fair it's probably hard to be motivated when your audience is a bunch a privileged white kids from the London suburbs. Sway released the video for their single Mercedes Benz a couple days ago. While the video is boring (boring enough to justify minimizing the window and play dolphin olympics while you listen), the song (or maybe just the 45 king sample) is pretty fun for the first two minutes.
Ah, Ke$ha. I told y'all a couple of months ago just how crucial her "Tik Tok" may or may not be for certain DJs. Unsurprisingly, the cut's tiptoed onto the Billboard Hot 100. And what do you do with mainstream hits? Make a long overdue video, of course. Now y'all can see just how much she looks like T. Swift in addition to sounding like my girl Uffie.
In other news, the October Grindin chart is up for your viewing pleasure. And though I forgot to vote this month (soil), this is one of my favorite Grindin charts to date. Both the "Heads Will Roll" remix and "King of Africa" are top tracks for me in darn near every situation. So versatile.
1. Florence + the Machine - "You Got the Love (The XX Remix)" 2. Gucci Vump - "Sha Shtil (L-Vis 1990 V.I.P. Remix)" 3. Joy Orbison - "J. Doe" 4. Drop the Lime - "Set me Free (Lil Silva Remix)" 5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix)" 6. Darkstar - "Aidy's Girl Is a Computer (Kyle Hall Oats B So Good Mix)" 7. Douster - "King Of Africa" 8. DJ Mujava - "Please Mugwanti" 9. L-Vis 1990 - "Compass (Christian Martin Remix)" 10. Edu K - "Avec Le Bon Bons (Worthy Remix)" 11. Moderat "Seamonkey (Untold Remix)" 12. Cold Pumas - "Jela" 13. Oni Ayhun - "OAROO3 B" 14. Slagsmalsklubben - "Brutal Weapons" 15. Mosca - "Square One"
I spent a couple hours over at the Soul and Dance Exchange this past weekend and came up with this Ghostface single. I think the Yuksek remix was also on a Scion Sampler somewhere awhile back, either way hearing it again was good. Skip the utilitarian intro and start from the monster drop at 1:25.
About five days ago the official video for "Dirtee Cash" showed up on Vimeo ... and while it's pretty good, I think Dizzee's live performance on the BBC1 Live Lounge Tour overshadows the studio version of this single. I'm not sure if this track will follow in the string of number one songs Dizzee has dropped this year, but both versions are worth a listen. Compare and contrast.
Tired of listening to Warp? Me neither. But in the interest in keeping up with the work of one of the best bands out right now here's recent track which features a collaboration with the very French Zingone and the very Norwegian Nina Martine. The Bloody Beetroots have kept quiet on plans for an album (if they have any) in the meantime their remixes are popping up on video game soundtracks everywhere.
ALSO: Im in London for next nine weeks. Please contact me (pandatoes@gmail.com) soon if you are interested in booking me for a club/party.
A-Trak has been killing it on the decks for ages, but only (relatively) recently did the masses start hyping his productions. "aNYway" has been the talk of the town of late, but there's a new track in the game that's prepped to blow minds: dude's remix of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Heads Will Roll." The suspenseful moments are wildly energizing and the instrumental moments are epic in a remarkably Top 40-friendly way. This is perfect for darn near any club. Huge.
EDIT: This is available to download pretty much everywhere on the internet. See: our friends at Discobelle, Disco Dust, etc.
I didn't realise until after it was all thrown together, but this outfit is very animal-centric - butterflies on the earrings, tiger on the shirt, and snakes on the belt (even if they are the snakes and ladders kind). This is what I wore to cook lasagna, and screw around on facebook, haha. Oh, and also to procrastinate. I just finished one assignment, and I have another one due on Friday, and then another one due on Monday. Oh uni, why do you do this to me? At least I have shiny earrings to make me feel better.
Outfit Rundown:
Earrings: Trade Secret (Groove Acessories), FIFTY FRIGGIN' CENTS. T-shirt: Trade Secret (Pure Hype), $9.95 "Snakes and Ladders" Belt: Jay Jays, 2 for $15 Jeans: K-Mart, $30
What trials and tribulations did your outfit see you through today?
I've been neglecting this little blog again, but then I've been finding it hard to blog and maintain my positive attitude lately. For awhile, I was ashamed of that. I felt like I'd failed - after all, I'd just been through six months of deep depression, and then come out ecstatic about life again. Being unhappy, even for a second felt like I was failing. Felt like it might start me spiralling out of control again. To get metaphorical on you, my life lately has been feeling much like the staircase in the picture above. I'm enjoying the scenery and the climb, but when it boils down to it, I feel like I have no idea where the staircase is going, or how many stairs I have left to climb. I'm trying to find my direction, or any direction that feels right. Anyway, I'm not trying to dwell on the negatives here. What I am trying to say is that it's ok to feel this way. Really. No matter how much more focused, or accomplished anyone else seems to be, it's ok for you to have no idea what the hell you're doing. It doesn't matter what your friends have done, or what things they have that you don't. You don't need to feel ashamed about not knowing quite where your life is going. You'll get there.
And I'll make an effort to stop feeling bad about it.
So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains And we never even know we have the key. Lyrics from Already Gone, peformed by the Eagles for their 1974 On the Border album
So many things I've loved this past week, and so little time to type them out!
Placebo at Soundwave - There are no words to express just how excited this makes me. I know I mentioned this already in my last entry, but there is just too much love for this to be mentioned only once. I mean, it's Placebo. The band that has written pretty much every one of my favourite song lyrics, ever.
"I'm unclean, a libertine And every time you vent your spleen, I seem to lose the power of speech, You're slipping slowly from my reach. You grow me like an evergreen, You've never seen the lonely me at all." Placebo - Without You I'm Nothing
Sitting down to start an assignment the night before it is due, and finding out the deadline has been extended by a week. I don't think this needs any further explanation.
My tax money came back, resulting in The Boyfriend and I acquiring a brand spanking new Xbox 360 Elite, and awesome surround sound system (replacing our dying dvd players, stereo, and game consoles). It sounds so good, and it's very nice to have working electronics in the house.
Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey finally being at the library for me, after a month of waiting - there are waiting lists a mile long at the public library for new Jacqueline Carey. I feel special just to be touching the book.
Other happiness gems: old Family Guy episodes; The Boyfriend and I having days off that coincide; catching up on a buttload of uni work; kick-boxing; sexy new underwear; planning outfits for Soundwave even though it is months away and I'll change my mind by then anyway; falling asleep on the couch watching House episodes; scoring Xbox games for $30; smiling for no real reason; watching my dog chase his toys down the hallway; talking to my Mum on the phone; Jillian Michaels; having all my exams in the first week of exam period - hello extra week of holidays; looking forward to weekend BBQ's; and daydreaming about the future.
While Greg's spent the last week toiling over mid-terms, I had a leisurely long weekend hiking through the bright foliage of New Hampshire and celebrating the massacre of millions of Native Americans. Actually, scratch that last part, we just went hiking.
While on this little adventure, my friend took it upon himself to fill my iTunes library up with Afro-Beat and old jazz singles. Among these was a new collaborative effort called The Very Best that blew my mind. The project joins Radioclit with Malawian drummer Esau Mwamwaya and fuses elements of traditional African music, indie, disco, and hip-hop. This track features Ezra Koenig (of Vampire Weekend) on vocals. He's singing in the Malawian national language, Chichewa, in case you were wondering.
They have an album dropping soon, but for now you can download a mixtape they did (with a helluvalotuv collaborators) off Fairtilizer for free.
In case you missed the latest installment of the djkicks mixtape series (which features Chromeo), here's a quick summary: old 80s dubs/vocals + that corny but sometimes endearing synthsound. If you like Chromeo or the early 80s give it a listen, otherwise they don't do much in the way of reaching beyond their crate of obscure eighties dubs. Among the millions of "Night by Night" remixes now in circulation, Skream's remix stands out. While I'm not a fan of Chromeo's love affair with the death-rattle of the disco era, this darker dubstep remix is more than decent (plus it's free).
One. Last. Contest. (Unless you publicity cats hook me up with some more goodies, in which case I'll gladly continue my selfless giving.) This time around we'll be offering y'all the opportunity to win a copy of David Guetta's new release One Love; we've got the album on both a C.D. and a U.S.B. card. If you're keen to snag either of the above prizes, email me (PandaToes@gmail.com) a link to your favorite D.J. mix of 2009 (only legal downloads, please - I'm not trying to steal mixes that were recorded for a proper release). This will in theory help me get through studying for midterms; a selfish selection process to counter my selfless giving.
Here's where I'd love to post up the "Sexy Chick" video, but it's not quite ready yet. Instead, feast your eyes on the latest output from perhaps my first crush in the blog game: Uffie. "Pop the Glock" may or may not have been one of my favorite songs three years ago, so I was unimaginably excited to see that an official video was finally dropping. Some of the graphics seem a wee bit overboard to me, but overall it's a heaps enjoyable three and a half minutes. I'd like to believe this means Uffie's first full-length will see the light of day soon, but I won't get my hopes up. (I remember getting a MySpace message from her many moons ago telling me that the L.P. would be out around Christmas '07 or '08 - I can't remember which - so I'm gonna play it safe and avoid another heartbreaking holiday season.) Still, fingers crossed.
Like the previous three contests, this one ends in one week.
I may have taken a long time to catch up, but nearly a month ago now I was given an award! It was given to me by Julie from Julie's Jottings - she's pretty cool, and I'm sure you'll love reading her blog.
Now, according to the rules, I need to tell you seven things about myself, then nominate seven other awesome bloggers for this award (the only hard part will be not nominating the same people I did for my last award, as they're still just as cool). Alrighty, onto seven little-known facts about me:
I think Stephanie Meyer is actually a decent author. Not because of Twilight, which though amusing, was absolute literary trollop - I loved her science fiction book, The Host. Ok, maybe I'm just a sucker for science-fiction.
I'm far too much of a boy for my own good. I've only recently started wearing skirts again, and once you get into the habit of sitting like a guy it is so hard to start sitting in skirt-appropriate poses again!
I am obsessed with 80's My Little Pony. I still watch the movie/TV series from time to time, and may or may not be able to sing along to all the songs in them. I am going to get Mimic tattooed on me somewhere - she was always my favourite.
I am far too excited over the 2nd Soundwave announcement/revelation that Placebo is playing Soundwave. The last time they toured I missed their concert, as I was having a jaw operation three days before.
My latest fitness craze is Jillian Michaels DVD's. I love her. She is a slave driver, but in a good way. She kicks your ass, while telling you you CAN do it.
I often read three or four books at once. For instance, a few weeks ago I was half-way through The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, Ruby by Francesca Lia Block, an issue of Cosmopolitan (though that hardly counts as a book) and American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis (which, although I loved it, is the only book I have never finished reading - it gave me terrible nightmares).
I am a complete dork. Let this horrible, grainy photo stand as evidence. This is normal Tuesday night behaviour for me. Or any night for that matter.
Onwards, here's seven rad blogs for you to check out/to receive this award:
Shut Up Vita: This lady blogs about a bit of everything, and always keeps me entertained.
Insomniac Lolita: Particularly check out the new addition of TMI Thursday. It makes me laugh so hard.
{sprinkle} tiaras atop our pastel hair: This chicky is super-cute, and her blogs make me feel happy. Check out her "Inside Us All Is A Wild Thing" photo shoot, it's adorable.
Sea of Shoes: Because everyone needs inspiration from someone with a brilliantly awesome wardrobe.
Rabbit Write: One of my favourite blogs. This lady blogs about a range of topics from very interesting perspectives, and really makes you think about things.
Hot Piece of Sass: Because this chick is so damn badass, and she'll make you laugh your ass off.
Not yet tired of giveaways? Yea, neither are we. Which is why we here at Panda Toes are offering up a Calvin Harris vinyl to one lucky reader that does the following:
1. Make fly eye glasses. 2. Put them on your face. 3. Take a picture. 4. Send said picture to PandaToes@gmail.com
Needless to say, the most entertaining picture will be crowned winner, his or her crown being a beautiful new C.H. vinyl to either a) wear on his or her pretty little head like a traditional crown or b) spin on a record player. Whatever floats his or her boat.
And on an entirely unrelated note, be sure to check out the new video for Duck Sauce's "aNYway." In case you've been living under a rock for the past few months (which is probably true for any of y'all that haven't yet seen this here video), D.S. is Armand van Helden and A-Trak. The single drops on October 24th - be sure to pick it up.
So, there's nothing particularly interesting about this outfit. Really, it's more "I was tired and cold when I finished work and needed some damn clothes to wear" than any attempt at fashion. But I reckon you guys have been deprived of my crazy poses and innane facial expressions for far too long. Onward!
Outfit Rundown:
Beanie: Girlfriend Magazine (Or Dolly, I forget), FREE!
Cardigan: Jay Jays, $29.95
Singlet: Trade Secret (Living Doll), $6.95
Jeans: Target, $25
Take note of the X-box controller and lego sets - these are completely normal things to find in my living room. Throw in a pile of half-read library books, material scraps, empty Icebreak bottles and seasons of Stargate: SG1 and then you've got my living room downpat. Speaking of which, I'm very upset - I've finally reached the end of Stargate: SG1. Oh God, it's the end of an era. At least I still have five seasons of Stargate: Atlantis to keep me company ay? And if I hear correctly, something called Stargate: Universe as well? Ok, I admit it, I'm all kinds of nerd. Anyway.
I just wanted to share something with you. Most of you have probably seen by way of Gala Darling, but I didn't think there was any harm in putting it out into the blogosphere again.
The freak revolution is run by Pace and Kyeli, who are two very cool people. And both total freaks, just like the rest of us. They run a blog about a range of different topics, from paradigm shifts, to relationship problems, to multiple learning modalities, to magick. Their goal is to gain a million-strong readership, and if this helps even a little, then my work here is done. Their posts have given me so much to think about, and inspired me at a time when I need the inspiration most. Check out their blog if this sounds like something you'd like to be a part of.
And if not, just remember to be yourself, and take care of yourself. It's something I've been forgetting to do lately.
A million "Pon de Floor" remixes later, Major Lazer releases the video for the second single off of Guns Don't kill People ... Lazers Do. As expected, the video features the illustrations of Ferry Gouw, who has done all the animation for the Major Lazer project so far. Skerrit Bwoy (the ladder-diving dagger star from the "Pon de Floor" video) also makes a cameo. Typical.
A couple years ago I tried to buy a copy of A Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders and wound up with Consequence's lookalike mixtape "A Tribe Called Quence" (which was not so great). But Cons TV (coming later this month) might well serve as Consequence's break into mainstream music. The first single "Whatever U Want" features some other good music talent and a well-placed Jackson 5 sample. I'm not sure where Hype Williams was going with the pony tail swinging concept which is all over this video but regardless it's a good song.
After hearing Kartel's single "Romping Shop" every 30 minutes on Hot97 for the past month (albeit half of the lyrics are censored), I can say I never got sick of it. "Yuh Love" appeared over on Mad Decent a couple weeks back. The video (which resembles a low-budget endorsement for iMovie) isn't much, but the song is on another level. Although listening to Kartel sing about monogamy presents some contradictions ... the video supplement offers further questions such as: how is a picture of a Ferrari F50 (first seen in minute 1:13) relevant to this song?
As I come back from a slightly extended absence, I've got a topic to talk about that's really close to my heart. I'm a little late to the party, but October is the Beyond Blue Anxiety and Depression Awareness (ADA) Month, obviously aimed to promote understanding and awareness of anxiety and depressive disorders. According to Beyond Blue, depression affects 1 in 5 people throughout their lifetime, and one in four people experience anxiety. That's a hell of a lot of people - and those figures include a lot of people that are near and dear to me. I've experienced depression firsthand, and I know what these disorders can do to people. So maybe it's not much, but I'll do my little bit to get the word out.
Beyond Blue makes it very easy to do just that. If you head on over to their website they have a range of online information, as well as packs that they'll send to you for free. Here are just a few ways you can help raise public awareness about these disorders:
Order some information packs from Beyond Blue and distribute them to people you know, or around the workplace.
Use one of the Beyond Blue woven shopping bags to carry stuff around.
Wear a blue wristband for the month of October.
Display a Beyond Blue fridge magnet at home or work.
DIY yourself an ADA month t-shirt/bag/anything else you can think of.
Download one of these Beyond Blue posters from the website and put it on your blog or just link to the website.
If you've experienced anxiety or depression talk to people you know about your experiences - half the problem is that people still don't think of these disorders as a normal part of life!
Download the anxiety and depression checklists at the Beyond Blue website, and check your family, friends, and of course yourself.
Anonymously send an information pack to anyone you think may be experiencing anxiety or depression.
So seriously, if I haven't said it enough head on over to the Beyond Blue website and get involved. The more people there are getting the word out, the more those people who suffer from anxiety and depression will know they're not alone! Speak up for all those people who may not presently be able to speak up for themselves - they will thank you later. And I'll thank you too.
Not into hats? Fear not, for the contesting continues. This time we're offering up a Deadmau5 C.D. (For Lack of a Better Name, which dropped on September 22nd and can be streamed in full at the dude's MySpace page) and poster. If you're keen to get your paws on the new album, hit me up at PandaToes@gmail.com with your favorite picture of the Deadmau5 mask and include a caption. Simple enough, yea? I'll use my flawless judgment to pick the most clever submission.
And in case you've been living under a rock for the past few years (or just don't really get down to electro house on the regular), be sure to check out the somewhat new video for "Ghosts N Stuff." In the words of one Deadmau5 publicist, "It features, uh, ghosts, and stuff. Cool!" Seems relevant. Peep:
Be sure to stop by his site to see when dude's hitting a town near you. EDIT: Contest ends in one week.
Some time ago we gave away a Panda Bear fitted. Now we're back with another lid from a group artist-gone-solo: YACHT (granted YACHT is no longer a solo gig, but you get the point). And like last time, it's a New Era fitted courtesy of our friends at Fader. If you're keen to parade around town in a fresh, free cap, send me an email (at PandaToes@gmail.com) with three or four sentences explaining why Jona Bechtolt (see: YACHT) is cooler than you. Then I'll decide who is the most worthy of such an accessory.
As far as videos go, be sure to peep the latest from one of my favorite rappers in the game: Gucci Mane. Dude finally did up a video for his hit "Wasted" (with Plies), and it's much like what you'd expect. Lots of drinking (often out of red Solo cups), plenty of rocking out (sometimes with guitars), and no shortage of pool party splashing. Love. This. Song.
Get excited - we've got three or so more contests lined up this week. EDIT: For U.S. residents only. Sorry, guys. EDIT 2: Contest ends in one week.
Now I know it's moving into Winter time for some of you, but for those of us in Australia the weather has been unseasonably warm lately. It's made me start dreaming of pools, beaches, and thus, bikinis. Today I'm bringing to you beach inspiration, in the form of some chicks who really know how to rock a bikini/various beachwear. Enjoy!
Pink - Man, oh man I love this chick. I love the simple but quirky swimwear, the cute hat, and of course the kyak/canoe paddle-as-accessory. I mean, she's proabably using it for something, but it looks cool too right?
Rihanna - It's an old picture, I know. But I am crazy about the mismatching patterns, and how they manage to look like they're meant to be together because she walks so confidently. Bangles are a nice touch also.
Scarlett Johansson - This bikini is adorable! The colours suit her perfectly, as do the sunglasses (hopefully she's wearing sunscreen too!).
Zooey Deschanel - My favourite look today! Whilst technically not a bikini, Zooey looks so cute and I'd love to wear something like this down to the beach. Seriously though, this girl is too much adorable.
Well lovelies, as hard as it is to believe, yet another Thursday has come around! As Thursday is my current favourite day of the week, it makes Things I Love Thursday all the more appropriate. Here we go!
Mila Kunis - I mean, a wicked hot actress who also voices a character in Family Guy? What's not to love about this girl? And, since she was in Forgetting Sarah Marshall as well, I can forgive her for her role in the terrible sequel to the movie version of Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho. But only just.
The South Park movie - it's been so long since I watched this, and I finally watched it again the other day and laughed myself silly. Ok, so the humour is crude, and low-brow. That doesn't stop it being hilarious.
Richard Dawkins - Well, if it is completely wierd to be in love with an old man who spends his time battling backward thinking and promoting the teaching of science, then call me completely wierd. Recently I watched his TV series The Root of All Evil, and it was amazing, if some of the people he interviewed were a little disturbing. I'm also reading The God Delusion, and I've got The Selfish Gene, and The Blind Watchmaker waiting for me when I'm done.
The Boyfriend cooking me dinner - I'd had a terrible night, as he was working a night shift and the animals wouldn't settle down. All their noise kept making me think there was something in the house, and at around 2AM they knocked a plate off the kitchen bench (which then smashed). I rang The Boyfriend up in tears because I was so exhausted, I had glass in my feet and I had to work the next morning. When I came home from work the next day the kitchen was clean, and dinner was waiting for me, to try and make up for my horrible night. I love him. <3
Other happiness gems: Inked by Carey Hart; typographic tattoos; head scarves and turbans; free stuff on magazines; watching my cats sleep in funny places; "Hey Mum, remember that goldfish we flushed down the toilet? He wasn't dead." *giant goldfish cocks gun*; steamed dim sims; rainbow gladiator sandals; borrowing exercise DVD's from the public library - I can just swap them over when I get bored!; realising I'm practising belly-dancing isolations when I'm day dreaming, and having a clean kitchen (courtesy of The Boyfriend!).
So seriously, if I haven't said it enough head on over to the 
