|
|
|
Archive: March, 2010
Back in 2007 when Deidre Wengen was a City Paper Web intern (or "Webtern," as we liked to call her, somewhat uncleverly), she spent her afternoons hunched over a slow-moving Mac, compiling listings and checking facts and formatting blog posts.
Which is why we're glad to see she's up to something more enjoyable these days: Putting her HTML skills to fashionable use, Wengen's launched Hinterland Vintage, a great go-to for romantic dresses, delicate jewelry, shoes and even antique kitchenware.
On her blog, Wengen explains what drew her to the "old and pretty" world of vintage:
When I was a little girl my parents used to drag me to antiques shops and scold me not to touch anything. I went kicking and screaming as a kid, but as I got older, I began to develop an appreciation for items with a history and a story. The clothing came next.
In high school, thrift stores were somewhat of a haven for me. I loved to hunt around in racks and racks of clothes, looking for that perfect piece. I began to shop vintage as a teenager and haven't stopped since.
With her collection of sharp suitjackets, pencil skirts and low pumps (all for sale on her accompanying Etsy shop), it all feels very Mad Men over there — especially since Wengen's shopping for women of all sizes, not just extra-extra-small.
But if you happen to fall into that teeny-tiny category, here's an item we're sweating but could never fit into ourselves, as described in her shop:
Beautiful golden yellow party dress ($54) from the 1950s or early 1960s. It has a great cut with a fitted bodice and a full skirt. Lovely bow details on the straps. Pleats and darts give it a nice structred look. No material or maker tags, so it looks like this was handmade. The material is somewhat stiff and has a kind of taffeta-feel to it. Has a nice sheen to the fabric as well. Will best fit a size extra small.
Keep up the good thrifting, Deidre, and let us know when you find a dress like that in a size 8. Thanks.
With their first new song in eight years, Philly legends/Siltbreeze Records stalwarts Strapping Fieldhands return as part of Weathervane Music and WXPN's Shaking Through series. The video, produced by Weathervane's Brian McTear and Andy Williams, shows the band working its way back through the recording process after a too-long layoff and discussing the lo-fi legends' tumultuous history. Bonus Feature: Watch Devin Greenwood's engineer's commentary here.
Chosen for the second of three sessions curated by Daniel Smith, the Fieldhands were an influential part of the early 90s indie rock scene, touring alongside fellow lo-fi pioneers Pavement, Guided by Voices, the Grifters and many others before their late 90s hiatus. Now they're back together, writing and recording new material for the first time since their 2002 LP, The Third Kingdom. They'll perform that new work alongside their classics as Shaking Through artists at Fishtown's annual Shadfest on April 24th at Penn Treaty Park (if you're in Philly, come check it out with us!).The videos from Strapping Fieldhands session are up now, and they are good. Check them out at WeathervaneMusic.org and XPN.org to hear how Daniel first fell in love with the band after catching their LP in the audience of a Pavement concert at Philly's Trocadero Theater, alongside more of the band's story — both past and present. You can stream the full song via Apollo Audio on our website for now, and the MP3 will be on its way soon!
Listen to the full song at Apollo Audio, or stream it after the jump.
RELATED >> Q&A with Weathervane's Brian McTear
RELATED >> Weathervane debut's with Sunset's "Fishtown"
 |
| thebsreport.wordpress.com |
| Honestly, we reported this story mostly so we could post this pic. |
...Oh, awkward.
From Fox 29:
A U.S. judge says Oprah Winfrey must defend a defamation suit filed by the ex-headmistress of her girls school in South Africa.
The case is now set for trial on March 29 in Philadelphia. Judge Eduardo Robreno refused to dismiss the suit in a decision Monday.
He says former headmistress Nomvuyo Mzamane has enough evidence to pursue claims Winfrey defamed her. Winfrey made the remarks after sex-abuse complaints surfaced at her school for poor girls near Johannesburg.
A dorm matron who worked under Mzamane was charged with abusing students.
Do you think the Opes could win by taking the stand, turning to the jury and saying, "Everybody gets a car! Everybody gets a car!"
 |
| W.W. Norton, 192 pp., $23.95, Feb. 9 |
For the oft-tread territory of World War II, Helen Humphreys has the wisdom to limit the scope of her novel Coventry to create a more focused and intimate portrait. Humphreys is careful not to overload the readers with technical information on the war, instead focusing on the human elements of it, such as giving up certain imports and growing war gardens. Though the narrative spans from 1914 to 1962, the bulk of the novel is dedicated to a single date: November 14, 1940, the day of a devastating air raid on Coventry, Britain.
The action is revealed through the perspectives of two women, Harriet and Maeve, who had randomly crossed paths many years before the bombing. While Harriet's self-absorption in a chaotic situation is understandable, she becomes a character the readers can relate to, but not one they would likely want to empathize with. Maeve, a concerned mother, is the more sympathetic of the two, though most of her action occurs in the past through fragmented flashbacks. The more interesting characters inhabit the periphery of the drama, people scraping together semblances of sanity and normal life in light of tragedy.
By collecting together small moments of chaos, Humphreys achieves a stirring, believable portrait of the real cost of war. Unfortunately, though, she often fails to provide any real depth behind her poetic words, leaving the reader disturbed but not particularly emotionally satisfied.
 |
| thatswhatbeasaid.com |
There's a fun little web site collecting some of Bea Arthur's finest quips/abstracts. I recognize a couple from The Golden Girls — which, ask any work-from-homer, has a three-hour block every afternoon on some channel or another — but I think That's What Bea Said would be remiss if it didn't mine the Maude/Celebrity Roast years.
I can't get enough of Ted Leo's version of Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," which is apparently Teddy L.'s fave song because used to listen to it with his pops (aww! Cute attack!).
It's all part of the AV Club's Undercover series. Every Tuesday, various artists choose one song to cover from a predetermined list. It all takes place in one tiny round room that the band then John Hancocks. Choices range from current (MIA's "Paper Planes") to totally ridic (Billy Squier's "Everbody Wants You," Starship's "We Built this City") to classic (Hall & Oates' "One on One").
Of course, I'm waiting with bated breath for who covers Bruce Springsteen's "Atlantic City," considering how well it lends itself to covers (The Hold Steady did an incredible one for the War Children comp) and its the motherfucking Boss. I would totally love some Titus Andronicus on that track. They could up the scuzz-factor and make it a New Jerz vs. Old Jerz battle of the ages.
See any other songs on that list that would pair up well with another current band?
RELATED >> LISTEN UP: Ted Leo's The Brutalist Bricks
RELATED >> True Jersey
Beefin' over cheese like Ishkabibbles! Meek kills it. And this is a much better use of a Fresh Prince theme song sample than Get Busy Committee's "Chillin' Out Maxin'," in my opinion.
Yo! Why's Meek sporting a Yankees hat while reppin' the 215? Does having the image reversed make it an anti-Yankees hat?
I can't embed the new video of "Please Don't," featuring erstwhile homegirl Santigold and David Byrne, from Here Lies Love, Byrne's bizarro concept album with Fatboy Slim about the shoe-obsessed former Filipino first lady Imelda Marcos. But I can give you the link to Boing, Boing who has the exclusive video. Here's what Byrne told Boing, Boing about the Santi's contribution:
We did a photo session for a magazine the other day, and I told the interviewer that on this song, by the time you get to the chorus, she owns it -- she's turned it into a Santigold song. Perfect.
Want more? The rest of the album streams after the jump.
Just got word from our neighbor, Quirk Books, that they've dropped the trailer for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls, a prequel to the crazy-famous PPZ, on their YouTube channel.
Chock-full of Bennet sisters in pastel frocks screaming "hi-ya!" and polite Englishmen eating brains, this book trailer has serious potential for a movie. What say you, Natalie Portman?
RELATED >> Kaleidoscope: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Collectors of pretty things, take note: Every Friday Monday, we're rounding up a what's-what of what we [heart], culled from the scores of design blogs, artist sites and Etsy treasuries we can't help but stalk on the regular.
 |
| The Oxford in blue and yellow, Foulard Threads |
We moved! Since Mondays are automatic-suck days, we thought we'd try to cheer you up. This week, we've been thinking about summer scarves — the ones you wear strictly for fashion purposes on warm days despite being teased by your male co-workers. It ain't quite summer yet, but we'll make do.
Firstly: We've been eyeing Foulard Threads' eco-friendly cowls, made entirely of recycled men's Oxford shirts and polos, for a while now, but that was back when we were buried in 70 inches of snow and needed something warmer. At first we weren't sure we could rock these without looking sloppy, but the promise of a run of 60-degree sunny days this week encourages beater-and-jeans ensembles, amplified with a big messy scarf. Right? Hipsters, don't fret: Plaid versions abound. $26, Foulard Threads, spied first at modish.com.
In case March showers bring April ... showers: The thing we like best about Mother Eleganza's brightly colored "Dancin in the Rain" Head Hoods (which, yes, we know is not a scarf at all) is the headless models. Silliness aside, these hoodie heads seem like a nice compromise between jacket and down-comforter coat seasons. These are the same folks who make Bread Shoes, the ones Felicia D'Ambrosio wrote about on City Paper's food blog, Meal Ticket, not so long ago, which I guess means we trust them. $45, Mother Eleganza, spied first at designyoutrust.com.
Speaking of Felicia D: Our resident fashionable girl-about-town and Shopping Spree columnist clued us in to Letau Designs' cozy woolly Drawstring Scarves back in October when we were fretting about the aforementioned down-comforter season. For the warmer months, switch to the Philly designer's hooded scarves, made of lighter materials like silk and jersey (pictured, right). They're a tad pricey, but supporting local businesses should assuage your wallet's guilty conscience. $60, letaudesigns.com.
Finally: Gray doesn't have to be icky, despite what this rainy day would have us think. Elsie Flannigan's blog, A Beautiful Mess, shouted out all things heather gray recently, and we particularly heart this Shadowed Vine Scarf from Anthropologie (which we can claim is a local business, since its HQ is here in Philly, with very guilty looks on our faces). Corporate monster or not, it's lovely, and perfect for an afternoon wine tour. $28, Anthropologie, spied first at abeautifulmess.typepad.com.
PREVIOUSLY >> And the Nominees Are ...
Thanks for sharing this post! Actually, this is one of the things that my wife kept on telling me during our Philadelphia dating getaway. We searched for these all day. IN fact, she really doesn't want to go home without having one of these. LOL
- Activism
- Arts
- Arts Events
- Books
- Dance
- First Person Fest
- Last Chance
- Museum
- On the Fringe
- Philly Artists
- The Curator
- Theater
- Visual Art
- Arts News
- Artist Profile
- Arts Preview
- Street Art
- Been There, Done That
- Big Ups
- Comedy
- LOL With It
- Stand-up
- Critical Mass
- DVD
- Events
- Friday Fill-in
- Ice Cubes
- In Memoriam
- Interview
- Just Do It
- Just Opened
- Kaleidoscopic
- LGBTQ
- Art Phag
- Mailbag
- Movies
- Film Fest
- Movie Review
- On set
- Scenester
- screening
- trailer!
- Music
- 10 Track Mind
- Album
- Album Review
- Concert Review
- DJs
- Local Support
- Now Hear This
- One Track Mind
- Philly Bands
- Show
- Somebody Else Was There
- Song
- The Showdown
- concert photos
- jazz
- DJ Nights Blogged
- Night Watch
- Now See This
- Poetic License
- Printed Matter
- Radio
- Shopping
- Coveted
- Fashion
- What We Heart
- TV
- 24
- Idol Hands
- Mad Men
- ProjRun
- True Blood
- Useless Lost Recaps
- Couch Potato
- Shore Trash
- Turned ONN
- TopMod
- Video Games
- Free Online Game
- PSP
- PlayStation 2
- The 1-Upper
- Wii
- Web Junk
- CAGE MATCH
- Free Online Toy
- Weekend Omnibus
- Win
