Ode to Devendra!

apparently my ode to spring toootally worked in the positive thinking department: it's 60 degrees out in Somerville, the sun is shining, and the sunset roses mirror the weather's pleasant disposition.  see?

on days like today you need a decent soundtrack for skippin' down the sidewalk, and nothing hits the ear nicer than devendra banhart when it's brisk and beautiful out.  i know i'm tardy when it comes to joining devendra's fan club, but better late than never, right?  i've got banhart's two most recent albums, smokey rolls down thunder canyon and cripple crow, playing on repeat for the afternoon.  banhart was raised in venezuela and thus a hefty chunk of his discography includes some lovely spanish melodies, and coincidentally his spanish tracks happen to be my absolute favorites on both albums.  

songs i currently can't stop dancing to/listening to/lusting after courtesy of mr. db:

quedate luna.  the haunting minor chords of this mellow track off banhart's 2005 release is my favorite on the album and tugs at my heartstrings a little just because it reminds me of flamenco and impromptu jam sessions in the albaicín, granada's old arab neighborhood and my favorite barrio in a city that i miss being able to call home.  i learned how to play this on guitar last night and the callouses on my fingers are kind of beastly from practicing it too much.  love it.  major sexy time music, too, but then again half of cripple crow makes for excellent sexy time music as well. 

carmensita.  if you're not dancing to this song within 30 seconds of pressing play, you're either a) broken in the legs, b) deaf, or c) too cool for school.   this song can usually be heard blasting in my kitchen while i'm making food for people or when i'm getting psyched before leaving my house for a big night out.  this shit'll put you in fabulous mood, guaranteed.  it's auricular candy. 

bad girl.  ok so this one's in english but i love it anyway, mostly because i find it slightly touches on the melancholic nature of the dissolution of my last relationship.  ("i'm not waiting but i keep holding on" hit a little too close to home for me, i guess. erm, yeah. moving on!)  the consistent reverb and pulsing syncopations practically put you to sleep, and in a good way: this raw, lamenting lullaby of banhart's is comforting and heartbreaking at the same time with its crescendoes and perfect balance of resignation and refusal.  [for the record: i'm listening to it today NOT because of allllll the romantic bullshit that doesn't need to be drudged up yet again; i'm listening to it because it's a beautiful song, despite/because of its emotional undertones, and it sounds divine on a day like today when the heat of the afternoon starts to cool off and the wind starts reminding me that spring isn't quite upon us yet.]

also: thank you, devendra, for your quirky lil' cameo in "nick and norah's infinite playlist".  you are great.  and thank you for this photo, as well:

image courtesy of paste magazine.

a day full of couch forts and law and order: svu reruns? yes.

so thiiiis is how i feel on this overcast thursday morning.  

on a whim, i opted to spend my wednesday night out and wound up boppin' my head like a maniac at the Bodega Girls dance party which took Middlesex in Central Square by storm last night.  Bodega Girls were fantastic: their beats were incredible, their energy was insatiable and the club was still packed with ironically-dancing hipsters hailing from every corner of Suffolk County when the lights went on long after last call.  they have a show coming up at Great Scott on March 10th and I stroooongly strongly strongly encourage anyone up for a rowdy night out complete with a bumpin' soundtrack ought to swing by the corner of Comm Ave and Harvard Ave in Allston that night.

in other news: Noir at the Charles Hotel is open until 2 on week nights.  made note of this last night with the band of merry ruffians i had spent the evening with at Middlesex, hence reason why I'm currently buried in blankets and pillows on my couch with a ginormous bottle of water within arm's reach.   i just made the biggest bowl of "hangover delight" (grilled chicken and sauteed baby 'bella mushrooms served over egg noodles in a garlic/oil/cheesy goodness) and i plan on hibernating until heading over to precinct tonight to check out a friend of a friend's band.  oh, to be 23 and unemployed!

¡vete pa'ca, primavera!

I.  WANT.  SPRING.  I want to trade in my bruised and beaten boots for pretty flats that don't have to fear the grimy salty, slushy mixture that's currently plastering the sidewalks of Somerville!  I want to be able to wear dresses without wooly tights and thick socks only to curse the blustery winds that keep my legs popsicle-like!  I want new galoshes that fit and a big red umbrella to combat April showers I plan on welcoming with open arms!  I want flowers and Marathon Monday and lighter jackets and outdoor markets and Easter candy and brunch outside! I. WANT. SPRIIIIIIIING!

phew. I feel better.  well, until I can have Spring in all it's blooming, busting-out-all-over glory, I'll settle for the following:

-Mozi's new collection of Casablanca candles.  I found my Gardenia-scented ones at Anthropologie a week or so ago and they've been burning ever since.  They throw great light and they smell amaaazing and kind of make me want to fill my apartment with bouquets of flowers and throw a makeshift garden party.  So girly, so sue me.

-That new Gabriella Cilmi song, "Sweet About Me".  This latest Australian import to the pop charts has a lot more grit on her vocal chords than Kylie and Natalie combined and her latest single is perfect for dancing away the winter doldrums in the privacy of your own apartment before braving the chill for a night out.  

-Each and every one of the champagne cocktails served up at The Beehive.  How can you turn down bubbly mixed with honey and the essence of elderflowers? I can't, that's for sure.  My personal favorite is La Vie en Rose, which is champagne and lychee-infused cognac, but you really can't go wrong with any of these fragrant, flirtatious concoctions.

-Floral headbands.  Right before my birthday a month or two ago, I had been lamenting about the pricey beauty of the headbands over at ban.do, namely #10, so Los, my infamous and almighty best friend, worked her creative wiles and gave me the lovely headpiece you see pictured in the previous post to celebrate my 23rd.  Basically, I want to wear that massive blossom on my dome every single day, rain or shine.

so, my darlings, what are YOU indulging in to beat your winter blues?  what are you looking forward to this spring?

oh hey!

hellooo!  i'm hil.

i'm a twenty-something loudmouth and lover of all things lively who's currently shacking up in a homey little place a stone's throw away from downtown boston.   (try saying that in one breath. haha.)  check back here every once in awhile for moody musings, rants and raves, and the occasional personal epiphany. 

in other news:  i want spring!  now!  and i'll wear this flower headband every day until it starts feeling like spring!