Darfur? What Are You Guys Doing?!?

Andy Samberg and Arcade Fire explain why atrocities such as slavery, the Vietnam War, and global terrorism fully suck in this electro-rich Digital Short from a couple of weeks back. Check out the video below:

http://www.hulu.com/embed/jzTUStmJ8K61_9z_d6zlGg

While host Scarlett Johansson played her shtick well (hot girl doing funny accents, etc.), it was
Arcade Fire who kicked the episode up a notch – specifically, Regine Chassagne’s debut as front-woman on their performance of “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond
Mountains).” As the rest of the band, including frontman and husband Win Butler,
provided backing vocals and instrumentals, Regine took to center stage in a glittery
gold dress that would make even Taylor Swift jealous. Check out the Regine’s SNL
domination on Hulu.

— Lauren

A Thanksgiving solution for the most devout cupcake lover

Photo courtesy of bakeitinacake.com

 

Raise your hand if this scenario applies to you: it’s Thanksgiving and you’re at the dining room table with your entire family. You just finished digesting all of your turkey and mashed potatoes. It’s almost time to fully enter your food coma. All that’s missing is the final stage: desert. Yet, you sense a weird feeling of dread as you watch the table fill with lumpy pies and gelatin molds that hold captive helpless bits of nondescript…fruit, maybe? Desert is supposed to be the best part of the meal, yet where is the literal icing on your cake?!

Lucky for you, the kind people at innovative blog bakeitinacake.com have created a solution to satisfy both the sweetest tooth and Thanksgiving enthusiasts. Behold – Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes. These treats hold pumpkin pie filling within a traditional vanilla cupcake, topped off with a generous heaping of cinnamon cream-cheese frosting. Pie-filled cupcakes? I think we can all give thanks for that. While you’re checking out the recipe, feel free to take a look at some of their other cupcake-filled suggestions, as well. Nutella-filled cupcakes? Yes please!

-Lauren

H&M and Lanvin tease dramatic new collaboration with trippy film

When H&M announces their latest guest designer collaboration, people loose their minds, and for good reason. The always-trendy mall staple’s import of high-end designer goods at the store’s wallet-friendly prices is enough to make a fashionista totally cuckoo. So it’s no wonder that when French powerhouse Lanvin announced that their flawless Alber Elbaz would be next in line to guest-design for the store, desperate women in need of taffeta dresses everywhere set up special Google Alerts for the first sneak peek at the collection.

Luckily, the wait is over, as H&M and Lanvin have debuted a short, “Alice in Wonderland”-esque film previewing the collection. So what exactly are we in-store for (pun intended…)?  Sequined tees, taffeta-petticoats, strong shoulders, slouchy trenches, and lots of ruffles. Ooh la la, how the French know drama! Check out these showstoppers and more at your local H&M starting November 20^th – just watch out for flying stilettos; it might get dangerous out there!

-Lauren

New Music Alert: Warpaint

Photo courtesy of Sonic Itch Music

When indie film icon Shannyn Sossamon decided to start a band with her sister, Jenny Lee Lindberg, along with childhood friends, Theresa Wayman, Emily Kokal on Valentine’s Day in 2004, there was no doubt that the group would find some success. Surely, some adoring The Rules of Attraction fan girls would obsess over leaked mp3s and show up to every small gig with Sossamon-inspired choppy-DIY bangs. But that didn’t mean that they actually had to be good. Yet somehow, Warpaint, the band’s given moniker, has managed to make psychedelic shoe-gaze for the past six years, all leading up to the release of their debut album The Fool, on October 25^th.

While Sossamon left the band after the release of their 2008 EP, Exquisite Corpse, Warpaint found no difficulties in making some fans of their own. Following the release of the EP, the band embarked on an extensive bit of touring, opening for the likes of Yeasayer, The XX and Vampire Weekend, as well as playing a set at Lollapalooza. However, with the release of The Fool, the ladies of Warpaint prove that they are ready for a headlining tour of their own.

Each song on the nine-track album showcases a different dynamic between the strong female vocals and ethereal instrumentals. Influences seem to vary from Jeff Buckley to Cat Power, with even a little Bjork thrown in for good measure on “Shadows.” Highlights of the album include “Baby,” a surprising ballad that adds a bit of folk to the record, and  “Undertow,” which throws an unexpected guitar rhythm into the end to give the song a controlled depth.

-Lauren

Cozy Up in a Circle Scarf

Photo courtesy of American Apparel

As the chilly fall weather gets colder and colder, getting out of bed and out the door seems to get harder and harder. Sure, those trivial activities like running errands and going to work beckon, but it’s so warm under the covers and there’s a marathon of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Bravo…

While the ideal situation would be booking a flight to Miami with the return flight sometime in March, our schedules (and wallets!) don’t exactly have the same flexibility as someone like Kim Kardashian.  So instead, we offer you this simple, knit solution: a circle scarf. While American Apparel has marketed this thick, infinite take on the traditional scarf for years, the trend is really taking flight this season, in gloriously chunky knits sure to keep you cozy on even the bitterest of days.

Check out American Apparel’s knit version that comes in a cool snake-skin print here: http://store.americanapparel.net/rsaas500.html?cid=51, or simply stop by your favorite boutique or mall-store (Forever 21 and H&M have great, cheap options!) to stock up on this fall essential. Now wrap on your new scarf around that frozen neck of yours, turn on Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami, and grab a tropical beverage. Just like Florida, right?

-Lauren