Eerie Summer Playlist

June Gloom is in full gear - nothing quite like the looming cloudcover to remind Angelenos of the mounting troubles of our time... But I'm embracing the eeriness of the summer's dark and cool commencement by indulging in some spooky tunes, new and old, and rather enjoying my brooding commute down the coast - I feel like I'm in a '60s spy film!

In no particular order, here's what I'm listening to right now:

"Come On Let's Go" by Broadcast

"Dance They Way I Feel" by Ou Est Le Swimming Pool

"Song for Dan Treacy" by MGMT

"The Ghost Inside" by Broken Bells

"Silver Soul" by Beach House

"Temecula Sunrise" by Dirty Projectors

"Everlasting Light" by The Black Keys

"Human" by Goldfrapp

"O Morro Nao Tem Vez" by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz & others

"Paper Ships (feat.the Silverlake Conservatory of Music Children's Choir)" - by Dead Man's Bones (I think I hear a theremin on this one!!)

"Incense and Peppermints" by Strawberry Alarm Clock

"A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum

"I Feel Free" by Cream

"Season of the Witch" by Donovan

"You Keep Me Hangin' On" by Vanilla Fudge

"Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine" by Country Joe & the Fish

"The Duck (O Pato)" by Charlie Byrd

"Caroline, No" by Matthew Kaminski

"Tighten Up" by The Black Keys

"The Only One" by The Black Keys

"Mood Indigo" by Nina Simone

"Ooh La La" by Goldfrapp

"Dead Hearts" by Dead Man's Bones (Wow, check out this video!)

"Runaway" by Del Shannon

"In the Room Where You Sleep" by Dead Man's Bones

Right now I'm really into the whole Brothers album, as well as Antonio Carlos Jobim's samba classic Wave, some Dead Man's Bones, Dirty Projectors' Bitte Orca, and anything with heavy fuzz, creepy keyboard & theremin. I've got a groovy 60's Palm Springs cabana/Los Angeles heist/backwater angst/stolen kisses in a graveyard vibe going on...

Eco-Friendly Swimwear

I recently discovered the clothing line LOYALE, and am so excited to have found it! It's ecologically-conscious clothing that is actually chic. I so applaud its designer Jenny Hwa for her philosophy and community-outreach. Did I mention that this line includes swimwear? I am not talking generic bikinis here; the Hermosa suit is so cute, eco or not, I want it! It has a flirty, retro vibe without looking like a costume. According to the website, the S and M sizes have sold out, (no word on larger sizes), so all that is currently available is size XS. Also, after having seen $100+ swim suits set the standard for years, I'm happy to report that this one retails for $84. What a steal!

I also love that the collection galleries are preceded by a blurb about the inspiration for the look, and followed by the mood soundtrack. Happy to see Goldfrapp's Seventh Tree featured in the Fall 2009 gallery.

Addendum: Apparently I don't keep well enough tabs on Vogue, because this very suit was featured in the March 2009 issue. That was a year ago! Oh, well.

Oh, so apparently I'm REALLY not alone on this one. Wow, I'm usually not so aligned with other fashion weighers-in. Here LUCKY magazine declares it their "obsession":