Shout Out to the Swedish Chanteuse

3 Reasons I Want to be Friends with Lykke Li

1. She did a cover/duet of Kings of Leon's "Knocked Up" off their album Because of the Times that I love... it's sort of ethereal and spacey, and adds a whole layer of sonic melancholy that works well with Caleb's vocals.

2. She has a refreshing sense of style that's messy and unpolished, but manages to look chic and feminine without being fussy.

3. She's lived in so many neat places I would love to call home! Sweden, Morocco, Portugal, Nepal, India, New York... as the daughter of a painter and musician... ah, what a dream life!

Bonus Point: She also covered Lou Reed's "Walk On The Wild Side."

Emerging Artist: Farnaz Farmand

This past weekend I helped out at JK Gallery in Culver City for the opening reception for Farnaz Farmand's Plunge Into Liquid (not to be confused with the surf documentary Step Into Liquid), her first solo exhibition.

First of all, Farnaz is so sweet and beautiful! She's only a year older than me, I think, and she is so incredibly talented. She works mainly in oil paint, but many of her pieces were super sculptural and some even water color-like.

Hearing her explain her motivations and techniques and inspirations was really fascinating. She explores of lot of themes relating to the beauty of the natural world and its decay; attraction and repulsion; micro and macro views of the world; and influences from all the places she's lived: Iran, Sweden, Alabama, California, and I think somewhere in the Far East? She has quite the life story.

A lot of the pieces are named after plant diseases, with colorful names like "Blueberry Scorch" and "Hollow Heart" and "Canker Boils." "Canker Boils" is the only all-black piece in the collection, and it really does look like a diseased mass of pustules. Surprisingly, when I asked Farnaz about it, she said that there are several layers of beautiful colors hidden underneath....

Farnaz's boyfriend even wrote poems to accomany each piece and together the duo put together a book that sold out the night of the opening party.

Her girlfriends all baked probably a hundred mini cupcakes and decorated them with frosting dyed to match her paintings. (Which made for the best reception EVER, by the way!)

Best of luck to Farnaz in her future ventures!

Cheap Eats; or, My New Favorite Restaurant/Bars That I Would Still Go To No Matter The Cost

Santa Monica

• Anisette - great food, wine, cocktails, but I love it for the decor and the nice feeling of sipping a glass of wine at the bar. Cute waiters, too.
• Bodega - $20 bottle of wine Tuesdays, and they just added a beet salad to the menu that I LOVE. Relaxed, unpretentious.

Downtown

• Cole's - even though it's a little far from Malibu, my friend and I are now regulars at Varnish, the speakeasy in the back. Cole's, though, should not be overlooked as a bar in its own right. Yes, everyone knows about the French Dip, but did you know about their extensive collection of gins and lagers? Further, there is nothing better anywhere than the baked mac and cheese and it's super cheap... like $3. Usually good music playing, too. And none of that West Hollywood riff raff. (Except maybe on Saturday's... but I don't go out then anyway anymore)

Silver Lake

• Malo - $1 tacos on Mondays, fantastic margaritas (not so cheap), and the CHEWY CHIPS!!!! ahhhhhh! More of a hipster crowd, I guess, but nobody's keeping track.

A Violin To Melt Your Face

Tonight I attended ORGANICA X, the 10th annual organ (read: church music, not kidney) concert performed by Christoph Bull at Royce Hall, UCLA.

WOW! From hymns to "A Day In The Life" to the sexy side of the Bible to choir boys and an opera singer, this was a pretty spectacular show... especially considering I paid under 20 bucks and I bought my ticket this morning.

Christoph is a German organist with a quirky sense of humor and a love of rock n roll. While his performance alongside the light show and the improv painter on stage was pretty zany and fun - and no doubt a must-see for any organ enthusiast - I was most excited by Lili Haydn's violin/vocal performance with Bull during their take on Led Zepplin's "Kashmir."

I'd actually already been a fan of Lili's when I first heard her cover of "Maggot Brain" (if you know the song, you'll just FREAK OUT hearing her violin version) on her album Place Between Places so when I saw she was performing in L.A. today, I immediately bought my ticket online.

She is a total freak in real life, and I mean that as a compliment! She had on a really funky black dress and her hair was down. When she sang she was kind of breathy and she waved her bow and violin in the air, but man, when she played, she was INTENSE! More than once I've heard her called "the Jimi Hendrix of violin"and I couldn't agree more.

Eastern Revelry

So Tuesday night I went to the opening party at Barbarella Bar in Silver Lake. The vibe was sort of industrial glam... a giant crystal chandelier hanging next to exposed ventilation ducts. Good food, interesting scene.

Later, a short drive to Cole's to experience the wonder of The Varnish... shh! This new speakeasy from Cedd Moses's 213 Group boasts a cocktail list prepared by some of the country's best mixologists.

"This place certainly reeks of hospitality and good cheer, or maybe it's this cheese."

(Quote in honor of Jean Harlow's birthday today)

Tonight I'll be checking out some new places in Silver Lake and downtown, so my reviews will be forthcoming!

Also, I'm a bum and missed LACMA's "Vanity Fair" exhibit, so to make up for it I'm planning to check out "Art of Two Germanys" soon!

[This post was kind of lame, but I liked the quote and the picture so I went with it anyway. Tscha! -I.M.]

Bee Yourself, You False Indigo

So, lately I've been hearing a lot about the tremendous benefits of incorporating BEE POLLEN into one's diet. This microscopically small substance, picked up and delivered from flower to plant by our friends the bees, is apparently good for boosting energy levels, muscle growth, smoothing skin, etc. etc.

I'm all for that, and it sounds like a great idea. Just dump a teaspoon into my morning smoothie.

But, what about the bees? They are under a lot of strain, and in many areas, are beeing wiped out. (Sorry, couldn't resist. This is no laughing matter.) We couldn't live in a world without bees.

So what can you and I do to help out the little guys?

I found a great website that lists some pretty doable options. The easiest way to help bees is to buy organic! 

And while you're in the mood to save the world, why not make it a bit more beautiful - plant a native flower in your window box! :)

Here's a great list of recommended plant species native to the Santa Monica mountains. The above photo is of False Indigo, a gorgeous flowering bush native to Malibu that I hadn't even HEARD of before checking out this list. 

p.s. Don't have bee pollen if you know you are allergic to pollen. 

Rainy Day Blonde, Hollywood-Style; Or, Pick Yourself Up, Malibu-style (no, dunce, not "Promises")

Don't let all this rain get you down. (The Man, the economy and the fact that Greed is only a fake perfume are doing a good enough job of that.)

So, ditch your blues, and dye your hair blonde. Apparently a simple change in the color of your tresses can immediately (and cheaply) boost your fun-factor. (It's science. Check out Sassy Bella, if you don't believe me.)

Once you've successfully performed a DIY home job on your bob, get out and catch some flicks. Check out all the great film festivals coming up this month in Los Angeles and support new talent in the process!

Young Directors Night

Friday, March 6

6-7:30 Cocktail hour at A+D Museum (love them!)

7:30-10:30 Program & Q/A at LACMA's Bing Theater

10:30-12 Reception & Award Presenation at A+D

New Filmmakers > LA

Thursday, March 19

Stanley Kramer Theater

1438 N. Gower St. | Hollywood | 90028

5:45 Documentary Program

7:30 Short Program

8:45 Feature Presentation

Reception following screening

Still got the blues?
Okay, drama queen. Here's what you need to do:
Get yourself over to apowerfulnoise.org and purchase tickets for you and all your girlfriends to see "A Powerful Noise." This documentary film will be screened in over 450 theaters across the country and is happening in conjunction with International Women's Day. Following the documentary, a live panel of awesome women will discuss the problems (and solutions) facing women and girls in struggling countries. Not only will you get to hear Natalie Portman, Madeleine Albright and Christy Turlington talk about important issues (and see what they're wearing), but hopefully focusing on broader topics beyond yourself will help put a few rainy days in perspective for you.

In fact, I think this is such a great idea, everyone should go!
Step Up Women's Network is hosting a screening with Sarah Michelle Gellar at the Century City 15. For more information and to see listings in a city near you, click here.

For all you LA people, here are the deets:
A Powerful Noise
Thursday, March 5 | 8PM | Century City 15 | $18/ticket
It is strongly recommended to purchase your tickets online in advance.

:::Souring Economy Tip of the Day:::

Sign up for Netflix through B of A's "Add It Up" program, and get $28 back! That's almost 2 months of free DVDs, right to your door!

There, I've given you 4 rad ideas on how to get through this rough time. You love me, I know.

New Order

So, contrary to what you learned in arithmetic... 97.1 > 102.7

FM, that is.

I am, of course, talking about the state of the terrestrial radio waves in Los Angeles.

In the wake of Indie 103.1's tragic demise and somewhat comforting online reincarnation, there's been a great deal of flux in the programming of the remaining stations.

Star 98.7 now plays bands signed by labels out of Silver Lake. It has also incorporated an hour-long session of new music from 9-10PM on Sunday nights. It may be that I have just never noticed this before, but from what I can tell from the last 3 minutes of this hour ("Broken Connection" from Eulogies), they've indied it up a bit. And I like it!

89.9 KCRW (of "Morning Becomes Eclectic" fame; or, Everyone's Favorite Event Sponsor) seems to still be going strong. Today I was totally amused and absolutely LOVING Peter Gabriel's cover of Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa." "This feels so unnatural....to sing your own name."

-->Newsflash: OMG ..... Peter Gabriel with HOT CHIP?! That explains it! :)

To continue the state of the air waves, big news on the pop front - new Amp 97.1 (you may recall these are the same call numbers as Howard Stern's show back before Sirius) is blatanly challenging Ryan Seacrest and uber-pop station KIIS FM. Good old 102.7 has long pummeled listeners with relentless poppage and is pretty much the radio version of TMZ. But now new kid on the block Amp ups the ante by promising some unfathomable number of songs in a row without commercials. Not only that, but its advertising has a soundbite of a caller dis-ing Seacrest. Wow. Ballsy.

Join me in The Living Room

Today I had the Traditional Tea at the Beverly Hills Peninsula with my mom, sister, grandma and aunt. We sat in the yellow damask sofas in front of the fireplace. 

I believe I've been to the hotel before, but what a beautiful, cheery space the "Living Room" is! The service was great - we had at least 4 people helping us, and our waiter was very accommodating! (He had the chef make peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and turkey sanwiches for my little sister... though funnily enough, she got PBJ, and PBT!) The tea service was delightful - hand-painted tea cups and plates with whimsical floral designs... in various colors: pink, yellow, lavender, blue. 

We passed on the champagne and the caviar, but did decide to keep the strawberries and freshly whipped cream! What a difference between real cream and Reddi-Whip! None of the fumes of the spray can. Delicious and scrumptious scones, sandwiches and spreads... my favorite is always the clotted cream! Our sandwiches were a grilled veggie, chicken salad with almonds, smoked salmon and egg salad. Nice selections of sweets, as well: shortbread cookie, cream puff, madeleine, tiramisu.

Great ambience, wonderful service, and even a harpist!

Nice treat for a Sunday afternoon. :)

Downtown? Check this out

MOCA's Dan Graham: Beyond is a great show worth checking out. It's Graham's first American retrospective and really quite expansive.

I attended the opening on Valentine's Day and it was a great turnout! Lots of people came out to see the art, see Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore perfom with Mirror/Dash and mingle with the beauties who came out to celebrate a break in the rain!

It was so packed that my friend and I want to go back to actually see more of the show. Graham's art placements in magazines were hilarious and I loved his translucent mirror pieces.

While you're downtown, snag a seat at Cole's for their famous French dip or else slide into a red leather booth at HMS Bounty - if only to play Lionel Ritchie's "All Night Long" on the jukebox.

-MOCA Grand Avenue-

Swing high, swing low

But don't let your blood sugar dip!

I have been crazy-busy at work recently and haven't really been making enough time to plan/prepare/eat meals.

So in an effort to curb by bouts of temporary starvation, I picked up a couple snacks in bar form.

I really looooooooooove KIND bars - they are like healthy candy bars! My favorites are the coconut almond and the cranberry almond. I get them at Mrs. Winston's, but they are probably sold at most health food stores and online.

As for protein bars, I don't really like the chalky taste of most of them, but someone turned me on to thinkThin bars and so far I like them. The dark chocolate one isn't too bad, and it's a nice balance of protein, fiber, sugar and fat.

Why make the trek out to Indio? Not for the sights....

For the tunes! 48 days til the greatest 3-day music festival in California kicks off!

COACHELLA

Can't wait to see:

• Crystal Castles
• Felix da Housecat ...covering Nina Simone's "Sinner Man"
• M. Ward ...covering David Bowie's "Let's Dance"
• THE BLACK KEYS!!!!!!!!!!! ...covering The Kink's "Nice and Gentle"
• The Ting Tings
• We Are Scientists ...covering Boyz II Men's "End of the Road"
• Fleet Foxes
• Jenny Lewis ...covering The Everly Brothers' "Love Hurts"
• TV On the Radio ...covering David Bowie's "Heroes"
• Friendly Fires
• Lykke Li ...covering The Kings of Leon's "Knocked Up"
• Paolo Nutini
• Peter Bjorn & John
• The Cure!

Click the links to hear some cool remixes/covers!

Food/Freshie places I want to check out

So far my list of places to check out includes:

1. Ice Pan, West Hollywood | www.icepanusa.com

Review: Amazing! You get to pick the type of "milk" it's made from... whether it's whole, 2%, non-fat or soy. Then you get to pick the flavor and what toppings/add-ins you want. On my first visit, which was very pleasant (1st hour free parking in the lot off of SM Blvd. in Weho), I had banana flavored soy milk with almond slivers and chocolate chips. As they were making it, the nice girl at the counter offered to add fresh strawberries (I accepted) and even chocolate or carmel syrup on top (I passed) for free! Not only was it soooo tasty, it's actually good for you, too! I wish there was a location on the Westside... though it is definitely worth the drive. :) Thanks to Jenna Phillips for recommending!

2. Funnel Mill, Santa Monica | www.funnelmill.com

Haven't been yet, but I looove tea and I always like to try new kinds. Thanks to GreenLAgirl for recommending!

3. Bubalus Bubalis Mozzarella, Gardena | www.realmozzarella.com

Have been meaning to check this place out! It's the only factory that makes Buffalo Mozzarella in the United States! I believe it's sold at various stores and restaurants, but I kind of want to check out the factory... I wonder if it's open to tours. Rather inconveniently though, I have given up dairy for Lent.... partially for Lent and partially to see whether I have a food allergy (I'm a bad Catholic). But - I wonder if buffalo milk counts as dairy? Does goat milk? What's the concensus here?

4. Huckleberry Cafe & Bakery, Santa Monica | www.huckleberrycafe.com

This place JUST opened and it sounds wonderfully fabulous! Can't wait to try all their delicious pastries. Thanks to Tiffany Stone for reminding me to check it out... and Daily Candy!

La Dolce Britney

Does the song "Mmm Papi" off Britney's new album Circus remind anyone else of the dance scene from Fellini's La Dolce Vita? If you listen to the background music of MP, it has a similar feel to Nino Rota's "La Dolce Vita (Arrivederci Roma - Caracalla's la Bersagliera)".

Mmm papa luv you.

Listen to "Mmm Papi":