Where knitting and music combine in a hodge podge of garments and guitars, (plus the most noteworthy television shows, books and movies according to me) -- a gracious plenty to keep you cozy warm at night.
Well, just because I've got True Blood fever, I thought I'd get a head start on my playlist for tonight: Vampire Songs. Record Cozy's playing Connie the Corpse from K-DED for the night ;) First of all, because last.fm doesn't have a clip or full-length version of Say Hi's "Angels and Darlas" I have to include the link here. (That would be the Joss Whedon characters for those of you who are unfamiliar.) And because I think it's important you know your band history (even recent history), below is the trailer for the movie Vampire Weekend. One I'm not sure was ever made. Sure, it's pretty low budget, but it had to have the best soundtrack EVER. In any case, it is the namesake for that hipster favorite, you guessed it, Vampire Weekend. They don't really sing about vampires, but they deserve some representation. Don't you think? (And yes, that is Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend and Wesley Miles of Ra Ra Riot. I know, I love it too.)
This little polygon of awesome (above) came from Discovery's website. You can hear several tracks off of the new album, LP. I've linked to Amazon to hear a sampling, as well as to good ole MySpace for Discovery's page. Amazon's charging $8.99 for a digital download now, when I bought my copy it was only $3.99, so watch out for a price change if you're thrifty, and paranoid.
Discovery is the collaboration of Vampire Weekend's piano/synth player, Rostam Batmanglij and Ra Ra Riot's keyboardist/vocalist Wes Miles. What Discovery means is remixes, an R&B feel with all the warm fuzzies attached to your already favorite songs. For example, The Rhumb Line's "Can You Tell" (below) becomes LP's "Can You Discover?" Now, I can't say that it's altogether an improvement on the original, but it's different. It has that synth-rich sound, the beats and the repetition. It's just not RRR's strings and romance. The same lyrics carry a completely different meaning, just proof there's more to music than lyrics alone. But really, this is my only criticism, and it's not even a very good one.
Other tracks feel better, more right, as Wes sings in "Orange Shirt" about familiar R&B themes. Blah blah crushes, let me in for... you know, I'll leave before your mom wakes up... yeah. What's not the usual: "I'm sitting at home sipping this miso." I kid you not, unless I am completely hearing it wrong, but odds are, I'm not. This is the side that brings up VW and their fondness for lyrics that mention obscure foods (Milk-like Middle Eastern beverages, "Campus"?).
It's got your guest appearances, like Angel Deradoorian from The Dirty Projectors and Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend.
It's fast-paced and intelligent without hurting your brain. It doesn't hurt that the songs are catchy (C'mon chorus of "It's Not My Fault" = PARTY) and from the members of great bands. All that spells a new take on the familiar and greatness that grows on you.
That's what happens when New York state bands meet and form awesome super alliances. Smart, beaty musical offspring. Oh, yeah. Discovery: It's an LP!
So, ready to go with the next project I'm working on: the Highlander's Stole from Twinkle's Town & Country Knits. This piece is for my brother's wedding, to match the bridesmaid's dress. It was important to me that the accessories I chose really showed more of my style than usual because I'll be dressed the same as five other girls. The Highlander's Stole fit the bill. I checked the book out of the library in April and photocopied the pattern and pictures for later use.
The Stats:
The Pattern - Highlander's Stole (also pictured on page 11 of "Look Inside" on Amazon)
This pattern is stylish and romantic, and will be perfect for an October wedding. The song I chose for this project is "Can You Tell" by Ra Ra Riot from The Rhumb Line. A romantic song for a romantic wrap.
Let's Get Cozy - Highlander's Stole (CO 7/7/09)
Suri Dream Yarn is an alpaca, wool and nylon blend. Although it is super bulky weight, it is quite a bit lacy for this pattern. The book-pictured version is thick and woolly, which is appropriate for cooler weather. For my purposes, a more spidery version seems more fitting. This yarn has been somewhat difficult to work with, but I'm getting used to it. I've found that using a lighter, straight cable needle works well. The cast on used is Cable Cast On, a technique I don't use very often. Knitting Help has a helpful video if you need a refresher. We'll see how this one goes. I'll post updates as I go, so that's that. Below is a close up of the cable pattern, above is 6 rows worked in pattern.
Cable Pattern:
Stay tuned for upcoming posts on the new Discovery album, LP and my response to this week's True Blood. Plus, my progress on the Highlander's Stole.
Welcome to Record Cozy, a blog combines knitting projects I'm working on with music and other media I feel fits the mood of the pieces. A student in Pittsburgh during the year, I summer in the Philadelphia area where I spend way too much time on my computer. I'm also an avid, book-taught knitter and lover of all things A&E.
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