Listen: St. Vincent

Posted on by 20poorandfabulous
The beautiful and talented St. Vincent, Ms. Annie Clark, Photo: Tina Tyrell via ilovestvincent.com
The beautiful and talented St. Vincent, Ms. Annie Clark, Photo: Tina Tyrell via ilovestvincent.com

I don’t know when or why or how I began listening to St. Vincent, but a blessed moment it was. Annie Clark is St. Vincent, and if you haven’t met her quite yet, she is a fabulous and very talented woman.

Multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, pretty gal.

I started with her second disc, Actor, which is phenomenal. “The Neighbors” and “The Strangers” are my all time favorite St. Vincent songs, and they come off this album. It’s worth a Pandora or Grooveshark stream, and definitely worth a purchase.

Check out St. Vincent albums here

Her first album is titled Marry Me, which was reported as being named after the Arrested Development story arc when Maeby becomes a movie producer, and uses the catch phrase ‘marry me’ with all the Hollywood execs. If that doesn’t win you over, then you sir are a mouthful.

Her latest album, Strange Mercy is an amazing, creative collection of songs ripe with guitar shreds and sweet tunes. My favorite songs on this album are “Northern Lights” and “Cruel”.

St. V, to my utmost jubilation, is going on tour!!! 2012 is shaping up to be tremendous already. I hope she’s coming to your city.

 ST. VINCENT TOUR DATES 

02-21  Istanbul, Turkey – Salon IKSV
02-22  Rome, Italy – Lanificio 159
02-23  Bologna, Italy – Locomotiv
02-24  Milan, Italy – Tunnel
02-26  Paris, France – Alhambra
02-27  London, England – Shepherd’s Bush Empire
02-28  Brussels, Belgium – Botanique-Rotonde
02-29  Amsterdam, Netherlands – Melkweg
03-02  Porto, Portugal – Vodafone Mexe Festival
03-08  Perth, Australia – Rosemount Hotel
03-10  Brisbane, Australia – The Hi-Fi
03-12  Sydney, Australia – Factory Theater
03-14  Melbourne, Australia – The Hi-Fi
03-18  Auckland, New Zealand – The Kings Arms Tavern
03-19  Wellington, New Zealand – San Francisco Bath House
04-14  Indio, CA – Coachella 
04-17 Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theater
04-21 Indio, CA – Coachella
04-24 Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
05-03 Providence, RI – Lupo’s
05-05 Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
05-07 Pittsburgh, PA – Altar
05-08 Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
05-09 Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
05-10 Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe at Old National Centre
05-11 Chicago, IL – Vic Theatre
05-12 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
05-14 Omaha, NE – Slowdown 
05-15 Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
05-17 Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall
05-18 Birmingham, AL – The Bottletree
05-19 Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
05-21 Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom
05-22 Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre
05-23 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
05-24 Richmond, VA – The National

Artiste: Louise van Terheijden

Posted on by 20poorandfabulous
My first Louise van Terheijden print. Photo: Louise van Terheijden via Etsy
My first Louise van Terheijden print. Photo: Louise van Terheijden via Etsy

Louise van Terheijden is one of my newly discovered favorite favorite favorite artists. Her pieces have a subtle and beautiful personality that she describes as being “colorful, transparent and poetical.” She is from the Netherlands and creates all her pieces in her own studio.

I love all of her work. I asked for one print for Christmas, and my brother gave it to me. It is beautiful. Take a look at her Etsy page. Her personal website goes into more detail about her past work. It’s written in Dutch, but you can still navigate the page and take a nice stroll through her work. It’s worth the temporary language confusion.

If I had no economical restraint, I would buy all of her Etsy prints. Curse you, terrible economy! Pick up a Louise, so we can be art buddies.

Titled "Don't Look Back". Such a beautiful sentiment! Photo: Louise van Terheijden via Etsy
Titled "Don't Look Back". Such a beautiful sentiment. Photo: Louise van Terheijden via Etsy
"Making a Dog", because who doesn't love dogs?! Photo: Louise van Terheijden
"Making a Dog", because who doesn't love dogs?! Photo: Louise van Terheijden

Gross: Dane Cook

Posted on by 20poorandfabulous

Dane Cook has finally resurfaced out of the probable dirty butthole he was living in. And oh hey! He performed a terrible set at the Laugh Factory in LA that was described by T.J. Miller as “vicious, misogynistic, cruel, and arrogant.”

Yup.
Yup.

GROSS. 

First of all, anyone who likes Dane Cook needs to be in life rehab. That guy has never been funny. He’s like the marginally acceptable kid who clung on to the popular turds in high school, hoping to be a huge turd himself. Sadly, he never achieved turd status and had to settle in with the dingleberries.

Seriously, fuck any guy who thinks talking about women like this is funny. It’s just sad. Nobody thinks it’s cool when you “fuck whores” like a chainsaw. A) that’s bad form and B) GROSS. Sleeping around isn’t that cool, it’s kinda sad, man.

Trusted friend and future guest blogger Michael says “I feel like now he’s doing way too much coke to be funny.” Sounds about right!

FINAL WORD

Dane Cook, and any man who thinks or acts like this, listen up. Stop it. It’s not cool to be a total jerkface dingleberry. So cut the string and dingle your berry somewhere else.

Politik: South Carolina GOP Primary, it’s a party!

Posted on by 20poorandfabulous
Ha. Photo via CNN
Ha. Photo via CNN

Here we go again. Another hilarious attempt at trying to be president. So cute. Here are the boyz at the South Carolina GOP primary debate.

Vote for Leslie Knope
Vote for Leslie Knope

None of these people will be prez. I don’t have much beef against Ron Paul, at least he’s not a carbon copy of every GOP candidate like, ever. However, the others are a delightful santorum sundae, no? Gingrich is a hypocrite, Mitt Romney probably doesn’t even know who Nicki Minaj is, let alone our beloved Lady Gaga. That dude is out of touch. And Santorum, well… just no.

Can’t Leslie Knope just run for President? If she cared about all of us the way she cares about Pawnee, we could be great again people. Plus, Ron Swanson would probably be Vice-President. OMFG. All the meat-loving, gun-toters will love the VP, and Knope will get some serious things done for the good of humanity. Only in our dreams. And maybe the future 10th season series finale.

I’m not even stressed out or worried about the upcoming election. I don’t think anyone is, really. The republican vs. democrat platform is cracking, slowly but surely. All the lies about their personal lives and getting caught soliciting gay sex in bathrooms while you’re married is just so, so sad. Be gay. It’s ok. It’s normal.

Dearest hardcore, old, angry republicans,

I wish you would just relax. You always seem really upset, about which I have no idea. First world problems are tough, I know. But you can get through this. Yo, just take a hot bath, figure out your life and ponder why you are sometimes meanies and hate people for weak reasons. Go to India or something. Thailand would work too. Let us know if pad thai tastes the same, ok? Send a postcard too.

xoxo 20poorandfabulous + the rest of human beings

This is cool: Abba

Posted on by 20poorandfabulous
ABBA, before or maybe during hating each other to pieces. Music is good though. Photo: FUCK YEAH ABBA! via tumblr
ABBA, before or maybe during hating each other to pieces. Music is good though. Photo: FUCK YEAH ABBA! via tumblr

 Relive the golden days.

Movies: The Hunger Games

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I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE HUNGER GAMES MOVIES!!!

HOT HOT HOT
HOT BITCH Josh Hutcherson as Peeta

After I read all the books in practically 5 minutes, I was sad because it was over, but excited because the movie form is going to be here on March 23rd.

The casting is genius. Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss is perfect. Liam Hemsworth as Gale is good (and super hot, F you Miley Cyrus!) But Josh Hutcherson as Peeta is fucking genius. That guy has the exact eyes I envisioned Peeta having. He is beyond perfect looking for this role. And really really really cute. I haven’t felt this way about a threesome since (your freshman year of college, slut) Harry Potter.

If you haven’t read the books yet, what the fuck are you doing with your life?! GET ON IT, STAT! They are phenomenal. Sometimes, all a young adult or old person needs is some serious fascist-revolution-teen-reading-level-kick-ass literature. Suzanne Collins, the author of the trilogy, puts Stephanie Meyer of Twilight fame to shame. Fighting a fascist government to save your family and the lives of your hot boyfriends is way more important than just having a boyfriend. For real.

Hot and amazing Hunger Games cast
Hot and amazing Hunger Games cast

Movies: happythankyou moreplease

Posted on by 20poorandfabulous
ugh. Photo: IMDB
ugh. Photo: IMDB

Ah, the indie film on Netflix instant. It’s always a hit or miss. This one, “happythankyoumoreplease,” is definitely a miss. I mean, just look at that post-modern title. One word. No spaces. Over it!

The movie proved to be good background noise though. And Ted from How I Met Your Mother is in it, which is good to know he’s trying to branch out because I’ve never seen him in anything else.

Rough Synopsis

There’s a lost foster kid in the movie, who goes home with Josh Radnor’s character, who is a failed writer. (The failed writer bit is getting old in movies, don’t you think?) His friend with alopecia played by Malin Ackerman is hot but insecure, and her ex-boyfriend is a jerkwad. Other people have relationship dramz, the kid gets returned a la “Big Daddy” and the movie ends with Kate Mara badly lip-synching a bad song in a dark bar.

So? 

Buster, we miss you.
Buster, we miss you.

The acting was totally fine. And the plot was ok too. But it didn’t really seem to pull at any heart strings or go much of anywhere besides the thought that sometimes life is a little hard.

Buster from Arrested Development is in it also, but sadly not playing Buster.

All in all, “happythankyoumoreplease” wasn’t the worst movie I’ve ever seen. Which is probably “Thankskilling.” Look it up.

On the fence: Rooney Mara

Posted on by 20poorandfabulous

Rooney Mara. You’ve heard of her, or seen her in the past couple of years: Either in The Social Network as the girl who dumps Zuckerberg on his ass or the girl with the dragon tattoo. She’s been talked about around the style blogs as having an edge and the gossip blogs as being kind of an ungrateful bitch.

Rooney Mara at the Paris premiere of Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Photo: Elen Nivrae
Rooney Mara at the Paris premiere of Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Photo: Elen Nivrae

Background information

Girlfriend’s family is LOADED. Great-grandparents on both sides of her family founded the Pittsburg Steelers and the New York Giants. Her uncle co-owns the Giants. More football shit. Wow.

Her sister is Kate Mara, an actress you may or may not have seen in her slew of indie movies and supporting roles.

Rooney Mara’s real name is Patricia Rooney Mara. I can see why one would drop the ‘Patricia’. It’s not the edgiest name alive, if that’s what she’s going for.

She went to NYU for psychology, international social policy, and nonprofits. +1

She started acting in television and film in 2005. Biggest jobs: A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Social Network and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

The Evidence

Straight from her mouth 

Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander on the cover of W magazine, Photo: W Magazine
Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander on the cover of W magazine, Photo: W Magazine

On the campaign trail for GWTDT, she spoke about her first major role on an episode of Law and Order: Special Victim’s Unit. She played a formerly obese girl who beats up fat people with her boyfriend. Rooney ungratefully dished her opinion on the episode.

“Being on Law & Order: SVU was so awful. So stupid. People are obsessed with that show. I don’t get it. Me and my boyfriend—although I don’t look old enough to have a boyfriend—went and beat up these fat people, and at the end of the show you find out that I used to be obese and I hate fat people. It’s ridiculous. Who would ever do that? Who would beat someone up because they’re fat? And as retribution, they sodomized her. I mean, I’ve been sodomized since the beginning of my career. I should have known then it would come full circle.”

Yeah, it sounds like a pretty stupid premise for an episode, but there’s something so unkempt and ungrateful about a successful actress criticizing roles that supported her rise to fame. I’m all for eccentric artists, actors and musicians. It makes their work more interesting. +1 But it’s a fine line to walk, especially in Hollywood, when it comes to telling the truth. The majority of the time, the poor little rich kids end up sounding like huge turds.

-1

Rooney Mara arriving at the 2012 Golden Globes wearing a Nina Ricci dress, Photo: via deadline.com
Rooney Mara arriving at the 2012 Golden Globes wearing a Nina Ricci dress, Photo: via deadline.com

Style 

Her style has been pretty bold and interesting. She’s been wearing lots of cutout dresses that definitely play up her edgy media persona. Everyone was waiting to see what she would wear at the Golden Globes. She chose a Nina Ricci dress with her seemingly signature cutout style. +1

The Score

Rooney comes out slightly ahead with a +2 advantage. She’s definitely a girl to keep an eye on in 2012. Either for brilliant movie roles or something outrageous that comes out of her delightfully uncensored mouth.