coldplay is like comfort food

I have a melancholic relationship with the U.K. band. They were my study buddies during college, and helped me through many midterms and finals with Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head. When I listen to Coldplay, I'm high and in a trance of beauty and light and no matter what happens, untouchable. It doesn't matter how macabre the lyrics are, they always satisfy my soul.

Coldplay gets a lot of slack for previously having a pretty monotone album, which I've never blamed them for because to me, each song has a different message. However, with their latest album, Mylo Xyloto, not only have they reached a new level of sound, but they have included the variety of sound that critics have been waiting for. The way they've woven the electronics into their sound infuses the album with a newly found freshness. The collaboration with Rihanna was completely unexpected and brilliant. Princess of China was the perfect finale for a breakthrough album.

When you listen to Mylo Xyloto the whole way through you can't help but notice that each song ties into the other with little melodies in the background that suddenly remind you of a previous song or lyrics with the title of another song. For example, the first single Paradise references the second single Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall in the line “…the wheel breaks the butterfly, every tear a waterfall".  Whether that was intentional or not, it provides a sense of unity and integrity to the album. It has been masterfully crafted to tell a very unique love story, inspired by old school American graffiti, with a very happy ending.

All of the tracks are amazing and each have their own pulse. Hurts Like Heaven is actually one of my roommate's favorites because it has an 80's pop song feel to it. Us Against the World takes me back to vintage Coldplay. Charlie Brown is very playful and will also be the band's third single off the album. I hope you have the chance to enjoy it as much as I have and will continue to, until the next one.

This album was the soundtrack to my vacation in Costa Rica and will forever remind of the blissful time I spent there. I love that about music - being able to cement my memories in their sound.

Yours truly,
Jen

the new skirt length

Grace Kelly is the embodiment of a feminine style that I feared had disappeared from our society. To me, there is so much to be said for a woman who shows just a touch of skin, leaving the rest to imagination and creating intrigue. It emits this sort of respectful sexiness and dignified strength. It's something we can exploit by simply extending the hemline of our skirts and dresses. It's what Grace Kelly pulled off so well in Rear Window with her famous green suit.

Luckily for us, the mid-calf length skirt (aka midi skirt) is back in style and is more versatile than ever before. This skirt length can appeal to a wide variety of personalities - not just for the conservative and corporate executives anymore. It can just as easily be worn by the artistic siren, active student, or the shy fashionista.

One of my favorite pairings with the midi skirt is ankle booties - the fastest way to update the skirt to the 21st century. The length can be casual and it can be dressy, you can decide by what you pair it with - sequined top or comfy sweater for example (as seen below). The shape of the skirt can also decide how dressed up or down you can make it. Pencil skirts are traditionally more dressy than the A-line skirt. At the end of the day, it's up to you to make it your own and rock it with that Grace Kelly feminine confidence that is sure to get you noticed.

How do you feel about the new skirt length? How will you rock it?

Yours truly,
Jen

no light, no light.

So my blog so far seems to have a theme for redheads - Emma Stone and now Florence Welch, but who doesn't love a fiery redhead?

I should state that I, in no way, intend to 'discover' new music on this blog or pretend like I know what I'm talking about when it comes to the science of music. All I know is what I feel and that's what I'll share with you.

When it comes to Florence + the Machine, the primary adjective that comes to mind is - visceral. I have never heard so many references to body parts in an artist's lyrics, and while that maybe shouldn't be surprising since her first album is titled Lungs and all, it's very reflective of how her songs make you feel. I feel it in my chest and in my gut when she sings with that ethereal voice against the hard-hitting bass and drums; it makes me want to dance barefoot in a cathedral (yes, just like the Drumming Song video).

When I first heard Dog Days Are Over, I thought 'I love this single!' and left it at that. After some time though, I decided to download the first album and I regret not buying it sooner. Every single song on the album hits me differently and is just as emotionally charging as the next. I hope you haven't been like me and just enjoyed the radio hit singles.

Her new album Ceremonials was released 11/1/11 and is incredible, IMHO. My favorite track from the album right now is No Light, No Light. The video (above) has received some controversy due it's portrayal of Voodoo, but I think it's amazing, it illustrates the suspense in the song. Her music, her voice, her lyrics just get better and better and this album is just as striking as the previous.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Download the new album Ceremonials.

Yours truly,
Jen

P.S. I love her bird cage tattoo on her middle finger on her right hand... I think I want one.

don't be afraid of color in fall/winter!

Don't get me wrong - I'm usually the first to step away from color and resort to black. If you know me, you know that my wardrobe is pretty monochromatic. But one of my favorite trends this fall and winter is color blocking!

Most people are hesitant to wear vibrant, traditionally "spring/summer" colors in fall or winter. Well, I'm here to tell you not to be afraid to get those bright green jeans or that yellow trench out of your closet and mix it up with an orange sweater or red boots (respectively) this winter! Color is something you can pull off all year, so this winter you don't have to stick to your beiges, browns, and greys - although they will always be classics and I love them just as much.

If you're not comfortable with color blocking, just try adding in that splash of color into your outfit with a bright clutch or a colorful scarf. It'll brighten up your outfit and add warmth to those neutral winter colors.

Try it out to your next holiday party and see how many compliments you'll get!

P.S. When putting together your color blocked outfit, make sure to stick to only two or three colors, otherwise you could end up looking like a double rainbow - awesome in the sky, not so much on you. :)

Yours truly,
Jen

look, mom! i can blog!

This is my first blog post on my first blog. I know I'm a little late joining the blogosphere, but here I am. I am ready to share all of my brilliant and not so brilliant thoughts with any poor soul that happens to wander onto this site. I will mainly be focusing on my two passions in life: music and fashion, so if you're interested in either, please stick around... if not, then I doubt you'll find anything to entertain you besides my horrible writing skills.

Things you should expect to see:

• Style of the week - could be outfit, accessories or trend.
• Music of the week - could be song, album, band or artist.
• Shameless promotion of my favorite bands
• Thoughts on music in general, sometimes Top 40 stuff
• Upcoming shows to attend in the Houston-Austin-DFW area.

Things you should not expect to see:

• Spilling of guts and inner-most thoughts
• High-quality writing
• Insightful commentary on worldly and political topics
• Thoughts on punk rock, metal, or country music

Well, I hope that's enough to get started. Until next post...

Yours truly,
Jen