Video: LORD KNOWS

Tim Lampe is a designer in Atlanta and writer for I'm A Bear! Etc and is currently focusing on the fact that it's Dum Dum Girls release day.

As you readers may know, I really like the Dum Dum Girls. Last year they released one of my favorite albums. Dee Dee went back in to the studio shortly after and recorded a few new tracks that didn't fit the themes on "Only in Dreams". She added two covers and another B-side and this week released the End of Daze EP. It's short, it's sweet and it's really really good. It's a great progress for Dee Dee and her Dum Dum Girls project and it only gets me more excited for further records from her. If you have Spotify or Rdio, check out End of Daze, or even purchase the EP on iTunes or in record stores. You'll be glad you did. Here is the video for the single off the EP titled "Lord Knows".

A GO GO

I usually do a snippets, but I think this video by Shishi Yamazaki just takes the cake - and my breath! She has more little animations, too!

Video: LAZULI

Tim Lampe is a writer for I’m A Bear! Etc. and wears shirts made of pizza.

In case you haven’t had a chance to listen to what may be the best record of the year so far, take a listen and feast your eyes on Beach Houses’s “Lazuli”. This song is a complete landscape of pleasing dreamscapes and I can’t talk highly enough about this track. It also happens to be a spectacular video too. Beach House’s “Bloom” is a record you need to listen to now. Also; check them out on the road as they’re touring extensively around this record.


Note from Ciara: Tim really does have a pizza shirt. IT'S AWESOME!

Video: MIND CONTROL

Tim Lampe is a writer for I’m A Bear! Etc. and is overwhelmed by the amount of new music this week.

The video I’m featuring this week may be a little weird, but there’s a lot of familiar elements in the music that Friends makes that you’ll enjoy. The track is called “Mind Control” and features almost anything you liked about tracks from the 80s; bongo drums, zingy synths, vocal yelps. Fans of YACHT will likely rejoice at the music that Friends makes as well. The video heads into some weird territory towards the end, but overall the esthetic is great. Their debut album “Manifest” is also released today and you can check it out on your handy Spotify/Rdio/iTunes or however you delightfully consume music.

Video: COMING DOWN

Tim Lampe is a writer for I’m A Bear! Etc. who may or may not wear bright colors on most days instead of black and white.

The video for Dum Dum Girls “Coming Down” is in Black and White, and it perfectly fits the mood. “Only in Dreams”, the latest Dum Dum Girls album was my favorite of last year, but you won’t find lead singer/songwriter Dee Dee wearing pink and singing bumble gum pop anytime soon. Her roots are a little more somber and a little bit personal. This song is a perfect slow-burner, erupting with Dee Dee’s golden voice. The song similarly rides Mazzy Star vibes (brings to mind Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into you”), but that’s not a bad thing, is it?

Tim Tuesdays: EXITMUSIC PASSAGE

Tim Lampe is a writer for I'm A Bear! Etc. and doesn't wear hats but sometimes writes about music.

Every week comes along a new set of albums that are streamed online, announced or released. This week NPR Music is streaming 3 great albums: Beach House's "Bloom", Best Coast's "The Only Place" and Exitmusic's "Passage".

I'm focusing on the least known of these three and one you really need to pay attention to. The band is Exitmusic and their debut album Passage is released on May 22nd on Secretly Canadian. The opening track off that is "Passage", an emotional tour de force. A track with a great build-up with a proper vocal release, the video perfectly matches the sheer audacity of this track. It's one of the most powerful tracks released yet this year, and the rest of the album matches the same ambition this track sets out.

SNIPPETS NO.4

1. Filly Designs has a beautiful Spring 2012 line, including a delectable lookbook.

2. You can always count on Obama's design team to have stunning work for his campaign. They never disappoint. The Life of Julia is not only an example of fine design craftsmanship, but it explains the differences a woman's life will experience with Obama in office vs. Mitt Romney.

3. En Pointe is a short film documenting ballerinas and their process to break in their pointe shoes. I never knew how much actually went into breaking in their shoes. I also learned later that their shoes can only be worn once after all the tear and breaking of the shoe just so they can wear it. Can you imagine wearing a new pair of shoes everyday?

4. There has been a new wind sweeping the blogger prairies called "Things I'm Afraid To Tell You". It was originally started by Jess Constable as a way to be more honest with her readers. Then Ez turned it into a viral campaign, challenging herself and others to address the transparency, fear, and anxiety that sometimes comes with being the blogger behind the curtain. Several bloggers have participated and it is really wonderful to see the honestly floating around. I have to agree, it is easy to be concealed behind beautiful images. It's so much easier to put up something attractive than talk about a bad day. I don't always want to talk about it - this space is my happy place, and also, I don't like being overly personal here. But I will say this: I don't live as glamorously as some of the photos I post. But I do live an exciting life in a beautiful, charming city. I am not always cheerful, but I am happy and I am grateful for what I do have.

I hope all of you have a great weekend!

Tim Tuesdays: BOWERBIRDS

Tim Lampe is a writer from I'm A Bear! Etc. who sometimes dreams he's in a narrative involving him dressing up as a fish. Long story.

Every once in a while you see a music video that has such a strong narrative that you can't help but praise the creators for pairing such a great song with a great story. This is the case with the new video for Bowerbirds "Tuck in the Darkness In". It's easily my favorite video of 2012 so far.

If you've not heard Bowerbirds thoughtful compositions, let this be your introduction. The video revolves around a kid who wears a reindeer hat and follows his dad along for a fishing trip only to be confused by what happens to fish after they're caught. The video perfectly captures a kids wonder with fish and masks some fears. It'll have you smiling and left in whimsey, as well.

VIDEO: MARY YELLOW OSTRICH

Tim Lampe is a writer for I'm A Bear! Etc. who went to a show last night that featured a band on stilts playing a synthesizer attached to a shovel.

Yes! It's Music Tuesday again on Glass & Sable. Today's post is dedicated to all things Yellow Ostrich. Before getting to that, it's a magnificent release day for music. Andrew Bird has a new one called "Break It Yourself", White Rabbits have released their new one "Milk Famous", and Miniature Tigers "Mia Pharaoh" is out too.

This week I'm focusing on Yellow Ostrich, who have released their sophomore effort "Strange Land" today! Yellow Ostrich was a project started by Alex Shaarf and he created the debut "The Mistress" all by himself, using loops and doing everything himself. This time around he's back with Michael Tapper and Jon Natchez and a full-band sound.

The video featured here is for the track "Mary", an alternate version of the track featured on "The Mistress". I think the video is fantastic, and stay tuned to the last leg of the video in which it explodes into color.

Additionally, for your listening pleasure, you can listen to the first single off "Strange Land" titled "Marathon Runner" below! You won't be disappointed.

Yellow Ostrich -- Marathon Runner by deadsoundie

SIMPLE SONG

A new song from The Shins. It's been stuck in my head for the last few days. Enjoy!

SNIPPETS NO.3

1. A beautiful tour of Tara Mangini & Percy Bright's home by Design Sponge. They have the perfect little place with impeccable styling. So much inspiration here.

2. How Companies Learn Your Secrets: An incredibly interested 9 page long New York Times article on marketing strategies by Target, Febreeze, and others. I was totally captivated on how these companies can figure out that a teenage girl is pregnant even before her parents know. It also contains interesting facts on how humans form habits - which comes in handy if you're planning to make or break some.

3. This is a great baby announcement video by John Jenson that gets many bonus points for design elements and cinematography.

4. Clock DIY for folks with good taste and low funds. IKEA Clock + H&M belts. Can't get better than that. Well, maybe if IKEA sold belts, too.

Happy Fridays, friends! Have a great weekend!

SPARKLY YOUNG MAGIC

Tim Lampe is a writer for I'm A Bear! Etc. who has an abiding for love cheese and a good book.

Today I have something special for you. Ciara and I had the opportunity to see Youth Lagoon some months back, and the biggest surprise was the opening act. They go by Young Magic and their show was a sprawl of percussion, electronics and chants. The way I thought of it was that it was similar to Yeasayer's first album before they headed in a different direction. I can certainly say if you're a fan of Yeasayer or Ruby Suns, this will be up your alley.

The video featured first is their first single and first track off their debut album "Melt". The video is a clash of colors, landscapes and cloud imagery, but goes very well with the track.

Second, "Melt" is released next Tuesday February 14th (perfect valentines day gift, right?) and Hype Machine is streaming the record through February 14th. It's got some fantastic sounds and encourage to give it a listen today or sometime this week.



♥Tim

MUSIC TUESDAY: See It Coming

Tim Lampe is a writer for I'm A Bear! Etc. who constantly ponders how much whimsy you can trap in a mason jar.

If you haven't yet experienced Yours Truly, you're in for a real treat today. Yours Truly is a site that constantly posts amazing videos, materials and letters from some of the best musical acts around. Last year I even got to experience a few tapings of some acts in Austin Texas, and the folks that put these together are truly talented. Most of them are shot with SLRs and are fantastic portrayals of the band.

This one in particular is the band Guards. You may know some of the members from another budding band called CULTS. The track is "See It Coming" shot with some extra folks helping them out. Now, stop reading this and just watch and take in this video. A wonderful song, a wonderful band and a wonderful new day. Enjoy!

JULY

More music than usual for the week, but I couldn't resist. Here's another amazing Youth Lagoon video.

SPRAWL II

Hi folks! Sorry for the vacation after my vacation! I needed some rest after the long drives and family time. Anyways, I thought I'd say Happy Friday with the new Sprawl II video that was just released today by Arcade Fire. They also have an interactive video on the site where you dance along with the video, via webcam.

So have a lovely weekend, friends! I promise I'll be back on the wagon from here on out!

LITTLE PRINTER CUTIE

Happy Friday! I thought I would leave all of you with this cute fella, Little Printer. I had a permanent smile after seeing this! (Put him on next year's wish list?)

TIM TUESDAYS: YOU MIGHT GET STUCK ON ME

Remember how Tim used to make a mix for Tuesdays? Well here's a video instead! It's been a little wild over on the Tim front - he's been shooting a lot of shows here in Atlanta for Paste Magazine and Drive A Faster Car (and might have his M83 pictures featured in SPIN Magazine). So to make the load a little easier, these Tuesday will just be music related, and not necessarily a mix. So enjoy the music column and check out his blog!


Here's what he says about this RAD video.

Listening to Summer Camp is like experiencing someone doing a keg stand on long beach island in the summer of 1983. Their debut album "Welcome to Condale" was recently released, and as it sounds, it's about a beach town stuck in the 80's with the inability to grow up.

Well fast forward to 2011 and there's a new Summer Camp video for a new song commissioned by 17 Nail Polish. Before you veer your eyes away thinking you're about to watch a commercial for nail polish, you're not. Their simply the budget behind the song and the video. The new track is titled "You Might Get Stuck On Me" and the video is a wonderful concept. A girl in a green sweatshirt and a guy in a yellow sweatshirt. Oh yeah, and there's a bunch of rogue hands preoccupied with various activities while a TV plays a video with the actual members of Summer Camp.

Watch the video and I highly suggest you check out their excellent record "Welcome to Condale" and vote it Prom Queen of 2011.

Enjoy!
-Tim

BLOGSHOP IN ATLANTA

Hi friends and family - this is for you. You might have heard me talk about a 2 day internship and you were probably wondering why it might be so short or what it is. The video above was taken in New York of a Photoshop course for bloggers, appropriately called Blogshop. Two lovely ladies, Bri Emery and Angela Kohler started the course in LA and have traveled all over (even Europe!) with Blogshop. It is an intense bootcamp for people who want to improve their websites and design skillz. This week they're here in Atlanta and I'm helping them out. I'm super excited and I'm so glad I have your support and love. Can't wait to tell you all about it!

get it, gallos!

A beautiful video from Andrew and Carissa Gallo. These are the same folks who directed and produced this wonderful Kinfolk Magazine video. Check out their other work and blog while you're at it!

(Right now Andrew and Carissa are in Uganda trying their very hardest to adopt a precious little girl named Rinah. They've been trying for a while and tomorrow is hopefully their last court date!)

youth lagoon.

I've been talking about Youth Lagoon for a while now, so check them out!