Funny, how we should celebrate the anniversary of a passing. Yet here is Vagrant Records, passing tribute to one their fallen heroes, Lawrence, KS-based indie outfit The Anniversary. The piano-fueled, male-female vocal tag team attack of the band faded out over four years ago with their break up (various members have since scattered throughout the Midwestern music scene in bands such as The Only Children), but their label is still capitalizing on their cult success with Devil on Our Side, a two-disc collection of just about anything the band recorded that didn’t make it onto their two records.
Continue reading more on GearCrave’s week in music after the jump.
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Reasons to go to Louisville: The Kentucky Derby, Cardinals basketball games and My Morning Jacket. These “southern rockers” are back today with their new album, Evil Urges. Hype has been steadily building for this release since MMJ lit up the stage at Coachella earlier this year. Expect Jim James’ subdued, Kentucky fried screech to be accompanied by more experimentation by his bandmates. Word is James listened to nothing but Prince for the past two years and the songs show. Along with a heavy obsession with VH1’s I Love the 80s, the influences shine through. Expect funky interludes, dancey beats and plenty of basslines going for a walk.
Continue Reading for more about My Morning Jacket, new about Pearl Jam and other music news for this week.
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We know you’re not proud of it, but you’ve messed up before. You might have missed a birthday, an anniversary, maybe even a Valentine’s Days in the past. Compared to women, we’re just wired a little differently, and things like buying flowers just don’t excite us the way the do for our better halves. When we put off this little task or miss it altogether, she’s left devastated and we’re forced to pick up the pieces. Luckily, the friendly folks here at GearCrave have your back, and we’ve got some pointers on how to get it right and never miss her big day again. Continue reading, GearCravers, for our Idiot’s Guide to Buying Flowers for Her.
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When searching for a bed, there are many key factors to consider: comfort, value, craftsmanship and size, just to name a few. But if you’re searching for a Hästens bed, throw all of those considerations out the proverbial window. The Swedish bed makers have been honing their craft for damn near 160 years and their experience shows. Every single stitch, fiber and piece is done by hand, so expect the ultimate in craftsmanship. The price tag is steep — some Hästens models sell for $60,000 — but it’s the last bed you’ll ever need. Hästens claims its beds are the finest in the world and we believe ‘em. The Round Superia model is a play on the traditional Hästens king, complete with the company’s trademark gingham check-patterned cover. The round design isn’t for everyone, but it makes for interesting conversation and difficulty on planning who gets which side of the bed. With a cushion of wool, cotton and horsehair, comfort is assured, no matter what time of year — a unique pocket system within the mattress allows air to circulate throughout, leaving you at a perfect room temperature.
Buy: $TBD
Sleek Italian design never looked so stunning. Check out Cassina’s Aspen sofa, with a simplistic, modern design complete with a hallmarked “twisted” backrest. The shallow cushioning looks like it would be stiff as a board, but each of these sofas is hand-stuffed with CVC-free polyurethane foam and polyester to ensure comfort and a life-lasting design. Make it the centerpiece of an entire room – Cassina’s sofas are fully customizable, with a vast swath of fabric and leather upholstery. Even the legs are top-notch: chrome-plated steel bases are topped with beautiful, durable nylon feet. The Aspen model is designed to pair with several other Cassina pieces, including coffee and side tables and multiple loveseat options. Sofa sizes range from 71 inches to 102 inches.
Buy: Contact Cassina for customization and pricing.
Magazine junkies everywhere know how important the magazine stand is to their home. It sets a tone for the importance of the magazine. It needs to blend with the rest of the home, but it should be simplistic and if at all possible, stylish. That’s why we love Hive Modern’s Offi magazine stand. Designer Eric Pfeiffer brought the Offi to life in 2000, and Hive has been marketing them worldwide. Available in three finishes – birch, oak and walnut – the Offi is “molded and folded” to accommodate your monthly stream of subscriptions. The design is unique and thought-provoking, but completely simplistic at the same time. The size is 13″d x 15″h x 16″w, so it holds a good deal of magazines in a nice, compact stand. You can display your respectable magazines in the front and your MAD back issues in the back.
Buy: $119 (birch), $139 (oak), $159 (walnut)
Now that we’re up to our eyes in high-def TVs and Blu-ray movies, TV manufacturers will have to work harder to win over our hard-earned dollars. Luckily, LG has a ridiculously complex marketing campaign for their hot new series of LCD TVs, Scarlet, which will leave you drooling at both the TV and it’s female counterpart, actress Natassia Malthe. Supposedly the world’s slimmest TV monitor, Scarlet is labeled as the “Hit New TV Series,” which also describes the David Nutter-directed action-adventure commercials that are now airing to promote the line. LG describes the TV’s 1.7-inch-thick monitor as “beauty with a brain,” which sparked the idea to promote the TV with a sexy female alter-ego. But enough about babes; among the TV’s features: LG’s trademark, fluid TruMotion 100Hz engine (higher models in the line even have a 120Hz engine) that reduces blur on fast-moving objects (like, say, football players); a red-hued shell; a color-changing LED light on the front panel to set the mood; and an “invisible” speaker that will both puzzle and amaze you. Of course, all the typical HDTV bells and wistles are there – perfect, True HD 1080p resolution, multiple HDMI inputs (you can rock the X-Box, PS3 and wii with no problems) and more.
Buy: $2,300 (42″), $2,800 (47″) and $3,500 (52″)
Warm summer days can lead to cool summer nights, so don’t think about abandoning the jacket altogether. A Harrington jacket is the perfect lightweight solution to those nights in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Ben Sherman USA, a division of the infamous British designer, has supplied us Yanks with the 60s-influenced Baracuta Harrington. Sherman teamed up with fellow Brit designers at Baracuta to combine styles for a unique take on this classic style. The neck tab is still there, as well as the signature “hidden” zipper under the chest flap. Every material and ever stitch come straight from England, so there’s no outsourcing whatsoever. Touches like full plaid lining, tartan and front-button pockets, you’ll feel cool and practical. Available in white, navy and red.
Buy: $249.
Not all houses are made the same. So don’t expect the same kind of lamps! For those with a different taste in lighting accessories, the modern design team at Mooi has you covered with the Clusterlamp. With three different hodgepodge varieties to choose, each room can be a mess of lighting. Each Clusterlamp is a jumble of five different lights (three 60W bulbs and two 40W bulbs) of varying sizes, shapes and colors. It’s sure to strike up a conversation or two and your mother is bound to hate it. Leave it to the Dutch to come up with such an absurd but uniquely satisfying home product.
Buy: Contact Mooi for pricing details.
