She & Him – Volume II

The lovable Zooey Deschanel is back, carrying her latest indie success of 500 Days of Summer, a movie I have yet to see for various reasons over to this creatively titled sophomore effort. Along with partner in crime, M Ward, She & Him displays a vintage Doo-Wop feel with squeaky clean backing vocals and fluttering piano. It’s nice, but nothing that made my jaw drop in amazement. It still sounds like an actress crossover, despite her need to sing in nearly every film she makes. The lyrics are average and the song structure is predictable. In the words of Rob Gordon, “I just want something I can ignore,” and this is one of them.

The Bird and the Bee - Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall & John Oates

What a gimmick! An album filled with the vibrant musical styling of the great Hall and Oats warped into today’s electro-pop phenomenon. Featuring classics like Kiss on my List and Private Eyes, these sounds feel even more timeless and well produced thanks to Greg “The Bee” Kurstin, who has worked with the likes of Beck, The Flaming Lips and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Fortunately, despite the kitsch factor, this is pulled off quit well, including the only original track, Heard it on the Radio along an H&O billboard chart topper Maneater, featuring backing vocals from Garbage front gal, Shirley Manson. We can only hope for a Simply Red cover album to follow.

Snoop Dogg – More Malice

It is hard to go wrong starting off an album with The Jiggaman himself backing up this Hip Hop legand. But a good rap record is not simply about who you can pull for guest spots, even if they also include Soulja Boy, Butch Cassidy and Kid Cudi. There are some pretty innovative beats, considering Snoop Dogg usually keeps it fairly old school. Protocol has these distorted guitar swells that sound pretty gnarly along with the tight ¾ click and House Shoes is refreshing reminiscent of Busta Rhymes with an eerie violin holding it down. While this is not anything too mind blowing, all eight tracks stand pretty well on their own and you have to respect an MC that can still keep it fresh after twenty years.

New take on a classic or just plain tacky?

(Photo via Tommy Tom)

It’s usually around this time of year that always has me questioning, “Why do I live in Chicago again?” But I read somewhere that Chicagoans’ relationship with their city is like that of Ike and Tina - six months out of the year it’s beautiful and harmonious and the other six months you spend telling your friends that they “just don’t understand him the way you do.” But happy days are on the way! Winter is almost officially over (March 20th is the start of spring) and if the dry, itchy skin and cracked-open knuckles are killing you half as much as they’re killing me, follow these tips to begin to restore your body:

1. Hair: Try an oil, like Moroccanoil Restorative Hair Mask ($32), or a mask to bring some life back into your wind-blown tresses.

2. Skin:  L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream($10) gets great marks for restoring cracked hands while the list of good daily body lotions is endless. For extremely flaky skin, try Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair Lotion ($8).

3. Face: Stick with home ingredients to make gentle treatments for your skin.
Here are two easy recipes
1. Mash up and avocado - full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants - with a drizzle of olive oil and spread it onto your face for 15 minutes.
2. Mix equal parts raw oatmeal (very soothing), egg yolk and honey. Leave it on for 20 minutes.

4. Lips: If your lips are really bothering you, get rid of your petroleum based lip chap and opt for something natural that will let your lips breathe, like Burt's Bees Lifeguard's Choice Lip Balm($2), which is made specifically for sun and snow.

If you're heading down to SXSW, here is a shortlist of shows featuring talented bands from the Midwest. Stop by and show your support!

You can see a list of all showcasing bands on the SXSW website.

WEDNESDAY
Green Room Music Source, 8pm
Lamberts| 401 W 2nd St | 18+
Ruby Isle, The Melismatics, Kid Dakota, and Grant Hart

THURSDAY
Blackout Booking, 7pm
Jaime's | 802 Red River St. | 21+
The Blind Shake, Terrible Twos, Birthday Suits, Brimstone Howl, and Human Eye

Emergence presents: DXSW - Detroit Hip-Hop Showcase, 8:30pm
Victory Grill | 1104 E 11th St. | All Ages
Mae Day, Ro Spit, Marv Won, Miz Korona, Vaughan T, MonicaBlaire,Invincible Finale, Black Milk, and Slum Village

14th Annual Schubas’/Lincoln Hall SXSW Round-Up, 12pm
Yard Dog Gallery | 1510 S Congress | All Ages
The Hood Internet, Maps & Atlases, The Smith Westerns, and Only Children

Minnesota Music, 12pm
Maggie Mae's | 323 East 6th St. | 21+
We Became Actors, City on the Make, Bight Club, Romantica, Jeremy Messersmith, Lookbook, and Solid Gold

THURSDAY - SATURDAY
Midwasteland Takeover
Canvas Bar & Gallery | 105 E 5th St | 21+
See the full list of bands HERE.

FRIDAY
Biz 3 Showcase, 8pm
Mohawk Patio | 912 Red River St. | All Ages
Digital Leather, SALEM, Freddie Gibbs, The Cool Kids, and Mayer Hawthorne & The County

It's Chicago!, 8pm
The Lodge | 411 E. 6th Street | 21+
The Hood Internet, Willy Joy, Moneypenny, Vyle, Cubic Zirconia, Clockwork, Gemini Club, Midnight Conspiracy, Esquire, Stefan Ponce, DJ RTC, Only Children, and Just Desserts

Haute Hippies, Mary Kate Olsen and Nicole Richie have been seen donning side braids for the past few years. But the do', a cute look on them, just never seemed to translate to those outside of the boho realm. That was until Alexander Wang gave models the same hairstyle for his S/S 2010 runway show.

The juxtaposition of the loose look paired with chic athletic gear made long-haired fashionistas take notice. A gal can only straighten and curl her hair so many times. Adding a twist to the classic style, a new class of celeb braiders have been spotted wearing the more intricate fishtail variety. A spin that takes you from from daytime casual to nighttime cool.

Achieve the look in 5 simple steps:

1. Pull your hair into a tight side ponytail. Separate the hair into two equal pieces.
2. Take a thin piece from the underside of the right strand and join it with the left strand.
3. You will be back to 2 equal pieces like you were in step 1.
4. Take a thin piece from the underside of the left strand and join it with the right strand.
5. Again, you will be back to 2 equal pieces like you were in step 1. Repeat steps 2 and 4 until you reach the end of your hair. Finish with an elastic. Carefully slide the the first hair tie from step 1 off.

Fashion:
1. The Handmade Market
Saturday, March 13 12-4pm
A monthly handmade fair showcasing local artists' and other vendors' merchandise.
Empty Bottle|1035 N. Western|21+|Free

2. RE.STOCK Shop
Thursday, March 18 noon-6pm
Receive up to 80 percent off merchandise from retailers like True Grit, Rock & Republic, Bjorn Borg and more.
3221 N. Broadway

Music:
1. California Wives
Friday, March 12 10pm
Local indie New Wave group play tonight at Pretty Good Dance Moves' record release party. Also playing Harper Blynn.
Schuba's|3159 N. Southport|18+|$5

2. Aquabats
Friday, March 12 6pm
Yo Gabba Gabba! creators and quirky surf genre group play with Mustard Plug and Plunket.
Metro|3730 N. Clark St.|$19

Culture:
1. 13th Annual European Union Film Festival
Continuing through March, various times
See 59 films from all 27 EU nations.
Gene Siskel Film Center|164 North State St.

2. Oddsac
Wednesday, March 17 various times
The experimental film with visuals and music by Animal Collective comes out after four years in the making.
Music Box Theatre|3733 N. Southport Ave.|$9.25

Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit don’t have much to be scared of these days. Their latest effort floats in like a ship, giving its call to the harbor, working well with their island heritage. The fluttering of several instruments at once gives the record fullness with that folksy hum made popular by other artists of the U.K region. It’s hard not to group The Rabbits with their peers of past and present, but a lot of the songs still hold a traditional vibe with tinny strings and flutes. The track Skip the Youth builds to a verse with the elevating sound of shredding sheers before moving into a Joshua Tree vibe, which is a heck of a lot better then reminding me of U2’s discography over the last twenty odd years.

JJ - jj no 3
This is far from the average easy listening record, but it is hard to feel more comfortable as JJ’s second full length envelops your body with its ambient, hook infused aesthetic. As if performed in a bubble floating through the sunny blue sky, songs like Let Go and You Know display musical prowess while striking wistful echoes of layered electro-pop in Into the Light. Through out the short and charming nine track album, all of which come in at under four minutes, ending with a graceful fade into anticipation of more.

Kidz in the Hall – Land of Make Believe
Proud to call Chicago Home, Kidz in the Hall bring some of the sickest, most innovative beats around. This is a pretty good stuff, considering Neledge has an MC style very reminiscent of a similar Chicago hip-hop celebrity. While said big mouthed rapper lies low, Kidz in the Hall can take advantage and display the array of knock out tracks, even keeping it old school on the single, Jukebox, featuring Legend MC Lyte. Rise and Shine finishes the album with an upbeat and uplifting anthem. Worth a listen.

Forget the spring cliches of wearing color, floral and more color. Just because turquoise is the Pantone color du jour doesn't mean you need to wear garish paisley prints in the louder-than-necessary hue. Why not set yourself apart by blending in? Rather than wear Jersey Shore-offensive graphic tees or Day Glo shirts like every other schmo, look for well-crafted, understated items with leather features to give off an air of casual indifference. To that end, check out some of these easy-going goods:

[1] You probably know Timberland for its chunky, utilitarian work boots, but have you seen its Timberland Boot Company collection? Superbly crafted with the same level-headed pragmatism the company is known for, these boots are a rugged throwback to a simpler time of thoughtful style. (Timberland Boot Company)

[2] Alright, so this is a white shirt from preppy-polo-bastion J. Crew. But when the linen comes from the Baird McNutt mill in Ireland, with an impeccable fit and just-so casual air, you shut up and ignore its widespread availability to the masses. (J.Crew)

[3] Behind the minimal, expertly crafted leather goods line Billykirk are brothers Chris and Kirk Bray. Their so-simple-you-can-cry designs are beyond unpretentious; the philosophy of Billykirk is for each item to blend seamlessly into someone’s outfit. Frankly, that’s a little hard to do; with something as sharp-looking as this bike frame bag, you can’t help but stand out. (Billykirk)

[4] Fast-fashion outfit American Eagle Outfitters may be the parent company of the stylishly austere Martin + Osa, but don’t let that stop you from checking out their wares. Inspired by the lives of native Kansans and husband-wife adventurers Martin and Osa Johnson, this brand hawks wonderfully low-key, high-quality goods like this tote, featuring leather straps and oil-finished cotton. Just don’t call it a murse. (Martin + Osa)

[5] By now, you’ve probably heard of handmade DIY market Etsy. What you may not have heard of is online shop Marriane Handcraft Watch Studio. Based in South Korea and utilizing Japanese watch expertise, these one-of-a-kind watches evoke a Rudyard Kipling-type sentiment. Each watch can be fully customized by you, from band to face, ensuring that your preferences and character shine through. (Marriane Handcraft Watch Studio)