Listen & Love: LP.

As of yesterday morning, I hadn't heard of singer-songwriter LP. Eighteen hours later, I've probably listened to "Into the Wild" (see the video featured below) about a hundred times. For lack of a better description, this lovely lady is just the coolest. Her band is, too. And? The girl can whistle. Watch and see.

Visit LP's website, here. Buy her album, "Live at EastWest Studios", here.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. Also, if you have a spare moment in the next couple days, my very talented friend Chance (an animator on The Simpsons) has launched a Kickstarter campaign in support of "Little Billy," a brilliant new cartoon for kids with Tourette Syndrome, ADD, ADHD, OCD, and other special needs. If you can, please check out the campaign and show your support for a truly great cause.

Top photo by Tamzin Brown, bottom unknown.

Dude, Sweet.

It's hard to know which of the delicacies on offer at Dude, Sweet Chocolate to mention first. The artisanal bourbon chocolate sauce known as the "break-up potion"? The chocolate-hazelnut "tub of love", sweetened with condensed milk?  The eucalyptus and honey truffles? The maple waffle cone marshmallows? The cocoa "mulch tea"? 

Have a look for yourself on the Dude, Sweet website, here. Hunger will ensue - don't say I didn't warn you.

Speaking of chocolate, I just read that a "Wonka-like" chocolate factory will be opening in my old neighborhood later this month, and will feature a "Chocolate Jungle." I don't know what that means, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to like it. 

Great Loves.

This week on the Equals Record: thoughts on what constitutes a great love - after all, not all passionate relationships are romantic. One of the greatest loves of my life? Rock and roll - l have the gentleman below to thank for that.

As always, an excerpt from my new post: "I saw The Rolling Stones live for the first time at age eleven. Certain details, to this day, remain vivid: the crowd rising as the lights dimmed. The heat of a pyrotechnic explosion at the beginning of 'Sympathy for the Devil.' The ground beneath my feet, sticky with beer. One bit in particular stands out above the rest, however. Returning home later that night, I was greeted on the front porch by sleepy-eyed parents. Buzzing, high on color and flash bulbs and drumbeats and leather jackets, I hopped back and forth in my tennis shoes and blithely declared, 'I’m in love!' My parents smiled. Music was a part of their history. I imagine it meant a lot for them to know it would be a part of mine, as well. 'I’m in love,' I repeated, 'with Keith Richards.'"

See the post in its entirety on the Equals Record, here. You can find past entries from my column, Looking Forward, here. Thanks so much for reading!

Photos, clockwise from top left: Eddie Kramer, unknown, Jim Marshall.

Oh Yokoo.

First things first. I must ask: was there ever a better Etsy model than Yokoo Gibraan? 

 

This time last year, I wrote about Yokoo's spectacular - and spectacularly enormous - trademark scarves ("I...knit for hours and hours and hours and hours," she once told the New York Times). Since then, it seems, the shop inventory has expanded to include detachable fabric collars, wooden jewelry, a smart-aleck sweatshirt, and more. 

My favorite is the beanie pictured below. It's the (slightly extreme) hat version of my hairstyle of choice. Bookmarked!

Shop more, here. 

PLANT.

Stand-outs from PLANT, a Williamsburg design studio, include a culinary survival kit of seasonings,

 a letter opener "made (possibly) of old letters,"

 and an delightfully-packaged line of "honeylike" bath products. I'm intrigued.

See more, here. Williamsburg represent! Happy Monday - and happy October.