veniceglitch

Funny feelings on this. It's a gorgeous, morphine-drenched waltz, but there's definitely trouble lurking underneath. (I agree re: creepy vibes, but with Lana nothing is unintentional, and I truly believe that horror is one of her unspoken influences. I can totally see her worshipping films like "Eyes Without a Face" and "Persona.") It's just a tad TOO much like the post-WWII 40s and 50s vocal pop I learned my grandparents as a kid. Stuff like Vera Lynn, or Connie Francis, minus something truly memorable meaning or hook to cling onto. Maybe that will change for me. Bridges and outro are my highlight. 7.5/10 SO excited for the album, though.

As a huge PSB fan, love everything you're saying here. They both capture indescribable longing very well, the little details that pass us by that say so much. The lingering thoughts that won't shut off. I'm sure they appreciate LDR, and I wouldn't be surprised if she enjoys theirs work, too. If not yet, someday. Existentialist pop demands it.

And...no dice. I'm kind of stunned actually. They did her a disservice submitting to the pop categories. I think West Coast could have had a chance at Best Rock Song (giving that they're starved for female rock nominations, especially) and the album for Best Alternative. Oh well, who needs a Grammy when you can get an Oscar.

This site is cool, too. For Lana, for everyone. They need to update it with her '85 actual DOB. http://www.thesecretlanguage.com/report/personology/?r=19850621 '...Easily seduced, they can also enchant others, whether consciously or unconsciously; such seductive individuals may have a sweetly innocent charm. They must be wary of being imposed upon, but they usually have good defensive instincts, and in the emotional sphere even mild individuals will gently lay down guidelines that should not be overstepped. The more aggressive of them are often aware of their persuasive powers, which they may use without qualm to get their way, even when other individuals are hurt in the process. Although possessed of charm and magnetism, they can be remarkably cool customers. They have a useful objectivity, and their reasoning powers make an effective foil to their deep emotions. They are in fact an interesting blend of logic and feeling. When they make an appeal to the emotions of others, they do so in a detached, thoughtful way. Not easily upset, they inspire confidence through their sympathy, concern and willingness to help. They have a way of entering the hearts of those they love, and a reluctance to give up their position there, even when separations prove necessary. These tend to be private people who will not easily grant access to their inner world. They frequently do best when they are able to work at home, and they often set up their home as a kind of retreat or sanctuary. To be allowed to share their living space implies great trust and respect. An invitation to visit this highly personal world is more often felt as a true gift, or the reflection of a desire to share, than as a sign of ostentation or of a need for sociability. These folks must beware of isolating themselves from the society around them and living in an unproductive dreamworld. Such detachment will hold them back in their personal and spiritual development, and toward the end of their lives they may view it as a sign of failure. Since staying in touch with reality is especially important for them, they may find friends and lovers who are more extroverted than they are an essential link to the world. They should also beware of a kind of passive selfishness, in which it seems to others that they think the world revolves around them and that they constantly demand attention, if without saying so. Their special needs and wants as sensitive individuals can impose heavy demands on their friends and intimates, who may at the same time find themselves denying their own emotional and physical requirements.' Sounds like Lizzy, all right.

I love the $14k fur paired with the mallrat top.

There's definitely British 70s cult horror vibes, creepiness, deathly beauty etc. But the flavor it leaves behind is an empty tease, only hinting at something far greater than it actually is. Maddening.

Now This Is What I Call A Think Piece Vol. 3000 http://www.popmatters.com/feature/183202-a-tragedy-wanting-to-happen-death-and-lana-del-rey/

They probably interviewed her in mid-June before her birthday and aren't aware of her real birthdate, ha.

I really like the interview. She's refreshingly open, admits her weaknesses, is able to put actions into context, and overall, just seemed more confident and open than in the RS interview (which I also liked overall, despite it's ending). The fact that she basically took full accountability for the dissolution of she & Barrie's relationship seemed uncharacteristically mature and realistic for her. In this piece, she comes off as someone who understands their own quirks, and is aware of their power — as both creative assets and destructive pitfalls. You get the sense she's trying to find a balance that works. I relate to her sense of never being totally content where she is. She pined for California, and now she's there and misses Brooklyn. Oh Lana. Also intrigued by the way she describes Dan. Makes you wonder...

'What’s something you’ve destroyed that’s actually valuable to you? Probably the relationship I’ve been in for the last three years. Definitely demolished that through tons of depression and insecurity. Now it’s just an untenable relationship, impossible because of my emotional instability.' http://www.complex.com/covers/lana-del-rey-interview-against-the-grain-2014-cover-story/?utm_campaign=complexmag+socialflow+07+2014&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

I think Lizzy Grant is probably a good citizen and even humanitarian (who obviously has done charity work and various forms of outreach). I'm saying LDR the artist/project/concept is all about individualistic pleasures and tortures and personal experience above universality, and it's an all encompassing thing that even permeates interviews, stage presence, etc. So based on what she does as LDR (which is how we experience her), it would be easy to perceive her as totally detached and self-involved.

And that cycle will continue as long as she chooses to deny reality and create conflict for herself. She's a smart girl, she understands the nature of cause-and-effect and the natural order of media. She could choose to be a brilliant media strategist if she wanted; she could have them eating out of her hand. Instead, she chooses to 'fuck (up) her way' thru the process and deflect blame. It's fine for now, and I do think a lot of it is the media's fault for regurgitating the same questions instead of showing a deeper interest in her work. I think she's offended by that. But I wonder at what point she'll choose to take control and force the dialogue to change.

I'm an Introvert, too, and I empathize with others, especially those in music/media, as it must be a constant challenge when so much visibility and access, especially now, is demanded of them. Perhaps for that reason, I'm vested in seeing them thrive on their own terms. I do know that introverts are easily misunderstood, and I've no doubt Lana is an introvert (INFP, if we're going to use MBTI). I'm not even saying Lana should or has to change; I personally enjoy that she's created and defends her own little world. I'm saying I can identify what the general 'rift' is between her and media, or even her vs. other modern artists. It's less about 'authenticity' and more about why she refuses to play ball like everyone else. Take Grimes, for instance. She's also a pretty eccentric, introverted dreamer type. She too creates her own little worlds. She too seems highly sensitive and highly intuitive. The difference is she's open. She may be naturally shy and self-contained, but she's able to discuss her weaknesses, strengths, and concerns in interviews, she constantly interacts with fans on Tumblr/Twitter, she promotes other people's work, she's very open about her current obsessions and influences, and she takes an active interest in the world around her. That last part is crucial in how people perceive her. In many ways, she's become the poster child for what an alternative pop star should be: innovative, excited about progress and people, eager to share, quirky but relatable. Basically, Grimes isn't afraid to let people see behind the scenes; she's cards face up. She's okay with being a work in progress as an artist and a human being. This is what people empathize with/appreciate nowadays in musicians — someone who seems like a slightly cooler version of themselves; someone who they could possibly be if they worked hard at it. (Gaga preaches this sort of thing, too.) The media likes people like this too because they seem 'normal' and 'unpretentious.' And let's face it: less of a threat. And this is the sort of thing that terrifies and turns off Lana. She idolizes untouchables and wishes to be that way herself. She shows no real curiosity in the world around her, or in other people beyond the few she's put on a pedestal. In a way, she couldn't have come at a worse time — in an age where idols have been discarded and deconstructed, she longs to remystify them, and be one herself. (No wonder she says she feels detached from culture). As Brett Easton Ellis might put it, she's very Empire in a post-Empire age (and by the way, I hate BEE's worldview). At the same time, she's the perfect glamorous and dramatic antithesis to everyone else's boring transparency and normcore attitudes. So, it makes sense that today's journalists, who have gotten used to media-trained pop stars and eagerly clumsy DIY kids, are alarmed by Lana and her layers and veils. No wonder they try to decode her, and no wonder she resents them. I personally enjoy LDR's attempt to restore a defiantly detached individualism at a time when that sort of thing is being vilified as outmoded and dangerous; it's almost punk rock. At the same time, I wonder if there's any way for that to be seen as a positive thing by most people.

Funny. The Fiona lyric, "You fondle my trigger, then you blame my gun," feels relevant here. But it's a two-way street, for sure: Lana provokes the media by saying strange/unsettling things in interviews and in music then refuses to account for them; the media provokes Lana by asking her difficult and triggering questions, and then sensationalizes her dramatic and/or uncooperative response. Neither side is innocent at all. I've said before that Lana's willful solipsism is what really rubs people (in the media and in general) wrong. In an age of interconnectivity and transparency, with an emphasis on social cooperation, Lana basically says 'fuck that.' In this interview she admits she's very selfish, says no therapist could possibly know her better than herself, says she doesn't need money, is glib about smoking, etc. Basically, she comes off like an obstinate 17-year-old. Some part of her refuses to grow up. I love this about her in many ways, but it will continue to work against her as she ages and people expect more candor and less defensive posturing from her. I hate to say it, but her extreme 'selfishness as a virtue' stance reminds me a bit of Ayn Rand at times (who is adored by angsty teenagers who cannot see a world beyond their own.) There's an interesting thing here about Mammalian vs Reptilian thinkers/creators. It's about the workplace, but it's applicable to anything. I think Lana, right now, is Reptilian. 'While mammals need others from the day they’re born, reptiles are adapted to living on their own. So, as they grow--whether we’re talking about the culture of crocodiles or a corporation--they have lives that are "individually oriented and socially isolated," they live in a world, Porges says, "defined by risk and not sharing or benevolence or creativity," and so the defining features of a reptilian workplace are embedded in defense and fear.'

I really wonder how the age thing came up, how she felt when it did, and how the media will react to it. Obviously, she's done nothing to dissuade people from thinking she's a year younger til now, so I wonder what changed. I mean, it's a year, so who cares. But it's Lana, so lots of gadflies might.

#10 this week with 17.5k sold

This whole thing reads like "Critical Theory Trends Report 2014, Special Focus: What Lana Del Rey Means To Our Profession." I have spent many an hour in literature and philosophy classes myself, and these types of thinkers and writers are easy to find. They are always insufferable, always self-important, and always unable to create anything themselves. Their only means is destruction; they examine everything like a cadaver. I find it ironic that Lana herself spent time in those classes, only to go on to create something that her would-be peers are now deconstructing to death. She creates, they can only hyper-analyze. Who's having the last laugh?

Oh boy. 'She has never been spotted near a gym. Nor has she ever “opened up” about her weight, in regard to which she’s one of the less bothered pop stars alive. As seen in Tropico, Lana’s body is ripe, trembling, and defiantly unmaintained, a body as far out of time as her voice. '

Pretty soon Lana101 will be taught across campuses nationwide.

Alone, in the dark or on walks, thinking of bad men and personal triumph.

Think Piece O'Clock from Salon/AlterNet. http://www.salon.com/2014/07/08/why_lana_del_ray_is_the_perfect_artist_for_an_america_in_decline_partner/

I love the way Lana talks about Dan. IDK, he seems...good for her.

This sounds very Jersey. I actually know that part of NJ well and enjoy knowing she roamed those parts. I wonder if she ever went to Satin Dolls (the strip club Bada-Bing used on The Sopranos) in Lodi. I bet she has. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bada_Bing

Looking forward to stormy hacker romances in future videos, when Lana decides to go cyberpunk.

Just so you guys know, The Source Family doc is on Netflix now. Weirdly, I queued it last night. #synchronicity #LanaMoments http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/70234699?trkid=13630398