Sam Gho

one more little thing before i (finally) go to sleep:
 
May Jailer was born Elizabeth Grant in New York City and grew up in Lake Placid, New York. When she was 14, she attended Kent School, a boarding school in Connecticut. She has Scottish ancestry, and is the daughter of domain investor Rob Grant, who supported her in her early career as a singer.
At age 18, her uncle taught her how to play guitar, beginning with basic chords: “It was G, C, A, D minor, A minor and some diminished chord as well. Some trick, some shortcut,” May recalled. “I realized I could probably write a million songs with those six chords, so I moved to New York and I took a couple of years to just write whatever I wanted. ” She began performing in clubs while living in the city.
 
i loved the last part on her guitar beginnings (those are the first chords i learned as well!!) and had never read this before!
found it searching the may jailer tag on tumblr
http://ldrakalizzygr...ant-in-new-york

that is exactly what i thought! damn these dudes (or dudettes, cuz the spin interviewer is jessica hopper) for not including some of the most interesting parts (for us *lanalyzers*) of her history in the final article! i always considered it weird that no one asks her about her past loves in a more direct way (especially because a couple of them are kind of famous). these little extra bits show that they have asked her and that she actually gave up the names, so they were contacted and actually answered questions and commented on her, on the record! why do they not publish these things? boo!!!
it would save us so much time and energy spent on sleuthing, wouldn't it?

imagine:100% facts and no more (or at least less) speculation!

i always loved that interview
here's something i re-read recently that sheds some light on what really went down behind lana's departure from 5 points records and the way the new management (it's obvs he's talking about ben) un-did her deal with them and were adamant to take LDRAKALG off the (virtual) shelves:
http://www.mtvhive.c...cords-interview (thanks to your link, trailerparkdarling, we know that david nichtern was not only head of the label but also one of america's foremost buddhist meditation teachers!)
 
also, since i haven't seen it posted here, a 2010 interview with one of the local adirondacks papers: http://www.adirondac...1.html?nav=5050
(evidence that her dad did help her, if not financially, to market the album - and i don't think there's anything wrong with that, he's a fan of what his daughter does and he supports her.)

This may also explain why she didn't want to even discuss her birthday on the Radio 1 interview with Fearne Cotton (who had baked her those squished cupcakes). I thought that was kind of strange but did not think too much about it before the birthday thing came up on this forum.

http://tiny.abstractdynamics.org/archives/011902.html
 
I wanna know about the cigarette burning.. haha!

Yeah, it's Justin Murdock, a billionaire, sole heir to the Dole fruits fortune. The Murdock's used to own the island of Lanai in Hawaii, but they just sold it to Larry Ellison. The guy is single, and a good friend of Lana.
 
By the way, according to Sun (UK newspaper), Lana is spending this week with Barry driving around Scottish Highlands (beautiful place as those who have been there know).

Yeah, it's Justin Murdock, a billionaire, sole heir to the Dole fruits fortune. The Murdock's used to own the island of Lanai in Hawaii, but they just sold it to Larry Ellison. The guy is single, and a good friend of Lana.
 
By the way, according to Sun (UK newspaper), Lana is spending this week with Barry driving around Scottish Highlands (beautiful place as those who have been there know).

Yeah, it's Justin Murdock, a billionaire, sole heir to the Dole fruits fortune. The Murdock's used to own the island of Lanai in Hawaii, but they just sold it to Larry Ellison. The guy is single, and a good friend of Lana.
 
By the way, according to Sun (UK newspaper), Lana is spending this week with Barry driving around Scottish Highlands (beautiful place as those who have been there know).

The possibility that Lana might be a year older than what was known widely, for some reason bothers me. The discrepancy is so small that I don’t see any advantage for Lana to unnecessarily lie about it. However as I think about it more, I think I have come up with a possible explanation.
 
One of the most mysterious parts of Lana’s past to me has been the time she spent in Alabama. She has mentioned this consistently beginning with her early interviews and I think it is true. However nothing else in her background really makes sense to explain a sojourn to Alabama. Except that if viewed in a certain way, it probably does make a lot of sense.
 
I think when Lana got into high school in Lake Placid she met a guy who was bad news all around (the mysterious K). I think this is the guy who got her into alcohol and probably drugs later. However her drinking freaked out her parents who sent her to boarding school, mainly to get her away from this guy. However I am sure she kept meeting him, despite her parents opposition, e.g. when she came back home for vacations etc. After she finished school, I think her parents really wanted her to break off this relationship, but instead I think she ran away with this guy to Alabama. Instead of going to college she spent a year with this guy down in Alabama, where this guy kept getting into more and more trouble. This scenario would explain many of her lyrics (being on the run, Officer Brown checking on them, kids living the dark side of the American dream etc., there are many, many references in many songs that fit such a scenario), until this guy finally got caught and sent to prison. Not sure he got the death sentence (it’s too melodramatic, but a long prison sentence is as good as dying), and maybe he is still in prison. She said in an interview that he was still around and she was in touch with his mother, with would also be consistent with him being in prison. Anyway, once he got sent away she woke up and came back home, and finally joined Fordham.
 
However, this scenario means that there is a year missing in her life. So for her friends from high school, her years in Fordham would be a year off. I think she realized in early interviews that this was likely to raise more questions later, instead it was easier to just to pretend that she had come to Fordham straight from Lake Placid. She has always been very reticent to speak about her time before NY probably for this reason. This was probably evident in the Complex interview where the interviewer had picked up some discrepancies about her age. Like many things, once you lie about something, even something very small and inconsequential, it becomes difficult to backtrack later. Therefore, according to the scenario I have laid out, she graduated from high-school in 2003, spent about a year with K in Alabama, and joined Fordham in Fall 2004.
 
I also think that most of her songs are about K, although she does not name him (she hints at that in her My Space interview, where she says her songs are always about the same guy). I think she developed a crush on Jimmy Gnecco once she met him in NYC clubs, but if anything it was a short fling (even though she wrote a few songs about it). Jimmy however exposed her to being attracted to older men, but I don’t think she had any significant relationship until she met Mike Mizrahi (early 2009). Some of the songs that refer to old guys probably are written to him, and songs like Afraid, Damn You are definitely in reference to her breakup with him. However, I think she still obsesses about K, and that might make her a difficult person to have a long-term relationship with (although I hope I am wrong, and I really wish she finds a great guy to be with).
 
I spend way too much time thinking about such stuff, gotta stop!

Every Saturday night I get dressed up to ride for you, baby
Cruising down the street on Hollywood and Vine for you, baby
I drive fast, wind in my hair
I push it to the limits 'cause I just don't care
You ask me where I've been, I've been everywhere
But I don't wanna be nowhere but here

(Come on tell me, boy)

I've got a burning desire for you, baby
I've got a burning desire for you, baby
I drive fast, wind in my hair
Push it to the limits 'cause I just don't care
I've got a burning desire for you, baby

Every Saturday night I seem to come alive for you, baby
Santa Monica, I'm racing in the lights for you, baby
I drive fast, radio blares
Have to touch myself to pretend you're there
Your hands were on my hips, your name was on my lips
Over over again like my only prayer

(Come on tell me, boy)

I've got a burning desire for you, baby
I've got a burning desire for you, baby
I drive fast, wind in my hair
Push it to the limits 'cause I just don't care
I've got a burning desire for you, baby

I'm driving fast, flash
Everyone knows it
I'm trying to get to you, baby
I'm feeling scared and you know it
(x4)

I've got a burning desire for you, baby
I've got a burning desire for you, baby
I drive fast, wind in my hair
Push it to the limits 'cause I just don't care
I've got a burning desire for you, baby

I don't know if this is the right place to post this video I just saw on Tumblr, but I wanted to share it here:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfDjO_lZG8s
 
I never cease to be amazed at how genuinely kind and sweet Lana is! I think it's something to highlight, especially as the novelty effect of her stardom has probably worn off, but she still keeps that smile and warm heart, with an appreciative attitude and an open, present disposition. I really think she possesses the virtue of compassion, which is sadly so rare nowadays. Not many famous - heck, non-famous! - people are this nice. I had one good encounter and that was with bearded troubadour Devendra Banhart (he was lovely), but most stars are bitches. Disaffected irony is overrated.

From the Jaguar website:
 
"The car was revealed in front of the dramatic setting of the 18th century Musée Rodin. Following the reveal, singer Lana Del Rey took to the stage and performed a new track ‘Burning Desire’, that she has written as part of her collaboration with Jaguar for the launch of the F-TYPE. The track is confirmed to be the sound track to a short film that is being produced in association with Ridley Scott Associates and will be featured on her new album. Starring Golden Globe nominated and Emmy Award-winning actor Damian Lewis, the short film is scheduled to be filmed in South America next month and will be released early 2013."
 
Wow! Ridley Scott directing a small movie with Burning Desire soundtrack, can't get any better, wow!

I used Keepvid and it took like an hour to download.

oh my G! i didn't know jimmy and reeve were friends!
sure enough, here they are performing together (and jimmy says that reeve's a friend of his):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X-Stu8IXjU
 
and listen to this...hello "little girls"! (!!!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbpsSn8sxO8&feature=related
 
still floored at the possibility of "get drunk" being about these two gorgeous and talented guys (good to see they're still amigos!)
TrailerParkDarling, just...

@Sam Gho, I think she tries desperately to find someone who'll understand her and fill the emptiness she feels, know who she is and what's going on in her head and heart. As you said she's a shy and lonely person, she need someone else to make her feel enthousiast, excited and "electric". She keeps holding on these memories because of that even though these relationships were far from being perfect or healthy.

Everyone from home says that you’re so cool
Come on everybody to the boarding school
Everyone from town says that you’re so cool
Come on get down to the boarding school

L-l-let’s do drugs
Make love with our teachers
Come on, date a townie, let his tattooed-ass beat ya
I’m a fan of pro-ana nation
I do them drugs to stop the f-food cravings
If you wanna get high with me
I’m in the back doing crack, drinking P-P-Pepsi

Everyone from home says that you’re so cool
Come on everybody to the boarding school
Everyone from town says that you’re so cool
Come on get down to the boarding school

She trailer trash and everyone knows it
But she got a great ass and she knows how to show it
With American flags on each little finger
You’re crashing on Wall Street while I’m blowing up as a singer

If you wanna get that scholarship
Yale's not a problem, let’s solve it
Educated in the language of doin’ it
Get down like your tutor taught you to and do it

Everyone from home says that you’re so cool
Come on everybody to the boarding school
Everyone from town says that you’re so cool
Come on get down to the boarding school

If you wanna get that sugar cake
If you wanna be that pin-up queen
You can, you can
If you wanna do that South Beach swing
Or go on group vacationing
You can, you can, you can

When they said prolific, they weren’t kiddin’
You thought that I was just a calendar kitten
But now you heard me purrin’, tiger, you’re smitten
So let’s begin to major in the art of sinning

Everyone from home says that you’re so cool
Come on everybody to the boarding school
Everyone from town says that you’re so cool
Come on get down to the boarding school

Get down, get down…

The possibility that Lana might be a year older than what was known widely, for some reason bothers me. The discrepancy is so small that I don’t see any advantage for Lana to unnecessarily lie about it. However as I think about it more, I think I have come up with a possible explanation.
 
One of the most mysterious parts of Lana’s past to me has been the time she spent in Alabama. She has mentioned this consistently beginning with her early interviews and I think it is true. However nothing else in her background really makes sense to explain a sojourn to Alabama. Except that if viewed in a certain way, it probably does make a lot of sense.
 
I think when Lana got into high school in Lake Placid she met a guy who was bad news all around (the mysterious K). I think this is the guy who got her into alcohol and probably drugs later. However her drinking freaked out her parents who sent her to boarding school, mainly to get her away from this guy. However I am sure she kept meeting him, despite her parents opposition, e.g. when she came back home for vacations etc. After she finished school, I think her parents really wanted her to break off this relationship, but instead I think she ran away with this guy to Alabama. Instead of going to college she spent a year with this guy down in Alabama, where this guy kept getting into more and more trouble. This scenario would explain many of her lyrics (being on the run, Officer Brown checking on them, kids living the dark side of the American dream etc., there are many, many references in many songs that fit such a scenario), until this guy finally got caught and sent to prison. Not sure he got the death sentence (it’s too melodramatic, but a long prison sentence is as good as dying), and maybe he is still in prison. She said in an interview that he was still around and she was in touch with his mother, with would also be consistent with him being in prison. Anyway, once he got sent away she woke up and came back home, and finally joined Fordham.
 
However, this scenario means that there is a year missing in her life. So for her friends from high school, her years in Fordham would be a year off. I think she realized in early interviews that this was likely to raise more questions later, instead it was easier to just to pretend that she had come to Fordham straight from Lake Placid. She has always been very reticent to speak about her time before NY probably for this reason. This was probably evident in the Complex interview where the interviewer had picked up some discrepancies about her age. Like many things, once you lie about something, even something very small and inconsequential, it becomes difficult to backtrack later. Therefore, according to the scenario I have laid out, she graduated from high-school in 2003, spent about a year with K in Alabama, and joined Fordham in Fall 2004.
 
I also think that most of her songs are about K, although she does not name him (she hints at that in her My Space interview, where she says her songs are always about the same guy). I think she developed a crush on Jimmy Gnecco once she met him in NYC clubs, but if anything it was a short fling (even though she wrote a few songs about it). Jimmy however exposed her to being attracted to older men, but I don’t think she had any significant relationship until she met Mike Mizrahi (early 2009). Some of the songs that refer to old guys probably are written to him, and songs like Afraid, Damn You are definitely in reference to her breakup with him. However, I think she still obsesses about K, and that might make her a difficult person to have a long-term relationship with (although I hope I am wrong, and I really wish she finds a great guy to be with).
 
I spend way too much time thinking about such stuff, gotta stop!

Don't want to start an argument, but it is presumptuous in the extreme to state that she has had lip injections and a nose job. You may think so, that is your right, but you cannot state that you know it is a fact. I agree that she looks different but I think there is something about her that makes her face look very different at different times. I think how her face looked at the David Letterman show, is very different from how her face looks now, this summer, and we all agree that she did not have plastic surgery this year, right?. I do think she has lost significant weight from like 2008/2009 (I was quite shocked to see how skinny she was at the concert) and that would make her face and nose seem narrower.
 
But whatever, if you read what I wrote, I was just stating what I believed, don't want to force it down your throat, but neither should you.

Tried to resist getting into this thread, but finally gave in. Here are some things that bug me about Lana.
 
1. Her lack of effort in preparing for live performances. In particular not using backing singers (given that all the songs in BTD have layering and loop back vocals), and inconsistent use of ear monitors.
2. Her using the exactly the same list of songs in exactly the same order for all of her concerts was really irritating (I attended two of the NY shows and felt like I was watching exactly the same show). Just changing the order of songs (and preferably cycling in one new song) would have introduced some spontaneity and made the shows more exciting.
3. I find her reluctance to do encores irritating, and really do not understand her philosophical resistance to it.
4. I really do not like her smoking. We know that smoking can destroy your voice and as a singer that is really stupid.
5. I think she has taken the mystery aspect of her background a bit too far, particularly as it leads her to trip up on facts e.g. her birthdate.
6. Not being sufficiently thoughtful and speaking in similar clichés in multiple interviews.
 
On the other hand I have no problem with her appearance and I think she looks her age (saw her up close at the concert). I think constant dyeing may not be good for her hair but I don’t know much about such things. I also don’t think she had surgery on her face, and the reason her face looks different now is that she has lost significant amounts of weight (maybe when she was on the maple syrup/coffee diet in London), and the reason her lips look plumper is that she uses cayenne pepper. I am amazed at the number of songs she has written, and find the lyrics intriguing and interesting. Most amazingly, I have not been so smitten with an entertainer before, and I find her endlessly fascinating.

The possibility that Lana might be a year older than what was known widely, for some reason bothers me. The discrepancy is so small that I don’t see any advantage for Lana to unnecessarily lie about it. However as I think about it more, I think I have come up with a possible explanation.
 
One of the most mysterious parts of Lana’s past to me has been the time she spent in Alabama. She has mentioned this consistently beginning with her early interviews and I think it is true. However nothing else in her background really makes sense to explain a sojourn to Alabama. Except that if viewed in a certain way, it probably does make a lot of sense.
 
I think when Lana got into high school in Lake Placid she met a guy who was bad news all around (the mysterious K). I think this is the guy who got her into alcohol and probably drugs later. However her drinking freaked out her parents who sent her to boarding school, mainly to get her away from this guy. However I am sure she kept meeting him, despite her parents opposition, e.g. when she came back home for vacations etc. After she finished school, I think her parents really wanted her to break off this relationship, but instead I think she ran away with this guy to Alabama. Instead of going to college she spent a year with this guy down in Alabama, where this guy kept getting into more and more trouble. This scenario would explain many of her lyrics (being on the run, Officer Brown checking on them, kids living the dark side of the American dream etc., there are many, many references in many songs that fit such a scenario), until this guy finally got caught and sent to prison. Not sure he got the death sentence (it’s too melodramatic, but a long prison sentence is as good as dying), and maybe he is still in prison. She said in an interview that he was still around and she was in touch with his mother, with would also be consistent with him being in prison. Anyway, once he got sent away she woke up and came back home, and finally joined Fordham.
 
However, this scenario means that there is a year missing in her life. So for her friends from high school, her years in Fordham would be a year off. I think she realized in early interviews that this was likely to raise more questions later, instead it was easier to just to pretend that she had come to Fordham straight from Lake Placid. She has always been very reticent to speak about her time before NY probably for this reason. This was probably evident in the Complex interview where the interviewer had picked up some discrepancies about her age. Like many things, once you lie about something, even something very small and inconsequential, it becomes difficult to backtrack later. Therefore, according to the scenario I have laid out, she graduated from high-school in 2003, spent about a year with K in Alabama, and joined Fordham in Fall 2004.
 
I also think that most of her songs are about K, although she does not name him (she hints at that in her My Space interview, where she says her songs are always about the same guy). I think she developed a crush on Jimmy Gnecco once she met him in NYC clubs, but if anything it was a short fling (even though she wrote a few songs about it). Jimmy however exposed her to being attracted to older men, but I don’t think she had any significant relationship until she met Mike Mizrahi (early 2009). Some of the songs that refer to old guys probably are written to him, and songs like Afraid, Damn You are definitely in reference to her breakup with him. However, I think she still obsesses about K, and that might make her a difficult person to have a long-term relationship with (although I hope I am wrong, and I really wish she finds a great guy to be with).
 
I spend way too much time thinking about such stuff, gotta stop!

Tried to resist getting into this thread, but finally gave in. Here are some things that bug me about Lana.
 
1. Her lack of effort in preparing for live performances. In particular not using backing singers (given that all the songs in BTD have layering and loop back vocals), and inconsistent use of ear monitors.
2. Her using the exactly the same list of songs in exactly the same order for all of her concerts was really irritating (I attended two of the NY shows and felt like I was watching exactly the same show). Just changing the order of songs (and preferably cycling in one new song) would have introduced some spontaneity and made the shows more exciting.
3. I find her reluctance to do encores irritating, and really do not understand her philosophical resistance to it.
4. I really do not like her smoking. We know that smoking can destroy your voice and as a singer that is really stupid.
5. I think she has taken the mystery aspect of her background a bit too far, particularly as it leads her to trip up on facts e.g. her birthdate.
6. Not being sufficiently thoughtful and speaking in similar clichés in multiple interviews.
 
On the other hand I have no problem with her appearance and I think she looks her age (saw her up close at the concert). I think constant dyeing may not be good for her hair but I don’t know much about such things. I also don’t think she had surgery on her face, and the reason her face looks different now is that she has lost significant amounts of weight (maybe when she was on the maple syrup/coffee diet in London), and the reason her lips look plumper is that she uses cayenne pepper. I am amazed at the number of songs she has written, and find the lyrics intriguing and interesting. Most amazingly, I have not been so smitten with an entertainer before, and I find her endlessly fascinating.

God, after reading those 7 pages I started to wonder why am I a fan of hers...
*I love Lana, I'm a fan of hers, trying to remember*
 
My unpopular opinion of her:
 
She comes across boring in interview, she always says the same things, sometimes it feels like I'm listening to a record on repeat.
 
Her song writing skills like her live performances are inconsistent - she can do great but she can also do bad.
 
Some of her comments may seem shallow "I just like gold, diamonds and fur".
 
LDR might have been just an exotic and beautiful name at first, but the more it goes the more she's building up a persona because..
 
 
.. She's a stubborn, she said things in the past and will never admit that some of it were BS - we got to live w/ that *till the end of time*.
 
Other than that I really like her. Her weirdness and all the thing I said above are what makes her human and likable. Perfection doesn't exist and is boring if it does. I always cringe when someone says she's perfect.

Since, along with the music, Lana's image is an intrinsec part of her as an artist - and part of what differentiates her from her Lizzy Grant days - her look is most relevant. I love that she experiments with hair color and different lengths and styling. Every change conveys something particular and distinct. What would you guys say is the definitive Lana Del Rey look for the "Born To Die" era? Which represents the album best? or, subjectively, which do you prefer?
 
Blonde LDR:
 

 
Honey Blonde LDR:


 
Ash-Blonde LDR:

 
 
Strawberry Blonde LDR:

 
Auburn LDR:


 
Darker Auburn LDR:
 

 
Brunette LDR:


 
It's hard to pick just one, but I think I'll go with:Strawberry Blonde! or Honey Blonde
Also, I have to say I didn't dislike, but didn't especially care for the bouffant (although it does go with a certain aspect of LDR) and I'm loving the darker, long, straight hair! ♥

i heard that, too...it's so ridiculous, right? Like 26 is the second half of your twenties so you're too close to 30? :/ It's so dumb to make her lie about being just ONE year younger, when these days it's so easy to find out the truth, and, really, this discrepancy wasn't too hard to come by...In fact, the little lies are what made fans sleuth around (more than they would've if the past hadn't been attempted to be altered or hidden)!
Sam Gho, that is some detective work! You may be onto something. I do think that Jimmy was more than a fling, or maybe it was just that but it was meaningful because perhaps it was the first relevant relationship she had after K. The timeline of her musical output would suggest that she was with Jimmy in 2005 or early 2006, as in the 2006 WLSC Songwriting Contest she first wrote and performed "Pawn Shop Blues", which in a later interview she insinuated was about Jimmy (someone she met at a self-help group - AA - and that was a kind of famous rock star). "Yayo" is about Jimmy for sure, because she posted it to his Facebook wall, dedicated to him, so I think they may have been on and off till 2007. She has also said that Bradley Soileau was chosen because he resembled the guy she was singing about, and he looks a lot like Gnecco. Of course, in the past she has stated that she mixes things up in her lyrics, so that, of course, isn't a guarantee. (At times, she probably combines lyrics about different people in one song.) I also suspect she had a little fling with Van Wilson, the A&R from 5 Point Records, cuz remember in her first Pitchfork interview she said the strangest place she ever wrote a song was in a basement or office after - or while! - making out with a handsome record executive? and he is pretty cute:

After that I suspect she may have been involved with Reeve Carney, but I too consider that her relationship with Mike Mizrahi was truly signficant and important.
Anyway, I don't know if there is any basis to my assumptions, but here are my two cents, anyway ^_^