I know lots of people have been asking about what kind of music we all listen to here at Free People. We have put together some playlists on imeem for your listening pleasure. Sign up and be our friends, and listen to our favorite songs by artists like Joni Mitchell, Vampire Weekend and Kate Nash. Listen here...
I spotted an entry about Swedish girl Lykke Li on someone's blog a few weeks ago, and have been seriously obsessed since. So I thought I'd share. You can't get her record in the states (not that I know of anyway) but her myspace has a bunch of songs and you can download a version of "Tonight" from her website.
Here is one more mix CD from the Urban Outfitters Home Office Swap. This was made by Meredith, the Allocation Analyst for the Free People stores! (If you're wondering what that means, Meredith figures out how many units of each size and color of a style get shipped to each store. She analyzes all kinds of info like what was sold the year before, how similar styles are selling currently, etc)
A note from Meredith:
"It's called I'm With Cupid. Geddit...
I was talking with a friend this week with whom I often exchange mix cds and was asked how I usually pick my songs. I think most of the time I pick a song because it's the music that's emotive to me, not necessarily the sentiment. But when it comes to finding songs for Valentines I see-saw the other way around, and each of these songs kind of pull on my heartstrings. One of my favourite things about love songs is how one time you listen to them and think "AH! This is how I feel and isn't so wonderful!" and then a week later return to it thinking "LOVE! THE MISERY!" "
The Moth & Aimee Mann
It Could Be Sweet & Portishead
Soul Food & Martina Topley-Bird
I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) & Nina Simone
Your Love Gets Sweeter & Finley Quaye
Apple of my eye & Ed Harcourt
(There Is) No Greater Love & Amy Winehouse
Sweet Song & Blur
All Or Nothing & Pauline Taylor
You Know So Well & Sondre Lerche
Hills & Thao Nguyen
You Do Something To Me & Paul Weller
Tomorrow on the Runway & Innocence Mission
To Be Around You (Part 1+2) & Obi
Chicago (Acoustic) & Sufjan Stevens
Munich - (Editor's Cover) & Corinne Bailey Rae
I've got you & New Buffalo
What If We Do & Mia Doi Todd
When I'm Thinking About You & The Sundays
Here is Heather's mix for the Urban Outfitters Home Office Vday mix CD swap. She is the Free People Direct Operations Manager. Message from Heather...
"Here’s my play list for the Valentines CD Exchange. One requirement for inclusion was that all songs had to be “old enough to drink” so all of the tracks are at least 21 years old. (Actually I am only *pretty* sure this is true-so I could get busted by music nerds.) I wanted to include all of my favorite types of music, so I included classic reggae, soul, ska, country, punk etc. The tracks are all related to love in some way, whether it is unrequited love, anti-love, weird horror love, cheeky love, misbegotten love, magical love… etc. etc"
Ten Commandments (From: Man To Woman): Prince Buster
Tramp: Otis Redding & Carla Thomas
Papa Don't Take No Mess: James Brown
Big Eight: Judge Dread
Tears of a Clown: The English Beat
Cocaine Blues (Live): Johnny Cash
Rebel Rebel: David Bowie
Pirate Love: Johnny Thunders
Hand in Glove: The Smiths (featuring Sandie Shaw)
Magic Man: Heart
Looking at You: MC5
Skulls: The Misfits
Smother Love: Crass
Steppin' Stone: Minor Threat
Storm in My House: Minutemen
Rocket Queen: Guns N' Roses
This is Jenny’s mix for the Urban Outfitters Inc. Home Office CD exchange. Jenny works in Wholesale Operations for FP. Here's a little note from Jenny.
“No, no theme. I was originally going to be all dark and bitter so as to have the Valentine's day theme be ironic, but then I figured there was enough irony around Urban Outfitters Inc., so I just picked love-themed favs.
The track I left off was Rufus Wrainwright's "Hallelujah," although I'm still trying to figure out of I could put the Miracles' "You Really Got a Hold on Me" (you might remember this song from early 80's Sesame Street videos where Lionel Ritchie(?) sang it with a Muppet long on arms).
Also, as far as cover art goes, I did a Google image search on the first track and this is what came up. It's from this chick's blog zazazu.wordpress.com So I'll probably do a black and white version, since I have a BW laser printer and am too lazy to find a solution to the color problem. “
1. Wishing and Hoping: Ani Difranco
2. To Bring You My Love: PJ Harvey
3. Valentine: Old 97's
4. Crayola Doesn't Make a Color for your Eyes: Kristin Andreassen
5. Day Like Any: Feist
6. Mama You Been on My Mind: Bob Dylan featuring Joan Baez
7. Laisse Tomber Les Filles: April March
8. I Told her Lies: Robbie Faulks
9. What Kind of Man are You?: Ray Charles
10. Death of Me: Tony Lucca
11. Don't Speak: Leela James
12. Sinnerman: Nina Simone
13. Apologize: Timbaland
14. I Believe in a Thing Called Love: The Darkness
15. Ain't No Other Man: Christina Aguilara
16. Just a Thought: Gnarls Barkley
17. With or Without You: U2
18. Just Friends: Wilco
19. Addicted to Love: Robert Palmer
20. I Know What Boys Like: The Waitresses
Urban Outfitters organized a Valentine Mix CD Swap here among home office employees across the three brands (Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Free People). Over the next two weeks, I'm going to feature some of the mixes made by people in the FP home office.
This is the first mix made by Kelly. She works in the Wholesale Customer Service Department. Her mix is called B-Mine, love songs by artists with the letter B. Here's her playlist...
Heaven is a place on earth Belinda Carlisle
Boys Britney Spears
Crimson and clover Blondie
Venus as a boy Bjork
Two of us Beatles
I want you Bob Dylan
I send my love to you Bonnie Prince Billy
Promise Butch Walker
Change of heart Beck
Shot through the heart Bon Jovi
Cradle of love Billy Idol
Orgasm addict Buzzcocks
Who was in my room Butthole Surfers
Girls Beastie Boys
Just a friend Biz Markie
Don't phunk with my heart Black Eyed Peas
Just wanted to show some love for a local philly band and their fp lovin singer. Exreverie is playing a show on February 2nd at the Tin Angel in Philly, to celebrate the release of their new record. Check out their website and myspace...
The creativity exhibited in this music video is awesome. The entire video is animated t-shirt graphics. From French group Justice...
Have you seen this? French musician Camille's video for her song "Ta Douleur". Check out a little blurb from wikipedia...
"This album incorporated an avant-garde concept - a string, or thread ("le fil"), which was a drone that persisted throughout the entire course of the album. All of the songs in this album are based on the exploration of the voice, with only a double bass or double bass and keyboard as accompanying instruments."
Even if you're not a Bjork fan, I'm sure you can appreciate her visual artistic sensibilities. You have to admit, everything she does looks interesting if not beautiful. So showstudio has this activity on their site that I thought was really cool. To celebrate Bjork's new record, Volta, you can download tiles that you can print out at home. Once you have each tile, you can put it together like a puzzle to assemble one large Volta poster. Check it out...
Check out this strange and beautiful video from Bat For Lashes and get an eyeful of Natasha's glamour folk princess-ness.
Refinery 29 currently features Antony (singer of Antony and the Johnsons) in their "hot for" section. Refinery 29 is the BEST New York shopping guide. They map out every great boutique and are on top of every opening of cool new stores. I highly recommend checking out the site before your next shopping romp through NY.
In addition to shopping and fashion, the site features other cultural info, which brings us back to Antony. Their feature reminded me of this amazing video Nick Knight did a while back. ( The above photo is from the film) The video is posted on Nick's fashion broadcasting site SHOWstudio. The video is sooo beautiful and such a simple concept...
A group of girls that work in our two stores near Philly ( King of Prussia and Suburban Square) along with one store employee recently promoted to the home office (congrats!) all went to see the weepies this week. They heard of the singer songwriter team because the home office had sent them the CD to play in their stores! They ended up talking to Deb and Steve (from the weepies) after the show and the girls told them the story of how they all knew each other and how they discovered their music. Deb was excited because she said half of her closet is Free People! It's funny how things get connected...
