ISLAND LIFE SHORTS
Beauty in the Dark
Advertiser Staff and News Services
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That which is not slightly distorted lacks sensible appeal: from which follows that irregularity — that is to say, the unexpected, surprise and astonishment, are an essential part and characteristic of beauty.
Charles Baudelaire's observation serves as a motto for DJ Nocturna, from KTUH's "Feast of Friends" radio show. Nocturna, known for her Gothic and industrial music selection, as well as her themed parties where dark self-expression is the norm, will once again bring out the mystery in us all with "Imagination and Irregularity," an art and music show from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday at Mercury Bar. The highlight of the night: a live performance by San Francisco native Unwoman. The cellist, singer and producer has performed and recorded with artists such as Jill Tracy and has just completed her third, self-produced CD, "Blossoms" (Unmediated Productions). Featured local artists include Kathy Chang, Michelle Poppler and William Linmark. Mercury Bar, 1154 Fort Street Mall, No. 10 (entrance on Chaplain Lane); $5 before 10, $8 after; 21 and older.
— Lacy Matsumoto
MOVIE MUSIC
Hollywood mined a rich vein of pop and rock in 2007, creating a sonic backdrop for some of the year's most buzz-worthy films. Recent soundtracks that deserve a nod:
"I'm Not There": The film got mixed reviews, but the soundtrack is a winner, matching the movie's impressionistic, multifaceted look at Bob Dylan's life, and delving deep into his vast catalog to unearth obscurities as well as classics. Gems: the Hold Steady's "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window," Mira Billotte's "As I Went Out One Morning" and the first official release of Dylan's own stunning version of the title track.
"Juno": The music is mostly playful in Diablo Cody's dialogue-driven tale of a wisecracking pregnant teen. Director Jason Reitman asked Ellen Page which musician her character would like, and she said, "The Moldy Peaches." The Peaches' Kimya Dawson's childlike voice dominates eight tracks. The set gets needed insulin from tracks by Cat Power, Velvet Underground and Sonic Youth.
"Once": The film was structured to spotlight original songs by Frames leader and ex-Commitment Glen Hansard and actress Markéta Irglov, which are the quasi-love story's driving force. They display the simple, affecting appeal that won the film sleeper status and the soundtrack nominations for two Grammys and an Oscar.
"Into the Wild": Inspired by Chris McCandless' doomed solitary meanderings, Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder sang and played all instruments on nine originals and two covers. While Vedder's warm croon captures the idealism and loneliness of the film's misguided protagonist, his mesmerizing, midtempo folk-rockers also have stand-alone appeal.
— Ken Barnes and Edna Gunderson, USA Today
SALES & BARGAINS
— Pualana Lemelle
SWEET TREATS
Still not sure what to get your sweetheart for Valentine's Day? A handmade "Apple of My Eye" from ShopToast.com just might do the trick. Hidden inside this apple's plastic shell are miniature heart-shaped sugar cookies from Hokulani Bake Shop. The curiously quirky yet fun-to-open surprises are available online at ShopToast and on the shelves of The Wedding Café (Manoa Marketplace, Ward Warehouse), Queens boutique (831 Queen St.); at the Menehune Mac factory gift center, strawberry- flavored and milk chocolate-covered macadamia nuts are inside (707-A Waiakamilo Road). These unique gifts will set you back around $8. Who knew giving an apple could be so fun and romantic?
— Jake Miyasato
GREEN SCENE
There once was a time when you wouldn't be caught dead wearing the same thing twice, but no more. Advocacy groups such as the World Wildlife Foundation have teamed up with manufacturers to flood the market with comfortable organic cotton tees that can be worn over and over again, while the environmental slogan broadcasts your allegiance to the planet. Find WWF's "Green Is The New Black" T-shirt at Pineapple County (342 Lewers St., Waikiki; 926-8245). At $36.99, $1.50 of the proceeds goes to the World Wildlife Foundation.
— L.M.
ORIGINAL STYLE
In streetwear couture, nothing compares to custom-painted kicks and fitteds. At Affiliated Art (Ward Center; 591-9278), Abraham Taylor can hand-paint your request on practically any product in the store. "He told me he was tired of painting on flat surfaces," says Tautua Howell-Reed, owner of Affiliated Art and grandson of Mamo Howell. "We met at a club in L.A.; I saw his hat on Wilmer Valderrama (an actor from 'That '70s Show'), and Wilmer's security guard told me the kid who made that hat also made a Samoa hat. So I had to meet him." Taylor, a 2002 Kamehameha Schools graduate, says, "I was in L.A. because I wanted to see if I could make it. I think I did, because it brought me back home." Painted pieces of Diamond Head, checkered detail, cityscapes and images of practically everything street can be scored from $60 to $300, but make sure to bring your Hawai'i state ID for a 15 percent kama'aina discount.
— L.M.
