Vinyl Junkies Rejoice!

                                             

I just got an e-mail from Amazon.com that when you buy a CD or LP that is available through their Autorip program, you instantly get the MP3 version for FREE! This is great news for audiophiles like me that love their vinyl, but don't like to play it on a regular basis for fear of not being able to replace it.

They have some good classic music available too. Below are some of my picks:

Daniela Turudich Vintage Lifestyle Books Reprint!

I am so excited to see on Amazon.com that some of the Daniela Turudich books are going to be reprinted in July 2013. Right now there are four titles that will be available, but I have a feeling that if they do well others won't be far behind.

Below are the books available that you can pre-order at a really great price. I also included 2 books that are not in print at this time, but still have a few copies floating around.

Pin-up Playlist

I may have mentioned once or twice that I am now writing for the fabulous magazine Victory Girls, which is a vintage-lifestyle magazine based out of Madison, Wisconsin. My latest article is on 40s & 50s music to play while you get ready to go out on the town. I put together a playlist for people to listen to the tunes, and here it is:

Rebel Beat: The Story of LA Rockabilly DVD Review

 

I picked up Rebel Beat: The Story of LA Rockabilly to use as a source for my Master's thesis and quickly fell in love with it! Chock full of interviews and archival material, this documentary not only covers LA rockabilly, but also a history of rockabilly overall, especially after the revival in the 1970s & 80s. The music selection is great and if I wasn't already in love with Big Sandy I would be after watching this film! I also love the inclusion of rockabilly culture and how it has affected new generations, even if just for fashion.

What's on the DVD you may ask? Here's a short blurb from the website that pretty much sums it up:

"Rebel Beat" interviews over 30 promoters (including legendary Rockin' Ronny Weiser of Rollin' Rock Records), musicians (including Glen Glenn, Ray Campi, Big Sandy, Dave Gonzales and Janis Martin), car customizers, DJs and dancers, plus features rare archival photos, vintage TV clips and music montages that highlight the fashion, cars, pomps, ink and dance moves of the pussycats and hound dogs of LA Rockabilly, a strange family who share the distinctly American bent to define reality on their own terms and an LA creativity for casting the past with the hand-picked heroes, making for one hell of a party.

You can go to the website for more in-depth coverage of what is on the DVD and to buy it. At $12 (including shipping) the DVD is a steal. The filmmaker Elizabeth Blozan (Betty B) is passionate about the material and an all-around great gal, so please support her efforts!

As an extra bonus, Betty B has made some outtakes available online. Here is my favorite:

Janis Martin's Rockabilly History Lesson

IN the course of looking for material for my Masters thesis on Janis Martin and Lavern Baker, I found this wonderful video of Janis Martin explaining how integral Ruth Brown is in the history of Rockabilly music. Apparently the video was recorded to be used in a documentary "Rebel Beat: The Story of LA Rockabilly" but the director couldn't get rights to the music. In the clip, Janis first sings a Ruth Brown song called "Long As I'm Movin'" and then demonstrates the similarities of how the main lick from that song translates into the standard Rockabilly lick used in "Good Rockin' Tonight," which she also performs. This is such a wonderful clip to me and really shows how invested Janis was in spreading Rockabilly music and its origins.

Rockabilly Magazines

Continental Magazine

Hello All! If you are anything like me you like to have a nice big reference collection for inspiration. So, in keeping with my librarian side, I have decided to start a page for Rockabilly Magazines. I have done a few searches and have yet to find a decent listing of them in one place.

I will also need your help to make sure I can make it as comprehensive as possible. When I say comprehensive, I mean magazines that include enough about the various sides of Rockabilly and it's offshoots, like Pin-up, Punkabilly, Tiki, etc. If you see that I am missing something, drop me a line and let me know at tartdeco at gmail dot com.

New Blog Series- Women in Rockabilly

Long time, no post! Sorry for the absence but Grad school and internship are in full swing. It can be hard to set aside time to blog, but I had an idea to try and tie in thesis research by blogging about various women in Rockabilly music, which is my thesis topic. I've touched on a few performers previously (Wanda Jackson, Janis Martin and Lorrie Collins). I am hoping to expand on some of those posts, introduce more singers and talk about some of the social issues they have had to deal with. I also plan to talk about more contemporary singers and who inspired them. Of course, I am going to include sound examples and ways to get your hands on their music.

To start this off, I thought I would include some of my favorite resources about these amazing ladies and Rockabilly music. Most of these sources I have used in my own research. Some are more complete than others, but all have a place in the history of Women in Rockabilly music and I would love to see them circulate more to inspire others to write more about this overlooked topic.

The Women of Rockabilly: Welcome to the Club DVD
Blue Rhythms: Six Lives in Rhythm and Blues
Sexing the Groove: Popular Music and Gender
Girls Rock!: Fifty Years of Women Making Music
Go Cat Go!: ROCKABILLY MUSIC AND ITS MAKERS
Little Miss Dynamite: The Life and Times of Brenda Lee
Memphis Belles - The Women Of Sun Records CD
Rockabilly a Bibliographic Resource Guide
Rockabilly queens: The careers and recordings of Wanda Jackson, Janis Martin, Brenda Lee
She's a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock and Roll
Welcome to the Club-Early Female Rockabilly CD

There are also two theses that are available through interlibrary loan:
Della Rosa, J. L. (2005). Hard rockin' mamas : female rockabilly artists of Rock'n'roll's first generation, 1953-1960.
    This Masters thesis discusses how early female performers in rockabilly music, specifically Janis Martin, Lorrie Collins and Wanda Jackson, were able to defy traditional social roles, yet were not given the ability to stand on equal footing with their male counterparts. The author uses Billboard charts analyses to demonstrate how underrepresented women were in the business at the time and how the media played into social fears of gender roles.

Conor, E. (2006). Women take the stage : Janis Martin, Brenda Lee, and Wanda Jackson.
    This book starts to ask questions of why some female performers could transcend stereotype, yet never achieve the same success their male counterparts did. Includes references in notes for further research beyond the bibliography sources and analyzes lyrics and performances to explore the difference in gender perceptions.


This may be a bit scholarly, however I think it is good to get an overview of some of the more helpful sources out there. If you notice, the list is fairly short. There are more from popular magazines and newspapers, but in general you can see that this topic is sorely lacking in research. Hopefully I can change that!

Ken Burns' Prohibition

I am SO excited about this new documentary by Ken Burns about Prohibition. You know there is going to be some fabulous speakeasy footage (and flappers!). Also excited about the music he will use. Here's a quick blurb on the film from the PBS website:

The story of Prohibition's rise and fall is a compelling saga that goes far beyond the oft-told tales of gangsters, rum runners, flappers, and speakeasies, to reveal a complicated and divided nation in the throes of momentous transformation. PROHIBITION is a three-part, five-and-a-half-hour documentary film series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick that tells the story of the rise, rule, and fall of the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the entire era it encompassed.

Visit the PBS page on the documentary for more info, including customized e-mail postcards you can make and send.

Pre-order the DVD!

Early Colour Photographs

I am most definitely subscribed to too many email newsletters. However, one that consistently sends me interesting links and information is The History Channel email newsletter. One of the best emails ever was one I just got about an article on a collection of colour pictures from the early 1900s by Albert Kahn. He traveled the world taking photos using autochrome plates, one of the first color processing of film.

Vintage Paper Doll Extravaganza

For those of you like me who are always looking for vintage fashion inspiration, paper dolls are a great resource and, let's face it, super fun to play with. Well, I have discovered an amazing treasure trove of vintage paper dolls in Bobe's Picasa Gallery! The best part? You can download these gems for free.

My favorites so far are Girl Pilots of the Ferry Command, Army Nurse and Doctor and Claudette Colbert.

Vintage Wedding by Daniela Turudich for $16

There is a copy of Vintage Wedding by Daniela Turudich for $16 and it is listed like new! Snatch it up quick.

UPDATE: The copy sold, but I will keep the widget up so you can see what the current price is.

40s Pinup Face

pic from www.thepinupfiles.com

I have gotten such a good response to the post I did on recreating a 50s Bombshell Face that I thought I would do a follow-up on a 40s Pinup Face. The information comes again from the Vintage Face book by Daniela Turudich, which is still out-of-print unfortunately, but every once in a while you can find a copy on Amazon. Right now there is a copy available for $68, which is one of the lower prices I have seen.

Below is the page on the 1940s Pinup look, as modeled by Rita Hayworth. I also included the pages on 40s lips and nails. As always, click on the thumbnails for a larger view.

Fora nifty tutorial on 1940s make-up and hair, visit the always helpful blog Glamour Daze.

Vintage Lifestyle Books Republished

I am always looking for vintage books on various topics, especially sewing and makeup & hair, but to find them in good condition or at a decent price isn't always possible. Lucky for me, there are publishers that are reprinting books from the 20s-60s, as well as other decades before and after.

One of the publishers I just found is called Bramcost and they sell through Amazon. They have a various assortment of topics and the prices run between $11 and 20. Here are some of my favorites:

Life Photo Archive

Most of us are aware that Life Magazine has a photo archive, but I always seem to forget too. How is that? Anyhoo, to make it easier on all of us here are the direct links to our favorite decades. Click on the years, not the picture.

1930s

1920s

1940s

1950s

Life sure had an obsession with women preening themselves. FYI- the photos are hosted by Google, so you can modify the search box to look for a specific subject by adding it to the search box, just don't remove the year and source:life items. For example, if I add fashion to the 1940s search I get these results. Fun, right? Here's another for 1950s rock 'n roll. And finally, a search for vintage wedding pics from all years.

More 20s Goodness- Flappers and Philosophers

If you are a 20s lover then you should know about the free ebook of F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Flappers and Philosophers" available at the University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. It's a bit large at 10 MB, but completely downloadable.

They also have Fitzgerald's Tales of the Jazz Age.

(pic from printedandbound.tumblr.com)

The Art of Manliness

I have discovered a new blog for vintage loving men and it is pretty sweet. It is called The Art of Manliness, dedicated to "helping men be better husbands, better fathers, and better men. In our search to uncover the lost art of manliness, we’ll look to the past to find examples of manliness in action. We’ll analyze the lives of great men who knew what it meant to “man up” and hopefully learn from them. And we’ll talk about the skills, manners, and principles that every man should know."

Now this may seem to be a bit macho on the surface, but in reality this is a great site run by a husband and wife team. It has tons of helpful tips and funny articles, such as Finding Your Calling Part I: What is a Vocation to How to Survive a Shark Attack. I really enjoyed the article on How to buy a Used Car and it was extremely thorough.

I highly recommend visiting this site whether you are of the male persuasion or not. It is chock full of vintage and retro goodness and has nifty pictures throughout the site. Have fun!

Movies to Inspire

I go through stages of inspiration for my hair accessories. My last big inspiration was movie musicals, specifically the movie Singin' in the Rain. The hair clip on the right named Broadway Melody was inspired by the scene where Kathy Sheldon (Debbie Reynolds) sings Dream of You towards the beginning of the movie, right after she meets Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly).

Here is a picture of what Kathy was wearing that just made me go gaga and I HAD to create something. I know the girls aren't wearing feathers, but the movie is supposed to be set in the late 20s, so I went with a more flapperish style based on the color scheme. Plus, most of the clip uses vintage millinery and jewelry, so I didn't fret too much about a litral translation. I suppose that is the point of being inspired, right?

I have a few tried and true movies that I put on when I am in a creative slump. Some I watch for specific time periods, others I watch for the visual impact they give. You'll notice quite a few are modern films set in a different era. I find it helps to have the color to reference, but I do often watch black and white films and documentaries.

I thought it might be fun to start a list, plus add more titles as people comment. Here we go:
An American in Paris
The Cat's Meow
Down With Love
Elizabeth
Funny Face
The Great Gatsby
It (with Clara Bow)
Kiss Me Kate
Marie Antoinette (directed by Sophia Coppola)
Moulin Rouge
The Notorious Bettie Page
On the Town
Pretty in Pink
Singin' in the Rain
Some Like It Hot

Of course, pictures and screen shots help too. One of the best websites I have found for this is The Costumer's Guide to Movie Costumes. Not only do they provide decent pictures, they also give links for costume studies and exhibits.

So, there is the preliminary list of my creative inspiration films. I'm sure I left a few out. I can't wait to hear about more from you!

My One and Only

I have been walking by the movie My One and Only at Blockbuster for months now and I finally picked it up to watch. I knew it was a film set in the 50s and based loosely on George Hamilton's life (yes, sun-tanned, Love at First Bite George Hamilton). Other than that I didn't know what to expect.

I kind of have a love/hate relationship with Renee Zellweger so to me that was the one aspect that I thought could push it over the edge. However, I thought she did a great job in this and did very little of that weird "mugging" of hers (something that irritated me in Leatherheads) where she squinches up her face and her cheeks and lips take on a life of their own. You know what I mean...

Anyway, I ended up loving it and so did the husband. Go rent this movie. You'll thank me for the fashion and the beautiful caddy shots at the very least. My very favorite clothing piece is the off-white bolero sweater.

Home Economics Archive: Research, Tradition and History

Interested in reading Good Housekeeping magazine from 1885-1950 for free? I thought so. Home Economics Archive has every complete issue from these years available online, including ads (in black and white only).

Under the Biltmore Clock Flapper Fashions

Just on a lark, I searched for "flapper" on blockbuster online and the short film Under the Biltmore Clock came up starring Sean Young. It's an American Playhouse adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story "Myra Meets His Family." Not being a huge Sean young fan I was pleasantly surprised at how well cast she is in her role as Myra and the delightful song and dance she does towards the end of the movie really clinched it for me.

What I love best about this film is the wonderful hair accessories. I found myself waiting patiently for each new scene because Myra had a new wonderful matching ensemble.

I am on my second rental of the movie and the fashion alone in the movie is moving me to buy it. It may not all be 100% period, but it is certainly imaginative and the extra care taken to match the accessory fabrics to the clothes, especially when matched to the lining materials, makes me love them.

Don't be surprised if you see a line of Tart Deco headache bands soon. I am definitely inspired!