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New Music Monday: Stars

By Dave Sanford Oct 27, 2014 10:00 AM

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Stars Stars released their new album No One Is Lost on October 14th on ATO Records. The follow-up to 2012’s The North, No One Is Lost is comprised of 11 original songs and was produced by Stars and Liam O’Neil (Metric, The Stills).

For No One Is Lost, Stars craved autonomy, and serendipitously inherited the Mile End rehearsal space last December above the now defunct, Royal Phoenix nightclub in Montreal. Stars built a functional studio out of the former space of then-disbanding Handsome Furs (and site of Arcade Fire’s first rehearsals); Mile End became a home away from home. Then the nightclub (and life) crept in, resulting in Stars’ most urgent record to date. Drummer Pat McGee explains, “The sub-bass throb coming from the club below our studio was undeniably and unavoidably influential. It motivated us to out-throb the throb.”

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“This record’s called No One Is Lost because that is a fucking lie,” says Torquil. “We are all lost, we are all going to lose this game and, as you get older, you lose people more and more. I just wanted to close my eyes and jump and hope that was true. Life is loss, love is loss. And loving people is about accepting that you’re going to have to say goodbye to them. And that’s why it’s fucking brave. That’s Stars ethos: this life is very heartbreaking and sad… so let’s get completely fucking arseholed and listen to some Dionne Warwick.”

Download No One Is Lost on iTunes or Amazon!

http://www.youarestars.com/home/

Why John Ford’s Westerns Get Better as You Get Older

Clothing, Hat, Face

There are worse ways to spend an evening than watching John Wayne stop a stagecoach.

He stands in the road, saddle slung over one arm, spinning a Winchester as the camera rushes toward him. It is an entrance worthy of a movie star, and in Stagecoach, you can practically watch Wayne become one. Before he has done much of anything, you want to know where he is going. You would probably go with him.

Cigar Lounge Spotlight: Española Cigar Bar & Lounge in Miami Beach

cigar lounge

I was at Española Cigar Bar & Lounge in Miami Beach earlier this year when the idea for this weekly spotlight first came to mind. I was in town to interview Floyd Mayweather Jr. at a yacht party that turned out to be as bombastic as the 15-time world champion himself. The trip kicked off with dinner at Claudie for a taste of the French Riviera. I was whisked into the restaurant’s private dining room, where guests included a slew of GNC executives, former NBA players, and Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr.

After five or so Old Fashioneds, three of us decided to keep the night going, and we were all in the mood for stogies, which is always a great idea during one of Miami’s muggy nights. Española Cigar Bar & Lounge was the place to be, and if you’ve ever walked Española Way on a Friday night, you understand why.

Feeling stuck or behind? Here are the five days you need to schedule every month

HIker standing in the sunrise

It feels like every single month, when the calendar turns over (figuratively speaking, unless you still have a physical calendar), there is no way it is already the first of a new month. It can feel like you are stuck in the middle of a grind, that you are behind on everything, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t catch up. Or even move forward. That can weigh on you. Just like a new year creates new motivations, new planning, and new goals, you can break the months into smaller scales.

Your monthly calendar (and even further, going to the week) should reflect the things you want to accomplish. And, if you are feeling stuck, unmotivated, or like you are falling behind, here are five non-negotiable days you should set up every single month to set you up for climbing out of your funk.