Tracks of the Year 2007

Well damn, it's Dec 31st already. Time to put up my tracks of the year before the year's over!

I didn't have time to put as much thought into this as there were far too many good songs this year to list. However, I'm proud to say my list is 100% free of Britney Spears irony. So here ya go.

5. Arcade Fire - No Cars Go
Exhilirating and inspiring song with a single message. To go where no cars go. Sounds tacky but it works.

4. Beirut - Elephant Gun
If there's one song to show your friends what Beirut is all about, it's this one.


3. Joanna Newsom - Colleen
News alert! Joanna Newsom came out with an EP this year! I won't post the song here because it's one third of her brilliant album and you should go on iTunes right now and buy her EP.

2. Radiohead - Bodysnatchers
There's a moment in this song at 2:07 that reaches such great heights of musical nirvana, it's undescribable. The following two lines pretty much sum up my sentiments for 2007.

"Has the light gone out for you?
Because the light's gone out for me"

1. Andrew Bird - Heretics
And here's my track of the year. Enjoy.

Bored holes through our tongues, so sing a song about it
Held our breath for too long till we're half sick about it
Tell us what we did wrong and you can blame us for it
Turn a clamp on our thumbs, we'll sew a doll about it
And tell us all about it
We'll sew a doll about it

How about some credit now
Where credit is due
For the damage that we've done
We have brought upon ourselves and others
With a slow and vicious gun
And although pratfalls can be fun
Encores can be fatal

And then I hear you say
Thank God it's fatal
Thank God it's fatal
Not shy
Not shy of fatal
Not shy of fatal
Thank God
Thank God it's fatal
Thank God it's fatal
Not shy
Not shy of fatal
Not shy of fatal

Wait just a second now
It's not all that bad
Are we not having fun
You make your mountains of handkerchiefs
Where the mascara always runs
So be careful when you're done
You're bound to get post-natal
What did I just hear you say?

Thank God it's fatal
No, we don't want to hear the sound of a door
No, we don't want to hear the sound of a door

And we don't want to read the signs that you bore
You know the kind of sign you hang on a door
Saying, "We'll be back. What a crack."
Now don't you think we might have heard that before?
Now don't you think we might have heard that before?

Bored holes through our tongues, so sing a song about it
Held our breath for too long till we're half sick about it
Tell us what we did wrong and you can blame us for it
Turn a clamp on our thumbs, we'll sew a doll about it

Best Albums of 2007

I know this is kinda late, but here it is. My best albums of 2007 list! Nothing extraordinary or eclectic in this list except for maybe #1. (sorry, you won't see any Battles, Panda Bear, or Animal Collective in here)

Anyways, what an awesome year it's been for music. I've had a blast.

10. Feist - The Reminder



Leslie Feist is kinda like an old schoolmate you always picked on when you were younger but then grew up to be smarter, richer, and more successful than you.

Now all you have left of are typical tales of seeing 'Leslie' (as you like to call her these days) back in the days that you're all too eager to share with your ignorant co-workers around the water cooler. You know, like that one time when you saw her play in tiny pub near your house in front of only ten people. And how you were a HUGE fan back then when in reality, you'd only seen her once and golf clapped your way through each unrecognizable song while she opened for the band you really came to see.

Anyways, whatever. Congratulations Leslie.

Lasting Impression: "1 2 3 4" (the sound of feist counting her money to the bank)



9. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apochrypha




Similar to where Feist was a year ago, Andrew Bird is about one iPod commercial away from being discovered by the masses and becoming a household name to the point where even your mother could one day ask, "Have you ever heard of Andrew Bird?". It's surprising he only made his television debut this year on the Letterman show.

Lasting Impression:"Thank God it's fatal, thank god it's fatal" (sometimes you're thankful life is fatal)


8. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?




La la la.. boom. You have roughly six seconds from when this album starts to prepare yourself for what's ahead. Your ears will never be the same from the electrical orchestra and sonic visions of desperation that this album delivers.

Lasting Impression:"I'm in a crisis ... C'mon chemicals ... C'mon be a friend" (do drugs a little?)


7. Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future



The Klaxons are the posterboys of the indie nu-rave psychadelic rock. What's indie nu-rave you ask? Well it's kinda like an acceptable form high-energy rock music with rave-like psychadelic properties. It's perfect for hipsters who are either too cool to associate themselves with ravers or nerdy hipsters who are frightened of drugs or too emberassed to dance with glow sticks.

Basically, listening to this album is like getting high without having to worry about the morning after.

Lasting Impression: "Ooooh Aaaah"


6. Justice - † (aka Cross)



Indie rockers need to dance too. That's why every year there's always a 'band' (usually just a duo with laptops) guaranteed to bring indie dance and house music together. Whether it's MSTRKRFT, The Presets, or good ol' Daft Punk, if the DJ is spinning Justice, be assured you can safely dance your ass off without having to worry if the next track will feature Fergie or Brittany Murphy.

Lasting Impression:"We are your friends" (who'll write shit on your face with a sharpie the second you pass out)


5. Radiohead - In Rainbows



Radiohead is like your older brother who looks out for you while you're in grade school. Like if one afternoon, the record industry is bullying you and tries to take your lunch money, Radiohead will cruise on by at exactly the right moment and give them the evil eye. Then they'll quietly appologize and run away with their tails tucked between their legs.

Thanks Radiohead. You saved us once again.

Lasting Impression:"You are all I need. You're all I need." (ditto)


4. The Fiery Furnaces - Widow City



It's strange how the Fiery Furnaces' best album to date has been so overlooked by critics this year. Perhaps this album wasn't difficult enough for writers to praise them or themselves for their superior ability to 'get it'? But for whatever reasons, it doesn't matter. The Friedbergers have managed to craft the most interesting album you'll hear all year.

Lasting Impression:"I want a restorative beer." (a song after my own heart?)

3. LCD Soundsystem - Sounds of Silver

The year in music started out rather slowly until this album came out sometime in March. The album pretty much blew everyone away since then including myself. Actually, if this album was nothing more than fourty-five minutes of that damn piano loop from "All My Friends" played over and over again, it would've still made 5 out of 10 hipster's top ten lists this year.

Lasting Impression: "Get Innocuous!" (these are the magic words to get me to dance spontaneously)


2. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible



It took me a while to finally accept the post-Funeral version of Arcade Fire. I was sadly disappointed by this album for months when it came out.

That was until one day, I started noticing Win Butler's passionate cries frequently echoing through my head during my dull drives home. "Stop now before it's too late." "Nothing lasts forever, that's the way it’s got to be. There's a great black wave in the middle of the sea." "Do you have any idea where I was at your age?" "MTV, what have you done to me?" "No cars go!" "My body is a cage." The lyrics haunted me until I finally saw the light. This is one of the best and most passionate albums I've ever heard.

Lasting Impression:"My body is a cage that keeps me from dancing with the one I love, but my mind holds the key." (too true)


1. Electrelane - No Shouts No Calls



If you asked me earlier this year what my favorite album would be, it would've been Arcade Fire's Neon Bible without any doubt. There was no way another record would topple that album from the top of my list. That's until I started listening to Electrelane's No Shouts No Calls for about two months non-stop.

It's terrible. I'm currently afflicted with Electrelanitis. I can't listen to anything else without have the urge to change the current track to an Electrelane song. They're that good.

Sadly, after struggling for nearly ten years, these girls from Brighton England decided to call it quits last month. Music will never be the same. But then, I will never be the same either. Thank you for your amazing music.

Lasting Impression: "We'll work it, we'll work it, we'll work it out, we'll work it out" (i hope so)

Sea Wolf already in a commercial?

Woah, I just heard Sea Wolf in a Radioshack commercial on TV. The song was Ses Monuments. One of the best tracks of the year (available from their EP only).

Congratulations SEA WOLF!




Btw, I'm still alive. I've got tons of shit lined up to write about like my end year wrap-up and 2007 best-of list. So stay tuned.

I was wrong again!

Well it seems like I forgot what year we are in. Last entry I declared Knights of Cydonia to be the best music video of the year. But that video was released in 2006 and it's uh 2007 now. OOPS. Oh well, it was a minor detail. Now I have to scramble to find a new video.

Hmmm. Ok got it! Here's the NEW best music video of the year for 2007. Bat For Lashes: What's A Girl To Do!



Yeah! Lily Allen ain't got nothin' on Natasha Khan!

I Was Wrong

Ok first thing first. Remember when I declared that The Strokes video for You Only Live Once as the best music video of the year? Well, I WAS WRONG. Very wrong. This has been bugging me for a while so I've come back from the dead to ask the musical gods for forgiveness.

The best music video of the year, by far, without any doubt or questions is Knights of Cydonia by Muse. There, I can now sleep in peace.



I've never had a more cathartic spiritual-rock moment this year than when I shouted along these lines at the top of my lungs like it was my last day on earth:

"No one's going to take me alive
The time has come to make things right
You and I must fight for our rights
You and I must fight to survive"

blog goes on...

Hmmm, it's been a while since the last blog post. And it seems my blogging cohort has quit! But I'm going to continue on anyways because I still got a lot of stuff to write about.

arcade fire

Just a random Arcade Fire concert video of two of my favorite songs. I was too drunk to remember anything at the last Arcade Fire concert I went to so I thought I'd post this to remind myself of what it could've sounded like.

elliott smith anecdotes

So i was going through the latest issue of SPIN magazine (September 07) and found an interesting section about Elliott Smith and a new photo book by Autumn de Wilde that's coming out about him. In it are some touching and funny anecdotes of Smith, and I thought I'd post them here. (If you don't know, Elliott Smith was a singer/songwriter who committed suicide back in 03 and was always one of those troubled yet beautiful souls.)

"He used to cut my hair when I lived in L.A., the last couple years, I guess. It was one of the few times he would be, for an extended period of time, in a good mood. I think he was trying to put on a happy face for his sister 'cause he was pretty down at that time. He would sit me down in the bathroom, and he would call it "Chez Pepe". He'd get into this fake super cheesy French accent, like a sleazy French hairdresser. So we'd have beers and put on really good music, and he'd cut my hair. He wanted to give you a haircut that didn't look like you got a haircut, and it was supposed to be imprecise. I liked the aesthetic. He would only cut four or five hairs at a time -- it would take hours. It was hard to book time because we both knew it was such a commmitment, so it was rare that he had an entire evening to blow on a haircut. We would listen to Supergrass and the Beatles a lot, just joking around. Everyone always complimented me. I'd say, "Well, these are special haircuts, not available to the public." I couldn't cut my hair for, like, six months after he died because... I couldn't have anyone else cut my hair. He was always my hero, strangely, which is sort of weird to say about your brother." -- Ashley Welch, Elliott Smith's younger sister

"I spent two weeks in Silver Lake [in Los Angeles] in August or September of 2002 finishing up [the Postal Service's Give Up] with Jimmy Tamborello and hanging out with Jenny Lewis, who I had invited to be part of the record. We were hanging out and recording, and we went to get food at this little burrito joint in Los Feliz, one of those places where you can't sit inside and there are three tables out front. I remember going in and ordering some food, and there was thhis little jar where every week you could put your name in, and if your name got picked, you could get a free burrito. There was a sign behind the jar that said BURRITO OF THE WEEK, it said, ELLIOTT SMITH. I remember looking up there and being amused for a couple of reasons. Number one, that this seminal, brilliant singer/songwriter would do something that anybody off the street would do, like, you'd see this jar and think, "I'm going to write my name on this card like everybody else and win a free burrito." I just had this kind of funny image in my head of him going into this burrito joint, thinking if he's going to go there and put his name into a hat to win a free burrito, he probably goes here fairly frequently, you know? I just wanted to be there so badly. I wanted to see him see his name on the board, that he'd won a free burrito, and just knowing that even though he was in a bad way, he'd be happy that he won a free burrito. Everybody likes to win stuff." -- Ben Gibbard

Best Music Video of the Year

What's the best music video of the year? This one.



You Only Live Once by The Strokes. There's really no debate. I mean the video has such big balls and aspirations, it starts off with completely different Strokes song called "Ize of the World". Then it goes into some cinematic 2001: A Space Odyssey inspired movie-like production that is utterly awe inspiring. And don't forget the amazing song to go with it.

"Some people think they're always right
Others are quiet and uptight
Others, they seem so very nice
Inside they might feel sad and wrong

Twenty-nine different attributes
Only seven that you like
Twenty ways to see the world
Twenty ways to start a fight"

Wow... just wow.

the first person in the history of the world to dance

I Love Metric

Metric. I don't know why they're not as popular here as they are in Canada, but they should be. I guess they're kind of a mix between The Faint, Stars, and Muse. Which is a good thing. I'm going to go see them this October at the Fonda, and I can't wait.

Time for some videos!

Dead Disco



Poster of a Girl



Empty

The Broken Family Band

Man! I love it when I find new music that I like! I can go hours and hours in my bedroom alone in the dark listening to random crap with the hope of finding the next band or song that I'll fall in love with. And just when I'm about to fall asleep, I'll say to myself, "Okay maybe the next track will be the one". And when I find it, it's quite exhilarating.

My current curiosity is The Broken Family Band. They're an odd bunch of English fellows from Cambridge who try to tackle alt country indie music from the other side of the pond. Come take a listen!

The Broken Family Band
Give And Take - from the album Hello Love (2007)

Acid Tongue

Here's another Jenny Lewis song that I love. This one's unreleased, and it's only been played live.

Acid Tongue
I went to a cobbler
To fix a hole in my shoe
He took one look at my face
And said, "I can fix that hole in you"

I beg your pardon
I'm not looking for a cure
Seen enough of my friends
In the depths of the godsick blues

You know I am a liar
You know I am a liar
Nobody helps a liar

Because I've been down to Dixie
And dropped acid on my tongue
Tripped upon the land
Until enough was enough

I was a little bit lighter
And adventure on my sleeve
I was a little drunk
And looking for company

So I found myself a sweetheart
With the softest of hands
We were unlucky in love
But I'd do it all again

We build ourselves a fire
We build ourselves a fire
But you know I am a liar
You know I am a liar

And you don't know what I've done

By the rolling river is
Exactly where I was
There was no snake oil cure
For unlucky in love

To be lonely is a habit
Like smoking or taking drugs
And I've quit them both
But man, was it rough

Now I am tired
It just made me tired
Let's build ourselves a fire
Let's build ourselves a fire

PostSecret

I love humanity. And all of the good and the bad that comes with it. That's why PostSecret is such an amazing body of work that captures such brutal honesty and struggles of every day people that will make you laugh, cry, and see your own reflection in others.

If you don't know, some guy asked random strangers on the internet to mail him postcards of their secrets. Here is a video trailer about this:

Keys To Being A Good Person

As I get older, I find myself caring less about what others think, and I'm also more and more puzzled over the way people behave. But at the same time, I realize I'm not perfect and being a good person is more important to me.

I think we all reach a point in our lives where we try to be better individuals and human beings in general. So I was trying to come up with a list of things you could do to be "good", but I realized it was pointless. It all comes down to one simple principle. No, it's not giving to charity, volunteering, feeding the homeless, or whatever. Even evil people can be charitable, and they do it for mostly selfish reasons so they can feel good about themselves. And even if you give your entire life savings and free time to charity, it still won't make you any good.

No. I've thought about it many times, and I've realized there is one defining quality that all good people share. Honesty.

It's really simple. Without honesty, you'll never be a good person. And I don't really mean by never telling a lie or always telling the truth (like you were taught in gradeschool). What I mean by being honest is first and foremost being honest with yourself. It's really easy to call someone a liar, but it's very difficult to call yourself a liar and recognize your own faults. If you can't be honest with your own thoughts, emotions, feelings, failings, or humanity.... then you will never be a good person.

I guess that's why I don't mind someone who is rude or an asshole sometimes. Atleast they are honest. I'd much rather deal with them than deal with dishonest people who hide behind social insecurities.

So there you have it. My life lesson #1294. Okay I just made that number up, but I think it's a very important one for me. Be honest with yourself before you try to be honest with others. And don't be afraid of people who are honest. They may be the best people you'll ever meet.

i was at a bowling alley

watching Rilo Kiley play at a not so secret show. People were bowling. Rilo Kiley was rocking. I'm exhausted. Wow. I need time to think about what just happened.

Peter, Bjorn & John - Young Folks

I love this video...

and we don't care about the young folks
talkin' bout the young style
and we don't care about the old folks
talkin' 'bout the old style too
and we don't care about their own faults
talkin' 'bout our own style
all we care 'bout is talking
talking only me and you

...I'm going to be whistling this all week.

Stars - In Our Bedroom After The War

Stars released their upcoming album In Our Bedroom After The War digitally through iTunes a few weeks ago. The album itself won't officially be released on CD until September, but they figured since the album would be leaked anyways, they'd rather allow their fans to purchase the album legally online first. What an unexpected surprise!

If you don't know Stars, they are an indie Canadian band that manages to craft the most beautiful pop songs out of usually very depressing subjects mixed with love, lust, fears, death, heart breaks, angst, and hope.

So, I've been absorbing myself into every second, riff, beat, and lyric of this album since purchasing it a week ago. The opening three tracks are classic Stars. Starting off with the pulsating down-tempo electronic instrumental The Beginning After The End, it prepares you for the next fifty three minutes of musical soul searching.

The second track, The Night Starts Here, is where the album really begins. This song calls you. It calls you to forget your fears, take action, make the first move, and want more from everything in life. The line: "The night starts here. The night starts here. Forget your name. Forget your fear." is the center of this song as its message is rhythmically repeated over and over as the main chorus. It's as if the artists are trying to imprint this one message into your brain as the last impression you'll ever have of this album if you only listen to it once. To forget everything you've ever known. To forget your name and your past. No matter what you've done. Remember, "The night starts here."

The next track, Take Me To The Riot is another soon to be classic Stars song that only they can deliver so well thanks to Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan's soft yet upbeat harmonies. And check out the lyrics:

"You sprung me, I’m grateful. I love when you tell me not to speak. I owe you, but I know you. You’ll have me back but it’s gonna take a week .... Let’s do that, just feed me. I hate when I have to get to sleep. You despise me and I love you. It’s not much but it’s just enough to keep."

The other track that stands out for me is the song Personal. In Stars fashion, they manage to craft an entire song based on a personal ad. "wanted: single f. under 33. must enjoy the sun. must enjoy the sea. sought by single m. mrs destiny. send photo to address. is it you and me?" It's one of the most beautiful and depressing songs you'll hear all year.

So I could go on and on with the rest of the songs from this album, but I don't think I have the time. Is it better than their last album Set Yourself On Fire? Well, no but only because that album is probably one of my favorite albums of all time. But I'm still grateful Stars are still producing the most eloquent, beautiful, and depressing indie pop songs ever. And I can't wait to see them in Los Angeles at the Orpheum Theatre this November!

Oh, here's their video of Your Ex-Lover Is Dead from their 2005 album Set Yourself On Fire:

Stars - Your Ex-Lover Is Dead
God, that was strange to see you again
Introduced by a friend of a friend
Smiled and said, "Yes, I think we've met before"
In that instant it started to pour

Captured a taxi despite all the rain
We drove in silence across Pont Champlain
And all of that time you thought I was sad
I was trying to remember your name

This scar is a fleck on my porcelain skin
You tried to reach deep but you never got in
And now you're outside me, you see all the beauty
Repent all your sin

Nothing but time and a face that you'll lose
I chose to feel it and you couldn't choose
I'll write you a postcard, I'll send you the news
From the house down the road from real love

Live through this and you won't look back
Live through this and you won't look back
Live through this and you won't look back

There's one thing I have to say so I'll be brave
You were what I wanted
I gave what I gave
I'm not sorry I met you
I'm not sorry it's over
I'm not sorry there's nothing to save
I'm not sorry there's nothing to save

deaf percussionist

Ok so all this talk about female drummers made me remember seeing a video once of a deaf woman percussionist named Evelyn Glennie. She recently gave a talk and presentation at the TED conference where she talks about listening to music through your body. It's a rather lengthy video, but very inspirational the way she not only tells you but shows you the difference between playing music and performing music.

karen carpenter

At a recent 'rock' show, someone commented about how cool the band was to have a female drummer. I've always wondered why there were so few female drummers out there. And searching Google ended up with little or no information about the history of female drumers.

Well, the only famous female drummer I knew about was Karen Carpenter. Back in 1968, she was drumming when it was 'improper' for girls to be drumming. Thanks to her, she paved the way for future female drummers to pick up the sticks. So here's a tribute to you!

people are weird

Alright, I need a break. I've got nothing to really write about except how people just frustrate me sometimes. I don't understand people. Why can't we all just get along? People are so sensitive about everything. From now on, I'm going to be careful who I associate with myself anymore.

Be careful out there. Especially if you have a 'friend' who tries to turn your other friends against you or has a habit of talking shit about people behind their backs. I think that's the biggest warning sign. If you know a shit talker friend who hates everyone and talks crap about their so-called friends, you could be next. Sometimes, it's just not worth it to know somebody. Even as friends.

Just shrug it off, try to be a better person, and move on.

More Fields

Ok I'm going to post some more Fields videos from their string sessions at Kore Studios so I can easily watch them over and over again another hundred times.

If this band doesn't make it big, there is no justice in this world.

The Death


If You Fail We All Fail

Fields

So what am I listening to now? Fields! They're like an anglo shoegaze version of Arcade Fire except from the UK. Their songs are filled with lots of acoustic and electric guitars layered upon synths and vocal harmonies with melodic sensibility. I was supposed to see them a couple weeks ago in Los Angeles at the Hammer Museum but apparently they cancelled. Hopefully, they'll come to LA soon.

Anyways, they released their debut album this year called Everything Last Winter. Stand out tracks include Songs for the Fields, You Brought This On Yourself, The Death, Feathers, and Parasite. All in all, a great album for the summer from start to finish. Here is a video of them playing You Brought This On Yourself:

23

So there I was. Walking into one of the last record stores in Pasadena, CA not expecting much. Then I saw it hanging on the wall. Blonde Redhead's latest album 23 on vinyl. Just look at it.


Nothing on the cover informs you it's a Blonde Redhead album besides the cherry red sticker slapped on the side. (It also acts as a tamper proof seal.)

And I'm not exactly sure why I'm so drawn to this album considering I'm not the biggest Blonde Redhead fan. It could be the album art. Or maybe because one day me and my cohort once joked we would wear Blonde Redhead tshirts to a Long Blondes concert and procede to make a scene by claiming we went to the wrong concert. We never did, but the thought of it always breaks a smile on my face. Or maybe because the music is that good. Whatever! I know what I like. And I like.

Born Secular

So why am i up 12:32am on a Saturday evening in bed lights off writing this? Just rediscovering a song that I hated before but now I love. It only took me a good year to fully understand and appreciate this song. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's Jenny Lewis's agnostic lyrics, the innocent casio-like drum beat, the Watson twins' haunting vocals, the three minute long drum exitlude. Who knows. Not me.

All I know is I can't stop listening.

Born Secular
Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins

I was born secular and inconsolable
I heard that he walked, he walked the earth
God goes where he wants
And who knows where he is not
Not in me

It's the way mothers greet their sons
When it's a moment too late
It's the law of the land
That sometimes the dam just breaks
God works in mysterious ways
And God gives and then he takes
From me

mp3

Armenian Monopoly on Cymbals?

So... looking at these cymbals at a recent "rock show" (no. I'm not 40) made me think: Why are the brands on these cymbals all like Armenian last names? I looked into Zildjian and Sabian. Seems they are credited as being Turkish. But hey, we all know what the Turks did to the Armenians and how they stole their coffee, women, wealth, and cymbals! So anyway, apparently their story is much like that of Adidas and Puma: same family forks into different companies. The two are in a feud. Read more about it here:
http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?title=Zildjian

Also I Like to Rock

Also I Like to Rock is the name of the series of new band shows at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. The phrase seemed syntactially misarranged to me. I would have said "I also like to rock," but then realized why. For years now, since 1990 to be exact, I have mis-sung the lyrics to "Humpty Dance" and I just found this out! I thought he said:

Also told ya that I like to bite
Well, yeah, I guess it's obvious, I also like to ROCK.
All ya had to do was give Humpty a chance
and now I'm gonna do my dance.

He actually says that he likes to WRITE. What the FUCK if you could please excuse my fowl language (which should never be synomymous with French). This is a rap song and he likes to WRITE? I guess if he raps about liking to bite, then he can also write about liking to write. So after this revelation, I thought more about the song and realized Humpty is no Arthur Rimbaud. I mean I knew this, but read this stanza (can I call it a stanza?):

I'll eat up all your crackers and your licorice
Hey yo fat girl, come here are ya ticklish?

I saw Digital Underground at UCSB in 1998 or so. Humpty was actually kinda hot when he took his nose off.

Well anyway, another topic will ensue bc this entry was really random!

I love Mike Patton

Mike Patton is an asshole. Actually he's not. He's just honest and talks shit and I think it would be great if he contributed to this blog. This interview is REALLY OLD but it's hilarious. I'm following Darrenster's last entry. Check this out:

Mike Patton Hates Wolfmother

Depressing Music Gets Summer-appropriate!

Since this blog's become highly music-oriented, I have to rave about my new fave album that lets me look at the sunny sides of Pink Floyd and Radiohead-- 2 of my favorite bands. Easystar Allstars are a group that covered a bunch of Radiohead songs in an album called Radiodread. They also covered The Darkside of the Moon by Pink Floyd and called it Dub Side of the Moon. Very clever.

I am happy I can now listen to my favorite songs in Dub Reggae and enjoy a drink or two without weeping. I can play these in the sun without too many "are you depressed" looks! Yipeee!!

Watch "Let Down" here:

Edith, Je T'aime

I love Edith Piaf's music. And now that I've seen La Vie en Rose (Called La Mome in France), I love her even more. She came from humble beginings. Not just humble, but destitute. She was raised by her alcoholic street-singing mother for some time while her father was a contortionist in the circus. Then she lived with her Berber grandma Aicha, then in her paternal grandma's brothel, went blind for a few months, had every disease known to man, and died at 47. She found true love once but the guy died in a plane crash on his way to visiting her. Her "Papa LePlee" was killed by a mob member she knew... She was said to have brought bad luck to people. But she, herself, survived numerous car crashes and near-death experiences. Her daughter, Marcelle, died at age 2. She had nobody but her few loyal cohorts at the end. She sang with so much emotion and gusto that it blew people away. If you visit her grave a Pere Lachaise in Paris, you will see people there, even in the rain... Those who saw her perform will never forget her. All this, and she was only 4'8".

But according to a New Yorker article by Judith Thurman, called "French Blues", this movie was not well-recieved in France. Given the time of its release (during elections and national identity issues) it should have done well. BUT the French managed to see their identity lost in the portrayal of Edith... They said the movie had too many American cliches, like the press clips flickering on the screen to denote notable moments. Yes, we've all seen that a hundred times but Marion Cotillard was amazing in this movie. She should get major credit for this, if not an oscar!

In fact I could have almost named this article Marion, Je T'aime if it weren't that I love Edith's music and that is the reason I saw the movie in the first place. She hand-picked her songs and they meant something to her. That is how she conveyed her emotions so well.. she meant what she said. With everything that happened to her, she was an undying optimist though it may not be told that way.

Watch this video and keep these lyrics in mind:

Non ! Rien de rien
No, nothing of nothing

Non ! Je ne regrette rien
No, I regret nothing

Ni le bien qu'on m'a fait
Neither the good, that has been done to me

Ni le mal tout ça m'est bien égal !
Nor the bad, all this is equal to me.


Non ! Rien de rien
Non ! Je ne regrette rien

C'est payé, balayé, oublié
It's been paid, swept and forgotten

Je me fous du passé !
I don't care about the past!

Avec mes souvenirs
With my memories

J'ai allumé le feu
I lit a fire

Mes chagrins, mes plaisirs
My chagrins, my pleasures

Je n'ai plus besoin d'eux !
I no longer need them!

Balayées les amours
wept away the loves

Et tous leurs trémolos
And all their sounds

Balayés pour toujours
Swept away forever

Je repars à zéro
I restart at zero

Non ! Rien de rien
Non ! Je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien, qu'on m'a fait
Ni le mal, tout ça m'est bien égal !

Non ! Rien de rien
Non ! Je ne regrette rien

Car ma vie, car mes joies
Because my life, because my joys

Aujourd'hui, ça commence avec toi !
Today, it starts with you!

Dude, you got too many band members

Imagine if there was a great flood and you had to rescue one type of each hipster before it drowned everyone in Echo Park. You'll probably end up with a group that looks similar to the band I'm From Barcelona. If you don't know about them, they're an overly enthusiastic pop band with 29 band members. Yeah you heard me. 29 band members. You got the guy with the trucker hat, the nerdy girl with librarian glasses, the cardigan wearing Mr Rogers dude. They're all there.

Now I have no idea why anyone would want to start a band with 29 members, but if it were me, I'd go with a minimalist approach by having one guitarist, one drummer, and twenty-seven maraca players. Yeah I'd totally blow everyone away with my wall of maracas.

Oh here's a video of them playing live if you think I just made all this up.

The Grass is Greener in Writing

I was at a friend's birthday party where I met a couple who seemed very well-matched and very close. They had met online. This made me think...is it really possible to date online and meet someone that is actually well-matched and fall in love? We hae all seen commercials but I wanted real, logical proof.

My cousin helped me sharpen my perspective. He said that meeting someone as a blind date or online is always a let-down because things look so much better when displayed as a marketing piece. So for example.. you know those infomercials about the Pilates videos that show someone go from size 18 to size 4 in a few short months, are not actually as magical as they claim. The regimen and the accompanying diet, followed precisely and unwaveringly is what makes them work!

So I got to thinking: if you really WANT to fall in love, can you? They say allowing things to happen is half the battle. So.. if I allow myself to warm up to a stranger that was talked up by a friend or by himself on his internet dating site, then I can fall in love?

This made me think about the process of falling in love, which to me can be described somewhat systematically for me. I think for me, love is like going deep into the forest and getting lost with no way back. I have to be led into this forest gradually.

I think the reason the first time one falls in love is so special is that it just happens without any maps or any intention to navigate or be aware of what is happening. There is no prejudice and no expectations and no benchmarks. You go on about things, have some fun, and before you know it, you've literally fallen into a hole, a well, a pit, and you just fell!

The NEXT time you suspect or anticipate a fall, you are all flexed up... thinking about how you could lower yourself more intentionally than just falling. This is a normal human reflex. It's like when you've say burned your hand a few times, you are going to be very cautious and hesitant around fire.

Anyway, that dorky couple I met last night were sort of funny. They are both extremely nerdy but I think they both find themselves and eachother very cool which is the sign of a good fit. I wonder what they would say about their love. Did it look better from the outside? Were THEY themselves marketing their relationship and I mistook that for love? It's hard to say....

Happy iPhone Day

Happy iPhone Day! I mean iDay! Yay, I'm looking forward to spending my day at work dealing with all the jerks flaunting their new iPhones.

Oh and check out Fake Steve Jobs' blog post about this historic day:

I am proud to have given meaning to your life. I am proud to have invented iPhone and designed iPhone and brought iPhone to the world. I feel, in a way, humbled by your adoration. But in another way not humbled. Anyway. My whole life has built up to this moment. I believe that this is what I was put on the earth to achieve. I thank you all for sharing this historic day with me.

Well said Fake Steve Jobs! We applaud you!

I Like Turtles

It's been a slow blog day.

What I Learned From Homemade Soap and Dummies

I had a conversation with a friend today about her well off relative who ended up spending ten years of her life in college due to her indecision to pick a major or have any direction in her life. In the end, she ended up getting married soon after college and was given a brand new house from her parents as a wedding gift. I asked what she was doing now and my friend told me she doesn't work but has the time enough to make homemade soap to give to her friends as gifts.

At this point, I pondered how much time would one have to have in their lives to one day be bored enough that they'd actually consider making soap as a hobby. Well, we both concluded it would take as much time as it would take for someone to consider candle making a serious passion. And since my friend was completely clueless about the art of candle making, I semi-seriously suggested her to google 'Candle Making For Dummies' knowing that such a book might exist. And to our delight, it did. But reality gave us a more than we had hoped for with the book Making Candles & Soaps For Dummies. Needless to say, we were both in hysterics.

As a result, I have a new favorite game. Googling for Dummy books that shouldn't exist but probably do. For example, "Blogging For Dummies". Now you might think, "Oh c'mon. No... no way.... who would write or buy that... hmmm ok wait... damn, that probably does exists huh." But before I found out, I used the handy Dummy Book Generator to create a possible cover.

And if you're still doubtful, yes that Dummy book does exist.

1938 Disney Rejection Letter

Some guy was sifting through grandma's old stuff when he found a rejection letter from Disney from 1938. Here's a snippet:

Dear Miss Ford:

Your letter of recent date has been received in the Inking and Painting Department for reply.

Women do not do any of the creative work in connection with preparing the cartoons for the screen, as that work is performed entirely by young men. For this reason girls are not considered for the training school.

So what can we learn from all this? Disney had some awesome stationary back in 1938.

Fast Food Reality

Here's a funny yet compelling web site I visited recently. It's a picture gallery contrasting the fast food industry's ad photos vs the real thing. Highlights include KFC's Infamous Bowl and Arby's Squashed Beef And Cheddar. I would write about it more if the pictures weren't so damn obvious. So just visit the site and enjoy!

Mates of State

I was in my kitchen the other day with my tv on in the background, and I was nearly floored when I heard a song I'd never imagine coming out of my tube. My first thought was, "Wait, I know this song." My second thought was, "No, that's impossible. There's no way they'd be on tv." But I then looked up and saw them. Mates of State in an AT&T commercial! Not only were they on tv, they were playing a clip from my personal favorite song "For The Actor" (which was not even a single) from their 2006 album Bring It Back. And most of you are probably asking yourselves, Mates of Who? Exactly.

Now I usually dont get this excited over a lame tv spot, but Mates of State are the exception. They're an indie-pop wife and husband duo where the girl plays the keyboard while the the dude plays the drums. But don't let their lack of instruments fool you. They manage to craft the most intricate vocal harmonies, tempo changes, and melodic textures into every one of their songs. It's one of those bands that makes you hate music because they are so good but haven't received the mainstream exposure or success that they deserve. Hopefully that'll change!

Here's a video clip of them in studio recording one of their songs "Ha Ha":

LACMA, gypsies, and je ne suis pas un robot!

I was going to put on my faux hipster hat today and talk about LACMA last night and how IMA Robot dresses like a band of kurdish gypsies. But I read SB's (formerly known as HC) epiphanous entry yesterday about people being robots, and it got me thinking.

Life is kinda like one of those optical illusions where one person stares at an image and sees a young couple enjoying a nice meal while another person viewing the same photo will see a frightening fire breathing skull from the depths of hell! Yeah, I guess we could say we're all just robots following the same conventions and rules as everyone else. Like washing your hands before a meal or wearing hairnets even if you're bald. But it's all about perception. If you think you're a robot, the world won't change but you might see yourself and others differently than before. Or perhaps you think the opposite and think we all have a free will and have the opportunity to change the course of our lives at any moment in time.

But which is true? Are we all just robots following our genetically encoded program? Or are we free spirits in the world with limitless potential and direction? Well, I think the answer is both. It's just a matter of refocusing your perception on life's optical illusion.

Ima Robot?

Well I think we all are.. I think DKimster will probably write an entry with the same title bc he likes the band. But honestly I think that band has a brilliant name. Why? because it made me think... And now here is what it led me to: we all ARE robots!! Thats because we do stupid things like apply the same logic to everything all the time and call it a law. So for example, we don't want hair in our food so we put a hairnet on food handlers' heads. But what about the hair gorilla types? I've had ARM hair in my food before... nose hair.. other hair.
ok. I'm SO tired. And I had a few beers tonight. Both at work and then at LACMA. Stay tuned to read Dkimster's entry.

funniest five second clip ever

There are many known successful formulas to create comedy gold, but who would've expected: camera zoom + dramatic music + a prairie dog = the funniest five second video clip ever!

Lily Allen Was A Mistake

How did she get in? Who made her famous? Which idiot decided she was obscure enough to bring her into my circle of knowledge? You know who are you! Shame on you! Shame on you NME! Shame on you Pitchfork! Shame on all you bloggers and Lily Allen's myspace friends. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Look at what you've created!

Lily Allen is like the priviledged childhood actress who gained too much attention and fame at an early age. Except she hasn't crashed her father's mercedes into a tree yet. Yes, Lily Allen is the Lindsay Lohan of indie music. And her music? Lily Allen is to indie pop as Avril Lavigne is to punk. So stop it! And you have nothing but yourselves to blame for creating this snooty brat. So stop writing about her! Stop requesting yourself as her myspace friend. Stop giving her an audience. And stop listening to her music!

And to my fellow americans, just because she has a british accent and shops at a vintage store doesn't mean she's any more sophiscated or brighter than say Kelly Clarkson. Just admit it. Lily Allen was a mistake!

God or.. Internet is God

This is an un-novel thought about how the Internet has given religions a run for their money. I mean we have literally outsourced conscience. We have outsourced it to cookies, viruses we pick up visiting various sites, YouTube, and the search engines that gather and keep your data. There are satellite images of your house, of you, of all your actions. The web has a very strong memory. It can cache your results for ever! Even God forgives!

Kissing and various types of kissers

There are many types of kissing and kissers. In terms of kissing types, here they are:
1-Ass-kissing
2-butterfly kissing
3-kissing on the cheek
4-French kissing which is like.. mouth to mouth but like with active tongues.
5-kissing something goodbye
6-pecks (like a little short-lived muah on the mouth)
7-air kisses
8-air kisses having been relayed by the hand and not just the air. Meaning you kiss your hand and wave the kiss out to the person.
9-blowing kisses, which is like making sure your air kiss (with the hand) involves some direction so that it arrives at its desired location or the vicinity.

I like to kiss my friends hello when I see them. But sometimes some people have funky smells I don't like. Also, some people are uncomfortable kissing others so they get all crazy and mistake the sides and end up in your face, almost giving you a peck!

I also like to kiss dudes. I'm a female and straight so it comes naturally. Sometimes though I get weird kissers. The kisser types are below:

1-The camel: they think they are chewing or trying to make food break down with their tongue. If they had sound accompanying their action, it would sound like this: mlaaaaaa, mlaaaaaa, mlaaaaaaaa. I'm not a fan of this type.

2-The Pucker face. They pucker the fuck up when they want to kiss someone, even when they know it will be an open-garage type kiss. Those are the types that don't think ahead. I mean c'mon! you know what you're about to do.. why the face?

3-The Nervous Apocalypto. The dude that thinks the world is ending as he approaches your face. It makes me, in turn, think that the world is ending and I want him to go the fuck home. Or anywhere but here...

4-The Awesome Kiss-anova. The dude who is sooo good, you wonder how many chics he's laid and how he got that way. Scary. Herpes!!

5-The Lizard. Insert tongue. Keep it still. Take it out. Re-insert. Do this very very quickly.

6-The Gergory. Thats the dude that likes the peckity peck. No disrespect to Gregory Peck (he was amazing... probably a great kisser too, but not the alarming kind). But the Gregory likes to just keep it short and sweet and it's just like.. after a few you're like... so when are you going to kiss me for real?

7-The Linger-berry. This dude hovers around your face for like 20 minutes. Then you finally kiss him. And then he says "Wow! You KISSED ME!" I'm like no shit. I didn't know what else to do!

8-The Spitter: saliva central. You would think you just tapped into a well. It's gross and you imagine the bubbles forming and it makes for a not so nice image and you start to snarl and then your own kissing style gets all messed up and starts to resemble the Pucker Face!

Alright I'll think of 2 more at the gym and get back to you.

worst video ever

I usually don't mind bad videos. Bad videos are usually accompanied by bad music and because I don't listen to bad music, I'm indifferent. It's like if a tree falls down a thousand miles away in the rainforest and crushes a baby sloth, I didn't hear it. It didn't happen. I don't care.

But every so often, a great song gets an absolutely abhorrent music video. Take LCD Soundsystem's latest single "All My Friends" from their 2007 album Sounds of Silver. The song is arguably the song of the year and quite possibly a definitive anthem for an entire generation. Now follow it up with a music video featuring nothing more than the aged and bloated head of James Murphy in metalic silver-blue face paint lipsyncing to a shortened radio-edited version of his masterpiece. Thankfully, the camera slowly pans away to give the viewer enough time and space to recover from the neck pain caused by excessive cringing during the opening two-minutes. And as a finale, lets pour a bucket of water over the man's head!

NOOO!!!

LACMA, I'm so there!

Woah, Late night at LACMA is coming up soon. Ima Robot, ex-girlfriends, black jettas. I'm so there!

But first of all, check out their ridiculous acid-inspired and happiness inducing promo artwork. I can't stop staring at that giant sun-faced behemoth leaving a trail of sunshine, lolipops, and rainbows as he tramples the sadness out of Los Angeles.

And it looks like he's about to devour another shroom. With a monkey on it!! Too bad the poor bastard is too busy powdering his face with fairy dust. Run monkey before the overgrown sun-child eats you!!!

hipsters

omg.

Well my cohort started this entry with the most awesome word (yes, word!) "omg" that conjures up almost as many feelings as the word "fuck", and I will continue. It's funny how you can have so many words to say when you say them out loud. But without context and having to lead a reader into a subject takes more work, prowess, and well.. harnessed talent. I'm trying to harness my wild horse of a talent, my messy mane, my mildly chaotic aura to funnel you all in!

Alright. So.. hipsters. What are they? Who are they? Why are they? And how is one made?

Here are steps to being a TRUE hipster:

1-don't give a fuck.
2-don't give a fuck about not giving a fuck.
3-dress like you want, without copying the Urban Outfitters mannequins exactly.
4-don't be a hippy.
5-in other words, if you think everything or almost everything is cool or great or whatever, you have lost the game.
6-be weird. if you're being yourself, then you're already weird. trick is not to TRY .
7-have B.O. once in a while. B.O. happens, it's natural and like the Beatles said, "let it be".
8-I am thinking of more to say.
9-either get married really early, or late. Nothing around the popular ages of 25-30. Try 18-24 or 34-40. 31-33 are off-limits. After 40, you're just a reject. Before 18, you're a hick and have probably already had sex with someone in your family.
10-hate on at least 60% of things you see or hear. But don't talk shit behind people's backs. Just do it in front of them, TO them. That goes back to points 1 and 2.
11-If I hadn't wasted #8 on some bullshit blabber, I would have had a great list of 10... Be sure to be cultured. Know how to eat, and use/rest your utensils, know foreign foods, speak a foreign language, and have had at least one night sleeping on the sidewalks of Amsterdam (if you are in your 30's) or Vietnam (if you are in your 20's). If you haven't, read about someone who has.

Alright. Good luck. Check back in with us when you've implemented these measures. If these don't work, you are meant to be a cheerleader, whether you're male or female. So good luck to you!