The Sunday Morning Couch Potato Blues

I spend most of my time sitting down on the sofa. Actually, sorry, did I say sitting? I really meant lying. I go from lying in bed to lying on the sofa. It's the good life.

Well, it would be if I didn't have exorbitant amounts of homework to do over the next week. (Heck yes, New York Public Schools getting the whole week off. Best state, confirmed.) So whilst I sob in a corner and procrastinate on my English reading(s), Latin translating, Economic journaling, Spanish studying, and Physics note-taking, here is a slew of songs to help you cope with your own Sunday weepies. (Eww. Weepies is a stupid word. And also a band.)



Create a playlist at MixPod.com

1. "Bratty B" by Best Coast: I love this song! It's so short, and it hits its stride right at the end, but regardless it still manages to be one of my favorites on the album. They played this song in last Thursday's episode of Skins (the British one, not that unholy American abomination), and I was so excited that I had to pause it and listen to the song a couple of times before I was able to continue watching the episode. Yeah, I'm a little obsessed.
2. "Pick Me Up" by the Format: My favorite Format song is "Oceans." I've listened to that song nearly 70 times. Love it. You would think that my love for that song would inspire me to listen to the band's other songs, then, right? Well, not really. I get very attached and then don't care to explore my other options. I had a handful of other songs by the band ("She Doesn't Get It," "Inches and Falling," "Wait, Wait, Wait," and "I'm Actual," which are all awesome) but that was it. Recently I acquired a couple of their other songs, and this one is my favorite. You're welcome for the needless back story, now enjoy the song.
3. "Miami" by Foals: Love this. "Would you/be there/be there/be there for me?/In Miami?" This song is such a killer singalong. I also love the synths, or what I assume are the synths. Really hard to tell these days. This song is so smooth, like some extremely charming guy who ensnares all of the girls at the club. Like Tony! (British version, of course.)
4. "Composure" by Warpaint: Warpaint is a really cool band. It's four girls making some intense, inventive music. They make sounds that I didn't even know you could make with just a guitar or bass. This song, like "Miami," is fun to sing along with, especially that beginning. Keep my! Keep my! Keep my! My what? And then it gets really fast and I can imagine people freaking out at a party while dancing to it. Or maybe it could be the music accompanying an extremely scary chase scene. Such a good song.
5. "Hard Believer" by First Aid Kit: You know, 3 out of these 5 songs have been by ladies. I used to hate music by women. Oh, how times have changed! These sisters are really young (well, older than me, but still) and already really talented and accomplished. I dig this song a ton. I keep singing, "Love is tough! Time is rough!" Their songs are like easy listening, because they just come in and out of your consciousness, listenable without taking over everything, and I really appreciate that. Even though they're not overpowering, this song and also "Ghost Town," which I love, always get stuck in my head. They stay with you, these girls.
6. "One Time (Live Acoustic)" by Justin Bieber: Hey, Biebs, haven't seen you in awhile. I guess you've been busy promoting that little movie of yours, and being surprisingly entertaining at the Grammys. That's cool, that's cool. This acoustic version of my FAVORITE Biebs song is pretty adorable. I like that he dedicates it to Cammy Elizabeth from Virginia, although Cammy Elizabeth is a really terrible name. What is this? A Scholastics book?
7. "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" by Fleet Foxes: This is a live version, but it's still really good. I think this song is just so pleasant; I always call it "Pleasant Song" in my head, although that's not exactly intentional. I just misread the title. But "Pleasant Song" works because this song is so unobtrusive and lovely and nice, I like it a lot. I think it's my favorite song by these guys. Apparently they have a new album coming out. That's nice. Even though a lot of people think they're derivative (or maybe that others are deriving from them), I don't mind because they're great.
8. "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron & Wine: I've been listening to this a lot lately. I like the imagery and the melody is so sweet and calm. This song was in Twilight, but let's ignore that fact, okay? Although after I saw the scene where they play this song I couldn't listen to it for awhile because I kept thinking about Robert Pattinson' disgusting face, not to even mention Kristen Stewart and her stale, non-existent acting. Ugh. That connection aside this song is wonderful. "Now I'm a fat house cat..."
9. "We Could Love" by Cavil at Rest: Cavil at Rest is what Local Natives was originally called. This song reminds me of a less rhythmic "Airplanes," but I mean that in a good way. Very mellow. All of these songs are mellow! Except the first few, but still. I love the opening line: "I could say that love was/created/with you in mind." Also the chorus: "Don't/you/tell me/that life/isn't/beautiful/when we're/all/loving/each other!" This sounds a lot like the summer to me, and specifically the summer in 1960s Atlantic City, or some other place with lots of cabarets. I don't know why. I think it's the light drumming. Also, I have an overactive imagination.
10. "Rose Garden" by Shad: And we end on a slightly more upbeat note. Shad is an awesome Canadian rapper. I'm not a huge rap fan but this song and "The Old Prince Still Lives at Home" are my jams. My favorite part of this song, though, is not the rapping, but the girl singing, "I didn't come here for a rose garden!" I love how it's sung at the end, it's just so nice. Shad's songs always put me in a good mood, so I appreciate him, especially after a slew of somewhat less uplifting songs.

So that's the deal. Enjoy the music.

The Problem with iPods

OKAY. SO. ALL CAPS TIME, PEOPLE:

My BLEEDING iPod, whom I named Floyd after Jason Sudeikis' wonderful character on 30 Rock, has decided to stop scrobbling my play counts WHICH I AM QUITE OBSESSED WITH MAINTAINING. OKAY, FLOYD, BE A JERK. THAT'S TOTALLY COOL. REALLY.

I'm going to murder this iPod one day. If only it wasn't so shiny and red and otherwise quite competent. BLARGH.

Since listening to my iPod is a worrisome process now, since Floyd is apparently extremely finicky and I guess only likes me listening to, like, "Move Your Feet" by Junior Senior as opposed to the album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel like I'd RATHER be listening to (even though "Move Your Feet" is a really awesome song, it's probably one of the only songs my iPod will actually properly sync these days and it's frustrating, urgh), here's a little playlist of the songs I'd actually be "jamming" to, once again, if Floyd WASN'T SUCH A BRAT. Yeah, Floyd. You stay in Cleveland. YOU STAY IN CLEVELAND UNTIL YOU UNDERSTAND HOW TO LOVE A WOMAN. ;_;



Create a playlist at MixPod.com

1. "Ghost" by Neutral Milk Hotel
From Aeroplane Over the Sea, this song is my latest favorite. Jeff Mangum, who if his last name was a Latin neuter singular noun as it looks to be would be called Jeff Manga in the plural, is/was a talented songwriter, even though his lyrics are quite out there sometimes (see: "The King of Carrot Flowers," Pts. 1, 2, and 3, the second of which features the repetition of "I love you, Jesus Christ/Jesus Christ, I love you, yes, I do"). This song can be a bit odd in parts but overall I think it's coherent. Either way it's wonderful. And the transition from this to the next song on the album, "Untitled," is perfect. Favorite line: "One day in New York City, baby/a girl fell from the sky/from the top of a burning building/fourteen stories high."

2. "Becoming a Jackal" by Villagers
Hopefully you remember this brother from a post I created a week ago by literally banging around violently on the keyboard until something made sense. Not to discredit this guy or that song ("That Day") but that post was extremely lazy. I'll make up for it by waxing philosophical about this song! Hahaha, just kidding. I do love this song, though. It's just very sweet and a little idealistic, maybe, and it just sounds like the musings of a dreamer. That's why my favorite line is: "I was a dreamer/staring out windows/out onto the main street/'cause that's where the dream goes."

3. "The Transfiguration" by Sufjan Stevens
This song is great, but something about it puts me off. The whole "Lost in a cloud/a voice/Have no fear!/We draw near!," although my favorite part of the song, sounds really familiar: it sounds like Stevens' "Chicago!" Apparently I'm not the only one to think so, either. The comments there say that they hear "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us!" as well but I haven't noticed that yet. Let's listen to it again...together. It's interesting how this song is SO EXPLICITLY about God and yet no one would consider Soof a Christian artist...at least, not in the same way as, like, Relient K (whose song "Sadie Hawkins Dance" I just listened to, haha) are. It's also interesting that much of his fanbase is made up of completely non-religious people. Favorite line: "Lost in the cloud/a sign/Son of man!Son of God!"

4. "Firework" by Katy Perry
Wow, this is a fantastically weird transition. I personally think "Firework" is an awful song; so then, why is it on my list of songs I wanna listen to? (Please note, this song is not on my iPod.) It's because it's in that Just Dance 2 commercial! The version in that commercial is a much catchier remix of the boring and conventional original, so I like that one better. "Firework" is probably the most boring Katy Perry song I've heard, honestly, but it is also one of the catchiest. It's ALWAYS stuck in my head. Always! Favorite line: "Baby, you're a firework/Come on let your colors burst/Make 'em scream/"Aah, aah, aah!"/You're gonna leave 'em all in/awe, awe, awe!"

5. "Each and Every Day" by Best Coast
I think a lot of people find this band to be overrated, but I really like them! They just make simple "surf pop." All of their songs are about wanting people to be their boyfriends, or being hopelessly in love with people, and their lyrics are just simple and cutesy; the music itself is catchy and fun. What's to dislike? I think this is my favorite song by them (not that I know that many, I only know 3), and you know, now that I think about it, it's the saddest one of theirs that I know. Actually, no, that's "Boyfriend." But with lines like "You will never fall in love" this comes close. Also I like this song because it mentions being seventeen and I'M seventeen so obviously we are perfect for each other and are going to get married. Favorite line: "Everything I said to you last night might have been crazy/but I want you to know that I meant it/I meant it/I meant it/Oh, baby!"

6. "My Night With the Prostitute from Marseille" by Beirut
I love dramatic singers. Zach Condon, which is an unfortunate last name I'd think, is one such dramatic guy. "And weeeee/belieeeeeeeved/her thennnn/oh, ohhhhh" is the line that justified my purchase of this song. Even though I bought it for $0 from Amazon. But still! I don't know a ton of Beirut songs, just this and "Scenic World" and something else, but I should check them out, I guess. (I really like this song despite this seemingly apathetic review!) Favorite line: "And now/outside/I see your eyes meet the sky/and I/I won't lie/I kept you hear tonight." Subtly sad.

7. "I'm in Love" by Antony and the Johnsons
My favorite drama king! Just a great voice. This new album of his seems to be his happiest ever, if this song is any indication. It's definitely the least depressing thing I've ever heard him sing, and I've heard him cover "Crazy in Love." I read a review that said that in this song Antony sounds like he's about to "pass out" from his delirious, mad loving and I think that's apt. Favorite line: "I've been touched/oh, I've been touched/It means too much/it means too much!"

8. "Black Sheep" by Metric
From Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, this was the song by The Clash at Demonhead. The music was one of the best parts of this movie, and this song was my favorite! It's just a great song to listen to; a sing-along, I promise you, you will want to sing along to constantly. It's just plain addicting. Try not singing the chorus!: "Send you my love/on a wire/Lifts you up/every time/Everyone/ooh, pulls away/Ooh, from you!" Love it. Favorite line: "Hello/again/friend of a friend/I knew you when/our common goal/was waiting for/the world to end."

9. "Holiday" by Vampire Weekend
You may recognize this song from one of the 12,000 commercials it features on at the moment, most notably a car commercial and a preppy clothing commercial. Floyd and I, we get it. This is the perfect time for this song to get popular; it's holiday season! It's about a holiday! Although I always perceived it to be about a vacation type of holiday, not a Christmas one, kind of like "Holiday" by Weezer (similarly great, featured on my last playlist), but it still works, right? New York called Contra the best album of the year and while I liked it, I definitely disagree. The album was kind of boring, this, "Cousins," "I Think Ur a Contra," and my personal favorite "Diplomat's Son" aside. My album of the year personally is Gorilla Manor by Local Natives, and I even liked the mildly-received Champ by Tokyo Police Club more than this. But "Holiday" is still a catchy tune. Favorite line: "To go away/on a summer's day/never seemed so clear."

10."Rill Rill" by Sleigh Bells
This song makes me nostalgic for sixteen. How I miss it! This song is like a slow jam that I'd play at the prom I'm DJing in my head. Guest list: 1. Floyd. Floyd, I'm trying to win you back, you see? Stupid iPod. But can't you see people slow-dancing to this song, sort of? Maybe slowly dancing? I don't know. I tried. This song is pretty adorable and inoffensive but the album cover for this album is so darn ugly, I hate it, it detracts from the song even, so that's the one good thing about not listening to this on my iPod, because it means I don't have to look at the stupid album cover (which I theoretically could delete but what's the fun in that, man?). Favorite line: "Wonder what your boyfriend thinks about your braces/What about them/I'm all about them!" I find that so funny!

Now, back to whispering sweet nothin's to Floyd the iPod so that he will work properly the next time I sync him to my computer.(If anyone else is having the problem of their iPod Nano 5G not counting their plays after syncing to iTunes, please let me know! Let's find a solution, darn it!)

40th Post and Latest Post Ever!

It was SO hot today. Thankfully, I was in a nice, air-conditioned house for most of the day. But now I'm not, sadly. Instead, I only have the fan to keep me cool. (I mean, I'm really cool as is, but you know. Body temperature-wise.) Tomorrow's supposed to be even worse, too.

Luckily for you lot, I've created a lovely little mixtape (courtesy of MixPod.com) to keep us all from having heat strokes and generally just going insane. Instead of making you resent the heat and yourself for burning up and feeling like you're going to die, this mix will make you want to dance on top of the sun.

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

All of these songs are amazing, and you should download them (LEGALLY) when you get the chance. Stay cool. See you tomorrow (which technically starts in less than half an hour.)