Dat Saxophone

Here's a very nice performance of the radical song "Bizness" by the crazy kids in tune-yards, which is stylized as something so stupid and annoying to type out that I refuse to do so. Check this song out! It's addicting.

Never Feel Like Doing Anything Anymore So

here is a song or four.



If your name is Christian I urge you to be careful around me because I will be singing this song the entire time that I am with you. I love this band so, so much. Check out "Back of My Mind" and "Ms. Wrong," too.



I just finished this book called Ripped yesterday by Greg Kot. It was about how the Internet is revolutionizing (or destroying, either or) the music industry. Obvious and not especially enlightening but it was a good read regardless. There was a whole Death Cab chapter which I think was one of the reasons I bought it. (Also: it was cheap, there was a chapter on Bright Eyes, and another on Arcade Fire.) I wonder what he would have said about this video, the first one ever shot "live and in one take" over the Internet.



I love this song so much. "I was raised up believing / that I was somehow unique / like a snowflake distinct among snowflakes / unique in each way you can see. / And now after some thinking / I'd say I'd rather be / a functioning cog in some great machinery / serving something beyond me."



My friend and I met these dudes on the train a few weeks ago. YEAH. I MET A BAND. THAT HAS A MUSIC VIDEO. I'm awesome, you don't have to tell me twice. They were pretty cool guys. Jury's out on the music but I'm leaning towards "funkadelic" with a side of "groovy" or perhaps "happenin'." They're playing a show in Brooklyn tomorrow night; check out more info here.

Seven and One-Half Years Later

Wow. So. I've written about how much I love Beulah and specifically their finale release, Yoko, before. From that post you could probably tell that I've done quite a bit of research on the band...and yet, somehow, I had never heard this NPR segment before now.

It's always interesting to hear someone's voice for the first time. Sometimes you have expectations for how they'll sound; in Miles Kurosky's case, I was expecting a voice a bit higher, raspier, with a less confident tone. I've been listening to this band for four years and I had never heard him speak before just now. And to speak about one of my all-time favorite songs, "Me and Jesus Don't Talk Anymore"? Man. How did I miss this?

Enjoy, although I don't know that anyone reading cares about this as much as I do. It's a great song and an interesting little piece, though.

Irrelevant, but: Don't miss the season finales for The Office and Parks and Recreation tonight!

Legs like little spiders!

I love this song a lot. You will, too, I hope! "Heart It Races" by Dr. Dog.



It's a cover of the Architecture in Helsinki song. They're annoyingly twee, or cutesy for those of you who are lucky enough to not be caught up in a world where "twee" is a common term. But Dr. Dog takes their original and grounds it and makes it AWESOME SAUCE-UM. Yeah. I just went there.

I said I was going to write about Parks and Rec. I will! Probably Friday, after the FINALE I think on THURSDAY WHOOO.

Thanks, Youtube

Over the weekend I was able to go to Coachella. Okay, I wasn't there in person, unfortunately, but thanks to the advent of the Internet I was able to experience it live from the comfort of my own home.

Youtube was streaming concerts live all weekend long, and I was able to catch two great ones - Best Coast and, at 2AM Saturday, Arcade Fire. Arcade Fire also streamed one of their shows at Madison Square Garden live last year and I watched that one, too. They are truly an amazing band live and oh, how I wish I was there in person to experience that! They really put on quite a show. I watched them until 3:30, I didn't want to stop, it was just beautiful.

Best Coast was great, too, although their set was much shorter. Just like Arcade Fire, though, they're really good live; I think I'd say that they are even better live than on recording, even! Bethany's banter was awesome and she just had a ton of personality and energy, even more than she does on the album. Also, the band played a new song I'd never heard before and a cover, and both of those were worth the watch!

I don't know to feel about these streams, despite my enjoyable experiences with them. On the one hand, I got to watch Arcade Fire in concert for free! Twice! A lot of people got to see how great these bands were for the first time and are now going to check them out. And I am a thousand times more likely to try to go to an Arcade Fire/Best Coast/etc. concert in the future. On the other hand, as an artist, wouldn't you rather people pay money to see you live? Obviously watching at home isn't quite the same but it was still pretty darn good. I actually got to see them up close; at a concert there'd be a ton of other people around and I might be stuck in the back.

I don't know that people would ever stop wanting to go to concerts but streaming them is definitely making people like me less likely to try to attend something like Coachella because I know I can just watch it at home.

We'll see what happens.

Partyin' Like It's 2008

2008 was a pretty good year for music for me. Vampire Weekend's debut album basically owned it, alongside Tokyo Police Club's debut Elephant Shell; I also discovered Band of Horses that year. It was a good time.

Today I felt a random inclination to jam to "Oxford Comma." I remember not liking it a lot when I first heard it. I mean, I liked it, but I much preferred "A-Punk," "Walcott," "Mansard Roof," "One (Blake's Got a New Face)," and "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance." I would listen to it but throughout its entirety feel antsy to hit the back button and listen to "Mansard Roof" again, or skip forward to "A-Punk."

But then the music video was released and -- see, I have a disorder known as Video Affection Syndrome. Once a song has a video accompaniment, whether it's a video or a commercial, I immediately love it more. That's what happened with "Oxford Comma." I loved the video SO MUCH that immediately my liking for the song grew and grew and grew. It's not like it's some random video, either; I legitimately love the "Oxford Comma" video on its own. Shot in one take, I find it fascinating, cool, and fun.

Check it out and I hope you have a reaction as (positively) strong as I did the first time I saw it, three years ago.



P.S. I just found out that the video was directed by Richard Ayoade, who is the amazing IT Crowd and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace actor and occasional director of such things as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Heads Will Roll" and the latest episode of Community, the great one with the My Dinner with Andre/Pulp Fiction send-ups. Awesome!

Is it better to be on or be good? ("No Color" by the Dodos Album Review)

Thankfully, on the Dodos' No Color, they manage to do both.

That line is from album standout "Good," a 6-minute song that recalls the unpredictability of 2008 Visiter's "Joe's Waltz," a song with two distinct halves. While "Good" is a bit more polished, I think that its similarity to that song speaks for the entire album's style: it is a return to the form of Visiter but with more sheen and editing.

While the Dodos uncut are probably the best kind of Dodos, this actually works in the album's favor. The songs overall are much more concise than those on the band's three previous albums, but they also manage not to lose steam and are just great all the way through. "Sleep" is under 4 minutes long, nearly unheard of from the Dodos, but with its catchy chorus and featured spot from Neko Case, who also sings on "Good" and, amongst others, "Don't Try and Hide It," another highlight, the song quickly becomes one of the most memorable album.

"I cannot sleep/I cannot think/I cannot dream," sings Meric Long on "Sleep;" those lines speak well for the album, which is at first hyperactive and then, almost abruptly, sleepy and more introspective. Opener "Black Night" is raucous; 5 tracks later we have the decidedly hush "When Will You Go," which features Long's falsetto and has been bandied by critics as a highlight. The song reminds one more of Time to Die with its obvious production sheen but imbues it with the same spirit that embodies "Black Night."

The more mellow latter half of the album is not as immediately enticing, but the songs alternate between beautiful and interesting. While you'll love "Sleep" from the first play, a song like "When Will You Go" will command more listening time if only so you can discover its intricacies and attractive spots that are less readily enticing.

A song that is a personal favorite and reminds one of debut Beware of the Maniacs is "Hunting Season," which sounds bound for commercial or indie movie inclusion. Little oddities like this really show the band's ability to combine their intense percussion of old with their electric guitars and normalcy of late. It has its feet planted firmly in both camps, and the combination is interesting if subtle. It probably won't stand out for other people as much as it does for this reviewer, but the Maniacs vibe is much appreciated in a world that seems to think the band started with Visiter.

"Companions" is a real grower but ends up being a stand-out track. The classical-sounding guitar in the beginning really makes the song, which sounds laden with reverb and other production effects that you wouldn't really hear on their first two albums. It's the most interesting track on the album, stylistically; it sounds quite unlike anything else the band has done before. It's an experimental sort of song that really pays off and shows off the band's talent and versatility.

Overall, No Color combines the best of the band's previous albums to make a holistic, interesting, and engaging package that you will want to listen to again and again. Unlike Time to Die, it's not at all a disappoint. The Dodos still have plenty of color, and they are both "on" and "good.

No Color gets 4 and a half Neko Case guest vocals out of 5.

Download: "Good" (It's an .m4a so be prepared for that)
Also check out: "Sleep," "Black Night," "Companions"
Buy No Color here.

P.S. Sorry this review was suckish but I'm tired. The Dodos deserve better than this. Please check them out.
P.P.S. also lawl I really love "Good." The past two post titles have come from it. It's awesome.

I Approve of Your Butterflies, Alana Lee

I'm sure you've heard of Rebecca Black's "Friday." Really, does it need introduction?



This video is at once revolting, off-putting, and hilariously awesome. My life increased in hilarity by about 150% after my first three viewings. And now, so will yours.

If you are of the opposing opinion that "Friday" is actually one of the worst songs ever created then I'm sorry that you are either 1. blind or 2. a sad person. "FRIDAY" MAKES THE WORLD GO 'ROUND. WE SO EXCITED GURL.

And then there is this.



This song is actually kind of decent but Alana Lee's constant scowling and the STINKING HILARIOUS climax towards the end makes me die laughing. "YES ALANA LEE WE UNDERSTAND YOUR BUTTERFLIES AND WE APPROVE." Too much. This song has been getting some play as the company's only decent song.

Ah, the company, you ask? What is the company? The company would be Ark Music Factory, which produces all of these songs and videos. (There are a LOT of them. Seriously. A LOT.) Basically you have to undergo a lengthy process to be accepted into their company; then, I BELIEVE (don't quote me on this), you have to pay them a fee and they will make you a song and video. They will also market you, although they didn't do such a great job of that. Did you know "Friday" has been around for a month but only has been popular for a week? Yeah, excellent, Ark. You know how to get your stuff out there, for sure.

 Well, there you have it. I'm sure both of those songs are stuck in your head now, like they are in mind. And as for me, well, I gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal.

Girls Girls Girls

I used to not like listening to music sung by girls. I'm not sure why, but for some reason I just did not like female-fronted bands or female singers of any variety for the most part. I used to be vaguely misogynistic despite my being a girl, so maybe that had something to do with it. Thankfully, I've grown up and out of that strange mindset and now I dig female singers as much as male singers. Yay for personal growth!

As I became less and less generalizing it seemed like female-fronted bands became more and more popular and mainstream. We grew out of our weird, awful hard rock/nouveau boy band pop punk phase and made some room for both girl singers and bands of these genres and others. Let's look at some of them, good and bad:



Paramore

This is one of, if not the single most popular mainstream girl-led band. Paramore started out back in '06-ish but hit it big with their album RIOT!, which is a pretty fun title, I must concede. People, girls and guys alike, really liked their take on the whole pop punk phenom that was starting to peter out by the time they hit it big. Lead singer Hayley seems to be the standard amongst girl-fronted rock bands these days; she's the frontwoman and really the face of the band, and groups with girls as the lead singer are generally compared to Paramore by default.

While I'm not a big fan by any means, the thing I like about these guys is while they're undeniably "emo"-tinged pop they're willing to be a bit more inventive with their sound than, say, Fall Out Boy. Check out their massively-popular single "The Only Exception" for a sense of what I mean. (By the way "That's What You Get" is not only my favorite by them, not that I know that many, but it's also one of my favorites to play in Rock Band 2. Just sayin'.)

Similar Artists: Hey Monday stands out as one that is particularly derivative. They're like Paramore-lite; they boast a girl singer, less notable than Hayley Williams with her naturally-colored hair, surrounded by a bunch of guys. The difference is that they're much less energetic; they may have a similar image but the similarities really end there. One friend compared them to Taylor Swift, which is probably not what they're going for but is, sadly for them, a pretty good comparison.

Also, Tegan and Sara have their punky energy and are even more talented -- and they're just two people! Also, I'm a twin so I'm biased. 



Best Coast

This is a niche that has recently become popular - 50s/60s-inspired surf and/or trippy pop. Best Coast stands out as one particularly notable example; they've achieved fame in the blogosphere and even had their music featured on the UK Skins, which I fangirled about a couple of posts ago. (It was Liv's episode if you want to check it out.) Much like Paramore lead singer/guitarist Bethany is such a strong central figure that you sometimes forget that this isn't a solo project. The songs have a really defined sense of character: Bethany is a bit pathetic in her misadventures in relationships. To cope she hangs out with her cat and does drugs. It's all good on the Best Coast -- okay, not literally, but all of their songs are upbeat and take you back to a simpler time. Check out songs like "Crazy For You" and "Each and Every Day" for a sense of both their poppy charm and sad sack lyricism.

Similar Artists: The Dum Dum Girls are another 60s-sounding band making huge waves in the underground these days. While Best Coast has a bit of a modern edge to them, these ladies sound like they were transplanted from the early 60s. It's pretty nifty, as the kids might have said back then. (What would I know about that though?)



Amy Winehouse

You may think that this woman is irrelevant these days. Since her 2007 album Back to Black, she's spiraled downwards, walking around barefoot until finally fading away into obscurity. So, yes, fine, I will see your "Amy is out of the limelight," but I will raise you a "Without Amy you wouldn't have Adele." And why is this important? Adele is the latest British import who has risen to the top of the charts with her soul-inspired pop, and I'd argue that we wouldn't have her without Amy Winehouse. She may have been the Charlie Sheen of her day (oh, haven't you heard? He's crazy. Maybe you didn't know, I mean, it's not like every single person in America and possibly the entirety of Europe, yes, the entirety of Europe, this includes Luxembourg, has been talking about him incessantly for going on four weeks now, no, it's not like that at all) but "Rehab" alone shows just how talented she is. She's a trendsetter, although thankfully not in the world of hair fashion.


Similar Artists: Adele aside, Duffy. Personally I don't believe either of these women are as talented as Amy Winehouse but I guess it's subjective. I don't think they're untalented, though, of course, although Duffy reminds me of Kristen Chenowith to a degree that I'm not comfortable with.




Warpaint

Okay, mostly I just love these ladies. They're young and yet they have this really mature sound, as if they've been working to perfect it for so long. Their name has been tossed around the indie scene for a year or two now, and last year they released an album of songs that mistily oozed into each other. They are shoegaze in the least-obnoxious way; they have a sense of humor, a youthful quality about them, and yet they still manage to enshroud everything they do in fog and make it work so perfectly. I wax poetic about them like crazy, and I mean that in a literal way, okay? Thank you.

These girls rock when it's necessary and then take you out of this world. It's really quite something.

Similar artists: Wye Oak is a definite contemporary. They recently released their album Civilian to great reviews, including an "A" from the wonderful AV Club. Their song "Take It In," from their previous album The Knot, reminds me a lot of Warpaint's most spellbinding songs, like "Set Your Arms Down;" it's almost cult-like in its repetitiveness (in Warpaint's song's case, the chanting; in this song's case, the drums) and it's just transcendent of all things. It pierces the inner machinations of your mind! Deep.

While these ladies stand out the most to me, they are hundreds of other examples to choose from. I had to force myself not to start ranting about how great First Aid Kit is, and I was even tempted to mention Miley Cyrus. Sometimes you have to know your boundaries.

Also I'm leaving out notable musicians and icons like Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and others, but hey, we always read about them, don't we? Once in awhile Warpaint needs a turn.

What are your favorite female-fronted bands/musicians?

P.S. Why do I always write so much about music? And by "so much" I mean the posts that I write about music always take me far longer than any other posts -- I wrote this over the course of two days, for example. (And my Beulah/Weezer "epic" took 6 hours.) Ever notice that? It's interesting.

P.P.S. The Dodos' No Color comes out today! Buy it! Expect a review sometime this week or next, whenever my copy gets here!

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.

My Year in Lists, Part 2: La Musica

"My Year in Lists" by Los Campesinos!

Yesterday I said I was going to write about TV. I had the full intention of doing that as I powered on my laptop this morning. However, I soon realized: crud. When am I supposed to talk about music, then? Tomorrow is not only the last day of the year but my last blog post of the month/year/whatever, so I thought it would be best to write about movies then. There was no room in the schedule for music if I did TV today. So instead I'm combining TV and movies (since I was having trouble coming up with TV ideas anyway) and I'm going to rattle off names of songs and albums that I liked to you incoherently.

  6 GREAT ALBUMS FROM 2010*

*I'm not really an album person, at all, so there will be a lot of glaring omissions here. Don't worry! I'll get to the stuff people actually liked soon enough!

Assailants by Lydia

  

Lydia's final album not only wins a place on my list, but also a Fonzie for Ugliest Cover of 2010 (tied with Sleigh Bells' Treats). Lydia was never very well-known, despite releasing 2 albums, the second being 2008's Illuminate, a beautiful and heartbreaking album that should have cemented them as an up-and-comer on the "indie" scene. The problem was that there was a lot of problems within the band itself, causing them to change their line-up multiple times. This truncated EP-length album is the product of the band's most conflicted time, albeit not together, considering that most of them had left by the time this album came to fruition. Lydia was really lead singer Leighton Antelman's baby, and Assailants shows us that we should look forward to whatever solo project he has planned for the future. Like Illuminate, Assailants features a strong collection of songs with almost no clunkers. (Well, the two songs that are under 2 minutes are not really worth your time, unlike "...Ha Yeah It Got Pretty Bad" from the previous album.) In fact, the 5 "real" songs on here may be amongst the band's strongest, with great production and ambiance. Listen to "I've Never Seen a Witch" or "Empty Out Your Stomach" and try to tell me otherwise. Those two songs stand up with the best of the band's catalog, and in the case of the former, may even rank as one of their very best songs. They're tightly, and lovingly, made. Lydia died young, but now is as good a time as any to check them out. Buy Assailants here.

Best songs: "We Clean Up So Well," "I've Never Seen a Witch" (click to download)

Come On Kid by Josiah Leming

Maybe you remember Josiah Leming as the crybaby with the weird pseudo-British accent from American Idol? Yes, well, that was him. Don't let that deter you, because the kid is actually extremely talented! Before and after Idol Leming self-produced and released a ton of his original material, including my absolute favorite "Her," and the publicity he got from the show led to him inking a contract with Warner Brothers. Unfortunately, Come On Kid, originally slated to come at nearly 2 years ago, was stuck in development turmoil (for reasons unknown to me), and Josiah instead released 2 (excellent) EPs a year apart. However, this album finally released this year and it did not disappoint. While Come On Kid features newer versions of two old songs, fan favorite "To Run" and MY favorite "Arctic Outcry Wind" (such a great song, ugh), the brand new songs are what is most interesting here. Title track "Come On Kid" and "Maybe" are poppy and radio-ready, but have a lyrical edge over their more popular counterparts; "Song Without a Reason," about Josiah's recently deceased mother, and "Joy and Happiness" hearken back to his roots as a singer-songwriter at the piano. This mix between the new and old styles gives the impression that Josiah has grown as a songwriter and also lends to a very listenable slew of songs. Come On Kid may not be perfect, but if this is any indication of where Josiah Leming is going then I'm ready for the ride. (Similarly, if this is the last album he ever releases, then at least I'm satisfied.) Buy Come On Kid here. 

Best songs: "Maybe," "Song Without a Reason," "Day and Night," "Body and Mind"

Crazy For You by Best Coast

I only acquired this album recently, but it quite easily earns a place on this list. (Well, considering I only listened to 5 other albums from this year...) Best Coast sounds like a band of time travelers from the California surf pop era of the 50s/60s, with the simple lyrics, harmonies, and jangly guitars. Crazy For You is a perfect album for the summer, but manages to heat up your day whichever month it may be. A lot of the album may be about cats and drugs, sure, but the songs aren't really carried by their lyrics; instead, frontwoman Bethany Cosentino sells them by singing sincerely. Also, it sort of helps that she has a great voice. I'd say that songs like "Goodbye" and the title track carry the message that's trying to be conveyed here, and that message is: love sucks. And if that's not a message to get behind then I don't know what is. This album is just fun, pure and simple. Buy Crazy For You here.

Best songs: "Boyfriend," "Bratty B," "Each and Everyday," "Our Deal"

Champ by Tokyo Police Club

Like Best Coast, Tokyo Police Club is more known for its catchy songs than its lyrics. Thankfully, Champ is chock full of catchy songs, while also giving us some clever lines, my favorite being the "Wait Up (Boots of Danger)" line "You never wear shoes without your socks." Okay, maybe that's just because that perfectly describes me, but whatever! Debut Elephant Shell didn't have a single song over 3 minutes long, so Champ shows that the band can sustain a song for this length of time with an even mix of 2 and 3 minute songs. They also slow down the pace a bit; even a song called "Breakneck Speed" is slower than TPC standards, and it doesn't suffer for it. Dave Monks' unique voice stretches all over the place here, from the lows of "Favourite Food" to the highs of "Gone," and it works every time. This is a strong list of songs here, with only the closer, "Frankenstein," failing to leave an impact on me. Champ shows a lot of growth for the young crew here, and I'm proud of them, as if I was there mother or something. Maybe this isn't as immediately wonderful as Elephant Shell, but it's definitely a charmer all the same. Buy Champ here.

Best songs: "Favourite Food," "Favourite Colour," "Hands Reversed," "Not Sick"

Contra by Vampire Weekend

I'll be upfront: Contra was a disappointment. Vampire Weekend's debut was immensely enjoyable, and I got a lot of mileage out of that record. Contra, on the other hand, was something I tired of rather quickly. At least, this was how I felt at first. However, since the album's release in January, it's grown on me. The crop of songs may not be a strong as the ones on the first album, but the best ones are really, really excellent. Vampire Weekend, like all bands making their sophomore album (see Champ above), toyed with their formula, experimenting with their signature Afrobeat pop and coming up with songs like the amazing "Diplomat's Son," which is not only the band's longest song at nearly 6 minutes long but also one of their greatest. Lyrically, this song is based on a short story lead singer Ezra Koenig wrote, and it provides for a really interesting theme and story. "Diplomat's Son" doesn't sound like anything else the band has ever done, throwing together a bunch of styles and genres, but this new direction is one I embrace and hope they go for again in the future. Old style tunes like lead single "Cousins" and "Holiday" may not be as interesting but they are just as good (especially in the case of the excellent "Cousins"). Overall Contra represents evolution for the band, and it has definitely grown on me. Also, with the title referencing the classic game, how could I not like this? Buy Contra here.

Best songs: "Diplomat's Son," "Cousins," "California English," "I Think Ur a Contra"

Gorilla Manor by Local Natives

That picture is super-big because this is my favorite album of the year by far. I mean, I know that that's a small list, but I think that even if I had listened to three times as many records I would still love this one the most. Gorilla Manor is just near-perfect in every way; it's full of great melodies, beautiful lyrics, wonderful vocals and harmonies, and it sounds like pure fun. The songs range from the sad and beautiful ("Airplanes," "Cards and Quarters") to the toe-tappingly great (all-star "Sun Hands" and "Camera Talk"); Local Natives are able to cultivate every emotion in the book for this debut and they hit home runs every time. They even tackle a cover with the Talking Heads' "Warning Sign" and that may just be my favorite track on the album. There is not a single bad song on Gorilla Manor; there are only perfect songs and ones that are slightly less perfect but great all the same. Some critics have complained that the album does not distinguish itself well enough from the "Fleet Foxes/Grizzly Bear" school of music but I disagree completely. Local Natives have established a style that combines Afropop, great guitar, wonderful harmonizing, and deep lyrics, and I can't get enough of them. Do yourself a favor and buy Gorilla Manor today, right here. (The CD comes with a poster and is pretty cool looking, if I do say so myself.)

Best songs: "Warning Sign," "Sun Hands," "Airplanes," "World News," "Stranger Things"

20 OF THE BEST SONGS OF 2010*

*I listened to 131 2010 songs this year, according to iTunes, but realize that I didn't cover a ton of bases or anything.

I'm feeling lazy so this will mostly be a bulleted list. Sorry.

• "Nothin' On You" by B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars: I've talked about this song before but let me once again shill the music video. It's a great watch.
• "I Want to Be Well" by Sufjan Stevens
• "Tightrope" by Janelle Monae
• "Becoming a Jackal" by Villagers
• "Ghost Town" by First Aid Kit
• "Daisy" by Fang Island: Apparently available on the Rock Band Network. Awesome!
• "The Mermaid Parade" by Phosphorescent  
• "I Can See Your Tracks" by Laura Veirs
• "On Melancholy Hill" by Gorillaz: From Plastic Beach. Let me know how it is if you've listened to it. I quite like Gorillaz.
• "We Used to Wait" by Arcade Fire: I'll get around to listening to The Suburbs in its entirety one of these days. I mean, I only pretty much completed Funeral this year! I'm slow when it comes to these things. (I've heard most of Suburbs though and it's great. I love the lyrics. Being a suburbanite I can relate.)
• "I'm in Love" by Antony and the Johnsons
• "Change" by the Young Veins: This band is fronted by Ryan from Panic at the Disco. Please don't let this turn you off.
• "Location" by Freelance Whales
• "Windstorm" by School of Seven Bells
• "Rill Rill" by Sleigh Bells
• "Undertow" by Warpaint: I love these girls. Even though their album The Fool, which came out this year, was apparently not the greatest, I'm glad that they're now on my, and other people's, radar.
• "In the Dirt" by S. Carey
• "Jennasea" by The Morning Of
• "Dog in a Burning Building" by Miles Kurosky
• "EXCUSES" BY THE MORNING BENDERS!: How did I forget this song?! Easily my favorite song of the year. Easily. No contest!  Download "Excuses" right now!

Hooray! That took forever. Tomorrow on My Year in Lists, Part 3: The Final Part, I will somehow manage to talk about both TV and movies. It will be a disaster, and like Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark, that should make you all the more excited to see it. 

Moody Dudes

I've been saving that name for FOREVER. Isn't that just a perfect band/album/song name? Yes. It is.

Anyway, I'm tired/annoyed so here are just some songs to listen to and think about:

"You Love Me" by DeVotchKa



"When you said you loved me, I thought you loved me." Included on the soundtrack to Little Miss Sunshine, one of my favorite cinematic worlds to get lost in.

"I Can See Your Tracks" by Laura Veirs



"Oh, I can see your tracks, but I won't follow them. I'll just hope for rain, or some kind of crazy wind, to erase them, and chase them into oblivion." It's on a cell phone commercial of some kind, but don't let that deter you from listening to this beautiful song...It's currently the most-played track on my new computer, an easy feat when every other song has been listened to a grand total of zero times.

"Between the Bars" by Elliott Smith



"I'll kiss you again, between the bars." Well, this is perfect.

"Go On, Say It" by Blind Pilot



"A hitchhiker once told me I don't talk a lot. Made me feel fine, made me quiet." That line is one of my favorites out of any song that I've heard. I wish I had written that. I wish I was talented enough to write anything half this great.

"Ghost Town" by First Aid Kit



"If you've got visions of the past, let them follow you down. They'll come back to you, some day." I've been singing this line a lot lately. (I am by no stretch of the imagination a "good" singer so I probably am doing a disservice to the song by singing it.) Just wonderful.

"So Nice So Smart" by Kimya Dawson



"You're so nice and you're so smart." For some reason I started thinking about this song a lot lately, despite not having heard it since whenever the last time I watched Juno was (at least a year ago). Something about it just really stuck with me. It's very simple, very listenable. (Not to mention the silly "I like my new bunny suit, when I wear it I look cute" line that I also like a lot.)

Guess I could have made a much easier to listen to playlist but I'm feeling difficult. Good night.

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!)

Can you hear me now?

Lying in this bed?

Here's a song that's been stuck in my head for the last five minutes, "That Day" by Villagers.



Villagers is technically a band but the "band" aspect of it is undermined by the fact that the frontman is basically the only-man (you ever see/hear from). I don't mind, though. There are a lot of "bands" that are really just one guy.

Also, this guy (Conor J. O'Brien, is his name) is Irish. He doesn't really sound it, though. It sort of peeks in sometimes but it's not so obvious. Or is it?

Bonus: Download "That Day" by Villagers here.

Top 5 Weezer B-Sides

No one's going to care about this post but me, but then, that would sum up this entire blog, wouldn't it? Blah blah blah, whatever.

Just now I FINALLY acquired the long hold-out in my extensive(ly biased towards old school) Weezer collection, "Waiting on You," a B-side from the Pinkerton era (AKA ye olde 1996). It really was worth the wait. I like it a lot, and I'm a tough critic (ha, understatement). Rivers' voice sounds great in this one, especially during the chorus ("Mine is the loneliest of numbers/Now is the loneliest of times/You're 19 days late, but still I sit and wait) his harmonizing in the background is especially cool. The song is really sad and paints Riv as a lonely, miserable, consistently down-on-his-luck dude, but that's my favorite flavor of Rivers, so it's alright. Overall, I'm ecstatic that 1. I finally got this song and 2. it's so good!

Since Weez B-Sides are almost just as good as [good] album cuts, Imma rank 'em. Because how could we function in society without meaningless numbers arbitrarily defining which thing is better than which? We couldn't. (Oh, and like you care, but I would totally rank "Waiting on You" on my list but I wanted to give myself a chance to write about another song...sorry, WOY.)

5. "Jamie (Live Acoustic)" from the "Say It Ain't So" single

I really love Weezer acoustics. I read somewhere once that the best thing about Weezer, and today really the only good thing about them, is Rivers' voice. Thus the acoustic versions, which strip the band of their sometimes way-too-loud guitars and force them to show off their vocal talent, are always fun to listen to and sound quite nice. This is an acoustic of what was a b-side itself, actually, on the "Buddy Holly" single. The original "Jamie" is loud, generic, and even annoying; this song is, like my favorite Weezer songs, a little pathetic but still very "cute." What I like most about this song is that it seems like it's the standard W. love ballad (which I will discuss in #3) but is in actuality an ode to the band's lawyer! It makes sense when you consider that one of the lines is "You've got the Beach Boys/and your firm's got the Stones," which is completely dumb otherwise. If the band I was the lawyer for wrote me a song as nice as this one, I'd be flattered. Maybe I'd even work pro bono! Haha, no.

4. "You Gave Your Love to Me Softly" from the "El Scorcho" single

"El Scorcho" is my second-favorite song by the band, right after the B-Side that makes number 1 on my list. I guess I'm a little bit biased, then, because I automatically like most things associated with. "You Gave Your Love to Me Softly" is not particularly noteworthy until you consider that it accomplishes as much as any of the 2nd tier (lawl) songs on Pinkerton in under 2 minutes. "La la la/you sang to me" is also just a really great singalong line. The whole song is a singalong! For me, anyway. This song is such an earworm; its melody stands out more to me than any of the actual lyrics so I mostly just shout "YOU! GAVE YOUR LOVE! TO ME SOFT-LY!" and leave it at that. Enough about that: this song also has a great bassline, so props to my beloved Matt Sharp (why did you have to leave?).

 3. "Susanne" from the "Undone (The Sweater Song)" single

"Susanne" is a typical Weezer ballad - crunchy guitars underscore silly rhymes declaring that the Girl-of-the-Week did sweet things for our pathetic loser hero Rivers Cuomo ("When I met you I was all alone/Cold and hungry cryin' on the phone/You baked me brownies and said, 'Don't you cry'/And gave me the coat off your back"). This song also makes use of references to the band's influences, in this case Guns 'N Roses. "Susanne" (You're all that I wanted of a girl!) is sweet and catchy and while I'm not sure if the pairing of it and "Undone" was so well thought out, it really exudes classic =W=." (Oh, and the back-up vocals are great, especially in my absolute favorite part, the bridge: "I haven't much I can give you in return/Only my heart and a promise not to turn/But I sing to you every day and every night/Suzanne, I'm your man.")

2. "Devotion" from the "El Scorcho" single

Told you I was biased! But in all seriousness, there's a nice sincerity and empathetic quality about the flying W's 90s output, and "Devotion" really emphasizes that. "Devotion/waiting for me/you'll always be my girlfriend!" Yeah, okay, it's a little sappy and the lyrics can be stupid at times but it's sweet and I believe my pal Rivers when he tells me (or, y'know, whoever he's actually singing to) that he'll always be my friend (which seems to be less than reciprocal but I'll take it!)  This song was another recent addition to my collection and was the one I was searching the hardest for. This song is revered in the fanbase, I believe, for just how simple and good it is. I believe this was a cut from Songs from the Black Hole originally, which would make sense as to why everyone is so in love with it. For an album that was deemed unfit to see the light of day, it's excellent (both tracklists)!

1. "I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams" from the "The Good Life" single/EP

This is my absolute favorite Weezer song of all-time. This is quite ironic, considering how this song features lead vocals from that dog.'s Rachel Haden instead of Rivers Cuomo, whose voice I've been lauding throughout this countdown. But don't worry! I'm really not that inconsistent. One of my favorite things about this near-perfect song is when Rivers kicks in during the bridge towards the middle/end of the song, singing with Rachel. Other great things about this song: that it's written, not just sang, from a female's perspective! One of the great things about Songs from the Black Hole is that all of the songs are from the perspectives of different characters. It was a rock space opera, after all. Since most of the songs didn't get the full studio treatment like this one, on a lot of them Rivers is singing the part of Maria/Laurel, the two main female characters. However, in this song, Rachel gets to perform and we get a taste of what SFTBH would have really been like. This song has shades of Matt Sharp's later project, the Rentals, with its keyboards, and since I like the Rentals I have no qualms. "Dreams" also has some really nice lyrics ("I'm so tall/can't get over me/I'm so low/can't get under me" is my favorite by far and I think about it all the time), and it's just a charmer of a tune that stays with you. The second I first heard it I knew that it would become a favorite. And it has! The whole synth-emphasizing, different singers thing would have been an interesting direction for the band to go in (although they did take turns singing on later albums, like Red, but that album sucks) but it would have meant that we would have not had Pinkerton, and so I think I can settle for just having magnificent B-sides like this one.

Honorable mentions!: "Automatic (LA Riots Remix)," which is not technically a B-side and more like a rarity as it was just a remix of a Red album song (I think the purpose of creating the remix was so that it could be the theme to Grand Turismo 5: Prologue but who knows) but I like it a lot anyway; "My Evaline" from the "Undone" single (short but nice).

If you stuck around, thank you and congratulations, but...

Yeah, I went there. I probably won't post tomorrow or Thursday or even Friday, so Happy Thanksgiving, survivors (and all Americans).

Is This Post Early Or Late?

Either way, I should go to bed! And so should you! No, I don't care if you just woke up and it's now 11 AM. Go back to bed.  It's the summer and you have no business being awake. EVIL STARE.

Here's some random stuff:



This one's an oldie, but a goodie. It is seriously hilarious. KIDS THESE DAYS. With their being werewolves and everything.



As detailed in my last post, sort of, I'm obsessed with all things Auto-Tune the News right now, including this adorable song. It's so catchy and adorable and you just have to love it! OR ELSE.



You may or may not have heard that Arcade Fire's concert last night was streamed LIVE on YouTube. Well, it was. It was really cool! I guess flashing lights and good camera angles can make anything seem epic, but these guys are the preeminent makers of epic-sounding music today, maybe. What do I know? Anyone who saw Where the Wild Things Are knows this song, "Wake Up," from that amazing trailer that was almost better than the movie itself (and I mean, it was a good movie, so), and while the quality of this isn't so good, it's something. This was the last song they played yesterday. You can download it here if you want to. If you don't, that's a'ight, that's a'ight. But I love this song.



Pull a lever or whatevah, right now, right now! (I rule at this level. SOULJA BOY TELL 'EM. ...what was that I don't even know~)

Collected random links:

• Again, "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire. In case you didn't feel like reading that part before.
• An article I read awhile ago about Joaquin Phoenix's documentary about his pathetic descent into insanity
• Jerry Saltz's recap for Wednesday's Work of Art. Seriously, WHY PEREGRINE OVER NICOLE?!? My sister and I were screaming. You would have been scared.

I'm taking the weekend off again. You know. PARTYIN'. (Or, um, sleeping in or something.) See you Monday.

Let's End of the Month Super Cool Post Go!

 (Click the images if you can't read them.)

Links and picture as promised:

• Work of Art Reviews: #1.4 and #1.8 
• Guest Posts: By Max and by "Checkahs"
• Pokemon Posts: On movies and on trainers
• Inception Review: A mini-review
• "Baby" Rant: I was NOT like "baby, baby, baby, ooh!"
• Last night's Futurama: A clip from it anyway

My cat who is better than all the cats of all the times:

(Sorry the quality is poor; my Webcam takes bad pictures. Which reminds me, who wants to make a video blog with me next month? :D)

P.S. "People I do like" = family notwithstanding. Obviously, I saw them plenty. My sister who likes to comment on my blog can confirm that this is true. HEY SISTER LET'S PLAY PERSONA 4 TODAY

That's What You Get When You Forget You Have a Blog To Update

Saw this music video for the first time today. Weirded me the heck out. Decided it was necessary for you to be weirded the heck out, too. Hence, me posting it.

Good day.

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.)

I know this much is true.

I'm feeling nostalgic for a time period I never lived in right now. The 80s! I think it's because we were watching Freaks and Geeks yesterday. They're showing it on IFC now. Check it out.

I don't feel like writing much, so I'm just going to post the best stinking songs from the 80s. Enjoy, or else!

General Public - "Tenderness"

Soft Cell - "Tainted Love" 

Note: Don't EVER, EVER bring up the fact that Marilyn Manson covered this song. That cover is one the worst things I've ever heard in my life. Ever. And didn't the Pussycat Dolls cover this, too? Ugh.

Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen

Michael Jackson - "Billie Jean"

Strangely enough, my favorite Michael Jackson song is from the 70s. It's "Rock With You." I WANNA RAAAAWK WITH YOOOOU

Kajagoogoo - "Too Shy"

A-ha - "Take On Me"

Alphaville - "Forever Young"

This is not only one of my favorite 80s songs, but one of my favorite songs ever. Call me sappy. Actually, don't, if you like how your face looks right now. (Wow, I'm really threatening today!)

Blondie - "Heart of Glass"

Spandau Ballet - "True"

Such a good song.

I'm going to go take a nap and dream that I'm Molly Ringwald in The Pretty in Breakfast Pink...Club. Yeah.