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.

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!

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.

Disclaimer: May Cause Neck Pain, Extreme Levels of Cool

"Whip My Hair" by Willow Smith. Honestly, the video speaks for itself. (That and I'm lazy.)

Before I go back to whipping my hair back and forth, just reminding you that the next post is the 100th POST. But I'm not really sure how to make it anything special. Since I have the next two days to do it it has to be something I can do in a short amount of time. If you have any ideas, then please let me steal them.

Stupid Websites Are Stupid

The site I Write Like is one of those sites that analyzes your writing for something. In this case, they analyze whatever writing you post in the box and tell you which famous writer you write like. Apparently, I write like some guy named Cory Doctorow...and DAN BROWN.

I am now in a horrible mood and contemplating never writing again. So instead, listen to this song that I used to hate and now really like while I go weep in that corner over there.



Download here.
You can buy the album it's from here.
Alternatively, you can pre-order the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World soundtrack, which it will be on, here!

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.

Girl, Quit Playin'!

I wanted to post my Justin Bieber story today, but since it's still unfinished, I've decided to discuss something else Bieber-related:

I've called out "Baby" for its suckiness in the past. But I'll admit that I might have let bias seep through and shape my opinion when I said that. I stand by some things I said: the lyrics are mostly horrible, aside from my beloved Ludacris part and some other parts. And "One Time" definitely is A LOT better.

But "Baby" is, in fact, one of J. Bieb's best. Good job, Biebs!



"One Time" is a victim of major auto-tuning. Biebs' voice is masked by lots of computerized effects. SO NOT COOL. It does feature Biebs' only good piece of acting, but the rest of the video sees him acting like a poseur, basically; he throws gang signs and he says "SHAWTY I LOOOVE YOU" as if he's been cruising in the ATL since Day One. The video glamorizes the Bieber that Usher created, the one that is wholly American. While the song is flippin' sweet as they say in the Land of the Mormons, AKA Utah, the video has some problems. But it does have a lot of hilarious moments where you can really tell that my friend here is a little boy whose just having a megaton of fun (and BOOM goes the dynamite) making a video. And that's what I like. The chorus, too. I love that chorus. LEMME TELL YOU ONE TIME

But the video of "Baby." There's just something there that makes me happy.



Let's analyze "Baby" because we're awesome and have nothing better to do. "Baby" is wholly post-Bieber (I was going to say "Biebian" but we all know that a Biebian is a lesbian that looks like Justin Bieber) - this Bieber already has the girls. He doesn't need to convince them that he loves, that he loves them, because they already know, and they love him, too. And J. says that outright: "I KNOW YOU LUV MEH, I KNOW YOU CAYAH." This seems like it's almost a continuation of "One Time," as if he's singing to that girl as he's talking about how he loves her too and he'll "be theeeyah."

But then things get pretty whack, yo. So whack, in fact, that they almost ruin the song for me. I don't think Biebs' girlfriend understands that when you tell a teenage boy you love him, he thinks that you, um, LOVE HIM. He thinks that you are in a RELATIONSHIP with him. Believe me, I've tried to explain this to her. Girl just don't listen! (Wow, what happened to my grammar?) This girl's ruins Biebs' life (oh god, I almost said "urinates!") as he sings, "Are we an item? Girl, quit playin'! We're just friends, what are you sayin'?" UM. WHAT. Excuse you, Justin Bieber's girlfriend? Do you even understand what you just said?! You spent the first 28 seconds of the video flirting with the guy and telling him you love him and now you're telling him to QUIT PLAYIN' BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST FRIENDS?! WHAT ARE YOU SAYIN'?

Yes, my Paint skills are mediocre.

But even with that major oversight in logic, the video only makes me sort of want to punch everyone. After Bieber is told by the preteen girl who loves him and will never ever be loved by anyone else ever again, she dumps him. Smart girl! But then Biebs whines one of the funniest parts of  the song, "My first love broke my heart for the first time and I was like, 'Baby, baby, baby, OOOH.'" Yes, Biebs. When your heart gets broken by the girl you loved despite her telling you that you weren't even dating, the sensible thing to do is start shaking your fists at the sky and singing, "BABY, OOOH." THAT MAKES COMPLETE AND TOTAL SENSE. WOW. I LOVE YOU. Oh wait, I better not say that because unless I want you to "be like, 'Baby, baby, oooh'" all over again.

The chorus is the worst part of the song. It really is. It's repetitive. It's non-sensical. It's illogical. HOW COULD YOU THINK THAT SHE WOULD ALWAYS BE YOURS WHEN YOU WEREN'T EVEN DATING YOU CHIPMUNKY CANADIAN FOOL? Ugh. (Side note: Crud, I just noticed Drake [AKA Aubrey Graham from Degrassi for those of you in the knooooow] is in this video. Weird.)

But the video itself actually gets totally awesome after the first chorus. The "down, down, down" part of the song is so excellent I can't help but grin like an ugly Brit. J Biebs' dancing to get his girl back is awesome. HE ROLLS OVER A POOL TABLE AND IT'S SO GRAND. His intent to get his baby back is so strong and persuasive that he inspires people to start breakdancing in the bowling alley. It's pretty much official: Justin Bieber is the reincarnation of a Greek god. Maybe even Zeus. He is so powerful that he can get people to dance at his every whim. 

A staple of the best Bieber videos is the scenes where he dances in front of a wall by himself (or, in this video's case, with Ludacris). These are always the best scenes. In "Baby" Bieber just does all of his best, or weirdest, dance moves. He does a Michael Jackson-esque tiptoe as well as something Moonwalk-inspired. He does this cool Electric Slide-type thing. He shakes himself, which is hilarious. He pounds his chest a lot. Justin B. really is a pretty good dancer. He's also a really strange kid. Evidence, here: 

Sorry the .gif is so choppy. But I think you get the point. Soon enough the girl, who actually looks a lot older than Justin Bieber in a bad way, starts to see the error of her ways. You can tell that she's thinking in her head, "Wow. I'm a total jerk." She was being a jerk to him, y'know. And it's not just me being biased against her because he's my friend. She ignored him and pushed him around. MEANIE. But as Justin Bieber breaks out into a spontaneous choreographed dance in the middle of the stinking bowling lane, that girl realizes that this guy is going to make a ton of money. They'll probably make a movie about him! Maybe she could be in it. Maybe she could meet Usher! How cool would that be?

But she still isn't so sure that she should go back to him. This becomes clear to Justin Bieber's producers, so with a cry of "LUDA!" Ludacris appears in front of Justin's wall. It's all over now. This is Ludacris, people. No one can turn down Ludacris even if they tried. Not only that but Luda wants to make his young protege Bieber feel better. If Biebs is Zeus then Ludacris is Kronos, waiting to be overthrown by his son, but not before they release a music video together! His rap is my single favorite part of the song. I actually sing it constantly. "When I was firteen, I had mah first luv; there was nobody that could compare to my baby, no one could ever come between us, no one could evah come above!" In the video you mostly just see Ludacris and Bieber goofing off in-between shots of Biebs mugging for the camera and just looking generally Woodland creature-like. Bieber mocking Ludacris and then being strangled by him is pretty adorable. (Wait. What?) 

Ludacris tells Bieber he went through the heartbreak, too, but he just keeps on saying...you think he's going to give some major words of inspiration, but no: he says, "BABY BABY BABY OOOH." Luda. I don't think you get it, Luda. BIEBER HAS BEEN SAYING "BABY OOH" THIS ENTIRE TIME. YOU REALLY ARE NOT HELPING HIM. AT ALL. That whole rap, for naught! For naught, Ludacris! Bieber just goes back to his old gig of dancing awesomely and in sync with people much older than him in the hopes that this will entice his baby to come back to him. But if his not-girlfriend is anything like me, then she should've flown the coup by now. However, this IS a Bieber video, so she probably can't find a door, anyway. Lost and hopeless, she begins to dance across from Bieber like a minion of his little Dancing Army. It's girls vs. boys now. Why the girls are siding with this chick, I don't know, but that's how it is. That's how Bieber wanted it.

The girl smiles and Bieber breaks away from his bro pack to have flirting time with the girl in the middle of the bowling alley. This Bieber kid really doesn't have any problems with PDA, huh? I WOULD KNOW. BELIEVE ME. Soon enough Bieber starts saying, "And I'm all gone," which leads someone who isn't actually watching the video to believe he's committed suicide or something, because never in the song does he say anything other than "BABY NOOO" to indicate that she has come back to him. If I was listening to this on the radio, I would be shocked to hear him saying this, to hear him just abruptly allude to his disappearance...disappearance from this EARTH. Obviously in the video this is not the case. In the video it really just means, "Yo, peace, I be outtie wif mah fly honey." (Side note: she is not very fly at all. A catty girl's opinion.) But if we want to get really insane with this, which we certainly do, then we can say that maybe Bieber killed himself from loneliness and then only got together with his girl in the afterlife. Those shots in that Vegas-looking area would represent the dead Bieber. They descend the escalator and into the light together.

Dang. I'm messed up.

I hope that satiates your Bieber needs until I finish my story. It's weird, because I'm not a fan of him or anything. I mean, we're just friends and all. But he's just such a funny character to me. I think it's because he's the chipmunkiest pop star since Jesse McCartney.

Non-Stop Crazy

This music video, for "Swim" by Surfer Blood, which is, according to NeoGAF, an "overly elitist hipster mega-popular underground band," is really weird. Really. The ending helps it to make sense in some way, but the majority of it is incredibly nonsensical. I just thought you had to see it. (The song itself is okay, but I like the comparable "Daisy" by Fang Island better. This is a good summer song, too, though. I can understand how those not-so-lovable hipsters go crazy for this band. What I don't get is why they sell this album at Target.)



Know any other WILD and CRAZY videos? Post them in the comments, I guess.

In other news, Javier Bardem will be on Glee next season (for what I presume is a guest-starring role) and I finally beat this one really hard boss in Final Fantasy XIII.

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.

The End of E3/Making a Sandwich!

So today was the last day of E3 2010. This year's show was pretty grand, although most of the really cool announcements came from first parties. Third parties were pretty meh this year, for the most part. But Nintendo was so excellent and announced so much cool stuff that they made up for everyone!

There isn't too much to report from these last two days, but I would recommend you look at this thread from my best friend (next to my kitty cat) NeoGAF. It's hilarious and shows you all the cool moments from E3 in .gif form! Yay.

Oh, and also, um, the biggest revelation of the last two days is that Kinect pretty much doesn't work unless you're standing up. LAME!

So, E3 was great fun. I'm already itching for next year's! I love E3. So. Much.

But now let's talk about Lady Gaga.

After hearing my sister sing it over and over for the last couple of days, I decided that it was time I watch the video for "Telephone." Here it is!



Um, I think I like "Paparazzi" better. But this song is pretty stinking catchy. Things I like in random order: how horrible Beyonce's acting is, the "LET'S MAKE A SANDWICH" part, the cigarette sunglasses, the fact that, according to my sister, that girl whose butt Beyonce's...whoever that guy is to her smacks, the Asian one, apparently says (in her subtitles) "One Piece!", the dancing in the scene right after they kill everyone when they're in that room with all the dead people, and that part when Gaga's bailed out by Beyonce and before she leaves the jail she strokes her hair and gives that little smile and wink. It's pretty funny.

Of course, most people see Beyonce's "Video Phone" as the response or sequel or sister video of "Telephone," so here it is, too.



Both the video and the song are pretty awful. I like the synchronized dancing and Beyonce's many, many weaves. That's about it. I mean, it's catchy, but it sucks. Are you HEARING the lyrics, my darlings? No line in this farce rivals the sheer magic of "STOP CALLIN' STOP CALLIN' I DON'T WANNA TALK ANYMORE." Not a single one.

Enjoy those random, not-at-all-E3-related videos. Try to, anyway. You'll probably like them better if you keep them open in a separate tab and just listen to them.

Gifs! 

"I GOT MAH HEAD AND MAH HEART ON THE DANCEFLOOR!"

On a Completely Unexpected Note

From reading this blog or just knowing me as a person, it's quite apparent that I'm pretty pretentious when it comes to music (and movies, and TV, and most things, sadly). When people talk about some song by Rihanna that I've never heard, for instance, I'll proudly yelp, "Oh! I have never heard that song, for I do not listen to the radio, NPR and other stations my father puts on in the car aside notwithstanding! My grandest apologies!"

However, despite my lack of radio-listening and "indie" predilections, I'm not completely immune to the power of just plain good pop music and its catchiness. I mean, I pretty much spend all day watching TV, kids. I'm bound to hear "Eenie Meenie" sometime. How do you think I know about Justin Bieber, anyway? How do you think we became such swell chums?

Youtube is so helpful in this regard, in my journey to act my age and stay in touch with the mainstream. Here are some popular songs I like that you actually have heard of, both new AND "old!":

Kelly Clarkson - "Since U Been Gone"

I don't go to parties often, but if you ever have had the luck (BAHAHA) to be at a party with me, then you know that I actually LOOOOVE Kelly Clarkson. Especially this song! I can be found singing it at the most random of times in the most angelic of singing voices. Just ask any of my friends! All 3 of them! (Just kidding, hee hee. Hello, friends who have probably been forced to read this!) This song is actually amazingly good. The title may be grammatically incorrect but if that's the only negative this pessimist has, then you're doing something right, Kell! Other Kelly Clarkson sing-along favorites include: "Breakaway", "Walk Away", "Behind These Hazel Eyes", "My Life Would Suck Without You"

B.o.B. - "Nothin' On You"

I actually stealth-linked to this video before, but I don't care. I'm posting it AGAIN. Because it's AWESOME. Most people I know are like, "Eww, rap is gross, I'm gonna go listen to my [insert serious crud here] instead!" But rap isn't all bad. Obviously! Bruno Mars has such a niiice voice. Soooo niiiice. Plus, any song that has an N64 reference in it is cool in my very large and VERY COOL book. And this video seriously is really cool. Other B.o.B. songs I can be seen chair-dancing to: "Airplanes", "The Kids", "Magic"

Lady Gaga - "Paparazzi"

I actually despise this music video, save for the scene towards the end where she's decked out in that seriously weird Minnie Mouse getup. The song, though. OH, THE SONG. This song was made for me to rock out to with my truly inspiring vocals! And I do, very often in fact. My personal stance on Miz Gaga is that she wouldn't be at all interesting if it wasn't for her outfits, and I think that still stands; this song isn't particularly interesting or novel, and a lot of people cite its music video as a positive for it when they really should just focus on the song itself. Lucky for Gawgs, this song is so stinking catchy I wish I didn't start watching the video now because it's going to be stuck in my head AGAIN, and last time it was stuck in my head I swear it didn't leave until I cleansed myself with some Justin Bieber (I think "Eenie Meenie" in particular, which is actually quite bad). Other Lady Gaga Jamz: "Just Dance" (DO DAW DO)

Colby O'Donis - "What You Got"

Okay, I'm not sure how popular this song was, but if it wasn't that popular, then, well, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. Seriously, I dig this song something awful (that sounds horrendous). Colby, you may be of ambiguous ethnicity, but my feelings for your song are quite obvious - LOVE IT. Especially that chorus; I mean, COME ON GENTLELADIES AND MEN. It's so simple and perfect and smooth like the ice cream I really want to eat right now but don't have. Ice cream! ICE CREAM! Sadly, there are no other Colby songs I even know so I can't recommend them, but see the aforementioned "Just Dance," since he features in that.

Jason Derulo - "In My Head"

Dang, this song is catchy. It just gets catchier and catchier as it goes along. The vid's a bit annoying, the silhouettes aside, but that chorus is too good. I don't know how much Jason (Jason or Jay-shawn?) Derulo really brings to the table, especially lyrically, considering most of the song consists of "yeah-ah," "ehh," and "what's goin' down," but if this was his one hit, I could live with that. And I hope that everyone else would be able to, as well! (Although apparently his first song was a hit, too. But DO I CARE?) Derulo reminds me of someone else who I'm about to get to, albeit a less cool and original iteration...

Ne-Yo - "Closer"

CRUD. Try to point out a flaw in this video. Just. Try. It. "Um, well--" SHUSH. SILENCE. We'll be having none of that. Not that your point would have been valid, anyway. Ne-Yo's got the moves, man, and the style! This video is way too cool for someone like me who's been wearing the same smelly pajama pants and Oprah-related t-shirt for the last two days. I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy! But I'll watch from afar regardless because Ne-Yo, you're the man. Although I find it weird that two of your songs share their names with Kelly Clarkson ones ("Because of You" and "Miss Independent") but we'll let that slide because your dancing is so choice. (Speaking of dancers, Chris Brown is truly amazing. Wife beating aside, of course. I never get tired of this performance.  I couldn't care less about his music, though.) Something similar: Justin Timberlake! I love Justin Timberlake. I really do. I'd recommend "Rock Your Body," "Cry Me a River," "Senorita," "My Love"

Vanessa Carlton - "A Thousand Miles"

I think everyone is tired of this song by now; it's been played to death, I'm sure. But it's probably one of my favorite songs ever. I definitely loved it when I was a young'un, and honestly, I still do now. And PROUDLY. Her piano-playing is killer, man. I remember seeing her do this song on U-Pick Live back in 2002 or 2003. Or maybe it was one of her other songs... Either way, it made my day. I think. Geez, that was so long ago. I wish that Vanessa C. had been more popular, or at least sustained her popularity, but it's kind of faded out. I'd prefer to see more people like her than more people like the next artist on my list... Other Vanessa faves: "Ordinary Day," "White Houses" (seriously, I don't know anyone who doesn't LOVE that song especially. And her outfit in the video is awesome, although the rest of the video is lame)

Miley Cyrus - "Start All Over"

Okay, so this is the only song on this list that I'm pretty embarrassed to admit that I enjoy. I mean, I don't have it on my iPod or anything; what do you think I am, some kind of animal, like a 12-year-old girl? But this song is just SO CATCHY. The catchiness totally overpowers how bad Miley Cyrus' voice is. And that part when you just see the guitarist strumming the obviously-not-functional guitar while walking down the street? I LOVE IT. The dancing is fun to watch, too. It's my guy Marc Webb directing, so that helps. The video also seems like it was done all in one take, for the most part, and that's way cool. Miley actually seems like someone who could -- should, even -- be really famous and successful in this video. I mean, she is, obviously, but this video works kind of as a testament to that for me. Stuff Miley Cyrus sings that I'm similarly embarrassed to enjoy: "See You Again," "East Northumberland High" (Betcha you don't know THAT one!). Something similar: Aly and AJ's "Potential Breakup Song." It's actually really stinking hilarious, and it has Rivers Cuomo's vote of confidence!

There are other bands and songs that I like that are insanely popular; I just didn't list them because they're pretty much crossover hits (Gorillaz, the Killers, Jimmy Eat World, OK Go, Coldplay, La Roux, etc.). Just so you know.

Anyway, yeah. Enjoy these videos while I enjoy the Toy Story 3 Food Network Challenge and continue to not write my college essay and do my Chem homework! :D