Late to the Party

Congratulations, Bobby!!!

2008-04-08T09:25:00.002-05:00

bob dylan won an honorary pulitzer prize!!!

my main man, the love of my life, the poet, the thinker, was cited for his "profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power."

Exactly.

so profound, so poetic, so perfect in every way.

i love you bobby d!

An Oldie But a Goodie

2008-04-02T17:14:00.004-05:00

so, when i was like...12 or 13, i went through a phase where all i wanted to listen to was Operation Ivy, Pennywise, Less Than Jake, Rancid, and pre-Dookie Green Day. (it now becomes totally apparent at what point in my life my tattooed, grungy boy fixation began...ahh, moment of clarity...). anyhow, i have these incredibly vivid memories of locking myself in my room and listening to skate-punk-ska-whatever-the-fuck-you-wanna-call-it rock for hours.

and a part of me still rocks the eff out to this stuff.

Rancid's Out Come the Wolves is absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt on my list of top 10 albums. i've had to buy this album 3 times now because i listened to it so much and carted it around so much during middle school and high school. so today, tired of listening to some way-too-mellow music that was pushing me closer and closer to the edge of a complete and utter fit of pure melancholia, i decided that i needed to do something to try and reverse my impending gloom.

i paused briefly on M.I.A. and that didn't help. then Pharoahe Monch, which only made me angry, and went through the ole pod until i saw Rancid.

and i am currently rocking the eff out. and am in a totally stellar mood.

god, i fucking love this album. every single fucking song. every single word. every single slurred verse. i'm not really sure i can even verbalize what about this album i love so much. at this point, nostalgia probably has a lot to do with it, but i've loved this album with all of my heart and soul since the first time i heard "Ruby Soho," and once i heard "Olympia, WA" i was head.over.heels. i don't even know why. i just adore those two songs.

and, in keeping with the grand tradition of me having a libido that is fueled largely in part by boys with guitars and bad attitudes, i have the most enormous crush on Tim Armstrong.

to those who know me...this man looks eerily similar to several boyfriends i've had. eerily, eerily similar, especially in that picture above, to my first "love"... oh lawdy... (btw, how's the wife and kid, D?)

seriously though, slutty urges aside, this album has successfully lifted me out of my funk and placed me atop an energetic and fiesty little pedestal. i'm going to listen to this album like 4 more times before the days over.

I've Said It Once, And I'll Say It Again

2008-04-01T08:34:00.004-05:00

...put a guitar in a man's hand, and instantly, he becomes bang-able. i don't care what he looks like on a regular day--give him a guitar (or a bass) let him get a little sweaty--and PRESTO! insta-sex. case in point: Jack White.

so, now that we've gotten that cleared up, i'd like to take this opportunity to fluff the shit out of the new Raconteurs album, Consolers of the Lonely. i really liked Broken Boy Soldiers, and was hoping the boys would release another album. and lo and behold, last Tuesday (or Sunday, as iTunes mistakenly thought...) they released their sophmore effort. i won't go on and on about the way they released it, because i'm tired of reading every music critics' summation of their "guerilla-style" release, but let's just all agree on something: it's pretty fucking cool that, in a time where nearly every album is, in some way or another, leaked early and thus removed from any former methods of anticipatory christmas-morning type of release dates, the Raconteurs managed to put an album out, whilst avoiding early leaks (except for the iTunes debacle) and getting people pretty stoked.

or at least i was. maybe it's just me.

so i waited until last Tuesday, got the album and have listened to it about 5 times all the way through at this point. and i love it. i love Jack White, for my libido's sake, and for his musicianship. i think he's original and talented and, from what my untrained ear can tell, he's quite good at what he does. i like that he's like, dark and brooding and seems quite intelligent. i like that he has a couple projects that he works on. i like that the White Stripes are sort of along the lines of the newer sound that rock music has been leaning towards and favoring lately. i refuse to call it "indie" because they're on a major label, so they can't be, but since the label "indie" is thrown around and used completely out of context these days to describe a "non-mainstream" (but totally mainstream) sound, i'll use it. but the White Stripes were, in my eyes at least, one of the first to really bridge between counter-culture music-philes and the mainstream, radio-listening, MTV-watching part of society.

anyhow, i also really like Brendan Benson too, especially his solo work.

okay, enough of my school-girl rock-star yearning, back to the album.

Consolers of the Lonely is a little more bluegrass, a little more country than Broken Boy Soldiers. and, i think that, as i'm listening to it again, i think i might actually like it more than Broken Boy Soldiers. i didn't initially think i did at first--in fact, my first synopsis of the album was that it wasn't nearly as good as BBS, but now i think i like it better. much better.

lyrically, it's so on point--intelligent, honest, heart-felt--and musically it's pretty varied. (again, i know nothing about music, technically speaking, so this is all just the way i see--err, HEAR--things...). i'm currently loving 2 songs the mostest: "Old Enough" and "Many Shades of Black." "Many Shades of Black" ties with the Postal Service's "Nothing Better" as the most perfectly accurate to me specifically break-up songs ever.

here, check out some of this genius:

Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead
And smash it on the floor
Take whatever's left
And take it with you out the door...
See if I cry, see if I shed a single sorry tear
I can't say that it's been that great
No, in fact it's been a wasted-free year
Everybody sees
And everyone agrees
That you and I are wrong
And it's been that way too long
Take it as it comes and be thankful when it's done
There's so many ways to act and there's many shades of black
There's so many shades of black
There's so many shades of black

this is a super album. you should get it and listen to it.

New Girl Crush: MEIKO

2008-03-31T14:46:00.004-05:00

so on friday i went to the first chicago date of the hotel cafe tour. though i incessantly mocked my partner in crime for wanting to go to this, i must say--it turned out to be pretty decent. and since i'm a chick, there is no shame in me liking some emotional, mushy, folky music every now and again...right?

anyhow, it was at the Park West, which a pretty great venue, if i do say so myself and it's kind of a cool set-up: performers do a couple songs, then someone else comes on, then someone else, and they join each other on other songs throughout the night. basically, just mellow music. a decent way to spend a friday night. especially when one is taking delicious pulls off a flask of tequila for the duration of the night.

anyhow, that fella who sings "Blue Eyes" on the Garden State soundtrack was there and sang that song, and i don't care how lame it is of me--i simply adore that song. cuz i got blue eyes an' shit. and that Ingrid Michaelson chick was there as well and sang this song "Overboard" that i have been mildly obsessing over in the privacy of my own home as of late, and she sang that and i liked it.

and then this chick Meiko comes out and sings and i'm sorta in love with her now. one, i really liked her songs. two, she's hella cute, and three, she has an absolutely charming stage presence. like, slightly awkward and self-conscious and super endearing. and she curses and i like that in a woman.

here, look at how hot she is:

and for all you fellas out there: this hotel cafe tour thing? yeah. it's DEFINITELY the place to find a lady. the dude to chick ratio was like 1:50. and many of the girls were very cute. just fyi.

Dear Daniel Johnston,

2008-03-31T09:39:00.000-05:00

i'm really sorry that i thought you weren't very good for the longest time. i mean...i appreciate your story, that's for sure, i just didn't really see much merit in your musical stylings. but, as he often does, zach continued to fluff your work and continuously argued that if i was the lyric-phile that i maintained i was, i should pay attention to what you were saying.

and then i heard "Life in Vain." it may be one of the sweetest songs i've ever heard. and nevermind that your voice usually doesn't sound very good. it sounds perfect in this song. and though it could be seen as kind of depressing--as much of your work sort of is--this song isn't depressing...it's just...it's just true and sweet and quite lovely:

Don't want to be free of hope
And I'm at the end of my rope
It's so tough just to be alive
When I feel like the living dead
I'm giving it up so plain
I'm living my life in vain
And where am I going to?
I got to really try
Try so hard to get by
And where am I going to?

I don't know where is up or down
And there ain't any love left around
Everybody wearin' a frown
Waiting for Santa to come to town
You're giving it up so plain
You're living your lives in vain
And where are you going to?
You've got to really try
Try so hard to get by
And where are you going to?
Flip on your TV
And try to make sense out of that
If we were all in the movies
Maybe we wouldn't be so bored
We're giving it up so plain
We're living our lives in vain
And where are we going to?
You gotta really try
Try so hard to get by
And where are you going to?

Goodbye, goodbye

Scrilla-palooza

2008-03-28T13:12:00.004-05:00

so, the beauty of chicago is that in the summer (if that is even a real season--i'm beginning to wonder if it's just an urban legend, what with the CONTINUAL SNOWFALL) there are lots of outdoor concerts!! mainly Lollapalooza and Pitchfork, but also an earth day one in April (but it will probably still be 30 degrees, so whatever) called Green Apple Festival (they're all over the country) at the Lincoln Park Zoo (a place that i love and cannot wait til it's warm so i can go there some more--it's the oldest FREE zoo in the country!!!).

anyhow, Pitchfork isn't all that expensive--$30 a day (Friday-Sunday) for some pretty great bands. the entire lineup has not been announced yet, but as of now, Public Enemy, Vampire Weekend, Dizzee Rascal, Animal Collective, !!!, Fleet Foxes (whom zach loves, but i'm kinda "mehhh" on), Jay Reatard, Dinosaur Jr., Apples in Stereo (yay yay yay!), Cut Copy, Fuck Buttons, and a handful of others are slated to play. that's july 18-20. just fyi.

and then the allusive beast of them all: Lollapalooza. there's been some speculation regarding a certain superawesome british band (*cough* Radiohead! *cough, cough*) headlining, along with Nine Inch Nails (i don't care what anyone says, this will be awesome), and yesterday someone brought my attention to some more bands that may or may not be playing, including Bloc Party (please say this is true, fortheloveofgod), Yeasayer, Wilco, Dierks Bentley, CSS, Rhymefest, Gnarls Barkely, MGMT (i hope so--their chicago shows sold out earlier this year), Black Lips, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings (who i'd like to see, as nearly everyone put this album on their top albums list from '07), and a few others. now, this is all speculation, and certainly not even close to the amount of bands that will play, but i suppose in about a week (April 7th, to be exact) we will have the full lineup for the August 1-3 shows.

anyhow, Lolla tix are up to $190 i think now. and i've yet to buy mine. i know i'll be going, so i should just buy one now, but there's some rational part of me that refuses to spend a deuce (god, i love that term so much) on--right now, at least--a MYSTERY show. and i'm broke too, so there's that.

there's a lot of great music coming through this spring and summer, and if my calculations are correct, i'm going to be spending approximately 1 million dollars on music between now and September. hmph. it may just be cheaper for me to swap out a crack addiction for my current live music addiction.

Abraham Stardust

2008-03-26T13:48:00.002-05:00

Girl Talk...?

2008-03-20T11:02:00.003-05:00

so, as i've said before, i'm an admitted music stealing junkie. i've come to terms with this, i'm at peace with it, and i have no guilt about it anymore.

so, i found a link to a "leak" of the "new Girl Talk" album that's supposed to be released sometime in '08. i've also found some discussion as to the legitimacy of this "leak" as well as some acknowledgment of this "leak" from Gregg Gillis himself. he says its not legit. though, i must say, i take that with a grain of salt, because like, by telling the internet world that it's not legit, the hope is that people will be like, "Oh, okay" and like, the hype continues until the actual release of the album. regardless of the legitimacy, i decided to give it a listen and make my own decisions.

here they are:

it could be legit. it's his style--that is to say, there are a bunch of shitty pop songs mashed together with some classic rock (The Who, Beach Boys, Beatles) interspersed through, along with a bit of pretty good (in my opinion) hip-hop (Public Enemy, Biggie, old Outkast) and some music that i like to listen to on a daily basis (Cake, Postal Service) and some newer "indie music" (that song from the new Mac commercial by that french/israeli chick Yaell something or other). this is definitely Mr. Gillis' style.

that's sort of where my opinion of the legitimacy of this "leak" ends...it's not complex enough, it's slow in weird places, it's too fast in other places. though, i mean, if this just a rough, unmastered "first draft" if you will, then i can totally see this.

what really made me think it's not him is that the same clip from "Bittersweet Symphony" that he used on Night Ripper is used on this mix. i just don't think he'd do that.

above all, listening to this yet-to-be-determined mix of mashups has confirmed what i've been sort of leaning towards for the past several months since i saw a shitty Dan Deacon/Girl Talk show at some church in Bmore this summer: MASHUPS ARE SO LAST YEAR.

bring on the untz. that's what i want to dance to. or at least stop fronting like you are actually talented by mashing a "unique" blend of pop and classic songs together. just go back to what true DJs do--i want the breaks, the hip hop, the grimey shit.

R.I.P. Mashups and the "artists" who create them.

"No one on the corner has swagger like us..."

2008-03-17T15:27:00.003-05:00

so i just realized that on the Pod, there's a selection under the 'playlists' function where you can listen to your most recently listened-to songs. this is great, because lately, i've been obsessing over a few songs solely and typically spend the day moving back and forth between them.

so, on sunday, i trekked downtown to do some stuff and put this "most recent" business on. it was probably the best thing i've done in a while. because, for some reason or another, they re-routed the northbound red-line up through the clark/lake and consequently, the stop i had to get off on was significantly farther off Mich Ave than the stop i usually get off on. but i had a great fucking playlist, so it was okay. even though it was windier than a muh'fucka.

anyhow, a handful of songs came on that were so.effing.wonderful. that i couldn't help but strut. you know...walk with a swagga'? awww yeah. ha. without further ado, here's a playlist that you might want to listen to if you need to put on haughty airs and strut down the street like nobody's business:

1. "Paper Planes," M.I.A.
2. "Rich Girls," The Virgins
3. "Get Close (King Honey Remix)," Plastic Little
4. "Loose," Spank Rock and Benny Blanco (mainly Miss Amanda Blank's verse--seriously, it makes me like, want to beat bitches up or something)
5. "Wolf Like Me," TV on the Radio
6."Disco Infiltrator," LCD Soundsystem
7. "Simon Says," Pharoahe Monche
8. "Bendable Poseable," Hot Chip
9. "One More Chance (Remix)," Notorious B.I.G.
10. "Time to Get Yummy," A-Trak (LCD/Gwen Stefani mash-up--sheer brilliance, fyi).
11. "Mikey Rocks," The Cool Kids

there you have it. if you want to strut, put these on and shake ya ass.

The Best Thing In The Entire World!

2008-03-17T14:13:00.002-05:00

i know, i know. i make this declaration pretty frequently. but this is not hyperbole, friends, this truly is the most bestest thing ever. in. the. whole. entire. world.

Hulu.com is an archive or something that has just gone public. it has loads of tv shows and movies that you can STREAM FOR FREE.

my workday has just gotten a whole lot cooler. and less productive, simultaneously.

i'm currently watching one of the funniest episodes of arguably the FUNNIEST SHOW EVER, Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Gang Dances Their Asses Off.

FUCK.YES.

Dear Kevin Barnes (Part II)

2008-03-17T13:54:00.001-05:00

i know, i know. i hate you. and i still sort of do, but perhaps this is the first step in a meeting of the minds, of sorts...perhaps i can start to let go of some of my animosity. but you have to promise to stop trying so fucking hard. deal? anyhow, apparently your band did "Shakedown Street" at Langerado (excellent choice of venues if i do say so myself--all those wooks and hippies prolly ate that shit right up), and i read that you also did it solo acoustically at SXSW. way to go, brah. i'm totally down with this.

Not quite Love, but not quite Hate,
Sarah

Super Awesome: Bishop Allen, just in general

2008-03-17T13:34:00.002-05:00

so, a while ago i "discovered" Bishop Allen. i'm not quite sure how i stumbled upon them...but i did...and that's all that really matters to me. we found eachother.

so today, i'm perusing You Ain't No Picasso (a pretty decent little site, i must say), and i find that at SXSW this year (which i am still REALLY bitter about not going to. next year, i say, next.year.) they covered Fugazi. how wonderful. apparently, Bishop Allen cites punk-rock as an influence, along with Jonathan Richman (whom i saw last week and l.o.v.e.d.), and Talking Heads.

and because a while back when i first got a listen to Bishop Allen, i didn't really do any further digging--i just located some mp3s, downloaded them and listen on a frequency that near obsessive--i've just recently found out about these "influences" and such, and i'm more in love than i was previously. i mean, everyone cites Talking Heads as an influence, as well they should, but whatever.

anyhow, i read about the Fugazi cover and then read that they've covered both Talking Heads and Jonathan Richman, and i immediately went to the hypemachine to try and locate said covers. (as i've mentioned in previous posts, i'm a cover fanatic). and i found the Heads one. "Psycho Killer" of course. and though it may be cliche or whatever, i reallyreallyreally love this song for some reason. and Bishop Allen did it total and complete justice.

anyhow, you need to check out Bishop Allen. really, seriously.

Iggy...oh Iggy...

2008-03-12T18:09:00.003-05:00

so last night was the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. zach told me about it, but i got confused and couldn't find it on tv, so i didn't get to watch it. (it's okay though, i watched back to back episodes of Anthony Bourdain, who, by the way, has just earned the distinction as my old-man crush.) anyhow, Madonna got inducted. i'm not a huge Madonna fan--don't get me wrong, i will belt out "like a virgin" any day of the week--but i AM a HUGE iggy pop fan. god, i love that man. anyhow, he did "Ray of Light" and hilariously enough, it's fucking awful. madonna thought so too. i love the look on her face when he's performing, and then the incredibly insincere and forced accolades that she offers backstage after the performance. truly hilarious.

This Most Awesomely Hilarious Thing I've Seen Today

2008-03-12T16:39:00.001-05:00

ya know...part of me wonders if i should be offended. i mean, i don't consider myself to be a "hipster" at all. in fact, "hipsters" generally aren't keen a people like me...but i do like indie music. and i do adore spankrock. and i wear leggings. mainly because it's fucking cold in chicago and they're a nice thin layer to provide a little warmth. and i don't like walmart either, but that has way more to do with the fact that every walmart i've ever been in smells funny and is teeming with sad fat people. and i in turn, feel sad and fat by association when i go there. but anyways, this is still funny. check out this dude's myspace. his name is MC Lars. he's an english major (haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!) at Stanford and also raps about edgar allen poe. *sigh* a man after my own heart...

UGH.

2008-03-11T12:57:00.001-05:00

if you want to feel better about yourself for any reason at all, read this and be thankful that you are not a mildly retarded, vapid, name dropping, whore who is attempting neo-carrie bradshaw style blogging.

ugh.

Oh. Dear. God.

2008-03-06T15:20:00.003-06:00

seriously, if there was a god, he's sooooo totally all about me. not only did i post some shit a few days ago about how i love everything that Danger Mouse touches, and how i was wondering what the new Gnarls Barkley would be like, and then like suddenly the new Gnarls' video is out...but NOW. NOW, i find out the Danger Mouse will be producing Beck's new album!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if i haven't had the opportunity to talk your ear off about Beck and how he is THE most perfect creation on earth, consider yourself one of the few. Beck is like, one of my absolute favorites. i love everything he puts out with a different sort of emotion. i feel like if i ever had kids and like, you know how parents say they love all their children the same, but in different ways...? that's exactly how i feel about everything that Beck has put out. i feel as though he is the most innovative artist of our time and consistently puts out interesting and relevant material. it almost always has a new sounds, while keeping with his general sort of amazing-ness, but alwaysalwaysalways ends up sounding so fresh.

simply put: i love Beck and he can do no wrong.

and now like, my favorite producer with my favorite musician? holy.fucking.shit.i.think.i'm.going.to.die.of.euphoria.

yesyesyesyesyes.yes.

Soooooo Trippy, Mang.

2008-03-05T15:21:00.004-06:00

(fyi, i tried to post the video below two days ago, but it wasn't up on youtube yet. if i had been able to post it on monday, this would be funnier. and more relevant. but since i could only just post it now...the impact is sorta lost. but whatevs.)

this is hilarious!

i was having a hard time concentrating monday afternoon...perhaps that was a seizure...?

...speaking of Gnarls Barkley

2008-03-05T15:21:00.001-06:00

here's the video for their single, "Run" from the new album!!!

and yes, that IS justin timberlake...

Srsly. What is this World Coming To?

2008-03-04T17:02:00.001-06:00

oh.my.god.

we should just bubble wrap up children and lock them indoors in sterilized padded cells.

My Other Girl Crush

2008-03-04T15:58:00.004-06:00

so...i frequently speak of my love of scarlett johansson. i really love that broad. she's curvy, she's smart, she has a husky voice that i wish was my own, and her fashion sense is always impeccable. i love her.

but my other girl crush is quite the opposite. sort of. but not really, if i think about it. maybe just scratch the curvy thing. whatever. anyhow, Amanda Blank is a chick emcee from philly who has done work with so many incredible folks--Plastic Little, SpankRock, and M.I.A. (i can't believe i've finally got on board the M.I.A. train, btw). anyhow, she's raunchy as hell, says the craziest shit, and spits ridiculously fast. plus, she's a little hottie, and she wears the most out-there fabulous stuff on stage.

annnnd, she's super nice (and even cuter) in person! i say this because, despite my extreme intoxication on valentine's day, i saw her in the ladies' room and like, accosted her, and though most certainly made an ass of myself, i'm still rather pleased with my little chat. seriously, it's like i bumped into scarlett in the restroom--what with my level of adoration for ms. blank.

anyhow, she's coming out her debut album soon (cannot.fucking.wait.) and i'm seriously dying to see her perform.

and URB has a super interview with her. read it. and fall in love with her.

here she is with naeem from spank rock:

Dear Kevin Barnes

2008-02-29T15:36:00.002-06:00

i really hate you.

stop being so fucking weird. you will never be ziggy stardust.

with no respect at all,

sarah

I'm Sorry

2008-02-28T16:57:00.002-06:00

but this is fucking perfection. an lolcat bible? oh.em.gee.

ya know...i'm not really sure why i find those lolcats so hilarious, but i do. really, they make me laugh out loud. i get excited for new ones to be posted and i frequently send them to friends because they crack me up so much. i realize this makes me sound a bit like a cat enthusiast. or a crazy cat lady. be that as it may, i'm not really so sure it's the actual cats themselves, as it is the way the words are written.

so this project to get the bible translated into the "lol" language really makes me laugh.

here is an excerpt, from Genesis. apparently, that's the Old Testament...?. (btw, i know literally nothing about the bible, so this is perhaps all the more funny...).

"Oh hai. In teh beginnin Ceiling Cat maded teh skiez An da Urfs, but he did not eated dem.

Da Urfs no had shapez An haded dark face, An Ceiling Cat rode invisible bike over teh waterz.

At start, no has lyte. An Ceiling Cat sayz, i can haz lite? An lite wuz.4 An Ceiling Cat sawed teh lite, to seez stuffs, An splitted teh lite from dark but taht wuz ok cuz kittehs can see in teh dark An not tripz over nethin. An Ceiling Cat sayed light Day An dark no Day. It were FURST!!!

An Ceiling Cat sayed, im in ur waterz makin a ceiling. But he no yet make a ur. An he maded a hole in teh Ceiling. An Ceiling Cat doed teh skiez with waterz down An waterz up. It happen. An Ceiling Cat sayed, i can has teh firmmint wich iz funny bibel naim 4 ceiling, so wuz teh twoth day."

and just for shits and giggles, here is the lolcat that is currently cracking me up so much that i am snorting. at work. very professional.

i'm not even really sure why i find it so hilarious.

Super Awesome: The Black Keys, "Attack & Release"

2008-02-27T09:34:00.004-06:00

as i'd mentioned in a previous post, i'm addicted to stealing music. meh, it's a flaw. what can i say? so last night, i stumbled upon an early leak of the new Black Keys album, Attack & Release. (not to be confused with Simian Mobile Disco's, Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release. really, quite different albums...)

anyhow, so, unable to resist the urge to snatch it up, i downloaded it and listened to it on my way to work this morning. i'm on my second listen right now.

i gotta admit, i hadn't really listened to Black Keys much before (always a little late to the party, i tell ya...). funny story actually. embarrassingly enough, i got confused as to what band i'm going to see on saturday (it's the Black Lips), and thought it was the Black Keys (coming in April, but i'll be back east when they're in town...)...anyhow, chaos ensues, marked by massive confusion on my part (fairly typical, i'd say) and i finish downloading this album only after realizing i'm seeing the Black Lips on saturday, not the Black Keys. (i have too many "Black" bands in my ipod and it's enormously confusing for a simple minded gal as myself)

so, a few things about this album:
1. It's really excellent. The sound is southern-rockish (at least to me), sort of haunting, sort of old-school (for lack of a better term). I wish I knew more about musical production and stuff because "Remember When (Side A)" has me sort of entranced at the moment. There's a weird echo-y sound going through the background and it's so beautiful. It's almost country in a way.

2. Interestingly enough, after "Remember When (Side A)" comes "Remember When (Side B)" which is the exact opposite in terms of sound and energy. It's rock'n'roll. That's all I can really say.

3. Perhaps most importantly (to me), is the fact that this album was produced by Danger Mouse. And like, I've sort of noticed a recurring theme with Danger Mouse. Everything he does is super. Seriously. The Grey Album, which isn't great in terms of the sound and listen-ability so much, but the fact that it was really one of the first (in my world, anyways) mainstream mash-ups that really got recognized. The juxtaposition of classic Beatles with a rapper who will probably end up being considered quite relevant as time progresses, Jay-Z, is interesting and kind of cleared the way for some other versions of this. Most recent, that I've heard is a Jay-Z/Led Zepplin mash-up by Dj Doc Rok, called American Zepplin. (not great, but i gave it a listen for kitsch's sake). So back to Danger Mouse. So there was The Grey Album, and then he did Gnarls Barkley with Cee-Lo. And I don't really care if it's not cool, I really liked that album a lot, and still give it a listen every now and again. Another album is in the works, I believe, so it'll be interesting to see if the energy and sound remain constant, or if Gnarls Barkley was a one-time fluke thing. Then there's the Gorillaz, Demon Days, which I really loved. And the creativity behind that is just ridiculous, you must admit. The whole concept is so fun. And new. And then he did work with Damon Albarn's project, The Good, The Bad, and The Queen. Another excellent work, in my opinion. (Side note: seeing them live was sort of surreal...I mean, it's Damon Albarn. and (sigh) Paul Simonon. and Tony Allen. and Simon Tong. truly a great show. Albarn and Simonon are rock stars in the purest sense of the word. Showmen...performers...totally swoon-worthy.) And something else I just found out was that he also did work on The Rapture's album as well. Again, I don't care how un-cool it may be to like The Rapture, I do. Even if they did fucking suck a big fat dick when they opened for Daft Punk this summer in Brooklyn. (Seriously guys? Like, you're musicians. Who cares if one of your keyboards isn't working the way it should. The show must go on.) And lets not forget about his work with MF Doom. God, I fucking love that album.

I guess what I'm slowly coming to realize is that everything Danger Mouse touches is gold in my book, no matter the "genre," and no matter who he actually works with. And really. Like, the man loves costumes. What's not to love?

with Cee-Lo as Pedro and Napoleon Dynamite.

with MF Doom as Freddie and Jason.

and by himself as the Tin Man (my personal fave.)

And this Black Keys album is really no different. It's rock 'n' roll with definite roots in southern rock and old style country. The whole album is easy to listen to. And the haunting sadness sorta thing has got me hooked. Especially the last track on the album, "Things Ain't Like They Used To Be." It's so fucking good...the slow twangy guitar, the lyrics. Everything is perfect. I'm obsessed with it right now.

Get this album.

Dear Common

2008-02-26T17:00:00.004-06:00

I hate to say this, man, but like, you are not good anymore.

Like, you kinda irked me a little with the whole friends-with-Kanye business, but I got it: you're both from Chicago. Hometown roots go a long-ass way. I'm alright with that. And, I mean, I was sorta willing to look past the whole "Gap" thing, because, you know, ya gotta make money, but...

I'm just not sure I'm ever going to be able to get on board with this new "Light" business. Serious. It's really FUCKING AWFUL. And like, it's all for a promotion for Smirnoff or something...?

Yo, dude..."The Light" was one of the bestest love songs and you have put out some of the best albums! Seriously, Resurrection? Like Water for Chocolate? Excellent. My collection would not be the same without those. Be wasn't even all that bad. I admit, I listen to it every now and again...

But, seriously. WHY THE EFF DID YOU DICK WITH "THE LIGHT"?! I sorta gotta put it out there like this: I sorta hate you a little bit now.

Which I'm sure is straight with you because of the whole, like, me being white thing. But...

Really? REALLY?

Regretfully Yours,
Sarah

PS, I still liked you in Smokin Aces.

Cover Bliss: UPDATE

2008-02-26T16:20:00.002-06:00

okay, so technically this doesn't qualify as a cover, but i just found a BMORE BREAKS version of "Safety Dance".

umm, there are splices of Little John saying, "Yeah!" "Okay!" in between...

this.is.the.greatest.day.of.my.life.

i'm about to jump up and make my booty bounce like it wrote a bad check. (heh, i had to use this line. i just heard it in my new anthem, "Jello," by The Pack.)

Covers, Glorious Covers

2008-02-26T15:56:00.003-06:00

so, i admit: i'm a sucker for a cover. especially when it's slightly unexpected. for instance, when my little angelbaby friends in Earthtone once covered "Crazy in Love," by Beyonce, i thought that was really quite clever. they also did "Walk Like an Egyptian" once and i thought that was clever as well.

today i was trying to find something new to listen to, so i went to one of my favorite music blogs and ended up clicking around and stumbled upon the HypeMachine, which may or may not be the most wonderfullest thing to happen to my workday since OhMyRockness Radio. seriously, get a minute and go on the HypeMachine. it's pretty sweet.

anyhow, i was just kinda of perusing around the site, which, if i understand correctly, is like a humongous search engine for a whole bunch of music blogs all over the world. and it picks up all the MP3s that are posted or whatever and brings 'em to one spot and you can look through 'em. and like, for those of you who probably are dismissing this as some sort of dumb "hipster" "indie" thing that only looks at Brooklyn Vegan to find the next!best!thing!, you can rest easy: I just listened to a piece of college nostalgia in a certain Bruce Springsteen song...

anywho, whilst perusing, i noticed a blurb about MGMT, who, as you may or may not know, i adore a lot a lot, i looked through the tracks that are posted all over the internets.

and i found the greatest thing ever.

embarrassingly enough, i found that one of the hottest songs ever recorded, "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails (yes, i know, i've just skyrocketed downward in any semblance of coolness...) was covered by MGMT in '02. so i listened to it and it was wonderful.

and then i moved onto a song called "I'm Not in Love" by The Teenagers (who, again, i don't care what anyone says, they are fucking hilarious and a funfunfun dance party. stop taking music so seriously.) that was covered by some chick named SuKo...(?) or something like that. and that was great too!!!

and then i found The Hold Steady (super awesome live. see them if you can. i cannot wait to see them again. especially if it's at a tiny little venue like the Ottobar...). and they covered a song that always puts me in a happy mood, "American Music," originally by the Violent Femmes.

and then, to test this thing's search function, i typed in one of my all-time favorite covers EVER. in the whole entire world. "It's Okay" performed by Pearl Jam, originally recorded by Dead Moon. this song reminds me of perhaps, the ex-boyfriend who was most perfect for me...the college boyfriend...the one i look back on the most fondly... anyhow, this song, for some reason or another really stirs something in me. and i haven't listened to it in years. and now i'm on my 3rd listen.

ahhhh, sweet cover bliss...

i take that back

2008-02-26T14:56:00.001-06:00

sarah silverman's video is even funnier.

Fucking Hilarious

2008-02-26T14:50:00.001-06:00

okay, so i don't really watch late night television. but i do seem to remember hearing something a little while back about sarah silverman making a video for jimmy kimmel in which she declares that she's fucking matt damon. funny girl, that sarah silverman. anyhow, i was reading a music blog today and found this hilarity that jimmy kimmel created in response to the matt damon fucking. seriously, this may be one of the funniest things i've seen in a while. if only for all the random cameos. chkchkchk it out.

BOOKS! and stuff

2008-02-26T12:15:00.004-06:00

so i mentioned i'm reading Against Happiness, that book by the Wake Forest Lit professor that...well, argues against happiness (crazy title for a book about that, eh?). and it's quite good, and i find myself underlining and making notations as if i were to be tested on it or something. but it is a tad heavy. and thinking about "melancholia" so much isn't always to best thing to do, especially if one has spent the majority of the day feeling kinda blah.

so last night i read some more of another book i'd been reading called The Namesake. it's not that good, so i'll spare the book report, but the part i read last night really resonated with me.

Gogol/Nikhil, the main character, has been shacking up with a wealthy Manhattanite, Maxine, and they end up going to spend 2 weeks with her parents at their lake house in New Hampshire one summer. i have a soft spot for lakes, as nearly every summer vacation my family ever went on when i was young was to a lake. Deep Creek (before it got really built up), in Western Maryland, Lake Saranac in the Adirondacks, and (closest to my heart) Keuka Lake, in the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York.

Gogol has never vacationed like his girlfriend's family does--they own a lake house in a secluded spot in which one must drive down a long, gravel road, way off the beaten path to get to. the house has no driveway; Gogol observes the car in just parked on the grass. the main house is unremarkable--mismatched furniture, exposed pipes, rustic, etc. Gogol and Maxine sleep in a guest house, down a path from the main house, that is, in actuality, a shack that Maxine used to use as a play house when she was younger.

anyhow...Gogol keeps talking about the lake house, the lake itself--the blueness of the water, the enormous amount of stars in the sky, the way the temperature dips at night, the fullness and brightness of the moon... he talks about the lack of television, playing board games at night, going to bed sometimes by 10, the musty smell of the lake, the heat of the his shoulders in the afternoon sun, wading into the water and swimming out to the dock when it gets unbearable...

like i said, the book isn't all that great--i just found it on my book shelf and realized someone had let me borrow it after my last hospital stint and i never read it (you'd be surprised at how difficult it is to read anything when one is on a morphine drip and epidural...). i've been reading a few pages before bed every night, to sort of lull my eyes to close, but then i got the Happiness book, and shelved the other one.

i digress. this description last night just hit really close to home. the house sounded exactly like the house we used to go to at Saranac--a house that belonged to my mother's cousin's husband's family... everything sounded the same. and the way the experience is described--the delicious isolation--evoked every memory i have of Keuka. Keuka has been in my family for years and years and years; my great-grandparents spent their honeymoon there, and my grandmother and her three sisters spent every summer there growing up, and my mother and her three brothers spent every summer there growing up. and in my life, we don't go every summer--that's nearly impossible, but we went quite a bit with other members of the family--specifically, my uncle and his 3 boys--and most recently, that same uncle has actually bought a house of his own on the lake and my mom and i have managed to go for a few days for the past two summers.

i cannot begin to describe the lake to you; i cannot begin to describe the way it makes me feel. all i can say is that being there recharges me and brings me to a peaceful place within myself and carries this sort of romanticism that i cannot find anywhere else. perhaps it's the history of my family there; perhaps it's way the lake has not been ruined by tourism or the 21st century. perhaps it's the fact that no one else really knows about Keuka, so i feel like it's my secret or something... i don't know. whatever it is, i crave it constantly, and it saddens me tremendously to know that i probably will not be able to make it there this summer. (the drive from bmore to keuka is quite a bit shorter than the drive from chicago to keuka...)

and since things are a little mixed up right now, and the weather's a little less than desirable in the midwest right now, the only thing that i can think about is the lake. and how badly i want to go back...

this is more than likely a worthless blurb of information to anyone but myself, but the lake makes me want to write, and i've spent a large chunk of my free time today at work google imaging keuka. and sighing. and feeling near tears. and feeling like my heart is going to burst.

this is my Zen:

i cannot wait for summer. i need to find my Zen.

Dear Recording Industry,

2008-02-25T11:35:00.002-06:00

I'm very sorry, but I have an uncontrollable compulsion to obtain free music. Really, I'm so sorry, I know it's like, wrong and shit, and I should really be supporting the artists whom make my day so much brighter, but when someone dangles free music in front of my face, I can't help but take it, put it in the pod and listen to it.

In my defense, I will say this--I've found out that I like a lot of music that I didn't know about this way. And since I'm sort of an audiophile, especially when it comes to live music, I usually end up putting money in the pockets of these artists at shows and such.

Really, I am so sorry, but I felt like I just had to get it off my chest. I felt guilty. Especially after a particularly active morning of illegally downloading...

Love and Respectful Admiration,
Sarah

Good for Them

2008-02-21T13:40:00.001-06:00

I hope they win.

Brits Know What's Up

2008-02-21T11:22:00.001-06:00

i don't care what anyone says, i love that damn rihanna "umbrella" song. and i love the klaxons. and they performed "umbrella" together at the Brit awards. it's super. great lights, if i do say so myself.

Music is My Hot Hot Sex

2008-02-21T10:44:00.004-06:00

playboy does a "Sex and Music" issue apparently (one and the same if you ask me...) and in this year's issue are pics of Daft Punk, Hot Chip, Iggy, the Shins, Duran Duran and Gogol Bordello.

no one's naked, and apparently Iggy even kept his shirt on. whywhywhy?

also, a bunch of people have designed shirts with the bunny and whatnot. look at the Daft Punk shirt!!!

obviously, the bunny robot heads are Daft Punk's work; the other one is done by Hot Chip.

"That was the night everything changed..."

2008-02-20T16:31:00.006-06:00

i don't think i'll ever stop loving Liquid Swords. i'm serious. i'm never not in the mood to listen to that album, especially the title song. it's the simplest beat, there's nothing fancy there, just the RZA and the GZA doin' it.

i remember when i was like 13 or 14 and worked with my brother at my dad's driving range and he'd drive me to work and he must've just gotten this album or something, because he played it constantly. and i remember thinking how bizarre all the spoken word intros to the songs were...and being mildly scared by the one that was on "Liquid Swords." it took a few more years for me to really appreciate the perfection of the album.

what i wouldn't do to have been able to see one of those shows where the entire album was performed.

siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh.

wu-tang foreva, yo.

bee.tea.dubs., this is a still from my most favoritest vignette in Jim Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes. it's really great. youtube it. you'll be thankful.

Dear Rumplemintz,

2008-02-20T11:52:00.003-06:00

we're over.

i mean it this time. yes, we've had some good times, but after a night with you, i generally wake up feeling dirty. and borderline suicidal.

it's not you, it's me. i just can't do this to myself anymore.

maybe someday, we can be friends again, but for now...i think it's best if we see other people.

respectfully yours,
sarah

Sometimes I Wonder

2008-02-19T16:32:00.003-06:00

if i'm lame because i still really like Brothers Past.

i mean, my tommy hamilton obsesh aside (so over it. sort of.), i still really like the music. and listen to This Feelings Called Goodbye and a live show that i stole from marksparks of the illadelph a little while back. i'd really like to see them again, too, but that whole American Babies/BioDiesel (yay!!) situations seem to be what's what for now. and i don't even know if they stray from the east coast.

oh well. i suppose for now i'll just have to think about all the times i saw them at the 8x10...starting years and years ago. and starscape this year. and a bajillion other times, too...

but seriously, am i super lame?

Dear The Wire,

2008-02-19T14:03:00.002-06:00

it's really no secret that i love you more than anything else in this whole wide world. i spout your praises everywhere i go, and really, you're the only thing i care to talk about. i get annoyed with people who aren't into you like i am, and i most certainly pass (negative) judgement on people who don't like you, or rather, have never even watched you. because really...who on earth would watch you and NOT like you? i'm bothered that the lady who sits next to me at work, of whom i urged to watch you (her husband does; at least someone knows good television in that family...), suggested i start watching The Shield when i lamented to her about you ending in two episodes. as if. how dare she compare you to that. you are without compare, and i'm offended that anyone would even attempt to do so.

anyhow, you're the shit. your writing is fucking stellar, your actors are the most amazing on any show, and despite the fact that you are set in perhaps one of the most downtrodden American cities, you somehow manage to portray her with some sort of grace...some respect. your stories may involve scandal and murder and drugs and such, but somehow Baltimore is never shat upon. in fact, watching you makes me miss my city.

you are the only television show that makes me cry. i still remember sobbing at the end of the first season, when Poot and Bodie killed Wallace. and when Stringer got got--jesus christ...i loved him. and i can't tell you how many times i found myself teary eyed during the fourth season either. and seriously...this season...?

i don't really know quite what to do once you're gone. shall i start all over from season 1 (which, btw, i've already watched 3 times)? shall i watch with a closer eye, and knowing how the story ends, will i notice details, characters, and themes that i didn't notice before?

i'm sort of in awe about how amazing you are. i think perhaps what it comes down to (besides the enthralling story, the amazing writing, and the characters that evoke emotion) is that despite the fact that you are specific in regards to setting and storyline, you really traverse the bounds of what modern storytelling is. especially that told through television. you somehow manage to hold every single literary theory, theme, and method in each episode and character, and have somehow managed to make Shakespeare relevant in the Baltimore drug game. you have translated the Byronic hero (my absolute favorite character in all of literature, fyi) to the modern streets, with Omar (my absolute favorite character ever. barack and i are so on the same wavelength). and you are perhaps the most tangible representation of Chekhov's Gun (umm, Bubbles' bad junk...? Sherrod's death...?) it really is quite amazing.

anyhow, i just wanted to let you know how much i love you.

love, always and foreva',
sarah

ps, i don't know if you're aware or not, but there's a really stellar column on the New York Times online about you every week. it's really quite good.

Dear Long Underwear,

2008-02-19T09:12:00.002-06:00

i don't care how un-sexy you are. i love you. you are great, especially when it's -4 degrees and windy out and my train decides that it's not going to stop at my stop and i have to walk an extra 3 blocks, in addition to the 6 that i already must suffer through.

love always,
sarah

SHOES!

2008-02-18T15:33:00.005-06:00

i'm a shoe s-l-u-t. it really doesn't matter what kind of shoes at all...shoes are shoes and i need them, i want them, i fantasize about them...i spend a good amount of time looking at shoes online--not necessarily with the intention to buy anything, per se, but more to ogle lasciviously...shoes are my porn.

anyhow, i've been even shoe hungrier lately, but i've been logical and thrifty with my purchases. i've been going for the shoes that will bring me happiness--long term--as opposed to springing for the sexy shoes that make me drool but with inevitably just hurt me in the end...

annnnnnyhow, i finally got rain boots this weekend. because it rains, snows, or otherwise precipitates almost on the constant out here in the city of wind. and i'm tired of showing up to work with my pant cuffs sopping wet and covered in snow, slush, or salt stains. the galoshes were also on sale, so that was even better. practical in every way. and then i ducked into this store called Untitled that carries stuff that i can not afford, nor can necessarily pull off, but it's fun to dream. and i've been searching for new sneakers because i'm pretty unhappy with my boring tan and brown dunks that i got last year. i need some color. i need some spice.

so i got some Nike Blazer mid-tops. i'm looking for a picture of them to show you, but i can't find them anywhere. let's just say they're pretty fucking tacky. but in a fun way. maybe.

anyhow, looking at ridiculous sneakers yesterday got my blood pumping for Nikes all over again (though, what i really, truly want are the regular old black and white checked Vans slip ons. seriously. why doesn't anywhere carry them anymore?). so i'm all revved up over sporty shoes again and spent some time today looking at sneaker blogs (seriously, there is a blog for everything these days...). and i found shoes i want even more than the ones i currently own. look how fabulous they are:

ahhh! like the composition books of yore...god i fucking want these so badly.

and then these, just because i bomb atomically:

Funny, But True

2008-02-18T15:04:00.003-06:00

haven't written anything in a while. nothing really to say. well, not necessarily true, but nothing to broadcast over the internets.

my cute-as-a-button coworker sent me this link the other day and i've been laughing ever since. laughing because it's funny, and because well...it's oh-so very true.

go here if you want the truth.

It was Inevitable

2008-02-14T16:03:00.002-06:00

it's the 14th of february, fyi. in case you were unaware. and though i'm not really so sprung on this holiday and never really have been (its kind of embarrassing in a way...), i'm commemorating it in this blog.

i went into my Yahoo email and there was a story on the front page of Yahoo about what flowers mean. so i clicked on it, for shits and giggles and found that my very favoritest flower ever, the Tiger Lily, is a symbol of wealth and pride.

i find this insanely apropos. except for that whole wealth thing.

just thought i'd share.

BOOKS!

2008-02-13T14:48:00.002-06:00

NPR has an interesting little book blurb today. and i'm going to run out this weekend and get it. actually, i'll probably end up ordering it, because i'm pretty sure this isn't one of those books that i'll be able to just scoop up at Borders or something. not that i'd want to go downtown in the masses of tourists anyways this weekend. but whatever.

so this guy is a Lit professor at Wake and has written a book called Against Happiness, which, from what i ascertain, basically argues against everybody being happy all the goddamn time. like i said, i haven't read it--i'm going to--but apparently this guy makes the argument that all of these artists [Virginia Woolf, Dylan Thomas (who, i've ironically been re-reading a lot of lately), Hemingway, Van Gogh] were all quite depressed in every clinical sense of the word--most of which also, relatedly, were severe addicts of some sort or another--but the pain of their lives brings joy and beauty to the lives of some since. i for one, as awful as this sounds, couldn't be happier that Dylan Thomas was a manic-depressive alcoholic. without that, i wouldn't have "Clown in the Moon." (my 3rd favorite poem of all time. they just don't write 'em like they used to...).

the author also points out our society's eagerness to over-prescribe meds for even "mild" sadness. one wonders if this over prescription of psychotrophic drugs may carry any of the types of consequences that the medical community is now seeing as a result of the over-prescription of antibiotics (drug-resistent viruses, etc.)...

anyhow, this looks interesting. i'll let you know how it is.

I Can't Believe I'm Posting This.

2008-02-13T13:53:00.001-06:00

when i first started watching this, i was sneering at the assholes in the crowd throwing up the DP pyramid. and as much as i hate Kanye West and wanted to turn this off, something told me not to. that outline of the pyramid was calling to me. i'm glad i didn't turn it off, because the ROBOTS WERE ON THE GRAMMY'S!!!! in their flashy new suits from the ALIVE tour and everything! i also was intrigued by the over-the-shoulder shots of their set-up...

i still hate Kanye though, especially after he broke into the god-fucking-awful song about his mom. i cannot begin to even express how much i hate him. and i'm not even really sure why. prolly because he jocks his own dick harder than anyone else ever would and he's a bitchy little cry-baby when he doesn't get his way. and i'm over the arrogance.

anyhow, the robots were on TV (their first appearance...?) and i love them still.

even though Keyspan Park was way fucking cooler...

i want to go back.

I Just Came in my Pants

2008-02-13T12:20:00.002-06:00

seriously. i don't care what anyone says, this should be interesting, if not sorta awesome. i mean, she has sung before. and clearly she has good taste in music. she's covering tom waits. and she can't be all that bad, because one of my rock dieties, david bowie *sigh*, is doing the tom waits' cover with her. yes. WITH her.

you may notice that miss johansson pops up on this page a lot. it's mainly because i'm in love with her. and i would totally switch teams for her. there's just something about that husky voice of hers.

When

2008-02-12T21:34:00.001-06:00

am i going to get paid for listening to music and writing?

that would be like, the awesomest thing ever. in the whole entire world. and i'm really good at it.

fuck. i gotta get on that lottery thing. or that rich old man thing. one or the other.

Super Awesome: MGMT

2008-02-12T13:14:00.000-06:00

ahhh...it was only a matter of time before i waxed poetic on MGMT (pronounced The Management, for people like my darling Eric). i've been hearing the whispers, seeing things written places about 'em, and just hadn't really found the time/couldn't remember to check 'em out. i finally did. i'm not sure really what prompted me. it was sometime like 3 weeks ago or so...maybe...something like that...? whatever. and i am extremely late to this party. i know. whatevs though. music is music. and somehow, like cosmically or something, MGMT found its way into my ears at precisely the right moment in time.

you know, i don't know all that much about 'em [besides the fact the album cover for Oracular Spectaular (seriously? how fucking brilliant and wonderful is that title? i.love.it.) is sort of like, one of the hottest things i've laid my eyes upon...] and i'm not going to pretend that i do. you just really really really REALLY need to check them out.

mild electronic shit...instruments...i can't really put my finger directly on their sound (a good thing, i suppose), but i'm currently blown away by their lyrics. (what can i say? words get me.) thematically it seems as though MGMT is going through a quarter-life crisis/coming of age type situation. or maybe i feel that way because i think i am doing just that, and have magically and self-obsessively equated every utterance to myself and my life. i mean, like, it IS all about me, right? (btw, i stand firm in my belief that with music all that really does matter is what it means to the listener--trust me, zach and i have gotten into heated debates about this, mainly in regards to LCD's "All My Friends" versus "Someone Great." and, again, i don't care what anyone says, what critics say, or how trite and cliche "All My Friends" is; it is like, one of my defining songs of '07. it sort of epitomizes exactly the thoughts traveling through my head during this past year.)

alas. i digress.

MGMT makes songs that sound good, that i would dance to (well, some anyways...), and songs that, for some reason or another, have this incredibly apropos and profound way of affecting me right now. simply put: i'm so emo for MGMT. (we're talkin like, Smiths style emo here...it's real bad...).

i cannot name a favorite tune--all i know is that "Electric Feel" is kinda sexy and that "Destrokk" has me inexplicably entranced. do ya'self a favor: buy, borrow, or steal some MGMT soon. and then lock yourself in your room and write in journal.

The Mood Is Gone

2008-02-12T11:28:00.000-06:00

...and i have Tucker Max to thank for it. (or, rather, Brkn for bringing this to my attention. seriously, what would i do without the MD/IL email chains that take place during Brkn, Zach and my monotonous 9-5 workdays...?)

let me preface what i'm about to write with the fact that as a female, i should not find Tucker Max even remotely hilarious, but i do. i can't help it. we'll just say that i appreciate his candid writing style, and his unabashed asshole-ness--something we can all relate to. (or, maybe that's just me. whatever.) and though as of late, it seems as though every "memoir" published has been countered with someone's declarations of the levels of "truthiness" (to borrow from Steven Colbert) of the contents of said memoir, i must say, i don't even care if Max's stories are true or false. they are disgustingly hilarious.

if you think you can stomach it, read this. WARNING: feces, vomit, and sex are involved. and grotesquely intertwined.

Because I'm in a Cunt of a Mood

2008-02-12T08:38:00.000-06:00

sometimes, there are certain people in this office who's voices just make me want to throw myself from the window. i'm not even being remotely facetious.

currently, the discussion is about working out, valentine's days with their "men" (barf. i hatehatehate when chicks call their significant others their "man"), and the baked goods they whipped up last night!!! oooh!!

is their something wrong with me that i find this sort of domestic, Donna Reed chit chat completely vapid and slightly obnoxious...?

all that said, i'm in a cunty ass mood today. fyi.

If the People in My Office Could Hear My Ipod

2008-02-11T14:16:00.000-06:00

...they'd think i was insane. seriously. i have my headphones in and am enjoying spankrock and benny blanco's dirty as hell EP and just sort of stopped for a moment and listened to lyrics. jesus christ. you know how sometimes you just kind of absentmindedly listen to stuff? without really paying attention...? yeah. wow.

it's so raunchy, that i had to switch to something a little more mild...i like, got paranoid that my earphones were too loud and my co-workers could hear what i was listening to...

regardless, this EP makes me want to get hot and sweaty. you should check it out. plus, the cover art for the vinyls are fucking amazing, not to mention the publicity shots on the spank's myspace...hilarious.

On Friday in Bmore, I was wearing short sleeves outside.

2008-02-11T09:08:00.000-06:00

...it was a balmy -1 for my trek to work this morning.

I'm leaving on jet plane...

2008-02-08T09:16:00.000-06:00

goodbye snow.

Despite my Aversion to Old People

2008-02-07T13:20:00.000-06:00

i'm am very much looking forward to Young at Heart. i saw the previews for it when i went to see Juno earlier this year and it made me smile. read the background on these old people. it'll make you smile too. i promise.

Super Awesome: Hot Chip, "Made in the Dark"

2008-02-07T09:50:00.001-06:00

so, thanks to my super awesome internets browsing skillz, last night i stocked up on new music. not neccessarily newly released, but new-to-me music. hurrah. however, one of the new-all-around albums i managed to get my greedy little paws on was the new Hot Chip.

this has been a highly anticipated release in my world; Ange brought Hot Chip into my life sometime last year and Tom, Leigh, Ange and I danced are asses off at the 930 Club show last spring. (Ange later got up close and personal with "Big" Al...and has photographic proof...but that's neither here nor there). I obsessively listen to Dj Kicks and The Warning and was so super duper stoked when I found out they were working on a new album. especially when i read a post on their myspace blog a while back that mentioned that wrestling was the main theme. (March 23, 2007 blog...).

so, i've been impatiently waiting...tapping my foot, drumming my fingers, scanning the web for accidentally leaked tracks, etc. bought my tickets to the show at the Vic in April, was pleased to see them on the Coachella lineup...and finally, finally, I have gotten my hands on the album.

i'd read contradicting reviews--some saying it was the ultimate dance party, others saying it was a more rock infused record than The Warning. and then i heard the "Made in the Dark" single and was slightly put off by its lullaby-ish sound...needless to say, i was chomping at the bit for its US release.

i got it last night and put it on for my trek to work. standing on the platform, listening to the first track, "Out At the Pictures" i was fighting every urge in my body to not just bust out and shake my ass. "Ready for the Floor" also brought this reaction. and i discovered that ALL of the reviews i'd read were correct. it is ultra dance-y (thank christ), and does has more rock elements. and there are a coupla slowish songs. (slow, not boring).

i'm currently on my second full listen of the album and i'm loving every second of it. so amped on the Vic show in April... gotta find good dancing shoes because lord knows it will be the dance party of the century. (besides, perhaps, the Week of Awesome, Part Deux in March: Simian Mobile Disco, Digitalism, Diplo AND Justice...all within 7 days of eachother. are you effing kidding me?!)

i'm also loving the clever lyrics on this album. i must say, i'm smitten over "Wrestlers", with lyrics like:

"Here we come, drop kick/Half nelson, full nelson, Willie Nelson, Willie Nelson/Body slam, suplex, Headlock, somer-slam/Elbow drop, jelly-flop/Cage match, grudge match"

i've also found my new motto. maybe. whatever, i love this line from "Hold On":

"I'm only going to heaven/If it feels like Hell/I'm only going to Heaven/If it tastes like caramel"

anyway, long story short: this album is fucking awesome. you really should get it and listen to it and dance to it. and buy tickets to see them when they tour. it's gonna be the sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet. best believe.

Snow Day!

2008-02-06T13:57:00.000-06:00

since i wrote the last blog bitching and whining about snow, my company president has sent out an email saying we get an early dismissal today because of the shitty weather. FYI, since i last wrote, the sleet and freezing rain has turned into an all out blizzard-type situation. marghhh. i'm actually thinking about biting the financial bullet and cabbing it home as opposed to that train. the train would mean an extra 8 blocks. a whole 8 BLOCKS. sheesh.

anyhow, if i decide to be cheap (like i usually am), this will be me walking home:

In Case I Haven't Bitched To You Yet

2008-02-06T13:48:00.000-06:00

the weather sucks in chicago right now. srsly. i'm over it. i want to go to sleep and wake up in May.

about 16 inches of snow last week, rain yesterday that turned into sleet and freezing rain overnight and this morning (pelting me in the face during my 6 block walk to my office from the train), and apparently we're supposed to get a foot of actual snow this afternoon and night.

i know people in the south had some shit happen yesterday, what with tornadoes and whatnot, but i am going insane with this weather.

and my hair is doing some really fucked up shit right now. apparently you can't cut crazy curls/weird waves out of your hair. ugh.

looking very forward to my weekend vacay in the mid-atlantic. to see my peoples, but mainly to get out of this shitstorm.

Proenza Schuler

2008-02-05T13:39:00.000-06:00

so, okay. i'm fairly obsessed with all things Proenza Schuler. especially the lovely gentlemen behind the label, Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez. i must admit though, i'm not totally in love with their entire collection though. in fact, there's not much i really like.

except of course, their color pallet. see?

i especially love that acid green/yellow and purple combo. and the navy blue and red one. and purple and orange. and the shoes are great. all of them.

ps, i'm very excited to see that colored tights aren't going anywhere.

also, just because--here is my favorite part of Proenza Schuler:

Dear Betsey

2008-02-05T10:04:00.000-06:00

i love you. though i don't always love your clothes, i will always and forever love your spirit. and your cartwheels. you, my friend, are the bee's knees.

and i must say that i am even more enamored of you after i read that you had copies of On the Road for the front row at your show.

and while i'm not sure i could really pull off much of your collection (because i'm not rich and i'm not skinny and i'm not that hip at all...wompwompwommmmp), here are some things that i find fabulous:

in case you can't tell, that strapless red dress? the print is guns!!! how gangsta, but not at all. and i know that denim jumpsuits are usually not a good idea, but there is something so 70's chic and charming about that one there on the right. i can't help but like it. of course, this look should never be attempted unless one is at least 5'10" and 100 pounds.

last but not least, i'm ob.sess.ed. with this dress:

i mean, really...? bright blue?! off the shoulder?! sweater dress?!?!! there is nothing not to love about this. except maybe the red tights. i would not do that. unless it was the 4th of july. and it was unseasonably frigid.

in conclusion, i love you betsey. i wish we could be friends. i think you'd make a great friend. lots of fun. the kind of friend that would want to dress up in wacky clothes and have photo shoots on a saturday night instead of going out a getting drunk and not remembering anything the next day.

love,
sarah

Confessions

2008-02-04T15:58:00.000-06:00

1. I finally understand what the fuss about M.I.A. was/is. (Sorta.) I cannot stop listening to that damn "Paper Planes" song. I especially like the remix with Rye Rye (a Bmore baby--literally, a baby; she's like 16 or something). I still refuse to go bat-shit crazy over her, but I will say this--she's going on the Pod and will probably enjoy heavy rotation.

2. I desperately want a Gucci bag. Let me clarify: I want a vintage Gucci bag. Does that make it better? After all this crap I've been spewing about logo bags--there's just something about that little bitty G print and that pretty red stripe. I'm currently in a war on ebay for a tote or the speedy bag...we shall see...

Super Awesome: The Virgins and Ra Ra Riot at Schubas

2008-02-03T10:27:00.000-06:00

hi-yooo! it's sunday, it finally stopped snowing (after about a foot during the week), and it's fairly mild right now--28 degrees. (odd how my perception of what's cold and what's not has changed so quickly...)

on friday, after two straight days of snow, tommy and i ventured up to lakeview to go to one of the best venues i've been to in this city thus far.

anyhow, a while back, i happened upon the virgins myspace page and instantly loved them. when we went to brooklyn this summer for the Daft Punk show, i was bound and determind to find a Virgins show whilst there. and a Vampire Weekend show, for that matter. neither worked out. the Virgins were quite allusive during that period and Vampire Weekend was playing a free show at the same time we had other things scheduled (either the jazz show or the ted leo/thermals show @ McCarren...i can't remember), and they were also opening for Tokyo Polic Club in hoboken, but that show was sold the eff out. dang. anyhow, we managed to slip into the Bowery one night for TPC and the band that opened for them was Ra Ra Riot. we both really loved them immediately: 1) the name fucking rocks and 2) they have strings! glorious strings! not to mention they were just super great all around.

cut to a few weeks ago when both tom and i were feverishly attempting to locate tix to Cut Chemist and DJ Shadow, but had ZERO luck. (people on craiglist were offering $100 per ticket and still, no one was giving theirs up. dang. let's cross our fingers for a second date here, which is the rumor i read somewhere a few days ago.)

to appease the heart-broken tom, i asked him if he'd be interested in Ra Ra and the Virgins at Schubas. mehhhh...he wasn't feelin it, still holdin out for Cut Chemist (who IS super great...i saw him for free a few years back at Artscape in bmore). as the days grew nearer, tom came to terms with the fact that there was NO WAY IN HELL that we'd be able to get into that show, so finally he succumbed to my offering on Monday. and, because we've gotten BURNED several times before by not buying tix in advance for good shows that we think no one else will go to (seriously, chicago kids like good music way more than Bmore/DC kids--a sad fact, but oh so true), i dished out $10 per ticket on Tuesday to assure entry. (the cool things about Schubas is that even if you can't get into the music room, you can hear it from the bar. but really, that's sometimes worse...hearing the awesomeness but not getting to see it? plus dancing in the bar area can be a bit awkward...)

so we went and i'm amped i thought ahead to get tix because it was, as predicted, sold the eff out. sweet.

the Essex Channel, a local act, was playing the end of their set when we got there. didn't hear the whole thing, but what i did hear, i sorta got down with. (btw, i really want to provide you with a link to a web page or myspace page or something for them, but i can't find one. allusive little fellas.) they all were wearing fun suits and ties, which i like.

then the Virgins came on. i srsly love them. the lead singer reminds me of a young Ramone...joey, maybe...? anyway, they were super great. fun and total rock 'n roll, which i dig. and of course, they finished with "Rich Girls" which i swear, too many people know from its appearance on Gossip Girl. not hating, just a little weirded out by it. chalk it up to a music producer with awesome taste on the show...? whatevs. also, the bassist/guitar player on one sing, Nick...? he's my new faux boyfriend. look how cute he is:

anyhow, next up was Ra Ra Riot. as i mentioned previously they have a strings section. Arcade Fire-ish, but so not. i read recently on someone else's blog that they are Arcade Fire without the pretension. and i absolutely agree. not a speck of pretension here. just two hot chicks playing cello and violin, rocking the eff out. and four guys rocking out. seriously, tom and i were wondering how they'd all fit on the tiny stage at Schubas. they did, but as i'd predicted, Rebecca (violinist) definitely came close to poking out some eyes a coupla times with the frantic bow of hers. which only made it more super awesome.

i can't say enough good things about Ra Ra Riot. really, i can't. they are the band that seems like they geniuinely fucking LOVE what they're doing. they smile and dance and really, truly look they honestly are having a blast. and that's always a treat. because seriously, touring bands have the best jobs on the planet and i really get annoyed when a band gets onstage all sullen-like and doesn't look like they're enjoying themselves.

the other super cool thing was that they came back for TWO encores. and the lead singer (who also jams on the keys a bit!) made the comment that that was the first time they'd ever come back twice. i don't know if that's the truth, but either way, it's rare that a smallish "indie" band at a tiny venue does that. so that was even cooler, ya know? and despite the fact that it was ridiculously hot in there by the time they were done (rocking out under hothot lights is tuff, guys), they got right back onstage and just jammed.

this was one of the best shows i've been to in a while. even though i've been seeing some pretty kickass music lately.

the greatest thing is that Ra Ra is playing the Double Door (just one L stop away from me!!!) in march and i'm definitely getting tix. yay! hi, Ra Ra Riot, you're my band of the week (maybe month!) i love you.

oh yeah, and i have the most major girl crush on Rebecca (the violinist). she's super talented, super cute, and rocks out with that violin of hers. plus i like how she sings every song even though she doesn't have a mic. it's cute. look, she's super awesome:

PS, as you may or may not know, Vampire Weekend's full length was release this past tuesday. you should get it. also, do yourself a major favor and listen to Ra Ra Riot. trust me, you'll be amped. (and for those of you in the DC/Bmore area, they're playing the Black Cat soon. check.them.out.)

O.t.i.s. will Love This

2008-02-01T09:03:00.000-06:00

what is this delightful knitted masterpiece, you ask?

why it's a bacon and egg ear warmer for your cat!!!

(ps, i will not take credit for finding this amazing piece of craft work. the chicagoist is a great website and i love it.)

In All Seriousness

2008-01-31T14:17:00.000-06:00

okay, so not to be all american and celebrity obsessed and stuff, but i have something to say about this heath ledger business.

*ahem*

what the fuck is wrong with the people in this country/world?! a man died and people are treating it like a fucking freak show, circus. it's disgusting. what's even more disgusting is the people who went to stand outside the apartment he passed away in, hoping to get a glimpse of a body bag. what for?! to say that you saw a bag containing the expired body of a young man whom you didn't know? also, you know what else i find mildly disturbing? that people who didn't know him at all probably found out about his death before his family. before his child. before people who actually knew him and are actually experiencing tremendous grief right now.

and this business with all the tabloids--both online and print--giving minute by minute "updates" about his death and regurgitated speculations as to how exactly he died...? it's fucking despicable. i'm not going to even try and lie--i read the stuff that was being posted on the internet on the day of his death and i've read stuff since then. but with each entry and article i read, i become more and more grossed out. and mad.

why does it matter HOW he died? especially why does it matter to people who don't know him? who will just forget about him by next week, once the tabloids have something more exciting to talk about (probably the death of britney spears or something).

i'm taking this personally. i really am. this whole thing reminds me of something that happened in my life, several years ago. a close friend passed away unexpectedly, suddenly and when the people in his life of whom he meant something to went to his home (where he had passed) to be with each other. to provide comfort to each other, to his family, to him. and i remember standing outside of the house, chain smoking and crying and seeing neighbors who didn't mean anything to him standing on the edges of their driveways, waiting expectantly for something. what? i'm not sure. but they were standing and staring. and huddling together, whispering speculations of what had happened.

and then a few days before his viewing, i stumbled upon a blog some girl who sort of knew him, but was by no means close to him, had written about his passing. she claimed, with assuredness that he had overdosed on coke, and used his story as a "warning" to her friends.

at this point in time toxicology tests had not come back, nor was this girl with him when he had passed. she was merely reciting heresay, rumors...as tend to happen in a small town. or in a huge world obsessed with the lives of celebrities and tragedy.

the thing about death is that it's final. when it happens, someone, somewhere is affected by it. someone is grieving over it. it means something to someone, and it probably is making someone's life incredibly difficult. it's never a happy thing. ever. someone was sad when hitler died. someone was sad when saddam hussein was executed. death--whether expected or not--is a jarring reality that is sometimes difficult to swallow.

i sort of feel that when people die, it should be the one and only time in their lives that they really should be honored in some way. they should be able to pass on with dignity behind them. at least for a while.

why does it matter how someone died? all that matters is that they're dead and that the people who knew them will never see them in the here-and-now again. the chance is gone. all that matters is that it happened. and that at one time, they were alive.

i'm disgusted by allegations of drug use and rehab stints and "sources" giving up "information" about a time they saw a person who has passed away do something undesirable or illegal or unhealthy or untrue. it's disgusting that anyone would even for a second think about spending money to purchase a video from 2 years ago that allegedly depicts the deceased being at a party with drugs (the video shows no drug use by ledger, nor does it show anything incriminating on his behalf). thankfully, someone had some fucking couth and the shows that were set to air this video have sinced pulled the video from airplay.

the trailer that Entertainment Tonight was playing for the video says something about "clues to his death!" and then shows pictures of John Belushi and the hotel where the "party" from two years prior had taken place. 2 YEARS PRIOR. because someone's presence at a party from 2 YEARS PRIOR will absolutely give clues as to how a young man passed away.

and may i reiterate: IT DOES NOT FUCKING MATTER HOW HE PASSED AWAY.

i'm grossed out that i even am paying enough attention to write this blog.

i just really think that our culture has somehow erased the lines of privacy and decency and thinks that because it sees pictures of someone "being normal" in some tabloid magazine, that somehow they should be privy to the extremely intimate details of their life or death.

just stop.

Because Its So Cooooooold Out Today

2008-01-30T15:30:00.001-06:00

i desperately wish i had a coat like this one:

it looks like it'd be a big blanket wrapped around you.

This Dress is Awesome

2008-01-30T14:06:00.000-06:00

it's a hamburger!

Dear CTA

2008-01-30T09:11:00.000-06:00

what the eff?!?! you got your effing funding--why suddenly are you running slowly and sporadically, with the too-frequent-for-my-taste breakdowns?! i'm tired of it. seriously. srsly.

please get your shit together so that i can get to work on time and don't have to stand outside for half an hour when its cold. and please stop breaking down in the middle of the tunnel six times on my way home from work when i just.want.to.get.home.

sincerely,
sarah

Spitting Mad

2008-01-29T17:44:00.001-06:00

i left work early today because i am sick. so i walked my ailing butt 6 blocks in the rain and got on the train and the only seat was next to a dirty man who smelled of hotdogs. anyhow, i sat down and at the next stop, some old, filthy lady who reeked of alcohol and was screaming in a mixture of polish and english (the only words i could make out were "God" "Fuck" and "It's your fault") at some young latina girl. the latina girl walked to the back of the train and got away from her and the crazy lady continued yelling. then she started yelling at me. i was staring out the window, ignoring her. she walked away a little bit, yelling about "God...Fuck...It's all your fault!" and i thought i was in the clear.

i wasn't.

she came back to me, yelling some more.

and then she spit on me.

I'm Obsessed

2008-01-28T16:11:00.000-06:00

with this guy, Jorge Oswaldo. i just stumbled upon him after breezing through some interior design blogs.

he's originally from Chicagoland (born in El Salvador) and is extensively learned in various forms of art. he now does "paintings" with vinyl stickers.

they're effing amazing. i'm mildly in love with Frondescence.

someone buy me it. please.

Why I Don't Heart Perez

2008-01-28T13:18:00.000-06:00

for new years, i was going to give up Perez. 1) because for some reason, his comments and quips really annoy me, 2) because ever since i saw him on television, i cannot get that nasal annoying voice of my head, and 3) because i'd found someone new who was funnier.

well, i haven't actually been able to let go of Perez. i check in a couple times of week still--mainly on lunch breaks. i read my other guy (A Socialite's Life) regularly though.

i have decided just now that i really am done with Perez. for all the reasons i listed above, but now, especially because i am SO FUCKING ANNOYED with his music blurbs. i sometimes feel like he has flipped open an issue of Blender or Spin or something and just like, recycles what he reads.

what did it for me this time: his summation of Chromeo. because like, they are a brand new act that no one's ever heard before. don't get me wrong, i love Chromeo and i am constantly guilty of being late to the party (musically, cinematically, fashion-aly, etc.), but i don't have a website that a bazillion people read. ugh. you know, i realize that makes no sense. whatever. for some reason i am beyond annoyed about this Chromeo post.

i mean, seriously...how can i be expected to take a person seriously when they write about the Jonas Brothers (who the eff are they, anways?!!!), Paula Abdul, and Chromeo all in the same post?

and FYI, Perez, liking Daft Punk and Justice isn't neccessarily a good litmus for Chromeo fans.

and yes, i am raging music snob.

My Super Sweet Weekend

2008-01-28T11:48:00.000-06:00

ahhh, 'twas a busy-ish weekend and i didn't feel nerdy enough to blog or anything like that. i was too busy getting drunk. oops. (fyi, i'm not a raging alcoholic, in fact it's quite the opposite: i rarely imbibe the way i used to and my tolerance has dropped to that of a junior high school girl who has discovered that boone's farm actually tastes like juice and if you drink enough, you'll get shitty--and an awful stomachache)

i played hooky on friday because i woke up feeling icky, but that went away after i slept for another 3 hours. then i target-ed. and almost went on a homicidal rampage in the linens section because there were approximately 3500 housewives with their unruly asshole children running all over the damn place. seriously, people: the isles aren't that wide; if you walk 2 abreast with carts and children trailing behind you, you effectively block THE ENTIRE ISLE FOR ANYONE ELSE. let's do this in an orderly fashion. one behind another. like a road. one behind another. that allows for people to come at you from the opposite direction, and, if your fat ass is going to slowly, it allows for the person behind you pass you and get on with their life, instead of wasting an hour in a wondrous superstore. dammit.

anyhow we all went to some bar called the Blue Line (ironically, right under the damen blue line el stop...) friday night and got shitty. what else was there to do? it was packed with d-bags and the stereo was playing godawful Top 40 music.

saturday we ordered bad meditterean food from some place called Reza's (which we won't do again). tom's dill rice had lima beans in it and my cous cous had raisins and weird vegetables and some sort of weird sauce in it...i don't know if that's how those dishes are supposed to be served, but it was gross. Babylon is way better.

managed to leave the house at 4 to go down to find some new winter snow boots at Akira's big store, but got flustered and didn't want to torture tom with my agonizingly long stay in the store, so we just left. saturday was NOT my day for retail therapy. i found nothing at Urban that i even remotely fancied (except for that Eazy Does It shirt that i want badly but refuse to buy from Urban because a million other people will have it). i managed to find some sweet rock and republic jeans for half off at nordstrom rack, but am pretty sure they're defective because the legs are tight and the waist is big and if i don't wear a belt , they end up exposing some major ass cleavage. hmph.

anyhow, Saturday night was Dark Wave Disco night at Sonotheque and the Teenagers were playing.

we'd been to Sonotheque once before for a brief stint for their Sunday Reggae night, but didn't really stay for any length of time (we had places to be).

in an earlier post, i wrote about how i'd just "discovered" the Teenagers and how i loved them. their album came out on Tuesday and i love it. it's fun and funny and uses words like "cunt" and "slut" but in a completely hilarious, non-threatening, not over-used way. brilliant. anyhow, i was a bit skeptical as to whether or not they'd be good live, but i found a review of a show they'd played in LA or NYC or something and it said they were great live. i was still skeptical because hipsters and i generally have a different idea of what's good live... but they WERE good! i was so stoked! sounded clear and loud and just as great and hilarious as they do on the album. plus, there were DJs and it was a dance party. and i drank a lot of gin and got drunk there too. then we stuffed our faces with Arturo's and passed the eff out.

and Sunday i went to my guilty pleasure breakfast joint in Andersonville: Ann Sather. they serve awesome cinnamon rolls that are dripping with love juice, err, hot icing... heh.

and now i'm sick. so i guess the weekend was sort of worth it, but i'd rather be at home in bed sleeping.

Dear Rock of Love

2008-01-26T11:04:00.000-06:00

you are the greatest show ever.

love, sarah

I Think

2008-01-25T17:46:00.000-06:00

that i'm going to start wearing red lipstick.

it's so classic. and classy. and sassy. and sexy. and feminine. and pulled together.

see?

seriously...? ms. johansson can do no wrong. total girl crush. *sigh*

PR

2008-01-23T21:13:00.000-06:00

so, they're making things out of denim. and they had to run into a warehouse and grab all the jeans and jackets and white cotton they could to get materials for the challenge. and poor chubby chris, bless his artery clogged heart, runs slower than the rest. but i love him. and that dumb bitch victorya (seriously, who spells their name that way?!) totally claimed denim as her own that wasn't. she all but admitted it. a pair of jeans would be laying on the floor and she'd say, "Yeah, those are mine, I think." and chris is too sweet to be like, " 'Cha right, biotch! Finders keepers!" so he let her get away with it. it's okay though, they all got enough stuff.

jillian is making a coat. so is victorya. they worked together on a fierce coat last week. and jillian is pissed about it. wah wah wahhhh.

christian is being super young and totally gay and whining about stuff. and i think chris wants to punch him. ricky is pulling his whole low self esteem thing and is now name dropping all the designers he's worked with. valentino, oscar de la renta, vera wang. blah blah blah.

rami has talked about israel and how he's more fashion forward than american designers. because being 5 in israel totally determines how fashionable one will be.

sweet p, my wonderful tattooed love, talks about her wedding and how her husband has been supporting her financially. go girl!

jillian is totally copying the idea from last episode. a "futuristic coat." ummm...isn't that sort of like an "apocolyptic coat"...? you know, from last week?

victorya's coat looks like shit. and tim thinks so too.

tim thinks rami's has the potential to blow everyone away. thank christ denim cannot be draped.

chris is making a little dress that might be cute. we'll see.

now jillian is crying because she's "bleeding everywhere"...but no one sees the blood. rami and sweet p are trying to talk her out of her nervous breakdown. hopefully.

ricky...ricky's doing (surprise!!) something lingerie-y. a corset. because that's what he does, if you haven't heard. he designs LINGERIE. and wears hats. all.the.time. he even lets us in on a little secret: He sometimes makes HATS out of denim!!!!! of course he does!!! hats for everyone!!!

christian is kind of quiet right now--he got the whining and bitching and "dying of barfness" out of his system. he sort of did a 180 and started prancing around proclaiming he felt super manly working with denim, like he was in a parade. ummm, i don't know about you, but i don't necessarily associate manliness with parades. but that's just me.

oooh! commercial for top chef chicago!!! i love that show and i love that city! it's my new city! it's where i live, fyi! in case you haven't heard...

day 2: jillian is invigorated. maybe it's the cute outfit she's wearing. finally! not leggings!!! a flamenco-ish skirt, but it's cute. she's pulling it off. jillian has good hair, even though she's fucking bland and annoying.

chris...i love chris. he's fabulous and i want him to be my new gay.

victorya's jacket looks.like.shit. horseshit to be precise.

ricky loves his dress. sweet p is afraid hers is hippy dippy. denim has a tendency to do that. jillian is pissed about victorya's coat. she shouldn't worry though, it's fucking heinous.

shockingly, christian thinks he should win. even though he made a jean jacket and jeans. because that's very original. what with the jeans and jackets being the raw materials and all.

runway time!!!!

first up: chris. his dress is boring. 'nuff said. ricky's next. mehh. i could take or leave the dress. sweet p's dres is still hippy-ish, but it's kind of interesting the way she did the pattern. victorya's jacket is good from far but far from good. rami's dress is okay. christian's outfit is...jeans and a jacket. hurrah. jillian's jacket is pretty great, i think.

judging time. nina and michael kors like christian's outfit. hmph. they don't think chris' dress is timeless. nina's glad that rami didn't drape. me too. everyone likes ricky's dress!! yay ricky! now you won't cry!!! you can literally see his self esteem rising. whoop! he's crying. goddamn. he never stops the fucking waterworks. they're not really feelin' jillian's jacket. nina says it's overly complicated. levis lady thinks the red tabs are too much. michael says he wants to see a fabulous model, and her model is not. yay! they love sweet p's dress! it's very chic says michael. sweet p is grinning and glowing. victorya's jacket sucks. just like i thought. and she's trying to make it seem like it was hard work. and michael called the top of the jacket "reconnoitered". i love michael kors. that's a great word. he also said he'd wear sweet p's dress with the right shoes. god, i love gay men.

okay...here we go...who's in? who's out? heidi will tell us. rami's in. ricky won! he'll probably cry. levi's lady old her she wants to sell a limited edition of his dress on levis.com. cool. and he didn't cry!! he's grinning! yay. sweet p's in! christian is in. oh goodness...how tense. chris is in! yay!!!!! now it's down to the monotone bitches. let's hope it's victorya. i hate her and she's mean. jillian's in. yes! that means victorya's out!!! thank god! ding dong the witch is dead!!! backstage everyone is pretending they care. i bet none of them do though. fuck, i know no one cares.

previews for next week sort of insinuate that they will have to make clothes for strippers, or porn stars. or something slutty. i see glittery latex-y fabric. oooooh, it's gonna be good.

aufedershen! (or however the fuck you spell it)

2008-01-23T19:35:00.001-06:00

O.t.i.s. always looks this happy. We're a perfect match.

Look What Tom Gave Me

2008-01-23T14:17:00.001-06:00

because i heart jesus so much. i'm going to start wearing one under my eye like Nelly.

Something Less Hostile and More Lovely

2008-01-23T13:56:00.000-06:00

i wasn't all that amped on Erin Fetherston's Target line. i mean, clothes are cute, but only on someone who looks like Ms. Fetherston. tall, obscenely lanky, and a wee bit funny looking.

anywho, i'm veryveryexcite about the next GO! line. and i'm not sure when they announced who it was, but i'm most certainly late to this party. whatevs. i'm marking my calendar and lining up at my local Target, which btw, is awesome.

yay for jovovich-hawk! perfect for spring!

p.s. those shorts are going to be awesome for when I GO TO COACHELLA in april. boo.yah. mother effers.

You're a Fucking Idiot, or Why I Refuse to Talk About the War

2008-01-23T13:14:00.000-06:00

so, umm, this is the second installment of what i'm labeling my "Dumb Assholes" post. basically, it comes when i get stupid fucking forwards or read idiotic myspace bulletin.

this time i got a post about "The Troops"--one i've seen before, and find doubly infuriating this time around. the post is (for lack of a better word) propaganda, most certainly put together by raging republicans. the kind who hunt, wave confederate flags, say things like, "These colors don't run!" "Git 'er done!", and think Jeff Foxworthy is hilarious. (btw, he's not.)

anywho, the posts has a variety of pictures depicting soldiers and such, and between each picture it says things like, "You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.He doesn't get to eat today," "Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes. He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean," "You see only what the media wants you to see.He sees the broken bodies lying around him," "You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting," "You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded," and my personal fave, "You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.He still fights for your right to wear that shirt."

yeesh. where do i even begin...?

1. i don't have a maid. i don't make my bed but i do wash my own clothes. that's a dumb fucking sentence. at least have it make sense. i'm willing to bet that the majority of people in this world (especially those who are 'anti-war') probably don't have maids who make their bed and wash their clothes everyday. who the eff are we? a bunch of little orphan annies, living in daddy warbucks mansion?

2. while i agree that yes, the media (both right and left winged) chooses what to show. but the broken bodies? umm, don't mean to sound callous, but like...isn't the US some of the folks breaking said bodies? and p.s., the US isn't exactly an angelic, play by the rules kinda nation...

3. yes i criticize my government, and yes i'm pretty much married to the notion that i do not believe that war (especially wars started on false information) is really helpful in solving much. i think violence perpetuates violence and when the violence is more or less created because of a desire to democratize, westernize, or "civilize" another culture, it's sort of losing battle. and dumb. don't forget dumb.

4. i'm not sure i've ever really heard a joke about the war. nor have i really heard people making fun of soldiers. this may be naiive of me, but i think that since vietnam, we as a society have grown a bit, matured a (little) bit, and wised up a little bit. i'm not sure i've ever heard anyone making fun of a soldier. i think most people (and again, i may be entirely naiive on this right here) definitely make fun of the president (he's borderline retarded, i mean...) and definitely joke about him, but all in all realize (except for a handful of raging radical idiots) that the soldiers did not declare this war, they are merely pawns in an elaborate game of Stratego, and simply doing what their jobs are. no one faults them for that.

5. the funny thing about all of this is that what we're allegedly war-ing over is to bring democracy to these countries that we're ravaging and raping of culture and such. one of the wonderful things about democracy is the right to free speech, the right to protest, and the right to *gasp* think for oneself! so if someone were wearing a "Don't support the troops" t-shirt (again, a stupid fucking comment), that's their M.O. that's what we're allegedly fighting for Iraquis, Iranians, Afghanis, and all of the other "uncivilized" countries' consitutents, to have. right? so they'll be able to enjoy the benefits of a democratic society. including free speech. which is essentially what those t-shirts are. you follow?

in sum, i'd like to once again state that i am adamantly anti-war, adamantly anti-bush (the prez and the body part), and adamantly pro-troop. anti-war does not equal anti-troop. jesus fucking christ.

yeesh.

Hil? Barack?

2008-01-23T08:56:00.000-06:00

you're both disappointing me.

if you keep up these antics, i'm leaving both of you behind and gonna support John. Edwards, that is.

don't make me do it. we all know that he doesn't have a chance...

Learn It. Live It. Love It.

2008-01-22T15:37:00.000-06:00

srsly. this means you, mr. man-who-keeps-clearly-open-mouth-sneezing-without-attempting-any-sort-of-germ-spreading-prevention-on-the-other-side-of-the-cubicle-wall-from-me.

Dear Coachella

2008-01-22T12:49:00.000-06:00

i want you.

see you soon!

love,
sarah

When March (aka, Moustache Madness) Comes Back Around

2008-01-22T09:29:00.000-06:00

i will show my support by wearing this necklace:

the description on the website reads: "These necklaces are THE SLEAZIEST and THE BEST! This genius piece of jewelry doubles as an instant disguise for the shady girl on the go."

"I miss you/I wish you'd put yourself in my suitcase"

2008-01-21T15:00:00.000-06:00

Dear Jason Schwartzman,

I love you.

Always and Forever,
Sarah

i refuse to say that i was late to the Coconut Records party. i don't know exactly when i got this album, but it was definitely last spring. and since this debut was released in march '07, that means i wasn't that late to the party. especially considering tom called me the other day and was like, 'You should check out Coconut Records sometime. I heard 'em on XM.' and i was like, 'Oooh! Bust! Beat ya to it, bitch!' (really, those words were pretty much verbatim. tom and i are very competitive about our music finds. he swears he's winning, but i swear i should get extra points for my finds, because he's currently cutting them into his stuff. hmph.)

anyhow, Coconut Records is Jason Schwartzman's solo gig and the album is called "Nighttiming." it's super. i never really listened to Phantom Planet (except for that "California" song that I used to serenade Danielle with back in the day when we lived together and religiously watched The OC. which reminds me. have you seen Rachel Bilson's spread in GQ? she's cute. i love her. and she always has cute boyfriends. lucky gal.)...annnnnnyhow, Coconut Records is super. mellow. super mellow. and poppy, catchy, and very varied, if you ask me. for instance, "Slowly" reminds me faintly of a Ryan Adams-ish type thing, with gentle bluegrass-y twangs. Also, Brandon Boyd (of Incubus) and Zooey Deschanel (who i also lovelovelove) are on that track. Brandon whistles, Zooey sings. And Kirsten Dunst (who is enjoying her second mention on this blog thing!) sings on two songs also.

i've been listening to this record a lot again lately, 1) because i like to smugly remind myself how s-m-r-t i am for "finding" it and 2) because it's a supergreat album. nothing terribly complex and kuh-razy, but it's completely and 100% listenable, enjoyable, and loveable.

Coconut Records is just the icing on the i-love-jason-schwartzman-with-all-my-heart-and-soul cake. Coconut Records icing, with Rushmore and Shopgirl sprinkles.

Yes.

2008-01-21T13:41:00.001-06:00

Ducks

2008-01-21T13:11:00.000-06:00

my office building is right on the beautiful, picturesque, and absolutely clean chicago river. heh. anyhow, when i went outside for my midday ciggie butt, i was standing on the river side of the building and watching the plastic bags and various other pieces of garbage float by, when i noticed two ducks. i think they were boyfriend and girlfriend ducks, because one was a mallard and one was not. (btw, why are boy ducks--and boy animals, in general, prettier than the lady animals?) anyhow, they were floating around and then the boy duck did that thing where he sticks his head under water (to get food, presumably) and his little feather butt sticks straight up in the air. and i wondered--if i'm so effing cold just standing next to the river, how is it that he isn't freezing when he's under the water???

i am constantly perplexed by animals being able to not freeze their fur/feather covered asses off in this cold weather.

weh-heh-heather

2008-01-19T09:48:00.000-06:00

it's cold.

like 1 degree cold.

with a wind chill, my weather widget says it feels like -18 degrees.

just thought i'd share.

Why I Love Muiccia

2008-01-18T09:15:00.001-06:00

if i was really rich, i'd buy swarms of pretty clothes. proenza, chloe, and prada--OH MY! but alas, as i have yet to make it BIG in publishing, i am forced to--ugh--budget, and spend my cash on things like electricity and rent. *sigh* but i figure i should start planning how i'm going to spend my millions now, to make for efficiency when i am rolling in dough.

anyhow, i spend my days drooling over pretty clothes and can often be found with my nose pressed against the store window of various boutiques and stores in this clothes horse's dream town...(burberry, i'm sorry for the smudges on your window, but i want those t-strap platform sandals more than i want anything else in the entire world and i would do just about anything to have them in my closet...)

back to the effiency: i love miu miu and if given the opportunity would sculpt my entire wardrobe from their look book. and now my darling miuccia (anybody notice my obsesh with eye-talians as of late?) has put kirsten dunst in miu miu ads. and i love kirsten and her snaggle tooth, and absolutely adore the stuff she's hawking. here, look:

i want these sunglasses. you buy them for me.

either one of these bags will do, though i must say, i'm partial to the woven ones on top.

everyone needs a corset.

the stained glass motif on this dress would go quite nicely with the sunglasses.

the greatest party dress i've ever laid my eyes upon. and those shoes...!

i actually think i might look into these frames...i think new reading glasses would suit me nicely.

My Kinda Protest

2008-01-17T09:32:00.000-06:00

this is awesome.

those crazy eye-talians...some guy, Graziano Cecchini, dumped a half million of those plastic colored balls that are in the ball pit at Chuckie Cheese down the Spanish Steps in Rome. he was protesting.

apparently, the "garbage officials" in Naples stopped cleaning like, 3 weeks ago due to lack of space in the dumps, and since then trash has just been collecting in the streets. in an artistic (this dude calls himself an artist, and i, for one, agree wholly) demostration of trash in the streets, he and some other folks dumped all these balls down the steps. they were all over the Piazza di Spagna and the majority ended up in the Barcaccia Fountain.

this guy also dyed a fountain red in October.

i don't know about you, but i think this is perhaps the awesomest protest EVER. no real harm done (they're plastic balls, for christ's sake), and some sorta message got out, ya know?

Banksy and Cecchini should get together and do something REALLY fabulous.

Dear Project Runway

2008-01-16T21:36:00.000-06:00

i'm glad you've stepped up the challenges. i really liked last week's prom and i'm really into the avant-garde challenge tonight. and that tim gunn--always throwing a crazy, stylish wrench into things by telling the designers they had to make a ready-to-wear look as well!

Dear Jillian,

i think it's time you expand your style horizon past leggings. i mean, i love legging as well, but really, every day...? a little monotonous. you're a designer, an illustrator, you should have some more tricks up your sleeve. c'mon, lay-dee, let's see something non-lohan inspired.

Dear Christian,

i used to not like you. in the beginning, i found you to be contrived and annoying. now i love you. and i like your quirky, yet obvious hair. i also like how you are a creative, wonderful designer and wear clothes that are not. i think that's funny how you do that. even if you're not trying to be ironic, i think you are and i like it. way to go, bud.

Dear Chris,

i love you and i am glad they brought you back. even though we all know you will not win. you have a great attitude and i really liked your leopard print shirt and elvis pompadour that you wore to the runway this episode.

Dear Victoria,

i think you should take the pole out of your ass and speak in a voice that is not so fucking quiet and monotone.

Dear Sweet P,

i didn't think i was going to like you at the beginning either. but now i do. i like how you live up to your name, because you are so damn sweet. and you know what, Sweet P? i like the stuff you've done lately. even though Rami was tough on you this episode, i liked your dress. it was pretty.

Dear Rami,

you're cute. but nina's right--can you do anything besides draping?

Dear Kit,

you're cute, too. you have super personal style. and i liked your dress a lot last week. but you're kind of forgettable, otherwise. step it up, lay-dee--i want you to stick around.

Dear Ricky,

i wish you'd stop wearing hats. are you bald?

PR Fo'eva.

love always,
sarah

UPDATE: Right after I finished this, Kit got the axe. I should totally be a guest judge on PR. For serious, yo.

Dear Asha Salon

2008-01-16T21:17:00.000-06:00

i love my new haircut. it looks great. and i am excited about being a redhead too. brooke and jorie did great jobs. i also liked the cucumber water that you gave me when i came in. i think i might come back for some more stuff later. seeing as you're so close to my house and all.

if i may make a suggestion, though, please stop playing jack johnson albums. despite what some people might think, jack johnson is neither soothing nor terribly inspiring. he's cute, i'll give him that, and he surfs, which is always nice, but other than that...

i'm going to go and look at myself in the mirror for a while now. thanks!

love,
sarah

Dear Russian Ladies:

2008-01-16T12:34:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to say thanks for doing such an awesome job cleaning the office. You really do an exquisite job keeping shit straight. I've never been in a multiple stall restroom that's so clean, and always stocked with TP AND papertowels. It's like you guys have a sixth sense over when more needs to be brought in. Also, the food you eat for dinner always smells so good. I like to come into the kitchen to clean out my coffee cup before I leave every night because I know you'll both be in there, cooking food that smells good and chattering away in Russian.

Also, you're both effing adorable and I love you. I think that maybe we should be friends.

Love,

Sarah

words to live by

2008-01-15T13:58:00.000-06:00

Because Good Christians Hate People Who Aren't Like Them and Love Hypocrisy

2008-01-15T10:45:00.001-06:00

ugh. i'm thisclose to having my head explode.

myspace, the scion of idiocy (don't get me wrong, i'm a slave to mine), has once again offered a dumbass whore the opportunity to repost a ridiculous "bulletin" waxing philosophical about showing contempt for those who are not "good christians." today, i logged in and saw this post (verbatim as it appeared on the "bulletin", including headline):

"Subject:
PLEASE READ, WHY NOT TO VOTE OBAMA

Body: Who is Barack Obama?

Probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black MUSLIM from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white ATHEIST from Wichita, Kansas.Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii.

When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. His father returned to Kenya. His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL Muslim from Indonesia.When Obama was 6 years old, the family relocate to Indonesia. Obama attended a MUSLIM school in Jakarta. He also spent two years in a Catholic school. Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim. He is quick to point out that, 'He was once a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic school. Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that that he is not a radical.

Obama's introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returnedto Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence over his son's education.

Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta.

Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world. Since it is politically expedient to be a CHRISTIAN when seeking major public office in the United States, Barack Hussein Obama has joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim background. ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office he DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran.

Barack Hussein Obama will NOT recite the Pledge of Allegiance norwill he show any reverence for our flag. While others place their hands over their hearts, Obama turns his back to the flag and slouches.

Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected presidential candidacy. The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the US from the inside out, what better way to start than at the highest level - through the President of the United States, one of their own!!!!

Please forward to everyone you know.

Would you want this man leading our country?......NOT ME!!!"

so, umm...i love the captialization of sensationalist words such as MUSLIM! and RADICAL! and ATHEIST! because, you know, muslims and atheists are radical and most definitely will be the downfall of this world. i mean, duh. i also enjoy the emphasis on his parent's divorce and the fact that he went to muslim AND catholic schools. gosh, barack! pick one and stick with it! but make sure you pick catholic school, because a muslim education is inferior and most definitely indicates that you will get run for president, get elected, and then wage Jihad on the western world. FROM THE INSIDE OUT. and god--err rather, allah--help you if you choose to take your oath on the book that is most significant to your religion, rather than that of your constituents.

also, one thing this post fails to mention, but we should all "remain alert concering his expected presidential candidacy" that this man.is.black. O.M.G!!!!!!! a black muslim who has experienced both muslim and catholic schooling and who has also had experiences in christianity as well as atheism?!?!?!

i'm not sure, but this sorta sounds to me like a pretty well-rounded, open minded upbringing...and sorta sounds like the kinda thing that "we", as americans are supposed to benefit from...and what is supposed to make this country so great...wasn't it founded by those who wanted to escape religious persecution...?

i don't know about you, but i think we should fear christians more than muslims or atheists...or black people.

interestingly enough, the good christian girl who posted this is an unwed mother who is estranged from her baby daddy. not that i'm judging. but like, she's a great example of many christians who are living in pretty glass houses and don't really understand the consequences behind hurling boulders...

I Firmly Believe That

2008-01-15T09:54:00.000-06:00

...there is nothing that cannot be fixed by a brisk walk, a little fountain soda, and some sort of breakfast sandwich.

for realsies. i woke up this mornin' feelin reeeeeal so-not-good. the kinda not-so-good where i contemplated calling out because i felt like there was no way in hell i'd be able to handle a train ride and a walk and then the rest of the day. but i manned up (womanned up...?), and got out the door--albeit a little late, but whatevs. better late than never. right?

anyhow, it was nippy, but since i was late, the streets weren't nearly as bustlin' and i actually got a seat on the train. next to a lovely teenage boy who was rocking the eff out with his Pod and big headphones. anyhow, got off the train, trucked the six blocks to work and about halfway there, started to feel like a human again. and since we have a great selection of food in mah buildin', i mosied over and to the sweet ladies at the counter and got a bagel sandwich. an excellent way to maintain my new year's health goal, but whatever. i felt icky.

cut to now: here i am, busily working away (and blogging, as the case may be. whoops.) and i don't feel sick at all anymore.

long live breakfast sandwiches!!

Bah! Can NOTHING Go Unanswered?

2008-01-14T15:14:00.000-06:00

so, you know how like, there have always been speculations about the identity of the Mona Lisa? how people thought it was a lover or something of Leonardo da Vinci? and some thought it may have been his momma? and some thought he painted himself (the hypothesis i like the best; it sort of hints at a cross dressing da Vinci, or maybe he was painting himself as he wanted to be, or how he felt he should've been born or something...)...?

well, some "German academics" have figured out who Mona really is.

damn. there goes the fun hypotheses...

it's some itlian chick. some rich guy's wife.

bah!

how bo-ring...

on a sidenote, just to toot my own cultured horn, i've seen this lay-dee. in person, at the Louvre. i'm so fancy.

Super Awesome: Calvin Harris

2008-01-13T22:21:00.002-06:00

i sure do love me some UK accents. for realsies. especially when said accents come from the lips of beautiful babies.

these are two of the reasons i love calvin harris.

the other reason i love him is because you can't help but get up off yo' ass and strut around your apartment, shakin ya' boooooooty. seriously. srsly. this music is my favorite "new" discovery, despite the fact that it's not really so much "new," as it is new to me. and you know what? that's all that really matters. so there.

anyway, this young buck (he's like 23 or something) is a scottish lad who makes a lot of songs with the word "disco" in them. also, this song "Merrymakin' At My Place" (besides having an awesome effing name) has a beat that reminds me of that LL Cool J song, "Phenomenon."

so i love him. and you should too.

I Want This

2008-01-13T21:50:00.001-06:00

srsly. i want the leopard print one. without a doubt.

SundayFunday

2008-01-13T17:56:00.001-06:00

2008-01-13T17:55:00.003-06:00

Hat Attack!

2008-01-13T17:55:00.001-06:00

2008-01-13T15:54:00.001-06:00

Steven and I

2008-01-13T15:11:00.001-06:00

...have the best sundays.

BOOKS!

2008-01-12T20:28:00.000-06:00

RUNNING WITH SCISSORS

so i finally read Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs. (yet another phenomenon i was late for...)

and, umm, well...i'm not sure what all the fuss is about.

i mean, yeah, i can totally see why it was made into a film--the story is quite conducive to a visual interpretation, and i'm sure an entertaining one at that. but, in terms of writing...? i dunno, i'm not convinced. i'm not sure i really understand why everyone was falling all over themselves over this book, or this author, for that matter. entertaining, but i breezed through this book without really having to think all that much. or feel. at no point in this book, did i care an ounce about any of the characters, nor did i particularly care what they did or what happened to them. to me, this is indicative of a work of quite ordinary proportions, not one that "critics" should applaud and such.

i'm done with memoirs for a while.

next up: Lolita. nothing like a little russian lit to get the brain goin...