the bubble death...all about the snappy comebacks

Is this goodbye?

2008-01-05T17:56:00.000-08:00

No, not quite.

This is more like...a change. A shift.

I've come to realize that what I thought I'd be good at (music criticism) is really just one of my many phrases of obsession. And to try to do it every day, pushing out a new platter of fluttery descriptors and unrelenting praise has become work, and not fun. Some vague notion of what I should be doing instead of what I want to do.

I've mentioned it before: tired of all the hype, all the mind washed hipster chasing after the same band for ten minutes before tossing into the forgotten bin. More importantly, I realized that the entries I like the best are those removed from PR bands and songs meant to entice readers. They are simple and quite and feature more words than downloads, and probably less readers, but I've stopped doing this for an audience. Or perhaps not. Perhaps the audience is exactly what I want--still. But I want them to read for the writing, the sentiments, the honesty and not because there is the hottest new b-side from [insert common Hype Machine popular artist] to seem cool.

so where is this going?

This is going to a new blog, because I like blogging too much to give it up completely. Because I don't want to limit myself to endless consistent inconsistency. Because my writing just seems better when I write for an invisible reader without reservations or pretension.

So here's something new that's simple and different. Personal. Unassuming. One where I won't care about the number of visitors or the number of links. There will be songs, there will be books, of course. I can't live without either of those, and I still adore sharing those which I love. But there will be nothing programmed, nothing hype worthy. Just me and my inhibitions and fears and joys and little observations.

Maybe you'll care to take a look. Maybe not.

Either way.

I love everything this blog has given me--compare, say, my earliest entries with my last. It's been a long time, and perhaps time is the only factor. But I'd like to think not. I like to think that the readers and the bands made it something more. I appreciated each and every comment and message sent my way, I appreciated the fact that someone would take time away for something that a billion other blogs is already trying to do, and perhaps doing better.

So now. Not goodbye, but see you around. See you later.

Maybe we'll meet again.

I hope so.

Get me away from here, I'm dying.

the international tweexcore underground will save us all

2007-10-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

well, I suppose there's no way around it.

even if you've probably already seen it--hey. It's one of those things you can't leave alone.

one of those things--explosions of exclamation marks and instrumental joyous furies and lyrics name dropping Amelia Fletcher and Calvin Johnson. Sure, Los Campesinos! may claim to have never cared about Sarah records, but with a song that proclaims the joys of the international tweexcore underground (and oh oh oh how you'd love to be a part of that underground of kids who look just a little too indiepop to be cool but who rock out on keyboards and guitars and violin! with individual exclamation marks bouncing above their heads) they sure are the start of something. Something wonderful, something worth dancing and shouting and smiling endlessly about.

!
!
!

music to hold hands to

2007-08-31T13:18:00.000-07:00

when was it exactly, that I realized that I was a popkid?

somewhere between the faux emo pop punk and corporate alternative to the faintly indiepop mostly mediocore death cab for cutie to the first liking of bands like of montreal or the boy least likely to, between indie and pop and things that just happen to drift my way, how did I get here?

where I can fully admit and understand that more than anything else in the world, indiepop is the one thing that makes me happy.

where I'd go as far as to make it up to santa barbara to see the lucksmiths live, and realize already (it's seems so far away!) that it might as well be one of the better days of my life. where a line from a belle & sebastian song has never sounded more relevant. where all I want to do is wake up every morning to the sound of sarah records...on a compilation tape my friend had sent to me from paris.

where reading certain threads on bowlie makes me feel at home...

somewhere between then and now I learned all the lyrics to "get me away from here, i'm dying" and accepted it to be probably my favorite song. somewhere between then and now camera obscura and acid house kings snuck into my top played songs list. somewhere between then and now I became familiar with far too many swedish indiepop artists and too many twee bands the rest of the world wasn't aware existed.

somewhere between then and now I realized all the hipster bands I tried to keep up with were just that--momentary enjoyments, weekly obsessions that fades into the occasional fun nostalgic singalong, but not much more. Hipster bands I'd have fun seeing and then forget that I saw, a month later.

somewhere between then and now I fell in love with every bit of every indiepop boy with the brown hair and sweet smile and lucksmiths record.

and, so what?

so what now?

buried beneath cutesy, sweet sounding names and record label connections and a dream of sweden or at least an indiepop club night somewhere in london, where like minded boys and girls are clad in scarves and cardigans with buttons and friendly faces and dance to a band too obscure for them to have heard...

it makes me happy, but it does this other thing of detaching myself from reality.

reality. you know, the thing where listening to the perfect pop record when the weather is just perfect and walking through the neighborhood park won't magically fix all of life's problems? the thing where disappointment and things that just shouldn't go wrong going wrong never stops happening. the thing without a happy ending, sometimes even without a fitting semi romantic tragic storyline..

and so what?

so what if life has corners and edges and sharp turns that you can't avoid, turns no matter how sweetly sung can't be avoided. so what if life tosses what seems to be all that's rotten, so what if it feels like everyone worth meeting lives too far away, in that other world of the twee kids and intellectuals and people who care, people who smile and people who converse for no other reason than to share a moment. just a moment, with a stranger, a friend.

perhaps nothing. perhaps everything.

perhaps life's problems can be sidestepped--it shouldn't be too hard. snuggle up in bed, with a good book and a good record on the stereo, maybe that all important diary and a pen, maybe a head filled with thoughts far too complicated and directionless...perhaps all we really ever need is that one song, you know the one where every line seems to be written for you? and the singer, that boy or girl who you imagine to be singing to you, that boy or girl who wrote the song because of you. perhaps all we really ever need is to singalong--go on. forget that the neighbors might be listening or that someone else might laugh. forget that you can't quite clarify the lyrics, or that sometimes it just sounds so, so, silly. forget all that and close your eyes and sing and imagine...

it's not so hard, you see?

times like these, you might as well be, one in the crowd, eyes glistening, attentive, excited. smiling at the band who are smiling back even as they play, those precious jangly guitars and that familiar melody and those ba da da da and la la la's that seem to be pouring from your own heart...and you know, soon, you will be.

you just have to wait.

after all, the best things happen when you don't know what's going on.

Cold as Cold as Cold Can Be

2007-07-10T12:42:00.000-07:00

Blue October-Into the Ocean

apparently this song and band is pretty popular...popular as in, people other than me, a handful of bloggers and hardcore indiepop kids have heard of them, as in they are played on the radio and people who listen to the radio would know who they are. Popular as in...I heard this song on one of those myspace celebrity like people's page and thought it was interesting, and then forgo the name of the artist/song and then heard it played in the bookstore where I work one time when the store was set to a poppopopop station and finally looked up the lyrics and found the song. Finally.

anyway. I'm not sure why, but I like this song a lot. Like listen to it on repeat a lot alot. The lyrics? Maybe? Wish I was more masculine...I want to swim away but don't know how? Maybe? Maybe it's that idea of..escape. Maybe it's just that, I haven't heard a good catchy pop song in a while. Not like powerpop Hey Hey You You pop but just, kind of scene kind of emo kind of alternative pop. The sort that suggests suicide for a love long gone and rain...into the ocean end it all.

Forget the Future's Shrinking

2007-07-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

Trembling Blue Stars-Idyllwild

This is anthem for a girl who was once seventeen, who, hears a song on the radio, and remembers the past. The future with its glass buildings and high heels and smudged mascara, cities and lights, a distant reminder closing in...of a past spent holding hands with a best friends, laying on the dew tinted grass at night, tracking a ladybug's progress on a thin twig. A past where her bedroom was the center of her universe, snapped polaroids pinned on walls a musty rose paint. This song is a reminder of all the possibilities, a sky stretching with the pins of a billion stars, it's a surrounding image, it's a time traveling moment, it's a nonstop enchanting song about a girl whose favorite thing is snow...snow, and being alone.

I Had a Heart but I Needed a Pair

2007-07-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

Future Conditional-Broken Robots

There's something to be said about broken items. Hearts, glass, dreams, robots.

There's something to be said about this sort of vintage-y electronica. Pop and minimal, and all repetition and these little bleeps of sound. This echoing, male and female vocals, balancing with dark undertones, unspoke accusations, plain words not with malice but with something like resignation? Acceptance?

And oh, when the boy rambles, in that faintly bitter tone of his, a continuous stream of words over these backing, pressuring da da da's (don't worry, it's less cute than it sounds), it seems the story is summed up with perfection.

I Wish I Had Not Been Here Before

2007-07-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

It's not just procrastination. Or the lack of anything to say (or ways of saying it). Although, yes, those come into play, somewhat, always.

It might simply be fear.

Because when you settle down, reach a decision, finally make a post that details your mission in a blog--not to listen to every promo song ever and hand pick the ones that are mediocre to relatively good, to only share those songs that are worth something, something personal, it's a decision to reveal a lot more of myself.

Revealing myself has been a constant in my life lately--but only to a diary no one will read, to a mind no one can see through, to people I'll never truly meet.

Songs have become something more, again. Every line resonates within something personal, something I'm afraid to explore.

So. Stop speaking in abstracts. Stop thinking in vague terms.

Here's a song, a delightful song, a catchy song, a stuck in your mind, chorus repeating, singalong, upbeat, Swedish indie pop song. A song that seems to represent so much of my life, at least some aspects of it. At least enough to become more than just a catchy pop song.

Maia Hirasawa-And I Found This Boy

It sums it up, all too well. Those cheery trumpets, that snapping melody, the fickle piano, Maia's voice, self assured, sass tinted...except for those few lines, of course. Those few lines of honesty, of revealing vulnerability, truth underneath this outward whatever. The exclamation marks of stopping points, climatic moments in a conversation. Don't say I'm desperate, I'm not! But she is. And no matter how hard the righteous chorus, the girlfriend at home, the pleas from the boy, the drinking all night long...it's all too simple, it's all too apparent. I wish I had not been here before.

It's Nothing Personal

2007-05-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

Strip Squad-Hairless Youth of Bosnia

Too vulgar to be twee, as Strip Squad's Myspace stated. This! It begins with such repressed, underlying bitter strumming. That same hatred tinged vocals riding on top, pulsing beneath. But oh! Is it sassy. Is it daring. Is it suggestive. Is it twee with an unexpected twist, a punch, a slap on the face carried by these sharp lyrics, paired with toy pianos! Male/female vocal alternations! You won't be talking back with my legs around your neck! I would prefer if I could refer to you as It! (Your name would be the bit when you tax against my clit!)

So delightful. So satisfying. Twee with such edge. Twee with such freedom. Twee with such little innocence.

Eclipses. . .

2007-04-27T19:02:00.000-07:00

I'm at a weird place in my life right now.

It's not about you--it's me. Well, it sort of about you. There's the I'm Not Blogging and Chasing After Repetitive Mediocre Indie Rock Bands That All Kind of Run Together To Be Forgotten Two Weeks Later or Discovering the Remix of the Obscure B-Side By Everyone's Favorite Classic No Wrong Indie Rock Band part. That's something I realized, really and truly, finally. I've always thought that would be the plan of my blog--it's about the music, not the publicity. It's about the writing, not the promos. But, it's easy, far too easy to get caught up in that, when you start doing it once. It's far too easy to write a paragraph about some "good" but not "great" band and making them sound absolutely amazing.

You know this. You read this in blogs, all the time. Praise, praise, love, love, hype, hype.

I'm done with that. And so the songs that are posted here, they are the most loved, treasured, infectious, emotional, fitting, beautiful, sassy, witty, pop and acoustic and loved and loved again songs I know. Songs that I just want the world to fall in love with. Songs that pop up, every so often. So I don't post that often.

But more than that--life itself has a tendency to get in the way. That's why sudden bursts of inspiration will evolve into sudden long posts analyzing some random thing or another. That's why I keep coming back.

The same sort of reason I can't stop listening to a song, I guess.

What is the point of this?

Sometimes I don't even know any more. But I don't need to know, right, all I need...is a few songs that capture the current state of my heart. My mind. My ears.

So it's back to writing, I guess.

Candy Flavored on the Sea

2007-04-08T14:51:00.000-07:00

Annemarie-Bubblegum I See

This is beyond--light fluffs of pastel clouds, cuddly shapes, bubbles in glistening hues of happiness and brightness, innocence and so much love and adoration and sunshine! and rainbows! and fresh dew on fields of green grass! and daisys! and tiny flowers! dancing in the softest caress of a breeze! holding hands! smiles and laughs and giggles and memories and nostalgia and living light as a butterfly. This is beyond--twee as fuck POP! cuddlecore anything.

Bliss.

Trouble Never Come Late

2007-03-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

Loney, Dear-Saturday Waits

Swedish pop. Anticipation. Waiting. Longing. A sea breeze, a memory. Brushing and hinting. These sensations, tiny pleasures, light and quick pressures of action. You won't ever be tell, outright, but there's a suggestion, a whispered action for consideration, rising and rising and pushing, until it becomes a part of your mind. And suddenly, it's obvious, like the catchy rising waves of the song, the layers upon layers of eager anticipation and excitement, covering the nervousness and fear until it becomes a whirl of hopes and dreams and smiles and Saturday night waiting. Waiting to get over it then, finally.

In The Middle of the Night She Said

2007-03-14T18:27:00.001-07:00

WinterKids-Tape It

What is this. What is this!

It sounds like gee-tars, the sort of pop-emo riffs and mini solos fitting for a My Chemical Romance song (but don't fear...it's indie). It sounds like vocals, like the Shout Out Louds, that sort of British nasally cutesy white rawker voice. It sounds like repeating verses and choruses and lyrics that include "she said we're just friends". It sounds like a bridge! A clapclap, snapsnap, poppop bridge. It sounds like a chorus that leaps into unsuspecting ears and minds, and stay there, hooked and raging for some recognition and some SINGING, damn it. It sounds like keyboards! A toy piano! It sounds absolutely irresistible. It sounds...like your new favorite brit pop band (and maybe all your old ones, too).

Now That the Dreams Are All Coming True

2007-03-13T14:55:00.000-07:00

Patrick Wolf-The Magic Position

I can't help it. This song is infectious, in every sense of the word. This prancing, stomping, clapping, dancing, song. This explosion! of happiness! of hope! of new! beginnings! This glammed out, rocked out, orchestrated, exaggerated, theatrical, powerful anthem to strut on the street with a grin and a wink. Spinning red and white melodies, and a chorus, oh, what a chorus, what a driven, listener singalong/clapalong/dancealong required, punches of melody stuck if your head, chorus! Because yes, finally, there is light, and dazzling explosions of brightness for the future...he's singing in the major key.

The Light in the Night Slammed the Door

2007-03-07T16:07:00.000-08:00

Au Revoir Simone-Dark Halls

Some restless energy, some flickering, blinking drive, urging and insistent but not demanding. Just pushing, pushing with bouncing hooks and cute indie pop girls in indie pop voices. But oh, they are wise, they know. Know this, that, everything. They're only having an adventure, the three of them, the sort of adventure you'll always hear about. But maybe you're invited. Maybe with the frantic pace of the synths, the melody a sneaking thing, sneaking upon heads to bob like toys and smiles to break up unhappy faces. This joy! This dancing on black and white keys of a keyboard in silly flats and little shirts. Forests and dark halls and oh, it's a good, good adventure.

My Own Innert Cosmology Has Become Too Dense to Navigate

2007-02-25T11:42:00.000-08:00

Time. Schedules. A month (or two). I miss this.

Of Montreal-Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse (acoustic)

I'm in a crisis
Come on mood shift shift back to good again
Come on mood shift shift back to good again
Come on be a friend

Come on chemicals
Come on chemical-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ohs

A song so catchy dancey happy you skip right over that underlying sadness, the confusion and addiction. Hate it but love it. Can't live without it. The synths and sparkles in the original, a big flashy explosion of madness. And then, there's this. Stripped down to its core melody with only an acoustic guitar, Kevin Barnes (despite all his theatrics and cockiness) sounds unsure, and scared, and his relationship with chemicals, one that he can't seem to change.

A band so catchy dancey happy you listen to it all the time. A band you see live again (January 30 this year even if it's a day before finals) in their costume changes and big overhead projector and glittery make up. A band that writes pop lyrics that are perhaps underrated, perhaps hidden beneath their brilliant melodies that is an addiction of repeat, replay, repeat. An album that is sure to be one of my favorite of the year, if not the favorite. Already. And not enough.

Let Me Know If You’re Still Alive

2007-01-17T15:27:00.000-08:00

Hello Saferide-Long Lost Penpal Featuring Firefox AK

Every now and then, I get more and more convinced that Swedish music really is the best music.

Every now and then, I find a new artist to obsess over and listen to repeatedly, to marvel at and to sing along with, a new song to come back to, to fall in love with.

This is it.

Swedish indie pop. The new Marit Larsen, but whereas Marit has the cuteness, the perky sweetness, the sassy pop hooks and comebacks under a shy and pleasant exterior, Hello Saferide seems to perfect that shy, sentimental, quiet way of music. Acoustic guitars, pop melodies, an underlying sadness, a melancholy that's not desperate but so fitting, honest and true. Embodying the word "pretty" song, story telling from the heart.

Somebody Rip My Heart Out

2007-01-09T15:43:00.000-08:00

Avril Lavigne-Anything But Ordinary

Why the hell am I posting this?

Well, as a true (poetry) blogging hipster-writer, I listen to music on an ironic matter. Which is why, there is a Nikki French dance remake of Bonnie Tyler's epic power ballad "A Total Eclipse of the Heart" (probably more on that...another day, when I have all the energy to...disperse on that song and that song alone) on my current myspace page. Which is why, I listen to upsetting, popular, and rather terrible rap songs on occasion. Or stencil shirts with "Ohio Is for Lovers" on the front.

So anyway, I had this Avril Lavigne CD from years ago, and a while ago I rediscovered that I had it, and just had to import it to my current library. Today, as I was scrolling through familiar artists and albums, I saw this, and felt this urge to have a bit of an ironic appreciation for the true princess of punk rock. I don't do this on a regular basis, but I do it often enough not to post a song every time I wanted to listen to something for the sole purpose of saying I listened to it--or just listening to it. I try to keep these entertaining things outside of my blogging things.

But it's a bit different this time.

Because once upon a time, years and years ago, I used to listen to this CD all the time, and knew all the words to almost all the songs, and danced on my bed to these songs, sang along as if I knew what this true rebel meant, as if I agreed with everything she said. There was no need for irony of any sort--I thought the songs were so good! They were catchy and I could sing along to it. It seemed like the lyrics all spoke to me! I cherished this CD so much...it was probably one of the earliest CDs I ever got and truly listened to.

And I mean, I knew these songs by heart, so that even now, these cliched, mass produced guitar riffs sound so familiar, the lyrics a step away from complete recovery, the feel of the songs wrapped tight around my mind. It's like time traveling...and there is some spark of sentimentality, some hint of reminiscence, and more importantly, reflection.

I hear the weakness in Avril's voice. I hear the generic mutated, computer tweaked boredom of the melody. The simple to the point of absurdity, hopeless lyrics, the utter unremarkable except perhaps in bad quality ring of the song....

And I hear what I loved about this song, or that CD, for that matter. I hear what I wanted to relate to so much. What I danced to, what I sung to, what I lived to. I hear the catchy quality of the song, having listened to it so much in the past, how I can still sing along and rock out to this generated pop rock chorus.

And I hear myself, years and years ago, and I realize that maybe it wasn't all ignorance and bliss, and that maybe I can still relate, and that maybe it's not irony but something else entirely...

And maybe--maybe, yes, I'd rather be anything but ordinary. Please.

I Know What I Want and It's You

2007-01-08T18:15:00.000-08:00

Math and Physics Club-I Know What I Want

It's quite remarkable for a band to sound so much like two other bands, and so obviously, non-pretenciously, non-inspirationally so but flat out like two other bands in the same genre in the first place, this Belle & Sebastian nonsense and this Lucksmiths nonsense somehow combining to form this Math and Physics Club nonsense. This Math and Physics Club nonsense though, it's not breaking ground, of course not, but it's perfecting that sound. It's a tingling combination of the former two bands with the right sounding guitars and vocals and lyrics--and everything! It's sweet and cutesy and perfect for spring and mixtapes. What more could you ask for?

I Could Say it with Words, I Could Sing it with my Voice

2007-01-04T15:45:00.000-08:00

Herman Dune-1-2-3-Apple-Tree

This is a love song, not unlike any other, but so sweet and brimming with innocent, simple adoration. With honesty and earnestness, no false layers of pretense and pretentious long metaphors and similes, just by using these contrasts, these juxtaposed, sometimes funny, sometimes cute, sometimes charming, sometimes non-nonsensical things. This jingling, upbeat melody, angelic backing vocals a perfect backdrop, but most importantly, this intimacy, this song written for you and just you, because it's obvious, isn't it? Obvious like all these mismatched eye colors and religion, because you know how badly I'd like to be with you.

We Tried to Find Some Words to End the Decay

2007-01-03T17:12:00.000-08:00

Regina Spektor-On the Radio

Forget the unforgettable quality of "Fidelity," this song is something else. That light, swooping, flickering piano melody, the twittering vocals trickling with a natural procession, and then the chorus, such a perfect storyline, a perfect soundtrack to a beautiful story formed. A simple moment in time, "November Rain" on the radio. I've never heard the song, but I don't have to, because I can feel the song, and it being a bit long, playing twice, the ba-da-dum-dun-dun and snapping echoes, its pop lyrical simplicity, the beauty of this happening, the DJ your friend from long ago.

lalala end of year lists, favorite songs, fun!

2006-12-28T16:40:00.000-08:00

It's been too long. This is way too late.

But you didn't think I would be gone for good, did you?

Not when (for the record, this always seems to happen...) I try to compile this end of the year favorite list thing and then discover so many new favorite bands and favorite albums way too late.

Not when I can feel the pulse of songs, repeated listening of the same few tracks of beauty. Overrated and over blogged, they are, probably, once upon a time. But maybe you missed them the first time around. Maybe, like me, you ignored them and have yet to realize their potential. Maybe you have heard them and maybe I'm not writing to an audience.

In any case, unceremoniously, in no particular order, a list of my favorite albums of 2006. I have a feeling you've already heard every one of them...but that won't matter, because these are the ones I keep coming back to. Non-stop listening, and appreciating. I missed out on a lot of great albums, I'm sure, but for now, this should be good enough...

Camera Obscura-Let's Get Out of This Country
Pop like sunshine, pop like carefree ice cream cones int he spring, pop like synchronized couples dancing and leaping, stop motion music videos featuring pastels...but not in an unpleasant way. And much better than just good, much better than just pleasant. Not another Belle & Sebastian rip off. Not a poor man's Belle & Sebastian but something sweet and beautiful and sad and happy all at once, something all its own.

Belle & Sebastian-The Life Pursuit
Speaking of Belle & Sebastian...well, it's unavoidable. If you don't like change you might have not liked this album. But this band. This band is something else. This band doesn't want to stick with the same, working, already well loved indie pop/twee pop structure all the time. This band wants to dance. This band wants attention. This band wants to craft pop songs so fine, with such a balance of catchiness and danciness and personality, Scottish twee band personality, shy indie rock stars personality. Nearly every song is perfected. The tunes dancing with lyrics and the band dancing with the fans. Clap. Horns. Heaven.

I'm From Barcelona-We're From Barcelona
happiness

The Pipettes-We Are the Pipettes
happiness, hand claps, polka dots, sassyness, catchiness, danciness, loveliness

The Blow-Paper Television
Electronica indie pop. Only, when you put those three words together, that's not the Blow. That's not this band that has managed to warp in the three in a perfect blend. The electronica beats and the oh-so-romantic-cute-couple-duo-only lyrics and the kareoke music video and the hooks and the tilting beats!

Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins-Rabbit Fur Coats
Remember when I didn't even like Jenny Lewis? Remember when I really really didn't like Rilo Kiley, and refused to listen to her album on that basis? Remember when I heard the album and then proceeded to pretend that it wasn't good and ignore it completely? And then, remember when I rediscovered it and fell in love with it, and after that, kept coming back to it even though I knew it wasn't cool? Yeah, me too.

The Knife-Silent Shout
Remember. Once I thought The Knife was overrated. Weird. Gothic electronica. wtf material. Not worthy of repeated listens. Half the songs not worthy of my time. Remember? And then somehow, I stumbled upon it again. Perhaps it was the recommendation of a friend, a suggestion that The Knife will be the best album of 2006. And then another listen, and then you're hooked. and then the steel cold electronica and the razor blade lyrics, the pain and the loneliness, and the Gothic electronica beats forever embedded in my mind.

The Mountain Goats-Get Lonely
Fragile and beautiful. Smooth and polished, not the rough, raw stories of the last album but gentle gentle stories of losing a heart. heartbreaking. The way the word was meant to be used. Acoustic guitars and a voice spilling beautiful lyrics. Describing this is like describing love. Or losing it. A sad, beautiful affair.

...and an album, that I'm sure, if I had heard it ahead of time, would have been on my favorites:

Casey Dienel-Wind-Up Canary
Oh, stories! Stories, quirky and offbeat and beautiful. Peaches and weird old men. Embroidery and stationary. Piano! guitars! Singing over those rolling piano notes. Spring! Summer! Quirky story books!

....and an album that'll come out next year that is already my favorite!

Of Montreal-Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Dance. Lyrics. Bliss. So much more on it next year, I am very very sure.

December

2006-12-04T16:54:00.001-08:00

Already?

Already. End of year lists. Holiday season. This pretentious cold frosting on top of the dry sun still glowing in San Diego.

December. A close to all excuses of NaNoWriMo. Words that should actually sound like words. Music that should actually look like music. Too soon for end of year sentiments but too late for wishes otherwise.

Whatever. Hipster blogging poetry.

Technically, it's only been a few days since my last post, but it feels like weeks and weeks!

anyway, as is usual with me and end of things/start of new things, I like making sure things are fancy and flowy again. So consider this one of those look forward to new and exciting things in the near future type posts!

I'm just slightly upset that StG posted about awesome local band Da Bears immediately after I saw them live on Saturday and was converted and decided that they would be perfect for blogging!

As long as you and I know, right, dear reader?

We heard of them first.

December

2006-12-04T16:54:00.000-08:00

Book Talk 44: Villa Incognito

2006-11-27T16:14:00.000-08:00

Villa Incognito-Tom Robbins

So, apprently I make it a point to enjoy books that other consider "not their best work" types and not aprpeciate usually appreciated "masterpieces." Nevertheless, I loved this book. Mostly because of the words, the language is just so brilliant. I've never read another writer who could spin such similes and metaphors, playing with words and language like silly putty to the best of his advantage. Although, the second half of the book did slide downhill ab it from the first half, and yes, the ending was a bit weak, but Robbins' writing really makes up for all of that and more.

You Will Surely Find This Pleasing to Your Ears (Live)

2006-11-25T23:15:00.000-08:00

Mates of State @ Epicentre, San Diego--11/25/06

First band-expected vaguely pleasant indie pop.

Asobi Seksu-Raw and lovely and awesome. Much noise, much fuzzy guitars, much energy. Much long last song that probably overdid it--mostly because of the crwod. the crowd at the Epicentre is usually not the best. Lacking in enthusiasm because of the noise, I'd imagine, and lacking in energy to move for fear of spoiling their precious hair and Abercrombie faux-hipster outfits, I'd imagine.

Mates of State-Happiness, love, indie pop, cuteness, etc.

But not like that, not really. Something here. Something beyond the dancey indie pop, something beyond the sweet romantic couple odes one might have imagined, something with a perky edge. Something loud and catchy and--I don't know. All of that, but something different. Because it's not as romantic or super twee as one might have imagined. But it is good. Good is positive. Good is singing along. And loving it.

Blood is Like Water

2006-11-20T11:34:00.000-08:00

The Cardigans-Don't Blame Your Daughter (Diamonds) (acoustic)

I know this is from a while ago (like a week?), and I know this was posted on Stereogum, and it's probably not new and rare anymore. But it doesn't really matter, because I've been listening to it a lot, over and over again. Because it's just that good, because, when stripped to the core, when it's just Nina's voice and a single, beckoning, acoustic guitar, when the story is so true and mesmerizing, so that hearing it over and over again only makes it better, when an already great song becomes something so simple and yet brilliant, it's worth posting. Really.

Dress Up So Nice in Leotards

2006-11-13T15:32:00.000-08:00

Envelopes-Isabelle and Leonard

I like catchy songs. I like songs that are all shades of fun and dancability. I like unique songs and rarely heard instruments. I like indie pop a whole lot. And I like bands that draw a lot of different influences and can manage to sound different yet not mindless scattered. I like guitars and drums and noise and quiet and all sorts of things. And I really, really like this song for some of those reasons. But also because it's joyful and fun and carefree an a rainbow or anything with tapping sounds and fun.

Every Stamp in My Collection Is a Place We Could Go

2006-11-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

Watch: I'm From Barcelona-Collection of Stamps (YouTube'd)

What could I possibly say that could make this appear better than it is? I mean, sure, there was the first video, so filled with joycore pure and carefree happiness and general sensations of amazing, heartness, and large groups of people being ridiculously fun and in union. Then there's this. "We're From Barcelona" is an anthem, and this is a classic. So much...jittery, dancey, popable, feel as spetacular as possible on any given occassion, filled with energy and life and happiness as it should be! Exclaimation marks and hugs! And fooling around with such fun abandon!

(thanks, as always, to Antville for the high(er) resolution video and great screencaps!)

We Started Laughing 'Til it Didn't Hurt

2006-11-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

The Good Life-Album of the Year

Some songs tell stories. I don't mean pirates and princes, adventures in another land or a moment in history the Decemberists style, or even the shy, quiet stories peeking over trembling twee indie pop melodies, but full on stories with lyrics and emotions, and ups and downs, and a real plot and real characters, but more importantly accentuated with adjectives and nouns and verbs molded into instruments, lowering and raising of the volume and pitch, the accompanying acoustic strings, the full on colliding impact of everything.

Some songs are classics. And this is a classic, and this is a good classic, a classic worth listening to now and then and reliving the story. For broken hearts and memories, but detached enough, first person narrative in third person, fun enough, to listen to even when those sentiments aren't felt.

Some songs are worth hearing all the way through. And this one, especially is worth it, partly because this ending is an explosion, a climax and ending fitting for a drama and excitement. Because everything builds up, haven't you heard? Some stories do that. And some songs do that, and this is one of them.

Strawberries.

2006-11-02T14:56:00.000-08:00

Asobi Seksu-Strawberries

Yay, sparks and the dreaded shoe-gaze. Except it's not really shoe-gaze when it's as pop and dizzy spinning as this one. It's fittingly obscure and in a different language, for when you've written so much you're sick of writing on the second day. Even more fitting for...whatever. Thursdays. Words. Fireworks of music. Go listen.

<3 Books

2006-10-31T18:54:00.000-08:00

1. Happy halloween, and whatnot.

2. Remember how I wrote a 110,000 words novel in less than a month last year? Well, it's happening again. And in case you don't know, it's this thing called National Novel Writing Month. The winning word count is 50000, but my goal this year will be 150,000. So triple the original. Plus school and going to shows and reviews and this blog. So of course, starting from tomorrow, expect less well written/time consuming posts, less frequent posts and um, more frustration? The scary part is that I still have no clue as to what my novel will be about. And this starts tomorrow.

3. Anyway, I'll be doing the ocassional book update blog on my special little NaNo blog again, and if you drop by to see how much my fingers have bled from excessive padding typing, please do say hello!

4. Yay. Have an happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! The Mini-Mix Edition

2006-10-30T20:37:00.000-08:00

While I realize catchy indie pop/twee is not most people's idea of a Halloween celebration mixtape, it actually should be. This is since indie pop and Halloween are both rather amazing, fun, and vaguely scary/sweet things. I also realize that most (if not) of these artists should be familiar. And that is okay, because they are rather good artists. And this is a fun mini-mixtape.

1. Tilly and the Wall-Night of the Living Dead

2. The Unicorns-Tuff Ghost

3. The Starlight Mints-Pumpkin

4. The Boy Least Likely To-Monsters

5. The Evangelicals-The Halloween Song

6. The Cure-Lullaby

7. Marit Bergman-No Party

We Will Become a Happy Ending

2006-10-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

Page France-Chariot

This band, this song, it sneaks up on you. These notes and melody, the tamborine and crystal bells, the seemingly simplistic thoughts and the lyrics. A chariot bobbing along a fresh grass road. Indie pop bouncing and smiling, at its happiest, purest. Folky hooks and this vision of the young and careless. Young and in love, in love with mellow adventure, with glistening eyes under a drifting blue sky.

And it starts off so innocent, so gentle. The delicate optimism. Stable line of song. At the 2:08 mark, suddenly, a burst of energy. A spur of chanting and dancing, joy at the world. Pop perfection.

Burying Robins in the Backyard

2006-10-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

The Unicorns-52 Favorite Things

Sometimes. Sometimes it's hard to realize this is life. Poetic. Cute little objects. Moments in time worth pausing. Moments in time that goes by too fast.

Somtimes it takes a certain song. Songs that evoke certain thoughts and moods. Ideas and images. Sometimes it takes the happiest, catchiest indie pop band in the world--and yes, the hyperbole is justified in this instance--to create a lo-fi, simple, fuzzy song that fill up a heart with the sort of warm fuzziness normally belonging to very small, fluffy animals. Sometimes it takes simplistic lyrics, but lyrics of such elegance and beauty. Little butterflies of images that capture that sense, these tiny little pleasures in life that can mean...so much.

(From The Unicorns' first and obscure release, downloadable in .ogg format here, and really, really, really worth hearing)

Book Talk 43: Killing Yourself to Live

2006-10-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

Chuck Klosterman-Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Stroy

So apparently Klosterman is famous. More has been written about him than he has written. And apparently, you either hate him, love him, or are awfully jealous of him.

This is the first book I've read by Klosterman, and while I'm not totally convinced as to where I stand, I think the Cult of Klosterman isn't exactly where I belong...

I enjoy witty writing. I adore pop culture references and all sorts of satire and name dropping of bands, books or movies. I like stream-of-conscious type narratives (ala J.D. Salinger) and memoir like non-fiction (ala David Sedaris). I did not, however, find myself in love with this particular book as much as I could have been. I had high expectations, to be sure, but how could an idea and premise this good--i.e., visiting all the places where famous musicians have died and reflecting on the value of life--turn into something this--well, rather pointless? See, Chuck doesn't just take us to these dead musicians' homes. He takes us into his mind as he travels, and his life, and his past, and perhaps most importantly, his string of ex-girlfriends and current girlfriends. To the point where it gets to be too much of a point. To the point where the "not-care" factor is popping into mind.

And um, those musicial references somehow weren't as fun as I imagined they'd be.

And really, the meaning of life wasn't explored much.

And really, this particular Chuck might not be deserving of all the hype.

And really, that's about it.

In a Submersible I Can Hardly Breathe

2006-10-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

Mew-The Zookeeper's Boy

Mew reminds me of Mae, in name, and a bit in sound. Mew also makes me think of Japan, which Mae also does, for some reason. But Mew is not from Japan--in fact, like many other premier indie pop musicians of our time, they are from Europe. Denmark, to be specific (not Sweden?!). Anyway, they are rather ten times better than Mae could hope to be, and produce such complex, layered pop. Yes, pop, and not prog rock or indie rock, for never have indie rock been so infectious, with such sprinkled sweetness in the vocals and the instruments--with hints of the prog rock in the pushing guitars and melody, yes, but also with precious lyrics and spinning glass circles of blissful pop music.

Whispers of Eternity with Me

2006-10-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

Jo Mango-Waltz with Me

There's an art to this acoustic guitar singer/songwriter type music. There's a certain spark, a line of lyric, the fitting nature of a traveling guitar, a particular scene and emotion that needs to be the perfect droplet for a song to be unique. For it to hold something more, for it to be more than just another song, it's about more than the right melody and the sweet voice. It's about the right story, the right characters, the right sense of motion and being.

This song is everything. Ginger promises, air fluttering footsteps. The moonlight and the summer night sky, tangled footsteps dancing on grass. The seamless rhythm, a captured moment of purity of heart. A dance like no other, a time frozen in the eternal dance steps...one two three, one two three, toes nudging against skin, wind carrying this song and world to perfect, harmonized fantasy.

Book Talk 42: The Rabbit Factory

2006-10-17T14:52:00.000-07:00

The Rabbit Factory-Marshall Karp

My relationship with mystery novels is a weird one. Once upon a time, I adored them. Agatha Christie was my hero, and although I never tried to put together clues and solve the crime before the novel detective did, I enjoyed the words and the storyline for its own sake. Which probably should have given me a hint that pure mystery novels and I weren't meant to be...which is what I discovered upon devouring different genres later on. A well written mystery with a bit more than just the usual crime-suspects-evidence would entertain me like any other genre could, but for the pure, conventional classic structure, I'm not a fan.

Luckily, this novel is rather BRILLIANT. It's charming and funny, with very strong and likable characters. Realistic, too, and did I mention really rather very funny? The storyline is unique! And fun! And gripping! And kept me reading! But most importantly, it's highly, highly entertaining. And funny. And an excellent, excellent work.

Let the Lights Wash Out Their Eyes

2006-10-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Long Winters-Honest

Honest. That's the word I'm looking for--the word that represents this song. Lyrics with simplistic elegance, a story that's worth repeating. Expected, but unexpected in its expression. Honest. This honest, honest indie rock with all the essential ingredients. Plus something more--something charming and seductive in its down to earth, approachable, understandable style. "Everything is different when he's singing right to you," and it's true. It's alright to be a singer--but I do so want to love a singer.

You Knew the Hands of the Devil

2006-10-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

José González-Heartbeats (Knife cover)

I never understood this song. Not the original, when every person, ever, was raving about The Knife and that amazing album (and I thought it merely interesting, alien lanscapes of gothic electronica pop). I didn't understand it when this cover became the new, official cover of the blogosphere. I didn't understand when the blogs that hadn't posted it before post it a month later, suddenly understanding and in love.

So, a good many more months have passed. And this is ancient news, but now I get it. Now I hear it, everything I've missed before. The fragile beauty, the bitter pain, the electric emotions swirling in the beats of the original, and the dancing strings of this version. This is a perfect match, every note portraying that shattered story of the original. And this is something. Something monumental, something truly great.

This whole next week is probably going to be old news. But it's not about posting the next big thing before everyone else--not anymore. Now it's about what this was meant to be about from the start. This sharing, this feeling, this music, these words.

Con't

2006-10-13T15:37:00.000-07:00

And um. Does anyone else listen to The Cure when they're really, really happy, or is that just totally bizarre of me?

The Feeling Inside is No Joke

2006-10-13T15:10:00.000-07:00

Friday the 13th is my favorite day, ever.

Don't ask why--because there's no real reason. But it is. So I'm posting this, because I have this desire to announce to the world.

I'm in love with songs.

I'm in love with words.

I guess that means this is back to recovery.

And I really, really want to delete my sitemeter so I can focus on what matters...help me do so, por favor.

Book Talk 41: Attack of the Jazz Giants

2006-10-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

Attack of the Jazz Giants and Other Stories-Gregory Frost

Great. Not good, but great.

I've never heard of Gregory Frost before (and from the looks of things, I wasn't alone) , but I liked the look of the cover of this book and the hip name, so I picked it up and hoped for something good.

This is a collection of short stories--which, I might have mentioned before, is rather difficult to do book talks on, since they're a collection of totally different things and to generalize so much for all the content seems a bit unfair, especially when there are stories that are gems, and then stories that aren't so great. Horror, fantasy, sci-fi, all the fun things. Except this is a really fantastic collection, where it feels like every story is brilliant, all the plots gripping and how short stories should be--my kind of short stories, anyway--and with something more than just highly entertaining reading material. There is social awareness and satire, human observation in its sharpest form...everything, really, sharp, flawless execution, that is to say, writing style.

I loved it, basically. It's been a while since I've found such good stories worth staying up for, exactly the way I like them. It's like Stephen King meets Michael Chabon meets Terry Pratchett/Neil Gaiman, and um, everything amazing.

Pick this up if you ever see it, anywhere. You won't regret it.

Fuck and Kiss You Both at the Same Time

2006-10-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

Scissor Sisters-I Can't Decide

Once upon a time, I wasn't sure whether I liked the Scissor Sisters or if they were just another overrated alterna-indie-pop-rock-dance band. I liked their singles a lot--"Take Your Mama Out" was really fun to listen to, and I loved that they had a song about me--or at least my name. But something about their album wasn't clicking as much as I thought it would, or, at least, should.

My stance on them became one of "I like 'em," but with a note of doubt. I would have never jumped to defend them, should someone attack their musical merit. Then came along this new album.

I'm 100% converted. These songs, filled with the hooks and bursting pop and exploding dance fun, with this dark, bitter undertone that actually seems to suit things better, adds that extra touch that lift the band above the rest. This is a perfect example. The angry, steaming lyrics versus the hooky, instant love melody/guitar swipes, the hard to resist pulse of the song molding and shaping your ears and mind into a dancing, laughing, aware and exploding scenester--of the type that does dance, a lot.

If the Dizzying Highs Don't Subside Overnight...

2006-09-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

Emily Haines & the Soft Skeletons-Doctor Blind

Considering her great work with Metric, Broken Social Scene and Stars, it's really no surprise that Emily Haines's "solo" project is the sort that fans of any of the above three bands will be enjoying, as well. It's the sort of piano oriented dream pop blur with a near hypnotized or hallucination quality. There is a dark, eerie quality to most of her songs, and that loose sense of being carried along the melody. It's a contrast to the rock anthems of Metric, for sure, and even the ambient indie pop of Broken Social Scene provides a different atmosphere. And, since we're familiar with her voice and style, it's great to get this new feeling from an indie pop princess.

I Like the Moments in Between

2006-09-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

Bobby Baby-Lucky Moments

This song is delicate. Not in the way thin, exquisite China is delicate. Not in the way a snowflake is delicate. Not in the sense that it would break apart with whisper of a touch. Delicate, in a really sweet and fluffy way. This song is soft, white puffs of padding. This song is hesitation and nostalgia, care and love. But love is not an accurate way to describe this...love is too violent, unpredictable, stormy. This is floating above the world, carried by the wind and the sky, watching the towns filled with Victorian cottages float by. These touches of reality and experience dipping here and now. Hope. Soaring, at the chorus, with the sort of gentle pressure you'd expect from flying so high. Higher than before. Stronger than before. But perfect. Perfect as before.

Book Talk 40: A Long Way Down

2006-09-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

The novel: A Long Way Down-Nick Hornby

I read scattered portions of the first half of this book in various stores, which might actually have been a good thing. I liked it, of course. Otherwise it would have never kept me reading, the one book out of the shiny other copies in a bookstore or the books section. This is a book about four totally different and distinctive people who managed to stumble across one another while attempting to jump off a tall building. That is to say, to off themselves. It jumpes from the narration of one character to another, in each's unique voice. Although I suspect Hornby might have overdone the characterizations a bit, and the novel did not flow as well as it could have, the different perspectives were fun to read at once. It definitely had classic Nick Hornby humor and storyline, and some interesting thought points presented in a way that I could totally relate too. Because we all consider it, don't we? This suicide thing. It's natural and not all that unhealthy. So: enjoyable read. Fantastic characters. Interesting themes/ideas. Overall presentation rather good. 4 out of 5. Would read again.

Book Talk 39: Wonder Boys

2006-09-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

The novel: Wonder Boys-Michael Chabon

Having read the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay plus part of Summerland before this, I did not expect this from Michael Chabon, at all. That is to say, I expected the (as usual) wonderful prose and style, and the quirky characters with true personality. I did not expect this sort of plot and structure. This near stream of conscious type narrator, fast paced, bizarre events unfolding in rather mesmerizing sequence. This witty, pseudo ironic look at a stoned writer and his gay editor best friend, filled with genius writing and assorted Chabon brilliance. This glimpse at the heart of writing through snippets of the narrator's adventures, this developed, fantastic book that I rather recommend to everyone, ever.

And If a Double Decker Bus Kills the Both of Us...

2006-09-19T21:26:00.000-07:00

The Lucksmiths-There Is a Light That Never Goes Out

I love this song. Every time I'm in a car, at night, I listen to (some version) of this song. It's rather perfect. The lyrics, the melody, the song.

I love this cover in particular, out of the dozens of different covers, partly because I love the Lucksmiths, and partly because I love male/female vocal harmonies, especially for an ironic romantic song such as this one, but also because all the charm, simplistic sweetness with that touch of good old Morrissey Gothery is present, and at the same time, tweeness prevails with The Lucksmiths' good natured trembling cuteness.

The Lucksmiths are big Smiths fans. You can kinda tell with their name, and their other tribute song to this song, "There Is a Boy That Never Goes Out." And perhaps that's another reason why this cover is so great. Because while I'm sure all of us like the Smiths a whole lot, few of us love them enough to give them multiple tributes. And maybe, it's just because, The Lucksmiths can really do no wrong.

Book Talk 38: The Collected Stories...

2006-09-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

The book: The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel-Amy Hempel

This is a tough, touch book to talk about because it's not so much one book, as a collection of what appears to be every Amy Hempel short story ever published. Which is quite a lot to take in, especially for my first Hempel book. It was probably a bad idea reading the whole thing without taking a break in between story collections...and as a result, many of the stories got jumbled up in my mind.

It does, however, happily identify Amy Hempel's style, a sort of darting, rambling exploration of the human condition and emotions. Reoccuring themes were the likes of deep man/woman relationships, the quality of animals, confused minds, broken pasts, all sorts of things that might have appeared mundane but gets an air of art with Hempel's writing. She's simplistic and minimalistic in her approach, but catches on every detail and records accurate visions of reality. There's something poetic in her deep delve into the various narrators' minds, and even the time flashes that can sometimes result in a confusing plot, but fasinating reading.

Anyway, this thing, as a whole, was probably too much to digest. Sometimes I felt this emptiness after finishing a story, this mild confusion as to what it was all about. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be there. Sometimes I really liked the stories, sometimes I could barely wait to get on to the next one. I can't think of anything super intelligent say regarding this, and I can't really justify all the praise I read on the introduction. But I can say that I enjoyed it, and sometimes, even when it comes to supposed literary master writers like Amy Hempel, even that's enough.

Bubble Block!

2006-09-12T15:15:00.000-07:00

Basically: I'm in need of a little time not to go through my emails, but to dig up something really sparkling and attention snapping to head back into B.L.O.G.G.E.R. mode . I know it seems like I've been sort of doing this on and off lately, but my programming is a bit askew with the new school year. In the mean time, enjoy yourself with those rather brilliant gems on the sidebar and check back often. By that, I mean, I might just be back to exploding blogstardom tomorrow...

The Way You Make Me Want to Hurt Myself

2006-09-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

What Made Milwaukee Famous-Hellodrama

I remember this band from way back (when I still wasn't sure what I was doing...click and you'll see what I mean), and now I've just found out that Barsuk is re-releasing their 2002 album. Which means that a. my taste in music is impeccable even from the start ;), and b. if you've never heart this song, then you're required to do so now.

This is fantastic indie pop, so catchy and hook filled, with enough bounce and simple but clever lyrics to sing along to, that twittering, rather genius line of melody, and probably most importantly, that bridge thing half way through the song, the chanted, the flickers and claps bursting with irrestible charm...and although I can't vouch for the rest of their album (nothing really meets the high expectations set by this song, and this song being the first song I ever heard by them certainly lit up the expectations), What Made Milwaukee Famous has promise, and this is pure proof o fit.

I Got Ready for the Future to Arrive

2006-09-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

Watch: The Mountain Goats-Woke Up New

It must be difficult making a video for The Mountain Goats, as the music itself is already charged with busy, personal lyrics and emotions balancing with the actual melody, but this video feels only fitting. The muted color scheme, deliberate but discreet editing effects add to give the video its charm. John Darnielle front view, singing to the viewer in parts of the video suits the song and his general style, and the camera in camera, recording in recording screens are rather neat to look at in any case. Although this probably isn't the most activity or fun filled video, it's just the sort to match the music and should be enjoyed.

(thx, Antville for the video refresher/catch up!)

If I Skip to Hit Snooze

2006-09-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

I'm From Barcelona-Oversleeping

This is the song to set as your alarm in the morning. And there are a couple of reasons why that is. A really important reason is that it actually features alarm beeping sounds at the beginning of the song, therefore simulating an actual alarm experience without having to sit through the repetative beeping. Another reason is that it's about hurrying to make it in time. Another reason is that it suggests within its catchy, repetative lyrics that, should you not get up immediately, upon hearing this song, you'll have to skip to wear clothes, skip breakfast, and run to make it in time. Another reason is that it's really short, so that if you told yourself you'd get up upon the end of the song, that end comes really soon. A bad part is that such a catchy, glittering thing will end really soon. But that's all really a part of its appeal, isn't it?

The Internets.

2006-09-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

I'm too busying LOLing at all the going ons of the Interwebs today to do an actual post...

I don't get MTV (um...on my cable, that is), but if I did, I probably would have watched the VMAs for the hell of it, and then proceeded to do snarky live blogging.

Speaking of snarky, Stereogum's repeated commenters requesting them to talk about "The Pitchfork leak" sparked my curiosity, and after a little investigating, I came across this:

So basically--since I don't seem to want to do any writing of my own today--Dave explains it best. This would be hilarious by any standards, but even better since this follows on the heels of Stereogum's anti-P-fork lashing once again.

And while we're on the topic of hipsters fucking up, here's an unrelated but wonderful clip of Panic! At the Disco getting hit in the face with a bottle. Pure bliss!

And since YouTube is that addicting anyway, we'll wrap up the day with our favorite American Idol pop star singing with retarded Yellowcard band member and Metal Skool. It's rather amazing.

Look Up at the High Windows and See Your Face Up There

2006-08-31T14:14:00.000-07:00

The Mountain Goats-Get Lonely

I was startled out of my paper crafting when I heard this song. The acoustic guitar and John Darnielle drifting from my computer, singing, with this aching sadness. And when the chorus came, that rush of emotions, honesty, I froze. And listened to the song, again, from the start, and again. To soak it in.

This is a song for cold winter nights. For sitting alone, in your car, in a deserted parking lot. And for glazing up into the perfect slice of half moon and the stars around it. This is a song to feel. To feel the chilly night wind brush against every inch of your skin. To feel the silence, the stillness around you. Like you're the only one, the last one alive in the world. And it's just...you, and John Darnielle, and a guitar, and those fuzzing, trembling strings.

This is a song for tears. No--not tears, but a teardrop. A crease of pain staining a perfect face. This is a song for broken hearts, for shattered promises, for losing hope. This is a song for that aching, binding emptiness. This is a song for the beauty in loss. A song for the rain, for heavy clouds, for a slow, walk through a fog, a mist, a haze of sorrow.

This a song to hear--alone. Still, attentive, waiting, and understanding.

Just When You Think You're in Control

2006-08-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

Because I haven't done Video Wednesday in a long while, and you guys deserve the best, here's this video, which might as well be the most amazing music video of all time.

Ok Go-Here it Goes Again

It speaks for itself. But, in case you're still in need of convincing, it features treadmills and dancing on such treadmills. And also features a pretty good, catchy little indie pop song. That is all.

Book Talk 37: Darker Places

2006-08-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

The book: Darker Places-Richard Matheson

I think I have a love/hate relationship with this book, which was a signed (!) and limited (of 500) edition I got from the library, featuring, I guess, some of Richard Matheson's earliest stories that he's too embarrassed to publish elsewhere, or even publish in an easily accessable manner.

Richard Matheson, who's sort of the pioneer of contemporary horror fiction, with a couple of short stories that shared far too many similar qualities for comfort, and who wrote these when he was young and hoping to scare readers, did not really reach that "scaring readers" stage for me. They're good stories, with all the basic horror tale elements, but each one felt a little lacking in something. It might be that most of these has a rather predictable plot/ending, but horror stories often share that flaw (my own insignifigant creations included).

I like the book since it gives me an idea of Richard Matheson's early workings, and these are fun, short little reads, but if I treated the content as a regular horror short story comp, then I wouldn't find much good in it.

Although the screen play included (for "The Creature") held my attention the whole way through, it was such a perfectly cliched plot that I wondered if I read the original novel, therefore justifying why I seem to be able to see everything that comes next. Even without the original, if I saw this movie produced I'd probably be crying halfway through due to the utterly predictablility of everything. Richard Matheson is a fantastic writer, but this collection really cannot him justice, and I guess it's just as well that this is a limited edition that most will not read.

Love Was Made Like a Ship at Bay

2006-08-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

Colour Revolt-Mattress Under Water

This drifting, sometimes tinkling, sometimes flowing, sometimes exploding song bends and shapes into a living moving picture. A piece of wonderous brushing harmonies and emotions all wrapped up into one song. With the occassional breaking, gasping chorus with a shock of clashing, thundered guitars and screams, and the line of the song mesmerizing to listen to, at the very least. And, it does not hurt at all that ex-Fletcher Colour Revolt's debut EP will be released on Tiny Evil, home to other Bubble Death favorites such as the glaring obscure Jimmy Eat World and Brand New.

Trentalange-Monster

I always want to start Mondays off with a bang, and end the week with something close. You know, something utterly upbeat and catchy that you'll be excited for the days to come. But...when shifting through my stack of emails (I've been slacking off with this new music thing, I've mentioned?) and songs like this one appear, utterly calm and a whirling drain of dark, melodic beauty, a stare, a challenge, a lush air of mystery, of vaguely Gothic appeal, of full and flowing emotion, of wonderful, hooking sound that despite its smooth exterior, is attention snapping at its best, then I've got no choice but to post, and let the dreamy landscaping of Trentalange speak for itself.

The long awaited--Jimmy Eat World!

2006-08-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Eat World @ Del Mar--8/26/06
(+shitty photos (ignore the camera's default date)/super shitty videos!)

If you've read this blog at all in the past, you would know that I am an obsessive Jimmy Eat World fangirl. And you would know that for many previous attempts, I've failed at meeting Jimmy/seeing them live. So, yesterday would have been an amazing experience even if the show didn't go as well as it could. But, since I am writing this, it must mean that last night's show really did kick into dream show land, and that would be an accurate assumption.

JEW kicked it off right away with the always crowd pleasing, energetic and brilliant "Sweetness," followed by "A Praise Chorus" without pause. The very beginning of a show is generally tentative, with a sense of ginger awkwardness, and needs a bit of time before rioting into concert la-la land, but these two songs of pop genius snapped the crowd's attention and left no time for doubts--although, I do wish they had saved one for later, since these are some of the catchiest, most live-suitable songs in their catalogue.

Of course, they played the usual Futures/Bleed American hit songs that, depending on its chart-popularity, set off various explosions of crowd enthusiasm. And, two or three new songs that I can't determine exactly how I feel about yet. What I am sure of is that they're undeniably catchy, and poppy, and rocking. The sort of Jimmy anthems that you listen for the first time, and halfway through the song, you could be humming/singing along (and you'll definitely want to!) The sort of songs with sparking chorus and catchy verses, fun and upbeat, and nearly guaranteed future chart toppers.

The happy surprises of the show were probably their older, and/or rarely played live songs that nonetheless rocked the hell out. With "No Sensitivity," Jim almost confused Jebediah for a San Diegan band (they're Australian.) "Seventeen" and two Clarity tracks ("Goodbye Sky Harbor" and "Blister"...vaguely disappointing) managed to draw memory of Jimmy's good old days and were still a blast to hear live. But, for a really, unbelievable song choice, JEW played "If You Don't, Don't." Which is really quite something. One, because I really happen to love that song, as one of my favorites from Bleed American, but also, because it's very, very rarely played. I could barely believe what I was hearing!

But the show itself seemed to fly by without much effort, and when the lights dimmed I did not have enough of a fill of Jimmy. I worried because I thought even an encore would still prove the night too short. I've been waiting so long for this, after all. ..

And then, the encore. Opened by "Lucky Denver Mint," one of my favorites off Clarity (and recorded, terribly, for your watching/listening displeasure at my camera's utter crapness and my inability to correctly do this), and then with slicing "Bleed American", where the band's passionate playing, and Jim's sweat soaked hair, and the crowd's devocation became far more obvious, and finally, ended the night with "The Middle." Not Jimmy's best work, by any means, but for finishing off a show for a crowd that had its share of hit-only listeners (the show was free, after all. And this is San Diego, after all, where 80% of the population fits the perfect surfer/bimbo stereotype), it was wonderful. An optimistic end to a wonderful night.

Although the whole show was geared toward rocking/energetic/fast paced songs, I wish they would have played at least one softer, melodic track. Something along the lines of "For Me This is Heaven"/"23"/"Disintergration"/"Just Watch the Fireworks", for instance. But I guess, for a long awaited show that wraped up the summer, all that energy spent was just perfect.

Go watch my terrible videos:
Jimmy Eat World-Big Casino (live, clip of new song!)
Jimmy Eat World-Lucky Denver Mint (live)

And yes, I realize how terrible my recordings are, but until someone else uploads something better quality...this is the best I can do. Sorry about the random fan screaming during Lucky Denver Mint and general blurry/fuzz/noise-ness of everything.

Finally.

"Horror" Link Dump!

2006-08-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

If you notice that I've been slacking off on my posts lately, you'd be right. The reason? Well, many things, really, the majority of which I don't want to go into (procrastination...obsession with useless other activities...laziness...you know). So, instead of trying to justify my post crappiness, I'll take the easy way out and point you lovely readers in the directions of some of my current Internet time wasting material, in hopes that you'll sympathize, and/or become too distracted to mind.

So. As usual, with all musical/book related links, Largehearted Boy pointed out this wonderful Stylus* piece on various J-Rock videos. Perfect, since I'm still not over my Gothic Lolita obsession, and I'm too confused and scared to try and explore the Japanese music scene. Featuring everyone's favorite Lolita stars like Mana, Kana and Aya in everyone's favorite Gothic and creepy bands in creepy and gothic videos that are far more entertaining than a lot of the pretencious crap U.S. "indie" bands tends to come up with (Hello, The Killers!) I'm particularly enchanted with the idea/personality/theatrics of Mana and Kana, and equally distressed at the sound of their music. Maybe they're an aquired taste or maybe I'm not cut out for this, but I just can't treat them as anything more than curiosities. Although that Kana video does remind me of Karen O's singing style, I think I prefer Kana's fashion choice far better.

When it comes to legends such as Malice Mizer (aka Mana's band) or Dir en Grey (I forgot what their relation was...), I heart the idea behind the videos and the videos themselves. The atmosphere, the imagery, the mood, but again, the music just does not do it for me.

Speaking of creepiness and scariness, for some geniune jolt back from your seat terrifying reaction to extremely distrubing imagery, check out the authentic petticoat pin-ups from Petticoat Pond, featuring TGs ("TG = "Transgender Poufbunnies") and GG's ("GG = Genetic Gal Boufhunnies "). I'd strongly recommend that you don't click if you're eating or drinking. Or in a currently happy, healthy and relaxed mood. Click at your own risk. And that'll end the day.

Book Talk 36: Neverwhere

2006-08-23T14:49:00.000-07:00

The novel: Neverwhere-Neil Gaiman

Another in flight/home read, and as always, Neil Gaiman pulls off his brilliant fantasy/horror mix stories with the right amount of satire, originality, charm and general plot wonderfulness to be an addicting read. The characters, to me, are slightly stereotypical (but my perspective on this is totally twisted since my first novel was all about making fun of fantasy/scenexcore stereotypes, and many of Gaiman's characters remind me of my own creations...vanity, vanity, vanity), but still alive and sympathy deserving, with personality and sympathy deserving backgrounds. His type of dark fantasy is my only choice, if I were to return to my "epic" fantasy obsessed literature craze a few years back, and for his first real novel, this was a pleasure to read.

You're Such a Delicate Boy

2006-08-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

Garbage-Cherry Lips

This song is absolutely perfect for walking around, with or without a purpose, any time, any where, any one. I think this was my anthem while doing the massive amount of walking, stair climbing, subway chasing, store hopping in New York, and it's rather perfect to ease into our regular programming. It has a somehow totally different vibe from most other Garbage songs, with such upitty, joyous, pure happy bouncing pop freedom it's nearly overwhelming. Cherry lips and golden curls, hot pants and high heels, rhythmic verse and collective chorus, repetative listening addiction, indeed.

And, concerning my second (and short) trip to NYC, I'm now more sure than ever that it's the city of my dreams. It might be a cliche, but there has to be some sort of creativity magnet embedded deep within the city, calling all writers, artists, musicians as well as the flawless suit-ed business people. And upon visiting my three perspective New York schools--NYU, Columbia and The New School (NYU still being my obvious and painful dream/first choice)--I'm all the more set to live there soon in the future. We can make fun of it all we want, but the forever etched saying of "I <3 NY" does hold true, and more than once I found the phrase popping out.

Departure: Version 2.00

2006-08-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

Before I forget/leave: I'm leaving tonight for NYC (yay again for flights and such funess), but I'll only be there for four days, and if I catch anything especially interesting over there I'll be sure to post. If not, regular programming will ensure on Monday.

I'm excited. Enjoy this short little break from this wordy blog for the little while that you can!

Book Talk 35: Cell

2006-08-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

The novel: Cell-Stephen King
The song: The Vacancy-Handheld

Thanks to the lovely Pop Justice Singles Club, I discovered this gem of a perfect pop song. Shameless, open ended, and correctly labeled "pop with guitars", the sort that slides up right next to bands like Blink 182, smashes the shitty whining-ness of such bands, and kicks up the catchy, fun, dancing around and singing about technology relationships with real relationship wonderful popness of it. So, while the tone of the song has nothing to do with the book, it is a great song and does sorta kinda relates. And that's that.

So, now, as many of you know, Stephen King is my all time favorite author, ever. He doesn't deserve to be grouped along people like Danielle Steel, and is most definitely not just another mainstream horror churning machine with no literary merit. Yes, it took me this long to finally read his newest, Cell, but it was worth the wait. It's been a while since I last read a King book, and there is always something about going back to a favorite author. It's kind of like meeting an old best friend after years of separation, there is that awkward and timidness, and worry bubbling beneath: will I still like him? What if it's been too long? What if all our shared interests went away?

But as the novel went on, and the conversation carried away, there is that old familar sensation of being engulfed in the novel, of, finally, not wanting to put it down, of staying up late just to get to the next page, the next chapter, the next section, the end (I finished this book in two days). Stephen King is still a great a writer as ever, and the familiar tricks and details he uses comes back. The storyline is riveting, as always, but does echoes of The Stand by a lot. Another apocalypse disaster featuring sprawling corpses and attacking zombies, lots of gore, snatches of religion and brilliant characterization...which is fun to read, but in terms of something fresh and new from everyone's favorite horror writer, could have been much different.

But Love is Not a Victory March

2006-08-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

So, before we get to the music, I'd like to confess: I've been on a major Gothic Lolita kick lately, obsessing over all sorts of elaborate "rules" to the fashion and clothing and photos. And although I've tried to keep an open mind, and there is a certain appeal to the style of Jrockers like Mana, things like jpop and jrock just does not work for this pop/hipster/twee dedicated blogger. But I'm still fasinated enough with this whole thing to be leaning toward the darker, theatrical songs in my collection. So, that brings (moment--)a cover song by a semi lolita-ish band? Yeah. Don't even worry about it.

The Dresden Dolls-Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)

I'm usually not a big Dresden Dolls fan. On the scale of love vs. hate, I'd say I reside strictly in the middle. There are some songs that I do enjoy, but often their theatrics overwhelms their music, and I find myself sticking with their songs that are far more quiet (in other words, more "Coin Operated Boy" than "Girl Anachronism"), but they do fit within this whole Gothic Lolita ideal far more than other Western artists seem to. So, here's their cover of the famous "Hallelujah." It's not the best cover out there, but like most of their songs, there's an element of unease bounded to the core of the song, so that even in this live recording, their twisted emotional snap is spiked to the song, and can turn this beautiful and sad classic into a haunting piece of drama. The song takes a turn for the darker side of things, conjuring images of broken glass, shattered dreams, lace gloved hands bleeding into a broken rose...poetic and Gothic. Perfect for the occasion.

And You Ended Up in Someone Else's Frame

2006-08-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

Bishop Allen-Click Click Click Click

Oh god. I know, this blog is turning into another weak at the collection of letters that spells Bishop Allen fan blog, but I can't help it if this song makes me weak with happiness. And if the band can accomplish the impossible, i.e., creating songs that are more and more amazing with each EP each month, by the end of the year the rest of the indie pop band population will have disappeared.

Sitting at a tight and perfect three minutes, it could just as well be the model of a perfect indie pop song. The click click click is exactly as you'd imagine, filled with catchiness and charmingness (if there's one band who definitely doesn't need to head to Charm School, it's gotta be them), the opening tender and hesitant and so playful, the strumming leading up to that bouncy chorus, the story telling, humble narrator lyrics that makes me fall in love over and over again...my words are heavy and burdensome compared to the air light song. So. Good.

Book Talk 34: Oh the Glory of It All

2006-08-10T15:32:00.000-07:00

The novel: Oh the Glory of It All-Sean Wilsey

The cover of this novel was the first thing that caught my eye in the bookstore. The black and white design swirling over an interesting title, and when I flipped to the back cover, and saw that the first blurb compared it to A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and Infinite Jest (also: why am I reading so many memoirs all of a sudden? I have no idea, but it's charming and fun anyway), I couldn't resist picking it up. (Not to mention, Sean Wilsey's an editor of McSweeney's)

So, I started the book in the bookstore, then read about half of it on the second half of my flight to China, then read bits of it on and off in China, then read the majority of it on my flight back, and finally finished the last bits a couple of days ago. This was an adventure. Featuring all the bizarre things I've come to expect in memoirs like sex, drugs, beautiful people, fucked up people, evil stepmothers, detached parents, all sorts of conflicting emotions and situations that were as entertaining to read as it must have been disturbing to experience. The beauty of the memoir, that made it far more realistic seeming than other memoirs I've read were the rich details and layered description Sean Wilsey took the liberty of sharing. The newspaper article clippings, the familiar famous names in relation to his family, the society events and life style that we've always wondered and fantasized about, it's all there.

And while his family history and too much information tends to overwhelm the actual "story", and some periods of his life deserved far more pages than others, his tone, style, and unbelievable life makes this a book worth reading (albeit a bit long...)

Book Talk 33: Running With Scissors

2006-08-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

The novel: Running with Scissors-Augusten Burroughs

For the record, I read the whole book on the flight to China, which was about a month ago, and I really can't remember much of the book. And, I forgot to record my thoughts after reading it in my half abandoned, half hearted attempt at a travelogue. So, this is probably a pointless book talk.

Things I do know for sure: I've heard a lot about this book/author, especially the hipster friendlyness of this book (almost matching that of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius? Possibility, but not a probability.) and David Sedaris comparisons. And, I thought, while I enjoyed the read--slightly twisted, disturbing, not memoir like, with the wit occassionally right on point but lacking the humor every one seems to claim it's filled with--it doesn't meet expectations. I'd still recommend the book as a fun read, but this is more Dave Eggers than David Sedaris.

So Throw Your Fist in the Air Like You Just Don't Care

2006-08-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

Hot One-Do the Coup D'etat

See, this is exactly what I need to kick off the Bubble Death regular scheduling once again. This Loud and Bold and Rocking, and also, tinted with Glam and Punk and Politics...okay, maybe that last one doesn't quite have the same effect, but, still. This is an anthem, and it features "oh la la's!" This features major guitar riffs and heavy drums, and it's still nothing that would be out of place at a hipster club.

Matthew Friedberger-The Pennsylvania Rock Oil Co. Resignation Letter

I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about Matthew Friedberger's new solo project. I was hoping for something a little different from the Fiery Furnaces style, but Matthew's still set on that experimentaly indie pop, although perhaps kicked up on the pop element (which is: excellent!) And while the Fiery Furnaces have always liked story telling songs, this just brings it up, again. It's like, strip away the most extreme (and sometimes pretencious) effects of the Furnaces, and layer pop kids approved energy and fun-ness, and slightly more interesting song structure, and then you have this. Which means, that I think I've come to the conclusion that, yes, I really do like it.

Return Trip!

2006-08-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hi hi hi there! If you haven't heard, I'm back, and I'm super excited to be back. I had a wonderful trip, and maybe I'll spare the time to actually share snippets of it sometimes soon. As of now, I'm all sorts of exhausted and walking about the house with a general blank state of mind. After three weeks of pretty much non-stop activity, I'm ready to kick back and just finally hang out with no specific purpose. Yay?

So, anyway, I'm going to need a little time to catch up on all this new music I've been missing, and go through my pile of emails (they really stack up, don't they?) and blogs that I haven't been able to view (you won't believe how many random sites China manages to block for no apparent reason...sigh).

I hope you've all enjoyed the guest posts! I know I certainly loved reading them, and also getting away from posting anything. Thanks a billion to all the bloggers helping me out.

So...this is my short little return notice. I shall proceed now to go lying on my bed and staring at the ceiling, and wasting time and trying to recover from the time difference. If my writing appears to be of the most terrible quality, I apologize. I've been out of practice, but I should be fully back in a couple of days or so.

Jenny Owen Youngs

2006-07-28T02:19:00.000-07:00

Hi folks, Eddie from Another Form of Relief here. Laura was crazy enough to let me guest blog today while she's away. Fear not though, for she'll be back in a few days and the scary people like me will be gone again. In the mean time, I'd like to share with you one of my favourite artists from the past year or so who is still criminally not known by the majority of people.

Jenny Owen Youngs - Fuck Was I

Jenny is a singer-songwriter from New York (who isn't these days?), who is also a member of the rather excellent The Robot Explosion. In the past few months she's also opened for Regina Spektor, so she's a pretty busy girl. 'Fuck Was I' is her finest work, a suitably downbeat regret song that is backed up by a wonderful string arrangement. You can get hold of her CD, 'Batten The Hatches', from the fine folks over at CD Baby.

Persil - Lighting Up My Life!

2006-07-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

Persil are a band whose music I have been listening to for a couple of years now but I had never manage to catch live until I finally got to see them at the Truck Festival last weekend.

The band are David and Martine who hail from Amsterdam. They have just released their second album in the UK entitled Comfort Noise and it's a mix of fuzzy indie pop tunes with a healthy dose of electronica thrown in.

You can stream tracks from the new album from My Space or you can download the best track from the new album called Light Up My Life from here. You can also download a track from each of their three Peel sessions from their music page. And if that has whetted your appetite head to Bailrigg FM where you can download a whole session the band recorded for that station last year. Actually why you are there do yourself a favour and download the session by Decoration too.

Buy Persil's music.

I have postings on other artists who appeared at Truck on my site. Well that's my last guest post for now so thanks to Laura for having me.

Be Still My Heart

2006-07-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry I am a little late in blogging today. I don't know how many of you guys read my blog, but if you do, you probably know I was in the car for 5 hours today, coming back to Missouri from Arkansas. But, the blog must go on.

The song I think all you Bubble Death-ers need to hear today is called Be Still My Heart, by my favorite Ben Gibbard side project, the Postal Service. It comes from their We Will Become Silhouettes single. It is very solid for a B-side, and is one of my favorite songs of theirs. Be Still My Heart is the kind of song that either makes you glad to be taken, or kind of bummed to be alone. Still, you will like it either way. I hope you enjoy!

Postal Service- Be Still My Heart

hey from the uk

2006-07-19T03:29:00.000-07:00

Hello all the lovely readers of Laura's blog. It's Tim from the face of today and the contrast podcast here sending you all a great big British hug.

Laura said that we could post whatever we wanted while she was away ... which is a bit risky if you ask me! Anywho, I thought I'd share something with you that I made myself.

I don't think that there is anything wrong with blowing your own trumpet!!

Hands up everyone who has heard of Victor Scott? Well, a couple of weeks ago I did my own acapella version of his hit 'gotta go' and I'm suspecting that you might like it.

tim young - gotta go (victor scott cover)

... and in case you haven't heard it ....

victor scott - gotta go

Thanks to Laura for inviting me to post here!

The Acid House Kings

2006-07-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hello. This is Tom from indie-mp3, one of many bloggers blogsitting for Laura whilst she is away in China. I thought I would write a quick piece on a band that is never far away from my stereo, pc or mp3 player!

The Acid House Kings have nothing to do with electro, techno or trance. They are without doubt Sweden's premier indie pop outfit and have been making luscious tunes for well over a decade. Inspired by the English 1980's independent music scene they have blended this with a love of Phil Spector inspired 60's girl bands. And if you were a mad professor you would shout "eureka" as this forumla works!

The band have released five albums and six singles since 1992's Play Pop! EP and members appear in other bands such as Club 8, Poprace and The Legends. I would recommend getting hold of Mondays are like Tuesdays and Tuesdays are like Wednesdays (2002) or Sing along with Acid House Kings (2005) for starters. Here is a track each from both albums:

Acid House Kings - Sunday Morning
Acid House Kings - Do What You Wanna Do

The band have also covered the Loveninjas' track Keep Your Love. It's taken from their last release Do What You Wanna Do EP which was released earlier this year.

Acid House Kings - Keep Your Love
Loveninjas - Keep Your Love

Sweden is a hot bed of indie-pop right now. If you want to find out more this is an introduction I wrote for the Take Your Medicine blog earlier this year.

I'm Just Sayin Is All...

2006-07-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

Banksy - Street Art (2006)

Hey hey! My name is Kyle and I write a Madison, WI based music/art blog called I'm Just Sayin Is All... While I have control here at the beautiful Bubble Death, I'd like to dirty it up a bit by introducing a cast of favourite artists that frequent my blog.
An enigmatic UK guerrilla artist named Banksy is screaming with spray paint at the concrete walls that construct modern society, unfortunately standing more predominantly as sales mechanisms than as pillars of our communities. His unique stencil designs and confrontational messages often take the form of a sarcastic, street-roaming rat who becomes refreshingly artistic company on the daily corporate commute.

If you haven't yet been converted to the glistening church of Leslie Hall, let me be the overly-expressive evangelist that shows you the light. Adorned with the chubby wisdom of the proverbial Buddah and a mosaic of gemstones, Leslie's belly resonates with the beats of greatness and produces the stadium anthems that will unite the world at the modern Mecca of internet culture. Never without her trusty beatbox, the research-based jams of Dr. Laura, and a nationwide following of junior gems that puts the dusty disciples to shame (c'mon only 12?), Leslie is taking her traveling truth on a tour of the Western US deserts (for more than 40 days and certainly with more food). Check out the reverberating-rhinestoned-riot-rhythms on herspace or at a service near you. Internalize these beats and become henchmen of the gemmed word. Help reflect Leslie's dancing brilliance to enlighten the grey cashmere of the sinning populous.

Leslie & The Lys - Gold Pants (mp3)

Next, checkout a rising phenomena from Madison, WI and pioneer of danceable neuro-core Giddings Love for Who. The band's intriguing structures, ambient-laced complexity, and dynamic lead vocals (Timothy Oyen) amazingly inspires both thought and dance... a deadly combination. They are my current favourite and my blog's New Band to Watch.

Giddings Love for Who - Step to Stream to Rivulet (mp3)

Giddings Love for Who - The Inevitable Pseudo Boy (mp3)

The Village Green

2006-07-12T16:33:00.000-07:00

Stealing a riff from a well known band can be disaster but if done right can be great. The later is the case for The Village Green. "Mossyrock" is just that, borrowing The Stones great guitar riff from "Brown Sugar". Channeling all that was good from 70's rock, the Green make the track work well with said riff intact. It is also important to mention that the Green have not only taken a classic riff but they have borrowed a name. Kinks fantastic 1968 "The Village Green Preservation Society" is the name borrowed for their band and for all for the right reasons.

"Feeling The Fall" - street date for release on August 29th is all about the 70's. Borrowing heavily from The Kinks, The Stones, from all the greats - derivative maybe some will call it but be rest assured, The Village Green make it their own piece of music art.

The Village Green
Feeling The Fall
SpinART (2006)

mp3 Mossyrock

BTW, This is Merz from Mars Needs Guitars. Thanks much to Laura for letting me guest post on her blog!

Viva la Death Ray! Viva! Viva!

2006-07-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I'm blogging today on The Bubble Death. I'm Conor, I write a blog called San Diego Serenade, and until Friday, I had never heard of The Bubble Death. But I'm honored to guest here and hope that my guest posting leaves you salivating for more, possibly encouraging a bloody coup of the regular blog authorship.

American Death Ray - Miss America (What Goes On)

I think you should all check out American Death Ray. I learned about this band back in college, while reading the occasional column that Editor David Fricke has in the reviews section of Rolling Stone. These columns usually end with a footnote that says "David Fricke has been to more shows than you could even imagine" or "David Fricke has over 25,000 albums in his collection." You know, the kind of stuff that really makes you hate that huge smiling wierdo. The most recent one included the phrase "Pianist Thomas Koppel was a big reason why I collect and care about Scandanavian music." The only positive thing that reading this column has ever given to me was the discovery of American Death Ray.

The band is from Memphis, and what originally intrigued me about them is the way that the singer sounds like Lou Reed. So that's a big positive for all the VU/Lou Reed fans out there. They also work their music up into a far more manic frenzy than anything Lou Reed has made in the past 25 years, and it all usually comes to a joyous boilover with the aid of the screeching rock saxophone that is prominent on all the songs. They are one of the bands I truly wish were still around playing live shows, and I heartily recommend checking out their album "Smash Radio Hits" which also includes songs in the same rockin' vein such as "Baby Lightning" but also a kick ass ballad called "Arms So Long."

When you're done listening to that, come check out my blog, because I just put up my first ever podcast. It's over an hour and a half of theories, rants and music. If you make it all the way through, you're a better man than any member of my immediate family.

In the waiting line.

2006-07-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

Hello, the Bubble Death readers. My name is Jeff, and I will be your blogger today.

Today I want to share a song with you by the band Zero 7.

Zero 7- In the Waiting Line

This song has has a great chill-out groove and swirling dream-like vocals. It is great to relax to and let the sound wash over you.

If it sounds familiar, it is probably because it was on the Garden State soundtrack and heard in the film.

Away Message:

2006-07-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

The Prototypes-Ici Ou Peut-Etre Demain

I don't speak French at all, but I can recognize the snippets of English in that chorus, and I can most definitely recognize the shaking, dancing energetic beat and the twisting tempo, the insistent catchy bounce, the non-stop shimmering of instruments, and the clapping, snapping, stomping that reminds me of such English speaking, dancing happy artists like The Go! Team. Pure, foreign fun from The Prototypes (and yeah, I know, they've been loved by other bloggers. But again, never+better=late.)

Annoncement #2:

I will be leaving this Sunday for China, for a whole three weeks! I think, to make the trip even more interesting than it will be, I will attempt to write about things, David Sedaris style. But, of course, I won't be mp3 blogging while away! So, lucky you guys, some of my favorite bloggers will be guest posting! Give them lots of love. I know I'm very excited to see a little variety on my own blog!

Book Talk 32: A Dirty Job

2006-07-06T15:01:00.000-07:00

The novel: A Dirty Job-Christopher Moore

Okay, that's it, Christopher Moore is officially my new favorite fiction humor writer. Sorry, Terry Pratchett and Carl Hiaasen, but this was too great not to jump him up way up on my internal "favorites" list.

Here are some reasons why this book is so great:
*I finished it in two days. Yes, two days. And it's not really a short book.
*It's about death.
*It's about death.
*It has the most adorable cover art ever.
*It features squirrels and other animals dressed up in high fashion.
*It features a tall, black man named Minty Fresh, who is also a Death Merchant.
*It features hellhounds who plays with a baby girl.
*It features mythology refrences that all blend in.
*It's hilarious, charming, and also has that trace of saddness within the storyline.
*It's about death.
*It features wacky characters that are part stereotype, but more part hysterical.
*Everything is "like bear."
*It features an illustrated guide to being Death.
*Oh, for God's sake, isn't that reason enough?

Brilliant. Christopher Moore is now utterly amazing in my book (uh, no pun intended...)

Oh, and also, I was trying to find a song that has to do with Death that has some of the wonderful qualities of this book, and that was all sorts of challenging, because they are generally sad, or just off topic. So, if you know of any crazy, funny, charming, good songs about death, do tell me about it. Death is such a fun subject to tackle, and musicians really ought to embrace it more. Love is so boring now, isn't it?

He Likes to Read Books Written for Girls

2006-07-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

Camera Obscura-Books Written for Girls (Synonym remix)

Camera Obscura had this exclusive remix by Synonym up on their website, but I got really frustrated with the wma format and the non existant tagging and took the liberty of converting it to mp3 and correcting the info, and hopefully making life a little easier/better for you with the song.

The original version of this song is one of those few pieces of music that can reach that delicate place, that point wavering between beauty and saddness, art and heart, that moment where the music is all you can hear--it's all you want to hear--and it chases after, haunting, and powerful, and that amazing. While this remix does not reach the emotional heights of that song, the beauty and charm is not lost, and there is this space, this hallowed air that suits the song within the dreamy, detached electronic beats and quivers. "A poor man's Belle & Sebastian?" That's definitely not Camera Obscura. And somehow, this remix seems to make the point even better than they can. A wonderful hallway of the now, not so twee, love.

What Are You So Afraid Of?

2006-07-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

Feist-Secret Heart (New U.S. Version)

I'm not sure what the story is with this so called "New USA Secret Heart" that Feist put on her Myspace, but whatever it is, I'm super happy about it. The original version of the song is already one amazing piece of music, but on this one, the hesitation, the apprehension, the ever so detectable taunting in Feist's voice is brushed and stripped to tinted, fragile, beauty in the verses. And the chorus? The crashing of full instruments? A whole rush to contrast the tender quivers of the verses? This is why we love Feist so much, guys.

The Sky Drops-Now Would Be

There is a crash. This is tension. There are vaguely metal sounding riffs. There is a roar, a step, waves swallowing. There is ambience and fuzzy guitars. There is "adult alternative" like lyrics. There is scattering. Drifting. There is a squeezing of muscles and darkening of tone. There is a general sense of goodness.

To Feel the Fear Before You're Here

2006-06-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody go look at my new blog! There isn't much content as of yet, but it will be very very exciting in the near future.

The Cure-Friday I'm In Love

I woke up this morning, and outside, the sun spun on, but without the extreme, unpleasant heat, and the birds (there's a nest of them right above our door. It's the most adorable thing ever!) didn't stop twittering, and everything looked wonderful. And I got up, feeling this incredible summery energy, and this song popped in my head. It had been a while since I listened to The Cure--mostly, it's just when I'm feeling depressed, angsty, in need of familiar moody, atmospheric music, but today, this song was written for me. For everyone, really, who felt that lift of spirits, that release of happiness, that fluttery rush of love, of the world. And oh, soaking in The Cure in their dodgy optimism, can there be anything better?

The Get Up Kids-So Close to Me (Cure cover!)

And while we're on the topic of the scene and The Cure, here is a bouncy, fun, cover of a Cure song by the Get Up Kids. I always thought they had some sort of indie cred--far better than, say, Panic! At the Disco. They're a bit more along the lines of The Promise Ring and Saves the Day than Hawthorne Heights and whatever shitty wanna be screamo band that everyone else is adoring now, aren't they? But I really shouldn't be judging, considering...oh, nevermind. Just, you know, ironic that The Cure is ending up such a fiting little sound for the glorious summer.

A Clockwork Orange

2006-06-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

Here are some things you should know about A Clockwork Orange:

1. Immediately after watching the movie, I dubbed it my favorite movie. And I am usually not one for naming favorites right off the top of my head, especially if it's a movie, since movies pass and go...

2. Immediately after dubbing it my favorite movie, I went ahead and Wikied it, and looked for all sorts of exciting things associated with it since I knew it was a cult film and all.

3. The day immediately after, I watched it again. And dubbed it the most amazing film of all time.

4. The cinematography is brilliant. The acting is perfection. Wow.

5. The words were delicious.

6. Immediately after that, I read the book.

7. And that was real horrorshow, too, but I think, mostly due to my still flaming obsession for the movie, I only wanted to relive the film and did not appreciate it as much as I probably could have under any other circumstances.

8. I think that is all, for now.

9. Here is the signature song from the movie, "Singing in the Rain" by Gene Kelly, which is rather wonderful in its own right, but after that infamous scene from the movie is to be heard in a whole other light...I seem to have this unhealthy habit of constantly coming back to listening to it. It's also good for laughs when played in the presence of people ignorant of the movie, and thinking that it is indeed a good piece of old music.

10. If you have not seen the movie, this is like a direct command to watch it. Seriously. Jaw dropping, obsession worthy pure brilliance. I've never seen anything that affected me this much.

Fire Eye'd Boy Give Them All a Slip

2006-06-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

Watch: Broken Social Scene-Fire Eye'd Boy

This is such a strange video for this song, featuring half of Broken Social Scene --the, uh, skinny hipster guys with curly hair half--training hard for what appears to be some sort of an American Idol type competition, a lesson on fear by a crazy coach, locker rooms, jumping about in bath robes and gym short shorts, and a number of funny guests and snippets of talk.

It's a lot of fun to watch--but also, again, so weird for this song. I don't know--it's very unexpected, but surprises are good! Surprises are fun! It's slightly distracting from the song, but that's what music videos are all about, right? ;)

Favorite bit:
"If you don't run faster, I'll pull your CD from the stores!" That'll get them moving. Runner up: their auditions. And also: the last bit with the rocket. Yay.

Book Talk 30: JPod

2006-06-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

The novel: Jpod-Douglas Coupland

I like Douglas Coupland. You know, I really, really do. I might not like him as much as some other authors, but I like his self referencing, a million pop culture snippets within a few pages, post-post-post modern style, general bizarrities, and the fact that he's a character in this very book. It's just such a funny little thing to do, and I always wondered, if I tried to write myself into one of my own stories--what would happen? I noticed that writers who do that tend to have their characters dislike them. A lot, as was the case with Stephen King and the last Dark Tower book, and of course, JPod.

And really, I liked this book. The pages and pages of what some would consider "useless" information (I mean, yes, it does take up a lot of pages. But still.) like snippets from spam, the digits of pie up to a ridiculously high number, a large number of prime numbers, all sorts of randomness sprinkled in...it's just, you know, not his best work. It's charming and a lot of fun to read and flip through, but the stroy itself is a little lacking. Hilarious, unrealistic things happen--such is the appeal of many Coupland books, and his characters, as usual, are your expected twentysomethings, totally tech savy and with insane personalities and traits, but I mean, despite the obvious, insane plot points, not a whole lot happens...which is okay, when you need something to entertain and catch all the references and feel special about, and it's a good, different thing after Michael Chabon. Just--Play again? Y/N

I really would not know.

Clever (Blog) Titles are so Last Summer..

2006-06-26T12:52:00.000-07:00

How hipster are you?

Sick today...

Tell me your results/thoughts. This might be a forcast for something soon...

About this Blog

2006-06-24T19:36:00.000-07:00

Contact:
Email: xbrokennightmarex (at) gmail (dot) com
AIM: xnoironyx

email for mailing address.

About:

From some bizarre twist of fate, you've arrived at the Bubble Death pop music/book blog. This is a blog in which I post music (mp3s and commentary) and books (commentary). There are also a few features. Well, okay, only one that I can really think of that's a regular and semi-exciting: Video Wednesday. You can probably guess that it features music videos. And it's on Wednesdays. I'm hoping to get more features in the future--aren't we all?

Anyway.

Here we are on the music blog wiki.

Here's a story about the blog.

It all began in the spring of 2005. When I, a young, eager, aspiring writer and aspiring music lover, still yet unaware of the beautiful world of mp3 blogging, was desperate for new music (or, at least, new music downloads) and stumbled upon The Crutch, which, aside from pages bursting with free and legal indie mp3s, also happened to link to a few mp3 blogs (they don't anymore but appeared to have started their own blog. Yay or nay? Your call.) I clicked around, read around, and got addicted. Then I figured, hey, I can write--I adore writing, but I need deadlines! I need readers! I need pressure in order to finish anything! And I can totally start my own music blog and get all that!

Yes, I had a couple of MP3s and a lot of ambition, signed up for blogger and realized just how easy it was to make things nice and bloggie looking. Of course, I had a totally stock template back then, nothing like the slightly personalized layout now, but I wrote words, and the words and the links clicked together, and everything looked better than anything I'd ever tried to create on the Internet before. So, this blog was born. I wasn't a very good, regular poster to start. If you dig through the archives, I kept going on loooong breaks and coming back and breaking off again...

Obviously, that was not a good habit. I'm pretty sure that had I kept my posting frequency (and quality) up all the time, my blog would be at a slightly better traffic than it is now. But, I'm not complaining. I think those breaks and returns helped this blog become more of what it is--you know, writing and love and all that cute stuff. I think regular readers (are you out there, somewhere?) know that I can get long winded on posts. But I mean, come on, I'm a fiction writer. See Fred's wonderful blog or Said the Gramophone for further examples of (much better) long, story like prose.

Where was I? Oh, yes. So I like the blog the way it is now. It's probably not the preferred format for some (most?) readers, but that's the way it is. And in fact, if anything, I'm hoping for longer and higher quality posts in the future! I always say that. And the more I post, the better (kinda?) it gets, right?

I lost my train of thought again. This also happen to happen a lot, so my posts sometimes can get off track. Speaking of off track--sometimes, very rarely, I'll also post linkage types, with interesting websites/blogs/finds of this wonderful interweb. These posts are usually non-music related, but my interests range all over the place and change on a really, often, basis, shall we say? I hope those are not too distracting. I like sharing these tidbits even thought they might be obvious to readers of non-mp3 type blogs (like...oh, I'll probably put up another sidebar section just for them!).

So I'm running out of things to say. I guess I'll write more should I be inspired by something important I've forgotten. All in all, though, I'm very glad I've had this blog and had the oppurtunity to hear these amazing new bands and chat with some very amazing people. And I'm very hopeful that none of that will be going away. YAY!

And as a side note, happy birthday to me, yeah? (I'm still really young by any standards. That's always a positive, right?) <3

It's ABOUT time...

2006-06-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

So today is a special post.

Since tomorrow is my personal birthday, and since I originally started this blog in March of 2005, then went on a break from like June till September...I've decided to dub today, June 23, as the blog's official birthdate (don't ask me about the math, okay?).

Which means, lovely readers, that today is The Bubble Death's one year birthday! Balloons! Fireworks! Cake! Presents! Myspace (maybe?)!

Here's what I'm going to do as a present for myself...are you ready? It's super exciting and much too late. Take a wild guess as to what it is. It doesn't involve mp3s.

Hey, look, there goes my readers!

Ah, well, what I have in store is actually much more exciting...ie, a nonexistant faq and an about this blog/me section! Isn't that super exciting?!

If you're wondering why I'm using so many exclaimation marks and super
short
paragraphs
it's because it's the summer and it's been a few days of warm nothingness and now this hyperactivity is bubbling up and I just can't help it. So. Yes. What follows will be two posts that shall live on forever in the memory of the bubble death. I shall also hope to update the side bar and make things exciting, and maybe even a redesign if I'm feeling up to it...wait and see.

In the meanwhile, I'll have some mp3s up, just not today, not right now. Ah.

Book Talk 29: The Amazing Adventures...

2006-06-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

The Novel: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay-Michael Chabon
The song: Tilly & the Wall-Rainbows in the Dark

This song really has nothing to do with the book. It's more of an excuse to post this tap-dancing non-stop hyper-active talk-about-everything-in-one-fantastic-song lyrical and stylized indie pop marathon. I guess that could be the description of very many Tilly & the Wall songs, but this one carries that extra glow of stories and faces and personalities, of a hundred careless kids with high hopes for a future. Something like that, anyway. All I know is that tapping, frenzied melody can't really be resisted, and there's a strong sense of adventure--which, I suppose, does connect with the book.

So I've heard a lot of amazing things about this book--after all, Michael Chabon is Largehearted Boy's favorite writer (whose 52 Books idea I most definitely did not rip off. Cough.) And I'm glad--it didn't disappoint. It was a wonderful read that inspired me to pick up a few comic books and look at them from a whole other light. At the moment, my brain's rather frozen and confused and totally not in the right format to comment--and I think there's been enough hype and commentary about it from every other source possible. So I think I'll just say that it's definitely a modern classic and necessary read. Dear Amazon have the plot/crazy reviews covered.

See You Messed Up My Mental Health

2006-06-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

Today's Video Wednesday brings you three (that's right, THREE) awesome videos by artists and songs you're probably already familiar with but which are fantastically awesome as videos as well. The ideas is that if there's a whole, whopping three of them, there's gotta be one that you haven't seen yet and can therefore provide entertainment. Like I said, they're all sorts of brilliant so it'd be a good idea to watch them even if you're dead sick of the songs already.

Watch: The Pipettes-Pull Shapes

You already know how I feel about the song, and if you don't know yet, I'm also very much in love with lots of claps and polka dots. The Pipettes are automatically high up on my scale of artist genius. But apparently, this video is a recreation of a scene from the Valley of the Dolls, see?. I've never seen the Valley of the Dolls, but my friends keep recommending the book and also, I think it places on that hipster must read list from the Hipster's Handbook, so it's probably really awesome. Fun, fun, fun video only fitting for the Pips.

Watch: Lily Allen-Smile (Windows Media stream)

There are lots and lots of reason to adore Lily Allen: The utter catchy songs blending hip beats and carelessly brilliant lyrics, the driving, beach factor, the must listen to song repeatedly and then again, a few more times factor, but I think w hat really pulls it all together, what really makes Lily such a heroic new pop star is her attitude. I mean, she really has it, that no one else matters total laid back, confident, super likable attitude. It's reflected in almost every song, and every picture, and every interview and Myspace blog. So, this video pretty much just wraps everything up. Involving everything you could possibly ever want in a music video: beating people up, destroying people's homes, dumping pills in drinks, and absolutely brilliant make up in the cafe scene. Seriously.

Watch: Nelly Furtado-Maneater (WM stream, or YouTube, or use this to download...thanks, as always Antville!)

The beginning of this video is really amazing. The set up, the scene, the tension, it's all so brilliant and executed with all levels of perfection. But then, I'm not sure if the video keeps that up all the way through. For example, the JAMMINZZZ WALLPAPERZ 4 UR CELL CALL NOW type dancing in front of fake flames thing is such a unhappy distraction to the mood of the video. I mean, I love that dark, wild, dangerous and sexy theme but don't go ruining it with trashy gimmicks...I think I got too distracted by things like that, although I liked the trashing against fenced wire and steamy hands on windows thing. And the ending, of course. "Cute".

The Best Things Happen When You Don't Know What's Going On

2006-06-19T14:16:00.000-07:00

The Lucksmiths-Young and Dumb

This is such a perfect, frolicking, romantic, sweet, adventuring summer twee pop song I can't stand it. The low key instruments, and even Marty's near nonchalant book reading boy voice adds to the charm of this little track.

Imagine: You and that someone cruise on the highways in your "vintage" (but what everyone else calls "old") car, and it's June, the heat haven't sunk in, but there's a breeze brushing against the windows. So you roll down the windows, and you turn up the stereo, and The Lucksmiths are singing, but they're singing for you, they're just as in love with the world as you are, and they can tell it. They have rolling guitars and gentle drums, and they're young, and they're young and dumb...and so are you, and you sing along, and everything is so, so hopeful.

I Hid a Camera in the Shower

2006-06-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

Clawjob-Space Pass

So Sufjan's got his states project, Bishop Allen's working on that EP per month thing, and Clawjob manages to release an astonishing rock opera featuring a whole story line about students in Space School, featuring an actual narrative, characters, a variety of vocalists, instruments, and really, really great music to go along with it as their debut.

...what is the world coming to?

Whatever it is, I'm totally in love with it. This is like a great story and album in one, and if it also fulfills the popist's unnatural catchy and bouncy and fantastic constant listening requirement, which means that even though the album is great as a whole, the individual songs are plenty great to listen to, as well. The sci-fi-ish bleeps and effects add on the story presentation, but also to the song itself, along with the swipes of snappy guitar riffs and fun lyrics (which applies even without space and such bizarrities, is that a word?). And also, the unintentional (I'm guessing) fact that "My Space pass" kinda makes "Myspace Pass" is funny...Listen and love.

She Said: You Ain't Ugly You Can Kiss Me if You Like

2006-06-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

Watch: Belle and Sebastian-White Collar Boy

Too much Belle & Sebastian? Never!

The bar and some of the glittery thingys remind me of a lot of the New Pornographers video, except I liked that one better, but I do adore this song so very much, so it's hard to rank the video next to the song. But it's pretty fun to watch, everything's in a drunken slur, and that bit after the song ends is also pretty damned entertaining. I was expecting a little better of a storyline for this song, but this totally spins off in a new direction.

Book Talk 28: A Confederacy of Dunces

2006-06-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

The novel: A Confederacy of Dunces-John Kennedy Toole
The song: The Flaming Lips-Yeah Yeah Yeah Song

This book is...without a fitting description. I mean, really, now. There is so much going on. So many subplots based upon subplots, sub-characters starting off sub-conflicts with other sub-characters. A variety of wit and charm and funniness and a careless, wonderful sort of all-over-the-placeness that's just such great fun to read.

Although the cast of bizarre characters with such fantastic personalities and lives and subplots is head spinning awesome, it's surprising how few of the characters are the sort that's likable. This is just taking the whole "everyone has flaws" thing to a whole new level, and it's a great level at that. It's hard to find sympathize with any character, as all of them have their twisted (hilarious!) appeal and far more depressing, frustrating faults...I've never had so much interest to totally hatable characters and their crazy situations.

I won't attempt to go into a nice little plot overview. You'll just have to read and savor it yourself. Brilliant.

I don't really have anything more to say about the Flaming Lips, though. The new album was a little disapointing. But that's allowed. This song is still a wonderful pop song, the sort that only the Lips can achieve. Not related to the equally awesome band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Yeah.

Fuck Me I'm Twee!

2006-06-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

!!Today's the last day to sent in your BHP contest submissions, winners will be emailed tomorrow!

There's a reason why this Monday is one of the most lovable, excitable, wonderful Monday this year. #1. It's the last real week of school before the three short finals days, and #2, I just spent about twenty minutes obsessing over the new Threadless, who were crazy enough to release 24 new shirts and a ten dollar sell. Plus, launching new categories like Kids shirts (super adorable and yupster core on so many levels...), type shirts and Select Shirts (featuring famous designers at a higher price)...

And #3: (excuse all fangirl gushing and tendencies and such, as regular readers know that this tends to be what happens when it comes to my favorite band ever) see this, which is what one of local alt. radio stations holds every year, free concerts at Del Mar after race tracks spread out during the summer. Usually, they get a couple of local bands and one or two rather big name bands, and this year classics Violent Femmes and Louis XIV are back (like the previous couple of years), which is fantastic (even though I might not be in San Diego for the Femmes, I saw them last year so I'm not too stressed), but this year...oh my god...this year, remember, their roster of FREE concerts after the races include The Flaming Lips (!!!!) and, shock, gasp, OMG, ect. Jimmy Eat World.

I have no clue how the hell they arranged to have those bands to play, for free...oh my god. I'm in a state of shock and amazement right now. I thought fate had it so that I would never get to see my favorite band live. And unfortunately, I think my summer schedule will also have me out of the country for the Lips, and yeah, they are probably the most wonderful live band ever to exist, but I've also seen them before and wonderful Jimmy Eat World makes up for all that...

So yes, I'm in a state of super hyper happiness at the moment, so here's a song about twee by a twee bands featuring about a hundred twee references for my presentation of twee "taking a stand" for my finals in English and history, and which I've been listening to, non-stop, for a long while. A glimpse into the life of a twee kid, flickering through her experiences like a photo album, snapshots and frozen frames held within snappy lyrics...Super clever and great, like "Pop Songs Your New Boyfriend's Too Stupid to Know About"

Tullycraft-Twee

Some Motherfuckers Are Born to Dance

2006-06-09T14:43:00.000-07:00

The Grates-Inside Outside

Ahhh! to incredible, energetic, chaotic, rioting artsy girl alt. punk super POP (is that even a genre? I can't keep track anymore...) Brilliant, on so many levels. The LSD like speed and attention span, but the instruments pull it off so well! They're totally perfect for my current "chicks with major attitude singing awesome pop songs" phrase right now, like, even a little The Pipettes core, except with less cuteness and more angular, punky edges. Sharp. Wonderful. The Grates could totally be NBT (like, who isn't), except they are really infectiously good.

Bits and Pieces

2006-06-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

Contest Reminder: The Black Heart Procession contest is still going on, for wonderful swag like posters and 7-inches. Shoot me an email with your favorite tagline by the 12th and get excited for free swag goodness.

Sia-Breathe Me

This is not a new, brillant discovery by any means. In fact, ever since I heard it on my favorite POP 77 mix, it's been haunting with its beauty and majesty, the grand sweep of the instruments, the mourning, gentle sprinkling of the piano, the budding, molding verses building to that rush of a chorus...but when the sky is overcast and those splattering rain drops ever so sweetly massage the ground, I'm reminded of this song, and of how I've yet to share its effects...