THE VINYL CLUB

This is probably one of the most terrifying albums I've ever heard.

No joke, I'm scared FOR MY LIFE when I hear it.

But I can't help but listen to Exmilitary.

I don't know, maybe that's why I like it.

It's not necessarily a good album, but there's something so appealing to me about it.

Maybe it's because they sampled Black Flag in "Klink", but I don't think that's it.

I'm overanalyzing this.

Am I the only one feeling this way? Is anyone else feeling like they have to listen to this album?

Get Exmilitary for free here.

Obsessed Penshead

2011-12-01T20:47:00.000-08:00

Pens looking like Beavis and Butthead. Drawn by Amelia, one of the band members.

If only this song had an awesome music video

Portlandia

2011-11-25T14:35:00.000-08:00

This show is SO ACCURATE.

A Mix from Oliver

2011-11-23T18:46:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Oliver, who I have blogged about before, sent me a mix in the mail recently. I thought I'd share it with y'all here. Yeah, IT'S THAT GOOD. If you're into lo-fi or bands signed to Burger Records, you should listen to this.

My personal faves are most definitely Bad Attitude by Hanoi Janes, Portland Sucks by White Fang, and Young Hearts Spark Fire by Japandroids. Is is just me, or are Japandroids the Canadian version of No Age? But I digress. Presenting...

SWAG DISK

by Oliver

1. Sun Medallion- King Tuff

2. Bad Attitude- Hanoi Janes

3. Which Way Is Up?- Cause Co-Motion!

4. Deformative- Black Eyes

5. Caribou- The Jameses

6. I 10- Japanther

7. I Wanna Go Home- Shannon and the Clams

8. I Don't Wanna- Nodzzz

9. Sunlight- Swimsuit

10. I'm A Mess When You Are Gone- Dead Gaze

11. Portland Sucks- White Fang

12. Heaven's Stranger- Eat Skull

13. I'm Gonna Kill My Baby Tonight- The Mummies

14. Gyroscope- The Dismemberment Plan

15. Young Hearts Spark Fire- Japandroids

P.S. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! My family is having it's first ever vegan thanksgiving. Pray for us.

This Song Is What My Soul Sounds Like

2011-10-23T20:36:00.000-07:00

Am I The Only One Who Still Thinks Blink-182 Is Awesome?

2011-10-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

Probably

Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying*

2011-10-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

Pitchfork has just informed me that Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth are separating. They were in a critically acclaimed band together, had a kid together, and managed to stay married for twenty seven years. I idolized them as the perfect power couple and I have a lot of respect for them. But I forget that they're real people, and that marriages do not always work out. I hope that their marriage ended on good terms and they are happy to go their separate ways.

Sonic Youth is an amazing band live. They are planning to finish their South America tour, but they're not sure of future plans because of the separation. If you happen to be in South America in November, Sonic Youth will be playing what might be their final shows. I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend going to one of those shows if you can!

I'll always love Kim, Thurston, and Sonic Youth. Here's some stuff to remember the good times.

* this is a reference to the song by Belle & Sebastian

Quantum Leap

2011-10-09T21:39:00.000-07:00

Listen

October Vibes

2011-10-03T18:33:00.000-07:00

It's officially October, and I couldn't be happier. In L.A., fall is cloudy skies that burn off by noon, with lows around 60 degrees. But in real places, where these things called seasons exist, the leaves change colors and it's actually cold outside.

In order to celebrate the beginning of my favorite month, I decided to compile a few very Octobery things that share the same unnerving, borderline creepy aesthetic that I love so much. Without further ado, the list!

1. A Series of Unfortunate Events

Besides the Harry Potter series, A Series of Unfortunate Events was my favorite series of books as a kid. The series follows the lives of three orphans: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. The children have just lost their parents in a fire, and are forced to live with their evil distant cousin, Count Olaf. The thirteen book series covers the lives of the orphans as they try to uncover the mystery behind their parents' death while trying to escape Count Olaf's clutch.

As a kid, I would listen to the series on tape with my mother going to school. If you plan on reading the series, I highly recommend listening to them on tape. Tim Curry (of The Rocky Horror Picture Show) reads them, and his narration adds to the bizarre quality of the books.

The photos below are from the movie made of the first few books. I don't recommend seeing this movie. It doesn't even compare to the amazingness of the books, but I threw in the photos for, ya know, their aesthetic and WOW! factor. You better be WOWed... or else (not joking).

2. Beetlejuice

Does Beetlejuice even need an explanation? To keep it short, Beetlejuice embodies everything wonderful about Tim Burton, the imagination, and strange parallel universes.

3. Creepy Music

Below is a mix I made specifically to celebrate creepy, freaky, October music. GO OCTOBER!

Playlist:

1. Penty Harmonium- Aphex Twin

2. End Credits- Bruno Coulais & The Children's Choir of Nice

3. Pajama Party In A Hunted Hive- Beat Happening

4. Ice Age- Joy Division

5. People Are Strange- The Doors

6. God's Away On Business- Tom Waits

7. Dark Entries- Bauhaus

8. Father- Aphex Twin

9. 9th & Hennepin- Tom Waits

4. Goth Girls!

They hate everything, and that's why I love 'em.

Siouxsie Sioux

Morticia Addams

Some random goth girls

unknown source

Daria At Her Finest

2011-09-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

Oh Daria. Without you I wouldn't be the sarcastic, brooding, angsty teenager that I am today. Thanks for everything.

But seriously, Daria is an amazing TV show. Daria Morgendorffer is just your average bookish anti-social teenager who doesn't fit in at high school, and doesn't even want to. The only other person who gets her is Jane Lane; an amazing painter with a straight C average. Together, they make the ultimate weirdo dream team.

Last night I spent a good hour on the fuckyeadaria tumblr page. Here are some of my better finds:

All photos from fuckyeadaria.tumblr.com

Blues Not Speed

2011-09-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

I've been really into this song recently. These past two weeks I've had five to six hours of homework a night, and Mika Miko is exactly what I've been needing to help me deal. BLUES NOT SPEED, PEOPLE!

FOR NIC/OLIVER

2011-09-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

This is a mix I made for my new friend, Oliver over the summer. His real name is Nic, but he goes by Oliver. Don't ask me why, I have no clue.

I met Nic/Oliver at the Early College Program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago this summer (we were both studying oil painting). One day, I noticed him in the studio with his laptop that was decked out in Wavves stickers. I knew from that moment on we would get along swimmingly.

Anyways, this mix is chock-full of some of my favorite punk jams. I also included some lo-fi songs, a shoegaze song, and, do I dare say it, a chillwave song (GASP! MUSIC GODS PUNISH ME FOR ALL ETERNITY!)

Here is the album artwork I did for the mix:

Playlist

1. C-C (You Set the Fire in Me)- Tom Vek

2. Night of Broken Glass- Jay Reatard

3. I Am A Girldfriend- Nobunny

4. Vox Celeste- Deerhunter

5. Tribute- The Cannanes

6. Concrete Surfer- high pop

7. The Adventures of Pete & Pete( Theme Song Cover)- unouomedude

8. Take it Like A Champ- Coyote Clean Up

9. That's the Curse of Being Young- HUNX and his PUNX

10.TWEEN DREAM- SLUTEVER

11. Years Not Long- Male Bonding

12. Collapse- Iceage

13. My Valuable Hunting Knife- Guided by Voices

14. Black Coats/ Whitefear- Lost Sounds

15. Gold Soundz- Pavement

Note: This mix also included a song that I could not upload to 8tracks. It's called The Kid With the Replaceable Head by Richard Hell. Below is the song if anyone is interested in hearing it. I don't like this version, but it's the only one I could find on youtube (ugh), so y'all should listen to the one on Spurts- The Richard Hell Story, which is on iTunes.

FYF Fest 2011

2011-08-31T16:47:00.000-07:00

FYF is this Saturday and tickets are selling out! Buy sooner than later.

THE SCHEDULE

My favorite pair of vegans

2011-08-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

The Perfect Song To Die To

2011-08-22T20:46:00.001-07:00

If my life was a Wes Anderson movie and I was on a plane that was about to crash, this is the song I would want to listen to.

I Wanna Be Your Dog

2011-08-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

My favorite song by The Stooges covered by Sonic Youth. Beautiful. I'd also like to point out that Kim's outfit is PERFECT. Her voice is so disgusting that it almost starts sounding good. But in an Iggy Pop sort of way, of course. Does anyone know if Jasper Johns actually painted their amps? Because if he did, I'd probably cry of happiness.

THE COVER

THE ORIGINAL

I know it will break us

2011-08-10T22:23:00.000-07:00

This summer I have become very familiar with the post-punk band Iceage from Denmark. Their debut album New Brigade has torn me to shreds. I really am at a loss for words as to how to describe this album, other than it's one of the most genuine punk albums I've ever heard.

REVIEW

MUSIC VIDEO

INTERVIEW

THIS IS THE GREATEST SONG EVER PT 2

2011-07-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

THIS IS THE GREATEST SONG EVER

2011-07-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

I LOVE JAY REATARD

Thurston Moore Meets Beck

2011-07-19T14:18:00.000-07:00

This interview is so awkward yet so entertaining. The high-five at the end tops off the world's strangest interview.

Tell Me When the Pain Kicks in

2011-06-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

Since school ended, I have done absolutely nothing significant or particularly interesting. I started Twin Peaks, which is a fantastic show, and I only have ten episodes left of the entire series! I am also on season one of Six Feet Under, which is a great show too. I bought a panini grill at Target, which has provided me with high calorie sandwiches all day, everyday. To put it simply, my first week of summer has consisted of a lot of television, food and very little sunlight. I have been living like a hermit, leaving my room only to make trips to the refrigerator.

Despite the fact that I now live the lifestyle of a recluse, I have managed to keep up with the music world. I bought tickets to see Deerhunter, TV on the Radio, Arctic Monkeys, Panda Bear, Warpaint, the Smith Westerns, The Kills, FYF Fest, and I am buying Bon Iver tickets tomorrow. Below are some of the bands/songs/tv shows I've been obsessed with recently.

YUCK

EVERYONE SHOULD LISTEN TO THIS SONG. It embodies everything I love about indie rock.

TWIN PEAKS

JAY REATARD

These past couple of days I've been thinking about him a lot. It's really sad he died so young.

MEMORY HOUSE

I love My Bloody Valentine and When You Sleep is one of my favorite songs by them. Memory House made the song their own, but it's still recognizable and just as beautiful as the original.

My Life is Over.

2011-05-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

You know it's finals week when you start crying for no apparent reason and when your Google searches become increasingly more pathetic. This was my last Google search. Nine days of school left.

I'M HAVING A PANIC ATTACK!

2011-05-31T19:41:00.000-07:00

Coachella is expanding to TWO WEEKENDS next year and tickets go on sale THIS FRIDAY. Get prepared over the next two days and buy your ticket ON FRIDAY. I promise they're going to sell out quickly. See all details at coachella.com.

I Post Too Much Lo-Fi

2011-05-22T22:44:00.000-07:00

I just really want summer to come, and songs/music videos like this make me dream about driving down Pacific Coast Highway and going to the beach with friends. I have twenty two days left until summer. But it's not like I'm counting or anything...

Hey Cool Kid

2011-05-15T15:59:00.000-07:00

My song of the week.

On the video posted below, someone with the screen name Qp0wer wrote "half of me thinks this is awesome, but the other half thinks it's a pretentious piece of shit". I feel the exact same way. As much as I love lo-fi music in combination with basketball playing robots and fat old men in Hawaiian shirts rubbing their bellies, I do wonder if this in reality is just a shitty music video that hipsters are in to. Either way, I've had the song on repeat all week.

Shopping Is So Hard

2011-05-08T14:43:00.000-07:00

What's For Dinner, Mom?

2011-05-07T13:43:00.001-07:00

This Is Why Events Unnerve Me

2011-05-04T19:01:00.000-07:00

"Ceremony"

This is why events unnerve me,
They find it all, a different story,
Notice whom for wheels are turning,
Turn again and turn towards this time,
All she ask's the strength to hold me,
Then again the same old story,
World will travel, oh so quickly,
Travel first and lean towards this time.

Oh, I'll break them down, no mercy shown,
Heaven knows, it's got to be this time,
Watching her, these things she said,
The times she cried,
Too frail to wake this time.

Oh I'll break them down, no mercy shown
Heaven knows, it's got to be this time,
Avenues all lined with trees,
Picture me and then you start watching,
Watching forever, forever,
Watching love grow, forever,
Letting me know, forever.

Southern California Love

2011-05-01T17:50:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's just because Los Angeles is my hometown, but I have a lot of love for Southern California. The music is good, the weather is good, and everything is all about good times all of the time. Nathan Williams of Wavves and Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast are dating, and together embody the classic Southern Californian lifestyle. Wavves and Best Coast mainly appeal to teenagers in California, which is probably why I think both bands so awesome. I want them to date for forever. Read an interview of Bethany and Nathan HERE.

5 Reasons Why Nathan Williams and Bethany Cosentino are THE GREATEST COUPLE EVER

1. They love California

2. They are in super awesome lo-fi beachy/summer timey bands

3. They make cool music videos

4. They love cats

5. They love marijuana as much as they love music

"Got no car, got no money, I got nothin' nothin' nothin' not at all"

God Nathan, you TOTALLY understand my struggles.

PARTY FEVER!!!

2011-04-23T16:42:00.001-07:00

Party Party Party Party Party Party Party Party Party

Nobunny Loves You

2011-04-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

Any normal human being would most likely like to spend their evening reading, cooking a nice meal, or maybe watching the newest Glee episode with the family. But if you're a washed out music bum like me, you're probably going to try to see Justin Champlin a.k.a Nobunny thrash and scream in some obscure venue that cost ten dollars, wearing only his underwear and a ragged bunny mask held up by a bandana. This is the kind of human being I've turned into, and strangely enough I'm OK with that. If I don't get to see Nobunny live before I die, I'm going to be SERIOUSLY pissed off.

Nobunny's Nobunny Loves You is essentially a cover of The Human Beinz's Nobody But Me. Did Nobunny get the rights to this song? Knowing Nobunny, he probably ripped The Human Beinz off on purpose.

Newest Purchases

2011-04-03T23:53:00.001-07:00

Clockwise (ehh, sort of):

Morrissey- Viva Hate

For fans of: '80s College Rock, Joy Division, The Smiths, Pixies

Sebadoh- Bakesale

I bought this album with a lot of doubts. Despite Sebadoh being a pioneer band in the lo-fi indie rock movement (which is totally my thing), I did not thing I would like Sebadoh. Bakesale entirely proved me wrong. It's an awesome record.

For fans of: '90s indie rock, Slint, Pavement, GBV, Dinosaur Jr.

Built to Spill- Perfect From Now On

My favorite book on music got it's title from this record. Read Perfect From Now On by John Sellers

For fans of: Modest Mouse

Broken Social Scene- Broken Social Scene

I've been listening to this album on repeat all week. I love Ibi Dreams Of Pavement (A Better Day) and Windsurfing Nation

For fans of: Land Of Talk, Do Make Say Think, Arcade Fire

Archers Of Loaf- Icky Mettle

Web In Front is my new anthem. "You're not the one who let me down, but thanks for offering"

For fans of: Superchunk, Silkworm, Sebadoh

Joy Division- Still

For fans of: Goth, Bauhaus, The Cure

Beach Fossils- What A Pleasure

I'm disappointed with What A Pleasure. Not nearly as good as their self-titled album.

For fans of: Lo-fi, Best Coast, Beach House

Bratmobile- Pottymouth

A riot-grrrl classic

For fans of: Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, Huggy Bear, Sleater-Kinney

Guided By Voices- Under The Bushes Under The Stars

For fans of: Pavement, Robert Pollard

OFF!- First Four EPs

For fans of: Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, Burning Brides

Queens Of The Stone Age- Songs For The Deaf

For fans of: Kyuss, Eagles of Death Metal, Them Crooked Vultures

Interpol- Turn On The Bright Lights

I cannot wait to see them at Coachella!!!!

For fans of: The National, Bloc Party, Matador Records

Also: Record Store Day is coming up next Saturday! Make sure you show up early at your local record store... a lot of awesome stuff this year. I'm personally set on getting a Sonic Youth LP, and a tribute to Guided By Voices CD.

Another Coin For The Merry Go Round

2011-03-29T18:46:00.000-07:00

In honor of the CD/Vinyl release of The King Of Limbs, Radiohead created a newspaper called The Universal Sigh; a newspaper full of short stories, art, and song lyrics to promote the album. The newspaper was distributed for free yesterday and today worldwide. Today, my friend Skyler and I waited for thirty minutes outside of Amoeba Records to get our copies of The Universal Sigh. If you weren't able to get a copy, here is the PDF version of the newspaper. Below are a few photos I took of my own copy:

In Ear Park

2011-03-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

I discovered a photographer named Ellie Davies today. Her work reminds me so much of the cover art for In Ear Park by Department of Eagles that I'm almost convinced that she did the cover art herself. (If anyone knows who actually did the cover art for this album, please let me know!)

Ellie Davies' Work

In Ear Park

Download In Ear Park and No One Does It Like You for free HERE

Sources: Ellie Davies' Photography, In Ear Park- Department of Eagles, No One Does It Like You

Load Up On Guns And Bring Your Friends

2011-03-15T21:09:00.000-07:00

First things first: I am a Nirvana fan. In Utero and Bleach are two major go-to album for me. But somehow, I always manage to neglect Nevermind. Most likely it is the pompous inner music geek in me scorning the album for it's incredible fame, and therefore I opt for their less famous albums instead. As my music obsession has progressed over the years, this is some of the best advice I've gotten; do not purposely avoid albums that you know are good just because they are famous. In other words, don't be the asshole who claims that Smells Like Teen Spirit is a mediocre song that doesn't deserve the hype, and that some of Nirvana's B-sides are way better and totally underrated. This week, I have made a point to listen to Nevermind everyday from start to finish, and every time I put it on I'm blown away. I've forgotten about some of my favorite Nirvana songs, like Polly and Drain You. And Kurt's lyrics honestly kill me. In Smells Like Teen Spirit, Kurt sings "Oh well, whatever, nevermind". Kurt Cobain managed to capture the essence of the album, the band, and his own writing style IN FOUR WORDS. Totally brilliant. And there are so many other examples of his incredible lyrics. For instance, On A Plain's first lyrics are "I'll start this off without any words" or in Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle, Kurt sings "I miss the comfort in being sad". His lyrics have this sort of casual, I don't give a f**k feel, but also are very personal, and give off these tortured soul vibes. There is a reason Nevermind is so famous: It's a damn good album. Go listen to it, like, right now (I'm serious, go).

Angles

2011-03-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

Listen to The Strokes' new album HERE

Image Source

We May Be Plastic But Our Love Is Real

2011-03-02T21:59:00.000-08:00

Photos that don't have any connection to one another, but still somehow ended up in the same post.

Stephen Malkmus

Scarlett Johansson

These billboards were all over Los Angeles a few weeks ago

"She's clearly overestimated by conscious by assuming I have one at all"- Daria

A screenshot from Control, a film about Ian Curtis and Joy Division

A Robert Pollard collage

Sources: Stephen Malkmus, Scarlett Johansson, Daria, Control, Bear, Robert Pollard

This Is A Really Good Situation To Be In

2011-03-01T20:27:00.000-08:00

If anyone knows the source of the photograph, let me know so I can give credit to him or her.

ALSO: My track of the week is My Valuable Hunting Knife- Guided by Voices. I recently started listening to them and I'm falling in love.

pseudo-vidéoclip from Anne-Marie Piette on Vimeo.

SCANWICHES

2011-02-24T19:13:00.000-08:00

Not music related in the slightest, but why would you want to talk about music when you could talk about sandwiches!? I just (everyone probably already knows about this site and I was the last to find it) discovered THE Tumblr of all Tumblrs. The oh-so clever site is called Scanwiches, because it is devoted to scanning delicious sandwiches, both purchased and homemade, and posting them on Tumblr. Truly brilliant. Below are some of my favorite scans. WARNING: DO NOT LOOK IF YOU ARE HUNGRY

This beauty is HOMEMADE. I couldn't believe it either.

Lobster Roll

This dessert cookie is made from pumpkin pie and other Thanksgiving leftovers

Another Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich

Source for all photographs

No Boys Allowed

2011-02-22T20:09:00.000-08:00

My newest 8 tracks mix:

Kim Gordon Worshipping

2011-02-18T13:20:00.000-08:00

Sofia Coppola and Kim Gordon in X-Girl shirts

P.S- The King of Limbs was released today. Download it!

THE KING OF LIMBS

2011-02-16T14:21:00.000-08:00

Radiohead's eight studio album, The King of Limbs, will be available for Mp3 download February 19th. The album's name refers to a tree in England called the Big Belly Oak, which is supposedly only a few miles from where they recorded the album. It seems as though In Rainbows just came out... I cannot believe a new album is coming out in just days. Either way, I'm totally stoked for The King of Limbs. Nigel Godrich produced it (no surprises there) and from what I can tell, the album hasn't been leaked on to the internet. If you're a huge Radiohead fan, or what I like to call, Radiohead-head, then go to Dead Air Space to pre order the album. I recommend buying the MP3 and Newpaper Album, even though it is 50 dollars. It seems really cool from the description and includes hundreds of pieces of artwork. (FYI : The Newspaper Album will be sent by mail May 9th, but the MP3s will be available this Saturday)

This is the Big Belly Oak tree in the Savernake Forest

Jonny Greenwood, my favorite Radiohead member.

This is Scotch Mist, a film made in 2007 shortly after the release of In Rainbows

2+2=5, Wolf At the Door, and Weird Fishes

No Room To Live

2011-02-15T13:40:00.001-08:00

Times New Viking - No Room to Live from Merge Records on Vimeo.

Gwen

2011-02-13T22:52:00.000-08:00

I was listening to Tragic Kingdom today. The Gwen-with-braces era was a great time. Also, who watched the Grammys tonight? I stopped half way in, but plan to watch it tomorrow. NO ONE SPOIL IT FOR ME I STILL DON'T KNOW WHO WON BEST ALBUM! (But I'm guessing Arcade Fire)

COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL

2011-01-26T19:19:00.000-08:00

Today was just a normal, relaxing day at my school. I was eating lunch when suddenly my friend asks if I have bought my Coachella ticket, because they are going to sell out by tonight. In a complete my panic, I drop all my food and call my mom. The tickets have been on sale for a week now, and it doesn't make any sense that they are already almost sold out. It is times like these where I have a true appreciation of the love of a mother. My mom stopped everything she was doing to buy me that Coachella ticket, because she knew my year would be ruined if I wasn't able to go. I'm so sorry to all who did not get their tickets in time. But to all who have tickets, congratulations! It's going to be awesome this year, as always.

MUST SEE BANDS OF 2011 COACHELLA:

Titus Andronicus

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

Interpol

The Black Keys

Crystal Castles (who wouldn't want to see Alice Glass get arrested?)

Wire

OFF!

Men

The Tallest Man on Earth

Foals

Jenny and Johnny

Mumford and Sons

Animal Collective

Arcade Fire

PJ Harvey

The National

The Strokes

Kanye West

Soon I'll be posting a Coachella mix on my 8tracks account!

Hiatus from blogging

2010-12-28T17:13:00.000-08:00

In the mean time, enjoy some of my favorite websites:

vbs.tv/blog

Pitchfork

Stereogum

Last.fm

Motherboard

Vice

BBC-6 Music

Style Rookie

Spencer Tweedy

Eating LA

This is also my newest 8 Tracks mix, MADE JUST FOR YOU!

Here's some music related photography, as the last hurrah:

From top to bottom: Kim Gordon, Sufjan Stevens, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros playing Coachella, Fugazi, Tool, Jonny Greenwood, film still from Pink Floyd's The Wall, Jeff Tweedy (photo by Spencer Tweedy), and Orange Juice

I hope everyone has a fantastic New Years! I'll be back soon.

Thanks for everything, Pavement

2010-12-05T21:12:00.000-08:00

You guys changed my life. Yes, I know I'm a sap.

It's Oh So Quiet

2010-12-02T21:34:00.000-08:00

Björk makes me so happy. I love what she says in this interview about trying to cover the entire emotional scale in a record. The music video they are talking about is It's Oh So Quiet, directed by Spike Jones.

THE GET AWAY

2010-11-28T16:54:00.000-08:00

I just got into Pretty Girls Make Graves about two days ago. Check 'em out if you don't know them. The video is some fan-made thing, and the only non live one I could find on Youtube.

The Get Away- Pretty Girls Make Graves

SUMMER CAMP ROCKS MY WORLD

2010-11-20T23:52:00.000-08:00

SUMMER CAMP - Round the Moon from Paddy Power on Vimeo.

Summer Camp - Ghost Train (viral) from Paddy Power on Vimeo.

ELECTRIC TICKLE MACHINE

2010-11-13T22:26:00.000-08:00

Photograph by Michael de Leon

Electric Tickle Machine's debut album, Blew It Again, is one of the gems of 2010. It's simple, youthful, and just plain fun. Listen to Part of Me below... don't you just want to dance dance dance dance dance?

Part Of Me by Electric Tickle Machine

Roky Erickson

2010-11-09T16:00:00.000-08:00

Illustration by Jiro Bevis

Vice Magazine recently published an interview of Roky Erickson, the former lead singer of the 60's band The 13th Floor Elevators. I thought the interviewer, Matthias Connor, did a good job of describing the band's music as "Buddy Holly chewing acid" and kept the interview simple, yet entertaining. Apparently Johnny Depp is a huge fan of the band too... just another reason to like them! Click here to read the interview.

Here is one of the more famous The 13th FLoor Elevators songs, You're Gonna Miss Me:

Y Control

2010-11-08T18:48:00.000-08:00

Thanks for this super creepy music video, Spike Jonze! Karen O is SO COOL. Just look at her dancing around with violent children in her little red ice skater outfit. Only she can pull off stuff like this.

EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

2010-11-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to buy this album for a month now. GAAAH I'M SO BEHIND!!! I saw No Age open for Pavement in September. Their set was not that memorable, especially since they were followed by Sonic Youth whose performance practically made me weep it was so amazing. But either way, Everything In Between sounds like the best and most diverse No Age album yet. It seems Randy Randall and Dean Allen Spunt have taken their post-punk noise-pop sound to another level on this album.

Listen to Glitter here:

This video sucks, but it was the only one I could find of Shadow of A Doubt. This is my favorite Sonic Youth song of all time. It was magical live. I want to be Kim Gordon so badly it hurts.

Here's the Shadow of A Doubt music video:

This is Halloween

2010-10-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN HDSFSDAHFODSFIOFHALh!!!!!!!!!!!

You could say I'm excited. Readers who are not American might not understand the true magic of Halloween. It's just the combination of candy and trick or treating and parties and costumes that equals incredibleness. This year for school I dressed up as Johnny and Plank from the cartoon Ed, Edd, and Eddy (see below). In case you're wondering, yes, I did actually walk around school with a plank of wood with a smiley face on it. Thankfully, the majority of my peers knew the cartoon and thought the costume was great.

This year's Halloween I'm going to the West Hollywood parade with a bunch of friends and then watching scary movies and eat pounds and pounds of candy. Have an awesome Halloween everyone! Muwahaha

Dead Man's Bones - Hypnotism from Anti Records on Vimeo.

Hell Yes

2010-10-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

New releases. I'm stoked for Warpaint's album. Hopefully buying it this weekend. List from origamimusic.blogspot.com

Also, Sufjan Stevens played at the Wiltern this past weekend. I'm so sad I couldn't be there. Check out photos from the concert on LA WEEKLY's website.

Is it just me...

2010-10-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

or have The Black Angles adopted other musicians' styles? Their new album Phosphene Dream continues to remind me of other musicians' work from the late 60s early 70s. Intentional or not, the album is still original and cohesive.

Here is Telephone by The Black Angels compared to It's Alright With Me by The Zombies

True Believers by The Black Angels and Somebody to Love by Jefferson Airplane. How much does Alex Maas sound like Grace Slick in this song? It's uncanny.

Teenagers in Love

2010-10-17T23:34:00.000-07:00

My new mix on 8tracks. If you have an account follow me here.

Write About Love

2010-10-15T21:41:00.000-07:00

ATTENTION BELLE AND SEBASTIAN FANS:

(image source)

I'm sure you are all aware that Belle and Sebastian released their new album, Write About Love, this past Tuesday. But those of you who bought the album off iTunes, or, dare I say, illegally downloaded it, you probably haven't heard about the contest. Belle and Sebastian have asked their fans to write 300 hundred words about love. The winner of the contest will win a visit and a song about them by Stuart Murdoch. Let me repeat that. STUART MURDOCH WILL WRITE A SONG ABOUT YOU. Here's the catch; you have to buy the actual album, as in a tape, cd, or record. So why not? Go to your nearest record store and pick up a copy. And have fun writing; that's the whole point of the competition!

Here's an ugly photo of the little sticker that came on my copy of Write about Love. I censored my code because I don't want any of you using it! Muwahaha

THE AGE OF ADZ

2010-10-12T18:09:00.000-07:00

Sufjan Steven's new ablum, The Age of Adz, is out today!!! I haven't bought it yet, but I've heard some songs and it sounds interesting; pretty different from his older work. I plan to buy the album with an open mind... I think I'll end up liking it more if I do.

This is a fan-made video I found on Youtube. The overly saturated colors in the flowers work perfectly with the choirs "ooo"s:

Sufjan's song and the video together remind me so much of All in the Golden Afternoon from Alice In Wonderland:

Click HERE to read Pitchfork's review of The Age of Adz

WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS

2010-10-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

This band is EXACTLY the kind of thing I was always searching for in middle school. Some of my favorite bands at the time were The Strokes, Bloc Party, and Arctic Monkeys; my taste revolved around alternative rock/pop mainly from the UK. And then in 2009, We Were Promised Jetpacks comes along three years late. If their album had come out in 2006, their music would've been blasting from my room for months. Though I've grown out of my British Indie Rock phase, I still like the music. And We Were Promised Jetpacks is SCOTTISH, which makes everything even better. There's just something about the Scottish accent. It's easy on the ears or something... I can't quite pinpoint it. Get a free download of Ships With Holes Will Sink- We Were Promised Jetpacks HERE.

Oh Stephen, how I love you

2010-10-06T20:36:00.000-07:00

Perhaps my favorite man of all time. STEPHEN MALKMUS.

Sorry the photo is so teeny tiny. I have no idea how to make it bigger. Click to enlarge???

It's embarrassing how many times I've seen this video:

"I gotta spit this ricola out...I sucked on it just for you so my voice would sound so sweet and Pavarotti-esque" were some of the first words out of Stephen Malkmus's mouth at the Pavement concert last week at the Hollywood Bowl. It was Pavement's second to last concert. Ever. Can you believe it? Everything seemed so surreal after that concert... God Pavement, couldn't you guys have ONE more reunion tour? Please?!

Concerts, concerts, and more concerts

2010-10-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

I have seen six bands in concert this week. SIX. It's been crazy and kind of exhausting, but totally worth it of course.

The Growlers and Nicole Atkins & the Sea (pictures above) opened for The Black Keys this Tuesday at the Hollywood Palladium. They were both good, nothing better though. I guess I would've rather seen bands like Left Lane Cruiser or Radio Moscow open that are a bit more blues influenced. Regardless, I had a good time during their sets.

By the time The Black Keys came on, my friend Leah and I were at the very front. I was only, like, 8ft from Patrick Carney's drum kit *high pitched girly scream*. A guy standing next to us filmed the whole concert, and I asked him if he would email me the videos, but then FORGOT TO GIVE HIM MY EMAIL. That was stupid. Dude from the concert (if you even see this) please put those videos on youtube because they were awesome. Here are some other videos of the show I found of youtube.

I also saw No Age, Sonic Youth, and Pavement at the Hollywood Bowl on Thursday. I went with my mom. She's now a huge Sonic Youth fan. I'll post more on the show tomorrow.

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

WHITE DENIM

2010-09-23T22:45:00.000-07:00

(Source)

Gorillavsbear informed me today that White Denim made an album that they are now GIVING AWAY FOR FREE. If you're interested in getting the album, click HERE.

Phoenix at the Hollywood Bowl

2010-09-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday night was the first show of their world tour and I was there!!! Phoenix is so good live. I saw them at Coachella this year and they were amazing then, but I think they were even better at the Hollywood Bowl. Thomas Mars went into the audience TWICE and my friend Kit actually TOUCHED HIM. Yes, I know. I sound like a totally creepy teenage girl stalker, but you'd be freaking out too if you'd touched Thomas Mars!!!

Girls

Grizzly Bear

Girls and Grizzly Bear opened for Phoenix and both bands sounded great. I was a little disappointed by how short their sets were though... they each played five songs at most. Leslie Feist sang a couple tunes with Grizzly Bear, which was a great surprise. She's another of the many musicians I still need to see in concert.

Here's a video my friend Robbie took when Thomas came into the audience:

WHY IS EVERYTHING GOOD IN THIS LIFE FROM ENGLAND?

2010-09-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's not entirely true, but think about it. The Beatles, John Bonham, Eric Clapton, HARRY POTTER! England never fails to impress. Most importantly though, they have the best music radio station (something the states has always lacked). I've never actually heard the BBC 6 music station on the radio since I live in Los Angeles, but I'm constantly on the website and it seems amazing. It's a great place to find new musician interviews, discussions, and keep up with what is happening in the music world.

Here are Foals performing their song Blue Blood courtesy of radio 6.

MY LIFE

2010-09-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

two words: THE. NINETIES. Click here for Pitchfork's best of lists, all revolving around culture from the 1990s.

SURFER BLOOD

2010-09-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

An interview of one my favorite new bands. John Paul Pitts' voice sounds so different live... definitely less refined live than on the album. Also, Surfer Blood's side project Weird Wives mentioned in the interview is worth checking out. It's cool that guys who make beachy pop music make noise-punk music too.

More ugly photographs to impress you and make you want to read this blog

2010-09-09T12:58:00.000-07:00

My digital camera was running low on battery, so I used my polaroid instead. Here are shots of the latest CD and book purchases.

Below from right to left: The Songs of Leonard Cohen- Leonard Cohen; Gorilla Manor- Local Natives

Below from right to left: Wowee Zowee- Pavement; Constant Hitmaker- Kurt Vile; Dead Man's Bones- Dead Man's Bones

Below from right to left: Talking to Girls About Duran Duran-Rob Sheffield; Wish You Were Here:An Essential Guide to Your Favorite Music Scenes- Leslie Simon; We Got The Neutron Bomb: The Untold Story of L.A Punk- Marc Spitz and Brendan Mullen; 33 1/3 Wowee Zowee- Bryan Charles

My mom and I went to Booksoup a couple days ago in West Hollywood. While my mom drifted off towards the children section, I veered toward the music books. I just sort of picked up Talking to Girls About Duran Duran, Wish You Were Here, and We Got The Neutron Bomb without hearing about them previously. I've heard a lot about the 33 1/3 books though, and decided it was time to finally purchase one. Each 33 1/3 is dedicated to one album; discussing everything from the studio where the record was made to the cover art and title. From what I've heard, the 33 1/3 books are definitely the best way to learn about a record besides actually listening to it. I haven't read any of the books I bought yet, because I still have around 600 pages left in I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb (which is a great book by the way) AND school has started which means I have virtually no free time. At least I don't have school today because of Rush Hashanah.

Have a good weekend everyone!

FYF Fest was yesterday...

2010-09-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

...and I shook hands with Bobb Bruno. yeah. It was a big deal. I'll be posting photos from the festival ASAP... I just need to develop them first!

GOODBYE SUMMER, SEE YOU IN JUNE

2010-09-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

School starts in 6 days.

Photo credits: unknown, youleblog.blogspot.com, Harper Smith, Harper Smith, unknown, Stephen Shore, Monster Rally, Lolita

Kanye collaborates with Justin Vernon? WTF

2010-08-29T20:37:00.000-07:00

Musically speaking, they're polar opposites. Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver) makes beautiful, quiet, and sometimes depressing folk music. And Kanye is well, Kanye. I don't think I really need to go into detail about him, given that we all know he's constantly bombarded by the paparazzi and doing things likes interrupting Taylor Swift's Grammy speech. But differences aside, the rumors have been true all along. Justin Vernon has recorded 10 tracks with Kanye West. Kanye released "Monster" two days ago and you can download it here.

SUFJAN'S NEW EP

2010-08-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

Sufjan Stevens released an 8 song EP yesterday on sufjanstevens.bandcamp.com for only five dollars!!! His tour starts in October and I've been having so much trouble buying tickets for his concert at The Wiltern in Los Angeles... I don't think I'll be able to go, but I'm sure it'll be a great concert. Go see it if you can!

<a href="http://sufjanstevens.bandcamp.com/album/all-delighted-people-ep">All Delighted People (Original Version) by Sufjan Stevens</a>

WARPAINT

2010-08-19T17:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, the video isn't my favorite, but the song! My god it's beautiful. Warpaint will be touring with The XX (I'd kill to see that show) later in the year. Their full length album, The Fool comes out October 26th.

Get the free mp3 dowload of "Elephants" here.

So I finally got a record player...

2010-08-18T19:30:00.001-07:00

and it's aweeeesoommme! I'm not sure how old it is, but I'm guessing it's from the 70s or 80s. It took me a while to decide what record I should play first, but I finally decided on Axis: Bold as Love- The Jimi Hendrix Experience because it is the first record I ever bought. Then, I listened to Funeral- Arcade Fire which sounds really really really good on vinyl... I recommend all Arcade Fire fans listen it on record. I'm having a lot of fun with it and all true music lovers should have one. Listening to one of your favorite albums on vinyl is really special, for kids from my generation at least, who've grown up with ipods.

NEW RELEASES

2010-08-17T09:39:00.001-07:00

OUT TODAY WOOOOOOOOO!

WIN TICKETS TO SEE PHOENIX LIVE IN L.A

2010-08-13T21:32:00.000-07:00

Along with performances from Girls and Grizzly Bear. I already bought my ticket a couple months ago. This will be my first time seeing Grizzly Bear in concert, and my second time seeing Phoenix and Girls. The Hollywood Bowl is one of, if not the most famous concert venue in Los Angeles, and this is going to be my first real concert there! Sososososo excited.

Enter the sweepstakes here. The contest ends the 17th of August.

Latest trip to the record store

2010-08-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

I went to Amoeba Records in Hollywood a couple days ago to pick up some stuff. I'm really lucky to only live 15 minutes away, because it has a huge variety of CDs and records and great used DVDs which I've gotten for as cheap as 3 dollars! Here's what I bought:

High Violet- The National

Keep It Hid- Dan Auerbach

Unmap- Volcano Choir

American Water- Silver Jews

The Suburbs- Arcade Fire

Magic Potion- The Black Keys

FYF FEST

2010-08-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

Held in downtown Los Angeles. Tickets are on sale for 25 dollars here.