Thursday, December 31, 2009

top 10 songs of '09

1. Great Northern: Fingers
2. Maria Taylor: Time Lapse Lifeline
3. Metric: Help, I'm Alive
4. Lady Gaga: Bad Romance
5. Regina Spektor: Folding Chair
6. Cobra Starship feat. Leighton Meester: Good Girls Go Bad
7. The Sounds: Dorchester Hotel
8. Florence + The Machine: Kiss with a Fist
9. Phoenix: 1901
10. Robert Francis: Junebug

i should call it the lilith fair edition... so many female vocalists!

check out the staff of 11:11A.M.'s top picks here.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

i tried to do handstands for you

i know this is an old meme, but it came up on yahoo. totally forgot how much i love the song (by a band called chairlift)! i guess the video is super cute, too.

[big squirrel & baby squirrel @ ucla]


here's the official vid:
[chairlift - bruises music vid]


fave lyrics:
i grabbed some frozen strawberries so i could ice your bruising knees
but frozen things they all unfreeze and now i taste like...
all those frozen strawberries i used to chill your bruising knees...
hot july ain't good to me
i'm pink and black and blue for you

Monday, December 28, 2009

party in the us... what?

look, i'm not condoning miley cyrus and her "music," but this -almost- makes it ok.

[uc santa cruz cloud 9 - party in the u.s.a.]

Sunday, December 13, 2009

a capella fever

after checking out this hilar vid of the uc berkeley male a capella group noteworthy (not to be confused w/ BYU's straight-laced-but-pretty-rockin' female a capella group noteworthy who appear on the NBC show The Sing-Off) (and no, Federal Trade Commission, i don't get paid for plugging that show) (where was i?)...

anyhow, here's a slew of a capella videos i unearthed while browsing around youtube. take a look/listen & enjoy!
[uc santa cruz acquire a cappella - i'm on a boat]

FLIPPY FLOPPIES. hilarious and safe for singing along. here's a NSFW language version of the song, performed by the same group.

[uc berkeley decadence - dr. horrible medley]

with my freeze-ray i will stop. the world.

[uc santa cruz cloud 9 - kids & poker face]

weezer did it first @ the paramount party, but still. two of my fave songs in one medley = fabulous!

[uc berkeley decadence - hear you me]

jimmy eat world. a classic, obvi.

[uc berkeley noteworthy - SOAP]

the song that will never die...

speaking of The Sing-Off show... you should watch it and vote for The Socals. thanks!

Thursday, December 03, 2009

small black - despicable dogs

[small black - despicable dogs music vid]

Small Black: Despicable Dogs from Yoonha Park on Vimeo.

wow... i haven't been so moved by a music vid since earlier this year when i watched maria taylor's video for "time lapse lifeline." one of my favorite shots was of the uncle running in front of the flickering tv screen image. do yourself a favor and watch it full screen. it is so beautiful.

Small Black’s “Despicable Dogs” Video Made An Intern Cry proclaims thetripwire.com.
It’s a day spent with frontbrah Josh Kolenik’s uncle/personal hero, a surfer who looks to be as wise as he is wily.
pitchfork gave their self-titled EP an 8.
But as much as [summer] is about goofy sunglasses and cold beer, it's also about those garden-crippling late-month frosts. And these guys have that sense of yearning on lock... it both warms and bruises at the same time.
you can check out a few more songs, plus a remix of "despicable dogs" on their myspace page.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

happiness hit her like a bullet in the back

found these flo + the machine vids on tripwire a few weeks back, and totally forgot to post them!

thanksgiving weekend seems like a good time to get caught up, y/n? i decided last night would be a good night to start putting my retainer in again (after approximately 3-4 years), so i'm going easy and starting with the bottom one. it wasn't as bad as i thought it would be. i know, i'm 12. also bought $30 worth of ingredients for making rice krispies, but i need to hunt down a pan/baking dish to put them in. i hope i'm not getting overly ambitious about what i can get done this weekend...

now, onto the good stuff:

[florence + the machine - dog days (Levi’s®/FADER Fort)]


[florence + the machine - you've got the love (Levi’s®/FADER Fort)]

Sunday, November 22, 2009

our lady, saint gaga

::bows down::

[lady gaga - bad romance/speechless @ the AMA's]



[lady gaga - bad romance music vid]


i've been obsessed with this video since it started making its way around the interwebz. how sick are her shoes (like, all 10 pairs of them)? also, kind of amazing breakdown of the "occult" symbols in the bad romance video here (i skipped the lyrics interpretation stuff and went straight to the video analysis). i can't vouch for the accuracy, but (if true) it's a pretty interesting read.

in sum:
s: am officially convinced she is dancer/genius
s: and no longer human/crazy
me: yes i agree
me: she's just so talented that the rest of us cannot understand her

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

@mariedigby: new cover, tour dates

[marie digby - fireflies (owl city cover)]


just scored my tickets to her dec. 17th show @ saint rocke in hermosa beach! super excited cos i've never seen her live before. here's the link to purchase tix. e has been raving about the venue (which i've never been to see a show there), so it'll be an adventure.

tour dates:
Nov 30 2009 7:00P @ Jammin Java - VIENNA, Washington DC
Dec 1 2009 9:00P @ Joes Pub - New York, New York
Dec 3 2009 6:00P @ Beat Kitchen - Chicago, Illinois
Dec 5 2009 5:30P @ Kilby Court- Salt Lake City, Utah
Dec 7 2009 8:00P @ Doug Fir - Portland, Oregon
Dec 8 2009 5:30P @ Triple Door - Seattle, Washington
Dec 9 2009 8:30P @ Hotel Utah- San Fransisco, California
Dec 13 2009 8:30P @ Casbah - San Diego, California
Dec 15 2009 8:00P @ Rhythm Room - Phoenix, Arizona
Dec 17 2009 6:00P @ Saint Rocke - Hermosa Beach, California

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

are you there, internetz? it's me, meow

oh hai there, internets. i'm glad we could get reacquainted while i sit at home with this cold. meanwhile, i've missed william tell playing @ USC tonight. boo, hiss.

internet round-up, take 101:

- download the graduate's "don't die digging" here after entering your email addy.

- marie digby announced new tour dates for december on myspace.

- butch walker covers taylor swift. and naturally, i love it and have been listening to it repeatedly.


You've Got The Love: Pepsi Music On Location on Yahoo Music!

one word for florence = fierce. though, i have to question her choice of footwear for an abandoned zoo... however, i don't really have any other suggestions for suitable footwear for that kind of enviro. nvm.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

pablove foundation benefit @ avalon

everyone, please check out the event below. there are some very famous artists performing and it's all for a good cause!

as you may know, jeff of dangerbird records started the pablove foundation in honor of his son, pablo, who passed away earlier this year after bravely fighting cancer. pablo was 6 years old. read the story & follow jeff's journey as he cycles across america raising awareness and funds for childhood cancer. you'll feel good, i swear.

Please join us on November 21, for a very special Pablove Foundation benefit show at the Avalon. The show will feature stripped-down performances from:
Band of Horses* confirmed as headliner
Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Shirley Manson of Garbage
Tom Gabel of Against Me!
Sea Wolf
Butch Walker
Jarrod Gorbel of Honorary Title
Songs for Kids
and more!

Tickets are available via ticketmaster.

The Pablove Foundation raises money to improve the lives of children with cancer. Your ticket purchase directly benefits the charity's programs. These include funding pediatric cancer research, helping families without health insurance, and improving hospital playrooms. Please visit pablove.org to learn more.



Thursday, November 05, 2009

satellite heart

from the new moon soundtrack (omg excited sfm bbq)...

ps. got my midnight showing tickets. where are all my fangirls at?

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

just say yes

[snow patrol - just say yes music vid]

this snow patrol kind of reminds me of cher, i can't really put into words why... and i mean it in the most flattering way possible. maybe it's the flashing planetarium light show. their compilation album is out on nov. 10th (next week!) & just say yes is their new single. enjoy!

Monday, November 02, 2009

dear jack

last week, e & i were lucky enough to catch 2 sold-out andrew mcmahon solo shows (jack's mannequin) at anaheim HOB & troubadour in LA. on wednesday, we attended a screening of andrew's documentary, dear jack, and sat with our nearest and dearest JM friends (and some surprises-- pauly shore? who is that guy anyway?). it was an intense and fun week!

too lazy to re-write this announcement, so here it is-- in all it's quoted shameless promo glory:

Tomorrow the much-anticipated Dear Jack film will be available in-stores and via digital download through iTunes (the link will become active at midnight on 11/3).

Also, the Dear Jack EP will be made available on tomorrow as well. The EP features four previously unreleased tracks: “Dear Jack,” “Diane, the Skyscraper,” “There, There Katie,” and “Swim (Music Box).” This musical companion to the Dear Jack film will be sold exclusively through iTunes (the link will become active at midnight on 11/3).

Finally, a limited-edition “Swim” art book, which includes artwork created by friends and fans of Jack’s Mannequin that became a prominent part of the “Swim” music video will be released on exclusively at JacksMannequin.com (the link will become active at midnight on 11/3).

west coast winter: just me and the blue sky

you are cordially invited to the 2nd annual Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Holiday Ice Skating Party! proceeds benefit LLS and will be credited to LA Team Jack's Mannequin.

ALSO: we're going to be running a raffle with some AH-MAZING prizes, which will be announced later... you can only get raffle tickets if you show up!
here are the deets since the flyer is fuzzy-looking:
When:
Sunday, Nov. 15th, 10AM-12NOON
Where: Seaside Ice in Redondo Beach. Check out their website for more details and directions. It's a (outdoor) skating rink on the beach!
Cost: $15 per person, includes skate rental and discounted parking.
Accepted Forms of Pre-Payment: Cash (in-person), check (mailed or in-person), or PayPal (email me for the link).

Please note: Pre-paid admission will end and payment must be received by Friday, Nov. 13th, 2009 at 5pm. After that time, we can only accept cash.


ps. all blog inquiries should still be sent to emokidsbff(at)gmail(dot)com. this is just for the fundraiser!

the early novembrrr

halloween has come and gone. who dressed up & what were you? i was a cupcake with red sprinkles. somewhat glad i didn't go with the lady gaga idea, since i've seen a lot of pictures of ppl who were dressed as her.

i'm already thinking about next year, and i think i might be sushi. tuna or shrimp, not sure yet.

anyhow, i leave you with this video, in the halloween spirit.

[sea wolf - wicked blood music vid]



sea wolf just played a show @ kcrw's halloween masquerade this past weekend. if you missed that, never fear (well, maybe a little fear, b/c you know the twi-mobs for this will be INSANE): on nov. 6th (friday), the band will be participating in a special Twilight: New Moon event at the hollywood & highland complex. other artists performing include: death cab for cutie, anya marina, and band of skulls. Q&A with some cast members will also follow.

ps. they're also playing a show @ solana beach - belly up, on nov. 5th.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

so turn it up and break it down

i know, i've been a bad blogger this month/year/decade. picked out a shiny new template here for semi-overhaul-ish purposes... i haven't figured out how to coordinate colors b/c i'm challenged like that, but orange will have to do (for now).

so, what else is going on? this week has been crazy; have had lots of work-work and non-work to deal with. new PC came in 2 weeks ago, so i need to get with the whole transferring files & installing le photoshop. monday was snow patrol & tues-thurs was all about the sounds. seeing them @ kimmel brought back good college/intern memories. oh, to be 21 again!

[the sounds - come on bring that beatbox back]

Monday, October 19, 2009

4 songs & a fight (but no ticket fees)

the sounds posted this blog recently:

Meet The Sounds and Pay No Ticket Fees!

We are taking over The Hollywood Palladium box office on Tuesday, October 20th from 3-4pm in order to offer you concert tickets at FACE VALUE...with no ticket fees.

Trying to keep ticket prices as low as possible is something we always try and work out with our promoters, so we worked out with our LA promoter, Live Nation, for you to be able to buy Wiltern tickets for our show on October 21st and 22nd without paying any of the extra ticket fees if you come and buy them directly from us!

Oh did we mention we will also be signing autographs and taking photos with those who come out? See you there...it will be fun!

Are you coming to see us at Jimmy Kimmel Live that night? Come by early and meet us at the Palladium.

i already have my tickets (for both nights) waiting for me at will call, but anyone who is funemployed should go pick some up! yayyyy

let's waste time, chasing cars

hey, remember the time before snow patrol became "that band" with "that song" on grey's anatomy? srsly. like when run was like the most amazing depressing song ever? yea. oh, memories.

they're playing tonight @ the music box: henry fonda theatre and tomorrow @ the wiltern. i'm going to see them @ fonda tonight, courtesy of my friend irene. guess who's opening for SP btw? PWTs!!! weird. ahem. snow patrol will release two albums in november:

1. up to now: out nov. 10th, 2009. this double album features all their hit singles, cover versions, rarities and album tracks that span the band's amazing 15-year career. it'll include 3 previously unreleased songs (just say yes, dark roman wine and give me strength), songs from the two albums released on an indie label in 1998 and 2001, and 2 songs by the reindeer section (an indie supergroup w/ members of belle and sebastian, idlewild, mogwai and teenage fanclub. some covers and live tracks are also included.

Official Track List:
CD1
Chocolate
Chasing Cars
Crack The Shutters
Set The Fire To The Third Bar
Crazy In Love
Just Say Yes
Batten Down The Hatch
You’re All I Have
Hands Open
Cartwheels
The Planets Bend Between Us (2009 Version)
Ask Me How I Am
On-Off
Making Enemies
Run (Live at the Union Chapel)

CD2
Take Back the City
Shut Your Eyes
An Olive Grove Facing the Sea (2009 Version)
Run
Give Me Strength
Signal Fire
Spitting Games
Open Your Eyes
Dark Roman Wine
Fifteen Minutes Old
You Are My Joy
Golden Floor
Starfighter Pilot
PPP
Chasing Cars (Live at the Union Chapel)

2. late night tales: out nov. 3, 2009. a compilation/dj set of songs mixed and selected by tom simpson and gary lightbody.

track listing:
1. "Observatory Crest" Captain Beefheart
2. "Midnight" A Tribe Called Quest
3. "Dark Lady" DJ Food
4. "I Walk the Earth" King Biscuit Time
5. "Canal Song" Iain Archer
6. "Ordinary Joe" Terry Callier
7. "It's All Gone Quiet" The Week That Was and Field Music
8. "Last Train" Allen Toussaint
9. "Fancy" Bobby Gentry
10. "That's Us/Wild Combination" Arthur Russell
11. "Eanie Meany" Jim Noir
12. "Half Asleep" School of Seven Bells
13. "Family Tree" TV on the Radio
14. "Hold On" Holy Ghost!
15. "Download" Super Furry Animals
16. "New Sensation" (INXS cover) Snow Patrol
17. "Next Train" Miracle Fortress
18. "Sweet Little Mystery" John Martyn
19. "The Happy Detective (Part 2)" Will Self

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

when it rains...

things to know:

- the graduate has a brand new song up for stream here on absolutepunk.net. please comment/recommend/share the heck out of that link. we emo kids ♥ them!

- our friends over at kata kouture jewelry are having a warehouse sale on october 24 in carlsbad... here's what rhonda says:

saturday 10/24 kata kouture will be having a sale with macbeth footwear, spicy clothing, loserkids.com & keep a breast. itd be awesome if you came out to support and to do some shopping! :)

check out the flyer below.
- late night blogging and thinking about food plans for tomorrow make me hungry. you know what'd be great? a chipotle truck. i'm craving a burrito bowl something fierce right now.

- i've reintroduced myself to the concept of saving (money). i'll let you know from time to time how that shakes out.

- i have wandered off-track. ahem. the sounds have posted a tour update on their myspace blog. info about the opening acts, cali, jimmy kimmel & beatbox video preview (just a snapshot!) all await. did anyone get tickets to kimmel, anyhow?

Friday, October 09, 2009

i'm crying blood

could they please use this song on True Blood? I THINK SO. comment me with your favorite T.B. quote, kthx.

[vv brown - crying blood music video]

Crying Blood

VV Brown | MySpace Music Videos

Friday, October 02, 2009

LIGHTS (camera, action): the listening giveaway

freebie friday hath returned (albeit, a little late in the day-- cannot seem to get over this lame jet-lag business & work has been craaaazy).
canadian keytarist LIGHTS just finished up a string of tour dates opening for keane, and is kicking off a headlining tour to support the release of her new album, the listening which comes out next week on tues/oct. 6, 2009.

tour dates: ** supporting act: stars of track and field from portland, or.
10/2 – North Star Bar – Philadelphia, PA
10/3 – Sonar Lounge – Baltimore, MD
10/4 – Middle East – Boston, MA
10/6 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
10/7 – Webster Underground – Hartford, CT
10/9 – The Brillobox – Pittsburgh, PA
10/10 – The Shelter – Detroit, MI
10/11 – Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH
10/20 - Buffalo, NY- Mohawk Place10/21 - Covington, KY - The Madhatter
10/22 - Grand Rapids. MI - The Mixtape Cafe
10/23 - Des Moines, IA - House of Bricks
10/24 – The Pageant – St. Louis, MO
10/25 - Lawrence, KS- Jackpot Saloon
10/27 – Triple Rock – Minneapolis, MN
10/28 – Subterranean – Chicago, IL
10/30 – Hi Dive – Denver, CO
10/31 – Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT
11/03 – Troubadour – West Hollywood, CA
11/04 – Bottom of the Hill – San Francisco, CA
11/05 - Portland, OR- Hawthorne Theater
11/06 - Seattle, WA- El Corazon
i'm excited to say that i'll be seeing her perform @ the troub on november 3rd. join me!
to enter for your chance to win a LIGHTS prize pack-- includes a LIGHTS tee & a copy of her CD the listening, email me at emokidsbff(at)gmail(dot)com with the subject line "LIGHTS." i'll pick ONE winner at random (US residents, only) from all the entries. please include your full name and address in the body of the email. contest ends two weeks from today-- friday, oct. 16th. good luck!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

are we really going home?

came home yesterday afternoon to 131 unread emails. considering i'd left about 30 emails unread when i left two weeks ago, wasn't too bad. fortunately, the friends were kind enough (and civil enough) to not spam my fb wall with questionable content while i was AFK in japan. well played, friends.

so, what's new? i came home with my luggage filled to the brim. i unloaded quite a few gifties while i was out there visiting relatives and such, so on the whole, i'd like to say i came out even. but i'm certain i gained weight from nomnoms despite the insane amount of traipsing and adventuring kya-sa-rin-san and i did. more recaps to follow...

currently, what i need to get done: finish sorting the things i brought home, clean room, and catch up on emails. oh, and deciding which color combo i want for the juliet necklace by kata kouture (my dear friend rhonda makes jewelry with lego pieces). that's all for tomorrow (day off from work!).

ps. i've got another freebie friday coming up... be excited.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

toronto international film fest 2009

[toronto international film festival 2009 - red carpet diaries]
keep yr eye out here on this post from sept. 10th to the 19th-- videos and interviews should update automatically. the content is produced right then and there, as they talk to the celebs, so it's pretty much like a live feed of the red carpet.

have you ever been to a film fest? i've gone to a screening at one, but have never done the whole shebang. perhaps something to look into...

Friday, September 11, 2009

are you calling me darling?

[the ting tings - that's not my name (music vid)]


the ting tings are kicking off a run of tour dates in america (opening for p!ink), NBD. there's a fly-away contest for the ting tings' upcoming performance at NY's madison square garden. to enter, just count the total number of times katie says "that’s not my name" in the video above. look, i won't tell on anyone if you google the answer or something. everyone who answers correctly is automatically entered to win, with one lucky winner earning two roundtrip tickets to NY, one night of hotel accommodations and a pair of tickets to the show!

Tour Dates:
September
15 Seattle, WA - WAMU Theater
17 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
18 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
20 Glendale, AZ - Jobing.com Arena
23 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
24 Houston, TX - Toyota Center
26 Chicago, IL - Allstate Arena
28 Fairfax, VA - The Patriot Center
30 Toronto, ONT - Air Canada Center
October
2 Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden
3 Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
5 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

i hope it's gonna make you notice...

[paramore - use somebody (kings of leon cover)]


gahh.. ♥ her still. pick up paramore's new album brand new eyes in stores sept. 29th, or get your pre-orders in over here.

tonight, i'm heading out to see crash kings @ the musicbox (fonda). they're opening for david cook (idk, i think some fans of american idol might know who he is)...
xo.

Friday, September 04, 2009

then i set fire to our bed

it's no secret that i'm finally starting to have a greater appreciation for female lead singers. that turning point came along earlier this year, when i heard great northern's new album, remind me where the light is. definitely among my top albums for this year.

so here's the roundup:

- the sounds stripped (in-studio performances)-- you can watch vids for beatbox, no one sleeps when i'm awake, and a couple of interview clips all here on iheartradio.com. their october 21st, 2009 show has been moved from the greek theatre to the wiltern. tix are on sale sept. 12st, 2009. will post a link when i find one. if you haven't already, start following @thesounds for updates and random twitpics-- you won't be disappointed.

- lights tracklist for her four-song EP, out sept. 8, 2009, here. you can see february air played by an army of lights on her youtube channel. she's just so cute. jeebus.
"Saviour" Music Video


- florence + the machine first saw this video over on hatesomethingbeautiful. this one goes out to @rawrdinosaurz.
[florence + the machine - kiss with a fist music vid]


unrelated, but still relevant to my interests: WTWTA soundtrack cover and exclusive FILTER wild things cover were released this week. filter issue #37: karen o and spike jonze discover where the wild things are, is on stands sept. 11, 2009.

TOMS + trovata

third weekly installment of freebie friday: TOMS + trovata family reunion event
i know that flier is teenytiny (but you can click on it for a bigger version), so here are the deets:
when: next thursday, Sept. 10, 6-11pm
where: TOMS Headquarters
3025 Olympic Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90404
cover: FREE

Bring your friends and come dressed as an iconic family to have your family photo taken in our classic portrait booths.
The best family portrait will receive a $1,000 shopping spree from TOMS + Trovata.


you can RSVP at on the facebook event page. they'll have the TOMS & Trovata fall/winter 2009 collection available for purchase as well!

Thursday, September 03, 2009

with mics in hand, we'll stand against the test of time

[n.a.s.a. - gifted, feat. kanye west, santogold, & lykke li]

didn't realize this video was out in early '08. a little creepy astronaut...

Thursday, August 27, 2009

mew mew

happy friday y'all! in keeping with the new tradition of freebie friday (dang, i hope i can keep this up), just wanted to mention something cool going on from aug. 29th (sat) to sept. 3rd (thurs).

(before we launch into our regularly scheduled programming, i would like to mention that today is the last day to enter my crash kings giveaway. email me yr name & address w/ subject line "crash kings" to emokidsbff(at)gmail(dot)com for your chance to win!)

mewseum: a six-day installation & special performance on august 31 by danish rock band mew (garnering recent buzz and fame as the opening act for nine inch nails). you can stream their album no more stories... (which was released earlier this tuesday) on myspace.

click here for the flier that has all the deets for the events. for a chance to attend the aug. 31st show, email mewseum@sonymusic.com. the show will be super tiny and they'll premiere a video trilogy for their first three album singles, including the world premiere of their videos for “repeaterbeater” and “beach.”

mewseum hours (free admission!):
August
29 Saturday from 12pm -10pm
30 Sunday from 12pm - 6pm
31 Monday from 4pm - 10pm; special performance from 7pm - 10pm
September
1 Tuesday from 4pm - 10pm
2 Wednesday from 4pm - 10pm
3 Thursday from 4pm - 10pm

located @: Zune L.A. Space on 8275 Beverly Blvd. (at Sweetzer) Los Angeles, CA

i'll see you there!

psst... moar shows:
September
1 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
2 Los Angeles, CA - Palladium (w/NIN)
3 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda (w/NIN)
4 San Francisco, CA - Independent

Monday, August 24, 2009

where the wild things are - all is love

Where the Wild Things Are Trailer


holy cow, i think i just squeed a little. the film looks sooo beautiful. i can hardly stand it!

(as a disclaimer: i don't recall WTWTA being one of my favorite books as a child-- probably i think i skipped straight from goodnight moon to something like the boxcar children, babysitters club, or sweet valley high. but i think a film like this-- with a trailer impeccably matched to arcade fire's wake up-- is exactly what our generation needs right now. it's a time to remember what it was like to be a kid and dream of otherworldly things...)

earlier today, myspace music premiered the first single off of the movie's soundtrack. karen o (of the yeah yeah yeahs) and the kids (a collaboration with an untrained children's choir) sing all is love over on the WTWTA myspace page. grab the single, which is available tomorrow, tues/aug. 25 & the soundtrack, which will be unleashed tues/sept. 29.

ps. enter my crash kings giveaway (a few posts down). you have nothing to lose!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

life, or something like it

... and just like that, and just like that, it's done.

well, this week was busier than expected. i'm now partially employed x 2 jobs (though still looking for f/t job, plz and ty) + working on the light the night (LTN) team jack's mannequin stuff. if you missed out, incentives for fundraising for LTN were announced last week & we've got a guide to signing up posted here.

tomorrow, i've got work in the A.M., will step foot into bay cities for the first time w/ kitkat and baby g, then bday dinner for an old friend. i know, i know, my life is ~so~ difficult. got my katy perry tix to her show @ the palladium on saturday, the 29th. very excited. she's one of my inspirations for whatever i decide to dress as for halloween... her and lady gaga. don't ask.

xo, tgi-almost-friday.

Friday, August 14, 2009

win stuff! crash kings giveaway

freebie friday! yep, whose inner recessionista is not screaming for awesome free stuff? hmm?
crash kings is an la rock band ::gasp:: without a lead guitarist. the result is something pretty eclectic and totally rich. you can stream some more their songs over on le myspace. earlier this year, they toured with chris cornell. stamp of approval, you has it. and you all know how i feel about piano rock... really loving raincoat and my love right now.

one winner gets:
1 copy of Crash Kings' self-titled debut
1 Crash Kings USB Bracelet
1 Crash Kings Puzzle
1 band poster

email me at emokidsbff(at)gmail(dot)com with the subject line "crash kings." i'll pick ONE winner at random (US residents, only) from all the entries. please include your full name and address in the body of the email. contest ends two weeks from today-- friday, aug. 28th. good luck!

[crash kings - mountain man]

Thursday, August 13, 2009

he looks like he was made at ikea

he's really swedish!

[the sounds - mtv encore]


here's the source/article: Encore: The Sounds Greet Fans, Share Tattoos, Conquer Los Angeles

when i first heard the newest album crossing the rubicon, i was having some trouble getting into it b/c it was less dance-y than the past two albums. but after i saw them @ the key club on july 30, it all just clicked-- the songs have a lot more depth and the lyrics are honest without being too heavy. i do recommend seeing them live, because while they sound great recorded, they are about 500000x more amazing live. there's nothing quite like a sounds show with all the hipsters, indies, and emo warped tour kids (am i missing anyone?) uniting on one dance floor. amazing.

they recently put a bunch of stuff up on their merch site. really love the white "no one sleeps when i'm awake" shirt, if y'all are in a giving mood and want to take a hint... i kid.

fall (worldwide) tour dates are up on myspace-- they're hitting the greek theatre on oct. 21. the long and short of it is that they're on tour literally for the rest of the year... total troopers!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

muse - uprising - widget

thinking it's a universally accepted fact that muse cannot fail. ever.

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

monsters of folk

if you, like me, were mourning the end of bright eyes last month... fill yer void here. ok, so it's not just conor but w/e, deal. monsters of folk is a collaboration by (deep breath) bright eyes' conor obert & mike mogis, my morning jacket's jim james AAANDDD she & him's m. ward. ps. that last part looks so awkward, but in the name of parallelism, i'm going to keep it that way.

basically, a folkstar supergroup. and WTFBBQ only 818 myspace friends? their self-titled debut album monsters of folk is out sept. 22, 2009.

Monsters of Folk Tracklist
Dear God (sincerely M.O.F.)
Say Please
Whole Lotta Losin'
Temazcal
The Right Place
Baby Boomer
Man Named Truth
Goodway
Ahead of the Curve
Slow Down Jo
Losin Yo Head
Magic Marker
Map Of The World
The Sandman, the Brakeman and Me
His Master’s Voice

the band recently announced fall tour dates. cool fact: M.O.F. is partnering with air traffic control, a resource for musicians' philanthropic and social change work, to donate monies raised from ticket sales. the band will be donating $1 from every ticket sold on the tour to local non-profits.

October
13 Vancouver, BC- Orpheum
14 Portland, OR- Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
15 Seattle, WA- Paramount Theatre
17 Oakland, CA- Fox Theater
18 Los Angeles, CA- The Greek Theater
20 San Diego, CA- Spreckels Theatre
21 Phoenix, AZ- Orpheum Theater
22 Santa Barbara, CA- Santa Barbara Bowl
28 Omaha, NE- Holland Center
29 Minneapolis, MN- Orpheum Theatre
30 Chicago, IL- Auditorium Theatre
31 Louisville, KY- Louisville Palace Theatre

November
02 Toronto, ON- Massey Hall
03 Boston, MA- The Orpheum
06 New York, NY- United Palace
08 New York, NY- Beacon Theater
09 Philadelphia, PA- Academy of Music

Friday, July 31, 2009

gimme sympathy

announcement: is back. and blogging.

i have listened to nothing but fall out boy, metric, and regina spektor for the past two months. i know, sorry if that gives you a little stomachache thinking about the combo (mostly fall out boy though, y/n? scuse my emo). needless to say, no idea what's going on in that there music world, but i will catch up soon. super behind on those emails too, so patience, plz.

a few projects i plan to undertake during my (hopefully) short stint in funemploymentland:

- writing letters. i never quite launched project snail mail '09, sorry for any letdowns.
- cleaning. room = barely habitable.
- eating good food. bay cities and a few other places with the momzers.
- planning light the night walks '09 for team jack's mannequin. things will get rolling quickly. if you haven't already signed up to walk with us, please do so here! (make sure you hit the "join team" option. we're working on getting the twitter up & running as well, you can find that here)
- traveling. japan = thundercats are go. europe = ::fingerscrossed::
- show-going. any rec's on concerts coming up?
- dvd-watching. twilight, the hills s1, gossip girl, buffy, etc.etc.
- reading. HP 1-6 can finally be unpacked, as can the sookie stackhouse/true blood novels 1-9.

basically, it's going to be a busy season. so excited!

[metric - gimme sympathy music vid]

one of my favorite songs off their album fantasies. emily haines = fierce. if you're curious as to how this whole thing was shot in one take, behind the scene of gimme sympathy is pretty cool.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

no one laughs at god in a hospital

while i'm bemoaning my existence in between snerffles, please take some time to check out this important message via jax @ rockinsider:

Pablo [son of Dangerbird Records co-founder, Jeff] was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor- a very rare form of pediatric cancer. This led to the founding of The Pablove Foundation which donates money to the Childrens Hospital LA. Sadly this past Saturday June 27th, 2009 Pablo passed away. He was 6 years old.

the benefit show is at the echo tomorrow, july 1st. doors @ 8pm. performances by: eulogies, bad veins, avi buffalo, a decent animal. more info & relevant links here. pablo's story has been chronicled by his family here. please take some time to check out his story & donate to the pablove foundation.
for lighter fare...

[regina spektor - laughing with (music vid)]

the song is definitely one of my top picks for the album far. the beginning of the video is sort of escher-esque, is it not?

[cobra starship - good girls go bad (feat. leighton meester]


blair >>> serena. i love leighton!

Friday, June 26, 2009

cut ties with all the lies that you've been living in

went to see third eye blind with julian @ the hollywood palladium last night. it was seriously like being back in 1999; clearly i'd missed out on being cool in high school (i had a thing for backstreet boys, DON'TJUDGEME), so re-living a better version of it was a lot of fun. i'd forgotten how joyous it is to watch the floor jump up in down in unison to songs like jumper and semi-charmed kind of life. the new songs they previewed were pretty consistent and catchy. won my tickets from http://laist.com/ so a big shout out to them!

been superrrr busy studying so i've been behind on my music updates (obvi). been listening to a lot of KCRW b/c my cassette player in my car (i know, how quaint) has decided he and my cassette adapter (that i hook up to my ipod) are on the outs. wish they would make up again but i have a feeling this time the break-up was for good. waiting for my itrip that i ordered to get here soon.

otherwise, i've been weirdly getting into a whole female lead singers phase. a whole lot of maria taylor, for sure. just ordered some CDs on amazon a few days ago, so i'm excited to (finally) get the sounds' album crossing the rubicon, phoenix's album wolfgang amadeus phoenix, and regina spektor's far.

that's about it with my life. i'm really loving the santa monica public library-- there is so much good stuff lurking around in there... though it's all off-limits to me till end of july. till then, xox.

shake the glitter off your clothes now

[katy perry - waking up in vegas music vid]

i'm not sold on the lip-syncing at all... but the costumes are F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! plus the dude from bones is in it. i can't find his name... if anyone would like to suggest it. thanks.

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

no "kids" were harmed during the making of this video

[mgmt - kids (music vid)]



as one friend tweeted, "i don't know if i love the new mgmt video or i have a giant "wtf" sign over my head."

Friday, May 29, 2009

idk, like an update or something?

[phoenix - 1901 music vid]

totes obsessed with the song. you can d/l it as part of nylon's summer 09 playlist/mix here, along with other songs by a ton of other artists.

this i found on stereogum:
[weezer - cover of mgmt's kids & lady gaga's poker face]

rivers' dancing seems like an accurate depiction of what future (read: older) andrew mcmahon's dance moves will be like. jussayin.

you can check out some new regina spektor stuff here from her new album FAR. premiere of blue lips here and music video for dance anthem of the 90s here via ONTD.

last but not least-- my ♥'s, the sounds, have their whole album crossing the rubicon available for streaming on their myspace. let them know via twitter what your favorite song is! (psst: you can snag a free d/l of dorchester hotel here & if you sign up for their email list, a free d/l of no one sleeps when i'm awake at http://the-sounds.com.) album drops june 2nd. get on board.

ok, so i have MOARR studying to do, so i need to scram. see you next week/month/august or something.

Saturday, May 09, 2009

free show next saturday: the maine and meg&dia

the maine and meg & dia are playing a free show NEXT SATURDAY (set times: meg & dia @ 7pm; the maine @ 8pm) at an all day event from 11am - 9pm for the grand opening of a new shopping center called the strand. more info over on the maine's myspace blog here.

location: 5th Street & Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach, CA 92648

not sure if i'll be in attendance yet, have another show to be @ in la that night... seems like a good place to go if you want to be scene. oh yes, i just did.

Thursday, May 07, 2009

wolfgang amadeus phoenix

i first heard phoenix's "1901" on kcrw and was like WHO IS THIS BAND?? MUST KNOW. anyhow, as i do with all things in life, procrastinated away until both the william beckett AND spin magazine beat me to it. whatever, i'm not bitter or anything!

their album wolfgang amadeus phoenix has a US release date of may 26, 2009 & their tour hits los angeles @ the wiltern on sun., june 28, 2009. tix via livenation here (floor appears to be all sold out).

you can hear 1901 on their myspace. i guarantee its awesome-osity. and it's beckett approved.

here's their vid lisztomania... song kind of reminds me of the spinto band's "oh mandy" but more dancy. is that weird?? idk.

[phoenix - lisztomania]

kylie minogue us tour

amex presale started this morning at 10:00am ; reg. sale starts sunday, may 17 @ 10:00am (hollywood bowl: october 4, 2009). everyone's twittering about it! get on board.

Saturday, May 02, 2009

we can hear the first beat to the flatline

[maria taylor - time lapse lifeline]


heard this song by maria taylor on bones... the music video is perfect, peppered with silly antics and the kinds of memories girls reminisce about and relive over and over. though, tbh, never thought about pelting har mar superstar with water balloons... also, would like to take this moment to claim this song as my graduation anthem.

(in other bones news, john francis daley who plays sweets is appearing with his band, dayplayer, on the final ep of the season. heart him!)

anyhow, maria headlines the troubadour on the 3rd before heading off to her european tour, if you want to go see. would be there but i've got big (exam) plans for monday. let me know how it is! her album, ladyluck, is avail now.

Friday, April 17, 2009

heavy metal friday: redefined

the record label i interned @ during college began a tradition of Heavy Metal Friday (HMF). it is unclear at this time how prevalent HMF is in other workplaces. i hear it involves guitar hero, jussayin.

Q: what happens if you listen to [insert your favorite non-metal artist] on HMF?

A:
HMF is more an attitude than a music choice. On Fridays you should let your guard down and understand that all your drama in the work place can go on hold. It will be waiting for you on Monday, I promise. It's a time to stop taking yourself so seriously. So grab a cold [beverage], put on some AC/DC and walk away from your computer. Take a long lunch... Read more, hit a happy hour, educate your younger co-workers on the genius of CC DeVille. Whatever you do for HMF, do it with a smile on your face using Van Halen as the soundtrack. Life could be a lot worse.
answer attributed to jason c.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

great northern listening party next wednesday!

great northern is hosting their own listening party tonight NEXT WEDNESDAY (4/22) in la. hear the new album (which i've been raving about, like, forever) remind me where the light is and get free food courtesy of MALO (may i recommend the hamburger taco? thx irene).

RSVP to reserve your spot @ RSVP@eeniemeenie.com.

event deets: 8pm-12 midnight @ MALO
located at: 4326 w. sunset blvd., los angeles, ca 90029

also, previously in as the world tweets, their album is STILL available on itunes for the super cheap price of $5.99. well worth every cent, i swear.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

the sounds headlining us tour


apparently the dates are selling out fast, so get yr tix asap.

adaline: famous for fire

adaline is a canadian singer/songwriter who i heard about through the grapevine (don't click if one more mention of twilight makes you want to start hulk!smashing your head into a brick wall). reminds me a tad bit of sara bareilles, but with more eclectic influences, notably electro.

stream her entire album famous for fire here (released april 22, 2008 and available on itunes & cdbaby) & download her song "whiter/straighter" by right-click-save-ing here.

my picks:
- famous for fire (title track)
- meaningless meeting (dark, freedom comes with a price)
- pioneering (jaunty, with handclaps!)
- planes to nowhere (dreamy, rilo kiley-esque + electro-blipping)
- state of mind (has an anthemic quality, could see this being used as a live performance on some cw show).
- we've got something (the simplicity of it makes it beautiful-- i've got something, you've got something, we've got something). this is my absolute favorite song off her album.

[adaline's epk - live performances, etc.]

Friday, March 27, 2009

tinted windows: excuse me while i squee

guess which lucky fangirl bought herself a ticket to see tinted windows (taylor hanson easily my favorite member of hanson, james iha easily the coolest asian evs, bun e. carlos ok i fail on this one, adam schlesinger also cool, owns label w/ james)?

UM YEA THAT WOULD BE ME. (the show is at the troubadour on april 28, 2009. you can get yours here; i recommend the FAX option. only $2 service charge per tix.)

[thetripwire - video interview with tinted windows @ sxsw]

source: thetripwire.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

great northern thursday @ the roxy


full deets here: KROQ Locals Only Moves In
Posted using ShareThis

chance to win free tix: @WebInFrontNet: Want free tickets to Great Northern @ the Roxy?: http://webinfront.net/?p=1899

eta: eenie meenie records is giving away tickets too!

Monday, March 23, 2009

silversun pickups - swoon

silversun pickups have an album called swoon coming out april 14, 2009, right before the madness of coachella. if you haven't already heard their single panic switch, listen to it here off their myspace. the song is all up in kroq's business, i.e. their furious 5 at 9 countdown, which is awesome for this la-based band.

upcoming tour dates:
April 12: Pomona, CA @ Glass House
April 17: Indio, CA @ Coachella
May 25: Gorge, WA @ Sasquatch Festival

old vid... who knew it was directed by joaquin phoenix? whoa.
[silversun pickups - music vid: little lover's so polite]


on a random note, does anyone have any suggestions for emo shows to go to? i'm bummed i missed the academy is...'s acoustic set @ chain reaction (of course, i hadn't heard of it until the day of. yikes.).

YOU'VE SUMMONED THE FAIL WHALE!!!

i enjoyed this too much to let it die a lonely tweet-death. so here it is... forever. guess i angered the tweet gods (or perhaps the fail whale decided to chew up my tweet for dinner). or perhaps i shouldn't have made the comment about re-tweeting it being ironic.. ::muses::


Sunday, March 22, 2009

carry all that sound into the dust

while you were gone (in sxsw)....

last monday, i took j to catch great northern's set at silverlake lounge. after grabbing some in-n-out in westwood (boo, enemy territory), we trekked out to SL to get our collective hipster on. o+s, who were opening for great northern, had a huge following-- the place was packed to the entrance. after their set ended, we decided to try to make our way forward, and ended up close enough to the stage where we could see.

i really loved seeing snakes and numbers live; i always tend to like the toe-tapping and/or upbeat songs more, probably b/c there's more movement on stage. home (off of their previous album) was fab as well. rachel & solon's vox are a perfect match for each other-- neither are too much yet neither are underwhelming either. all in all, good times were had.

setlist:
story
houses
fingers
snakes
home
new tricks
mountain
numbers

Thursday, March 19, 2009

oh hai, is my bff.

my friend s sent this link to me in an email awhile back... (if this doesn't make you feel all warm and fuzzy, CLEARLY YOU ARE DEAD INSIDE) i hope it makes someone happy today!

Saturday, March 14, 2009

beware of strength in numbers

been super busy lately! last thursday, my friend kp and i headed over to the nokia theatre and saw jimmy eat world on their clarity x10 tour. snagged an awesome parking spot on the street and headed in. tickets were $50 so the line for drink wristbands was long, natch. not a lot of youngins... the show was fantastic. also weird for me because i wasn't into jimmy eat world when clarity was released (sadly, i was still stuck in my boy band phase... for shame. i'm trying to redeem myself here, kay?). the group in front of us was RIDICULOUSLY into the show (by ridiculously, i mean harmonizing parts like "can you still feel the butterflies"), which was hilarious, because they were all hxc and tatted up.

monday was the day before rockinsider's birthday... so irene & i headed out to the cha cha lounge in silver lake. i really need to get out more!

wednesday was kind of a nightmare... after spending approx. 4 hrs wrangling with verizon customer service & alternately agonizing over the unwarranted termination fee bill that they'd sent to my house, finally settled it. i'm going to plug the consumerist b/c that site is amazing. before making complaints or trying to figure out how to deal with customer service, i HIGHLY recommend you reference the site first. at the very least, it'll give you helpful tips on how to deal with the company and the situation at hand.

randomness round-up:
(aka things over which i obsess and to which i subject my friends/readers)
- no doubt added dates to their tour. 2 at gibson amp (july 27, 28) and 1 more at verizon in irvine (total 3: july 31, aug. 1, and aug. 2). tix here.
- rpattz GQ mag photos... ::squeals::.
- download ragged mag (via filter) here featuring jack's mannequin (and andrew looking very emo-esque, channeling bright eyes... ha), the von bondies, asobi seksu, great northern (my current obsession), the knux, anya marina and robotanists.

anyhow, if you want more of this annoying-ness on a daily basis, twitter is where it's at.
xoxo

Friday, March 06, 2009

come out with your fingers

here are some weekly videos to commemorate the countdown to the release of great northern's latest album, remind me where the light is, out april 28, 2009. i've already decided on some of my favorite tracks off the album (fingers, mountain, and warning are my early faves), but the more i listen to it, the more difficult it gets to restrict myself to those tracks... the album, as a whole, is absolutely breathtaking. full-bodied sounds, portentously catchy melodies, etc. y'all need to hear it.

some west coast tour dates:
3/11 - Seattle, WA - Sunset Tavern
3/12 - Portland, OR - Holoscene
3/14 - San Francisco, CA - Hotel Utah
3/16 - Los Angeles, CA - Silverlake Lounge
3/17 - Tucson, AZ - Plush
3/19 - Austin, TX - SXSW
3/20 - Austin, TX - SXSW
3/21 - Austin, TX – SXSW

L-I-L-Y-R-O-S-E is it hard being so awesome?


Lily from ollie stone on Vimeo.

a love song for @lilyroseallen.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009