j-la: mgmt remix.

J-LA apparently went to school with me.

I say "apparently" because I didn't know who he was until I met him on a roof...months after we had graduated. I'm pretty sure that I had never even seen him prior to this interaction, which mostly consisted of him shaking my hand and me awkwardly dancing to Daft Punk. I don't get out much.

I also went to the same school as MGMT. Their new album Oracular Spectacular just dropped, and admittedly I wasn't too enthusiastic about the songs that had been leaked before its release. They were good and all, but they weren't the MGMT I grew to love...they weren't The Management. For some reason, their name change from "The Management" to "MGMT" somehow correlated with a harsh realization that I was going to have to share "Kids" with the entire world. This was difficult to admit to myself, given that "Kids" is my mind's soundtrack to every pleasant moment I spent at Wesleyan University. It was my secret theme song that the non-Wesleyan world didn't know or fully understand.

Now I am encountering another realization that needs to be fucking realized--- I need to let go. I've heard 3-4 different versions of "Kids" and each one sounds further and further away from the one that first touched my ears so many years ago. MGMT are growing up. They're actually getting kind of...good?

Yes. I've said it. I may like this album. I may even like the new version of "Kids". I feel dirty saying this, yet I also feel somewhat liberated. Fuck.

Wait, wasn't this post about J-La? Honestly, I don't even remember who this post is supposed to be about, but J-La's remix of "Electric Feel" reminded me to go cop this album on iTunes. Also, it's the shit. 'Nuff said.

[REMOVED BY REQUEST OF CREATOR (NOT GOD, J-LA)]
dl: MGMT - Time to Pretend (YSI)
(remix + album track)
- space it / buy it - site it - space it - hype it -

the morning benders: ronettes cover.

THE MORNING BENDERS are apparently a big deal?

I've been so wrapped up in pop and hip-hop lately that I've forgotten about those groups of people with instruments who sing sometimes-- bands. The Morning Benders are a band. And they have been getting serious blog love since over a year ago.

But it's never too late to show some love. I just got their cover of The Ronettes' "Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love?" in my inbox, and while I can't say it converted me to a groupie of The Morning Benders immediately...it had me craving more. What impresses me most about their sound is that they manage to channel the feeling of 1960s pop music without trying too hard. As I go from listening to their cover to "Grain of Salt", I imagine Ronnie Spector taking a turn at covering them.

dl: THE MORNING BENDERS - Grain of Salt (YSI)
dl: THE MORNING BENDERS - Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love? (Ronettes cover) (YSI)
(indie-pop tunes)
- buy it - site it - space it - hype it -

the special pillow: sleeping beauty.

THE SPECIAL PILLOW's Sleeping Beauty first caught my attention due to the fact that it has a song called "I Love Your Smile", which reminded me of the Shanice* song of the same name (see video).

Because of this song-title, I listened to the album. Unfortunately, The Special Pillow's "I Love Your Smile" didn't make me immediately want to "put that new black mini on my charge anyway". In fact, the album just sort of became background music for me as I sat around my room doing some sketches. Then my sister stole my boombox so she could play a Wonderpets CD for my nephew. Sleeping Beauty fell off my end table, and I never listened to it again.

Until, well...today. Not expecting an homage to a '90s R&B star, I was a little less disappointed. In fact, I kind of liked it. Clearly my desire to prioritize Shanice over independent rock bands shows how much I truly love music. Hopefully The Special Pillow can forgive me for that.

Not to keep harping on it, but both Shanice and The Special Pillow's "I Love Your Smile" songs aren't as different as I initially thought. This is sewious. Both are insanely catchy, and the "doo doo doo"s of Shanice are nearly equivalent to the "na na na"s of The Sleeping Pillow. OK, it may be a stretch to say that they're alike in any way. It may also be a stretch to say that I like the latter song more than Shanice. But, well...I like it.

It's the summer jam that I discovered way too late into the summer. Catchy with a bit of a twang, perfect for sipping lemonade on porches.

d/l: THE SPECIAL PILLOW- I Love Your Smile (YSI)
(sweet, sour, psychedelic sounds)
- buy it - site it - space it - hype it -

* Apparently, Shanice is back. Also, I think the boombox in the background of this video is the boombox that my sister stole from me. Also also...Shanice is with Flex Alexander? How did I miss that? I watch One On One, like, all the time. Also also also.

ghosts & liars: we'll carry on.

GHOSTS & LIARS are an indie-pop quintet from Tacoma, WA. The band is a new project by several members of Some By Sea.

I got a friend request from them on VIRB, and immediately accepted it because (I'm friendly and) my narcissism propels me to desire having a lot of internet friends. Before friending them though, I decided I'd take a listen to a tune or two. There were two demos and two live songs on their page. I clicked the first one (a demo). Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. VERY-SUPER pleasantly surprised. So VERY-SUPER pleasantly surprised that I'm writing a post about these peeps.

"We'll Carry On" is an excellent demo-- a delightful, upbeat folk-pop song that could be heard on The O.C. if it still existed. Some might consider that an insult, but what I mean to say is that this is a damn catchy piece of indie-pop. Basically, you'll be thumping your foot, humming along, and swaying your head to this one. Or maybe I'll just be doing that. Whatever. I think you will like this. It's a summer jam that you could blast out your car window or simply lie around the porch to. "Sunsets on the Sidenotes" is just as good (possibly better).

For those concerned with cred and name-dropping, Ghosts & Liars have played a show with Anathallo and will be playing in Tacoma with Rocky Votolato on July 20th. Members of the band like Neutral Milk Hotel, Bishop Allen, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Decibully, Lucky Soul, Queens of the Stone Age, and Rilo Kiley. Cred is stupid. This music is good. Got it?

d/l: GHOSTS & LIARS- We'll Carry On (demo) (YSI)
d/l: GHOSTS & LIARS- Sunsets on the Sidenotes (demo) (YSI)
(indie folk pop from Tacoma)
- site it - virb it - space it - purev it - lj it - flickr it -

the umbrella sequence: urban lull (at once charmed).

THE UMBRELLA SEQUENCE seemed to be really pissed off about being compared to Radiohead, so let me start this off by saying that "At The Great Lake" doesn't sound like anything Thom Yorke ever touched.

Now that we've cleared that up, I have a bit to say about the first single off the band's latest album Events, "Urban Lull (At Once Charmed)". As soon as the intro chimed in for this tune, I was instantly attracted to their sound. I am intrigued by the band's ability to take all the beeps and blips, guitar lines, drum beats, "twinkling keyboards", and melodic vocals and develop them into something entirely cohesive and catchy as a whole. It maintains an element of chaos without being entirely jarring.

Events was released exactly a month ago on Princess Records. Though I have yet to hear the entire album, it seems to be all over the place in the good sort of way, drawing on the best aspects of the band's influences (Muse, Daft Punk, The Unicorns, Super Furry Animals, and The Flaming Lips). Apparently, their live show is the shit, as they've shared the stage with some bands you may have heard of (Tapes N Tapes, Dressy Bessy, Starlight Mints, Cloud Cult, Of Montreal, and others).

Oh! I almost forgot to mention that there is a video for "Urban Lull". It involves drinking beer, cardboard space helmets, confetti, and everything else that you need more of in your life.

d/l: THE UMBRELLA SEQUENCE- Urban Lull (At Once Charmed) (YSI)
(electro indie-pop)
- buy it - site it - space it -

WEBBYVANDERQUACKIN' (Jadakiss Edition): Sure, she's in jail...but why is every story about Paris Hilton on tmz? Why aren't we talking about the iPhone ads? Why is Hilary Duff suddenly hot and making out in elevators and bellydancing? Why is the MOVES!!! remix of Ciara's "Promise" the only remix of that song that I ever liked? Why haven't you downloaded it off of Palms Out Sounds? "Question: Tell me what you think about me." <-- Why isn't that a question? I've been wondering about that a lot lately. Beyonce has deceived us.

sir salvatore: those men are not astronauts.

SIR SALVATORE are just so good that I don't care if four other blogs already told you to like them.

The band is composed of four San Francisco fellas whose musical heroes include Pavement, The Pixies, The Unicorns, and Polvo. In their previous projects, the individual band members have collectively opened shows for Xiu Xiu, Spoon, Crooked Fingers, and Denali. Rumor has it that they're a band you should be catching live. Most importantly, these guys just released their debut EP, Those Men Are Not Astronauts, three days ago. It has six songs on it. I've only heard two, but they're good...so I assume the rest are. You should make the same assumption. Please?

Take a few listens to "Hooray This Projector". I'd like to think it is the indie equivalent of Rihanna's "Umbrella", in the sense that it'll take four listens before you're really hooked (see said the gramophone). The guitar line is undeniably catchy, and even if you think this song is nothing special...you could be wrong. Plus, how can you resist a song with a music video that combines science and dancing!?!

d/l: SIR SALVATORE- Hooray This Projector (YSI)
d/l: SIR SALVATORE- Public Key (YSI)
(the San Francisco indie treat)
- site it - space it - hype it -

BLOGWATCH: The Music Slut has Franz Ferdinand covering LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends". Sound Gymnastics brings us some stuff by Santogold. Brugo has some new Yoko Ono featuring Apples in Stereo, The Polyphonic Spree, and Le Tigre.

sleeping in the aviary: oh, this old thing?.

SLEEPING IN THE AVIARY have been described as "the Thermals vacationing with some Buzzcocked White Stripes, sharing hot tubs with The Kinks and saunas with Nirvana--often sounding frenzied or angry, but strangely good-natured about it". Uh...okay? If you say so.

I just like these kids because they make short pop songs. There's a lot to be said about a song that is under two minutes and engaging enough to get you dancing alone in your bedroom, but not so short that you're left feeling like you didn't quite get enough. There's also a lot to be said about the fact that Sleeping In The Aviary make songs that fit into this category. But before I talk about that, it should be noted that this band is probably the only one I know with a section of their website called "Horny Teens". Relax! They're totally just illustrations, and each character still has their clothes on. Everyone knows that teenagers don't actually have sex.

A few other blogs have been talking about "Another Girl", and I have to admit that I would have dismissed it as another carbon copy indie-punk shit song. But after a few listens, it grew on me in the same way that bad pop songs do. You know? It's that feeling where you hear a song on the radio and dismiss it as fluff, but after hearing it many more times you start to realize that it was never shit all along. I feel that way about "Another Girl". I meant that as a compliment. Really.

"Pop Song" is just downright good. I'm always sold on songs with tambourines and hand-claps.

d/l: SLEEPING IN THE AVIARY- Pop Song (YSI)
d/l: SLEEPING IN THE AVIARY- Another Girl (YSI)
(not shit indie-pop)
- buy it - site it - space it - hype it -

BLOGWATCH: Cause=Time brings us the Kissy Sell Out remix of Gwen Stefani's "Wind It Up", as well as that "Starlett Johansson" song I've been absolutely obsessed with. Kissatlanta has a Boys Noize remix of Feist's "My Moon, My Man".

the seaworthies: we could make a movie out of this.

THE SEAWORTHIES think I'm friendly, and I think they make good music even though they're married to one another.

I just downloaded a copy of their out-of-print album We Could Make A Movie Out of This from their virb page, and it's hott with a capital hott. I never know what categorizes "good" indie-pop, because it tends to be in a different category from "good" rock, and then everyone seems to have different definitions of what "good" means. However, this album is good indie-pop, even for people who hate the word "indie". I hate the word "indie", and I probably hate you. But I probably don't. Maybe. One thing is for sure-- I like the Seaworthies.

No, but seriously. This is good stuff. According to a review by Fensepost Records, We Could Make A Movie Out of This was actually released by Moon Turn the Tides (The Seaworthies + 3 other peeps). The same review compares their original sound to that of the Elephant 6 collective (Apples in Stereo, Beulah, Neutral Milk Hotel, etc.) Since then, the couple has added more electronic elements to the mix. Luckily, they haven't lost the magic yet. In fact, it seems like the magic has just begun.

d/l: THE SEAWORTHIES- Haelah (YSI)
d/l: THE SEAWORTHIES- Mary Lou (YSI)
d/l: THE SEAWORTHIES- It's a Lovely Time of Year (YSI)
(quality power-couple indie-pop)
- buy it - site it - virb it - space it -

CREDNOTE: The Seaworthies opened for Bishop Allen, The Robot Ate Me, Saturday Looks Good to Me, Built to Spill, and several other wonderful people. Also, I am missing a concert on campus by The Robot Ate Me, Grizzly Bear, Laura Goldhamer, and Boy Crisis. Can you feel my sadness? I can.

BLOGWATCH: R. Kelly Edition-- Palms Out Sounds has a great remix of "I'm a Flirt", and Idolator kicks it ol' skool with an unappreciated jam "Red Carpet (Pause, Flash)". This is the remix to my conclusion.

eureka gold: for my friends who have no innocence

EUREKA GOLD was shown some love on here a while back.

Since then, "Just North" has risen to the number two spot on my iTunes Top 25 Most Played. It's safe to say that I am addicted and drooling in anticipation of their debut album. I have no idea when this album will be coming out, so I may be drooling for a very long time. In other words, puddles of my saliva will begin to form in honor of Eureka Gold. I will probably have no friends because of this. However, I will still have "Just North".

Speaking of "north", these boys need to come tour up here. Whether it be NYC, New Haven, Boston...I'd be there. Hell, they can play in my bedroom. Wait. Scratch that, didn't mean for that innuendo. Embarrassment. Must...move on...to songs.

download: EUREKA GOLD- Just North (YSI, zshare)
download: EUREKA GOLD- Lovely Lovely (YSI, zshare)
download: EUREKA GOLD- Over Mountain (YSI, zshare)
download: EUREKA GOLD- Peter Oh (YSI, zshare)

--------------- site it --- space it -- hype it -

BLOGGER NOTE: This means that Eureka Gold has joined the It's the MONEY SHOT!! CLUBHOUSE. Congratulations. This is obviously a monumental point in their career.

BLOGWATCH: Fluxblog bangs out a new version of Robyn's "Robotboy" from the UK release of her album. Mad bitches have been posting the new Modest Mouse.

the rabbits: sunday.

download: THE RABBITS- Sunday (YSI)
(adorable indie-pop that I just posted yesterday)
- nothing it? -

You can call me lazy for posting the same band two days in a row, but I was too busy savoring my Sunday to come up with something better. I literally stayed in bed until two this morning. It was glorious. The Rabbits sing the sounds of my life. Yesterday, I even ate a pizza! Can someone please tell me who these people are? Please?

the rabbits: saturday.

download: THE RABBITS- Saturday (YSI)
(aborable indie-pop)
- nothing it? -

Two years ago, I got a copy of The Rabbits' album First Try from a friend. I've posted songs by them in the past, and I know for a fact that people are listening to them somewhere. However, I find it impossible to find any information about them. Can someone please enlighten me? If not, can someone just download this song and confirm that it's one minute and forty-seven seconds of pure happiness? My favorite lyric..."You can even eat a pizza! God I really want a pizza!" Now I really want a pizza.

PS: I feel guilty. I absolutely despise Garden State, but the new album by The Shins, Wincing the Night Away, just MAY be changing my life? Fuck you Natalie Portman. And your little Braff too. Hype it.

state bird: where the water met the land.

download: STATE BIRD- Where the Water Met the Land (YSI)
(indie-pop pop pop folk-rock.)
- buy it - space it -

Wait...this song isn't Sufjan? Are you sure? I don't know what it is, but this song doesn't sound like any other by State Bird. Don't get me wrong...it's good. It's just, well, very Sufjan. The rest of the tunes by State Bird don't necessarily sound like this, but I guess the familiar sound was appealing in this case. Perhaps you may disagree, but I don't really care.*

* Actually I do. Talk to me internet.

marching band: travel in time.

download: MARCHING BAND- Travel in Time (YSI)
(laid-back Swedish indie-pop tune)
- buy it - site it - space it - hype it -

As you may be aware, I've reserved these next couple of months as a time to post whatever the fuck I want and provide very little explanation about it. In this tune, two dudes talk about going back in time kind of like Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time", but these guys aren't losers pondering the "if". They're just gonna do it...or at least try to learn how. That's all.

PS: Did anyone else SEE Ugly Betty??? CRAZY CRAZY SHIT.

eureka gold: just north.

download: EUREKA GOLD- Just North (YSI)
(Nashville indie-rock)
- site it - space it -

I had trouble deciding which song to post by Eureka Gold, so I decided to go with my first instinct. The operatic vocals that come in around 2:30 in this song are unexpected but welcomed with open arms. Apparently, southern boys do it better? Too bad I'm from New Jersey. Expect big things from these boys...or at the very least good tunes. Listen to three more on their space, and a few others on their site. This may be an overstatement, but I think that it's safe to say that they're one of my favorite new bands.

hadouken!: that boy, that girl.

download: HADOUKEN!- That Boy, That Girl (YSI)
(UK grime-esque electro-rock shit that will take over the world.)
- space it - blog it -

I have read a few takes on Hadouken!, but I still can't decide if they're too obnoxious for me. Watch their video and come to your own conclusion. I'll have to make a pros and cons chart. If you like this, be sure to cop their remix of Bloc Party's "The Prayer".

my little airport: victor, fly me to stafford.

download: MY LITTLE AIRPORT- Victor, Fly Me To Stafford (YSI)
(Hong Kong indie-pop. Cute. Female vocals.)
- buy it - site it - space it -

united state of electronica: vamos a la playa

DOWNLOAD: U.S.E.- Vamos a La Playa
(Seattle dance-pop-rock. Daft Punky.)
- buy it - site it - space it - wik it -

For now, I'm just posting good songs. Old or new.

bloc party: music for feedback

DOWNLOAD: BLOC PARTY- The Prayer (Hadouken! remix)
(Courtesy of hupendi musiki, how is this shit not already on hype machine?)
- pre-order it - site it - space it / space it - read it - youtube it -

I finished cutting the inside of the George Jetson block. Basically, it asks the question, "What if the style of the future IS just like The Jetsons?" You never know. I'd totally buy those boots.

WHAT IS THIS? WHERE ARE THE REGULAR POSTS?

music for feedback: toys, turning off the lights, and music usage in art.

DOWNLOAD: BEDTIME FOR TOYS- Say BOOM
- website - myspace - read that - cop that -

I have to confess that I escaped to Foxwoods today for dinner, so I don't have much to share but some ideas.

I'm kind of anti-gambling so my time at Foxwoods was spent eating and walking around, though I did play some skee-ball in the arcade. More importantly, Foxwoods has one of the most amazing contests going on. You swipe your "Wampum card"* and see if you get the opportunity to, wait for it...

Play tic-tac-toe. Against a LIVE chicken.

This isn't a joke, and I wish I had my camera with me so I could prove it to you. If you win, you get $10,000. If you lose, you get a t-shirt that says "I lost to a chicken at Foxwoods". In other words, if you are eligible to compete against the chicken...you are a winner no matter what. Seriously. I wanted a chicken t-shirt so badly that I almost asked them if I could buy one. Perhaps someone is selling one on e-bay?

With t-shirts in mind, I had planned on creating a basic t-shirt block today. With this block, I could print multiple images and play around with different t-shirt designs and colors. A shirt I am certain I will be using is one that reads "That's SO" followed by a picture of a raven, hence the image you see above. I know it's a corny pop culture reference, but it's a shirt I'd certainly wear next year and probably twenty years from now. I'm still receiving compliments on my text-only "I Snogged Ginny Weasley"t-shirt, so I think I have a good idea of what I'm doing, you know? I've always been a sucker for novelty t-shirts, but I haaaate running into someone who is wearing the same one. In seventh grade, I came into school wearing the same South Park t-shirt and pair of Jnco (don't laugh!) jeans as a girl in my homeroom. The entire day, people made fun of me...insisting that I called her up, asked what she was wearing the following day, and planned to match. It's not the issue of conformity that bothers me...the joke just isn't as funny when other people are in on it.

I have to confess that the South Park/Jncos incident of 1998 was a major reason that I became so self-conscious of what I wore to school. In high school, I used to keep a calendar tracking what I wore in a secret code for fear that I'd wear the same jeans or shirt in the same week. I admit that it's a little OCD, but people are mean! I didn't have the level of maturity back then to shake off the haters and do my thang. I was too busy being an angsty teenager. In any case, my documentation of my wardrobe got to a level of excess that during my graduation party, two of my cousins snuck into my room and added items such as "I Heart Men t-shirt" and "zebra thong" to the calendar. I can't decide if this was funny in retrospect.

1. MUSIC: I should briefly mention that the song I have posted isn't just coincidentally related to this post. Bedtime for Toys incorporates a bevy of visual elements into their live shows, which I have yet to see, including spectacular stage lighting and video elements. With that said, I am considering the incorporation of music into my thesis. Now, I'm not thinking of blasting dance-party ready jams like "Say BOOM" up in the gallery. I was thinking of going in the direction of more experimental tunes with fairly unclear subject matter, along the lines of the less lyrical compositions of Dave Doom, Twink's toy piano tunes, or Laura Goldhamer's instrumental works and interludes. Basically, I would like to use something that enhances the work without distracting the viewer...adding another level to the subconscious experience of imagining your childhood and the possibilities of the future. Do you think music would be overkill? If I can pull it off, I'd like the installation to feel like stepping into another world. I guess you could call it a birthday party of the subconscious? How important do you think it'd be for me to work with a composer to create original music rather than using unrelated tunage that just happens to work well with the pieces? Would it be overly corny to credit/market the artist in some way? Just some thoughts.
2. LIGHTING: There is a lovely wall of windows in the gallery space I'm using, but I'm considering covering them entirely and excluding all sources of natural light. I think this would enhance the feeling of "stepping into another world". There's also a glass door to enter my gallery space, and I'd love to keep it closed and covered. I don't know if this is against the gallery rules, so I'll have to talk to some people about it. I'd especially love to cover it with pictures children drew of what they want to be when they grow up. I wanted to be a doctor. HA!

Bring on some feedback. Seriously. I have an exciting post coming up tomorrow.

* The mere mention of "Wampum card" made me want to do nothing but listen to "Wamp Wamp" by Clipse & Slim Thug. Was I the only person who had that reaction?

music for feedback: elmo and animal hospital.

DOWNLOAD: ANIMAL HOSPITAL- Para Larva
- website - myspace - cop that -

This begins a series of posts that will continue up until April. What's the deal? I give you a tune a day in return for feedback on my senior art thesis. Hypothetically, this will allow me to share music with you AND encourage me to have something new to show to you every night. If you want to know a little bit about the tracks, you can check out the tags on the post. I won't have time to write much more than that, but I will direct you to websites, myspaces, links to purchase, and any press for the artists involved.

Perhaps I should explain what I'm doing art-wise. At Wesleyan University, art majors are required to complete a senior thesis exhibition. Essentially, this means that we work intensely for months and show the final product in a huge art gallery with a few other majors. I will be showing in approximately 3 months.

My thesis is composed of wood-block prints of a personal nature, exploring childhood, the imagination, the process of growing up, and the uncertain future. The future will be represented by a collection of garments for a single 3 ft. tall paper doll. The garments will span across a wall of approximately 150 square feet. They will detail various aspects of the future-- occupation, fashion, social standing, fantastical scenarios, etc. The block you see above will be used for a print emphasizing the bizarre possibility that I will wind up working at Sesame Place as Elmo.

I plan to complete the garments by the end of January and then focus on the second wall of the gallery. This wall will include prints detailing my growth as an individual. I know that this doesn't sound like the most intellectual or groundbreaking collection of art, but my hopes are that the piece will encourage others to revisit their childhood and remember the days of coloring books & imaginary friends. I feel like we grow up way too fast, quickly forgetting what made us who we are and worrying too much about what we'll become.

OH! And don't worry...I'll still be bringing you some exciting new stuff musically. Just wait.