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As 2013 comes to a close, I am just thankful and grateful to all the family and friends that populate my surroundings everyday. I'm sitting in a hotel room in Chicago right now with Jesse while he practices for tonight's show, and last week was a wonderful few days spent with my family. These are the important things, and I just feel lucky and beyond fortunate. Here's to the next great year!

And to writing more - thanks for reading my sporadic posts. I'm working on my best of 2013 posts, too. Sometimes I feel a bit boring, but I always like writing.

Happy New Year!

TODAY & TONIGHT !

TODAY'S RELEASE:

A GREAT BIG PILE OF LEAVES!

HAVE YOU SEEN MY PREFRONTAL CORTEX?

You loyal readers already know I love this album. I mean, have I stopped talking about it in the past three weeks since I heard it?! Seriously. But! Here's exactly why I love the album, the band, and why you should go ahead and purchase it!

I'll be honest: I'm always a little wary when a friend or acquaintance hands me music they've created or been involved in. Mainly because I understand how much effort and time and even soul goes into such a thing - and I'm scared I might not like it and have to lie just because I know how devastating criticism can sometimes be. It hasn't happened often, but still - it's happened.

When my good friend Tyler (drummer for AGBPOL, old friend, and boyfriend of one of my best friends) sent me the album, I had a few stirrings of anxiety when I added it to my iPod. However, after one listen, I sent him back an e-mail exclaiming how good it was and that I needed the album artwork, permission to post a song, etc., in order to spread the word.

My friends and his musical cohorts are talented! Creative! Original! Worthy of attention!

Have You Seen My Prefrontal Cortex? flows easily from the first notes of the opening track, "Alligator Bop." The music takes over quickly: I was immediately mesmerized by the first guitar sounds, the deep vocals, and the punching drum sounds. Before the first song was done, I was already swaying in time to the music. The songs all mesh together in a way I admire from some of my most favourite albums ever: I understand how they work together, but they all have particular nuances that set each song apart. In these days of single mp3 downloads, I appreciate when albums make sense from start to finish.

AGBPOL's album also achieves another level of specific Jessica Maria criteria, what I like to call the "life soundtrack factor." This factor specifies songs, albums, etc., whose sound is so particularly right, they have the ability to be associated with filmic moments. Like, it's the perfect background to walking down a busy street, or driving down a sunny highway. Songs I can use as my own personal soundtrack. There are some great albums that don't even achieve this; for instance, I really enjoy the new Gaslight Anthem, but their latest doesn't have the life soundtrack factor for me. It may for you, or someone else. In fact, in San Diego over the weekend, Jesse and I were driving down the highway blasting the new Gaslight, but I wasn't digging the mood. I switched it to AGBPOL and felt immediately more at ease with this "scene" in my life. (I watch too many movies, huh?) Anyway, if my life had montages in it, it would provide good music for that, too. I actually want one of these songs to be used in a final montage scene on a television show. Not kidding.

The dudes of AGBPOL should also be commended for creating such a fun album. I think I enjoy singing along to Pete's "oh oh ohs" and "woah-ohs" the most. Jesse and I were certainly doing that over the weekend. I've loved "ohs" in songs since hearing No Doubt's "Just a Girl" and especially in "Sunday Morning." Also, songs about spiders, zombies, and vampires? That's fun to decipher, too.

The point? Have You Seen My Prefrontal Cortex? is now available to purchase at their site! Check it out! Buy it! Take a listen! How do you like? Does it have a life soundtrack factor for you at all?

Also, here is their awesome, low-budget video for "Alligator Bop"! -

In related news, TONIGHT we'll be celebrating the release of their album at Erica's Trainwreck Tuesday at Angels & Kings! If you're around, come by! Also, at midnight, it's Erica's birthday!!!, so it's due to be a real funfest. Info on the flyer above!

I made my slow way home.

I love the Hipstamatic photo app for the iPhone (obviously) & I love my friends.

This (long!) weekend we're taking it to my parents' house for Jesse's birthday festivities!

How is your weekend looking?

If you can imagine, it's easy if you try.

Today I fly to LAS VEGAS!

Jesse left on Monday to start rehearsing with the band, as they haven't actually played all together since last October - since before Tony broke his arm! They're rehearsing because they are playing TWO shows with Blink-182 on Thursday and Friday. I haven't seen Blink live since they're pre-hiatus tour with No Doubt!

Other reasons I'm stoked for this trip are:

- Jesse's mom flew out to be there, too! I believe all the MCS dudes have family coming out!

- Get to catch up with the lovely ladies from my LA trip - Lindsay, Christina, Jill, Jenna!

- RICK IS COMING ON FRIDAY!!! Rick is one of my best friends and I last saw him at Christmas. As he lives in Reno, he's coming down on Friday morning to hang out and see the show too!!

- It's VEGAS, hello! I've only been once, as in last summer, but I anticipate an even better time. Perhaps because the bands Motion City is playing with this time around are filled with better persons than last year's headliners? Whatever, last year was GREAT, and this year it's going to be a party!

- Pre-wedding relaxing = good stuff. It's been quite busy 'round these parts, so I'm glad to get out of New York and ease my mind by not thinking about it! Also, will try to be avoiding any and all questions about it this weekend.

- Plus, I get to fly out of JFK Airport's swank new JetBlue Terminal 5!

Anyway, I'm sure Jesse is eagerly awaiting my arrival (right, Jesse??) and this afternoon I'm on my way! I hope to blog a bit, but that BlogPress app isn't that amazing because it resizes the pics and just creates extra work for me when I get back (lame). However, the Tumblr app is still great on the go and I'll be "scrapbooking" my trip over there. As in, HERE.