My Favorite Albums of 2014.

Yes, I'm late. It's nearly February of 2015! I will say -- I think I already like more music in 2015 than I did in 2014. 2014, for me, was the year of the soundtrack... and some of those songs weren't released in 2014, but I'm counting it either way.

But I did deem two albums my Queen and King.

St. Vincent / St. Vincent

I've loved Annie's music for a long time, but this one, aptly self-titled, is her best album yet. She's a musical genius whose songs and sounds mesmerize me. For instance, probably my favorite sound or recorded aural moment of 2014 was in the song "Huey Lewis" during an instrumental break that starts around 2:10 and really revs around 2:36. That point that it revs? I remember walking to work in New York and listening to this song for a few weeks straight during that walk -- and pushing up the volume at that moment to drown out everything and get pumped for the day. It still works. Every single song on this album works.

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Ryan Adams / Ryan Adams

[SIDENOTE: REALIZATION THAT MY QUEEN AND KING BOTH RELEASED SELF-TITLED ALBUMS IN 2014?]

Ryan has been a favorite for years, clearly, since this very space on the internet is named after a lyric in one of his songs. And this S/T shines with some brilliant moments; some of his best music in years. There's something more calm in him, but with that ever-present soulfulness that I love his music for. It's also coupled with the fact that Jesse surprised me with tickets to see Ryan Adams a week after moving to Los Angeles in December--the sound of the newest songs vibrated within me. When he sang "New York, New York" I began to cry. Then he sang "Dear Chicago" into "Lucky Now" and I bawled; it was a necessary catharsis. I live here now. I love him always.

Here's my Rdio playlist of some songs from my favorites of 2014 -- the rest of the list is below --



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Against Me! / Transgender Dysmorphia Blues

The throaty wails and strength remain, it's power and it's beautiful.

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OK Go / Hungry Ghosts

The best album they've recorded. The videos are still brilliant -- but I've definitely danced around in my room alone because this music gets me pumped UP.

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The Xcerts / There Is Only You

Jesse played this album over and over and over again. And now I love it.

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ALL OF THE SOUNDTRACKS

Boyhood - my most listened to song of the year was "Hero" by Family of the Year
Begin Again - yes freakin' Adam Levine is in this movie and on this soundtrack SORRY I LOVE IT
The Guest - LISTEN TO THIS ENTIRE ALBUM WITH GLEE DO IT NOW
Only Lovers Left Alive - death / life / love / eternity / guitaaaarzzz
Whiplash - what the hell I'm listening to instrumental jazz on the daily now what IT'S SO GOOD
Under the Skin - eerie being eerie

I must mention that Fiona Apple wrote a title song for the Showtime drama The Affair and that song is like eight million times better than that show is and I think I just pressed next episode JUST TO HEAR THAT SONG PLAY OVER THE TITLES. And yet! And yet!!!!! It's unavailable for purchase anywhere. I've looked. If you find it, tell me. I sink back into the ocean...

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Honorable Mentions:
The Both / The Both
The Menzingers / Rented World

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What about yourself? January has already been fruitful with releases: Sleater-Kinney's No Cities to Love is giving me life, Bjork's surprise early release, Mark Ronson's dance fest Uptown Special is the soundtrack to my dinner-cooking most nights. But we'll save that list for the end of this year...


Here's some of my past top albums: 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2012 | 2013

My Top Albums of 2013.

I'm into the second year of my Rdio subscription, and I still love it. I can so easily figure out what albums I enjoy and which ones I don't. And I listened on repeat to the albums I loved. I can't even arrange the list below in ascending/descending order or crown an overall winner, though I will say that the first three listed below don't have a skippable track, I love them in total. Seriously, every single track of those top three, I love. They are all winners.

What were your favorites of the year? There seemed to be a few bands I "missed" - I tried listening to The Wonder Years after hearing raves, but it never took to my mildly suppressed pop punk soul. I've also been meaning to listen to The 1975, but have yet to get to it!

Without further ado...


Janelle Monae / The Electric Lady

She's throwback and she's futuristic and she blends all sorts of styles and I listen to this album with glee because she's surprising at nearly every turn. I cannot get enough, and when her songs start when I have my collection playing on 'random' I sit up straighter, and I usually start dancing in my office chair. "Primetime" is one of the best tracks of the entire year.

Favorite Tracks: Primetime, We Were Rock & Roll, Dance Apocalyptic

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Haim / Days Are Gone

Another band that blends styles, and I am entranced. It's like the most popular '70s, '80s, and '90s sounds mixed together with a powerhouse trio of sisters into MAGIC. Magic, I say.

Favorite Tracks: The Wire, My Song 5, Falling

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Lorde / Pure Heroine

Damn, girl. I listen to this and I remember being a teenager. It so accurately captures the relatively uneventful suburban life, the imagination, the observations of teenage life. I'm somewhat in love with Lorde.

Favorite Tracks: White Teeth Teens, Buzzcut Season, 400 Lux

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Tegan & Sara / Heartthrob

Admittedly, I was wary of the duo after they captured my heart completely with The Con, and left me a little cold with Sainthood. But I do love this album; I came to love this album (except for one song) and that single "Closer" is a killer.

Favorite Tracks: I Couldn't Be Your Friend, Drove Me Wild, Shock To Your System

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Kanye West / Yeezus

I cannot deny how much I listened to this album when it was released. And I cannot deny how much I love it. No matter how much I'd like to, I cannot deny Yeezus.

Favorite Tracks: Black Skinhead, I Am a God Feat. God, New Slaves

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The Julie Ruin / Run Fast

My inner riot grrl of my high school years was fully satisfied with a rad Kathleen Hanna-fronted album. Once I even found myself singing into my brush in the mirror in my room by myself to this album. It was hard not to hark back. Cookie cookie ya cookie YA YA!

Favorite Tracks: Girls Like Us, Cookie Road, Just My Kind

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A Great Big Pile of Leaves / You're Always on My Mind

Their sophomore album does not disappoint, and their live show was great to start with and in a surprising twist JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER. Have you NOT seen them live yet? You should check their tour dates pronto, trust.

Favorite Tracks: Pet Mouse, Snack Attack

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Paramore / Paramore

I think this album had the power to be perfect - but I appreciate the ambition on full display with the 17 tracks. The album sways from one edge to another to another to another without much cohesion sound-wise, but goddamn if I don't love it. There are about four or five songs I would cut, but this album also contains my absolute favorite song of the year, "Still Into You." I will admit that that song makes me wish No Doubt's last album was better - the subject matter and jump-up-and-down-ness (real word?) of that song is so up Gwen's alley.

Favorite Tracks: Still Into You, (One of Those) Crazy Girls [sidenote: this song is basically "Bathwater," I love it], Last Hope

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Savages / Silence Yourself

RAWR! My 'raging' album of the year, played always on full blast. (Except when I'm driving in San Francisco with Jesse and he vetos it).

Favorite Tracks: I Am Here, Husbands

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CHVRCHES / The Bones of What You Believe

Dance, dance, and joy.

Favorite Tracks: We Sink, Recover

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Honorable Mentions:
M.I.A. / Matangi
The National / Trouble Will Find Me
Jimmy Eat World / Damage
Justin Timberlake / The 20/20 Experience Part 1

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Also, I have yet to listen to the new Beyonce. Sorry, but she's not available on Rdio. The internet tells me it's rad, though.

Your turn.


PS Here's some of my past top albums: 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2012

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I knew last night was going to be great, but I didn't realize how spectacular. A spectacle in every sense of the word...

A couple of weeks ago, David (also known as the husband of my bestie Erica) wondered if me and a few friends wanted prime seating to the Hellogoodbye/Metric/Paramore tour at Madison Square Garden. David's a booker and not only did I want to see the tour, but I couldn't help but want to see him that night since he kind of orchestrated the whole thing. I am a proud friend, because David books a couple of the tour's bands, and he booked them at Madison Square Garden. Huge. HUGE. Congratulations, David.

I absolutely loved Hellogoodbye's last album, Would It Kill You? and they are a charming bunch with a new album (admittedly: I haven't had the time to listen to it yet!). I can tell you it is called Everything is Debatable and it's revvin' to go on my Rdio account.

Metric was next, and, as always, brilliant. I often think about Emily Haines' swagger and varying ways I might attain it. The same conclusion is always drawn: Jessica, you could never be Emily Haines. Last night she took the stage in a silver sequinede SUIT. Not pants though, oh no, a suit with SHORTS. She was a beautiful, icy glitter bomb and she looked damn cool.

Photo via

They ended their set with one of their best songs, "Stadium Love." There was a time in my life where I would get up in the mornings, put on that song, and get pumped on life in front of the mirror by bouncing up and down and singing along with the "ooooOOoohoohhhs" and I'm UNASHAMED.

Photo via

The last time I saw Paramore live was when they opened for No Doubt a few years ago, and they were pretty good back then, but damn! Consider me blown away. They've grown into real performers, commanding attention. I remember, I think it was 2004, when I was watching them on the Shira Girl stage at Warped Tour and my boyfriend at the time leaned in and said: "This band is going to be huge. That girl...she's got it." And he was right... they just played a giant show at Madison Square Garden. If that's not huge, I don't know what is.

Everybody was on their feet, including Jon Cheese who was dancing next to me the whole time even though he didn't know any of the songs. There were some real memorable moments, like when Hayley sat down at the keyboard to play "My Only Exception" and the phone lights came on and it looked like a star-dappled nighttime sky in MSG. It was wonderful, no joke --

When they were ending their pre-encore set with "Misery Business," Hayley handpicked a fan from the audience to help sing the breakdown and she might have picked the best human in that place last night. His name is Christian Brown, and not only did he know every single lyric, Hayley stage move, and had great charisma -- he ended the song BY DOING A SPLIT. The crowd went wild, including me and everyone around me. People started chanting Christian Brown after they left the stage. I mean. You have to see this guy; his singing portion starts around 5:40 of this video, but the whole thing's great:



And then, finally, the moment I had been waiting for: "Still Into You." I'm not going to lie, it may be my favorite song of this entire year. I don't think they've written a better song. Erica and I jumped around, screamed the lyrics, and held each other as the balloons and confetti flowed down from the ceiling.

Hey you guys, it was a good show.

Afterwards, I stayed up way too late at the afterparty, but it was so worth it. Thank you to David and Erica for inviting me!

Me and Cheese

Man of the hour, David, and Erica

Besties forever

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On the tenth of every month, sometimes I record it by taking ten pictures. It started on tumblr as "10 on 10," but since I'm trying to post every day I thought I would publish them all today, here.

 01 Pee Wee and S in the morning

Oh how innocent he looks!

My 10th of November actually began around 3am when the cats Pee Wee and Frito decided to have a wrestling match next to the bed. They were continually chased out of the room; but then they also decided to put up a united front on the cause "FEED ME." Their strategy is two-fold: Pee Wee sits next to me and headbutts my cheek and purrs loudly, while Frito finds things on shelves in the room to knock over. I am always defeated: and so I fed them.

While I was downstairs, I texted Jesse. I had tried staying up the night before to FaceTime with him, but different time zones didn't allow for it. When I texted him he immediately FaceTime'd me and he saw my bleary-cat-awoken face as I sat on the floor and talked. The cats were decidedly confused as to why I had made it downstairs but was now not feeding them. I admittedly enjoyed their confusion. I was then fully awake by the time I made it back upstairs that I spent the next 40 or so minutes reading more of S until I felt sleepy again.

A few hours later I woke up when the sun was up, and took this photo. After feeding time, Pee Wee always comes back up to bed and curls up next to me in a super cute way. Demon cat! I love Sunday mornings because I can roll over, grab a book, and spend the morning just so. Pee Wee sometimes gets disgruntled by my movement, which is why he looks so perturbed in this photo. That's what he gets!

02 A beautiful, brisk day in Brooklyn

After reading for a couple of hours, I showered, dressed, and made it out of doors to meet up with Jaime for brunch. The sun was shining and the sky was blue as I walked to the restaurant in the cool weather.

03 & 04 Friend Brunch

I'm not sure these need much of an explanation. Let's be honest, Jaime is beautiful even when she's making that face.

 05 Afternoon at Home

I came back home to make some phone calls and for my new daily ritual of blogging. Pee Wee always makes sure to get in the way and to proofread. Especially since his dinner time was coming up soon.

Jesse and I tried to FaceTime but his hotel in Texas didn't have internet! We settled for a regular ol' phone call instead.

06 Vanessa Bayer introduces her brother

Later, I changed into a flannel and dark red lipstick ("Nighttime Jessica") and headed out to Greenpoint to meet up with Jaime again in order to see our friends Jonah, Geoff, and Lukas play a show. They're in a band called United Nations and performed at St. Vitus. Jonah's sister Vanessa warmed up the crowd with a few metal jokes, though I'm sure her Jennifer Aniston impression would have gone over great with all the long-haired tattoo'd guys in the audience.

07 United Nations

The band is so. good. live! At first I was afraid to be in the front due to the screaming-nature of the band, and crowd tendencies towards throwing their bodies at each other, but everybody remained energetic and non-threatening. I wholly enjoyed their set.

08 Nightwalk

I made the mistake of the taking the long way back, since it meant walking with Jaime longer. Mistake because I did not account for how cold it would be and my lack of hat. When my ears get cold I get the worst headaches and pain, and well, that certainly happened last night. It was a pretty night besides the bitter wind.

09 Subway wait

Luckily, it wasn't that long of a wait.

10 Finally home

I was home by 11pm, the nerves on my face dead from cold. I curled under the covers with Pee Wee and S, just as I'd started my day. (The second time!)

And that was my Sunday. How was yours?

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I should also mention that today is Veterans Day and since I grew up as part of a military family, it's always an important day to reflect and remember those who were or are in the service. Like my dad; he wrote a nice post today about it. He writes more thoughtfully about this day of remembrance than I ever could. Thank you, Dad, and to all the veterans of this great country!

 

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I'm happy that the weather is turning cooler. I'm much more comfortable at work in fall layers than summer ensembles. During the summer the building blasts the air conditioning and my cute summer dress suddenly becomes a horrendous idea while I clamor for my 'office cardigan' to wrap my shoulders and 'office pashmina' to wrap around my legs. Then I leave the building and the long thaw walk begins. My shivering becomes sweat and my body is probably near convulsing at the temperature change.

So today I'm wearing OPAQUE TIGHTS and a skirt, silk blouse, and closed-toed shoes. And I feel great. I will be putting on a non-office pashmina and cargo jacket before I step outside! Hooray! HOORAY I SAY!

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I've been trying a lot more of the new restaurants in the neighborhood. Last night my old roommate Sam and I grabbed dinner in the beautiful back patio (above) of a French bistro. Though it was a little cold, we were glad to be sitting there on probably the last outside-eating evening of the season.

Then we nightcapped it at another new bar a block away--the same one we went to last week for prosecco on tap. But last night? With the weather? Pumpkin ale!

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Sam is getting married this weekend and I'm excited!

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Something ELSE is happening this weekend. Can you guess can you guess can you guess? MWAHAHAHA!

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You know when you were in college and you were kind of obsessed with a band and now that lead singer is texting you whenever he rolls into town, most likely because his newer band doesn't sell out venues as quickly as his last band? But he always remembers your name and that one party after that one show years ago where he typed his phone number into your phone and texted himself your own? Because you're married into the industry now so that means you're in the club he said. He always gets you on the list +1, though. Good chap.

That's what's happening to me right now, and I'm off to the show...

Stars may collide.

There are about five unfinished blog posts written over the last two weeks in my drafts folder. I looked over them as pieces of a puzzle for the time that passed; they don't really make sense together, but I'll put them together anyway. Consider it a digest of what I would have posted over the weeks. Maybe the end synthesis will bring some sort of connected message through the chaos. Maybe it will just be a jumble of brain thoughts from my noggin' that don't mean a gosh darn!

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My friends in A Great Big Pile of Leaves released their second album today last week, and much like their first, it's brilliant. You're Always On My Mind is a summer fun album and I hope you listen and enjoy because only awesome people will, and I trust that anybody reading here is awesome.

I'm glad such a great group of guys actually makes good music; it would be sad to tell you about crappy music. Instead, I feel very altruistic in my promotion of them to you. You're welcome!

Also, Pitchfork posted about them. As Ty Ty, friend and AGBPOL drummer would say, "BOOM!"

iTunes / Amazon / Sweet Topshelf Vinyl Package!!!!

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When Jesse first told me his band would be on the entire Warped Tour, I probably just said something like "ohhhhh really? That's...interesting..." and looked down at a thread on my jeans intently or stared at a fly buzzing around like I've seen Pee Wee do or laughed and skipped out of the room. Sometimes it's hard for me to hide my emotions. Honestly, it's a great festival, and I went to a few of them a decade or so ago (OLD), but here's what sucks about having a husband on the Warped Tour, since I'm asked a lot:

1. It's two whole months of him gone!
2. You've been to a music festival, right? Does your phone ever work/get a good signal?
3. It's in the summer, in what some might consider unbearable heat. (Las Vegas date of Warped this year had an asphalt temperature that was reportedly 154 degrees, just saying.) Please pair this condition with lack of regular showers.

Take all that together and then you've got Jesse and I trying to talk every day like we do, but sometimes he's frustrated because the tour bus' AC just broke and sometimes I'm frustrated because I just got eight texts from him five hours after he'd sent them. Our phone calls don't work. The e-mails get to each other late. We're shouting "What!?" into our phones from hundreds of miles away.

And it just makes me sigh. You have now seen the window into my frustrations!

However, just as much as it can be infuriating, it's on-another-level-awesome when we DO get a clear signal and/or when he has a day off and we can videochat. [Sidenote: sometimes we'll be videochatting and I'll be talking about things people talk about and then he'll say something to someone across the room when you thought you were only talking to him and he was the only one that could hear you. Then he turns the computer around and the whole band is lounging in the hotel room, maybe they had been listening. Mortification sets in.]

Jesse also enjoys the fun of being on stage, always. I know he's had a great Warped experience as far as the music and the fans and the signings go! And the evening poker games...

And also, sometimes, he takes a plane from Warped Tour to show up for our best friends' rehearsal dinner and wedding! At the rehearsal dinner:

I may...or may not be...excited...?

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SPEAKING OF: Erica and David were married last Friday and it was FUN TIMES! I'm still mildly exhausted from the festivities. Much like Erica used to DJ into the wee hours of the morning on Tuesday nights, her wedding was basically a huge party. 

But first! There was the ceremony, and then dinner. Throughout I was intensely nervous about the speech I would be giving as the co-maid of honor. I'd barely had time to practice in the past couple of days with everything going on, and I had no idea when the emcee would be calling my name. Luckily, I had this chap next to me keeping me calm:

That's my "I'm nervous but hiding it with slight open mouth smile because I actually want to kind of scream" face. Luckily, the speech went well, people clapped, we toasted, I melted into a puddle of relief in the middle of the floor, per usual. And then I could let loose. Like so:

My sense of balance in the photo looks great and also a misleading depiction of my abilities. I probably fell over in the next frame. My legs still hurt, my voice was slightly hoarse. I may be dehydrated. I don't know. The symptoms of having too much fun vary.

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Remember when I wrote about the chocolate mousse exercise? I'll have you know that my cooking is still going strong, and I especially liked having a feast ready for Jesse when he came home last week. My cooking has been so consistent, in fact, that I invested in the above apron. The weekend at home may have kickstarted my cooking streak, but probably also Hannibal. Anyway, I wrote up the recipe for my friend Kelly's lifestyle blog! CHECK IT OUT HERE! And...always check her blog out, it's so cute. [There's even a photo of the finished product.]

I also have the second part of Jessica Thinks She Can Cook ready to go in my head. Thumbs up for my un-suaveness in the kitchen, am I right?!

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You know what? I cry a lot. Mainly at movies, music, tv, etc. I cry when a huge group of people come together for one reason. I may or may not have been known to cry walking down the aisle for my two best friends. I cried walking down my own aisle. So, here's my cry story from a couple of weeks ago.

I was watching this movie that was somewhat relatable culturally, so I was thinking of my family and loved ones a lot while watching it.  There were a lot of heartstrings being pulled. Strings that made me bawl alone on my couch, clutching to my cat. It's based on one of my favorite books, so I knew what was going to happen, and everything that made me cry in the book made me cry in the movie. I don't want to give the name of the movie currently because I might be spoiling it by my next description...

In the film, a husband and wife have moved to the U.S. from another country. Many years pass and they have two kids who have moved out and graduated college. The husband has to go to another state for a business trip that will take a few months. While there, he goes to the hospital for a stomach ache, and calls his wife to let her know. She expects a call later when he gets back to his apartment, but she receives no call. She calls the hospital and is trying to spell out her foreign last name to various hospital workers in order to get some information. Someone figures out who she's looking for and without ceremony tells her that her husband died a few hours ago. She cannot comprehend the news. She has nobody to talk to, she doesn't know what to do. She's alone in the house and she walks from room to room and finally just goes outside to the front lawn in the middle of the freezing night and lays down and screams.

I did the puddle trick again on my couch. This time it was a puddle of grief. But I like crying. I enjoy catharsis. I went to bed smiling after talking to Jesse, my parents, and holding on to Pee Wee. Sad crying usually lets me know that there are things I should be happy and grateful about; it's a reminder. Happy crying just makes me believe in humanity and love and all those good things. I think I happy cry a lot more than sad cry.

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And now for something completely different. Oddly enough I've been listening to Kanye West's new album Yeezus the past few weeks. Yes, surprising. I don't much listen to rap and I've never been fond of West's personality. However, this album... it grabbed me from the start. I liked the sounds. The groom from earlier, David Galea, liked the sounds too but he was more eloquent about it for this piece in a New York street culture blog called Fourth and Sixth. You should check it out. 

Any opinions on Yeezus? I often find myself bopping my head going "I just talked to Jesus / He said 'What up Yeezus?'" and laugh. Just laaaaauuuuugh.

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I have this friend from middle school, Jon Davis...I don't think I've seen him since 8th grade, both of us being military kids and all and moving every couple of years. However, social media had the ability to keep us in touch and now he's a filmmaker, so we have common interests. He posted this short he directed and wrote called Vows. It's embedded above. It's part of an interesting web series about the end of the world. There's not really any need to watch the first five episodes of the series, this being the sixth of Withered World, since they are all capsule episodes. I liked it a lot.

To be honest, I wondered at the end if I was feeling like a happy cry or a sad cry reaction. Maybe both.

That summer they took us in.

Here are the remarkable things that have happened in the past month --

I should start with a true point of unending happiness: my brother proposed to his girlfriend who shall henceforth be called his fiancé! He had wanted to surround Katie with the beauty of New Hampshire, at the summit of a mountain, and profess how his love was more vast than their view (at least, this is what comes to mind when he said "yeah, I'm going to take her hiking..."). Instead, as the gods are wont to do, it rained heavily all weekend and he was left to take on the task in a dimly lit, romantic restaurant, on one knee like a true charmer. I mean, I know what that's like! I'm thrilled at the prospect of having a sister! And for all the happiness she brings to my brother, yadda, yadda, yadda...

Before my brother's magical weekend, my own romantic hero took me across the United States to visit his family in northern California. It's not a part of the country I've spent much time, and it was great to reconnect with his father and aunt, and to meet his grandmother for the first time. We spent the last day of the trip in San Francisco, a city that renders me in a state of perpetual coldness. There was no fog this time around, like there was that July many years ago, but the wind was still there and it ran through me and chilled my bones every chance it could. I was glad to say bye to the city, but was sad to leave the loving faces of family just north of it.

Amidst the past month Jesse and I also spent a weekend in Massachusetts with my family for Mother's Day. It was a jam-packed weekend that included Katie (before she was The Fiancé) graduating with a Masters Degree (while Jesse and I parked it in a barcalounger-full theater for The Great Gatsby), and a dinner with her entire family. (They who will soon be an extension of our own family!) They are wonderful and again, I'm so happy for my baby brother. We spent Mother's Day on my parents' deck and Jesse got to show off his bocce skills again. He's quite the impressive chap when it comes to competitive games. We were sad to say bye to my family at the end of the weekend.

Last week, after Jesse returned from a couple of weeks of rehearsing in Minneapolis, and I returned from house- and dog-sitting in New Jersey, we celebrated his birthday! I took him out for a delectable steak dinner and then we hung out with friends in the East Village. It was a glorious Monday evening. We squeezed out every bit of time we had since his return and before his departure for the Warped Tour the day before yesterday. On his last night in town we got to see The Menzingers live! And though we felt like The Old People who were checking our watches at 10:30pm, as soon as they hit the stage and the first notes of "The Obituaries" began, we were pumped. (I have to pause here and personally thank Liz for the introduction of them via her blog.) I had a bit of an urge to jump into the crowd and let loose, but I just bounced around in one spot near the back for the most part. Jesse and I (with Pee Wee, of course) collapsed in bed that night exhausted, but it was all time well spent. And now it's gone. I'll see him again soon, and hopefully it will only be a stretch of a couple of weeks.

And in a few minutes, I'm off to Massachusetts again!

I don't really need to wonder at all.

Time, like always, moving so fast. The past few weeks glided by and I believe I can't even approach to encapsulate it all with any justice. In an effort to guide myself back to this space of writing, I'll just describe a few things I remember and start anew...
 

Jesse was home and then he was gone again. He's still gone, until May. We had a terribly productive couple of weeks around the house, and soon after he left I fell ill with fever. As he commented, I was doing it wrong by getting sick while he was hundreds of miles away (to include Alaska). It's true, I felt decrepit and wished he could have gotten me soup and hugged me as I shivered. I soothed my cold with four days of television and movies, though. And Pee Wee, always Pee Wee.
 

I must highly recommend:
 

Top of the Lake - the whole miniseries is on Netflix Instant now and if your gut doesn't feel punched a few times during, and then completely disemboweled by the finale, then you're watching it wrong. Jane Campion's beautiful directing and New Zealand scenery juxtaposes against some sinister activity in this crime drama.
 

Hannibal - Bryan Fuller, creator of Pushing Daisies, takes a completely different tone in this tv series about infamous character Hannibal Lecter. It's downright Kubrickian, and the cinematography is lush even when it's dead bodies you are seeing. (I suppose I like seeing beauty in evil things?) Hugh Dancy plays an interesting hero (a bit different than the book's Will Graham), and Mads Mikkelson as Hannibal is creep creep creepy but mesmerizing - as he should be. Most annoying character award goes to Freddie Lowndes, but she's necessary to the story, I suppose.
 

Game of Thrones - Season 3 is already off to a great start, and it's definitely overshadowing any love for Mad Men currently. I thought Mad Men's 5th season was cinematic, bleak, and its best. Its current season is thoroughly uncinematic and just not as compelling as it treads around the same themes. Over on HBO, everything is awesome. I can't even elaborate more than that, but each week it's getting better and better... this finale's going to be a doozy. Trust you me. Also, my tumblr seems to have inadvertantly turned into a sort of Game of Thrones fan blog, because the internet wins.
 

Lust, Caution - Ang Lee's movie was the best movie I saw while sick. I watched some real bombs, as my Letterboxd diary can attest, and Lee's direction always rises above the amateurs. The film also reminded me of what a great actor Tony Leung is, as I loved him and the movie In The Mood For Love (also highly recommend on Netflix Instant).
 

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell - I haven't seen the film yet, but I love the book a lot. I didn't want it to end. It's hard to even explain it, but I would recommend it to everyone.
 

"Still Into You" by Paramore - I've been playing this song on repeat, and I think it's probably this band's best song. I've listened to the new self-titled album a few times, but I always come back to this song because it's so fun and infectious and bright-sounding.
 

I also must mention that my best friend Kelly started a blog called The Sweet Avenue. It's a little spot of love and inspiration and cocktail recipes, which the world could always use, right? Since Jesse is remarkably good at making deviled eggs, he even wrote a quite hilarious post about it. Enjoy Kelly's blog! I certainly enjoy being her taste tester whenever I can be!
 

What else?
 

One night after stretching my body to and fro and up and sideways and making it feel leaden while my mind drifted I sat down and I had a lavender gimlet. Perhaps counterintuitive to all the restorative moves I just spent two hours doing, but a prize of a job well done, too. I had two lovely birds next to me, laughing along, and though my body hurt for days after it was all worth it.
 

I helped future bride Erica with a few wedding crafting projects on two occasions and normally I'm particularly wretched at having to craft, but turns out I'm able to tie twine around invitations, remove wax from old mason jars, and cut triangles out of fabric. I surprised even myself. The excitedly anticipated wedding will be much fun and look great!
 

On the subject of things I don't normally do, I was invited on a day trip to a farm an hour upstate this past weekend. My mother grew up in the rural countryside of Panama, so I've been to farms. And I'm not a fan mostly for the smell but also usually because of bugs and general dirtiness. However, I love animals. And at Glynwood Farm we reveled in lambs, piglets, and baby goats. Baby goats, I love thee and your soft little heads and curious eyes and adorable squeals of joy. I nearly stole one that kept butting my leg...I think it was a secret message to whisk him away in my arms. Alas, I had to say goodbye.

 

Tidbits of other thoughts that traversed my mind in the past few weeks:

 

I learned a friend will be leaving New York for San Francisco, quite abruptly. I think she's about to start a grand adventure.

 

My parents visited New Orleans, a city I've never had the chance to visit, and I'm jealous of all the fun they had.

 

I tried Steve's Mexican Chili Chocolate flavor ice cream and I'm not sure there is any better tasting ice cream than that one right there.

 

Liars are still The Worst, especially when they are making my friends hurt. Related: Harry Crane remains The Worst, too.

 

There's been a significant lack of backgammon since Jesse left, and I'm unamused by the fact that my skills are probably waning without the practice. He will likely win all future matches now.
 

Also in the past four weeks, I went dancing with girlfriends because one of us was unceremoniously dumped, and that's what you do. You dance. (Cue Robyn's 'Dancing on My Own.') And then while bedridden with chills you learn through various text messages that they've gotten back together, and now they're engaged and next day they've been married at city hall. April was most definitely a strange month, and last week probably strangest of all between work and personal maladies and national news. Historically strange, it would seem.
 

Onwards.

Marching up to your gates.

Here's a random playlist I made of some songs I've been listening to this week! It's Friday, let us rejoice. Tonight I'm going to see El Sportivo, also featured on the playlist.

01 "Need You Around" - Smoking Popes
02 "Reasons To Be Beautiful" - Hole
03 "Waves" - Electric Guest
04 "All My Alibis" - El Sportivo
05 "Functions" - Tiger Lou
06 "The Remainder" - Sleater-Kinney
07 "Gates" - The Menzingers
08 "I Couldn't Be Your Friend" - Tegan and Sara

Put on a slow, dumb show for you.

Sometimes you need to slow down. This past weekend at the cabin we were up into the wee hours of the morning listening to energetic dance and rock music -- and as people started drifting off to their bedrooms, I decided to provide a more subdued soundtrack so that everyone still awake could decompress. At least, that's what I needed, so I took the controls.

I've been having an extreme love affair with the Pixies the last three years; I'm not sure why, but I listen to them at least once a week. This week I've been waking up to "Bam Thwok!" every day, which is great because that song makes me happy. I still nod my head to it while I'm brushing my teeth even though I can only hear it in my head. But for the slow down, especially after the day we had had, I started with "Where is My Mind?"

Here's the whole list, listenable below on Rdio with the exception of Metric's "Twilight Galaxy," which was unavailable...

01. Where Is My Mind - The Pixies

02. Jesus - Brand New

03. Wonderwall - Ryan Adams

04. If I Didn't Know Better - Sam Palladio & Clare Bowen

05. I and Love and You - The Avett Brothers

06. Title and Registration - Death Cab for Cutie

07. Twilight Galaxy - Metric

08. For You to Notice - Dashboard Confessional

09. Call It Off - Tegan and Sara

10. Slow Show - The National

I should note that this morning I decided to listen to Brand New's "Jesus" while on the walk into work  and I was in such a trance I tripped on the top stair up the subway and busted my ankle and knee. The song is mesmerizing and I'm extremely uncoordinated.

What are some songs you listen to to slow down?

Painting: "The Weather Girl" by Alexandra Levasseur

One night and one more time.

Programming note: the internet at home has been terribly slow for the past week! I am unable to upload photos right now. Will update when I can. Hopefully these words post...


Last week I was pretty excited when Fall Out Boy announced that they were coming out of hiatus to tour and release an album. However, per usual this really brings out the vitriol, the music snobs in people... I saw some people comment negatively about this and then breathlessly extoll about the new my bloody valentine album. I didn't download the new my bloody valentine, mainly because I don't care. Why do people who don't care about something or even listen to it need to spread such lame vibes? To each their own. FOB are an extremely catchy pop band and I've been a fan for a while. Last week a friend pulled one of these music snob holier-than-thou lines on me about them and then I decided to play some music (via Rdio to the speakers in our apartment) and he was singing along to each song. What a liar! All in the name of looking cool or something, right?

That said, I'm really underwhelmed by the new Fall Out Boy single "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)." It's probably most in tune with "This Ain't a Scene (It's an Arms Race)," but it's not as good. Ho-hum. I'd learned back in December that they had completed an album and were gearing up for shows (the benefits of Jesse's best friend being their longtime guitar tech), so I was excited for the news to break. I'm still excited for the album, the (I have to think ironically) titled Save Rock and Roll, which will be released in April.

Here's a little playlist that I played for my cynical friend... (I would make it on Rdio and embed it, but, again -- INTERNET SUCKAGE!)

01. "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy" (featuring vocals by Justin from MCS!)
02. "Of All the Gin Joints in All the World"
03. "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs"
04. "I'm Like a Lawyer..."
05. "I Don't Care"

Funniest thing I saw about this on the internet last week was someone tweeting, "On a scale of Mikey Way to Fall Out Boy, how well can you keep a secret?" Scene jokes: always funny.

Post-script: falling a bit more in love with Tegan and Sara's Heartthrob. Have listened to "I Couldn't Be Your Friend" on repeat the past two days. Will the new FOB song grow on me? Unlikely...but you never know!

What are your thoughts on the new Fall Out Boy song? What are you currently listening to?

When I imagine you I think of that room.

One of my favorite albums of all time is The Con by Tegan and Sara, and though I didn't like their followup entitled Sainthood, I still get excited for new music. It's probably mostly due to my subscription to Rdio, but more on that later. The only song I'd heard off Heartthrob previous to its release was "Closer," and it's a catchy electronic tune. It really set up what the album would sound like -- and it's pretty good. I have some issues with some of the songs - there's a few sounds I cringe at (particularly the intro to one song) and some lyrics are quite plain and seem uninspired in comparison to what I know these two brilliant women are capable of. The beats are fun though, and I did some cleaning tonight with them as my soundtrack. My current favorite track is "Drove Me Wild." After a few days of listening, I'd give Heartthrob a solid B.

Has anybody else listened? Thoughts?

In other music-related news...

>> She & Him announced their album will be released May 7th! And they will have a summer tour! HOORAY! Thanks to Emily from NeverBeenHeard for letting me know at the same moment that I got the She & Him newsletter in my inbox! (Also, her music blog is rad.)

>> Jason Tate, founder of AbsolutePunk.net, wrote about why he prefers Rdio to Spotify and I have to agree with him on all counts. For myself (unlike Tate, my job is not 'music'), I think Rdio has piqued my interest in music again; I might not have checked out Tegan and Sara's new album on release day had it not been available to stream on Rdio. I know for a fact I never would have checked out the Nashville soundtrack without it. By the way, Rdio sends me e-mails whenever a new song by the Nashville cast is added to streaming - these are great e-mails to receive.

>> How convenient, Rdio is currently offering up to six months of their service for free. Go forth and check it out. Thanks to Erica for giving me my own free subscription for three months originally!

>> Speaking of AbsolutePunk.net, I signed in today and realized next month I will have been a member of that site for ten years. Dude, I feel old. I remember when I first signed up as a sophomore in college, it was to read stories about Midtown, Dashboard Confessional, Drive-Thru records (and their owners), Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, etc. OLD. Yet, the site is still relevant, and that makes me happy.

>> Besides Tegan and Sara, I'm also listening to The Lone Bellow's new self-titled album. They are great at harmonizing, something I witnessed last Monday night when I saw them play a live acoustic set at the Union Square Barnes & Noble. Talent! Check check.

What are you listening to? I'm always looking for recommendations!

The way my brain works and random links.

Last night was finally a relaxing Friday. I ate Jesse's Thai food leftovers, poured us each a hot cider and whiskey, and settled in. He eventually went to a show in the city, and I watched Nashville and Parenthood, which are two great shows if you don't watch them. Then, since Nashville was created by Callie Khouri, and she wrote Thelma & Louise, and that was directed by Ridley Scott...I decided to watch Prometheus since I'd gotten the blu-ray for Christmas. (Yes, this is how my brain works.) However, my decision to turn off all the lights and snuggle into a blanket on the couch proved disastrous: I fell asleep half an hour into the movie. I awoke two hours later during the credits. Woops. Will have to watch again sometime soon.

Here are some other things in my brain waves this week...

J.J. Abrams officially directing the new Star Wars movie ...as the story that definitely surprised me.

Mainly because he said he never would a month ago, and the fact that because of this I defended my opinion to Jesse back then that why would he mire himself in another franchise with similar fandom? Of course, my number one choice would have been Ridley Scott. Yes, that guy again. I love Abrams, but he has an aesthetic and quality to his films and television shows that is great, but do I want to see two similar-feeling franchises about space? We'll see. I like the levity of Scott, but I do trust Abrams. We'll just have to see.

M. Ward declares new She & Him record ready to release this spring ...as an album I didn't even know was in the works in order to anticipate it!

I'm a huge fan. Liz can attest to this... I mean, we spent an entire weekend together in two cities seeing them play shows. Also, this. So, it's going to be called Volume Three, I would guess?

I'm just going to leave this here right now ...as a story that's really just about technology and our time.

Dating was different in the '90s. I wrote a whole (unpublished) short story on the theme, because something happened to me that was pretty similar to this article. I don't know who's reading, but for those that I've read, I usually begin to admire from afar, forgetting the reasons why I sought you out in the first place.

LETTERBOXD ...as my new favorite internet thing.

Thanks to Michelle for telling me about it and sending me an invite!! Basically, and I've been saying this for years, I've always wanted a site like Goodreads for movies. Goodreads is a fantastic way for me to keep up with my reading and my friends' opinions on books I've read or want to read. Letterboxd does that for films, and it's got a great design. I'm slowly and surely keeping up with my DVD collection blog of personalized reviews, but what about all the Netflix movies and in-theater movies I watch? For Christmas I got a Film Moleskine, which I love, but with Letterboxd I'm able to make lists and keep track and friends can check out what movies I loved or disliked. It's fantastic! DO YOU HAVE IT YET? BE MAH FRIEND!!! I have two invites left for now...

Miniature pencil drawings by Marie Harnett via The Film Experience

Don't gasp at the predictable.

I spent most of my day off today listening to my new vinyl of No Doubt's Return of Saturn. It's definitely my favorite album of all time. Even listening to it while playing games with Jesse and Jaime, each person was tapping or singing along at some point. I liked getting up from the table to flip the record over. I smiled when the last track faded out and the familiar silence stretched out before the last hidden instrumental track began. I will always come back to this album.

What's your favorite album of all time?

Apparently Dave Stewart took this awesome photo of Gwen a few years ago.

They're not waiting for you.

Today Jesse got on a plane heading to Florida to visit his grandfather. He's been back from tour since Thanksgiving, so I've been feeling pretty lucky having him around, especially during the holidays. And since I've been sick, he's been taking on a lot more around the house. I haven't done the dishes in days, the litterbox is clean, the cats are fed, the floors are swept. I mean, why do you think I've been "sick" for three weeks? Just kidding. Kind of.

The next four days then I'll be continuing my recuperation (seriously when will this thing die already?), hopefully helping a friend find an apartment in my area, brainstorming about an impending wedding of one of my best friends, and perhaps, as always, a movie night.

I have to enjoy these relaxing weeks when I can get them! Here are some other things that have been on my mind...

The Director's Guild of America nominations ...as the thing that aggravated me most today.

With the Academy Award nominations coming up on Thursday (CAN YOU TELL I'M EXCITED?), I was waiting to hear about the DGA nominations, since in the last five years they have predicted four of the five Oscar nominees. I am a bit disappointed in one particular name on this list:

Ben Affleck, Argo
Katherine Biglelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Tom Hooper, Les Miserables
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln

Nominating Tom Hooper is absurd. THERE I SAID IT. I thought it was absurd when he was nominated for The King's Speech--again, great acting in there, but the directing was subpar. And in 2012 it's even more absurd since this list doesn't even contain Michael Haneke (Amour), David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook) or Tarantino (Django Unchained). I mean, you guys, I would nominate Joss Whedon, Ridley Scott, and Sam Mendes over Hooper (why don't action film directors get any love?!). Behn Zeitlin who directed Beasts of the Southern Wild had more vision and artistic integrity than Hooper. Steve Soderbergh directed his best in years! I didn't even like The Master but PT Anderson's directing was--because I'm running out of adjectives here--DOPE.

Let me quote the LA Times, in an article they entitled "DGA nominations: These voters did see Les Miz, right?" describing Hooper's directing of the musical:

...the oppressive close-ups, the bizarre, canted camera angles, the compositional shifts in scale and his all-consuming affinity for asymmetry...

I was dumbfounded during the movie when Cosette and Marius were singing to each other and she was completely blurry and out of focus during their interaction?! That's sloppy and terrible. But, you know, who cares? This is just another award show. And I shouldn't even be excited for anything at all, what with Seth MacFarlane set to announce the nominations AND host the Oscars. I mean, why do I care?!?!?!

Three free Zoya nail polishes ...as the thing that greeted me with glee this morning.

Use this deal! Just type in ZOYA2013 when you checkout and three polishes are free. I'm a huge fan of Zoya nail polishes--they are 4-free, meaning they are free of toluene, formaldehyde, DBP (phthalates) and camphor. And, have you seen all their colors? Today I bought Storm, FeiFei, and Noot. Tip--whenever I buy nail polishes online I google search a certain color with the word 'swatch' and tons of photos will come up to show me what it looks like in real life and how many coats it needed, etc.

The Nashville tv show soundtrack ...as the thing I am most guilty for loving right now.

The show isn't even a guilty pleasure because I actually, really like it. As I'm waiting for it to return from hiatus, I decided to look up the soundtrack on rdio and I am totally into it. Guilty! Connie Britton doesn't even have that strong of a singing voice, but I enjoy her tone anyway. She's pretty good. The duet she sings with her hunky ex-lover on the show, "No One Will Ever Love You," is currently my favorite. "If I Didn't Know Better" and "Telescope" are great as well. Maybe this is another top album of 2012? Guilty!

"On Repeat" by Jen Girdish for This Recording ...as the personal essay that recently resonated with me.

I don't even listen to Explosions in the Sky, but after reading this, "Your Hand in Mine" has been playing on repeat. I haven't been what she's been through exactly, but I've definitely put a song on repeat over and over again for hours just as something to help me get through an event or even a mood. It's usually Ryan Adams' "Dear Chicago." Do you have a go-to repeat song?


Painting: "Your Tomorrow" by Henrietta Harris

My Top Albums of 2012.

I stopped actively seeking out music for the past couple of years. I'm not sure entirely why, and no matter how many things pop into my head trying to explain it, there's just no definitive answer.

Late in the year, however, things changed. In October, my friend Erica said I should try out rdio, a music subscription service. She works in music, so I trust her judgment. She gave me three months free on rdio and the first thing I did was add some albums I'd wanted to hear all year, but just didn't make the effort to buy.

I've always been a huge Fiona Apple fan, but for some reason, I kept forgetting to download her newest album. It was the first album I added to my collection. After listening repeatedly (obsessively, almost) for a week, I bought the album on Amazon so I could 'own' it. Kind of the opposite happened with fun.'s latest album Some Nights. After a few cringe-inducing listens, I deleted the album from my collection. It was intensely disappointing, as their debut album was #1 on my list of top albums in 2009.

I now pay for my subscription to rdio and plan to have a much more interesting year musically in 2013. Send me your recommendations, too. Oh, added bonus, I can post a playlist featuring some of my favorite songs of the year right here and you can listen if you want:


TECHNOLOGY, RIGHT?

In no particular order, here are the six albums I really loved this year. (Maybe in 2013 I'll find a whole 10!)














Motion City Soundtrack, Go -- I spent a few days in a blizzard in Minneapolis watching those dudes make this album, and sometimes when you watch people put so much of their heart into something, you become attached, too. I think it's their best album to date, and I love their creative brains to death. Favorite Track: Son of a Gun















Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do -- Does Fiona ever go wrong? I'm serious. This, I honestly think, may be her best album ever. I think it's already shoo'd Extraordinary Machine to second best. This is another bold statement, but it may be in my top ten albums of all time. What. No big deal. She just gets it. She always has. Favorite Track: Daredevil (I may or may not have had a long, involved dream about this song once? Story for another post?)

M. Ward, A Wasteland Companion -- I can't quit this guy, either. His voice and guitar sway me whenever I hear it. Favorite Track: I Get Ideas

Dario Marianelli, Anna Karenina soundtrack -- I have to give it up to Mr. Marianelli. Part of the reason the film got such an emotional response from me was due to the music. Even now when I listen to "Dance With Me," and it crescendos violently, I am frightened and moved thinking of Anna getting carried away by Vronsky. Favorite Track: Dance With Me















Electric Guest, Mondo -- I like to dance. This makes me dance. Also, I saw them play live and while it all sounds electro-fun, there isn't some computer making the beats--their drummer is intense and enjoyable to watch on stage. Sound creating and stuff. (Man, I'm real eloquent this morning, huh Favorite Track: Waves

The Menzingers, On The Impossible Past -- It's kind of like early Brand New with the vocals of The Gaslight Anthem with a dash of Blink-182? I mean, I don't even know anything about this band but a few weeks ago I read it was pretty stellar so I rdio'd that ish and now I'm listening to it on the regular, as they say. Favorite Track: Gates

I'd also like to honorably mention Metric's Synthetica, because I do love the song "Breathing Underwater," but nothing else on the album really took hold for me. And as for the most disappointing album of 2012, that would go to fun., but in second place would be No Doubt's Push and Shove. I can't even talk about it.

What are some of your favorite albums of the year? I'm serious about recommendations. I will add them to my rdio and give them a listen. Who should I check out in 2013? HELP ME.

PS Here's some of my past top albums: 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010