hump day shortlist: I am kind of light-headed right now

Okay so, on Friday I have to get surgery or whatever so they needed me to go in today to take a pregnancy test. They might as well give my neutered male cat a pregnancy test but that's neither here nor there. The point is, they did not tell me they were also going to take a bunch of my blood. That's just rude. AND they failed to address me properly. Fucking outrageous.

I had a really good shortlist post mapped out in my head. I was going to start rambling about metaphors and bullshit and quote Jorge Luis Borges but I am kind of light headed right now so bear with me as I delve into some music for Southern California's least favorite and most metaphorical season: Winter.



I know I posted about this song by The Silent Years before, but dang it's good. DANG.

Next on my shortlist is Au Revoir Simone. From what I understand, they are a set of magical triplets who play their keyboards in the forest, spending their days in picking berries and singing perfect, sugar-spun harmonies.



I love this song "Fallen Snow" but it makes me want to sit them down and give them some solid relationship advice. Not that anyone should listen to me. I'm a (metaphorical) virgin who can't drive (that was way harsh).



Hey, while I was watching the above video for the Dodos' "Winter" I remembered that thing that Borges said. It's in the Paris Review Interview book and it's something about how the oldest metaphors are still the best, the richest, the truest. I don't really know where I was going with that but it's food for thought as the sun sets on us earlier and earlier and our neighbors set up inflatable snowmen on their evergreen lawns.

back to the 18th century
megan elizabeth

emily, miss bronte if you're nasty

I don't really know what I did last night but something seriously fucked up my left shoulder. If you saw me do anything that looked painful (besides karaoke with stevens seagalll which merely sounded painful) be a friend and let me know what it was. Maybe it was from that dude at filibertos touching my shoulder and referring to me as "the secretary from the saloon, shaking your fucking rump. What's your name? Emily? Emiliah." That was pretty painful. I'm so obviously a librarian, GAWSH. Or maybe it was from stevens calling me "sugartits" in front of my mom. Maybe I hurt myself trying to teach 'Stina's cat circus tricks. There's a lot of possibilities because I like to live on the edge.

Anyway, for a while there's been buzz around water coolers other than the ponygirl water cooler about a band called Fleet Foxes. I'm not really sure how to feel about that. There's a new Blogotheque video of them performing "White Winter Hymnal" and it's very pretty but they just don't excite me. It's a strange thing, this it sounds good but it doesn't move me feeling. I have this feeling that they'll be one of those bands that everyone will either forget in three months or turn on when/if they put out a second album. This video makes me want to like them more.



I can't explain it. Pitchfork gave it a 9 but they also want us to like Animal Collective so, you know.....
I can tell you what I hate. This scary animated video for the same song.



I really wish people would stop thinking shit like this is cool. Claymation is creepy and unacceptable.

To cheer you up, here's a video of the Dodos from the very same night playing "Fools".



Feel better now?

you seemed so nice 'til I knew you better

Ever since I heard their Daytrotter session, I've been meaning to download, I mean "purchase at my local independent record store" the Dodos' album Visiter. Take a listen to this little number, "Red and Purple":



Thanks NPR!

So, I can't really tell you much about the Dodos because maybe I'm a bad blogger but I just don't really care where they're from, if they turned off spell-check when they were writing their album title or if they, like me, took French in high school. Maybe I'm a bad blogger because I'm about to link you to wikipedia. You see what I did there? Ha! Maybe I'm a bad blogger because I'm not going to pretend that every sound that I find pleasing is some kind of quasi-religious experience. Maybe I'm a bad blogger because I can't actually explain why I like what I like because it's more emotional and kinesthetic than technical and analytical. Maybe I'm just grouchier than usual today because my throat hurts. I don't have all the answers for you people.

But I can tell you that it is a good album. My favorite tracks today are "Winter" and "The Season". Despite a kind of minimalist approach to instrumentation, the sound is full and rich. If I had to play the try to name an influence/make unwarranted comparisons game, I would definitely say Neutral Milk Hotel. Man, I love me some Neutral Milk Hotel.



I gotta go get some Dayquil so I can go to work. Later dudes.