Weekend Update

So I finished my grad school application!!!!!!

(Full disclosure: I am writing this before being completely finished so that I can triumphantly post it later today when I am actually finished. I'm hoping it will help motivate me to actually finish.) So yeah, that is exciting, but means that this is going to be a pretty boring post because all I did this weekend was work on my application.

Oh, except this kid I know (Full disclosure: He's my brother.) was the guitarist in the Maryland All-State Jazz Ensemble and their concert was last night. It was actually quite impressive.

So, what did you do this weekend?

Monday = Music: A Change is Gonna Come

Friday = Film: Slavoj

Wednesday = Words: Grist

So I feel a bit heretical about this, but after many happy years with Salon.com, I have found a new on-line news source love. Grist is fantastic! Especially their blog, Gristmill. They do some amazingly detailed environmental reporting, as well as some fun features. I will continue to rely on Salon for general political news, as well as their important feminist coverage of the world, but expect to see a lot of Grist in my shared items to the right. Happy reading!

Monday = Music: Noble Beast

So I promise that this is the last Andrew Bird post for a while (at least until I see him in New York at the end of the month), but this weekend I listened to the NPR first listen chat with him about his new album Noble Beast, and I think that you should listen to it, too. The first few times I listened to the album, I have to admit that I didn't love it. Well, I loved the song Anonanimal, but it is the one with the most loops and swirls and sounds the most typically Andrew Bird. It is still my favorite song on the album, but I have come to love the album as a whole, instead of trying to break it down into songs. It is really just beautiful. I know that I am gushing, but I just can't seem to help myself when it comes to Andrew Bird. I'm like a thirteen year-old fangirl. Anyway, the NPR interview made me love the album even more. He had a lot of interesting things to say about what he was trying to do and why and it made me appreciate the album even more. You should listen to it. And then you should read his New York Times blog posts. And listen to the album, obviously. And see him live because that is really the only way to truely appreciate his music. Okay, thanks for indulging me. I will lay off for a little while.

Friday = Film: Top 5 of 2008

So I didn't see too many films in theaters this year, but here are my top 5:

Wednesday = Words: Top 5 of 2008

Top 5 books I read this year (regardless of when they were published):



1. Atonement by Ian McEwan
2. The Game by A.S. Byatt
3. The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
4. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
5. Snow by Orhan Pamuk

Monday = Music: Top 5 of 2008

5. Attack & Release - The Black Keys
I am ashamed to say that I have not listened to this nearly as much as it deserves. It blows me away every time I put it on.

I Got Mine - The Black Keys

4. Wolves and Wishes - Dosh
Martin Dosh is breaking down my resistance to wordless music one amazing loop at a time.

If You Want To, You Have To - Dosh

3. Lie Down in the Light - Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Weird, wonderful Will comes through with a really solid, pleasing album. He isn't very flashy, so I sometimes forget how plain old good he is.

Easy Does It - Bonnie Prince Billy

2. The End of All-Purpose - The Heligoats
I havne't been able to find out too much about Chris Otepka, the guy who seems to basically be The Heligoats, but I first fell in love with the song Kind/Brutal, then the whole EP.

Been a Drill - The Heligoats

1. Soldier On - Andrew Bird
My love of Andrew Bird is obvious and well documented, so just enjoy the song.

The Trees Were Mistaken - Andrew Bird

New Year Update

So I took a major holiday time hiatus, but I am back. Actually, I am avoiding writing grad school application essays, but at least my reading public will benefit.

I am about to post some 2008 Top 5 lists, but first...

My 2009 started off exceptionally well! I was in New York with friends going to parties and museums and movies and just generally enjoying myself. I saw Christmas Tale, which felt exceptionally long, and Milk, which was exceptionally good. I also took advantage of free/pay what you want nights at MOMA, the Guggenheim and the Brooklyn Art Museum.

How was your New Years?

Monday=Music: Pete Seeger

So I had something totally different planned for this week's music post, but then last night, as I was knitting my first mitten, I watched some of Pete Seeger on PBS' American Masters, and I was completely inspired! He mobilized people on issues like civil rights, the Vietnam War and cleaning the Hudson River, just by singing about them with conviction. Where is our Pete Seeger?

Weekend Update

So I had a very laid back weekend. After a full week of work, finally, I needed the downtime to catch up on my blog reading and podcast listening. I was supposed to go to a few jazz shows with Charlie, but none of them quite worked out. I did make some granola and some peppermint biscotti. I also did some Christmas shopping in Hamden. While there, I picked up some free yarn to make mittens for kids in Baltimore City. It's always good to be working on an actual project.

I also learned that MGMT are really weird!


MGMT - Electric Feel from albi on Vimeo.


MGMT - Time to pretend from albi on Vimeo.

Why is he holding that baby?

So, what did you do this weekend?

Friday=Film: From Understated to Epic

So I know that it isn't actually Friday anymore, but I couldn't miss this post because so many good movies opened this week!

Wendy and Lucy



Doubt



What Doesn't Kill You



The Reader



Che

Wednesday=Words: Civil Eats

So I put this in my "Shared Items" on the right, but here it is again. Check out the entire blog, while you're there.

Monday=Music: Let it snow!

This video made me really excited for winter!

Weekend Update

So I had a cold, but full, weekend.

Friday night was unexciting in that I went clothes shopping, but exciting in that the new clothes are for the job I am starting tomorrow! The job is unexciting in that it is a temporary secretary's assistant position in my uncle's law office, but exciting in that it is a job!

Saturday morning Charlie accompanied Rhonda at the Station North Arts Cafe jazz brunch. The place is adorable, the food is delicious and they sounded great. In the afternoon it snowed! Then in the evening Charlie and I saw Billy Bang, a crazy good jazz violinist, at An die Musik. The bass player's solo was sick!

Today was a holiday craft fair day. Mom, Susan and I first hit up the Out of Hand Craft Show in Homeland. The highlight there was photographer Katherine Drew Dillard. We followed that up with lunch at the hot chocolate place. The highlight there was the Mayan hot chocolate. Then Mom and I checked out the Squidfire Art Mart at the Lyric. I'm always a big fan of Cotton Monsters (I went to high school with Jenny) and Red Prairie Press, but other highlights included:

Fisk and Fern
Magnolia Moonlight
TLane
Indie Fixx Shop
Girls Can Tell
Carly Goss

What did you do this weekend?

Friday=Film: Mos Def has a new movie! (and some other people too)

So I hope this makes up for last week's Friday=Film slim pickings...

Cadillac Records



Frost/Nixon



Let Them Chirp Awhile



Ciao



The Black Balloon

Wednesday=Words: Hooray for books! And Google! And compromise!

This article makes me happy!

Monday=Music: I could do this, right?

So I've come across a few sites where people are filming musicians playing in everyday public places and I'm in love with the concept.

Concerts a Emporter



I think this site is the best of the bunch. They are done as part of a French music blog and a lot of them are filmed by Vincent Moon, who seems to be pretty cool. The ones of Andrew Bird are of course my favorites, but I've been awed by every single one I've watched. It will take some time to get through them all, but other highlights are Fleet Foxes and Tunng.

Shoot the Player


Beach House: Used to Be from shoottheplayer on Vimeo.

It was difficult not to put up their Andrew Bird as well, but I restrained myself. I'm excited about Beach House, though, because this video is gorgeous, they're from Baltimore and guitarist Alex Scally is an '04 Obie (I took his Bob Dylan exco). These are mostly shot in Sydney.

They Shoot Music Don't They



I love the way this is shot, but the quality is so much better on the actual site than on youtube, so you should watch it there. I also highly recommend I'm From Barcelona. These are all shot in Vienna.

Handheld Shows


#22.1 St.Vincent - Marry Me from Handheld Shows on Vimeo.

These are filmed in Oslo. Cool. Also check out the Black Lips. The mustachioed guy's hat reminds me of Carolyn in Peru.

Friday =Film: Twinkies, Botox and Mediocrity

So I had a very nice Thanksgiving, how about you?

Here are the three movies opening today that are the most interesting to me:

Music + Words = Monesday?

So I missed this week's Monday = Music (but let's be honest, no one is reading this, so it doesn't really matter), and to make up for it this week's Wednesday = Words is music related.

Check out the Obama/hip-hop connection.