Electric Kool-Aid

Watch this video!

2012-01-20T16:27:00.000-08:00

I watched The Artist last week (incidentally on the same night it won a bunch of Golden Globes), and absolutely loved it. I loved the unique use of sound in the film, and the way it was shot (B&W, intentional "film" blemishes, traditional 1.33:1 ratio), the lovely actors and actresses, and just the whole idea in general. Bravo to all involved!

So anyway, that got me back into old movies, and after watching lots of Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire clips, I was reminded of this incredible video of the Nicolas Brothers that my friend Shweta showed me:

Those splits!! Like Shweta said, "I'm surprised they could still have kids after that!"

Then Again

2012-01-01T14:23:00.000-08:00

I finished reading Diane Keaton's book Then Again this weekend. I really enjoyed it; it's not a typical celebrity autobiography...actually, it's more about Diane's relationship with her mother, Dorothy. It's especially interesting if you've ever had a family member with Alzheimer's, and the book does a really good job of detailing the difficulties and heartbreak of the disease.

Of course, there are also some great insights about Hollywood, LA, Woody Allen, etc. Diane Keaton seems to be all over Westwood and Brentwood - I'm bummed I've never seen her while in LA! Guess there's still time. :)

A favorite excerpt:

When I heard the D sound in a first name that became Diane, I still wasn't sure, but I got up anyway and more or less rushed to the podium. I knew winning had nothing to do with being the "best" actress. I knew I didn't deserve it. And I knew I'd won an Academy Award for playing an affable version of myself. I got it. But the fact that Annie Hall, a comedy, won best picture thrilled me. For some unfathomable reason, comedy is invariably relegated to the position of second cousin to drama. Why? Humor helps us get through life with a modicum of grace. It offers one of the few benign ways of coping with the absurdity of it all. Looking back, I'm so happy and so grateful and so proud to be in a Great American Comedy.

when evening falls so hard

2011-12-30T22:55:00.000-08:00

This song is prone to parody, and easy to exaggerate for sure. One time Alex and I blasted it out the car windows as we drove slowly down frat row at UCLA, just to be ironic.

But tonight I'm listening to the words. Reading them, actually, from my Paul Simon lyrics book [/nerd]. Because they really are beautiful words, and need to be recognized every once in a while.

When you're weary, feeling small
When tears are in your eyes
I will dry them all
I'm on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can't be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
When you're down and out
When you're on the street
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you
I'll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
Sail on, silver girl
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way
See how they shine
If you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind.

Streets of India

2011-12-24T07:53:00.000-08:00

Since I wasn't able to get any videos that truly capture the essence of India traffic while I was there, here's a compilation of videos taken from YouTube that hopefully show how insane the driving is there (yet somehow it works).

Also note, no one wears seatbelts in India. They don't even exist.

Crossing a street in Hyderabad (Alex and I had to do this - maybe this exact same street - several times, and it was terrifying. Feels pretty awesome after you accomplish it, though):

Haha, especially 1:15 and 1:52:

No lanes

Also, check out the Metro in Delhi (I had to squeeze in the middle of all this before realizing there was a separate car for women):

Could Art Garfunkel BE any more hipster???

2011-11-24T22:08:00.001-08:00

And this one, because it's cool:

I'm finding it strange how...

2011-10-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

...every film, TV show, and book that I have been obsessed with seem to have one thing in common: the city is an integral part of the story. That city is almost always New York, but it can also be LA, San Francisco, any big metropolis that can come to life and shape the way a character feels or acts.

Some examples:

"He was as tough and romantic as the city he loved..."
Annie Hall is probably my all-time favorite movie. I love the Manhattan backdrop, and the fact that Alvy is a devout New Yorker who can't stand to live anywhere else, and how amazingly beautiful the city always looks (this goes for almost all Woody Allen films, come to think of it).

As for other movies, I wouldn't consider When Harry Met Sally or You've Got Mail favorites (although they top my list of favorite chick flicks, most definitely), but the fact that the city plays a major role in those movies makes me love them. Some great LA movies, by the way, are Sunset Boulevard, Chinatown, and 500 Days of Summer. But to be honest, nothing compares to the romanticism of New York City.

From Woody Allen's Manhattan:

"If you only get one great love, then New York may just be mine."
Speaking of NYC, off the top of my head I can name at least five shows I've been obsessed with at some point, all of which take place in the Big Apple: Taxi, How I Met Your Mother, Sex and the City, Seinfeld, Friends...the list could go on but those are at the top. Just the idea of living in Manhattan and having an everyday life there makes me swoon. I am in love with the city. Also, some past guilty pleasures *coughFullHousecoughFrasier* are centered around some less-featured cities (Seattle, nice) and I'm pretty sure that's why my 10-year-old self liked them (yes, I watched Frasier when I was 10).

70s-tastic Taxi theme:

"I would give the greatest sunset in the world for one sight of New York's skyline."
I'm pretty all over the place when it comes to reading, but the whole 'city life' theme has been recurrent in every book I've read recently. I especially love The Fountainhead, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Just Kids, and pretty much any autobiography that goes into detail about living in LA, SF, NYC, etc. Oh and Fitzgerald? Don't even get me started on him. Probably the greatest metropolitan writer ever.

I can't really think of a decent explanation for all this, except that I must be a city girl at heart. It's true that I'd rather live in the middle of a huge metro than in the middle of nowhere, maybe because the city has the capability of giving you anonymity while at the same time exposing you to all kinds of people and experiences. Not to mention, there's always a million things going on, so it's never boring. :) Maybe someday I'll find a way to show my love for the city like Woody Allen and F. Scott Fitzgerald did...

BEATLES LOVE

2011-10-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

Watched the Living in the Material World documentary over the past two nights and just reaffirmed my love for the Beatles and George. I foresee a lot of Fab Four-related posts in the near future.....

For now, here are links to two of my new favorite tumblrs:

http://awkwardgeorge.tumblr.com/

http://fuckyeahbeatles.tumblr.com/

And an awkward/awesome picture to sum it up:

Not only is Paul holding a kangaroo in this photo, he is also wearing two watches. SO AWKWARD.

Gerard Depardieu

2011-10-03T22:01:00.000-07:00

New favorite show (I know, I'm late to jump on the bandwagon):

This song sounds exactly like my first year french class, but with much better pronunciation.
Où est la bibliothèque?

Midcentury Awesome

2011-10-02T18:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks to an organization called Pacific Standard Time, admission at dozens of LA museums was free today! To take advantage, the boy and I decided to go to both the Museum of Natural History in Exposition Park and LACMA in the Miracle Mile District. Besides the fact that the Museum of Natural History was swarming with kids and we had to park 5 blocks away from LACMA, it was totally worth it. We both thought the dinosaur skeletons, crawly insects, and gigantic taxidermied animals were pretty sweet, but I have to admit that I was most excited by the California Design exhibition at LACMA (cue nerdiness). It was a whole exhibition about midcentury modern architecture(!!!) and interior design, exactly my cup o' tea. :)

Below are some photos of the exhibit, from the LACMA blog:

SO. PERFECT. I especially loved how they re-created the entire Eames living room.

For more midcentury goodness, check out some photos of the Stahl House, probably the most famous Case Study House in LA. I've always loved this breathtaking picture:

Happy autumn!

2011-09-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

[Random note: Loving the new blogger look! Super chic and easy to use :)]

Anyway. With the start of autumn, I thought I'd revive this blog a little (I've missed you, blog!). And what better way to celebrate the new season than curled up on a big comfy chair with a new book? Here are the latest books on my to-read list:

Sunnyside. Glen David Gold.

I have an obsession with 1920s Los Angeles (plus, Charlie Chaplin!). Just started this one - so far it's really interesting.

Just Kids. Patti Smith.

I love autobiographies/memoirs. I love music. I love books that take place in New York. Hence, this.

Upstarts!: How GenY Entrepreneurs are Rocking the World of Business and 8 Ways You Can Profit from Their Success. Donna Fenn.

It's a little less obvious why I'm reading this one, haha...Basically, the startup world is really exciting to me, especially because I'm working with one right now and it's been a really awesome experience. Not to mention, if we move up north soon, we're gonna be in startup heaven!

And last but not least, on my URGENT!!!!!MUST BUY/READ!!!!! list:

George Harrison - Living In the Material World

by Olivia Harrison

I looked through it at B&N today and pretty much squee'd through the entire thing.

So. many. beautiful. pictures.

The latest

2011-08-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went to the Sonora Blues Festival (a.k.a. Music on the Mountain) which was headlined by the Manzarek-Rogers Band. Seeing Ray Manzarek up close was pretty great, especially because he's turned into a cute, happy old man, haha. Here are some pics, taken by me and my dad:

That last one is Roy Rogers, a great slide guitarist. Yesterday while looking for live videos of the Doors, I came across this total 1969 time capsule. Man...the 60's. Jim looks like a caricature of himself (and also kind of like Will Ferrell?)

Also check out this video from 1972, after Jim's death. He was such a giant personality that it's weird to see the other band members singing this song. It's cool to see though, and like one commenter said, "What else were they gonna do? ...retire at age 27?"

The rest of this post is going to be bulleted, because I do what I want!

New EP coming soon from my friend/roommate Ryan York (a.k.a. Asura), with cool hand-pressed jackets. Read more at nonprojects.net!
For those of you who have been keeping up with drum corps this year (or even if you haven't), here's a clip of the closer I wish I'd seen live! Ahhh, Madison, you rock. And a shout out to the original.
Been moving into a new place and wish I could get my hands on this book, haha. Reminds me of my mom explaining macrame and "brick and board" bookcases...
Also, recently been re-discovering my love for Annie Hall...videos bound to come soon...

Impossibly cool Pt. II

2011-08-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

Wayne, Townshend, Lennon, Mahal, Kerouac.

Excerpts from 'Life'

2011-08-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year I read Keith Richard's autobiography "Life" (couldn't think of a better title, eh Keef?), and it was quite a ride. Just so so many drugs, haha. But surprisingly tasteful. I really enjoyed it. Here are a couple of excerpts, which demonstrate the range of topics this guy covered:

Once you've got the vision in your mind of wild horses, I mean, what's the next phrase you're going to use? It's got to be "couldn't drag me away." That's one of the great things about songwriting; it's not an intellectual experience. One might have to apply the brain here and there, but basically it's capturing moments....What is it that makes you want to write songs? In a way you want to stretch yourself into other people's hearts. You want to plant yourself there, or at least get a resonance, where other people become a bigger instrument than the one you're playing....To write a song that is remembered and taken to heart is a connection, a touching of bases. A thread that runs through all of us. A stab to the heart. Sometimes I think songwriting is about tightening the heartstrings as much as possible without bringing on a heart attack.

I once had a mynah bird, and it wasn't a pleasant experience. When I put music on, it would start yelling at me. It was like living with an ancient, fractious aunt. The fucker was never grateful for anything....To me it was like living with Mick in the room in a cage, always pursing its beak.

My Recipe for Bangers and Mash
1. First off, find a butcher who makes his sausages fresh.
2. Fry up a mixture of onions and bacon and seasoning.
3. Get the spuds on the boil with a dash of vinegar, some chopped onions and salt (seasoning to taste). Chuck in some peas with the spuds. (Throw in some chopped carrots too, if you like.) Now we're talking.
4. Now, you have a choice of grilling or broiling your bangers or frying. Throw them on low heat with the simmering bacon and onions (or in the cold pan, as the TV lady said, and add the onions and bacon in a bit) and let the fuckers rock gently, turning every few minutes.
5. Mash yer spuds and whatever.
6. Bangers are now fat free (as possible!).
7. Gravy if desired.
8. HP sauce, every man to his own.

Cruisin down Sunset

2011-08-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

Check out these old skool videos of LA in 1964!

Also, Gidget is a pretty amusing show.

Go, and beat your crazy head against the sky

2011-08-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

Words can't describe how much I love this song, and video. I know a lot of weird and crazy stuff happened in the 60s, but to me this performance is the embodiment of the whole "peace and love" thing, which I think was truly genuine, at least for a while. And how incredible to go out in front of all those millions of people with nothing but a guitar in hand...takes some guts.

Impossibly cool.

2011-08-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

http://theimpossiblecool.tumblr.com

Or, "Black and White Photos of Nikki's Favorite People"

Keef, Jack, Frank, Humphrey, Beatles.

Awesome discovery thanks to Jocelyn!!

Sleeping all day, staying up all - niiiight

2011-07-31T17:06:00.000-07:00

Geez it's been forever since I've posted in here. I've started about twenty different posts in the past few months, but as is my style, never got around to finishing them.

However!

This weekend Alex went up north and I stayed back here in LA, which resulted in a weekend full of cleaning, chick flicks, shopping, and blogging, hooray!

I have a bunch of short, tumblr-style posts coming up. Sorry for the lack of decent, coherent writing (been doing too much of that for work, anyway!)

First subject on the docket...

I was going through my iTunes the other day, making a bunch of playlists which included songs from high school. (Ahhh, the good ol' days of New Found Glory, Yellowcard, blink 182, The Postal Service...so many forgotten songs!) One of the most amusing parts was reliving the brief emo phase that took over Vista High in 2004. Who remembers the song "Ohio Is For Lovers" by Hawthorne Heights? Oh man, most emo (screamo) song ever. Followed closely by "My Immortal" by Evanescence. I used to watch music videos every morning while getting ready for school...watching these videos now makes me feel 14 all over again, haha.

Other videos that bring me back:
"Ocean Avenue" Yellowcard
"Mr. Brightside" The Killers
"I Miss You" blink 182
"Helena" My Chemical Romance

And finally, a high school-era video I'm not overly embarrassed to post here:

Loved Hot Hot Heat (still do)...thanks to my good friend Jocelyn! Also, wonder if the "Goodnight Goodnight" video was inspiration for OK Go's "End Love" video?

Ok, I think that's enough music videos for one day. This might be one of those posts with a dozen broken links a year from now.

Hopefully I'll be back to post again soon!

These songs are true, these days are ours

2011-04-26T08:10:00.001-07:00

Last week I was lucky enough to see Paul Simon at the Music Box in Hollywood. Being five feet away from one of my greatest musical heroes for 2 hours was a dream come true! Paul was amazing and his band was incredible! Each guy had his own little station of assorted instruments, from bongos to harmonium to accordion to handmade windchimes...at one point the drumset player was playing his kick and hi-hat with his feet while playing a guitar solo. Crazy!

Although Paul didn't say much in between songs, the music spoke for itself. After all, that's what we were there for, right? He played a lot of his new songs, as well as a lot of classics and some unexpected ones (Peace Like A River, Mystery Train, yeah!). I really don't think the music selection could've been any better. I made a list here of some highlights from the show...

Dazzling Blue. I was really hoping he'd play this, and turns out it was like the second song! Yesssss. No live Indian percussion though, instead it was a loop, haha. But still, sooooo beautiful.

Hearts and Bones. OH WOW. This was probably my favorite song of the night. I've always thought it was a good song, but something about hearing it live just made it so much better. Current favorite Paul Simon song, definitely.

The Obvious Child. I WAS SO HAPPY HE PLAYED THIS. When I saw the surdo on the stage, I flipped out, haha. I must've looked really funny during this because I was calling Lauren and at the same time trying to take a video with my camera. Oh, technology...

The Only Living Boy in New York. I remember this came right after The Obvious Child because I thought it was too good to be true that he'd play two of my favorite songs back to back. This was the only S&G song of the night, besides Sound of Silence. <3

That Was Your Mother. So much fun!! Everyone was dancing and the band was taking extended solos and it was just awesome.

Vietnam/Mother and Child Reunion. Paul introduced the Jimmy Cliff song as his inspiration for Mother and Child Reunion. It was really cool to hear some of his inspiration (also: Mystery Train). PS doesn't forget his roots!

Still Crazy After All These Years. Something about this song is just so 1970's New York...and that's why I love it. Such a fitting last song to play. I LOVE YOU PAUL!

Thunderfingers

2011-04-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

Rolling Stone just released a list of reader-picked Top 10 Bassists, and I bet you know who was Number One (or, I bet you can guess since I'm posting it here)...

John Entwistle, a.k.a. THE OX:

*My Generation solo. As the top rated comment says: "Oh, am I doing a bass solo? I didn't notice..."

*Acoustic bass solo. Still SO MUCH POWER.

*WGFA isolated bass. This is an extra on The Kids Are Alright, and it's really freaking awesome. The whole middle part is amazing (stuff you don't really get to hear when the full band is playing), and the end is POWERCHORD MADNESS. So good!

The best thing about John Entwistle is that he was never outwardly showy or pompous about his bass playing. He just did his thing while the rest of the band flung around their instruments and got destructive. He was the ultimate of cool.

Bon anniversaire, Charlot

2011-04-16T00:29:00.000-07:00

As Google so creatively reminded me, today is Charlie Chaplin's 122nd birthday!

Still one of my favorite scenes to watch:

Happy birthday, Charlie!

Tidbits

2011-03-23T17:31:00.000-07:00

It's so gloomy today, but this video always cheers me up (I've lost track of how many times I've posted it by now, but really. You can never have enough of Davy Jones' dancing):

Interesting factoid: The girl dancing with Davy is Toni Basil ("Oh Mickey you're so fine," etc.), who was also in two of my favorite Jack Nicholson movies: Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces.

Also, last night we watched The Italian Job (2003 version), which began a string of Mark Wahlberg impressions, which led to Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals, which led to Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. OHMAN! How come I never knew about this??

Ahhhh the 90's...

A bunch of little Djangos!

2011-03-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

The master:

Too bad there aren't more videos of him playing...this one barely shows him at all. But man, great stuff.

Ethan Frome

2011-02-27T15:38:00.001-08:00

So as some people - but not many - know, I collect Ethan Frome books. I'm not very far along yet (I have seven different editions, there are probably dozens if not close to a hundred in existence), but it's a fun and admittedly kind of weird hobby.

I'm not really sure how it all started. Ethan Frome was one of my favorite pieces of literature from high school, probably because a lot of the main character's emotions rang true with me too at the time, although it's not like I think it's the greatest book ever. It's a good read, and short enough that I usually re-read it every couple of years (in wintertime, of course).

Anyway, I had my high school copy, which was a collection of Edith Wharton stories, nothing special. Then one day I found a 1922 Ethan Frome book at a garage sale, a quirky copy because the pages were actually upside down from the cover. I bought it for 10 cents.

Then when Lauren and I went to New York, I found a cool illustrated edition at The Strand bookstore, and from then on I just decided if I ever found an interesting copy of the book I would buy it.

Some versions are really common and not that exciting, so I try not to get those. I also like to see if I can find it at notable bookstores; for example, I bought that copy at The Strand in New York, one at Powell's in Portland, and most recently, one at Green Apple in San Francisco. There's a really beautiful, old edition at Iliad Bookshop in North Hollywood that I've had my eye on, but I haven't been able to convince myself to buy it for $38. I think part of the fun is just stumbling upon an old copy that's going for a dollar, like that garage sale find (still my favorite one).

[My collection so far...with Paul Simon in the background:]

So if you ever see an old copy of Ethan Frome and need to get me a Christmas present or something, please know that I would enjoy it very much. :)

New Paul Simon song!

2011-02-21T22:48:00.000-08:00

Teaser from Paul Simon's new album coming out in April:

The Afterlife by marcoliv

His voice sounds so great! And love the Rhythm of the Saints-esque guitar. I can't wait for this album to come out!

Also, THIS:

Tracy Morgan wearing a Garfunkel wig, autotuned Scarborough Fair, Paul Simon rapping...SO MUCH WIN.

Songs I currently dig

2011-02-05T18:30:00.000-08:00

Commuting an hour to the westside/downtown has turned me into a total radio bum. As a result, I've heard most hit songs upwards of 100 times, and these are the ones that I don't get tired of:

Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over
This song is actually a couple years old, but the new release and video are even cooler.

Cee Lo Green - F*ck You
Total 60's throwback, I love it. (I had heard the clean version on the radio so many times that I didn't realize this was the same song until just recently, haha).

Mumford & Sons - The Cave
Just a really feel-good song and video :)

Cornershop ft Bubbley Kaur - Topknot
I've been getting really into Cornershop lately (basically, Indian-infused pop) and can't wait for their new album to come out!

Record store finds

2011-01-22T12:18:00.000-08:00

Last weekend our local record store Freakbeat Records had a massive sale, and I picked up some serious goods. For $5 I got the film Shine A Light (AWESOME live footage of the Rolling Stones, directed by Martin Scorsese), and for another $5 I got an LP of Ustad Vilayat Khan-Sahib and Imrat Khan-Sahib, circa 1967:

Brief(?) explanation of why this is so important to me: Vilayat Khan is one of the greatest sitarists in history, part of a musical dynasty that dates back to the 16th century (he is also my sitar teacher's father, so in a way I am a very small branch of this incredible gharana whose members I have nothing but the greatest respect for). Vilayat Khan-Sahib's brother Imrat Khan is one of the last great masters of surbahar, or bass sitar, an instrument that has largely died out in the past few decades. It's already hard to find decent recordings of surbahar, which is a fascinating instrument to me...but it's even harder to find recordings of Vilayat and Imrat Khan playing together, because they had a huge falling out and didn't speak to each other for years. So not only is it a rare recording, it's even more rare on vinyl (I've looked it up and found a few CD versions and downloads, but only two LPs on eBay, selling for about $50). Thanks to Freakbeat, I got it for 5 bucks, and who knows if I ever would have found it again!

Some videos:

Vilayat Khan (center) and Hidayat Khan performing Rageshree. So fun to watch Vijay Ghate, I love his expressions! Also, this is the rag I'm currently learning, so I was really excited to find this. :)

Imrat Khan, surbahar. Video quality isn't that great, but a beautiful performance!

2010 in Music Videos

2011-01-09T16:56:00.000-08:00

A little bit late, but I started putting this list together at the end of last month and still wanted to share. Cool videos/songs from 2010:

Yolanda Be Cool & D Cup ft. Cleary & Harding - We No Speak Americano. Love the song, love the video! Would love to learn this, haha.

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass.
Let's face it, OK Go released a lot of amazing videos this year. Both the Rube Goldberg video and the dog video must've taken sooo long to do, and deserve lots of credit. But this remains my favorite, for obvious reasons:

Arcade Fire - We Used To Wait. Really awesome interactive video using GoogleMaps and your hometown!

Janelle Monae - Tightrope. I already hyped on this one so wanted to avoid the double video post, but seriously. It belongs in the top videos (and songs) of 2010, for sure.

Honorable mentions:
Kanye West - Runaway. Not just because Alex told me to. :P I mean, it's a full-length FILM. Pretty outrageous and cool, if you ask me. For a shorter and even catchier snippet, watch Power.

Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce - Telephone. C'mon, what Lady Gaga video isn't great to watch (especially for the first time)? It was almost as cool as my first time watching Bad Romance (projected onto the ceiling at Mt. Washington as we all laid on the floor in amazement, haha).

Videos I didn't like but still have to give credit to:
M.I.A. - Born Free. I could barely watch this video, it was so gruesome. But if innovation is crossing boundaries and getting people riled up, then M.I.A. certainly did that. For the record, I'll probably never watch this again...

Katy Perry - California Gurls. What do cotton candy clouds and cupcake boobs even have to do with California?? (Well, maybe a little, but...) I am really not a fan of Katy Perry videos. The songs too are incredibly shallow/superficial, but my god they're catchy. This, "Teenage Dream", and "Firework" will stay stuck in my head for days on end.

That being said, 2010 was a pretty awesome year for music videos overall. I can pretty much pinpoint the exact times and places I saw each one of these, which means they must've had at least some sort of lasting impact. Looking forward to what 2011 has to offer!

If they had facebook....

2011-01-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time and I must admit I don't really have anything substantial to contribute...but I did come across some funny faux-rockstar-facebook updates on Rock Macros:

(^ Referencing the first time the Beatles - accidentally - took acid)

The Stones were known to share their women....

^Referencing some *hrem* claims made by Keith in his book, and also this interview, haha.

And finally...

when the morning comes

2010-12-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

Jocelyn and I saw OK Go last weekend and it. was. amazing. My 5th time(!) seeing them, and definitely the best yet! As a part of my current OK Go kick, today I listened to all 3 of their albums back to back, and compiled a list of my top 10 favorite OK Go songs, complete with videos. Voila:

Nikki's Top 10 OK Go Songs

1. What To Do
I especially like the acoustic version linked above. Also, singing along during the chorus is one of my favorite things to do.

2. Bye Bye Baby
I've always loved this one, and the lyrics "It's not just that I'm selfish and scared / It's not just that I'm so unprepared / It's just you'd think I'd grow out of this, wouldn't you?"

3. This Too Shall Pass
One word: epic. I remember when we first heard this at the House of Blues show in SD...we all loved it, but couldn't remember the words until the album came out 8 months later!

4. Get Over It
We've all felt this way before...it's a good venting song. And just fun to sing along with.

5. A Million Ways
We have so much history with this song, it's impossible not to include. That aside, it's just cool anyway. :)

6. Oh Lately It's So Quiet
I really like the atmosphere of this song. PS - The video I found of this is great, you should watch it.

7. Last Leaf
OK Go does a cute love song! Also, this is the song Damian sang while standing 10 inches away from us in the crowd!

8. Return
The saddest of all OK Go songs. They played this on handbells at the Club Nokia show, which made it seem even sadder (but also really cool).

9. Invincible
This song brings back distinct memories of driving in the high school parking lot senior year...I listened to that album so much, haha.

10. Let It Rain
I've listened to this so many times while driving at night (also in the rain) and it's just become one of my favorites.

So there's my top 10, subject to change at any time. Anyone else?

Fistful of Mercy

2010-11-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

Cool new band: Fistful of Mercy, made up of Dhani Harrison, Ben Harper and Joseph Arthur...a modern-day supergroup not unlike the Traveling Wilburys. :)

Speaking of supergroups, here's a rockin performance of "Father's Son" on Conan, with Tom Morello:

I think my favorite song from the album is With Whom You Belong. I also really enjoy 30 Bones (live at the Hollywood Cemetery?). I must admit, I like thenewno2, but I like this even more. :)

Some super cool doumbek playing:

2010-11-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

First of all, that kid is great! Secondly, why is the second doumbek GLOWING??

Here's another one. The kid's got some beats!

the red light was my mind

2010-10-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

While driving up the lonesome I-5 last weekend, I came to realize that my default road-tripping band is the Rolling Stones. Especially the gritty, rootsy Stones, circa 1969-72. Ahhhhh it's just so good to listen to while driving down a narrow highway in the desert. Perfect examples are the albums Let It Bleed and Exile on Main Street. The Stones are a rock & roll band, but when you listen to these albums, they're full of bluegrass, gospel, country, blues (mmmmm blues)...all of which were the inspiration for rock & roll in the first place. I love that about the Stones: they really appreciate roots music.

Speaking of blues, I have to share this video. It's an old Robert Johnson song that was covered by the Stones in the late 60's, and this is them doing it again in 1995. Personally I like this version even better than the 60's cut; it just oozes so much wonderful blues:

Also, my dad sent me a link about Keef's new book, which comes out next week(!!!). I'm so buying it the day it comes out.

Oct. 9

2010-10-09T23:46:00.000-07:00

In the last few minutes of the day, I just want to say: Happy 70th, John. Thanks for making so much incredible music, and while you were at it, changing the world.

Picnik, NaNo, and Gaga

2010-10-06T23:19:00.000-07:00

Today has been a day of great discoveries.

Firstly, I finally started uploading apartment pictures to Picasa, and in the process I discovered Picnik, Google's very own photo editing program. Basically, I was looking for an easy way to get those cool Photoshop effects (vignette, upped contrast, etc.) and Picnik can do it all with just a couple of clicks! It even has a 1960's effect, which I immediately started abusing at every possible opportunity, haha (see example here). So anyway, that's how I spent most of my afternoon.

Then - I already forget how I found this...MSNBC? - I came across NaNoWriMo. Apparently November is "National Novel Writing Month"...and for 11 years now, a growing group of people have been participating in the event (how have I never known about this?). The rules are pretty simple: you have 30 days to write a 50,000-word novel. At the end of the month, you upload it to the website, which verifies the word count, and get a "handsome winner’s certificate and web badge". No first place, no prizes, just the satisfaction of having completed an entire novel in 30 days. It's pretty much right up my alley. A cool project and method of distraction that - in my current state - just might be possible. On top of that, there's no real competition, just a lot of people encouraging and helping each other out in order to reach a common goal. These people even get together for weekly "write-ins" in their local libraries, etc. Cool! Anyone care to join in? Who knows if I'll actually finish (if my "summer" list is any indication), but it's certainly worth trying. Commence brainstorming..........now!

And finally, to top off the great discoveries of the day:

Basic Climb

2010-10-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

My wonderful friend Ana has just released her debut album, and I've been lucky enough to have watched her perform many times over the past year. The album is amazing (and on vinyl!) and I definitely recommend checking it out. I wrote a more detailed article here, but wanted to share this cool video from FMLY:

"He has his finger on the pulse of our generation"

2010-10-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been doing a lot of reading. Finished Ravi Shankar's autobiography Raga Mala, as well as Suze Rotolo's memoir A Freewheelin' Time. Both were fascinating, and described - in detail - places that are extremely allusive and appealing to me. The beginning of Ravi Shankar's book presents such beautiful imagery of India that I am getting really hungry to go there (someday). And the beat/folk scene described in Rotolo's book make Greenwich Village in the 60's come alive again, with its underground venues and brick apartments. The parts about Bob Dylan were fascinating as well. Highly recommend both books!

Interesting note: I have seen many "Greatest Songs Ever Written" lists and "Like A Rolling Stone" always seems to be (if not number one) at the top of the list. It's certainly always the top Dylan song. And while I agree it is fantastically written and sounds great, there are other Dylan songs that I think should come first. Of course this is all my own humble opinion...but what about "The Times They Are A-Changin'"? I know it seems obvious, but when you take the time to think about it - not only are the lyrics incredible, but that song was so powerful at the time it was written. Maybe those lists are trying to look at the music and lyrics objectively (not in context), but to me, part of what makes a song so great is how it related to that point in history. Rotolo made a great point of this in her book: in the early 1960s, the new generation of young people were already starting to recognize the problems surrounding them, and beginning to stand up for change. Dylan's song served as an anthem for this new outlook, whether he meant for it to or not.

Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won’t come again
And don’t speak too soon
For the wheel’s still in spin
And there’s no tellin’ who that it’s namin’
For the loser now will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin’

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway
Don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There’s a battle outside and it is ragin’
It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin’

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin’
Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin’
And the first one now will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’

Cool Instruments, Pt. 3

2010-08-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

Looks like the theme of the week is Asia...

The dan bau is a Vietnamese instrument. It only has one string but you control the pitch with a wooden lever-type thing on the left side. The sound of it reminds me of a theremin, kinda creepy but really fascinating:

In case you didn't know, UCLA is really big on gamelan. It's a form of music from Indonesia, which uses large ensembles of metallophones and gongs. As any percussionist would be able to tell you, the following video is incredibly impressive. Not only are they splitting 16th notes, but doing it while playing a melodic line and simultaneously dampening the previous notes. Soooooo tight:

The surbahar is basically a bass sitar, and it is a beast. Today, hardly anyone plays it, but it was made popular through Imrat Khan and his family (my teacher's family!):

OMG THE 70s

2010-08-13T00:25:00.000-07:00

For some reason, my obsession tonight has been watching Sonny & Cher. They were great together. I mean, in performance. Too bad it didn't work out, but even so, I'm glad they were still able to do this:

AWWWWWWWW.

Inception memes

2010-08-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

Too funny not to post:

More here.

Current favorite music video

2010-08-10T23:52:00.000-07:00

I absolutely cannot stop watching this:

Coolest moves ever!! I now find myself doing the tightrope while making my way to the kitchen/down the hall/etc., while really wanting some legit saddle shoes. Janelle Monae is one classy chick.

Also, I wrote a quick blurb about Sufjan Stevens' upcoming tour which currently has the most hits out of all the articles on CultureMob! I guess it's just a hot topic right now, though I really do like Sufjan's music and I'm glad I got to write about it. Folky, quirky, colorful goodness:

Obvious note: I changed my blog layout to something a little less busy (in fact, I think the template was actually called "simple" haha). I'm gonna keep working on it, but for now I'm just glad you can see full widescreen videos. Off to watch "Tightrope" ten more times...

dci and listography

2010-07-29T19:11:00.000-07:00

Not going to lie, I haven't been keeping up with drum corps at all this season, except the occasional score-check and facebook posts from my friends on tour. And I'm not going to lie about this either, the only show I've watched is Cavies' ("Mad World"), because their repertoire is just too relevant to my interests: Mad World, Harrison's Dream(!), Dismantling Utopia, and Smile (YA, THE SAME SONG I'M ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT):

Random note: Yesterday at Urban Outfitters (I know, right?) I saw this cool book called Music Listography, which is basically High Fidelity and my itunes playlists combined. Lists include: Guilty Pleasure Songs (e.g. "Love Story" - Taylor Swift), Road Trip Songs ("Six Days on the Road" - Flying Burrito Brothers), Favorite TV Theme Songs (TAXI!), etc. But alas, the book was more than I wanted to pay, so I've decided to make my own. I always have more spiral notebooks than I know what to do with anyway. My listography book will include: Favorite Guitar Hero Songs, Totally Awesome 80's, Favorite Musicals, and Favorite Record Stores, just to name a few. Yay for new (and ongoing) projects.

Favorite Vocal Duos, GO!
-SIMON AND GARFUNKEL
-Bob Dylan and Joan Baez (early-mid 60s)
-Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris
-Lennon and McCartney
-???

I'm writing this in kind of a hurry, but I'm definitely planning on revisiting it later (videos, perhaps?). This is prime material for quick blog entries...I guess I'm running out of excuses for the lack of entries lately.
Anyway, more later...feel free to make your own lists and post them!

The Beatles are such hipsters

2010-07-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

Also, for some reason I REALLY like this picture:

So fashionable!

ROCK SHOW

2010-07-21T09:37:00.001-07:00

First of all, everyone has to see INCEPTION.

Mind-blowing movie. Also, I love Hans Zimmer's score.

Secondly, I've totally been slacking in terms of this blog. Especially when I've had some awesome things to write about. I can't just go to a Paul McCartney concert without hyping it like crazy (this marks my third separate blog about the concert). There were so many incredible songs and moments that I can't begin to name them all. It is amazing that Macca still rocks so hard...he showed some serious chops during his Jimi Hendrix tribute, and was rocking all the way until the second(!) encore, which included Helter Skelter and The End. The man is a god. As a salute to Macca, I am posting some of my favorite videos, from throughout his career:

Band on the Run. Pure classic. The song is so good I can forgive Paul for having a mullet.

Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five is one of my favorite Wings songs ever. This tour was the first time he'd ever played it live!!

Just to give you a little taste of the concert I went to, here's Live and Let Die at AT&T Park. Man, stadium concerts are great. Paul's little act at the end [2:30] was so funny. I loved every time he tousled his hair, just like BeatlePaul. :D Still so good looking!! Speaking of which...

In conclusion, I love Paul McCartney.

Nice ascot!

2010-06-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to see Toy Story 3 and ohhhh myyyyy goshhhhh, words can't describe how much I loved it. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me gasp and shout "OH NO HE DIDN'T!" at the screen...it was just an all-around great movie.

One of the most comforting things about going to see TS3 was that the theater was filled with people our age: the same kids who went to see the first Toy Story when it came out 15 years ago, and who saw the second one as preteens four years later. I was one of those kids who was convinced that my stuffed animals and Lion King figures and Beanie Babies all came alive when I left the room, and would run home and fling open the door in hopes of catching a few stragglers. Watching these films again makes me remember just how important those toys were to us, and how much time we spent playing with them. Now, even though we're college kids like Andy, we still have that soft spot for Woody and the rest of the gang. Somehow I feel a comforting connection with the Toy Story movies, and whenever I hear the outstanding movie reviews, it just makes me feel a little proud. :)

Anyway, I highly recommend this movie to anyone, but especially to those of us who grew up with Toy Story...it's as if our childhoods have come to a bittersweet end with the completion of the trilogy. Pixar is truly one of the best things to happen to our generation.

Also, watch the trailer here!

Silver Trees, etc.

2010-06-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

New favorite Asura song:

Silver Trees by asuraprojects

Find more by clicking the Asuraprojects link above. I also love the ethereal, atmospheric sound of High Life and Timber, and also the INSANELY phat/phunky/phantastic Low End Beat. Makes me wish I had a good sound system...

You'll see the sun come shining through

2010-05-29T16:13:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've mentioned this song so many times, but what can I say, I love it and so many of my favorite artists have covered it. I was (very) pleasantly surprised to find a version of the Chaplin song "Smile" performed by the Brazilian bloco afro Olodum, complete with tight beats and cheesy synth strings! Check it:

I've really been hyping the Brazilian stuff lately. It's just so fun to play, and listen to. And I love when two of my favorite things are combined. :)

A couple of other things:
-One of the many upcoming things that I cannot wait for: a George Harrison documentary produced by Martin Scorsese? Win.

-I just found out that Dennis Hopper has passed away. :( So long to one of the 60s' greatest icons...

Can you dig it? I knew that you could.

2010-05-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

Last night Alex and I saw Metropolis at the Royal down on Santa Monica. It was pretty fantastic, especially on the big screen. Sometimes I forget how wonderfully artistic - and dramatic - silent movies can be. In case you are unfamiliar, Metropolis is a 1927 sci-fi movie about a futuristic city run by workers ("the hands") and inhabited by the planners ("the mind"). Eventually the workers begin to be convinced that they are living unjustly, and things start getting crazy.

The movie was just recently restored with 30 minutes of extra footage thought to have been lost, making it just over 2 and a half hours long. It was also one of the most expensive film productions of all time, and had over 37,000 extras. All I can say is: epic.

Certain parts of the movie were unexpectedly trippy, this scene in particular (totally would've been banned by the Production Code). Anyway, definitely check it out if you are at all into silent movies, or want to be.

Another movie we recently watched was Saturday Night Fever, full of disco balls and Bee Gees and a lot more conflict than I realized. But of course, the best parts were any that involved John Travolta dancing:

Virtual Choir

2010-05-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

We watched this in my Music Tech class today and I found it fascinating. Each individual person recorded their own part and they were all overdubbed to create a virtual choir from around the world. We were trying to figure out how they got rid of all the extra noise that surely must have existed from all those different recordings. Nevertheless, it's really really cool:

Also, the reissue of "Exile on Main Street" comes out today! This is a big deal because - if you did not already know - Exile is my favorite album EVER. It's just so gritty and raw (recorded mostly in the basement of Keith Richards' French estate) and would accompany a Deep South roadtrip perfectly.

Some of my favorite songs:
Loving Cup
Ventilator Blues
Torn & Frayed

Also, the remaster has 10 new tracks which, from what I've heard, are no less legit and awesome than those chosen for the original cut.
New song: Plundered My Soul

I want to add more but have to go to tabla now. So just enjoy this Stonesy pic instead:

It's funny because it's true

2010-05-15T21:41:00.000-07:00

I also really like the Gatsby and peasant romance ones.

Dancing to zydeco

2010-05-13T16:36:00.001-07:00

Et toi!

In case you weren't aware, Simon and Garfunkel are scheduled for another tour this year! And in case you weren't aware (I certainly am), the tour dates got postponed from May to July, due to poor Garfunkel's vocal cords. Sad day! But they still performed at the New Orleans Jazz Fest last month, which produced some great videos (Paul Simon dance party ftw!). One of my favorites is "That Was Your Mother" from Paul's solo set:

Man, he loves to dance. I especially love the air-accordion, haha.

I like Tchaikovsky

2010-04-26T23:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the sparse/short entries recently! I've come across so many things I want to write about, but never seem to have the time to actually put together a post. This one's been waiting unfinished for a while, so I thought I'd share it before this blog becomes totally extinct:

I don't know where I obtained this record, but last time I was home I decided to put it on and rock out to good ol Pyotr. It's such an irrelevant album cover, but the music is totally legit. And I'm not gonna lie, I really want that chick's sweatshirt.

I recently found myself walking under the arches of Royce Hall while listening to the 1812 Overture (not the crazy-dramatic-fireworky ending, but the very beginning, which is hauntingly majestic in contrast). The combination of my surroundings and the music was strangely emotional. I felt like I should have been walking in slow-mo as if in a movie, the scene where the college grad is about to embark on the next great chapter of her life and is surveying her home for the past four years one last time. Very surreal.

Listen to it here.

Don't Stop Til You Get Enough

2010-04-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

Went to the UCLA percussion ensemble concert last week, and this was their encore piece, arranged by good friend Pat Weber!:

Glenalbyn House First Night

2010-04-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

Friday night I went to the first of a series of house concerts at the Glenalbyn house in Mt. Washington, hosted by our friend Michael Tessler. Performers included Ana Caravelle on harp, Ryan York on guitar, The Order of the Mopses, and DJ sets by Alex (aka Ricky Rice) and Nicholas Morera (aka [ a. d. l. r. ]). Almost all of the music consisted of original compositions by the performers, and Ryan's piece involved six guitarists playing in different rooms of the two-story house while people walked around, literally hearing music in every direction. Definitely one of my favorite parts of the night.

Anyway, recordings will be up soon at http://glenalbynhouse.org. In the meantime, you can read another blog post/short interview here and here, and look at some of my pictures!

Links to relevant websites:
Ana Caravelle/Anahita Navab
Asura/Ryan York
Ricky Rice/Alex Genco
[ a. d. l. r. ]/Nicholas Morera
The Mt. Washington Family Band

Cool Instruments, Pt. 2

2010-03-11T18:36:00.000-08:00

These are some of the instruments I've been exposed to recently. I realized that I'd heard them many times, but never knew what they looked like or how they are played. Anyway, check them out!

The kora is a stringed West African instrument that sounds like a mix between a classical guitar and a harp. We had a guest lecturer come into class and give us a mini concert, and I totally fell in love with the instrument. It's so beautiful!

Second cool instrument of the day: the berimbau. The berimbau is a kind of musical bow from Brazil...Kirk brought one into Brazil class last year and I got to try it; it's super hard to play! There's only one string but you can get so many sounds out of it, and you also hold a shaker along with the playing stick to get a cool rhythmic feel going:

I have lots more of these cool instruments posts lined up, but trying to space them out a bit so that non-Ethno people don't get too bored, haha. Until next time!

trepidation, speculation

2010-03-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

So I'm in the Brazilian drum ensemble at UCLA, also called BatUCLAda, and for the spring concert we are doing a cover of this:

The drummers in this video are a part of the Brazilian bloco afro Olodum (who also played on Paul Simon's album Rhythm of the Saints, including my favorite The Obvious Child!). Basically all the rhythms, songs, and choreography we do in BatUCLAda are from Olodum, so I've become really familiar with them, haha. Check out BatUCLAda videos here!

Additional note: Our arrangement is also going to include No Woman No Cry, complete with Portuguese lyrics. It's gonna be rockin. The concert is in May...this is an early reminder! :)

Happy George Day, Hare Krishna, and all that jazz.

2010-02-25T01:16:00.000-08:00

"With our love, we could save the world."

More later, maybe? The recent lack of entries is due to school getting really busy, booo. For now, just listen to one of my favorite George songs:

El Cascabel

2010-02-09T20:29:00.001-08:00

So today in my Chicano/a music class (yes, I am really taking that, don't laugh!), we listened to the following song:

Immediately I recognized it (particularly the string theme at 0:07), but couldn't for the life of me remember why. How would I possibly know this song, a traditional son jarocho from Veracruz? I had it stuck in my head all day and absolutely could not figure it out. THEN, about five minutes ago, I realized what I knew it from...

HAHA. Back in high school, Kenny Day got the great idea of doing a DDR-themed winter drumline show. As a result, he sent me several DDR songs (this one included) to arrange for pit. I don't think I got very far, but I definitely remember attempting it. I wish I still had the arrangements!

Anyway, I was just really excited I finally remembered what it was from. Also in class, we listened to La Bamba, yay! That song brings back so many memories...namely K-Earth 101 playing in the background of my mom's consignment shop when I was 5 years old. But I also realized I've always listened to the Los Lobos version thinking it was the original. Fail.

Anyway, back to studying. Chicano/a music basically just reminds me of home, and we all know how fun it is having Vista pride, haha. BEEESTUHHHH!

Wah! Kya baat hai!

2010-02-07T12:50:00.001-08:00

Last night I went to see Shujaat Khan and Abhiman Kaushal (my sitar and tabla teachers) perform at Occidental College. They were also joined by Miles Shrewsbery, one of Abhimanji's students. It was more amazing than I can describe in words...I am just in love with this music. And I love going to concerts because everyone is so moved by the music, and there is such great audience and performer interaction. Khan-Sahib played a piece in Kirvani, the raag we are currently studying, and at certain times he'd wink at us and play bits of the themes he's been teaching in class. It's so cool to know that what we are learning is being performed by a master in concert. He ended with a piece in Pahaadi, which was beautiful. You can see a video of my two teachers playing Pahaadi below.

I remember the first time I went to an Indian concert; it was to see Nishat Khan at Royce Hall my freshman year at UCLA. Back then I didn't know anything about sitar besides what I'd heard in Beatles songs, but my friend Sonali was nice enough to take me and explain some of the basics of raag and tal so I wasn't completely lost. I remember thinking it was really weird how the musicians kept shaking their heads as if something was wrong during the performance, and Sonali had to tell me that that's how they get into the music. At the time I thought it was really weird, but now I'm one of those people in the audience shaking their head and keeping tal...I don't even do it consciously, it's just like second nature. I guess I've been to a lot of Indian music concerts since then, haha.

look around round round

2010-01-26T21:59:00.000-08:00

I never know what to answer when people ask me what my favorite Beatles song is. I seem to rotate through several favorites, depending on my mood. Lately, with all the rain and gloom, I was ecstatic when the sun finally came out and "Dear Prudence" happened to play on my itunes. In fact, I was so happy that I decided to write a short tribute to the song (along with some interesting trivia, woo).

First of all, I know I've mentioned this before, but I am AMAZED that there are still Beatles lyrics I don't know. I honestly and truly believed I could sing every word to every song, but alas, I looked up the lyrics to "Dear Prudence" and found a line in the third verse that was new to me:

Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It's beautiful and so are you
Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play

Dear Prudence, open up your eyes
Dear Prudence, see the sunny skies
The wind is low, the birds will sing
That you are part of everything
Dear Prudence, won't you open up your eyes?

Look around round round
Look around round round
Oh look around

Dear Prudence, let me see you smile
Dear Prudence, like a little child
The clouds will be a daisy chain
So let me see you smile again
Dear Prudence, won't you let me see you smile?

Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It's beautiful and so are you
Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play

"The clouds will be a daisy chain"?!?! How have I never heard that before?? What great imagery! Haha, maybe it seems insignificant but it's a really big deal to me, as I've been loving to this song for 10 years and apparently never even knew all the lyrics. Same thing happened with "Baby You're A Rich Man", which contains the following verse:

How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people?
Tuned to a natural E
Happy to be that way.
Now that you've found another key
What are you going to play?

I guess this is a prime example of my terrible habit of passive listening. I know I've heard these songs hundreds of times and still never paid attention to all the words. It's also proof that the Beatles still never fail to amaze me. :)

Also interesting to note: For a while during the White Album sessions, Ringo got fed up and left the band temporarily, so Paul actually played drums on this song. Along the same lines as the lyrics stuff, I never realized how cool the drum part was until I tried to play it on Beatles Rock Band. About 3 minutes in it gets pretty rockin'. Go Paul!

Asura

2010-01-18T19:02:00.000-08:00

My friend Ryan just released his first album under the name Asura, and I want to celebrate it with a blog post! The official release date is tomorrow, January 19, but I was lucky enough to hear the entire album on vinyl last quarter when a small group of us got together to preview it. The record label, Non Projects, is a local label founded by recent UCLA grad Brian Simon, and also features LA artists Nicholas Morera and Ana Caravelle.

I've had the immense privilege of seeing Ryan/Asura at work, both creating and performing his material, and I have to admit that I previously had no idea the kind of detail and attention that goes into creating this kind of music. I'm hesitant to call it "atmospheric" because it's way more layered and powerful than that. I'm also trying to avoid the word "electronic" which usually makes one think of techno or dance, and besides, a lot of the instrumental parts were actually recorded by Ryan himself, as well as the vocals. Just check it out yourself!

Asura on Boomkat - you can listen to all of the songs but there are pesky little beeps every 30 seconds to prevent copying. My favorites are "Manzanita", "Timber", and "Feathers". I can't wait to get the album on vinyl!

Also see:
Asura on Myspace
Non Projects website
LA Weekly review

More to come soon!

Of the Blue Colour of the Sky

2010-01-11T22:43:00.001-08:00

edit: OK. Just stop everything right now and take a couple minutes to watch this video and you will see why OK Go is so amazing to me. SERIOUSLY. It is unbelievable how amazing they are.

Original post: OK Go's new album comes out tomorrow!!!! You better bet I'll be on the first bus to Amoeba after class gets out. I am stoked. Back in May last year when Jocelyn, Lauren, and I saw OK Go in San Diego, they played a bunch of songs from this album and we've been (not so) patiently waiting for it ever since! You can listen to the album in full here. So far my favorites are "This Too Shall Pass", "Skyscrapers", and "Last Leaf". I LOVE THIS BAND!

The new single/video for the song is a major trip (in Damian's words, "psychediculous"). Check it out!

The "making of" video is also pretty great. Dan-with-chair is still my favorite part.

Also, I feel terrible for not knowing this until today, but Ringo Starr also has a new album due out tomorrow! Ahhh what a horrible Beatles fan I am! The first two videos here give you a sneak peek. I've never really gotten too into Ringo's solo stuff, but the two songs in these videos feature Paul McCartney aaaand tabla. What's not to like??

Concert for Bangladesh

2009-12-30T13:45:00.000-08:00

I've been in a total George Harrison mood these past few days, and as a result I put the Concert for Bangladesh on my Netflix, only to realize today that I actually own it, haha. It was hidden away in my closet, this really nice DVD box set with a poster and sticker and postcards and everything. So of course I had to watch it right away. :)

This was the first real benefit concert of its kind (it was 1971). George arranged the whole thing and it includes Ravi Shankar, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, and Ringo Starr, to name a few. One of my favorite numbers was "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," with a guitar-duet by Eric and George at the end (I found out later that Eric was completely out of his head during this performance):

Also, a really amazing performance by Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan (the last couple minutes are incredible!):

More about the concert.

Sadhanipa, from Passages

2009-12-27T21:41:00.000-08:00

edit: The recording sometimes doesn't work for me the first time, but if you refresh the page and click the play button again, it should. :)

There are several really cool things about this recording. Firstly, it is from an album that was a collaboration between Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass, two absolute revolutionaries in the world of music. Secondly, it was our second movement and drum break in Esperanza's 2006 show, Chakra. Thirdly, the tabla player is none other than Abhiman Kaushal, my teacher for past year at UCLA. I have only recently just put all three of these things together, and it's given me an even greater appreciation for the entire album. Definitely listen to it, if you get a chance!

This song was one of the very first to go on my iPod when I went on tour in '06. I listened to it constantly and it's amazing to me that now, approximately four years later, I am taking lessons from Abhiman Kaushal and Shujaat Khan, have seen Ravi Shankar in concert, and spend virtually every day playing sitar and tabla. My 17-year-old self would be floored!

Garry Chrimble

2009-12-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

This is just about the sweetest Christmas greeting ever:

cool instruments, pt. 1

2009-12-23T11:30:00.000-08:00

So I TOTALLY did not catch this at the concert, but there is a theremin solo two minutes into "The Boxer"!! How did that get there? "Hey Artie, you know what would sound great in this instrumental break...?" Haha, I love how S&G always add subtle (and apparently not-so-subtle) changes when they play live:

The theremin is fascinating to me. We talked about it a lot in film class, because it's always associated with the strange or mentally unstable (Spellbound, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)...even though its most famous player Clara Rockmore hated that connotation and used it solely for classical pieces. By the way, if you've never seen a theremin being played before, definitely watch the Clara Rockmore video, it's insane. The player never touches the instrument, but instead moves his or her hands in relation to two antennae which generate pitch and volume. It's wicked cool.

Mini Keef Vid-Spam

2009-12-18T20:15:00.000-08:00

In celebration of Keith Richards' 66th birthday, here are two of my very favorite Stones songs (I love when they do country!), both sung by Keith. It seems unexpected that such a haggard guy always sings the ballads, haha...but he's a total softie at heart. :)

This next one was recorded in 1969...big difference in his voice!:

And finally, I came across this video on YouTube and thought it was extremely interesting: Stones in the studio. If anything, just watch the first couple of seconds for classic Keef (and some great fashion). I also like the subtle Mick-Rooster-Dance at 4:50. I love these guys!!

have some holiday cheer

2009-12-17T22:06:00.001-08:00

Tonight I watched the SNL Christmas Special, which replayed a bunch of Christmas skits from throughout the show's history. I especially enjoyed the ones from the 70s, probably because that's the cast I know and love most...Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner...they were all so great! So now, in celebration of Christmas (and the 70s), here is my favorite SNL cast hamming it up to Winter Wonderland:

syntax! extrareferential!

2009-12-13T21:10:00.000-08:00

This quarter I took a really cool class called Psychology of Film Music, and for my final paper, I compared Chaplin's City Lights and The Great Dictator (didn't see that coming, did ya? :P). One was a silent film and one was a talkie, but it's interesting how much they overlapped in certain aspects. For instance, with the exception of a couple of lines (also, if the title of the film wasn't so blatantly there), it'd be hard to tell if the following clip was from the silent movie or the talkie:

I think it's cool that Charlie still used a LOT of silent film techniques even in his later movies, and that it was still super effective. It's one of the reasons I love him. :)

Supplementary videos:
- One of my favorite parts of The Great Dictator: Hynkel and Napaloni.
- Contains spoilers, but AHHHH it's just so good: City Lights ending. If I'm in the right mood, this scene will make me cry, no joke. And the music really does add a lot, especially the part where she realizes who he is.
- Someone made a Great Dictator remix using the final speech and scenes from the rest of the movie. It is AMAZING.

CHA chi-CHA chi-CHA

2009-12-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Hulu, Alex's DVDs, and finals week, I am already on the third season of Arrested Development. It is a hilarious show, and I can't believe it took me this long to start watching it. My favorite part is whenever this happens:

Arrested Development Chicken Dances

Winter break starts tomorrow, lots more entries on the way!

Bob, who ARE you??

2009-11-18T12:31:00.000-08:00

I couldn't wait until Christmas to post this:

I'm not sure what to think...I mean, it's Bob Dylan wearing a Santa hat and dancing. What?? Also, I can't believe that this is the first Dylan-related post in this blog. Hahaha, I'm a little sorry it had to be this way.

repeat-post, whatev

2009-11-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

Last night when I got tired of working on my paper I started watching Monkees instead. Forgot how much I loved this:

Fact: Mike wrote that song (called Different Drum) and it later became a hit for Linda Ronstadt. RANDOM!

Pictures Out of Context, Pt. II

2009-10-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

Appropriately, Paul Simon:

I don't even know where that last one came from. Looks like he's having a pretty deep conversation with that toucan, though.

PRECISELY 48 HOURS UNTIL I SEE PAUL SIMON LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!

awesome combination

2009-10-22T00:46:00.000-07:00

These guys (Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Zakir Hussain) are playing at Royce Hall tomorrow, but unfortunately tickets sold out before we could get them. Also this weekend is the AMNA (Africa Meets North America) Symposium and Festival at UCLA, which I'll be attending both for class and because it looks cool. Next week is a concert and Q&A with Alicia Keys (random, right?)...There are so many great concerts at this school!

we all shine on

2009-10-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

Oy. School has started and now I can't update this thing pointlessly three times a week anymore. Bummer. I missed John Day so this is my late tribute:

John Lennon, Oct. 9 1940 - Dec. 8 1980

John Entwistle, Oct. 9 1944 - June 27 2002

Two of the greatest!

Also, one more thing from the Rock Hall website:

NEW SPECIAL GUESTS
October 14th, 2009
We have just added BB King to play with Stevie Wonder on October 29th and Buddy Guy to play with Eric Clapton on October 30th.

Epic! 15 DAYS!!!!!

the way we look to a distant constellation

2009-10-03T01:06:00.000-07:00

I try to not post about the same thing in two consecutive entries, but it's hard to do when ALL I've been watching and listening to is S&G-related, haha. Anyway, I posted another entry that I've been working on for a while, and since it's not one of the more exciting ones, I'm ok with it just being filler between two Paul Simon posts, hahah.

So I found the following video the other day...It's about the recording of Graceland (there are others too, like Who's Next, Dark Side of the Moon, Disraeli Gears, etc.). It's fascinating! All of Paul Simon's albums are so well-produced and it's awesome to see how many different elements can go into one song alone. I can't believe I never really heard those backing vocals before...they are so obviously there! I love discovering new things in songs I've heard countless times. I really don't think I will ever tire of Graceland...It is seriously one of the best albums ever.

Also, I had this saved in a notepad document and decided to do it because I was slightly bored:

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. ~~Pass it on to at least 10 people and include me. You can't use the band I used.~~ Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think!

Pick your Artist:
Paul Simon, of course

Are you a male or female?
Hey Schoolgirl

Describe yourself:
I Am A Rock
haha j/k...maybe.

How do you feel:
59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)

Describe where you currently live:
...America

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
All Around the World Or the Myth Of Fingerprints

Your favorite form of transportation:
Train in the Distance

Your best friend is:
Still Crazy After All These Years

What's the weather like:
Outrageous
-ly beautiful.

Favorite time of day:
Well, not Wednesday Morning 3 a.m....and not really Late in the Evening but it's pretty much the only one that'd work, haha

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called:
Punky's Dilemma
...just because I like the name :)

What is life to you:
Crazy Love, Vol. II

Your fear:
Slip Slidin' Away

What is the best advice you have to give:
Keep the Customer Satisfied

Thought for the Day:
I Know What I Know

How I would like to die:
Blessed

My soul's present condition:
(peaceful as a) Hurricane Eye

My motto:
Have A Good Time

And finally, here is a video of scary bearded Paul Simon accepting a Grammy. Who is the announcer woman? She scares me too.

autobiography reviews

2009-10-03T01:02:00.000-07:00

...Just what you wanted to see, I'm sure. Haha. I've definitely gotten back into reading for fun lately (by "lately" I mean the last year or so, and by "fun" I mean instead of schoolwork), but when I look at the books I've read since then I realize they were almost all autobiographies. What can I say - I love reading about people's lives, haha. It's like I said in some earlier post, regular researchy biographies bore me, but I am fascinated by almost any autobiography. I love the idea of someone telling you their own story. Without ever having met them, it's the closest you can get to knowing the true person, through their memories and reflections.

Some of the autobiographies I read were rather silly and the result of my obsessions at the time (for example, I not only read Charlie Chaplin's autobio but also those of his son and second wife, haha). I'll spare you all the details and instead just pick a few to mention. So if you're ever interested in reading about any of these people, here are some short reviews with little to no credibility:

Wonderful Tonight - Pattie Boyd. Haven't you always wanted to hear about the infamous George-Eric-Pattie love triangle? ...Ok if not, maybe you won't want to read this book, haha. Nevertheless, it's a great account of the swinging 60s and two of the greatest guitarists to ever live. Separate entry about this book here.

I'm A Believer: My Life of Monkees, Music, & Madness - Micky Dolenz. This wasn't so much an autobiography as a collection of memoirs and hilarious anecdotes (my favorite being when Mike punches the wall). There were some great stories about growing up in show biz and partying in the 60s. Short and simple, yet very entertaining.

John - Cynthia Lennon. As the title suggests, this is Cynthia's account of her life with John Lennon. Not gonna lie, it's a pretty depressing read. You can tell they loved each other in the beginning, but most of the book is just about how John was a bad father and how Cynthia obviously doesn't like Yoko. It'll make you dislike all three of them, haha.

My Autobiography - Charles Chaplin. This was a pretty dang long book, but I couldn't put it down. It takes you from the streets of London to the high life in Hollywood to retirement in Switzerland and everywhere in between. It's funny and almost unnatural that Charlie speaks so verbosely when you're used to seeing his silent tramp character. Lots of cool stories about dinners with Einstein and Rachmaninoff, parties at the Hearst place, meeting Ghandi, etc. Really interesting!

My Wonderful World of Slapstick - Buster Keaton. Compared to Charlie Chaplin's book, this one was much more colloquial and down-to-earth, which was nice. It was just as if Buster was your (supercool) grandpa telling you his story. It was very insightful, giving both honest and entertaining accounts of early Hollywood. It made me realize how much I love Buster Keaton as a person; he was so humble and never took his fame for granted.

Sunshine and Shadow - Mary Pickford. This was a nice read, but nothing too memorable. My favorite parts were when she talked about Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin and how they would "run around Pickfair like 10-year-olds". Mary gives the impression of being kind of snooty, but also very aware of Hollywood life and the whole business side of it, which I definitely respect her for.

Harpo Speaks! - Harpo Marx. Autobiographies are a really good indication of one's personality, and this book taught me that Harpo Marx was one of the sweetest, kindest, and funniest men to ever live. I didn't know anything about him prior to reading this, but became a faithful fan thereafter. I even wrote a long entry about it here. Highly highly recommended!

On the to-read list: Bob Hope, Marion Davies, Lucille Ball (for a second time), and Bill Clinton. Oh yes.

This summer I've been reading books about New York (A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, Bonfire of the Vanities, Forever) to get more excited about my NY trip. It's working! More reviews to come ~~soon~~ someday...

From the Rock Hall 25 website

2009-09-28T18:42:00.000-07:00

Special Guests Added!

There are a few special guests we have just released who will be joining the artists already announced. James Taylor, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Little Richard, Jeff Beck and Sting are few of the amazing artists who will be joining us these nights. More will be announced in the future.
Who would you like to see them play with?

Ummmm, James Taylor and Paul Simon, y/n?? Not only because he always comes up on my Paul Simon playlist, but also because of this:

Haha Paul Simon looks like a little kid! It's weird to hear him doing the upper harmonies. Too bad it cuts out at the last(?) song.

I am also excited for Jackson Browne because I absolutely love The Pretender, excited for Bonnie Raitt because I know my parents like her, and excited for Little Richard because it's LITTLE RICHARD. Hahaha I mean, I dunno if they'll be at the Thursday or Friday show, but either way, they're all awesome. 30 DAYS!!

edit: Oh nevermind, the website lists who'll be playing with who. James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, and Jackson Browne are performing with CS&N. AMAZING! Also on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website, there are individual pages for each of the performing artists. On the S&G page, it describes them as a "meticulous, bookish duo" and then goes on to say that after their breakup in 1970, "both men entered the new decade as solo artists. Garfunkel tended toward adult-oriented pop, while Simon wrote and recorded wry, angst-filled songs spiced with ethnic accents." I think that is a hilarious description, but a true one, haha.

'neath the halo of a streetlamp

2009-09-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

TWO OF MY FAVORITE THINGS COMBINED. I LOVE WHEN THAT HAPPENS:

It kind of gives you a totally different impression of the Monkees, haha. Probably because all the trippy, psychedelic stuff comes from the movie, which was nothing like the silly, happy-go-lucky TV show.

Also, I recently found out that Mike Nesmith has a Twitter account. PapaNez bahahaha! This doesn't stop me from hating Twitter, but it IS fun to read. Apparently he's writing a book??

more great discoveries

2009-09-25T21:58:00.001-07:00

Firstly, Sam Tsui is amazing (yes, it is all the same guy...except the beat-boxing dude):

And secondly, this website is full of hilarious nerdy history comics and I can't stop reading them. No seriously, they are great (click to enlarge):

Thanks to Lauren for showing me the website, and to my mom for telling me about Sam Tsui!

I love taking pictures out of context

2009-09-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

Example one: The Beatles:

And my favorite...

More soon. :)

Old LA pics

2009-09-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

Been looking at this website...lots of great old pics from campus! This one is dated May 19, 1970:

LISTENING TO THE MUSIC OF PEACE--Throng of UCLA students in Royce Hall Quad as Los Angeles Philharmonic director Zubin Mehta, on podium at the lower right, conducts university's music department in performance of peace music from Handel's "Messiah." About 5,000 students, faculty members were on hand.

Why doesn't this kind of stuff happen anymore?? Here are some more:

AT WESTWOOD -- President Robert Gordon Sproul of the University of California is shown addressing U.C.L.A. students yesterday at which time he warned that Communist propaganda is invading local college campuses. 1947.

WOE IS ME!-The parking problem at UCLA is illustrated by Mary Ann Harmon's frustration, above. The Pasadena girl, a business major, is looking for her car in one of UCLA's packed parking lots. 1961. [psh, they thought it was bad THEN...]

NEW LOCATION--Youthful salesmen who wave frantically at passing motorists to spur sales of maps showing the homes of movie stars have been forced to get out of Los Angeles. But they have located just outside city limits on Sunset Blvd. 1973. [Star maps are still abundant in the outskirts of Hollywood along Sunset Blvd, though now it's sketchy looking men who are selling them - maybe it's just the same kids grown up, hahah.]

Cityscape of pedestrians, car traffic and buildings on fifth street, downtown Los Angeles, Calif. circa 1920.

You can disregard whatever I said a year ago about living in the midwest. I like it out there and all, but I LOVE THE CITY. There's just so much to do...so much excitement. I think a lot of this has to do with finally being able to fully explore LA this summer. I had so much fun going to places like the Hollywood Bowl, Venice Beach, the mountains in Malibu, cruising down Sunset and Wilshire and stopping at random places ranging from cemeteries to art galleries. There are endless possibilities here in LA, and though it's going to be a bit more of a challenge without a car, I'm going to continue my city adventures while I still can!

you are forgiiiiiiiiven

2009-09-18T21:32:00.001-07:00

I watched Amazing Journey tonight, and it was exactly that: AMAAAAZING. It covers the entire career of The Who, from their childhood to 2007. The whole thing, I discovered, is actually on YouTube (watch part of it here <- 1973-1974 era Who is my favorite). I also went on The Who website and read that Pete's writing a new rock opera...Floss?? Not so sure about the title, Pete, but I trust that you will make it cool.

The following video - much like my experience with AHDN and The Beatles - is what made me first fall in love with The Who. Not sure what did it...John's falsetto at the end? Pete's sequined vest? Keith's crazy antics or Roger's fringe?...or maybe just the whole late-60s vibe that made all of those things ok. Previously, it was rare for a pop song to exceed 3 or 4 minutes. But Pete decided that he didn't care and wrote a 7-minute rock opera and THAT is why I love him. YAY for bands that are innovative!

check, check, sibilance, sibilance

2009-09-18T00:04:00.001-07:00

The Internet holds so many great and hilarious things that I can't possibly make a coherent entry right now. Best discoveries of the day:

Hot 'N Cold - played by a Ukranian Polka Band. EVEN BETTER than it sounds; do yourself a favor and click it.

Aerosmith on Wayne's World - also featuring Tom Hanks as their roadie. So much greatness in one video!

The Ballad Of Buster Baxter - If you ever wanted to see Art Garfunkel as an animated, guitar-playing moose, now's your chance. Lauren and I watched the whole episode and I honestly laughed so hard I cried. SAD, SAD BUNNY.

fool's gold

2009-09-14T22:58:00.000-07:00

My most recent Netflix movie was The Gold Rush (Disc 2, to be exact). It's the only Charlie Chaplin film I hadn't seen and I'm not sure why; a lot of people say it's their favorite. Anyway, I may or may not have been persuaded to watch it from this fan video:

Awwwwww. I loved it! There are two versions of the film, one is the original 1925 silent movie, and the other is the re-released 1942 version, with Charlie's own score and narration. Even though his music is a hundred times better than the original, everyone seems to hate the narration. I've only watched part of it and I have to agree. Nothing against Charlie's cute, often-melodramatic English accent, but it's not a silent movie when there's talking!! Besides, the "capslock rage" title cards were one of my favorite parts of the original, haha.

Point of this post: if you ever watch The Gold Rush, watch the SILENT version. The end.

"That's not true"

2009-09-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

Everything I know about the VMA incident was gathered from Facebook statuses, what else is new? Anyway, all you really need to know is that Kanye West is a douche. But I am so amused someone made this video:

Liverpool/Hamburg picspam!

2009-09-10T23:29:00.001-07:00

WOOOOOOOO let's just call this Beatles Week and now I have the perfect excuse to post countless entries about the Fab Four. Today's tribute: Pre-Fab-Beatles! Nothing against Brian Epstein (major Brian-post coming up sometime in the near future), but I loved the Beatles' look before he found them and "cleaned them up." MMMMMMM LEATHER:

This was all pre-Ringo, although Ringo was in a band of his own called Rory Storm and the Hurricanes...

...who were a little more clean-cut:

...Meanwhile:

Haha, John is totally deploying star power in that pic. I can't believe they're only like 18 in these photos. By the time they were my age the Beatles had taken over the world AHHHHHHH.

09.09.09

2009-09-09T23:50:00.000-07:00

As some of you may be aware, today I went to go see Conan and it was awwwwesome. Katie, Olivia, Brett, and I were in the audience on tonight's show, which is on RIGHT. NOW. I got the tickets way in advance, so we had no idea who'd be there...turned out to be Tom Arnold, Tim Meadows, and Reba McEntire, haha. That was cool and all, but if only we'd ended up on yesterday's show, featuring DHANI HARRISON. He came on the show to promote the new Beatles Rock Band and the remastered albums collection. He and Conan even played a song on the game:

Haha Dhani is having too much fun. :) Every time I see/hear him, I can't help but imagine it's George. Katie and I were talking about how amazingly awesome it'd be if the Beatles' sons got together to form The Beatles, Jr....it's totally possible:

The Lennon sons, Sean and Julian:

James McCartney:

Zak Starkey:

And of course, Dhani:

It would blow my mind. In a good way, of course. WHY HASN'T THIS HAPPENED YET?!?

pic of the day

2009-09-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

Fwoah. I just died a little bit:

John, why are you in long sleeves and a vest when CLEARLY the point of this picture is for all the fangirls to swoon over the shirtless Beatles?! And who is that random person sunbathing in the background?

Tomorrow is 9.9.09, quite possibly the most epic date of the year. At least for a Beatles fan. I was going to make an equally epic post, but got sidetracked and a little stressed from other matters. :\ No worries though, be on the lookout for some awesome Beatleness within the next few days!

90 years later....

2009-08-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

I've realized that I love when people make Charlie Chaplin tributes on YouTube. They usually combine a lot of silly clips with some unexpected song (Sexyback, I'm On A Boat, Shoes, etc.) and the result can be pretty great. I guess most of them are a little more normal, and those are great too.

This one is dedicated to Charlie and Edna Purviance, the leading lady in almost all of his early short films. She's my favorite! I love watching these clips because it looks like they had so much fun making those movies:

My second favorite leading lady is Paulette Goddard, who appeared in two of Charlie's later films, Modern Times and The Great Dictator. And luckily enough, there's a tribute video for her too (made by the same person, I think, haha). There are so many covers of the song "Smile"...I really like this one but I can't figure out who it is, sad day.

In conclusion, I love YouTube. I love Charlie Chaplin. The end!

Happy birthday Gene Kelly!

2009-08-23T00:24:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we went to see Singin' in the Rain at the Hollywood Cemetery, which was just as awesome as it sounds. I've only seen the the movie twice, and each time was on the big screen (or in this case, the big wall?). I love being part of a crowd where everyone laughs along with you and cheers after each dance routine. So fun!

I really think this movie deserves to be on my list of favorites; I'm not even a big fan of musicals but there are so many parts I could watch over and over. Donald O'Connor was fantastic and as I think I've mentioned before, Gene Kelly was a total dreamboat. It's hard to imagine he was 40 years old in this movie, haha. And no matter how cheesy these musicals might be, you can't deny that those guys can REALLY FREAKING DANCE. Watch this whole thing and tell me you aren't amazed:

I love how anything can be turned into a song and dance number, haha. Also, I love watching a movie and then driving past all the places that were mentioned/seen in the movie on the way home. Yay LA!

an overdue entry

2009-08-21T01:55:00.000-07:00

Way back in spring, I happened to come across the book Harpo Speaks in the library and, as I usually do with any book that seems the least bit interesting, curiously opened to the first chapter. After two pages (plus the funny personalized inscription inside the cover) I was hooked. I didn't even know anything about Harpo Marx, aside from the fact that he never spoke on camera, but I checked out the book and read all 475 pages over the course of a week and a half (which happened to be - not so coincidentally - right around the time of finals). I don't think it was very conducive to my studying, but it kept me entertained, and for that reason I was really sad to come to the end of it. Like, really sad. It was then I decided that autobiographies are my favorite kind of book, maybe because reading them is so bittersweet. At least, that's the case with most of the autobiographies I've read, which are almost always written by people who have long since passed away. It's like you go on a journey with this person through their entire life, listening to them tell their story, but in the end, you're the one who knows how the full story ends.

But anyway, Harpo's book was like the prime example of a perfect autobiography. More than once I laughed aloud while reading it. Also more than once I had tears in my eyes. I can't even remember the last time a book made me cry (ok scratch that, I can: The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan...I was in the backseat of my parents' car sniffling and reaching for tissues). Everything about this book - the way it's written, the hilarious, often unbelievable content, the author himself - is impossible not to love. It covers literally everything from the vaudeville days in turn-of-the-century New York to Harpo's "retirement" in mid-1960s Palm Springs. I love that it's long enough to establish running jokes with the reader, and that you really get to know every single person in the book, just like Harpo did. I had bookmarked several passages that I especially loved, and because I hadn't gotten around to writing them down, I've kept the book all summer. I must have renewed it 20 times, haha. I guess before the library comes after me I should save the parts I like and return it.

I bookmarked so many pages, but these are some of my favorites. I loved them so much I don't mind spending two hours typing up this entry (which is what I've been doing, haha). I especially enjoyed the stories from Harpo's childhood, which he told with such wonderful imagery and enthusiasm that I'd be completely content if the first third of the autobiography was a book in itself. I still cannot for the life of me figure out how to hide text/pictures with a cut, so I've just bombarded my blog with italicized text. And I don't mind:

Back when the Giants were in New York:
I was a loyal fan but I could never afford, naturally, the price of admission to the Polo Grounds. Then I discovered a spot on Coogan's Bluff, a high promontory behind the Polo Grounds, from which there was a clear view of the ballpark. Well, a clear view - yes, but clear only of the outside wall of the grandstand, a section of the bleachers, and one narrow, tantalizing wedge of the playing field.
So to tell the truth, I didn't really watch the Giants. I watched a Giant - the left fielder.
When the ball came looping or bounding into my corner of the field, I saw real live big-league baseball. The rest of the time - which was most of the time - I watched a tiny man in a white or gray uniform standing motionless on a faraway patch of grass.
Other kids collected pictures of Giants such as McGraw, McGinnity, and Matthewson. Not me. I was forever faithful to Sam Mertes, undistinguished left fielder, the only New York Giant I ever saw play baseball.
Eventually I came to forgive Sam for all the hours he stood around, waiting for the action to come his way. It must have been just as frustrating for him down on the field as it was for me up on the bluff. It was easy for pitchers or shortstops to look flashy. They took lots of chances. My heart was with the guy who was given the fewest chances to take, the guy whose hope and patience never dimmed. Sam Mertes, I salute you! In whatever Valhalla you're playing now, I pray that only right-handed pull-hitters come to bat, and the ball comes sailing your way three times in every inning.

[after realizing the Marx family is broke]:
I came out of my daze. I was startled to find I was standing watching an auction sale. The inventory of a little general store in the suburbs was being auctioned off. There were about twenty people there. I was careful to keep my hands in my pockets, so I could resist any crazy impulse to make a bid, and blow my entire capital of seven cents.
The shelves were nearly emptied and most of the crowd had left, but I still hung around, having nothing better to do with myself. Finally everything was gone except one scrub brush, the former owner, hovering in the background, the auctioneer, myself, and an elderly Italian couple. They elderly couple had been there all the time. Either they had no money or they were too timid to make a bid on anything. Whichever it was, they exchanged sad looks now that the auction was winding up.
The auctioneer was tired. "All right," he said. "Let's get it over with and not horse around. I have left here one last desirable item. One cleansing brush in A-number-one, brand-new condition, guaranteed to give you floors so clean you can eat off them. What am I offered?"
The old Italian guy and his wife looked at each other, searching for the right thing to say. The auctioneer glared at them. "All right!" he yelled. "It's only a goddam scrub brush!" They held on to each other like they had done something wrong.
I said, quickly, "One cent."
The auctioneer whacked his gavel. He sighed and said, "Sold-thank-God-to-the-young-American-gentleman-for-one-cent."
I picked up my brush and handed it to the old lady. She was as touched as if I had given her the entire contents of the store. The old man grabbed my hand and pumped it. They both grinned at me and poured out a river of Italian that I couldn't understand. "Think nothing of it," I said, and added, "Ciao, eh?" - which was the only Italian I could remember from 93rd Street.
They thought this was pretty funny, the way I said it, and they walked away laughing. I walked away laughing too. A day that had started out like a nothing day, going nowhere except down, had turned into a something day, with a climax and a laugh for a finish. I couldn't explain it, but I hadn't felt so good in years. A lousy penny scrub brush had changed the whole complexion of life.

It was a sparkling clear morning in May. After the kids went off to school I felt like practicing an extra hour or so before shooting a round of golf, so I moved the harp out by the big west window.
Susan was in her room, sewing, working on a dress for Minnie's first dance. The dogs climbed out of the pool, shook themselves, and ran off to look for the horses, to see if they could get up a friendly game of tag. The only sound was the sound of the harp. There was no wind outside. The nearest thing to any movement was the changing of the shadows on the mountains, as the sun rose in the sky. I was surrounded by peace.
I got to thinking as I played about how lucky I was to be who I was, where I was - an old faun's ass, the father of four children, sitting in an air-conditioned house, admiring the spectacle of the California desert while I made music, with nothing more to worry about than whether I should keep making music and enjoying the view and then play nine holes of golf, or quit now and play eighteen holes. I decided to keep practicing.

Some of the rules that came to be established in the Marx household:
-Life has been created for you to enjoy, but you won't enjoy it unless you pay for it with some good, hard work.
-If anything makes you sore, come out with it. Maybe the rest of us are itching for a fight too.
-If anything strikes you funny, out with that too. Let's all the rest of us have a laugh.
-If you have an impulse to do something you're not sure is right, go ahead and do it. Take a chance. Chances are, if you don't you'll regret it.
-If it's a question of whether to do what's fun or what is supposed to be good for you, and nobody is hurt by whichever you do, always do what's fun.
-If things get too much for you and you feel the whole world's against you, go stand on your head. If you can think of anything crazier to do, do it.
-Don't worry about what other people think. The only person in the world important enough to conform to is yourself.
-Anybody who mistreats a pet or breaks a pool cue is docked a month's pay.

For someone whose voice was silent for so many years, Harpo sure had a lot to say, haha. And I'm so glad he did.

and it's the same old story....

2009-08-19T23:05:00.000-07:00

You know what I love about Simon and Garfunkel? Their songs never get old. In fact, the more I listen to any given S&G song, the more I love it. It doesn't matter if it's one of the more obscure ones (Keep the Customer Satisfied!!) or one that everyone knows...for example, today while driving to work I had Sounds of Silence on repeat and switched off between vocal parts each time because I just couldn't get enough of the amazing harmonies (don't worry, on Wednesdays I don't carpool, haha). I love that there can be just two voices and a guitar and still so much to listen to.

And now, video time! For some reason, I always assume that videos taken from the crowd are not going to be worth watching. But that's not the case with this one, from New Zealand earlier this summer. Right at the end of the second verse, Paul Simon's mic goes out, and the audience takes over for the chorus (love the accent from the guy holding the camera, haha :) ...awesome.

I also hardly ever watch recent videos of bands I like, but I have to keep reminding myself that the Simon and Garfunkel I'm going to see aren't 25 years old anymore, haha. However, these videos give me faith that they'll be just as amazing - maybe even more so - than 40 years ago. AHHHH I CAN'T WAIT!!

vaya con dios

2009-08-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

R.I.P. Les Paul
June 9, 1915 – August 13, 2009

I was so sad to hear of Les Paul's death today...I know he was pretty old but he seemed to be so full of life still! I was really hoping I'd get to see him perform live at some point. Up until his death, he played every Tuesday at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York. Pretty impressive, especially at age 94. In case you missed my earlier entries, Les Paul was an amazing musician and inventor, creator of the famous Les Paul guitar and many modern recording techniques. Honestly, if not for him the music world would be completely different (and definitely not as cool).

Thanks, Les, for being so awesome.

oh the Lennon/McCartney love

2009-08-12T23:47:00.000-07:00

It's a running joke among my generation of Beatles fans that John and Paul had a "thang" going on (not meant to be taken seriously, as you'll see)...and that is how videos like these are born, hahaha. You can't deny it's hilarious...I mean c'mon, George and Ringo as Timon and Pumbaa? WINSAUCE:

And really, that is the only reason for this post. I must admit, I've always thought this was one of the ~~sexiest~~ most artistic pictures ever taken...

....HAWT.

and I won't forget to put roses on your grave

2009-08-12T00:10:00.003-07:00

I can't believe I've had this blog for nearly a year and haven't done a Stones post yet. What is wrong with me?? I also consciously remembered Mick's birthday and failed to do a celebratory post, so I am going to make up for that right...now.

What I love about this band is that they can do almost any genre and make it sound good. ESPECIALLY blues. They are also great at country-rock, which is one of the main reasons Exile On Main Street is my favorite album ever. That being said, I feel that a shameless video-post is in order, to demonstrate the versatility and pure wicked awesomeness that is the Rolling Stones:

BLUES: You Gotta Move
Keith is god.

FUNK: Hot Stuff
70s clothes = THE BEST!

DISCO: Miss You
Mick can wear (or not wear) whatever he wants and get away with it, haha.

COUNTRY: Dead Flowers
This is one of my favorite songs of all time.

100% ROCK & ROLL: Rip This Joint

I could go on...they also did ballads, 60s pop, psychedelia, soul, gospel...but I need to end this before I spend all night on YouTube. More to come later, because the Stones definitely deserve some love!

Well la-di-da

2009-08-03T23:43:00.000-07:00

My most recent Netflix movie was Annie Hall, which I thoroughly enjoyed. How can you go wrong with Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Paul Simon, and Christopher Walken?? Also, I've realized that Carol Kane is all over the 70s movies/shows I've been watching...Taxi, The Last Detail, this, Carnal Knowledge (which I haven't watched but just happen to know about, haha).

I love Diane Keaton's style in this movie. My mom says it sparked a whole new trend in women's fashion. I think if I lived in the 70s I totally would've jumped on the bandwagon. While watching this movie I was remembering the time when Bondy had an Academy-Award themed birthday in 5th grade, and while the other girls came dressed up as Nicole Kidman or Kate Winslet (it was the year of Titanic), I came as Diane Keaton. Oh good times.

Also, my mom let me borrow her first season SNL dvds. Ohman, the 70s were way greater than I previously gave them credit for.

Your weekly (daily? hmmm...) Simon and Garfunkel video

2009-08-03T00:45:00.000-07:00

In the parts where they're running down the street, they totally remind me of When the Blood Comes Home (a reference that maybe two people will get):

87 DAYS!!!!

Oh and when I was home on Friday night, I discovered we have all S&G albums on vinyl (except Bookends, the one everyone else seems to have) and 3 Paul Simon solo albums. It made me so very happy. I thought the liner notes for Wednesday Morning 3 AM - which were written by Art Garfunkel - were cute, so I saved part of them by taking a picture with my phone:

How great to be a college student with a hit record, haha. I love the fact that "cubbies," finals, and scooters are just as important/relevant as record production and Kafka analogies.

AND GET THIS (totally unrelated): this is the most exciting news I've heard in....at least two weeks: Keith Richards to publish autobiography, due Aug. 2010!

"don't YOU want to play a pirate?"

2009-07-28T23:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the neverending supply of entertainment provided by YouTube, I ended up watching lots of George Harrison tonight, and forgot just how funny some of his solo stuff was. In addition to making some hilarious music videos, he also made appearances on SNL and various Monty Python programs, including this one:

I'm not sure if there is anything better than George Harrison playing a one-legged pirate. But some of the aforementioned hilarious music videos come close:
Crackerbox Palace - This has always been one of my favorites. SO random.
This Song - This song (hah) was written after George was sued for unintentionally copying the Chiffons' "He's So Fine". Whatev...at least a funny song came out of it.
When We Was Fab - Love the Beatles references in this one (also includes Ringo and Jeff Lynne), but it's borderline creepy. Too many arms!
Got My Mind Set On You - Really unexpected part in the middle = WIN. Also, this song is insanely catchy. Supplementary picture thanks to GraphJam:

Yes there's no doubt about it, George was by far the coolest Beatle.

you haven't heard the last of this

2009-07-27T07:41:00.000-07:00

TRIVIA TIME:

What do all these people have in common?

ANSWER: They're all playing at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert on October 29th, in Madison Square Garden. And why is this important? BECAUSE I'LL BE THERE. It's official: Lauren and I bought our tickets at 6 AM this morning...we're going to see Crosby, Stills, & Nash, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, and Simon & Garfunkel, plus many "special guests"??? It's going to be EPIC. Ahhhh I can't wait; only 93 days left!!!

I am so glad this website exists.

2009-07-24T23:40:00.000-07:00

From yearbookyourself.com:

I like this one the best:

That beehive is OUTA SIGHT!