OH NO my (Sunday) best dress!

Sunday's Favorite Selections #3:

I had already made my pick for today's selection a few days ago but then once I started with the side notes, I realized that these side notes are very important. This ridiculously youtubed post is filled with past stories, past favorites and well the past itself, so I'll start with the original favorite that later is filled with reasonable side notes.

Let the side notes begin!

The Rentals featured Petra Haden who was in my favorite almost all girl band-that dog. One of her triplet sister Rachel was also in that dog and now in the recent lineup of The Rentals. You might have heard of Petra without knowing Petra (how sad). She was also in the Decemberists, has made countless of recordings for different artists and as well for herself. He's Kissing Christian was like my favorite song when I was 12.

While thinking about that dog it made me think of Cake Like because my sister had put them on a mix tape for me (it actually might have been two different mixes, but still.)  I never knew anything about Cake Like until a few years ago I was determined to do my research. To my surprise the lead singer/bassist is Kerri Kenney-Silver who is Trudy Wiegel in Reno 911, and well if you know your comedy was also in Viva Variety and The State. You might also know the guitarist because she was in Wet Hot American Summer, The Ten and also played Mary Kay Latourneau in The Mary Kay Latourneau Story!!!  Sadly, I have no idea where that tape with the first Cake Like song I heard which is called Lovely Ladies; Suck is still a good song though.

Which leads me to my last side note-this video. This video begins with some dude who I don't know Kerri Kenney-Silver, David Blaine (wtf?) then my sister (wtf!?) Yes that is corrected my lovely sister-whom introduced me to that dog (which led me to know The Rentals) and Cake Like. The opening to this video is for Jim Carroll's People Who Died which was featured in The Basketball Diaries' soundtrack. The video was filmed in a school day afternoon in CBGB. My sister skipped classes to be in the video. According to her there was only like 10 people in the crowd and she got to meet Leonardo DiCaprio (whom she danced with) and Marky Mark (whom wanted her number.) Now I haven't seen this video in ages and I haven't spoken to my sister since finding this video but here are the times I think I see her-even though this video is pretty pixelated.

2:13-the dark wearing lipstick girl with thin eyebrows on the bottom left

2:49-the dark wearing lipstick girl with thin eyebrows on the bottom with a smile

3:52-the dark wearing lipstick girl with thin eyebrows on the bottom right with a smile

I'm sure there are a few times she appears in the video-but like any good MTV music video they are short fast paced shots.

Bizarro Sunday Selections huh?

Knowledge is power!

Sadly-classes are starting everywhere in the world, and I am not a student anymore. It's pretty surreal for me especially because being a student is the one thing I am actually good at. Though I do have to say I can be a bit of a slacker, but I still enjoy being in that environment. So seeing students with their books and backpacks gets me really sad. There's an empty feeling I get whenever I get home from work. I feel as though I lost something along the way. The thought of grad school has been on my mind lately, but I've been very hesitant about the idea.

My dream graduate program is in Rochester. Woopdeedoo. The introduction to the Visual and Cultural Studies Graduate Program in the University of Rochester reads:

The Graduate Program in Visual and Cultural Studies provides students with an opportunity to study critically and analyze visual culture from a social-historical perspective. The Program stresses the close interpretation of artistic production within historical and cultural frameworks. Housed in the Department of Art and Art History, the Program offers an interdisciplinary doctoral degree drawing on coursework and faculty expertise in several University of Rochester humanities departments. Because the primary faculty work in Art and Art History, Film Studies, Modern Languages and Cultures, and Anthropology, students are able to relate literary and cultural theory to visual culture, and to investigate the connections between cultural productions, critical theory, and society. Students may also take courses in such departments as History, English, Music, and Philosophy.

These are some of the courses from Spring 2008:

DIRECTOR: JEAN-LUC GODARD
CONTEMPORARY ART: THEORY/PRACTICE
WOMEN, CLOTH AND CULTURE
POP FILM GENRES: COMEDY & HORROR
FILM HISTORY: MUSEUM STUDIES
MOTHERS, COMRADES & WHORES
THE POWER OF PRINT

This literally screams ANGELICA VERGEL!!! I love art history, but I can't bare to take the typical Masters program for art history. Perhaps maybe if the program was all about contemporary art. One of my professors who is a SVA alumni has always expressed her feelings that I should really apply to SVA's Art Criticism and Writing program, but it's missing something for me-and that a more wider range of understanding society. Though SVA does have a new program called Design Criticism which sounds really interesting to me.

But all that is beside the point. The Visual and Cultural Studies program is meant for someone like me although it's mostly a ph.d program they do accept masters.  The only thing that is holding me back is the fact that it's in Rochester. What the hell is in Rochester? I feel like I'll wither away if I go there. I need to be in a city that is not NYC, with a community of people that actually know each other. 

Grad school is in hold for now, but in the meanwhile I'll keep on looking for that perfect grad school.

Center of gravity

Possibly the greatest photograph ever taken (taken by Jason Bergman). Various reasons, primarily two-Yo La Tengo (well minus James) and the air dancer in the background! Ira has orgasmic face on and that air dancer is about to erect. 

Those two reasons for me are the reasons for living. 

Genius +  Love = Yo La Tengo (+ air dancer)

The Universal Laws (whateva whateva whateva)

Sunday's Favorite Selection #2:



one.

You're still a douche bag

Why did Angela Chase ever like you? Sure you were good looking, but dumb as fuck-which is not attractive-which is making me think that Angela Chase was also dumb, but that's beside the point. What I'm having a difficult time to grasp is how Scarlett Johansson ever dated you. Glad to know that's over with. Plus she slightly won my heart back with Vicky Cristina Barcelona (complete side note-over at imdb.com's boards for the film people are comparing Woody Allen with Pedro Almodovar. I say psssh yeah right. After seeing it I saw no relation-except that Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem being in it.)

You suck just like Empire Records suck.

Though I have to say the best contribution you have done in film has to be this scene from American Psycho:

I thought I was looking at my mother's old douche bag, but that's in Ohio.

Starting this Sunday I'll be posting a youtube video that is considered to be a classic (in my eyes).

There's no need for a reasoning why it's my favorite, but I might add a side note.

Sunday's Favorite Selection #1:

Side note: The song that is playing in the background on this scene is one of three songs that typically get stuck in my head while test taking.

The other two:

1. Theme song to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (especially the raging guitar)

2. Theme song to Super Mario Brothers (this video is a beatboxing flute interpretation) 

Tea parties for feminists

A couple of days ago my mom told me she wants to host a tea party at her church and wanted to know if I can help her. Since I'm a lovely child I agreed, but I know nothing of about hosting a tea party. I have little proper etiquette, but I can bake a mean sweet. Then yesterday I was discussing with Monica (whom we've talked about having a tea party/baking session) about this tea party seeing that she's an expert on tea. Which led to us finally planning our own tea party for next weekend. High tea! High five!

I'm extremely excited. Monica even said "why don't you look through that book of yours"...aka written by one of my many heroes-Amy Sedaris. I thought of all these baked goods I want to make such as:

cupcakes (duh)

gingersnap cookies

crepes

strawberry shortcake

fluffy coconut cake

lemon madeleines

biscotti

kourambiethes

scones

lemon curd

Basically my dad was right and I should had gone to culinary school. Either that or I'm a fat little kid. 

Being an hostess seem very 50s Americana, and tea parties seem very Victorian. High class I ain't, and rules are meant to be broken so either this party will be very punk rock (most likely no because we don't listen to punk rock, but I do rather enjoy post punk) or very clumsy with tons of giggling and tea being spilled everywhere. Maybe tummy aches from too much sweets.

Sounds like a dream come true.

And yes I plan to bake all of that.

I just had broken heart surgery (love won't surpass me again)

Excitement oozed out of my face when I found out about a website-CASSETTE FROM MY EX.

People can post stories about their old love and their mix tape. I thought "hey I can probably make a powerful mix and make up a heart wrenching story." Finally I get to be the mixtapee! Obviously this tape would be awesome because it would be filled with songs I wished someone put on a tape for me. I should work on this weekend and post it on the site. I want people to read my story and cry out of what is tragic (which is music about love maaan.) 

If you want something, you got to do it yourself. I'll show people how to make a real fuckin' tape.

Louder than Louder Than Bombs

Although I've known about this for a bit but Slumberland Records  is rocking pop kids faces off. 

Three of my favorite NYC bands (well in general) are releasing music via Slumberland.

1. caUSE co-MOTION! - a 7" and a 14 song cd compilation of all 4 of their singles plus one from a split (sadly I only have 3 of their singles and no split).

2. Crystal Stilts - Their debut Alight of Night out in October!

3.  The Pains of Being Pure at Heart- Everything With You 7" also out in October!!!!

Jeeze, I just might not leave my room forever now.  Not to mention about two months ago I got Searching For The Now 3 and 4 and wow, those singles got me dancing and jumping in my room whenever I put them on.

Number 3 has A Sunny Day In Glasgow (which is so dreamy-I need more of them in my life) and The Sunny Street (which I need to get their new single from Cloudberry).

Number 4 has POBPAH (Come Saturday is so loud!-which means you should listen to it louder) and Summer Cats...wait now that I think about it I discovered both bands via Cloudberry. Roque is the head commander of pop now.

I can't wait for the rest of the Searching For The Now to come out (Ladybug Transistor, Pants Yell!, Pipas, In Interview, The Faintest Idea, etc.) I'm telling you-if you start seeing pop kids with no faces, it's because they've been listening to too much Slumberland releases (wait a minute that sounds like a good lyric to a Tullycraft song).

Aside from Slumberland--almost a week until Stereolab's Chemical Chords comes out, then Yo La Tengo (Yaaaaay just mentioning them makes me happy) will finally be releasing a compilation of music they've made for films called They Shoot, We Score (bah la da la da, bah da la da!) in September. Then in October (again) both The Sea and Cake and Deerhoof will be releasing their newest albums. Holy fuck October is going to be the best month ever known to me.

Pop perfection! 

Michael, you're the boy with the leather hips, sticky hair, sticky hips

I'm waiting ever so patiently to watch Michael Phelps break some records, but something occurred to me the other day-which is how he slightly looks like Fogell (McLovin') from Superbad.

I'm convinced that if Phelps never took up swimming (exchange for a chess board) they'd look a lot alike. 

Aside from this probably only post nonsense about something slightly about the Olympics (hey I grew up religiously watching these sports) the stache Phelps was rocking a while ago...oh yeah.

The textbook committee

"but the judges and the saints
and the textbook committee
decided you should be left out
not even mentioned."

Guided By Voices-Smothered In Hugs

Aaron (the wildly-vain narcissist) had a great post about what proper adjective would fit his last name for his legacy, of course. Me being the wildly-vain narcissist as well, wants my legacy to be the perfect song. I mean a song about me (how beautiful, how witty, how awesome, how so darn smart and charming I am). To be honest I'm quite the quirky, offbeat, oddball whom is the girl with perpetual nervousness (the girl next door is me..yea!) but that doesn't mean there shouldn't be a song out there about me. I mean if I was a dude (or a chick who likes chicks) I would be totally be into girls like me (if I wasn't me). I would also write a song about myself (if I wasn't me). The song doesn't necessary have to be everything about me, just the simple "you're amazing, I want to spent the rest of my life with you, but you don't want to get marry-that's okay, but let's live together and make fun of people for the rest of our lives" kinda like Dead Milkmen's Punk Rock Girl.

I think maybe one person can possibly write the best song about me, and that would be Jens Lekman. There's two reasons for this.

1. I read somewhere (which could be a complete lie) that he writes songs about girls he doesn't know but then actually meet girls who are like the girls he has written about. I'm convinced (if this is true) if he writes a song about me, I'll meet him! 

I've thought about possibly writing him an email about this whole mess about how all I want is a song about me, but I'm too shy and I feel silly for wanting this. I want be to whispered about at shows and record stores ("hey you know song Jens Lekman wrote about the quirky, offbeat, oddball with the perpetual nervousness girl? it's about her") As this being said I would trip on my own foot.

2. His lyrics are the best! 

Examples:

"I had a good time at the party when everyone had left

I flirted with a girl in sign language 'cause she was deaf."

"And we set courses for the sky and the ocean
And I tried to explain it to you but it was too huge.
Blind girl, I miss you."

"She said let's put a plastic bag over our heads
and then kiss and stuff 'til we get dizzy and fall on the bed.
We were in heaven for five or six minutes, then we passed out
and I was so in love I thought I knew what love was all about."

"Your father puts on my record
he said: so tell me how you met her
I get embarrassed and change the subject
and put my hand on some metal object
He laughs and says that's a lie detector."

"My words are just c-c-c-coming out all wrong
I sure could use a little help
I think I'm gonna drop my cool now
The best way to touch your heart is to make an ass of myself."

"She said it was all make-belief
but I thought you said maple leaves
and when she talked about the fall
I thought she talked about the season
I never understood at all...
I thought she said maple leaves
and when she talked about about the fall
I thought she talked about Mark E Smith."

Basically I could go on forever with examples on why I would want Jens Lekman to write a song about me-even though he's a narcissist as well. There's something about living forever through a song that I really want.  I romanticize every song about a woman wishing it was about me. I think I listen to too much music.

I love you, you're from around my way

To my surprise, MTV2 now give their program Subterranean on Saturdays at 11pm, instead of Sunday (Monday) at 1am. I watched some of the videos of today's underground and was disappointed. For one thing-the music suck, and two-the video sucks. It's as though every underground (wait that's a 20th century term-I mean "hipster") band tries to do something different and flashy with nonchalant. Personally I think they failed. Maybe it's because I grew up watching music videos as a kid (well when we had cable-which was late in the game) and I grew up loving these music videos that looked like it costed no more than $100. The video is there, but at the same time they are not. The image is not over washing the song, and well there was always a cheese factor in them. The overused green screens, and camera angles that were all over the place always makes my heart filled with joy. 

Example: Dinosaur Jr's cover of Just Like Heaven. Nothing is actually going on in this video, but it still rules. It rules in many levels-but mostly because do I dare say it's better than the original. Even Robert Smith knows it. J's voice is so sleepy and slackerish, with the loud guitar, and Lou screaming (hearts!) That's beside the point. At this time bands were encouraged to make a music video with a small budget to get air play on MTV. The result was never serious and always experimental.  Just Like Heaven looks like the filming took as long as the song is.

 

Another great example is Pixies' Velouria. The footage is like 20 seconds long, and it was slowed down to fit the song. Genius! 

Subterranean is eh. There's no bands or videos that make me want to listen to any of them. 120 Minutes was awesome-but I was young and only remembered Matt Pinfield, and was really sleepy when it came on. Vh1 Classic was airing this amazing program called The Alternative, but switched to 120 Minutes which airs too much REM and U2 for my taste. I need videos that are around my way-right LL?

On a slight side note: Welcome An Awkward Pause to the blogosphere!

You are my first loyal reader so obviously I'll be yours.

Here's a video dedication para usted:

Our next trip should be going to ATP at New York.

We should get our hearing seriously damaged.

Five fingers gesture

There are a few things in life worth smiling for. Top of that list for me is a good high five. Like thumbs up or a geeky hand wave, high fives bring me a joy that never fails (I used to give boys I liked thumbs up while saying bye as a result of nervousness). I've had hours worth of conversations based on high fives, rules of high fives and such. One of these conversation-I peed a tiny little from laughing too hard.

I had not such a great day today. I was bummed and was convinced that nothing would make me happy-and boy was I wrong. I went to Backbone Music after work, and while paying for my purchases, all the guys that were there were stoked on my purchases-so stoked one of the guys gave me a high five. This totally made my day. I think it made his day too because he gave his friend a high five afterward. This led to a conversation about high fives, and I even heard a mention of the rules of high fives. 

I believe there are these unspoken rules. 

Example: never leave anyone hanging, unless you're an asshole. 

Giving your professor a high five is always weird. 

Awkward high fives can make you look like an asshole. Example: Someone you just met put their hand up, and you think it's for a high five, but they weren't excepting for a five. What a let down! 

Double high five rule every rule.

But what is pretty amazing is this Wikipedia entry on high fives.

Example : Backhand High Five
A variation of the high five in which two participants assume the traditional high five position, excepting that the back of each participant's is used as the contact point. This variation is a less demonstrative gesture and used during minor instances of celebration (i.e. 35 yard made field goal to end the half). Originated in Delray Beach, Florida. Also, known in some circles as the "Buddy High Five."

Delray Beach-you make dreams come true.