Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Beyonce, Bitch, Bitchfest, body hair, Britney Spears, Camera Obscura, Chan Marshall, Charlie Kaufman, cooking, CSI, CSI: Las Vegas, Cunt, Eisley, existentialism, fat, feminism, Fleet Foxes, Florence + the Machine, Florence And The Machine, Florence Welch, Frida Kahlo, Gabby Sidibe, george clooney, gray hairs, Inga Muscio, Jenny Lewis, jewelery, jj, Jon & Kate, Kelly Clarkson, Kierkegaard, Kundera, media, Milan Kundera, Milan Kundera & Feminism, mp3, olives, Ouija, Ouija board, RayBans, Restaurant City, skirts, Songbird, Soren Kierkegaard, Tamagotchi, Tiger Woods, VA, veganism, video, Yeasayer
If you want to take the title line analytically for a second, you can gather that being nude allows me to take a moment or two to assess my body. If you don’t want to take the title analytically, then I am just trying to put images into your head. Much like Ali does every time she writes me a letter.
THINGS I AM SICK OF:
1. Inadvertent accusations of fatness.
This rarely comes from people in my life (except sometimes from my roommate when she accuses herself of being so fat). No. More often, it comes straight from the media. Today, Virginia (my roomie) and I were channel-surfing during CSI commercial breaks when we came across some documentary on Britney Spears and how she was so fucking fat during her performance at the 2007 VMAs. Sadly, not only did the celebrity gurus assert that she looked terribly un-sexy in her underwear getup, but Spears herself added that she looked like a “fat pig.” I have a few problems with this. One, I have a “fatter” belly than she does–in fact, those photos of her puffed-out tummy and less-than-toned arms are reminiscent of my own. But I could never rock that underwear getup like she did. I’m too pale (and in love with paleness). Two, I think she looks perfectly healthy and sexy, so what’s wrong? I don’t even want to mention that Spears isn’t acting like a super-good role model (though really, Paige, when does she?) by putting down her own perfectly healthy body, or that the media’s expectations of celebrity women are really just fucked up.
If I got this from you, shoot me words and I will link to your site.
Why am I talking about Britney Spears, though? Don’t you expect me to be talking about some indie goddess? Thing is, indie goddesses don’t give me these sorts of problems. Sure, I’ve been confronted with photos of Jenny Lewis in near-undies and Chan Marshall unveiling her pubes. But the media simply doesn’t comment on their figures, however nice they are. This is probably because they’re not pop-icon formulas. Jenny Lewis does not make me feel bad about my body. The media pressure on female celebrities does. And it puts women in competition, too. I am sick of sizing up other women to determine how much better their bodies are than mine. I am sick of feeling in competition with my own female camarades on occasion. That’s something that I feel should never, ever have to happen. But it does, because instead of accepting many different body types as beautiful, the media accepts one: thin. I’m not arguing, by the way, that thin bodies are not beautiful, or that we should apply pressure on thin women to gain some weight. Thin bodies are beautiful. But voluptuous (I am not talking Beyoncé; I am talking Gabby Sidibe) bodies are beautiful, too.
I choose to fall in love with women such as Jenny Lewis because I can relate to them. She is perfect in her imperfections. We saw her evolve imperfectly in the limelight. She makes mistakes, she writes about them, she is relateable because her goal does not seem to be being sexual or stunning or unrealistically beautiful. Her goal seems to be being. I can do that, too. That’s where the problem comes in for people like Britney Spears. Their goals are unattainable, even for them. Or if they are attainable, they are fleeting. You can’t hold onto a perfect body forever. Eventually, even George Clooney will sag a bit.
Another thing is that maybe it’s just a morbid curiosity, but because everyone is telling me I’m fat all across the board, I have gained this terrible, insatiable interest in the way my boyfriend’s ex-girlfriends look[ed]. It’s not to make myself feel good. It’s to make myself feel like shit.
2. Hating on body hair.
If this is yours, hit me up and I will linkety link link link.
I have not shaved since early September [EDIT: My mom has compelled me to shave twice since then]! My legs are hairy. My armpits are hairy. And my mom will flip if/when she learns this information, which is why I have to shave on November 24th or November 25th before I return home for Thanksgiving break. Refraining from shaving has made me a little more comfortable with myself. Body hair is natural, even on women. Why do we shave it? We do it for men because we think men like it. Why do we think men like it? The media projects expectations on us to look like prepubescent girls. Sometimes when I leave my apartment in shorts, I have to prep myself as to all the reasons why I don’t need to shave, but it’s not like I get to explain the political context to people. They just believe I’m hairy or dirty or a crazy feminist without even really thinking about any other possible reasons. I am a crazy feminist, but I’m resigned to the fact that a woman does not need to be hairless to be beautiful, especially if the hairiness comes so naturally. I’m done with fighting my body on that one. Unfortunately, I’m even more resigned to the fact that my mom will not take any explanation for this, and that on the sight of unsightly body hair, she will yell and hand me a razor tout de suite. The only comfort she would probably take in this is the assumption that I’m not getting laid, because what man wants a hairy gnome?
Added afterthought: Who determined that head hair and eyelashes on women are sexy and that every other bit of hair (besides some very specific eyebrow hair) must go? If a woman is completely devoid of any hair whatsoever, she is not sexy. If a woman has lots of hair, she is not sexy. It all seems like a game. You can’t have it both ways!
PS Frida Kahlo is beautiful.
3. Sexist notions in existential novels.
Want.
Male existential novelists are guilty. Do I even need to put the “male” there? It seems like every existential novelist, philosopher, and filmmaker is male. I am an existentialist. I love existentialism. But I am sick and tired of the sexist notions littered throughout the books I’m reading. Kundera says women are sex objects. Kierkegaard says women are not to be trusted. Kaufman writes women as obstacles in life. You can forgive Kierkegaard a little bit because he probably never expected women to gain access to his novels. You can’t forgive Kundera of Kaufman, though. I love them both–Kundera for his animal rights reasoning and Kaufman for his ability to write a kickass film–but I am so sick of this unfair portrayal of people like myself. Not to mention that besides being predominantly male, existentialists are white, middle class, and Christian or atheist. I guess it can go one way or the other with religion. If you’ve found any female existential novelists, let me know!
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the reason I’m pointing this out is that I’ve been reading loads of existentialism this semester because of a fifteen-page essay I wrote and aced on the influence of early existentialists on modern-day existentialists. All of my sources were penned by white, middle-class males.
4. Jon & Kate/Tiger Woods media coverage.
They are simply people living their lives. I don’t care.
5. Not being able to level up in Restaurant City because okay, I forgot to feed my staff, but does that mean that my approval rating should drop?
That's mah homeboi.
I like to give my customers a little bit of credit. Like, if they see that all of the employees in my restaurant are passed out on the floor from sleep/food deprivation (and/or hardcore partying at Erika’s El Paso the night before), don’t you think they’d leave instead of sitting down, waiting for these unconscious waiters and chefs to serve them? Low approval rating means fewer customers, which means fewer experience points, which means it is going to take me forever to get to level 22.
6. Songbird freezing.
Meh. After the latest iTunes update, I’m thinking about converting back to iTunes anyway. I guess Songbird and Vista just aren’t meant to be.
7. Ouija Board.
I can’t sleep too well ever since I found out about my apparently long-present secret roommates, Rubi and Zach.
8. That Kelly Clarkson song.
It is soooo repetitive, SO annoying.
9. Explaining to people that I am vegan.
Since I’m a mild-mannered, gentle, shy person, I generally don’t want to offend. In fact, you could say that part of why I don’t want to eat animal products is that I find them offensive. So it’s a difficult thing for me to explain to people that I am vegan because it is so often offensive. I won’t eat their food, I can’t share their love for cheese, and I don’t find their jokes about my eating habits funny. But I’m stuck on the fence because it’s obvious to me that non-veganism is really the offensive route and deviant and just wrong (morally, ethically, environmentally, and taste-wise), but so many people seem to believe that I am the one in the wrong. Even some of my friends who occasionally declare my journey as noble seem to believe that my dedication is offensive. Or when they choose a restaurant where I absolutely cannot and will not eat anything, it is I who chose to be vegan, and not they who chose an offensive restaurant. Fortunately, my mother has finally accepted my veganism and my nose ring.
10. Jewelery.
Yesterday I had to go with my dad to a jewelery counter at Boscovs so he could exchange some stuff. The people who shop here are ridiculous, and they don’t know or particularly care that the blood of children was shed for their shitty-ass diamonds. Another thing is that I am a fan of handmade jewelery that is askew and imperfect (but I guess it wouldn’t be considered jewelery, per se, because I hate jewels). Jewelery counters sell shit to people who have sticks up their asses.
THINGS I AM NOT SICK OF:
1. Camera Obscura.
T & The Fonz in Philly
Since August, my life has been set to the tune of this Scottish group. I’m not ashamed to admit that I am behind the curve on this one. Camera Obscura is a sixties-reminiscent indie pop band, and they make me feel legitimately amazing. When I listen to Camera Obscura, I’m ready for whatever Monday chooses to throw in my path. When I feel ugly, I listen to Camera Obscura and feel prettier. When I need to brush my teeth, I tune Songbird to Camera Obscura. When I am behind schedule in the morning and running late to class because I can’t find my keys (and little do I know that they are in my jacket pocket), Camera Obscura is the band for me. I am a Camera Obscura kind of girl.
Also, I got the amazing opportunity to see Camera Obscura with Alex in Norfolk the weekend before Thanksgiving and they were awesome, as was expected.
Swans | Camera Obscura
[mf] [buy]
2. Florence.
Florence Henderson.
Just kidding.
Florence Welch. Ali and I have been raving about her for many months now, with that stadium-filling voice, but when I passed Ali the Flo-torch, she took it and ran with it. So now we’ve both got serious lesbian fixations on red-haired women!
Postcards From Italy (Beirut Cover) | Florence & The Machine
[mf] [buy]
3. Fleet Foxes.
There is nothing to say, except that I never talked about them this summer even though they formed most of it with their sweet crooning ever since I heard them in Paige H.’s car while sitting next to Kelsey in the back seat on the way to Knoebel’s.
Ragged Wood | Fleet Foxes
[mf] [buy]
4. Bitchfest!
I read it on the toilet, which says a lot because the books I read on the toilet must be captivating and absolutely cannot be nauseating. Not only does Bitchfest educate me on oft-overlooked feminist issues, but it also teaches me how to write a well-structured essay! I highly recommend this one to men and women, boys and girls alike. And if you’ve already read it, I recommend Cunt by Inga Muscio. BITCHfest made me a better woman, and it will make you a better man, woman, girl, boy, or what have you after you’ve read it.
5. CSI reruns.
I am not much of a television junkie. In fact, this (CSI: Las Vegas, of course) and [adult.swim] are the only reasons I will usually turn on the television. It’s a puzzle.
6. Gray hairs.
I have a lot of them. Maybe I don’t have enough to consider myself a gray-haired individual, but I imagine I will get there before long. I’m excited about them because they constitute a natural change in my body. Plus, how many under-twenties besides Holden Caulfield get to rave about having gray hairs?
7. Black pitted olives.
I think it’s the vinegar in the holding solution.
8. jj.
I can’t believe I didn’t think of this earlier. jj is a mysterious Swedish band that makes incredible dream-pop dreamy dream music. And hey, don’t take my word for it. Chris recommended them in the comments section of my last post, too!
It was ecstasy when I heard this song.
Things Will Never Be The Same Again | jj
[mf] [buy]
9. My roommate, Va.
She just asked me, “Oh man, do you write about me in your blog?!” Now I do.
10. Eisley.
Note the velcro shoes.
They are dreamy and melodic and beautiful and even my sister, Rachael, likes them. I wish that Chauntelle still sang. Her name, when stretched to French, practically dedicates her to the singing tradition (chanter). I like to quote them and sing along to them badly.
I Could Be There For You | Eisley
[mf] [buy]
11. Yeasayer.
With such a sicknasty sound and a great Blogothèque presentation, how could one get sick of them? Alex introduced me to them, and now they are a staple in my collection.
Wait For The Wintertime | Yeasayer
[mf] [buy]
12. Vegan cooking.
It always seems like it’s going wrong, but it always turns out so, so right. I can guarantee that I never would have learned to cook this well on my own, even if I were vegetarian. It takes the vegan push.
13. My RayBans.
I was going to get wire-framed cheapo glasses, but the woman at For Eyes told me that my prescription is so high that even with a thinning procedure, the lenses would be too heavy for the frames. So I “had” to get RayBans Wayfarers. While I used to wear contact lenses every day (and night), I now wear glasses all the time. I’m materialistic in this sense, but only because I can see…clearly…in all directions…without my eyes drying up and shriveling within my eye sockets. It’s also been established that I have worse eyesight than any one of my friends. It’s also also been established that I am happy to do a five-second trade with any glasses- or non-glasses-wearer who wants to try on my funny-looking, humongous glasses to try out my horrible vision. I have been told that it’s like wearing drunk goggles.
14. Tamagotchi.
His name is Fart. I got him for 5 bucks at Five Below. I’m sure some of my readers know that I’ve been an on-and-0ff Tama user for years now, especially since my junior year of high school. Well, now it’s on and I am not ashamed.
15. Skirts.
I will wear them for the rest of my life.
16. This.
Presented to me by Nim, who left me a beautiful comment.
I also wanted to tell you all that I love you. Yes, you. I will not leave you. This particular absence was a vacation to stupidity. I will write you more petty things very soon. The whole being-professional thing just doesn’t work for me.
Filed under: Barrels of Fun, Books, Music, My Experience with Existence | Tags: A Softer World, Animal Rights, childhood, daughters, Everything Is Illuminated, feminism, Hardee's, Jonathan Safran Foer, moms, mothers, mp3, Padma Lakshmi, Sad Robots EP, sex, Stars, video
Why I use the internet.
I’ll say, stretching is underrated. Stretch your arms way above your head, arch your back, twist around a bit. You’ll see what I mean. You might also yawn after, and then you will have to thank me.
Do you realize how profound a mother’s influence can be? I was just reminded of a couple of girls (three, actually) I knew back in early high school whose moms got on their backs about their need to lose weight, to look a certain way, to wear certain clothes, to never forget makeup, and to retain certain ladylike hobbies. All three of these girls are still pretty young, still in high school, but they’ve turned out to be Christian conservative girls with good posture. They are beauty pageant daughters. They don’t really enter beauty pageants, but I would not be surprised if they all attended Cotillion in middle school. White, upper-middle class Southern belle dancing. But in my humble opinion, these girls look fine the way they are.
Ma mère influenced me a good deal, too, and still attempts to reform my no-makeup, bad-posture ways. And she can make me feel so self-conscious when she comments on my clothes or my hair or my skin or my eyebrows. Sometimes it makes me not want to leave the house. And she says that I absolutely cannot get piercings, except my ears if I want them, which I don’t. But she allowed me certain liberties while growing up, maybe because I wasn’t an only child or even an only daughter, but one of three. I was allowed to do whatever I wanted within reason, no sports, no girly activities like Cotillion, probably because it was too expensive and we were from the north. My childhood consisted of making art, reading religiously, biking, playing outside, and writing.
The summer before I turned twelve, I spent all day reading every day for several weeks, and my mother grew concerned after a while. She prohibited me from reading so much, but that’s the only time I can really recall that she stepped in. I don’t remember how successful she was at that one. Also, she hates the Shins because they remind her too much of the Beach Boys and doesn’t let me listen to them when she’s in earshot. And she always used to say that she hoped that I did not listen to music about kids killing their parents. Like I would.
Oh, “Jack Killed Mom” um…shit. That doesn’t count!
Looking back, I’m glad she allowed me those liberties because even if I would look so much better if she were so strict about my appearance, she allowed me to develop into my own person, if somewhat reluctantly. My mom let go of me at a certain point and allowed me to take control of everything from my hair to my eyebrows to my clothing to my music to my hobbies. The only thing she will not let me control is body hair that is normally shaved. The thing is that she doesn’t ever see my nether region, so she doesn’t know what’s going on.
Speaking of, here is one of the greatest scenes from one of the greatest chapters in all of the books I have read. It is Everything Is Illuminated. I guess I will only put some of it.
My grandfather and the Gypsy girl knew none of this as they made love for the last time, as he touched her face and fingered the soft underside of her chin, as he paid her the attention received by a sculptor’s wife. Like this? he asked. She brushed her eyelashes against his chest. She moved her butterfly kiss across his torso and up his neck to where his left earlobe connected to his jaw. Like this? she asked. He pulled her blue blouse over her head, he undid her bead necklaces, he licked her smooth and sweaty armpits and ran his finger from her neck to her navel. He drew circles around her caramel areolas with his tongue. Like this? he asked. She nodded and craned her head back. He flicked her nipples with his tongue, and knew that it was all so completely wrong, everything, from the moment of his birth to this, everything was coming out the wrong way–not the opposite, but worse: close.
I can’t tell you how much of a funk I was in when I finished that book. Right now, I feel out-typed, like I have been silkscreening my thoughts onto the internet for too long. I can’t quite think straight. I think that I just need vast amounts of sleep.
Between now and when I go to sleep, you should listen to some Stars. I only obtained Sad Robots EP a few months ago, but ever since then, I am constantly listening to those six songs, minus “Going, Going, Gone [Live]” because it generally gives me a headache and reminds me of an alarm clock.
Undertow | Stars
[mediafire] [buy]
“Undertow” is a warm blanket on a cold night, an umbrella on a rainy day, and a bicycle on a sunny afternoon. It is my crutch. My favourite aspect of this song is that everything that is in the background is quiet. So it’s really a tranquil song. The breakdown near the end comes in at a close second place.
14 Forever | Stars
[mediafire] [buy]
Not like I’d like to be fourteen forever for real because I seriously hated being fourteen, but the feeling is so good. You have to understand. You know the tenderness that comes along with a first relationship, a first love. I guess I don’t want to be left alone.
While we’re talking about being a teenager (“14 Forever”), I would like to mention the Hardee’s commercial which uses blatant meat pornography. This is pretty much a double blow to me because while I could maybe handle some gorgeous woman sucking off a cucumber, it’s just disgusting to see her eating out a huge burger. It’s not even the meat that really gets me, though. It’s the pornography.
I’m a reasonable girl. I can handle sex. But I don’t think it’s appropriate. I can’t quite wrap my mind around backup information as to why I can’t watch this commercial without thinking about a high-definition, high-budget porno. You watch it, and it’s self-evident and shocking. But it’s also advertising something that is despicable. And the most interesting thing about this whole deal is that Padma Lakshmi, the model, used to be a vegetarian. This is flipping a huge bird to the cause.
I don’t know. You watch it and tell me what you think.
Just, I guess my probelm his that it’s sexual, sure, but it’s not sexy. And it’s not doing anything to help the feminist front or the animal rights front. It’s attacking both in one go.
Also, I just realized just how much I miss my mom, and how even if I was seventeen and had a nightmare and woke up screaming and sweaty because of a thunderstorm, she would let me sleep in her bed. Even though I was just home recently, in March, I feel like I’m going nowhere. I’m also so frustrated that I’m letting my grades suffer because of some inner crisis. I also miss Lewisburg as a whole. I miss Babygirl so much it hurts sometimes. I miss Ali and Carol kidnapping me. I miss Shannon coming into our house and eating our food and making up characters and gossipping. I miss Aunt Peggy coming in and getting ice from the icemaker. I miss making friendship bracelets without shoes on. I miss biking around the neighborhood at eleven at night and crying so hard because I was so frustrated and I felt so helpless and alone, and then sitting in the back yard feeling dead, empty, and far from hungry and looking up at the stars.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Andrew Bird, beards, Bright Eyes, Carytown, Cassadaga, Cherry Alley C, Cherry Alley Café, Circle Meetings, Conor Oberst, covers, Cut Copy, Death Cab for Cutie, Erin Tobey, Gael García Bernal, Garden State, Iron & Wine, Jesus, Kaki King, Keane, last.fm, Lykke Li, Melpo Mene, Mixtapes, mp3, Nacho Mama's, Neil Young, pet names, Pinback, Sam Beam, Sentinel, spring, Star Wars, summer, Sweden, Tegan & Sara, Tegan and Sara, The Science of Sleep, The Shins, video, voices, Youtube
I think this one is easier on the ears.
1. Sea Legs | The Shins
[mediafire] [buy]
The beginning to this song, before any melody or lyrics, sort of reminds me of something Switchfoot would do, and I loved Switchfoot when I was maybe fourteen. I have since moved on, but you could say that I am comforted by familiar things. Everyone is. In addition to reminding me of Switchfoot, the Shins will always remind me of some scene from Garden State, even if only two of their songs were in the movie. “Sea Legs” is a darker Shins piece, but it’s not unpleasant. In its boldness, it is pleasant. It is assertive. It is an evening piece. The evening is my favourite time of day. That’s why I put this on my March mix, because it’s starting to get warmer, it’s spring, and the evenings are beginning to grow more and more enjoyable.
2. Unforgettable Season | Cut Copy
[mediafire] [buy]
Sometimes, when I have a clear head, blank slate, and I don’t already have a song in mind, I’ll allow my iPod to shuffle around songs that I don’t listen to very often. That’s how I grew to like “Unforgettable Season.” The reason I allowed myself to listen instead of switching the song is that it’s encouraging and atmospheric, like most summer songs. It’s not summer, but it’s close enough.
3. Can’t Stop Now | Keane
[mediafire] [buy]
As I said before, familiarity is comforting. Keane is familiar. Also, Keane and piano rock in general both give me this weird romantic-comedy feelings. It’s probably because Keane always has this pained, broken-hearted sound that captures the feeling that someone is lonely and trying very hard to be happy in order to get over something dreadful. I’m not going to lie (and really, why would I lie), I love that sound and I love that feeling. Emotion keeps my heart running.
4. Take Me Anywhere | Tegan & Sara
[mediafire] [buy]
I think Tegan & Sara’s short songs are the best ones because they pack the most feeling into the smallest packages. For example, listen to “Soil, Soil.” That’s one of my favourites. Also, the short ones tend to be the catchier ones.
5. Jedi | melpo mene
[mediafire] [buy]
I have a newfound love for Star Wars. And I have a relatively newfound love for the style of elevator music that Melpo Mene produces. But my love for gentle, delicate voices is not newfound. It may be because of “I Adore You” or maybe because of the all-around sound that their albums produce, but I find that Melpo Mene is the epitome of a cloud-band. Also, for some reason, maybe because his voice is just so delicate and his songs just so tender, Erik Mattiasson somehow reminds me of a Swedish version of Gael García Bernal’s character in The Science of Sleep, which is endearing. It makes me want to tuck him in and make him breakfast.
6. Pagan Angel And A Borrowed Car | Iron & Wine
[mediafire] [buy]
Ali pointed out to me that Sam Beam looks like Jesus. I already somehow realized this, but having her point it out so bluntly is only a little bit of a setback, because I generally love hairy people. I really don’t care that he has taken up the typically unattractive Christ-look because of his delicate, smooth, and intimate voice, which is revealing but still manages to retain a great amount of dignity. I love Sam Beam’s work.
7. Let It Fall | Lykke Li
[mediafire] [buy]
I uploaded this song only a few days ago, but here! I’m giving you another chance to introduce yourself to Lykke Li! Every time I listen to this song, I want to hopskotch, jumprope, draw with chalk, and play outdoors kids’ games. Do not ask why. Probably because of the sing-songness, syncopation, and “so happy-ee-ee-ee!” Maybe I’ll make a mix of new childhood nostalgia songs for the summer.
8. Soul Meets Body | Death Cab For Cutie
[mediafire] [buy]
I also uploaded this song recently, but I don’t think I ever explained just why. I went on a bike-trip for dinner to Carytown with Virginia and Bryan, neither of whom have websites that I can link to. We ate dinner at Nacho Mama’s and then left to gather up our bikes and as we drove past Nacho Mama’s again, we heard this song emanating from the outdoor speakers. When I hear a song that I already love playing in a public place, I will be hooked on it for a while. This one’s for the good biking weather!
9. Coat Check Dream Song | Bright Eyes
[mediafire] [buy]
Cassadaga wasn’t as awesome as Conor Oberst’s older material. We all know that. The warbly voice was gone, the drugs were absent. There were, however, some winners, such as this one, which features some woman as a guest–who is it? Is there more than one woman? Is one of those women Maria Taylor? I think that the woman in this song really makes it.
10. Dance Dance Dance | Lykke Li
[mediafire] [buy]
I searched Lykke Li on Youtube. I found this video. A dancer all alone. This song could make you feel so alone in a crowd. The percussion. Her lonely voice. The lonely lyrics. I became ecstatic and fell in love with the song. What I love is that there is not really any buildup and it never becomes a huge fanfare, though it gradually becomes a little more lively, a little more happy until there is a chorus of women and maybe one man. Also, it’s probably the only song in the world written and performed by a self-proclaimed shy person. I love that.
11. Wedding March | Erin Tobey
[mediafire] [buy]
I don’t like the idea of marriage, but I love the idea of a female acoustic artist. In fact, I love the idea of acoustic artists in general. Or acoustic artists that are purely instrumental. Or purely instrumental artists. Lyrics sometimes get in the way. That doesn’t happen with Erin Tobey. Erin Tobey’s voice is so gentle, anyway, that it just combines with the guitar and absolutely floats as it ascends to meet Melpo Mene in the clouds. Listen to the lyrics, though. They are how I feel.
12. Avignon | Pinback
[mediafire] [buy]
This was my first taste of Pinback years ago. So when I was asked by Ke at the beginning of last semester if I had ever heard of Pinback, yes, I had, but I didn’t know it until I checked out my Last.fm charts from forever ago. My first taste of Pinback was via Last.fm and I was probably sixteen. I must add here that it was a faster verion and that I officially love songs with pet names. In this case, they’re sad pet names. In other cases, you get pet names like Baby Girl, which is basically my cat’s name. Babygirl. Babyqirl.
Avignon (Full Band Version) | Pinback
[mediafire] [buy]
This is the faster version.
13. Hanging High | Lykke Li
[mediafire] [buy]
Supposing I have children, I want them to grow up listening to this serene tune. That’s the first thing I thought when I first heard these bittersweet sounds. She has a delicate but distinct voice, so sweet and dignified, so bold, and so young. She’s so young. It all shows here.
14. Effigy | Andrew Bird
[mediafire] [buy]
You can tell that Andrew Bird definitely loops the beginning, which is a magical procedure to witness live. He has to be so precise! Anyway, I heard this one at Cherry Alley, which was another case of falling in love with a song I know and then hear in a public place. I recognized Andrew Bird’s distinct voice immediately and felt calm. As far as I’ve noticed, he rarely uses guests, but when he does, they’re incredible females. Ali put it so simply: It’s such a beautiful song. Even if it’s about death. Well really, those can be the most beautiful because they’re loneliest.
15. House By The Sea | Iron & Wine
[mediafire] [buy]
I feel that I need to show you a picture of Sam Beam’s Jesus-ness in order for you to understand.
Not Sam Beam. Actually Jesus.
The reason I love this song so much is that it talks about two jealous sisters waiting in a house, basically just prepping, doing nothing, waiting for something terrible. I picture an abandoned house where my sister is making angels in the dust on the wooden floors and I am walking around, loving her, trying to take care of her, trying to change the locks on the door, trying to keep her safe even though we can’t be safe anywhere and we will have to leave soon. There is a lot of imagery, and it reminds me of myself and my sister, Rachael. Or what we could be if we were terrible people who had to get along because we had nobody else. Also, I love raspberries. And I love the way Sam Beam sings about raspberry leaves. And I love the guitar riffs. This is currently my favourite Iron & Wine song.
16. Underground | Sentinel
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Even if the guitar parts make little sense to me, it’s my favourite part. I like this song because it has potential. It succeeds in being atmospheric and a definite travelling song, which is all I really ask of it. My favourite part is either the beginning or the last ~30 seconds. If you like it, then I advise that you check out “Avalanche” by Sentinel.
17. 2 O’Clock | Kaki King
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Kaki King is playing a childish game with us. Her voice is like Erin Tobey’s in that it floats up in the clouds. I’m guessing that this song is about someone who is taking care of a very injured person who doesn’t love her. the pain is the reason I love this song. And the sing-songness she uses when she gets to the built-up part. I generally love Kaki King’s ability to capture any melancholy emotion, though. In a sense, it’s a shame she doesn’t sing more, since her voice is tinged with pleasantness, but then, I’d be afraid that her voice or lyrics would get in the way of her music, which would be unfortunate. Also, you need to listen to Kaki King’s retaliation at the end of the track. Don’t stop when she stops singing. Keep going.
18. Out On The Weekend | Neil Young
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Listening to the original really stresses just how well Conor Oberst/Bright Eyes can cover Neil Young. Or how much Neil Young influenced Bright Eyes. I wish I had good taste when I was younger. Don’t fret that it’s a really quiet track, either; my dad converted all of his records into mp3 format and that’s why. “She’s so fine/She’s in my mind/I hear her callin'” Yeah. Favourite part in any version.
19. Resurrection Fern | Iron & Wine
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My attention was called to this piece because it was on a mix that someone close to Jaimie had made for her. It shows how close. Whenever I hear, “Like stubborn boys across the road we’ll keep everything,” I think of Charles, Coleton, Phelan, Travis, and Torey and how close we were the summer of 2007 on North 11th Street under Charles’ tree. Every day! Every night! Circle Meetings! We were a family, along with my real family, Rachael, Alexa, and Shannon. I loved them all. I still love them all. I miss being lonely, underage, and terribly sad. I think that it’s harder to be lonely and of age. I really do.
Most of my readers stick around only for the music I post. I know this. I know that you don’t actually read most of what I write. You don’t check out my pictures. You are apathetic. Some of you aren’t. Some of you care so much you can’t stand it. I don’t mind if you don’t care, though. I would still write without readers. In fact, I do frequently write and record things that won’t be read by you. Even if it seems like I confide a lot in the internet, making it public domain for those who seek it, there is all too much that I don’t confide anywhere.
I’m going to give you this clip and then sleep because I am so tired. For this video, you can thank Brent.
INDIEchouette 