Katy Perry Made Me Do It

If Aaron Paul told you to do something, you'd do it, right?

What about Katy Perry?

What about ME?!

As a wannabe "music person," I really love recommending music with my friends or really anyone who asks (and then subsequently feeling hurt and dejected when their Spotify feed makes it clear they have ignored my thoughtfully selected suggestions).

But the art of music recommendation is subtle and delicate. To do it effectively, you have to ask some questions to figure out what, exactly, the potential listener is looking for. What he or she likes, what kind of vibe they are looking for, etc.
It's difficult to make universal recommendations. But sometimes...sometimes a band is just too good. Sometimes you know that they can't help but be beloved by all whose ears they touch.

Here are two such bands. They have been endorsed by the likes of not only me, but also Aaron Paul (super cool, super studly co-star of Breaking Bad) and Katy Perry (just go with me). And BONUS: neither has released a full album, so you can totally impress your friends with your knowledge of obscure music.

Years & Years
This is a love story borne of our digital age. But for Twitter I never would have heard of Years & Years, or at least not before they released a full album. Aaron Paul, aka Jesse from Breaking Bad, tweeted a link to the video below, saying “Saw this band last night in London town and was blown away.”

My first instinct as the video played: these guys are having fun. Years & Years classifies themselves as indie-electro-pop; I would say their music combines the joyful fun of Passion Pit with the electronic swirls of Beach House. As the song goes on, the driving beat airs out with each repetition of the chorus and the performance evolves into a jumping-around-in-confetti dance party, which may be the very best kind of dance party there is.

These guys have been around since 2010 but just released their first 2-song EP to Spotify today. (I may or may not have checked on this every day for the last month.) I couldn’t find any verifiable ages for the five guys that make up the band but by the looks of the video they are young dudes. With the help of Aaron Paul these Londoners have broken into the American scene before releasing an album, and I for anxiously await their next move.

Years & Years - “I Wish I Knew”


Haim
My relationship with Haim was not love at first listen. They were a midday band (aka get drinks-and-food time) at Mumford & Sons’ Gentlemen of the Road Stopover in Dixon but, because one person in my group had heard them before and was excited to check them out live, I found myself front and center for their set. All I knew about them is that they were “a girl band” and that their name was confusing. (It rhymes with ‘time.’) That they started the show off so intensely--just the three of them, sisters Alana, Este, and Danielle (ages 20, 23, and 26), banging on drums--for some reason really caught me off guard. I thought they were angry and honestly, a little bit scary. But after a few songs I started realizing how refreshing it was to see girls who aren’t afraid to be so intense. For some reason I had come to expect female musicians to be gentle singer-songwriters. I had forgotten they have every right to rock just as hard as their male counterparts.

The sisters of Haim are on the cusp of a pretty exciting career, in my opinion. They have released an EP that, in the last few weeks and months, has earned them attention from not only Mumford & Sons but Stereogum, The New York Times, and Katy Perry. Actually, Katy Perry tweeting about them makes me question my musical taste--but hey, the Beatles were popular, and also Aaron Paul tweeting about my other band more than balances it out. Did you know he met his fiancee at Coachella? Fun fact.

But back to Haim, who, Katy Perry or not, are unquestionably awesome. And they are just setting out on their own: they announced that the Dixon show was their first without parents present!

Haim - “Go Slow (Acoustic)”


Continue past the jump for a Spotify playlist of both bands' intro EPs!

Such a betty.

Lately, I've been seeing a lot of outfits and styles that are straight outta the 90s. And that is how you officially know you're old... when you remember wearing something the first time it was popular. Like, this weekend, I saw these pants at Target. And then I laughed out loud and said, "these are not real," and walked away.



Hmm... where have I seen those before? Oh right, I know... here:



Recently, on some of the very serious websites I frequent (super serious... with news and whatnot), I've seen pictures of celebrities wearing clothes that legitimately may have actually been made in the 90s. And you know what? They looked amazing. Because you know what? Women in the 90s looked good. I mean,

really, they did.

Don't agree?



Cindy Crawford begs to differ.

Bam. Can't argue with that.

Anyway, the 90s are back, and women of 2012 aren't even really attempting to hide the fact that they're in full-on 90s mode.

For example, Jennifer Aniston recently wore Brenda and Kelly's prom dress from 1993.

Jennifer Aniston at an event... in BEVERLY HILLS (are you kidding me, Jennifer...)

Brenda and Kelly bitch-facing it up. They are not amused, Jennifer.

Or Rihanna, wearing literally the exact dress Cher wore in Clueless almost 20 years ago. 



Let's see, Rhi-rhi... matching the dress color to the lipstick to the strappy sandles. This is Cher territory.



Floral jeans, big bows, Calvin Klein strappy dresses... which 90s trend will come back next? What do you think, Hillary?

Nora.

You guys. I'm sorry. I have not posted in forever. I just started a new job, plus it's gorgeous outside and I never want to be inside (unless it's to watch many, many episodes of Breaking Bad in a row), so, that's that.

But this week, something earth-shattering happened, and it affected me so deeply that I absolutely had to write something. And no, it's not about healthcare reform (although, if you care, I am starting my own political party called "This shouldn't be so complicated" and I'll be on the ballot in 2024).

Nora Ephron, writer of my two favorite movies of all time, passed away this week.

I just saw this on Slaughterhouse 90210 and it almost made me cry, because I love her and I love that show and it's all just so sweet and lovely and funny and real: http://slaughterhouse90210.tumblr.com/post/25999118230/i-married-him-against-all-evidence-i-married-him

I'm not really what you would call a movie-loving person, but I swear, I have seen When Harry Met Sally so many times that I've lost count. More than any other movie (except maybe Double Jeopardy, but let's not dwell on that point...).

When Harry Met Sally speaks to me so much. It taught me that it's OK to be a little neurotic and stubborn and picky. But not to be too neurotic, stubborn and picky. And to let someone else see the most neurotic, stubborn and picky parts about you - but to also be open to letting them change those things.

I think the reason I love this movie is because, at the end of most romcoms, you might think that the ending was really cute but you probably don't have much confidence in where that romance is ultimately going. (like, don't you want to see the sequel to "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" called "How to Lose a Husband in 10 Years"? Honestly, I kind of do.)

But in this movie, at the end, you feel confident that these two are perfect for each other. And yes, they'll disagree about things and have problems and feel discouraged at times... but they love each other and share each other's values, and you know it's right. You just know, after Harry goes to see Sally on New Year's Eve. You know.

(and the vignettes with the old couples! the best!)

I will forever love and respect Nora for writing one of my favorite lines in all cinema history, which I loved so much that we put it on our wedding programs:



Has anyone ever summed up love more beautifully? I submit, no.

Nora, you were the best. This weekend, I will re-watch When Harry Met Sally for the hundredth time, in your honor.

Let's Play...Song of Summer 2012!

With only one week left until the official start of summer, everyone is scrambling to crown an official "song of the summer." Every year it happens: one song rises above the rest, reaches near-ubiquity on the radio, and provides the soundtrack to our road trips and pool mixes and parties even though we're kind of sick of it because, no matter how many times we hear it, it still reminds us of the best three months of the year and gosh darn it it's just so catchy.

I have only one, very strict, requirement for a summer jam: it's gotta make me want to dance. That's it. Whether it's on a dance floor or at a sunset rooftop parties or just wiggling in my chaise lounge while enjoying poolside cocktails, I wanna MOVE.

This summer's frontrunner has already begun distancing itself from the pack. This week "Call Me Maybe" finally reached the Number One status that had eluded for so long. I generally pride myself on knowing What' Up in music, but when I told my 8th grade girls about two months ago that I had heard this great new song they looked at me like I was an alien. Apparently it's already way over among the middle school set. So summer means my musical tastes revert to 8th grade? So be it. Anyway, when I finally DID jump on this glorious, glorious bandwagon, I literally listened to the song 20 times in one day. I went to the gym over lunch and pounded out 4 miles while listening to nothing but this song on repeat. And I came home that night and made a music video to it with Lauren. I don't care if you're the indiest indie that ever indied, YOU LOVE THIS SONG. Don't pretend like you're too good for it--I promise you you're not.

(A whole bunch more contenders after the jump...)

Things that have been bugging me lately

You guys, I know this is supposed to be a blog about things that we love... that we enjoy... that inspire us to embrace life fully. And normally I am ALL about that.

But sometimes, you're living life and you just realize: there are a lot of annoying things happening right now. In pop culture, in the news, in the freakin' "star tracks" on people.com. Everywhere, I tell ya! I can't get away from the annoyances, it seems.

So, here's my list of the top 5 things that are annoying me lately:

5. The fact that Carey Mulligan (aka our generation's fashion icon) got married over TWO weeks ago and we've yet to see a single photo! Not even one single grainy paparazzi pic. I literally google "Carey Mulligan wedding dress" about once a day. So far, we know that she wore a cream Prada dress and pink rain boots because it was raining. Ah! That is so cute and British! We must see pics. Why must you tease us with these adorable details and yet not release a single picture to your fans? (Can I count myself a fan if the only movie of hers I've seen is Wall Street 2?) Carey, for the love... we just want to see just one damn photo from your (most likely) gorgeous wedding. Throw us a bone, girl!

4. The 2012 Met Gala just took place, which means lots of cray-cray outfits, including this one. I don't know why, but it just freaks me out and I don't like it. Not one bit! It's just weird for the sake of being weird. No point, Christina... no point.



3. The fact that the super fat cat, Meow, is getting ALL kinds of press for simply being fat and then dying. Kids, let me tell you a story about the time Laura and I (and our friend Julie) lived with five cats for a full year (we're saints, we know). We lived with a cat that was maybeeeeeeeee not AS fat as that fat cat, but pretty dang close. And you didn't see us parading her around and trying to get rich off her, did you?? I wish I had a picture of our fat cat to prove to you how fat she was, but honestly, I never took a picture of her because I wanted to erase all memories of her from my life. I mean, I'm all for celebrating dead cats (SORRY cat lovers, but seriously...) but can we please get this gross thing out of the news cycle?



2. The Killing. OK, so I know I should have stopped watching this show after the season one finale along with everyone else, but I just kept watching the dang show because I actually enjoyed that finale. But now... it's kinda getting on my last nerve. Honestly, I don't even think I like it anymore - I'm just waiting around to see when we finally figure out who the hell killed Rosie Larson. Veena Sud, if you keep us waiting much longer, I'm gonna flip.

1. This idiot. It's just... I just... HOLD ON TO THE BALL. Those hands can hold on to $80 million but they can't hold on to the freaking basketball. COME ON. (If you're not a Bulls fan or don't care about basketball, I apologize for the rant).

Embarrassing Celebrity Encounter: Eric Hutchinson

Tomorrow night, Laura and I are heading downtown to see Eric Hutchinson play at Lincoln Hall. Although I am extremely excited for this show, I am annoyed by a couple of things:

1.       It’s on a Monday night

2.       His new album just came out last week, giving me only a few days to listen to it on repeat and learn the songs

Despite those two minor problems, I’m pretty psyched. I’ve seen him a couple of times before, and he’s even better live than on his albums (on his records? On his digital recordings? How are we saying this now?). He’s a great musician, but also really funny and comfortable on stage, which makes him fun to watch. Some musicians have fun, outgoing personalities, and therefore can and should engage in banter in between songs. It’s fun, it gives you a glimpse of their personality, and it’s entertaining. However, some musicians just aren’t gifted in that way, but still try to be. We’ve all been to shows where the lead singer tries to make little jokes or tell stories in between songs, and they just… don’t work. It’s like, come on – God has gifted you with great musical talent. Unfortunately, He did not also make you funny, so just… stop trying. Oh, but they never do. They always have to tell an unfunny story about the time the band was in another city and something funny happened and ahhhhhh just play the next song already!

But Eric… Eric is funny and self-aware. That’s why we love him.                

So anyway, a couple of years ago, Laura and I went to his show with another friend. It was in some strange restaurant/bar/club, and on the way in, Eric was eating dinner outside on the patio. Like, right in front of us. And I kind of freaked out.  We were like, OMG he’s eating here! Like, where else would he eat? He’s playing a show there later that night and they serve food. But still, we got excited.

So, before the show started, we were all talking about how much we love him – especially his covers. Often at shows, he’ll do a cover of Remix to Ignition or How Will I Know or any number of Justin Timberlake hits. We’d seen video proof on youTube, but had never seen him perform How Will I Know live, and being huge Whitney Houston fans (or just huge fans of good covers, maybe), we started scheming. How would we get Eric to sing that song? Would we yell the song name out? We weren’t sure. Somehow, we came up with the brilliant idea to wait around after the show and try to meet him. And then, we’d pool our money and offer him a small cash bonus if he sang that song for us. (If, at this point in the story, our goal and means of reaching it actually make sense to you, then congratulations, you could be friends with us weirdos).

So, the whole show went by, and while it was great, there was not one Whitney Houston cover. So afterward, he announced that he’d be hanging out afterward to sign autographs and meet new best friends. So, we waited in a long line and finally got to meet him. Did we want to buy an album, or a t-shirt? Or take a picture or get an autograph? No, we wanted to offer this man $40 in cold hard cash to sing another artist’s song for us. Looking back, maybe, MAYBE this was a bit insulting, but at the time, we were so blinded by our desire to hear him sing that song that we didn’t even consider that. I mean, is that insulting? To think he’d get excited about $40? Personally, I would not find it insulting, but I am not a famous musician, so maybe I’m not the best judge of that?

Because he is so funny and down-to-earth on stage, I think we expected him to just laugh and be like, “you girls are hilarious! Let’s be friends and yes of COURSE I’ll sing that song for you right now.” But instead, he just kind of stared at us and looked down at our now-shaking hands holding out the sweaty wad of cash and seemed like he had no idea what to say to us. And also, he seemed really high (unless you’re reading this Eric (likely), and don’t do drugs and then sorry! I’m just kidding!).  But for real, he looked high and like he barely wanted to take pictures with his nervous, giggling, mostly lady fanbase – and certainly didn’t give off vibes that he wanted to be treated like a hooker for a few girls who wanted to hear him belt out Whitney’s greatest hits.

So there was a long, uncomfortable, awkward pause, where we weren’t sure whether to just put our cash back in our purses and run away, or hold out and see how much more uncomfortable we could make him.

Finally, he looked at a security guy next to him and whimpered “help me” in a hushed voice (I made that part up) and started singing (very softly and with very, very minimal enthusiasm), “How will I know, if he’s thinking of me? I try to ehhh but I’m too shy ehhh hehhh, falling in love, da da da da da…” and then just sort of trailed off.  Literally didn’t even sing half the words; we’d seen the youTube videos, Eric… we KNEW you knew the words!

And then he told us he didn’t want our money. And we said “thank you” politely and walked away (slightly embarrassed that he told us to keep our money, but also kind of glad we didn’t have to fork over $40), but not before a security guy asked us if we wanted a picture. Would we like to capture this awkward moment so we could remember it always? Sure, why not.

And that’s the story of how we met, scared, and ran away from Eric Hutchinson. But we didn’t run away forever – we’ll be back tomorrow! See you soon, Eric (and don’t you dare forget to sing some Whitney).

From Me to You: Spring 2012 Playlist

In college, my friends and I had a tradition of making each other mixes for every vacation--fall break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break, and summer. I still have every single mix my girls made for me, and I treasure them--listening to them not only takes me back to very specific moments in my life, it also draws me closer to each of them, because a Kristin mix sounds like Kristin, and a Liz mix sounds like Liz (and so on).

While we don't all make mixes for each other anymore, I have carried on this little tradition by making seasonal mixes to share with them and all the new friends I have made since. Spotify has made this infinitely easier (you can subscribe to this mix there!) and has also opened up the wonderful world of mix-making to so many more people. I love finding great new mixes, and listening to what other friends are enjoying.

So this is my mix for Spring 2012, with my "liner notes" detailing how each song found its way onto the mix. I really hope you enjoy it, and find something new to love!


"Festival," Milano

I have already written extensively about this song, but to reiterate: I love "Festival." It is a glorious, glorious song that makes me not only excited about the possibilities of music but excited about the reality of heaven! Is there more one could possibly ask of a song? Milano is playing at Beat Kitchen next Saturday, and you should really do your best to be there. 

"We Are Young" (feat. Janelle Monae), fun.

Last weekend I got to see fun. live at the Vic, and they were...wait for it...so fun. I am glad I am finally far enough from it that I don't have to keep describing the show to people because I am tired of having to apologize for all the unintentional "puns." Fun. seems to be the heir apparent to the anthemic-pop-rock title Freddie Mercury's death and David Bowie's "retirement" have left vacant.

"Lost Somewhere," Tanlines

It happens every year. All fall and winter I obsess over folky singer-songwriters and Americana bluegrass bands, only to trade them all for dancey pop as soon as the flowers start poking their little heads out of the unthawed ground. Tanlines is the PERFECT summer band (as their name would suggest). Case in point: can you listen to this song and NOT picture yourself poolside, sipping a pina colada and laughing while you playfully kick a beach ball back to the children splashing in the water?

"Watching You Watch Him," Eric Hutchinson

Oh Eric my Eric. The first time I saw him, at Schubas in 2005, there were about 30 people in the room. I stood about ten feet away from him. On Monday he is playing a sold-out show at Lincoln Hall, and his songs have been featured in movies, in commercials, at Target. Here is another example of a love I rediscover every spring.

"In Your Light," Gotye
After a quirky cover of their song "Somebody That I Used to Know" went viral, Gotye parlayed their buzz into a successful stint on SNL, and now they have the #1 album in the country. "Somebody" is a GREAT song, but it's also a bit of a downer...not what I was going for with my spring mix. Spring is about sunshine and smiles and new love, right? "In Your Light" proves that their big hit will just be the first of many.

MORE AFTER THE JUMP!