The Grapist

:-(

2009-04-17T12:37:00.001-04:00

don't put me down i'm having fun

2009-04-15T13:45:00.005-04:00

So here's the deal. I fell off blogging some months ago when I realized that all I was doing was posting new music. Sure, I enjoyed it, since it was, well, music I really enjoyed, but I guess my "audience" wasn't too into it. So I stopped. But now there's that other blog that links to here, so I figure it's time to start up again with somewhat regular posting. It should be noted, however, that the music won't stop (as it never should), but now I will have to earn these posts by mixing them in with other stuff, whether it be "funny", geeky, or awash with hotness. Let's just say a 1:1 ratio for now. With that in mind, here's a hot motherfucking jam, one I've been rocking for several weeks now but hey, it's been a while, time for some catch up:

La Roux, "Bulletproof"

Sadly the audio quality is lacking in this version, but hopefully it's enough to convey the sheer awesomeness of this track.

hearts on fire

2009-04-15T13:36:00.005-04:00

via ThinkGeek:

Buy one of these glowing shirts for yourself, and gift one to your significant other (boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, fembot 2000...). During your normal activities two and a half pixelated hearts will light up on your shirt. Hey... you're depressed and in need of a recharge. But get within hugging distance of your significant other wearing the matching shirt and suddenly the hearts on both of your shirts start to light up until you're fully powered up. Go too far astray from the source of your affections and you'll drop back down to two and a half hearts again. Got it?

Now I just need to find a boyfriend geeky enough to appreciate these beauties.* Alternately, I just need to find a boyfriend.

Proximity Based Geek Lovin'

*said boyfriend will also appreciate the fact that his ringtone is the Zelda theme... or else

UPDATE: I was actually kinda worried about this, but have no fear:

Q. If I buy two mens shirts or two ladies shirts will they work together?
A. Yes. Any combination of shirts will light up to six hearts when they are close to each other.

Go geighs!

can't help myself

2009-04-13T21:44:00.003-04:00

Circlesquare:Depeche Mode::Cut Copy:New Order

Do you really need more convincing?

Circlesquare, "Dancers"

friends for never

2009-04-10T15:39:00.006-04:00

I don't know about you, but I hardly think the wikipedia entry for "Saved By the Bell" is necessarily the place to air office grievances:

triumphant return?

2009-04-06T16:10:00.004-04:00

Well, kinda. Figured I oughta post something since The Grapist is on the blogroll for a new blog I'm working on, Super Cute Protesters. The brainchild of a good friend of mine, and bearing a title that should be self-explanatory, I imagine what little remains of my creative energy will be directed there. But perhaps this new endeavor will inspire me back to these hallowed halls, where I will proceed to post more hot electro tracks in order to remind everyone what they're (not) missing.

xoxo
the grapist

P.S. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Phoenix, "Lisztomania"

Hey, it's not only NOT electro, it's also a friendly reminder that the new album from that French bastion of awesomeness, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, has leaked and is easily available if you know where to look. I do, but I'm not tryin' not to rattle anymore cages at the RIAA ::eyes track psoted above::

so......

2009-01-16T12:11:00.000-05:00

Haven't touched this thing in a hot second. And this time there's absolutely no reason. Aside from sheer laziness. I'll be back to regular posting sometime, be sure of that, but for now I'm hungover/still drunk and not up to it. But look, I changed my "what I'm jamming"! That's something, right?

2008: the copout

2008-12-30T15:06:00.003-05:00

I had grand ideas of completing my entire countdown over the holidays, parked at a computer, stoned, pounding out entries cause there wasn't much else to do. In a reality, I spent most of the time parked in a recliner, stoned, catching up on Mad Men and Friday Night Lights, and shoveling an inhumane amount of deviled eggs and other terribly unhealthy foodstuffs into my mouth. So now here we are, two days before the dawn of the new year, with only four posts under my belt. And since I plan to spend tomorrow playing Fallout 3(!!!) and maybe saying something about my top songs of the year, I now present, with a minimum of commentary, the remainder of my top albums of 2008. We all knew it was gonna end this way. Enjoy.

6. Metronomy, Nights Out
I don't how you made these crazy noises or where they even came from to begin with, but it's like full-on electro indie and my ears can't get enough. Now can you please bring your super fun dancey light show extravaganza stateside? kthxbye

Metronomy, "The End of You Too"

5. Crystal Castles, Crystal Castles
My esteem for many of the artists on this list was enhanced by their live show, but not so much Crystal Castles. Yes, it was fucking awesomely ridiculous and loud and sweaty and generally crazy, but the fact that I had to eventually evacuate the quasi-pit as to not pass out/die only affirmed that, yes, I'm too old for this shit. However, combining two of my favorite things - dirty electro and video game music - makes you okay in my book. Super duper okay.

Crystal Castles, "Black Panther"

4. Cut Copy, In Ghost Colours
Like another artist coming up on this list, 2008 was arguably oversaturated in Cut Copy, seeing as how they made two appearances in DC (well, 1.5 for me, since someone decided that since it was their birthday they'd get WAY too drunk halfway through and have to be escorted home to sleep while their friend got stoned and watched Star Wars with their roommate), but when said artist has crafted such an impressive blend of rock and electro, it's hardly a problem. Plus I got a bomb ass shirt out of it.

Cut Copy, "So Haunted"

3. Hot Chip, Made In the Dark
If there exists only one testament to how fucking awesome these bastards, and by extension this record, are, it shall be Leeza's bruised body after hearing "Wrestler" performed live. Twice. Well, that, and how "Ready For the Floor" fucking OWNED 2009. And rhyming "hell" with "caramel". And the entirety of "One Pure Thought". Ah fuck it: Alexis Taylor, LIVE IN MY POCKET!!!

Hot Chip, "One Pure Thought"

2. Santogold, Santogold
Santogold was everywhere this year - commercials (a LOT of those), mixtapes, ::ahem:: GOSSIP GIRL (soundtracking the best scene of season 2, possibly of the whole shoe) - but nowhere more memorable for me than my ipod. Cause I played the SHIT out of this record. But really, who can blame me when it's such a perfectly composed mishmash of indie, electro, hiphop, funk, ska, etc etc etc that, from my perspective, rarely gets old. And shit, someone who can make me forget that I've been standing outside for 5 hours in 105 degree weather and quite possibly nearing heat stroke just to see her peform for half an hour? A++++++

Santogold, "LES Artistes"

1. Of Montreal, Skeletal Lamping
Love love LOVE this album, and it's number one placement should come as no surprise to anyone who even casually reads this blog. It's a true testament to its greatness that it was almost single-handedly responsible for knocking Radiohead from its top spot on my last.fm. And the fact that it got so little love come year's end? Pure bollocks. Pathos + filth = love. Simple as that. I heart you Kevin Barnes. So much it hurts.

of Montreal, "For Our Elegant Caste"

we interrupt this regularly scheduled countdown...

2008-12-18T13:12:00.004-05:00

... to bring you one hot ass track, one that I had a hot while before Pitchfork decided to name it one of their top tracks of 2008, and one that I can't stop jamming the fuck out of: "Stuck On Repeat" by Little Boots.

Little Boots, "Stuck On Repeat"

And also, take this as a reminder that I do fully intend on counting down, or at least listing, my top singles of '08 once I get done with this album countdown bullshit. Or maybe I'll just throw it on one day while I'm bored.

2008: number 7

2008-12-18T11:33:00.004-05:00

I've been dreading writing this one – in fact, part of me thinks I put Portishead at number 8 just so I wouldn’t have to deal with it yesterday. But no, this is a fantastic album, one I’ve had an infinite amount of fun digesting these past couple months, and one that, yes, I did, and do, enjoy a bit more than Third. But therein lies the problem: I can’t for the life of me explain, in simple terms, why I love it so much. Sure, it could be the fact that it’s just pitch-perfect synth-pop, but at the same time like no synth-pop I’ve ever heard (that is, until I downloaded his second album, Mastered By the Guy at Exchange, which I can’t recommend enough), disguising what turn out to be rather straight-forward, though certainly interesting, melodies under a blanket of glitch, IDM, even funk influences. And beyond that, the lyrics, and even the delivery to some extent, make this one of the most heartfelt electro albums I’ve heard, detailing a breakup and fallout with some of the most pathetic, nerdy lyrics, lyrics that are achingly familiar – the decidedly emo epic finale, “Until We Die”, makes reference to Rubiks cubes (“If you try to do the cube and it doesn't work out / Don't peel the stickers off or move the pieces about”) and Hollywood couples (“While Mr. Mendes kisses Kate / I, in my kitchen, break a plate / And sweep it up and dream of getting laid”), and caps it off with one pitiful request for reconciliation: “I don't know if you got my letter / But everyone thinks you're great / If you come home it will be much better / And I will be your mate until we die”. Yet through all this, through all the heartbreak and longing, runs a joyous streak, a certain lyrical and melodic optimism found in standout tracks “Will Get Fooled Again”, “Which Song”, and “The Entertainment”, that makes it anything but depressing.

Max Tundra, "Will Get Fooled Again"

such a pretty boy

2008-12-17T09:30:00.003-05:00

In my excitement over Frankmusik making the BBC longlist and the fact that his debut album, Complete Me, is being produced by Stuart Price, I decided to go googling and uncovered a fact both remarkable and upsetting: he's only 21!!!

::sigh:: I thought MGMT made me feel old. And god damn if he doesn't have a (sick ass) song that pretty much sums up all my feelings right now:

Frankmusik, "In Step"

And don't worry (ha!), I'll get back to the whole top ten albums thing, it's just infinitely less interesting to write about than cute boys and sick ass electro jams.

2008: number 9

2008-12-12T12:58:00.003-05:00

The LK, vs. the Snow
Yep, more Swedes (did I mention Kleerup's from the land of sweet ass electro jams?), but unlike last year's Scandinavia-heavy list, they're only one of two. And of all the Swedish music I adore, The LK seem to be most representative of their country, full of icey synths, cool vocals, and an almost chilly perfection that comes across as slightly detached. That, and completely nonsensical lyrics that make very obvious that English is certainly not their first language - "burn Elvis alive" anyone? But the lyrics aren't what these guys excel out - though "Eurovision"'s "close call / after all / fuck off / I wish you wouldn't call me" is one of my favorite lines this year - it's all about the music, and thankfully the music is pretty much the shit. Challenged to align their sound with a more familiar group I'd probably have to go with The Postal Service, but with stronger vocals, more interesting melodies, and, well, just outright better. And with real instruments, with most of the songs containing at least some glimmer of guitar amongst the electronic foundation, lending most of the tracks more organic feel. It's a record that seems effortless, frequently churned along with catchy basslines, but at the same time concerned with every tiny detail on its sonic soundscape. Oh, and one of the guys has synasthaesia, which is totally hot.

The LK, "Eurovision"

2008: number 10

2008-12-11T11:59:00.003-05:00

It's that time again, the time when I unnecessarily stress myself out trying to come up with my top ten albums of the past 12 months. I could wax nostalgic here about the past 12 months, about what all the music meant to me, about the implications of this list being comprised almost solely of electro, with the exception being an album about, well, fucking, but that would be super gay. So without further ado, and with hopes that this will make up for my lack of posting, the first entry in my top ten of '08 that possibly no one cares about:

Kleerup, Kleerup
I first caught word of Kleerup when a couple years ago when he teamed up with 2007 favorite Robyn for her hit track “With Every Heartbeat”, a song that has since appeared in single form, on the 2007 UK release of Robyn, and this year on Kleerup’s self-titled debut album. And admittedly my expectations weren’t incredibly high when the album appeared on my radar earlier this year, considering that, for all intents and purposes, “With Every Heartbeat” is basically a Robyn song with sick ass beats, and I just wasn’t sure he could pull it off on his own. But pull it off he did, laying down track after track of dreamy, Italodisco-tiged electropop that proved him as a formidable talent in the field. Standouts include “Until We Bleed”, a mournful, downtempo “duet” with another 2008 breakthrough artist, Lykke Li (love her, but the album wasn’t strong enough to make this list – look for her in my planned top singles); “3AM”, a Moroder-esque track featuring Marit Bergman that admittedly sounds a bit like the Neverending Story theme; and “Longing for Lullabies” with Titiyo, the Hunden & Pipan remix of which (again, wait for the singles) proved to be one of this year’s biggest jams.

Kleerup ft. Lykke Li, "Until We Bleed"

teh sex

2008-12-08T14:01:00.002-05:00

Dear Joan Holloway,

My intense love for you almost makes okay the fact that my torrented copy of "Three Sundays" is corrupted and I might actually have to ::gasp:: pay for it on itunes.

xoxo,
Stuart

P.S. I want to be you.

let me see you move it

2008-12-04T15:12:00.002-05:00

Designer Drugs Designer Drugs Designer Drugs Designer Drugs. Probably what I sound like to a lot of people these days. I've been pretty much obsessed with these guys ever since I concurrently discovered their one original song, "ZOMBIES!", and their remix of Little Boots' "Meddle" (brilliantly subtitled "Designer Drugs 80's Coke Jam Remix") sometime back in October. But only recently did I have the most head-smackingly obvious idea ever, that is to search them on hype machine to see what else I could turn up. No more original tracks, sadly, but I did uncover a trove of utterly fantastic remixes, of which I've now acquired enough of to make a legitimate playlist in lieu of an actual album. These tracks run the gamut from a killer take on IAMX's "Spit It Out" to a curious, but still awesome, mix of Mariah Carey's "I'll Be Lovin U Long Time", but it's their remix of Treasure Fingers' "Cross the Dancefloor" that takes the cake:

Treasure Fingers, "Cross the Dancefloor (Designer Drugs Remix)"

Thought I was over this track, but leave it up to these bass-heavy bastards to make it seem brand new again.

keep that chin up

2008-12-04T11:32:00.004-05:00

"Enough with the 'Heartbreaker' remixes. There are other Metronomy songs you know!"

That would be me, two days ago, on the facebook chat, bemoaning, well, the preponderance of "Heartbreaker" remixes. Don't get me wrong, it's an awesome song, and some really good tracks have been generated from it, but it's starting to get a little old. My whining though was apparently quite prescient, as this month will see the release of the second single generated from best-of-'08 candidate Nights Out, and I'll be damned if it isn't one of my favorite tracks from said record, "A Thing For Me".

Featuring remixes from, amongst others, Mad Decent, Sinden, and Breakbot, it's scheduled to hit on the 15th, but seeing as how the internet is an awesome awesome place, it's readily available at this very moment (I shouldn't have to tell you where). And while I pretty much love the whole thing, the drumline-esque Mad Decent remix is easily my favorite:

Metronomy, "A Thing For Me (Mad Decent Remix)"

How I long for the day when someone drops that shit at a party. And for sake of comparison, and for those who for some unholy reason have yet to listen to one of the best singles from 2008 (or, for that matter, one of the best albums of 2008), here's the original:

Metronomy, "A Thing For Me"

some best friend i turned out to be

2008-12-02T13:06:00.002-05:00

Apparently Vanessa(/Jessica Szhor) is not content only ruining things on TV, as she seems to have reached out into reality and clinched her vaguely ethnic talons into the lovely Chuck Bass(/Ed Westwick). And while I do recognize that sure, maybe in real life she's really cool and fun and doesn't enjoy making everyone else miserable, but real life pales in comparison to the UES fantasy-world of Gossip Girl, where Vanessa sucks at life, where Chuck Bass doesn't make out with her, and where, most importantly of all, Dorota is on facebook. Please don't take this away from me.

narcissism much?

2008-12-02T12:59:00.002-05:00

Who can blame me???

it's the beat

2008-12-02T00:48:00.006-05:00

I'm waiting for flack for essentially turning this into a music blog, and a sparsely updated one at that, but until then I'm gonna keep posting my jams cause, well, that's the kind of shit that gets me off. This week it's British electro-pop singer La Roux, whose style, and chances of big success, have been compared to rising star Little Boots. Sadly for us, her output is on par with Little Boots as well, which means I have a grand total of two songs by her on my ipod. Fortunately for me, and for you, the reader, these two tracks are serious jams that I've been listening to on repeat. It took a lot of thought to decide which mp3 to post, considering how much I love each of them, but I decided to go with the slightly more accessible "Quicksand", but I also highly recommend tracking down "Fascination" as well.

La Roux, "Quicksand"

And in other news sick ass electro news, I'm sure I've mentioned UK's FrankMusik on here before, likely in regards to the Boys Noize remix of his killer track "When You're Around", but it wasn't until yesterday evening that I learned something very important about him: he's fucking sexy as shit.

Cute face? Hot mohawk? Tight ass electro jams? Dude, fucking marry me. And in the interests of appearing to actually care about good music above hotness (I do, I swear!), here's the A1 Bassline remix of his track "3 Little Words":

FrankMusik, "3 Little Words (A1 Bassline Remix)

Seriously, marriage, I'll pay you.

shameless self promotion

2008-11-25T12:57:00.004-05:00

As part of their ongoing AVQ&A feature, on last Friday the AV Club asked for imaginary band names, and unsurprisingly the output was staggering, with the article garnering over one thousand comments. And for posterity's sake, and because I like talking about myself, and because the brilliance of the remix subtitle in the previous post reminded me of it, my entry:

"My friend Bianca and I "have" an indie, slightly twee, band by the name of Grandma's Bandanas, inspired by my grandmother's suggested attire for our zombie frenchmen halloween costumes. Stuart Says Stop would be my electro side project, the first single being a remix of "Paper Planes" with the gunshots and cash register noises replaced by, respectively, lasers and light saber sounds. It would be called "Paper Planes (Stuart Says Stop JEDI MNDFCK RMX)". And it would be brilliant."

As god as my witness I will make that happen. One day. And for the record, other potential band names birthed from the bastion of creativity that is my mind include The Bendy Pencils, Spectral Grab Ass, Stephanie and Her Whorish Mouth, and, the acknowledged favorite, Somber Pinata. Also, big ups to Jason Heller, cause I'm pretty sure Jefferson Slaveship is the most brilliant thing EVER.

listless

2008-11-18T11:08:00.003-05:00

The previous post made me realize something, that an uncommon amount of good records are coming out so late in the year. It's a sad fact, but most artists are going to push to have their albums out by at the latest October, not only for yearly sales and charts but also for the critics, who more often than not are compiling or have compiled their best of the year lists as we speak (type?). Inspired by this, and bored at work, I decided, with a little assistance from my last.fm, to figure out what was in the running for my best of 2008. Much like what I did in July, this list is in no particular order excepting Skeletal Lamping, whose impressive ability to nearly knock Radiohead off my "most listened to" alone earns it the top spot, despite the royal thrashing it may have received from the majority of critics. The rest is more or less random, though some preference may be lent to those listed earlier as those made the majority of appearances on my charts, but do consider they also came out early in the year and thus inevitably received more listens.

Of Montreal, Skeletal Lamping
Santogold, Santogold
Hot Chip, Made In the Dark
Cut Copy, In Ghost Colours
Crystal Castles, Crystal Castles
Metronomy, Nights Out
Cloetta Paris, Secret Eyes
Kleerup, Kleerup
Yelle, Pop Up
Portishead, Third
The LK, vs. the Snow
Meg, Psychodelice
dj /rupture, Uproot
Max Tundra, Parallax Error Beheads You
Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend
Pnau, Pnau

In the grand tradition of such lists, this will be by year's end widdled down and, barring any unforeseen surprises, ten of these will make the cut and be satisfyingly hierarchized. And as a bonus, this year I'll be doing a top tracks list as well, since so many of the songs I dug came from random EPs or mixes. Said list will be much longer, will probably take a lot a more time, and isn't something I'm necessarily looking forward to (especially considering what will be my inevitable urge to post an mp3 for everyone -ugh).

the entertainment

2008-11-18T10:29:00.002-05:00

As of yesterday my knowledge of Max Tundra was limited to his Van Halen-by-way-of-Glasgow remix of Franz Ferdinand's "Do You Want To?" and an even more curious, but weirdly awesome, cover of "So Long, Farewell". Yes, that "So Long, Farewell", from The Sound of Music. So I did know that he had a pop sensibility that could be fairly described as completely fucking out there, but that's about it. Anyway, a month or so ago nodata.tv posted his third studio album, Parallax Error Beheads You, and intrigued by an LP from the British musician I downloaded it. And never once listened to it. Flash forward to yesterday, when ::hangs head:: Pitchfork posted a glowing review of the album, inspriring me to give it a spin. And fuck me if I'm not hooked. Like, haven't listened to anything else since hooked. My technical knowledge of music is pretty much limited to what I think sounds cool, so I'm not going to try to go into what makes this record so special, how it seems so random yet so tightly produced at the same time, how it works its way into your head and makes what at first seemed so bizarre seem so, well, normal (in a wacked out electronic sort of way), how you really need to download it (for free) even though I could see this instantly turning off a lot of (lame) people. Instead I'll, as per normal, post a track below and let you decide how awesome it is (hint: really awesome).

Max Tundra, "Which Song"

i'm baaaaaaaaaaaack

2008-11-17T22:02:00.006-05:00

You didn't really think I could stay away for too long, did you? I just can't, not when there are things like Dead Set, the Charlie Brooker-produced horror series that aired last month on Channel 4. Unlike a certain interestingly-premised zombie film from not too long ago that apparently is absolute shit, Dead Set takes its concept, a zombie outbreak occurring on "Big Brother" eviction night and subsequently trapping contestants and staff in the house, and runs with it, bringing it to a satisfying conclusion over the course of 5 episodes with some of the decade's best undead action and, dealing as it does so directly with reality television, a bit of societal introspection as well.

Dead Set - Trailer (Warning: Scenes of horror) @ Yahoo! Video

And with humorist Brooker at the helm, expect a bit of black humor with your ultraviolence as well, culminating in a zombie massacre scored with Mika's "Grace Kelly" which is possibly one of the coolest things I've seen all year. Sadly it's unavailable to watch through traditional avenues, as the series' website, which includes full length episodes, is region locked, but it's easily available by more unorthodox means (cough cough, Pirate Bay). And a special nod to the always delightful Simon Pegg, whose Guardian article bemoaning the prevalence of running zombies in modern horror led me to this gem of a production.

laying it all out

2008-11-17T12:58:00.004-05:00

I make it a point to try and keep this blog as personal as possible, to divorce myself from reality and just write about what makes me happy, namely music, video games, hot guys, and a lot of other shit that, in the grand scheme of things, is pretty inconsequential. However, upon realizing that I posted once last week when normally I'd do at least five, I guess I owe somewhat of an explanation, though keeping in with my theme I'm going to make it as ambiguous as possible. Basically what it boils down is that there has been a particular issue in my personal life for the past several months, one which has plagued my thoughts day in and day out and one which, as of recently, has really come to a head (and one which, if you know me well, you've likely heard about). So I find myself at a point where something needs to be done, where changes need to be made, where the simplest solution may not be the best, or the easiest one, and where, in all truth, I pretty much have no fucking clue what to do. It's because of this, because I've been near-obsessing over this issue as of late, that blogging isn't exactly a priority. I ask my fairly small and possibly dwindling audience to be patient - things will surely go back to normal, at least on this blog, but I have no idea when that might be. There are things that need to be taken care of, transitions that may have to be made, to get my psyche back on track, and until then you probably shouldn't expect more than sporadic posting, often accompanied by the depressing song du jour. Sorry.

Of Montreal, "Eros' Entropic Tundra"

Update: Reading this over I'm realizing that it comes across as rather melodramatic. I'm not going to retract any statements I made, and I still stand behind it 100% in terms of my current feelings, but shit, I sound like I'm fucking dying of cancer.

mi dispiace

2008-11-12T10:46:00.002-05:00

Apologies for the lack of posting. Hoping to rectify it today. Until then, here's a video that, while it may have been played out a bit over the past few days, everyone, gay or straight, needs to watch. Poignant shit.

And speaking of things that everyone needs to watch...

quandary

2008-11-07T10:21:00.003-05:00

Q. Who knew a remix of a six year old song could be, well, totally fucking sweet?

Chemical Brothers, "Star Guitar (Armand van Helden Remix)"

A. Shinichi Osawa apparently, who opens up his stellar mix The One+ (download here) with the track. Though in all honesty, when you're working with a house classic like "Star Guitar", it's pretty hard to go wrong. If you haven't before, check out the video for the original, directed by Michel Gondry and, unsurprisingly, absolutely brilliant.

And as an added bonus, a video of Gondry plotting out the video with nothing more than a pen and a piece of graph paper. Very captivating stuff.

bumpin'

2008-11-06T12:32:00.000-05:00

I'm a sucker for a good pounds.

yes i can...

2008-11-05T12:01:00.005-05:00

... do a lazy music post. Unless, of course, I manage to find pictures of me shirtless hanging off the side of a moving semi. C'mon DC, I wasn't posing for my health! Anyway, this is a bit of a weird one, as the album in heaviest rotation on my ipod is an odd one, The Pierces' Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge. This entire year I've been pretty much devoted to new electro, and was loathe to download or even listen to anything that didn't have synths, so to fall in love with an album that is almost entirely devoid of any electronic production and could best be described as "pop rock" is just, fucking bizarre. But I did. A little background: I saw The Pierces back in April in NYC when they opened up for Robyn, and all I really remembered was that they told jokes about nun's being raped - given, a huge plus - and, well, that they opened up for Robyn. Flash forward several months, when they made an appearance on Gossip Girl performing their song "Secret", which prompted a download of the track and, eventually, the whole album. And now I listen to it an uncomfortable amount. Anyway, below is their track "Lights On", which admittedly sounds a lot like a Gwen Stefani track. But hey, that's not always a bad thing, and I think it's pretty great. Enjoy.

The Pierces, "Lights On"

Also, please note that despite how much I may love them I can't believe I wrote that much about the fucking Pierces. Oh well.

xoxo

2008-11-04T12:02:00.004-05:00

I've mentioned before how I'm loathe to write about Gossip Girl on here, even though it's one of my favoritest shows ever. So I'm not going to discuss how I don't like the direction this season's taking, how I'm very upset that the Queen Serena/Dan ostracized storyline wasn't followed through, how I'm sick of these Little J-centric episodes that are completely ridiculous, and how Vanessa is still ruining everything by her mere presence. I will, however, discuss the following photograph, which was recently posted on E! Online (thanks B!):

As the poster notes, Chuck and Nate are obviously going to a funeral, but neglect to mention exactly whose it is. However, for anyone with any familiarity with The OC and/or half a brain, it's pretty obvious who's gonna bite it. Like Caleb Nichol, who in the second season of the aforementioned Schwartz-penned show took a heart attack-spurred fatal plunge into a swimming pool, who on GG is rich, old, and has recently taken a benevolent turn after being more or less a villain in the first season? Not Vanessa, unfortunately, though a boy can always dream. And in other Bass family news, guess what's back on sale at J. Press?

For only $175 dollars you too can achieve the look of everyone's favorite UES lothario! And even though it'd probably be lame by now, I want this so bad it hurts. And finally, the greatest find of the week, courtesy of B, whose Rufus fandom is outshone by no one:

Lincoln Hawk, "Everytime"

For maximum enjoyment please stare longingly at the object of your affection to the point where everyone around you feels uncomfortable. That, or make some waffles.

it's halloween

2008-10-31T13:06:00.002-04:00

And I don't much feel like blogging. If you need entertaining, I highly advise a trip to the always wonderful AV Club to check out their veritable cornucopia of Halloween content. Oh, and staff writer Kyle Ryan?

Total fox. And he dressed up as Osama bin Laden. In 2000. Prescience is totally hot.

like old time

2008-10-30T11:03:00.004-04:00

Went to the Halloween store yesterday with high hopes. Place was raped. Left empty handed. Guess there's only one thing left to do.

Designer Drugs, "ZOMBIES!"

Halloween jam ftw!

if only i had a desktop...

2008-10-29T14:03:00.002-04:00

Sure, it's ostensibly for learning to type, but it's so colorful and gay that all I want to do is hug it like that creepy Asian man.

childhood 2.0

2008-10-28T16:01:00.003-04:00

I was impressed enough by the idea of Wikipedia Brown, birthed from the perpetual brilliance and humor that is the AV Club commenting community, but then Lonely Boy took it one (admittedly logical) step further and found this: Wikipedia Brown and the Case of the Captured Koala. Kind of a mindfuck for anyone who grew up with the original series, and well-done one to boot. You'd be remiss not to click that link.

i'm a real blogger now!

2008-10-28T15:58:00.002-04:00

From an email I received earlier this afternoon:

Blogger has been notified, according to the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), that certain content in your blog infringes upon the copyrights of others. The URL(s) of the allegedly infringing post(s) may be found at the end of this message.

The notice that we received, with any personally identifying information removed, will be posted online by a service called Chilling Effects at http://www.chillingeffects.org
. We do this in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Please note that it may take Chilling Effects up to several weeks to post the notice online at the link provided.

As much as I hate the DMCA and all the societal ills it has caused, I'm kind of excited about this. In other news, best look elsewhere for a free download of PNAU's "Shock To My System". Or, uh, pay for it I guess. I'd rather not get sued in Australia, despite how many hot mens they may have.

sorry guys

2008-10-28T14:31:00.000-04:00

Thanks but no thanks Lonely Boy.

dilemma

2008-10-28T12:44:00.002-04:00

I'm quite positive that the scant few readers of this blog are even less interested in video games than in the music I post, but seriously, this is a problem:

Pros: time-tested modern classic, gorgeous art direction, great story, scary as shit. Cons: FPS w/ console controller < FPS w/ mouse and keyboard combo, Objectivism, scary as shit. Metacritic score: 95

Pros: impressive graphics, set in post-apocalyptic DC, presumably quite lengthy, heavily reliant on player choice, those Metro ads are bad ass. Cons: RPGs tend to piss me off somewhat frequently (though more with those in the Final Fantasy vein), haven't played 1 or 2. Metacritic: 90

Pros: incredible level of customization, impressive fusion of platforming and puzzle solving, beautiful art and graphics, just really fucking cool. Cons: core game not very long, arguably need gamer friends to truly enjoy (of which, it seems, I sadly have none). Metacritic: 95

So basically I need all of these, but in reality can only bring myself to get one at present. And due to my aforementioned problems with FPS's on consoles, it looks like it's between the latter two. So if anyone cares, help a brother out?

psychodelice!

2008-10-28T11:46:00.002-04:00

Has it really been two weeks since I did one of the full-on music posts that everyone hates so much? Time to remedy that with my new jam. Bonus for all you haters: it's in Italian, so chances are you won't understand a damn word she's saying. But hey, at least it has words, right?

Meg, "Napoli Citta Aperta"

And that's not all - gotta make up for lost time, ya know? This next track comes courtesy of DISCODUST - one of my new favorite sites for awesome electro - a collaboration between depressingly young and awesome UK producer FrankMusic and the always entertaining Boys Noize that reworks The Stranglers' "Golden Brown" into something, IMHO, a thousand times better. And big ups to J for making me realize something so glorious was even on my iPod in the first place, as I have a tendency to get lost in the fruits of my download binges.

FrankMusik, "When You're Around (Boys Noize Mix)"

my darkplace

2008-10-28T11:23:00.002-04:00

Quite possibly the best intro to a television program(me) ever, and I can't recommend the show itself enough. Sadly it's only available on Region 2 DVD, but it's worth tracking down a torrent.

good hunting

2008-10-28T10:39:00.003-04:00

PC mods and their slightly-less-geeky counterpart game cakes have one thing in common (besides of course borderline obsessive fandom), that it's now pretty taboo to blog about either unless they're really effing cool. So with that in mind, and to celebrate the return of one of my favorite shows on January 15...

Frak. Me.

tastes like dying

2008-10-27T13:54:00.001-04:00

God mother fucking yes. Also, please note that the website offers a "lite" version. Are you fucking kidding me? Go big or go home pussies.

truer words?

2008-10-27T13:36:00.002-04:00

(I'm loathe to post things from 4chan, but c'mon!)

vanished

2008-10-22T14:52:00.002-04:00

Posting will be light around here, aka nonexistent, until next Monday, as I, for the second weekend in a row, must depart this fair city for greener pastures. I would be sad about abandoning DC once again if it weren't for:

and

and

And, of course, lunch on the steps with J. So yeah, not sad at all. Catch you bitches on the flip side.

ummm, so not okay

2008-10-21T13:29:00.002-04:00

Fucking philistines.

sorry!

2008-10-21T13:27:00.002-04:00

To apologize for yesterday's lack of posting, a wonderful gift, courtesy of our resident Lonely Boy:

You're welcome.

google, will you marry me?

2008-10-17T15:41:00.002-04:00

Much like this article states, I have a serious problem with drunken texting. Usually to boys I like. And/or exes. And, of course, I usually end up with mud, not cock, on my face. For the time being there's nothing much I can do about it, save deleting numbers, turning off my phone, or not drinking (ha!), but Google is making advances in the field of regrettable intoxicated correspondence with the introduction of Mail Goggles. After a simple opt in via the "Labs" tab in the settings menu, any attempts at late night emailing (it defaults on the weekend, 10PM-6AM, though I of course changed mine to everyday) will be greeted with this:

Difficulty can be adjusted - this looks to be level 1, I set mine to 5, the highest. And yes, while it's not SMS goggles like pretty much everyone I know wants, it's a step in the right direction. And a fucking brilliant one at that. +10000000000 internets!

cashed out

2008-10-16T11:56:00.002-04:00

I love Cash Cab. Sure, the questions are terribly easy, but there's just something undeniably awesome about the format, getting the true everyman on a game show without any sort of pretense. Well, that's what I thought. You see, I'd always questioned just how the whole thing worked, specifically, what happens when someone gets in the cab and wants to go 10 blocks as opposed to the 30+ the show dictates? I generated two theories: one, that there was some sort of specialized cab stand that ensured only people traveling long distances would get in the Cash Cab, or two, that were such a situation to arise he would just behave like a regular taxi (this is my favorite of the two). However, all that glistens is not gold, as I learned from that bastion of knowledge that is the AV Club comment board. Take it away Logoboros:

My brother and two of his friends were on Cash Cab. His appearance was filmed before the show had started airing, so it's possible they've changed up their process now that they're past the pilot stage. But they were "preselected" -- a woman with a clipboard came up to them (on the subway, if I remember correctly) and asked if they wanted to be filmed for something like a man-on-the-street interview about New York. They agreed, and were told to go to a certain corner, where a producer flagged a cab that they were told to ask to go to a specific address that would be the filming location. Then they found out they were on a game show. So, they were selected out of a crowd, but they were hardly auditioned, and they were genuinely not expecting to be part of a game show. However, they weren't just flagging a cab as part of business as usual. Of course, as I said, it's possible now that the show is more firmly established that they have an even more open mechanism for picking up contestants.

Yes, I know, the preselection here is rather clever and does little to diminish the surprise of being in the Cash Cab, but I can't help but be a little disappointed. Will I keep watching? Of course, if only because I'm really attracted to Ben Bailey.

dear kenneth,

2008-10-16T10:31:00.003-04:00

Hot.

Hot.

Not as hot as I'd hoped.

Sorry Brit.

xoxo
Stuart

finnished

2008-10-15T11:28:00.003-04:00

Another day, another European electro musician that I can't stop blathering about. This time it's Eero Johannes, whose kind of busted face is more than made up for by the fact that a. he's Scandinavian, and b. he, of course, drops some hot ass jams that tend to be more fun and poppy than his more mainstream counterparts. The best comparison I can think of off the top of my head is Apparat Organ Quartet, which I suspect none of you have listened to despite the fact that I lauded them greatly AND posted a link to a free download. But I digress. Below is my favorite track off his self-titled debut album, "Mantik", in all of its bubbly electro glory. Enjoy.

Eero Johannes, "Mantik"

capital games

2008-10-14T13:58:00.003-04:00

I thought myself really on top of things this morning when I noticed a new, rather interesting ad for Bethesda Softwork's upcoming RPG Fallout 3 pasted on the side of a bus this morning, cursing myself for having quite possibly the shittiest camera ever on my phone. But a quick google search not only disproved this notion but provided me with ample photo evidence, not from a bus necessarily but from it's original deployment point, the Metro Center metro station. And while it isn't exactly strange for a video game company, especially a local one (note the name), to start an ad campaign in our nation's capital, it's admittedly a bit ballsy to do it like this:

Mind you the bus advertisement was even worse, with the focus not on the soldier but of the partially destroyed capitol dome. And by "even worse" I of course mean "ten times as awesome". +10 internets!

PDA

2008-10-11T16:15:00.001-04:00

Public art is always so much better when it's not funded by some civic agency or, even worse, designed by committee. I came across two wonderful examples today, the first from the most obvious source: the much-loved, formerly anonymous Bansky, who has opened up his "Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill" in New York's West Village. And obviously this isn't your normal pet store. Or, um, charcoal grill.

Marc from Wooster Collective says:

While New Yorkers have been consumed by the stock market meltdown, a tiny little pet store quietly opened four days ago at 89 7th Avenue between West 4th and Bleeker Street in the West Village of New York City.

There are no puppies or kittens in the windows here.

Instead, a live leopard lounges on a tree in the window.

Or is it?

In other windows, things get a bit more bizarre.

McDonald's Chicken McNuggets sip barbecue sauce. A rabbit puts on her makeup. A CCTV camera nurtures its young.

Clearly this isn't your typical pet store.

Sure, it might not feature any of the graffiti work that made him famous, but Bansky plus animatronics? I am SO there. Conveniently it's open through Halloween, which perfectly coincides with my Crystal Castles trip. And in other New York public art news, another (unsanctioned) project that, while decidedly less ambitious than an entire storefront, manages to be just as impactful despite the fact that it probably took less than five minutes to execute:

WIN.

postparty expression

2008-10-09T13:11:00.002-04:00

After a rather raucous night of drinking and Hot Chip (they were awesome, duh) I don't really feel like putting much thought into anything, let alone blogging, so in honor of tonight's round 2, featuring appearances by of Montreal(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and the last Shorts party, here's another track from Skeletal Lamping and, surprise surprise, it's about fucking (Mom, you might actually enjoy this..... for the music, not the fucking):

of Montreal, "For Our Elegant Caste"

And some art that I really dig:

What it lacks in subtlety it makes up in being totally badass.

fitter than you anyway

2008-10-08T10:47:00.003-04:00

First off, apologies for the lack of blogging yesterday. I was sick, and didn't have internet until my new computer arrived around 4, after which there were more important things to do, like embark on an epic nodata downloading sesh. Feeling better today, aside from my back which I somehow fucked up yesterday despite a relative lack of inactivity, pumped about seeing Hot Chip (and practicing my knee slide), and thrilled to see an interview with Mike Skinner on the AV Club in which he, among other things, espouses his love for The Wire (yay!). And while I haven't heard much good about his new record, Everything Is Borrowed, it's nice to see that he's looking fit as hell these days.

Not that I haven't been madly attracted to him in the past, but damn son, work that shit out.

soul power

2008-10-06T11:35:00.003-04:00

As we enter the home stretch of the 2008 concert season - an admittedly stellar one at that - don't be surprised by an uptick in music-related posts (some people complain about these, but music is such an important part of my life that there's really no other option). Today, in anticipation of Thursday's Of Montreal concert that, along with Yelle and Crystal Castles, is my most anticipated show, an anecdote from Deerhoof lead singer Bradford Cox about a run-in with Barnes at the 2007 Pitchfork Fest:

I always wanted to start a feud with Kevin Barnes from of Montreal. This started with the now-imfamous dis song he wrote about my good friend / sometimes "girlfriend" Eva ("Bunny Aint No Kind of Rider"). My plan was to beat him up or at least shank him on stage. I saw him everywhere over the course of the weekend and kind of snarrled at him from across the catering table. He was walking around in the middle of the day wearing blue glitter eyemakeup and asspants. Long story short: we were driving away at the end of the night sunday, and i saw him being interviewed by the pitchfork dudes on video. I ran up and grabbed the mic (thinking i was going to humiliate him on a small level, and look all badass) and asked him "Why are you such a pretentious fucktard?" and he looks at me and says really saddly "Because I havent figured it out yet..."
I walked away feeling like such a fucking asshole. I got served. I told the guys in the van to hold up and ran back over to him after he was interviewed and apologized and explained my feudconcept. He was really cool and nice. Then he came and hung out with us for the rest of the night.

Does that not just make your soul hurt a little? I heart the shit out of Kevin Barnes.

hey, at least they're trying!

2008-10-03T15:25:00.005-04:00

In the age the iPod it's a little hard for Sony and its once ubiquitous Walkman line to make anything but a slight ripple. Mad props though to the company for tapping Saatchi & Saatchi Aus to design their new ad campaign.

Using (black!) earbuds to map out the subway systems of various major metropolises (New York is above, they also did London and Sydney) and replacing stop names with those of bands, it's an incredibly successful design for a not-so-successful product line.

is this it?

2008-10-02T15:13:00.002-04:00

There's like, nothing worth blogging about today. I guess I could talk about last night's Project Runway, but it doesn't seem worth it. Not that it was particularly bad or anything, just that it... was. Aside from the surprise/complete Jerell fuckover that was the non-aufing, it was just unremarkable in every sense of the word, including the designs sent down the runway. We did though get a little more character development from Kenley - turns out she's not just a raging bitch, but a raging bitch who was apparently raised on a tugboat. Tres romantique! But anyway, as I was saying, not much to talk about, excepting a bit of news that is exciting to only one person: me.

New computer! My old one, at 4 years old an admitted piece of shit, died on Tuesday, and it's void is soon to be filled by a new Vaio. Sure, a Macbook might seem more fitting for a homo-rific hipster like myself, but I'm an admitted PC apologist, so there you go. And it's pretty!

and speaking of saturday...

2008-10-01T14:33:00.003-04:00

"And I leave you with naked, sweaty men. I mean, what else? New rule: it’s not a Nouveau party unless somebody takes their shirt off."

Our picture is the best. Fuck off haterz!

after the bump

2008-10-01T11:36:00.003-04:00

I've had my share of odd comments on this blog, from the Late Night Shots member who chose it as a forum to defend their ranks or the animal rights activist who took much offense at my post on Knut's birthday. Yes, it's weird that they somehow found my blog that maybe ten people read, that they chose to make such earnest comments on a site that very rarely comes anywhere close to taking itself seriously, but it's certainly not as weird as what went down yesterday. For those not in the know, a certain anonymous commenter left me this little message yesterday on my post about Of Montreal and Radiohead remixes:

You should really learn to handle whatever substance you were on Saturday and spend less time bumping into people over and over and being aggressive with your queeny ass friend trying to fight your way to the bar. You are rude as fuck. Everyone is there to have fun, but seriously, you're a hot fucking mess. Get it together. Next time you bump into someone OVER AND OVER you're probably going to get bumped back A LOT HARDER bitch.

Where to start? From the beginning I guess, which would be on Saturday night at dc9 when some apparent homophobe took issue with my being seated next to him at the bar (mind you, while wearing a vest w/ no shirt). Words were exchanged of course, owners called over, boys made out with in protest, and I guess the issue was quickly forgotten after more pressing matters arose. Point is, apparently this dickwad stewed over the issue for a couple of days before deciding to peruse the Nouveau Riche event attendees on facebook, find me, find my blog, and then proceed to comment on it, so it's funny that in his presumably unintentionally hilarious missive he chose to call me a bitch because, well, that's one hell of a bitch move. So anyway, to the guy who has nothing better to do with his life than hate gay people and write anonymous comments on a stranger's blog in the name of defending his intense level of suckitude, do me a favor and fuck off. Or just admit the fact that you kind of want my cock in your mouth, because the extremes you went through to track me down? That's some straight up stalker shit. And you totally want to bump me hard.

In the butt.

xoxo

hot and fresh out the kitchen

2008-09-30T11:51:00.003-04:00

It's remix day at The Grapist! First up is the Mad Decent remix of Of Montreal's "Id Engager", the closing track from the forthcoming Skeletal Lamping (which has inexplicably been delayed til late October, even though like everyone has it). It's vastly different from the original, sometimes only identifiable by Kevin Barnes' distinctive yelps, but it's still super awesome. So just listen.

Of Montreal, "Id Engager (Mad Decent Remix)"

Next is the Deadly Syndrome remix of Radiohead's "Reckoner", which is currently second place in the remix project the band is hosting (much like "Nude" earlier this year). Full of those delicious synth squelches that I love so dearly (see: autoKratz, "Reaktor"), it easily outshines the official remixes by the likes of Diplo and James Holden (whose track "Idiot" I posted last week). Apologies for the format - it's only available via the website, and a direct download is impossible.

And for those surprised that Of Montreal got mention before Radiohead, just know that I'm going to see them next week and I'm so super fucking pumped it's ridiculous. Skeletal Lamping is totes the new In Rainbows.

the call of the pony

2008-09-29T16:49:00.000-04:00

My Little Cthulhu is so full of win it makes my heart hurt. More Pony mods here, including a particularly badass My Little Pan.

if i were as punk rock as this turtle...

2008-09-29T15:49:00.001-04:00

... I'd like, have studs on my cock. Hey, wait a minute!

you know what's depressing?

2008-09-29T15:44:00.002-04:00

When I'm actually too busy to get around to blogging before like 4PM, let alone come up with something "interesting" to actually blog about. So in lieu of said interesting thing, I'd like to take this time to introduce you to a friend of mine and, more importantly, his blog. Eegah is, much like me, shaggy, gigantic, and 400 years old, which gives him many lifetimes of experience to fall back on. So with that in mind, if you have any problems that can only be solved by a wisened, barely coherent caveman, please, do yourself a favor and ask Eegah. You shan't be disappointed.

bow down or bow out

2008-09-26T09:40:00.002-04:00

Considering how fucking amazing it is I'm actually quite surprised how rarely I discuss Gossip Girl on here. But when you combine a glorious, game-changing scene from GG and Santogold, two of my most favoritest things ever, the gospel must be spread.

that didn't take very long

2008-09-25T12:45:00.004-04:00

You better believe I bought those fuckers with quickness.

i need more asian friends...

2008-09-25T11:33:00.002-04:00

...almost as bad as I need these shoes. All of them.

I love the shit out of all of them, and while I'm more of a high-top guy the fucking low-tops are killing me. They look almost cel-shaded, which is so hot and geeky I can barely handle myself. Problem is, I found them on some rando forum that's in what I presume to be Kanji - I'm feeling far too lazy right now to download and install a language pack. Someone help. Please. These need to be in my life ASAP.

bloody funday

2008-09-24T14:18:00.002-04:00

From the last Dorkbot-Austin meeting:

Umm, Gore Gun? Is there anything better? Actually, turns out there is:

A cute nerdy guy who's been shot with said Gore Gun. I'll spare you the details of how much, and how uncomfortably, this turns me on.

selektive

2008-09-24T11:51:00.002-04:00

I don't like the throw around the phrase "off the chain" - oh wait, nevermind, I do. James Holden's track "Idiot" off Modeselektor's Boogy Bytes mix is off the chain. Off the mother fucking chain. Check it!

James Holden, "Idiot"

in it to win it

2008-09-23T13:17:00.002-04:00

Stellar blog CUTE BOYS!!! has a contest going on that I, along with Keith, am out to win. From the site:

I am pleased to announce the first ever CBMMN contest! The person who sends in the cutest boy with matching funny blurb will win this AMAZING Men in Black prizepack, approx. value $1.50.

I'm certainly up for taking photos of cute, random strangers. And if I have my way it will be my one and only Cowgirl Creamery cheesemonger, who today, I must now embarrassingly admit, I totally found on facebook but couldn't actually look at because I'm not a GMU student (a little help anyone?). Also, on the subject of the above blog and cute boys in general, Monday's entry, actually the blogger's cousin (eww?), is, well, there's only one thing to say:

::sigh::

you know you (still?) love me

2008-09-22T13:57:00.002-04:00

Looking over the past several days - weeks, even - I seem to be lacking in terms of any proper blogging. Guess there's just not anything that interesting going on, aside from whatever sweet music I find on nodata. Well I'm here to tell you that that's not going to change, not today at least, unless something hugely revelatory happens in the next 3 hours. Instead, in honor of me being caught up on my new favorite show and tonight's new episode of said show, a short montage of three of the most beautiful words in the English language.

xoxo

dans le club

2008-09-18T16:03:00.006-04:00

Of the many gems found on the Modeselektor-mixed Boogy Bytes Vol. 3, one of my favorites has to be TTC's "Une Bande De Mec Sympa," which, like their other collaborations with the Berlin electro duo, "2000007" and "Dancing Box," is pretty much the shit. Say what you will about Cuizinier, Yelle, but I can't help but love these guys (and the Modeselektor beats don't hurt). Check it!

TTC ft. Modeselektor, "Une Bande De Mec Sympa"

precious turtles

2008-09-18T10:39:00.001-04:00

That's all.

spotted:

2008-09-17T12:44:00.002-04:00

S, sitting at work, tired as fuck, wishing he was home, stoned, and watching Gossip Girl.

xoxo

things are happening

2008-09-16T16:20:00.001-04:00

OD'ing on your cocksucker blues

2008-09-16T11:27:00.003-04:00

So Of Montreal's Skeletal Lamping is reaching In Rainbows levels in terms of how much I listen to it, to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if they surpass Radiohead on my top artists on last.fm (not necessarily accurate, but oh well), and in the interest of not burning myself out on what is looking more and more like my pick for best of 2008 (sorry Cut Copy and Hot Chip!) I've tried to not listen to it, ya know, all the fucking time. So what have I chosen to listen to instead? Icons, Abstract Thee, the band's EP they released along side Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? Sadly the album contains only 20 minutes of music (including the epic, "Past Is a Grotesque Animal"-esque closing track "No Conclusion"), 20 minutes in which its parent LP's themes of romantic anguish are distilled into 5 awesome(ly depressing) tracks, the second of which, "Voltaic Crusher/Undrum to Muted Da," I've posted below.

Of Montreal, "Voltaic Crusher/Undrum to Muted Da"

And what do I do when its painfully short running time has expired and my Of Montreal fix isn't satiated? I listen to Skeletal Lamping. For the umpteenth fucking time. Hey, at least I'm changing it up a little.

dear netflix,

2008-09-15T17:00:00.000-04:00

Fucking finally!

xoxo
the grapist

shut it down

2008-09-15T13:33:00.002-04:00

For lack of anything to blog about and as a service to those who don't have access to my facebook (read: my mother), below are a few pieces of Leanne's final collection at Fashion Week. All the current remaining designers showed collections, and while Korto's and Jerell's were quite nice and Joe and Suede's were, well, terrible (the latter's being particularly laughable), I would be seriously shocked if Leanne didn't take the win.

I mean, right?

tip of the...

2008-09-12T12:47:00.003-04:00

There seems to be a theme this week: don't feel like blogging, then something falls from the sky that I simply must share. Today? Cockbergs!

From metro.co.uk:

The cockberg was photographed by Andy Rouse* in the Bransfield Strait near Antarctica.
Experts now believe** that it is only a matter of time before an armada of penis-shaped chunks begin to break off the Antarctic ice floes, and then roam the oceans wreaking havoc and luring sailors to their doom.

Nuff said.

getting auf

2008-09-11T13:53:00.002-04:00

You know what that is? NOT AVANT GARDE. You know what was though?

Yeah, somehow Leanne knocks it out of the park with this crazy exoskeleton dress yet still somehow gets beat by Jerell's admittedly really cute skirt and questionable print (that jacket!) combo. Is it because she's won twice in a row that she can't score a win with something that's avant garde and beautiful against something that is, well, not? Fuck that. I do, however, appreciate greatly the producers gracing us with one more gratuitous shot of Wesley ironing sans shirt, which I am currently beseeching the screencap gods to deliver me a .jpg of.

computer cabin war

2008-09-10T13:35:00.004-04:00

Unless you live in a cave or are retarded (or some combination of the two) you know that new iPods debuted yesterday, including a reduced price Touch which I still can't afford and a significantly redesigned Nano.

Digging the accelerometer, digging the colors, not so much digging the weird rounded profile (not visible here). Also digging who they've got playing on the orange model.

If they used "Computer Camp Love" in an iPod commercial I could die a happy man.

d00d!

2008-09-10T13:30:00.002-04:00

Yes, for some reason this exists. Some amazing amazing reason.

summer!

2008-09-09T13:43:00.003-04:00

I was all set to give up on posting anything today, but then angels descended from the blogosphere bearing a gift:

Thank you angels (aka Sorry I Missed Your Party)!

skin sex party @ FIST

2008-09-08T13:55:00.002-04:00

A video for the Crystal Castles remix of HEALTH's "Crimewave" is an exciting enough prospect, featuring as it does the wonderful Alice Glass covered in some strange white mesh and concert footage that makes me really excited for October 23, but when you include Otto the Gay Zombie, whom I wrote about here before in what I would consider one of my most recommended blog posts just for the sheer amazingness of it all (I mean, c'mon, "a gay zombie searches for love in contemporary Berlin"? undead make out sessions and yes, maybe some wound fucking?), the whole thing gets elevated to something near fine art. Enjoy.

taking lots of vitamins

2008-09-08T13:02:00.002-04:00

According to blogger Josh Spear, UNIQLO, aka best store EVA!, will start populating their stores with robots called Wakamura. The robot, designed by Toshiyuka Kita and engineered by Mistubishi, will apparently be capable of simple conversation and, of course, picking out (presumably awesome fucking) t-shirts. But perhaps the most exciting part is that, despite how utterly Japanese this - and UNIQLO - is, the Tokyo-based company is debuting the robot at the flagship Manhattan store in SoHo. Where I will be next month. Shit yeah!

chillamping

2008-09-07T21:24:00.002-04:00

Couple quick musically minded things. First and foremost, I know that I've mentioned it already, but Skeletal Lamping is kind of the shit. And I can't stop listening to it. It's the reason Of Montreal has surpassed Santogold to take the number 2 spot on my last.fm. And it's filthy filthy filthy. About the album, which isn't being released until October 7 but is available on any number of torrent sites (and nodata.tv), frontman Kevin Barnes had this to say:

i wanted to make a record that could truly surprise a listener. to create something that was, in turns, enraging, joyous, discomforting, playful, lovely, unpleasant, freaky, mesmeric…something that came close to capturing the labyrinthine complexity of this human consciousness.

i spend most of my time in a state of mild confusion and pensiveness. i imagine most people do too. this record is my attempt to bring all of my puzzling, contradicting, disturbing, humorous…fantasies, ruminations and observations to the surface, so that i can better dissect and understand their reason for being in my head. hence the title, Skeletal Lamping. Lamping is the name of a rather dreadful hunting technique where, hunters go into the forest at night, flood an area in light, then shoot,or capture,the animals as they panic and run from their hiding places.

this album is my attempt at doing this to my proverbial skeletons. i haven’t yet decided if i should shoot or just capture them though.

Can't fucking wait for that show. And speaking of concerts in October (of which there are several), I managed to dig up a video of Lykke Li performing an acoustic version of "I'm Good, I'm Gone." On its own it's undeniably great. But then they go and throw Robyn into the mix. Then, well, shit's kind of off the chain.

no surprises

2008-09-05T13:35:00.002-04:00

For lack of anything better to post, and as it's been spreading around the internet rather rapidly, here's a video from The Daily Show highlighting just how vilely, and unsurprisingly, hypocritical various Republican talking heads are. This shit is just too entertaining. And sickening.

nerd alert

2008-09-04T15:42:00.002-04:00

Website shorpy.com posts hi-res historical pics, most sourced from the Library of Congress, many taken in DC., such as this one of Lois Hoover walking her pet pig. Great time "waster."

turns out i CAN hurt you

2008-09-04T14:26:00.002-04:00

I mean, I just can't explain how full of win this shit is. Just read it. Please. Hands down one of the best discoveries of 2008. Thanks boingboing!

hats off (PLEASE!)

2008-09-04T13:19:00.003-04:00

That's literally one of the saddest things I've seen in my entire life. Sure, I have no objections to Stella and Joe being in the bottom two, and I understand why Stella was auf'd, but to have this depressing mishmash of discordant fabrics topped with some ridiculous cap whose offensiveness cannot be expressed in mere words (and is only topped by the time Jerrell wore an almost identical cap even MORE offensively) go down the runway and the judges say nothing is, well, a crime against fashion. C'mon, look at that hat and tell me you don't get a little nauseous. I thought so.

boring music stuff, of course

2008-09-04T11:40:00.003-04:00

1. Video for Hot Chip's "Wrestlers", featuring an inexplicable cameo by James Murphy, rather uncharismatic if you ask me but he's wearing an awesome DFA shirt that I kind of want.

2. New, technically unreleased Of Montreal. Was hesitant at first, gave it some time and now I kind of love it. Dig the song structure, which reminds me a lot of The Fiery Furnaces (particularly Blueberry Boat, which is one of my favorite albums of all time), and of course I dig the dirty lyrics cause I'm frakking perv. It's no Hissing Fauna, but really what is? Anyway, the first track off the album, "Nonpareil of Favor", is pretty sweet, plus it's all over the internet - unlike what's probably my favorite track, "Beware Our Nubile Miscreants" - so I've posted it below for your listening pleasure.

Of Montreal, "Nonpareil of Favor

here we go again

2008-09-03T09:42:00.004-04:00

People tend to bitch when I start posting too much music on here, but fuck them, when I listen to Familjen's absolutely spectacular album Det Snurrar I Min Skalle (download here) on the bus so loud that multiple old people glare at pretty much the whole ride (this, mind you, while wearing supposedly noise isolating headphones) there's pretty much only one thing I can do. And that's the post the title track. Cause it's one of the best electro songs I've heard in a long fucking time.

Familjen, "Det Snurrar I Min Skalle"

And furthermore it's awesomeness transcends media, as its video, which masterfully splices together tent revival footage synced up perfectly to the beat and apparently won a Grammy for Best Swedish Video (guh?) and was ranked by Pitchfork as one of the top videos of '07 (ugh - see what I did there?), is kind of the shit:

And yeah, as you might have gleaned from the above, he's Swedish, and, unlike all of his other fellow country(wo)men whom I adore, he actually sings in fucking Swedish. Hot.

also scary

2008-09-02T11:49:00.003-04:00

I only have one episode left of The Wire. Well, more devastating than scary. I also intend on eschewing my original plan of embarking on the new Doctor Who for a marathon viewing of the first season of Gossip Girl so that I can start watching the second and be caught up with everyone else who likes penis.

monster mash

2008-09-02T11:21:00.002-04:00

What with all that's going down in October - Chromeo, Hot Chip, Of Montreal, Girl Talk (already sold out!), Yelle, Crystal Castles (NYC), Roisin Murphy(?), Lykke Li, and, of course, Halloween (on a Friday!), I completely ignored one of the things that makes this season great: haunted fucking houses. Or woods. Or whatever. Point is, they're the shit, and I totally would have forgotten about something that used to be of penultimate concern to me during the aforementioned month if it weren't for something else amazing that's happening as well. After what has seemed like an eternity Beezer will be making a brief return to my life, a return which will also include a visit to the Field of Screams, Maryland's premier haunted attraction (that is within driving distance from DC). And in honor of this occasion, I'm posting below a picture from their website, which from outward appearances seems to be some sort of fun, witch-themed maze.

Except, well, it's totally fucking not, which you discover if you, like me, make multiple attempts and fail every single time. Apparently psychological torture is the new chainsaw-wielding homicidal ghoul.

there's a drink in my bedroom and i need a hot [northern european dj/producer]

2008-08-29T11:24:00.003-04:00

Lindstrom, you're new album is like totally the shit and you're super hot in an odd Norwegian neanderthal kinda way.

Indeed, I will happily go anywhere you go too. Bed, ideally.

more than just fake russian dykes

2008-08-29T11:17:00.004-04:00

There's a lot to love in the AV Club guide to getting a tattoo, including an anecdote about how Carson Daly gave a tattoo artist free reign to hide an ankle tattoo which read "LOVE" (yes, for Jennifer Love Hewitt - how delightfully '90s!) and ended with a Swiss army knife, but instead of a knife blade it had a giant crab claw, but my favorite part was, as usual, hidden in the comments:

the worst

by tattoo

i've ever seen was a mosaic of the ascension of christ on this guys arm. very elaborate, very big and very colorful. the twist was, instead of christ in the center, he was replaced by a skateboard.

Fucking genius. Also, I think this is a good enough excuse as any to post the below picture, which I might have put up on here before but deserves to be seen by as many people as possible:

And shit, while we're at it, another gem uncovered in the comments section, Mr. Cool Ice:

You're welcome.

BALDERDASH!

2008-08-28T12:27:00.002-04:00

Project Runway is always a highlight of my Wednesday, as it was last night - despite the surprising lack of ass on the runway (except for the laughably bad construction on the back of Keith's design) which I expected going into the challenge - but I must concede that it was merely a footnote when compared to the glory of Game Night in all its wine-pounding, everclear-shooting, balderdash-and-catch-phrase playing glory, and for that I must thank the unbeatable Rene. Even though she cheats at catch phrase. And has a busted ass mug. Which I remedy by staring at her bangin' stems.

lights out

2008-08-27T11:19:00.003-04:00

My new obsession: Metronomy. Specifically their new album, Nights Out, which I initially dismissed as inferior to their debut but am now beginning to think it's the other way around. It's like some glorious synthesis of Hot Chip and Datarock and all those other wacky yet awesome and infinitely danceable artists that I hold so dear to my heart (and feet). The album can be downloaded free from nodata.tv, and I've included a sampling here in the form of the track "My Heart Rate Rapid". Hope you enjoy.

Metronomy, "My Heart Rate Rapid"

Bonus: two of them are totally cute and British. Well they're all British. But one's kind of ugly.

FAILippe de Montebello

2008-08-26T11:20:00.005-04:00

Really Met? I'm in NYC for an extended weekend in October and the best you can come up with is The Philippe de Montebello Years: Curators Celebrate Three Decades of Acquisitions? If you need me I'll be down the street fagging out over Renaissance bronzes.

meldrick!

2008-08-26T11:13:00.003-04:00

I'm pained over the fact that, for the time being, I'm done with Battlestar: Galactica - that third season finale, SHIT! - but comforted that one of my true loves has returned to my life: The Wire. Specifically Season 5. Which is only 10 episodes long. Frak. But...

Detective Lewis! And if you have no idea what that means, please reevaluate your choices in the television watching of the '90s. Also, I still am uncomfortably attracted to Tommy Carcetti.

noise outside me

2008-08-25T13:13:00.003-04:00

At the risk of upsetting my loyal fans (hi mom!), seeing as it's Monday, I'm tired, I've got a lot of internet to catch up on, and that I'm fucking in love with Tiger Baby, posted below, in lieu of any real blogging, is their song "Girlfriend", the second track off their 2006 album Noise Inside Me. Ideally everyone would've already procured this stellar album ages ago when I posted a direct link to a free download, but I understand that people are lazy, including myself, and in all likelihood didn't download any of my suggestions - a great disservice to one's ears, but oh well.

Tiger Baby, "Girlfriend"

fancy footwork

2008-08-21T11:58:00.002-04:00

Chromeo, 10/4, 930 Club. So I've pretty much given up on doing anything other than going to shows for the entire month of October. Shit, if I manage to score tickets to Roisin Murphy my traditional fall NYC trip will be almost entirely consumed by concerts. Not a bad thing necessarily, I know, but EIGHT concerts that I HAVE to go to in one month? Kind of unprecedented.

something new(ish)

2008-08-21T09:54:00.002-04:00

British indie dance duo The Black Ghosts released their self-titled debut album over a month ago, which is sadly how long it's taken me to get around to listening to it (though after some research I'm pretty sure I've heard them at DC9). Comprised of Theo Keating from The Wiseguys and Simon Lord from Simian (who begat the awesome "La Breeze", from the same album as "Never Be Alone", which begat Justice vs. Simian's "We Are Your Friends", which begat Simian Mobile Disco, which is comprised of the remaining two members), their style is much in the same vein as a lot of the electro music that's been dominating the more indie-oriented dancefloors, which as far as I'm concerned is great as long as it's interesting - and it is - and danceable - as it also is, very much so. Lead single "The Repetition Kills You", featuring a cameo from Damon Albarn, is posted below, though I highly recommend downloading the track "I Want Nothing" as well. And shit, while you're at it pick up the whole damn album - unlike fellow UK electro-rockers Late of the Pier, who I was pretty pumped to hear more from after the awesome "Space and the Woods", the entire thing is actually, well, good.

The Black Ghosts, "Repetition Kills You"