¿Dónde Está Mi Pluma?

iPhoned, Bitches!

2011-01-12T16:27:00.000-08:00

After 4 years of waiting, I will finally, finally be getting an iPhone. 'Bout time. Less than a month left...!

The Bird and the Bee - Heart Throbs and Apple Seeds

2010 in Review

2010-12-19T00:15:00.000-08:00

2010. April through September was really fun. The rest... not as much fun... especially this last quarter. But, next quarter will probably be even harder... how is that possible? But 2010 did bring some interesting surprises I guess... Anyway, this year is almost over!

Before I get to my 2010 songs, I want to mention that Death Cab will release their seventh album early next year. Yay? It'll be called Codes and Keys. I admit that I'm not as big of a Death Cab fan as I used to be. They still are my favorite band... but I don't know, I'm just not obsessed anymore. Read about their new album here. I really like that article. The author and I share similar feelings.

On to the music!
I will admit that I haven't been up to date with the bands I usually follow and the bands I should check out (but never did).

I really like Florence and the Machine. I've heard about them for quite a while (before they hit mainstream), but never checked them/her out. About a month ago, I listened to them on GrooveShark, and I really, really enjoyed it. I've been listening to Florence and the Machine a lot lately.
Florence and the Machine - You've Got the Love
[buy from iTunes]

I was obsessed with this song for maybe a week or two while I was in Japan...
Fischerspooner - A Kick in the Teeth
[buy from iTunes]

I was just introduced to The xx this quarter. They are awesome.
The xx - Stars
[buy from iTunes]

I hope 2011 will be better!

Got So Crazy, I Saw Stars!

2010-11-30T21:17:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, I saw Stars. It was freakin' awesome. I love Stars. Too busy to write an actual review for the concert, but it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to.

Stars - Fairytale of New York
[buy from iTunes]
Christmassy. Since everyone is already playing Christmas songs.

This Post Is Pretty Much Useless

2010-10-31T03:02:00.000-07:00

Saw Mutemath this month. That was cool. That was my one fun thing of the month. Here's a Mutemath song. That is all.
(This was just to maintain my 'at least one post a month' trend)

Mutemath - Typical
[buy from iTunes]

The Vacation Is Over.

2010-09-26T19:30:00.000-07:00

Man. I'm back in San Diego. School has started. This sucks. I miss Japan. I miss not haven't to think for classes. But now, the 6 month vacation is over. Just like this picture I took of the sun setting over Tokyo... Oh, how I wish I was back there instead of here. But I do admit, the weather is so much nicer!

But it's kind of weird to think that I was gone for that long. Since I've been back, it kind of feels like nothing happened. But it is really difficult getting back into the swing of things. I'm so used to not studying... Hard habit to break.

Ben Gibbard - It'll Be a Breeze (The Long Winters cover)
I need to learn how to study quick, though because... from here on out, it will NOT be a breeze. This is going to be the roughest quarter ever. Engineering is hard... :(
Going to try to apply to grad school. Last year until reality really hits... shit.

Happy Birthday, Ben

2010-08-11T02:19:00.000-07:00

It's August 11th! Well, at least in Japan... So, happy birthday, Ben Gibbard! :)
This is Ben's first birthday as a married man... :(

Random rant: So, a couple weeks ago, Muse played at a Japanese Music Festival, Fuji Rock Festival. I knew about this for many months, and was set on going... but of course, I had finals on the day Muse would play, and it would not have been worth the travel time + money + entry ticket to make it on time just to see Muse. But, goddammit. Before I left for Japan, I told everybody that it was my dream to see Muse live in Japan. And it could have happened too if it weren't for goddamn finals! I also missed my chance to get tickets to see Muse in San Diego AND Los Angeles because I thought I would see them in Japan. Now I can't see them anywhere! GODDAMMIT! Ok, end rant.

Anywayyy... I have 5 days left in Japan. :(
Man, 5 months passes by so quickly... Studying abroad in Japan has been a good experience. But I think I've come to the realization that I wouldn't want to live here permanently... but we'll see.

But I don't get to go back to the Land of the Free just yet. I have to go to Thailand for a couple weeks first. Not that I'm complaining (maybe a little), but I really miss Mexican food... and In-N-Out... and Chipotle... and too many foods.

But I guess America and delicious fatty foods will have to wait. Thailand first. Japan, thanks for everything! 'Twas a blast.

Here are some tunes to commemorate Ben's birthday, and the ending of my Japan experience:
Ben Gibbard - A Lovely Affair
Ben Gibbard - Gone for Good
The Bird and the Bee - Everything Is Ending
[buy from iTunes]

And There Was One...

2010-07-10T04:44:00.000-07:00

John Krasinski got married to Emily Blunt Saturday night... :(
John followed in Ben's footsteps. This means that Demetri Martin is now the only single man left...
Oh well.. Congrats, John.

More sad news... I only have about one month left in Japan. Oh, shit. Where did the time go? There's still so much I want to do, so many places I want to go...

But I'm glad I chose Kyoto. It's a great place to live. And it's beautiful... I know I'm gonna miss this city like crazy...

Tegan and Sara - One Month

Telekinesis! - Coast of Carolina
[buy from iTunes]
I've been addicted to this song for the last week.

Stars in Review

2010-06-26T00:54:00.001-07:00

Oh my. I just listened to Stars' new album, The Five Ghosts... and wow, how I've missed Stars. I've been waiting so long for new Stars. It's been almost two years since their Sad Robots EP came out... and that wasn't even a full album. I'll probably listen to this album at least five more times this week. I need to get my fix of this Canadian band.

The Five Ghosts has Stars' usual sound. Similar song construction, and similar sound and style. But the new songs are refreshing. Just like their old songs, I can listen to these songs all day. In short, I love Stars; I love The Five Ghosts.

Stars - Wasted Daylight
[buy from iTunes]

Stars - London Fields

On similar note, I've also listened to new albums of a few:

Kele - The Boxer:
Pretty good. Different sound from Bloc Party. Not too bad. Hope he will continue with Bloc Party, though...

We Are Scientists - Barbara:
I love We Are Scientists. Glad they're still making music. They're very quirky and fun!

Hot Hot Heat - Future Breeds:
Listened to this a while ago... don't really remember what I thought of it. So I guess it wasn't that memorable.

Nada Surf - If I Had A Hi-Fi:
An album of covers. I really liked it.

Jonsi - Go:
Pretty good. Different from Sigur Ros. Good different.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse OST:
Had a bunch of bands I liked... but I thought it was only ok. Could have been better.

Tweens Will Either Have Great Taste in Music, or Ruin Indie Music for Me.

2010-05-14T00:05:00.000-07:00

Like, oh my gosh! Did you see the track list for the new Twilight: Eclipse movie?!?! I've never heard of any of these bands, but they're gonna be on the Twilight soundtrack! "Bats and Rashes" or whatever is, like, totally gonna be my new favorite band! Ohemgee!! Why do I have to wait until June to see this movie?! Life is so unfair!

...life IS so unfair, isn't it. So, yeah... just saw the new Twilight OST track list. Not too bad, not too bad... Now, I was a little speechless when Death Cab was on the last soundtrack. But I honestly don't care anymore. If it's good music, it's good music.

Here's the track list:
01 Metric – “Eclipse (All Yours)”
02 Muse – “Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)”
03 The Bravery – “Ours”
04 Florence + The Machine – “Heavy In Your Arms”
05 Sia – “My Love”
06 Fanfarlo – “Atlas”
07 The Black Keys – “Chop And Change”
08 The Dead Weather – “Rolling In On A Burning Tire”
09 Beck & Bat For Lashes – “Let’s Get Lost”
10 Vampire Weekend – “Jonathan Low”
11 UNKLE – ‘With You In My Head (Feat. The Black Angels)”
12 Eastern Conference Champions – “A Million Miles An Hour”
13 Band Of Horses – “Life On Earth”
14 Cee-Lo Green – “What Part Of Forever”
15 Howard Shore – “Jacob’s Theme”

Good bands. I'm excited for Metric. I love Metric.
~~Metric - Twilight Galaxy (Acoustic)~~
[buy from iTunes]

~~Metric - Between the Bars (Elliott Smith cover)~~

Golen Week is Golden

2010-05-08T02:10:00.000-07:00

Why hello there! Thanks for dropping by!
So, last week was Golden Week in Japan. There are three holidays or so in that week, so Japan just says "screw this!" and gives everybody the whole week off. Thanks, Japanese government! That's one thing I'm thankful for... not so thankful for your tedious pen-and-paper bureaucratic system...

Anyway, for the break, my friends and I decided to hop over to another main island, Kyushu. We went to Fukuoka and Nagasaki. Had a ton of good food. Fun times :)

Here are some highlights:

Castle Ruins in Fukuoka

Peace Park in Nagasaki

The Hypocenter

I had a really fun time. But the Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki was pretty depressing.
Golden Week was awesome. Too bad I don't have anymore holidays...

Razorlight - Golden Touch
[buy from iTunes]

I've been trying to keep up with the music news... but it's been hard. I am excited for the solo albums from Jonsi of Sigur Ros, and Kele from Bloc Party. Also, We Are Scientists has a new album coming out soon. Excited for that.

We Are Scientists - Hoppipolla (Sigur Ros cover)

Herro From Japan!

2010-04-05T01:36:00.000-07:00

I've been in Japan for about a week and a half or so. And it has been awesome. I'll be staying in Kyoto for about 4 months. Here's some proof:

Kyoto from my hotel room on the first day.

It was snowing in Kyoto! It was so beautiful. This is Doshisha University, the school I will be attending.

Shinkyogoku. Awesome shopping place.

Kyoto Tower.

Ohanami.

Sakura!

News - Sakura Girl
I don't usually like J-Pop, but this song is very catchy... and appropriate.

MGMT - This Must be the Place (Talking Heads cover)

This is my apartment in Kyoto, if you are interested:

Springy Break!

2010-03-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

Spring break! Woo! :)

I received word that my pen is somewhere in Japan, so I'll be heading out there tomorrow. But I couldn't get a flight back for another 5 months... so hopefully I'll find something to do for a couple months. ;)

But the weather has been nice the past couple of days. Hope you have a crazy fun awesome spring break!

Death Cab for Cutie - Spring Break Broke

Just Need to Get Through This Week

2010-03-13T20:53:00.000-08:00

Hello, hello! Finals this week! Lost all motivation to study because... I'm going to Japan next week! WOO! I've sorta already mentally checked out a few weeks ago, but I need to get back on track and start studying... which is very hard to do. So much to do! So stressed out! But Japan! AHH!

Anywhoooo... Pandora graciously supplied me with another Bird and the Bee cover a few weeks ago. And, like all Bird and the Bee covers, I've been addicted. They're coming out with a new album next week. Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates will be out March 23rd. As you can tell from the name, it will be a cover album of Hall and Oates songs... I'm not a big Hall and Oates fan, but I am a big Bird and the Bee (original and cover) fan. So my I'm pretty excited. I guess I'll listen to it in Japan! I just need to get through finals first... I better get started since I lose an hour of studying and/or sleeping tonight. Damn you, Ben Franklin, and your candle wax conservation! Actually, I was just discussing Daylight Savings Time with my roommate the other day. We had to Wikipedia the origin of it, and apparently it was started by a New Zealand entomologist... The more you know...

~~The Bird and the Bee - I'm Into Something Good (Herman's Hermits cover)~~
[buy from iTunes]

~~The Bird and the Bee - Love Letter to Japan~~
[buy from iTunes]

Viacom is Evil.

2010-03-04T23:42:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report will no longer be available for streaming on Hulu. What the fuck. I've gotten so used to Hulu, and I love the whole subscription and queue thing. It's awesome! But really? Viacom didn't want to continue it's agreement with Hulu? Whatta surprise... Viacom doesn't want its content to be easily accessible to everyone. I mean, think of the copyright infringement! Fucking Sumner Redstone. Whatever. Nothing I can do about it. But I refuse to go back to watching the shows on comedycentral.com. The streaming sucked, the ads sucked even more, and the quality was not good. After reading some complaints about this whole thing, I found about about Zinc. It's a free internet television program. I downloaded and tried it out for a bit. It's not too bad... I just don't like how it won't automagically add my favorite shows to my queue. Or maybe it does; I didn't play with it for that long. One thing I noticed about Zinc is that there are some shows on there that aren't on Hulu (The Daily Show and Colbert Report, obviously, and CBS shows). Granted, the only CBS show I watch is How I Met Your Mother... Anyway, I love Hulu, but I think I will split my time between Zinc and Hulu for now... until I realize I like one better, or find something new all together. But God, I hate Viacom. Was it necessary to inconvenience me like this?

They Might Be Giants - Dog on Fire (The Daily Show Theme)

Cheap Trick - Baby Mumbles (The Colbert Report Theme)

Straight to Hell.

2010-02-20T13:30:00.001-08:00

I've been addicted to Lily Allen's cover of "Straight to Hell" for the past week. I was hearing it everywhere. It came up a lot on Pandora, my ballet teacher would play it for our plie warm up, I downloaded it and kept playing it because I was addicted... It took me a really long time to realize that this song is actually a Clash cover (my ballet teacher also plays the original for our jump warm up... it's an unorthodox ballet class). Then I found out that Lily Allen is actually Joe Strummer's goddaughter. Ka-RAY-zay. Then I realized that M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" samples the beginning guitar and drum build up of the original song. I then looked up the meaning of the song, and damn, it's loaded. Good song. I learned so much this week.

Lily Allen - Straight to Hell (The Clash cover)
[buy from iTunes]

The Clash - Straight to Hell
[buy from iTunes]

Happy Chinese Valentine's New Year...?

2010-02-14T17:08:00.001-08:00

Yes, Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Chinese New Year and all that. Yeah, I've got nothing.

Death Cab for Cutie - Love Song (The Cure cover)
[buy from iTunes]
Off the Starbucks Sweetheart Compilation from 2009.

Spoon - Love Song (The Damned Cover)
[buy from iTunes]
Off this year's Sweetheart Compilation. This album was a bitch to "get."

Survivor - Eye of the Tiger
[buy from iTunes]
It's the Year of the Tiger. Get it? Get it?

Death Cab Revisited

2010-02-13T16:31:00.001-08:00

Today, I woke up (somewhat) early, got out my iPod, put in my classic Apple earbuds, then cleaned the apartment. That last part wasn't that fun, but I did listen to Plans and Transatlanticism. I haven't really listened to Death Cab in a long, long time. I never thought Plans was their best album, but I still like it and it's still respectable. Transatlanticism is still my favorite album.

I usually go through a Death Cab frenzy every couple of months, but I haven't had one in quite a while. It's a little refreshing listening to other music and such, but it's scaring me a little bit. I know my love for Death Cab has faltered a little over the years, but they're still my favorite band. I'm just afraid that my occasional Death Cab listening periods will slowly transform into listening to them only when a song shows up on Genius and I may or may not skip it. I only hope they come out with something that will keep my unhealthy obsession for them strong.

I haven't had many favorite bands... Let's see, I think my first favorite band was 'Nsync. Can't go wrong with them. That was in elementary school. My next favorite band was quite a jump. I loved System of a Down in middle school. I think I unsuccessfully tried to be hardcore punk. Then I took a step backwards freshman year of high school when I was obsessed with Taking Back Sunday. Yes, I think that's the most embarrassing one. Then I fell in love with Death Cab, and have been in love ever since. Is it time to move on? Or will they keep my musical heart with their new stuff? I hope for the latter...

Death Cab for Cutie - Talking Like Turnstiles
[buy from iTunes]

My Recent Addictions

2010-02-06T16:35:00.000-08:00

Much like all those annoying nerds you overheard obsessing about LOST this week, I have also been impatiently waiting for the season premiere that aired on Tuesday. And omg, I'm addicted again. This past summer, I watched all five seasons in two weeks. That's 103 episodes, ~72.1 hours, ~3 full days of LOST, and totally worth it. The only thing that sucks is that I have to wait a day and watch LOST on Wednesdays instead of Tuesdays because I don't have a tv. But you gotta love Hulu. :)

But the premiere! More questions! Only one question sort of answered! Garrrrr! Even though there's a lot of criticism towards LOST, I still think it's one of the smartest shows on tv. And even though it's confusing as hell and I don't think the finale will wrap everything nicely and make perfect sense, I'll be glad that I got into the show before it ended. I know the writers get a lot of criticism for making it up as they go, but I think it's still a well written show (but not as well written as Arrested Development). And LOST does give me an excuse to embrace my nerdiness.

On a more embarrassing note, I have been addicted to this video:

This song has been stuck in my head for over a week. This Youtube vlogger "charlieissocoollike," has some pretty good videos. And some good songs... God, I'm lame.

Charlie McDonnell - A Song About Love
Charlie McDonnell - A Song About Acne
Charlie McDonnell - Duet With Myself
Charlie McDonnell - In The Absence of Christmas
[buy from iTunes]

6 Months?!

2010-01-28T23:01:00.000-08:00

I just realized this blog is 6 months old. Awesome. This really isn't anything special. I just noticed, and I felt like should mention it. I was going to post a picture of a single balloon, but then I saw this crazy awesome balloon tank, and that was it.

I'll make this post somewhat music related. Last year, Ben Gibbard was involved in GIVE Seattle. Apparently, his "give" track was a cover of Neil Young's "Harvest Moon." I want this song because I'm sure it's of better quality than the one I own. Anyway, here's to Seattle:

Ben Gibbard - All Apologies (Nirvana cover)

I Wanna Be Phoenixed!

2010-01-28T21:10:00.000-08:00

So, my brother saw Phoenix last night in San Francisco. AND HE GOT TO GO ON STAGE WITH THE BAND!!! That jackass! How unfair is that?! I never get anything from the concerts I go to (no matter how much I beg for set lists and guitar picks after the shows), and my stupid brother gets to stand on the same stage as these French gods. My jealousy has morphed into rage and I may have popped a few blood vessels. But, in any case, I'm somewhat happy for my brother... even if it is encased in a massive amount of jealousy.

I would LOVE to see Phoenix again. They are so good in concert. They have become one of my favorite bands in such a short amount of time. It's crazy how awesome they are. Here's your Phoenix fix:

Phoenix - Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands (Bob Dylan cover)
Phoenix - Lisztomania (Acoustic)
Phoenix - 1901 (Acoustic)

Spoon, Vampire Weekend, OK Go, Motion City Soundtrack in Review

2010-01-23T18:18:00.000-08:00

So I'm starting a new type of post solely based on reviewing stuff. These posts will have the title end in "...in Review" and will consist of me reviewing albums, movies, concerts, or whatever the hell I want. They will also have this awesome picture I made. Note: I have never seen RV, but I'm going to say it sucked anyway, and I don't think anybody will ever disagree with me... I also don't think anybody has actually seen the movie either, let alone care... Also, I don't like Robin Williams.

So, a lot of bands released new albums this month. Four of my favorite bands did. I shall review them here. I have only listened to each album once or twice, so I haven't had enough time for the songs to sink in/grow on me. So this will probably be a first impression type of deal. Let's begin:

Spoon - Transference
I really like this album. It sounds like their older stuff, like Gimme Fiction and Kill the Moonlight. Don't get me wrong, I like Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, but that album just has a different sound. Spoon always write songs that can get stuck in my head, and the songs off Transference are no exception. I think it's the couple lines that they repeat over and over throughout each song. That's just Spoon's style. And Britt Daniel's voice just makes it work. But all in all, I think Transference is pretty awesome.

Spoon - Written in Reverse
[buy from iTunes]

Vampire Weekend - Contra
I don't know, ever since I saw Vampire Weekend in concert, my enthusiasm for them has diminished. It was probably their surprisingly huge teenage fanbase that caught me off guard. It was difficult to listen to the album without getting annoyed thinking about their ~~underground~~ mainstream following. I'm not trying to be one of those "I totally liked this band before they got all popular" superior people because I don't consider myself a big Vampire Weekend fan. So I will try to review Contra as fairly as I can... Nope, can't do it. How about: It sounds just like their self-titled album, which was good and I liked it at one point.

Vampire Weekend - Giving Up the Gun
[buy from iTunes]

OK Go - Of the Blue Colour of the Sky
I'm just so happy that OK Go finally has a new album out! It's been so long. But I think this album has a different style than their other albums. I'm pretty sure I like it, but I don't know... it just sounds different. I think I need some time to get used to it. Anyway, their video for "WTF?" is pretty cool.

OK Go - WTF?
[buy from iTunes]

Motion City Soundtrack - My Dinosaur Life
I've always liked Motion City Soundtrack. I love their quirky and clever lyrics. Their dark humor is subtly inputted into their lyrics, which are usually covered up by upbeat music, making the music that much better when I actually listen to the songs. My Dinosaur Life seems to be just the right album that follows Commit This to Memory and I Am the Movie... I didn't really care for Even If It Kills Me... Also, I think my favorite part of the cover art is the random snail that is about to be crushed by the dinosaur. Like, wtf? But it's awesome.

Motion City Soundtrack - Disappear
[buy from iTunes]

I've seen all of these bands live. They were all awesome. Well, I wasn't too happy when I saw OK Go, but they were still really good. I just don't like the House of Blues... I think I wasted too much time with this post. Oh well.

Don't You Forget About Me.

2010-01-17T00:34:00.001-08:00

On Friday 1/15, Death Cab played at the Critics Choice Movie Awards, which aired on VH1. Now, I have no idea what the Critics Choice Movie Awards are, and I frankly have no desire to find out. But, Death Cab for Cutie did play a cover of the Simple Mind's "Don't You (Forget About Me)" in tribute to John Hughes. You know John Hughes... the guy responsible for all those eighties teen movies. He practically made Molly Ringwald. You may not know who John Hughes is, but you do know his movies. Please, I know his movies and I wasn't even alive when they were made. Anyway, Death Cab played an awesome cover of "Don't You (Forget About Me)."

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

Did you notice Ben got rid of those mutton chops?! I'm finally liking his look again. Although, my favorite is still slightly chubby with thick framed glasses Ben.
Come on, look how adorable he is! But I guess he's looking better nowadays. Any which way, congrats to Death Cab on the awesome performance.

Death Cab for Cutie - Don't You (Forget About Me) (Simple Minds cover)

Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me)
[buy from iTunes]

Best of 2009?

2010-01-09T23:45:00.000-08:00

According to many, many sources (too many sites to cite.... hehe), Animal Collective had the best album of 2009. Although, I looked at a lot of 2009 lists, and Animal Collective, Phoenix, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs usually had a spot in the top three albums of the year. And I believe they each were number one on some list(s). Anyway, I don't really listen to Animal Collective, but I do have a few of their albums. Guess I should get on that... But congratulations to Animal Collective and Merriweather Post Pavilion. My Girls is quite catchy...

Animal Collective - My Girls
[buy from iTunes]
Always puts me in a good mood. If only I had four walls and adobe slats for my girls...

Taken by Trees - My Boys (Animal Collective cover)
[buy from iTunes]
I really like this cover. It's a different sound, but it still works.

Also, my blog was featured on Antique Pocket Watches for some reason? It's listed on the Blog Awards. I have no idea.

Moon in Review

2010-01-04T19:58:00.001-08:00

I just watched the movie Moon last night. Wow. What an awesome movie. I loved everything about it. Brilliant. I loved Sam Rockwell. He was soooo good. I think I liked every character Rockwell has played (at least the ones I've seen). He seems to fit into those unorthodox science fiction roles. I really liked him in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was also a very good movie in which Rockwell stars. He really does play odd characters, doesn't he?

Any which way, if you've seen the movie, I absolutely loved Gerty! OMJesus! The emoticons were genius! I never really liked Kevin Spacey that much for some unknown reason. I don't know, I think he's a good actor and I like most of the movies he's been in, but something about him just seems odd... Anyway, Kevin Spacey just went way up in my book. GERTY!

Skeptical/worried Gerty is my favorite! :)

Definitely watch this movie. It is awesome. Great indie science fiction movie.

Ben Gibbard - Harvest Moon (Neil Young cover)

!!! - Must Be The Moon
[buy from iTunes]

2009 in Review

2009-12-31T18:04:00.000-08:00

Oh, 2009. Let's see...
We elected a black president. Yay! America needs to give Florida to China to pay off our debt. Boo! We are so close to universal health care. Yay! But a health care bill that will actually work will never pass. Boo! Scrubs ended. Boo! Scrubs started again? Double boo! Went to so many awesome concerts. Woo! Death Cab sold out to Twilight. Noooo!! :(

What a year. What a decade. Here's to the new year. Cheers.

Death Cab for Cutie - The New Year
[buy from iTunes]

Death Cab for Cutie - The New Year (Acoustic)

Holiday Hootenanny in Review: UCSD Rimac Arena 12/12

2009-12-29T00:13:00.000-08:00

Wow, I have been extremely lazy. Even though the Holiday Hootenanny show seemed like it happened ages ago, I'll write whatever I can remember about it.
My friends and I got there pretty early, and I when I looked around at the crowd, I noticed most of the people were quite young... braces young. A lot of these kids were in high school. But I also noticed there were a lot of older people, as well. Parents. Even better. I tried to ignore the random age groups of the crowd and tried to focus on my anticipation for the first band.

WHITE RABBITS was the first band to play. At first, I was a little surprised that they were the opening band, but then I realized nobody knows who they are. I really enjoyed their performance. They had a lot of energy and were fun to watch, and they looked like they were having a good time on the stage themselves. They were one of my favorite bands of the night. So glad that they were on the line up.

Look at that neck vain...

MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA was next to play. I was really not impressed. I don't know, I just don't really like the sound of the lead singer's voice. Also, I really wasn't expecting the frontman to be so... yeah. The band didn't fit into the line up, but it was still worth sitting through for the other bands.

He did get into it though...

PHOENIX was probably my favorite band of the night. They were awesome. My favorite French band... actually, probably the only French band I know, but still. Crazy awesome performance. I was surprised that they came on before Vampire Weekend, but I figured out why later during the concert.

I'm disappointed in myself not taking more/better pictures. It was a performance I hope to never forget.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND was the next band. They were pretty good, but I don't know... it was just weird. This was mostly because all these high schoolers were going crazy for them. I was just surprised they were so popular. I always thought they were somewhat underground, but I guess they get a lot of radio play. Whatever the case, it was still a good performance.

I also found it odd that a good number of people left after Vampire Weekend. But I guess it made sense because young people don't know who Spoon is.

SPOON was last since they were the headliners. Spoon was pretty good, but they didn't really have much energy, especially when compared to White Rabbits. But my friends and I did manage to weasel our way up to the third or so row by the time Spoon played. Not too shabby. Got some really good pictures.

Such an awesome concert. I was going to do a Christmas post, but I got too lazy. Maybe I'll do a New Year's one. Maybe. If not, Happy Holidays!

Phoenix - Lisztomania
[buy from iTunes]
First song Phoenix played. So awesome. Hope everybody got everything on their Christmas
"lisztomanias!" Hahahaha.... yeah, sorry.

The Bird and the Bee = Carol of the Bells
[buy from iTunes]
I am a total sucker for the Carol of the Bells. I could listen to most versions any time, all the time. My favorite holiday song, hands down.

Note: Click on pictures to enlarge

It's That Time of Year Again: Finals!

2009-11-29T22:17:00.000-08:00

'Tis Week 10. Finals are next week. Definitely not ready. But I have my lab final(s) this week. I happened upon this comic when I was feeling particularly bored and nerdy and was browsing through xkcd. If you don't get the resistor reference, this probably isn't funny... even if you do get the joke, it still probably isn't funny. I laughed for about five minutes straight. I'm quite nerdy. Hopefully I will memorize the resistor color codes by Wednesday for my engineering lab final...

Muse - Resistance
[buy from iTunes]
I told you I was a nerd.

Holiday Hootenanny

2009-11-15T20:58:00.000-08:00

I am so excited for this concert! On December 12, Spoon, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, White Rabbits, and Manchester Orchestra will play at my school, UCSD! SUCH a good lineup! Seriously! I may die of anticipation! I have also overused exclamation points!

Apparently, the San Diego radio station 94.9 hosts Holiday Hootenanny. This is the first I've heard about it though. I did some research, and they didn't have it last year. But in 2007, Queens of the Stone Age, MuteMath, and the Kooks played Holiday Hootenanny at UCSD. I'm a little annoyed that I missed that concert. I really like MuteMath and the Kooks, but I didn't know who they were in 2007, so I'm not that bummed that I missed them. Oh well, there is NO way I'm missing it this year. I already got my ticket. I'm also really glad that its hosted at my school because we don't have to pay the ridiculous Ticketmaster fees. The tickets online cost $35, but after TM charges, it come out to about $50. Really? An extra $15? Whatever. I bought mine from the UCSD Box Office AND got a free CD. (I could have gotten two free tickets to see Julian Plenty [Interpol frontman] at the House of Blues this past weekend, but it was 21+.... I was pretty pissed. I wanted to go to that show when I first heard about it, but no... Goddammit.). Where was I? Writing in stream of consciousness always gets me sidetracked...

Anyway, awesome concert. Awesome bands. Can't wait. Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. :)!!!

Spoon - Got Nuffin
[buy from iTunes]
From their most recent EP. Can't wait 'til their new album! Should come out in January.

Spoon - My Mathematical Mind
[buy from iTunes]
My theme song. I like playing this song when doing intense math problems... :)

Phoenix - Everything is Everything
[buy from iTunes]
One of my favorite Phoenix songs. Even though I recently started liking Phoenix, I like their old stuff better. But I do like their new album.

Phoenix - If I Ever Feel Better
[buy from iTunes]
Old school again. I'm probably the most excited to see Phoenix. They really got me hooked in such a short amount of time!

Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma
[buy from iTunes]
I feel like you either like Vampire Weekend or hate them. I like them. Their music is unorthodox, but catchy. Not too bad. Their new album should also come out in January.

Vampire Weekend - Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac cover)
I didn't even know I had this song. This is what happens when you only listen to <30% of your iTunes library...

White Rabbits - Midnight and I
[buy from iTunes]
I've heard of White Rabbits, but I never listened to them. When I found out they were playing, I downloaded their albums. Not bad. I really like them. Apparently, the band went to the same high school as one of my brother's friends. CRAZY!

White Rabbits - The Plot
[buy from iTunes]
I think I like their first album more than their newer one. But it's still all good!

~~Manchester Orchestra - I've Got Friends~~
[buy from iTunes]
I've only heard this song from Manchester Orchestra. It was stuck in my head for about a week during the summer. It's not bad and it's catchy. Reminds me of Brand New... in fact, I think they were on tour together. Anyway, I just got their albums, so I will start listening to them. Hopefully they aren't too screamy and I will be able to listen to them without cringing... maybe I'll even like them. We'll see...

Have any comments about these bands? Are you going to this concert? Hit me up at dondeestamipluma@gmail.com

TPS vs. OC: Please, There Is No Competition

2009-11-14T16:33:00.000-08:00

The most commented post on Stereogum for the past week or so has been about Owl City ripping off the Postal Service. According to this, Owl City, aka Adam Young, said that he only listened to the Postal Service a little. This is probably complete BS, but I don't really think Owl City sounds exactly like the Postal Service in the first place. I have advocated Owl City in an earlier post, and I still stand by it.

Owl City = happy Hellogoodbye + Postal Service electronica

Now, that Stereogum post has gotten some angry comments. There are way too many comments, so I only read about half, but they all sound mostly the same. Most people are adamant in expressing their views that Owl City sucks because he is blantly copying TPS, and even sounds like Ben Gibbard. Now, that last part really pisses me off. Let me make this clear: Adam Young sounds NOTHING like Ben Gibbard. If you think they do, you are an idiot and have probably never really listened to anything Ben has sung. Their voices are quite different, they each have their own styles in singing, and most importantly, Ben's lyrics >>>> Adam's lyrics. Puh-leaze, Young has a song about going to the dentist. While "I have to speculate that God Himself did make us into corresponding shapes like puzzle pieces from the clay" is from "Such Great Heights." Yeah.

So please stop comparing Owl City to the Postal Service. The only thing they have in common is the electronica aspect. I think Owl City sounds more Hellogoodbye overall anyway. Don't get me wrong, I still like Owl City. It's happy music and easy to listen to. I'm just saying that Owl City has got nothing on the Postal Service. People need to stop being arrogant assholes when they think they're all cool because they liked the Postal Service six years ago and think they are superior because they liked this electronica sound before it was mainstream popular. I loved TPS six years ago, I love TPS now, and I like Owl City now. These people need to get over themselves. If the Postal Service ever decide to make another album, that will be awesome. If not, Give Up will go down in history as one of the best albums of all time. Either way, ignorant people need to stop saying that when they first heard "Fireflies," they thought it was the Postal Service, and arrogant people need to stop bad mouthing Owl City for making music that people actually enjoy.

There. I'm done with my rant. GAH!

Owl City - Hello Seattle
[buy from iTunes]
I really like this song. Oh no, she likes Owl City! Stone her!

Dntel - (This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan
[buy from iTunes]
The Postal Service before the Postal Service existed. One of my favorite songs. I do wish they will make another album. Come on, Tamborello and Gibbard! Gibbard, stop it with all the side projects and the selling out... the people need the Postal Service!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T23:21:00.000-07:00

I guess it's that time of year again... time to pretend to be something you're not... which is a sexy teenage vampire. Speaking of, Death Cab is apparently going on a Twilight tour with a few of the other artists featured on the soundtrack. You'll be able to hear the songs that will be in the movie, or whatever, AND have a Q&A session with the cast!!!! Like, ohemgee! Read and not care about it here.

Also, you should know that I had THE BEST Halloween costume ever a few years ago. Yes, I was Death Cab for Cutie. It was pretty kick-ass. It consisted of a grim reaper costume, a triangle on my head with "TAXI" written on it, a sickle (I could not find a scythe), and me holding a card with "CUTIE" written on it. I don't think I'm going to dress up for Halloween ever again, because I don't think I'll ever be able to top that costume.

Any which way, I'm annoyed that I cannot go to a Ben Gibbard solo concert in LA on November 21. I could have gotten second row seats... but I was afraid something would come up, and I wouldn't be able to go... which would have probably happened. Now it's sold out. But I REEEEEEEEEEEEALLY wanted to go. I still do. I want to see a Ben solo show so bad. I kinda thought that the show with Jay Farrar would be somewhat like his solo shows, but alas, I was sadly mistaken. Oh well, one day, I shall see a Ben Gibbard solo acoustic show... one day.

I'm also annoyed that my favorite stand-up comedian, Demetri Martin, will be taping the second season of his show Important Things With Demetri Martin in San Francisco from November 19-21. Why are the people I want to see live doing shows on that weekend? Sad face. I am not looking forward to that weekend. I'll only be able to think about how I could be watching Ben and/or Demetri. Oh well, I suppose it was my choice... but I do like to complain...

Ben Gibbard - Thriller (Michael Jackson cover)
Not very original for Halloween, I know.

Demetri Martin - I've Got 9000 Friends
If you have not seen Demetri's trendspotting segment about Myspace on The Daily Show, watch it now. I recently saw Demetri Martin live and it was glorious:

Hope you have a hallucinatory Halloween... which means you should take "candy" from strangers... ;)

Ben Gibbard & Jay Farrar in Review: El Rey Theater 10/23

2009-10-25T16:52:00.001-07:00

So I saw Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles on Friday. I was thoroughly disappointed. They only played the songs from their just-released album One Fast Move Or I'm Gone: Kerouac's Big Sur. The songs were so slow and you could tell that the audience wasn't really getting into it. The album was just released three days before the concert, so nobody really knew the songs yet. I had downloaded the album the night before, and listened to it twice on the way up to LA, but I still wasn't that familiar with the songs. I mean, I understand that they want to promote their album, but Ben should have played something that people knew. He did play a folksy-ed up version of "Couches in Alleys," but it seemed like I was the only one who knew that song.

I mean, they played very well, and I do like the new songs. But Ben really should have played a DFCF or TPS song, or even a cover of something. The audience was pretty dead... there were a few heads bobbing along to the beat, but they were placid for the most part. Anyway, it was a disappointing show. I don't want to say it wasn't worth it... because it did get to see Ben, which always makes everything worth it.

Also, on my way up to LA, I realized I left my camera on my desk. I was very upset. Luckily, one of my friends brought a camera and took some pretty good pictures.

Ben Gibbard & Jay Farrar - These Roads Don't Move
[buy from iTunes]

Never Enough Time

2009-10-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

This has probably been one of the toughest weeks I've ever had. I probably got eight hours of sleep in four days. Oh sleep, how I've missed you! We used to be so close. It was a mistake thinking I didn't need you. Let's dream together again...

Any which way, this was a rough week. But I did get to see Sally Ride in person... that was cool. I just needed more time to get everything done. I had to do a million things each day because the universe thought it would be great to make everything due this week. But this whole week was worth it because I get to see Ben Gibbard tonight!! Woo!

The Postal Service - There's Never Enough Time
[buy from iTunes]

Meet Me on the Equinox Video

2009-10-07T21:36:00.000-07:00

The video for Meet Me on the Equinox premiered today. It just seems to be a summary of the movie...?

Death Cab For Cutie |MTV Music

Death Cab for Cutie - Meet Me on the Equinox
[buy from iTunes]
A better version than the one previously posted.

Death Cab on NPR

2009-10-03T11:14:00.000-07:00

Last night, Death Cab was on NPR's World Cafe.
The set included:

Little Bribes
My Mirror Speaks
Grapevine Fires
A Diamond and a Tether
Title and Registration

Stream it here.

Death Cab for Cutie - All Is Full of Love
[buy from iTunes]

I Can Now Be a Couch Potato If I Want

2009-09-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

School officially started for me today. Colons and open parentheses all around. But there is some good news. When I came back from my oh-so-long two week summer break, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a couch in my living room. We had been living a couchless life over the summer. So I thank my roomie and my roomie's mom for the couch... Thanks! I am sure we will put it to good use. I do like sitting... :)

Styrofoam (ft. Ben Gibbard) - Couches In Alleys
[buy from iTunes]
Good song. I got into Styrofoam because of this song.

Ben Gibbard - Couches In Alleys (Acoustic)
And, of course, everything is better acoustic... most of the time.

Ben Gibbard Is Taken. My World Is Over.

2009-09-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

I have terrible news. Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel have... brace yourselves... tied the knot. I know, I can't believe it either. They married on Saturday, September 19 somewhere near Seattle. I thought I had more time... I thought we all had more time. Alas, it is over.

Ben Gibbard - The Saddest Story Ever Told (The Magnetic Fields cover)

And Zooey, you do look like Katy Perry... bitch.

Ben Gibbard Update

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

I gots me a lot of B. Gibb newz. Yeah, I'll never do that again. Ok, moving on...

Ben Gibbard will do four shows with Jay Farrar next month in LA, SF, Chicago, and NY to promote their work on One Fast Move Or I'm Gone: Kerouac's Big Sur... AND I'M GOING TO SEE HIM IN LA!!!! Got my ticket already. I'm so excited! Just think, I get to see Ben again in a little over a month.

On a less happy note, Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel plan to marry at the end of the month. I never thought the day would come. I was kinda hoping that they would have a long engagement, neither of them committed enough to set a date, then eventually break up all together. Damn you, Zooey. And apparently, Zooey has been taking ballet lessons for the wedding. I never thought I would ever cite Perez Hilton... Anyway, Ben, if you like ballerinas, I have over thirteen years of training. Just letting you know... ;)

So, it seems that Ben is having a pretty good month. He's finishing up his work with Jay Ferrar and going to do some shows soon. He's going to be in John Krasinksi's movie that opens later this month. He wrote a song that will be in a movie about sexy teenage vampires. And he will be getting married this month. Pretty good September...

Anyway, I can't think about Ben's upcoming Seattle wedding. I just need to think about the show next month! :)

Ben Gibbard - Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow) (The Monkees cover)

Meet Me on the Equinox

2009-09-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

I've been searching all day for an mp3 version. Not the best quality. When I find a better one, I'll upload it.

Death Cab for Cutie - Meet Me on the Equinox
[buy from iTunes]

Also, on a semi-related note, I just downloaded iTunes 9.0. Weird. It'll take some time getting used to...

2009 MTV Vexing Mediocre Artists

2009-09-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

Oh my. Where do I begin? Grr...

Ok. First of all, as I previously stated, I thought Death Cab's new song Meet Me on the Equinox was going to premiere on the VMA's. But six hundred eye rolls and three hours later, I realized that the song did not air live on the show. I looked into what the hell happened, and I realized that I overlooked an important detail in the unveiling of the song. It was to appear ONLINE at MTV.com during the VMA's. Goddammit. I need to start reading more carefully. I wasted hours of my life, lost many brain cells, and felt like committing murder. Good Lord. Nothing made that worth watching. Not even Muse's kick-ass performance. MTV didn't even air half of the awards! If I had to sit through the show, I would have wanted to see the award Death Cab was nominated for. Grapevine Fires was nominated for Breakthrough Video, but the award didn't even air. According to MTV.com, Matt and Kim's Lessons Learned won. Thanks, MTV! Seriously, why would MTV air ALL of the awards at the Video Music Awards? They don't have time for that. They needed the time to dress Lady Gaga in eight different ridiculous costumes.

But if I didn't watch the VMA's, I would have missed Kanye's lovely reaction to Taylor Swift's victory. I mean, everyone is still Twittering about it!! Like, ohemgee! Whatever.

Any which way, I did listen to DFCF's Meet Me on the Equinox. Not too bad. Even though they are selling out... I mean, I still have no comment about the Death Cab/Twilight situation.
Let's have a listen:

MTV Shows

Death Cab for Cutie - Grapevine Fires (Live from London '08)
Congrats on the nomination!

Need Fresh Music?: Owl City

2009-09-11T22:36:00.000-07:00

I have recently started listening to Owl City. This is a one man band who has gained a pretty large following. I found out about him through Pandora, and it said that if you like The Postal Service, you would like Owl City. I suppose that the electronica aspect is similar, but the vocals are happier. I would categorize Owl City as happy Hellogoodbye mixed in with a Postal Service tempo. If you are in a happy, energetic, feel-good mood, this is the music to listen to.

Owl City - Fireflies
[buy from iTunes]

PS. I also really like owls. So that was a plus for me...

Brief Interviews With Some of My Favorite Men

2009-09-04T23:54:00.000-07:00

So, Brief Interviews With Hideous Men will finally be released in theaters September 25. Finally! I first learned that John Krasinski was writing and directing this film over a year ago. I decided that I had to read the book since I consider myself a real Krasinski fan. The book took me a while to finish. I blame my busy, busy schedule. I didn't really like it; it had some... vulgar... parts. But it does seem that it would be better in movie form. Krasinksi's film first debuted at Sundance earlier this year.

Watch the trailer at Apple Trailers.

Earlier, I mentioned that John Krasinski and Ben Gibbard are pals. Well, Ben has a small role in this film! I'd be lying if I said that was not one of the reasons why I read the book or why I REALLY want to see the film. In fact, when I found out that Ben would be in the movie, I constantly checked the status of the film to see when the release date would be. And finally, FINALLY, the day is near. I get to see my favorite guys in the same movie! Too bad Ben and John are both engaged...

Death Cab for Cutie - A Movie Script Ending (Acoustic)

John Krasinski Is Engaged. I Will Wallow In My Own Self Pity.

2009-08-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

Dammit. I keep losing my men! First Ben and now John. What the hell?! What does Emily Blunt have that I don't...? Yeah, that doesn't need to be answered. But still. I'm losing my three favorite guys one by one. My favorite guys in the whole world: Ben Gibbard; John Krasinski; Demetri Martin. It's only a matter of time until Demetri gets engaged. Why is the world against me? Whatever. "Congratulations," John. British bitch...

The Office Theme
I'll still watch your show, John. But I may glare more than watch...

Death Cab for Cutie - I Was Once a Loyal Lover
[buy from iTunes]
"All my friends are forward thinking, getting hitched, and quitting drinking." Stop growing up and falling in love!

Anyway, if you didn't know, Ben Gibbard and John Krasinksi are pals:

Death Cab for Vampires

2009-08-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

Oh dear. I don't know what to think of this. Death Cab for Cutie, my favorite band in the whole world, is going to write a song for the second Twilight movie New Moon. I don't know what to say. The song will be called "Meet Me On The Equinox" and will premier at the MTV VMA's on 9/13. Apparently, Chris Walla has read the entire series and bassist Nick Harmer has read the first two. According to Harmer, Death Cab and Twilight have a lot in common... mostly they are both based in the Pacific Northwest. Read it for yourselves. Tell me what you think.

Death Cab for Cutie - Little Bribes
[buy from iTunes]
"The never ending twilight" indeed...

*UPDATE*
I just learned that the music supervisor for the movie is Alexandra Patsavas. She has worked on Grey's Anatomy, The OC, Gossip Girl, the first Twilight movie, etc. This makes more sense. But still...

C.O.L.B.E.R.T. on the Run

2009-08-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

Space Shuttle Discovery just launched from Cape Canaveral, FL. On board the shuttle is Stephen Colbert's treadmill. The $5 million treadmill named COLBERT, or Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill, is apparently in 100 pieces and will be built next month. Colbert is proud that the treadmill will "finally slim down all those chubby astronauts." One small step for Colbert, one excruciating five mile run for the astronauts on board the International Space Station.

OK Go - Here It Goes Again (UK Surf)
[buy from iTunes]
The song that reminds you, me, and everyone of treadmills... and dancing... and choreographed treadmill dancing. This is the less intense version, I guess.

Arrested Development Will Solve Heath Care

2009-08-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

This made my day. Bravo, man in Batman shirt. Bravo. Brought to my attention via Videogum.

David Schwartz and Steven Sprung - Big Yellow Joint (Arrested Development Soundtrack)

Ben Gibbard Project

2009-08-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

Ben Gibbard will be working with Jay Farrar of Son Volt on an album together entitled One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur. Both of them have great respect for Jack Kerouac, and the some of the lyrics will be based on the prose of Kerouac's novel Big Sur. More info here. Ben spent some time up in Big Sur in the same cabin Kerouac stayed in while writing songs for Narrow Stairs. You can read about his self-discovery here.

Death Cab for Cutie - Bixby Canyon Bridge
[buy from iTunes]
This song was inspired by Kerouac when Ben first came to Big Sur.

Ben Gibbard - You Remind Me of Home
[buy from iTunes]
Off of Home, Volume 5, a split between Ben and Andrew Kenny.

Note: I took the picture of Ben when I saw Death Cab in April 2009. Awesome concert! :)

Happy Birthday, Benjamin Gibbard!

2009-08-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

Today, Mr. Ben Gibbard turns 33. Happy Birthday. I hope you have a great day. You know, 14 years isn't that much of an age difference... just think about it.

Ben Gibbard - 26 Is Too Soon (Kind of Like Spitting cover)
26 33 is too soon.

The Postal Service - Grow Old With Me (John Lennon cover)
[buy from iTunes]
Ben, you're not getting old. But I wouldn't mind growing old with you.

Death Cab for Cutie - The Sound of Settling (Acoustic)
I don't know why... I just really like this song.

Happy Birthday, Ben!

...

2009-08-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

Can't think of anything to write about.

All-Time Quarterback - Untitled

Lost

2009-08-06T23:00:00.000-07:00

So, I have been hooked on Lost for the past week. My friend has been going off about it for five years, and I would always smile, nod, and say I'll check it out... but I never did. Boy, I was missing out.

I didn't have anything to do on Monday, and I saw that the first season of Lost was on Hulu. I just finished the first season. It's Thursday. Pretty sad, I know. But when I'm addicted to something, I go all out. Now I need to tell my friend about my addiction and wait for the inevitable "I told you so!" But I still have a lot of catching up to do. On to season 2!

Ben Gibbard - Brand New Colony (Acoustic)
I thought it was fitting... :)

Turning Over A New LEAF

2009-08-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Nissan unveiled the Leaf (Leading, Environmentally Friendly, Affordable, Family Car). This, my friends, is an electric car that should be somewhat affordable. Unlike the Telsa Roadster, an awesome electric sports car, the Leaf is probably aimed at the upper-middle class. I am very excited by this. I have always wanted an electric car. I doubt I will be able to afford this car or any other electric cars in the near future, but I'm glad to see the automotive industry FINALLY making its turn to an eco-friendly future. Although, I must admit that there has been electric cars in the past and, even with demand, the EV's quickly faded away. If you have never watched Who Killed the Electric Car?, I highly recommend it. I just hope this new interest in electric vehicles does not have the same demise as previous EV's. We need to move forward! I like hybrids, but I would rather much see an electric car for every hybrid... well, I'd really rather see one for every car for that matter, but you need to start small.

Anyway, this piece of information made my day... The Leaf should start selling in the US, Europe, and Japan fall 2010. Early graduation present, Mom and Dad?

Stars - Drive By (Live on KCRW)

Death Cab For Cutie - Title and Registration (Alternate Version)

Death Cab For Cutie - Title and Registration (Acoustic Version)

Ben Gibbard - Title and Registration (Acoustic)

(500) Days of Summer in Review

2009-08-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

I finally watched (500) Days of Summer today. I've wanted to watch it ever since I saw the trailer a couple months ago... you know, to check out my competition for Ben. I knew it was going to be a good movie just from the looks of it. But wow, I really enjoyed it. Damn you, Deschanel... you win this time... and all the other times with your good movies. Anyway, it was a fantastic movie. I was smiling through the whole film. Such a feel-good movie... even though it's not a love story.

Zooey Deschanel always seems to play the same character in most of her movies, though. Always the pretty, cool, every-guy-is-in-love-with-you kind of girl, but is afraid of relationships and commitment. I wonder if she is like this in real life... I may have a better chance with Ben Gibbard... Obviously, I am rational and realistic.

I can't stop thinking about this movie. Here are some tunes from the film and some songs that relate to said tunes:

The Smiths - Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want
[buy from iTunes]
I have recently started listening to The Smiths. Good stuff. But I realized that I after I listen to their songs, I'm a little depressed... Oh, eighties music...

She & Him - Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want (The Smiths)
[buy from iTunes]
I don't really like She & Him. I think Zooey's a great actress, but I don't really like her as a musician. She's a bit too folksy for me. Zooey, let's just leave the music to Ben.

Muse - Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want (The Smiths)
[buy from iTunes]
A great band covering a great song equals awesomeness. I love Muse. Can't wait for their new album!

The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
[buy from iTunes]
Probably my favorite Smiths' song. The scene with this song in (500) Days makes me smile.

Death Cab for Cutie - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (The Smiths)
My favorite Smiths' cover... but I'm biased. Muse is a close second. See Zooey, this is how you cover The Smiths.

Wait...

2009-07-31T00:51:00.000-07:00

The main reason I started this blog was to share hard to find songs with people who are interested in said hard to find songs. The main thing I was counting on to help me achieve this was The Hype Machine. I wanted to give back to the music blog community through the Hype Machine, because I found a lot of music through it. Hell, I still do. But, I just found out that I have to wait a couple months to add my blog to its list. The blog has to have existed for two to three months. C'mon... how about two to three days? Oh well, I understand their reasoning though... It makes sense. Any which way, I hope that I'm still committed enough to last a couple months. It would be cool to make it on The Hype Machine and/or Elbows. But for now, I just have to wait...

Here are some songs that will help me wait:

Death Cab for Cutie - Wait (Secret Stars)
[buy from iTunes]
Good old school Death Cab.

Alexi Murdoch - Wait
[buy from iTunes]
I had to watch Away We Go because I love John Kransinksi. The movie was ok; it was still better than Kransinski's other films... License To Wed and Leatherheads were really not that good, but I still love him. Anyway, Alexi Murdoch is basically the soundtrack to Away We Go. He is amazing. One of my new favorite artists.

Get Set Go - Wait
[buy from iTunes]
I found out about Get Set Go from my Grey's Anatomy days. In my defense, they play good music.

We Are Scientists - Worth The Wait
[buy from iTunes]
Fun band. Good band to see live. Lots of crowd interaction.

Franz Ferdinand - What You Waiting For? (Gwen Stafani cover)
I've been listening to Franz Ferdinand a lot lately. Can't stop listening to their new album.

Zero 7 - In The Waiting Line
[buy from iTunes]
Good song from the soundtrack of a good movie.

Plans Get Complex

2009-07-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

So today, I was walking to the bus stop to go back home. I see the bus coming, so I run for it. Right when I make it to the bus doors, it pulls away. I glared after the moving bus, and the ten minutes I had just lost. There were people standing around the bus stop, so I tried to shrug off my embarrassment. I do not think I was successful. Anyway, when I finally got on the next bus, I thought about All-Time Quarterback's video for Plans Get Complex. I hadn't seen the video in a long time, but I just remembered that there are shots of Ben sitting on a bus. So I played the happy song on my iPod and my mood instantly shifted. Well, for the most part... I still hold a grudge against that first bus.

When I got back home I watched the video for Plans Get Complex, and boy, I was off. Well, not totally, but I forgot about Ben's little fetish. Also, he takes the subway, not a bus. Anyway, it's still impressive for a budget of $6.

Oh Ben, you were so young. If you've never heard of Ben's little side project called All-Time Quarterback, you should check it out.

All-Time Quarterback - Plans Get Complex
[buy from iTunes]

The Start

2009-07-28T23:36:00.000-07:00

I have decided to start a blog. It will probably just consist of rare songs that I have hunted down and am willing to share... I'm a nice person like that. Maybe I will also post random music news of bands I like, or just random, interesting things that occur in my life (which is unlikely seeing as though my life is quite uninteresting). Let's see how long this will last...

Death Cab for Cutie - Start Again