Bully

I heard "You Could Be Wrong" by Bully while I was jamming to the Iowa Public Radio. I know, I'm super cool. So but anyway, good job IPR. I now love this band!

I just ordered their new album "Losing" the other day, so psyched for it to arrive. I haven't spent an immense amount of time looking into them, but they appear to have formed in Tennessee in 2013. Although the lead singer, Alicia Bognanno, is a Minnesota native. They are currently touring, so if you happen to live near any gigs, you should check them out. Sadly, the closest they came to my locale was 4 hours away.

These are some of my current faves, based on multiple YouTube listens:

I Love The USA - Weezer

Just to show you how far behind I'm am on music, here's a song from a Weezer album (the White Album) that came out LAST YEAR. This is my favorite band, guys. And I'm just now getting around to listening to it. So anyway, this video right here...

IS THE TITS!

I'm not especially patriotic, but Weezer and Patton Oswalt are two of my favorite things. I'll let you decode the meaning behind the music video yourself.

Special mention for "Jacked Up" and "Fake Smiles and Nervous Laughter," also from the same album.

"If you stay the night will I fall in love?"

"When you say what you hate, makes me feel kind of great, it's beautiful to me."

And okay, just listen to the whole album and every other Weezer song in existence because it'll make your life so much better. That's all.

Hot - The Regrettes

This song is just brilliantly brutal, reminds me a lot of that one Distillers song. You know the one. Anyway, The Regrettes are a punk band with that riot grrrl flavor I've been craving lately. Like I just can't get enough of these strong, loud, angry females. We're in it to win it!

They are touring currently, which would have been great for me if I'd actually been able to go to Riot Fest this year. Sadly, I could not. Hope everyone there enjoys this great band!



*grumbles on my way to bed, instead of awesome rock festival*

Ain't Done With You - Erick Hovey

I adore Erick Hovey so much, in particular Ain't Done With You from his Recycled Souls album. I've listened to it almost everyday for about a month now. It's just so freakin' mellow and pretty and it makes me go "Awww, wish someone wasn't done with me." I may be biased because I've known him personally for quite awhile now...but I don't think so. Although, listening to his music is almost the same vibe as hanging out with him - chill, fun, and low key impressive.

I would categorize Recycled Souls as the perfect album to just chill to, preferably outside with a cold beer. I mean, I mostly just lie down and stare at the ceiling and contemplate life while it's playing, but ya know, you do you.

My second favorite song on Recycled Souls is Thousand Times:

And my third favorite, Here Again:

Seriously, he's great. Go to CD Baby to purchase Recycled Souls and/or his other three albums. Hopefully, someday he will finally release another one! hint hint.

White's Not My Color This Evening - Cherry Glazerr

Everything about this is just hella dope. Love how Clementine Creevy's voice is sweet and harsh. Love how garage band punk the sound is. Love the music video of the menstruating girl kicking the crap out of some asshole sk8r boi for laughing at her. And love the shoes she wears. Too bad that video is not available on here for some reason. So here's a live version.

 I was looking for some punk/alternative rock with female vocals and Cherry Glazerr is what I was drawn to. I will always be drawn to this kind of sound. It's so great. Sadly, I don't know much else about the band except they just came out with a new album, Apocalipstick.

They appear to be touring quite a bit this year, even making an appearance in dear old Des Moines, IA 9/13/17 at the Vaudeville Mews! I might have to go if I can get my shit together and remember to do so.


UPDATE 9/16/17:

I did end up going to the concert in Des Moines with my friend Cody. It was pretty rad. Also, the Vaudeville Mews as a venue was much smaller, and also much larger than I pictured. I basically stood next to the wall the whole time trying to see between the heads of tall blonde girls. Even in my favorite platform sandals, I was still too short. My only critique would be that the vocals were not coming in as clearly as they could've, but that could have been anyone's fault, not necessarily the band's. They still sounded great!

Where Would I Be? - Gwen Stefani

If you don't know who Gwen Stefani is, I'd like to know what rock you've been living under. Must be a pretty nice rock or something to never leave it. Anyway, I've been under my own rock apparently since this song came out in 2016 and I just heard it yesterday. It's basically been on repeat since.

It has a very Lily Allen feel to it, and Gwen's voice, which is always rad. Apparently the Lily Allen vibe is because it was produced by Greg Kurstin, who wrote/produced two of Lily Allen's albums. That bouncy reggae beat with the warped vocal blends, just begs you to jump up and dance. I didn't set out to find a dance song when I was randomly song hopping on YouTube yesterday, but I'm glad I did. 

I'm also glad Gwen is doing some solo stuff lately that I can appreciate. Also on my current love list for her (although they are constantly on the radio) are Misery, Used To Love You, and Make Me Like You. 

Slothrust

I'm pretty sure every new artist/song I come to love lately comes from a TV show I watch. That being said, I was introduced to Slothrust through this show, You're The Worst. 7:30am is the freaking theme song and I fell in love with it immediately.

This band doesn't have a fucking Wiki, so I'm not entirely sure they even exist...but since I just bought their album, Of Course You Do...of course they do. One song I'm sad isn't on that album, because it's fabulous, is In A Sexual Way. There's something so appealing to me about Leah Wellbaum's low honest voice mixed with that grungy bluesy sound...because it deeply reminds me of the Pixies. It's hard for me to explain how fruitless my struggle to find music like this usually ends up anymore. It just hasn't been existing since the 90's. So, shout-out to anyone who, like me, has a deep aching need for that 90's sound but isn't actually the same stuff you've been hearing the last 20 years...look up these motherfuckers and get hooked!

Rumi and the Whirling Dervishes

Run from what's comfortable

Forget safety. Live where you fear to live. 

Destroy your reputation.

Be notorious.

-Rumi

I'm not sure why, but today, I just really loved this poem. Rumi is a favorite of mine, that I often run into on Pinterest, but oddly enough I've never looked him up before today. Which led me to another amazing thing. After his death, Rumi's son and followers founded this religious order, the Mevlevi Order (Order of the Whirling Dervishes) that are famous for this dance, the Sufi dance, also known as the Sama Ceremony or the Dervish Dance.

Something about it is just so beautiful and calming to me. And just what I needed this week.

Lucia Rijker

What most people know about me is that I hate sports. What they don't know is that I do actually enjoy boxing and MMA from time to time because these are the sports that my dad watched when I was little. So while I usually won't go out of my way to watch it or keep up with it, sometimes I find myself a little obsessed with it. Right now I'm on a female empowerment kick and feeling a little feisty, so I've been watching female boxing on YouTube.

What I hate about some boxing tournaments is the hugging and the dancing away from each other all the time. While I understand it's a vital component for making points and staving hits etc..it's just really fucking boring. This video of Lucia Rijker vs Chevelle Hallback is not boring.

She's a slow build, but I'm loving her left hooks!

The Other F Word

The Other F Word is a pretty rad documentary about those Punk legends we looked up to in our own adolescence for an angry anti-establishment ethos and attitude, and what happened when they became fathers. In a true look at how their own dysfunctional fathers and experiences drive them to be better parents, it is shockingly sentimental in the very best way. It gives even the most fucked up among us a sort of hope for our own possibilities as parents and adults. Or maybe I'm just projecting. Even if that doesn't trip your trigger, the music is awesome and it is in and of itself an interesting look into the lives of guys like Mark Hoppus (Blink 182), Jim Lindbergh (Pennywise), Flea (RHCP), Fat Mike (NOFX), and Art Alexakis (Everclear). For those that have Netflix, please watch immediately. For those who do not, please to purchase.

Viva le Punk Rock!

...Like Clockwork - Queens of the Stone Age

...Like Clockwork is the new album from Queens of the Stone Age that I thought would never come out. Let me just say it is basically sploogetastic. Eargasmic. Dopamine rush on ELEVEN. And yeah. Much love, I am super stoked. The vid is pretty eyesplosive also. Sorry, it's hard to type with so much awesome happening in and around my face right now.

go to itunes.com/qotsa !

Digital Love - Daft Punk

I've had this song stuck in my head since Tuesday when a friend showed me Interstella 5555. Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem is a pretty amazing little anime that gives a comprehensive story to Daft Punk's album, Discovery. It's cool, watch it.

Why don't you play the game?

Holes - The Jane Austen Argument

Lyrics written by Neil Motherfucking Gaiman! Love this song with my hole heart (puns! I got puns!) even if it is...extremely sappy and way too easy to turn into a horrible, horrible innuendo. Although, thinking about it now, maybe that was the intention? Anyway, everyone knows I'm a sucker for the ukulele. It's also nice to hear a band making heavy use of a piano again. The Jane Austen Argument is an anti-folk/cabaret duo from Australia. Pretty sure being friends with Amanda Palmer is how they got hooked up with some sweet writing from Neil Gaiman, but their non-Gaiman songs are good as well.

*When I am gone my darling dig me a hole. Let flowers grow above me and wild berries. Then laugh and forget me and before I'm cold, let someone who loves you fill your...hole*

Yeah...that was definitely intentional.

Long Haired Boys

I lurve me some long haired boys. Sadly, the boys seem to not want the hair long. Why, boys? Why? Don't cut those luscious locks, they are smexxxy!

The Dream:

Sandman - Neil Gaiman

My favorite Xmas present this year (from my Mummy) is Book 4 in the Sandman series of graphic novels, Season of Mists. Yet another stunning example of how much DC DOES NOT SUCK! Fuckers. Anyway, I don't actually have much more to say about this other than I FUCKING LOVE SANDMAN. Also everything Neil Gaiman touches in general. Including Amanda Palmer (hubba hubba!).

These graphic novels are gorgeous, witty, wise, and just all around  phenomenal. Dream is an incredibly compelling character to follow around and kinda fear. My second favorite character has to be Death...because she is frikken sweet and basically what I wanted to look like when I was 16. Ya know, Ankh's and eyeliner. Dream is basically Neil Gaiman with some crazy ass hair sticking all over the place. So, ya know, sexy.

Sandman is perfection and deserving of all of the praise ever. All of it.

Sexy and I know it.

Why won't you just marry me already, Morpheus? You're fictional? What's that?

Gambit

Gambit (aka. Remy LeBeau) has got to be the sexiest X-Men character in existence. Bold statement, I know, but that Cajun accent has always haunted my dreams. It melts me. How could you not fall in love with that red eyed stare and those ultra-ripped abs? How? Raised by thieves, he also has that bad boy edge no girl can resist. Rogue sure couldn't...

Gambit also happens to have some rad powers, most notably charging, accelerating, and converting kinetic energy. And being really badass with cards. And that...staff. So yeah, mostly he's just a sexy bad-ass, which is more than enough to slay me.

When I found out his character would finally appear in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, I nearly wet myself. After watching it...well, they could've chosen a better actor to play him, but whatever. I guess I'll just have to revisit the X-Men cartoons of the 90's (like I don't anyway). It should be noted that he's nowhere near as attractive in X-Men Evolution. Mostly because the voice actor(Alessandro Juliani) sucks. Here's a cool comparison on the voice actors. I prefer Chris Potter and Phil LaMarr.

Okay, maybe Taylor Kitsch was a little yum as Gambit.

And now ends my nerdy rambling, though my obsession with Gambit shall continue.

This Book is Full of Spiders - David Wong

I am super duper excited because I just checked my mail today (possibly the first time in a month? Idk, there was a lot of mail in there) and finally got my copy of This Book Is Full of Spiders!

As with JDATE, I originally read this when it was available online about 5 years ago. I don't remember what the fuck happened in it though, so re-reading it will be a complete pleasure. Especially since it's in book form and not shitty webpage form. Sorry Jason Pargin, you know it's true.

Anyway, I think I might take a break from my fifty-thousand television shows to actually read a book again. Or, ya know, I'll just read it at work and on the shitter. We shall see. I am super psyched though, and it's very inspiring to see the amount of shit that comes up on Tumblr about the book.

...like this adorable child-thing

So yeah. If you want a dose of awesome-sauce in your life, read this book. Or just resign yourself to a life of "meh". It's your call.

John Dies at the End - David Wong

John Dies at the End is a personal favorite of mine and has been since I  first read it online one incredibly boring winter (possibly in 2007?). I hate reading books via any digital device, but I persevered for this story. I could not stop. No matter how much eyestrain resulted, IT WAS WORTH IT. Not everybody will love this book, I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is that if you are a worthwhile human being, you will. It is one huge mindfuck dick joke that still manages to be brilliant. And a little creepy.

The best part is that it became available in print. Buy it. It's no longer available to read on a shitty white on black website. I own it, there's no shame in buying a book. David Wong aka. Jason Pargin, Senior Editor of Cracked.com wrote it, so obviously it's funny. Funny is good for you.

Anyway, double awesome is the fact that it's now a movie! I am pants-shittingly excited to see it.

Here's the trailer:

And the fun doesn't stop there, no siree bub! The sequel This Book is Full of Spiders: Seriously Dude, Don't Touch It is out October 2!!! So I guess what I'm saying here is that I'm basically just buying new underwear a lot b/c of all the shitting. Join me in the fun.

Jensen Ackles

I honestly melt, everytime he visits my television screen. The man is HOT. Also I am addicted to Supernatural, although Jared Padalecki just hasn't done it for me since Gilmore Girls. Jensen Ackles, though. MmmmmHmmmm.

To add to the awesome, he was in Dark Angel. Max's deranged brother in season 1 and his saner copy in season 2. When I realized this, I just about shit my pants. Okay, not really, but you know what I mean. Too bad he's married to an actress/model/gymnast. I just can't compete with that.

those eyes say "sex me"

Movies I'm In Love With...

I'm feeling a little listy today, so I'm putting my top 10 all time movies, and the reasons why(In alphabetical order):

1. A Clockwork Orange - Deeply, disturbingly fucked up. Also the first movie my Papa made me watch.

2. Amelie -Because what's life without whimsy? This might've been the first subtitled film I ever saw.
3. Blade Runner - Sci-fi cult classic. It's just epic. Need I add Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer???

4. Clerks II - Kevin Smith makes working at a crappy fast food chain look almost fun. He also managed this with a convenience store in Clerks, too bad I know better on both counts. I should really stop modeling my life on Kevin Smith movies. Also, Jason Mews is tasty, tasty.

5. Fight Club - Because it is AWESOME. My favorite movie for the past...oh, since it came out. One of the only movies I can quote with any reliability. Need I mention Edward Norton is my favorite actor and Brad Pitt is just smokin' hot in this flick.


6. Frida - A movie about my favorite artist Frida Kahlo, starring Salma Hayek, one of the hottest women ever. Duh.

7. Jackie Brown - Too many great actors to list right now, but it stars Pam Greer, so obviously it is badass. I'm blown away by how many people have not seen this Quentin Tarantino gem.

8. Pan's Labyrinth - Subtitled. Sad. Creepy. Fairytale-esque. It was made for me.

9. Princess Bride - True Love. It reminds me of childhood and Cassandra. Also it is just hilarious. "My name is Inigo Montoya, you kill my father, prepare to die."

10. When Harry Met Sally - Because it is so true. And I'm not really sure why, but it's my comfort movie. Whenever I have a truly bad day, it perks me up. Also I know it verbatim, so I can put it on and feel free to pass out if I need to.

*side note: remind me to never do a post with that many links ever again.
* 10 points to anyone who knows how many of these movies were based on books/had books made out of them.