This weekend I had the opportunity to watch Crossfire Hurricane. It's a great documentary about the Rolling Stones and the crazy rock star lives they have led. After finishing the doc I came to a few conclusions:
~ Nothing beats a young Mick Jagger.
~ Keith Richards looked about 75 when he was 20, so he really has aged well when you think about it.
~ Being a rock star is tough work.
~ I don't listen to enough Stones.
So for music Monday here's one of my faves. Here's to a good week!
I know our phones and computers update automatically, so why can't our circadian rhythms get on board?
To ease into this early Monday, here's a new find of mine that I can't stop listening to.
Sibylle Baier was a folk singer in the early 1970s from Germany. She decided to focus on raising her family after she moved to America. When her son was grown, he took some of his mom's recordings and got them into the hands of Dinosaur Jr. and it was passed along for release.
She is has a quiet and still power to her voice that I just can't get enough of.
A few weeks ago I had the infernal cold that has been going around Salt Lake City and hanging on for weeeeeeeeeks. I even stayed home sick for a few days, which was a blessing and a curse after I depleted all of the OnDemand options our basic cable had to offer.
Vanderpump Rules is an off-shoot of the wildly popular (and much maligned) Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. It stars my favorite housewife, Lisa Vanderpump and her swanky restaurant staff. All of her staff are NOT there to work in the restaurant business, but to make it big as actors, singers, and mistresses. The levels of dreckitude this show stoops to are unreal...and I love every horrible minute of it!
I grew up with the inception of reality tv - the first Real World was touching, scary and raw. For better or for worse, I learned a lot about adult life from those first few seasons. (Side note: The Real World is in its 27th season...how old do you feel??) The scripted "reality" we now get to tune into almost every night of the week, on almost every channel isn't the same animal.
But darn-it if I don't love some of the fake and petty drama! Are there any reality shows you are embarrassed to love? The Bachelor has been a guilty pleasure to more than a few of my friends for years!
I know, I know it been, like, too long and stuff. LOTS has happened in the past 6-7 months in 'Teefland. I'm sure many of you have also had the holidays, a new year, crazy winter weather, and birthdays to celebrate.
In all honesty, all I've been up to is plugging away at this graduate school malarkey for what seems like juuuuust a little too long. I guess that's what I get for going back for round 2. I could bore you with all of the details that come with thesis-writing, research, clinical rotations.....*snore*, but I won't. I hope to be back here a little more than twice a year to escape that grown-up snoozefest!
SO to start off another Music Monday, here's a band that I'd discovered a few years ago, forgot about, and rediscovered. Kind of like watching a movie you liked that didn't make it to your "favorites of all time" list, forgetting the ending and watching again 10 years later and really liking it all over again! (Side note: THIS happened just the other day when I watched Fried Green Tomatoes and cried like a baby! P.S. Idgie is so cool.)
So, to sum it all up, hi, missed you, and hope to be back real soon.
I. Am. Finished. With. Finals!!!!! It feels so good just typing those words! I probably don't need to mention that I couldn't have done it without my sweet, sweet husband, who was the most supportive force in the world. From bringing me home soul-restoring pho to tucking me in at two in the morning for a couple hours of sleep to just telling me "I can do it!" - I am forever grateful...and he's gotta do all of this again next semester...BUT, we won't ruin the start of my winter break with talk of next semester!
So, you know what I missed like crazy during super-busy-school-no-fun-time? Music. I am excited that I get to listen and share some of my finds with you! This is Zoo Kid. Not only does he have sick hair, his guitar-playing chops are impressive. It's just the mellow stuff needed to ease into vacation-mode.
I thought I'd post something spooky and beautiful, since we're getting close to Halloween!
Chelsea Wolfe has one of the most amazing voices I've heard in awhile. It's soft, strong, haunting, and unforgettable. I was almost reminded of Portishead's lead singer, Beth Gibbons, when I first heard Chelsea sing.
I'm picking up her album, Ἀποκάλυψις, as soon as I can.
I am unapologetically addicted to BAD television. I spent my formative years with the Real World Seasons 1-8. I will drop EVERYTHING to catch a marathon of Rock of Love. I also would put Snookie in my pocket and take her everywhere with me if I could. I spent my high school years crying for Pacey and hating Dawson for crying all the time. If it was a sappy hour-long teen melodrama, sign me up!
As you can see, my tastes were honed to love camp, over-the-top emotion, horrible language, and people behaving badly. This is probably why I am head-over-heels for Skins. I am speaking of the original UK version, not the shiny, new Americanized version airing on MTV.
I like Skins because it's really good bad television. It's raunchy and crazy and frenetic and stupid...kind of like real teenagers. These kids have some serious stuff happening in their lives and their parents (if they're even around) are just as ill-equipped to deal with life's stresses as their kids. It shows teenagers making really bad decisions. It shows how real, horrible, and wonderful emotions are when you're experiencing them for the first time. Skins affirms that no one has the answers, not even the grownups.
SO, for your weekend homework, catch up on Skins UK, Seasons 1 and 2, this weekend if you have Netflix! It's "Watch Instantly" and I bet you won't be able to pull yourself away after a couple of episodes.
I've still got two more episodes until the end of Season 2...And then it's on to a new cast, but I love these kids so much I don't know what I'll do! Well, I did make it through 8 new casts when I was addicted to the Real World, so I'm sure I'll manage;)! Have a lovely weekend! xo.
I've kinda been on board with being an adult for awhile. Ok, maybe not that long, but I do realize I'm not a spring chicken anymore. I also realize I'm not an old bat...not yet, anyway. If you ask me about new music, I can have a conversation with you. If you ask me what new trends are on the backs of the populous, I'd be able to point you in the right direction. I have a facebook page and I know that MySpace is for losers. I tweet. Sadly, I know who Justin Bieber is.
Last night, while laughing and talking with my cousins, scary movies came up. We stated talking about all of the scary movies we can't stand and those movies that are the perfect mix of storyline and startling. My cousin asked, "I was watching this old movie the other day and it was SO scary! I don't know what it was called but it has the Ghost Whisperer in it!"
Shug's and my jaws dropped. OLD. This OLD movie. A movie that every single one of my friends had seen a least once because it was the perfect date movie (because you could grab your date when you were scared and eat popcorn during the not-so-scary parts). "You guys haven't heard of I Know What You Did Last Summer?" I asked. BLANK STARES. "No," they all answered. "What about Scream?" Another no. Shug and I both slumped down in our chairs, heavy with the burden that we were, indeed, old people.
I'm not proud of this. I'm rather embarrassed about this, actually. I've tried to hatehatehate quirky love stories for a looooooong time. It was relatively easy until Amélie came along. Then it was over. Like super over.
Since my resolve was obliterated my Mme. Amélie Poulain, now just about any old movie can come along and, if it has a great soundtrack and the characters are lovably flawed, I'll love it. Hook. Line. Sinker.
Dedication was a random Netflix pick and I was ridiculously surprised at how much I looooooved it. And there was that Mandy Moore thing.
Ok, let's get this straight: I think the music she has made and probably will make in the future is VILE. Have I ever heard more than a few seconds of one of her songs and fight the physical need to shiver like when you pee sometimes? NO. But. I DO think she's a pretty alright actress. Case in point: Saved!. She's that weird mix of hot girl next door and approachable girlfriend, guys LOVE her and girls aren't threatened by her. And I think she's a pretty alright actress. There. I said it again.
Go watch Dedication and let me know how guilty I should feel about these issues I have!