As summer winds down (I can’t believe it’s almost September), I’ve been feeling the need for change. I’m ready for jackets, pumpkin spice frappuccinos and a new television season. And, on top of that, I’ve been in the mood for some new music. I’m tired of summer’s hip-hop beats, and in the mood for something funkier, both for working out and passing time in the car as I commute to class.
And I think I’ve found exactly what I want: Cobra Starship’s Hot Mess. Full of writhing electronic punk beats, this CD just makes your toes tap as it veers from the electronic-Brian Setzer-ish “Nice Guys Finish Last” to the hard beats of “Good Girls Go Bad,” (my favorite) featuring a surprisingly capable Leighton Meester (of Gossip Girl fame) to the Warren G shout-out “Wet Hot American Summer.” On “The Scene is Dead; Long Live the Scene,” lead singer Gabe Saporta references his own pretty face, which is indeed good-looking. This fun CD from an entertaining band should take me nicely through the Fall.
Gabe probably could make me go bad. If I had ever been good in the first place. Check it out:
The Pierces–Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge. I first encountered The Pierces when they performed on a season 1 episode of Gossip Girl, and then later in web ads for the TV show Dexter. Comprised of sisters Catherine and Allison, The Pierces are a New York-based IndyPop duo, and this CD is solid. It has a sense of cohesion, without all of the songs sounding the same. They do feisty (the track Boring) and pretty (The Power of…) equally well. And I love the haunting use of calliope on the song Secret.
Regina Spektor–Begin to Hope. I had never heard of Regina Spektor until her song Fidelity started popping up everywhere. I heard it on TV, I heard it in Singapore…and it’s great. It’s so bubbly and happy that I had to check out the rest of the CD. I’ve only had it about a week, but so far I really like it. I also like that her website highlights the cool part of her name: ReSpekt.
SohoDolls–Ribbed Music for the Numb Generation. I got hooked on the song Stripper (which, interestingly enough, was also featured on Gossip Girl, in Season 1’s Victor/Victrola, which was the best episode of the season). I love the dirty, electronic Brit sound, which kinda reminds me of Elastica. I’m still getting into it, and hoping the rest of the CD has the same gritty vibe.
Britney Spears–Circus. Although not as good as last year’s Blackout, Circus has a couple of good songs. Womanizer, Circus, and Kill the Lights are all good dance tracks and have made their way to my exercise playlist. Ironically, despite her supposedly improved mental health, this album seems less cohesive and more schizophrenic than Blackout.
Wah!–Love Holding Love. I’ve been feeling really disconnected from the Spiritual lately, and I needed a fun, upbeat, New Age-y CD. I like the pop twist on traditional mantras. This one is good for yoga, taking a bath, journaling, or just hanging out.
and I dig the video too. It reminds me of my bathroom, and makes me wish I had a black and white house.
BTW, It’s Regina Spektor’s “Fidelity”
Sara Ivanhoe
I was browsing through my journal the other day, and I found an entry written several months ago. Essentially, I made a list of all the things I would do with my time if I weren’t spending 40 hours a week at an unfulfilling job. In honor of this being my last week at work, I thought I would share the list from my journal, as well as a few others I’ve thought of since then:
- Work out more
- Get my yoga instructor certification
- Paint more and experiment with different media
- Get better at my guitar
- Improve my photography skills
- Learn to cook (and eat!)
- Learn Portuguese
- Become a jewelry designer/maker
- Join a book club
- Join a writers group
The first thing that pops out at me from this list is the creative nature of all of these items. Clearly I’ve been feeling artistically stifled for the past few years. Now that I have the free time, I probably will look into some of these, though not all. I doubt that I’ll really ever play the guitar proficiently, and as much as I’d like to learn Portuguese, there aren’t really any classes in my area. I’d love to become a yoga instructor, but the certification is expensive, and I am currently without an income. However, I will definitely be working out more, and I’m planning to take a short photography course in November. I found a writers group near my house, and I have an art table set up in my house, so I can paint and make jewelry whenever inspiration strikes. Hopefully, by engaging my artsy side, I can get out of the funk that has settled over me lately and get back to the fun person I really am!
Okay, I know that Britney has been a mess ever since her divorce. I remember the collective sound of hope when she went on David Letterman with her cute bob and announced the split. And then she started hanging out with Paris Hilton, went to rehab, shaved her head, was called a habitual drug user, lost custody of her kids, and keeps hitting things with her car. Her extensions are a mess, she has no stylist or management, and even her mom quit talking to her for awhile.
But I’m still holding out hope for Britney. I think she’s probably a good person who got famous too young and doesn’t know how to handle it. Plus, her music makes me happy. Whenever I need motivation to work out, I can count her tunes to pump me up. So I’ve been waiting for a new album for ages. And now it’s here.
And you know what? It’s good. Her VMA performance was so lackluster that it totally overshadowed the catchy lead single “Gimme More.” But with the exception of the boring “Why Should I Be Sad” the whole album is upbeat and catchy. For me, the standout tracks are “Toy Soldier,” “Ooh Ooh Baby,” “Radar,” and “Hot as Ice.”
Also her hair looked pretty on Halloween (above), and she was wearing makeup, so maybe we’re on the way back to this Britney. Yay.
