exactly what we need.

I implore you to watch this very twee short film with the adorable Jason Schwartzman and Kirsten Dunst. You know I have less that warm n' fuzzy feelings towards Dunst (her je ne sais quoi bothers me) but I found anything hard to hate about this film. Aside from the fact that I'm not in the indie in-crowd in L.A. The film is meant to promote a new clothing line Opening Ceremony. It worked--the clothing is covetable. The film is cute.

non plus one final from Tracy ANTONOPOULOS on Vimeo.

(I promise to actually write something soon)

New Moon Mornings

Dedicated this to yallz this morning on my radio show. With giggles, coffee, revolution, and, duh, love.

(& as a matter of interest, check out Yeasayer's new album, Odd Blood. soo good)

Open Your Heart

For you

Love, me

Phoenix - 1901 - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

I'm Your Biggest Fan

A couple Sunday nights ago, I watched the Grammys for the first time since I thought the Backstreet Boys was quality music and thought the Grammys meant something. As I watched celebrities faun over themselves and pantless women prance, there was something that really bothered me about the awards. It wasn't the fact that there wasn't actually any good music up for nomination (that's another post entirely). What bothered me is that the Fame Monster, Lady Gaga, was almost entirely shut out of the Grammys while teen ingenue Taylor Swift walked away with America's hearts and the coveted Album of the Year. In what world is a woman who has reinvented pop music defeated by a girl who laments tween heartbreak?

I'll let you read my poker face right off the bat: I am a huge Lady Gaga fan. I think she's a brilliant entertainer whose made made pop music interesting again. She walks the line of being a "Fame Monster", courting the media in her fanciful Haute Couture, all the while not caring what anyone aside from her fans think of her theatrics.

Before the Grammys, I'd never seen Taylor Swift perform and really knew nothing of her, aside from knowing that her personal brand is lapped up by everyone from tween girls and their moms; college dudes; and country music fans alike. Apparently, American is titillated by Taylor.

She certainly fits the "America's Sweetheart" profile: she's young and looks younger. She's thin and blond. She's from America's heartland. She writes harmlessly catchy tunes. And although Ryan Seacrest blew his teen-girl load while introducing her during the Grammys (basically stating she's the Greatest Song Writer of Our Time), her songs such as "Fifteen" aren't exactly the next "Blowing in the Wind".

I don't really give a toss about Ms. Swift. But I do care about the underlying implications of Swift's victory over Lady Gaga at the Grammys.

They do share a few commonalities: they're both thin and blond (though Gaga's hair color is as ever changing as My Little Pony's). They both write their own music and both play an instrument. They're both in constant rotation on Top 40 radio. But the similarities pretty much end there.

Swift, with her twee lyrics and "Who me?" demure, appeals largely to Conservative America. I'm sure she comes from a "Family values" background and is known for dating good Christian boys.

Lady Gaga, grabbing her crotch and singing about sex with men and women, is a pop star for Liberal America. Widely considered a gay icon, Madame Gaga appeals largely to women and gay men. She is on all accounts a strong woman; making no qualms for 'freakish' performances; her fashion choices; and her meticulous attention to detail.

There is nothing wrong with different representations of women in the media. What is disconcerting is the mainstream's fetishization of Swift and the villaininization of Gaga. Swift is idolized by girls and lusted after by men for being the Madonna, the unattainable virgin. Lady Gaga is the villainous whore, courted by ultimately feared. The mainstream is so intimated by Gaga that there was a "legitimate" rumour about Lady Gaga having a penis (Google "Lady Gaga" and the first thing to pop up in the search browser is "Lady Gaga Hermaphrodite). Yes, because she is a strong woman in control of her career and sexuality, Lady Gaga must have a penis. Who else could have such control but a man?

Taylor Swift's popularity largely hinges on her ability to play the sweet, yet sexy, girl next door. It'll be interesting to see if her popularity can sustain as she transcends into womanhood (she is, in fact, already 20-years old).

For now, Swift is America's girl next door. She embodies what we expect women to be: sweet, naive, virginal, and of course, beautiful. She's not like those women who speak their mind; change the way we view gender; and who are free bitch(es), baby.

Ding Dong [Alt-Rock Edition]

Ladies and...er, ladies...Nathan Followill of Kings of Leon. Nathan is the drummer and oldest bro of the Kings of Leon, the alt rock band from Tennessee turned recent Grammy winners. Out of all of the Followill bros Nathan is decidedly the sexiest of the bunch. Flowing locks, sexy specs, and arm tats. Use somebody, indeed.

Liveblog of Elsa's Show!

...from when I tuned in.

totally LOVED BSS and Cat P. miss u 2005! that was a good year for alternative tunes, before the scene like "blew up." also, cant find my bss album. do you have it?

coco rosie is like, ok (ie boring and dumb), and "by your side" song blows. shine shoes? fuck that. just saying. prollz just jealz that one of those broadz was boning Dev for a while.
also hilarious (?) that you played a PSA for anti-women-abuse after that song ("I'll wear your black eyes.") I think cocorosie were being "ironic" or they are "dumb bitches."

9:58 yr voice is sexy! i want a ride on the ride board!

10:00 johanna! guh huh! i was young once.
"all day long we talk about mercy/ lead me to water lord i sure am thirsty." holy fuck.

10:06 havent heard the justin timberghey version of Halleululiah. yet and i never will. i will never cave to that guy's existence. still like the rufus wainwright version the best besides Leo's.

10:12: billy bragg. dUUUUHHHH. can't listen to this song without thinking of Merez, and how she loves the line "is it wrong to wish on space hardware/ i wish i wish i wish you cared." also reminds me us driving out to VT with Dad and he really liked it, like the line about other girls pushing prams. he did that "aw" thing. That's the trip I read harry potter 5 outloud, at the hight of my hagrid voice capabilities.

10:14 this sounds like first wave alt core. smiths or something? british ppl r sad. [oh that was my request! Brian Jonestown Massacre. that totally blew. sorry, your fans.]

10:19: i like this! helsinki-esque. [oh it was arcade fire. miss u buzzbands

10:27: you talk kinda quiet! cant hear!

10:30: love you FFoxez. wonder when the FF "backlash" will start and we will uncover that they used to be a ska band/sons of CEOs. Wonder if they will "beat the sophomore slump" or sell the rights of their songs to kidz bop.

10:41: guh huh! Keh'ssong! about meeeeeeeeee! reminds me of "being young." it was lovely, and kel's music is a revelation, and you can listen to all of it here:

10:46: more downbeat winterindie core. seems appropriate. [port obrien! they are waaay different live, like loud and siiiiick.]

10:50: omg beachhouse. sounds like a very long winter and a very melodramatic heartbreak! the human experience on a good day.

10:55: more BH. victoria legrand: genius, the biggest baller in the room. beachouse has defined the modern soundtrack to the experience of love.

10:59: yeah library PSA! your mother would be proud.

11:00: quirky voiced post-regina broad with acordian. nice. sux to be a woman in the music biz cause you are just a "woman in the music biz." unless you're cat power/victoria legrand/joanna newsom/MIA.

11:06: talk louder, broad.

11:11: le loup! forgive me! this song could power a train. one of those rare songs that could qualify for "heartbeat of a generation." or whatever.

11:16: dancy post-ipod-commercial janglecore followed by kinda slow, relationship-endingcore.

11:23: raucous. THATS WHAT IM TALKIN ABOUT. boogie boarder. tight.

11:27: if i was some lil indie bro I would have a HUGE crush on you.

11: 31: dreams come true girl. like it. Love Cass McCombs, but he's a lot better when he's not trying to be buddy holly. PREfection is better.

11:34: FF knock off with smaller vocals?

11:43: I will never understand Vampire Weekend. because they "suck." is this a vinyl played too fast? It sounds like shit. acutally, i've taken shits that sound more relevant than this.

11:49: whoa. anco? perfect, as always. think they've kinda "reinvented music."

k, i'm having lunch. will be sure to tune in next time!

love, your biggest fan (but not VaWe's)