Good (Job,) Charlotte

Though I've only given it one listen-through, I love Charlotte Gainsbourg's latest album, IRM.

The tracks are extremely diverse as Gainsbourg experiments with different vocal styles and moods. For this reason, I already like it better than her 2007 album 5:55, which features an omnipresent whisper that sounds recited rather than sung. Don't get me wrong: I like that vocal style too, but this change is nice. (She's not the most talented singer in the world, but I'm a sucker for natural voices that blatantly sound untrained, innocent... honest.)

There are some solid pop songs on IRM too -- another thing that's missing from 5:55. So far, the most enchanting tracks to me are:  "In The End," which was featured in the French version of Where the Wild Things Are, "Me and Jane Doe," and "Trick Pony."

"Me and Jane Doe" and "Trick Pony" performed on "Morning Becomes Eclectic":

Air made the music for 5:55, so naturally that record wound up sounding like an Air album only with Gainsbourg on vocals. For IRM, Beck wrote and produced the music, so this record sounds like a Beck album (specifically Sea Change) with Gainsbourg on vocals. (I'm seeing a pattern here...)

I really can't wait to see who she enlists next, because, so far, her musical marriages with various artists have resulted in beautifully recorded babies.

Here's the music video for the single on IRM, "Heaven Can Wait."

Beach House's number one hit jams

Chris hooked me up with a promo copy of Beach House's Teen Dream a few weeks ago, and I have been playing it out like no other.

"Silver Soul" is my favorite "number one hit jam" for sure. Below is the music video. Enjoy the silver booty.

Beach House "Silver Soul" from Sub Pop Records on Vimeo.

And to do a little rewind, here's my favorite track from their debut self-titled album (2006):

What a tom cat...

Ronald's new bed is my kick drum.
If I was mean, I'd give him a rude awakening...


...but I think I'll let 'em be.


(Also, it's 12:18 a.m.)

I've gotta watch my "stories," okay?

I'm hot-blooded, check it and see.

I have a fever of one hundred and three...

(One hundred and two, actually.)

Though I have been in bed drinking pedialyte, and hiding under 4 layers of blankets in an attempt to lower my 102-degree fever and regain my health, I've also been nursing my unhealthy obsession with horrible teen dramas. (Goes hand-and-hand with chicken noodle soup, wouldn't you agree?)

But I've already re-watched 90210 for the bazillionth time, lost interest in the new Degrassi: Next Generation cast (I never thought that I'd say that I miss Paige, but I do, man. I really do.), and am still waiting for Gossip Girl Season 3 to come out on DVD. So, for my current episode of illness I had to find a new melodramatic addiction. Thanks to Netflix's "Watch Instantly" feature, I found BBC E4's absolutely ridiculous and wonderful show Skins (2007). Crisis aborted.

If you've never seen Skins, let me explain: If Degrassi claims to be "100 percent intense," Skins' intensity is at about 200. And where Degrassi elicits giggles at the many Canadian "aboots," Skins prompts whole belly-laughs with various British accents, dialects and constant drop of the F-bomb and the word "wanker." (Not to mention "bollocks.") The witty dialogue (Note my British spelling) is fantastic and the students' and teachers' constant use of profanity with one another is hysterical. It's completely inappropriate for its demographic -- you know, actual teens -- but totally appropriate for bored 20-somethings like me.

In a nutshell: The show follows the lives of a group of 17 year-olds in Bristol, England as they habitually party, do drugs, screw -- and screw over -- one another. Topics covered in Volume 1, which I watched in one sitting yesterday: drug use, narcissism, promiscuity, eating disorders, depression, suicide, absent parents, racism, sexual confusion, homophobia, religious tension, class separation, and more! While I admit I know nothing about Bristol, I don't think it's far-fetched for me to assume that this show is beyond exaggerated. For instance, in one episode a kid's mom straight-up deserts him, and within like a week he manages to destroy the entire house from a party and is booted out of his place (naked, might I add) by a random squatter who takes over. Gold.

Intrigued? Let me break down the characters for you by giving them their North American dopplegangers.

Tony Stonem (played by Nicholas Hoult)

Tony is the fiercely scheming leader-of-the-pack. He lies, cheats and makes-out with everyone just like Gossip Girl's Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick) and Kathryn from Cruel Intentions (Sarah Michelle Gellar). The cool thing about Tony is that though he is a huge ladies' man, he's also bisexual. I don't think an American show would have the balls to have the "hot" guy on the show also hook up with dudes.

Sid Jenkins (played by Mike Bailey)

Sid is my favorite, even though his character comes a dime a dozen. He is the everyman: the nerd, the virgin, the neurotic stoner, the hopeless guy that always makes the bad decisions but you love him anyway. He's like Dan Humphrey from Gossip Girl (Penn Badgley) except he's dumb as rocks and basically flunks out of school. A little Michael Cera and a bit Seth Cohen-y. Oh, and Jason Biggs from American Pie, and maybe even a little Seth Rogan. Like I said, a dime a dozen. Only he's British, so it's cool.

Michelle Richardson (April Pearson)

Hot chick who everyone wants, but she dates Tony even though he is a douche. (Go figure.) This makes her our Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) of Gossip Girl or Kelly Taylor (Jennie Garth) from 90210. Not surprisingly, all of these three women have missing dads and moms that re-marry a bunch. All three can also be found drinking their sorrows away when one of their asshole boyfriends cheats on them for the second, third or fourth time.

Cassie Ainsworth (Hannah Murray)

Cassie is the really spacey weirdo with impeccable, quirky style and an eating disorder. She begins every sentence with either "Wow" or "Totally." Perfect combination of Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter and Marissa Cooper from the O.C. (Mischa Barton).

Jal Fazer (Larissa Wilson)

Jal is the only character on the show who isn't constantly striving to get laid. Instead she obsesses over mastering the clarinet, hangs as "one of the guys" and has trouble dealing with her frigid dad, who happens to be some famous rapper. Think Vanessa Abrams (Jessica Szohr) from Gossip Girl or Liberty Van Zandt from Degrassi (Sarah Barrable-Tishauer).

Chris Miles (Joseph Dempsie)

Like Dylan McKay from 90210, Chris' parents totally abandon him. So, he parties non-stop and finds love (lust?) with an older woman. Though, I'd say he's less Dylan and more like Spinner from Degrassi, because he's also an unattractive idiot who, despite dressing super goofy and taking pills 24/7, still gets tons of hot babes. (From the looks of his picture above, he's just as baffled by this phenomenon as I am.)

Anwar Kharral (Dev Patel)

Yep, that's the dude from Slumdog Millionaire. Anwar is constantly referred to as the "Muslim boy" on the show. But he's also the pervy kid with a junior high mentality, and because of that he reminds me of a young David Silver -- just kind of embarrassing to be around. But he also struggles with his religion's rules and morals throughout the show. For instance, his best friend is Maxxie, the gay character. The best thing is that both he and his strict Muslim father accept Maxxie's sexual orientation regardless of what their religion preaches.

Maxxie Oliver (Sean Verey)

Maxxie is awesome. I mean, his name is Maxxie. Besides Jal, he is the most thoughtful and rational character on the show. He is openly gay and his family supports him (I feel like most TV shows portray parents of gays as mostly unsupportive and/or angry). Stereotype: He's an aspiring professional dancer and sometimes slutty. Definitely the Marco (Degrassi) on the show.


Told you I'm a fiend.

Last weekend's colors

The Sacramento Antique Faire is so amazing. It reminds me a lot of the White Elephant Sale in Oakland, which I've been to 3 times. I'm going to try to go every month now! (It's on Second Sundays.) I'm glad it wasn't raining last weekend, because then I wouldn't have found these little porcelain darlings:


Speaking of last weekend, I also stopped by Verge Gallery early to beat the Second Saturday crowds, and was taken aback by the work of Gina Tuzzi and Cynthia Horn in "Magic Window," a group show highlighting some contemporary paintings ranging in style. The exhibit ended yesterday, but I'm excited for whatever Verge shows next, which I believe is Jeff Musser's incredible tattoo portraits. (I really think Verge is the best gallery in Sacramento.)

Gina Tuzzi, "El Dorado (1989)," 2009, Acrylic on Paper. (ginatuzzi.com)

Fell in love with Tuzzi's tropical beard man. The colors! The colors!!

Cynthia Horn, "Livingston," 2009, oil on canvas.

What isn't captured properly in the above picture of Horn's piece is its size. The painting is 84" by 108", and when I stood in front of it my immediate instinct was to dive into the pool. I die for large-scale work.

Tomorrow!

David Bazan is playing in our living room tomorrow evening. It's a sold-out show, and I am so excited!

Recent tales

My goodness, it's been a while since I've posted. (Besides the random dream rambling this weekend.) I am a gurl who is not informing!

Instead, here is what I have been doing in case anyone was wondering. I'll make it easy on you by using big photos to illustrate everything:

In October, I visited family and friends in Connecticut and New York City with my former roommate, Erin Herlihy. There, we ate, drank and were merry for a week. Erin learned about East Coast accents, my family's love for Happy Hour & karaoke, and truly cold weather. It was the foliage and all was beautiful, except when I got hives from eating raw oysters.

(Erin and I doing "Add it Up" by The Violent Femmes at karaoke in CT.
We had fans earlier in the night when we performed the more accessible "Say it Ain't So." This one was straight-up too vulgar and annoying, I guess.)

(The ill-fated oyster incident at Chowder Pot's happy hour in Hartford, CT.)

Like an annoying tourist, I went crazy in NYC and took a million photos of art at MOMA instead of buying postcards in their gift shop. I was less photo-happy when we saw two of the three Hanson brothers buried behind screaming fans in Time Square later that day. When we caught a glimpse of their faces, my reaction was: "Oh, that one doesn't look like a girl anymore." Then Erin offended one of their fans by asking her if "the ugly one" was there. "You know, the oldest one?" Erin explained as the girl gave her the stink-eye, before replying: "Yes, Isaac is here, and actuuuuuaaaally he is NOT ugly." Dang. Erin got TOLD.

(Andrew Wyeth's "Christina's World" at MOMA.
He died almost exactly 1 year ago. This is the saddest piece. Painted in 1948.)

In November, my band Buildings Breeding played our last round of shows before calling it quits. Ironically (or maybe not-so ironically), both shows -- in Sacramento and in Davis -- probably drew some of the biggest crowds since we formed over 3 years ago. We also sold a lot of merch. Very bittersweet, but it was a wonderful ending to a great musical project. We also got paid by MTV to have one of our songs on "Sixteen & Pregnant," as well as two tracks on "Teen Mom." Apparently, our music appeals to a certain demographic. I'll thank Diablo Cody.

Also in November, I hosted Thanksgiving at my house for 7 people including my mom, step-dad and my brother who came up from Southern California. I suppose this means I am officially an adult. Oh yeah, and the food was great, obviously. Drench everything in butter and cover in bread crumbs, and you're good to go!

(Chris is holding a chocolate turkey.)

In December, the Sacramento News & Review ran a profile I wrote about metal artist Terrence Martin, and his life-size whale sculpture. After reading the piece, Terrence said I am "the bomb" in an e-mail. Sometimes I forget that I'm not the only person who still actively uses that term.

(Terrence inside the whale. Photo by Gabor Mereg.)

For the New Year, I got bangs, and Chris and I quit smoking cigarettes. Things keep lookin' up.

(Me, contemplating the year ahead... Resolution: Blog more!)

Karma Camel says to look into his humps of wisdom...

I'll be the first to admit that it is incredibly annoying to hear someone talk about their dreams they have at night. I mean, you don't want to hear about it for two main reasons: It isn't real, and it doesn't make sense plot-wise. Sure, my ears might perk up if it involves me, but that's just because I'm selfish.

Regardless of this fact, I'm still going to mention my dream from last night, but I'll wrap it up quickly. I was in Oxnard, my hometown, and I was driving around a truck with this gigantic camel in the back, presumably my pet. He was starving, so I took him to Albertson's by my old junior high school, and stole tons of produce of the gourd variety: pumpkins and squash. I also stole some celery to feed him with the satisfaction of watching him chew it. (Kind of like feeding a carrot to a horse).

Anyway, this dream struck me, because I carry the idea that dreams will be based on something you looked at or talked about or have been thinking about during the day prior. Where did this camel come from? I couldn't deduct anything Sopranos-style, so I consulted the various janky dream dictionaries from a basic Google search.

Here are the results:

Camel

To see a camel in your dream, denotes that you need to be more conservative; you are carrying too many problems on your shoulders. You tend to hold on and cling on to your emotions instead of expressing and releasing them. You need to learn to forgive and forget. Alternatively, it represents you potential for handling big problems, responsibilities, and burdens.

Camel Portraits of endurance. To see this beast signifies great financial gain, perhaps inheritance. First there will be hardship and obstacles to overcome.

Camel - If you purchase, or otherwise own a camel it shows that mining investments will turn out well. Camels are also an omen of warning to be more conservative, much as the camel that crosses the desert with only his hump. or humps, full of water. They also signifies help when all else is at a low ebb.

Camel --

You will have to work hard and diligently to overcome your obstacles if your dream involved one or more of these hardy animals, unless it or they carried a burden, in which case there could be some unexpected wealth (possibly in the form of an inheritance) coming your way. If you were riding on a camel or saw them in a herd, your future is very bright indeed.

Lessons learned:
If I overcome obstacles, I can get money. AND Dream Dictionary writers desperately need to start using Spell/Grammar Check.