Sometimes Captcha knows me too well

story of my lyfe

In defense of a Dave Matthews fan

I earnestly love Dave Matthews Band. Before you click away, give me a chance! I've never been a huge fan of jam bands or anything, but I've always liked Dave Matthew's music. In college, I found out that hating on DMB is kind of a big deal in the music world. It's fun to hate Dave, like it's fun to hate Creed and Nickelback. Stereotypes are that only air headed jocks listen to DMB and bro out with each other. I'm here to convince you to give them a try. Their discography is large enough that there's a sound for everyone, but they're fantastic enough that >90% of their music is awesome. Here's why:

Flat out- they're talented musicians. In the ages of auto-tune and shallowness in pop music, there's something about a mega popular band that's writing original material and can rock shorter and longer songs. It can be bumming to dig a band's studio work, and have them disappoint live. I saw DMB with my mom in Michigan a few years back and they blew me away. They were touring Big Whisky and gave such a high-energy show with the most perfect covers (Talking Heads, anyone?). Carter Beauford is a super diverse, charismatic, ambidextrous drummer and my fav :)

They have talented friends. Listen to absolutely anything Dave plays with biffle Tim Reynolds for some amazing amazing guitar work, especially Dancing Nancies and You Are My Sanity. Alanis Morisette sings on a track and one of the members played with Bela Fleck.

I love bands with 'unconventional' instruments. DMB uses violin, saxophone, and trumpet. They've released both fantastic acoustic and studio albums. They've got beautiful songs (Crash Into Me, Proudest Monkey, Baby), angry songs (Halloween, Don't Drink the Water, You Might Die Trying), funky songs (I Did It, Cornbread, What Would You Say, True Reflections), and great covers (No Rain,  Sweet Caroline). DMB is quintessential summer music. Go give them a shot. Try something new, try something old.

Their music will always make me happier, and that's why no matter the hate, I'll always be a huge Dave Matthews Band fan.

Favorite DM pic

Carpe Diem, boys. Seize the day

The great thing about living in the moment is that your plans are never ruined, you just enjoy different experiences than you expected.

It's my hometown college's graduation this weekend and I needed a break from the madness that is end of the semester in Madison, so I'm taking a weekend visit to Toledo. Had a quick EPCS session Friday morning to update my electronic teaching portfolio with student work, then brainstormed WUD Film Superlatives to give as awards at our last meeting on Monday, then caught the Van Galder to Chicago as usual. This was one of my first arbitrarily chosen weekends travelling. Usually I'm in transit on Thanksgiving or the winter holidays and we fill up at the Dutch Park 'n' Ride and Union Station is a zoo. But was actually quite nice leaving cold and rainy Madison to the tune of some Tom Waits and coming to Chicago.

I was supposed to catch the Toledo Megabus at 4:15. Flash forward to 7 pm, four phone calls, a flight check, and a memorized Amtrak schedule later and I figured this bus wasn't going to show. Turns out my dad's in town for a Psychology conference, so I walked over to his place at the Plamer House and we're driving back later this afternoon after he's finished presenting his poster! (It's titled: Consistent-handedness is Associated with Greater Negative Affect Toward Out-groups).

Since my mother's entire side of her family is from and lives in Chicago, I rarely had typical tourist experiences growing up. We went to museums (and planetariums and aquariums) of course, but always had people to visit and places to stay. So I'm really getting a kick of having the city free to myself for a couple of hours. First of all, the Palmer House is gorgeous and I want to stay with my dad every year for this conference because I feel very fancy pants here. This city isn't supposed to be viewed from a car. I spent a few hours in Starbucks writing a poem about my Beziehung mit der Muttersprache und ivrit and some extra credit papers, then just roamed around in my sick ass snake eye earrings from Haya from JAS and listening to old Soul Coughing recordings.

I stopped being WUD Film Director on Thursday day. The Union held a lovely transition banquet where we passed the torch (figuratively) and the Beefeaters (literally) onto the new Directorate. We partied hardy afterwards at Diegos (me gusta) and the KK (cannot believe I went in there, oy).  I have a major project left for each of my classes so I need to stay somewhat focused for these next two weeks. But then it's Farmers Markets, Henry Vilas Zoo, Comedy Clubbing, CotS, Adult Swim, Lakeside Cinemas, and sunshine. Yass.

Oh wow, just saw a girl with a really interesting tattoo placement- it's wrapped around her lef, but above the ankle, below the knee. Hmm, I kind of like that..

I've got some changes/updates to my bucket list!

1. Float in the Dead Sea
2. Go skydiving
3. Run a 10k
4. Become a licensed German teacher
5. Learn how to juggle
6. See the Grand Canyon
7. Attend a MMoCA rooftop film
8. Live in Berlin
9. Be in The Satorialist
10. Have a panda sit on my lap

Piggy Bank

Now, I wish I could win the lottery and buy everything I needed as well as install trampoline floors into my future house. However, this is reality, so I've always got things I want to save up for. Now that I'm getting older, my goals are a little bit loftier. But all the more inspiration to work hard!

Things I Want to Save Money Up For:
• Paying back student loans, blargh.
• A trip back to Germany
• A much needed new laptop
• More tattooooooossssssss

Boom.

There's a moment you know...

• Spring Awakening will always be one of my favorite musicals to see live. My friend tipped me off about a local Janesville production that was coming to Madison just for the weekend and I caught it for only $10 on Wednesday night. I've seen SA on Broadway front row center, the very last row of the national tour in Milwaukee, on the stage at the Union Theatre, and now at the Bartell. Watching that show is a cathartic experience and the whole cast was really great. The second I have a free block of time (lol never) I was to crank out my Musical Master List and give some soundtracks a good sing along. Broadway theatre nerds, forever and always.

• My brother's going to be a Buckeye this Fall. I know that he's a bit conflicted because it's OSU and our entire family are Michigan grads, but I think/hope he likes it. It's college, how can you not enjoy yourself eventually? I'm glad that he's finally made a decision either way. I'm glad we've remained a Big 10 family though :]

• Movies are still ever present in my life. Just finished writing a hopefully somewhat decent final paper for my History of Documentary Film class. I wrote how Oscilloscope kicks ass because their documentaries bend reality by using reconstructing art. I compared Tchoupitoulas, Shut Up and Play the Hits, Exit Through the Gift Shop, and A Film Unfinished, all of which I've seen and loved. I finally got around to seeing Lincoln at the Marquee and it was pretty fantastic. That cast is unbelievable! Mary Lincoln annoyed me a bit, but I've always had a problem liking period pieces. I'll admit, I cried a little bit when they abolished slavery. I'm sorry, I'm a huge sucker for those major social rights controversy films! Footnote is an Israeli film about mistakenly giving a father a scholastic award meant for his son. I realized sometimes I watch films so absentmindedly because while I enjoyed the movie, I didn't even realize that the first and last scenes are totally contradictory, as a film goer brought up to me afterwards! Whooop. The Fade was a kick ass documentary about four barbers from four continents with a killer soundtrack and cool graphic design titles. Spring Breakers is the movie to see of the year, imo. It more ridiculous and indulgent than you'd even guess, but enjoyable all the way through. A movie like that can only end with girls in bikinis ruthlessly shooting down a dozen Miami gangsters including a man with an ice cream tattoo on his face. It's awesome.

• Speaking of movies, I finished the Communication Arts major! One down, two to go. I'm still figuring things out with my European Studies advisor to try to get cognates applicable for my last DARS requirements. If I get everything worked out that I want to work out, next semester will be teacher, two education classes, and German Film, and my last semester will be teaching, a final education class, and German Linguistics. FINGERS CROSSED!

• I am getting worn out of this semester. I know I'm echoing every single other person in this city when I say all I want is warm weather, a break from homework, no more meetings, and a solid week's worth of sleep. Until then, I have a steady stream of really cool schtuff to keep me sated. Wisconsin Film Festival, running a 10 k, and a Titanic Show this weekend, the WUD Etiquette dinner and Understudies show with special Paper Back Rhino guests next week. There are just so many little things I want to do that I have to sneak the time in my schedule to do. Prepping for Sam's high school graduation, getting Andrea's grad present, finish applications for this and that, writing letters, connect with all who I want to connect with, school work, blah blah. It'll all get done one way or another. :D

Inspirational Women: Music Edition!

Making lists is one of my top five hobbies. Whenever I come across a super cool lady doing something awesome, I've been jotting her name down. I'm also trying to bulk up my music library with more female artists because I realized that most of my favorite bands were all guys, and while that doesn't make them any more or less talented or awesome, it's nice to balance the tables, especially when there's such a wealth of insane female talent around right now! Here are my favorite Music Mädchens:

1. Karen O.

She's the lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who I've dug for a while, and she continues to be fashion forward and an amazing artist. She composed the soundtrack to Where the Wild Things Are. You have to wade through a little bit of gross David Letterman, but this video inspired me to listen to their newest album, Mosquito, which can be streamed live online via Noisey. This is just the first song! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-YWdBYwwPo&feature=player_embedded Hopefully I see her perform at Summerfest this year. (While typing this entry, I've listened to Sacrilege 4 times in a row, so good). 

Check out: Down Boy, Sacrilege, Maps, Y Control, Heads Will Roll

         
2. M.I.A.

I wish I was M.I.A.! Lately my iTunes has been her Kenzo mixtape and Bad Girls on repeat. She had one of the coolest concerts I've ever been to and I rock her t-shirt all the time. She's funky, worldly, unafriad to experiment, and makes a killer music video (case in point: Born Free http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeMvUlxXyz8). I remember waiting for that video for so long and watching it as soon as it premiered. It was banned from youtube for a while even. Her new album, Matangi, should be out later this year and from what I've heard, it's going to be SICK. 

Check out: Boyz, Bird Flu, bucky done gun, XXXO, Hombre

3. Alexis Krauss

I fell in love with the lead singer of Sleigh Bells when I saw them perform in Madison a few months ago. Her stage presence is so large and her performance was super loud and super fun. They're like lo-fi girl pop. Fierce haircut, cool tattoos, and I want to be her friend.

Check out: The entirely of the album Treats

4. Beyonce + Solange Knowles.
They are both so beautiful and consistently give me hair/fashion/makeup envy. Queen bee is busy running the world and Solange is a mega hip dejay and makeup artist. They both rule.
Check out: Lift Off, Bills Bills Bills, Single Ladies











5. Meg White

She's the kick ass drummer from the White Stripes, a band that can make such a huge song with only two instruments. It was refreshing to have kick ass, engaging, but simple beats and Meg was a driving force for the White Stripes sound. She also sings occasionally.

Check out: In the Cold Cold Night, Little Room, Rag and Bone, Well It's True That We Love One Another

6. Ko Ko Louise

If you know me, then you know that The Hard Lessons are one of my long term favorite bands. Ko Ko has such a powerful singing voice and hers are basically my staple THL tracks. She always wear red, black, or white, switches between blonde and brunette (a woman after my own heart), and is super nice in person. I've seen them live 8 times now I think, and am going to try to catch a show when I'm home this summer. 

Check out: All Over This Town, Talk It Over, That Other Girl, Roma Termini, My Kind, Don't Shake My Tree

7. Fiona Apple

When I was in Germany, The Idler Wheel was hands down my most played album. I would listen to it all the way through practically every day. I was inspired to get the rest of her discography and song after song would blow me away with her originality, vocal patterns, lyrics, and music. 

Check out: Hot Knife, Extraordinary Machine, Every Single Day, On the Bound, Ugly Girl, Criminal

8. Regina Spektor

There really isn't any musician quite like her. You never know what note is going to come next, her lyrics are fantastical and creative beyond belief, and she's even been invited to perform at the White House. It's become my tradition to listen to her music every time I'm driving into Chicago with the bus to and from Madison. I love her creativity! Every single person should dig Regina Spektor.

Check out: Just Like in Movies, Oedipus, Dance Anthem of the 80s, Pavlov's Daughter, 20 Years of Snow, Consequence of Sounds, Poor Little Rich Boy, Flyin, Back of a Truck