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