New Year's Eve

Just took a quick break from thank you note-writing and video game-playing to share this wonderful New Year's ditty with you, courtesy of Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  For the full effect, you should click on the little snowflake below the progress bar at the bottom of the window--trust me!  Earlier this month, my best bud shared an elevator with Mr. Gordon-Levitt in the publishing house where she works.  She said he was very kind as she told him, knees shaking, that she loved him in Inception.  Which I think is simply lovely.

Here's hoping the new year brings us more charming musical collaborations between these two!

Listening to: Muppet Christmas Carol

My absolute, hands-down, favourite Christmas movie is A Muppet Family Christmas, which my mother taped off of live tv on Beta sometime in the 80s.  That Beta tape was then converted to a VHS, which we watched every year (vintage Toys 'R Us commercials and all) without fail until sometime recently when it was replaced by the DVD.  However, we realized this year that the DVD is sadly and heavily edited (something about having the rights to broadcast certain songs on tv but not release on video or DVD, which seems extremely silly), so I've been watching my second favourite Christmas film: Muppet Christmas Carol.  Watching it, I've been reminded of how wonderful the film's music is, with original songs by Paul Williams.  The soundtrack isn't available for download (though you can bet I've ordered the CD), so I've been listening via Youtube.  Here are the songs gathered in one place, for your Youtube listening ease:

"Scrooge"

"One More Sleep Till Christmas"

"It Feels Like Christmas" - possibly my very favourite Christmas song

"'Tis the Season" - the teeniest, happiest little song

"Bless Us All"

"Thankful Heart"

Our version includes the controversial "When Love is Gone," but I've left it off of this because it isn't precisely a Christmas song.  It is, however, quite good (and for the record, as a 7-year-old, the song never felt "too adult" for me).  Happy Christmas Eve to all!  Will you be humming "One More Sleep Till Christmas" all day?  I know I will.

Happy List

It's been awhile since I've made a good old-fashioned happy list.  Here we go:

A Very She & Him Christmas Currently cycling through 3 albums on repeat.  This is the selection when I'm feeling Christmassy.  Retro, mellow, festive as heck.

Old Navy Sequined Ballet Flats Okay: confession.  I don't actually own these.  I enforce a pretty strict shopping-for-myself embargo in December.  But the embargo doesn't prevent mad shoe lust.

Vitafusion MultiVites These are so yummy I would eat them all day if the bottle didn't strictly instruct otherwise.  I hate taking pills, but gummy vitamins for adults?  Yes and yes.

"Man or Muppet" from The Muppets So thrilled they made this a music video.  The Muppets album is the 2nd one on the current rotation, and "Man or Muppet" is by far the stand out track.  (Also: how great is the Jason Segel Muppet??)

Warby Parker Langston Frames I admit it, I broke the embargo once.  But these are my first new pair of glasses since 2004 and the previous pair vanished in May.  These are needed.  They're not here yet, but oh-so eagerly anticipated!

Alice Rebecca Potter Winter Stripe Patterns I love the idea of putting a simple pattern in a frame and hanging it on a wall.  Fortunately, Alice Rebecca Potter's clever patterns are available as prints on Society6 for your framing convenience.  Love.

Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony 3rd on the rotation: this CD came with the new Zelda game (nabbed just before the embargo went into effect) and I love it so, so much.  Koji Kondo composed all of the themes for the Zelda games, and I find myself going back to the Wind Waker theme over and over.  I suspect this will end with a complete replay of that game.

Honorable mentions: dogs who keep my feet warm at night, mint fudge brownies, the cat who stares into the fire for hours on end, mad pinning, stalking bottle brush trees on etsy, an impromptu game of MarioParty with my brother.

So that's my list!  It could be much, much longer (a lot makes me happy at this time of year), but I fear any more would give some gifts away.  What sorts of things are making your heart happy these days?

Anyplace

There's something about the repetitive motions of sweeping and wiping down countertops that makes me want to sing.  It's like I've created my own metronome, and my mouth automatically responds accordingly.  For whatever reason, this is the song that most often pops into my head while I'm at work.  It's one of my all-time favourites, even though it expresses a very un-Kelly sentiment.  I am more an "Anyplace With Four Walls, a Roof, My Dog, and 600 Books Is Home" sort of person.  But Audra sells it.

At the library, which I think of as my other job, I don't get music stuck in my head.  I do, however, converse with the books I'm interacting with.  In fact, I speak almost constantly while I'm there, murmuring book titles, names of authors, dewey decimal locations, and the like.  Today I had a long, under-the-breath argument with a stack of books which refused to stay where I put them.  I'm sure the library patrons love me.

I know the librarian loves me.  I can tell because she calls me Julia, which is far more beautiful than my given name.

listening to (and watching)

Today there is only one, and that is the Beastie Boys.  The song is fantastic, the video is clever as hell, and man-oh-man is the cast ever star studded.  Listening to this was akin to going back through a photo album and discovering that the way I remember some things is slightly different from the way they actually were.  And that both ways are equally awesome.  If that makes sense.  (It's after 1 am on a Friday night and I am an asleep-by-11 girl, so it might not make sense.)

listening to (and watching)

I haven't been listening to a lot of music lately, mainly because in my spare time I have been doing one of two things: reading a book, or watching Community.  Lately, I've also been listening to music from Community, because they do things like this:

"Somewhere Out There" - Troy (Donald Glover) and Abed (Danny Pudi)

And this:

"Anthropology Rap" - Troy (Donald Glover), Abed (Danny Pudi), and Betty White

I have been shamelessly listening to "Somewhere Out There" for days.  Then, of course, there's the magnificent Spanish 101 Rap, and personally I adore this medley of the musical themes of the first season.  If you watch it, bully for you.  If you don't, I hope you'll check it out.  Bottom line, the show is genius, and if they don't get renewed for a third season I will cry forever.

This post is dedicated to Laura, since "Somewhere Out There" became our theme song in college, when we realized we were destined to spend our lives living in different states.  And also because I texted her all of the lyrics on Saturday, surprising both of us with the discovery that I at some point managed to memorize them.

listening to, christmas edition: addendum

Of course this shows up on the web the day after I post about my favourite Christmas tunes.

Zooey Deschanel singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" with She & Him partner M. Ward and...Conan O'Brien?  Yes.  It was close, but this has edged the Glee "Baby, It's Cold Outside" from the top of my list.  Now if I could just find a place to download it so I can listen to it forever.

listening to, christmas edition

I am still listening to a ton of Piaf.  But this weekend, the urge to listen to Christmas music has hit me full-force, so I've been switching back and forth.  There's a lot of great Christmas music out there, so you get extra songs today.

"Baby, It's Cold Outside" performed by Chris Colfer and Darren Criss on Glee.  I've never enjoyed this song.  I have no idea why, perhaps because of how wordy it is.  That said, I adore this rendition.  I have been listening to it nonstop.

"The Christmas Waltz," sung by Frank Sinatra.  This is another one I've only recently come to love.  I've heard it before, but it's become my second favourite to listen to this year. 

"Hallelujah Chorus," from Handel's Messiah.  In all my years studying to be a soloist, I always went back to complex choral pieces as my favourite thing to sing, and the Hallelujah Chorus tops them all.  This video of a flashmob in a mall food court singing it makes me heart flutter.  I love how people who are clearly not involved in the planning, stand up and join in the song.

"Jingle Bells,"performed by Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.  We had this exact recording on a giant Christmas CD box set my mom brought home when I was a kid, and the first time my grandmother heard it, she exclaimed "Why, it's Bing!" like he was a friend she hadn't heard from in years.  It's one of my most treasured memories.  Plus, I just love the casual back-and-forth of the performance.

"All I Want For Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey.  I am emphatically not a fan of pop-style Christmas songs.  But I adore this song, and if you don't, I don't think I want to know you.  It's just a solidly good, fun song.

So there you go!  I hope you're having a happy Christmas season, wherever you are!

listening to

I have been in a bit of a Mood, lately.  Mood with a capital "M."  I'm rather good at those.  It has demanded nothing but moody French music, and Edith Piaf is being most accommodating.

"Non, Je ne regrette rien." This song is making me long for Christmas morning, when I can unwrap Inception.  So looking forward to that.

"Padam, Padam."

I discovered that the youtube Edith Piaf playlist likes to throw Noel Coward and Marlene Dietrich in there to mess with you, which was quite jarring.  So I downloaded the essential Piaf instead.  My French grandmother is somewhere in the sky, nodding with approval.

this ain't your kid sister's recorder

Have you all seen this yet?  I hope you have not, and that I'm the one to bring this magnificent piece of viral video into your lives.  It's a guy playing an instrument he made out of PVC pipe.  Let's try that again.  A guy, playing an extremely large and complex musical instrument he constructed.  He plays a medley, and it is no Hot Crossed Buns on the recorder, dude.  Watch the whole thing (I'm looking at you, Mom), and if your jaw is not gaping open by the time he gets to the James Bond theme, then I don't think I want to know you anymore.

Edit: I guess the video's been blocked.  Whoops!  Well, for those of you who saw it, I hope it was awesome.

listening to

I have been in full-on Disney fan girl mode since seeing Tangled on Thanksgiving.  So that's where all of this is coming from.  Haven't seen it?  Do.  So much fun.

"I See the Light," from Tangled.  Sung by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi (and he can SING!).  Sweet, romantic song currently on repeat.

"That's How You Know," from Enchanted.  I never get tired of this song.  Never, never ever.  Or any of the other songs from the film, come to think.  Yay Disney.

listening to

I have been embracing my inner nerd this week (and okay, let's face it, I basically wear my inner nerd on my lapel. Literally. I wore a triforce on my lapel today), and in light of that have been reveling in the Nerdcore stylings of MC Frontalot.

"First World Problem"

"Spoiler Alert"

Oh, but--spoiler alert--that second song actually does give away endings to a lot of books and movies and such.  So if you, say, haven't finished the Harry Potter saga and don't want to know the truth about Snape, then stay away.  All else aside, it's a killer song, though.  

Both songs are available for free download on Frontalot's website, along with a slew of other singles.  Full albums on the site, as well as on iTunes.

listening to

The drive from West Virginia back to my parents' house takes about 4 and a half hours, and for about 2 of those hours, I have no cell reception.  Sometimes I listen to podcasts, but I've found that the trips tends to develop a music theme despite me.  I'll listen to my library on shuffle until something hits me and I have to listen to it (and other things like it) the rest of the drive.  A couple months ago, it was Spamalot, and it's often Hans Zimmer's score from Sherlock Holmes.  My last trip back from home, it was Arcade Fire's new album "The Suburbs" (and Chrome users--you've seen this, right?).

I'm home this weekend, and in honor of the roller derby I'm going to tomorrow, I started my trip with the Whip It soundtrack, which is about as fantastic as the movie.

"Pot Kettle Black" - Tilly & the Wall

"Never My Love" - Har Mar Superstar (feat. Adam Green)

And then I drove into a monsoon, and my ipod switched over to Mumford and Sons, which I discovered on the advice of my music-savvy little brother and is pretty much the greatest thing.  And, as it turned out, was the perfect music to accompany monsoon-driving.

"The Cave"

"Little Lion Man" (Mom, you might not like the language in this one.)

And this concludes your super-long edition of listening to!

listening to

I have the house to myself this weekend, and I've been taking advantage of it.  Torturing my dog with a squeaky toy app, playing music way loud, etc.  Here's what's been playing.

This is Cee-Lo Green, the voice behind Gnarls Barkley.  I REALLY love this song (and its genius video), but seeing as how the title of it is "F**k You" (you know, minus the asterisks), and seeing as how my mother reads this blog, I decided to keep it clean.  And really, "What Part of Forever" is a great song, even if it is on the Eclipse soundtrack.  I'm tying not to hold that against it.

Speaking of movie soundracks...

Scott Pilgrim, man. SCOTT PILGRIM.  The music is kind of fantastic.  AND the actors actually sing the Sex Bob-omb songs, which is all-the-way fantastic.

Anyway, there ya go.  And proof (SAM) that I do so listen to stuff recorded in the past decade.

listening to

I have been a bad blogger, both here and at Snails and Whales.  I'm sorry!  I haven't done one of these in a while, have I?  I've been super into classic rock lately, which is reflected here.

"Have You Ever Seen The Rain" by Creedence Clearwater Revival.  Cannot get enough of this song!  It's the basis of my current favourite Genius mix.

"Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who.  I tend to cycle through Who songs, and this is the current fav.

"Woodstock" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.  I've downloaded a ton of CSNY lately, and this is a solidly awesome song.

listening to

Despite having spent many years training as a vocalist, I can still get knocked back on my heels when I discover that a full, gigantic voice comes from a tiny person.  Like Diane Birch, for one.  Itty bitty girl, great big voice.

via Max Wanger

listening to

My dogwalking schedule exploded this week--people going away for spring break, I guess.  Here are a couple of songs I've had on repeat.

"First Days of Spring" by Noah and the Whale (the band has the song available for download for free)

And something completely different.  Sometimes I just need a song that makes me want to move my feet.  Who better to supply that than Gene Kelly?  "Moses" from Singing in the Rain.

listening to

I'm sorry, y'all, but it looks like you're not going to get any doors this week.  I was planning on doing them Sunday, but after my 9 hour drive became nearly an 11 hour drive (on 5 hours of sleep and a day after weathering a BRUTAL 24-hour stomach bug), I was in no condition to blog.  Now I'm having too much fun with the family here in Bluffton, SC!  After I finished my Nancy Drew audiobook on the drive down, I spent the remaining hours lost in some fantastic music.  Here's a taste of my playlist:

a fine frenzy | MySpace Music Videos

"Blow Away," by A Fine Frenzy.  You might recognize her face and voice from last week's fantastic stop-motion film, Lost Things.

"Humdrum Town," by Theophilus London. Not usually my thing, but I really like his style.

Now I've got to get dressed and walk my dogs.  Not too different from home, except down here I run the risk of running into a gator.  I really hope I don't run into a gator.

good for you

9 out of 10 art historians recommend this video.

70 Million by Hold Your Horses ! from L'Ogre on Vimeo.

listening to

When I'm driving around or walking dogs, I'm usually listening to NPR.  To be honest, I'm kind of a fangirl (the blame for which lies solely at the feet of this one).  I'm usually driving around midday, so I listen to the Kojo Nnamdi Show, and while I walk I catch up on my podcasts.  This week, however, I found myself fresh out of podcasts.  So here's a little of what I've been listening to:

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Andrew Bird

I rely mostly on Pandora to introduce me to new music, but I'm always open to suggestions!  If you know of something you think I'd like, just leave it in the comments!