I know. It's been almost a month and a half since I have advertised a few of my (new) favorite things, but you know, life. In the lieu of life and wondering if anyone is actually reading this blog or this post, leave a shout out in the comments and make a girl feel good. Please? But since it has been a month and a half, there has been plenty things cooking in my Vspot folder...

Five of the Best Words in the English dictionary: Emmy the Great, New Album

Our favorite anti-folkster has moved to the West Coast from England and adopted a new sound, this we already knew from her "Swimming Pool" single from last year. Now there are three more songs attached to this new EP entitled "S" and they all are made of ambient, sensitive, honest, and electropoppy goodness.  Even in the first few seconds of "Somerset (I Can't Get Over)" you feel that "oof" factor in the "tell me something that's real like please don't get over me." But that's what Emmy has done even in her previous incarnation of Regina Spektor's lyrical cousin with her cleverness. Case in point in the same song, "F. Scott Fitzergald, Tennessee Williams/Come on let's talk about something different..." I always find it fascinating that an album or an EP comes out around a life experience of hers and that's why I love her so much. Now Taylor Swift on the other hand....(j/k)

NEW TRAILER for 

"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"

Ten of the Most Orgasmic Words in the English Language:

Josh Groban, Three New Videos and a New Album Coming

Josh Groban will be putting a new album into the world that sounds much more promising than "All That Echoes" (sorry!) IN TWO WEEKS! While it will be nothing original like "Illuminations," which I will forgive because my Joshy has been very busy for the last few years, he will tackle the Broadway standard. Already it's been reported that standards such as "Pure Imagination" (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), "What I Did for Love" (A Chorus Line), "Bring Him Home" (Les Miserables) "You'll Never Walk Alone" (Carousel), "Finishing the Hat" (Sunday in the Park with George), "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (The Wizard of Oz), "Try to Remember" (The Fantasticks), "Not While I'm Around" (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street), "Children Will Listen" (Into the Woods) among many others. Oh, and "All I Ask of You" from Phantom of the Opera. You *do* *not* want to hear the noises I made when I discovered that one. This will be a VERY happy experience!

The Von Trapps Are Doing Indie Pop

The Sound of Music notwithstanding, "Kurt" or Werner in the real world von Trapp's great grandchildren, Sofia, Melanie, Amanda and golden hair God -- I, I mean -- August made a band and they're awesome. While the von Trapps have already released an album with the easy listening band, Pink Martini, they are putting out a more Indie poppy sound on their "Dancing in Gold" EP that will come out -- oh hey! -- today. Unfortunately, I missed the chance to see them in Des Moines a few weeks ago (but luckily I got the secondhand scoop from a friend who opened for them) but I'm ready to hear more than just the YouTube clip of their new song. Their genetic harmonies are just as genetically tight and I am so ready for this! [EDIT: (4/14 1:23) IT'S HEERREE!] My Homegirl Mackenzie Scott is Being Awesome Again...

By this point, you all know my deep homegirl affection for Mackenzie Scott. She's adorable and awesome and honest and can rock a Kum and Go trucker hat like no one's business. But I digress. That honesty has come back in a more vibrant way via "Sprinter" coming out May 5. While her first album was painfully truthful and beautiful in that melancholic kind of way, this time around (if her singles "Strange Hellos" and "Sprinter" is any indication), it's raw and as autobiographic as the first album. In an interview with pitchfork, she explains the lyrics come inspired by her family (she herself being adopted as well as the mother who raised her).

"Whether it be abandonment, or fear of rejection, or perhaps inability to connect with people, comes down to that fear of isolation, of not being good enough. Those are themes that have cropped up in my personal life, in my writing, and my Mom can definitely understand that herself."

Sold!

Between coffee-tasting and tea-tasting days (there's a difference!), I have been putting my creative writing on a higher priority so between the new playlist and that Hocus Pocus piece, the blog juices are a-flowing and the V-Spot folder in my bookmarks is full of things that are pretty amazing. I repeat, amazing.

"Penny Dreadful" is Bleeding 

to Come Back!

And honestly, I can't wait! "Penny Dreadful" is a feast for the Victorian-loving senses (and you can quote me on that!). While I can honestly say that the first season's storyline being all knitted and tied up too quickly is the possible downfall of John Logan's series despite the amazing acting from Eva Green, Harry Treadway and Josh Hartnett. But one season is one season, a way for Showtime to know what they have. But let's just hope that Logan will be able to embellish and, like a good Victorian novel, spend pages and pages describing this beautiful sense of longing with these Gothic characters. For now, let's enjoy a promo because "the past [might] return." Bring it! I'm ready!

(Josh Hartnett making out with Reeve Carney again! Josh Hartnett making out with Reeve Carney again! I mean, ahem....)

Penny Dreadful Season 1 is AVAILABLE NOW ON DVD! So you know what to get me for my birthday or Christmas, right? Right???


Say Goodbye to Mr. Mickey Rooney  in the latest adaptation of "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"

With two well accolighted veteran actors in Margaret O'Brien and the late Mickey Rooney, B. Luciano Barsuglia's adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson story looks pretty good to me. Add the 12th Doctor's distant cousin, actor Gianni Capaldi playing Mr. Hyde and we certainly have a strange production coming our way. Toss into the weird salad two actors playing the normally dual role, Mickey Rooney not dressed in Victorian attire, and the trailer still feeling somewhat ambiguous, damn it, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT THIS IS! Tell me what magical insanity this is! Please? Let's Take a Moment to Remind Ourselves Sean Lennon is Awesome-r Than the Rest of Us I literally have no words to explain how awesome this is. So let us take these magical four minutes to take in this man's brilliant words. Amen. Blessed Be. And Another Reason Why Donkeyboy  is My "Hero" ... and not in a Bette Midler Kind of Way ...

There is absolutely no lie when I say that Donkeyboy is amazing and have the inability to suck, because Cato Sundberg is amazing with everything he composes. While he can't take the whole credit for this new song "Hero" as this was the first 100 % Donkeyboy-produced and written song with the exception of a few lyrics thrown in by Canadian songstress Kiesza (who also helped out on "Triggerfinger"). But damn it, this is just good and Scandipop is right that you start singing along midway through. I'm starting to lose the words of how good these guys are. Just, damn it! Check out the boys performing the new hit on NRK TV!
Ages and Ages NEW VIDEO!

Remember that band that I mentioned once that their music could help change the world? Yeah, they took that opening song from the album and made it into a beautiful video. Despite the fact they dumped the driving introduction that absolutely rocks my socks off, the video is full of the intricate work of instruments and voices shot-by-shot. And that's amazing. So I must share this because every time someone plays Ages and Ages, humanity receives more hope. I really hope I'm right about that. Oh, and Tim Perry talks to his cat.

Conan O'Brien Holds George Harrison Week and It Was...

...Lukewarm. I'm sorry, it was totally lukewarm with some pretty dynamic moments. I have always loved Mr. O'Brien and everything he associates himself with (that epic throw-down three-way between him, John Stewart and Stephen Colbert? Uh, yeah.). With the advent of Harrison's reissued "The Apple Years: 1968-1975," the O'Brien bandwagon leapt to showcase many artists throughout the week playing in the former Beatle's honor. And it was... yeah, it was very lukewarm. Beck kicked off the week with a classic from "All Things Must Pass" which came across well-played but with not much vocal strength. Tuesday was blessed by Paul Simon covering "Here Comes the Sun" and once more, there was something lacking I just wasn't feeling. The Bob Dylan-esque vocals, perhaps? Harrison's own son came on Wednesday night to serve the world the best night covering not only a rocking yet simultaneously soulful "Let it Down" but also a web exclusive featuring Jon Bates of Big Black Delta giving a folky rendition of "Ballad of Frankie Crisp (Let it Roll)." Norah Jones finished off the week with a pretty not incredibly exciting "Behind the Locked Door".  But that was only the tip of a very cool iceberg as Sunday night was George Fest at the Los Angeles' Fonda Theater, which was just a huge explosion of music, including Brian Wilson, "Weird Al" Yankovic, The Killers, Dhani Harrison, Spoon, Velvet Revolver, "that guy" from The Eurythmics Dave Stewart, Ringo Starr, Kara DioGuardi, Ann Wilson, The Flaming Lips, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club among many others. This magical night was not only a George Harrison "church service," so to speak, but also a benefit for the Jameson Neighborhood Fund which 100 percent of the tickets went to. You can watch a lot of the magic here. But Mr. O'Brien proved his Beatle nerdiness as he covered "Old Black Shoe" both vocally and on guitar. I immediately gave infinity points to Gryffindor. 
And the Honorary V-Spot Award of Life  Goes to... ME GETTING A PICTURE WITH SHARON VAN ETTEN LAST MONDAY! You can see it all on my face, "Dear Goddess, her arm is around me and WHAT THE HELL her head is on my cheek. Keep it together B! *internally screaming*"