You know it's officially spring when new music comes popping up faster than the leaves sprouting in Iowa during Spring-Winter, Winterish-Spring? In other words, fast. Very.

Donkeyboy's Crazy is the Coolest, Like Ever

It's seriously hard to believe that just a week ago "Crazy Something Normal" was released. And since then, the new Donkeyboy feel-good has been dominating the ITunes charts including a Late Night stint AND a music video that involves demonic spray cans and the boys looking wonderfully bad ass. 

Jena Malone Makes Art

**Warning, there's nudity**

Jena Malone channels something like classical art in The Shoe's video for "Dead Rabbit Hopes" and I don't think anyone is complaining unless you have an issue with yourself when you take your clothes off. She is stunning with nothing but flowers decorating her perfect and  -- dare I say -- perfect body you would almost think the video distracts from how lovely her voice is. But it doesn't, or at least to me versus the perverted male species. This is art and it is stunning.



Sharon van Etten "Taking Chances" on a Tarot Reading

This is includes all of my favorite things: close ups on Sharon's lovely face, mysticism, tarot cards, nail polish (albeit chipped) and a strangely profound message in between the lines. Despite the fact I saw the ending from a mile away, I absolutely adored getting lost in this video.

Lindsey Sterling Consorts with Mer-Creatures Now...

There are some musicians whose music just encompasses your spiritual beliefs; my list includes Julianna Barwick and especially the way Lindsey Sterling sets up her music videos. And her latest "Beyond the Veil," the "hip-hop violinist" evokes something between The Little Mermaid and Lord of the Rings as her violin gets stolen by a magical child-creature who can breathe underwater. This is just breathtakingly beautiful! Mission Creek, can we get her next year? Stirling's album "Shatter Me" comes out May 2nd.





It's coming, the literature and food, readings and concerts of people who you can hear on NPR or Indie Rock Playlist on constant repeat. It's Mission Creek next Tuesday, the magical time of the year where everyone starts interacting a little more than usual under the influence of nicer weather and bonding over big names (Philip Glass, The Head and the Heart, Kishi Bashi...) and making new friends, facebook friends (because there's a difference) and networking. I'm so ready it hurts.

 

 

Want to See Something Dean-Mayzing?

 

While I despise puns, I can think of at least a thousand over Dean Pelton (Jim Rash)'s Pay Day rap on Community's episode on March 13th. This is still hysterical even after two weeks! "Even Barack Obama is scared of me!" And Gillan Jacobs not trying too hard keeping it in. While Community has been a little up and down for the last season or two, this is ultimate win.

 

 

 

Mr. Little Jeans is Streaming and Premiering a Video-Video

 

 

There's little question of how much I am obsessed with Ms. Monica Birkenes, or more popularly known as Mr. Little Jeans. Maybe it's her heritage or her magical moody electronica that can either make you dance or cry, but the ultimate magic has occurred -- her latest album, while it's not on Spotify, it is very streamable on Hype Machine. And until it's up on Spotify, I think I'm going to keep this link in safe keeping.

 

Some videos are meant to make you happy and some just punch you in the gut. And would we expect the former from Ms. Birkenes? Maybe in the future (and preferably a video to the tune of Valentine, pretty please?) but now we have a gorgeous, albeit rather depressing, video to "Good Mistake" that features a truck driver realizing the pain of his life and Monica in full form whipping her hair around in a telephone booth which hearkens to the movie, Stoker. The "Good Mistake" video is definitely just as moody and a little frightening like the Chan-wook Park film but it is also heartbreaking and unexpectedly made me cry. Absolute perfection.

 

 

 

Margaret Berger is Making Us Scream

 

 

Aaaaand the puns just keep happening... but the best news (second or first depending on the hour considering there's NEW DONKEYBOY happening!) is that Margaret Berger is finally putting out another teaser to "New Religion" and while I am excited, I am also just as frustrated. Last time anyone heard about the album was back in September and was intended to be released last November and then according to Wikipedia it was to be out last month! What gives, Margaret? We're ready to have your album! "I Feed You My Love" and all!

 

But while we're waiting and agonizing, Margaret has been kind to put out a new song, which is currently being made into a video, that reunites all the songwriters that formed the second semi-finalist song for Eurovision 2013 ("I Feed You My Love"). This time, "Scream" has the same charging electronic sound but with a little Mediterranean beat during a very infectious chorus. If it's any indication with the comparisons between the first three singles off the new album, "New Religion" is going to be fucking solid! I am so ready!

 

 

Donkeyboy Somewhere Between Crazy and Normal...

 

 

...but normal is just a setting on the washing machine, right? Well, Cato and crew are kind of nuts and they prove it along with a children's choir that they are "living how we wanna/spinning through the night." It's a perfect Donkeyboy happy dance (and happy-dance, however you want to read that) single that is going to prove that their next album along with "Triggerfinger," we're going to see a little deeper into the synths of the otherwise happy-go-lucky band and see something sweetly and adorably profound in them.

 

But let us watch them get a little dorky. It's an international language.