I have made a decision; my lap top comes with me to Iowa City's free public art space (Public Space One) and in so, I will actually make time to write on this blog which I must sadly report I have been rather lax on. So, instead of staring lustfully at the 1.50 baked goods I cannot afford (chocolate, pecan, and caramel scones, you guys!) I am giving you guys awesome musical announcements.

My New Favorite Sisteromance:

Mackenzie Scott and Sharon van Etten

from Torres's twitter account

We can make sisteromance a thing, yeah? Having been in a room with both of these women (but at separate times), it's no question they are both talented as fuck and with auras that just radiate low key awesomeness and the fact that they have collaborated before is no surprise to me. Note their interactions with one another in the recording process of Torres's new song New Skin (also featuring The War on Drugs) around 4:50. How can I be that low key and awesome at the same time?

As for Sharon, the Indie music websites are blowing up with reviews and praise for "Are We There" that will be out NEXT TUESDAY! Ranging from a fantastic interview with Amanda Petrusich for Pitchfork to Stereogum, she is the one to watch; and with good reason as so far her videos for this album are both strange and magical (literally) especially in her latest single, "Every Time the Sun Comes Up" that just breathes the '70s horror host aura. Personally, I would love to see Torres and Sharon in a band together, can this happen, please?

Do You Have 10 Minutes?

Ages and Ages Will Change Your Life.

While I remain very annoyed that my sparse review for Ages and Ages's "Divisionary" never made up on the college radio website, I am completely convinced that this Portland band will, in fact, lead a revolution if not change a person's life. Seeing these folks live is something pretty amazing as they have been opening for Lake Street Dive (another fantastic band) in their latest Colbert-bumped tour and now with help from NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series, you can watch the magic unfold online! I will leave you with a fantastic quote by bandleader, Tim Perry, that encompasses what Divisionary really means.

‘Divisionary’ signifies a group whose vision of ‘right’ is upsetting to the existing power structure. It includes a philosophical, spiritual, and physical ‘breaking off’ from the status quo. It also references the individual inner conflicts that arise as you struggle to make the right choices in life. Visionaries don’t always create conflict, but they challenge the establishment with new ideas and with the threat of change. Where there is change, there is usually resistance, controversy, division.

Margaret Berger, It's About Damn Time!

Since the release of "Scream" only two months ago, Margaret has been making me salivating, yearning, wishing -- every verb in the dictionary (both Norwegian and English) -- to hear more from this new electropop sound she's acquired. It's darker and sleeker than "Robot Song" or "Will You Still Remember Me Tomorrow" but every new song release has proven that this next album will be something special.  And two inches closer to this TBA-dated album, Margaret finally released the horror movie inspired "Scream," full of interpretive dance and beautiful close-ups of our star baring truth that we don't know her as well as we think we do. And of course, like in "I Feed You My Love," it's all in black and white.

After watching the making-of video, oh Margaret, be my best friend! I cook and I have great taste!

Move a Little Over, "Crazy Something Normal," This is My New Favorite Song

...Because Nylon Magazine has fantastic taste covering L.A.-based band Holychild and their new EP, Mind Speak which comes out in the fall. So if Nylon Magazine says they're awesome, I must wholeheartedly agree especially since their first single "Happy With Me" has a little more to it than just a fun dance-y song.

."Happy With Me' is spawned from the incessant images that are pushed at women daily, and my personal difficulty interacting as a human and not being pressured to look, act, or speak a certain way. Ultimately, it's a plea to the audience: 'Fuck our cultural norms, live like me outside of those boundaries.'" 

Liz Nistico, I think I love you a little... and you're pretty!

Lzzy Hale Joins Lindsey Stirling

And Generates Awesomeness

I do not know a whole lot about Lzzy Hale and her rock band, Halestorm except for the fact that some of my lesbian fans have huge... well, fandoms attached to the enigmatic singer and musician. So with her rock-trained vocals it seems almost perfect kismet that she fits so well with Stirling's classical but wonderfully dorky edge resulting in "Shatter Me." And it is amazing and beautiful

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.

 

 

 

 



 

Since it seems that everything is going wrong in the last few weeks, including the inability to use my computer, nothing being backed up, AND no playlist making (the web player for Spotify won't let me) under the power of a very Indie-ful upcoming Christmas... life sucks. But the following doesn't. (Personally, I'm still doing a happy dance over the Wednesday Addams web series.)

The Best 20 Minutes of My Life

For real, there's nothing more I can say for Margaret Berger who strips her best songs down for WiMP's Live Sessions Tour including the most recent collaboration she did with Gabrielle. Despite not knowing Norwegian to understand the banter, Margaret is cute and adorable and dear sweet Jesus she sings better than anyone here in America.

Was Someone Going to Tell Me this Existed??!!

#90sGirlsLoveWednesdayAddams

What does a girl do when she was constantly told she looks like Christina Ricci from The Addams Family? You fucking own it! And that was what comedian and writer Melissa Hunter did in starting the web series "Adult Wednesday Addams" under the idea of "What would Wednesday do once she left the mansion?" Well, in the videos I've seen so far, she would move into an apartment with two other girls, dog-sit, get a job, berate a pro-life protester, you know the usual. There's really nothing else I can say about this brilliance that occurs every Wednesday (heh). What would make this even better is if Christina Ricci or the kid who played Pugsley made a guest appearance or even -- perish the thought! -- a TV show?

I am jumping right into extreme dorkgasms with the following...

2 DAYS TIL THIS!!!! AAAAAHHHH!!!

OK, now I'm done.

Hey Fellow 90s Kids, Wanna Feel Old?

Hocus Pocus is turning 20.

Yeah, you remember the following: "Come little children, I'll take thee away, into a land of enchantment, come little children the time is to come play, into my land of enchantment" and yeah, maybe I did write that from memory. #90skidsproblems Needless, this is the year to admit that you loved this movie as a kid and even more now. Not just because it's almost Halloween, but because Hocus Pocus turned 20 in July.

I'll give you a moment of silence to let that soak in. 

Are we good? OK.

Despite inaccuracies that Halloween was on a Sunday and there was no way for Max Dennison to come home from school to other flubs and facts you can find here, Hocus Pocus has remained kind of a cult classic.

The best part of a cult classic is the reunions. Omri Katz (Max Dennison), Thora Birch (Dani Dennison), Kathy Najimy (Mary Sanderson) and Vanessa Shaw (Allison) sans the mega stars Bette Midler and the immortal SJP came together for last Saturday's D23 meeting. The official Disney fan club also included an exhibit of many of the props as well, including the cauldron, Winifred's "skin covered" spell book, Parker's costume and more. And doesn't Kathy Najimy look great?

Margaret Berger Back Among the "Human Race" and Kicking it Acoustic with Gabrielle

I Feel You, ThatGurl... The Halloween Edition

As we all know, Halloween is not just a holiday to f*ck around with... note my pissed off geographical post to hellogiggles about this time last year with "The Pagan Diaries": What is Known as Halloween (but I was also suffering from severe Samhain-related exhaustion, completely normal) But think of it this way, if you are a religious person and one of your major holidays have been redeveloped as propaganda against you, wouldn't you be pissed off?

"ThatGurl" on bubblenews.com (thanks, Everything Under the Moon facebook page!) has less of a sledgehammer approach than my own to exposing our ancient context to what most people call a night of "evil and candy" but I could not word it better than she did.

"With all of the emphasis on the evils of Halloween, we lose sight of something very important. Setting aside a special date to remember our loved ones who have passed, to connect with their memories, to share stories about them, to both laugh and cry with others who knew them, and to pass these stories on to the next generation gives us a sense of identity about who we are and where we came from. It makes our family bonds stronger. The demonizing of Old Samhain, in a way, is a demonizing of heritage. " 

Le Kid getting "Physical" when it's really a remix of "Human Behavior"

 The whole world needs to know about the Abba-esque electropop magic that is Le Kid, and their response is damn good remixed version of Human Behavior complete with a video. Really, let's blame this on the Germans as they are growing popular there and oblivious to the Swedish soap opera theme song that is "Human Behavior." You can't blame the band for remixing it. As for the video, Johanna Berglund's (the red head) hair color is AMAZING and the people in animal heads pwns both Miley Cyrus and Allison Goldfrapp in the face.

 

Click here for some awesome

I yearn for fall.

 

I yearn for "a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils" (name the movie reference; I buy you a cookie)

 

I yearn for....

THIIIIISSSS!

 

*geekgasm relief*

 

 

Donkeyboy's Back with some Sexy...back.

You know you're the coolest band in Norway when you get to number 2 on the charts just a few hours *after* it's release. And that's what Triggerfinger, with the assistance of Canadian songstress Kiesza, did for Donkeyboy. It's no lie this song is Donkeyboy is getting their sexyback where "Ambtiions" was Europop goodness, "Silver Moon" was synth-y and dance club-ready. If this single is any indication of what's to come on their next album, let's all hope for some synth-y sexy bedroom R&B.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personally suggested for the Iowa City Public Library to buy.

And all the 90s kids rejoiced and sang jubilance.

Binge-Watchable TV: Sundays and Suspense

 

Not Netflix, not Hulu; I like to kick my binge-watching slightly old school. Rhyme unintended, really. But with Fall comes the most binge-able season of the year for the classic movie junkie: October's Turner Classic Horror Marathon. But this month is almost like a warm Fridays in October. Ever wanted to watch every single movie Hitchcock ever made including some of his silents and exports from England? Spend Sunays with Hitch. I am and I'm not apologizing for it. Hashtag: better than Twilight.

 

* = ones I've seen already

 

September 15:

CST 10:15 The Trouble with Harry (1955)

12:15 Family Plot (1976)

2:30 The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

4:45 Vertigo (1958)

7:00 Rear Window (1954) *

9:00 To Catch a Thief (1955)

11:00 The Farmer's Wife (1928)

 

September 22:

CST 9:00 The Skin Game (1931)

10:30 Lifeboat (1944)

12:15 The Lady Vanishes (1938)

2:15 Topaz (1969)

4:45 Torn Curtain (1966)

7:00 The 39 Steps (1935)

8:30 Sabotage (1936)

10:00 The Dick Cavett Show: Alfred Hitchcock (1972)

11:15 The Manxman (1929)

 

September 29:

CST 9:00 Rich and Strange (1932)

11:00 Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941)

1:00 Suspicion (1941)

3:00 Strangers on a Train (1951)

5:00 Dial M for Murder (1954) *

7:00 Rebecca (1941) *

9:15 Notorious (1946) *

 

And Now a Song for the Pessimistic....

Margaret Berger knows how to make us dance and happy; but lately with the symphonic electropop that also includes her Eurovision entry  "I Feed You My Love" you have to wonder if she forgot to take her anti-depressants. Armed with the same songwriters from the unfortunate 6th runner up song, there's something curious about "Human Race" that would probably make someone not want to like it right away but much like Lady Gaga's "Applause" it would take a few listens to really fall in love with it. And who doesn't love a Margaret Berger song? Berger's album "Chastisement" is rumoured to come out sometime in November!!!!!

 

 

Bench Art, or, the Reapers are in Iowa City.

 #Grimm #Grimmsterfanneedsanewhobby

#Grimmwithdrawalsyndrome

Sleigh Bells Sex it Up

After splintering my face off live last year; Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller clearly weren't done with blowing people's minds with loud noise pop. "Bitter Rivals" as their first single to the same titled album comes out October 8 with the Sleigh Bells experiments they like to do. First with experimenting in "Reign of Terror" with drums, "Bitter Rivals" will be more focused on melody. And if the single is any indicator of the album, I'm definitely interested in seeing how many times a day I have to listen to a song to like it. But I'm a loyal fan and will hope to hear more once October rolls around and watch Alexis get sexy in a boxing outfit in the new video until then. And that kid with the glasses is my new favorite person.

 

 

Britpop's New Pixie: Chloe Howl

 

 

 

Lilly Allen is all about the quirk; Kate Nash is all about making you feel like a '90s Riot Grrl in a retro dress but Chloe Howl makes you feel human. Personally for me she does that and then stuns me with her beautiful pixie-ness.... and her freckles. But enough of me girl-crushing all over her. The "Rumour" songstress has a new song under her belt and its seething with intelligent Britpop with a touch of synth. "How Proud" sounds very different from the pop-tarty "Rumour," with polished snythpop and the attacking lyrics "So don't bother showing me those lines that are tattooed on your lips/I know you're on the clock for sure, I know the way you tick."

 

 

Regardless of my theories on the concept of marriage; it's great for those who want it (and I know a very deserving lady couple who will be married soon and I hope they find a song on here that they will enjoy ... aaand maybe play at their reception? =] ) who are lucky enough to find their someone. But it's clear to me I'm meant for a "lesbian handfasting"... are those legal? #curiouserandcuriouser

Click here for playlist

Eurovision, Baby!

Last week Margaret Berger broke through with "I Feed You My Love" being # 1 on Itunes for almost two solid weeks (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) during Heat 1. While she's the one to win Norway's Melodi Grand Prix to move onto Eurovision; I have to say another of my home-girls, Anine Stang (Anina nowadays) is now in the running with "The Young" until the final result comes out next week. Biting nails! I'm rooting for both Anina and Margaret... but hoping Margaret will win and show the world why she was the real winner of her season of Norwegian Idol!

Madison Finally Reveals Herself in Video for "Hot Hot Love" and Teases Us A Little Bit More...

Madison is just a professional tease, and she's good at it; while her only release has been "The Noises Some People Make" two years ago! Since then the best you could get out of Madison was catching her on the east coast DJ-ing or playing "Superwoman" on repeat while dancing in front of your mirror like Cameron Diaz in Charlie's Angels (Or is that just me?). But the great burlesque act is back with a new song to add to your dance mix in "Nobody But Me" and finally revealing her beautiful face in a 60s sensitivity as she fights off creepy record execs and a scuzzy manager. I remain convinced that Madison is superwoman, if only next Tuesday got here faster in the release of "We've Been Nothing." But then I would demand a full album...

Georgia Does H&M

Ms. Georgia May Jagger is one of my favorite desktop girls and seriously one of the most beautiful women on this earth. So if the rock princess had a fashion line, what would it look like? In essence, what a rock star would wear complete with leather studded jackets, skin tight jeans that'll really make your UTI's flare up, and bridging it all between rocker and classy; which is what Georgia Jagger does best! 

Chris Ford Christopher the Conquered Sings My Favorite Song... in Von Maur