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!

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

 

 

Click here to enjoy

Victor Garber as Jesus in 1973's "Godspell"
in front of Freshly Mounted Twin Towers. Surreal, yo.

Click here and you will be taken to the playlist

 

Rachael Marie

 

Lady Lamb the Beekeeper

Torres (Mackenzie Scott)

TORRES and Lady Lamb the Beekeeper taking over Iowa City

 

There really is nothing more gratifying than finding out the opener of Kaki King who blew your mind with her quirkiness and overall awesomeness is COMING BACK TO IOWA CITY June 26th! Time to stay as normal and find out Spaltro's food allergies because this girl is dreaming of buying her a cupcake out of dream b.f.f.'ness as well as TORRES.

TORRES (another psuedonym-wrapped lady Mackenzie Scott) is a folk rock dream that could very well be Sharon van Etten's unapologetically adorkable cereal-eating little sister. Cereal-eating? Yeah, cereal-eating. (Just watch the video...) Look forward to videos and perhaps one... or two pictures with these amazing gals with guitars.

 

 

 

 

Sherlock and Mr. Cumberbatch Happened to Me.

 

And that's mostly it. Well wait...

 

 



Now that's it.

 

 

Madison Dances!

 

Madison dances the Madison! *insert God-awful journalistic puns here* Remember film class where they had you watch mind-numbing Godard? It's kind of like that... actually it's exactly like that as Madison with friends Dimi Pallis and Chavo Killingsworth recreate the famous scene in Godard's 1964 Bande a Part for Madison's second (only second??!!!) music video for Speakeasy.

 

 

Best Pictures from Tilly and the Wall

@ The Mill, May 31st