see

music videos are one of the most versatile, accessible and exciting art forms. outside of the mainstream exist videos made out of ice sculptures, paper and food fights. videos that restructure videos of the past, videos that feature costumed adults riding bikes choreographically and rarely used techniques that add to the unique-ity of the artist. enjoy. words above the vids are the key reasons that i love them.

Jenny Lewis - "Black Sand" - double exposure

Black Sand

Passion Pit - "The Reeling" - gritty torn paper

Bat For Lashes - "What's a Girl to Do?" - biking animals

WHY? - "A Sky for Shoeing Horses Under" - purple thunder clouds

Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks" - eyelids

Ratatat - "Shempi" - abba

Beirut - "In the Mausoleum" - watermelons

(this may or may not count as a music video)

Animal Collective - "My Girls" - color and texture

Lykke Li - "I'm Good, I'm Gone" - elderly joints

Justice - "D.A.N.C.E. (Justice Remix)" - tees (duh)

Matt and Kim - "Yea Yeah" - live food

Modest Mouse - "Little Motel" - backwards with a backwards ending

coachella pt. 3

soul food

silver lining + acid tongue

treasure trove

my room is cluttered, untidy and busy, but at the same time welcoming and exciting. have you ever realized how much shit you have in your room? besides necessities, which for me are books, hair things, makeup, ihome and perfume, there are all of the little things you've collected throughout your life. 

i have quite an accumulation of concert tickets, as well as the "souvenirs" i've received at the shows. i have the signed cd from peter bjorn and john, the skull maraca from whispertown2000, the plastic flowers from tilly and the wall, the drum stick from death cab for cutie, a couple photo/press passes from music festivals and random shows like rilo kiley at soma and sondre lerche at the troubador, the handwritten set list from jenny lewis and the watson twins...etc. 

i have a collection of books including used, new, coffee table, and collections of poems, essays and art, plus old text books, sat/act study books and 5 or 6 old diaries. none of them are filled completely. i tend to buy new ones when i think i'm gonna make a change in my life and i need a new journal in order to make my personal goals official. plus stacks of  magazines and The Vista.

i have about 5 different perfume bottles, most empty. some i had to stop using because they reminded me of certain events or people. the one i've stuck with is ralph lauren rocks. 

i have all kinds of posters from different concerts, drawings done by my sister, old pictures, old letters and records up on my walls. every single piece of art means something significant to me. my room is a visual haven.

tiny collectibles from grandparents, such as brooches, ceramic animals, a tiny carved giraffe...plus candles and their holders and little crystal bowls, new zealand money, a box of old awards and birthday cards, cds.

don't get me started on clothes, shoes or jewelry. one could get lost in the descriptions of such treasures.

being home and in my room has reminded me of better times, worse times and current times. but most of all it has reminded me of how lucky i am to be alive and happier and has made me grateful for all of the opportunities i've had. how many people get to say that they've met their favorite musician at their favorite concert venue? (jenny lewis at the troubadour.) 

if room raiders were a real show and i was on it, the entire world would know every little detail about my life, just from what i'm surrounded by when i sleep.

christmaschristmaschristmas

i'm so so so excited for christmas this year. for once i don't hate my mom and i get to hang out with my puppies and my kitten. and of course, i'm super close to the SB zoo, at which otters and penguins swim (and that sweet lion puts his face against the glass and looks at me). here are the top 5 things on my christmas list this year, besides the usual Urban/AA gift cards (american apparel, not alcoholics anonymous) my hip mom gives me. and i hear some planned parenthoods have gift cards now. that might be cool to have.

WALL E DVD (or WALL E himself)

Hymie's Basement CD (with Yoni from WHY?)

CuteOverload Page a Day calendar

subscription to Under the Radar magazine

Justice "A Cross the Universe" live DVD/Album

And here's a Christmas gift from me to you ♥

so much too much

i have no time to breathe. i can't even find time to pick up my paycheck :(. this is terrible. on the bright side, at least i HAVE a paycheck. the economy is really shitty, as i experienced first hand over the summer, but working on campus helps to shield me from that sad sad fact. 

soooo i went to street scene. for free with press passes. such a good weekend. i went with amazing people that like to have fun and drink and dance as much as i do. first night is a leettle hazy, but i definitely remember Justice. ohhhh my. they were amazing. absolutely amazing. the pulsating bass put to the flashing cross in the center of the stage was serotonin upping. the next night i enjoyed the beats of ghostland observatory. as i said that night, experiencing their music made me feel like i was having sex. period. and god bless devo! how many people in my generation can say that they saw devo live? not very many. and they kicked ASS. 

my second day of street scene got a little dimmer when i heard the sad news that DJ AM and Travis Barker were in a fatal plane crash. they were the only survivors. someone said to me that if that had happened to them they would believe in god 100%. what must that mean to be one of two survivors? that's some heavy shit. but i am deeply glad that they are okay.

i am very much enjoying working on the vista. i've had some amazing opportunities given to me because of this little newspaper, including an interview with Michael Cera and Kat Dennings and all access passes to the upcoming San Diego Film Festival. check out my shit at The Vista.

another sad thing that i heard is that TRL has been cancelled! that show was my favorite thing to watch when i was...younger...and i think it helped to define my generation. remember eminem? britney v. christina v. jessica simpson (who didn't really count)? i loved all that drama! it was so exciting! but thankfully MTV has introduced FNMTV. that show kicks ass. Pete Wentz is the host and he's surprisingly not annoying. i've only seen it a few times since i don't really have time to enjoy anything on tv anymore, but one episode that really stood out was one that featured She & Him and their music video for "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?", and they had some rapper give his opinion on it. and he said that he liked the fake blood. it was so cool! i love the mixing of genres and the acknowledgment of music outside of pop. check it.

some final thoughts since i feel as though i am rambling:

i hate keira knightley. can she do anything besides a period piece?

getting a new Nylon in the mail is the most exciting way to pre-start a month. 

JENNY LEWIS' NEW ALBUM MAKES ME WANT TO DROP ACID

living in a film

it is true, my life is a movie. maybe even a best-selling novel. it's fun to have blackmail material. maybe i SHOULD write an autobiography. on a lighter and less time-consuming note, the premiere of Project Runway was beautifully exciting and Jenny Lewis will be releasing her new album, "Acid Tongue" in september. i see sunnier days ahead with some melodic music in the background of my every action. 43 days till san diego and i can leave this psych ward that is ventura county.

jenny lewis' new album

the more i think about it, the more my excitement grows for jenny lewis to release her second solo effort. "rabbit fur coat" has been my background music since the day it came out, and i can only expect the same effect to be had on me by jenny's next release. her music has been described as "timeless," and i could not agree more. it doesn't match the sound of a certain decade, nor does it conform to the sounds blaring on today's radiowaves. she has invented a new style that has yet to be named, one that i enjoy more than any other style on my beloved ipod. i can only imagine how beautifully creative and inspiring each song will be with all of the collaborations rumored to be happening on the production of this album. wooo!