Shannon

Oh my God. How adorable is this?!? (It won't let me embed, damn it.) I can't believe I haven't seen it before. It just made me smile like an idiot. He is so shy and awkward and cute. <3 And I love that he seems to be the male version of a crazy cat lady. Awesome.

That is all.

These songs own my life right now. The videos are kind of weird and unnecessary so don't pay attention to them. Just listen to the music.



( Also, the lead singer is kind of adorable... )

This is the most adorable thing ever.


I think she is seriously the cutest human being to ever exist. And this song sounds good. And the album version of "Blue Lips" is also growing on me (though the live performance from Jools Holland with just piano and strings is gorgeous and that should've been how it was recorded). Still hate "Laughing With" though. Two out of three so far isn't bad.

This is amazing.


This sounds so perfect and so similar to the album version it's scary. That crazy high part at the end absolutely kills me. Like, the first few times I listened to it, I just could not convince myself that the same person was singing that part and the rest of the song. I still can't quite wrap my head around it even if this video is proof. And he does it so effortlessly! He's not even straining just a little bit to reach these super high notes and it's insane! I just love this song. And I love being obsessed with new bands. I just bought their latest EP and album for $12 with no shipping and you should too. Apparently, they are putting out a new record this year and I am very excited. They're so good. (I should really be posting this to my music blog but whatever; I just posted a song of theirs there... I've got to wait a few days or something before I do another.)

However, as much as I love their music, I'm trying really hard not to care that they're a Christian band. I mean, good music is good music and all and it doesn't really bother me that they're religious because it's not like they're all "GOD GOD GOD" in every song. But then I found this and it scared me. As do some of those reviews. But that's from a few years ago. And they don't seem so Jesus-freak-y to me anymore from what I've seen. So I'm trying not to be judgmental. Because they are a really good band regardless of that.

And also, the resemblance isn't there at all in promo band pictures or when you look at his face full-on, but the lead singer, Wes, is totally reminding me of Leighton from Lydia. See, he doesn't look like him here (top left). But here and here there is definitely at least a small resemblance. The similarities are in stage presence mostly - like posture and shit, I guess. But also he has almost the same haircut in those pictures. The second one especially - oh my God, Leighton, is that you?!? Seriously. I tried to find a good picture of him for comparison but I don't really have one saved though I swear I've seen one with a similar pose or something. But anyway, I got kind of sidetracked in my quest:










Damn. He is so beautiful. *drools all over keyboard*

Ahem... here's some Mindy for good measure, too. I can't talk about the beautiful people in Lydia without mentioning her, of course.





Okay, enough shallowness.

Have I mentioned I am hopefully seeing them live next month? I don't really know yet but if I don't I think I'll kill myself, no joke. Okay, maybe I'm joking but seriously, they are the only band I am absolutely dying to see right now. And I've already missed them on at least three (well, actually two because they ended up dropping out of one) occasions in the past year. And this is headlining! Or co-headlining, I guess, but it's still so much better than supporting so I absolutely have to go! Anyway. Yes. That is my mission currently. I'm also seeing Maria Taylor (and the Whispertown 2000) on Sunday, holla! I haven't been to a show since May of last year. Rilo Kiley. Good times. The word is they're putting out an album of rarities. I don't even care that this could be seen as another sign of their demise or that it will likely be all songs I've already heard; I am just uber-excited.

Here's another video before I go!


Peace out. (That was stupid. I will never say that again, k?)

This is the best.


"Stay exactly where you are... and take off that beard!"
"Damned if I do."
"TAKE OFF THAT BEARD!"

"I sincerely apol - I - oh to hell with you all. *maniacal laughter*"

"Meanwhile, tears coursing down her face, the honorable Agatha Runcible, whose repulsive liaison with the prime minister shocked the nation this week, bewailed her 'ruined, bogus, vapid, bogus, and worthless life'... Yes, two boguses."

This movie is so quotable. Well, a lot of the great quotes come from the book but even the stuff that's not from the book. I watched it again a couple days ago and loved it even more. <3

The new Neko Case record is so fucking amazing. I listened to it last night really loud on headphones while lying in bed and I just felt like it was pulsing all throughout my body; it was this totally indescribable feeling. It feels kind of long because Fox Confessor was so short but I seriously love every song in its own way and wouldn't cut any of them. When Fox Confessor first came out, I was obsessed with it for a really long time and I still think it's pretty damn near perfect so I really wasn't expecting her to match its brilliance, but she undoubtedly has. I can't say yet whether I'll like Middle Cyclone better or not in the long run but they are at least equals. It amazes me how consistently great this woman's music has been for the past few years. My favorite song right now is "This Tornado Loves You" - God, what a perfect opener and just a perfect song in general. That first "What will make you believe me?" at the end just kills me; it's the total embodiment of all that is awesome about Neko's voice and it gives me chills.

Also, I'm obsessed with the final verse of the title track:

It was so clear to me
that it was almost invisible.
I lie 'cross the path waiting
just for a chance to be
a spiderweb trapped in your lashes.
For that, I would trade you my empire for ashes.
But I choke it back,
how much I need love.

That is just so heartbreaking and beautiful beyond words. The lyrics on this album are amazing, like waaaaay impressive. Definitely my favorite album of the year so far and I'm guessing it'll remain pretty high up there. There is a lot of good stuff coming out this year though - Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Maria Taylor, St. Vincent... well, those are the ones I'm mainly excited for but there are probably about a million more. Also, apparently Tori Amos' new album is called Abnormally Addicted to Sin which is really clunky and cheesy-sounding but at the same time, completely different from the rest of her recent album titles. I don't know. I've given up getting excited for new stuff from her - then I guess I'll just be even more impressed if it ends up actually being great, but I'm not expecting anything at this point.

And one last thing, new Maria Taylor video. Omagah, this girl is so freaking cute. As is Neely Jenkins. And Morgan Nagler. And all three of them together in the same video wearing pretty dresses and smashing things. Basically, it kicks complete ass. And oh yeah, the song's amazing as well.


ALSO ALSO I need this video now! And also new music would be nice. Actually, I'm willing to wait as long as it takes for them to make something new as long as it's as good as Illuminate - it's just very hard.


Leighton is so sexy, my goodness. And Mindy is beautiful. <3 <3 <3 I really wish they were coming here on their headlining tour but, as usual, it is not meant to be. :( They are, like, the one band I would do anything to see live right now. Everyone else I could care less about in comparison. K, bye.

The hilarity, I can't take it. I was cracking up so hard during this entire thing.


How is he so amazingly awesome? Though really, this just made me wish he was still making the Unauthorized Documentary videos (which if you haven't had the pleasure of watching, start with the first one and watch all of them, which unfortunately only amounts to five). He is hilariously awkward as Dr. Reid but he is just hilariously hilarious in real life. Come be my lover, MGG!

Though he totally has some major competition at this point - maybe a certain piemaker who is more adorable than should lawfully be permitted for the safety of girls like me?... Pushing Daisies was on again tonight after two weeks off and I was so happy yet so sad that the inevitable end keeps looming closer. Why oh why must everything I love be so hideously underappreciated by the masses? Anyway, tonight was amazing as usual; between Ned, his almost as cute half-brothers, his adorably (and necessarily) chaste relationship with Chuck, and the ball of cuteness that is Olive Snook, I am so insanely in love with this show. Everything about it is absolute perfection and I do not understand how more people aren't catching on. It feels nice to root for the underdog but it doesn't feel so nice when there's really nothing you can do to help them stay alive.

Anyway, I just love gushing! But I'll stop now because I realize I really need to find some more words that mean "cute" and "adorable" before I go any further.

P.S. Barring any last minute ticket sellouts, I am totally going to see Twilight on Friday and I can't fucking wait. I was an obsessive fangirl over the first book for about a week and my enthusiasm has gradually died down into an "it's so good because it's so bad" attitude... and the acting in the movie from the commercials looks really awkward and forced... but it should at the very least be hilariously terrible. Plus, staring at Robert Pattinson for two hours - I think I can definitely get on board with that. I would include Jackson Rathbone in this statement as well but, really, he is adorable in real life and does nothing for me as Jasper. I think it's the hair - the poof and the blond on their own aren't too shocking but together they just don't really work at all. Also, both of these guys tend to look like homeless bums half the time but the other half of the time they are repulsively attractive and squishably cute, respectably. (Have you seen Jackson's smile - oh my God, the cutest thing everrrrrr.) Oh yeah, I said I needed to stop gushing and using those two words. I think that's my sign to really leave now.