Shannon

A couple nights ago, I dreamed that Lady Gaga died. Then, last night, I dreamed that it was all just a huge publicity stunt. The weirdest part isn't that I was dreaming about Gaga but that I could totally imagine her doing something like that in real life. Haha. Also weird is that I actually remembered because usually my dreams begin to fade shortly after I wake up until I can only remember the vaguest bits and pieces of them.

Anyway, I really wanted to talk about the new She & Him album here. I like to blabber on randomly about music I like here first because it makes it easier to write proper, better-articulated reviews for my music blog. So... I think the album is completely amazing. And I think I may have actually decided that it's better than Volume One which is something I didn't think I would be able to say. I adore that album so much that it's probably one of the few albums from a couple years ago that I still play regularly. Based on "In the Sun," which is cute and catchy but a little low on substance, I wasn't sure Volume Two would live up to that. But it totally does! I feel like Zooey's voice is much more confident and versatile on this record and her melodies are also more varied and less predictable - for example, I don't think she could have written a song like "Home" a few years ago because it's got so many interesting twists in melody. The only thing I feel is slightly downgraded here are the lyrics though they weren't exactly the strongest part of Volume One either so it's not really a problem for me. Overall, though, the album's got a much fuller and more self-assured sound to it. Volume One will always hold a special place in my heart but I can most definitely make room for Two as well.

As far as specific songs go... I love pretty much all of them. "Thieves" and "Lingering Still" I already knew were amazing from live performances and they transfer flawlessly to the studio, benefiting from an added layer of backing vocals from Zooey that aren't possible live. By the way, I think her real genius is in creating background vocal melodies and arrangements because typically I don't pay attention to them so much but hers are always so interesting and just as vital to the song as the main vocal line. "Don't Look Back" and "Over It Over Again" are two of my very favorites for this exact reason. Also, they're so much fun, like in "Don't Look Back" when her voice goes really low and then Matt kicks in with this surfer-esque guitar before the chorus and the adorable, shouted vocals in "Over It Over Again" which is just an adorable, terribly infectious song in general (just the opening piano melody and the way Zooey delivers the first line, "Why do I always wanna sock it to you hard?" already put a huge smile on my face). At this very moment, though, I'm all about "Ridin' in My Car". I'm generally kind of indifferent to covers, particularly when they're put on a proper full-length album, because I'd almost always rather hear another original song instead. That's how I felt about the covers on One; I do like them quite a bit but, if pressed, I would have to admit they're the weakest link for me. But both covers here are completely brilliant and perfectly Zooey-fied. I can't get over how fucking amazing she sounds on "Ridin' in My Car" - as much as I don't have a problem (as many people seem to) with Zooey's cutesy, more affected vocals, I love this song mostly because it's completely devoid of them; she just sounds so clear and effortless and flawless and perfect. Her backing vocals during Matt's verses make me melt they're so lovely. I enjoy the slower, more sparse songs - "Me and You," "Brand New Shoes" - for similar reasons. The instrumentation is pulled back and her vocals just shine and sound so natural and pure and full of emotion in a really subtle way. Also, the closer, "If You Can't Sleep," is just Zooey singing the lyrics over layers of her wordless harmonizing and is basically divine. I really love "Sing" too even though the line about watching Cribs is kind of cringe-worthy; it's just got a really gorgeous, understated yet memorable quality to it. Basically, yes, the whole thing is great. Even the bonus tracks are great! The iTunes bonus, "I Knew It Would Happen That Way," is a perfect two minutes of beautiful, melancholy vintage pop and the b-side to "In the Sun," a cover of "I Can Hear Music," is so sunny and joyous and lovely. Everything is lovely lovely lovely. I have such a girl crush on Zooey is basically what all of this rambling amounts to.

MARILYN.
JUDY.
SYLVIA.
TELL 'EM HOW YOU FEEL, GIRLS!
WORK YOUR BLOND, BENET RAMSEY,
WE'LL HAUNT LIKE LIBERACE.
FIND YOUR FREEDOM IN THE MUSIC.
FIND YOUR JESUS.
FIND YOUR KUBRICK.
YOU WILL NEVER FALL APART, DIANA,
YOU'RE STILL IN OUR HEARTS.
NEVER LET YOU FALL APART.
TOGETHER WE'LL DANCE IN THE DARK!

Umm... yeah. I just had to get that out. Because it's basically the most kick ass name-dropping pseudo-rap ever, yes/yes?

In other news, there's this Amy Adams movie coming out called Leap Year about this girl who goes to Ireland to propose to her boyfriend because of some leap year tradition or some such nonsense BUT, of course, along the way, she falls in love with the scruffy Irishman who is giving her a lift there and then she's all CONFLICTED AND SUCH. Anyway, I've seen the trailer for it so many times now and the only thing I think every time is a. does the world really need another predictably sappy romantic comedy and b. I don't think I know the actor playing that Irishman but he looks SO FAMILIAR and he is actually kind of adorable in a rugged way. So then... a couple days ago, I'm reading Entertainment Weekly and there's a review and it mentions Matthew Goode and I'm like, "WAIT, WUT?!? CHARLES RYDER IS THE SCRUFFY IRISHMAN?!?" because he was seriously the last person I would've thought of. I mean, after I found that out and I saw the trailer again, I could kinda sorta see that it was him but he seems SO DIFFERENT all scruffed up and with an Irish accent. Anyway, that served no point except to say that I was shocked. And I'm still not seeing the movie. No matter how adorably messy he looks. (And I actually haven't found him very good-looking at all before this so... yeah.)

Well, now that we're on the subject of actors who played in Brideshead Revisited and all, BEN! OMG, Bright Star is coming out on DVD in a couple weeks and I am SO EXCITED to finally be able to see it! I don't even care whether I like it or not; I kind of just want to own it because it's got the Ben (I did this same thing with I'm Not There a few weeks ago; granted, I bought it because it was the two-disc edition for only ten dollars and I do enjoy the movie but IT WAS MOSTLY FOR THE WHISHAW, OKAY?). So if I can find it in a store as soon as it's released I think I'm just going to grab that bad boy up right then and there.

Okay, now I have to go do something productive. Like work on writing reviews for my 2009 list (which is halfway done, along with other good songs from the year, here!). Or watch Adam, which I just got from Netflix and have been anxious to see ever since I saw the trailer before (500) Days of Summer even though I've heard that it's kind of Lifetime-esque. Or, you know, play Sims or sit around and waste time doing nothing. You know me.

Last time: Elliott decided she had finally healed enough from her husband's death to propose to her new gentleman caller, Lester. June and Caleb grew up into teens and Quinn became a child and the cute lives on! June also got her first kiss from a potential werewolf (ignoring the fact that I don't even have Pets so of course he's not a werewolf) she brought home from school with her. Caleb attempted to woo an adorable young lady he brought home from school but, unfortunately, she wasn't having any of that. And, finally, Gemma and Robbie passed. You two nuts and your non-existent parenting skills will be missed.

P.S. Not Sims-related but this is kind of kick ass:



That's pretty fucking sweet. I kind of love Lady Gaga and am not ashamed! Also, I love her even more now that I've seen her proclaim her love for Jenny Lewis and sing part of "With Arms Outstretched". FUCK YES!

However, the censoring on The Fame Monster is really ticking me off. "I'M A FREE BIT, BABY!" What's that, Gaga, which bit exactly are you referring to? Oh, right, it's supposed to be bitch but some stupid record label felt the need to protect the world's fragile ears from that naughty naughty word.