My Top 5 Music Loves of the week (in no specific order):

1. This Matt & Kim video. I mean, Matt & Kim + muppets + bobbleheads = GREAT!!!

2. Spoon’s The Underdog which you can find on their myspace. Really it’s a summer jam. Like no other, even.

3. Le Tigre’s “Keep On Livin’” I had completely forgotten how optimistic and straightforward this song was, until stumbling upon it in my iTunes this week. When in college, I might have had multiple moments to this album, it’s just so honestly fantastic that it leaves little room for cynicism (the video quality is really bad, but what can you do?):

4. The Rub DJs Brooklyn Radio Show. When I listen to this at work, I can’t help but bop at my desk and I’m sure it leads to some sort of running joke of my coworkers.

5. Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” album. Hit after Hit after Hit. I can’t stop listening to this record and i realize that it’s not a new revelation for most people, but Fleetwood Mac plays the sweet sweet music.

Did you guys know Juliette Lewis had a band ? I mean, I might have heard that once, but I guess I didn’t imagine this. At first glance the website is as irritating as Juliette and The Licks seem. They’ve got tons of over produced show ‘pics’ and their myspace has 12 pages of photos.

The music, well, lets say the lyrics run its coarse along side Joan Jetty and Papa Roachy, not to put special focus on 13 year poetry, but perhaps its pretty close? You can gringe and frown to the whole new album online. I cried real tears I was so dissapointed by Juliette, how could she be so lame ? But then I watched the music videos and not only did it all make sense, it made so much sense, I’m back in love.

How dare I distrust Old School star Ms. Lewis. Music connoisseurs look else where OK, its fucking Juliette Lewis. Venuszine (Venus Magazine) is having a “What would you ask Juliette Lewis?” contest. I’m going to ask her why she’s wearing that feather on her head.

Several years ago, Damien Pratt gave me birthday presents that were basically life changers. First off, there was Pat Benatar’s Best Shots, her Greatest Hits album. Really…it made me realize the magnificence of Pat Benatar, and that’s important.

Second, was In Color by Cheap Trick. This album contains one of my favorite songs, Southern Girls. I just feel you should give it a listen. That’s all i’m saying.

Oh and here are some links that might tickle your fancy(?):

1. Some of the Better Photographs In the World

2. A Great Poem, “Scheherazade”

3. Zadie Smith speaking about what makes EM Forster worthwhile and awe inspiring

4. The Senator who put a secret hold on an Open Government Bill (say what?!?!?) has been exposed. However, I find if a little worrisome that the New York Times does not carry the story. All they have regarding Senator Kyl and secrecy is this cute article about “Senator’s Secret Offices”.

In the amNY today, there was an interesting article that involved Joy Division and Catholic Schools.

While I generally am more in favor of Joy Divison than I am of Catholic Schools:

a: This seems like a great school
b: and also a fantastic interaction that reminds me of how much I love this fair city

So apparently I still really love the 1996 Romeo and Juliet soundtrack. I’ve been listening to it obsessively at work for the past week. Its the perfect marriage of rock, alternative, trip-rap and swoony swoon music. The line up being;

Garbage #1 Crush
Everclear Local God
Gavin Friday Angel
One Inch Punch Pretty Piece of Flesh
Des’ree Kissing You (Love Theme from Romeo + Juliet)
Butthole Surfers Whatever (I Had a Dream)
The Cardigans Lovefool
Kym Mazelle Young Hearts Run Free
Quindon Tarver Everybody’s Free (to Feel Good)
Mundy To You I Bestow
Radiohead Talk Show Host
Stina Nordenstam Little Star
The Wannadies You and Me Song

Track 7, the love me, love me, song is the serious jam. Thats when the album gets really hopping, tracks 7-12. When my cousin first gave me the album for Heyzeus’ birthday, when I was 13 and brother was 10, we listened to it on repeat. Brother loved the disco track, Young Hearts Run Free, harder then any gay man or middle aged momma and daddyo could. What a little angel he was, “just one more time sister.” From that moment on I wished him gay and treated him as such, dancing around our father’s living room, choreographing our discoteque moves. We weren’t troubled tweens, just gay and dancey, thanks to this album. Which is way better than the movie. Well, we don’t always get what we want, brother is not the gay one, but atleast we’ll always have this.

and this song got me through puberty

I first heard Kim Weston (originally Agatha Natalie Wilson) on the Motortown Revue 1964 Record. This is a fantastic album, filled with energetic performances from Motown artists. The 1964 album is particularly strong, due to the fact that the performance was in Detroit, where the majority of Motown performers had grown up. While listening to the record, I noticed that Kim Weston’s voice stood out to me more than anything else on the record. I kept going back to her songs. She’s best known for her duet with Marvin Gaye, “It Takes Two”, but I would argue that “Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)” is, hands down, her best song.

This is pure Holland Drozier Holland pop goodness. About half a minute into the song, the back-singers cut in, punctuated by tambourine, they hit the chorus and…..honestly, I can’t get over this part of the song. I also generally have a penchant for fast-paced danceable songs that have lyrics that don’t seem to match the upbeat tempo (Prince’s “When You Were Mine” comes to mind). The concept of wanting to dance, even though (or because?) you’re heart-broken is fantastic. Oh and did I mention her voice? Because it really is amazing. If you haven’t heard it, watch this performance, please!