Oh my goodness, what have I been doing?

Well! Not updating my blog, obviously. For someone who sits in front of a computer all day at work and, you know, "writes", I'm pretty terrible at this. One thing I'm currently doing is a SECRET, but it's awesome and taking up loads of my time right now. It is a mildly musical endeavor. Mildly.

I've been busy! Busy eating. Jamie invited me to Minnie's with Jenn and Angela. Miniature food and good company is delightful. I was strangely social that night and promised to meet up with folks later on so I had to bail early. Pfffft, should've totally spent the rest of the night with the fabulous blog girls instead.

This isn't a food blog but a music blog so I will spare you the deets of how I spent the rest of my weekend at Veggie Bite. Basically. All weekend. Nom nom nom.

I did go to the CHIRP Record Fair this weekend. Formerly the WLUW Record Fair, it now benefits the Chicago Independent Radio Project, a much-needed endeavor. I was there for a while shifting through a surprising amount of Madness and Melanie. I should've made a list of stuff I wanted but came away with Leonard Cohen's Recent Songs, Talking Heads' 77 and More Songs About Buildings & Food, the soundtrack to Valley of the Dolls, and Television's Adventure. Nothing too exciting. I almost bought Harmonicats' Dolls Dolls Dolls just for sheer kitsch factor but even I refuse to pay $6 for kitsch. I wish I had the $$$ to pick up some of the amazing girl group, soul, and doo-wop 45s that were organized really, really well, but jeez louise, they were a bit on the pricey side. I want to be that dude when I grow up.

So that's that. Hi. Hello. I'll be back again. I had the day off today so I caught up on watching Top Chef, reading for fun, and indexing twenty years worth of poetry. Fun fun fun.

alcoholics like music, too.

Thanks, jasmined!


Smog - Drinking at the Dam

My favorite bar in Chicago is Danny's. This isn't groundbreaking or anything, potentially even embarrassing, but I've always had a good time and it's pretty close to my apartment. I particularly enjoy it for after-dinner drinks and conversation before it gets crowded and the music gets louder. I've kissed boys there and once, I swear, a DJ played The Clean.

how was your weekend?

Last night I went to the Empty Bottle (convenient, as it's spitting distance from my apartment) to see Magical, Beautiful; Brilliant Pebbles; and Black Moth Super Rainbow, and I don't really have much to say about it other than keep an eye out for Magical, Beautiful. Yeah, will you? Please do.



They sounded dreamy but not glazed-eyed dreamy. Full dreamy. Distinct dreamy. Maybe dreamy is not the right word. As for the sound in general at the Bottle? Muddy, maybe.

indie hip hop pop twee irony shut up

Have you heard of Yoome? Probably not. I found the above image on their Myspace page. Also, there's music there (what's up, music blog). It's really very good pop music--a tinge of melancholy and tongues situated firmly in cheek but with a sheen of (take a moment, wait for the word I'm going to choose next...) sincerity (bam! you thought I was going to say irony, right? Me too.) in these reality-inspired fictions and awkward but familiar sentiments that should make someone with a good ear and sense of humor laugh a small, self-contained chuckle. And I'm not saying this because I like everyone in the band. I actually listen to this project. "Whiskey and Peppermints" is my favorite.

I am fond of

Jonathan Richman - The Mixer (Men and Women Together)

Men-shaped men and not waif-men, I mean men who are broad-shouldered and will get wider in the gut when they age, men who are taller than me by miles, with thick swaths of grainy arm hair and salaried jobs. Overwhelming men.

Sonic Youth - Brave Men Run (In My Family)

But then not really. It's not always the case. The everything-else-shaped men, the ones that make my guts turn pleasantly with the quality of their thereness, I'm always too intimidated by them. I have to be smart and on-point and someone I like.

Liars - Grown Men Don't Fall In The River, Just Like That (from Fins to Make Us More Fish-like)

What I'm saying is that I never figured myself for the type of girl dudes and, well, men like, you know?

I swear, I will buy a new digital camera when I'm not broke

Thanks, Frangrit!

Beach Boys - Vega-tables

I made a delicious dinner that could've been enhanced with arugula. Alas, I don't know what happened to the baby arugula I had. Maybe I ate it. I made a penne pasta "salad" with shredded pomegranate-vanilla marinated chicken thighs, roasted garlic, sauteed mushrooms, and strawberries. I grated parmesan cheese on top and tossed in some cubed avocado because it was lying around and I will eat almost anything. Really good. Would've been better with arugula.

Geling Yan's The Sent Down Girl

I went to see Xiu Xiu last night at Reggie's. It was crowded. I was alone. I've been feeling pretty bad. I had a nice time. I drank a Strongbow, a High Life, and a PBR. Gross. Geling Yan received her MFA at the college I attend. She wrote a book. The book became a movie. The movie's name is pretty easy to figure out.

Here's the video for "I Do What I Want, When I Want".



During this song and all of the songs, I stood next to a boy who ended up in the same el car with me. He drank a something-and-coke or something boyish like that.