Build Yourself Some Good Karma

Ok so we just established that we all need some upbeat in our lives, but how about some good karma? If you are my friend on any sort of social media (e-mail, twitter, facebook etc) you are aware that I am currently campaigning for people to get their cheeks swabbed to check for the opportunity to donate bone marrow. So why would you donate bone marrow? We all know that it is pretty painful, but what about the outcome? For starters, that chances that you will be a DNA mach to a stranger are obscenely small, only 2 in 10 patients in need of bone marrow will ever get it (this includes from siblings I believe). So that means that your chances of getting called as a stranger are very, VERY small. And if you do get that call? Are you willing to have a needle stuck into your bone? Wouldn't you want a stranger to do that for your child, sibling, niece, nephew, friend, etc? I am both shocked and horrified that people are so unwilling to participate. So if you think that you are willing to do something selfless between now and yor 61st birthday, please follow this link:

Jasmina

<3 The Elephant

Hallelujah Chicken Run Band, where have you been all of my life?

Typically I am on here gushing about some new ohmyfuckingod they are sohotamazingtalentedbrooklyn band. But for once, I found something that isn't from bk, and didn't get signed because of scruffy beards. These are people who have a cause, who are passionate about something. Somehow they really speak to me, in the most beautifully, dancing and upbeat way. We all need a little bit of upbeat in our lives, no? Read this very interesting article. And thanks to Ctang for the tip.

<3

Shugi Tokumaru on MTV

Well kids, it has been over a month since my last post. I am sort of between a rock and a hard place these days. I am trying to update my books so I can be prepared for an inevitable and impending job hunt, but also working like a dog at my current post designing women's clothing. Needless to say, that leaves me with very little time to engage in non-fashion pursuits. D reminded me that I have totally falen off the wagon with my writing recently. Thanks man.

So just briefly, remember that I had a little stint of being obsessed with that Japanese pop artist Shugi Tokumaru? Hes on MTV Iggy (w.e.t.f that is) and you can watch him here. He is so cute.
<3 The Elephant

Via Stereogum

Best Albums of 2008

There are always some great debates at the end of the year about who deserves to be on the "Best Of" lists that every magazine and blog posts. I am sure it is quite an honor to be on any of the lists, but there were a couple of conspicuously missing artists who I didn't see much on any of the lists. Perhaps I have bad taste (which I HIGHLY doubt, but can't rule out) or perhaps, people are putting too much weight in commercial popularity? Honestly, who knows.

Albums that didn't get enough credit from the lists:

- Sigur Ros - með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
- Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
- Noah and the Whale - Peaceful the World Lays Me Down
- Land of Talk - Some Are Lakes
- Passion Pit- Chunk of Change
- The Dodos - Visiter
- Basia Bulat - Oh, My Darling
- Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson

Other Albums that I loved and everyone else did too:

- TV on the Radio - Dear Science
- Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
- Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules & Love Affair
- Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
- Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak
- Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
- Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
- Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (wasn't this a 2007?)
- Chairlift - Does You Inspire You?

Albums that I don't like but everyone else does:

- Fuck Buttons
- Fucked Up
- Marnie Stern
- Crystal Stilts
- Pony Tail


So there you go, a summation of albums that are worth listening to from 2008. Stereogum posted a nice little list of albums they are looking forward to in 2009 that you can check out here.


<3 The Elephant

A Return!

Hi Bloggies!!

I missed you! Work got a little bit out of hand for a while there and I couldn't write. Fear not though, because while work sucks, my music listening time really gets maximized. I just wanted to direct you to the cover of Under the Radar Magazine this month. I <3 it....I have been supporters of Vampire Weekend (even as the critics get bitchy about their success), The Dodos and Fleet Foxes for what feels like a long time. The first time I saw Vampire Weekend was at Unoin Hall in April '07, I was in awe. They deserve every ounce of credit they have received. As for Fleet Foxes....I was a little behind on picking them up. I had Ragged Wood, which came from a friend, but it wasn't until Sun Giant that I really got into them. Ironically, the first time I saw them was at Union Hall also (I love that place!!!). They were fucken incredible. We were all blown away. The Dodos remain to be the just about the best live band I have ever seen, they have energy, skill and presence. I saw them at Union Pool in January 08, and loved them so much I started a blog about music. So there you go. Go buy Unde the Radar.

More musing on music in oh eight to come!!!

<3 The Elephant

Album Review: Lykke Li, Youth Novels

I was initially put off by this album because I don't like the first track. I just don't feel that it showcases the her best, which I believe an opening track needs to do. As a result of this little snafu I was not getting into the album the way I could have months ago when I first started talking about her.

So if you can get past the first song, the second song is "Dance, Dance, Dance" which was my introduction to Lykke Li last winter. It typifies her sound of percussion and vocals, sung very evenly at the same dynamic and vocal range. I arbitrarily decided to listen to her album starting on the 3rd track at work the other day, and was so pleasantly surprised. Actually, every song after the first is pretty good! My favorite tracks include "Little Bit", "Breaking it Up" and "Time Flies". Her sound remains bare bones percussion accompanying her breathy vocals. I like to think of this album as relaxed pop, since it seems to always put me into a happy zen place. Music always has such a strong effect on me, and I think this might the first album that causes me to feel calm, even down to relaxing my shoulder muscles.

I know that I complained all summer about having nothing new to listn to, and no shows to go to, but that has really turned around this fall (as it always does....maybe I should stop acting like such a whiney little girl every summer, and instead focus on my excitement for the upcoming Fall releases. Doubtful.). Lykke Li sold out 3 NYC shows during CMJ, and was recieved very well. I couldn't make it to any of the shows, but I am now regretting that decision (I actually missed a lot in October).

So if you are feeling stressed out, put on some Lykke Li and feel the zen flowing through your veins.

<3 The Elephant

Album Review: TV on the Radio, Dear Science

I love the simplicity of the felt board lettering.

For some reason, I never really got into Return to Cookie Mountain TVotR's first critically acclaimed album. When Dear Science was released several weeks ago I got it but then didn't listen to it. I had heard "Golden Age" on Stereogum and though I liked it, I was totally shocked. Admittedly, I can't remember at all what Cookie Mountain sounded like, but it must have been different from this. The glaring falsetto, the LCD Soundsystem-esque Glam Disco beats, the rush of harmonies....what is this new sound?

Needless to say, I finally listened to the album through, and I am more than impressed. Last night at a party we were talking about what makes an album worth listening all the way through, referencing Weezer's Blue Album, which largely defined the music of my high school years. Everyone knows all the words to the whole album because the album flows form song to song perfectly. Although the songs all sound similar, there are a few different styles represented, slow and lyric, upbeat and dancey etc. Weezer never looses sight of who they are on the Blue Album, they are never trying to be something that they aren't.

Dear Science is exactly that. There is a wonderful variety of musical style represented. From the etherial "Family Tree" to the intensity of "DLZ" which has almost rapped spoken word. I like that every song on the album is a comletely distinct entity but that the flow is still strong from song to song. One of the biggest criticisms I often give of an album is that I can't feel a big enough difference in the songs on an album. It is much harder to create a completely unique piece of art in each song than it is to find something that works and create variations on that formula.

I would absolutely go see them live in the near future (although thy seem to be in Europe starting tomorrow, and going straight into February). No matter what, go out and grab Dear Science to help you get through this transition into the dreary winter months. On that note, go ahead and revisit Return to Cookie Mountain too and be pleasantly surprised.

<3 The Elephant