Tiffin

I May Like Abortion, But At Least I'm Not A Bore, Son

2008-11-04T18:03:00.000-08:00

I don't know why... But I feel compelled to talk about the Sarah Silverman Program today...

I guess bringing up 30 Rock has sent me on a TV kick in the blog arena.

So anyway, Sarah Silverman. Politically incorrect Jewish comedienne.

Her stand up show is called Jesus Is Magic, and it is hilarious DVD with not only stand up but and intro, outro, and several offensive songs, such as "I Love You More" and "Your Gonna Die Soon."

Well someone gave this lady a TV show. And I think it's third season is going on right now. I can't keep track because it has like a 6 episode arch and then disappears and randomly starts a new 6 episode sweep and drops off the face of the tv for awhile.

But if ever you're surfing the channel and see it on comedy central, I urge you to watch and not be offended. In a good, humorous way.

Tell Your Gay Mom I Said Thanks

2008-10-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

30 Rock.

30 Rock is the best television show. Ever. Eveeer.

Ok so I have an obsession. Tina Fey is a goddess. Comedic genius. And I wish I could be her.

So anyway, the show that she created, writes, and stars in as Liz Lemon, is 30 Rock, and its third season premiers tonight. Finally. I don't know why an emmy winning best comedy, best actress, best writing, sitcom has to start so late in the month. I mean the 30th? That's just cruel.

I've already seen tonight's episode because they did a special online premiere last week. It's not the same so I'm excited for tonight's airing of it. It features a guest appearance from Will and Grace's Megan Mullally as an adoption agent checking out Liz Lemon as a potential candidate.

I guess I should mention that the show takes place at 30 Rockefeller center on the set of The Girlie Show Featuring Tracy Jordan, a Saturday Night Live type sketch show.

The kick ass cast consists of Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, and Jack McBrayer.

<3 watch it because it's awesome.

I Heard Your Mom Drives An Ice Cream Truck

2008-10-29T23:17:00.000-07:00

Wow... this is belated. I don't know why they weren't my first entry. Because my loves, Spero, Sprout, and Hesta Prynn, are my ladies making up the crazy awesome female, white, rap group: Northern State.

They were inspired by the Beastie Boys, and have worked with them as producers on their sophomore album: Can I Keep This Pen?

I've actually seen them in concert three times. The first two actually weren't by choice, they just happened to be opening up for my favorites, Tegan & Sara, who I saw twice last year on tour.

But I fell in love. And learned all their lyrics. And traveled to Toronto with a couple friends to see them live in a headlining show at the Mod Club. Not a large or sold out venue. But awesome, nonetheless.

I really don't know what else to say about my politically conscious New York ladies, so I'm going to tell you my favorite songs are Mic Tester and Sucka Mofo, and that they've been featured on Grey's Anatomy and Kath and Kim.

Now I'm going to let you see them for yourself:

I Will Disguise Myself as a Sleeping Pill

2008-10-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

I'm not really into electronic music. With the fake thumping factory sounds... With the fabricated beats. And the phaser voices.

But sometimes even I love it.

Now, Owl City is just one dude. And I think he might be super religious because his information included some sort of God mention. That's cool for him, obviously, but I'm not a super fan of that nonsense...

Anyway, Owl City. Basically all of his songs sounds the same... But there's two that stand out and are particularly awesome. These two songs are "The Saltwater Room" and "Hello Seattle."

I like the introduction of the female voice in the chorus of "The Saltwater Room." It brings a contrast and it's a love song about when he's first falling in love with someone. So the woman's voice is appropriate and soothing, actually.

"Hello Seattle" gets kind of redundant, as it basically repeats the same melodic phrase over and over and over and over... the whole time. But it's a pretty phrase and the lyrics are interesting. So it ends up being enjoyable.

Give it a minute...

Come on, Come on, It's Time To Lose Control

2008-10-19T17:19:00.000-07:00

So when I was in high school I was super emo. I wore mostly black and dabbled in spike jewelery... but I listened to such bands as Taking Back Sunday, Dashboard Confessional, Jimmy Eat World, and Northstar. All of which I still enjoy. But I don't cry as much...

Anyway another band I loved back in the day was Phantom Planet. After Jason Schwartzman, the drummer, left to be an actor, and a quite successful one (Slackers, Marie Antoinette, Shop Girl, Bewitched, The Darjeeling Limited...) they kinda dies out for awhile...

I didn't get the memo right away that they'd found a replacement band mate and were back rocking out. But I have intercepted it now and love them again.

Their sound is much more punk than it used to be, so not quite so mellow. I'm mostly a mellow gal... But this is some good stuff. The most popular song off this new album is "Do the Panic" and it reminds me of a throwback to the Time Warp in a strange way.

So give it a listen...

I've Seen Better Days, But I Don't Care

2008-10-15T23:44:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love transsexuals?

I ge this confused sometimes.

Transsexual is when the person has actually changed genders and transgendered is when the person just identifies as the opposite sex... right?

I'm going to go ahead and say yeah. That's how it works.

So anyway, Amanda Palmer is a transsexual musician who's frequently opened for the Nine Inch Nails and played along side the Dresden Dolls.

My favorite song of hers is "Oasis." Because while her album, "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?" includes ballads and seriousness... "Oasis" is a song of countless faux pas's and politically incorrect goodness. It tackles such conflicts as rape, abortion, and whores.

So here's the video, hope you love it as much as I do.

Remember to Fight Off the Darkness That Comes In Sometimes

2008-10-14T20:34:00.000-07:00

Tilly and the Wall.

I love this group. Female lead singer, for this class act of 5, 3 women 2 men. The group came to us from Nebraska and spread their indie-pop lovin' to all who'll listen since they're emergence in the early millennium.

Their music has great beats and catchy hooks. The kind of people who would appreciate such a band is probably also the person who'd be interested in listening to the Ting Tings, Northern State, and Fergie to a popular extent.

Anyway, it's really easy to get a groove on to them, especially their newest CD simply titled "o". My favorite jams off it are "Pot Kettle Black" and "Dust Me Off."

But, to introduce them to you newbies, here's a video of their older song "Beat Control."

I'm Not Worth Knowing 'Cause I'm Probably Dead

2008-10-10T18:05:00.000-07:00

of Montreal.

Guess where they are from?

I love crazy Canadians. I should probably pack up and move out there. Eventually that day will come.

Anyway...

They are some unique folks. They've been around for apparently forever, but fairly underground. Their discography is extensive, and awesome. They use synths, guitar, moog, drum kits, electronic drums, samples, overlaps...

Their lyrics are frequently humorous and entertaining. They have an entire song dedicated to brushing your teeth. It is actually a really impressive ditty, in my opinion.

The song that sucked me in is called "For Our Elegant Caste" and has a chorus referencing sex, and verses referencing Star Wars.

Here's their video for "Disconnect the Dots"

You're Not The Only One

2008-10-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

I like jewels... not particularly actually... but hey I like Gem.

This is a band from the Netherlands. They're hard to track down over here in the state, but if you find their music at myspace or their official site, you'll be happy you did.

Their song "She Said Oh, Oh, Oh I Said Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" is what caught my ear. It's an alternative pop song around here. It's vague as to what the interpretation of the song actually is, and to promote their new album release, they've aired a set commercials across Europe showing different situation in which a woman says "oh, oh, oh" and a man says "yeah, yeah, yeah." An example of one is two people looking through a record store alphabetically for a specific album.

The first single of their new album is actually called, "Look" and the video goes through fake auditions for a female lead.

Well... you can see for yourself.

I Go Crawling Back To This City I Love

2008-10-03T21:06:00.000-07:00

It's not a battle, it's a...
it's a...
Good Old War.

I'm in love with this group. Mostly made up of recycled players from the disbanded group Days Away, it's a trio of men from Nashville and Pennsylvania. They combine emo, alternative rock, and country licks to find a specific blend of awesome unique to themselves. I can't turn it off.

The melodies, lyrics, and musical compositions are phenomenal. Simple. Complex. Elegant. Ingenious.

But my favorite aspect, the thing they do best, is their harmonies. Each song has a beautiful melody with a softer harmony complimenting the tone of the piece. Most songs have a two or three part harmony throughout verses, and one song, "Stay By My Side" is an a Capella tune to showcase their talents.

So I share with you today, "Coney Island"

Know Your Butler Unlike Other Guys

2008-09-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

Today's winner is...

Vampire Weekend.

You know, their debut self-titled CD is particularly incredible. These dudes rock out, with complex melodies and kickass lyrics. They make references to pop culture as well as world news. Some of these include Lil John, Oxford commas, Peter Gabriel, parliament, United Nations...

These guys are in their 20s, from New York City. Their first album dropped in January this year and by April they were playing on Saturday Night Live to millions of viewers, gaining fans across the country. They'd done some traveling and had built a following on earlier EPs, but this exposure sent them flying.

It's a nice mix of alternative, mellow, punk, and pop music. The composition is a smooth balance and makes for easy listening. And the strange lyrics often seem to make no sense, but it never matters.

They even have PSAs on MTV for safe sex. Very socially responsible men.

So here's a video for your enjoyment:

Dancing at discos, eating cheese on toast...

2008-09-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

I'm going to talk about Kate Nash this time.

She's not independent... She's actually very well known.

...in Europe.

She's fantastic, though. She's got a sound similar to a lovechild of Lily Allen and Charlotte Sometimes, who are both incredible artists. So basically she's twice the awesome.

Her big hit is essentially "Foundations," and that's the one people in the States are likely to hear on stations like WBER that are run by students who listen to slightly obscure music.

My favorite is Merry Happy.

It's about still caring about someone who up and leaves but her world's not destroyed:

"I can be alone, yeah I can watch a sunset on my own, I can be alone."

So far I've no negatives to say about this 21-year-old lady. She has all the attributes I admire: great talent, creative lyrics, sexy accent. I can't stress her entertainment value enough. She's even pretty witty in interviews.

So if you think she's worth it, and she definitely is, just look at her, then you can visit her at her official website or at her myspace page.

Ow, My Nose!

2008-09-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

So it goes...

I've been listening to various indie bands and playlists all week and I've found several big winners.

The Pipettes

I'm writing about this band first because they are ridiculous. The Pipettes are a throw back to the 60s in basic music style, song format, and appearance. Obviously everything's been revamped for the new millennium, especially their lyrics, such as their song "Judy"

I knew a girl and her name was Judy.
She used to do things I thought were rude,
but I never said anything to her face
'cause my friend's said she could kick my ass all over the place.

Apparently they've gone through more members than Destiny's Child, but have had several singles released off of their album, "We Are The Pipettes." The most successful single, and my personal favorite, is "Pull Shapes." The song has been featured on The L Word and hit #26 on the UK singles chart in 2006.

The downside to this band is that it's 2008. Yeah the 60s was a great decade and a lot of awesome sounds came out then, but music has shifted. It has morphed, molded, tweaked, digitized, popularized, phased, chose the wrong side of the fork in the road, turned around, went down the other side and kept going. My point is that while listening to The Pipettes is enjoyable the first couple times, it's not something many people can rock out to for more than a laugh or two.

I'm reaching the middle of the plateau and I can see the drop off in front of me. But, as it stands, I still enjoy these groovy chicks.

Watch the video for "Pull Shapes"

Or you can check them out at their myspace and their official website.