today

Today I:

*Wore a kurta and dupatta and bangles for Kurta Mondays
*Ate too much chocolate truffle cheesecake
*Got really mad at a reading for repeatedly using "loose" instead of "lose"
*Was dropped from a class next semester because I'm getting old
*Made a sculpture for class out of wafer cookies
*Put a chain back on a campus bicycle
*Developed a non-painful blister
*Wore heavy liquid eyeliner
*Thought a lot about a lot of things that are unrelated to classes
*Decided that being sad is not so great but that being reminded to be self-aware is a good thing
*Decided that today was good even though it seemed like it might not be

(I took these photos after the string unit in my sculpting class. This has been my favorite thing I've made so far, I think.)

garage rock

GARAGE ROCK HAS TAKEN OVER MY LIFE. I am going to overdose on Be Your Own Pet but I just can't stop myself, they're so good. Two of my friends and I have started a punk rock band (more pop-punk, I guess). We don't have a name yet because I keep objecting to their suggestions, but we have two songs and an idea for a third. I think I might try to convince them to go a little more garage rock than truly punk, because I am so into it right now. I also just like the sound better (that is, if I understand the distinction between punk and garage rock the way I think I do). I keep worrying that I am going to sing too cutely because I am so used to twee, but my friend Kath mentioned a few "chirpy" punk-y rock singers that I like so maybe that'll actually work out. I am worried that I am going to imitate Jemina's voice, too, but I'll try to keep that under control. She has so much attitude! In the best way! I really like that Be Your Own Pet is so noisy, too. That's why I wanted to start this band with my buds. I can't actually contribute much except lyrics (mostly things I shouldn't say in normal conversation) and vocals. But even with that, being noisy is so good.

Be Your Own Pet - Heart Throb
Be Your Own Pet - Bog

In addition to Be Your Own Pet's self-titled album and "Get Awkward," I have been listening to this compilation of West Coast East Side Sound, "The East Side Sound: 59-68," that I got from my library. It is so fantastic! Did you all know about the West Coast 60s garage rock scene? Why didn't you tell me? I'm going to highlight a few of my new favorites over a few posts and if you know anything more about any of them you should holla. I haven't been able to find much so far, probably because Gullbuy.com says "The East L.A. scene from the 1960s of Mexican-American bands is a vastly under-rated scene that is best remembered for hits like The Premiers' 'Farmer John' and Cannibal & the Headhunters' 'Land of a Thousand Dances.'" I'll try to find more tracks and information, but until then you should go find this album. It's from Dionysus Records/Bacchus Archives, c1996. I think it is actually part of a four volume series, so pick up whatever you can find.

First up, Las Dilly Sisters! (This post accidentally became a tribute to young, girl voices in garage rock. Yeah!)

Las Dilly Sisters - Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White

From Radio Rumpus Room: "Las Dilly Sisters [are] a tiny yet tuneful pair of Mexican pre-adolescents who, back in 1968, covered the Standells' signature song in a most astounding manner." That's true--it is so astounding. I don't know why they started playing or who started recording these little girls with guitars but I am so glad they were rocking out as babies. From what I can tell, The Dilly Sisters were also on this 60s children's television program, Banana Splits, fairly frequently. The gag seems to be that every time the characters look outside (through a door or a window or a bananascope) they see the girls playing guitars accompanied by overwhelmingly cute sing-song voices. The camera usually ends with an overhead shot. I'm not really sure why this is supposed to be funny--maybe the characters get annoyed by them? If that's the case, it seems pretty mean--the Dilly Sisters are so cute! It seems like a silly show, so maybe it's just supposed to be absurd. Anyhow, some of the clips I found on YouTube are in Spanish, but it's hard to tell if they are dubbed or original because it's a H.R. Pufnstuf-style puppet show so the mouths don't really line up in either language. I have a feeling it was originally in English based on the voices used, though.

Maybe I can get my bandmates to cover Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay!

muxtapes

I am supposed to be annotating articles and books for a bibliography but I am about 1/3 finished and it is late and I am feeling pretty unwilling to do the rest and so I am posting here. (Don't worry, I will finish my work, I am just starting to lose steam.)

I feel like I have been talking about music a lot lately. That's not really an apology, just an observation. I have also been having a lot of really disconnected experiences (especially socially) lately and I feel like music is one area that hasn't been tumultuous. One of my friends told me about muxtape and then a bunch of my friends made profiles. I have one now, too. It's pretty fun. Like the name sounds, it's just a space to put up a mixtape online. The simplicity of it is really appealing. I have been pretty good about not being so uptight all the time, but documenting and having records and all of that is still a need I feel fairly strongly, so, to me, the only downside to muxtape is that it doesn't log your old mixes. I've only put one up so far, though, and I have decided to put the list here. These are the songs for now:

• The Pipettes - Tell Me What You Want
• Linda Guilala - Saber Perder
• Las Vulpess - Me Gusta Ser Una Zorra
• Juniper Moon - Solo Una Sonrisa
• Dntel - Roll On (Ft. Jenny Lewis)
• Tender Forever - Take It Off
• The Boy Least Likely To - I Box Up All The Butterflies
• Richa Sharma, Kailash Kher, Salim Merchant - Show Me Your Jalwa
• Les Calamites - Malhabile
• Mariah Carey Feat. Jay-Z - Heartbreaker

If that list strikes your fancy, you should listen to my muxtape. And tell me if there are things you think I should be listening to, as well.

Friends' muxtapes:
Tim
Vy
Chris
Kath

breakfast in bed

I've been back (Iowa) for a week after being home (Minnesota) for two weeks. I watched a lot of "Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew" (hosted Mario Lopez! featuring Lil' Mama and JC Chasez as judges!) and the new episodes of "Top Chef," as well as an occasional "Wheel of Fortune" in the evenings. It sounds kind of pathetic but it was actually really nice. I also saw a lot of friends and family and did some thrifting and reading and I ate a fair amount of good food. I listened to Top 40 radio when I was with my friends and I listened to The Current when I was by myself. Sometimes in the mornings I would read music blogs and eat breakfast. Sometimes this happened in bed.

One Thursday I had a pita with almond butter and a side of yogurt. I added banana slices to the yogurt after a bit because it was a little boring.

Kanye West - The Good Life (ft. T-Pain)