Music to My Ears

Since starting a job that involves 8+ hours a day spent at a computer, I can now be counted amongst those with headphones permanently attached to my ears. Like many, I find music to break up some of the monotony of every day life. My iPod provides me with an opportunity to revisit songs I obviously enjoyed at one point or another, and others that require an instant skip (let's not revist that Dave Matthews Band phase I went through). The battery life, however, leaves something to be desired. Thus, in addition to my personal catalogue, I've turned to other sources for my listening needs.

Here's a breakdown of what's been getting me through the days of late, please feel free to add suggestions.

• NPR's music site. This site is great, especially for those that enjoy live music. They of course have the long-standing "All Songs Considered" feature, which includes a podcast that I regularly enjoy. My favorite part, however, has to be the concerts on demand. They upload it daily with performances from various artists from indie to major label. Highlights include performances by Radiohead and recently, The Decembrists in Philadelphia. Lastly, the Jazz section provides a great introduction for anyone looking to explore the medium. Studio sessions fill this section as well, but the lists of "must listens" are my favorite. Here's a Miles Davis broadcast.

• Morning Becomes Eclectic. I'll admit, I'm obsessed. This show commands way too much of my time. KCRW is a college-run station in Santa Monica, and (for me, at least) this is their flagship show. It's immensely popular, and widely regarded to have broken many a notable artist. Case in point, a show from 2000, which marks the very first radio appearance from a little band called Coldplay. Say what you will about Coldplay, but this showcases the band at their most earnest, pre-U2-ish, stage. Also a podcast, though not updated frequently, this is another that's great for the live music lover in all of us.
  

On to the artists most guilty of dominating my iPod (before it dies, of course):

• Bon Iver. A singer songwriter backed by a small accompanyment, this has to be some of the most heartfelt music I've heard in awhile. The singer relocated to small town Wisconsin after a breakup, and wrote these songs in a cabin by himself in the dead of winter. Think Damien Rice meets Wilco.


• Fleet Foxes. Very Beach boys influenced, I finally started listening to this band after seeing their self-titled album on just about every music blog I read. I wasn't disappointed.


• Miles Davis. Not new, I realize, but I haven't been able to stop listening to Kind of Blue lately. So amazing, and so simple at the same time. See NPR link above.


• Maria Taylor. Ok, so I won't deny, I heard her music on an episode of "Grey's Anatomy", but honestly, she's really good. I've never been a HUGE fan of girl singer-songwriters, with the exception of Fiona Apple, and while this girl is not nearly as angry, her music is fun and catchy.

Well, that's all for now. I'm very open to the suggestions of others! Feel free to comment and recommend!

Oh, SNL

I'm happy to report that Saturday Night Live is actually funny again! If you haven't seen Tina Fey's spot-on Sarah Palin impersonation, I highly suggest a visit to NBC.com (one can never tell if NBC's YouTube relations have fizzled).

While I've loved the political coverage, a highlight of this week was "Mark Wahlberg Talks To Animals" wherein Andy Samberg (Lazy Sunday, D*** in a Box) depicts the formerly trou-dropping actor in nature.

Enjoy!

What I've been watching this summer...

Well, being the entertainment junkie that I am, I have to admit that this summer-without-TV experiment has been a bit rough. So, I've turned to the interwebs for my television viewing, and thankfully, have found some new faves along the way. I'm always up for recommendations, but here's what's been tickling my fancy lately.

• Mad Men. OK, those of you that I see on a regular basis are probably sick of hearing me talk about this show. Whatever. I love it. The costumes, the advertising world, New York City. It's all great. The setting takes you right back to the 1960's, and if you overlook a few things (the treatment of women, the booze, and the incessant smoking), you almost want to live there with them. Watch season one before the second one starts next Sunday.

• Californication. Thanks to Netflix, I was able to catch up on this show's first season. I attempted to watch the show when it aired on Showtime, but wasn't convinced. Since then, however, I have fallen for the boozing, meandering ways of Duchovny's Hank Moody. He's witty and gritty, but he does it so well.

• Weeds. After a lackluster last season, which ended in Mary Louise Parker fleeing her suburban neighborhood, the show has made a comeback. A lot has changed- gone are Helia and Conrad- Nancy's pot providers. Also gone is the "Little Boxes" theme song. The content, however, is back and better than usual. It's no second season, but Nancy's border-crossing drug dealings are keeping me tuning in.

So. There you have it. My recent television obsessions. Any suggestions? I'm more than happy to entertain (no pun intended), a new venue.

Lone Star State of Mind

So. I made the big move. I said goodbye to Texas. I ate Mexican food for weeks, drank some Lone Star, and got my Alamo Drafthouse fix. Ready or not, here I am. As I settle into my small (yet FREE) living quarters- wherein I cannot open my closet and front door at the same time- one would think, why would someone leave the cheap-to-live, easy-to-work in state of Texas?



To get the job of my dreams, of course! I am participating in an amazing program at MTV networks and am beyond excited. We are placed in a department (mine's MTV), and every friday we work as a team on a special project. An amazing network has been set up for us, and I am so proud to be a part of it.

That being said, moving to New York with the indefinite mindset is a bit scary. Eventually, the meal ticket stops. No longer is the housing free, no more are the dorm meals (not such a loss). Once this "real" phase of adulthood kicks in, I fear I may have myself a full-blown panic attack. Scary!! Alas, I'm embracing it. In a generation where many of my colleagues have taken a just-to-get-a-job sort of vocation, I am fortunate enough to be in the position to (hopefully) get a job in the field where my passion lies.

So, cross your fingers for your departured comrade. As I said in my previous post (before I found out about my employment), I may soon be eating top ramen morning, noon, and night.

Job-Hunting Online

As graduation looms, I know many of us are attempting the ever-so-grown up task of looking for full-time employment. Don't get me wrong, I am really excited about working, I really can't wait to work a million hours a week (I'm a freak, what can I say), but looking for jobs, not so much my favorite task.

Alas, I persevere. A friend in the entertainment industry turned me on to Cynopsis, a self-described free-trade publication written by Cynthia Turner, sent out daily to subscribers and available online. Now, some of the actual memo content is a bit over my head sometimes, but there is a handy-dandy classifieds section that lists all the media jobs becoming available. Sure, it doesn't list all, and some companies insist on hiring internally, or through their own website, but its a pretty good resource for media jobs, if that's your thing.

So, good luck to those of us embarking on the big-kid world. I think we'll be OK. Of course, this is the optimism of someone still in school. Talk to me in a few weeks, when my health insurance drops me and I'm eating Top Ramen everyday. Fun Times.

Pitts' Perspective

As I was reading the opinion section of the Austin American Statesman online the other day, I came across an article very relevant to our class. Leonard Pitts, frequent editorial writer, and Pulitzer Prize winner, shed light on the recent Youtube phenomenon and the proverbial quest for 15 minutes of fame that has ensued. This incident is a bit more serious than that of the British divorcee we discussed in class, but alas, here goes.

As Marcela also blogged about this week, a recent incident involving several 17 year-old girls beating one of their friends, has popped up on Youtube. The girls lured their friend to a house, beating her, while two boys kept watch. She takes blows to the head, barely covering herself, while the girls tell her to "make it good" because only 17 seconds of video remain. "Disgusting" as Pitts describes it, is that the girls show no remorse over the beating, only that they will miss cheerleading practice due to being incarcerated. Even more so is that the parents of the bullies defend their children, stating that the victim was "trash talking" online.

Pitts' article examines not just the act itself, but the startling motivation behind it- Youtube fame. Pitts worries that 15 minutes of internet fame may just have been the catalyst behind the brutality here. And sadly, I agree. What I most agree with, and appreciate, about his editorial, is that he worries about what "fame" actually represents in contemporary society. It used to be, he says, that you got famous because of a discernible amount of talent over others, an extraordinary quality. Those days are gone.

I know I've blogged about the "starmaking" quality of Youtube before. I stand by the fact that yes, some people use Youtube in a beneficial manner. We've all watched the same videos of little kids saying quirky things, and fashion commentators utilizing it to get media exposure. This is a different story. I should say that I'm amazed that people would stoop so low as to violently beat a friend of theirs (rendering her blind in one eye and deaf in one ear), but I'm not. Some people cannot filter things. They cannot differentiate between right and wrong, and when they see Youtube manufacturing notoriety, they take note.

Or, as Pitts more succinctly puts it, these are not smart girls:

"No, these are the video-besotted children of an era where only suckers can't find some way to become known. Fame is democratized now, no longer the exclusive province of the talented, the heroic or even the lucky, but rather a commodity accessible to anyone willing to seize it by any means necessary."

So, what do you think? Is this the downfall of society? Fame by any means necessary? Or is this a case, like that of the myspace girl who committed suicide, of tactless people in a tactless environment? Help me decide, because honestly, I just don't want to live with the fact that these girls did it because they thought we'd all have a laugh while bored at work.

As much as it pains me to use this as my example, here's the "O'Reilly Factor" coverage of the incident. It's all I could find, I promise.

Viral Video Project

This is my viral video for the World Food Programme.

It's a bit like Jenni's (inadvertently, I promise).