Clipd Beaks’ awesomely creepy vid for the track “Blood.” Yet another reason I don’t hang out in nature alone.

Do you have the new album To Realize yet???

I am a total sucker for detective shows, probably because of early and prolonged exposure to the “Mathnet” segment on that old PBS show Square One. That and a huge dose of Nancy Drew circa fourth grade. Anyway, I began a 21 Jump Street marathon a few days ago and I CANNOT seem to get past certain plot holes, inconsistencies, and just outright nonsense. Namely:

- How many high schools are in this frigg’n city? Every episode it’s a different one!

- How is it even remotely plausible that people from surrounding high schools are not telling each other about the seemingly widespread presence of undercover cops posing as transfer students? Especially when they “blow their cover” at the end of pretty much every episode. AND kids are in and out of that bizarre churchy headquarters all damn day. There’s even a holding cell. Yet NO ONE recognizes them EVER?!

- Who the hell would actually believe that Peter DeLuise is in high school?

- Why does Vietnamese actor Dustin Nguyen play a Japanese guy? Not the same thing geniuses.

(And as an aside, why is Josh Brolin, who guest starred, so good at playing assholes yet seems like a pretty okay guy in real life?)

*I am completely aware I’m over-thinking all this, and that yes, the show was made for adolescents, but come on, kids are not MORONS. Even the theme song makes no sense whatsoever. No wonder Johnny Depp wanted out of his contract. Of course I will totally finish watching the rest of the season though. I, uh, need to know what happens.

Image via Hulu, my source of daily brain rot.

I’ve been downloading old Part Time Punks radio show podcasts as of late. Let’s just say I am totally obsessed. Like I want to start taking notes and making diagrams, which is kinda what I did with the Kill Rock Stars roster back in the day. Yes, I am a TOTAL dork. But seriously, Michael Stock has impeccable taste and an enviable musical acumen and every time I listen to a show I feel like I’m attending a really awesome lecture. And I can’t believe I have gone all these years without listening to Black Tambourine!

Part Time Punks radio show is every Thursday 3-6 on KXLU 88.9 FM, Los Angeles. Or you can listen on the interweb.

Not only did I find out about this cool website Pawesome today, I discovered the totally rad work of Amelia Santiago. This amazing Portland, OR based lady makes “Fine Art Needle Felted Pet Portraits of your Dog or Cat Sculpted in Wool.” (She also does horses and rabbits.)

Note to everyone: Walrus and Potato have birthdays in April!

Images via Amelia Makes Art.

Living in Oakland I got really into European magazines, thanks mainly to the awesome selection at Issues. One of my favs (which I can actually find around here) is Paris, LA, started by Dorothée Perret, a former directer of Purple mag. What I love about Paris, LA is its breath of subject matter- music, literature, art, design, photography, fashion. And it’s intelligent without being pretentious.

Published bi-annually, but le blog is updated on the daily.

Issue #3 image via Paris, LA.

BRAND NEW LIARS VIDEO!!! I AM SO STOKED (HENCE THE ALL-CAPS)!!!

AND new album Sisterworld out March 8th.

Kathleen Hanna talks role modeling, archiving, and feminist leadership. Awesome!

I’m still bummed the Vivian Girls/Best Coast LA show was sold out a few weeks ago. But here are some pics from their recent Portland gig. At least I/we can live vicariously through the digital photos.

But, if you’re an Angeleno you’re in luck, cuz Best Coast is playing w/ Cold Cave at the Echoplex TONIGHT!

Images courtesy of our PDX correspondent. Thank you!!!

I’ve been reading A LOT of Raymond Chandler recently- as of tonight I’m on novel number six. And while Dashiell Hammett is the more celebrated author of hard-boiled detective stories, Chandler deftly captures the character of 1930s and 1940s Los Angeles, which is what keeps bringing me back for more.

At his best, he reminds me of Didion:

“There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands’ necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge.”

And that’s pretty much the highest praise I can give.

1940 photo of Raymond Chandler via The Guardian.

Not to get all Dear Diary, but we (the Sweetheart Society ladyz) actually went out this weekend. Like out out. Three times! And no bars were involved! (Cuz getting drunk and watching bros and trust fund hipsters ogle each other is LAME. And depressing.)

Friday we saw Tom Ford’s stunning and meticulous film A Single Man. Every little detail from camera angles to lighting, to killer mid-century furniture and that gorgeous angora sweater was sheer perfection. And the plot was not too shabby either. Go see this, please.

Then on Saturday we headed over to Family to see No Age play with Mike Watt and Tim Kerr. That’s right, No Age jamn with MIKE WATT. Epic.

And finally, (drumroll please…) we saw Weekend play last night at the Echo. Oh. My. God(dess). Now, I like a lot of bands. There are bands I respect, bands that are fun to see, bands that are endearing, etc. But bands that make me feel fucking ALIVE are far and few between. It has been years since I’ve been at a show and experienced that rare transcendent and ephemeral feeling of my heart about to burst, the I-cannot-believe-I-am-experiencing-something-this-amazing feeling, the everything-is-actually-okay-and-there-is-nowhere-else-on-earth-I-would-rather-be-at-this-moment feeling. Weekend were that fucking good.

And their 10″ rules too.

Weekend images via MyFace.

Via Style Rookie: He consistently delivered collections of extravagant creativity, the type of stuff where you just look at it and try to absorb it and you can’t believe a person made this. Being lucky enough to gaze at a glimpse into such an artist’s vision, and knowing that you can’t even imagine everything that was put into making it, and suddenly feeling so happy and joyful about humanity, and life, because, Jesus, a person made this..is incredibly uplifting. Very rarely are we blessed with a talent so strong and unparalleled and a passion so pure and driven.

It’s times like these I want to curl up into a ball, but alas, life must go on. And these, along w/ candy cane jojo’s, usually lift my spirits.

New Order + cat massage. RIP Alexander McQueen.

Tavi is seriously blowing my mind. And I’m not even referring to her other-worldly fashion sense. A smart and sardonic 13 yr old into zines/feminism/riot grrrl/Freaks and Geeks/The Pixies?! When the hell did kids start being rad???

We should totally be friends- if it’s okay w/ your parents.

Collage via these peeps.

I used to be a total merch-whore. I couldn’t go to a show and not buy a shirt/tote/pin/sticker/whatever the hell was for sale. Thankfully, though, my compulsive need to advertise band allegiance has ceased. (But I do now have quite an extensive band-tee pajama collection!) Today, however, a dear friend asked for assistance in tracking down a Sonic Youth Goo shirt, and well, let’s just say the floodgates have re-opened. I mean look at some of the rad stuff I stumbled across!!!

Sonic Youth always has the best merch! Sigh. Good thing I have no money these days.

All pics via the veritable merch emporium which is Kung Fu Nation.

Did you ever see that movie Bandwagon which came out in the mid-90s? I still remember how excited I was when I watched it years ago- a movie about a band! A band with regular people! I can do that! Seeing it again tonight, I can’t say it elicited the same youthful hope and optimism, but it was mildly entertaining nonetheless. And it’s still one of the more realistic “music movies” out there, albeit firmly rooted in the 90s.

But the 90’s weren’t so bad, right? God, I’m getting old!

So my new(est) favorite band is Weekend, mostly because they sound like a really obscure and awesome old British band (which is what I thought they were until I found out they’re in fact youngins from SF). Also, “Youth Haunts” is probably one of the best songs I have heard in forever. Seriously.

Here’s some live footage from a show at Adobe Books (and on a side note, bookstore shows RULE!):

They just released their debut 10″ on Mexican Summer and are gonna be playing at My Bloody Valentine Nite @ Part Time Punks this Sunday. Yessssss!!!