spring mix! (not the salad.)

wasssssssup!

i decided that now that the weather here is remotely starting to resemble normal spring conditions (well, except for today - rainy and like 40. COOL!) i would put together a fun lil' mix to listen to with the windows down and the stereo up. listen to it here, and see below to find out what the hell you're listening to.

1. foster the people - helena beat

a fun lil' song that i came across somewhere or another on the internet. kind of bummed now that i didn't see these guys at sxsw since they played like 20 billion times. also, i think this tune's about suicide, but it's soooo catchy!

2. hollerado - juliette

i did see these guys at sxsw, and they were the best band by far. their music is just as fun as their live show, and this song immediately stuck in my head after their set. love it!

3. fabolous-you be killin' em

f-a-b-o-l-o-u-s. i love this man. "they say she a dime, i say she underrated." indeed.

4. smith westerns - weekend

i hate that this band's combined age is like, twice mine or something (that didn't work out as i'd hoped...) but basically they're like 19 years old and f-ing awesome. that riff!

5. gold motel - perfect in my mind

fronted by a chicky from the hush sound, i caught this girl...and guys in austin. even though i already had this LP on my itunes, seeing their set prompted me to actually give it a good listen. this song is super-sweet and perfect for a sunny spring day.

6. craig david f/ mos def - seven days (premier remix)

FUN FACT: nate dogg (RIP) does not sing the beginning of this song - it's apparently craig david imitating him. neato, huh? anyways, i pretty much just miss craig david and needed a reason to bring this, the best remix EVER, back. first heard it in high school at our little dance recital thing as dewds breakdanced to it. aw yeah.

7. biters - melody for lovers

this song reminds me of something i still can't put my finger on, but i dig it. singalong melody, chugging guitars, and all that jazz.

8. olympic hopefuls - holiday

an old time favorite from, oh, 2005 or so. it just reminds me of lemonade and sunshine and happy times.

9. all time low - hello brooklyn

pure pop-punk perfection. i don't even care, ever since itunes genius recommended this song to me, i've trusted its wisdom over most of my friends. give it a listen and tell me you won't be singing this 2 hours from now.

10. wiz khalifa - roll up

oh wiz, you so tricky. no, i'm not including this song because of today's date. in fact, this song is about ROLLING UP...to get his shorty. what a good man.

11. sheepdogs - i don't know

creedence-y, old-fashioned rock. i'm a fan.

12. the rocket summer - hey!

what would a happy spring mix be without an appearance from the happiest man in the world? makes me want to just run outside and frolic.

13. little jackie - the world should revolve around me

formerly imani coppola ("legend of a cowgirl", anyone?), this gal's album is soulful and spunky. get into it!

14. ashley parker angel - i'm better

YES, that would be the ashley parker angel from boy band o-town. he had a solo album that took up residence in my ipod for a good portion of the summer of '06. you'd love this song if i never told you who sang it though. ILU APA.

15. make out - i don't want anyone that wants me

i'm still scared to look up a picture of the lead singer of this band. she's either a super-hot punk chick or a snaggle-toothed cougar. either way, i love her voice and the badassness of this ditty.

16. air traffic - charlotte

upbeat brit pop that will have you singing along by the end. swear.

17. american bang - wild and young

as i've mentioned before, i like this guys better than kings of leon for some reason. probably due in part to the fact that i'm still fangirling over the lead singer. but seriously....they're legit.

be cheerful.

so, for a couple years, i've had a canvas hanging above my bed with the phrase "whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should." being all into the law of attraction & that junk, i immediately identified with it. but it wasn't until yesterday that i found out it was part of a larger poem by max ehrmann. basically, this thing is like the guide to life and wayyyy better than that sunscreen song. dig it!

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

100 things to do in 2011: month in review.

march, you were pretty friggin' awesome, i must say. the good news just kept on coming, including finding out that an essay i submitted for an essay anthology about madonna was selected to be published. :) not on any of my lists, but awesome nonetheless! i also knocked a good chunk of the 100 off as well...check it!

1. go to south by southwest: COMPLETED.

as you saw from my last post, i finally made longtime dreams come true last month by going to sxsw. i'm still having withdrawals from margaritas and patios. le sigh!

13. see 50 new movies: CONTINUED.

i'm really gonna need to pick up the pace if i want to complete this goal by the end of the year. my attention span has been like -5, and so the only new movie i saw in march was the lukewarm "take me home tonight". i did like the funny fat guy, though.

14. dine at 50 new restaurants: CONTINUED.

when i wasn't chowing down on free noms during the day, sxsw helped me experience a bunch of new restaurants, like chupacabra cantina (delish pulled pork and chicken tacos), the old pecan street cafe (super-rich seafood crepes), hickory street bar and grill (well i just got a burger, but i also crossed #84 off here) and the famous stubb's bbq (so much meat).

randomly, the only other new places i ate at in my neck of the woods were in somerville's davis square...johnny d's for an amazing brunch, and redbones, a bbq joint which i've been trying to go to FOREVER. oh, and i did go to KO prime for restaurant week, where i tried quail egg and foie gras powder (new foods #2 & #3)

18. visit 1 new state: COMPLETED.

i don't know if everything is bigger in texas, but there are a lot of brown bricks. i think i need to see the other major TX cities before fully forming an opinion, but austin wasn't quite what i expected it to be (my expectation: falling madly in love and already living there by now).

24. see 10 bands live: BLOWN OUT OF THE WATER.

almost 40 bands at sxsw. 'nuff said.

61. make $1,000 in freelance: CONTINUED.

just added up my haul from this month's homerun work and march alone = $255, bringing the total so far to $390. not too shabby.

74: play a board game: COMPLETED.

i just realized when reviewing the list that i did this on friday night. my roomie had some work friends over for a poker game, except only one of them actually played poker. so we ordered pizza and drank wine and played balderdash. good, clean fun. except for the "law" question that asked us to finish the phrase "in an illinois state park, it is illegal to give...." i mean, come on. you're thinking that too.

84. eat fried pickles: COMPLETED.

hickory street bar & grill in austin was not messing around - they had damn fried pickle SPEARS. none of this dill chip crap. sure, we waited like 40 minutes for them for some reason, but it was worth it.

92. visit a historic landmark: COMPLETED.

on a random detour to try and find a "pop-up" show in downtown austin that had apparently already happened, gleni and i ended up right in front of the state capitol building. picture-taking ensued. good enough for me!