5 things i love right now

1. hanging plants!

 

more specifically, this hanging plant in my new apartment (because there were already hooks in the foyer molding so it was meant to be), but also just hanging plants in general. i'm starting small, but obviously my eventual goal is to just end up with a situation like the one below. ALL OF THE PLANTS.

2. this show, sweetbitter

i have to hurry up and watch the rest of the episodes that have aired by, like...tonight, because it's on starz and i don't get starz, but they're having a free preview weekend and i was hooked after one episode. it's based on a book, and follows a 20-something who moves to new york and gets a waitressing job at a super-fancy restaurant. drama, intrigue, sex and drugs follow, natch. i love the characters, and i think it's because some of them vaguely remind me of the people i met during my summer working at an irish pub here in boston during college. if you've ever worked in a restaurant, you know that they're a special breed. memories!

3. rediscovering "best song ever" by one direction



yes, this song is 5 years old and i was obsessed with it during that summer, too. but the other day, right as i got into my car, the DJs on the morning show on JAMN 94.5 (which is a hip-hop station, making this even weirder) started playing it and singing along. i'd been in a bit of a funk, but let me tell you, by the time they got to harry's "through the doors and past the guards (ow!)" i was on cloud nine, belting it at full volume. then i looked up the video again later and it's such silly, carefree fun. i don't care if you're eight years old or 80 years old, this shit is pure sunshine, and we could all use more sunshine in our lives these days.

4. these snackable marshmallows, smashmallows

ever see weird new shit in the grocery store and wonder who on earth would buy it? the answer is me. i buy it, which is why i desperately need an adult and shouldn't ever be left unattended at wegmans. but on a whim, i ended up with these guys the other day (in the cinnamon churro flavor, because there are different varieties that include mint chocolate chip and cookie dough). they're SO GOOD! and fortunately, just one is the perfect little snack, as promised by the label. they're also non-GMO or whatever in case you care about being "healthy," but i'm guessing you don't if you're also entertaining the idea of buying snackable marshmallows.

5. pictures of joey ramone holding a cat

because strangely, there are more than one. fun fact: i was wearing my road to ruin t-shirt the other day (which i've had since 2003, YIKES) and as i was ordering my lunch at a cafe, the cashier goes "for here or to go? and can you please sing a verse of rock 'n roll high school?" i managed to squeak out "i just wanna have some kicks, i just wanna get some chicks" which is technically not a verse, but i was so caught off-guard! this is why i rarely wear band t-shirts in public.

my top 10 songs of 2013!

i started this tradition last year since my attention span is usually too short to deal with full albums unless they're completely amazing. what were your favorites from 2013?

p.s. you can enjoy all of these in playlist form right here.

honorable mention: wavves - "sail to the sun," driver friendly - "ghosts," smallpools - "mason jar," walk the moon - "tête-à-tête""

10. macklemore & ryan lewis f/ ray dalton - "can't hold us"



so this song was technically released all the way back in 2011, but let's be real -- were any of you cool enough to hear it back then? me neither. plus, it was re-released this year, so i'm counting it. i know everyone hates it now, but the first 20 or so times i listened to it were magic. ALRIGHT, OKAY!

9. parquet courts - "stoned & starving"


so early '90s/pavement-ish and i love it. simple. catchy. undeniably awesome bare-bones rock 'n roll.

8. fitz & the tantrums - "the walker"



every year-end song list has to have a tune that includes whistling, right? this one was in heavy rotation for me over the summer. it's just a ton of fun and has a great retro vibe. and so. much. soul!

7. the neighbourhood - "sweater weather"



proof that a song can be really hot without being vulgar. i mean, i appreciate the vulgarity too, don't get me wrong, but this is the most subtly sexy song i've heard in a long time. plus, it's the only one i know of that gives a shoutout to high-waisted shorts, aka my favorite item of clothing.

6. bass drum of death - "way out"



i'd been jamming out to BDOD's second album since he released it this past june, but actually didn't get into this song until i saw him perform it live a few months ago. kind of grungy, kind of psychedelic, kind of haunting, and totally delicious to my ears.

5. new politics - "harlem"



oh, this song deserved so much more than a taco bell commercial. i kept waiting for it to blow up and it just ... kind of never did. not really sure why, because you can't help but want to dance when that chorus hits.

4. queens of the stone age - "i sat by the ocean"



i'mma let you in on a secret. if you want me to do anything or go anywhere, just have josh homme sing the request to me. sigh. it's no "how to handle a rope," but it's a killer track nonetheless.

3. one direction - "kiss you"



1D keeps sneaking onto my list every year. how did they make it into the top five?! whatever, it's not my fault that this song is basically the perfect pop nugget and sounds like a choir of angels serenading you on a mountain made of gumdrops and skittles.

2. walk off the earth - "red hands"



basically just in love with WOTE and everything they do. from the lady of the band, sarah, helping my friend and i get into their sold-out show last year, to lead singer gianni complimenting my blog post about said show, these guys are not only super-talented, they're super-sweet, too. of course, there's also the incredible one-take video for this song that still blows my mind.

1. kurt vile - "never run away"



I. LOVE. THIS. SONG. there really wasn't any hesitation about choosing this as my #1 when making this list, and my spotify year-end thing confirmed that, in fact, mr. vile was my most-listened-to artist. from the yearning chorus to the "hey hey hey hey hey hey maaaan" and lush instrumental, it's basically perfect. he made a legit video for it, but i much prefer this one due to his intense leg-crossing, awkward air guitar motions, and adoooorable daughter.