5 things i love right now

 1. this band, crown lands

i am and always have been firmly in the "high-pitched male vocals" camp: i love blind melon, rush, greta, coheed, the mars volta, superchunk, AFI, guns 'n roses, wolfmother, and i guess zeppelin sort of falls into this category sometimes, but i don't really think so? and now, crown lands! it wasn't until i discovered them a couple weeks ago, though, that i realized the vocals are the main reason i'm not as big a fan of other contemporary classic rock revival acts like rival sons and the marcus king band. they're great and super, super talented — don't get me wrong — BUT personally, they more give me the feel of being in a bluesy smoky bar. whereas bands like crown lands put me in a mystical, magical, moss-covered forest (not unlike the setting of this video?), traipsing around like a little sprite, feeling light and ethereal, and throwing pixie dust. or something. either way, as i said in my 2021 favorite songs post, i'm just so very happy this kind of rock is coming back to the forefront whether critics like it or not. i've never subscribed to the silly notion that "rock is dead" (i've heard great, new rock every single year that i've been listening to music), but it is definitely true that '70s-style rock with big guitars, flashy showmanship, and over-the-top vocals has been missing from the limelight for a few decades at least, and i am delighted that i and those much younger than me get to experience it in our own lives for the first time with these bands!

i love this song in particular; the singer's voice reminds me of geddy lee a bit, yes, but i'm also getting major sabbath-era ozzy vibes. the bridge and the solo are so dope, and it's pretty interesting and impressive that the singer is the drummer. yesterday, i watched this recent livestream concert they did and it sealed the deal for me. these guys can play! it's amazing how much sound they can create with just two people. as a bonus, they ain't too hard on the eyes, either. i am looking respectfully, of course. hair goals, the both of 'em.

2. rediscovering the O.C.

i do believe that i am the only person to have watched the O.C. from its premiere in 2003 all the way through until the series finale in 2007 (kidding, but...not really). between the music, and my crush on seth cohen, and the wisdom of peter gallagher aka sandy cohen aka the best tv dad ever, it was incredibly formative to my life; one of my favorite college memories is walking down the hallway of my dorm on a thursday night of my freshman year and hearing "californiaaaaa, californiaaaaa, here we coooooome!" blaring from behind every single door. but it's been a while since i've done a proper rewatch, so i figured these depressing, freezing winter days would be the perfect opportunity to travel to the o.c. (bitch) once again. 

i'm not sure what i was expecting, but while it's still great, it seems so dated now! and way more dramatic in a cheesy, bad way than i remember (like marissa O.D.ing in tijuana, that weirdo oliver trying to O.D. on pills, lots of O.D.ing in general). it's also so funny in retrospect how tough and badass they're trying to make ben mckenzie as ryan. i couldn't stop laughing during a scene when seth (adam brody) was talking about being a virgin and asking ryan about sex and ryan was like "which time? with which girl?" and seth was like "how many girls have there been?" and ryan starts mentally counting like HE HAS LOST COUNT and lolol no. you're 16, babe. still having a blast reliving my teenage memories, tho.

3. this super bowl halftime show trailer

who knew that the best super bowl commercial this year would be one for a part of the super bowl? from the musical transitions to the VFX and the actual artists themselves, this got me so damn hyped as a child of the '90s and a teen of the early 2000s! i literally screamed aloud at the piano keys in the ocean part. hats all the way off to the creative director and everyone involved in making this teaser. now let's just hope the actual performance is just as good. also because i don't follow sports at all, i just googled sofi stadium and it's in inglewood!!! oh my god. brilliant. genius. show-stopping.

4. these bitchin' boots

should i splurge?

5. david spade's the bachelor tiktoks

<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@davidspade/video/7051823779630271791" data-video-id="7051823779630271791" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;" > <section> <a target="_blank" title="@davidspade" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@davidspade">@davidspade</a> Oh snap <a title="thebachelor" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/thebachelor">#thebachelor</a> is on. <a title="clayton" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/clayton">#clayton</a> is soaking bitches right and left. <a title="abc" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/abc">#abc</a> <a title="datingtips" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/datingtips">#datingtips</a> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - DavidSpade" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7051823715801221935">♬ original sound - DavidSpade</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>

literally the only way i can watch the show. every one has me in actual tears.

the best tv moms of all time

1. lorelai gilmore (gilmore girls)

LG is the coolest tv mom that could ever be. in addition to raising the most well-behaved daughter on earth by herself, she was the head honcho at an adorable connecticut inn, listened to great music AND wore witty t-shirts. relatedly, she made pop culture references for days. observe:




2. clair huxtable (the cosby show)



the OG (no disrespect to june cleaver). a sassy, chic, and unflappable attorney with a heart of gold, she can really do it all. 'nuff said.

3. annie camden (7th heaven)



ok, so she was super annoying most of the time, though NOTHING compared to her meddling/prudish/obnoxious husband. but it was only because she cared too much. and obviously, she meant well and made sure that all of their 10 zillion kids had everything they needed. god loves you, annie camden.

4. kirsten cohen (the oc)

as the saying goes ... behind every great man, there's a great woman. and let's face it: sandy cohen is an f-ing phenomenal man. i mean, for a tv character. anyways, kirsten was always super cool and calm and collected. even when she befriended that sketchy chick and became an alcoholic and had to go to rehab, she managed to at least appear that she had her shit together. plus, even though she was fully aware that she raised a nerdy, comic-book loving indie nerd -- the polar opposite of the newport beach crowd -- she always embraced and supported seth's quirkiness.

5. reba hart (reba) 





















probably the most tolerant/patient mom ever. she not only took in her dumbass daughter, her daughter's even dumber babydaddy, AND the baby, but she put up with her lying, cheating husband and his mistress. mad respect, reba.

4 tv characters that would make great valentines.

oh, v-day. i know it's all cool to hate you, but i just can't. i mean, there's chocolate involved! it's impossible to hate a day that involves chocolate. but i digress.

i was thinking about how i gave out "clarissa explains it all" valentines one year in elementary school, and what a crush i had on sam. he's being left out of this list because um, i'm no longer 8 years old, but here are the top 4 on-air dudes i wouldn't mind getting some candy hearts from:

1) jordan catalano (my so-called life)

so what if he can't read and he doesn't really have any other ambitions besides fronting the frozen embryos? he wears flannel and he's dreamy, goddammit.

2. jess mariano (gilmore girls)

same type, different show. rory so should have ended up with him!

3. seth cohen (the oc)

a nerd, sure, but a stand-up guy and a fellow music-lover. perfect!

4. nick andopolis (freaks and geeks)

i would basically just like to be jason segel's friend in general...and his f&g character really doesn't seem too far removed from his real-life personality. plus, he's a drummer. and everyone loves drummers.