January Favorites

Is it just me, or did January go by in the blink of an eye? Like, BAM! It’s February.

The funny thing is, as quick as it went, it was a pretty eventful month. January brought with it a bunch of awesome new discoveries along with some fun times. Of those new discoveries and fun times these were my favorite.

The big event (if you live in the northeast you already know) was winter storm Juno. Though it may have been exaggerated for some areas, we got hammered out here in Eastern Long Island. Now that the snow has lost is novelty and turned into a big icy pain in the ass, it’s hard for me to remember why I enjoyed it so much in the first place. Then I remember, three days in a row no school, no work, just baking cookies, knitting and watching TV. While I’m sure that if I’d dealt with that for any longer I probably would have lost my mind, that little three day vacation was pretty nice.

As I mentioned, watching TV has been a big part of this month what with the weather so here are a couple ways I passed the time spent inside.

First, Netflix added the complete series of Friends to it’s streaming service. It was one of those shows everyone always told me I should watch, and of what I’d seen really liked! Plus my mom was a fan early in the series but got a little distracted raising the handful that was yours truly, so I knew I has someone to watch with! As soon as it became available we started it right up and its been an addiction ever since. The characters are relatable, the writing is smart and makes me really wish I lived New York in the nineties.

Another gain in terms tv is HBO’s Togetherness. A new comedy from the Duplass brothers, whom you may know for such films as Cyrus, and Jeff Who Lives at Home. For fellow fans of FX’s The League Pete “Tall Guy” Eckhart aka Mark Duplass stars as Brett a disenchanted family man living in LA. Mark and his brother Jay write and direct this dry, honest comedy about family dynamics, career aspirations and making the best of what life gives you. Togetherness is easily one of HBO’s most promising new series and I can’t wait to see more.

January was not only a big month for me in the TV department but for movies as well…

I know I’m a little late to the party on this one but after all the hype I finally saw Gone Girl. Can I just say? It was well worth the hype. Not only does every cast member give an astonishing performance, but I was on the edge of my seat THE WHOLE TIME. I admit that I didn’t read the book, but my mom did and says that they kept the movie pretty true to the novel, which is just like a bonus! So if you enjoy a good mindf***ing, along with an engaging storyline, and superb acting, I highly recommend Gone Girl.

Speaking of Ben Affleck and being extremely late to the party, I saw Good Will Hunting for the first time. A little bitter-sweet given the recent passing of Robin Williams, but it just went to show what a fitting tribute his life’s work is and always will be. In this film Matt Damon plays a young man who must face his inner demons in order to make the most of his startling intellect. A story of self-acceptance set to Elliott Smith, my inner angsty teen felt right at home. But in all seriousness this is a uniquely beautiful film with an excellent soundtrack.

This was also a good month for music, with a bunch of new releases!

What’s most likely the biggest release of the year, for me at least is the Decemberists’ What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World. Released January 20, the album’s got that classic alt-folk Decmberists sound with hint of front-man Colin Meloy’s early project Tarkio throughout the album. The stand out tracks include “Carolina Low,” “The Wrong Year,” and “The Singer Addresses His Audience.”

Having the world’s best boyfriend I am now the proud owner of the autographed deluxe vinyl box set for this album and you can see me unbox it here:

The month of January gave us a preview of another big release for this year. Modest Mouse released “Coyotes” their second single off album Strangers to Ourselves, due out in March, their first full studio album since We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank EIGHT YEARS AGO. “Coyotes” is a gently rhythmic number with simple, poetic lyrics sung by usually rowdy front-man Isaac Brock in a near whisper (for him). A style of theirs that drew me in originally with 2009’s “Autumn Beds.” Not to mention, this song as the cutest video based on true events that follows a coyote riding public transportation:

January wasn’t just a month full of entertainment (though I wish it was), but also a month for self improvement! After all my first post on this blog was all about New Years’ resolutions, so here are a few products that are helping me better achieve those lifestyle changes.

The Camelbak Groove, has probably helped make the biggest difference in terms of lifestyle changes. As a person who will just forget to drink water if its not readily available to me, Camelbaks have always made it easy for me to have water with me at all times and drink larger amounts with ease. The added bonus of the Groove is it has a built in filter that takes out all the cooties as you drink! Which is great for me because the water dispensed by the fountains at my school tastes like…well I can’t come up with a good analogy but it tastes really gross.

Something else that has helped me on the road to self improvement is youtube channel Mind Over Munch. Host Alyssia Sheikh makes healthy eating and living comprehensible and fun with great recipes, tips and tricks! Here she shows us how to keep better track of how much water we drink (yes I have become obsessed with drinking enough water).

Last but not least, with my goal of being more creative and getting stuck inside for three days I started knitting again! Though knitting willy nilly with no rhyme or reason can be fun, sometimes its nice to start a project with a definite direction. In that case I highly recommend the Lion’s Brand Yarn mobile app. With tons of patterns to choose from and an idiot proof system for finding them, the fact that it’s free isn’t even the best part.

I hope you all had a wonderful January and send my best wishes for February!

Until next time…

First Impression: Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance

With the release date for Belle and Sebastian’s new album Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance nearing (only a week away), yesterday NPR did one of my favorite things it does when new indie albums are about to debut, they put the whole damn thing online for anyone to listen to. Upon receiving the news that yesterday was that day for the Glasgow, Scotland band’s ninth studio album, Belle and Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch and Sarah Martin sang a Hallelujah chorus in my head.

The band had previously released three singles off the album prior to today: “The Party Line,” “Nobody’s Empire,” and “The Cat with the Cream,” all three of which well represented what one should expect to hear on Girls in Peacetime. The first to be released was the one that somewhat threw everybody for a loop, the sixties inspired twee-pop group had released a synth-pop single that one is more likely to hear on the dance floor than in a coffee shop. While the other two songs stay truer to Belle and Sebastian’s usual stuff, it left listeners wondering exactly what direction this new album was headed, and now we know…

The album’s overall sound is pretty typical of the band, a good balance between sunny and melancholy, though this time around this balance is met with a variety of genres throughout. Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance spans Belle and Sebastian’s classic brand of baroque-pop indie goodness, along with some electronic synth, and even a latin Bossa Nova sound here and there. Overall the album is pretty satisfying for a Belle and Sebastian fan; you get to hear the unique, melodic indie-pop you fell in love with in the first place, but get a taste of a new direction that the band does well. As much as this new direction is definitely welcome with open arms, it was absolutely kind of the band to ease fans into it and not completely change styles between albums.

While this is a totally solid album and I predict will be a total success upon release, likely spreading the band’s appeal farther than before, it does have its strengths and weaknesses. You could call me nostalgic, or a purist, or probably both but I definitely prefer the older style to their new direction. In my honest opinion the synth-pop sound comes off a little too disco-y for my taste and can almost be a little distracting. While the album is fully worth listening to, you’ll find a more balanced sound in the more traditional songs.

The songs that stood out to me were:

“Nobody’s Empire”

A melancholically danceable tune about memories of tough times and just getting through them. The final line of the song is an especially uplifting piece of advice for all those faced with any kind of trouble to remember, “…leave that vision of hell for the dying.” It’s lyrics like these that remind me why I originally started listening to the band.

“Party Line”

“Party Line” is probably the strongest of their synth-pop departure, with sexy vocals and a smooth electronic sound the song has a very “forget your troubles and just dance” feel to it.

“Allie”

This is the kind of bouncy guitar ballads fans of Belle and Sebastian are used to. Rhythmic guitar and backing organ tell the story of young (or maybe no longer so young) Allie who is forced to face personal and human realities. Lyrics like, “Allie what will you do? When your seven year plan happens to someone else?” and “You’re truly on your own,” bring this song into anthem territory for today’s “lost” generation of young adults.

“Everlasting Muse”

Between the drum and bass presentation and smooth, tango-like rhythm this is easily the best song on the album. With a changeover into a string-heavy, almost chantey-esque chorus, the song allows the listener to check all of Belle and Sebastian’s beloved indie-pop sub-genres off the list. The song about a man’s fickle muse is unfortunately as of right now only available (to my knowledge) on NPR, so go check it out!

Bottom line:

Is this is an album worth listening to? Yes.

Will I listen to some songs more than others? Definitely.

Will I hold Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance in the same regard as If You’re Feeling Sinister? Probably not.

Is that a bad thing? Absolutely not.

Is this just one persons opinion? Yup.

Should you go out and form your own opinion on the album? Absolutely.

Happy listening.

Until next time…