Wake the Sun

Lunch and a movie

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 03:16:57 GMT

This week's lunches are going to be:

* Mac and cheese (Annie's aged cheddar, with peas in)
* Baked chicken strips
* Roasted broccoli
* A rice crispy treat

I don't have to do much other than stick the chicken and broccoli in the oven, mix the mac and cheese in the pot, and put together the rice crispies (which I finally have marshmallows for), which is good, because I spent most of the weekend feeling like shit.

Also working my way through Orange is the New Black, which is not shit. And finding things like this on tumblr, which is Bad Ass.

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Let me rec you a thing

Thu, 12 Sep 2013 05:35:41 GMT

I said I got to spin vintage film scores in my last post but, technically, Songza spun them for me.

I don't listen to the radio-radio, so other than at work (which specializes in a few specific genres), music discovery is rough for me. I tried Pandora, Last FM, whatever the others are, and they felt more like an echo chamber - nothing new, just more of what I plugged in.

Songza's different - the playlists are put together by people, not computer generated, and they have everything. Want to listen to vintage film scores? Tropicalia? Dubstep? Motown? 80s Punk Rock? Alt Country? K-pop? Want something to fit your mood (angsty, sexy, meditative, happy, bored) or activity (being creative, cleaning, going out, staying in, backyard campfire)?

I've loved everything I've heard so far, there's always something new to listen to, and if you're looking for great internet radio you can't do better.

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The Electric Lady

Mon, 09 Sep 2013 04:29:02 GMT

Speaking of music, did you know you Janelle Monáe's new album is advance-streaming here? It is! The album itself drops on Tuesday, I'm still trying to decide if I want to preorder and get the limited edition 7 inch or if I just want to wait for the full album on vinyl. In addition to the CD. This is my life now.

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Thursday Night Jukebox

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 02:28:25 GMT

I told nepenthe (and myself) I was going to get right to work but HAHA, NOPE, first I'm gonna make a music post!

( Santigold, Betty Davis, Monday Michiru, Rare Silk, and Khari Cabral under the cut. )

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Boy Meets Boy

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:03:38 GMT

I was alphabetizing the Soundtrack LP section at work today and ran across the album for Boy Meets Boy, which. Dudes. Why did no one tell me this was a thing?

Seriously - a musical based on 1930s Fred-and-Ginger romantic comedies. With two dudes (one of whom is adorably frumpy on the cover). And a wedding and a happily ever after. Put on in 1975.

I bought it, of course. Will let you know if the music is as delightful at the premise.

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While I'm here

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 03:41:00 GMT

Let's post some music! What's the point of working in a record store if I don't share the good stuff?

( Mos Def, Gil Scott-Heron, and some fine instrumentals. )

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Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:49:16 GMT

Happy Friday, everyone! This has been a crappy, anxious, slice your thumb open on a can of hash kind of week, but either Anthony Bourdain's Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook or an uptick in brain chemistry has me full of joie de vivre.

Speaking of food! I made a batch of granola last night, loosely based off of this (Food Network, ha) recipe. I swapped the maple syrup (being out) for equal parts honey and molasses, swapped the vegetable oil for olive oil, and added a large dash of cinnamon. Burnt it a little (being slightly damp in the oven doesn't mean it needs to cook longer), but it's still delicious with plain yogurt and honey. Also dirt cheap - the rolled oats cost me $.27 from Kroger's bulk food bins and I had everything else on hand.

I also made an apple/gouda/prosciutto sandwich for lunch today. It was difficult to not eat it on the spot.

Excellent things on the internet:

* The art of Shintaro Ohata.

* ephemere's gorgeous book of calligraphy. Pre-orders are closed, but she says it'll be available for regular purchase early next year.

* GMHC's I Love My Boo campaign.

* Amanda Conner And Jan Duursema Create Female Superheroes For Nike. On one hand, Nike. On the other, awesome women in practical clothing!

* Kaleidoscope! Signups close tomorrow, so if you're thinking about participating now would be the time.

* The life of Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth, Freedom Fighter

* ( Music! )

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Internet Readalong

Wed, 18 May 2011 21:02:50 GMT

* Janelle Monae was amazing last night. SO AMAZING. And Bruno Mars is adorable.

* NPR's Monkey See blog has rundowns of the new shows airing in the fall: ABC, FOX, NBC Dramas, and NBC Comedies. CBS and the CW haven't put theirs up yet.

Awake (NBC), Grimm (NBC), Alcatraz (FOX), and Terra Nova (FOX) all have interesting premises (not that I'm predictable in my SFF love or anything) but the only one I have any hope for is Alcatraz (even though the premise is pretty silly) - Fringe has convinced me Abrams doesn't always disappoint.

...I'll probably try the Charlie's Angels (ABC) reboot, too. And Scandal (ABC).

* The Disappearing Face of New York - beautiful old store signs

* Silent Choices, a film that 'explores not only black women’s personal and political struggles around reproductive freedom, but also the complexities of abortion too often ignored by the mainstream media', is streaming free for today only. Haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but it looks good.

* This has been making the rounds, which makes sense because it's fantastic - Rosanne Barr on the Lack of Change in the TV Industry

* Super Obvious Secrets That I Wish They’d Teach In Art School. I need to print this out and put it by my desk. Maybe tattoo 'Draw Every Day' somewhere.

* Fannish fests about ladies: thelittlebang is open for prompts, the fandom poll for femslash11 is also open, and the Female Character Trope Fest is indefinitely open for fanworks.

* The OTW is looking for anime/manga/manhua/manwha fans to help organize the Fanlore wiki

* scifi_fest is still taking prompts (and will until the 29th)! The turn out's been great so far (so much better than I was expecting!) and the existing prompts are hella fun, you should come join us :D

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YAY

Tue, 17 May 2011 22:45:19 GMT

I am going to see Janelle Monae again in about an hour. Twice in less than a year, how does that even happen? Also there will be Bruno Mars!

I'm going with a great girl too, in what is potentially a date-type situation. ALL THE EXCITEMENT, I HAS IT.

I'll just leave their faces + voices here for you to *________* at.

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What's been playing on my iPod

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 22:31:09 GMT

Joan Jett was such a badass, just look at her.

Heart: also badasses.

( Lupe Fiasco, The Gossip, and Voltaire under the cut )

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The Sing Off

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:59:53 GMT

I've been meaning to post this all day: If you're interested in 1) reality shows about a cappella singing, 2) reality shows about singing competitions, 3) reality shows where everyone is incredibly talented, 4) reality shows where the judges make intelligent and constructive critique and seem genuinely interested in helping contestants get better, then you should check out The Sing Off. It's on Hulu and the Bay, it just started its second season, it's fantastic.

Seriously, check this out:

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We call that Classy Brass

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 02:24:05 GMT

D and I went to see Janelle Monáe Tuesday night and it was amazing, you guys, so amazing. Even with the rain, and being stuck in traffic, and arriving late, and most of the audience being there for Of Montreal and being Very Confused by Janelle, and the elections. AMAZING.

She's so tiny, I never realized. And full of energy - she segued from one song to another seamlessly, rarely pausing between them, and the dancing, omg, the dancing. And her voice. You know how amazing she sounds on her albums? Yeah, even better live.

We only stayed for her show (which was NOT LONG ENOUGH) because D's hipster tolerance was running low and there were an awful lot of hipsters. I managed to snag the Metropolis Suite EP from the merch table, though (mine is sadly not signed)! I'm going to listen the shit out of it when I'm at my parent's this weekend.

And then I started writing this up and realized I still didn't have a Janelle icon, so I made one. And another, and another, and then I had 35.

( So. Icons up for grabs! )

Also, while I have you - is anyone here familiar with The Middleman and/or The Losers and willing to beta a short fic over the weekend (Zan, put your hand down)? I'm particularly hoping for someone who knows The Middleman.

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And also Of Montreal, I guess

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 01:10:57 GMT

BRB, GOING TO SEE JANELLE MONAE.

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I need a Janelle Monáe icon

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:49:26 GMT

Who is going to go see Janelle Monáe on Nov. 2nd? Right, that would be me. BOOYAH.

She's opening for some band called Of Montreal, I have no idea who they are and I do not care. JANELLE MONÁE.

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Tuesday Night Glam Nation

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:37:02 GMT

I went to see Adam Lambert (And Allison Iraheta!!) perform Tuesday night! Short version: It was awesome.

( long version is long )

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Music Organization

Fri, 08 May 2009 16:58:01 GMT

Like many of us, I have music. On my computer (also a few cds that are... somewhere). 7.3 gigs (1520 files) worth, with more on my external drive (which is also... somewhere). The files are from all sorts of places - my cd collection, my family's cd collection, my flist's cd collection, the cd collection of the radio station I used to DJ at, cd collections of random people on the internet, you get the idea. And some of it is tagged/organized, and some (most) of it is not. There's a 'seven nation army'/'sweet dreams are made of these' mashup somewhere in my files and I can not find it.

So! Google and Downloads.com have told me to try MediaMonkey for my organizational needs, and I'm certainly willing to give it a try. But what about you folks? How do you organize your music?

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