From Amurrica to Europe

Now that the World Cup is over, where am I supposed to get my necessary daily Rx of sweaty, tan, cursing, neon spandex-wearing, and over-coiffed men?

From Europop, duh.

Here is a blog I just found out about that scouts the interwebs and European radio stations for the latest Europop hits. I spent like, 3 hours reading/watching the site.

Possibly my favorite (and I mean legit favorite, and not "favorite") is "Allez, Ola, Ole" by Jesse Matador, which was a contender for the Eurovision contest. It's really, really catchy and dance-able, and there are awesome outfits in the video.

My "fave" is this Swedish hit: "Peña Colada Boy" by Baby Alice. One of the lines is "And when the sun goes down you make my boobs feel round". Oh jeez, sign me up for more of Baby Alice and her lyrical masterpieces!

And here is a replacement for all the hot soccer boys you're now missing:

God bless Europe.

Dance Party

Last night's Passion Pit concert = me sweating off 5 lbs. in a dance frenzy and enduring tinnitus.

What a Gleeful Weekend

Well friends, this weekend was full of glee--in the sense of happiness and the seminal musical-television dramedy, Glee.

Friday

Breakfast and hanging out with my cousin, home for spring break

Spring cleaning

Chillin in the sunshine

Saturday

Dog walking in the sunshine

11 year old cousin's birthday dinner BBQ with extended family

Reunion with Roommate and Roommate's Sister

Portland bar

McFlurries

Glee soundtrack sing-a-long in the LaraMobile

Sunday

Run in the sunshine

Family brunch

Bartini happy hour with all the Portland girls

Milling around NW 23rd and trying on kinda skanky dresses at 3Monkeys

Looking at all the cute houses that we want to live in

Singing to Glee soundtrack with said Portland girls in the LaraMobile on a drive around NW

So, in keeping with the theme of this weekend, here is one of the best songs from our beloved Glee:

I've Made a Huge, Tiny Mistake...

In not attending this event

Apparently in 2008 there was a concert by the musical director of Arrested Development. He sang all the show's finest gems live. Here are the ones I've found on the 'tube

Theme song

Big Yellow Joint

The Franklin Song

Mr. F

Here's a bonus, just for giggles:

Sadly, no performances of "Motherboy" were uploaded.

Ripete, per favore?

Here is an amazing video that I watched a lot like, a year ago, and then forgot about, and re-discovered today as I was weeding out my "Favorites" list on youtube. This Italian viral video, originally from the 1970s, is of Adriano Celentano, a Giovanni-of-All-Trades who gained fame in the 1950s and is still owning the Italian spotlight, creating a jibberish rap for a group of studentesse italiane. According to my internet research, it is considered a legit proto-rap; it wasn't just a gimmicky song, apparently. Hmm. Anyway, I only recently (aka 20 minutes ago) learned that its point was not just to create jibberish, but to actually mimic what American English sounds like to non-speakers. So not only is this an amusing video, it's cultural and educational and shit. So watch it.

It brings to mind that game on "Whose Line is it Anyway" when the tall geeky guy Ryan and the little bald Canadian dad-type guy had to do a scene in different "languages", and really they were just saying gibberish with a Polish, Brazilian, French, Icelandic accent and inflection. Right???

My New Addiction

Confession time:

I am obsessed with Glee. And here is perhaps a reason why: in an interview with the LA Times, Lea Michele, aka Rachel Berry, says that she bases her character portrayal off of Tracy Flick and...drumroll, please...BLAIR WALDORF

"Blair? How so?
She is shady, but you still love her. She's still vulnerable. That's what I try to do with Rachel."

And now, please enjoy what I have been playing on constant repeat for the past week:

HER VOICE IS TOO, TOO GOOD. LOVE IT.

Heaven on Earth or a Sign of the Impending Apocalypse?

Christopher Walken sings Gaga's Poker Face. And by "sings" I mean Walken-izes.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND CONCERT

Tonight's concert confirmed my undying love for VW and, especially, front man Ezra Koenig. They put on a great, happy, dance-party, singalong show at the Crystal Ballroom (whose bouncy floors make it perf for the bouncy-dancing that VW inspires), and I think they pleased all the fans with the set list. I can't remember the order, but here's what they played:

*Horchata

*California English

*Cousins

*White Sky

One (Blaaaaaaake's got a new face)

Bryn

A-Punk

M79

Campus

Oxford Comma

Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa

Walcott (ending song)

They ended on Walcott because its lyrics beg the listener to "get out of Cape Cod tonight" AKA the venue. IDK. All that really mattered is that I got to see the sweaty, sexy bangs of this man:

FUAHHHHHHHHHHHH I can't even verbalize my love for you and your polo shirt under oxford shirt wearing-self.

PS. He totally geeked out about Powell's, saying it was one of his favorite reasons to visit PDX. We would make such nerdy, attractive English-major-babies together. CALL ME! I FOLLOW YOU ON TWITTER!

Tempted By the Fruit of Another...

Tempted but the truth is discoverrrrrred...

Kayak.com is responsible for my desire to cheat on Portland:

Feb. 9-16

SEATAC --> NYC

$213

Feb. 12 = BFF/NYC dweller M's bday.

MUTHA FUCKAAAA get me on that plane

...What's been goin' on/Now that you have gone/There's no otherrrrr/Tempted by the fruit of another/Tempted but the truth is discovered/I'm at the carpark, the airport, the baggage carousel

Me and My Cousins

Vampire Weekend just released their video for the new single "Cousins". It's rad. So is the video, despite its somewhat seizure-inducing shots.

La Gaga

I can't stop watching this acoustic version of Poker Face. Lately I've been a little obsessed with Gaga's videos, which totally trump the mediocre-ness of her songs. This acoustic version shows that girl's got some skillz, which are typically hidden far underneath all the auto-tune.

Mmm Your Horchata's So Hot and Steamy

Dear Ezra,

I'm just going to come right out and say it: I love you. It's very rare to find a man who rocks flannel and argyle AND regularly showers, as well as knows the finer points of English grammar ("Oxford Comma"). You have endeared yourself to me.

I know your music isn't exactly cutting-edge. I'm sorry, but you're basically the 2000s' Paul Simon. But you're hot, and Paul is not. And your music is just so happy and vaguely preppy that I can't not love it.

So, if you're interested in a relationship with a Northwestern-er who is a fellow Lit major, please let me know. While you're getting back to me, I'll be listening to the singles from your forthcoming album, Contra.

Love,

Lara.

PS. Here is an idea for future artistic direction: do one of your music videos shirtless. It'd be really...avant-garde.

Audio Flashback

Mia madre called this morning (waking me from my slumbers) to tell me exciting news: in cleaning out my bookshelf, she came across a mixed tape--not CD, mind you--from the summer of 1998. She read me every song and artist, and the tape is a veritable Whos Who of the 90s.

CoOl SoNgZ SuMmEr 1998 (approximation of my 6th grade handwriting)

1. Crush--Jennifer Paige
2. The Boy is Mine--Brandy & Monica
3. You're Still the One--Shania Twain
4. Cruel Summer--Ace of Base
5. How do I Live?--LeAnn Rimes
6. Nice and Slow--Usher
7. Love You Down--Inoj
8. One Week--Barenaked Ladies
9. My All--Mariah Carey
10. I Don't Want to Miss a Thing--Aerosmith
11. Daydreamin--Tatyana Ali
12. Sex and Candy--Marcy Playground
13. Ghetto Superstar--Pras
14. Tubthumpin--Chumbawumba
15. I Want You Back--*Nsync
16. When the Lights Go Out--Five
17. Truly Madly Deeply--Savage Garden
18. This Kiss--Faith Hill
19. Quit Playin Games--Backstreet Boys
20. I'll Be--Edwin McCain
21. Foolish Games--Jewell
22. Gettin Jiggy Wit It--Will Smith

Does anyone else remember listening to all these songs the summer of '98 in the backyard with a fugly boombox? I think I had my Nickelodeon ghettoblaster tuned to Z100 24 hours a day that summer. If forced, I could sing every single one of these songs (maybe most of them are on my iTunes). Don't use this knowledge against me if I am drunk at a karaoke bar. Please.

Yes, it's true, I honestly owned this gem of a music-player. My coolness started early in life.

It Goes There

If you are an avid fan of Team Lara, you know that the Canadian teen series Degrassi rocks my world. It is nothing short of epic in its scope. Cancer, auto-thefts, coming-outs, teen pregnancies, first jobs, a teen stripper, drugs, jail/juvie, STDs, parent-teacher hookups, nerdy-to-slutty makeovers, and basically everything and anything you could ever imagine. BFF "L" and I watch it whenever we are at our parents', as neither of us have the Noggin channel in Seattle/NYC. We've watched it since middle school, and so it should be unsurprising to all you readers that I have a years-long crush on one of the characters, "Jimmy". Jimmy used to be a basketball star, but then a crazy classmate paralyzed him during a shooting spree, so Jimmy learned how to use a wheelchair, dealt with impotence, started a clothing line, went to college, and began rapping. His rapping does not remain in the realm of fiction, however. In the real world he is known as "Drake" (as far as rap names go, it's weak-sauce, but considering his birth-name is Aubrey Graham, it's a vast improvement). And although Degrassi claims to "Go There", it has never gone to the dirty territories into which Drake has ventured. Take a look:

Damn. Degrassi fans, I hope you're not too shocked.

Things I Like #9

La musica italiana.

I am mildly obsessed with Italian music. I stream Italian radio stations in the morning during my daily website checks. I watch Italian music videos on youtube. I memorize lyrics and hum them to myself. I work out to Italian electro-pop on my iPod. In short, it's love. Here are some of my favorite songs via youtube.


Jovanotti & Ben Harper, "Fango" (live at San Remo)



Antonello Venditti, "Indimenticabile" (super popular last year/summer)



Venditti, again, "Grazie Roma" (CLASSIC 80s cheese)



Luca Leoni, "Amore in Chat" (epico).



Gianni Togni "Giulia" (original version, not the remix)



Lunapop "50 Special" (Italy's 1990s boyband)



Simone Cristicchi, "Studentessa universitaria" (precioso)



Adriano Celentano "Ragazzo della via Gluck" (so damn catchy)

Things I Like #8

Mix tapes (and websites about them)

I love getting music from people I like. It's oddly revealing about who they are and who they think you are. And, five years down the road, it gives you some awesomely bad music to be nostalgic to.

This website records peoples' long-lost mix tape loves: http://www.cassettefrommyex.com/. It has professional writers' entries as well as post secret-style mailed stories.

In homage to Cassette From My Ex, here are the tracks from a wonderful mix CD I once received:

1. Penny Lane--Beatles
2. ABC--Jackson 5
3. That Summer--Garth Brooks
4. Lola--The Kinks
5. Cecilia--Simon & Garfunkle
6. Me & Bobby McGee--Janis Joplin
7. Under My Thumb--Rolling Stones
8. Tupelo Honey-Van Morrison
9. Hey Tonight--CCR
10. Stand By Me--John Lennon version
11. The Boys of Summer--Don Henley
12. Good Vibrations--Beach Boys
13. Colorblind--Counting Crows

I still listen to this CD when I drive around in the summer time.

Things I Like #5

Colin Meloy Covers

Why, might you ask? Portland, acoustic guitars, classic songs, that slightly nasal voice, and surprising adaptations. Although I have a soft spot for most of the original versions of these fine tunes, Mr. Meloy gives them a certain special something. When he performs them live, you often get witty comments such as, "This is a sad, modern campfire song. You'd put out the fire using tears with this one", in reference to his Morrissey cover. Favorites include:

Jonie Mitchell's "A Case of You". Filmed in Seattle!


Sam Cooke's "Cupid". Filmed in Portland!


Morrissey's "Everyday is Like Sunday".


Elliott Smith's "Clementine". Filmed in Portland!

I wish we were allowed to see the cellphone-waving that he describes half way through.

Obama Babies Watch

I love the Obama girls. My favorite, although against popular opinion, is Malia. Sasha's great and all, but I feel like the child-version of me relates to Malia better. Plus, she's got GREAT outfits.

Most importantly, they had an exciting time moving in to their new home. On Wednesday night, the Huffington Post repots, the Obama girls got to run around the White House and explore all its nooks and crannies. Then, when they opened their bedroom door, they found THE JONAS BROTHERS behind it! WHAT?! Now, I'm not a Jonas afficianado, but I'm assuming this would be like if I had found Nick Carter behind my bedroom door when I was ten. Sheer and utter MADNESS!

Finally, the girls went back to school today after being allowed a day to rest up after Tuesday's wild RAGER. I wonder if they each have their own secret service agent who is tough, but secretly lovable and cuddly, and who helps them with their homework on their way to school in the limo. That's what I would hope being a president's daughter would entail.

More Obama Children updates soon.

BLERG!

Ever since I saw the 10 second clip of Tracy Morgan's "30 Rock" character Tracy Jordan performing his hit "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah" on an episode, I've wanted to hear the whole song.

MY PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED! The video is basically cut-and-paste pics of Jewish boys and werewolves, but whatevs--the lyrics exceed all my wildest expectations and more than make up for the video quality. Plus it references Harvey Lemmings and Dotcom and Grizz do voiceovers. THANK ELOHIM FOR THIS BAR MITZVAH MIRACLE!

Things I Like #4

Self-Referential Art

There are many self-referential works of art that I enjoy, including "Arrested Development", JK Rowling's Beedle the Bard, and Warhol's silk-screens. But this new find combines my love of Hipster Preps and 80s Rock Stars: Vampire Weekend and Peter Gabriel.

I loves me some Vampire Weekend, but I also am loyal to the 80s rock my parents raised me on. Thus, when I found out about a certain inter-mixing yesterday, I realized I had witnessed a Christmas miracle. That's right ladies and gentlemen, Peter Gabriel has finally covered the VW song in which he is so lovingly name-dropped: "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa". His version is charmingly ironic; instead of saying "But this feels so unnatural/Peter Gabriel too", he sings, "It feels so unnatural/to sing your own name". GENIUS!