For the Love of Lists — Get A Life Fest

I've been trying to reclaim my social life, but I must say that over the past year, things have been dragging. This is, chiefly, because I don't have a dedicated party posse like in the Austin Days of Yore (sniff). The last few weeks, though, have signaled a return to form. The iCal has filled with more than just first graders' birthday parties, school volunteering obligations and dental appointments.

Just what have I been doing? To the lists!

Shows/gigs that were well worth the cost of the babysitter:
1. Lianne La Havas at Bootleg Theater — She's charming, a solid songwriter, has great stage presence, and comes across as a less treacly version of Corinne Bailey Rae. The packed crowd — from where I stood, an odd blend of alterna-black girls and middle-aged white dudes in business attire — was spellbound. And, though, I refuse to chalk this up to anything more than urban legend, for the sake of my fragile constitution, Stevie Wonder was reportedly one of the admiring onlookers. I NEED to disbelieve these reports; surely, if my idol was in the building, my radar would've gone off.


Check out La Havas serenading Parisian shoppers:



Lianne La Havas | No Room For Doubt | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.



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Two Weeks — A Fading Love Affair

Last spring, Grizzly Bear's "Veckatimest" arrived on my doorstep from Amazon. I was smitten with that album to a degree that is almost embarrassing. I listened to it in the car until even my pre-schooler was over it.

The song I had on repeat? "Two Weeks." (Disclaimer: Not super crazy about the video.)

I'm trying to tell you. The vocal harmonies on this one...the drums...those piano plinks...my hair stood on end every time. When Pitchfork pegged it #5 in its Top 100 Tracks of 2009, I felt a swell of pride, as if I had something to do with it.

I have had songs that I could not shake before: Prince's "Adore"; The Sea & Cake's "Bird and Flag"; "Autumn Sweater" by Yo La Tengo, to name a few. This is just the latest in a long line of tracks I've wanted to blast from the rooftops. That is...until lately.

This song has been a sonic slut these days. I heard its tell-tale plinks at the beginning of that insipid VW Punch Bug ad and the worry set in. Then, it was on that NBC dramedy "Parenthood." Then, on the loudspeaker at Loehmann's yesterday, butted up against "True Love" by Madonna. And, according to Wikipedia, "How I Met Your Mother" and Peugeot have used it, too.

Yeah. Despite all the soul-stirring and goose flesh-inducing, I'm kinda' done. I am officially in the market for a new favorite song.

My inner-teenager — she, who loves only that which is obscure — can't help but wince at all the mainstreaminess. It's like Drake says on that Jay-Z song, "Whatever you about to discover, we off that." You can take the girl out of the scene (and, apparently, move her to its ideological polar opposite), but you can't take the scene out of the girl. I'm not proud of the arbitrary superficiality of this turn of events. But a smidge of snobbery here and there does shake up the boredom of housewifery!