Just go ahead now

Saturday afternoon at the movies, I can't imagine a better way to spend a saturday than with Jason Segel, girl talk, and wasabi nuts, I'm a girl of simple pleasures, what can I say?

Jeff who Lives at Home is the fourth movie written and directed by brothers Mark (familiar looking dude and also in The League) and Jay Duplass, their most notable movie being Cyrus which I mentioned briefly a while back cause my dear friends Still Flyin' were played in one of the scenes.

The film focusses upon Jeff (that's Jason Segel) and his obsession with the movie "Signs" and his conviction that everything happens for a reason, which leads himself on an adventure day following Kevins and helping his brother Pat (Ed Helms, yep the dude from The Hangover) out, saving marriages and lives.  

It's a sweet film about brotherly relationships and how siblings interact and relate with each other when they are both very different types of people, I think it's super cute that the movie was written and directed by two brothers.  It actually made me think a lot about my relationship with my brother, though I'd like to hope I'm not as square as Pat!  The film also touches on what happens in the aftermath of a parent dying, how it affects the family, you see how their mother (played by the AWESOME Susan Sarandon) is still struggling to move on properly and how that has affected how she treats Jeff.

Musically, this is the second movie I've seen this year with The Spin Doctors in it, the first being Wanderlust.  What is that about?  I'd not felt the need to think about The Spin Doctors for 18 years, and I thought I was doing pretty good.  According to the internet (I google The Spin Doctors so you don't have to) the band reformed last year as it was the 20th anniversary of The Album featuring The Song. The singer has also been recording with a band called The Time Bandits.  I kinda hope that they would be ok seeing as they named themselves after a truely awesome movie, but undoubtedly they suck.  Sorry, it's beyond the call of duty for me to listen to the band at this moment in time.

The music was kinda pretty and was written by Michael Andrews who as well as doing the music for Freaks and Geeks (I've got to work on posts that don't mention F&G), Bridesmaids and a load of other films that we all like and he did the music for that Gary Jules version of "Mad World" in Donnie Darko. 

Donnie Darko, now that was a sweet film, all the music sounded amazing in it, though I have to say I probably never need to hear that version of "Mad World" again.  The main reason being that about 7 years ago I went to the Emmaboda Festival in Sweden, which is a fun festival full of lots of beautiful and slightly insane drunk Swedish kids.  They found us English people very amusing and enjoyed talking to us in cockney accents, I spent a lot time being confused as to whether they were taking the piss or not.  At the festival there was a tent that someone had spray painted "Mad World" in big letters on it, and morning, noon and you could hear Gary Jules' "Mad World" being played from the tent on repeat.  I must have heard that song a gazilion times that weekend. I'm so glad I wasn't camped near them, I think I would have gone crazy.  This was quite a few years after Donnie Darko came out so I'm still a bit confused as to why they wanted to have a "Mad World" tent, or why they would want to ever listen to that song again, crazy Swedes!

Real Tears For Fears is better than covers, this was my favourite musical moment in Donnie Darko...

(Can you spot Seth Rogen?)

Anyway, go check out Jeff, Who Lives At Home if you get a chance, Jason Segel and Ed Helms are both pretty awesome in it, and for optimal enjoyment don't forget the wasabi nuts!

Alicexx

geeky dancing

Ha, was just reading back through an old post about Yo Gabba Gabba and I hadn't been able to find the video of the Geeks from Freaks and Geeks dancing on the show.  Well we stumbled across it recently whilst doing research for the Freaks and Geeks zine that me and my girl Kate are writing.
Check it out...



What do you think?  Personally I think it is terrifying!

"Go Crazy!"

Hopefully the Freaks and Geeks zine will be finished soon, it should be epic, I feel like I know every fact about Freaks and Geeks now! We even spotted the Omri Katz cameo, though I do think that only me and Kate are the only people who get excited about stuff like that.   I also got overly excited this week when I found out that Harris from Freaks and Geeks now writes RPG computer game reviews for Vice Magazine. Yep sad TV nerd me.


If you want to know more about Freaks and Geeks check out these extensive interviews with Mr "Freaks and Geeks creator and snappy dresser" Paul Feig.

Enjoy
Alicexx

Don't treat me like a tourist

My my, life has been busy recently, I just got back from Paris where I had a lovely time with my girl Normandie, we saw the AWESOME of Montreal play on Friday night.  The floor was bouncing so much from people dancing it made me feel sea sick! I had the most un French weekend ever, we had burritos and vegan cupcakes, and did an insane amount of thrift store shopping, it was so much fun!

Earlier in the week I saw Kishi Bashi play his first show in London, Kishi Bashi plays violin in of Montreal, so on their break from touring he played a special solo show at The Waiting Room in Stoke Newington.  His record has been one of my favourites of this year, beautifully crafted orchestral pop music, with yes hella violins.  His live show is kinda bonkers, he onlys plays violin and sings and uses a looping pedal and effects to manipulate the sound. See for yourself...


Check out his latest pop video featuring a bunch of Kay's of Montreal band mates, apparently some of the people who helped with this video work on that show The Walking Dead too, though sadly Egg from This Life was not in it (he'll always be Egg even with that southern accent).



And yes, also buy his record, cause it is bloody brilliant, ok?

Now, we've talked about Yo Gabba Gabba on this blog before, but I can't really finish this post without mentioning of Montreal's catchy contribution to the show's musical output (and the show's striking similarities to the band's colourful live performance!).  Check out the following videos...
Brush your teeth!


Eat your healthy food!


Wow, of Montreal are full of really good advice!

Now please let me talk TV for a bit...

OMG last week's Parks and Recreation was one of my favourites, when Leslie gave the speech at the end I almost cried, I am such a loser.  Paul Rudd was great in it too, he plays Leslie's political rival and is such a dunce.  As well as the show I am also enjoying these Parks and Rec and Ben Wyatt gifs.  You can never have too many animated gifs in your life.

Also check out Paul Scheer's (The League, NTSF:SD SUV, Human Giant) Breaking Bad animated gif's site.

"Apparently I’m stepping on toes. But haters going hate and I’m going to GIF create!" Paul Scheer 

Hell yeah!

There should be more animated gifs involving pizza juggling.

I am so loving the show "Girls" too, I just watched episode 3, and I like how it's going. It's been interesting reading the backlash against the program, but with all that hype, there are always going to be some people who want to take them down.  I am in awe of Lena Dunham!

I'm also enjoying "Don't Trust The Bitch in Apartment 23" too, it's great to see Krysten Ritter having a lead role, I loved her in Veronica Mars and Gilmore Girls, I'm not sure about the blonde girl, but I guess her character is meant to be whiney and annoying?

Apart form Michelle Williams, I never liked Dawson's Creek, but James Van Der Beek is pretty funny in it, as he plays himself and makes a ton of Dawson's Creek jokes. Come to think about it, he was pretty funny in "How I Met Your Mother" too. Maybe he's actually all right it's just that Dawson's Creek was so awful?

Well I best go, but if you're about in London town next Monday, why not come to this show and see my band Cosines play, I mean what else are you going to do right? (OK don't answer that)

See ya
Alicexx

Let's pretend we're bunny rabbits...

So yeah, I haven't posted for a while, I guess partly because I went to see The Shins, and they were so awful that I was like "I have to change the name of my blog!"  I've decided not to, cause well I can't think of a better name! I've also been busy making music with my new band Cosines, why not take a listen to one of our songs? (shameless plug over).

Anyway, what has prompted me to blog this time? Well in Gossip Girl this week in between the double crossing, Blair and Dan getting it on in an elevator, William Baldwin being angsty, Serena pouting, Nate looking broody and a bit confused, good old "Indie Rock Dad" Rufus went to see The Magnetic Fields. I laughed solidly for 20 seconds when Lily proclaimed that he couldn't miss going to see them to go to an Upper East Side party, cause he had been looking forward to seeing them so much.  I hope he enjoyed the show, I saw them at ATP and they were so awesome. Check out their tour blog it is very funny (and where the lovely photo on the left came from). They're playing in London at The Royal Festival Hall later on this month, there could be tickets left if you hurry!

Ahh Gossip Girl, it may be an absolutely dreadful program, but they really do do good with the inane teenage drama and indie references that I feel compelled to watch it, hell they even played Veronica Falls at the end of this episode!

I can't find the video online of them name checking The Magnetic Fields but I found this video instead, hmmm Chuck and Nate?



And yeah that new Veronica Falls tune is pretty awesome too, check out the video below.



Veronica Falls are playing Indietracks this year (a festival that I help organise), we've just confirmed The Vaselines to headline one of the nights, I AM SO EXCITED!!! There are loads of other awesome bands playing this year too including Allo Darlin', Go Sailor, Girls Names, Orca Team and The Language of Flowers, you may as well get your ticket now right?

Hope you have a fun Easter weekend!
Alicexx

Turn me back into the pet that i was when we met

I am off to see The Shins on Thursday!!! And I am off to see Zach Braff's play next Thursday, but apparently it's received some awful reviews so I probably shouldn't be that excited about it. Maybe it will be good if he mentions The Shins in it? So feels only fitting that we should watch this video...



And this pretty cool video for their last single "Simple Song"...


Yey for The Shins!
Alicexx

Tommy's place!

Tomorrow we are going to the Jeff Mangum curated ATP Festival, it is going to be BOSS! I hope April Ludgate will be there...

Andy: Who is Jeff Mangum?
April: The guy from Neutral Milk Hotel.
Andy: Oh Neutral Milk Hotel, what is that?
April: That’s my favorite band I’ve told you that like a thousand times.
Andy: I don’t remember. Why wouldn’t you pick me?
April: I don’t know. You are not technically a rockstar. It’s an indisputable fact that they’re better, they are a real band…
Tom: Andy where’s your boo’s favorite place to smoosh?
Andy: At the Neutral Milk Hotel.
April: Get over it.
Andy: No you get over it. You like some other dude’s band more than me. Do you even think that Mouse Rat is the greatest band in the world because it is starting to not feel that way.
April: That band is really important to me and honestly I’ve asked you to listen to them like a million times and you never have so…
Andy: Because their music is sad and depressing and weird and art is supposed to be happy and fun and everyone knows that…

And yes that was of course from Parks and Recreation from last season, and of course made us only love our favourite intern (I hope she's not an intern any more, she's been there for ages) more.

I found this music video for indie band Father John Misty (no me neither, but the song is all right) , check out the lovely Aubrey Plaza (aka one April Ludgate) eating flowers, dancing with a lamp and generally causing mischief.



The best character in Parks and Rec tho has to be Tom Haverford, played by the awesome Aziz Ansari.  He's announced a USA tour for later on this year, if you live there you should go and get yr tickets.  If you see him tell him to book a show in London, I totally messed up and missed him last year. And to quote Davina McCall, here are Tom's best bits...




I'll be ATP-ing you soon!
Alicexx

Losing my religion

"I made you a leaving gift"
"What is it?"
"A stick with some orange peel glued to it"
(or something along the lines of that...)

So last night after a weekend of unexpected partying, expected partying and recording I took a solo trip to the cinema to see Wanderlust. Very weirdly the cinema seemed to be full of people doing the very same thing, I guess a solo cinema trip is the perfect activity for a rainy Sunday afternoon in North London.

I don't want to give too much of the plot but basically George and Linda buy a tiny flat in NYC, lose their jobs, end up losing their flat (I don't understand why they didn't rent it out, I guess that would be less dramatic) and drive to Atlanta, on the way stay overnight at a commune and have an awesome night, then go to stay in Atlanta, hate it and end up back in the commune, where of course hilarity ensues, there is a money grabbing hippy, a nudist author and yep we get to see Jennifer Anniston tripping out on iowaska.

Watching the movie you spend a lot of time cringing at Paul Rudd embarrassing himself, doing his sexy talk and attempting to play the Spin Doctors. Paul Rudd is awesome as ever, but I think I would have liked to seen writer Ken Marino do the George part instead, he was so good as the cringworthy Ron in Party Down, that I think that would have really worked.  Ken Marino was awesome as George's brother Rick and deffo one of the highlights, though seeing as he wrote it, you think he would make sure he got a good part! Michaela Watkins did a great job as Rick's bored wife too.

I think my favourite bits were with Ken's ex-"The State" buddies David Wain, Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black (GO BUY HIS BOOK, mine is in the post!) who play news readers, and yeah, when they parody the Atlanta Grape Lady that kinda made me chuckle.  I also liked all the jokes about hippies, my brother's a bit of a hippy and has hung out with Shamen (but not Mr C), and I do tease him about drum circles and hippy stuff, I think I'd like to watch it again with him!

There are not really any indie references in the movie, but I think I heard an REM song being played, I guess any movie which is set in Georgia should have at least one REM song in it somewhere?  There were more references throughout this movie to "I Believe I Can Fly" than really necessary too, what was that about? 90's tastic!

I was so excited about the prospect of this movie, with so many awesome people being involved, but yeah something lacked a bit in it, still I do think laughing at hippy jokes is a fun way to spend a rainy day in North London.

I leave you with a song...a video from the best band from Atlanta, ExcaliBrah!!!



Official movie site