Review Wednesday; Fall Music Preview According To "All Songs Considered"

"All Songs Considered" by NPR published this online preview for all the most anticipated albums coming this fall. They put the best singles from each album here for you to preview.

Fall Music Preview HERE

These Roads Don't Move by Jay Farrar and Benjamin Gibbard from the album One Fast Move or I'm Gone

Unkown Jay Farrar hooks up with lead singer of Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service, Ben Gibbard, to create this soundtrack for the upcoming Jack Kerouac documentary. Their lyrics are taken from Kerouac's book "Big Sur" and they sound like what Jack Kerouac would sound like if he made music... minus the drunken slurs. This is the only song availabe from the album, and it's only available on NPR
"These roads don't move, you're the one that moves"

See The Leaves by The Flaming Lips from the album Embryonic

The Flaming Lips have been around for a LONG time, and they've always been a little late for their time. Starting in the mid-80's, they have a psychedelic sound that belongs in the 60's. However, there's always a little underground love for the psychedelics, and you have to respect The Flaming Lips for not changing a thing about them in the past 20 years--weird song titles and all. This song sounds like a psychedelic thrash session you'd hear at an X orgy.


This Blackest Purse by Why? from the album Eskimo Snow

By far my favorite song on this list, but that's probably because of the period of my life. I fell in love with it immediately. It sounds angsty, but a mature, thoughtful sort of angst, the sort I, and others in my position feel. In my opinion, this is the song of leaving one life for another, watching the new things, and being afraid. The whole "Mom am I failing or worst?" part really hit me. This is a song I can listen to over and over and feel like somebody really understands me.
"I wanna speak at an intimate decible with the precision of an infinite decimal."


Feeling The Pull by The Swell Season from the album Strict Joy

An upbeat, folky song about feeling the pull of going someplace new. It's actually a more positive, less angsty version of "This Blackest Purse"


Waterloo Sunset by Ray Davies and The Crouch End Festival Chorus from the album Kinks Choral Collection

Ray Davies gets together with a chorus group from London to create this album of some of his and his band The Kinks best songs with a heavy chorus for a background. I listened to the original, and liked it a lot better than this version. It seems as if Ray Davies' singing impediment got worst with age. But some people LOVE the Kinks, so if you're one of them, you might like this choral rendition of the classics.

Cool Yourself by Thao With The Get Down Stay Downs from the album Kill Rock Stars

This is going to be my new party song. Modern party beats with a blend of 70's J-pop and 50's doowop=Total Win!

Colussus by Lightning Bolt from the album Earthly Delights

This song sounds like an angry garage rock thrash session with a psychedelic flair. It almost sounds like it would be the soundtrack to a progressivley angry acid trip.

Dimestore Diamond by Gossip from the album Music For Men

Gossip, a trio of bra-burning females bring this song about the trailer trash queen. With every beat, you can just see her muffin top shaking with each step. They've got blues with a femme-funk, making anybody they sing about seem trashy and glamorous at the same time--just like this song.

Master Moon by On Fillmore from the album Extended Vacation

This song has got a creepy Tim Burton sound track sort of feel. I was actually inspired by it for my writing. It's definently a song that you make up a story to. To me, it felt mischevious and innocent at the same time, like a 11 year old sneaking out in the middle of the night to prove to his friends that he can go to the witches house.

My Body's A Zombie For You by Dead Man's Bones from the album Dead Man's Bones

This song sounds like Johnny Mathis got converted to satanism. It's creepy ["my body's a zombie for you!"] and somewhat Halloweeny with the kids yelling the chorus. I love it actually, it has such a strange sound that you just have to listen to it and you don't really know why.

Warm in the Shadows by Music Go Music from the album Expressions

I feel like I should be wearing lace arm warmers and doing that tantrum dance to this song. It's got that ageless 80's melodrama to its sound and lyrics.

Sherpa by Le Loup from the album Family

the band sings like the album implies-- like a family. There are multiple male voices on this track that sing together on on a song that sounds like a modern hippy tune. It's a feel good song that you don't sing along to, you just sit and appreciate it's quirkiness and your inability to understand it.


Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo) by BlakRoc from the album BlakRoc

These two white kids from The Black Keys make soul like you aint never seen a white kid make soul before. For their newest project, they brought together some great, real hip-hop artists to create this album under the name BlacRok. "11 Artists, 11 days, 11 tracks". Some artists include Mos Def, Ludacris, and Nicole Wray. I love the old, slow blues sound with today's rap. And when you mix indie with rap, you get a beautiful concoction of some mad spits with intelligent lyrics. I'm SOOO buying this album when it comes out.

Tasty Tuesday; Oil and Vinegar Dressing According To Jenny

Tasty Tuesday

Oh salads! Let me count the ways I can make you delicious! I am a salad person, and I always have been. I've been teased many times for being a rabbit because I ate so much lettuce. And the salad is always the first thing I grab on the table. Even now, living with a meat lover, I go out of my way to make my own personal salad.

I decided to try to make my own salad dressing. I love the taste of oil and balsamic vinegar, especially on salads. But it has to be done a certain way, otherwise all you're eating is oily lettuce, which is really no good.

So I decided to premake my salad dressing instead of pouring oil and vinegar over my salad each time I made it. It's a great pay off--I finally got to taste it 4 days after making it, and all the seasoning had soaked into the liquid, and the oil and vinegar wasn't seperated as much.

[I made a pretty small portion, and the numbers are guestimates. I really just suggest putting a teaspoon more vinegar than oil and doing the seasoning by eye]




Here's What You Need
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar/Roasted Garlic Vineagerette
dash of chili powder, garlic salt [not pictured], lemon pepper, and italian seasoning
1 1/2 tablespoon of parmesan cheese [to thicken]
Mason jar to put it in

Here's What You Do
pour all ingredients into the mason jar, screw the top on, and shake!

Now you have a delicious salad dressing! Put in fridge to chill.

You can do one of two things from here. You can either pour it straight on your salad, or you can do a little topping mix thing.

Topping Mix:
Here's What You Need
-Any salad toppings, except for croutons. I suggest tomatoes, olives, onions, and chicken/turkey

Here's What You Do
-Put your salad toppings in a seperate bowl and pour JUST a teaspoon of this dressing over it and mix. When you're ready to finish your salad, pour the mix on top of the salad. The dressing isn't too overpowering to add another dressing to. This is great for when you're making a salad for multiple people, that way they can all have their choice of salad dressing.

Enjoy!

F&$*ed Up Friday- MC Hammer Pajamas

These are the most F&$*ed up shorts I've ever had.


I just bought these horrible shorts at the thrift store recently. I don't really know what compelled me to buy them. Usually when I'm with someone at a thrift store, I go real fast and just pull things off the shelf. If I don't, I'll spend hours there, looking through every last thing for a treasure. This was one of those things that I didn't look at too long before I got them.

They're terribly unflattering, but terribly comfortable. And despite the fact that they're totally screwed up and ugly, and look like MC Hammer shorts, they are surprisingly useful.

I suggest to any student with a laptop to get these shorts. I always use my laptop in my chair, but when it gets hot, I have to take it off my lap and move it onto the ottoman, which means I have to lean over to use it. These shorts are long, baggy and thick enough to blunt the heat of the laptop, which is absolutely genius! Instead of getting hot under a blanket, the shorts give me enough air to be comfortable, but keep my legs from getting burnt!

So go to your local thrift store and look for shorts like these. You may not look great, but by god, you'll feel great!

Tip Thursday; How To Have a Good Day According To Jenny

Tip Thursday

I just got back from one of the best days of my life, and nothing in paticular happened. It was a day where the greatness came from inside of you. It is possible to have a good day on your own accord, you don't need to get money or ace a test. Optimism comes from the inside.

1.) Make a "Good Day" Playlist. The number one key to a good day is great music. Think of it as a sidetrack to your life. Try to imagine everything you're doing is in a movie, and the music you're listening to is a sound track. It's fun to do when you're doing boring things like waiting for an elevator or walking home. Here's my "Good Day Playlist" [all these link to the song on youtube]

STARSTRUKK-3OH!3

Tastes Like Kevin Bacon- iwrestledabearonce

What I Got- Sublime

Dying Is Fine- Ra Ra Riot

Penny On A Train Track- Ben Kweller

Hotel Song- Regina Spektor

Fidelity-Regina Spektor

Ginders-Matt and Kim

Cold Light- Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Good Ol' Fashioned Nightmare-Matt and Kim

Loose Lips- Kimya Dawson

Disco-Metro Station

California-Metro Station

I Gotta Move-Ben Kweller

You and Me And A Black Heart- Her Space Holiday

2.) Find somebody who appreciates you and will make you feel good about yourself. Mother, friend, boyfriend, it doesn't matter who it is. When you have someone validating yourself [and your real self] you feel confident.

3.) Have a good morning. My good mornings are meausured on my comfort level. If my apartment is too cold when I get out of the shower, if my coffee doesn't taste right, and if I didn't dress right for the weather, I'm not going to have a paticularly good morning. In these coming autumn days, a hot cup of coffee and a warm comfy sweater on your way to school is the best way to start off a day--even if you have to chase after the bus and stand when you get on it like I did this morning.

4.) Talk to a stranger. Lately I've been meeting a new person every day, and it has made me feel like I'm not alone in everything. I suggest trying to meet a new person every day, but sometimes you can't. Talking to a stranger will suffice. It's refreshing to get a new opinion, and often strangers are the best people to unload your problems on.

5.) Indulge in a craving. Chocolate, tomatoes, chips, hot pocket-- cravings are desired foods, and nothing makes you feel better than indulging yourself in them once in a while.

6.) DON'T WORRY. BE HAPPY. There's no room for worries in a good day. Save your worries for tomorrow. Trust me, after today, you'll be able to tackle them better. For example, I've been job hunting every day all week. For some reason, today's paper had just one page of classifieds, meaning there weren't any jobs for me on them. So for today, I didn't have to worry about a job. And now I feel like I can take on the task tomorrow.

7.) Dress your best. It's a proven fact that when you look good, you feel good. So wear an outfit you know you look good in and take time on your hair. The pay off will be wonderful.

Tasty Tuesday; Ramen According to Jenny.

For starters, it's not ramenS and it's not RAY-men. It's rah-men--America's cheapest ethnic food.

It's a proven fact that college kids survive on ramen. Well, this college kid has been running on cheaply processed noodles and small packs of seasoning years before college. And the journey has just gotten started. I have perfected my own style of creating a better ramen, but be warned, this may be for my own taste buds. This recipe is only for the adventerous.

Despite the fact that it's a 25 cent pack of noodles, there are so many ways to eat ramen. First, let's go through the varieties of your average Maruchan brand ramen noodle, with all the best flavors bolded.: -Beef, Cheddar Cheese, Chicken Roast, Chicken Cajun, Chicken Creamy, Chili-Habenero with Shrimp, Chili Lime Shrimp, Hot & Spicy Beef, Jalapeño Cheddar, Lime Shrimp, Oriental, Pork, Roast Beef, Shrimp.

These flavors are the most versatile, save for Chili Lime Shrimp, which is what I usually use for this recipe. I often prefer cup noodles to the bags, but when you're making elaborate ramen, like I will show you how, packaged ramen is the best to use.


Here's What You Need:
-Franks Red Hot
-Lemon/Lime Juice
-Garlic Salt [optional]
-Chili Pepper
-Sesame Oil/chili sesame oil
-kim chee
-Green Onion


Making your ramen not so plain is simple. What goes good in a soup? I figured out that the best food to put into a bowl of ramen that you don't have to get in Asia is green onions. It adds extra flavor to that wimpy pack they give you, and a little bit more than soft noodles to chew on. If you have access to asian food, I suggest getting Kim-Chee, which is pickled and spiced cabbage. Taste it before you put it in your ramen, but I personally love it.

Here's What You Do:
Cook the ramen according to directions. While the ramen is boiling, add either chili sesame oil or sesame oil and chili powder if you can't find that variety. When it's done, pour out half the broth. Next put in at least 3/4 of a tablespoon of Franks. Franks is pretty strong, so you don't want to overpower the other flavors, just a little bit will do. Then put in at most a teaspoon of lemon or lime juice. Put in a few sprinkles of garlic salt if you want a slight garlicy taste. Mix it all together. Cut an entire green onion into slices and sprinkle on top. Next add some kim-chee, according to your taste. I put a small pile on top. And from there, just eat. Don't mix the kim chee in, since you'll want it to retain a little bit of it's chill from the fridge, but still get heated by the broth.

F%$*ed Up Friday

Blogger's Note: I changed Friday's subject to be more general so I wouldn't be boring people. I think that I find bad fictionpress stories to be hilarious, but I don't think others get it, so I will limit my fictionpress stories to a minimum for the Friday schedule. Fridays will now bring you anything screwed up I have seen in the week. I hope you especially enjoy this week's entry as much as I do. Thank you!

----------

This is an actual ad taken out in the classifieds in the Art Voice-Buffalo's leading alternative press. Already it's funny by what this guy did, but for him to actually take out a section of the paper for it is even better.

[Under Missed Connections]

To The Girl At C.B Restauraunt

You were sitting at the table next to me. I was checking you out. You noticed. I winked. You rolled your eyes and left your table to talk to some guys at the bar. You left your purse at your table. I felt rejected, and a little hurt. On my way out, I filled your purse with a vomit cocktail consisting of 1 part chicken wings, 3 parts Budweiser and 6 parts hot yellow foamy puke. I hope you had a wonderful night!

Comments:

1.) When I first started reading it, I said "Aww, he's going to ask where she is because he fell in love with her!" Imagine what my face looked like as I continued reading.

2.) After he talked about her purse on the table, I thought he was going to continue to say "I stole your purse, please come to this address and pick it up, I love you." But what he did was even creepier.

3.) I now know that vomit cocktails only have 10 parts. At least he got the mixing right though. Like an alcoholic cocktail where the main ingredient is alcohol, the main ingredient of this gentelmen's cocktail is vomit. Respectfully.

3.) a. Like a true "Buffalonian" [can I say that?] his cocktail has chicken wings in it. Way to show your city spirit bro.

4.) I will never leave my purse anywhere. Not in fear that my wallet will get stolen however. I can handle a stolen wallet. I can't handle carrying an expensive purse full of vomit home.

Tip Thursday; Everyday Hair According To Jenny

Just because you only have an hour to get ready for school, doesn't mean you can't have great hair! I think that easy, yet good looking hair is the greatest tool a woman can have in her arsenal. You just need to know a few tricks. I'm no cosmeotologist or fashionista, but I love the way my hair looks when I do my everyday style.

My hair is shoulder length and thin, so this hairstyle and tutorial may only work for that kind of hair, but you can take some tips from this tutorial and apply it to your own unique hair!

Start off with a part on the side. You have to have sideswept bangs for this hair to work.


Portion off the bangs and the hair in the back. I turn the hair in the back into something of a crown, so gather enough hair to create a crown. It should be the hair located at the top of your head, going about 1/4 of the space to the front. Pull it into a pony tail so that portion doesn't get lost during the blow drying.

Next, blow dry the sides. I suggest tipping your head upside down so the hot hair gets in real good and running your fingers through your hair, touseling it and rubbing the roots as you dry. This gives it a little more volume. Blow dry the bangs and run the blow dryer over the pony tail that is your crown.


Next, if you have thin hair, you're going to be doing a lot of teasing. In case you don't know, this is how you tease; take a small portion of hair about 3 inches wide and relativley thin, and run a comb through it repeatedly going backwards. Don't take the comb out of your hair, just run the comb up and down close to the roots furiously until you think you've created enough volume. Yes, teasing does damage your hair and has a tendency to tangle the ends, but it's worth it.


I tease in two layers on both sides. First do the bottom layer of hair, then the top. After I tease, I do a little bit of hairspray, blow dry it on low, and tease it a little bit more. Make sure you do it on the roots otherwise you're just wasting your time.

After you've teased the sides, tease the bangs slightly. Hairspray, blow dry, and
tease this too. Next, do the crown in two layers, but be careful to make sure it all goes back. There should be no part in your crown.


Next comes the bangs which is my unique touch. I love having long bangs, but I haven't had a hair cut in a long time and long bangs really get on my nerves. So I add a sweet touch by clipping them back. However, I still make sure people I know I got 'em!

Here's what you do. Take all the hair that makes up your bangs.

Twist it around your finger, pin it with a bobby pin, and push the hair up gently to give it a "bump". Hairspray for permanance.

And Voila! You have everday hair Jenny style!