Monday, August 23, 2010

You are a dinosaur!

As my friend and ex-roommate PJ has moved out of our place to live with her boyfriend, we've spent the last few weeks showing the empty room to potential new tenants. It's always a strange experience, when you're the one who happens to be home when the doorbell rings, because while you're showing the empty room and answering questions about the house, the neighborhood and the experience of living here, what you're really doing is sizing each other up. Imagining a future in which you live together and deciding whether or not that image is working in your mind.

Anyway, after showing the room to a whole plethora of different personality types, a boy named Johnny has decided to move in. When he came by to look at the room, both Justin and I were home, and while we only spoke for a few minutes, he seemed generally agreeable, fun, but not too needy or expectant of partying and/or roommate bonding time. We do spend a lot of time together in our house (hanging out in the living room, going out together for drinks), but we're still all the sort of people who need our down time, without other people bringing their friends and their kegs into the living room and demanding you do as many shots as you can while standing on your head in the time it takes everyone else to sing the national anthem.

I have no idea if that's what people actually do at keg parties, haha, I've never been to one. Basically Johnny seems like a solid dude, but you never know about new roommates. So we'll see how things go, as he moves in just over a week from now.


I asked people on twitter today for blogging topic suggestions, so I am going to hit a few of those right now.

@jrg1990 asked me about the Hunger Games. As the newest (and final) book in the saga comes out this evening at midnight, I suppose I can talk about it. It's funny, because people always tell me they read Harry Potter or found 5AG or the vlogbrothers or my videos at a hard time in their lives and it helped them get through it -- I never fully appreciated that experience until it happened to me. Last summer, as those of you who've been reading my blog that long know, was kind of a tough one for me. I was a girl with starry-eyed dreams of the future, and when things didn't turn out the way I expected them to, I spent a very long time feeling trapped and alone in a foreign place, cut off from the people I know could have made that experience easier for me.

Ever the bookworm, I instead turned to "Waterstone's" for support. It was in the UK where I first read the Hunger Games, and reading about Katniss' terrible fortune, her struggle in the arena, her mishaps with the Capitol; all of those things were so much worse than my predicament that I was completely able to lose myself in the story. The books are so enthralling that they made a lot of my hurt go away, and replaced it with a burning appreciation for how affecting literature can be.

Anyway, the point is I have been waiting a long time for this book, and I am so, so excited to read it. I haven't felt this way about a book since Harry Potter, and the added thrill of knowing I am going to a midnight release party brings back some of that excitement from my HP book release days. And that is a feeling I never thought I would get back, after Deathly Hallows. The whole experience of Mockingjay coming out is such a mix of excitement, nostalgia, gratitude and sentimentality. I can't wait.

@JustinTime6323 asked me about music. For someone who is in more than one band, I realized I don't actually talk about music or my favorite bands very often.

I have had a lot of people in my life (friends, exboyfriends, people online) that influenced my music tastes, and I have never been one to say "that band isn't cool anymore" or "I'm so sick of that band". I hold most of my favorites dear, even if I discovered them years ago.

Bands that have been with me for a while but are still among my favorites are Rilo Kiley, Eisley, Muse, Sondre Lerche, Kings of Convenience, Sigur Ros, Paramore, No Doubt, Regina Spektor, Tilly and the Wall, Muse, Metric, Owl City, The Blow, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly., The Shins, the Postal Service, Feist, the Hush Sound and the Format.

As for music I have been listening to and/or discovered more recently (like in the last year), I would say Ingrid Michaelson (I have been listening to song from her album "Everybody" pretty much every morning while I get ready for the day), the Tings Tings, Kate Nash, Lily Allen, Greg Holden, Imogen Heap, Jason Mraz, Hey Monday, and La Roux.

And I'm going to go ahead and throw Ke$ha in here, because even though most people hate her, I think her songs are (mostly) hilarious. She has a whole song about accusing someone of being a dinosaur, guys. I'm aware she means an old man hitting on her, but I prefer to imagine she means the literal definition.

I also really like soundtracks. I love the Across the Universe soundtrack probably more than any other soundtrack in existence, but other favorites include Prince Caspian, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Juno, Josie and the Pussycats, and nothing could ever really top my age-old love affair with the A Walk to Remember soundtrack. Or the music from Pokémon. And a lot of my favorite musicals.

I'll save the rest of your blogging suggestions for tomorrow, because I need to go meet my friend Karly for Thai food right now! Let me know if we like any of the same bands, or if you know of any I might enjoy based on my collection of favorites. :)

Last google search: "ruffled ascot"
Chipotle burritos: 17

60 comments:

Hunt said...

No doubt and La Roux are both very much the bomb. :D

TheGingerHermione said...

The song "Dinosaur" by Ke$ha actually confuses me. So much. xD

J O D I E said...

A Walk To Remember is one of my favourite films EVER. Love. It. <3

James (JRG1990) said...

Yay for my suggestion making it onto a blog (and yes, tomorrow I will be suggesting you write a blog about "Dinosaurs and Pokemon" as you put it on twitter =P)

I know what you mean re: Hunger Games really being the first book since HP that has had this kind of affect on you. I have not been this excited about the release of a book since DH, and although we aren't having midnight releases for it here in the UK (and indeed aren't getting it until wednesday because of annoying international embargoes).

I literally cannot wait to see how it ends!!!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

The best soundtrack ever made is the one from Amélie, in my opinion.

maddy said...

You should check out A Fine Frenzy. :)

'Stine said...

Love Jason Mraz. Jimmy Eat World is my favorite though. I really like Ludo and The Aquabats too. They sing about silly things and make me happy.

Rosanna said...

Owl City and Jason Mraz are some of my favourites too, and the Walk to Remember Soundtrack is something I will always adore. I go back and listen to it every once in a while and love it even more.
At the minute I am loving listening to The Submarines and Aqualung, they both have some great songs :)

Jess said...

Yay for the Hush Sound!

Also, way too excited about Mockingjay to function. I've never had to wait for a book to come out like this, because I got into both Twilight and Harry Potter after all of the books came out.

Connor said...

I have only one thing to say: Sigur Ros = <3

Unknown said...

It makes me so happy that you like Regina Spektor!
So few people know about her, it's nice to know that they exist ;)
I went to her concert last year and she was absolutely brilliant.
What is your favorite song of hers?

anna said...

I'm so glad someone asked the music question! I was planning on it myself but didn't get to the computer in time.

I am thoroughly impressed with your music tastes. You listen to SO MUCH of what I enjoy. A few other bands you might like based on what you've said: Shout Out Louds, Jonsi, Belle & Sebastian, A Fine Frenzy, Keane, and Goot. Oh, also: Matt & Kim!

Ravenclaw2313 said...

If you like Kate Nash you should check out Amanda Palmer and The Dresden Dolls. I actually found/fell in love with Kate Nash through a pandora station based on Dresden Dolls.

I own all the Pokemon soundtracks and they are absolute favorites of mine. I also love Tarzan and Spirit and The Lizzie McGuire Movie and The Lion King and lots of other childhood favorites.

Unknown said...

Wow! We have such similar music tastes. I'm so pleased! I've lately been listening to Kate Nash songs on repeat.

I also love "Dinosaurs," cause, well, I love dinosaurs. And I, like you, are referring to the actual giant reptiles (not old men...) xD

Alissa said...

Music we have in common:

Paramore, No Doubt, Regina Spektor, Metric, Owl City, the Postal Service, Feist, Ingrid Michaelson, the Tings Tings, Imogen Heap, Jason Mraz, Across the Universe soundtrack...

Actually ALL the soundtracks :)

Music I think you might like based on your tastes...

Jack Johnson, Ray LaMontagne, She and Him, Mumm-Ra, the Smiths, Ben Folds, Wolfmother, Meaghan Smith, Coco Rosie, The Weepies, Deb Talan, Coconut Records, Carbon Leaf, Diane Birch, Reliant K, Grace Potter, The Ravonettes...

Alissa said...

@Ariella I LOVE REGINA!!!!! My *current* fav by her is Hotel Room... <3 She is so amazing!

fivebyfivewhat said...

Regina, La Roux and wholeheartedly IMOGEN HEAP. I love her.

I am SO excited for Mockingjay too.. but it doesn't come out here til the 25th, my copy probably won't be dispatched for a couple of days after that, so I will be waiting with baited breath.

The UK covers are nowhere near as cool as the US ones... not that that makes any difference to the reading experience.

Anonymous said...

I'm gonna start this comment off with a question.

I just (5 minutes ago) finished reading AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES, by John Green. I haven't read any of his other books. Which one should I read next?

Now Music. I love Muse (which you mentioned in you list twice, and if i was going to make a list, they would be on it twice because they are that good), Ting Tings, Muse, Kate Nash, Lily Allen. So most of your new likes really that I'm guessing you started listening to last year when you were in London?

Oh and I also love movie soundtracks too.

I'm not sure I could really suggest any "if you like these then you might like.." bands because my music taste is a bit all over the place but maybe Oasis, Kaiser Chiefs, Franz Ferdinand?

Molly said...

I like Cascada.

J said...

Your musical taste is fucking amazing.

I really like The Hush Sound, Metric (have you heard of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs? They're kinda similar), No Doubt, Ingrid Michaelson, The Postal Service, and Feist as well.

OH and Regina Spektor. She's one of my absolute favorites. <3

I love that you listed the Prince Caspian soundtrack too. Man, when Regina Spektor's song "The Call" came on at the end of the movie, I was in tears. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

Anonymous said...

I love Imogen Heap :)

Jenna @ Falling Letters said...

I'm listening to the Series of Unfortunate Events soundtrack right now :D It made me smile when I read that :P Drive Away is such a nice song

Jessamyn said...

Someone else who likes Kate Nash! My friend Courtney and I were so sure it was only us xD Have you listened to her new CD yet? It's all good enough, but then there's this one very erm, lets say *interesting* "song" were she goes on and on about some, well *interesting* things. It's called mansion song.

Actually, you and I like a large amount of the same bands. Which I guess I shouldn't expect to be surprising, because I like your music, and that has to have influences in what you listen to. But, I mean, you even like Sigur Ros!

This has to be my coolest discovery of the day.

The Vagabond said...

I DO have a suggestion for you! You may have heard of them. They're on YouTube and they're called Rocky and Balls. They're hilarious and awesome and British.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vVdWHADKto&feature=related

Cat said...

I recommend you check out Whitley. He's my favourite band/artist of all time :)
I love all his songs, but this is probably the one I hold closest to my heart (haha lame but true):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Zk6PUdXag

Anonymous said...

Kristina! I don't mean to be pushy, but I have to insist that, if you don't already have it, you go pick up "One Cell in the Sea" by A Fina Frenzy AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.

(We have a lot of favorite bands in common, and this album is 100% amazing, in my opinion).

Amanda Hager said...

Definitely have to check out Sarah Blacker: http://www.myspace.com/sarahblacker

Maggie said...

I don't know whether or not you meant to put Muse twice in your list, but I approve. =)

I really like most of those bands, and the others I haven't heard of. I expect I will check them out now.

I just want to make one recommendation to you: Charlie Winston. If you only listen to three of his songs, listen to In Your Hands, Like a Hobo, and My Life as a Duck. If you are into darker music, give My Name a try. He is an amazing musician, and I want the whole world to hear his inventive songs.

Karina said...

I recommend listening to A Fine Frenzy, Lenka, Meiko, Amy Kuney, Gregory and the Hawk, and Miss Li.

Lewis Howlett said...

Wow, I didn't know you had Kate Nash and Lily Allen over in the States, seeing as they're so very British ;) I'd say Kate Nash is one of my very favourite artists. I'm going to see her play in October and I can barely contain my excitement :D If you like Nash and Lily Allen then there's another British girl you should check out. Her name is Ellie Goulding and she makes really interesting music. Try: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=iv&v=IDwbHeR0UYc&annotation_id=annotation_387534 and also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PULdPep_xfs. I hope you like her! And I won't even start on the Hunger Games. I'm excited beyond belief :)

deeplikethesea said...

haha, I LOVE Kate Nash and Ingrid Michaelson and Muse, and a few others. I don't really know anyone who likes Ingrid Michaelson except my sister (who got me listening to her) so it's nice to know that you do!

to_thine_own_self said...

We have similar tastes in music =]
I adore Across the Universe!

Cat said...

Also another cute dinosaur song is 'Dinosaur' by Kisschasy. It has the added bonus of being about long distance relationships :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-Qs5Wgp4Qw

Stefan said...

awesome music. I really love Parentheses by The Blow.

here's my top 20 from the last 3 months. Last.fm is so useful!

Miniature Tigers, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Kelly Jones, The Apples in Stereo, Lily Allen, The Hush Sound, Mates of State, Old 97's, Fountains of Wayne, Meiko, She & Him, Candy Butchers, The Orion Experience, Mike Viola, CAKE, Foo Fighters, Marvelous 3, The 88, The Submarines, Cults

http://www.last.fm/user/STHayden/charts

Brookely90 said...

Kate Nash is my favorite singer!!! She will always entertain me with her music. Most of those you listen to I also listen to and now I have some more to look up. Thanks =)

Anonymous said...

I love your choice of soundtracks! The Juno soundtrack has been one of my favorites for a while. Also, Sigur Ros is the bomb. I don't care if I don't know what they're saying, it sounds pretty. I'm a good 45 years late to Beatlemania, but how could we ever forget them?

You inspired me to re-read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire! They're such lovely stories, I'm really looking forward to Mockingjay, too.

Julia said...

Good luck with the new roommate! I hope it works out well.

I'm so excited for Mockingjay too! I'm the same way in that it's the first time i've been so excited for a book release since Harry Potter. I'm sad that i'm working full time now and won't be able to go to a release party or read all the way through right away :( Stupid being an adult nonsense.

And I haven't listened to the Format in so long! They're awesome!

seurat2 said...

Kristina, I like a lot of those bands in particular Rilo Kiley, Eisley, Tilly and the Wall, Metric and Feist. I have seen them all live too. Glad you've been having such a great summer and enjoy the launch party tonight.

appletrain said...

"I hold most of my favorites dear, even if I discovered them years ago." sums me up :)

i love most of the bands you mentioned and if i don't it's because i haven't listened to them yet! this year i discovered and favourited Passion Pit, Mumford & Sons, the Temper Trap, Chromeo, Ra Ra Riot, Arcade Fire (well, rediscovered), mashup djs like Amoraboy, DJ Bahler and the White Panda, the xx, Florence + the Machine, Kid Cudi, Neon Trees, B.o.B., Tallest Trees, Gyptian, Caravan Palace, Jónsi, Darwin Deez, Miike Snow, aaaaaand i'll end with Mr Hudson.

and those are only the ones i've recently loved. ahhh i love music!

Kristen said...

Wow. We like a lot of the same music, especially the soundtracks like A Walk to Remember. The bands and artists that I don't recognize I'm copying down to look on itunes later : )

Oh, and the Ke$ha comment made me smile and happy that I'm not the only one that doesn't mind listening to her music.

appletrain said...

ohohohoh!! and SPANISH MUSIC, i've been getting into random spanish music lately! such a great part of living in socal is that in between all the regular range of stations we have that same range all in spanish.

Anonymous said...

The fact that you mentioned (in passing) that you like musicals brings me great joy.

.
.
.

I think the thing I am enjoying the most about following your blog is the fact that we are similar (except you are WAY more musically talented)

Oh, and totally not sucking up, but All Caps is the first BAND that I have fallen in love with. I usually fall in love with songs ("Chariot" by Gavin DeGraw = love forever even though I like none of his other stuff) ... but I love every single one of the songs that you and Luke did. They crack me up.

Cheers!
Amber

Margaret said...

I was literally about to recommend ALL CAPS to you. Wow...

Niki. said...

I really like Paramore, Owl City, and Hey Monday, too. And I'm starting to get into Muse and Imogen Heap a bit, as well. To be honest I haven't even heard a lot of the music from most of the bands you mentioned, but I'll try to check them out sometime! =].

kyle said...

So,
Eisley, Owl City, Imogen Heap, Regina Spektor? I get the feeling I'll have to try out some of the other bands you listed.

If you liked the Juno soundtrack, then I'd suggest Kimya Dawson. Some good OSTs are Gladiator, Avatar, Final Fantasy X and House of Flying Daggers. And I'm assuming that if you listen to Imogen Heap that you also listen to Frou Frou.

KatOfDiamonds said...

I would love to live with you!!!
...if it didn't mean I'd have to move states. Darn.

Unknown said...

I LOVE METRIC! I saw them in concert, it was magical :D
Also, I really need to read Hunger Games, and as I expected, you have great taste in music (gotta same, I think I know of or like most of those bands, though some are new to me, so I'll go check those out!)
My friend recently introduced me to Ben Folds, so if you haven't listened to him before, you should! :)
-Aly

El-Hrairah1 said...

Would be difficult to list all my favorite songs/music/bands because they span so much time. And my family heritage in music encompasses almost every kind, which we always did and still do sing together.

Karen said...

We have SEVERAL favourite artists in common (Regina Spektor, Metric, Greg Holden, and especially Ingrid Michaleson), so based on that I think you would like Tegan and Sara. They have a good variety of quieter and dancier songs and really awesome voices. :)

Anonymous said...

I completely forgot I used to listen to the Format- I just found them on my iTunes and yep, still fantastic.

I loved the Forecast and Straylight Run at the same time I started listening to the Format, so you might like them as well. I'm not sure what they've released since 2006, but everything until then was great.

Ruth said...

I went to the same high school as The Hush Sound. And I agree that the Across The Universe soundtrack is unbelieved amazing. :)

Alissa said...

The fact that so many people here know of Metric and Regina Spektor makes me super happy! And whoever suggested tha Kristina listen to Teagan and Sara I love you! I *knew* I was missing a big one from the novel of a list I gave her... It was them, thanks!!

Also I really like The Scene Aesthetic...

Unknown said...

ok so you just basicly listed every band in my ipod right now and like everybody else i have a few suggestions for you to ;) you probably will like ELLIE GOULDING based on you music choices and if you didn't know alreay THE FORMTS'S lead singer is in a new band called FUN. and greta from THE HUSH SOUND is in another band called GOLD MOTEL thanks for making my day -fred

Love, Chelsea said...

Oh my GOD! I loved the Josie and the Pussycats soundtrack! That is hilarious, I forgot!

Keshara said...

The Blow is definitely among the bands that I've been getting into lately. Suggestion wise, I think you'd like Now, Now Every Children, Band of Horses, The Hidden Cameras, The National, Jenny Owen Youngs, Lemuria, Coconut Records, Camera Obscura...to name a few haha.

Caitlin said...

I'm so glad someone else likes the Across The Universe soundtrack. So many of my friends think the film and the soundtrack is terrible and I can see their point on some things, but the whole production seemed to be made with such love that I can't not just love it and wish I had been a part of the experience.

Plus, I lived in a household with parents who never played The Beatles, so it was an introduction to their music for me, and was such a lovely intro at that.

I have to listen to this Dinosaur song. Intrigued.

I don't know La Roux's music that much but I find myself repeating the line: This time baby I'll be bulletproof" over and over again, almost like a affirmation or mantra.

Hope your new roommates settling in with you all okay and you with him.

Molly Jo said...

I have NEVER seen anyone who knew who Tilly and the Wall are since college! This means 5 years of forcing people to listen to them, whether they want to or not.

Mary Clare said...

Aw! Everybody who's commented have taken tons of my music suggestions. :) You guys have awesome taste. Anyway, a few suggestions I have: Alexi Murdoch, Angels & Airwaves, Arctic Monkeys, Blue October, Breaking Benjamin, Coldplay, Fiona Apple, Foo Fighters, Fort Minor, the Frames, Frank Sinatra, Harry Connick Jr., The Heavy, Incubus, Jamie Cullum, The Killers, Levy, Linkin Park, Matisyahu, Modest Mouse, Oasis, the soundtrack for the movie Once (see the movie if you haven't yet!), Pixies, Rooney, Rufus Wainwright, Snow Patrol, Silversun Pickups, the Strokes, the Swell Season, Switchfoot, and Vampire Weekend.

Tiny and Momo said...

You should listen to Coldplay! You and I seem to have a very similar taste in music and books so I think you would like them!