Perlabra!

Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion

I'm your average Animal Collective fan. They've successfully managed to put out a new lp almost every year since their 2003 release, Here Comes the Indian, and I've successfully managed to collect them all, minus one. Their latest album however, Merriweather Post Pavallion, has topped them all  — it's been on constant repeat for days and is the first album that I have listened to in while that I can say has me completely psyched to start on some new personal design projects again. Sometimes, you just get in that rut of client work day in/day out that you need something inspiring to come around and jump start the creativity again; this time, it's in the form of idiosyncratic sounds produced by Animal Collective and psychedelic pop-art aesthetics.

I dedicate this song/video to you!

I spent so many hours this weekend glued to all of the pre-inaugural coverage and as the hours get closer and closer to hitting that January 20th mark, the more I just can't contain my excitement and happiness that this is finally (and really) happening!

So, while I have these warm and fuzzy feelings, I thought I would post this incredibly sweet and exquisite video for "Winter Song" by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson for the all-female album The Hotel Café Presents Winter Songs. This is for all of my wonderful friends in Chicago who are having one hell of a winter, to my friends visiting D.C. who were braver than I to brace the crowds for the chance to witness history (and who are also cold!) and to all of the old friends that have come out of the woodwork of late to find me on Facebook! Wow, talk about an "I love the internet" moment; so great to be reconnected with people who I thought would always just be a part of my memory (and totally 80's style journals and scrapbooks) we tightly hold on to. But, most importantly, I dedicate this song to my mom who will be undergoing a biopsy tomorrow at the exact time Obama takes his Oath; maybe this will help put a smile on her face :)

Dan Deacon: Live at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple

My work is done for tonight. Must...get...zzzzzz's. Before I go, I leave you with one last post for today — a Dan Deacon lullaby. Goodnight!

(There's 1 more where that came from here.)

New Beirut video "La Llorona"

I am so excited about Beirut's 2/17 release of March Of The Zapotec. It looks like it will be packaged together with another EP, Holland, which includes five solo Condon home recordings under his "Realpeople" moniker (both EP's will be available on vinyl, yay!)

Even more excitement — their new video is amazing. According to Stereogum: Zach Condon headed to Oaxaca, Mexicao -- the weaver village of Teotitlan del Valle to be exact -- and hooked up with the 19-piece Jimenez Band band, who helped him get the sounds he needed for his March Of The Zapotec EP. Condon plans to release some short films documenting the experience, but in the Owen Cook-animated video for standout "La Llorna" he stayed home and wrote a narrative about a little dog, a mourner, the band, a Mexican graveyard, and a puddle of tears (or, well, rain). It helps to know that "La Llorona"'s "the weeping woman" in Spanish and relates to a legend about a woman who killed her children then herself after she was rejected by a man. She spends her time as a weeping ghost, wandering in search of the kids.

I can't tell you how much I adore this!

Blitzen Trapper: Furr

Sweet Blitzen Trapper video from their 2008 Sub Pop release, Furr.

The Art of Music

21 international artists, graphic designers and illustrators were asked to create an original poster of the gig of their dreams. Really, really nice stuff up here.

Fujiya & Miyagi: Ankle Injuries

Fujiya & Miyagi- Ankle Injuries from Insound on Vimeo.

Another terrific video for Fujiya & Miyagi (I think that makes 3 that I posted so far in the last couple of months). This one uses pixel art dice animation and is directed by Wade Shotter.

I told you to be fine.

#93.6 BON IVER - Skinny Love
by lablogotheque

Today has been, eh, not the greatest day (although it was fun to watch Blagojevich go down) until I decided to go through pages of things I stumbled upon this week that I have not had a chance to read/view. Then, I saw this find from yesterday. Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago cd will go down as one of those beautiful finds for me in 2008 and this song and video was the perfect thing I needed to end the day.

N.A.S.A. [ft. David Byrne, Chuck D, Ras Congo, Seu Jorge, and Z-Trip]: "Money"

LCD Soundsystem: "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down"