Hey guys. So…. fashion week kept me busy enough that i couldn’t write for a while - but i’m BACK. Fashion week was fun, but given that i’m not six feet tall like the other girls at castings, it wasn’t as crazy as it could have been. regardless, i had fun. It’s sort of ridiculous to think about the soundtracks chosen by designers for the runway. Some of them are good- generally more electronica sounding vibes. but others choose strangely long songs that are purely centered around hard rock with mostly guitar solos and hardly any beats. as a model who’s walked the runway - a beat totally makes the show.. so… while guitar solos are fantastic to get into, they really aren’t so great to walk to. oh well. the show i did was mostly playing interpol, which i felt fine about, though when ‘untitled’ came on, i got a little depressed (i mean, how can you not!?) but i pulled it together ha.
I’ve been listening to a lot of new stuff recently. a band called the Silversun Pickups has been catching my eye. Their video for Well Thought Out Twinkles sounds cliche if i explain it (black and white filming followed by a splash of colors towards the end into the instruments… yeah. ok) but check it out because it’s actually pretty amazing, and the editing is cool.
I’m still obsessed with Midlake and their song Roscoe- the line with the name Roscoe totally catches me every time. Onto newer stuff, I’m getting into some Indian music. I never listened to it much before but recently, i can’t seem to stop. Indian vocals are incredible, ranging higher and with better frequency than most Western music I’ve heard. Furthermore, the beat of some of their newer music has a fantastically electro pop and electronica feel that is totally amazing to dance to (i also would die to walk the runway to it). The Indian bands I’ve been listening to recently are Fusing Naked Beats, Juggy D, and Rishi Rich. There are also tons of other bands I hear and love but can’t find their names (I listen to them on satellite radio stations broadcasting from the Southeast). Anyway, definitely check out all of this stuff - I’ll keep you updated if I find more bands that I like from that region.
The Woodies are coming up and I’m totally putting my votes in. Here are my choices. For Woodie of the Year , I’m really hoping Tom Delonge and Angels and Airwaves will win. I was able to hear Tom interviewed by some college newspapers last week and really find him to be as inspirational as he claims to be through Angels and Airwaves. The band was actually started because, while on tour with Blink 182, Tom had a bit of an epiphany, and decided that he wanted and was meant to do somethign bigger and more inspirational. Thus, he started Angels and Airwaves with Atom Willard, who was the drummer for Offspring. I actually like A&A more than Blink because their sound is a bit more accessible for those of us who aren’t a big fan of heavy garage sound. The vids are pretty awesome too. So… vote for Angels and Airwaves!!!
As far as The Breaking Woodie goes, I’m going with Lupe Fiasco this year. His unique sound and ability to rap about stuff that isn’t the usual hip hop video makes me like him a lot. Plus, his videos remind me of a lot of electronica and electro clash vids I’ve seen, so they’re definitely my style.He also has a much more humble approach to his music than a lot of artists in this category, and i think he should be rewarded for that - after all, it is the Breaking Woodie.
The Left Field Woodie is an interesting one. I really try to think about the artists in this category and judge them based on whether or not they are genre busters, not how much I like their sound. I think for that reason, my vote is going to lie with Gogol Bordello and their gypsy punk sound. They’re also from LES in NYC, so… maybe i’m a little biased. Gogol Bordello is known for frenetic theatrical stage shows and they incorporate instruments like the accordion and fiddle, mixing cabaret, punk, and plenty of other types of sound in their tracks. Their videos are as weird as their performances, and if you’ve ever sen them, you know what I mean. For costumes alone, they deserve to win this category.
For >Best Video Live Action Woodie, my vote goes to the Raconteurs. Their video, Steady As She Goes, has a really detailed storyline and I love the Go Kart racing theme. It’s also kind of amazing to watch Jack White play a sport, even if it is go karting… In any case, I really enjoy watching the video, and of course the ’super band’ sound of the Raconteurs is great to listen to backing the vid.
For Best Video Animated Woodie, my decision was pretty hard. I am a huge fan of animated vids, so making decisions between videos that are so differently animated from each other proved a bit more challenging than I’d guessed. In the end though, I had to go with Psapp for its uniqueness. Psapp is credited with inventing a musical genre called Toytronica (like, are you serious!! incredible). While I kind of wish they were up for Left Field Woodie, their video has some pretty fantastic animations so i’m definitely voting for them here.
My choice for The Good Woodie is Rise Against. I was able to speak to Rise Against on the Warped Tour and they are extremely dedicated and serious about their cause, which shows in every aspect of their music making. Their gruesome videos and never failing to be intense attitude regarding animal rights and other such causes is refreshing and definitely caught me off guard when I spoke to them. They’re also very smart and well informed when it comes to their mission, and are the last of the group (I think) to sell out - with a close second being System of a Down.
Ok it’s time for me to tape The Freshmen now, but I’ll write tomorrrow with the rest of my Woodies votes!!
Laterrrrrr
