Your Facebook status is grammatically incorrect

jamiemurnane — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 05:15:23 +0000

One day last week, I randomly decided to submit some slogan ideas to Threadless. I had a genius idea (so I thought), and didn’t feel like (or have time for) doing an actual design, so I thought the above title might make for decent slogan tees (you know, for high schoolers who still wear them). But as of now, “Your Facebook status is grammatically incorrect” is ranked at only 25 percent (out of 32 voters, a quarter of whom are obviously rude).

So, either people just like to sign up and vote for their friends, or people just don’t get what’s so bad about telling 432 “friends” that “[Whatshisface from high school] feeling wierd.” C’mon people, spell check! Use a verb! It’s not that hard. But mostly, stop hating on my awesome shirt ideas (“I’ll Tumblr 4 ya”–helloooo Culture Club + 2k8!).

Here comes trouble

jamiemurnane — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:23:57 +0000

I am crazy and have not one obsessive pug, but now two. I feel like I just had a baby due to the multiple trips outside and waking up too early (what’s with puppies and their tiny bladders, anyway?). But, over all, I’m pretty psyched–they rule–and it’s impossible to be bored (or not be nibbled by a teething puppy). Although, it would be nice to read the NYTimes without someone trying to eat it.

stella + lola 4evr!

jamiemurnane — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:52:00 +0000

This post is just to prove I have other interests besides music. It’s true—I have a lot. One of them is my pug child, Stella. She’s three. And in three weeks, she’ll no longer be an only child, because we’ll have Lola!

Yes, now I’m officially one of “those people.” Go ahead and judge. You’re just jealous you won’t have two awesome, snorty, cuddly pugs. I’ll basically never be leaving my apartment again.

i’m still shaking my head

jamiemurnane — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:10:05 +0000

And I’m still obsessed. This is Santogold’s new video for “Lights Out,” which is fabulous, even if the song is used in a beer commercial. I actually had said beer this weekend, not by choice, and it was surprisingly refreshing. Or maybe it was Santogold’s Josie and the Pussycats-like effect on me. Gold is the new black!

play this music as loud as can be

jamiemurnane — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:26:49 +0000

I was going to write an intelligent blog about why I love the new CSS album so much, but was distracted by their really bizarre video for “Left Behind.”

While I’m all about DIY projects, this one just doesn’t do it for me. Sure, it was weirdly funny, but come on, they were basically the soundtrack of the iPod all of last year. I think they can afford to make a video with better “special effects.”

I’m missing them—AGAIN—at Lollapalooza, as Trish and I decided to not spend $160 for one-day tickets, and instead, go on a more-fun vaca mid-August (and get our pug a sister, and furnish the new apartment, pay student loans, etc, etc…). Oh adulthood! I assumed we’d just catch their show at HOB on Saturday night, but my 15-year-old sister will be visiting again and is not, in fact, 17, as the venue stipulates. (Then again, she’s into bands like Paramore and probably wouldn’t appreciate Lovefoxxx’ shiny jumpsuits as much as I would).

But anyway, the whole album is great. I’ve listened to it a trillion times. My only complaint is that the band name is encoded on the album as CSS and the first one was Cansei de ser Sexy, so it’s split up on my iPod. As my friend Amanda would say, first world problem!

you and i missbehaving

jamiemurnane — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:32:06 +0000

The summer issue of Missbehave is out, with my feature on Tripp NYC‘s Daang Goodman (who was very hard to get a hold of, but very interesting. She should be, she’s kind of a big deal).

This is the best cover yet, in my opinion. Giant banana + teasers like “hot new workout: punching people.” What more could you ask for?

MIA ‘retires,’ but there’s still Santogold

jamiemurnane — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:33:54 +0000

MIA announced at Bonnaroo that she’s “retiring” from the music business. I have a hard time believing an artist when they say they’re retiring, because it usually just ends up being an extended (if that) break. So, we’ll see what happens with that…but anyway, Santogold is where it’s at lately. (I’ve been pretty much obsessed for the last couple of weeks.) Gettin’ even more pysched for Lollapalooza.

music issue, alright

jamiemurnane — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 21:49:58 +0000

When I can’t connect to my iTunes from work, I sometimes use the Yahoo music player. It usually knows me pretty well, but this week it has insisted on playing Scarlett Johansson every five minutes. I don’t know how, based on some of my selected faves (Gossip, CSS, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Rapture, etc…) Yahoo decided ScarJo covering Tom Waits was for me. It’s probably just some kind of sneaky marketing deal. So, after hearing her try too hard to sound like Cat Power on “Falling Down,” I clicked the “never play this artist again” option. Problem solved. At least, until I got the music issue of Nylon with her on the cover.

Really? The music issue? Come on. She did a fun little project to show what a hip Tom Waits fan she is (and David Sitek and Co. saved the album by at least making it sound decent, production-wise), but Nylon has one chance a year to do something out of the ordinary and they go and ruin it with putting yet another actress on the cover. How original. There are about 30 actual musicians throughout the pages of the magazine that would be more deserving of the cover (and Santogold’s style is way more hip–without the help of stylists and handlers). And what is she doing with that guitar as a prop? It’s not fooling anyone. Musically, she should stick to where she belongs: in Justin Timberlake videos.

CSS: making this summer even better

jamiemurnane — Tue, 20 May 2008 21:12:55 +0000

CSS is putting out their new album, Donkey, in July. This is the cover.

And here’s a link to download their first single “Rat is Dead (Rage).” And I thought this summer couldn’t get any better than what I’ve already got going on.

death cab’s ‘narrow stairs’: better than a latte

jamiemurnane — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:31:38 +0000

While we were at Starbucks yesterday morning, Trish decided to purchase the new Death Cab for Cutie CD, Narrow Stairs. I was surprised that we a) were purchasing a non-digital album and b) that it was from Starbucks, but whatever. I listened to it three and a half times last night while putting neon quote bubble tags on stuff we’re selling at a “yard sale party” tomorrow and was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t suck. Not that I’ve ever really though Death Cab sucked. In fact, I’m more like one of those “old school” fans who gets turned off when a favorite band gets big–damn “The O.C.”–which is actually pretty stupid. I wasn’t a huge fan of Plans (although I secretly listened to “What Sarah Said” on repeat in my car–when I had it.)

Fun fact: album art by ee storey, of tegan and sara design fame

From what I can tell, the new album is much better overall than Plans, though I’m not really into the single, “I Will Possess Your Heart.” There are much better (and shorter) tracks, like “You Can Do Better Than Me” and “Long Division,” though the guitar on the latter sounds just like it does on “We Laugh Indoors,” from Photo Album. (I know this because my pug’s middle name, Guinevere, is from that song. Yes, my pug has a middle name and yes it’s from a Death Cab song. So what?)