Name: T.A.M.I. Show
Occupation: A 1964 concert film (yes, I have a crush on a concert film this week)
Status: Um, well, it featured The Barbarians, The Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, James Brown and the Famous Flames, Marvin Gaye, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Leslie Gore, Jan and Dean, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Rolling Stones, and The Supremes
Most known for: uh, being collective footage from two obviously amazing concerts that took place in October of 1964, that featured that day’s biggest stars
Recently known for: in 2006, the film was named to the National Film Registry by the U.S. Library of Congress, and it’s first authorized release came this March when Dick Clark Productions finally put it on DVD
Up next: unless you count me watching it every day, nothing
Why you crushin’?: I mean, come on. It’s fairly obvious by now that anything having to do with the 1960s is the greatest thing in the world to me (save for racism and sexism obbbvs). While The Ronettes and The Beatles are sadly missing from this concert and, therefore, film – and, though I can barely stand Diana Ross – I still found myself flipping the fuck out when I finally watched it last night. It started and didn’t fucking stop for two straight hours. Fast songs, slow songs, songs I knew by heart, songs I’d never heard – James Brown and his cape!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When he dropped to his knees, I, literally, said aloud, “Shit! Someone bring him his cape!” and a dude totally brought him his cape. Anyway, not only were the performances outstanding, there were also a good amount of dancers on stage with them that didn’t. quit. Oh and, no big deal, but Tony Basil and Teri Gaar were two of those dancers! I definitely want to watch it again so I can find them. Some girls were in bathing suits, one dude was probably the lead singer of TV on the Radio; I can’t even explain to you how badly you need to find this thing and watch it to death.

Alright, I just checked: you can’t watch it online at Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu, but you can totally rent or purchase it, respectively, at those first two places.

Name: The Futureheads – Barry Hyde, Ross Millard, David “Jaff” Craig, Dave Hyde
Occupation: Wikipedia alleges they are “a four-piece English, punk band from Sunderland”
Status: Well, aside from them collectively dating me, I believe I noticed a wedding band on Barry, but I’m not sure about the others
Most known for: their Queen-like harmonies and Devo-like beats (I might’ve just made that up)
First known for: their Kate Bush “Hounds of Love” cover that broke them into the U.K. charts and sent them touring with the likes of The Foo Fighters, the Pixies, and Elton John (wha!)
Up next: well, they’re continuing to tour in support of their just-released album, The Chaos, and they just finished shooting their next video (I can’t remember the name of it, though, because I’m the worst)
Why you crushin’?: boof, okay. Well, I first simultaneously heard and saw this band in concert almost exactly four years ago. I was on a “redheaded lady singer” kick (basically Neko Case and Jenny Lewis/Rilo Kiley and Rainer Maria) for a long while, and these dudes were my first break from that. Their show was also my first time inside of the sweaty unders of the First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Anyway, they were so beyond and I fell in total like-like almost immediately. Of course, I spent the next few years “discovering” so much music (new and old) that the Sunderboys sort of fell away from my immediate thoughts. Even when they released new albums, they seemed to continually find themselves lost in the pack of other newly-released music that I tried to ingest all at once (an impossibility!). But then, the other day happened. And I’ve vowed to never under-appreciate them ever again! They played at the Church once more (pretty sure I lost one million pounds down there) – with The Like as their opening act, come on! – and I just had the greatest of times. I actually, like, jump-danced and stuff. And then, even moshed. I know, right? They played impeccably, they joked unendingly, they were totally un-understandable when talking at times (oh, accents); I just want to live that night every single night. I am truly contemplating taking a trip to anywhere to see them play again. I so wish I could see them again before they head back overseas. Oh, yeah, and they’re all fucking cute as hale.

Oh, fuck! I almost forgot the most important thing! This happened (on Twitter, obvs) –


Basically, I’m near dead now. Bye!

P.S. The meaning behind the title of this entry is as follows: at the show, the boys mentioned the year and film 2012. Philadelphia, being ourselves, someone then shouted, “I love John Cusack!” Cool story, bro.

Well, anyway, I’ve been ape about them. I read about them years and years ago, and have had their Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking? for just as long. When Bethany directed me to their new video/song, “He’s Not a Boy”, though, I nearly lost all of the marbles. Everything aligned to perfection. The video reminds me of several scenes in A Hard Day’s Night, the song is totally my cup-of-tea-sixties mixed just so with Mark Ronson. Then, I saw them open for The Futureheads the other night (more on them tomorrow, hint), and it was just love-love all around. I even had the chance to speak to bassist, Laena, about the wonder of fans in a hot church. And then felt how soft drummer, Laura Dern Tennessee’s, hair was when the girls (minus lead singer, Z) came out and moshed in front of me to the end of the The Futureheads’ set. Then she swished beer on everyone and bros in jorts got real serious about moshing, and my night wasn’t as fun as it’d been merely seconds before. But I digress.

Here are some pictures, taken from here. Read the interview. Despite Tennessee’s beer showering transgressions, I still love her.

Name: Haircut 100 – Nick Heyward, Les Nemes, Graham Jones, Phil Smith, Marc Fox, Blair Cunningham
Occupation: British, New Wave, pop group from the early 1980s
Status: Broken up, but I hope still friends!
Most known for: their smash hit “Love Plus One” that brought them to “one-hit wonder” status in the United States
Recently known for: well, they reunited for the VH1 show Bands Reunited and played a gig at Cadogan Hall in London this past December
Up next: they’re no longer together as a band, but several of them have successfully stayed in the music business, with Nick Heyward having released an album with singer and actress, India Dupre, in 2006
Why you crushin’?: so, I happened upon VH1′s 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s the other day, and “Love Plus One” was #90. I don’t really know what happened after that because I’ve spent the majority of my time since downloading their album (Pelican West…Plus), listening to their album on repeat, “Like”ing them on Facebook, and watching that Bands Reunited episode (thanks to my friend, Mike Maier!). They’re like Vampire Weekend, but with a saxophone and a trumpet (and I actually like them). I am especially crushing on Mr. Heyward and his dreamy voice and even dreamier looks he gives to the camera in their videos. Swoon central.

I could not find a satisfactory, large picture of this dang band! Stupid Getty Images.

Name: Jordan Nathaniel Marcel Knight
Occupation: New Kid on the Block, childhood obsession
Status: Married to a lady named Evelyn Melendez (bitch!), with whom he has a son; he also has a daughter from a previous thing, apparently
Most known for: falsetto-ing the shit out of eighties pop tunes in New Kids on the Block who were, literally, a white New Edition (ask Maurice Starr if you don’t believe me, y’all!)
Recently known for: uh, reuniting with said “Block”, touring, album-releasing, and cruise-shipping
Up next: the New Kids are continuing to tour, even performing at Radio City Music Hall for the first time ever (huh?!?!)
Why you crushin’?: This boy was my first crush ever. Ever ever. I had posters of him everywhere, experienced crotch crickets while watching the “Baby I Believe in You” performance (a boy’s bare chest!), and even fucking loved his solo stuff that came out many, many years later (don’t think I don’t still know that dance, people). I, finally, for the first time, saw the New Kids in concert a year or so ago (I have no sense of time) with my equally-obsessed (but with Joey) homegirl, Ashley (who I talk about constantly). It was one of the greatest nights of my entire damn life. Today, Mr. Knight turns forty fucking years old and he’s still as banging as ever. But, seriously, getting back to this “Baby I Believe in You” thing –

Schön Geburtstag für mich!

BDAYMIX!(<- download some sweet tunes, buddies)

01. Brigitte Bardot, “Moi Je Joue”
02. Queen, “Dreamer’s Ball”
03. New Kids on the Block, “Cover Girl”
04. The Shangri-Las, “Give Him a Great Big Kiss”
05. The Brunettes, “Pink Ribbons”
06. Lucky Soul, “Whoa Billy!”
07. The Like, “Release Me”
08. Scarlett Johansson, “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up”
09. George Harrison, “Got My Mind Set On You”
10. The Runaways, “Neon Angels On the Road to Ruin”
11. Be Your Own Pet, “Girls on TV”
12. David Bowie, “Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)”
13. Benjy Ferree, “When You’re 16″
14. Backstreet Boys, “That’s What She Said”
15. Living Sisters, “Ferris Wheel”
16. She & Him, “If You Can’t Sleep”
(bonus track!)

Name: Glee
Occupation: Er, it’s a television show. And lifestyle
Status: In a v. serious relationship with its many Gleeks
Most known for: well, just being a fucking hit sensation in the world of boob tube (and iTunes), I guess, right?
First known for: creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan were hoping it would be a film upon thinking up the idea, so that’s something
Up next: currently airing it’s, like, second semester season?, it’s continuing on in its awesomeness with last week’s amazinggg Madonna episode that had everyone flipping their shits all over the country
Why you crushin’?: I love singing. I miss high school singing. Everyone is pretty gorge and fairly talented. Emma Pillsbury is who I dream to be. Finn Hudson is the tallest boy I’ve ever seen. I was apeshit for it from the beginning, but – in all honesty – slowly weaned off of it as the first semester season progressed; the writing was just not, well, well-written! Scenes happened in all sorts of odd order, too many secrets and too many pregnancies; it was as if too much stuff was being written and introduced in too short of a time. I wasn’t sure if I was going to watch the second half of the season (*gasps heard ’round the globe*), but last Tuesday, I had a chance to watch the Madonna episode in my Television History and Appreciation II class (before it aired, mind you!) because my professor, David Bianculli, is awesome. Well, turns out it was the best episode of Glee to date!!!!! Not just because of Madonna (because, duh), but because it was completely and utterly fantastically done. After classes, I went home and watched the second semester premiere (I’d been on the fence about even bothering to watch). It’s safe to say that I am back, fully, in my enormous Gleekdom and hope to never stray away again. Seriously, I just about cry during most episodes, anyway, because I just love singing and musicals so much. I am an insane person, by the way.

P.S. My friend, Chris Newcomer, auditioned for next season! Gold-star-giving has finished, but you can enjoy him anyway!!

Alright, alright. I know I talk about The Brunettes, like, every other day here (actually, shut up, I’ve only officially written about them one time), but I’ve appointed myself to their street team, I guess, and I can’t stop. Now that the weather has gotten sunshining and warm, it’s become impossible for me to stop listening to their records, over and over again. Seriously. I’m listening to Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks for, probably, the fourteenth time today and it’s only two. But sometimes I exaggerate things.

I’d somehow managed to gloss over the fact that these two (Jonathan Bree and Heather Mansfield) had released an EP in 1998, titled Mars Loves Venus EP? I was reading over their Wikipedia (again) today, and clicked through to find out that the names of the songs on said EP make me want to purchase it immediately. Unfortunately for the world (no joke), it is nowhere to be found. At least internetedly. I’ve actually become a bit depressed about that. I have no clue how to go about finding this thing. I mean, shit, I only need three of the four songs!

“Pink Ribbons”

“If You Were Alien”

“Red Rollerskates ’66″

“In Colours”

Well, anywho. I’ll be honest: I love this band, obviously, more than I even realize, but I’m not a total fan of their latest. I feel like they’ve gotten too synth, or something? I don’t know; I don’t think that’s right, but I can’t explain it. Maybe it’s that I miss the simplicity. I’m a huge proponent of the Beach Blanket Bingo-sound they had on HHFD and continued to have through Mars Love Venus (the full-length). And Jonathan’s adorable lyrics that read like love notes and old-fashioned wooing just aren’t the same as they used to be! I don’t really listen to much of their stuff after When Ice Met Cream, unfortunately. I mean, these kids sang about Jem, The Hulk, and Footloose – eff any haters who didn’t like this way of doing things (if that’s what inspired the change), because I know scores of people (okay, maybe two, but it’s just that I don’t know many people to begin with) who do enjoy that.

I’m not sure what I’m even saying anymore. I just wanted to continue my rein of Brunettes support and turn any of you disbelievers into fans. By now, I’m not sure how we can even stand each other if you haven’t even tried them out yet.