To Tilly, wherever you are

Dearest Tilly,

I'm not sure whether or not you will get this message, for the carrier pigeon I attached it to was showing signs of fatigue. I can only hope that the sprightly creature will make its way northward without being consumed by a large gust of wind or house cat.

I hope your travels to The New Yorke were successful, and that you find yourself now in good health. I can only imagine that your apprenticeship at the Center for Control of Maladies and Other Indispositions has you performing rigorous duties. Make sure to keep stock of leeches and chamomile. And if all else fails in your attempts to control the dark spirits, remember my kind advice - fire, lots of it.

Currently, I find myself safely stationed in a nearly impenetrable fort, also known as my parent's house. My own quest for an apprenticeship has not been favorable, but I have not lost hope. I even have some free time now, and have taken up leisurely activities like botany and taking pictures of Nala, my closest companion.









Although things have been well for me, I can not say the same about the rest of our comrades. Our numbers are dwindling. Just last week one of us was banished to work in the labor camps of the USSR. I have yet to hear contact from her, so I am assuming all hope is lost. The rest are in fairly good condition, but as the months grow colder, I feel that they will be lost to the nearby academic institution.

If I do not receive word from you, I will not worry. My only fear is that as this letter makes its way northward, it will be lost in the bureaucracy of the liberal Yankees that you now find company with. Stay strong Tilly, and so will I.

As always, give your mother my regards.

Sincerely,
-Thomas

Biebertime!

Justin Bieber: pre-pubescent Canadian teeny-bopper pop sensation. AKA: Bieber, Biebs, The Bieb, J-Biebz, Biebasaurus, etc. (OK maybe the last one is just what I call him.)

Bieber fever has swept the nation and it now sweeps 2g1k!! Sort of. Let me 'splain.

First, we have The Biebs and his silly sugary-pop song "Baby." In the video seen below, Biebs romances a girl who looks at least 5 years older than him--guy/girl dance-off included!!!1!11!! omg like wow. Watch any other Biebvids, and then you'll see this is a steady, creepy trend.



And then we have "Heartbreaker" by other (superior) Canadians MSTRKRFT (which consists of one half of the former Death from Above 1979), which rocks fo sho. It really helps that John Effing Legend sings! That guy is magical. Check out the video below:



...But what do you get if you put these two together?!?! Something FAR better than "Baby" and as fun as "Heartbreaker," thanks to DJ CJ Milli! It sounds like what "Baby" should be to be an interesting song. Great for ironic hipster dance jammin'!!

"Heartbreaker/Baby" - Justin Bieber vs. MSTRKRFT, CJ Milli Mix

Finally, here is another example of what happens when Tilly has too much time and access to the interwebs and MS Paint. Enjoy, Bieberluvvers!!



Love,
Tills

New Wave, New and Old

I've always been sure that I would have made a totally radical 80s teenager. I would have been wearing an off-the-shoulder turquoise sweater over a pink leotard, leg warmers, and a puffy side ponytail, and jammin' out to Depeche Mode, Talking Heads, Devo, and probably a good helping of Pat Benatar and Nena. I just know it.

I may have missed out on that opportunity, but I sure as hell won't let it stop me from being bitchin' now! So I've prepared for you a little smattering of some of my favorite New Wave-y tunes, as well as some modern descendants of the synthesizing gods of old.

Witness the synthy wonder that is New Order! Seriously New Wave. Seriously awesome.
"Bizarre Love Triangle" - New Order


Oh, Gary, honey--you are safest in your car. It's ok.

And speaking of cars...how about The Cars? Yes please!
"Just What I Needed" - The Cars

Aaaand THE SAFETY DANCE cannot be forgotten! They just don't make music videos with medieval dancing midgets like they used to, huh?



*******************************************************

In the good old 2000s/2010s, we have a different style going on, but some bands admirably carry on the sounds of the 80s.

Thom and I got to see We Have Band back at SXSW '09, when they only had demos. Their recently released album WHB demonstrates their love for catchy, bold, synthy songs--and for making crazy cool music videos!



In the vein of Cut Copy, fellow Aussie band Van She makes some great stuff with a mix of 80s fabulosity and modern style. I'm giving you this song in particular because it's great, and was OBVIOUSLY written for me because there are no other Kellys in the world.
"Kelly" - Van She

But I think Austin's own Built By Snow takes the 80s cake. They embrace all things 80s and video-game-nerdy with a passion that rivals the 80s itself!



Keep the 80s alive! Love,
Tilly

(OH and my 80s alter ego would also have been Ferris Bueller's girlfriend. Really.)

Nerds make the best music

Most of you must have noticed the influx of insanity that is SXSW over this last week! Austinites said "Hello!" to a plethora of pretentious Brooklyn hipsters wearing all black (isn't the world over that yet?!), to which the hipsters replied, "Fuck you." Ahh, tourists.

But thankfully awesome music and free food/drinks were just as plentiful as the hipsters, and Thom and I partook as best we could. I was hindered by my minor-ness and couldn't get into the venues or enjoy the free beer that Thom could...and so I would like to formally apologize here to Thom for my 21st birthday being but two weeks away. Will you ever forgive me? :(



Of the free shows we did see, one of the best was from one of Austin's very own bands, the 80s-nerd-fabulous Built by Snow. We have blogged about them before, over a year ago. And not once had we seen them until now! Oh the shame.

We totally made up for it since they absolutely rocked the robot socks off of Fado Irish Pub on Friday night! After announcing themselves to hail from Tokyo, Japan, they played some catchy tunes from their most recent release, Mega, and a couple of experimental new ones. When the small crowd cheered them one for "one! more! song!", they returned to kick ass with Devo's "Girl U Want." They were nerdy, hilarious, and fun, and they have earned a 2g1k stamp of approval for all-around awesomeness.

"Something in 3D" - Built by Snow
"All the Weird Kids Know" - Built by Snow

As Thom and I get back to SKOOL this week we'll be posting here about our other SXSW experiences, including bands like:

-Neon Indian
-Memory Tapes
-Dam Funk
-The xx
-We Are Scientists
-She & Him

And other adventures like:

-Mildly famous people sightings
-Window cats
-Tripped out LSD guy

Stay tuned and keep rockin'!

Blast from the [recent] past

Hey kids,

Tilly here. As we haven't posted in a bit, I thought I'd share with anyone who stopped by 2g1k a little of what I've been enjoying lately. Interestingly enough, the songs I've been enjoying lately are not so new, but not so old either.

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I have to indirectly thank the Twilight sequel New Moon for the discovery of this first song. Terrible movie, terrible acting, but with a fantastic soundtrack. One of the songs was a compilation between St. Vincent and Bon Iver, which I've posted in the past. If not for that song, I might never have discovered Bon Iver's music in general, and I'm so glad I have now. Here's a beautiful sample of the album released in '08, For Emma, Forever Ago.

"Skinny Love" - Bon Iver



Also, I've been simultaneously jamming to a very different flavor of music...the danceable wonder that is Of Montreal! I knew they'd released a new album in 2008 (called Skeletal Lamping), but I never got my shiz together and checked it out. A couple nights ago I heard the unmistakable bass line that could only mean Of Montreal, and realized what I'd been missing. Here ya go!

"Gallery Piece" - Of Montreal



Happy music hunting to one and all!

Love,
Tilly

December, Part One: Chillin'

Well, hello there, gentle readers! I hope you've been enjoying the cessation of finals since we last spoke--I know I am.

...But wait, there's even more to celebrate! That would be the fun that is the scarf, Snuggie, and Christmas season. What could be better? December is a cool month in so many ways. As it gets cold and I have to find all my warm clothes in the back of my closet, I enjoy shifting my music along with the season.

As wonderful as it is, I don't listen to Christmas music exclusively for an entire month (though I often contemplate it). My other music tends to be cool in a less literal, more modern way. I love to enjoy the cold weather (and five minutes of snow in Austin!) while listening to some contemplative, creative, and beautiful music like this. For each song I've given a little intro as to why I find it so captivating. Feel free to comment with your opinions on the songs, and what songs you are inspired by in this weather!



"Unison" - Bjork
It builds from a very calm start to a lovely crescendo of Bjork's signature strange, interweaving voice and loops of beats and sound. It's delicate and interesting, just like its Vespertine album cover you see above.

"The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" - The Postal Service
A classic chill-out tune. To younguns like us, it can almost be considered vintage indie-pop, and that makes it even more thought-provoking!



"All I Need" - Radiohead
This song makes me melt! I nearly did when Thom (blogger Thom) and I were lucky enough to see the real Thom (Thom Yorke) & Co. in Houston and they played it. It's so romantic and sweet, which is almost odd coming from Radiohead.

"The Maker Makes" - Rufus Wainwright
This song has a bit of an unfair advantage compared to the others; it is from the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack. Brokeback Mountain, though extensively made fun of, is one of the best and most heartbreaking movies I've ever seen. This connection, as well as the simplistic beauty of the piano and Rufus's voice make it one of those songs that I have to stop and absorb when it comes on shuffle.

"We Might As Well Be Strangers" - Keane
I could have posted almost every Keane song on this entry and it would fit, but this one is particularly poignant and pretty. The boys of Keane always hit the mark--catchy but with substance and composition. Love 'em!



"Lisztomania" - Phoenix
Phoenix has a really great ability to combine fun, poppy sounds with interesting and charming songwriting. The video for "Lisztomania" showcases their wide-eyed fascination with the centuries-old roots and aging relics of their native Versailles. This is a great studying-art-history song, I've learned from experience...it really makes you think about history.

"Roslyn" - Bon Iver and St. Vincent
"Roslyn" is a beautiful end note to my winter playlist, because its ethereal, haunting, folk-infused harmonies linger well after the song is over. Good luck trying to match it with your own voice, though--I've tried many times unsuccessfully, though had great fun doing it.

Keep listening to whatever you love! It's why we blog and it's why you read our blog, right? Have fun.

Love,
Tilly

December, Part Two: 'Tis the Season

This time of year, I love to listen to warm-and-fuzzy Christmas music, especially the songs that I remember hearing all the time as a kid. Putting up the perty fake tree and baking scrumptious blackberry tarts just aren't the same without Silent Night in the background. Of course, I don't if everyone listens to a Boyz II Men version like me...but now they can! It's a capella and pretty much the best thing that has come out of the silly R&B 90's boy band trend.

"Silent Night" - Boys II Men

And we can't forget some old classics, like Blue Christmas and The Chipmunk Song. Who doesn't love The King and Alvin?!

"Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
"The Chipmunk Song" - Alvin and the Chipmunks

As we get further into the Christmas season, I hope all of you lovely readers are enjoying yourselves and spending time doing whatever you love to do. I will be decorating the humble Tilly n' Thom abode, baking, and being an all-around June Cleaver stereotype--minus the husband-obedience.

Merry Christmas!!

Love, Tilly