They're Actually From Sweden

Hi. I'll level with you my friends, my mind is a little out of sorts this Halloween weekend. People are all sorts of dressed up (I sat next to a male Carmen Sandiego on the train tonight), which leads to people screaming at you, asking what you're dressed up as. "I'm not dressed as anything." "No, no, come on, what are you?" "It's a hat and a jacket!" "Are you a sailor?" "I'm cold, and increasingly pissed off." Plus, we fell back today, and I didn't realize it till 2/3 am. It's all fucked around with my head a bit. That and I'm a little hung over.

All of this has lead me to my couch, and having to choose between a 'Viva La Bam' marathon, a Hot Links infomercial, or videos on VH1. I know, apparently they still play music videos on music networks (except for MTv, they're deep into a 'True Life' marathon), but only at hours when no one will actually watch them. Brilliant! It's a bit funny though, the last two videos I saw were Regina Spektor's 'Fidelity' and Ok Go's 'Here It Goes Again', videos I saw on this here series of tubes a few months again. It seems like the networks are caught between trying to act like they're still important in the music industry or if they should just give it up and embrace their new network platforms completely (when will Bonaduce break? When damn it?), so in the mean time they're playing catch up with videos I've already seen and at the same time trying to act like they're introducing them to the world(Regina Spektor is a 'You Oughta Know' artist, thanks for the tip VH1!). It just seems funny that the only way that actual, listenable music is getting play on television is after everyone kind of collectively ignored it.

Anyway, that good music I said they were playing? I lied, that's over, we're back to the All American Rejects (though to be fair, Ben Kweller was just on). So I've turned to YouTube to find the videos that VH1 will get around to in January or so (none of these are really new, but again, I'm hung over, which means I'm lazy, and these songs are kind of simple, and oddly pleasing. Shiny in a way):

'We're from Barcelona' - I'm from Barcelona



Going out to all my Spanish readers. All two of you. Hi. I laughed the first time I watched this, at the school photo sets, the swaying, the dorkiness of the lead singer, the unnecessary wind effects, the fact that everyone else doesn't seem to be sure why they're in this video. Then I realized I had watched it five times. This video is like an infomercial for a cult, a cult where you don't have to wear some ugly purple jumpsuit. Which has always been my major hang up about cults. It's like, I want the sing and the glazed eyes, but I want to be my own person too, you know?

'Young Folks' - Peter, Bjorn & John



This has been one of my favorite songs of the summer, because honestly, how can you resist a good whistle chorus? You can't. You just can't.

'Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above' - CSS



They have a newer video out, which is pretty nifty, but I like this song better, and my head is a very delicate place at this moment, so... yeah.

'Us' - Regina Spektor



This is from her last album, but wow do I love this video. Wow, I'm going to bed.