A sunny Saturday spent with old friends from the East Coast, Charles and Petek. 

In case you were wondering, I did follow their lead and take a dunk in the freezing March Pacific Ocean! Incredibly refreshing, once your body adjusts. 

The music—Caetano Veloso singing those oh so familiar strains—is courtesy of J.Period’s “The Man or the Music 2” Michael Jackson mixtape. Sublime. 

Adorable. 

hitrecordjoe:

hellogiggles:

What are you doing New Years Eve? From Zooey Deschanel & HitRECordJOE. Go to HelloGiggles for a fun video surprise!

:O)

Drunk History Christmas with Ryan Gosling, Jim Carrey and Eva Mendes from Ryan Gosling

Jess, my old housemate, introduced the Drunk History series on Funny or Die to us a few weeks ago and I have to admit I ate it up. Too funny. And very cool that such household names have participated in the project.

WARNING: Shots of puking and frequent use of expletives.

(via Give: Dignity | TOMS Blog)

Oh so incredibly epic! 

calebyap:

Emmy 2011 Opening

Milo Greene - 1957 (Live: Downtown Session) (by milogreenemusic)

Ever since I heard this off of one of Malin’s glorious mixes, it’s been lodged in my consciousness. If I were dreaming, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear it playing in the background, soundtracking.

your house that sits behind me 
is covered in ivy green 
the windows that we watch from 
are old and chipping at the beam 

it takes me away 
takes me away 
takes me away 

the scent you wear moves in lines 
from your apartment into mine 
you act like you don’t know me 
my god you tempt my anxious mind 

it takes me away 
takes me away 
takes me away 

Would it be much better if I knew nothing about you 
Would it be much better if I knew nothing about you 

I’ll go, I’ll go, I’ll go I… 
I’ll go, I’ll go, I’ll go I… 

it takes me away 
takes me away 
takes me away

The video is breathtaking, let alone the music. 

andnottoyield:

New Mumford and Sons <3

And I’ll walk slow, I’ll walk slow
Take my hand, I’ll be on my way.

Covering John Mayer’s “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You).”

I usually avoid covering the same artist consecutively, but I’m breaking the rule this time. Unsurprisingly, it’s for Mr. Mayer. I’ve listened to his music so much it feels like his songs are imprinted on my soul, and they just come tumbling right out whenever I set myself down in front of the piano. On top of that, there’s a sort of musical clean-ness/lean-ness to his performance style, that really lend his songs to… additional “processing” and musical exploration. I think that’s why I bee-lined for this song, when I was looking for a song to “explore my voice” with (a concept I’ve been very taken with, of late). 

We all know there are bedroom guitarists, so might there be practice room pianists? 

Filming myself was a very enlightening activity. I learned that my eyes are extremely small. I learned that I tend to tilt my face up a little too much when I sing. I learned that I have a funny right twitch in my face, that happens involuntarily whenever I’m working hard to hit a certain note or produce it in a certain way, and I also have an amusing tendency to sing with my eyebrows. More importantly though, I learned that what all those youtube artists do is in no way as easy as it looks, and strangely enough, it really does look a lot better to emote towards the camera, rather than away from it, as unnerving as it feels to do it.

The video I shot of John Mayer playing “In Your Atmosphere (LA Song)” at Wembley Arena in London, 27th May 2010.

There is something haunting about this song, about the way it’s so true to life, true to its mixed bag of emotions. Wanting to see someone, yet not wanting to see him/her at the same time. Wanting to stay away, yet wanting to be close. Wanting to give up, yet wanting to have hope. Hoping to avoid, yet hoping to run into. Hoping to talk, but hoping not to have to be the one to start. 

I don’t think I’m gonna go to LA anymore
I don’t think I’m gonna go to LA anymore
I don’t know what it’s like to land and
not race through your door
I don’t think I’m gonna go to LA anymore

I don’t think I’m gonna go to LA anymore
I don’t think I really ever could
hold on to a hotel key
in your bedroom neighborhood
with me sleepwalking in Hollywood

I’m gonna steer clear
Burn up in your atmosphere
I’m gonna steer clear
‘Cause I’d die if I saw you
I’d die if I didn’t see you there
So I don’t think I’m gonna go to LA anymore

I don’t think I’m gonna go to LA anymore
I’d get lost on the Boulevard at night
without your voice to tell me
“I love you, take a right,”
The 10 and the 2 is the loneliest sight 

Burn up in your atmosphere
I’m gonna steer clear
‘Cause I’d die if I saw you
I’d die if I didn’t see you there
So I don’t think I’m gonna go to LA anymore

Here’s the part he improvises: 

Maybe we can make a deal
There’ll be room enough for both of us here
Get a place on the West side
Over by the sea
Stay to the right of the 405 and
Clear away from me
Should I ever need to go
to your part of town
I’ll put a request and write in
Send it back around
There’s no way, no way we can be
in the same city
I know the car you drive
and there’s lots of them around
And it’s hard to live life
When I’m constantly looking up and down
to see if that’s you
there behind the wheel
and even when it’s not
I don’t know how to feel
I think I’m gonna stay, gonna stay in the grey
I think I’m gonna stay
It’s gonna be a hot one in New York City
You and I from LA 
You and I from LA
You and I from there knowing

Something’s missing (continues into new song)

The Swell Season - “Low Rising” (via antirecords)

Just back from a family holiday with my Mum’s side of the family in Cameron Highlands.

(I’m so tempted to add a “the” before the “Cameron Highlands”, but I found its official tourist site, and its wikipedia page, and people definitely don’t use the definite article with it. I’m not sure if it’s convention, or just a direct translation from Malay grammar - I suspect so - but maybe someone should explain the grammar rules surrounding proper nouns to their tourist office, just in case they want to know…)

It was a short, but good trip, dedicated almost exclusively to eating and sleeping, complemented by beautiful scenery and cool, always-Spring weather. I’ll write more about it soon, but for now - here’s a peek at what I’ve been listening to.

The Swell Season’s official video for ‘Low Rising’, directed by Sam Beam, the man behind Iron and Wine. I think it’s pretty cool.

Hey, look, Cameron Highlands: The Swell Season. The. Definite Article. Are you jealous?