make 'em laugh.

So apparently this week is Comedy Week (capital letters indicate that this must be read in a stadium announcer voice, fyi) over at Vulture. On their first day they complied a list of "50 Comedians You Should And Will Know". For a burgeoning comedy nerd like me, this is a goldmine. Some of the people on the list I was familiar with (like Jason Mantzoukas aka Rafi on The League aka Dennis Feinstein aka awesome), and some I had never heard of but really like. One of the chosen few in the latter group is The Birthday Boys, a comedy troupe consisting of seven guys. They've done mostly internet videos so far, but apparently some big things are coming up for them (IFC anyone?). I really wanted to include a clip not on the Vulture list just in the remote possibility that you would actually read it, but this PoolJumpers trailer is just too hilarious to resist.

And here, I included another one, just in case. (I love the NPR at the end.)

lorde.

Sixteen-year old from New Zealand. And already 100% cooler than me.

distant cousins.

Who knew Steve Buscemi was such a Vampire Weekend fan? Who knew Ezra and the boys could act?

harper high school.

You may or may not have heard about This American Life's two part series on Harper High School in Chicago. Regardless of how much you know (or think you know) about  Chicago or gang culture, I urge you to listen to both riveting pieces. The reporters were given an extraordinary level of access to administrators, students, and parents, and the five months they spent immersed in the culture of the school paid off. It is a thoughtful exploration and rumination on violence, poverty, and how the two intersect. The aspect I was most grateful for, however, was how straightforward and honest the reporting was. It did not try to sensationalize or dramatize the subject matter, it instead let the facts paint a haunting portrait of a troubled area.

Find the first part here.

pata pata.

She just seems to be having the greatest time, doesn't she? And check the moves of that little girl (Makeba's granddaughter). She's got some rhythm.

a bit of scott & hamm.

How did I not know this existed?

You should probably read this first if you want to have any idea what is happening.

Also, Adam Scott has said that he is going to be doing another The Greatest Event in Television History starring Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz. (And hopefully more Paul Scheer!) Hells yeah.

another love.

I feel like this song should be grating and awful, and yet it is tremendously affecting and heartbreaking. This may sound kind of obvious, but it really is the music that saves it. In other hands, the lyrics could be cloying, but Tom Odell brings both a sadness and an aggression to the vocals that lifts them. The build-up with the drums and howling background vocals is stirring, but seemingly drops before reaching the climax, punctuating the predicament of the singer.

(Basically, it's a good song, he's cute and British, and you should totally listen to it.)

mila kunis...

...is awesome.

sweet relief.

Just finished my midterms, my brain is fried. BUT, it is sunny in London. Which is making me ridiculously happy. It's as if the universe is saying, "Welcome Back"!

this can be a pleasurable phase.

During this week I have three papers due and a presentation. I'm halfway there and halfway dead. Thank god I realized Islands released a new album last year, or else I'd just balled up in the corner, humming to myself.

Ok, at least now I do it to a fantastic song.

hutts and recreation.

The only Star Wars/Parks and Recreation cross-pollination you'll ever need.

fashion film.

I was going to post about these amazing brownie things I've been making recently, but then I saw this video and it is too good not to share immediately.

Vena Cava almost died last year, but was saved at the last minute by LF. To anchor their relaunch they have revived Viva Vena, their "budget" (oh, just $159?) line, and released a short film starring Lizzy Caplan of Mean Girls and more importantly Party Down fame.


FASHION FILM from Matthew Frost on Vimeo.

adventure time.

I'm not going to pretend that I either know or have seen very much Adventure Time at all. I only heard about it about a month ago (where have I been?); since then, however, I can't stop noticing how often people mention it, and for good reason. For those unfamiliar, Adventure Time is a cartoon children's show that stars Jake the Dog and Finn the Human and follows their various, you know, adventures. It has such a great combination of surrealistic visuals and grounded emotions, which has lead a large percentage of the fanbase to be adults. PBS's IdeaChannel has taken on this phenomenon:



It's an interesting look at nostalgia and how it is not only an emotion, but can also be a motivation for action (even if that action is just watching a television show).

If you are looking for a way to waste more time on the interwebs, I highly recommend watching more of the IdeaChannel's videos, as they provide some good perspective on a lot of internet and nerd culture. Also, so many AD references.

happy heartbreak.

Holy cats, she is incredible. It just doesn't make sense how good she sounds live.



(This is actually from Valentine's Day a couple of years ago, but I just heard about it on a podcast (Pop Culture Happy Hour, another good one), so it's new to me.)

yo teach.

This show made me want to become a teacher.



And the behind the scenes footage is even more inspiring.



(But actually, Jason Schwartzman was on The Nerdist podcast this week and he was amazing and adorable and charming and awesome. And friends with Bill Murray. Listen to it!!)

2003.

My fifteen-year-old self is like so excited about Postal Service getting back together. My twenty-year-old self has to admit that Give Up is still a great album and congratulates her younger self on having awesome taste. She also admits that maybe Death Cab was just having a bad day when she saw them at Firefly, because Ben Gibbard is pretty impressive in this performance.


Ok, no more third person talk. Gross.

i like podcasts.

Sorry for the radio silence, my best friend from that magical place called High School came to visit me! It was fun, she's pretty cool, I guess. It was nice to have someone to ride the tube and bus with (have I told you that I live out in the boonies in Hampstead?), and now that she's gone, I have to find new ways to occupy myself on the way into the city. I could just spend all my time people watching, but on the tube this just turns into staring at people sitting three feet away from you, which can turn...awkward. So instead, I have turned to the wonderful world of podcasts. Here are a few of my favorites, perfect for riding public transportation or trying to contain the chaos in your disaster of a bedroom (not at all speaking from personal experience on that one):

The Nerdist- Hosted by Chris Hardwick, he of 90s MTV fame, this podcast gets some amazing guests. Anna Kendrick, JGL (swoony-worthy as always), Mike Birbiglia, Richard Ayoade, and the coolest person in the world (possibly vying for competition with Bill Murray), Tom Freakin' Hanks. He so does not disappoint. Chris and his cronies always seem like they're having a ball with the guests, or in the few episodes where they go it alone. There is plenty to learn about the whole Hollywood scene and the art of being a nerd. Hardwick met his girlfriend at a Doctor Who convention for Galafrey's sake.

You Made It Weird w/Pete Holmes- Another podcast in the Nerdist family, YMIT's host Pete Holmes seems to be the least stand-upy stand-up of all time. Each episode is really just an excuse for Pete to go on a two-hour journey of self-discovery with a super cool comedian. Which, surprisingly, isn't as obnoxiously self-indulgent as it sounds. Somehow it is like listening to a therapy session you want to listen to everyday. The podcast is even great for the comedy nerd in all of us, as the discussion often turns to the in and outs of stand-up.

All Songs Considered- NPR's music podcast. Duh.

Uhh Yeah Dude- My brother introduced me to Seth and Jonathan about five months ago, and I have to say that I have become so obsessed. If you are the kind of person, like me, who likes to share their interests with other people (a nice way of saying shoving it down their throats), you know that sometimes people can not be as quick to like the things you love. This is especially true with podcasts, which some people seem weirdly averse to. This is especially true with a podcast that is best described as, "two really funny guys just sitting around, talking about nothing really, like they read surveys...". Yeah, doesn't exactly sound like compelling stuff. UYD, however, is awesome. It really is just two guys, the aforementioned Seth and Jonathan, sitting in an apartment, shooting the shit. But the friendship of the neurotic, mock frazzled, hilarious former actor (he had a bit part in Crossroads) Seth and the chill, light-hearted musician Jonathan who always has another crazy story to share, makes the show the perfect dose of California cool.

All these podcasts are available fo free on iTunes so start downloading. But be careful, some of them will make you literally laugh out loud in public which will cause other people to give you strange looks. You're welcome.

hybridity.

This extended break has been brought to you by Laziness™ and Nothing To Say™. A big thank you to our sponsors.

But really, just dipped out for about four months, some stuff happened, and now I'm living in London. That's about all there is to say.

While perusing the interwebs, I stumbled across a website praising a Miley Cyrus cover of "Jolene" (originally by Dolly Parton). Ugh, I mean it wasn't terrible, but I just thought, "there has to be way better covers of this amazing song out there". And by god there are. For this particular post I settled on the Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons version because I mean, come on; modern British folk stars taking on a classic American country ballad? Awesome. And so apropos for me. I'm an American. In London. Get it? I know, I'm a genius.



Anyways, I'm not exactly sure how this blog is going work going forward. It's probably going to be a combination of travel and London is awesome! posts and just random crap I like. Feel free to tune in, turn off, drop out, drop in, switch on, switch off and explode.

sweet talk.