Soooo...

I know I don't really post anymore...I kind of just gave up. And then got addicted to Tumblr...So, if anyone is interested you can check mine out here: http://aminam.tumblr.com/

I probably won't be using this much anymore. Between my Tumblr and my writing blog (see here: http://aminamckenna.wordpress.com/ ) I'm all set elsewhere.

Until I blog here again, goodbye.

Lady Gaga - Bad Romance

I've never been that into Lady Gaga. I mean, her music always seemed pretty average to me. Granted, her clothes have always been pretty mind-blowing and visionary and epic and such, but I just never paid much attention.

However, after seeing the following video I may have just become a disciple. See why for yourself.

Nancy Ajram - Mashy Haddy

I love Arabic pop most ardently. I love Nancy Ajram most ardently. I love this video most ardently. But still I must ask, "What the hell, Nancy Ajram?"

See why:



I think one of the most puzzling things to me is how westernized this video is. I mean...Lebanon didn't look like that in the '50s, did it? It's very strange for a Lebanese pop star to be making a throw back to the good ol' days of the American '50s. Hmm.

Damn catchy tune,though, Ms. Ajram...damn catchy.

Ummm...

Rachel Brice has a blog...did you know that? Because I didn't. VISIT IT.

And while we're on the subject, here's some footage of her amazingness at work.



And because the troupe she's in, The Indigo, are equally amazing, here's a video of them, too.

Two Star Symphony - Something She Said

I know I haven't posted anything in some time, but what with school and work starting combined with a genuine lack of readers who care whether or not I post anything I just haven't been around much to do so. BUT! I return because I found this video of this band I really adore called Two Star Symphony. I suppose they really are a symphony more than their a band, but whatever. Anyways, here's a live video of them performing one of the few songs I have from them, "Something She Said." Enjoy.

A Serious Man

Anyone who knows me knows that I have issues with the Coen brothers. I appreciate their films but I tend to dislike them. However, I just saw a trailer for their latest flick A Serious Man and I have to say this is probably one of the best trailers I have ever seen in my life and I will most definitely be seeing this film. I wanted to share the trailer because I really do think it's a bit of a masterpiece. No joke.

Julian Plenti - Games For Days

I love Interpol. Let's just get that out in the open. I love them and everything they do and I don't care that they appear to be a kind of dull live band (but I don't know, I've never seen them - just vids) because the music they make is just absolutely wonderful to my ears.

That said, I also adore with an ardent passion (redundant? Perhaps.) Julian Plenti, which is Paul Banks' alter musical ego. I think the music he has made on his own has a very clear direction, and a great one at that, and I love just about every song on Plenti's album.

If it sounds like I'm gushing it's because I am. But this is because I have just discovered a music video for Plenti's first single "Games for Days." Now the video, itself, is kind of lame. I mean, I have no idea what's going on in it aside from spray paint and handcuffs in a hotel room (which I guess might be enough depending on who you are), but there are a couple of other factors that far outweigh the generally confusing plot.

For one, Paul Banks (Julian Plenti) is gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous (in my humble opinion). The facial hair, the clothes, the smiles...beautiful. But more importantly it's the other person in the video that makes it so great. And that person is Emily Haines of the band Metric (and also an artist with her own solo album). And now for me to just go ahead and gush about her because the truth is Emily Haines is one of my top female role models. I think she is intelligent, I think she is beautiful, I think she is sexy, I think she is talented, I think she is basically everything a wonderful woman should be - confident, interesting, funny. And she makes some of the most heartbreaking music around.

Now, I never knew Emily Haines knew Paul Banks. I had not been made aware of this. So, I was totally floored to see her in the music video. Being beautiful, sexy, and strong at that, although I suppose that's to be expected of her. And to mix that kind of attitude with Bank's suddenly very apparent confidence and his own particular brand of sex appeal it makes the video one of the most magnetic things I've ever seen, and to be honest I suddenly feel like writing an entire novel dedicated to the characters portrayed by these two artists.

So anyway! Enough yappin! Here's the video I speak of so highly!

YouTube Doubler

So, my roommate is out to the movies and I'm here all by myself just killing time on StumbleUpon when a truly excellent site comes up. It's for some YouTube Doubler Beta, which is simply a place where you can plug two different YouTube video urls in and they'll play them together providing you with a mash-up of the two videos. Here's the link to the mash-up that popped up when I saw the page because it's pretty awesome. I've seen an interview with the guy on the left during an episode of the wonderful show IFC Media Project. If you get IFC you should totally check out that show, too.

100 Important Directors of Animated Short Films

I'm going to try and see all of these. I am making it a mission. I've already seen a couple, but that's not nearly enough...

Whoa, TCM, WHOA.

I love Turner Classic Movies. I really, honestly do. I think it is a wonderful channel and one of my favorites, no doubt about it. And now I see that (thanks to an article on the movie blog ropeofsilicon) TCM has released a series of 32 "re-imagined posters" for some classic films. Some of these are really lovely. My two favorites are the following:


These are two of my favorite classics, so I'm happy TCM did a great job with their reinvented posters. But I have to say, I'm a huge fan of contemporary takes on classic movies in general. One of my other favorite examples are what Vanity Fair magazine has done a couple of times in the past. Their 2007 Hollywood Portfolio was a modern take on the film noir genre and involved some of my favorite actors and actresses. And then in 2008 their Hollywood Portfolio was made up of current actors and actresses reenacting famous Hitchcock moments. Both are lovely shoots by Annie Leibovitz.

Anywho, if you're a fan of this sort of thing check out the full set of posters and then the Vanity Fair shoots. All good stuff.