Post-its and Polaroids

grimes.

2012-01-27T16:42:00.005-07:00

Carly and I saw Grimes open for Austra in San Francisco a few months back and I was blown away by how awesome I thought her music was. Carly really can't stand her voice, but I think her music is great. I'm in love with "Genesis," the new track off her upcoming album due out in March. Pitchfork named it as a best new track you can listen to here. And here's a video of her performing it live. Can't wait to hear the album in its entirety.

gotye.

2012-01-23T21:24:00.001-07:00

LOVE this song.

custom wedding bow ties.

2012-01-22T19:58:00.001-07:00

Right before the Christmas break our neighbor asked if I could make some bow ties for her kids for Christmas. They have three little bows, one just a few months old. That same neighbor talked with her sister-in-law who is getting married next weekend and they had me make 9 matching bow ties for all the little bows attending the wedding. It's cool how fast business can spread through word of mouth. I can't wait to see some pics from the wedding!

grad school.

2012-01-20T19:22:00.002-07:00

I have decided that I want to become a Special Education teacher and am currently in the process of applying to five schools, my top 2 being the University of Washington and the University of Utah. I would love to live in Seattle for a few years, being close to my sister and Carly's parents and being in the Northwest. I absolutely love it out there. I would also love to live in Salt Lake for a few years as well. We're up there weekly as it is and I love the vibe, the venues, the stores, etc. We'll see though. My other three schools are in Texas, but I really dread the thought of those Texas summers again. It would be fun to get into the University of Houston and live so close to my parents. I'll keep you updated. So far my University of Washington application is completely done and my University of Utah only lacks one more step! Wish me luck.

nurses.

2012-01-17T17:44:00.002-07:00

We saw Nurses Saturday night at Kilby Court, and it was really awesome. Enjoy some pics and my favorite song by them.

crocodiles.

2012-01-11T16:51:00.007-07:00

Yesterday's exciting news came from finding out that Crocodiles are coming to Salt Lake on March 3. I've been wanting to see this band for years!

And I was reading an article and found out that Brandon from the band used to be a Special-Ed Substitute Teacher. Pretty cool, huh? I feel slightly cooler in my career choice now.

style: robbie furze of the big pink.

2012-01-09T21:53:00.010-07:00

In case you ever wanted to know whose style I envy most, it's The Big Pink frontman/singer/guitarist Robbie Furze. Various 70s and 80s punk-band sleeveless t-shirts, leather jackets complete with metal studs and patches, skinny jeans, combat boots and chains around his neck. And a pretty awesome haircut too.

I remember seeing The Big Pink (one of my all-time favorite bands) play a couple years ago and wishing I had Robbie's confidence and style. As I watched him play, I just remember thinking how cool I thought he was. To this day whenever I see a picture of him or read an interview he's done, I still think he's the coolest person out there. And I really want to hang out with him.

Over the years as I've bought different pairs of boots or shirts or jackets, I always secretly hope that in some way I look like him. I don't think I'm quite hardcore enough to pull off the studded leather jacket and I'm not that knowledgable when it comes to old English punk bands, but maybe one day I'll be cool enough to be like Robbie Furze. I can hope so at least.

Also, I cannot wait until next week when The Big Pink's second album comes out! I already love the first two singles off it. Listen to "Stay Gold" posted below.

"best of 2011" post no. 2 - best albums

2012-01-06T14:52:00.002-07:00

My top 30 albums of 2011 are posted over at the Lime Ricki Swimwear Blog. Check it out and let me know what some of your favorite albums were!

"best of 2011" post no. 1 - best live shows

2012-01-05T22:15:00.006-07:00

2011 was an amazing year in music and in live shows! Below is a list of my favorite live shows we saw this year. It was supposed to be a top 10 list, but I got too stressed out so I just made it a top 15.

1. Cold Cave/Austra, The Urban Lounge, SLC

2. Yelle, The Urban Lounge, SLC

3. Best Coast/Wavves/No Joy, The Urban Lounge, SLC

4. Wavves, Kilby Court, SLC

5. Austra/Grimes, Great American Music Hall, San Francisco

6. Noah and the Whale, In The Venue, SLC

7. The War on Drugs/Purling Hiss, Kilby Court, SLC

8. The Head and the Heart, Kilby Court, SLC

9. St. Vincent, The Urban Lounge, SLC

10. Asobi Seksu, The Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, Oregon

11. Blitzen Trapper, The Urban Lounge, SLC

12. Sleigh Bells, The Urban Lounge, SLC

13. Akron/Family, The Urban Lounge, SLC

14. Mates of State, The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas, Nevada

15. The Submarines, Larimar Lounge, Denver, Colorado

zola jesus.

2011-12-13T21:43:00.006-07:00

So everybody probably knows how obsessed I am with Austra. So I guess it was only a matter of time before I became obsessed with Zola Jesus (even though she technically has been "around" for a little longer). I've heard Austra's music being compared to Zola Jesus for a while, but I finally gave her a listen and fell in love. Similar to Austra's Katie Stelmanis, Zola Jesus (the stage name for singer Nika Roza Danilova) is a classically trained Opera singer who offsets her beautiful vocals with dark, gothic synth rock. It's fantastic. I just got her newest album in the mail today and found out last week that she's coming to Salt Lake in February, the day after my birthday. Here's a video of her performing "Poor Animal," the first song I heard by her and still my favorite.

skirt with bow.

2011-12-11T20:35:00.004-07:00

Today Carly was really sweet and put on this skirt that I had made for the Farmers' Market that didn't sell. I hung it in her closet after the market was done, and she picked it out today to wear. We bought the skirt at DI, and then I shortened it a lot and made the bow (the same type of bow I used to put on our wreath in the previous post) and sewed it onto the front. It looked really good on her! By the shape of it on the hanger, I didn't think it wold look so good on a person. It was a really nice surprise!

christmas wreath.

2011-12-10T14:49:00.004-07:00

Making all those bow ties really payed off when it came time to finding a way to spice up this plain wreath we bought.

feist.

2011-11-20T20:09:00.003-07:00

We picked up Feist's latest record Metals last night at Graywhale with some store credit we had, and it's a beautiful album! We can't stop spinning it!

And here she is on Sesame Street:

lacking.

2011-11-02T20:42:00.002-06:00

so my lack of blogging is due to the fact that my computer has basically been destroyed by a dumb virus. i'm still in the process of trying to fix it and figure out what i can do. fingers crossed that I can actually figure it out somehow...

future.

2011-09-18T20:22:00.004-06:00

We've decided. In one year we are moving to the Northwest. We're leaving this town behind. Beginning, middle or end of next summer we're outta here! Plans are still tentative, but the Portland area is the destination, maybe on the Washington side in Vancouver or thereabout.
Regarding schooling, I'm currently considering a Master's Degree in Art History. This is my plan as of right now, but stay tuned as things develop. I can't wait to be in Portland. Voodoo Donuts how I've craved you. And being in Powell's Bookstore. And Thai Peacock. And H&M. And no sales tax.

new mates.

2011-09-14T21:02:00.002-06:00

The new Mates of State record came out this week and I love it! This band remains probably my all-time favorite! I reviewed the album for FILTER and we picked up the vinyl tonight at Graywhale. Here's the first video from the album.

tomatoes.

2011-09-04T22:07:00.003-06:00

Carly and I bought a tomato plant a couple months ago and it's given us several small tomatoes, but I must say, they were some of the best tomatoes I have ever had! Tiny, but delicious. It's cool to know we can keep a plant alive and watch it give its fruits. We may try a full-on garden next summer!

back to school.

2011-08-28T18:30:00.003-06:00

I began subbing last week when the schools started out here. I took an assignment at Franklin Elementary as a teaching assistant in the special ed. department Monday through Friday. On Monday, one of the district special ed. supervisors asked me if I'd be interested in a job through the school district helping out a teacher in special ed. I loved the kids right from the start and liked the school a lot so I took the job! I'm really excited to stay at one school and to have a class to call my own!

american apparel on ebay.

2011-08-22T18:01:00.002-06:00

I've been obsessed with eBay recently. I bought Carly several NEW Anthroplogie things with tags still for 50-75% off what they retail in the store, and I've gotten a few American Apparel used hoodies for super cheap! Last night I won both of these American Apparel sweaters for a total of $35 with shipping included! And they are brand new!

remember these??

2011-08-17T20:24:00.004-06:00

Remember these pants I've been eying for months hoping they'd go on sale?? Well a few weeks ago I found them 40% off! So I quickly snatched up a pair and I love them! Well I was in Gap yesterday and these same pants were $11! So I bought three pair.

country carousel boutique.

2011-08-15T15:45:00.006-06:00

We have a booth at the Country Carousel Boutique this week at Provo High School selling some of our stuff from the Farmers' Market and from my Etsy shop. Come check it out. It's open from 10-9 Mon.-Thur. and 10-7 on Friday. Then we'll be back at the Farmers' Market on Saturday! Here's some low-quality iPhone pics.

week in washington (and oregon).

2011-08-09T14:22:00.011-06:00

austra live.

2011-07-31T11:23:00.003-06:00

The show was fantastic! Austra was incredible, and Katie Stelmanis' vocals were unbelievable! I wanted to take a video, but I didn't want anything to distract me from watching a single second! I did manage to snap a few pics though. The crowd was super into the show, and the cheers at the end totally would have broughten the band back for an encore had they not been the opening band. Katie signed our vinyl afterword too. Normally I'm not really into that, but every once in a while I still get gitty over a band. I could have left after their performance and been completely satisfied; Cold Cave was like an added bonus. And their show was incredible. I've NEVER seen anyone dance like Dominique from Cold Cave. Even singer Wes knew how to move. It was super loud, energetic and intense, and even better than last time! They played "Love Comes Close" which I was disappointed they didn't play last time. And they even played a two-song encore. It was a close call because the cheers weren't too loud. I think Carly and I helped keep the applause going. I somehow hurt my back during Cold Cave's set and it still is sore. But it was totally worth it. This may have been my favorite show of the year!

Austra!!

2011-07-28T15:21:00.004-06:00

This was probably the most stressful interview to set up I have ever done. I mentioned to my editor at City Weekly that I would like to do a story on Austra since they are coming with Cold Cave (tomorrow night at Urban Lounge, SLC). He let me do the story and Austra's PR lady contacted me a month ago and told me Austra was out of the country until July 11, but that she would contact me around then to set up a phone interview with singer and front woman Kate Stalmanis. The story would be due July 20.

The 11th rolls around and I don't hear anything. A couple days later I email the PR lady and don't hear back. I email her a second time and nothing. Finally I emailed my editor on th 17th and say I haven't heard back from her. Luckily my editor is the most chill guy out there. He suggests we do a story on Cold Cave in case we don't hear back from Austra. So he sets me up with Cold Cave's PR lady. She tells me it will have to be an email interview because Wes, singer and founder, is about to lose his voice. So I send over questions. Then I hear from the Austra PR lady telling me Katie can answer email questions that night. Well, I didn't see the email until like 1 a.m. because we were at the Blitzen Trapper show. I sent over questions as soon as we got home and finally a few days later I get the responses in time to get the article written and sent by Monday the 25th. Still no word from Cold Cave.

Anyway, here's a link to the story. Seeing it in print however, makes it all worth it. And after all is said and done, I love what I do. And I can't wait for this show tomorrow night.

sweet girl.

2011-07-24T18:23:00.001-06:00

Isn't this girl sweet? This was taken on our hike up Stewart Falls while mom was in town.

new bed frame.

2011-07-19T09:08:00.005-06:00

The new bed frame we got from IKEA makes all the difference in our room! It made us want to rearrange things. It makes me want to make the bed every morning. And it makes me want to keep the room spotless. And never leave clothes lying around on the floor.

new & improved sister missionaries.

2011-07-12T10:52:00.005-06:00

My friend Vanessa is preparing to leave for her mission in Tawain and tweeted this link yesterday regarding sister missionary dress standards. Gone are the days of one-piece floral print dresses and man shoes. I can't believe the new approach the church has toward its sister missionaries. I think it's great, but it was very surprising. I love that they encourage bright blouses and various accessories. I like where it says under belts: "Belts may be worn with outfits for function or style." What's even better is several of the shoes and skirts they show as examples come from Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie. Can you imagine a group of cute, conservative LDS women from church headquarters walking into Urban Outfitters to pick out samples?

bridesmaids.

2011-07-11T15:42:00.003-06:00

This was one of the funniest movies I have seen in a really long time! We watched it at a drive-in theater in Salt Lake on Friday night.

happy sunday.

2011-07-10T19:53:00.001-06:00

This is from our hike on Monday.

happy fourth.

2011-07-06T17:06:00.007-06:00

We had a great Fourth of July weekend. We did the best we had ever done at the Farmers' Market, despite people telling us how slow it would be because of the Freedom Fest downtown, we watched multiple sets of fireworks, had a barbecue with friends, went antique shopping in Provo, hiked Stewart Falls, ate Tommys Burgers for the first time, saw The Breakfast Club at the Tower Theater in Salt Lake, saw tons of hot air balloons launch right near our house, found things on sale at Urban, walked along University Ave. to watch the craziness that is Provo on the Fourth as people camp out for the parade and we got several new records. I felt especially grateful this year thinking about my grandfather who served in World War II. He passed away a few weeks ago.

cults.

2011-07-01T15:33:00.006-06:00

Have you listened to this song yet? I just ordered Cults' debut album on vinyl from Amazon and can't wait for it to arrive! Until then I'll just keep watching this video over and over.

type.

2011-06-30T22:17:00.003-06:00

Typing letters and notes to people on this guy is exciting. In a world of text messages and emails (which I full-heartedly take part in) it's refreshing to hear the keys punch as I type each letter and cross my fingers that I don't make a mistake.

matt & kim and the thermals.

2011-06-29T16:50:00.007-06:00

Last week, Carly and I won free tickets to see Matt & Kim with The Thermals at In The Venue in SLC. The show was incredible. We've seen Matt & Kim before and it was just as great, if not better. We were front and center being thrown around and jumping up and down the entire time they played. I was super excited to get to see The Thermals open. I had been wanting to see them for years. I just wish I could have made it into the crazy center of the crowd for that part. Read a cool review of the show by my editor at City Weekly here.

The video below is one of the few music videos I would watch on my mission almost every P-day in the computer labs we would use to email home. I know I wasn't supposed to, but two years without music?! Really?

like grandmother like grandson.

2011-06-27T18:01:00.005-06:00

The Provo Farmers' Market has been going great, and we've been having a lot of fun doing it! Each week we do better and better, and we're constantly making new things to sell. My mom sent me this picture a couple weeks ago of my grandma at a booth she had years ago selling various things. She was always very creative in the different things she did and the various ways she made money. Maybe that's where I get it after all?

delta spirit.

2011-06-21T20:49:00.003-06:00

I just got this record at Graywhale this afternoon with some store credit and I can't stop listening to it! The band's first record had some good tunes on it, but overall it didn't really impress me that much. I saw Delta Spirit at an in-store performace they did at Amoeba in Hollywood last summer when this record came out. But it wasn't until today that I actually listened to it, and boy was I missing out! It's a really great record from start to finish.

tea cup & saucer bird feeder.

2011-06-20T13:34:00.002-06:00

I had seen these bird feeders online and stuff, but just recently we got a drill and the special bit to drill through glass and I made my very own! And we even sold our first one at the Farmers' Market on Saturday! It looks great hanging on our front porch.

recent happenings, as told by polaroids.

2011-06-16T13:54:00.005-06:00

tokyo police club "champ."

2011-06-15T01:02:00.003-06:00

Found this album on vinyl super chearp at Graywhale this evening! Always a great way to end the day.

window shutter letter holder.

2011-06-14T10:43:00.008-06:00

I got this idea from a picture my friend Lexy put up on Pinterest and I really wanted to do it. It took a few days of looking at thrift stores before I spotted a shutter. I just washed it off with a hose (there were two dead spiders on the back of it), let it dry, and spray painted it. It's a really simple idea, but it looks great and is actually functional too.

a q&a with the submarines.

2011-06-13T10:11:00.008-06:00

Last Thursday night Carly and I made an impromptu decision to go see The Submarines open for Brett Dennen. We only hesitated because it was $20 and they were just the openers. Thursday afternoon we just decided to go because we like them so much. And it definitely was worth it! We got there maybe 30 minutes before they played and we walked right up to the front of the stage! There were maybe a couple other people who were there for them to play, but that's about it. The rest were Brett Dennen fans.

The Submarines put on another great show! It was a blast. Afterward, I sat down with John Dragonetti and Blake Hazard and asked them some questions. You can read the conversation here via City Weekly. It was one of the most casual, fun interviews I have ever done, and they both asked about Carly and I and stuff. And they were two of the nicest people I have ever met too.

Here's their new music video for the song "Fire."

recycle.

2011-06-10T17:00:00.006-06:00

Growing up my parents always recycled, but since living on my own, I didn't really make it a priority until about a year ago. When I lived in California, they charge you a bottle deposit fee whenever you buy soda or bottled water, which means you really want to recycle to get your money back. So I saved my cans and bottles and recycled them when I could and got some money for it. After I returned back to Utah, I began saving all my recycle stuff. Carly was really good at bagging them and taking them to a recycle center.

Since moving into our house, we decided to get a recycling can for only $5 a month and the truck comes every other week. It's something really small, but I feel that it makes a difference. I had no idea how many things we use really can be recycled. Now we have almost more recycle stuff than trash. And it feels really good!

i'm on etsy.

2011-06-05T18:14:00.004-06:00

I just opened my etsy shop to sell my bow ties! Visit my shop here and spread the word!!

the head & the heart in-store.

2011-06-04T01:26:00.004-06:00

Carly and I saw The Head & The Heart again this evening at Slowtrain. The band opened for Iron & Wine at In The Venue, but three of the band members came to Slowtrain before and played a few acoustic songs. It's amazing how great they can sound with just their harmonies, a guitar and a few shaker things. And apparantely the girl standing next to us slept with one of the guys in the band...

new best coast.

2011-06-01T11:22:00.007-06:00

You may have seen a post of two (or maybe 30) about one of my favorite bands Best Coast. Today I discovered that the surf rock trio has a new iTunes EP out featuring new songs and re-recordings of older stuff! Get it here. The recordings are BEAUTIFUL! And singer Bethany Cosentino's voice sounds better than ever.

And when I tweeted her telling her how beautiful I thought the recordings were, she tweeted back at me: "thank you! was drinking lotsa throat coat tea that day :)"

That's TWO tweets from her. We're basically BFF.

dear gap.

2011-05-27T16:48:00.003-06:00

Dear Gap:
Please put these pants on sale. I've been waiting a long, long time. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Spencer

cults cults cults.

2011-05-23T12:06:00.011-06:00

NPR put up a stream of the entire debut album from Brooklyn duo Cults this morning. I've streamed it once and loved it! Can't wait for June 7. Stream it here.

yelle.

2011-05-17T12:42:00.005-06:00

Carly and I saw French pop band Yelle last week at Urban Lounge, and it was a blast! Right now I tell people that it ties for best show of the year so far, along with the Best Coast/Wavves/No Joy show back in February. I've been wanting to see them for years and it was totally worth the wait! The show sold out so it was good we got tickets ahead of time. They played all my favorite songs and got the whole room dancing for the whole time they rocked the stage! With the amount of fog they were spraying out during opening band French Horn Rebellion, Urban Lounge really looked like an underground European nightclub when we walked in.

And for this show we were front row but on the side of the stage. Usually I like to be front and center, but this show proved that the side can be just as good as the center. We had a clear view the whole time, but it wasn't as crowded or hot and there wasn't too much pushing. I'm going to try that spot more often.

vintage men's butterfly bow tie clip on.

2011-05-16T13:43:00.006-06:00

I just bought this vintage bow tie from etsy for only $8.50!

austra.

2011-05-16T11:59:00.004-06:00

I am in love. This record by Canadian band Austra comes out tomorrow and I cannot wait for my vinyl to arrive in the mail (I pre ordered it from Amazon). I've been listening to it nonstop since NPR put up a stream of the entire album (listen to it here).

And I was more than pleasantly surprised to find out they are opening for Cold Cave on their North American Tour. And they are making a stop in SLC on July 29 at Urban Lounge.

Austra's music is beautiful, dark, and haunting, and I haven't heard anything like it before. Feel It Break will for sure will be in my top 5 albums of 2011. Oh, and I'm working on getting an interview with the band for City Weekly. Fingers crossed.

brenton salo photography.

2011-05-13T19:18:00.012-06:00

Brenton Salo was our wedding photographer and we couldn't have been more pleased with his work. He was great to work with and the pictures turned out amazing! Here are some of our favorites:

fleet foxes.

2011-05-10T11:54:00.003-06:00

A couple weeks ago I entered in a contest to win a limited edition copy of Fleet Foxes new album on white vinyl. All I had to do was text something to a certain number. I didn't have much hope in winning and pretty much forgot about it. The album came out last Tuesday and we were going to pick it up, but the Taylorsville Graywhale was out of the album on vinyl so we never got it.

Yesterday I was at work and I got a text saying, "Congratulations Spencer! You won the Fleet Foxes prize pack with a white LP and a 12"! You can pick up your pack at the Orem Graywhale between now and 5/15." I couldn't believe it! I won!

So Carly and I went to Graywhale that evening and our buddy Joey was working and as soon as we walked in he was like, "Dude, congratulations!" It was pretty cool. I got a copy of their new album on vinyl and a 12" single of "Helplessness Blues" and a cool poster. Joey and Emilee both know us from always being in there so they were excited. They said of all the people they were glad it was me that won instead of "some corn hole."

Thank goodness I'm not a corn hole. Oh, and the album is fantastic!

the head and the heart.

2011-05-07T12:34:00.002-06:00

Check out Seattle-indie folk band The Head And The Heart. Carly and I saw them play Wednesday night at Kilby Court and it was awesome! I got their debut LP (out on Sub Pop Records) at the show and haven't stopped listening to it yet. Click the second picture below to download it at Amazon.com.

robert and mary.

2011-05-03T16:31:00.003-06:00

I saw this photo of my grandparents a few summers ago when I visited them in New Jersey and ever since I have wanted my own copy in my house. My dad had them send him a copy and he is going to send one to me. They look so classy and young. They were such good looking people. I think it really captures their spirit and personalities. I don't know them very well, but I have always felt a really strong connection with them.

funny story.

2011-05-02T09:44:00.003-06:00

This couple around the corner from us had these awesome green/mustard colored, velvety chairs they kept on their front porch. We would eye them every time we drove by, and always commented on how they should not be just left on the front porch and how we wanted to steal them. For weeks we joked about stealing them and putting them in our backyard.

Then one day they were gone.

Flash forward several weeks to yesterday afternoon at church. After Sacrament meeting the girl sitting next to us (who I almost mistook for Naomi Davis) started to talk to us. We were trying to explain to her where we lived and those particular neighbors came up somehow, their house being a reference. She then told us she got some awesome chairs from them. I looked at Carly and was like, "THE CHAIRS!"

So it turns out this girl and her husband had been eyeing them on the front porch for some time too until finally one day the girl (much to her husband's dismay) walked over, knocked on the door, and asked "Um, are these chairs for free or something. Or are you selling them?" The wife said she was just about to post them to Craigslist, and the girl bought them both for $30!

Maybe I need to go knock on their door to see what other goodies they may be selling. And to see if that sweet little silver grill is for sale too...

our best bites.

2011-04-30T10:49:00.007-06:00

On Thursday, Carly found out that one of the girls from Our Best Bites was doing a book signing at Deseret Book. Carly has been following their blog ever since my sister made us the thai peanut noodles from their blog and told us about how much she loves their recipes. We went on over and had her sign our cookbook and talked to her for a few minutes since there wasn't a line or anything.

(Sorry for the crappy picture quality. I tried to take a sneaky picture.)

The girls released their first cookbook a few months ago, and we bought it for my sister when we saw her at Carly and I's wedding in March. She absolutely loved it and so did we as we flipped through the pages before we gave it to her. When we returned to Utah we immediately went and bought the cookbook and have made several things out of it already, our favorites so far being Brazilian Lemonade, Creamy Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing and the Sweet and Sour Meatballs.

latest.

2011-04-26T20:45:00.004-06:00

My latest clay creation! An owl mug. It's a hoot.

Currently spinning: Dan Deacon.

hoot.

2011-04-25T13:00:00.006-06:00

Remember this little guy?

Well, he got put on the reject shelf, meaning he wouldn't be fired; apparently he's too thick to be fired or else he would explode and damage other peoples' projects. He's still solid and dry, but just not fired in the kiln. I needed to hollow him out if I wanted him to be fired.

I'm learning as I'm going...

I asked some of the advanced ceramic students what I could do with him and they all basically told me it was hopeless. But I didn't give up hope.

I sprayed him with this sealer stuff and then spray painted him green and it seemed to do the trick. I actually really like how he turned out too.

wye oak.

2011-04-20T18:48:00.005-06:00

Indie folk band Wye Oak recently released its new album, Civilian, and today it is only $2.99 on Amazon! We've heard a lot about them from so many people, and I think they are starting to get a lot more attention with the release of this record. I haven't listened to the album yet, but we've been eyeing it every time we go to Slowtrain or Graywhale so for $2.99 I had to get it! If you buy the album, it let me know what you think of it. Click on the album cover below to buy it from Amazon.

photo booth pics.

2011-04-18T20:37:00.003-06:00

The other night our friend Pablo Blaqk had his CD release party at Brewvies in Salt Lake and David Brewer took some pictures to capture the evening. Here are the ones he took of us:

the submarines.

2011-04-18T13:10:00.008-06:00

Carly and I went to see The Submarines Saturday night in Denver, Colo., and it was so much fun! The eight hour drive was a little tedious, but the show was great. We missed them play Friday night in Salt Lake City because it was Shark Speed's last show. Saturday afternoon after doing some yard work, we looked up The Submarines' tour dates, saw they were playing in Denver, packed the car and got ready and took off. We got to Denver about 45 minutes before they played. And we even ended up getting into the club for free!

I saw The Submarines play a few years ago, but Carly hadn't seen them before. They just released their third album, Love Notes/Letter Bombs, this past week and I picked it up on vinyl on Record Store Day at Slowtrain. It's a really great album and in my opinion, their best one yet. It's fun, catchy indie pop. You can stream the new album here, via Paste Magazine.

shark speed final show.

2011-04-15T16:59:00.004-06:00

Tonight is Shark Speeds' last show for a while since two of them are graduating and moving to Kansas City. Come say goodbye tonight at Velour at 8 p.m.

Check out this farewell article I wrote for City Weekly here.

zuriick sample sale.

2011-04-14T12:27:00.009-06:00

So you're all probably already aware of how much I love Zuriick shoes. Well, yesterday marked the beginning of their sample/warehouse sale. I've lost faith in their sales over the past few times. I felt like their selection kept going down and their prices kept going up. So I went expecting to maybe get a shoe or two if I saw something I liked. Boy was I wrong.

The room was HUGE and had tables and tables lined with shoes! It was incredible. The shoes were $30 or two for $50, but then in the back they had $10 black line sale! All the shoes with a black line in them were only $10! I started grabbing shoes until my arms were full. (Yes, I realize I'm a little extreme when it comes to Zuriicks and shoes in general.)
A guy working there took my shoes and put them in a bag up front. I kept looking and picked out some more. Here's what I got:

I got two of the two for $50 shoes and 8 pair of the $10 ones. The guy who rang me up I think is the founder. He rang me up a few sales ago and I talked to him for a second and told him I was the guy who won 3rd place in that photo contest. My total was $130 and he told me he'd do it for $120! 10 pairs of Zuriicks for $120, tax included! The sale is going on through Saturday so you still have time to go!

it's owl good.

2011-04-12T17:04:00.003-06:00

I've been substitute teaching since about February in the Provo/Salt Lake area, and I really love it! I got a call a couple weeks ago from the lady that hired me and she asked if I wanted a long-term sub assignment at Provo High School teaching Ceramics. I said yes and have only been there a week, but I really like it. (It's Spring Break right now.) Some of the kids are pretty disrespectful and I have to keep my eye on them every second (aka babysit), but I'm really starting to love it. Each day it seems the kids get more and more used to me, and it's nice to kind of know what's going on. The teaching just had her baby, but she's good with leaving lesson plans and answering my emails. Since I have a lot of free time while the kids are working on things and since they keep asking me when I'm going to learn ceramics, I decided to make things along with them. This owl was the first thing I made! It's drying now and will be fired next week and then I'm going to glaze it with a cool robin egg blue or green! I also started making a mug on Friday!

shoe envy.

2011-04-10T18:26:00.004-06:00

I want these shoes so badly! I'm having the biggest internal debate about getting them or not. They ARE on sale at Urban Outfitters. But they still are more than I probably need to spend. But they would be great shoes to wear to church as well AND they would probably last a long time. I can't decide!!

the middle east.

2011-04-08T14:41:00.004-06:00

Rumor has it that Australian band The Middle East will be releasing new music soon and I cannot wait! My friend Nazz introduced me to them last summer and we saw them open for Mumford & Sons in Hollywood. It was amazing. As is their debut EP, Recordings of The Middle East. It's a collection of five beautiful, honest tracks. Check out "Blood;" it's my favorite track.

if.

2011-04-07T15:16:00.003-06:00

If (and I do emphasize IF) I ever got a cat though, it would be the coolest cat on the block. Kinda like this one.

cats.

2011-04-07T13:58:00.004-06:00

Carly and I both share a hatred for cats. For years there have been jokes about cats, letters covered in cat stickers and cat head jewelry boxes purchased. (Not to mention our new porcelain cat toilet brush holder.)

I'm getting a little nervous, however, because I feel that I all of these jokes and all this hatred has let to one thing...a desire to get a cat.

some wedding polaroids.

2011-03-29T12:35:00.015-06:00

We had a Fuji Instax 210 Polaroid Camera at our wedding that we passed around for several people to take pictures for us. We took it with us on our honeymoon, to our reception in Texas and also at our party in Provo. Now we have over 300 Polaroids hanging in our house and soon to be put in some vintage photo albums we found at various places. Here are some of my favorites!

yay!

2011-03-11T21:53:00.004-07:00

We're married! More photos coming soon. March 5 was perfect!

we won!!

2011-02-25T17:44:00.002-07:00

My new header was the photo that won me a FREE PAIR OF ZURIICKS!! Best birthday present ever! Go here to see the post that announced the winners! AAAAHHH! Thanks Zuriick!

um, i just made a skirt.

2011-02-23T01:27:00.013-07:00

As you may already be aware, Carly and I got a sewing machine a few back to start making our own bow ties, and we have gotten that down pretty quickly. This one is probably my favorite that we've made thus far:

I've been using our sewing machine pretty much non-stop since we got it and I really have taken to it! So after a few other projects, I wanted to make Carly a pencil skirt like these and these from American Apparel that she has a few of. I just took one of her skirts to use as an example, cut out some fabric and sewed away. Two nights later I came up with this!

It's not perfect by any means, but I cannot believe how well it turned out my first time making a skirt AND not using a pattern AND it even has pleats! If anyone wants to order one, we're open for business!

i wanna win.

2011-02-21T01:01:00.004-07:00

Zuriick had a photo contest going on where you could submit a photo of your Zuriick shoes and then they pick their top three favorites and the winners each get to pick a new pair of shoes from their upcoming spring line. Clearly I can never have enough pairs of Zuriicks, so I knew I had to enter. These are the pictures that Carly and I submitted. Thanks Dannielle for taking the pics! The winners will be posted on Friday. Fingers crossed!

kathy's delicious nachos.

2011-02-19T02:46:00.003-07:00

Yum! Carly and I made one of my favorite things that my mom used to make for us tonight: Nachos! And it's super easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken
2 cups velveeta cheese
1 pint taco sauce
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
tortilla chips
chopped lettuce
sour cream

Cook the beef and onions together. Once that is done throw everything except the lettuce, chips and sour cream in a crock pot and cook on high for one hour. Serve with lettuce and sour cream. Enjoy!

insanity!

2011-02-16T12:42:00.007-07:00

Last night was AMAZING! Holy cow! I just woke up (it's 12:30 in the p.m.) and my whole body aches. Maybe this is what a hangover feels like...Anyway, all three bands last night were incredible and it was fun to meet up with so many friends at Urban Lounge. (PS Once again, the pics are super crappy. My phone does not take good pics in the dark.)

No Joy were way cool and really fun to watch. Loved that the band was fronted by two girls. We got their debut album, Ghost Blonde, a few weeks back and it's good stuff, but the show really sold the band for me. I'm excited to go back and give the album more attention now.

Wavves were INCREDIBLE! Way better than I anticipated. I kind of expected them to be completely wasted and have them just blow the whole performance. I will say that right when we got there the lead singer walked past me and I have NEVER smelled weed so strongly! Their show was so much fun though. Definitely goes into the top 10 ever! And I was so excited about it. I moved right to the center with a group of people who were also getting really into it. Halfway through the set I got this killer cramp in my side, but I stuck it out and made it through the whole set moving and dancing. "Post Acid" was one of the best songs when everyone started jumping and pushing during the chorus. I thought I might die, but I stuck it out! So worth it! Oh, and they had inflatable beach balls and ALIENS being thrown around in the crowd during their set.

Best Coast, like last time they played here, were so much fun too. AND best news of the night: BEST COAST TWEETED BACK AT ME!!! If you don't know already, getting bands to tweet at me or retweet something I've posted is like a lifetime goal of mine and I want it to happen as often as it can. I've been working on Best Coast for probably a good six months. Well, last night I tweeted: "If @bestycoastyy doesn't play 'Happy' this time there WILL be blood on the walls of @urbanloungeSLC #imhappy @carlybrien" and she replied with: "we don't play that song live :/ Bobb hates it, haha." AAAAAHHHHH. I know, it's probably really lame, but it really just made the night!

wavves along the best coast.

2011-02-15T17:14:00.004-07:00

FINALLY! Tonight. 9 p.m. Urban Lounge. Salt Lake City. Best Coast. Wavves. With openers No Joy. We've been waiting for so long!

march 5.

2011-02-14T20:36:00.007-07:00

Once again, all the photos were taken by Matt Clayton. We couldn't have been happier with how they turned out! Only a little over two weeks away!

a preivew.

2011-02-12T13:04:00.001-07:00

Matt Clayton took our engagement pictures and this is just one of the beautiful images he captured. More to be posted soon!

cut copy.

2011-02-11T01:21:00.004-07:00

Australian synth-pop band Cut Copy released their third album this week, and I cannot wait for it to be released on vinyl on March 8. I might have a hard time waiting that long and may end up picking up a copy of the CD before then...

23 days.

2011-02-10T19:20:00.001-07:00

(Made by our friend Dannielle!)

monkey buziness.

2011-02-08T00:43:00.006-07:00

My dad has this sock monkey from when he was a kid that he got when his family went on vacation one year. He was telling us about it when I was home over Christmas and he went and found it. Well, we then went and looked for a sock monkey kit at a craft store to make another one with no luck. However, Carly and I found one at Michael's (one of my new favorite stores!) and so I made my dad a sock monkey for his birthday with our new sewing machine. Needless to say he loved it and was extremely impressed that I made it! It was sad to pack little Glen Jr. into the box and ship him off, but don't worry, we bought two kits and I already made one for us!

bow ties.

2011-02-03T00:07:00.007-07:00

Carly and I have gotten the entrepreneur bug and have decided to begin making our own line of bow ties. We made our first one last night and finished it up tonight and it turned out great! We'll begin by creating an Etsy page and sell them there and then come summer, we'll rent a booth at the Provo Farmers' Market and sell them there, along with Dannielle's clothes, some of my paintings, bridal brooch bouquets, etc. We are super excited about the upcoming months and creating such wonderful things!

dancing on my own.

2011-02-01T13:44:00.003-07:00

Swedish dance-club/pop superstar Robyn recently performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert and it was amazing! She performed three songs. This is another one of those performances that makes me want to write about music more than anything. Another one here. By the way, her dancing is INCREDIBLE!

general surplus shoes.

2011-01-31T16:59:00.005-07:00

Carly and I were at Urban a few weeks ago and I saw these shoes and they were only $9.99! I couldn't believe it. They only one pair and it was my size. And oh, so cheap! As we made our way to the register, I saw that there was a 5 in front of that 9.99. It didn't get stamped on the sale sticker very well. They were in fact $59.99. Boo! I saw them online and saw that they were originally $95 or something.
Well, I went back to Urban last week to return an online purchase and guess what I saw?! The same pair of shoes for only $19.99 so of course I grabbed them before anyone else could! It was a Christmas miracle!

crazy for you.

2011-01-27T14:44:00.003-07:00

I absolutely love Best Coast's new video for "Crazy for You." The cats in the video are incredible, and the cat paw high five at the end is amazing! Hope you like it!

Best Coast - 'Crazy For You' from Bob Harlow on Vimeo.

korma masala.

2011-01-26T00:52:00.006-07:00

The other day Carly and I made Korma Masala and Naan bread and it was delicious! It tasted just like Bombay House or India Palace! We had made it a few times, but this was by far the best. We want to have you over to try it! And yes, we now have a kitchen table, courtesy of Chase Murdock in exchange for one Ruru and one Vibrant Sound CD.

Currently listening to The Get Up Kid's new album, There Are Rules

welcome baby.

2011-01-22T01:56:00.004-07:00

Well, I'm an uncle for the seventh time as of Wednesday afternoon! So happy everything went well for my sister-in-law and baby brother! Little TJ was 8 lbs and 12 oz.

something old, something new.

2011-01-19T01:07:00.003-07:00

Carly and I are making her wedding bouquet out of old brooches instead of using actual flowers. It's been a lot of fun to go antique shopping to gather enough brooches and rings and earrings. Her parents and grandma have gotten really into it as well and have gathered tons for us, and my mom gave us a few when I was home for Christmas. We started assembling them tonight and this is just step one, but we already love it!

Currently listening to No Joy Ghost Blonde

san antonio.

2011-01-18T00:44:00.003-07:00

The parentals and Carly and I went to San Antonio for the day when we were home over Christmas break. I always love taking the three hour drive with the family, stopping at Buc-ee's on the way, walking the mall and eating on the Riverwalk at night. This was Carly's first time visiting San Antonio so it was a lot of fun!

asobi seksu.

2011-01-17T01:57:00.004-07:00

I just sent in my review of New York City-based dream-pop band Asobi Seksu's latest album, Fluroescence, to my editor at FILTER. The album will be released in February, and it is incredible. I absolutely love it! I think I have already found one of my favorite albums of 2011!

new couch.

2011-01-09T11:02:00.006-07:00

Carly and I went on an IKEA shopping spree yesterday and it was so much fun! We had to make two trips, the second of which has us driving home with half of this couch sticking out of our trunk. Needless to say I was a wreck the whole 20 miles home on the freeway, but we both let out a big sigh of relief when we pulled into our driveway with the couch still there! And it looks great!

gre.

2011-01-04T19:14:00.001-07:00

I'm taking the GRE on Monday and I'm a littler nervous about it. I haven't really had much time at all to prepare, but I'm trying to get a little last-minute cramming in.

top 65 songs of 2010.

2010-12-31T15:51:00.005-07:00

1. “Big Wave” Jenny & Johnny

2. “Crazy for You” Best Coast

3. “Dog Days Are Over” Florence & The Machine

4. “Hoeing Weeds Sowing Seeds” The Russian Futurists

5. “Jail La La” Dum Dum Girls

6. “Scissor Runner” Jenny & Johnny

7. “Thieves in the Night” Hot Chip

8. “Swim” Surfer Blood

9. “Finn Bikkjen!” Casiokids

10. “Hearts of Love” Crocodiles

11. “When I’m With You” Best Coast

12. “King of the Beach” Wavves

13. “All Summer” Kid Cudi, Best Coast and Rostam of Vampire Weekend

14. “Bulletproof” La Roux

15. “Braces” Ten Bears

16. “Black Sheep” Suckers

17. “Go Do” Jónsi

18. “Dancing On My Own” Robyn

19. “Mirrors” Crocodiles

20. “You’re Not Stubborn” Two Door Cinema Club

21. “Empty Room” Arcade Fire

22. “Wide Eyes” Local Natives

23. “Animal Arithmetic” Jónsi

24. “Sleep Forever” Crocodiles

25. “Post Acid” Wavves

26. “Have One On Me” Joanna Newsom

27. “Ambling Alp” Yeasayer

28. “What’s in it for?” Avi Buffalo

29. “Something Good Can Work” Two Door Cinema Club

30. “True Love Will Find You In The End” Mates of State (Daniel Johnston cover)

31. “Big Difference” Tokyo Police Club

32. “Eclipse (I’m All Yours)” Metric

33. “Cigarettes in the Theater” Two Door Cinema Club

34. “Little Lion Man” Mumford & Sons

35. “Happy” Best Coast

36. “Violet” Jeremy Messersmith

37. “Horchata” Vampire Weekend

38. “Texas B*****s” Broken Social Scene

39. “In California” Joanna Newsom

40. “Second Order” XYLOS

41. “Too Much” Sufjan Stevens

42. “Awake My Soul” Mumford & Sons

43. “I’m in your Church at Night” Active Child

44. “In the Sun” She & Him

45. “Shape Shifter” Local Natives

46. “Evacuate” The Boxer Rebellion

47. “Dance Yourself Clean” LCD Soundsystem

48. “Laura” Mates of State (Girls cover)

49. “Tell ‘Em” Sleigh Bells

50. “Terminally Chill” Neon Indian

51. “Hell” Tegan & Sara

52. “21@12” Hot Hot Heat

53. “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” Arcade Fire

54. “Estirado al Sol” The Pinker Tones

55. “Not Sick” Tokyo Police Club

56. “Knots” Jeremy Messersmith

57. “Do-Wah-Doo” Kate Nash

58. “Floating Vibes” Surfer Blood

59. “A Mind I Knew” Suckers

60. “Fembot” Robyn

61. “Candy Season” Librarians

62. “Mouthful of Diamonds” Phantogram

63. “Teenage Dream” Katy Perry

64. “It’s a Shame, It’s a Pity” The Moondoggies

65. “Trust in Desire” The Charlatans

christmas 2010.

2010-12-29T13:05:00.005-07:00

Hope you had a Merry Christmas! We sure did!

top 10 live shows of 2010.

2010-12-28T20:44:00.003-07:00

1. Joanna Newsom, The Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles

2. Hot Chip, In The Venue, SLC

3. Suckers, Kilby Court, SLC

4. Mates of State, U of U Red Week, SLC

5. Casiokids, The Echo, Los Angeles

6. Hot Hot Heat, Club Sound, SLC

7. Best Coast, Urban Lounge, SLC

8. The Big Pink, Urban Lounge, SLC

9. Jenny & Johnny, The State Room, SLC

10. Mumford & Sons, The Music Box, Hollywood

best in music of 2010: top 20 albums

2010-12-25T19:55:00.013-07:00

2010 has been an incredible year in music. So many amazing songs and records were released this year both from some of my favorite artists as well as new ones, and there have been incredible live performances I was fortunate enough to see.

As many music different music sites do at the end of each year, Carly and I each decided to put together our own lists of the Best in Music of 2010. It was a lot of fun to do and I think it will become an annual tradition. I listed my favorites of the year in three categories: best albums, best live shows and best songs. I'll start off with my list of the top 20 albums of 2010 and then I'll post my favorite live shows and finally my favorite songs.

Top 20 albums of 2010

1. Best Coast Crazy for You

2. Jenny & Johnny I’m Having Fun Now

3. Suckers Wild Smile

4. Two Door Cinema Club Tourist History

5. Joanna Newsom Have One On Me

6. Wavves King of the Beach

7. Crocodiles Sleep Forever

8. Mumford & Sons Sigh No More

9. Local Natives Gorilla Manor

10. Tokyo Police Club Champ

11. Casiokids Topp stemning på lokal bar

12. Surfer Blood Astro Coast

13. Robyn Body Talk

14. Yeasayer Odd Blood

15. Sleigh Bells Treats

16. Arcade Fire The Suburbs

17. LCD Soundsystem This is Happening

18. Hot Chip One Life Stand

19. Dum Dum Girls I Will Be

20.. She & Him Volume II

Honorable Mentions: Sufjan Stevens Age of Adz, Girl Talk All Day, Katy Perry Teenage Dream, Les Savy Fav Roots for Ruin, Mates of State Crushes: The Covers Mixtape, Jónsi Go, Vampire Weekend Contra, !!! Strange Weather, Isn’t It?, The XX XX, The Russian Futurists The Weight’s on the Wheels

san antonio.

2010-12-25T00:59:00.004-07:00

My parents took Carly and I up to San Antonio on Thursday to see the Alamo and have dinner on the Riverwalk. It was so pretty at night with all the holiday lights! Hope you have a Merry Christmas!

the passion in the pit.

2010-12-21T15:18:00.003-07:00

I found this picture as I was going through my email. If you haven't listened to Passion Pit, this is one of my favorite bands and one definitely worth checking out. I saw them at Urban Lounge last year ago and then more recently at In the Venue earlier this year. They are a very fun band, and I can't wait to hear more music from them.

sweater.

2010-12-20T22:19:00.004-07:00

This evening I was in the grocery store with my dad and this boy came up to me and asked me where I got my sweater and I told him it was from my grandpa. Reason #47 that I am an old man.

mom.

2010-12-19T21:37:00.002-07:00

I'm home for a few weeks! I saw this picture of my mom the other day and I love it! She was probably in her early 20s here. Notice the cut-off jean shorts and Cat Stevens tee. Urban Outfitters probably sells every article of clothing she's wearing. What can I say? My mom's hip.

love is all around.

2010-12-17T23:16:00.006-07:00

Hulu is offering the first three seasons of The Mary Tyler Moore show for free and I am hooked! I remember loving this show when I was younger, but it's even better than I remember!