Indiana Bigot Gets Owned by Billy Madison, The Internet

This is without a doubt the funniest video you will see today. And that includes Zach Galifianakis's Two Ferns Oscar special, which premiered Part 2 today.



In short: A teacher (who is not in the school district that the high school in question is located) decided that she would spew hate the second a camera appeared in front of her. Many have already called for her termination, which makes sense, since she is in a position where children's well-being are under her umbrella. Unfortunately, we cannot fire every single person who says something that I don't agree with (something about free speech, even though that really doesn't exist, if you have seen the number of people being fired over the years over this). But it is nice that someone decided to make her look more like the close-minded idiot and bigot she is.

Grammy Predictions: What Could, Should, or Will Happen

The Grammy Awards will be presented live on Sunday (8pmET/7pmCT on CBS). While the ceremonies themselves are either hit or miss in terms of performances (someone once said that the Recording Academy are the only group of people who can have access to the best artists in the world to create potentially incredible concerts--like those they have for Lollapalooza and South By Southwest or tragedies like Haiti or Sandy--AND still somehow fuck it all up ), the awards giving out is equally memorable. Remember when Bon Iver won? Even if you had never heard of his music, you most remember his honesty at the stage. And of course, his distaste for the Grammys. Which is understandable. The Recording Academy are probably the most out of touch institution in the pop culture business, despite the fact that they have made some strides in recent years to open up their ears and recognize the talent that is not being peddled to them by the suits from Sony or EMI.

This year's nominees are overall an outstanding selection of what music has offered to the world in the past year. The top four (Album, Song, Record of the Year, and New Artist) categories have the strongest selection of nominees in quite some time. Even though many have predicted that Frank Ocean will either win Album of the Year (or someone one else could, considering the rise of Mumford and The Black Keys in pundits circles), there will still be some surprises. Unlike last year, there is no front-runner. In fact, there could be four different musicians being honored in the Big 4 categories. Six different musicians are nominated six times.

Adele, who won 6 Grammys last year, could still win won for Best Pop Vocal Performance ("Set Fire to the Rain"),
a song off the album 21, which is the same album that earned her those same 6 Grammys.

 Here are some possibilities on what could go down on Sunday night.

5x5: New Music To Kick Off February

We have now reached the second month of the year. While technically the shortest month of the year, February seems to drag on for eternity. Part of the reason is the lack of new entertainment, save for the lame romantic drama that hits theatres or the remaining awards shows that clog up Sunday nights. Here are five songs to make you feel better about the coldest month of the year.

Devendra Banhart "Never Seen Such Good Things"
This folk rock singer has been performing and recording since he was in his teens, often busking in San Francisco. His new album, Mala, is out March 13.

The Increasingly Dismal Job Hunt

I have applied to no less than 30 different jobs this month. There have been three replies so far. (All unwanted--stuff from shady-sounding "home and life insurance" and sales marketing places. One marketing company was featured on a couple of blogs, stating that the company was scamming prospective employees.)

There was one legitimate response. There was an initial interview with someone from their PR and a senior VP at a communications company. There was even a second interview with a potential supervisor. I was beginning to believe that I had the job. But according to them, to quote the letter I received in the mail, "while we were impressed with your credentials and presentation, we have decided to continue our search." I noticed they posted the job position earlier this week on a couple of job sites. They are apparently still searching for that someone. This is a search is for an entry-level position, by the way. They are not looking for someone to run the company. Granted, I believe they overlooked me because it would have been a lengthy commute, but I had considered relocating. I have applied to a few jobs around the country last month. Canada is even in consideration.

New(ish) Band to Check Out: Brother Ember

Band: Brother Ember
Genre: Rock/Indie Pop

The track below, "Twisted Sermons", is one part rock 'n' roll, one part country, one part pop and all parts exciting. There is no genre to pigeon-hole this track, or the band (according to the Facebook page, they create "indie-ish pop", music), which works to their advantage. Brother Ember consists of three musicians from three different parts of the country--Nashville, Texas, and Chicago--each with a lively music atmosphere.
Even though they have formed the band just a few months ago, Brother Ember have begun making their mark on stage. Their next concert takes place on Groundhog Day (February 2) at Gallery Cabaret in Bucktown. The jazz trio Nonpronto will also be performing. The show is free, so there is no excuse to miss out on a rising band.



P.S. Gallery Cabaret also has a "Two-Hour Comedy Hour", which takes place before the show. If you enjoy comedy, check it out. If not, then just grab a beer or two and pick a good spot for the show.

Stuff from HitRecord

A few months ago, I signed up as a contributor to hitrecord.org, an interactive website created by Joseph Gordon Levitt (yes, that Joseph Gordon Levitt.) People can create pieces of arts and release it onto the world. Some people use others' work and remix it (create a different piece of art). For example, a poem can inspire a painting or a short film. A painting can inspire a poem or a story.

Here is a selection of some of my contributions to hitrecord.org.

FLASH FICTION #1
Summer party, swimming together in pool.

FLASH FICTION #2
Lost: Little Black Lab Named Charlie.

5x5: The Five Best New Songs to Show Off What 2013 Has In Store for Music

Yo La Tengo Fade

One of the greatest bands in the history of indie rock has returned with a top-notch album, Fade, their first collection of new material since 2009's Popular Songs. They recently performed two of their tracks on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon", the opening track/single "Ohm" and a simple yet elegant rendition of the album's finest track, the intimate and beautiful "I'll Be Around."
After nearly three decades of entertaining the (not-so-big) masses, Yo La Tengo is still on a roll, with no signs of slowing down. Fade clocks in at 45 minutes with 45 seconds (45:45) but the time flies by, ending too soon.