Free Beer!

Hah, gotcha. Just thought I'd pass the message below along in case there's anyone besides Husband, Wife and Ben that actually read my blog ;)

Also, I am drooling over The Automatic's song "Monster," it's fucking brilliant. I am not happy that the single doesn't come out till next week and the album later in June. Go rock your ears and listen to it on their myspace page.

Revolt Media is looking for bands and musicians to help us out by writing Guest Editor Notes! If you are a band or musician, or a singer of a band, a guitar player in a band, a drummer in a band... (well, you get the idea) - WE WANT YOU!We are looking for just a few paragraphs on various topics. Our current Guest Editor is Bjorn Baillie from La Rocca, who wrote a cryptic Editors Note during the band's "take over" of our website.

We are now currently looking to do a series of Guest Editor Notes from various people on various subjects.What's in it for you?Publicity, natch.Our website is currently receiving 23,000+ UNIQUE visits per month. Your band will be promoted via links to your website, Myspace profile, .mp3 streams, mentions of new albums, tour date listings - whatever you have to share. Each link will be presented at the end of your Editor's Note. You will also receive a front page mention on our website during the time period your Editor's Note runs.

If you're interested in writing a Guest Editor's Note for Revolt, please either reply to this message, or email Sherri at sherri@revolt-media.com for the list of available topics.... OR SUGGEST A TOPIC that you'd like to write about!Remember, it would only be a few paragraphs, which would just take a few minutes of your time - and in return, you could potentially reach over 23,000 new fans!PS: Please repost this if you have bands/musicians on your friends page!Tell yo mamma I said hey,Sherri Gibbons

First review on Revolt!

Yay, my first review is up on the Revolt-Media webpage. I've got three more reviews coming in the next few weeks too...Check out my review of Wolfmother here. I was quite pleased, my editor was very happy with it and it only needed one or two minor changes. Woo hoo!

I've been enjoying the long weekend despite the fact that I have a Media Law exam on Wednesday (boo, hiss). Went out to the Prickley Pear with some friends, got a great sidewalk table where we sat and drank margaritas till they kicked us out. Ended up VERY hungover yesterday, but it was worth it:) Apparently my tolerance for tequila isn't quite as great as I thought. Oh well.

Too bad I've got to go back to work tomorrow. Oh, and just because I'm totally geeked about these, check out the fun shoes I got at DSW yesterday:


Hah, hah, I love em. They crack me up.
Well, off to enjoy what's left of the three day weekend!
Ciao,S

The Editors

Well, I added another concert to my calendar:) I just found out that The Editors will be at the Magic Stick in August (of course, two days before I go see The Raconteurs...why is it that I always end up seeing two shows within four or five days of each other??) and even though no one I know has heard of them, I decided to get myself a ticket and see what their live show is like. They're out of Birmingham, England and sort of akin to Joy Division (Husband, you'd probably hate them). So, that should be fun. Lots of good shows planned for the end of July, beginning of August.

The other good news is I got my FAT federal income tax refund. Woo hoo!
Ciao,
S

Just an idea...

So, I've been thinking about having another party. The weather is getting nice and it might be fun to have a bbq and such. Of course, this time the parents will be home. I know they won't mind, but it can be a little more fun if they're not around. Thing is, I had so much fun planning the last one (even the shopping and cooking was fun, though the cleaning sucked:) that I'm kinda itching to do it again.

Any thoughts? And, Ben, you & Jessica better be able to come this time around ;)

Ugh, late class tonight. Media law is very interesting but it makes me pretty positive I'd never want to go to law school...
~S
Listening to: Panic! At the Disco A Fever You Can't Sweat Out

Insert clever title here

Well, the weekend was kinda boring to be honest. I really wanted to go out either Friday or Saturday night, but no one was around :( Oh well. Probably just as well.

I've already been assigned four album reviews for Revolt Media, so that's pretty fun:) Especially since a) I got to pick which albums I'm reviewing, b) this means I get free copies of a bunch of albums I've wanted to listen to, and c) my name in PRINT, duh:)
Actually, it's already in print. Sherri, my editor, has already added my name to the list of contributors. Yay!

Ugh, class late tonight. No fun...especially since we've got a quiz.
Later,
S

Listening to: "My Name is Trouble" Nightmare of You Nightmare of You

New writing job *another victory dance*

Woo hoo! I finally got another freelance writing job (phew). It's for Revolt Media which is an online music mag. Same deal as with The Crutch-I'm not paid but I get free cd's, my name in print and clips to add to my collection for when I look for a paying job.

Yay! I was beginning to worry I wouldn't find another freelance gig.
Check out Revolt Media.
Happy Friday!

Listening to: "Dani California" Red Hot Chili Peppers Stadium Arcadium

The Raconteurs *victory dance*

Woo hoo! I got tickets to see The Raconteurs at the Michigan theater (insert little victory dance here). I got tix on the main floor too, so that's pretty sweet. I am VERY psyched about this:) It should be a sweet show and I think it's kinda cool that the only show they're playing in Michigan on this tour will be in Ann Arbor.
Yay!

So glad it's Friday. Having class two nights a week, not getting back to Ann Arbor till 10pm and working every day is kicking my ass. I got this tremendous headache last night, I think it was just from sheer fatigue, that hurt so bad it made me feel like I was going to be sick :( So, I went to bed at 7pm and slept for 12 hours. I feel a lot better now but I hope that isn't going to happen every week...Ugh.

Guitar is going really well though. I'm working on a couple of new songs, "A Minor Incident" by Badly Drawn Boy, "Lines of Light" by The Subways and "Let it Rain" by Ok Go. Should keep me busy for a while:) Um, in other news, I've got a co-worker who is trying to set me up on a blind date and I'm a little nervous about the whole thing. I've never had a lot of luck with blind dates and so far haven't found that the sheer anxiety connected with those sorts of things is worth it. I told her I'd think about it...

Quick music recommendation (besides going and getting yourself a copy of Broken Boy Soldiers by The Raconteurs, duh): go get Stadium Arcadium by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It is great. I tend to forget how good the RHCPs are, take them for granted and all. Good stuff. Check it out.
Ciao,
S

Man, things have been busy, busy, busy. I started my Media Law class and so far it seems pretty interesting. I don't like having it Monday and Wednesday nights but there isn't much I can do about that. Looks like I'm going to have to learn a lot of legal terminology and I forgot how intense summer semester classes are...oh well.

Went and saw "The Notorious Bettie Page" last night. It was quite good, I liked it a lot. I agree with the reviews, that you don't really feel like you get a good look inside her head, but the filming was really cool-most of the movie was in black and white except for when they showed her in Miami, and then they did it in color. I can't believe how much Gretchen Mol looked like Bettie Page...pretty amazing. Anyways, I liked the movie a lot even if Jim and I were two of the six or so people in the theater.

I found out that The Raconteurs are coming to Ann Arbor, one of their few tour stops this summer and I really want to go see them. Tickets don't go on sale till Friday morning, so I'm going to need to be on top of that one...I feel like I'm going into concert withdrawl, but there isn't too much coming up that I really want to go see :( At least I've got tix for Warped, so I've got that to look forward to.

The only other thing going on is that I'm trying to like running. I have never liked running, I have no stamina whatsoever for it and most of the time I don't see the point. However, that said, it is good exercise and most runners have pretty good bodies...so, I'm trying to get into running. I'm terrible at it, but maybe with some time I'll actually develop some endurance when it comes to this...woo hoo (yeah, I'm really enthusiastic about this...)

Well, that's it for now. Super exciting post, I know:)
Sasha

Listening to:
"Vampires Will Never Hurt You" My Chemical Romance I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love

The Notorious Bettie Page and the not-so-notorious me

What a week. Total meltdown on Tuesday and on Wednesday I called in sick. It was the first time in my life that I called in sick when I wasn't really but I completely needed a mental health day or I might have seriously lost it. It was really great having a day off...I got to go to the secretary of state (woo hoo-yes, that was sarcastic), got a Mother's Day present for my mom, a birthday present for my dad and did a little retail therapy of my own ;)

I'm looking forward to the weekend even though the weather is supposed to be crappy for the next five days (or year...yay Michigan). Wife and I are checking out the brand new H & M at Briarwood on Saturday and then she and Husband are coming over for dinner on Sunday.

Unforch, classes start up again on Monday (boo, hiss) but at least I only have to drive to MSU two days a week this semester. I also got the great news that I'll only have to take one class in the fall to finish up. Yay! I don't want to do homework again though and I have the feeling that the reading for Media & Law will be on the dry side...

On the plus side, The Notorious Bettie Page has finally made it's way to Ann Arbor and I'm going to see it with Jim on Tuesday. The movie has kinda gotten mixed reviews, but I still really want to see it. There's something oddly fascinating about Bettie Page and, whether you're into boys or girls, she was pretty damn good looking. I kind of get a kick out of all those rockabilly girls that emulate Bettie Page. Of course, there are worse people you could try to look like (cough, cough, Paris Hilton, cough)...at least Bettie had curves!

Happy Friday~
Sasha

Emo??

So, weirdly enough, I got called "emo" by a co-worker today. Here's what happened, another co-worker noticed for the first time that I had purple in my hair. My mom happened to be standing there and started making a semi-big deal out of it (mostly because my hair is three different colors right now-my natural color, whatever the hell that is; very, very dark brown, almost black; and purple). She wasn't being mean, just teasing, although I know she hates it. Anyways, this other coworker comes along as this is all going on and was like "leave her alone, she's emo." My first reaction was "I am NOT fucking emo!" But, strangely, at the same time, I was a little pleased to be called emo.

So, what's my problem with being called emo? Sure, a lot of the music I like tends to get lumped into that category, or at least the screamo category. So, what's the problem? I think part of it is that Dashboard Confessional is considered emo and I HATE Dashboard Confessional.

Anyways, I decided to look for a definition of emo. Here's what I found:
Emo: Short for emotional. Emo is a broad title that covers a lot of different styles of emotionally charged punk-rock. More on emo at What the heck *is* emo anyway?

Wikipedia gives the whole bleeding history of emo and it's way too long to re-write here. Read all about emo here.

In conclusion, I guess it doesn't bother me too much that I got called emo. Hell, there are worse things you can be called, right? :)

Also, check out Thursday's new album A City by the Light Divided (for you screamo fans;) It's really growing on me the more I listen to it.
Happy Friday!
~S

Listening To: "Running from the Rain" Thursday A City of Light Divided

Some Bad News & Some Good News

Well, I got some bad news when I checked my email this morning. Looks like the editor of The Crutch has decided to put the magazine to sleep so to speak. I believe the words were "hiatus of undetermined length" (hmm, that could sound almost dirty ;) just kidding). Yeah, so, I'm disappointed. I really liked the stuff I was getting to write. If you hear of anyone needing a freelance and/or part time writer, let me know...

The good news is, the May issue of the magazine came out today featuring (duh-duh-da!) my profile on The Oohlas and my review of the new Pretty Girls Make Graves' album "Elan Vital." Go here and download it.

Man, I'm definitely bummed about this though. Just when I get a fun writing job, the magazine folds:( Boo, hiss as Wife would say.

That's all. Let me know what you think of the May issue.
~S

Listening to: the Foo Fighters via Virgin Extreme

The End

Oh. my. god. I made it to the end of the semester. Everything got done. Nothing was late. I managed to eke (sp?) my way through the semester working only 3 days and still being able to put gas in my car. Whew. I am SO glad it's over. Don't get me wrong, I liked at least one of my classes, but I'm so braindead at this point and I want to have some FUN this weekend (hint, hint, anyone feel like going out??)

Work sucked today. I hate the people that think they can treat you like shit just because you're the shmo answering the phone. I've come to the conclusion that the worst part of that isn't the people getting pissed at you, it's having to take it and not being able to just tell them to STFU (well, I could, but then I'd get fired). Oh well. Money, money, money...

My first night with no homework? I plan on having at least two super-strong, on the rocks margaritas and vegging out....ahh, tequila...

And, just for kicks, I came across this photo of Billie Joe & Wife on ohnotheydidn't (Wife, my fellow Pink reader, check it out. You'll like it.) They're just so damn cute, I can't stand it.

Well, that's it for now...
~S

Listening to: Hawthorne Heights-"If Only You Were Lonely"

We are headed for strangeness...

Well, my last paper of the semester is done (or almost done, I just need to write the damn abstract. Problem is, I don't know how to write an abstract. See, in the English world, we don't do that a whole lot, so I'm at a bit of a loss, and right now I just don't care.) I liked the reading I had to do for it, I mean, getting to read all this great stuff by Hunter S. Thompson and Tom Wolfe and I get credit for it?! Wow...

So, I came across this description Thompson wrote about his deadlines as he was covering the 1972 presidential election. Granted, my deadline hasn't been this bad, but who hasn't had these feelings at some point when they've been up against a deadline?

"There is a comfortable kind of consistency in this kind of finish, because that's the way all the rest of the book was written. From December '71 to January '73 -- in airport bars, all-nite coffee shops and dreary hotel rooms all over the country -- there is hardly a paragraph in this jangled saga that wasn't produced in a last-minute, teeth-grinding frenzy. There was never enough time. Every deadline was a crisis. All around me were experienced professional journalists meeting deadlines far more frequent than mine, but I was never able to learn from their example...
...Any $100 an hour psychiatrist could probably explain this problem to me, in thirteen or fourteen sessions, but I don't have time for that. No doubt it has something to do with a deep-seated personality defect, or maybe a kink in whatever blood vessel leads into the pineal gland...on the other hand, it might easily be something as simple & basically perverse as whatever instinct it is that causes a jackrabbit to wait until the last possible second to dart across the road in front of a speeding car...Why not? Anything that gets the adrenalin moving like a 440 volt blast in a copper bathtub is good for the reflexes and keeps the veins free of cholesterol."
-Hunter S. Thompson Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72

Now I just need to make it through class tomorrow night, hand this sucker in, and be done with it. I think I'll grind out the abstract tomorrow at work:)
Ciao,
S

All in the Family

How nuts would it be to have Billie Joe Armstrong as your dad? I came across this pic of him & his family at the Kids Choice Awards and, seriously, how fucking cute is this family??? (Not the best pic of Billie Joe, but still...I wonder what he's looking at?) I just want to pinch all of their cheeks:)


In music news, I've heard the new album, Broken Boy Soldiers, by The Raconteurs (Jack White of The White Stripes fame) which comes out on May 16 and IT IS GOOD. I highly recommend "Steady As She Goes."

Also, if you feel like going back to those days of 80s era dance-y music, check out the album by The Sounds from Sweden. They're definitely one of those groups you'll either really like or really hate, not much middle ground. I'm happy they'll be at Warped this summer though. I think they'd be a good band to see live.

The phones are sucking my will to live this morning and I may be dragged to a staff meeting this afternoon. I'm not sure what would be worse-being alone on the phones for a few hours or being stuck in a pointless and boring meeting. I would like nothing more than to just grab my bag and walk out the door right now. Of course then the progression is: walk out--> get fired-->no money-->cardboard box-->die a horrible miserable death. Hmm, guess I'll stay on the phones.
So glad it's Friday.

Where do these people come from??

I really wonder. I had to post this. So, a guy calls the clinic yesterday wanting to know if we do penis enlargement.

What?! How the hell do I answer that without laughing? Give the call to the clinic manager, that's what you do:) (I wonder what she said to him...)

On a different note, the Oohlas have posted a NEW SONG on the Stolen Transmission website. It rocks. I am so fucking stoked for the new album to come out I can hardly stand it. Go listen to the new song!

Also, Husband and I are considering marketing these shirts. You know you want one...



Ugh, tomorrow really should be Friday.
I'm out,
S

PS-I'm working on the next installment of my story-thing about the plastic surgery clinic. Stay tuned for The Mumbler... (dun, dun, duuun...)

Time to Waste

Yeah, I really should be doing work for one of my classes instead of posting, but I have the attention span of a flea right now, so the work isn't too productive at the moment. Anyways, I wanted to write about the concert last night...

Alkaline Trio was AWESOME. Oh. My. God. They rocked. They played at the Royal Oak Music Theater which is this very cool old movie theater that was renovated at some point. It's fairly small and either there are no seats or they took them out for the concert. It was cool though because you could get right up to the stage if you wanted and since the floor was stepped (um, not sure how else to describe it) if you stood at the edge of one of the slightly higher platforms, you could easily see over the heads of everyone on the level below you. So, we staked out a good spot at the front of the first level and got an awesome view of the stage.

Against Me! opened and I liked them a lot-very punk and energetic. Unfortch, I hadn't heard them before, so I didn't really know their stuff, but I like what I heard.

Alkaline Trio just ripped it up. They played all the songs off Goddamnit and a few songs like "This Could be Love", "Emma" and "Blue in the Face" off Good Mourning. I was really psyhed when they played "Settle for Satin" from Crimson though:) Matt Skiba and Daniel Andriano did a bunch of acoustic stuff too which was amazing.

I don't think I've ever been in one room that had so many tattoos, piercings, mohawks and black t-shirts...it was kinda nuts:) Anyways, it was a fantastic show and I'd definitely see them again in a second.
And, as always, a few pics:

Fall Out Boy

Aargh, so tired, but it was so worth it! Great concert even if my brother and I were some of the oldest fans there (I'm not counting all the parents that were there with their teenage and pre-teen kids). I've decided that going to concerts, especially for bands like Fall Out Boy or Green Day, really make for interesting observations of social behavior. It might be a social scientists dream population or something.

Anyways, the bands got increasingly "pop-y" as the night went on and it was a good five hours of music or so. I definitely liked From First to Last and Hawthorne Heights. All American Rejects were good and I like some of their songs, but I'm not totally obsessed with them. Speaking of people watching, there was this group kids in front of me & my brother, totally decked out in Hawthorne Heights gear from head to toe (well, not quite, but they were def. HUGE fans). My brother and I were mocking them just a little, but they amused me in a sort of cute, aw, aren't they excited way. One of the girl's screaming when HH came out was a bit annoying, but, you know, overall, I got a kick out of them. Unlike the idiot woman that was sitting next to my brother...

We'd scooched down in our row since no one was sitting there for the first three bands and then this woman with two pre-teens comes along, looks at us and just goes "MOVE." Uh, yeah...we know we're in the wrong seats, we're happy to move, you don't need to treat us like idiots! Grr. In fact, we're probably older than you think. It got worse too. She was that parent, you know, the one that acts like a teenager and is probably embarassing her kids beyond belief. She was dancing and screaming and was even clapping along when they were doing the sound check. Some people are so weird.

Anyways, Fall Out Boy rocked. They played a really long set and all of the songs I really wanted to hear. Of course people went nuts when they played "Dance, Dance" and "Sugar, We're Going Down." I love those songs but I really think my favorite is "XO" so, I'm glad they played that too. They're hilarious to watch, I do NOT understand how you can jump around and do those little spinny flip things that Pete Wentz and Joe Trohman do and still play the bass/guitar. Amazing. Definitely a fun time and way worth the money. I somehow think the crowd at Alkaline Trio will be slightly different:) I am, however, still psyched to go to that too.

I took some pics from our nosebleed seats. They're not too bad all things considered...I guess if you squint you can imagine that they're Fall Out Boy.

Hawthorne Heights

From First to Last


All-American Rejects



Fall Out Boy

Excited...

Ridiculously psyched for the Fall Out Boy concert tonight:) The tickets I got sorta suck, nosebleed section and all, but I'm still excited to be going! Then I've got tickets to see Alkaline Trio on Sunday--I've seen them before so I know they'll be great.
Frankly, I'm amazed I survived the week. I had an insane amount of work but, no homework tonight!

Pics to follow.

Ahead of the curve again!

AAAHH! I love being right:) Go to the iTunes music store. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. The FREE single of the week is Damone's "Out Here All Night!!!" Did I not say a few weeks ago that Damone rocks?

GO DOWNLOAD IT NOW!

Again, my tastes have been validated. Yay me:)

Peeps!

This question came up at Easter dinner last night...are Peeps suceptible to Avian Flu?? Do you think a research quesiton on the effects of Peeps and alcohol might be funded by a government grant?? I think Peep research is the next big thing. I may need to get some "test subjects" since they'll be on sale today. Not to eat of course, just for the comic relief and to do experiements on:)

Ugh, it's gonna be a loooong week.