In case you didn’t know! Season 3 of Yo Gabba Gabba premiers this week on Nickelodeon! This is the first season I’ve been involved with since the pilot, so naturally, it’s incredible and the best one yet! But seriously, check out this lineup. I can tell you personally, that these episodes are all incredible!

Monday, March 8
307 CIRCUS
The characters help Weird Al the Ringmaster make a circus in Gabbaland! Brobee learns to be a clown, and everyone gets to perform. The BLACK KIDS perform “What’s Up Clown?”
Guests: Weird Al Yankovic, Sarah Silverman, the Black Kids, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Mates of State!

Tuesday, March 9
313 BUGS
Muno takes us on a bug tour of Gabbaland! Plex shrinks the characters down to follow the Oskie bugs to their underground world where we meet the Queen Oskie Bug and watch eggs hatch. WEEZER performs “All My Friends Are Insects!”
Guests: Weezer, Mark Mothersbaugh, Tim Armstrong of Rancid as Mr. Cactus, Gina Ribisi as Queen of the Oskie Bugs, Black Moth Super Rainbow and a Travis Barker Remix!

(THIS IS CRICKET’S EPISODE!! AND I DESIGNED WEEZER’S SET! MUST-WATCH!)

Wednesday, March 10
304 DOCTOR
Toodee gets sick and needs to rest. The doctor visits and everyone helps Toodee feel better. OF MONTREAL perform ” Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast”
Guests: Anthony Bourdain as Dr. Tony, Of Montreal, Biz Markie, and Swound!

(I worked on Of Montreal’s segment!)

Thursday, March 11
306 SUPERHERO
Toodee rallies up the troops to play Superheroes. We meet Mos Def as Super Mr. Superhero who helps rescue a lost monster. Devo perform “Watch Us Work it!”
Guests: Mos Def, Devo, Super Biz Markie, The Aquabats!!, and Robert Bobbert from Apples in Stereo.

So check your local listings and whatnot! It’s gonna be awesome!!

Another short film? Sure! why not?

Hey look! It’s finally done!

I made a little silly movie last night. Enjoy!

So last week (Thursday and Friday), I got to direct my first music video for my brother Parker’s famous band, GOGO13. It’s for a new song called “Down in a Barrel” and it’s going to be a whole lot of fun. I’ll edit it over the next couple of days and I’ll post it as soon as I’m done. woo woo!

Huge thanks to my buddy Will for helping me out with so much stuff!

Is it too late for my year-end lists for 2009? I don’t care. It was a tough year for music for me. My iPod broke back in April right before I left Jersey, so I didn’t consume nearly as much music as I did in ‘08. But whatever. Here you go – my favorite albums that were released last year.

10. Yeasayer – Odd Blood
So right out of the gates, I’m breaking my own rules. This album really came out early 2010 (is it even out yet?) but I listened to it solid through the month of December. If this were really an ‘09 album, it would probably be in my top two. And yes, I reserve the right to keep this album in the running for next year’s list. In any case, “Odd Blood” totally melted my brain. Here’s a weird video:

9. Beirut – March of the Zapotec / Holland Real People
This is a double EP album (is that a thing?) with the first disc being more traditional sounding Beirut (european or mexican traditional folk music with tubas and violins and whatnot). But the second disc is what I really like. It sounds like head the old “Real People” demos – which is basically Zach crooning over his own digital beats. “No Dice” and “My Night With a Prostitute from Merseilles” are my favorites.

8. The Very Best – The Warm Heart of Africa
This is a great fun record with a lot of fun African beats. I wish I knew more about it, but I don’t. They did a song with Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend which is fantastic. Check it out and see if it doesn’t make you just a bit happier.

7. Discovery – LP
Did someone say Vampire Weekend? This is an experimental electronic type of project with one guy from VW and another guy from Ra Ra Riot (sorry, I’m too lazy to look up the names.). Similar to Postal Service I guess if Postal Service cheered up a bit and wasn’t afraid to get silly. Sorry no video, but you can listen to a song:

6. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Great album from a great Frenchy band. You’ve probably heard this song on a car commercial, and I have too. It’s an amazing tune and the whole record is equally good. Buster gets all happy when I play this in the car and says “Hey! I know this song!” When you’re done with the video for 1901 below, check out this amazing fan video for “Listzomania” featuring Brat Pack kids rocking out. so fun.

5. Moneybrother – Real Control
I’m really glad Moneybrother came back with this record after being disappointed with their last one. “Real Control” is catchy all the way through. If you’re not in the loop Moneybrother the unkown (at least in the US) solo project of Anders Wendin (ex-Monster). I’m a major geek for this guys’ music. He’s awesome. A lot of classic soul, rock, whatever. This song below has a bit more of a late 70’s reggae / ska vibe (which is about as Jamaican as I got all year).

4. New Moon Soundtrack
Ok, before you judge me as a 13 year old girl (or 20-something housewife) for this, hear me out. I’m not a Twilight fan. I don’t feel like that’s even necessary to state. But, this album is amazing. If this soundtrack were a compilation under a different name, it would receive a lot more credibility. Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear, Lykke Li, Death Cab, etc. Great all the way through and not a track I don’t like. Don’t judge me.

3. Fever Ray – Fever Ray
Karin from the Knife’s solo project that is even darker and creepier. I totally love this record. And I gotta say, seeing her live was probably one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.

2. Passion Pit – Manners
I love this record all over the place. At first I thought it was electro-dancey then I thought it was more indie-rocky, then I stopped worrying and just loved it for what it was. Lots of layers going on here. Great lyrics, great melodies… Sure you could say it’s over-produced, but that doesn’t bother me at all. It sounds fantastic. I was disappointed watching some live clips of them, as the vocals are so stacked on the album, it just didn’t hold up live. Well, I’ll find out at Coachella.

1. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
A favorite of many is also a favorite of mine. Lots of moods and textures and stuff. Definitely not the most accessible album of the year (nor the least accessible for that matter), but it sure grew on me pretty quick. You know it. You love it. I don’t need to say anything else. Here it is.

Hungry for a new post? Here’s a little mash-up I made using the first episode Mad Men with The Office intro. It looks like an funny, awkward comedy now!

I’ve been so busy with work lately that I haven’t been nearly as faithful of a blogger as I should be. For that I apologize (again). I promise some amazing catch-up posts in the future. In the mean time, here’s something pretty dang fun:

On Saturday we were able to take the kids the Disneyland (thanks Dominic!!!) for the first time in four years and now that the kids are old enough to really appreciate it, it was something really special. Cricket had been talking about going to Disneyland so much back in Jersey, it was great to not have to tell her “maybe someday” or that its “too far away”. So we took some pictures, and here they are!

Finn and the kids on Main Street USA

Me and the kids at the Disneyland Halloween celebration.

Hey folks, I know I’ve let my blogging habits slide. Between the cross-country drive and getting sick when I got back, it’s been a very difficult time to blog. (plus, I’ve had a lot of Mad Men to catch up on). I promise I’ll do better soon.

In the meantime, here’s a picture of the kids for the grandparents. What’s this picture for? HMMMM I wonder…. maybe Buster’s shirt will give you a hint.

This was not my car. But it looks like it – if it was in good shape.

Today I finally did it. I sold my beetle that I’ve owned since 2001. I actually paid it off in 2005… But yeah that thing. It was my friend and my enemy. It served me well and held up to my many different jobs I’ve bounced around to, and I even shipped it to the east coast.

But it wasn’t all sunshine and flowers. I dropped about $5,000 on it in repairs two summers ago, then two weeks later, the engine light came on. I decided to call it on its bluff and refuse to take it in. It retaliated against me in little, annoying ways – headlight going out, griding brakes, dropping the stupid plastic undercarraige, upholstery dropping off, even the dashboard disintegrating. See, this was the kind of dysfunctional relationship we had. I got my revenge in a not-so passive-agressive way – I just stopped driving it altogether when we moved to PA. It sat on that street for three months just pouting and collecting cobwebs.