Author: cocokeevan

The Dunce Cap: May 09, 2011

in: heavy rotation

The Dunce Cap, Vol. 33: But a weekend in Utah won’t fix what’s wrong with us. (click on link to listen to mix via 8tracks)

1. “Boy” – Ra Ra Riot
2. “New Drink for the Old Drunk” – Crooked Fingers
3. “Rill Rill” – Sleigh Bells
4. “I Know I Know I Know” – Tegan & Sara
5. “Wake and Be Fine” – Okkervil River
6. “Barely Breathing” – The Hold Steady
7. “The Mess Inside” – The Mountain Goats
8. “Dreams” – The Morning Benders
9. “Rappin’ 2 U” – Das Racist
10. “Do You Mind?” – The XX

Happy spring, readers! It took long enough to get us here, but I am ridiculously excited for sunshine and warmth and sundresses to come my way. It has been, as I always apologize for, way too long since I last blogged. It seems like a lifetime has passed since I last made a fun li’l Dunce Cap, and, in some ways, it has been. I’ve been riding a crazy-fast wave of adventure in the last few weeks, and I haven’t felt this light and blithe in years. It’s hard to even begin to explain what I’ve been up to. There was the strip club debauchery, the familial daytime drinking, the lakeside fireworks, the Journey to the End of the Night and the Mud Olympics and post-event rock climbing and Lake Michigan rinse. Then there were the plans to rappel, the unbelievable sleep schedule, the hours and hours in cars with friends, the wind in my hair during day drives and the spring in my step, well, always. It’s amazing how shockingly different this quarter has been from the last, and I can’t say I’m sorry for the drastic change. Last quarter sucked.

This mix is just…a mix. There’s certainly a recurring theme throughout all of my previous mixes, and I think it’s surely something about love lost, but these are also just songs I really like. There’s something about “Barely Breathing,” off of The Hold Steady‘s Heaven is Whenever, and about “Rappin’ 2 U” by Das Racist which just remind me of, well, me (the latter pays homage to “Young cocoa butter,” my nickname in high school, and talks of Coca Cola and Conde Nast magazines). And I adore The Morning Benders‘ cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” which is just stellar. Seriously. This is a mix of songs I’ve just been digging, and I hope you’ll like it too.

Coming up (maybe even tonight!), details on my rising status as a fashion maven; my newfound obsession in television title cards; and much, much more.

Happy listening and hella happy times!

The Dunce Cap: April 11, 2011

in: heavy rotation

Image from...uh?

The Dunce Cap, Vol. 32: I wanted to control it. But, love, I couldn’t hold it. (click on link to listen to mix via 8tracks)

1. “The Things That You Say That You Do” – Dressy Bessy
2. “Gold Soundz” – Pavement
3. “French Navy” – Camera Obscura
4. “Everyday” – Vetiver
5. “Don’t Carry It All” – The Decemberists
6. “Seaweed Song” – Passion Pit
7. “The Hill” – Bombay Bicycle Club
8. “Never Forget You” – NOISEttes
9. “Your Ex-Lover is Dead” – Stars
10. “Fair” – Ben Folds Five

Hey, pals. This one’s actually pretty good! Happy April, my favorite month of the year for so many reasons. For instance, my 21st birthday is impending; the weather in Evanston was 80° and perfectly sunny; shit is feeling manageable. It’s one of those times when I want to wake up and do a little shimmy.

This mix is a mish-mash of songs catered to my mood: happy songs with a dark center. If you’re looking for nougat, maybe look elsewhere. Mmm. Nougat.

There’s not much else to say, not really – except love. Just love. In its most platonic and romantic forms, it’s what’s keeping me going. May your life be replete with love and lovers and loved ones.

Happy listening.

Michael: You’re just jumping right into this, huh?
Buster: That’s what you do when life hands you a chance to be with someone special. You just grab that brownish area by its points and you don’t let go no matter what your mom says.
– Arrested Development, “Key Decisions,” Ssn. 1, Ep. 4

The Dunce Cap: March 21, 2011

in: heavy rotation, in: the press

Ju·gee·toe

The Dunce Cap, Vol. 31: ‘Cause they’re gonna be cool happy genius heroes. (click on link to listen to mix via 8tracks)

1. “When U Love Somebody” – The Fruit Bats
2. “All the Beautiful Things” – Eels
3. “Ambling Alp” – Yeasayer
4. “Always On My Mind” – Phantom Planet
5. “Santa Clara” – The National
6. “King of Carrot Flowers, Pt.1” – Neutral Milk Hotel
7. “Keep Fishin’” – Weezer
8. “Oregon Girl” – Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin
9. “Dancing Choose” – TV on the Radio
10. “Last Flight Out” – Butch Walker

I’ve got to say – I feel really guilty, you guys. Not only has The Girl With the Dunce Cap only produced a handful of entries this year, this is only the second Dunce Cap mix of 2011.  I have to be totally honest, though, and admit it’s been a pretty tough year thus far. So tough, in fact, that I’ve taken to watching “Fancy Feast” commercials for warmth in my heart.

Okay, that last part was a fib. But wouldn’t that be sad and indicative of my inevitable and massively disastrous cat lady future?

Anyhow. It’s spring break for the itty bitty kitty ‘Cats like myself, and it could not have come at a better time. This quarter honestly felt like a terse struggle for survival, and I’m ripe for an explosion. That was fairly melodramatic, sure, but winter is always the hardest. This winter was particularly tough, what with that ridiculous blizzard, incredible overcommitting, a deplorable gluttony of Netflix instant and a still-mending broken heart. But it wasn’t all bad. I think I learned a lot more about myself and what I want. I gained a greater understanding of the healing power of time, and I really, truly think I figured out what it is that I want. And I’m strong enough to risk it all to get it.

This mix is a testament to the long overdue start to spring. It’s ultra-warm down South, and I am loving the heat waves. I like these songs because they make my feet tick and the corners of my mouth turn up, and I want to let the wind in my hair and the sun on my skin, and that is the feeling I think I’m constantly coveting. God, I’m starting to sound so sappy. But I’m truly confident about what lies ahead, and I’m really learning to count on myself. I’m still very much in love, perhaps with what used to be, but I have a good feeling. There’s still more to come.

OH. AND THE PHOTO. If you ever experience a lull in conversation with me, ask me why Judge Lance Ito is important to me.

Stray additions:

  • My favorite line of the week came from Thursday’s quite excellent 30 Rock. “I miss my weird love,” says Angie about Tracy, and I’ve got to say – I totally understand where she’s coming from.
  • I bought this hat. It’s possibly the best thing to potentially ever happen to anyone anywhere in the history of the universe (thank you, Leslie Knope!), and I plan to wear it at every opportunity, including but not limited to (my first actually attended) crush party, Dillo Day and my 21st birthday epic bar crawl. For the record, that’s not me in the photo. I know. You thought wrong.
  • I’m living like Eloise all week long! Seriously. I’m residing in a hotel instead of my childhood home because of a big ol’ fire – yeah, that sucks. -, and it’s actually really cool. Plus, there’s a tap of cheap beer at my disposal.
  • Dude. Last week’s NBC Thursday night television? Totally excellent. My crush on Adam Scott deepens. And my favorite use of Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker’s “American Girl” ever. I can’t explain to you how hard I laughed when I saw Swanson on that li’l train, with Tom taking up the rear. Even better use of the song than in that seriously creepy scene in Silence of the Lambs!
  • I like Memphis. And I like Twitter. Happy 5th birthday, Twitter!
  • I’m particularly intrigued by the whole debacle happening in the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communication (yawnx10,000 to the name change) with renowned Medill Innocence Project Professor David Protess. Check out the coverage in the Sun-Times.

Alright, y’all. Happy listening, and happy pretty weather & frolicking & springtime! The Dunce Cap will be back in a big way this quarter, with mixes out every Monday and regular pop culture updates from the mouths of (this) babe. Thrilling!

A.V. Club: “My Coco”

in: viewing room

Ack, again with the business. That’s busy-ness, for the record.

Things are still crazy on this end, so this’ll be a quick post. I know – not even a Dunce Cap to satiate your needs. Here’s what I have to share: a song.

Stellastarr* released this obvious gem, “My Coco,” in 2004. The track is from the band’s self-titled 2003 debut, and it’s a clear winner.

Art from the CD single of "My Coco"

This song has so many associations for me. It was, if I recall correctly, the first track I ever downloaded on iTunes. And I put it on a mixtape for nearly every boyfriend and crush I had during high school. And I recall so acutely the time I had what seemed like an epiphany about the track – I understood the meaning of the song.

I don’t remember exactly what I understood about the song then, but the song always conjures these feelings for me. It’s a track I think I’ll always love, and I like it all the more when it’s paired with this little explanation from stellastarr* lead singer Shawn Christensen.

 

“My Coco” is about those first few months when you meet somebody and everything’s just new, great and spontaneous. You know when you start dating someone, and everything’s great? It’s giddy and amazing and explorative, and you can’t wait till she calls you? Coco is actually an ex-girlfriend, though that’s not her real name. Eventually, the relationship started going in a downward spiral, and I lost all that initial giddiness.

God, I know that feeling. Heck, sometimes I think I live for that feeling. It’s total adoration, and it’s a feeling I always hope lasts. I’m feeling the first inklings of this, I think, maybe. Right now, it feels oh-so-good.

Though, let’s be honest: “On an island far away, lemonade with my Co-co-co.” I wish. This snow’s quickly growing tiresome.

Happy listening.

Press This!: What It’s Like To…

on: journalistic writing

The Dunce Cap’s been on a bit of a hiatus while I (attempt to) get my life together in terms of scheduling, but here’s something to whet your appetite for my return! This is a column I wrote for The Current, the new weekly current from the award-winning Daily Northwestern. An abbreviated version of this very piece ran January 20, 2011. It chronicles my first run-in with users on OkCupid, a topic I teased you with last month.

I’ve got to say, too. This weather? Chicago, you’re really starting to make me resent you. My hands and lips are crackin’ and bleedin’ all over the place. I’m not going to be able to hold onto the OkCupid winners I entice when I’m all scabby. Eh, it’ll all be over soon. In the meantime, happy reading.

And, a fun track to please your ears. It doesn’t pertain specifically to the column, but you gotta love Stevie.


Stevie Wonder, “For Once in My Life”

What It’s Like To…Live The “You’ve Got Mail” Dream

When he asked for my number, I should have known better. It was not my first time on the merry-go-round, after all. What followed were a daily trail of monosyllabic texts: “Hey.” “Sup.” Who was he? Well, he didn’t even warrant a name in my phonebook, just a vague notation: “OkCupid avoid.” It was far from an auspicious beginning – I’d barely been online dating a week, and I already regretted it.

A friend, I knew, had found success on OkCupid, a free online dating site targeted at twenty-somethings. This was a girl I admired, certainly, and it made me think: If she could do it, why not me? I wasn’t eager to explore frat parties in hopes of bumping into Mr. Right Now, and it seemed easy enough to passively approach dating, given my all-too-busy schedule. I joined OkCupid last month, created a profile emphasizing, well, only the good parts of my personality, and I started the all-too-rapid process of putting myself out there. I was mostly just perusing, but I found myself enamored by the casual digital flirtations. What started as a hobby of mere interest became an actual search for a little somethin’ somethin’. I was 20 years old and online dating.

Why had I dove headfirst into the Sea of Uncomfortable Subject Lines? As with most awkward things in life, it began with a break-up.

The Boy and I met in the winter of my freshman year in a cloud of fatigue and charity – that is, we met at Dance Marathon and launched a whirlwind romance. In a generally lauded and entirely unsurprising turn of events, we ended our nearly two year tumultuous (and immensely happy) tryst in late summer. It didn’t end there, of course, as the messiest of endings rarely do. But this story isn’t really about him – for once. I’d spent the large majority of my time at Northwestern in some semblance of a relationship, and I wasn’t prepared to reenter the dating fray. I should clarify: I was not looking for a new relationship, nor was I looking for a mere hook-up buddy. I wanted, instead, an experience, a distraction and a reminder that what had once been was really over.

I’m only slightly ashamed to admit that I spent countless hours perfecting my online profile. There were so many questions to ask: How did I want others to see me? Was I to be coy or brash? Sexy or adorable? Could I admit my borderline strange stress-relieving hobby of crafting balloon animals? The ultimate result was a verbose, overly calculated and yet fairly accurate digital representation of identity. My self summary? “I’m clean, compassionate and impetuous, but I’ve also heard I’m the kind of girl you wouldn’t mind taking home to Mom and Dad…I’ve never mastered the handstand or won a game of Minesweeper, despite my best efforts.” What do I spend a lot of time thinking about? “The future. Specifically, my future. The soundtrack to my life. My family. People. Laughter. The next meal. The sociocultural ramifications of Ke$ha. Baseball season.” And why should you message me? “You’re smart, awesome, cool and looking for the same. And especially if you know all the words to soulDecision’s ‘Faded’* and/or Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch’s ‘Good Vibrations.’” It was a velvet goldmine.

Online, I’m working it. Hard. I can’t drag my J. Lo ass to The Keg on a Monday in anything more flattering than a colorful cardigan, but I can raise the virtual roof on OkCupid at 2 a.m. instead. No immodesty intended, but my inbox is always full, I receive regular winks (the online equivalent of a Yes/No/Maybe love note) and I even have my own guy-who-can’t-take-a-hint! I feel like the OkCupid homecoming queen. The messages range from hilarious to fawning to pathetic. This one garnered a response: Subject: “This is serious.” Message: “I’m looking for a woman that is willing to support us financially as a couple so I can stay at home and care for our cat. Not really. I’m Frank, let’s connect.” Clever. This one did not: Subject: “btw..i wrk at century.. :)” Message: “hey was goin awwwn……. u seem like u koo to be around wit.. hope u feel de same.” Unfortunately, no, dude.

I’m regaining my dating footing, slowly but surely, but the messages can be like quicksand. The rules to online dating are even harder to maneuver than the collegiate hook-up scene. Do I ignore the “hey wats up ur pretty cute” message from the guy who advertises that he can “use [his] fingers to perfection and make anyone moan within minutes”? And how eager is too eager when interacting with the user who is only a tiny bit abashed to admit he loves The Muppet Movie? I really need a user manual.

For now, I’m inclined to play along. The compliments are always a stellar way to start the day. In the meantime, I’m playing plan-tag with the aforementioned Muppet Movie fanatic, and I’m optimistic about what the future will contain as I transition from the interweb to real life. Sure, I’m on the young end of the age spectrum of users, but I’m not ashamed. I think I’m just, as per usual, prematurely exploring the new dating frontier.

*Make sure to watch the vocalist’s eyebrows during the video. So good. Here’s the “dirty version” – considering I first heard this song on “Now 5,” the first line was a major surprise. This was an after-school sing-a-long when I was 10, so imagine my surprise upon figuring out just how suggestive the lyrics are. I’ll still belt out the lyrics at any sorority function.

The Dunce Cap: Dec. 27, 2010

in: heavy rotation

Image from Toothpaste for Dinner

The Dunce Cap, Vol. 30: The sun is up – I’m so fizzy, I could burst! (click on link to listen to mix via 8tracks)

1. “Mint Car” – The Cure
2. “Sun in an Empty Room” – The Weakerthans
3. “Happiness Writes White” – Harvey Danger
4. “Graduate” – Third Eye Blind
5. “New York, New York” – Ryan Adams
6. “The Sweet Part of the City” – The Hold Steady
7. “Back in the Saddle” – Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin
8. “All the Young Dudes” – Mott the Hoople
9. “Work” – Jimmy Eat World
10. “Kick Some Ass” – Stroke 9
11. “You Gave Your Love to Me Softly” – Weezer
12. “Some Fantastic” – Barenaked Ladies
13. “Popular Mechanics for Lovers” – Beulah
14. “Magic Boyfriend” – Matt Pond PA
15. “Let’s Dance” – David Bowie
16. “Star Bodies” – The New Pornographers
17. “Doing All the Things That Wouldn’t Make Your Parents Proud” – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
18. “Atlantis” – Donovan
19. “Sugar Daddy” – Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Broadway OST)
20. “More Adventurous” – Rilo Kiley
21. “To Be Surprised” – Sondre Lerche

Well, it’s the 30th Dunce Cap of all time, and it’s the last of the year – I feel like this should be a celebratory moment! As I talked about rather extensively in my last post, this is AN EXCITING BRAND NEW YEAR, and I am ready for all of the excitement and thrall I anticipate it will bring. This mix is themed!, and it’s really a sister post to the Dunce Cap’s New Year’s Resolutions.

Basically, these are 21 songs that I hope will define my 2011. You should mostly be able to catch the gist from the title, but a few may require some explanation and commentary. Many of these songs are actually kind of sad – they’re not literal representations of what I want, but they each have special significance to me. There’s also a division of sorts among songs. An explanation after the jump.

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On Tap: New Year’s Resolutions

in: due time, on: tap

“Now we’re there
And we’ve only just begun
This will be our year
Took a long time to come…”
– The Zombies, “This Will Be Our Year”

This video really got me. YouTube user mitm2002 made a short video from his parents’ Super 8 footage and set it to one of my top three most beloved New Year-related songs, The Zombies’ “This Will Be Our Year.” So good.

Anyway. Today is December 29, 2010, which means I am just two and a half short days from saying good riddance to this – pardon the profanity – completely shittastic year. To be fair, 2010 wasn’t totally awful. There were certainly some ups, particularly in terms of my career, and I have some priceless memories with close friends. And, all in all, it looks like 2010 isn’t ending on a sour note (fingers crossed). But there was much heartache, stress, familial trouble, financial trouble, sleeplessness, et. al., and I’m hoping to close this chapter cleanly.

Regardless, I am incredibly excited for the new year. It’s, in so many ways, a fresh start, and, even more toe-curlingly thrilling, it’s one of those pivotal big years for me. There’s my dreamy winter internship, my 21st birthday, a potential big move, another unbelievable internship (perhaps two?!) and graduation! And I know that everyone says this, every year, but this year – This will be my year.

I’ve never made a list of New Year’s Resolutions before – and I’ve certainly never followed the unspoken ones I’ve made – but for 2011, I’ve composed a list of 21 things I aim to do to make my life happier, healthier and more successful. You really ought to see the physical list. I went all out. It’s colorful and covered with doodles and snide comments. I’ll hang that one on my wall and reproduce it (boringly) below.

Two quick notes – I made the list 21 items long in celebration of my big birthday, and I wrote it in third person. Sue me.

Happy 2011 to you and yours. I hope this year brings untold joy and success.

Love,
The Girl

After the jump, The Girl with the Dunce Cap’s 2011 New Year’s Resolutions.

Continue reading →

Book Club: Pulse for Android

in: on queue, in: the press

Okay, so those of you who know me intimately know I’m not exactly tech-savvy. Web-savvy, yes, but technologically inclined? Certainly not. But I’m an avid Wired reader (and thanks to Thomps, subscriber!), and I love to pretend to know about all sorts of technological thing-a-ma-bobbers.

So, I’m celebrating nine months with my beloved Android phone (the original Droid), and I honestly don’t know how I got by without it. I’ve invested my life into this phone. I’m always going through a bit of an application cycle, wherein I cleanse my phone of particular apps and then install new ones (sayonara, Northwestern’s particularly shitty, useless and space-wasting application, hello Buzzfeed‘s totally twee and squeal-inducing application for cuddly animals* and Joseph Gordon-Levitt). And the other day, I hit the proverbial motherload.

I downloaded Pulse from Alphonso Labs at my market’s urging, and I’m addicted. I know the application’s been out for a while (and has been free on both Android and iPhone platforms for a few months), but this discovery was the answer to my calls for a streamlined news application. I found myself wondering this break how to find the information and news I wanted when I’d read all of my Twitter updates. My brain’s grown finicky and tired of traditional news sites. How am I to read the news if it’s not presented in an easy, scrollable format a la New York Magazine‘s fantastic Android widget?

Pulse is it. You can follow up to 20 feeds on Pulse, and the most recent articles and updates are presented on a flowing visual interface. It’s similar to Google Reader but features images instead, and there’s even the capability for Reader integration. Also, it’s so freaking simple to share articles on Twitter, Facebook and a number of other sites.

Now, The Dunce Cap isn’t one for gushing about a product. I’m not here to sell you anything (except for me, future employers!), and the best thing about Pulse is that it is free. I can’t even believe it – it’s easy to read and friendly to my news ADD, and I can even create a widget for any news site, blog or even comic (!) I follow. I’m following enough publications and blogs to really round out my knowledge. I’ve got my Frisky fix and my A.V. Club updates, as well as Salon, Gawker, NYT (to pretend I’m a real human being interested in daily news), Wired and even The Girl with the Dunce Cap! (Why do I follow myself, you ask? Because I can.) I’ve spent so many nights with my finger glued to Pulse. It feels like something approaching productivity.

*Cute Overload is also a great site I will inevitably follow on Pulse and features very cuddly animals

Image from Gizmodo

So, to follow that total product plug (I’m not getting any sort of compensation for this. I’m just obsessed.), an article I found courtesy of Pulse. I’m following Gizmodo for some of my dorkier tech news needs, and this article made me laugh. Check it out.

I’m Not Buying Any More CDs That Don’t Look Like Lunch Meat