Summer Time: Dumb in the Sun

It's the weekend so I can take a break from job hunting now (theoretically). Anyway, I'm stuck in the Bay Area indefinitely so I'm finding things to do. Here are a few of those things:

Music: I've been listening to two albums repeatedly for the last few months, but I find that they are also perfect for the summer.


"Vampire Weekend" by Vampire Weekend: These guys are from the east coast and they are incredibly catchy. It's a splash of indie-alternative with a dash of afro-pop and reggae rhythm. I am seeing them in September and I have one extra ticket if someone would like to go with me.

Favorite Songs: "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" and "M79"



"A New Chance" by The Tough Alliance: Even catchier than Vampire Weekend. Hands down my favorite album of the year. These guys are from Sweden and they blend "world" music with pop and new wave flare. I haven't been this into a band since I discovered The New Pornographers in high school.

Favorite Songs: "Looking for Gold" and "Neo Violence"



Books: I tend to be all over the place with my summer reading, but anyway here is what I've picked up.

The O. Henry Prize Stories 2008: I love American short stories. They are quirky as hell. This book picks the 20 best short stories from the past year. The stories have appeared in publications like The New Yorker and give you a pretty good idea of the common themes that are being touched upon by writers these days. If you like a quick read or you are a writer who likes to see how you compare, this book is pretty nifty. Amazon.com's description: includes stories about "a teenager in survivalist Alaska, the seed keeper of a doomed Chinese village [and] a young woman trying to save her life in a Ukrainian internet café."

"When You Are Engulfed in Flames" by David Sedaris: I just got this today courtesy of my brother's girlfriend. I'm hoping it's pretty kick ass. Amazon.com's description: "In David Sedaris's excellent latest collection, cringe-worthy moments follow on the heels of laugh-out-loud ones--you may never buy another pair of thrift-store pants, for example, and that's only the beginning."



Next Time: Okay, I'm tired of blogging. I found some neat bars and an AMAZING hookah place in downtown Sunnyvale. I also found some interesting events. I'll leave these for my next post. Also, as you can see, I'm still finding a writing style/voice that I want to use on this blog. I also need LOTS of help figuring out how to embed videos and music. I know the code to add links, but is there an easier way than just doing the "a href" stuff every time?