According to Urban Dictionary, “Twee” means “buttocks or ass.” Isn’t that cute? (note I am not questioning Urban Dictionary’s validity- there is a period in my life where I was very dependent on Urban Dictionary to understand anything that came out of my friends’ mouths)  Add an “s” to the end of that, and the result is a lovely little upbeat band from NYC.  For those of you who are challenged by addition or the alphabet, that would be Twees.

Music reviews generally bore me, so I’ll do my best not to bore you (or, more selfishly, myself).  When I first heard them I thought the vocalist sounds like if Julian Casablancas (that guy from the strokes) swallowed some extra pop rocks and chewed some extra bubble gum. Which led to hey remember when I used to sing a long to the Strokes “Last Night” incessantly during the tail end of high school, then I started college, and I met this kid named Allen Strickland Williams, who gave me a cd named “mao mix” that had that Strokes CD with “Reptilla.” My thoughts subsequently danced to traveling to Burma and seeing little lizards on the walls of  the bungalow (a normal sight there), which are literally called like “house lizards.” The heat and warmth there is like the sweltering summer days in the Fall Creek Gorge in Ithaca, NY, and one time we sat there with the portable record player playing Beirut “Elephant Gun,” a frat boy asked us what we were listening to, we said “Beirut,” and he said “what like the game?”

So that’s what the Twees are like.  Funny sunny days in gorges.

The Twees released two new songs today: Unfair Affair and Hepburn Shades (yes you can download them for free through those links).  Furthermore, the entire EP is yours (for free too!) if you sign up for their mailing list here.

1. LADY GAGA’S BAD ROMANCE. I know, I know — and yet, she does write her own songs, and she has her own sense of style (the wheelchair/invalid dance in Paparazzi?!), and you can play this song over and over if you’re caught in a bad roma-roma-ramma… etc. Oh, and the monster dance moves? Go ahead, watch the video now. I’m breaking out my monster claws at the next party.

2. PRESIDENTIAL FLASHCARDS. Go to the “One Spot” at Target where everything is a dollar, and get this set of Presidential Flashcards with a prez portrait on the front and fun facts on the back. I spent yesterday memorizing all of the presidents in order. I’m sure that will come in handy… never. (Whose the dude with the cool hairdo in the pic above? ANSWER BELOW.)

3. BIG LOVE. Rumor has it, the fourth season just began, but, as an HBO-less human, behind on the times, I just finished the first season ($26). There is a voyeuristic thrill in watching this rendition of modern-day polygamy, which, according to this one time I flipped on Oprah, still happens outside of crazy, fundamentalist-Mormon compounds. Oh, and it stars Gennifer Goodwin as one of the wives, and Amanda Seyfried as one of the daughters.

4. PENGUIN DELUXE CLASSICS. The covers of the Penguin Deluxe Classics almost make we want to read books I loath, such as Ethan Frome, which has its very best heartbreaking/hysterical scene immortalized on the cover. Many of the covers instead immortalize scenes in comic strips, including Chris Ware’s (you should know him) cover for Candide:

5. TRUE BLOOD (watch the trailer!). So, I was totally not on the vampire bandwagon until I watched the first season ($45 on amazon.com, but I think it’s on sale at Target!) of True Blood (the second season didn’t do it for me, so I didn’t finish it, but I still recommend the first) about a near-future world in which Vampires have come out of hiding to attempt to peacefully co-exist with humans (and have hot, naked HBO-sex with them). Sookie (Oscar winner Anna Paquin! Love her!), a minding-reading southerner, falls in love with Vampire-Bill (hot, but pale). Best of all, it’s produced — with some episodes written and directed by — Alan Ball, Oscar-winning writer of American Beauty. Finally, the title sequence runs like a music video about redemption and sin (read about it on Wikipedia):

ANSWER: William Henry Harrison! If you can’t remember anything about him, don’t worry, he was only president for thirty-two days!

Yesterday, while delaying the completion of my FINAL grad school application, I noticed the following gem in my friend, Megan Keely’s, gmail status.

A chicken banjolele!  Had I known that a chicken banjolele existed, I would have included it on my Christmas wishlist instead of the Gold Tone banjolele.  Oh, but wait my friends.  THE FUN DOESN’T STOP THERE…

A MOUSTACHE UKULELE!!!  I think my favorite might be the “Sad Cowboy.”  Or maybe the “Shirley Temple.”  Anyways, this discovery (xylocopa, moustache ukuleles, etc.) is very timely, because I recently noticed mini cracks in my ukulele.  Chicago is too dry for my little ukulele.  Anyways, the above creations are all by Xylocopa, a design studio in Tuscon, Arizona.  I recommend  that you wade through their site.  The Mad Scientists Alphabet Blocks are especially glorious.

A good year. Some favorites…

1. Favorite short story: “My First Fee” by Isaac Babel
Links: The Complete Works of Isaac Babel on amazon.com ($30)
Text of Isaac Babel’s (great) short story “Guy de Maupassant”

2. Favorite album: Up From Below by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Links: Up From Below on amazon.com ($10)
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros on MySpace
Song “40 Day Dream” Live (youtube)
Official Video for “Home” (youtube)

3. Second favorite short story: “Bullet in the Brain” by Tobias Wolff
Links: T. Coraghessan Boyle reads “Bullet in the Brain” on the New Yorker Fiction podcast
Our Story Begins: New and Selected Stories by Tobias Wolff, amazon.com ($11)

4. Favorite gift: Aerial 7 Matador headphones
Link: Aerial 7 Matador Headphones, amazon.com ($50)

5. Favorite novel: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Links: Lolita by Nabokov, amazon.com ($11)
Great Review of the Novel from The Second Pass

6. Second favorite novel: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
Link: The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers, amazon.com ($10)

7. Favorite TV Show: In Treatment
Links: In Treatment Season 1 Trailer (youtube)
HBO’s Offical In Treatment Site
In Treatment: The Complete First Season, amazon.com ($55)
In Treatment- The Complete Second Season, amazon.com (for pre-order, $55)

8. Favorite actor: James Dean
Link: S&D Guide to becoming A Rebel, Without a Cause (including trailer, etc)

9. Favorite song: Skinny Love by Bon Iver
Links: Bon Iver playing Skinny Love live (youtube)
For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver, amazon.com ($13)

10. Favorite historical figure: Napoleon (thanks, PBS)
Link: Empires: Napoleon DVD, PBS Documentary w/David McCullough, amazon.com ($17)

11. Favorite (newish) movie: Rachel Getting Married
Links: Rachel Getting Married Trailer (youtube)
Rachel Getting Married DVD, amazon.com $17

1. Goldtone Banjolele Deluxe from Musician’s Friend, $450 (too shiny and would prefer the banjolele sold at the Old Town School of Folk Music’s store on Lincoln Ave. …thank you to the guy at the store who let me hold it…)

2. Yama Syphon Brewer from Clive Coffee, $50

3. Save the Manatee club membership, $25

4. Hohner Melodica from Musician’s Friend, $35

5. Wacom Bamboo Fun tablet from Amazon, $167

6. Blue Microphones Snowball from Amazon, $72.30 (so I can record songs about pies and bucolic fields…just kidding.)

7. Itazura Coin Bank (White Kitty) from Strapya World, $21.70 (watch this and you will be convinced)

8. Proximity Magazine subscription, $30 (even if you’re illiterate, you can still admire the STUNNING typography and layout)

9. Speedball Ultimate Screen Printing Kit from BLICK, $85

10. Keyboard stickers by Christopher Morno DeLorenzo, $15 (B for Bowie!)

And that’s the end of our wishlists.

Of course the Stickers and Donuts team’s greatest wish is to hear from you (we know you’re reading!  Google Analytics does not lie!)  SO!  Now it’s your turn.  What’s on your wishlist? Fulfilling the S&D wish not a good enough reason for you to comment?  Well, here’s a bribe.  The first 10 people who comment (excluding any S&D writers, however, they are encouraged to comment regardless) will receive a S&D surprise.

1. Catcher in the Rye book cover poster from AllPosters, $30 (But you can choose from over 600 other book cover posters here.)

2. TOMS Borges Cordones, $79

3. LOMO Diana F+ CMYK camera kit from Fred Flare, $99

4. Greetings from the Ocean’s Sweaty Face: 100 McSweeney’s Postcards from Amazon, $14

5. The Original of Laura by Vladimir Nabokov from Amazon, $23 (Nabokov’s notecards for a novel he never completed. You can punch them out of the book and organize them yourself!)

6. Fleet Foxes from Amazon, $13 (Maria requests it on vinyl, because she wants to get Tricia’s portable record player and play Fleet Foxes on it.)

7. Osborn Design Sneakers, $60-130

8. Buckyballs, $30

9. Cardboard Moose bust from Perpetual Kid, $48 (large)

10. Collocation NO. 14 (NATURE) Print (left and right panels) from 20×200, $20+ (photos by Mickey Smith)

1. BOOTIES. I am too cheap to turn on my heat, thus my footwear has become extremely important. I love these because they have a soft foam bottom so you can sit on your feet with ease. Also, I am attraced to the bright, fair-isle pattern (yay!). You can get them in navy, white, or pink at Old Navy for $20, but maybe you’ll find them on sale for $8 like me.
2. WOODCHUCK CIDER. I’m not big on beer. When autumn rolls around, I like my cider spiked. You can find these in the alcoholic beverages aisle of most grocery stories, and get them in flavors like granny apple and pear.
3. RELATER BY PETE YORN & SCARLETT JOHANSSON. Here are some things I misinterpreted about this song: (1) it is not called “REALTOR”, (2) it is not bad because a famous actress sings in it, (3) the lyrics are not “I was high / I was hungry” but “I was tired / I was hungry.” I’ve been playing this song on repeat for weeks.

1. BANANAGRAMS. I AM OBSESSED. CURRENTLY. POSSIBLY FOREVER. I spent almost the entire thanksgiving weekend playing this game. If you ever loved Scrabble, and especially if you loved Scrabble but the game was TOO SLOW, then you will be in heaven when you start playing Bananagrams. In this game there is no board and each player makes their own little crossword. The first finished, wins. You can add fun twists by forcing people to use words only in a particular category.
2. AMERICAN SHORT STORY MASTERPIECES. For $8 (or less, if you buy an older used version like me!), you can have “36 Outstanding American Stories.” You might think the cover of this book is all hype, but IT IS NOT. Every story I’ve read thus far has knocked my socks off, made me either want to go write something fabulous or quit while I’m behind. James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” and Vance Bourjaily’s “The Amish Farmer” and Tobias Wolff’s “The Liar.” SIGH. SIGH. DOUBLE SIGH. I have a super-duper, giant crush on this book. It’s also a Mass Market Paperback, which I am usually against, but I will tell you — it is great for holiday travel!

That’s right, not only are we of S&D on our way back to the top (or, you know, just back), but since we last saw each other I’ve moved south to Virginia, where the trees are green, the sun shines, and I lock myself in my room for days trying to make up stories.

Here in Virginia, I can’t hop a quick train to H&M and buy three dollar earrings or walk down the street for some hot yellow nailpolish. No, no. Here, I spend most of my time shuffling through piles at the Salvation Army, browsing used book stores, or meandering the internet. Here are some of the goods I’ve acquired since my move.

ONE: Coronet Super 12 Typewriter
Oh, yes, pretty as a blueberry in two shades of blue, and only $7 at Goodwill. Do I write on it? Good question. Once in awhile I sit down and type: “This is my typewriter!!! I’m writing on my typewriter!” It’s more of a mascot.

TWO: Ray Fenwick’s HI Postcards
Alright, so I won these babies from Ray himself and they are perfect for sending loved ones greetings from my new locale (or else I have to use the ones that say “Mr. Jefferson’s Virginia” in weird italic script). There are thirty different postcards, most of which are completely and wonderfully strange, such as this one, which is basically a visual representation of the written content of my postcards:

THREE: Short Story Anthologies!
Oh yes, oh yes, you should be reading short stories. Short stories recently earn coveted accolades from the Pulitzer and Oprah. And also, I am writing them and one day I will publish them, and then someone will have to buy them. Here some anthologies that could potentially knock your socks off:

The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction ($15) With fifty short stories from 1970 on, this is one of the cheapest anthologies you’ll find. It includes some of my favorites, including Donald Barthelme’s “The School,” Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl,” and Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried.”

The Art of the Story: An International Anthology of Contemporary Short Stories ($13) After spending so much time in “English” classes, I realized I’ve been missing out on some great international stories. This includes 75 from the US and around the world.

“Unlike the novel, a short story may be, for all purposes, essential.” –Jorge Luis Borges

American Short Story Masterpieces ($7) If you love the short story, this includes many (36) must-read American classics. Don’t let “classics” scare you, these were all written since World War II.

Too poor? Check out this website for classic short stories in the public domain (FREE TO READ! FREE!). READ THESE: Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory” (ah, last paragraph… so beautiful!), John Updike’s “A&P,” Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron,” or Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson.”

FOUR: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Wait, you haven’t heard of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros? Oh, yes, no one has. It is only me over here, playing the CD obsessively on repeat. I’m particularly in love with 40 Day Dream, Jade, and Brother. Here’s a live performance of 40 Day Dream. Don’t be scared of the dancing.

FIVE: Pirate Glass
ONE DOLLAR. That’s the great thing about thrift stores! Now, go to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army and buy something crazy, like a mug with a panda on it.

That’s it for now! We’re getting organized behind the scenes and will have plenty of fun arriving in the coming weeks!

I have no time for witticisms and preambles! This is going to be short + sweet! I’m a woman on a mission! (If you see less of me this week, it’s all because of Number Five.)

(1) Jack Kerouac’s Invented Game of Fantasy Sports: Read the NY Time article (GO!). This is especially interesting if you are a writer or other creative-type who has an active imagination, even as an adult.

(2) Cute Outfit: Of all of the things I have seen on the internet lately, this outfit has been on my desktop waiting for me to do something with it. All I could do with it was stick it here. I found it on NYLON (which generally does a shitty job of linking to anything helpful, and which I will follow suit in in the interest of time).

(3) Twitter & Threadless: They have teamed up to turn your Tweets into Twats. Er. I mean, shirts. Just link up your twitter account with the Twitter/Threadless conglomerate, and you can nominate the tweets of yourself or your friends for T-shirt fame.

(4) Free Coldplay CD: Ahhh, I was skeptical as to the quality of something so audaciously free, but I actually like some of the live versions better than the studios. My favorite song is “Death Will Never Conquer” (in a rare change of events, the drummer, Will Champion, sings this folksy ditty). Literally, I have been playing through this + Tricia’s Lilly Allen recommendation for three days straight.

(5) The Dictionary: I am reading it. For real. Cover to cover. Six+ hours a day. And taking notes. It is exhausting. (I am scheduled to finish in one month if I continue at this rate.)

(6) The Little Prince: It’s true, as a lover of children’s books I probably should have read The Little Prince sometime long before last week. You’ll be happy to know that now that I have read it, I understand why everyone is obsessed! Such a lovely, deep story. (Go flip through it on Google Books if you haven’t read it!) A little internet research lead to the discovery that James Dean (I heart him also, btw) also loved the book, and had many passages memorized.

I know this is slightly off topic (are we ever on topic?! what is our topic?!), but I think American Sign Language (ASL) is one of the most beautiful and artistic languages. The internet, and particularly YouTube, has an active Deaf community and I always feel ecstatic when I find videos that not only have great ASL or ASL translations (not just Signed English) but that are also high quality or well-produced.

Here are some of my favorite videos that include music and ASL. I think you will find them beautiful and interesting even if you don’t know any ASL. (Yes, there is some discussion about the irony of how much hearing signers seem to enjoy translating music into ASL.) (If you don’t know anything about ASL, check out some fun facts at the end of this post.)

(1) Sia’s music video for Soon We’ll Be Found is not only unique and creative (glow in the dark sequence! painted hands!), but also is a very cool and very loose, interpretive ASL translation of her lyrics.

Lots more after the jump!… (more…)