neglectnormalcy

Did anyone else see Nick Lachey's MTV Special: What's Left of Me? Apparently emo is in. Black & white interviews on the verge of tears. Sad music on the way out to commercial. Basking in the comfort of family and friends who feel for you. Talking about heartbreak and penning a song about it. Thank you, Pete Wentz, for making this possible. It's great material for The Soup or, as it happens, this lil' blog here.

Props to Nick Lachey for banking on it, though. I mean, his girls are going for those sensitive types. Jessica banging out Adam Levine. Ashlee canoodling with Pete. Emo is the new boy bands. And Nick is catching on.

Why does the internet own me?

Moving on from that deeply existential question, back when I was in college at Boston University, I used to read Gawker on a regular basis. However, I completely slacked off on that gem, until I stumbled upon their "Blue States Lose" column that runs every Friday. Basically, all those kids who think they're so awesome because they go to Misshapes or have shown off a tit or three on LastNightsParty.com get kicked in their hipster asses by some genuinely great shit-talkers. Enjoy: http://www.gawker.com/news/blue-states-lose/

One of the real gems: Look, we’ll be the first ones to admit that Misshapes had a good run, but it’s a sorry state of affairs nowadays over in the West Village. Who the fuck still goes there other than the same 20 friends of the promoters (we’re looking at you, suit guy) and a rotating cast of 19-year-olds who spend all week putting an “edgy” outfit together and practicing facial expressions they saw in The Filth and the Fury into the mirror?

I won't lie, though, I would immediately go to Misshapes if asked. Who could turn down such amazing people watching material?

Sidenote. Steve said at the Monty show the other night a fan came up to him and asked him how his Asian girlfriend was doing. Sweet. So many people have asked me if I'm part Asian - I think it's when I smile and my eyes crinkle - that I'm just going to start saying Yes. I'm actually Panamanian, so now I'll just be both. This was one of the least creepy things I've gotten from being Steve's girlfriend. Example One: At a show I didn't go to, a guy goes up to Justin (the drummer) and asks "Where's Steve's girlfriend? She's hot." as he dug his hands in his pockets. Thanks. Example Two: Last year when Monty played with My Chemical Romance a random girl came up to me and said, "Hey, Jess! How you doing? Wasn't that a great show?" Turned out to be one of the bigger fans. And that description does have a double meaning. Damn you, MySpace. /Sidenote.

All right, one of the most amazing things in this world is The Soup (on the E! Channel). There was a recent debate on El Jay about which was better: Best Week Ever or The Soup. How about Joel McHale is a singular man who is five times funnier than all of the BWE comedians combined? (We're also doing that mathematical calculation by weighing the worst comedians with the best, so it evens out to a zero - there are some good ones on that show.) Anyways, besides Joel, the other reason the Soup is so fucking entertaining is the long-running jokes. Think of it like an over-arching storyline on The O.C. - Ryan and Marissa are together, Ryan and Marissa break up, Marissa does pot/coke/tequila/surfer boy/pills/psycho/surfer boy, Ryan and Marissa are back together - except funnier! I'm talking about how The Soup will play that clip of Whitney going, "Kiss my ass!" over and over again...or of Katie Holmes saying, "Sure!" or even if he just randomly blurts out "Popozao!" Priceless. Unfortunately, people over at El Jay are idiots and most loved BWE. It's so cheesy now. Lame.

This is a really random entry, I know.

Last Sunday Steve took me out to this beach with a rock jetty and it's this amazing secluded spot (see pics). I loved it so much I went back twice in the past week. Once, with Brian and Erin to sit in a mini-canyon, blocking the wind, and drinking some woodchucks. We watched the glorious sun set. Then just to hang out and climb around on the rocks. I don't know why I like rocks, man. HA. I can't wait until it's super warm and I get tan. And maybe I'll be more active and stop lurking the internet and actually "work out." As if I know how.

Monty just got back from Maryland and recording with Matt Squire (Panic! At The Disco). I've heard the rough cuts (unmastered, not perfectly mixed yet...) of the new album. All I have to say is wow. Steve and I drove around for two hours on Sunday and just listened to all the songs over and over while he explained certain things, made jokes, talked about the origins of the songs, etc. It's like a tradition whenever he gets back from the studio.

It's been four years that Steve and I have been best friends, and I'm not going to lie, I got a little emotional in that car hearing this stuff. It's amazing. I wanted to shake him right there and go, "you did it!" It's not even about becoming famous or selling records or other people liking the music. It's about putting everything you've got into a project and coming out of there loving, cherishing, and respecting the product and yourself. I'm so proud of him. And I could not be more ecstatic about these songs.

Last year he actually wrote a song about us, or, rather, influenced by our relationship, something that I took very seriously because I'm not exactly looking to be immortalized in a song. Well, I didn't take it seriously at first because he just wrote it himself on his computer and played it for me as kind of a "side project." Then he let other people listen to it - radio station dudes, managers, label reps - and they pretty much said it would be a mistake to not include it on the album. I almost cried. It's the one slow, ballad song on the album and it's absolutely beautiful. Just saying.

The songs will remind you of the 80s. The songs will remind you of the future. The songs will make you dance. The songs will make you sing. The songs will own your mp3 player forever. You'll add the songs to the following playlists: Dance Rock, Action Rock, Sounds Like A Rock Ballad from 1987, Future Rock, and Songs That Should Play During a Montage in a Rocky Movie.

In related news (though I won't tell you how it relates), there are very few people in this world that I meet and straight out dislike. And when I say few people, I mean, I can only think of two people that's ever happened to. I'm more of a "I like you and trust you now until you lose it" than the other way around where you have to earn it. That said, certain recent events turned my dislike into a rage. And she's only an aquaintance. I think for now I'll keep my opinions to myself and just smile wanly and without judgement should I encounter her any time soon. The less contact, the better.

In horrible news, a recent accident involving my iPod and a Mac caused half of my songs to be erased. This. Not. Cool. I use a lap top that's only a few gigs more than my iPod, so I don't save any of my music on it. I'm going to have to re-upload everything. In two words, it blows. You now know what I'll be doing during my evenings this week.