The Angriest Cats in the World are Japanese (A Service Announcement)

I never truely understood Cat Prin, until the VBS.com videos, “The Cute Show – Cat Prin (parts 1 &2).”

On Halloween, pet owners from all four corners of the globe find it acceptable, and sometimes absolutely necessary, to dress their four legged friends as something ridiculous.

The Cat Prin model pictured is stylishly dressed as…a….leopard(???).

Yet, look beyond the leopard print, beyond the fur, and even beyond the obviously good intentions. This cat has no soul.

This cat begs for an end to all the years of public humiliation. If you watch the videos you too will feel their pain through your computer screen.

Please stop dressing your pets in costumes…if we could run around naked all day, I am sure we would. Let’s not punish our pets for being awesome.

“God’s Gonna Cut You Down” – Johnny Cash (2006 American Recordings) American V

Do They Know It’s Halloween? (Top 5 Things To Get You Into the Halloween Spirit)

Today is Halloween and although it may be a bit late to conjure up some Halloween spirit, it’s never too late to try (or for me, to update and pretend like I am still trying).

The weather outside is frightful and Bean-town pulses with anticipation. If you don’t have a costume yet, I wouldn’t bet on finding anything good today. According to eye witnesses, middle-aged Brookline home makers were spotted  squabbling over toddler Disney princess  costumes yesterday at Target.

But, all is not lost. Hang in there you spooky skeletons!

Here are Jen Choi & the Life’s Top 5 Last Minute Ways to Scare Up Some Halloween Spirit:

5) Read “Halloween” from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  Somethings are just easier to appreciate after Wikipedia-ing them. For example, the Russian Revolution (1917):

Even nobles had to find new ways to subsist in this changing economy, and contemporaries spoke of new classes forming (proletarians and capitalists, for example), although these classes were also divided along crisscrossing lines of status, whether you is a boy or you is a girl, whether you is old, whether you is black, and what you is believing.

4) Midi-Files. They’re both terrible and hilarious, just like Halloween.

My all time favorite midi: “Enter Sandman (MIDI)” – Metallica (1991 Elektra) Metallica

Midi – it’s the music of the future (or ring tones from the recent past).

3) Take the commuter-rail to Salem.

Salem is crawling with real life witches and wizards. Tonight is there night to shine!

Head down to the sight of the infamous 1692 Salem Witch Trials for the The Official Salem Witches Halloween Ball. A good friend also recommended heading down to Salem on Halloween “if you really want to die.”

I’m not all too sure what that means but I think it was supposed to be left open ended.

2) Eat a shit load of candy, dance around, then puke all over yourself. –>

1) Listening to “Do They Know It’s Hallowe’en” over and over and over and over and over again.

With a star-studded line up that includes, Karen O, Beck, Feist, Syd Butler, and Thurston Moore, the National Hallowe’en Prevention Initiative hit single “Do They Know It’s Hallowe’en?” is a satire on the Chirstmas classic “Do They Know It’s Chirstmas?”

Released in 2005 with Vice Records, all the song’s proceeds will go to UNICEF.

“Do They Know It’s Hallowe’en?” – National Hallowe’en Prevention Initiative (2005 Vice)

If these don’t get you going…I don’t know what will.

Meows & Muses (10.20)

It’s a new Meow! The temperate in Boston has plummeted but we’re still keeping it hot. This week’s talking points:

1) Sarah’s big toe nail finally fell off! woo!

2) Chipotle and Sarah’s adventure’s with sour cream.

3) Jen Choi & the Life hits the 6 month mark (10.19) and surpassed 10,000 hits!

4) “hello?”

5) Inter-off 2008 update.

Now, the p-p-playlist:

Allison Francis @ the Knitting Factory (10.18)

Boston’s Base Trip Records is a student ran record label started in 2007 by BU COM student Conor Loughman. In the past couple of months, the label has really taken the industry by storm.

Featured in various publications including CMJ, Base Trip is heading down to Gotham City this weekend.

Playing Saturday’s M.E.A.N.Y. fest 2008 by Pabst Blue Ribbon at Knitting Factory, Base Trip artists Allison Francis (Portland, OR), Rapper Steph, and Stephanie Barrak will take the main stage.

“Massapequa (Domestic Robot Remix)” – Allison Francis (2008 Base Trip Records) Collaboheightain’titgreat

Save the Scallywaggles! (Emergency Benefit Kegger)

Boston’s student ghetto is under attack!

World renowned for its high concentration of fixie mounted, Pavement/Andrew W.K./Pitchfork fans, Allston is ripe with creativity and overall debachery.

Allston is America’s best kept secret. It’s no Williamsburg, but it’s a million times cheaper and less of a general shit show. For the few who have the opportunity to experience all things Allston, the top five hot spots are:

5) Urban Rewnewals

4) Great Scott

3) Deep Ellum

2) a random noise rock show in some kid’s basement

1) T.J. Scallywaggle’s Vegan House of Pizza & Subs

But wait a-minute…something feels funny. According to some inside sources, Allston’s favorite vegan pizzaria is in danger of shutting down!

TJ needs your help to pay for $2,600 in back taxes (that the former owner stuck on the place) by this Friday! What’s this call for?

A good ol’ fashioned Allston (Emergency) Kegger on thirsty Thursday night.

Drink beer, eat pizza, and donate some cash. Help fight for animal rights! Help keep Allston legit! Help TJ’s!

For more information click here!

“You Make Me Like Charity” – The Knife (2006 Mute) Deep Cuts

Meows & Muses (10.14)

Welcome to Monday Tuesday! This week, due to the schedule change, Monday Meows & Muses was on Tuesday…but just for this week! Talking Points:

1) Xiu Xiu shows

2) the Irish Republican Army

3) Roy Orbison

4) Mishearing song lyrics

5) Intern-off 2008

Now, take a leap of faith and jump into this week’s playlist!

Fucked Up & Vivian Girls @ Great Scott 10.12

Canadian hardcore never sounded so good. Hailing from Toronto, Fucked Up is stopping by Great Scott on Sunday with Brooklyn’s Vivian Girls.

Recently, Fucked Up 1) destroyed MTV Live’s bathroom during a short but life-changing set, 2) announced a 12-hour NYC set on Oct. 14 and 3) released The Chemistry of Common Life LP on Oct. 7.

Spend your Columbus Day weekend Fucked Up.

“Royal Swan” – Fucked Up (2008 Matador) The Chemistry of Common Life

“Beautification Engine” Will Make You Less Ugly

According to computer scientists at Tel Aviv University, beauty is skin deep.

Published in The New York Times’ article “The Sum of Your Facial Parts,” on Thursday, researchers have deveoped a “beautification engine” that mathematically creates a theoretically more beautiful face while perserving the main features of the image.  The hotter measurements were complied based on data collected from 68 men and women after they were asked to choose faces they believed were beautiful.

“She Is Beautiful” – Andrew W.K. (2002 Polygram Int’l) She Is Beautiful SINGLE

Robots Pretending to be Kids are Way Creepier than Kids Pretending to be Robots

God bless the Japanese for creating yet another human android that will forever give you nightmares.

First there was Aiko, the fembot famous for her hilarious one-liners, and now there’s Repliee R-1, a life-like robogirl created by the Tsukuba University’s boffins.

Reepliee R-1 is fitted with felible silicon skin, a pair of the most adorable swollen eye lids, and a perpetual facial expression that says “someone should murder me before I murder everyone.”

I am caught between two emotions: fear and concern. Robotics company Cyberdyne Inc announced Reepliee R-1’s mass scale production begins today! How Fantastic!

C’mon Reepliee, how ’bout a smile?

“The Sex Has Made Me Stupid (c_c/K Boy’s Blood Mix)” – Robots In Disguise (2007) The Sex Has Made Me Stupid EP

Atlas Sound’s Maybe Logic (May Be Awesome)

Since the MediaFire debacle of 2008, Atlas Sound’s remained relatively under the radar…until yesterday.

Maybe Logic, Atlas’ latest virtual 7″, was released to the masses yesterday on the Deerhunter Blog.

“Maybe Logic,” the first of two tracks, is simply..trippy. “Maybe Logic” pays homage to 70s Beatles-esque psychedelia while still preserving Atlas’ signature languidness.

“Airedales” is my favorite of the two. Light and playful, the tune is much more up beat that the typical Atlas song, making it pleasantly surprising.

“Airedales” – Atlas Sound (2008) Maybe Logic Virtual 7″