Office Halloween: It's everything you ever dreamed of

It's Halloween in the office today, which means revelry, candy, and a ridiculous costume contest. Here's my entry (along with the lovely Michelle) for the "best group" category (one of two '90s-themed appearances for the weekend):






What will I dress up as later tonight and tomorrow? Stay tuned to find out!

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Best New Music: Sun Airway

Before Sun Airway, they were in this other little band you might have heard of called The A-Sides (who, disclaimer: I ADORE) who wrote these charming, sunny little pop songs about trees and clouds and aspirations. Now -- as Sun Airway -- their tunes are decidedly less sunny (ain't that always the way?) but still pretty insatiable, although more in an encompassing, hypnotic sort of way.




That's right. Jon Barthmus and Patrick Marsceill have traded their guitars for synthesizers, and pop jangles for overall mood -- and the result is nothing short of magical. I love the twinkle and glitter of "American West", the thick swirls of "Oh Naoko", and the sweet simplicity of "Put the days away." And with a Pitchfork nod already under their belt (that's like, $1000000000 dollars worth of tastemaker cred) -- and a killer record label to back them up (that would be Dead Oceans -- home to the Dirty Projectors, Bishop Allen, The Tallest Man on Earth) -- it likely won't be long 'til they explode like woah.

Wanna hear more about the next big thing? You know where to click. (Hint: it rhymes with Shrequency.com!)

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Haiku Review: Phoenix

Flashing strobes plus dance
anthems; French surprises are

best served joyously

Photo Yusuf Muhammad for Phrequency.com

Read the full review (Saturday night, Tower Theatre) here!

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Music Video Mondays: Fern Knight

In the spirit of Halloween, lurking just around the corner -- here's "The Poisoner," from goth-y, DC/Philly-based folksters Fern Knight. Indoor scenes were shot at the mysterious Thelesis Lodge -- home of the Ordo Templi Orientis occult, and the perfect setting for such a blissfully dark exploration. Enjoy!

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Demographic Study: The Phrenetic

The Phrenetic -- taking its name from the It's Always Sunny episode, "The World Series Defense" -- is a hardcore Philadelphia Phillies fan whose mood and overall happiness shift as a result of the Phillies' performance on the field the night before. This can range from exuberant joy to complete and utter despair, with both extremes causing unusual behavior.

Charlie gets snubbed by the Phillies "Phrenetic."

Generally a normal person 10 months out of the year, the Phrenetic comes out only during baseball season, and starts off innocently enough. It's fun to root for the home team, especially when the home team is good! But as the playoffs loom, and the sports pages speculate, the Phrenetic finds themself thinking about baseball more and more. They start wearing Phillies apparel -- first once a week, then Friday-Sunday, and start talking about things like Chase Utley's grip, and the pitcher's (what's his name again?) curveball. Then, when playoffs finally arrive, they find themselves glued to their television sets 20 hours a week, showing up to work blurry-eyed and groggy the next morning because the game ran til 2 a.m. This is the beginning stages of Phreneticism.

Phreneticism. Poor animals.

The full-fledged phrenetic emerges completely during the game itself, where each strike or out pierces their soul with the force of 10,000 knives -- causing them to grip their beer glass tightly, and hold their breath each time a pitch is thrown. Loss can result in angry fist-pounding, beer-spilling and general grouchery -- while a victory means whooping, hollering, running into the streets, and the insatiable desire to climb street lamps and honk your car horn incessantly.

World Series '08 Broad Street celebration. More photos here.

As long as their team keeps winning, the Phrenetic is great to be around -- they're buoyant, and excited, and likely to buy people celebratory drinks. Should the Phils lose, they're liable to call out of work sick the next morning. Non-sporty compadres might think this behavior is a cop-out -- but the truth is, the Phrenetic should be nowhere near normally-functioning society on such occasions. It's best to leave them curled up in their Ryan Howard jersey, sleeping in their Phillies sheets, as they dream of happier seasons to come.

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Best New Music: Gospel Claws

They write the sort of drunken, sloppy anthems that seem SO right on at 1 a.m., rocking back and forth in the backyard of some friend's apartment -- but are still pretty killer the next morning, walking to work slightly hungover at 8. (No? Just me, you say? Ok, then.)

Hailing from the desert lands of the American Southwest -- Tempe, AZ's Gospel Claws are more earthy brandish than windswept wonder, with a blues habit rooted solidly in the past, and classic recording techniques to match.



Their debut album, C-L-A-W-S, drops next week, and is already positioned to be the sleeper hit of the fall. With swaggering melodies that win you over slowly -- and tongue-in-cheek lyrics that appeal to the smart ass in us all -- these guys give you plenty to sink your teeth (err, claws?) into. Want more? Read all about it, in sweaty, swashbuckling detail, at Lo Fi HQ, Phrequency.com.

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Music Video Mondays: The Bees

Ok, so they're not the greatest video makers -- but they ARE great songwriters, and this tune (the first off their new album, Every Step's a Yes) -- sounds like it belongs in the closing credits to a Wes Anderson flick. (A compliment if i ever gave one!) From Ventnor, UK's The Bees, here's "I really need love." Don't we all?

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Cubicle Watch: Window cubicle!

Hello, and welcome to Cubicle Watch. It's been some time since my last cubicle-y update, which goes to show you just how exciting the world of cubicles is.

not my job (thank GOD!)

Today marks an exciting day in the life of Kate because it is my first full day in my NEW cubicle. That's right. After 3 1/2 grueling years at my current job, I have finally reached the seniority status worthy of a new cubicle. This new cubicle is exciting for several reasons, the most important being that IT IS NEXT TO A WINDOW!!! (other minor benefits: closer to the kitchen, further from annoyance of the FedEx machine.) Window cubicles in my office are a rare commodity, only granted to those who have stuck it out for many arduous years. From my window cubicle, I can see the outside world. Specifically, I can see this:




Yes, that's right. It's the side of a building, and the street 12 stories below. And it is glorious. I can even tell if it's raining from here! (My old cubicle was stuck in the middle of a sea of cubicles, far far away from natural light/greater society/happiness/joy.) From here, I am practically AT ONE WITH NATURE! It is an occasion that should be treated with the highest respect. New cubicle, I salute you, and look forward to many special cubicle-y memories!


Cubicle watch. Where time goes so slowly, it feels like it's cubed.

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Best New Music: Super Wild Horses

They're as free as a wild horse (a super wild horse) -- running through the plains, its mane blowing in the super wild wind. (They're from Australia, so you can't rule it out.) Or maybe they just have a sense of humor. Either way, punky girl duo Super Wild Horses has been doing a SUPER job of turning heads with their messy but earnest take on garage rock.




Formed 4 years ago by b.f.f. Amy Franz and Hayley McKee (Catholic school girls with a penchant for mischief) Super Wild Horses burst onto the radar with a very excellent 7" EP (now long sold-out and major hipster cred for anyone who has one) -- then took off running with the release of their debut LP, Fifteen, earlier this summer.

From punch-y Le Tigre style punk to visceral, swirling post-punk -- Fifteen covers a fair amount of ground in its 26 minutes, yet still manages to feel consistent -- the rawness of the vocals and jagged guitar edges holding things together nicely.




And while it certainly seems like SWH are on the verge of something big, the band remains unsure:

“I really don’t see us as having a very wide audience, and we probably give a lot of people, who can actually play their instruments, the shits,” joked Franz in an interview in '09.

I think they're just being modest.


Read more about SWH -- and check out the video for their first single -- at the place where ALL animals run free, Phrequency.com.

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Music Video Mondays: Deerhunter

In honor of the upcoming Deerhunter show this Wednesday (and because I heard an interview with Bradford Cox on the radio the other night and he sounded SO DRUNK) -- I wanted to post a vid off their very excellent, recently-released, Halcyon Digest. But you've probably already seen the video for "Helicopter" -- and honestly, it's kinda boring -- so I dug around YouTube for a while, and pulled out this little gem, made by a fan with some serious skillz. Enjoy!

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Haiku Review: Menomena

Looping riffs and wail-
ing sax gets manic; then soft

as rife parts align

Photo Kate Bracaglia for Phrequency.com

Read the full review (Tuesday night, First Unitarian Church) here!

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Best New Music: Belle & Sebastian

Dedicated readers of this blog (/dedicated lovers of Kate) probably already know about my deep-seated love affair with Belle & Sebastian. I mean, it really doesn't get any better than these guys, right? I mean, god, why are they so awesome?*




Anyway, Belle & Sebastian have many awesome albums, and only a few not-so-awesome ones (Fold Your Hands; Storytelling) and luckily for us all, their most recent, Belle & Sebastian Write About Love -- falls into the first category. A playful collection of breezy pop songs, and exultant celebrations -- Love has not only been tearing up my stereo these past few weeks, but also includes some my very favorite B+S songs to-date -- including the EXTREMELY awesome, hum-to-yourself-while-commuting-to-work charmer "Write about love," featuring the ever-delightful Carey Mulligan. (Gosh, they just do everything right, don't they?)

Also impressive: this tune, which maybe isn't their most ground-breaking, but still pretty much rules:

Wanna hear more? Head over to Phrequency.com to catch a video of the opening track -- and fully indulge in B+S wonder.


*No one knows, really, but probably because they are Scottish. All Scottish bands are awesome (see also: Camera Obscura, Teenage Fanclub, the 1990s).

Music Video Mondays: The Bicycles

Just a short twee ditty to help you warm up on this chilly Monday morning...

From Canada to Philly, here's to warm hugs and dragon slayings!

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Couples Halloween, and Other Sordid Tales

Halloween. It's a month away for sure, but already I see pumpkin banners strung across the entranceway to CVS, Costume Super Stores popping up at the corner of 15+Walnut. This year marks my 25th Halloween as a human being, also my 6th with my boyfriend Matt, and I have decided -- 6 being a magic number and all -- that it's time to go the themed route.

Of course Matt -- being a guy and all -- is not really too into this idea, and in fact, doesn't really like to wear costumes at all, unless they also double as pajamas.

Halloween '09

Which is why I decided to go the cheater route, and brainstorm famous couples who already look kinda like us (i.e., blond, shaggy-haired men and longhaired brunettes), and whom we can mimic for little-to-no effort. Here are my 5 top ideas:


1.) Zack Morris + Kelly Kapowski. Zack and Kelly, of Saved by the Bell fame were the perfect high school couple to a 10-year-old me, and Matt totally looks like Mark-Paul Gosselaar, and was high school president in real life too. As a character, Kelly's perfectness always sort of bothered me (I was more like Jesse Spano -- smart, but always wearing something uglier) but I suppose I could suck it up for one night only. Not to mention the '90s are back with a vengeance this year.




2.) Devon Sawa + Christina Ricci. Devon Sawa was like, the pin-up boy for 11-year-olds across the 5th grade, and Christina Ricci the bad-ass alternative chick who covered her vulnerability with a rough exterior and tendency towards goth. They played opposite each other in Now and Then and Casper (two of the great movies of my youth) and generally seemed like the coolest people ever. Are Matt and I cool enough for a throwback?



3.) Dawson Leery + Joey Potter. I didn't actually watch Dawson's Creek -- it was a bit too sappy for my bad-ass, high school self -- but I think Joey was supposed to be the girl-next-door, which is what the man at the DMV called me just last month. Plus Katie Holmes and I have the same first name. Does anyone care about James van der Beek anymore?



4.) Posh + Becks. Posh has long been my favorite Spice girl, and shares my haircut, and penchant for giant glasses/ small dresses. Becks is sportier than Matt, but has similarly tousled hair -- although Matt's is all natural baby. This would be especially cool if I could find 4 other girls to dress up as the rest of the Spice Girls, except for I only have like 2 female friends, and I think someone already did this when I was in 9th grade (and then every year thereafter.)




4.) Blair Waldorf + Nate Archibald. Umm, I'm obsessed with Gossip Girl. But I'm only on Season 2, so I have no idea if Nate and Blair end up together. But for the sake of cute knee socks and ties...I hope so!



Which idea do you think Matt and I should rock this Halloween? And umm, think you can help me convince him?

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