Vampire Weekend plays in a house in Barcelona? That is the coolest thing ever!

Maybe I'm on a Spain kick, but I just saw @pitchforkmedia tweet this, and I just had to blog about it/embed the video here so when I look back on my posts, it'll make me watch it again.

According to the video description, this person's friend ran into Vampire Weekend at a bar after a concert on Feb. 27, and invited them back to this birthday party. Apparently Vampire Weekend went back and performed a little concert there. The video is awesome. It's obviously intimate since the band's squished into a tiny corner, and you can see that the mirror in back has "Fiesta" written on it, and everyone there is so excited and having a great time. I also like the guy smoking in front. If this were my birthday party, it would be the highlight of my life. Actually, I wish I could have been there because it would have meant I was in Barcelona, and I really miss Spain and need to go back, stat. Coolest thing ever.

Contra Release Party Tomorrow!

This always happens to me! I have a vacation week from work, and I was planning an NYC trip for one day this week, and, of course, this was just posted on Twitter by @SPINmagazine:


Garrett and I were already planning on taking an early train in to spend Thursday morning at MOMA and then the afternoon walking around Chinatown and St. Marks Place. Well, here's how we're gonna try to cap off the evening. I'm ridiculously excited. The RSVP instructions aren't exactly clear, but I did send an e-mail to contra@spin.com, like the poster says to do, with my and Garrett's names on it. It says RSVP does not guarantee entry, but we'll get there early enough.

This is beyond perfect timing. I love Vampire Weekend, and I've been totally excited about their new album. They were incredible at All Points West this year, and I listened to their first album non-stop over the summer. (Perfect driving music.) My current favorite lyric has to be "First the window, then it's to the wall/ Lil' Jon, he always tells the truth" from "Oxford Comma." It makes me giggle. And being a journalist who follows AP style, I have to agree with the song's first line.

Contra sounds pretty good from what I'm hearing streamed from the website. It's their usual upbeat music with clever lyrics and lots of fun. Also, being a mallet percussion player, I love the extensive use of xylo/marimba/bell sounds.

The entire album is streaming from Vampire Weekend's website this week. Check it: http://www.vampireweekend.com/

Updates and thoughts on health care

I haven't blogged in nearly two months! Perhaps it's because I'm getting the hang of my new (well, kinda new) job at the Bristol Press, and when I get home after writing all day, I don't want to write any more. Maybe it's because it's the summer, and I have the relaxing mentality. It could also be because the internet at my house is really bad.

Anyway, here's what I've done this summer: worked, hung out, tried to catch movies and shows. I went to All Points West for one day this year - this was a much better decision than going all three days last year. We're getting old. But Friday was the best lineup. Jay-Z was a great last-minute replacement to the Beastie Boys, and I got to see two of my current favorite bands - Vampire Weekend and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs! It was fantastic. Before APW, I also saw Diana Krall, and later, I saw Sugar Ray for $5 - they played only their hits and covers. It was hilarious.

On a different note, I started getting these minor chest pains when I breathe in deeply today, and checking WebMD just makes me a hypochondriac. Also, it tells me to call a doctor, which I can't do until Sept. 1 because my insurance doesn't kick in until then. Central CT Communications, the company that owns the Bristol Press and New Britain Herald, makes employees wait 90 days until they're covered. I've got about three and a half weeks left.

This is the first time in two months I've begun to worry about not having insurance. And it made me think: Even with insurance, you have a ton of problems. The Bristol Press/New Britain Herald just switched insurance providers, and I know some people here are worried about their lack of a card from the new provider. Also, it's not really clear what's covered because we mysteriously lost the coverage book from our new insurance meeting. When I was under my parents' insurance, I always had trouble calling about things. I've been in support of universal health care since I heard about it, but really, recent events - that is, my being a 22-year-old without health insurance and joining the ranks of the many uninsured - I've come to believe that there is an urgent need for health care reform. Even waiting 90 days feels like forever when you're not sure if you're going to have to see a doctor. I can't imagine what it's like to wait indefinitely.

I'm not going into my thoughts on insurance yet. I'll save that for a time when I don't have a meeting in an hour.