Updates

I said I'd blog more about my life, so here goes:

I'm getting more in the groove of things at Pulse, and even though I'm still working like a fiend, it's nice to be making some headway. I'm fleshing out our blog, and in the past two weeks have interviewed The 405, Saveur, and VICE. Getting the ball rolling!

I made these Nutella buns from the Saveur post. Mmmmm.

I saw Alt-J at Bottom of the Hill a couple weeks ago, and realized it was the first gig I'd gone to in almost two months. TWO MONTHS. Crazytown, right?! The show was great, and not just because the Mercury Prize winners are absolute geniuses: it turns out I'd really missed the live music fire-in-your-belly, and because I saw the early set, I was in bed by 10:30. I call that an old lady win-win.

After the show, my friend and I discussed a) how on earth you can accurately classify Alt-J (does 'art rock' really cut it?), and b) how soon their triangle hand gesture will become a meme/Instagram competition. Feel free to share your opinions on these urgent topics in the comments or on Twitter, as all I'm talking about currently is sleeping, the apocalypse, and baked goods. Save me from myself.

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/64819931" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]

I realize I forgot to share a true highlight of the year with you all: I interviewed Laura Marling. I owe the delightful folks at Mxdwn my hearty thanks, as they allowed me to geek out with one of my musical idols. See the full interview here. She has a new album coming up, about which she says: "I’m really happy with it, I’m proud of it, but I think I can say that it will be a challenge to listen to." Challenge: accepted.

A few of the things I've been listening to this week: Capital Cities - Caught these guys at Mezzanine a few months ago, haven't looked back. Their disco-pop is addicting. To Kill a King - Loved this London band for a while, and their LP will be out in February. Check out recent EP Word of Mouth. Dry the River - Just released an acoustic version of LP Shallow Bed! Intense hits like 'New Ceremony' have a totally different feel. Papa - still loving their recent new single, 'Put Me To Work', which is a bit more amped up than their A Good Woman Is Hard To Find EP. Listen here. The aforementioned Alt-J. Bonus: 'Matilda' quotes Johnny Flynn. Patch and the Giant - A Folkroom find. If you want to be transported to a 16th century English pub, check out this band's drinking-song vibes. Haim - Just one word for new single/B-side 'Don't Save Me'/'Send Me Down': obsessed.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiqIush2nTA&w=560&h=315]