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This week’s Song of the Week comes from a very obscure band from San Diego, California. They added me as a friend on MySpace this week (who knows how they found me) and so I went to check out their music before accepting them as a friend (I gotta approve of their music first folks). I went to their MySpace page and immediately loved their stuff. I added the below song to my MySpace page and downloaded the free copy they are giving out, then went onto iTunes and bought their whole CD. It is amazing stuff. If you like Sigur Ros, this band is worth checking out. They have a lighter, more electronic sound than Sigur Ros (whom I compare to what Heaven might sound like), but it’s still very “ambient” or whatever that experimental music style is. This week’s song might not be your cup o’ tea (it has no words, and sounds like it belongs on an indie movie soundtrack), but please check this song out anyway just so you can see how great the band is. Plus, the name of their band makes me love them even more…

Lost in the Zoo by Goddamn Electric Bill

As Erin has already pointed out in a previous comment, I am indeed very behind on updating my blog. This can be blamed on my very busy schedule as of late, and also on the fact that I’m spending any little free time I get watching television shows on DVD. I am currently watching:

• Lost (Starts next week)
• Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (Monday nights)
• Heroes (Monday nights)
• Battlestar Galactica (Season 2 DVD)
• Prison Break (Season 1 DVD)
• nip/tuck (Season 1 DVD)
• The Office (Season 2 DVD)
• Grey’s Anatomy (Season 2 DVD)
• Eureka (Season 1 DVD)
• 24 (Season 1 DVD)

Why am I watching so much television? For starters, I am in a screenwriting class where I have to write a script for a current dramatic television show (I’m writing for Studio 60) and watching as much TV as possible gets my creative juices flowing at maximum capacity. Another reason is my current infatuation with television production and writing, especially good writing (all the above shows are above-average shows, some of them more than others). I highly recommend checking out all the above shows, depending on your interests. And don’t push Battlestar Galactica off as some over-the-top sci-fi show for nerds only. It’s one of the best shows on TV right now. Don’t judge it just because of it’s title.

I haven’t mentioned this on here yet, but my temp job for NBC fell through. After the lady had already told me I had the job, she failed to keep following up with me and every time I called her she kept telling me to wait for her call or a call from the producer. Last Friday I called her and she acted like she didn’t even know who I was and said all the positions had been filled and told me I was out of luck. This was after I got people to cover my hours on Monday and Tuesday at work, changed the entire production schedule in my TV production class just so I could miss class, and got permission to stay in a house at College of the Ozarks for free. I was disappointed I didn’t get to do the job, but I was more angry with their lack of professionalism. Oh well, guess I’ll just have to wait for the next rare opportunity like this to come along.

Next week is going to be insane. My TV production teacher picked me to produce one of our shows for our next project, and so I have to write the script for the show this weekend and we’re filming on Wednesday. I love producing, but not so much on this project because the producer is also the host of the show. I despise being on camera. Especially on this one because I think he’s making all the talent wear makeup. Let’s hope not… Anyway, this means I also have to “hire” all the crew, or pick who is going to do what. That should be fun. I’m hoping he picks me to produce one of the final projects, but the competition in that class is pretty tough. God I love that class.

On top of producing a show next week, I also have an edit due in my editing/cinematography class. I should be in the editing lab for about 10 hours this weekend working on it. We had to edit a fight scene from Gunsmoke. It’s fun, but very hard to match up shots on that one. I also have a huge midterm in Film History next week, plus I’m working on Tuesday night at the Moxie because the owners are going out of town. On Wednesday night I’m having a family get-together at my apartment to watch the Lost premiere (go ahead, poke fun). I also have a 10-page (single-spaced) script outline to work on next week for my scriptwriting class, and a midterm to study for in my television production class. Go ahead, kill me now.

Guess what? I am giving you a SOTW after all! Granted it’s early, but do you really care? Also, I was going to do a Ben Kweller song (he’s the BK I was talking about in the earlier post), but I have yet to convert his album to MP3 yet, so I can’t upload anything yet. So you must wait another week. Until then, however, you can enjoy one of my favorite songs by my favorite male vocalist: Rufus Wainwright. This guy can sing like no other. Choosing a song was difficult because he is just so damn good, but this has always been one of my favorites. It’s dark, haunting, and beautiful. Enjoy.

In a Graveyard by Rufus Wainwright

Can this week get any more busy? I directed again today in my television production class. It went better than the first time I directed, but it’s still incredibly stressful. I swear, five minutes feels like twenty seconds when you’re under such pressure. It was fun in the end though. This afternoon I had to make a bunch of phone calls to figure out some oddly-priced bills (saved myself $22 by calling the moronic phone company). Now I’m back at work and bored to tears, but I thought I would update my blog since I probably won’t until late next week (don’t expect a Song of the Week unless I find some time to put one up early). Tomorrow I’m at school all day then work at the Moxie all evening. Friday I work all morning then that afternoon I have to create the computer graphics for my TV production class since I’ll be gone on Monday, then I’ve got to work on my editing project (we’re editing a scene from Gunsmoke!), then that night is the big Manhattan Short Film Festival! We’re expecting 300+ people. I’ve been doing a lot of work for that this week and it’s filling up the little breaks I have in my day so I’ve been going nonstop. Saturday I have to work at the Moxie all day, then that night I’m going to try to help my parents with moving some stuff, then Sunday I leave for Branson to work on the America’s Got Talent show for three days! I’m waiting on a phone call from the production coordinator in Los Angeles to let me know what time to be there on Sunday. A friend of my mom’s is letting me stay in her organization’s mission house at College of the Ozarks all weekend so I don’t have to drive back and forth or rent a hotel room. Very awesome! I’m so excited, and actually ready to get down there just to get my mind off school. This has been one of the best semesters of my college experience so far, despite it being one of my busiest. Fall break can’t come soon enough!