Interstalking Recommends… | interstalking

Interstalking Recommends: Jen Kirkman

You may know Jen Kirkman, as I did, from “Chelsea Lately”, for which she was a writer and panelist, or (hopefully, because it’s awesome…) from “Drunk History”. Since being introduced to her podcast “I Seem Fun: The Diary of Jen Kirkman” (thank you, Dana), Jen has quickly become my master, teacher, idol, comrade in the business of show, running buddy, imaginary best friend, etc.

Jen wrote a book called “I Can Barely Take Care of Myself: Tales From a Happy Life Without Kids”. I didn’t realize, until Jen became it for me, that I needed a child-free role model. Sometimes I’m like “man, I wish Jen didn’t have to talk about this so much”, but then I realize she is like, the only person I can think of who IS talking about it. I mean, I talk about it all the time, but I’m not a famous person with a podcast. “Don’t email me!” if you know someone else. Just kidding, if you know another I totally want to know, I’m just quoting something Jen says on her show a lot. Whether or not my life and love takes the reproductive route ever, we need women out there showing us how rad your life can be on the child-free path. Why does it even have to be an unconventional path? There is so much pressure on women to want to be mothers… not to mention wives. The biggest thing I realized upon turning thirty seven was that the pressure was finally off – at this age people finally stop asking you about the kids thing because they figure you’re running out of time. And it felt great. But enough about me – I’m just hoping someone else will find listening to Jen as relatable and helpful as I do!

I could list the things I love about Jen and “I Seem Fun” but I think lists are really overpopulated on the internet so I’ll use a paragraph. Jen is from Needham, Massachusetts (I’m from Chelmsford) and has a second Twitter account called @JenFromthe1990s which is her teenage self tweeting. She closes every podcast with “No Fun” by the Stooges, which makes me feel celebratory even though the show is ending. She puts out a podcast, typically an hour long, pretty much every damn week. And don’t give her a hard time when she needs a break for a few weeks. She records them from her home, bedroom, hotel room, and receives visits from characters like “Fuck the Haters Girl” and “Live Laugh Love Woman” (formerly known as “Cubicle Woman”). God I fucking love when she does the “Live Laugh Love Woman/Cubicle Woman”. (To me it’s like that thing when people think you have a super easy life because you’re single and only what they are doing is worthwhile because it feels like suffering. Just listen to the podcast.) She also sings along with a song in the beginning of most podcasts, talks about music from the 90s (including a whole Kurt Cobain story you should hear), educates about feminism (for real, and I mean she’s educating me and I’m a fucking feminist), and even talks about her personal life and relationships. She is really irritated by the state of customer service today (yes, I agree!) and is very spiritual (into Marianne Williamson). She loves Christmas lights. Based on her raspy voice mentions and Instagrams, she seems to be afflicted to something similar to my lifelong sinus problems. She takes Klonopin when she flies but only a really small amount. She posted a video on YouTube of herself being interviewed by her electric toothbrush. I haven’t even tapped her YouTube page because I’m so busy listening to her podcasts and waiting for her second book to come out. I hope this is making you want to listen to her podcast. You will not regret it.

Also, she has responded to me on Twitter and Instagram. Jen, I’m crazy about ya!

Jen, if you read this I’m sorry if I got any of these details wrong, I’m trying to write more off the cuff.

If you need ANY OTHER information about Jen you can find it at jenkirkman.com. Do not tweet or @ her on Instagram about tour dates. Come on now, we can all be responsible for using google. This isn’t like a life lesson thing, it’s just that the information is very clearly stated on Jen’s social media and during every podcast. She’s not here to give lazy people information they can get at jenkirkman.com which she constantly reminds people is where to get tour dates. She’s here to make the podcast. And all the other cool shit she does.

Yes, I masked my personal Instagram handle on this screen shot from when Jen hearted me for directing people to jenkirkman.com for ticket info.

Viva!

Interstalking HAIM

Real Girls with Real Instruments YES!

Haim did not just appear and they have a long musical past, but I just became really aware of them last week because, of course, I was watching “Saturday Night Live”. They may be the coolest valley girls ever. I want my hair to grow faster, to start wearing a leather jacket, and to go back to work on my all girl band screen play, because Haim is so much like the rocking farm girls I pictured in my head, only sisters and from LA. Don’t even get me started on their beautiful thick eyebrows – this is about the music!

Could it be any cooler that a lyric in this song, “The Wire” has a woman saying she is “bad at communication”?

I love Danielle Haim (lead guitar, lead vocals, and middle sister). There is something so tomboyish but sexy about her. I haven’t seen her wearing lipstick so far, and she’s hot in addition to being an in-demand touring musician outside of her own band. I love when girls play instruments in a band and don’t seem like “chicks”, but don’t seem like Melissa Etheridge. Why is it so seemingly rare? And all girl bands seem even more rare. I was a big fan of The Like’s album “Release Me” (another L.A. all-girl band with deep musical roots) but it didn’t have this kind of authentic rock feel (exceptional production by Mark Ronson though!).

Even though the production on “Days are Gone” is slick, the live performance I saw last week on TV didn’t feel that way at all. Like this Pitchfork review mentions (http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/18574-haim-days-are-gone/), there is an element of the “Hot 100 Singles of 1987” in “Days are Gone” that gives me a pleasant nostalgic feeling. 1987 was the summer we moved to Massachusetts, spent in our split level home basement watching the VH-1 we mysteriously had without a cable box. Therefore, this song in my head all week in addition to Haim.

Este, the bass player and oldest, wears bright red lipstick and has a really intense guitar face. The youngest sister, Alana (guitar, percussion, and keys), is all about the short shorts. And I may have mentioned the hair. Long, straight, awe-inspiring hair, so you know they’re girls.

I always had a problem with super girlie music like Jewel’s and Sarah McLachlan’s. It just seemed like the fodder for everything people like to tease/hate women for – weepy, emotional, pining songs about your boyfriend and the toothpaste cap. Therefore, I was severely against the Lilith Fair despite Liz Phair’s participation. In retrospect, I appreciate supportive environments for women in any realm, I just hate that we need them in music.

Haim (because yes, I do think they are the kind of young women who control everything about their image) have videos in which they 1) make a bunch of guys cry 2) ride motorbikes like their own three person gang 3) catch fish with their bare hands in the wilderness 4) goof off dancing in a beauty salon, and 5) more than once, do an in-unison dance move. They also play basketball against a team of boys, in one instance where they are shown competing with men rather than trying to win them. I love that they aren’t afraid to show that their music is danceable, to show some leg, to do a synchro dance move together (maybe one is wearing a bra top), and to do a weird fireside ritual with gypsy robes and feline light projections on their faces because damn it, you can play in a band, and be in control of your life, and be sexy and desirable, and do it all in Keds and low heeled boots without ever having a cleavage shot. Why are there not enough female role models like this anywhere?

Here’s the other thing – I think Haim may have made Sheryl Crow cool. Don’t get me wrong – I’ll sing along to a Sheryl Crow song on the radio. I respect her abilities as a singer and guitarist and I know she is a songwriter as well. But I don’t go around advertising this nor do I buy her records. So, to the generation younger than me, is Sheryl Crow actually cool, or is she cool in the way I loved Corey Hart’s “I Wear My Sunglasses at Night” when I was little and I now love Badfinger? It’s confusing for me, but you should watch the performance linked here:

http://pitchfork.com/news/53106-watch-haim-and-lorde-cover-sheryl-crows-strong-enough/

I don’t think this is the best example of Haim’s vocal abilities (I love that they sing in a lower range than many popular female musicians), but I love how INTO it they are. Like, happy to be covering a song from their ostensible childhood and also like, into the lyrics. Of “Strong Enough”. I know, this is a big deal, not being scared to sing that song seriously.

I can’t talk about Lorde right now because I am too distracted by her purple lipstick and huge coat. But, did you notice that Danielle Haim SOLOs? Do you know how infrequently this happens with female guitarists?

I’ll probably continue to write about sister bands and not be in one. But I am newly motivated to wear ripped tee shirts and flat shoes, and this is progress. Thank you Haim. Thank you.*

*Note: This only happens when the band is good.

Please enjoy Haim’s videos on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/HaimTheBand?feature=watch

And also enjoy some of the more ridiculous comments showing how unused to seeing real women people are. For example “they’re weirdly hott too” – as opposed to the un-weird hottness of like, Britney Spears or something? Apparently Danielle also is always dressed like a guy. Which is why I think she has SUCH AWESOME STYLE.

Don’t give up, ladies!