I ask you this: "Why is One Tree Hill still on the air??" I still hope that one day these two get back together. You too, huh?

I haven’t written a music post in a while yet like so many of my diversions, it truly is a passion.  This playlist is a compilation of songs inspired by Seth & Summer.  Songs they would play on the beach while roasting marshmallows to the view of the setting sun and sounds of crashing waves, her clad in her bikini and Juicy hoodie and him in his Penguin shirt and plaid boardshorts.  Is it weird that I’m nostalgic for 2005?  I dated a lot of cute skinny boys that summer, rode around my car Habeebs with my sunroof open, danced under the stars and tanned on the beach.  Good times.

Some sweet sounds.  Dream on young lovers…

• Summer Camp – I Want You
• Air – Playground Love
• Conner Youngblood – A Summer Song
• Foster the People – Helena Beat
• Phoenix – Love Like a Sunset
• Tokyo Police Club – Bambi
• Young the Giant – Strings
• Death Cab For Cutie – You Are A Tourist (Seth Cohen’s favourite band)

Rachel Bilson looking super cute in her Missoni bikini. I mean, Adam Brody, what were you thinking? #girlcrush

More emo ironic amazingness from Able and Game on Etsy. I mean, have you ever??

 Holy canoli??!!  Today marks the first day of December.  Like many of you, I have been circling potential presents like a pigeon waiting for you to chuck the last few bites of your hotdog.  But now that I only have a few shopping days left, I think I’m going to bite the bullet and begin putting gifts together.  My personal favourite is a sentimental mixed tape cd - indie cover songs of traditional holiday classics.  To add that extra something-something, I like to make a photo collage of our friendship and write sarcastic inside jokes on the cd cover.  That’s a nice touch.

For more ridiculous Aussie humour, visit the card shop Able and Game on Etsy. 

1. Christmas Isn’t Christmas – The Boy Least Likely To Be
2. Last Christmas – Jimmy Eat World
3. Are You Coming Over For Christmas – Belle and Sebastian
4. O Holy Night – My Morning Jacket
5. The Christmas Song – Owl City
6. Baby Please Come Home – The Raveonettes
7. I Wish It Was Christmas Today – Julian Casablancas

There’s an eerie chill in Trinity Bellwoods Park.  While the occasional passerby still roams aimlessly within the dirt pathways, green grassy noles remain vacant where hipsters flood en masse to recline in their cuffed skinny jeans, ironic grunge and deck shoes sipping nonchalantly on their Tetra-pack wine.  I live among the hipsters and when they flock from their natural habitat, my spider tingles warn me something is afoot (similar to birds swooping low in the sky warning of an impending storm).  I googled city events this weekend to discover there is an Arcade Fire concert on the Toronto Island.  Alas, that is where they will be.  I feel better knowing they will be back next weekend.

In celebration of my fine sleuth work, here are some domestically made indie rock & pop songs to add to your summer playlist. 

• Arcade Fire – No Cars Go, Rococo
• City & Colour – Waiting…
• Broken Social Scene – Forced to Love, Romance to the Grave
• Metric – Collect Call
• Kaskade f. Dragonette - Fire Inside Your New Shoes

The White Squirrel of Trinity Bellwoods Park: stealth urban legend and worshipped mascot of hipsters in the Queen West West vicinity

The other day, I was cruising in my car ‘Habeebs Jr.’ (shortened from the Arabic habibi, translated as my darling; and junior because it’s a newer model of the same car I had in the same colour) and the scorching heat of mid-afternoon was forcing me to roll down the windows until the cool air of the AC blasted.  The local indie rock radio station played a 90′s nooner, where listeners request favourite tunes from the decade.  It’s really funny to me how easy it is to forget about how much I loved certain songs.  This is a long overdue music post.

A special treat: some manjoyment music for a H-O-T-T-T Friday afternoon…

Brett Anderson from Suede, hanging on a chair in his trench. The beginning of my manorexic infatuation.

Suede – Metal Mickey, The Drowners, So Young.  Back in the day, Brett Anderson was my ‘brit rocker crush.’  Allow me to clarify, the Brett of my youth I adore because the diet of vodka-water’s and hard living has caught up to him.  It was one of my first concerts at 14.  He really knew how to work that microphone with his skinny velvet hipsters.

Oh Brandon Boyd. This image needs no caption.

Incubus – Drive, Make Yourself, Anna Molly.  Why bother trying to explain every girl’s obsession with the Incubus front man.  I mean, look at him.  What a dreamboat and that voice.  Can you imagine him serenading you with his acoustic guitar? I think he only dates supermodels though.  *tear*

Under his spell: Before he was Mr. Stefani.

Bush – Swallowed, Glycerine.  Gavin Rossdale might be making easy rock these days as a solo artist but his hotness factor is still flying off the radar.  He doesn’t seem to be aging and every girl swoons for a hot daddy.  Living in truth.

It’s the Year of The Tiger.  Roar!

Like a tiger, let’s attack this year with energy and excitement.  One very determined stance I would like to take in my pursuits is that I will only do things that I love.  And that with the same energy, I endeavour to finish what I start.  While I don’t always feel motivated to get off my Ektorp (Ikea’s #1 selling couch is just so damn cozy), I find that music helps to get me on my feet. 

Of late, some of my favourites have been cover songs.  Obviously, the originals you can’t hold a candle to but it’s interestingly different to hear another artists’ take on a classic:

• Alphabeat – Digital Love (Daft Punk cover)
• Nada Surf – There Is a Light That Never Goes out (The Smiths)
• Rogue Wave – Maps (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) 
• Death Cab For Cutie – Love Song (The Cure)
• Exlovers – Wicked Game (Chris Isaac)

Alphabeat dances it off! "Ooh, I don't know what to do! About this dream and you!"

With a name like Lykke: Irresistible Swedish indie pop rock chanteuse

Girl Crush:  The act of having a crush on a fellow girl due to factors such as charismatic personality, personal style and physical attraction (hottt).  All of my girlfriends are girl crush material.  As in, if I were a guy, I’d totally date you.

Object of Current Girl Crush:  Lykke Li.  Scandinavians brought us great functional design (Ikea, H&M), a goddess screen siren (Uma Thurman), co-ordinated metallic jumpsuits (ABBA) and now Lykke Li. 

You are obsessed with Lykke Li too, aren’t you?  If you’re not, you should be.  Not only is she blonde and quirky beautiful (she probably wears her hair in braids all the time), wears cute outfits, she is such a unique singer with her feathery light vocals layered on a variety of tracks (electro pop to soul, she does it all).  Lykke Li hails from Stockholm Sweden; the daughter of a painter and a musician, she released her first album in 2007 ”Little Brit.”  She is a darling among the music bloggers but her many musical accolades are well founded as her style ranges from breathy pop, to moody solos and dance worthy remixes.  Trust me, she’s going to blow up.

Fall in love with Lykke:

• Little Bit (Gigamesh Remix)
• Breaking It Up (Pocketknife’s Loosefoot Remix)
• Hanging High
• Possibility (For you Twi-hards)
• Knocked Up (Kings of Leon vs. Lykke Li Rodeo Mashup)
• Until We Bleed – Kleerup f. Lykke Li
• Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow