I recently discovered WordPress’ handy little “Search Engine Terms” feature. “Awesome,” I thought, “I can now see what people search to get to my blog and figure out how far up in the Google ranks it is for them to have come across it.”

That is, until I had a peek at my stats for the past few days earlier this afternoon and discovered that these terms were pretty high up the list of most popular searches:

“Pictures of pretty 13 year olds”
“Pretty girls at the age of 18″
“Attractive 13 year old girls”

WOAH.

Firstly, I’ve got no idea how those search terms would produce a link to a blog about music and arts, but hey, everyone makes mistakes – Google included. So let’s take this as an opportunity for me to announce that in no way do I support child porn of any way, shape or form, nor do I partake in any variation of it.

But to satisfy the pervs who found me through those delicate search terms, I present you with a photo of me, Giselle Nguyen, circa 2001:

Man, those 13 year olds sure are tasty. Those Harry Potter glasses and neck rolls really get my juices flowing. Now to watch my daily visits skyrocket.

OH MY EFFING GOD

So it may be sooner than I thought.

*implosion*

That is all.

Firstly, let me thank the excellent Ryan Pohlner for my new header. I was a little nervous about my lack of graphic design skills and enlisted his help to make SS a more attractive website, so thank you Ryan!

And since I haven’t thrown in my two cents about the small onslaught of potential/definite band reunions of coming times, let’s talk about three big ones: Limp Bizkit, Blink 182 and Simon & Garfunkel.

This article reports that delightfully outdated nu-metal outfit Limp Bizkit is to make a comeback, after guitarist Wes Borland and frontman Fred Durst settled years of dispute recently. The band will tour through Europe on the festival circuit in the coming years before sitting down to record a new album. It makes me wonder though, what on earth are they going to bring to the table this time? More Hot Dog Flavoured Water? I recall with vitriol the days when ‘Rollin” was considered a pretty badass song – and I had been thanking Christ every day (even in my heathen mindset) that those days were long behind me. Until this. But you know what, they can do what they like, as long as they don’t butcher another Who song. More on Limp Bizkit when the lulz are brought with their new album, no doubt.

For the shudder-worthy memories:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKAIlrkSZOg&hl=en&fs=1]

Now, onto more exciting news, my faaaaavourite old pop punkers Blink 182 announced at the Grammys on February 8 that they will be reforming for a new album and tour. OH MY GOD!!!!! For those of you who don’t realise what this means to me, let me give you a clue – A FUCKING LOT. Blink 182 (along with Green Day) were my first forays into the whole ‘rock music’ thing, and have always been extremely important to me, even after my musical evolution. It will be interesting to see what the new record turns out to be, particularly considering the four-year gap between this album and the last, and the projects that the guys took on in those 4 years. Robert Smith on the last album was a nice touch; let’s see what they’ve got up their sleeves this time. I reckon it could go either way, back to the old toilet humour or on to Angels & Airwaves-esque trying-to-be-deep-but-failing material. Only time will tell.

For the joyous memories, still my favourite video clip of all time:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDV4E9ldelM&hl=en&fs=1]

And lastly, READ AND WEEP. A friend of mine sent me that link several weeks ago and, upon reading it, I squealed with delight and ran outside to tell my dad immediately. This article surfaced almost two years ago and caused me to almost wet my pants with joy, but nothing came of it despite the many rumours of a reunion flying around. However, with the recent mini-reunion in mind, mid-2009 might be a possibility according to Paul Simon himself. Seeing as the 2004 Old Friends tour didn’t hit our shores, I have all crossable appendages on my body crossed so, so hard right now. Favourite band of all time, and I never thought I’d see them. Perhaps this will be my chance. We can only hope.

For the swoons and sighs:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od66bhNzBtE&hl=en&fs=1]

More on these reunions as they happen…

Interview for Rolling Stone magazine

Youth Group decided there was only one way to prepare for their fourth album – and that was to be completely unprepared.

Ditching the studio, the band stepped into an abandoned navy mess hall. The resulting album, out in early 2008, sees the band mature in sound, lyrics and approach. Instead of recording the album over a few weeks, they took several months, to allow for experimentation.

“The last album [Casino Twilight Dogs] had everything ready to go,” says drummer Danny Allen. “This was purposefully not made the same way.”

Their surrounds were a major influence on the record, with recordings done everywhere from the mess hall to the basement of an actual naval ship, the historic MV Cape Don.

“We went down into the engine room and brought a little tape machine, and we had these metal poles, and we have these experimental tape loops in one of the songs,” says singer and guitarist Toby Martin. “We did it on a 1950s Ferrograph tape machine and then Cameron [Emerson-Elliott, guitarist] made the loop.”

That song, ‘Dying At Your Own Party’, is a subtly symphonic cacophony. Guitars wash over eclectic ship sounds, and Martin’s soft murmurs ponder where he belongs, using the ship and ocean as metaphor.

“The album’s got soul,” says Martin. “It’s just slightly darker. We’re trying to push things…trying to make our songs less melodic and more experimental.”

On the other end of the spectrum there’s ‘Two Sides’, a toe-tapping testament to the band’s experimentation with genre and mood. The track swaps Youth Group’s slowdance vibe for an explosive combination of twee guitar lilts, thumping bass, synth and an incredibly catchy chorus.

The band aspires to the career heights of 2005 touring partners Death Cab for Cutie.

“They’ve become successful under their own terms,” says Martin. “They’ve just been consistently putting out good albums and touring. It’s inspiring – you don’t have to have one massive song that breaks you.”

And while they acknowledge the fear of going down in history as “the ‘Forever Young’ band”, the lads are confident this album will dispel those labels.

“It’s understandable,” says Martin, “but I hope these songs will change that.”

Published in Rolling Stone magazine, March 2008 issue

Manchester Orchestra – I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child – Released through Sony BMG, July 2007

Brimming with quiet poetry, Manchester Orchestra’s first full-length release is a shining effort reflecting their ambition and influences. Having supported a diverse range of artists including Brand New, Kings of Leon and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, it’s no wonder the quintet’s sound is so varied. They have the makings of emo with their introspective-but-not-quite-angsty lyrics, post-rock with their bittersweet marriage of guitars and steady drums, pop-punk with their catchy choruses, indie with their timid lulls. Andy Hull’s vocals zoom from whispered afterthoughts to frustrated wails as his bandmates weave a blanket of perfectly in-sync sound underneath.

I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child is the kind of album that speaks to teenagers without neglecting the situations of older listeners. It sometimes feels formulaic, but never laboured; it may not be the most musically innovative record, but Manchester Orchestra certainly splash colour across a scattered canvas of life, love and loss.