Friday, December 18, 2009

My favs of 2009: Part I.

It's December, so that must mean that every critic in the world is publishing their "Best of" lists for 2009. And this year, we're also getting "Best of the Decade!" lists! Oh joy! Look, I don't know what the best is [I'm not a critic in real life, I just play one this blog], I just know what my favorites were. My favorites probably aren't the best, considering I blog mostly about Gossip Girl. So with that in mind, I'm just going to do two lists mainly based on the stuff I blog most about on here - my favorite songs, and my favorite TV episodes. [I don't go to the movies that often, and when I do my friend DL has the tendency to chose terrible movies to see, so I'm not gonna bother blogging about those even though movies would complete the "Best of" trifecta.]
2009 was a pretty shitty year by all accounts, but some good things came out of it. Shakira howled like a wolf, someone got run over by a tractor on Mad Men, and Lady Gaga wore everything ridiculous under the sun. Let's discuss - in two parts, with music first - shall we?


Part I - My Favorite Songs of 2009:

1. Empire State of Mind - Jay Z and Alicia Keys
This is everyone's favorite song of 2009, right? Even if you don't live in New York it's impossible not to get swept up in the "If I can make here, I can make it anywhere" sentiment when Alicia hits that soaring chorus, and even if the verses aren't Jay's best rhymes ever they still hit some high points - my favorite is that "Yo momma's just like a bus route, errybody ride 'er" joke. [That "welcome to the melting pot/ corners where we sell pot" line is pretty uh, dope too, if you'll pardon the pun.] When Pitchfork wrote this song up on their own Best Of 2009 list, they described it as "schmaltz, but transcendent schmaltz," and I think that's pretty accurate. Considering 2009 basically sucked for everyone, singing along with this anthem about that magical city where dreams can still come true was probably what we all needed.



2. Summertime Clothes - Animal Collective
This is my personal favorite from Merriweather Post Pavilion, the album that came out six days into 2009 and then owned every album that had the audacity to come out after it. [Considering people have been saying since last January that MPP is the album of 2009, its cliched by now to sing its praises. But damn, considering the frequency with which I still listen to it, it's just fucking good.] Even though it features AC's trademarked wall of noises and static this song can't help but remind me of simpler times - of "sweet summer nights" spent wandering the close knit neighborhood I grew up in, where people waved at me from front porches, boys honked and yelled from car windows and my best friend and I went to the corner store for ice cream. And considering AC features a dude who goes by the name "Panda Bear," I guess I have good reason to feel all warm and fuzzy.



3. Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
For a long time I wasn't sure how I felt about Lady Gaga, but I think I am finally starting to warm to her. Before, for all her talk about "art," I never thought her songs were anything to exactly write home about - they were ridiculously catchy sure, but not necessarily as game changing as she [and her lap dog Perez Hilton] claimed. But with this song her music finally caught up with her aesthetics; I think Gaga is the only person who could have a song that has "Gaga Gaga oh la la" as a chorus, wear a flaming polar bear rug as a cape in its video, and still have it be a monster hit. Then she sang this song on Gossip Girl which automatically endeared her to my heart, and then she released that Christmas Tree song which walks the fine line between stupid and stupid genius. Now if only Perez would just stfu about her, maybe I would be a full fledged Gaga fan.


4. 1901 - Phoenix
I never really listened to Phoenix until I happened to catch them on an episode of Saturday Night Live last spring, and suddenly, like the rest of America I was sold. There are songs that may take a listen or two or five to get you on board, but then there are songs that you love instantly and 1901 was one of those. Sometimes when watching a band live, especially for the first time and with a unfamiliar song, its hard to get into the performance. But the first time I heard 1901 it sounded just like the recording I would later download - and I mean that as a vast compliment. It only proved that Phoenix were such competent live performers watching them was like some sort of chastisement saying so, why haven't you listened to us before? But now I do thanks to 1901, a song which I can only describe as joyous, the kind that makes me smile because "past and present they don't matter, now that the future's sorted out."



5. Never Forget You - The Noisettes

This song isn't exactly earth shattering, it's still sort of riding the wave of throwback sound from the UK made famous by Winehouse/Duffy/Adele, but that doesn't mean its not good. Growing up in Detroit Motown has a special place in my heart, and more than any song by the W/D/A triumvirate I can imagine The Noisettes coming across my television screen in black and white circa 1963 on American Bandstand with this song. Plus, any song that opens with the question "What you drinking?" is totally fine by me. Also, can we discuss Shingai Shoniwa's gravity defying hair?!



6. Stillness Is The Move - The Dirty Projectors/ Solange
Basically all you need to know about the original Dirty Projectors version of this song is that it has lots of crazy high notes, the music video features a llama, wolves, and girls dancing in harem pants and most importantly, in the words of my brother, it has a beat that is "deck." Basically all you need to know about the Solange cover is that it too has lots of crazy high notes, it throws in a Erykah Badu sample for good measure, and after listening to it you'll never know this song wasn't meant to be a slow jam. And basically all you need to know about both? They're awesome.




7. Beyond Here Lies Nothin' - Bob Dylan
In this day and age all you have to do is be mildly successful for about a year or two or appear on American Idol and people will start bandying the word "icon" about to describe you. But my boy Bob has been around for five [FIVE!!] decades, and is about to enter his sixth showing no signs of calling it quits. Of course he ended this decade on a wacky note, releasing an album of Santa themed polkas essentially, but when you've been around for 50 years I think you've earned the right to pull some ridiculous shit. But earlier in the year he released Together Through Life with this as its first single, a sort of crazy accordion jam that makes me think of little cafes on the Mexican border and warm sun on my face. But in typical Dylan fashion the lyrics are bleak, a contrast which makes me think this song would be the perfect theme to a movie adaptation of a Cormac McCarthy Border Trilogy book. All The Pretty Horses was already ruined with Matt Damon, but I read somewhere once that a version of Blood Meridian was in the works. Now seeing as Blood Meridian is one of my favoritest books ever, I am sure I will decry whatever version comes out as inadequate, but having this song in it would probably help.



8. Treat Me Like Your Mother - The Dead Weather
Jack White has always had a fascination with the familial, incestuous and Oedipal - there was after all that whole situation where everyone though Meg White was his sister, but turns out she was his ex-wife [oops!]. The un-honed and cacophonous sound of the White Stripes merely re-enforced the illusion that Jack and Meg were just kids banging on pots and pans in the kitchen, so did the fact that they released playground ready anthems like We're Going To Be Friends. But its actually this song he recorded with his side project that might be the culmination of all of that - its a duet between Jack and Alison Mosshart, with Mosshart chastising him for lying, basically saying if you can't look your mother in the eye and lie, you shouldn't be able to do the same with me. And if that wasn't Oedipal enough, the video features the pair mowing each other down with shot guns. Creepy? Yes. But creepy in a rocking way? Also yes.
Also, their "surprise" concert I caught over the summer was awesome [Honestly, it was a ton better than I thought it would be after hearing their first single] ; but then can you beat front row with PBR in hand at a Jack White concert in a Detroit dive?




9. Ambling Alp - Yeasayer

What's an "Ambling Alp"? Hell if I know. But I do know this song is awesome, trippy, and strangely inspiring. In the song's music video nearly every face is somehow distorted, reinforcing the idea that the only people with real identities are those who follow the maxim "Stick up for yourself son/ Never mind what anybody else done." And considering 2009 was a knock out, drag down year its something we could all hear - especially since the song further encourages us to "Raise your head and wear your wounds with pride." It's like the dudes of Yeasayer dropped some acid [which let's be honest, they did], watched some uplifting WWII movie, and decided to write a song about it. They also could have read some Tolkien, seeing as the video features a psychedelic Ringwraith and Mount Doom [No for real, it was filmed on a volcano]. There's also yellow goop. Excellent.



10. She Wolf - Shakira
I actually like the idea of werewolves as allegories for the parts of our Selves that are Other, whether it be tendencies towards animalistic violence and forbidden sex, or a fascination with the supernatural and death itself. I also like it when Warren Zevon sings about them in London. I don't like them when they become nothing more than an excuse for that ripped 13 year old named Taylor Whathisface to run about the Pacific Northwest wearing only denim cutoffs. But lucky for us, this song is more Angela Carter and The Company Of Wolves than Twilight; more about releasing the fierce wolf like power within than succumbing to the lupine sex appeal of some scruffy shirtless guy [Not that that never happens, even to the best of us]. Plus, its kind of insane that this song became a huge hit - Shakira uses a word as big as "lycanthropy," makes a complex metaphor involving a coffee machine, and she howls. And as if that wasn't enough, in the video she pulls a Grace Jones and dances/contorts in a golden cage with a snazzy "Do Not Feed The Animal" sign behind her. In other words, thanks for reclaiming werewolves from the sanitized teen set Shakira. Someone had to do it.




Runners up:


Heavy Cross - Gossip
Earthquake - Little Boots
Good Girls Go Bad - Cobra Starship ft. Leighton Meester

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Glee: Midseason Report Card. [Cuz it's high school, yo!]


So I think when Glee returns in April I might start blogging about it and since the fall finale just aired I figured I would make a test run at it. That would officially make this a GG + G blog, and for the two [literally] people who read this blog, I think they are cool with that.

You know who else is cool? Mr. Schue. Yes, like Emma, against my better judgment I am in love with a married man. Oh wait, a married fictional man. Guess that makes my obsession worse.

But my Glee obsession on the whole is pretty bad, so maybe by writing blogs I can get it out into the open and you know, see how crazy I am. And then maybe I'll go to therapy. At the local community center. See you there Terry!

So to reign this obsession in, let's start dissecting it. Because that's healthy right? The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem, correct? Because like Terry I know I used to be a different person, but then Glee danced into my life and now I'm totally alright with listening to covers of classic rock songs performed by a bunch of TV choir geeks over and over on my iPod.

This week's episode, Sectionals, was the perfect storm of everything that caused the obsession to form in the first place: earnest heartfelt moments that weren't cloying, stupid catchy songs made even more catchy, hilarity [in the form of that Ohio Vice Comptroller or whatevs who had to appear at that "fool event"], and most importantly, Mr. Schuester running in slow motion.

So I'm pretty jaded, like for real. I hate Christmas and jolly good cheer and stuff and the other day when a Hindu friend yelled at me for hating on the holiday season I thought I would give it another go, since if he likes it maybe I am missing something. I decided to watch It's A Wonderful Life for the first time since I was about 12, since I always had good memories of watching that with my dad around Christmas. But the whole time all I think was man George Bailey gave up traveling the world and college for freaking Bedford Falls and all he gets is some annoying kid named ZuZu, and all this movie is doing is reinforcing the hetro-normative domestic circle at the expense of the Self and blah blah blah grad school ruined my life and by the time it got to that big climatic scene when everyone in town shows up with a basket full of money the only thing going through my head was....damn, George Bailey's life sucks.

Oh, but then wait! I heard Mercedes tear up [girl has piiiiiiiiiiipes!] And I'm Telling You and my hardened heart thawed a little. And then Rachel sang Barbara and our little Gleeks put aside their differences and worked it out to to the Rolling Stones. And my heart warmed over a bit more. And then! Then! The Glee kids put on a special performance for Mr. Schue, to thank him for all the hard work and dedication he put into making them the team they are today. And then a tear fell down my stone cold face, because I have had teachers like Mr. Schue believe in me even when I didn't and that has meant more to me than trite Christmas cheer ever could. So yeah, Glee, you made me cry. Are you happy now!? Unlike Sue, guess its a good thing I didn't have those tear ducts ripped out. Apparently, I can still use 'em.

But aside from getting caught up in the happy warm fuzzy feeling Snuggie fest, I think I do need to take Glee to task a little bit here. As much as Glee encourages us to ignore stereotypes - omg! It's totally cool if the jock sings and dances you guys! - it more often than not falls into them itself. Of course Mercedes sang And I'm Telling You, because what self respecting black diva wouldn't? And of course the Jewish girl with the big nose sang a Barbara song, because obviously that's what she's been practicing in front of the mirror since she was four. That's like if I was on Glee and was only allowed to sing Bobby Vinton songs because I'm Polish American. [Though a Glee cover of My Melody of Love would make my LIFE.]

I understand that comedy works best when there are easily recognizable stereotypes to play off each other, but now that we've established everyone's niche in the club I think we can expand a bit. Why does Mercedes always have to sing Jennifer Holliday, Jazmin Sullivan, Beyonce or Jill Scott songs? Wouldn't it be kind of awesome if she covered, oh I don't know, a Feist song? [That sentence is ridiculous actually, and I can't believe I typed it] But if Glee is going to continue beyond one season and remain interesting, Mike and Other Asian Guy need to say actual lines, and the musical choices need to stop being so formulaic. I mean, it was kind of crazy seeing Mr. Schue perform Bell Biv DeVoe and Young MC songs, but that's what made it awesome. I think Glee needs to remember its own advice, when Mr. Schue told everyone that mash ups were great because the further apart things are, sometimes the closer they become - like chocolate and bacon. So shake it up Glee! It will be like that time David Cook sang Mariah Carey on American Idol and it was kind of excellent:



[Ahahahaha this is like the only American Idol performance I know. Also, isn't it weird to hear Mariah speak coherently?]

But of course, this same thing is also sort of the pull for Glee - everything happens like its supposed to. And in a world where crazy wormhole looking things suddenly appear over Norway, that's kind of comforting. Nothing happened in the finale that you couldn't see coming from a mile away, but occasionally its a nice change of pace for the non cheaters to win, for the guy to get the girl, for the outcasts to find acceptance amongst each other. None of this stuff is a guarantee in real life, so to have it happen once a week on your TV screen is like yeah, getting all nice and warm and cozy in your favorite Snuggie. I refuse to own a Snuggie out of principle, but I imagine that's what it feels like.

Of course New Directions had to win Sectionals, because otherwise they wouldn't advance to Regionals, and then this season's plot would be dead in the water. But I would hate to see them keep winning, because then what's left for future seasons? If they win Regionals would next season just focus on getting to Nationals? It's like how J.K. Rowling couldn't have every Harry Potter book end in the ultimate goal of winning the House Cup a] because Harry got too old for that noise and b] it would get redundant and boring. She had to invent stuff like the Tri-Wizard Tournament to keep our interest. So in this ill-conceived metaphor, what's gonna be your Tri-Wizard Tournament Glee?

Now don't get me wrong, I freakin' love this show. And you know you only show such concern for people you love, and want to do well. My love for the characters and the cheesy musical numbers override any complaints I might have [for now anyway]. It's not like Ryan Murphy is gonna read this blog, unless he obsessively Googles himself or something, but a few more quick suggestions for the rest of this season and the next.

I read on EW that both Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk are dying to get Bruce Springsteen's music licensed, and I can't stress how much I support this idea. I mean, I love pre-Kabbalah Madonna and all, but well, she didn't write Thunder Road if ya know what I mean. Aside from my deep abiding Boss love, I'm pretty obsessed with this idea because I'm convinced that Mr. Schuester needs to sing Backstreets. I mean, at its most base level, its about breaking up with a girl named Terry! Look, when the song contains lyrics like"Blame it on the truth that ran us down, you can blame it all on me Terry/ It don't matter to me now" how could Will not sing it?! If Matthew Morrison can competently cover the Thong Song, he can cover Bruce. Plus, can he wear a tight white t-shirt while he does it, like the beginning of the I'm On Fire video or the Born in the USA cover? Thanks in advance.



Also, I know I just said 2 secs ago to avoid stereotypes, but could someone please sing Rosalita to Santana? I know singing to her a song about young love with a lovely Latin lady would be ridiculously cliched, but since its fucking Rosalita, I'll let it slide. And based on this last episode it might be Brittany singing it to her, so in that case, I think we can safely say that would rise it to the level of legendary:




Oh and lastly, when are Matt [Shaft] and Mercedes gonna hook up?! I'm pretty sure it's gonna happen since when she got up to sing her solo this episode he was making all sorts of crazy facial expressions at her which I can only construe as love. Also, I really want to hear him speak. Especially since the actor who plays him Tweets stuff like this:

DijonTalton Ok.. So I'm starving... Heathy or Greasy guys? DijonTalton Ok guys... Greasy won!! Eating Wienerschnitzel

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Gossip Girl: Ghosts of Christmases Past.

So after last week's snoozefest [seriously, does anyone remember what happened?], this week's installment was the kind of Gossip Girl I live for: an episode so deliciously terrible it reaches the heights of the sublime.

Ghosts? A dead mother's return? Teenage drug dealing? A Chappaquidick-esque car accident? Pot secretly stashed in the book I hated most in high school? Chuck Bass sharing his "feelings"? Dan sharing his feelings? Nate punching someone in the face? Serena laid up in hospital bed? A girl named Willa trying to be seductive while wearing a gold lame blouse? A spin of Empire State of Mind which currently has 98 plays on my iTunes? Yes, yes, and more yes!

So let's start by discussing said strangely attired Willa and her sudden lust for Danny Boy. I know Dan's guns have been growing by the episode, but seriously girl you need to chillax. Seducing some guy you just met by showing him a sex tape of yourself under the guise of "performance art" while you wear a hideous outfit doesn't work, does it?! Oh who am I kidding, the sex tape masquerading as "performance art" is probably Adam Lambert's favorite form of seduction! Anyway, on to matters that aren't two weeks old, Dan decided to get it on with Willa despite the fact that she was crazy - "actresses are crazy!" Nate told him - but sexy time was interrupted by a phone call which told him his sister by marriage who he used to bang was in the hospital. It was just as well since Dan was only lowering himself to Willa's level because he couldn't get Vanessa, but once at the hospital and overcome by "Life is short!" thoughts Dan decided it was time to spill his guts to V. Because its been you know, a whole week, so Dan must be in luuuuuuurrrrrrvvvvvve. But alas, Vanessa didn't return his sentiments [she's still convinced that Paul dude is straight. Ahahahahaha], and once again poor Dan found himself a Lonely Boy.

Also having love troubles were Lily and Rufus, who have been far too happy for far too long. Ever since the lamest twist of fate ever, when Maureen ended up with Lily's super secret letter from Daddy Van der Woodsen because she had the same coat as Lily, the coat closet in the Van der Humphrey household has been in an uproar. Of course Lily was never able to locate the letter because Maureen, who is actually probably the smartest person on this show, was planning on using it to blackmail Serena to get her to back off of Tripp. Once Lily got wind of The Situation [a phrase which I now think is trademarked by MTV], she decided to lady up and tell Rufus that she had a secret meeting with Serena's father, but in true soap opera fashion was interrupted by the hospital calling to say her daughter had been in a car accident. Whatever Lily did when she met Serena's father probably wasn't as bad as we think it was, mainly because it never is on Gossip Girl, and also because once Rufus sleeps with that co-op board lady in retaliation that will be the real problem. Also, is it just me or does co-op lady look a disturbing amount like Vanessa's mom?! I hope it comes out that Rufus is attracted to her because he and V's mother once had a fling and he's really V's father and that's why he was cool with her practically living with them all these years, and oops Dan, you're in love with your sister again!!

Lily and Rufus were so distracted by their marital issues they didn't realize their daughter was off committing the dual crimes of rocking some hideous coats and selling drugs. As soon as Eric wondered where Jenny had gotten all the money to pay for those new purses I knew her drug dealing had finally begun, and man, was I excited. The title of the first new episode when GG returns in March [damn Olympics and American Idol!], is "Jenny, Full of Grace" which only means this storyline is about to go front and center. I hope Little J tries drug smuggling and ends up in jail!! That would be really spectacular, seeing as if she was locked up we wouldn't have to deal with her annoying self as much.

Speaking of annoying, the whole Serena Forays Into Politics As A Mistress storyline seems like its on its way towards being wrapped up. The storyline didn't annoy me as much as Serena did, because every time I thought she couldn't get stupider, she did. When she was being a whiny little bitch because she didn't have coffee or cable at a country cottage I wanted to literally shake some sense into her and then yell at her to put on a damn shirt because its December. For what it's worth Serena, my family's cottage doesn't even have really great phone reception and sometimes my mom and I go to the local Wal-Mart for entertainment because all we have at the cottage are VHS copies of Air Force One and Dirty Dancing, Trivial Pursuit and the beach, but that doesn't help come February. So quit your bitching and read a book! Or smoke one too, I guess that's cool.

Tripp choosing his career over Serena was inevitable, but running into a pack of wolves was not. I mean, seriously, wolves?! They have those in Nassau County?! I would say it seems a mite too soon to be copping the whole Chappaquidick situation, but then that shit actually happened forever ago, so have at it writers. And it was the exact same situation: Congressman runs off bridge, injures girl, leaves girl and calls someone other than 911 first. Ooops! But if history has taught us anything its that stuff like this won't stay secret for long, especially since Tripp and Maureen's "cover up" was shoddy at best, because come on, Nate figured it out. Nate has been really freaking me out lately - he was actually funny in that scene in the coffee shop with Dan using lifelike expressions and everything, and then he went and clocked Tripp in the face! Emotions!? You don't say! But either way, it's clear the jig will soon be up for Tripp and Maureen and he can say bye-bye to being on a committee with Barney Frank.

So I have to give Gossip Girl credit where credit it due: it takes balls to play the "car accident card" twice. You play the car accident card when you need a major plot point, but don't have time to develop one, since an accident will throw everything into a tizzy and it can come out of nowhere. Car accidents are usually reserved for season 6 when you are running out of ideas and need to shake things up, or for every other episode of Grey's Anatomy. But because they're such a cheap trick, you can really only respectably pull it once. But oh no, not with Gossip Girl. This show had the guts to use it as a plot device not once, but twice, and in back to back seasons. And not only that, the second accident was on the anniversary of the first! When you do something that unbelievable and insane it's just awesome, so you go GG. Well played, well played.

As if the car crash wasn't enough ridiculata for one episode, we also got Bart Bass' ghost! [A scientific equation: Car Crash + Ghosts + Chuck Bass = AWESOME] Ghosts never come across right on TV, but since no one had sex with Bart a la Izzie and Denny on Grey's, I'll deal. The scene where Chuck relived his father's death when he went to the hospital to visit Serena was actually moving, and a tear almost [almost] formed in my jaded eye. I like that Chuck and Blair bonding showed that he has grown a soul, but at the same time, I kind of miss me some devious Chuck. Strangely, out of all these kids, Chuck might have become the most mature - and I think its because he grew up fast after Bart's death, so it was a nice contrast to see his moment in the hospital realizing this juxtaposed against Serena's stupidity in landing her there in the first place. Hopefully this means that Serena will give up her immature ways and stripper ensembles soon as well, but only time will tell. And like devious Chuck, I might miss a hot mess Serena to make fun of.

Oh and Chuck might still have mother! Who kind of looks like Dorota! I CAN'T WAIT FOR MARCH!!!11

Sunday, December 6, 2009

The only time anyone associated with GG will be better than anyone associated with MM.

So in the battle of blondes from TV shows I am obsessed with hosting SNL, Blake Lively is the clear winner. Several weeks ago January Jones tried her hand at live television, and man, was it painful. Like, don't even bother looking it up on Hulu. But Blake was surprisingly...good?
I mean, I guess I should have known, Serena can be pretty unintentionally funny most of the time. And in the opening monologue she even made fun of the fact that she is a perpetually inappropriate dresser!! Though come on, that dress she's wearing is actually conservative by Serena's "winter clothes" standards:



Blake was probably also helped by the fact that there was actually mock worthy stuff going on in the world this week, so thanks Tiger Woods!!! [Yeah, sorry Tiger, until someone else fucks up you're going to get made fun of a lot] And of course since Blake is blond she gets to play his wife, just as of course since Keenen Thompson is the only African-American man on SNL he gets to play Tiger:



And I really don't have words for this sketch, except that its funny and even though she's not wearing pants I think Blake might be more covered up than in some of Serena's ensembles:



And I would say this send up of Gossip Girl is pretty good - because obviously if Blake Lively is hosting you need to send up GG - but it is NOTHING, and yes I do mean NOTHING, compared to the supreme brilliance that is Jersey Shore.

So this is satire:



And this is real life. Can you tell the difference?!

This Week's Playlist.

1. Give It Up To Me - Shakira
2. My Melody of Love - Bobby Vinton
3. Stillness is the Move - The Dirty Projectors [Also the Solange cover!]
4. What Would I Want? Sky - Animal Collective
5. Crazy In Love - Beyonce
6. Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
7. Nothing Like You [Hoochie Coo] - BlakRoc
8. Backstreets - Bruce Springsteen
9. Rockferry - Duffy
10. Mixing Up the Medicine - Juelz Santana



december


Okay Imeem: The whole time I was making this playlist, an ad was staring me in the face saying that I could buy Catch and Release on your website for only $4.99, yet there were only like 2 BlakRoc songs posted - and none of them were Nothing Like You [which is the first single!]. Get it together!