Listening to: Phantom Planet
Right now I'm writing two stories while I listen to Phantom Planet's 2002 album The Guest.
I had forgotten how much I love this album -- and this band -- largely because I knew this really annoying hipster kid who used to play the single "California" on a loop all day and night when I was in college. Put me off it for a while.
Even if you're not a fan you do probably know the single, which was featured in the movie Orange County, which was featured in the Jack Black movie Orange County and became the theme for Fox's The O.C.
I'm not going to disparage the song by saying it's the worst thing on the album and you should really disregard it and listen to all the stuff you haven't heard. It's not, and I defy you not to get it stuck in your head. Good little tune, and I don't care where they've used it.
But there are a lot of other unapologetic power pop gems here, too -- "Always on My Mind," "Hey Now Girl" and "Nobody's Fault" to name just a few. I am a complete sucker for some great American power pop of the Big Star/Replacements/Posies/Gin Blossoms variety.
The band's drummer and one of its principal songwriters is actor Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited) -- which just leads me to conclude that they're definitely not handing out the talent equally on this planet.