Dear Summer '08,

If you dare to suck as much as my past three summers have, I know two ladies who are going to karate your junk until you change your ways.

...OK that probably won't happen, but that is what I tell myself when I listen to their music and so far nothing sketchy or awful has happened. You know that my past three summers were about as fun as a black widow laying eggs in your ear and I am counting on you to be the opposite. You, Summer '08, will set a new & positive precedence while erasing the painful memories from your predecessors.

Remember this?

Summer '05 - I discover I cannot obtain my dream job at Killer Films after a six month internship. I am practically living in a house with the cast of MTV's Miss Seventeen, have no life and almost have a nervous breakdown from my insane work schedule.

Summer '06 - My ex immediately moves in with someone directly upstairs from me and I get to enjoy that swell tidbit of knowledge for 60 days straight.

Summer '07 - I am walking down a street in Bushwick and a piece of glass flips up and gashes my ankle open, permanently scarring me.

Ah, but Summer '08! You will be different! I feel it in the air. You already began on a good note with my trip to LA for the MTV Movie Awards.

And now you have what the others did not - two amazing musical ladies to encourage your ruling of me in ways that cause me to rock and to roll. Emboldened by their powers, you will take me on madcap adventures and (hopefully) direct me to even more amazing new artists, designers and all around fab creative types who will last me long after you have slipped away.

Let's meet them:

Santi White

- image from videology's Flickr

I confess. I am completely enamored with Santi White and her album Santogold. We did some coverage on her in January and since then her music has grown on me like a great new pair of jeans. You know the type - the kind that are awesome straight out of the bag but just keep getting better with each wash. Like a second skin.

 

I cannot wait to see her live at SummerStage on July 20th. Here is a video from her previous punk band, Stiffed.

I've already shared my thoughts on Janelle Monae.

- image from chadjwilson's Flickr

 

You can download the Metropolis Suite I of IV EP here but when is the new album actually hitting stores??? I actually want to pay $$ for it.

Maybe it will be available when Janelle Monae performs at Afro-Punk on July 5th.

Yes! This year's Afro-Punk festival is going to be sick. Basically, Summer, all you have to do is stop with the crazy weather and everything should be fine.

Please. I deserve this.

Well Summer, here's hoping you stick to the plan of not crushing my spirit so that I don't have to put the hurt on you. <3

Daniela