The Most Beautiful Music Review in the World

Last night I read a music review. Like the vast majority of American youth (this is a hypothesis, as I've no data to confirm this notion), I am addicted to the internet and read countless blogs. As I'm obsessed with music, I perused the DC Brightest Young Things (a blog dedicated to DC events and nightlife) to read about musicians that have recently come through Washington, DC. One such group is She & Him, to whom I have absolutely no allegiance but decided to read because a member of the group, Zooey Dechanel, intrigues me. I like Zooey Deschanel as an actress. She is beautiful, she's got style, and she always plays the quirky one. In that regard, I think she is beginning to be typecast (or perhaps she typecasts herself) in the role of "I'm so beautiful, I'm so cute, I'm so quirky, I'm so cool, all men want me, and all women want to be me." I am referring in particular to two virtually identical movies where she plays the lead: 500 Days of Summer and Gigantic . Hopefully, she doesn't overdo this persona, because it would be a shame to return to the movies to see the same character played over and over again in a regurgitation of the same movie. (I suppose now would be a good time for some pictures.)


(Yikes. Yes Man.)


Still, despite the fact that she is obviously a very attractive individual and an entertaining actress, I have little desire to listen to her chirp away to saccharin-sweet melodies, which is what I imagine her songs to be. (Honestly, I've tried, but I don't think I could listen to her singing voice for twelve songs in a row--I'm sorry: I know that this is kind of mean, but it's true.)

As little of an Z.D.-as-musician as I am, I am still curious as to how she fares as part of a duo. I am also curious as to how She & Him were received by the DC public (and I admit, I am curious about what she wore.) Just as I'd imagined, the reviewer was not impressed by the band so much. However, after I read the review, I no longer cared about Zooey, or what she wore while she bounced around the stage. I was more intrigued than ever by the author of the breathtakingly-written review. The language that the reviewer used absolutely boggled my mind, and I must say, I wish I could use language in that manner. I must raise my glass to Phillip Runco. Here's my favorite part of the review, which I've graciously stolen from BYT.com:

But it’s still valid to wonder how much She & Him is merely a well-executed genre exercise, and in light of that, how much we want to encourage such straight faced revivalism. Her taste is admirable and her aim is true, but her unwillingness to push beyond the most basic conventions of her influences places a clear ceiling on what she is able to achieve, and ultimately undermines our ability to connect with her beyond a shared appreciation of things past.

Did you read that? It's pure poetry. He says exactly what is stuck in my head but will never fashion itself into words. Whatever, Zooey Dechanel. You're pretty. You have a mediocre band. But can you formulate a sentence like Phillip Runco?

From this moment, I will pay tribute to Phillip Runco. I am now his most devoted fan. I just wish I could post pictures of him dressed to the nines in a blue diamond encrusted dress.