I consider myself somewhat of an eclectic music lover; I’ll listen to anything once, even if it’s in a genre I would usually avoid. With music, as in life, I find it’s good practice to give everything a fair shot before jumping to conclusions. So, when I heard about The Panda Band I approached it with an open mind and came out pleasantly surprised. I’m more of a mellow, lyric loving kind of gal, and it was a perfect fit for my regular play list. I bought their album The Vital Chapter which I’ve grown quite fond of, and now have several of their songs, including ‘Lovely Shoulders’, on permanent repeat.

Who wouldn’t love a song that starts off like this:

What somebody sees in you is hard to understand,
You don’t set out to love someone, it’s not something you plan.
But when someone’s sent to love you,
You cherish her like time, my time with you…
She said I got sad eyes and I lean to the left.
Well, I slouch when I sit like some pirate sunken ship.
Such skinny little ankles and bony little hands,
But I got some lovely shoulders and she likes that in a man.

Give it a listen: Lovely Shoulders (MP3)

If you adore it as much as I do, definitely head on over to their MySpace page to listen to more songs and buy the album!

The San Diego Zoo is letting you help name the new panda baby that many have already dubbed Bai Bee. The submissions will be accepted for 10 days; Friday, Oct. 5 through Sunday, Oct. 14. As with anything fun, there are a few rules:

The name must be in Chinese (pinyin).

The name must have an English translation.

The name must be symbolic in meaning.

The name must be delivered in person to the Zoo.

Did you catch that last one? Hand delivered. All of us long distance admirers will just have to find an ingenious way of getting our favorite names submitted. Luckily, after the preliminary names are selected the voting will be open to everyone online.