An Ode to Zooey Deschanel

Though this is technically a post about music along with a movie review, it is also an ode to Zooey Deschanel in general. She's just so dang cool. You have probably heard her sing before as she has done it in more than one of the movies she has been in (Elf, Yes Man...) but you may not know that she has an album out and tours around and loves singing even more than acting. She made the album with M. Ward, a great singer/songwriter on his own, though his part in this album is mainly producing and co-writing a couple of the songs with Deschanel. As far as singing is concerned you really only hear him doing background on a few of them.

When I bought the album I had no idea what the sound would be- I wasn't really familiar with Ward at that point and all I know was that I loved Zooey's deep, smooth tone and subtle vibrato when I had heard her sing in movies. I should have known better than to expect some trendy, pop type of album when Zooey is an edgy, Indie movie princess. The style is really sort of 50s and is even recorded in a way to make it sound like a vintage recording. You can read more about the inspirations for the music and the recording method here. Its like Patsy Kline/The Ronettes fused together in an Indie Rock way. Listen to a couple of songs and you will understand what I mean. At first I was a little taken aback, but it has really, really grown on me:

I Thought I Saw Your Face Today

I Was Made For You

Why Do You Let Me Stay Here

There are plenty of other reasons I love Zooey as well. For instance, her big sister is actress Emily Deschanel from the Fox television drama Bones, who I also love, and they live together in real life. I am really close to my big sister and we lived together for a while in college and so sisters make me happy:

They are both great actresses. Zooey has the best deadpan comedic timing, and she just can't seem to help being ridiculously adorable and likable in every role. Zooey even, musicals being dear to my heart, was in a TV Disney movie of Once Upon a Mattress a few years ago with Matthew Morrison (more on him in the Fall when Glee starts up on Fox, oh yes):

Also, I love her wardrobe style:

She is the closest thing to a real life Chuck from my beloved Pushing Daisies who's wardrobe is my dream:

I think Zooey would be really fun to hear live- along with her own music she does some fun cover songs:

Dream a Little Dream of Me

Hello Dolly

She's even completely adorable in a Cotton commercial for goodness sake:

July 17th a movie called (500) Days of Summer came out starring Zooey and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who was in that music video with her above). I have been looking forward to this since last February when I couldn't get tickets to it at Sundance and it received so much acclaim. The preview itself clearly states that it isn't going to be your typical love story, so I am going to go into it not expecting them to ride off into the sunset. I am finally going this weekend- I was waiting for brother Bug to come to town to go with me.

So, Zooey, thanks for being funky and charming and unique and exactly what I would suppose somebody named Zooey to be.

Trailer for (500) Days of Summer