I know the sun was sort of out today, but I'm still that person right now—that Seattle person having a hard time with the dark and an even harder time with the cold. Hear me whine. How are you? These short days in between holidays are restless and I've been digging around for new, more weather-appropriate music, so I can take a break from the "summery" pop I was Prozac-ing with.

Right on time, I came across this Frankie Cosmos song/video and it absolutely grabbed my guts. It's so sweet and simple; a song about a dog, in a shy, heart-squeezing style reminiscent of Daniel Johnston or Little Wings. Frankie Cosmos (also known as Ingrid Superstar, though her real name is Greta Simone Kline*) was born in 1994, but has made over 30 albums. I haven't made my way through even half of them, but the overall style seems to be K Records-ish, uncomplicated, and personal.

Explore her Bandcamp, but I recommend the album Zentropy from earlier this year. Though less than 20 minutes start to finish, it's full of feelings and addictive melodies; she smartly articulates sadness with a few words and a few notes and lots of space. Frankie Cosmos is perfect for taking your mind off of how freezing the walk to the grocery store is, even thought it's six blocks away. And while the above song is not on this album (it's on 2011's Jared Leto Can't Read), Zentropy does reference Joe Joe the dog, who, by this album, has passed away. If you think those songs couldn't possibly make an adult cry embarassing frozen tears on the way to QFC, you would be wrong.

* She's the daughter of Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates, but I'm okay with it.