High Fidelity-WGTB

Grindin

2010-06-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

Well here it is folks, summer 2010. Actually was enjoying a relaxing few weeks at home, but I am back in DC now, so I figured I would come with my summer play list up to this point.

1) WEST COAST PUNK
-Been on a SERIOUS cali kick recently for some reason. 2 albums I have been continually spinning are Pennywise- Full Circle and Bad Religion- Against the Grain. These two albums are great summer time listening with plenty of sing alongs. They remind me of skateboarding, jumping off tall things into water, and everything else I love doing in summer. Also shout outs to Rancid- And Out Come the Wolves. One of my all time favorite albums, especially good in the summer.

2) HIP-HOP
- Gotta say I have been a little underwhelmed by the rap game so far this summer. Major releases from Drake and Eminem. Drake record is okay, definitely some big radio play hits, but only so much I can take of his fake robot singing voice. The Em record I respect, not gonna front like I am a big Em fan, but I'm sure for "those people" it's a classic. New mixtapes from Rick Ross and T.I. are also pretty good, but I am still waiting for a banger. Listen to Roc Marciano in the mean time.

3) INDIE SHIT
- I'd say I've been spinning some weird college radio nerd shit recently, but there are a few indie bands I like. My top three picks would have to be 1) The XX 2) Best Coast and 3) Beach House. All put out cool albums in the last couple months, though not the best summer listening. I have also been jamming Lemuria, which is a pretty cool girl fronted band that just signed with Bridge 9? WTF? Also been checking out the new Walter Schreifels record, An Open Letter to the Scene, which features some cool acoustic covers of hardcore songs, from bands such as Agnostic Front and Civ. Keep an eye out for a new LP from Wilkes-Barre's own Gypsy in the next few months. Will be wild!

4) HOSTAGE CALM
- Wasn't sure if I should put this band in indie or punk so I gave them their own category. I discovered Hostage Calm about 3 months ago, when I first heard a track from their upcoming S/T record on Run For Cover records. Literally doing some of the coolest shit right now musically, and I am really stoked to hear their LP when it comes out in July. Their first LP sounds like Dag Nasty, a DC band that seems to get no love any more, and their new record sounds just wild and unique. I love seeing a band step outside what's currently "cool" and just come up with something out of the blue. Big ups to the song "Ballots/Stones", which you can check out at myspace.com/hostagecalmct

4) PUNK/HARDCORE
- Summer is the best for punk and hardcore. Definitely some cool releases that have been coming out. Some of my friends in Dead End Path put out a very heavy 7", entitled Death Walks Beside Us, on Triple B records, heavily influenced by Death Threat, All Out War, and Alice in Chains. Also a new record on that label from Richmond's Fire & Ice that is awesome. Sounds even more like the Icemen, Burn, Dynamo, etc. all the best NYHC that your average norman coreman ignores these days.
Show wise, his year's annual This is Hardcore festival is coming STRONG with one of the best fest lineups in recent memory. Features classic NYHC such as the Mags and SHEER TERROR, who haven't played a show in a couple years at least. Fest is also rounding up with three back-to-back sets from no doubt the 3 MOST IMPORTANT hardcore bands ever to come out of Philly, Blacklisted, Kid Dynamite, and Ink & Dagger. Definitely will be a great weekend, looking forward to it majorly.
Other notable shows will the 4th of July BANGER in Richmond. Down to Nothing's set will sure to be wild, hope I can make it out. Also looking forward to seeing Underdog with Cold World at the Jersey Shore in a few weeks. Those two together is always a great combo, and this show has my pick for best show of the summer.

Anyway, hope everyone is having a good summer, and check in for more updates soon, as I am planning on having a radio show starting this week!

Thoughts on LOST

2010-05-23T23:01:00.000-07:00

Well, it is with great displeasure that I am writing this article tonight, in the wake of the series finale of Lost, the show that has captivated the hearts and minds of America, including myself, for the past 7 years. I can't think of any show in my lifetime, or in the past, that has generated the amount of buzz and hype as Lost, as people across the world were hooked by its cliffhanger mysteries and complex plot lines. As someone who has watched Lost from basically Season 1, whereas most have gotten in the game late via hulu, dvd's, etc., the show has become such a regular part of my life that it's kind of weird to think I won't be watching it anymore.

So- some thoughts on the final episode. First off, I think it was cool how the final episode reunited everyone. I think it was great how the little "reconnection" scenes allowed us to remember the depth and storied past of many of the relationships, just as much of the last season has been about reminding us why we all loved Lost in the first place. Another thing I liked about this episode was that it really refocused the show on Jack. To me, Jack has always been THE main character, and it was kind of a bummer to me that they moved away from his story, but in the end, I believe they returned to the saga of the island as Jack's struggle. And in a sense, Jack's struggle embodies the struggles of many of us. By the final episode he is a broken man, having lost family, love, struggled with addiction, faith, and purpose, but in the end he follows his heart, and finds happiness, though, ultimately only through sacrificing his life. I was happy to see Jack finally end up with Kate. I just wish the ending was a little more clear cut (was the flash sideways reality, purgatory, etc?).

In the end, I think the reason Lost has been so successful is that it addresses those questions that we all must ask ourselves at some point. Why are we here? What is our purpose? Lost takes aim at these deep unanswerable and nagging questions. Ultimately, the central theme of Lost seems to be destiny. Every man is destined for greatness, though many, like Season 1-5/6 Jack, try to ignore their true calling until it's too late.

Overall, I have to say Lost is one of my favorite shows of all time. Both it's entertainment value as a mystery and drama, combined with its deeper philosophical messages, though at times heavy-handed, make it one of the most poignant shows of all time. In a world where many shows are content to stick to the family sitcom, Lost breaks out of the TV shell and dares to shake us up a little. It challenges us to look deeper, ask questions, and to find our own island in life.

Yes Y'all and You Don't Stop

2010-05-08T18:34:00.001-07:00

Ah, yes. I'm coming straight at you from floor 1 of Lauinger Library, straight procrastinating finals style. We've reached that time of year again, the temperature is up and the #BEBZ are out, kid. Break out your purple label shit (logo secret) and let's get a look at what's popping off for SUMMER 2010: Part 1.

1) DIPSET DIPSET

Yup, just in time for summer, one of my favorite rap crews of all time, DipSet has finally reunited. Cam'Ron and Jim Jones squashed their 4-5 year beef. Reminds me of summer 2005, listening to Purple Haze and watching Fade To Black on the way to the Bahamas. 2000-2005 was the golden era of Roc-a-Fella, with the label just DOMINATING the rap game. They had Jay-Z, Kanye, Dip Set, Freeway, State Prop, etc etc. Literally ALL the best rap albums of the 00's came out on Roc-a-Fella, and this was a great time to be a rap fan. Hope this little reunion can spark some unity and bring HOV back to the crew after that nasty Def-Jam beef.

2) New Jams

For me it's too hard to pick just one album I'm stoked for this summer, so I will just name a few. On one side of shit we got the Tigers Jaw/Balance & Composure split LP, as well as the new Tigers Jaw LP. These are both two dope PA bands that have just gotten better with each release, so you know I'm psyched to see them team up. Also excited to see what Tigers Jaw has up their sleeve for this new LP, since literally they have impressed me more and more with each release. Also coming off Run for Cover Records is a newer band called Hostage Calm. Never really heard of them until I downloaded the RfC spring sampler and hear their new song, Jerry Rumspringer. DAMN it's a post-hardcore-poppy banger, and, after checking out their last LP, Lense, I will be sure to cop their new LP, also due out in the next few weeks.

In the rap game, there are a few things I am excited for. One is kind of a guilty pleasure, and that's the new Rick Ross LP, Teflon Don. His last album is literally the perfect summer-time pool party banger marathon, and I can only hope this new record matches up. With rhymes about ripping Miami on yachts, this album is sure to make the sound track for your summer party of choice, whether it be east coast style BBQ or west coast style gangster rap pool party shit. Also excited to hear new shit from Jay Electronica, as well as FREEWAY - again bringin the ROC and Philly back. Guilty Pleasure of the month: B.o.B.- Airplanes. Sure I kind of hate everything about this dude, but yall know I got a thing for Hayley Paramore and she sings the hook for this, which works really well for a rap song. I'm sure this song will be all over the place in the next 2-3 months.

and finally brrrrr....

3) Iced Coffee
Yea, weird, I know. BUT I have never really been a coffee fan before this round of finals. Drank it a few times in Italy just cause they have the illest coffee game, but something about hot drinks that I just can't get into. ICED coffee, however, is actually pretty good. Guess it's time to get my grown ass man game on. Can't drink a tea I'm 20+ gimme me a iced coffee and a LOLO button up!

Part 2 Coming Soon....

XXL Mag's 2010 Freshmen

2010-03-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

Honestly, I haven't head much from these guys besides J. Cole and Wiz Khalifa. Some of these guys are absolute jokes though. OJ Da Juiceman, really?

Anyways, here it is from XXL:

The new breed of hustlers includes: Roc Nation’s first signee J. Cole, gangsta rap up-and-comer Nipsey Hu$$le, newly-minted Asylum lyricist Pill, 1017 Brick Squad member OJ Da Juiceman, indie-sensation Wiz Khalifa, G.O.O.D. Music’s own Big Sean, underground favorite Fashawn, Gary, Indiana rep Freddie Gibbs, West Coast phenom Jay Rock and the latest addition to the Atlantic roster, Donnis.

Also, next Monday, the 8th, XXL is posting its 2010 Frehsmen mixtape, which features a new track from each of these guys. And it's free.

Don't Call It a Comeback: What's Hot

2010-02-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

Does anyone still read this? I doubt it, but in case...I am bored and figured I would write a new update. Anyway, obviously High Fidelity is not on the air this semester, but if you need something else to do you can tune in to my other show YAB (Thursdays 11AM-12).

So, haven't done this in a while, so I figured I will review some new ill shit.

#1) Un Prophète
This is a pretty dope movie, I've got to see. Seeing in how it is a French gangster flick, up for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, I can't help but draw comparisons to last year's Gomorrah. The movie is essentially the story of an Albanian Muslim dude who is thrown in a French prison, where he definitely does not belong. He is quickly thrown into some tough situations with the Corsican (pseudo-Italian) mafia, but is always torn between them and the other Muslims in the prison. This is an awesome modern European crime flick, but it was also cool to me because it touched a lot on the whole Muslim-European divide, as well as the European prison system, which is WILDLY different than our own. Must watch for any gangster/mafia movie fan. 8/10

2) Jay Electronica
Seems like most new rap shit I hear getting hyped is some weird electro-abstract Cudi clone BS, so I was pleasantly surprised when I listened to Jay Electronica's Victory. This is a pretty talked about mixtape, as Jay is a former producer of a lot of big names. Anyway, what you get are some pretty cool beats mixed with Jay's smart flow. There are a lot of cool samples, and it strikes me as just an all around creative mix tape. Look out for his LP to drop this spring. 7.5/10

3) Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan, the guy who has pretty much carried US soccer on his back for the past 5-10 years, is finally get a break. Donovan signed with English side Everton in January, and since then has been doing big things for the club, with 1 goal and 2 assists in only 7 games. I am glad to see an American finally getting a chance in England, and actually playing up to his potential. Best case scenario: Donovan ends the season hot with Everton going into the world cup this summer. Don't tread on me! 10/10

Mike Mictlan & Lazerbeak - Prizefight

2009-12-10T04:32:00.000-08:00

Holy shit. That is all.

BRRRR

2009-12-06T16:16:00.000-08:00

This new Gucci record has got some of the illest tracks I have heard in a while. Just a shame that when Gucci is finally blowing up, he lands himself in jail (again). As if October's mixtape trio of The Cold War: BrrrrRussia, Great Brrritain, and Gucciamerica weren't enough, this LP is definitely a standout. Beats + Rhymes are on point, and I would like to point out some great collab choices by Gucci. Most rap albums I listen today are littered with meaningless collabs, obviously intended solely to inspire radio play. Gucci picks his crew wisely though, and I like the idea of having Baby and Wayne guesting on the same track. Also Usher making an appearance? not sure if I am into it but the track is pretty fiery. Shout out to Mike Epps! 8/10

Ghostdini

2009-11-13T09:19:00.001-08:00

Speaking of Ghostface's new album, I don't know who thought this song was a good idea, but "Stapleton Sex" is THE most dirty song I have ever heard in my 20+ years of life. It would make Luke from 2 Live Crew blush. It's so inappropriate that I'm not even embedding it here, I'm just going to link it: dirtyness here.

For once Tipper Gore may have been correct in thinking Parental Advisory stickers were necessary.

Playlisted

2009-11-08T16:11:00.000-08:00

Well, haven't updated in a minute, so I figured I would update about what I've been getting into.
1) TRAVEL: Barcelona
Gotta admit, I did not know much about Barcelona at all before I got there, aside from the few things I had seen or read in skateboarding videos and magazines about how wild the spots were there, and how cops just didn't care. Well, I've got to say, I was pretty surprised. To me it felt like Southern California x the Lower East Side x Miami Beach, so pretty wild shit. People don't eat dinner until well past midnight, and even though I had to walk across the entire city, it was a blast. Would (and will) visit again.

2) SPORTS: Arsenal
Obviously, the Phillies are a priority, though being 5000 miles away, and them losing to the NY Roidees (ARod has a portrait of himself as a centaur), I had to turn to my European team: Arsenal. Obviously I can follow them online and catch the occasional game on TV at home in the States, but actually going to a match at Emirates Stadium was unreal. Fans singing and standing the whole game, riots, hooligans, etc etc. Anyway, they are climbing the tables, Chelsea can suck one.

3) MOVIES: Paranormal Activity
Heard a lot of hype about this movie from friends at home, but didn't really know what it was about. I decided to hold a screening, and was not disappointed. OK, the whole hand-held mocumentary gimmick was a bit much, but I thought it was cool and better than 99% of horror movies I have seen in the past few years (I'm reserving that 1% for Saw VI, which I plan on watching this week). The ending was wild, and it was a great Halloween time flick.

4) MUSIC: Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City
Weird album title, but when has Ghostface ever not been? This eighth major studio release from Wu-Tang Veteran Ghostface Killah, in my opinion, is a breath of fresh air. Sure, I like Wu as much as the next guy, but I like the way Ghost switches his shit up on this record, mixing his trademark complex/abstract flow with a more R&B sound. Slept on this for the first few weeks it was out, but I am feeling it now.

Xaphoon Jones

2009-10-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted much on this blog since coming to London, but seeing as I have a presentation due Wednesday and about 300 pages of reading before that, I think now is a good time to post.
I just picked up some crazy mash-ups from Xaphoon Jones from Chiddy Bang. Until about 5 minutes ago, I had no idea who he was, but then I checked my friend's twitter and it linked me to Hype Machine. At the same time, go and check out Chiddy Bang and download their tracks for free on their site.
Check out more on Xaphoon Jones here, best mash-up ever. Kanye+Lupe+Radiohead and Clipse+Led Zeppelin. And if you enjoyed that, pick up the entire mixtape at Pretty Much Amazing...

We knew Xaphoon Jones first as the producer and the sampling mastermind behind the quickly rising Chiddy Bang. Chiddy Bang owe most of the publicity they get to the tight, slick samples this guy has crafted for them. Like a musical pickpocket, Xaphoon Jones showed us that he has an ear for contemporary music and making it work in unconventional environments. With his debut eponymous mixtape, Xaphoon pushes passed the boundaries we thought he had and dips into soulful Motown favorites, East Coast Rap, and Reggae.

The Xaphoon Jones Mixtape Vol. 1 introduces us to a very young, very talented producer full of promise, if not power. Pretty Much Amazing is proud to present this mixtape for your consumption. Download it, put it on your iPod, burn it onto a CD, play it at a party, send it to your friends.

Tracklist
1. Intro: Fnish The Quartet
2. You Need (Clipse, Led Zeppelin)
3. Darwin Deez – Bad Day (Xaphoon Jones Remix)
4. Testify (Radiohead, Kanye West)
5. Chiddy Bang – Pro’s Freestyle 1.0 (Xaphoon Jones Remix)
6. The Answering Machine
7. Stuntin’ Like Atari (Theodore Grams, Lil Wayne)
8. Chiddy Bang – Fresh Like Us (Xaphoon Jones Remix feat. Theordore Grams)
9. Marvin Gaye – Heart It Through The Grapevine (Xaphoon Jones Remix)
10. Theodore Grams – Another Day
11. Swimming In The Sky (Passion Pit, B.I.G., Beyonce)
12. Theo’s Apple Juice Break
13. I Wanna Know Now (Bob Marley, MGMT)
14. Darwin Deez – Radar Detectr (Xaphoon Jones Remix)
15. Marva Whitney – Unwind Yourself: The Interlude
16. Money
17. Bmore SoulClash Mini-Mix
18. The Bay Vs. Diz (Strings Mix)
19. The End

Fall 09: New Music Review

2009-09-22T09:20:00.000-07:00

Well the fall season is fully upon us as today is the first day of autumn. Over the past 3-4 weeks a huge number of albums have been coming out, here are a few I've chosen to review:

1) Jay-Z "The Blueprint 3"

Jay-Z has consistently dominated the rap game since his first record. Granted he's had a few clunkers (kingdom come anyone?) but for the most part he's a legend. The Blueprint 3 was much hyped as 2009's "Black Album", but I would have to say it's not on the same level. There are some classic fiery Jigga tracks (Empire State of Mind, DOA, Run this Town, etc etc) but there are also a few throwaway tracks (Venus vs Mars, etc.). Overall an improvement for Jigga, and a good way to end the blueprint trilogy. 7.5/10

2) Kid Cudi "Man on the Moon"

Admittedly, I am not a big fan of Kid Cudi, so you should know this going in. Anyway, I had heard mixed reviews about this album so I decided to give it a spin. Was a little surprised about how "out of the box" this record sounds. Definitely not your typical radio rap album, it's filled with electro-spacey beats and personal lyrics. OK, so Cudi can come creative, but to me this is just sounds second rate tracks that couldn't make it on 808's and Heartbreaks (which is dogshit to begin with). Guest spots by MGMT and and Ratatat will make this a sure hit with weirdo college electro-indie nerds. 5/10

3) Raekwon "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II"

Oh wow, finally, this month, we have the long awaited sequel to Raekwon's 1995 masterpiece "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx". Fourteen years seems like a longtime to wait, but this record is solid all around. Classic minimal Wu beats with Raekwon's trademark complex flow make this a must listen for any self-respecting Wu-Tang fan. My favorite song might actually be the unreleased track that comes with the album, "The Badlands" featuring ill verse from the likes of Ghostface. Modern classic. 8/10

4) Paramore "Brand New Eyes"

Paramore has long been a guilty pleasure of mine, so you know I downloaded their new LP follow up to 2007's "Riot!". Sure enough, this record brings that same pop-punky sound coupled with Hayley Williams' clear-as-a-bell voice to make some real alterna-teen bangers. This record has a few more mid-tempo tracks than I would prefer, but these tracks are definitely well written. When the band does kick it up, it's well worth the wait. 7/10

5) Alice in Chains "Black Gives Way to Blue"

Nineties grunge masters AiC return after a long hiatus, mostly caused by the death of frontman Lane Staley. Luckily, they found a replacement who could fill the large shoes of Lane. BGWtB could easily have been recorded in 1996, as the band mixed heavy wah drenched guitar riffs with haunting vocal melodies. This record is sure to turn the heads of even the AiC purists who doubted the new vocalist. 7.5/10

6) Maximum Penalty "Life & Times"

NYHC OG's Max Pen are dropping their first release in a while with "Life & Times", and, I've got to say, it's pretty impressive. In a world where most old school hardcore bands can't seem to recapture the magic of the 80's and 90's, Maximum Penalty are doing a pretty good job. Not only do they discover their old "Easy Side Story" writing style, but expand upon it into a modern hardcore classic. 8.5/10

Matt's Picks- Best of Summer 2009

2009-09-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

So my summer is pretty must over at this point (wah) but I thought I pick a few highlights of my four month vacation. All in all pretty productive few months, visited the South, worked in Europe, chilled on the West Coast, now back in Europe for a while. Here are the highlights:

Best Albums of Summer 2009 (in no order)

1) Trapped Under Ice- Secrets of the World
Baltimore natives and current pit-masters really set it off this summer with their LP follow up to 2008's Stay Cold. The new TUI is one of the hardest records I can remember coming out, and the LP proves that these guys can write new material but still keep it interesting. They toured with Terror, Madball, etc. on the 10 for 10 tour this summer, and I'm sure they will be touring for the rest of the fall too. If you are a fan of heavier music, this album is a must listen.

2) Title Fight- The Last Thing You Forget
This three song EP is a great follow up to 2007's Kingston, showcasing the maturing Title Fight's mastery of blending pop punk with 90's emo and melodic sounds. From slow pensive instrumentals (the B-Side) to innovative vocal melodies and trademark tempo changes, I'm sure this EP swill serve as a warm up for what is sure to be a great LP in 2010.

Best Summer Blockbuster:

Inglorious Basterds
When I heard about Tarantino's new flick, I wrote it off as another rehash of some obscure exploitation film, but once I started to see a few trailers, it definitely sparked my interest. World War II movies are some of my favorites, and the fact that he had assumed the guise of a spaghetti western director for this one definitely added an interesting spin. After the seeing the film, I can definitely say it's Tarantino's finest work to date. Sure, the midnight premier theater was filled with pseudo-film buff nerdsters know-it-alls (average Tarantino fans), but that didn't ruin it for me. Blending elements of spaghetti western and classic film noir, Tarantino managed to produce not only his most entertaining film, but also the most visually pleasing. For my money, my favorite scene, showcasing the director at his best, was the rendezvous at the pub. It was a classic Tarantino roundtable dialogue, but this time there was a surmounting tension, and the feeling that anything could happen at any time. Finally after a 20 minute set up scene of pure dialogue (in subtitles!) Tranatino hits the irony button and shows a less than 5 second shootout. Classic! The giant face in the smoke at the end too was also very ill.

Best Show of 2009:
Cold World-> Floorpunch @ This Is Hardcore Festival (August 15)

Although I saw many great sets this summer, my personal favorite would have to be the back to back Cold World set into the Floorpunch set at This is Hardcore in Philadelphia. Despite the insane heat, Cold World put on probably the best set I have seen them play (at least in the last 3-4 years). The sold out crowd was going nuts, constant dives and sing alongs, overall just a great atmosphere, people just going off for fun, which is tough to find at most shows these days. After Cold World played to an insane reaction, I was going to take it easy and watch Floorpunch from the back, having already seen the first 2 of their 3 reunion shows this summer. Of course though, they had to go and open with Jeff Perlin actually dueting Breakdown songs (All I Ask + Safe in a Crowd), and people just lost it. The rest of their set was awesome, also got a great reaction with plenty of pit action. Best back to back sets of the summer, hands down.

Honorable Mentions for Summer 2009 "Best Of":
1. Arnold Palmer Lite tall cans
2. Title Fight Secret Show
3. Breakfast Burritos @ Beach Liquor in Carpinteria, CA
4. Paul Blart: Mall Cop on Blu-Ray

EDIT: Just listened to the Blueprint 3. Fuck the haters, shit's fire.
Key tracks: Empire State of Mind, Run this Town, Off That, So Ambitious

Beastie Boys News

2009-07-20T15:21:00.001-07:00

Today, famous Beastie Boys MC, Adam Yauch has revealed that he has been diagnosed with a small form of cancer in his Parotid gland. Fortunately, however, the cancer is very treatable, and will only delay the Beasties' much anticipated upcoming album, Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 1, a few weeks. Below is the official announcement from 2/4 Beasties.

In more positive news, however, the Beastie Boys have released an unexpected collaboration project with fellow NYC rap legend, Nas, called, "Too Many Rappers". They debuted this project at Bonaroo, and this track is the first single from new Beastie Boys album, released later this fall after Adam Yauch's cancer treatment. It's a fuzzed out spacey drum loop, reminiscent of "Intergalactic", featuring classic Beastie verses plus a twist surprise verse from Nas. Definitely interesting stuff here, can't wait to see what else the Beasties have up their sleeve for the new record. Peep the track at the link below:

"Too Many Rappers"

Street Sweeper Social Club - 100 Little Curses

2009-07-02T13:52:00.001-07:00

It's everyone's favorite radical rap-rock supergroup! Street Sweeper Social Club has made a video for their first single, "100 Little Curses." It features Breckin Meyer from Garfield, Road Trip, and Rat Race fame, as well as Drea de Matteo from The Sopranos, Sons of Anarchy, and soon Desperate Housewives.

And it includes Tom Morello going buckwild on a guitar, as well as Boots Riley's awesome fro and sideburns. I wonder who the other two guys in the band are.

Paramore New Shit

2009-06-27T10:58:00.000-07:00

Oh snap, it looks like everyone's favorite female-led pop-punk band is back at it. They've just announced that their third studio LP will be titled Brand New Eyes and will come out September 29th. It will come out on Fueled by Ramen, the same label they've been signed to since the beginning. Rob Cavallo will be the producer on this album. And for anyone who actually regularly reads this blog, you may recognize that name as the man who produced every Green Day until the latest piece of trash. But at the same time, he's produced Paris Hilton's album, Avril Lavigne, David Cook, and so on. But Paramore's last single, "Decode" off the Twilight soundtrack was Paramore's first work with Cavallo. If the album sounds like that, all should be good.

Paramore has also stated that the first single off Brand New Eyes will be "Ignorance," which will be available on iTunes and Amazon and other digital retailers July 7th. That's also the same day you can begin pre-ordering the album on Paramore's site.

Track listing:

"Careful"
"Ignorance"
"Playing God"
"Brick by Boring Brick"
"Turn It Off"
"The Only Exception"
"Feeling Sorry"
"Looking Up"
"Where the Lines Overlap"
"Misguided Ghosts"
"All I Wanted"

Clipse Kinda Like a Big Deal Video

2009-06-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

The return of the hardest rappers alive.

Clipse has released their latest video, for their single "Kinda Like a Big Deal." The track and video features Kanye West, which is unfortunate, but whatever. The video is a generic hip-hop video, honestly, nothing special, but because it's Clipse, it warrants a post.
The new album from Clipse, Till the Casket Drops, drops September 8th. Unlike their past two (three, really), this album isn't produced solely by The Neptunes. Instead, Clipse is following in the steps of Lil' Wayne by having the game's biggest and best producers on the album. Everyone from Swizz Beatz to Timbaland to Kanye to Rick Rubin have a hand in the production.

Read more at RollingStone.com.

HBO's The Pacific

2009-06-22T22:04:00.001-07:00

It is my firm believe that the greatest thing ever put to film is the ten-part miniseries Band of Brothers. Produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, who also gave us Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers told the story of Easy Company of the 2nd Infantry of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment during World War II.
Now, we have the trailer to the not-really-a-sequel, The Pacific. While Band of Brothers focused on the Army's role in Europe, The Pacific deals with the Marines in the Pacific, duh. Also, most of the filming took place in Australia. It's said that the entire project created 4000 jobs in Australia and generated nearly AUD$180 million for the Australian economy. With a budget of $150 million, it's the most expensive series ever filmed in Australia. The Pacific is adapted from two memoirs: With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge and Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie. These memoirs include the battles at Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, Okinawa, and Iwa Jima, so it's very likely these will appear in the miniseries.

Look for it on HBO in the US March 2010.

Fuck the Bureau, I'd Rather Be Spending Euros

2009-06-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

My List of what's "big" in Italy right now:

1) Partying:
The summer has arrived here in Rome, which means that all types of tools are roaming the streets in search of a party. Luckily, my neighborhood is home to Rome's finest night spots, so I get to see the cream of the crop. For instance, say you are raging at the river banks club, La Maison, with Fat Joe, when you feel the urge to take a dip. Well you're in luck because this club has not only one but two swimming pools for you to swim in, suspended safely above the revolting waters of the Tiber. No joke here, this pic is from my own cell phone.

2) Weird Hideous Velcro Designer Shoes
Don't really get the "look" behind this one. Somewhere between a nun's orthopedic and a weird spaceman slipper, I'll let the Euros rock this one, too bad their Air Max's cost $300.

3) Dime Piece Models

Italy has a rep for its young fillys, and this is NO JIVE

New Album Releases

2009-06-20T09:44:00.001-07:00

In the past few weeks, a lot of new albums have come out from a wide range of artists.

dredg - The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion
First, one of my favorite local bands independently released their fourth album. Dredg comes from Los Gatos, CA and until recently was signed to Universal and Interscope. However, they were dropped from their label and decided to release their new album, The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion on their own Ohlone Label. Like their other albums, this album is inspired by high-brow art. While El Cielo is inspired by Dali's Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening, The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion is inspired by Salman Rushdie's essay "A Letter to the Six Billionth Citizen." Additionally, bassist Drew Roulette describes the album as "a rock and roll record, filled with experimental journeys and eccentric jousts." Yeah, that sounds like dredg. Anyways, it's a damn good album, so I recommend you all go check it out.

Street Sweeper Social Club - Street Sweeper Social Club
Surely, the biggest album to come out recently was Street Sweeper Social Club's debut, self-titled effort. And it is an absolute banger, as if there was any doubt. Tom Morello and Boots Riley, 'nuff said. It's nice to hear Morello's riffs against some angry leftist, revolutionary lyrics again. And might I say that Boots Riley is a much more angry and Marxist individual than Zach de la Rocha. Morello says of the album, "Revolutionary party jams. It's got huge steamroller riffs combined with depth, charge, funk, while Boots unloads clip after clip of incendiary rhymes rich with satire and venom." Boots Riley adds, "This is a time when the working class is being fleeced left and right. More families will be homeless and more people will be jobless. They'll need something to listen to on their iPod's while storming Wall Street."

Now if only someone can make a SSSC/One Day as a Lion mashup. It's half of Rage, the best half at that. They could call it One Day as a Street Sweeper. I came up with that myself, but you can use it.

Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
The third album from the Leicester-based quintet is titled West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum. Guitarist Sergio Pizzorno has called the 52-minute album to "the soundtrack to an imaginary movie." Also, Rosario Dawson appears on track 7 "West Ryder/Silver Bullet." Apparently, West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum was a loony bin in England nears Leeds in the 19th century. And that's where the title comes from. I just wish they used the album cover from the "Vlad the Imaler" single:

Mos Def - The Ecstatic
This is the fourth solo album from Brooklyn-based rapper Mos Def. The title likely refers to the ecstasy that Obama induced in America. The first single off the album, "Life in Marvelous Times," is an Obama track. Anyways, Mos Def has been called the best lyricist alive. Esquire magazine has this to say about Mos Def and his second single, "Quiet Dog Bite Hard," "Because there is no better lyricist (or deliverer of lyrics) in music. Not hip-hop. Music." So, yeah. Well, the production is incredible, but what do you expect from J Dilla, Madlib, Oh No, and Chad Hugo. Somehow, with so many different producers, each track still sounds uniquely Mos Def. Given Mos Def is one of those crazy black guys with conspiracy theories about the government, his lyrics are incredible and his album is solid.

Other albums this week include Wale's new mixtape Back to the Feature, Incubus' greatest hits/b-sides compilation Monuments and Melodies.

Flyer Than the Rest of Them

2009-06-19T14:42:00.001-07:00

Finally...delayed a couple months, Wale's new mixtape is finally coming out today. You can pick Back to the Feature up, probably around 7 PM Eastern at WaleMusic .com.

Ah, free music, it's better when it's legal.

Scorsese Returns: Shutter Island

2009-06-13T23:18:00.000-07:00

This October my favorite director, Martin Scorsese, will return with his first major feature length drama since 2006's The Departed. Shutter Island is a suspenseful mystery, which follows the journey of a young detective investigating the disappearance of a patient at an island prison for the criminally insane. The slick 1950's art-deco-y look of the movie is right up my alley, and the proven chemistry between Scorsese and lead actor Leo DiCaprio is sure to make for must see cinema. Marty hasn't really delved into the suspense/mystery genre since his remake of Cape Fear, which is actually one of my favorite Scorsese movies. So naturally, when I first heard about Shutter Island, I was pretty excited. Just today, however, I saw the trailer, and I have to say it looks awesome. Combine Scorsese's incendiary vision and DiCaprio's skill as a cop in a mysterious 1950's setting, and I think you have a pretty unbeatable setup. Anyway, the movie looks unreal, a must see (hopefully they will have it Europe somewhere in October), so be sure to check it out. Until then you can see the trailer here.

Also: keep an eye open for some new updates chronicling my life as I begin my summer job as a Vatican City tour guide LOL

Wale - Chillin

2009-06-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

Wale (The King of the DMV) still hasn't put out that new mixtape with 9th Wonder. He claims it will come out next week, but that's when his LP is supposed to drop as well. My guess is that the mixtape comes out sometime next week, but the LP won't come out until next month. At this point, Wale is just taking his sweet time with releasing new music. But he did have time to make a video for his latest single "Chillin." The track and video feature Lady Gaga, who still confuses me. I don't know if she's hot, and this video does nothing to help me decide. It's those weird bangs she has. But apart from Lady Gaga, there are a lot of DC cameos, including Ben's Chili Bowl, Universal Madness, Slim Charles, Bun B, and Young Chris. Wale also hit up Bodega, the shoe store behind the Snapple machine, for the video. Too bad that shop's actually up in Boston, not in DC. Wale's also been on tour these past few months, promoting his album on the Attention: Deficit Tour. His last East Coast stop was in DC, at the 9:30 club. Check out footage from the show below:

New Hilltop Hoods

2009-06-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

For any of you who have listened to our show, you've probably heard our favorite Australia hip-hop group Hilltop Hoods. Well, they've come out with their first single in three years, with a new album next week as well. The new single is entitled "Chase That Feeling." Check out the video here. Also, for anyone who's heading to Australia this summer (winter for them), be sure to check them out when they tour. Not only that, but Hilltop Hoods is touring with Classified, our favorite Canadian rapper. If only I had an excuse to go to Australia, I imagine it's exactly like that Jackie Chan movie. Tour info here.

311 - Uplifter and Other News

2009-06-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

Check it out! 311 released their latest album yesterday, entitled Uplifter. And if their first single "Hey You" is any indication, this album should be pretty solid. 311 stated ahead of the release that this, their 9th studio album would be their heaviest yet. I have yet to listen to it, but I'll update this post once I do later today.

Update: This album is definitely not the best thing 311 has put out. Probably not in their top 5 albums (Soundsystem, 311, Transistor, From Chaos, and Evolver in no particular order). But it's still decent alt-rock with a twist of dub and reggae, classic, average 311. Some tracks would be perfectly at home on other, older albums (i.e. "Something Out of Nothing"). This track has heavy guitar and bass lines and a harmonized, nearly nonsensical chorus that is the band's trademark. The lyrics are generically forgettable, but if you are listening to 311 for insightful poetry, you are an idiot. This is easy-to-enjoy summer music. And wow, look when they decided to release it!

Over the years, what 311's been best at has been creating one sound that merges so many different genres: rapping, rock guitar riffs, reggae steel drums, and dub echo and reverb. It's almost formulaic on some tracks, but that comes with having mega-producer Bob Rock on your album. For reference, he's the same guy who's worked with Simple Plan, Metallica, Bon Jovi, and Motley Crue. He produced St. Anger, Slippery When Wet, and The Offspring's new album Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace. Take that as you will.

Yet, one aspect of Uplifter that separates it from past 311 albums is its acceptance of the indie sound (see "Too Much Too Fast"). It sounds like 311 channeling Weezer (new Weezer unfortunately). Too poppy for me. That being said, this album is definitely heavy on the whole, just like their older albums (pre-Soundsystem). I honestly think this album would be much more well received had it been released between 1995-1999, instead of now when alt-rock is more acoustic and melodious than powerful and groovy. What's interesting to see is how much 311 and Incubus have diverged in recent years. While both began as reggae-loving, alt-rock, funk acts in the 90s, Incubus has embraced a more mellow sound, while 311 has stuck to its angsty, almost punk-chanting sound. Sure, 311 has it's lighter moments (i.e. Amber, My Heart Sings, Love Song), but on the whole, it's a much more heavy and groovy band than most out there. For evidence of this, check out the new tracks "India Ink" and "Never Ending Summer" that is some powerful stuff. I love these tracks, but some of the other tracks sound too generic, but it's all definitely better than Don't Tread on Me. Needless to say, the funk abides, and P-Nut dominates. Just look at the silly bastard...
Overall, it's a bunch of 3-4 star tracks, nothing spectacular. The best tracks are "Hey You," "India Ink," "Never Ending Summer," and "Jackpot."

Other News:

Arctic Monkeys New Arctic Monkeys on August 25th! And if you didn't know, the third album from the British quartet is produced by QOTSA frontman Josh Homme, with the help of James Ford. That's some heavy shit. You can find more info here at CoS. The album has no title yet, but it has a track list:

1. My Propeller

2. Crying Lightning

3. Dangerous Animals

4. Secret Door

5. Potion Approaching

6. Fire & The Thud

7. Cornerstone

8. Dance Little Liar

9. Pretty Visitors

10. The Jeweller’s Hands

High Fidelity BU My boy Garrett is sitting in his apartment in Boston these days with little to do, so he's decided he will be updating his blog 3-5 times per week this month. Let's see if he keeps it up. Check it out here.

Asher Baby! Asher Roth, fresh off his debut album has already gotten big enough that he is headlining his own tour. Of course, he's bringing some friends along, including Kid Cudi, B.o.B., Pac Dic, and 88 Keys. So, along with Lollapalooza and opening for the blink-182 reunion tour, Asher is going to headline "The Great Hangover Tour." I'm pretty excited about seeing Asher, Cudi, and B.o.B. in great small venues. I just wish I was back in DC to see them at 9:30. So, check out tour dates and other info at CoS.

Dr. Dre for Dr. Pepper Like Dr. J and Dr. Love (Gene Simmons) before him, Dr. Dre will now appear in a Dr. Pepper ad campaign. So, instead of finishing Detox, Dre has decided to put out crap like Relapse and to make Dr. Pepper commercials. Oh and to continue taking steroids. Great. At least we get a short preview of some new Dre beats in the ad's background. Check it out below:

Pearl Jam Recently, Pearl Jam has announced that their new album Backspacer will be sold exclusively at Target. You'll also be able to pick it up at "independent retailers" and from Pearl Jam's site. Not only that, but the band played a secret show in Seattle a little while back and filmed it with director Cameron Crowe. The shoot will apparently be a part of a new Target ad campaign just as Christina Aguilera had done with her last album. Not only that, but for the first time in 20 years, Pearl Jam is without record label, so it's safe to say that without Target's partnership, this album would probably not see the light of day. You'll be able to pick up a copy of the album in Fall. For now, Pearl Jam premiered a new song, "Get Some," on Conan on Monday. Check it out below:

New Tracks From Base Trip

2009-05-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

Base Trip artists The Throwbacks and Rapper Steph have recorded new songs, and they've made a couple tracks available for free.

Get The Throwbacks new track "Cooties" here. And Rapper Steph's new track "Present State of Mind" here.

And if you like these tracks, check out their MySpaces and learn more about Base Trip. If you don't know about Base Trip Records, head over to our little profile and history of the label here.

Vibe Magazine Best Rapper Ever

2009-05-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I posted about Lupe Fiasco, and how I think he's the best rapper alive. While writing this, I found out that Vibe Magazine had done a bracket the previous summer trying to find the best rapper alive. Unfortunately, Eminem won. But, I just found out that Vibe has redone the bracket for this summer, but instead of best rapper alive, it's best rapper EVER. So, rappers like 2pac, Biggie, Big Pun, Eazy-E, and others are going to be on the list. Since this bracket clearly will include many more rappers than the previous bracket, each leg of the bracket is 32 rappers, for a total of 128. And to help you make your choices, Vibe lets you click each rappers name to find out more, and you can even listen to a sample of each's music by clicking the tiny red arrow beneath the names.

This year, the play-in spot, to compete against the overall #1 seed (Eminem) was another bracket in itself. Vibe basically took all the up and coming rappers like Drake, Wale, Kid Cudi, Charles Hamilton, Bobby Ray (B.o.B.), Asher Roth, Jay Electronica, and Blu and made them compete. Voting ended for this already, with Kid Cudi beating Wale for the play-in spot. Check out the bracket here. Still, I think all 8 of these rappers are better than Eminem, so...nonsense.
Check it out here. And download the bracket here.
Round one voting lasts until the 24th, and the bracket will go through 7 weeks.
Round 1
Bracket 1.
Bracket 2.
Bracket 3.
Bracket 4.

PS. If anyone noticed or cares, I changed the layout to the blog to make it wider since I was getting annoyed with all the video edges getting cut off.

Stringer Bell, the singer

2009-05-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

If appearing in The Office wasn't enough, Stringer Bell (actually Idris Elba) of The Wire fame has decided to move into music. Yeah, I know. And you know what's scary, his first single "The Best I Can" isn't bad. In fact, it has a very Gnarls Barkley sound to it, despite the auto-tune and over-production. Check it out below:

Elba has decided to use the name "Driis" for his musical career (I don't know why Stringer Bell wasn't the obvious choice). Check out his MySpace. He actually released an EP back in 2006 entitled, "Big Man." After the 3rd season of The Wire, Elba released this freestyle about his character and his rumored return to the show, check it out:

He plans to release another single in July called "Please Be True," with an album by the end of the year. He describes his music as "a hybrid, everything from drum'n'bass to jazz." And now that his part on The Office is over, he can focus on music. He says, "My personal agenda has always been about musical ambitions. Music's a jealous bitch – I want to take time out [from acting] to finish the album." He's even planning to tour Europe and hit up the festival circuit in 2010 with his band the Trampions. There's more info in this months's NME.

PS. Dominic West (McNulty) actually appears on Eminem's new album Relapse as a crooked cop, surprising huh? Check out the intro skit "Dr. West," where McNulty advocates Eminem take more drugs and drink more. I can now see why Eminem chose McNulty for this part.

And according to NME, even Lt. Daniels, Namond, Michael, and Poot are into the music scene these days. Check out the link to NME's blog to find out more.

And don't forget about Cheese, I bet he has a music career in the works too.

Glee

2009-05-20T16:53:00.000-07:00

Fox premiered the pilot for the show Glee last night, and having nothing better to do, I watched it. And though the show is a musical about a glee club, I actually really enjoyed the show. Honestly, I shouldn't have underestimated the show. It does come from Ryan Murphy, who created and produced Popular and Nip/Tuck, so I should have known that the show would be a hilarious critique of high school culture and would have great characters. But one of the main things I loved about the show was that it didn't contain any actual songs in its soundtrack. Instead, it had a capella, glee-club versions of both famous songs and the score. Strangely, this feature added to the humor of the show. The songs from each episode are also now available on iTunes thanks to a deal between Columbia Records, Fox, and Apple.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about, this is the a capella version of "Don't Stop Believing." And dare I say, of all the TV shows and movies this song has been in, including The Sopranos, this may be my favorite rendition:

Check out Ken Tucker's review from EW:

Has there ever been a TV show more aptly named than Glee? It both embodies and inspires exactly that quality. Yet if I tell you the show is about a high school glee club and features bursting-into-song musical numbers, you might react as I did initially: I wanted no part of that. I'm not a musicals kinda guy.

But this comedy from creator Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck) is so good — so funny, so bulging with vibrant characters — that it blasts past any defenses you might put up against it. Glee will not stop until it wins you over utterly. It's the story of Will (Matthew Morrison), a high school Spanish teacher who takes over a pathetic glee club filled with misfits.

Murphy takes what could have been moldy, cliché figures — such as Rachel, the persecuted girl (Lea Michele), Finn, the football hero who really wants to croon (Cory Monteith), and teachers like cheerleading coach Sue (the wonderful Jane Lynch) — and brings fresh details to them. Rachel asserts, ''Being anonymous is worse than being poor…. Fame is the most important thing in society.'' At first, you want to barf at a sentiment like that, but then Glee makes the battle to overcome anonymity seem like a higher calling.

That's surely the case for Will, who's trying to distance himself from his high-pressure, baby-craving young wife (Jessalyn Gilsig, wonderfully tightly wound). Will is inspired by recalling the one time he was truly happy — when he sang in his own high school glee club. In a healthy way, he's going to channel his nostalgia into making the club, called New Directions, glow: ''There’s no joy in these kids…. That’s why they all have a MySpace page,'' he says. Glee is all about sparking ambition, getting kids off the sofa and doing creative things. But it also has a healthy dose of sarcasm and skepticism to offset its peppy interpretations of Journey hits. The production numbers show the sweat and constructive criticism that goes into good performances.

The series is getting a big push from Fox, which is premiering the show in what would seem an ideal spot for its core audience, right after American Idol. But Glee is still the little musical-comedy-drama that could...bomb. As terrific as it is, it's a risk. Why? Because there’s nothing else like it on TV. Because regular episodes won't begin airing weekly until this fall. (Future musically adept guest stars will include Pushing Daisies' Kristin Chenoweth.) And because lots of folks may feel as I do, that Idol has pretty much ruined young-people-singing-passionately for me. But I was persuaded by Glee's cagey little mind as well as its big, throbbing heart. I think you will be too.

The show didn't get the best ratings last night, even though it followed uber-trash American Idol, but Fox has made the pilot available on hulu and fox.com for the entire summer, so that everyone can watch the show before it premieres in September. I've embedded it below, so check it out.

Cage, Chris Palko, Cage Kennylz

2009-05-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

White rappers are quite plentiful these days, between Eminem, Asher Roth, the Beastie Boys, El-P, Aesop Rock, Bubba Sparxxx, Buck 65, and Classified. But another white rapper that tends to fly under the radar (until now) is Cage, signed to El-P's Def Jux label.

Most critics compare Cage to Eminem since both are sadistic, depressed (white) rappers with a penchant for violent and disturbing lyrics. This unfortunately led to a feud between the two back when Eminem released The Slim Shady LP. And while most young Americans know Eminem's story, through his autobiographical film 8 Mile or through his incredibly personal lyrics, few know Cage's even more frightening and horrific story. Def Jux calls Cage's story "one of the most insane, crazy, tortured and triumphant stories you could imagine."
Born Chris Palko in Würzburg, Germany, Cage was born to a father in the military. When Cage was four, his father was dishonorably discharged for selling and using heroin. The family returned to upstate New York, where Cage's father continued using heroin, even at times making his son pull the tourniquets around his arm as he shot up. When Cage was eight, his father was arrested during a police standoff. His father was threatening his family with a shotgun when the state troopers arrived. Eventually, Cage was kicked out of high school while living with his mother and abusive stepfather. His stepfather beat him repeatedly, so violently that he left a scar above Cage's eye. Like his father, Cage began using drugs, including LSD, mescaline, weed, and booze. His mother sent him back to Germany to live with his uncle, where he was often beaten.

Returning from Germany after only a year, Cage fell into trouble frequently, getting arrested multiple times for drug possession and violent altercations. By the age of 16, he found himself on probation. So, when he was arrested again, his mother argued that he was mentally unstable and had him sent to the Stony Lodge mental institution.
Cage stayed at the mental institution for a total of eighteen months, where he became a guinea pig for a drug that was eventually released as Prozac. As with many kids misdiagnosed with depression, Cage was put on Prozac and became suicidal. On multiple occasions, he attempted suicide, first by trying to hang himself by his shoelaces, and then by trying to overdose on his lithium medication. Due to his so-called mental instability, he was often confined to a straitjacket for up to 13 hours.

When he turned eighteen, Cage was released. However, due to the effects of all the medication and "treatments," Cage had developed into a bi-polar young man. Nonetheless, while at Stony Lodge, he became a fan and student of hip-hop. While locked up at "The Lodge," Cage focused inwardly on his storytelling and lyrical delivery. So, when he got out, he began rapping under the name "Alex," as in the character from A Clockwork Orange. This book, being so relevant to his life, goes on to be frequently referenced in his lyrics and artwork, especially in the track "Agent Orange." With his tortured imagination and grotesque imagery, Cage made a name for himself on the New York underground circuit. Through his contacts with Pete Nice (3rd Bass), Bobbito Garcia, and DJ Stretch Armstrong, Cage began performing at the late night mix shows. Around this time, Nice and Garcia were contracted with major-label Columbia Records and had an imprint, Hoppoh Records. Since they both respected and understood Cage's style and delivery, they were near signing him to their label. Unfortunately, every time Cage was set to record, he was too high to spit anything decent.

He lost the Columbia record deal and eventually moved back home and got deeper into drugs. He also found out that he was having a child. in 1997, after 3 years away from the game, Cage released a 12" of "Agent Orange" on Bobbito Garcia's newly formed Fondle 'Em Records. After a few more singles and a successful attempt at a hip-hop group (Smut Peddlers), Cage signed to Eastern Conference Records, the precursor to Def Jux. Soon, he releases his first solo LP, Movies for the Blind, which sold over 15,000 copies in the first two weeks. The world tours came soon after.
Teaming up with his fellow Eastern Conference rappers, Cage created the underground hip-hop collective known as the Weathermen. Camu Tao, El-P, Aesop Rock, Yak Ballz, Tame 1, Breeze of the Juggaknots, Vast Aire, and Cage all came together to create a collective supergroup and released a mixtape in 2003 entitled The Conspiracy. After leaving Eastern Conference over alleged non-payment, Cage joined El-P's recently launched Definitive Jux Records, where El-P helped Cage to create his even more personal and introspective album, Hell's Winter in 2005. While Movies for the Blind was essentially Cage playing the role of a drugged-out, bitter, misogynistic, vile character, Hell's Winter was devoid of drug references and the visceral imagery that made his first album such a cult classic. After losing all the major underground rappers to Def Jux, Eastern Conference Records has, for all intents and purposes, folded.

Recently, Cage has been working on his third solo album entitled Depart From Me, which should be released June 29th. In anticipation of this release, Cage offered a free EP today that contains five new tracks. You can pick that up here. Or download the tracks below (from MTV2). And honestly, I'm a fan of Cage's early work, but the new tracks are so much better. The development and movement away from his tortured soul has led to much more emotional and evocative tracks (see "I Never Knew You"). Also released today was the video for "I Never Knew You," which features cameos from Shia Labeouf, who directed the video, Aesop Rock, El-P, Yak Ballz, and artist Alex Pardee, who did the art for Cage's new album. In it you can truly see how deranged Cage actually is, yet also how far he's risen. He went from an abused child to one of hip-hop's most praised underground MCs, even being featuring on MTV2. But, in the video, Cage still appears to be a man defeated. Check it out below:

To summarize: a junkie father, violent standoffs, abuse, drugs, arrests, mental institutions, failed suicide attempts, drug testing, losing a major record deal, having a child...that's Cage. Spence D of IGN writes, "That Cage was able to turn an abusive childhood, not to mention time spent locked down in a mental facility, into a money making creative endeavor is a testament to his tenacity and will to survive." It makes for a much more compelling story than Eminem's life, which is why Cage's good friend Shia Labeouf (of Transformers fame) has claimed that he would like to star in and possibly direct a biopic of Cage's life. If Eminem got to make 8 Mile, then Cage deserves to make his movie too.

Recently, El-P, Cage, Yak Ballz, and Aesop Rock have been working on the first official Weathermen album. Keep an eye out for that by the end of the year or early next year. Also, Cage recently performed at SXSW and on the Paid Dues tour in late March.
I Never Knew You EP
1. I Never Knew You
2. Follow The Bleeder
3. Tongue In A Sharks Mouth
4. Hell Oh
5. It’s The 80’s Again
(via MTV2's Subterranean blog)

Sherlock Holmes Trailer

2009-05-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

Since I posted several trailers the other day, I'd feel bad if I didn't post this exciting trailer from Guy Ritchie's new film Sherlock Holmes. With Robert Downey, Jr. in the eponymous role, Jude Law as his trusted sidekick Dr. Watson, and Rachel McAdams in some role that requires her to look attractive, this film looks like a winner. And with Guy Ritchie directing, you know there'll be plenty of humor and violence. From this trailer, it's evident that there'll be quite a bit of slow-motion fist fights, one of Ritchie's specialties (see Snatch.). And though this film looks like a typical summer blockbuster, Warner Bros. decided this season was too crowded and will release this film on Christmas.

After watching the trailer, it really just looks like Shanghai Knights without Jackie Chan. There seems to be way more fighting and swashbuckling than actual deductive reasoning and intellect. I just wish Holmes wore a deerstalker still instead of a fedora like Indiana Jones. Lame.

The Last Thing You Forget

2009-05-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Title Fight, pranksters and good friends of mine, from Kingston, PA combine classic pop punk with 90's emotional and melodic hardcore to create a refreshing take on the old formula. Just yesterday they posted a new song, "Symmetry", from their upcoming release, The Last Thing You Forget, which will drop June 13 on Run for Cover records. You can order the record and merch here.

Symmetry, for my money, is Title Fight at their best, with relentless energy alternating between the pensive draw of Jawbreaker and the blistering attack of Lifetime, with ease. Knockout guitar work and classically catchy vocal melodies, featuring a guest spot by Boe Joynton, frontman of Transit, are sure to be a hit with Title Fight fans and newcomers alike.

Although TLTYF is only 3 tracks, it will keep fans in check until their full length drops some time in early 2010. I suggest you check this band out this summer, they will be playing most of America so if you want to see a fun summer show and to chill with some fun happy dudes, look no further. TF in 09, WB takeover.

side note: Another favorite band of mine, Tiger's Jaw, just signed with Run for Cover records. They are an incredible band, and will be putting out some new stuff this summer. Until then you can also pick up their last LP from the Run for Cover webstore.

New Trailers

2009-05-17T10:58:00.001-07:00

I was just searching the Internet and stumbled onto quite a few new trailers for movies I'm pretty excited about. Check out the trailers below:

The Road
The first is for the next film based off of a Cormac McCarthy book. Two years ago, the Coen Brothers adapted No Country for Old Men to great reviews and many Academy Awards. So, it goes without saying that Hollywood now has a renewed interest in McCarthy's catalog. The next film on tap is an adaptation of the bleak, frightening The Road, which follows a father and son as they travel their way across the desolate wasteland of a post-apocalyptic world. Cannibals hunt them, yet through it all, the story focuses on fatherhood (though in the most extreme of circumstances). Nevertheless, from the trailer, it looks like they've taken some liberties with the story. For one, it seems like the mother character, played by Charlize Theron, will have a much larger role. I understand that you can't cast Theron in a film and not get her full worth. She's an incredible actress, so it's almost a waste to not take advantage of her skills. But I do get annoyed with films that adapt books and make unnecessary changes like that. The trailer also seems to have way more explosions and less cannibals, which is lame. McCarthy's books are overtly gruesome and frightening, so gruesome that many of the elements of his stories can't be portrayed on film. Imagine an adaption of Blood Meridian. Well, you don't have to because Hollywood has decided that will be the next Cormac McCarthy adaptation. I just wonder how Hollywood will make a film about scalp-hunters. The Road is directed by relative newcomer John Hillcoat, whose filmography includes music videos and the 2005 Australian western The Proposition. Oh, and Omar Little is in this film for all the fans of The Wire.

New York, I Love You
After watching Paris, Je T'aime on Netflix a couple years ago, I thought it'd be a cool idea to make the same films about other cities, like London or San Francisco. And now, they've made another one: New York, I Love You. Like the original, this film is a series of short vignettes that come together as a series of love letters to the city. Each short film features a different director, including the likes of Jian Wen, Mira Nair, Brett Ratner, Allen Hughes, Shekhar Khapur, Natalie Portman, Fatih Akin, Joshua Marston, and Randy Balsmyer. And with so many short films, there are also many famous actors in these films such as Bradley Cooper, Andy Garcia, Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Natalie Portman, Orlando Bloom, Christina Ricci, Maggie Q, Ethan Hawke, James Caan, Blake Lively, Drea de Matteo, John Hurt, Shia LaBeouf, Burt Young, Chris Cooper, Eli Wallach, and Cloris Leachman. As a sucker for travel films and romance type nonsense, I love films like these that incorporate the charm of the city into the love lives of the characters. Apparently, the next in the series will be Shanghai, I Love You and Jerusalem, I Love You.
Check out the trailer below:

Precious
Here's a film that got astounding reviews at Sundance and is currently competing at Cannes. It won the 2008 Audience Award Prize, which in past years has gone to great indie films such as Grace is Gone, Hustle & Flow, and The Wackness. This film focuses on a 16 year girl, who lives in an abusive house in Harlem. She's pregnant with her second child and still stuck in middle school. The film features some of the most powerful black backing and musicians. For instance, Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey are "presenting" this film, while Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, and Mo'Nique all act in the film. Mo'Nique actually won a Special Jury Prize at Sundance for her role in this film. Furthermore, Lee Daniels, who directed Monster's Ball, directed this film.
Check out the trailer below:

Nine
This film comes from Rob Marshall, the guy who directed the Academy Award winning musical Chicago. Like that film, Nine is also a musical and also features an absolutely incredible cast. This film is something of a remake of Fellini's landmark film 8 1/2, but takes a musical approach to the film. Normally I wouldn't care about something like this, but when I found out that Daniel Day-Lewis was the star of this film, I started to care. The guy hasn't made a bad film, ever, so I doubt he starts here with Rob Marshall directing. The supporting cast includes: Marion Cottilard, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Fergie, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, and Sophia Loren.
Check it out below:

On a final note, it's rumored that a trailer for Toy Story 3 will play before Pixar's Up!, so look for that in the coming weeks.

100 Greatest Underground Hip-Hop Songs of the Last 15 Years

2009-05-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

Twitter again has its benefits. I follow Aesop Rock's twitter, and he recently posted this link:
http://www.jamesgunn.com/the-100-greatest-underground-hip-hop-songs-of-the-last-15-years

I don't know who James Gunn is, but this list is incredible. Can't argue much with it, especially with so much Rhymesayers, Def Jux, and Quannum on the list. I don't see how Massline artists get no respect though. The best part though is that there are a bunch of artists and songs I've never heard on the list, so it's time to get downloading!

A Country Album I Enjoy

2009-05-12T23:47:00.000-07:00

It should be needless to say that I am not a big country music fan. Unlike my roommate, whose favorite song is "Little Bitty" by Alan Jackson, I am much more fond of hip-hop and alternative rock. Nevertheless, I stumbled upon an album today that's classified as country, yet remains highly enjoyable--Steve Earle's Townes. Earle shares more with folk musicians than with typical country music (i.e. Garth Brooks, Big & Rich, that guy who married Renee Zellweger). He still relies heavily on the acoustic guitar and on some tracks, the banjo. And while any reference to the banjo deserves a mention of the frightening film Deliverance, I actually enjoy the banjo on some of the tracks.

Having never listened to much country or folk music, I didn't know what to expect when I picked this album up. Like most folk music, it's simple, relaxing music that's perfect for the beginning of summer. I especially like the track "Lungs," which features Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine fame. Additionally, the folk sound is reminiscent of the sound Tom Morello creates on his Nightwatchman albums. Other tracks on Townes reminds me of the O, Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack, which clearly shows the extent of my country and folk music knowledge. And to further show how big of a loser I am, I am going to say this: several songs have similar sounds to those found in the score to Deadwood and Firefly, both of which are Western-style shows. Ironically, the show take place roughly 700 years apart, but that's for another post.

Still, the basic guitar strumming and life-lesson extolling lyrics come together to make beautiful songs that are much more meaningful and memorable than typical country tracks about Ford trucks and steak. I'll admit that that's an unfair, bad, and inaccurate generalization, but from my ignorant stance on country music, that's what I see, and I honestly don't care.

This album is interesting in that it's actually a series of covers of Townes Van Zandt songs. Earle, who was a disciple of Van Zandt's decided to honor his passing with this album. The songs chosen were favorites of Van Zandt's as well.
Some of you may recognize Earle not as a musician, but as an actor, especially if you are a fan of The Wire in which Earle played Walon, Bubbs' sponsor. He plays a large role in the fifth season, which is the same season on which he sings the title track "Way Down in the Hole." Another one of his songs, "I Feel Alright" was also featured that season.

Random Thoughts

2009-05-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

So Decker and I have finally finished this, our sophomore, year in college, so the "I'm bored and don't want to study posts" will either disappear or increase exponentially. It depends on how summer goes.

In other news, Wale's latest mixtape, Back to the Feature, has again been delayed. It was meant to come out April 29th, then May 7th, and now...who knows. His debut LP is also supposed to be released soon, so maybe we'll get both albums around the same time.

Also, Wilco still sucks.

New Shows on NBC

2009-05-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

So, the networks' upfronts are pretty soon, so that means most of the channels are putting out previews of their new shows for next fall. NBC recently said that they are only picking up 6 new shows, partially due to the economy and partially due to the fact that Jay Leno will take up 5 hours of primetime a week next year. Of the 4 dramas and 2 comedies, only 2 look good, so I embedded the below.

The first is a new comedy starring Joel McHale, who can honestly do now wrong in my book. It also stars Chevy Chase in a role that was probably meant for Jeffrey Tambor, and features the black guy from Derrick Comedy. The show, about students and tutors at a community college, will probably fit nicely in with The Office and Parks and Recreations. I'm really liking the trend of moving away from traditional sitcoms in favor of more single-camera comedies. Check out Community below:

The other show I thought has some potential is Parenthood. The show is getting a lot of good press, but that obviously doesn't mean much in terms of how a show performs (i.e. Studio 60). This show's got a great cast, including Peter Krause, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen, and Craig T. Nelson. The show is from the writer of Friday Night Lights and Ron Howard and Brian Grazer.

NBC also has two medical shows, which I bet do reasonably well now that ER is finally off TV. All I know is that Friday Night Lights is coming back, which is all that really matters.

Green Day

2009-05-04T08:19:00.001-07:00

What happened to this band?

Let's say this, they definitely know their new demographic, but I just wish they hadn't changed their sound in order to appeal to tweens and pop-punk princesses. Green Day used to stand for something, maybe picking your nose and making farting noises, but at least they weren't pretentious and self-involved. Their original sound, which lasted (in my opinion) through 1997's Nimrod, was less Linkin Park angsty and more teenage rebellious. They were punk because they captured the emotions and humor of being young, now that they have matured, the band is so much more about faux-punk with their pseudo-riot instigating music. This is clearly exemplified in their totally manufactured/produced new image. When Dookie came out, the band wore whatever they found laying around their house, but now they wear matching black, faux-anarchist gear, almost a Sex Pistols-revival fashion. Guyliner, faux-hawks, matching black and red outfits with ties of course. They act like are incredibly depressed and oppressed by the man, but in reality, their new image and sound helped to propel American Idiot to over 5x platinum in the US. That album sold over 12 million copies worldwide, more than every album since Dookie combined. Talk about a reinvention. Back in the early 90's, the band looked so much like typical teenagers that during Woodstock 1994, a security guard confused bassist Mike Dirnt for a fan trying to get on stage and punched several of his teeth out. And speaking of Woodstock 1994, I present the infamous mud fight:

The band used to be obnoxious, now they are so completely mainstream. This is further exemplified by the band's hiring of legendary producer Butch Vig for their new album. For their previous 4 albums (not counting Warning), the band had worked with Rob Cavallo, but felt they needed a change that led them to work with the man who worked with Nirvana on Nirvana and the Smashing Pumpkins on Gish and Siamese Dream.
Billie Joe Armstrong declares, "This album is more... religious", and is influenced by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and The Beatles, to name a few. The previous work sounded much more like classic punk bands such as The Ramones, The Clash, the Sex Pistols, The Jam, and the Buzzcocks. Their early work had distorted guitar, fast, manic drums, and high-treble bass. They wrote short, fast-paced, humorous songs, now their songs come in multiple parts or are 9 minute rock operas like "Jesus of Suburbia."
They are trying too hard to become the next U2. When did a band that started out singing about the joys of squatting in a burned out house in West Oakland come to the conclusion that it was their job to save the world? U2 maintains its air of world savior, but does it knowingly. Green Day on the other hand, tries to act in a similar manner through the guise of being punk, anarchist, and counterculture rebels. Their angst-ridden lyrics amount to nothing more than preaching to teens who don't understand the intricacies of the world's problems. So, while Green Day's lyrics have escalated from being about nonsense to being about world problems, their target demographic remains ignorant teens who like to act like they know what's going on in the world, but get all their information from sources like The Daily Show and South Park. So when Armstrong sings, "Well, it’s enough to make you sick/To cast a stone and throw a brick," he's not appealing to people who really know what's going on, instead he's instigating a sort of anger in teens that only adds to their confusion. And worst of all, the band tries to act as if they aren't doing what they are doing, which contributes to all the criticism the band has begun receiving.

Jon Pareles of the New York Times has this to say about the band's new sound: At a time when younger punk-pop bands are singing about girl trouble and professional envy, Green Day has dared to offer something far denser and more demanding: a whirlwind of thoughts about activism, redemption and destruction. The rage and sorrows of “American Idiot” are pushed even further in “21st Century Breakdown,” in songs where idealism and the urge to annihilate are constantly grappling, never far apart.

Though the band has received quite a bit of acclaim for the later work, including multiple Grammy nominations, many in the punk scene and music industry see the band's later work as hypocritical and insincere (since ingenuine isn't a word).

Legendary Sex Pistols member Johnny Rottern had this to say about Green Day, "So there we are fending off all that and it pisses me off that years later a wank outfit like Green Day hop in and nick all that and attach it to themselves. They didn't earn their wings to do that and if they were true punk they wouldn't look anything like they do."

At the same time, The Killers' front man Brandon Flowers describes American Idiot as "calculated Anti-Americanism." He felt that the whole image and production that went into the album was a stunt. For instance, the live CD/DVD was recorded in the UK and Germany, rather than in the US. The concert DVD shows thousands of Europeans singing along to "American Idiot." Flowers said, "I just thought it was really cheap. To go to a place like England or Germany and sing that song - those kids aren't taking it the same way that he meant it. And [Billie Joe Armstrong] knew it."

The constant whine and depression that has become Green Day's sound is mirrored by their apocalyptic, graffiti-styled artwork. This only adds to their faux-punk image, which deters true punk fans.
Sure, there is something to be said for maturing musically, but I don't think the band has matured as much as they've turned away from their original fans in favor of the Hot Topic, suburban mall tween crowd. This band used to play 924 Gilman, now they cater to the same crowd as Paramore and Linkin Park. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just that the band has such lofty goals, but the reality of the situation is that they aren't actually leading the cause for any change in the world. I have nothing against them singing socially-conscious songs, but doing so with such an air of self-righteousness is appalling and depressing.

P.S. This was our 100th post. That's pretty cool.

Classified: Canadian Hip-Hop

2009-05-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

I've decided that I'm going to write articles every so often about hip-hop collectives, artists, or labels that deserve more recognition. As such, these articles will focus mostly on underground and independent rappers rather than mainstream artists, but every so often, I may post about big name artists.
The first artist I'll post about will be Classified, the Canadian rapper from Halifax, Nova Scotia. The interesting thing about Classified is that despite being a white rapper from Nova Scotia, he's incredibly prolific and respected throughout Canada. Since 1995, Classified has put out 13 albums, the latest of which, Self-Explanatory, came out on April 7th, 2009. Not only that, but many of Classified's songs and albums reach the top Canada's music charts. As a white rapper, it's easy to compare Classified to Eminem, and in a way, he is Canada's Eminem. But Classified is so much more than Eminem. While Classified never turned his horrible upbringing into motivation for his music, he does still rap about what it's like living in Nova Scotia. Despite what people may think about Halifax and Eastern Canada, Classified tries to portray his hometown as a normal city, just further out and a bit colder. Check out his track "The Maritimes," which we've played on the show:

As with most other underground, independent hip-hop artists, Classified remains critical of traditional hip-hop music. In his song "The Final Time" off of Boy-Cott in the Industry, Classified has this to say about hip-hop:

There ain't no skill, ain't no wordplay, just mimics and clones
They all say they're keepin it real, but won't admit that they're wrong
And we got underground cats who are trying to be different...That's respectable
But it's a fine line between being different and good and different and pitiful
Your beats are made with pots'n pans and they don't hit
And if you can flow on a beat then please just leave and don't spit and that's it

Classified took the classic underground approach to hip-hop and started his own label, Half Life Records, in 1995 and put out his first 8 albums independently. His first album Times Up received quite a bit of acclaim from Halifax's underground scene. Then in 2003, he signed with the underground, Canadian label URBNET Records and has put out his latest albums through them. Interestingly, though Classified isn't that widely known in America, when he signed with URBNET, he began gaining more attention among American underground rappers and was able to get them to make appearances on his albums. For instance, Royce da 5'9", Busta Rhymes, and B.o.B. have all made made cameos on his later albums. Classified has also opened for artists such as Ludacris, Busta Rhymes and Blackmoon.

Still, as a larger name in the Canadian music scene, Classified tries to team up with other Canadian artists in order to promote the country's unique sound. Though relatively few Canadian rappers make it big (Kardinal Offishall and K'naan being the primary ones), Classified prefers remaining underground so he can have more control over his music and production. However, unlike in America, Canada offers grants to Canadian aritsts who seek to create an album. Not only does this subsidize the cost of creating music, but also allows for country-wide tours, which are rare in Canada. But it's not only the Canadian government that helps to endow the arts in Canada, it's also popular media companies such as MuchMusic, the equivalent of MTV up North. MuchMusic has created and offered many grants to Canadian artists in hopes of increasing the number and quality of the music and videos procuded. For the channel, a dearth of music and videos would limit the Canadian-ness of the channel and turn it into another MTV clone. So, with the grants, Canadian artists are able to get the funding they need to create their music. Additionally, Classified produces each of the songs on all 13 of his albums. This is most clearly shown in his track "Beatin' It," which we've also played on the show:

Though Classified may be one of the first rappers to come out Nova Scotia, many have followed including Buck 65, Sixtoo, Universal Soul, along with many up and coming DJs. In the end, the point to take away from all of this is that while the big-time rappers come out of Atlanta, LA, New York, and Chicago, a lot of the smaller artists do exist in places like DC, Minnesota, and Halifax. And that's a trend that you'll continue to see in many of the articles about underground hip-hop.

Here's one final video, it's Class's new single "Anybody Listening"

Yeah, that's a Genesis sample. And yeah, that's Banksy and Shepard Fairey. Dope.

Skinheads: History 101

2009-05-02T12:49:00.001-07:00

SKINHEADS - To most people this word conjures images of insane Neo-Nazis committing horrendous crimes and persecuting peoples everywhere. Unfortunately, however, this image represents only the smallest and most violent wing of the "skinhead culture". So, let's take a look back at some history.

Flashback to London, it's the 1960's and increasing numbers of immigrants arriving from Britain's colonies and former colonies in the Caribbean, namely Jamaica. Jamaican immigrants bring their own brands of fashion and music, and fuse it with existing British styles, fueling a style known as Rude Boy. Rude Boy culture fused European and Caribbean sensibilities, bringing the sounds of ska, dancehall, and reggae to England.
Many immigrants assumed working class positions next to the native middle class of England, and, naturally, they exchanged styles. With new disposable incomes, Middle Class youths were able to experiment with their styles, incorporating many of the new elements they had seen in the Rude Boy movement. The cross of these styles created the traditional skinhead look: Ben Sherman, Fred Perry, suspenders (often called braces), aviator jackets, the ever present Doc Marten 20 eyelet boots, and, of course, shaved heads.
Eventually, however, some of the middle class roots of the culture turned violent, as some skinheads became more involved in gangs. More extreme skinheads even turned against the immigrants (Islanders, Middle Easterners, etc.) who had become very visible in London. They blamed immigrants for unemployment and the loss of traditional British values. The 2006 film, This is England, does a great job of chronicling the atmosphere of England at the time, as seen through the eyes of a young boy struggling to find his place without his father, who was killed in the 1982 Falklands War. In England, the skinhead movement splintered, and by the 1980's, had lost much of its popularity in England.

By the 80's, however, the style reached New York City, specifically the hardcore punk scene of the Lower East Side, centered at the famous club CBGB's. Bands such as Agnostic Front and Warzone promoted traditional skinhead styles and values, especially unity within the middle working class. At the same time, however, the NYC skinhead scene experienced many of the same trials as England, as some skins began to promote "traditional working class American" values, and brought a regrettably racist vibe to the culture. Often the tension between racist skins and SHARPs (SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice) exploded into violence at shows. Many bands and fans of the era, however, continue to respect the style which was once very strong in New York's rich cultural landscape.

Today, skinhead culture still exists around the world, and has been making a comeback in England, due to the recent success of works, such as This is England, which relive the glory years of the culture. It is truly unfortunate that racist and violent elements corrupted what I think is a really cool and interesting style, which was born out of learning and cooperation between races and lifestyles.

To learn more, check out: This is England, Skins and Punks by Gavin Watson, and Radio Silence by Nathan Nedorostek & Anthony Pappalardo.

Base Trip Records

2009-05-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks back, during Easter break, I visited some friends up in Boston at BU. Since all my friends are also really into music, especially my boy Garrett, with whom I was staying, a music swap occurred. As with every other music swap that's occurred, I give Garrett mostly hip-hop (you don't have any El-P?!), and he gives me mostly indie/alternative (The Smiths!). But this last time, Garrett gave me a track by the hip-hop group The Throwbacks, whom I had never heard of before. I really liked their sound, so I asked Garrett about them. He told me that they were local, maybe even students at BU. I sort of disregarded it and added the track "American Phenomenon" to my iTunes. Later that week, I did the BU High Fidelity radio show with Garrett. Towards the end of the show, a guy named Conor showed up. Cool guy, but I thought he was just another DJ.

The Throwbacks

Returning to Georgetown, I decided to play The Throwbacks on our show. Not knowing much about them, I did a quick Google search on these guys and found out that they are signed to the small, independent record-label Base Trip Records. Being the curious guy I am, I had to look Base Trip up as well. Heading to their website, I realized that the label was started out of a BU dorm room, akin to the way Def Jam was started by Rick Rubin out of his NYU dorm. Even more surprising was that the label was started by that guy I met at the WTBU station, Conor Loughman.

Check out Base Trip: Facebook. MySpace. Blog. Home Page. Flickr.

Though I was aware of businesses being started out of dorm rooms, I was absolutely amazed that, in this day and age with music piracy the way it is, a record label could be launched by a student. The label specializes in folk, acoustic artists as well as in hip-hop. I recommend checking out all their sites, especially their blog, which has recent news and press coverage. And listen to their music. A lot of their artists should be touring this summer around New England and the Mid-Atlantic, so if you are in the area, check them out.

Wale: King of the DMV

2009-05-01T06:57:00.000-07:00

Living in DC (at least for another 9 days), I have a certain affinity for rapper Wale, who was born and raised in Washington and nearby Largo. And while DC has historically been very rich musically, not since the 80s DIY, hardcore punk scene that began with bands like Minor Threat, Bad Brains, S.O.A., and other bands that only Decker likes has DC had a legitimate musical act about which people cared. DC brought to the forefront Duke Ellington, Go-Go music in the 70s, hardcore punk in the 80s, and nothing since. Unless you count small time artists like Army of Me or Vertical Horizon (yay Georgetown!).

Like other rappers that have been getting a lot of press so far in 2009 such as Asher Roth, KiD CuDi, Charles Hamilton, and B.o.B., Wale was listed in XXL's Freshmen of '09. Having listed to all the guys chosen by XXL, I think Wale may be the best of the bunch, except for maybe CuDi. Though I am afraid that Kanye will take too much control of CuDi's album and force auto-tune down his throat. And though I previously said that the Silversun Pickups' new album Swoon is the best album so far, I have a sneakign suspicion that Wale's debut LP may usurp that position when it comes out.

Maybe that's why Wale's rise to fame has been such a big deal in DC. Like with most other rappers, Wale treats his birthplace as a source of pride and not as something over which he had no control. It's interesting that you hardly ever hear any other artists besides rappers singing about their hometowns. You never hear Nickelback singing about Canada, but honestly I wouldn't know if they did or not, I'm just assuming now. Anyways, Wale loves DC and frequently states in his mixtapes that it's his goal to "bring that Grammy back to DC." From what I can tell though, he's only played on radio stations in DC like 96.3 WHUR and 93.9 Kiss FM. He doesn't get the national recognition that artists like Jay-Z or even Asher Roth receive. Well, for one thing, it's probably because he has yet to put out an actual album yet, just a handful of singles such as W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E, which samples the Justice song, and Nike Boots, which has become his biggest hit so far. He recently put out a new single with Lady Gaga that we played on the show a few weeks back called "Chillin'."

Despite Wale's incredible lyrics (i.e. "I remain a Giant while you're Jeremy Shockey" and "No congressional reppers, no respectable rappers"), maybe that last one doesn't make any sense if you don't know about DC's political problems...despite Wale's increidble lyrics, I do get annoyed that many of his lines deal with shoes. I just don't understand rappers' predilection towards shoes, but I guess it is better than rapping about rims still. Nevertheless, in the song "Nike Boots," which actually not about shoes at all, Wale does get past his love for shoes and shows that he can rap about the meaningful. More often that not, he does rap about meaningful things such as the use of the word "nigga" in "The Kramer," and about the decline in the quality of rap in "Politx," and about the all the haters in "Nike Boots."

So, Wale is absolutely backpack, but that's the style of rap that's becoming more popular these days. Wale has released a total of 0 albums, but has put out 4 mixtapes (which you can pick up at datpiff.com). And amazingly, each of his mixtapes is better than the last, so with his 5th mixtape, Back to the Feature, produced by 9th Wonder, coming out May 7th, expectations are high. And about a month after that, his first album Attention: Deficit will be released on Mark Ronson's label. So, while most rappers get Steve Rifkin or Cool and Dre or The Neptunes or Timbaland to produce their albums, Wale got British artist Mark Ronson to do his debut album instead. Ronson is known much more for his pop and alternative production, as he works mostly with artists such as Lily Allen and the Kaiser Chiefs. But his work with Amy Winehouse on her album Back to Black made him a popular choice for artists who sought retro style of production. And with Wale being so influenced by DC's 1970's go-go scene, the possibilities here are endless. Though an actual release date hasn't been announced for the album, Wale did take the time to take this picture to announce his album's drop this summer. Twitter. Shoes.

The title Attention: Deficit refers to the "crumbling music industry that is producing whack, disposable tunes: 'nobody pays attention and I’m trying to change it.' "

Club Trillion

2009-04-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

I don't want to study, so I am going to blog about a blog. After trolling the Internet, going through every site known to man, I stumbled upon Yahoo! and saw an article about the NBA forcing this guy from Ohio State, Mark Titus, to drop out of the NBA draft. I got interested since for once Yahoo! posted something interesting besides their constant lists about which are the most polluted or cheapest or most dog-friendly places to live in America. Anyways, David Stern felt that Mark Titus was making a "mockery" of the process. This season he played in two games for one minute each, he has one defensive rebound and one steal, far from the trillion points for which he strives. The article on Yahoo! compares Mark Titus to Tucker Max, so I decided to check out his blog, ClubTrillion.com.

He appears on Bill Simmons' BS Report every now and then, so you check that out as well. But one of the funniest posts he wrote was about the team's trip to Minnesota when a few of the guys got stuck in the elevator.

Apparently this blog recently got to a million hits, which is pretty impressive. And though this guy is the 12th man on the Buckeyes, people all over the Big 10 chant "Titus" whenever Ohio State shows up. Needless to say, this guy has made a name for himself all over this country by writing about his experiences on the bench. And though Ohio State has recently returned to the college basketball spotlight, the 12th man has become one of the most popular, famous guys on the team. I guess he tried to translate this fame into an NBA career, but alas, no such luck. Thankfully, he'll be returning for his senior year next year to continue his chances at reaching a trillion.

Last Show Recording (4/28)

2009-04-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

Today was out last show for a long time. Since I'm going to be studying abroad all of next year in London and Decker will be studying at the Villa this Fall, the earliest you'll get to hear either of us on WGTB will be January 2010. But, if all goes well, we'll keep updating this blog with music news and other awesomeness.
Until then, keep listening to our recordings, there are a bunch of them on the site.
For today's show, click the title above or right here to download or stream the show below:

Last Show Playlist (4/28)

2009-04-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

Freeway- When They Remember
The Game- LAX Files
Rick Ross- Usual Suspects
Eazy E- Player's Club
Lupe Fiasco- Gold Watch
Cold World- Hot Boys
Lil Wayne- Best Rapper Alive
Gang Starr- Above the Clouds
Jay-Z - D'Evils
Wiz Khalifa- Say Yeah
N.E.R.D.- Lapdance
Redman- DWYCK
Craig Mack- Flava in Ya Ear
Hilltop Hoods- Recapturing the Vibe Restrung
Dilated Peoples- Worst Comes to Worst
The Beatnuts- Off the Books
Method Man- You're All I Need
San Quinn- San Francisco Anthem
311- Transistor
311- Come Original
Stroke 9- 100 Girls
The Subways- Rock and Roll Queen
The Zombies- She's Not There
Cage the Elephant- Ain't No Rest for the Wicked
Handsome- Dim the Lights
Bloc Party- Flux
Cat Power- He War
Silversun Pickups- It's Nice to Know You Work Alone
Muse- Time is Running Out

Street Sweeper Social Club

2009-04-28T07:20:00.000-07:00

So, a few weeks back, we premiered the track "Clap for the Killers," by Street Sweeper on the show. Since then, the band, which includes Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave fame and Boots Riley from the Marxist hip-hop group The Coup, has changed their name to Street Sweeper Social Club. Of course, they made this announcement through twitter on April 14th.

Anyways, recently the band put up a new track (their 4th to be released) on their myspace. The track called "100 Little Curses," sounds like their other 3 tracks, but a little less hip-hop. It's got the punk rock echo-y chanting and Morello's classic screwed-up guitar riffs. I think the track may need a little work before the album comes out on June 16th. You can pre-order the album from Amazon.com now.

Best Rapper Alive?

2009-04-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

There are many competitors for this title: Andre 3000, Jay-Z, Eminem, Lil' Wayne, Kanye. Some would even make the argument for Rick Ross or t-pain, but these people are clearly wrong. For my money, I think the absolute best rapper alive is Lupe Fiasco. He flows nonstop, and if you don't believe this, tell me when he breathes on the track "Intruder Alert." On top of that, his lyrics are so much better than every other rapper's. Instead of stooping to the lowest common denominator, Lupe accepts his intelligence and offers educated lyrics that deal with justice, tolerance, and the perils of the typical rap game. Don't get me wrong, I still love gangsta rap from The Game and the nonsensical humor of rappers like Ludacris. But if I could only listen to one rapper for the rest of my life, I'd choose Lupe, and I think the main reason is his ability to construct a story throughout his songs. Similar rappers such as Murs and Atmosphere do the same, which also places them in my Top 5.

I bring this up because Vibe magazine put out a best rapper alive bracket similar to the ones we all make during March Madness. The voting ended last year, but I still think it's interesting to see the matchups. I filled out one of these brackets because as a college student I have absolutely nothing better to do. In my final four, I had Lupe, Lil' Wayne, Nas, and Andre 3000. I doubt all of these guys would have been in the final four if more underground rappers like the guys from Rhymesayers and Def Jux were in the bracket. Honestly, throw Brother Ali in at a 16 seed, and he'd probably make it to the final four. Soulja Boy...really? How are Wale, Murs, Slug, Aesop Rock not on this bracket? It doesn't really matter in the end though because, in either case, Lupe would end up winning. In the end, I had Lupe beating Andre 3000 to win the crown of best rapper alive.

So, despite Lupe only having 2 albums (Food & Liqour, The Cool), his songs are so much more memorable and interesting than the 5 or 6 albums that Jay-Z has put out. The problem for me is this: Jay-Z is a great rapper, but he constantly raps about the coke trade and living on the streets. He represents "The Game" that Lupe discusses in his albums. On the other hand, Lupe mixes in metaphors and themes into his songs, which deal from everything about racial prejudices to the perils of the black community's high likeihood of consuming fast food. I accept the fact that most rappers simply couldn't rap about anything besides the drug game. Imagine Clipse rapping about something about coke. That's absurd...they couldn't rap about terrorism, or Islam, or racism, unless it related to coke. Most rappers are precluded from rapping about anything and everything as Lupe can, and I don't hold it against them, it just means that Lupe comes out on top.

There is good news on the horizon though. In his second album, Lupe stated that he would only be putting out one more album entitled LupE.N.D. This obviously disappointed Lupe fans, but he eventually announced that this "final album" would be three discs released in three waves. So, it would in effect be three more albums. The first album was going to be called Everywhere, the second Nowhere, the third Down Here. He stated, “I just don’t really feel like rapping anymore. I’m going to write a book and put out [other artists'] albums like Matthew Santos.” Lupe is the CEO of his own record label: 1st & 15th (FNF), and has claimed multiple times that he wants to grow his label and his skateboarding line. In the end, despite separating himself from most other rappers with his lyrics and style, Lupe really does just want to be a label exec, mogul, and entreprenuer.

But earlier this year, Lupe announced that he would be postponing this ambitious project indefinitely ("consider it cancelled") to instead focus on another album called The Great American Rap Album. This album would be released in June of this year, followed by another album in December, than another in June 2010. And then LupE.N.D. would be released. This means Lupe has 6 more albums slated for us. Rap-Up.com speculates that "Lupe owes his label Atlantic Records three or more albums before his contract expires." So, this may be good news for us, or not if Lupe loses his edge that makes him different.

In the mean time, check out palm of ice's mashup which combines Lupe with jazz, Kind of Lu.

Check out Lupe's outdated retirement announcement, followed by an acoustic version of "Superstar":

Flaming Lips

2009-04-22T09:26:00.001-07:00

Having "lived" in DC for about two years now, I really haven't had a chance to hang out on the National Mall all that much. Come to think of it, the only times I have actually been to the Mall were to see Ken Burns speak, the We Are One concert, and the Inauguration. Usually the Mall is just a large, untended, weedy, rocky lawn that's filled with hobos, protesters, and Hari Krishnas. So, the fact that the Flaming Lips performed on the Mall this Sunday and I had to miss it was infuriating. If only I didn't have schoolwork. Well, I guess I got the next best thing: the awesome DC blog BrightestYoungThings put up some video and a ton of pictures of the Green Apple Festival for you to check out.
P.S. Check out Wayne Coyne's double-necked guitar.

Decker Hardcore Show

2009-04-21T13:55:00.002-07:00

Unfortunately, I (Akshay) had a project to work on today that forced me to miss today's show. In lieu of our normal show, Decker put on a two-hour hardcore show, which was not recorded (maybe for the better). We'll be back next week though, with more rap and indie fare for our normal listeners.

Decker Hardcore Show Playlist (4/21)

2009-04-21T13:55:00.001-07:00

Agnostic Front- One Voice
Biohazard- Shades of Grey
Breakdown- Sick People
Bold- Speak Out
Cro-Mags- The Paths of Perfection
Crown of Thornz- Icepick
Outburst- Intro
Warzone- Intro/Bust
Floorpunch- Intro/Changes
Dmize- Intro
Dmize- Soul Search
Gorilla Biscuits- High Hopes
Judge- Just Like You
Killing Time- Fool's Die
Leeway- All About Dope
Madball- True to the Game
Madball- Hold it Down
Merauder- Life of My Own
Sick of it All- GI Joe Headstomp
Straight Ahead- Straight Ahead
Supertouch- Climbing Aboard
Mental- Climb Aboard
Underdog- Back to Back
Underdog- Say it To My Face
Ten Yard Fight- First and Ten
In My Eyes- On My Side
Count me Out- Another Year
Ten Yard Fight- The Only Way
Bad Seed- Cheated
Cold World- Liars, Thieves
Title Fight- Western Haikus
War Hungry- Tip Your Scale
Rick Ross- Maybach Music 2
RZL DZL- High Rollers
Fabolous- It's My Time
Clipse- Kinda Like a Big Deal

Cage the Elephant

2009-04-21T08:15:00.001-07:00

Until this morning, I had never heard of this band. But my local radio station's summer concert features this band from Bowling Green, KY, so I thought I'd check them out. Despite what they look like in the picture above, these guys rock. Their sound is like a mixture of The White Stripes and Kings of Leon. Garage rock with a southern, relaxed twang. They also clearly take a lot of their sound from the Arctic Monkeys. It amazes me how Matt Shultz is able to transform his voice in each song to create a different sound. Each track reminds me of another alternative band I like. Besides BFD in California, they'll be playing All Points West in late summer, but that's all that has been announced so far. All in all though, these guys are incredible, definitely check them out.

Happy 4/20!

2009-04-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

It's April 20th, a Monday. Yet Asher Roth decided to release his debut album today instead of tomorrow on the 21st, a Tuesday, when albums are typically released. If you've listened to any of Asher Roth's songs, it's obvious why he made this decision.

We've played a few Asher tracks on the show ("I Love College," "Lark on my Go-Kart," "As I Em,"...), so it's easy to think without hearing the rest of the album that he only raps about college, sex, weed, and parties, in what Decker refers to as "bro music." But after listening to the album, it's clear that Roth does have more to say that just what he loves about college. His track "His Dream," is reminiscent of a slowed-down Atmosphere track. It deals with family drama and the difficulties of fatherhood.

Kind of like Lil' Wayne's Tha Carter III, Roth's album plays around with many different hip-hop styles instead of sticking to one primary sound. Some tracks sound like pop rap (i.e. "I Love College), some sound liek they were produced by T-Pain or Akon (i.e. "She Don't Wanna Man), others sound like Murs track (i.e. "Bad Day"). On the one hand, I like his pop sensibilities and his unique, white-boy flow, but I wish he had executed a more conceptual style instead. My boy Garrett and I had discussed this the other day, this album could have been epic if it had been a concept album akin to The Street's A Grand Don't Come for Free. Imagine this: Asher begins with a track about the boredom of school, but then he sees a girl. Then he pre-games. He heads out with his friends and goes to a party. Maybe he sees this girl again. You get the point. If the album had had this sort of concept and continuity, it would be more enjoyable, kind of like watching Can't Hardly Wait, but in a college setting. Honestly, if any artist were to make the quintessential college hip-hop album, it'd be Asher Roth.

In general, these are good tracks, with a few really good singles. And clearly Asher Roth shows that he is more complex than anyone previously thought. Perhaps in the future, we can expect more development and an even more complex, unique sound.

Flaming Lips this Sunday

2009-04-16T11:05:00.001-07:00

This Sunday is Earth Day, which means the Green Apple Festival will be occurring on the National Mall for free! This year's headliners are The Flaming Lips, so you know it's going to be a great show. They are one of the few bands on my list of "Bands to See Before I Die," the others being Muse, Daft Punk, and Radiohead.

Best Album of the Year (So Far)....

2009-04-15T07:54:00.001-07:00

I'm not the biggest indie rock fan out there, but I am really into heavy alternative rock, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that I love the Silversun Pickups. Their first LP, Carnavas was the quintessential high school album. Tracks like "Lazy Eye" and "Well Thought Out Twinkles" were epic and thoughtful. And yesterday, the Silversun Pickups released their long-awaited follow-up, entitled Swoon. Honestly, after a few listens, I can definitifely say that this album is the best album of 2009 (so far). The band has upped the distortion and the synth-rock that was pioneered by their main influence, My Bloody Valentine. It's easy to see the alt-rock 90's influence in the Silversun Pickups' work. If it weren't for singer Brian Aubert's vocals, I could have mistook this sound for the old Smashing Pumpkins. (Weird how both bands have female bassist?) But what I personally love about this album is how the heavy guitar riffs and raw drum beats contrast with lead singer Brian Aubert's soft, melodious vocals. Sure, he can belt it out if he needs to, but most tracks involve him almost humming or mumbling the lyrics over heavily distorted guitars and bass. And the production is wonderful. The mix of elegant pianos and airy, wispy strings with shoegazer riffs is perfect. Yet, the distortion that was ubiquitous in the first album, is much more refined now, which makes for a much more enjoyable sound. All together, the album creates an eerie mood and has a great flow of calm, almost-depressing tracks and powerful, violently loud tracks. As David Fricke writes in his Rolling Stone review, the Silversun Pickups "know how to have fun with fuzz and where to find the beauty in noise." Even the album art is awesome. Like with their first album, the album art comes from a Darren Waterson painting.

You can check out the new album at MTV here.
Check out the video to "Panic Switch" below:

Show #I've Lost Count Recording (4/14)

2009-04-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

Though Obama came to campus today, I think the most exciting event of the day was yet another High Fidelity radio show. That's a lie. Today's show was filled with mostly music as Decker and I had work and soccer to watch. Perhaps that's a good thing.

Anyways, click the title above or right here to download the show or stream it below:

Show #? Playlist (4/14)

2009-04-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

Outkast- Return of the "G"
The Throwbacks -American Phenomenon
Pharoahe Monch -Body Baby
Rakim- New York (You Outta There)
Balance & Composure- Alone for Now
Rancid- Time Bomb
Morrissey- Shoplifters of the World Unite
Stone Roses- I Wanna Be Adored
Lily Allen - The Fear
Que Billah feat. The Cool Kids - I Got Colors
Bad Brains- With the Quickness
Burn- New Morality
Kid Cudi- I Poke Her Face
Lemar- I Believe in a Thing Called Love
Asher Roth- As I Em
Fugazi- Bad Mouth
The Stone Roses- So Young
Texas is the Reason- Back and to the Left
The Knux- Hush
311- Hey You
Hot Water Music- Russian Roulette
Jawbreaker- Accident Prone
Cage- Blood Boy
Sage Francis- Makeshift Patriot
Juelz Santana- I Am the Club
Turning Point- Behind This Wall
Chad Smith, Tom Morello, Wu-Tang Clan- Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nothing to Fuck With

RANCID RETURNS

2009-04-13T17:33:00.001-07:00

SUP, hope everyone's Easter Break was fun. Anyway, I just found out that Rancid put up a new song, so I thought I would post it. The track is called "Last One to Die", and definitely contains some traditional Rancid elements i.e. Tim Armstrong's trademark growl, upstrokes, and singalong.
Rancid has a lot of haters, but whatever. Few bands are as fun to throw on and sing along to while driving or chilling, and And Out Come the Wolves is an incredible record. Hope to catch them at a gig this summer, skank it up.

Peep the new track here.

In other news, one of the best bands from Scranton, PA, The Menzingers just posted a new and much anticipated track. They are a cool band who take influences from diverse acts like the Clash, the Smoking Popes, Billy Bragg, and Bruce Springsteen. Anyway, check their new track here, and make sure you check out their tour schedule because they are a fun band to see live.

Download 311's New Single

2009-04-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

Decker and I don't always agree when it comes to music, but one band that we both love is 311. So, I was excited when I found out that the Omaha, Nebraska/Los Angeles, CA band is putting out another album on June 2nd called Uplifter. It's been over 4 years since they put out their not-so-great Don't Tread on Me, so it's needless to say that I'm pretty anxious for this album. In the meanwhile though, the band has released their new single, "Hey You" as a free single with Spin Magazine. Check it out here or the title above.

Akshay in Boston

2009-04-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

It's Easter break, so I'm up in Boston visiting my boy Garrett, host on the great, award-winning, show inspiring radio show High Fidelity up at BU. And this Sunday, you can check out the show when I guest appear on the show. Check it on Sunday, 6-8 PM on http://wtburadio.org/

Show #8 Recording (4/7)

2009-04-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

Another Tuesday, another show.

Click the title above or right here to download or stream below:

Show #8 Playlist (4/7)

2009-04-07T12:57:00.000-07:00

Tiger Army - Forever Fades Away
The Pimps - Rocket Science
Von Bondies- C'Mon C'Mon
(+44)- Cliff Diving
Blink 182- Violence
Silverchair- Spawn Again
Cat Power- He War
Godspeed- April
Rage Against the Machine- Microphone Fiend
The Kooks- Naive
Fireworks- Detroit
Tiger's Jaw- Heat
Brother Ali-Faheem
RHCP- Give it Away
Cockney Rejects- I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles
The Get Up Kids- Holiday
The Vines- Ride
Trevor Hall- The Lime Tree
Green Day- When I Come Around
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones- Break So Easily
DJay- Whoop that Trick
Three 6 Mafia- Get Fucked Up
Common- Drivin Me Wild
Lostprophets- Make a Move
Justin Timberlake- Cry Me a River
Blue Scholars- 50,000 Deep
Velvet Revolver-Headspace

A Preview of Today's Show

2009-04-07T08:22:00.000-07:00

It's Tuesday and we have a show in two and a half hours. Tune in! (This was just an excuse to post a clip from Hustle & Flow).

Green Day Returns

2009-04-06T19:06:00.001-07:00

So Green Day has a new album coming out. Their last release, American Idiot, a self-proclaimed "rock opera" was a little too radio and not enough raw for my tastes. Dookie is an incredible and classic album, which could perhaps be credited with the creation of mainstream "pop-punk", paving the way for some of my other favorite bands such as Blink-182 and Jimmy Eat World. Green Day's albums after Dookie, like Insomniac, and Nimrod were mediocre, while Warning was a pretty big step away from their punk roots. I hate to label anyone or anything "sell-out", because I think pretty much everyone, except Ian Mackeye, would accept major label success and international fame for changing their sound a little. For me, however, Green Day sort of softened their sound and took away their true punk edge, which paid homage to earlier California punk-rockers such as the Descendents, Dance Hall Crashers, Unwritten Law, (the UL & DHC from Blink's Josie lyrics), Operation Ivy, Rancid, etc. Their later albums, however, mainly American Idiot, pushed beyond the punk formula. Obviously many critics and fans took this as "growth", but to me the band was just trying too hard to be sophisticated and be intellectual, by going after easy topics (Bush, Iraq). I've heard it before, and frankly, when the Dixie Chicks are making the same political statements, you know the topic is contrived.
Back to the point. Green Day's new single, 21st Century Breakdown is regrettably bad. The cheesy keyboard intro and a tooth-achingly sweet choruses are a little to familiar for me. So, when it comes to Green Day, I will forever stick to my well worn copy of Dookie.

The single is available for preview at Green Day's website.

Drake-The Leavey Center Bird

2009-04-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

Here's an article by Sarah Harman in today's Georgetown Voice about our friend, the Leavey Center bird, which I've named Drake:

To all those who watch, feed, coo over, or otherwise encourage the black squirrels on Healy Lawn,

Please stop. Those stupid squirrels are nothing but furry attention whores. Don’t even get me started on their “cute” little antics—reading newspapers, pretending to get caught in the chips bag—GAG! A sparrow like me can’t get no love! All day long, all I hear is “Look at the squirrels! Look at the squirrels!” We sparrows are birds of song, bringing joy and melody to the world. Squirrels are nothing more than harbingers of disease; they’re basically rats with fluffy tails. Yet those bastards get all the attention—gawking tourists taking pictures of them, sweet little freshman girls offering them breadcrumbs. If I have to see another one of ‘em scamper playfully into John Carroll’s lap, I’m going to peck out their beady little eyes.

That’s how I came to live in Hoya Court. Well, ok, not at first. I initially tried to live in the library. But as soon as I get through the door, that Jamaican security woman at the front desk says,”GO card, please,” and I’m like, “Lady, I’m a bird. I don’t have a GO Card. Where would I put it? In my pocket-sized Vineyard Vines bag?”

So I flew into the Leavey Center. It was easy. At first, I thought I’d just stay until winter, until those stupid black squirrels migrate to some trailer park in south Florida, or wherever furry attention whores go to die, but no—they don’t budge. It’s cool, though; I like it here. The guy at Uncommon Grounds leaves me bagels at night, and I steal little morsels of medical residents’ Subway sandwiches after their Red Bull wears off and they fall asleep on the couches in Sellinger Lounge.

The only thing that bothers me is KFC. It’s the smell, really. At the rate they’re deep-frying my feathered friends, they’ll find me way before the end of the semester. Although, if that happens, I happen to know where Colonel Sanders can find some small mammal meat that tastes JUST like chicken. You just let me know.

Sincerely,

The Hoya Court Sparrow.

http://www.georgetownvoice.com/2009/04/02/an-open-letter-from-the-hoya-court-sparrow/

KINGS- Is Anybody Feeling This?

2009-04-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

Just finished catching up on NBC's new show, Kings, which is about the world's strongest nation (America?) being a kingdom, instead of a democracy.
First couple episodes are pretty cool, some cool characters and plot lines. At times though they almost hit you over the head with Biblical symbolism, as the show, so far, seems to be a modern take on the story of King David. Anyway, I recommend watching in HD, because there are lot of cool city and setting shots that look great in high definition. Guess this will be the second show I regularly watch on TV, the other is LOST which is probably the most frustrating show of all time. Anyway, worth watching, you can get caught up on back episodes at Hulu.

Show #7 Recording (3/31)

2009-03-31T17:12:00.001-07:00

To tell you the truth, I have no idea which show this was, so I decided to name the recording show7. Like always, we had a great show today, despite the insinuations that our show had turned fratty.

Anyways, to listen to the show, click the title above or right here to download, or you can stream it below:

Show #7 Playlist (3/31)

2009-03-31T15:39:00.000-07:00

Jane's Addiction-True Nature
The Flaming Lips-Do You Realize??
dredg-Penguins in the Desert
Hieroglyphics-Oakland Blackouts
Leeway- Who's to Blame
Damien Marley ft. Nas- Road to Zion
The Knux- Life in a Cage (Electric)
POS- Why Go (Cover)
Freeway- Take it to the Top
Justice- Push it to the Edge
Sponge- Plowed
Kate Nash- Foundations
Lily Allen - Take What You Take
Morrissey- Black Cloud
Long Beach Dub Allstars- Sunny Hours
Asher Roth- Lark on My Go Cart
Rage Against the Machine- Take the Power Back
Paramore- CrushCrushCrush
The Klaxons- Golden Skans
Dispatch- Bats in the Belfry
The Strokes- Razorblade
Slightly Stoopid- 2 AM
Dandy Warhols- Boys Better
Life of Agony- Bad Seed

T-Pain = Spring Concert

2009-03-30T14:14:00.001-07:00

A. T-Pain won a grammy?

B. T-Pain is married?

C. Is that a glass cane? Really?

D. Is that a denim suit?

E. What is that hat? I want one.

F. He is performing in McDonough for Georgetown's Spring Kickoff Concert. Why? Didn't other artists get many more votes? I guess it's still better than Coolio.

Here's the Facebook event.

Best Ad Ever

2009-03-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

Though this ad has nothing to do with Cadbury Chocolate, but it's absolutely awesome. It even has it's own wikipedia page. Apparently, this ad went completely viral in the UK and even won awards at Cannes. And it has Phil Collins and a gorilla!
Enjoy!

POS Covers Pearl Jam's "Why Go"

2009-03-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

With Pearl Jam re-releasing their premier album Ten, Minneapolis rapper P.O.S. decided to cover the track Why Go? for MTV. Awesome. Check it out above. You can download this track from the link below.
(Via CultureBully via NY Mag Vulture)

The Future of Radio

2009-03-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

I've had this conversation with my friend Garrett many times now, but I thought I'd put it out there on this blog to see what you all think? The issue is this: What's the future of radio?

With iPods, CD players, and satellite radio, it seems like traditional, commercial, terrestrial radio is facing much more competition these days. And that goes for TV and newspapers/magazines and all other ad-supported media. This forces radio stations to ask themselves why anyone would listen to the radio when they could instead just plug in their iPod and listen to their own music instead of being forced to bear ads, annoying songs, and even worse DJs.

Garrett thinks that radio stations need to switch to having more niche playlists that attract people who wouldn't otherwise listen to mainstream radio (i.e. hipsters). He has a point, people who listen to bands like TV on the Radio and Radiohead aren't likely to listen to typical stations that play popular artists such as the Foo Fighters and Linkin Park. What Garrett would prefer is for radio to adopt a Indie 103.1 type of model.

Indie 103.1 was a radio station down in LA that began as a typical rock station with a typical, corporate playlist. About five years ago though, the station switched to playing more indie music that wasn't found on any other station. It was unique and innovative, and people thought it would be the future of radio. Then on January 15, 2009, Indie 103.1 went off the air. Their business model had failed. The guys who operated the station failed to realize and respect the power of corporate music and radio. And whenever I make that argument, Garrett points out that I am clearly the business student between us, and not much of an idealist as he is.

Here's Indie 103's farewell message:

This is an important message for the Indie 103.1 Radio Audience - Indie 103.1 will cease broadcasting over this frequency effective immediately. Because of changes in the radio industry and the way radio audiences are measured, stations in this market are being forced to play too much Britney, Puffy and alternative music that is neither new nor cutting edge. Due to these challenges, Indie 103.1 was recently faced with only one option --- to play the corporate radio game. We have decided not to play that game any longer. Rather than changing the sound, spirit, and soul of what has made Indie 103.1 great Indie 103.1 will bid farewell to the terrestrial airwaves and take an alternative course. This could only be done on the Internet, a place where rules do not apply and where new music thrives; be it grunge, punk, or alternative simply put, only the best music. For those of you with a computer at home or at work, log on to www.indie1031.com and listen to the new Indie 103.1 - which is really the old Indie 103.1, not the version of Indie 103.1 we are removing from the broadcast airwaves. We thank our listeners and advertisers for their support of the greatest radio station ever conceived, and look forward to continuing to deliver the famed Indie 103.1 music and spirit over the Internet to passionate music listeners around the world.

Basically, simply catering to one small niche was not a successful business model. Instead, appealing to the largest possible audience will bring in more listeners. So, playing artists that can still sell platinum records like Lil' Wayne and Coldplay and Taylor Swift seems to be a great business model for the moment. That's why some of the best artists like Atmosphere, dredg, and Lucky Boys Confusion rarely end up on the radio. Even though many people agree that Flo Rida and Soulja Boy are trash, they still sell hundreds of thousands of albums and singles. And in this economy and technological age, that is absoltely impressive. So, think about it? What makes good business sense? Playing an artist that can sell 400,000 albums total or an artist that can still sell that in a week? That's why TV on the Radio isn't on radio, but Coldplay and U2 will be played every other song.

And while I don't particularly like some of the artists on my favorite station back home, Live 105, I will usually listen to it whenever I'm home just because I still like most of the artists they play. But someone more fickle than myself might immediately change the station when they hear a band they dislike. And with more options than ever, any wrong move by a radio station might jeopardize their ratings. Radio needs to find a way to continuing introducing good artists to the world. It's difficult with myspace and other music sites on the internet, but radio could still play the role of a legitimate filter on all the nonsense on the internet. For instance, any band can put their songs on the internet, but what radio needs to do is to find the ones that are actually good and play them. I still look to Live 105 for artists that I've never heard before. Recently, I discovered bands like Anberlin, Pendulum, Far, Airborne Toxic Event, and Iglu & Hartly on Live 105. They aren't necessarily that good, but they are decent and deserve a listen.
But another thing that Live 105 does that other stations should replicate is to have a show that focuses on lesser-known artists. Instead of going overboard and playing only indie artists like Indie 103 did, radio should find a middle ground and adhere to the popular, Top 40 type of music that their parent media conglomerates demand, while also having a show like Soundcheck that plays "indie, punk, local, imports, and new music." Every Sunday from 7-10 PM, the music director at Live 105, Aaron Axelsen, plays artists that normally don't get to be played on commercial radio. So, while the normal playlist on Live 105 contains Papa Roach and Incubus, Soundcheck plays artists like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, MC Rut, Morissey, and Lady Sovereign (and those are the ones I've heard of). By having a show that premieres smaller bands, radio stations can gauge the aduience's responses to these new sounds and move these artists to the regular playlist. Basically Soundcheck is something of a compromise between purely corporate radio and fully independent indie/pirate radio. Interestingly, both of these extremes are incredibly alienating, so hopefully the compromise of these two proves to be a successful business plan for radio. Otherwise, I honestly don't know what will become of radio.

What radio needs to offer is something that people can't do for themselves. That is the basic definition of a service. If I can listen to that leaked Jay-Z track before it even gets to the radio (and without ads!), why subject myself to radio? I have the ability to listen to a mashup followed by hip-hop followed by classic rock. There is no radio station that can offer that. But that's why DJs still matter. That personal touch is quintessential for radio. People wonder why Rush Limbaugh is the most popular person on the radio? How/why does he get over 14 million listeners each week? Because he does something for people that they can't do for themselves, he gives them opinions that they want to hear. Radio needs to keep me from switching to my iPod. It needs to keep me engaged. It needs to provide a service that I can't provide for myself.

The most successful radio stations in America are either the ones that offer something no others can with their DJs or exlcusives (Power 106, KROQ, Hot 97) or that cater to the older audiences. The most successful radio stations in America are adult contemporary stations that play artists like Eddie Money and Enya. Adults, the ones who don't regularly download music and update their iPods and refuse to listen to any new music of the past decade, are the ones that still listen to the radio. For that reason, instead of keeping playlists modern and innovative with new artists that may even be unsigned, it appears that a more successful business model is to stick to the oldies and proven artists that have large, older, faithful fan bases.

So where does that leave college radio? It helps being subsidized by a major university as something of an educational experience, but we surely don't get the listenership that warrants us being on the radio. I don't know what will happen, but I suspect as more media ends up on the internet, more and more radio stations will be forced onto the internet as well over time. This does alienate radio's largest listeners, people in cars, but it's a sacrifice radio will have to make. We are at a point in history where all media must reexamine its business model to figure out in which direction it wants to head. Something innovative must occur, otherwise audiences will continue finding ways around advertising. And while TV has found something of a replacement for ads through product placement, this is something radio and newspapers/magazines can't really do.

More New Releases!

2009-03-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

So this week, I thought it would be cool to write something about my favorite new releases from this week (March 24 release dates). First up is the new release, Crack the Skye, from Atlanta metal masters MASTODON.

While I will admit I like "heavy" music more than most people, I am still not a big metal fan. Mastodon, though, is one of the few legitimate "metal" bands I can get down on. They have a knack for writing story albums, and Crack the Skye is no different. Their last two albums were Leviathan, which narrated the Moby Dick story, and Blood Mountain, which told the story of some explorers in search of a Crystal Skull. This concept could obviously be some weird metal nerd shit, but Mastodon actually pulls it off as they are especially talented at writing some pretty crazy and innovative riffs. Crack the Skye shows Mastodon taking a more prog-rock approach, though they still bring their A Game when it comes to riffs, bordering on some YES, Rush, and even Zeppelin inspired segments. Overall, I would say Mastodon is a more accessible "metal" band, and is a cool band to check out if you are sick of listening to Godspeed, You Black Emperor or whatever.

Next up is the newest CD from Michigan pop-punkers Fireworks entitled, All I Have to Offer is My Own Confusion.
If I'm not mistaken, this album was produced by Chad from New Found Glory, so you know it has some pretty catchy melodies and vocal parts. Fireworks creates a more refined sound, at times bordering on pop-punk forefathers Lifetime, while at others times showing the grit and speed of Kid Dynamite. Overall, the album doesn't stray much from standard and lovable pop-punk roots, but brings a more mature and well-written style. For fans of catchy pop-punk, makes great warm weather music for all your pool party and BBQ needs.

WTWTA

2009-03-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Just tonight I watched the first trailer for upcoming release Where the Wild Things Are, or, as I like to call it, WTWTA. I was psyched to hear that Spike Jonze was directing this when I first heard about it a year or so ago, and now the trailer looks really cool. Check it out!

edit: Guess the studio is pulling the trailers from YouTube and Vimeo, so check it out in HD here.

The Offspring

2009-03-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

I've been a pretty big fan of The Offspring ever since 4th grade when Americana came out. Before that album dropped, I was only listening to bands like the Backstreet Boys and 98 Degrees. But when "Pretty Fly for a White Guy" came onto the radio, I knew I was destined to listen to shitty rock from that point on. And for my 10th birthday, I got Americana. Pretty soon after I got the album though, my brother lost the album and I was left listening to Britney Spears and Ricky Martin until I discovered CD burning.

The Offspring have fallen off recently with their new album Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace. It seems like they are one of those bands that unfortunately gets worse with every album they release. Smash is an incredible album and the highest selling independent album of all time with 16 million copies sold worldwide. Ixnay on the Hombre is also incredible, but clearly not as good as their previous effort. And though Americana is the band's second best selling album, it is much more poppy than this punk band should sound.
Nonetheless, even though the band has shown its age (they are all around mid-40s), I still respect the band for their awesomeness. Firstly, Dexter Holland, the lead singer, is an absolute genius. Before joining the band, Holland was pursuing a Ph.D in molecular biology from USC. And he runs marathons. Secondly, when Napster came out, they were one of the few bands that encouraged their fans to download their music. They were contrarian and anti-establishment before Nine Inch Nails re-started the trend. Thirdly, when Axl Rose appeared at the MTV VMAs with blonde dreads, years after Dexter Holland had the same hairstyle, The Offspring decided to steal his album title, Chinese Democracy. Their album would be called Chinese Democrazy (You Snooze, You Lose). Eventually the dispute was settled, and the album was titled Splinter. And finally, what prompted me to write this post was the name of The Offspring's summer concert, This Shit is Fucked Up. How ridiculous is it that they can title their concert This Shit is Fucked Up. Who does that? Check out the video below for their tour preview. The tour includes some absolutely awesome bands like Pennywise, Shiny Toy Guns, Sum 41, and Alkaline Trio.

Show #? Recording (3/24)

2009-03-24T13:46:00.001-07:00

Another Tuesday, another show. This show wold probably have been better had Decker's iTunes not tried to assert its independence by deleting his music and had we not both felt sick. But you can't be perfect every week.

Also, to get a copy of the Street Sweeper tracks, check out the NIN/JA 2009 Tour site.

Unlike other weeks, you will be unable to download this show because the site sendspace is currently down. But you can still stream the show below. If this is a problem, complain, and I may do something about it.

Show Number ? (3/24) Playlist

2009-03-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

The Good, The Bad & The Queen - Herculean
Third Eye Blind - Faster
Hilltop Hoods - The Nosebleed Section
Beastie Boys- Hold it, Hit It
The Casualties of Jazz- Fairies Wear Boots
Black Milk- Long Story Short
Coconut Records- Back to You
Bad Brains- Right Brigade
The Weathermen- Made You Shit Your Pants
Dizzee Rascal- Hardback (Industry)
Common- Be
Dave Holland- Happy Jammy
Wolfmother- Vagabond
Street Sweeper- Clap for the Killers
Muse- Feeling Good
Into Another- Poison Fingers
Cold World- How Shook is One
Queens of the Stone Age- Leg of Lamb
No Doubt- Spiderwebs
Jimi Hendrix- Burning of the Midnight Lamp
Transit- Radio Flyer
Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Heads Will Roll
Wale- Chillin
Jefferson Airplane- White Rabbit
Saves the Day- Firefly
Ludacris- Get Back (Remix feat. Sum 41)

New Tracks!

2009-03-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Two really good bands from PA just put up some new tracks, so I figured I would share them with everyone. First up- Tiger's Jaw from Scranton, PA combining 90's sounds with great pop-punkish and indie sensibilities. Peep their new track, "I Believe in Harvey Dent".

Next up is another cool band from Doylestown, PA called Balance & Composure. They also have sort of a 90's melodic sound, but with some Britpop and Shoegaze influence, as well. Check out their new track, "Show Your Face".

St. Patrick's Day Recording (3/17)

2009-03-17T14:53:00.000-07:00

'Tis St. Patrick's Day and we had a show. Yet for some reason, we forgot to play Against Me! and U2. I am ashamed and I must apologize. Nevertheless we did play The Pogues and we had to rep The Wire.

Hopefully you all had an enjoyable St. Patrick's Day.

To listen to the show, click the title above or right here to download the show, so you can keep it forever and ever! or stream it below:

St. Patrick's Day Playlist (3/17)

2009-03-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

Dropkick Murphys- Spicy McHaggis Jig
Flogging Molly- What's Left of the Flag
Saul Williams- Sunday Bloody Sunday
Boxcar Racer- I Feel So
AFI- The Boy Who Destroyed the World
Cappadonna- Dart Throwing
Dropkick Murphys- The Walking Dead
Brother Ali- Room with a View
Arctic Monkeys- This House is a Circus
Down- Swan Song
Dr. Dre - Topless
Kid Cudi-Sky Might Fall
B.o.B- I'll be in the sky
The Promise Ring- Red and Blue Jeans
Neil Young & Crazy Horse- Cinnamon Girl
The Pogues- The Body of an American
The Cranberries- Linger
John Coltrane- Giant Steps
Balance & Composure- Show Your Face
Silversun Pickups- Panic Switch
The Cool Kids- Pennies
George Harrison- What Is Life
Neutral Milk Hotel- The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 2
Sonic Youth- Incinerate
Mental- Climbing Aboard

Most Epic Music Ever

2009-03-17T11:48:00.001-07:00

So, if you are a fan of Zelda like I am, you might like these mashups. Here's the first one: 8tracks. And the other: Ketchup Please?

Absolutely epic.

Enjoy!

Decker Tweets

2009-03-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

So, Decker just told me that he has a twitter. You can follow it here. What a lame-o.

Fancy Underwear

2009-03-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

Here's the video for Weezy's new rock song, "Prom Queen."

Some observations:

a) So, apparently Wayne was a loser in high school. Does he expect us to believe that he actually went to high school? The truth is that he actually dropped out at 14 and later earned a GED.

b) He can play guitar.

c) That's Korn in the video. Apparently the band is down to three guys now that David Silveria left, so Jonathan Davis is playing drums.

d) I know too much about Korn.

Spring Break '09

2009-03-05T12:14:00.000-08:00

This spring break I will be road dogging on this tour for a few dates, so make sure you come out and say what's up. Also features Fireworks, A Loss For Words, This Time Next Year, and Fireworks.

Spring Break Recording (3/3)

2009-03-03T18:59:00.000-08:00

Yet another flawless show! And yet another lie. It was a good show, except for the submarine noises we heard in the studio. Anyways, we sorta had a Spring Break theme for this episode, which really didn't mean much because we never stick to our themes anyways.

So, to listen to the show, click the title above or right here to download the show or you can stream it below:

Spring Break Playlist (3/3)

2009-03-03T18:57:00.000-08:00

The Game-California Vacation
Notorious B.I.G. - Going Back to Cali
Radical Face- Welcome Home
Young Jeezy- Vacation
Quicksand- Landmine Spring
Weezer- Pink Triangle
CunninLynguists- Sunrise Sunset
Tiger's Jaw- I Believe in Harvey Dent
Clipse- Breakfast in Cairo
Mistah F.A.B.- Sideshow
Tupac- 2 Of Amerika'z Most Wanted
The Diplomats- My Love
The Roots- Step into the Realm
RHCP- Get on Top
Beastie Boys- Super Disco Breakin'
Title Fight- Evander
Fireworks- David Mackinder vs The World
Incubus- The Warmth
Blink 182- Take Me Home
Natty Dread 'Pon the Mountain Top- Bad Brains
Jimmy Eat World- Bleed American
Zion I - Caged Bird Pt. 1
E-40- Yay Area
Coconut Pete- Pina Colada-berg
Jay-Z- Girls, Girls, Girls

Guilty Pleasures

2009-03-02T13:55:00.000-08:00

Since it's midterms time, I decided I would avoid studying and write about my favorite guilty pleasures. We all have them, but for some reason, we act like our taste in music or movies or TV is above that. We have this innate fear of being like everyone else and must prove our superiority by listening to only artists that aren't on the radio. But like I've always said, there's a reason these artists aren't on the radio. Indie 103 failed for a reason. It's classic psychology, I think. We lie to ourselves instead of admitting to ourselves that we enjoy mass consumer culture. Admit it, you like that new Miley Cyrus song.

For some reason, we all like to act as if we are scholarly individuals who only partake in the best of things. We only watch shows like Lost or The Sopranos or The Wire and listen to bands that no one has heard of yet. In reality, we watch Gossip Girl, Desperate Housewives, and The Hills when no one is looking and our iTunes are filled with Limp Bizkit and Lily Allen. I'll admit it, I love the the "trash" of our culture. But I do need to make one thing clear, I actually do detest The Hills. I am above that fake MTV nonsense.

My point is this, everyone has guilty pleasures, so there is no need hiding them. There shouldn't be a stigma associated with liking the same music as an 11 girl who shops at Hot Topic or reading the same books as your 7 year old cousin.
Look at my last.fm page, I listen to Fall Out Boy more than I do my favorite band, Rage Against the Machine. I listen to Justin Timberlake more than I listen to Bruce Springsteen. Why might this be? Perhaps because Fall Out Boy and JT have mastered the ability to create universal appeal in every single one of their songs. They produces catchy music that I can listen to at any time, in any mood. Could I listen to Rage Against the Machine or Aesop Rock or Queens of the Stone Age or Radiohead at any time? Not really, unless I had serious emotional issues.
I decided to write this post because the great teen-punk band Paramore just came my iTunes and I didn't feel like changing it. iTunes shuffle is magical like that. Paramore, along with Fall Out Boy, Panic (!) at the Disco, and other bands that are "pop" seem to have a stigma that comes with listening to them. There may be no uniqueness or true artisitc quality to it, but these artists are making music that everyone enjoys, even your Mom. Basically, we should be able to accept people despite their musical tastes, however strange they may be. Unless they listen to country because that is just wrong. Who does that?

And what's with people trying to justify their liking of shows like The O.C. and bands like Paramore by saying they think the characters or singer is hot. Why can't we just admit it to ourselves that our lustful desires are not the reason we listen to Paramore or Evanescence. Sometimes we just need easy music that makes us happy. And, truth be told, they are capable of producing decent music, that is why they have record deals and you don't. But my god, how is every single character on Gossip Girl that attractive? It's ridiculous.

So, from this day forward, don't hide your guilty pleasures because what's the point in lying to yourself? Besides, everyone else is doing it...

Dave Holland- Mental Images

2009-02-25T20:58:00.000-08:00

Being a bass player and a fan of jazz, I have always been a big fan of Dave Holland. He is a British musician who has risen out of the usual backdrop role of jazz bassists and founded a really great big band that has put out a handful of innovative albums. I remember buying "Overtime" in 10th grade and listening to it a few times, and even seeing Dave Holland perform with his band in support of the record, but I guess I never "got it". This week, however, I broke this record out again after 4 years, and I've got to say it's pretty slamming. Most of the tracks are pretty straight forward modern big band stuff, solid composition and great solos from Holland's band of all stars. One track, however, stands out to me as a modern classic. "Mental Images" is Holland at his best, a ripping 9 minute track bursting at its seems with energy and drive. It begins with some classic bass noodling from Dave but breaks into a rock solid groove highlighting the unsung heroes of the big band brass, the trombones. The song is in a really weird time signature which I've never really been able to pinpoint, but the fact that the rhythm section can hold such a tight groove with such weird time just makes the track even better. The brass brings several cool riffs interwoven around Dave's bass and the main horn riff. Anyway, even though the track weighs in heftily at 9 minutes, it definitely never drags or gets boring- a feat which few jazz tracks can accomplish. Not a jazz fan? Give this a listen. Toss your Kenny G discs and hear what a true OG can bring to the table- jazz lives!

(I Plead the) Fifth Recording (2/24)

2009-02-24T17:54:00.000-08:00

That's a random picture, but our show is a bunch of non-sequiturs anyways, so I thought it fit. Anyways, we had a great show today, at least it started out that way. No wait, that's a lie. There were some technical difficulties, but we made it through it, and I do believe that thanks to our constant complaining, we have brought change to the WGTB studio!

And that wasn't even the worst thing that happened this show. I received some terrible news toward the end of our show, and we discussed it, so as always, click the title above or right here to download the show or stream it below:

Fifth Show Playlist (2/24)

2009-02-24T17:51:00.000-08:00

Michael Franti & Spearhead - Say Hey (I Love You)
G. Love - Greatest Hits
M.I.A. - Sunshowers
The Matches - Papercut Skin
Alice Cooper- I'm Eighteen
The Beatles- Norwegian Wood
Bad Company- Bad Company
MOP- Ante Up
Al Fatz- Came Down
The Clash- Spanish Bombs
The Greyboy Allstars- Grey's Groove
Atmosphere- Don't Stop
Blue Scholars- Bayani
Jewish War Veterans-Evander
Simon & Garfunkel-April Come She Will
Anti-Flag- Emigre
Mike Mictlan & Lazerbeak- Suicide Jimmy Snuffa
Jimmy Eat World- A Praise Chorus
Walter Schriefels- The Ballad of Lil Kim
Faith No More- Epic
B.o.B.- I'll Be in the Sky
Mark Ronson ft Robbie Williams- The Only One I Know
Quincy Jones & Bill Cosby- Hicky-Burr
Bad Brains- Jah Love
Helmet- Unsung

The Emerald Triangle

2009-02-23T19:08:00.000-08:00

There's a place that's not so close to where I live called Humboldt County. Along with the neighboring counties of Mendocino and Trinity, Humboldt is notorious for it's marijuana production. Multiple reports have noted that marijuana accounts for two-thirds of Mendocino's economy. Besides the pot, this region of California is also famous for it's giant Redwood trees that can grow up to 380 feet tall and it's proximity to the Pacific Coast.

I bring this magical place up because I recently watched a movie entitled Humboldt County. It's basically about a disillusioned medical student who finds himself in Humboldt living amongst the pot farmers. Similar to Zach Braff's overly-melodramatic films, the film felt like a mixture of Pineapple Express, Into the Wild, and Garden State. And like Braff's films, Humboldt County had some great indie music. Despite its controversial subject matter, the film was touching and interesting, almost introspective. And though the movie does present pot in a positive light, it doesn't overwhelm you with propaganda. The movie maintains an ominous mood throughout, never forgetting that growing pot is still illegal. Instead, the movie focuses on the people and their lives in Humboldt. The themes are familiar: strained father-son relationships and confusion about one's place and direction in life. And it's these themes that drive the characters to act the way they do, making the drugs more of an afterthought and one aspect of the setting and background. Filmed in the Redwoods of California, the film takes full advantage of Humboldt's natural beauty with some exquisite cinematography. The characters are well-developped, and the actors bring raw emotions to the film, reminding the viewer that pot is not just a hippie drug, but a way of life and sometimes a last resort.

But what really makes the film memorable was it's selection of great indie folk artists on its soundtrack. Before watching this movie, I had never heard of any of the bands on the soundtrack. As someone who is more into heavier rock and hip-hop, I usually don't stray beyond Death Cab or Snow Patrol for my indie rock, but the moment the film ended, I immediately googled "humboldt county soundtrack." After a little research, I found that Junip, Radical Face, and Earlimart were the main artists that provided the film with it's dreamy, folksy sound. If you are into Animal Collective, Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, or Rogue Wave, you will most likely like these bands.

And after all, "It's just a plant."

Fourth Show Recording (2/17)

2009-02-17T13:23:00.000-08:00

We had a pretty good show today. If you missed it or wanted to listen to it again, click the title above or right here to download the show as an mp3 or you can stream it below:

Fourth Show Recording (2/17)

2009-02-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

Eric B. & Rakim - Let the Rhythym Hit 'Em
Lucky Boys Confusion - Do You Miss Me [Killinas]
Cannibal Ox- Real Earth
The Ramones- My Brain is Hanging Upside Down
Billy Bragg- A New England
Lauryn Hill- Doo Wop (That Thing)
MURS- Brotherly Love
Walter Schriefels- Arthur Lee's Lullaby
Fleet Foxes- White Winter Hymnal
Aesop Rock- Tomorrow Morning
Chamillionare- Riding Dirty
Fleetwood Mac- Go Your Own Way
Hot Water Music- God Deciding
The Offspring- All I Want
Sublime- Smoke Two Joints
Muse- Plug in Baby
Jawbreaker- Oyster
Lifetime- Cut the Tension
The Grouch- The Bay to LA
Common- The Food
Nas- Rewind
Middle Class Rut- New Low
Lupe Fiasco- Go Go Gadget Flow
Alice in Chains- Got me Wrong
Bloc Party- Flux
Far- Pony
Samiam- My Conveniance
Ozomatli- Super Bowl Sundae

Mother freaking John Tesh!

2009-02-17T12:34:00.001-08:00

Jorm Dancing to Fleet Foxes

2009-02-17T11:39:00.000-08:00

2009-02-15T23:18:00.001-08:00

So I just watched the NBA all star game/weekend for the past few days and obviously I saw Spike Lee in the audience. This got me thinking- Spike Lee's movies are pretty good, huh? Everyone talks about his earlier stuff (School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, etc.) , but I feel like Spike deserves some more props for his recent efforts. 2006's Inside Man saw Spike directing big league actors such as Denzel and Clive Owen in what, for my money, was the best heist movie in recent memory. Sure, it was a little "Dog Day Afternoon"-y, but I liked the way Spike brought the NY vibe to the classic bank heist, and the ending/subplot was definitely cool too.
Earlier today, I watched Spike's last movie, "Miracle at St. Anna", which was WIDELY trashed by critics.Admittedly, "St. Anna" is ambitious in its efforts, as its a 2.5 hr+ WWII epic, but I was pleasantly surprised, especially after reading dozens of reviews trashing it as meandering junk with no narrative. The film is framed as a murder mystery, but is really the story of a group of four young African-American soldiers who are trapped behind enemy lines in WWII Italy. The story itself is very well written, and brings in many ideas, from racial and sexual tensions to religion and supernatural elements. This, though, is what I thought got Spike into trouble with critics. St. Anna begins as a tightly woven knot which quickly unravels, ending with a single thread. Many saw this as a downfall, but to me, its this narrative style that really sets St. Anna part from not only other WWII films, but even other Spike Lee films. Spike paces the film wonderfully, slowly maneuvering each piece of plot one from the central knot, until only one remains. This process is robust, however, as the film weighs in at a hefty 160 minutes- another reason why it was trashed by critics. In the end, though, maybe it's just my pre-existing interests in some of the facets of this movie, but I liked it. Spike does a great job of spinning the traditional war movie into a suspensful and enlightening film- definitely worth watching if you get a chance.

Park Lane Update

2009-02-10T13:46:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we played a track (The Fallen) by Park Lane and we justed wanted to let you know that you can now purchase their newly recorded EP on iTunes.

Third Show Recording (2/10)

2009-02-10T13:39:00.000-08:00

We had a pretty good show this week, I mean we played Lily Allen, so you know it's good. We also had some strange requests (The Lonely Island, Bel Biv Devoe, Gummy Bears Theme Song-not played). Decker threw in a short dance block too. If you missed it, you can listen to it now!

As always, click here to download or the title above or stream it below:

Third Show Playlist (2/10)

2009-02-10T13:33:00.000-08:00

The Dandy Warhols-Every Day Should Be a Holiday
Nine Inch Nails-Every Day is Exactly the Same
Sims-Barnum and Bailey's
Title Fight- Memorial Field
Tiger's Jaw- Between Your Band and the Other Band
The Lonely Island- Santana DVX
Zion I- Breathin Slow
Blink 182- Here's Your Letter
Felt- Life Vegas
Bel Biv Devo- Poison
Snoop Dogg- Gz and Hustlas
The Knux- Cappuccino
Crime in Stereo- Bicycles for Afghanistan
Incubus- Circles
The Strokes- Razorblade
Dizzee Rascal- Temptation
Andre Nickatina- Soul of a Coke Dealer
Excel- Take Your Part, Gotta Encourage
Clipse- I Still Got it For Cheap
Seaweed- Free Drug Zone
Caesar Palace- 1Ne
Cage- Blood Boy
Underdog- A Lot to Learn
Grits- Ooh Ahh
Young Jeezy- My President
Blue Scholars- Bruise Brothers
Lily Allen- The Fear

EMO: A Brief History

2009-02-03T14:51:00.000-08:00

For many people, the term "emo" implies the nerdy kid at your high school who wore girls' jeans and dyed his hair black. Knowing what real emo music is, however, this association has always gotten on my nerves. Hence, I decided to write on what emo really is- mythbusting, blog style.
Emo music began as an offshoot of hardcore punk, when many bands began writing less hard songs and turning to more "EMOtional" sounds, thus the name was born. Known DC hardcore heads such as Ian Mackeye and Guy Piccioto were key players in the development of emo, as they turned from the bands of their younger days (Minor Threat, etc.), and began to wrote perhaps more mature music, in bands such as Fugazi and Rites of Spring. 1985 saw the birth of both bands, each developing a more progressive and experimental sound than the straightforward hardcore of the early 1980's. Ian Mackeye's record label, Dischord Records, provided a springboard for many of these bands. The turn of the decade saw many simliar-minded bands developing, which progressed from the traditional simplistic elements of hardcore into more melodic and experimental approaches. New York bands such as Texas is the Reason and Quicksand, featuring Walter of Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today fame, took the sound of experimental hardcore bands and turned it more toward the sound which Mackeye had been experimenting with in Fuagzi. The momentum of bands like Fugazi influenced many other early 90's emo bands such as Sunny Day Real Estate to release records, which further developed the traditional emo sound. The following years saw many major emo acts rise to popularity. Groups such as Braid, Cap'n Jazz, the Promise Ring, and Mineral all released albums considered to be pillars of "traditional" emo in the years between 1990-2000.
Similar-minded emo forefathers, Jimmy Eat World and Weezer, both released landmark albums in 1996, Static Prevails and Pinkerton. These two bands can be credited to bringing the emo sound to mainstream audiences. The broad success of these records brough major label attention to emo, and eventually brought emo music to mainsream pop music. Bands such as Dashboard Confessional, Saves the Day, Taking Back Sunday, Hot Water Music, Brand New, and New Found Glory brought pop sensibilities and more accessible sounds to emo music, and saw major success in the early 2000's, fully achieving the crossover of emo into pop music.
It is at this time that the history of emo diverges. Emo has become mainstream, much due to the exposure of pop culture staples MTV, and the annual Vans Warped Tour. Popular emo music began straying further and further from the roots of the genre- so much so that I would say the acts labelled as "emo" in the 21st century (The Used, Fallout Boy, My Chemial Romance, Panic!, etc etc.) have been anything but emo. Many of these bands used over-the-top dramatic and theatric elements which are NOT traditionally a part of emo in anyway. Sadly, these elements have come to be associated with the emo genre, and dare I say, soiled the good name of emo forever. Hence, for most mainstream music fans, "emo" has become a catch-all phrase to describe most alternative or punk music- everything from Death Cab for Cutie to The Smiths (yes I have heard both described as emo). So next time you are about to call your local eyeliner wearing hipster "emo" take a second and remember what emo REALLY is.

Suggested listening: Fugazi, Rites of Spring, Jawbreaker, Sunny Day Real Estate, Seaweed, Knapsack, Samiam, the Promise Ring, American Football, Mineral.

Second Show Recording (2/3)

2009-02-03T13:15:00.000-08:00

So, thanks to our shitty internet, only the first hour and twenty minutes of the show got recorded. But to listen to those glorious 80 minutes, click here to download or click the title above or stream below:

Second Show Playlist (2/3)

2009-02-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

Hilltop Hoods-The Hard Road Restrung
Sigur Ros-Gobbledigook
The Sonics-Have Love Will Travel
Blink 182- Roller Coaster
(+44)- Cliff Diving
The Arctic Monkeys- Cigarette Smoke
Shiny Toy Guns- Ghost Town
Clipse- Pop Champagne
Paramore- That's What You Get
The Weathermen- Made Shit Your Pants
Yak Ballz- Future Deluxe
Cock Sparrer- England Belongs to Me
Led Zeppelin- Over The Hills and Far Away
Doom Tree- The Wren
POS- Goodbye
Saves the Day- Holly Hox, Forget Me Nots
The Get Up Kids- Campfire Kansas
Tech N9ne- Absolute Power
Pharoahe Monch-Right Here
Michael Jackson- Starting Something
Rage Against the Machine- Bombtrack
Von Bondies- This is Our Perfect Crime
Anarchy Club- Through Windows Clear
Ghostface Killah- Kilo
I Am the Avalanche- New Disaster
Classified- Beatin' It
The Descendents- Hope
Pharcyde- Passin' Me By