I found a treasure trove of sick mashups, so expect amazingness from here on out in the mashup department. The first few in this collection are a bit weak, but the ones at the end of this week's mix are truly spectacular.
Backstreet Boys. Oh, the memories and gushy pubescent feelings just that name evokes. Yes, I was a BSB fangirl. And no, I am NOT ashamed to admit it. From the ages eleven to fourteen I had eyes for no other boy band. NSYNC? Boo! Hiss! Yes, I listened to other things. I had three older siblings whose musical tastes differentiated greatly, and being the youngest and wanting their attention, I listened to everything they did. From Michael Jackson to Pantera to Garth Brooks to the Wu-Tang--I absorbed it all with audio delight. However, I need blame my sister for my penchant towards boy bands if only for her preoccupation with a certain '80s phenomenon: New Kids on the Block. I think I've digressed too much.
Anyways, as I was saying (or rather, about to say) was that those five "boys" (the Backstreet Boys) saw me through some of the most difficult times in my young life. Paternal infidelity, death, divorce, breaking of friendships, breaking of hearts--they were the comfort I sought after. I've always been one to drown my sorrows with a pen or a set of headphones, and those times were no exception. The Backstreet Boys were so saccharine, so safe, and so fucking cute and non-threatening, that looking back, it only seemed natural to choose them as my comforters. My musical knights in sugar-soaked armour, because hey, they promised to never break my heart. And how irresistible is that to a thirteen year old girl licking her wounds from her first heartbreak?
Millennium is pop perfection. Fight me on that, and you will fail. Miserably. I had to re-purchase that album three times because I wore out my cassettes that fucking much. (Yeah, I said cassettes, I didn't get a cd player of any kind until I was a sophmore in high school. So, eat it). More poppy and less RnB then their debut, it's just perfection and so succinct to that period of musical history with its sound. It's hard not to listen to that album and think of the late '90s early '00s. Maybe that's just me. Either way, Millennium is a flawless pop record--even with the nonsensical hottness that is "I Want It That Way."
Frustrated, fed up, and through with feeling vincible--I acted on the first impulse that came: go to the City. Having just picked up my paycheck when the impulse hit, I looked at it as though it was the Holy Grail. The next thing I knew was on a bus heading south. Since I was originally only venturing out for twenty minutes, I had on no coat and no socks, and had no extra clothing with me whatsoever. I was freezing but happy, and if there is a word for being more than happy, I was that. I was as giddy as a schoolgirl who just got her first kiss. And that was only the first twenty minutes of my adventure.
Not being completely reckless, I called a few friends to see if they could put me up for a day or two. Finding refuge at NYU, I ventured out into the Village. I was hyper-aware and everything just seemed to pop. Still giddy and feeling as though I should commemorate this moment of invincibility in some permanent fashion, I meandered down to St. Mark's Place. Having at least seven tattoo and piercing parlours to choose from, I chose Andromeda. Being the snarky wise-ass I am, I quickly befriended the owner, Joe, who not only tattooed me for a reasonable amount of money, but also touched up an old tattoo free of charge. With his card, a promise to look him up when I am down again, and quite possibly a job when I move, I left. Feeling fine and divine, I slept like a baby that night.
I awoke before everyone else that morning, and watched the buildings turn from black to blue to pink to orange and to yellow, before finally fading into their own rustic colours. I didn't know how the day would unfold and I didn't care. Saying, adieu to my friends and her roomies, I ventured into the big City once again. Taking refuge in Grand Central, I bought a notebook and began to people watch. Snapping pictures and coming up with stories for them, from Henri, the f.o.b. frenchman who was dumped by his fiancee a week after moving to the City; to Lydell, the balding 40-something conductor, who buys the New York Times everyday but never reads it; to Cherry, the 19 year old photography major who hates photography. I filled twenty pages with the fictional lives of strangers. Exhausted, Saved with the help of a lovely Korean woman, and with no place to lay my head that night, I made the much unanticipated trip back to Port Authority, back home. Thirty hours later, my romp in the City was over, much to the relief of several friends, family members, and co-workers who had given me up for dead. New York, New York...
NOTE: I almost bought Shutter Shades. I haggled the vendor down to $10 from a $40 price tag, but had to walk away when all he had were orange ones. Blast!
Miranda, I am not buying you shutter shades. No, I've made up my mind, Mir-mir. What? If everyone else jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you jump too? What do you mean you would if they gave you shutter shades? ARE YOU IN A CULT, MIRANDA? No? You better not be in a cult, Mir-mir, because then you really won't be getting shutter shades. I refuse to spend fifty dollars on retarded sunglasses if you are only going to drink the kool-aid. Yes, Miranda, shutter shades are retarded. What do you mean I'm buggin'? They are sunglasses with slits, Mir-mir, how effective can they be at blocking the sunlight? Oh, they're for fashion, well, that just makes everything better now, doesn't it? It's for fashion, so it's ok to spend fifty dollars to look retarded. Kanye West is allowed to look retarded because he can afford to, you on the other hand, Mir-mir, can't. I just don't understand you sometimes, Miranda. I honest to G-d don't. Don't start singing that damn song, Miranda!
NOTE: I for one do not think shutter shades are retarded. And if I had the money, I would own fifty pairs. No lie. And if I had an insane amount of money? I would have the white light up ones Kanye wore at the Grammy's. Those were hot.
"Hip-hop is a battle game," he said. "Chess is a battle. Martial arts is a battle."
I don't want to go to work, I want to go to Brooklyn. Why do I want to go to Brooklyn, you ask? Because RZA is going to be in Brooklyn. Gah. Why did my family ever migrate from Brooklyn? Just my luck, yo. It's alright though, I'll catch you on the flipside, RZA.
Ok, out of the Wu, RZA doesn't always have the smoothest of rhymes, but he is definitely the one armed with the beats. A few months back I found a RZA instrumental bootleg, and it blew my fuckin' mind. It has all the Wu and RZA tracks you love, just stripped of the vocals(duh). Hearing the beats without the rhymes brings them to an entirely new level, and makes you appreciate RZA's killer production skills all the more. The bootleg is on spot with its title because it is an experience.
Ok, while I am not an über fan of the iTunes music store (especially when it comes to purchasing less popular artists) due to its constant fuckuppery of artist and track labeling, I will give it props (as well as a plug) for it's Hip Hop/Rap Sale. Roughly forty albums are up for grabs at $7.99 a pop, from the likes of Nas, T.I., Fabolous, N.W.A., Ghostface Killah, Swizz Beats, Talib Kweli, The Roots, and T-Pain. The selection is alright, but there are a few gems there (primarily from the aforementioned artists). However, my top five recommendations (in no particular order) from the sale are: T.I.'s T.I. vs T.I.P. Wu-Tang's Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) Nas' It Was Written Gang Starr's Mass Appeal: The Best Of [I hate reccomending 'Best Of's' because it's lazy, but Gang Starr is dope] *Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek (as Reflection Eternal) Train of Thought
They are albums I own and have much love and respect for (I honestly would not rec them otherwise). Funny thing? My plan today was to venture out and purchase a RZA album or two, since my music collection is seriously lacking in his department, but due to the assload of snow and my city's inability to plow, I could not. So what did I do instead? Purchase Ghostface's latest, The Big Doe Rehab. I already own several of Ghost's releases, but hey, it's all in The Wu, and I've been meaning to buy that since it came out.
Finally! a New York date has been released! Woot! If I don't get tickets, I'm seriously going to blow. I have the complete list of dates below, and I am pumped even if I haven't bought my tickets yet. Also, thanks to The Pitchfork, we now know which acts will be providing 'Ye with backup at each date. And all I can say, thank goodness Lupe and N.E.R.D. are doing New York, while I am a bit saddened that the lovely Rihanna will not be there, Kanye, Lupe and Pharrell will more than make up for her. Also, I'll look into some of the dates provided by Pitchfork as they have some of the venues and cities mixed up. Hmmm...
Wed, 4/16/08 Key Arena Seattle, WA [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D., Rihanna] Fri, 4/18/08 ARCO Arena Sacramento, CA [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D., Rihanna] Sat, 4/19/08 HP Pavilion At San Jose San Jose, CA [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D., Rihanna] Sun, 4/20/08 San Diego Sports Arena San Diego, CA [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D., Rihanna] Mon, 4/21/08 NOKIA Theatre LA LIVE Los Angeles, CA [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D., Rihanna] Tue, 4/22/08 NOKIA Theatre LA LIVE Los Angeles, CA [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D., Rihanna] Thu, 4/24/08 McKale Memorial Center at University of Arizona Tucson, AZ [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Fri, 4/25/08 Red Rocks Casino Resort Las Vegas, NV [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Sat, 4/26/08 Journal Pavilion Albuquerque, NM [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Sun, 4/27/08 Pepsi Center Denver, CO [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D., Rihanna] Tue., 4/29/08 Ford Center Oklahoma City, OK [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D., Rihanna] Wed, 4/30/08 Frank Irwin Center Austin, TX [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D., Rihanna] Thu, 5/1/08 Superpages.com Center (formerly Smirnoff Music Center) Dallas, TX [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D., Rihanna] Fri, 5/2/08 Woodlands Pavilion Woodlands, TX [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D., Rihanna] Sun, 5/4/08 The Arena At Gwinnett Center Atlanta, GA [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Mon, 5/5/08 Ford Amphitheater Tampa, FL [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Tue, 5/6/08 Cruzan Amphitheatre West Palm Beach, FL [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Thu, 5/8/08 Verizon Amphitheater Charlotte, NC [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Fri, 5/9/08 Walnut Creek Amphitheatre Raleigh, NC [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Sat, 5/10/08 Nisson Pavilion Washington, DC [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Sun., 5/11/08 Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Virginia Beach, VA [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Tue, 5/13/08 Madison Square Garden New York, NY [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Thu, 5/15/08 Tweeter Center Boston, MA [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Fri., 5/16/08 North East Dodge Music Center Hartford, CT [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Sat, 5/17/08 Susquehanna Bank Center Camden, NJ [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Sun, 5/18/08 Toyota Pavilion Scranton, PA [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Tue, 5/20/08 Centre Bell Centre Montreal, QC, Canada [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Wed, 5/21/08 Molson Center Toronto, Ontario [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Thu, 5/22/08 Palace of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills, MI [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Fri, 5/23/08 United Center Chicago, IL [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Sat, 5/24/08 Target Center Minneapolis, MN [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Tue, 5/27/08 Credit Union Centre Saskatoon, SK, Canada [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Thu, 05/29/08 Rexall Place Edmonton, AB, Canada [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Fri, 05/30/08 Pengrowth Saddledome Calgary, AB, Canada [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Fri, 6/6/08 HP Pavilion At San Jose San Jose, CA [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Sat, 6/7/08 STAPLES Center Los Angeles, CA [with Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.] Thu, 6/12/08 Bonnaroo Manchester, TN [with Lupe Fiasco]
Googling "Glow in the Dark Tour" I stumbled upon a fan made mixtape for the tour, aptly titled The Glow in the Dark Tour Mixtape--leaves nothing to the imagination, eh?
An alright mix--comprised of tracks off each of the respective artists latest releases, with a few remixes and live performances thrown in for good measure. The mix manages to include a studio recording of 'Ye's 2008 Grammy version of Hey Mama--barebones and heartfelt. Also, much love for including two of my favourite tracks, Rihanna's Push Up On Me and Fiasco's Streets On Fire. Nothing earth-shattering, but worth a download/listen if you're a fan.
The MGMT -- Time to Pretend I'm feeling rough, I'm feeling raw, I'm in the prime of my life. Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives. I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin, and fuck with the stars. You man the island and the cocaine and the elegant cars. This is our decision, to live fast and die young. We've got the vision, now let's have some fun. Yeah, it's overwhelming, but what else can we do. Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute. Forget about our mothers and our friends We're fated to pretend To pretend We're fated to pretend To pretend...
The Lucksmiths -- Sunlight in a Jar I tried to write an opera for us But I didn’t get that far ’Cause trying to sum you up in song Is like catching sunlight in a jar Complex, completely credible love The kind that is made not handed to you from above Is difficult to talk about and harder to write Like the rhythm of a pulse, or the contours of firelight Overblown libretto and a sumptuous score Could never contain the contradictions I adore We can just be chaos and then something aligns It’s so hard to contain, maintain it or define it...
Erykah Badu -- Bag Lady Bag lady you gone hurt your back Dragging all them bags like that I guess nobody ever told you All you must hold on to Is you, is you, is you One day all them bags gone get in your way One day all them bags gone get in your way I said one day all them bags gone get in your way One Day all them bags gone get in your way So pack light Pack light...
Patrick Wolf -- A Boy Like Me A boy like me is told he is both nine and ninety and A boy like me should shut those books join the army but a boy like me would never be seen fighting for peace I want total chaos and a holiday home in the east A boy like me should know much better than to raise his flag in stormy weather but i just cant get enough electric shocks I want to buy a lighthouse and ride a giraffe on the rocks hey I dont give up I want two dogs two cats a big kitchen and a welcome mat I want all this and all shall have I dont give up A boy like me dont ever give up his dream, no...
Bob Dylan -- One More Weekend Slippin' and slidin' like a weasel on the run, I'm lookin' good to see you, yeah, and we can have some fun. One more weekend, one more weekend with you, One more weekend, one more weekend'll do. Come on down to my ship, honey, ride on deck, We'll fly over the ocean just like you suspect. One more weekend, one more weekend with you. One more weekend, one more weekend'll do...
It's like The Great Fuckin' Depression of my life, man. I mean, my girl left me--bitch said she'd be back in a few, and then two weeks later shows up with some dude called Hector and a U-Haul. My jobs suck--all three of them. I mean, I don't know what's worse, the douchebag bosses or the lousy pay. You want to know what else is sad, man? Three jobs and I'm still a broke ass. My bank account has been in the negative since November, man. Three jobs, man, and a negative bank account--you do the fucking math. It's not even like I go out. A movie here and there, sure, but I ain't done anything big for five months now, man. I'm so broke I can't even go to school--and that's what I'm fucking working for, man. At least when I was in school it was acceptable to be broke, "oh it's okay, he's working hard hittin' the books." But, now? Now, everyone looks at me like I'm a lazy ass. Twenty-one, working, and not in school--that's an unholy trinity of something, man. Assholes from high school walk up to me all arrogant and shit, asking me what I've been doing. Snickering when they hear "I'm just working." They think I'm stuck, man. They don't even know. Just wait, man, just fuckin' wait. What do you mean, "for what?" For me to be done with this bullshit, man. The fuckin' Depression didn't last forever, this shit ain't either.
Who knew a free ticket could be so hard to get rid of? I, now having an extra ticket to the Justice concert next month, can not for the life of me get rid of said ticket. I've asked nearly ten people, all of whom have 1) never heard of Justice 2) don't enjoy that sort of music or 3) have other plans that night. Ugh, in a time where money is tight, you'd think giving away free shit would be easy. I may end up giving that ticket away for free the day of--snag some hooligan off the streets, because this homegirl ain't going alone. Between this ticket fiasco and accidentally not showing up for work last night (thought I had the night off, oops), this week is already shaping up to be pretty spectacular. Go me.
Bonus!Mix!Jam!Justice -- Fabric Mix Tracklisting: 01 Sparks – Tryouts For The Human Race 02 Rondo Veneziano 03 Goblin – Tenebrae 04 Daft Punk – Ouverture 05 Surkin – Next Of Kin 06 Symbolone – Love Juice 07 Korgis – Everybodys Gotta Learn Sometimes 08 Midnight Juggernauts – Ending Of An Era 09 The Paradise Ft Romauld – In Love With You 10 Justice – TTHHEE PPAARRTTYY (Acapella) 11 Chic – Everybody Dance 12 Frankie Valli – Who Loves You 13 Das Pop – Underground 14 Julien Clerc – Quand Je Joue 15 Daniel Balavoine – Vivre Ou Survivre 16 Richard Sanderson – Reality 17 Zoot Woman – Grey Day 18 Fucking Champs – Thor Is Like Immortal 19 The Rave – Mother 20 Fancy – You Never Know 21 Frank Stallone – Far From Over 22 Sheila – Misery 23 Todd Rundgren – International Feel
Every time I think about this song, the first thing that pops in my head is Puffy's performance from the '97 MTV VMAs. Between the choir and the fact that Sting actually came onstage and performed with him, made that performance pretty unforgettable. Being only a few months after Biggie's passing, emotions were still high and by the end of the performance the entire audience was on their feet. It was one of those "wow" moments. I wonder if there's a video...
Mark Ronson is gorg*, so naturally any video in which he appears multiple times in a single frame is made of Win by default. Seriously, with his looks aside, this video is still pretty rad. Originally I was going to post the video for Valerie but then realised that Mr. Ronson had just dropped Just as the fourth single off Version. Also, the fact that Ronson's video is a throwback to the Radiohead original helps this video score points as it demonstrates that he's keepin' it real, yo.
I easily could have posted the dope fucking video for D.A.N.C.E., but this video is not without it's charms. When I first saw the video, I thought it a bit reminiscent of Daft Punk's Prime Time of Your Life video--visually if nothing else. But upon a second watch, I think any correlation between the two videos is that they were both made by french electro-house duos. A solid video definitely worth five minutes of your life.
Out of left field, huh? Keeping you on your toes is all. Pretty much a visual orgy of sex, drugs, and sadomasochism. There's no question in my mind as to why this video is considered controversial--between the graphic sex scenes, drug use, and naked Mr. Manson--any kid watching it would not grow up to be alright.** I'm not even sure what to say about this video. Yeah. If you're squeamish about blood, this video definitely is not for you.
*gorg is slang for gorgeous. **my sad attempt at The Who humour.
Girl, I was packing the other day--yeah, I'm movin' out that triflin' ass ni--what? No, he ain't gonna let you move in, girl. Sorry, but no. Anyways, like I was sayin', the other day I was packing, and you wanna know what I found, girl? I found that mix cd you gave me way back in the day! You know--the one with those songs? What do you mean mean, "could you be any more vague?" Oh, well, it's the one with the one from High School with the Busta track--what do you mean you still ain't got no idea what the hell I'm talkin' about? Here's the damn thing, since you obviously have shit for brains...
Working the night shift at a supermarket franchise, leaves one listening to the store "radio" when their iPod skitches out. This "radio" is on a loop, and about every three days or so, I will hear, in a period of nine hours, no less than four songs with my name in it. No fucking lie. The usual suspects? -John Mayer -- Why, Georgia, Why -Hanson -- Georgia -Gladys Knight & The Pips -- Midnight Train to Georgia -Ray Charles -- Georgia (On My Mind)
Hearing these songs on a regular basis prompted an idea: a mix of songs dealing with my name. Yes, while I would love to include classics like, Charlie Daniel's Band's "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," I am limiting this mix to songs strictly about a person, which, surprisingly, are more songs than you think. This mix may seem a bit narcissistic, but it's taken me years to embrace my name. People have sung Georgia (On My Mind) more times to me than I can count. Seriously, if I collected a penny from every other person who has sung it to me, I would be richer than Steve Jobs. Easily. It wasn't until a few summers ago that I learned the amazing powers of my name: cute guys will serenade me. Not just serenade me with any old song either, oh no, but a song with my name in it. Andre greeted me every morning at seven AM with that song, and didn't stop until I would leave at nine AM. His voice alone could melt butter, his voice crooning my name? Well, you could imagine...
The Editors -- Lullaby (The Cure) [the line at the end "’Come into my Parlour,’ said the Spider to the Fly" is directly lifted from Mary Howitt’s poem aptly titled The Spider and the Fly]
Danger Mouse brought us The Grey Album, a mashup of Jay-Z's Black Album with the Beatles White Album. Now DJ Swindle brings us Almatic. A mashup of Al Green classics with some of Nas's best tracks. The title of course a play on Nas's seminal debut, Illmatic (which if you have never listened to, go educate yourself NOW). The awesomeness of this collaboration is not to be doubted. Upon first listen I was blown as to how well some of Green’s rhythms blend with Nas’s rhymes. His lyrics bouncing off Green’s robust grooves in such a way as to emphasize his rhymes. My favourite mashup is One Mic/You Ought to Be With Me--listen to it, it will change your life. All the mashes are pretty amazing, but that one is one that just stands out for me (perhaps because One Mic is one fo my favourite Nas tracks, who kows). I highly, highly, highly reccomend you download this album. The album is available as mp3 tracks on Swindle’s website below.
Mr. West, Mr. West, Mr. West. My love for you has grown over the past few months. Reluctant as I was at first to admit my liking for you (for years I was drinking the Haterade) I can now proudly state that I am a fan. It pained me at first to do so, even if disliking you was based on your personality and not your music.The image you had put forth turned me off in the worst of ways. Arrogant as fuck, I couldn't look at you, let alone listen to anything that came out of your mouth without becoming agitated. Then you released Stronger, and being a Daft Punk fan, I was intrigued pushing my hate for you aside as I took a listen. I mean, if the Parisians like you, and want to work with you, you can't be all that bad, can you? At first play, I was pretty much, "meh" as my distaste for you was potent still. It took a few late night dance sessions at a friend's place before I was hooked (I swear, sometimes all one has to do is make me want to move my hips and I'm theirs).
So naturally, while over at Shots Ring Out my interest was piqued by a video interview you did with Spike Jonez (Hype Williams is there too). Broken into five parts, the entire interview runs about a half hour. Not the most riveting of interviews, but worth a watch if you're a Kanye fan. Click here for the interview.
Also, six dates added to the Glow in the Dark tour, check out the rest here: Mon, 04/22/08 NOKIA Theatre LA LIVE Los Angeles, CA Sun, 04/27/08 Pepsi Center Denver, CO Fri, 05/23/08 United Center Chicago, IL Tue, 05/20/08 Centre Bell Centre Montreal, QC, Canada Tue, 05/27/08 Credit Union Centre Saskatoon, SK, Canada Thu, 05/29/08 Rexall Place Edmonton, AB, Canada
Remember how I was bitchin' about the lack of quality Low remixes? Well, it seems as though I can quit bitching, and hope this is the start of a trend. Still not better than the original, but it can definitely hold its own.
New York City, my soon to be new home. How I've missed you so these last four months. Your streets worn down after hours of wandering, your nooks, crannies, and crevices explored until it was time for me to turn in. Time for me to go. I always have to go, don't I? Leave the lights, the bustle, the continuous hum of life. Just the mere hope of returning to you next weekend has given me what I've needed to get through the next week without going crazy. Soon I'll never have to leave you--never have to go, and be crazy in an entirely new way. New York City, I salute you, and miss you.
How fucking rad is that poster? It makes my Star Wars nerd heart squee with glee. I want it. More importantly, I reallyfuckingwant to attend a concert for which that poster was made. Sad thing, though? Only one date scheduled on the East Coast so far, and it's in Georgia. That's over 800 fucking miles away. Just because my name is Georgia, does not mean I can attend concerts in Georgia. Lame! It's cool though, because there's guaranteed to be more dates announced soon.
Wed, 04/16/08 KeyArena Seattle, WA Fri, 04/18/08 ARCO Arena Sacramento, CA Sat, 04/19/08 HP Pavilion At San Jose San Jose, CA Sun, 04/20/08 San Diego Sports Arena San Diego, CA Mon, 04/21/08 NOKIA Theatre LA LIVE Los Angeles, CA Thu, 05/01/08 Superpages.com Center (formerly Smirnoff Music Center) Dallas, TX Fri, 05/02/08 Woodlands Pavilion Woodlands, TX Sun, 05/04/08 The Arena At Gwinnett Center Atlanta, GA Thu, 05/22/08 Palace of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills, MI
Mr. West's 2008 Grammy performance with special guests, Daft Punk:
by
Fucking dope. Reinorces the fact that I need to see him live. Also? Reinforces the fact that I need to see Daft Punk live as well.
Tags, Labels, the little link thingys at the bottom of each post that link you to posts containing similar content, have been changed. I couldn't keep myself within blogger's 200 character limit, so alterations had to be made.
Instead of me filing a post under an artist's name, I will be filing them with the first letter of their name (Nina Simone now becomes 'n'). Likewise, artists with numbers at the forefront of their name will be filed under the letter that the number begins with (2pac becomes 't'). I've just made ctrl + f your new best friend.
I think that covers everything for now. I think.
And so this post isn't completely lame, I bear giftsies! [pardon, too much Scrubs]
Kylie Minogue is a one woman disco. Being of the Fraggle Rock mindset in "dancing your cares away," I can not help but promote Kylie as the woman to help you do just that. Her songs are infectious; the hip swinging beats and the girlish heart prevalent throughout the songs provide the best grooves to work out a weeks worth of frustrations. Turn on your stereo, attach the iPod to the hip, blast Kylie and fall into her groovetastic rhythms. She makes fun music with heart. Yes, the heart in her songs is sometimes insipidly sappy, but hey? If you can shake your ass to it and forget the bullshit for a few minutes, then who cares? Not this chick, for one (obviously). Now let's get to the meat and potatoes of this post, shall we?
Minogue's latest effort, X, is flawless. It's a departure for Kylie as she moves from her typical pop-disco sound into a more electro one. And while the change isn't a 180 like Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor, it's still noticeable (as well as welcomed). The move into a more electronic sound for Minogue is simply a natural progression, keeping her sound fresh and her listeners interested.
Combing my Kylie albums for songs to throw up here for your listening pleasure, I ended up with a list of nearly fifty songs. Yeah. I'm not posting fifty songs in one go, let alone fifty songs from a single artist. To encourage you all to purchase Ms. Minogue's albums, I am going to leave you wanting more by cutting the list down to seventeen. A generous helping of Kylie still, yes, but not too big so as to leave room for dessert.
The following songs go from oldest to newest to give you a feel as to how her sound has progressed.
My head is in a spin My feet don't touch the ground. Because you're near to me My head goes round and round. My knees are shaking baby My heart it beats like a drum It feels like it feels like I'm in love.
I remember when this video first came out--VH1 and MTV went crazy for it. Luckily for me, both stations played it in the AM, making Virtual Insanity my morning jam for the '96 -- '97 school year a.k.a. the sixth grade. I remember the arguments that grew from how the fuck they did the special effects. "He's just that good of a dancer, man." "No, bro, it's a lame camera trick." "No, the floor moved." "The walls did, buttface." "Shut the Hell up, Jay Kay is magic."
Interesting tidbit: won "Breakthrough Video" as well as "Best Video of the Year" at the '97 MTV Video Music Awards. For the record: it's the walls that move.
I've grown to love Mika in the last couple of months, and it wasn't on account of the song Love Today--which I can not stand--but on account of this song, actually. A housemate was given Mika's album for Christmas and Lollipop played while driving around one blustery afternoon, and I was hooked. It's so g-ddamned catchy! He's like Freddy Mercury meets George Michael meets the Spice Girls and I absolutely fucking love it. Although the video was illustrated by five French animators collectively known as Bonzom, the style, as well the characters were inspired by album art that Mika and his sister designed for his album, Life in Cartoon Motion.
My name is Georgia, and I am a Kylie Minogue fangirl. I've been shaking my fangirl ass to her tunes since the nineties--Locomotion?! Even during my "punk is the shit everything else blows" phase, I never denied my love for her music. I just didn't care, and still don't. She's too much damn fun. It was a toss-up between this video, Red Blooded Woman and In My Arms. Red Blooded woman isn't nearly as fun and in In My Arms, Kylie is just a bit too crazy for my tastes(the fan part?). Also, Wow is her new single off X (an album I highly recommend you purchase). Speaking of Wow, check out the Spitzer and MSTRKRFT remixes here and then snag the CSS remix. I think a Kylie post is definitely in this blog's near future...
"You are my lollipop..." I see a another theme developing in this post. Hmmm. Aqua is just one of those groups you hope release a new single if only because it means a new video. This video is "what the fuck" dipped in awesome. It's cool though, they're Danish.
I think we'll keep it at four before Blogger blows a load over the size of this post.
*Kid tested, Mother approved, unless of course they work for the RIAA.
Yeah, boy got the girl good, gotta admit. Acting all smooth with his sheepish grin and goofy jokes--harmless, right? Then he starts putting his hands in places, and his words start going in places, and she's like "Oooh eee!" And girl still ain't paying no mind, assuming he's harmless, right, not paying attention to the tightness in her chest. Just flat out ignorant because the boy got a cute grin and some slick words, and not realising the grip he's got on her heart (or rather, the girl ain't caring cause she's gettin' hers regardless). Cute boy leaves, and then the girl starts carin'. Starts wondering how she been blindsided. Starts wondering exactly when he stopped loving her. Though she may not know when he stopped loving her, baby girl know she's gonnna get through it. She's a tough young thang, and it's not like it's the apocalypse or anythin'. Just another broken heart is all.
Donna, I know Valentine’s Day is around the corner--and I hate to do this and all--but, uh, I, uh, I I thinkweshouldseeotherpeople. I know! Crazy, right? We’ve been together for a few years now and I--don’t cry, Donna. You’re right, you’re right, I’m absolutely a schmuck. A prick, a douchebag, you name it, I’m it, baby. Don’t call you ‘baby’? I’m sorry. Sorry. I’m terrible at this--do you want a hug? Don’t touch you--oh, ok. I’m sorry, just trying to make it better, is all, Donna. Well, um--what was that?
Oh, are our plans for Thursday still on? Well, you see, Donna, uh, the thing about Thursday is that I, uh, I, uh, I amtakingoutsomeoneelseinstead. I know! Crazy, right? You see, I met this girl--you know how these things go! No, no, no, no, no! Don’t do that, Donna, you’re making your mascara run, baby! Ouch! I’m sorry! God, woman, could your purse be any heavier? Shit, I’m sorry. I deserved it, I know. I know! God, Donna, you’re taking this harder than I thought. What? Aw, I know you love me, baby--I loved you too, but things change.
What about the wedding? Well, that’s off, girl. I know this is hard, it’s going to be for awhile, which is why I think we should just make this a clean break and not talk to each other after I get my stuff out of your place. Hmm? What about Trey jr.? Well, you see, Donna, little Trey-Trey is just gonna cramp my style right now, you know? Between work, my buddies, and the lad--other things, I won’t have a lot of time to see him, you know?
The Gossip -- Are U That Somebody? (Aaliyah) [as much as it pains me to have a Gossip track on my blog (no Love whatsoever), I have much love for Aaliyah as well as this cover]
Depending on how squirrely I begin to feel, this may just become a bi-monthly/monthly blog!feature!...
EDIT Hold up, kiddies, this post is being wonky! More than half my links are refusing to show up. Technical Difficulties are Le Suck. EDIT 2 All is well.
You don't have to be a Trekkie to appreciate Patrick Stewart and the amazingness of this song. Warning: you will be singing this song, long after it’s over.
And here is the video for good measure (dancing Picard is made of Super Win.)
I realise how nerdy this post may make me appear, but I must assure you that I've maybe watched a dozen episodes of Star Trek in my twenty-one year lifespan. Because frankly, I'm a Star Wars gal.
If my LastFM accurately logged what I play on my iPod, it would show me listening to nothing but Low by Flo-Rida. I know this post may appear a bit lazy since I offered up Low in my previous post, but hear a girl out. The beat is contagious, infecting even the whitest of the white boys I know with groove fever (this has granted me the pleasure of watching them air smack an imaginary derriere to the line "give that big booty a smack." Picture that. Priceless, right?) I for one can not blame them. It's hard to listen to Low and not want to move--and I don't mean just head boppin' either. I mean shoulders, hips, and feet--the entire package digging into the groove, workin' it.
The other amazing quality this song possesses? You can not be angry while listening to it. I'm serious. Next time you're pissed off, play it. By the time it hits the end of the first chorus, if you're not sucked in and digging into the low's, then something is seriously fucking wrong with you. I'm not even kidding. The only feasible way for this song not to work its mojo on you is if you really have a passionate disliking for hip-hop (not unlike one of my housemates.)
With a grooveliscious song like Low, you'd expect some great remixes then, right? Wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong. Using the unholy-mp3-search-trinity of Google, Hype Machine, and Skreemr, I could only find a handful of remixes, none of which improved upon the original let alone outshone it. The remixes are awkward, and in my honest opinion, unimaginative. I'm sorry, but I've always been of the mindset that if you're going to do a remix, you need it to bring something to the (figurative) table that the orginal didn't. Don't half-ass it by just distorting the beat and slapping any old thing onto it. I mean what does one think they're going to accomplish by taking something as crisp as Low and reworking it with a bit of lo-fi disco?
Looking at the calendar a few moments ago, I realised that today is exactly nine months til my 22nd birthday. And since I am procrastinating doing my adult duties (i.e. laundry, taxes, cleaning, paying bills), I decided that I might as well make an UnBirthday Mix. No theme here really, besides these being songs I dig/can't get enough of as of late.
Roy baby, let me do you (as well as me) a favour this Valentine's and tell you exactly what I want. I know what you're thinking, "Oh, Lord, what expensive shit am I going to have to shell out for now." But that ain't the case, baby. You see, Roy, all I want this year--if I can be so forward-- is some serious deep-dicking.
I know, I know. We have sex all the time, but quite frankly, Roy, you've gotten lazy, and mama's tired of picking up the slack. Lying there, long after you've passed out, satisfying myself in ways you haven't done in years now, Roy. Years. I'm a hot-blooded woman, baby, and if you can't give me what I want this year, then I can't guarantee an 'us,' Roy. Mama's got to get hers too, baby.
I was surfing the web, minding my own business, you know just collecting a few mp3's for a Fat Tuesday mix I was going to throw up, when I was distracted by an ad that said "Jason Schwartzman IS Coconut Records (download the album for FREE now)." A sucker for free shit and loving the Coppola family as one should, especially Señor Schwartzman, I humoured the ad and clicked. Good thing. As promised, the album was available for free download after a 30 second signup with the site.
Coconut Records is not Schwartzman's first dive into the music scene (he was the drummer as well as songwriter for Phantom Planet). Produced by Incubus guitarist, Mike Enzinger and released in May 2007, Nighttiming is Schwartzman's first solo endeavour and in my opinion, an album grossly overlooked this past year. Clocking in at a little over a half hour, Nighttiming is a relatively short album. Melodic, lo-fi, California-esque, sometimes a bit funky--all around a fine album, incorporating different sounds while remaining cohesive and coherent. Also, how can on not love an album that incorporates the use of kazoos?
Interesting Nighttiming factoids? Schwartzman's Marie Antoinette co-star, Kirsten Dunst, provides backing vocals on two tracks, This Old Machine and Summer days. Incubus' Brandon Boyd is the one whistling in Slowly. And the lovely Zooey Deschanel pops up in Slowly as well.
Download the album, as well as preview the tracks at the Amie Street site:
Artist: Juliette & The Licks Album:Four on the Floor (31MB, zip, sendspace) Genre: Alternative Similar artists: Hole, Arctic Monkeys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs Favorite tracks: Hot Kiss, Smash and Grab, Purgatory Blues, Sticky Honey, Death of a Whore Comments: Juliette Lewis si hot and her band is hotter. Much love.
Artist: Morrissey Album:Ringleader of the Tormentors (101MB, zip, sendspace) Genre: Alternative Similar artists: The Smiths, The Cure, Pulp Favorite tracks: I really could say the entire album, since every track is made of awesome, but the top three: In The Future When All’s Well, Dear G-d Please Help Me, The Father Who Must Be Killed Comments: Latest release from Moz. Stellar album, really. I was thisclose to seeing him live. *shakes fist*
Artist: Patrick Wolf Album:The Magic Position (50MB, zip, sendspace) Genre: Alternative/Pop/Electronic/Patrick Wolf Similar artists: Final Fantasy, Klaxons, Beirut Favorite tracks: Enchanted, Augustine, Magic Position, Magpie, The Stars Comments: I am in musical love with Patrick Wolf. No lie. He’s a breath of fresh air, and he’s adorable to boot. Very etheral, surreal sound on this album. Magpie definitely an awesome song.
Nearly eleven years ago, Robyn, popped on the scene with "Do You Know (What It Takes)." I can still sing that song without the music, it's catchy and fun and she's just adorable. Anyhow, now that she has returned (she's releasing a new album this year) I really, really, really, regret hawking her album to Media Play for a lousy three dollars. Ugh, stupid teenage-denial phases. Why am I talking about Robyn, you ask? Keep reading.
Snoop Dogg's tune, "Sexual Eruption" is an alright track. A litle stale, but not horrible. How do we freshen it up, you ask? To make one hot track: add a one cute Swede Girl and call the Fyre Department
The Fyre Department remix of the Snoop Track is dope. Yes, it's 2008 and I just described something as "dope." Seriously, though. The Fyre Department takes a mediocre track, laces Robyn's vocals throughout and intensifies the beat and BAM! We have a hit, or at least one ridiculously good song. Yes, this song was remixed previously with some estrogen backing a-la Lil' Kim, and while it did gloss up the track quite a bit, it didn't bring it nearly to the dazzling dazzlingness that the Fyre Department remix has.
The Basement Jaxx, my current obsession; making love to my ears and moving my hips every night for the past two weeks. A house duo (not unlike fellow contemporaries, Daft Punk) comprised of the brilliancy of Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe as well as electronic phenomenawesomeness. Hailing from Mother England, they've been on the scene since the mid-nineties, releasing their first LP in late-ish '99. Perhaps one of the more approachable electronic acts out there today providing listeners with not only some groovetastic beats, but poignant lyrics as well; dealing with a woman's insatiable libido to heartbreak. I could go on and on about how amazing they are, honestly, I could, but I think I'll put a sock in it, and let the music do the "talking" instead.
Twenty-One. Ovary Carrier. Philosopher. Overworked. Underplayed. Writer. Lover. Music Appreciator. Batman Freak. Red-Haired. Freckled.
Just an old sweet song, keeps Georgia on my mind...
If you own the copyrights to any material shown on this blog and would like it removed, holla at a girl and the material in question shall be removed promptly.
Artist: Juliette & The Licks
Artist: Morrissey
Artist: Patrick Wolf
