Have we really gotten this far already? I mean, it seems like not 12 months ago that I was posting my Top 12s for 2007, and now I'm getting ready for my second Rose Bowl in three years and posting a summary of '08? Crazy. But it's been a fantastic year, with many new friends and activities. What I really love though is how some outings and parties are becoming tradition with the multiple years out of college now, and they become larger than just parties, but scheduled gatherings that you wait for a certain month to come around for. So, with that, I give you my top 12s for this year...
Movies: Well, my movie total from this year was down. I focused more on getting out of the house, finding social activities multiple nights a week, and with the lifting of the writer's strike, there was so much TV in the second half of the year that it made the time to get to movies almost non-existent. All told, I watched 142 movies this year. The month links will take you to the movie listing for that month, and the movie link will take you to IMDB.
Jan: Primer
Feb: Gattaca
Mar: The Lives of Others
Apr: No Country for Old Men
May: Grandma's Boy
Jun: Ratatouille
Jul: The Dark Knight
Aug: Thirteen
Sep: Permanent Midnight
Oct: Donnie Darko
Nov: RocknRolla
Dec: The Wrestler
Events and Blogs: With each year getting better than the last, it becomes harder and harder to pick out my favorite posts from each month. But that doesn't mean it can't or shouldn't be done. Links are included...if you've seen the post, revisit it in all its glory. If you haven't, see it with a fresh pair of eyes and the perspective of distance and time...the month links will take you to all posts from that month.
Jan: New Year, New Couple
Feb: Around the World, and the City
Mar: School Bus Rocks
Apr: Exploring
May: ...And then I got hitJun: Unionizing the Street
Jul: Pride: The March
Aug: Apples to Lakes
Sep: The Great American Transfer
Oct: Land of Pumpkins
Nov: From Trick or Freak to 406
Dec: Another Marathon
In terms of non-event blogs, there were a few I really enjoyed this year...
Marriage? An Institution?
China (Hoax), IOC (Joke), NBC (Dolts), Olympics (Dope)
And for my spoken word pieces this year, my favorite was definitely A Moment After Next.
Alright folks, make the best of your farewells to 2008 tonight, because I've heard that 2009 isn't going to wait for us to be ready for it. Also, Fight On SC!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas Music Sucks
{for all music related posts, see .Evolving.Music}
I'm incredibly fed up. No, it's not Bush's pardons that are irking me...as long as he doesn't hand one over to Scooter Libby I'm ok. I'm pretty sick of seeing red and green everywhere, but it's Christmas time, so what can you expect, you just have to deal with it. No, what I'm sick of today is Christmas music. I'm not sure what it is (cough*money*) but every artist out there feels it's not only their right but their absolute duty to remix the holiday classics in order to put out a Christmas album with a 93,000th rendition of "Jingle Bells."
I'm not sure when we decided that the classic "Jingle Bells" wasn't enough, nor for that matter when artists figured out the cash cow that is Christmas music. Every year, a different pop artist attempts to cash in on the act. Over the years, I've seen the travesty of Christmas albums put out by Country artists and vocal crooners. I'm confused as to just how many versions of the same 11 songs these artists think is logically necessary.
Do I sound "bah humbug" here? Don't get me wrong...I'm all for mixing and matching, and certainly in favor of a remix industry that allows artists of various genres to expand the musical universe, but there's a difference between the creative re-working of music and the canned grab for money that the industry orchestrates in the Christmas music album rush every December.
The problem is that none of it is actually very good. I could go into a studio, put down a faux drum beat and carol for the microphone and it would probably come out in the general vicinity of skill displayed by other Christmas albums.
To read the rest of this post and find a savior for Christmas music, click here.
I'm incredibly fed up. No, it's not Bush's pardons that are irking me...as long as he doesn't hand one over to Scooter Libby I'm ok. I'm pretty sick of seeing red and green everywhere, but it's Christmas time, so what can you expect, you just have to deal with it. No, what I'm sick of today is Christmas music. I'm not sure what it is (cough*money*) but every artist out there feels it's not only their right but their absolute duty to remix the holiday classics in order to put out a Christmas album with a 93,000th rendition of "Jingle Bells."
I'm not sure when we decided that the classic "Jingle Bells" wasn't enough, nor for that matter when artists figured out the cash cow that is Christmas music. Every year, a different pop artist attempts to cash in on the act. Over the years, I've seen the travesty of Christmas albums put out by Country artists and vocal crooners. I'm confused as to just how many versions of the same 11 songs these artists think is logically necessary.
Do I sound "bah humbug" here? Don't get me wrong...I'm all for mixing and matching, and certainly in favor of a remix industry that allows artists of various genres to expand the musical universe, but there's a difference between the creative re-working of music and the canned grab for money that the industry orchestrates in the Christmas music album rush every December.
The problem is that none of it is actually very good. I could go into a studio, put down a faux drum beat and carol for the microphone and it would probably come out in the general vicinity of skill displayed by other Christmas albums.
To read the rest of this post and find a savior for Christmas music, click here.
Monday, December 22, 2008
27
First and foremost, a big thank you to everyone who made it out on Saturday night to have a few with me. I had an absolutely fantastic time and was so happy to see so many of my friends in the same place at the same time, instead of me needing to take cabs all over the city to see various people. We started the evening out at Bus Stop where we got a nice small group together to have a few. By the time it was time to leave, we had a few cars/taxis of people to take over to Romolo.
At Romolo, most everyone showed up from high school friends to new friends from the past two years. We drank there until it was time to leave and then went over to the crepe stand for a late snack.
Sunday, I felt really good when I woke up, and then quickly crashed about 5 hours later when I stopped being drunk and started being hung over. Luckily, a country club buffet dinner helped fix the issue.
But yea, fantastic time, incredible friends and a most memorable evening. Thanks one and all!
Friday, December 19, 2008
10 Things to Think About on a Friday
I find it quite hard to believe that we've come to the end of 2008. It's a little scary how fast it went, considering I've been told by multiple people how it goes faster and faster as you get older. Holiday dinners and birthday celebrations dominated the week, but I'm still glad the weekend is here so I can get down to some serious celebrating and roll into the Christmas week. If you haven't done your Christmas shopping (like me), you (I) better get out there and get that shit done fast! In the meantime, here's 10 things to think about....
1) He was famous in the news for his help in forcing the Nixon resignation after Watergate...later, his nickname was used in porno films. Either way, the legend of "Deep Throat" will now live on without the actual "Deep Throat" (W. Mark Felt), who has sadly passed away at age 95.
2) Ethics in business are obviously important. And when an agency representing a fair number of athletes does something that you feel is screwing you over, it makes sense to say you won't do business with them, right? But do you hold that grudge if they have players you want, or do you believe that the players will go to an agency that you'll deal with?
3) The bailout is something that's got me agitated right now. I understand that it's important to support your economy, but here we are giving billions of dollars to companies that paid their CEOs too much, weren't smart in business practices, and really have only themselves to blame. Now we're bailing out the auto industry. What are your thoughts on giving huge sums of money to companies that should have been smarter with it in the first place?
4) While I don't condone stupidity, it certainly can create some sad situations. Once knock-out king of the world and menace within the boxing community, Mike Tyson has become a menace to himself, and his cholesterol.
5) But who likes looking at a fat Mike Tyson? I'm not usually a fan of Jennifer Aniston...I don't think she's all that cute, and really didn't like her in Friends. But seeing this changed my mind. And if you're Dave Letterman, you now get to keep the tie.
6) While I'm thinking about now, some are thinking about a moment after next...
7) So I understand if you're a football recruit and you want to look at places other than USC to play football. But why would you look at a team like UCLA that went 4-8 this year over a team that went 11-1 and is going to face Penn State in the Rose Bowl? I mean, go look at Florida or Oklahoma, or another school that actually has a winning record.
8) So you don't have a security system, you show your home off on national television...are you surprised if it gets broken into?
9) Super cool and very very creepy...take a look at 5 modern day cities that have been abandoned.
10) Finally, for those who have seen There Will Be Blood, I was reminded yesterday of this YouTube spoof trailer for There Will Be Bud. Enjoy your weekends!
1) He was famous in the news for his help in forcing the Nixon resignation after Watergate...later, his nickname was used in porno films. Either way, the legend of "Deep Throat" will now live on without the actual "Deep Throat" (W. Mark Felt), who has sadly passed away at age 95.
2) Ethics in business are obviously important. And when an agency representing a fair number of athletes does something that you feel is screwing you over, it makes sense to say you won't do business with them, right? But do you hold that grudge if they have players you want, or do you believe that the players will go to an agency that you'll deal with?
3) The bailout is something that's got me agitated right now. I understand that it's important to support your economy, but here we are giving billions of dollars to companies that paid their CEOs too much, weren't smart in business practices, and really have only themselves to blame. Now we're bailing out the auto industry. What are your thoughts on giving huge sums of money to companies that should have been smarter with it in the first place?
4) While I don't condone stupidity, it certainly can create some sad situations. Once knock-out king of the world and menace within the boxing community, Mike Tyson has become a menace to himself, and his cholesterol.
5) But who likes looking at a fat Mike Tyson? I'm not usually a fan of Jennifer Aniston...I don't think she's all that cute, and really didn't like her in Friends. But seeing this changed my mind. And if you're Dave Letterman, you now get to keep the tie.
6) While I'm thinking about now, some are thinking about a moment after next...
7) So I understand if you're a football recruit and you want to look at places other than USC to play football. But why would you look at a team like UCLA that went 4-8 this year over a team that went 11-1 and is going to face Penn State in the Rose Bowl? I mean, go look at Florida or Oklahoma, or another school that actually has a winning record.
8) So you don't have a security system, you show your home off on national television...are you surprised if it gets broken into?
9) Super cool and very very creepy...take a look at 5 modern day cities that have been abandoned.
10) Finally, for those who have seen There Will Be Blood, I was reminded yesterday of this YouTube spoof trailer for There Will Be Bud. Enjoy your weekends!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
A Moment After Next
The lemon sherbet sunset wept,its golden tears running down the black cheeks of the city skyline,
dripping the last moments of the day's promise down into the gutters lining the streets,
pooling in orange-black swirls before disappearing into the sewers with last year's trash.
And as the buildings looming overhead began showing broken teeth of light from scattered windows,
the people scurried like reverse roaches,
hiding from the dark that marked the passing of another chance to turn it all around,
eyes to the ground,
afraid to look too far ahead into the sinister blackened brow of the not so silent night.
Mocking feeble attempts to bring the future to bear,
the sun stands sentinel in the sky,
Presiding over the waning minutes of its present dominance,
looking past itself and beyond the night nipping at its heels,
never slowing or finding reason to yield,
the roaches once more
finding reason to run across Earth's kitchen floor
seeking the tomorrow horizon and score,
keeping points not yet won in a tally of hopes and dreams yet to come.
Mist in the air swells to raindrops
on Mission streets, with melodies
of mariachi drifting from cantinas,
wind whipping plastic furniture sheets, their snap
like screen doors slamming,
hollow echo down an empty alley,
stationary tumbleweed of discarded cardboard dreams -
slogans for pocket change abandoned when they failed to fill
cups not running over,
sleep being rubbed from between the sidewalk cracks
broken backs of overhead bus transfer lines
and the odor of over-ripe fruit wafting onto passerbys -
their eyes,
somewhere in future tense
a transgression devoid of recompense,
quests for next week that make no sense,
wrapped in the shroud of an unfathomable grasp at destiny,
quite simply,
I can't rely on tomorrow to save me
with all the hours that it brings -
because forever will give me maybe
but now will give me anything.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The Ankle (1 Week Later)
Well, I was hoping after a week of icing and keeping it elevated, the ankle would look a little better. Unfortunately, it doesn't really. I would advise you to stay off trampolines...The bruising has actually gone down quite a bit.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
10 Things to Think About on a Friday
So after almost breaking my ankle on Sunday night participating in Za's birthday at the trampoline place, most of my week was spent at home with my leg up or split between half days at work and being at home with my leg up. It has been largely uneventful, incredibly painful, and frustratingly slow. At least here we are with 10 things to think about...
1) The BCS refuses to acknowledge that it has a problem with the lack of a playoff system. Yet, everyone in the country seems to recognize the problem. For once, a person in the governemnt has set forth something that makes sense...if BCS won't change their format, make it illegal for them to call it a National Championship game...
2) Over at MixMatchMusic, excitement is ramping up, especially when prominently mentioned in a Wired article...
3) So much for Iran waiting to see what Obama would do as President before judging him...
4) A very sad RIP today to Bettie Page.
5) You'd think that directing a movie that brought in 140M its first weekend would get you a job directing the sequel. Not so much for Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke...
6) Y'all know me....and an entrée made of just bacon and cheese?! Right up my alley...
7) I hope before the next time 50 Cent says, "Bitch, get in my car," he doesn't have his car keys locked inside...
8) If you had to choose between being blind for a week (but a messy friend of yours will come to live with you) or be the opposite gender for a week (but be able to eat nothing but jelly bean omelettes), which would you choose?
9) On a similar note, would you rather catch a partner cheating on you or wake up in bed and have three tarantulas crawling on you?
10) On yet another even more similar note, would you rather be shot in the foot while performing fellatio on someone, or shot in the knee while someone is performing fellatio on you?
Other notes from this week...don't watch Alien vs. Predator Requiem, don't trust any neon colored food that claims to be natural, and be wary of people who are too interested in your ankle injury for their own good.
Yea, I'm this delirious. Have a good weekend.
1) The BCS refuses to acknowledge that it has a problem with the lack of a playoff system. Yet, everyone in the country seems to recognize the problem. For once, a person in the governemnt has set forth something that makes sense...if BCS won't change their format, make it illegal for them to call it a National Championship game...
2) Over at MixMatchMusic, excitement is ramping up, especially when prominently mentioned in a Wired article...
3) So much for Iran waiting to see what Obama would do as President before judging him...
4) A very sad RIP today to Bettie Page.
5) You'd think that directing a movie that brought in 140M its first weekend would get you a job directing the sequel. Not so much for Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke...
6) Y'all know me....and an entrée made of just bacon and cheese?! Right up my alley...
7) I hope before the next time 50 Cent says, "Bitch, get in my car," he doesn't have his car keys locked inside...
8) If you had to choose between being blind for a week (but a messy friend of yours will come to live with you) or be the opposite gender for a week (but be able to eat nothing but jelly bean omelettes), which would you choose?
9) On a similar note, would you rather catch a partner cheating on you or wake up in bed and have three tarantulas crawling on you?
10) On yet another even more similar note, would you rather be shot in the foot while performing fellatio on someone, or shot in the knee while someone is performing fellatio on you?
Other notes from this week...don't watch Alien vs. Predator Requiem, don't trust any neon colored food that claims to be natural, and be wary of people who are too interested in your ankle injury for their own good.
Yea, I'm this delirious. Have a good weekend.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Another Marathon
It goes something like this....
Thurs 7:30 am: Wake up, go to work, work til 5.
8pm: Gavroche, Hessica and myself go down to Palo Alto to check out Tiff's new place of work, Melt. While short on actual table space for eating, the appetizers are tasty and we get a nice hook up.
10pm: Get home and play Beirut.
Fri, 12am: Start packing
2am: Go to sleep.
{1.75 hours of sleep}
3:45am: Wake up, shower, go to BART station.
4:30am: Take BART to Oakland Airport
6:10am: Arrive at Oakland Airport (and from this point on, every item involves chaperoning 9 high school girls)
7:45am: Depart Oakland
{30 minute nap}
9:05am: Arrive Ontario
10am: Check in at FootLocker Western Regionals, Mt. Sac College, Walnut, CA
11am: Run 3.1 mile course to see it before Saturday.
12pm: Check into hotels, shower, change
1:30pm: Arrive at Downtown Disney, Anaheim
2pm: Eat lunch (Rainforest Cafe)
3:30pm: Walk around
5:45pm: see Four Christmases
9pm: Head back to hotel
10:15pm: AndyMc and Denkym pick me up from hotel (now high schooler free)
Hang out, bar, sesh
Saturday, 1am: Back at hotel
1:30am: In bed
2:15am: Awoken by malfunctioning hotel room phone
2:27am: Awoken by malfunctioning hotel room phone
2:34am: Awoken by malfunctioning hotel room phone
2:35am: Unplug malfunctioning hotel room phone
{3 hours sleep}
5:35am: Wake up, shower
6:15am: Arrive at Mt. Sac, begin pre-race warm-up
7-7:24am: Race 3.1mi course
11am: Back to hotel
11:45am-1:15pm: Nap (1.5 hours)
1:30pm: Go to Dave and Buster's for lunch
2:30-5:45pm: Freetime in the mall
5:45pm: To Ontario airport
7:55pm: Depart Ontario
9:05pm: Arrive in Oakland (now high schooler free once more)
9:45pm: Arrive at home, shower, change, roll
11:15pm: Cantina for Amie and Pretty's birthday
Sun, 12:15am: SOMA for Za's birthday at a house party
1:30am: Crepe Stand (Banana/Nutella/Coconut and Sugar/Butter)
2:30am: Arrive at home, sleep
Thurs-Sat totals: 6.2 miles run, 6.75 hours of sleep, 2 birthday parties, 1,000 miles traveled, 2 team meals, 1 movie.
Thurs 7:30 am: Wake up, go to work, work til 5.
8pm: Gavroche, Hessica and myself go down to Palo Alto to check out Tiff's new place of work, Melt. While short on actual table space for eating, the appetizers are tasty and we get a nice hook up.
10pm: Get home and play Beirut.
Fri, 12am: Start packing
2am: Go to sleep.
{1.75 hours of sleep}
3:45am: Wake up, shower, go to BART station.
4:30am: Take BART to Oakland Airport
6:10am: Arrive at Oakland Airport (and from this point on, every item involves chaperoning 9 high school girls)
7:45am: Depart Oakland
{30 minute nap}
9:05am: Arrive Ontario
10am: Check in at FootLocker Western Regionals, Mt. Sac College, Walnut, CA
11am: Run 3.1 mile course to see it before Saturday.
12pm: Check into hotels, shower, change
1:30pm: Arrive at Downtown Disney, Anaheim
2pm: Eat lunch (Rainforest Cafe)
3:30pm: Walk around
5:45pm: see Four Christmases
9pm: Head back to hotel
10:15pm: AndyMc and Denkym pick me up from hotel (now high schooler free)
Hang out, bar, sesh
Saturday, 1am: Back at hotel
1:30am: In bed
2:15am: Awoken by malfunctioning hotel room phone
2:27am: Awoken by malfunctioning hotel room phone
2:34am: Awoken by malfunctioning hotel room phone
2:35am: Unplug malfunctioning hotel room phone
{3 hours sleep}
5:35am: Wake up, shower
6:15am: Arrive at Mt. Sac, begin pre-race warm-up
7-7:24am: Race 3.1mi course
11am: Back to hotel
11:45am-1:15pm: Nap (1.5 hours)
1:30pm: Go to Dave and Buster's for lunch
2:30-5:45pm: Freetime in the mall
5:45pm: To Ontario airport
7:55pm: Depart Ontario
9:05pm: Arrive in Oakland (now high schooler free once more)
9:45pm: Arrive at home, shower, change, roll
11:15pm: Cantina for Amie and Pretty's birthday
Sun, 12:15am: SOMA for Za's birthday at a house party
1:30am: Crepe Stand (Banana/Nutella/Coconut and Sugar/Butter)
2:30am: Arrive at home, sleep
Thurs-Sat totals: 6.2 miles run, 6.75 hours of sleep, 2 birthday parties, 1,000 miles traveled, 2 team meals, 1 movie.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
11 Songs to Be Thankful For
{for all music related posts, see .Evolving.Music}
For last year's 11 Songs to Be Thankful For, click here.
I know you're in pain. The music industry, no less than last year, is inundated with made for radio pop songs meant to burn brightly in the minds of middle schoolers, sell millions of copies and then fade quickly into the one hit wonder used CD bins. Some will make club playlists and stay relevant for another year or two, but most will be either forgotten or turned into the butt of some future musical joke. But these simplifications overlook a large cross section of musicians from all genres that are producing quality music that not only can get stuck in your head, but won't make you want to put a loaded revolver to your temple to get them out. In fact, months later, these songs are still gripping and enjoyable.
Thanksgiving is over, but while you're eating some leftovers, there's still much to be thankful for in the way of music. For each month, a main song that stood out above the others with the album you can find it on, and a second song that I give honorable mention to for being generally kick ass. But since life isn't a one man affair, I invited my roommate, who receives the same monthly iPod updates (see the "What I'm Hearing" posts...the links in the month names will get you there), to give her input on what songs grabbed her focus this year. 11 months, 1 main song, 1 honorable mention and 2 recommendations from the roommate will give you about 44 fantastic songs you haven't listened to yet. I say about because in some cases you may have heard a song, and in others, we picked the same one. Enjoy!
Jan: "Breathe Me (Mylo Remix)" (Breathe Me EP) by Sia. Most people had their first introduction to Sia's heartbreaking song through the final 5 minutes of the HBO series Six Feet Under. The song, steeped in lament and longing, is nostalgic and only further inundated with emotion from Sia's haunting voice that at times seems to whisper. On this EP version, Mylo remixes the song by fleshing out a lush electronic sound with bass and digital flourishes around the vocals and speeding up the main melody. The result is a moving and dance-able, yet still emotional track. Honorable Mention: "Way Down in the Hole" (The Wire Soundtrack) by The Blind Boys of Alabama
Hessica's Picks: 1) "Nudez" (Rainydayz Remixes) by AmpLive. "Mushaboom (Postal Service Remix)" (Open Season) by Feist.
Feb: "Campus" (Vampire Weekend) by Vampire Weekend. When this album came out, I positively reviewed the whole thing, and now, many months later, it hasn't lost its luster for me. With "Campus" the group uses simplicity in the vocals and instrumentation to evoke the feeling of days at college and crushes (if your college crush happened to be a professor.) The staccato lead up to the frenetic chorus is an instantly attainable indie pop that also brings to mind a Killers tune on Xanax. With the line, "In the afternoon you're out on the stone and grass/and I'm sleeping on the balcony after class" the song takes me back to my own college balcony naps. Honorable Mention: "Weightless" (Lucky) by Nada Surf
Hessica's Picks: 1) "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" (Vampire Weekend) by Vampire Weekend. 2) "The Chills" (Writer's Block) by Peter Bjorn and John
March: "Front Steps, Pt. 2 (Tough Love)" (Absolute Value) by Akrobatik. This song is haunting both lyrically and musically. The solid production includes a piano sample and string overtone that sound like they've been submerged in water. The murkiness is then combined with scratches and a bass and drum line that provide it with a depth that comes off simultaneously polished and street rough. All of this is so that Akrobatik can provide an incredible song about the economic and social plight within the project communities, the current state of hip-hop and the need for change within the criminal justice system. He exhorts the youth to avoid the drugs and black on black violence that help oppress them, and strive for something better by offering them his honest take in the form of "tough love." His lyrics come from a seriously educated perspective as he recognizes that the format of the ghettos allows the upper middle class to ignore riots and financial losses inflicted by them ("And when we riot they won't care about the dollars lost/they're sipping cocktails while we're throwing Molotovs") and sees the difference between a middle class white education and the education provided in inner city schools. The entire song is filled with lines that are both mentally stimulating and potent in rhyme scheme (full lyrics here). One of the best hip-hop lines of the year comes from this song, "This ain't a war on drugs, it's a war on thugs/they supply the guns, we supply the bodies with slugs." Easily in the contention for my top 5 songs of the year. Honorable Mention: "Live 4 Today" (Break A Dawn) by Zion I
Hessica's Picks: 1) "Opening Act" (Garbage Pail Kids) by Sene and Chief 2) "Muddy Water Stomp" (Garbage Pail Kids) by Sene and Chief
April: "The Things That We Could Share" (Soundboy Rock) by Groove Armada. Here's one the roommate and I agreed on. In an age of Craigslist Missed Connections and the disconnect between people, this joyous song about the potential connections is a love song for the person you haven't met yet. Starting with a groove bass, handclaps and "SB" chant, the electronically strained vocals through the verse beg for a balance with another person ("I need a warm hand to cool me down/I need a soft voice to drown me out") moves into the chorus about a boy on a bus watching a girl, who is simultaneously telling her friend that he doesn't care. When the bass line undulates and crashes into the triumphant refrain of "the things that we could share," if you're not dancing, you're not breathing. Honorable Mention: "Far Away" (In Ghost Colours) by Cut Copy.
Hessica's Picks: 1) "The Things That We Could Share" Groove Armada, Soundboy Rock. 2) "Watch As They Go" (Other People) by American Princes
May: "Winds of Change" (The Show) by EMC. Leave it to a super-group of hip-hop mainstays to write a love song to hip-hop that can surely stand as a classic. With an old static laden and sped sample singing, "Winds of change, that blow forever" EMC rips off a masterpiece devoted to the past, present and future of hip-hop, while never forgetting the overall perspective of fleeting life and inevitable change. Subjects like evolving music (MJ to Usher), technology (Beta to DVD), and clothes (Osh-Kosh to Phat Farm) are all well and good, but the highlight of this track is the last verse that takes a sad hindsight view of a hip-hop career from an old age perspective ("Holding the picture frame wishing that we didn't age") and the unfortunate decay that it can bring ("At 55 started forgetting lines, mumbling rhymes.") As the rap moves to talking about freestyling with his grandchild, the song becomes both melancholy in its reminiscence and happy in the remembrance of the experiences. Honorable Mention: "Mathematics" (The Fashion) by The Fashion
Hessica's Picks: 1) "27" (Butter and Gun$ EP) by Blue Scholars 2) "O Samba Tai" (Carolina) by Seu Jorge
June: "Watch Out (Remix)" (The 3rd World) by Immortal Technique (click here for exclusive interview). Sounding incredibly sharp over a beat that samples from the Apocalypse sounding symphony from the central battle scene in Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith and polished Green Lantern production, Immortal Technique barks through this track that cements his status as one of the most lyrically intelligent and delivery potent rappers around. Starting with his album sales off just a Source magazine quotable and moving onto direct attacks on the music industry ("they push pop music like a religion/anorexic celebrity driven, financial fantasy fiction") and American government, Tech doesn't take pause for a chorus here, but why bother when you can deliver like that for two and a half minutes straight? When he ends the song with, "I need more than advancements and a rented mansion," you know that he means it, and doesn't care who he pisses off in the process. Honorable Mention: "Let the Beat Build" (The Carter III) by Lil Wayne
Hessica's Picks: 1) "Reverse Pimpology" (The Third World) by Immortal Technique 2) "Dance Dance Dance" (Youth Novels) by Lykke Li
For the rest of the best of this year's songs, click here.
For last year's 11 Songs to Be Thankful For, click here.
I know you're in pain. The music industry, no less than last year, is inundated with made for radio pop songs meant to burn brightly in the minds of middle schoolers, sell millions of copies and then fade quickly into the one hit wonder used CD bins. Some will make club playlists and stay relevant for another year or two, but most will be either forgotten or turned into the butt of some future musical joke. But these simplifications overlook a large cross section of musicians from all genres that are producing quality music that not only can get stuck in your head, but won't make you want to put a loaded revolver to your temple to get them out. In fact, months later, these songs are still gripping and enjoyable.
Thanksgiving is over, but while you're eating some leftovers, there's still much to be thankful for in the way of music. For each month, a main song that stood out above the others with the album you can find it on, and a second song that I give honorable mention to for being generally kick ass. But since life isn't a one man affair, I invited my roommate, who receives the same monthly iPod updates (see the "What I'm Hearing" posts...the links in the month names will get you there), to give her input on what songs grabbed her focus this year. 11 months, 1 main song, 1 honorable mention and 2 recommendations from the roommate will give you about 44 fantastic songs you haven't listened to yet. I say about because in some cases you may have heard a song, and in others, we picked the same one. Enjoy!
Jan: "Breathe Me (Mylo Remix)" (Breathe Me EP) by Sia. Most people had their first introduction to Sia's heartbreaking song through the final 5 minutes of the HBO series Six Feet Under. The song, steeped in lament and longing, is nostalgic and only further inundated with emotion from Sia's haunting voice that at times seems to whisper. On this EP version, Mylo remixes the song by fleshing out a lush electronic sound with bass and digital flourishes around the vocals and speeding up the main melody. The result is a moving and dance-able, yet still emotional track. Honorable Mention: "Way Down in the Hole" (The Wire Soundtrack) by The Blind Boys of Alabama
Hessica's Picks: 1) "Nudez" (Rainydayz Remixes) by AmpLive. "Mushaboom (Postal Service Remix)" (Open Season) by Feist.
Feb: "Campus" (Vampire Weekend) by Vampire Weekend. When this album came out, I positively reviewed the whole thing, and now, many months later, it hasn't lost its luster for me. With "Campus" the group uses simplicity in the vocals and instrumentation to evoke the feeling of days at college and crushes (if your college crush happened to be a professor.) The staccato lead up to the frenetic chorus is an instantly attainable indie pop that also brings to mind a Killers tune on Xanax. With the line, "In the afternoon you're out on the stone and grass/and I'm sleeping on the balcony after class" the song takes me back to my own college balcony naps. Honorable Mention: "Weightless" (Lucky) by Nada Surf
Hessica's Picks: 1) "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" (Vampire Weekend) by Vampire Weekend. 2) "The Chills" (Writer's Block) by Peter Bjorn and John
March: "Front Steps, Pt. 2 (Tough Love)" (Absolute Value) by Akrobatik. This song is haunting both lyrically and musically. The solid production includes a piano sample and string overtone that sound like they've been submerged in water. The murkiness is then combined with scratches and a bass and drum line that provide it with a depth that comes off simultaneously polished and street rough. All of this is so that Akrobatik can provide an incredible song about the economic and social plight within the project communities, the current state of hip-hop and the need for change within the criminal justice system. He exhorts the youth to avoid the drugs and black on black violence that help oppress them, and strive for something better by offering them his honest take in the form of "tough love." His lyrics come from a seriously educated perspective as he recognizes that the format of the ghettos allows the upper middle class to ignore riots and financial losses inflicted by them ("And when we riot they won't care about the dollars lost/they're sipping cocktails while we're throwing Molotovs") and sees the difference between a middle class white education and the education provided in inner city schools. The entire song is filled with lines that are both mentally stimulating and potent in rhyme scheme (full lyrics here). One of the best hip-hop lines of the year comes from this song, "This ain't a war on drugs, it's a war on thugs/they supply the guns, we supply the bodies with slugs." Easily in the contention for my top 5 songs of the year. Honorable Mention: "Live 4 Today" (Break A Dawn) by Zion I
Hessica's Picks: 1) "Opening Act" (Garbage Pail Kids) by Sene and Chief 2) "Muddy Water Stomp" (Garbage Pail Kids) by Sene and Chief
April: "The Things That We Could Share" (Soundboy Rock) by Groove Armada. Here's one the roommate and I agreed on. In an age of Craigslist Missed Connections and the disconnect between people, this joyous song about the potential connections is a love song for the person you haven't met yet. Starting with a groove bass, handclaps and "SB" chant, the electronically strained vocals through the verse beg for a balance with another person ("I need a warm hand to cool me down/I need a soft voice to drown me out") moves into the chorus about a boy on a bus watching a girl, who is simultaneously telling her friend that he doesn't care. When the bass line undulates and crashes into the triumphant refrain of "the things that we could share," if you're not dancing, you're not breathing. Honorable Mention: "Far Away" (In Ghost Colours) by Cut Copy.
Hessica's Picks: 1) "The Things That We Could Share" Groove Armada, Soundboy Rock. 2) "Watch As They Go" (Other People) by American Princes
May: "Winds of Change" (The Show) by EMC. Leave it to a super-group of hip-hop mainstays to write a love song to hip-hop that can surely stand as a classic. With an old static laden and sped sample singing, "Winds of change, that blow forever" EMC rips off a masterpiece devoted to the past, present and future of hip-hop, while never forgetting the overall perspective of fleeting life and inevitable change. Subjects like evolving music (MJ to Usher), technology (Beta to DVD), and clothes (Osh-Kosh to Phat Farm) are all well and good, but the highlight of this track is the last verse that takes a sad hindsight view of a hip-hop career from an old age perspective ("Holding the picture frame wishing that we didn't age") and the unfortunate decay that it can bring ("At 55 started forgetting lines, mumbling rhymes.") As the rap moves to talking about freestyling with his grandchild, the song becomes both melancholy in its reminiscence and happy in the remembrance of the experiences. Honorable Mention: "Mathematics" (The Fashion) by The Fashion
Hessica's Picks: 1) "27" (Butter and Gun$ EP) by Blue Scholars 2) "O Samba Tai" (Carolina) by Seu Jorge
June: "Watch Out (Remix)" (The 3rd World) by Immortal Technique (click here for exclusive interview). Sounding incredibly sharp over a beat that samples from the Apocalypse sounding symphony from the central battle scene in Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith and polished Green Lantern production, Immortal Technique barks through this track that cements his status as one of the most lyrically intelligent and delivery potent rappers around. Starting with his album sales off just a Source magazine quotable and moving onto direct attacks on the music industry ("they push pop music like a religion/anorexic celebrity driven, financial fantasy fiction") and American government, Tech doesn't take pause for a chorus here, but why bother when you can deliver like that for two and a half minutes straight? When he ends the song with, "I need more than advancements and a rented mansion," you know that he means it, and doesn't care who he pisses off in the process. Honorable Mention: "Let the Beat Build" (The Carter III) by Lil Wayne
Hessica's Picks: 1) "Reverse Pimpology" (The Third World) by Immortal Technique 2) "Dance Dance Dance" (Youth Novels) by Lykke Li
For the rest of the best of this year's songs, click here.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Novel Movies of November (8)
Another slow movie month, but I maintain that the large movie months of last year have been well replaced with more action and excitement than previously experienced....So here they are, the movies I did make time for in November:
1: W., RocknRolla
4: Bender's Game
21: Top Hat
27: Home for the Holidays
28: White Men Can't Jump, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace
1: W., RocknRolla
4: Bender's Game
21: Top Hat
27: Home for the Holidays
28: White Men Can't Jump, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace
Thanksgiving #3
The Location: Mom and P's house, Half Moon Bay.
The Time: 11/27 @ 3pm
The Crowd: P, Mom, Aunt Sue, Sis, DaveMode, Hessica, GMJ and GPD, myself
The Menu: Ham rolls (ham with cream cheese and onions), chips and salsa, baked brie with brown sugar and pecan topping, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes (cooked casserole style with marshmallows on top), Grandma's jell-0 salad (which I still don't have the courage to try), turkey (which P dresses up for me by cooking bacon and putting it on top with melted brie.
Thanksgiving #2
The Location: Pop's house, Half Moon Bay.
The Time: 11/26 @ 5pm
The Crowd: Pops, Sis, DaveMode, myself
The Menu: Mashed potatoes, steak (we're big believers in the KISS philosophy...Keep It Simple Stupid!)
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