{for all music related posts, see .Evolving.Music}
About a year ago I examined a Wired article looking at the head of the Universal Music Group, Doug Morris, and his attempts to move against the current of technology that was slowly eroding his old-timer's hold on music distribution. My how times have changed. Not only has UMG joined forces with the other three major labels to eradicate DRM on iTunes purchases, now they're actively joining the swelling ranks looking for digital solutions to real-life problems.
UMG, home of artists like 50 Cent and Lil' Wayne, is always looking for new ways to interact with fans and bring their favorite artists to them in ways that are both exciting and relevant. Because of this and the potential they see in the company, UMG has joined forces with Kyte, an emerging web start-up that is aiming to fill a niche not currently serviced by YouTube: live video streams.
To finish this article, click here.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
10 Things to Think About on a Friday
We'll call this the week of dinners as I had dinner out or with someone every night. Got Dad and the HMB crew on Monday (chow mein/potstickers), Glaze on Tuesday (burrito), Grandma and my Aunt on Wednesday (sushi), and ErNa last night (oysters and cocktails)...I feel like a world traveler who didn't live San Mateo County. But that's not why you're here, is it? You're here because it's Friday, you ain't got shit to do, and 5 pm is still hours away. So relax, read a few articles and think about a few things why don't you!?
1) I thought I was bad with my text messaging. But somewhere, I don't think I come anywhere near sending 14,528 text messages in a month as this 13 year old did...
2) Are you bored? As in really bored? While most of us aren't able to scarf down shrooms or drop during our working hours, here are a few simple tricks to induce hallucinations that won't get you fired.
3) If you've been following the BART shooting in Fruitvale, you'll be happy to know that they arrested the executioner, I mean, former officer. All I have to say is good luck with your not guilty plea...you're only the most watched shooting of the year...
4) There's pilots, and then there's the pilot who can crash land a jet into the Hudson river without killing anyone...talk about mastery. He's been studying for that crash landing his entire life, it would appear. And to think there's even more you can read about "ditching" airplanes.
5) In a certain sign that the apocalypse is upon us, not only is Hollywood working on a live action adaptation of Akira, but now they're intent on completely trashing Cowboy Bebop by making a live movie that stars Keanu Reeves as Spike. Get your live-action, shitty-actor hiring hands off my favorite Anime you jack asses! It's Anime because it's supposed to be animated, not have Neo running around like a monotone moron. On the same level...we're shortly to be blessed with the live action movie The Legend of Chun Li. And if you thought I meant the Chun Li from Street Fighter the video games, you were right...
6) Speaking of jack asses...gotta love Johnny Knoxville. Actually, I hate him, but I can't help but laugh when he brings an inert grenade into LAX. Didn't anyone tell him we're on terrorist alert here?
7) Finally someone said it in the SFGate...I've heard that someone I live with is wholeheartedly behind any plan to legalize...let's stop this ridiculous "war" on drugs...drugs are winning!
8) Gotta love Tom Hanks...the man as American as Forrest Gump was willing to speak out this week and call Mormons who supported Prop 8 un-American. Hell yes Tom. Bigotry, prejudice and inequality have no place in this country, no matter what the Mormons think.
9) Well, he lied to us about most everything else...why wouldn't we expect Bush to lie about being a cowboy?
10) Has anyone else noticed that it's the middle of January and it feels like Summer outside?
That's it folks, take care this weekend.
1) I thought I was bad with my text messaging. But somewhere, I don't think I come anywhere near sending 14,528 text messages in a month as this 13 year old did...
2) Are you bored? As in really bored? While most of us aren't able to scarf down shrooms or drop during our working hours, here are a few simple tricks to induce hallucinations that won't get you fired.
3) If you've been following the BART shooting in Fruitvale, you'll be happy to know that they arrested the executioner, I mean, former officer. All I have to say is good luck with your not guilty plea...you're only the most watched shooting of the year...
4) There's pilots, and then there's the pilot who can crash land a jet into the Hudson river without killing anyone...talk about mastery. He's been studying for that crash landing his entire life, it would appear. And to think there's even more you can read about "ditching" airplanes.
5) In a certain sign that the apocalypse is upon us, not only is Hollywood working on a live action adaptation of Akira, but now they're intent on completely trashing Cowboy Bebop by making a live movie that stars Keanu Reeves as Spike. Get your live-action, shitty-actor hiring hands off my favorite Anime you jack asses! It's Anime because it's supposed to be animated, not have Neo running around like a monotone moron. On the same level...we're shortly to be blessed with the live action movie The Legend of Chun Li. And if you thought I meant the Chun Li from Street Fighter the video games, you were right...
6) Speaking of jack asses...gotta love Johnny Knoxville. Actually, I hate him, but I can't help but laugh when he brings an inert grenade into LAX. Didn't anyone tell him we're on terrorist alert here?
7) Finally someone said it in the SFGate...I've heard that someone I live with is wholeheartedly behind any plan to legalize...let's stop this ridiculous "war" on drugs...drugs are winning!
8) Gotta love Tom Hanks...the man as American as Forrest Gump was willing to speak out this week and call Mormons who supported Prop 8 un-American. Hell yes Tom. Bigotry, prejudice and inequality have no place in this country, no matter what the Mormons think.
9) Well, he lied to us about most everything else...why wouldn't we expect Bush to lie about being a cowboy?
10) Has anyone else noticed that it's the middle of January and it feels like Summer outside?
That's it folks, take care this weekend.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Musings of a Music Blogger
{for all music related posts, see .Evolving.Music}
With 2008 and all the music that came with it steadily speeding away in our rear view, I got to thinking a lot about what we did and didn't see last year in the musical world, and what's coming. When it comes down to it, 2008 was largely defined by some of the musical trends we saw, the continuing struggle over DRM and the ever growing attempts to market, brand and distribute music in ways that utilize multiple media and social platforms.
Musically, there was a greater push towards mash-ups (AmpLive Interview) and punk fueled Indie rock. Bands like Fall Out Boy and Bloc Party among many others kept driving guitars, sometimes melancholy lyrics and music that's in your face in terms of pace at the forefront of the radio mainstream. Hip-Hop continued its usual pond-like trend: scum on the surface, beautiful water underneath with "artists" like T.I., T-Pain and Flo-rida topping the charts while rappers like Akrobatik, eLZhi and Black Milk continued struggling to boost their word of mouth. The line between Hip-Hop and Pop was continually blurred as radio Rap brought in more Rock and World music sounds into their songs.
We saw Kanye West rebound from a personally disastrous year to re-vamp his sound with 808s and Heartbreak, and we saw Guns 'N Roses dig themselves out of a nearly 20 year grave to release the much anticipated Chinese Democracy album, something that many fans thought they'd never hear. Of course, most fans expected to hear either a new Eminem album (Relapse) or the long awaited and highly anticipated Detox album from Dr. Dre, and they got neither.
For the rest of my look back at music in 2008, click here.
With 2008 and all the music that came with it steadily speeding away in our rear view, I got to thinking a lot about what we did and didn't see last year in the musical world, and what's coming. When it comes down to it, 2008 was largely defined by some of the musical trends we saw, the continuing struggle over DRM and the ever growing attempts to market, brand and distribute music in ways that utilize multiple media and social platforms.
Musically, there was a greater push towards mash-ups (AmpLive Interview) and punk fueled Indie rock. Bands like Fall Out Boy and Bloc Party among many others kept driving guitars, sometimes melancholy lyrics and music that's in your face in terms of pace at the forefront of the radio mainstream. Hip-Hop continued its usual pond-like trend: scum on the surface, beautiful water underneath with "artists" like T.I., T-Pain and Flo-rida topping the charts while rappers like Akrobatik, eLZhi and Black Milk continued struggling to boost their word of mouth. The line between Hip-Hop and Pop was continually blurred as radio Rap brought in more Rock and World music sounds into their songs.
We saw Kanye West rebound from a personally disastrous year to re-vamp his sound with 808s and Heartbreak, and we saw Guns 'N Roses dig themselves out of a nearly 20 year grave to release the much anticipated Chinese Democracy album, something that many fans thought they'd never hear. Of course, most fans expected to hear either a new Eminem album (Relapse) or the long awaited and highly anticipated Detox album from Dr. Dre, and they got neither.
For the rest of my look back at music in 2008, click here.
Friday, January 9, 2009
What Happened in Fruitvale?
I've waited several days before posting on this because I not only wanted to make sure I heard the aftermath, but because I wanted to wait to see the video for myself before making any judgments. And now that I have, I can say that without a doubt it's one of the most horrifying live local events I've ever seen captured on video by the general public.
On New Year's Eve, an Oakland man named Oscar Grant was taken off a BART train for an alleged altercation. Apparently, during his arrest, he attempted to stand up. He was then put on the ground and pat down. Whatever the man did, that should have been the end of it, with the rest coming in the form of a ticket or a filed charge. But, having already subdued Grant, and with another officer on top of him, a BART police officer pulled his gun and shot Grant in the back, killing him.
The worst part about the video is that you can clearly hear everyone on the train calling for his release and complaining about the treatment, and the act doesn't appear to have been done in haste. In fact, it appears to be quite deliberate as the cop unholsters his weapon, stands up and THEN fires.
It's an unfortunate fact that police brutality is nothing new, and even more unfortunate that there's not a whole lot we can do about it. When you start giving people guns and telling them to uphold the law and "maintain" the peace, it creates a God complex where they'll feel that any action is justified if it's done to maintain the peace, even if that action is violent. Furthermore, a case like Rodney King that sparked the LA Riots only emboldens police to believe that if they can make some sort of connection between their violence and the line of duty, they will be exonerated for their behavior.
But we can't just assume that all people hurt by the police are victims of brutality. To me, brutality has to be based on an actual desire to inflict pain and harm, not just do it in the course of what you need to do as an officer. If we remove for a minute the argument that there was some sort of intent in any of this, the fact is that police are just human beings, and in the heat of the moment, especially a potentially dangerous one that requires police intervention, adrenaline kicks in and mistakes can be made. When the violence happens in these cases, I can't view it as only brutality, because sometimes criminals or people getting arrested do need to be physically subdued, sometimes in a way that causes bodily harm to them. In those cases, it's not always the police officer's fault, but we have trained them to be police in the hopes that they will be able to keep their cool to a greater degree than your average citizen. Even still, they are constantly put in dangerous positions in the interest of keeping the majority of people safe.
Here we have three men on the ground handcuffed with 4-6 armed police officers around them. To think that there is any reason, explanation or excuse for a police officer to draw a weapon and shoot someone being held on the ground by another cop is insane. So I believe that regardless of what happened on the platform in Fruitvale, whether intentional homicide or panic induced manslaughter, it was obviously excessive force and brutality. There was not another officer in the video who also had their weapon drawn.
People have tried to argue that the cop was going for his taser. I'm having trouble believing that someone trained as long as police officers are trained for wouldn't know the difference between his taser and his hand gun. That being said, I can't completely rule it out as I asked a police officer I knew about the difference between the two and the answer I got was, "depends on which taser you have, but the M26 is shaped exactly like a gun and the X26 is a bit shorter handled." The officer did say that guns are clearly heavier, but with adrenaline, things seem easier and lighter anyways, so the weight might not have mattered if the handle was the same. So, there is the possibility that this cop thought in the heat of the moment that he was drawing his taser. But what I'd like to know is why he was drawing a weapon of any kind at all. The victim is on the ground, handcuffed and has been patted down, with another cop holding him there. Why is he unholstering anything, gun or taser?
Regardless of what comes out in the news or in any subsequent trial, I doubt we'll ever fully know or understand what his thoughts were in the seconds before he needlessly killed Oscar Grant.
Either way, the advent of camera phones and the proliferation of digital cameras that take videos surely foreshadow that this will not be the last time an incident like this is heavily publicized, and begins to beg the question of how we can make sure that something like this doesn't happen again. I've embedded the video of the shooting below, just know before you view it that it is disturbing.
On New Year's Eve, an Oakland man named Oscar Grant was taken off a BART train for an alleged altercation. Apparently, during his arrest, he attempted to stand up. He was then put on the ground and pat down. Whatever the man did, that should have been the end of it, with the rest coming in the form of a ticket or a filed charge. But, having already subdued Grant, and with another officer on top of him, a BART police officer pulled his gun and shot Grant in the back, killing him.
The worst part about the video is that you can clearly hear everyone on the train calling for his release and complaining about the treatment, and the act doesn't appear to have been done in haste. In fact, it appears to be quite deliberate as the cop unholsters his weapon, stands up and THEN fires.
It's an unfortunate fact that police brutality is nothing new, and even more unfortunate that there's not a whole lot we can do about it. When you start giving people guns and telling them to uphold the law and "maintain" the peace, it creates a God complex where they'll feel that any action is justified if it's done to maintain the peace, even if that action is violent. Furthermore, a case like Rodney King that sparked the LA Riots only emboldens police to believe that if they can make some sort of connection between their violence and the line of duty, they will be exonerated for their behavior.
But we can't just assume that all people hurt by the police are victims of brutality. To me, brutality has to be based on an actual desire to inflict pain and harm, not just do it in the course of what you need to do as an officer. If we remove for a minute the argument that there was some sort of intent in any of this, the fact is that police are just human beings, and in the heat of the moment, especially a potentially dangerous one that requires police intervention, adrenaline kicks in and mistakes can be made. When the violence happens in these cases, I can't view it as only brutality, because sometimes criminals or people getting arrested do need to be physically subdued, sometimes in a way that causes bodily harm to them. In those cases, it's not always the police officer's fault, but we have trained them to be police in the hopes that they will be able to keep their cool to a greater degree than your average citizen. Even still, they are constantly put in dangerous positions in the interest of keeping the majority of people safe.
Here we have three men on the ground handcuffed with 4-6 armed police officers around them. To think that there is any reason, explanation or excuse for a police officer to draw a weapon and shoot someone being held on the ground by another cop is insane. So I believe that regardless of what happened on the platform in Fruitvale, whether intentional homicide or panic induced manslaughter, it was obviously excessive force and brutality. There was not another officer in the video who also had their weapon drawn.
People have tried to argue that the cop was going for his taser. I'm having trouble believing that someone trained as long as police officers are trained for wouldn't know the difference between his taser and his hand gun. That being said, I can't completely rule it out as I asked a police officer I knew about the difference between the two and the answer I got was, "depends on which taser you have, but the M26 is shaped exactly like a gun and the X26 is a bit shorter handled." The officer did say that guns are clearly heavier, but with adrenaline, things seem easier and lighter anyways, so the weight might not have mattered if the handle was the same. So, there is the possibility that this cop thought in the heat of the moment that he was drawing his taser. But what I'd like to know is why he was drawing a weapon of any kind at all. The victim is on the ground, handcuffed and has been patted down, with another cop holding him there. Why is he unholstering anything, gun or taser?
Regardless of what comes out in the news or in any subsequent trial, I doubt we'll ever fully know or understand what his thoughts were in the seconds before he needlessly killed Oscar Grant.
Either way, the advent of camera phones and the proliferation of digital cameras that take videos surely foreshadow that this will not be the last time an incident like this is heavily publicized, and begins to beg the question of how we can make sure that something like this doesn't happen again. I've embedded the video of the shooting below, just know before you view it that it is disturbing.
10 Things to Think About on a Friday
While 2008 seemed to fly by, it's maybe an even scarier thought that we're already a full week into 2009 and looking at the first 10 things to think about on a Friday...We've almost cleaned up all the things that needed tidying from last year...we have a National "champion" in college football, the Super Bowl is around the corner and we're 11 days from being done with the Bush regime for good. As for what we'll be reading about this year? Guess we'll have some time to find out. Here's a few things to ponder as you gear up for your first full weekend of the new year (I figure you were all recovering too much from NYE last week to make a full weekend of it...)
1) If you're a ranked team in college basketball, like Boston College, you do not want to be the first ranked team another school has ever beaten in their basketball history. Especially when the team you lose to is cross-town Harvard.
2) I'm infuriated by the bailout. A bunch of companies and CEOs who got greedy, failed to adequately manage their businesses and are now facing bankruptcy. I'm not sure when we decided that it was the government's job to bail out failing businesses, considering it should be the business's job to make sure they remain viable. That being said, I can't help but admire the recent attempt by two of our country's more famous pornographers asking for bailout money.
3) I'm very unclear on how being a star works. A few years ago, Michael Jackson was facing bankruptcy, a child molestation trial and reports that his spending far outpaced any earnings he made, even off the Beatles' song catalog. How then is he renting a $100,000/month home in Los Angeles?
4) I love Akira. For those that have missed it, it's one of the most celebrated Anime movies to come out of Japan, ever. Which makes me wonder...why does Leonardo DiCaprio think that he can move the story out of the dystopia of "Neo Tokyo," move it to New York, and then exchange the animation for live action and actors and make it....better? I'm a bit afraid for the sanctity of Akira...
5) Hey all you trenchcoat-wearing, boom-box-holding, guitar playing kickboxers out there...sorry to tell you, but Diane Court is now married. I hope you didn't already give her your heart in exchange for a pen or something like that...
6) I can't imagine sitting down for my entire life, so my admiration for people who deal with wheelchairs is considerable. But check out this medical device that might help them stand up and walk...
7) The problem isn't that I know USC would have won the BCS "championship" game...I can't know it. The problem isn't that Utah may have deserved to be in it more than Oklahoma or Florida...we can't know for sure if they did. The real problem is that we can't answer who deserves to be in that game, or who out of the top 5 is the best in the country, and without a play-off system, we never will, and we won't have a true Champion. Just votes on a piece of paper and one team holding a crystal ball...wonder if they can see the future play-off system in there...Obama can.
8) If you like Pi and Requiem for a Dream, you'll enjoy Darren Aronofsky's take on a down and out wrestler played by Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. Excruciating to watch, the movie examines the character of a man that has lost so much over his life that he's got nothing left to lose. But it's managed to propel Rourke from Hollywood outcast to a buzz actor being talked about to play a lead villain in Iron Man 2. But how did he go from 192lbs to 235lbs for the role? Apparently, a ton of eating and even more working out...
9) Those guys over at Apple just keep the hits coming...now they're talking about a webcam that would go behind the screen so you wouldn't have to look from the camera to the person you're webchatting with...the applications for online sex chats appear endless...
10) And not to be outdone by Apple, car companies are starting to integrate computers and other high-tech gadgets into their cars. If you need 22 satellite TV channels or the ability to create an Excel spreadsheet while driving like Za, your options are coming.
That's it for today folks...be good to each other and enjoy the weekend. And don't forget to check out the all new blog feature "Domino" for a running tally of our weekly domino game...Wednesday's game served to move Bini up into 2nd place and watched Nah fall from 1st to 3rd. Who knows what next week will bring...
1) If you're a ranked team in college basketball, like Boston College, you do not want to be the first ranked team another school has ever beaten in their basketball history. Especially when the team you lose to is cross-town Harvard.
2) I'm infuriated by the bailout. A bunch of companies and CEOs who got greedy, failed to adequately manage their businesses and are now facing bankruptcy. I'm not sure when we decided that it was the government's job to bail out failing businesses, considering it should be the business's job to make sure they remain viable. That being said, I can't help but admire the recent attempt by two of our country's more famous pornographers asking for bailout money.
3) I'm very unclear on how being a star works. A few years ago, Michael Jackson was facing bankruptcy, a child molestation trial and reports that his spending far outpaced any earnings he made, even off the Beatles' song catalog. How then is he renting a $100,000/month home in Los Angeles?
4) I love Akira. For those that have missed it, it's one of the most celebrated Anime movies to come out of Japan, ever. Which makes me wonder...why does Leonardo DiCaprio think that he can move the story out of the dystopia of "Neo Tokyo," move it to New York, and then exchange the animation for live action and actors and make it....better? I'm a bit afraid for the sanctity of Akira...
5) Hey all you trenchcoat-wearing, boom-box-holding, guitar playing kickboxers out there...sorry to tell you, but Diane Court is now married. I hope you didn't already give her your heart in exchange for a pen or something like that...
6) I can't imagine sitting down for my entire life, so my admiration for people who deal with wheelchairs is considerable. But check out this medical device that might help them stand up and walk...
7) The problem isn't that I know USC would have won the BCS "championship" game...I can't know it. The problem isn't that Utah may have deserved to be in it more than Oklahoma or Florida...we can't know for sure if they did. The real problem is that we can't answer who deserves to be in that game, or who out of the top 5 is the best in the country, and without a play-off system, we never will, and we won't have a true Champion. Just votes on a piece of paper and one team holding a crystal ball...wonder if they can see the future play-off system in there...Obama can.
8) If you like Pi and Requiem for a Dream, you'll enjoy Darren Aronofsky's take on a down and out wrestler played by Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. Excruciating to watch, the movie examines the character of a man that has lost so much over his life that he's got nothing left to lose. But it's managed to propel Rourke from Hollywood outcast to a buzz actor being talked about to play a lead villain in Iron Man 2. But how did he go from 192lbs to 235lbs for the role? Apparently, a ton of eating and even more working out...
9) Those guys over at Apple just keep the hits coming...now they're talking about a webcam that would go behind the screen so you wouldn't have to look from the camera to the person you're webchatting with...the applications for online sex chats appear endless...
10) And not to be outdone by Apple, car companies are starting to integrate computers and other high-tech gadgets into their cars. If you need 22 satellite TV channels or the ability to create an Excel spreadsheet while driving like Za, your options are coming.
That's it for today folks...be good to each other and enjoy the weekend. And don't forget to check out the all new blog feature "Domino" for a running tally of our weekly domino game...Wednesday's game served to move Bini up into 2nd place and watched Nah fall from 1st to 3rd. Who knows what next week will bring...
Thursday, January 8, 2009
New Blog Feature: Domino Scores
Starting back around November, Nah (HG), Za (AP), Bini (BL) and myself (AC) embarked on a mission to play dominoes once a week. Not only to get together and drink, but also to compete so aggressively that the average observer would probably feel uncomfortable watching, let alone trying to join in. In fact, we're so competitive that we can't just walk away from the domino table and wait for next week...we have to keep score, and keep a running tally of scores and wins. And now, interested reader, you too will be able to follow the weekly progress of our Domino night with a 2009 score, an All-Time score and a winner tally in a This Year/All-Time format. So check out "Domino" on the right hand side and follow your favorite player. Domino mother fuckers!An Interview with Krista
{for all music related posts, see .Evolving.Music}While some are subdued or destroyed by the hardships and circumstances facing them, others are strengthened by the struggle and formed by it. Growing up in Sunset Park in Brooklyn, J Records’ new artist Krista has come through a difficult home life and youth to write music that combines various elements of Rock, Hip-Hop and R&B that is then filtered through an incredible voice that can range from pure vocal to unfettered rap. I had a chance to sit down and talk with Krista about her debut album set for release early this year, her first experiences touring and what you can expect from her music.
AC: Growing up, what were your musical influences?
K: Basically everything influenced me. I listened to a lot of dance music because my mother likes to dance, and I listened to a lot of hip-hop and R&B because of the neighborhood I lived in, but then I always felt like I related a lot more to Rock and Roll every time I listened to the lyrics in the songs.
AC: Any specific artists or acts?
K: I would say that I based a lot of my vocal scales on Mariah Carey, I listened to her and tried to follow her scales. Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant because the voice that came out of him and the way that he looks are totally different. This slim tall guy with a fro and then his voice comes out like this beast.
AC: When did you start viewing your writing as a potential career?
K: When I was about 12, my uncle was inspired by the way I would write lyrics to his guitar playing. He would come over and play guitar after dinner sometimes and I would come up with old school doo-wop type songs that he really liked.
AC: I read that you got into a bit of trouble when you were younger?
To read the rest of this interview, click here.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Bowling for Roses (Happy New Year!)
When word came around that I was going to be able to find some tickets for the Rose Bowl between USC and Penn State, I knew it had to be done. Pete Carroll, Joe Paterno, SC, PSU, The Granddaddy of the All...this was a game that needed to be attended. Especially given what USC traditionally does to Big 10 teams.
And so it was that after a brief nap in the afternoon, I pick up Za shortly before midnight on New Year's, and by 1:30 am, we're on the road to LA. There's no traffic on the road, so we make great time and end up at SC around 6:30 in the morning. Za had never seen the campus, so we took the tour seeing the football practice field, KSCR, the old dorms, the Row and of course Tommy. After that, we cruise over to Pasadena and find a Whole Foods for some tailgate foods, but it's 8am and the store doesn't open til 9. We park in their garage and sleep for an hour.
After buying some snacks, we make our way over to the Bowl and after a ridiculous struggle with parking (who decided that a stadium that seats over 90,000 people should only have two roads in and out?) we find Ray and Bones tailgating in the parking lot. So around 1130 or so, it's beers and tri-tip with js, and around 1:15 we head off for the game. We get to our seats just in time for the national anthem and fly over by a B-52, and are then treated to a massive Penn State ass kicking handed out by the Men of Troy. I hear two great questions...first, an SC fan asks a Penn State fan, "What's a Nittany?" and then at halftime when the game is 31-7, I hear someone ponder, "Is this the best the Big 10 has to offer?" All I can think is that when the Big 10 is 0-6 in their last 6 bowl games, and three of those losses are to SC teams, it really doesn't matter who their best is. Three straight years now we've beat Penn State, Illinois and Michigan badly, and each year those were the best the Big 10 had to offer.
After the game ends, it's around 6:30 and we're back in the car. Za takes the wheel home and we get back to San Francisco shortly before 12. By the time I get back home, it's been about 22.5 hours since we left and we've done the Rose Bowl, a campus tour and a round trip to Los Angeles. How's that for bringing in the new year?
Back in town for the weekend, JackieP was visiting from Germany with her new frau so we had to take to the town. Friday was uneventful aside from a Haight shopping trip, but Saturday was a late one with the crew (T, Jes, Za, McButter, JackieP, Marg, Hal, Bini and Nah) heading to the Café until it closed down and then heading over to crepes. I'm in line for crepes and thinking about calling Gavroche when I look to the front of the line and see him, Mau, Vic, Alla and others already there. After a sidewalk j and some crepes, it's back home.
Up next...the all new NowsInBetween feature....the Domino Scoreboard!
Friday, January 2, 2009
December Movies (24)
A fine way to finish out the film year as I used some down time that resulted from an ankle injury and some off time that resulted from the winter holidays to catch up and put a solid cap on the movies of 2008...
3: Bender's Game
5: Four Christmases
7: Goodfellas
8: State and Main
9: Alien v. Predator Requiem
10: Dark Knight
11: Waking the Dead, American Gangster
12: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
15: Diameter of the Bomb
16: Thank You for Smoking
20: Milk
23: Mixed Nuts, Cat Dancers
24: Foxfire
25: Amelie, Doubt
26: Jerry Maguire, I Am Legend
27: Machuca, College Road Trip
28: Curious Case of Benjamin Button
29: The Wrestler
30: Deliver Us From Evil
3: Bender's Game
5: Four Christmases
7: Goodfellas
8: State and Main
9: Alien v. Predator Requiem
10: Dark Knight
11: Waking the Dead, American Gangster
12: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
15: Diameter of the Bomb
16: Thank You for Smoking
20: Milk
23: Mixed Nuts, Cat Dancers
24: Foxfire
25: Amelie, Doubt
26: Jerry Maguire, I Am Legend
27: Machuca, College Road Trip
28: Curious Case of Benjamin Button
29: The Wrestler
30: Deliver Us From Evil
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Top 12s for 2008
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!
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 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!)
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thanksgiving #1
The Location: T and Xena's Place, San Francisco
The Time: 11/23, 4pm
The Crowd: Xena, T, Za, McButter, Bini, Nah, Marge, Windy, Lene, Sunshine and many others.
The Menu: Rolls, salad, stuffing, turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts cooked with prosciutto
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
November iPod Update
{for all music related posts, see .Evolving.Music}
For a taste of October's music, click here.
November's update comes with over 100 tracks spanning both new and old albums, and quite a bit in terms of the Yancey family. We've got hip-hop and indie rock, R&B and rap. Enjoy!
Black Milk, Tronic: An album that pushes the traditional boundaries of hip-hop with futuristic synths and musical approaches, Black Milk still puts out several songs that utilize nostalgic samples. I won't say much more because I've already written a full album review, but in my recent interview with Hieroglyphics members Opio and Tajai, they named Black Milk as one of the hip-hop producers they were liking the sound of recently. Read the full album review here. Don't Sleep On: "Long Story Short," "Bounce," and "Losing Out" featuring Royce da 5'9"
Bloc Party, Intimacy: When Bloc Party released their initial effort, Silent Alarm in 2005, it brought a distinct sound to the indie rock arena with Kele Okereke's emotional British accent and their hard charging guitars on songs like "Banquet." That album spawned a remix album before the release of what I viewed to be a lackluster sophomore effort on 2007's A Weekend in the City, an album that had three, maybe four really solid songs, tops. Thankfully though, Intimacy not only serves to take some of the band's music in another direction, but returns the indie sound on their rock songs to the top-notch form that looked possible from their debut. Intimacy still has driving drums and screaming guitars, but the band has started to utilize more in the way of drum machines and electronic flourishes that create a new dimension for them to explore and in some cases creates some of the most musically advanced songs the band has produced to date. Okereke's use of his voice is showing maturity, commanding more range of both pitch and emotion here. In some songs, it feels like the input they had on their work from Silent Alarm Remixes has prompted them to explore in new directions. A very solid album. Don't Sleep On: "Signs," "One Month Off," and "Talons."
Illa J, Yancey Boys: I've read a few reviews of this album that basically mock Illa J's approach and state that he only made this album because he got posthumously released tracks from his big brother J Dilla. I think these reviews miss the point of the album in that Illa J doesn't fancy himself a rapper or hip-hopper, he's a self-described singer/songwriter, so it only makes sense that what he does over Dilla beats is going to be different from Dilla's output when he was alive. On this album, the younger Yancey proves himself musically diverse and extremely relaxed, while also recognizing the importance of respecting Dilla's production. The tracks here are laid back and jazzy, and Illa takes no effort to listen to, he's that easy. Click here for the full album review, and click here for my interview with Illa J. Don't Sleep On: "R U Listenin'?" feat. Guity Simpson, "We Here," and "DTFT" feat. Affion Crockett
For the rest of November's music, click here.
For a taste of October's music, click here.
November's update comes with over 100 tracks spanning both new and old albums, and quite a bit in terms of the Yancey family. We've got hip-hop and indie rock, R&B and rap. Enjoy!
Black Milk, Tronic: An album that pushes the traditional boundaries of hip-hop with futuristic synths and musical approaches, Black Milk still puts out several songs that utilize nostalgic samples. I won't say much more because I've already written a full album review, but in my recent interview with Hieroglyphics members Opio and Tajai, they named Black Milk as one of the hip-hop producers they were liking the sound of recently. Read the full album review here. Don't Sleep On: "Long Story Short," "Bounce," and "Losing Out" featuring Royce da 5'9"
Bloc Party, Intimacy: When Bloc Party released their initial effort, Silent Alarm in 2005, it brought a distinct sound to the indie rock arena with Kele Okereke's emotional British accent and their hard charging guitars on songs like "Banquet." That album spawned a remix album before the release of what I viewed to be a lackluster sophomore effort on 2007's A Weekend in the City, an album that had three, maybe four really solid songs, tops. Thankfully though, Intimacy not only serves to take some of the band's music in another direction, but returns the indie sound on their rock songs to the top-notch form that looked possible from their debut. Intimacy still has driving drums and screaming guitars, but the band has started to utilize more in the way of drum machines and electronic flourishes that create a new dimension for them to explore and in some cases creates some of the most musically advanced songs the band has produced to date. Okereke's use of his voice is showing maturity, commanding more range of both pitch and emotion here. In some songs, it feels like the input they had on their work from Silent Alarm Remixes has prompted them to explore in new directions. A very solid album. Don't Sleep On: "Signs," "One Month Off," and "Talons."
Illa J, Yancey Boys: I've read a few reviews of this album that basically mock Illa J's approach and state that he only made this album because he got posthumously released tracks from his big brother J Dilla. I think these reviews miss the point of the album in that Illa J doesn't fancy himself a rapper or hip-hopper, he's a self-described singer/songwriter, so it only makes sense that what he does over Dilla beats is going to be different from Dilla's output when he was alive. On this album, the younger Yancey proves himself musically diverse and extremely relaxed, while also recognizing the importance of respecting Dilla's production. The tracks here are laid back and jazzy, and Illa takes no effort to listen to, he's that easy. Click here for the full album review, and click here for my interview with Illa J. Don't Sleep On: "R U Listenin'?" feat. Guity Simpson, "We Here," and "DTFT" feat. Affion Crockett
For the rest of November's music, click here.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Zion I Interview
{for all music related posts, see .Evolving.Music}From their initial release, 2000‘s Mind Over Matter, to last year’s collaboration album with The Grouch, Heroes in the City of Dope, the Bay Area based duo of MC Zumbi and AmpLive known as Zion I has been making incredible music that incorporates hip-hop, world rhythms, hyphy, electronica and jazz sensibilities with intelligent lyrics looking at economic situations, social situations and meditative introspection. They’ve released an album in Japan (Break A Dawn) and have put out mix tape’s like Curb Servin’ and remixes in the form of AmpLive’s re-working of Radiohead’s In Rainbows release. After their show at the Grand Ballroom in San Francisco on Saturday night, I got a chance to sit down with these two and ask them about their upcoming album, The Take Over, making hip-hop in the Bay Area and their favorite Zion I song.
AC: How do you determine your setlists?
Amp: For a tour, we practice before we go out, but basically our set lists have been the same the last couple of years and just changes slightly with the albums.
AC: The last album you did with The Grouch, Heroes in the City of Dope, what was it like working on The Take Over with just the two of you again?
Z: It was different because Grouch brings a whole different element, a whole different mind pattern. When we were working on Heroes, I remember sitting down and talking over each song really in depth, cause he’s a real insightful person, so we’d just talk out everything, so by the time the pen hit the paper, everything was already laid out. When it’s just Zion I, we talk about it, but my process is more about figuring it out as I go, like I feel something from the beat, and I have something but I have to remember to stay on topic. Grouch is just focused. Plus, Grouch writes half the verses too, when it’s Zion I, I have to write everything, so in that way it’s different. And I think with the beats, on Zion I stuff Amp is able to just go off more on his own. Zion I is just a more eclectic vibe, so we push a little bit harder and go off in different experimental ways.
AC: As you guys have progressed through your albums from Mind Over Matter to Deep Water Slang and the ones that have followed, what has become easier about making hip-hop for you, and what has become harder for you?
Z: Good question.
Amp: To me it’s never easy, because you don’t know if people are going to like it, and you just want it to be tight. Sometimes it’s hard knowing what to do, honestly, you have the way you feel, but sometimes it’s hard deciding what direction you want to go.
Z: For me, as a writer, it’s easier to know what I feel when I hear music because I’ve been doing it longer now as opposed to in ’95. I’ve been doing it 13 more years now, so I know what I feel. But still, like he said, you can’t get too cocky to the music or the culture, you have to be humble and a fan, you have to stay a fan. You don’t want to get old school, like you’re retro now on purpose, you have to have your ears to the street and just be open to the music. Sometimes it’s easy to get like, “Oh man, we used to do it like that back then and the new cats are doing it like this and that ain’t tight.” But you have to, as a fan of the culture, you have to have an open lingo to everything to stay fresh and relevant.
For the rest of my interview with Zion I, click here.
Zion I at the Grand Ballroom
{for all music related posts, see .Evolving.Music}
{to read Evolving Music’s interview with AmpLive, click here}
Hip-Hop shows, at their base, are usually only going to be as good as their crowds. With rock bands and other performers who play in large venues, just the sheer numbers will create an energetic atmosphere, and with pop songs, sing-a-longs easily get fans into the performance. With hip-hop, however, there are few performers who truly know all the words to their own rhymes. Often, performers will cut songs short in order to do just snippets of more popular songs. And the music is such that it requires energy from what is usually a smaller crowd, and the smaller the crowd, the harder it is to convince people to really sell out and get into it.
By these standards, the shows I have seen of Zion I have been some of the most varied in terms of audience enthusiasm and demographics of crowds. I’ve seen an incredible Zion I performance at the Fillmore where a truly live hip-hop crowd that knew their work was into it and the concert was amazing. But then I saw them a few years ago doing a back to school concert at UCLA. The venue was too large, there weren’t enough people there and the stage was set up in a way that allowed for almost no fan interaction. The people who were there mostly didn’t know the music, so what was an amazing set list got very little in the way of crowd appreciation.
The Mighty Underdogs opened, and considering they're made up of Gift of Gab from Blackalicious and Lateef the Truth Speaker from Latryx, they got short attention from most of the crowd. They were excellent though, bringing a speed of delivery that is difficult for most to imagine, and Gift of Gab's ability to increase speed while maintaining a level of coherency in his diction was showcased in my second opportunity to see him do "Alphabet Aerobics" live.
And when they got to the stage, Zion I got another odd turnout in the form of what looked more like a high school dance than a hip-hop show. The majority of the people there were girls between the ages of 14 and 17. Watching them run enthusiastically during set changes to find a cigarette they could puff on was hilarious in and of itself. And what can you expect from this group other than that they’ll know the singles and their favorite songs, but won’t have the depth of knowledge of Zion I’s catalog to truly appreciate and buy into the set.
And that’s unfortunate considering that I view Zion I to be one of the hardest working live acts in hip-hop and true masters of their craft. AmpLive and Zumbi consistently work in both old favorites and new tracks, while also remembering the art of the true freestyle, with both of them taking turns improvising on either lyrics or beats. On stage, Amp becomes a grand marshal, moving the set seamlessly from one track to the next, and adding flairs through the use of a live sample and drum machine.
For the rest of the review of Saturday's night show, click here.
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