New Age of Heroes

Breakdancing at Incheon's Cultureport

2011-08-01T10:22:00.002-04:00

Walking briskly through the arrivals terminal at Incheon airport with the sole purpose of picking up my jetlagged mother, I surely didn’t expect to be bombarded with hip-hop breakbeats and high-flying acrobatic dancing. But like a bolt of lightning the performance erupted out of nowhere, and my mom and I—seconds before having the simple and focused goal of getting from the airport to the hotel as quickly as possible—found ourselves captivated by the beautifully chaotic performance: the swirling bodies of colorful limbs, spinning and launching themselves with equal grace and abandon, choreographed perfectly to their cinematic, bass-heavy rhythms.

Break-dancing is relatively new trend in Korea, but its explosion in popularity, especially amongst extremely dedicated and talented young dancers, has led to Koreans being arguably the best break-dancers in the world. This is something that the typical visitor to Korea—for instance my mom—would likely neither know before coming here, nor discover while here, unless lucky. Now, because of Incheon’s new Cultureport program, these visitors can be lucky enough to experience first-hand, upon immediately entering the country, these very facets of Korea’s rich and cosmopolitan culture that might have otherwise not revealed themselves. It’s truly a special program that shouldn’t be missed by anyone traveling through Incheon.

2010-12-02T16:48:00.000-05:00

FROM THE ASHES:

http://fateof2worlds.blogspot.com/
http://fateof2worlds.blogspot.com/
http://fateof2worlds.blogspot.com/

This Boy's In Love

2009-07-11T13:21:00.010-04:00

I'm not too familiar with the Australian duo The Presets; before a few weeks ago I had never heard of them. Their music sounds pretty cool, albeit a little generic. Anyway, there's this really cool photographer Casper Balslev (who I found out about through Radiohead on their blog. His work was posted on this awesome website that has all different forms of art, but mostly painting and photography). His photos are pretty gritty but very cool..this series is my favorite. So, turns out this guy has also directed a few music videos. And they're pretty damn beautiful. (Even Hatesphere's slow motion headbanger video Floating manages to pull off some sort of visual grace.)

Here's the video of The Presets' song This Boy's In Love:

Watch it here.

for the sake of a post

2009-03-18T18:10:00.003-04:00

...

VARSITY MIXTAPE DROPPING SOON

May 29th, 1988 TRACK LIST:

(A SIDE)
Intro-Varsity/J Dilla
Booty-The Dream ft. Lil Jon
Freaky Tales-Too $hort
Zoo-Lil' Wayne ft. Mack Maine
I (Mikey) Rock-Cool Kids
Bad Boys-Shyne
Bam Bam/Money in the Bank (Instr)-Sister Nancy/Lil' Scrappy
Blind to You-Collie Buddz
Get it Up-The Very Best (Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit)
Passin' Me By (Hot Chip Remix)-Pharcyde
Honey-Erykah Badu
Real Ting-Mad Lion
Brooklyn Zoo-Ol' Dirty Bastard
Oh My God-A Tribe Called Quest
Game Over-Dabrye
Pop Champagne (Barack Campaign Remix)-Ron Browz ft. Jim Jones & Juelz Santana
I Believe-Simian Mobile Disco

(B SIDE)
Falling Reflip-Giovanni Marks
Warm it up, Kane-Big Daddy Kane
Ka$h-James Pants
I.O.U.-Freeez
Do You Want It Right Now-Seidah Garret
Sussido-Phil Collins
Dirty Talk-Klein & M.B.O
Nasty-Cajmere
Green Tacos-Derrick Carter
Willing-Top Billin'
Party People-DJ Technics
Looka Here-DJ Sega
Nifty-Basement Jaxx
Rican-Afro Rican
C'mon Babe-2 Live Crew
Take You Home Girl-Arabian Prince

(X SIDE)
Accelerated Funk-DJ Assault
Bounce-DJ Clent
Bounce N Break Yo Back-DJ Spinn
K Swiss- DJ Rashad
Let Me Bang-DJ Deeon
Young Turks-Rod Stewart

GMPD/TAFFY HIPS

2009-03-02T19:19:00.005-05:00

Hey friends. Apologies for our recent formatting issues. We're not really sure what's wrong, but rest assured that both Austin and I have been working vigilantly to get things back to their normal appearance. Until then I was able to organize our posts into this current layout. I think it's kind of disgusting but it'll have to do for now.

In other news: PARTY DREAM SHOW THIS THURSDAY brought to you by Sarah Lawrence College and New Age of Heroes. Check out the recent review of their new album Dreamscape to get the scoop on these hooligans. I'm hoping to score an interview with Gil and Donny for you guys to enjoy, but I will at the very least return with some wild pics (if I make it back alive, that is).

Also: You may recall an earlier post referencing a collaboration between art collective/zine makers Taffy Hips and New Age of Heroes. Well, this past month, these two monolithic groups joined forces and pumped out the second issue of the Taffy Hips comics mag, NAOH being responsible for the rad cover design. The new issue features AMAZING work from many of my really talented friends like Gil Gentile and Zac Singer, as well as interviews and drawings from accomplished comics dudes Marc Bell, Matthew Thurber and Joe Clower. These kids have really stepped up their game. Issues are available now at a whole mess of shops in Providence, in addition to Desert Island in NYC and Quimby's in Chicago.

Check out a full list of artists below and info on the release party this Saturday.

NEW ISSUE FORTHCOMING

NEW WORKS BY:

HANNAH DEUSTCH
JAIME KANSLER
GIL GENTILE
MAGGIE WONG
MARGARET POWERS
MORGAN STREET
JACK ROHMAN
ZAC SINGER & LIZ LAKE

COVER BY:
HARRISON SHERROD

INTERVIEWS WITH:

MARC BELL
MATTHEW THURBER
JOE CLOWER

RELEASE PARTY THIS WEEK, ASPACE, FRIDAY, MARCH 6TH @ 9PM.
PLEASE LOOK FOR UPDATES ON WHERE TO SNAG A COPY!

http://taffyhips.blogspot.com/
http://taffyhips.blogspot.com/
http://taffyhips.blogspot.com/

Febraury Generica

2009-02-24T11:31:00.005-05:00

Hey NAOH readers, thought I'd drop some updates on ya. I've had a lot to write about in the last few weeks but never built up the motivation to post anything substantial. I've been struggling to find work, adapting to living back in Brooklyn, and all the time listening to new, old and forgotten music. (Busy to say the least.) Anyway, thought I'd give you a taste of the last few weeks.

First up, music videos:

"Day 'N' Nite" by Kid Cudi. I never thought when I saw this guy months ago that he would blow up. Then again, there is so much crossover between the Fool's Gold people and Kanye-Pop-Hot 97-Radio Bangers crowd, I guess it was inevitable. (Note to self: find A-Trak, hang out with him and become famous.) Anyway, it's an awesome video whether or not you like the song. (I do.)

"2K Pennies" by The Cool Kids. Now, I know what you're thinking: this next video looks like a Justice/M.I.A. rip off. Well, maybe so. Nevertheless, this is an awesome song and a fun video--one of many actually. If you haven't seen some of the Cool Kids' videos ("Black Mags", for example), definitely get on that. Plus, its nice to see that they haven't fallen off after the last (short) LP. Props then to Cool Kids. I continue to enjoy them despite my sometime Hip-Hop snobbery.

Moving right along and across an Ocean, my musical interest finds its way to Africa. Konono N°1, a ragtag group of both veteran and young musicians hailing from Kinshasa, Congo, came to light in 2005 when Crammed Discs pressed the group's first LP, "Congotronics". Now, most sites will tell you that this CD is to be enjoyed by fans of Fela Kuti and the like, but to say that this is simply another "Afro-Beat" group is quite misleading. Forming an unique and as-of-yet unexploited sound from likembés (thumb-pianos), make-shift drums and array of homemade mega-phone-esque distortion devices, Konono No. 1's sound is like no other. Working themselves into a trance-like almost electro-sounding call-and-response mantra, they achieve a groove unparalleled in any other music I've heard before. I do not say this lightly--this album is truly incredible. Whether for background music or foreground bumping, this gem is truly not miss. I'm almost sad I haven't been listening to it since it first dropped. Seriously, my friends, go out and get this. Easily a 10 out of 10.

There's much more to be said, but no time now to say it. (I'm getting hungry.) Real briefly then: both the Grammys and the Oscars were unsurprisingly disappointing, there are no jobs in NYC, and it's been cold for way too long. Oh! and I've been bumping a lot of Iggy Pop. Why? I couldn't even tell you.
Until next time...

It's finally here...

2009-02-22T01:47:00.013-05:00

~DREAMSCAPE REVIEW~

It’s easy not to take Gil Mantera’s Party Dream seriously. Between Donny’s vacuous stage banter, Gil’s fierce eagle tattoos, the Day-Glo spandex and their spot-on reworks of Stevie Nicks and Kano the group might easily be reduced to a sideshow act, a satirical sampling of the 1980’s worst (best) offerings. However, such a reading proves uneducated and unfulfilling. Behind the playful synth-pop sound of GMPD’s seminal album Bloodsongs is a bleak, existential commentary on love and relationships. On “Building Rockets” Donny wails, “Do you know/And do you see/A future for you and me?” Songs like “Super Plus Ice Festival” and “Elmo’s Wish” reverberate with similar themes of romantic tumult. The only solution that Gil provides is getting stoned, as he suggests over the thick, syrupy pads of “Bunz Therapy.” If one reads between the lines it’s clear that the album has the capacity to operate as cynical and bitter retort to all the ladies (or dudes) that have done the Party Dream wrong.

However, if Bloodsongs provides a discouraging outlook on love, GMPD’s new full-length album Dreamscape presents a (temporary) solution. As the album title suggests, the dream world provides a space for Gil and Donny’s relationships to exist untarnished. The group references this idea multiple times on songs like “Dreamlovers” and “Get Sirius,” as well as the title track on which Donny sings, “Lost in a dream, and I can’t wait to have you back in my arms, here in my arms.” Gil’s blissful vocorder ballad “The Only One” also epitomizes such a feeling. Other than menstruation (maturely addressed in “Mood Swings”) the only hazard present in the Dreamscape universe is the sounding of the alarm clock.

Sonically speaking the album demonstrates a mature shift from Bloodsongs. Much of this evolution is thanks to the accumulation of A.E. Paterra (of Zombi fame [known as “the Hitman” on previous tours]) who provides the addition of live drums. An obvious inevitability, the drums give the new material a sense of depth and richness that was absent in their previous work. Donny’s vocals have also improved immensely and it sounds like Gil has found a few more settings on his vocorder. Personal favorites include “Eyes of Blue,” a phenomenal seven-minute progressive number and the aforementioned title track—when Gil’s weightless robotic voice floats in after the second chorus the effect is nothing short of euphoric. “Supra Natura” is perhaps the biggest departure from the group’s earlier sound, momentarily feeling akin to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” due to it’s percussion and ominous synth build. “Ballerina” is also an instant classic, featuring cascading arpeggios and heavy guitars (you might remember an earlier version made the #2 spot on our top 25 singles list).

With the exception of a few minor sound-mixing issues (Donny’s voice is a little faint in places) Dreamscape is essentially perfect—consider NAOH’s top nine singles of 2009 already determined. The only pitfall the Party Dream need be concerned about is becoming too conventional—live drumming is all fine and good but we would all hate for them to sound anything like their previous tour mates The Rapture. My only complaint is the complaint that comes attached to any great album: Why can’t there be more?! And as long as Donny keeps referencing drinking matches with Frogger and Gil continues to purchase cheap magic tricks, the Party Dream will remain my favorite live act of all time, edging out Daedelus, Jamie Lidell and even the monolithic Daft Punk.

Let’s just hope we never wake up.

Vidz:

1. "Dreamscape" live @ Do Division Fest in Chicago, IL

2. Brilliant cover of Stevie Nick's "Stand Back"

3. OMFG. The Party Dream advertise for Trojan brand condoms. I can't think of a more incongruous ad campaign.

RATING (oh, what the hell): 10.0/10.0

It is my great pleasure to host Gil Mantera’s Party Dream here at Sarah Lawrence on March 5th. It is my even greater pleasure to DJ with fellow NAOH writer Jesse prior to their set.

Catch the GMPD in New Age of Heroes relevant cities on the 4th, 5th and 6th.

wed, mar 4 | north star bar | philadelphia, pa

thurs, mar 5 | sarah lawrence college (free show) | bronxville, ny

fri, mar 6 | club europa | brooklyn, ny

Big Ones

2009-02-10T00:53:00.004-05:00

Some big leaks/hidden gems i've discovered in the past few:

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Advance Base Battery Life

I should preface this little blurb by making known my unhealthy obsession with CTFPA--he's my most listened-to artist on last.fm, and I feel a certain, perhaps unhealthy, self-masochistic pleasure in listening to his pathetically bleak and somber tunes over and over again. This, then, should make my disappointment with his latest LP all the more surprising. On it, Owen Ashworth returns to the form of his early Answering Machine Music, recording brief vignettes with simple messages, rather than the highly metaphorical, though brief, snippets of Twinkle Echo or the fully-developed lo-fi pop laments of Etiquette. This in itself would not have posed an issue, but coupled with his attempt to 'exotify' other aspects of the album, such as his frequent use of 'ethnic' percussion and his overused collaboration with additional vocalists, it just makes for an awkward, seemingly rushed listening experience. This and the fact that 70% of the album's tracks have been freely available for months all over the internet make this a true disappointment. Of course, it's still CTFPA, so it can't be that bad; but it's not that good either.

RATING: 5.9

Try [via Bolachas Gratis]

The Caretaker - A Stairway to the Stars

This is the 'hidden gem' I spoke of earlier--one of those countless amazing works of music written years ago when I was still listening to Blink-182, eluding my attention for years to come. The album's title offers a false sense of something 'happy'; it instead might be a reference to our collective journey towards death and our hopeful delusions of a place waiting for us, perhaps 'beyond the stars'. The entire album exudes the beautifully forlorn sounds of decay--on it, The Caretaker samples old, forgotten ballroom and big-band ballads of the 1930s and 40s, filtering them through layers and layers of delay and fuzz, the result a hazy, lethargic, and muffled score aching of time lost and never regained. If ghosts exist and listen to music, they listen to this shit. This album is absolutely amazing; I'd recommend it to all lovers of music, even if you absolutely 'loathe' ambient/experimental genres.

RATING: 9.8

Try [via Glowing Raw]

Junior Boys - Begone Dull Care

I'm not quite in a position to review this... I'm listening to it for only my second time right now, and the during the first listen I think I passed out mid-way through. It's an exciting leak nonetheless. This latest LP seems so far to be a more understated effort, with perhaps less poppy hooks but still sexy and smooth and danceable like So This is Goodbye. I might review it later, or maybe some other NAOH mofukka wants to give it a go.

Try [via deek media]

Stay tuned for more tantalizing reviews: Mono, Windy & Carl, Appleseed Cast, Mountains, The Long Lost, Dum Dum Girls, Wavves, and of course H's upcoming Gil Mantera review/interview extravaganza!

8Bit Strikes Again

2009-02-04T18:00:00.004-05:00

I don't think its possible to be between the ages of 18 and 28 and not appreciate 8bit music. Simulating, recreating and appropriating the sounds of our favorite NES games, 8bit provides endless possibilities for funny remixes....like this:

I like this video because it proves that these creative geniuses have not lost their competitive edge. 8Bit musician, "Coda", is apparently beefing with some other people who are "gay" and full of "faggotry". We wish you well, Mr. Coda man. Gods speed in your quest for 8bit dominance.

Also, check out this guy!

http://www.last.fm/music/GamersCast/+charts?rangetype=week&subtype=tracks

(Be sure to look at what he's posted in the last 6 months. The Ghostbusters one is real good.)

Hope you enjoy! Peace N0085!

"Remember back in days..."

2009-02-03T13:57:00.010-05:00

Here are the facts: My name is Jesse Parnell. I was named after Jesse Jackson. I was almost named Magic Parnell (my mom had a thing for Magic Johnson). I was born and raised in Brooklyn, and I smoked Newports until I coughed up black stuff and had to switch to Camels. (I'm broke now so I sport the rollie's.) I like pretentious literature/critical theory and talking about Zombie apocalypse contingency plans. If I could only bring one book, one album and a movie onto an deserted island it would be the Bible by Prophets, Saints and God; "Enter the Wu-Tang Clan: 36 Chambers" by the Wu-Tang Clan; and "Airplane!" by God.

With that said, I thought I'd talk about Mid-Nineties East-Coast Hip-Hop. More specifically, I'd like to address "Notorious" (the new Biggie bio-flick), and some of the heinous assertions made by this ridiculous movie. First off, let it be said, if you're a Biggie fan like me (who at some point knew all the lyrics to the entire "Ready to Die" LP) then this is not the film for you. George Tillman Jr., the director of this travesty, decidedly had no appreciation for Biggie, his music or his message. The most remarkable aspects of this film were the mis-quoted lyrics, the bad acting and horrible reevaluation of who Christopher Wallace was. Look: Biggie was not the teddy bear the film made him out to be, he was not being hunted by some FBI-type dark force, and he was certainly not the only rapper representing Brooklyn (let alone NYC or the East-Coast) at the time. The character of "Puffy" actually says something to the effect of "the West Coast has all the rappers: 2pac, Snoop, Dre," etc. NOT TRUE. To say that Biggie was the best MC coming out of New York at the time is surely not too much of an overstatement, but to assert his pure dominance over the the Hip Hop scene in NYC is just straight bullshit. This last lie was enough to turn me off from the rest of the film. Not even bothering to touch on the bad acting and shitty script, I give this film a 5.0 out of 10.

Anyway, its not all bad news. This gives me reason to bring up another Mid-Nineties Brooklyn MC, who I have come to love and adore. His name is Mad Lion and he's a gem of a man. With a voice deeper than any MC/Reggae singer you'll ever hear, this Jamaica/London/Bronx/Brooklyn native brings a whole new meaning to Dancehall. It is hard as a Hip Hop/Dancehall fan not to enjoy these hard hitting battle-rhymes in Patois. His 1995 debut album "Real Ting" then is truly a treat. Incorporating that stripped down New York sound and a range between party and aggressive lyrics, "Real Ting" is easily part of that amazing period defined by "Illmatic", "The Infamous", "Dah Shinin'", "Enta Da Stage", "Lifestylez of the Poor and Dangerous" and, of course, "Ready to Die". And though some tracks are definitely skip-able, songs like "Take it Easy" "Shoot to Kill" and "Real Ting", really make this an awesome album. If you don't believe me, check it yourself:

As such, I give this album an 8.0 (a must have).

Oh! I'd like to thank Harrison for the invite to this site, as well. I hope to be writing more soon.

As NaS says, "I'm ghost, one love".

waferbaby/sketchy lady AND...

2009-01-30T20:28:00.004-05:00

Couple of more nifty links for you yins to check out. They just so happen to rhyme.

waferbaby:

Not sure who exactly runs this site, but the concept is really brilliant. Essentially, every few days a new figure is interviewed, be it an artist, musician, designer or some other person who has a profession reliant on computer technology. Four questions are then asked:

1. So who are you, and what do you do?

2. What hardware are you using to get your work done?

3. And what software?

4. What would be your perfect, ultimate setup?

This is a really neat way to learn how some really phenomenal people are developing their brilliance. It’s also a great source for getting the scoop on a lot of the obscure shareware and freeware that’s out there. Check out their recent interview with YACHT who just so happened to make the NOAH top twenty singles list this past year. It also features a regular blog with daily musings.

Check it.

---

sketchy lady:

This is the work of my good friend Beth Slutzky who, in my opinion, is one of the finest art students here at Sarah Lawrence. Earlier this year she whipped up some wallpaper composed entirely of gay celebrities (posted above) for her sculpture installation “ There’s No Place Like Homo.” Apparently she’s also been running this blog that I didn’t even know about called sketchy lady featuring her prompt, off-the-cuff sketches of friends and family. I’m hoping that after blogging about her she’ll feel obligated to draw me.

---

Oh shit.

A little belated, but since we're firmly rooted in all things Chi-City we've got to celebrate this:

IMPEACHED.

GEEK DOWN

2009-01-30T13:21:00.007-05:00

I lament the fact that, with the exception of our ongoing obsession with Servbot and Servbot related hentai, we don’t nearly geek out as much as we should here at New Age of Heroes. To fix that problem, I will provide you with a hilarious video and a totally rad book. The first is a Resident Evil 4 parody done by the good dudes over at Mega64. The Wolfslau and I nearly cried upon viewing this for the first time—if you’ve ever thought that omnipresent merchant to be a bit funny, I guarantee your sides will be split when you watch this little segment—DUDE DOES THE VOICE SO WELL. The Metal Gear video is also quality. SECONDLY: I think a good majority of the contributors of this blog have resigned themselves to the fact that they’ll be, at some point in time, putting a Star Wars related tattoo on their body. Maybe I’m just speaking for myself here, but I can easily see Austin with an IG-88 and Cat with a Boba Fett, perhaps Michael with Chewbacca or a General Grievous (just wanted to say that). Well, if the NAOH resident tattoo artist Ricardo has the skills to make them “raw” enough, we might just find ourselves in the next volume of The Force in the Flesh, a book of Star Wars related tattoos. Though the price is a little steep, the top ten craziest tats are well worth checking out. My particular favorites include the holiday Yoda and the virgin Mary inspired Boba Fett. Serious kudos to the guy with the number one spot—that looks excruciatingly painful.

The Force in the Flesh

LATER THIS WEEKEND:

So much shit is going down I can’t even keep track. Bunch of collabs (some official, some unofficial):

1. Chi City x New Age of Heroes t-shirt

2. Taffy Hips x New Age of Heroes zine

3. Varsity x New Age of Heroes mixtape

4. Gil Mantera x New Age of Heroes poster, shirt & live show. OMG.

LOOK OUT FOR THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED REVIEW OF GMPD’S DREAMSCAPE.

All this and I don’t even know what’s going down in Philly. Stay tuned.

Animal Collective- MPP

2009-01-27T19:19:00.005-05:00

Merriweather Post Pavilion – Album Review

Critics are calling Animal Collective’s eighth studio album Merriweather Post Pavilion their most “poppy” record to date. Given their track record of hard-to-follow melodies and sometimes altogether jarring songs (“Hey Light” off of Here Comes the Indian comes to mind) this statement proves to be true. However, it’s important to note that while Merriweather might be a pop record for Animal Collective, it certainly strays far from the mainstream definition of pop and in no way violates the sound they have masterfully created for themselves.

Although both David Portner (aka Avey Tare) and Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) have successfully worked without each other and the other members of Animal Collective (Brian “Geologist” Weitz and Josh “Deakin” Dibb), they prove to be best when working together. Portner has a more straightforward take on singing, following a standard approach to songwriting. Lennox on the other hand has a talent for creating haunting and beautiful melodies, reminiscent of Brian Wilson. One of the best things about Merriweather is the joining of their voices. On more songs than not, you’ll hear them both together, working off of each other effortlessly. “Taste” and “Guys Eyes” stand out as the most compatible for them, each creating an exceptionally catchy melody and a perfect combination of both of their individual sounds.

The album as a whole has wonderful flow. Each song has its individual arc, and even the songs that lag like “Daily Routine” and “No More Runnin” still have a sound that is very typical of Animal Collective that will please old-time listeners. In short, whether it’s your first time listening to Animal Collective or your hundredth, you will not be disappointed.

9.7/10

Animal Collective- "In the Flowers" [via Song, by Toad]

listens

2009-01-26T16:14:00.005-05:00

A couple albums that I've been listening to lately which are also incidentally listed consecutively in my iTunes, and a shameless shout-out for a friend's band.

Au Revoir Borealis - Dark Enough for Stars

Though sporting probably one of the worst band names ever, or at least the largest discrepancy between band name/music quality, Dark Enough for Stars is a magical listen as long as you don't have to mention its artist too much. Bathed in an icy, mellow, soothing air reminiscent of A Northern Chorus or perhaps Coastal, and utilizing delicately applied reverb + delay on the vocals/guitar making for a sparser yet more accessible Windy & Carl-like sound, Au Revoir is yet another dream-rock project worth listening (or at least napping, which i did today) to. Given that their last full-length release was back in 2000, Au Revoir assumedly labored quite diligently over this latest work, an artistry and dedication that shines clearly in the album's pristine production and fantastic songwriting.

RATING: 8.6

try [via Bolachas Gratis]

Various Artists - Dark Was The Night

This is basically a random compilation put together by a couple guys from The National with the help of all their 'indie rock friends', the proceeds of which go towards an AIDS benefit organization. I can't do much in terms of a review--some of the songs are great, some are 'meh'. A couple of the former standouts for me are the soulfully rich 'Feeling Good' by My Brightest Diamond and the unexpectedly sparse yet powerful 'When the Road Runs Out' by Blonde Redhead and Devestations. I don't know if this was actually released yet, but there are leaks of it all over the place, so finding one is like 'a piece of cake.' At its myspace, linked below, one track is streamed a day or something.

RATING: ~6.8??

Listen

Soldier on Dear Freind

And lastly a shout-out to Zach Weinstein of fabakis and the above band, which 'raised the roof' at Olde Club Saturday night.

listen

BRB YALLZ

sound experiments

2009-01-17T02:51:00.005-05:00

I've been listening to a lot of this quirky Danish-German dude, Jacob Kirkegaard, lately. I don't really know his back-story, but he seems to be a scientist/musician/field-recordist 'hybrid' of sorts, always having his musical projects motivated by some weird sound-study. For example, my first exposure to him was my discovery of 2008's Labyrinthitis, a short little piece in which he initially plays a certain frequency, which apparently triggers some movement of the inner-workings of yer ear that produces a separate frequency, then layers that frequency on top of the previous one, repeating the process for 30 minutes or so. I was intrigued, so I checked out his older works, all of which proved to be even more absurd/awesome than Labyrinthitis was.

4 Rooms

For this study, Kirkegaard traveled to Chernobyl, which had been empty of human life for nearly 20 years because of a radioactive 'meltdown' at some nuclear power plant, and recorded the silence in 4 'rooms' that were still marked as 'radioactive zones', thus being permanently desolate. He plays back the silence in the said rooms, and then records that, and does that over and over again a bunch of times, layering them in sequence so that near the end of the song we reach a climax of utterly frightening drone, convincing us that between the waves of 'silence' in these rooms live the ghosts of the estranged men and women who once inhabited them. There's a study that says you can hallucinate by wearing a blindfold and listening to radio static, that you'll hear dead loved ones speak to you, or see animals from you past; this record has a similar effect , albeit one with a frightening aftertaste.

RATING: 9.1

Eldfjall

I watched a film a few months ago called Khadak. I honestly didn't know what the hell was going on, but its visual and aural beauty were overwhelming; filmed in Mongolia, each shot was a beautifully extended portrait of the barren, wintry plains of the country, backed by a neo-classical soundtrack with the sounds of droning winds and snowstorms as accompaniment, each scene stretching for minutes on end and suddenly cutting to a starkly different yet similarly desolate panorama . Listening to Kirkegaard's Eldfjall, a collection of field recordings by microphones he placed in the ground of different volcanically active parts of Iceland, I was immediately reminded of the film. Gurgling seismic activity captured by one of his mics will drone on for minutes, then unexpectedly cut to a new recording--it too murmur of the earth, but one of a different nature. In grasping that this is our planet that is actually making these sounds, such masterpieces of drone beneath seemingly frozen surfaces, you find a similar sublime quality as you do watching the pristine beauty arise from Khadak's shots of emptiness.

RATING: 9.0

Try

Chaz Jankel

2009-01-15T00:40:00.005-05:00

As Austin provides you with a look forward in the realms of experimental glitch-hop and alternative J-Rock I will offer a look back at the career of a relatively unknown synth-pop legend. Enter Chaz Jankel. Known for his work with The Blockheads and Ian Dury, as well as his own successful singles like “3,000,000 Synths” and “Number One,” Jankel is one of the dudes who made a multitude of phenomenal records, most of which have now been forgotten. I suggest checking out My Occupation, a collection of his finest work to date, which I stumbled upon earlier this month. The aforementioned singles are obvious points of interest but I also recommend the jazzy instrumental track that concludes the album entitled “Call Me (Bonus Dub).” For fans of Kano, Yaz, Janet Jackson and those who embraced the technological advances of the 1980’s but weren’t ready to let go of the sound of the 1970’s.

Beware of the video below—there’s some “Windowlicker”-esque distortion that occurs.

2009-01-13T18:41:00.004-05:00

The Beast's 50 Most Loathsome People in America, 2008

best list of the year, by far.

Listens for Week 1 of 2009

2009-01-13T17:00:00.004-05:00

These are some of what I've been listening to in the past week. For all of them, reviews are pending... I'm lazy.

Lukid - Foma

Part dubstep, part instrumental hip hop, part glitch, an understated electro-acoustic venture that has been ruling my lazy days of late.

Try [via bolachas gratis]

Asobi Seksu - Hush

I was so happy to see this morning that this had leaked. I'm presently in the process of finishing my first full listen, but so far it seems killer, introducing much more variation upon general shoegaze technique than Citrus did while still retaining its dreamy bliss. I've yet to hear any Japanese though, which disappoints me, however this might be my mistake since I've lost all of my speaking abilities during my time here in Chicago.

[edit: i just heard japanese!!!!!!]

Try [via deek media]

I've also been listening to Crippled Black Phoenix's joint 2009 efforts, The Resurrectionists and Night Raider, both of which continue the 'end-time-ballads' thing, the former doing so more successfully in my opinion. You can find their downloads all over the blogosphere.

PeaceLuv.

2009 hello

2009-01-13T04:59:00.004-05:00

WATCH BRUCE LEE KICK CHUCK NORRIS' ASS!

be sure to wait till the final seconds so you can see Chuck's terrifying war-cry.

Here are some kewl facts about Bruce Lee, courtesy of I Heart Chaos//Wikipedia .
*Lee’s striking speed from three feet with his hands down by his side reached five hundredths of a second.
* Lee’s combat movements were at times too fast to be captured on film at 24 frames per second, so many scenes were shot in 32fps to put Lee in slow motion. Normally martial arts films are sped up.
* In a speed demonstration, Lee could snatch a dime off a person’s open palm before they could close it, and leave a penny behind.
* Lee would hold an elevated v-sit position for 30 minutes or longer.
* Lee could throw grains of rice up into the air and then catch them in mid-flight using chopsticks.
* Lee performed one-hand push-ups using only the thumb and index finger
* Lee performed 50 reps of one-arm chin-ups.
* Lee could break wooden boards 6 inches (15 cm) thick.
* Lee could cause a 300-lb (136 kg) bag to fly towards and thump the ceiling with a side kick.
* Lee performed a side kick while training with James Coburn and broke a 150-lb (68 kg) punching bag
* In a move that has been dubbed “Dragon Flag”, Lee could perform leg lifts with only his shoulder blades resting on the edge of a bench and suspend his legs and torso perfectly horizontal midair.

I suspect most of those are either fully or partially bullshit, but if a guy who smoked weed regularly enough to have it considered as his cause of death can achieve even one of those feats, I suddenly feel much better about my own indulgences.

And just for good measure... the second-best fight scene ever filmed:

Goodbye 2008

2009-01-09T14:35:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the delay guys, I've been quite sick with a fever and cold. Without further delay, here are the rest of your 2008 goodies...

Best DJ Mixes

1. Diplo- Top Ranking

2. Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit- The Very Best Mixtape

3. J Rocc- Thank You Jay Dee, Act 3

4. Max Tundra- Radio Mix

5. Mark Farina- Live in Japan

Best Live Act of 2008

1. Gil Mantera’s Party Dream

2. Hot 8 Brass Band

3. Jamie Lidell

4. Diplo

5. Amadou & Miriam

#1-10

10. Icy Demons- Miami Ice

Helmed by Bablicon’s Griffin Rodriguez and Man Man’s Christopher Powell the Chicago outfit Icy Demons served up some freshness in 2008 with their sophomore effort entitled Miami Ice. The song of the same name is undoubtedly the stand out track of the LP. The track strikes a comfortable balance between the organic and the electronic placing an abrasive synth lead carries over rickety percussion. There’s something distinctly unstable about “Miami Ice”—the whole operation feels as if held together by Elmer’s glue, capable of falling apart at any second. Rodriguez’s vocals fall nicely into the picture as he suggests, “taking a trip can be good for the soul/so pull it together, keep it together.”

9. Xiu Xiu- Under pressure (feat. Michael Gira)

Xiu Xiu covering Queen? Yeah, it’s kind of perfect if you think about it. For a few minor seconds things seem normal, however within moments of the opening the familiar guitar notes of the original are joined by signature unnerving Xiu Xiu horn work, announcing the ensuing chaos. The pairing of Jamie Stewart’s anxious, shaky vocals and those of guest Michael Gira provides a nice contrast between madness and stability—these guys are just like Freddy Mercury and David Bowie except maybe slightly more disturbed (except maybe not). The best thing about the track is that, despite the obvious inconsistencies with the original, the sonic changeability and playfulness of the Xiu Xiu cover exemplify the same themes of release and freedom. “Under pressure” is nothing short of a beautiful mess worthy of fireworks and party hats upon each play.

8. Usher- Love In This Club (feat. Young Jeezy)

All I have to say is this: If we see a surge of teen births in the coming months, we know we’ll have Usher and Jeezy to thank.

7. YACHT- I’m In Love With a Ripper (Party Mix)

After hooking up with James Murphy of the DFA, Portland DIY kid Jona Bechtolt straightens out and makes a proper dance tune. Features messy hi-hats, muddled synths and a wobbly bass line that drive the track to its vocal crescendo. Pay attention Kanye West, this is how you’re supposed to use auto-tuning: in moderation.

6. Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit- Get It Up (The Very Best Remix)

From their superb mix tape The Very Best, Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit drop an international banger with “Get It Up.” Backed with sturdy tribal percussion Mwamwaya delivers his smooth vocals, shifting between English and his native language of Chichewa. M.I.A. handles the repetitive chorus over wild shrieks and infectious chanting—this is Afro-Pop for the clubs. “Get It Up” is my sexing anthem of 2008 for more reasons than one.

5. Liquid Liquid- Cavern [RE-RELEASE]

Liquid Liquid’s “Cavern” is a classic. I’m thrilled that their seminal self-titled album was re-released in 2008 so I could place this exceptional track on the list. If you’d a golden age hip-hop fan you might recognize the steady bassline from Grandmaster Flash’s “White Lines.” The brilliance of the track lies in its minimalism; a steady, consistent drumbeat carries the track forward emphasized by a jittery tambourine, reverberated cymbal crashes, as well as a progression of bongos and congas. Salvatore Principato’s haunting vocals seem to float in the distance, some how removed from the instrumentation. “Cavern” provides a truly hypnotic effect similar to walking through a hall of mirrors—one feels entirely encased, entirely rapt without any means of exit. Liquid Liquid’s influence can be seen in the work of current dance-rock groups such as Professor Murder.

4. Jamie Lidell- Figured Me Out

I wake up everyday wishing I could be Jamie Lidell. The dude is sex embodied. Although his sophomore effort Jim wasn’t nearly as weird or electronically tinged as it should have been, a track like “Figured Me Out” makes up for that problem. The song is a cynical invitation for Lidell’s lover to tell him what he’s all about. His crooning is here supported by stop-and-go percussion, hefty piano work and twitchy, erratic synths. “Figured Me Out” provides a perfect balance between Lidell’s beautiful vocals and the electronically oriented breakdowns that take place amid the choruses and verses.

3. Erykah Badu- Honey

A hidden gem from her 2008 release New Amerykah, Pt. 1, “Honey” is a thick, funky banger from the queen of R&B. Badu’s vocals blend nicely with bottom heavy beats and retro synth toppings. Perfect for a Sunday morning in the Cadillac cruising down Lakeshore Drive—look for it on the debut Varsity mixtape, May 29th, 1988.

2. Gil Mantera’s Party Dream- Ballerina

Gil Mantera’s Party Dream are kind of the best band ever. The only reason these guys aren’t snagging the number one spot is so they can do so the next time around. Nearly four years after the criminally underappreciated Bloodsongs, the Youngstown, OH brothers are back with a vengeance. The duo sound better than ever as Donny pleads with a ballerina to let him rescue her from the depths of darkness. The effort overall is much more polished and complex than their previous work; Donny has developed a greater vocal range (translation: he can actually sing on this record) while Gil has learned a thing or two about layering synths—it goes without saying that he’s likely improved on his high kicks as well.

1. Max Tundra- The Entertainment

My favorite song of 2008 is Max Tundra’s (AKA Londoner Ben Jacobs) “The Entertainment.” Upon my return to NOAH earlier this year one of the first posts I wrote was on the subject of his new album, Parallax Error Beheads You. I firmly believe that he is an artist capable of crafting a sound that is wholly inimitable and richly multifarious. Tundra comfortably straddles a line between minimalism and convolution, unafraid of letting his song’s identities change instantaneously. These opinions hold true for “The Entertainment,” a track satirizing the contrived work of film school students. The crux of the song is a series of trance stabs that unexpectedly occur after a pleasant introduction from Tundra. The melody at first feels banal and typically anthemic, however, the notes quickly become unpredictable evoking a greater sense of depth and sentimentality. The track then breaks down into a flood cascading of 8-bit synths supported by handclaps. Tundra’s robotic vocals float weightlessly over the madness. He sings: “Cause I was born to entertain.” Yes you were Max Tundra, yes you were.

New Age of Heroes' Top Albums of 2008: 10-1

2008-12-31T15:59:00.013-05:00

And then, there were ten.

For a recap,

20 - 11

20. Hotel, Hotel - The Sad Sea

19. Parenthetical Girls - Entanglements

18. Little Joy - Little Joy

17. Hatchback - Colors of the Sun

16. M83 - Saturdays = Youth

15. Beach House - Devotion

14. Arthur Russell - Love is Overtaking Me

13. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

12. Shugo Tokumaru - Exit

11. Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill

10 - 1

10. A Silver Mt. Zion – 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons

Soothsayers secretly chanting odious rhymes, cursing, betraying their brethren, dooming them for the battle ahead; skies blackened with vultures, in preparation for a feast; the sound of metal on metal, metal on flesh, flesh on flesh; hordes of deranged animals who once were men, howling cacophonous war-songs, wordless but carrying meaning far beyond that of language; ancient cities in disarray; chaos, ruin, hatred, love, passion, death, all culminating into something beautiful.

listen

9. Hammock – Maybe They Will Sing For Us Tomorrow

Originally conceived as a live demonstration for Sigur Ros’ Jonsi Birgisson, Hammock’s third LP is the duo’s most bare, and incidentally also their best, sacrificing the occasionally distracting percussion + vocals of Raising Your Voice… and the excessive synth-drone of Kenotic, leaving only the pure, distinct expression of Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson, some flowing smooth like honey down your spine, others coming in quick but gentle bursts as if they were the murmurs of a sleeping whale, and all delivering feelings of complete bliss. Maybe… was my favorite ambient work of 2008, more so than even William Basinski’s spectacular Melancholia reissue, which alone demonstrates my love of this album.

try [via shoegazeralive2] buy

8. Dennis Wilson – Pacific Ocean Blue

The reissue of this unrecognized 1973 record is Mr. Wilson’s eulogy for the Pacific Ocean, him lamenting upon Its unfortunate death in his life, exuding not bright summer praise for the carefree ‘beach life’, but an empty, resigned sigh, remembering what he once said, “I don’t know why everybody doesn’t live on the beach… On the beach you can live in bliss,” but now knowing now only lost love and distant youth; mourning, forgetting, Beach Boys on cough syrup.

buy

7. Ryland Bouchard – Seeds

If Casiotone for the Painfully Alone’s Owen Ashworth dejectedly set his studio-apartment on fire, and upon regaining his senses from his depressed state was only able to salvage an acoustic guitar with 3 strings, his most antique synth machine, and maybe an accordion and a few other trinkets from the flames, the music he'd henceforth produce would sound like that of Ryland Bouchard’s Seeds, the most intimately forlorn, yet at times ironically playful record (box-set) of 2008.

listen / buy

6. Sigur Ros – Med Sud i Eyrum Vid Splium Endalaust

Sigur Ros, who have achieved almost a heavenly/god-like status among their listeners, walk upon the Earth with Med Sud…, a splendid hour filled with their typical grandiosity and Icelandic ethereality, but one which also reaches a level of closeness unachieved in recent years with tracks like ‘Illgresi’ and ‘Fljotavik’ stripped down to simple acoustic instrumentation and Jonsi Birgisson’s tender voice.

listen

5. Xiu Xiu – Women As Lovers

Trying to sleep, hearing the muffled sounds of rough sex seep through the thin walls of your apartment; bathed in the blue glow of a neglected television, one silhouette strikes the other, who cowers in resignation; broken glass in a pool of spilled beer; faded t-shirts of neglected children hanging on a neglected clothesline, each decorated with a neglected plea; rotting fruit.

4. Windy & Carl – Songs for the Broken Hearted

2008’s most haunting record and the year’s best drone came from Kranky’s Windy & Carl with their 6th LP, which contains wave after wave of crushing guitar/synth ornamented with delicately strummed guitar lines of such pure melancholy, and Windy’s smoky voice bathed in so much reverb, sounding as if it were emanating from the unexplored depths of the deepest sea, that it feels a lot less like ‘songs for the broken hearted’ than ‘songs to break your heart’. Name aside, it’s still one of the most beautiful works of music put out this year.

try [via Bolachas Gratis] / buy

3. BOOWY – Last Gigs Complete

I feel like I’m cheating with this, for it is a reissue of a 1997 re-release, this time in DVD-box-set form, and only in Japan. But the recording of this 1988 last show BOOWY ever played, which sold out all 95,000 tickets in 10 minutes, is so freaking awesome (my most listened-to album this year) I had to include it. It’s 80s-arena-rock in every sense, with unforgettable pop hooks, sick guitar work (Tomoyasi Hotei), and heart-wrenching ballads sung by Himuro Kyosuke, who incessantly sounds as if he’s going to burst into tears.

watch

2. Late of the Pier – Fantasy Black Channel

Neon pink and yellow snakes, radiating waves of buzzing synth, slither into some machine that grinds them into sound, but having an overload of coolness the machine breaks down, and out oozes brilliantly colored slime which binds you to your instrument and your already tight jeans; as you begin to wonder what the fuck is going on, you uncontrollably play some music, and it’s that of Late of the Pier.

listen (remix)

1. This Will Destroy You – This Will Destroy You

This Texan quartet’s debut LP is absolute genius, surpassing in greatness even their spectacular 2006 EP, Young Mountain. It exemplifies the ingenuity that post rock’s artists must have to differentiate themselves from the boring onslaught of ‘post-Mogwai’ bands; through the course of the record, This Will Destroy You straddles delicate lines between aural calm and chaos, guitar/drums and glitch/synth, joy and despair. It is thus constantly moving the listener, keeping him/her busy, entertained, touched, questioning, surprised—things that all pieces of music must do to succeed. For example, the album begins with ‘A Three-Legged Workhorse’, which progresses from glitch rock to a closing 5-minute distorted wall of sound, continues into the ambient soundscape ‘’Villa de Refugio’, which fades into ‘Threads’, probably the most emotive and ‘epic’ guitar onslaught this year. This record was released in very early 2008 (actually leaked late last year) and it still remains both on repeat on my ipod, and my favorite album of 2008.

listen [via Vague Space]

long live 2008.

stay tuned for H's SINGLES / DJ Sets / Other Shit

New Age of Heroes' Top Singles of 2008 HM & 20-11

2008-12-25T17:27:00.011-05:00

If our Top 20 Albums are conducive to a lethargic Sunday afternoon with a cup of Darjeeling and the newest Joan Didion book, our Top 20 Singles are appropriate for the raunchy escapades of the night prior. Exchanging hushed guitar notes and ethereal pads for raucous synthetic melodies and bottom heavy beats, these songs throw a middle finger to all that is organic, sluggish, tranquil and timid. They live in posh London discothèques and dank Chicago lofts, bathed in sweat, piss and hairspray. They are boisterous and unapologetic, brighter than a Day-Glo unicorn covered in a thousand reflective sequins. They are your soundtrack to a night out in 2008.

Honorable Mentions:
Bon Iver- The Wolves (Act 1 & 2)
Chemical Brothers- Electronic Battle Weapon 3
Boy 8-Bit- The Suspense Is Killing Me
ZZT- Lower State of Consciousness
Giovanni Marks- Falling Reflip

#20-11

20. Girl Talk- No Pause

The marriage of Missy and Nu Shooz, some pre-Night Ripper glitch beats, classic Chuck D vocals and support from Mad Decent allies Blaqstarr and Spankrock make this Girl Talk track his best of the year.

19. Chris Brown- Ain’t No Way (You Won’t Love Me [Curtis Vodka Hey Girl Remix]

Curtis Vodka throws Chris Brown’s silky vocals over archetypal Baltimore club beats to create a track prime for peak hour love in the club (or roller skating rink). Riding on an alluring, high-pitched synth lead burrowed in a swirl of percussion and weighty bass kicks, “Ain’t No Way” proves that the homegrown sounds of Bodymore, Murderland can survive in 2008.

18. Truckasauras- Hold On (feat. DJ Collage)

I’m sure Diplo is pissed that he didn’t think of this first: dancehall + 8-bit music. For me, the music video for “Hold On” would feature a battalion of circuit bent Commodore 64s and Game Boy Pockets wrecking havoc on a Kingston nightclub. In the end, these computer colossuses would have ingested every party-goer, including DJ Collage who eventually vanishes from the track. Truckasauras follows an unstructured, non-cyclical format, letting his vocals diminish into a glitchy abyss. By its end, “Hold On” is entirely overcome with electronic hiccups and whirls; the only sign of life is the steady cadence with which the song began.

17. Guilty Simpson feat. MED- Futuristic (Oh No Remix)

Oh No provides a barrage of relentless, abrasive synths for the hardened rhymes of Stones Throw lyricists Guilty Simpson and MED to make for a monolithic club banger. Guilty talks about his cousin that plays for the Utah Jazz and baby mama karma sutra (try that one five times fast), while MED says something about strawberries on his Blackberry—wild.

16. Tinchy Stryder- It’s Real

Grime artist Tinchy Stryder addresses issues of authenticity and realism in hip-hop music with “It’s Real.” He talks about crime because he lives around crime, it’s true. He talks about violence because he lives around violence, it’s true. Tinchy delivers his somber lyrics over a minimal, clamoring beat supplemented by solemn strings. The result is the most affecting hip-hop song I’ve heard this year.

15. James Pants- Ka$H (Trizzy & XXXchange Remix)

Trizzy and XXXchange flip James Pant’s materialistic neo-funk anthem into a driving progressive techno track—don’t worry, the vocorder remains intact. The new version loses the thick pads and squirmy keys of the original, choosing to rely on a repetitive arpeggio that gains intensity as the track progresses. If you thought “Ka$H” was a bit trippy before, peep the remix—total hypnosis.

14. Flying Lotus- Parisian Goldfish

3 parts J Dilla, 1 part Burial and 2 parts Daedelus. Those are roughly the ingredients that make up the sound of LA native Flying Lotus. “Parisian Goldfish” is a relentless up-tempo club track that doesn’t sacrifice texture and density for accessibility. Bleeps and blips whiz over crunchy clusters of percussion as a dirty synth line struggles to keep things together. The song is a beautiful marriage of hip-hop and dance music—Jay Dee would be proud.

13. Jensen Sportag- Cock Tease

Oh shit. Prince has a two-headed baby brother and its name is Jensen Sportag. Straight from Nashville, TN these guys are the group to watch in 2009. Listening to “Cock Tease” is like driving a lime colored DeLorean filled with cotton candy and Martian prostitutes down Sunset Blvd. Fast paced, sexy and more retro than Robert Palmer in a pastel sports jacket, this track is what every kid with an old Roland drum machine wishes they were making.

12. T.I.- Whatever You Like

Forget the automatic weapons and silencers—T.I. is really quite an affable, accommodating guy. We can have whatever we like—stacks, Patrone, late night sex—whatever. He delivers his philanthropic message over typical Southern snares, thick syrupy bassline and a chirpy melody. There ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.

11. Hot Chip- Shake a Fist

I image “Shake a Fist” is the result of the Hot Chip guys drinking too much Earl Grey or popping some LSD. Easily the most sinister track on Made In The Dark, “Shake a Fist” features acidic basslines and tribal rhythms capable of summoning the deadliest of English goons and goblins. Halfway through we receive a kick in the face as the group unleashes their entire keyboard collection in a barrage of squelching synth hits accompanied by maniacal screams.

DJ sets/splits/EPs and the completion of our Albums and Singles lists to appear soon...

New Age of Heroes' Top Albums of 2008: HM & 20-11

2008-12-24T16:14:00.022-05:00

Finally, the moment our 5 readers have been waiting for... NAOH's favorite albums of the year that was 2008. My list has seen a departure from the electronically synthesized towards a more organic sound, and much of it either contains no words at all, or words in foreign/inscrutable tongues, signifying my deep hatred of the English language. So, without further ado, I'll kick it off with...

Honorable Mentions:

Truckasauras – Tea Parties, Guns, and Valour

Gang Gang Dance – Saint Dymphna

James Blackshaw – Litany of Echoes

The American Dollar – A Memory Stream

God is an Astronaut – God Is An Astronaut

# 20 - 11

20. Hotel Hotel – The Sad Sea

Without words this album presented me 2008’s most vivid musical story, propelling me on a voyage upon The Sad Sea’s fragile Mary Celeste, first nearly soothing me into naïve complacency with the at once tranquil and foreboding ‘From Harbour’ and ‘The Dirac Sea (Low Tide)’, but finally destroying my calmness along with the doomed ship, drowning me in waves of droning guitar and crying strings, which seem to be struggling for air as feverously as the ship’s fated captain.

Buy/Listen

19. Parenthetical Girls – Entanglements

With such cheerfully morbid lyrical genius as “chest drawn of breath/throat red as fresh stretched post-fuck flesh” and its giddy orchestration/Zac Pennington’s quivering voice making for an almost creepy burlesque/musical mood, Entanglements is surely one of the most intriguing albums this year. For me, it was basically Xiu Xiu at the circus—a bit more playful, but no less powerful/enjoyable.

Listen [via TSURURADIO]

18. Little Joy – Little Joy

More well-suited for springtime listening while gazing out the window at the warming mist spreading upon blooming flowers bursting with new life or to be quietly whispered out of a portable radio on a summer day at the beach/porch drinking pink lemonade, this merry little debut was one of the most purely happy records of 2008, and given my general preference for solemn things, its appearance here is an impressive surprise.

listen [via We All Want Someone to Shout For]

17. Hatchback – Colors of the Sun

If a flower seed had been planted in 1980, had not blossomed until now into a giant beast of a plant, then had yielded technicolor fruit that oozed their nectar all over a dusty 8-track tape which subsequently glimmered with a modern gold musical shine, then the music contained on this tape would be that of Hatchback, aka Samuel Milton Grawe.

get [via bolachas gratis]

16. M83 – Saturdays=Youth

I can’t say much about the ‘nostalgia-factor’ on this one for I sadly don’t retain any memories of my brief stint in the 1980s as a strapping 2-year-old, but Anthony Gonzales’ latest LP is arguably his (second…) best, blending his signature fuzzy, reverbed shoegaze guitar waves and drowned-out, melancholic vocals with 80s pop songwriting that actually sounds 80s. And it closes with one of my favorite ambient pieces of this year, ‘Midnight Souls Still Remain’.

listen [via TSURURADIO]

15. Beach House – Devotion

There’s not much to write on this record that isn’t obvious or hasn’t already been said—it’s hauntingly beautiful, subtly engrossing, a journey through your old abandoned house (a ‘beach house’, perhaps?) on the chilly coast of northern California in the early winter, winding through its cobweb-filled halls, over its loose floorboards, feeling not fear, but only a deep and latent uneasiness, and finally ending the journey in your old room, gazing upon dust-covered old pictures which suggest past joys, but now are only grayed, empty shells of pleasantries long gone.

listen [via Captains Dead]

14. Arthur Russell – Love is Overtaking Me

My strong aversion towards most things country (Southern country) and that this collection of Russell’s recordings from the 1970s-90s made it in my top 20 is testament enough to the album’s quality. Russell displays his incredible knack for making music that resonates with real life, and this intimacy is surely bolstered by the down-home country-ish theme of this record. Russell proves once again to be a musical polymorph with this journey into previously uncharted territory.

listen [via Said The Gramophone]

13. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

With hushed vocal harmonies, quietly building acoustic guitar lines, and sparsely used drums, Justin Vernon allows us to feel the cold isolation he himself experienced while recording his debut album in a Wisconsin cabin.

listen [via sonic itch music]

12. Shugo Tokumaru – Exit

I already wrote a review of this album, and I don’t have much more to add. It’s a playful amalgam of zany little sound-makers (again: Shugo as a toymaker in his shop), with the resulting sound being poppy enough to entertain on countless repeats, yet ‘avant-glitch’ (as any self-respecting Japanese piece of music must be) enough to captivate at the first listen. The outward giddiness, however, at once reveals a gap in itself, through which the listener can sense the faintest hint of grief in Tokumaru’s gently crooning voice.

listen [via hello vegetables]

11. Grouper – Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill

This is another ghostly record that has been an anthem either for stale gray days like today, or frigid wintry nights during which the only other audible sound is the whistle of the wind siphoning through the cracks in the windows, an almost worthy accompaniment to the record’s slow washes of guitar and Elizabeth Harris’ coolly reverbed vocals (which, despite what other blogs write, are still indiscernible to me).

Listen [via GvsB]

Stay tuned for #10-1, DJ sets/splits/EPs, and our top 20 singles of 2008 coming soon.

New Shit From Youngstown, OH

2008-12-17T03:10:00.007-05:00

More News!

A short while ago, Gil Mantera's Party Dream announced an upcoming EP, Ballerina. You can listen to a good portion of it, including the amazing title track, on their myspace.

Ballerina is the heaviest material I've heard them put out yet, utilizing a synth chord progression and distorted guitar work that sounds as if its dripping with tasty, metallic, black oil like Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood, only set on the dance-floor of a club in the 80s, or perhaps from the perspective of a man observing his cocktail-dress-clad vixen dancing upon the floor from afar, who eventually musters the courage to approach her as the song reaches its conclusion.

Tidbits of My Procrastinated Day

2008-12-16T23:55:00.008-05:00

I work at the Chicago Reader, usually surfing the web for potential advertisers or consolidating marketing data into nice, pretty spreadsheets, and as such fill most of the time between my tasks with endless and quite fruitless journeys into the blogosphere. Today, I'll share with you

a few Ditties from my journies:

Pitchfork released tracks 50-1 of their top 100 tracks of 2008 list, and surprisingly (pleasantly), Hercules and Love Affair came out at #1 (with 1 or 2 others high[low] on the list as well) with 'Blind'. Despite a handful of things like invariably O.K. Cut Copy tracks at #s 12 and 7, Beach House's 'Gila' being all the way up at #84, no Grouper, and 'Gobbledigook' of all things being Sigur Ros' entry off their latest, (amongst other things), I thought the list was pretty good. I especially enjoyed seeing Crystal Castles' 'Courtship Dating' and 'Untrust Us' on there (and ONLY those 2), for though their album is a bit much, the duo is occasionally capable of putting out some real hot and smartly produced 2 minutes of 8bit bliss.

Hercules and Love Affair - Blind [via We All Want Someone To Shout For]

Also Pitchfork related, in the site's Guest List featurette for Best of 2008, Diplo was the only artist (of like 100) cool enough to name his own shit twice on his Best of 08 List. Yet another reason why Diplo is the coolest motherfucker living on this planet.

~~~

Here's a spooky thingy that I discovered one day at the workplace--The 'Bloop'. It occurred in 1997, and though it hasn't happened since, scientists are still losing sleep over its elusive explanation. Basically what happened was,a few deep sea sound sensors, each thousands of miles apart from the next, suddenly and simultaneously recorded this ultra-low frequency sound (it repeated itself a handful of times), one which perfectly fits the profile for an organically (animal) produced noise. The only problem is that for an animal to have made such a far-reaching deep sea growl, it would have to be much larger than a blue whale, the largest known animal on earth. Most scientists actually do think it is a gargantuan, deep sea dweller, which simply freaks the shit out of me.

Other News:

-Michael and I will once again be rocking the WSRN next semester, and this time I think we are doing an ambient/slowcore/drone show. Name is pending.

-American Apparel is starting to run nude ads. About time, right?

-Chicago has seen this Winter's greatest snowfall yet:

it was cold//annoying//beautiful to say the least

sux 2 b these people...

The city under the onslaught of snow has a very strange ambiance--my iPod had died at this point, leaving the only sound as the whistling (much as it does under the crack of a window) of the wind through the slim gap between my headphones and my hat. It made for a spooky feel, for all cars were silently trudging along, drivers having long ago given up hope that honks of their horn would make for a quicker journey, and walkers silently shuffled in lines, all attention focused towards making each footstep as controlled and precise as possible. There were no conversations, for faces were too produce words and expressions coherently. Only the whistle of the wind persisted.

Finally, after 30 mins of iPhone-clutching fingers being bitten, incapacitated, encased by the icy air, I can stand atop my heated fortress and laugh at all those unfortunate souls, stuck in the snowy limbo that is Lakeshore Drive.

I figured I drop a couple of vids that I thought were funny, too.

Beyonce- Single Ladies (and possibly transexuals)

2008-12-14T03:44:00.008-05:00

I've decided to emerge from the perilous depths of conference week to present you with a quandary. Beyonce's phenomenal new track "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" has an equally wonderful minimal B&W music video. The video is typical fare for Beyonce, featuring plenty of hip shaking and booty gesticulations. She is flanked by two seemingly attractive women who mirror her moves flawlessly. However, as it has been recently brought to my attention, one of these young ladies is actually a young man, supposedly the choreographer of the video. When I did further research on this claim I came upon mixed opinions. I will leave it to you, our faithful readers, to decide. The subject in question is the darker skinned girl/boy who initially appears on the right. I totally believe it--reference the frame around 1:54. Seriously props to Beyonce for putting a transexual in her music video. However, if there's still any dispute, I think we can all agree that the dude in the other link is a man and a half.

Beyonce- Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) and this dude.

-+-+-+-

In regards to Austin's last post, the original version of The Day the Earth Stood Still is truly a treat and an absolute must-see for any sci-fi lover. I saw it a year or so ago and it still comes off as pretty visually stunning. It's not nearly as apocalyptic as the new one appears to be (which is probably for the better). The film's soundtrack, composed by the Bernard Herrmann (most famous for his scores of Hitchcock's Psycho and Vertigo), was revolutionary for its prominent use of synthesizers.

-+-+-+-

Beyonce- Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) (Maurice Joshua Radio Edit)

[via Kickin' the Peanuts]

Bernard Herrmann- Theme from Pyscho (Crooks 'n' Gunn Psych! Remix)

[via You Can Call Me Pelski]

Mark Yer Schedules

2008-12-13T00:26:00.003-05:00

Just watched The Day The Earth Stood Still. I won't even bother reviewing it and just comment briefly: It was an underwhelming film in all ways--plain acting, a predictable plot ridden with cliche, and hardly any 'awesome, destructive shit', which any self-respecting disaster epic should obviously have. Gonna have to wait for 2012 for that. I also have not seen the original, so Harrison, our film aficionado, will have to be you go-to concerning that. Newayz, that is not the point of this post. The point is,

I saw the most AMAZING trailer possible beforehand. It was for X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and it totally blew my mind... it's stacked with so many cool Weapon-X mutants--Stryker, early-Sabretooth, DEADPOOL, Emma Frost, Shadowfox, GAMBIT, WOLVERFUCKINGRINE (who appears even more pissed in this film)--and it seems to be directed quite well, by some guy named Gavin Hood who did Tsotsi. This video below isn't the trailer I saw exactly, but its an equally badass one bootleged from the 2008 Comic Convention. Check it:

Get yerselves ready 4 some major ADAMANTIUM DESTRUCTIONNESS!1!!11

MAY 1 BETCHES!

2008-12-12T18:20:00.002-05:00

Late of the Pier - Fantasy Black Channel Review

This record has been available in some way or another for almost half a year (though it still was not on iTunes, last time I checked), but in the past few months its been on high repeat for me, so I figure its about time I 'review' it or something. The new millennium has seen no shortage of British dance/synth-rock, with such bands as Bloc Party and Klaxons making sure the genre pervades all types of cultural groups, t.v. channels, and music blogs. Given this, this late-2008 release by Late of the Pier may initially seem to be at the caboose of this trend's train, thus lacking in depth, ingenuity, and creative merit, like 80% of the gazillions of newish post-rock bands following ~~precisely~~ boringly in the footsteps of Mogwai/Godspeed/Explosions. This classification, however, couldn't be more wrong. The band surely sticks to the 'rules of the genre', but while doing so creatively employs variations in song structure beyond the efforts of most past 'synth-rockers', such that some serious genre-bending occurs. Songs are not simply structured, verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus formulated bits that any decent musician/composer could produce and make $ with. Songs alternate between double, full, and half tempo, as in the incredible closer 'Bathroom Gurgle', at once disco/dance-pop ballad and a deep and dark display of bass synth. Glitchy stabs and blips are jarringly blasted at times, like at the end of the otherwise straight-pop 'Broken', as are 'tribal drums', as in the strange synergy of genres that is 'The Bears Are Coming', a song which I am certain was made with the same hardware that Ratatat produced this year's LP3. And 'Focker', probably the album's most widely known track, ends with 40secs of electro-madness that would make Justice urinate themselves. Vocally, Samuel Eastgate displays both a pitch and emotional range that allows each song to affect its listener quite novelly, making for many repeated listens. This record is a gem of pure pop genius, utilizing the techniques that keep/will keep pop from stagnating, and becoming just a 'simple' form of music. I would literally recommend it for anybody.

RATING: 9.5

Late of the Pier - Random Firl

Late of the Pier - Focker

FREAXXXY

2008-12-10T19:01:00.004-05:00

1 more Vid:

Hipster Runoff puts out a lot of Garbage, but I thought this post was genius. In it, he displays the below vid, afterwards dissecting the psyche of the 'Mexicalt,' or the 'Altino'.

Carles' diagnosis of the Mexicalt is that he is utterly confused about his brand, drawing his style, character, and actions from myriad different cultural trends. I don't know any Mexicalts, but judging from the above video, THIS IS SO TRUE. These guys are implementing (simultaneously) every alternative/counter-cultural gimmick out there; let's count:

- The flamboyant, colorful, neon, loud Japanese trend,

- The colored-hair, skinny, tattooed Punk trend,

- The autotuned, fruity Kanye West trend,

- The dancing in the street, whips out, hos dancin' gangsta-rap trend,

- The suburban, white-boy, screamo Limp Bizkit trend,

- The tight pants and graphic tee wearing, Olde English 800 sipping, Hipster trend.

(This last one concerns what I think is the funniest part of the video--at 2:50, where one of the guys pours a bit of his 40 out on the ground, much as Diddy might spray Cristal all over the place, but without the glam/coolness)

Lastly, he closes with this little diagram, which made me proud of my heritage:

YAY JAPAN AZNS ^_^

Some Vids

2008-12-09T19:35:00.003-05:00

+ for yer amusement...

(visit his website!)

Quick Reviewz

2008-12-09T03:14:00.004-05:00

Sylvain Chauveau - The Black Book of Capitalism

This 2008 re-release (originally 2000) has been my introduction to the French 'neo-classical-ist/electronic-ist/avant garde-ist' Sylvain Chauveau. On this album he crafts a delicate (though evidently more dynamic than his other works, according to most blogs) and subtly intriguing series of 'songs', or rather 'landscapes of sound'. Brooding piano lines, haunting and inscrutable vocals, quietly droning synths, and sometimes the understated strumming of a guitar /churning of an organ combine to produce pieces that, neither alone or as a whole, do not build towards a climax, but instead assemble as a single, constant aura of quite affecting music. Comparisons have been made by some to the Japanese neo-classicalist World's End Girlfriend, but don't expect any of the dramatic tension/surging excitement that characterizes some of his work--this is a much more subdued and subtly affecting album. For me, it's great late night music, but can admittedly bore me depending upon my mood.

RATING: 7.6

Get it here (but buy it afterward too!)

The Killers - Day and Age

I'm not going to spend too much time with this one, because basically everything that could possibly be written about it already has been. The key to enjoying this album is not taking it too seriously; it lacks both the epic, stadium-focused megarock of Sam's Town and the ingeniously crafted pop gems of Hot Fuss. Instead, it is filled (mostly) with generally fun-sounding 'tunes', which are fun as such either because of a huge lack of experimentation, such as the opener 'Losing Touch', or tons of it, like in the super-synthed-out 'Human' and the ridiculous attempt at incorporating Caribbean/African aesthetics in the songs 'Joy Ride' and 'This is Your Life', respectively. Nothing here is amazing, for sure, but then again none of it is unbearable either. And the closer 'Goodnight, Travel Well' delivers a surprisingly dark and powerful end that almost crosses into the realm of post-rock, which I'd say is an accomplishment at the very least. It's not worth 11 $, so buy it used, or get it from a friend.

RATING: 5.2

A Brief Note:

Apologies for the lack of posts lately. I was at Swarthmore taking care of some business. But on the brighter side, I'm back now, and I'll also be blogging for the Swarthmore newspaper, The Phoenix, come this spring!

2008-12-02T18:07:00.005-05:00

Justice - A Cross The Universe Review

Justice has recently released a documentary about their latest tour around the world, and this CD is the audio accompaniment--nothing unexpected, just an hour-or-so long recording of their live set. That's not to say it's in any way a replica of that live experience--an experience which can only be described as a 'drunken, electrofried, euphoric orgy'. Listening to this CD (a process more analogous to 'armchair philosophy' than 'sweaty-dancing-empiricist-philosophy'), however, finds the incongruity and frenzy that characterized the actual live experienced flipped upon itself, at times causing discontent, and at their worst, boredom. Ultra-distorted and fuzzy mixes with probably 20 synths all firing at once, such as the first one from 'Genesis' to 'Phantom Part 1', which got us moving and cheering on the dancefloor out of their sheer 'bump', immediately sound muddled and sloppy when one listens to this disc. At other times, like in the mix from 'Stress' to 'We Are Your Friends' in which the crowd chants (fairly unenthusiastically on recording) the repetitious vocal lines back and forth with the turntables around 16 times, the translation from live spontaneity to CD compartmentalization simply results in boredom. This is a problem natural to many live albums, especially 'epic DJ sets', but that's not to say it's impossible to record one that's as fully engaging as a recorded album--Daft Punk's Alive is a good example. A Cross does have a few great moments: the 'Phantom 1'-'Phantom 1.5'-'D.A.N.C.E.' 3-shot is brilliant, as are the blazing synth bursts added to 'Stress'. But as a whole, the pros and cons of this live CD just about balance in number, making it an unnecessary buy for people like us who have seen this very set (or a variation of it) live. But for anyone who hasn't I would recommend the purchase.

RATING: 6.3

warning: This clip contains boobies.

Australia - review

2008-11-28T22:51:00.005-05:00

Baz Luhrmann returns with another entertaining movie full of beautiful scenes, music, Nicole Kidman and this time a happy ending.

Leaving behind his three previous features, which have come to be known as The Red Curtain Trilogy, Luhrmann has moved to a new genre, the historic epic. He was thwarted in his original plans of making a film on Alexander the Great by Oliver Stone, who got there first, and so, he decided instead to do something closer to home.

Nicole Kidman plays Lady Sarah Ashley, a posh uptight lady who worried about her husband's faithfulness flies amidst a world war to check up on him and his cattle business near Darwin in Australia (title alert). When she arrives she is greeted by rugged outsider Drover (Hugh Jackman), learns that her husband is dead, inherits the ranch and fights off the competing cattle ranch bully, while falling in love with Jackman's character and becoming a better person.

Luhrmann researched Australia's history for six months and tried to pack in as much as he could in 2 hours and 45 min. He decided however to focus on the bombings in Darwin following Pearl Harbor and on the Stolen Generation, mixed-race Aboriginal children that were forcibly taken away from their families by the State because of racist desire of attaining white racial purity. Kidman and Jackman adopt a magical Aboriginal child, Nullah played by Brandon Walters, who narrates the story, and protect him from being taken away to a church mission.

The whole movie constantly references other epic films such as Gone With the Wind, The African Queen, From Here to Eternity, and the list goes on. Unfortunately the film doesn't live up to these classics, but remains entertaining nonetheless through its unexpected humor and splendid acting. Kidman is hilariously delicate and Jackman reaking of testosterone but surprisingly good in close up tear scenes. Nullah's narration gives the film a child-like fantasy tone, sometimes bordering on the comic book feel. The film was at times a little too corny and definitely a little long, but definitely entertaining and worth seeing.

I guess I'd give it a rating of 7, but check it out for yourselves.

xxV!NTAGE!xx

2008-11-26T16:44:00.005-05:00

TIDE BROS

The ubiquitous cleaning detergent company 'Tide' has recently introduced a clever marketing/philanthropy gimmick, in which they are able 2 help poor people while simultaneously strengthening their brand, thus making themselves richer. Basically, we can just donate some amount of $ (which helps fund their 'free laundry charity' in New Orleans), and we receive a 'sweet vintage Tide tee'. I first thought that maybe Tide had a stockpile of shirts left over from the 70s or 80s, but found that the shirts are in fact being produced right now. I actually Googled 'vintage' just to make sure I wasn't missing anything [first search result only produced 'vintage goods for sale'; I next Googled 'vintage dictionary' looking to get the dictionary definition of the word, which was there, but second to an ebay advertisement for a 'vintage dictionary'], and sure enough, the official definition invariably incorporates some aspect of aged/historical value. Strangely, the most proper use is as a noun pertaining to wine, as in 'a cabernet of the 1968 vintage'. It may also officially be used as an adjective, in which case it classifies an object as one that is timeless, antique, or has historical roots. Our modern, 'UrbanDictionary', if you will, definition of 'vintage' has been warped to simply mean 'something that represents a classic era/cultural icon,' or 'something that is more authentic than other things of the same type,' or 'something that looks old,' or 'something with ironic imagery/messages'.

The problem with this (for me) is that, while on ebay, I have found it hard to find cheap, quality, comfortable, attractive, used, old, historical clothing, without using the term 'vintage' in my search. And filtering thru all the bullsh33t search results is an annoyance. In the past I wasn't careful enough; thinking I was purchasing a truly 'vintage ________', I'd receive it and find that it was just one of those new 'vintage _______s'. Pretty soon when I order my 'vintage 60s cardigan,' they'll just send me a fucking 'vintage Tide tee.'

So here's to the old 'vintage', to the 'vintage vintage,' to nostalgia, to history, 2 memories, 2lyfe, 2 Tyde, and 2 New Orleans:

	The Twilight Sad - And She Would Darken the Memory

	Found at bee mp3 search engine

	M83 - Gone

	Found at bee mp3 search engine

	Mike Jones - Back Then

	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Just Because U R From California Doesn't Mean U Rule The Seaz

2008-11-25T19:25:00.004-05:00

MICHAEL:

[penipus courtesy of GorillaMask]

That's right. Oh Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

Have fun, I'll be In The Aeroplane Over The Sea.

[mp3 courtesy Pigeons and Planes]

Quick Reviewz

2008-11-25T01:49:00.005-05:00

2 lazy 2 write anything substantial, so here's some brief thoughts, and of course RATINGS, on these three musical works.

Shinichi Osawa - The One

Push a little bit louder, yall. Push a little bit stronger. Push a little bit harder, yall. Push a little bit faster.

I saw Mr. Osawa DJ live in Tokyo at Womb, basically the best club in the city, and his set 'rocked my socks off', so to speak. He dropped his remix of Digitalism's 'Pogo', along with his cover of The Chemical Brothers 'Star Guitar', both of which were/are absolute 'electro-gemz', making the neon-blood of all the electro-rats on the floor pump twice as hard. The latter is on the album, happily. I was expecting a consistent output of similar quality, which Shinichi unfortunately doesn't deliver. There are definitely huge bangers, such as the computer-breakdown-esque 'Electro411', and sloppy distorted guitars of 'Last Days'; but other songs are complete duds, like 'Push', quoted at the top, which seems to try lyrically at a Daft Punk, instrumentally (at times) at a Justice, while only producing an annoying, unending slop of distorted, repetitive noise. There are also one too many 'electro-ballads' for my taste.

RATING: 6.2

Diplo & Benzi - Fear and Loathing in Hunts Vegas

We spendin' natural money, fuckin' natural bitches. We spit what's naturally pimpin' so bitches naturally listen.

Diplo and Mad Decent crew don't disappoint with their latest mixtape, which isn't completely new to us since they let out a sample of it a few months back. Sadly, those 15 mins or so are surely the slickest of the album, featuring the genius 'Naturalz pt. 2' (quoted above), and Diplo's silky-milky remix of PRGz' 'Bama Gettin' Money', in which he samples this CLASSIC SMOOTH JAZZ SONG . The other 45 or so mins are still great, though don't bring as many 'wow-moments'. For those of you who already had the sample months ago and want more novel Mad Decent, I'd suggest getting the Hunts Vegas mixtape chopped and screwed on the Mad Decent iTunes podcast.

RATING: 7.7

Get Hunts Vegas here.

Lil' Wayne - Dedication 3

What is it that I haven't done yet? Uhh... Grammys? Uhh... Emmy. Uhh... Angelina Jolie? Katie Holmes. Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey. Mama Blanco (?) Sarah Palin?

I think Mr. Carter has been doing a bit too much robo-tripping of late, because this latest work of his displays him to be all over the fucking place, either spouting his stoned mouth off in the (hilarious) interludes between tracks, or in voice-raping the auto-tune incessantly (while doing so, however, he still works the device much more smoothly than Kanye West ever has). Regardless of musical merit, of which I think this album still has some (that is, when Lil' Wayne sticks to the beat, provided that beat is good [not that of 'Bang Bang', for example], and when he's free of his Cash Money homeboyz), it's consistently entertaining.

RATING: 7.1

You can get it at my last post, at the link at the bottom.

P0PDREAMZ

2008-11-23T23:10:00.005-05:00

School of Seven Bells - Alpinisms Review

One day, suddenly, time took a turn that once felt so brief. I blinked to see polite ghosts fading quickly.

Paging through the leaflet accompanying School of Seven Bells' debut album Alpinisms, one is immediately baffled, being confronted with a psychedelic swirl of nature images, tribal warriors, and explosions of light, while simultaneously encountering understated pages of a single tone dusty blue, with only the plain white text of the lyrics adding any visual depth. It's with a similar perplexity that one absorbs the sounds of the album, which encapsulates the slippery label 'dream pop' more exactly than any music I've recently heard. After but one listen, it's 'dreaminess' is starkly apparent--what at first seems a lyrical and melodic simplicity (songs like 'Iamundernodisguise' only have 4 lines of lyrics and follow a simple pop structure) reveals itself to be a complex wall of noise, comprised of unevenly panning trip-hop beats, dark undulating synths, droning guitar, and the haunting vocal-work of the Deheza sisters. It is this latent aural intricacy that subtly seizes our (listeners') bodies, transferring us--partly, at least--to a strange, 'dream-like,' perplexing state of mind. I felt this working at full force while observing SVIIB opening for M83 the other night; the image of the gorgeous, almost 'fem-bot' or 'Stepford wives' esque, Deheza sisters sandwiching Ben Curtis, who, droning away on his guitar face-to-the-floor, might as well not have been there, was a visually arresting image to accompany the captivating music. Pictures from the event will follow.

I recommend the record for anyone wishing to hear something a bit beyond the norm, but not quite 'avant-garde', for it utilizes the pop formula well enough to create comfortable, easily listenable tunes. Also, if you happen to be in one of the following cities, I urge you to spend the 20 $ and see them in concert (bonus: u get to see m83 too!).

RATING: 8.4

Tour

11.22.08 - Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club

11.25.08 - Seattle, WA - Neumos

11.26.08 - Vancouver, BC - Richard’s on Richards

11.27.08 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge

11.28.08 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore

11.29.08 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theater

Pics:

heavenly...

and for m83...

rockin' out

a guitar and a heart//

SVIIB - 'Half Asleep' [via 5 Acts]

LDN

2008-11-21T01:38:00.004-05:00

Ink and Dangly

2008-11-20T21:07:00.007-05:00

TATTOO again. (sorry!)

Below is the revised version of the tattoo that I hope will soon adorn my right shoulder/bicep. The text is essentially the same as it was in draft 2 (the 'GGN' has been enlarged a bit), but I switched from a mic and headphones to simply a mic. I figured the headphones were pointless. I also went a bit more photo-realistic this time; I think the B&W version was a bit choppy/cryptic and might also look too much like a temporary-tattoo. I added a bit of film grain to the image, I don't know if that will be able to translate onto my skin, however.

Please give me any feedback, if you wish to do so.

Also, I began drafting a second tattoo, which involves an outline of the Nintendo character 'Yoshi,' as well as some 日本語（楽しみです！）

Michael: I'm still down for rocking that Willets Cat Tat, if you weren't joking.

I Really Liked This

I saw this today, and really liked it. I can't tell if the little-guy is attached to a cell phone in the man's pocket, or if he is just a 'dangly guy.' Regardless, this is evading the point, which is: it's a 'dangly,' which rocks. Danglies are such great accessories--they are infinitely diverse, serve no purpose but to compliment an outfit/personality, can contain quirky personal histories, and make for great 'ice-breakers'/conversation starters. I really dont know why ~~more people~~ I don't equip ~~themselves~~ myself with a dangly. I feel like some days just a mere dangly may be able to fill that gap in my incomplete outfit/image.

[via the Sartorialist]

Japan has already recognized the significance of the dangly on a massive scale. Any given Japanese person will likely have at least 3 danglies dangling from certain pieces of his/her outfit: his/her purse, his/her zipper, or most likely, his/her cell phone. Once again, Japan is one step ahead of the rest of us.

[via www.number57.net]

I think that if I outfitted myself with a dangly, I would choose a smaller version of this little bunny/Totoro-looking dude in the top right, which I spotted at last weekend's Tattoo convention. Really any of the 6 dolls would work. I think the purple-skull would be my second choice, however.

If U guys had danglies, what kind of danglies would U choose?

From where would it dangle?

Is there such a thing as '2 many danglies'?

Because a dangly has infiltrated 'the Sartorialist,' do U think that they will become 'cool'?

Shadows and Ink

2008-11-19T18:44:00.004-05:00

RECYCLING

This was apparently an art installation by Tim Noble and Sue Webster in the 1990s, but I just found out about it today.

I think the pieces are pretty cool; if anything, I admire the the patience the artists must have had to put it together. If you enjoy these, check out more of it here.

[photos via Slightly Warped]

TATTOOS

Reppin' the Chicago Reader, I worked the Chicago Tattoo Arts Convention from 12pm - 8pm last Saturday, which was exhausting due not only to the 8hrs worth of mechanical repetition of 'fill out one of these--you can win free tickets!', but also to the sheer intensity and vitality of so many of the people I saw/talked with. I surely met more tattooed dudes/dudettes Saturday than my entire life prior, and in doing so concluded that the culture/demographic surrounding 'the tattoo' is entirely genuine, kind, and surely 'livin' the good lyfe.' Many tattooed 'crzy ppl' who probably intimidate other 'nrml ppl' proved (to me) to be sociable, intelligent, and accepting individuals. Makes me wanna get a TAT even more. Maybe under the Obamanation the legitimacy of tattoo culture will be realized; maybe under the Obamanation 'all good things' will be realized.

Here are some pics of people whose company/style I particularly enjoyed:

This mother and son were surely the cutest pair at the convention. I also think she was the prettiest woman I saw, and I loved her pink hair. Of all the convention attendees, I probably talked with her son the second most; he liked the free candy at my booth, and I liked his company. (The son's mustache tattoo is not real).

This lady was SO COOL. She basically walked (slowly) in circles around the convention incessantly, each trip stopping at my booth to chat. Of all the convention attendees, I surely talked with her the most.

These guys have reached stardom in the tattoo world with their music/sideshow performances. Their names are 'Serena Rose' and 'The Enigma.' Literal flocks of tattooed ppls would converge around The Enigma, snapping photos and asking questions. He was a really cool guy.

This woman is a total badass because she has been reading The Reader for 3 years. And I like her understated single tattoo--it made me feel less like a naked minority.

These guys are nice because they had no interest in tattoos whatsoever, and came to talk with me because I looked 'bored as shit'.

This girl was really nice; she gladly filled out all the forms and took all the goodies I was giving away (She's wearing a Reader pin on her pants in this photo). Unfortunately she didn't speak a word of English, so we couldn't converse.

PEACE_LOVE_INK.

GNN Tattoo

2008-11-18T04:00:00.004-05:00

My new idea for de-virginizing my skin:

'Love my dog, love my baby, love my biscuits soaked in gravy' is apparently some North Carolinian saying that GGN would bring up every time we'd converse. I can't find it on the internet, so I'll just have to trust his word on this one. Again, the radio theme, black on right bicep. It's not to scale (a bit bigger, size should be about one face of the outer bicep).

RATING: ?

Green Rainin' on Mah Tin Roof

2008-11-18T02:01:00.005-05:00

Shugo Tokumaru - Exit Review

Though clocking in at around only 31 mins, Shugo Tokumaru's Exit offers its listener a full grab-bag of sounds/goodies, each (usually) combined masterfully to bring anyone to smiles/sadness. Each song seems to sample countless noise-making-objects, all popping and zinging incessantly yet harmoniously, that one pictures Tokumaru as a musical toy-maker playfully testing out his works of art, privately in his workshop. This jerky and bubbly musical spontaneity is typical of Japanese artists (probably exemplified in Cornelius' works), and Tokumaru's latest work undoubtedly exudes this cultural trait whole heartedly--songs such as Parachute display arpeggiated guitars, chimes, and bass all combined to resemble rain falling upon a musical tin roof--yet it also produces an organic quality uncommon to modern Japanese music, more resembling traditional American folk. Encompassing all this genre bending, however, is Tokumaru's pop genius: his ability to create infectious melodies and rhythms that we cannot help but hum/sing to ourselves. Happily, most of these catchy tracks conjure pleasant images (for me, at least) in our minds; some of them, however are more solemn. I have not translated any of the Japanese, but 'La La Radio,' despite its bubbly name, sounds like the anthem of a dejected, vengeful, and betrayed lover, beginning with a solemn harp progression, and ending with an explosion of wild, aggressive cacophony. Most of these tracks are equally affecting. The only setbacks lie in the albums brevity, and in one track 'D.P.O.,' which is luckily only 1:50 long.

RATING: 9.0

Parachute [via The Music Slut]

Green Rain [via The Yellow Stereo]

So Little/Joyous Right Now

2008-11-16T16:01:00.003-05:00

Little Joy

GorillavsBear has currently been raving about this trio 'Little Joy,' most recently posting this music video (?) of their track 'Unattainable,' a pleasant and simple folk-tune perfect for a Sunday ~~morning~~ afternoon.

If you find yrself amongst the lonely ones, I will be waiting here with open arms.

I've yet to buy the album, but I've listened to about half of the tracks on their MySpace and it seems very nice. Genres range from beach-pop to more organic sounding wilderness-folk to lonely 1950's radio music (the tracks on which Binki Shapiro sings) . These labels make no explicit sense, but are fitting enough. Once I do in fact purchase it, I will add it to my extensive 'Albums to Review' List.

FCC // Outlawz II

In celebration of the beauteous art of censorship addressed in the post below, I'd like to share couple of Jimmy Kimmel's finest appreciations of the FCC:

I WILL NEVER SUPPORT THE FREE USAGE OF INTERNET MEDIA

OUTLAWZ

2008-11-15T14:51:00.002-05:00

Blogger has been notified, according to the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), that certain content in your blog infringes upon the copyrights of others. The URL(s) of the allegedly infringing post(s) may be found at the end of this message.

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In celebration of our breaking the law, check Good Copy Bad Copy, a film that explores copyright issues. Highly recommended.

Good Copy Bad Copy

Stones Throw 2009 Sampler

2008-11-15T14:11:00.005-05:00

To start with an un-clever, tagline-like synopsis: Stones Throw is back with a vengeance. That’s not to say that they ever left. Over the past twelve years Stones Throw has been consistently putting out stellar hip-hop, R&B, jazz and funk. Helmed by Peanut Butter Wolf and home to a variety of artists such as Gary Wilson, Aloe Blacc and the late J Dilla, the label remains perpetually diverse and dynamic. To celebrate their 2009 line up, they’ve commissioned beat junkie extraordinaire J-Rocc to compile a mix of their freshest material. With the 2009 sampler Stones Throw continues to expand their boundaries. I was pleasantly surprised to get about a third of a way through the mix and hear 80’s funk (most likely the work of Dam-Funk) being fused with futuristic, progressive techno. The end of the mix even features a stripped down Baltimore club beat. However, the mix doesn’t completely stray from the label’s roots. Other sounds include the lightening quick rhymes of Percee P, an anthemic club banger from Guilty Simpson and M.E.D. and some Blue Note-esque crooning sung by an unknown member of the roster. Unfortunately, the mix doesn’t have a track list meaning that I’ll have to hunt down each one of these songs sometime in the New Year. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Stones Throw 2009 Sampler [via Stones Throw]

New Ages of Heroes meets Stones Throw

Quantum of Solace/Announcements

2008-11-15T02:39:00.005-05:00

Quantum of Solace Review

To start with an un-clever, tagline-like synopsis: Bond's back with a vengeance. The film begins with an adrenaline-fueled chase scene (complete with the necessary Aston Martin and, as an added bonus, an Alfa Romeo), and before we even begin to understand why Bond is driving so fast, blowing up so many cars, and causing so much wreckage, we feel one thing upon viewing the first sharp glimmer of his cool, electric blue eyes: his injured spirit thirsting for retribution. It's a sentiment that carries throughout the entire movie, whether broadly in Bond's attempts to punish those behind his (and others') past love's deaths; or subtly in his lonely, sleepless nights, in which Bond lethargically drinks his shaken martinis alone--sharp contrast to the celebratory aura surrounding the staple beverage in the past films. Most potently, it is felt in Bond's interactions both with M and new girl Camille, the former being essentially the only 'friend' Bond has left and the latter feeling a similar sadness as Bond's own.

It is this new James Bond that most critics seem to find distasteful; they miss the impassive, unbreakable, playful, and emotionally stalwart Bond of old, a figure wholly absent in this film. Bond is no longer 'psychologically invincible,' with an 'eternal cool.' In Quantum, Bond displays an emotional vulnerability and volatility previously unseen, urging some to dub him 'unpleasantly weak,' or 'girly,' encroaching upon his traditional 'Alpha-Male' status (though it also makes for tons of badass, rage-filled beatdowns on Bond's part). I, however, enjoyed this new Bond. He connects more with the (American) audiences of our time, which feel increasing vulnerability to countless threats in modern life. (American) viewers no longer infatuate over perfection on the screen; they now commonly prefer those flawed, human-like characters with which they can at least partially identify. This can be seen in the recent reinventions of countless franchises: Batman in The Dark Night, and Superman in Superman Returns, for example. Quantum transforms James Bond in a similar fashion, keeping just enough of the traditional 'Bondness' while introducing further depth to the already enjoyable character, making for a great film experience.

And of course, the action sequences and special effects are great. Gadgetry and sex are limited, unfortunately, and the plot was a bit simple. These were only minor problems, though, since the main focus seemed to be on the development of Bond's character, which was a wise choice.

RATING: 9.1

Lil' Wayne's Dedication 3

Has been released.

Get it here

JUSTICE NEW YEARS CHICAGO, IL

60 $ - worth it?

FILM FRIDAYS - Edition #1

2008-11-14T02:48:00.007-05:00

White Mane/The Red Balloon

Yesterday my art professor, in her unbiased view of all things pleasurable, gave me two DVDs. The first: a somewhat obscure Albert Lamorisee film from the 50’s entitled White Mane. The second: Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. I haven’t had a chance to screen the latter yet (maybe Austin can weigh in if he’s seen it), but the former was an unexpected treat. The story is very simple: a boy attempts to save a wild horse from a group of wranglers. However, the cinematography is what really drives the film forward. Shot in black and white on a deserted French island, White Mane has a magical, dreamlike quality that lulls the viewer into a pleasant raptness. The ending of the film is such a departure from the otherwise simple narrative that I was left in total shock and emotional disarray. I was curious about Lamorisee’s other films so checked out what might be considered his most famous, The Red Balloon. Similar to White Mane the film centers on a young boy (played by Lamorisee’s son) who befriends an autonomous red balloon. I don’t want to give away either ending, but let’s just say that after a fairly minimal (that’s not to say mundane) plotline Lamorisee breaks convention and gives you something grand, unexpected and fiercely poignant. It’s kind of impossible not to like these movies. I guess if you despise children and really loathe horses and balloons you might find yourself unhappy. Otherwise, check these out below (the second is broken into four parts).

SCORE: 8.8/9.2

Scatology

2008-11-14T00:16:00.001-05:00

(Poop)

Here are some funny p00p-related ditties:

Shit-Machine:

It's a machine that produces poo. It's evidently not fake, though the British-Asshole-Dubbing is surely not word-for-word.

Here's a funny 'poop-blog.' Basically, it's like LOLcatz, but with feces:

LOLcraps

(this is the least gross, and funniest picture, IMO):

Here's a funny cartoon from 'the New Yorker.' I wish 'P' was actually a TV rating.

And of course, I've already informed you all of the Japanese Poop Museum, which I unfortunately did not have the pleasure of visiting. Next Time!

Slouchiness

2008-11-13T01:02:00.007-05:00

GAH.

So, as a thoroughly friendly person, I decided to grant my buddy Patty a favor and attempt to purchase a pair of 'tuxedo jackets' and a 'polka dart scarf' at the 'Comme des Garcons' event at H&M tomorrow morning. As if this wasn't already difficult enough, she sent me a photo of a model wearing the jacket, which utterly destroyed the calmness of my soul. It was not the jacket itself that perturbed me, but its accompanying garments (one in particular):

Recalling an earlier post of mine, some of you may recognize an ugly item in the photo above, apart from the heinous wig, polka-dotted shirt, and black ink splotches over the eyes. Yes, I am writing of the 'pants,' or whatever those 'things' adorning her legs may be called. These look as if we took a basketball-player's 4XL-sweat pants, pulled the drawstrings as tight as possible, and cut the end of the legs off to make them 'shorts.' It looks as if the model is wearing pants in which she will stow stolen goods, for she knows that 'they are so obviously made for stealing, that no one will actually suspect her of doing so.' The pants look as if they were made specifically to lessen this model's legs' 'range of motion.' And of course, they look as if they were fabricated in order to account for her incredibly long penis and deep-hanging testicles.

I've spotted these pants, or garments of a similar sort, on other blogs, most notably the 'big daddy' of fashion blogs, The Sartorialist:

I am deeply afraid that these will be one of many ugly, yet hip, fashionable 'memes' (to steal a word from the BL0G0VERSE) to gain popularity in 2k9, 2k10, and beyond. If these saggy-crotched pants can breach our borders of taste and invade our style, just imagine what darker depths await our society...

Remember the days when we treasured

... tightness?

... hotness?

... class?

Please, Obama, Help Us All.

Forever I Love Atlanta

2008-11-11T02:18:00.005-05:00

Lil' Scrappy

While chowin' down at my favorite 'Subway' establishment today, Lil' Scrappy's 'F.I.L.A. (Forever I Love Atlanta)' came on, in which he states:

'alot of yall niggas be talkin' bout Air Force 1s and shit / about Adidas and shit / alot of my niggas we be ridin' the speed light / get out our feet / Forever I Love Atlanta...'

It's a fun little song, and while smiling over its tune I couldn't help but think, 'maybe these Nikes I'm wearing could be superseded by some other shoe, namely a Fila shoe.'

So I decided to check out what Fila had to offer. My last-worn Fila item was a grey little beenie that was pretty cool, but nothing special, so I had wholly neutral expectations going into this whole search--

FILA

I've found that Fila has very little to offer in terms of attractive Mens attire.

First of all they carry this, which is probably the nicest item on the web-site:

this too, which is much uglier:

I might have worn it in 6th grade.

These are Fila's sneaker options:

They are first of all incredibly unattractive. The middle one looks like a futuristic Timberland, and the last is an attempt at fusing gator-skin with camouflage patterns. The first one is called the 'punto,' which Urban Dictionary labels either as:

1.) 'quite simply: pussy,' or

2.) 'someone who is obsessed with the cock, dresses like a cock for Halloween, and smells like one, in other words, they are a cock.'

So, Fila give you the choice of either 'cock' or 'pussy'! That's great!

CONCLUSION: Don't listen to Lil' Scrappy; fuck Fila.

And, in a State that is close to Atlanta, Sammy Stevens is at it again:

apparently he has a new commercial. I'll post it soon. (thanks, XX).

Sammy leaves you with this bitchin' mp3:

	Lil Scrappy ft Lil Jon - Forever I Love Atlanta (FILA Nigga)

	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Busta Rhymes- "Arab Money"

2008-11-09T02:28:00.006-05:00

Busta Rhymes has been spiraling downward for sometime now. His eccentric clothing choices (namely those hats) and witty, rapid flow have all but vanished. However, his new single featuring Ron Brownz entitled “Arab Money” almost surely signifies that Busta has hit rock bottom. I’m not one to play the racist card in situations that don’t warrant it, but this is just blatantly offensive. Arab money? Really? Does Busta have shares in Halliburton that we don’t know about? This situation is made about ten million times worse by Tim Westwood and crew who are just perpetually absurd (Westwood has hosted a show called "Pimp My Tractor"). If England is anything like this when I visit in two weeks I will be so happy. Below are the video and the lyrics to “Arab Money” (which are equally awful as they attempt to translate the Middle Eastern sample into English words).

Best line: "Sittin' in casinos while I'm gamblin' with Arafat"

[Intro: Busta Rhymes]
Ron Browz, yes!
Oh, we back in the most amazin' way
Well, lemme introduce you to the new talk
Let's get straight to it
C'mon!

[Chorus: Ron Browz]
Shalai Lai Lai Halilili Hai Lo!
Hi Li Ba Lai Hey Hi Li Bai Lo!
We gettin' Arab money!
We gettin' Arab money!
Ha La Shiki Hai Lili Ba La!
Milli Ai Lai Shi Lili Ba La!
We gettin' Arab money!
We gettin' Arab money!

[Verse 1: Busta Rhymes]
Now, there ain't no way that you could kill the beast dead
I got Middle East women and Middle East bread
I got oil well money in the desert playing golf
Dolce shorts, dashiki with a Louie Scarf
Chest cold, diamonds make a nigga wanna cough
In Dubai, 20 million on the villa loft
And then I step up in the club and then these other niggas mad as shit
The way I make the people wanna sing the hook in Arabic!

[Chorus: Ron Browz]
Shalai Lai Lai Halilili Hai Lo!
Hi Li Ba Lai Hey Hi Li Bai Lo!
We gettin' Arab money!
We gettin' Arab money!
Ha La Shiki Hai Lili Ba La!
Milli Ai Lai Shi Lili Ba La!
We gettin' Arab money!
We gettin' Arab money!

[Verse 2: Busta Rhymes]
Seven star hotels, Maybach, movie sick
Big bitches, knock-kneed camel-toed groupie shit
Women walk around while security on camelback
Club on fire now, niggas don't know how to act
Sittin' in casinos while I'm gamblin' with Arafat
Money long, watch me purchase pieces of the Almanac
Y'all already know, I got the streets buzzin'
While I make you bow down and make Salaat like a Muslim

[Chorus: Ron Browz]
Shalai Lai Lai Halilili Hai Lo!
Hi Li Ba Lai Hey Hi Li Bai Lo!
We gettin' Arab money!
We gettin' Arab money!
Ha La Shiki Hai Lili Ba La!
Milli Ai Lai Shi Lili Ba La!
We gettin' Arab money!
We gettin' Arab money!

[Verse 3: Busta Rhymes]
See, now I take trips to Baghdad dummy
While I use stacked chips and count Arab money now
I don't need to get fresh, about to grow a beard duke
So much cake even the money look weird too
Domestic bread, and I'm broad, I'm tryna eat right
Prince Alwali, Bin Talal, Al Saul
They respect the value of my worth in Maui, Malaysia
Iran and Iraq, Saudi Arabia!

[Chorus: Ron Browz]
Shalai Lai Lai Halilili Hai Lo!
Hi Li Ba Lai Hey Hi Li Bai Lo!
We gettin' Arab money!
We gettin' Arab money!
Ha La Shiki Hai Lili Ba La!
Milli Ai Lai Shi Lili Ba La!
We gettin' Arab money!
We gettin' Arab money!

SAGGY PUFF

2008-11-07T22:06:00.003-05:00

MAXIMUM TUNDRA

2008-11-07T21:47:00.007-05:00

In my opinion, Max Tundra (real name Ben Jacobs) is one of the most innovative, underrated and special musicians around today. His previous two albums, “Some Best Friend You Turned Out to Be” and “Mastered By Guy At the Exchange” were unjustly overlooked and ignored despite praise from the tastemakers at Pitchfork. Max Tundra’s music is truly indefinable. He beautifully combines pop elements reminiscent of Prince with an abrasive, glitch-based electronic palette. Tundra’s work ranges from up-tempo, minimalistic songs on the subject of his studio lights to lo-fi, 8-bit covers of the KLF. At the same time, his music is intensely poignant; songs like “Cabasa” and “61over” encapsulate emotions that I don’t even have words for (just listen). It’s Tundra’s meticulous attention to detail that give every song a distinct texture and high degree of replayability. This super layered sound is partially due to his choice of sequencing hardware: a Commodore Amiga 500 (circa 1987). For me, Max Tundra is very similar to French filmmaker Jacques Tati in the sense that you have to continually revisit his work in order to comprehend its full brilliance. His forthcoming album “Parallax Error Beheads You” has been in production for nearly six years and is finally getting Tundra the attention he has so long deserved. The album is currently available on Domino’s website for digital download and should be hitting American record stores sometime this month. If you hurry, you may still be able to get it in soup form. In celebration of the release Max has created one of the most eclectic DJ mixes I’ve ever heard. Ranging from cosmic 80’s R&B to Busta Rhymes to thrashing Parisian electro to J-POP to fucking Linda Scott--(whew)--this mix will simply make you beam. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do. Max Tundra is currently touring Europe with Hot Chip.

Max Tundra- Radio Mix [via 20jazzfunkgreats]

Max Tundra- Playboy (Hot Chip cover) [via Slutty Fringe]

Hit it, Then Quit it.

2008-11-07T01:49:00.007-05:00

I've seen two comedies out of the Apatow-camp lately; here are two brief reviews:

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

This movie was Kevin Smith's first directorial experience with Seth Rogen and the Apatow-crew, and based on my impressions of his later works, Jay/Silent Bob and Dogma specifically, I wasn't expecting too many laughs. Unfortunately, I didn't receive many. The film sways too drastically between absolutely filthy/explicit/vulgar jokes and imagery, and heart-warming/inspirational/cuddly romancing to display any sort of cohesive comedic structure--it therein produces some laughs, but only sporadic bursts, so that, unlike the consistently snowballing humor of a successful comedy, once one laugh is over the next is equally difficult to incite. What isolated laughs there are, however, are largely due to some great performances by Rogen, Banks, the Black Guy from the Office/40yr-old-virgin, and Jay; without these, the film would have flopped embarrassingly.

RATING: 6.4

Role Models

I used to worship Sean William Scott--in 7th grade, when I was still obsessing over Nadia's T1TS and thought 'fucking an apple-pie' was funny. I think the last film I've seen him in consisted of him (portraying the typical frat-boy, of course) getting incessantly pummeled by 'The Rock.' For this, and other reasons, SWS's presence as one of the two leading men of this film (despite Paul Rudd's genius) made me a bit dubious of its quality. I was fucking pleasantly surprised. The movie delivers a non-stop onslaught of laughter, culminating in a final 'epic-battle' of utterly monstrous/hilarious proportions. What makes it so successful is exactly what Zack and Miri got wrong; it surely has no poverty of vulgarity (in one scene, after hearing SWS's pickup line, a chick snaps: 'I'm engaged,' to which SWS replies, 'I have a boner.'), but it also effectively blends this with the warmer sentiments of friendship, family bonding, and brotherhood--in short, love--at no expense of the film's comedic structure. This is ultimately because all the main characters are just so damn lovable: Rudd's (typical) pessimistic, morbid, and joyfully bleak character makes us smile when he finally finds things at which he can do the same; SWS's (typical) 'Stifler-frat-bro' carries an aura of playful and cute naivety that audiences never fail to adore; and the two kids are the (typical) kind-hearted-dork and the (typical) adorably chaotic child. In short, the film portrays the growth between these 4 typical characters' relationships, which are all at once utterly hilarious, but on a deeper level, rich in emotion too. GO SEE THIS SHIT TOMORROW!

RATING: 9.5

+ RESURRECTION +

2008-11-06T22:12:00.005-05:00

I been gone for a minute now I'm back at the jump off- Lil’ Kim

Much thanks to Austin for holding down the fort while I’ve been preoccupied with school and such. Also, let me extend a welcome to our new writers--I’ve had the pleasure of consuming copious amounts of alcohol with these guys while in Philly so I can vouch for their greatness. I think I speak for Austin in saying that we’d ideally like to be releasing daily blog posts, which in the coming months will require a bigger staff. If you're a regular reader (Austin, do any of those exist?) then prepare yourself for a whole new level of brilliance and insanity. Other New Age of Heroes projects are in the works such as a weekly newsletter, as well as a series of sex tapes.

As far as content for today goes, all I can say right now as this:

Shout out to Rahm Emmanuel, SLC grad and Illinois congressman, who was recently named Chief of Staff. Back tomorrow with regular content.

NEW WORLD ORDER

Southern Comfort

2008-11-06T01:36:00.005-05:00

well, first I think we have to proclaim the obligatory:

HALLELUJAH OBAMA! GOD HAS DESCENDED UPON US ALL!

But SRSLY, yesterday was an incredibly amazing event, and a touching sight/experience for me, being a true Chicagoan/American. I really liked this CNN display shortly after the win:

True, PPLS seem to worship him as a God in some regards, verging on cultish/brainwashed behaviors, but the raw joy exhibited at yesterday's Grant Park Chicago Obama-Fest, at college campuses across the country, and in cities across the world was, IMO, totally pure and intense beyond measure. I literally hadn't seen anything like it before; nor had I ever felt it before concerning politics. It was a truly beautiful moment.

Unfortunately some others are divisively disillusioned, envisioning Obama as........ the ANTICHRIST!!!!! :

RAWR! Scary.

THUS BEGINS THE XIAOXIA PORTION OF 2NITE's POST!

Conveniently, our friend XX lived in the marvelous state of Alabama before coming up North, and in turn found herself with lots of angry, racist, white, Facebook Friends in a 'Facebook Status Frenzy' upon hearing of Obama's defeat of McCain. She recorded these statuses, kindly passing them on to me. Here they are:

KRISTI IRVIN: Kristi is at least black people can't say white people are racist...so find a new thing to complain about.

Kristi please wake me up from this nightmare.

ELLEN OAKES: Ellen is GO MCCAIN/PALIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ellen the LORD JESUS is on HIS throne!

BRIAN DENNIG: Brian says "Don't let this country turn towards communism: VOTE FOR JOHN McCAIN!!!".

Brian is starting to run away from the direction our country is going towards, hell.

ALLISON CHANCY: Allison is thinking that in the unfortunate event Obama is elected, it'll all be alright because she can just not work and get free money she doesn't deserve. Huzzah!

Allison has realized that her love for her country defines her dislike for the newly elected president.

Allison is so incredibly dissatisfied with everything.

Tracey Johnston:

Tracey is ? 11:54pm

Tracey is Obama Ohshit. 11:11pm

Chase Rawlinson: Chase is McCAIN/PALIN '08 time to vote

Chase is CANADA??

Chase is I'll live lol.

Jordyn Dawson: Jordyn is dear lord help us all.

Norma Boyd: Norma is McCain/Palin!!!!

Norma is moving to Australia!!!!!!

Michael Malphrus: Michael is worried about where the world is going...as of right now its straight to hell in a handbasket and things arent gonna get better.

Michael is e=mc2 (healed economy = 2 consecutive mccain palin terms).

Michael is GET OUT AND VOTE FOR MCCAIN/PALIN - DON'T LET AMERICA BECOME SOCIALIST!

Michael is happy for every African-American at this moment in history, but hopes that Obama can bring America together

Macon Martin: Macon is YESSSSS PALIN!!!!!!!

Macon is glad that america elected a president to take her HARD EARNED MONEY and give to poor stupid ignorant people... i'm moving to costa rica.. WHY TOOMERS?

Elizabeth Mahaney: Elizabeth is welcome to socialism

Lauren Jackson: Lauren is really scared about all this "change" that is apparently going to happen!!! I am getting on welfare like everyone else... who is with me

Lauren Jackson is really scared about all this "change" that is apparently going to happen! All of you who voted Obama don't get too excited Bush is still in office until Jan.

Mary Haley Byrne: Mary is woops... there goes America.

Mary is hoping that America will do the right thing tomorrow. Dont vote socialist... vote McCain.

Summer Patterson: Summer is for McCain!!! Fuck who wants Obama in the white house where he will give them sorry ass people you dont wanna get off there ass and work..money comon now!

Summer is STARTING TO PACK MY SHIT UP FOR MY MOVE TO MEXICO!!!!!! WHO'S GOING? I VOTED MCCAIN!

Summer is McCain allllll the way!!!!!! fuck Obama he's going to fuck us lol....

Summer is going tomorrow and going to buy my new GUN and new glass windows for my house!!! the next four years willl FUCKING SUCK!!!!!!!!!

Lauren Wesley: Lauren is nervous about Armagedon and the next 4 years.

Zach Clayton: Zach thinks that American citizens who vote for Obama is like chickens voting for Cornel Sanders.

The pure, unfettered ignorance of these statuses, save for a couple, RLY amazes me. OF course, all these PPL above could be FCKIN scholars, justified in some of their opinions, but somehow I doubt that. Notice: when most Obama supporters say 'FCK Palin,' they usually cite reasons why she should be 'Fucked,' i.e. she can't speak the English language, she is a religious psychopath, she makes political gaffes that a high-school student would likely catch him/herself on, she knows nothing about many political/economic/social topics, ETC. When these people say 'FCK Obama,' it's usually just that: 'Fuck Obama,' perhaps with a 'Socialist' thrown in there (they likely DUNNO what 'Socialism' truly is). Also note the 'booing' patterns at the respective conventions: when Obama mentioned the LOSER McCain in his speech yesterday, the audience actually cheered. Conversely at the McCain rally, the audience booed upon hearing Obama's name mentioned, as it did consistently during McCain's campaign. I really do think these PPL are consumed by a DEEP, IRRATIONAL fear for Obama--fear that he's a 'terrorist,' fear that he's a 'socialist,' fear that he's the 'antichrist.' To unite these PPL with the rest of America, to reconcile Civilization and Un-Civilization, is going to be a quite difficult task, one which Obama has undertaken as one of his Main Goals. Let's hope he really is Godlike, as so many seem to think.

And, while staying political, some laughter:

BOOYA

2008-11-05T03:42:00.001-05:00

I can only dream of being at this performance:

and this is my Obama-Song this YR!

Mentally Retarded

2008-11-04T02:06:00.003-05:00

In the words of 'Mystery,' one more:

apparently this happened today. It just proves that Sarah Palin is even more of an idiot than any of us could have ever imagined. I think Conan O'Brien (Jay Leno?) said it best tonight in that, 'the joke would have worked if Sarah Palin actually knew who Nicholas Sarkozy was.'

God Help Our Country If This Woman Ever Sets Foot In The White House.

News

2008-11-03T16:59:00.004-05:00

Concerning the Blog, and my Life.

There's been a lack of updates lately, and for this, I'm sorry. It's not that I have nothing on which to write--in fact, I have an extensive 'To-Do List':

- Muzak Reviews of: Shugo Tokumaru's Exit, Sunset's The Glowing City, Late of the Pier's Fantasy Black Channel, and Stafraenn Hakon's Gummi. Maybe I'll try to write one of those now/later today.

- Film Reviews of: Saw V and Zach and Miri Make a Porno.

- Another Star Wars post.

- Elaboration upon some notes I made on my iPhone while observing random Chicago-PPL.

- An ongoing piece in which I analyze '21st-Century-Society's Socially Admirable (that is, 'Cool') Molds.'

Harrison will also be blogging again soon once his essay is finished up this Wednesday! He has a few clever little ideas up his sleeve, which I am sure he will introduce shortly. Best of luck with his work for the time being.

I've recently starting working at the 'Chicago Reader,' self-proclaimed as 'Chicago's leading alternative weekly.' I'm also going to be blogging for them, on some alcohol-related section of their website.

Regarding the above 'ongoing piece':

I've lately been reading this 'book' called Food Court Druids, Cherohonkees, and Other Creatures Unique to the Republic, written by the same dudes who wrote The Hipster Handbook. It basically categorizes all the idiosyncratic PPLs in the Republic of America, and comments on their typical behaviors, likes/dislikes, fashion, and offers advice as to what to do when one encounters them. It's actually a very entertaining read, particularly because categorization in general is simply a fun little game, giving one the chance to view himself/his friends/his acquaintances/his enemies as members of certain categories, making everything very easy to understand/the ego very readily inflatable.

*OK HOLY SHIT A LADYBUG JUST CRAWLED OVER MY HANDS ON THE KEYBOARD AND IT FREAKKED THE SHI'ITE OUT OF ME*

Anyway, because of this above appeal of categorization, which also dominates my mind, I've decided to categorize 'members of the Rebublic' in my own way. It doesn't pretend to encompass the entire world, or even American, populace; all the categories combined probably comprise a mere 10% of PPL. What it does is this: distinguish between 'unique sections' of PPL that society typically deems as 'cool,' 'intimidating,' 'worth noticing.' That is, they are the 'Socially Admired, Feared, or simply Noticed PPLS of the WRLD.' It is essentially the opposite categorization of the previously mentioned Bud Light campaign, 'Real Men of Genius.'

Here are some preliminary categories I have been considering:

-Old, Grizzled, Bearded, Pipe-Smoking, Professor Guy

-Afro-Donning, Tight Pants-Wearing, Rollerskatin', Boombox Blastin', Dancin' Dude

-Tall, All Black Skinny Clothes-Wearing, Dark-Haired, Cigarette Smoking, New York Fashion Lady.

-Surfboard Carrying, Tossled-Hair Blowing, Poor, Burnt Out Surfer Bro.

-Kung Fu Kicking, Wood-Board Cracking, Bruce-Lee-Asian Guy

-Cosmopolitan, Eloquent, Super-Intelligent, Black Guy

-Tight Pants Wearing, Guitar Case Carrying, Unshaven Musician Kid

-Large-Earring Donning, Bohemian, Likely-Vegan Hippie Chick

-Grey Haired, Tall, Broad, Suit Wearing, Hitman-Looking Business Guy

-Ganja Smokin', Chillin', Rastafarian Kid

-Oversized Clothing Sportin', Glock Carryin', Grill Gleamin', Thug-Black-Dude

-Yoga Rocking, Lean, Rich, Hot Wife

-BAPES Kickin', Fruity Colors Baggin', Hair Crazin', Japanese- Street-Kid

-Cigarette Smoking, Wolf-Shirt Wearing, AA Pants Donning, Coked-Out, Typical Hipster Child

-Nose Upward-Pointing, Polo Shirt Sporting, British Tool

-Beer Chuggin', Kegstandin', Racial Slurring, Frat-Boy-Douche

-Tattered Clothes Wearing, Crazy-Eyed, Artist Person

That's just temporary, I'm sure I'll think of more later. So occasionally I'll write a short blurb on one of the above categories of people. It should be entertaining (for me, at least).

Lastly, good luck to both of our presidential candidates (a bit more to Obama, please)! I'll be having a private little Obama party tomorrow night, I'll post pics soon! I've recently gathered that Obama won Dixville, NH! GOOD JOB MY MAN!

Meshes

2008-11-03T02:44:00.004-05:00

From Harrison:

He conveniently showed me this clip just 20 mins ago. It's freaky on a whole different level, shit that was only capable of being thought up in the 1940s. So here's one more addition to yesterday's mindfuck.

Mindfuck

2008-11-02T01:27:00.004-04:00

Sup EVRYBUDY,

Today's the second day of Halloween celebrations! ISNT that EXCITING? In celebration of this, I've compiled a set of GLORIOUS and INSANE and CREEPY vids for your viewing pleasure. Most, if not all, are associated with Aphex Twin and/or Chris Cunningham.

ooooo spooky! sweet dreams!

The Antidouche.

2008-11-01T01:00:00.005-04:00

Happy Halloween

Let me start by linking U all to this. It's pretty darn sweet.

This has traditionally been my 2nd favorite holiday, close behind Thanksgiving, because it inspires fun, creativity, and 'breaking out of the box.' Designing Halloween costumes has usually been a fun part of the year for me; unfortunately, for the last 3 years, including this one, my 'artistic inspiration' has seemed to be absent. So I've been stuck without a costume, watching others carousing the streets donning theirs. I've observed a few things.

Isn't it odd how during this one night of 'fantasy-play' we sometimes feel like we actually 'embody' our costumes? When everyone is dressed up as their 'Supermans' or 'Vampires' or 'Slutty Kittens' or 'Jokers' or 'Barack Obamas' or 'Demons,' the average level of confidence/ego surely doubles. It's sort of like the phenomenon where somebody wears sunglasses or pops their collar and suddenly feels '55 points cooler,' but taken to the next level. Little-dorky-dudebags strut around with their pilot uniforms and aviator sunglasses on, eyeing other dudes as if their costumes will aid them in 'Kicking YR AZZ.' Flabby chicks in 'slutty bumble bee' costumes shake their shit as if their extra layers make them desirable like 'Beyonce.' On Halloween, actual 'super-heroes' aren't partying together, fuckin' with each other, but 'super-egos' are; it's a New Age of Heroes!

Us 'authentic' anti-dudebags and anti-sluthos must unite against this other 'New Age,' return Halloween back to it's former glory of 'pure, unadulterated horror and violence,' and reestablish this World as a 'genuine, cosmopolitan, and gentle' place.

SOME ?s TO THINK ABOUT?

ARNT we sorta always donning these types of 'costumes'?

WHAT is a 'legit,' non-ego-inflating costume?

Who would win in a 'fight,' a Vampire-douche-bag or a Barack Obama-douche-bag?

Who would win in a 'cat-fight,' a slutty-bumble-bee-b1tch or a slutty-kitty-b1tch?

WHICH sunglasses increase a douche-bag's EGO the most: mirror-tinted aviators, Kanye-West-sunglasses, or Wayfarers?

Zoo

2008-10-31T01:36:00.009-04:00

Some 'Wise-Wisdom' I gained at the Crystal Castles Show the Other Night:

I went to see Crystal Castles play live a couple nights ago, and in observing the artists/the some 300 or so Tweensters (avg. age around 14) do their th4ng, I managed to gain insight into a few things.

Apathy:

To be cool amongst this group of 1st-Tier-Little-Alternative-Children, U must be apathetic concerning everything. If U happen to dislike/like something, UR statement of dislike/like must be spoken with a dry, monotone, lethargic drone. So, when U should be naively exclaiming 'DOOD Crystal Castles liek uses NINTENDO sounds and shit!! Fuckin' AWSME!!,' U instead naively mutter, 'Yeah, so I read these guys use, like, Nintendo noises or something. That's pretty cool.'

Bloc Party:

Apparently, liking any 'mainstream/MTV' muzak, such as 'Bloc Party,' is deemed worthy of justification and/or insult if one is a little-hip-child. I observed a girl behind me in line relating to some friends/strangers some 'music-festival-anecdote,' when she irresponsibly let this slip: 'so after I saw Bloc Party.' She immediately had to excuse her actions: 'I know... they're like okay, I saw them just briefly, ya know, killing some time before 'Dan Deacon.'

I actually sorta like The Bloc of Parties. WILL U EVR ACCEPT ME?

Cigarettes:

If yr looking to bag some little AA donning 14-yr-old pre-Tweenies, be sure to bring multiple packs of cigarettes, because they bum like madwomen. This is because 1.) They are poor, 2.) Too young/scared to buy them 3.) Searching for attention from cigarette carrying, bearded 2nd-tier-or-higher Alternative Men.

Bumblebee Suit:

There was a group of little dudes all wearing bumblebee suits. It's apparently C00L.

Visual Deceit:

Many of these 'younger, accessorized alternative chicks' will look very pretty from the side-view. This, however, can be quite deceiving, a let-down I experienced twice in the night. One was cross-ey3d.

Balloons:

If U R a really shitty opening act, complete with a shitty drum machine, shitty keyboard, shitty Walgreens-bought megaphone, shitty hair, and a shitty voice, then dropping ball00nz on top of the crowd does not seem to incite any bit of dancing.

Puke Bucket:

The singer of the second opener, Lymbyc Systym (which was a much better act), prefaced his performance by explaining to the audience the violent illness he had recently contracted, and actually brought a 'puke-bucket' on stage with him, just in case. This was a good idea for 3 reasons: 1.) it gave him an excuse to suck, 2.)it shortened his set, lessening his work, 3.)potentially made the performance utterly hilarious/viral on YouTube if he were to ACTUALLY puke.

Fucking Strobe Lights:

Outside the venue was a sign that read 'Beware: Accompanying the Performance Will Be An Intense Fucking Strobe Light Show.' I laughed upon reading it, but it proved to be 100% accurate in its description. Multiple people had to be carried out mid-show, presumably having violent seizures or blinded for life. Personally, it just made my iPhone extremely pissed off. Thus, the last bit of wisdom: If yr epileptic, a vampire, or don't want to have a brain-splitting-headache the next day, don't see these fuckers live.

Boys' Size

2008-10-30T01:23:00.003-04:00

Evidently, I suxx0rs at ebay.

A week ago, I purchased this jacket on the auction-based website, exchanging a mere 20$ for the b1tch, which I thought was a great deal.

I guess the ad must have read 'Boys' S Black Military Hooded Jacket,' while I read 'Mens' instead of 'Boys.' In my fervor to skip the tedious auction process which I had already experienced SUCKING at, I clicked the 'BUY ME NOW, YOU IDIOT' button. The jacket arrived today, in a box that couldn't have fit a watermelon, and was about 0.05 lbs. After shedding a few tears over my inadequacy to squeeze inside of the damn thing, I tried giving it to my Momma, who's like barely a nymph-sized-human, and it wouldn't even fit her. She suggested I give it to a family friend's child, who is 5.

So tonight, I am going to address a few difficulties I have with random fashion-related-things.

The Plight of the T-Shirt-Wearer:

Harrison and I discussed this today, after he informed me of his plan to purchase a set of T-shirts in bulk from ebay, basically a fuckton-boxload of them for some smallish sum of $. I initially supported the idea, for who in their right mind could EVER have enough T-SHIRTS???? But then this unfortunate reality dawned upon the both of us: The T-Shirt's Diminishing Returns. As we have both experienced first-hand (being men with inventories of 30+ wearable T-Shirts at our disposal at all times), there is truly only room in a Man's wardrobe for a small handful of T-Shirts. For example, say one does laundry once a week. Assuming he wears 1 T-shirt from his 'Prime T-Shirt Selection' once a day, after wearing but 7 shirts, the Man's selection has been cleansed and replenished. While donning the Pr1me -Shirts this week the Man might have looked at the 2nd or 3rd Tier T-Shirts and thought 'gee, I'd really like to wear one of those some time soon,' but the T-Shirt God knows well that when those 'prime-specimens' emerge from the laundry at the start of a crisp new week, the Man will quickly forget those forlorn Tees at the back of the drawer and revert to his 'Starting-7-Rotation.' Such is the plight of the T-Shirt-Wearer.

Something That Is Unnecessary:

Somebody, PLZ tell me: why da fuck do all of the pictures on this god-forsaken website cut off at the models' eyes??? It seems like a pointless little quirk that actually detracts from the pictures' VALUES, since eyes R surely the PRETTIEST things on the human face. Liek, personally, I sorta WNNA know what the girl in the center looks like because she looks very potentially cute/half-AZN. But no, I'll NVR know. If anyone has an explanation, PLZ let me know. (It's Urban Outfitters' Website, BTW).

Some Things That Nobody Should Be Caught Wearing:

abcde

a.) Smallpox-Hat.

b.) Kanye-West-Glasses.

c.) Suicidal-Twi'lek-Hood.

d.) LSD-Keffiyeh.

e.) Shit-On-My-Neck.

To Leave You All Off On A HAPPY Note:

Here, a funny video!!!!!! YAY! BILL COSBY IS A CRAZY MOFUCKA!!!!!

Broskies

2008-10-28T18:35:00.007-04:00

LIVE DA LIFE

I think it's really important to live da life at all times, whether studyin', workin', sleepin', or drinkin'. Which is why my comrade Michael and I only drink Miller High Life Beer. And it's also why we only wear Miller High Life Gear. Having the 'High-Life' logo emblazoned on our chests, foreheads, and crotches perpetually lets people know that we're here to do real business, none of that stale 'Bud-Select pussy-ass-bullshit.' So here's to all our brothers-in-arms espousing the High Life. And if you'd all like to live the High Life too, BUY SOME SHIT

Also, in High Life news: A Swarthmore associate of mine has informed me that the weekly Pub-Nite will be switching its kegs away from Natural Light, potentially leaning towards THE HIGH LIFE.

[edit]

Ah, Michael's enlightening comment has inspired within me an urge to elaborate upon the nature and substance of this 'High Life' we so enthusiastically support. As he has already clarified, the High Life encompasses such BADASS activities as hunting, fishing, rock-climbing, surfing, and shit-facing. Here are some more INTGRL components to

Da High Life:

- When attempting to do NETHING, one first consults his own natural prowess: i.e. when Michael wants to smoke, he innovates a new type of flow-bong. When Austin drops his keys down the elevator shaft, they engineer a 9 ft. long robotic arm to retrieve it for them.

- When purchasing HEADFONES, one must always purchase the over-ear-type, for they provide better external-sound-cancellation, and they look more bitchin' to onlookers. To live the Highest of Lives, one must purchase these.

- When choosing a residency, one must always pick the liveliest of options, despite its potential danger, filth, inconvenience, etc., for it will contain the Community of Bros most apt at embracing Da High Life. Thus, we have lived in Willets 2 yrs counting.

- When pursuing a GRL, a man living the High Life often prefers one with shorter hair, for she will more likely enjoy the EXCITEMENT the High Life will offer her.

- A participant in the High Life is a member of the Beta-Pi-Fraternity, and often hones his BP skillz.

- When invited by a fellow bro, A participant in the High Life NVR turns down a live show, regardless of type, for it is a PRIME FORUM for all forms of excitement.

- When living the High Life, one does NOT SPEAK of The High Life, for it conveys self-absorption and immaturity (oops).

These mofucka's surely ARNT livin' Da High Life:

But whoever made this next video definitely is (FUCKING HILARIOUS!!!!!!):

Chicken Masala

2008-10-28T01:50:00.007-04:00

Some things I've been considering...

When you start thinking about L1FE too intently, you get struck by an itchy little paradigm that really depresses 1 if 1 is not too careful. ALL PEOPLES' LIVES, though surely differing beyond comprehension in many regards, share at least 1 thing: after some time they settle upon a LINE OF REGRESSION, one concerning pleasure, contentment, success, adventure, pain, etc. That is, yur lives' VALUE basically becomes static, and it, as a whole, is not AMAZINGLY __________ one day, then COMPLETELY (opposite) the next. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), one in fact feels as if this previous dynamic is occurring (generally rich girl: 'OH MY LIFE SUX I CRASHED MY BMW!!!' generally poor guy: "I'm so grateful that I can bring my family out for Christmas.") Thus the 'paradigm' arises. In the dim light of the static happiness/unhappiness of our lives, all that stands out are those DYNAMIC happenings that really do SHINE against the norm. Thus, the PERCEIVED value of our lives is defined not by its true, unmoving goodness/badness, but by those points off the regression. And so, truly lucky, blessed, and comfortable people find themselves ultimately unhappy; their own life memories are dominated by a few solemn/painful/unlucky events, for their stolid comfort has indifferently dissolved into emptiness. (And the truly poor, too, die opposite their condition, happily). At least we have one ultimate source of comfort: heaven.

Also (after a conversation with some Chinese immigrants today), I was thinking how LUCKY we all are to be residents of 1 of the 2 states which crafted what is now essentially the world's UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE--English. Foreigners basically MUST learn English to compete in this world (socially/economically/etc.). We don't really have to learn SHIT, we treat foreign language as a LUXURY. As tourists, foreigners have a huge burden on their shoulders: coming to America/UK, they MUST speak their likely inferior English to function. Going anywhere else, they are pretty much screwed, unless they learn another foreign language, or speak broken English to another person with broken English. Us English-Speakers can parade through any country IN THE WORLD, of course entertaining ourselves and our hosts with our GIMMICKY attempts at the foreign language, ultimately falling back on ordering the 'CHICKEN MASALA' in English. And we can also say stupid-ass things like this, and get it reported in newspapers.

I'm thinking of getting a tattoo(s). The first one, if there are others, will definitely commemorate GGN in some way. This is a very-rough-sketch of what I'm thinking. It will either be for the left-bicep or the right-bicep. Tell me what you think! He was very famous Chicago Radio DJ, for reference. Of course, the grey box around the mic will not be tattooed on my body.

Sund4ys of Bu11sh33t

2008-10-26T11:58:00.004-04:00

Yet another Sunday of Bullsh33t... they just keeping the cumming.

Today will be mostly VIDEO-Bullsh33t i believe, but first some pictures:

Museums: here are some awesomely enriching places that we should all see:

1.) THE MUSEUM OF THE DEAD, Palermo, Italy.

It's basically a creepy place where you can observe preserved, clothed dead Italians hanging on hooks. For some of them, you can read how they died.

2.) THE POOP MUSEUM, Japan

This museum is basically filled with all the different types of animal shit in the world, allowing you to observe, and sometimes touch, any type of shit you desire. The shit pictured is Elephant-Shit. They also have 'Shit-Books' as displayed on their main poster.

Some Videos!

I saw this last night on a classic SNL. I have historically DESPISED The Adam Sandler, but I could not help but laugh at how immature, simple, BUT FUNNY this fucking sketch was. This little 2-minute clip basically encapsulates what his entire adult life has consisted of thus far. EXCEPT the ZOHAN. He was a Jew in that.

Next, not to be a PUSS4Y or nething, but here's a really heartwarming video that was on YouTube's 'Featured List' today. It's very raw, and seemingly genuine, until you realize that people were just videotaping themselves smiling, probably shooting countless takes until finding that 'Super-kute' one and submitting it. Even so, some of the smiles do make me feel as a warm cup of coffee does, which has heretofore been a pleasant sensation :)

[edit: more!]

Here are two funny JPNS clips. The 1st is of a similar nature as the infamous Marshmallow-Game clip. YouTube it if you don't know. The second is a typical display of useless JPNS ultra-skill.

Finally, here's some more KUTENESS for you all. Dogs and kitties never fail to amuse me.

Top-Lists!

I wish I would have had the genius to create these Top-Lists. They are so funny. First,

Top 5 Most Amazing Discoveries in PPLS Fat-Rolls

Favorite Quote: "Everyone going inside had to wear protective gear... After years of staying put, her skin had literally become one with the sofa, and had to be surgically removed."

Top 13 Craziest Moments of Tyra Banks

Best Clip: #2 Ghetto Queen

McPalin Supplements!

2008-10-26T02:29:00.003-04:00

MORE FUNNIES

After Apolline's informative post documenting the Stupidness of Sarah Palin, I felt compelled to supplement her endeavor with more such material:

First, to get the blood Flowin':

Second, a slow-motion capture of some subtleties in that famous interview:

Third, here's another funny McCain-Tongue-Licking series:

TONGUE