yeah yeah yeah

I love it when new record releases sneak up on me. I just saw today that the new !!! comes out next week and I honestly didn't even know they had a new project in the works. I'm listening through the album as I write this, and from where I sit now, I'm enjoying it a lot. That really says something, considering how long it's been since I stopped doing ecstacy. The titular track, "Myth Takes", goes on this cowboy tip, like if "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" were shot in Williamsburg, or maybe somewhere funky. Few other bands could use the lyrics "sha sha shadooby" and have me enjoy it this much. "A New Name" gets all space funky on your face and drops chorus vocals that sound like they're from the WAR catalogue. Nic Offer's vocals keep up that spoken vocal thing that always tiptoes the line towards creepy, but there's really a lot of expansion going on towards different styles of wailing. I'm on track four by now, "Heart of Hearts", and I just realized that I'm dancing my ass off in this chair and I'm not even sure when it started. I'm definitely pysched to go cop this next week. This is the kind of thing that I need to have in the car, since it'll be great for driving, plus if a party springs up somewhere, I can just run out to the car for it and soon everyone will have the funk blown out of their drawers.

Stream almost all of the album on Myspace
Or Check out some live tracks at Universal Buzz

or enjoy these leaked tracks...

"A New Name" by !!!
"All My Heroes Are Weirdos" by !!!
"Must be the Moon" by !!!

I also found out tonight that new LCD Soundsystem album is coming out on my birthday, but they'll be touring in Germany or some other far off land at the time. Too bad. All you Germans out there make sure you catch em live, they're up there with the best live shows I've ever been to.

"Watch the Tapes" by LCD Soundsystem

Top 5 Mood Ruiners

So it's been a good night. You've been chatting up some little cutie for a while and you mention that you've got a couple Jack Johnson CDs back at your dorm room, plus some awesome Scarface posters, so for some bizarre reasons, she agrees to go home with you. The biggest mistake you can make is to just flip open your laptop and just put iTunes on shuffle, because if you're anything like me, there's some stuff in your library that is just not going to be appropriate for the occasion. So here, in order from bad to worst case scenario, are the top five songs to ruin the mood.

5. Any song with an ex-girlfriend's name in the chorus.



There's always the chance that maybe the lady you're touching at the moment doesn't know the intimate details of your past, but if she does, something like this could get pretty awkward.

"Rosalita" by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
"Alison" by Elvis Costello
"Wendy" by the Descendents
"Wendy by the Beach Boys

Key Awkward Moment: Whenever the lady in your arms makes the connection between the song and the lady from your past.

4. "A New Hope" by Blink 182

Not only will she think you're into Blink 182, but she'll know you're a Star Wars nerd.

"A New Hope" by Blink 182

Key Awkward Moment: When the chorus kicks in with, "Princess Leia, where are you tonight?"

3. "Bitches Ain't Shit" Dr. Dre

If there's even a touch of feminism in the lady, she probably won't be happy about this one. Bonus points if the Ben Folds cover of this song comes on. Then your lady fair will know that you're a misogynist and a dork.

"Bitches Ain't Shit" by Dr. Dre
"Bitches Ain't Shit" by Ben Folds

Key Awkward Moment: "Lick on these nuts and suck the dick"

2. "Raining Blood" by Slayer

The biggest problem with this here is that you've got the rain sounds that go on for a little while in the beginning, so even though there's some guitar sounds at first it could be like "Oh, I'll just relax with the mellow sounds of the rain" and then AHH METAL!. All of a sudden you're tumbling all over the place, head over heels, undergarments flying through the air, it's a mess.

"Raining Blood" by Slayer

Key Awkward Moment: When the rain gets overtaken by the ROCKIN.


1. "All Hotties Eat the Jizz" by Necro

If Dr. Dre hasn't driven her out the door, surely Necro will be the last straw. Not only does he go for the misogyny, but the violent attitude is much more overt, and he's just a whole lot more foul. Honestly, if this song came on and a girl wasn't phased, I'd be a bit worried.

"All Hotties eat the Jizz" by Necro

Key Awkward Moment: The whole goddamn song.


So of course, there are exceptions for each song here. I mean, you could have a girl who happens to be a star wars fanatic, a metalhead, or a Compton City G. Or she could have the same name as your ex girlfriend and own all of Necro's albums. Not for nothing, you should probably be avoiding those women.

Bling'd

So a VH1 documentary just came out on the diamond trade in Sierra Leone, I was working during the initial airing, but I'm gonna try and remember to catch the next showing on sunday. Part of the show is going to document a trip to Freetown, Sierra Leone with Paul Wall, Tego Calderón, and our favorite, Raekwon the Chef. I think it's a great premise, but I'm wondering what effect it can really have. Apparently Tego has announced that he'll never wear any kind of rings, chains, or diamonds anymore, but I can't imagine that Paul Wall is going to just up and abandon his grillz business. I mean, it's kind of all he's got.

Although, if he's looking for cash after abandoning his lucrative grillz business, I have to say that I would definitely watch a reality show starring him, Tego, and Raekwon.

"Gracias" by Tego Calderón
"Glaciers of Ice" by Raekwon the Chef
"Still Tippin'" feat. Slim Thug and Paul Wall by Mike Jones

Mmmmm...

I've always been quick to dismiss Phish as useless neo-hippie crap. I think most people do the exact same thing. Thing is, time and again, I'd catch footage of them playing live on some form of VH1, or I'd see Oysterhead jamming on HBO way back when, and as a guitar player, I'd have to give Trey Anastasio some credit. The dude can noodle in an admirable way. Then, a couple years back, some folks I worked with would play this song "Bouncing Around the Room" all the time and I liked it. As it turns out, the song I liked was a Phish tune. So the other day, I had it stuck in my head and I went to try and find it online. So one thing leads to another, and soon enough I realize that I own the Phish album with "Bouncing Around the Room" on it. It's one of the many in my early collection that came from ganking stuff that Columbia House sent my parents. I remember thinking it looked like the coolest CD ever, especially since the album cover was so 90's alternative.

C'mon, tell me that album cover doesn't instantly recall a time when Mtv played videos by musicians who weren't pretty. But yeah, at the time I'm pretty sure I listened to it once and didn't like it. Listening to it now though, I'm kinda getting into it. Maybe it's the deadhead that's genetically encoded into my blood, but I'm enjoying this album.

"Bouncing Around the Room" by Phish
"Mr. Oysterhead" by Oysterhead

Post Script: Oysterhead is the coolest dream trio ever. You've got Stewart Copeland (of the Police), Les Claypool (of Primus), and Trey Anastasio (of Phish). That's a whole lot of P.


AND ANOTHER THING,

Why was I completely unaware until today that Desmond Dekker passed away last year? He paved the way in Jamaica for Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals, and in England for bands like Madness and the Specials. Plus he was (fictionally) married to Margot Tennenbaum when she was 19. The man was the original Rudeboy icon and it really disapoints me that his passing seems to have gone largely unnoticed.

"You Can Get it if You Really Want" By Desmond Dekker and the Aces
recorded on the same exact backing track as Jimmy Cliff's original version

"Get Up, Edina" by Desmond Dekker and the Aces

I'm a Loser, Baby.

Beck is one of those guys I forget about really easily. I really like Beck. I've always liked Beck. I got detention once in the 7th grade because I wouldn't stop singing the "do do" part from the beginning of "New Pollution" during math class. For whatever reason though, I tend to just forget about him and not throw him on all that often. Today I found myself listening to The Information though, and although I liked this album when I first got it, I haven't really given it the accolades it deserves. The Douchipster's perennial mancrush Nigel Godrich does a really solid job with the production. The album's great to throw on when you're not quiiite sad enough for Sea Change.

I posted "New Round" the first time I mentioned the album here. I think it still stands out as my favorite, but "Think I'm In Love" is a solid catchy tune.

"New Round" by Beck
"Think I'm In Love" by Beck

Mixtape Murder: The Re-Up

Back in the summer, I posted about DJ Eleven's mixtape Summer Madness, which I loved. Recently I came across a sequel of sorts called Winter Sadness, and I have to say I like it even better. Aside from a disapointing remix of Gza's Cold World with D'Angelo, every track is great. Here's your playlist:

1.“Stormy Weather” by Etta James
2.“In The Cold, Cold Night” by the White Stripes
3.“Til It Happens To You” by Corrine Bailey Rae
4.“Dream” by Alice Smith
5.“The Rain” by K-Os
6.“And This Is Love” by Gladys Knight
7.“Rain” by Bruce Ruffin
8.“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Ken Boothe
9.“Bela Lugosi Is Dead” by Bauhaus
10.“Can’t Stand The Rain” by Ann Peebles
11.“King Of Sorrow” by Sade
12.“The Root” by D'Angelo
13."Quiet Storm” by Smokey Robinson
14.“Down And Out In New York City” by James Brown
15.“Cold World” remix by the GZA/Genius with D'Angelo
16.“Stop The Rain” by the Average White Band
17.“Date With The Rain” by Eddie Kendricks
18.''13th Floor / Growing Old” by Outkast
19.“Ice” by Spirit
20.“All That I Got Is You” by Ghostface feat. Mary J. Blige
21.“Ain’t No Love” by Bobby "Blue" Bland
22."Winter In America" by Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson
23.“California Dreamin’” by Lee Moses
24.“I Forgot To Be Your Lover” by William Bell
25.“We’ve Come Too Far To End It Now” by Smokey Robinson
26."Winter Sadness" by Kool & The Gang
27.“Refuge (When It’s Cold Outside)” by John Legend

Download the mp3s in zip form from DJ Eleven himself here.


Also,

I've also found myself listening a lot lately to a CD I burned over the summer. I gave the original to the Douchipster for a long car ride, but I recently burned myself a slightly revised version, so here it is, for your listening pleasure:

Cigarbox Guitars
Volume 2: The Dutchmaster Collection

1. "Distopian Dream Girl" by Built to Spill
They push out such a tangled guitar sound here. I love it. The opening chords push my head into a bop everytime the CD starts.



2. "Heavy Metal" by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
The new CYHSY stuff that I've heard is starting to grow on me, but I can't even put it close to the spastic fuzz rock of their debut, especially this song. Plus the harmonica reminds me of the "Lucky Louie" theme, the best theme song on TV. The wife is on some new sitcom now that "Lucky Louie" has been cancelled. She seems just as crazy and sexy, but I'm not having it.



3. "I'm a Loner Dottie, a Rebel" by the Get Up Kids
There's a school of thought that if the Get Up Kids recorded one great song, that this is it. I happen to think they recorded a ton of great songs, but I have to say that this tune is particularly rocking. Plus, they reference Pee-Wee's Big Adventure in the title.



4. "The Seed" by Cody ChesnuTT
I mentioned a short while ago how I think "The Seed 2.0" with the roots is far superior to this version. I still hold to it, but that doesn't mean I don't have a special appreciation of this song. I mean, it's lo-fi, so it has to be better on some level right? Isn't that why I started listening to the Mountain Goats? Wait no, that's cuz they're awesome.



5. "The Great Communicator" by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
I always enjoy me some Ted, but his high-energy tunes are really where it's at. Everytime I hear this song it makes me want to catch him in concert again.



6. "If She Wants Me" by Belle and Sebastian
Here we let up from the rock rock rockin for a moment to waft along in the breeze.



7. "Cocktails" by Rancid
I may have a ton of animosity towards Tim Armstrong and Lars Fredericksen (like for recording two self titled albums), but I'll be damned if this song isn't a helluva lot of fun. The whole album it's off of, Life Won't Wait, is pretty cool. There's a ton of guest musicians, Buju Banton, Eric Stefani, Vic Ruggiero, Roger Miret, and the guys from the Specials. There's even a C-Squat reference. It's nice to hear Rancid make an authentic New York reference (parts of the album were recorded up here, as well as in Jamaica and New Orleans) after their other mad arbitrary references (hangin out on 52nd and broadway?). Plus, there's more harmonica that reminds me of "Lucky Louie".



8. "Damaged Goods" by Gang of Four
I was at an open bar a month or so ago and this song came on. I don't think I stopped dancing until morning.



9. "Chesterfield King" by Jawbreaker
This is one of the only songs I can think of where the sad kid gets the girl and it doesn't end up being overly cheesy. Plus it makes you want to smoke cigarettes. This one is for the kids.



10. "Jailbird Bars" by Cleveland Bound Death Sentence
This song is like the sonic equivalent of getting kicked in the balls and liking it. This song is like the girl who you pulled her hair cuz you liked her, then she gave you a purple nerple and you fell in love. This song is like the one girl you used to see at punk shows who wasn't just there with her boyfriend.



11. "Summertime" by Crimpshrine
One of two tracks on this mix that Aaron Cometbus rocks the skins for. Usually in punk rock, the drums are so homogenous, but he really has a distinct sound, which can be hard in any genre. I don't think Green Day would've had the sound they did in the early days if it wasn't for this track.



12. "Blank Generation" by Richard Hell & the Voidoids
I had a chance a week or so ago to meet Richard Hell, but it cost 8 bucks. I had just spent my last few dollars on pommes frites, plus a bunch of beer had just been purchased and was in hand. So it wasn't really in the cards. Too bad though.



13. "Moonlight Mile" by the Rolling Stones
I don't really like the Stones at all, especially Mick fucking Jagger. I can't deny Keith Richards guitar playing though and every now and again, I like the way Jagger's voice falls over it. I don't know if I'd like this song so much if it wasn't in a great Sopranos episode though.



14. "The Boy With the Thorn in his Side" by the Smiths
Maybe my favorite Smiths song to sing loudly when I'm driving. Also, I tend to whistle this when I'm walking.



15. "Window Display" by Enon
Hands down my favorite enon song. I was so bummed when I caught them live and they didn't play it.

16. "Almost Crimes" by Broken Social Scene
C'mon, just try to NOT dance.



17. "Modern Love" by David Bowie
Once again, I have to dare you to try not dancing. My answer changes all the time, but I think lately, if someone asked me, this is my favorite Bowie incarnation.



18. "Huddle Formation" by the Go! Team
Download this mix and you can hear this song OUTSIDE of the context of a car commercial.


19. "The Sons of Cain" by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
Oh Ted, so nice, you made the CD twice. This is the one song I added to the original version. This song just came across my radar, and I fucking love it.

DOWNLOAD THE CD

Hallelujah Holla Back

I really wish I didn't like the white rapper show so much. Serch is a jackass.

There's been a lot of folks writing about Dilla lately, with it being a year since his death and all. Of all the stuff I've read, the one that stands out the most was posted by Talib Kweli almost a year ago (stumbled on by way of ninoy brown). Check it out here, it's definitely worth a read.

Spine Magazine had a video up the other day with a young lookin Nas on stage with Biggie, as introduced by Movin' on Yo Left, Mr. Mef. That video was cool and all, but it's still not my favorite Biggie Internet moment. That would be this one. It's crazy how he sounds exactly the same, but looks like such a kid.

And while we're talking about sidewalk freestyles,

et en français

Shitkickin'est Song Ever

"That Smell" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Bird Flu

I'm not really feeling this new M.I.A. track. The beat is disjounted and minimal, and she's definitely switched her flow up. She's gone from her style on Arular to sounding more like a cheerleader; albeit a really indie, exotic cheerleader, but I'm just still not with it. We'll see how I change my tune when the album drops.

I don't have an mp3, but catch the video below.

Indie Tits

So my brother sent me to this webcomic, Questionable Content, the other day. Since then it's been eating up any time I spend at the computer. I mean, it's not even that it's wildly hilarious, it just never has any breaks in the storyline, and I can't pull myself away. So anyway, perusing the site brought me to another gem of a webcomic, indietits. It's all about birds who make music references (obscure and otherwise) and crack stupid jokes.


I mean, I like Steve Miller, and i still think it's hilarious.

Emotion Chip

I came across this band tonight, by way of Said the Gramophone, called Crystal Castles.

The track Gramophone posted, "Alice Practice" was a pretty sweet display of robot angst. Lord knows I'm always down for some angst, robotic or otherwise. I checked out their myspace though and I'm really digging the less angsty stuff too. There's a Klaxon's remix that digs such a solid groove I just listened to it twice in a row (plus it ditches the bassline that the klaxons nicked from fugazi). There's a really cool 8 bit track that really pounds your face too, and there's one spacey track with vocals that kinda remind me of "It's Coming Up" by Gorillaz. So now, in that respective order, here they are.

"Atlantis to Interzone" by Klaxons (Crystal Castles Remix)

"xxzxczx me" by Crystal Castles

"She Fell Out" by Crystal Castles

They're on tour overseas with Klaxons right now. I like them better than Klaxons though.

Dammit, Comedy Central

So since Scrubs starting airing on Comedy Central, I've been watching it a lot. This morning was no different. It was a favorite episode of mine, one I've seen on DVD a bunch of times, so I'm pretty familiar with it. So, about ten minutes into the episode I realize that little bits have been edited out. Not just like a few little bits but a LOT of them. Really funny parts and key serious parts too, it totally took away from the episode.

No Vagina Transplants for Comedy Central

What the fuck, Comedy Central??? It's not like a movie where you have to edit it down for time, it was already filmed to fit a 30 minute time slot. Fucking greedy bastards making extra time for commercial slots. I was so mad.

The one redeeming thing about the whole experience was that the buzzcocks montage wasn't edited out. And I'm not talking about a Shrek2-style buzzcocks montage, this montage had Pete Shelley wailing away. Plus lots of making out.

"Ever Fallen in Love?" by the Buzzcocks

No, Not at all!

So I was listening to Conservative Talk Radio on the way home from work tonight (it helps me get riled up at the world.) and I caught a little bit of the Laura Ingraham show. Apparently one of her sound bites has a clip of "Train in Vain" tacked on to the end of it. Joe Strummer is rolling in his grave right now.

"Train in Vain" by the Clash

Cigarbox Fun Fact!
The Black Hammer and I were stopped by the police for drinking in public right across the street from that mural about a year ago. Luckily, no charge for underage drinking.