Dizzee Rascal - "Bonkers"

I really enjoy this tune. It's a long way from his early classic tracks, but its an interesting listen all the way. Also, Dizzee's likeability makes this video alot of fun.

made in america

So Don't Stop Believing by Journey is now one of my favorite songs. This will probably only last for a few more days, but when a song like that is tied to one of the most monumental things to happen in my life up to this point (yes, i realize how sad that this was a moment in tv, but it was the Sopranos, nuff said), it has to have some special meaning. I could discuss my feelings on the Sopranos finale here, but it's easier to just say that I loved it. After 3 straight weeks (and more this season) of some of the best episodes of any television show ever, creator David Chase downplayed the importance of the last one just like I expected him to. Anyone that wanted Tony to die or go to jail or have something major happen to him wasn't watching the same show for the past 8 years. That's not how he plays things. To say that this show was a big deal to me is probably an understatement.

BTW, after initially being adamant against the idea, I am starting to become swayed towards the idea that Tony was, in fact, killed in that final scene. The fact that we have no answer is the genious of the whole thing.

I haven't written on this blog in months. Once I was out of the habit it was hard to come back to it. I also hadn't been listening to much that really excited me for a while. Recently that has changed.

How had I never listened to Jeff Buckley's album Grace before a week ago? It's among the most beautiful things I have ever heard. Buckley's voice is the best rock has to offer.

Lover, You Should've Come Over - Jeff Buckley

Mojo Pin - Jeff Buckley





Uffie finally made a good song. Fuck that, Uffie finally made something that can even be considered a song. It's really really good, too. Give it a few listens. She's also freaking adorable.

First Love - Uffie



Got the new Dizzee Rascal too. Havn't absorbed it completely yet, but so far it's full of grimetastic bangers. The song "Suck My Dick" sucks though.

Sirens - Dizzee



I'm not going to post any songs, but I also finally listened to the new Clipse album. I didn't expect much, but it's really great.

I know it's a little ridiculous now, but me and Green Hornet had discussed posting a favorites of 2006 back in January. We had decided I would do it, and I never did. But he says I should still do it. So here is a tiny version of out FAVORITE SONGS OF 2006:

1.Two Can Win - J Dilla
2.Another Sunny Day - Belle and Suckbastian
3.Silent Shout - The Knife
4.If Looks Could Kill - Camera Obscura
5.Underwater - Ghostface



As of right now, I still don't have cable in my apartment (it's been about 2 months now), and my internet is spotty. I feel pretty out of touch with the world. I think I'm digging it though. Hopefully I'm back for good. No promises.

until that day, accept this as a gift

I got the Godfather game for Wii, so I've barely even sat at my computer in the past two weeks. This game may in fact be the death of my real life social life and my internet career.

"Godfather Theme" by the Professionals (thankyou Soul Sides)

I've listened to this new Dizzee track like 3 times in the last ten minutes and I have no idea how I feel about it. Sampling "It Takes Two" is always a good thing, I guess. It's mad weird that he keeps saying pussyhole though. I don't know if that's a British thing or what, but that word just makes me uncomfortable. I'm good with pussy, it's just that addition of "hole".

"Pussyhole" by Dizzee Rascal

New Ted Leo is pretty cool too. At first I thought it was another Jimmy Cliff cover, but nope, it's an original. I really enjoy the way Ted Leo does reggae.

"The Unwanted Things" by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

Mixtape Murdaaa

So I put together a playlist to burn for driving in my car a while back, a mix if you will. I really enjoy listening to it on rainy days, but maybe someone else will like it for a beautiful day like today. Some of these songs have been up on Cigarbox before, but today it's not really about the individual song as much as it's about the set of songs as a whole. Anyways, without any further adieu, I present to you

Cigarbox Guitars Volume 1: El Producto

1. "Imagine" by Dizzee Rascal
Man, I like this song so much more than the John Lennon song of the same name. The production is just beatiful. Absolutely beautiful. The postal service needs to listen to this song and take notes.

2. "Rain Edit Interlude" by Prefuse 73
So maybe this song is why I like listening to this mix so much in the rain. The first time I played the "Surrounded by Silence" album in my house, my dad kept complaining that my record player had to be skipping, it couldn't sound like this on purpose. YOU JUST DON'T GET IT, MAAAAAN.

3. "Once Upon a Time There Was an Ocean" by Paul Simon
One of my firsts posts on Cigarbox was about how awesome the most recent Paul Simon is. I really feel like Paul Simon just doesn't get enough credit anymore for being an awesome musician. The guy has made music that goes in so many different directions, from this album with Brian Eno to his early American Folk sound to the African Folk sound on Graceland. The way he sings, "nothing is different, but everything has changed," at the end of this song is absolutely heartbreaking.

4. "I and I Survive" by Burning Spear
This is one I picked up off of Soul Sides. As guest blogger Joe Schloss explained, this song is a great example of musicians using the absence of sound to create a musical soundscape. Fucking cool song.

5. "Talkin' Bout Hey Love" by De La Soul
This might be my favorite De La Soul song of all time, off of what's definitely my favorite album, De La Soul is Dead. Does this even count as a song, or is it technically a skit? I'm not sure. Either way, the Stevie Wonder melody is just wonderful.

6. "Analyse" by Thom Yorke
Thom's solo effort was a bit of a letdown to me. That's not to say I don't like the songs individually, I do, but as a whole the album just wasn't as captivating as I expected. That being said however, I like the piano on this song a lot.

7. "One For The Head" by M.I.A.
This beat reminds me so much of this little casio keyboard I had when I was younger. I really wish I could find that little keyboard.

8. "Arc of Time" by Bright Eyes
I've said it before and I'll said it again, Conor Oberst is a master beatsmith.

9. "(This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan" by Dntel
Yet another song that the Postal Service should listen to and take some notes on. According to Wikipedia, Ben Gibbard had a weird dream involving Evan Dando and Cat Power (Chan Marshall) and this song was born. It also has a video you can watch here, but I don't think the group had anything to do with the video.

10. "Hollow Bones" by the Wu-Tang Clan
I was in Florida with my family years back and I bought a magazine to read, just because it had the Wu on the cover, raising the Iron Flag. It came with a CD sampler and this was the Wu song they chose to be on it. Ghost's finish to the song makes me wish he rapped like that more often these days.

11. "Mysterons" by Portishead
I love Portishead. The second time I saw the Strokes, they played this whole album before Kings of Leon went on. Once I heard the drum on this song, I basically fell in love with it. I went out and bought the album, I think the next day.

12. "This Room" Remix by the Notwist
For a while, I was only familiar with the Notwist's Neon Golden. I heard some of their older stuff, from when they were more on the thrash side of things and I wasn't really interested, so I never really delved deeper than the one album. Then I heard this song and it definitely has a very different sound from Neon Golden, but I really love it.

13. "Just the Thought" feat. Masta Killa and the Gza by Prefuse 73
Another great one from Surrounded by Silence. The effects used after the gun and sword references are so clutch.

14. "Artificial Intelligence" by Autechre
This is pretty much just simple digital music, but I rock reeeally hard to it when I'm all by myself.

15. "Stand Up Tall" Ghislain Poirier Remix by Dizzee Rascal
When I made this mix the first time, I had the McSleazy remix of this song on it. This version is just so much better though. My life won't be complete until I hear this song while I'm out on the dancefloor. This song makes me shake my moneymaker.

16. "Afterclap" by 13&God
13&God are a Notwist offshoot that I honestly don't know a whole lot about. I do know though, that the spoken parts, "Big Money! Big Prizes!" remind me of Requiem For a Dream and I like that a lot.

17. "Battle" by Wookie
Man, this song is cheesy as hell. It's all about fighting temptation and negativity and shit like that by relying on your faith. I dunno, on paper I should hate this song, but it makes me dance. I like the keyboards a lot, even though they're pretty quiet in the mix.

18. "Milkman" by Aphex Twin
The lyrics to this song are so awesome. This song always reminds me of KMFDM, even though it's not thaaat similar.

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