Too tired for stories. Let's just get on with it. (Back in the day when i started this, i was unemployed with no prospects. I created this blog -- and the others -- as a forum to continue reading and writing and push myself creatively instead of sitting on the couch all day. I picked Monday MORNING Shuffle because it had a nice ring to it and because i needed a reason to get out of bed before noon. Now that i'm gainfully employed and i'm waking up early anyway, Morning is a regrettable choice. However, I will push on.)
1. We Know - Talib Kweli, off of The Beautiful Struggle
When this CD first came out, i listened to it a lot. And then i just quit. Not sure why. But this weekend, after spending about 12 hours in the car driving to LA and back, i listened to it straight through. Actually i pretty much listened to every Kweli song i had on there and i gotta say i think i'm getting back into him in a big way. There was a lot of stuff that i missed the first times through. Don't you love that?
Anyway, this song is a slow one but beautiful in both its sound and subject matter. It is also dated in some of its rhymes, which is kinda hilarious just because things have changed so much since then. Kweli says something like, "We can cruise like Tom and Penelope." and until i heard that, i totally forgot that relationship ever existed. Hilarious.
2. The Late Greats - Wilco, A Ghost is Born Again
Wilco is another one of those bands, like The Decemberists, that i find myself loving and hating depending on the mood i'm in. This song i particularly love. Not sure exactly why, the music just strikes me as compelling and the melody is catchy. Some of their stuff is slow and boring and experimental and noise for the sake of noise and the vocals aren't good enough and the lyrics not interesting enough to make me continue listening. This song is the opposite of that.
3. Don't Ask Me - OK Go
Has a band ever received more fans from a youtube video ever? Because i never listened to them much before this video and now i'm constantly keeping my eyes open for them. Good for them and hurrah for technological liberation.
This thing has over 4 million views...
4. Wonderful Day - O.A.R., off of Stories of a Stranger
This CD is one of the best road trip albums ever (in fact, i'm kind of angry with myself for not listening to it over the weekend.) It's happy, it's poppy, the sing-a-long factor is through the roof. This is a CD that will keep you awake on 1 hour of sleep (especially when added to Red Bull and sunflower seeds.). I don't even care if this isn't your type of music. If you're a music fan, then you like beats and melodies that compel you to move and sing. You can't argue with me about this. If you don't have this CD, or are too emo to think that you'll like happy music, then you've completely missing out.
5. Papa Loved Mama - Garth Brooks, off of Ropin' The Wind
This is interesting twist to the shuffle...Garth is absolutely the only country i will allow on my iTunes (only mainstream country that is...Pat Green, Robert Earl Keen and other "texas" country artists are allowed.)
I have to give Garth (and country music) a little credit in this one rite, it is the only genre of music that will sing about a truck driver husband driving his rig into a hotel room, thereby killing his cheating wife and presumably her lover, and make it sound like a great song to sing along to, dance to and cheer for at a live concert. It's absolutely hysterical.
My favorite Garth moments in life, and believe me these happened a lot, were when i'd get home from work in college and Danny Bogen, my roommate at the time, would already have a big drink poured for me, a few shots lined up, the Playstation tuned up to NHL Hitz and Garth blaring on the stereo. I can't tell you how many times we'd be signing and hooting and hollering and generally howling at the moon in our living room until the wee hours of the morning as we got piss drunk and laughed our asses off singing Friends in Low Places. I tell you what, it may seem stupid to you, but those nights were some of my favorites ever. Ever.
Alright, thanks for reading. Have a good week.
Showing posts with label Talib Kweli. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Talib Kweli. Show all posts
Monday, June 11, 2007
Friday, June 08, 2007
This is Why i Hate, This Is Why, This is Why, This is Why, This is Why I Hate
Not that long ago, i wrote a few thousand word defense of rap and hip-hop (which received one comment. Seriously, what the fuck?!?). Today, i came across this Village Voice "breakdown" of This Is Why I'm Hot which just made me laugh. It's top notch, tongue in cheek and absolutely the reason that i hate this song, and others like it.
Also, check out Kweli's take on this song. Pretty quality.
Also, check out Kweli's take on this song. Pretty quality.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Monday Morning Shuffle
Sorry about last week. I was in Vegas all week and had more internet connection on my phone than through my computer and as much as i love the shuffle, i wasn't hammering that thing out on my phone.
So, after a small break, here we go:
1. Military Madness -Stephen Stills Graham Nash, off of Crosby, Stills and Nash Box Set
After seeing the list of protest songs discussed by Kevo and Nole not too long ago, i mentally made my own list. Since they did such a good job, i really didn't feel the need to include my own. (although this is what a quick, off-the-top-of-my-head list have looked like:
1. Public Enemy - Fight the Power
2. Crosby, Stills and Nash - Ohio
3. Bruce Springsteen - Maggie's Farm
4. Fortunate Son - Credence Clearwater Revival
5. Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name)
But this is a great song by Stephen Stills and it feels pretty autobiographical. He sings about military madness killing his country, his dad fighting in the war, moving to Europe to escape it, etc. C, S, N and Y (as in Young, Neil) sang often of the issues of their times including racial issues and war. They were highly controversial at the time but obviously accepted by those in the antiwar movement and now regarded as one of the best bands of their time. (Dixie Chicks anyone?)
The more things change, the more they really stay the same i guess.
2. Who Rocks the House - Jurassic 5
Courtney recently suggested that after getting into De La Soul that she had less respect for what J5 has done over the last 10 years. I wonder if anyone feels this way? I won't take away from what J5 has done because they have never claimed to be this completely original sound and they've always done a great job of paying homage to their influences and predecessors in their songs. Anyone want to take a stab at this?
3. Get By - Talib Kweli, off of Quality
This may be my favorite Kweli song of all time. Just a popping beat, sweet vocals and really moving and inspiring lyrics. My favorite: "We go through episodes too, like Attack of the Clones"
My favorite memory of this song was when it came on in Chris Perry's garage one night in college while we were all playing beer pong. We're dancing, singing, yelling back and forth at each other about the game and, of course, drinking heavily and CP realized that the theme of this song is to "get by" a day without smoking, drinking, using some substance or behavior to artificially alter your reality, etc. Behold the hypocrisy of the suburban white youth right? Oh well.
4. Don't Tell and We Won't Ask - Thrice, off of Artist in The Ambulance
My favorite completely random line of this song: "If you're a smart kid, never work without your gloves. If you're a smart kid, you'll stay the hell away from love." I can just see them on the tour bus writing this...
Dustin: Ok, what rhymes with love....above? shove? Come on guys, help me. How about glove? Can we make that work? Will anyone notice? Do smart kids really work with gloves? Help me damnit!
Still, this was like a defining song of my Sophomore/Junior years of college. And this CD was just so good. And the liner notes were as cool as any CD this side of Tool. So that was good too.
5. Swollen Summer - The Bravery
This song came on my iPod the other day and i consciously remember wondering what i would write if it ever came on the shuffle...
I picked this CD up from the wonderful Suzanne, who let me raid her laptop at Virgo to the tune of about 650 songs. I had heard The Bravery on a video game and i got somewhat annoyed with it over the course of 15,000 listens but it still was one of the better tunes on the game. The CD is equally as poppy and sugary as the song from the video game but it is catchy and does have a decent ring to it. I'm not sure i could ever listen to the whole thing straight through but it's one of those songs that comes on during a shuffle session and i find myself nodding my head and saying, "Man, I should really listen to this whole CD sometime." And i never do. That speaks volumes about their sound and how much i'd like it, i feel.
Alright, back to work. I don't know if anyone uses Microsoft Outlook but it pops up these little task reminders for me and there are like 52 popping up right now. Yikes.
So, after a small break, here we go:
1. Military Madness -
After seeing the list of protest songs discussed by Kevo and Nole not too long ago, i mentally made my own list. Since they did such a good job, i really didn't feel the need to include my own. (although this is what a quick, off-the-top-of-my-head list have looked like:
1. Public Enemy - Fight the Power
2. Crosby, Stills and Nash - Ohio
3. Bruce Springsteen - Maggie's Farm
4. Fortunate Son - Credence Clearwater Revival
5. Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name)
But this is a great song by Stephen Stills and it feels pretty autobiographical. He sings about military madness killing his country, his dad fighting in the war, moving to Europe to escape it, etc. C, S, N and Y (as in Young, Neil) sang often of the issues of their times including racial issues and war. They were highly controversial at the time but obviously accepted by those in the antiwar movement and now regarded as one of the best bands of their time. (Dixie Chicks anyone?)
The more things change, the more they really stay the same i guess.
2. Who Rocks the House - Jurassic 5
Courtney recently suggested that after getting into De La Soul that she had less respect for what J5 has done over the last 10 years. I wonder if anyone feels this way? I won't take away from what J5 has done because they have never claimed to be this completely original sound and they've always done a great job of paying homage to their influences and predecessors in their songs. Anyone want to take a stab at this?
3. Get By - Talib Kweli, off of Quality
This may be my favorite Kweli song of all time. Just a popping beat, sweet vocals and really moving and inspiring lyrics. My favorite: "We go through episodes too, like Attack of the Clones"
My favorite memory of this song was when it came on in Chris Perry's garage one night in college while we were all playing beer pong. We're dancing, singing, yelling back and forth at each other about the game and, of course, drinking heavily and CP realized that the theme of this song is to "get by" a day without smoking, drinking, using some substance or behavior to artificially alter your reality, etc. Behold the hypocrisy of the suburban white youth right? Oh well.
4. Don't Tell and We Won't Ask - Thrice, off of Artist in The Ambulance
My favorite completely random line of this song: "If you're a smart kid, never work without your gloves. If you're a smart kid, you'll stay the hell away from love." I can just see them on the tour bus writing this...
Dustin: Ok, what rhymes with love....above? shove? Come on guys, help me. How about glove? Can we make that work? Will anyone notice? Do smart kids really work with gloves? Help me damnit!
Still, this was like a defining song of my Sophomore/Junior years of college. And this CD was just so good. And the liner notes were as cool as any CD this side of Tool. So that was good too.
5. Swollen Summer - The Bravery
This song came on my iPod the other day and i consciously remember wondering what i would write if it ever came on the shuffle...
I picked this CD up from the wonderful Suzanne, who let me raid her laptop at Virgo to the tune of about 650 songs. I had heard The Bravery on a video game and i got somewhat annoyed with it over the course of 15,000 listens but it still was one of the better tunes on the game. The CD is equally as poppy and sugary as the song from the video game but it is catchy and does have a decent ring to it. I'm not sure i could ever listen to the whole thing straight through but it's one of those songs that comes on during a shuffle session and i find myself nodding my head and saying, "Man, I should really listen to this whole CD sometime." And i never do. That speaks volumes about their sound and how much i'd like it, i feel.
Alright, back to work. I don't know if anyone uses Microsoft Outlook but it pops up these little task reminders for me and there are like 52 popping up right now. Yikes.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Monday Morning Shuffle
I'm up early (well, kinda) to get the Monday Morning Shuffle done in the Morning this time. I know i promised a concert review last Wednesday too but i got a little busy (socially) and never got to it. I'm still going to do it, probably have it up by this Wednesday instead. Additionally, i've taken all of your suggestions and made a list and i've been downloading them like a madman. As soon as i can organize them into CDs and listen to them, i'll give them their very own spots here. In a related technological tragedy, my iPod is now full, so whenever i get new music, i have to delete something old. This is obviously a painful process for me. So, like i said from the beginning, if you discover a band and would like to review them yourself, i'd love to have some guest posts up here. I appreciate the suggestions of course, but i'd love for this to be a chorus instead of a solo project. Just let me know in the comments who the band you're reviewing is and when you'll have it done and i'll get it posted for you.
Anyway, on to the shuffle.
1. Where you Gonna Run - Talib Kweli, off of Right About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CD
The iTunes is loving the underground hiphop lately. This is Kweli's most recent release and the official story is that these were tracks he recorded through his career but never released and he wanted to get them onto an album before the recording studio leaked them onto the internet for free. I really haven't had a chance to disect this album like i have the others but there are some superior tracks on this such as Where you Gonna Run, Ms. Hill (about Lauryn Hill) and Drugs Basketball & Rap. Additionally, for all you Phoenix people, Kweli is going to be performing at the Clubhouse (an excellent small venue for this type of show) on Dec. 2nd. I'd love to go but don't really know anyone else that would be interested. So, if you're at all interested, let me know in the comments. Drinks are on me.
2. Tao of Now - Saul Williams
I've always had this thought that of all the things that we try to make equal in this world, talent is the one thing we absolutely can't control. Some people are born with none, some people are born great at one thing and one thing only, and some people are born with heaps and heap of it and find skills in any avenue they persue. Saul Williams is the latter. He acts, he writes music, he writes books, he is one of the undisputed Slam Poetry champions in all of the world, he is one of the greatest political voices of our generation (think Ginsberg, DuBois, Robeson and Shakur wrapped into one) and most of you have probably never heard of him.
I first heard of Williams when a class i was in watched his movie Slam. It was about a guy arrested for selling small amounts of pot and put in jail next to the murderers and the rapists. He writes slam-style poetry in jail, pounds out beats on his bars and makes a few friends and avoids some ugly situations through his words. It kinds sounds hokey when i describe it that way, but it isn't and i highly suggest you rent the film. Anyway, i became a huge slam poetry fan after that and absorbed everything i could. Williams has 3 books or poems out, She, 'Said the Shotgun to the Head, and his most recent, The Dead Emcee Scrolls. He also has 2 solo cds out, Amethyst Rockstar and a self-titled album, both of which are fantastic. His music is mainly his poems set to beats but the productions and creativity is fantastic. This song, Tao of Now, is off of a compilation CD called Lyricist Lounge, and is probably one of my favorite poems and beats that he has.
I went to see him live in Boulder, CO when i lived there. The two opening hiphop groups got the house all wound up and excited and then Saul walked out onto this stage in this dark blue light. We didn't know if he was going to have a DJ or a band or if he was just going to read poems, but everyone was standing there, hot and sweaty from dancing, and Saul just said, "Everyone can take a seat because the only music i'll be playing is between the lines." He was carrying a tattered canvas messenger bag, wearing old Chuck Taylors like he was on his way to class or something, and he pulled out a journal from his bag, set the bag against the mic stand and just started to read various poems. In between he took questions from the audience and talked about where the world was headed and what we could all do to fix it. It was one of the most inspirational and moving nights of my existence.
If you haven't heard of Saul Williams, i highly, highly suggest you get into him. Whether it's the music, or the books, or the movie, or just looking him up on Wikipedia and reading some of his poems, you won't be sorry. He is one of the greatest artists of our short time here. I don't even hesitate to say it.
3. Mo Money, Mo Problems - Notorious BIG
Wow, talk about your all-time 180s. We go from one of the greatest poet activists of our time, to one of the people who was most resposible for turning rap into what it is today. Now don't get me wrong, this is a great song: a great beat, good rhymes, all the featuring artists you could ever want, but to mention Saul in the same shuffle with Biggy just doesn't seem right. I think the BIG man did some good things in his career, he had some songs that changed things, he said some things that got people thinking, he was absolutely one of the forefathers of rap music, he was influential to thousands of artists. Whether he made the right influences or not is up for you to decide. You can hear a little bit of biggy in every album out today, from the superb College Dropout album to the absurd Lil John albums. Just depends on which side you'd like to take.
4. Brand New Colony - The Postal Service, off of Give Up
I'm not going to lie to you. When i clicked next after Mo Money, Mo Problems it went back to Saul Williams then to a skit on Kanye's Late Registration, then to Common, then to this. And we've just had enough hiphop in the last 2 weeks so i had to skip forward and break the streak. I don't know what the shuffle on my iTunes is smoking, but it's probably Chronic.
I love this song from Ben Gibbard because it just sounds like the sounds from a really old video game, like PacMan or something. The Postal Service is great, i don't need to tell any of you this, let's move on.
5. As i Rise - The Decemberists, off of Her Majesty
There have been calls for The Decemberists for a long time so i'm glad they finally came up on the shuffle (Happy now Courtney???). I haven't had a chance to listen to this CD in it's entirety from front to back so i'll reserve passing too much judgement right now. But at first glance, i like this song. Despite it's only being 2:15 long, i think it has an interesting parlor song feel to it and i'm curious to hear how it fits into the mix of the rest of the CD.
Alright, i'll post something else this week, hopefully the concert review. If i don't catch you before Thursday everyone have a happy Turkey day and fall into a tryptophan induced coma on the couch listening to something good (or watching the Broncos win.).
Anyway, on to the shuffle.
1. Where you Gonna Run - Talib Kweli, off of Right About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CD
The iTunes is loving the underground hiphop lately. This is Kweli's most recent release and the official story is that these were tracks he recorded through his career but never released and he wanted to get them onto an album before the recording studio leaked them onto the internet for free. I really haven't had a chance to disect this album like i have the others but there are some superior tracks on this such as Where you Gonna Run, Ms. Hill (about Lauryn Hill) and Drugs Basketball & Rap. Additionally, for all you Phoenix people, Kweli is going to be performing at the Clubhouse (an excellent small venue for this type of show) on Dec. 2nd. I'd love to go but don't really know anyone else that would be interested. So, if you're at all interested, let me know in the comments. Drinks are on me.
2. Tao of Now - Saul Williams
I've always had this thought that of all the things that we try to make equal in this world, talent is the one thing we absolutely can't control. Some people are born with none, some people are born great at one thing and one thing only, and some people are born with heaps and heap of it and find skills in any avenue they persue. Saul Williams is the latter. He acts, he writes music, he writes books, he is one of the undisputed Slam Poetry champions in all of the world, he is one of the greatest political voices of our generation (think Ginsberg, DuBois, Robeson and Shakur wrapped into one) and most of you have probably never heard of him.
I first heard of Williams when a class i was in watched his movie Slam. It was about a guy arrested for selling small amounts of pot and put in jail next to the murderers and the rapists. He writes slam-style poetry in jail, pounds out beats on his bars and makes a few friends and avoids some ugly situations through his words. It kinds sounds hokey when i describe it that way, but it isn't and i highly suggest you rent the film. Anyway, i became a huge slam poetry fan after that and absorbed everything i could. Williams has 3 books or poems out, She, 'Said the Shotgun to the Head, and his most recent, The Dead Emcee Scrolls. He also has 2 solo cds out, Amethyst Rockstar and a self-titled album, both of which are fantastic. His music is mainly his poems set to beats but the productions and creativity is fantastic. This song, Tao of Now, is off of a compilation CD called Lyricist Lounge, and is probably one of my favorite poems and beats that he has.
I went to see him live in Boulder, CO when i lived there. The two opening hiphop groups got the house all wound up and excited and then Saul walked out onto this stage in this dark blue light. We didn't know if he was going to have a DJ or a band or if he was just going to read poems, but everyone was standing there, hot and sweaty from dancing, and Saul just said, "Everyone can take a seat because the only music i'll be playing is between the lines." He was carrying a tattered canvas messenger bag, wearing old Chuck Taylors like he was on his way to class or something, and he pulled out a journal from his bag, set the bag against the mic stand and just started to read various poems. In between he took questions from the audience and talked about where the world was headed and what we could all do to fix it. It was one of the most inspirational and moving nights of my existence.
If you haven't heard of Saul Williams, i highly, highly suggest you get into him. Whether it's the music, or the books, or the movie, or just looking him up on Wikipedia and reading some of his poems, you won't be sorry. He is one of the greatest artists of our short time here. I don't even hesitate to say it.
3. Mo Money, Mo Problems - Notorious BIG
Wow, talk about your all-time 180s. We go from one of the greatest poet activists of our time, to one of the people who was most resposible for turning rap into what it is today. Now don't get me wrong, this is a great song: a great beat, good rhymes, all the featuring artists you could ever want, but to mention Saul in the same shuffle with Biggy just doesn't seem right. I think the BIG man did some good things in his career, he had some songs that changed things, he said some things that got people thinking, he was absolutely one of the forefathers of rap music, he was influential to thousands of artists. Whether he made the right influences or not is up for you to decide. You can hear a little bit of biggy in every album out today, from the superb College Dropout album to the absurd Lil John albums. Just depends on which side you'd like to take.
4. Brand New Colony - The Postal Service, off of Give Up
I'm not going to lie to you. When i clicked next after Mo Money, Mo Problems it went back to Saul Williams then to a skit on Kanye's Late Registration, then to Common, then to this. And we've just had enough hiphop in the last 2 weeks so i had to skip forward and break the streak. I don't know what the shuffle on my iTunes is smoking, but it's probably Chronic.
I love this song from Ben Gibbard because it just sounds like the sounds from a really old video game, like PacMan or something. The Postal Service is great, i don't need to tell any of you this, let's move on.
5. As i Rise - The Decemberists, off of Her Majesty
There have been calls for The Decemberists for a long time so i'm glad they finally came up on the shuffle (Happy now Courtney???). I haven't had a chance to listen to this CD in it's entirety from front to back so i'll reserve passing too much judgement right now. But at first glance, i like this song. Despite it's only being 2:15 long, i think it has an interesting parlor song feel to it and i'm curious to hear how it fits into the mix of the rest of the CD.
Alright, i'll post something else this week, hopefully the concert review. If i don't catch you before Thursday everyone have a happy Turkey day and fall into a tryptophan induced coma on the couch listening to something good (or watching the Broncos win.).
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