Told You So...

Home Run

2010-09-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

There are several promising young Japanese internationals playing in European leagues this year, one of them being 21-year old Shinji Kagawa. He has been impressing in his first term with Borussia Dortmund and this morning, he had another fine run out. Not only did he score two goals in the Bundesliga's biggest derby, Dortmund v. Schalke 04, but he pulled a "Babe Ruth" by predicting the brace. Sure, he said his two would be the only goals in the match but how many professional athletes say they're going to put up certain stats and actually do just that? (And at one point is was actually 2-0 on the count of his goals.) The score ended up being 3-1 as Schalke got played off the pitch. There lone goal came late in the game due to some lazy Dortmund defending, but other than that, Schalke got dominated.

Schalke 04 have their own young Japanese player as well, 22-year old Atusto Uchida. It would have been nice to see Kagawa go head-to-head against his Japan teammate but Uchida was out with a broken toe. He's had a decent start to the season as well but maybe not as strong as Kagawa's. While it would have been fun to watch them play against each other, I doubt Uchida would have helped Schalke much as he is more of an attacking defender than a ball-stopper.

One final thing about Kagawa: I can't help but think he could have made a difference in South Africa. Not only do I think he should have been there but I think he should have started in a second-striker's role. How could manager Takeshi Okada leave a player like him at home? Don't get me wrong, Okada did a great job at the World Cup (much better than I expected) and Japan did extremely well. But they were missing the offensive creativity to complement their hard work and defensive discipline. And when Japan went out on penalties after drawing 0-0 with Paraguay, it's hard not feeling like Shinji could have done something...

Anyway, It's good to see Kagawa, Uchida and other Japanese players like CSKA Moscow's Keisuke Honda and Cesena's Yuto Nagatomo succeed in Europe, so let's hope their good seasons continue... And along the same lines, I hope to see other Japanese footballers in Europe, like Wolfsburg's Makoto Hasebe, Catania's Takayuki Morimoto, and Leicester City's Yuki Abe get more playing time.

Now I'm Just Big, Ya Dig?

2010-08-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

More Big Boi, this time with Vonnegutt on Letterman. A couple notes...

- First off, the hat. Pitchfork liked it and I have to admit, it's pretty awesome. Because of André 3000's eccentricities, people seem to forget that Big Boi is pretty wild in his own right... Also, that DF chain is dope, probably about as classy as bling gets.

- The rapper in Vonnegutt looks like Lance Bass or some other blonde dude. The other guy looks like every other frontman in the past few years. In doing some research, I discovered that Vonnegutt worked on some Purple Ribbon and Dungeon Family stuff, so they've been with Big for a while now. That's pretty cool but it's a little odd because they seem kind of run-of-the-mill. I downloaded a free EP of theirs so I'll see if they show more of their stuff on their own material than they did on the comps and features I've heard.

Up And Down, Round And Round, Super Mario!!!

2010-08-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

This reminds me of when I used to play Katamari and I'd get urges to run over things so they would stick to my car... Hopefully, cyclists don't start throwing turtle shells at each other.

Side note: Talk about a non-news story! I mean it's really cool and all, but is there nothing else going on in Portland? I guess the local news is weird everywhere...

Power

2010-08-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

So there's been a lot of hype leading up to the unveiling of Kanye West's video painting for "Power". It started with his mountain-top performance at the BET Awards show (which was pretty awesome actually), and continued with his SingFest 2010 performance and yesterday's "Power" BTS clip. It seems like everything Kanye does is an event these days.

Put On

2010-08-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

Japanese youngster Rio Miyaichi, currently on trial at Arsenal, just turned out an impressive performance as The Gunners beat Boreham Wood, 3-0. Apparently, he has an upcoming trial at Ajax and is now attracting attention from other big clubs, as well. I don't know much about this kid but I would love to see a Japanese international suit up and succeed at Arsenal. Who's to say that he'll be able to break through and excel in Europe (or in Japan, for that matter) but I say if the potential is there, sign him, Wenger!

This video is the only thing I've seen of Miyaichi. Even though he's probably playing against weak competition, he looks good on the ball and appears more than willing to take on defenders down the wings and through the middle. His running style, speed and dribbling skills remind me a bit of C. Ronaldo. I'd be more than happy if his finishing matches Ronaldo's as well, but let's hope that the comparisons end there. We could do without him taking on Ronaldo's divier, whinier characteristics and his tendency to not show up for big games.

Forget Teasin'

2010-07-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Mayer Hawthorne's "Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'"

There's nothing thaaat special about this but single shot videos are still cool. And so are cute ladies in retro-ish bathing suits. The lead dancer is a hottie.

Yeah Ya Know

2010-07-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

T.I.'s "Yeah Ya Know" is going to be released on the Takers Soundtrack, as well as his forthcoming album, King Uncaged. Judging by the video and the cast, I'm not expecting a whole lot out of the movie, but I am really looking forward to the album. I don't see anyone topping Big Boi's latest for best of the year in hip hop, but I'm hoping T.I. (and possibly Kanye and KiD CuDi) give it a run for its money.

Mad World

2010-07-12T18:09:00.000-07:00

Good news: Season Four of Mad Men is almost here.

Bad news: I have less time than I thought to rewatch Season Three.

From Sepinwall at Hitfix.

West Savannah Man

2010-06-19T08:31:00.000-07:00

Yikes, Big Boi's "General Patton" is so, so ill. Damn, this boy can rap. Hard.

And in related good news, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty finally has a release date. July 6th! July 6th!

Come Original

2010-06-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

Adidas Originals teamed up with a bunch of celebrities to remake the cantina scene from Star Wars, as a World Cup viewing party. I think they should take it one step further and just re-film the entire Star Wars series with Snoop Dogg in place of whiney Luke Skywalker. That would be awesome.

Georgia

2010-06-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

Cee-Lo Green's "Georgia" is on point. Gnarls Barkley was great and all, but Lo is the man regardless.

Whoa!

2010-06-02T14:46:00.000-07:00

Only a day after I noticed a crack in my iPhone screen, I came upon this bit of rubbish. What the hell AT&T? Thankfully, I can supposedly carry over my old plan when I get a new iPhone, which is awesome because I'm going to need one...

I Never Let You Down

2010-05-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

T.I.'s F*ck A Mixtape is out now. It's his first release since he got home and some of it is pretty damn good. Download it.

I'm Purty Clever

2010-05-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

In high school, I loved Mo Thugs' "Ghetto Cowboy". I wouldn't say it's aged particularly well, but it's still pretty great. It's just so corny, it's good. The video takes the ghetto cowboy theme and runs with it, but what's most amazing is the censorship in this version. It cuts out "shoot", "barrel of fire", "robbin'" and "life", which by my estimation, makes it the cleanest clean edit in the history of song.

Two Times, Two Times

2010-05-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

With the World Cup just around the corner, it's international friendlies week in world football. Yesterday and today, I watched the US fringe players put in a lackluster performance against the Czech, and caught bits and pieces of France v. Costa Rica. One game I wish I would have watched because of its Arsenal ties, was The Netherlands taking on Mexico. The Dutch won 2-1, behind Robin van Persie's brace. Man U's latest addition nabbed the lone Mexican goal.

Check out RvP's two goals. He had some decent deliveries to set up both shots, but the second one is truly a thing of beauty. It's nice to see him settling in after coming back from his long-term injury. I know it's a big "if", but if Robin van Persie could just stay healthy for a full season, I really believe he could be considered a top, top class player, right alongside the Messis, Ronaldos and Rooneys of the world. I know that's a bold statement but the man is as gifted as he is injury-prone.

Tip On In

2010-05-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

Janelle Monáe's "Tightrope", featuring Big Boi, has to be one of my favorite songs of 2010. Both artists bring their A-games here, rolling out their lyrics over a spastic, horn-and-handclap-driven beat to perfect effect. I'd even venture to say that Monáe outshines Leftfoot with her last verse. It's crazy. And the video doesn't disappoint either. It's fun and weird, and there's just something cool and hypnotic about a bunch of people in tuxes strutting and gliding.

I first heard Janelle Monáe on Big Boi's Got Purp? Vol. 2, and again on OutKast's Idlewild, where she played the typical female R&B singer role, belting out hooks and background vocals in slightly impressive but generic fashion. It's nice to see that since then, she's come into her wild and genre-bending own. She's creative and refreshing and unafraid of carving out her own path. Her Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) EP was bizarre and ambitious, introducing her audience to a world of androids, Afrofuturism and energy, but most importantly it sounded good. While I haven't fully delved into her follow-up effort, The ArchAndroid (Suites II And III)-- I'm ten tracks in and it's pretty damn solid-- it has been getting great reviews (currently sitting pretty with a 90/100 on Metacritic). I don't expect her to shatter any album sales records or anything like that, but I do hope she sees some commercial success so she can continue doing what's she's doing.

World Of Entertainment

2010-05-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

Because everyone and their mothers (myself included) are going nuts over the new Nike ad, I decided to post the behind-the-scenes clip instead of the actual commercial. It's not overly interesting or insightful but it's worth a quick watch. I had no idea the ad was directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu of Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel fame. That's kind of awesome.

The End

2010-05-19T23:12:00.000-07:00

Now that David Villa has signed for Barcelona, everyone's attention is Cesc Fabregas and his possible move back home. I know my favorite player is destined to play for Barca again one day, but I am just hoping to put that day off for as long as possible. Before the end of this season, I thought that day was at least two, maybe three years away. Now, it seems like that day could be tomorrow.

If Cesc leaves Arsenal just when he is entering his prime, it would kill Arsenal's chances of winning a trophy next season, and it would kill me. Cesc is Arsenal, and for him to leave now... I just don't know... What I do know is that if Cesc moves before the World Cup, which I am currently greatly anticipating, it could ruin the tournament for me. Don't get me wrong, I'd still watch Fabregas and support him for both country and club-- Barcelona is actually one of my favorite teams-- but there's just no replacing him at Arsenal, no matter how they spend his transfer money. He's one of, if not the best young midfielders in the world and for him to leave the team and manager that made him into the player he is today, that would say a lot about the current state of the Gunners. Ugh, I don't want to think about it...

And not to entirely gloss over the David Villa signing, it is a great move for Barca. Villa is a perfect fit for them, and with the support of Iniesta, Xavi, and Messi, a huge upgrade over his supporting cast at Valencia, I'm guessing he'll win the Pichichi next season. Villa might be my second favorite player behind Cesc, so it hurts me to see him leave Los Che but I knew it was coming. I think I even posted about it last year, wondering whether or not I would even follow Valencia after the Davids leave. (David Silva, another favorite, is still being linked with a move to Juventus and Real Madrid. If those rumors carry any weight, I hope he goes to Juve.) So yeah, we'll see how things go in La Liga next season. Barca is a team I enjoy watching and I never had love for Valencia so much as I liked their two best players, so I'm guessing my Spanish allegiance will swing-- just don't call me a front-runner.

This isn't a great compilation, but watch David Villa do his thing:

I'll Be Home Tonight

2010-05-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

Excellent new song and video from Kweli & Hi-Tek, with some help from Estelle. While I like a lot of Kweli's music, I think he's a little predictable and over-rated. He's just really hit or miss for me, so it's no surprise that here I think Tek's beat and Estelle's contributions easily outmatch Kweli's verses. Still good though.

From James.

High Speed

2010-05-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

Adidas' latest promo is only partially World Cup-related, centering around the release of their newest boot in the F50 series. This commercial features three of my favorite players: Messi (the best player in the world), David Villa (my favorite striker in the world) and Zidane (arguably the best player of his generation, head-butts and all), but there's another ad that focuses our attention solely on the boot, which is just as good. While neither of these commercials quite capture the spirit of the Puma campaign, they are pretty impressive from a special effects standpoint. And if these commercials are a bit of a letdown for you, it's hard to knock Adidas when they unveiled the adizero speed boots with matching Formula 1 race cars.

I'm Going On

2010-05-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

I'm getting amped about the World Cup and in a way, I'm actually pretty excited about all the soccer commercials, too. Nike and Adidas usually roll out impressive ad campaigns and this year Puma seems to be stepping it up as well. Sponsoring several African nations and players, Puma put out this commercial which uses Gnarls Barkley's "Going On" to capture all the joy and hype of the South Africa-hosted tournament.

And as one of the hundreds of Arsenal fans who came around on Eboué this year, I figured I'd post his Puma advert, too.

Space To Share

2010-05-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

Time Keeps On Slipping

2010-04-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

This watch by Devon Works is incredible. It's oddly attractive, extremely high-tech, and it has real gadget-like appeal. While I'm far, far, far from a high-end watch consumer-- and even if I were in the market for an expensive timepiece, I'd probably choose something more classic-- I can definitely see the appeal. The technology is cool, but what's even more impressive is the creativity and willingness to think differently displayed by the folks at DW. Read about it at Hodinkee and check out the Devon Works site, too.

Take Me Home

2010-04-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

This fantastic song is LCD Soundsystem's "All I Want" from the upcoming album, This Is Happening. Here, as with "All My Friends", James Murphy shows that he is a master at capturing a feeling in 7 minutes of soaring pop magnificence.

Boi Stop!

2010-04-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

Wow, Big Boi's "Shutterbugg" is fire! When, oh when, will this damn album see the light of day?!?!?!?!? I'd call all these delays the "OutKast curse" but it seems to happen to every rap album that I look forward to hearing.

Also, Pitchfork mentions an interesting piece of info about the vocoder and talkbox in their review of the song.

City By The Bay

2010-04-07T09:16:00.000-07:00

I've come to really enjoy Mayer Hawthorne despite how he reveals his vocal deficiencies at times (all jokes aside his music, with the exception of a couple songs, is really good). Here, he teamed up with Huf and Freegums to release some goodies in honor of the final night of his U.S. tour, which happens to be next Thursday in SF. Ignoring the music for sec, I noticed that in this video, Keith Hufnagel of Huf (the guy in gray) might be wearing his yet-to-be released new shoe. It only caught my eye because after having lost track (and interest) of the sneaker scene and shoe culture, I randomly checked in on a couple blogs recently to find a pretty clean-looking shoe about to be released by Huf. I've been meaning to get a pair of nice, classy gray sneakers and I think these fit the bill.

Would You Share Yo' Dollar With Me?

2010-04-06T23:59:00.000-07:00

I like the video for Aloe Blacc's "I Need A Dollar" but I think I prefer the How To Make It In America intro credits, which provide a hopeful, uplifting feeling to contrast the stark lyrics.

Fly-er Than The Rest Of 'Em

2010-04-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

The Sartorialist has been posting old photos from other people as a part of his Vintage Photo Contest. I thought I would repost this picture and the accompanying text because the man looks bad-ass and it reminds me of some old photos I have seen of my grandparents. Not that my grandfather wore anything as adventurous as those boots but he was usually looking pretty sharp. It seems like people just had a way a dressing back in the day, which makes me wonder how futures generations may view the way we dress now...

The date is January 3, 1954. Pictured in the center is my grandfather Yukio (known to me as Ji-chan, Japanese for Grandpa). My dad (pictured on left) is 9 here, his brother a couple years older. The three of them are getting ready to leave Japan for the first time and emigrate to California. My Japanese-American grandmother (born/raised in Calif.) had earlier left her family in Japan in order to find a job, a place to live, and get settled here. Then she sent over for her husband and kids to come and join her in the States.

This photo of Ji-chan reminds me of a Japanese Indiana Jones with the leather jacket and fedora, ready to go on an adventure in a far-off land. He always looked sharp when he went out.

Ji-chan was always a bit of a mystery to me as there was a language barrier (he spoke only Japanese) and he was a quiet man. But I really loved him. He would sneak behind my grandmother's back and smoke cigarettes in the garage or in the car. I'd always laugh at him becuase it was so obvious. He would awe me with his yo-yo tricks. When I was little I'd hold his hands and he would let me step on his toes while he'd walk around the house. And he was a highly regarded gardener in the Japanese community and won awards for his amazing bonsai plants. He was in his backyard garden, sitting at a chair next to a little table tending to one of his mini-tress when he passed away when I was 14. When my grandmother discovered him she thought that he was simply taking a nap because he looked so peaceful.

Super Duper Scott

2010-03-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

The trailer for Scott Pilgrim vs. The World looks good. I was wondering how they were going to incorporate the comic-y aspects of the fight scenes and they seemed to nail it. I am looking forward to this, and to the 6th book as well.

Well Alright

2010-03-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

Like most fans of indie music and indie films, guys and girls alike, I have an innocent crush on Zooey Deschanel. I like most of the movies she's been in, and I find her clear, almost-smokey voice is perfect for M. Ward's pop-folk tunes (and it sounds especially great when fronting Ward's raspy backing vocals). Here she is doing a little song-and-dance number for She & Him's "In The Sun", which reminds me, I still need to pick up the new album.

Shake It Like A...

2010-03-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

I'm probably late on this but I just discovered Poladroid. It doesn't quite capture all the character and appeal of the real thing but it's a fun little program that can add an "artsy" touch to your jpegs. It's not a replacement by any means but it'll have to do until I get a Polaroid or an Instax. Download it for free!

Shoot To Thrill

2010-03-18T23:01:00.000-07:00

Iron Man 2 looks good in the same way that first movie was good.

Playground Love

2010-03-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

"America, you know I'm crazy. I can't help it. Hee-ahahahahaa!!!"

Wodie!

2010-03-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

The new-ish trailer for "Treme", David Simon's latest endeavor, looks good. I admit to knowing nothing about this show and I'll probably keep it that way until it premieres in April.

Smiling From Ear To Ear

2010-03-10T17:40:00.000-08:00

Here's Big Boi featuring George Clinton and Too $hort. I had completely forgotten about this song but that happens when other album leaks/singles include "Royal Flush" and "Shine Blockas". This song is dope though. Big raps with purpose as he speeds up and slows down his flow and $hort Dog sounds great rapping over this thick beat-- his voice always seems to go well with dense, Southern beats. So, another good release from Big Boi, which begs the question: when is the album dropping?

From Pitchfork.

Throw My Hands Up

2010-03-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Arsenal demolished Porto 5-0 to advance to the quarter-finals in the Champions League, 6-2 on aggregate. While a lot of post-game talk has focused on Nicklas Bendtner's hat trick following his poor performance in Saturday's game, it's Samir Nasri's goal that stands out in my mind. Nasri filled in for Captain Cesc Fabregas perfectly and capped off a fine showing with a brilliant, Messi-like goal. As you can see, Nasri seemed somewhat contained on the wing until he weaved and feinted through 3 defenders before cracking home an authoritative finish from a tight angle. What makes it even more impressive is that the goal came right when Porto were mounting pressure for the equalizer and it sealed the Gunners' victory, putting the aggregate at 4-2. I've watched a lot of soccer in the past few years and this was one of, if not the best individual goals I have witnessed.

I'll Be Good

2010-03-09T08:50:00.001-08:00

Take a look at another video for KiD CuDi's "Pursuit of Happiness", which just so happens to be one of my favorite songs of the past couple months. This one is a little more abstract than the first one and it has some cool, Gondry-like trickery that is pretty impressive. Not a bad video, but I think the original, with it's slo-mo party scenes (see below) captures the vibe of the song a bit better. You be the judge.

Got To Get It

2010-03-09T08:50:00.000-08:00

I don't know if these will even fit my face but if anyone has a few hundred dollars to spare and would like to buy me a gift, I will gladly accept it. Salt Optics Terry, "Tweed Moss" or "Burlywood", please.

I'm Back

2010-03-08T22:54:00.000-08:00

Today, T.I. released a new single! I've only listened to it a couple times so far and it hasn't made a strong impression on me, good or bad. I guess I'm glad he isn't being lazy here and he always sounds pretty good when he raps in that gruff voice. The beat is rather ho-hum but it's still good to hear new Tip. I know it's not the greatest song-- it's no "What You Know" or "Rubber Band Man"-- but hopefully it'll be a grower. If nothing else, it's a step in the right direction for when he drops his album this summer.

Download "I'm Back" at 2dopeboyz.

Smiling Down, On You And Me

2010-02-26T09:46:00.000-08:00

Aaaaaaaangry

2010-02-25T08:36:00.000-08:00

Listen to the first single from the upcoming mix tape by Raaaaaaaandy and Dave Sitek. It's hilarious, probably even better than "Hate (DJ Aziz Ansari Remix)".

I Need A Dollar

2010-02-24T21:01:00.001-08:00

Here are the excellent opening credits to HBO's new show, How To Make It In America. The show centers on two guys trying to start their own high-end denim company and I've really enjoyed the first couple episodes. At first, I described it as the anti-Entourage but it is more like Entourage with hustle. I think I'll wait for a couple more episodes to air before I write a full-on review but the show has potential to be really good, even if I can already see its weaknesses.

A small side-story on the show deals with the two main characters' past attempt and failure to sell their Wilfredo Gomez pro model skateboard decks. While it was just glossed over in the show up to this point, a large part of their inability to move the decks was that Wilfredo is crazy and he doesn't even skate anymore. HBO made this long and somewhat unnecessary documentary about the history of Wilfredo Gomez. I say it's unnecessary because it's not exactly interesting or integral to the story. Mainly, it gives HBO some street cred by interviewing several pro skateboarders and other New Yorkers that are in that scene.

Hard Knock Life

2010-02-24T20:14:00.000-08:00

Kanye's blog is all over the map, not necessarily in a good way, but it's usually worth a visit every week or two. (Although today's launch of www.kanyewest.com might mean he's changing his blog content in addition to the new, cleaner look.) A couple days ago he posted this video about the making of "Hard Knock Life". It's nothing special really, but watching The 45 King talk about the microphone Jay-Z used during recording is pretty awesome.

It Be The Wu

2010-02-22T12:33:00.000-08:00

Check out the cover art for the Raekwon, Method Man and Ghostface Killah collaboration, Wu-Massacre. While this might not be the official artwork, I'm digging the comic book look, a style that perfectly fits the Wu aesthetic. I'm really looking forward to this release based on the art, as well as the couple of tracks I've heard. Pitchfork reports.

Take One Down, Pass It Around

2010-02-21T09:01:00.000-08:00

28 Drinks Later from Futuristic Films on Vimeo.

I See It In Your Eyes

2010-02-20T15:47:00.000-08:00

Here's the video for "Giving Up The Gun", probably my favorite track on Vampire Weekend's latest album, Contra. The video doesn't make me like the song any more or less than I already did, but it has a few recognizable cameos and it's weird.

Alone In Kyoto

2010-01-26T09:33:00.000-08:00

This is a straight up repost of J. Martinez and Like Cool:

"Jeff Altman is a film colorist from Chicago. These scences were shot by his grandparents in 1958. This footage features only his grandfather; both behind and in front of the camera. He says:

'It was edited by hand some 50 years ago by my grandfather shortly after shooting it. Judging by the 3 minute length, I would say its safe to assume you're seeing all the footage he shot. 100 foot rolls of 16mm are of about 3 minutes in length. The order of the shots were probably changed, as well as removal of flash frames and other junk. '"

I used to wonder why tourists bothered filming their entire rides on the San Francisco Cable Cars; it just seemed so pointless. But now I know why they bother filming anything at all: it's so their grandchildren can find the footage, edit it, and post the video on the Future-Internet over 50 years later.

This video is amazing (and so are Altman's grandfather's other clips). It is littered with several beautiful shots--especially the smoker with the Bay Bridge in the background--but it's the time travel-like effect that really had me hooked. It's interesting to see how different, yet how similar, San Francisco was in the 1950s. I just love that the footage consists of things I see on a daily basis, like city streets filled with cars and people riding the trolley. Only here, the cars are old classics and the people are dressed stylishly in suits and dresses. The overall tone and feel of this video is great as well (in large part due to the excellent selection of Air's "Alone In Kyoto" as the score). It's relaxing and eye-opening at the same time. I feel like this is exactly what many musicians and directors are trying to achieve when filming music videos for indie rock records.

This makes me want to start taking more pictures again and shooting short crappy videos whenever I'm out and about. And one other thing is for sure: I will never make fun of video-happy tourists again. Ever.

Make Of That What You Will

2010-01-25T09:10:00.000-08:00

As we did for 2007, and again for 2008, some fellow music lovers and I met up over drinks, pizza and video games for our year-end CD Mix Club party. (Um, we met up over music, too.) In addition to welcoming a couple new faces to the group, this year had the added bonus of being the end of the decade. In that vein, the idea was to make a "Best of the Decade" mix to share with the group in place of our typical mixes. While I still haven't actually distributed my "Decade" mix, I made a 2009 mix as well. I'll post my 2000-2009 mix soon but for now, here's my "Best of 2009":

1. There Are Maybe Ten Or Twelve... - A.C. Newman

This song was one of the great opening tracks of 2009 but I can't quite pinpoint why I like it so much. It's almost a restrained version of Newman's typical power pop songs. It's like he's holding back for the listeners sake, building anticipation for the upcoming tracks. I have no idea what this song is actually about but I love these lyrics: "And the eyes they were/a color I can't remember/which says more than the first two verses". He ends each verse with "make of that what you will" and I guess I am doing just that. (Watch a live version here.)

2. The Mountain - Heartless Bastards

I first heard this song on a sampler from Paste Magazine and it immediately grabbed my attention. It is driven by a straightforward, catchy guitar riff and splash-heavy drums, but it's the soaring guitar work that comes and goes throughout the song that adds a nice extra layer. While the music remains more or less constant through the track, I love how Erika Wennerstrom's voice builds from a bored, sing-speak to all out wails by the final verse.

3. French Navy - Camera Obscura

Just as Camera Obscura has quickly become one of my favorite bands, "French Navy" has quickly become one of my favorite CO songs. As usual with this band, the big draws here are the clean, crisp lead vocals, smooth harmonies and larger than life hooks. But the horns, strings and even lyrics are not to be overlooked.

4. Pearl's Dream - Bat For Lashes

I'm a big fan of the up-tempo Bat For Lashes songs and this one probably tops them all. Every time I listen to it, I hear something new. Beyond the stuttering drums, hand claps and synth tones, I've been noticing different bass lines and drums and clinks and clanks. Is someone playing the maracas somewhere in there?

5. My Night With A Prostitute From Marseille - Beirut

I got into Beirut much later than everyone else and while I realize that this probably isn't one of Zach Condon's best efforts musically, I really love this song. In fact, this might have been my second or third favorite song from 2009. Basically, we have Condon doing his best Postal Service impression and succeeding.

6. Rockin' That S** Remix (feat. Fabolous, Juelz Santana, Rick Ross & Ludacris) - The-Dream

Think of me what you will but this is my absolute favorite song from last year. First of all, the beat (by Los Da Mystro) is the best pop/R&B beat of 2009. Hands. Down. Secondly, The-Dream just kills it. The hook, the "ays!" and the "oooh-ooh-ohs" all perfectly flow with the beat. I admit that if The-Dream had given this song to Rihanna instead of keeping it for himself, it would have been a bigger hit, but it just wouldn't have been the same for me. And finally, all of the guest rappers put in some good work here. In recent years, I feel like a lot of R&B songs are perfectly fine before the rapper remix--"Forever" is better without Lil Wayne, "1 Thing" didn't need a verse from Eve--and in some cases, the rapper shouldn't have been featured in the first place--"1, 2, Step" was almost ruined by a sub-par Missy Elliott appearance. Sure, the rapper-less "Rockin' That Sh**" probably would have made "Best of 2009" if this remix had never been made but in this case the rapping improves on the original track, especially Juelz's verse which is one of my favorites of the year.

7. She Came Along (feat. Sharam) - KiD CuDi

2009 was the year when KiD CuDi became one of my favorite new artists and this is one of his best tracks (I know it's actually a Sharam song but the version on CuDi's mix tape is the best I've heard). CuDi and Sharam owe almost all of this song's success to the Patsy Cline sample but at least they knew what to do with it. CuDi's rap-singing is the perfect contrast to the Cline's melancholy chorus and Sharam did his part by accentuated the head-nodding bass-line without completely burying the guitar picking and subtle piano tinkling. (Side-note, was I the only one who wasn't disappointed by KiD CuDi's debut album? It was surprisingly good, especially considering how many of his peers either fizzled out of the picture or bombed on their first albums [see: Asher Roth, Charles Hamilton, B.O.B., The Cool Kids. Even Wale didn't impress.])

8. Make Her Mine - Mayer Hawthorne

It's stating the obvious when I say that Mayer Hawthorne doesn't have the strongest voice. However, in some cases his voice isn't that bad and at other times, his music is so good that I don't really care that he doesn't have the voice of Raphael Saadiq. With this song, both of those statements apply: his singing is decent and the music is great. Throw in some of the smoothest "I love this girl and I'm going to get this girl" lyrics I've heard in a while and I could swear I was listening to some classic Motown R&B. (Watch live version here.)

9. That's That - DOOM

In 2009, DOOM dropped the "MF" for reasons I didn't care to investigate. Despite the name change, he kept the same nonsensical rapping and sample-based production style that he's been rocking for years. No one can fit as many rhymes and rhyme schemes into a 2-minute song as DOOM and only a handful of producers can lace a non-sped up soul sample like the man also known as Metal Fingers. And it's fitting that DOOM chose to let loose and sing a bit, riffing on Michael Jackson's "I Wanna Be Where You Are" in the year the King of Pop tragically passed away.

10. The New Wu (feat. Ghostface Killah & Method Man) - Raekwon

Only Built For Cuban Linx, Pt. II was one of my favorite albums of the year, so this mix had to have a Raekwon track in it somewhere. I could have chosen just about any song off the album ("House of Flying Daggers", " Kiss the Ring", "Gihad", "Black Mozart" to name a few) but I ultimately selected this one because of it's simplicity, and because of Method Man's stellar third verse. The RZA sampled The Magictones for the beat and while it's not the best sample I've ever heard, it's really, really catchy.

11. Fresh Air - Brother Ali

One of several highlights on Us (check out "The Preacher" too), "Fresh Air" has Brother Ali triumphantly rapping about his life. It's refreshing to hear a rapper speak on how great his life is without being "bling bling" about it (although I do love me some superficial rap music), but it's even more refreshing to hear a non-mainstream rapper who (a) isn't trying to throw it back to the Golden Age of Hip-Hop, (b) isn't blatantly and one dimensionally hating on mainstream artists and (c) isn't caught up in being the "conscious rapper".

12. 1901 - Phoenix

I had been reading and hearing good things about Phoenix for a couple years but it wasn't until I heard "1901" that I actually bothered to listen to them. I was missing out on something great, wasn't I? Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix was excellent; I think I need to get their entire catalog now.

13. 11th Dimensions - Julian Casablancas

I don't think anyone can talk about Julian Casablancas without mentioning The Strokes, so let me just say that I love that band. A few people thought Is This It? was all hype (or over-hype). Some people were bored by Room On Fire. Most people didn't like First Impressions Of Earth. I liked all of those albums and same goes for Phrazes For The Young. "11th Dimension" is one of the standout tracks on the album and similar to Casablancas' work with The Strokes, this song is tight, fun and cool.

14. Gifted (feat. Kanye West, Santogold & Lykke Li) - N.A.S.A.

As I've been documenting on this blog for the past couple years, Kanye is on a loooong streak of extremely good guest verses, just like his "big brother" Jay-Z was around the middle of the decade. Kanye is clearly improving as a rapper and what he lacks in pure skill, he always makes up for with energy, cheeky lines, and by actually rapping to the beat. He goes off on the song's first verse, summing up things nicely by saying, "this verse only adds to the freshness." Elsewhere, Santi puts in a pretty hypnotic verse, Lykke Li shows up to provide some chorus harmonies, and N.A.S.A.'s spaced-out, Brazilian-inspired beat brings everything together nicely.

15. Bad Romance - Lady Gaga

I never paid much attention to Gaga until this song. It's not that I disliked her previous singles but I wouldn't say I liked them either; they were just there. I liked "Bad Romance" right away. It's epic and crazy and kind of sinister, too. After repeated listens, repeated video viewings and repeated video breakdown readings, it's clear that Gaga the pop artist is finally catching up to Gaga the balls-y celebrity. And that is a good thing.

16. Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys) - Jay-Z

The beat is decent enough, the hooks are strong, the lyrics are good. But the key to this song happens during the last few bars of each verse. As Jay is rhyming, the beat drops out and some simple guitar strumming builds up momentum until he finishes rapping, and then the booming chorus from Alicia Keys soars in. There's just something special about that transition. (As a side note, would this song have had the same impact if it wasn't Jay-Z and if it wasn't about New York? Hell, I would argue that even the World Series played a big part in making this song unstoppable during the latter part of Summer and early Fall. Think about it...)

17. Shine Blockas (feat. Gucci Mane) - Big Boi

This beat is so great--easily one of the best of the year--that I'm surprised that Big Boi and Gucci Mane didn't get out-shined by it. Well, I'm not that surprised really. Big Boi is criminally underrated as a rapper and Gucci Mane is extremely talented, if not a little one dimensional, as well. Their contrasting styles sound great alongside each other and they sound even better over such a dynamic beat. Everyone brought their "A" game for this track. I absolutely can not wait for Big Boi's constantly-delayed album to get released.

18. People Got A Lotta Nerve - Neko Case

This song is about people being stupid for being shocked when animals kill people in zoos and at amusement parks. Some people seem to think it's also about Case being a "maneater" in relationships but I remember reading somewhere that it's actually just about animals killing people. I think I like it better that way too.

19. Military Madness - Woods

I don't know much about Woods, only that their album, Songs of Shame is really good. It is filled with beautifully simple, lo-fi, falsetto-sung bits of pop brilliance, like this Graham Nash cover.

20. Romans 10:9 - The Mountain Goats

This is probably my favorite track from The Mountain Goats' latest album, in which each song is titled and inspired by a Bible passage. Despite the faster tempo to "Romans" this is actually a pretty sad song as John Darnielle has to remind himself that "if you believe in your heart and confess with your lips/surely you will be saved one day".

21. Hysteric - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

While Karen O as the yipping, wailing rock star is great, I enjoy the change of pace that her calmer, gentler side provides on tracks like this one. As she coos, "flow sweetly, hang heavy/you suddenly complete me/you suddenly complete me", followed by stuttering "oh-ohs" and "ah-ahs", I can't help but get drawn into the song.

And that's the mix... Feel free to check back on my Best of 2008 and Best of 2007 mixes. I think my 2008 mix is relatively weak but 2007 holds up fairly well. Let's hope I can say the same thing about my "Best of 2009" in a couple years!

My Direction Is Known

2010-01-19T15:45:00.000-08:00

B. Diddy messing around NYC to J Dilla and Diz Gibran's "Make It Fast". Cameos by Jim Jones, DJ Clue, Irv Gotti & Common.

Space Odyssey

2010-01-19T13:42:00.000-08:00

New M.I.A.! Very minimalistic, very distorted. Cool stuff.

If I May

2010-01-18T21:23:00.000-08:00

Let there be no doubt: this guy is really good at doing random circus-type activities. Some highlights include jumping into his clothes and doing somersaults on a treadmill. I mean, I can't do a flip or a fancy yo-yo trick so I can only dream of doing both of those things at once. The guy's got skills. However, this video reminded me of something I have been mildly fixated on for a while now: the actual filming of youtube clips is just as funny, if not funnier, than the actual content of the video.

Imagine walking through the park and seeing someone set up a Flip camera on a bench. Then that person proceeds to stand on a picnic table and juggle blocks. After a while, he stops juggling and jumping, and he walks over to the bench to turn his camera off. Something about that just cracks me up. People who film themselves, by themselves, doing random things is just too funny.

I first discovered this when I was watching one of my cousin's friend's break-dancing videos on Youtube. She was doing her dance routine (mainly c-walking and popping) in her driveway with headphones on, at night with a porch light focused on her so we can actually see what she's doing. The video camera was clearly just sitting on the ground and she was by herself. That scenario cracked me up! I would love to be walking through a neighborhood and randomly stumble upon some kid making a solo dance video for Youtube. I'm guessing the kid would be slightly embarrassed at being discovered, which would be even funnier seeing as he/she was planning on posting this on Youtube anyway. I'm laughing now just thinking about it.

Priority

2010-01-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

I often find myself disagreeing with Byron Crawford's music reviews so I don't visit his site regularly--which explains why I'm just posting this now--but I have to agree with him here: How come there are only six rap songs on Pitchfork's Best of 2009 list?

Every year these lists get picked apart and analyzed but this year was especially easy to scrutinize when it came to hip hop. I would have guessed that with the site's music-crush on Clipse, at least one track from Til The Casket Drops would have snuck on the list. What about Mos Def? They gave his album a great review but you're trying to tell me that he didn't have one list-worthy track on there? No Wale? No DOOM? No CUDI? At the very least, I would have put one or two more songs from Raekwon's album on there but maybe that would be too much for them to take from one of their top ten albums of 2009.

In addition to the lack of selections, the six cuts that actually made the list raise a question or two as well. I like Cam'ron as much as the next guy and I actually really enjoy "I Hate My Job" but I find it hard to believe that it's the 5th best rap song of the year. I would argue that "Wasted" is a better song. And without naming anything in specific, with the vast number of albums, singles, mix tapes and remixes out there, I'm sure I could come up with at least ten tracks that are better.

I admit that rap had somewhat of a down year, mainstream and underground alike, so I'm not saying that Pitchfork should have searched out rap songs to fill the list. In general, the site's entire 2009 coverage seemed more indie rock and pop-leaning than in recent years. Maybe that can be chalked up to a refocusing of the site's content or maybe it's just a sign that hip hop/rap needs to step it up a bit. It's hard to say for sure, but as someone who enjoys listening to and reading about music, this is something worth keeping an eye on.

Clan In Da Front

2010-01-13T15:42:00.000-08:00

Here's another Wu-related post, this one featuring a video of The RZA expanding on ?uestlove's Wu-Tang Clan/"Parks and Recreations" ideas...

And speaking of "Parks and Rec", I've only seen 4 or 5 episodes this season but they have all been excellent. Last season, I only caught two episodes but they just seemed to be missing something. It seems the show has moved out of the shadow of "The Office", growing into its own fake documentary beast. I feel like it's finally living up to the potential of its awesome cast. Bon Bon!

I Gotta Feeling

2010-01-05T21:43:00.000-08:00

There are only two guys that have been doing anything with mashups in recent history: Girl Talk and SF's own DJ Earworm (the man responsible for "Reckoner Lockdown"). While I don't claim to be an avid mashup fanatic, I'm pretty sure I can stand by that statement. Really, aside from those two who else is doing anything worthwhile? By now, most music lovers know about Girl Talk but it's Earworm who is really getting some love from the general public with his end of the year mashups--just ask someone on Facebook. While his most recent mix for 2009 is pretty awesome, I think 2007's is much better. And in case you were wondering, I find 2008's mix almost unlistenable. Maybe that's kind of harsh but compared to the other two songs, 2008 is weak. See for yourself.

United State of Pop 2009

United State of Pop (2007)

United State of Pop 2008

Wu Familia

2010-01-04T23:43:00.000-08:00

Designer Logan Walters' Wu-Note Project is slick. He reimagined Wu-Tang album covers, giving them the feel of Blue Note vinyl sleeves. What makes these so great is the attention to detail. Faded edges, scratch marks and grainy images perfectly compliment the bold colors and dominant typefaces, making these covers much more than casual rehashes of a classic design. Look at them all.

Chewed Up

2009-12-08T23:16:00.000-08:00

I didn't even realize that Felt 3 just dropped. This time, MURS and Slug get beats from Aesop Rock instead of ANT. Judging by the couple of tracks I sampled on youtube, the production difference is notable but not necessarily better or worse than before. I don't know, if it's anything like Felt 2 I think I'm going to have to get this album.

It's The Incredible

2009-11-20T18:11:00.000-08:00

I haven't been reading any fixed gear blogs lately but I did stumble upon this one today. A backwards wheelie... I've been waiting for someone to learn how to do that.

Back By Popular Demand

2009-11-17T12:31:00.000-08:00

Clipse featuring Cam'ron and Pharrell. I like this song despite it's lazy (in a bad way) hook and weak guest spot from Cam. I think the beat and Pusha T's verse is what does it for me. And the low budget video reminds me of the "Grindin'" video, which is a good thing. Based on the the singles so far, I'm lookin forward to Til The Casket Drops. I just hope it's better than the Road Til The Casket Drops mixtape from last year.

Today's Sun, Tomorrow's Star

2009-11-11T08:19:00.000-08:00

This is J-Live's "The Best Part", with production by Premier. The lyrics are all pretty good but the a cappella lines are just plain solid. Man, I forgot how much I like this song... Maybe not best of the decade, but pretty close.

I Can't Believe The News Today

2009-11-09T10:35:00.000-08:00

This is more U2 than Jay-Z but they both do it big.

Slam!

2009-10-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

Wow, this dunk is ridiculous. Over the dude, off the bounce and through the legs... I can't remember the last time I was this amazed by a dunk. Okay, maybe I can. It was the first time I saw Nate Robinson throw one down off a rebound in college. Or maybe it was more recent than that, when that street baller did a 720 a couple years ago. Before that, it was probably Vince Carter's Dunk Competition dunks, particularly his reverse spin 360 windmill. But yeah, this one's nice too.

The Werewolf'll Kill Ya

2009-10-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

Damn. Here's a "freestyle" by Mos Def, Black Thought and Eminem.

I Can Make You Feel Okay

2009-10-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Sharam (feat. KiD CuDi) - She Came Along

This was one of my favorite tracks off that one KiD CuDi mixtape. I still love it even though they clubbed it up a bit and toned down the excellent walking bass line. Still good though.

Playoffs?

2009-10-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

So it's kind of old but I just saw this video on a Fatlace blog and I had to post it. It's DJ Steve Porter's "Press Hop" and it's dope. So dope in fact, that it got me to blog. It's been a while.

I'm About My Business

2009-10-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

It took a little while but I think I like this track. The Boi-1da beat is strong, with hard drums and ominous synths. Kanye and Lil Wayne put in solid verses but it's Eminem who steals the show. He sounds like he cares, and raps without that overly-nasal, fake accent he has been abusing too much lately. He sounds like The Eminem Show/8-Mile-era Eminem and that's a good thing. And Drake? Well, Drake does okay. I'm not sure, but I think I can rap better than him or at least I could rap better than him if rap were my chosen profession. His auto-tuned hook is kind of smooth though.

In related news, Lebron James' movie, More Than A Game comes out today (in limited release) and I want to see it.

G-G-G-G-Gone, G-G-G-Gone

2009-09-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

It's a good thing Kanye likes the limelight because his latest VMA outburst is big, big (non)news. Even Mr. President is talking about it and it's kind of funny.

Robot Rock

2009-09-17T23:44:00.000-07:00

I think a huge factor in the success of DJ Hero will be whether or not the songs/mixes/remixes are actually any good because it's not entirely like Guitar Hero, where you just play regular songs. Having Daft Punk featured on the game is a positive in my opinion, although it could also be a sign that the game is going to be more focused on dance/electronica dj-ing rather than hip hop beat-juggling and scratching. Either way, the game has potential, and as with Guitar Hero and Rock Band I can see DJ's getting their own signature game which will be pretty cool. I've never been big on Guitar Hero or Rock Band but I'm looking forward to one of my friends getting DJ Hero.

Can't Believe It

2009-09-05T00:03:00.000-07:00

T-Pain and iPhone kind of join forces for something kind of stupid and kind of awesome, and I think I kind of want to buy it...

This Is Roc Nation

2009-09-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

This Jay-Z x Rhapsody commercial is dope! I've actually listened to The Blueprint 3 and I have to say, I like it. I'll let it settle in before I fully rate it but after one listen, I'm impressed.

Ten Years Have Got Behind You

2009-08-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

I was pretty late getting into classic rock and other music from the 70s. And while I definitely enjoy bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, I was never fully blown away by them like I might have been had I been born 20 years earlier. That being said, it's easy to see how I completely forgot how much I like this song.

I Already Know How This Thing Goes

2009-08-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

At first I thought this was just a whack cover but at about 40 seconds in, the beat drops and the song picks up a bit. Typically, I like it when songs build up, but in this case The Fray could have done better by just starting off strong. I also think the song could have used that running, airy flute-line that provided the "head nod" in the original, but all in all this is a pretty solid cover. I still prefer Kanye's version but against all odds The Fray have put together a much, much better video than the original. The animation is amazing and it completely brings to life the imagination of someone doodling and day-dreaming in class.

Motivate Me

2009-08-16T22:38:00.000-07:00

After seeing it a few days ago, this Nike promo video had me really excited for the start of Arsenal's season. Even though European soccer seems to have the shortest off-season of any professional sport, it has been a long summer of never ending transfer rumors and few actual transfers. The Gunners have sold a couple want-away players and only brought in former Ajax defender Thomas Vermaelan but the squad remains strong and hopefully hungry. There are still a few weeks left to add some strength or depth to the team but new signings or not, I'm really looking forward to watching Arsenal play again.

In Arsenal's EPL season opener on Saturday, the Gunners didn't disappoint. They cruised past Everton by a whopping 6-1. This is the same Everton that finished a close 5th to Arsenal last season, and who many consider are a strong contender to knock the Gunners out of the top 4 this campaign. Although it's only one game, this Week 1 victory sent a message to the league and left me feeling somewhat reassured. Despite what most writers and fans think, I'm optimistic about the Gunners this year and what doubts I had about the team were put to rest during the game, if not permanently. I realize the weaknesses I thought Arsenal had a few days ago are still there but it goes without saying that laying the groundwork for a strong start to the season is ideal. Now, I just hope this momentum can be carried into Tuesday's Champions League Qualifier (Celtic United) and into the next several EPL games (which include ManU and ManC).

Children, Wake Up

2009-08-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

Trailer 2 for Where The Wild Things Are. Yup, still really exited about this movie. It would make for an awesome costume, but I have to wonder how many people are going to be Max for Halloween...

Time Of My Life

2009-08-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

Shadow was a big reason why I used to want to get into dj-ing. I feel like a "real" day-in-the-life video of his would be the awesome. Insight into how he finds and selects records, how he makes his music, that entire process would be really interesting.

My Whole Team Got Dough

2009-08-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

Jay-Z (feat. Kanye West & Rihanna)

Pitchfork didn't think much of this song but I like it. For one, Jay-Z actually sounds like he means it on this one, ditching that less-than-gruff, breathy style of rapping he tends to lean on too much. Rihanna doesn't do much here but once again she proves that she can serve a hook well. Kanye did the beat, which is more solid than stellar, but he makes up for it with a great guest verse. I keep saying this, but damn if Kanye isn't the best "featuring..." rapper over the past year or so. Anyway, this song has me looking forward to The Blueprint 3, even after finding out that the album won't include "Jockin' Jay-Z" and "Brooklyn (Go Hard)".

Warriors Don't Surrender

2009-08-04T15:39:00.000-07:00

Every once and a while a rapper from San Francisco comes along and records an 80s spoof song that actually rivals, and in some cases dominates, real 80s songs. And then, sometimes someone else comes along and makes a video for that song that almost equals the glory and majesty of the song itself. This is just awesome. I want to post the lyrics.

Champion Of My Heart by Richie Cunning

1. 2. 1. 2. 3. AGGGH!

When the darkness closes in
and the animals run for shelter,
a bird still sings for you.
When you think you've lost it all,
'cause the other guy knows karate
and you don't know what to do.

How will you know? (How will you know?)
How will you know? (How will you know?)
That your punch is filled with fury and your kick is f*ck*ng lethal?
Will you be strong? (Will you be strong?)
Will you be strong? (Will you be strong?)
Will you wave your flag of glory? As the lightning strikes the steeple?

OOOH!
You're the champion of my heart! You're the champion of my heart!
Cast away the shadows and brace yourself for battle!
'Cause you're the champion of my heart! You're the champion of my heart!
There's only room for one on top. You had the world and you threw it all away.

1. 2. COME ON!

When the enemy swords are drawn
and the prophecy has come to pass
that you are the chosen one.
When your heart begins to flutter
like the delicate wings of the hummingbird
and there's no where left to run! Run! RUN!

How will you know? (How will you know?)
How will you know? (How will you know?)
That you were born a warrior! And warriors don't surrender!
Will you be strong? (Will you be strong?)
Will you be strong? (Will you be strong?)
When the moonlight falls upon your face! I want you to remember.

That you're the champion of my heart! You're the champion of my heart!
Cast away the shadows and brace yourself for battle
'Cause you're the champion of my heart! You're the champion of my heart!
There's only room for one on top. You had the world and you threw it all away.

Then the fire burns within.
Your battle cry echoes through the night
And you write your own final chapter.
And so you call upon the gods
and the deity appears before your eyes
and he passes you the scepter! Scepter! SCEPTER!

How will you know? (How will you know?)
How will you know? (How will you know?)
That you've always been a legend! You just have to believe!
Will you be strong? (Will you be strong?)
Will you be strong? (Will you be strong?)
Will you fulfill that which is destined? Will you fight your way to victory????

OOOOH!
You're the champion of my heart! You're the champion of my heart!
Cast away the shadows and brace yourself for battle
'Cause you're the champion of my heart! The M*TH*RF*CK*NG champion of my heart!
There's only room for one on top. You had the world and you threw it all away.

The lyrics are awesome, right? This song is fantastic, like real fantastic and ironic fantastic. I wonder if we can get this track on Internet jukeboxes, this would dominate the Kezar rock genre!!! As seen on VG.

And Everything Is Alright

2009-08-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

Check out the commercial for the latest signature shoe for Paul Rodriguez. It's got a nice laid back vibe to it, and really brings out the feeling of a good day of skating (or a good day in general). There's also a nice holler to LA with the Kobe and Cube cameos, and I'm liking that Eric Koston is in there as well.

Back when I was more into longboarding and skating, Koston was my favorite street skater. I was always impressed at how technical he was while being completely fluid at the same time. His spot on Menikmati blew me away and his stuff in the more recent Fully Flared was excellent as well (see below). But not only was he killing it in videos, he was winning comps left and right which proved he didn't need take after take to land a trick.

The Past And Pending

2009-07-30T17:08:00.001-07:00

It's not often that you see Youtube clips of defenders, especially here, but now is a good time for such a post. Kolo Toure has left Arsenal for the greener ($$$) pitch of Man City. In my short time following Arsenal in a more than casual fashion, Toure has been a stud in central defense. And in learning more about Arsenal's recent history, it's apparent that he is one of the Arsenal greats, at least during the Wenger Era anyway. On more than a handful of occasions, I've seen him save goals, score goals, lead the team as Captain, inspire the players on the field and impress fans watching around the world. While he had his ups and downs last season, and a few shaky, missteps in the previous couple seasons, the cons are vastly outweighed by the pros.

Toure was the last starting member of the Invincibles at Arsenal and the last "real" tie to that team. From a symbolic standpoint, it may be a good thing for him, and Arsenal, to move on. I don't think there was ever any conscious effort to top or even match the Invincibles' standards but still... That season is just near enough to remember the glory and just far enough away for everyone to spout that Arsenal haven't won anything since. The players have been constantly reminded of how they have not won league since that historic team, and not won any trophy since the 2005 FA Cup. For this current team, not being connected to the Invincibles might be a good thing. They will know of the stories but they will want to achieve their own success so they can experience it for themselves. Sure, players like Fabregas and Clichy were on the team in 2003-04 but I think they will want to know what it feels like to win as starters and leaders as opposed to substitutes.

Anyway, I'm not saying that Toure leaving is good; I have mixed feelings about it. His departure does weaken the squad on the defensive side, a side which few would argue as Arsenal's strength in the first place. While it wasn't clear whether or not Arsene Wenger considered him a starter anymore, the depth at center-back and right back is now more of an issue without Toure. As I mentioned above, we're not only losing a strong player but we're losing a leader as well. Fans were clamoring for another center-back signing before he left and now they might just want more than one. And on top of that, in an era where Arsenal seems to be losing all of their top players in the transfer market, some disgruntled fans may be even more frustrated with this loss.

On the flip-side, I think Toure had to leave now because he was going to leave sooner or later. He's not getting any younger and while he still has good seasons left in him, I don't think he's getting better by any means. He went through a rough patch last season, to the point where he requested a transfer. I have always thought that players should be sold if they don't want to play for a certain team. (I guess on the same note, I have always wondered what contracts were for, if players just get to leave whenever they want.) Why should Arsenal bother to keep Toure if he wants to leave. Who's to say he will train and play with his heart, which is a big part of what makes Toure a good player. From a financial standpoint, I doubt Arsenal would be able to sell him for this much in the future. What's better: the money now, from a Real Madrid/Man City-inflated market or one more season with Toure and significantly less money in the future? The money Wenger received now can be put to good use strengthening the center midfield, or even reinvesting it in another center-back.

As much as I hate to see him go, I think the timing is right. He'll get to be a starter for sure; he'll feel more at home considering Adebayor (who I don't even want to talk about other than to say it's good he left and took his drama with him) is there too. Anyway, Toure definitely strengthens Man City's squad, so good luck to him but bad luck to them. Now, let's just hope Arsenal can sign one or two solid players and hit the ground running come August 15th.

What It Takes

2009-07-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

I enjoy Woods' relatively new album. I also enjoy doodling, and crosswords too.

Oh O-Oh Oh Oh

2009-07-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

Kid Cudi + Kanye West + Common + Lady GaGa sample = Make Her Say

My Swag

2009-07-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

I decided to check out jj based on Pitchfork's album and track reviews and let me tell you, I'm not disappointed. Hardly breaking any new ground, the enigmatic Swedish band touches on electro-pop, ambient, straight forward acoustic pop and even hip hop (practically covering T.I. on "my swag, my life" and using Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" on "ecstacy"). The lush, simple melodies and layered, echoey vocals result in a surprisingly fresh and enjoyable sound. I've been listening to "jj n° 2" and "jj n° 1" for the past hour (at least) and while there aren't any obvious standout tracks, there isn't a dud in the bunch. Typically, I shy away from using music as strictly background noise -- I definitely avoid advertising music as such -- but in this case jj has provided the perfect backdrop for taking care of some things around the house. For that reason, I can't fully comment on the lyrics but at this point, I doubt the words can bring down the music even if they're terrible. Maybe, I'll write a more complete review when I give it a better listen, but you should check out jj in the meantime.

Ain't Hard To Tell

2009-07-15T15:32:00.000-07:00

Anthony Randolph messed around and got 42 points last night in the arguably pointless Summer League. I've been saying this kid needs to get more playing time but it only happened last year when injuries hit the Warriors. It's not hard to see that Coach Nelson just isn't good with young players; there have been stories all over the place addressing that very issue. With regard to Randolph, the Sports Guy touched on it last year and Kawakami wrote about it in relation to last night's performance. For a couple years now, I've been saying the Warriors need to get rid of Nelson in order to really build the team into a contender. In all honesty, the Warriors need a near-complete overhaul on the management and coaching side of things, but I think replacing Nelson is essential. They're clearly a few years away from becoming a legitimate threat for the title and I don't see that ever happening with a coach who can't develop young players and who runs a style of basketball that, while being fun to watch, won't succeed in playoff basketball.

Wolf At The Door

2009-07-09T14:53:00.000-07:00

I guess if you wanted to recreate a scene from a summer blockbuster for a wedding speech, you may as well choose one that is really funny and awesome. Sure, swiping lines from movies for your best man's speech is a little lame, but quoting Zach Galifianakis' toast from The Hangover is not even remotely close to walking around screaming "yeeeeah!," Chappelle/Lil Jon-style or butchering lines from Old School.

Vivrant Thing

2009-07-06T12:23:00.000-07:00

I came across this image on Flickr. People in the comments section complain about the HDR but I think the image has a very cartoon-y, dream-like appeal. (I'm not sure blogger exactly captures all of the vibrance so you should check out the Flickr page.) I don't know anything about the photographer, Andertho, but some of his other photos are equally amazing.

You The Best?

2009-07-05T13:41:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one who thinks this song is overrated? I doubt it, because there are always haters when something or someone gets this much hype. I'm not hating but I just don't find him to be a particularly good rapper or singer, and he isn't particularly clever or creative either. I suppose Drake's mixtape is kind of okay; it's not terrible but I feel like the standout tracks only stand out because there are a lot of lackluster songs in there. Give me Cudi or Wale any day. Anyway, Drake and his Canadian television actor background does have the backing of famous rappers and teeny boppers so I guess that is all he needs. Kanye did this video, which is like Baywatch meets Hang Time meets um, any stereotypical rap video. Enjoy???

Stay

2009-07-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, with Real Madrid's signing of French striker Karim Benzema, it looks a slight bit more likely that David Villa will remain at Valencia for next season. Well, he may still get swooped up by another team, but at least he isn't going to Madrid who were thought to have been the front-runners in the Villa saga. I don't know why, but I was never keen on him going to Real. It has nothing to do with the spending (if they have the money, let them use it) but more to do with the fact that they aren't building a team so much as collecting big players and that I am becoming less and less a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo each time I watch him. I would much rather have Villa join Barca over Real Madrid, so if he must go it's good to hear rumors that he's meeting with them. With Eto'o likely on his way to Man City, David Villa would fit right into the front-line with ex-Gunner Thierry Henry (my other favorite striker, although he's more of a winger now) and the real best player in the world (sorry, CR7), Lionel Messi. Throw in a few other guys I like (Iniesta, Xavi, Puyol, Pique, Toure) and yeah, I guess I'm kind of a Barca fan, after Arsenal and Valencia of course. So, here's to hoping David Villa stays and Valencia can keep a few of their young up and coming players...

To speak on the Benzema signing, I think it will benefit both the player and the team. Based on last season and after their two big signings this summer, I thought Madrid needed a striker more than a winger/midfielder. This move makes so much more sense than them bringing in Ribery (another player I'd rather not see at Madrid... Although Madrid sounds much better than ManU). Now, I don't have a great idea of just how good Benzema will be but I do know he is a good. Playing in top league (no offense, Ligue 1 fans) where he can play against better competition at a high profile club is the next logical step for him. It'll be interesting to see how he performs and handles the pressure.

Also, in related but old news, I'm kind of bummed that Raul Albiol is out. This doesn't have that much to do with Madrid as it does with the fact that Albiol is one of the most promising young center backs in the world and he didn't want to leave Valencia (touch up on your Spanish). Good signing for Madrid, I guess. At least they aren't completely ignoring the defense.

Random

2009-06-29T19:49:00.000-07:00

I guess this is Microsoft's answer to the Wii. I think it was made for Max. Not only will he be able to play dress up when searching for his Halloween costume each year, but he can provide himself and everyone else with endless hours of entertainment, watching him play MS' version of Wii Bowling and Wii Tennis. Plus, Jamie's worst fear isn't even an issue; there's no controller to throw through the TV!

Remember The Time

2009-06-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

The big news of this week, among other things of course, was the death of Michael Jackson. I admit I never really ranked MJ among my favorite artists but I have always, always liked his music. I wasn't old enough to experience the high points in his career but I was able to discover them through his back catalog. From his work with the Jackson 5 through his solo career, he's made hit after hit after hit, songs that got stuck in my head time and time again. Whenever I hear "I Want You Back" I want to sing like Little Mike. I can't help but dance, at least a little, every single time I hear the bass-line drop on "Billie Jean". Who wasn't left awestruck after watching "Thriller" or "Scream" (when Janet was still hot even with that hair and that, um, resemblance to her brother...) or even "Remember The Time". Hell, I even liked "You Rock My World". Yes, the one that had Chris Tucker in the video. I won't say I liked every song he made but the good significantly outweighs the bad.

Jackson's influence as a singer/dancer/performer, from his vocal style to his music videos to his fashion sense, is almost unmatched. Off the top of my head, I can't come up with another artist in my lifetime that has had quite the impact as Michael but I can list several performers who he impacted (JT, obviously, and um, pretty much every single pop or R&B artist since the 80s). He was even involved with two of my favorite parody songs and one of my favorite mash-ups, two categories that I arguably shouldn't have favorites in at all. Those songs wouldn't have existed without Michael. He is undeniably a cultural icon and for that reason, I will probably always remember what was doing when I heard of his passing.

Similar to how my parents can recall what they were up to when they found out about JFK, I will always remember getting a call from my roommate on an unemployed Thursday while I was watching a soccer game at home. He just had to tell me the bad news. He was on vacation in NY, walking around SoHo, when he heard some lady talking about it on the street. In a similar situation on the west coast, my other roommate heard about the news while walking on the street in Oakland at lunch. That's the kind of impact Michael Jackson had on the world. Even in the age of Web 2.0 and 50-plus news channels on television, information of his death was traveling through the streets. (Of course, he did affect the Internet as well. How many other people could have taken down Google, Twitter and AOL with his/her passing?)

It's sad but even now I can't help but half-laugh at his issues. His problems with the law, his baby dangling, his monkey and his amusement park, his plastic surgeries and his family problems. Now that it's just about all said and done, I think those eccentricities will just be footnotes buried in the story of his great career as an entertainer but they're still there. I've spent the last couple days remembering the good and the odd, but mostly I've been revisiting his music and his videos (thanks, youtube, obviously). It's amazing how many of his songs I had forgotten I liked, how much of his work was actually pretty grand-breaking at the time. I'll be sure to do the RIAA a favor and bolster my anemic MJ collection.

It's a shame it took his death for me to get back into his music but so it goes. I don't think I owe him any more than that. I know I don't. As some one who never knew him, I was a little shocked but I wasn't really emotionally affected by the news. To a certain extent, for me anyway, it's sad in the same way any death is sad. Michael Jackson passed away and I will remember when it happened. Hopefully, he is in a better place. Hopefully, he's at peace with whatever caused him to do all that weird stuff. But mostly, hopefully he realizes that people enjoyed and will always enjoy his music.

Big Deal

2009-06-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

Initially, I wasn't too impressed with this song but I'm kind of feeling it now. I guess that's true with a lot of Clipse songs; I can only think of a handful that really grabbed me straight away. I didn't even like "Grindin'" at first. But yeah, this son is pretty good. And I may have mentioned it before but Kanye West has been killing it with the guest spots in the past several months. His verse here is surprisingly good so hopefully he follows up the very respectable 808s & Heartbreak with a rap album.

Get Right

2009-06-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd do a bit of follow-up regarding the Confederations Cup and US Soccer...

When I wrote the last post, I was considering touching on the impact that a good game against Spain would have. At the time, I was leery of the reaction that a positive result would have by the media, casual soccer fans and sports fans in general. As much as I wanted the US to win, I was worried what a victory might do. Well, maybe I wasn't worried so much as I was dreading what might already be happening: over-hype. I'm all for people getting excited about soccer but without taking anything away from the US national team, let's keep things in perspective.

First off, it was a great win defeating Spain 2-0 yesterday. The US played a solid game tactically, and played an even better game in terms of effort. To be honest, I don't remember the last time the US played with that much heart and fire. Players like Clark and Bocanegra were throwing themselves at every pass and shot. Players, for the most part, were hustling all over the pitch. The US saw another good game from Donovon, and from Davies as well. Altidore, while still very raw, showed great strength and positioning with his goal. And after another mediocre game overall, Dempsey made a very heads up play in finishing off the game with his second goal in two games. In limited minutes, Feilhaber again impressed with his composure and decision-making. Above all, Onyewu and DeMerit were excellent in back. I'm glad to see DeMerit finally getting a chance to earn a place in the starting line-up (his story is pretty incredible) and I was waiting for Onyewu to "wow" me like has these past few games. The only disappointment for me was Michael Bradley. Even before getting sent off on a questionable call, he didn't really make a mark on the game.

On top of all the positives for the US, Spain didn't play well. David Villa was missing shots. Xavi and Xabi Alonso were extremely quiet. Torres played as poorly as I've ever seen him play. Capdevilla played awful and surprisingly, Puyol and Pique were spotty as well. Ramos had a huge mental lapse that resulted in the second goal. Without any bias (hopefully), I have to say that just about the only player who did anything was Fabregas, placing a few dangerous balls through and over the top of the defense, and he was subbed off midway through the second half. Even with poor performances by the bulk of the team, Spain still dominated possession but they just couldn't break down the US enough to score. To maintain a huge win streak, teams need a few breaks here and there, fortunate bounces, lucky calls, goals off deflections, etc. and yesterday Spain just didn't get any those.

To put it simply, one team played well, the other didn't. I do agree with most that this was an important win, but one of the biggest in the history of American soccer? Sure, I guess it was. But when it comes down to the ultimate goals, becoming an international powerhouse and winning the World Cup, this win doesn't mean much. It does not put the US among the top teams in the world. Despite curbing the incredible unbeaten and win streak of the number one team in the world, it shouldn't overshadow the fact that the US struggles with consistency and has some glaring deficiencies on the field. Even though it was a semi-final victory in an international tournament, it was the Confederations Cup (google "Confederations Cup pointless" to see what people think) and it was the semi-finals.

So beware of the hype. Let's see what happens in the finals before we start thinking about World Cup 2010 success. And before we start thinking about WC 2010, let's see what happens in the Gold Cup this summer, and for that matter, the rest of World Cup Qualifying. It's not that I don't want more people to watch soccer (I do), or that I'm an elitist fan (maybe I am, a little), or that I don't think the US team is improving (they are). Just beware of the hype. Remember what happened after reaching the quarter finals of WC 2002 and winning the Gold Cup in 2002 and 2005? The US bowed out of WC 2006, finished last place in their group (I know it was the Group of Death but still). This team can be good. It has a balanced mix of young talent and experienced veterans, domestic and international club players. I, like most Americans who like soccer, want to see this team succeed but let's just wait and see what happens.

Listen Hear

2009-06-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

It's been a pretty hectic few weeks for David Villa with transfer rumors and gossip overwhelming the news but he hasn't let that affect his form on the field. While his penalty miss against South Africa was pretty bad, Villa's goal (one minute later) was an incredible display of skill and helped to extend Spain's record-breaking unbeaten run and win streak.

A few more thoughts on the Confederations Cup group stage:

- First off: the United States. Wow. I'm sure several professional sports journalists have written about it so I won't get into it all but wow. After two lackluster performances, they finally showed some spirit on the field, producing 3 goals and conceding none against a tough but suddenly out-of-form Egyptian team. Not only did they pull off that miracle (they had only one goal, from a PK no less, in their two previous games) but they were handed second place in the group when Brazil destroyed Italy, also 3-0. Things like this don't happen often in sports so suffice to say, it was very exciting. Now the US moves on to face Spain in the semis. A respectable display against them would do wonders for a team that has been shaky as of late.

- I'm not usually one to heap praises on Landon Donovan but he has had a strong tournament. He's been working hard on defense, running at defenders with the ball and creating good space without. I know he's one of the best players in US history but I am a little surprised at how he has done. Let's just hope he continues playing well in this tourney, and carries this form into the Gold Cup, WC Qualifying and WC 2010.

- I am quick to praise Clint Dempsey, one of my favorite American players but he has had a pretty bad Confederations Cup. He picked up his play against Egypt picking out a couple superb through balls and scoring a nice header but other than that, he has not done that well. Had he not scored in the Egypt game, he would have warranted being benched for the early Gold Cup games. He's given up the ball cheaply, not hustled on defense and attempted to draw a foul too many times. All that leads me to believe he should be playing higher up on the field. He hasn't shown the work-rate to play in the midfield and honestly, he's just more effective as a forward or striker, something Coach Bob Bradley probably realizes now.

- After catching several Barca and Spain games in the past 18 months, I'm beginning to understand and appreciate the play of Xavi and Puyol. Earlier this year, it happened with Iniesta but after watching these Confederations Cup games I see why people love Xavi and Puyol as well. For someone not looking for things to like about these players, their ability to impress can be subtle because neither player is known for the spectacular in a SportsCenter Top Ten sort of way. Xavi's vision, confidence and composure on the ball when pulling strings in the midfield is top notch. He is also a solid defender which might not be expected based on his height and speed (or lack thereof). I've seen Puyol play at center back and on the right the past few times. Out wide, he's surprisingly effective going forward, creating space and picking out the right passes. In the middle, he uses his strength and smarts to win headers over players much taller than him, and he is a naturally-gifted tackler. The more I watch soccer, or any sport for that matter, the more I become familiar with the intricacies (some them obvious oversights based on prejudices, I admit) that make great players great. I don't know. It's nice to find reasons to like world class players that typically don't impress me.

- Even while missing some big name players and not choosing to play others, Brazil has looked strong. Fans may be complaining about the lack of flair this team plays with but few can argue the results. Yeah, it'd be nice to see some fancy footwork and silky skills but the style that Dunga has the Brazilians playing is grittier and more effective than I remember seeing the past few World Cups. Also, players I am less familiar with, like Maicon, Ramires, and Felipe Melo (a possible Arsenal transfer???) have been more impressive than players like Robinho, Kaka and Julio Cesar.

- The Italian team is an aging bunch but even still, they underachieved this tournament. I don't know what it was, but they just didn't look sharp. To touch on the age thing, I don't follow Serie A as much as La Liga or the BPL but I have gathered that the Italians like to honor their veteran players and they are a little hesitant to give young stars a chance. Without knowing the whole story about any of this, look at Giuseppe Rossi. He's only 22 years old. He plays in Spain for Villareal, where he earned a starters spot and has played really well. That allowed him to be called up to the national team where he also has done well, most recently scoring two goals against the US. Had he played in Serie A, I don't know if that would have happened so soon. Juve's Sebastian Giovinco for one, might be an excellent player for the national team but he doesn't get enough playing time for the coaching staff to evaluate him. Yes, Juve is arguably a deeper team than Villareal and Giovinco may not be as good as Rossi, but he still deserves a chance. At Juventus, he was playing behind the soon-to-retire Del Piero, the just-retired Nedved and the injured Trezeguet but he still only made a few appearances last season. Maybe it's because I like him but I feel that with experience, he could be a good player for the Italians... Other players that do get playing time at the club level and have been called up to the national team, need to get more games too. How can players like Santon and Santacroce gain experience at the international level when they don't get a chance?

- Last random thoughts... It was unintentional but I didn't watch any of the New Zealand games except the first half of the Spain game, which saw El Niño get a hat trick in 17 minutes. NZ didn't look good... Egypt played well in their first two matches. Even though they were missing Zidan, I would have thought they would have come out stronger in the US... Against Spain, Iraq showed everyone how to lose respectably. They held the best team in the world to one goal and they did it without parking 11 men in the box. Aside from giving the ball away too easily throughout the game, they were even able to maintain possession on occasion... South Africa looked decent from what I saw, which is good. It's always nice when host nations step their game up and compete against stronger teams. It definitely adds to the excitement, and this tournament has gotten me really excited for 2010... Finally, I don't see what the big deal is about the horns. One of my roommates can't stand them but I think they're fine. I don't think they take anything away from the broadcast. I think they either add to the atmosphere or provide a nice white noise to tone down annoying commentators. Mostly though, I just don't notice them that much because I'm focused on the game and they really aren't overwhelmingly loud through the TV. If they get banned from WC games, it would be stupid and if I was South African, I would be pissed.

And Another One...

2009-06-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

Here's another movie I want to see... I feel like I should just post trailers here all the time, since I've pretty much just been doing that anyway.

I Wanna Devise A Virus

2009-06-17T11:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple marketing vids for one of the many movies I want to see this summer, Funny People. The first is a scene from a George Simmons movie and the second is a clip from Mark Taylor Jackson's show, Yo Teach!

It's crazy how almost all forms of entertainment are virally marketed now, movies especially. As long as it's done well, I don't mind, even if I never end up seeing the movie.

What Up Gangsta?

2009-06-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

Everything about this clip is bizarre. Maybe 50 using Vitamin Water to save Elmo's life is symbolism for something (Elmo = 50 Cent's career as a respected rapper?) but I doubt it.

Poo-Putt Platter

2009-06-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

So I've been playing catch-up with my "looking at garbage on the web" business these past couple days. Today, I stumbled upon this at Videogum. First of all, I think this hilarious. Yeah, it's entirely bizarre and weird but I like it. I think that says a lot coming from some one who A) can't stand Japanese game shows in America because of the whole "laughing for the wrong reasons" aspects of them, and B) has hospital bill issues of his own to worry about (some clam should give me a valuable pearl). Maybe I like it because it's more or less about poop and the added "knowing is half the battle/the more you know" non-lessons tacked on definitely add to the appeal. But mainly, I like that the main character's name is Unko-san because it's like naming your dog, "Dog" and because "unko" was one of, if not the first Japanese word I ever learned.

IIIIt's Alllll Right!

2009-06-11T22:17:00.000-07:00

This Zack Morris interview makes me thankful for the Internet because I am able to watch funny parts of shows that I don't really care to watch in their entirety. It also makes me wonder how other "people" have been doing since their times in the spotlight, like the Fresh Prince, Shawn Hunter, Parker Lewis, and going back a little further, Kevin Arnold.

Bonkers!

2009-06-08T23:23:00.000-07:00

This song is kind of repetitive and admittedly, a litte brain-dead but I dig it. Dizzee Rascal is abstract.

I Can't Restrain It

2009-05-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

Blog's not dead. Not yet anyway. Here are two of my favorite songs in recent history that both happen to have kind of terrible videos. Maybe not terrible but definitely underwhelming.

Fab x The-Dream

The-Dream x Kanye West

Hand On My Nine

2009-05-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

Wow, this looks really great. Focus Films, on point once again.

Tokyo Drift

2009-05-19T16:56:00.000-07:00

Seeing as how I love riding hills on my longboard and on my fixed gear, I would probably love this as well. It's like a more serious take on BYOBW. Someone should buy me one...