Lacezilla presents: THE LABYRINTH

2009-03-15T23:08:00.003-04:00

Lacezilla has evolved...

You can now follow The Labyrinth at

Walk with me.

Give It To Me Right, Or Don't Give It To Me At All

2009-02-03T21:31:00.017-05:00

I unplugged myself for a little bit, and it's taking longer than expected to get back into blogging. Without further delay, here's some heat...

Melanie Fiona is a new artist signed to Universal Motown,

and I'm really feeling her song "Give It To Me Right"...

The sample is pretty smart, although I've been hearing mixed opinions.

These three videos won't let me embed them, but they're worth a click:

Raphael Saadiq

"100 Yard Dash"

James Morrison

f. Nelly Furtado

"Broken Strings"

The Ting Tings

"That's Not My Name"

Also, my dudes Chester French finally dropped a video for "She Loves Everybody":

STD analogy portrayed through violence? Hmmm. Discuss.

So yeah. Thanks for sticking with me during this pseudo-hiatus of mine. The truth is that between the holidays, the new year, and then a mid-January vacation, it was almost impossible to blog. Blah, blah, excuses, excuses. Bottom line is that you'll be seeing a lot of interesting music and cultural commentary from Lacezilla this year, and since the site is currently undergoing structural changes as well, it's certainly in your best interest to stay in touch :)

There's A Lady Who's Sure All That Glitters Is Gold

2009-01-11T13:15:00.008-05:00

I wanted to do a Best of 2008 list, but the truth is, I hate ranking things. If you know me or you read the blog regularly, you already know what the favorites are. Hopefully you've related to a post, been put on to an artist, or gotten something out of The Labyrinth from time to time. That's the goal anyway. So, rankings aside, here's a little summary of what Lacezilla repped, closed her eyes for, nodded with, and danced wildly to in '08...

SERIOUS IPOD BURN:

N*E*R*D, Seeing Sounds

Freindly Fires, Friendly Fires

Raheem Devaughn, Love Behind The Melody

MGMT, Oracular Spectacular

Kings of Leon, Only By The Night

Duffy, Rockferry

Wale, The Mixtape About Nothing

Gnarls Barkley, The Odd Couple

Kate Nash, Made of Bricks

Kid Cudi, A Kid Named Cudi: The Mixtape

Jasmine Sullivan, Fearless

Cold War Kids, Loyalty To Loyalty

Lykke Li, Youth Novels

Kanye West, 808s and Heartbreak

(These albums can get played all the way through and have multiple songs that should also be included in the list below.)

PLAYED LOUDLY, ON REPEAT:

(Songs decoded below... click to listen!)

Sam Sparro "Black and Gold"

Chris Brown "Fallen Angel"

Hercules and Love Affair "Blind"

Thriving Ivory "Angels On The Moon"

Lil' Wayne "Playin' With Fire"

Justin Nozuka "After Tonight"

Keane "Spiralling"

Cut Copy "Hearts on Fire"

Leona Lewis "Bleeding Love"

Flobots "Handlebars"

Ashanti "The Way That I Love You"

Black Kids "Love Me Already"

Max B. "Live Comfortable"

MGMT "Electric Feel"

MOST FUN TO PHOTOGRAPH:

Wale and Blu @ SOBs

(LINK to post)

Santogold @ Highline

(LINK to post)

Lykke Li and Friendly Fires @ Bowery
(LINK to Lykke Li post)

(LINK to Friendly Fires post)

And don't forget Lykke's enchanting cover of Wendy Rene's "After Laughter":

N*E*R*D @ Madison Square Garden

(LINK to post)

Matisyahu (with Brett Dennen) @ The Music Hall of Williamsburg

(Post coming soon!)

VIDEOS THAT LINGERED IN MY MIND:

InnerPartySystem "Dont Stop" WATCH

Kanye West "Flashing Lights" WATCH

MGMT "Time To Pretend" WATCH

Gnarls Barkley "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" WATCH

Hot Chip "Ready For The Floor" WATCH BELOW:

LIVE SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

Kanye West @ MSG and @ Essence Music Festival

The Ting Tings @ Bowery Ballroom

Janelle Monae @ Spotlight Live (pre-murder)

Gnarls Barkley @ Highline Ballroom

Lykke Li @ Le Poisson Rouge

Radiohead @ Lollapalooza

Adele @ Highline Ballroom

N*E*R*D @ Roseland Ballroom

Maxwell @ Radio City Music Hall

Madonna @ Roseland Ballroom

Bloc Party @ Lollapalooza

Janet Jackson @ MSG

State Property @ SOBs

and Thriving Ivory @ Mercury Lounge:

(Beatboxing Rahzel's "If Your Mother Only Knew," and then transitioning into Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven." Oww.)

Although the scope of The Labyrinth has substantially widened over the past year, I'm sure to have missed a few albums/songs/artists/shows/videos along the way. I can't listen to everything. If you think I missed something, please please please enlighten me :) And as for 2009, I'm interested to see what transpires with the careers of Lady Gaga, Kid Cudi, Janelle Monae, The Script, and Eminem.

You Won't Take What I Have And Make It All Wrong

2008-12-30T01:22:00.023-05:00

Do you watch Mad Men? In the mash-up below, audio and visuals from Peggy Olson and Peter Campbell's best interactions are pieced together really well, and the creator used one of my favorite artists for the background music...

The artist, Louque, has a sound that is eclectic and tangy, and his '04 release So Long mixes funk, soul, trip-hop, reggae and r&b into what he calls "faya."

Listen to more of Louque's songs HERE.

And FYI- Christina Hendricks (who plays Joan on the show) is my new girl crush.

Boz, this might be my Rihanna.

Since Mad Men is set in the early '60s, you constantly find yourself noticing how much things have changed since then. The role of women in the home, the workforce, and society. Race relations. The seriousness of alcoholism. And they're always smoking at the office- you could never do that now so openly. But buried beneath all these changes, there's one cultural practice that didn't seem to evolve as much as one might think: saving face. For instance, some of these characters literally live double lives just to prevent their personal issues from getting scrutinized by their peers. The private life and the public life were two separate entities, and social interaction was more of a strategic art than a natural, friendly act. How much has that changed?

I bring this up because someone recently told me that the future of blogging was to have blog authors get more personal. But he didn't mean we should just be allowing you to take a glimpse inside our homes- he meant that we should be giving you the key to the front door and let you take an intentional, good look around. If you're someone who's deeply immersed in the online world, then his suggestion to take privacy public is probably not a new idea to you- blogs are like reality TV, they're at their best when something real is being captured.

Because I'm such a private person, I constantly battle with how much personal information to release over the internet. But this a music blog that also has a running dialogue with culture, so even though it's extremely blogger-cliche of me to say, I truly believe that our lives have some useful stories worth sharing. Unfortunately for me, something about being too open around the campfire makes me very uncomfortable. Maybe it's fear: If I reveal who I am -flaws and all- people might judge or pigeonhole me, so like the characters on Mad Men, I play it safe. Should I relax and spill all my secrets, or make like Betty Draper and keep it buttoned up?

I posted this Lily Allen song in April when it was rumored to be called "I Don't Know." I think I like "The Fear" better as a title... and it certainly speaks volumes to this topic:

"I don't know what's right and what's real anymore...

I've been taken over by the fear."

Sorry Baby, But I Gotta Do What I Gotta

2008-12-27T20:06:00.010-05:00

People are so creative. The video below was made by duo Sniper Twins, who, instead of rapping and singing about stacking paper, are on that computer braggadocio with "Stack The Memory."

The hook is wavy, no? And they shot some of it at Tekserve- hilarious. Thanks to Mr. Jones for sending this my way weeks ago... I should have posted it earlier.

In the next clip, NY Magazine interviews a guy who took trash bags and made really impressive inflatable street art.

I want to commission him to make me a Zilla :)

And with his bright ideas from a few months ago, I'm not surprised that Mick Boogie dabbled with another good readymade project on this one...

"Adele’s album 19 set trends and created influence in the pop, rock and international worlds. But what would happen if the vocals and instruments of 19 were combined with the hip-hop sensibilities of the late 1980s, considered by many hip-hop’s golden age?"

Love songs and hip hop history: We are the mash-up generation.

Download 1988 HERE.

Speaking of love, it's likely that you've seen this already, but my appreciation for N*E*R*D continues to grow with their video for "Sooner or Later":

They turn a love song into a metaphor for the economic crisis... I guess money just broke up with us :( If you want more, watch them perform the song (and others) live at Roseland.

And this might be 2 years after 1988, but Special Ed's "The Mission" used to be my jammy jam.

This is a mission, not a smalltime thing.

I didn't have cable growing up, but my brother and I had some episodes of Yo! MTV Raps on VHS.

I was 6 when I first saw that video.

Gotta find those tapes...

I'm On The Right Path To Who I'm Gonna Be At Last

2008-12-16T22:17:00.019-05:00

After running into 9th at the Highline show last Tuesday, I decided it was necessary to attend the Jean Grae in-store he'd be performing at on the following day...

In the PictoBrowser below, click the tabs to view my photos from Fat Beats:

They were there to promote the Jeanius album's re-release(s), and it felt really good to be among hip hop heads. I've said it before; Jean Grae is not only the best female MC in the industry, but she's up there with most males who rhyme as well. I felt horrible for missing her 11/30 Highline show, so I couldn't skip this intimate performance.

Footy via AnalectsBlog.

They have more great footage on the Fat Beats blog, so if you want to see Jean performing alongside Talib Kweli and 9th, I suggested you go there. They were both signing albums after, but the line was crazy long, so I'll just support via Amazon- as you should. Thanks to Ls and Cani8a for coming with me!

That same night,

10.Deep hosted their holiday party at Element...

KiD CuDi throwing me a deuce...

Disappointed at first, I'm now kind of glad the flash wasn't on.

Ahhh, con flash. Much better.

He ended up performing at the party too...

Hollywood Holt was hammer-, uh, having fun. (I'm not a fan.)

But how adorable are these three?!?...

Asher Roth in attendence...

Thanks to Boz y Brenda for the bracelets :)

"Dont Rush Me":

Rock Star, Bitch... Kurt Cobain Sh*t

2008-12-14T21:07:00.007-05:00

The live performance is becoming more and more important for up and coming artists. As the music industry evolves and is further aligned with the digital world, what an artist does on stage can help separate them from the competition. Everyone has a Myspace page and a Youtube channel and a Twitter account. But during a live performance, the exclusive eyes, ears, and opinions go beyond the spectators in the venue; fans and critics can now see footage of artist's shows right after they end. One solid performance in the right city -with the right tastemakers- will have the blogs, magazines, and radio hosts buzzing like they were there in person. Luckily, Wale knows this. And how he executed last week's show at Highline made me realize that I might be a jaded NYC resident.

Unfortunately, I missed Colin Munroe's set,

but I made it in time for KiD CuDi's...

He was joined by Capo to perform "Day N Nite":

I love how he goes into the "Crookers Remix" instrumental at the end, trying to get everyone to merge into a more electro lane. And trust, it wasn't the first or last genre-blending move of the night.

Peter Rosenberg and Mark Ronson

entertained the crowd between acts...

But out the gate, Wale was full of that energetic, DC swag.

The crowd ate it up, proving that they were clearly there for him.

Chrisette Michelle joined Wale to perform their record with

The Roots, "Rising Up."

After her, Clipse's own Pusha T joined him to perform "Back In The Go Go"

"That fly sh*t I been on..."

Each show, Wale takes time out to recognize historic Go Go band UCB, and in turn, educates the audience on DC music and culture. In the video below, you can catch a piece of that night's Go Go music lesson:

Embodying "regional" (DMV) celebrity:

Wale with Tre, Mike and Marcus of UCB.

After the lesson, Freeway came out to represent for the Roc...

Wale didn't seem to mind.

And shortly after, Young Chris joined them on stage:

Along with Leo DiCaprio, the Roc was definitely in the building to support...

Hov amongst the spectators (and virtually impossible to photograph!)

Still, it appears as though The Dynasty is thoroughly intact.

Continuing the genre-crossing theme of the evening,

Wale performed "W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.," and then transitioned into Nirvana's

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," testing the crowds ability to summon their inner rocker:

Overall, it worked.

Hip Hop, Electronica, Pop, Go Go, and Rock music, all under one roof...

And all there for this "Folarin" dude - via the Allido magician, of course.

"Name Wale, don't say Wall-E!"

Many thanks to Mjeema and JZ for the ticket! XO

Pin The Tail On The Donkey

2008-12-13T15:41:00.000-05:00

Late to post about it, but JD and I went to see Jim Jones perform at Mercury Lounge two weeks ago. I'm a sucker for Capo's bafoonery, so I looked forward to the intimacy of the small venue, and my company.

Juelz made an appearance... along with most of Byrdgang - sans Cam.

Mr. Santana got to showcase his artist, Starr...

I had heard a few of her tracks in early '08, and she can definitely sing.

To his credit, Jim put verses on two great songs this year - "Electric Feel" and "Day N Nite" - and he took time out to perform both at the show.

Sa-Ra opened for him...

I was a fan of their funky vibe, but seeing them do their thing live?!?

Those dudes are pretty wild...

Although Pitchfork is notorious for being overly critical, I'd unfortunately have to agree with their thoughts on SA-RA. Word to the wise: If you want to be misogynistic, at least make it big first, so that when you do it, we give you a pass...

Like Puffy, with his portable harem; I'm sure you've seen his 007esque I Am King ad on TV, in cabs, and on billboards:

A bit more tasteful, Dolce & Gabanna use Miles Davis' "Nuit Sur Les Champs-Elysées" in their ad for men's fragrance, The One (below). I had just left the room, and it was the music from this commercial that made me go back and look at the TV:

Luckily for me, A Time To Kill was a great book, and Matthew McConaughey playing the lead in the '96 film didn't bother me then, and this shirtless ad doesn't bother me now. Oww.

Lastly, and to prove I'm not completely boy crazy, here's Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle TV ad with Keira Knightley. Joss Stone covers Nat King Cole's song "L-O-V-E":

It's a good look for the british songstress, whose voice is always recognizable. Speaking of which... Joss, where are you?!? The game needs you!

I Want To Help You... If You'll Let Me

2008-12-12T21:01:00.000-05:00

You know you love Podzilla.

You may have heard The Asteroids Galaxy Tour in the new iPod touch commercial:

Beyond that, the rest of the songs should speak for themselves...

Cold War Kids rule. Freekey uses One Republic's "Apologize" melody. Lily Allen covers Britney Spears- "I got your crazy." Wale and Brother Ali unite. Snow Patrol get intense. And Lykke joins Kanye on a track.

Looks like Lacezilla, the civilized monster, has struck again.

Can't Stop Havin' These Visions...

2008-12-11T23:39:00.003-05:00

Fred Hart, a student at University of Arizona (Fine Arts) made a series of song covers for Kanye's 808s and Heartbreak. They blew me away and I had to post my favorites:

Amazing. Truly. And there are more!
Jacked from Boz (thank you!), via GWHH.

It's The Law: Diminishing Returns

2008-12-09T00:39:00.015-05:00

In 1972, John Lennon and Yoko Ono released a song called

"Woman Is The N*gger of the World."

Australia's innocent-looking Ben Lee recently covered the record (as a B-Side for a single off his upcoming album) and made a video for it:

He discussed the implications of the song on his blog:

"Of course, back when it was released, and still now, many people are unable to get past the use of the 'N' word in the title to look at what the song is really saying. In the late 1970's, the Chairman of the Black Caucas, Congressman Ron Dellums, did much to shed light on this subject by saying:

'If you define 'nigger' as someone whose lifestyle is defined by others, whose opportunities are defined by others, whose role in society is defined by others, then good news, you don't have to be black to be a nigger in this society. Most of the people in America are niggers.'

The song is not just about women, or black people, or any other oppressed group. It's about all of us, trying to find a way of living our lives in an authentic manner in a world that seems intent on compromising our basic integrity."

I have to admit, this is all pretty wild to me since I had never heard the song before today. The argument is that women are forced into gender roles that keep them imprisoned... they give and give, but ultimately, they get nothing in return, SMH. Watch John and Yoko talk about the song and perform it on the Dick Cavett show...

"Would you two menaces to society do your number?" LOL

What do we think about this?

Women's issues? Social hierarchy? The definition of slavery?

The evolution of the N-word? Using it for artistic/cultural expression?

Ben Lee's album is called The Rebirth of Venus,

and he also posted the letter that Yoko wrote to him.

Sounds like he's sticking up for the ladies, huh? That kind of reminds me of a song I'm currently OBSESSED with... Cold War Kids "Every Man I Fall For," sung from a female's perspective.

I cannot wait for a bitter female vocalist to cover this.

Stepped It Up Another Level, Meditated Like a Buddhist

2008-12-07T23:24:00.005-05:00

There's so much to write and post about, but there aren't enough hours in the day. And when I can't give something the full attention it deserves, I throw it on the back burner and turn the gas off. It's a bad habit, I know. But as you read this, I'm manning up. I'm gonna stop whining and find the time. Just have to harness some focus first! In the meantime...

air and light and time and space

"–you know, I’ve either had a family, a job,
something has always been in the
way
but now
I’ve sold my house, I’ve found this
place, a large studio, you should see the space and
the light.
for the first time in my life I’m going to have
a place and the time to
create."

no baby, if you’re going to create
you’re going to create whether you work
16 hours a day in a coal mine
or
you’re going to create in a small room with 3 children
while you’re on
welfare,
you’re going to create with part of your mind and your body blown
away,
you’re going to create blind
crippled
demented,
you’re going to create with a cat crawling up your
back while
the whole city trembles in earthquake, bombardment,
flood and fire.

baby, air and light and time and space
have nothing to do with it
and don’t create anything
except maybe a longer life to find
new excuses
for.

© Charles Bukowski, Black Sparrow Press

Poem via Cani8a, the kid who often asks me

"What have you created today?"

Flyer Than The Rest Of 'Em

2008-12-02T08:41:00.008-05:00

The evolution of Hip Hop? Watch a video from the dude who's arguably the best rapper of all time, and then watch one from the dude who is on his way to earning the crown... yeah, I said it.

Jay-Z "Brooklyn Go Hard" f. my girl Santogold

Wale "Nike Boots"

UCB, I see you!

Haven't been so excited for a show in a loooong time...

Ask Many Questions, Like Children Often Do

2008-11-23T21:28:00.011-05:00

Stanford law professor and author Lawrence Lessig was on

Charlie Rose Friday night promoting his new book:

(New Yorker review HERE.)

In addition to discussing (and warning us about) the future of intellectual property and copyright law, he also talked about his interaction with Barack Obama when they were colleagues at Stanford. I totally recommend watching this:

Youtube video makers, song samplers, and photo jackers beware! Lessig argues that a "war" is being waged on "kids and others who create and consume art," comparing that war to the overly-criminalized and equally unsuccessful war on drugs. But through compromise, he suggests ways to bridge the gap between the two opposing sides: (1) politicians and artists' lawyers who cling to the copyright fundamentals of the past vs. (2) the generation of creative criminals who live and breathe artistic mash-ups.

I had never heard of Lessig, but I bought the book anyway. Technology has instigated a new kind of artistic renaissance, and as a blogging participant, I should probably educate myself and be more aware of the legalities surrounding the unlicensed media I use on this site. That, and it's really about the kids (lol)- the technology will only get better and our resources are bound to multiply -- if being artistic makes us all criminals now, then future generations are in a lot of trouble.

Me, age 14, at Woodstock '98.

Photo courtesy of my Momzilla.

It's a weak analogy, but just imagine if they didn't let kids use tape recorders ten years ago... Kidzilla would never have conducted her first artist interview or written an article about it for her local newspaper. Like in Back To The Future, I'd get erased from the photo! Third Eye Blind and Dishwalla may not be super relevant today, but back then, they helped me figure out that I wanted to build a career in music. And coincidentally, the lead singer of Third Eye Blind was in my office a few weeks ago... My boss completely blew up my spot and (true story) had me show him the article I wrote. Ten years later, the whole experience came full circle- right before my very eyes.

Listen HERE.

You'll Never Find Nobody Better Than Me

2008-11-20T22:33:00.010-05:00

We all have certain songs that we associate - by choice or by accident - with relationships, sex, and love. Maxwell's "A Woman's Worth," Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know," Adina Howard's "Freak," and Keith Sweat's "Make It Last Forever" are just a few examples... I'm sure you all have many more, with stories too!

After reading "Love in the Time of Darwinism," an article by City Journal's Kay S. Hymowitz, I was inspired to reintroduce my music blogger self to my Carrie Bradshaw self: earlier this year, we tackled the topic of open marriage together, so why not back-track and collaborate on the chaotic world of contemporary dating? The Darwinism article defines itself as "a report from the chaotic postfeminist dating scene, where only the strong survive," and provides a thorough evaluation of what both males and females go through as participants in the ever-evolving process. Let's start with some male perspective:

"The woman may be hoping for a hookup, but she may also be looking for a husband, a co-parent, a sperm donor, a relationship, a threesome, or a temporary place to live. She may want one thing in November and another by Christmas. 'I’ve gone through phases in my life where I bounce between serial monogamy, Very Serious Relationships and extremely casual sex,' writes Megan Carpentier on Jezebel, a popular website for young women. 'I’ve slept next to guys on the first date, had sex on the first date, allowed no more than a cheek kiss, dispensed with the date-concept altogether after kissing the guy on the way to his car, fucked a couple of close friends and, more rarely, slept with a guy I didn’t care if I ever saw again.' Okay, wonders the ordinary guy with only middling psychic powers, which is it tonight?"

I guess that is rough to deal with, but NEWFLASH gentlemen: the ladies deal with it too! Men change their minds and send just as many mixed-signals as women do. It's human nature! In high school, I added the acronym BBD to my verbal arsenal - the Bigger Better Deal - representing the idea that people constantly want to upgrade their mate. AKA Darwinism, our inherent/biological desire to evolve (right, Boz?). Now, mix that madness with the current social climate, where technology plays such a large role in our day-to-day communication, and it's like adding yet another log to a fire that's already out of control...

"Women complain that instead of calling to ask them out, or even make plans for a date, men simply text, 'Heading downtown. Where r u?' as they walk to the subway. That may be deliberate. 'There is no longer any reason to answer the phone when a woman calls you or return her call when she leaves you a message,' insists one dating pro at World of Seduction. 'What should you do? Text message, of course.' Text messages, he argues, deflect unnecessary personal involvement and keep women on edge. Game goes even further, actually encouraging men to 'neg' their 'target' women—that is, to undermine their confidence subtly by ignoring or mildly insulting them. The hotter the woman, the more essential it is to neg her."

Awesome. SMH- but I'm not even mad! Although I believe I'm more direct and honest than most girls when it comes to communicating, I too am guilty of playing into these kinds of strategic tactics. But is it our fault, or a result of the technology? What came first- the chicken or the egg? All of these relationship woes leave so much to be discussed, which, if you ask me, brings it all back to the music. And since this blog serves as the soundtrack to current events, applying music to dating is no big feat. 808s and Heartbreak? - Literally. Good album title Kanye. Very fitting for my theme...

Kanye West "Heartless"

Dealing with some wishy-washy relationship drama, Ye asks his lady "how could you be so heartless?!" And who knows. Maybe she's a soul thief like he claims, or maybe his actions have worn her down to nothing. We'll probably never know.

Solange "T.O.N.Y"

Open and unapologetic in her lyrics, Solange lets us into her seemingly insecure world after a one night stand. "He wasn't just a regular guy," she claims, simultaneously noting her stubbornness- "but I still refuse to call his ass!" She said it herself: Damn this would make a real good song. PS- I'm loving the Kid Cudi and Cee-Lo cameos!

Lastly, and certainly not new to The Labyrinth,

Lykke Li "Little Bit"

Showing us that there are degrees of her devotion, Lykke admits that she's only a "little bit" in love. She'll even forget about her "tainted heart" as long as her boo reciprocates her legit, lukewarm feelings.

Apparently, Toronto MC Drake appreciated the "Little Bit" record... he hopped on it, pause, to sing and rhyme- leaking his version last week. Listen to it HERE.

I would do it

Push button

Pull trigger

Climb mountain

Thanks to Shamz for the link.

Are you the BBD, or are you looking for one? Or both?!? The more I listen to relationship-inspired music, the more I'm realizing that everyone's a mess! So if we're all confused, and it's a Darwinian rat race, and technology is warping and re-writing our paths of communication, how is a dater supposed to survive?

The Way We Connected, It Was Something Electric

2008-11-16T12:49:00.016-05:00

Thursday night, I had the privilege of attending

Hip Hop Monologues:

The Life and Mind of Jim Jones.

I say privilege both seriously and sarcastically: Jim performed only two nights by invitation only, but... it's also Jimmy. Naturally, I was expecting a train wreck. But there was no such thing! In fact, the whole production was executed in a somewhat decent manner. That said, it's important to note that Jim's story is admittedly not too compelling. Okay, you were a hustler. Okay, you have haters in the hood. Okay, all the ladies want to hump you- we get it. If the musical showed me something I hadn't seen before, then I could let all the self-aggrandizing that came with it go. But it didn't. So I can't.

However, my love for Capo lives on despite this average theatrical experience. He did something amazing last week, and threw two verses on MGMT's "Electric Feel" - the song I constantly co-sign as my favorite this year.

I have to give Jimmy credit for this move... out for almost a year, the song is so hot, I'm actually upset he's the one who got to it first. Wale's manager posted the remix on Elitaste, admitting that it's a shame Mr. Folarin missed the boat. I wholeheartedly agree- Wale would have murdered that track. But then again, there is so much sex appeal and swagger on Jim's version, and it's actually not bad. MGMT + Capo Status = oww. Listen to the track HERE.

Other stuff I'm loving?

Friendly Fires "On Board"

Groovy percussion; definitely one of my faves on their album. Also, FYI, the lead singer's dance moves are out of this world! Peep their "Paris" performance on Later with Jools Holland:

He deserves a cookie for the hip action, and his voice isn't too shabby either.

And lastly, if you haven't checked it out yet, watch

Gnarls Barkley "Mystery Man"

Never disappointing, Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo continue to create magic. Learn more about it at Stereogum.

Oh yeah, and "Pop Champagne" is officially my guilty pleasure...
...making me a sucker for catchy club records, and a hypocrite :)

"I wanna see you dance- see you dance"... SMH.

Wipe Your Feet Really Good On The Rhythm Rug

2008-11-14T00:30:00.004-05:00

After seeing Lykke Li perform A Tribe Called Quest classic "Can I Kick It" at two of her shows, I had been wondering if Q-Tip even knew who she was. And if he did, would he feel her sound? Both questions were answered on Tuesday when Tip surprised the audience at MTVU's Woodie Awards, and joined Lykke on stage to perform his group's song, duet style. The look on his face was priceless; it was obvious that he was extremely taken with her stage presence. And apparently, Q-Tip is one of her favorite artists, so she, too, was blown away to be performing with him. I didn't bring my good camera, but Zimbio posted photos - this one is my favorite:

For so many reasons, I want to know whose idea this was. The label, or MTVU?

Overall, I thought the show was really well done: From Q-Tip, to Emmanuel Jal, to Asher Roth, to Spank Rock- all the performers and presenters seemed relevant to me. Until the show goes live on the 19th, you can peek at these photos:

SPIN did a bang-up job summarizing the show- read about it HERE.

I'll upload my footage after it airs.

My President Is Black

2008-11-09T17:43:00.029-05:00

Rahm Emanuel, Obama's newly hired Chief of Staff, is a total babe. Sadly, I'm not the only one who thinks this fiery, salt and pepper-haired hunk is great... just as I started digging up incredible articles from Rahm's past, the mainstream media also went to town. Gawker, it seems, is equally obsessed, and rightfully so! Didn't you hear about the steak knife?

"The best Rahm Emanuel story is not the one about the decomposing two-and-a-half-foot fish he sent to a pollster who displeased him... No, the definitive Rahm Emanuel story takes place in Little Rock, Ark., in the heady days after Bill Clinton was first elected President.

Revenge was heavy in the air as the group discussed the enemies - Democrats, Republicans, members of the press - who wronged them during the 1992 campaign...

Suddenly Emanuel grabbed his steak knife and, as those who were there remember it, shouted out the name of another enemy, lifted the knife, then brought it down with full force into the table.

''Dead!'' he screamed.

The group immediately joined in the cathartic release: ''Nat Landow! Dead! Cliff Jackson! Dead! Bill Schaefer! Dead!'''

I love him. F*ck Ruff Ryders and Sarah Palin; the meanest pitbull in a skirt is Rahm Emanuel- former ballerina turned political assassin. And now he's the Obaminator's right hand man.

And what a family!...

His brother, Ari Emanuel, is the Hollywood agent who inspired famed Entourage character, Ari Gold. If descriptions like "bad cop" and "watch dog" aren't enough to win you over, Slate had a great article on Rahm, and I'm sure you can learn more about him via Google.

OWW.

But before I let my hormones get the best of me, it's necessary to note how much Hip Hop has embraced Obama. In fact, NPR had an article on some rappers who've penned rhymes solely for his cause:

"Mark Anthony Neal is a professor of black pop culture at Duke University and a visiting scholar at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. He says that in the past 20-odd years, hip-hop historically has been black America's first response to national news."

While the hip hop community may have known about these songs, it's refreshing to see the mainstream media point them out as well. But beyond music, there's plenty of other celebratory stories to be told. Check out Obama's Flickr album from election night, watch footage of him and Michelle doing a happy dance, and read a relieved letter from Fahrenheit 9/11 filmmaker Michael Moore. Of course, all of this media is just skimming the surface of the cultural domino-effect that Obama's campaign triggered, and like I've been saying all along, we can only hope that this momentum continues to inspire real change.

And lastly, it wouldn't be right to celebrate without bidding farewell to the elephant in the room, the frightening Sarah Palin- a woman who's religious beliefs stood to demolish the rights that women have fought for for decades; a woman who made feminist Eve Ensler have nightmares.

South Dakota's Measure 11, California's Proposition 4, and Colorado's Amendment 48 are just a few examples of state legislation that was proposed by Palin-like religious neo-conservatives, and all are detrimental to a woman's right to choose. According to Woman's E-News...

"California's ballot initiative would require a woman under 18 to notify her parents before having an abortion, and wait 48 hours between the time of notification and the procedure."
-and worse-

"The Colorado measure would alter the state constitution to define human life as beginning 'with the moment of fertilization,' giving full legal rights to the mass of cells formed immediately after sperm and egg meet."

Yikes! The South Dakota legislation was even more direct- calling for a complete state ban of abortion in circumstances outside of rape, incest and endangering a woman's health. In other words, death of Roe v. Wade. Luckily, none of that garbage passed, but not hearing about it in the news prior to election day is disheartening. I'm not sure about yours, but in my book, reporting on what rights you might lose trumps which politician might win.

But you know what, Sarah?

Your own Alaskan constituents didn't want to hear it a few weeks ago...

And neither did Americans on election day- thank god.

Putting those small, important victories aside, there was one outcome from election day that managed to really bother me... 70% of African Americans voted in favor of California's Gay Marriage ban, Proposition 8.

That's right. In a year that brought race and equality issues to the forefront, the majority of African American voters in California were unable to see gay marriage as a civil rights issue :( Again, I blame the influence of religion -not skin color- for this unfortunate reality check. It's truly sad that such an uplifting moment in history can be tainted by such a (is it wrong to say, "ironic"?) step backward.

I Hope It's Gonna Make You Notice...

2008-11-05T23:31:00.012-05:00

Just some artists/videos/songs that you might want to check out:

The Knux "Bang Bang"

Feeling these N'awlins boys. Not what I expected, which is always refreshing.

Kings of Leon "Use Somebody"

By far, one of the best songs on "Only By The Night." I love that it starts out seeming broad and impersonal, but you eventually realize he's singing about one person in particular. I love him.

Jim Jones f. Ron Browz and Juelz Santana "Pop Champaign"

A friend sent me this record a few months ago when it still belonged to Ron Brownz, asking what I thought about it. I wrote back "Superstars, no Lupe" - it was clearly catchy, but I need more than that these days. I'd call Jimmy "Deebo" for making the track his own, but we already knew that's how he rolls.

All American Rejects "Gives You Hell"

Not a fan of the band's generic sound, but the lead singer is cute as a button, and the song is so hilariously bitter and anthemic, that I had to post it.

Keyshia Cole f. Tupac "Playa Cardz Right"

Keyshia and Pac sound perfect together. Too bad they had to go and ruin the song by spelling the title stupidly!

Matt & Kim "Daylight"

A dude at work directed this video. The treatment is beyond creative...

Q-Tip "Move"

Q-Tip proves that at almost 40-years old, he can still look flyer than most of these industry guys. Even if he is biting Michael. Pause.

And just as a bonus, my new fave band Friendly Fires covered

Lykke Li's "I'm Good, I'm Gone."

After touring together for months, I'm glad they got some kind of gem from her!

Listen to the song HERE.

Back Flipped On The Mattress They Slept On Me On

2008-11-05T07:33:00.012-05:00

Watch his victory speech below, or read the transcript HERE.

"So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.
In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.
Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.
Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress."

I'm so glad the guy who inspires people won. There's no doubt that many of us are now filled with hope, optimism, and the motivation to embrace and contribute to real CHANGE. This kind of social awareness is something I've wanted to see in people since I was a little kid- I just hope it grows and builds, and doesn't fizzle-out like a fad. There is so much work to be done... and personally, I need to see that change before I can fully hop on the bandwagon. Sorry! *Ducks rotten tomatoes*

"Just Might Be OK"

I'd Make You Call Out My Name... I'd Ask Who It Belongs To

2008-11-02T18:38:00.012-05:00

Saturday night, I had the privilege of seeing Janet Jackson perform at The Garden. Without the support of an opening act, she hit the stage at 8:45 and danced her ass off for over two hours...

Thanks to Ls for hooking it up!

I must have been around 6 or 7 when I first saw Janet perform "Black Cat" on TV, and I'm certain it had a profound impact on my impressionable sponge of a brain. Of course, her brother Michael had already won my heart by that time, so I'm sure it didn't hurt that her song shared his sound a little bit. But now, to see her perform it live, and follow it up with what's probably my favorite Janet song ever?!

Priceless.

Performing "Black Cat" and "If."

The pyro scared the crap out of me! Go HERE if you want more.

In almost thirty years of reinventing herself, this woman has more hits than we can count. Listening to her music in elementary school, high school, and now- the strength of those records doesn't seem to be fading. For example...

"That's The Way Love Goes"

"What's It Gonna Be?" f. Busta Rhymes

"If"

"You Want This"

"Got 'Til It's Gone" f. Q-Tip

...Just to name a few.

And speaking of Q-Tip, I saw The Renaissance Man tape Soul Stage last week...

His album drops Tuesday, the 4th. Election day.

Today's Music Ain't Got The Same Soul

2008-10-31T00:56:00.002-04:00

Have you seen the new Guitar Hero commercial? A-Rod, Tony Hawk and Michael Phelps slide into the room in their undies a la Tom Cruise in "Risky Business." Kobe then does the same, and proceeds to lip sync "Old Time Rock N Roll" while the other boys back him up.

I'm more of a Rock Band girl, but you have to admit that Kobe stole the show.

He said it was fun and easy to shoot... just like singing with his daughters at home.

Also loving this street art from Cherry Flava...

"Found on the streets of London - this wilting, dying memorial of flowers with a sign reading ‘in loving memory of the boom economy’. At least the guerrilla street artists are having fun."

Word up. CaNiBa, what's the status with your street art?

Manhattan Mini Storage rips Sarah Palin in their new subway ad...
I wrote about their ads when I first started blogging.

They had balls of steel then, and they still do now.

And speaking of being in your face with information, please take the time to watch Zeitgeist: Addendum below.

I told you about the first Zeitgeist film a few months ago, but instead of just scaring us, the Addendum actually presents some solutions. Just like last time, I'm not saying I stand by ALL these assertions, but I do think it's important to be open minded and critical of our government. That is what freedom and patriotism should mean, no?

Revisit The Track, Tell Me I'm Wack - You Lyin'

2008-10-25T22:42:00.005-04:00

It's CMJ week in NYC, and on Tuesday night, I actually caught THREE shows.

The first was Mark Ronson's showcase for ALLIDO Records at SOBs:

I couldn't stay for Wale and UCB (devastated!),

or Daniel Mayweather, or The Rumblestrips- but I caught Mark Ronson's introduction.

Snazzy 'fit.
The first performer was

Rhymefest
And he brought out beat-boxing phenom, Rahzel.

Watch Rhymefest 's "Obama Rap":

...And also watch the footage of Wale's set (that I effin' missed) HERE. What's amazing about the clip? Not only is he doing one of my favorite verses from "The Elevator," but he goes at Sarah Palin!

Fine. Fuck It. Done. Fin.

Nope. My CMJ evening certainly did not stop there...

We Watch The Stars... They'll Be Out For Us

2008-10-25T16:24:00.002-04:00

After the showcase at SOBs, I headed to Bowery to catch

Friendly Fires

I've put you on not ONCE, but TWICE already. Seeing them perform LIVE with a fly lead singer, TWO drummers, a possessed guitarist, and lots of cow bell somehow made leaving Wale worth it; the D.C. emcee will be back soon to promote his album, but these guys are Brits. Read more info about the show over at TastesLikeCaramel.

Here they are, performing a piece of "Ex Lover":

In the last 3 seconds, you can hear security tell me "NO VIDEO."

Oopsies! Listen to the full song HERE.

The vocal mic sounds very faint, but HERE'S footage of them performing "White Diamonds," their song that was used on an episode of Gossip Girl. Quirky and energetic, these guys used a DUST BUSTER on their guitars toward the end of the show, presumably to tinker with the sound...

It was way cool.

Unfortunately, I couldn't record them performing "Paris,"

so here's the video instead:

"I'll find you that french boy, you'll find you that french girl- I promise. I'm on it."

Just like Lykke Li, (the headlining act they opened for,)

these guys were really fun to shoot.

After... Laughter... Comes Tears.

2008-10-25T13:48:00.019-04:00

Friendly Fires finished, and Lykke Li took the stage.

Performing Wendy Rene's 1964 song, "After Laughter," Lykke's voice was beyond intoxicating- especially during the second half of the clip below. In fact, this has been on repeat all weekend...

Don't forget to listen to the original record, in it's entirety:

Apparently, Lykke also performed "After Laughter" with El Perro Del Mar when they toured together earlier in the year. I was at the Bowery show where the footage was taken, but S Dot and I left before the encore- WOMP WOMP. In addition to that gem, I also suggest you watch my footage of Lykke performing "Breaking It Up," and "Window Blues" - "I Don't Mind." Never having heard "I' Don't Mind," I assumed it was a cover of some obscure European pop star. Turns out I was right and wrong: Not a cover, it's actually Lykke's song... and you should listen to it HERE.

I heart CMJ. It's extremely dark, but in the following clip you can hear Lykke channel A Tribe Called Quest and perform "Can I Kick It" as she exits the stage. Ending the encore in the same manner at Le Poisson Rouge two months back, she really got the crowd involved this time, too. But sadly, after seeing three live shows of hers this year, the novelty of her stage presence may have finally shown itself. And novelty, my friends, eventually wears off. My fingers are crossed for her!

Two Turntables And A Microphone

2008-10-20T01:29:00.002-04:00

Mega late... Beck played three shows at United Palace two weeks ago. Just like what Fort Tryon is to NYC parks, United Palace is one of New York's most stunning venues- but unfortunately, people tend to not take the trip so far uptown. If you've never been to the church/concert venue, put it on your to-do list.

Beck's stage setup was really cool... chunky lights and a backdrop reminiscent of Lite Brite. (Note to self: Buy one off E-Bay.)

We were in complete view of the set list:

And at one point, he and his band stopped playing their instruments, and performed a song electronically on MPCesque equipment. It was bananas.

Although I adored him back in high school, his live show was a bit of a snoozefest. But then again, I'm not a super-duper fan either. I am, however, a super-duper fan of his opening act. That's right folks, MGMT opened for him, and it was a very good look for them.

Andrew, the lead singer, is so dreamy!

Here they are, performing "Weekend Wars":

And my favorite song of the year, "Electric Feel":

BTW- Guess who's on the cover of November's SPIN?

They're clearly

"Where It's At."

Shoot a Mother-Humpin' Moose 8 Days of the Week

2008-10-19T19:50:00.007-04:00

Much to my initial chagrin, ObamaFever has proven to be infectious... even I'm close to catching it! I just hope he delivers everything he's promised- within reason, of course. But regardless, a new kind of mainstream political awareness has been growing over the last year+, and we owe Barack Obama for being one of the catalysts in the transition. The cultural impact of all this is overwhelming, but we're taking it in stride...

Check out what Bobby Kennedy said 40-years ago about race:

Spooky and ill at the same time, right?

But the Realest Moment Of The Week Award goes to Keith Olbermann for passionately addressing John McCain's sleazy and potentially dangerous campaign tactics. Take the time to watch below:

Fire!!! Oh, Keith- do you mean people like these ignorant Ohio residents (below) harassing an Obama supporter? Watch this next clip... it completely exemplifies the ignorant hate he speaks of:

Yikes! To lighten things up a bit, Josh Brolin hosted the Saturday Night Live episode that Sarah Palin appeared on last night. He also stars in a little movie that I need to see... maybe you've heard of it?

I had no idea he played the older brother in The Goonies!

The SNL episode was terrible -it's only redeeming elements were Brolin hosting, the Palin skits, and my girl Adele as the musical guest. If you missed the Palin Rap during Weekend Update, definitely watch it now:

At the very least, the episode was a good look for Brolin and Oliver Stone to plug the movie. And speaking of W., imagine (1) Sarah Palin won the vice presidency, and (2) a movie named P. was made about her time in office. Someone put those ideas to life and created a hilarious animated movie trailor for it:

And here's a fun toy that literally allows you to play with that same hypothetical scenario...

http://www.palinaspresident.us

Beyond W., I also need to see Bill Maher's film Religulous. Speaking of which, I wonder if Bill's seen this footage of young Kanon Tipton "preaching" on stage in his church, and if so, I'd love to know what he thought about it:

It kind of wigged me out. *SIGH*

To read an account of a family member who was there, go HERE.

And lastly, you most likely saw this at some point in the last two weeks, but I had to post it anyway. Celebrities come together to convince people how important it is to vote...

It might be too late to register, but our day to enter the voting booth is right around the corner. Maybe they count 'em, maybe they don't... but you might as well do it. Or don't. Whatever.

Let Your Atmosphere Surround Me

2008-10-15T23:22:00.006-04:00

Last Thursday was unbelievable. Tickets to Maxwell's first New York show in years (at Radio City) arrived at the eleventh hour, and since I wasn't planning on going, it was extra delightful. PS: He KILLED it... every person in that theater was vibing.

Favorite Maxwell song? Might be "Submerge: 'Til We Become The Sun"...

Even though his sexuality is ambiguous, I still love him! A big THANK YOU to AF for hooking up the ticket :) Unfortunately, I had to scoot early (at the encore) to head downtown to SOBs to see Styles P. perform. High five to Milly for accompanying me! At least there were some girls there this time...

He was a little shy at first...

But was able to warm up with some beverages...

And (see right hand), some herbal relief.

Once acclimated, he jumped into the audience to get up close and personal.

If you're a fan of him, this show was pure joy- Pause.

And I think our favorite rapper's favorite rapper got really into it.

Just look at how he was embraced!?!?

Those middle fingers symbolize unification and love ;)

Gonna Show This Town How To Kiss These Stars

2008-10-12T22:12:00.007-04:00

Hope you didn't forget about

PodZilla

Just a little something from ZILLA to YOU... enjoy.

I Know Just-Just What You Are-Are-Are

2008-10-11T23:50:00.006-04:00

Britney Spears' "Womanizer" smells like comeback city... FINALLY!

And lady Beyonce's trying to school us in "If I Were A Boy"...

You know I'm appreciating the gender-role examination...

even if it IS in the form of Uber Pop.

It's So Real... How I Feel...

2008-10-06T23:12:00.032-04:00

I posted about Chester French back in May, so when I heard they were opening for N*E*R*D and Common, I knew it was going to be a long, amazing night. Recently upstreamed from StarTrak to Interscope, watch them perform their dirty single "She Loves Everybody":

"She craves affection, so I use protection."

Motown meets Pop, and he yells "oww!" - so naturally, Zilla approves.

A man with a tambourine? *swoon*

How can you ignore guys whose CD single comes in faux Trojan packaging?

Do yourself a favor and listen to it HERE.

N*E*R*D came on next, and when they performed 3 ill songs in a row, I didn't have the heart to stop recording! As a result, the clip below is almost 12 minutes long, and since you can't upload more than 10 minutes onto Youtube (didn't know that until now), I used Vimeo...

Of course, they had to intro "Sooner Or Later" by mentioning the economy. SMH.

After those songs, Pharrell gave the crowd a brief N*E*R*D history lesson: Apparently, it was initially Diddy's suggestion to start a group- and thus, the hip hop/rock hybrid was born. After saluting Puff, Pharrell then tipped his fitted to Hot 97's programming director, Ebro. Watch:

Nice of them to also biggup the fans... it was clearly appreciated. And BTW, did you catch him say that "Lapdance" was motivated by George Bush being in the white house? I did.

Although N*E*R*D was definitely the highlight of the show,

Common did his thing too.

Watch the clip below to see him perform "Universal Mind Control," "Get Em High," "Drive Me Wild," and "I Want You," in that order:

Oh, one last thing...

In case you missed VH1's Hip Hop Honors tonight,

you can still watch the full show... HERE. xo

How Was I Supposed To Know?

2008-10-05T19:18:00.002-04:00

Just a few videos to put on your radar...

Cold War Kids "Something Is Not Right With Me"

LOVE the song. And FYI, it closed Entourage last week.

Lykke Li "Breaking It Up"

My girlcrush/musical innovator/goddess has struck again.

The Kooks "Do You Wanna"

For all you hornballs who need a new theme song.

And, umm, I was introduced to Wale at Roseland last night.

Photos and video from the Chester French/N*E*RD/Common show on the way...

Your Freedom's In A Bind

2008-09-30T00:21:00.029-04:00

Last Wednesday, at subterranean club Love, yours truly had the privilege of seeing KiD CuDi do his thing for the third time in as many months.

He always has infectious energy...

Look at Vashtie, super-duper proud with the camera:

Underneath the hat is Hollywood Holt, the dude who CuDi opened for...

Note sure why that was :/

Recently signed to G.O.O.D. Music,

We might be witnessing a star in-the-making.

Performing "Super Boo," a song from his forthcoming album, Man On The Moon:

Boz, he can be your super boo?

And just like I was certain Janelle Monae was special, I might have to put the same stamp of approval on CuDi. Although they're very different artists, both present us with a unique swag that smells somewhat honest: CuDi doesn't mind sharing his insecurities with his listeners, and Janelle Monae's content (although a bit wacky, IE: robots), boasts powerful underlying messages. Neither of them care if you think they're a weirdo.

How fitting...

Her video for "Many Moons" in a post alongside the Man On The Moon:

Out of curiosity:

Who showed you a screenshot of the video back in June?!?!

Forget My Money, I'm Comin' For All Your Ki's

2008-09-29T20:43:00.042-04:00

State Property reunited to perform at SOBs last week.

Beans...
Free...
Young Chris (oww)...
Omillio Sparks...
Peedi Crakk!

A family, together on stage. Cue Peaches & Herb.

Steele from Smif-n-Wessun appreciated the reunion...
... and the reunion appreciated him back!
Manlove.

Speaking of which, thanks to Jenn for coming with me to a show that had a male/female ratio of 47/1 (including Charlie B-More lurking in the shadows) -yikes!

I know it's off a Jay record, but one of my favorite moments during the evening was when Free did his verse from "1-900-Hustler."

I remember where I was when I first heard that verse, and at the time, it temporarily set my world on fire. Seeing him perform it right in front of my face automatically clicked something ON in my brain, sending me back in time to remember that specific period in high school.

Walk with me. Watch the clip below...

And with a solid bill, the AllHipHop.com show spared no expense for opening acts...

Skyzoo was one of many artists to open up for State Property.

E.rick and P.arrish M.akin' D.ollars also performed...

(E.P.M.D.)

and Keith Murray made an appearance:

...he looked happy to be home.

Ya Boy, Jeru The Damaja, Stimuli, Nicki Minaj, Alchemist, Craig G., Nina B., and Guru were also at the event.

Beanie's smiling. Thanks to Manny for the photo-opp.

Out Of My Reach, But Always In My Eye Line

2008-09-26T21:01:00.002-04:00

Saw this earlier in the week... EPSN is letting Lil' Wayne blog.

Look at that, another celebrity blogger...

Is this a pattern? Is blogging culturally relevant? LOL.

You can read his first entry HERE, via NahRight.

Keane's song "Spiraling" was already on repeat in my office, but the video really does it justice considering the lyrics are so sick:

It uses that glowing light animation technique during the chorus, and strangely, I took a photo this week at SOBs, and was completely mesmerized by it BEFORE I even saw the video:

Weird, right? Keane's album, Perfect Symmetry, is out 10/14.

Jazmine Sullivan's album was released on Tuesday, and although I really like it, I think I need to spend a bit more time with it before completely co-signing every track. In the meantime, Boz sent me a song called "Best Of Me" that didn't make the album, but should have!

Ladies, you need this fire in your life! Listen HERE.

Also from Boz, it looks like Trey Songz has something to tell us... Going hard at his label in "Misunderstood," he narrates his story of the past 4-5 years, citing the success of both Ne-Yo and Chris Brown, pointing out that they used to open for him at shows, before people knew who they were. Shoot, I'd be mad too!

Listen to his well-executed rant HERE.

And speaking of Ne-Yo, his song with New Kids On The Block is so catchy, I want to throw myself out a window. Listen to it HERE, and check out my homie Jacquelina, hangin' tough with the boys this week:

I Hear Him Kickin' Up Dirt On My Name...

2008-09-24T08:28:00.008-04:00

Uptown on Saturday, Jim Jones apparently beat the crap out of his ex-bff, Max Bigavel. Jim tried to snatch Max out of his car, and in turn, Max crashed it while attempting to escape. Jim finally got his hands on Max through the car, put him in a headlock, and was punching him from outside the vehicle. Many of you have probably seen the WSHH footage of Max talking about the incident, but to those close to the situation, what he's saying is completely untrue.

In retaliation of Saturday's scuffle, a very good source informed me that Max and approximately 30 goons surrounded the studio where Jim was recording last night. Extra security was called-in, arguments erupted, and guns were drawn. Although no one was harmed, it's evident that this unfortunate feud won't end any time soon.

Even though their music might lack some more classy hip hop elements that I traditionally adhere to, they both create wavy tunes for us all to enjoy, and I truly hope that this mess will clear up ASAP. Dont you? *sigh* Thinking about what might happen to one of these guys makes me very, very sad... I don't want to see any cleaning up "like detergent on a stain." :(

Jim Jones "Love Me No More"

I React Every Time We Make Contact

2008-09-20T19:40:00.042-04:00

Boz was the first person to introduce me to Santogold, so of course we had to go see her at Irving Plaza last night. We're genuine fans.

Santi has quite a few other fans as well...

Hova was in the building, and that's just the beginning.

As I'm struggling to try to photograph Santi from far, a lovely group of boys offer me a better view to shoot from. One of them then tips me off that he's there with his friend (and '90s icon!) Deee-Lite, and asked if I'd photograph them...

...It would be my pleasure.

Still hot, she's definitely a little bit timeless, no?

You remember "Groove Is In The Heart":

Almost 20-years later, you still hear that song out! How often does that happen?

But I wasn't a fan of hers from that. There's another, less pop-centric song I fell in love with in high school that's even better...

LISTEN TO:

> "Stay In Bed, Forget The Rest" <

"Always ready when you hold me steady..."

Deee-Lite was OD friendly, so when I told her "Stay In Bed, Forget The Rest" was one of my favorite booty songs ever, she blessed me with a description of her mindset during the time she wrote it. Apparently, she had discovered a lustful attitude that shook her to her most basic biological desires- and decided to run with it. Word up, lady- that's one of the most steamy songs I know! I took in the moment, saluted/thanked her, and continued snapping away at Santi.

No stranger to the NY music scene, Danny Masterson was in the audience when we first walked in. Afterwards, as the venue cleared out, I saw him again- this time with another guy who looked strangely familiar. It was Kenna - just there to check out Santogold perform. No big deal, he's just a fan. After exchanging a few words and some silliness, Boz went to take our picture. Like the great blog-wingman that she is, she declined Danny's offering her to get in the shot with us... and since he had already grabbed the camera, she sat back and let him take the photo instead.

Make Sure They See My Face.

Photo credit: Danny Masterson. And we're both in red plaid?! I could DIE.

Kenna's an artist whose work I genuinely admire, so I felt obligated to tell him that. And ironically, artist appreciation had leveled us all for a moment: Here I am, a fan of his- and there we all were, fans of hers :) All just here for the music. Random nights like this make me feel grateful to live in NY... this stuff doesn't happen in Wisconsin, you know? And to think the whole evening started off with me bumping into someone else whose work I admire, and whose advice I'm finally taking...

You Can See The Weakness Of A Man Right Through His Iris

2008-09-19T21:28:00.008-04:00

Five shows in the past week. FIVE! I'm not even ambitious, I just couldn't bring myself to skip any of them! For instance...

Last Friday was Gza at Irving Plaza.

Performing "Labels," lol. Watch to the end, and you'll see how serious Wu fans are.

Speaking of being a fan, I bought my tickets for this show, and when I saw Rza come out to spit his "4th Chamber" verse, it seemed like the best purchase of my life. I loved him before, but he's got arms now?!:

A decade later, they sell out shows and keep crowds more amped than most current artists.

Wednesday was Jazmine Sullivan at Knitting Factory for her first NYC showcase.

She performed 5 songs, 4 of which I got on video.... You can watch them HERE until I upload the audio to a playlist. Notice how much better she sounds in the balled? Album out on RCA next week, 9/23.

Thursday was Bloc Party at Roseland Ballroom.

Performing "Song For Clay" (off A Weekend In The City) and "Banquet" (off Silent Alarm):

They transition so well! My cousin and I had a great time overall, and running into tons of old friends made it even sweeter.

Santogold is tonight, so stay tuned...

Pray For My Little Toy Gun

2008-09-17T07:27:00.012-04:00

Kiefer Sutherland's label Ironworks shares a group called HoneyHoney with Universal Republic. Their video for "Little Toy Gun" is not only entertaining, but the song itself is fun and deserves some shine. The video isn't posted anywhere yet, but you can listen to the song HERE.

Also on Ironworks, pop-rockish band Lifehouse returns with a solid video. "Broken" is a powerful song on it's own, but the intensity of the visual (directed by Kiefer!) only enhances that strength. This might be the video that takes them from their previous "Hanging On A Moment"/"You And Me" radio-hit fame, and catapults them to a new level of legitimacy...

Snow Patrol's new album A Hundred Million Suns is out on 10/27. Their single, "Take Back The City" grows on me more with each listen, but admittedly, there's a song called "The Golden Floor" that I heard off the new album, and OMG, I can't wait to have it leak so that I can post it!

My tolerance for oddities is pretty brolic, but Sia's aesthetics are a bit strange- even for my tastes. Still, her video for "Soon We'll Be Found" is uber-creative, and it's honestly unfortunate that more people don't know about her. Her voice is unique, and the song will prove that:

Anytime I see a violin, I'm sold! The Airborne Toxic Event came in to perform, and their single "Sometime Around Midnight" is the perfect example of a "builder" song... steadily building for 2-3 minutes, and then sonically exploding toward the end. Even though Pitchfork destroyed them, Zilla thinks you should please listen/watch...

"You know that she'll break you in two."

Friendly Fires are an incredible new find, and I think their coolness will speak for itself. They're opening for Lykke Li in October, and my ass already has a ticket! Watch "Jump In The Pool" below:

And lastly, the immensely talented

Justin Nozuka

performed on Kimmel last week.

It's obvious to me that he was nervous in the clip, but I've seen him live and he doesn't hold back vocally. Can't wait for his show on Monday :)