I'm not an avid listener of dubstep, and I'm not entirely sure I know what actually qualifies as dubstep, but I'm just going to assume that if it has a dark, heavy sound to it with deep, wobbly bass, then it's dubstep. I've never listened to this artist before today, and I haven't even finished listening to this album that I'm posting, but it meets my limited understanding of the genre. More importantly, my ears seem to approve, as the songs are helping me think of things other than the near soul-crushing Spurs loss to the Suns that has put us in what history tells us is an insurmountable hole to recover from. So, whatever, just listen to the stream here and buy it if you so choose.
7.5.10
3.5.10
Cosmogramma//Spurs vs. Suns, Game 1
Album of the year? NBA team of the year (champs)?? HUGE yes to the first question, no doubt in my mind, but the second answer has yet to be revealed. If star gazing could get you anywhere in life, hopefully it would help the Spurs raise another banner in the rafters, or at the very least, get them past the Phoenix Suns and into the "Galaxy in Janaki."
2.5.10
Song of the Moment - "Runnin'" by The Pharcyde
There's nothing like a classic track from The Pharcyde, produced by none other than the late great J Dilla. Enjoy!
1.5.10
28.4.10
The Tropics EP
Love this stuffff. It was released on vinyl 3 weeks ago. It' so beautiful. Listen to the entire EP (7 tracks) right here:
9.4.10
Manu Ginobili: A Spur For Years to Come
It's official, folks, Manu will remain a Spur for the next three seasons. Manu was in the position to be a free agent this summer, but of course the Spurs ownership and front office did have some marbles amongst them and shot for El Contusión and his unborn twin boys, (the future of the Spurs, I have no doubts) to remain in San Antonio by offering $38.9 mil/3 years, the maximum amount we were allowed to spend for him. It was crucial to make sure we extended Manu's contract now (or sooner) because we couldn't allow him to test the waters of free agency, where I'm completely certain he would be offered BIG money. I know his near 40mil might seem big enough, but when teams like New York have been completely and unabashedly cutting players and trading for players with expiring contracts in order to throw massive checks at the numerous skilled, high profile free agents like Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire, Rudy Gay, etc., it's a good idea to make sure the Manu Ginobili gets cut out of that moneypool.
So, this is the news that any sensible Spurs fan was hoping to hear. Without Manu, our current team has no future. No one in the entire league can play like Manu. Just watch one of his highlight videos.
So, this is the news that any sensible Spurs fan was hoping to hear. Without Manu, our current team has no future. No one in the entire league can play like Manu. Just watch one of his highlight videos.
As Kobe has said, "[He's] a bad man," and we couldn't let our bad man become anyone else's bad man. We just couldn't. He is, after all, "The Man with no Swagger."
1.4.10
Song of the Moment - "The Saddest Song" by Morphine
Here's some music that's likely as new to you as it is to me. This band is the essence of cool. Don't let anyone else tell you different. Morphine forgoes the typical rock band arrangement and instead have vocals, a 2-stringed guitar with bass guitar strings, drums, and baritone/tenor saxophones. If that doesn't pique your interests, there's no hope for you in my world.
Fuck it, they're good enough for my song of the moment to be more than one song.
Also, these songs are from their first album, Good, which critics rank below their other albums, basically stating that it lives up to it's title. If there's any hint of what's to come after this album from their opinions and our friend, the English language, just know that my ears are eager for more.
27.3.10
Spurs 102 - Cavaliers 97
Hey LeBron, we had some fun together in 2007, didn't we? Ah, the memories.Last night, the Spurs edged out a win in a statement game against the top team in the league, winning percentage-wise, which happens to have some guy with the last name of James. I've never liked it when people's surnames are given names. Do you? We still have a tough road ahead of us in the regular season, but I think people around the league are certainly not counting us out of contention for the time being. I know I'm not.
Also, there was an impressive dunk by Matt Bonner, and if I find a video of it, I'll edit it in here ASAP. There's nothing like witnessing that, haha, and it's even better than the first one this season against the Raptors.
Also, there was an impressive dunk by Matt Bonner, and if I find a video of it, I'll edit it in here ASAP. There's nothing like witnessing that, haha, and it's even better than the first one this season against the Raptors.
GO SPURS GO!
25.3.10
New Poem
I wrote this two days ago while listening to "Neuköln" by David Bowie. Bowie plays the sax admirably, and I love saxophonists like John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Pharoah Sanders. I knew this would come someday, and here it is.
"A Tribute to Saxophone Squiggles"
That ephemeral warmth
Emanating from its golden bell
Begins to wrap around you
While dancing on blade's edge
Only to rise and sink between
The mountains and canyons
Found in the furrows of your brain
And so, a leaf on the pedestal
Gets caught in the slipstream
And from that point forward
It erupts into flame
That is extinguished only
At song's end
That ephemeral warmth
Emanating from its golden bell
Begins to wrap around you
While dancing on blade's edge
Only to rise and sink between
The mountains and canyons
Found in the furrows of your brain
And so, a leaf on the pedestal
Gets caught in the slipstream
And from that point forward
It erupts into flame
That is extinguished only
At song's end
10.3.10
FlyLo
I realized that I don't have any Flying Lotus tunes here. Insanity if there ever was such a thing. Here are two great tracks from his '08 release, Los Angeles, with amazing fan-made videos. "Infinitum" is one of FlyLo's more understated tracks that is beautifully accompanied by Laura Darlington's voice. "GNG BNG" is a "club banger," but of course the only proper way to dance to it is on a bike, as demonstrated here. Enjoy!
5.3.10
Obligatory Blog Post: Another Poem
Well, I felt like making another post, but didn't want to put any extra thought into it, so I decided to go with a "prefabricated" post. I actually wrote this three days ago and was surprised by its cohesiveness. My poems tend to be short, but jammed packed with images and meaning. At least that's what I want to believe. It may not seem like much at first, but read into the meanings of some of the words. Pretty please?
"A Memory Eclipsed"
They called him
The pinioned prophet
Who had a face like a falcon
He got them moving,
But he had too much time
To cut his teeth
The skies he once captained
Have hairline fractures,
Now haggard,
They are gone
They called him
The pinioned prophet
Who had a face like a falcon
He got them moving,
But he had too much time
To cut his teeth
The skies he once captained
Have hairline fractures,
Now haggard,
They are gone
23.2.10
Congrats!
If you don't recognize this picture, it's the album cover to MGMT's upcoming release, Congratulations. It's like a psychedelic surf version of Tom and Jerry, with Tom having a bad acid trip. Anyway, I pre-ordered the album impulsively. I felt a little off after buying it, actually, because although I like Oracular Spectacular a good deal, I'm not a huge fan. However, after reading their description of the work they put into it, it seems like it should be one of the best albums this year, and there have been/will be plenty of great releases.
20.2.10
My New Guitar or: Look at Me, I Can Play a G Chord
See? I told you.Lately, I've been listening to a lot of blues and watched a documentary called It Might Get Loud, which is an interesting take on rock music through the eyes (or ears) of three amazing guitarists: The Edge from U2, Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin, and Jack White from The White Stripes. The concept alone drew me in since they each represent different generations of rock music. Indeed it was interesting. It was really something to see and hear how these guys grew as musicians, and then watch them improvise The Band's "The Weight" over the ending credits. Jack White especially made an impression on me. He emphasized that learning and playing the guitar should be a struggle, as evidenced, among other things, by his desire to play old and/or crappy instruments. Plus, he introduced me to blues musician Son House.
Jack White's favorite song. It's astoundingly simple and ironically features no guitar.
All of that led me to my renewed interest in playing the guitar. I say "renewed" because my background as a "guitarist" began when I was 8 (?) years old. My parents took me to Alamo Music, and I ended up with a 3/4 size classical guitar. Briefly, I took lessons. I honestly don't know what led to this. Aside from the car radio, I didn't listen to music. I don't think my parents pushed me to play since music really isn't much a part of their lives as it is now in mine. Example: they probably have about 15-20 CDs between them, most of which were gifts from me; I own over 200, and my computer tells me that I have over 11,000 songs. Anyway, that stint didn't last long.
Fast forward to when I was 14. By this time, I was mostly listening to classic rock, which, in case you don't know, heavily employs the electric guitar. I thought it would be fun to learn, so my parents bought a Fender Starcaster & amp for me from Costco. I didn't take any lessons this time around, but probably should have. I needed guidance. I needed someone to tell me what Jack White told me, but I wasn't really serious about it and thought it would be a breeze. The guitar eventually became just another toy collecting dust.
Back to the present. Music continues to have an increasing influence on my life, and I can't say what that means for the future. Nevertheless, I decided about a week ago that I wanted to return to the guitar, and this time it would be a full sized metal-stringed acoustic. I began searching on craigslist and ebay without much success at first. I had no responses from craigslist ads, and people would outbid me on ebay since I had decided not to pay more than $65. However, I eventually got an email response on craigslist from a guy named Joe whom I assumed had already sold his guitar. He said he didn't want to lower his price, but wasn't lucky with his responses, and my price was the best offer he had gotten. So, here I am with my Takamine S35 Jasmine. It had no nicks or scratches to speak of until I bumped it on a rock walking back into my apartment. WHY?? I don't even know why I was carrying it that low. The rock was large, but not like a boulder. Anyway, one small nick aside, it really is a nice guitar and was a steal for $65. I love the damn thing. I think she needs a name, but I think the dirty bitch needs to earn it.
Jimmy Page said I could caress my guitar like a woman. Um, how am I doing?
All of that led me to my renewed interest in playing the guitar. I say "renewed" because my background as a "guitarist" began when I was 8 (?) years old. My parents took me to Alamo Music, and I ended up with a 3/4 size classical guitar. Briefly, I took lessons. I honestly don't know what led to this. Aside from the car radio, I didn't listen to music. I don't think my parents pushed me to play since music really isn't much a part of their lives as it is now in mine. Example: they probably have about 15-20 CDs between them, most of which were gifts from me; I own over 200, and my computer tells me that I have over 11,000 songs. Anyway, that stint didn't last long.
Fast forward to when I was 14. By this time, I was mostly listening to classic rock, which, in case you don't know, heavily employs the electric guitar. I thought it would be fun to learn, so my parents bought a Fender Starcaster & amp for me from Costco. I didn't take any lessons this time around, but probably should have. I needed guidance. I needed someone to tell me what Jack White told me, but I wasn't really serious about it and thought it would be a breeze. The guitar eventually became just another toy collecting dust.
Back to the present. Music continues to have an increasing influence on my life, and I can't say what that means for the future. Nevertheless, I decided about a week ago that I wanted to return to the guitar, and this time it would be a full sized metal-stringed acoustic. I began searching on craigslist and ebay without much success at first. I had no responses from craigslist ads, and people would outbid me on ebay since I had decided not to pay more than $65. However, I eventually got an email response on craigslist from a guy named Joe whom I assumed had already sold his guitar. He said he didn't want to lower his price, but wasn't lucky with his responses, and my price was the best offer he had gotten. So, here I am with my Takamine S35 Jasmine. It had no nicks or scratches to speak of until I bumped it on a rock walking back into my apartment. WHY?? I don't even know why I was carrying it that low. The rock was large, but not like a boulder. Anyway, one small nick aside, it really is a nice guitar and was a steal for $65. I love the damn thing. I think she needs a name, but I think the dirty bitch needs to earn it.
Jimmy Page said I could caress my guitar like a woman. Um, how am I doing?
8.2.10
Daedelus - "Righteous Fists of Harmony" Promo
This dreamy, stunningly beautiful music video is promoting the release of Daedelus' The Righteous Fists of Harmony album with his song "Fin de Siècle." It's amazing and reminds me of Fantasia. It's being released on Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder label, FlyLo being one of my favorite artists and having his much awaited album, Cosmogramma, out this year as well (May 4th can't come soon enough!), but I digress. I highly recommend watching this in HD and full screen. Enjoy!
7.2.10
Remembering James Dewitt Yancey (aka J Dilla, Jay Dee)
James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974-February 10, 2006)If you're someone like me; however, you don't needed to be reminded of Dilla's greatness. You most likely experience a bit of it every day or week as you listen to your music collection. People that normally don't listen to hip-hop have certainly heard bits of his tunes as well since some were used in bumps in Adult Swim. Here's a bump paying tribute to him with snippets from Donuts tracks:
Now, I'd like to explain how I was introduced to Dilla. I started off like most, not knowing of him, but certainly knowing his work. Most likely the first songs I've heard from him were for Busta Rhymes. I've always loved Busta and his emphatic rhymes. From there, I think that Dilla-wise, I listened to some Common tracks from his Electric Circus album.
I'm not sure where to go from here, so I'll end this entry with my favorite song by Dilla, "Nothing Like This" (such a fitting title), from Ruff Draft that has another awesomely creative video:
He's just so "astronomicalnomicalnomical"
P.S. - Here's an article that describes Dilla's life and legacy much better than I have:
http://j-dilla.com/biography/
http://j-dilla.com/biography/
5.2.10
Axe Cop (Webcomic)
One of my friends posted this on his facebook, and now I'm hooked. This is a hilarious comic that, as described, is written by a 5 year old and illustrated by his 29 year old brother named Malachai and Ethan Nicholle, respectively. It's actually pretty well written, which makes me wonder if the kid had any help writing it. I'm not going to attempt to describe it, because that will take away from zaniness of it all. Enjoy the first entry below!
2.2.10
The Whole World Is Punxsutawney's Bitch
You are now staring into the unflinching gaze of a global tyrant.
Who ever thought the fate of the world would fall into the claws of a dastardly little varmint named Phil on a yearly basis? Almost every year, he's professed an undying love for winter. The statistics don't lie; this fat little rodent has plagued us annually with wintry gloom. It must be stopped.
28.1.10
Song of the Moment - "Montague Terrace (in Blue)" by Scott Walker
A fan-made music video of one my favorite songs. Just listen, dammit.
The little clock's stopped ticking now
We're swallowed in the stomached rue
The only sound to tear the night
Comes from the man upstairs
His bloated belching figure stomps
He may crash through the ceiling soon
The window sees trees cry from cold
And claw the moon
But we know don't we
And we'll dream won't we
Of Montague Terrace in blue
The girl across the hall makes love
Her thoughts lay cold like shattered stone
Her thighs are full of tales to tell
Of all the nights she's known
Your eyes ignite like cold blue fire
The scent of secrets everywhere
A fist filled with illusions
Clutches all our cares
But we know don't we
And we'll dream won't we
Of Montague Terrace in blue all in blue
We're swallowed in the stomached rue
The only sound to tear the night
Comes from the man upstairs
His bloated belching figure stomps
He may crash through the ceiling soon
The window sees trees cry from cold
And claw the moon
But we know don't we
And we'll dream won't we
Of Montague Terrace in blue
The girl across the hall makes love
Her thoughts lay cold like shattered stone
Her thighs are full of tales to tell
Of all the nights she's known
Your eyes ignite like cold blue fire
The scent of secrets everywhere
A fist filled with illusions
Clutches all our cares
But we know don't we
And we'll dream won't we
Of Montague Terrace in blue all in blue
22.1.10
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