Seasonal Allergies

Casiotone – Natural Light Vs. Children is a criminally...

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 09:06:00 -0600

Casiotone – Natural Light

Vs. Children is a criminally overlooked album. The album turns four years old in 2013, long enough to make that statement. Children never had a chance I suppose. All eleven tracks feature an understated, almost lazy tone from Owen Ashworth over an easy, repetitive beat. The charm is in the songwriting. Short and sweet, the way Robert Pollard would have wanted it, no recent album more delicately delivers horrifying every day tragedies the way Children does.

The cheerful melody in “Natural Light” compliments the story of meeting an old friend, talking about better times.

“I found a picture from before the fight / we’re in natural light / and you’re sitting on my lap like everything’s alright”

Suddenly, a surprise as unpleasant and swift as a stubbing your toe bursts through the small talk:

“I’ve thought on things that we said / what if we’d had the kid / I guess he’d be 15”

While the cheerful melody churns on, the balloon of awkward, homely conversation bursts. And your stomach turns.

Like I said, maybe Children is getting the recognition it asked for. The album lasts around 30 minutes, and only one track reaches five minutes. But I say there’s something remarkable about a short and simple track that still manages to punch the listener in the gut.

fuckyeanba: The Denver Nuggets singing Christmas carols

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 06:18:13 -0600

fuckyeanba:

The Denver Nuggets singing Christmas carols

QUICK HIT MOVIE REVIEWS

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:19:18 -0600

Out of The Past (1947) - Cool typical noir movie. Robert Mitchum lights a cigarette unlike anyone else. And he does it a lot. Like every other scene a lot.

Scarlet Street (1945) - Totally blew me away. The movie at face value is enough, but analyzing the themes opens up a whole discussion about what art is, the creative process, what inspires artists, etc. Holy shit this movie is good.

Casino Jack (2010) - I love Kevin Spacey. Top 5 favorite actor. This movie is boring.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) - Rewatching a favorite. Should be a good benchmark for how good Inherent Vice will be. Also, good god Michele Monaghan is absolutely gorgeous.

Shadow of a Doubt (1943) - Hitchcock always gets a lot out of his actors and that carried what was kind of a lackluster mystery plot.

Bottle Rocket (1997) - Rewatched this. I don’t really know if this is a good movie but I know it makes me happy. The final “job” they pull is one of the funniest scenes ever though.

2012 Songs Post

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 01:15:00 -0600

BJ the Chicago Kid - Fly Girl Get’em

Fly Girl Get’em is a shout-out to the coolest girl you know. The pretty girls who rock Nike gear and smile constantly. The girls who watch baseball and crack the same jokes you do. You’ve probably split a pizza with this girl and watched Goodfellas or something. She’s gorgeous, witty, and happy with or without you. Fly girl, get’em.

Beach House - Wild

Each Beach House album offers a string of songs that sound “feel-good” until you glance at the lyrics. “Wild” explores the classic “tempus fugit,” “be-yourself-before-you-die” theme, while video attempts to feature the entire range of emotion humans can experience. If there’s any artist I want exploring common poetic themes, it’s the band that hasn’t made a bad album in their eight years of existence.

Kendrick Lamar feat. Jay Rock - Money Trees

Good Kid, m.A.A.d City is my favorite album of the year. When I look back on the year I’m going to remember starting college and all the baggage that comes with it. New people, new pressures, new garbage to stress you out, and above all, figuring out what I do and what I should be like. GKMC features this universal theme of staying true to yourself versus what your city and surroundings ask of you. “Money Trees” is no exception. Kendrick lists all the things money could turn you to in the hook, followed by Jay Rock delivering the best verse I’ve heard from him yet. Plus, I get to sing along and say “ya bish” at people. “Money Trees” was my jam this year.

Kool A.D. feat. Main Attrakionz - Oooh

Man it’s really this simple. Simple beat I can bob my head to, short sweet sample, Main Attraktionz lazily slurring something about shoes or getting high. It also helps that Kool A.D. gave us one of the coldest lines of the year with:

“Yesterday / love was such an easy game to play / Jordan shrug / fade away“

Miguel - Arch & Point

I could have picked any song off of Miguel’s Kaleidoscope Dream, but “Arch & Point” sums up what made his album so satisfying. The song is a little under three minutes of an artist staying in his lane. R&B dude singing suggestive nothings to a partner over a hip-hop beat. It’s been done before, it’ll be done again and probably better, but 2012 was Miguel’s turn.

Kanye West - White Dress

Not a lot of artists can pull this type of song off. Pouring your soul out line after line and only pausing for a short hook exposes you. Kanye raps on some personal themes here, which is refreshing after this Cruel Summer saw him taking countless victory laps on the success of him and his G.O.O.D. Music crew. Storytelling feels like a lost art in the world of mainstream hiphop, making “White Dress” all the more remarkable.

Nas - Bye Baby

“Baby Baby” is another example of a masterful rapper delving into his most personal matters. Most of Life is Good reflects on Nas’ extensive career, paying homage to his past with songs like “Back When” and collaborating with Large Professor. “Bye Baby” caps off an album that already felt like an autobiography with a personal recollection of his relationship and divorce. Really can’t stress how difficult it must be to detail a story as well as Nas does. Every day I’ll hear another rapper who can’t rhyme the simplest schemes, and Nas the god tells an entire story about the time Kelis yelled at racist cops in Miami. Dude is a legend.

Grizzly Bear - Yet Again

It feels like Grizzly Bear has been reinventing their lush folky sound for decades now. Appropriately titled, “Yet Again” constructs a jangly pop song out of the familiar organic sounds we’re used to from Grizzly Bear. The song burns out in frustration, but not before delivering one of the most snug, hopeful, Grizzly Bear pop songs in the history of Grizzly Bear.

Main Attrakionz feat. DaVinci - Do it for the Bay

The playful opening keys are in the intro of this Harry Fraud beat are identical to the keys in the outro, making “Do it for the Bay” a top candidate for repeated listens. Nobody raps anything particularly profound, but the hook is the heart of this short track. In fact, Squadda B’s verse is so short it feels like he cut a couple bars out just so the hook could reappear sooner.

Solange - Losing You

The low hums of the synths carry “Losing You,” with joyful keys sprinkled throughout the intro and hook. Solange’s voice is too pretty to share the dark tones of the synths, but her words are just as sad. Even when the beat drops from under her and the song is seemingly underwater, her voice echoes happier times, fighting off the gloom. At the end of the song the synths finally win the battle, but the listener can take pleasure in knowing the song can’t really end when “Losing You” is stuck in their heads for the coming weeks.

5. Killer Mike feat. T.I., Bun B, Trouble – Big Beast

Man this song right here will slap the shit out of you for just looking at it wrong. El-P’s recent work sounds inspired by something meaner and aggressive than usual. When I think of El-P, I think The Cold Vein and Fantastic Damage and his other more IDM-influenced stuff. Hearing these “punch-you-in-the-mouth” style beats alongside the opening lines of “Hardcore G shit / homie, I don’t play around / Ain’t shit sweet bout the peach / this Atlanta, clown” is pretty refreshing. Another note: T.I.’s verse is an incredibly smooth gangster narrative; one of the best verses of the year.

4. Kendrick Lamar - Westside, Right on Time

While Good Kid, m.A.A.d city is a tight, cohesive, concept album, Kendrick also spent time making singles serving as victory laps for his major-label debut’s success. “Westside, Right on Time” was part of Top Dawg Entertainment’s Fam Appreciation Week, a week capped off by Kendrick sharing the beat with Young Jeezy. In one of the flashback skits on GKMC, Kendrick and his friends recite a Jeezy line with envy. Fast forward to August 2012, where Kendrick features a teenage idol over a Canei Finch beat, “Westside” not only works as TDE seizing their moment, but serves as homage to their artistic inspirations. Nice.

3. Frank Ocean - White

The lone Frank Ocean exclusive on the Odd Future Mixtape 2, Frank recites a short poem that embodies the tragedy of growing up, and the state of Odd Future. As fun of a time you’re having, it will pass. As gorgeous of a dream you’re enjoying, you’ll wake up. The heaviest lesson Frank confronts is the lack of closure the lyrics offer when he closes the all-too-short song with:

“And what of all my wild friends / and the times I’ve had with them / Will all fade to grey soon / on the TV station”

2. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Shame

It’s always been funny to me how sweet and romantic the sample and hook sounds in this song. Because each line gets nastier as you go.

“Got her dick whipped, my dick smeared with lipstick / basically if this bitch lay with me she payin’ me, / I’m on some pimp shit For real!”

By the time Gibbs drops the line, “Took it in that, hit that, wish I could say it was accidentally / Like I stepped on a banana peel and fell in that pussy” towards the end of the song, you’re in tears laughing. Gibbs is one of the most talented rappers around right now, and I’ve been excited for MadGibbs to release at any minute. For now, I’ll just leave this year’s pimpin’ anthem on repeat.

1. Frank Ocean - Pyramids

Channel Orange is chalk full of songs that show off Frank’s impressive songwriting skills. “Pyramids” just happens to span across five minutes of a dance track and another five minutes of a slow burning, synth-fueled jam. It’d be easy to praise the song based on the duration alone, but what makes “Pyramids” great is Frank’s detailed imagery found within the lines.

“Top floor motel suite / twisting my cigars / Floor model TV / with the VCR”

Frank drops two lines and you already know the narrator has fallen from grace. That’s good writing. The fact that those two lines will be stuck in your head all day, that’s poetry.

Oh also I made this last night @8tracks: “My Talkin’...

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 03:05:26 -0600

Oh also I made this last night @8tracks: “My Talkin’ Just Gets in the Way”

I had only known her for about a month. She was from out of...

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 02:52:00 -0600

I had only known her for about a month. She was from out of state, and I suppose she came to school here for a change of pace. I still don’t know for sure. She’s probably smarter than me. My friends jokingly called her, “the eleven.” You know, a play on that ultra-shallow one-to-ten scale? Whatever, she’s pretty, take my word for it.

We were being showcased our university’s travel abroad program when she said, “New Zealand would be beautiful. I’m going there next year.” Whoa. “Then I want to visit Spain. Wouldn’t that be fun?.” Shit.

The protagonist in “Lost” (Frank) is a drug dealer who ships his girlfriend around the world, smuggling the supply. His girl loves him more than he knows.

“She’s at a stove / Can’t believe I got her out here cooking dope / I promise she’ll be whipping meals up for a family of her own / someday / nothing wrong with a lie”

Frank, for the moment, cares about his drug business. The girl, for the moment, cares about her man. Frank claims she’s “lost” as she travels around Miami, Amsterdam, Tokyo, and Spain doing his business. He believes she doesn’t know what she’s doing. Distracted.

It’s perfectly clear what she’s doing. Earlier, it’s said she’s been blowing off her normal, legal job to cook and smuggle drugs with her man. And now, after her patience, she’s living it up around the globe.

“Love, love, lost” He sings in the outro. Frank, too caught up in his dope to note this girl’s affection, loses.

I’ve only ever lived in my hometown. I understand some people travel to gain perspective on themselves, to “find themselves” or something. That’s so strange to me. I’ve got too much school, work, and miscellaneous garbage to do to worry about who I am. On the flip side, “The eleven” will probably go through with travelling abroad for semesters at a time. And as much as I like her, there’s no fuckin’ way I’m going to New Zealand to visit.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell who’s lost.

thoughts on Good Kid, m.A.A.d City

Sat, 20 Oct 2012 14:43:00 -0500

Good kid, m.a.a.d city:

This isn’t a review, I’ve just been organizing my thoughts on this album and wanted to post em somewhere.

The themes I noticed include Kendrick’s ambivalence towards his city and “dominoes.”

The dominoes motif is only mentioned a couple times during the skits, but there’s some symbolism there. The idea of dominoes falling over and not being able to stop the falling is projected through the skits. I don’t want to spoil any details, but Kendrick and his friends’ night gets out of control. Can’t help but think about Things Fall Apart, The Roots album and the novel.

The most important running theme is ambivalence, just having contrasting thoughts on things. During the skits, Kendrick balances his family and religion vs. peer pressure and violence. Evidence of Kendrick being of two minds is everywhere, including the album title: Good kid vs. m.A.A.d city.

Examples:

The weird voice used in songs (“Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe” “Swimming Pools”) vs. Kendrick’s real voice. Good kid vs. m.A.A.d city
The first half of “The Art of Peer Pressure” has lines contrasting Kendrick’s conscience vs. his Kendrick + the homies.

“I got the blunt in my mouth / Usually I’m drug-free, but shit I’m with the homies”

“Really I’m a peacemaker, But I’m with the homies right now”

Good kid vs. m.A.A.d city.

Songs like “Backseat Freestyle” and the first half of “M.A.A.D City” feature shallow simple beats. Stuff you’d find on youtube or something vs. Kendrick yelling his guts out on “Backstreet Freestyle,” and disgusting lines on “M.A.A.D City” such as:

“Aw man, God damn, all hell broke loose / You killed my cousin back in ‘94. Fuck your truce /Now crawl your head in that noose/ You wind up dead on the news”

Good kid vs. m.A.A.d city

Can’t wait to go out and buy a physical copy of this album Monday. I really love it. You can also buy it on iTunes

Heavy Eyes, Free Thoughts from wootalexftw on 8tracks Radio.

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 17:00:33 -0500

Heavy Eyes, Free Thoughts from wootalexftw on 8tracks Radio.

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Sat, 18 Aug 2012 04:27:18 -0500

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Sat, 18 Aug 2012 04:01:20 -0500

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Sat, 18 Aug 2012 03:58:43 -0500

Virtual Seasonal Allergies

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 21:59:00 -0500

Video Games are great! Right? You bet your horrible greasy face they are. And when your ugly face stares at the same RPG for hours on end, your (somehow uglier) ears long for something other than that sound of footsteps and whatever music came on the OST.

So as someone who fits the description above, I’m qualified to suggest other music to listen to while playing your (my) favorite video games.

Fallout: New Vegas

When patrolling the rolling hills of a wasteland desert. Nothing goes down easier like the alt-country stories told on Songs: Ohia’s 2003 album, Magnolia Electric Co. There’s actually a line in a song on here that goes: “I’ve been running out of things I didn’t even know I was using” and if you’ve ever messed with the ammo on the ridiculous amount of guns in this game, you’ll question whether this song was actually intended for New Vegas.

Some of the themes on the album include:

Travelling with ghosts
Being lonely
Entire cities losing their electricity at the same time

So the first theme being a metaphor for problems your character faces or some shit. The second theme being an actual aspect to the game. The third maybe being an extra mission you could find in the zillions of mods people made for the game. Yup, pretty fuckin’ perfect. You’re welcome.

On another note, if you want more albums featuring the second theme you could check out EVERYTHING HE’S EVER WRITTEN.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

This game aims to be the biggest, most epic game a computer could handle. Whether it succeeds or not is up to interpretation. I’ve logged some hours, and can’t imagine any current game one-upping, “Skyrim: The dragon slaying, troll hunting, spell casting mega-game” anytime soon.

On the music end, those weird tribal chants when you learn shouts are cool. But nothing beats inhaling the sweet wispy smoke of a dragon soul into your lungs with the climax of a God is an Astronaut song raging in the back. Pretty much any all of their albums will work, but my favorite is All is Violent, All is Bright.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 19:35:49 -0500

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

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Sun, 01 Jul 2012 23:13:08 -0500

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Sun, 01 Jul 2012 23:12:39 -0500

It’s a feeling unlike anything else. You have but one care in the world, the task at hand. Nobody to...

Tue, 22 May 2012 02:36:00 -0500

It’s a feeling unlike anything else. You have but one care in the world, the task at hand. Nobody to bug you, nothing to distract you. This is YOUR time. And you know what? Take your time. This chore isn’t meant to be rushed. But by all means, don’t say you’re “savoring” it. That’s disgusting…

I recently got a Kindle Fire, and after three days with it I can say with confidence, “Kindle Fires are kickin’ rad!” Twitter, Pandora, even MLB At-Bat, an app that allows me to watch a live baseball game unfold in my hands are all included on my Kindle.

And books! God damn are there books! Books books books. Lately, I’ve been reading “Post Office” by Charles Bukowski. But if I wanted to, I could totally download and read one of the other 129 million books in the world. For now though, if you walk by at the right time, you can hear my occasional chuckle at Bukowski’s crude sarcasm. But don’t you dare talk to me, it’s just not appropriate, you know?

The routine for this chore includes checking the box scores and reading Bob Dutton’s write-ups on yesterday’s Royals game. In between a deep exhale with my eyes closed, I wake up the previously mentioned Kindle, and swim through an endless stream of instagram’d pictures, song lyrics, and relationship updates on the Facebook app. During a prolonged session of tranquility and carelessness, I’ll start up the excellent Pulse app and scroll through a medley of newspapers, blogs, and websites bringing me the news.

I wouldn’t trade these minutes for anything. I can’t do this stuff in public, yo. That’d be awful. This feeling of lightness, peace, and serenity can’t be bought, emulated, or faked. It’s a special moment that can only be fulfilled sitting on your own familiar toilet at home. I fucking love pooping.

imaginaryimageblog: An elephant sitting on a bench in the locker room, screwing its tusks into its...

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:49:08 -0500

imaginaryimageblog:

An elephant sitting on a bench in the locker room, screwing its tusks into its face in preparation for the big game

Wordless Summer (Songs about this summer)

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:57:27 -0500

Wordless Summer

(Songs about this summer)

Ridin’ Music (Songs about my friend Drew)

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:57:00 -0500

Ridin’ Music

(Songs about my friend Drew)

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Sun, 08 Apr 2012 21:00:51 -0500