Has it been a week already?! I’m gonna have such a hard time getting this all written up, done, and posted every Sunday. So I know last week I went on and on about the musical genius of a one, Mandy Moore, but this week I’m taking a different approach. Utada Hikaru is the number one music artist in Japan, probably ever. That said, her releases stateside aren’t the same j-pop fare she releases overseas. Instead, her English albums seem to suggest a playful side to Utada with lyrics that are often times overtly sexual, while still be cute and a little coy. “This is the One” was released earlier this year and is a lot more accessible to an American audience then her debut “Exodus” was. The album has a clearer direction, cementing itself in the pop/R&B genre with its use of producers such as Stargate and C. “Tricky” Stuart. The album is a lot more sexual that its predecessor as well. I mean let’s talk about these lyrics. In “Dirty Desire” we get:

Doing my nine to five
I’m thinking six and nine

The in “Poppin” there’s the always classic:

Sexy stiletto pumps, tight jeans, no panties on
Oops, did I turn you on?
I only came to party, party

But in all honesty, the CD isn’t just about being a dirty asian slut. In all actuality, Utada is a pretty great writer and only of a handful of the songs have these “racy” lyrics. What I really enjoy about this CD are all the ballads; these songs are really where Utada’s vocals shine and show her true ability as an artist. My three favorite songs off the album all fill this criteria. “Me Muero” is just a cute song. It has a lo-fi sound and interestingly cryptic lyrics. Is Utada really singing about a lost lover, or perhaps an obsession with alcohol:

Everyday my life’s in shambles
Since you took your love away
I got nothing left to gamble
I’ve thrown it all away

Now and then I’m suicidal
Flirting with a new temptation
Happiness inside a bottle
is what I need today

I mean, maybe that’s a little dark and creepy, but it wholly fits with the lyrics of the entire song. I really wouldn’t put it past Utada to write something so scary, especially after seeing and hearing a lot of her angst-ridden Japanese ballads. “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – FYI” is a bit more straightforward. It’s most certainly about a relationship, though the actual type could be debatable. This song really showcases Utada’s ability to construct a great song though as she interpolates pieces of Ruichi Sakamoto’s soundtrack to the film “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” with her own lyrics (mirroring the film) and production resulting in a pretty cute little song. Lastly, “This One (Crying Like a Child)” is the biggest ballad on the album and is definitely my favorite track. The song is deeply rooted in R&B, but really sounds like R&B from the late 90s to early 2000s. The lyrics can be a bit predictable (boy leaves girl, but girl still loves boy; perhaps it’s about her ex-husband, Kazuaki Kiriya.) and maybe a little immature, but I think the sincerity and emotion in Utada’s vocals really elevate this above the other tracks.  Other key songs on the album would have to be “Apple and Cinnamon” which refers to two partners in a relationship going together like, well, apples and cinnamon; it’s almost too cute, but it works. “Automatic, Pt II” is a nod to one of Utada’s Japanese hits, “Automatic,” but completely different both musically and lyrically. The song is a cute little intro of sorts for the singer, as the lyrics are all about herself while being incredibly tongue in cheek. I wouldn’t say the album is this great, epic collection of songs that are going to change your life. Really, if you weren’t a fan of Utada before you probably won’t become one now. However, the CD is fun, cute, and totally accessible pop music. So if any of that appeals to you, then I would say check it out.

Download: Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – FYI | This One (Crying Like a Child) | Automatic Part II | Dirty Desire | Poppin’ | Me Muero | Apple and Cinnamon

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6

(click to enlarge)

DATE

14.12.2009 (MONDAY)

TIME

7 – 8:30PM

VENUE

URBAN GROOVE SUNWAY BRANCH

RM60 – UG STUDENTS

RM80 – NON-UG STUDENTS

URBAN GROOVE PROUDLY BRINGS

Ricky Carranza aka 3ki Rick from Finland to Malaysia to conduct a workshop on

ORIGINAL LOCKING STYLE

For all the locking lovers, don’t miss this chance to learn from the maestro himself on pure funk styles.

Ricky himself is a close friend and student of Greg Campbellock from the original lockers. He is currently based in Finland where he runs his own academy called Style Dance Industry. He is a highly versatile dancer which specializes predominantly in popping and locking.

For booking and register please call / sms

012 – 3896588

016 – 5584466

HURRY UP !

LIMITED PLACES AVAILABLE !

Check out Ricky’s videos here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnJkNWwhZPg&feature=fvw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMJZMQk6YVM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQbihTyL3sw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeNs5qwYBn8&feature=related

Tonight(Nov 19th) Gran Cru Presents The Sex Chronicles @ MLounge 656 Elizabeth Ave, Elizabeth Nj
18 to PARTY; 21 to DRINK

Ladies Only $$5$$ before 10:30pm On The Guestlist
Fellas Only $$10$$ before 10:30pm On The Guestlist

Music by DJ Shy!

Doors Open @ 10 sharp so Get there Early

DRINK SPECIALS?! YUPP ON DECk
10pm to 11pm : qet ANY 2 Drinks for the price of 1
BEERS $$ 4 $$
SHOTS ONLY $$ 5 $$
BOTTLES $$ 100 $$ SEE Jag

Pictures By RunNj.Tv

Jag måste vara sjuk! Men hur härligt är inte det här?

K-os is one of my all time favorite artists, ever since I saw the video for Superstar I was hooked. All his albums are great from start to finish (which i think is rare). I respect that every video has some breaking element to it as well as hip hop in general. I am currently taking a Dance as Art class (history class) and I am learning about Earl “Snake Hips” Tucker and I see alot of moves in this video inspired my Snake Hips. Enjoy

So today I realized that I may be abusing the Facebook “share this” function and therefore driving all my friends crazy with 80,000+ lolcat and regretsy postings. Plus, why limit all my glorious insights and crazy online discoveries to just my Facebook friends?

So to celebrate my new blog, why not begin with one of the most hypnotizing youtube videos ever made?

Your welcome.

Don’t forget to check out my awesome links and take my poll below!

Tonight(Oct 30th) Gran Cru Presents The Jig Saw Way @ Club Red ZoneEACH N EVERY FRIDAY GRAN CRU WILL B @ REDZONE

YOU THOUGHT LAST FRIDAY WAS CRAZY .. WAIT TILL THIS TONIGHT!!

DA New dance in the clubs is the “Wible Woble” – Bend Ova by da boyz RDX!
FEllas if you can’t handle the ladies when the song comes on, move out da way.
They go crazy when this joint comes on

GRAN CRU PRESENTS WELCOME 2 PATTERSON AT REDZONE

RED ZONE LOUNGE 21 WESTBROADWAY PATERSON NJ.
18 PARTY
21 TO DRINK

DOORS OPEN 10PM..

ADMISSION 5 B4 1030PM

NICE PLACE 1 BAR .. PLASMA TV’S STRIPPERS POLES

LOUNGE AREAS….

MUSIC BY DJ ACE BOOGIE DJ SHY… AND SPECIAL GUEST DJ’S

MIX DRINKS 5 DOLLARS MIX DRINKS 5 DOLLARS

2 DOLLAR SHOTS OF TEQUILLA
BOTTLE SERVICES
1OO GREYGOOSE
100 HENNY

(Click to enlarge)

DATE

14.12.2009 (MONDAY)

TIME

7 – 8:30PM

VENUE

URBAN GROOVE SUNWAY BRANCH

RM60 – UG STUDENTS

RM80 – NON-UG STUDENTS

URBAN GROOVE PROUDLY BRINGS

Ricky Carranza aka 3ki Rick from Finland to Malaysia to conduct a workshop on

ORIGINAL LOCKING STYLE

For all the locking lovers, don’t miss this chance to learn from the maestro himself on pure funk styles.

Ricky himself is a close friend and student of Greg Campbellock from the original lockers. He is currently based in Finland where he runs his own academy called Style Dance Industry.

For booking and register please call / sms

012 – 3896588

016 – 5584466

HURRY UP !

LIMITED PLACES AVAILABLE !

Yes, you may be forgiven for not quite understanding the importance of this event in the world Break-Dancing calendar, in fact I’m still not entirely sure whether this event was the UK’s claim on what they consider to be a ‘World Final’, an actual ‘World Final’ or a ‘World Final’ where the dancers had to be from the UK, it’s all rather confusing. There were contestants from other countries participating, so I suppose that eliminates the last option, but from the other two possibilities, I am at a loss.

These are details though, and these are not the substance of this blog post, what is important is that last Sunday, in a brief departure from the world of post-production, I got the chance to see some of the most extraordinary feats of athleticism, co-ordination and dance I have ever had the delight to observe. To describe the event as one of the greatest enthusiasm motivated, adrenaline injections I’ve experienced in a while, would be to sell it short.

Held at Brixton Academy and hosted by an historic icon of this dance discipline, ‘Crazy Legs’, it was easy to get wrapped up in the 3000 strong crowd’s infectious energy. In fact, after about three minutes of watching various people warm up on stage, I’d totally forgotten about the dreary hour we’d spent queueing to get in. I’ve never really been one for watching live sporting events, the last football match I went to see (Saints versus West Brom back in 1997) I fell asleep during the first half, but this edgy dance event was a completely different experience. Finally I understood other people’s addiction to ludicrously over priced season tickets.

The agenda for the evening included the finals of a number of Bboy related dance disciplines; Poppin (dancing like a robot against an opponent), Lockin (retro inspired, two person per team, routine based dance battle), Solo Bboy (your archetypal vision of breakdancing) and Crew Battle (that same vision of breakdancing, but with more people on a team), it was easy to see how 5 hours of show time were going to get filled.

I can’t possibly describe everything that went on during the evening, in fact I came away at the end flummoxed as to how I was going to share the stories of the moves I’d seen so that others might be able to capture a glimpse of the excitement, but there was one notable occasion that I shall try and let you in on.

It was the moment that ‘Dey Dey’, a Chinese girl representing France, came out to battle Korea’s ‘Hozin’ in the semi-final of the Poppin competition. Hozin was up first and was clearly ‘on-it’ with comments from the host Afrika Islam along the lines of, ‘He knows the song’, the crowd gave suitable appreciation, but when Dey Dey stepped up to the mark, hush fell on Brixton Academy. It’s not that unusual to find a girl battling in the Poppin competition, but no girl has ever won it before. Could today be the day?

Dey Dey responded to the moves displayed by Hozin (I kept thinking of the sauce you have with duck), but when she suddenly broke into a rhythmic, percussive set of faced paced body movements that were metronome perfectly placed on beat, the crowd erupted with whoops and cheers. That was it, she had won the crowd and in many ways the next few minutes were immaterial, she just fed off the adrenaline and Hozin played catch up. Unsuprisingly Dey Dey went on to beat Slim Boogie in the final and took the crown, the first ever female to do so.

The rest of the evening was splattered with moments equally, but differently electrifying, with a smorgasbord of gymnastic moves that promoted similar audience eruptions to those of the Poppin semi-final. I was exhausted by the end, not least because I couldn’t resist popping a few dance moves on the carpet of the lobby on my way to the loo on several occasions.

It was the best 18 quid I’ve ever spent on a ticket to a show, it has further fuelled my secret breakdancing hobby and I can’t wait to go again. Bboy’s of the world, I salute you.

But, as with many things, and to give this post the video angle it probably should at least try and cling to, a picture says a thousand words, but a video says a thousand words 25 times a second, so take a look at the BBOYCHAMPIONSHIPS website to get a more visual grasp of what I’ve just written about. You’ll find some videos on there and when you stumble upon the one profiling a chap called ‘Miles’, you’ll also have found the winner of the Solo Bboy title.

Bueno para algunos no es conocido los diferente s tipos de baile, para otros si, en esta ocasion hablaremos de los que parecen ser, empezaron en Europa y un poco mas exactos en Francia.
Estos diferentes tipos de bailes han emergido a causa de una division de diferentes generos de musica, especificando todavia mas, nos iremos a 3 tipos de bailes de electronica en Europa, el tecktonic, shuffle y jumpstyle. (mejor incluiremos mas…)

Tecktonik.- es donde cruzan los brazos sacudiendose lo mas que pueda como si te atacaran muchos insectos.

Aqui esta uno de sus ejemplos mas sobresalientes. Al parecer este tipo de baile no solo es algo de la manera en que bailes, si no tambien en la manera en que te vistes y todos esos aspectos.

Jumpstyle.- este es donde las personas se ponen a saltar…(con razon ese nombre) como si estuvieran haciendo alguna especie de ejercicio o como un estilo de country americano de “rednecks”.

Bueno, este video no es el mas conocido por ese estilo, mas bien es el de 2 weyes saltando en una sala [duo style], sin embargo lo pusimos para que vieran que tan comerciales pueden llegar a ser estos bailes.

Shuffle.- Consiste en hacer una especie de zapateado mexicano pero sin el sombrero de charro tirado en el suelo, tambien se podria describir como esa reaccion que hace uno cuando le da un calambre en el pie e intenta quitarselo.

Aqui apreciamos un niño de alrededor unos 8 años, que ya puede demoniar muy bien esta tecnica de baile.

[Al parecer estos tipos de baile tienen gran influencia en Europa con respecto a la gente que escucha esa musica, varia gente en esta ciudad ya esta bailando de esa manera, puede que en algun futuro llegue a pegar mas, pero mientras sigamos con la falta de cultura en ese tipo de genero, estara todo igual]

C-walk.- Es como cuando de chiquito te daban muchas ganar de ir a orinar, pero te querias aguantar y te ponias a mover los pies y parte del cuerpo para poder retenerlo.

Aqui se ve que la gente que normalmente baila esto, son los que llamamos “nigga’s” o “tumbao’ (mentira con el nombre del esteriotipo)

Krump.- Son espasmos generados mentalmente en partes esenciales para asimilar los movimientos de las convulsiones.

Es como cuando alguien te la hace de pedo en una fiesta y tu mejor reaccion es la de tirarte y rodar.

Poppin.- Aqui tu cuerpo va en acorde a los sonidos que emite la musica, o en otras palabras “son de agua”.

Estos tipos pueden llegar a pasar por orificion del tamanio de su mano y a moverse con tal velocidad que no se puede mencionar.

Hardcore.- SACA TODA TU FURIA!

Como este tipo de baile puede ser demasiado agresivo para la gente, decidimos poner la version bonita, ya que en algunos casos la gente ha resultado lesionada de tan solo ver los videos.

Ska.- Fusionando una especie de swing con tonos caribeños y bailandolo con mucho animo, da resultado al ska, que tambien se podria decir “el baile de la abuelita, en la quince de algun familiar”.

No se pudo encontrar un ejemplo a lo que es bailar ska, sin embargo aqui esta algo parecido.

Perreo.- El desmadrador de pelvis, el aplasta guevos, el cascanueces, o en USA conocido como “rub all your ass in his body”

Este video no es de perreo, pero creo que lo unico que varia es la rola y la gente, sin embargo no deja de ser lo mismo [CUIDADO AL BAILARLO]

Foxy.- Utilizando tecnicas de teibolera y un poco del perreo se logra esta tecnica de gran seduccion contra los hombres.

A lo mejor no es un tipo de baile, o lo es pero en algo mas privado, algo asi como un congal o en la recamara de un motel.

Esta lista de diferentes tipos de bailes contemporaneos podria seguir, sin embargo es nomas para que se den cuenta de todas las diferentes maneras de bailar.

More of these awesome group HERE