So, Tao Lin is the author of Shoplifting from American Apparel which came out in September of this year.  And if you check Hipster Runnoff as fiendishly as I do, then you’ll recognize him from the I Am Carles T-shirt promotions and random links that Carles puts up there about him and his work.  After I checked HRO earlier today I saw a link about the new Tao Lin promotional campaign and though to myself, “I’m willing to click on that,” and believe it or not, internet, I clicked.  So lo and behold, Tao Lin is offering to mail free copies of Shoplifting from American Apparel to the first 20 people that either write a 1,500 word blog post about his book (he’ll be the judge of whether or not a post is ‘”acceptably’ ‘about him’”) or post a Gmail chat about his book if they’ve read it.  So here I am, writing desperately typing for a free book (if 20 people finish this in the time between when I start writing and when I post this, I am going to kill one of them).

I’ve actually never read anything by Tao Lin, but the title sounds entertaining enough, I have a blog, and I’m a big fan of free shit, so buckle up, we’ll be here for another 1,317 words so that I can leech off of his publisher and score a free book (yes, I do recognize how pathetic is sounds to “score” a book, but you can go fuck yourself (that was 18 words!)).  From what I gather about Lin, he appears to be a pretty solid hipster.  I don’t mean that as an insult per se, but he’s in a creative industry, references American Apparel, and has written for Vice, so the shoe appears to fit.  That being said, his close relationship with HRO should probably indicate that he is also aware of this label, and is willing to poke fun at the stereotypes of his fellow citizens of Greenpoint (I have no idea where he’s from).

I’m kind of interested to see what the writing is like.  From what I gather, he generally writes in a “postmodern” style, so you know, oohh ahh refreshing.  But he has been shat on by Gawker, who are generally too busy sucking their own dicks to notice anyone else, so that is promising.  According to wikipedia, a few other critics have drawn comparisons from Camus’ The  Stranger and Mark Twain, and if his book can live up to half of those evaluations then I’ll be happy.  Actually, I’ll be happy if I actually get a free book, pretty much regardless of the content, but that’s another issue.  Anyway, I couldn’t imagine Lin’s book being as influential as either of these authors’ work simply because it won’t reach such a mainstream audience.  While there is certainly a specific demographic that a postmodern look at America culture in the internet era will appeal too, I just couldn’t imagine that students will be required to read Shoplifting from American Apparel over the summer to get a look at the local color of Brooklyn in the early 2000s.

It’s interesting to try and come up with 1,500 words worth of thoughts on a book and author you know nothing about.  I’m basically trusting in Hipster Runoff that this book will even be worth the effort of writing this many words (only a thousand left!). I’m looking forward to Jesus Christ the Band’s album, for which I believe Lin is doing the vocals.  They appear to go pretty far back.  According to the post that contained the exclusive excerpt of SFAA, he and Carles are childhood friends, which seems extremely likely.  Based on this and some of the other things I’ve read about him (selling off shares of the royalties he collects for one of his books),  it seems like he’s definitely in tune with some sort of commercial interest, but he’s a little more forthcoming with the fact that the line between art and business are extremely blurred.  Nevertheless, he has been able to gain a good deal of publicity from things that are almost labeled as publicity stunts, and for that I commend him.

But going back to the financial issue for a moment, I’m interested to see how this is portrayed in SFAA.  On the surface (again I haven’t read anything by him, so this is all bullshit speculation on my part that is done only for the purpose of receiving a free book), I would assume that there is some sort of tacit approval of shoplifting in the book simply by reading the book’s title.  Then again, it could easily also be some sort of statement on the self-destructive/self-loathing nature of hipsterdom as a whole, so I’ll let you know how that one turns out.  While we’re on that note, I may or may not let you know how that turns out.  As you may or may not know, I am currently a student, which means that I have actual shit to do that doesn’t involve reading or reporting on Shoplifting from American Apparel.  I’m not even an English major, so unless someone leaves a suggestion in the comments detailing how to incorporate this book into a paper on the global political economy, than this post will be strictly for my own benefit.

So I guess we’ll see how it goes.  I understand how the whole “disaffected youth” them can be appealing, but I kind of wonder how long it can continue for.  While the fact that I even bother typing this out probably only indicates my own age (and desperate desire to get to 1500 words for a free book), it seems that the themes of Less Than Zero or Stranger Than Paradise can only be rehashed so many more times until the whole world shares Gawker’s opinion on the matter and the whole subgenre becomes a pathetic caricature of itself.  It’s kind of like how the youth of the 60s were willing to do drugs and start (however naively) riots, where kids today just kind of stick with the drugs.  It seems like Lin’s audience is blasé enough that the best reaction he can hope for is for a few people to buy it off Amazon before their friends borrow it and shoot up more heroin (which is totally back in style!).

I checked the amazon page for this book and its only 112 pages.  I always have my doubts about short books.  While I recognize that any book that gets published goes through enough scrutiny by its publisher that it serves some purpose I always wonder whether or not the words are truly carefully chosen or if the author got bored of it and tied up the ends quickly.  And now that I think about it, I’m guessing that SFAA is the type of book that ends without much resolution in the story lines.  Meticulously chosen literary tactic or writer’s block?  I couldn’t tell you, I’m just here to bitch about anything I can till I get to 1,500 words.

I wonder if Tao Lin will accept this article as sufficiently about him.  While he is obviously the general focus, it’s pretty clear that this is only being written to get the free book.  Given his publicity stunts, I doubt this will be a problem though.  Hell, my blatant self-interested blog post is probably a statement on the condition of the modern American student’s attitude about intellectual, or at least that’s what my American Studies professor might say.  And in her defense, I’ve downloaded enough torrents to admit that I feel entitled to all the free music my internet connection can handle.  But this is not about me, it’s about Tao Lin’s book that he should be giving me for free in exchange for me cranking out 1,500 words that started about him and slowly devolved into my miscellaneous thoughts on anything vaguely related to hipsters or other things that I see as intellectually bankrupt.

That’s one good thing about writing this many words for a blog.  There is absolutely no obligation to produce quality writing.  I know that pretty much all of you (if you’ve made it this far) are probably saying to yourselves, “no shit,” it’s really convenient that blogs don’t matter.  As much as media people try and convince themselves that blogging and other interactive media are the final frontiers of media, there’s a pretty good reason why most (60-80%) blogs last for less than a month, because most people aren’t good at producing content.  For the same reason you can disregard my random ramblings about Tao Lin, you should disregard most of the millions of blogs out there, because we have not proven ourselves.  And now for the most awkward segue ever, Tao Lin has proven himself (slightly) because he has convinced a publisher to print this shit.  Regardless of whether or not you like his style and whatnot, he has created a product that a company can sell, so thanks for improving the GDP, Tao Lin, for that we are eternally grateful.

Blah Blah Blah, Shoplifting from American Apparel is out and Tao Lin writes, Hipster Runoff, free book if I write 1500 words and put it on a blog, disaffected youth, Helvetica.

Oh yeah, grab the new Big Boi track featuring Gucci Mane.  It’s good.

UPDATE: Tao Lin is not a lying sack of shit and he promptly emailed me back asking for an address.  Two day shipping!

Estava a punt de fer la segona part de “El cielo brillaba” però quan he aplegat al tros amb més interès m’he col·lapsat, i aprofitant que poc a poc intente apropar-me més a la lliure configuració, i m’he instal·lat m’acabe d’instal·lar el “Thunderbird” he redescobert correus electrònics de fa temps.

Entre ells estava aquest que ens envià a la Colla la nostra mestra de dolçaina Eva. Un increïble vídeo, que no és un vídeo qualsevol, sinó un holofonia, o el que és el mateix, un holograma només de so. Per a poder gaudir-ho cal posar-se uns cascos, tancar els ulls i no obrir-los fins al final.

És fantàstic!!

Anyone with access to cable news and a strong masochistic streak has heard about the heaps of bullshit pouring out from Glenn Beck lately.  Recently making headlines for calling President Obama “a racist,” or possibly holding on to a, “deep-seated hatred for white people,” and even more recently for losing a huge portion of his sponsors over said headlines, Beck is a great example of an opportunist making huge profits off of the United States’ largest renewable resource: retarded people.

Anyway, I’m happy to see that this debate has progressed to the best conclusion one could imagine: accusing Glenn Beck of raping and murdering a young girl (in 1990!).  While it should be clear to any discerning reader that this website seeks to apply Beck’s own pathetic scare tactics to their hyperbolic end, it is pretty funny to see such immature questions raised against him.  And don’t feel bad for this guy; fucker’s making $50 million over the next five years, just from radio!

Anyway, check out the site.

http://glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com/

Yeah Yeah Yeahs were rained on at Bumbershoot this past weekend

PREVIEW: DOWNLOAD Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Hysteric” MP3

Rolling Stone was in attendance as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs gave a spirited performance on Sunday at Seattle’s Bumbershoot Festival. In spite of rainy weather, the band played a diverse set that included songs from all three of their studio albums. The festival continued today with performances from, among others, Franz Ferdinand, Metric and Modest Mouse. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Editor's Pick #168: Jay-Z Endorses Indie Rock, Where The Wild Things Are: Karen O Movie Music Madness]

If hyperactive math-punk is your thing — and really, how could it not be? — then Toronto’s DD/MM/YYYY have awesome news for you.  These heavy-hitting Canadians just signed to Brooklyn’s Impose Records, with plans to rerelease their third LP, Black Square, on cassette and digitally September 15.  Even better, they’re expanding their U.S. tour to celebrate, and will play Rochester’s Bug Jar on September 24.  Tickets are $10 for ages 18-20 and $8 if you’re over 21; These Arms Are Snakes headline. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Real Estate Play with DD/MM/YYYY]

Stereogum reports that Entertainment Weekly, in its Sept. 11 issue, ranks both the fifty best and five worst songs recorded by The Beatles. On 09/09/09, in honor John Lennon’s favorite number, remasters of the entire song catalogue — as well as The Beatles: Rock Band — drop. EW’s commemorative ranking lists “All You Need Is Love” as both the worst Beatles song ever made and the fiftieth best. This is puzzling, considering the band recorded a lot more than fifty songs in their prolific career. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Editor's Pick: Beatles Rooftop Performance, 20 Watts Reviews Yim Yames'Tribute To (Remembering George Harrison)]

SPIN reports that Soulsavers opened up their U.S. tour in Portland, Oregon last night, in support of their new album, Broken. Soulsavers, fronted by The Screaming Trees and Gutter Twins lead singer Mark Lanegan, will be playing 15 shows through the month of September. Unfortunately for us, the closest they’ll be coming to Syracuse is NYC’s Bowery Ballroom on the 22nd, and Toronto’s Mod Club on the 25th. Maybe it’s worth the trip though, for you diehards out there. If you were in Seattle, you might have caught them at Bumbershoot, too (see above). [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Daniel Johnston to Play at Mod Club and Elsewhere]

The Fray struggled to garner interest and audiences at the State Fair this weekend. Competing against the likes of mainstream acts like Kid Rock, Big & Rich, Shinedown, and the legendary Mötley Crüe, they failed to play off their momentary “Grey’s Anatomy” fame. But the big break came for Syracuse-based band Soul Risin’, who was asked to replace openers Our Lady Peace at the 11th hour when a family emergency grounded the Toronto band.

– 20 Watts Staff

The World of Reggae Music

The Ska Originals

The Jam-Tex selector presents a new chapter in the “Wolrd of Reggae Music Collection“ called The Ska Originals.

The Jam-Tex selector has been working on a study and organization of the essential tracks of reggae music called “The World of Reggae Music Collection.” The selector invites others to comment on the selected tracks and to join in on the conversation about the history of reggae music.  This collection of singles began with the greatest roots reggae hits in categories entitled “Reggae’s Superstars: The Lions of Jah” and “Reggae’s Superstars: The Lion Youth.”

Now the selector moves back in time to the roots of reggae, exploring the greatest singles from the early ska era. Please feel free to suggest your favorite singles. The primary examination of the “Ska Originals” genre focuses on the founders of ska music from the late 1950s to the 1960s. Later posts will explore “Two-Tone Ska” and “Third Wave Ska” forms of ska music of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.

Some of the same Jamaican singers, musicians, and producers of the original ska music movement later became the fathers and mothers of rocksteady and reggae.  A young Robert Nesta Marley recorded some ska tunes and so did Bob Marley’s vocal group the Wailin’ Wailers, which later became the Wailers. Alton Ellis, Jimmy Cliff, Toots & The Maytals, Desmond Dekker, John Holt, Ken Boothe, Derrick Morgan, Clancy Eccles, and Lee “Scratch” Perry all played ska as young lads. These Jamaican superstars all make this collection of ska singles. So do the classic ska bands and vocal groups like The Skatalites, the Ethiopians, The Pioneers, the Soulettes, The Paragons, The Heptones, and the Versatiles. Many of the great ska musicians have singles that made this chart, like Don Drummond, Roland Alphonso, and Tommy McCook.

Ska music is fun and fast, yet a very easy-going music that sends you skanking around the room. I love this music. There are some wonderful characters that came out of this musical genre, performers like Prince Buster, Sir Lord Comic, Lord Kitchener, Stranger Cole, Lord Creator, and the Folkes Brothers. Plus the dynamite sounds of Byron Lee and the Dragonaires make for some of the most classic ska tracks. The Jam-Tex selector invites you to comment on the list and make suggestions.

The Jam-Tex selector proudly presents…

World of Reggae Music Collection

The Ska Originals

1. The Skatalites – Guns of Navarone
2. Don Drummond – Don De Lion
3. Bob Marley & the Wailers – Simmer Down
4. Ethopians – Train To Skaville
5. Prince Buster – Hard Man Fe Dead
6. Jimmy Cliff – Miss Jamaica
7. Toots & the Maytals – Sweet & Dandy
8. John Holt & the Paragons – The Tide Is High
9. Byron Lee and the Dragonaires – Jamaica Ska
10. Folkes Brothers – Oh Carolina
11. Lord Tanamo – I’m In The Mood For Ska
12. Laurel Aitken & the Skatalites – Rude Boy Dreams
13. Baba Brooks – Watermelon Man
14. Desmond Dekker – King Of Ska
15. Freddie Note & the Rudies – Montego Bay
16. Derrick Morgan – Moon Hop
17. Lee “Scratch” Perry & The Soulettes – Doctor Dick
18. Tommy McCook & the Skatalites – Doctor Zhivago
19. Don Drummond & the Skatalites – Chinatown
20. Lord Tanamo – Iron Bar
21. Desmond Dekker – Rudy Got Soul
22. Gregory Isaacs – My Time
23. Tommy McCook & the Supersonics – Ska Jam
24. Bob Marley – Judge Not
25. The Maytals – Six And Seven Books Of Moses
26. Alton Ellis & Eddie Parker – My Heaven
27. The Pioneers – Jackpot
28. Prince Buster – Al Capone
29. Roland Alphonso – Blackberry Brandy
30. Stranger Cole – Rough and Tough
31. The Valentines – Blam Blam Fever
32. Justin Hinds and the Dominoes – The Ark
33. Ken Boothe – Uno Dos Tres
34. Delroy Byfield – Yagga Yagga
35. Amos Clarke – Chatty Chatty Woman
36. Val Bennett – Atlas
37. Lee “Scratch” Perry – Give Me Justice
38. Lord Kitchener – The Road
39. Alton Ellis – Mouth A Massy
40. Lord Tanamo – Come Down
41. Alton Ellis & the Flames – Blessings Of Love
42. Bob Marley & the Wailers – Duppy Conqueror
43. Roy Shirley & Ken Boothe – Calling
44. Lee “Scratch” Perry – What A Good Wood Man
45. Derrick Morgan – Blazing Fire
46. Roland Alphonso – Phoenix City
47. Baba Brooks – Duck Soup
48. Stranger Cole & Lester Sterling – Bangarang
49. Joanne Gordon & Roland Alphonso – Blow Roland Blow
50. Justin Hinds – Try Me
51. Lord Tanamo – Night Food Ska
52. The Skatalites – Latin Goes Ska
53. The Maytals – Someone’s Going to Bawl
54. Johnny Moore – South China Sea
55. Derrick Morgan – National Dance
56. Derrick Morgan and Patsy – Let Me Go
57. Sir Lord Comic and His Cowboys – Ska-ing West
58. Alton Ellis – Dance Crasher
59. Roy Shirley – Get on the Ball
60. Byron Lee & the Dragonaires – Watermelon Man
61. Owen Gray – She’s Going to Napoli
62. The Riots – Yeah Yeah
63. Derrick Morgan – Fat Man (1960 Version)
64. Ken Boothe & Stranger Cole – Arte Bella
65. Tommy McCook & the Supersonics – Train to Ska-Thedral
66. Baba Brooks – Girls Town Ska
67. Lord Creator – Hurry Up
68. The Maytals – Let’s Jump
69. Derrick Harriott – Monkey Ska
70. Desmond Dekker – Get Up Edina
71. Dave and Ansel Collins – Monkey Spanner
72. The Ethiopians – Free Man
73. The Techniques – I’m In Love
74. Lord Tanamo – You Belong to My Heart
75. Carlos Malcom – Bonanza Ska
76. Harry Johnson and the All Stars – The Dog
77. Baba Brooks – One Eyed Giant
78. Owen Grey – Jezebel
79. Don Drummond – Let George Do It
80. Lee “Scratch” Perry – Rub & Squeeze
81. Justin Hinds and the Dominoes – Over The River
82. Clancy Eccles – Sammy No Dead
83. Don Drummond – Man in the Street
84. Tommy McCook & the Supersonics – Out of Space
85. Roland Alphonso – On The Move
86. Ewan McDermott – Candy Ska
87. Granville Williams Orchestra – Honky Tonk Ska
88. Desmond Dekker – Pickney Gal
89. Jimmy Cliff – King Of Kings
90. Ken Boothe, Stranger Cole, & the Skatalites –World’s Fair
91. Owen & Leon Silveras – Next Door Neighbour
92. Tommy McCook & the Skatalites – Silver Dollar
93. Stranger & Patsy – When I Call Your Name
94. Carl Dawkins – Baby I Love You
95. The Paragons – Happy Go Lucky Girl
96. Derrick Morgan – No Raise, No Praise
97. Chuck & Dobby – I Don’t Need Your Love
98. Lord Brynner – Congo War
99. Eric Morris – Strongman Sampson
100. Drumbago’s Orchestra – Duck Soup
101. The Rulers – Wrong’em Boyo
102. The Tartans – What Can I Say
103. The Spanishstonians – Rudie Gets Plenty
104. The Techniques – Little Did You Know
105. Winston & George – Denham Town
106. Granville Williams Orchestra – The Third Man Theme
107. Frank Anderson – Musical Storeroom
108. Clive & Naomi – Open The Door
109. Stranger Cole & the Conquerors – Drop the Ratchet
110. The Heptones – Gunman Coming To Town
111. Eric ‘Monty’ Morris – Penny Reel
112. Alton Ellis & the Flames – The Preacher
113. Desmond Dekker – Honour Your Mother and Father
114. Andy Cap – Pop A Top
115. Dandy Livingstone – Reggae in Your Jeggae
116. Desmond Dekker & the Aces - Sabotage
117. Byron Lee & the Dragonaires – Soul Limbo
118. Derrick Morgan – Hold Your Jack
119. Nicky Thomas – Love of the Common People
120. Bongo Herman & Les – Dr. Who
121. King Stitt & the Dynamites – The Ugly One (AKA Lee Van Cleef)
122. The Versatiles – Push It In
123. The Rulers – Copasetic
124. Eric Morris – Solomon Gundie
125. Symarip – Skinhead Moonstomp
126. The Skatalites - Ghost Town
127. Jimmy Cliff – One Eyed Jacks
128. Lord Comic & the Skatalites – Lon Cheney
129. Cornell Campbell - Make Hay
130. The Skatalites – Kingston 11
131. Basil Gabbidon – Ena Mena
132. Lloyd Robinson – When You Walk
133. Jimmy Cliff - Hurricane Hatty
134. Roland Alphonso, King Sporty, & Justin Yap - El Cid
135. The Skatalites – Ringo
136. Vinley Gayle – Go On

Se acerca septiembre y estoy emocionada porque llegue. Poco a poco los días empiezan a hacerse cortos, la luz es algo más tenue, y se cierra otro año.

Para mí los años empiezan en septiembre. Acaba el tiempo de relax, de viajes, aventuras, borracheras pronunciadas… y vuelven los planes, las expectativas, las ilusiones de cara al tiempo que comienza.

Además, en Alaquàs las fiestas también son en septiembre.  A modo de despedida del tiempo estival, durante más de quince días las calles se llenan de gente, de pólvora, de música, de trajes de todo tipo y todos los tiempos… cada persona aporta su granito para hacer que todo sea disfrute. Siempre he pensado que nuestras fiestas son el legado de nuestros antiguos que las eligieron en estas fechas para despedir el verano a lo grande y reengancharse con un dulce sabor de boca.

¡Tengo tantas ganas de que lleguen las fiestas y de darlo todo en las calles! Pero sobretodo de reencontrarme con la rutina en serio, que hace mucho tiempo que no le veo el pelo y me viene haciendo falta. Es curioso como es siempre la inconformidad la que manda y acabamos echando de menos aquello que mirábamos de forma rancia. En fin.

Septiembre está tocando. ¡¡Toc, toc!!

¡Voy a abrirle!

Ed Lighthart prefers not be called Ed Lighthart. That’s because he has no idea who the hell Ed Lighthart is.

Three weeks ago, Ed stumbled out of a Seattle park in soiled khakis with $600 in his sock, no wallet or ID, and absolutely no idea what his name was or what he was doing there. Suffering from a rare case of total dissociative amnesia, he could recall almost nothing about his past. He couldn’t even remember a single ‘moustache ride’ joke. He was checked into a Seattle medical center while police published photos to see if anyone would recognize him.

And they did. It turns out that Lighthart is a real international mystery man with a story straight out of The Bourne Identity. Fluent in French, Spanish, German, and English, Lighthart has apparently travelled and lived all over the world, in cities like Paris, Vienna, Sydney, Bratislava, and most recently Shanghai. Along the way, he worked as a teacher, translator, and even as a chef, developing a reputation as a loquacious yet reclusive expert on European culture. Estranged from his family and without any close acquaintances, how or why Ed found himself stranded in Seattle with no ID and a sock full of cash is completely inexplicable…

That is, unless he really is Jason Bourne incarnate. Afterall, he does recall some sort of incident involving an assault in New York City. And with his language skills, shady work-history, and a moustache that out of hand, would you really be surprised? The only other explanation is that he’s just some asshole coming off a ketamine bender in the classiest way imaginable. While Lighthart (who prefers to be called Jon for the time being) struggles to piece together his story, take a look at this press conference from the other day:

(Special thanks to Fox News for this clip. With everyone else blowing this healthcare crisis out of proportion, thank god someone is paying attention to real issues)

Hay… candidatas

Son 5(+1) hits estacionales en busca del título de canción del verano, competición que tiene como dos últimos ganadores a “MGMT_TIME TO PRETEND 08”, “JUSTICE ft SIMIAN_WE ARE YOU FRIENDS 07” . Estas son las más fuertes de Junio a Septiembre.

The Noisettes, Don’t Upset The Rhythm

Lily Allen, Not Fair

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Zero

Phoneix, Lisztomania

Delorean, Deli

Virtual ganador

Passion Pit, The Reeling

]]> http://stuffisstuff.wordpress.com/2009/08/06/re-matt-and-kim/ Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:43:21 +0000 Corey Caudill http://stuffisstuff.wordpress.com/2009/08/06/re-matt-and-kim/ http://bayolet.wordpress.com/2009/08/03/summer-time/ Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:58:36 +0000 bayolet http://bayolet.wordpress.com/2009/08/03/summer-time/

És estiu, i com la majoria de la gent, m’estic dedicant a golfejar tot el que està al meu abast. Aquesta és la raó de que tinga el blog tan abandonadet, criatura. Però bo, sempre és millor viure que passar-se la vida esperant que aplegue el moment addient per a fer-ho. O siga que, si és que hi ha algú que llija aquesta porqueria a la qual jo anomene blog, ho sent, si em coneixes crida’m i se n’anirem de quintos o el que calga. De moment un clàsic, i ja vorem quan i en quines circuntàncies torne a apareixer:

Today Obama is having company at the White House for beers and a quick dialogue on race.

Makes me wonder: Who did the beer run? Why the hell drink Bud Light? What does the booze say about the race discussion?

Nevertheless, cheers to making drinking on the job seem so professional, Mr. President.

Beercan – Beck

Drink To Moving On – Grand National

One Beer – MF Doom

Acabo de ver el cartel de este año del BBK live de Bilbao, y, como no, un año más me han acertado el cartel: The Ting Tings, Vetusta Morla, Jane’s Addiction, Kaiser Chiefs, Placebo, Primal Scream… y para variar, no podré ir (y eso que el pase para los tres días que dura sólo cuesta 136€).

En momentos como este, me rechinan los oidos cuando sé que alguien se va de festival (¡¡no paran de chirriar!!). Esa gente no sólo va a disfrutar en directo de unos musicazos increíbles, sino que además se van a echar un fiestón al cuerpo del quinze (por algo se llaman festivales…). Para que luego digan que la envidia es sana y que el dinero no da la felicidad…

¡¡¡¡FESTIVALES GRATISS!!!!

(o algún alma caritativa que quiera que le haga de esclava durante un año a cambio del pase…)

No sé perquè però cada vegada que estic d’exàmens em dona fort per escoltar a un grup. Aquestos exàmens els “number one” al windows media player del meu ordinador són els Kaiser Chiefs. S’ha juntat la morriña anglesa (aquest grup són 100% british: l’accent, l’estil musical, el look, la pose…) amb els records que em porten algunes de les seues cançons de gent com Lalo, Carlitos o Barbara. Deixe ací aquest clip per a que el gaudisquen les vostres oïdes i ulls.

I’m sitting here watching the Cavs/Magic game, and I am blown away by the human called Anderson Varejao. His ugliness is superb. Superfluous even. And haven’t recently sat through the Celtics/Bulls series, the only person who could possibly challenge his aesthetic prowess is Joakim Noah.

So the question has been raised. Who is UGLIER? Please I beg you, leave your answer in the comments.

This just in! “Yeah Yeah” from “The Sandlot,” is a Jersey guido douche! Apparently, after fist-bumping his Heineken at a techno club for a couple hours, Marty York and his girlfriend got into a fight in the car, had an argument, and ended up “back-handing” his girlfriend…

Take one look at this dude and tell me you are surprised…

Two things you need to know about Matt & Kim:

1) They have got to be the happiest musical duo I have ever seen and you can tell why when you hear the music they play. I challenge you to not smile when you listen to it.

2) Kim is  beyond cute and I have a celebrity crush on her (sorry Matt).  That big smile and those pearly whites make me all twitterpated. (I know she probably wouldn’t be classified as a celebrity, but she is in a band and I can’t have real crushes because I am married, so it has to be a celebrity crush).

Be sure to watch the video above in it’s entirety because it will give you the perfect idea of what this dynamic duo is all about – Fun, happy music played by fun happy people.  Those of you in Canada probably recognize the song above from the Virgin mobile commercials which would have quickly gotten old if it weren’t for that catchy tune.  They recently released their 2nd album, “Grand” and although not quite as bubbly as their first effort, it will equally bring a big grin to your face with each listen.

Matt & Kim are the perfect band to help bring you into spring and prepare for those long summer days having nothing but fun in the sun.  Jump on the bandwagon now folks, these two are going to explode this summer, just you watch.

Make Noise!!

I want to have as much fun as Kim looks like she’s having, playing her make shift drums in the video below!