Saturday, March 31, 2007

cam'ron "hey ma"

what's up with dj's? like, some of them get paid a ton of money, and
all they done is choose which song to play next? i guess if you're paul
oakenfold or carl cox, there's some sort of artifice behind whatever
they do with the turntables to change the music, but i don't really get
what makes it good or why they get paid so much money or even how
you can differentiate between them. that's my 3rd grade, 4 line analysis
of electronic music.

when i was living in williamsburg,
this kid named kuku sublet for a few months. when i asked him what
kind of music he liked, he said, "oh, you know, trance, trance hop,
progressive trance, trip hop, jungle house, progressive jungle, house
trance" yadda yadda yadda. the wikipedia entry for "Techno_Music"
adds this nuggest of clarification.

The term "techno" is derived from "technology". Music journalists
and fans of the genre are generally selective in their use of the term,
careful not to conflate it with related but distinct genres (i.e. house,
trance, hardcore). At the same time, the term "techno" is commonly
generalized to refer to all forms of electronic music.

anyway, so i'll take dj shadow and i guess lcd soundsystem and !!!, but aside
from that, i don't know what the hell is going on. hipster dj's just pick songs
from their ipods, and that's fine by me, but then why do steve aoki and james
iha dj every single party? was my decision to go from a long-haired asian guy
to a short-haired asian guy the only reason why i'm not a dj too?

i'll tell you what, if i was a dj at the birthday party of a girl whose name started
with "L", i would play "hey ma" by cam'ron. then during the "yo l, what up?"
part, everyone could point to her and say "what up" and then cheer. damn
i wish i was a girl whose name started with "L".*

Cam'ron - Hey Ma

as a side note, cam'ron was a short lived nickname for my friend cameron cole.
after i'd call her that, we'd discuss how much we liked this song. honestly, i don't
know any other cam'ron songs so i'm sure the conversation ended there. the big
news though, is that "cam'ron" the nickname soon gave way to "town", which in
my opinion is one of the best nicknames i've ever given. cameron > c-town > town
was the progression there. also http://www.ctown.com looks like the dumbest
website ever.

* I just listened to the song and it seems as if "L" is actually a man Cam'ron is
what up'ing. Nonetheless, it'd be awkward if everyone what up'd and pointed
at some dude named Leo.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

From the Q train to you

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Tandemoro "For A While"
(another one too: Tandemoro "Lock Your Doors")
Tandemoro's website has their whole "Lock Your Doors" EP for download. It's nice like driving in the summer with the windows down.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Bring Your Son to Work Day

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Things Albert Hammond Jr. Inherited from his father.

-Wardrobe
-Hobo Clown Appearance
-Ability to write instantly enjoyable pop songs

Albert Hammond Jr.'s solo offering "Yours to Keep" goes down pretty smooth. I love it. Nothing in there to really object to or wonder about. No sonic experiments or dark poetry or initially jarring but eventually rewarding 8 minute tracks. Just instantly likable (if ultimately dispensable) pop songs.

His Dad must be proud. Albert Hammond Sr. made a name for himself by writing 3 minute chunks of California AM gold in the early 70's and this post is more about my love of him. He's pretty much written songs for everyone.

Juniors solo album is more than just a consolation prize for the awkward "First Impressions of the Earth." For me it feels like a subtle nod to a tradition of since-dismissed 70's AM radio music; warm, cozy, perfectly produced, and instantly recognizable. Albert Hammond Sr. sings his sunshine blues about how it doesn't rain in California - it pours, while Junior gleefully mopes about how hard it is to live in New York City. So what if we don't really buy it? That was never the point anyway.

Albert Hammond Jr. - Call An Ambulance
Bonus points for the ukulele
Albert Hammond Jr. - Hard to Live (in the City)
Albert Hammond -It Never Rains In Southern California
Albert Hammond - The Free Electric Band
Bonus points for giving up that Berkley girl for the Free Electric Band
Albert Hammond - The Air That I Breathe

Tiger Tunes

There's a lot to like about Tiger Tunes. Their beats are up. They're not serious. They're Danish. They're mysteriously "on hiatus," which amps up the desperation and love for their songs. Hearing a Tiger Tune is much more fulfilling than sighting a Stroke in the East Village. It's like going to Starbucks and finding that they've reissued your favorite limited edition treat (which is, of course, the pumpkin scone).

This song reminds me of that scene in Rushmore where Bill Murray and Jason S. have teamed up and they're running down the hall with grenade launchers or something, and they're swinging their legs out with every step. They're too cool not to choreograph their every move. Also Masked Potato is a nice title.

Tiger Tunes "Masked Potato"

A lot of free songs at their super nice website.

Something that irritates me: this video, in my opinion, is only ok. Same with the song. Just because it features animals does not make it "very cute." Can we try NOT to jump to cuteness conclusions and rudely bait fans with promises to pull heartstrings. Whatever heartstrings are.