Cold Remedy

Dancing around like a maniac is good for a cold. Put on some Mika and go at it. Then if you're up to it put on some Yeasayer and drain all that flem by inverting yourself with some yoga.

Another Reason to Love Blue Scholars

It was a very Merry Christmas Eve this morning when I checked my email and had free music from Blue Scholars.  I love artist that hand out MP3s for free.  This one is Blue Scholars beats with Made In Heights Vocals.  The outcome is a Made In Heights EP called Winter Pigeons.   Not only is it free music but it'salso introducing me to a band I've never heard of before, so that's cool.  The best part of this Christmas gift is the last song on the EP called "Shoogar Plumz", Tchaikovsky meets the Blue Scholars.  No voacls, just a funked up Sugar Plum Fairy.  It puts me in the Christmas mood, and they've encourages their fans to share, so Merry Christmas!


GET IT HERE. 

Best Music Videos of 2010

With 10 days left in 2010 I was thinking about some of the best music videos of the year.  Sometimes I think I need to stop declaring things the best because usually I really don't know enough about the subject.  Music videos are no exception.  I don't have cable television, not that having it would make a difference since neither MTV nor VH1 plays music videos anymore.  So maybe instead of saying these are the best videos of the year I'll just say these are my favorites. 

1. Lady Gaga and Beyonce - Telephone:  I really wanted to put Bad Romance on here but apparently that was actually 2009.  This one is still a lot of fun, and a mini movie at over 9 minutes long. 

2. Eminem featuring Rihanna - Love The Way You Lie:  I think I watched this three times in a row when it first came out. 

3. Ok Go - White Knuckes:  The reigning kings of inventive videos done in a single shots.  I know a lot of people loved the mouse trap video, but this one has puppies!

4. M.I.A. - Born Free:  Yes it's a bit violent but that's the point she's trying to make, and once again we have another 9 minute video.  I actually have trouble watching this but sometimes what makes you uncomfortable can be really good.

5.  Vampire Weekend - Giving Up the Gun: Tennis anyone?  Who cares that their form is horrible, this video is hilarious with great cameos. 

I also wanted to add Janelle Monae's videos, especially Tightrope  and Tightrope Wondamix, but you can't post them on other sites, so here's the link to the Wondamix.  It makes me super excited for the Lupe album to come out if it ever does and makes me think maybe someone can fill my Lauryn Hill void.  

Tightrope Wondamix

Music Fashion

Besides music another lone of my favorite things in clothes.   I also have a serious problem of going through headphones quickly.  I've learned that I fray the wires by wrapping them around my phone or iPod when I'm not using them.  But what else am I supposed to do?  They get tangled if you don't wrap them around.  Keeping all that in mind I was beyond excited to see Old Navy's genius invention.  They have created hoodies that have headphones built in.  The strings that you use to tighten the hood have headphones in them and you plug your device into a cord in the pocket.  Even with these wires these are sweatshirts are machine washable.  While you do look a little strange with strings hanging from your ears (and mine are bright pink), this is still an inspired invention.  This is great for running outside in cold weather, doing errands, yoga, and i think it will be especially great for cycling around the city.  In Chicago it's illegal to have headphones while riding, but this seems a bit more incognito.  Don't worry, I'm listening to NPR, and I can hear cars over that noise.  Another great thing is that your headphones will never get tangled.  The sweatshirts are $29.99, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were on sale for $16 yesterday.  the low price does make me a bit skeptical about how long these headphones will last but for now I am very excited.

Congrats Kanye!

Just a quick congratulations to my favorite lunatic Kanye West.  I know that he is nuts, but I have always still loved his music.  I am also aware that he is an ego-maniac.  I would call him a narcissist, but the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has eliminated it as a personality disorder.  That being said, I personally this My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is the best album since his debut College Dropout and it looks like others agree.  Rolling Stone gave it top honors as the best album of the year.  Jim DeRogatis, a favorite music critic of mine, put Mr. West at number 2.  MTV also put the new album at number 1.  Every list I have seen puts Kanye somewhere.  IT seems why the world may hate Kanye's personality and bravado at award shows and in interviews, they still love it in the studio. Congrats Mr. West, mr. west, mr, west, mr, west...

More Christmas Spirit

Jack Black and Jason Segel aren't the only two getting in the Christmas Spirit and inspired by Bing Crosby and David Bowie. I never realized how important "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" was to comedians. I guess the oddity of the original pairing is inherently humorous. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly have gotten together to remake their own version, which is little more spot on than the Black/Segel interpretation. They really capture the original tension between the two men. You sort of think Bing might punch bowie at any moment. Take a look, but also remember to buy the Black/Segel version as the proceeds go Blue Star Families, an organization to help military families. Merry Christmas!

Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy with Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly from Will Ferrell

Daft Punk Hits Theaters

Tron: Legacy hits theaters today.  I keep telling people I think it looks like crap but lots of friends (especially the males) disagree and say it looks awesome.  I never saw the first one, maybe that's the problem.  I actually never knew it existed.   Both have the great Jeff Bridges in it, so maybe I'll put it in my Netflix que and get it in two years.  The one reason I might go see this movie is for the score and soundtrack done by the French electronic pair Daft Punk.  Daft Punk knows how to make people move, so it was a great choice for a futuristic action movie.  I wonder if this is a new trend in films.  Trent Reznor did the score for The Social Network and the now Daft Punk.  I just hope popular musicians don't cause lesser known but just as talented musicians out of business.  I am still excited for Daft Punk.

Here's the video of their theme for the film, "Derezzed". Enjoy!

Nicki Minaj Overload

I'm obsessed with Nicki Minaj right now so I don't consider the overload a bad thing.  It's the same way I felt about Kid Cudi a year ago.  He was on every track, in New York magazine for his style, and in a new HBO show.  Like Cudi, for the last year Minaj has been popping up on everyone's albums.  She and Will I. Am took on "Video Killed the Radio Star" with "Check It Out."  It wasn't even until I did a search on my itunes that I realized she was the female femcee on Robin Thicke's "Shaking It For Daddy."  My obsession started with her verse on Kanye West's "Monster".  It is one of the best guest spots on the album.    The list of her featurings goes on and on.  Nick Minaj also has a new documentary on MTV and her own MAC lipstick. (Another Chrismas Idea?)  It's not the unsurprising considering the makeup we've seen her in through out this year, but always pink lips.  Who couldn't love that a woman is conquering hip hop right now?

Another Book For The Christmas List

So far this year we have Jay-Z's "Decoded" and the Beatles vs Stones book by the Sound Opinions guys, but here's another one for the list.  "The big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip Hop" by Dan Charnas.  I'm sure this book is fascinating.  Of course we all know Jay-Z and Diddy as the quintessential hip hop moguls, but it goes way back.  Russel Simmons and Rick Rubin started a record company from a dorm room placing all their bets on a young rapper called LL Cool J.  The book talks about how everyone thought rap was just a fad and wouldn't last.  It talks about the first big hip hop tours.  Charnas started in the mail room at Profile Records, the people who put out Sugar Hill Gang.  He also has degree in journalism from Columbia, so he knows what he's doing.  I'm sure this is the type of book I would tear through.  Adding another one to the list, good thing only my family and friends read this blog.

Whoa

Listening to "Blazing".  A lot more like Busta than before. Girl. Is. Fast.

Nicki Minaj

I've been trying to find someone who's bought the Nicki Minaj album, "Pink Friday" to see what they think.  Rolling Stone gave it a pretty good review but they also seem to really like Taylor Swift and I can't say I agree with them there.  I've been obsessed with "Monster" since Kanye's new album dropped a couple weeks back.  Nicki Minaj kills it on that track.  She reminds me of Lil Kim without feeling like you need to take a shower.  She has all the bravado of the boys without being overly sexual.  That said, I've been asking friends and no one has gotten the album yet.  I finally decided I needed to youtube something other than "Your Love".  While I like "Your Love" it's much more Rihanna than Kim.  What I stumble upon is "Massive Attack".  It feels like Kanye meets Bust Rhymes, especially visually.  It's like someone took the "Jesus Walks" deserts and showered it in "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See".  This is a great thing.  It makes me excited for the direction Hip Hop is going.  I'm going to go explore more, but if you've listend to "Pink Friday" let me know what you think.

Beatles vs. Stones

I am usually not a fan of this debate, and this is a debate that happens often among British Invasion fans.  I hate doing this because I think the bands had different hey days, different problems, and they are both amazing.  I resent having to choose.

That being said, "Sound Opinions" on NPR has dedicated the show this week to comparing the two bands.  When I heard this was going to be the topic I sort of groaned and thought, "great's let's just get through this".  Listening to the show, I think it will be on of my favorites ever.  Instead of looking at the bands as a whole they have chosen to break down the two bands double albums.  The compare "The White Album" to "Exile on Main Street".  They are giving the background on how the albums where made, where the bands were in their careers, what the music is about.  They talk about how Mick and Keith's wives didn't get along so Mick was absent from a lot of the recording so it was really a Richards driven album.  "The White Album" was the height of Harrison's songwriting with the Beatles and suddenly Lennon and McCartney had to make room for more of his work.  It's all stuff I never knew before.  These are both albums on my desert island lists, and it's great to hear them stripped down and compared.

They haven't posted the show online yet, but when they do I'll throw the link up here.  Also I'm adding a link to the book the two "Sound Opinions" guys wrote about The Beatles and The Stones.  I may hate the debate, but if this show is any indication on the book I'm adding it to my Christmas list.

Goodbye Free Blues

One of the best things about living in Chicago is the free music festivals during the summer, including both the free of charge Blues Festival and Jazz Festival.  Apparently as one of Mayor Daley's last acts as Chicago Mayor, he has decied to start taking bids on the privitization of music festivals in the city.  Interesting given that the city has a 6.4 billion dollar budget crisis and the festivals only use up 2.5 million of the city budget.  There's even a possibility that these festivals have made the city money by being tourist attractions, bringing people in from the surrounding areas and spending time and money in the city.  I can only imagine the horrifying outcome if the same promoters that put on Lollapalooza will put on the Chicago Blues Festival and the Chicago Jazz Festival.  It will also give me another reason to despise Ticketmaster/Live Nation, because you know they will be selling the tickets.  Be prepared to pay over $100 to go to festival, and probably another $60 in fees, for yet another thing that used to be free.

Better Than Tenacious D?

Well here's a funny and heartwarming Christmas story.  Jason Segel and Jack Black have gotten together and recorded duets of "Little Drummer Boy" and "Peace on Earth".  They have also made an animated video for the pairing which can be seen HERE!  What makes this even better than the David Bowie/Bing Crosby mix is that all the proceeds from the downloads go to Blue Star Families.   Blu Star Families is a non for profit group that was created by military families to support other military families that are struggling while a loved one is deployed overseas.  I can only imagine that the holidays are one of the toughest times for these families, which is why it makes what Jason Segel and Jack Black have done that much more special.

d2

Am I the only one that when I hear Marky Mark's and the Funky Bunche's "Good Vibrations" automatically thinks of Mighty Ducks 2?

Just wondering...