2008 November » Passion of the Weiss

Nov
13

Idolator and the New York Times have got the obit front covered, but pour out a little Murray’s pomade for Mitch Mitchell, purveyor of one of the finest white boy ‘fros of all-time and a winner of the Griffith J. Griffith Award for Excellence in the Field of Nomenclature (take that Sirhan Sirhan). Granted, Mitchell’s… Continue reading »

Nov
13

eMusic: Illa J-Yancey Boys

In the two years that have elapsed since underground legend J Dilla passed, dozens of rappers — among them Busta Rhymes, Jay Electronica and Q-Tip — have plundered his seemingly abyssal stock of unused beats. Yet only Dilla’s younger brother, 21-year-old Illa J, can claim them as a birthright. Upon relocating to Los Angeles from… Continue reading »

Nov
11

Beards, Blazers & Glasses: The Hold Steady

I wouldn’t describe myself as a “happy” person. Not to say that I’m some sort of lugubrious, sepulchral soul brooding over melancholy poems by lamp light,* but rather, I find “happy” one of those banal adjectives that I tend to associate with watchers of CBS sitcoms, I’m From Barcelona fans and protagonists of the last… Continue reading »

Nov
10

Douglas Martin’s Dirty Shoes: A Blipster’s Guide to Hipster-Hop

Douglas Martin normally blogs at Fresh Cherries from Yakima. He has never been to Yakima, but he can do the Watusi. Being the world’s foremost blipster sure is a thankless job. Ever since I was given the opening quote in that infamous January 2007 feature in the New York Times about that new, cutting-edge subculture… Continue reading »

Nov
07

Sach O: Hey, Mr. Graphic Designer

Hey Mr. Indie Graphic Designer! Are you a six year old? Are you my friend and have been hand drawing all of your work for me as a personal gift? Or are you just a big K-Records fan who’s stuck in the tribute stage? Maybe you lost an eye in a frappuccino related mishap and… Continue reading »

Nov
06

Q-Tip-”Move”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI2szueHoL8 I can’t tell how much I like Q-Tip’s, The Renaissance. It’s good sure, but it’s impossible to listen to without noting the elephant in the room: the fact that Q-Tip has been a.w.o.l. for most of the decade and y’know, that whole “centerpiece of one of the greatest groups of all-time” thing. So without… Continue reading »

Nov
05

Belated, Perfunctory, Post-Election Post

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jll5baCAaQU Apologize for the NOT-ANOTHER-POLITICAL post (insert groan here). But it probably couldn’t hurt to re-watch this speech again. Regularly scheduled programming should resume tomorrow. In the meantime, to once-again cite Larry David, yesterday was “pretty, pretty good.” In fact, even such an inveterate hater such as myself had only one real qualm (two, if… Continue reading »

Nov
04

Outkast-”Git Up, Git Out”

Official election day anthem. I’d post the video, but stupid You Tube won’t let me embed it. I’d write some sort of strident, “Get Out the Vote” message, but hey, that’s what You Tube’s for. After all, how would I know it was election day were it not for every acquaintance I’ve ever known getting… Continue reading »

Nov
04

The Bradley Effect: Musicians And Their Campaign Contributions

Despite his Australian roots, ex-Stylus scribe, Jonathan Bradley somehow managed to handily defeat the rest of the staff in an American History trivia quiz. For that, he has earned the title of Passion of the Weiss senior political analyst. His writing can also be found at Screw Rock N’ Roll, a website whose pro-syrup… Continue reading »

Nov
03

The Power of Idris Muhammad

It’s been hard to think of a 24-hour span when I’ve been less productive than today (save for that evening in college, when after listening to “Sippin’ on Some Syrup” one too many times, I decided to mix a bottle of Robotussin and Strawberry soda, a move that led to me falling asleep–in public–into a… Continue reading »