February 1st, 2008
Needless to say, if you don’t like “Motownphilly,” we probably can’t be friends. Granted, Boyz II Men may have not have been relevant for a decade and change, but I’ll stand by the statement that no group got more Junior High kids tongue during the years 1991-1994 than the Illadelphian vocal quartet. Real talk. Currently, the group are back on the touring circuit minus Michael McCary (a.k.a., the guy with the really deep voice that sang the interludes) and play LA’s Crash Mansion tomorrow night. Sadly, I won’t be there for it. However, I did write a preview of the show for the LA Weekly, one that analyzes the history of the male vocal group post Cooleyhighharmony. Yes, it mentions Silk, H-Town, Jodeci and Color Me Badd. If that doesn’t entice you over there, I don’t know what will.
LA Weekly: Boyz II Men-A Philadelphia Story
MP3: Boyz II Men-”Motownphilly”
Posted in LA Weekly | 14 Comments »
January 31st, 2008
William Howard Taft. Our 27th President. Our 10th Chief Justice. A Possible Walrus. And the man behind arguably the greatest campaign theme song in history: “Get On A Raft With Taft.” Some say that you can tell a lot about a candidate based on their choice of campaign song, and maybe in some respects that’s true. But even if it isn’t, it was certainly fun to mock the theme songs of this year’s presidential candidates. I mean Celine Dion? Jesus Jones? And that was just Hillary Clinton alone (I take it Fleetwood Mac was Bill’s pick?) Anyhow, find out who’s rolling with Taft and who’s bound for the level of ignominy forever allotted to Herbert “If He’s Good Enough For Lindy” Hoover.
LA Weekly: Discovering the Candidates Through Their Playlists
Download:
MP3: Curtis Mayfield-”Move On Up”
MP3: The Clash-”Rudie Can’t Fail” (Though I guess he did)
Posted in LA Weekly | 5 Comments »
January 18th, 2008
Maybe I was a tad harsh in my Juno soundtrack for the Weekly. Among other things, I declared that I’d rather be sentenced to a Groundhog Day–like eternity with Richard Simmons, clad in an American-flag unitard, leading senior citizens in the Soulja Boy dance rather than listen to it again. I also said that I’d prefer be forced to read a 943-page David Foster Wallace essay on A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila, or receive the torture treatment prescribed by Method Man on 36 Chambers (the one involving getting my asshole sewn shut and being fed until I look like Juno.) But the truth is that if there is a hell, I imagine that this record will be the soundtrack. Well, that and Man Man.
LA Weekly: Review of the Juno Soundtrack
Download (I’ll spare you the Moldy Peaches):
MP3: Belle & Sebastian-”Piazza, New York Catcher”
MP3: The Kinks-”20th Century Man”
Posted in LA Weekly | 16 Comments »
January 14th, 2008
My article in this issue of the LA Weekly attempts to parse how Lupe Fiasco has sold nearly 250,000 copies of The Cool despite a weak sales climate and his stunning ability to alienate the entire Internet. It also analyzes the question of why hip-hop fans want to get high with their favorite rappers. There are epigraphs from Catcher in the Rye and “How to Roll a Blunt.” Hopefully, you will be entertained.
The LA Weekly: No One Wants to Smoke a Blunt With Lupe Fiasco
Update: LA Times Review of Lupe Fiasco Live at Anaheim HOB
Download:
MP3: Lupe Fiasco-”Go-Go Gadget Flow”
Posted in LA Weekly, LA Times | 21 Comments »
December 24th, 2007
The best albums of the 2007 list will continue on Wednesday. If your soulless employers have forced you to work today and you’re looking for a way to kill time, might I recommend a Wu-Tang feature that I wrote in this week’s LA Weekly. It’s probably not my place to say whether it’s good or not, but I think my 15-year self would be pleased.
Wu-Tang Feature in LA Weekly
MP3: Wu-Tang Clang-”Campfire”
Posted in LA Weekly | 3 Comments »
December 6th, 2007
So there’s this show and it’s kind of in conjunction with this pretty big story on LA bedroom indie labels that I wrote in this issue of The LA Weekly. And if you’re not doing anything Monday night you should go because it’s $10 and its going to be a fun time. I promise. And yes, Aaron Kyle will still beat you with The Le Switch if you don’t attend.
Posted in LA Weekly | 1 Comment »
November 29th, 2007
T.I. tells me that big things are popping. And when T.I. tells me something I listen. Once he spoke rhapsodically about “the trap” and within 15 minutes, I had rat traps planted everywhere in my apartment.
This time, the big thing poppin’ is the news that I will now be blogging for the LA Weekly’s blog Play. No, the Passion will not be going anywhere, but some of the blogs that I publish here will run concurrently on the Weekly website. I suppose it’s a sort of syndication thing, but I’d prefer not to use the term “syndication” since it reminds me of Larry King. And things that remind you of Larry King are inherently bad (except for corned beef.).
So check out Play if you’re into that sort of music bloggy thing. Hopefully, it will be more entertaining than the Moby album of the same name. And it’s definitely better than T.I. Vs. TIP.
Download:
MP3: T.I.-“Big Things Poppin’”
Posted in LA Weekly | 6 Comments »
November 1st, 2007
The truth is that my article on Soulja Boy for the LA Weekly probably isn’t as spot-on as the piece that Rafi Kam on for Oh Word, but what can you do? In my defense, I wrote this thing about three weeks ago and it seemed a lot timelier then. Still, I think it’s a solid primer on the whole Soulja Boy phenomenon, especially for those who have never Supermanned a ho in their entire life (honestly, what do you guys do with your Friday nights?).
Soulja Boy Feature in the LA Weekly
Unsurprisingly, Lois Lane is Not a Soulja Boy Fan (Though She loves Dem Franchise Boyz)
Stylus is shutting down. This entire week has been one long very special episode. It’s sort of like Blossom. Except much better. And with 76 percent less Joey Lawrence. I’ve been wanting to write a eulogy about this for some time but I haven’t found the words. Luckily, the senior staffers over there did it for me.
Stylus staffer, Tal Rosenberg has started a new blog, Flashes of Quincy. It is already a great read. I’m sure it will only get better. True story.
Mixtape messiahs, the Foundtrack have also started a Foundtrack blog.
In what must be new blog month, Pitchfork writer, Nate Patrin has also started one. Along with the Fork’s newest hire, a Mr. Ian “Sexy Results” Cohen Esq., Pitchfork seems to be doing their best to atone for the fact that they gave Paul Wall a Best New Music (or something perilously close).
I know my editor wrote this, so by virtue of linking to it it makes me look like a complete kiss-ass, but fuck it, this review of the Sex Pistols show by Randall Roberts is the best thing I’ve read in a while.
Lastly, if you aren’t reading Floodwatch every day, you need to, because every post is spectacular. True story.
Posted in LA Weekly | No Comments »
October 11th, 2007
The legend of elusive love guru, Will IM, is as long as Fergie’s humps are humpy. They tell stories of him from Argentina to Antartica, from Uruguay to the Ukraine (where, the stories are often used to wrap potatoes). After spending many moons trying to decipher his true identity, I believe I have unmasked him. Follow the link below and see who he really is (if you don’t Fergie will haunt your dreams for eternity).
The LA Weekly: Will IM Online Casanova
Download:
MP3: Black eyed Peas-”Joints and Jams”
MP3: Black eyed Peas-”Que Dices”
Sometimes doing an online background check can be useful, and not just for an employer running a background check on a new hire.
Posted in LA Weekly | 3 Comments »
September 10th, 2007
So this is it. The week you’ve all been kinda,’ sorta,’ waiting for: the face-off between Kanye and 50. But rather than do another “Kanye’s record is better than 50’s,” review, I’ve written a feature for the LA Weekly on the politics of both 50 Cent and Kanye West. Needless to say, 50’s the Republican and Kanye rolls with the Dems. I think it’s one of the better things I’ve written, so I hope you guys check it out.
LA Weekly-Decision 2007: Kanye Vs. 50
Download:
MP3: Kanye West-”Everything I Am ft. DJ Premier)” (left-click)
MP3: Kanye West-”Stronger” (left-click)
MP3: 50 Cent-”I Get Money”
MC Rove: An Enormous 50 Cent Fan
Blogs are for Dogs has re-upped all the tracks from Pitchfork’s Best 200 Songs of the 60s list.
Ear Farm goes goth (aerobics).
From Da Bricks analyzes Q-Tip’s unsung production technique.
The Gorilla (no Monsoon) has a track from Caribou’s tour only CD-R.
Aquarium Drunkard has MP3’s of Neil Young’s Time Fades Away, a very solid record still unreleased on CD.
Fellow Stylus writer Dan Weiss (not related), rips Justin Timberlake’s recent HBO special, makes a fellow Weiss glad.
Poisonous Paragraphs reviews the 50 and Kanye records so I don’t have to (because honestly, wild zontars couldn’t make me sit through a full listen of Curtis)
Zilla breaks down Wu-Tang Forever over at Souled On Music, thankfully forgets to discuss “Black Shampoo.”
Posted in LA Weekly | 4 Comments »
