Vincent Chase Escapes From Guantanamo Bay

The Knux - Cappuccino



This is another song that was featured in last season's Entourage and again featured in the latest installment of Harold & Kumar.

First about this song. Pretty good lyrics. Great beats.

Next about the group. Originally from New Orleans but then relocated to Hollywood after Katrina.

Now about the genre. The song falls in a category (derisively) called Hipster Hip-Hop. There's a (highly laudatory) article written about the genre on AllHipHop.com. Bottom line: "Edgy" new production style that is being criticized by more mainstream hip-hop artists.

Other songs that I enjoy from the genre include:

Mickey Factz - Rockin N Rollin (feat. The Cool Kids)



Kidz In The Hall - Drivin' Down The Block



Also, check out the remix to "Drivin' Down The Block."

Kidz In The Hall - Drivin' Down The Block (remix feat. Bun B, the Cool Kids & Pusha T)


Overall, the "Hipster Hip-Hop" categorization is a little overblown, but there is some good music here.

So is your face.

More Kanye

Version II of his "Flashing Lights" vid - sensory overload and sorta brutal. Far more entertaining - though more mysterious - than the uber-grotesque first version (in which our hero was beat to death with a shovel by a model).

Glow in the Dark Wrap-Up

Kanye, Rihanna, N.E.R.D. and Lupe made a much anticipated stop at MSG last Tuesday on the Glow in the Dark Tour. I got to MSG about 15 mins late and was pissed because little did I know that Lupe would be opening up. So I caught the second half of Lupe, and he brought the raucous. The crowd was anything but full at the time, but he was runnin around stage maintaining crisp lyricism. He killed it on Daydreamin, but you could tell the crowd was waitin for Superstar. He seemed too good for an opening act.

NERD followed with a better than expected performance. My expectations were low for a rock-hiphop performance, but NERD (mostly Pharrell) managed to get the orchestra seats jumpin.

After what felt like hours for a bizarre stage setup, RiRi was next lookin as fly as ever. I didn’t think she had to cover Nelly Furtado and Lauryn Hill, but she was impressive. Once she started Umbrella, you could sense that some guest was gonna show up and smart money was on Jay-Z. The crowd was pleasantly surprised that beau Chris Brown came out for ‘Cinderella’. Was kinda wishin he would show off some of his moves, instead he gave RiRi a hug and peaced.

Finally it was Kanye’s turn. Some sorta spaceship like stage, Kanye dead center all by himself – which turned out to be something of a theme. I mean, with all of kanye’s connections and this being his only trip to MSG, you would think there would be all sortsa guest appearances, but no. Not one other person came on stage with Kanye, not a backup dancer, nobody playin an instrument, nada. Ego-centric, and I’m not the only one who felt that way. That being said, he was ridiculous. He Killed it. The cheesy spaceship theme linked some songs together, but the concert coulda really used some crowd interaction rather than Kanye talking to the wack spaceship. We get it, you’re creative and brilliant, but c'mon, give the fans a lil love. Best performances of the night included: Through the Wire, Hey Mama, and Jesus Walks. Actually the encore may have been the best performance, only cause it was a nice change of pace to see another face on the stage, namely Lupe for ‘Touch the Sky’. I mean, if he didn’t come out (which I hear he didn’t at other shows) it woulda been kinda insulting. Let’s be fair, 90 mins straight of Kanye was impressive. There aren’t many, if any, performers who can hold down a stage like that all by himself.

Hip Hop Super Group

A little while ago, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, and Lupe Fiasco formed a group called Child Rebel Soldier (or CRS). The group released "Us Placers" in August of last year, which featured prominent samples from "The Eraser" by Thom Yorke (of Radiohead fame).

CRS - Us Placers



This song is great. That video is also amazing. Interesting fact about this video - this was not actually commissioned by CRS. It was created independently by the director Vashtie Kola. Unfortunately, this was the only song CRS released.

That is, until now. CRS (well almost CRS) just released the remix to "Everyone Nose." The original song is by N.E.R.D.

N.E.R.D - Everyone Nose



First, give it up for this video. Great concept, great execution. Also, an appearance by Vashtie Kola. Looks like a live action version of Last Night's Party, which it apparently is according to this post.

Now, the remix.

N.E.R.D - Everyone Nose (feat. Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco & Pusha T)



Let me explain why it's almost CRS. The remix features Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco, which would essentially constitute CRS. However, it still is a N.E.R.D song, so it can't technically be a CRS song. Pusha T (of The Clipse fame) shows up, as well, for good measure.

How the members of CRS managed to make this song while on the road as part of Kanye West's Glow in the Dark tour I will never know.

Speaking of Glow in the Dark, Gerard has promised me a post about his experience at the New York stop of the tour. Let's see how long it takes him to get that done.

Regardless, this new song is pretty good. It's essentially about shallow, materialistic, cocaine-addicted women.

So is your face.

Confession

I actually really like the original, but I like this better (apparently, it's the "official" remix, 1 of a million out there) - it features a lil visit by Kanye.

The Onslaught Continues

Given Ray's lack of posting, we at The Pun Spot have invited another contributor to the blog. Allow me to introduce you to my friend Gerard, the most gangsta thing to come out of Princeton, NJ since Hoagie Haven.

Gerard, we look forward to your postings.

Hot Chip - Sensual Seduction (Snoop Dogg Cover)



So is your face.

Happy (Belated) Birthday

The Roots - Birthday Girl (feat. Patrick Stump)

This one is dedicated to my friend Shalin who celebrated his 25th birthday this past weekend. The song and dedication combine all things Shalin enjoys - new music most people haven't heard yet, neo-soul bands, pop punk pop artists, collaborations between said bands and artists, music blogs, and being referred to as a girl.

"Birthday Girl" was supposed to be on The Roots' recently released Rising Down album. However, the track was removed as it didn't fit with the rest of the album. Regardless, it's still a pretty good song. A much more lighthearted track relative to The Roots' other music.

Two videos for this song are circulating on the net.

Video 1: Stars adult film actress Sasha Grey. Video is interesting with lots of sexual innuendo a la Austin Powers. Except a little more explicit implications. If that makes any sense.

Video 2: Reminds me of a cross between an American Apparel ad and a Terry Richardson photo shoot. That's probably somewhat redundant.

Also, listen to a song that's actually from The Roots' new album.

The Roots - 75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction)

So is your face.

New Blog Author

Readers, be on the lookout for new posts by our blog's newest author - Ray.

You may know Ray from his illustrious career as a cynic and naysayer.

Ray will (hopefully) be contributing the blog on a regular basis.

Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come



So is your face.

Idol Worship (not to be confused with Idle Warship)

Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love



There is no way to avoid this song right now. It's guaranteed to be on every Top 40, soft rock, and adult contemporary station in your city.

What's that? You don't listen to Top 40, soft rock, or adult contemporary stations?

Liar. Don't front. You do. I do. We all do.

First, some background on Leona Lewis: won The X Factor (British equivalent of American Idol); is a vegetarian. That's pretty much it.

Here's what I like about the song: great vocals on display, catchy lyrics (i.e., fun to sing along with), great beat. Speaking of the beat, the production really sounds like it could fit a hip-hop song.

Here's what I like less about the song: not that much of a departure from Mariah Carey circa 1994. It's all the same ol' melisma. (For more on melisma and Mariah Carey, see this article from Slate.)

What's the take away? Good enough song. Will last through the summer.

So is your face.

Social Networks

Mickey Avalon - Jane Fonda



The first time I heard Mickey Avalon was on an episode of Entourage. Except I wasn't really paying attention, so I guess that doesn't count. The first time I listened to this guy in earnest was last weekend. I will admit that his music is catchy with its throwback production and rhyming style. Some of the drawbacks are that he's not overly concerned with being smart per se, and he is obsessed with drugs and sex.

That last point may explain a lot of his appeal.

Avalon has a pretty interesting background. You should be able to find out a lot about this guy on the Web, but I'll give you a few highlights. Drug addict and dealer, grandson of Holocaust survivors, male prostitute, witness to his father's death.

"Jane Fonda" - probably his most popular song - was featured on an episode of Entourage, as I mentioned above. Since that airing, he gained a lot of traction and reissued his self-titled album on MySpace Records. In fact, that album was the first to be released by MySpace Records.

If you get a chance, listen to "So Rich, So Pretty." For some reason, the girl on that song reminds me of Darryl Hannah's character from Wall Street.

Another song from the aforementioned record is featured in the recently released Harold and Kumar sequel.

So is your face.

===

UPDATE: Forgot to give a shout out to Joe, my brother from another mother, for his recommendation.

So is your face.

Reaganomics aka Voodoo Economics

Michael Jackson - P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)



Great song. Can't really contribute anything else to the volume of what's already been written about the artist, the song, or the album. Except to share this gem.

"P.Y.T." was famously referenced by President Ronald Reagan during Jackson's 1984 White House visit, saying "Let's give some T.L.C. to the P.Y.T.s." (via Wikipedia)

Also, for your viewing pleasure.

So is your face.

Colbert Bump

John Legend - Show Me



Another song that I should have heard when I got the album. But this example is even more egregious as this album was released in 2006. Alas, I only heard this recently as part of John Legend's Show Me campaign.

Also, check out his appearance on Colbert from March.





So is your face.

Wayne does 2Pac does Beach Boys

...and it's as bad as you'd think. He's pretty into using the talk box a la T-Pain these days, and usually it's palatable. Don't listen to this around Mom - the lyrics will make you feel a little yuck.

BBQ

Eddie Murphy - Party All The Time


Written and produced by Rick James. Of Chappelle Show fame. That's a (bad) joke.

Also, this song served as the theme song for a BBQ I recently threw with my roommate - (My Grill Wants To) Party All The Time.

Get it? Another (bad) joke.

So is your face.

=====

UPDATE: Received a request from a loyal reader to post the video. Here it is in all it's glory. Try to imagine Rick James grinding his dirty shoes in Eddie's couch during the after party to the recording.




So is your face.

Updates. Again.

Apologies. Again. I wanted to introduce you all to a new contributor to The Pun Spot - my friend and yours - Megha. However, before I had the chance to prep my loyal blog-reading audience, Megha had her coming out party.

Nonetheless, you'll be able to recognize her postings from the poor spelling, terrible grammar, and general lack of wit. Jokes.

Megha is actually a talented and well accomplished author, and I'm very fortunate to have her join the team.

Readers, you'll be seeing a lot more from Megha in future postings. But please don't hold me accountable for her formatting.

Mika - Relax, Take It Easy



So is your face.

lil' mama who?

Check out Teyana Taylor, Pharrell's newest project and Harlem's own. Seemingly less annoying than Lil' Mama (horrible.) and way more connected (was the teen dancer in Hov's Black Magic video and helped choreograph some of Beyonce's moves in her Beautiful Stranger collaboration). Her cockiness is veryyyy likely to get old - her first single "Google Me" is a good enough reason why.

"Swagg", however, has a more likeable sound and hilariously 'eff you' lyrics.

Also - you're not seeing things, she's the same chick 'Super Sweet 16' who was gifted with a Range Rover from bossman Pharrell.

Damn

So I found out yesterday that certain artists only allow 30 second clips of their music instead of entire tracks. I'm still trying to figure out how to work around this. I'll keep you all posted.

Teen Heartthrob

Chris Brown - With You



Maybe this is not the manliest of selections, but I like it. Rajiv (my roommate) says that he despises all songs that use the word "boo." But this song is infectious. In a good way, though.

Video link here. Reminscent of Michael Jackson's Billie Jean. But then again, everything that Chris Brown does is (intentionally?) reminscent of Michael Jackson.

Side note: Produced by Stargate who also produced Beyonce's "Irreplaceable." You'll notice a lot of similarities here.

Jordin Sparks - No Air



Along the same lines, here's another song with Chris Brown. The song is on Jordin Sparks's album which was released last year. Fairly impressive vocals displayed by both artists on this track. This is much better than her previous single "Tattoo." Much.

So is your face.

Updates

Readers, apologies for a couple of things.

First, I did not enable comments properly when I was setting up the blog. I think I've corrected this. Comments will be enabled on all new posts, but unfortunately not for older posts. Let me know if this still doesn't work.

Second, I didn't properly attribute an image I used in a previous post. I've corrected this this, as well. In the future, I will make sure to properly attribute everything I use.

Thanks for your patience. We'll attribute this to birth pangs.

So is your face.

Pineapple Express

M.I.A. - Paper Planes



Admittedly, I don't listen to every track once I get an album. Case in point, I heard this track recently and found out it's on M.I.A.'s Kala album which was released last year. I have that album and never actually heard that song. Terrible. I was missing out on quite a song.

Also, it's probably worth listening to a couple of the remixes which were released in February of this year.

M.I.A. - Paper Planes (Diplo Street Remix feat. Bun B & Rich Boy)



M.I.A. - Paper Planes (DFA Remix)



The video is also probably worth a viewing. Reminds me of food trucks at Penn. (Thanks to DailyCherez / Hilal for the Taco Pal picture.)

You may recognize this song from the trailer to Judd Apatow's new movie - Pineapple Express. From the trailer, it looks like Harold & Kumar but with white guys.

So is your face.

First (Real) Post aka Most Sexified Song of 2008

Usher - Love in This Club (feat. Young Jeezy)


When I first heard this song a few weeks ago, I quickly recognized Usher's voice and was surprised - I didn't realize he was making a new album. Following up with a little Internet research, I discovered that this is the first track off his new album which is scheduled to be released at the end of May.

Also, I discovered that this song was produced by Polow da Don (of Throw Dome D's fame). You'll notice similarities with his earlier work.

After a few listens, I quickly named this the Most Sexified Song of 2008 to a few friends. They didn't agree with me then, so I didn't push it. But listen to the song and try to disagree. (To give you some context, I also named Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right" as the Most Sexified Song of 2006. No song was named in 2007.)

Link to the music video for the song. Great cameos from Keri Hilson, Kanye West, Diddy, Rick Ross, Robin Thicke, and a few others.

Finally, I am posting the official remix to this song. In spite of a good effort by Beyonce and Lil Wayne, I didn't like this one as much. It's a little more dirty, a little less sexy. (Thanks to Megha for the heads up on this song.)

Usher - Love in This Club (Part II feat. Beyonce & Lil Wayne)


So is your face.

Welcome

Welcome everyone to The Pun Spot - a blog about music and what not. I will be posting regularly (probably not) about music that I think is worth listening to or interesting for other reasons. This may not necessarily be recent music, but most of the time it will be.

Also, please do not mistake my blog for a source of new music or serious music critique. I am not cool enough to know about new music nor am I smart enough to write about music seriously.

Finally, feel free to leave comments and send suggestions.

So is your face.