The Pun Spot

Like a phoenix from the ashes, The Pun Spot rises again. Only in this case, its like a fly rising from a pile of crap.

2012-01-07T13:47:00.000-08:00

I don't know why I was reminded of this site randomly today. Call it the will of the gods. So thought I would dust this sucker off and see if anyone notices. What's the sound of a tree falling in the forest if no one is around to hear it?

I didn't have any divine inspiration so I will post the below because I like her. And because Puneet hates her.

Rachel Stevens - Come & Get It (2005)

2010-03-03T18:29:00.000-08:00

Strict Machine had been on the airwaves for at least two years now, and Supernature was about to come out. This was 2005, the year of Confessions on a Dance Floor, the year Gwen completely sold out for the in sound from way out, and Kelly Clarkson was relevant.

Rachel Stevens' team of producers cop mostly the synthetic soundscapes of Kylie and Goldfrapp and what appears to be a fuller embrace of electronic bubblings that had so far grazed maintstream pop but was yet to become a cluttered harddrive of 'Keeps Gettin' Better,' 'What You Waiting For?' and the like. The former SClub7 alum herself is not the focus and as far as I can tell, her capable voice lends sometimes Minogue's grace and Aguilera's attitude to the music. The lyrics are about a girl in search of love but I'm not one to tell.

The one thing I can't figure out is how Kylie's Fever came out in 2001. Madonna's Music came out in 2000 too. But the influences are strong here. As far as I can tell, those albums were more diverse than straight electropop and that this kind of album would have flopped around the turn of the century (instead of flopping in 2005).

This album landed during a time pop was shifting its embrace surely to electro, once it discovered that a harder synth sound meant money. The big name producers were almost certainly already listening to electroclash and just needed a go-ahead to mash those beats in. This was the interface between tween idol and the all out roux boots / goulding / perfectly gaga electropop onslaught, a sort of mirror of the careers of pop stars who began with Jive jingles and 80s pop stylings at heart, and then began putting out 'Gimme More' and 'Music'.

The album got rave reviews that year although I would say only half of the songs are true pop gems. As it was a disappointing commercial failure, Rachel Stevens only recently got back into recording music. I've been having fun listening to this album tonight though and I think you might enjoy it a few times too.

a couple samples (both produced by Richard X):

Some critical reception:

"Bold, swaggering and accomplished...Quite simply, it's the pop album of the year."
"Come and Get It is quite simply a pop tour-de-force that deserves to sell a billion copies. Please, don't let this end up as a forgotten classic".
BBC music

"This utterly mediocre (sales) performance (in terms of its genre, at least) is astonishing when you consider that the album was masterminded by the finest songwriters and producers in the game...but its failure becomes utterly mind-boggling when you actually listen to the thing."
allmusic.com

"its 13 tracks drift by in a haze of nothingness; it is a masterpiece of insubstantiality."
The Telegraph (talking about pop, this is an ultimate compliment)

"deserves to be a hit. It is packed with brilliant, cutting-edge pop music." It's lack of success was "the public's loss".
The Guardian

"a brilliant collection of sophisticated dancefloor songs and quite frankly, one of the most stunning albums of the year."
Londonist

"My pants are unable to withhold the giant sequoia I have for this woman and her producers' music"
Chumbletron Peebleton

"Probably the third greatest Stevens in history behind Shakin' and Thaddeus"
BBC History

Dubstep

2009-10-07T17:39:00.000-07:00

it's a big deal. never heard of it? here's my favorite example, discovered.. this past week.

millions hate it already. millions have yet to love it. millions (not billions) have yet to see megha in the nude as well so let's not hold our breath:

i first heard this sound with Burial's Archangel but didn't know what it was. Burial is pretty much considered the Britney of dubstep so it makes sense that it was the first thing I came across. My good friend Dan Amitai was a huge proponent of the scene in DC and I went to my first dubstep concert with him about a year ago (Headhunter and Jukata).

the key to this music is in the wobble of the bass. it can be irritating or interesting but it's a style that's getting more and more popular. the most popular artists in this relatively new genre (about 5-7 years old now) include: Benga, Skream, Rusko, Burial, Caspa, Zomby, etc etc

one more of my favorites is below. after that is the first "dubstep" song i ever heard (mentioned above). dubstep is in quotes because, although the genre comes from 2step/garage, this song owes more to 2step than most.

the three examples so far are on the calmer, less masculine side of dubstep, which has been criticized for having almost as macho a scene as drum n' bass. to be fair, the above songs all maintain the dark and brooding atmosphere that is requisite to good dubstep. below are some of the harder hitting examples, what many fans would consider (if over-played) the true sound of dubstep:

Did you already know about dubstep? Do you wish you never knew? Is it better than sunday morning bhajans? you tell me.

P.S. if you liked it, the motherload for great mixes is here.

You have to hold your nose and sing all angsty

2009-07-14T23:07:00.000-07:00

I don't get exposed to new music often, but my latest playlist has a cool story by my standards:

1. My bro sends me a song without an artist or title because he doesn't know it but knew I'd like it (he is right)
2. Bijal googles the lyrics and finds out it is by a band called Owl City
3. I start listening to more Owl City, and have them stuck in my head for months
4. I go to Owl City's concert across the street from my apartment in SF last Thursday - good times.

By my own admission I do often like less-than-manly music or cheesy electronica (e.g. Akon), and get made fun of a ton for it, but I've officially stopped apologizing for this - its too late for me (and these songs tend to have awesome harmony AND melody - not just beats). And I can still laugh when my brother makes fun of me via his impression of Secondhand Serenade, complete with clipping his nose closed with his fingers.

On The Wing - Owl City

Norwegian Rap/Urban Stars

2009-05-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

This is my first post so I'll be concise (not easy for me).

I enjoy "Beggin'" by Madcon. I don't get points for originality here - it's already Top 40 and will be all over the radio soon (which is where I heard it).

Madcon is "new" for me, but is very popular in Europe/elsewhere, especially in the Nordic music scene where they first hit it big.

Beggin - Madcon

Also the video is cool.

Kanye + Planet Earth = Amazing?

2009-04-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

Apparently so. Check out the new video for "Amazing."

Kanye West - Amazing (feat. Young Jeezy)

Radiofoot

2009-04-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

Have been listening to this a lot again in the last few days. Probably their best song. One of my overall favorite songs too... despite Thom Yorke's lazy f-ing eye. If he wasn't so weird, Radiohead would actually be more likable, generally speaking. Apparently both Kanye and Miley Cyrus don't like him cause he dissed them by ignoring them. Go figure... Kanye and Miley Cyrus have something in common besides huge egos.

Radiohead - Let Down

===

EDITOR' NOTE: The Pun Spot does not discriminate against people with "lazy eyes." In fact, our editor in chief has a "lazy eye." So there.

Pakistani-British Björk

2009-04-24T15:18:00.000-07:00

I'm really digging Bat For Lashes these days. You should, too. Check out the live cover of the Kings of Leon song.

Bat For Lashes - Use Somebody (Kings of Leon Cover)

Also, check out the first single from her new album, Two Suns.

Bat For Lashes - Daniel

Shout out to Hilal/Daily Cherez for the recommendation.

Maybe they'll sell a few more albums this time

2009-04-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

Check out the hot new single from The Clipse which will be featured on Till The Casket Drops (due out later this year).

The Clipse - Kinda Like A Big Deal (feat. Kanye West)

Electronic music (?) video collection

2009-04-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

Not sure that all of these qualify as electronic music, but they all feel like they're in the same genre.

As some of you readers may remember, I had a post about Röyksopp a couple months back for their song "Happy Up Here." Just saw this pretty cool version they put together as a promo for their album release. Check it out below.

Röyksopp - Happy Up Here (Marching Band Version)

And check out this pretty cool (older) video.

Röyksopp - What Else Is There (feat. Karin Dreijer Andersson from The Knife)

Not as creepy as Karin Dreijer Andersson's last video, but it has its moments. The video also reminds me of elements from one of the coolest videos from 2007.

Bat for Lashes - What's A Girl To Do

Socially Conscious / Social Conscience

2009-04-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

More from the upcoming Daniel Merriweather album Love and War. This one features Wale - one of my favorite rappers right now. The message of this song is reminiscent of Marvin Gaye a la "What's Going On" / "Inner City Blues."

Daniel Merriweather - Change (feat. Wale)

Ya dig?

Coming soon to an iTunes download near you

2009-04-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

Mos Def is coming back with a brand new album due out this June - The Ecstatic. And from this promo, it looks to be a return to his old form (hopefully more Black on Both Sides and less True Magic).

Mos Def - Flowers Promo

Also, peep these tracks that are also set to be on the album.

Mos Def - Quiet Dog

Mos Def - Life in Marvelous Times

Recognize

2009-04-13T23:43:00.000-07:00

Recognize: Not just a funny joke (one of the only funny jokes actually) from this season of Scrubs, but also an instruction for you to acknowledge all the goodness that was Run-DMC.

Run-DMC was recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. See more here and here.

A few of my favorite Run-DMC songs below.

Run-DMC - It's Like That

And the pretty cool remix: Run-DMC vs. Jason Nevins - It's Like That (remix)

Run-DMC - Christmas in Hollis (and I don't even really celebrate Christmas)

She's Back

2009-04-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

This blogger just woke up from a REM sleep. As such, my bag of tricks is quite empty with the exception of this little dirty-yet-clever (and what's better than that?) gem right here:

Iranian-American Country House Music = Next Big Thing

2009-04-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

Sharam - She Came Along (feat. KiD CuDi)

Sharam Tayebi (the Iranian-American house DJ) recently collaborated with KiD CuDi on this pretty cool track set to be on Tayebi's forthcoming album Get Wild. The song features an old Patsy Cline song, "Strange." You wouldn't think that this would work, but somehow it does. Check it out.

Slept on

2009-03-31T23:00:00.000-07:00

Some of you may remember my post from last year about "Hipster Hip Hop" where I talked briefly about The Knux. (And by some, I mean none of you, but that's okay.) The Knux dropped their album Remind Me in 3 Days in October last year but just released a new video from said album.

The Knux - Fire

Verdict: Pretty cool video and pretty good song. It is now on the official playlist.

Also, Passion of the Weiss recently wrote a pretty good piece on Asher Roth and The Knux. Check it out.

Old News?

2009-03-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

So I read this song has been pretty big for awhile; that was after recently hearing it for the first time on the radio. So please excuse if this is old news. I feel Beggin' draws on diverse styles to produce something pretty fun and irresistible.

===

EDITOR'S NOTE: Some readers may recognize this song from an earlier post on shoes and hip-hop. Thanks to Faroukh for ferreting out the information on that Adidas commercial, and for coming back after a long hiatus.

I've got soul, but...

2009-03-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

I'm a white guy. Or at least Daniel Merriweather is and has the aforementioned soul. I first heard him on Mark Ronson's 2007 album Version. (Thanks to Rajiv and Ray for the recommendation on that one.)

Mark Ronson - Stop Me (feat. Daniel Merriweather)

Merriweather recently released these two pretty good tracks both set to be on his forthcoming album Love and War. Check it out. (The second track is with one of Megha's favorite artists of last year.)

Daniel Merriweather - Chainsaw

Daniel Merriweather - Water and a Flame (feat. Adele)

Ray's Fave 5

2009-03-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

Ray's favorite artist just released the video for his new favorite song.

Keri Hilson - Knock You Down (feat. Kanye West & Ne-Yo)

Favorite. Favorite. Favorite.

That's 5. I'm out.

Support your local public radio station

2009-03-23T22:16:00.000-07:00

Heard of these two albums recently on Fresh Air with Terry Gross. (That's right. I get music recommendations from NPR.)

(1) The Bird and the Bee released Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future a couple of months ago. Sort of a blend between Lily Allen (vocals), The Ting Tings (production), and She & Him (concept).

A couple of tracks worth checking out below.

The Bird and the Bee - My Love

The Bird and the Bee - Polite Dance Song

(2) Speaking of She & Him, M. Ward (the band member that is not Zooey Deschanel) recently released Hold Time. Much of it sounds like it could be on the soundtrack for a Wes Anderson movie, which is not to say it's not enjoyable. To be sure, I enjoyed the album. A couple of good tracks below.

M. Ward - For Beginners

M. Ward - Never Had Nobody Like You (feat. Zooey Deschanel)

Shout out to Terry Gross for the recommendations.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Bar

2009-03-23T21:36:00.000-07:00

Heard this song this past weekend when I stopped by a random store on Saturday night on the way to a bar.

Glass Candy - Geto Boys

The song immediately caught my attention with the sample from Houston hip-hop legends The Geto Boys' "My Mind's Playing Tricks On Me." The store clerk was nice enough to give me the name of the group. I also bought a new pair of sunglasses. So all in all a great night.

There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture...

2009-03-10T18:32:00.000-07:00

Cool new-ish videos from Kanye West and Chairlift. Check it out.

Kanye West - Welcome to Heartbreak

Chairlift - Evident Utensil

War of the Worlds

2009-02-24T11:15:00.000-08:00

Röyksopp - Happy Up Here

Very cool new video from Röyksopp. It's as if it's the end of the world, and yet somehow I'm not so worried. The Space Invaders-wrought destruction reminds me of a hilarious episode of Futurama.

FuturamaWeeknights, 9p/8c

Space Invaders

Joke of the Day
Stand-Up Comedy

Free Online Games
More Funny Videos

If you hadn't already heard of them, Röyksopp is an ambient electronic band from Norway. Also of note, "[the] word Röyksopp is a stylized version of the Norwegian word for the puffball mushroom, 'røyksopp' or literally, 'smoke mushroom.'" (Thanks Wikipedia.) You may also remember them from that Geico commercial.

Röyksopp - Remind Me

The real music video is pretty cool, too.

"Happy Up Here" is going to be on Röyksopp's new album Junior due out in March. And props to Gerard R. for first introducing me to the band. Check out the band's website when you get a chance. They have an interesting blog where they list top fives for a number of categories: animals, actor's eyes, villain names. My favorite excerpt:

3. Xander Drax - “Again with the “x”s! If you’re lucky enough to get no more than 2 “x”s in your name, you’re meant to be a criminal. And if your name is Xander Drax, it sounds as if you’re ready to take on the world! Not in order to reap profits, but rather to destroy it! You’re probably a fiend when it comes to sharks, acids, lasers and nuclear explosions. Son, you are going places - The number 3 spot on our list, to be precise."

Hilarious Norwegians.

Let them eat cake

2009-02-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

Very cool new track from Yeah Yeah Yeahs from their forthcoming new album It's Blitz! And another track from the album below.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero

And of course, one my favorite (yet one of the most difficult) songs from Rock Band.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps

What About Our Fathers?

2009-02-22T13:24:00.001-08:00

Just giving Avani a shout out here for introducing me to The Knife. Have been listening to the below quite a bit for the last week. I'm sure its society that compels me to do so, rather than any evolutionary instinct.

(If someone can explain wtf this video is about, that would be much appreciated.)

Audi-O

2009-02-22T13:09:00.000-08:00

So as we were cruisin' the town last night in Chan's pimpmobile picking up ladies, we played the song from Audi's "Progess is Beautiful" A4 commercial. Somehow we were all transfixed by this wonderful piece of music. Coincidentally, at the same time, the ladies on the street stopped hollering back at us. I'm sure the two were unrelated. Apparently people have been looking for the extended version of this score but Audi says they only composed enough music for the length of the commercial itself. However, if you want a full length piece of music that sounds like this, the Audi song reminds me of Sigur Ros' "Hoppipolla." Not bad stuff. (The video posted below is not the actual video...its just put against a Planet Earth video montage, which is not bad at all).

Keri Hilson Flips the Script

2009-02-22T13:01:00.000-08:00

Puneet has been hounding me for the last few days to post something, so here we have it. Was watching MTV Jams this morning and on came Keri Hilson's "Turnin' Me On." I guess this video has been out for a few months but I had never seen it before. And as some of you know, I think she's pretty awesome (and infinitely better than Rajiv's preferred manface, Nicole Schewhatzinger). Anyways, as I was watching the video, I thought it was interesting that she basically took your typical rap video and flipped all the genders. So now, she's the one throwing money around and objectifying the shirtless dudes in the video (Puneet, calm down...). When I mentioned this in an email to Rajiv and Puneet today, Rajiv said he noticed the same thing. Puneet was busy drooling. Aside from all this, the song is not bad to boot either.

(I am pretty technologically ancient so you can just go to the link below~~, or Puneet, you can fix it by embedding it here for me)~~.

~~http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvthIDQ3fEU~~

Keri Hilson - Turnin' Me On (feat. Lil Wayne)

Next Big Thing?

2009-02-14T12:25:00.000-08:00

I think I may be late to this party, but Kid Cudi is going to be big in 2009. You may have heard of Kid Cudi from his collaboration with Kanye West on 808s & Heartbreak. That was certainly the first I had heard of him.

If you haven't yet, check him out. Pretty good lyricist from Cleveland, OH. Here's a rundown of his recent history:

Released the mixtape A Kid Named Cudi last summer that was well-received
Signed to Kanye's label, GOOD Music
Featured as a performer on "Welcome to Heartbreak" from 808s & Heartbreak and was a credited songwriter on four tracks on the album
Cast in a new HBO series, How to Make It in America that was just picked up
Will release his first album, Man on the Moon: The Guardians later this year

Pretty decent.

You can download the aforementioned mixtape for free.

Check out a few of my favorite Kid Cudi tracks.

Kid Cudi - Day 'n' Nite

There are a ton of remixes out there for "Day 'n' Nite" but this is a standout.

Jay-Z & Kid Cudi - Party Life / Day 'N' Nite (Terry Urban Remix feat. Jay-Z)

Kid Cudi - Is There Any Love? (feat. Wale)

Kid Cudi - The Prayer

Something about tomorrow

2009-02-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

Starbucks has released a compilation album of love song covers in commemoration of tomorrow. Generally, I stay away from retail compilation albums, but this is pretty good. Unfortunately, you're not supporting a worthy cause (like other compilation albums). Instead, you're supporting Starbucks, which could use some help. Actually a couple of pretty good tracks here. Track list and some links below.

Death Cab for Cutie - Lovesong (The Cure Cover)
Katy Perry - Black and Gold (Sam Sparro Cover)
DeVotchKa - Hot Burrito #1 (I’m Your Toy) (Flying Burrito Brothers Cover)
Department of Eagles - Love Me (Elvis Presley Cover)
Jessica Lea Mayfield - Words of Love (Buddy Holly Cover)
Ben Bridwell - Your Love Is Forever (George Harrison Cover)
Kate Tucker - I’m on Fire (Bruce Springsteen Cover)
Rogue Wave - Maps (Yeah Yeah Yeahs Cover)
A.C. Newman - Take On Me (a-ha Cover)
Jem - Yellow (Coldplay Cover)
Richard Hawley - Early Morning Rain (Gordon Lightfoot Cover)
Daniel Martin Moore - I Hear Music (Billie Holiday Cover)
She & Him - I Put a Spell on You (Screamin’ Jay Hawkins Cover)
Lila Downs - My One and Only Love (Frank Sinatra Cover)

Sometimes gchat says it better

2009-02-06T09:25:00.000-08:00

Lotsa criticism for Left Eye's recently released album, which features everyone from TLC to Missy to Wanya Morris (B2M).

Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes - Legendary (feat. Tupac)

And on 9/26/07: An Ode to Jose Gonzales & R&B

12:12 AM me: have you listened to jose gon's new album?

Ajay: just a song or two.. good??

me: i think i just liked that one song, nothing more

Ajay: the single was good

oh ok

yeah

me: one song = heartbeats

but on this album

nothing tickled my fancy

12:13 AM you can listen to it too - aolmusic streams new album releases (cd listening party) - and it's one of them

admittedly, i was more taken by jagged edge's new record

(seriously)

baby making project, i believe it's called

Ajay: hahaha

wow

double whammy

i think is the correct term there

Nomenclature

2009-02-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

New video from Chicago hip-hop duo The Cool Kids. This track appeared as "2K Pennies" on the soundtrack to NBA 2K9, and may appear as "Pennies" on the upcoming When Fish Ride Bicycles album due out later this year.

Enough of that, check the video.

The Cool Kids - Pennies

Verdict: Another really cool song from The Cool Kids. Sparse production. Sweet rhymes. Crocodile head on an RC car. Good job.

(Don't hold me to the crocodile claim. It could be an alligator. I have difficulty differentiating.)

And if that wasn't enough to keep you satisfied, check out this Cool Kids track that will be on N.A.S.A.'s upcoming album which also features an appearance by H-Town legend Scarface.

N.A.S.A. - The Mayor (feat. The Cool Kids, Ghostface Killah, Scarface & DJ AM)

(Thanks to EastofLA.com for the link.)

Hard Work and Patience Pays Off - Parents Everywhere Rejoice

2009-02-05T16:47:00.000-08:00

N.A.S.A.'s five year project finally comes to fruition on Feb. 17 when their album drops. This looks to be a very cool album. Some of you may remember the last time I wrote about N.A.S.A., but now we have more tracks.

N.A.S.A. - Hip Hop (feat. KRS-One, Fatlip & Slim Kid Tre)

N.A.S.A. - Money (feat. David Bryne, Chuck D, Ras Congo, Seu Jorge & Z-Trip)

Also, check out this cool trailer for their album.

N.A.S.A. - The Spirit of Apollo Trailer

And for those who are interested, N.A.S.A. will be at The Mezzanine in SF on Feb. 28 as part of Noise Pop 2009. And finally, N.A.S.A. will be at Coachella on Apr. 17.

"Art" rock / "experimental" rock / "difficult to appreciate" rock

2009-02-04T13:18:00.000-08:00

For today's post we're going to cover one of the biggest bands of last year and one of the biggest musicians of the past three decades - TV on the Radio and David Bowie, respectively.

TVOTR just released this cover version of one of Bowie's biggest songs.

TV on the Radio - Heroes (David Bowie Cover)

It's very, very well done. I would say it even approaches the level of the original, but, of course, Bowie fans would vehemently disagree.

David Bowie - Heroes

This song is being released as part of a charity compilation for War Child, which is "dedicated to providing urgently needed humanitarian assistance to war-affected children around the world," which is pretty cool. (Read more about the album here and here.) What's also cool is that Bowie chose TVOTR to cover this song.

For some background, TVOTR released one of the most widely-acclaimed albums of last year (even by MTV), which I have been excoriated for ignoring on our "Best of 2008" list. Personally, I found their music a little difficult to listen to - not as catchy relative to the hip-hop or pop that I generally appreciate. But I did like one song a heckuvalot.

TV on the Radio - Crying

TVOTR and Bowie have a history of collaborating as Bowie lent his vocals to a track on TVOTR's 2006 album Return to Cookie Mountain.

Finally, here's a cool widget that you can explore which has samples of more tracks off of the War Child benefit album.

P.S. Happy birthday, Rajiv. Also, remember when Bowie was in Labyrinth. That was hilariously bad.

Revelations

2009-02-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

I found out recently that one of my favorite remixes of the past few years (DJ A-TRAK's remix of "Get 'Em High") is mostly from the Swedish brother and sister duo The Knife. And then I came across this recent article in the New Yorker on The Knife's new (nightmarish) endeavors.

Anyway, listen to the original song which the remix heavily sampled: The Knife - Heartbeats

And now listen to a pretty cool cover: Jose Gonzales - Heartbeats (The Knife Cover)

This really changes my perception of Swedes.

NOTORIOUS

2009-02-02T06:16:00.000-08:00

"We can't change the world, until we change ourselves" goes the saying. Gandhi? King? Obama? Phil (Dr.)? Nope. Apparently Diddy, P. uttered these inspirational words to guide and mentor the young Christopher Wallace aka Notorious B.I.G. aka Big Poppa aka Biggie Smalls into superstardom. At least that's how it's all depicted in the biopic NOTORIOUS. Not proclaiming to be an expert by any means on all things notorious, or big for that matter, I can at least spot a notoriously big ego when I see one (groan) Note: In case you didn't know Sean Combs aka P. Diddy produced the this thing, and therefore not surprising that he puts himself in almost Obi-Wan-like light. And though Notorious was everything I had expected, a good kid-turns bad kid-turns bad man-turns good man who is cut down at the prime of life story, a few surprises potentially worth noting:

Well done voice acting, and girth acting by Jamal Woolard. Note: Beanie Siegel and Sean Kingston auditioned for this role so you know competition was tight
The atrocious Jamaican accent used by Angela Basset as Voletta Wallace, Big's mom. Seriously it makes you cringe.
The negative light cast on Lil Kim as an attention starved, Biggie-obsessed, starlet-hussy, whose lyrics would be explicit for most 1-900 numbers I know of. On second thought, not that surprising.
The schizophrenic tendencies of Tupac Shakur, (think more Mr. Hyde than Dr. Jekyll), who's family (or whoever owns his image) must be drafting the libel suit as you read this.
The apparently dwarf-like stature attributed to James Lloyd (aka Lil' Cease). He doesn't age in the movie's 24 year timeframe and is definitely not old enough to drink or drive, though is Biggie's personal driver. "Throw the keys to Lil' Cease, pull the truck up front and roll up the next blunt" - Big Poppa
The audacity/blinding ignorance of the 40 year old white man who brought his 10 year old daughter to see this R-rated, violent, sex-filled, bad mouthed, drug taking movie. Ill-played sir.

Verdict - I enjoyed but best to buy the soundtrack (which disappointingly enough, they don't make good use of in the movie)

-D.I.G.

Obligatory Slumdog Post

2009-02-02T00:38:00.000-08:00

No I still have not seen the movie. I'm not even sure that I can actually call myself an Indian anymore.

But after some prodding from my sister, I have listened to a couple of songs from the soundtrack.

Favorite original song from the soundtrack: A. R. Rehman - Jai Ho

Favorite song from a previous release on the soundtrack: M.I.A. - Paper Planes (DFA Remix)

I also caught this interview with A. R. Rehman on NPR this weekend. Interestingly enough, he compares making music with cooking.

By the way, if anyone wants to go see the movie, let me know. I need a date.

Songs for a love scene involving Zach Braff

2009-01-27T18:00:00.000-08:00

Hipsters rejoice! I have finally included Lykke Li (pronounced Lykke Li) on the blog. Just listened to Youth Novels, Lykke Li's highly regarded debut album from last year. (Click for more info here, here, here, or here.)

A lot of these reviews pretty much nail my general sentiments on the album (sounds like Feist or Bjork, could easily be featured on an iPod commercial, etc.) I liked the album for the most part, but the vocals were a shortcoming - more like whispers rather than actual singing. But as the title of this post suggests, I could easily see many of the songs on this album featured in any love scene with Zach Braff.

Here are a couple of good tracks from the album.

Lykke Li - Dance Dance Dance
(Thanks to Aural States for the link.)

Lykke Li - Hanging High
(Thanks to Backseat Sandbar for the link.)

Also, in case you were interested, she is performing at The Fillmore in SF on Feb. 15.

Dr. Leo Spaceman

2009-01-26T19:26:00.000-08:00

"Boy, it's crazy to think we used to settle questions of paternity by dunking a woman in water until she admitted she made it all up. Hmm, different time in the 60s."

One of my other favorite tracks from The Killers most recent albums, Day & Age. (My favorite track was featured earlier on The Pun Spot.)

The Killers - Spaceman

Here's my review of the album: Half 80s saxophone rock a la Huey Lewis or Human League. Half New Wave/Synthpop/Erasure-esque stylings. Half stadium rock akin to U2 or Coldplay. (That's right three halves. What?) All with lyrics that don't make a lot of sense.

Regardless, check out the album. Good stuff.

Puneet can come up with the title

2009-01-25T16:42:00.000-08:00

Coldplay - Life in Technicolor II

===

EDITOR'S NOTE: Ray shares this video from the recent Coldplay EP, Prospekt's March, which was released in November of last year. Also, this video is reminiscent of Kanye's "Champion" video from last year. Finally, Puneet did not come up with a title.

China's Underground Hip-Hop Movement

2009-01-25T14:20:00.000-08:00

Article from the NY Times on China's hip-hop movement.

Unrelated to John Denver. And by that, I mean directly related to John Denver

2009-01-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

Fleet Foxes released one of the best albums of last year. (At least according to those elitist, hipster jerks at Pitchfork.)

I liked it. But I'm not sure that I would say it was the best album of 2008. Kind of a throw back to late 60s / early 70s folk rock. Check it out.

Fleet Foxes - Blue Ridge Mountains
Fleet Foxes - Mykonos

Thanks to Stranger Dance for the free downloads. w00t.

And thanks to Anita K. for the recommendation. That's 2x.

P.S. I have to post this. One of my favorite songs as a kid.

~~John Denver - Take Me Home, Country Roads~~

Copyright holders took down the other one, check out this one. Not sure that this is actually John Denver, but take a listen. (Again, imeem registration required.)

John Denver (maybe) - Take Me Home, Country Roads

Recommendation Engine

2009-01-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

1. Really cool song from Bloc Party that was recommended to me by a friend. ~~(Sorry, can't remember which one, otherwise he/she would get a shoutout.)~~ Thanks to Anita K. for the recommendation. Very unlike any other song on last year's Intimacy. And I just found out it was recently featured on an episode of Gossip Girl. (Whack.) Check out the song below. (Again, imeem registration required, but it's FREE.)

Bloc Party - Signs

2. Below, a song from The Veronicas that I heard during a recent trip with some friends. Alright lyrics, really good beat. Can't help nodding your head along. Thanks Shalin P. for the recommendation.

The Veronicas - Untouched

3. And finally, Slate recently recommended The Rub: "the History of Hip-Hop megamixes by the DJ crew the Rub - a downloadable encyclopedia of practically every great song from the genre's first two decades." Check out 1999.

The Rub - 1999

Ay, there's the rub. (Sorry, couldn't help it.)

The definitive source for hip-hop critique?

2009-01-21T15:00:00.000-08:00

Well, probably not, but Slate does have a great article on The Notorious B.I.G. and his legacy in hip-hop.

He's one of the first hip-hop artists whose music I loved. I loved everything about it - the beats, the rhymes, the attitude. And there's no reason for someone like me to relate to this guy, but I can't help it.

As for my favorite Biggie song of all time, is there any doubt?

The Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy

Some of the greatest lyrics ever to be uttered

Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis
When I was dead broke, man, I couldn't picture this
Fifty-inch screen, money-green leather sofa
Got two rides, a limousine with a chauffeur
Phone bill about two G's flat
No need to worry, my accountant handles that
And my whole crew is loungin'
Celebratin' every day, no more public housing

P.S. The new movie isn't getting much love.

pwnage x 2

2009-01-20T15:21:00.000-08:00

1. I like Hype Machine a lot. Therefore, you should, too. It seems they've organized the year in music in a much cooler way than most other trite year-end lists. They have aggregated year-end lists from the most-read music blogs on the web. (Not sure that our site made that cut.) Check out their Music Blog Zeitgeist 2008. (Shout out to Ajay G. and Avani D. for first turning me on to Hype Machine. And shout out to Bryan K. for the link.)

2. I also like Slate a lot. And again, you should, too. They also put together a well thought-out discussion of the year in music. These guys (using the term gender-neutrally) are very smart and talented; and they think and write about music very seriously. We, on the other hand, are none of those things and are barely literate. So thank you readers for bearing with us.

Is anyone out there?

2009-01-08T12:06:00.000-08:00

Oh hello 2009. Let's listen to Wayne tell us what G is (while Gatorade pays him to do it). Rumor has it that he's real into voice-overs these days - that maybe just be the start of him falling off this year (a la Nas).

Can we add to the detritus that are the overabundant and excessive year-end music lists?

2008-12-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Yes we can!

Speaking of... Although it didn't make our year-end list, this was an important song and not just because all of the editors here voted for "That One." I know much of it was irritating and maybe a tad cultish, but still, it was important. (By the way, will.i.am released a follow-up song following the election. If you can believe it, this one was cheesier, more self-congratulatory, and even more irritating).

With that, it's now time for The First Annual Pun Spot Year End Compilation. The list below are the editors' favorite songs of the past year. Eligibility is limited to songs that were released as singles in 2008. So although there were a few songs that were prominent in 2008 (many of them featured on this blog), we chose not to include them. (I'm looking at you Marvin Gaye.)

1. Estelle - American Boy (feat. Kanye West)
2. Jay-Z - Brooklyn (Go Hard) (feat. Santogold)
3. Lil Wayne - A Milli
4. M.I.A. - Paper Planes
5. Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
6. Kanye West - Love Lockdown
7. Usher - Love in This Club (feat. Young Jeezy)
8. Lil Wayne - Lollipop
9. Jay-Z - Jockin' Jay-Z
10. Coldplay - Viva La Vida
11. T.I. - Swagger Like Us (feat. Kanye West, Jay-Z & Lil Wayne)
12. Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
13. Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes
14. N.E.R.D - Everyone Nose (remix feat. Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco & Pusha T)
15. Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl
16. Young Jeezy - Put On (feat. Kanye West)
17. Gnarls Barkley - Going On
18. Kanye West - Heartless
19. Chris Brown - Forever
20. Lloyd - Girls Around The World (feat. Lil Wayne)
21. The Roots - Rising Up (feat. Chrisette Michelle & Wale)

A few notes:

Why 21 songs? Initially we were going with 20, but numbers 19, 20, and 21 were tied, so there you go.
Kanye West and Lil Wayne dominate this chart with a total of 10 appearances between the two (I count "Swagger Like Us" two times).
Jay-Z didn't do too bad either with three appearances on the list.
Much disagreement between the editors (and perhaps some flaws with our scoring system) led some songs to rank much lower than expected (e.g., "Paper Planes" was ranked as 1 or 2 by three of the editors while it didn't even make the list of the fourth editor's top 20).
Notable artists missing from the list: Vampire Weekend, Rhianna, and Ne-Yo. All of these artists had a tremendous year by any standard, yet they don't meet the exacting standards of our committee. Harsh.

Thanks everyone for a really good first year for the blog. Thanks to the editors and all the writers for putting in the time to contribute. And thanks to the readers (all 5 of you).

Puff puff pass

2008-12-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

The Cool Kids dropped this remix to Maroon 5's hit from a few years ago. They changed the meaning of the lyrics (slightly).

Maroon 5 - Harder to Breathe (The Cool Kids Remix)

(Thanks to All Things Go for the free download.)

The Iron(y) Giant

2008-12-20T13:40:00.000-08:00

Some of you may remember my last post on Lily Allen. (If you do, then I would be genuinely surprised.) Regardless, it seems that she has a tendency of saying the exact opposite of what she means in her songs.

Lily Allen - The Fear

Reminds me a lot of the live action version of Alice in Wonderland (circa 1985).

Good song, good video, good night.

Stimulus Package

2008-12-19T17:24:00.000-08:00

N.E.R.D has a plan to lift us out of this recession

N.E.R.D - Sooner or Later

If it were only that easy. One guy is arrested, some good Microsoft product placement, and all of a sudden... recession over. Bust out of the vodka because we got a party going on! Which is not to say I don't like the song. I do. Juxtaposes slow R&B melodies with almost discordant melancholy and then breaks into pure rock guitar riffs. Typical of many other N.E.R.D songs.

Which brings up one of my other recession songs from everyone's favorite economist Young Jeezy - Put On.

Space Center Houston

2008-12-14T22:24:00.000-08:00

N.A.S.A. - Gifted (feat. Kanye West, Santogold & Lykke Li)

N.A.S.A.'s album drops in February. It looks to be pretty sweet. Check out the track list and guest artists.

If you're interested in learning more about N.A.S.A. (and not NASA), check out their MySpace page.

Part 3 in a 20 part series on the world of hip hop intersecting with the world of shoes

2008-12-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

See if you can name all the celebs, athletes, artists in the video

adidas - Originals 2009

And Wale is back with a pretty dope single

Wale - Nike Boots

Also for your reference:
Part 1
Part 2

Does it in his sleep

2008-12-05T08:37:00.000-08:00

Siiiiiick song / vid by Jay-Z (feat Santogold) off the Notorious soundtrack.

Blog post 'bout a blog post

2008-12-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

Common, like Pun, thinks he's got jokes.

His blog is purty simple, even relative to Kanye's gibberish (which is rumored to be ghost-written anyhow. Chump).

Aw, and B decides to tell us how much she loves Jay-Z:

Beyonce - Roc

===

EDITOR'S NOTE: Pun does have jokes. And they are hilarious.

Think of these stories during the next pledge drive

2008-12-04T11:45:00.000-08:00

So NPR has become a pretty good source of hip hop news. Or at least a source.

(1) News item from this weekend on Emily Wells, an artist fusing classical music with hip hop. Andrea Seabrook does a pretty good job of interviewing Wells on how she thought of blending the two genres together and how she can genuinely cover a rap song (Wells has a cover of Biggie's "Juicy" on her album). Overall, the music's alright. I do appreciate people experimenting with different forms, but I still love the original.

The Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy

(2) News item from yesterday on a new documentary on the rise and fall of Wu-Tang Clan. So strange to hear people on NPR talking about the RZA, the GZA, Ol Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Ghostface Killah, the Method Man, Raekwon the Chef, the Masta Killa. Also strange to know that most of these guys are going to be 40 in the next couple of years. One of my favorite Wu songs below.

Wu-Tang Clan - Da Mystery of Chessboxin

(Ir)relevant

2008-12-04T10:53:00.000-08:00

Grammy award nominees announced today. (Thanks to Daily Cherez for the news.)

Pun Spot favorite artists Coldplay, Lil Wayne, and M.I.A. get some Grammy love. Even Ne-Yo received a few nominations.

It's a little confusing how this Grammy business works. The "Paper Planes" single was released in February 2008, but the album Kala was released in August 2007. Apparently the single date counts. Who knew?

And by that logic, "Love Lockdown" was eligible but excluded. Someone may be a little upset.

Also in the tradition of every other music blog out there, I'm looking to compile a roundup of the year's best videos / music. Please send in your suggestions.

This post was not written by Pun

2008-12-01T12:50:00.000-08:00

Love me a good remix. Unfortunately, this is not one of them:

Oh, and then there's Com-Ye's pass at a slow-jam (don't play this in front of the family).

Common - Punch Drunk Love (feat. Kanye West) (registration required)

Lastly, here's what happens when creepy Belgian guy does Fifty:

Bob Dole

2008-11-25T01:45:00.000-08:00

88 Keys dropped this track a few months ago from his new concept album The Death of Adam.

88 Keys - Stay Up! (Viagra) (feat. Kanye West)

(Thanks to Jump the Turnstyle for the free download. w00t!)

I'm really digging this track (not just for the hilarious lyrics). It's got a cool Biggie "Juicy" / The Roots Tipping Point vibe.

The album, executive produced by Kanye West, is about a man, Adam, who dies in his quest for "love." Along with the tracks included on the album itself, fake news clips were released on multiple sites to aid in the story telling / marketing.

Check out 88 Keys' imeem page here for lots more info and music. Not sure if I can post anything more without this blog devolving into very NSFW territory.

Ray says she has a fivehead

2008-11-24T15:10:00.000-08:00

Rihanna - Rehab (sort of feat. Justin Timberlake)

Why does JT make an appearance in the video? Glad you asked. He actually co-wrote and produced the song (with his compatriot Timbaland) and provided background vocals

Okay video for an okay song.

I Love the 70s - Volume 18

2008-11-23T14:51:00.000-08:00

Gym Glass Heroes - Guilty As Charged (feat. Estelle)

Ridiculous video that's part Sensual Seduction, part Sabotage, which coincidentally are two of my favorite music videos. This new video doesn't make that list, but it's still okay.

Yes, I admit it. I went to a Coldplay concert. And you know what? I liked it.

2008-11-22T14:34:00.000-08:00

The video for the "Lost" remix was recently released.

Coldplay - Lost+ (remix feat. Jay-Z)

Not that impressive really. Essentially a concert video with a black and white Jay-Z interlude. Still, I like the song, so I'll put it up again.

Also, in case you're wondering, Chris Martin actually dances like that at all of his concerts. It almost looks like he's having a seizure. But more fun.

Don't call it a comeback

2008-11-21T16:16:00.000-08:00

Q-Tip dropped his third solo album The Renaissance a couple of weeks ago. (Technical note: His second album, although it was completed, was never released.)

Below are a couple of singles from the new album.

Q-Tip - Move

Q-Tip - Gettin' Up

Unfortunately, although these are head-nodders / toe-tappers, they probably won't be commercial hits.

And below is one of my favorite songs from a few years ago where Q-Tip makes a guest appearance. I'm generally not a big fan of more recent Black Eyed Peas, but this song was very good. It's probably because Fergie doesn't even make an effort to pretend to sing on the track. Thank God.

Black Eyed Peas - Like That (feat. Q-Tip, Cee-Lo, Talib Kweli & John Legend)

Where the ladies at?

2008-11-21T11:45:00.000-08:00

Seriously. Where are the ladies at? (Also a question heard around my apartment on a nightly basis.)

When you get a chance, read this Slate article on the dearth of female rappers.

Good overview on the history of the female rapper and why we don't see that many. Article ends on a hopeful note with mentions of hipster-favorite Kid Sister and current pop chart topper M.I.A.

Although who really knows when the long-awaited Kid Sister album will actually drop.

Here's the most recent single from Kid Sister. Wasn't a huge fan, but here it is anyway.

The Count & Sinden - Beeper (feat. Kid Sister)

And one of my favorite M.I.A. songs remixed with some verses from Wale.

M.I.A. - Boyz (remix feat. Wale)

(Thank you to CHROMEMUSIC for the free download. w00t!)

Ninja Weekday

2008-11-20T15:32:00.000-08:00

(Opposite of Vampire Weekend?)

Last weekend, mtvU held its annual Woodie Awards, which it bills as, "The definitive college music awards."

First, I wasn't aware there was a single college music awards show, let alone many college music awards shows to necessitate a title such as "The definitive college music awards."

Second, Vampire Weekend and Chromeo did a pretty good collaboration at the show.

Vampire Weekend - The Kids Don't Stand a Chance (mtvU Woodies Awards Mix feat. Chromeo)

The 2008 mtvU Woodie Awards

And here's the official mix

Vampire Weekend - The Kids Don't Stand a Chance (Chromeo Remix)

(Thanks to Cream Team for the free download. w00t!)

Karl Marx(y)

2008-11-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

... or another name that (sort of) rhymes with Charles Barkley / Gnarls Barkley.

1. Relatively new video from the dynamic duo

Gnarls Barkley - Mystery Man

2. Older video which I just recently saw for the first time

Gnarls Barkley - Who's Gonna Save My Soul

The group is supposed to be releasing a new album sometime in the near future. We shall see.

Catching up with Kanye...

2008-11-19T23:38:00.000-08:00

So many items to post about Kanye. Am I obsessed? Mayhaps. And free downloads abound! w00t!

Kanye West - Heartless

Apparently, this video was inspired by a little known movie from 1981 called American Pop.

Also, in case you wanted to download the new mix and master for the track.

Kanye West - Heartless

Another Kanye track to keep you busy.

Kanye West - Amazing (feat. Young Jeezy)

And the Love Lockdown remix with everyone's favorite alleged pedophile.

Kanye West - Love Lockdown (remix feat. R Kelly)

Beyonce, will you be my fiancee?

2008-11-19T10:58:00.000-08:00

That rhyme comes courtesy of Paul Rudd (from a promo for last week's SNL).

A couple of recent Beyonce song below which I have enjoyed.

Beyonce - If I Were A Boy

Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)

What's up with the metal hand in that video?

Wednesday Night Jam

2008-11-05T15:27:00.000-08:00

M.I.A, The Wire, blah blah blah.

Get out there and VOTE!

2008-11-04T15:06:00.000-08:00

Europe - The Final Countdown

Also, for your viewing pleasure.

G. O. B. - The Final Countdown

Are we human? Or are we dancer?

2008-10-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

Serious questions for serious times.

Seriously. Check out the new track from The Killers.

The Killers - Human

Also, check out this older track which I enjoyed thoroughly.

The Killers - All These Things That I've Done

This track was also featured in a relatively recent Nike commercial.

Nike - Courage

Stem Madness

2008-10-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

DJ Earworm - Reckoner + Lockdown

DJ Earworm just dropped this mashup of Kanye West's "Love Lockdown" and Radiohead's "Reckoner"

See DJ Earworm's site for more info on stems.

Spicy Hot Link (Part II)

2008-10-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

Mos Def for President (via The New Yorker's Sasha Frere-Jones)

I don't think he got The Cool Kids endorsement, so I don't think I'll be voting for him this time.

Also, while perusing the New Yorker, I came across this article, Beyonce's Guide on Successful Relationships.

Spicy Hot Link

2008-10-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

The Cool Kids say you should vote. I also say you should vote. Does that make me a Cool Kid? Yes.

The Cool Kids on Voting

Also, check out this relatively new track from aforementioned Cool Kids.

The Cool Kids - Delivery Man

You can download the track for free (w00t!) from their label's website here.

Also for your viewing pleasure

Andy Samberg - Jam the Vote

Hova Grab Bag

2008-10-20T22:57:00.000-07:00

Jay-Z drops a pretty good verse on this remix to this Coldplay track from earlier this year. The remix will be released on Prospekt's March, an EP with tracks that were left off of Viva la Vida, in November.

Coldplay - Lost+ (remix feat. Jay-Z)

Also, I thought I'd share another good recent track that Jay dropped earlier this year. We had a shortened version earlier this year, but now, here's the full version in all it's glory.

Jay-Z - Jockin' Jay-Z

(Free downloads via Passion of the Weiss)

Early polling suggests...

2008-10-20T05:22:00.000-07:00

Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak

Early reviews are in, and they are (mostly) positive.

Passion of the Weiss
Fader

Also, get the new single for free. w00t!

Kanye West - Heartless

Mos Interrupted

2008-10-20T04:05:00.000-07:00

I attended a concert this weekend in Golden Gate Park, The Band Shell Music Summit. The concert and festival was intended to promote "sustainable living, while showcasing national talent to the public." There were a lot of acts there, but mostly I was there to see the headliner Mos Def.

Unfortunately, we were only able to listen to 20 minutes of his set before the park police came and shut down the show. Apparently, there can be no music in the park after 6 pm. You can, however, smoke whatever you want with impunity. WTF?

In spite of being cut off, it was still a pretty good set. Mos did mostly new material. Also, as the park police were shutting him down (literally cutting off his mic), Mos led the crowd in an a capella version of "Umi Says." That part was great.

Mos Def - Umi Says

Also, of note, girls love Mos Def. Many of the girls at this concert were swooning when Mos was smiling. Actual swooning occurred.

Canadian Reflection

2008-10-20T02:40:00.000-07:00

Chromeo - Momma's Boy

Originally from Canada. Collaboration between P-Thugg (Patrick Gemayel / Arab) and Dave 1 (David Macklovitch / Jew). Impressive.

Draws from 80s influences - synthesizers, keyboards, "Take on Me"-type animation, etc.

I had this conversation with a couple of my friends the other day when this video was on.

Friend 1: Oh I really like this song.
Me: Yeah, it's by this band called... uh... CHROMEO!
Friend 2: What? Chromeo?
Me: Yeah, the guy with the beard who's singing - that's DJ A-Track's brother?
Friend 1: Who?
Me: Yeah, A-Trak. Kinda famous DJ. He made this really popular remix of Stronger last year.
Friend 2: What?
Me: DJ A-Trak. He's made some other stuff, too. I put a post on the blog about him a while ago.
Friend 2: [Obvious disdain] Right... your blog.
Friend 1: [Faking recognition] Right, right, right .
Me: You guys suck.

Pretty much the conversation I had (except without the hyperlinks).

Also, during this conversation, we came to the realization that Chromeo is the Canadian version of Gnarls Barkley. A collaboration between a tall, white guy and a shorter, rounder man of color. (See pictures here: Chromeo / Gnarls Barkley / Chromeo / Gnarls Barkley.) The only difference is that the front man and producer roles are switched. Insightful? I think so. Useful? I think not.

Unreal

2008-10-20T02:37:00.000-07:00

Amy Poehler - Sarah Palin Rap

This whole thing seemed totally unreal. I'm still not even sure that it happened.

I actually prefer gin martinis

2008-10-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

Alicia Keys & Jack White - Another Way to Die

Theme song for the upcoming Bond film, Quantum of Solace. Daniel Craig shows up in the last few frames of the video (via a clip from the trailer), but other than that, not so remarkable. I do like the song, though.

Bizarro World

2008-10-09T01:57:00.000-07:00

A new wave of strange hip hop videos has hit the airwaves recently.

Exhibit A: T-Pain - Can't Believe It (feat. Lil Wayne)
T-Wayne - as the duo has come to name itself - released this video a couple of months ago. First, T-Pain as a travel agent takes us on a worldwide tour taking us to exotic destinations (like Wisconsin and Toronto). This tour is interspersed with T-Pain as a ring leader / carnival barker / magician taking us on a tour of a circus / carnival / magic show. Lil Wayne makes an appearance mumbling some unintelligible lyrics. Can't quite pinpoint why I enjoy this, but I do.

Exhibit B: Common - Universal Mind Control (feat. Pharrell)
This video has everything. Tron-like computer graphics. Stark black and white broken with psychedelic rainbow tunnels. Pharrell as a robot. Also, I swear I saw a schematic for mitochondria in there.

Exhibit C: Kanye West - Love Lockdown
Supposedly some elements of the video were inspired by Patrick Bateman (of American Psycho fame). I'm not sure I see that, but I will say this. What in the what? Sparse living room setting. Kanye seemingly agonizing over some heartache. Tribal warriors. Giant women in DayGlo paint. It's simply surreal. The song itself is a real stretch for Kanye. This video is just something else entirely. Is 808s & Heartbreak going to be a concept album? If so, what's the concept?

P.S. Kanye premiered this video on Ellen on Oct 7. He performed the same song later in the show. Talk about expanding your audience.

It's Time for an Acrostic

2008-10-06T11:42:00.000-07:00

M is for Mariah and the dirty rumor that she's preggers. Uh oh...

O is for OMG. Cuz that's what Urrrsher's new video made me say.

N is for Notorious BIG, and what promises to be a disappointing biopic: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/notorious/

D is for DJ Khaled, who I can't stand. Pitchfork can't either.

A is for Aubrey O'Day, who is rumored to have gotten kicked out of Danity Kane - we'll find out for sure tomorrow on MTB4. And here's her dirty little interview in Complex. Blech.

Y is for Young Jeezy's interview in ESPN the mag. You think he'd come up with something better than "Put On" for when asked what his at-bat song would be.

Where Is The Love?

2008-10-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

Timbaland recently collaborated with Chris Cornell for Cornell's soon to be released album Scream. Some of you may remember Cornell from his semi-famous group of the nineties Soundgarden. Others may not remember Cornell at all.

The New Yorker's Sasha Frere-Jones just wrote a fairly good article on the rise of Timbaland and the recent collaboration with Cornell.

Here's the only song that Frere-Jones seems to genuinely appreciate from the new album.

Chris Cornell - Ground Zero

(For those of you who know Cornell only from his Soundgarden days, this song will be a significant departure from that image.)

Not sure how much I like this song. Vaguely familiar to other Timbaland works (e.g., baby noises from Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody," mouth sounds from One Republic's "Apologize" and Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right," beats and interlude from anything on Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds, etc.). Cornell's voice also somehow reminds me of Cee-Lo from Gnarls Barkley.

One small quibble I have with Frere-Jones's article: He states that Timbaland is perhaps the most important producer of the past decade while noting that the Neptunes may have challenged him for that spot but cites no other contenders for the throne. What? Where's the mention of Kanye West? All I ask for is a mention. I know that I'm coming across as a partisan here, but seriously. Not even a mention. (And speaking of Kanye, the release date for 808s & Heartbreak has been moved up to November.)

More Guilty Pleasures

2008-09-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

I probably wouldn't even post this song if it didn't feature Lil Wayne, but it's worth a listen. (p.s. I'm still working on my official stance on Weezy)

Let It Rock - Kevin Rudolf

I guess I'm into this joint too. We were due for another club banger anyways. (Plenty of remixes out there)

Ron Browz - Pop Champagne

Get Yo' Passpurt

2008-09-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

Lupe still claims he's done after this next album. Don't go!

Ch-ch-check this one out though (Pharrell, Q-Tip, and newbie Sarah Green):

Lupe Fiasco - Paris, Tokyo (remix feat. Pharrell, Q-Tip & Sarah Green)

And now for my guilty pleasure:

Lil Wayne - Mrs. Officer

Old School?

2008-09-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

Just came across this band. Apparently they've been around for a while.

Pitchfork reviewed their most recent release (a greatest hits collection) earlier this year.

Below are a couple of selected tracks which I enjoyed. (You have to register for imeem to listen to the entire track, but it's free!)

King Khan and the Shrines - Torture

King Khan and the Shrines - Took My Lady to Dinner

Really enjoying this music. Good instrumentation, great lyrics. ("My babies fat / She's ugly / She's fat and she's ugly / but I love her/ I love her / Oh yes oh yes I do.") If nothing else, the guy's mustache is awesome.

And special thanks to Daily Cherez / Hilal for the recommendation.

Reading Material

2008-09-19T16:28:00.000-07:00

Apparently TRL will be going on hiatus in November. Meh.

Hip hop saved this teacher's life. Figuratively, of course. (Thanks to regular contributor Megha for sending this.)

That's all for now.

I Need to Get Some Stripper Counselin'

2008-09-11T14:39:00.000-07:00

Kanye's busy alright - busy getting arrested this morning at LAX. On 9/11. Whatta chump.

T-Wayne (how'd they ever come up with that) collaboration on "Can't Believe It" - where TP plays his favorite card, the one about being in love with a stripper - has had an "A Milli"-like effect on artists out there. First came Jojo's take (yes, her)...and then Trey Songz. There are probably more bad remakes of this yawn-fest song to come.

A Very Busy Year

2008-09-10T21:40:00.000-07:00

I'm left speechless by how much this guy can do in a year.

Kanye will be contributing to Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3 and his own 808's & Heartbreak both due out in December.

One of the tracks to be featured on 808's & Heartbreak is "Love Lockdown" which Kanye performed this past Sunday at the VMAs.

Kanye West - Love Lockdown

And then there's this video which was released to wide distribution only last week; however (from what I can tell) the video actually was shown in limited release at least a few months ago.

Kanye West - Good Morning

It's the second in the line of Kanye videos where he doesn't make a physical appearance.

Kanye West - Champion

And if you hadn't heard it already, Kanye was featured on Young Jeezy's newest single.

Young Jeezy - Put On (feat. Kanye West)

For completeness sake, here's the remix with Jay-Z

Young Jeezy - Put On (remix feat. Jay-Z & Kanye West)

Posse Cut Chapter II

2008-09-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

Found a great (unofficial) video for "Swagger Like Us."

Posse Cut

2008-09-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

posse cut (n.) - So me and my friends are having a party. It's like most other parties you would be familiar with, except that I'm a rapper, and so are all my friends. And this party will make us tons of money. There's no real reason to have this party - it's just for the sake of being friends and simultaneously being awesome.

Don't mean to be snarky about this. I actually like these big get-togethers. The thing that really gets me is labeling the friggin' MP3. For example, "Pharoahe Monch - Simon Says (remix feat. Busta Rhymes, Lady Luck, Method Man, Redman & Shabaam Sahdeeq).mp3."

Anyway, "Swagger Like Us" (the most recent incarnation of the posse cut) dropped last week. The song prominently features a sample from M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes," and is set to be a track on T.I.'s Paper Trail which will be released later this month. The track may also be on Jay-Z's upcoming The Blueprint 3.

T.I. - Swagger Like Us (feat. Kanye West, Jay-Z & Lil Wayne)

And below are some of my favorite posse cuts of all time.

Fat Joe - John Blaze (feat. Raekwon, Big Punisher, Jadakiss & Nas)

The Fugees - Rumble in the Jungle (feat. A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes & John Forte)

De La Soul - Buddy (Native Tongue Decision) (feat. A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, Queen Latifah & Monie Love)

Pharoahe Monch - Simon Says (remix feat. Busta Rhymes, Lady Luck, Method Man, Redman & Shabaam Sahdeeq)

Craig Mack - Flava in Ya Ear (feat. The Notorious B.I.G., Rampage, Busta Rhymes & L.L. Cool J)

A Tribe Called Quest - Scenario (feat. The Leaders of the New School)

Two Nerds at an Industrial Rock Concert

2008-09-07T20:52:00.000-07:00

Since I know Rajiv won't post about this, I suppose I will have to mention it. Went to see Nine Inch Nails in Oakland this past Friday. Have to say we both agreed that it was the best show we've been to. The lighting was awesome as was this crazy screen they had. See for yourself below...though the clips don't do it justice. Had to be there to truly appreciate it. Also, nice bonus to seeing people lighting up all over the place and then these two guys who pushed their luck a bit with the second joint and finally got dragged out by security.

Only

Closer

(The Post With No Title)

2008-08-24T22:32:00.001-07:00

At Puneet's request, here is some music.

Stars - The Night Starts Here

Stars is a Canadian indie pop band, according to Wikipedia. Anyways, I forgot how I found them about a year ago but I'm glad I did. Here is a sampling. I actually never bothered to look on Youtube for a video until today so I have no commentary on that whatsoever.

Also, what I think is the best song on Coldplay's new album, Viva la Vida.

Coldplay - Lovers in Japan / Reign of Love

I wish they didn't tack on the second song as part of this track because I either have to a) sit through it or b) actually lift a finger to skip through it.

Finally, it's necessary to represent.

San Quinn - San Francisco Anthem (feat. Big Rich & Boo Banger)

===

EDITOR'S NOTE: This post originally had no title intentionally. The Editor (me) included a title to avoid any confusion. That probably did not help.

John Tesh is that ish

2008-08-23T14:53:00.001-07:00

The NBA on NBC theme song composed by Mr. John Tesh has returned for Olympic basketball games on NBC. Rarely, if ever, has a tv theme song created so much drama for years to come. Every time I hear it I am brought back about 15 years to a Sunday afternoon for a classic Knicks playoff game- good times. Enjoy this ridiculous live version of the theme song and bask in the glow that is John Tesh.

Tell you the rest when I see you, peace.

The Archive

2008-08-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

"Paul Mawhinney was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. Over the years he has amassed what has become the world's largest record collection. Due to health issues and a struggling record industry Paul is being forced to sell his collection."

The Pun Spot Dabbles in Shoes and Such

2008-08-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

Air Questos anybody? Yup - apparently anyyyyyone can make his/her mark on a pair of AF1's.

?uestlove is the 5th designer (on the heels of Rasheed Wallace) for Nike's 1world, which is essentially a forum/canvas for global innovators in music, sports, entertainment, etc. I smell a sorta kinda copycat here...

Also also - some Lupe (old and new) stuff for your back pocket:

and something for my ladies/Ajay:

I'm flying high over Tupelo, Mississippi with America's hottest band and we're all about to die

2008-08-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

Saw this video a few weeks ago and waited to share it with all of you.

She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here

You may recognize the singer Zooey Deschanel from such movies as Elf, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, a movie with an even longer name, or, of course, Almost Famous. She also did a few episodes on Weeds.

Setting aside the fact that the band's name would make an English teacher crazy, they made a pretty interesting / very strange video.

- Ben Fong-Torres

Throwback

2008-08-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to re-appreciate hip hop since I've fallen off for a couple years. To that end, I've been listening to some older tracks and I rediscovered Tonedeff's "Monotony". Not only is his flow and lyrics the illest, it seems particularly pertinent to a lot of artists from then and today. Ch-check it out:

Tonedeff - Monotony

Tell you the rest when I see you, peace.

Cacophony?....or awesomony?

2008-08-09T06:49:00.000-07:00

Here's Late of the Pier - a synth pop quartet from the quaint English village of Castle Donington. They've released a few singles and their first album 'Fantasy Black Channel' is slated for release on August 11. Their songs have been remixed quite a bit this year and I'm pretty amped on this one, the best of the bunch in my opinion - The Haunts remix of The Bears are Coming. This version adds some bass and cohesion to the original, and the best addition - a sweet electric guitar number about three minutes in.

Late of the Pier - The Bears Are Coming (The Haunts Remix)

Jocking

2008-08-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

1) Los Angeles-based rapper DeLon has reignited interest in M.I.A.'s affiliations to the Tamil Tigers or LTTE. Also of Sri Lankan descent, DeLon lays heavy allegations on M.I.A. in his remix to "Paper Planes."

He claims M.I.A. is pro-terrorist because her music, videos, and album artwork celebrate violence and contain LTTE imagery (namely tigers). M.I.A. responded:

"I don't support terrorism and never have," she wrote in a statement. "As a Sri Lankan that fled war and bombings, my music is the voice of the civilian refugee. Frankly, I am not trying to start dialogue with someone who is really just seeking self-promotion."

She has rich, complicated roots to the region and to the liberation movement and I don't think her affiliations will ever be very clear cut. I do feel she does her best to negotiate her contradictory ties through her music.

2) Kanye introduced "Jocking Jay-Z" at last night's MSG show... a preview of Jay-Z's Blueprint 3.

Bedtime Video

2008-08-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

Video for N.E.R.D's "Everyone Nose" Remix, featuring Kanye, Lupe, and Pusha T. Love it!

NKOTB feat. Ne-Yo

2008-08-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

Or the other way around? Second single product of their reunion fittingly entitled 'Single.' Smooth production by Polow Da Don, but what an ill-fated idea it is jumping on a track with Ne-Yo. He most certainly makes NKOTB sound like the sonic equivalent of a lukewarm side dish of congealing frijoles looking mighty unappetizing next to a platter of sizzling fajitas.

I fear this track will bring, along with some decent airplay, the demise of this short-lived revival.