Miny Moe

The Stone Foxes' new video is a trip

2010-06-03T11:45:00.001-07:00

watch for yourself

And then watch again, with your 3D glasses!

so cool.

Fang Island is awesome

2010-05-25T12:08:00.001-07:00

And this is just part of the reasons why.

*dies*

2010-04-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

Check out this video of a guy named Miles giving a helpful how-to instructional video on using the program/iPhone app TYPOGRAFFIT....it looks neat

MGMT's new video for 'Flash Delirium' is.....

2010-03-31T14:09:00.000-07:00

fittingly WEIRD. In fact, I'd say they're defining a new kind of 'weird'.

This whole thing looks like it would make for a pretty bizarre and quite entertaining movie....

Their new album 'Congratulations' is set to come out next month, but it's streaming on their site now....and causing quite a stir on the Internet, since it's so....strange.

My love for Dave Grohl will never cease....

2010-03-23T17:48:00.000-07:00

This video, while short, makes me love him even more. (in a fanboy sense, of course)

Ok Go never quits

2010-03-02T12:06:00.001-08:00

It's awesome to see visionaries within today's clouded pop music world.

Ok go are simply stunning with their music videos....as a band, as well, they are fun and creative, but their videos are just on another level of consciousness. This is just art. Wow.

Kurt Cobain movie coming along....

2010-02-25T13:10:00.000-08:00

at some point. As a self-professed Nirvana fanboy, having read tons and tons of books on Kurt/grunge/seattle/etc., this saddens me. I read the book the movie will be loosely founded on, Heavier than Heaven, and it is FAR too pro-Courtney Love for my liking. Since she also had to agree to license everything for this movie, that means it will most likely paint a somewhat favorable picture of her, rather than portray her as the succubus she was in regards to Kurt and his well-being. That's too bad.

He obviously would never have agreed to something like this had he still been alive, but that's what you get for killing yourself, I guess.

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2010/02/19/kurt-cobain-biopic-moves-along-as-fans-mark-nirvana-icons-birthday/

Bushwalla - not a 1990s cover band

2010-02-09T14:35:00.001-08:00

I was recently at the Mint in LA watching a performance by the Stone Foxes, one of my favorite bands out of the Bay Area. While there, I saw a flyer for the show the next day....featuring something called 'BushWalla'. As a child of the 1990s, I of course assumed this was the name of a 1990s rock cover band...but apparently it isn't. In fact, it's a really cool indie hip hop/soul/rock artist. Check out this video:

He's apparently even friends with Jason Mraz, who joined him onstage during the Mint show...

Pretty cool stuff. With a name like 'Bushwalla', I wasn't expecting it to be anything OTHER than a tribute act.

Rx Bandits continue to be amazing...

2010-01-28T12:21:00.001-08:00

This is their new music video for 'Hope is a Butterfly, No Net its Captor ( Virus of Silence)' off of their mind-blowing new album Mandala.

See full report...

So. Awesome.

they're playing Coachella this year (on Saturday) if you're so inclined. :)

2010 Coachella Lineup unveiled....

2010-01-19T14:55:00.000-08:00

and the Internet has somehow managed to stay afloat, despite the typical freakout that goes on when Goldenvoice's annual desert-rock festival gets its lineup posted all across the Web.

This year features headliners jay-Z (with a rumored collaboration with Alicia Keys and Kanye West), Muse, and Gorillaz. Of course this list isn't final, there will be other additions as the weeks go on....but I wonder if any of those will be involving the headliners, or if it's basically set. We shall see.

Not a bad lineup, though, there's something for everyone, even the Specials and SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE. Who saw that coming?

I can't wait for mid-April.

Another reason to hate Owl City

2010-01-05T13:50:00.001-08:00

This is silly. Owl City, who already amassed a Number 1 hit on iTunes by copying the style of the Postal Service with that "Fireflies" song, is now apparently accused of stealing album art as well. Adam Young, the 'mastermind' behind Owl City, released the hit album Ocean Eyes in 2009, with this image on the 2nd page of the booklet:

Looks neat. Too bad it is just a LITTLE BIT similar to this photo taken by some guy named Ben Eubank:

So....this Owl City dude likes ripping off guys named Ben (as in Ben Gibbard from the Postal Service/Death Cab for Cutie)? I guess? or else...what? There's no escaping the fact that this is exactly the same image, just with some Photoshop tweaking. Shameful.

And yet Owl City continues to rise and rise and rise in popularity.....sigh.

this was first brought to my attention via Stereogum, a marvelous site.

I hate Hollywood sometimes

2009-12-21T09:39:00.000-08:00

A couple years back I saw a delightful British comedy called Death at a Funeral. It was an offbeat tale of a bunch of odd people and the catastrophes that happened at their father's funeral...it was distinctly British, with the same type of humor I love (and some people in the US just don't appreciate). The film seemed to slip under almost everyone's radar here in the US, which was sad.

Yesterday, at the movie theater waiting for Up in the Air to start, I saw a trailer that made me uncomfortable. It opened with Chris Rock at a funeral for his father, but it wasn't his dad in the coffin! This seemed familiar because this was, in fact, A REMAKE OF DEATH AT A FUNERAL. Starring Rock, Martin Lawrence (ugh), Danny Glover, Tracy Morgan and Jason Marsden. Oh, and the little person who was in the original film is the same actor this time around, the guy who was also in Nip/Tuck. And what the HELL is Luke Wilson doing in this mess??

Words couldn't express my confusion as the trailer continued. Why did someone think it necessary to re-make Death at a Funeral? There's NO reason to do that, let alone junk it up with Martin Lawrence and his nonsense. This just made me sad. While this version will probably do well because of the names attached to it, I wish people could just have seen the original, vastly superior British version....or just LEARN TO APPRECIATE BRITISH HUMOR. Gah.

I feel sick now. =/

I'd hate to live next to this house

2009-12-17T17:49:00.000-08:00

For the sheer reason of being upstaged every year when it comes to Christmas light decoration.

That's just unfair. And this is a real thing, one of my friends says he's been to the house.

I don't even know how you'd set something like this up...but it looks pretty rad, however it was done.

I wish science/technology didn't hate me. =/

haha

SNL still has hope sometimes....

2009-12-10T11:38:00.000-08:00

As evidenced by this skit from last week's episode, which parodies the trailer for the Gathering of the Juggalos event that was so hilarious a couple of months ago....

See? they CAN be funny once in a while! I had almost completely lost hope.....

Now that Thanksgiving is over...

2009-12-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

...we can legally play Christmas music.

Anyway, the Men's chorale sang this at my school's Christmas concert a couple years ago. It wasn't on the program, which was the best part haha. The director sat down after they finished their last song and were supposed to leave, but then one of the students ran down and started off this piece. We're singing it again this year, only it will be on the program this time.

We got the song from a group called "Straight No Chaser" who is from Indiana University, I believe. They were the first to do it. You'll see that they do it a bit differently, including an a capella rendition (with the lyrics changed to suit Christmas) of Africa by Toto.

...annnnnnd just because Africa is such a great 80s song, and because I know you're not sick of listening to choir music, here is a mixed choir rendition of it. They create this rainstorm effect by snapping their fingers and hitting their legs and finally the thunder by jumping on their risers. It's a bit cheesy, but if you can get over the cheese factor it's actually pretty cool. I'm not convinced that the thunder sound is completely from the risers, though...

OK Go makes the best videos

2009-11-19T17:41:00.000-08:00

even if their songs are sometimes a bit iffy, the band does videos RIGHT. observe:

Edit: Gah, you can't embed the video. So go to YouTube itself and watch. It's rad.

Awesome, right? Well HOW THE HELL DID THEY DO THAT?

this is how. They were nice enough to do a behind the scenes video. And you CAN embed it. bam.

I wish I was that creative. le sigh.

And people say Twilight isn't good literature...

2009-11-17T21:54:00.000-08:00

Here are some facts that a friend of mine showed me about that ~~piece of crap~~ ... ~~wonderfully written~~ ... Oh who am I kidding? We all hate that freaking book. I don't know how accurate they are, but they're quite entertaining:

----------------------------------------------
Number of Pages in the Book: 498
The First Hint of a Plot that Is Not Bella and Edward's Romance: page 328
When the Plot Actually Arrives: page 372

Boys that Totally Love Bella (Including Edward Cullen): 5

Approximate Amount of Time Bella and Edward are Romantically Involved Before Bella Is Begging Edward to Turn Her into a Vampire so They Can Be Together Forever: Like, two weeks. Maybe three. The timeline's a bit fuzzy.

References to Edward's Beauty: 165

Broken Down into the following categories -

* Face: 24 (Favorite adjectives: glorious, heavenly, seraphic)
* Voice: 20 (The voice of an archangel, donchaknow.)
* Eyes: 17
* Movement: 11
* Smile: 10
* Teeth: 8
* Muscles: 7
* Skin: 7 (Note: This only contains accounts of Edward's skin being beautiful. I didn't count references to it as "pale," "cold," or "white." If I had, this number would be about ten times larger.)
* Iron Strength or Limbs: 5
* Breath: 4 (EVEN HIS BREATH IS AMAZING.)
* Scent: 4
* Laughter: 3
* Handwriting: 2
* Chest: 2
* Driving Skills: 1

The Number of Times...

* Bella Is Clumsy or Makes a Reference to Her Clumsiness: 26
* Bella Sneers at Forks or Its Inhabitants: 22
* Bella is "Dazzled" or Rendered Speechless by Edward's Beauty or Touch: 17
* Edward Tells Bella to Stay Away from Him While Completely Contradicting Himself with His Behavior: 16
* Bella is Utterly Desolate at Edward's Absence: 12
* Edward and Bella Kiss: 8
o Bella's Hormones Get the Better of Her and She Attacks Edward, Almost Causing Him to Eat Her: 2 (She's not even allowed to kiss him back! Where's the fun in that?)
o Edward's Kiss Makes Bella Faint: 1
o Edward's Kiss Makes Bella's Heart Literally Stop: 1
* Bella Thinks She Isn't Good Enough for Edward: 6
* Edward Is Referred to As Godlike: 5 (Note: This number might be off, as I didn't start counting until three or four mentions in.)
* Edward Tells Bella She's Unnatural: 5
* Edward Sparkles: 3
* Bella is in Mortal Danger: 3
o Edward Saves Bella from Mortal Danger: 3
* Edward Stalks Bella, For Real: 2 (Note: One of these instances involves watching her sleep every night for, like, months.)
* Bella says "Holy Crow!": 2
* Bella and Edward Argue About Who Loves the Other Most: 1
* Edward's Inability to Read Bella's Mind is Explained: 0

sELF rocks, this is pretty accurate too

2009-11-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

This is pretty cool...sELF was a very underrated band from the mid 1990's. Basically just Matt Mahaffee, the band released some pretty rad albums....this is from Ornament & Crime, an album that wasn't actually released. Thanks to the Internet, of course, this is hosted somewhere. It's the last track on that album....and it's a pretty accurate depiction of LA radio...ahha

Autotune Explained....with Weird Al!

2009-11-12T11:34:00.000-08:00

The folks at Know Your Meme put together this information and funny video highlighting the exploitation of Auto-Tune in popular music today...check it out! There's even a little snippet of Eenie Meenie's own Wallpaper. and their remix of Jay-Z's "Death to Autotune" song....cool!

This video is great.

2009-11-03T22:20:00.001-08:00

No, really. It's fabulous. The plot is just fantastic.

The Internet is Amazing

2009-11-03T10:31:00.000-08:00

Umm.....where to begin? What/who/why is this? I have no clue. This guy's look reminds me of...

Chris Tucker from the 5th Element.

Not that that helps explain what the hell is going on in this video/song....but....it's entertaining, to say the least.

Them Crooked Vultures finally have a real song out

2009-10-27T10:49:00.000-07:00

and here it is:

If anyone still cares, that is. The hype seems to have died down, as they just teased us for months until now, when there's finally a real full song out....and it's pretty cool.

I'll admit I'm not as super excited as I was two months ago, but I'm still looking forward to hearing the album and seeing them live.

jazz... and beatboxing?

2009-10-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

I've never heard of Iiro Rantala or his new trio, but it's certainly an interesting combination: Piano, Guitar... and Beatboxing. They're completely different personalities, and it's great. It's really a fun song, but it feels a bit more like a jam session to me. Anyway, check it out:

Iiro Rantala New Trio - Shit Catapult

You're welcome....

2009-10-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

for this:

:)

Where the Wild Things Are

2009-10-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

Maybe it’s just me, but I have been waiting for this movie to come out for months. I had movietickets.com open daily to check when the midnight tickets went on sale. I searched the internet for hours to find the perfect onesie pajama (unfortunately they were backordered by the time I found the one I wanted so I didn’t have it last night http://www.theirongategallery.com/Wild-Things-Wolf-Pajamas_p_592.html ). I made a special trip to Barnes and Noble to read the book so I had a fresh memory of what happened. Basically, I prepared myself to be disappointed.

I went to the theater last night really excited and ready for a seriously amazing movie, but in the back of my mind preparing myself for disappointment. The crowd certainly did not disappoint, dozens of people dressing up as Max and there was even a guy dressed up in a huge wild thing outfit (the head alone was bigger than me). When we all got in the theater and the clock struck 12 a guy stood up and yelled “Let the wild rumpus start!” to which the whole audience erupted in cheers.

Anyway, getting to the movie. It was amazing. One of the most heartfelt and touching movies I’ve ever seen. I never cry at the movies, but this one had me really close and brought several of my friends and my twin brother to tears. From the opening scene to the last scene you can’t help but love Max and everything he does. Even when he is being mean to his mom, like when he stands up on the counter and yells, “Woman! Feed me!” you just laugh. I think the only thing I didn’t like about this movie was his magical ability to find his way home at the end, but I can live with that. Seriously, everyone needs to see this movie. I promise you you will love it. If you don’t, there’s something wrong with you.

Same as it ever was....

2009-10-15T11:33:00.001-07:00

YES.

The 25th Anniversary Edition of the Talking Heads' concert film Stop Making Sense is out this week. I want it. You want it. Everyone wants it.

Dragonforce. That's all I need to say.

2009-10-13T23:14:00.001-07:00

Isn't Dragonforce synonymous with badass? I'm pretty sure it is.

Anyway, this may not be badass per se, but it is pretty cool.

I don't get classical music

2009-10-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not much for classical music, but I do appreciate it and its influence on other genres over the years.

This particular 'piece' is just.....weird.

I like its simplicity and how it probably is trying to say something fancy about the power of performed music or something like that, but it's just...weird to call this a 'piece' and be all excited about how powerful it is or whatever. I think it's unique, at least.

I saw Andrew W.K. perform last week at the Largo in LA with a string quartet, and he and the band attempted their own version of 4'33"....check it out:

Pretty funny, what with all the kids on stage confused about what was going on....

so yeah, 4'33" is interesting, but I'm not so sure I "get" it.

this is a full-on Grunge revival!

2009-10-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

Well, sort of.

Not only is Alice in Chains back on top of the rock charts, Pearl Jam just completed three sold-out Gibson Ampitheatre shows in LA, and Nirvana released a new video in preparation for the Live at Reading DVD that comes out next month.

As an avid grunge fan, this is all awesome to me.

Even more awesome? Chris Cornell joined PJ onstage the other night for a rendition of 'Hunger Strike' from their supergroup Temple of the Dog. Observe:

Pretty badass...Cornell can still hit those crazy high notes, and he has his long hair in effect again.....so maybe Soundgarden finally make its long-awaited comeback soon???

I can dream.....Coachella 2010????

Wallpaper. CD Release party Recap

2009-09-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

Last night was Wallpaper.'s CD release party for Doodoo Face at Cinespace in Hollywood. The place was packed. Wallpaper. played a set with a full band, playing some songs off of Doodoo Face and some classic R&B jams....the crowd loved it.

Here are some videos from the show:

ddd, from Doodoo Face:

Rocksteady, a slick cover of the original song by the Whispers

and This is How We Do It, originally by Montell Jordan (yes, 1990s jams!)

If you weren't aware, Wallpaper.'s new album DOODOO FACE is in stores now....so go check it out/pick it up on iTunes or wherever you buy your music.

Here are some pics from last night:

Don't talk smack on New Jersey

2009-09-29T14:38:00.001-07:00

if you intend on flying in or out of Newark Airport.

Not sure if this is serious or a joke, but I'm leaning more toward joke since the quality of this video looks oddly sketch-comedy variety, and the people they ask seem like characters more than real people....still, Conan better watch himself next time he's inclined to make a jab at New Jersey....

haha

I wish I could do this....

2009-09-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

but alas, I am not adequately skilled in the fine art of kazoo-ing.

That's just so......yeah. cool, that's the word. cool.

Recap of Lun*na Menoh's art/fashion show

2009-09-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Lun*na Menoh hosted a fashion show at Royal/T in Culver City. At the show, she and her team of models shared some of her innovative designs. The show, called "Headdress 2009", featured some pretty amazing designs and inventive headpieces designed by Lun*na herself. Each of the one-of-a-kind pieces were available for purchase after the show. In addition to the models showing off the articles of clothing, Lun*na entertained the audience by walking around with a megaphone in a frilly white outfit engaging the crowd. It was a really interesting show, and the turnout was great. Here are a couple videos I shot during the show:

Fashion and fashion shows aren't usually my thing, but Lun*na's show was really cool. I'm normally bored by fashion and seeing models show off someone else's clothing, but this show was different. Lun*na's designs were really creative and totally against the grain of what I've normally considered 'fashion shows' to be about...the things the models were showing off were unique in a GREAT way. It was evident through the show that Lun*na is a fiercely creative artist who cares a lot about having her own personal unique vision and that is reflected in the types of things on display at the show Saturday.

Click here to see some pictures from the show, they're at the bottom of the post in a gallery.

Want us to lip sync? okay how about this??

2009-09-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

For some reason, some European television shows force bands to mimic themselves for "live performances" rather than let the band actually PLAY the music for real. This usually takes the form of the band members lip syncing along with an audio track onstage. This has NEVER really made sense to me, as what's the damn point of having a band stand there and PRETEND to play their music when they're perfectly capable of playing it for real?

Well, Muse recently had to deal with this on some weird Italian show....and judging by the video, they were pissed off by the demands to mimic their own song "Uprising" rather than being allowed to play it for real (what a concept!) The result is....amazing. Matt Bellamy (vocalist) on drums, Christopher Wolstenholme (bass) on guitar/keyboards, and Dominic Howard (drums) on bass/vocals. It's hilarious. Bellamy is the best, as he hits the drums with a ridiculous over-the-top performance. It's great.

Check it out:

I wonder if the tv show people had any idea this was going on...but I doubt it.

Nirvana also did this when they were asked to perform on Top of the Pops, the UK show that also requires bands/artists to mimic their songs instead of actually performing. The video is....well, it's really weird since Kurt sings "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in this really low voice and just stands there. It's obvious he was pissed off and thus he "performed" the song in a really strange manner. Check it out.

I think it's stupid to ask bands to pretend to play their songs...if they're going to be on your show LET THEM PLAY. if you don't, and you book bands like Muse and Nirvana, they will then make your show look stupid for asking that you fake your own song in the first place.

eHow does it again.

2009-09-22T00:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've been playing piano for over half my life now, and I'm also a music major in my senior year at college. So when I tell you that these videos really opened my mind, you can know they are that good. I thought I was playing triplets properly, but now I know that I was mistaken. Just listen to these experts tell you how to play triplets on their respective instruments!

Saxophone

Drums

Wow. Wasn't that impressive? I certainly thought so. And all this time, I thought I had been doing it right. In case the videos above weren't quite helpful enough, or if they didn't cover your respective instrument be sure to check the videos below! Remember, triplets are played differently on different instruments, otherwise they wouldn't have gone through the trouble to make different videos! They even have Irish Flute!

Bass Guitar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxdKgMVAPGg

Piano
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cODgkwYpY0E

Irish Flute
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx0AxqKcRac

*Ok, for those of you who aren't musicians, I'll just clarify: the sax player was wrong on SO many levels. Second, the pianist-although a little bit loopy-was completely right, and she's probably really a vocalist! Last, there is absolutely no excuse for the drummer; what an utter moron. TRIPLE FAIL.

Best thing Ever???

2009-09-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

I vote YES.

It's hard to be "creative" anymore....

2009-09-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

So much has been made of artists "borrowing" from artists lately...just look at the Coldplay/Joe Satriani war that has been raging for a few months....where Coldplay supposedly (and probably did) borrow elements of one of Satriani's songs for "Viva la Vida". Well, I discovered one of my own late last night while perusing YouTube like I always do at night. Observe Mika's music video for his new flamboyant/colorful/infectious single "We Are Golden" (note that the "embedded disabled by request" warlords on YouTube blocked embedding of the highest-quality versions of the video, so this will have to do)

Hmm...does ANY aspect of this song sound the slightest bit familiar??? no??? how about NOW???:

OMG OMG OMG OMG Mika STOLE from ANNIE LENNOX!!!!

ok so maybe it's not theft, maybe it's one of those "huh? oh it is kinda similar now that you mention it...." kinda things.....but the first time I heard "We Are Golden" I thought it sounded strangely familiar....I didn't even know Annie Lennox sang this song, but I knew it WAS a song....mystery solved.

Apparently I'm not the only one that thinks these songs are "similar"....check out this blog.

I don't know if this will cause quite the same level of firestorm as the Coldplay shenanigans, but we'll have to see. it's still funny to see, and I'm curious if Mika has any idea this was going on. There aren't any sample references to the Annie Lennox song anywhere, so this might be a case of "Oh, I had NO IDEA they were so similar...."

If You Haven't Seen Wallpaper.'s new Video....

2009-09-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

here you go. 'DooDoo Face' drops in stores next Tuesday, the 22nd! :)

Like it? Then check out the pre-order deals we have on DooDoo Face here. They're going fast, so don't wait forever!

These "SuperGroups" are getting out of hand....

2009-09-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, Tinted Windows I can handle, because they have some catchy tunes and are comprised of talented dudes. Them Crooked Vultures - YES, obviously, based on who's in the band alone.

But I can't help but think all these upstart super bands have to be responsible for.....DAYLIGHT DIVISION. Who and what is that? Well....

Lukas Rossi ("singer" of Rock Star Supernova, that reality show thing)

Marcos Curiel ( guitarist of P.O.D., YES, THEM)

Joe Loeffler (formerly of Chevelle)

And Dave Buckner (former drummer from Papa Roach)

Now, I try to think about this without bias....but....a "rock" band fronted by the guy who won some reality show's idea of what a 'rock band' is, the drummer from Papa Roach, who are actually still around simply because they adopted the Lowest Common Denominator cock-rock shtick that allows them to tour with Motley Crue and Buckcherry and Hinder and bands of that ilk (and it is a painful kind of ilk), the bassist from Chevelle (who got fired from the band, which WERE ALL BROTHERS to begin with. wtf?) and P.O.D's guitarist??

This just seems so....pointless. They must all have shared a collective disinterest in the lack of work they have assuredly received lately, since nu-metal died down and all these previous bands have either changed their sound or disbanded completely (except Chevelle, somehow).....

but yeah, the songs on DAYLIGHT DIVISION's Myspace page are just as bland as you'd expect. bleck.

wonder who will be in a shiny new band tomorrow....

Anyone want to see A Hard Day's Night tomorrow?

2009-09-10T01:07:00.000-07:00

$10
8pm

The Cinefamily
611 N. Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036

http://www.cinefamily.org/calendar/thursday.html#har

NIN Wave Goodbye show recap

2009-09-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to get tickets to see Nine Inch Nails last night at the Music Box at the Fonda in LA. I've never really been a HUGE NIN fan, but I've always paid attention to most of the 'hits'.....my roommate is a NIN fanboy so I've heard more and more of the music lately. I know it's a big deal that Trent Reznor is hangin' it up after tomorrow's show at the Wiltern "forever", in order to be family man and all that.

Well, last night's show was amazing. The sound at the Fonda was excellent...I don't know if NIN had their own soundsystem or if that was the normal sound that the venue has, but everything was so crisp and clear it was incredible. I survived in the pit for the first 3 songs or so, but then moved to the side to be able to breathe and not be caught up in the relentless sway of big sweaty dudes in black t-shirts.

While I was up front I managed to snag a pretty good video of 'Head Like a Hole', which opened the set in badass fashion:

Trent had a lot of friends come out during the set, including Danny Lohner, Gary Numan, some piano player who was really good, and the singer of Dillinger Escape Plan. Here he is with NIN performing "Mr Self Destruct":

and here's NIN and Gary Numan covering Numan's awesome 80's hit "Cars"

I was really glad I managed to go to this show. It was my first and last time seeing NIN, and I was blown away. Trent is the man and really knows how to play a show. it went on for about 3 hours and 31 songs. I probably only knew about 13-15 of those, but it didn't matter.

Setlist:

1. Head like a Hole
2. Terrible Lie
3. Sin
4. March of the Pigs
5. Piggy
6. Echoplex
7. Reptile
8. I'm Afraid of Americans
9. Survivalism
10. Head Down
11. 1,000,000
12. Letting you
13. Burn
14. Gave Up
15. Eraser
16. Just like you Imagined (w/ badass Pianist Mike Garson)
17. The Becoming (w/ Mike Garson)
18. I do not Want This (w/ Mike Garson)
19. Down in the Park (w/ Mike Garson & Gary Numan)
20. Metal (w/ Mike Garson & Gary Numan)
21. Cars (w/ Mike Garson & Gary Numan & Eric Avery of Jane's Addiction)
22. Anthrax (w/ Gary Numan, Eric Avery of Jane's Addiction & the four members of HEALTH)
23. Heresy (w/ Danny Lohner)
24. Get Down, Make Love (w/ Danny Lohner)
25. Mr. Self Destruct (w/ Danny Lohner & Greg Pusciato of Dillinger Escape Plan)
26. Wish (w/ Danny Lohner & Greg Pusciato of Dillinger Escape Plan)
27. The Hand that Feeds
28. Atmosphere
29. Dead Souls
30. The Day the World Went Away
31. Hurt

Yikes! this would be NO FUN

2009-09-04T16:30:00.001-07:00

Remember the movie 'Memento', where Guy Pearce had to write everything down on notepads because he had retrograde amnesia or something? It looked pretty intense, and would be a pretty annoying way to have to live.

Well.....meet Benjaman Kyle. I came across this Wikipedia page today and it's fascinating and sad. As it says in the article,

Around 6 a.m. on August 31, 2004, a man now living under the name Benjaman Kyle was discovered behind a Burger King at the intersection of Interstate 95 and Hwy 17 in Richmond Hill, Virginia. He was found by the managers of the restaurant lying on the ground inside the brick wall enclosing the Burger King dumpsters, in a space between the dumpsters that is accessed by a walk-though used for trash disposal. Kyle was badly beaten, unconscious, naked, and covered with red ant bites. Initially, he was known as BK because he was discovered on the premises of a Burger King. Since then, he has chosen to live under the name Benjaman Kyle and insists that his real first name is Benjaman.

If you read the rest of the article, it sounds super intense....the government people can't figure out his identity, since he doesn't have an ID and can't remember his Social Security Number. He just has vague remembrances of random things, but apparently nothing that can help them figure out who he really is.

This sounds so sad.....it would be very tough being this guy....but it makes me wonder, what the hell was going on before he woke up that he was found naked, beaten and covered in ant bites behind a Burger King? It must be pretty weird to know that something like that happened to you but have NO RECOLLECTION of anything leading up to it.

Wow.......

thanks to the people who found this on the Internetz.....

The demise of Oasis has made everyone sad :(

2009-09-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

The news of Noel Gallagher quitting Oasis last Friday has left the world beside itself in grief. Just check out this video of an avid Oasis fan dealing with the insurmountable grief he feels upon being told the terrible news....

:( I feel so sorry for this guy. I too am a bit shaken up, but I think i'll be fine in a few weeks.....

NO. this makes me mad/sad.

2009-09-02T10:38:00.001-07:00

the Talking Heads are legends....

2009-09-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

and with good reason. David Byrne & Co. crafted some of the most innovative and quirky songs back when they were around, and their influence is still felt today.

I went to the farewell show of one of my favorite bands from high school, the Matches, last week in San Francisco....the opening band, Dizzy Balloon, turned in a great cover of the Heads' "Burning Down the House"....i shot this vid and put it up on YouTube...check it out:

pretty cool for a bunch of young dudes who probably aren't even old enough to be half of Byrne's age themselves.....

Great Northern on KTLA.com

2009-08-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

KTLA did a video segment comparing video games to real life. I don't really understand, though, aren't video games and real life the same? Anyway, they interview Solon and talk about Guitar Hero 5.

http://www.ktla.com/news/cyberguy/stv-cyberguy-vgames-082809,0,170336.story

I don't think Kurt would approve of this.....

2009-08-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

This offends me.

Everyone who knows anything about Nirvana or Kurt Cobain knows that he would be COMPLETELY AGAINST THIS.

I love Guitar Hero, but I won't be buying this game when it comes out.....strictly because of this.

Kurt's whole outlook on the world was fiercely anti-corporate and anti-mainstream, so to have his digitized face be paraded around in a game like this is nothing but disrespectful to the man and his legacy.

I know he killed himself, and that he supposedly gave up on everyone, but this is just a cruel slap in the face to everything he stood for.

I hate Courtney Love even more now for allowing this to happen, but what else can you expect from her? Shameless money-hungry devil woman.

I can't believe this actually bothers me as much as it does....maybe it's because I have read a lot of books about Nirvana and Kurt, and so to have the people at Activision completely disregard everything he stood for so easily and shamelessly is offensive to me and anyone who truly gives a crap about Kurt or Nirvana.

So yeah, I won't be buying Guitar Hero 5 because of this. Lame.

Sucks to be that guy...

2009-08-24T15:17:00.000-07:00

Great Northern @ Pershing Square Pictures

2009-08-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

Great Northern performed a free concert in LA's Pershing Square on Wednesday. Pictures below:

Finally, a Them Crooked Vultures song on the Internet!!!

2009-08-20T11:39:00.001-07:00

I know, I know, I've spammed this blog with Them Crooked Vultures-related stories lately, but here's another....until it's taken down off of YouTube, at least.

A video from the band's show in Amsterdam has materialized...the audio is decent but not great, but there's enough here to hear the song (called "Dead End Friends") adequately...and from what I can hear it's pretty badass.

yesssssssssssssssssssssssssss

MuteMath is really really good

2009-08-19T10:51:00.001-07:00

I just checked out MuteMath's new cd 'Armistice' and it's one of the better albums I've heard in a while. Check out the video for 'Spotlight', track 4 on the cd:

That's pretty innovative and awesome, I'd say.

Check out the album if you are searching for a badass new record to hear.

wtf!

2009-08-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

I was recently visiting my family in Hackettstown, New Jersey and I realized somethings about the east coast, mainly New Jersey and New York.

1.) People can't handle there alcohol or weed. Within the week I was there 2 people drove on the highway going the wrong way. The first person killed nine people, the second killed no onw but hit two cars, both were found to be under the influence of alcohol and weed.

2.) Almost all small town like their war reenactments. Don't quite understand why but they do live in small towns.

3.) Central park is one of the best places to take a nap, even if you are lying on a huge rock.

4.)Just because it is raining doesn't mean it isn't hot as hell.

5.)The subway system is the greatest thing ever created.

6.) Humidity is the ultimate cruel and unusual punishment.

Musicians taking to the train... Train Musicians?

2009-08-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

I came across this website (www.thetraintracks.org) where musicians submit videos of them performing their original music on the train. As for the prizes here's what they say on their website:

"Every quarter, we take the most popular acts and throw a party at Phoenix Art Museum. The most popular artist or band of the year goes on to Tempe Music Festival as well as a few other surprises we're working on."

It's a pretty sweet idea, I think. Imagine, instead of commuting through @#%^ rush hour traffic to LA you're riding a train and you get free live music. Niiice. Ok, but doesn't putting their videos online for all to see defeat the purpose here? I dunno. Anyway, here are some of my favorites from the videos online:

Gospel Claws - Don't Let It Die
One question... what the heck is he wearing?

Yourchestra - Space Bar
An accordion, mandolin, string bass, and a bassoon?? Yes plz kthx. Even with the hillbilly getup on the left, this is pretty sweet.

Try Me Bicycle - Big Small
Nice vocal harmony. The website puts it best when they say it "evokes the feeling of day-tripping and long drives at twilight".

Anyway, there's actually lots of good songs on there. Check them out.

who is MikeLovesEverybody Johnson?

2009-08-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

hahhaha this is great.

The History of Toys

2009-08-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago I was in a very scholastic mood and decided to research the history of the fortune cookie. I just wanted to know what genius thought up the idea. I am not a fan of the actual cookie, but I do enjoy the fortunes for their wise words and brilliant grammar. Anyway, my search into the past didn't get me very far because I guess there is a BIG debate over who came up with the idea of the fortune cookie and when. This scandal made me want to look for more fun information into some of my favorite things and that's when I discovered the most amazing website ever.

http://www.ideafinder.com/history/category/toys.htm

Who doesn't want to know the history behind their favorite toys?

Youtube Never Fails

2009-08-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

Much like Facebook is always right, Youtube never fails to deliver pointlessly awesome videos about anything. Like this:

I had no idea Lamb of God had so many different musical styles!

Everything on Facebook is True

2009-08-11T14:10:00.000-07:00

My boredom usually evolves into me baking something, but sometimes I am a little too lazy for that and just end up taking Facebook quizzes. I don’t post my results because I don’t like to bog down other people’s news feeds with results to quizzes they don’t care about, but I do like to keep track of my results for my own personal entertainment. I recently sat down and took some quizzes that I thought would be fun and I learned something: Facebook quiz results are always right. Facebook informed me that…
1. I live in the ghetto (True. I live right off USC campus.)
2. I am 70% black (who is gonna argue this one, it’s obvious)
3. I am 100% OCD (yes, as a child I organized my blocks instead of playing with them)

I had gained so much confidence in Facebook that I thought I should take some more quizzes so I clicked on “Which Decade Fits Your Personality Best?”. I thought for sure I would get my result as the 80s because I am obsessed with the movies, clothes, and music but when I got my result back it said 50s. I was a little surprised but then I got an IM from a friend saying he had a picture to show me because it reminded him of me.

Facebook is always right.

This Movie Looks like Drugs

2009-08-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

And I must see it.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (now THERE'S a title) is the last movie Heath Ledger worked on before he died. His scenes weren't completely finished being filmed, so instead of just re-casting his role for someone else Terry Gilliam & Co decided to piece it together with other actors (such as Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law). Tom Waits plays the Devil. This is just so weird.

I'm curious how this movie will turn out, just as I'm curious about what the HELL is going on, but it's certainly one of the creepier and most bizarre (and therefore amazing) trailers I've seen in quite a while. Observe:

Yes!

Where the Wild Things Are

2009-08-10T14:24:00.000-07:00

Get Excited!

Looney Toons on Glass Bottles

2009-08-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

I've included this group's (which I'm most definitely not a part of) youtube video in one of my previous blogs. And now, they (again, I definitely mean "they" and not "we", I just do not understand what you are suggesting here) have a new video out after a long time since their most recent youtube video.

Anyway, it's not their (shhh, just let it go already) best work, but it's interesting. Hope you enjoy it.

You can find their other, more better, videos at their youtube page here: http://www.youtube.com/xandabach

Couches Are For Sleeping!

2009-08-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

You know how girls always go places in packs? Well, I am not one of those girls. I actually like going places by myself. One of my favorite things to do by myself is to go to a concert. I don’t have to care if my friends are enjoying themselves because usually I am dragging them there anyway and I can just be carefree and enjoy the music. Recently I have found another reason to go to concerts by myself. I’ve discovered that it is a great way to meet all sorts of random people. No one really wants to approach a group of people, but if they see a loner, there’s always someone who’s going to try to talk to them. I like to be that loner. On Monday I went to the Wiltern to see Gomez. I was planning on going with my friend, but she bailed on me and went to San Diego instead so I was left to go alone. And good thing too! While at the concert I was approached by this guy Mike and 3 of his friends and they started talking about how they all met each other through this website called couchsurfing. What is this magical place you might ask? Well, if you’re traveling and you don’t want to pay for a hotel or are looking to meet some cool people this is the place for you! Basically you can search any city in the world and find people willing to let you sleep on their couch. They might even offer to show you around the city! You don’t have to pay for anything and basically the only thing you have to do in return for these people is offer your couch up if they ever come your way. Pretty cool.

Check out couchsurfing here!
http://couchsurfing.org

Them Crooked Vultures have arrived

2009-08-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

Them Crooked Vultures made their debut last night at a Lollapalooza after party in Chicago. The band, which again is comprised of Dave Grohl on drums, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age on guitar/vox, and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin on bass, apparently played an 80 minute set last night of all original songs. That must mean their album is ready to come out soon...which should be badass.

I read that cameras weren't allowed into the Metro theater so as to preserve the 'integrity' of the show or whatever, so I can't really find any videos of the set....so I still don't know what the band sounds like, but I hear it's pretty good. The folks over at Stereogum and Pitchfork gave pretty good reviews of the set, and it sounds like something to look forward to (duh). They say the band has a Queens of the Stone Age vibe, which makes sense obviously with Homme in front....

Supposedly the band's debut album will come out around October 23....can't wait.

here are some pics I borrowed from Pitchfork's article:

Dave being a badass

Bubbleology? What?

2009-08-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

SamSam the Bubbleman (Sam Heath) has figured it out guys...Bubbleology. Why didn't I think of that? "When I grow up I want to be a Bubbleologist!" Sam has completely revolutionized bubble making skills into a profession. Way to go!

awkward family photos

2009-08-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

Awkward Family Photos
watch other families be weird!

Projecionist

Punks in Space

On the Road Again

Seesmic

2009-08-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

Are you very very ~~lazy~~ busy?

Are you sick and tried of having to open two tabs, one for you facebook and another for your twitter? Tired of having to click form one to another! Sick of having to do stuff?

Well worry not, there's an app that can help you can do less!

Seesmic

Basically its just a window with your twitter & facebook updates (in neat little columns), you can add several accounts so if for some reason you have multiple twitters or facebook's you can be keep up to date on all the jazz on from one window. Its pretty convenient at keeping you connected to everyone you dont really know in real life.

Engineers... and cats.

2009-08-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know why videos like this make me laugh so hard. Maybe it's just me.

Battle of the Socal Amusement Parks

2009-08-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

My best friend Olivia always has friends from New York coming to visit her during the summer. Whenever they visit, a big discussion of which amusement to take them to arises. No matter what, my mind always races to 6 Flags. I think that is one of the greatest amusement parks ever. For some reason my friend Olivia is obsessed with always taking her friends to Universal Studios, because she thinks THAT is the greatest amusement park. (In my eyes, that isn't even an amusement park.) So I was just thinking about the different appeal for all the major socal amusement parks. There's 6 Flags Magic Mountain, Universal Studios, Disneyland, and Knott's Berry Farm.

I know Disneyland is usually the first choice people choose, but honestly, I can barely stand going there. The only time I really had a lot of fun there was when I got to go for grad night and we were there from around 11pm to 6am. It was filled with only high school seniors, there were hardly any lines, and it was night time so it wasn't hot outside at all. But every other time I go, it's crowded with thousands of people, which means waiting in line for hours. I once won tickets to Disneyland, so me and my friend Alex decided to go on a Thursday. We were there for 4 hours and only went on two rides; the lines were ridiculously long, not to mention it was boiling hot outside. We decided to leave after our second ride. I refuse to pay $72 for this.

Second choice to people I suppose would be Universal Studios. Yes, its interesting, and is a film studio, and has some of cool shows. But that's about it. Where's the thrill and excitement? The only fun ride left there is the Jurassic Park ride. It made me so sad when they took out the Back to the Future Ride and turned it into The Simpsons Ride. How could they change a classic? It made be even more sad when they decided to take out the ET Ride. I miss making up ridiculous name for ET to say at the end of the ride. Everything else there consists of sitting down and watching shows, nothing you can ride anymore. This park is $67. Find a coke can and its maybe $52. Lame.

Third choice would probably be Knott's Berry Farm. Yes, this is a very fun park. I do like it, mind you the last 3 times I've been there has been for Knott's Scary Farm. This is a park I do enjoy going to. There are lots of rides to go on and shows to watch as well. Though it does get reallllllly crowded, I'd still pay $52.

And for some reason 6 Flags is everyone's last choice! I don't understand this! It's $26.99 with a coupon, has hardly any lines anymore (because for some reason people have stopped going), and has tons of roller coasters! But I guess maybe this appeals to me so much because I'm a huge adrenaline junkie. To me, 6 flags is the definition of an Amusement Park. It has everything you could ask for.

So I don't know if it's just me that prefers 6 flags, but I really find it to be the best one.

Every little Girls Dream

2009-08-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

According to, just about every chick flick, little girls dream of their wedding day. Well I'm 21 and haven't started so I think I should catch up with the rest of girl world and youtube has helped me. For my wedding this is how I want my first dance to be:

However, you must not forget to include the most important part that follows a wedding.... a divorce. This is how mine will be:

White Stripes get done over by Weird Al

2009-08-05T12:21:00.001-07:00

This is pretty funny. Yes, Weird Al Yankovic is cheesy, he always has been. Well, his new video/song "CNR" was released yesterday, and it's a pretty spot-on parody of Jack and Meg White. Check it out:

I like what he's doing now, releasing a new song/video every month or so instead of on a whole album...it's more with the times and seems like a great way to take advantage of how the Internet and the music biz works now. I approve.

The Dobkowitz Adventures

2009-08-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

So every summer I go on a road trip with my family for about 2 or 3 weeks. I have been taking part in this since I was born. So far I have been to about 14 countries and 48 states, excluding Hawaii and Alaksa. When my family and I go on a vacation, it is NOT a vacation, it is a TRIP; there is no lounging, relaxation, or time alone. The 5 of us usually rent a big van or SUV and travel the back roads of the country. We are together 24/7 and probably drive an average of about 500 miles a day, intense I know. So let's add this up. 500 miles times 14 (days) times 20 (years) = 140,000 miles. I have driven an AVERAGE of about 140,000 miles with my family just on vacation time. So now you know I'm serious when I say we are travelers.

Thanks to these thousands of miles, I have got to see many many fascinating things. One of our trips was dedicated to the back roads of the midwest and planned to see all the quirky things along the way. Among the crazy things we saw was the largest ball of twine, the largest truck stop in the world, and an 8 legged cow.

We have also traveled to the deep south many times as well, where we held baby alligators, fed alligators in the wild, and even ate alligator. (It actually tasted a lot like chicken)

Since I've been traveling for as long as I have, I can tell you that I have visited every single amusement park in the continental U.S. Not that I can rememeber going to every single one, but my family and I are huge roller coaster addicts, so my dad would plan to stop at every amusement park possible on our trips.

One of my most favorite places I've been to in the U.S. is the schlitterbahn. This is THE COOLEST water park ever, as well as the largest one in the country. The original park is located in New Braunfels, Texas. It's a huge water park that runs completely on river water. Some of the slides even end up spitting you out into the river at the bottom, so then you just drift down the river for a while. So much fun!

One year when I was about 14, when we were staying at the resort at the schlitterbahn, we decided to go on a tubing trip down the nearby river. We drove for about 45 min and ended up at our point. We starting floating down the river and having a really good time. We even had a cooler that floated down the river with us. As we would float down the river, we'd sometimes float down little rapids, which was fun. About 45 min into the trip we saw there were some bigger rapids coming up down the river. I was laying on my stomach on my inner tube and started going down head first into the rapids, I got scared and decided to flip my body over because I felt like I could have more control holding onto the tube that way. Boy was I wrong. I didn't realize that once I would flip over, I would then be going down the rapids backwards. That's when everything went wrong. Immediately after I fllipped over, I slid right off my tube, backwards into the rapids. I was going down the rapids for a good 20 seconds before I got to the bottom. I was the furthest one down the river, so my family watched this happen from above the rapids, not being close to help me. Lucky for me there were some other people that were at the bottom of the rapids. I was in shock at this point and limp. They put me into an inflatable boat they had with them and floated me over to a small boat dock on the side. Right as they did that, it started POURING rain with thunder and lightening. My Dad and Mom made it over to me really quickly, while my sisters were still in the river trying to drag the cooler with them. The lightening was so close and the wind was so strong, they could barely swim over to us. Once we were all out of the water we walked up a hill to a nearby house. The people came outside and offered to give us a ride to the hospital. While we were waiting for the car to come around and pick us up, lightening struck at tree 10 feet away from us and the tree almost caught on fire. We got to the hospital about 30 min later. It turned out I had no major damage, just a badly sprained wrist and bruises. I couldn't believe I did get any worse injuries, I was definitely lucky!

But that was my story, and I hope you enjoyed it.

On Sunday, I leave for OKLAHOMA! I wonder what adventures my family and I will have there.

And here is little music video montage I made from one of our road trips a couple of years back.

Ricky Reed explains the DooDoo Face....

2009-08-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

for those unaware.

um. yeah.

2009-08-03T20:52:00.000-07:00

An elderly choir singing hip hop songs. I wish I could think of something interesting to say here, but I'm just too speechless.

People hate on Coldplay.....

2009-08-03T17:05:00.000-07:00

all the damn time. But this is just cool/funny:

Beastie Boys couldn't make it to All Points West due to Adam Yauch being diagnosed with cancer, so Chris Martin took it upon himself to play a song in homage to the Beasties. Pretty cool.

Jay-Z, who filled in for them in the headlining slot, opened his set with his own tribute:

I've never really liked Jay-Z, but this was also pretty cool.

These videos are all over the music blogosphere today, of course, but I felt the need to further their presence on the Web with a post of my own.

Oh, in other news, apparently the amazing-in theory supergroup consisting of Dave Grohl, John Paul Jones, and Josh Homme is named Them Crooked Vultures. Badass. There's a website up now, but with nothing other than an e-mail sign up list.

This should be pretty earth-shattering when the group puts out some tunes....if not I will be severely disappointed. But with Dave involved, I'm sure it's nothing short of amazing.

/fanboy

My Dream Bike

2009-08-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

When I was little all I wanted in the world was a Barbie car. My parents refused my wishes every year saying it was unsafe because we lived on a hill. Since then, I have asked for a Barbie car every year for my birthday and Hanukah. Unfortunately, they still believe that I don’t need it. But wouldn’t it be cool to ride around campus in a Barbie car? I think it would be. But since my parents are unwilling to get me one and I don’t want to pay for it, I asked if they would be willing to buy me a bicycle. Everyone on campus has a bike so it makes sense that I should have one too. They agreed, saying that if I wanted a bike all I had to do was call and okay it with them before I bought it. Well, after going all year and summer without a bike I finally decided I was tired of walking all the way across campus so I went on a journey to Target, looking for my dream bike. And I found it!

Barbie bikes are too small because they come in a box, but this is just my size (almost) and it’s beautiful!

Thousand Hand Dance!

2009-07-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

So my friend introduced this to me a couple of days ago...and its pretty much CRAZY. Check it.

Fun Stuff To Do!

2009-07-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

More innocent fun for all of you crazy people out there!

1. American Apparel
This store has provided me with hours of entertainment and quality outfits. I shop here just like much of the rest of the world, but I also make sure I have a good time every time I go. I know some of the things inside this store are ridiculous, which is why it is crucial to try them all on. If you're ever in a bad mood, just grab one of those metallic unitards and some tights and I promise a smile will come to your face. Just look how much fun I had!

2. The Picture People
Another fun place to go. This is mostly for family portraits or pictures of your newborn child, but you'll often find me here with my brother and a friend or two just messing around. We like to bring music and we definitely don't shy away from the props! Make sure your photographer is willing to have fun with you! This is a pic that is actually on the wall at one of the stores. We even had to sign model release forms for this.

3. Libby Lu
This is meant for young girls who are in love with Hannah Montana, but I say we're all six year old girls who are in love with Hannah Montana at heart. The great thing about this establishment is that not only do they sell all the clothing you will ever desire, but they also offer Libby Lu Makeovers. A few years ago I got my very own Libby Lu Makeover so I could attend the movie Bratz. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the experience, but I got curly pink and blonde extensions in my hair, sparkly pink sunglasses, and some really classy make-up. Here's a pic of some other people... just so you get the idea.

Conanime is Hilarious

2009-07-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

i have a feeling this video will be taken down from YouTube soon, as most NBC stuff seems to...but just in case it sticks around, this is pretty damn funny.

My esteemed colleague(s) to whom I have shown this video couldn't contain his uproarious laughter....so therefore you won't be able to either.

Conan + Andy Richter are an unstoppable comedy force. I <3 them.

Lake Tahoe + Indie Music = Yes Please!

2009-07-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my roommate and I drove 8 hours from LA to North Lake Tahoe for the Wanderlust festival....we both won tickets through Twitter from some music blog, so all we had to pay for was gas, since we stayed at my family's timeshare for free too. yay.

It was a lot of fun...incredibly relaxing, too. After the drive to Squaw Valley where the festival was, you have to ride a 15 minute gondola ride up into the hills 8,000 feet in the mountains to the music...when there you can walk up the mountain and see some pretty amazing views, while some indie bands play. It was all really cool.

Some pics:

Yes.

That little populated area in the middle of the picture is the stage. We went up pretty high into the mountains.

Some of the bands that played included Mates of State, Jenny Lewis, The Honey Brothers (which featured Adrian Grenier of Entourage fame on drums), Andrew Bird, Kaki King, Amanda Palmer (of the Dresen Dolls), and Spoon. Common filled in for Michael Franti & Spearhead as Franti had to cancel, which was lame but interesting.

Amanda Palmer was a highlight, as I'd always heard of her but hadn't actually listened to her music before. I shot this video of her playing 'Billie Jean'...

In all, it was a fantastic weekend. Good music, good vibes, hippies all over the place doing crazy yoga poses, and other such magic.

Supposedly they're going to try to do it again next year, and that's great news.

Dreams Do Come True

2009-07-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of ridiculous goals for my life. It’s not that they are far-fetched, it’s just that they are actually ridiculous. I told you before that I want to have a macaroni and cheese food fight. This is a very big goal of mine and has been for years. For some reason people don’t share my dream and so it has been difficult to complete, but let’s face it, a food fight with myself wouldn’t be very fun. I have other goals too, some completed, some not. So far, this year, three big goals of mine were completed. One, I was punched. Two, I was put in hand cuffs. Three, I was put in the back of a police car.

I guess these need an explanation. As you all know, I don’t like to get in trouble and the beauty of completing all of these goals is that I wasn’t in trouble for any of them. I begged my friend Tim for months to punch me and he finally just gave in to my wishes. It is very difficult to find a guy willing to punch a girl. Being hand cuffed was easy because my friend’s boyfriend is a security officer so for Hanukah he agreed to arrest me. Being put in a police car was more difficult though and involved a near death experience on the 10, but then the police helped me out and I got to ride in the back of their car. It was one of the greatest moments ever.

Some other goals I have include...
1. Being so angry that I throw a chair against a wall and break it. I doubt this dream will ever come true because I’m generally not an angry person, but I can hope.
2. Drinking milk out of the carton. I know this is easy, but I am clumsy and am positive the milk will spill everywhere and I would prefer for that to not happen.
3. I want to spend a day as a smurf. I am positive this will never happen, but if there is ever a real like polyjuice potion, you know what I'd be.

And now, just as a present to all of you, I present this lovely video that my brother gave me.

And.... I wish I was awesome as this guy....

In Redondo Beach, Calif., a police officer arrested a driver after a short chase and charged him with drunk driving. Officer Joseph Fonteno's suspicions were aroused when he saw the white Mazda MX-7 rolling down Pacific Coast Highway with half of a traffic-light pole, including the lights, lying across its hood. The driver had hit the pole on a median strip and simply kept driving. According to Fonteno, when the driver was asked about the pole, he said, "It came with the car when I bought it."

Great Northern 'Remind Me Where The Light Is' B-Sides Streaming

2009-07-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Great Northern will be fully streaming the entire 'Remind Me Where The Light Is' album and also the 2 unreleased B-Side tracks never before heard (well you've might of heard 'For Weeks' if you where lucky enough to get the free Great Northern 7 in. last Record Store Day).

The unreleased track titles are as followed:

1. ORL
2. FOR WEEKS

Here them and the entire album, here on their Purevolume page.

xoxo
chris

Monty Pythons Spamalot

2009-07-27T13:29:00.000-07:00

Spamalot is a show that every Monty Python fan should check out. The show as they call it is " lovingly ripped-off " from the famous motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail. John O'Hurley plays King Arthur who is given a task from god to find the Holy Grail. Throughout the play King Arthur and his trusted knights will come across everything from the knights who say ni to a very innocent looking killer rabbit, They even learn to always look on the bright side of life. Spamalot won a Tony award for best musical and a Grammy award for best musical album. If your Python fan or just someone looking for a fun and very entertaining night out Spamalot is a must see.

Buy tickets : http://montypythonsspamalot.com/LA2/?gclid=CKX8o4fd9psCFRwDagodeFFc-w

Porn and Sex

2009-07-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

Coolio, Pauly Shore, and Clown Makeup??? YES PLEASE

2009-07-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

Not doing anything August 6-9??? Why not head out to Cave-In Rock, Illinois for the 10th annual GATHERING OF THE JUGGALOS???

What's a Juggalo? Someone who lives and breathes everything ICP. What's ICP?

This.

Watch the ENTIRE 14-minute video.....it will change your life and probably inspire you to drop what you're doing and head out to Crow's Hole, Iowa...er, I mean Cave-In, Illinois and spend the weekend with a bunch of hillbillies in clown makeup.

What...not convinced? Check out who's playing (besides ICP and their fellow clown-painted brethren):

COOLIO

VANILLA ICE!!!!

ICE CUBE

GWAR

KOTTONMOUTH KINGS

and.....

Paul Shore.

There are about 3000 other 'acts' playing this festival, but these were the ones of note.

Besides the music, this amazing, life-changing event features (as listed in the video):

HELICOPTER RIDES

PLENTY OF FOOD

DJ BATTLES

SEMINARS (for what, exactly, is not specified)

HAYSTACK LOVE RIDES

DUDES ON STILTS

BBQ COOKOFF JAMS

MIDGET WRESTLING

MOTOCROSS

FREE CAMPING

among other amenities. No mention of whether or not you get a free sample of Meth when you show up, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case....

After viewing that entire 14 minute video, I'm almost convinced to start scheduling my traveling plans to head to Sheep's Butt, Montana....er, I mean Cave-In Rock, Illinois this August and take part in this "family celebration" of bad makeup, hideous music, and camaraderie among my fellow hicks and Juggalos.

See you there!

Cloudy with a Chance of Awesome

2009-07-24T12:15:00.001-07:00

this time with the weather!

Due to the strange player that plays this video, I can't stream it here....so click HERE to view it and all its amazingness. (Found this video clip on Videogum.com)

If he would run for President I'd personally be the head of his campaign Headquarters. Who's with me???!!!

Corruption, lies and...... Rabbis?

2009-07-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

While I am, and have been for some time now, a California resident, I like to stay aware of the latest news of my home city of New York. As I was reading the latest stories on the NY Times website, I found this story on the recent corruption scandal involving 30 people in both New Jersey and New York, included in the scandal were two mayors of New Jersey, two state assemblymen and .... 5 RABBIS!!!!!! I realize some might not see this as such a big deal but I could not stop laughing from the moment I read this ( granted I do have what some may call an odd sense of humor).

Rabbis! Rabbis! of all people! These are men who have committed their lives to good, the light side! and now they are being arrested. Think this is as bad as it gets? no, no, no. Apparently, one of the rabbis involved in this sweep was discovered to have lured vulnerable people to give up one of their kidney for $10,000 and then sell that same kidney for $160,000! At this moment, I could not contain myself any longer and almost cried laughing. Is this really what the world has come to? God's people are being arrested for such acts.

Now I was always brought up in a Christian home and still maintain my beliefs, even though I don't go to church as often as I should, but with rabbis in jail for corruption, priests in jail for child molestation, monks burning themselves, Mormons creating there own little world of incest and countless other examples I can understand how some may question religion. On that note, here are some pictures.

No idea why but this last picture got me laughing the hardest. I know I need help.

The Ladder Theory

2009-07-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

"The ladder theory is a funny, scientific explanation of how men and women are attracted to each other. It also covers such topics as why women sometimes just want to be friends but men always want sex. It is based upon many years of sociological field testing, and was first conceptualized in 1994 in Exeter, CA by Dallas Lynn with acknowledgments to Jared Whitson for his role in formalizing the theory."

To Be Enlightened by The Ladder Theory: laddertheory.com

I remember reading this website through and through when I was a freshman in high school. It's actually very entertaining and really really convincing. I think everyone should be exposed to the ladder theory at some point, so I thought I would put it out there. It is controversial, however. As you can see above, it has been said that the theory is based upon many years of sociological field testing...But the theory has never appeared in a reference journal or scientific forum. Additionally, there are no studies or data cited to support the conclusions made.

Nevertheless, there are some very amusing points made so check it out!!

Alice in Wonderland!

2009-07-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

2nd source

In Soviet Russia, book publish you!

2009-07-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

Apparently Harry Potter clones have been appearing out the wazoo in Russia.

"In Russia Harry Potter is popular too, in fact it was way too popular so some book publishing companies came up with their Harry Potter clones, trying to make it sound close to original even in naming the characters, so the most two popular ones were (and still are) the Porry Gatter with its first book “Porry Gatter and the Stoned Philosopher” - you can see it’s cover above, and the girlish series “Tanya Grotter” - like if Harry Potter was a girl (on the photo below)."

http://englishrussia.com/?p=3471

Not gonna lie, I was particularly excited to make this post just so that I could make one of those reverse Russia jokes (even if they are old).

Murder Mystery!

2009-07-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

Do you ever find yourself wishing you were at a party? Do you ever watch CSI and have the urge to solve crimes? I know I do.

In my younger years, when I wasn't as wise, I decided the best way to fulfill my dreams of big partying and crime solving was to attend forensic science camp. Before you judge me for being too nerdy, it was actually kinda cool. I even won an award in the process. I guess that doesn't help me look cool, but whatever. I'm cool I swear.

Anyway, my brother was telling me about a new way to involve these two classic past times: a murder mystery party! I've done a little research in order to help you out when you host your murder mystery party.

Tips: http://www.merrimysteries.com/tmm/partytips/hostingamurderparty.htm

My favorite option: http://www.merrimysteries.com/tmm/kits/santa.htm

Now if those didn't get you excited, then this short video surely will.

It's About Time!

2009-07-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

....that this happened.

Robert Downey Jr hasn't done any wrong so far into his career renaissance that started with Iron Man and continued through Tropic Thunder (where he was incredibly awesome), so this looks like it'll continue that trend.

Apparently this movie is based on a graphic novel interpretation of the Sherlock Holmes story, instead of being based on the Arthur Conan Doyle books, so this should be jam-packed with stylistic flourishes and shaky-cam action sequences. In fact, after viewing this and other trailers for the film, it looks like a big flashy action pic, which is not exactly what I would have envisioned a Sherlock Holmes movie to be. Because of that, this looks pretty fun.

I wonder if he will find any time to actually solve mysteries between wooing Rachel McAdams and boxing in some sort of underground Fight Club, as seems to be the case in the trailer....

I'm puzzled by Jude Law as Watson, but it seems like an interesting on-screen combo....Rachel McAdams as the female love interest (obviously) in the film is interesting as well, as I haven't heard much from her in a year or so.

So yeah, I hope this movie is as badass as it looks in this trailer....if it isn't I'll be disappointed. I guess we'll find out for real on Christmas Day.

But so far, so good.

A 15 second commute would be amazing.

2009-07-20T15:30:00.001-07:00

Here's to wishing as I leave for home it will only take me an hour. Boo traffic.

Become an Animal For the Day...

2009-07-20T14:36:00.000-07:00

So we already know that people think of some pretty odd things to do in their states of boredom...here is yet another fresh idea on how to spend some of your free time!

Become an elk for the day...

Or an elephant?

Maybe an ostrich..

A kangaroo?

Cool.

500 Days Of Summer

2009-07-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

Every year there is at least one movie with a killer soundtrack. 500 Days of Summer is one of this years most musically endowed films...It had me silently saying "Woo!" after each song came on. Check out the play list of greatness:

Us
Written and performed by Regina Spektor

The Boy With the Arab Strap
Written by Sarah Martin, Stuart Murdoch, Richard Colburn, Michael Cooke, Christopher Geddes, Stephen Jackson and Isobel Campbell

There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
Written by Johnny Marr and Steven Morrissey
Performed by The Smiths

Bad Kids
Written by Cole Alexander, Ian Brown, Jared Swilley and Joseph Bradley
Performed by Black Lips

She's Like the Wind
Written by Patrick Swayze and Stacy Widelitz
Performed by Patrick Swayze Featuring Wendy Fraser

Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want
Written by Steven Morrissey and Johnny Marr
Performed by The Smiths

Every Rose Has It's Thorn
Written by Bobby Dall, C.C. Deville, Bret Michaels and Rikki Rockett

Sugar Town
Written by Lee Hazlewood

Here Comes Your Man
Written by Charles Thompson

God Bless the U.S.A.
Written by Lee Greenwood

Have I Been a Fool?
Written and Performed by Jack Peñate

There Goes the Fear
Written by James Goodwin, Andrew Williams and Jeremy Williams
Performed by Doves

You Make My Dreams
Written by Sara Allen, Daryl Hall and John Oates
Performed by Daryl Hall and John Oates

Knight Rider
Written by Glen Larson and Stuart Phillips

Sweet Disposition
Written by L. Sillitto and A. Mandagi
Performed by The Temper Trap

Quelqu'un M'a Dit
Written and Performed by Carla Bruni

Veni Vidi Vici
Written by Cole Alexander, Ian Brown, Jared Swilley and Joseph Bradley
Performed by Black Lips

The Music
Written by Chad Howat, JT Daly and Andrew Smith
Performed by Paper Route

Train in Vain (Stand By Me)
Written by Topper Headon, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Joe Strummer

Mushaboom
Written by Leslie Feist
Performed by Feist

At Last
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Mack Gordon
Performed by Kevin Michael

Hero
Written and Performed by Regina Spektor

The Infinite Pet
Written by Britt Daniel
Performed by Spoon

Bookends
Written by Paul Simon
Performed by Simon & Garfunkel

Vagabond
Written by Myles Heskett, Chris Ross and Andrew Stockdale
Performed by Wolfmother

She's Got You High
Written by James “Tate” Arguile, Niall Buckler, Oli Frost, Gareth Jennings and James “Noo” New
Performed by Mumm-Ra

Anger management

2009-07-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I received an interesting e-mail from my brother. Now, what you must understand is that I am not the most even tempered person (I blame my father for that) and I am constantly reminded that I must calm down by family, friends and sometimes people I just met. Anywho, this e-mail provided me with a lot to consider in ways to deal with my anger. While I am aware that this situation will probably not work out as perfectly for me, I'm sure I can still get some sort of entertainment from it. To fully understand what I mean, read what my brother sent me here.

One Small Step for Man....

2009-07-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the 40th Anniversary of the Moon landing. July 20, 1969 was the day Neil Armstrong touched down on the Moon and uttered the iconic phrase that became ingrained in our minds forever:

That's one small step for man,
One giant leap for mankind.

However, there have been a ton of random websites and groups that have been blowing the whistle on this momentous occasion in US history, saying how the moon landing was fake, actually being shot on some studio lot in Hollywood (and by Stanley Kubrick, no less!). I remember seeing some lame documentary on FOX about 9 years ago hosted by this guy:

Skinner, the boss on the X-Files. That documentary was interesting, but probably made by a bunch of paranoid people convinced that everything is not what it seems.

Here's another fun site that makes some entertaining (albeit probably erroneous) claims about the supposedly falsified Moon landing.

And another, this time from a site with "ufos-aliens" in the address, so it's clearly written by a team of renowned scientists who know what they're talking about.

Finally, this site is a NASA-sponsored site that exists to point out the problems with some of the hoax sites....it all makes for an interesting read.

To clarify, I'm not someone who arbitrarily agrees with what the government says, nor do I really believe in conspiracy theories. They're interesting to read, though.

I just doubt the Moon landing was fake. Decide for yourself, I guess.

If You Don't Adapt, You Won't Make any Money

2009-07-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

It's obvious in this day and age that the music business is nothing like it was ten or fifteen years ago. No one buy's CD's anymore, they just steal them from the Pirate Bay or other various sources on the Interwebz.

Because of that, bands and artists have taken to releasing various types of "Deluxe Editions" of albums, that may come with, say, a t-shirt, stickers, "double gatefold vinyl with hand-painted art and a 76 page foldout booklet with extensive liner notes" and other such bells and whistles.

This is really what it's come down to, I think. Bands can't just rely on their fanbase to buy a boring single-disc CD in a jewel case. They need more enticements to shell out their ten bucks, so labels and management teams and the like assemble these ridiculous packages for fans.

Look at what Metallica offered its fans for the release of Death Magnetic last fall:

NOBODY needs a picture of Lars Ulrich on a piece of paper shaped like a coffin. Bandannas? sure. A disc of Metallica's rough, unmastered demos of the songs on the album? Again, not necessary at all. Entire thing packaged in a coffin box and sold for an exorbitant amount of money? HELL YES!

Obviously, with the fanbase Metallica has, this probably sold really well, and that's a testament to how the band combated its album leaking early (which of course it did).

It's interesting how bands and their management crews took to these types of maneuvers in order to actually turn a profit on the albums they release. Since it's basically impossible to stop illegal downloading, this has taken place.

Some bands are trying other methods in order to remain fresh in the public's eye. Trent Reznor released the last NIN album, The Slip, for free on the Net. Girl Talk employed the "pay what you want" model that Radiohead started with his album Feed the Animals, and it paid off. Bands are slowly coming to the realization that they have to adapt to the musical environment in order to succeed.

Another example of this is one of my favorite bands, Rx Bandits. Their new album Mandala isn't even out in physical form until next week, but you can currently buy the ENTIRE THING on Amazon.com in Mp3 format for 3 dollars. That's an incredible deal.

Sure, some people can sit back and bitch and moan about illegal downloading and continue to sue single moms who download 12 songs from Limewire, but those days are dwindling. It's refreshing to see bands do things like Radiohead, Girl Talk and Rx Bandits have done. It's not as refreshing to see bands assemble ridiculous deluxe editions with a bunch of useless crap that no one needs, but they feel they must in order to turn a profit. It's a sign of the times.

I wonder what the next trend in this will be for the music business.....

It came from the deep!

2009-07-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

Apparently some kind of 15 mile long organic blob is digesting organic life and it's floating along the coast next to Alaska. Um, what?

http://slashdot.org/story/09/07/16/1421255/Huge-Unidentified-Organic-Blob-Floating-Around-Alaska

Andrew WK is Awesome

2009-07-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

This is why.

:)

Oh, and this as well:

Wow This is Ridiculous

2009-07-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

I've heard so much in the past year or so about such and such band copying so and so....Joe Satriani vs. Coldplay, Weezer vs. Asher Roth, etc. Most of the time, the accused copier's song just sounds eerily similar, instead of being blatant thievery.

Well, this isn't the case of the new story I just read about Clipse vs. Geggy Tah. Don't remember who Geggy Tah was? That's okay, no one really cared about them in 1996. Their song "Whoever You Are" is pretty good, and is the song Clipse (and Pharrell Williams) ripped off here. Compare:

and here's the new song by Clipse that basically does a lot more than 'borrow' from "Whoever You Are".

This is pretty bad, and I hope Clipse gets sued a lot if they plan on releasing this song as a single or something. It's such a blatant rip off of "Whoever You Are". Wow.

New Wallpaper. video "Pool Party" out now....

2009-07-16T09:59:00.000-07:00

Wallpaper.'s new video for the track "Pool Party" just came out this morning.....the jam features Kid Static and Jacob Safari....check it out!