Archive for the 'Music' CategoryPage 2 of 7

Culturology 004 - Dick Cheney, We Forgive You

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by
pete
on October 20, 2008
in Culturology, Misc, Movies, Music and TV
. 10 Comments

So this week I’d finally look ahead to the future, and talk about something that I’m sure no one else, anywhere, ever, has yet talked about: the title of the new James Bond picture, Quantum of Solace. Or, it’s one of those things that it seems like everyone, just everyone has an opinion about, so I want to go ahead and record my view of the matter here at Culturology for posterity’s and history’s sake. My stance? Eh, it’s really not that bad. It seems like the discussion (as most discussions) breaks down into a simple set of pros and cons.

The pros:

1) It’s unique. I reckon that the title (and off the bat here, albeit parenthetically, I’d like to mention that the fact that it’s an actual title of an actual Ian Fleming story is pretty much completely unimportant) was picked as much for its sound as anything else. Kind of quasi-scientific but thoroughly open-ended. I suppose the expanded title would be something like A Discrete, Sub-Microscopic Amount of Solace. I’ve occasionally heard people complaining that the title doesn’t make any sense, but that really isn’t the case.

2) The notion of solace being right there in the title reminds the viewer that Daniel Craig’s James Bond is a different kind of Bond. Is a quantum of solace all the comfort and peace he’s going to get? Or how much he already has? Or how much he’s looking for? The Pierce Brosnan Bond movies came to be in the decadent mid-to-late ‘90s and, as such, were prone to the same kind of ridiculousness that ruined the Kilmer and Clooney Batman movies (though I generally think that Batman & Robin was so ridiculous that it’s worth keeping around, especially as Exhibit A in my on-going argument that the mid-to-late ‘90s was one of the most decadent and culturally destructive time-periods in American history), as awful titles like Tomorrow Never Dies, and The World is Not Enough demonstrate. Pierce Brosnan was a cardboard cut-out; Daniel Craig is not.

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Ludacris - What Them Girls Like? (Our Podcast!)

Published
by
neal
on October 15, 2008
in Music Videos
. 2 Comments

Ludacris is a great lyricist and Chris Brown is a hot commodity. So obviously putting them together gaurantees a hit. That is the theory behind Luda’s new joint What Them Girls Like. I once speculated that I could tell what girls what were thinking. I was right - but unfortunately so: girls in fifth grade aren’t so much into Magic: The Gathering. From this I learned the important lesson that ignorance is bliss. But enough about me, let’s get down to the nitty gritty.

The Track: Luda says it best at the tail end of the track between shout outs to Chris Brown and Sean Garret: ‘It’s too easy’. He’s right. The hand claps, knock, and syrupy flow have me sprung. The track reminds me of Nelly’s E.I. mixed with Drop It Like It’s Hot. I could do without Sean Garret’s vocals. Oldboy should stick to producing - he’s actually good at it.

Luda is big on name dropping - but it’s part of his style. He owns it, just like how Agness Deyn owns that blonde pixie cut. Surprisingly, none of the punchlines are noteworthy. I didn’t find myself running the track back to hear a line again. That is kind of unprecedented for Ludacris. I still like the track, but I am a little disappointed.

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The Video: Luda’s videos typically involve a lot of girls. More specifically, girls dancing, looking good, and being flirtatious. It adds to the appeal of the party and Chris Brown doesn’t do videos unless he can show off his moves. Seriously, show me a video where he isn’t MJing around the dance floor.

I know that all sounds dangerously close to Ryan Leslie’s video, but Luda uses it. Sure, the girls are hot, but that’s not the point. They are a mean’s to a punchline, and the joke is on them. The speech bubbles give each girl a voice, but that voice is exactly what guys want to hear. The video portrays women with the mentality of an Axe Body Spray commercial.

Two more things - At the beginning of verse two Luda drops a line about girls wanting families and security. Look closely at the supporting bubble, you have to laugh. Also, the speech bubbles should really be thought bubbles.

The Bottom Line: Kind of mediocre - I encourage Luda to spend some time on punchlines. They are a signature part of his repetoire.

Culturology 003 - Rallying ‘Round the Rally

Published
by
pete
on October 13, 2008
in Culturology, Misc, Movies and Music
. 2 Comments

So I know in my first few columns here that I haven’t been quite as topical as I might be—more or less current, but not as current as I can be—I do aspire to one day being so on the pulse of American Popular Culture as to blog these things as they happen, but until then we’ll just keep turning back the clocks. This time, all the way back to the beginning of September and the Republican National Convention. Specifically, the following video of Rage Against the Machine rocking out acapella for a crowd of protesters (it’s a long video, so I recommend that you fast-forward liberally, watching just enough to become acquainted with its content (like the incredible lameness of the “acapella” guitar sounds everyone makes):

So, wow, it sure is a good thing that RATM got back together this year for the election, huh? If Obama wins, I’m definitely going to credit them for tipping the balance in his favor. But, I’d like to think that its more complicated than that—that I’m being unfair in rather flippantly blowing off RATM’s supposedly politically motivated reunion as rather being a cynical money-grab (though, maybe it’s more just an ego thing, not a money thing - they’re probably the types that enjoy thinking that they’re making a difference). They’re an interesting band, really (what, they totally, like, invented rap-rock, right?), and most interestingly, they’re the one band that I know of that draws listeners from both sides of the American political mainstream most successfully, despite their supposedly inflammatory leftist lyrics. I’ve definitely had jobs of several workplaces where the agreed-upon music to listen to as a whole group was Rage, with the Republican-types generally saying something to the extent of “I don’t really like their politics, but they sure do rock hard!” Exactly! No one has ever given a shit about what they’re singing, so long as it sounded cool (and it does sound cool).

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I Am Listening To: Skillz - Million Dollar Backpack

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by
neal
on October 6, 2008
in Music
. 0 Comments

SkillzI’m not really familiar with Skillz. According to Wikipedia he’s been active for a while as an artist and ghostwriter. I first found out about him via NothingButEverything. I watched the video for Be Alright and I was hooked. I sent the link to Nick and he felt it too, ‘decent feel good track’. It was so laid back that when I got home I decided to peep the whole album, Million Dollar Backpack.

The album features a ton of producers including DJ Jazzy Jeff and ?uestlove. Black Thought, Common, and Freeway are the only named guests.

My favorite cuts:

So Far So Good - Reminds me of a Slum Village cut.

Sick - Great brag track. I dig the beat and all the references. This would be good for a dance battle.

He Don’t Own Me - What is it with handdrums? They are so hot right now!

My Phone - Another name dropping brag track like ‘Sick’, but about girls. Builds up to a great ending.

Hold Tight - The horns do it for me and the rhymes are tight.

Be Alright - Like I said, it’s smooth and upbeat.

Preachin To The Choir - Remember story tracks? This is a rare treat these days.

The Bottom Line: The album has some solid tracks. But as LeVar Burton would say, you don’t have to take my word for it.

Beatcast 012: Frisky (ringtone) by Nik Furious

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nick marino
on October 5, 2008
in Beatcast, Music and Podcast Episodes
. 0 Comments

Frisky, a text message ringtone (that means it’s a super short song!) that I (a.k.a. Nik Furious) made for Justique a few months ago.

 
 Frisky by Nik Furious [0:09m]: Play Now | Download

Ryan Leslie - Addiction Would Be an Overstatement

Published
by
neal
on October 1, 2008
in Music Videos
. 4 Comments

Ryan Leslie. What can I say that hasn’t been said already? You gave us Cassie and Diamond Girl, and for that I am grateful but conflicted. Cassie is hot, but she’s a mess as a performer. Diamond Girl was a hot track but the video tried too hard to channel OutKast and Michael Jackson. Well, I finally got around to watching the new video for Addiction and it’s more of the same. Read on for more.

The Track: The beat is mellow and I’m all about that. Not every track needs wicked knock. I didn’t like the synth at first, but I’ve really warmed up to it. The percussion is well designed too. Hand drums playing off a synth? Yes. Cassie provides the backing vocals, natch. She sounds a little flat and detached, like she’s in a daze - perhaps that’s the point? It’s sort of hypnotic in its monotony.

Fab’s verse had me hooked because of how it handles a pet peeve of mine. I have reviled name-dropping in the past, but Fab turns it around. He incorporates the names into the verse as punchlines and not just as obnoxious references. His lines get better and better: ‘I got you Amy Winedout’, ‘I hop out the suicides looking so Cobain’, and ‘They come back want more grams, right back, like Lindsey out the program’. If that doesn’t get a rise of out of your punchline meter, perhaps you should stop listening to hiphop.

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The Video: The ‘official’ video is your typical ‘white background’ video but in gray. The treatment must have read like this: 2 guys, 4 models, all gray. The ‘2 guys and some models’ concept is not new either. Schwayze did it. So did Lil Wayne and Lloyd. Remember Golddigger? SAME THING. There are plenty more examples. It’s the buddy cop equivalent of music videos: you’re not really sure if Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan belong in the same movie, but it’s easy to watch and you’re too lazy to change the channel.

The ‘alternate‘ version of the video is fairly unremarkable except that it is in color. Alternate videos strike me as a sign that the album isn’t going to stand by itself without being crammed with extras.

Remember George Michael’s Freedom video? No one ever does stuff like that anymore, which is sad. It is the closest thing to a perfect music video I have seen to date. It had models, explosions, good set and costume design, new technology, replay value, and it wasn’t just a taped performance!

The Bottom Line: Decent track, routine video. It happens.

Culturology 001 - The Nugent Way

Published
by
pete
on September 29, 2008
in Culturology, Misc, Movies, Music and TV
. 5 Comments

I must admit, I’m a bit nervous about my first post on the Audioshocker. Not that I should be (I did, after all, once upon a time, participate in one of the podcasts), but I am concerned that I am simply neither hip enough nor up-to-date with my pop-radar either. I was initially thinking that I could orient my posts around that very out-of-touchness, but have, at least for the time being decided against that. I will keep up with the world around me, dammit! And, with that in mind, let me get to what I’m getting to for this inaugural post: Ted Nugent.

Though you may not be as enthralled by the phenomenon of The Nuge as I am, you still must admit that he’s something of an anomaly. For all intents and purposes, the man should have been just another one hit wonder, with his one song “Cat Scratch Fever,” but somehow he has maintained a cultural cachet well greater than what writing a single hit song should command. He’s, of course, well known for his ultra-conservative radio show, and hosting his own reality TV series, and appearing on at least one other one. This is, perhaps, not so different a CV as any other flash-in-the-pan success, but bear with me. I am not claiming that The Nuge is hugely famous or wildly successful, merely that he has a greater piece of the pop-cultural pie than one would expect for the scribe of a song about venereal disease.

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Beatcast 011: Muffdive by Dirty Weekend

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nick marino
on September 28, 2008
in Beatcast, Music and Podcast Episodes
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Muffdive, a rude rock masterpiece by Dirty Weekend. This song rounds out our Dirty Weekend beatcast triple-play for September (see Scallions and Oh Wait for more). You can also check out video of a live acoustic performance of Muffdive on YouTube.

 
 Muffdive by Dirty Weekend [2:40m]: Play Now | Download

Beatcast 010: Oh Wait by Dirty Weekend

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nick marino
on September 21, 2008
in Beatcast, Music and Podcast Episodes
. 1 Comment

Oh Wait, another raw rock tune by Dirty Weekend. This lurid DW tale is also known as “I Dreamt That I Slept With Your Mom Last Night (Oh Wait, That Was Real).”

 
 Oh Wait by Dirty Weekend [2:36m]: Play Now | Download

Beatcast 009: Scallions by Dirty Weekend

Published
by
nick marino
on September 14, 2008
in Beatcast, Music and Podcast Episodes
. 1 Comment

Scallions, an instrumental rock song by Dirty Weekend. This jam was recorded as a demo in 2002 and remastered about 15 minutes ago for your listening pleasure.

 
 Scallions by Dirty Weekend [2:09m]: Play Now | Download