let me talk at shoe

blog has moved

2010-07-12T14:55:00.001-05:00

recently, i went on hiatus while finishing up school, trying to figure out what direction to go with my blog. after a lot of hard work, i managed to set up my own website, instead of going through blogspot. i've decided to focus on creative projects rather than copy-and-paste cool things i see on the internet. i now have three new monthly mixes, and a few art pieces up.

i figured i'd make an official post to spread the word, especially for anyone following this blog by rss. i will only be updating the new website, and not this blog.

go to www.letmetalkatshoe.com
and along with the new site, there's a new rss feed, so look out for that!

spring cleaning

2010-04-15T03:22:00.002-05:00

i know i haven't blogged in a while, but i'm almost done school, so i should be back soon.
i'm planning on changing the direction of my blog over the next few weeks (or months). lately, i've been doing a lot of copying and pasting of videos i've seen around the web, and while that stuff may be good to share, it's on every blog out there. starting with a new layout, i'm going to re-tool my blog to feature my ideas, music, photos, and art. as for the creative projects, i will continue to make monthly mixes, plus i will start releasing remixes, and i have a mixtape in the works; i'm going to go out and take more photos after i buy a bike; and, i want to get back into screen printing, so i will have so free prints to ship out to whoever wants one.

stay tuned, and i hope you like the changes i'll be making to the blog.

drake over video

2010-04-13T10:29:00.002-05:00

still can't stand drake but i dig the video, and boy-1da snapped on the beat.
the only decent part of his rap is when he bites dead prez at 2:13.

kate nash do wah doo video

2010-04-10T11:00:00.003-05:00

after three years, kate nash is finally back with a new album!
i'm going to move to england and date her. end of story.

'my best friend is you' comes out april 20th.

pixels

2010-04-08T21:09:00.004-05:00

i love how they found a way to integrate old video games into destroying the city.

by addwork on vimeo.

google nexus one

2010-04-08T12:01:00.002-05:00

the branding for this phone is unreal.
and despite a few complaints on the internet, it appears to be a really good phone.

now i just need $600.

the a-team trailer

2010-04-05T23:10:00.004-05:00

this movie looks awesome. except for rampage jackson, who can't act for shit, but at least he can destroy a door like nobody's business:

honestly, this video NEVER gets old.

donnis x dj a-trak x travis barker - gone

2010-04-01T20:42:00.002-05:00

damn. donnis with travis and trizzy is a good setup.
also, do trav and a-trak have an abbreviated name like the short-lived trv$djam days?

march mix 2010

2010-03-31T11:59:00.003-05:00

wow. it's been a long fucking time.

during my unofficial hiatus from blogging, i officially got shit on by school, had some sort of intestinal disease, and bought a new computer.

fortunately, being very sick for the past three days has allowed me to set up my new laptop and familiarize myself with traktor. this is my first legit live mix (although, with several edits), and i hope to continue in this fashion once i actually figure out all of the facets of traktor.

if you're curious, this is my current setup:

-15" macbook pro 2.8GHz 500GB
-alesis io|2 (for monitoring purposes, and potential mic/line inputs)
-korg kontrol 49 (to control transport, loops, filters, eq's, etc. plus potential keyboarding)

bare with me, i know the mix is rough, but at least the songs are dope. a few of these tracks come off crazy mixtapes, but i have not been on my blogging game lately so hopefully you've downloaded them already, or can find out what they are. i'll be done school in a couple weeks, then i may finally get around to making music, or at least properly sharing good music i find on the interweb.

download it here
[to download, right-click / ctrl-click (on mac) and 'download linked file']

tracklist:
juiceboxxx f. spank rock - i'm a man
so shifty f. ward 21 & natalie storm - clap (top billin remix)
we have band - honeytrap (co-pilot's flying high edit)
mike posner - cooler than me (skeet skeet remix)
shontelle - dj made me do it
the cataracs - undercover
broken bells - the ghost inside
88-keys f. colin munroe - wake up call
butterfly bones - crystal caves (rockets remix)
i was a teenage satan worshipper - amsterdamned
consequence f. kanye west, diddy, and john legend - whatever u want (deranged fan rmx)
ellie goulding - your biggest mistake
the asteroids galaxy tour - the sun ain't shining no more (33hz remix)
snoop dogg f. kid cudi - that tree [original mix / clockwork remix]
copacabana club - just do it
my gold mask - violet eyes
asher roth - con-fid-ence
ellie goulding - under the sheets (chiddy bang remix)
the phenomenal handclap band - baby (architeq dub)
drake - best i ever had (objektive one's space glider mash up)
die antwoord - very fancy
d-wirks - foot on the gas
jaguar love - cherry soda
the constellations - setback (starkey remix)
audio bullys - only man (jakwob remix)
drop the lime - devils eyes (tomb crew remix)

previously: february mix(es) 2010.

beats by dre x hp laptop

2010-03-14T18:00:00.003-05:00

oooookay maybe i spoke too soon on there not being beats by dre laptops.

details at HP.

lady gaga f. beyonce telephone video

2010-03-12T03:09:00.002-06:00

the song is brutes, but i just want to take a minute to point out some fucked up things in the video.

why is the prison half babes and half trannies? and then there's a dance sequence down the cellblock?
there's a beats by dre logo on the laptop. i know gaga has a line of beats headphones, but they obviously don't make computers.
what the fuck is up with the kill bill pussy wagon, and the attempt at tarantino-esque dialog?
i'm not mad at the near-dubstep beat for beyonce's part, but beyonce sucks.
motherfucking tyrese?! really? and i don't get the random japanese subtitle.
product placement with wonder bread, miracle whip and virgin mobile. you think if they were doing a video about telephones, they would at least get a giant carrier like at&t or verizon.
then they kill everyone in the diner.
and gaga's wearing a leopard m. bison suit.

WHAT THE FUCK.

i don't understand this at all.

vampire weekend giving up the gun video

2010-03-09T05:01:00.002-06:00

spots by RZA, joe jonas, jake gyllenhaal, and lil' jon.

this video is random as fuck, but i love it.
i can't decide what i like better, gyllenhaal's tear-away pants or lil' jon speaking french.

charles discharged

2010-03-04T10:52:00.002-06:00

charles explains what's been going on in his life lately.
it's definitely good to have him back.

also, i've been catching up on a month and a half of music blogs over the past couple days, so expect a few more updates coming soon.

xxl freshmen cover 2010

2010-03-01T09:57:00.002-06:00

i don't have the issue yet, but the cover's been going around, so i figure i'd post it. it sucks that the three i really like (big sean, donnis & freddie gibbs) are on the inside, but at least they're on it.

i'll blog more about it when i get the issue.
& there's some content i've been meaning to post, but i've been working on shit for school like 18 hours a day.

let me twitter at shoe

2010-02-25T14:51:00.000-06:00

i know i hated on twitter in the past but i'm getting into it.
originally, i started it to get help from one of the blogger employees on a blog i have for school (http://yourexchange2010.blogspot.com, you should check it out and help me with my school project), but now i use it to share random ideas and keep up with my favourite rappers.

follow me at @e_burgess.

also, i'm going to be buying a new phone soon when i get some money, because they finally have a decent android phone available in winnipeg.

die antwoord

2010-02-18T09:03:00.003-06:00

they're on some next level shit from south africa.

i've been on their music for about a week now, just trolling youtube for whatever i could find, but i just figured out that if you know your way around a url, you can download their whole album from dieantwoord.com

and now:
20 FUN FACTS ABOUT DIE ANTWOORD (from their website)

1-NINJA, YO-LANDI and DJ HI-TEK made all their music, music videos, video stings, photos, and this next-level interwebsite all on their own with the help of some good friends.

2-NINJA was in many weird rap groups before DIE ANTWOORD: The Orginal Evergreens, Max Normal, Fantastic Kill, and Total Confusion on Planet Phunk to name a few. Then one day NINJA tapped into his inner zef and discovered DIE ANTWOORD.

3-NINJA has a secret fairy forest tattoo on left arm that he covers with bass.

4-Just to clear up the rumors: NINJA and YO-LANDI are not in a relationship. They are just good friends. NINJA says: Relationships are fickle, like the relationship you are having with your body.

5-Yo-landi's mom cuts her hair, but she gets her hair dyed at SCAR HAIR. Yo-landi says: It's always important to remember your roots.

6-This next fun fact is dedicated to all the confused retard people out there who hate DIE ANTWOORD but can't stop watching their interweb videos every single fokkin day of their boring lives. DIE ANTWOORD put Puma & Jagermeister logos onto this next-level interwebsite because Puma gives DIE ANTWOORD free clothes and free shoes and Jagermeister gives DIE ANTWOORD free dop. Puma and Jagermeister did not give us money to make DIE ANTWOORD. DIE ANTWOORD was created from nothing using alot of blood, sweat and tears.

7-NINJA likes Dolfins.

8-YO-LANDI likes sexy boys with no front teeth.

9-DJ HI-TEK likes his PC Computer.

10-ZEF is a unique South African term that has been around for fuck knows how long. This term was made famous 10 years ago by a next-level interwebsite called WatKykJy.com.

11-NINJA, YO-LANDI and DJ HI-TEK started DIE ANTWOORD because of WAT KYK JY?

12-JACK PAROW is DIE ANTWOORD'S duk gang$ta kung-fu panda chommie.

13-The 1st time NINJA saw JACK PAROW'S fat rap cap he got goose bumps.

14-YO-LANDI rocks more bling than C3PO.

15-YO-LANDI's best friend is KIMPOSSIBLE who lives in Mitchell's Plain.

16-DJ HI-TEK is a shape-shifting alien from another dimension.

17-NINJA does not sit like a doos with a koki pen and draw every single one of his tattoos on in the exact same identical place every time he has to be in a photo or a music video or a rap show you fuckin idiot, or wait...maybe he does. Jissis!

18-DIE ANTWOORD are busy blowing up faster than the speed of light because they are the freshest, most futuristik rap-rave crew in the world.

19-DIE ANTWOORD raps for the Chosen Ones.

20-Anyone who doesn't like DIE ANTWOORD is a poes.

nba for mcdonalds

2010-02-17T11:05:00.004-06:00

and the original:

february mix 2010 (a two part special!)

2010-02-15T12:14:00.002-06:00

I'm a day late, but there's still plenty of time left in the month for everyone to enjoy my february mix. This is the first mix where i fully pursued a theme (well, two themes) for the duration of the mix. part 1 is songs about being in love, and part 2 is songs about being dumped or falling out of love. in total, the mix clocks in around 1 hour 15 minutes, so there's a few extra minutes of lovin' in there.

part 1 - lovers download it here.
[to download, right-click / ctrl-click (on mac) and 'download linked file']

gordon voidwell - dressed to digress (boy crisis remix)
robin s. - show me love (bounce camp remix)
usher - love in this club (mstrkrft remix)
lykke li - little bit
amanda blank - a love song
juelz santana f. freeway - my love
j dilla - u-luv
the knife - heartbeats
bright eyes - first day of my life
elizabeth & the catapult - right next to you
bon iver - skinny love
rza (as bobby digital) - love jones

part 2 - leavers download it here.

mike posner f. big sean - cooler than me
mstrkrft f. lil mo - it aint love
dúné - bloodlines (hervé's love messed up mix)
kenna - say goodbye to love (trackademics remix f. mike baker the bike maker)
miike snow - song for no one
outasight - walk of shame
bright eyes - lover i don't have to love
shad - out of love pt. II
jay-z - heart of the city
the blow - true affection
n.e.r.d. - love bomb
feist - limit to your love
kanye west - coldest winter

previously: january mix 2010.

sNow leopard part 3: the conclusion?

2010-02-10T18:23:00.005-06:00

see the previous entry in my saga of technology troubles here.

this is a long overdue update on my computer situation, but i felt that it was due to anyone that is concerned for the well-being of me or my laptop, or is experiencing similar issues with their computer.

i left off my last entry vowing to return to 10.6, freshly after cleaning my laptop and re-installing 10.5. i have since gone back to 10.6 and am happy to report that there are slightly less problems than 10.5. my disc drive, battery, midi keyboards, and external hard drive are still messed up, but at least i didn't have to reinstall all of my programs and drivers that i added since the summer. i've found a workaround for the external hard drive issue, and already found decent fixes for the battery and disc drive, but i'm itching to use my midi stuff again.

basically, i prematurely downgraded to 10.5 and in the process, i created a lot more problems than i solved. maybe the fact that it was so hard to downgrade should have been a clue that it really shouldn't have been done. whatever, i fucked up and now i have to deal with it. i highly recommend that you don't make the same mistake that i did, unless you have thorough details from someone that actually knows what they're doing, or if you don't wish to retain your previous data, settings and programs.

as a bonus, here's a couple pictures of the inside of my laptop.
proprietary hardware makes the inside of apple products so efficient for space!

classified oh... canada

2010-02-10T02:40:00.004-06:00

someone at school was talking about 'that o canada' song, and i said 'uhh, you mean our national anthem?' but apparently classified thought it was cool to sample o canada.

decent history lesson, shitty song.

(slightly after) january mix 2010

2010-02-04T20:58:00.003-06:00

going to new york really fucked up my schedule, so i'm sorry that the mix is a little late. that being said, i hope to have february's done for the 14th. highly unlikely, but i can dream.

and as you can see, a tried something a little different for the title picture. not sure if i like it yet, but i'm going to try and add some colour to this blog this year.

download it here.
[to download, right-click / ctrl-click (on mac) and 'download linked file']

tracklist:
jarren benton - turbo
yeah yeah yeahs - rich
chip tha ripper - whoa
vampire weekend - giving up the gun
felix cartal - skeletons (pance party remix)
telephoned - pop champagne
lil jon f. kee - give it all you got (danger beach remix)
ke$ha - tik tok
xx - crystalised [original mix vs. rory phillips remix]
bounce camp - good beat (breakdown remix)
florence and the machine - rabbit heart (raise it up) (the lionheart mix)
chiddy bang - truth
britney spears f. donnis - trouble (remix)
fergie - london bridge (the company kang remix)
miike snow - cult logic
miley cyrus - party in the usa
ok go - i want you so bad i can't breathe
royce da 5'9" - far away
lady gaga - eh, eh (nothing else i can say)
l.a. diamond - bounce
roxy cottontail - double dare (proper villains and jubilee remix)
oj da juiceman f. gucci mane - good night (health remix)

previously: december mix 2009.

abstinence-only sex education actually works?

2010-02-02T17:54:00.004-06:00

i've left my tv on cnn for the past few days, and i'm actually learning some things. i just saw a piece talking about a study that found abstinence-only sex education results in less kids having sex. it sounds positive, until you hear the numbers:

the study was conducted with a group of 6th and 7th grade african-americans in urban areas, but it doesn't mention the size of the groups. 52% of kids with safe sex education had sex within two years, whereas 33% of kids with abstinence-only education had sex.

i hardly see 19% as a major improvement, as there are so many factors that are not being discussed in this. i believe that kids are going to have sex if they want to, and regardless of what you say, you can't change their mind. sure, 52% of kids with safe sex education had sex, but that means that 48% of the kids that knew how to have sex refrained from doing so. in a class of 30 kids, 19% mean roughly 6 more kids having sex, but i think it's much more important that these kids are safe rather than abstinent. also, having a third of the kids are ignoring their abstinence-only education is nothing to brag about.

more information at cnn.

all gone 2009

2010-02-02T16:41:00.002-06:00

i don't usually post pictures of myself, but i didn't want it to look like i was trying to claim that i own one of the 300 white/white copies of all gone.

yes, i spent a shitload of money on this book that i really don't have, but it's so worth it, and it's not like i can go back and buy it when i have the money. i was constantly checking the site over the past few days and on saturday afternoon i saw that it was available. it was shipped fedex express, most likely early yesterday, and i received it around 11 this morning. i just checked the site and the white/red (edition of 700) are sold out, and i assume the white/white are getting close.

if you're not familiar with all gone, it's basically a catalogue of a bunch of the exclusive streetwear items (plus books, be@rbricks, etc.) that came out in the past year.

it's a pretty basic layout, but there are some cool feature spreads. i'm too lazy to photograph or scan some pages, but you can get a taste on allgonebook.com

college humor vs. the ipad

2010-01-31T09:16:00.007-06:00

we're on the same page about this useless piece of technology.

the ipad

2010-01-28T14:55:00.006-06:00

yes, i know this came out yesterday, but i'm not on my blogging game lately.

in the summer of '08, my friend showed me in a mac magazine that apple registered several patents suggesting that they were working on a tablet, and i was really pumped. and then i found out it's basically a glorified giant ipod touch, and i'm not so excited any more. it would have been cool if it was a 13" or 14" screen, packaged with a stylus, but 9.7" isn't enough room to properly operate your programs. it's running an operating system a lot closer to their mobile products than their actual computers, so you can't run real programs like photoshop, only their downloadable "apps." someone may design a graphic designing app, but it will never have the same level of reliability and versatility as the adobe creative suite. as for the tech specs, the maximum drive space available right now is 64 GB, which would store a decent amount of music and movies if that's all you're using it for, but the processor is a custom built 1 GHz single chip, which won't even get close to the computing power of the macbooks out now.

i'm sure it will be worth it for the price (quoted at $499 US), but unless you're elderly or a small child, you're going to need much more of a computer than this can offer.

vampire weekend - contra

2010-01-28T14:35:00.006-06:00

first impression of this album, i was pretty disappointed, but even by the second listen it started growing on me. ezra's voice has gotten slightly more annoying on this album, and one track uses autotune (!!??!?!?!!), but i still see them as the second coming of paul simon. this album isn't as good as their amazingly catchy debut, but i think it will make it into my regular rotation soon enough.

with many albums within the last year, bands have been abandoning their sound for a more electronic version of themselves, and vampire weekend is no different. well, they're only slightly more electronic. it's not like they switched it up to the point of yeah yeah yeahs or lily allen, but there's more synth/loops/sound effects than their debut.

if you're a fan of their first one, it's worth the listen, but i don't know if this will bring any new fans on board.

ok go - of the blue colour of the sky

2010-01-28T14:08:00.008-06:00

i've had this album for over a week now, but i'm still catching up from being in new york, so my schedule is still messed up.

in the past, ok go have released countless anthemic rock songs accompanied by amazing videos, and while they videos are still awesome (see wtf?), the music has gone in a new direction. there are several slower songs on the album, and the more upbeat ones are structured around drums and bass with some synth or guitar on top. there's a huge range of tracks, including some disco-inspired tracks ('i want you so bad i can't breathe' & 'end love'), 'skyscrapers' which reminds me of the blood brothers track 'live at the apocalypse cabaret', and 'before the earth was round' which sounds like a daft punk or 808s and heartbreak b-side. i think that these guys are pretty talented but don't get much recognition beyond the viral status of their music videos. this album was definitely a good way to start off music in 2010.

i also have to talk about the amazing liner notes. look below for scans of the booklet! there are all kinds of graphs that analyze the lyrics of the songs compared to an excerpt from general a.j. pleasonton's 'the influence of the blue ray of the sunlight and of the blue colour of the sky', which i assume served as some sort of influence.

wale in winnipeg!

2010-01-26T20:52:00.003-06:00

thursday, february 25 at republic.
here's the details on facebook.

i can't wait for this show! i never thought i'd get to see wale in winnipeg, but apparently someone knows what they're doing. the only bad thing is that YACHT is playing the same night, so i have to miss out on that.

fever ray accepting award at p3 guld awards

2010-01-26T20:24:00.002-06:00

lady gaga has nothing on karin dreijer andersson.

mustard pimp - jack bauer mixtape

2010-01-25T20:30:00.003-06:00

i thought mustard pimp was unstoppable when they dropped their 12 hour hercules mixtape, but now they're back and twice as intense. yes, thats right - a 24 hour mixtape! i can't wait until spring break so i can listen to this straight through. i'm not going to post the entire tracklist, because it's over 800 tracks deep, but here's the hour breakdown.

Hour 1 - January 2010
Hour 2 - January 2010
Hour 3 - Best Of Electro, Fidget
Hour 4 - Best Of Electro, Fidget
Hour 5 - Japan
Hour 6 - Dubstep
Hour 7 - Dubstep
Hour 8 - Breakbeat
Hour 9 - Breakbeat
Hour 10 - Breakbeat
Hour 11 - Big Beat, Fusion
Hour 12 - Drum & Bass
Hour 13 - Drum & Bass
Hour 14 - Drum & Bass
Hour 15 - Hip Hop East Coast
Hour 16 - Hip Hop East & West Coast
Hour 17 - Hip Hop West Coast & Diverse
Hour 18 - Techno Classics
Hour 19 - Techno Classics
Hour 20 - Rock, Hard Rock, Punk, etc.
Hour 21 - Euro Dance
Hour 22 - Heavy, Death, Thrash, Black Metal, etc.
Hour 23 - Hardcore UK
Hour 24 - Hardcore, Speedcore, Terror

grab it all here.

banksy exit through the gift shop trailer

2010-01-25T14:15:00.003-06:00

it appears there's guest spots from invader and shepard fairey, and there will probably be a few more. it'll be a few months before this even gets to the point where i can download it, but it should be sweet.

big sean million dollars video

2010-01-25T14:12:00.003-06:00

i was catching up on my music blogs and saw this. not my favourite song from big sean, but the video is dope. can't wait for finally famous the album.

also, january mix should be up soon, and i still have some more year end content to come.

shaun boothe poor boy

2010-01-22T03:49:00.003-06:00

this song is a disgrace.

i should really stop watching muchmusic at 4 in the morning.

let me talk at shoe in nyc

2010-01-22T00:20:00.007-06:00

i'm back from the greatest city in the world. well, best city i've ever been to, but it's unreal. it wasn't quite a school trip, but that's how we justified it. i experienced a lot regarding using the city as an extension of the house, which is what i'll be working on this semester, so the trip showed me what i needed to see. not to mention i had a shitload of fun, and did a lot of shopping. this is only a small sampling of the pictures i took, and there are so many cool things that i didn't take pictures of.

the subway system was a lot easier to navigate than i expected, and it was laid out so efficiently.

went to columbia university but classes didn't start for another week. once you enter the campus, it's so hard to believe that it's surrounded by bodegas and apartment buildings. the architecture studios were completely empty and it didn't look like they even had room for drawing boards, just computers.

tried to check out one jackson square, but you need to make an appointment just to get past the front door.

walked by the new museum, and went to the shop, but didn't actually go into the gallery.

some of the subway stations had really interesting tile work going on.

grand central station was enormous. apparently, it's also a popular meeting place for 16 year-olds. there were so many teenagers there.

frank gehry's beekman tower under construction.

brooklyn bridge.

wall st.

battery park.

the skyscraper museum had really good models and drawings, but the presentation was pretty terrible.

pio pio restaurant at 604 10th ave. the interior is so well done, and the food is delicious.

cathedral church of saint john the divine. the biggest cathedral in the world, apparently.

i don't know what this building is, i just thought it was really cool.

the brooklyn botanical garden would have been a lot better in the summer, but all of the indoor stuff was really cool, especially the bonsai garden.

neil denari's hl23 apartment under construction.

frank gehry's iac building.

jean nouvel's residential building at 100 11th ave in chelsea, under construction.

we came across the dopest poster store i've ever seen. he had old international movie posters; ww2 propaganda; product advertisements; music, and so much more! http://www.chisholm-poster.com/

on the last night we hit up rockefeller center to see the whole city.

if that wasn't enough, i saw mos def play at the highline.
i got to witness this shit first hand:

and now the purchases:

mishka tee featuring real bear and robot bear astronauts

mishka backpack

nike sb janoski's

adidas y-3 honja low

supra tk's

adidas js wings by jeremy scott (yes, they have wings and gold fronts)

g-shock watch

guggenheim museum souvenir mug

blakroc album

very small shops by john stones

tom kundig: houses by dung ngo

fuck. i can't wait to go back.

saber on flag art & health care

2010-01-12T04:17:00.004-06:00

i spotted this at the hundreds and i think it needs to be seen.

graffiti artists are not monsters, members of the right wing media are.

diplo presents free gucci: the best of the cold war mixtapes

2010-01-11T12:10:00.008-06:00

so the rumours are true! well, not completely, as i heard diplo would be remixing the whole cold war series by himself, but the mad decent fam remixing the best of the series is sweet too.

i have been pretty adamant for my hate for gucci, but i also love mad decent.
unfortunately, the production on this mixtape doesn't make up for his shitty rapping.

if you want to check it out, the 320 is available free at mad decent.

2009: mixtapes of the year

2010-01-11T04:42:00.003-06:00

before i get into my list, i'll take a second to explain the concept of a mixtape, because i often get blank stares when i repeatedly reference an artist's "mixtape." basically a mixtape is a free album, or collection of songs, created for promotional purposes. originally, rap mixtapes were on cassette tape, as the name suggests. they were given out, passed around, and copied in an effort of spreading word of the artist. this temporarily existed in the cd generation, but now with the advent of the internet, social networking and blogs, the mixtape game is completely different.

the mixtape concept was almost completely exclusive to the rap genre, but it's now expanding to include r&b artists, and even some pop/rock bands. previous rap mixtapes, even as early as 4 or 5 years ago (when lil wayne was on his mixtape grind), had terrible production quality, incessant dj drops, and usually consisted of rapping over rough samples or instrumentals of other songs. while some artists still choose to rap over popular instrumentals (as a way of proving they are better than the original artist), the production values of the mixtapes have definitely increased. not only are some mixtapes available at qualities higher than 192 kbps (some up to 320!), but they often play like albums, with minimal (or sometimes no) shoutouts/soundclips. it is becoming increasingly common that artists are writing and recording several new tracks just for a mixtape and then releasing it for free through the internet.

there are a some djs dedicated to being 'mixtape djs' which means that they basically put their name on it, do a couple shoutouts on the album, and use their level of fame/respect to propel this new artist they're backing. a few of the biggest for the music i listen to are: don cannon, dj drama, clinton sparks, dj benzi, mick boogie, and dj skee. between the six of them they're involved in more than half of these, and sometimes they work together to present a mixtape.

now that the idea of a mixtape is clear, here are my favourite mixtapes of 2009. as with my albums of the year, these are only the ones that i thought were worth posting about. this is probably between half and three-quarters of the mixtapes i have on my computer from 2009, with several more mixtapes that i listened to but didn't think were worth downloading, and then hundreds (or likely thousands) of mixtapes that i haven't even heard about. i didn't include any dj mixtapes, because that's more about the order of the songs and how they're mixed, rather than the songs themselves, but that doesn't mean i don't enjoy them. i admit i haven't been as crazy about downloading dj mixes as i used to be (probably since i started making my own) but i still try and catch the occasional bbc radio 1 essential mix or mixin it up for discobelle.

another note about mixtapes: while they are free and (arguably) legal, the file sharing sites they are often hosted on still consider them an issue. many mixtapes will get removed for being "illegal" or "unacceptable" content, so one of the most important things is to be on your mixtape game and check music blogs daily, if possible. i linked the mixtapes to current download links, but i don't know how long they will last.

i know this is late and i guarantee i missed some mixtapes, but here's the list.

52. vibes - the new generation

dude bests jigga and drizzy on d.o.a. and best i ever had, respectively, but that's not saying a lot. original stuff is good but nothing game changing. almost all production from the trackfiends, with a couple from 6th sense. a feature from royce da 5'9" on 'live as it gets' makes this mixtape worth a listen.

51. punchlyne & fokis - the appetizer

originally a 6 track mixtape, this was released on three different blogs, each with their own bonus track. i caught this off illroots and it had the three bonus tracks plus one more, so enjoy the full 10-track version. the beats are laid-back soul, reminiscent of early kanye, but i'm ambivalent about the rapping from these dudes.
-'we came to rock' is in my november mix.

50. reflection eternal - re-union

this one was a late late edition to the list, literally coming out in the evening of december 31st, so i haven't given it a lot of listens but statik selektah mixes upcoming reflection eternal tracks with classics from kweli and hi-tek.

49. trade voorhees - trade voorhess II

trade makes minimalist beats, sometimes creepy, sometimes a throwback, but i dig it. his rapping reminds me of a white big sean but with like 1% of the swagger.

48. dj rooftop - the yellow and blue print

every jay-z album inspires a host of mash-up, cover or remix albums, and why should sweden be left out? unfortunately, jay-z didn't do a proper release of the full album instrumentals (like he did with the black album, american gangster and a few others...maybe it has to do with him being on warner and not rocafella), so every version i've heard is on some bootleg diy shit, but honestly, most people won't know the difference. dj rooftop brings together the best in swedish rap to take on the blueprint 3 instrumentals. most of the songs are in english, and many of the songs share the title/inspiration/melody/chorus/etc. with the originals, but the verses are all new swedish goodness.

47. c.s. rucker - the hungry kid mixtape

the beats on this are mostly electro, but i taste a little bit of the golden age rap in here. the weirdest mindfuck of all is that he sounds like some swedish rappers, who are emulating american rappers, so he's like twice removed. and when has anything good come out of new mexico? cool stuff going on here, though.

46. chip tha ripper - the cleveland show

kid cudi's "big brother" gets a shot and the mic, and i hate to say it but chip can't really rip. he's alright but he's not going to be blowing up like cudder. production is dece but there's a track with a yeah yeah yeahs sample, and another with a santigold sample that just set it off.

45. eponym & esta - UpFromHere

rapper eponym teamed up with esta to put together this mixtape of laidback tracks. i'm not crazy about most of the production but i dig the rapping and some of the hooks. i don't really see these guys going anywhere, but it's good for what it is.

44. rich hil - the limoprint

this illroots exclusive came with the following text from mike waxx: "i teamed up with my homie rich hil for a brand new mixtape, inspired by the blueprint 3. no beats from jay’s effort however as this tape features production submitted for said album by alex goose." wait, what?! that's a pretty messy concept for a mixtape. i'm a big fan of what rich hil is doing (as evidenced by another of his mixtapes coming much later in the list), but i don't feel these beats do him justice.

43. cookin soul & nahright - 1:00 a.m. & rising

this mixtape was intended to show the production skills of cookin soul, but unfortunately, the stand-out of the album is all of the rap features. there are some bangin tracks on here but their style of sampling soul gets tired fast because it doesn't have the bounce that kanye west or 9th wonder can bring. the mixtape features 12 pretty diverse tracks so it's worth a few listens.

42. skewby - proving you wrong since 1988

while i assume 1988 refers to the year he was born, the production sounds like it's coming from the late 80's/early-mid 90's. the beats are mostly reminiscent of nas's 'illmatic' or a tribe called quest's 'midnight marauders', plus a couple samples of songs from that time. from these tracks it sounds like skewby can rap a lot better than he is presenting, but who knows.

41. the canz - slow rise

while mick boogie seems to have an endless roster of artists he's jumping on, these two dudes stood out to me. they have a good balance of singing and rapping, and they bring some interesting beats. they're definitely not complicated beats, but provide a decent structure for vocals.

40. doxx - doxxicotton

there's 23 tracks of almost all original music (including stellar production by the kickdrums on four tracks), but he hates on a couple of dudes i really like, so i couldn't justify putting him any higher. just to name a couple: "this that trappin all night shit, not that heaven at night, shaker heights shit" (at fellow clevelander kid cudi) & "i go hulk hard, you charles hamilton soft" (the dude wears pink, but he's got heavy rhymes). sure doxx can talk shit but dude doesn't even beat jay-z on the d.o.a beat, and that shit is a problem. he's not justified in calling anyone out.

39. mächy - 3 år senare mixtape

excellent production, but i wish he was speaking english. at times you forget he's swedish because i understand him about as much as i understand some rappers from the dirty south, so you just get caught up in the rhythm of the rhymes. he even goes in on lil wayne's 'you ain't got nuthin' beat. i have no idea what he's saying as he's still better than a lot of the dudes in north america? sucks to be them.
-'snackar om känslan' is in my september mix.

38. hannibal king - eating cornbread on the millennium falcon

well, if ghostface killah has the best album title of the year ('ghostdini: the wizard of poetry in emerald city'), this definitely takes the best mixtape title of the year. hannibal king (which you may know as the marvel comics vampire slayer, as played by ryan renolds in the blade franchise) is a sick producer, and a plethora of features from up-and-coming rappers makes it that much sweeter. don't sleep on this tape.

37. jabee - must be nice

production on this album is stupid, and the rapping isn't half bad either. with beats as good as these, it's hard not getting drowned out, but jabee does a pretty good job saying afloat. i like his style, but he's not saying a lot. grab this shit for the production for sure, though.

36. shawn chrystopher - a city with no seasons

this is the first offering from the elitaste camp on this list, and while i trust daniel weisman's vision for shawn chrystopher, he's the weakest artist they have. he's a little kid cudi and a lot of theophilus london, but still got some good stuff going on. some spots are over-autotuned (to the point of sounding like lil wayne), but the songs are catchy and definitely positive. i want to see what this kid comes with next.

35. idle warship - party robot

when idle warship first surfaced, they were doing some live jazz/soul rap stuff that was really cool, and while there is some of that on this mixtape, most of it sounds like of cheesy 80's pop beats. talib kweli sounds like a veteran as always, but res and graph nobel sound so similar i don't know if it is necessary to have both of them singing in the group.
-'the warship' is in my november mix.

34. the kid daytona - come fly with me

i definitely slept on this one for a while, but after he laid vocals down on the nick catchdubs remix of jubilee & udachi's 'paypur' (which is in my november mix), i had to bust this mixtape out again. this dude is obviously at a higher caliber of rap than many of the new artists at the beginning of this list.

33. charles hamilton - normalcy

when word started to surface that charles hamilton was back, i got pretty psyched. he was gone for like 9 months and seemed to develop a love for composers, so the shit he's doing sampling orchestral stuff is crazy, but he's also doing some bollywood shit that timbo got on in the 90's, and it's pretty weak (or just so next level i don't get it). production skills are way up, but the rap is either a little rusty or more mature, but either way he doesn't sound as hungry as the 10-mixtapes-in-a-year hamilton was.

32. peter, bjorn & john - re-living thing

mick boogie put together this project where all these hip hop artists recontextualized peter, bjorn & john's 'living thing' album for a hip hop audience. it sounds like a great concept, but kanye set the bar really fucking high with his version of 'young folks' a couple years back. a good portion of the production on this album is pure shit, because of the half-assed producers doing the remixes, but there's two good tracks by 6th sense, two by the kickdrums, and one by jazzy jeff. all of the rap vocals are dope and they bring together ridiculous collaborations like kardinal offishall, donnis & henok achido. thats toronto, the atl, and sweden on one track! other colabs include bun b & the kid daytona; trouble andrew & glc; 88 keys & outasight; and, wale, rhymefest & young chris. if all of the production was proper, this mixtape would be unstoppable.

31. freddie gibbs - the label's tryin to kill me (extended internet edition)

when he says "extended internet edition" freddie gibbs means it! this mixtape is 81 tracks, just short of two hours. i would never accuse a mixtape of being too long (remember, i endorsed mustard pimp's 12 hour long hercules mixtape), but my problem with this is that it's pretty much every verse gangsta gibbs has done, so there's a few good 2-3 minute songs among several 45 second clips. and, although he borrows the cover from master p's the ghetto's tryin to kill me, he doesn't rap over any of the album's instrumentals that i know of.

30. adult swim x beaterator - atl rmx

now here's a weird combination: adult swim teamed up with timbaland's new (rockstar developed) music game beaterator to present electro remixes of atlanta rappers. i'm talking shit like a health remix of oj da juiceman & gucci mane! what the fuck. it's so good though. i'm only a fan of shitty atlanta rap in good remixes, but some times that doesn't even save it. there are some good rappers on here too, like young jeezy (arguably), b.o.b., and pill.

29. theophilus london - this charming mixtape

so this is a hipster/electro rapper who emulates elvis costello's this year's model for his mixtape cover, samples everyone from kraftwerk, to whitney houston, to bill withers, and he opened up for a-trak's 10,000 lb. hamburger tour. stoked. he's starting to get respect from the hip hop heads faster than electro heads, which is unexpected, but everyone should get into this dude.
-'always love u' is in my november mix.

28. nickelus f - r.a.r.e. (reliving a real experience)

the beauty of mixtapes is that you can sample as much as you want, and there's no incentive for legal recourse because the artist isn't making any money. with that being said, rapper/producer nickelus f (aka nick fury) made a mixtape of him rapping over portishead tracks. i don't know anything about portishead, but this really makes me want to check them out. it's impressive how upbeat and vicious his rhymes can sound over the really chill beats made with portishead tracks.

27. charles hamilton - well isn't this awkward

this is one of the last two mixtapes i have from charles hamilton before he disappeared this year (the other one is him bitching about ex-girlfriends over the beats made from '808s and heartbreak' tracks, but isn't as good). almost all of his other mixtapes start with him asking why does every mixtape have to have an intro, but this mixtape actually has an intro and a concept. it's basically the (possibly fictional) story of him falling in love with an "un-named" celebrity that is obviously rihanna. he doesn't mention her name, but there's a bunch of rihanna samples, and outside of this mixtape he talked about loving rihanna. the production and rapping on this are solid. it's obvious that he improved a lot over the course of his huge mixtape push of '08, but now he's on a different path, so hopefully he masters that too.

26. various artists - the elitaste cmj mixtape

ever since i discovered daniel weisman's elitaste blog a year and a half ago, i have always thought of the dude as a huge tastemaker. he manages wale, mike posner, paper route gangstaz, and shawn chrystopher, and runs one of the coolest blogs. this mixtape is a compilation of songs by his artists, and then some other artists he likes, which are mostly close affiliates with the dudes he represents. and to top it all off, it's mixed by dj benzi. if you don't know yet, you should listen to everything dj benzi puts his hands on, that dude knows whats up.

25. joell ortiz - road kill

while joell isn't my favourite out of slaughterhouse, dude is definitely a professional. he goes in on a bunch of recent instrumentals (including clipse's 'popular demand' and jay-z's 'run this town'), and there are a few original tracks. i'm not familiar with a lot of the eminem and 50 cent shit he's rapping on (i even had to look them up to see who's beats they were), but i think it's safe to say joell kills them verbally.

24. jarren benton - the mixtape

while he has a very unimaginative title for his mixtape, jarren benton is on the road to blowing up in 2010. dude raps on everything from kanye's 'two words' to crash test dummies' 'mmm mmm mmm mmm' to jackie chain's 'rollin'. hopefully he gets more love on the blogs with his next release, because i want to hear more from this guy. the atl was getting busy this year!
-'i get up' is in my november mix.

23. outasight - from there to here: an album prequel

i'm really intrigued by the style that outasight is bringing, it's like an evolution of hip hop and jazz, but in a different direction than the roots are going. there are some banging beats, but they seem to sample-heavy for an artist like outasight that has such an organic flow. really cool stuff, but i like his more recent mixtape better.

22. gordon voidwell - the voided checks mixtape

this is basically the second coming of prince in a more hip hop context. most of the stuff is goofy, but it still shows great musicality. this is one more release in a long list of recent work that is hinting at a full-on disco revival. get ready.
-'white friends' is in my november mix.

21. freddie gibbs - midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik

while, 'the label's tryin to kill me' is a showcase of gibbs' vocals, this mixtape offers 17 full songs, including hooks, and you can actually hear the beats outside his vocals. i'm not ragging on the "best of gibbs" but i think this one is better. he hails from gary, indiana which is one of the most dangerous cities in the united states, so you know his demeanour is legit, but he's coming with that straight southern flow and the contrast is kind of confusing. don't get me wrong, he raps better than almost all of those fuckers from the dirty south, but the guy is from the mid-west! as a southern rapper (in style) freddie gibbs can also rap really fast, and not that gibberish bullshit that busta rhymes and twista are spitting - you can actually understand what he's saying.

20. shalonda - just go…a mixtape

this mixtape was a treat for my ever-inquiring mind. i love a good mashup and live mashups are even better. this mixtape contains seven tracks of shalonda singing blues/jazz/soul songs over recent hip hop instrumentals. i feel it's necessary to run down all seven combinations, just so it's clear how serious this is: peggy lee's 'fever' over kid cudi's 'day n nite'; dorothy moore's 'misty blue' and henry purcell's 'when i am laid in earth' over kanye west's 'say you will'; frank sinatra's 'strangers in the night' over jay-z 'd.o.a.'; porgy and bess's 'summertime' over shawty lo's 'dey know'; dawn penn's 'you don't love me (no, no, no)' over gnarls barkley's 'run (i'm a natural disaster)'; billie holiday's 'god bless the child' over kanye west's 'love lockdown'; and traditional folk song 'house of the rising sun' over mos def's 'umi says'. seriously, you need to hear this shit.

19. the kickdrums - there might be blood

i'm sure i referenced the kickdrums' production a couple times in this list already, but the dudes also do their own stuff. it's so weird that two white dude have some of the most soulful hip hop beats i've ever heard, and then can do a grunge/fuzz inspired rock album (and not to mention some laidback indie stuff, coming later in the list). these guys are so talented! i think all i can say is that these kids are awesome beyond comprehension.
-'watch for white noise' is in my november mix.

18. outasight - further

as i said about outasight's previous mixtape on this list, i'm really intrigued by his musical style. he has a lot of swagger but without wearing chains and drinking patron. actually, he rocks ray-bans with a suit and sneakers. this mixtape features music that sounds a lot more like live instrumentation, as if outasight put it all together himself, rather than hiring hip hop producers to emulate the sound. there is some drug talk and some misogynistic references, but the overall tone of the songs stay really positive, as it he wants people to rise above this way of life.
-'brand new day' is in my november mix.

17. claire hux - black is the new wet

these baltimore party rockers have been a favourite of mine for a while. whenever people glorify lmfao as "awesome" or "music" i just cringe and throw on a c-hux track. this album is mostly made up of remixes and covers/samples of other songs (such as thom yorke's 'black swan', radiohead's '15 steps', and nine inch nails' 'the great destroyer'), but they're all killer. my favourite on the mixtape is a mashup of claire hux's 'hustle & grindin' over joker's 'digidesign', but that's because i love joker soooo much. (sidenote: check out this piano cover of digidesign. dope.)

16. rich hil - limos were cool in the 90's

i have rich hil's 'the limoprint' mixtape much earlier in this list, faulting it for the terrible beats, but on this mixtape he got together with the legenday don cannon. apart from cannon's incessant drops, this mixtape is crazy. rich has a really cool raspy, yet relatively high soulful voice, and the dude can actually sing. there's a little bit of him rapping on here but almost all of the mixtape is centered around his masterful crooning.
-'your love' is in my december mix.

15. jovi rockwell - psycho therapy

i haven't been huge on the reggae influenced stuff coming out of the mad decent camp lately (major lazer, etc.), so i was hesitant to check this out, but i'm happy i did. jovi is a female rapper (the only one on this list!) and the beats have a little reggae influence, but still a lot of pop & hip hop in them. i don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but i feel as though some of the tracks, like 'judgement day f. akon', wouldn't have a problem breaking into the mainstream. there's already shitheads like sean paul, how hard could it be?
-'rizzla' is in my december mix.

14. lupe fiasco - enemy of the state: a love story

lupe is known for taking a considerable amount of time to work on his albums, and in preparation for lupEND/the great american rap album/lasers (or whatever the fuck his new album is called) and his climb of mount kilimanjaro, he released this mixtape rapping over 9 different instrumentals. lupe is in a class of his own, so his tracks are hard to compare to the originals, but they're definitely awesome in their own right. i finally got to see lupe live this past year, and he put on a solid show, and if you missed it, check out him as blitzen in some MVPuppet christmas commercials.

13. kid cudi - dat kid from cleveland

i don't know how much of an impact this mixtape had on me, because almost every song was from 'a man on the moon: the end of day', other people albums, or kanye's blog, but it's definitely a great collection of songs. it came out late spring/early summer and satiated my love for cudi until the album release in september, so i guess i can't really complain. this mixtape just helps to cement kid cudi's position as a future legend. dude is nominated for three grammys so it won't be long before he's blowing up arenas all around the world.

12. paper route recordz - fear and loathing in hunt's vegas

as i said before, always listen to anything dj benzi has a hand in (and an additional note: always always always check out the "we got the remix: special edition" mixtapes you can find), so this is a no brainer - especially if diplo is doing the majority of the remixes. southern rap over diplo beats is such a delicious combination, ard for dudes mostly rapping about getting money, they sure have some catchy shit. they also rap about single mothers (on 'grind baby', a song that samples weezer's 'say it ain't so', which asher roth originally used for 'i love college' but rivers cuomo wouldn't clear it) and keeping it 100 (aka keeping it true/real, which i assume derives from '100%'). sorry for the slight digression. southern rap, diplo, and dj benzi. get into it.

11. izza kizza - the wizard of iz

izza kizza started out as a protégé of timbaland, but it appears he quickly outgrew him musically, although he still remains on mosely music. his kizzaland mixtape of last year was full of timbo beats, skits and drops, but timbaland didn't even make an appearance on this one. i guess he was too busy readying that shit storm 'shock value II'. the mixtape doesn't suffer in the slightest, though. in fact, it's actually better than with timbaland in control. this mixtape has some of the higest production values of the year, boasting plenty of killer soul-sampled tracks recorded specifically for the project. i can't wait for the legit album to drop in february.

10. b.o.b. - b.o.b. vs. bobby ray

b.o.b. is just one of the many atlanta artists on this list. i first heard him singing the hook for 'on top of the world' off of t.i.'s 'paper trail' album, but b.o.b. is so much more than that. he's a dope producer and a relatively good rapper for the south. this mixtape is a showcase of his two personalities, b.o.b. and bobby ray, and if i had to choose, i'd go with the more accessible pop sensability of bobby ray, but both halves are awesome.

9. chiddy bang - the swelly express

i love this mixtape because it has great catchy rapping over hipster samples like yelle's 'ce jeu', passion pit's 'better things', and mgmt's 'kids'. there are bunch of original beats on here, and they're crazy too. there's a few skits, as the mixtape is loosely following a story, but it's a mixtape so i'll deal. there's also a killer song with one of the grandmasters of rap, black thought.
-'the opposite of adults (KIDS)' is in my november mix.

8. kanye west - sky high mixtape

this is a dj benzi we got the remix special edition with kanye west. need i say more? crazy remixes by the kickdrums, nick catchdubs, cookin soul, plain pat, dj a-trak, diplo, and discotech, plus a few other weak ones, but the original tracks are so good that it's not a huge problem. there is nothing not to like, and you need to hear this.

7. the kickdrums - just a game

these dudes are way too talented for me. the tracks on this mixtape would be crazy-good for a four or five person indie band that has been working diligently for the past several years, but the kickdrums is made up of two guys who produce hip hop tracks, so it's insane. i can't put it more simply than saying these dudes are musical geniuses in my world.

6. wale - back to the feature

originally, wale's 'attention deficit' album was only going to have a few features, so he put together this mixtape featuring 30+ artists and production by 9th wonder. then it turned out almost every track on 'attention deficit' had a feature, but that's a different story. this mixtape was in the works for about a year to a year and a half, but it comes with material that is better than most studio albums. wale is a beast and 9th is super tight, so you're in for a treat.

5. mike posner - a matter of time

huge props to dan weisman of elitase to bringing this dude to my attention. mike posner's "guilt free pop music" has definitely inspired my own writing in a whole new direction. not to mention that mike has inspired me in how to live my life. he's a senior at duke, majoring in sociology and business, he just signed to j records, and he rocks college campuses around the united states on weekends. he started out producing for big sean, and some other detroit acts before realizing that there was no one else capable of making the music he really wanted to do, so he had to sing it himself. now he's getting love from college girls and frat boys alike. he has a super unique voice, but at the time he recorded this, he'd only been singing for less than a year, so the vocals aren't stellar, although they do show promise. he also does a couple covers on the mixtape like elo's 'evil woman' and beyonce's 'halo'.

4. big sean - u know big sean mixtape

there is no question why big sean is signed to g.o.o.d. music, he is definitely a lyrical prodigy. he raps a lot about being fresh and copping gear, but from youtube clips and such, i can tell he's really humble, so he's saying this stuff in a way that he used to be a poor kid from detroit and now he can't believe he can afford all of this stuff. he's started the "finally famous" movement, in which he recognizes normal people for working hard and getting one step closer to achieving their dreams. by all accounts, sean is a genuine positive dude, always has a huge smile on his face, and he can rap like a motherfucker. hopefully 'finally famous' the album will drop in 2010, but i'll settle for another mixtape.

3. donnis - diary of an atl brave

again, it must be said that the atl owned '09. donnis had a huge hit (in the dj world) with 'party works' last year, and i heard a couple other tracks from him, so i was searching desperately for a mixtape. finally, late in the year it was announced that (streetwear company) 10 deep would be presenting his mixtape. the past two 10 deep mixtapes were kid cudi's 'a kid named cudi' and wale's 'a mixtape about nothing' (both from last summer), so the dude is in good company. shortly after the mixtape dropped, it was announced that fool's gold (a-trak and nick catchdubs' label, which had originally offered donnis a single deal for 'party works') had signed him to produce an album. this was huge news for me because i know their roster of producers can help to propel his party rap to the next level. check him out in a commercial for def jam rapstar along side esso, pill, just blaze and a few others.
-'gone' is in my september mix and 'sexytime' is in my november mix.

2. mike posner- one foot out the door

yes, mike posner is so good that both of his mixtapes from '09 are in my top 5. this one was released in october, so mike has had at several months to develop from where he was at with his first mixtape. i thought you couldn't get better than his first release, but this one is exponentially better. unfortunately, this mixtape is put on my clinton sparks, who is super annoying, but the music is so good i don't even care. i wish i could sing and produce half as well as mike posner can, because this kid is a monster.
-'bring me down f. big sean & freddie gibbs' is in my november mix.

1. chester french - jacques jams, vol. 1: endurance

i kind of gave away that this was my favourite mixtape of the year when i was talking about their 'love the future' album in my albums of the year list, but i thoroughly believe this kids are doing great things, so i want to spread the word. their album proves they can do catchy pop stuff, but this mixtape proves they can produce great hip hop joints too. the mixtape follows the story of them starting a band, getting a deal, moving to la, and becoming douchebags, seamlessly mixed with skits to create a very cohesive package. many of the songs are new, but a few are from 'love the future' (as this mixtape came out before the album), and it includes common's track 'what a world' (from the 'universal mind control' album), which they were featured on. rap features by kardinal offishall, n.o.r.e., pusha t, bun b, talib kweli, mickey factz, diddy, jadakiss, wale, pharrell williams, and jermaine dupri. it also features a remix of 'love game' which is helping me get to the point of tolerating lady gaga. the album is more accessible for most people, but you must check out this mixtape.

young money bed rock video

2010-01-11T03:07:00.005-06:00

dear lil wayne,
thank you for giving me a 5-minute long summary of how shitty your label is.

the only one who's decent is nicki minaj, but she's just so damn annoying.

sNOw leopard part 2

2010-01-05T01:39:00.004-06:00

see part 1 of my troubles here.

ok, so as i said before, i was frustrated with snow leopard, and decided to downgrade back to 10.5. not as easy as i hoped it would be, but at least my problems were solved, right? not even close.
while my computer doesn't tell me to service my battery anymore, i still can't run off battery power for more than a couple minutes without it shutting down. i assumed my midi keyboards would work properly after the downgrade, but they react in the exact same way they used to, and although i know 10.6 had nothing to do with messing up my disc drive, taking apart my laptop and cleaning it did not fix the problem.
basically, i'm back where i started, but with a couple more problems. my re-installation was not perfect, because i couldn't use time machine to restore an older backup, so i was forced to do it manually. i thought i copied all of the files i needed, but many applications and preferences didn't behave like they used to. in addition to that, my external hard drive says i don't have permission to edit any of the files, even though my computer says i have full permission. this is probably because i created a new user, and while the name and everything are the same, it most likely has some sort of identification number that doesn't match. not to mention, i enabled the root user in one of my attempts at re-installing, so that was probably given immediate hierarchy over any user i had on my computer.
even longer story short, i need to find a way of fixing my external hard drive and my computer now. i've already accepted the idea of going back to 10.6 and wiping my external hard drive once i get a proper installation working, and then i'll make due until i have enough money to buy a new computer. i barely need my computer for school, so as long as i can use the internet, photoshop, illustrator, and indesign, i don't mind keeping my computer in this condition until it finally shits out. i'd much rather use my money towards turntables anyway. i actually have a potential of making money with those, so maybe djing can pay for a new computer.
in no way am i blaming any of my issues on apple hardware or software. i've had this computer for two and a half years, and haven't taken care of it to the degree that i should have. it's outside agents, such as a midi driver from korg, a shitty external hard drive, or myself thinking i can fix everything, that are the problem. i hate to make excuses, but these computer problems have consumed almost my whole christmas break. my year-end content is delayed, but will still be coming out as soon as possible.

2009: albums of the year

2010-01-01T17:21:00.003-06:00

below are my 42 favourite albums of the year! i know i could have added a couple to round it out, but these are the ones i mainly listened to throughout the year.

for all of the albums i wrote i full review on, i linked the title of the album that post.

42. el michels affair - enter the 37th chamber

this is the first of three wu-tang related albums on this list, yet none of them are official wu-tang releases. this album by new york funk/jazz band el michels affair features interpretations of popular wu-tang instrumentals. while it is interesting, many of the beats they cover are based off of samples featuring piano, organ or horns, so it's not much of a stretch. also, the arrangements lose many of the melodical cues from the original songs, as they just include the instrumental and no vocal interpretations. overall, it's an interesting album and worth the listen, but there's a reason it's at the bottom of my list.

41. mayer hawthorne - strange arrangement

this is another funk/soul album that is cool and worth the listen, but not something i could hear everyday. mayer hawthorne aka andrew mayer cohen also does some hip hop stuff under the name haircut, so it's cool to see him jump into a full on 50's/60's/70's soul album, but it feels contrived. it is so convincing as retro soul, that i feel like i've heard it before, and it doesn't contain any sort of new influence, so i'm not really intrigued to continually listen to it.
-'the ills' is in my november mix.

40. n.a.s.a. - spirit of apollo

out of the 17 tracks on this album, there's only two tracks that i really like (strange enough & gifted) but this is making on the list just on sheer force of the collaborations. just to name a few: chuck d, method man, rza, krs-one, fatlip, karen o, ol' dirty bastard, kanye west, santigold, lykke li, amanda blank, the cool kids, and ghostface killah. while it is cool to have all of these great musicians on the album, some of the tracks get bogged down with so many conflicting styles. it feels like walking down the street and all of the cars are blasting different radio stations; sometimes it works together, and sometimes its a mess. that being said, there are a lot of good individual vocal performances on the album.

39. the whitest boy alive - rules

this album features some really energetic yet minimal pop music, but many of the tracks are basic grooves with some interesting vocal melodies. a lot of the album is structured with bass and organ over drums and then occasional guitar fills or chords. i like the album for what it is, but i think it's too minimal for me to really get into. if you're in the mood for a laidback groovy album, this is a definite winner. it's good music to read or drink wine to.

38. wu-tang clan - wu-tang chamber music

when this album was released, it was hard to tell if it was an official wu-tang release, but it's being labeled as a wu-tang compilation album. it feels like a rza album featuring wu members and affiliates, as the tracks alternate between songs and philosophical words from rza. i do like the songs, and i think that live instrumentation from the revelations is a nice touch, it's just that there are only eight real songs on this album, and no vocals from method man. the closest thing to a real wu album since '8 diagrams' is raekwon's OB4CL2, but ghost, raek and meth's 'wu massacre' album coming out next year should help to fill the void.

37. la roux - la roux

i bought this album, liked it, appreciated the songwriting and production, then basically stopped listening to it. it's a pretty accessible pop album, although that means it is also relatively forgettable. the vocals border on annoying for some tracks, but the beats act as a saving grace. i think this is a step in the right direction for british electro-pop, but there are so many better acts out there.

36. mstrkrft - fist of god

mstrkrft are gods to me in the world of dance production & remixes, and this album is definitely on point. i could do without a couple tracks on the album ('fist of god' & 'click click f. e-40') and it's been so long since the first time i heard since i heard 'bounce' & 'vuvuvu', so the album is really only made up of a few tracks for me, but they deliver. 'heartbreaker f. john legend' is unexpected from these dudes, as they usually make dance floor bangers, but that doesn't mean it's not a great track. 'word up f. ghostface killah' is awesome but i wish it was a real verse, not just quick samples. freeway totally kills '1000 cigarettes', but i think it's pointless to have that version and the instrumental on the same disc.

35. yacht - see mystery lights

early in the year, i was introduced to the blow by a friend and 'paper televison' quickly became one of my favourite albums, so when i heard that jona bechtolt was making music under the name yacht, i had to check it out. while see mystery lights doesn't have any of the adorable pop sensibility of the blow's music, it's cool on a whole different level. considerably weirder, but still really cool. the songs definitely take you on a journey, but at times it can get a little too weird.

34. a-trak - infinity +1

i really can't say anything bad about a-trak. he's my favourite dj and put together a collection of great songs, but the whole process about doing a retail mix really restricts a dj. i assume he has to pay royalties for all of the songs, so it's limited to 21 tracks. i don't know why but there's very little turntablism on this album. i've had the pleasure of seeing him dj live once, and i've listened to plenty of his mixes so i know he can play a set much better than this, but this is still a lot better than what many djs can do.

33. converge - axe to fall

converge has such a unique style that no one can really touch them without being labelled an imitator, but with that also comes the curse of sounding repetitive. i would definitely say this album is better than 'no heroes', but it's not even close to 'jane doe' or 'you fail me'. not much else to say; converge is converge, if you like them get this album.

32. general midi - operation overdrive

i came across a track from this album on a random blog, and after a lot of searching (the term 'general midi' brought up plenty of extraneous results), i found a torrent for this album. it's pretty straight-forward dance music, but has some interesting vocal hooks/samples and a couple of tracks with raps over top. general midi is a british dj so it's awesome to see that theres one song sampling a bonus track from the roots 'phrenology' album.
-'get it down f. whiskey pete' is in my september mix.

31. horse the band - desperate living

i've been a fan of horse the band since 'r. borlax' dropped in 2003, and still think they are underrated. slightly random sidenote: 'r. borlax' is the album i've woken up to for the past year or so. it works great as am alarm and it get's me pumped for the day. ok, on to 'desperate living.' i haven't given this album enough of a listen to really get into it but there are some good tracks on it. they get back to the heavier side that was missing in their past two albums, yet still make it catchy and melodic. the writing sounds more mature and thought out, except for the lyrics, which are ridiculous as usual.

30. lily allen - it's not me, it's you

for this album, lily allen dropped the british/soul/ska influence of 'alright, still' and went for a more electronic sound. there's still tracks with piano, organ or guitar, but it's like a new and improved sound for her. the main focus of the album is her vocals, which are great, and the lyrics are interesting and clever. she's not just talking about relationship problems, but there's actually a few tracks she addresses societal problems in her own cynical way. apparently she's taking a hiatus from social networking and music for the next few years, which is a shame, but i hope that means she comes back with an amazing album in 2012 or 2013.

29. yeah yeah yeahs - it's blitz!

this album is synth-based, unlike their other two, but it's done masterfully. the shift in style is not too surprising, but the sound is a lot cleaner than 'fever to tell', which was wonderful in it's griminess. many of the songs are less energetic than previous songs in their catalogue, but i think that it's fitting with the change in sound. you really can't go wrong with any yeah yeah yeahs song, and this album gives you 10 more (plus 4 acoustic covers) to love.
-a-trak's remix of 'heads will roll' is in my december mix.

28. skyzoo - the salvation

i don't see skyzoo as the lyrical genius some people think he is, but damn does this album have good beats. it's all laidback soulful stuff, but that's what you get when 9th wonder is executive producing. i'd like to see him as one of xxl's freshmen of 2010 over wiz khalifa and a few other kids in the game, but there are so many new guys that are killing skyzoo right now. it's good for a chill rap album, but most of my enjoyment of this album comes from the beats.

27. royce da 5'9" - street hop

royce is my favourite member of slaughterhouse and doesn't fail to disappoint on this album. royce definitely knows lyricism! the tracks are a lot more r&b than the vicious sound of slaughterhouse, but you can tell he still puts a lot of thought into writing. there are a couple of skits, but at 19 tracks, this is a dense motherfucker, providing you with songs that cover a range of emotions. i feel like this album won't get as much love from the public as it should, but that doesn't mean it's not a solid album. there's a few bangers on here and i'll probably toss one in a mix soon.

26. jay-z - blueprint 3

this album has come and gone, but 'the blueprint [one]' and 'the black album' still stick firmly in my head. i have not hesitated in saying that jay-z has fallen off since his retirement. he made back a little ground with american gangster, but is not doing anything huge with BP3. he used to claim "i'm not a businessman, i'm a business, man!" but now he has the 40/40 clubs, rocawear is in it's tenth year, he's part owner of the (soon to be brooklyn) nets, and he just launched roc nation. rapping seems like it is the last thing on his plate. he just raps about how awesome and rich he is, but that's been the main selling point in rap since the 90's. the beats, on the other hand, are phenomenal. as with previous albums, jay-z concentrated on bringing in the best producers (i guess thats one time having shitloads of money is a good thing) and going through several different tracks before finalizing the lineup. i heard so many tracks from last summer that were rumored BP3 cuts, but didn't make it on to the final album.
-'already home f. kid cudi' is in my september mix.

25. fever ray - fever ray

definitely the most downtempo album on my list, but it's so good. it's the solo project from karin dreijer andersson of the knife, so i was super pumped when i first heard about it. the album is really laidback but the intricately layered beats and vocal effects make for an interesting sound. this album was the soundtrack to my late night delusions at the end of last school year, as i would stay up for days straight to work on projects. lyrically, the album is nothing special, but i also wasn't expecting much, based on what she does with the knife. this is a really interesting album, and if you haven't heard of it, i suggest you go out and buy it if you can find it.
-james rutledge's remix of 'triangle walks' is in my october mix and the twelves' remix of 'seven' is in my november mix.

24. between the buried and me - the great misdirect

although i don't talk about it a lot, i love progressive metal (and 80's progressive rock, for that matter) and between the buried and me are masters of the genre. this album clocks in at just under an hour long, with only 6 tracks, but in true progressive metal style, each song has so many parts and themes that it sounds like it could be several songs strung together. the tracks themselves flow pretty seamlessly into each other as well, so basically you're listening to a straight hour of awesomeness. when i first listened to the album, there were several spots in the album where i had to stop whatever i was doing and just listen to the music because i was completely enamored and amazed by what they were doing. this album is not just about shitting riffs and pounding drums, you can tell these guys are trained in theory and completely understand how to compose music.

23. the bravery - stir the blood

i wouldn't consider the bravery a guilty pleasure, as i'm open about loving them, but i know so many people that can't stand the band. there's a couple of weaker tracks on the album, but the back half is solid. i often describe their sound as disco-inspired dance rock with apathetic sounding vocals, and i think it's pretty fucking cool. i don't think this album tops the plethora of anthemic tracks from their self-titled debut, but it does beat out their summery-feeling 'the sun and the moon' album. the singer, sam endicott, comes off as douchey, but i still love the music!
-'red hands and white knuckles' is in my december mix.

22. ghostface killah - ghostdini: wizard of poetry in emerald city

ahh yes, my favourite wu member is back, showing his love for r&b. this album is done completely free of any other wu influence, but doesn't suffer at all. it showcases r&b hooks on all of the tracks, and ghost still tears it up. solid production by sean c & lv, among others, and there's an awesome kanye verse on the remix of the fishscale hit 'back like that f. ne-yo'. i'm looking forward to the 'wu massacre' album with method man and raekwon so ghostface can get his wu back on.
-'lonely f. jack knight' is in my november mix.

21. clipse - til the casket drops

the thornton brothers are back with their third studio release, and this one is my favourite of the three. well, i reluctantly label this as my favourite. the beats are much stronger on this album than the almost non-existent beats of the last two albums, but lyrically, they are not on point. clipse have been labelled as impressive lyricists, which i didn't quite agree with, but they have gone pretty commercial with this album so they left out a lot of the drug and violence talk. now they just talk about having money and hoes. like with most rappers who's early rap game is all about the struggle, their music suffers after they start making a living off rap. i suggest listening to 'i'm good' with headphones on, as pharrell's vocals will effortlessly float through your head.
-'all eyes on me f. keri hilson' is in my december mix.

20. daniel merriweather - love & war

i first heard about this australian r&b singer on a couple tracks with wale (they're both on mark ronson's allido records) and i've been hooked on his voice ever since. mark ronson produced the whole album, and although i hate his sister samantha, i think he is genius. in addition to daniel's really good singing, there are features from wale and adele that make the album even greater than it already is. this album is really soulful, but in a genuine unique way, unlike mayer hawthorne's album which is so spot-on to early soul that it feels contrived. there's word that this album doesn't come out until 2010 in north america, but i definitely bought it in a store this summer, so buy it if you can find it, if not, the scheduled date of jan 19th is only a few weeks away.

19. regina spektor - far

i don't follow regina spektor too closely, so i was surprised to find she had a new album out this summer, and even more surprised to find out it was better than her already great album 'begin to hope'. this album is a lot more straight-forward than her previous quirky stuff, but she's actually better when she sings with the gimmicks. in a world where most artists on the radio don't actually write or perform their own music, she writes all of the songs and plays the piano on them. the lyrics are complex stories which may or may not have happened, but are interesting nonetheless. as far as singer/songwriters go, this is the best of the year.

18. raekwon - only built for cuban linx ... pt. 2

raekwon finally released the sequel to his critically acclaimed debut from 14 years ago. raekwon has always flown below my radar, but this year he proved himself by beating out my favourite wu member, ghostface killah, on my year end albums list. while i think ghost is still a better rapper, and has one of the best deliveries in the game, raekwon came with 24 tracks and almost all of them are hits. the chef takes you on a lyrical journey throughout the album, not shy about talking drugs, and also doesn't threaten fake violence on his "haters". includes solid production from dilla, marley marl, the alchemist, dr. dre, and rza, plus features from method man, jadakiss, styles p, slick rick, busta rhymes, and ghostface killah. this album is a must-own for anyone with the slightest interest in the wu universe.

17. mastodon - crack the skye

as i near the end of my list, the genres start dwindling, so this is favourite heavy album of the year. hell, even complex loves it. if you're making progressive metal that appeals to hip hop guys and jimmy fallon, you know you're doing something right. this album is more ethereal than their previous works but apparently its about space-time travelling, tsarist russia, and ghosts/spirits, so it's understandable.
-troublemaker's remix of 'oblivion' is in my september mix.

16. amanda blank - i love you

this is philly party rapper amanda blank's debut album, and i got a crush on her after hearing it. while this album was panned by some of the mainstream critics, i commend it for its club-ready beats (courtesy of diplo, switch, and xxxchange) and catchy vocals. the album contains one of my favourite tracks of the year, 'a love song', which started as a remix of santigold's 'i'm a lady' off her 'top ranking' mixtape, and includes an interpolation of ll cool j's 'i need love' lyrics. throw in features from spank rock, chuck inglish (of the cool kids), and lykke li, and you've got a pretty solid album.
-'lemme get some f. chuck inglish' is in my september mix.

15. phoenix - wolfgang amadeus phoenix

i like to think that i'm on top of most new music, but when i saw phoenix on snl promoting their fourth album, i asked myself why the fuck i hadn't heard these guys before! then i found out they were french and this was their first album to break in north america, so i didn't feel as bad. this album is so refreshing to hear because it's just some positive, radio-friendly, danceable rock. now their music is in a cadillac commerical and who knows whats next for these guys. after looking back into their catalogue, they have so many hits, and i can't wait to hear more from these dudes.
-'1901' is in my december mix.

14. various artists - wu-tang meets the indie culture vol.2: enter the dubstep

this album is a compilation of 22 songs (over 19 tracks - some are medleys), originally performed by wu-tang clan members and affiliates, all remixed by dubstep artists/producers. if you like wu-tang and dubstep, get this album, if you don't listen to the wu-tang clan or dubstep, this may not be the album for you.
-icewater f. dj paul & raekwon's song 'let's get it (evol intent remix)' is in my november mix.

13. henok achido - almaz charming child

sweedish rap at it's finest. it's weird because rap is such a north american thing, so swedes have to emulate how we do it, yet being sweedish, they inherently have their own way of approaching it, and it turns out really interesting. henok achido rivals many of the north american rappers, and if i had to compare him, i'd say he's simmilar to mos def but on more electro beats. i would love to own this album, but i can't even find it available online in north america, so without ordering it from sweeden, it looks like i'm out of luck. surprisingly, this link that i used to download the album in june still works.

12. brand new - daisy

i really wanted the latest album by my favourite band to at least make the top ten, but there were just too many good albums this year, and this was a slightly disappointing release from brand new. now, "slightly disappointing" from brand new is still shitloads better than many other bands, and this is tied for my second favourite brand new album with 'the devil and god are raging inside me', but it's just impossible to compare to 'deja entendu'. 'daisy' finds comfortable territory between the sounds used in their previous two albums and adds to their already flawless catalogue. definitely for fans of brand new, and i think it would serve to attract some new fans to the band.
-'daisy' is in my october mix.

11. kid sister - ultraviolet

this album came out roughly a year and a half after the scheduled release date, but i think it was worth the wait. kid sister pulled the record after submitting it last spring, and then proceeded to basically re-record the album. this is party rap, so don't expect complex lyrics or anything, just expect good beats and good times. while tracks on this album have sprung a host of remixes, the original production on all of the tracks is still club ready. the album ranges from 'you ain't really down' which sounds like an old en vogue joint, to 'step f. estelle' which is produced by dubstep giant rusko.
-'daydreaming f. cee-lo' is in my november mix.

10. mr hudson - straight no chaser

g.o.o.d. music's token white guy came through with an impressive debut album after being touted around by kanye for the last year. he sings electro-r&b stuff, occasionally with the use of autotune, but only as to enhance the emotion of the performance, since he can actually sing. i've seen his voice be compared to sting, which i think it accurate, but the music itself is completely different. the album features two tracks with kanye, and one with kid cudi. i think this album is pretty unique, and i have nothing bad to say about any music coming from the g.o.o.d. catalogue.
-'anyone but him f. kanye west' is in my december mix.

9. elizabeth & the catapult - taller children

i randomly came across this group on a random blog while looking up something completely different, but they had a link to download the album, so i did, and i loved it. i immediately bought it off amazon and have yet to see it in a store. i checked hmv.ca and apparently there are three copies of it in the country, each of them in a megastore. i don't know why there aren't more copies available, because it wouldn't have a problem selling, but i guess that's their loss. the group plays folky indie stuff that is so adorable and catchy. the album is produced by mike mogis of bright eyes fame, so it has a really rich sound to it.

8. mos def - the ecstatic

mos def is one of my favourite musicians, and this is definitely my favourite album of his yet. i think it's his most focused album, and he really showcases his ability as a rapper and a singer. there's a wide range of beats on this album to go with the variety of styles mos def is capable of, and it keeps you interested through the whole album. there are great features from slick rick and talib kweli, but this album is really about mos def as an artist. mos def is a good musician and he's a good actor; i don't know if there's anything he can't do.

7. slaughterhouse - slaughterhouse

slaughterhouse is the rap supergroup made up of joe budden, joell ortiz, crooked i, and royce da 5'9". there was huge buzz about this album on the rap blogs before it released, but i was only really familiar with royce. i loved the first single ('the one') when that came out, but i tried to avoid all of the leaked tracks. i bought the album the day it came out but didn't give it a proper listen, so it got lost in my ever-growing music collection. it must have been a couple weeks before i pulled it out again and realized what a mistake i made by ignoring this album. this album came out in august, but i'm still liking it more and more every time i listen to it. although slaughterhouse is made up of four strong rappers, the group way stronger than the sum of its parts. one of the guys from the kickdrums compared them to the ninja turtles, which is hillarious, and don't get me started on their lyrical content. it seems like many rappers have forgotten about lyricism, but i've seen youtube videos of slaughterhouse's recording sessions where they are agonizing about how to phrase a certain line until it is perfect. for vicious rap of '09, this is the top.
-'cuckoo' is in my september mix.

6. chester french - love the future

chester french had my favourite mixtape of 2009, and then they dropped this album?! it's safe to say they're one of my favourite new groups. two white kids from harvard, signed to pharrell's label star trak, doing pop/rock stuff? it's insane. these kids are so talented. they recorded and produced this album themselves, apparently all in their dorm room. there's an intro and a couple interludes on the album, but all 10 of the actual tracks are amazing. it's at the level where any of these tracks could be a single.
-'not over you' is in my september mix.

5. little boots - hands

after hipster rap, british female electro-pop is probably one of my favourite genres. i have a tendency to buy the british imports off amazon so i don't have to wait for them to get north american distrobution. it's only like $20, and shipping is free, because i'm always ordering more than $40 worth of stuff, so why not? this album came out early june, i recieved it shortly after, but i just recently saw it in stores here, and for upwards of $30. long before this album was out, i heard several remixes of many of the different tracks, but was pleasantly surprised when i heard the originals because they were delightful. all of the songs seem as though they were thoroughly considered and carefully recorded. most of the vocals are just catchy anthemic pieces - only a few of the songs have verses. this album is appropriate for mending a broken heart, celebrating a hot summer day, and for tearing up the dance floor.
-'new in town' is in my september mix.

4. asher roth - asleep in the bread aisle

many critics dismissed this album on the grounds that it's another white kid rapping about cute girls and smoking weed, but his lyrics are a lot more clever than they give him credit for. yes, it is an album that's mostly about having a good time, but that's who asher is, so there's no reason to fault him for that. i've seen this guy freestyle several times and he puts many of the other new kids in the genre to shame. he did a freestyle for hot97 that was so smooth, unlike drake who read it off his blackberry and still sucked. asher roth is the real deal, not just an eminem wannabe; and oren yoel comes with some crazy beats.
-'she don't want a man f. keri hilson' is in my september mix.

3. kid cudi - man on the moon: the end of day

when i heard this album, i thought i had found the album of the year, but it was only september, so naturally a couple albums came out after that outdid it. i've been on cudi since his 'a kid named cudi' mixtape dropped last summer, and i couldn't wait for this album to drop. cudi builds on the rap subgenre that he helped poineer on kanye's '808s & heartbreak' and while it's not for everyone, i'm a fan of this downtempo synthesizer-heavy rap. the album mainly features production from plain pat & emile, but also a couple from ratatat, kanye west, and free school. you can tell cudi put a lot of work into making this album as cohesive as possible, even down to the album art, and narration from common - this album plays like a movie. although cudi can deliver a couple of clever lines, he's not a groundbreaking lyricist, but his talent extends beyond rapping to include singing, which most of my favourite rappers are not able to do well. between his rapping style and singing, cudi is able to provide vocal melodies that are the main features for many of his songs.
-'alive' and sammy bananas' remix of 'make her say f. kanye west & common' are in my october mix.

2. wale - attention: deficit

i admit this album took me a little getting used to, as evidenced by my revision to my original review, but after i gave it a few listens i realized how good it was. wale's 'mixtape about nothing' was my favourite album of 2008, so it goes without saying that i had really high expectations for his debut album. at first, i was put off by all of the features, but in time, i grew to accept and love them (minus gucci mane, i still hate that guy). wale's lyrics are impressive, and he speaks on issues like fake rappers ('mirrors'), girls emulating celebrity culture ('90210'), racism ('shades'), and emotionally unavailable girls ('diary'). the album features impeccable production from mark ronson, dave sitek (of tv on the radio), best kept secret, and cool & dre. this album is what i wanted to hear from wale, i just didn't catch on right away.
-benzi & willy joy's remix of 'chillin' is in my september mix and 'mirrors f. bun b' is in my november mix.

1. the black keys - blakroc

i first saw a video about this project in late september, and i knew i was in for something amazing. the black keys collaborated with 11 rocafella artists to create 11 songs in 11 days. ol' dirty bastard, rza, raekwon, jim jones, n.o.e., ludacris, billy danze, mos def, q-tip, pharoahe monch, and nikki wray came together to make some of the best songs i have ever heard in my life. you think it would be weird to hear members of the wu-tang clan, the diplomats, or m.o.p. rapping over folk-rock, but it works so well. i think the key is that the artists worked in the studio with the black keys to perfectly craft the songs (except odb, obviously), rather than the black keys just laying down songs and sending them to the rappers for a verse. on several occasions, i listened to this album on repeat for upwards of 4 hours while doing school work, and i didn't get tired of it. unfortunately, i don't actually own the album because it is only available through a limited release in the united states, but i'm going down to nyc in a couple weeks so hopefully i can find a copy. none of the record stores i checked at in winnipeg had even heard of this album, but do yourself a favour and download this album if you can find it.
-'dollaz & sense f. rza (as bobby digital) & pharoahe monch' is in my december mix.

def jam rapstar teaser

2010-01-01T14:42:00.004-06:00

i heard about this game a couple weeks back, but details are vague, so i'm not going to get too invested in it. from the few images available, it appears to be a karaoke-style music game like so many before it, but from the description on the website, it will feature "proprietary voice recognition technology that keeps tabs on your lyrical accuracy" and will allow you to "play in freestyle mode and rock the mic over beats provided by world famous producers." playable songs include kanye west's golddigger, c.l. smooth's t.r.o.y., dre and snoop's nuthin but a g thang, and t.i's whatever you like.

if this doesn't come out on wii, i'm buying a 360.

kid cudi video megapost

2010-01-01T14:33:00.003-06:00

apparently cudder has been blowing up the internet in the last week.

narduar vs. kid cudi

cudi & chip tha ripper get wrongfully detained by lapd

trailer for new show on hbo starring cudi

cudi speaks on music industry bullshit

joell ortiz at el puente academy for peace & justice

2010-01-01T13:48:00.002-06:00

i slept on this for the past week because of computer issues, but dude is a good rapper and a good person. respect.

sNOw leopard

2009-12-28T04:34:00.006-06:00

when i first heard details about mac osx 10.6 (snow leopard) i immediately pre-ordered it, and i installed it the day it came in the mail. for a while, i was reaping the benefits of a 64-bit OS, and an extra 7 GB of hard drive space, but then i came across some problems. i almost always have my macbook plugged in at my desk but when i went back to school, i started running it off the battery again. i could only run my computer for a couple minutes before it shutdown without notice. the battery would read as 0% even though i knew it was full, and it told me i had to service my battery. i assumed always having plugged probably deteriorated the battery, and it gave me no trouble when it was plugged in, so i let it slide.
then i started to play around with a couple of the midi keyboard i bought this summer, and came across more errors. the keyboards worked seamlessly this summer (other than my own errors in connecting and configuring it), but now they would not communicate with my computer properly. finally, i took to the forums to see what the fuck was happening with my computer. within a few minutes, i found out that the korg driver for mac was not compatible with 10.6, and the battery issue was common with several 10.6 users. i instantly decided i needed to downgrade back to 10.5 before i smashed my computer out of rage. unfortunately, i upgraded back in august, so imported the backup i did before that, but had to find and transfer all of the files that changed since then. i successfully found and transferred safari files so i have my history and bookmarks as they were before the downgrade, and my mail files, so i still have my emails and addresses. there are a couple holes in my system and i have a couple applications to upgrade, but i can say that i successfully purged snow leopard from my computer. maybe now i can get back to making music and compiling year end content for this blog.
sidenote: my macbook is going on two and a half years old, but a friend of mine has one of the sexy new aluminum unibody macbooks, and apparently 10.6 is running smoothly for him.

not related to snow leopard, but computer problems nonetheless, my disc drive is fucked! one day i was putting in a disc and it didn't want to accept it. i fiddled around for a bit and got it to take the disc, but when it spun i could hear it rubbing on the inside of the drive. after i ejected it, the drive throught it still had a disc in it so every couple of minutes it tried to eject nothing. i managed to get it to stop temporarily by keeping a blank disc in the drive, but i plan on taking this shit apart to figure out whats up. and also, my internet refused to work starting a day or two ago. i can still connect to my router and set the preferences and everything, there's just no internet service. i managed to steal internet from on of the other networks in my apartment building to upgrade my system to the current versions of everything, and of course to post this, but i'm going to have to call mts tomorrow and get them to fix my fucking internet.

long story short, shitty shitty computer problems as of late, but i still had a good christmas, and now i'm super motivated and capable to make music.

december mix 2009

2009-12-23T14:18:00.007-06:00

again this month, the mix is slightly later than i would have liked, but i can blame for school for that. at least i took the time to tweak everything until i was happy with it.

this month, i had a friend suggest a few indie rock songs to put on the mix and from there, i started scouring my hard drive for a bunch of other indie rock songs and remixes i had. this month is largely based around indie rock, but accompanied by some songs that came out in the last month, and a few tracks that i haven't gotten around putting in a mix yet.

one note about the mix for people that know anything about music: 'wtf' by ok go is in 5/4 and i was really hesitant to even try putting it in the mix, but after some fooling around, i chopped the intro loop into 4/4, and constructed a 5/4 loop from the start of the next song. long story short mixing in a 5/4 song was easier than i expected, but i still didn't like doing it. it's killer song though, so it was worth it.

also, as a gift to people who actually listen these mixes, and as a result of me having extra time on my hands, this mix is an hour and a half long.

download it here. (and as promised, it is now a direct link!)
[to download, right-click / ctrl-click (on mac) and 'download linked file']

tracklist:
claire hux - dance all night
clipse f. keri hilson - all eyes on me
the cataracs - club love (nick catchdubs x proper villains remix)
miami horror - sometimes
delphic - doubt (cryptonites remix)
vampire weekend - the kids don't stand a chance (chromeo remix)
yeah yeah yeahs - heads will roll (a-trak remix)
teenagers in tokyo - end it tonight (mad decent remix)
passion pit - little secrets (jokers of the scene remix)
the hives - main offender (mustard pimp remix)
lykke li - knocked up (death to the throne remix) [kings of leon cover]
trouble andrew - run-hide
le castle vania - nobody gets out alive!
duck sauce - aNYway
paper route - gutter (nick catchdubs remix)
rich hil - your love
jenny wilson - pass me the salt (front of house remix)
cage the elephant - back against the wall
the bravery - red hands and white knuckles
digable planets - rebirth of slick
bad news brown - born to sin
the bloody beetroots f. the cool kids - awesome
the black keys f. rza (as bobby digital) & pharoahe monch - dollaz & sense
jovi rockwell - rizzla
phoenix - 1901
mr hudson f. kanye west - anyone but him
ok go - wtf
turboweekend - trouble is (joker remix)

previously: november mix 2009.

stay tuned for plenty of year end content!!

the crucial man: all in one trimmer

2009-12-23T14:14:00.004-06:00

they're gotten a little excessive with repping the philips norelco products, but it's still funny.

benedict radcliffe - giant air max 1

2009-12-23T07:13:00.004-06:00

while, i have never been a fan of the air maxes, i do love giant metal sculptures, so this caught my attention.

go to sneaker freaker for more pictures, an interview, and a couple other projects.

merry christmas from the MVPuppets

2009-12-23T06:40:00.006-06:00

yes, the MVPuppets have been back for a minute, but i've been off my blogging game, so here's the last couple.

blitzen (voiced by lupe fiasco) calls out santa claus.

santa (voiced by krs-one) accepts the challenge.

the reindeer get dunked on.

ch live: hannibal buress

2009-12-22T02:21:00.001-06:00

the crucial man: perfect stubble

2009-12-22T02:15:00.001-06:00

kingdom at the albert

2009-12-18T19:26:00.005-06:00

apparently people read my blog, so if you are reading this, go to this show.

details at facebook.

and if you missed it, photos from rony's photobooth of the party with dj skeet skeet.

www.letmetalkatshoe.com

2009-12-17T23:34:00.009-06:00

you have have already noticed in the last week, but i'm happy to announce that this blog can now be accessed through www.letmetalkatshoe.com rather than the blogspot address.

i know buying a domain is nothing special, but along with that, i also set up a 150 GB hosting account, which means i can host direct downloads for my monthly mixes (no more zshare or mediafire bullshit), i can post images of any size, and possibly the best of all, i can host video clips from shows and movies that would otherwise be taken off of youtube.

it took me forever to find a player that would work decent enough to show video, and i still hate this one, but enjoy the hillarity of community as i find a better one.

outasight further mixtape

2009-12-17T21:23:00.006-06:00

i really dig this dude's musical style and can't wait for the album.

download it here! (direct link courtesy of LRG)

here's a video of some history and how he signed to warner/asylum.

and because i slept on his off the wall session:

the crucial man: gift giving

2009-12-17T01:35:00.001-06:00

honda accord crosstour

2009-12-16T18:21:00.004-06:00

i saw one of these today and it definitely caught my eye.
it's appears to be an suv but low-profile like a car. weird.
i like that it's a hatchback, and the details are really cohesive.

a lot more info at honda.com

the crucial man: haircuts

2009-12-16T03:50:00.002-06:00

i already cut my own hair but i don't use a goofy 180 degree clipper.

how to dance dubstep

2009-12-15T15:56:00.004-06:00

i was on youtube listening to some tracks by the amazing joker, and found out that there were a shitload of videos of people dancing to dubstep. while there are some legit ones, i wanted to share some of the funny ones.

mos def vs. ok go

2009-12-15T14:24:00.003-06:00

i saw the ok go video first, and it's way cooler, so it definitely wins. as for the song, i think mos takes it, but the new ok go sounds really intriguing. i'm definitely grabbing that album when it comes out early next year.

i loved college

2009-12-12T04:49:00.003-06:00

i don't love university for the parties, and i can't wait until i'm working a real job. but then again i'm not going to be stuck in a dead-end office job. i love "i am champion at...dying on the inside" but i could do without the random noises from the bros.

gimmie dat bacon

2009-12-12T04:45:00.004-06:00

the bacon love continues.
the song isn't terrible, and it's a lot better than this piece of garbage:

tarantino in japanese commerical

2009-12-12T03:45:00.003-06:00

i don't get it at all, but this is so dope.

melodyne direct note access

2009-12-11T19:58:00.002-06:00

according to the date on this video, i'm about a year and a half late, but this is crazy!

midi editability on audio?! those germans are unreal.

republic of bacon

2009-12-11T02:14:00.003-06:00

maybe maple leaf is trying to shift the focus from the listeriosis problems they've had recently, but this is so funny.

enjoy the bacon-related goodies at republicofbacon.com

anthony michael hall on community

2009-12-11T01:38:00.002-06:00

AMAZING.

the crucial man: being a gentleman

2009-12-10T00:25:00.003-06:00

boy, did i need to see this one. lately i've been a belligerent asshole after a couple drinks, so i need to switch it up a bit.

the crucial man: all things female

2009-12-03T16:30:00.001-06:00

the crucial man: art appreciation

2009-12-02T04:31:00.001-06:00

party with partie and pachoulli

2009-11-30T06:29:00.003-06:00

if you didn't know about this party now you do.

these girls are putting on a show with this guy and these dudes.

and who knows, party hard enough and you may end up on here.

hope is fading fast

2009-11-26T22:04:00.003-06:00

i know i just hated on freshjive for hating, but this hate is well deserved. i'm not going to get into the politics behind this, but if you watch the news, the daily show, or snl, you know obama is not living up to expectations as president.

sidenote, i just finished watching cnn heroes, and they recogized people who are actually getting things done and improving the world.

rockport x undrcrwn delta boot

2009-11-25T11:54:00.004-06:00

my dad swears by rockport as the most comfortable lifestyle or dress shoe, but their recent foray into sneakers has been crazy! they were up on karmaloop for a while, and i liked a couple of the styles but never made an order, and before i knew it, the shoes were on clearance, and then rockports were gone.

now on to the delta boot. it's just nuts. that's it. the end. i would love to rock these joints with a suit, and the pink and purple accents really set it off. and it's got gingham lining. i will never own a pair of these, as i have no money, and they are only releasing 100 pairs through their website on black friday (this friday). speaking of black friday, the black keys' blakroc album is supposed to come out, and i am so pumped.

more pictures and words at sole collector and undrcrwn.

the crucial man: car maintenance

2009-11-24T14:28:00.003-06:00

november mix 2009

2009-11-24T11:48:00.009-06:00

it's finally here!
i got shit on by school lately, but i managed to find some time to work on this mix. it's about a week and a half later than i would have liked, but better late than never. and now i have to start on my december mix. it's mostly hipster rap and party rap on this one, because that what i've been listening to lately, but the dance music will come back some day.

download it here. (direct link)

tracklist:
mike posner f. big sean & freddie gibbs - bring me down
mayer hawthorne - the ills
jarren benton - i get up
the kickdrums - watch for white noise
kid sister f. cee-lo - daydreaming
jubilee & udachi - paypur (nick catchdubs remix f. the kid daytona)
theophilus london - always love u
fever ray - seven (the twelves remix)
gordon voidwell - white friends
lenny kravitz - let love rule (justice remix)
idle warship - the warship
chiddy bang - the opposite of adults (KIDS)
punchlyne & fokis - we came to rock
outasight - brand new day
wale - mirrors f. bun b
donnis - sexytime
robot koch vs. cerebral vortex - aftershocks (stagga remix)
ghostface killah f. jack knight - lonely
icewater f. dj paul & raekwon - let's get it (evol intent remix)

previously: october mix 2009

beard cage

2009-11-23T00:41:00.002-06:00

i'm not participating in no shave november or movember this year, so i'll post this video instead.

charles hamilton is back?

2009-11-22T10:48:00.005-06:00

no details beyond this video, but it's a good start. also, i recently started listening to a leaked copy of this perfect lie i picked up a couple months ago, and there's some good shit on there, but from this video, it seems like he's picked up his production game another huge step.

video spotted at the hundreds.

kid sister - ultra violet

2009-11-19T14:05:00.007-06:00

this album was supposed to drop an album at the beginning of last summer, but never did. then word came from the fool's gold camp that she submit it to the label but then lated pulled the record, saying she wasn't happy with the final product. since then, sis has been in the studio, basically rerecording the album. now the album is finally out and definitely worth the wait!

i saw a review on okayplayer that shit on the album, and gave her a 47 (out of 100). yet in the review they said "I totally understand the purpose of this recording as a dance heavy project perfectly suited for the club." that is the purpose of this album, you hack! she's on fool's gold, she's dating a-trak, her brother is J2K of flosstradamus, this record IS the club. don't look to this girl for complex lyrics, or biting wordplay (which that dude on okayplayer might have been expecting), get ready for a ton of booty-shaking club anthems. with production from yuksek, herve and sinden, rusko, a-trak, and xxxchange, what else can you expect!? the tracks are even perfectly faded for all of your party needs.

it includes relatively old singles 'control' and 'pro nails (f. kanye)', and also has newer singles 'right hand hi', 'life on tv' & 'get fresh', and the other seven tracks on the album are crazy too. a couple tracks are slightly slower, but i wouldn't have any problem putting any of the tracks into a mix.

speaking of which, my november mix has been slightly delayed due to school, but i hope to have it out at least by the end of the weekend. also i bought a korg nano key today, which is in the same series as the nano pad, which i already own. now, between the two, and my laptop, i basically have a portable production studio. i could buy the nano kontrol, but i find knobs and faders just as easily to move on screen as i do physical ones. i typially just use automation instead, anyway.

the crucial man: cooking

2009-11-19T09:22:00.002-06:00

kristen stewart at LA premiere of new moon

2009-11-17T11:35:00.005-06:00

do i even need to talk about how gorgeous i think this girl is?
it's pretty much common knowledge by now.

and before nbc takes the video down, kristen stewart on conan:

the crucial man recap

2009-11-16T17:44:00.004-06:00

i slept on the past couple, so here goes.

landing a job

financial tips

working out

it appears that lexi is there only as eye candy.
i'm not complaining, but i also wouldn't mind to see some 'crucial woman' videos featuring her.

twilight: three wolf moon

2009-11-16T17:39:00.005-06:00

aubrey plaza is awesome, but not even close to being a babe like kristen stewart.

jordan flight 45 high

2009-11-15T22:55:00.004-06:00

such a sick silhouette and even sicker colorways. coming january/february 2010.

also, the girls (kids sizes) are getting a white/coral/black jordan 6, but i'm not mad because there's a couple sick colourways of the 6 coming out for the men.

wale - attention deficit retraction/revision

2009-11-14T18:44:00.003-06:00

okay i spoke too soon.
at the end of the review, i predicted that my mind would change for the positive over time, and that definitely happened. i guess i didn't give it a proper listen through the first time, because even the second time around, i was super pumped on the album. it just took me a few days to get around to posting this, but it must be said.

wale is the truth.
wale is the future of hip hop.
wale is a lyrical beast.
i'm no longer hating on the features (minus gucci).
this will definitely be in my top 5 albums of the year.
you need to own this album.

time magazine's top 50 inventions of 2009

2009-11-13T16:45:00.007-06:00

i'm not going to talk about everything on the list, because there's way too many dope things, i just have one complaint about the list. why the fuck is project natal at #5, or on the list at all for that matter? it beat out things like data teleportation between atoms, an AIDS vaccine, and an advancement in the field of telepathy.

i've gone in on natal before so i'll save the rant, but i don't understand why it's such a big deal. yes, controller-free gaming is a cool idea, but visually observed gesture-based actions are not nearly as accurate as buttons and joysticks, or the system developed for the wii. you only have a few options for motion, and you have no buttons to modify the action, so the games would be pretty basic. apparently you will walk in games by walking in front of your tv, and while that may be fun for a few minutes (or a few feet, until you bang into the tv), i would much rather hold down a d-pad or joystick. and it records from the front, so i have no idea how it can accurately track your motions in three dimensions, especially is there is any sort of movement around you.

whatever. i'm waiting until 2010 to see if natal lives up to the hype.

check time magazine's full list of top inventions of 2009.

why the hate, freshjive?

2009-11-12T13:54:00.004-06:00

i know that a lot of freshjive graphics are parodies, but why hate on other streetwear companies.

i'm pumped to see the new label-free incarnation of freshjive, and it's three new sub-labels coming next year.

read a great article on the comeback of freshjive.

air jordan 2010

2009-11-12T13:35:00.003-06:00

while i'm not super pumped on the final product, i really appreciate the design process and the commitment to the performance of the shoe. i don't really have a problem with the silhouette except for the window. i would have rather it been semi-transparent with the jumpman logo, like in some of the earlier samples. i wish they went back to the direction of early jordans like the 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 that have now become lifestyle shoes, but can still perform on the court. it's hard to find a court shoe that can be worn casually, but it seemed like nike was in the right direction with the lebron 6, hyperdunk, and hypermax. i guess the jury's still out on the jordan 2010, but i feel like it will get a much better reception than the 2009.

check out more pictures at sole collector.

various artists - wu-tang meets the indie culture vol.2: enter the dubstep

2009-11-10T16:13:00.005-06:00

an album that combines two things i love: wu-tang and dubstep.
put together by iHipHop and frank151's frankradio, this two-disc compilation definitely delivers to the niche crowd of wu-tang and dubstep lovers like myself. while i would have loved to hear a banging dubstep mix of c.r.e.a.m. or bring the ruckus, i like the decision to take more obscure tracks from wu members and affiliates. none of the tracks actually come from wu-tang albums, and the majority come from raekwon presents...icewater's polluted water, gza's pro tools, and the previous album in the series, wu-tang meets the indie culture vol. 1.

i've been on dubstep a couple months, and this has inspired me so much to write some dubstep stuff. all i can say about this album is if you love wu-tang and/or dubstep, this is a must own.

wale - attention deficit

2009-11-10T15:49:00.006-06:00

last summer, i downloaded wale's mixtape about nothing and i was hooked. the mixtape ended up topping my year end list, and i couldn't wait for a studio release. a few months back, wale dropped the long awaited back to the feature mixtape that boasted production by 9th wonder and collaborations with over 30 artists. at the time, he said that he was doing a bunch of features on the tape because he wasn't going to have a lot of features on the album. the initial tracklist for attention deficit featured lada gaga on chillin, and a track with chrisette michele, but as the time went on, and the album got pushed back several times, more features surfaced, including one with gucci mane which i was not happy about. now with the final release, 9 of the 14 tracks have features.

from what i heard from the leaked tracks, i feared this album was not going to be the dmv-repping, gogo-loving, lyricist that i had grown to love. while the tracks to seem to be diluted by the most of the features (except the legendary bun b), and some of the sub par production, wale still kills it. some of the tracks fall short of my expectations for the hottest freshman of '09, but all of the tracks produced by mark ronson or dave sitek definitely make it worth it. there's a couple bangers by best kept secret, but i was surprised that there's nothing by 9th wonder. wale still holds up on the lyrical end, and expands his subject matter from just rapping about fresh gear. even the leaked tracks that i was iffy about sound a lot better in the context of the whole album.

i had really high expectations for this album, and i'm sure after a couple listens, i'll be preaching this album as the future of hip hop, but all i can say right now is it's not 100% for wale but it's still way above the rest.

EDIT: see the retraction/revision to this review here.

get your hands off my shoes!

2009-11-07T18:38:00.005-06:00

hold my trainer by jo cope.

spotted at sneaker freaker.

man i could have used these shelves when i ran out of shoe storage space. i went to the store looking for shoe racks and all they had were shitty little plastic ones, mostly for high heels. i ended up going to the hardware section and getting some massive resin shelves for tools, and then cut down the legs a bit. currently i'm at a total of 22 pairs of sneakers, plus dress shoes and such. i really don't think i have a problem yet.

marcus jordan causes UCF to lose their adidas contract

2009-11-06T20:27:00.005-06:00

so here's the deal. michael jordan's son marcus is playing for university of central florida, who has a contract with adidas for footwear and apparel. marcus made it very clear that he was going to disregard this obligation so that he could represent his family by wearing jordan brand shoes. i thought it was a douche move, as everyone else on the team has to wear adidas, regardless of their preferences or affiliations. not to mention that everyone knows he's mj's son, and it says jordan on his jersey, so i don't think they would be pissed if he chose to honour his school's contract. well, he ended up wearing jordans in a game, and now adidas announced they are pulling out of the $3 million contract a year early. i think UCF should discipline marcus for this, because i don't think jordan brand is just going to jump on sponsoring UCF. also, what the fuck is UCF? if marcus was a basketball player good enough to be a douche of this level, wouldn't he be playing for a better team?!

read more about the drama here and here.

unregistered sex offender

2009-11-06T20:20:00.004-06:00

oh fuck derrick comedy is back and still killin' it.
but where the fuck it mystery team?! i need that movie.

in the mean time, you can still watch donald glover on community.
such a funny dude on a funny show.

cheaters - we once were nike heads

2009-11-06T20:17:00.003-06:00

fuck k-swiss. and i still need to find me a cute girl that loves nike's.

the crucial man: wine tasting

2009-11-05T13:13:00.003-06:00

i know this stuff from work, but gary vaynerchuk is so fucking intense, i had to post this.

latest crush: blake lively

2009-11-04T01:19:00.004-06:00

i'm not one of those nylon-reading hipsters, so i had to run across this cover on a fashion blog but wow. sidenote, i don't really know anything about nylon except for the ill nylon dunk pack nike put out this summer.

ok, on to the deliciousness that is blake lively. i first took notice of this girl due to every's favourite show, gossip girl, but the show was bullshit so it didn't keep my attention for long. i recently picked up accepted for $5 and in the movie, she plays justin long's girl-next-door love interest, showing she can be a babe beyond the pretentiousness of the fashion world. other than that, i haven't seen her around too much. maybe on the occasional entertainment news show, but thats it.

she seems super chill. like a girl i could just bake cookies with then go get drunk on wine at the beach. she's always well dressed and she's tall. shit. i love me a tall girl. the only problem is that she's dating that goof penn badgely. another random sidenote, his new movie the stepfather looks like a rip of disturbia but amber heard is a babe.

also, blogging about cute girls is so much better than doing homework.

ivanka trump's wedding dress

2009-11-04T00:56:00.005-06:00

i've been meaning to post this for a week now, but never got around to finding pictures. these are the best i could find, but these pictures are worth so much money they're obviously not going to give away high-quality versions free on the internet.

this gorgeous dress was created by the renowned vera wang.

also, ivanka trump is a babe.

siemens smart chopper

2009-11-03T23:37:00.005-06:00

holy fuck. this is the badassery of the future. siemens got together with OCC to make this fully electric motorcycle.
i can't wait until these are all over the streets, and then they make them hover.

the crucial man: suit basics

2009-11-03T23:00:00.004-06:00

i can't wait until i have a real job so i can have a closet full of dope suits.

on a completely related note, neil patrick harris is on conan right now.

hedley cha ching video

2009-11-03T17:05:00.004-06:00

wow. i just saw this shit on tv.
the song and video are fucking terrible.

i love how they're making fun of reality shows, including the 'idol' shows, and if you don't remember, he was on canadian idol way the fuck back. he's even wearing a blue jumpsuit similar to the one he wore when he sang space oddity. to be honest, i liked the performance and even some of the early hedley stuff shows talent, but now it's all bullshit. and also his number for the idol bits in the video is 420. is that necessary or funny or anything?

mos def shows love for 75 bars.

2009-11-03T13:34:00.005-06:00

lyrically, the song is crazy! black thought is completely overlooked as a rapper, let alone as a lyricist. he puts the modern day jay-z to shame. so pumped for how i got over, if it ever comes out.

video spotted at shad's blog.

hold my chain

2009-11-01T16:39:00.002-06:00

"yo son, lemme get my ice cream cone back."

mastodon on jimmy fallon

2009-10-30T01:33:00.002-05:00

i saw these guys earlier this year and it was one of the best shows i've ever seen.
they are so tight live, and they played almost every song for a total of two hours.

horse the band - desperate living

2009-10-29T22:41:00.007-05:00

one of the most underrated bands in the world is back. now they're on vagrant records, but previously on combat, koch, and pluto. probably because they're not going to make any money for the label. according to their myspace, they just got off a tour through asia and europe that they planned and promoted themselves, and only made $942. but i bet they rocked the fuck out of those foreign faces.

as for the new album, it's nuts. they bring the heavy, as usual, but they also bring a healthy amount of dancy parts, that isn't always present in their older stuff. not to mention their goofiness, such as these lyrics from 'science police':
I use..
Science and Technology
to formulate
my theory
that your d.n.a.
is the d.n.a. of something
strange and amazing
We are The Science Police
lay face down on the ground
We Are
The Science Police
we monitor and apprehend

i still haven't decided where this ranks among their other albums, but i can say that it's definitely worth the money, and i can't wait until they come back to winnipeg.

i'll leave you with a sample of their awesomeness (ps. i figured out how to embed mp3's in style). this remix was a vinyl exclusive, so i couldn't find a legit mp3, but i ripped this off youtube. i apologize if there's quality issues, but it's still a 3:44 long kick in the balls.

Horse the Band - Shapeshift (Skrillex Remix)