808s & Heartbreak

I promised I'd reserve judgement on this record until I actually heard all the songs, and not that I have, I'm gonna let it rip.

I'll be upfront. I don't like this shit. Well, that's a lie. I like two and a half songs (those being Heartless, Robocop and half of Paranoid, but even with those my main complaint holds true). I'm still hoping that maybe after 20 more listens I'll change my mind on this one an d love it, but I really don't think that's going to happen.

No matter how great Kanye West thinks he is, he's just not a good singer. That's my number one problem with this record. He's no Boby Dylan either, so I'm not just going to let that slide. Especially when he's throwing his voice up at the forefront of these tracks, counting on that for the hook rather than some decent lyrics (see: Amazing). I mean, have you seen him try to sing this stuff live? Ouch. Some of these songs even start out pretty good, then the chorus hits and it just all falls apart. I really believe that if anyone else had made this record, people would not be all over it. It sounds like he layed down some demo vocals and just left them, thinking they were good enough.

I've seen quite a few people saying that all the hate on this record is coming from people who were expecting a rap record and don't like that he's taken a new direction. I want to make it clear that's not where I'm coming from. I like it when artists try something new. Some of my favourite records are the ones where people took a chance and reinvented themselves. I get it. Artists have to evolve. I'm not asking Kanye to make The College Dropout pt. 4. That would be boring. I'd even say that some of what he's doing on this record isn't that different from the direction you could feel him going in with Graduation and the stuff he was doing on the Glow in the Dark Tour. But here's the thing: just because he's trying something different doesn't mean it's good.

I've also been getting the vibe from some comments I've read around the internet that some people feel like because this record is "emotionally honest," it's not okay to criticize it. It's true that sometimes Kanye does get a little real on this record. At least he tries, but this record just feels like such a vanity project. If it helps him work his issues out, makes him feel better, then good for him. I just feel like his ego gets in the way of getting emotion across on this record. It's pretty hard to separate art from artist when it comes to Kanye.

To wrap this mess up, I'll at least give Kanye some credit and saw at least most of the beats are pretty sick. He's still a solid producers. Just work on the singing. Please.

What We're Turning #8

Kanye West - Amazing (feat. Young Jeezy)

Probably the only other song (aside from Heartless and RoboCop) off of Kanye's new one, that I am currently turning. Mostly because Jeezy rips it.  

OMG OMG OMG OMG

OMG OMG OMG. I HAVE THE TV BOYFRIEND SHAKES.
NO ONE READS THIS BLOG ANYWAY:
I LOVE WILL I LOVE WILL I LOVE WIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL.

He's currently number 2 on my current boyfriend list.
Boyfriend number 1 can still do whatever he likes.

Source

What We're Turning #7 (!!!)

Young Jeezy feat. Nas - My President is Black

After skipping school to watch the events unfold, followed by an hour and a half of balling my eyes out, I have no words for what is truly an historic moment. And I'm not even American.

Thank you, America. Tonight, you inspired the world.

"Stuntin on Martin Luther I'm feeling just like a king...
Guess this is what he meant, when he said that he had a dream."

Why Aren't You Watching Pushing Daisies?

Seriously. Why aren't you? There's talk everywhere about whether this show is going to make it through the season or not and I find that disturbing. There are even rumours going around that the producers have been told by ABC to treat episode 13 as a potential series finale. Ratings were up nearly a million last week, but I'm pretty sure this show is still getting beat by Knight Rider and that shit just ain't right.

I'm sure you all know what the show is about. Pie-maker touches dead people and brings them back to life, but only for a minute. Sort of a ridiculous premise, but it works. One complaint I read about the show a lot is that it's just too sweet, but I don't think so. It's funny, smart, and has some genuinely interesting and well developed characters. Plus, it probably has the best set design of any show on primetime right now.

Pushing Daises is a breath of fresh air in primetime, when every hour-long program seems to be some crime show or a medical drama. Sometimes I think this show should have been on cable, where it could have found it's niche and all this ratings drama wouldn't be such a problem. But please guys, if you aren't watching already, give this show a chance (I promise it's better than Top Model). Don't let it get thrown into the pile of great shows that got axed far too soon. This one deserves a full run, and a proper ending.

Missy Higgins @ The Commodore

Missy Higgins w/ Joshua Radin
November 1, 2008
The Commodore Ballroom

I hate boys at concerts. Okay, maybe I should be a little more specific because that sounded kind of sexist. I hate loud obnoxious boys who look like they are probably in a fraternity, who make multiple beer runs through the crowd and feel the need to stand in the middle even though they're all about a foot taller than everyone else there. Now, to the show.


Joshua Radin opened, and he sounded great, but I felt a little bad for the guy. He was up there by himself with just his guitar and the crowd was being ridiculously noisy. I was pretty close, and sometimes it was hard to hear him between songs. He pointed it out repeatedly too. It was a little awkward. For his last song, he just unplugged his guitar and microphone and sang it for the people up front who were paying attention. Sometimes I don't think the Commodore is a good place for quiet acts.


After what felt like an eternity and a Grey's Anatomy soundtrack or two, Missy Higgins finally came on stage. She played for a solid 90 minutes and sounded amazing. I'm always impressed when someone actually sounds better live than they do on record. She talked quite a bit, but it wasn't a problem. She was hilarious, talking about what she did for Halloween and telling us about a bad experience with some wine while in Italy. I was excited she played both “They Weren't There” and “The Special Two.” She pulled Joshua Radin out with her to sing a cover, which I thought was nice. Their voices go well together. She didn't bother with an encore, warning the crowd beforehand that she thought they were dishonest (I agreed. I hate clapping for 4 minutes knowing they're going to come back anyway, I've only ever seen one spontaneous encore). She ended with “Scar” and the crowd sang along.