In The Year 2009

2009 was honestly kind of a downer so I don’t have anything nostalgic or clever to say about it. I’m glad this bullshit is over so I’m just going to talk about the music. This year Kristine fell in love with Drake and J. Cole, and I learned to fucking hate Drake and started listening to Mos Def instead.

Song Artist of the Year:

BEYONCE

From Single Ladies, to Video Phone this year was all about Sasha Fierce. Although I should mention one Beyonce related highlight. When we saw her on tour back in Spring we were called out for being “really good singers” after we belted out an amazing off-key rendition of “Halo.” How embarrassing.




Honourable Mentions:

Jay-Z Feat. Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind
- I can’t think of another song that got killed by airplay faster than this one, but when it still the best song off that record. When Jay performed it we vibed so hard I think I threw my back out.
Jason Derulo - Whatcha Say
-This first time I heard this song on the radio I thought it was a joke. I still can't believe how big it got. My favourite thing about it is being able to relive the scene where Marissa shot Trey on the OC while I get my dance on.
Jada - American Cowboy
- This song was the soundtrack to Wilson's bachelor party, and then became the soundtrack to our Summer. It is also notable because insinuating that these fine ladies might not be the classiest is the only thing that got this blog any comments.
Lady Gaga - Bad Romance
- Gaga Ooh la la
Miike Snow - Animal
Kristine found it on Drake's blog. I was confused to have Drake's blog in my history.
Rihanna - Hard
Wale - World Tour
- Despite his album being criminally undershippped, we both went out and got this on release day. You hear that Wale? We love you. We almost even forgive you for skipping out on Jay's date here. So cheer the fuck up.
J. Cole - Lights Please
- Kristine is J. Cole's number one fan girl. As a result, I know more about him than anyone really should.
Asher Roth - I Love College
- Kristine also fell in love with Asher Roth this year. I was glad this affair was short lived.

In the Year 2008

2008 was a big mother fucking year (see: MOST AMAZING YEAR EVAR). Lady Gaga was orange, but still weird. While we didn't have as much love for her then as we do now, we still vibed to Just Dance, particularly when SAMANTHA RONSON PLAYED IT.

Lady Gaga - Just Dance

DL: JUST DANCE. GONNA BE OK. YOU KNOW HOW IT FUCKING GOES.

Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown - No Air

• I always thought it was funny that Jordin Sparks always seemed more into it when they sung this song together live. Chris Brown would just laugh. Word has it that Jordin had a crush on him. I'm sure she's fine with the fact that they never got to together now.

Chris Brown - Forever
Rihanna - Disturbia

• He was wrong for writing Disturbia.

MIA - Paper Planes
Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up

Usher - Love In This Club

• With a beat made using Garage Band, Polow made ladies fall in love with Usher again, however, this song was A COMPLETE MISREPRESENTATION OF WHAT THE SHIT THAT WAS THAT ALBUM. FAIL. Please come correct this year Usher. Please.

Alicia Keys - No One
T.I. - Whatever You Like AND EVERY OTHER SONG ON THAT RECORD

• YOU REALLY THINK I WOULD FORGET ABOUT HIM JUST CUZ HE'S IN JAIL. OH, WAIT. #TIPISFREE. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.

Lindsay Lohan - Bossy

• When she still had a record deal.

Sean Kingston - Take You There

• He should have played Notorious B.I.G.

In the Year 2007

Riri's SOS won me over long before the good girl went bad. When Umbrella first leaked on the internet, I was on it like a mother fucker, and with the help of iTunes and last.fm, it became my most played song, probably ever. People questioned the amazingness of this Tricky Stewart The-Dream produced song, but when news first broke out about the Chris Brown/Rihanna scandal, the first question they asked was "Was it with an Umbrella?"

Song of the Year: Rihanna - Umbrella

DL: SAWRY, mediafire was being a bitch, YOU ALL KNOW WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE ANYWAY.

Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats

• The recent replaying of Carrie Underwood's Holiday Special definitely influenced the addition of this song to the list.

Timberland - The Way I are

• This song will never be the same (see: number 1)

Fall Out Boy - Thk Fr Th Mmrs
Beyonce feat. Shakira - Beautiful Liar

• An amazing video for an amazing song. Who knew they looked so much alike??

Gwen Stefani - 4 in the morning

Fergie - Glamorous

Plain White Ts - Hey There Delilah

• My dad liked this song.

Enrique Iglesias - Do You Know (The Ping Pong Song)

• I thought this song was the best song Enrique Iglesias ever made. I may have even been mildly attracted to him in this video.

In The Year 2006

In 2006 we finally turned 19, so what better song to represent this year that one that was played on every single dance floor in every single club on every single night in town?

Song of the Year:
Shakira feat. Wyclef - Hips Don't Lie

No download because I don't have a copy, and let's face it, this song is still freshly burned in all your brains so it's not like you need a reminder.


Honourable Mentions:

Fall Out Boy - Dance, Dance
- I'm not even going to pretend that I didn't I have a Fall Out Boy poster on my wall. And I'm not even going to pretend that it's not still there
All American Rejects - Move Along
-I'm pretty sure this song came out a while back, because I definitely remember streaming it on their MySpace every day before school to get me pumped to face the day
Beyonce - Irreplaceable
- If it weren't for that fucking Shakira this would have been the song of the year.
Paris Hilton - Stars Are Blind
- When Kristine was home on break from school Muchmusic played this video 5 times a night. I'm also not ashamed to admit that this was actually pretty catchy.
Ashlee Simpson - L. O. V. E.
Dixie Chicks - Not Ready To Make Nice
Nelly Furtado - Promiscuous
- I've never been as confused as I was the first time I saw Justin Timberlake make a cameo in a Nelly Furtado video.
Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
- Do you guys remember when Grey's Antomy was a good show? Weren't those good times?
Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten
- This one is most notable for being the theme song to The Hills.
Corrine Baily Rae - Put Your Records On
KT Tunstall - Suddenly I See
Death Cab For Cutie - Soul Meets Body
Rihanna - S.O.S
Justin Timberlake feat. T. I. - My Love
THIS IS THE YEAR KRISTINE FELL IN LOVE WITH HIPSTER BULLSHIT BECAUSE OF GREY'S ANATOMY AND ONE TREE HILL AND THE OC
- Remember what I said in that last post about professionalism? Yeah. I'm sticking with it.

In The Year 2005

In 2005 we graduated highschool and both went off to university which put an entire country between us. It should be mentioned that this had no adverse effect on our friendship since all we do is talk on the fucking phone anyway. Music was a pretty big deal this year too, since it was the only thing keeping us from breaking down into tears on buses and in classrooms.

Song of the Year
Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone

I can't think of another song that came out this decade that did a better job of getting regular kids and hipsters to forget the bullshit and rock out together.

DL:Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone





Anything Gwen Stefani Released This Year
- It was too hard to narrow it down to one song. Everything she put out off her solo effort was amazing.
Ciara feat. Missy Elliot- 1 2 step
- I know it’s kind of weird, but this is honestly the song that helped me stop being a pretentious indie fuck and remember that I actually enjoyed hip hop.
DHT - Listen To Your Heart
- This song only made the list because I distinctly remember Kristine singing it over the phone is a bizarre British accent on more than one occasion.
Jennifer Lopez - Get Right
- The closest she came to a comeback. I swear we never taped this video off tv and learned the dance. I never bought the single. And our favourite wasn't Latina J. Lo.
Madonna - Hung Up
- Confessions is pretty much my favourite pop album of the 2000s. Jsyk.
Destiny's Child - Soldier
Everything Mariah Carey Released This Year
- Mariah Carey was back in a big way with The Emancipation of Mimi.
Green Day - Wake Me Up When September Ends
The Killers - Mister Brightside
Bloc Party - Helicopter
Missy Elliot - Lose Control
Gavin Degraw - I Don't Want To Be
- Kristine's dad knows who this person is, and in an effort to make him sound cool, he let her know. Also, something about One Tree Hill.
Tegan and Sara - Where Does The Good Go?
- Anyone who's ever come across me either in real life or on the internet if probably aware of the fact that I'm a huge Tegan and Sara fan. Thanks to the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack, and hell of a lot of other people were this year too.
Rilo Kiley - Portions for Foxes
Lindsay Lohan - Confessions Of A Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)
Stars - Your Ex Lover Is Dead
THIS WAS THE YEAR WE FELL IN LOVE WITH KANYE WEST!!!!!!!!
T.I!!!!
-That's how I wrote those points down while we were coming up with this list, and that's how I'm keeping them. We're all about professionalism on this blog no one reads.

In the Year 2004

Grade 11 SUCKED. Nothing happened. How do we better represent year that nothing happened, then by choosing an Evanescence song as our song of the year.

Evanescence - My Immortal

DL: SAWRY, we don't have one, 'cuz neither of us were willing to shell out $14.99 to buy an Evanescence CD.

Usher feat. Alicia Keys - My Boo

• Alicia Keys stepped away from her piano, ditched the braids, and stomped her foot in the middle of Times Square. Fun fact: SAMANTHA RONSON MAKES A CAMEO IN THIS VIDEO. We found that out this year and died.

Hey Ya - Outkast

• Polaroid announced that you shaking will not develop your pictures faster. Fun fact: The final batch of polaroid film was sold at Urban Outfitters. Obvs.

Britney - Toxic

Jojo - Leave (Get Out)

Keane - Somewhere Only We Know

Modest Mouse - Float On

Kelis - Milkshake

• Mean Girls changed the way I look at this song. As it should.

Twista - Slow Jams

• The first official appearance of 'Ye in my life. Also? first official appearance of Jamie Foxx on a song. I wish the latter never happened.

In the year 2003

In 2003, I slowly became a little less AZN, dyed my hair back to brown, became a little more Filipino, and bought 50 Cent’s “Get Rich or Die Tryin’.” It was my go to record when I was angry with my parents, and just wanted to freak them out with the sound of guns going off. This was also the year I decided it would be in my best interest to pursue a career in rap, and become Shady Aftermath’s first female rapper.

But don’t be mistaken, I took my first step into hipsterdom by proclaiming “You can’t put me in no box man!” and took Hilary Duff’s music seriously. I own all three of her CDs including one of her greatest hits.

Song of the Year: 50 Cent - In Da Club

DL: 50 Cent - In Da Club

The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army

Evanescence - Bring Me To Life

• When I first found out that they were kind of a Christian rock group, I couldn’t help but die from laughter

Dido - White Flag

• -Favorite memory: my mom blasting this shit while she drove me to school (yes I was 16 and still getting driven everywhere. That fact remains and I’m 22. JEALOUS?)

Michelle Branch - Are You Happy Now?
Kelly Clarkson - Miss Independent
Fountains of Wayne - Stacy's Mom
Britney Feat. Madonna - Me Against the Music

• Probably my favorite Britney CD after Blackout. I promise I never tried to learn this dance more than.... 100 times.

Liz Phair - Why Can't I?

• Why couldn’t we NOT GET AWAY FROM THIS SONG THIS YEAR?

R. Kelly – Ignition

• This song will never be the same.

Good Charlotte - Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

• And look at them now.

Hilary Duff - So Yesterday
Linkin Park - Numb
Fabolous feat. Tamia - Into You
Chingy - Right Thurr

In The Year 2002

2002 was a big year for me. It was the year I threw on a pair of chucks, my lock and chain, and went to my first Warped Tour. It was the year I first started going to concerts on a regular basis, the year I got my first electric guitar, and most importantly, the year I became a ~punk~.

So who better to represent this very serious transition that the great Canadian Philosopher, Avril Lavigne?

Song of the Year:
Avril Lavigne - Complicated

DL: Avril Lavigne - Complicated

Honourable Mentions:

Vanessa Carlton - A Thousand Miles
- This song I really only notable for me because I used to get really mad when people would confused her with Michelle Branch.
Nelly feat. Kelly Rowland - Dilemma
Sheryl Crow - Soak Up The Sun
- Kristine chose this because she couldn’t remember what year “The First Cut Is The Deepest” happened.
Eve Feat. Alicia Keys - Gangsta Lovin'
- Don’t you guys love it when Alicia tries to act so hard?
Fat Joe feat. Ashanti - What's Love
- The early 2000s were all about Ashanti collabos. We wanted to switch it up and pick one that didn’t feature Ja Rule.
Mary J. Blige - No More Drama
- Don’t even try to act like you didn’t cry in your room to this on your discman when you had a bad day.
Michelle Branch - Goodbye To You
- I should make it clear that my aforementioned rage at confusing her with Vanessa Carlton was because Michelle Branch was infinitely better.
Celine Dion - A New Day Has Come
- We’re Canadian. How could we not show Celine some love?
Eminem - Cleaning Out My Closet
Usher - You Don't Have To Call
Leanne Rhimes - Can't Fight The Moonlight
- Two Words: Coyote Ugly
P. Diddy - I Need A Girl (Part I)
Craig David - Seven Days
Cher - Song For The Lonely
Simple Plan - I'd Do Anything
- What? I told you I was a ~punk~

In The Year 2001

Ninth grade. Enough said.

Song of the Year:

Jennifer Lopez - I'm Real (Feat. Ja Rule)



DL: Jennifer Lopez - I'm Real

Honourable Mentions:
Christina Aguilera, Pink, Mya & Missy Elliot - Lady Marmalade
Janet Jackson - All For You
Alicia Keys - Fallin'
- We miss those braids
Blu Cantrell - Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops)
Lil' Bow Wow - Puppy Love
-We both still know all the words to this one.
Eve Feat. Gwen Stefani - Let Me Blow Ya Mind
Lenny Kravitz - Again
Ricky Martin Feat. Christina Aguilera - Nobody Wants to be Lonely
O-Town - All or Nothing
- My 8th grade agenda was covered in pictures of O-Town. I'm only slightly embarrassed
S Club 7 - Never Had A Dream Come True
- This was the soundtrack to everyone's 8th/9th grade relationship.
Destiny's Child - Bootylicious
- You can look it up in the dictionary, fyi.
Outkast - Ms. Jackson
Joe - Stutter
Dream - He Loves You Not
City High - What Would You Do?
Missy Elliot - Get Ur Freak On
112 - Peaches and Cream
- We were both so hyped for this album. It's a real shame this was one of only two good songs on it. Kind of stopped buying cds for a while after that. Also, there was this girl in our homeroom who'd always say this was the song she was downloading. I kind of suspect she was lying.
Mya - Case of the Ex
Jagged Edge - Where the Party At?
- The day this became a 106 Old Skool Joint of the day I knew my youth was over.
Weezer - Island In The Sun
Backstreet Boys - The Call
Faith Hill - There You'll Be
- This song is on the list because we used it as the background music in our Neopets store. Don't act like you're not jealous. Also, it's here because I fucking hate Pearl Harbor.

In the Year 2000

After watching a few "Best Songs of the Decade" lists on TV, we felt the only way to close this year was to make one of our own. As we looked through the internets, we found that taking one song from each year would be harder than expected, particularly when looking at the first half of the decade, during which we were hormonal, ragey, angst-filled teenagers who really felt like music about love, life, and loss, really spoke to us. DUH.

The result? Yearly lists of songs (in no order) that we feel best represent that year, and, most importantly, us at the time. As you'll soon see, this is in no way some serious bidness shit, and, nor did we cry at any point in time while compiling this list (I'm not on my period). In fact, this is probably the most fun we've had over the phone in a long time.

2000: First year of high school. Enough said.

Song of the Year: Destiny's Child - Say My Name

DL: Destiny's Child - Say My Name

Honorable Mentions:

Aaliyah - Try Again

Toni Braxton - He Wasn't Man Enough For Me

• After Tahnee had broken up with her first skeezy high school boyfriend, he passed us during our school walk-a-thon, with a new girl on his back. At that point, I distinctly remember T, blasting this song and lip syncing the words. She claims to not remember this ever happening... but it remains my favourite “Tahnee-story” ever.

Melanie C - I Turn To You
Savage Garden - I Knew I Loved You
Papa Roach - Last Resort

• To this day, this is the song we both turn to, just before reaching the breaking point of school/life... Don’t get it twisted, suicide is not funny (to anyone else except us), but this somehow, this song makes it hilarious.

Pink - There You Go
Enrique - Could I Have This Kiss Forever (feat. Whitney Houston)
Santana - Maria Maria
Sisqo - Thong Song

• Tahnee’s eighth grade agenda consisted mostly of Sisqo and his silver head.

Jessica Simpson - I Want to Love You Forever

• Before Papa Joe talked about her boobs, before "chicken or fish", before Ashlee became more popular than her, all we knew about Jessica Simpson was that she was blond, could open her mouth really wide (pause).

Old Skool Joints: Roxbury Edition

This week's Old Skool Joint post is inspired by the failure that was my Thursday morning last week. After getting little sleep and spending a combined two hours on transit all for 20 minutes of class I threw myself down on the couch. I promised that I'd just take a little nap and then get right back to school work. This plan might have worked if I hadn't taken a minute to check what was on tv. I mean, how can anyone resist "A Night At the Roxbury"?

I caught the movie a few minutes before Will Ferrell goes to marry Molly Shannon, and it might be because I was a little delirious, or it might be because I'm right, but I decided that the sequence that follows is the greatest thing to happen in any SNL skit turned feature length motion picture. First, Chris Kattan busts up the ceremony by holding a boombox over his head, John Cusack style, and blasts "What is Love?"



Then (and I couldn't find a video) he and Will Ferrell re-enact that scene from Jerry MaGuire that we're all so familiar with, while Bruce Springsteen's "Secret Garden" softly plays in the background. Brilliant.

The point is, I think we should all take a few minutes to enjoy these songs. Preferably back to back for added comedic effect.

DL: Haddaway - What is Love? (m4a)
DL: Bruce Springsteen - Secret Garden

Old Skool Joint of the Week #13 (?)

Brandy and Monica - The Boy Is Mine

Since the last post on this blog was about two fabulous women getting together and collaborating, I figured I'd choose something that was along the same lines (though I wouldn't say these two are as fabulous as Beyonce or Gaga, but when I was 11 I had slightly different standards).

So let me take you all back 11 years (can you believe it's been that long?) to a time where Brandy and Monica were two of the hottest ladies in the R&B world. Naturally, they obviously had to be rivals and completely hate eachother. What better way to clear the air than to get together and record a track about how you're both in love with the same man?

Now, I don't know if anyone else spent hours at sleepovers working out routines with their childhood "bffs," but I know I sure as hell did. I always played the part of Brandy, partially because she was my favourite but mostly because at one point I had the braids.

So let's all take a few minutes to relive our past and enjoy the video (and make sure to note how 90s it is, from the decor, to the Jerry Springer on the tv, to the cameo by Mekhi Phifer):



DL: Brandy (Feat. Monica) - The Boy Is Mine

Tell 'em B.

Beyonce just announced to the world, what WhoWhatWear and I have known for months: exposed garters are on the come up. Also? they're trashy, AND bananas. Also? BEYONCE IS AMAZING.

If you're anything like me, and you've been obsessed with lingerie since you first grew a pair (for me, it was last month and I use the term "pair" loosely), you've probably been on the hunt for a dope garter belt to rock with your oversized cardigan/sweater/tshirt, sheer thigh highs, and ankle boots (not at all like a fucking hipster).


(see? no hipster bidness here)
Dior Haute Couture Spring 2009

Not exactly a look for everyone (ex: fail)... But there is no denying, homegirl looks bananas amazing in this one. I mean, no one chews gum quite like Beyonce can. To quote Lady Gaga, "Get 'em B".
DL: Beyonce - Video Phone (Extended Remix Feat. Lady Gaga)
Source: Style.com; onsmash.com

Old Skool Joint(s) of the Week

Ace of Base

If you are anything like me you've been jamming to Lady Gaga's "Alejandro" ever since the day the demo leaked (I promise this is relevant and not just an excuse to talk about Gaga). Assuming you were alive in the mid-90s and paid even the slightest attention to pop music you probably remember a little Swedish group called Ace of Base. Since everyone and their mama has pointed out the fact that "Alejandro" sounds a hell of a lot like an Ace of Base track, it felt like the the right time to revisit them.

I'm throwing up the video for "Beautiful Life" because it was their, um, most visually appealing and features one of my favourite uses of a green screen. I mean, they fly through a soccer field, a bar fight, and a night club, and it all looks so realistic! Everyone should be taking notes for their future recession-proof videos.




DL: Ace of Base - Beautiful Life
DL: Ace of Base - All That she Wants

What I'm Turning: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm so hard...

Clipse - Doorman

Let's be real, while Rihanna's new song, Hard, is not exactly an accurate description of the "edgy" little island girl (really, it's as if I sang that song), it's really the only word I can use to describe Clipse's new joint, Doorman.

I haven't loved a Pharrell or The Neptunes production in a while. Maybe Pharrell's been too caught up in the fashion game, and maybe Chad has been to busy being my only Filipino boyfriend, to really focus on producing good music --who knows. Irregardless, it seems like they might be back... because this is how you make a dope mother fucking song --producers, take note.

Granted, I'm not hard to please (ex: I spent a week listening/dancing to the entire New Boyz record), but I think even hip hop heads (like me) will agree this goes in. But if this shit, and Popular Demand (Popeye's), are any indication of what Till The Casket Drops as a whole, has in store for us on December 8 (I'm going to pretend Eyes on Me never happened), I might be making the frantic run to my local music store, and take part in the movement... because this song is unreal.

DL: Clipse - Doorman

The Greatest Music Video Of All Time

I didn't mean to push that GAP post down about 5 seconds after it was posted, but I just had to make sure everybody has had the opportunity to experience the glory that is Zapp and Roger's "Computer Love." In your face N'SYNC, these guys were singing about getting it on virtually YEARS before "Digital Get Down."

I Love Christmas at The Gap

I know it's not December yet, but I seen so many Christmas commercials on TV lately (what up with that America? ya'll ain't even had your Thanksgiving yet?), that I couldn't resist throwing up my favorite one from the Gap last year. Fun song, with some dope cameos by the Dixie Chicks and two of my boyfriends: Trey Songz and Romany Malco. Also, am I the only one who gets a Gap sweater at Christmas every year?

I really need to rip this shit, and play it when we decorate our tree next week (I'm filipino. We put it up early.)

DL: Dixie Chicks - I'm Not Ready to Make Nice

What We're Turning

Wale - "Attention Deficit"

I’ve been following Wale’s career for a while, ever since the now defunct Good Weather For Airstrike’s posted Nike Boots and I couldn’t get it out of my head. So to say I’ve been looking forward to this album might be a bit of an understatement. I had pretty high expectations too since Wale’s put out some seriously good tracks over the past four years that have all been leading up to this major label debut. I’m glad to say that when I listened to this record last mont… I mean today (because I would never ever download a leak because that’s obviously very very wrong) I was not disappointed.

It might be because I’m so sick of listening to hip-hop that’s been auto-tuned to death that Wale’s record feels so fresh, but either way I do think he’s brining something new to the table. He also touches on some serious issues on this record reminding all those fools out there that sometimes it’s okay to get emotional on a record. “Shades” and “Contemplate” stand out, and so does the laid back Hollywood story “90210” (Which he claimed was about Paris Hilton on his Twitter, but which we think might as well be about Lindsay Lohan. I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time he rapped about her). Now don’t get it twisted, he still brings the party on this record. If “Pretty Girls” or “World Tour” don't get you up out of your seat then I don’t know what the hell is wrong with you.

[She is 90210]

Including the iTunes only “My Sweetie” (which I think should have been an album cut) for your listening pleasure, but you really should get out there to support good music and pick this one up. If your store isn’t stocking it, demand that they do because this album deserves a chance to be heard.

DL: Wale - My Sweetie

Old Skool Joint of the Week #11

Billy Joel - The River of Dreams

Usually when I get the urge to blog but don't really know what I want to write about, I just put my "OMG the 90s" playlist on shuffle and skip through until a song comes on that gets me excited. Now, if I were making a list of songs from the early 90s that I absolutely loved, this probably wouldn't have even crossed my mind. There's nothing "cool" about this week's song. I don't think all the 6 year olds were grooving to this in their bedrooms, nor do I think this would ever fill a dance floor, but the instant I heard this one I knew it had to go up.

Way back in '93 my parents drove a 1980-something Ford Thunderbird with no FM radio, and nothing as high tech as a tape deck, so we had to deal with whatever the AM dial would give us. I remember this song being a staple on 14 CFUN when they used to actually play music so this one is tied up with all sorts of childhood memories. Hopefully, some of you feel the same way.


Billy Joel - The River Of Dreams (Official Music Video)

DL (mp3): Billy Joel - The River of Dreams

I Gave My Heart To Rock N' Roll

The Sounds w/ Foxy Shazam
October 26, 2009
Commodore Ballroom

Last night I finally had the chance to fulfil a dream I’ve had for the past six or so years: seeing the Sounds play a headlining show. As far as I know they haven’t played one here since I’ve been of age and the only time I was able to see them was at Warped Tour (and if you’ve ever been to Warped Tour, you know that barely counts).

The opening act was a band I’d never heard of called Foxy Shazam. They played that semi-ironic brand of late 70s/80s inspired rock (and they dress the part too) that I probably wouldn’t have taken seriously if I heard it on record first, but these guys put on a hell of a show. There were handstands, magic tricks, staged fights, high fives, people crawling across the stage, guitars thrown into the crowd, and at one point I’m pretty sure the signer ate a couple cigarettes. They definitely succeeded in getting everyone pumped.


[look at those fucking hipsters]

During the time between sets I realized this wasn’t going to be the most civil crowd. People were already shoving their way to the front and some girls got into a fight with a couple guys to the right of me and started smacking them in the head.

Finally The Sounds hit the stage and everyone went nuts. I could try and be objective here, but all I can really say is that they were absolutely amazing. Maja might just be my new favourite front woman (or maybe I‘ll call it a three way tie). She completely owned that stage. They played a pretty varied set that covered all three records. Highlights included “Seven Days a Week,” “Ego,” “Living in America,” and “Painted By Numbers” which was especially awesome live. There was also an incredibly off key “Night After Night” sing along where people pulled their lighters out. At one point Maja did a stage dive and crowd surfed over us. I’m not embarrassed to admit that I acted like a ridiculous fangirl when I got to grab her hand. It was like I was 15 all over again.



They closed the night with “Hope You’re Happy Now” and a pit opened up in the crowd. I can’t even remember the last time I was in an actual mosh pit, but I definitely remembered why I stopped putting up with that mess. Maja claimed we were the most energetic crowd of the tour and promised she wasn’t just saying that for the sake of saying it and said she'd tell everyone else. For once, I actually believed her because people were completely insane. There was a non-stop wave of crowd surfers and not enough security to catch them. I left the venue having accidentally ingested the hair of several strangers and covered in sweat that was mostly not my own, but it was absolutely worth it (even if I keep finding new places that hurt every time I stand up). If you’re even a casual fan and you haven’t seen The Sounds yet, what the hell are you waiting for?

Oh yeah, and on a completely unrelated topic, I should mention that we did get to see Jay-Z a couple weeks back and he was all inspiring and shit. Just sayin'.

Old Skool Joint of the Week #10

This week's song comes from 1999's Fanmail, aka the last record TLC released that mattered (I know it's rough, but it's true: there's no TLC without Left Eye). Now I know everybody remembers No Scrubs and Unpretty so I'm not going to waste your time by putting on of those up. Instead, I want to talk about the relatively successful (for an unofficial single) I'm Good At Being Bad. I don't think that TLC was ever meant for children, but they were definitely popular with young girls. This record came out when I was 12, and this was one of those tracks I had to turn the volume down on so my parents wouldn't hear me listening to it. Now it's ten years later and I'm still vibing to it.

Here's a video of them performing a slightly edited version on the Fanmail tour, plus a link to the album version, so you can find out just what type of man T-Boz, Left Eye, and Chilli were looking for:



DL: TLC - I'm Good At Being Bad

It's Hard To Be A Hip-Hop Fan In This City

So when I woke up from my two and a half hour nap this afternoon I checked my phone and found out that Kid Sister's show this coming Monday is cancelled. I was already preparing for this news when I saw Vancouver left off a tour poster, but I’m still pretty bummed out about it. I don't know why the show was cancelled and I'm not mad at Kid Sister (I mean, she even apologized to us over Twitter!) The thing that I am annoyed about is how this is just another in a series of disappointments in the sad life of a hip-hop fan in Vancouver.

Whether you're talking about some mainstream artists, something more underground, or even some of that hipster bullshit you don't get many opportunities to go out and see rappers live around here. I don't know if it's because the market just isn't big enough, or if it's because Canada has a notorious reputation for being hard as hell on rappers trying to cross the border, but a lot of big names seem to not even bother. And even when they do try you never really know if the show is going to happen. For example, that disaster with the Young Money Tour back in August when the show was cancelled about an hour before show time.

You know what else irks me? We live in a pretty culturally diverse city of well over 500 000 people and it's pretty hard to find one good hip-hop night at a club on a weekend. We have two top 40 radio stations and not one dedicated Urban station. Instead we get something like two hours (don’t quote me on that number) of programming devoted to hip-hop a week. What I'm saying is, it sucks. And I'm not just complaining because I don’t get to see big names in American hip-hop, that lack of support has to have some negative effect on Canadian acts as well (Wheelchair Jimmy excluded). So let's hope that this Friday's Jay-Z show goes off without a hitch so I can get my fix for the year.

To tie this post up I'm throwing an old Kid Sister track out there to put me and whoever else is reading this in a better mood. Make sure you buy her album on November 17th (Or you know, whenever it actually comes out).

Kid Sister - Family Reunion (Feat. David Banner)

Old Skool Joint of the Week #9

Kris Kross - "Jump"

Lil' Bow Wow wasn't the first pre-teen rapper that Jermaine Dupri decided the world needed to hear. Almost a decade earlier he came across little Chris Kelly, and Chris Smith and Kris Kross was born. They did it first and, maybe I'm blinded by nostalgia, I think they did it best (backwards clothes excluded).

Totally Krossed Out was among the first CDs I ever got, and it was definitely the first rap record I ever owned. My 5-year old self used to crank this and bounce off the walls whenever I put it on. To be honest, my 22-year old self still does. Don't try to play it cool and act like you don't get a little pumped whenever "Jump" comes on either.

What I'm Turning: J.Cole playcount @ 800

On the real, I think I'm pretty behind on this shit. I've been riding the Cash Money/Young Money wave for what feels like over year-- even riding with them during the Lil Wayne backlash. Then Drake popped in, and it felt like the rest of the music world just died for me --it was all about Drake. Granted, I'm still a big Drake fan, and don't get it twisted, I still bump So Far Gone (even if I do turn down the volume when Best I Ever Had comes on), and I'm in love with everything off Comeback Season, but for the past week or so, I've been living in a J. Cole world.

After his appearance on Jay's "A Star is Born," I've gotten into a habit of downloading anything with his name attached, without taking an actual listen to the songs. But when it was announced he'd be showing up on the tour, I figured I'd take a listen. This was a week ago.

Since then I've been on a J. Cole fucking frenzy. From The Warm Up (amazing), The Come Up (classssssic), freestyles (I forgot how sexy boys just goin' in on a beat can be [shoutout to Eminem lol]) to adorable interviews where he talks about his 3.82 GPA and basketball (*swoon*), I can't get enough J. Cole.

Perhaps the attraction comes from no one really knowing him or his music, or maybe his music is really just that good (it is). But for a second, he totally made me forget the sad things in life: T.I. is in jail; Drake looks a paste-eater.

Make sure to download the new RocNation endorsed The Warm Up and the classic, and totally slept on, The Come Up. If nothing else, watch him go hard on this beat:

To be clear, that on the real, this is not hipster approved shit. This is real shit (for once). And I love.

I know. Weird, right?

October 3rd

"On October 3rd, he asked me what day it was"



"It's October 3rd"



fin.

Old Skool Joint of the Week #8

Skee-Lo - "I Wish"

I've definitely been slacking when it comes to these posts lately, but as part of my quest to finally reach 100 posts on this blog by the end of this year, I might try and pick it up. Emphasis on "might."

This week's Old Skool Joint comes to you via a short video interview of the incomparable Ms. Megan Fox. When asked if there was anything she would like to change about herself she answered, "I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller, I wish I had a girl who looked good I would call her." Since she's currently my favourite celebrity, it only made sense to throw this song up on the blog.

When I decided to check Wikipedia to see if I could find something to say about Skee-Lo other than "This song came out in 1995 and was on my Hit List compilation cd," I found out that this was somehow actually nominated for a Grammy. It went up against Notorious B.I.G.'s "Big Poppa," 2Pac's "Dear Mama," Busta's "Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check," and lost to Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise." I'm just going to let that information summer for a while and let you all figure out what I think the Grammy voters were smoking that year.

And here's the aforementioned Megan Fox video for the hell of it:

What Not To Do On Television

Now, I know I'm a little late on this, but as some of you may know Wednesday's episode of Oprah was a tribute to Michael Jackson. Rather than just re-airing her entire 1993 interview with him from Neverland Ranch, she decided to fill the show with what felt like 20 solid minutes of her reflecting on the experience of interviewing him. In theory, this might have sounded like a pretty good idea, but instead she just rambled on about thoughts I don't believe she really had and seemed to suggest that if she had reached out to him she could have done something to save him.

That's not what I'm making this post to complain about though. Did you notice something a little odd in that screen cap up there? No? Let me make it a little more obvious for you:


No, that's not an especially furry couch cushion, it's a dog. A dog that spent her segment sleeping in various positions and looking a whole lot like it was dead. It was more fun trying to see if the dog was breathing that it was listening to anything Oprah had to say. Eventually it moved around a bit, starting out on her lap with its nose in her crotch. I don't understand how anyone didn't think to move the dog from the couch at that point. Then slowly moved from shot to shot to the left of the frame and eventually disappeared. Fucking distracting.

The dog basically stole the show, since Oprah spent her time blathering on about how she could see Michael's veins and cut out some essential bits of the interview. You know, like the part when she awkwardly jams to Michael beat boxing and singing "Who Is It" acapella:



Or whenever this happened:

What We're Turning (Before We're Off It)

As one half of the hardest working couples in the business, I expect nothing but greatness from Jigga. Not going to lie, the silent excitement I had for this album began when "Jockin' Jay-Z" dropped whenever it did last year. So when it finally leaked two weeks ago, I couldn't resist.

I'll say it: It's not a 'hit', nor is it a 'miss'. Sure, "Run This Town" takes a week to grow on you, and yea, the album ends on a weak note (was that closer really a "Forever Young" sample, Jay? really?), but there's no denying that this album's got fire, and maybe worth the $14.99 (or however much CD's cost these days --Wait. I mean. OF COURSE I STILL BUY CDs, I'M NOT SOME SORT OF EYE-PATCH-WEARING-PEG-LEG-PIRATE arr).

My favorites: Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys), Off That (Feat. Drake), Venus vs. Mars, A Star is Born (feat. J. MF Cole)

My quasi-positive review of the album, may have something to do with the fact that T managed to score some pretty epic seats for his Vancouver concert. At the very least, it's worth a download.

PS: Sincerest apologies to our non-existent readers for making yesterday's post. I had a momentarily lapse in judgment (which is not to say that I'm not jamming to some New Boyz right now), and I promise to be exercise some self-disclosure when detailing my cougar-ways. I'll just talk about Drake from now on, which I'm sure, is something T will thoroughly enjoy.

[As Embarassing As It Is] What I'm Turning #somethingorother

New Boyz feat. Ray-J - Tie Me Down

Lord only knows why I willingly post shit like this on this blog no one reads, instead of pushing some of my other horrible musical addictions (that I refuse to mention [DRAKEDRAKEDRAKE]) that are enthusiastically supported by the hip hop community (WHICH I AM OF COURSE APART OF...DUH). But the heart wants what it wants... Right?

This is embarassing for several reasons, one of them being the fact that I'm 22, five years older than these skinny-jean-wearing mother fuckers (adorable as they may be gawd, fml). Another reason? RAY-J IS ON THIS SONG. Nevertheless, I've been bumping these empty-tiny-backpack-wearing dickbags this entire morning.

Embarassing? Absolutely. But have you been dancing all morning? Didn't think so (ok, maybe you have, but just let me have this... I mean, I've been listening to New Boyz all morning)!

Sidenote: Gawd, skinny jeans? I thought I was off that*.

*and so begins the Drake-lyrics-dropping. I apologize in advance.

Post #59 In Which We Re-Cast Heathers

Yesterday we were sitting around watching Heathers, and naturally, we got to talking about what would happen if there were to be a remake. Honestly, it's only a matter of time before someone in Hollywood gets around to it. I mean, they've got to be running out of material to recycle by now. (I know there's been talk of a sequel for years, but I think that actually makes even less sense than a straight up remake, so we'll just pretend that never happened.) It took us a few tries to come up with the perfect cast, (it's hard to think of young male actors that aren't RPattz or Zac Effron), but I think we've finally got it:



Kat Dennings in the place of Winona Ryder, and Juno subbing in for Christian Slater. Lesbians (well, the fake ones at least) are still "in" right? So it's bound to make some bank at the box office. Diablo Cody would of course be asked to write it. It's the only way to make sure that the correct number of pop culture references and the appropriate fake slang make it in the movie. Plus, they'd have to come up with new catchphrases since "Fuck me gently with a chainsaw" wouldn't fly in this PG-13 world we're living in.

In the same vein, they'd probably have to rework the plot a bit too. I don't know how staged teenage suicides and bomb threats would go over in a post-Columbine society. Maybe they could just put nasty pictures of the Heathers on Facebook or something. Or probably MySpace since the movie would be put out by Fox Searchlight.

Bit parts could be played by pretty much anyone who is on the cover of J-14, but the role of "Martha Dumptruck" would have to be changed to "Michael Dumptruck" so it could be played by Jonah Hill. He would spend half the movie yelling, cursing, and making dick and fart jokes for no apparent reason.

The entire thing would be set to a soundtrack of songs you may have heard while shopping in an Urban Outfitters. It would also be protested by the Westboro Baptists Church upon release.

I don't know about you guys, but I think we've got something going here.

[EDIT]: You have got to be fucking kidding me: "Heathers Remake Becomes a TV Series". I don't know how I missed this little piece of "news" floating around the internet, but I guess our imaginations weren't quite grotesque enough. Maybe they can get that kid who was Ethan on 90210 to play JD. He's probably still looking for work.

Sometimes, the internet wins.

Did homeboy come in character?(click on picture to enlarge)

Old Skool Joint of the Week #7

Damn, did I really let over half a month go by without putting something new up on this blog that no one reads? (I mean, seriously, if you do read it can you leave a comment sometime? It feels so lonely out here. Wait, did that come off as desperate? Yeah, I guess it was pretty desperate. But I ain't apologizing to our non-existent readers anyway). What was I saying? Oh right. New post.

September sure snuck up on me pretty fast. This is usually a pretty sad time of year for me, and this year is especially rough since this is pretty much the last Summer Vacation I'll ever have. Come this time next year, I won't be "on vacation," I'll just be "unemployed." The point is, I'm feeling a more nostalgic than ever and that made it a little hard to pick a song to post up here.

I figured I'd go back to another time I was starting the last of something. In September 1999 I was just starting seventh grade, and you know what was pretty fucking big back during that transitional year of my life? Jennifer Lopez.

So let's all take a few minutes to remember a time before every magazine felt the need to come up with a "clever" nick name for every celebrity couple. Back when obnoxious hair clips, blonde highlights, and big puffy jackets were acceptable. And most importantly, a time when people understood the importance of a fierce dance break in the middle of a song:

Jennifer Lopez - "Feelin' So Good

What (I'm) Turning #whoreallycaresanwyay

Kid Sister - "Right Hand Hi"

Damn, it's sure been a long time since one of these posts went up. In part, because we're lazy, but also because it's just been a long time since I heard a new song I liked enough to take a minute to write about for this blog that no one reads. So please, enjoy some of what certain people I know might call "some hipster bullshit."

It's been a while since Chicago's Kid Sister hit the mainstream with her Kanye West assisted "Pro-Nails," but it seems she's kept herself busy. I know this track was sitting on top of the Hype Machine a couple of weeks ago, but in case you slept on it, give it another shot. It took me a couple of listens to warm up to, but with it's simple hook and dance floor appeal, it makes for a perfect end of Summer jam. Hopefully this is a sign that her debut is finally going to drop, because I feel like I've been waiting on this one for way too long.

Old Skool Joint of the Week #6

Lately, I haven't even had to put my "OMG THE 90S" playlist on shuffle to pick a song to post up on here. The universe just keeps throwing them my way. It's like the world knows I'm on some kind of serious nostalgia trip this summer.

You may have noticed that I've got a soft spot for cheesy dance music. You know, the kind of stuff you might find on a Dance Mix 90-something cd, or the kind you might find the Butabi brothers jamming to at the Roxbury. As for this song, I basically forgot it even existed until a DJ decided to throw it on while I was out last weekend. So please, crank up the volume and take a few minutes to reminisce and enjoy:

Max-A-Million - "Fat Boy"

Funny People? More Really Fucking Annoying People.

This morning (well at noon, but that's morning to me) I went with my fellow blogger to check out Judd Apatow's latest offering Funny People. Two and a half grueling hours later all I got was a shitty bag of popcorn and a strong desire to get my $12.50 back. I'm just going to cut right to the chase here since two years of film studies taught me that I don't actually like writing about movies all that much and present my complains in convenient list form.

-Apatow seemed to have a knack for making movies that were full of hilarious comedy but still managed to have lots of heart. This one had neither.
Enough said.

-The stuff that's supposed to be funny isn't, and the parts that are supposed to be dramatic aren't compelling.
The laughs were few and far between, but there were plenty of moments where I felt like I was supposed to be laughing but I wasn't. I felt like all the stand up scenes were supposed to be funny, but I know that if I saw half that shit in a comedy club I wouldn't even crack a smile. The parts that were supposed to evoke some kind of emotional response were just stagnant as fuck. Not once did I ever really care about these characters and what they were going through. Sandler's character was such a jerk I almost just wanted him to hurry up and die. And I never wanted Seth Rogen to get the girl. That was just fucked up.

-It tries to be two things at once and doesn't do either of them particularly well.
Funny People is both a look at a group of guys trying to make it in the business, and a story about a guy dealing with his own mortality, unhappiness, while trying to win back the love of his life. The A story and the B story never really seemed to gel. Sometimes I felt like I was watching two completely different movies.

-People have occasionally complained that Apatow doesn't know how to write female characters. I'm starting to agree with this.
Seriously, what the fuck was with Leslie Mann's character? How did she not smack Sandler in the face when he didn't tell her immediately that he was getting better? How did she even temporarily think it would be a good idea to run back to him? And most importantly, why the fuck wasn't she funny? It just feels like such a huge fucking waste of talent.

-This movie had no business being two and a half fucking hours long.
If I'm going to sit my ass in a movie theatre chair for that long I better be getting some epic shit. I'm talking Lord of the Rings or fucking Titanic level epicness. I really don't understand how anyone sat in an editing room and decided that every single one of those scenes needed to stay in that movie. Especially all that shit of Adam Sandler's character's movies. One or two scenes of him waxing nostalgic, or a few posters in the background would have been fine. I did not need to see so much of the baby man or that merman fuckery. Especially when the merman did nothing but remind me of an actually funny movie you may have heard of called Zoolander.

I get that the title was trying to be ironic, I'm even a total sucker for movies that get slapped with the "dramedy" label, but this was just one big ol' bloated mess.

A Little More Personal (Raw)

It's no secret. We've been obsessed with the fuckfest that is the Samantha Ronson & Lindsay Lohan show (we now live in a world where it's appropriate to put Sam on top [dirty] billing --sorry Laloo), ever since... well, it seems like forever. As such, we feel it's fitting that we finally make our Top 5 "SamanTAH" Judith Ronson and "LinZEE" Dee Lohan Paparazzi Videos.

Number 5: "She's on my property, I don't know her, I want her out."

The most recent addition to our list of magical moments. The video speaks for itself and while T may find this hard to watch, I think its hysterical, not only because I'm a heartless bitch, but because I love when Lindsay gets her mom voice going. This breakdown comes second to her breakdown in Labor Pains where she loses her mind and takes a ballon and shoves it under her dress after her sister rips apart her fake belly. I know they're not really the same, and they really should not be placed in the same category, but I really just wanted to recount my favorite part of, what I maintain is, an amazing movie.

Number 4: "Linzee, why are you crying?"

Also pretty recent, this video came in light of one of their bigger break ups, you know, the one that warranted a restraining order? Good times. It was this video that brought us the now ubiquitous* "Linzeeeee" and "Samantaaaaah" cries of hilarity. How amazing is it that the true stars of this video are the paparazzi's accents? Oh, hollywood.

*I use this word pretty loosely, because by ubiquitous, I only mean to me and T. To the rest of their world it's "What kind of crack[s] are you smoking?"

Number 3: The Early Years.

This video is from pre-rehab Lohan, pre-Sam and Lilo, pre-leggings, pre-restraining order, pre-"Uck"/"come at me bitch", pre-everything really. While not quite quotable, the video is amazing nonetheless, for three reasons: 1, it showed us that Samantha Ronson dances like a ridiculous white girl; 2, Lindsay Lohan knows all the words to her songs; and 3, it gave us our blog name.

Honorable Mention: STRANDED.

It was hard for us to place this one on the list, because it's not as quotable as one would assume, but to leave it off would make this post incomplete. The video is pretty self-explanatory. But I think what I like most about what this video has brought to my life, is the fact that when I was in Vegas last month, I stopped in the middle of my tracks and said to myself "Is... this... omg. YES. THIS IS WHERE SHE LEFT HER." (On a day to day basis, I don't refer to them by their names, just "she" and "her," because I'm too embarassed to let people know how much I discuss their never ending love story). It really was a shining moment in my life.

Number 2: "OW! OW! OW!"

I cannot tell you how long we laughed when we found this video. We're not really sure how we found it, but I'm guessing a certain livejournal community kept dropping the words "MOVE BACK AND CALM DOWN" here and there, driving me to type "lindsay lohan + move back and calm down" into google. The rest is quotable history.

Number 1: "Samantha! STOP IT!"

Easily one of the most quotable paparazzi videos of all time. To this day, everytime we hear Timbaland's The Way I Are, we squeal with laughter. We just can't seem to STOP IT. (WHAT).

Sources: x17online, tmz, hollywoodtv, splashnews, youtube, myspace, internet.

Old Skool Joint of the Week #5

Whitney Houston - "My Love Is Your Love"

You know, Whitney's had a pretty rough couple of years. She's spent a good chuck of this millennium being the punch line to quite a few jokes, and giving Maya Rudolph endless material to work on Weekend Update. I'm pretty sure she's never going to live down that "crack is wack" Diane Sawyer interview, but hopefully most people have forgotten about Being Bobby Brown by now.

In case you somehow forgot, Whitney used to put out a hit record, and I'm not just talking about that song from The Bodyguard. This one is definitely one of my favourites. Nothing like a laid back jam about love that'll endure anything the world can throw at it.



Whitney's got a new album set for release this coming fall, and I really hope she's got her shit together now so this one works out for her. Pop music could always use more people who can, you know, actually sing. If you're worried about how her voice has held up over the years, don't. As Jane Fonda reassures us, her voice "remains strong." Plus, how fucking 90s would it be to have new records from Whitney and Mariah drop practically back to back?

"And the nude colored one was just... a little... nude color...for me."

Jennifer Garner, in the season finale of The Rachel Zoe Project, you are so right. The nude colored one is sooo nude color, and it (and all variations of said color) is most definitely all I am craving right now.

Sure, maybe I'm a little behind on this, but I can't help but proclaim all things nude color being equivalent to gold. Maybe it's because I'm slightly partial to my friends at Stella McCartney (SRTW09) and Chloe (FRTW09), and ladies like Kate Bosworth, Chloe Sevigny (who despite, being horrifically ugly, remains in my style inspiration book [obvs]) who, when wearing clothing of nude color, make my heart stop just a little, but I think it goes a little deeper than that...

Gawd. I miss this time. Inspiring. [Perhaps, not so much clothing-wise, but definitely color-wise].

Note: This obsession might explain why I have been, reluctantly, sitting in the sun with a low SPF sunscreen. I can't possibly step into nude colored outfits, being as white as the background of this blog (that is not a joke. I am this color.)

Source: style.com

Old Skool Joint of the Week #4

Before I get to the song, I'm adding a little regional nostalgia that won't mean shit to most people so the rest of you can probably just skip ahead. You see that up there? That's an old as hell bus transfer that I found at the bottom of my highschool memories box (which, by the way, is full of embarrassment, but that's another story for another day). I don't have anything so old that it has "BC Transit" stamped on it, but that thing reminds me of a simpler time. Back when a bus driver might accidentally give you an extra 15 minutes, or might not notice you're short a dime, and it didn't take 5 minutes for 10 people to get on because they keep inserting their card the wrong way. Also, a time when it didn't cost $2.25 to go one damn zone and when they realized vinyl seat covers was the way to go in a city where it rained this much.

You know what else used to be a little bit better back when bus transfers were made of newspaper? Janet Jackson. Now, don't get it twisted, I'm not saying homegirl isn't still fierce as fuck (because she is), but her last couple records have been lacking a certain something. I'm going to blame Jermaine Dupri for that, and no, I don't have any rational reasoning behind that so don't ask.

I'm going to be honest, it's been a while since I really listened to any old school Janet and I almost forgot this track even existed. Thankfully, today's episode of Ranked! on MuchMoreMusic played it and all the good times came flooding back. I thought this video was dope as hell, I mean, who wouldn't want Janet to show up at their house for a party, even if it was all a dream? I'm also pretty sure I sat in front of the radio listening to Z95 waiting for this song to come on the Hot 6 @ 6 so I could tape it. There was no HypeMachine back in '98.

So, enjoy...

Janet Jackson - "Go Deep"

Old Skool Joint of the Week #3

What's this? A new post two Fridays in a row? I'm on a roll here.

Picking a song to highlight this week was actually pretty difficult. Thanks to a trip down 90s R&B memory lane led by my fellow poster on this blog nobody reads, I was overwhelmed with Darkchild produced tracks to choose from. Should I go with Brandy? Monica? That Tatyana Ali song? So rather than pick one of those, I decided to go with a little late 90s/early 00s female Hip-Hop:

Eve Feat. Faith Evans - "Love is Blind"

Eve sort of fell off after she let her hair grow out and got that show on UPN. Musically, she's spent most of the past six years guesting on other people's records and releasing that annoying as fuck (but totally catchy) "Tambourine" song. Back in '99, she was just breaking out as the "Ruff Ryder's First Lady." While she was running around with DMX, she released this track about getting revenge on a friend's abusive boyfriend. It's a shame that I mostly remember this one as the soundtrack to every 14 year old girl's "troubled" relationship, because it's actually got some powerful lyrics. But you know how it is, shit can get real tough when your boyfriend doesn't call you right after you page him.

Old Skool Joint of the Week (Redux)

Remember how over a month ago I said that I was starting a new feature on this blog to try and generate some regular content, except it was a complete and utter failure? No? Okay, well that doesn't matter. Point is, I'm going to try that one again by bringing you another shot of 90s nostalgia:

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - "The Impression That I Get"

With their ska beats the Bosstones had more than a few kids skanking in their Doc Martens with their plaid shirts tied around their waists. The horn section also helped hundreds of band geeks believe there was a place for them beyond the half-time show of their highschool's football games. The band also scores major 90s points for appearing in one of the greatest teen movies of all time, Clueless. I'm also pretty sure there's some Sabrina the Teenage Witch connection to this song, but I'm blanking right now. Anyway:





Fun Fact: I almost missed the Bosstones' set at the first Warped Tour I went to because some guy wanted me to listen to his band's demo on a discman he brought. Times sure were tough in the days before MySpace.

Shaq Who?

Old Skool Joint of the Week

Thanks to my recent marathon watching of Buffy the Vampire Slayer I've been hit with a serious bout of 90s nostalgia. To try and cure it I wound up making a two hundred and something song playlist highlighting the best (and worst) songs of the decade. So now, in an effort to try and come up with some regular content for this blog no one reads, I'm going to showcase a song off that list ever week so we can all reminisce together.

First up, Real McCoy's "Another Night".

As I'm sure you remember, dance music was pretty big for a while in the 90s, and this was definitely one of my favourite synth heavy songs that you would probably see someone in neon tights with a belly ring dancing to on Electric Circus. Enjoy:

Terminator: Strength of the Human Heart

SPOILERS, obvs.


I’m going to start this by saying that I’m a fan of bug dumb action movies. I know that sometimes you just have to turn your brain off and enjoy the ride. Yet, even I have my limits. Terminator Salvation crossed the line from “mindless entertainment” and headed into “straight up dumb” territory.

That’s not to say that McG didn’t succeed in terms of some fun action. Stuff blew up, and it sure did look cool, but I have to believe that lying on some figurative editing room floor there is a version of this film where the plot and actions of the characters actually make some fucking sense. Take for example Moon Bloodgood’s character whose name I can’t fucking remember. Let’s say you’ve been fighting in an all out war against the machines. You know they want you dead. You know they can’t be trusted. Yet you seriously think it’s okay to lie to Common so you can release him because there’s absolutely no way he could be lying to you because he looks like a “man”?

I also know that when watching movies there’s this whole “suspension of disbelief” thing you have to do. But do not tell me that it’s safe and possible to detonate what are essentially a bunch of nuclear bombs that wipe out an entire Sky Net facility while you’re in some goddam helicopter right fucking next to it. If those visions from T2 taught me anything, that is not how fucking nuclear bombs work. Also, you shoot the Terminators in the head! Everyone knows that!

Another thing I normally don’t mind is when a movie, even a big dumb action movie, tries to have some sort of moral or message. What I do have a problem with is when they repeatedly smack you in the face with it. The question of what makes humans different from the machines is one that comes up over and over again in sci-fi, and now we don’t need to wonder anymore. It’s our heart. Literally. See, Marcus has a heart, and that’s why he turns his back on Bellatrix Lestrange and goes to save John Connor. That’s why when we see through the eyes of the terminator trying to kill him his “vulnerability” is his heart. He is killed by a punch to his heart. He is revived by a shock to his heart. John Connor almost dies because he is stabbed through his heart. Then (in an ending that felt ripped straight from a Michael Bay film) in a totally sterile desert operating room, Marcus give John his heart so that He, John Connor, the HEART of the Human resistance, can continue to live. GET IT? DID YOU GET IT YET?

B+ for the action, F- for the plot and for making no fucking sense.

Also, while watching, a fun game to play is trying to guess at what exact moment Christian Bale lost his shit. Honestly, I think that was my favourite part.

Suck It Nerds!

I do realize that I could take a few minutes to write out an actual review of this movie, but there are already tons of those out there put up by people who actually get paid to do that shit. Instead, I'm just going to do this:



am i rite?

What We're Turning #12

Jada - American Cowboy

Who would've thought that House would make me want to hunt the internet for this one? Watching Wilson and Chase get down to this song, might just be the most epic thing I've seen on TV in a while.  

Don't the members of this Boston based girl group (can I please get a "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT" for that one?) soooooo look like they would sing a song as trashy as this? Red one and Konvict music really know how to pick 'em.

And on, what I figure would be a completely unrelated topic, when looking for a picture of "Jada + American cowboy", this came up.  Gawd, I love the internet. 

[EDIT: We are now officially Jada's biggest fans. No lie. We are currently learning the dance from their video. Seriously.]

'Cause we're so handsome, and we're so bored.

Bloc Party w/ Hot Hot Heat
April 26, 2009
Commodore Ballroom

I felt liked I’ve been waiting for this concert all my life. Well, okay, maybe just for the better part of five years, but close enough. Whether it was because I was underage, or just couldn’t get my shit together, every other time Bloc Party came though town I missed out so I was pretty pumped for this one.

I was extremely disappointed to find out Hot Hot Heat was opening. I was a little late (but not late enough) so I missed most of their set, but from what I did see not much has changed. This was my fourth (I think) time seeing them and they still didn’t impress me. I just wanted to hear Bandages, and they at least gave me that.

Bloc Party on the other hand lived up to my expectations. Even though it was a Sunday night the crowd was hyped and they absolutely killed it. They played a good mix of old stuff and new stuff and I got to hear all my favourites so I was satisfied. Not too much banter, but they did take a minute to call out Dave, a.k.a. “the guy in the bright yellow shirt“, and to ask what made the people on the balcony think they were so important.



I’m glad I got to see them in a smaller venue for my first time. It just wouldn’t have been the same at a place like the Orpheum. Also, I just want to say it was nice to be part of a crowd where singing (read: screaming, extremely loud and out of key) along was encouraged (unlike some shows that may or may not have been previously mentioned on this blog).

[Pictures again courtesy of my not-so-poseur friend]

What We're Turning #11: "I'd rather listen to trap shit than listen to this hipster garbage"

B.o.B. - Change Gon' Come (Feat. Charles Hamilton & Asher Roth)

To whoever so eloquently typed that under the highly respected YouTube Comments box, so did I. And I'm embarassed to say, I was very strongly fucking mistaken. 

Not going to lie, I've always been proud of my unpredicatble taste in music.  I've never been one for hipster hip hop (no matter what the clothes I wear tell you about me)... Kid CuDi, Wale, Santigold, WHATEVER.  If Kanye was pimping it and it was up on RCRD LBL, I wasn't buying it. It wasn't for me.  Or so I fucking thought.

But with this one, I figured how could you really go wrong? Charles Hamilton already won me over when Brooklyn Girls played in an episode of Entourage, B.o.B had me hooked with his simple affiliation with my soon-to-be-incarcerated husband and his undeniable flow, and Asher Roth got me with his sexy mother fucking voice. 

As hipster as this shit maybe, I can't deny that it's a dope mother fucking song, and worth 50 some odd listens I've given it over the past 2 days  (all I've been playing is this and Asher Roth's other on, I Love College, UUUUUUUUUGH). Admitting this shit is like admitting I love The Lonely Island... not something that I'm completely ready to do yet.