Are you Amazed?!?

MMJ!!! No it's not a typo for Michael Jordan, although ya the Bulls are playing out of this world... I hope they pull of the upset. However, back to the point My Morning Jacket (aka MMJ) was recently in Rolling Stones for best album (I believe it was in the top 10) and also best song, I'm Amazed (I believe was 1st), and I thought to myself how many people really know about them.

I for one had no idea who MMJ was until I was about two months or so away from going to bonarroo last year in 2008. My real good friend, and roommate now, Matt told me they put on an awsome show, and hey I had nothing better to do. But, I prepared myself, I listened to their music before hand and was knocked back by their most recent album 'Evil Urges.' It is simply amazing. From beginning to end you can listen to every song and not one of them sounds remotely similar to the other and you could almost swear its a different lead singer from song to song, but no Jim James is the man!!!

Hailing from Tennesee I believe, they fit somewhere in between the country and rock genre. Songs like 'Highly Suspicious' and 'Aluminum Park' almost make you think they could be a strictly rock n roll band, but then they have songs like 'I'm Amazed' and 'Librarian,' which are just so different i'm at a loss of words. The music they produce is just wonderful. Never getting to up tempo in their rock songs, but never too slow in their ballads as they captivate you with more than just music but wonderful lyrics.

One of my favorite lines from any song out their right now comes from the song 'Librarian.' Jim James sings about the typical fantasy of wanting to hookup with the librarian and throws out the idea that 'when god made mirrors he had no idea,' as he is combing his hair in the mirror. How awsome is that? It's so true, how much time do we all stand in front of the mirror just because we care so much of what other's think? I'm guilty we all are, as i mentioned in my post about being Vain.

Either way, today when you are wondering what you need to listen to to get you in the mood, go to listen.grooveshark.com type in 'Evil Urges,' hit play and enjoy the ride... the songs will take you on a trip, and if you can catch them live I highly recommend it as Jim James brings so much soul into his performances... I for one can feel his soul through the speakers, but that may be because i've seen them live a couple times and cant get enough.

Please give them a listen and enjoy as they make your day that much better :)

peace, love and happiness

Lazy Monday

Today it started to thunder and rain in the morning and from that moment I just new I wasn't going to get anything done. So as I sit at work, jammin out to some WSP it dawned on me that this is the perfect music for today. WideSpread Panic is probably some of the closest stuff I listen too that resembles country, which so many of my good friends listen too. JB, the lead singer, always seems to be taking his time going through his lines and the rest of the band follows his lead just chillin and jammin with him. With the rain pitter pattering outside I threw on 'Airplane' and it just helps soothe you, well me technically.

If you enjoy southern rock, country, or just awsome groovin melodies I suggest you look into WSP. Some great songs by them include, Tall Boy, Protein Drink, Airplane, Can't Get High, Wonderin'.

Unfortunately it is tough to find were to find places to download WSP, but you can stream it from their very own site.... http://panicstream.com/

they provide all or atleast most of their live shows to listen to in its entirety and its just awsome to hear them jam from one song to the next in their slow rolling way.

Also, a little bit of a side note, never have I ever seen so many wookies (aka hippies) and frat boys in the same location than at a WSP concert... so weird its almost like they could coexist for those 3hours.

enjoy!! let me know if u need help finding music, im here to help.

Music Experience

So I have totally diverted away from my original intention of what my blog was supposed to be about. Not that it is a bad thing, but there is just so much good music out there that not enough people know about, myself included, and the best way for people to find out about new bands is NOT the radio, but word of mouth. So I will try every couple days to put up mini posts of a band/group/entertainer that I really like and write a tid bit about why, along with recommend some songs to start with.

Hopefully you guys will enjoy and will share your wealth of knowledge as well.

To start I think it is only just that I go with the Disco Biscuits, as they have been rocking my world for a couple years now and I can just never seem to get enough... but that just goes for music in general too.

About the Disco Biscuits: they fall into the 'jam band' category somewhat, but at the same time not at all. They bring thick bass lines, and some wicked fast guitar riffs. If you have ever seen a real DJ perform, not some lame ass Disc Jockey that only mixes songs, you understand the concept of peaking during shows and coming down. This is what Disco does, but with a FULL band. There music sounds electronic because of the intensity they bring to it, but just like that they know how to mellow out and give the crowd a breather. Listening to these guys is tough if you have never seen them live, or do not enjoy dance parties because thats what it is.

I suggest http://www.archive.org/details/db2009-02-08.at4041 you can copy paste the link and you can listen by streaming or downloading. This is a show I saw @ HoB Dallas, there are plenty of other awsome shows too on archive.org, just have to look around a bit.

Some killer songs by them: Caterpillar, Highwire, Rock Candy, etc. I could go on for ever about them. I also suggest youtubing them as they have amazing light shows, and it is just awsome to see the crowd going nuts, and Marc Brownstein (the bassist) has the most incredible power stance ever... he can THROW the funk down on the bass and for that THANK YOU MARC!!!

Are you vain? yes you are!

The issue of being vain, or really what vain meant came up in my house between one of my room mates and good friend and it was kind of funny because one of them didn't know exactly what it meant. Does it even matter though? Aren't we all?

Apparently a girl asked him, 'hey are you vain?' Not really knowing/realizing the negative connotation that is associated with the word he responded 'yes.'

So I began to think, am I vain? are my friends vain? are they vain? etc... until I came upon the question 'Who isn't vain?' I don't think ANYONE, well at least anyone reading this blog post is not vain. Pretty much from the time we are born to when we die we have all sorts of pressure to conform or look a certain way. Even if you don't conform though you are going for a specific look. You want to make sure you stand out in a way... even if its the don't look at me I hate life, but really I want you to look at me and see how cool/different I am look.

I am def guilty... doing yoga, the couple push ups a day, the not so frequent jogs... its all part of my master plan, to look good :). Isn't that what everyone wants? to look good?

Now looking good is a different topic all together. To some looking good is looking like a super model, to some its wearing the hippest clothes, and still to more it is hopefully just being comfortable with your body. Being comfortable with it though I hope does not mean to do nothing about it, but more to understand your body. For example I cannot dunk but it doesn't mean i still don't try, or I know i am not Fernando Torres or some other super star soccer player, but it doesn't keep me from playing at a different level.

Any who, I believe we are all vain to some degree, but what really matters is how you let it effect your life. The worst example of this EVER happened to me in college. One of my friends started to seriously freak out when I asked to touch his Don King looking hair. A) he was white B) Are you fucking serious its your hair!? C) he looked like one of those idiots out of the 'My New Haircut' you tube video sensation. Wasn't like I wanted to run a lawn mower through his hair, in Texas, at least back in the day, I wasn't used to these types douche bag... but i have learned to adapt and deal.

Domination!

Simple as that. That is what my coed naked kickball team does. We blasted through last season's schedule winning games with double digit leads easily. I mean we were focused!!! All we talked about was 'We're goin to the Ship!' Honestly that was our chant starting in the 2nd inning of some games. How ridiculous right?

This group of friends and friends of friends came together and unified under one name 'Peanut Butter Pudding Surprise,' thanks to our good friends My Morning Jacket and their song 'Highly Suspicious.' This became our anthem and we would all rock out to this song while passing jello shorts around, throwing empties in the trash, and bustin a dance move or two. That's right jello shots, beers, dancing... sounds better than some peoples weekends right? Well yep that's how we roll. And thanks to my new found hobby 'Ghostriding' I will be able to do it with a little bit more style! :)

Tonight is the 2nd game of the 2nd season and after a great start we need to keep this going as a team. We wond our first game by a close margin of 8-6 I believe... honestly I shouldnt have been driving, but shhh, so i dont really remember details, just that we got that W. I think the key to our team not dominating so much was the lack of music... we had the beers, we had the jello shots... but the music it just didn't complete us. Therefore I have taken it upon myself to bring a boombox out to the game tonight to help out with CRUSHING and DOMINATING!!! That's what kind of team player i am.

One Nighters

It has come to my attention that the one night stand has become increasingly less popular... especially with age. What gives? Why not have a good time, maybe you just had a rough day, maybe its your birthday, maybe he/she is hot... who cares, it was in the moment, it felt right, why not.

Well apparently that's not the case to a lot of people. Is it jealousy, is it how they were raised, is it that maybe they dont enjoy it as much? Who knows... I for one enjoy the company of a cute girl. I dont quite understand the concept of why it is looked down upon so much. I find that if he/she meets a someone of interest out on the town that life is way to short to think what if; however, if he/she is running around every weekend with a different guy that is a little different, in my opinion. I just dont see what the big deal is if you are genuinely attracted to someone why you have to play some game of cat and mouse to see who wants who more, or who has the power of this and that... politics is it in fucking everything?

Not only is there the overall issue of the 'one night stand,' but it is also EXTREMELY biased towards the females. When a guy sleeps with a couple hot girls he is seen as a 'pimp,' 'the man,' etc., but when a girl does the same thing she is looked down upon as being 'easy, 'loose,' etc. Granted I am not a girl so I dont exactly know, but from all the drama I have observed in my quarter century of existence it seems that girls are much harsher on each other about it.

I am not exactly saying for everyone to run around sleeping with each other, but if something feels right why go against it? Science goes beyond my vocabulary to explain the most ridiculous phenomenons with elaborate hypotheses and everyone believes it. When two people are attracted to each other doesnt that just make sense? I dont know, maybe i am less inhibited than others, or maybe I am just wierd.

Do your thing, whatever that may be.

How bout you?

So what were your early musical influences taking you through middle school, high school, and college? Did you feel yourself evolve as a person with the music you listened to, and as the music changed in different parts of your life?

If you would like please share, but also it is a nice reflection exercise... as I believe it can really help one align their life path, ideals, and morals

Ghostridin the Whip

Saturday afternoon I went over to my friends apt. and after messing around with making beats on his laptop, synth and beat pad set up we started to tire and mess around on youtube. Of course, just recently I had heard of a phenomenon called "Ghost Riding." So with my curiosity piqued we had a youtube session and came across a couple instant classics.

Please observe exhibit a: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBPJTK1YBvs
exhibit b: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXl3Pdxrn-k&feature=related

Later that evening at dinner of course I had to mention ALL the videos I saw and my friends would probably say it was in the 20's, haha. And... of course i opened my loud mouth and started saying how I would/could do it and yada yada. By the end of dinner it was the moment of truth and of course there is no way I could back out.. So i ghost rided the whip!!!

Please enjoy yours truly making an ass out of himself :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QcO_IOsIIg

The Journey

This will be the first of many music related articles.

What the hell happened to me? I have asked myself this question so many times, I can't even imagine how many times my parents have sat back and asked themselves Who the hell is that kid? I used to wear nice big glasses, hair parted to one side (nice and gelled), shirt tucked in, and shy as hell... now I rock designer glasses, could care less what my hair looks like (really im just happy to have some left still, haha), shirt? i go shirtless as much as possible, and I love talking to new people and acting a fool. Its almost as if I was put into a centerfuge and all the dork left over the years.

When it all began... Seventh maybe Eighth grade, but really not until HS. Beastie Boys!!! hell ya, Kriss Kross makes you wanna jump jump!!! that was what I rocked on the cassette player. I was REBEL!!! haha, not at all. But it was the start... I was finally listening to my own music not the radio. It grew from there very slowly like the typical bell curve... i was just in the infant stages of my musical journey. I started to be able to go out on my own, drive, had cash, parties!!! and I learned about what is Led Zepplin and probably Pink.. ya def Pink Floyd. I loved that trippy synth they brought in. Still though I couldnt tell couldnt tell you the members, ya i probably know some... but what i know is their music was transcendent.

Finally college happened and man that was AWSOME!!! musically that is. It took a while to meet new people, you see I went to college all by my lonesome. First it was rap... 50 Cent hell ya, Jay-Z, D12... man i was thug life. I went and saw JayZ and 311 play at Verizon Center out in Virginia after a HELL of a long trek and man it was my first 'festival.' All these different types of music together in one day, it was awsome.

That was 1st sememster freshman year. right after this is when the bell curve started growing faster. Friends of friends and all of a sudden I was into blue grass... WTF!!! how did this happen, i still couldnt tell you. But i know one thing... my puerto rican roomate and I were blasting String Cheese Incident by sophomore year. Next, I was looking into this guy Keller Williams, who doesnt where shoes when he plays, plays ALL by himself, and uses a vast assortment of instruments including several guitars, bass, and his own percussion. And there I was next thing I new standing in front of the mirror looking myself straight in the eye and wondering where have these guys been all my life? And there I was standing in all my greatness: desheveled hair, cargo shorts/or pants, probably a Bob Marley tshirt and I had become just a trace of what I was just 5yrs prior.

And from there it has become a collection maybe more of a mash of music that has influenced and kept me going. Including but not limited to: Jurrasic 5, Blackalicious, Disco Biscuits, New Deal, My Morning Jacket, Ratatat, and way to many others to keep going on about now... till the next episode!

Losing is Winning in the USA

It has finally all come full circle I understand it ALL!!!

When you are in Pre-K it doesn't matter if you draw a Zebra or a Cat you still get the 'E' for effort. In 2nd grade it doesn't matter if you loop your cursive 'O' or not you still get a funny/cool sticker. When you are part of team as a child they don't even KEEP score, are you serious!?!? Whats the point of playing a game if nobody 'knows' who wins. Each team gets their own trophy at the end of the season and each individual team is told by their respective coach how great they are... this of course continues for about ten years. I mean as a Highschool kid they even MADE an extra lacrosse team or rowing team because certain kids could'nt make it on the Varisty or even Junior Varsity, they had to make a JV B team!!!

I will admit I was one of the kids who made the JV B lacrosse team; however, after fully commiting myself to the sport (I was also playing soccer my freshman year) for 1 year I was able to make the jump to Varsity my sophomore year - lesson 1. OUR, scratch that, the AMERICAN culture is built on making people feel good. The easisest example for me is how often have you actually told your friend 'NO' I cannot go to that party or that club because of 'etc.' I bet virtually nobody has in the past year its always ' we will see, 'maybe,' 'let me think about it,' or 'let me call you in a bit.' How hard is it to just say no? you see it is all about pleasing people.

Onto the good stuff. CEO's are fucking serious!!!! I consider myself first generation American, whether I really am or not (I am the first American born in my family), and over the past 3 months or so I have seen the WORST people of our country get rewarded with BILLIONS of dollars. Typo? no not at all!!! What is it with our country that we cant deal with faliure?!?! I got suspended from college, it SUCKED, I did what I had to and STILL graduated in four years (Aug 02 - May 06) - lesson 2.

I have digressed, for example if the company my father has started all of a sudden was not doing well he would be stuck up shit creek without a paddle, and that would be the end of that. Thanks for coming out, you tried hard, better luck next time is what he would be hearing. BUT, if you happen to royally screw over MULTI million dollar business and FUCK with everyone's life insurance and cash flow you get a several million dollar bonus and a 'do better next time.'

ARE YOU SERIOUS OBAMA!!! how the hell is helping the CEO's and Execs that maybe not totally on purpose, but sure as hell knew something of what they were unleashing on the American people going to do anything???? They already have money, they have millions!!! I have never seen that much money, nor do I want to, I have been too happy having enough to get by but still enough to have fun. Why do people that screw the lives of millions over deserve anything??

I was told as a small child 'Do unto others as you would have done unto you.' It seems it is the reverse here. Bullies get their way, you fuck up and you get a pat on the back, you ruin millions of lives you get several million dollar bonus, but you fuck up one small business plan of maybe $30,000 and bankrupt you go, welcome to being empovrished... welcome to the USA where its always ok to lose because really you are winning (if your a CEO or something)

I know I am not the only one feeling cheated, but that isn't even the most important effect of this disaster. What is? The culture we have instilled upon the young children growing up. How will they ever learn if they are never let to fail. I have written about two times when I FAILED, but i learned got back on the horse and kicked ass harder than before. My counterparts in Europe, aka my family, have failed numerous courses over the years of schooling and it has made them appreciate the concept of hard work and really releshing the outcome of so much hard work. When HS teachers are passing their students to do them a favor, or giving extra credit they being detrimental to the future of the kid and how he will deal with failure.

I could write a book on this, but I think my point has gotten across so I will end it now... maybe we can revisit this topic some other time

In the begining

Having sat around for countless hours through my life reading news, opinions and ideas I have decided it has come time for me to donate my own time and efforts to the interweb, and hopefully bring some new ideas and thoughts to the world. In the first couple of installments I have already thought of writing, "Losing is Winning in the USA" and also a piece on the Arts, more specifically the performing arts, and how we can begin to educate kids at a younger age to be more creative and to not be held down by the barriers of 'Music' class or 'drama' etc.

We will see how the Performing Arts piece goes, it may end up being more of a 'work in progress,' but I hope to attack ideas about culture within the USA and abroad, music - everything from shows ive been to through how I have come to where I am in music and how important it has become to/for me. Music has become an integral part of my life and all my friends could tell you that, but I would be the first to tell you I dont really know anything. Hopefully what knowledge I have can be dispelled upon the young kids and it will not take them 20 years to find out that beautiful music can come from Led Zepplin, String Cheese, Bob Marley, Disco Biscuits, Pavaratti, etc. one in the same.

As I have grown as a person I hope this blog will do the same and eventually find a niche of some sort instead of just my own thoughts... but that in its self may end up being a niche.

BAM!!! there it is first post

PS: my original idea was to coordinate with several friends of similar views and ideas, and I hope to still be able to do that... just not sure how these blog things work for multi ppl. so if your interested let me know I think it would be awsome if we could get a group of friends to share random thoughts with.