Monday, November 30, 2009

Part 2 where I get personal about Kid Cudi

This started as me doing a slow lead into my appreciation of Kid Cudi, but turned into me breaking down a more general love/hate thing that goes with a previously unheard of artist blowing up and their fame getting all over your face and in your ears. Cudi’s rise to fame was weird because the Kanye West co-sign had people jumping on his bandwagon fast because many of them thought that he was Kanye’s protégé, but Kanye was just a fan who signed the Kid to his label and made him famous without really changing anything about him. But by being in the spotlight, Cudi’s introspective sing/rap style got harshly criticized by some, criticism I guarantee wouldn’t have been put to him if he had remained an underground figure either because no one would’ve heard the album or because the less mainstream critics are much more open to experiments and new things. But even then, once he got big, the stench of mainstream got on him and the underground critics rejected him (Pitchfork claims to be Indie, but their review gave the album a 4.1 even though the actual review didn’t seem to dislike the album…) as much as the stuffier, higher profile majors like Rollingstone and Spin.
Wow, I now realized just how petty this follow-up piece is, especially since it’s going up right after the first article where I basically call out myself for acting like a fucking baby, especially for an rapper. But I really can’t help it and wanted to put something out on the topic because it’s pretty personal to me that I went to go see Pete Rock during my freshman year and wound up seeing a goofy kid with a ‘delicious vinyl’ shirt did like 5 songs, ‘day n nite’ being one of them, and liked him so much I bought the iTunes mp3 when I got home, and then about a year later, the radio has that track being one of the 5 or 6 they actually play. It was great to be so early on him, my roommates were pissed actually cause by the time everyone else seemed to catch on, they were already sick of the song. And for anyone who doesn’t know already, ‘embrace the martian’ is his best song by a long shot in terms of his verses, a Crookers beat and just it being a catchy dance song that has dope verses. I kind of chuckle every time I hear him talk about being Mr. Solo Dolo because he is far from that now. I wonder what it was like to have heard him before I did, such as his work that got him that spot opening, because not just anyone can open up for Pete Rock in New York City. Wale, Torae, and Skyzoo were also on the bill, and those guys are also pretty legit. OH well, I’m probably gonna regret posting such an unfocused and rambling personal piece right after the focused one I just put up but fuck it, I wrote it and its my blog so what says goes I guess. Anyone even read these by the way?

Losing your Fandom

Finding an undiscovered artist accidentally that you love is great. But there is always that jealous feeling that happens when the person gets another fan. Its great to mention someone that no one has heard of and then to play the song and turn them on completely on to the artist, and forever their fandom is something that you birthed, you are the parent of that persons appreciation for something beautiful. But then when you mention that artist to someone who has heard of them, you go “Oh, but have you heard THIS song?” and they say yeah, and you dig a little deeper until you can top them in terms of knowledge of an artist, thus reestablishing your superiority as a fan. But then there’s the moment when they get big, and get a music video or become the indie song that everyone loves, and just that one song, and you’re standing in the middle of a crowd yelling that they have another song that’s even better but no one can hear you because they are just enjoying the song of the moment. And you want to let go, you want to just enjoy the moment when something that was so close to you suddenly got so close to everyone else, but you can’t because while you truly love that artist, they are just going along with the crowd, and that’s not you. You aren’t just a part of the crowd, you are a big fan and an avid supporter of this person. You hunt them down and seek out them to see them for cheap in the basement of a church in Brooklyn. But that one song that catches on, it propels them too high for you to do that anymore. You have to pay big bucks to see them and there is someone who has their new stuff before you and its gone. That single moment where its you and 19 other people who love this beautiful thing is never coming back. You want to be so happy for the artist, and you are because they have fame and fortune while just being themselves, playing those songs you loved in the beginning for everyone else. But its so hard to go from being one of the 19 to being one of 5,000. It’s overwhelming to be banging along one day solo and then to suddenly open your eyes and be surrounded by people. And yes, it is extremely selfish and pretentious to say that you found them first and that you are the one true fan, but its not true, and you know it deep down, but you say it anyway because you want it to be true SO bad…but then everyone thinks your that one weird asshole and they back away and leave you alone. And once again, you are that one person, all alone, sitting at home listening while the others go and pay the $50 to see the artist that you loved so much once, and still do, but you cant…not in the same way. It’s a pure moment that has passed you by and either you join the mindless mob or you be the weird intellectual who drinks scotch alone on a Saturday night intentionally.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Captain America Reborn

To start, I just want to say that I read a good amount of comics if no one knew that. And I really do like Captain America the character and the book that bears his name. When he was killed a couple of years ago, I was sad, but dealt with it. Now, as he is coming back into the Marvel universe via “Captain America: Reborn” I am sadder than I was before, and not because of his death, but because instead of dying he was shot with a magical time bullet and got lost in time. I wish that there was a better rational for this, and *spoiler* Cap just got rescued from time and brought back to life, except with his arch nemesis, Red Skull, inhabiting his body. But a fucking time bullet? That is such unimaginable bullshit…of all the rationales they could have gone with to bring Steve Rogers back to life, they went with the “it wasn’t a real bullet, it was a time bullet” rationale? I am so infuriated by Ed Brubaker, an excellent writer, for going with this explanation without an ounce of irony about how ridiculous it is. And I fully grasp comic books and their ridiculousness: they’re comic books for god sake and shouldn’t be taken serious, but to go back and say that a character who was assassinated was actually shot with a bullet that got him lost in time is pushing the limits of what I will accept from a book. I will continue to read Captain’s stories because up until Reborn, they were brilliant tales of action and espionage, which is probably what made Marvel believe that they could get away with something that was so far “out there,” and that’s part of what is so infuriating. I know its bad and I should stop, but there is still that glimmer of hope that they title will get better eventually, and as long as the same creative team remains on it, I will be forced to keep reading, but really, fuck you Brubaker for doing this to the readers who don’t have a thumb stuck up their ass as they read the book. Side note, just to assure those of you out there who think he might’ve lost his mind, “Incognito” is still fucking fantastic whenever it comes out, which is rarely. So here’s to you Captain America for being so much. right up until you were shot with a time bullet. Gonna say it again: a time bullet that gets a person stuck in time. Time bullet.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Blade Opening Scene



The opening scene of BLADE isn’t perfect. There are shots that aren’t really good and some moments where the lighting continuity is just off, but the atmosphere set by the opening blood rave is amazing. I’m sorry, but the combination of blood coming down from the ceiling, the strobe light and the thumping techno just combine for this ridiculously cohesive moment of pure adrenaline that sets up this dark, sadomasochistic world where a wisecracking Wesley Snipes kicks vampire ass.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Raphael Saadiq's "Staying in Love"



I once read a review that said that Saadiq's rhythm was off on this song. I would want to ask that critic if anyone cares?

James Franco gueststars on General hospital



So...This is the promo for James Franco on an upcoming arc of 'General Hospital.' Anyone tivo this?

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Weezer Critics

Wow, so...I regress alot here apparently but I have just read multiple reviews for Weezer's new album "Raditude" and the reviews at their best say that the album is mediocre and at their worst they complain that it isn’t “Pinkerton.” Really? The reason you don’t like the album is because it isn’t “Pinkerton?” Dear god man, get out of your tight red jeans and take off your fake glasses, which I don’t care if they are just an accessory, make you look like a douche bag, and realize that Weezer as a band has become a pop music band that is still a whole lot better than most of the pop charts. The fact that they still play their own instruments and write their own songs is almost enough for me to just like them for doing that, regardless of the quality of their music. The fact that most of the songs on the album are fairly comprehensible and tolerable is an added bonus. So yes, Rivers Cuomo isn’t as witty and subversive as he used to be when you were in high school in the mid 90s, but I cant help but laugh openly at the ridiculousness of the Jermaine Dupri and Lil’ Wayne collaboration ‘Can’t Stop Partying’ which is like Rivers playing a joke on the two hip-hop acts, pointing out just how ludicrous their genre’s mainstream has become. I like that song for that reason, not because it’s actually a good song mind you. And for the most part, fuck, I like it. It’s better than “Make Believe” and it’s going to be something that I won’t delete and lose the disk on purpose like I did with “The Red Album.” And as funny as ‘Pork and Beans’ is, it’s still not elitist rock like the first two disks were. And I love those two albums, don’t get me wrong, but it’s true that they are smart rock n roll, while “Raditude” is less smart pop rock. There’s no edge or anything challenging about them, but I don’t hate something for being overeasily accessible. I like the new album. There, ‘nuff said. Haha, I can’t believe I said ‘nuff said and actually meant it to some degree. Seriously though, I like it for the right reason and it seems many people don’t like it for the wrong reason of comparing it to their other works. Doing that loses the fact that artists change, and we as listeners, should try it sometimes to. If it wasn’t for that, my dad wouldn’t like anything made after Jackson Brown in the 70s.

Staples Center Collapses and Kills the Clippers


Fatal Staples Center Collapse Brings Merciful Early End To Clippers Game


This shit had me cracking up...those poor fans

Monday, November 02, 2009

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil Trailer



An extended trailer of a horror comedy with the guy from Reaper and the always fantastic Alan Tudyk. The film is about two hillbillies in the woods who get mistaken for psycho killers by college students on vacation. Looks pretty god damned hysterical.

Christopher Walker reads 'Poker Face' by Lady Gaga

The Reviews