Gaga for Gaga

I've had a lot of time on my hands this summer, and have devoted a fair amount of time to the gym. While LA Fitness plays hits radio on the loudspeakers, I've gotta have control. I rock the iPhone without fail, using my Scosche soundKASE, which I pretty highly recommend, although I just saw a Belkin at my buddy's place, and was kinda jelly.

Now down to business, as the title suggests, I am a big fan of Lady Gaga's music.  A lot of it make's great gym music, with two of my recent favorites being a pair off the Fame Monster's "B-Sides."

Paper Gangsta is a pretty upbeat song about in this case....paper gangsters.  While I'm not too sure I know many of those, I love her line "Cause I do not accept any less, than someone just as real, as fabulous"  I'm totally behind that...don't settle for less than you deserve.

Starstruck is the latter of my two gems today.  The whole song is super sexy, but the chorus is really what puts me in a great mood and put some energy behind my swol sesh...

Yeasayers and MGMT Comparison?

I think The World's Best Ever is a pretty fantastic blog.  I've found a number of siiiick clothes, art works and musics over there, and they do a great job of keeping things simple: present awesome shit and let the reader figure it out for themselves whether they agree or not, no real explanation, just badassery.

I was checking them out on the reader when I came across their Madder Red video post (by Yeasayer). The song is pretty clutch, as is a bunch of their other work, but the video?  Well, you'll have to see for yourself.  Kristen Bell is in love with...something, and apparently doesn't have her priorities straight, because she let's her mother stay at home with it while it's spitting blood and pus and essentially dying, which I was unshockingly ok with (you'll see what i mean).



In this case, TWBE threw me for a loop and compared the preceding vid for Madder Red to a "prequel for MGMT's Congratulation video."  I'm not quiiiite sure I see it.  Can someone help me out?

Yikes!

So I have no good excuse why I haven't posted in over a month.  It's been a whirlwind of a summer, and I'm still getting used to this blogging thing.  I have been voraciously consuming a few tracks on the Temper Trap album, and while I've yet to see them live (shenanigans at Squatch and then $80 scalper tix when they came to Seattle have prevented it thus far), I have great hopes for their show.

The Aussie band has been on tour recently, doing shows across the US (Seattle, Sasquatch and Lollapalooza among them).  Interestingly enough, they're meeting up and will be performing with The Pixies in Mexico this October.  Now THAT'S the show to see.

I know Fader and Sweet Disposition (my fav of the two most popular) have been radio hits, but I am diggin on Love Lost.  The song intros with the organ and clapping leads us into to Dougy Mandagi's airy lead vocals and then a great beat laid by the drums and guitar.  The video, featuring at first a solo boy, then group of boys running through the rain, is quite appropes.  The whole song is fantastic to run to - maybe not for tearing up a 100m, but a fantastic three and a half minute portion of your 5k.

Cap Hill Block Party Tonight!

Block party starts in just 2 hours!  There are a bunch of great bands, and I hope I find some cool local stuff before the headliners come Holy Fuck! (yes!)), Yeahsayers and the big boys, MGMT.  I hope MGMT puts on a better show than they did at Sasquatch, as I was kinda disappointed with their energy there.

In case you don't know Holy Fuck!, you should.  My buddy Foxy introduced these guys to me back when I was in the 404.  Lovely Allen is one of my favorites.  Check it!

The Lo-cal Lo-down

So today we've got two awesome bands from Seattle, both of which will be at the Capitol Hill Block Party, near the end of this month (July 23rd - 25th), which I highly recommend attending.  These come on the rec from my girl Ace, who is totally hooked up with the Seattle music scene.  Big up yourself, chica.

Probably best to start with Mad Rad.  Now I'm not saying they're rowdy, but they were temporarily banned from a majority of Capitol Hill, after a run in with Neumo's security.  This energy translates into their music, which spans a number of genres and my itunes lists as "other."  There's a lot of hip hop influence, but that doesn't count out the rock or indie feel to a lot of their songs.  I like the first half of their 2008 White Gold album a bit more than the back-end, with songs like My Product, Superdope! and Glitzerland.

Now we get to Fresh Espresso.  Notice how one of the members looks like P Smoov from the Mad Rad pic above?  There's a reason for that.  Same dude....go figure.  He's paired up with MC Rik Rude (originally in Michigan, now chillin in the Bay) to lay some pretty dope tracks.  I think the Seattle Subsonic guys do a great job describing their unique style:

"they get one hand waving in the air while the other simultaneously strokes the nodding chin"

 Diamond Pistols seems to be the crowd favorite on their debut album Glamour.  While you're at it, check out their tribute to Styx, Vader Rap.  So tight!

The Knuckleheads

AWESOME time in Vegas with the boys.  Congrats Mark.  These two characters definitely contributed to the fun. I can't get enough of them!

There's not much out there on  Kentrell "Krispy" (left) and Alvin "Rah Almilliot" (right), but the Lindsay brothers are definitely worth getting to know.  The Knux, as they're more commonly known, are originally from New Orleans, but now get their badassery on in soCal, LA.  They've had a few songs featured on tv, including a snippet on Entourage season 5 (news flash, apparently people are still watching vinny chase smoke pot and chase tail) and in some movies, but for the most part have been pretty under the radar.  The LAist and MTV have some good material, if you want to give them a deeper look.  

My ears picked up when I heard their new(ish) album Fuck You for the first time.  It's got a few great tracks, but Whatchu Say is certainly one of my favs.  The song is some sort of mash up/tribute to the Imogen Heap song Hide and Seek, an awesome song in and of it's own right.

Aloe Blacc serves up some sweet MJ

No, not that MJ!

Heard this on the anniversary of MJ's death and couldn't find a version outside of a video.  Finally came across one, so wanted to post it...It's quite the soulful tribute to Msr Jackson, with his new Orleans Jazz influences coming through.  Love the slow beat accompaniment as well

In case you didn't know, Aloe Blacc is a badass singer, songwriter, rapper, musician.  He has a couple albums out (03 and 06) and just released some new stuff with Cradle, whom I need to dig into next...

Vegas tomorrow, but have a few dope tracks I hope to share soon.

mp3:  Billie Jean