Dance music does not usually get the credibility that it deserves. Actually, I take that back. Dance does not usually deserve the credibility that they crave. There was a moment of time, during the early 90s when grunge was swarming the American lands, when there were legitimately good songs that one could easily dance to and not be ridiculed at for liking it. Sure, you can occasionally find the classics on dance stations on the radio (WKTU in New York actually has a fairly decent playlist in rotation). However, they are overshadowed by the likes of over-synthesized beats, the latest reggaeton craze, remixes of extremely obnoxious pop songs, and Flo-Rida. One reason why I can sometimes hate my country; people like to intentionally make their internal ear organs bleed, so they continue to make their condition worse by listening to more bad tunes.
Luckily, there is some hope in the form of Sam Sparro.
Sparro was born in Australia, but raised in Los Angeles. An Americanized Aussie, that’s like getting the best of both worlds. He calls himself the Gay Superhero and dresses like a hipster, with his tight pants and plastic neon green Kanye West sunglasses. Despite his overall look, he has single-handedly managed to restore my faith in the craft of dance music with the release of his self-titled debut album.
The man knows how to properly work the synthesizer, notably in his first single, ‘Black and Gold’. He creates the scene of a modern underground lounge joint, painting the plot of a mysterious encounter that grows into this unusual dependency. Another one of my favorites (and what should be the next single), ‘21st Century Life’ reminds me of a childhood favorite, The Jetsons, and what I thought the future would be like. The future, for me, consisted of robotic-like vocals and the lack of any original instruments while being surrounded by neon lights and people who danced to their destination instead of walked. Nevertheless, my former dreams were reimbursed through this song. Even the more mediocre songs are rather enjoyable. The one major guilty pleasure of the album is a song entitled ‘Clingwrap’, where Sam raps and there seems to be a cameo from Alvin from Alvin and the Chipmunks fame.
This man needs to break big in America, stat. Also, he needs to go on tour. I imagine his concerts being full of glowsticks and foam. I’m always down with good dancing and flailing around neon lights.
MP3s!
Most of the times I don’t advocate love portrayed on film. It is usually the same old, same old. Boy lays eyes on girl, boy infatuates for a chunk of time while the girl plays hard-to-get in some way, boy/girl has an external/internal conflict and the girl/boy manages to get him/her out of the rut, boy and girl passionately kiss and/or fall right into some sort of sexy time, and at that point boy and girl realize they’re meant to be, all because of the events that occurred within a broken-up span of two weeks. This combination of repetitive motions creates the Fantastical Love Cliché.
A lot of unknowing people assume that this is how love is supposed to work, but that’s not really the case. Infatuation doesn’t have to involve games, and clashes don’t have to be created to put a spark into the budding relationship. If a romance meant to be, the connection that two people have and the time they share together would be more than enough to keep their egos and opinions from crashing all the time. See, this is why I love movies like Little Manhattan and Hannah Takes the Stairs. Both are honest portrayals of what love is really like (although playing clarinet naked in the bathtub with Significant Other isn’t particularly in my immediate future).
So, definition time. Love is a happy sort of confusing, but all the rhetorical questions eating up your mind is worth it if it leads to you finding the right partner. See, the great thing about most great relationships is that they seem to come out of nowhere. A random conversation leads to a random philosophical talk that leaves an imprint on your mind. That leads to a hangout that you don’t want to end, despite it lasting for more than half the day. You can’t get enough, so you spend more time with said person, even full-on days and nights, and not once do you begin to feel bored of their company. You begin to develop an emotional connection as you begin to figure out what your partner is all about. You soon realize that you cannot really complain about a single aspect of your partner because he or she is essentially perfect in your eyes.
What would you call it if you feel every single emotion that your significant other is feeling at the same exact time, even if you’re a certain distance away from them at that point? I’m currently at that state.
Geez, and I get this babbling from watching the final fifteen minutes of Crazy/Beautiful. I hate that movie so much, but it gave me a little bit of a break from the current writer’s block I’ve been having.
Anyway, along with this post I made a mix for it. The set list got a little screwed in the .zip process, but there’s some good tunage included. I title this one, Summer Love for the Ages. Enjoy!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: central park, cheap, city moments, friends, laughing hysterically, stephen lynch, summer
I’m in the midst of writing a somewhat enlightening post that might change at least half a life. In the meantime, I’ll review the show I went to on Friday night.
A few weeks back, Tori, Heather and myself were contemplating what randomly awesome free shows we can hit up during the three months we have off. One included a Central Park Summerstage show that included Mike Birbiglia, Stephen Lynch, and Julian….McSomething. Really, the main attraction would be Stephen Lynch, since he is a comic sex god who just so happened to be in the stage version of The Wedding Singer (I guiltily saw it three times…don’t judge). We had to hit it up, although I’m not so sure where Heather ended up.
Julian opened up. I really don’t remember his set, but he was funnier than Birbigs. Birbiglia performed at Fordham a couple of months back, and I found him pretty decent. This time…not so much. I’m honestly not too fond of segments that involve tumors in one’s bladder and peeing out blood, then somehow connecting that to surviving a bear ‘attack’. I chose to tune out after a while. I was hoping he would get into another bear attack in the near future.
After suffering from one and a half disappointing sets, Sex God Lynch finally came out, acoustic guitar and all. The man….brilliant. He sang a few of his greatest hits, “Special Ed”, “Craig”, “Vanilla Ice Cream”. He introduced a few future classics. While I don’t know exact titles, one was about a flamboyant Satan, another about the Big Fat Friend being a Big Fat Cock-Block, and one calling out the annoying fat slob sitting in front of our group by saying that he should instigate in some self-loving. A little gay, but still got me to laugh.
Favorite moment had to be when he Rick-Rolled the crowd of 5,000. Getting Rick-Rolled never gets old, especially when it’s done by somebody who doesn’t look like Rick Astley.
And then came the Dirty Sanchez song, which left a sour taste in my mouth. Lynch was singing with a friend, and he looked so familiar. It was only seven minutes ago that I realized that it was David Josephberg of “Altar Boys” and “Slut” fame. He should have sang the Herpes song instead.
While waiting for my brother to get back home so we can begin our Memorial Day double feature at one of the many local multiplexes, I begin to ponder (take note: I ponder way too often, and this gives me the real reason as to why I might overanalyze). Along with pondering, I begin to doubt.
Today’s topic of disruptment: intelligence. I’ve had a lot of people tell me that I am intelligent, due to my knowledge of random facts that many do not (and should not) know in the areas of obscure pop culture, music, the exact weather for the next month, intriguing articles I read in the many magazines I subscribe to or on Digg, and the right things to say at the right times. Oh, and being smart was the label most gave me because that was the crowd I hung around with and I had ‘the look’ of a smart person. Other people tell me that I’m not intelligent because of my tendency to think out loud and my laid-back personality. I’m not the type to freak out about not having a 4.0 GPA, so that means that I’m not thinking logically about my future.
Technically, I could be considered intelligent enough. When they measured my IQ a long way back, it was a 132. The people measuring my IQ were professionals, so I assume that they were right. Later on, my SAT scores were above-average, hitting an overall 1830 (about a 1900 if I wanted to count the ACTs). But, I have this feeling that intelligence cannot just be tested as such.
So, the question I would like to ask is (and since I put it in bold, I want you to take notice), what would you consider ‘intelligence’? Feel free to make your answer as abstract as possible, since I want to be a clarified as possible.
As an ender, I’m linking a short piece Isaac Asimov wrote on the same topic called, ‘What Is Intelligence, Anyway?‘. It’s a good 3-minute read, trust me on that.
EDIT: I just realized that I might sound a little pretentious. I assure you, I’m not even close to being so. This is just pure contemplation.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: begging, brooklyn, cheap, cold war kids, concerts, free, indie, manhattan, motown, rock, sharon jones & the dap-kings, summer, ted leo & the pharmacists, vampire weekend, we are scientists
Seeing that I don’t want to sit around the Island for the whole summer, missing out on the shows I really want to see, I’m going to drag a few people along with me to certain shows. The only problem is the matter of convincing them that this is a good idea. So, I have decided to compile a show list, along with explanations of why one should see said act and an mp3 to sample.
Vampire Weekend – June 14th @ 4:00 PM – Central Park Summerstage – free
There’s no question about it that Vampire Weekend is one of the biggest breakout bands of 2008. Throwing in an eclectic world music-styled flavoring to their already indie college alternative rock they’re trying to produce, it’s apparent that one can’t help but be drawn to their smart lyrics and simple guitar riffs & drumming. It’s perfect music to drag along with you to the beach. Try out Boston.
Cold War Kids – June 24th @ 7:00 PM – Prospect Park Bandshell – free
Okay, so most people know the Cold War Kids because they had their song, ‘Hang Me Up To Dry’ play during a scene in the first episode of Gossip Girl. I love GG, but they deserve more credibility than that. Each song paints a cinematic trailer in your head, where you can blueprint the plot, characters, setting, build-up, climax, and resolution within four minutes (more or less). For writers, CWK’s songs could be pretty inspiring, in case of writer’s block. Try out Saint John.
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – July 17th @ 7:00 PM – Castle Clinton – free
Okay, so this may be typical college music. You know, laid-back stoner vibe, acoustic guitar galore, and a lead singer that strangely resembles Ben Folds. But, what’s so wrong about that? The quality of Ted Leo’s songs are top-notch, with both upbeat and contemplative tunes that remain stuck in your head for long periods of time. Try out A Bottle of Buckie.
We Are Scientists – July 31st/August 1st @ 8:00 PM – Music Hall of Williamsburg/Bowery Ballroom – $16
Despite being born and raised in America, this duo (formerly a trio) is bigger in the United Kingdom. They like to consider their music, “rock music of the thoughtful, sometimes epic, often loud, vaguely danceable, implicitly humanist variety”. They summarize themselves perfectly. Anyway, their website is funny, as they like to review random objects and give weird advice. These guys have a sense of humor, which makes them more irresistible. Try out After Hours.
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – August 17th @ 3:00 PM – Central Park Summerstage – free
Modeling themselves after Gladys Knight & the Pips, among other Motown classics, Sharon Jones & Company create American classics during a more modern time. I assure you, you will probably be thrown in a time warp while listening to their songs, back in the day when Detroit was the hot spot in the musical world and Harlem was in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. The lyrics and instruments may sound dated, but when can you ever again say that you went to a real funk/soul concert? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Try out Stranded In Your Love.
Okay, five shows, four of them free. Price is clearly not an issue, so it’s alright to be a cheapo with me. So, please make my musical summer dreams come true?
Filed under: Contemplation | Tags: awkwardness, high school, identity realizations, reunions, teens, the in-crowd, This American Life
During these lazy Sunday days that I like to spend by my lonesome, I stumble upon shows that I wouldn’t even give a second glance during the weekday. One of my discoveries of today would be Showtime’s This American Life. I think the host’s name is Ira Glass. I like his glasses. They are very library chic/geeky galore.
To get back on topic, he had an act on the average American teenager during their high school’s picture days. You know those dreadful days; your parents try to put you in your best outfit and ‘best’ hair-do (which you will consider a don’t by a year or two afterwards) as you have photographers man-handle you to pose in the most flattering position. The pictures reflect nothing about the person, but each of the students can remember at least one thing about the person once glancing upon the photoshopped glory.
Fortunately for me, not many people in my class could do that with me. I was smart enough to not get close to many people in my grade, since they ended up being the same; shallow in their faux-California wardrobe, two-faced to even their best friends, and generally not very bright. They didn’t associate themselves with people who didn’t care about fitting in with the crowd. Again, I was perfect for the outsider crowd. I’ve always found myself talking to people who I had a few things in common with and could hold an intelligent conversation for more than five minutes (a bit pretentious of me, but its good to figure out who good companions can be). I shop in sales racks at department stores and go thrifting once every two months. I have a quirky sense of humor that few can understand. I knew my identity, and I wasn’t afraid of it. I think that intimidated a lot of people. Hence why they won’t remember me come ten years when flipping through their yearbooks. Which, I won’t really mind. They’ll be pleasantly surprised should I come to our awkward reunion.
Filed under: Contemplation | Tags: city moments, family, goodbyes, hellos, infatuation, intentional splurging of emotions, memories, philosophizing, quotes
There are in our life moments which our memories cannot recapture in words; only a recollection of fleeting fragile felings to which we dare not cling in case, in our eagerness to grasp at permanence and possession, we lose the very thing which keeps alive our hopes and dreams. So we stand absorbed in the contemplation of these luminous hopes, holding our breath, because we know that fulfilment and forever do not belong to this transient world. – Suchen Christine Lim (stole this via my Facebook)
There are a select amount of moments in one’s life where he or she has been significantly affected to the point where they have been changed and cannot go back to being the same person prior. I was talking about this with Dave last night after hanging out with him for the duration of the day. It was another one of those silly random four-hour conversations we like to have that seem to turn philosophical. He asked me my moments. It took me a while to think about what has really changed me as a person, but I came up with four.
1. I was in the second grade, and I was still in the mode where it was common for me to throw a tantrum about once a year. My dad was getting ready really slowly for the Father-Daughter Square Dance that I’ve been waiting all year for. By the time we get there, we weren’t allowed to join any squares since they were all full. I was enraged. I wouldn’t talk to my dad all the way home, except I managed to slip out a “I Hate You” before stomping up to my room. I never meant it, I would never mean it. Even though I was young, that mistake made me realize that the greatest relationship I will have with a person is with my dad. If I ever did anything to screw that up, it would be the biggest regret of my life.
2. Goodbyes for college were never really that hard for me. I knew I would see most of my friends again soon enough, and that if we kept in touch we would keep in touch. There was, of course, an exception, when my best friend Sean left for Scranton. He was having this small get-together the night before he was leaving, but he kicked everybody but me out so that way we can have our final goodbyes privately. That turned into a three-hour confessional on his front lawn looking at the stars until we were forced to part. I mean, it was a good preparation for future separations, since it’s inevitable we’re not going to live three minutes away from each other for the rest of our lives. But, laying on the grass as the dew was slowly starting to develop, I knew that I would be missing a piece of my heart if he wasn’t my friend. Despite getting into conflict every now and then, he was always there for me when I needed somebody the most. I cannot think of a better friend than him. People can only dream of having a friend like him.
3. & 4. are relatively new, occurring within the past two months, occurring with the same person (Dave). I can’t interpret yet if this means great things for our relationship, but everything is ending up how I wanted it to right now.
3. It was a few days into me and Dave’s blossoming friendship, and he asked me on that first Sunday if I wanted to go down to Chinatown with him, since he had to take some photos for his class and he would love for me to keep him company. I wasn’t doing anything, so naturally I said yes. We ended up spending 15 hours together. Wandering around Chinatown, hitting up the arcade while we tag-team in shooting games and me kicking his ass in Dance Dance Revolution, having a four-hour lunch at an underground Malaysian restaurant, getting through the entire series of the UK Office, and lying on the floor with his stomach as my pillow made to be a really great hang-out session. The cool thing about that day was that was the first real time I felt an instant connection with somebody. How could I not? Dave is one of the most personable people I’ve ever met in my life. We have a ton in common, and we can relate a lot. Also, it was one of the first times I felt comfortable enough with a person to actually have a meaningful conversation. Sure, I was just getting to know him at that point, but he intrigued me. I wanted to know more about him, and I wanted him to be a presence in my life. The nice thing about it all was that it was a near-effortless feat to be with him. We just…clicked.
4. was really recent, about two weeks ago. After an airing of the Lou Reed documentary, Berlin, me and Dave walked over to Battery Park to recover from what we just saw and to just spend some more time together. The setting was as perfect as it can get; dim city lights scattered about, fog hiding the sharpness of the buildings, a light drizzle to clean off the flaws of the city, and me standing with a guy that I can actually picture myself being with. For the next two hours we dug deep within ourselves and I probably had one of the most intimate conversations of my life. While I felt vulnerable, I was comfortable enough to tell him things that I kept from everybody else in my life. He didn’t find anything wrong with me being myself. Actually, he has been the first person who didn’t judge me for having certain traits or believing in certain things. I can just be my natural goofy self, and I’m not afraid of scaring him off. While this was going through my head, his arms were wrapped around my waist as we gazed at either the nighttime horizon or at each other. If I believed in a heaven, it would probably feel like that. More relationships should be like what we have; no rifts, no secrets, no worries. I don’t worry about the future when I’m with him, because I want to fully absorb every minute with him to the best of my abilities.
I think I have a focus for this blog, to summarize this introduction post. I want to write about meaningful subjects and work on my craft. I want to grow up, and I want others to experience it with me.
