I have no idea if anyone actually reads this, if you post something - anything! - in the comments, I'll buy you a beer, or a double-double, roll you a j, or do something else awesome that fits within the constraints of time, distance, and me being relatively broke. Yes, I am now bribing people to interact with me. Well, I was a long time (3 ish years) fraternity member, so some would say I should be used to it. WHATEVER WORKS FUCKERS. I want to see some activity!
oh yeah and obviously limit one per customer. and say something. i'm not buying you a god damned 30 rack or rolling you a carton of fatties because you posted "hi" 50 times in a row.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
EPIC BASS
THE EPICEST BASS. BASS. BASS. WHATEVER.
Little min post here, just to let all of you bass fiends (me. maybe jt pesos. will, if he ever reads this blog...) about this absolutely destructo-crushing mix that I was linked to by.. wait for it... my dad. See, Sasha Frere Jones (SFJ... google it), esteemed music critic, and New Yorker online blogger, shares my craving for fat crunchy LAZER BASS. And my dad, aging hipster that he is, loves el Nuevo Yorquero ( I mean I do too, but whatever), and so he passed along this little bad boy to me, just saying "this is a little beyond my comfort zone.. but thought maybe you'd like it". WELL HE WAS RIGHT. I DO!
TROUBLE & BASS FABRIC TAKEOVER PROMO MIX - FROM DISCOBELLE.NET - CLICK HERE. Fine. Direct link... HERE.
B-B-B-B-B-ONUS! MY FAVORITE TRACK FROM THE WHOLE GOD-DAMNED THING:
RICO TUBBS - BORN TO BOUNCE (SUPRA1 REMIX) - DOWNLOAD - SO EPIC... ASS LIKE THAT, SHE WAS BORN TO BOUNCE... BWAMP BWAMP BWAMP BWAMP CAN'T WAIT TO GET DRUNK AND BLAST THIS...
Oh! DOUBLE BONUS!
EDU K - RAVER LOVIN (NADASTROM REMIX) - DOWNLOAD - Well, y'all should know that I harbor an unhealthy obsession with Nadastrom from when I saw him tear it up dj'ing at club 9:30 in DC. B-More meets rave meets electro meets fat booty shaking bass. Another party banger. And who can't relate to needing a little raver lovin'?
TROUBLE & BASS FABRIC TAKEOVER PROMO MIX - FROM DISCOBELLE.NET - CLICK HERE. Fine. Direct link... HERE.
B-B-B-B-B-ONUS! MY FAVORITE TRACK FROM THE WHOLE GOD-DAMNED THING:
RICO TUBBS - BORN TO BOUNCE (SUPRA1 REMIX) - DOWNLOAD - SO EPIC... ASS LIKE THAT, SHE WAS BORN TO BOUNCE... BWAMP BWAMP BWAMP BWAMP CAN'T WAIT TO GET DRUNK AND BLAST THIS...
Oh! DOUBLE BONUS!
EDU K - RAVER LOVIN (NADASTROM REMIX) - DOWNLOAD - Well, y'all should know that I harbor an unhealthy obsession with Nadastrom from when I saw him tear it up dj'ing at club 9:30 in DC. B-More meets rave meets electro meets fat booty shaking bass. Another party banger. And who can't relate to needing a little raver lovin'?
Sunday, April 5, 2009
SotD: So Many Days Gone
Les Petits Pilous Sounds Like It Means The Small PillowsToo many days gone to get a song for each one... tonight at least, as I want to go upstairs and watch Dr. Strangelove, which Steve has been waiting to do since he finished off brewing the newest batch of delicious homemade beer. A Cream Ale today.. I'm stoked. I think we might have to start bringing beer stuff onto the blog, because homebrews rule, and beer is just amazing in general, but you don't need ME to tell you that. What you do need me for is getting some new tunes. Well, "need" might overstate the relationship, but let's just assume that someone might download these.
SONG OF THE DAY - 4/5/09 - SHIT I FORGOT TO POST FOR 3 WEEKS EDITION.
Today we have some non-bangers for the chill-out set, a medium-grooving disco take for the hipsters, and, of course, a few bonafide dancefloor exploders. EXPLODERS, I TELL YOU!
Chillness is female vocals, spare drum beats, and a barely there bassline that makes you want to light one up and lie back in a loving embrace on the couch. If there's actually someone with you even better, but the weed does a pretty good embrace if not.
1. Little Boots - New in Town (Fred Falke Remix) - DOWNLOAD - this one's for my good friend Ben, in reference to the need to chill out a bit after getting into road rage fist fights in hollywood...
2. La Roux - In For the Kill (Skream Remix) - DOWNLOAD & In For the Kill (Foamo's Remix of the Remix) - DOWNLOAD - Rainy days, long lost loves, etc. Smoke a cigarette while dramatically staring off into the distance while this one plays. Skream is morning times, Foamo is night.
Bangers are when 3000 people are all on the beach, drunk and salty and sweaty and wet and hot and just breaking it the fuck down, and then some shit comes busting out of the speakers that just gives everyone temporary epilepsy and that shit drops and you FREAK THE FUCK OUT. That's what it's all about, ladies and gentleman. Floatoapia 2009 was the illest, probably will never again be as cool as it was this year, so here's a song that made it bounce out on the sand on Saturday, and one to make it bounce on the dancefloor next Saturday.
1. Les Petits Pilous - Wake Up - DOWNLOAD - HOLY SHIT. Nuff' said. Absurdly dirty.
2. Proxy - Tha Raven (Les Petits Pilous Remix) - DOWNLOAD - Yes, yet another remix of that fantastically filthy track from Russian doom-meister Proxy, but damn if it isn't worth rocking out to. Strictly necesary? Maybe not, but then again, are dance parties? A little repetition through reinvention is great to groove to, and besides, now you have TWO Les Petits Pilous made tracks.
Oh Yeah! The 'medium bangers'. Just one - for the good times of the next day, when it's still nice out, and you're just taking it easy, getting life back together. Enjoyable.
1. Animal Collective - My Girls (Hatchmatik Disco Bootleg) - DOWNLOAD - A.C. are amazing. My Girls might be my favorite song of the year so far... cliche but true. So good. Add a little dance spice to the hauntingly catchy vocal hook with this mix.
SONG OF THE DAY - 4/5/09 - SHIT I FORGOT TO POST FOR 3 WEEKS EDITION.
Today we have some non-bangers for the chill-out set, a medium-grooving disco take for the hipsters, and, of course, a few bonafide dancefloor exploders. EXPLODERS, I TELL YOU!
Chillness is female vocals, spare drum beats, and a barely there bassline that makes you want to light one up and lie back in a loving embrace on the couch. If there's actually someone with you even better, but the weed does a pretty good embrace if not.
1. Little Boots - New in Town (Fred Falke Remix) - DOWNLOAD - this one's for my good friend Ben, in reference to the need to chill out a bit after getting into road rage fist fights in hollywood...
2. La Roux - In For the Kill (Skream Remix) - DOWNLOAD & In For the Kill (Foamo's Remix of the Remix) - DOWNLOAD - Rainy days, long lost loves, etc. Smoke a cigarette while dramatically staring off into the distance while this one plays. Skream is morning times, Foamo is night.
Bangers are when 3000 people are all on the beach, drunk and salty and sweaty and wet and hot and just breaking it the fuck down, and then some shit comes busting out of the speakers that just gives everyone temporary epilepsy and that shit drops and you FREAK THE FUCK OUT. That's what it's all about, ladies and gentleman. Floatoapia 2009 was the illest, probably will never again be as cool as it was this year, so here's a song that made it bounce out on the sand on Saturday, and one to make it bounce on the dancefloor next Saturday.
1. Les Petits Pilous - Wake Up - DOWNLOAD - HOLY SHIT. Nuff' said. Absurdly dirty.
2. Proxy - Tha Raven (Les Petits Pilous Remix) - DOWNLOAD - Yes, yet another remix of that fantastically filthy track from Russian doom-meister Proxy, but damn if it isn't worth rocking out to. Strictly necesary? Maybe not, but then again, are dance parties? A little repetition through reinvention is great to groove to, and besides, now you have TWO Les Petits Pilous made tracks.
Oh Yeah! The 'medium bangers'. Just one - for the good times of the next day, when it's still nice out, and you're just taking it easy, getting life back together. Enjoyable.
1. Animal Collective - My Girls (Hatchmatik Disco Bootleg) - DOWNLOAD - A.C. are amazing. My Girls might be my favorite song of the year so far... cliche but true. So good. Add a little dance spice to the hauntingly catchy vocal hook with this mix.
The Redemption of the Thorpe
Gotta Fight the Laziness...
Damn, it is way too fucking easy to not post. Spring break... then the rugged party times of the the first week back. Lots of opportunities to post, lots of good stuff to talk about, and where does it go? Well, those times are over. Posting is back. Daily songs, other shit as often as possible. Coachella previews coming soon, maybe some mixes, who knows - and if you're one the elite few who read this blog, we want your contributions. Be it a cool song you found, an interesting thought about the NBA, or just a fucking funny story - pitch in!
Anyways.
So back in the day, before things done changed, I sent some questions to esteemed espn.com analyst and pro baller trainer David Thorpe, and sadly thought he wasn't gonna get back to me... well, as you could probably guess by now, he did! And it was actually a while ago, and it's just been me being lazy that's prevented this post from going up. So here we go, offical first april post: Barely Educated talks Trevor Ariza w/the Thorpester.
(Barely Educated): Trevor pretty clearly is a valuable contributing member of the Lake Show, and I remember him always playing well in his brief chances in NY (where he was held up as part of Isiah's drafting acumen.. and can't hate on that! [just everything else]), and Orlando... basically noone's every denied he's a talented kid... so why did it take this long for him to get some consistent minutes?
(David Thorpe): I think Ariza has just been a little unlucky in terms of who has been in front of him and who is coaching him. He's in a great spot now, so seeing him blossom is not surprising.
(Barely Educated): How many Brian Cooks is Trevor Ariza worth? 3? 5? Also, why does Brian Cook have the facial hair of a vagrant? Laker fans have only contempt for the Cookie Monster.
(David Thorpe): [Thorpe didn't answer this. Perhaps Brian Cook's playing for the Magic, and hence his close promixity to DT (who is based in the Tampa area) means he didn't want to start beef. I stand by Cook's worthlessness]
(Barely Educated): Let's assume that Orlando traded him b/c they thought he couldn't shoot the 3 (so vital in SVG's system). Although Ariza is no Ray Ray/Peja/etc., he's making about 30% of his attempts this year, and from my perspective at least, his stroke looks decent - maybe he'll never be a 40% guy, but 35% doesn't seem improbably to me, with more reps. Was this more a case of him always having had the fundamental ability but not being given the chance, or does his form look actually improved since his days in Orlando? Trevor seems to be a hard worker, so I could see either one.
(David Thorpe): He looks smoother and more confident in his jumper, and I expect it to get better for 3 or 4 more years straight. Learning when to shoot and where to take the shots from will help his % increase as well
(Barely Educated): On that note, could you briefly assess his progress as a ball handler? When we traded for him the rep was that he was a jumper, that's all, but he's shown more than that in LA.
(David Thorpe): [I think Thorpe just answered this question in his answer to the the next one. Maybe. I'll take it.]
(Barely Educated): Finally, given all of the above, what do you see as Trevor Ariza's ceiling? Very-good non-All Star (a la battier/bowen)? Couple time all-star? Essential key to title runs (Dennis Green/Michael Cooper)? Something else? I'm driver of the Trevor Ariza Will One Day Be An All Star Bandwagon... let's hope I didn't jinx it.
(David Thorpe): I've always thought of him as a basketball player that is a phenomenal athlete, not the other way around. He just needed to grow into the player we expected him to be, just like everyone else. I expect him to keep getting better at all aspects of the game and turn into a very good starter. It's possible that he earns an all-star birth one day, but not so likely. But I'm a big fan of his game
(Barely Educated): Bonus Questions: what's your favorite food? favorite hip-hop song if any? favorite opera? favorite seinfeld episode? favorite character? Is Lamar still Elaine with the way he's been playing? Who wins in a fight, Ronny Turiaf or Josh Powell (a.k.a. ronny 2.0)?
(David Thorpe): I'd have to say my favorite food is most kinds of sushi or sushi rolls (especially from Ban Thai). Not sure about favorite hip-hop (there are many) but I really like "Miss Independent" right now, reminds me of my wife when we met 22 years ago. I love "Turandot" and specifically the aria "Nessun Dorma". Best Seinfeld episode is impossible to name, but I love "The Switch" because I got to know it's lead writer, Sam Kass, and he sent me a copy of the script. George's dad is amazing, but I love all of them. No, Lamar is definitely not Elaine right now, and I hope he never returns to that role (Batgirl either, for that matter). Powell is a tough kid, very tough.
There you have it! Pretty politically correct, but you probably don't want to rip on the huge athletes you work with every summer. And I think we all new Powell was gonna win that one. Now if only Lamar can keep not being Elaine when Bynum returns...
Anyways.
So back in the day, before things done changed, I sent some questions to esteemed espn.com analyst and pro baller trainer David Thorpe, and sadly thought he wasn't gonna get back to me... well, as you could probably guess by now, he did! And it was actually a while ago, and it's just been me being lazy that's prevented this post from going up. So here we go, offical first april post: Barely Educated talks Trevor Ariza w/the Thorpester.
(Barely Educated): Trevor pretty clearly is a valuable contributing member of the Lake Show, and I remember him always playing well in his brief chances in NY (where he was held up as part of Isiah's drafting acumen.. and can't hate on that! [just everything else]), and Orlando... basically noone's every denied he's a talented kid... so why did it take this long for him to get some consistent minutes?
(David Thorpe): I think Ariza has just been a little unlucky in terms of who has been in front of him and who is coaching him. He's in a great spot now, so seeing him blossom is not surprising.
(Barely Educated): How many Brian Cooks is Trevor Ariza worth? 3? 5? Also, why does Brian Cook have the facial hair of a vagrant? Laker fans have only contempt for the Cookie Monster.
(David Thorpe): [Thorpe didn't answer this. Perhaps Brian Cook's playing for the Magic, and hence his close promixity to DT (who is based in the Tampa area) means he didn't want to start beef. I stand by Cook's worthlessness]
(Barely Educated): Let's assume that Orlando traded him b/c they thought he couldn't shoot the 3 (so vital in SVG's system). Although Ariza is no Ray Ray/Peja/etc., he's making about 30% of his attempts this year, and from my perspective at least, his stroke looks decent - maybe he'll never be a 40% guy, but 35% doesn't seem improbably to me, with more reps. Was this more a case of him always having had the fundamental ability but not being given the chance, or does his form look actually improved since his days in Orlando? Trevor seems to be a hard worker, so I could see either one.
(David Thorpe): He looks smoother and more confident in his jumper, and I expect it to get better for 3 or 4 more years straight. Learning when to shoot and where to take the shots from will help his % increase as well
(Barely Educated): On that note, could you briefly assess his progress as a ball handler? When we traded for him the rep was that he was a jumper, that's all, but he's shown more than that in LA.
(David Thorpe): [I think Thorpe just answered this question in his answer to the the next one. Maybe. I'll take it.]
(Barely Educated): Finally, given all of the above, what do you see as Trevor Ariza's ceiling? Very-good non-All Star (a la battier/bowen)? Couple time all-star? Essential key to title runs (Dennis Green/Michael Cooper)? Something else? I'm driver of the Trevor Ariza Will One Day Be An All Star Bandwagon... let's hope I didn't jinx it.
(David Thorpe): I've always thought of him as a basketball player that is a phenomenal athlete, not the other way around. He just needed to grow into the player we expected him to be, just like everyone else. I expect him to keep getting better at all aspects of the game and turn into a very good starter. It's possible that he earns an all-star birth one day, but not so likely. But I'm a big fan of his game
(Barely Educated): Bonus Questions: what's your favorite food? favorite hip-hop song if any? favorite opera? favorite seinfeld episode? favorite character? Is Lamar still Elaine with the way he's been playing? Who wins in a fight, Ronny Turiaf or Josh Powell (a.k.a. ronny 2.0)?
(David Thorpe): I'd have to say my favorite food is most kinds of sushi or sushi rolls (especially from Ban Thai). Not sure about favorite hip-hop (there are many) but I really like "Miss Independent" right now, reminds me of my wife when we met 22 years ago. I love "Turandot" and specifically the aria "Nessun Dorma". Best Seinfeld episode is impossible to name, but I love "The Switch" because I got to know it's lead writer, Sam Kass, and he sent me a copy of the script. George's dad is amazing, but I love all of them. No, Lamar is definitely not Elaine right now, and I hope he never returns to that role (Batgirl either, for that matter). Powell is a tough kid, very tough.
There you have it! Pretty politically correct, but you probably don't want to rip on the huge athletes you work with every summer. And I think we all new Powell was gonna win that one. Now if only Lamar can keep not being Elaine when Bynum returns...
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Guest Post: Anger Management For Your March Madness
A guest post from my 13 (!) year old cousin:
What's going through the mind of a champion (and Kobe when he drops more than 30 points)
OR
What every underdog envisions in the tourney
So as I'm watching the second round games of the tourney and realizing how boring of a tournament this may turn out to be (and how so far, 37 out of my 48 picks have been correct), when something hit me: this year's amateur ballers striving to be the cream of the crop are going to be next year's NBA Draft picks - and the only true Cinderella this year is Arizona. But March Madness shouldn't be a time of "madness." In fact, I think it's just the opposite - until the Final Four anyway. It's when you spend your weekends watching over-hyped games - that either end with a conversial steal and dunk/lay-up by the best black guy in the game or that white guy who shoots 95.8% from the free throw line hitting 2 free throws in the "clutch" - while sipping down an ice tea, and checking your bracket every hour. While it may seem like an exciting display of basketball - much more interesting than the NBA - it's also a league of uncontrollable, extremely confused and usually lucky players and teams.
But what makes March Madness so special? TRADITION. March Madness was built on the success of UCLA, college basketball's Celtics, the amusement of watching the white guys at Duke who bust in the NBA, the coaches who just want to get their paycheck, the black guys from the Big East - oh and Dick Vitale hoarse throat. But most of all, it's the thrill of watching those with their backs to the wall beat those who owned the wall. It's about watching miraculous comebacks that you will never see in the NBA. The perfect example of this is Gonzaga against UCLA in '07 (I think it was in the Sweet 16). Down by about 16 or 18 points with 11 minutes to spare, UCLA was losing to Adam Morrison, who ends up seeing a picture of himself crying taped to his locker on his first day as a Laker (clever tricks by former-Bruins Ariza and Farmar). But Cedric Bozeman stole the ball, passed it up for a lay-up, and UCLA moved on. Even the greatest college player of all-time, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar agreed to turning off his T.V. with three minutes left. It seemed hopeless. But in a classic defense vs. offense clash, Jordan Farmar and Afflalo led the Bruins to a victory. The ultimate comeback. A disciplined team against an offensive jugernaut. That's what basketball is all about.
Enough with the NCAA for now though. Believe it or not, the NBA season isn't over yet and there still is a heated MVP race between Kobe and Lebron, even though D Wade should make a run for it too. But as I was reflecting on the MVP candidates, I couldn't help but associate them with Shakespearean characters. Lebron James is the Julius Caesar of the NBA. Most call him "the king" and has hypnotized his "witnesses" in droves (ex. a regular two-handed lay-up, with no fancy tricks at all, get Lebron ay least top 3 finish on Sports Center). But Kobe, being the noble person he is, is Brutus. Well-respected and will go on to murder the king, but does it for the good of his republic (a.k.a. the Lakers) and not out of jealousy. D Wade is Marc Antony, often seen with and a close friend of Caesar, is not the most powerful in the kingdom but does find a way to deceive those around him in the end. And while we're making these strange comparison, Chris Paul is Octavius. Currently young and inexperienced but is a good work-in-progress and heir to the throne. Paul Pierce is Cassius, jealous of those above him and talks crap about them whenever he gets a chance. Verdict: Lebron will most likely win MVP, and when he does, you can bet Cleveland fans will start complaining about why he wasn't also awarded the Defensive Player of the Year honors (which KB24 should be a candidate for).
RECOGNITION from one of my heroes in sportswriting:
"Ben--
We're kind of on hold for the moment, since I"m trying to vacation and sort out some other stuff while sticking with my paid engagements. But some advice, from the FD perspective: It seems like there's like three different stories packed in here. I like your take on the Kobe/Bron/Wade axis, especially because it includes Paul. But I'd do it as several character studies that, while framed in terms of Shakespeaer, offer the characters as points of reference or comparisons, not X=Y.
I also think there's something to be said for the tradition/madness binary in the NCAA tournament, but doesn't the "tradition and excellence" part only sink in during the later rounds? The first week(end) is entirely nuts, and no one knows what's going on, and shit can seem largely random.
Best,
Shoals "
(ED NOTE: HOLLLARRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!)
Brief Music Alert: check out MSTRKRFT's new album, First of God. (I'll try to review that album on another post).
The Black Eyed Peas are back -yup, that group with the black people and Fergie have reunited. If you've been to an NBA game, you've probably heard "Let's Get It Started" - and thought nothing of it. But the 808s in their latest single, Boom Boom Pow, make for a unique song, to say the least. Will.i.am's creativity and clarity along with Taboo's articulation are probably the greatest elements of the song. But the producer probably slacked off a little bit, allowing tens of seconds to pretty much be a bass pattern with vocals. But Fergie, amazingly enough, contributes that crucial swagger necessary to get airplay.
MUSIC
Justice vs. Ratatat (Bearbot Mash-up) -A dope blend of We Are Your Friends and Seventeen Years
Intergalactic vs. DJ Khaled- If you miss the class of the Beastie Boys, and are looking for a good techno vibe - rap combo - you should download this track.
What's going through the mind of a champion (and Kobe when he drops more than 30 points)
OR
What every underdog envisions in the tourney
So as I'm watching the second round games of the tourney and realizing how boring of a tournament this may turn out to be (and how so far, 37 out of my 48 picks have been correct), when something hit me: this year's amateur ballers striving to be the cream of the crop are going to be next year's NBA Draft picks - and the only true Cinderella this year is Arizona. But March Madness shouldn't be a time of "madness." In fact, I think it's just the opposite - until the Final Four anyway. It's when you spend your weekends watching over-hyped games - that either end with a conversial steal and dunk/lay-up by the best black guy in the game or that white guy who shoots 95.8% from the free throw line hitting 2 free throws in the "clutch" - while sipping down an ice tea, and checking your bracket every hour. While it may seem like an exciting display of basketball - much more interesting than the NBA - it's also a league of uncontrollable, extremely confused and usually lucky players and teams.
But what makes March Madness so special? TRADITION. March Madness was built on the success of UCLA, college basketball's Celtics, the amusement of watching the white guys at Duke who bust in the NBA, the coaches who just want to get their paycheck, the black guys from the Big East - oh and Dick Vitale hoarse throat. But most of all, it's the thrill of watching those with their backs to the wall beat those who owned the wall. It's about watching miraculous comebacks that you will never see in the NBA. The perfect example of this is Gonzaga against UCLA in '07 (I think it was in the Sweet 16). Down by about 16 or 18 points with 11 minutes to spare, UCLA was losing to Adam Morrison, who ends up seeing a picture of himself crying taped to his locker on his first day as a Laker (clever tricks by former-Bruins Ariza and Farmar). But Cedric Bozeman stole the ball, passed it up for a lay-up, and UCLA moved on. Even the greatest college player of all-time, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar agreed to turning off his T.V. with three minutes left. It seemed hopeless. But in a classic defense vs. offense clash, Jordan Farmar and Afflalo led the Bruins to a victory. The ultimate comeback. A disciplined team against an offensive jugernaut. That's what basketball is all about.
Enough with the NCAA for now though. Believe it or not, the NBA season isn't over yet and there still is a heated MVP race between Kobe and Lebron, even though D Wade should make a run for it too. But as I was reflecting on the MVP candidates, I couldn't help but associate them with Shakespearean characters. Lebron James is the Julius Caesar of the NBA. Most call him "the king" and has hypnotized his "witnesses" in droves (ex. a regular two-handed lay-up, with no fancy tricks at all, get Lebron ay least top 3 finish on Sports Center). But Kobe, being the noble person he is, is Brutus. Well-respected and will go on to murder the king, but does it for the good of his republic (a.k.a. the Lakers) and not out of jealousy. D Wade is Marc Antony, often seen with and a close friend of Caesar, is not the most powerful in the kingdom but does find a way to deceive those around him in the end. And while we're making these strange comparison, Chris Paul is Octavius. Currently young and inexperienced but is a good work-in-progress and heir to the throne. Paul Pierce is Cassius, jealous of those above him and talks crap about them whenever he gets a chance. Verdict: Lebron will most likely win MVP, and when he does, you can bet Cleveland fans will start complaining about why he wasn't also awarded the Defensive Player of the Year honors (which KB24 should be a candidate for).
RECOGNITION from one of my heroes in sportswriting:
"Ben--
We're kind of on hold for the moment, since I"m trying to vacation and sort out some other stuff while sticking with my paid engagements. But some advice, from the FD perspective: It seems like there's like three different stories packed in here. I like your take on the Kobe/Bron/Wade axis, especially because it includes Paul. But I'd do it as several character studies that, while framed in terms of Shakespeaer, offer the characters as points of reference or comparisons, not X=Y.
I also think there's something to be said for the tradition/madness binary in the NCAA tournament, but doesn't the "tradition and excellence" part only sink in during the later rounds? The first week(end) is entirely nuts, and no one knows what's going on, and shit can seem largely random.
Best,
Shoals "
(ED NOTE: HOLLLARRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!)
Brief Music Alert: check out MSTRKRFT's new album, First of God. (I'll try to review that album on another post).
The Black Eyed Peas are back -yup, that group with the black people and Fergie have reunited. If you've been to an NBA game, you've probably heard "Let's Get It Started" - and thought nothing of it. But the 808s in their latest single, Boom Boom Pow, make for a unique song, to say the least. Will.i.am's creativity and clarity along with Taboo's articulation are probably the greatest elements of the song. But the producer probably slacked off a little bit, allowing tens of seconds to pretty much be a bass pattern with vocals. But Fergie, amazingly enough, contributes that crucial swagger necessary to get airplay.
MUSIC
Justice vs. Ratatat (Bearbot Mash-up) -A dope blend of We Are Your Friends and Seventeen Years
Intergalactic vs. DJ Khaled- If you miss the class of the Beastie Boys, and are looking for a good techno vibe - rap combo - you should download this track.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
SOtD: Slackin'
DONE-ZO!
Yes Yes Y'allWell, as you can probably guess from the headline, I have in fact survived finals. I have emerged the insomniac daze in which I wandered for the last week, ready to break it down. By my count I've missed 3 days of SOtD's... so here's a post to make up for all that! I'm falling back into my banger's habit though, so if you don't like to get funky to super loud basslines going WONK WONK WOOOOOOKAKAKAKAKAKA! then you probably will not enjoy this post as much. But if you are... FEAST YOUR EARS! BECAUSE I TELL YOU MOTHERFUCKERS, I'M GONNA BE BUMPING THESE TRACKS AT MAXIMUM VOLUME AT ABOUT 2 AM TONIGHT, AND I WANT TO SEE YOU ALL THERE UNDER THE BLACKLIGHT GETTIN' FUNKY. DO IT.
SOtD: WE'RE DONE WITH FINALS LET'S GET CRUNK EDITION: 3/17-3/20. AS ALWAYS - ARTIST - SONG - DOWNLOAD - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.
STAGE ONE: DRINKIN' BEERS, SIPPIN DRANK:
1. - BLACK ELEMENT - IT'S ALL RELATIVE (FAMILY FIRST) - DOWNLOAD = WAIT, HIP-HOP? FROM BOSTON? WTF IS GOING ON HERE? Well, it's just too damn West Coast to ignore, ironically enough. Old skool sample heavy chorus, flutes and horns, laid back rhymes about your fam... put this on to keep the atmosphere mellow while sober people are still showing up...
2. - BUCKETHEADS - THE BOMB (JOHN MAZELLA REMIX) - DOWNLOAD = This one is really just good because that little vocal sample is so good, but just cause it's simplistic doesn't mean it's not a shitload of fun...
3. - DJ MEHDI - TUNISIA BAMBAATA (MERCURY REMIX) - DOWNLOAD = WHAT'S THAT? THE 30 RACK'S JUST ABOUT GONE? Sheeeeeit! The spot is starting to get a little crackin', people in the kitchen starting to take out the vodka, making screwdrivers and greyhounds (vod+grapefruit juice..it's dank. try it), all the dude's on beer 4 or 5, definitely a little loosey goosey attitude starting to spread... so we put on this track, somewhere in between an electro banger and morocco... Toes are definitely starting to tap...
STAGE TWO: SHOTS!
1. - HEAVYFEET - WE GETTIN CRUNK (A1 BASSLINE REMIX) - DOWNLOAD = A1 BASSLINE OWNS MY BRAIN! Alright, vodka just ran out, oh shit, is that a handle of cuervo? NAH BITCH IT'S TITO'S! AMERICA, FUCK YEAH! Pretty self-explanatory - the song is about getting crunk, and A1 Bassline is always sick.
2.- DESIGNER DRUGS - BACK UP IN THIS(LE CASTLE VANIA + TOO MANY REMIX) - DOWNLOAD = People are now legitimately drunk. Dance party is suggested. The vodka's gone, so now everyone's taking shots of crown or henny because that's what's left. Start the dance party off by combining fat speakers with this song's overwhelming and ever-building bassline. When that shit drops you'll feel it in your chest, look up, and realize shit just. got. real.
3. - JACK BEATS - GET DOWN - DOWNLOAD = OH MY FUCKING GOD. props to tommy la hancha blancha for turning me on to this song. God. Damn. Just the sickest wobbly bassline, backed up by a seriously fucking pumped beat. HIGH ENERGY LEVEL. The blacklight just came on, and is that a strobe? Seriously. Is that girl breakdancing?
4. - DANCE AREA - AA 24/7 (DIPLO REMIX) - DOWNLOAD = D-D-D-D-DIPLO! Straight genius from Diplo... jt pesos posted this a little bit ago, but it bears re-posting. At this point, everyone's breaking it down, every single drop of booze has been consumed, the strobe is bustin', and then... THUMP THUMP THUMP... Bmore beats dropping like bombs, straight LAZER bass slicing through... great way to mix it up a bit from the straight electro feel...
5. - MR.OIZO - POSITIF (DJ MANAIA REMIX) - DOWNLOAD = I'm tired of writing descriptions. The friendly bmore beat that opens the song is just a trick to get people moving for the crazy oizo synths. definitely everyone should be tanked if this is coming on. WOO! YEAH!
6. - A1 BASSLINE - BAD MAN HORROR THEME - DOWNLOAD & BADMAN HORROR THEME (MUSTARD PIMP REMIX) - DOWNLOAD = We've been over this. A1 Bassline is the shit. The Mustard Pimp remix turns it from a song in a guy ritchie movie's big scene to the song from guy ritchie's nightmares.
STAGE THREE: CROSSFADED.
1. ESSER - LET'S WORK IT OUT (A1 BASSLINE REMIX) - DOWNLOAD = It's 2:30 am, there's 5 people left and everybody's drunk is starting the turn into fatigue... fortunately, one fat j later, everyone gets a sudden burst of energy, and breaks it down hard one last time. Times like these call for fat beats but also that pop vocal hook, make everyone realize how much fucking fun the night was.
2. CALVIN HARRIS - I'M NOT ALONE (DEADMAU5 REMIX) - DOWNLOAD = 4 am, dance party offically over, black light off, normal lights on, everyone's just wiped, collapsed on the couch. Another j, dj software off, put this on in itunes and walk away and collapse yourself.. Let the beat wash over you, smile, and get ready for tomorrow night...
THE END
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