11/27/08

hell hath no fury...

...like a 400 mile trek from a southern metropolis to a northern region. Call it a mixture of bad factors, such as holiday congestion, rainy weather, and bad timing, but either way, when it takes 2 hours to drive 14.6 miles, something is obviously wrong.

Happy Turducken Day everybody!

"so...what do you think of the dunkin donuts conspiracy?"
-JW

11/25/08

#1 on my charts, part 2

Today: Covers, Electronic, and Really Sad Songs (AKA breakup songs)

So for the next few days, I'm going to be posting my favorite tracks from my favorite genres. Not neccessarily what I'd make a full blown playlist out, but rather the stuff I wouldn't mind on repeat.

Covers

#1 On My Charts Pt. 2 - Covers

Cover artists are an interesting breed. An artist can choose to completely re-interpret the song into their own style, allowing the listener to discern the tune and appreciate the song in a new light. Or, a cover artist can try and mimic the song in every way in order to stay true to the original, but adding their own creative sound to it. Either way, it's tough to get it right. The following list is not full of perfect covers, but rather ones I feel were done well enough to catch my ears.

Chris Cornell - Billy Jean
Song Covered - Billy Jean by Michael Jackson
Oh, it takes guts to cover the king of pop. Many who do run a risk of butchering the original, making it no longer a tribute but more of a karaoke session. But Chris Cornell takes the track, slows it down, and turns it into his own. Had you not known the tune before, it would stand alone as a beautiful ballad lamenting all that could go wrong on those fateful nights.

Obadiah Parker - Hey Ya
Song Covered - Hey Ya by Outkast
The first time I heard this track, I literally laughed out loud. Perhaps it's because I didn't expect the song to be what it is, or maybe it's because I first saw it on youtube completely lip synched to the actual music video, but either way, this guy does a fine job of staying true to the tune.

Passion - So Sick
Song Covered - So Sick by Ne-Yo
Had I not known that Passion had done this rendition, I would have beleived this was actually Ne-Yo on the guitar.

Rhett Miller - Girl
Song Covered - Girl by the Beatles
One of my favorite Beatles tracks, I was glad to hear a cover that didn't stray too far away from the original. I can easily say that I would enjoy listening to either version repeatedly on repeat.

A Perfect Circle - Imagine
Song Covered - Imagine by John Lennon
Alot of people don't view this rendition in the highest regard, but I try to keep an open mind. Sure, it completely changes the whole mood of the song, but that's the point. If John Lennon had instead decided to sing in the minor key, this would probably be close to what it would sound like. The message still gets across though.

Sonic Youth - Superstar
Song Covered - Superstar by the Carpenters
Once again, a classic track with a modern feel. Both versions give off the same aura, and yet are distinct to each own's generation.

Scala & Kolacny Brothers - Creep
Song Covered - Creep by Radiohead
One of my favorites by Radiohead, this song has been often remixed, covered, rendered, what have you. There are acoustic, electronic, acapella, and even orchestrated versions of this song. But my favorite? This version. There's just something tingling about hearing a heavenly sounding women's choir singing "I'm so fucking special" with a hint of a Belgian accent.

Igudesman and Joo - I Will Survive
Song Covered - I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor
Have you ever heard of these guys? They're hilarious. And talented. And inventive. And downright amazing. If you must know, yes, at 2:32, the violinist begins playing with an electric nail filer, and yes, at 2:56, he takes that electric filer, and plays it on the piano strings at just the right areas to get the right chords, and yes, at 3:29, that is another song snuck in there that some of you may appreciate.

Electronic

#1 On My Charts Pt. 2 - Electronic

No, I ain't gonna deny it. There was a time I was into trance and techno and all that fun stuff back in the day. It was the advent of the popularity of the Rave, and I rode along with it. I avoided the drugs and the wild parties, but I did enjoy the music. My taste in it has toned down, and even my choice of music you'd call "electronic" has toned down to more mellow tunes that are influenced from trip hop and even new age.

Ratatat - Mirando
So many elements in this song keep this fun track catchy and interesting.

Air - La Femme D'Argent
I can't help but imagine myself flying over the horizon while listening to this euphoric track.

Fatboy Slim - Right Here Right Now
Dramatic and melodic, this is Fatboy Slim at his best.

Enigma - The Eyes of Truth
Many of you may recognize this as the tune that showed up in all those Matrix trailers. You won't hear it till about 4:06, but you'll definitely appreciate the rest of the track as well.

Rob D - Clubbed to Death
Another track that the Matrix borrowed a clip from, this song provides all the menacing undertones you'll need in a sci-fi thriller. Next, I have to learn how to play that piano break.

Burial - Archangel
Now here's something I wouldn't mind getting high to.

Sad Love Songs

#1 On My Charts Pt. 2 - Really Sad Songs

Oh, the break up songs. Stuff you'd listen to when you're feeling down in the dumps after that horrible split with your significant other. One would think that you should listen to happier songs to get out of that horrible horrible mood, but there are just some days when you just want to listen to something that reflects your state of being.

No Doubt - Don't Speak (Acoustic)
The break up ballad for all love struck and lost teenagers of the 90s, now even more emotional and powerful with the acoustic simplification of the track.

Gnarls Barkley - Who's Gonna Save My Soul?
You can't hear this song and watch the video without feeling some sort of emotion. Look it up on youtube. But let me warn you, it's not for the faint of heart.

Maroon 5 - Nothing Lasts Forever
Ignoring the fact that the chorus is recycled from the bit they did for Kanye, every part of this song evokes a somber sense of resignation to failure in love.

Michael McDonald - I Keep Forgetting
This was my personal anthem for the longest time. A song that helps personify those of us who "keep forgetting."

Wham! - Careless Whisper
Can't forget this classic.

Santana - She's Not There (rendition)
A wonderful job at covering this Zombie classic, Santana gives us his rendition of a track dedicated to deception and mistakes made in love.

India Arie - Good Morning
A heartfelt track of a realization of the reality of a situation and the eventual acceptance that many of us may find very easy to relate to.

Limp Bizkit - Don't Go Off Wandering
My quintessential anthem for those really nasty breakups.

Next time: Oldies, Soul, and Funk

"how could I forget the guy who gave me Christmas in my mouth?"
-LS

11/23/08

#1 on my charts, part 1

With all the talks of favorite songs I’ve been having lately, I almost feel compelled to actually take the effort to actually take note of what my favorite songs actually are.

Whenever somebody asks me what kind of music I listen to, I usually answer “everything from alternative to Zimbabwan pop, although I’m not sure if the latter exists.” Many may see this as some sort of lame way of saying the already lame answer of “everything.”

But for me, it’s actually true. I have favorites in oldies, jazz, hip-hop, classical, and even electronic. In other words, like many other people, my favorite tastes in music transcend genres.

So let’s get started here. Every few days, and in no particular order, I’m going to be posting up a list of my favorite songs within certain (often over-generalized) genres. Not to say that these songs are the only songs I’ll listen to from this genre, but rather my ultimate favorites that I wouldn’t mind putting on repeat for the next few years.

Today, Hip-Hop, Love Songs, and Jazz.

Hip Hop

#1 On My Charts Pt. 1 - Hip Hop
Hip Hop. Rap. Beats. Call it what you will, but my perception and my taste of what makes "good" hip hop has changed dramtatically over the years. I think I've become comfortable with my current definition, and as such here are my favorites in no particular order:

Zion I - Bird's Eye View
I think the first few lines of this song define alot of why I enjoy this genre: "Like, on the real, hip hop is like, just, beautiful."

Pharcyde - Passing Me By
A favorite for many, and I'm no different. If we can only look past Joe's unbearable interpretation...

Souls of Mischief - 93 Til Infinity
Gotta show the Bay some love.

Pete Rock and CL Smooth - They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)
In the words of my friend: "Perfection."

Nujabes - Beyond
More a beat than an actual hip-hop song, but a smooth beat nonetheless. I enjoy this man's work.

Naughty by Nature - Uptown Anthem
The 90s were dope.

Dilated Peoples - This Way
"Success will be the best revenge."

Digable Planets - Rebirth of Cool
I'm a sucker for jazz influenced beats. It truly is cool like that.

Common - Retrospect for Life
A chilling minor piano riff covered by deep lyrics? Damn.

Ahmad - Back in the Day
Probably personifies my continual train of thought while I sit at work

Z-Trip - Everything Changes
Can't say I'm the biggest fan of Z-Trip, but a song I can relate to nonetheless

Jazz

#1 On My Charts Pt. 1 - Jazz

Jazz is what got me started on music, really. Once in 6th grade, my friend asked me what kind of music I listened to. When I mentioned jazz, his reaction was no less of "Jazz? what the hell is wrong with you?"
He's a crackhead now.

Softly as in a Morning Sunrise - Wynton Marsalis
A favorite of mine from "Porgy and Bess." The trading of melodies between the flugal horn and the alto gave a new spin on an old favorite at the time.

Last Chance to Dance Trance (Perhaps)- Medeski, Martin, and Wood
There's just something inherently fun about this song.

Chuck Mangione - Children of Sanchez (Live at the Hollywood Bowl)
Mangione's work ranges from the classiness and mellow nature of some tracks such as "Feels So Good" to the absolutely intense yet completely crisp nature of this one.

Maynard Ferguson - McArthur Park
The sax solo at 1:38? And the hook by the trumpet at the end of the solo? One of the reasons I got into jazz.

Herbie Hancock - Cantaloupe Island
The underlying piano riff is a constant reminder of the good ol' years I had with the combo back in the day.

Oscar Peterson - It Ain't Necessarily So
Another great track from "Porgy and Bess," a reimagining of the song that still captures the context in which it was originally sung.

Stan Kenton - Send in the Clowns
The piano solo in this recording completely improvised, and is still powerful, yet simple. I never could capture the same feeling when I attempted this on high school.

Gordon Goodwin's Phat Band - Hunting Wabbits
How a whole big band manages to stay on time in this track simply amazes me.

Love Songs

#1 On My Charts Pt. 1 - Love Songs

Or, songs I'm saving to dedicate to my next girlfriend. Let the cheesiness commence!

Heatwave - Always and Forever
A classic. "Each moment with you is just like a dream to me that somehow came true"

Radiohead - Nobody Does It Better (Live Cover)
A truly heartfelt cover of a Carly Simon favorite.
"Nobody does it better, makes me feel sad for the rest, nobody does it half as good as you"

Jim Croce - Time In A Bottle
A song I'm definitely memorizing and singing eventually.
"If I could make days last forever, if words could make wishes come true, I'd save every day like a treasure and then, again, I would spend them with you"

Foo Fighters - Everlong (Acoustic)
A quintessential 90s ballad that didn't overdo it on the tried and trite lyrical musings (and the fact that it's acoustic makes it that much more better).
"If everything could ever feel this real forever, if anything could ever be this good again, the only thing I'll ever ask of you, you've got to promise not to stop when I say when"

The Beatles - Something
A track I would never leave off the list.
"Something in the way she moves,attracts me like no other lover."

Babyface - Every Time I Close My Eyes
A track I'll probably end up playing at my wedding.
"And every time I think of it, I pinch myself cause I dont believe its true, that someone like you loves me too"

Next time: Electronic, Covers, and Ridiculously and Somewhat Sad Songs

"...but what if pigeons could become lawyers?"
-was said drunkenly, probably by me

11/16/08

happy anniversary of the day of my origination

happy birthday, mark!!!! i've lost track at how many years you've got under your belt.i'm not just saying that to make you feel old. i really did lose count. hahahahappy birthday marq!!!solo. happy birthday again.Happy Birthday Mark!Yeah, anything past 21 just feels like old dude territory. XDhappy birthday! :]happy birthday twin. ilu.happy bday mark!!!!!! hope u r having a good one right now..happy burfday mang!cuckoooooohappy birthday walter!i'll treat you to a nice warm taco bell dinner soon<3louHey mark! happy birthday!!happy birthday mark solomon! and you're not infinitely older, just gracefully older. there's a humungo difference!Happy happy birthday mark!!!!!!!! and yes i agree with ur status, ur an old man now!!!!bon fete du anniversaire!! :) hope all is well with you!Happy Birthday, Mark!!!! Have a great one!!I know I talked to you on video chat but...Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!happy birthday mark!!! and please.. if 22 sounds infinitely older than 21, what about 24?! :P hope you're having fun.I'm really happy that semen swam to your mom's egg and created you!Happy Birthday!Happy Birthday happy birthday :)HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOLO!!!Happpy Birthday Mr. Mark Phillip Solomon!markie!!! you're old. happy birthday.felicitations on the 22nd anniversary of your birth happy birthday!!Hey dude, happy birthday happy birthday, mark!who help you on your birthday? happy birthday!!!!!hard thew to the groud. only.Happy Birthday!!!happy birthday!Happy birthday, Mark!!Happy birthday homeyz I feel you on that 22 thing - welcome to the club =)hey happy birthday!!!!!! and yes 22 is old -.-happy birthday Mark! Mark Solomon, have an awesome 22nd birthday! Yay. the first of [hopefully] three birthday wishes to return the favor. happy birthday. happy birthday mark!!! how are you doing these days? congratulations on surviving 22 years after escaping the womb, mark. keep up the good work... and considering what i believe you were doing last night, i hope you still have lots of that detox tea around.a very happy birthday to you. Happpppppyyyy bbbbiiirrrrttthhhhhdddaaaayyyyyy Marky Mark! Happy BIRTHDAY!!! Have a memorable one! :D ♥ LP Happy Birthday Mar-q!Happy birthdayy! mark! feliz cumpleaƱos! i hope you're 22nd bday is amazing. i miss you and hope you're doing well :) happy birthday!! everyone is getting older :( lol hope you have a great day :] happy birthday solo Happy Birthday Mark! I hope you have a fantastic day :D Happy Birthday Mark! Hope you are spending it well :D happy birthday!! (: happy birthday man. see ya on the ride home. Haha happy birthday Mark! Have a good one =) hey mark! happy birthday! hope you have a great time and eat lots of cake! ooo since you work at the blue bus place, do you think they would set all of their scrolling signs to say happy birthday to ya??? cuz that would be awesome! Hehehe Happy Birthday, Solo!!! Much love =) happy birthday yo man.. sorry i couldn't make my once every two years trip down to LA this year. anyway, just wanted to wish you a happy birthday and if you're back in the bay during thanksgiving a GT should be in order, no? Happy Birthday, Mark! From all of us on The Facebook Team, have a great day!



facebook birthday greetings are interesting. they're an indication of the people whose lives you still affect enough that they will take the effort to wish you a greetings on your day of origination (albeit, throug a social networking website). that, or it means that they spend way too much time on facebook and wish everyone a happy birthday anyway.

"Happy birthday, Mark! Please do something illegal."
-FM

11/11/08

wait...what?

ahh, election season is over. finally my news won't be flooded with reports on the most updated polls or the latest campaign gaffes or the newest misinterpreted quote a candidate has spoken. finally, MSNBC and Yahoo and Digg and Reddit can finally get back to all the off-beat almost humorous news that I've been lacking for so long now.

so as I peruse through the daily front pages of Yahoo, I can't help but notice something quite odd, strange, even farfetched about the headlines.

they're something POSITIVE.

wait...what? Obama supports alternative fuels? going green? is supporting stem cell research? doesn't support offshore drilling? is reversing Bush policies?

hold on, the president is actually doing something I would...agree with?

it's been 8 long years with a Republican conservative right wing mentality at the helm of this country, and for those 8 long years, I've heard nothing but bad news when it comes to discussions about our government. I'm used to hearing about the government passing some law or placing some restriction on issues that would be progressive for the country and the good of mankind.

and now, a short week after a historical election, the news that involves the words "the president" are actually...positive?

you mean, my ideologies are no longer the underdog?

it's still strange to me to read and hear about normally progressive stances on issues becoming the mainstream. you see, I spent the good majority of my formative years (high school and college) under the mentality that the environment, scientific research, and civil rights were radical left wing issues that had no place in our big bad government. to see the role suddenly reversed is, well...unbelievable.

I feel like I've suddenly been thrust into a bizarro world in which the president and the government is finally on my side, the Democrats have actually been victorious, bloggers are taking aim at the liberal agenda and liberal government conspiracies, the conservate viewpoint is actually the DISSENTING argument, and a small, very radical, minority right wing of people are calling for the impeachment of the powers that be.


ahhh. sure feels good to be on top.

it's going to be a little strange to be on the other side, you know, to actually be part of the majority now. and I'm sure I'm not alone on this feeling. plenty of liberal tv show hosts who actually owe their careers to the unpopularity of the Bush administration and the fact that they are political underdogs are left with scraps of material to work with now. I mean, who's Olberman gonna complain about now? what's the Daily Show going to to make fun of now? who are all the musicians going to protest against now? will this usher in a new wave of counter-establishment right wing television?

regardless, the presidential jokes will still exist, and I will still continue to enjoy them. the "Bush is a dumb monkey" politcal cartoons were beginning to age, and I'm ready for a new face to make fun of. this stands in contrast to when Clinton left office, still fresh from his scandal with Monica Lewinsky. the jokes were just starting to get good.

at least we've already started:







http://superobamaworld.com/

try it. it's fun.

EDIT: this one's pretty funny too.


"The toilet paper is softer here"
-JC

11/5/08

Did anyone fail to notice this?

Florida voted to ban Asians from owning land. When? Yesterday.

"Among the more unusual measures on this year’s ballots was one in Florida that would repeal an old clause in the state constitution that allows legislators to bar Asian immigrants from owning land. The repeal would be symbolic, as equal protection laws would prevent lawmakers from applying the ban. With 78 percent of precincts reporting just before 11 p.m. Tuesday, the vote was close, with 52 percent voting to preserve the clause."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/06/us/politics/06ballot.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Just wanted to know if anyone caught that.

"you've got Eucharist crumbs on your shirt"
-JCB

11/4/08

soak it up



Where were you when the United States of America elected their first non-white president? Where were you when the citizens of the United States chose to transcend years of bigotry and discrimination and set aside their fears and xenophobic nature to allow what would have unimaginable no more than 40 years ago?

Think about what you were doing the moment they announced Barack Obama as the president elect of the free world. You'll remember it for the rest of your life, because you know years down the line, you will be telling your kids about the night the playing field changed on the political stage, much like your own parents told you about the day Nixon resigned, the unraveling of the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis, or the day the Berlin Wall fell.

Me? I was at Del Taco. That's what I'm gonna be telling my kids.

"if you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen. I can eat my garlic wherever I want."
-Motor Coach Operator Ranshowlee

11/1/08

the retro blog

So it's November 1st, it's fall, it's the beginning of the month that holds my birthday, and for the college bound, apps are due at the end of this month, and for recent grads, this is about the time that mom and dad decide that you've been sleeping on their couch for too long without a job, so you're desperately throwing your resume around everywhere in the hopes that you'll be employed by January. And so, with the finishing of Halloween 2008, I wanted to look back at what I was up to one year ago.

So last year at this time, I had just finished interviewing with a private sector urban planning firm in Orange County. I thought I had done pretty well, since I got along with everyone who I met at the office and they seemed pretty impressed with me. I later found out they didn't want me (damn them). But what I wrote last year was pretty insightful, if anything...

"...So it's reflections like these that really make me wonder whether I'm going about things correctly. Am I trying to grow up too damn quickly? Yeah, I know I need to plan for the future so come next June I'm not sitting on my ass at home spending my free time trying to beat my high score on Wii bowling. At the same time, I know I need to stop, slow down, and try and enjoy the freedom to partake in all the aforementioned activities (and oh so much more) while I still can."

-'I just received a reality check. it bounced.' 11/1/07

Okay, so I'm nowhere near improving my high score on Wii bowling, so that's a good sign that I'm doing well for myself. But the thing is, I'm still in Westwood college town, so walking around and watching all the 'kids' in their costumes playing makes me feel like grampa. I admit it, I find myself wanting to yell at my neighbors from across my window to keep it down cause I need to get some sleep before midnight.

I'm old.

So in celebration of all things retro, I would like to throwback to the golden years known as the 90s. Back then, the shows were funnier, the music was more real, the cartoons were amazing, the economy wasn't tanking, Spielberg didn't make shitty movies, jokes about the president didn't revolve around how stupid he was, but how he was a horndog, and everyone who's my age right now was alot more innocent. Good times, good times.

So, thanks to this site and the Chicago Tribune, I give you 'Revenge of the 90s.'

Social Media:

*Before YouTube... there was "America's Funniest Home Videos"
Hm, let's see here. Those few who owned video cameras filmed something funny happening and submitted the tape (VHS, mind you) to media outlet that would allow it to be viewed by millions. Back then, though, if it was funny enough to America, you'd get money.

*Before blogs... there were 'zines.
If you don't know what a 'zine is, you weren't into self-publishing. It's so easy to sign up for a free service nowadays that will provide an outlet for your random musings or political opinions you'd wish to share with the world. Back then, you used a computer program, wrote out your ideas, printed it out, and sent it to all your friends for their reading pleasure.

*Before blogrolls and comments... there were web rings and guest books.
Back in the day, websites with similar subjects linked each other to each other to create a sort of exclusive club for sites that you could only view if you were in those webrings. And guestbooks? Ha. Remember AsianAvenue? (that was technically 2000) But on that site, you got "points" whenever someone posted on your guestbook. It turned into an easy target for someone to just copy and paste something on hundreds of people's pages.

*Before MySpace Facebook... there was the 20th annual high school reunion.
You'd have to wait in 20 year increments – and buy a plane ticket – to catch up with many of your old friends or see their photo albums. Seriously.
there was also extended phone calls, social interactions in person, mail invitations, word of mouth...
I can go on and on.

The 90s comeback:

*Prime-time soap opera about teens with raging hormones in affluent Los Angeles-area communities
'90s: " Beverly Hills 90210"
2008: "90210"

*War
'90s: Iraq
2008: Iraq

*Oliver Stone movie about U.S. presidents using only initials in title
'90s: "JFK"
then:

2008: "W."
now:


*Election-cycle mantra
'90s: It's the economy, stupid.
2008: It's the economy, stupid.

*Jim Carrey as comedic star (and not serious actor)
'90s: "In Living Color," "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective"
2008: "Yes Man" (opens Dec. 19)

*Video game designed to look as though it came from the '90s
'90s: "Mega Man 3"
then:

2008: "Mega Man 9"
now:


*Toronto Blue Jays manager
'90s: Cito Gaston--won World Series in '92 and '93.
2008: Cito Gaston--rehired as manager June 20 this year, 11 years after he was fired.

*Plaid as fashion trend
'90s: Grunge
2008: Dolce & Gabbana fall collection, Marc Jacobs' spring runway show, the Olsen twins, Lindsay Lohan

*Guns N' Roses releasing an album
'90s: "Use Your Illusion I and II"
2008: "Chinese Democracy" (tentatively scheduled to be released Nov. 23, after 14 years of production delays)

*O.J. Simpson as criminal defendant
'90s: Murder (not guilty)
then:

2008: Armed robbery and kidnapping (guilty)
now:


I know there's so much more to write about on the 90s, but I suppose that will have to wait for another blog (and after I re-watch all the VH1 I Love the 90s specials).

"I feel like I should be dodging fireballs"
-KV