Cheztune

I'm Doing The Strand

2009-03-15T18:43:00.000-04:00

I'm sort of obsessed with the Scissor Sisters' new cover of Roxy Music's "Do The Strand." As Fluxbog accurately described, it sounds "like a gay disco jingle for New York City’s most beloved used book store."

My office building is across the street from The Strand, so it's become my morning theme song these past few weeks. By now, it's safe to say the Scissor Sisters can add a bit of glitter to anything.

I loved Ta-Dah and I'm curious about their upcoming release. At a couple secret NYC shows last year, the band tested material and, judging from the YouTube clips, the songs were all over the place.

Although "Do The Strand" offers nothing stylistically new from their debut album, check out the early 80's pop rock sound of "The Other Girls." I would love this direction for the new album.

I've Heard This One Before

2009-02-28T11:54:00.003-05:00

Of course, as a stalwart Morrissey fan, I bought Years of Refusal on its first week of release. Was I as excited about it as much as previous releases? No.

The fact that "That's How People Grow Up" and "All You Need Is Me" were tacked on less than a year after I purchased them on the confusing Greatest Hits makes no sense to me. Why oh why were they put on a new album?

With every Morrissey album, despite what non-fans will say, there are new things to learn about The Man. Unfortunately, I don't think I've learned anything new about Morrissey on Years of Refusal.

That is not to say I don't enjoy the album. Years of Refusal is a piece of fresh air compared to the intensely reflective, dark and meandering Ringleader of the Tormentors.

It's musically upbeat with "subtle Mexican sounds" and I'm finding the melodies linger on in the way great pop music is supposed to. My favorite tracks are the rocking "Black Cloud" and the dramatic "One Day Goodbye will be Farewell."

I wasn't a fan of lead single "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris," but I find myself humming it all week, so I suppose it does grab you when you least expect it.

Years of Refusal does have a stinker. "You Were Good In Your Time" sounds musically like "Ambitious Outsiders" on Maladjusted, and except for real strings, it sounds pretty dull and has the unfortunate title of being "the song I forget is on Years of Refusal" until it comes on.

The bizarre thing about Years of Refusal is that its rockier moments remind me of the sensitive arena rock that the band Gene was criticized for.

This might be the album Gene fans would love (and every Gene fan was a fan of Queen or The Smiths), but I'm not quite sure what that tells you about Morrissey.

The Beat That Echoes

2009-02-22T16:38:00.002-05:00

Isn't it strange when you hear a song you're familiar with in a different context? This happened today as I was passing through the 34th St/Herald Square subway station.

A group of dancers was putting on a show and I was convinced that I knew the song they were dancing to. At first I heard the beat and thought, "Oh, they're dancing to Madonna's "Music." What a strange choice for street dancing on a Sunday afternoon." (Note: it was impossible to find the "Music" video on YouTube since "Madonna Music" or "Madonna Music Video" provided endless results. This is the best I could do).

But then I realized I was wrong when the funky high-pitched synths didn't kick in. "Oh! They must be dancing to Daft Punk's "Da Funk." That makes more sense."

But then I realized "wait a second. It's The Rapture's "Killing"!"

And finally I was right. I remember when Echoes had a major impact on my appreciation for both indie and pop music. For many people in 2003, The Rapture made it OK to dance.

Unfortunately, I never made it to Pieces of People We Love, but maybe I will soon. I'm feeling slightly nostalgic for that dance punk period when Gang of Four was the newest oldest band everyone had just discovered.

Little Boots Live at Studio B

2009-02-07T17:18:00.000-05:00

Photo by nickgraywfu.

After watching last night's Little Boots performance at Studio B in Brooklyn, it's pretty clear that Victoria Hesketh has no qualms about being a dance pop superstar.

At her first "real" NYC performance (I believe she played a CMJ showcase last year), she and her tight band were upbeat, cute and delivered one punchy dance track after another.

My interest in Little Boots comes entirely off the basis of two tracks: "Stuck On Repeat" and "Meddle." I don't even think I had heard the original version of "Meddle" until last night -- the remix by Designer Drugs is my signature version.

A lot of people compare Victoria to Kylie Minogue. Last night, she wore a black dress with a draping hood, much like Kylie's white dress in the "Can't Get You Out of My Head" video (without the plunging body line).

Little Boots doesn't have an album's work of tracks yet, so the set was short (about 6 or 7 songs, each around 3 minutes). I loved "Mathematics," which you can hear on her MySpace page.

She was very chatty with the audience, talking about her hometown Blackpool, describing one song as "an R&B ballad .. like Beyonce .. like 'Irreplaceable'" which sounded nothing like either, and getting the early morning crowd to move their feet.

Even though her set list was short, it was incredibly satisfying, which makes waiting for a full album release much easier. Take your time, girl.

Little Boots is doing everything right for fans: she regularlly updates her blog, adds impromptu video performances on YouTube, creates interesting mixtapes and sends newsletters from her mailing list that aren't annoying pieces of spam.

I'm very much looking forward to a full album's worth of Little Boots tracks.

My Favorite Albums of 2008

2008-12-17T21:28:00.001-05:00

Cut Copy
In Ghost Colours
I had been listening to tracks of this album since mid-2007, but boy was the album worth the wait. Glistening, shimmery keys and great pop hooks, In Ghost Colours channeled 80's synthpop in all the right ways. If you were lucky enough to catch them live, you could tell the band were humbled by their own success.

Hercules & Love Affair
Self-Titled
It took me a few listens to warm up to this album, but it paid off. Yes, it does sort of trail off in the middle, but there is something heartfelt, unique and complicated about each track that commands repeat listens. "Blind" and "You Belong" are being anointed as dance classics and it's amazing how Antony doesn't always steal the show from the brilliant cast of characters.

Vampire Weekend
Self-Titled
I started listening to Graceland a few weeks ago, and didn't give a flying fuck about its influence on Vampire Weekend's debut. People said the same thing about first Strokes album and Television, but I didn't hear it. All I know is this album has the jangly college pop I yearn for. So fresh, clean and approachable that even my Dad was curious about it on our drive from Lafayette to San Francisco.

Kanye West
808s & Heartbreak
Yes, it's been out for less than a month, but it has also revived my interest in the "album" more so than any other recent release. The excessive auto-tune and lo-fi production does little to hide the aching in Kanye's songs. More importantly, you don't need to be on a downer to listen or appreciate this album's great music and Kanye's creative merits.

Santogold
Self-Titled
"Shove It" was pretty much my theme song this year, as was "L.E.S. Artistes." Moving from San Francisco to New York, "I can say I hope it will be worth what I give up" was pretty much the story of my life. The rest of the album has some hot tracks on it, but I prefer the mash-ups of "Anne" and "Lights Out" found on Top Ranking.

A few more albums I liked:
Hot Chip, Made In The Dark ("Ready For The Floor," "Hold On")
Britney Spears, Circus ("Circus," "Mannequin", "Unusual You")
Kylie Minogue, X ("In My Arms," "Like A Drug," "Heart Beat Rock")

My list feels pretty mainstream, but what can I say, Most of the "new" albums I bought this year were archives (i.e., I fell in love with Numero Group's Eccentric Soul series, old italo disco and newish italo disco from Italians Do It Better). But more importantly, I really liked the albums I listed above.

I spent most of my this year listening to remixes and singles from artists that could bring me up up up: Designer Drugs, Little Boots, Kid Sister, Treasure Fingers, Danity Kane, Cyndi Lauper, Kleerup, Miami Horror and more. Who said the single was dead?

The biggest disappointment was the new Beyonce album. Out of the sixteen songs on my deluxe version, I would master the tracks in this order:

1. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
2. Sweet Dreams
3. Halo
4. Ave Maria
5. Diva
6. Video Phone
7. Radio
8. Smash Into You
9. If I Were A Boy

Done!

51st Annual Grammy Award Surprises

2008-12-04T12:36:00.000-05:00

As a music fan, I'm always interested in seeing what the old foggies at the Grammy Awards are including in their annual nominee list. This year, I find my jaw-dropping by some of their selections:

1. M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" nominated for record of the year. This is the kind of thing that everyone believes should happen, but never actually does. I'm totally shocked. Also, the Jay-Z and T.I. collaboration "Swagga Like Us" (which samples "Paper Planes") is also nominated twice.

2. Hot Chip's "Ready For The Floor" nominated best dance recording (along with Madonna, Rihanna, Daft Punk and ... Lady Gaga???). Sam Sparro is also in there, but I never warmed up to him.

3. Robyn's self-titled album nominated for best electronic/dance album. If she wins this, what a triumph. Kylie Minogue's X is in there too, but that album was definitely hit/miss for me.

Grammy stalwarts like Beck, Radiohead and Coldplay are all nominated. And who is this Adele? I have never heard this "Chasing Pavements" song. In any case, it's not a perfect list but I'm rather impressed that Grammy voters are being slightly more progressive about their choices.

Welcome to Heartbreak

2008-11-29T12:32:00.001-05:00

It's not quite Pornography, but it's pretty bleak. What I like most about Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak is how honest and musically consistent it is.

I was expecting a softer sound, a more melancholy perspective on the tragic death of his mother. There is some of that in there, but it's also angry, with lots of self-reflection and frustrations over a lover or girlfriend. He's the boy done wrong.

It gets musically lighthearted 3/4's into the album ("Paranoid," "RoboCop"), but the subject matter remains dark throughout and the majority of the album is under-produced and bare bones.

My favorite track by far is the last one, "Coldest Winter." Notice the rhythmically strange synth melody that doesn't quite sync up with the drums. It's these touches that give the album its shivering effect. Speaking of The Cure, "Coldest Winter" could be a Japanese Whispers b-side.

I love the album's art direction as well. Say what you will about his arrogance and attitude, Kanye's creativity certainly delivers the goods.

My Hearts Skippin'

2008-11-22T12:00:00.001-05:00

I got the recession special two weeks ago when I joined my new gym in NYC. They not only honored my SF rate, but they gave me loads of benefits. Perfect!

The past few months had me losing lots of weight, much to my horror. The skinny jeans Williamsburg hipster thing is not my aesthetic at all. So I'm trying more weight training.

I'm sharing a mix I've been listening to on my iPod using 8tracks, this new 8-song online mix maker. It's definitely in its prototype stages, as I found a whole handful of frustrations just by trying to make a simple mix. But the builders have been very proactive about addressing my issues.

Here it is for your listening pleasure:

1. Don't Be On With Her by Miami Horror
2. Meddle (Designer Drugs 80s Coke Jam Remix) by Little Boots
3. Hardcore Girls [featuring Rye Rye] (Don Rimini Nasty Boy Mix) by The Count & Sinden
4. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) by Beyonce
5. Get Fresh by Kid Sister
6. Shells by M.I.A.
7. Two Of Hearts by Annie
8. Electric Feel (Remix) by MGMT (ft. Jim Jones)

12-Hour Art Buzz

2008-11-17T16:42:00.000-05:00

I had a fun Saturday, which started at 3 p.m. with me and my friend Brian running around art galleries in Long Island City (Deitch Studios, P.S.1, etc) and ended at at 3 a.m. Sunday with me stumbling home from the East Village.

I was pretty surprised to hear new Britney Spears tracks at the bars we hit. High-res versions of "Kill The Lights" were playing everywhere. The album was leaked this weekend, which now explains it.

Except for listening to some of the tracks on YouTube, I'm just going to wait and get the deluxe version of Circus, as I'm anxious to hear what this girl can do next.

This Miami Horror video for "Don't Be On With Her" has been posted on a handful of bogs lately and it gave me a good laugh. Thankfully, it's not all about the video -- the song is really fun as well. The high pitched overdubs mid-song are pretty weird (in a good way). Miami Horror (like best-album-of-2008-candidate Cut Copy) are from Melbourne, Australia.

If Bangs Could Kill

2008-10-29T14:14:00.000-04:00

I like Ciara a lot. I think she's cute and fun. In her new single, "Go Girl", you can call her CiCi or "the Energizer Playboy bunny." T-Pain produces, so expect a lot of vocoder/auto-tune. It's not jaw-droppingly exciting, but I can see a lot of people having fun with it at the clubs.

The video comes off like a pastiche of recent pop videos. It must be those pesky art directors. Ciara does a catwalk strut in a shadowy hallway a la Lady Gaga, and then freaks out in a elevator like Britney on Madonna's current tour.

And then there's the wig. Those bangs, artfully cut just above the eyebrows! It's a little bit 20's flapper, a little bit Sunset Boulevard. Just in time for Halloween. My earliest recollection of this look was Britney's pink wig during her ill days.

The look has certainly caught on!

Roisin Murphy at Mansion NYC

2008-10-25T11:39:00.000-04:00

Photo by It's ok to sweat.

I had a really incredible time watching Roisin Murphy make her U.S. debut in NYC last night. She played about 3/4's of Overpowered and a couple songs I wasn't familiar with (possibly from her earlier work). There were costume/coat changes after each song. Here are five points:

1. Her voice was perfect. She owned the stage. She was very happy to be there. The sound in the venue was great minus a few technical issues at the beginning.

2. She has fantastic chemistry with her band. She playfully assaulted AND seduced her musicians a couple of times throughout the set. She gave her backup singers a real pounding near the end of the show.

3. I liked the musical twists she added as she was transitioning or ending her songs. She amped up the dance elements "Dear Miami" and "Movie Star" while adding a rock guitar solo in "Primitive." She minimized the synth-heavy "You Know Me Better," which also sounded great.

4. She was rocking her signature bra-less white shirt a lot of the times. My favorite outfits were the brown, turkey-like hunchback number she wore during "Movie Star" and the plaid deer coat during (I think) "Let Me Know."

5. The venue was small, intimate and gorgeous. I think the crowd was a bit comatose at times, but that might be a NY thing. I was surrounded by a group of people that went bananas during ever song. But I could see a lot of people just staring in awe/confusion.

Soothing, Sober October

2008-10-22T14:42:00.001-04:00

In these dire economic times bundled with a minor bout of homesickness, I'm finding myself veering away from the dance and pop music that has frequented my listening habits lately.

The final quarter of this year sees releases by Britney Spears, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Kanye West, Eminem, Guns and Roses (!), and more -- basically a mainstream music lover's dream come true.

But as the New York Times wrote this past Sunday:

"Looking at Billboard No. 1 songs from 1955 to 2003 for a study to be published in the journal Psychology of Music, he found that in uncertain times, people tend to prefer songs that are longer, slower, with more meaningful themes."

At Virgin Records this past week, I purchased Fleetwood Mac's first (white) album. Rumours is pretty much ingrained in my mind already, but I had this insatiable need to hear "Rhiannon" and "Say You Love Me." Oddly enough, this was the first time I realized how much Christine McVie sounds like Jon Anderson of Yes. Fun fact: I went to college with Lindsey Buckingham's niece, who was obsessed with Justin Timberlake.

I've also been listening to Belle and Sebastian's Tigermilk, their first album and the only one of theirs I never owned. And then there's the new Antony and the Johnsons' EP, which has the stunning "Another World." I also like "Hope Mountain" and "Crackagen," but it was a bit overpriced for a five song EP.

I didn't see his show at the Apollo last week, but reviews were a bit disappointing.

My love for dance pop gets a shake up this Friday when I see Roisin Murphy debut in NYC. I'm also hoping to catch Designer Drugs play a set on Saturday.

Mariah Doesn't Do Drugs

2008-09-17T18:13:00.004-04:00

Well, it's too late to vote and the contest is over, but I think New York's Designer Drugs were robbed of prizes for their "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" remix. The people in Mariah's crew ended up selecting a bunch of R&B snoozers. No wonder people are pessimistic about the music industry.

Let's be honest, the original song isn't anything to celebrate. But Designer Drugs were able to give it a hyper electro-house spin that pushes Mariah to dance diva proportions.

Designer Drugs' remix work is pretty incredible. Their remix of Hail Social's "Heaven" is one of my favorite tracks this year. Hear the original and then see how creatively they reimagined it on their MySpace (or buy it on purple vinyl like I did).

UPDATE:
Designer Drugs have kindly allowed me to post the remix for download. Enjoy!

MP3 -> I'll Be Lovin U Long Time (Designer Drugs Remix) - Extended
MP3 -> I'll Be Lovin U Long Time (Designer Drugs Remix) - Radio Edit

Last Plane to Jamaica

2008-09-10T14:17:00.000-04:00

San Francisco's Ghosts on Tape is an artist I admire. Using only "some janky ass ghetto equipment", Ryan Philip Merry is producing some of the most musical, enjoyable beats I've heard in a while.

Maybe it has to do with his open minded approach to influences (electro, turbo grime, speed garage and Miami bass to name a few). I'll settle with ghettotech as the genre that might sum it up.

His just-released free live mix was performed using two samplers and features 25 minutes of tracks he's working on. Even if you have a modest interest in dance music and tropical, bass-heavy beats, I suggest you give it a listen. I suspect a full album release is in the works.

In a recent interview, Ghosts on Tape said even though he has a passion for dancehall, sadly "there's like no Jamaicans" in San Francisco. Just like there's no black folks in Alaska, according to Diddy.

But G.O.T. is right about Jamaicans in S.F., although I can personally confirm SF kids love their Red Stripe.

Tripping on Neon

2008-08-21T20:59:00.009-04:00

Here in New York, I've had to readjust from my West Coast methods of listening to music. My routine used to be: dance/hip-hop at the gym, folk/rock/pop on my work commute, and pretty much anything on my home stereo.

In my new apartment, the wall separating my room from my Morrissey/Crass-loving roommate is dangerously thin, so I've yet to buy a stereo system. Listening to my iPod at home just feels weird and this city is too new and exciting for me to wear headphones all the time.

So for now, I'm dealing with it until I get some soundproofing. To keep me entertained, I have been watching some hot videos. The New York Times keeps mentioning how surrealism is IN right now. How about a little neon and psychedelia?

Love this song and video. I recently bought Hot Chip's DJ Kicks and discovered Grovesnor's "Nitemoves." "Drive Your Car" is a real treat.

Yelle's "Ce Jeu" is extremely cute. Their shows are so high-energy. The lead singer can get any party started. And I still don't have their album!

I remember the first time I saw Tilly and The Wall, my friend Sailor whispered in my ear, "I think the tap dancer is crazy." No kidding! I am loving this song. I disliked their super-neon "Beat Control" single, so "Pot Kettle Black" is very exciting.

Run, Run, Hide, Hide

2008-08-07T21:18:00.003-04:00

From Morrissey and M.I.A. to dance mixes from Fabric and DJ Kicks, I’ve often found myself forgetting the entire mix and focusing on just one or two songs that quickly grab my attention.

Santogold’s collaboration with Diplo on Top Ranking has a few of these moments, but the stand-out track for me has to be Trouble Andrew’s “Run - Hide.”

When this came on after the laugh-inducing skit with Mark Ronson, I literally stopped everything I was doing and wondered what artist I was listening to. “Run - Hide” is a drowsy, lo-fi electro hit.

It immediately reminded me of the more pop leanings of the hyped Berlin labels of the early 00’s, yet with a more fresh, hip-hop edge.

It starts off with creepy organs, then Diplo’s beats kicks in and we get the smooth chorus and the crisp, vintage synths. Everything about it is outstanding.

After listening to Trouble Andrew’s less interesting songs on his MySpace, I truly believe Diplo must have worked wonders to produce this track. Complete kudos to him, but also to Trouble Andrew for his great vocal delivery and overall sex appeal.

This track is available as a free download on Trouble Andrew’s MySpace, so please go there and have a listen.

Hades, I'm Only Dancing

2008-07-23T02:45:00.000-04:00

In some ways, the new Hercules & Love Affair single, "You Belong" reminds me of David Bowie's "John, I'm Only Dancing." The former has a house beat and contemporary synths with Nomi and Antony's yearning voices overlapping. The latter is a stomping glam classic that often gets overlooked, probably because it's usually tacked on the end of special edition releases of Ziggy Stardust.

Lyrically, there is a tumultuous, sexually ambiguous relationship between the protagonist and whoever he/she is addressing. Both songs are a little flirty, slightly moody, and tease the listener to some degree.

When I first heard "You Belong," I thought of it as the John character in Bowie's song, letting go of the person he was holding on to. I'm not sure what triggered this random thought, but I hope it's intriguing nonetheless.

Choose Your Own Adventure

2008-07-19T14:07:00.000-04:00

Walking on Jim Lambie's color chart floor at MOMA.

All apologies for the extended absence, as I've been relocating my entire life to a completely new coast. Despite my worldly travels, I've actually only lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, except for a four month stay in the U.K.

I went to New York City last year and everything about it felt right. And so here I am, having a new life adventure. I found a hot piece of real estate with cool roommates in Brooklyn and everything has been going well so far.

I was surprised by how comfortable I felt leaving San Francisco. Perhaps it was the support of all my friends and family, who encouraged me that NYC was the right thing for me.

To be honest, it actually didn't hit me that I was leaving until I unplugged my stereo system and packed it up for storage. It was one of the last things I packed. So many years singing and dancing around in my bedroom, getting ready to go out and playing records I had just purchased at Amoeba and Streetlight.

The last album I played on my stereo before packing up was New Order's Technique. I had just come back from selling a bunch of DVD's at Amoeba, and used the exchange credit to buy four albums: Blondie's Eat To The Beat, Hercules and Love Affair (self-titled), Missy Elliott's Miss E... So Addictive, and the New Order album.

Pretty much all four albums had songs I was very familiar with, and I purchased them as a kinda of comfort food before I left for my trip: albums that would keep me warm and feel familiar, while still being new.

The album of this moment for me has been Ciara's The Evolution. I can't believe people weren't into this when it came out late 2006. It's a solid, creative, interesting piece of dance, pop and R&B. Where was I when "Promise" came out? I have been listening to this album non-stop since I got it.

Ciara can be so beautifully vulnerable, awkward and self-conscious. She's also very passionate about the music she makes. I'm looking forward to her new three album Fantasy Ride project.

Get Away From The Bar

2008-06-26T01:22:00.000-04:00

I'm totally into the old school vibe and upbeat sound of Dizzee Rascal's "Dance Wiv Me." The video is really fun, and kid with the stache behind the bar (looking like he's up way too late past curfew!), is Calvin Harris, the producer of the track.

I was not familiar with Calvin before seeing the video, but I found out that he's only 24 and responsible for two of my favorite tracks on Kylie Minogue's X album ("In My Arms," "Heart Beat Rock"). Incredible!

It's nice to see Dizzee having a good time with this track. I saw him during his Showtime tour and was charmed by his live presence. Plus, he makes really good albums, although Maths + English didn't really do anything for me.

I'm hoping Dizzee's upcoming album will have the dance theme he's been flirting with for some time (Basement Jaxx's "Lucky Star," for instance). Snoop Dogg makes a good predecessor.

He's also featured on "Toe Jam" by Brighton Port Authority (Fatboy Slim/Norman Cook), which also features David Byrne (!). The video is pretty ridiculous. It's almost like a promo for CBS's new Swingtown.

Last Night The DJ Saved My Business

2008-06-13T01:24:00.000-04:00

I am sure you're sick of all this disco nonsense, but one parting thought: is disco a good business idea? (via ILM). Love how she name drops Hercules and Love Affair and Chromeo. Which reminds me, I gotta pick up the H&LA album. From what I've heard of it, dance music suits Antony's voice very well.

Germans Do It Better

2008-06-08T23:40:00.000-04:00

About a year ago, when Sally Shapiro was about all I listened to, I was looking for a good italo disco compilation that inspired the music of Disco Romance. Last week, I found Disco Italia: Essential Italo Disco Classics 1977-1985. I listened to a few tracks in the store, and liked a few, including a Kano song called "Now Baby Now." Kano is one of the most famous italo disco bands, and its music is hard to find, with no proper reissues in sight. They're most famous for being sampled by Tag Team on "Whoomp! (There It Is)."

But to my disappointment, the collection overall is pretty boring. The songs are either extremely annoying ("Burning Love," "Tina Are You Ready") or try very hard to sound like American soul and funk ("Dreaming," "Love (Is Gonna Be On Your Side)." Red Dragon Band's "Let Me Be Your Radio (Part 1)", sounds oddly like The Rapture's "House of Jealous Lovers."

This comp has little to do with what I enjoy about italo disco - that is: spacey, synth heavy, dramatic dance pop. The liner notes are very informative. I just wish they would have included songs by more of the artists they praise: Capsicum, Vivien Vee, Change and Capricorn.

I can't differentiate what I'm hearing on this comp with what I hear on Disco Deutschland Disco: Disco, Funk & Philly Anthems From Germany 1975-1980. It's a far more interesting listen, with fun gems like "You've Got The Power, Pt. 1" and "Fashion Pack (Studio 54)". Whatever genre you call it, Disco Deutschland did it better. To be quite honest, it's all just European disco to me.

A few months back, Disco Workout posted an interview with San Francisco DJ Bobby Viteritti, one of the most famous San Francisco DJ's of the late 70's and winner of 1979's Billboard DJ of The Year. There's an amazing piece of SF history: a free MP3 from a party at the Trocadero Transfer in 1979. This is the real thing -- what people really danced to in 1970's San FranDisco. I was surprised by the fantastic sound quality. Needless to say, there's lots of Donna Summer and Diana Ross.

So Long Robert Rauschenberg

2008-05-20T01:01:00.000-04:00

Persimmon, 1964 (Source). I saw this beautiful collage/painting at the SF MOMA in 1999 with my friend Amanda. I never quite forgot it.

Estate, 1963 (Source).

Persimmon Coronation (Runts), 2007 (Source). The fruit revisited. His work in recent years took advantage of lots of white space.

Winter Pool, 1959. One of the few mixed media sculptures I took a photo of at the MOMA in NYC April 2007.

Speaking In Tongues, 1983. Not my favorite TH album cover design (despite the award), but certainly my favorite TH album!

One of my favorite artists passed away last week. Robert Rauschenberg was an artist I was genuinely excited about anywhere his work was exhibited. To me, his work was always alive, vivid, imaginative and exciting.

London We Go Hard

2008-05-11T13:54:00.000-04:00

Listening to "Shove It" on Santogold's new album, I am taken back to 2005 when a lot of music fans had an investment in grime and British hip-hop, thinking it would breakthrough to American audiences in no time. I was definitely a believer, completely fascinated by everything I heard from Dizzee Rascal, Kano, Wiley, Lady Sovereign and all the young MC's on Run The Road.

Santogold is from New York, but Switch, a remixer and producer of the track, is British although I don't think he has any ties to the grime scene (M.I.A. is not considered a grime artist). "Shove It" has an East London dub sound that makes you smell the doner kebabs and see the track suits and trainers. I know she's really singing about the pride of poor creatives in NYC, but it drives my imagination. The song overall reminds me of Riko and Target's "Chosen One" from Run The Road.

Spank Rock makes an appearance on the track and for once, he keeps his rhymes relatively clean. He changes his flow on here as well, and I had to check the liner notes to make sure it was him.

Listening to Madonna's Hard Candy where she finally delivers on the promise of a completely disco, dance pop album that Confessions On a Dance Floor was supposed to be, I wonder what the queen of pop could have done by filtering the East London sound.

Hard Candy 's got the beep-beep's and whistles from Donna Summer's "Bad Girl", sweeping strings and lots of funky bass. I'm a fan of "Heartbeat," "Miles Away," and "Beat Goes On," especially when Kanye sings the pre-chorus after doing his rap. "Incredible" brings back her debut album singing voice.

After over a week of listening, I realize Hard Candy doesn't have the return listens of Confessions, the album with "Get Together," one of my favorite Madonna songs of all time. I understand her motives for making the album, but I'm not satisfied.

San Francisco Is Listening to Cut Copy

2008-04-23T01:20:00.000-04:00

On my short (20 minute max) commute to work these past 2 weeks, I've been popping in Cut Copy's In Ghost Colours album and I am in complete heaven. It's an amazing album to start the day. That IS the power of music -- just one more thing to be excited about in the morning.

I've been listening to "Hearts on Fire" for what feels like a year now and "Lights and Music" has been saturated in my brain. The album mixes are longer and I'm falling in love with them again.

The real surprise is the incredible "Strangers In The Wind." It's a beautiful marriage of Fleetwood Mac's melancholia with mid-80's synthpop balladry. It was telling that they put Tusk-era Mac on their So Cosmic mix -- I just never thought it would take shape on their actual album. So haunted, indeed.

I've been hearing In Ghost Colours play at my local coffee shop. I've been hearing it through car windows (my apartment is on a deceptively loud street corner). And I've been seeing posters advertised everywhere for their show at Mezzanine this Saturday. This sold-out, dream team bill also features Simian Mobile Disco, and I will be fortunate enough to attend.

Check out their label Modular Recording's website, which has a curious display of "gay vague" Web 2.0 design.

Re-evaluate The Songs

2008-04-14T10:30:00.000-04:00

Even though Morrissey's Greatest Hits album is fan exploitation of Bjorkian proportions, there are a few things I've enjoyed about its release.

The two new songs "That's How People Grow Up" and "All You Need is Me" are pretty good. The former is definitely a show stopper during his live sets. Something about the song sounds a bit forced, especially when you hear how natural "Everyday is Like Sunday" comes off. Still it's nice to hear how big, sweeping and dramatic the studio version becomes.

"All You Need is Me" sounds a lot like Bona Drag's "Disappointed," and there's a beautiful vocal melody bit around 2:34 when he sings "You don't like me, but you love me, either way you're wrong." It also sounds like he's double tracking his vocals on parts of this song. Is this the first time he's done that? I like it.

The packaging is very nice. I like the the little icons created to represent each song, which are then patterned throughout. It's printed on heavy card stock and I think it's one of the best Morrissey album packages.

Still, there's no doubt this collection is a complete act of pop star narcissism. The cover photo and photo of his bare ass on the album sleeve are at least 15 years old -- never mind that the majority of the songs are from his last two albums.

But you definitely get the feeling that he put this together, and that these are his personal greatest hits. These are the songs he's most proud of and that's probably what makes it interesting for any fan.

There's also an insert that says "Coming Soon. A very special Morrissey release" that will be made to order and not available in stores. What could this possible be? I hope it's not these new t-shirts.

Don't Get Any Big Ideas

2008-04-06T17:28:00.000-04:00

I did a remix of Radiohead's "Nude" for their marketing experiment. It's my first ever remix, and I certainly had a blast putting it together. If you like it, please vote for it using the link above. I'd certainly dance to it.

MP3 -> Nude (Caspian Sea Remix) by Salvador Ali

Sweet Dream or Beautiful Nightmare

2008-03-31T00:45:00.000-04:00

There's a fantastic new Beyonce song called "Beautiful Nightmare." It's definitely a world away from anything on B'Day, and could have fit comfortably on recent releases by Rihanna or Nelly Furtado. She makes it completely her own though -- giving this minimal dark pop production a very soulful makeover as only Beyonce could. I love it!

According to Beyonce:

"Yesterday, "Beautiful Nightmare," a demo I've been working on for possible inclusion on my next album, leaked on some websites. I want to thank all my fans for the positive response to the song, but I want to tell you that this is just a work in progress. It is not my time to put out new music."

And she goes on recommending new stuff from her old bandmates, which is quite admirable. What a great "demo"! I hope it stays minimal. I definitely dig the piano bits at around 1:23. It's got a great 80's vibe and offers a fairly new direction for Beyonce.

At first I thought it was a Timbaland production, but from the notes at Prefix, it's by Jim Jonsin and Rico Love. I loved B'Day and thought it was terribly underrated. I've always felt she's got plenty of tricks up her sleeves, and "Beautiful Nightmare" is definitely case in point.

Me as a Teamster Extra in MILK

2008-03-22T15:21:00.000-04:00

Photo of Ali by Palmer Lamb.

Photo of Palmer by unknown extra.

Very Juergen Teller, no? Last Sunday I was fortunate enough to be a paid extra in MILK, the Gus Van Sant biopic on Harvey Milk.

I got cast as a 70's Teamster in a scene where Milk (played by Sean Penn) persuades the local union to support him. There was about a four or five hour wait before our scene started filming, and I kept asking myself, "What the hell am I doing here?"

I talked to a bunch of friendly extras, like Palmer Lamb (above), who took the photo of me. It was a pretty cool bunch of guys, and wardrobe was amazing. I had a 70's fashion phase in college, so the whole visual experience was hyperreal eye candy.

When filming started, and I was about 15 feet away from Sean Penn, one of today's greatest living actors, doing his thing, I realized it was all worth it. I'm not sure if I was in the camera angle, but whatever.

At least five people asked me if my beard was real or applique. Sorry, bitches, it's 100% pure Iranian facial hair. Thick and with no graying yet! I would imagine this a major reason why I got the callback to be an extra.

Misc. March Albums

2008-03-15T16:45:00.000-04:00

I've been listening to a mish mash of things these past few weeks. Nothing I'm terribly excited about, but some good tracks.

1. Gotta love Kid Creole and The Coconuts. Both Doppleganger and Wise Guy for only $1.99 at Amoeba Records. Total score. New romantic mutant disco that's all smiles. My favorite track has to be "I'm Corrupt" from Side A of Wise Guy.

2. Beck's deluxe reissue of Odelay was kind of an impulse buy. Unfortunately, it hasn't aged very well. There's at least two awesome bonus tracks on here: the ghetto glam throwback "Gold Chains," and "Burro," a mariachi interpretation of "Jack-Ass." Unlike most people who've lost interest in the post-Sea Change Beck, I really enjoyed The Information and am excited about his upcoming album.

3. Polysics' Polysics or Die!!! Vista was a gift from my brother. Fast-paced Japanese electro nerd punk. Great driving music for about a week, but then I got tired of it.

4. Hot Chip's Ready For The Floor has some of my favorite tracks this year, but the album as a whole is sort of a letdown. Things slow down so much in the second half, you forget you're listening to the same album. Their R. Kelly-meets-Jermaine Dupri production on "Wrestlers" is fun at first, but gets kind of annoying. I love "Shake A Fist," "Ready For The Floor" and "Don't Dance."

5. Kylie Minogue's Ultimate Kylie was a bit of an impulse buy as well. I started with disc 2, since it had the tracks I was most familiar with from the last decade. I was living in England when "Spinning Round" and "Kids" came out. Overall, this disc should have been Fever and "I Believe In You." I've been skipping everything else. Loved the fun synth pop from disc 1, songs I was mostly unfamiliar with.

6. Chromatics Night Drive is super awesome horror soundtrack italo disco. I think Johnny Jewel is one of the most creative, minimal electro disco producers today. Amazing that this stuff is coming from Portland/Seattle.

7. What can I say about Vampire Weekend's debut album that hasn't been said? I liked it instantly, but it hasn't been getting played very much after the initial saturation in my CD/iPod player. For a real treat, read this post from Momus, one of my favorite people in the world.

Dancing, Crying and Dying

2008-02-23T18:36:00.000-05:00

Can this song be any more perfect? Bouncy, moody synthpop with a bombastic hook: "I can't get over you / Even if they're dying in Africa." Well, I think an American pop singer would probably get a lot of flack for that, but it's a really effective line. Most of us have been in some sort of a tumultuous emotional relationship that makes you forget there are greater sufferings in the world.

I don't know very much about this Nicolas Makelberge, except that he's Swedish, has a myspace page that won't load on my computer, and released "Dying in Africa" in 2006 on an album with the same name. Johan Agebjorn put him on his Crying On The Dancefloor mix, so he's kinda jumbled in that neo italo disco revival, or possibly a male Sally Shapiro.

Of course, "Dying in Africa" sounds more like classic British synthpop than italo disco. It's super addictive, too. I've been fast-forwarding to this song from Agebjorn's mix quite regularly. Listening to some other album cuts from Makelberge's artist page on Rico Records will probably make me shell out the cash to buy it on import.

Great album artwork too. A bit like The Strokes' Is This It with a European sensibility.

Bell X1, Qu'est-ce Que C'est ?

2008-02-17T23:15:00.000-05:00

I love how Yep Roc Records artist's page for Bell X1 starts with "If you lived in Ireland, this bio wouldn't be necessary."

From what I understand, Bell X1 must be huge in Ireland. They came to my attention after listening to the Cut Copy mix So Cosmic, and hearing this incredible track very reminiscent of Speaking in Tongues period Talking Heads (which is my favorite TH album, btw).

The track is called "Flame" and apparently it's been out since early 2006! Fortunately (or strangely), the Flock album it was originally released on in Europe is finally being released this Tuesday on Yep Roc.

The rest of their music has a grand, sentimental pop sound a la Coldplay, U2 and early Radiohead. Not usually my cup of tea, but I'm digging the "Flame." They're on a U.S. tour right now, and I'm thinking about catching them at Cafe Du Nord in March.

If you want a real treat, go to Pitchfork's Forkast page to download "Flame (Chicken Lips Mix)," which is the remix that's on the So Cosmic mix. It completely maximizes the white funk of the original.

* * *

I got a cyst on my lower back lanced on Friday, which is going to keep me from doing anything active for a few weeks. Sucks for me, because I really miss going out dancing and I hadn't been doing it in ages.

This afternoon, I found this awesome video of people dancing to Kano's "I'm Ready" on a Soul Train style Detroit TV show in the 80's. It cheered me up quite a bit.

Harvey Milk Candelight Vigil

2008-02-09T22:14:00.001-05:00

Photo by boo d.

I made my silver screen debut last night in Milk, when I joined thousands of people for the reenactment of the 1978 candelight vigil following the murder of San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk.

The film is directed by Gus Van Sant, with Sean Penn playing Harvey Milk and James Franco playing his lover Scott Smith.

The experience was totally amazing. Holding up candles and walking back and forth on Market Street between Van Ness and Gough with thousands of people in total silence was very surreal. It really felt like a true memorial, and people were incredibly respectful and contemplative.

It started at 10:30 and lasted until 1 a.m. Gus was there, and I think James Franco was there with a very 70's mustache and red jacket, but I couldn't completely tell.

When the film comes out in September, I hope I can recognize myself as a speck in the background. My outfit was awesome.

Third World Bling Bling

2008-01-31T01:32:00.000-05:00

Kali Arulpragasam is M.I.A.'s very talented sister who designs jewelry under her brand Super Fertile.

Her summer collection depicts the cultural bright spots of countries currently affected by war and terrorism.

The New York Times did a brief about her jewelry this past weekend. You can see more of her excellent work at the Super Fertile website, including better close ups and more countries.

I was hoping for a necklace of Iran, but didn't see one. I totally dig the Iraqi muscle men earrings.

These pieces are so lovely. They remind me of vintage children's encyclopedias. They're priced from $800.

Outta This World

2008-01-27T05:45:00.000-05:00

It kinda seems like everyone's most anticipated albums came out last year. So what's there to look forward to? Here's a couple ..

Glass Candy is my favorite band of the past few weeks. I got into them after reading Fluxblog's great write up on "Beatific," which is one of the best electro tracks I've heard in a while. It's a little bit of "Into The Groove," a bit of Blondie's "Rapture" and a dash of PJ Harvey's "Down By The Water."

Ida No has an amazing vocal presence. She takes you back to a different time. Johnny Jewel works those vintage synthesizers like you wouldn't believe. This is glam electro at its best. And to think they're from Portland!

I purchased their B/E/A/T/B/O/X album and the After Dark compilation at Amoeba Records two weeks ago, which was kind of miraculous because I thought these albums were both available on their tour only.

All these great tracks from Glass Candy, and their official album is still to be released this year.

Also, Cut Copy, the Australian electro rock band which released one of my favorite tracks from last year, "Hearts on Fire," is set to release their new album In Ghost Colours. They have a video for their new single "Lights and Music" which is wonderfully produced by DFA and just as addictive as "Hearts on Fire."

I think Cut Copy foreshadowed the revival of 90's house from last year. They sound a bit like New Order and Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr's Electronic project. You can download Cut Copy's free new mixtape So Cosmic, which includes a bunch of their new tracks, at their website.

I've also been listening to DFA Record's reissue of Pylon's Gyrate Plus, which has left a bad note in my ears since I got into a minor car accident on the freeway while it was playing.

There's a great Britney Spears bonus track called "Outta This World" which is much better in its demo version than the official Target special edition version of Blackout.

Did you know Britney Spears did a track with DFA? It's not bad .. but it's not good either. In case you're wondering, cowbells are included.

Fitter, Happier, (Older), More Productive

2008-01-06T22:05:00.000-05:00

I turned 28 today. I spent it wandering around the Ferry Plaza with my mom and sister. I got a 12" record from my brother, Bloc Party's "Flux" single with a remix of "Where Is Home?" by Burial. I'm not a fan of dub step, but definitely curious to hear what it sounds like.

The photo is of me and my cousin's dog Mooshie on Christmas Day a few weeks ago. Mooshie means 'like a mouse' in Farsi. Yikes! My eyebrows look pretty sinister.

I've been really into El Perro Del Mar's debut album from over a year ago. It's melancholic yet hopeful. Lines like "God knows, I've been taken a lot without giving back" and "You've got to give to get" are so simple and beautiful. It doesn't drive me nuts that she repeats them for a good 3+ minutes. There's a sense of catharsis when you repeat phrases that you should follow, but somehow still neglect.

She has a new album coming out at the end of February, and I'm glad I had time to catch up on her debut. It's the perfect soundtrack for these crazy January storms we're getting in California.

Who Is This Amazing, Unusual Woman?

2007-12-29T16:58:00.000-05:00

A catwalk tragedy from Victor & Rolf's Fall 2007 collection?

The spiritual child of Dusty Springfield and Alison Moyet?

The ex-singer of a fairly unknown Irish electronic duo?

The new queen of European dance?

It's Roisin Murphy. I just got her outstanding Overpowered album. It's a total surprise. I love her soulful voice. My favorite songs are "You Know Me Better" (which will be her next single) and "Primitive." Check out her video for "Overpowered."

I'm not sure when this album will get a U.S. release, but it should soon! The $15.99 import price was well worth it.

Favorite Albums of 2007

2007-12-17T01:10:00.000-05:00

Panda Bear
Person Pitch
Astonishingly beautiful. Never mind 2007, Person Pitch will go in the history books as one of the best albums of the 00's. My absolute favorite part of this record is in "Bros" from 7:59 to 8:58. This album for me defines the incredible year that I had (a rebound from a fairly awful 2006).

Sally Shapiro
Disco Romance
I didn't even know italo disco was a genre until hearing this album. Beautiful synth washes, simple pop compositions and a mysterious, soft-spoken singer. I love every minute of this Disco Romance. Also, producer/songwriter Johan Agebjorn has introduced me to a handful of artists through his musical inspirations.

M.I.A.
Kala
Even I was surprised how much I ended up listening to this album, especially after disliking the prep singles, "Bird Flu" and "Boyz." M.I.A. is one of the few artists with views on globalization, imperialism and poverty that people are listening to. She's a complete treasure. "Hustle," "Paper Planes" and "Roadrunner" are my favorite tracks.

Jens Lekman
Night Falls of Kortedala
I have a deep appreciation for storytellers, especially when they have touches of humor and sadness in their stories. This is one of the very Iranian things about me. Jens has this quality, and also a really great ear for sampling and arranging. Musically, the album veers from tropical disco to traditional folk. He's sensitive and funny and never too precious.

Simian Mobile Disco
Attack Decay Sustain Release
An amazing dance album with its gloopy, sci-fi hip-hop electronics. While Daft Punk and bands like Justice weigh heavy on many minds, the music from this British duo is what I will remember from 2007. Although A-Trak's "Hustlin' Hustler" is my definitive version of "Hustler," the rest of the tracks are mighty fine without any remix treatment.

Of Montreal
Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
My jaw just about dropped when I first heard this album. I can't believe this is the same band that used to sing about P.P. Icycles and Lamar. It's almost a psychedelic experience to hear Kevin Barnes becoming so painfully honest. "She's A Rejector" is my favorite.

Britney Spears
Blackout
I'm not even shitting you. I really liked this album. "Break The Ice" is one of my favorite songs of the year. Great production, completely upbeat all the way through and still pretty sexy. Most people hock shit albums, but for once a mega star has a hot album that's not being shoved down our throats. What is wrong with the world today?

Patrick Wolf
The Magic Position
The latest in a long line of great British eccentrics. This album has a whole lot of a drama and even more fun. I think it's Patrick's voice and his strange, uncomplicated productions that keep me coming back. He's very talented and there are some beautiful songs here.

Kanye West
Graduation
Although I really liked this album, I was surprised by the amount of laid back, mellow jams. I thought the whole album would innovations like "Stronger." Still, songs like "Good Life" and "Flashing Lights" didn't let me down. I also count "Can't Tell Me Nothing," Kanye's mix tape, as part of this favorites deal.

LCD Soundsystem
Sound of Silver
This album took a very long time to warm up to me. I thought it was too masculine -- I just didn't get excited about it like the last album. Soon enough, "Get Innocuous!", "Someone Great," became increasingly infectious. I still really dislike "North American Scum." Must be big with the foreign contingent.

Overall, kinda of a weird list for a weird year. The first 6 or 7 albums were easy for me to decide. The last few were a challenge, only because I wondered if I bought enough new music this year. Then I looked at my collection, and saw albums from Animal Collective, Caribou, Arcade Fire, The Shins, Modest Mouse, Devendra Banhart, The White Stripes, Interpol, Bloc Party, Dizzee Rascal, Bjork, Chromeo, Maximo Park .. all bands I cherish. I could easily name 2-3 songs off each one that I really enjoyed, but not a favorite as a whole.

Also, this is my list of my favorite collection/mix tape/remix albums.

1. Ce Soir, On Danse, Chromeo
Incredible mix. Introduced me to "Put The Freeze On", early 80's space disco/R&B and some sweet soul jams.

2. We Go All Night Long + Crying on the Dancefloor, Johan Agebjorn
Amazing italo disco mixes. Introduced me to Mr. Flagio's "Take a Chance" and Nicolas Makelberge's "Dying in Africa." You can download them here and here.

3. Dirty South Dance, A-Trak
Kanye's DJ and Kid Sister's partner in crime came up with the hottest dance mix. The word "mash up" makes me vomit, but when A-Trak mixes Kavinsky and M.I.A., or Gwen Stefani and LCD Soundsystem, it's a whole different ballgame.

4. I Like Turtles, Diplo
Also known as the free mix he did for Pitchfork (although no longer available). This is the mix I would play walking to the gym on Saturday mornings. A great way to start the day .. lots of hot beats on this. I think Diplo is a great producer.

5. Fabric Live 33, Spank Rock
An sensitive mix of old school jams and new dance from a band obsessed with sex. This mix was fresh to my ears when it first came out, and introduced me to Simian Mobile Disco, Uffie, Bonde Do Role and Para One.

High School with The Dodos

2007-12-02T05:24:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, Pitchfork Media posted a video by The Dodos, a San Francisco duo with an "acoustic troubadour meets freak-folk" sound.

I went to high school with Meric Long, the leader of the band. I recall him being a nice guy, and somewhat goofy in junior year English class.

From the high school friends I keep in touch with, I heard about The Dodos being Meric's project and that he was playing around town, although I haven't had the chance to see him perform.

The Dodos song "Fools," and their music in general, is pretty much what the band describes as their inspiration: "free-spirited, unhinged acts like Animal Collective." "Fools" is very energetic and emotive. I definitely dig it. The album is coming out on French Kiss next year.

It's strange to see a creative experience by someone you remember from an early educational institution, especially when you have similar interests as adults (freak folk, Animal Collective, San Francisco, independent music, etc.) and you weren't close friends back in the day.

It's a a feeling of genuine surprise and happiness when someone is doing something they love, coming from the same Lamorinda rich hippy suburban bubble as I did. It's also encouraging, and inspires me to get my shit together, get over my stage fright, finish the new album and keep pushing.

Cass McCombs is also from the same pool. I remember seeing him perform at a New Year's party in Walnut Creek in 1998, and tearing tickets at the now closed Park Theater about a decade ago (although these days his PR only brings up his periods in New York, Baltimore and now Chicago).

Of course people move on, and new environments shape their creativity. Perhaps that's one reason San Francisco has been taking its toll on me as of late.

I like Cass's music a lot, and I still haven't had the chance to get his new album. I've been wanting to do a cover of "Nobody's Nixon" for some time now. He's currently on tour with Jose Gonzalez.

Breakout, Blackout, Etc.

2007-11-11T22:30:00.000-05:00

I've been listening to the new Britney Spears album this weekend. Where should I start? How about the fact that I've never owned or listened to any of her previous albums. Not even on a guilty pleasure level.

Musically, she has always been on my shit list, mostly because her singles are usually pretty mundane, especially compared to her two main contemporaries (Timberlake and Aguilera) who seem to have a genuine interest in broadening their musical scope. I know just as much about her as every other pop culture enthusiast.

I liked the first single, "Gimme More." Despite all the shit that's reported about her, I've always wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, mostly because of my skeptical view on entertainment news media. Even Billy Joe is backing her up! I was going to get it the week it came out, but I passed after listening to this ridiculous interview the day after it dropped.

I got it this weekend (Virgin Records, San Francisco, $12.99) after listening to a few tracks online and really enjoying what I heard.

Blackout is a very unique and pleasing electro pop album full of singles with great hooks and a sound that's thankfully not outdated. The producers, from Bloodshy & Avant to T-Pain and Nate "Danja" Hills, were rumored to have saved their hottest tracks for her and described her as being professional in the studio.

It means a lot that some of the biggest producers in pop came together to save this woman's career, and to obviously rely on her to promote their own talents. For once, it is about the music, and the songs are really outstanding.

My favorite tracks by far are "Break The Ice," "Freakshow" and "Radar" -- all of which can become huge hits for her. It took a few years to put this together and with the tight 12-track selection (and a handful of equally amazing unreleased tracks floating around), you can tell everyone gave their all, at least in the studio, to put these songs together.

Listen to "Sugarfall," an unreleased song and possible Neptunes production that was not included on Blackout. It's slightly less upbeat than everything else on the album, which is my guess why it wasn't included, but the hook is terrific. There must be dozens of studio gems like this that were ditched in favor of the 12. She was not lazy during the production of this album.

Back to the KIIS-FM interview, it's really awful that she's not promoting what could be her breakout album, an album that could attract the same Misshapes hipsters who restored Madonna's supremacy during Confessions On A Dance Floor. You got Robyn doing backup up "Piece of Me," a "Konichiwa Bitches"/"Hollaback Girl"-style rap on "Freakshow," and production not unlike The Knife's Deep Cuts.

Unfortunately, the cover art and typography is ugly. The photos inside are depressing. There are no acknowledgements or thank yous. 'B. Spears' is only on two song credits, plus an executive producer credit. Her voice is extremely processed. Her website isn't updated, which is shocking for an artist of this stature.

In some way, the album experience is a downer, like listening to Nirvana's Unplugged, only because it feels like the person singing doesn't exist anymore. The songs aren't given the momentum they deserve.

In any case, she's alive and they music really is good. Plus, she's at the age Madonna was at the start of her career. Maybe she'll be this generation's freaky Michael Jackson or troubled Judy Garland .. or ________________?

Albums I Bought Today

2007-10-21T23:36:00.000-04:00

Here are a few things I bought today at Amoeba Records on Haight Street (San Francisco):

Spank Rock & Benny Blanco
Bangers & Cash
Price: $4.98
Yes, I know a lot of the tracks were available for free on Spank Rock's myspace about a month ago, but I'm not much of an economist. "Shake That" and "Loose" were fun 2 Live Crew interpretations and damn, it's only $4.98 for better audio and hot cover artwork. All 5 tracks are ridiculously trashy, and it'll keep me running (and giggling) at the gym.

Kanye West
Can't Tell Me Nothing
Price: $5.98
This is Kanye's pre-Graduation mix tape. He raps over "Young Folks" and "The Eraser" (Thom Yorke's song that I talked about last week), babbles about porn, Rolling Stone and politics. There's also Kid Sister's "Pro Nails," which I really love. It's a very engaging listen. He has another official mix tape that was released last week. You can get it free at Kanye Talk.

Clipse
We Got It For Cheap Vol. 2
Price: $5.98
This came out a few years ago, but I was inspired to pick it up today since Hell Hath No Fury still gets played regularly. They put a really excellent live show in September, and definitely value and acknowledge their fans more than any artist I've seen live in a while. I'm looking forward to putting this on.

Devendra Banhart
Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
Price: $13.98
I'm still an avid folk music listener. I wasn't totally looking forward to a new release by Devendra, mostly because his albums are very long and take time to digest (time that I was saving for a later date). Still, I will always buy anything he releases, mostly because he's charming, a great musician and unlike any other artist around right now. Oddly enough, I was reminded of him when I saw his Annie Leibovitz photo in this month's Vanity Fair. It was either this album, or the Jens Lekman's Night Falls Over Kortedala, but I decided I could wait on the Lekman album.

Sea Change

2007-10-15T00:18:00.000-04:00

I was one of the millions of people that downloaded Radiohead's In Rainbows last Wednesday. I paid around $7 for it with the reasoning that I'd probably buy a copy with artwork when it gets a physical release.

The first thing I did was burn it on a CD and play it in my stereo. The first few songs were very familiar from the Berkeley Greek Theater gig I saw in 2006.

It's not necessarily a rock or electronic album. It feels more like a cozy winter album and reminded me of Beck's Sea Change (also a Nigel Godrich production). It's calmer and complicated, with few abrasive moments. The band is even more emotive than usual -- can you imagine? An acoustic set of this album would be perfect.

My favorite songs are "15 Step," "Nude," "All I Need" and especially "Reckoner." What a beautiful song. Thom Yorke's falsetto vocals are amazing. The percussion is eerily distant and everything comes together so beautifully with the guitars and strings. Since Joy Division saturation is in full effect, it feels like "Decades."

"House of Cards" is also fantastic. I think the band borrows the melody of The Jam's "That's Entertainment" for the intro and end of the song. It caught me by surprise.

I think it's a great record, but it's definitely a grower. As of this moment, Hail To The Thief is still my favorite Radiohead album, mostly because of "Scatterbrain."

In Rainbows makes Thom Yorke's The Eraser sound like an electro pop record, which I never really thought about. I liked it when it came out, but I was underwhelmed. Strangely enough, the melodies for "Harrowdown Hill" and "The Eraser" have been stuck in my head all week, and I've been replaying them regularly.

I didn't want to get into their business model of suggesting a price for the music, since few people have been talking about the actual music. But overall, I think it's an admirable idea. It can work for a band this big, with a higher ratio of good output over mediocre shit. It won't work for the indie nobodies.

I'm Tired of Using Technology

2007-09-23T16:04:00.000-04:00

I wonder if Justin Timberlake is going to be one of those instantly recognizable voices in American pop music that will make fans purchase anything he sings on.

What was once a voice that was so deliberately borrowed from Michael Jackson is now the superlative for white boy soul.

There's no doubt Jackson's music will live forever. But even if he's appreciated in new hip-hop and soul (i.e., Rihanna's "Don't Stop The Music", Kanye West's "Good Life"), it's a faded memory of greatness, which makes us grasp Timerblake even tighter for being so young, prolific, alive and talented.

I like Timberlake a lot, and FutureSex/LoveSounds was an addictive surprise for me last year. He's working with everyone right now: Madonna, Duran Duran, and most recently, 50 Cent.

When you hear Timberlake's voice come in on 50 Cent's "Ayo Technology," you get a little bit of the goosebumps you would get hearing Michael Jackson on Diana Ross's "Eaten Alive."

The trouble with the "Ayo Technology" video, however, is Timberlake looks like a freakin' dwarf compared to the masculine man meat that is 50 Cent. Timberlake, who can often walk on air in music videos, looks uncomfortable bouncing in the background. I can't put my finger on it, but even 50 Cent looks a bit self-conscious -- maybe because it's his big pop song and he has only 1/3 of the rapping duties?

Timberland, wise as always, was able to keep his guest appearance outside from these two with a neat Minority Report scene. JT should have kept the collaboration in the studio and away from the music video.

The song itself is pretty good. It's trashy and familiar ("My Love," anyone?), and no big surprise why it doesn't stand a chance against Kanye's "Stronger."

I must add, 50, Timberlake and Timberland look like they're having a blast performing it live at the VMA's.

Unite And Take Over

2007-09-06T01:46:00.000-04:00

There is really only one messiah in my world .. and that is Morrissey. Yes, I can go on and on about my fandom (I made the Manchester pilgrimage in 2001!), but it's really the same story for any fan of the most polarizing, talented and legendary singer alive.

I am very fortunate to live in one of the 3 locations where he's having a multi-night stand, especially after seeing him a few months ago at Oakland's Paramount Theater. That show was pretty awesome, but seeing him at The Fillmore will be tremendous. Out of the 4 shows he's doing, I'm planning on getting tickets for the last two nights (Sept. 26-27).

I love what he has to say about this current tour:

"Thanks to those of you who have bought tickets, and thanks to those even considering coming along. With so many US concerts this year your loyalty has already been over-stretched, so if you decide to pass, that's OK." (Source)

Any morsel of self-deprecation from The Man will make my week.

Also, here are a few "bootleg" t-shirt designs that are somewhat pricey or no longer available:

Iranian Momentos

2007-08-28T00:45:00.000-04:00

I've been very busy with work lately. I've mostly been trying to unwind as best as I can in the evenings, which usually means messing around with drums or catching up on some reading.

This weekend, I saw Ala Ebtekar's exhibit at Gallery Paule Anglim. He's an Iranian-American painter who does whimsical illustrations over pages from prayer books he gathered on a visit to Tehran.

Besides the obvious depiction of war bloodbaths in his "Morning Breeze" series (left), I really liked how I was able to come up with my own story on how the lives of the illustrations unfolded. The beautiful calligraphy on the book pages lends itself to endless amount of imagination.

Ebtekar's "Ascension" paintings are also really unique. This powerful horsewoman (above) has ambivalent Iranian eyes when she's surrounded by bombs or body-less angels. I can see how she feels.

The show runs until Saturday. Check it out. You can also see his artist profile video on SPARK.

* * *

My sister was the one that gave me the heads-up about the Ebtekar show. She's back from a trip to Iran with my mom. She brought back some amazing photos, which is a huge feat -- she's definitely not considered the creative one in the family.

This building is outside my auntie's apartment. I have no clue as to what neighborhood in Tehran this is, but the architecture is gorgeous. I love the step-ladder feel and the very precise window patterns on the buildings surrounding the area. I am not an architecture nut, but seeing how people live and work is something I enjoy.

The King of Pulp

2007-08-19T22:56:00.000-04:00

It was a beautiful weekend in San Francisco. I took care of some odds and ends, went out to see The Invasion with a friend, and visited the family in the East Bay.

While The Invasion was entertaining (and somewhat ho-hum), I saw a more engaging Greencine film the following day: Jane Campion's Holy Smoke!

I love the hilarious IMDB tag lines for this film: "Sex captive in desert hideaway...young beauty seduced by macho American twice her age"; "He had only one thing on his mind... but so did she!" This makes me think ... is Harvey Keitel the reigning king of pulp?

It's really the story of a young woman (Kate Winslet) who goes to India for a spiritual awakening, but is forced back to her home in Australia by her parents who think she's joined a cult. They hire a cult exit counselor (Harvey Keitel) to bring her back to "reality." It ends up becoming a story about sexual awakenings, gender politics and control.

My absolute favorite part is when Keitel (dressed in drag, face smeared with red lipstick, lying helpless in the desert) hallucinates and envisions Kate Winslet as Shiva or some other supreme Hindu deity. All this is happening while The Shirelle's "Baby It's You" is playing. I loved it!

Jane Campion makes thoughtful, stylish, beautiful films. Holy Smoke! is fairly ridiculous, but it's also incredibly mesmerizing. She followed this up with In The Cut, which had a lot of noir/pulp elements. Holy Smoke! came out in 1999 .. check it out!

Ali Ali Ali Aaja

2007-08-12T23:55:00.000-04:00

Animal Collective member Panda Bear's Person Pitch album has been one of my top listens this year. A filmmaker named Mike (I couldn't find his last name) documented his three only shows in the U.S. earlier this year, and put them on a DVD called People Party. At first, the DVD was unbelievably offered for free. Naturally, the popularity of the deal got way out of hand, and now you can pay a measly $5 for a multimedia experience. I went for the $13 package, which comes with recordings of all live shows. You can learn more about it here.

I purchased a ticket today to see Animal Collective on Sept. 17 at The Fillmore. They're one of my favorite bands, and I've loved their live shows. I'm really looking forward to the new album.

* * *

I know I write a lot about M.I.A. She has an album coming out in a few weeks and I just really admire her. She has a new video for "Jimmy," which is a re-imagining of a disco song from a Bollywood film called Disco Dancer.

The music has sweeping Euro disco strings, and a melody a bit like ABBA's "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie." The whole video production brings to mind the music videos I grew up watching on Nima TV on Sunday afternoons. This song has massive remix potential.

* * *

Sunday's travel section of the New York Times did a feature on my neighborhood. They call it the NOPA district, which still bothers me -- it will always just be "the panhandle." It's kinda strange to see everything all mapped out. Where I live feels like home, and not "a kind of cultural bridge between hippie Haight Street and the rest of the city." The round-up of stores around Divisadero is fairly accurate, except for a few cringe-worthy moments: on Cookin' Recycled: "a glorified antiques store that is just outside Nopa (but with a Nopa feel)."

It's completely ridiculous that they didn't mention Club Waziema. Maybe because the Times thought it was in Nopa (but without a Nopa feel)?

Me Likey

2007-08-06T02:14:00.000-04:00

swoon...Kanye West, is like, so incredible. I've been listening to "Stronger" for a few weeks now, and everything about is just so right.

French dance is the hottest shit in the world right now, and Kanye, never one to be outdone, perfectly samples Daft Punk's "Harder, Faster, Better, Stronger." Of course, it ain't the original, but he knows that and rephrases a classic Nietzsche quote for a hook. Rhyming "since Prince was on Apollonia/since OJ had Isotoners" is kind of silly, but I think that's the idea. Musically, it builds up sounding a bit like Beyonce's "Crazy in Love," a calculated summertime jam.

For anime geeks, Kanye does his best Tetsuo from Akira in the stylish music video. Daft Punk is in it too, and the futuristic visuals are great. It's so Neo-Tokyo .. or The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift .. but let's leave it at that.

And then comes the cover. Oh my god! Artwork by Takashi Murakami! Leader of contemporary Japanese art! King of the Superflat! Emperor of ultra-luxurious Louis Vuitton monogrammed accessories! Daft Punk is even on the cover, as is Kayne's iconographic bear wearing Jeremy Scott sunglasses. And this is hip-hop!

"Stronger" is a work of globally influenced pop art. He (and his producers) deserve a lot of credit for this. I hope it doesn't flop.

M.I.A. at Rickshaw Stop

2007-07-30T00:07:00.000-04:00

Photo by kewlio.

This Saturday was my third time seeing M.I.A. The Rickshaw Stop is a tiny venue, especially after seeing her at the Independent, and the slightly larger Grand Regency a year or so ago.

1. After this show, I'm slightly more excited about her new album Kala. The songs and videos floating around right now, "Boys," "XR2" and "Bird Flu," haven't impressed me. A little too tribal for my liking. But the new songs she played live were really incredible. I liked the first of the batch, and this one big pop/club track that sounded like a companion piece to "10 Dollar."

2. She looked a bit more focused and serious. There wasn't that fun, crazy, neon explosion of the first album promo tour. Maybe it's because she's testing out the new material for a bigger tour? Maybe it's her shorter hair cut? Or the "DARFUR" t-shirt, or the military headwear? She's becoming a pop star .. and sticking to her guns, so to speak. It's very exciting to see.

3. The show was very loud. My ears are still ringing, and I truly regret not bringing plugs. I had a similarly loud experience when I saw Clinic earlier in the year. Apparently, I didn't learn my lesson.

4. She was more on-time than usual. The show started at 9 p.m. and she was on by 11:30 (one opener, and a bunch of DJs). This was better than the last few shows when she was late, played short sets and pissed off a lot of people. She's been in SF since Thursday I think (she DJ'd at Popscene that night, and played a record store show earlier on Saturday .. both of which I missed). However, I read she was 3 hours late (!) at a show in Brooklyn earlier this week.

5. The audience didn't seem that into it. Lots of random people. LOTS of people taking photographs. I know she's incredibly photogenic .. but it was non-stop. It took me no time to find the photo above from last night's show on Flickr (which I very much appreciated).

Overall, I had a good time. I hope the ringing in my ear will stop. Next up: Clipse in September. Hip-hop shows are always hit or miss for me -- the audience has really gotta be there. This should be a cool show.

Blowing Off Some Steam

2007-07-23T01:08:00.000-04:00

I went to the Napa Valley with my father this weekend. He recently purchased property in Calistoga and wanted to show me the "before." It's a plot with a whole lot of nothing, but it's neighboring some wineries and in a very good location. I guess he's planning on turning it into a vineyard and retire there.

It was a lot of fun and it was a really beautiful day. We went to see the Calistoga geyser erupt. We had good food, talked a lot, and since I was the one doing the driving, he got to hear the R&B space disco of Chromeo's "Ce Soir On Danse!" mix, my favorite thing of the moment. He had no comment.

My mother and sister are in Iran right now, which puts my radar up more notches than normal to what's going on over there. When I talked to them on the phone, they sounded fine and excited to be there. I talked Farsi with my grandmother, which was a surreal and touching experience. I don't talk Farsi nearly as much as I'd like to. My pronunciation is very good, but my vocabulary is limited. I've thought about writing songs in Farsi. I suppose it's destined to happen one day or another.

* * *

I found this really vile Iranian cartoon via Angelo Says. It was broadcast on Iranian TV in October 2005. It attempts to rationalize martyrdom and suicide bombings to a young audience, which is certainly as disturbing as it sounds. Jeez, and I thought the propoganda on Fox News was bad.

Wolf Parade

2007-07-16T02:25:00.000-04:00

Patrick Wolf is someone I never wanted to like. At 23, he's got a few albums under his belt, worshiped as a child prodigy and considered to be the second coming of David Bowie. His shaggy, preschooler haircut bothers me, as does his campy fashion sense.

I must admit I didn't actually listen to his music until I saw the video for "Bluebells," the first single off his new album, The Magic Position. With a beautiful piano melody and tasteful firecracker samples, the song had a pretty big impact on me.

The album is pretty tremendous as well. I'm not going to go into a song-by-song highlight -- there are so many good ones -- but I will say "Augustine" is one of the most beautiful ballads I've heard in a long time. I'm constantly playing it.

In this video, he plays "Augustine" on what appears to be a baritone ukulele. The interview is kinda cute as well. Patrick seems like a cool guy and not as self-important as I had imagined. This performance is interesting, but you must hear the original. Also, checkout the new video for the title track. It's classic British pop, a la Dexy's Midnight Runners.

* * *

I'm going to take a little break from writing exclusively about music. I'm finding my fiendish need for new music is becoming a bit escapist for my own creative goals. We'll see how long this lasts!

I'm starting the recording process for the songs I've written in the last eight months. It begins with beat making and sample tweeking. I'm pretty excited about it.

Also, my dear friend Susanna, who sadly ran away to Canada last year with a boy I never met, is sending me vocal recordings for songs she's written. She has a great voice. I'm planning on writing music for this project. It's been a challenge so far, and I'm hoping to get more ideas down when I'm back in the saddle. My technical know-how definitely needs an update.

Revenge of the Nerd Zombie

2007-07-08T21:16:00.000-04:00

Kavinsky died in 1986 when his Ferrari mysteriously went over a cliff. Twenty years later, he's back as a zombie ready to get revenge. That's the story as so far.

If you played arcade games in the 80's, this French artist mimics a lot of the noir-ish theme songs of those favorites. There's a nightmarish, L.A. apocalypse quality to his sound. These days, Kavinsky takes advantage of better technology; the bass is thicker, the beats are bigger.

The reviews have not been very generous to Kavinsky, I think mostly because his music might appear to be so overtly referential. But I like it. It reminds me of being 10, a time when wearing big sunglasses and getting to the next video game round at the Round Table Pizza arcade made me feel instantly cool.

The NY Times ran an article two weekends ago about how the new school of French electronic music has more in common with fist-pumping rock than ambient music for "genteel soundtracks" and "design-conscious restaurants." They cite Daft Punk as the forefathers of this revival, which I agree with. Although I haven't seen him perform live (he's actually on tour with Daft Punk right now), Kavinsky uses the Daft Punk image/sound/performance template to produce an interesting backstory.

Other bands in this French revival include Justice, who I haven't really gotten into. "D.A.N.C.E." got old really fast for me, and I haven't liked any of their remixes. I'm hoping their album will have some good surprises. There's also Simian Mobile Disco, who I've enjoyed a lot of their remixes, but haven't heard much of their own music.

My favorite Kavinsky track is this incredible bootleg remix by A-Trak. It's got police sirens, Scarface samples and M.I.A.'s vocals from "XR2." It's perfect. Talking about being 10 years old, Scarface totally reminds me of my uncle, who's "hey mang" I can still hear. Pacino might have been Cuban in the film, but he was definitely Iranian to all the mafioso-wannabee Iranians. I guess that's why "The World Is Yours" is still inspiring to so many minorities.

Kavinsky's EPs appear to be out of print, but you can buy them on iTunes here. Also, I just purchased the "Kavinsky vs. M.I.A." remix from A-Trak "Dirty South Dance" bootleg. You can buy it here.

You Used To Be My Chromeo

2007-07-01T13:25:00.000-04:00

There's a new Chromeo album out called Fancy Footwork. It's more of the same nostalgic electro that made their first record so great, except there's less hip-hop and more dance pop. She's In Control had a lot of filler, but it was a perfect party record and surprisingly addictive.

This new one really feels like a team effort. Chromeo is Canadian duo Pee Thug and Dave 1, "the only successful Arab/Jew partnership since the dawn of human culture" so they claim. It's definitely more of a structured pop album with less of the instrumentals that loaded She's In Control.

When I listen to Chromeo, I think of it as stock soundtrack music for low-budget 80's flicks. If there's a scene where characters are dressing up, or they're at a club, or they're opening their high school locker or whatever, Chromeo would cue in. The good news is that they're in on the fun, their music is always fun to dance to, and they're good at the player-as-victim perspective in their lyrics.

I've been listening to Fancy Footwork for a couple weeks, and although I don't dig it as much as the first album, there are some good tracks. I like "Bonafied Lovin" with its wailing guitar and clunky beats. "Opening Up" could have been a hit for someone like Debbie Gibson or Paula Abdul during their breakout years. It's got lots of "yeah yeah yeah yeahs," funky oscillating keys and a whole lotta bounce. The best part is these guys get away with this stuff without any irony.

The title track is certainly fun and has Napolean Dynamite-style imagery to it. It loses its luster after a few listens, but I admire their musicianship. They love the music they play, even if it doesn't always work. You can listen to it here.

"100%" is the last track on the record and my favorite. It starts off sounding a little like Madonna's "Holiday" but then becomes something smooth and sleek. It's the sexiest track they've ever recorded and the most "real" to me, which is not necessarily something that I look for from Chromeo.

For San Francisco folks, Chromeo is playing a show at Mezzanine on Monday, July 23. Flosstradamus is also playing and the boys from Frisco Disco will perform a DJ set. You can get in free if you RSVP.

If you're new to Chromeo, I would suggest checking out the Bloc Party remix of "Needy Girl" on the Vice Records site. This excellent remix is really what turned me on to this band. Maybe I'll see you at the show?

And In Case You Weren't There ..

2007-06-27T00:50:00.000-04:00

That's me and my friend John rockin' to the beat last Saturday at Frisco Disco. Ugh, makes me wish I wore more color or crazier shit. Click on the photo for more from the party.

Celebrate Diversity

2007-06-25T02:02:00.000-04:00

Pride celebrations were being held throughout the country this weekend, with SF and NY pretty much at ground zero. This was my fifth year celebrating. In the week leading up, San Francisco becomes one longish party. I had a good time this weekend, although I'm still somewhat dehydrated and have been trying to give my legs a rest.

On Pink Saturday, I went to dinner with a friend, bar hopped, party hopped and ran into some familiar faces. My final stop was Frisco Disco, the weekly dance party at The Transfer. It's the West Coast's answer to Misshapes (although it's been around longer), with fun, obnoxious, beautiful people, an almost anything-goes attitude to the music being played, and just a great way to dance until your drenched in sweat.

It was probably the most fun I've had at a party in a long time (perhaps since, Misshapes in April?). I had seen DJ Jefrodisiac (one half of the Frisco Disco team -- the other is Richie Panic. They also perform as Paradise Boys) perform elsewhere. He performed a long-ass set in 2005 when M.I.A . made her first trip to San Francisco, performing at the Independent. She was stuck at the airport and ended up being super late, but all was good with Jefrodisiac's blend of 80's hip-hop and electro classics. Oh, and if you were at the show, my girls were the ones that hopped on stage during his set, dancing until they were booed by the crowd.

Anyway, Saturday night was amazing, and I must have been dancing for an hour and half. They played everything from The Smiths' "Panic" to Tag Team's "Whoomp! (There It Is)" to The Rapture's "House of Jealous Lovers" and a shitload of dance and hip-hop tracks I didn't know. There were sweaty boys bumping and grinding in wannabee go-go mode, cute flirty girls in halter tops rubbing my beard, and some random people wearing too much clothing. In other words, for a music lover at Pride weekend, this was the perfect way to celebrate diversity.

It's not necessarily fair to compare Misshapes with Frisco Disco. With the latter, there are no celebrities, no mid-set performances, or the East Coast capacity for taste/image-making. However, the crowd and spirit at both parties are essentially the same. Plus, Frisco Disco is cheap and you can actually see people. You will find me there again.

Workin' On My Fitness

2007-06-18T00:52:00.000-04:00

I joined a gym last October, which was sort of a big deal for me. Oh the anxieties .. body identity, looking puny to all the regulars, not knowing how to use the machines, and on and on. But I still felt it was good time to start living healthy.

I started simple with cardio, and then weightlifting, and then organizing some schedule between both. I guess the motivation at the beginning was 75% cosmetic, 25% health, but now it's become such a routine, I don't really have a focused goal. Overall, it's had a good effect on my well-being.

When I began, I didn't know how to integrate music into the gym lifestyle. I didn't want to burn calories listening to awful house music on my iPod like most folks at my gym.

It's interesting -- they say the iPod has changed the way people listen to music, but I think going to the gym has changed the way I listen to music more than the device itself.

At first I didn't bring my iPod because I didn't mind what the gym sound system was playing. From Kelis's "Bossy" to Bloc Party's "Banquet," it was all good .. except for Neneh Cherry's "Buffalo Stance," which they still play as some sort of hip nostalgic radio staple.

After about two or three weeks, I realized the same songs were playing again and again, and I guessed this had something to do with music licensing. That's when I started to bring my iPod.

For a good 20 minute run on the treadmill, I started with some pop music. I had a period of running to Beyonce's B'Day , and then for a good 2 months to Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds. More recently, it was Of Montreal's Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? and Clipse's Hell Hath No Fury. With the Of Montreal album, nothing is quite as encouraging as Kevin Barnes singing "I'm in a crisis" on "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse."

For high-speed runs in the 10-15 minute range, I have a special playlist. It's usually very remix-oriented and dance friendly. Sometime it can be a little outrageous, sometimes it makes me laugh, but I never allow it to be monotonous.

It's usually music from various blogs that are introducing new artists and act as a taste-tester if I want to checkout the album when it comes out or buy it if it's already out.

Here are some of my recent favorites (not in sequential order):

Cut Copy, "Hearts on Fire (Joakim Remix)" (via iPop)
This remix takes me on the Star Trac treadmill from 4.0 to 6.8 to 7.5 in a matter of minutes. I know I said I don't really do the house thing, but this has so many familiar melodic elements. Cut Copy have a FabricLive album coming out, which I will definitely check out. Hear the original "Hearts on Fire" on their MySpace.

Kid Sister, "Damn Girl" (via Pitchforkmedia)
Holy Moses! She's cute, has a sassy Chicago accent and uses "percolate" like some common verb. The Too $hort sample from "Bossy" is simply effortless, and I love the swift production. I heard "Control" on her MySpace site -- I'm getting this shit on vinyl, but you can also find it on iTunes. I'll be writing more about her soon.

M.I.A., "Bird Flu (Diplo Remix)" (via I Guess I'm Floating)
To be honest, "Bird Flu" kind of creeped me out when I first saw the video. This Diplo remix transforms it from its voodoo weirdness to a sacrificial singalong to King Kong.

Rihanna, "Lemme Get That" (via FluxBlog)
Should I buy her album? This song is really hot, but I still haven't been able to understand Rihanna's appeal. She just looks and sounds so young and her star status seems so forced. I'm not a fan of "Umbrella." If the next single is good, I'll check it out.

There's about a dozen more. I figure I can report new favorites in a few weeks. Ultimately, going to the gym has had a great impact on my appreciation for the remix or dance single. Never before would I have actively hunted for hot tracks for the sole purpose of staying fit. Cardio days have become the days I look forward to. They're my run-to-the-beat days. Whatever works, I guess.

Italo Disco In 2007

2007-06-10T21:50:00.000-04:00

I've been looking for a good italo disco compilation. Not to be confused with mutant disco (which I still don't understand even after buying the ZE records compilations), italo disco is generally considered disco music that was created in Europe even after the disco backlash in the U.S. There was never a backlash in Europe, so the mirrorball kept spinning.

As far as sound, I generally think of it as space age 80's music, with lots of synthesizers, vocoders and icy rhythms. There are a lot of artists who churned out a hit or two and then disappeared forever.

Italo disco has had a resurgence this past year. Actually, I didn't know what italo disco was until this year. I credit Johan Agebjorn, the Swedish producer behind Sally Shapiro's outstanding Disco Romance, for bringing it to my attention.

Shapiro has described the album as "italo disco-influenced pop" and cites inspiration from artists Valerie Dore, Katy Gray, Savage and Fun Fun. Even the album cover has a cheesy Euro 12" look to it.

Shapiro (not her real name), is a mysterious and possibly reclusive character, rarely giving interviews and with no interest to perform live.

She has beautiful vocal melodies. On songs like "Find My Soul" and "Time To Let Go," there's a level of sadness that keeps her from sounding precious. She has a soft, almost effortless singing voice, which works surprisingly well for this style of dance pop.

Musically, for a genre that's known for it's cold synths and robotic beats, Agebjorn adds an incredible amount of warmth and depth to the songs. Even though it's a dedication to a genre they love, the album certainly stands on its own as a great electro pop album.

After months of listening, Disco Romance still gets played regularly in my world. "I Know" is one of my top played songs on my iPod. The album has 9 tracks, two of which are excellent remixes, and one ambient soundscape.

Trying to search for the music that inspired this album was difficult. Agebjorn provides clues with his hot DJ mix, "We Go All Night Long", broadcast on German Internet radio Welt-am-Draht. This 13-track mix features some italo disco classics, as well as songs by Sally Shapiro and Lindstrom.

I highly recommend it, and it's free to download on his site. Scroll down to "DJ mixing" and if you like, ask Johan for the track list -- he will reply.

There are tons of italo disco compilations out there, and yet, none seem to be a guaranteed crash course. Locally, I'm not quite sure where to look. At my regular record stores, the areas for "Disco," "Euro Dance" and "World Music - Italy" don't have what I'm looking for. There's a bunch of comps on Amazon that I might end up checking out. If any of you have recommendations, please add comment.

Man Overboard

2007-06-06T10:30:00.000-04:00

Did you know July is Blondie and Deborah Harry Month? I actually thought it was June, which explains the idea for this post and why it took me a good 5-8 minutes to find anything about it on Google.

The month was registered by a fan in 2003, and apparently, it's not that hard to do, although now you can think big: it's no longer the National Special Events Registry, it's the International Special Events Registry, organized by John Kremer, author of "Celebrate Today" (yeah, I didn't read it either).

Now, I'm not sure what someone does during a month dedicated to a band. The obvious would be to play and worship them, reflecting on the contributions they made to popular music, fashion, art and the like.

The dedication says:

Blondie took the music world by storm in the late '70s and early '80s, and the influence of this band and its lead singer Deborah Harry is still being felt today and increasingly recognized with the passage of time.

I only have one Blondie album, The Platinum Collection, a 2-disc set with early favorites like "Rip Her To Shreds," "I'm On E," and "X Offender", hits like "Call Me," "Rapture," "Atomic" and more. I consider it pretty essential.

I love the song "Man Overboard", a fun disco number with a terrific synth solo and Deborah singing the drama that "he gave it all for love." I also love the dreamy "Union City Blues" and the later cuts on disc 2.

When I was in New York City this past April, Blondie was everywhere: DJ'd at the clubs that I visited, postered at the stores I shopped at, and on people's clothing. Truth be told, New Yorkers love music that comes from New York, so Madonna, The Ramones, The Strokes, The Notorious B.I.G. were equally ubiquitous.

I came back with my own Blondie memorabilia, a Marc Jacobs t-shirt with an iconic portrait of Deborah Harry, all to benefit the Provincetown Art Association. Out of all the 10 available colors, I went with the white.

I learned last week that this was not an exclusive NYC t-shirt -- the store on Fillmore Street has mounds of these t-shirts. So the Blondie from the 70's and early 80's might be everywhere this year, even in my city.

It's cute, and maybe I'll wear the t-shirt as my nerdy little dedication to a band I like (but not love). Maybe I'd have more enthusiasm for the Official Talking Heads Month or the Official David Bowie Month, neither of which, to my knowledge, exist. Well, at least I now know one method to step-up my fan dedication.

Defacing Pictures of Famous People

2007-06-03T20:30:00.000-04:00

Maximo Park will forever be the band that I was introduced to through my younger brother. I got A Certain Trigger two years ago for Christmas with the same enthusiasm one finds when receiving a sweater for a gift. I don't like albums as gifts unless someone has a very good idea that the music would interest me. Unfortunately, my younger brother is not one of those people. I'm not sure how, but sometime in the early 2000's, I kind of lost hope for modern British rock bands. But it was Christmas, and I love music, and I told my brother I'd certainly give it a listen.

And what a total surprise: A Certain Trigger ended up being one of my favorite records of 2005, an album of aggressive, melodic rock with sharp guitars, and a very charming singer named Paul Smith. Unabashedly British (no American accents, thank goodness), and wearing early Paul Weller on his sleeve without being derivative, Smith's direct, non sequitur phrases and expressive voice were the perfect match for music which veered from post-punk, to power pop and everything in between.

They have a new album, Our Earthly Pleasures, which has a more crisp-sounding production from Gil Norton (The Pixies, Doolittle) and more of what made A Certain Trigger, and the following b-sides collection, Missing Songs, so excellent.

"By The Monument", a jangly, radio-friendly rocker has become a regular on repeat for me. On the first record, Smith sang "I'll do graffiti if you sing to me in French," and on the new one he's "defacing pictures of famous people on the train" .. it's an entertaining notion for a classically British singer to be vandalizing buildings in London Town, a la Banksy.

It would be difficult to be Paul Smith's ex-love. He can be very direct and I would imagine the persons he's singing about know it's them. Unless he's just being very creative, and I haven't picked up no the poetic license thing.

The first two singles out now "Our Velocity" and "Books From Boxes" are powerful and good contrast between the types of songs that are on the new record. The music is energetic, aggressive, with a great rhythm section and Smith's confident singing. Everything about the new record is refreshing.

I haven't been this excited about a British band since Franz Ferdinand released their debut. Franz's follow-up was a massive let down, but Maximo Park show that there is a light for new British rock. Then again, "new rave" bands like the Klaxons might overshadow the British indie bands trying to come over from across the pond.

For the San Francisco folks, Maximo Park is playing at Popscene on July 26. I'm an idiot and didn't know about pre-sale tickets from their website, which are no longer available. I'm going to do my best to make it .. but why Popscene, and not Slim's or The Fillmore? I guess that's the question for every new band that you think is huge, or will be huge soon.

These Are The Breaks

2007-05-28T23:28:00.000-04:00

I've been listening a lot lately to Kurtis Blow's debut album. I got Spank Rock's Fabriclive.33 over a month ago, and was inspired to purchase the Kurtis Blow record solely on hearing the entire 7:41 minute version of "The Breaks" -- the Spank Rock mix gives us less than two minutes.

It's enjoyable, classic and bizarre. There's Kurtis rapping about hard times "spreading just like the flu, you know I caught it just like you", plus his really strange cover of "Takin' Care of Business", and the disco fun of "Christmas Rappin'", which sounds a whole lot like "Rapper's Delight."

The thing I like most about the record (and you might find this odd) is the really great backing band. Something sounded familiar about the "The Breaks," and it wasn't until I heard the bonus instrumental track of the song that I put it together. It sounds like Johnny Marr's template for "Oscillate Wildly" or "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" or -- you name any Smiths song with funky chords and a shimmery chorus effect.

I once read Marr was very much influenced by Chic, the Nile Rodgers sound, and funk/disco guitar playing. In a time when Marr is playing with Modest Mouse (they were my favorite circa 1999-2001) as if he barely exists, it's quite an experience to hear the instrumental version of "The Breaks," imagining Morrissey singing his heart out in a "Barbarism Begins At Home" kind of way. The guitar player on a lot of the Kurtis album is John Tropea, who I will look into.

In any case, I'm a complete amateur when it comes to old school hip-hop. Besides the sampling and the shout-outs contemporary hip-hop/rap artists use in their cuts, it's been hard for me to get turned on to it -- and that's not because I don't like it, it's because I forget that it exists. I don't know anyone who actually grew up to this stuff, or worships it or collects it or wants to tell me about it. It also seems of the artists in this genre, from Grandmaster Flash. Run-D.M.C. or The Sugarhill Gang, are missing the kind of cultural ubiquity you'd find from artists listed in a typical karaoke book. It appears time has been much more generous to punk -- a genre that emerged near the end of the same decade -- than to old school hip-hop. Perhaps this will change.

The last time I got into a old-school hip-hop/rap artist was when I walked into a shoe store on Haight Street last summer. I heard this simple drumbeat, a spacey vintage synthesizer and sound advice about how "it's all over when you hit that pipe." I memorized some words, and discovered Too $hort's "Girl" from 1983. It's still one of my favorites. I've enjoyed what I've clumsily discovered, and with my New York state of mind, I have a feeling this is going to be my year for old school hip-hop.

Welcome To The World

2007-05-23T01:50:00.000-04:00

Howdy. My name is Ali and this is my first attempt at a blog. As a former journalist, you'd think I'd have jumped on the blog bandwagon by now. But no, I had other avenues for writing, like my band, 'personal' journaling and the copywriting I do for work.

For whatever reason, I decided to give this a shot. In case you're wondering, Cheztune is my own spelling of a word in Farsi, which means troublemaker. I used it as an imaginary label for my first album Artificial Heart. I like the way it looks and sounds. It also has 'tune' in it, and I figure I'll mostly be writing about music. Thanks for finding me.