Sunday, May 30, 2010

Happy Memorial Day!



It's not just another 3 day weekend folks. This is a day to honor, respect and remember all who have fought, will fight and those who are still fighting for our freedom. America is a great country. I know we all have our issues with certain things that happen here, but I've said it and I will say it again. There isn't another country I would have rather been raised in. Well, maybe Amsterdam... Anyways, everyone be safe, and have a great holiday!

Philly Phanatic Crashes Wedding...

I'm sorry, I just can't get enough of this...



CHANNEL INDIE

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Brothers

I'm proud to be from Akron, Ohio. Yeah I said it! Akron, 330, Rubber City, Copley!, all those words have always been special to me. Even before Lebron James made them famous. Even before the guys that I'm about to mention in this blog post re-established Akron on the musical map. I've always LOVED my city. You kinda have to love where you're from right? I think it's important. I think it's an important part of who you are as a person to love where you are from.

Anyways, I know you guys are still reading this blog cross-eyed because I just wrote the word re-established in the first paragraph. Let me explain. Akron used to be a musical hub from what I was told. I, of course, wasn't around for any of it. I was up in heaven waiting to be born out of my mommy's tummy :) Seriously, the city boasts a history that a lot of people actually don't know about. Akron used to be a booming town, for its time, with a lot of nightlife, jobs O'plenty, big names, movers and shakers (gangsters), and a pretty large and growing population. The north side of Akron was where most of the blues/jazz musicians played (Howard Street), and I believe there were a lot of big names that would bless the scene. I even remember my parents telling me there was a large amusement park that used to outline Summit Lake.

Let me learn ya somethin...

In 1920, Akron was the fastest-growing city in the United States. The two big cities in the Mid-West were Akron and Chicago. By 1930, about two-thirds of the nation’s automobile tires were produced in Akron, by such companies as Goodyear, Firestone and Goodrich.

Many major American cultural movements first emerged in the city. As the rubber industry was booming, so was the city's population, attracting immigrants from all parts of the globe. Akron became a melting pot in the early 20's, descendants from different racial groups significantly help define the worldwide cuisine. Aside from the North Hill neighborhood of Akron's history in jazz during the early 1900s, for decades Akron has produced musicians in many of genres.

After four decades of prosperity, the ’70s brought mergers and plant closings that began a long, slow slide into economic depression. Goodyear, the only tire company still stationed in Akron, now employs about 3,000 people. By comparison, the rubber factories employed 10 times that many workers a generation ago.



Akron’s music scene has a long history of outsourcing its talent. Chrissie Hynde, who declared Ohio dead in the 1984 song “My City Was Gone,” lit out to England at her first opportunity. Devo slugged it out for a while but skipped town for Los Angeles in the late ‘70s. Robert Quine left to study law at Washington University in St. Louis and later moved to New York City, where he formed the Voidoids with Richard Hell.

Major artist from Akron include Howard Hewett, Chrissie Hynde (who owns The VegiTerranean restaurant in the Northside Lofts), Devo, James Ingram, Buckner & Garcia, Rubber City Rebels, and the artists to whom this blog post belongs to The Black Keys.

So, when I say The Black Keys have re-established Akron's music scene, I say it because most of the hipsters and indie kids that read blogs like mine have no idea who most of the artists from Akron are/were that released before The Black Keys.



Now on to The Black Keys, who just released what I believe to be their sixth album entitled "Brothers." This album was released on May 18 and it features 15 tracks of bluesy, guitar rifting, rhythm enriched awesomeness! I personally feel cool as hell when I bump this. The Black Keys definitely add to the list of reasons why I love to rep where I'm from. Track 2 "Next Girl" is hot! If you haven't heard it, go and do that now. Link below... enjoy.

LISTEN

Now, only if we can get Lebron to stay? :(

The Black Keys speak on the "Lebron" situation in the video below (taken from The Wall Street Journal http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2010/05/18/fate-of-lebron-james-weighs-heavy-even-on-rock-stars/).



I-M

Monday, May 17, 2010

Be Happy

Get in a good mood... be happy. This song makes me happy. :)

Freelance Whales












"so as you pull me from the bed tell me i look stunning and cadaverous..." ;)

Treats

Once again, Brooklyn Stand UP! Although this is Brooklyn-by-way-of-Florida... still stand up!

That debut Sleighbells album is out now and it's fire. They were in studio last week on Sirius's XMU with Jenny LSQ... good stuff, had much fun listening to that. If you people haven't listened to XMU on Sirius it's pretty much worth the Sirius subscription payment in itself. It's a great station.



I guess I'm jumping on the Sleighbells bandwagon as of today. This electro-rock band is rising fast! Members Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller have pretty much taken the Indie world by storm over the past few days with this release. These songs will give you energy. Go grab them and give them a listen. The album is entitled "Treats" and it's LOUD by the way. First leaked on NPR, I believe, the buzz around it has been ridiculous to say the least. It was also co-released by M.I.A.’s new N.E.E.T. Recordings imprint.



I LOVE Alexis's voice, it's SOFT and CALMING, but will WHOOP your ass, and the BEATS by Derek are SICK! As much as this is probably going to be said, I can't resist saying it here... the album definitely lives up to its name. LINKS! iTunes MySpace

I-M

Friday, May 14, 2010

Titanic 2010

Between watching the Cavs lose last night, and a bug saving my life this morning... explanation another time, the last 24 hours have been "WTF" to say the least. I guess to me, what's most disturbing, is the morning aftermath of last night's playoff loss.

I haven't seen this many people jump ship since James Cameron released Titanic in 1997. It's going to be interesting to see how many people climb back aboard if he stays. Regardless I'm Cavs for life baby... wouldn't have it any other way. I've lived through "The Shot," "The Drive" and "The Fumble," I think I can make it through "The Lebron"

Titanic 2010, disaster off the shores of Lake Erie... SOS!! Cavs fans in trouble!



What's going on in the mind of Lebron? Only he, God, Three of the other Four Horseman and Jay Z knows.



Sorry, found that on accident... had to post it.

What annoys me about the whole situation is that a lot of these "Cavs" fans don't even know who the hell Mark Price is, and it's not like I'm talking about teenagers here people. It just ticks me off to see so many "die-hards" jumping ship. Oh well, to each his own. As for me, I will still be reppin Cavs in 2011. I may not be as excited, depending on what Lebron does, but like I said before... I wouldn't have it any other way! Cavs 2011 BABY!

I-M

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Loved It

I loved every moment of Betty White last night on SNL. From the opening monologue to the end when she thanked everyone under the sun except Jay Z, standing right beside her. Was it me, or did Jay Z seem to be expecting a mention? Ha, I thought that was funny. Who knows, maybe he wasn't expecting anything... I'm a blogger, we like to start shit. I am, however, serious about liking the entire show. Although, I could be a bit biased, because I am in LOVE with Betty White. Who isn't?



So many return appearances last night by SNL cast. Loved the "Really" segment, and the opening skit with "Betty's daughters" honoring her for Mother's Day. Got a bit tired of the Macgruber skits, but I know that's been getting extra push to promote the movie. Which I will not be paying to see by the way...

And, as Hanh Nguyen posted in his article, "NBC is thanking Betty White for being a friend ... and for high "Saturday Night Live" ratings. The 88-year-old host, musical guest Jay-Z and returning "SNL" alum drew the highest ratings since the 2008 November pre-election show featuring Ben Affleck and presidential nominee John McCain, according to early estimates reports Variety."http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2010/05/saturday-night-live-betty-white-gig-posts-big-ratings.html

Well in the spirit of skits, I guess I will post this to the page. I usually try to keep the blog PG, but what the heck. If there are kids in the room take them out or cover their ears.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Brooklyn Stand Up



There's something happening that hasn't happened since the early to mid 90's. My eyes are dead focused on Brooklyn. I can't even say that I'm falling in love with Brooklyn again because I've never technically fell out. It's been an ongoing occurrence. However, lately the infatuation has been growing exponentially. The culture, the scene, the love, the music The music The MUSIC. New album out now by Kaki King. It dropped April 13th and it's been in my head for the last few weeks now. If you haven't heard "Falling Day" it's okay... there's still time.



One of the most talented chicks to ever blow up my eardrums.

LISTEN

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Jónsi – Go

So, it's my job to point out incredible music. Well, here's me doing my job. Jónsi – Go is out now... go and get it. (Taken from Billboard - Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós may be on an indefinite hiatus, but the group's enigmatic singer Jon Thor Birgisson, better-known as Jónsi, is filling the void with his first solo album, "Go.")



These Scandinavian countries put out some of the most refreshing, beautiful, interesting, complex, and original music that I've ever heard. And, so begins my fascination with wanting to know why. Maybe I should visit? It's cold, but there has to be something in the water up there that maybe I should sample.



So, off of the album once again entitled "Go," "Go Do" and "Tornado" are the two songs that seriously send chills of enthusiasm up my spine while listening. I'm not even sure I want to call them songs. It's more art than anything. Very Lovely! It's 2010 and I'm inspired.



Debuting on the billboard 200 chart at number 23 and I believe it now is number 4 on Rock and number 1 for alternative it's something you should definitely consider at least sampling... sample below.












I-M

Record Breaking Lady Gaga Performs on AI 2010

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Blog Blog Blog

Swamped is an understatement. It truly is an injustice when trying to describe what's been happening to me lately. I need to find another adjective. I need to find the guy that makes adjectives and have him make up a special adjective just for me. I wonder how much that would cost? I probably couldn't afford it. I'm probably best buying a Thesaurus or an adjective book.

Life is strange right now. There's a sports bra at the end of The Delmarva Broadcasting Company driveway. I wonder who it belongs too. I wonder if there's a topless woman running around the Brandywine area confused and sweaty. I wonder what sport she was playing right before she lost her sports bra. Probably tennis. I wonder if she lost her tennis match, and in a fit of rage she throw her sports bra on the ground. Maybe she is smarter than we all think? She perfectly placed the bra in the driveway of a radio station, possibly in hopes that someone would cover the incident. I'm sure she didn't want her anger to go unknown or unappreciated, or her expression of protestant nudity to go in vain.

Have you ever made an Indie CD and then right when it was done burning you found another song that needed to go on that CD, and so you promptly burnt another CD? What do you do with the trash CD? The music on it is still very new and you don't want it to go to waste. Yesterday, I gave my trash CD to Joe Alan one of the DJs here at my station. I hope he enjoys it. I didn't want to throw it away. I've done that before and it hurt me knowing that there was music on there that someone could have heard and LOVED. That music could have helped someone or changed a child's life. Possibly a child that has never heard Indie music. Those children need those CDs. I can see myself from here on throwing those CDs out of my car window at lonely children. Hurling them like frisbees of joy. They will catch them, or they will learn too.

I apologize for having a blog and not blogging in it. It's very selfish of me to take up Internet space and not use it to its full potential. I'm unfortunately too busy to blog. It's sad isn't it? A blogger too busy to blog? It's like a fish to busy to swim. So, I just sit there on my coral reef starring out into the big blue yonder, to busy to move or to swim. Then, I see Nemo swim by frantically looking for his father... who I just saw by the way. I scream out "NEMO!," but he is too far away now, and he can't hear me, and I'm too busy to swim after him.



Have you ever drove to the suburbs blasting Dr. Dog's "Shadow People" singing along loudly except replacing the word Shadow with Ghetto? It's quite hilarious actually. You should try it... or at least think about it. While you are thinking about that, listen to these tunes that make me happy... It's "Wide Eyes" by Local Natives. OUTTASIGHTBLOG.BLOGSPOT.COM
www.myspace.com/localnatives

Man up... take what you can get

Money talks...

Peter King:

Scott Sicko, the University of New Hampshire tight end who gained Internet fame and infamy for turning down five free-agent NFL contract offers to pursue post-graduate education, has had a change of heart. He signed a contract with the Dallas Cowboys.

"What can I say?" Sicko told me today from the UNH campus. "I changed my mind. I got very comfortable with the Cowboys over the last couple of days. And I made a compromise with myself."

Read More: HERE
Get a free NFL Team Jacket and Tee with SI Subscription

Sicko got well!