Old school funk for the true funk soldiers!

Dear Franz Ferdinand fans,

Where the hell did you all go after Take Me Out? Album number two You Could Have It So Much Better is a rollicking good time that should have put to rest any thoughts of a sophomore slump, but then y'all had to go and prove how fickle the scene can be for new bands; especially those with wonderfully crafted start to finish debut LPs.

Well your loss cause said album along with this lead single, kick ass. [Best line of the song: "Well he's a friend and we're so proud of ya/You're famous friend well I blew him before ya oh yeah"] And how about this video? Playing on the whole "Look at us we're so scene" label and placing it all in a Warholian like wine and cheese affair. It's enough to make a nigga go crazy, to quote Alicia Keys, and it does, with hip shakin' glee!

Sincerly,

Tauwan

DJ CLUE...NEW FRANZ FERDINAND!...HALLAM FOE, DANDELION BLOW!!

Who's bad?

Fast, slow, or anyway you wanna go, Franz Ferdinand can do no wrong as they prove here with this new track Hallam Foe, Dandellion Blow. If anything, they show Damon Albarn and co. that one can slow it down and mellow it out without muffling vocals and painting everything gray.

Franz Ferdinand: Hallam Foe, Dandelion Blow

Headline of the Day! [Update]

In which Courtney Love pretty much throws a youmustnotknowboutme towards AI and the general public:

"i woul dnever ever do that, ive never watche dthat show except once with my daughter i went to the final night, I couldnt even get ON that show nor would i wantt o and no offense to anyone who has been on that show and wantsto be on that show- i have no interest at this point in my life, im interested in putting this record out- doing films and doiung rock shows this summer and being on the road, and thats what i shall do. US misrepresented and misquoted me and nothing i said was ever meant for any publication. I didnt kn ow it wa sgoing to be a big deal but then again ive been very busy and id ont exactly pay attention to pop culture and id ont read tabloids and idont have a google alert i find lofe fAr easier without those things"

Let it rain. Clear it out.

GAWKER: Correction: Courtney Won't Be Falling Off Paula's A.I. Chair

What is love?

I don't know, but apparently these two do.

The New York Daily News reports:

"Ice-T and his wife, model Nicole (CoCo) Austin, are ready to dole out relationship advice. 'Me and Ice are currently writing a book about creating and maintaining a successful relationship,' CoCo told us yesterday. 'We have had great success in balancing our careers and private lives, and we would like to share some of that knowledge with others who are in need of guidance and/or inspiration.'"

Big ups to the people over at

Crunk + Disorderly

for letting a brotha know that the right people are showing this child from a broken home how to learn and see what it is like to really love and commit yourself to somebody.

Dreamgirls

Watch

this,

cause you know you still care. And sorry B, but every so often I gotta SMH at Matthew Knowles' words and actions.

Big Ups The Shins!

Last week I wondered if the Shins new album Wincing the Night Away would chart somewhere high on the billboard charts. Everyone was talking about the album, Itunes was giving it up early, and as is the case after every Christmas Holiday where new discs are few and far between, we music fans were hungry for something good, and something new. Well congratulations boys. Wincing debuted at Number 2. [Pretty Ricky got the top spot. But really are you surprised?] A Number two spot ain't all these fellas nabbed. Pitchfork reports:

"According to Billboard, Wincing also topped the Top Independent Albums, Top Digital Albums, Top Internet Albums, and Top Tastemakers charts... "Phantom Limb" is in the top 20 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart as well."

Big ups fellas. Even I enjoy it and I wasn't even a casual fan before, Garden State and its soundtrack notwithstanding. Though am I the only one who sort of tunes out after Red Rabbits, letting the other songs bleed into each other and become nothing more than background music? Guess I see Wincing as being a little top heavy.

Headline of the Day!

Since I am doing jack shit at this point in my life I can tune into American Idol religiously when a new episode drops. [What? It ain't like I am the only one.] One of the most entertaining aspects of the show for me, aside from seeing people shine and/or embarass themselves, is watching Paula Abdul simply be Paula Abdul. She's so damn entertaining and does a good job of "looking like" she is on another planet or out of it. It's charming, cute, and funny, but I don't know if I could handle the same actions and mannerisms if it was Courtney Love instead of Paula Abdul sitting in between Randy and Simon.

US: Us Exclusive: Paula Being Replaced? Courtney Love Claims She's Been Called for American Idol

Then again, it's not like US Weekly or whatever it is called is a credible news source. But then again credible news sources

appear to be slacking these days, so who knows?

A-HA! Daaaammmn homie!

USA TODAY: Brandy sued for $50M in fatal LA crash

I hope she's still reaping some benefits from those Thea and Moesha reruns on TV One and KDOC.

U.N.I.T.Y?

So there's this new Game video feat. Kanye West. Wouldn't Get Far is its name. It's all about putting conniving ass video hoes on blast, pays a little homage to the good old days of pop-up-video, and is actually kind of humorous. [Does the Game actually smile at the end of the video? I think he does. An ear to ear grin no less]It even comes with a disclaimer at the start of the video that states WARNING, What you are about to witness is not a real rap video, but a reenactment of what would happen on a real video set. In fact, these are not really video girls, but actresses pretending to be. Repeat...this is not a real video.

My only question is, will anyone get the "joke" or is just another rap video masquerading itself as "social commentary" when in fact it's no different from something like

this?

And also K.West. You come with it everytime, but both the beat and hook for this track remind me of Jadakiss' By Your Side from his spectacular album Kiss of Death. Just saying.

Watch Game ft. Kanye West - Wouldn’t Get Far here.

Get in, Fit in

Justin Timberlake. Jay-Z. Nelly Furtado. M.I.A. Elton John. Snoop Dogg. Fall Out Boy. the Hives. She Wants Revenge. No this isn't the line up for Live Aid Silverlake. Nope this is just a list of the artists joining Timbaland a.k.a Thomas Crown on his new CD Shock Value in stores March 27. I am curious as all hell to see how this all goes down. Unlike most people I own all those Timbaland and Magoo discs starting with Welcome to our World. [Remember Up Jumps the Boogie? More importantly remember Magoo?]But those discs included all the usual suspects, Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Missy, etc. Cut to 2007. Timbaland has expanded his palette and comes correct everytime. The Hives? She Wants Revenge? Fallout Boy? This should be interesting.

PITCHFORK: Jay-Z, M.I.A., Timberlake to Shock With Timbaland

Love Me, Love Me

Instead of cozying up with the family and a little turkey, New York's go-to band for a good time the Scissor Sisters, spent a three day Thanksgiving stint overseas selling out Wembley Arena and playing to nearly 33,000 fans. -Sigh- Something tells me the same couldn't happen at the Staples Center here in Los Angeles or atMadison Square Garden in NYC. What a shame what a shame.

VILLAGE VOICE: Queens of England/Why the British love the Scissor Sisters more than we do

Old school funk for the true funk soldiers!

Big ups to

Idolator

and

jefitoblog

for bringing Al B. Sure back into my life. Definitely had this one on cassingle/heard it played many a times during the grown folk parties where we kids stayed in the back in our pj's awaiting sleep as our parents turned up the music way too loud and partied like it was 1999.

A New Sensation

So there's this band, the Klaxons, and apparantely a nobody ain't somebody til he has heard or gotten down to a Klaxons jam. Have I listened to them? No, but I know of them, and this is only because I have friends in the know when it comes to dance tunes/indie rock/mp3 blogs that trumpet good shit you should be listening to.

Word on the street [a.k.a Pitchfork lane] is that we lads in the U.S. of A. will be able to get our hands on a full length Klaxons disc sometime in April, giving those in the know when it comes to the Klaxons enough time to embrace the album a little more before it hits the masses. Until then said fans [and hopefully new peeps who actively listen to music without prejudice] should give this Klaxons cover of J.Timb's My Love a spin.

By now it should be no surprise that artists are covering/remixing the singles off of Futuresex/Lovesounds. For a while doing so was the new black. [Or the new "covering Crazy"]With their cover the Klaxons keep J.Timb's vocal inflections in tact, tic for tic, note for note, surrounding it in a wall of sound so thick you'd expect to hear Thom Yorke in the background at some point shouting "THIS.IS.THE.REMIX."

i was there. Klaxons. My Love.

Working just enough, just enough...

Here's a glimpse at K-fed's Super Bowl commercial for Nationwide Insurance. And all this time I thought Kevin Federline was a guy who took himself too seriously. Maybe that's just his rap persona.

Word of the Day?

Is that man above of African descent, adorned in what appears to be a Members Only jacket, fitted/tattered jeans, with a nicely wrapped scarf and unorthdox haircut, AND is the lead frontman of an indie rock-n-roll band? Hmm... Must be a

blipster.

BrooklynVegan: Blipster = a black hipster? NY Times on black + indie

The kid stays in the picture

Prince combines Jimi Hendrix's All Along the Watchtower and the Foo Fighters' Best of You and guess what...it sounds fucking great. Now yes I know I am kind of biased seeing as how I have come to embrace anything prodcued by the man prior to and including Sign O'the Times and anything produced after Crystal Ball. [Okay so Diamonds and Pearls is a great song, and I like a few songs on that symbol album with 7 on it]But that's all beside the point. Tune in, smile widely, and just wait for Howard Stern and the gang to shut the hell up so you can revel in magic that is new Prince. Can't wait for that Super Bowl performance.

IDOLATOR: Leak Of The Day, Part Two: Prince Has Got You Covered

Headline of the Day!

PITCHFORK: Flaming Lips, Metric, Lil Jon Team Up With Playboy

Arrest Yourself

I remember it like it was yesterday, the first time I got my hands on R.Kelly's Trapped in a Closet DVD. My boy Youngers was celebrating his birthday and I swung by with some liquid goodies to get the party started. Thanks to the presence of the Black Star Power playing in the background [a.k.a. BET] the topic of R and his Trapped in a Closet melodrama came up. Prior to that point I had never seen what I presumed to be a five part saga that dealt with guns, God, infedility, and homosexuality. For Youngers and those among us this was not good. It was then that I was presented with my very own copy of R.Kelly's Trapped in a Closet to view and keep for myself. It wasn't even my birthday and there I was recieving a gift that would make me smile for weeks to come. It was all too much, but boy did I love it. And boy did I also love sharing the goods with the rest of world who had yet to feast their eyes on R's masterful and epic piece of storytelling. [Midgets? Indestructible ex-cons named Twan? Wigs? And God fearing Bible thumping homosexuals? Damn Kels you are too much dawg, too much]

The only question I had is this: as an artist, how does one go on after all that? Easy. You keep it going. MTV News tells us that "there are plans to put out more chapters of his "Trapped in the Closet" series in the summer" (!!!!) following the release of his new album. I say shit, goddamn Kels. Yes the story ended rather abruptly, put what else is there to add and/or say. Dear God. Brace yourselves people as Kels' Trapped in the Closet becomes the urban melodramatic equivalent of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy.

MTV NEWS: R. Kelly Heading Back To 'Closet'; Ready To Tee Up New Album

Video of the Day!

Am I head over heels in love with this song yet? Not sure. But the video, with it's Michael Jackson's Rock With You meets Jennifer Beals in Flashdance crossed with an episode of The Office appeal is so exhilarating, so sexy, so easy on the eyes, that I might come around sometime soon.

Young Love. Find A New Way.

Cause you gotta get up to get down...

WTF?

Seriously fellas, what the fuck?

Word Up! Hey!

Fo'real do!

Mariah Carey graces the cover of the March 2007 issue of Playboy. Sorry fellas, she ain't nekkid in them there pages.

Rap-Up.com: Mariah Carey on the Cover of Playboy

Sucka Free Sunday!

Another great discovery from the folks over at Discobelle. Check it out:

"Jacqueline Cummings, aka Mapei, has had a track posted before here on Discobelle. She’s been a favorite of ours for some time now and 2007 looks like it’s gonna be her year. She’s in NYC right now (where she used to live before she moved to Stockholm) but still had the time to send these two new tracks over. Think M.I.A, Neneh Cherry and Leila K all rolled into one fantastic MC, rapping frantically over insane beats."

She had me at "now you a pimp cause you got your foodstamps and you got 11 kids. Why you all up in my girl's pants?"

Discobelle/Mapei/Belly [RMX]

Old school funk for the true funk soldiers!

For Kashif. And Ferd.

Let me hear your body talk

Artists are getting real generous these days, allowing fans to get all up in their grill behind the scenes, on the stage, and on the screens. Late last year The Flaming Lips held a contest in which the winners wound up on stage, shaking that ass on New Year's Eve. The Rapture are currently giving you the opportunity to appear in their next video, and on Grammy night a lucky contest winner will get the chance to fuck up, I mean sing with Justin Timberlake during his live Grammy performance. Not one to be left behind Girl Talk's Greg Gillis is giving six individuals the chance to get up on the good foot this Valentine's Day in Las Vegas. Check it out:

"Here are the duties: dance on stage, hype the crowd, throw confetti, wear a costume and/or extreme clothing (that you provide yourself), get buck wild."

Get it? Got it? Good. Now just answer a few questions [to be sent to girltalkgirltalk@gmail.com] and find a way to Vegas:

1. Full Name:
2. City that you live in:
3. Age:
4. How will you get to Las Vegas:
5. What will your be costume and/or clothing:
6. Performance experience:
7. Best dance move:
8. Have you been to a Girl Talk show before and if so, where:
9. Phone number:
10. Why I should pick you (no longer than 5 sentences)

Can you keep up?...

PITCHFORK: Girl Talk Seeks Dancers for Vegas Gig

Taking it as low as you go

Admit it, before they became your favorite punching bag, you were all about the Coldplay. Remember Parachutes? How about its lead single Yellow? That song was inescapeable. And guess what, we made it that way cause that's how much we liked it. Even the singles on A Rush of Blood to the Head were fantastic, and the album itself wasn't that bad either. But then your parents started listening to them. Their songs starting soundtracking everything under the sun. Chris Marin came off a little holier than thou at times when it came to discussing his humanatarian efforts. And of course he married Gwyneth Paltrow and named his kid Apple. Then came X&Y. Yeah it sold well, but aside from the singles Speed of Sound and Talk, you couldn't care less. But maybe you'll come around again for the next go round, cause word on the street is Brian Eno is jumping behind the boards and producing the next Coldplay album. Creative overload or the perfect mind blowing fit? Only time will tell...

PITCHFORK: Brian Eno Producing New Coldplay Album

Video of the Night!

2007. The brits will, once again, be giving you something to talk about. Lily Allen [continued], Amy Winehouse [continued], Damon Albarn and company with the Good, the Bad ,and the Queen, and now this. Mika. Grace Kelly. Enjoy!

Old school funk for the true funk soldiers!

When you think about Brandy's sophomore album Never Say Never, what songs come to mind? The boy is mine? Sittin' on top of the world? Well let's not forget about this gem either. Simple, understated, dying to be heard [in more ways than one]. Brandy. Almost doesn't count.



God Bless YouTube!

Headline of the Day!

MSNBC: K-Fed wants Britney to go into rehab

Riddle Me This

Will the new Shins album actually chart next week? Their new album, Wincing the Night Away* is currently number one on Itunes' Top Albums list. [Right above Chris Daughtry's]Plus there has been so much hype, noise, and expectation surrounding this album; in the past two weeks you couldn't throw a rock without seeing them on SNL, reading a glowing review of the new album in many a publication, or encountering the "new slang" Braff-lash. Hell I am not even a big Shins fan and I went out and bought the album, despite the fact that Itunes was willing to let me purchase it two weeks prior to its street date. [Big ups on that mistake Itunes]So will all the fuss lead to good first week sales? Only time will tell. Hell the Dreamgirls sdtrk. did it two weeks in a row with less than 70,000 copies sold. That's gotta give one hope right?





*Four songs in and I got little to no complaints. Big Ups guys.

The great below

New album. New tour. Marilyn Manson. Eat Me, Drink Me. Coming soon...

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Artists and musicians. Such a sly bunch. If you're not careful they'll sneak some hidden agenda into a song without you even noticing, and before you know it you're taking it to the streets protesting a war, or -gasp- showing some love for the gays! But never fear, for the folks over at the Christian website Love God's Way are here to help you with their list of artists/bands who are trying to brainwash you and make you do the Y.M.C.A. down in Funkytown:

One of the most dangerous ways homosexuality invades family life is through popular music. Parents should keep careful watch over their children's listening habits, especially in this Internet Age of MP3 piracy."

Bands to watch out for

-The Spores
-Scissor Sisters [Okay. I get this one]
-Rufus Wainwright [See Scissor Sisters]
-Merzbau
-Ravi Shankar
-Wilco [What? How? Huh?]
-Bjork
-Tech N9ne
-Ghostface Killah [Highly unlikely]
-Bobby Conn
-Morton Subotnik
-Cole Porter [Whoa isn't this man dead? I guess you gotta reach into the vaults and make sure even your hits from back in the day don't "turn you out"]
-Eagles of Death Metal
-Polyphonic Spree [Wouldn't this Christian group be a fan of the cult-like/organized religion mentality of this band's choral affinities and matching choir like robes?]
-The Faint
-Interpol [Only on here because hipster boys are highly ambiguous/gay/down with experimentation]
-Tegan and Sara [Lesbian Twins! Oh me, oh my!]
-Erasure
-Le Tigre
-The Gossip
-The Doors [Why? Because of Jim Morrison's hair and love of leather pants?]
-Phish [Extended solos? Songs that stretch for minutes on end? Drug experimentation? All gateway activities for homosexual interactions]
-Queen
-The Strokes [See Interpol]
-Sufjan Stevens [I thought he was all about the Christianity. Is it because of those in the closet rumors? Or those Come On Feel The Illionise cheerleading promo shots?]
-Morrissey [Duh!]
-The Pet Shop Boys
-Metallica [I blame the soft spoken one with the curly black locks]
-Judas Priest
-The Village People
-The Secret Handshake [So what exactly, if you don't mind me asking, is a secret handshake?]
-The Rolling Stones [I blame David Bowie and Mick Jagger's swagger]
-David Bowie [A given, yes, thanks to his younger years, but you gotta admit, Iman is pretty hot and well, so is he at 60]
-Frankie Goes to Hollywood
-Man or Astroman [I don't know who this is, but that name looks slang for gay or straight]
-Richard Cheese
-Jay-Z [Ooh Beyonce is not going to like that one. She better put her Freakum Dress on]
-Depeche Mode
-Kansas
-Ani DiFranco [No! Get out!]
-Fischerspooner
-John Mayer [All that talk of "swimming in a big sea of blankets?" Totally gay!]
-The Indigo Girls
-Velvet Underground

But don't fear, cause there are some safe bands out there who keep it real... real traditional:

We know that it can be difficult to differentiate what is good or bad for your child. With that in mind Love God's Way has created this powerful tool to let you see some bands and entertainment that is safe for your children."

Safe Music:

-UnderOath
-Falling Up
-Flyleaf
-THE TURNING
-Disciple
-P.O.D
-By The Tree
-Scott Reed
-Michael W. Smith
-Jars of Clay
-DC Talk

I don't care what anyone says, but this "safe list" is just the line-up from some Christian Rock Coachella pamphlet they found lying around the office.

In the meantime, do your part and spread the word, and help keep this filth off the streets:

"In Our effort to keep this list up to date we'd appreciate your help. If you know of a band that is Gay or propogating a Gay message please email us so we can update. Donnie is handling this his email is: [redacted]."

IDOLATOR: Religious Website "Outs" Pretty Much Every Musical Act In The World

Come as you are

I have a confession to make. I enjoyed Gus Van Sant's Kurt Cobain inspired flick Last Days. I don't know of too many people who've seen it, but I have [in a theatre, yes]. And I also don't know of too many people who own the dvd, but I do. It's melodic and slow, but in a good way, and of course, like many a Van Sant movie, it is not without it's fair share of random come out of nowhere moments. [the scene where the two male friends 'hook up' is just as out of the blue as that scene in Elephant where the two male assasins make out in the shower.]

And of course, if you are gonna have a character who resembles [or is supposed to be] Kurt Cobain, the lead actor has to just about get everything right, and give a understated and completely non-pretentious performance, and I think Michael Pitt did just that. His mannerisms, soft spoken ramblings, yelps, and screams were nicely played. So I am guessing that is why, eventhough Last Days dropped in 2005, I can hear traces of Cobain [and a little Ryan Adams] in this track from Pitt's band, Pagoda posted over at the Modern Age.

The Modern Age: The LP for Michael Pitt’s Band Pagoda Finally Sees the Light of Day

Old school funk for the true funk soldiers!

Brothahs and sistahs! I say brothas and sistahs! Act like ya know. God's Property feat Kirk Franklin. Stomp. Makes me clap my hands. Makes me wanna dance.

Baby you can do it, take your time, do it right!

Britney "remember me, I used to be famous for my singles" Spears was spotted going into a recording studio recently. And who was with her to make sure things got down on the good foot and went smoothly? None other than Pharrell Williams and Kanye West. There you go Brit. Baby steps towards getting it right. Big ups to Trent over at

Pink Is The New Blog

for bringing this my attention.

Celebrity Babylon: Britney and Pharell/Spears and Williams work hard on her new album

Oh No! Oh My!

Part two:

Oh No! Oh My!

I'm Los Angeles kid. Born and raised, but for the past four years I took a break from la la land, headed east, and called the tiny town of Brunswick, Maine home from August to December and then again from January to May. Now that school has come and gone, and the whole finding a job anywhere but home thing has yet to come into fruition, maybe, just maybe I can finally attend the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival. And why wouldn't I want to this year? It seems everybody and their mama is dropping in to say hello. A reunited Rage Against the Machine. Bjork. The Rapture. Arcade Fire. !!!. Red Hot Chili Peppers. You know what, fuck it, just check this list of performers from

Pitchfork:

"...a reunited Rage Against the Machine will headline the festival's final night, April 29, while Björk will headline on Friday, April 27 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers on Saturday, April 28. The Arcade Fire, Interpol, Willie Nelson, the Roots, Manu Chao, the Decemberists, Arctic Monkeys, Sonic Youth, Air, a reunited Crowded House, Tiësto, and Kings of Leon are also playing.

It'll be a field day for Anglophiles, as a mess of Brit gods have just been added to the tally, including Jarvis Cocker, the Good, the Bad and the Queen, Lily Allen, Happy Mondays, Placebo, Hot Chip, Kaiser Chiefs, Travis, Klaxons, the Fratellis, the Kooks, Amy Winehouse, and the Feeling.

Also exciting: the New Pornographers, Ghostface Killah, Peter Bjorn & John, Junior Boys, Grizzly Bear, Girl Talk, Sparklehorse, Tapes 'n Tapes, the Rapture, DJ Shadow, Konono No. 1, LCD Soundsystem, Black Keys, Blonde Redhead, Peeping Tom, Rufus Wainwright, Explosions in the Sky, !!!, Lupe Fiasco, Stephen Marley feat Damien "Jr. Gong" Marley, Peaches, José González, Regina Spektor, CocoRosie, Cornelius, Pharoahe Monch, Roky Erickson, Soulwax, Tilly and the Wall, Andrew Bird, Gogol Bordello, Justice, MSTRKRFT, the Coup, CSS, Digitalism, Erol Alkan, Spank Rock, Tokyo Police Club, Felix Da Housecat, Richie Hawtin, Busdriver, and Brother Ali.

Plus: Faithless, Gotan Project, Paul Van Dyk, Satellite Party, Nickel Creek, Damien Rice, Infected Mushroom, Benny Benassi, Jack's Mannequin, Julieta Venegas, Ozomatli, Amos Lee, Brazilian Girls, Fountains of Wayne, VNV Nation, Gillian Welch, the Frames, We Are Scientists, Yeva, Avett Brothers, Circa Survive, the Cribs, Evil Nine, Noisettes, Fields, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, DJ Heather, Mike Relm, Silversun Pickups, Nightwatchman, Bojones, Mika, Pop Levi, Anathallo, and Fair to Midland.

Whew!"

Whew indeed.

Y'all think this is a game?

Brandy, if you don't come and get your little brother...

Unfortunately this is not. See, this is why you do not let anyone turn on a camera when you are lifted and music is playing in the background. Such events are better left stuck in someone's head, to be reflected on when sober or lifted again.

Ray-J feat. Snoop Dogg, Slim Thugg [and whoever else is in the room it seems]

Big ups to

Bossip

for this one.

Video of the Day!

Of Montreal. Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse. I wish my school's plays were this "avant garde" and fun. Though

Home

came close to being so.

Quote of the Day!

At Monday night's Golden Globes ceremony, Beyonce lost not one, but two awards. Tough life. Here's what her dad had to say about it all according to the folks over at IDon'tLikeYouInThatWay:

"Knowles told reporters back stage at the Beverly Hills Hilton right after the Golden Globes show ended that his daughter was outcasted and overlooked by a bureaucratic good old boy system that is still alive in 2007 as it was in 1967. 'Today is MLK's birthday and it saddens me to say that things have not changed for blacks. Working class blacks and blacks in Hollywood are still being discriminated against. We still have a long way to go," he said.'"

Look I love Beyonce as much as the next man, but Mr. Knowles, your daughter lost cause she was up against a subtle Prince groove from a much adored movie about penguins, and a well-played wonderfully comedic performance by Meryl Streep in the Devil Wears Prada. And last time I checked she was not the best thing in Dreamgirls. Sorry, but that title goes to Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson. And lastly, in case you forgot, the 2007 Golden Globes ceremony gave out awards to Prince, Forest Whitaker, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, not to mention two folks of latin descent, America Ferrera and Alejandro González Iñárritu. Go sit your ass down. And stop taking away from what has otherwise been a stellar year for Beyonce. Getting all up in your daughter's career like your name was Joe Simpson.

IDON'TLIKEYOUINTHATWAY: Beyonce's Daddy is Pissed Off

Can you feel it?

Every now and then when you purchase [or download] an album you fall in love with certain tracks in particular and hope that one day, maybe, just maybe, one of those tracks will be released as a single. 9 times out of 10 this never happens. But sometimes, if you wish hard enough, your dreams come true. So go on and enjoy one of my favorites from Kelis' latest Kelis Was Here. Kelis feat Cee-Lo. Lil Star.



Big ups to

Idolator

for letting me know what's up.

MIXTAPE FRIDAYS!

Before I unveil the tracklist for this week's playlist I would like to take this moment to apologize to Prince Roger Nelson. You see his track Around The World In A Day, coupled with Gwen Stefani's U Started It, formed the basis for this "mixtape". Unfortunately, as tracks were slowly added and the mixtape started to fill out, Around The World In A Day was left behind. It's a great song, but it just didn't fit. So my bad Prince. I'll get you next time. I always do.

this is a low

one.so sick.ne-yo.
two.playboy.hot chip.
three.say it right.nelly furtado.
four.love train.wolfmother.
five.freedom 90.george michael.
six.u started it.gwen stefani.
seven.long way to go.cassie.
eight.until the end of time.justin timberlake.
nine.glamorous.fergie feat. ludacris.
ten.back like that.ghostface killah feat. ne-yo.
eleven.heaven.john legend.
twelve.if.destiny's child.
thirteen.trilogy.kelis.
fourteen.entourage.omarion.
fifteen.slo love.janet jackson.
sixteen.c.r.u.s.h.ciara.
seventeen.november has come.gorillaz.

Get me so excited!

Timbaland! Duets with Antony from Antony and the Johnsons! Electric thumb piano magic! And word of a possible tour! So much excitement. No way to curb it.

PITCHFORK: Bjork Taps Antony, Timbaland, Lightning Bolt for LP

Old school funk for the true funk soldiers!

After viewing that episode of Martin where Shenehneh attempts to seduce Kid from Kid-N-Play in her apartment this past weekend and posting

this,

I had to take it back and post this old school jam.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Check it out!

The folks from Avenue Q have joined forces with the cast and crew of Scrubs to produce a very special musical episode of Scrubs airing tonight on NBC at 9/8 Central. Make sure you check it out.

Ring the alarm!

Tuesday, May 15. Wilco. New Album. Blue Sky Blue. Get me so excited.

PITCHFORK: Tweedy Reveals Wilco LP Title, Release Date

To the right, to the right!

Speaking of Irreplaceable...

Z-SHARE-Irreplacable [man's version]

Brought to you by the kind folks over at

Crunk + Disorderly!

It's all about me, me, me, me, me!

Forget about you, you, you, you, you...


Ne-Yo co-wrote Irreplaceable. Beyonce added some harmonies or something so she got some songwriting credits. Big surprise. I am sure this has happened on many a song before. Whatever, I still love her.

And if you haven't noticed, this song has done really well, and Beyonce has taken it upon herself to go here and there stating how she wrote the song for women wronged everywhere, etc, etc. UH-UH Ne-Yo ain't having none of that shit. I guess that's why brotha went on some radio station sounding like some gay American Idol contestant singing "his" song.

IDOLATOR: Leak of the day: Ne-Yo Tells Beyonce To Move To The Left

NO. MORE. DRAMA!

Really? This is just out of control. Those dudes on Melrose who constantly try to get me to listen to their demo on some worn out, sticker laced Sony discman better watch their backs cause the RIAA is coming after that ass.

PITCHFORK: DJs Drama & Cannon Arrested for "Illegal" CDs

Guess who's back?

Ever since that beat sputtered in followed by that hook sung by Nate Dogg, I have been a big fan of F-A-B-O-L-O-U-S. And from there on out each single has been nothing but fire baby. And this one is no different. Before this, the only connection we had between Fabo and diamonds involved unecessary ice jackings of athletes or unecessary rivalries with Dipset or some other fame mongering rap posse. But no more. With Weezy F baby along for the ride and a beat that rides til it dies F-A-B-O-L-O-U-S bounces back with the world on his shoulders. Now that's what the fuck I call I chain reaction.

DISCOBELLE: Fabolous-Diamonds On My Chain (Feat Lil Wayne)

Radio! Radio!

The folks over at

Stereogum

were lucky enough to stumble upon an article from The Harvard Crimson in which famous alums list some of their favorite things from 2006. Why don't we take a look at some of Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo's favorite things of 2006, shall we?

1. Hall & Oates—“Greatest Hits.” Man, did the 80s rule.

2. Nelly Furtado—“Promiscuous” and “Maneater.” I admire her independence from the expectations of her fanbase.

3. Chamillionaire & Krayzie Bone—“Ridin.’” This song gets me pumped. I also love Weird Al’s version, “White and Nerdy.”

4. Danity Kane—“Show Stopper.” I am biologically incapable of not being attracted to this song.

5. Fish Leong—“Yong Qi.” The best ballad I’ve heard in years comes from China.

6. Gnarls Barkley—“Crazy.” What the heck? Where did this song come from?

7. Keane—“Somewhere Only We Know.” I think this song was on my list last year but it still makes my heart beat fast.

8. Panic At The Disco—“I Write Sins Not Tragedies.” This song seems so avant-garde and yet it’s structurally very simple and repetitive. Good job, kids.

9. Sam Harris—“Letter to A Christian Nation.” Interesting.

10. Bob Woodward—“State of Denial.” Seems like a pretty even-handed and well-informed account of the war. Then again, what do I know.

11. Ne-Yo. Besides the fact that his songs are catchy and soulful, I love the fact that they’re so anti-gangsta.

12. “Lost”—I’m just about finished with the first season but I think I’m going to have to give it up because it’s too violent.

13. Shakira—“Hips Don’t Lie.” I’ve love the music for this song. Does anyone know where it’s from? It sounds familiar.

14. The Fray—“Over My Head.” I finally realized why this song sounded so right to me the first time I heard it on the radio: My drummer reminded me that Weezer toured with The Fray in 2004 and I so must have heard this song every night through the walls of my dressing room.

15. Tim McGraw—“Live Like You Were Dying” and “My Little Girl.” Country music sounds good to me now that I’m a family man.

16. Cassie—“Me & U.” This was one of my favorite songs of the year before I knew it was produced by a Harvard alum!

17. Yung Joc and Young Dro. Supplying my thug fix.

18. Jojo—“Too Little, Too Late.” A rare example of a chorus that starts on the II chord rather than the I chord.

19. Sufjan Stevens—“Come On! Feel the Illinoise!” For when populist art cloys.

Wow. Can't say I was expecting Rivers to be an elitist hipster music fan, but I wasn't quite expecting this either. Completely with you brotha on #'s 1,2,3,4,6,8,16, and 19? And enjoy Lost while you can, cause it loses momentum once that first season draws to a close.

The Harvard Crimson: Celebrity Lists

Clap your hands!

A yo Rodney you ready? Cause I'm ready. So let's go!



On Tuesday January 30 we can all go out and get our hands on a physical copy of Clap Your Hand Say Yeah's sophomore record Some Loud Thunder. Until then, revel in the band's generosity [and hand clapping, toe tapping artistry] by streaming the entire disc for free over on Myspace.

Stream Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's Some Loud Thunder here.

Oh and feel free to scroll down and find out how you can get your hands on all the tracks today and recieve a physical copy of the CD on January 30th.

Can't stop. Won't stop.

Diana Ross gets her

Rod Stewart/Barry Manilow/Jody Watley/Julio Iglesias

on.

Got get myself into it

Look, it should be no secret by now. I am in love with the Rapture. Pieces of the People We Love is the shit. The guys, like me, appreciate a good groove, and they are, hands down, one of the best live bands around right now.

Now, late last year I had to skip out on an after party dj'd by the boys following their great concert cause I had to be at work at 6:30 the following morning. My partners in crime T and J-Dizzle managed to get in and had a gay old time. And now it seems, since I am residing in Southern California, I have to miss out on yet another chance to revel in the Rapture's funk.

Be in the next Rapture video!

The Rapture will be shooting their new music video in Brooklyn, NY for “Pieces of The People We Love” on Thursday, January 18th and we need YOU!

We’re looking for real Rapture fans so if you are interested in appearing in the video please submit the following to rapturecasting@gmail.com as soon as possible.

1. A photo of yourself
2. A short blurb about why you want to appear in the video

Our production company will contact those they are interested in directly.

Hope to see you Thursday!

DAMN! DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!

And now, just because I can, here is the video for one of my top ten singles of 2006 Get Myself Into It.

This is the remix

The following is a recipe for a great remix:

-Production by one of the hottest producers in the game, Polow da Don [he of Buttons, London Bridge, and Promise fame]
-A subtle Silk sample [the wonderfully erotic slow jam Freak Me]
-A slowed down R&B vibe that recalls late 80's and early 90's New Jack Swing
-And of course Ciara's come hither purr

Put all of this together and you get yet another reason to appreciate Ciara's

evolution.

Pitchfork/Forkcast/On Repeat: Ciara: "Get Up (Polow da Don Remix)" [Stream]

Say it ain't so!

Somebody call up Carson Daly. Stat!

In Case You Didn't Know: Is MTV Canceling TRL?

If you don't sit yo grown ass down!

So earlier today my cousin and I ended a day of errand running with a quick bite to eat at Wings and Things. Midway through our meal in comes the wife and what appears to be the 7-9 year old daughter of one of the chefs in the kitchen. 7-9 stands about 3 1/2 to 4 feet tall, rocking a fluorescent pink shirt with some rhinestoned female slang across the chest of the cute/princess/bratz variety, and matching fluorescent lime green velour track pants. My cousin already had the sneaking suspicion that 7-9 was too grown for her own good when she laughed along with the grown folk tales and stories springing from her parents' and their associates' mouths. And then she pulled out a cell phone. Yes. 7-9 had a cell phone. SMH. Even when my friends first started getting cell phones in high school I was amazed and impressed they had parents nice enough to pay for a phone plan for a teenager in HIGH SCHOOL. Shit if you wanted to contact me you had better hoped that a) I was home, b)the line wasn't busy, and/or c)no one was on the internet. Sigh. Those were the days. Anyways, to make a long story short, I thought of 7-9 with a quickness when I saw this:

What's Going On?!#

Okay.




Whitney Houston and Ray-J leavin Maestro's in Beverly Hills last night with no Brandy, no Clive Davis, not even a Bobbi Christina anywhere in sight.

Bossip: FILL IN THE BLANK: Ray-J and Whitney Houston

Quote of the Day!

Kanye West tells MTV NEWS:

"I wouldn't do something as cliché as a reality show...At least give me the credit for being more creative than that ... For the last couple of years, Larry [Charles], Rick [Rubin] and I have been developing this pilot. It's a situational half-hour comedy. It's fictional, and loosely based on my life...Maybe this will give me the opportunity to spaz out at the Emmys one day..."

The Mark Has Been Made

Stone Temple Pilots? Gone. Soundgarden? Over and out. Nine Inch Nails? Alive and kicking. New album. Year Zero. In stores this April. Go on, bite the hands that feeds you.

93X Rocks: Nine Inch Nails give title to new album

I'm bound to pack it up

There once was a time when the lure of the music industry was an exciting thing. The push and pull, discovering new things, fostering your favorites; for an avid music fan life couldn't get any better than getting paid to immerse yourself within the realm of music. But more and more as the world turns, the glitter fades and the stage fades to black. Downloading and the popularity of digital tunes is destroying the industry. No one is buying albums anymore. No one cares about crafting great start to finish albums, caring instead about singles, dropping albums full of filler. Payola. Lack of promotion. Etc. Etc. Bitch, bitch, bitch. Moan, moan, moan. Still interested in working for KROQ, MTV, or Capitol?

And now it seems staying alive is just as hard as getting inside. This past Friday V2 Records, home to Moby and the White Stripes, laid off not just one high ranking executive or lowly college intern, but its entire staff. I repeat, it's ENTIRE STAFF. Idolaor reports:

"Sheridan Square has basically shuttered its frontline V2 record business as part of restructuring to focus on its catalog releases and the future opportunities presented by digital distribution.

Today (Jan. 12), the company let go its V2 staff, including president Andy Gershon, and will reorganize the business in its Nashville office, where the company's COO Michael Olsen will oversee the catalog business. About 35 people are believed to have lost their jobs as part of the restructuring.

As part of that move, the company will retain the White Stripes catalog, but will no longer issue new music by the duo or other frontline artists such as Moby or the Raconteurs, sources say. The only genre the company plans to participate in the frontline going forward is gospel."

Wow. Well I guess the best thing to come of all this is that Jack White is a free agent. Now whether or not you are a White Stripes/Raconteurs fan you can't deny the talent of Mr. White, hands down one of the most exciting artists in the game right now. Sure he and Meg [or he and Brendan] ain't selling out stadiums in Wembley or going Diamond, but he brings a lot to the table that many flavors of the moment can't. Let's just hope he doesn't grow tired of the game or the industry and gives up on making music altogether.

IDOLATOR: White Stripes' Label Says "There's No Home For You Here" To Its Roster

Screwed up

I don't think this one needs any biting commentary from me. Her performance speaks for itself.




And don't forget to tune into the season premiere of American Idol next Tuesday on Fox!

Old school funk for the true funk soldiers!

And now it's time for another round of SPOT.THE.CELEBRITY!!*

*[Make sure you scan ahead to 1:32 to see Ryan Gosling break it down Jon B. style]

The Sweet Escape?

Gwen Stefani's new video is everything you want and come to expect from a Gwen Stefani video. It's bright, silly, over the top, dramatic, and a little avant garde. In other words I am all smiles and clapping my hands when I view it. And then the video hits the 3:05 mark and it pretty much becomes a commercial for Chevorlet trucks. -Sigh- Really Gwen? This is almost as bad as the Applebee's commercial tossed in near the end of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. I'll let it slide this time, but only because the rest of the video manages to be as vibrant and glossy as the Akon produced track itself. But don't let it happen again.

Oh Word!

Look at this trailer.



Now, if you're like me, everytime this trailer comes to an end you try your bestest not to laugh and simply move on. Plus isn't there a movie like this already called The Hills or some shit? I mean I love me some Futuresex/Lovesounds, but come on, Justin Timberlake, hardcore surburban thug? That's a joke right?

And then one by one, I started reading reviews of the flick. Yes, it's not the greatest flick seems to be the sentiment all the critics are echoing, but they also seem to agree on something else: Justin Timberlake ain't that bad, he's actually downright charming. Guess you can't judge a book by its cover.

POPWATCH: The critics agree on "Alpha Dog": Justin Timberlake doesn't suck!

I also like how this film sat on the shelf for a while and is now back on the radar as JT launches his nationwide Futuresex/Lovesound tour. Clever.

MIXTAPE FRIDAYS!

Yes yes y'all, it's back for the two double 0 seven, nigga what!

Shall I proceed? [YES INDEED!]

1/HARD TO BEAT/HARD-FI
2/THE PRAYER/BLOC PARTY
3/REBELLION(LIES)/ARCADE FIRE
4/SKIP TO THE END/THE FUTUREHEADS
5/I PROCEED/CIARA
6/ARREST YOURSELF/HOT CHIP
7/WOLF LIKE ME/TV ON THE RADIO
8/SEXY LADIES(LET ME TALK TO YOU PRELUDE)/JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
9/P.Y.T.(PRETTY YOUNG THING)/MICHAEL JACKSON
10/A MILLION WAYS/OK GO
11/WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES/THE DOOBIE BROTHERS
12/BABY MAKIN HIPS/FANTASIA
13/TAKE CONTROL/AMERIE
14/BUMP/SPANK ROCK
15/KEEP ON KEEP ON/BASEMENT JAXX
16/LADY CAB DRIVER/PRINCE

Quote of the Night!

"I'm a big fan of K-Fed...That's who I want to marry! What did he do that was so wrong? She's the idiot. She's the one who gave him the Ferrari. And he looks good whether he's all cleaned up or long-haired and sleazy...He's been the gentleman since they split up. I hope he gets the kids -- he deserves them more than she does...You don't see him out there getting out of limousines and flashing his shaved crotch."-John Waters

STOP! LOOK! WHAT'S THAT SOUND?

Don't we all own this album already?

NME.COM: Lily Allen adds songs to US album release/'Alright, Still' to be released early

Headline of the Night!

MTV.com: Forever Your Bratz? Paula Abdul Bringing Sassy Dolls To Big Screen

Who else but Paula Abdul would put their time,effort, and energy into a live action Bratz movie? No one, that's who.

Old school funk for the true funk soldiers!

So I'm sitting here giving Bloc Party a spin while mindlessly surfing the net. The Prayer comes to an end and all of sudden I hear Timbaland's voice. Aaliyah's self-titled album from 2001 is now playing. Damn. Everytime I play this album I forget about how good it is, and how it was surely a sign of what was to come from the young starlet. Before Beyonce, before Ciara, there was Aaliyah, riding the beats, coming into her own, and taking chances. And who could forget this gem, a track in which Aaliyah flipped the script, put on the pants, and told you go head and put that thang in overdrive...

Let it rain, clear it out!

Yeah...great competition to the Ipod, this Zune media player thing.

Photo found

here.

Oh Mercy, Mercy Me!

I don't think you're ready for this Jelly.

Remy Ma:



Shawnna:



And Jackie-O:



By their powers combined they are, the Head Bitches in Charge? Coming soon to a subwoofer near you.

AllHipHop.com: Remy, Shawnna, Jacki-O Form New Female Rap Group