Going to a house party with a bunch of baby boomers.

So today is new years eve and after a late night Generation Kill session with the super trooper I have woken up to a healthy white frost covering nearly everything out my window. Pretty nice. reminds me alot of last years new years and how a perfect storm of all my friends made their way from all over the place- uxbridge, burlington, queens, branford, providence, avon....all over the place for a pretty awesome time in the 2-0-3. Great night and then an epic session the next morning at Branford Point....


Regardless, tonight Ive decided to go up to Mohegan Sun with my uncle for a great big house party sponsored by the J. Geils Band. Should certainly be an interesting night. I usually love the big plans for new years, enjoying 1 or 7 beers, finding that special somebody at the certain hour. Either way I think im pretty excited about going up there with Jimmy Z. If nothing else Im confident I should be able to learn how to properly bet the horses from a seasoned Vet. Hopefully make some money playing black jack. we shall see. I know Geils is one of my uncles favorite bands of all time so its nice to see him so excited for a concert. From everything I've heard of them they are definetly a pretty good time so i look forward to it. If you have never heard of them before they sing that song "love stinks" from the wedding singer.






id love to know how to post just an audio link on here instead of having to do a youtube video. another time for sure.

This post initially started out to comment on Omar Rodriquez-Lopez and how he has a new solo album (surprise!)Interesting how musical styles evolve and something I really did not like at all a few years ago is now something I really appreciate. I definetly credit some of my best friends (or more specifically one in this regard) for this sort of influence. you can check out a song from his new album here even though its all in spanish it still has some fantastic cords and rockin guitar.


Happy New Years everybody. Tip one back and have a great night. You'll never have to write "09 again. and if your in London or Brixton and get to see Simian Mobile, or new york for passion pit or msstrkrft or chicago for GT or oklahoma for the flaming lips.....well then. for you folks I am outstandingly jealous. especially for you oklahoma-dites. That will surely be a spectacle of epic proportions.

Does this look awesome?

i didnt think there was a reason i needed starz.....thank goodness for the internet.....sex, drugs, and violence. looks like the 18-25 demographic might be interested.

a discussion between my head and the keyboard on a year marked by mashups......

If I were to put my musical preferences in a category this year I'm pretty confident my appreciation fro a quality mash-up would be at the top of my list. While my warmth certainly started with who I would consider the godfather of the mash-up, Greg Gillis (girltalk) I definetly have an expanded repertoire that I call favorites by now.
Now before I go farther I understand that gT wasnt the innovator of the mashup and obviously other people did it first blah blah blah. to me girl talk was my first love so nothing is going to change that. sorry. im biased. deal with it. For a better part of the last 2 years I have havent gone more than a day and a half without listening to something hes created. Night ripper and Feed the animals are undoubtedly two of my most played albums of all time and "live at Yale" and "Murders Seattle" kept painting every day all summer a fun job that got my booty shakin. no one takes such quality crump and straight 80's classics and makes it sound like elton john and biggy smalls planned to have such a beautiful love child.

A great documentary on girl talk is on hulu and it might be on youtube right now. its called " Rip: A remix Manifesto" My friend dustin showed it to me when he first saw it and I watched it a work one day and really nejoyed it. It gives you a a really througout examination on copyright laws and the ideas of fair usage and what it means and what Greg hasnt gone to prison yet. (also why he doesnt sell his records but gives them away) check it out. its a great documentary and certainly worth your time.

But i can go on about girl talk forever and ever. matter of fact I would really love to do that someday when I get some free time. Compile some of my experiences. him wearing my wig. wishing me a happy 21st birthday in dublin. helping pull me up. letting me stay on stage with him. more than my fair share of unforgettable moments.


But the real gist of this post was because I was inspired to just throw some thoughts down about the number of mashup songs that I have listened to this past semester. When i logged onto facebook today I was pumped to see how my friends had sent me the dj earworm remix of this years top 25 billboard songs mashed up together.





First off I give it alot of credit because it has literally taken the internet by storm and has like a million youtube views in its first day. so clearly people are diggin it a little. Tons of people that have never heard of dont really listen to mash ups are into it so thats great.

I think its a great concept for him to include the top 25 songs and its a great way to remember the year in pop music. (what might it sound like it we had an alt or a hip hop or electronic or rock version instead.....) I like my mashups to flow pretty flawlessly so i will give him credit at the 1.45 mark when he goes from justin with a piano slow down into a mellowed out will I. am before turning to the dude from the fray for a single line. I usually dont like when a mashup trys to use words from different songs to tell a story but in this song that concept represents the backbone of earworms work. Its tough to make something sound like it wasnt pieced together when you jump form the black eyed peas-> lady gaga->flo rida-> beyonce->kanye->B.e.P.->drake-> Jamie Foxx and then back to Fergie all in a matter of 15 seconds. i think its a little bit much. I much prefer what he does with the Beyonce and Miley lyrics (did i just type that) I will give that (.50-1.00 mark) two thumbs up. When you give a song a chance to evolve for that amount of time you dont seem so jumpy and pieced together. While I dont have first hand experience i hear that it is much easier to create a faster paced mashup than it is the alternative that we see for that brief amount of time with beyonce and miley.




With that being said I guess my first impression of this song was probably a little bit harsh. While it probably not make its way onto my most played its not bad for a quick little 2009 throwback memory when that time comes.



Along with that throwback though I guss I have to include my favorite mashups that I heard this year. I wish I had some sick nasty all night ragers at my apartment this semester when I could have released these to the masses but o well. They'll have to solidified on here forever instead. Im ok with that I guess.

to start with all im going to say is miley and notorius by hathberger. this was the origianl remix that came out and I remember hearing it on hypem minutes after it was posted. check out a little blurp from a few weeks ago i posted.


One of my favorite techno mashes involved some guys I saw this summer in williamsburg combined with some Justice and a little bit of RaTatat..I guess its by a guy named bearbot who suprisingly I never really looked into any of his other work. I dig it. just always puts me in a good mood. "we are your friends. youll never be alone again." speaks to me... its like their inside the music. there forever for the listener. thats a little over the top but dig it.





Another good one I like and that a bunch of my friends enjoy is a little bit of jay z and the verve. one of those songs holds some serious significance for me so i especially dig anything with bittersweet symphony mixed together. if you get adventurous do some searching for don diablo and jay z remixes....






Xaphoon Jones is pretty popular for his remix of mgmts's kids and bob marley but i dont really dig it too much. its one of the few mgmt kids mashups so i guess thats why it gets alot of play but i actually much prefer what he does with Clipse and my all time favorite rockers. I couldnt find a youtube video but the blog i heard it on has the link saved over here so you can check it out if you want.

http://www.musicalpairings.com/2009/11/single-serving-chiddy-bang-swelly.html

along with the "you need"/clipse remix you can also see links to the xaphoon jones mixtape and someone that my brother actually told me about, chiddy bang bang. if you like rapping over epic techno songs youll surely want to check out what they have to offer over at this site. my brother (whose music choices really are actually fantastic....hes introduced me to a pretty fair amount of quality tunes) has this link favorited on his toolbar so i should definetly include if for anyone who feels like a listen.....

"somebody tell roth that i dont love college"






If you feel like bumping something at your next house party then look no farther than P-10. found this guy off of earmilk one day and listened to his entire album (2 long tracks) instead of doing something that probably could have been deemed more valuable at the time. I know pass him on to you. this is the kind of thing you hit play-repeat on and your party shouldnt even realize you did it for a least a few run throughs. that way the late night party thieves dont strike and steal your xbox and wii or hookah or ipods. sorry cb and stoher and joey and poo you aftab.

go to this link if you want to find his album to download.

basically what I just linked you to is a goldmine of mashups as well. for some reason i cant find this guys myspace or anything on him anymore. that site still has him up though. him and about a hundred other magicians.


those are some of my muy favoritos. if youd like to go on a little blogospher journey googles some dj schmolli or clivester.
represent bostons own Dj BC.
my advice is to watch some videos on youtube and read some of the comments people leave after the videos or on other artists mashups. Alot of these guys are pretty low key until they get one of there songs on the greatest site ever and people like you and me find them and "like" them





anyway I guess this was kind of a lengthy post but I hope at least someone enjoyed it. It felt good to get some stuff typed. I feel like everyone has these end of the year blog entries going so I might as well do my part. maybe i could come up with a top song list or something. thatd be cool. until then. tip back a glass and enjoy the night. i needed an excuse to show off these sunglasses my brother found under the couch in the basement.

It's Blitz Reminze.

I just wanted to reiterate to myself and anyone who may read this how much I enjoyed the YeahYeahYeahs album that afternoon as I say at the record store. It was in Edin borough Scotland and the record store was playing the album a few days before it came out. I remember hearing Heads will Roll and Zero and just sitting next to the music literacy section and being blown away. I sat on the floor right there and listened to the entire album. Even as the store closed I sat there until the last song was played. The employees knew what I was doing and let me just chill there until it was over. your in europe. i can imagine the staff at strawberrys doing that (insert laugh here)

Really a very cool record store experience.

Now, one of my favorite tracks of the year would definetly have to be the A-Trak remix of heads will roll. I definitely listened to that song on hypem far more than I should have. It just has an incredible pulsating beat that makes we want to stand up on my chair and sing the praises of Karen 0's perfection (too much?) ill let you decide.

epic library friday.

im posting a rough draft to my paper on here because last time i started a big history paper in the library i made the typical flash drive mistake and lose my haight ashbury paper for dr. leonard.... not cool....

also today i have focused on my paper like never before. i dont know what it is or if its some new form of maturity (positive doubt) but it feels great. im about go grab a beer from cambrige 1 and a flatbread pizza. then maybe some cityside to say hello to northboro and then back to my apt to keep truckin.


if you still care about my musical opinion check out the new arctic monkeys album (who i see on sunday with lauren) and/ or the kid cudi pursuit of happyness remix by steve aoki. do it.

(fresh prince of bel air techno remix is also fantastic too if your willing to take a chance)






While looking at American history in the 1960’s one of the most unique aspects is the rise in the counterculture and the effect of radical politics on American policy and domestic affairs. After surviving the 50’s and the swelling threat of McCarthyism, the youth of America rallied unlike ever before. While it is often easy to throw the hippies and new left into a category that often gets shortchanged and left immortalized by stereotypes, in fact the counterculture was a movement that genuinely believed in the American democracy and the basis of social change. Through the constant headlines from leaders like Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden, Eldridge Cleaver and many more, a culture was able to survive and flourish on the coattails of American society. While media and mass market were screaming about consumerism and violence a core of our society was focused on reevaluating the social norms of the 1950’s. They saw what there parents generation had to offer and decided that change was in their hands. With success in the American South as their kindling they were able to start a fire of which embers still burn to this day. With so much support it is all the more startling that they received so much negative press and were presented so poorly to the American people. Rather than seeing a vessel of change and optimism the focus was often construed and twisted to a media driven purpose shared by the national government. At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1968, the riots that occurred highlight this issue. They go to show how the activities of the radicals were massively unpopular with the government and the lengths by which they would go to control these protests. While the government aimed at quelling the radicals middle America began to get comfortable in their position, influencing the mood of government and the course of legislation to their benefit with little actual effort.


(i deleted the rest. thats just the rough draft of the thesis. if you so desire id love to let you read the rest of it though)


(dont bother clikcing on these links they are resources for me to keep using...)

http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~kak7409/groovy60s.html trues and false
http://www.colorado.edu/AmStudies/lewis/film/middle.htm time people of the year middle usa
http://www.colorado.edu/AmStudies/lewis/2010/students.htm