some people like freakin' in the morning, some people like freakin' at night

Ahoy-hoy and a Happy New Year to you all. My much-needed New Year's Resolution? Blog more! Considering that in 2010 as a whole, I posted a grand total of not enough times, I guess I owe you another in a long string of apologies.

Truthfully, part of the reason for my lag in posting has been Dibbly Fresh. Since I started reading it, whenever I go to blog, all I think is "AHHH I WILL NEVER BE THAT CLEVER". But, really, you can't live your life worrying you don't compare to the greats. When I get dressed, I don't worry that I don't have Anita Pallenberg's wardrobe. When I open my monthly bank statement with quivering hands, I don't despair that I don't have Bill Gates' money. When I play piano, I don't concern myself with Beethoven spinning in his grave (which is partially because Beethoven never played what is now considered to be the piano. He died before it was finished. What he composed his music on an earlier, different version. If Beethoven heard me playing piano, he would probably be more interested by the instrument than whatever the hell I was doing. This is how I think, okay!)
Since it has been almost a year, it's really most important that I let you know

10 Songs I'm Into at the Moment:

1. "I Can't Wait" by Sleepy Brown featuring Outkast
It is very unlike myself to want an Andre 3000 verse to end, unless it is to let me squeeze in an "I do" at our wedding, but I just wish they'd put his verse at the end, because when I put this song on, I am so anxious to get to Sleepy's smooth "Oooh, baby, come on". Not that Andre "Chameleo Salamander" 3000's verse isn't amazing, because it is. The beauty of this song is the soul-funk in Sleepy Brown's amazing, Stevie Wonder-like voice.
Normally, I wouldn't advise willingly becoming a hostage to the man holding up your neighborhood pancake joint, but I can't judge the girl in this video. Andre had me at "You hoped to meet a gentleman one day, well this is that".



2. "I Can Change" by John Legend feat. Snoop Dogg
Look, I want to like Snoop Dogg. He seems like an amusing guy. He coaches a preteen football league! But he's really making it tough for me. Get off this beautiful soul jam, Snoop! "I can make your zoom-zoom go boom-boom?" Is that supposed to be romantic? Because it sounds like a car bomb threat to me.
All lame rap ad-libs aside, I wasn't super familiar with any of John Legend's work before, but I'm thinking I should start investigating. This song is amazing.



3. "Remember (Walkin' In the Sand)" by the Shangri-La's
I'm not crazy about early 60's girl groups, but this song has a dark, almost ominous quality to it that makes me giddy.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no no no no no" is my favourite part.


4. "Make Ups 2 Break Ups" by Method Man feat. D'Angelo
One of the thing you, dear readers, have been deprived of since I stopped blogging an insane amount of time ago is my obsession with D'Angelo. The guy kills it on a regular basis, except for, oh, that pesky little arrest in 2010 for soliciting a blow job for $50. Crack kills, kids...brain cells and careers.
After exhausting the Voodoo album, I found this little gem. Sure, D'Angelo is restricted to one line, repeated, the one song and there is a crazy mixed-message vibe going (Method Man rages on and on about how much he hates his ex-girlfriend and how he'll never get back together with her, while D'Angelo croons "I'm still in love with you, babe"), but if you pair a great rapper and a soulful singer, I'm there. Listening, John Legend?


5. "Monster" by Kanye West feat. Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Bon Iver and Rick Ross
Epic douchebag, sure, but Kanye West is famous for a reason: He is brilliant at what he does. He hasn't released a single I've loved since "Can't Tell Me Nothin'", so I was pleasantly surprised by the latest (and the delightfully disturbing video). Kanye's verse is fantastic ("Goose and Malibu, I call it Mali-BOOYAH"; the sarcaphogus line always gets a giggle out of me), Jay-Z's is sold if unspectacular, but Nicki Minaj, from whom I've never heard previously anything particularly thrilling, hits it out of the ballpark and down the street ("Just killed another career, it's a mild day"). Rick Ross just mumbles something generic for two lines, so I don't even know why he bothered showing up.


6. "Def Squad Meets Flipmode Squad" by Def Squad (Jamal, Redman, Keith Murray) and Flipmode Squade (Busta Rhymes, Rampage The Last Boy Scount, Lord Have Mercy)
If I had to pick the most all-around lyrically killer, rollin'-in-yo-caddy hip-hop song, I'd probably go with this one. Off Busta Rhymes' first album, each rapper really brings their A-game - no filler.


7. "Closet Freak" by Cee-Lo
Yep, I'm also lovin' "Fuck You", but my favourite Cee-Lo is still this funky number off "Cee-Lo Green Is A Soul Machine". He's so versatile, from rapping to singing, from Dungeon Family to Gnarls Barkley. Does anybody else remember his daughter on My Super Sweet 16? Just me? Alright.


8. "Fear Da Tiger (Who Dey?)" by Bootsy Collins and the Cincinnati Bengals
Okay....for musical quality alone, this song doesn't quite pass muster with the rest of the list. However, I am a huge NFL fan (despite my residency, Canadian football is an oxymoron) and Cincinnati is my second favourite team (after the Carolina Panthers...and before any of you savvy NFL fans ask, yes, it's been a rough season), so when I learned they did a song with BOOTSY FREAKIN COLLINS, I knew no matter how much it would inevitably suck, I would love it.
And yes, the players rap.


9. "One More Drink" by Ludacris feat. T-Pain
This video is brilliant by Ludacris standards, so that really says something. Featuring T-Pain and Big Boi? When I get to the very heart of my T-Pain adoration, it is his dancing. So if Ludacris has ever made you smile, you will enjoy this video.


10. "Hayloft" by Mother Mother
Arctic Monkeys aside, I'm hardly a modern rock fan, but I've been really enjoying this track lately! I don't know how famous these guys are in North America, since they are pretty wellknown here, but semi-local. I'm diggin' the girls and the riff, and it's mixes things up a bit amongst all the hip-hop/R&B in my life right now.

i'll be a big noise with all the big boys, so much stuff i will own

I'm back! After a beautiful summer of, uh, obsessively watching Real Chance of Love 2: Back in the Saddle (because I don't get it here in Canada) I'm back home in BC and the below-80 degree weather makes up for not being able to ogle Real's shiny weaves on a nightly basis (thanks, VH1's obsessive/compulsive super-redundant programming mode!)But my Real infatuation is fodder for a whole new post on it's own (and I'm not joking, so prepare yo' self) - today, I shall be imparting on you some musical inspiration with

10 Songs I'm Into At the Moment

1. "Computer Games" by George Clinton
It was on George Clinton's first solo album, but in reality, it's pretty much a P-Funk track cuz the gang's essentially all here - Bootsy, Garry, Bernie, Junie, Maceo, Eddie... This whole album has a more electro feel, and it does feature George's most well-known song "Atomic Dog", but I can't get enough of this track, especially the lyrics, which are characteristically witty.
I can outdrum a beat...I can outdance a floor...I can holler for more

2. "Break Ya Neck" by Busta Rhymes
I have requested to my loved ones that if I somehow die by cervical fracture, this song be played while my casket is being carried in. Listen to it in that context - it heightens the experience.
And, like all Busta songs, the video is tres amusant.
And we get a little HIGH, and we get a little DRUNK, and we get a little CRUNK, c'mon!

3. "Friend or Foe" by Jay-Z
It's embarassing that I slept on Jay-Z for so long, but now I am obsessed with his Reasonable Doubt debut. This track combines the Godfather gangster-ness that I love with Jay-Z's undeniable wit.
You're twitching - don't. do. that/You're makin me nervous/My crew? Well, they do pack/ Them dudes is murderous/So, please, would ya put your hand back in sight? They don't like to see me nervous/You can understand that, right? Your draw, better be Picasso/You know, the best/Cuz if this is not so, ha, God bless

4. "Vitamin C" by CAN
Wikipedia calls it "krautrock", their website says they're "doch der Einfluß dieser Werke strahlt bis in die jüngste Gegenwart", but I just say they rock in the freakiest, most badass way.
A beautiful blows, I stay at the corner/She is living in and out of tune

5. "Big Love (acoustic version)" by Lindsey Buckingham
I know it's originally a Fleetwood Mac song, but I much prefer Lindsey's solo acoustic version. As I've stated infinite times, I prefer Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, but Lindsey Buckingham is clearly insanely talented.
Oh, I'll build you a kingdom in that house on the hill

6. "Big Time" by Peter Gabriel
I doubt I'm really introducing this to anyone, but recently I've been craving this song incessantly. The video is unsurprisingly brilliant as well.
I've worked it out - I'll be stretching my mouth, to let those big words come right out

7. "Junker's Blues" by Champion Jack Dupree
I'll admit that I don't listen to as much blues as I should, but I love Champion Jack Dupree's voice and this song's badass lyrics attracted me pretty easily.
Some people crave for chicken, and some crave for a house steak, but when I get loaded, lawd, I don't want my milk and cake

8. "Death of an Electric Citizen" by the Edgar Broughton Band
Some more freak rock - if you're a Captain Beefheart fan, you might enjoy this heavy, bluesy band.

9. "Brick House" by the Commodores
Quite simply just a perfect song to git down to.
36-24-36 - ow, what a winning hand!

10. "Get Low" by Lil' Jon & the Eastside Boyz, feat. the Ying Yang Twins
Party hip-hop exactly how I like it: filthy. Whenever I start to feel a little bit guilty about liking this song, I remember that George Clinton loves it, and even covered part of it when I saw him in concert - and GC is never wrong.
Can I play with your pantyline? The club owner said I need to calm down

august 18

you have a way of walkin' round, your feet they never touch the ground

Even if I don't talk about them as much as a lot of other bands, Jefferson Airplane has been a consistent presence in my life for years. After Bathing at Baxter's is one of my favourite albums of all time, and when this-wheel's-on-fire suggested a top 5 Jefferson Airplane list, I knew it was definitely a good call. Unlike most people, I actually prefer Paul Kantner's songs to Grace Slick's - I love his voice. But, really, they're all good.

1. "Watch Her Ride" from After Bathing at Baxter's

2. "Comin' Back to Me" from Surrealistic Pillow

3. "Two Heads" from After Bathing at Baxter's

4. "Young Girl Sunday Blues" from After Bathing at Baxter's

5. "She Has Funny Cars" from Surrealistic Pillow

I feel lazy not doing write-ups (wait...I don't just "feel", I am lazy), but there really isn't much to say. Jefferson Airplane rules, plain and simple.

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
(Click on the link to hear the songs in their entirety)

P.S. The lovely Miss Eyeliah over at Style Symmetry is celebrating her 1000th post (congratulations!) with a give-away - so check that ish out!

and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make

Fleetwood Mac totally exceeded my expectations. I gotta say - Lindsay Buckingham is a bad mama jama. He busted out an incredibly epic guitar solo on "I'm So Afraid", and when they did "Oh Well" - a Peter Green track - Nicola and I screamed, hugged and near-cried. Stevie was looking gorgeous, and did a couple costume changes. (Check out her dancing with her scarf a bit here.)Mick Fleetwood had a stellar 7-minute solo near the end and whenever the Jumbotron (is that what they're called?) landed on him, he had excellent facial expressions. John McVie was on the opposite side of the stage, so I couldn't really see him, but I'm sure he was chillin'. I'd chosen 5 songs I wanted to hear - "Oh Well", "Tusk", "Dreams", "Gold Dust Woman" and "The Chain", and lucky me (as usual), I got to hear them all.

Anyway, WAT wants to know my Top 5 Beatles songs and, though it's a tough request, I think I can give it to ya. Though I respect them a lot, I don't listen to the Beatles very often, but when I do I much prefer late-era Beatles. One guess at my favourite two Beatles albums...

My Top 5 Favourite Beatles Songs:

1. "The End" from Abbey Road
I love love love hearing John, Paul and George trading off solos on this one. Each has such a distinctive playing sound, and Ringo ain't lagging either.

2. "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" from Abbey Road
Heavy indeed. I love Eddie Hazel's cover, but I must confess that the original is still tops. I love hearing the Beatles dark.

3. "Glass Onion" from The Beatles
"Pop! Pop! Pop! I told you bout strawberry fields" - love the opening. Mocking the fans that over-analyze all the tiny details, it does leave me wondering....what's a "dovetail joint"? I've asked some of the biggest stoners I know, and nobody seems to be aware of this term.

4. "You Never Give Me Your Money" from Abbey Road
I really can't think of anything to say about this besides that it's an amazing song all-around.

5. "Happiness is a Warm Gun" from The Beatles

You know, I was this close to giving this spot to "For No One", but the "She's not a girl who misses much..." intro did not allow me to exclude this song. Anybody who says "The Beatles Aren't That Good" (yeah, all 11 of you) are pretty much retarded.

I just realized I forgot to post the playlist....my bad, here ya go:

THE BEATLES

if you don't love me now, you will never love me again

Seeing as how tomorrow I'm going to be seeing Fleetwood Mac (well...if it's not cancelled), I think it would be fitting to tell you my favourite Fleetwood Mac songs. Since I couldn't decide whether I should give you my favourite Peter Green Fleetwood Mac songs (since they are the version of Fleetwood Mac I prefer) or my favourite Stevie Nicks Fleetwood Mac songs (since they are the version I'm seeing in concert), I'll simply have to give you both.
Just to remind you, the distinction is that Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac is late-60's/early 70's blues-rock, while Stevie Nicks' Fleetwood Mac is mid-late 70's California pop.

My Top 5 Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac Songs

1. "Before the Beginning" from Then Play On

2. "The Green Manalishi"
You may perchance be familiar with the Judas Priest cover, but - obviously - I prefer the original. For one thing, a Fleetwood Mac song without Peter Green's heavenly voice is automatically a lesser Fleetwood Mac song.

3. "Oh Well" from Then Play On

As infuriating as it is to hear the incredibly sexy Peter Green (who was gifted with one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard) say "I can't help it bout the shape I'm in, I can't sing, I ain't pretty and my legs are thin", the stupendous guitar riff makes this song classic. It's also the Peter Green song we have the best chance of hearing the current incarnation cover tomorrow night.
And if you watch the video linked above, you will not regret it, as you will be gifted with Peter Green's breathtaking smile and laugh.

4. "Man Of the World"

The gorgeous contrast of the fast and slow parts are what make this song interesting. I really love the fast parts, but know they wouldn't be as good without the slow parts to contrast them.

5. "Worried Dream"
Written by B.B. King (who, for the record, once stated that Peter Green was the only guitarist alive he was scared of), this incredibly blues-y track wrenches right to the very soul.

PETER GREENS FLEETWOOD MAC

My Top 5 Favourite Stevie/Lindsay Fleetwood Mac Songs:

1. "Tusk" from Tusk
This labouring Buckingham-penned track is my favourite late-era Fleetwood Mac song. Special bonus: Listen closely around 2:11..."real savage-like".

2. "The Chain" from Rumours
This might be my favourite Fleetwood Mac song. We all know I'm a sucker for a good bassline.

3. "Dreams" from Rumours
I particularly like the bridge of this song, and the lyrics.

4. "Gold Dust Woman" from Rumours
Forget what you heard...Stevie Nicks said in an interview that she wrote this song before she was a coke addict. Still, it's an awesome track.

5. "I'm So Afraid" from Fleetwood Mac
I was convinced for so long that that was Christine singing, but it's Lindsay. If you're a fan of goodlooking guys with stellar hair shredding on their guitars, check out that link above. I wouldn't letcha down.

STEVIE/LINDSAY FLEETWOOD MAC