More Florence and The Machine

If you haven't heard already, Florence and The Machine has a new album ("Ceremonials") coming out on October 31st. This is their latest release from the album:

My favourite B-side from her last album:

September Playlist

Taking 19 credit hours and working sucks. But you all probably know that too.

Lana Del Rey - Video Game
This is art.



M83 - Midnight City
Played it 50 times over the course of the week. Awesome Awesome Awesome.



Marina and the Diamonds

Ok ok ok so I'm a little obsessed with marina and diamonds, but her music is so honest! She sings songs about things I think about myself all the time.



The Cool Kids - Bundle Up

Sort of old/new it was released in March...how did I let it slip, I don't know. But hey I'm posting it now.



Girls Generation - Mr Taxi (Japanese version)

Yeahhhh it's K pop yeahhh you know I'm obsessed, but this was definitely one of the catchiest songs I've heard allll summer. And hey K pop is cool now (at least according to NYLON) and when Nylon posts things you know its cool...well cool in two years or so...

Theo Martins For Helena

He samples Foster the People's Helena (that band is so hot right now...but hell I told you that months ago! Oh and if you can see them in concert...go.) Anyways school is in full swing, but this song has definitely lifted my spirits really cool remix/fusion/whatever Theo Martins Does it comes out sounding pretty dandy.

Oh and side note...August sucked! So now that my procrastination is in full swing (thanks school) I'll have more stuff on the blog.

New Ladytron album on the way

And this is the first single! I don't really have an opinion on it yet to be honest...I think "destroy everything you touch" and "they only want you when you're seventeen" will always be the standard for them unfortunately. This doesn't really do anything for me...but its the first track, there will be others!

NEW Florence and the Machine

She's backkkk! And its pretty awesome!

Marina and the Diamonds - Radioactive

I'm obsessed with this song right now...but then again I'm already a huge fan. I think its awesome she's changing her sound, even though I loved "The Family Jewels." Although it seems as if a lot of Diamonds fans don't agree, they are angered by her new "generic" sound. I just think it's fun.

August Playlist

August is sort of a depressing month, it's like a Sunday, technically still the "weekend" but you know that you have a full work/school week ahead of you the next day. Anyways my relatives from California are in town! Which basically means I get to live in coffee shops and libraries for the next 12 days...I am really in need of more hide outs. So here is the August Playlist...10 days late. Again sorry...traumatic family reunions are never fun, I've spent the past week eating tubs of ice cream and rocking back in forth on my bedroom floor until they finally left...well sorta.

Dark Dark Dark - Daydreaming

I saw their acoustic set on watch listen and tell, and sure they do look like they are trying too hard...just like every other indie band now a days (or anyone walking up and down Elmwood...) but it's a damn good song.



Marina and the Diamonds - Fear and Loathing

SHE"S BACK! SHE'S BACK. Total girl crush mode. Plus her debut album was uh amazing! Cannot wait for this new EP...



Dan Black - Falling Star (feat Kid Cudi)

Dan Black samples Cosmic Love by Florence and the Machine and has Kid Cudi on the same track? WIN!



Dan Black - Alone

I really can't wait to see him again in concert...really good live by the way. This is off of his debut EP but he's finally gaining traction in the US.




Weezer - Pumped Up Kicks
I went to the "Foster the People" show in Buffalo last night (awesome by the way) and they mentioned that Weezer covered one of their songs so in return they covered one of Weezers! It was a really good cover by the way...but I searched for the Foster the People - Weezer tribute and couldn't find it, so I'm going with the Weezer - Foster the People one...Unfortunately...this is the best version I could find...Sorry!!!





Reverend and the Makers - Riot

Jam out to the sound of the London riots...

The Shape of Not Really Being A Sentence mofo...

While usually I post a "August Playlist" at the beginning of the month...and THAT IS COMING...I decided to post this instead. The Buffalo infringement festival is where Buffalo once again showcases it's fine arts and "culture" which is why I never write about it...in detail...ever.

This is what he has to say about himself, in his words:

"shapes of states is a single life form that plays electronic beats on drum set and synthesizer, at the same time. The live shapes of states performances in jam-tronic drum and bass as well as groove-oriented electro genres ideally occur in underground art-space and pseudo-venues. Myriads of sound puzzle the state of the concept of solo musical performance when shapes of states weaves sonic elements into densely textured compositions, with the frequent use of repeating patterns and entrancing repetitions, and repeating patterns. Since conception in late 2007, shapes of states has lent his audio spectacle to Buffalo, NY based major art and music festivals, theaters, clubs, bars, homes, lofts, attics, warehouses and to the grand opening of an art gallery. New Years Day, 2009, marked the release of the first shapes of states CD, “teaching hexagons to be cubes,” which was soon followed up by a video for the title track. In true form, in document, in the midst of your latest in intelligent dance music playlists, a shapes of states track integrates ambient layerings, echoes and loops of space and time trailing off into distant spiral galaxies with modified modern beat, low end meanderings. Please abandon any pre-conceived notions of solo musical performance before administering. "

Could you understand that? I couldn't understand that...

This is his music:

Jeff Repeater - Metacosmos by shapesofstates

Jeff Repeater - Eat Your Future by shapesofstates

This is what ArtVoice said about them in the "Best of Buffalo Issue"

"Performing as a one-man band is not an easy task, especially if your main instrument is a drum kit and your genre of choice is IDM (Intelligent Dance Music). Just ask Geoffrey Peters, a.k.a. Shapes of States. When this guy takes the stage he simultaneously rocks complex break beats on his drum kit while syncing up a loop station and swelling synthesizer chords from his MicroKorg. One handed drumming? No problem for Peters, but I dare you to try it.

Read more: http://artvoice.com/issues/v10n17/best_of_buffalo/music#ixzz1U8M6YhZ1"

Now drumming with one hand is a redeeming quality. I concur. But that's all I'm gonna say...

Katy B - Broken Record

While this song is made for some sweaty dance flor somewhere it almost feels as if she wants to be both a dance floor guru and a singer songwriter.

Ida Maria - Quite Nice People

This is how I feel all the time...again she hits it on the head, this combined with her single "Oh My God" from her debut album "Fortress Round My Heart" essentially describes my life...

New 2NE1 and KARA...

You know what cheapens the experience of watching Bright Eyes even more? Listening to Korean pop music afterwards...which I totally did (again...sorry I can't really let this go, I am in NO position to make fun of OTHER people's music choices when I freely admit to liking this stuff on a regular basis...the 16 year old me post was me making fun of...me...)

Anyways 2NE1's "Ugly" video came out a few days ago, and my friend Emily readily posted it on my wall and while it took me a few listens to get into I eventually caved. I told you I'm a sucker for coordinated dance routines bright colors and catchy hooks in languages I can't understand...Plus it's 2NE1 South Korea's TLC (at least in my opinion) I can't hate them...and if they ever come to the US I will freely admit to trying to score tickets...



Oh and then KARA came out with a new MV for their Japanese take over called "Go Go Summer" I swear I love their "names" for songs, you like summer!? We like summer too! Who doesn't like summer! "Go Go Summer!" Yeah...they just really like summer guys, and I've already played the song like 50 times...it was the Bright Eyes concert I swear!

Bright Eyes at Art Park

So Bright Eyes performed a free show at Art Park yesterday (Art Park if you must know is in Lewiston NY about 45 mins north of Buffalo) and of course "free show" and Bright Eyes means that entire towns and villages came. And why shouldn't they? It's very rare that you get to see Conor Oberst in the flesh and not have to pay for it! Although this is where I get to be a big downer...I was actually really disappointed with the show. And I feel really bad saying this! I went with a group of friends, and they were all really amped up to see him--as was everyone else in the crowd, everyone except me. Now, don't get me wrong I have my fair share of Bright Eyes records I even have "Noise Floor Rarities" but I really listened to Bright Eyes when I was 16 (yeah just like that post below...which I still would like to point out was a joke...what cool sixteen year old wears pig tails?? Hint hint...) and I think that at 16 I needed a band like Bright Eyes way more than I do now, I felt really out of place at the show. First off I guess I was still expecting the Conor Oberst I remembered, skinny and boyishly handsome, the man who appeared on stage was no longer this person, which is fine people change, and hell they should change. The problem was the man I saw was a Conor Oberst who still wanted to look like this boy, the black matted hair in the face, the skater shoes and ripped black skinny jeans, but This Conor is now 31 and slightly heavier (not by much...but enough) and 31 year old Conor just looked out of place in his 17 year old Conor costume. It made me sort of sad, as I gazed upon a guy who no longer fit the profile of the music he was essentially writing since he was 17. And while they did put on as solid a show as they could, I also realized that I was uncomfortable with the performance because the music of Bright Eyes, at least for me doesn't lend itself really well to a stadium. When I listen to Bright Eyes it's always an intimate experience, I'm in a dark room on my bed listening to "Lover I Don't Have To Love" not gazing at the band as they shout the lyrics through blaring speakers. I formed an intimate relationship with the music which at least in my opinion couldn't be conveyed in a crowded concert setting, it just didn't feel right, that's not to say that I wouldn't have ever wanted to see him perform, but for me a more intimate location like a small club venue would have been a better experience. Obviously I was grateful that the performance was free, but it bothered me that Conor had to keep shouting "It's Coors Light Wednesday!" and "We love Coors Light and HSBC!" While I understand that Coors Light and HSBC sponsored the event and you don't bite the hand that feeds you hearing Conor shout it across the audience cheapened the experience even more, that isn't to say I regret going, I think I would have regretted not going more. Lastly, the concert made me want Bright Eyes to break up even more, not because I think that the individuals in the band have nothing left to offer creatively but I think the purpose of "Bright Eyes" the band has exhausted itself, Conor is a different person than when he was 17, 20, and 25 and so is everyone else in the group and that's fine. But I feel like Bright Eyes limits all of them creatively, they all desperately want to create happier music and you can tell by the new songs they have produced on their latest record, however I feel as though the Bright Eyes discography creates an expectation among older fans for a "sound" that they might no longer be able to produce, or want to. All and all the concert just weirded me out, I was frustrated I couldn't get into the music and be as excited as everyone else appeared to be and sad that the music no longer moved me the way it used to.

Oh and they never played Lua! Small complaint I know...posted below are songs I desperately WISHED they played and never did....

Favorite Bright Eyes Song:

Sleeper Agent

Long time since I heard decent 'merican rock and roll...

New Vivian Girls...

Well they graced my 'Worst of 2009' list for good reason! Listening to them makes me uncomfortable in more ways than one...The press release states that Vivian Girls is "venturing into challenging new musical and lyrical territory, reflecting the band members’ developing instrumental rapport and their far-reaching musical influences.” WHAT CHALLENGING NEW MUSICAL TERRITORY? None of them can sing....seriously...

But hey lot's of indie publications love their "diverse and eclectic sound" All I hear is I "popped too many vicodin tablets today because I was soooo bored and now I can't fall asleep because I'll die! That's why I sound like this all the time..." But you know they are from Brooklyn where bands must constantly compete with each other to see who can conjure up the most creatively "avante garde" sound...which generally means that they can't sing...and while not being able to sing may not bother some people, I really really can't stand listening to a group who collectively sounds as if they are either going to fall asleep at any minute or die.

Sixteen Year Old Me (Way cooler than sixteen year old you) Playlist

As I sit here typing this I am full of mixed feelings...I have lots of serious thoughts that I feel I can only express online such as, on the one had it's after one here so I should be going to bed...but I'm hungry and all we have in my fridge is rye bread and a strange noodle-hamburger thing that I already warmed up and scarfed down earlier...and eh it was barely edible, and I only have a bike for transport, and my front and back lights keep falling off and my breaks keep slipping...so there is no way to get more food...I am going to have to survive for the night on rye bread and string cheese. Great.

But then another thought comes to mind, through the hunger and the boredom...and the hunger I HATE GERMAN RYE BREAD IT'S FUCKING CARDBOARD IN A BAG. But yes another comes to mind and that thought is "GOD DAMN IT I WAS SO MUCH COOLER THAN EVERYONE ELSE IN HIGH SCHOOL." That's fucking right after trolling on the interweb all night feeling hungry and alone that is my epiphany, never mind that I wore pig tails until I was sixteen! (because seriously I did...TMI?) Never mind that I still thought Elijah Wood from Lord of the Rings was hot...again...TMI? I HAD A BETTER RECORD COLLECTION THAN ALL YOU SUCKERS!!!! Thus by default this automatically makes me better, cooler and just an all around better human being. And no I will not DJ the high school reunion party because I'M NOT GOING...just like I didn't go to prom, class day, or....graduation...yeah I skipped my own graduation...for a trip to EUROPE! Fine I have proven my point...not really, I don't actually think anyone noticed I was gone...my finger at the "man" "society" ahem high school kinda went unnoticed...but hell, at least I had a kickass playlist, let's begin.

The Caesars - Jerk it Out
Only the best dance song from the mid 2000s ever! Never mind that the rest of the album sucked...because seriously it did...I think I can at least admit that to myself now...but how the hell can you not like this song? Because seriously 16 year old me and 21 year old me agree...you can't.




The Dandy Warhols - Bohemian Like You
For some reason I wanted to be the person in this song when I was 16 so arsty so "bohemian like you" yeah...it took me wayyyy too long to realize they were mocking her. But whatever this song alone justified my coolness...pigtails and sexless life and all...and staying home on the weekends...pssssh Who needs parties and sex when you have THIS record...




Robyn - Handle Me
THAT'S RIGHT BITCHES! SHE'S MINEEE! Yeah I was listening to her when I was 16...HA...it's too bad that indie cred isn't really worth anything anymore...I feel like "prehistoric emo kid" on yourscenesucks.com



Nada Surf - Always Love
Still one of my favorite songs from all time...totally underrated band.




Bloc Party - Helicopter
Obviously I was listening to this before you...obviously...it's too bad self gratification isn't so gratifying...why do I have a god damn blog in the first place...but yeah...DIBS.



Matt Pond PA - Summer is Coming
I used to play this in my room, and pretend my life was like one of those pathetic teenage soap operas on the WB...if only I knew that everyone who was on Veronica Mars that played a teenager wasn't actually a teenager. I would of saved myself a lot of staring in the mirror and being confused.




Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag
I don't need to explain this song at all. Even if it was from the 90s...it spoke to me ok...



K-OS - Love Song
One of the most underrated rappers of all time? Um I think so,and oh yeah he's Canadian! What now Drake!? Actually they have performed together on multiple occasions



The Kooks - Naive
That's right only the coolest 16 year olds in 2005 listened to the Kooks...





The View - Same Jeans
Again, I was totally cooler than you, but it's ok, I could still fit into a girl's 14 jean size until I was 16...totally uncool...especially if you were desperate for 16 year old male attention and you had no ass...



The Faint - Worked up so Sexual
I have no idea how I didn't know this was about strippers...




Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch
I actually saw both (the faint) and Ladytron in concert a few years ago, and all my teenage dreams came true for like 5 hours. Magic.



There are tons more, from the first Arctic Monkeys album, to Spoon, to TV on the Radio...hell I built most of the staples of my music collection when I was sixteen...that's right when you were listening to "My Chemical Romance" and "Cute is What We Aim For" I had the track collections you never realized you wanted until you came to college with your terrible emo hair and Blink 182 posters!!! Well not you per say...I'm sure some of you were cool...I mean just as cool as me I'm assuming, cool enough to be terrified of alcohol and dance clubs until I was 19 (my dad once told me never to drink because I would get drunk and throw up and then start to dance and people would make fun of me...)

Anyways on that note, I'd be curious to know what music you (you as in anyone willing to leave a comment you) listened to when you were 16-17, and of course how much cooler you were than everyone else...always important...

Rest In Peace Amy Winehouse.

2NE1 - I Hate You

It's new!!! Just posted today...wouldn't this make a kickass cartoon?

New Bloc Party Music? Maybe...Sorta...Sometime?

So NME recently posted this video of Kele at a festival in the UK with the title "Kele Okereke Promises New Bloc Party Material." Before watching the video I was all "OH MY GOD." Then after I was still all "OH MY GOD" but a little less elated as Kele only hinted at new music you know sometime, whenever, I mean he really likes music, he's at a music festival, you know he may perhaps maybe in the near future makes some you know music stuff. But the thing is even though NME posted it with the title "Bloc Party" remember Kele also has a solo project...and he never specifically mentioned "Bloc Party" in the video. But being as obsessive as I am I will take any sliver of hope I can get. I really really really want to hear a new Bloc Party album. Never mind the fact that I had an extremely creepy demented crush on Kele when I was 16....but they are finally producing new music!!! Finally...now I can stop sleeping with my Bloc Party shirt and playing all their albums in sequence on my mp3 over and over and over again...I don't really sleep with my Bloc party shirt...


It has a huge coffee stain on the front that I can't remove...I still wear it though, and then feel bad about it after, since the stain is sorta un-strategically placed across my bust line...a huge brown stain...

I do play all the albums in sequence though...and then jump around my house when no one is home.

The Game - Red Nation

So I finally got around to watch this, after googling the description I was actually expecting more media feedback about this track than I did. Everyone is being surprisingly mute...except of course The Game. Ok...so the Game is just confused, I mean he isn't really sure why this got banned from MTV or BET...it's not like "Red Nation" is SUPPOSED to be controversial, noooo you just have two rappers who have been associated with "gang culture" particularly the BLOODS rapping about a "red nation" in a music video with people wearing red bandanas. And with lines like "throw blood on the ground call me a blood hound" I can totally see why the Game would be baffled that this video in particular would make ANYONE think he was promoting a gang lifestyle...no way.

In all honesty even if this videos has nothing to do with "The Bloods" naming a hip hop track "red nation" and having two rappers rumored to be (at least in the very distant past) affiliated with The Bloods (I mean Wayne even has tear drops on his face...even though it has also been rumored that they both have lied about their "affiliations" to self promote) it's pretty easy to see why it would make media outlets wary. I mean I didn't even need to see the video before I got the association, all I heard was the name of the song and I assumed that it was about the Bloods, incorporate the word "blood" into the song I dunno AT EVERY CHORUS and what do you think we're all gonna think it's about????

Big Talk

Band formed by a subset of the Killers (Ronnie Vannucci Jr and Taylor Milne to be exact). Subset as in B is contained inside A, thus A and B may coincide, making B a 'subset' of A as long as every element contained in B is also in A...it's linear algebra...I'm done now. Listen to the god damn music. Especially "No Whiskey" class track.

Theme Park

Now that the festering pool of humanity known as the Italian festival is over, I can finally leave my house again and walk down Hertel Avenue...sweet relief. While many things in Buffalo try to be festivals, and showcase what's great about Buffalo, the Italian Festival showcases a gigantic blown up leaning tower of Pisa and lot's of non-Italian food...in reality there isn't really anything that makes the Italian festivals anymore different from the congested crowds of the "Taste of Buffalo" same amount of people wafting same amount of heart attack inducing food down throats in the same wife beaters they wore two weeks ago with the same stains acquired at the Taste of Buffalo. The only difference is, it's all "Italianized" now...now I know why there are little red, white and green lights everywhere!!! This has got to be just like Italy, I am totally sure that they love funnel cakes and fried things as much as we do...but in Italy funnel cakes are probably not really considered "Italian" its like "Jersey Shore Italian" and we know how many people from that cast are actually "Italian" well actually I don't but I know enough to know that the little orange gremlin thing on the show and the gigantic Amazonian woman with a huge rack are not...that's enough for me to declare that none of them are...

Anyways leaving the solitary confinement of my house and walking around my neighborhood in peace without the threat of prepubescent cat fights and maddening crowds is enough to warrant dancing in the streets. And I will....oh yes.

The Knux feat Kid Cudi - Run

The Knux know how to blend rock and hip hop without it sounding like that terrible bastardized version from the 90s... and Kid Cudi is really good at the drugged out electronica hip hop thing, together they make one sweet track. Really awesome instrumentals really catchy hook, and it is definitely cheering me up after bombing an organic 2 test today...don't you just love when the entire test is stuff your professor de-emphasized in class...what the heck, as in why the HECK did you put the HECK REACTION on the exam as a 15 point question when you rushed through it and it doesn't appear in the textbook...AT ALL. Bahhhh I'm done. But hey at least I found an awesome song today...that makes up for well nothing, but it does cheer me up a bit...sorta

Hyde and Beast

This on the other hand I may put this on my mp3. This is some good stuff.

Death Grips

Um well I keep saying hip hop is getting more progressive...this is just nuts. I am not sure if he's making music for shock value or just to be "avant garde" but whatever this is it's scary shit. I can appreciate it as art somewhat...but if you want an honest opinion, you're not going to hear this on my mp3 anytime soon.

The History of Apple Pie

Sometimes I look at my "traffic sources" to see where new people are coming from and have recently discovered that my blog is linked to a porn site...or at least it appears I have blog traffic coming from the address xxx-porn.ru huh. Well I hope my site isn't a disappointment to those unfortunate souls who mistook this address as anything more than music and ranting but honestly "TheMusicGeek" isn't that suggestive anyways...so yeah sorry.

Anyways while I should be reviewing organo-metallic compounds and Suzuki reactions, I've been listening to these guys instead and playing more sporacle games. The "periodic table" game on sporacle.com counts as studying right? I'm so cool.

Theophilus London and....Kreayshawn?

On one track...woah woahhhhh. Ummmm I like them individually...but together, kinda lame...actually really lame. Sorry guys...your swag ain't killing me.

The Pierces It Will not Be Forgotten

I really like this group, I really like their sound and they are two really attractive women...but alas I'm kinda straight and taken. Anyways no complaints about the song but boy they really do dig swaying in place and erm looking "lost" and fairy like in their videos...unfortunately this one isn't as artfully done as "We Are Stars." But whatever song is good, band is so far pretty good I think most music videos are kinda unnecessary anyways.

Noah and the Whale Life is Life

I don't see how you can't like this song...but hey if you don't I'll just assume that you derive joy from picking off lint from your dryer organizing your sock drawer and just being an overall terrible human being. Bah no penalty for disliking, I just think it's dandy, and it makes me smile.

Dizzy Wright

I'm sort of amused by this guy, maybe it's because he's still underground enough to sample other artist's beats. In this song he samples Kelly Rowland's "Motivation" and it really works. He's under rated enough not to have a legit site yet...but I wouldn't count on that for long. If B.o.B Wiz Khalifa and Big Sean's steep rises to fame are any proof this guy and contemporary Kid Ink aren't far behind. He does play with other rapper's sounds and styles a little bit, in the beginning of "Oh Yeah" he comes out sounding like Weezy, so he still needs to find his own niche, and I do get tired of raps about 'bitches and clubbing' but he is a good lyricist, and he goes pretty hard. All I have to say is some major publication better get on him quick...because as of now only the blogs seem to be buzzing.

Sorta New Joy Formidable

And they are getting larger, Spin Magazine regularly covers them now, which is really awesome considering that I have sort of stopped listening to them. Not on purpose, I've just gotten distracted by other things, but I am really glad I have gotten reintroduced.

Hate Mail and NEW Erland and the Carnival.

Accccccckkkkkk thought I was done with talking about this! Guess not but I figured this would happen, first negative comment in months from an old post (Arctic Death Album Review):

"I wish there was a way to critique blogs in the same way you critique bands. At least with this one you tried somewhat hard to focus on the music they produce instead of...everything else about them. Congratulations on dressing like a hipster for oh so long and living in Toronto, the city that gave us Broken Social Scene, and just about nothing else worthwhile. I think I speak for most of Buffalo when I say that if you don't like it here, there are plenty of options for you to leave. Thousands of people do it every year, and it's pretty cheap. If you're going to stay, and especially if you're going to continue to write about music publicly, learn to do it without worrying about suburbs, mustaches and your own personal wardrobe. People are much more prone to accept criticism when it isn't preceded by senseless rants that have nothing to do with the actual subject. Thousands of people read Artvoice and Buffalo Rising. 30 people read yours. Figure it out."

Easier said than done buddy...believe me I'm jet setting out of Buffalo the moment I finish my degree, but I'm too practical to up and leave without it. And didn't I mention that I only get about 30 to 80 readers in the post? And yeah I have a small fan base, this is true...but hell you were kind enough to read and post a comment. The thing is, I really am indifferent to how many people read Buffalo Rising or ArtVoice, I don't have a blog to garner attention to the larger public that encompasses "the city of Buffalo" I have it for myself, so I can post stuff I like, stuff I don't, and occasionally rant about it. And I love ranting about things, no matter how "senseless" they may seem to you, its fucking therapeutic. To be honest your comment is a little validating, the fact that you took the time and energy to post it, is more of an ego boost than a deflation. The problem with Buffalo, is that Buffalonians are brain washed into thinking something is great because it came "from Buffalo" rather than actually being great. It's like the Emperor's New Clothes, you read an ArtVoice, or another publication, they laud a local act, it becomes popular simply because a major publication endorses it. I don't like Arctic Death, you do, awesome. Nothing wrong with that, it isn't like this post is obstructing their record sales, you're obviously buying their songs. I figured you went straight to those two posts without reading anything else which is ok, I see what is looked up on my site, and from what cities the traffic comes from. So I know where most Buffalonians go and what they read...and I'm sure this will give you further license to read and trash everything I post simply because I pointed it out. But I give you free range. Maybe next time, put your name.

I'll post more if they come, but to be honest I rather focus on music that I actually listen to.


Anyways moving on to a new song from Erland and the Carnival (really really awesome). I've dug them for awhile, but I still can't order their album with my gift card to Amazon.com from the states...tell someone to get on that!

New Ben Howard

So summer session two is sorta kicking my ass...mostly because my Grad Student instructor is getting his first taste of real power, and has decided to use it to become a dictatorial power tripping anal retentive jerk off. Let's hope he doesn't read my blog...hahah like anyone reads my blog...Anyways my days have been spent doing organic chem problems, whining about doing organic chem problems, and sleeping. Lot's of sleeping. But hey I finished my drawing! Will post below...so proud...this is what I have been doing with my time...

I Stay Up Way Too Late

I really really do...its after 4 am here...I get into these intense art sessions...I can't draw at normal hours of the day! Noooooo it has to be at 4 in the morning! Ha. But you know what's awesome to listen to at 4 am? The Horrors.



This is the little project I'm working on (in case anyone is wondering what I do with my time):

New Mumford and Sons

As one of the blogs that broke Mumford and Sons first in mid 2009, their steady rise to fame has still shocked me. And while I hate sharing, it's cool to see great music win mass praise, and now they have returned with a new beautiful ballad.

Mumford & Sons - "Home/Untitled" (Live on KBCO) by TwentyFourBit.com

Video Fail of the Week

Occasionally, I post stuff that is so atrocious, and so uncomfortable to sit through...that it must be shared with everyone. Just like Flava Flav's delve into Auto-Tune, and Spencer Pratt's experiment with "ring tone rap" (those posts are golden by the way GOLDEN), I believe that we all need to give Courtney Stodden a try. I mean she is just a misunderstood sixteen year old girl...who is married to a creepy 51 year old man. Although to be honest she really doesn't look THAT sixteen...and although she really doesn't feign the fact that she can't sing (except for the REALLY painful to watch lip syncing portion) I think we can all safely say that I "won't put it on you girl if you steal my man" simply because YOU'RE MARRIED TO A FIFTY ONE YEAR OLD. Anyways Courtney just wants everyone to know that we shouldn't blame her for leading our guys astray...but believe me dude I really don't...oh and poor doggy...he looks the most uncomfortable of all.

Guilty Pleasures List 15

Guilty Pleasures lists are my opportunities to air all my dirty laundry. Why? Because I don't listen to the Velvet Underground on vinyl all the time...and whoever says they do, is bullshitting you.

T-ara "Wait a Minute"

Crazy Korean dancing? Weird placements of English words? Catchy dance hook? I think you all know me well enough by now...




Britney Spears "I Wanna Go"

Yeahhhhh I like it...I waited till guilty pleasures list 15 to say so though...If you take Brit for what she is, a pop fluff queen who sells sex to 12 year old girls, I think we can all appreciate her a little more. This record is actually really well produced, and catchy, and just plain fun to listen to. On a non music-snob level, it delivers everything you want from a pop record, catchy hooks, cheeky lyrics, and you can dance to it! Whether Britney Spears can sing or not...who fucking cares...but I do suggest that you read the article on her titled "The Tragedy of Britney Spears" by Vanessa Grigoriadis...it may make you think about her in a different way.




Don Diablo - Animale

Not so much a guilty pleasure I guess, I LOVE Dragonette and seeing them in concert is totally worth the experience...but this song is definitely an addiction, the "orange junkies" are really amusing.



Martin Solveig - Boys and Girls

Before "Hello" Dragonette and Martin collaborated on this...and I dance to it in my basement on a regular basis...



Rihanna - Man Down

Yeah yeah I like this too...I mean the Reggae/Dance Hall vibe is really really awesome. I really think her voice/ accent with the beat is great, it adds a grittiness that other Rihanna songs lack.

Teddybears featuring Robyn

Sweden's finest!!! You have to love the band that brought you "Punkrocker" featuring Iggy Pop as well as "Rocket Scientist" and then there's ROBYN!

Marissa Nadler

Spooky.

Walk the Moon

So I failed organic chem one. Well didn't fail...I got a B, but it's FAILING TO ME. As someone who has been spastic my entire life, anything less than an A makes me curl up into a ball and hyperventilate, which is why going to the University of Toronto was super duper fun...because I actually WAS failing classes there (but to be honest I really do miss it). Anyways now that I'm at Buffalo State, I feel as though I have to be perfect because I was a "screw up" for my first two years of uni, and no it wasn't due to partying or binging on ridiculous amounts of alcohol...just google UofT and you will understand (read the student reviews...buhahaha)3-am Friday night library study parties were da bomb. Anyways having anxiety disorders are tons of fun, you don't want to check your grades, even if they are As...you don't want to go outside, you stare down cars that pass you on the street, you think everyone on the Elmwood strip is staring at you...but to be fair they ARE. I don't give into my anxiety too often, but my grades are one of the few times I can let it consume and ruin my day. Anyways music can be really therapeutic, and this band makes feel good tunes, that I can jam out to, and calm down to! I have been listening to 'Anna Sun' for a few weeks and it's pretty addicting...even if it does have a slight "MTV emo" thing going on...it's very subtle. Anyways they make some super duper likable songs, I suggest you do yourselves a favor and click the youtube videos!

Hesta Prynn

Who doesn't like bands named after notorious characters from literature? Especially a book as dull as Nathanial Hawthorne's the scarlet letter? I had to read that brick three times for school...three times too many...seriously we all know who the baby daddy is by page two, do we really need to read the next 230 pages?? Well at least this band isn't half boring.

JULY PLAYLIST!

WOOT! ARE YOU EXCITED ITS JULY! ARE YOU!? Well I'm sort of neutral on the subject, given that I'm still in summer school, but I did have a kickass weekend, filled with drunken dancing and gay pride parades in Toronto and drunken Sunday night fourth of July fireworks bike rides. I needed a mini vaca, hence no blog posts for the last few days...but anyways here is the official July 2011 playlist!


Slow Club - Me and You

I have the ultimate authority on what is cool and what isn't, this power has been bestowed to me by hipster Jesus...and these guys are really cool, just so you know.



Wu Tang Clan - Laced Cheeba

Its NEWWWWWW



Yawn - Toys

Jangly.



Dirty Vegas - Electric Love

A catchy electronica band that has a music video featuring Jena Malone? I'm down.



Reptar - Stuck In My ID

Does anyone want to place bets on how long till this shows up in a Gossip Girl episode? Because I am really sick of them ruining my favorite bands...and this has bad teen soap opera written alllll over it...I say that because it's ultra catchy, and danceable!!!



Yuna - Come As You Are

A REALLY good cover of the classic Nirvana song...dare I say even better than the original? You can now egg my house.



Dom - Living in America

Another song with GOSSIP GIRL written all over it...god I hate that show...but hell catchy catchy song.

Veronica Maggio

I believe that Scandinavians are just born better than all of us...they are slender, attractive, pleasant people, who live in the most socially progressive countries in the world...and they can all sing! What is this!? Robyn, Sophia Somajo, Lykke Li, Those Dancing Days...and now Veronica Maggio...

Sophia Somajo....sorta new

I think I've mentioned before how under-rated i think she is, her debut album "laptop diaries" was fantastic...but her new stuff, I'm not too sure of. Some of my Asian friends were actually really offended by her song "Chinese Techno" I mean she literally says "honk tonk" and talks about noodles and chop sticks...yeah...to be honest I do like the beat, she composes some sick beats, but her voice is so distorted, and I know she can sing...I also admit that I can't listen to the song in full because of the perpetuation of "ethnic stereotypes" in the song...it makes me feel uncomfortable...Well listen for yourself:



But then there is Wristcutters...and that's actually pretty good, it reminds why I liked Sophia Somajo in the first place...

The Pierces

Really pretty. The best damn thing you'll listen to all day almost guaranteed.

Anna Calvi

Ok I'm done freaking out...for a while...I hope, at least not posting anymore freak outs for a while (but it felt damn good) but yeah this is good too:

The Ridiculous Rants of a 20-Something Woman Child, oh Yeah and Miles Kane

God fucking dammit. Why am I such a woman-child!? there I said it, as all my old classmates are getting engaged, getting jobs at Apple, going off to med school I am trapped taking back to back summer sessions of organic chemistry. And once more I'm stalking them on facebook, yes I have resorted to facebook stalking...you can now play the tiniest violin for me. I guess I just feel I need to have some sort of stability, I mean fuck I don't even have a car! I have a bike, and no I'm not one of those tools who rides around telling everyone how "I'm saving the world one less car at a time" I ride around on my tiny green bike because it's cheaper than taking the bus...the bike which almost killed me today I might add. Don't you love when your breaks stop working when you're trying to stop at a busy intersection while your commuting to school? And then getting lectured by the fat guy on the bike in front of you who you're TRYING TO AVOID with "honey take it easy you should slow down." I WAS FUCKING TRYING TO DO THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE...ok ok I'm fine, I'm calm...not really. I just feel as if I have to become more adult like somehow, I try I do, I'm in school non-stop, I'm trying to find another math tutoring job to pick up...but seriously how adult like can you really be when you still live with your parents and your a super senior in undergrad (I live at home to save money....tis true) my boyfriend keeps telling me to chill, it's a good thing I'm taking my time, when in reality I pace around my basement trying to drown out my own thoughts with my headphones...I also tend to dance like a gimp footed circus elephant in the basement...but that's another story. Every time I hear of someone else I know going to grad school I immediately run for the tub of ice cream in my fridge and go into total shut in mode...well not entirely but hell if there was a nuclear apocalypse I would be well stocked with ice cream, and big bang theory episodes. Hell maybe I'll just end up living in my basement...sorta like how the guys in the first Clerks were forever trapped in their jobs, you know the iconic movie that forever glorified the slacker and made Kevin Smith famous...but until then I'll just sit here eat ice cream and listen to Miles Kane over and over and over again...and over...but seriously Miles Kane is awesome...AWESOME.

Lily Allen covers are the next best thing since sliced bread.

Another anxiety coping mechanism? Listening to Lily Allen covers of songs. No matter how sad the original song was or glum...Lily manages to make every single one cheerful. Hell she even covers the Clash's "Straight to Hell" and doesn't ruin it! Now that's a feat worth celebrating, or in my case crawling up in a ball on my bed rocking back and forth to...this anxiety thing better get under control soon...seriously.

New Santigold

FINALLY. I've been waiting for a new album from her to drop. If it's anything like this new track, everything I've been waiting for will be worth it.

New Kreayshawn

And she stings! This one is for "her hoes in the secondhand clothes who use the dollar bill to put the powder in they nose." And who can't "dance with any rhythm, major in photography, and her boyfriend is in a indie band and has a mustache." OUCH. For some reason this feels directed at me...but I don't sniff cocaine, and no my boyfriend is not in an indie band...but geeeez, hell I can't hate the chick for hating people who look like me...I hate most people who look like me...that said it's totally because I'm the original vintage hipster *cough cough* but whatever I still played it 3 times already.

Marina and the Diamonds again...

So none of these songs are new, but for some reason I revisit this album over and over again, especially when I'm having an anxiety attack...which happens a lot. Marina and the Diamonds has helped me through many a time of curling up in a ball in the fetal position on my bed rocking back in forth thinking about the multitude of ways I have screwed up my life...including becoming an art major, haha. Yes the trials and tribulations of being a 20 something without any sort of guidance for a future career path, I feel like a lost sad starved puppy...but not as cute. And now more than ever I need music I can freak out to, especially since all my classmates from high school are now around for the dreaded summer after college graduation...and I of course am running into alllll of them...yeah. So then comes the dreaded "oh how are you?" and "what have you been up to?" And I have to start with "No I haven't finished undergrad yet!" followed by "I'm at Buff State now!" all the while holding a smile while gritting through my teeth as they tell me about what Law/Med/Grad school program they are going to in the fall. Then when I tell them I'm in art now (I am dual degree in chem...but art is my primary...) I get that strange cock-eyed stare, of "what happened to you?" This is probably because I was the girl who won every fucking science award, the girl with the highest regents standardized test scores, the one who went to the University of Toronto and swore I would never ever ever ever come back to Buffalo. Great. So essentially my strange transition disturbs some people including me...hence the panic attacks...but I think I have finally grasped the concept that I am neither completely artsy or sciencey but some strange hybrid in between, and unfortunately I crave a career that can give me a little of both. But until then I will continue to crawl into a ball and and yell the lyrics to Marina and Diamonds songs at the top of my lungs. Because I'm not satisfied with an average life.

Beth Ditto-Good Night Good Morning

I had noooo idea she had a solo career (Beth Ditto is the front women of The Goosip)well anyways heard this on NME radio today. Pretty rad.

J-Cole The Work Out...not working...

Ok so I tried to listen to it, he had so many people hating on it I at least had to try. I mean there were already countless blog posts and webcasts dissing it, I was just sorta confused. As someone who has been a J Cole fan from the get-go and respected him as a lyricist and musician..I just wanted to know from what dark part of music hell did this came from? I mean if this was Lil' Bow Wow's new track, Or Soulja Boi's (hell is would be a STEP UP for Soulja Boi) I wouldn't think anything of it, but J Cole? I'm wondering if this is the record label's idea of what will sell or his? When J Cole first dropped I said he was legit, the antithesis of Drake...I still believe all of this...I just think that he has to pull back to his roots...I mean as one person on youtube noted: "you know it's bad when the best part of the song is when he's singing." So very true.

New Song:



Old J. Cole:

Black Hills

A friend Hector posted this on my facebook wall today and I really liked them. And after a craptastic day including a major chemistry lab flub on my part...why did you freaking mix sodium chloride solution and calcium chloride together with ether???? Whyyyyyy. Well rest assured, my melting points of my products were still in range...the fact that these tiny things make me happy is slightly disturbing. It's the little things that keep me happy in Buffalo, getting to class on my bike in less than 20 minutes, eating pho at pho99, not getting stared at when I go to a coffee shop, successfully avoiding people that I don't want to see in coffee shop, getting good percent yields and melting points in chem labs...that and good music.

2NE1 - I am the best

It's only a few hours old!!! So the single has dropped...by default I already like it...I can't hate 2NE1 its not in me....but it's also really catchy, so you know I've already played about 5 times.

New 2NE1 music teaser...

You know what's even more fun than memorizing halogenation, and hydrogenation reaction mechanisms? By the way if you must know halogenation is the addition of a halogen like chlorine gas, or bromine to a unstaurated organic molecule like ethlyene and hydrogenation is the addition of hydrogen to an alkene by a platinum or palladium catalyst. See I can study...and blog...sorta...but guess which South Korean super group is releasing a song in three days! Why are all these things coming out while i need to study? Why do I constantly find myself blogging at odd hours of the night while I should be studying? And why do we need to use the convention of naming things R and S when we are talking about optically active isomers? Because seriously...I cannot properly number the functional groups and properly orient them if my life depended on it...which it kinda does.

Another Weekend in the City

I feel betrayed by Bloc Party. Yes betrayed, because as Bloc Party's number one most important fan...I BOUGHT THAT 30 DOLLAR AMERICAN APPAREL T-SHIRT AT YOUR CONCERT DIDN'T I? DIDN'T I???? I thought that I owned every, LP, every EP, every mixtape and every remix-mix tape and remix to the remix tape...this is sadly not the case. I may own the Marshalls are Dead I may own Silent Alarm AND Silent Alarm remixed AND the special addition Japanese version of Silent Alarm, PLUS the "One More Chance" EP but no...one album has slipped passed me...hell I didn't even know it existed until today and it's called "Another Weekend in the City." It's B-sides from "A Weekend in the City" put together by fans. Now my life won't be complete until I own it. It's a minor obsession...

Last Name London - Theophilus London

Ahhhhhh so I have a huge organic chem test tomorrow so you know what I'm procrastinating on....eeerrrrrrr studying. I have rearranged my room, played the "countries of the world" game on Sporacle 3 times I got alllll 195 baby (including Tuvalu, Vanuatu, AND Nauru...BEAT THAT)! Andddd I've been watching music videos. groan. I'm gonna be having my own personal study party allll night! But anyways "Last Name London" Debuted today from my questionably wayyyy too metrosexual music crush Theophilus London. Check it out.

Rye Rye feat Robyn

So I like Rye Rye I like Robyn so no complaints...at all. Plus they use my favorite Robyn song "Be Mine." I'm just a little saddened by how huge Robyn and Rye Rye are getting...I know I am really selfish, I just don't like sharing!

Absynthe Minded

Discovered this group through the youtube channel "watchlistentell" check it out! They have a ton of really good live acoustic performances.

XV -Phobia

Best song of the week? This one right here.

Tory Lanez

Interesting songs. All I know is that he is some how associated with Justin Bieber, yeah Justin fucking Bieber. He has lived in both the US and Canada, however he considers Toronto his hometown. He also can play piano as well as the drums. Thanks google. I tried getting more information on him...haven't found anything. Oh and he's only 18. Nice.

Soulja Boi feat. Nicki Minaj...snore.

So yeah two rappers I can't stand. In one song. This is essentially a list of why their swag is sick, and how Soulja Boi is on "cloud nine above me" rhyming "hewey" with "dewey" and honestly there is really nothing of any sort of substance in this song. In fact this song is so bad it's impossible to make fun of. Yeah that's a first, its not even funny, it's just dumb, and unnecessary. It was sorta like why even make the song? Soulja Boi even sounds half assed in it...yeah I actually said that Soulja Boi sounds half assed, as if he didn't sound half assed enough in "kiss me through the phone" he actually sounds more bored and ass like now, almost like he has completely given up on his rapping career all together. Ah sweet sweet defeat.

New Jon Connor

Hailing from Flint Michigan one of the poorest cities in the US...but that's not saying much coming from Buffalo...
I'm sure growing up in Flint gave him plenty of material to work with, his raps tend to be on the more aggressive side, antagonist, and a little sad. Regardless he pushes forward while dishing out backhanded advice along the way.

Anyways if you're wondering where all the hip hop posts are coming from, I'm sick of indie rock (not forever, I just haven't been jamming to it lately). As most people know by now I go through indie rock-k-pop-hip hop cycles, so right now hip hop is what I'm mostly listening to...at least this week...

Guess Whose Unsigned? This Guy Is!

Ok fine so he looks likes a Tatted up Chris Brown...but at least Kid Ink doesn't sing like him...well he doesn't sing, he's an unsigned rap artist and has more singles than recently signed Sony recording Artist Kreayshawn...

Correction! He recently inked a deal with independent label 'Tha Alumni' but only very recently...

Big Sean is finally getter Bigger...

A new Big Sean song featuring Lupe Fiasco was posted two days ago, I remember posting his music two years ago...when he was just a blip on the interweb! Well more than a blip...but not by much. Now he's touring with Wiz Khalifa and rapping with Lupe, I may just shed a tear. They grow up so fast...just don't sell out like Wiz Knalifa and B.o.B ok? Ok.

Jojo Covers a Drake Song....and it Works.

You shocked I'm posting this? Because I am too...two names I thought I would never say in sequence Jojo and Drake, let alone in a post where I wasn't completely ripping apart their music...yeah...that's right...this is actually pretty good. I mean I still feel as if Drake may be the most over-hyped hip hop act of all time, but god damn Jojo has officially gone from teen idol pop tart to someone who I actually might take seriously? shocking indeed. In fact this song (not this version) has more views on youtube collectively than Drake's even more shocking.

New Company of Thieves

I wasn't too fond of them when I posted one of their first singles about two years ago, but I think their sound has definitely improved since then.

New Jill Scott

Been listening to this all day. Allllllllll day.

Arctic Death Album

Ok so I sort of went off the deep end about a week ago, and went on a tirade about Buffalo, suburbanites, the Elmwood Village, Thursday at the Square and...Arctic Death. I tend to get into funks about living in Buffalo and then write posts that are waaaaay too long ranting about it (sorry). However, Arctic Death happened to find this rant and preceded to message me their LP...awkward yes. However I thought it was very cool of them to sort of take the post with some sense of humor. Anyways my blog is quite small and I don't take it too seriously (I mean I get 30 to 80 readers a day if you must know...that's tiny). I enjoy posting things and listening to music, but mostly I have it out of my own personal need to have hobbies, ha. So since Arctic Death sent me their LP, I listened to every track, twice and have reviewed it below. Just a fair warning though, I didn't particularly like the record (sorry). However, I always post the music below my posts, for whomever wants to listen to it. I feel strongly about sharing music on my blog with everyone whether I like the band or not.

And I would just like to say that even though I am still not particularly fond of your music, I'm sure Buffalo Rising and ArtVoice will give you good reviews...if they haven't already. So here is a track by track review.

1. Bathe My Heart
Well, it started out slightly promising, the guitars and drums are ok, until the lead singer starts singing. I would like to bathe my heart in disappointment too. Maybe its just the way certain things are pronounced or the weird accent changes, but I just could not get into this track.

2. April
There is a bit more emotion in the lead singer's voice on this one, I can tell that they were trying really hard. And I think the song writing picked up here, But I felt as if the track was incomplete, the ending was too abrupt, and overall I feel as if the lead singer's voice takes away from the band rather than adding anything to it. I understand that whomever is singing has a very unique voice and sometimes that works in an indie rock group. Bjork doesn't have a "traditional" singing voice either, nor does Bob Dylan or Tom Waits. I feel as if these guys listen to a lot of Tom Waits...I could be wrong. But what works for Tom Waits isn't working for them.

3. Sisters
This one actually had a catchy chorus, and I like the incorporation of the female voices and the "call and response" singing in the middle. Out of all the tracks on the album this one was the one I liked the most.

4. Basement Stars
I think this was the point where I finally accepted the singer's voice (that doesn't mean I like it), I was just available to get passed it. I liked the other bands members yelling/singing in the background. But again I thought the song ended too abruptly, and overall it's still not something that I can imagine listening to in my free time (but that's just my personal opinion). I do feel as if this song had potential, but honestly this would be so much better with someone else singing it.

5. Pill Sized
Nice guitar riffs, I did like the instrumentals on this one.

6. Over
Meh. This one I was sort of neutral on, not bad, not good either. The guitar was good, I like the bass and the drums are decent, in fact the instrumentals on most of the tracks are fine. It's just that voice...

7. Trivial Honesty
Not good. That's all I can really say.

8. Toothache
I didn't get a toothache, more like a headache. But I did listen to this track three times...I tried.

9. Golden
I actually loved the beginning instrumentals of this one, but then the lyrics come in...Putting that aside, I thought the biblical references in this track were pretty cool. In fact I actually really liked the lyrics, but again, not only is the song almost completely ruined by the strange accent changes of the lead singer but they are almost hard to discern at points. However I know that's sort of the concept, it's a stylistic choice and I know the same could be said for the singing...but it just ain't working.

10. The Morning
For some reason this track reminds me of mornings when I wake up with a hangover, mostly because I usually have ringing in my ears, and nothing sounds good. However I did like the drums and the bass guitar in the middle.

11. River
Uh...its sort of hard writing reviews of all these tracks when in some cases there is nothing really distinguishable from one track to the next. This one was one of those mediocre tracks...I just don't have a ton to say. But nice guitar solo.

12. One Throat To Choke
Finally. One that had a slightly more experimental feel. Even the lead singer's voice sounded better on this one, the slight echo, the distorted instrumentals, all improved things exponentially. It's funny that this was also the shortest track.


While I may not have given the best review, I DID listen to every song multiple times. I thought it was only fair, since you sent me and LP that I listen to it from start to finish. And that's what I did. Obviously my opinion is pretty trivial, and I don't usually post too much local music. Most people who read this blog are not from Buffalo, and many are not even from the US, which means most of my more popular posts having nothing to do with Buffalo at all! Ha. Anyways good luck with the record, I'm sure you already have a pretty loyal local fan base.

If you are interested in buying the record it is already available pre-sale on their website.

http://arcticdeath.bigcartel.com/product/pre-order-arctic-death-12-vinyl

Their Music:

Arctic Death - new song by buffablog

The Art by Arctic Death

'88 by Arctic Death

Kreayshawn Million Dollar Deal with Sony

Does anyone remember Kreayshawn? The white gurl rapper from Oakland who I was rather...confused about? So yeah 3 weeks after the video went viral for "Gucci Gucci" the "White Girl Mob" has signed a deal with Sony so now Kreayshawn really is "young rich and flashy." It took a lonnnnnnng time for me to realize that she was completely serious about being a rapper, and in that time-span I ended up playing "Gucci Gucci" at multiple intervals during the day. Singing it in my free time to everyone's subsequent embarrassment (mostly my own), cursing Kreayshawn for existing, and then replaying the song for the 50th time. So yes I've been obsessed...in a really freaky sorta fan girl way, but I didn't really start out liking Kreayshawn at all; I was initially just confused and a little...disturbed? Now "Gucci Gucci" has over 2 million hits on youtube and she has a million dollar record deal after one song? It seems a little impulsive to me. She has one hit (sorta) and a few other songs that came before "Gucci Gucci" that I have posted, but her career hasn't really had anytime to develop on it's own without the aid of a record label. I feel like she could either majorly flop and get dropped, end up as a "gimmick act" or get completely commercialized to the point where her songs fill a niche market. While Kreayshawn's first ep "bumpin bumpin" has been out for a while the 'gucci gucci' ep won't be released for another week or so...and no new material has been released. How can you sign someone on essentially two songs? However...she did direct her own music video...and regardless I still like the chick...and I'm still playing Gucci Gucci all the time...and singing it in my bathroom...and getting yelled at for singing it my bathroom...god damn it please make this pain stop.

Polarsets

The lead singer sort of sounds like Ben Gibbard...you know before Death Cab sold out to the masses and I had to burn all my Death Cab for Cutie merch (at least I kept vowing to do it...vowing...but alas it's in a box in my closet, along with all their albums including Plans and Narrow Stairs)that was such a rough sophomore year. I felt as if my indie cred had been totally compromised, not that anyone ever really paid any attention to any of the bands I rattled off in my free time, I still felt it was a cross I had to bear. I had let everyone know that I was indier then they were all the time, it was my responsibility to impose my music taste on the world...unfortunately scribbling band names on all of your folders isn't exactly world domination, you just look really uncool. And then a magical thing happened my first university year, I started listening to K-pop and my entire world view was shattered. The end.

Anyways I like this song...so yeah you should too. obviously.

Housse De Racket

Other things that make me mildly happy, the Kitsune Maison Mixtapes, probably the greatest mixtapes ever made. My opinions are obviously superior to anyone else's which is why I have the authority to make such grandeur statements. Although its pretty obvious that I have a wild passionate obsession with Kitsune Maison I post their stuff like allll the time. One of the reasons I love listening to them is so that I can add more awkward dance moves to my repertoire. You're lying if you say you've never awkwardly danced by yourself...at least once? Maybe? Not? Ok. Well usually I bust out a few moves when I'm too drunk to use decent decision making skills...last Saturday night to be exact. And what's better to awkwardly dance to then French electronica?

Hey Rosetta!

Shitty shitty week a ton of not fun stuff has happened, a friend moving to Michigan without any sort of warning, a suicide, and just my generally crappy sleep schedule of crashing at 1 only to wake up at 5. Anyways I've been listening to this band's newest album "Seeds" all week, it has a really solid feel, I really like how they incorporate string instruments like cellos and violins into the traditional four piece rock band.

Guillemots "I Don't Feel Amazing Now" Makes Me Feel Amazing

Really incredible song.

Alex Winston

I like 'choice notes' soooo much better live!

Forest Fire

After getting all the negative energy out my system I can finally focus on music I actually enjoy...phew. And yeah I like them. They're from New York, they make decent music.

Arctic Death...kinda really sucks...(Buffalo Rant)

So every time I decide to leave the shelter of my home and venture out into the wide world of the city of Buffalo, I always come back feeling a tad...annoyed. This blog post may explain why. I'm sorry that this is sort of a "local" post I don't do these too often, but I need to vent. And unfortunately this band will take the brunt of it.

Ok so they're from Buffalo, which automatically means every publication within the city limits has praised them endlessly. Unfortunately I have an undying hatred for my own city (don't even get me STARTED on the "Edward Sharpe and Magnetic Zeros" crowd at Thursday at the square yesterday...I'll save that for my next blog post). Anyways I have grown to see through much of the hype that have propelled a bunch of these "bands" to notoriety, because I mean I lived in Toronto, so c'mon, I know by now what decent local music sounds like. Anyways Arctic Death is slightly better than the regular fair exhibited in most Buffalo bars, but that's as far as I will go. In terms of reviewing local music I always liked to take it out of context, such as "Is this something I would actually listen to if the guys in the band weren't from the surrounding Buffalo suburbs? (notice I didn't say CITY)" The answer is "HELL NAW." The lead singer's voice is so nasal to the point where I feel like I get induced sinus headaches. I mean props for actually having a melody but when all your songs have the same GRATING sounds (on top of his voice I CAN'T STAND HIS VOICE) as well as the overall "blahness" of the songs...there's nothing really special about the music or the band. But that should be sorta expected from a bunch of suburbanites who moved to the elmwood "village" (notice people its not called STRIP anymore) only to grow mustaches, wear beanies and prance around the neighborhood like they live in Brooklyn. Did I just say that? I think I did...oops. Well if the entire arts community comes running after me with pitchforks I'm only going say this: Buffalo you can't take ANY negative criticism from anyone which is why our "music scene" is so embarrassingly LAME...because without any sort of constructive criticism no one is allowed to develop or grow. Why am I so bitter? Because I freaking grew up here, I freaking dressed like a freaking "hipster" my entire life only to move back and be antagonized by these newbies from the 'burbs' who now apparently believe that living in an urban environment means shunning their hot-topic mall punk roots and buying the entire urban outfitters catalog. End of rant. Anyways I will post the music below as I always do, simply because just because I get a bad taste in my mouth doesn't mean you will. Hell there is plenty of stuff i can't stand that other people LOVE (Animal Collective, EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROS, Katy Perry, Girls, Nicki Minaj....I could go on).

Chief

Long untamed hair? Check. Long unruly beards? Check. Uncomforatble to watch music video with bad acting? Check. Yeahhhh it looks like we have another awkward indie band! At least their music has its redeeming qualities...I mean it's quite decent actually. Nice guitar riffs, the lead singer had a good voice...maybe you guys should just stop making music vids and stick to playing in graveyards in north London, like the video below...

Guilty Pleasures List 14

It seems that as soon as I start a new course/semester I revert back to K-pop...its catchy I don't know what they're saying...I don't mind shouting the lyrics in my basement...mostly because again, I don't know half the time what I'm saying. Anyways when it comes to most Korean music I have the taste of a 13 year old girl...but I've stated this before, I'm easily amused. And while I'm frantically searching for the "eutectic point" for a percent urea composition versus melting point graph as I am doing now...DAMN YOU WIKIPEDIA. I like simple songs that I don't have to think too hard about...and can pace frantically to when I'm frustrated.


Miss A - Bad Girl, Good Girl
They wear tight black clothing have bodies that I totally envy and prance around singing about how "you don't know them" so you should just "shut up." Plus the leader has pink hair...which I'm still on the fence about, I can't really decided if its cute or awful. I think I'll go with cute at the moment but it's 1 am...so...my decision making skills are impaired.




KARA - Jumping
They're jumping! And they made a song about it...along with a strange dance routine where none of them actually jump. god I love KARA if only for the weird song titles. I think this is the Japanese version...but they are a Korean girl group (there is also a Korean version).



KARA - Wanna
This was actually mashed up with a Rihanna song check out "I Wanna Rude Boy" (I will post that below too)anyways this is just so catchy...sorry. But I still don't understand the video...they sneak into the house of the guy the girl likes so they can break his leg? And then giggle about it?






2NE1 - Lonely
Probably my favorite Korean girl group ever and I normally don't put them on "guilty pleasures lists" mostly because their songs are wayyy too decent. But this on is sort of on the borderline. Anyways I can't hate on 2NE1...plus I realllly would love to steal one of those jackets they're wearing in the video...even though it would look absolutely ridiculous on me.

THE BEST June Playlist EVER...maybe

So summer school officially started yesterday, I am taking 4 courses! I already feel like I'm setting myself up for a terrible sleep schedule. Given that all my peers and friends are graduating except for me, I'm feeling (or have been feeling) cranky and generally crappy. But I guess it's my fault for going away to an extremely prestigious university only to come home go to Buff State and completely switch majors from Molecular Biophysics to Chemistry and Fine Arts...yeah...I'm having a tad of a quarter life crisis. Or I have been in the midst of one for about 2 years. As of late I have been reading tons of self-help books (what color is your parachute is like my bible right now), and of course updating this blog in order to forget my own problems! I also love paging through the GRE book in my library so I can fool myself into thinking I am actually going to take it this summer...it gives me a sense of false hope. Anyways without further ado, this is the official June 2011 playlist! I put a TON of artists on here, just for you! Feel special it's long.


Oh Land - Sun of a Gun (Yuksek remix)
When I'm not freaking out about my future, I'm usually dancing erratically in my basement...this remix is perfect 'freak-out" dancing music.




The Vaccines - All in White
Yeah I know I posted this song before, rather recently actually. But it's so god damn good! Believe me it's been on replay on my computer forever...well forever being the three weeks since I posted it...



Dry The River - New Ceremony
Really pretty. Amazing song.



Plus I have the worst crush on the lead singer...he's so awkwardly cute!




Wolf Gang - Lions in Cages
I don't know if anyone remembers me posting him AGES ago (he has a ton of really awesome songs) This happens to be one of my favorites.



Champagne Riot - A friend of a Friend
Can I just say that Scandinavian music is awesome...especially in the past ten years! The talent coming from Norway-Sweden-Denmark-Finland has been been really incredible.



MillionYoung - Calrissian
Normally I am kinda apprehensive to really experimental electronic-y stuff (DUBSTEP) anything where I can't freaking understand what the guy is saying essentially. However Kitsune Maison mixtapes have changed my mind about many of these artists. And I actually like this guy.



At Swim Two Birds - In Bed With Your Best Friend
Disturbing, but great song.



Lucy Rose - Bikes
I keep finding these really awesome English folk rock artists...I don't know where they're all coming from...but hell at least they're coming from somewhere.



Liam Bailey - You Better Leave Me
SEXY SONG. That's all.

Under Appreciated Band: Maximo Park

Does anyone remember my "under-appreciated band posts?" Its been so long since I've written one! I started to get nostalgic. Anyways, rather recently I started listening to all my Maximo Park albums in sequence (after NOT listening to them in about a year) you know that awesome feeling you get when you rediscover a band you really liked and then subsequently forgot about? Their songs are just so catchy and so fun to dance around in my basement to. And since living in Buffalo makes me an anti social recluse its the perfect time to blast music from high school in my spider and centipede ridden cellar...oh wow that sounded horrible. THANK GOD I'm going to Toronto tomorrow, I need to have a really kick ass time somewhere.

Miike Snow

Hey all - new blogger here! I'm very honoured to have been invited to write for this blog! TheMusicGeek and I share a lot of similar music tastes so hopefully this will work out well. So here we go...!

Swedish indie group Miike Snow has created perfection in sound with their first album, self-titled "Miike Snow." I love just about every song and aspect of this album, from its perfect fusion of keys and beats to its wispy yet solid vocals. There's something about Christian Karlsson's voice that really draws me in - it can be very inspiring at times, yet oh-so-sexy during others.

The sexy:



The inspirational: (FYI: "Silvia" is the Latin word for "forest.")



Their latest single (June 2010) - with a VERY strange video: The Rabbit

Can't wait to hear more from them!

The Weeknd

Strange combination of R&B and electronic low-fi...Frank Ocean and this guy are doing weird things with rhythm and blues...a genre of music that has had limited progression since the 90s. I like it.