Video of the Week: Day 'N' Nite (Crookers Remix) by Kid Cudi

"THE LONELY STONER SEEMS TO FREE HIS MIND AT NIGHT"

Damn this remix is impossible not to nod your head to. I meant to put it up last week when I heard it on Pulse 87. The original "Day 'N' Nite" got pretty big pretty fast: it was featured in Entourage, and big rappers like Pitbull and Jim Jones have already spit over it (as if Kid Cudi's lyrics weren't already perfect). But this particular remix and video do a really good job of flipping the song's sorrow into something fun. There might be a little too much sexiness in the video, but it's all in Cudi's head anyway.

Slumdog Millionaire: A Paradox Explained Through Picture and Sound

I've been dying to see "Slumdog" since I heard that MIA contributed generously to the soundtrack. The kick-ass, British-Sri Lankan musical artist, noted for her heavy, sociopolitical lyrics, often juxtaposed with a clubby dance beat, offers an authentic sound and message that is perfectly compatible with the movie's agenda. The film itself is full of juxtapositions and contradictions, as noted in the title. Indian super-producer AR Rahman crafted a brilliant soundtrack, named Best Original Score by the Golden Globes, that juxtaposes new and old by fusing genuine Indian sound with modern influences from the Western world. Hearing the soundtrack is half the experience of absorbing the plot line of the Best Picture of the Year.

Through a series of intense flashbacks, the film tells the painful life-story of an 18-year old from the slums who luckily ends up on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire". Young Jamaal Malik's tale, with an interwoven love story, reveals the sharp contrast between the urban and industrialized, Bollywood-deluded India that tourists flock to, and the dirty, crime-riddled life of the poor in the shantytowns. The masterful cinematography captures this contrast by catching brightly colored clothing and fresh produce against dismal piles of debris, and showing warm bursts of light shine in the eyes of struggling children in the darkest of situations.

Though religion, power, and love are other dense topics explored by the movie, the motif of money, and the theme of seemingly justified thievery and deception, are most central to the film. MIA offered her hustler anthem "Paper Planes", as well as the DFA remix of it, to a scene in which 6-year old Jamaal and older brother Salim hop trains selling cheap, stolen goods. The Academy Award-nominated song "O...Saya" also conveys life on the run through MIA's hasty verse and AR Rahman's fast, booming drum beats from the Indian instrument called a tabla. The track mixes a poignant hook in Hindi with electronic manipulations to paint a picture of raw hustler spirit set to the pace of the big city.

"Liquid Dance" is another great example of Rahman's genius. The track opens with a high-speed Hindi chant and morphs into an electro masterpiece. The suspenseful "Mausam and Escape" begins with a flurry of pleasant notes from the Indian classical instrument the jaltarang, and then suddenly becomes the superior fusion of typical Bollywood string arrangements and steady, hip-hop beats.

"Slumdog Millionaire" is a sensuous combination of color, sound, and emotion. It has an idealist's ending, and leaves us believing that love can prevail, even after a lifetime of struggle. The music will guide you through this tumultuous journey. And at the end, you'll understand how the dark and light of life experience is 100 times more valuable than book smarts.

"O... Saya": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDXiCsP576I

GO-BAMA! GO-BAMA!

Being an American rocks.
Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in today as the first black President of the US. This calls for some serious celebration.

Did you notice how big a role music played in the Inauguration in DC? There were a few interspersed musical acts that helped set an uplifting and patriotic tone for this revolutionary event. The ceremony opened with performances by the US Marine Band, the San Francisco Boys Chorus, and the San Francisco Girls Chorus. Legendary Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin was appropriately chosen to sing "My Country, 'Tis Of Thee" before Vice President Joe Biden's swearing-in. Afterward, a cheery piece composed by John Williams was performed by a diverse group of famed musicians: Israeli violinist Itzhak Perlman, a jovial Yo-Yo Ma on cello, the Venezuelan Gabriela Montero on piano, and black Chicago-native Anthony McGill on clarinet. Once Obama was officially sworn-in, the "Sea Chanters" (US Navy Band) closed the ceremony with the national anthem.

Among the audience of about 2 million were many celebrities, including hip hop tycoon P. Diddy, with his family, and dynamic duo Jay-Z and Beyonce.

Beyonce was among dozens who performed at the "We Are One" concert for Sunday's opening celebration at the Lincoln Memorial. All different kinds of musicians came together to sing out in anticipation of Obama, including Bono, Sheryl Crow, Garth Brooks, John Legend, Jon Bon Jovi, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Usher, Shakira, and Stevie Wonder.

The many Inaugural balls beckoned tons of musical artists of all races, ages, and musical genres to DC this MLK weekend, and they just keep on coming. The "Hey America Feels Kinda Cool Again" ball, featuring the Beastie Boys, took place last night. Russel Simmons, TI, and LL Cool J hosted a bash for the Hip Hop Summit Action Network, with general admission tickets selling at 1 grand. MTV's hyped up "Be The Change" ball is going on tonight and features Kanye West and Fall Out Boy. It airs tomorrow at 9pm on MTV ONE.

Check out the Obama-rama song craze:

Ratatat's "Shempi" mashed with some words of wisdom from Obama: http://www.pampelmoose.com/mspeaks/mp3s?func=alpha&key=O
Click the play button next to Obamatat. Pampelmoose rocks.

"History" by Jay-Z, performed at the Neighborhood Ball
"Black President" by Nas

Video of the Week: I Don't Care by Fall Out Boy

“I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK AS LONG AS IT'S ABOUT ME”

This is in honor of the upcoming Bamboozle. I’m not the biggest FOB fan, but this video’s pretty fun. The band unleashes their inner badass in this satirical statement about jerky rock stars. Former Blink 182 bassist and current +44 frontman & record producer (and eternal object of my desire) Mark Hoppus makes a surprise cameo at the end, along with a few other stars…

THEY'RE BACK??! - No Doubt.

WHO IS NO DOUBT?
No Doubt is Gwen Stefani (vocals), Tony Kanal (bass), Tom Dumont (guitar), and Adrian Young (drums). The group started as a Ska band in ’86 in Anaheim, Cali. Since then, they’ve covered a myriad of genres and styles – like punk, rock, reggae, and dancehall. After a 5 year hiatus, they’re reuniting to headline BAMBOOZLE on May 3rd.


The history of No Doubt is a journey of ever-evolving musical styles and images, spanning about 2 decades. With each of their 4 major albums, the band seemed to tackle a new genre of music and take on a unique, new image. There was the original ska period that yielded “The Beacon Street Collection”, then came the massively popular 'new wave-ska' sound of “Tragic Kingdom”, followed by the rock edge of “Return of Saturn”, and finally the dancehall feel of “Rock Steady.” Vocalist Gwen Stefani was not always the dance-pop solo artist, “Hollaback Girl” that we know today. In addition to serving as a rebellious role model for teenage girls in the ‘90’s, Gwen was, and continues to be, an international fashion icon, setting the most risqué and outlandish trends that often involve self-made or self-designed clothing.



The Beginning
No Doubt emerged in 1986 as a fun and crazy ska band, just as the heavy grunge scene was taking over (think Nirvana). Gwen’s older brother Eric started the band as the keyboardist, but he soon left to become a full-time animator on The Simpsons (aw yeah). In ’92, after the release of their first, self-titled album, the band appeared in their first video, for “Trapped in a Box”, a spunky little diddy about being a slave to the television. A petite Gwen was recognized for her “loopy, unpredictable” voice of distinguished vibrato and range, as well as her individualized, self-made style.


The Peak
In ’95, the band played in the first ever, now famous Warped Tour, along with revered rock-reggae gods and Cali buds Sublime. Later that year, ND released the soon-to-be platinum record “Tragic Kingdom”, a collection of catchy yet powerful ska-bitten songs, many inspired by the difficult break up of Gwen and bassist Tony Kanal, who’d kept up a passionate relationship for 7 years. The success of “Tragic Kingdom” instantly propelled the lovably awkward and energetic Gwen into the position of feminist role model and symbol of rebellion for teen girls around the world. She debuted her signature look of platinum blonde hair and red lips, contrasted with her abs-bearing shirt and baggy pants, in the video for “Just A Girl”, which became the unofficial anthem of the female teenager.


Coping With Fame
With the growing success of the band, Gwen’s styles became a bigger media focus than the band’s music. (This concern was expressed in the band’s video for hit single “Don’t Speak”). Gwen set many unlikely trends, among which was wearing a bindi, a jewel donned between the eyes, inspired by Tony’s Indian heritage. Gwen then had the guts to show up at the MTV VMA’s of 98 with short and stringy blue hair, and in a matching blue, fuzzy bikini top. In the ultimate display of audacity, Gwen flashed her metal-mouth smile of multi-colored braces at the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards ‘99, where she was nominated Most Fashionable Female Artist. Her hair color changed once again, to bright pink, to celebrate the year 2000, when No Doubt became the first band to perform on MTV New Year’s Eve in the new millennium. The new year ushered in the release of the alternative style album “Return to Saturn”, which debuted at #2 on the US charts. The harder, rock energy of the record reflected both Gwen’s growing insecurities and the band’s rough musical evolution. My personal favorite track off the record, “Magic’s in the Makeup”, reveals Gwen’s insecurities about her true identity, suppressed by her use of excessive makeup and her constantly changing and experimental looks.



Going Steady
Despite generally positive reviews, “Return of Saturn” was a financial failure, so No Doubt recruited major producer Pharell Williams of the Neptunes to help with their new album. During the writing process, Gwen began solo collaborations with artists like hip hop diva Eve and legendary DJ Moby. Then in 2001, “Rock Steady” was born. In just a year, No Doubt had matured (somewhat) and entirely reinvented their image, resulting in a commercial comeback. The band reinstated authentic reggae influences into their music, working with Jamaican artists like Bounty Killer and Lady Saw. The record took on an electro-dancehall sound. Tony Kanal commented on the new sound:

“The album has an old-school, early '80s-underground, dance hall-meets-New Wave-pop feel, and for us, 'Rock Steady' captures that universal vibe."

The band’s new style, album cover, and videos (“Hey Baby”, “Hella Good”) were inspired by artist Steven Sprouse’s bold, punky-urban artwork. Gwen’s belly-bearing shirts and baggy pants, that became a staple of her look, now always included touches of Rasta wear and a mature punkiness that emanated a whole new type of sex appeal. Yet Gwen’s constant identity crisis resurfaced in the hit single “Underneath it All.” The song was directed towards her boyfriend Gavin Rossdale, frontman of grunge band Bush, whom she met back in ’95 at the Warped Tour. The next year, Gwen and Gavin married. No Doubt’s decline began with the start of Gwen’s solo career.


Solo Gwen
In ’03, Gwen finally launched her own clothing line called L.A.M.B. (Love, Angel, Music, Baby), as well as a solo dance-pop side project of the same name, produced in part by Tony Kanal. With the release of the album came Gwen’s more obvious (and freaky) obsession with Japanese fashion sub-culture. A group of 4 Japanese-American back up dancers, who represent each letter of L.A.M.B., became Gwen’s personal entourage, called the “Harajuku Girls”. The first single off the album, “What You Waiting For?”, was written by Gwen about dealing with pressure and taking such risks with her music career. The accompanying Alice in Wonderland-themed video featured a shockingly primp, polished, and matured Stefani, dressed up in all kinds of lavish costumes. The more popular, Fiddler on the Roof-inspired “Rich Girl”, featuring Eve, was released next. Then came the simple-minded beat of “Hollaback Girl”. And when “Luxurious” made it’s debut, people wondered how anyone could have the nerve to re-work the signature beat by the Isley Brothers, made famous by Biggie’s playa anthem “Big Poppa”. In ’06, “The Sweet Escape” album was released, featuring newer, pop-y artists like Akon.

Meanwhile...
While Gwen did her thing, the rest of the band had a few of their own professional endeavors going on. Tony continued producing music, like songs from the movie “50 First Dates”, the "Funhouse” album by Pink, and “Together as One”, the album by Jewish reggae singer Elan Atias, who was a member of Bob Marley & The Wailers. Tom worked on a side project called “Invincible Overlord” and produced Matt Costa’s “Songs We Sing”. Adrian, the often naked and mohawked drummer, who was named Sexiest Man in Music by Playgirl (yes it exists), toured with various bands and appeared on Drum Magazine cover with fellow master Travis Barker.


They’re Back – No Doubt.
Now, after years in the game, and years out of the game, No Doubt is officially BACK. ND’s last tour (and my first concert) was in summer ’04, and it was co-headlined with Blink 182, who has since disbanded (tears). Now, 5 years later, No Doubt is making an explosive return to headline BAMBOOZLE with Fall Out Boy in East Rutherford, NJ. Tix are just now on sale. Will Doosh be there? Hellzzz yeaaaah. Will I get punched out accidentally by some sweaty, emo kid? Probably. But it’s a risk I’m willing to take to see these guys get back together. After taking a look at all the types of music they’ve explored and images they’ve had, I’m really wondering how the now married professionals will present themselves. The official website shows a black & white image of the boys in suits and Gwen in a dress and heels… hmm… they'll sure stand out that way. ND's apparently working on a *new album* while touring, and I am so excited to see what they come up with. The possibilities are endless.

Melodious Thunk

Spastic jazz pianist Thelonious Monk came into thought randomly a few days ago when he was playing over the loudspeaker in the halls of my school. (school is weird). He’s mentioned in this track by Lupe Fiasco, who’s quite possibly the best rapper alive, and reminds me there’s a little hope left for hip hop. Lupe’s currently working on his third and final triple-album “LupE.N.D.”, due out in the fall. He’s also working with Kanye West and Pharell Williams on a side project called CRS. (Check out “US Placers”).
“And He Gets the Girl” tells the classic high school story of a nerd’s crush on a cheerleader, except this one’s got a charming outcome. That sick beat is from a song called “Maybe” by Pharell-led band N*E*R*D*. And now here’s some hope for all the dorks out there:

Video of the Week: One More Time to Pretend (Immuzikation Blend)

"WE'VE GOT THE VISION; NOW LETS HAVE SOME FUN"

"One More Time" by Daft Punk blended with "Time to Pretend" by MGMT

People who will like this mash up:

* mgmt lovers
* daft punk lovers
* ppl who love to dance
* ppl who need a reason to dance
* ppl who can appreciate a good mash-up
* ppl who wanna understand what a good mash-up is
* ppl who dig animated aliens
* ppl who dig beach bonfires
* ppl who dig psychedelic videos
* ppl who are high and in for a trip
* and of course… those of you who have nothing better to do

alright then.. think that covers everyone. Enjoy


and hey.. recognize the little sample at the end? Comment with the name of the song.

TV on the EVERYTHING!!!

WHAT IS TV ON THE RADIO?
TV on the Radio is a 5-piece band that's pretty hard to categorize. Generally labeled an art-rock group, they take huge risks with their music, including using a'capella, slap-dash raps, heavy distortion, and even opera. Became one of my favorite bands last year (special thanks to Deena). Their music's got elements of rock, funk, hip hop, soul, and much more.

The News....
TV on the Radio, the Brooklyn-based band very dear to my heart, is blowing up everywhere. This has been their biggest year so far since their humble beginning, jamming in shoddy apartments back 7 years ago. The lastest album "Dear Science" has gotten rave reviews from the biggest mags, including Rolling Stone, which awarded them #1 Album of the Year. (The previous album, "Return to Cookie Mountain", AKA soundtrack of my life for 4 months, also received high acclaim and set up well for this big debut). TVOTR graced the cover of Fader for the oct/nov issue, and inside they won a lengthy, analytical write up. SPIN recognized TV's genius back in 2006, and featured them on the cover in December. TV returns to glorify the cover of SPIN this month! So take a nice look at those lovely faces in dork-glasses! And while you're at it, go marvel at frontman Tunde Adebimpe's face in "Rachel Getting Married". He stars in the 4-star film alongside big-name Anne Hathaway [who's not my favorite, but she plays a crazy drug addict so...] During their long and successful US tour '08, TV performed on David Letterman and even hosted "Subterranean" on MTV2. Where will we see them next?

Surprisingly, I feel pretty comfortable witnessing this very experimental and kinda diffident group gain exposure and become more and more mainstream. It's about time they're recognized as the perceptive and revolutionary band they are, though inevitably, media and press attention can do as much harm as help. I doubt the funky gang, led by nerdy vocalist Tunde and unassuming guitarist Kyp Malone, is so into soaking up the spotlight. But that's the great thing about the band: fame is not their ultimate goal - they're truly committed to creating music that gets the public THINKING... and moving! I really feel like they'll hit the people that are worthy of them and they won't lose integrity or get tired out too soon. They've barely even gotten much radioplay yet (ironic?). But so, in general, I'm loving the way TV is being portrayed as a band with a higher knowledge, set against a background of unique alternative-doo-wop-electro-art-rock sounds.
NOW GET IN ON THE HYPE!


TRACKS TO TRY:

Dancing Choose [if you're into alt rock/rap style]
Golden Age [funky alternative]

And don't forget the older stuff!!

Check out singles like "Wolf Like Me" and "Me-I"
(both have awesome videos)
"New Health Rock" and "I Was A Lover" are among my personal favorites.

NEW YEAR, NEW BLOG!

Welcome to Rock Steady Vibes!

This is a place with a lil something for everyone.

Look forward to seeing:



- news about your favorite artists, familiar & new
- new album + song reviews
- the best soundtracks from current movies and shows
- the awesome monthly MASH UP and REMIX playlists
- Video of the Week
- Lyric of the Week
- Random Ramblings

..get psyched!


original photo.