Here are some photo collages and the links for you to check out. Enjoy!
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The Airplane Boys | Brave | Official Video
I wrote about the The Airplane Boys most recent mixtape “Brave New World” back in March, but what I failed to mention back in that post is that the group is part of a collective known as Beau Monde. One of the members of the collective is Warren Credo, who has been the Brand Director of the Beau Monde Collective since 2009. Warren is a talented videographer and photographer and recently put the final touches on the official video for The Airplane Boys’ recording “Brave”. Shot in Japan, it is a tremendous visual accompaniment to the music. For your listening and viewing pleasure, the official video of The Airplane Boys “Brave”, shot by Warren Credo.
Snoop Lion | “Ashtrays and Heartbreaks” Featuring Miley Cyrus | Mourning Loss
It’s been quite a surreal day for me. Yesterday, I took my dog, Samson, to the vet as I noticed he was bleeding from his mouth. The vets noticed a growth on his tongue and diagnosed an Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cancer. My heart broke. The vets told me that it looked bad and that I should consider getting additional tests and prep him for surgery to at least remove a portion of the growth.
I took Samson back to the vet this morning and signed the papers to have the vets do what they thought needed to be done. At around noon, I get online to check my social media platforms, and notice that a song I’ve been working, “Ashtrays and Heartbreaks” by Snoop Lion featuring Miley Cyrus on was making the rounds on Twitter, Facebook, Soundcloud, etc. Yes. I work for Snoop.
The song seemed to be getting a good reaction from the interwebs, so my day was picking up.
About an hour later, the vet called me. It turns out the the growth in Samson’s mouth was actually larger than the initial observations. It was down his throat and most likely had already spread throughout my pups chest area. Then the vet broke my heart again when she recommended euthanasia. The vet considered the odds of Samson living pain-free for the next few weeks as close to nil. I lost my shit.
I’ve had family members pass away. It’s not like I haven’t experienced heartache before. But it just seemed a little different this time around.
I remember going to the pound November of 1999 with my then girlfriend looking to adopt a dog. There was a litter of about a dozen chow-mixed pups in a cage and though each one was tumbling over each other to get our attention, I noticed one pup sitting in the corner, looking at me with his beautifully, sad eyes. I immediately pointed him out to the proprietor of the pound and adopted him on the spot. I find out after having adopted him, that the rest of the litter was going to euthanized the coming weekend.
I have to thank girl I was dating then for raising Samson right. She had grown up with dogs of her own, so she was excellent at potty training Samson and teaching him how to be obedient. Really though, Sammy’s always been a mellow pup. I think anybody who has ever had the pleasure of meeting him fell in love with his demeanor, and I’m sure she’s partly responsible for how awesome Samson is.
It’s been 13 years with Samson. As cliche as it sounds, he’s always been there for me. Even when he was living with my parents while I was in law school, he’d always be waiting at the gate to my parent’s back yard each weekend when I came to stay with the folks. He was always there to console me when I had bad news that I didn’t necessarily want to share with my friends. He’s warded off animals attacking me. He’s helped me meet cute girls. He’s just always been there. And now, I’m torn with the thought that I’ll have to make a decision about euthanizing him soon.
13 has always been my lucky number. I was born on the 13th. Friday the 13ths always seem to be good to me. I feel like I should resent the number now since it’s become the number of years I’ve been able to have Samson at my side.
I’ll have a few days to figure this all out. I’m hoping that Samson beats whatever odds are against him, and I’m still trying to hope for the best. I’ve never had to make this kind of decision before and it’s really making me lose it, and though I just wish I could write about how great Snoop’s newest song is, which it definitely is, I felt the need to editorialize this post with what’s happened to me today. Life is trying to tell me something, and I hope I get to figure it out sooner rather than later.
For everybody that’s ever met Samson, please say a few doggy prayers for him.
[Verse 1: Snoop Lion]
Tonight there’s gonna be a whole lot of smoke in the air
Blow it hard for the ones who ain’t here
Seems like every day we putting one six feet underground
So bless
What goes up must come down
[Hook: Miley Cyrus]
Now my buzz is gone, I need to re-up on reality
Can’t let me see them me weak I need to pause on it
Is there any possibility that everyone feels like me
Ashtrays and hearbreaks
I lost some, let’s toast one
So put ’em high, and tell ’em this
You gonna aim, but you never missed
Ashtrays and heartbreaks
I lost some, let’s toast one
So raise a glass to the memories
Set ’em free and fill up all those ashtrays
I’m gonna fill up all those ashtrays
[Verse 2: Snoop Lion]
Tomorrow when you wake up and realise life ain’t fair
Throw it back and make the whole world disappear
You never miss what you had, until it’s gone
When it’s right, something will always go wrong
[Hook] x2
UPDATE: My dog, Samson, passed away April 18, 2013. May his beautiful soul rest in peace.
You can purchase the single on iTunes by clicking through this link: http://itun.es/i6J42x5
Laura Mvula | “That’s Alright” (Video and Lyrics)
2013 may very well be a GREAT year for new female vocalists. I’ve already been smitten by Nai Palm, the lead singer of Hiatus Kaiyote … and now Laura Mvula is looking to squeeze her way into my heart as well.
My interest in Laura Mvula had already been stirring and I’ve posted short blog entries about her songs “Jump Right Out” and “She”, but she just release a new video for her latest single “That’s Alright” and it’s blowing me away. It heavy on rhythms and chants and really comes out punching. Definitely contrasting to her more delicate fair that I’ve grown accustomed to. With her rich alto tone, and jazz/soul/gospel sensibilities, she sings out rebelling against an unknown antagonist, proclaiming her autonomy and self worth and chastising him/her with a chorus of “Who made you the center of the universe”.
Her first major label album, “Sing to the Moon”, was released March 4, 2013 abroad, but the CD, LP and digital downloads don’t seem to be available yet in the U.S. RCA needs to get on the stat. And if it’s never going to be released in the states, I may very well have to spend the extra cash to purchase imports…
For your listening pleasure, Laura Mvula’s “That’s Alright”:
(Verse)
I will never be what you want and that’s alright,
Cause my skin ain’t light and my body ain’t tight.
And that’s alright.
But if I might, I must stand and fight.
I will never be what you want and that’s alright,
I play my own damn tune, I shine like the moon.
And very soon, I’ll soon fly over you.
And what you gonna do when I fly over you?
(Chorus)
Tell me who made you the center of the universe?
Who made you the center of the universe?
Who made you the center of the universe?
Who made you the center of the universe?
(Verse)
And every morning when I wake up I pray for you
And then I pray for me that soon you’ll see
How love can be, our love will set you free.
And what it’s gonna be, I see the beauty in your eyes.
(Chorus)
Tell me who made you the center of the universe?
Who made you the center of the universe?
Who made you the center of the universe?
Who made you the center of the universe?
(Verse)
I will never be what you want and that’s alright,
Cause my skin ain’t light and my body ain’t tight.
I will never be what you want and that’s alright,
Cause my skin ain’t light and that’s alright.
(Chorus)
Tell me who made you the center of the universe?
Who made you the center of the universe?
Who made you the center of the universe?
Who made you the center of the universe?
Snoop Lion (Snoop Dogg) | “No Guns Allowed” | The Lion Assembles an All Star Team To Create Message About Gun Violence
On March 20, 2013, Snoop released a powerful new single titled “No Guns Allowed”; a song that reflects about his past ownership of guns and guns in America today.
The Boss Dogg (or these days, the Boss Lion) has a storied relationship with firearms. Whether it was when the home of his family was raided while he wife and children were present, or whether it was friends or family falling by an intended or stray bullet, the recent mass shootings seems to have inspired him to shed his gangster image, thus his evolution to the Lion from the Dog.
Quoting his recent interview with Piers Morgan:
“It affected me to where I wanted to say something and I wanted to make some music to try to help the next person who was thinking about loading a gun, going into a school and then shooting and maybe helping him put that gun down and think about what he was doing or what she was doing before they did that.”
The Lion has assemble amazing musicians to contribute to this recording. The track was produced by Diplo and Ariel Rechtshaid with additional production from Dre Skull. Beirut’s founder, Zachary Condon, inspired the keyboard chord progression. The song was co-written by Angela Hunte, and Drake and Snoop’s daughter, Cori B, are featured vocalists. Oh, and Stewart Copeland play drums on the track too. Talk about a power ensemble.
The laid back reggae flow contrasts with the song’s strong social commentary, adding to the sense of how Snoop is simply worn and weary from the years of gun violence. By using his daughter as a featured artist, it also shows that this is a problem that needs to be dealt with for both the present and future.
The lyrics are poignant and moving. Snoop introduces the song with, “Money makes a man, and that’s a crime. If we all were rich, we’d spend more time with our daughters and sons, they’re losing their minds. We all feel hurt, here’s mine… No Guns Allowed.”
Drake’s lyrics are especially poignant as he raps about one of the most deadly shootings in the city of Scarborough, Canada. Truly speaking from the heart.
A strong message embedded in a powerful song. Let’s hope the world listens.
Lyrics:
[Intro]
Money makes a man, and that’s a crime
If we all were rich, we’d spend more time
With our daughters and sons, they’re losing their minds
We all feel hurt, here’s mine… hear me now
[Hook]
No guns are allowed in here tonight
We’re gonna have a free for all, no fight
I wanna get lost in the crowd in here tonight
I need to hear my thoughts, turn the music up loud
[Verse 1: Snoop Dogg]
Let the music play, me no want no more gunplay
When the bodies hit the ground, there’s nothing left to say
We don’t want to see more innocent blood shed
We don’t want to more youth dead (come hear me now)
[Hook]
[Verse 2: Drake]
News from back home, it’s when it hurts to be gone
Two more young names to be carved out of stone
One summer day that went horribly wrong
Got my dog on the phone, cryin’ and sayin’ to leave ‘em alone
But I’m not leaving his side, I know that somebody died
Somebody’s child, some people duck down and some hide
Some people just cannot react in time
Bullets do not choose a victim, it’s the shooter that picks ‘em
They just can’t wait to get you in the system
The district attorney could use a conviction
Told you no guns in there, you didn’t listen
Life is so heavy with that on your soul
Dedicate this to Shyanne and Josh
And pour something out for the lives that they stole – 416…
[Hook]
[Outro]
Money makes a man, and that’s a crime
Money makes a man, and that’s a crime
I wanna get lost in the crowd in here tonight
Passenger ‘I Hate’ Live from The Borderline, London (Short Version)
I really enjoyed listening to the lyrics of this tune. It’s seems that I hate all of the things that Passenger (Mike Rosenberg) hates as well.
Music Treasure: Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
I had purchased a ticket to see a show at The Roxy on December 29th, 2012 that was titled “Bizarre Ride Live” at the suggestion of a friend. He told me that it was a performance of The Pharcyde’s “Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde” by two of the original members (Phatlip and Slim Kid 3) and others.
Earlier in the day, on a whim, I decided to check out a record shop that I hadn’t been too before in West Los Angeles called Touch Vinyl. As I was flipping through the racks, I stumbled across a limited edition, colored vinyl set of the album that I had intended to see performed live later in the evening.
It seemed that fate was calling, so without hesitating, I decided to purchase the LPs.
Feeling that fate was on my side, I decided to bring the new purchase with me to the show. As chance would have it, I happened to have a silver permanent marker in my bag.
The show was great, and I was able to relive some of my youth. The album had come out while I was in high school and, at the time, I could recite almost every lyric from the album. I still think that the sequencing of tracks 7-13 is near perfection. To this day, I can listen through that section of the album without having to skip anything.
The show had ended and I while I was talking to Mellow Man Ace (who performed with his son Cazal Organism as The ZZYZZX earlier in the evening), I saw both Slim Kid 3 and Fat Lip step out. I was able to cajole them for their autographs, and there you have it. Some music treasure.
If you’d like to see some more music treasure that I’ve collected, click through this link.
Nai Palm & Hiatus Kaiyote: Australian Soul
[If you want to read about their show that “blew my mind” click here]
Sometimes you can’t find soul. Soul finds you. Apparently it found a group of talented musicians in Australia.
Last weekend I went to see Jose James at the Del Monte Speakeasy. I bought tickets for that show online on the venue’s website a few months ago. I noticed that there was a name I was unfamiliar with playing the following weekend. The venue site said they were from Australia (foreign bands always interest me, because it always seems that the best music these days comes from abroad, and it’s not often you can catch them playing in the United States) and there was something unusual about the spelling of the second word of the name of the band, so I decided to click through the links landing on their official website. Went straight to their band camp link, and listened to their latest project titled ““Tawk Tomahawk”. Impressed with what I heard, I decided to buy tickets that day, mostly because I liked the music, but also because tickets, at the time, were only $10 each. [If you want to read about their show that “blew my mind” click here]
I didn’t purchase the digital download of the album (I like to own LPs and CD, so I figured I’d wait), but I did download a free remix album and a live performance. I figured I should have something to listen too later, so I could know what to expect for the show.
A few weeks went by. I went to the Jose James concert (which was amazing, by the way) earlier in the week, and now, on this Sunday, March 17th, 2013 while others are sipping beer dyed with green coloring on a warm, breezy southern California day, I’m at my desk working. I remember I have the extra tickets, and post on Facebook to see if any of my friends are interested. Having only listened to the band’s latest album a couple of times, and their “remix” album as couple times, I described it as “Bjork with a jazz/funk/soul slant.” I’d like to take that back. They’re WAY more soulful than Bjork could be.
I hadn’t yet listened to the live download titled “Live at RRR FM”, so after posting on Facebook, I pressed start on my iTunes. It’s a 40+ minute live recording, and it’s already on it’s third replay … today.
Really, I’m just floored by what I’m hearing. I knew their recorded music was quality stuff. After doing a little internet snooping, I find out that Erykah Badu loves the band. ?uestlove of The Roots Tweeted about them. But their live recording … what I had been listening to for most of today, is really impressive. So much soul. So much talent. The lead vocalist’s, Nai Palm, voice reminds me (sincerely) of Amy Winehouse. The songwriting is filled with so much life. I think all of the jazz elements in the music breathes the life into it.
Spent a handful of distracted minutes to finding some quality live video links to share. I’m so looking forward to see them play next weekend.
This song is stunning.
Okay … now back to work. At least I have something to look forward to for next weekend.
Updated: 03/18/13: I found Nai Palm covering Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour”? If you didn’t already know, I named my blog after one of Stevie’s albums. I’m a huge Stevie fan. Nai gets SO many brownie points in my book. Can’t wait until the weekend.
Dave Grohl South By Southwest (SXSW) 2013 Keynote Speech
Dave Grohl delivers a terrific keynote speech at South By Southwest that any musician, or fan of music, will appreciate. He speaks about his history in the music business, what music is all about, and how people these days perceive music. It made me question some of my musical prejudices. Dave Grohl rocks, and so does his speech.
The Time I Kicked It With John Stephens
I sang in an a capella group at Cornell University. I have very fond memories of my time singing with the group. We traveled and performed around the world and got to experience a lot of things that other college students could only dream of. Throughout my four years in the group (95-99), I always kept an ear out for new recordings and cool arrangements from other campuses.
As it turned out, one of my best friends growing up went to the University of Pennsylvania. He knew that I was interested in a cappella music, and gave me a copy of a CD when I came by one year to visit. He told me of a friend who had an amazing voice, who was in the University of Pennsylvania a cappella group called The Counterparts. The album was called “Housekeeping” the singer’s name was John Stephens, and the song he sang on was “One Of Us“.
A few years later, while I was attending law school, and working part-time, I happened to be living in a “guest room” in the back yard of the home my friend and his brother were living in. My friend let me know that John Stephens was heading into town and would be crashing on the couch for a few nights. He told me that John was in town for meetings with some labels, and that maybe I should see if the firm I was working for at the time would be interested in trying to set up a meeting. My buddy made a copy of John’s demo (which I thought was dope by the way) and I tried to pitch him to the firm, but they were too busy or too skeptical to really pay any attention to me. Maybe I should I have tried to persuade them a little harder, but hell … I was attending a cut-throat law school, and working part time, so I figured that if they weren’t interested, it wasn’t any skin off my back. I had enough on my mind.
One night while we were all kicking it at a bar, I mentioned to John that I had the one CD of his college a cappella group, and we talked to each other about our backgrounds in music. I found out that, like me, he was the business manager of his a cappella group. His knowledge of music, though, was definitely far superior to mine, and he obviously seemed to have much more passion than I did in pursuing a career as a singer. My career as singer was limited to a few auditions for the revamped “Star Search” and vocals for original music used in a short-lived animated series called “Phatheadz” (sp? … I can’t even remember it anymore) that was available to watch on the no-longer available site urbanentertainment.com…. but I digress… We drank the night away, and did what what young men in their early 20s do at bars. From what I can remember, it was a good time.
John’s meetings must have went pretty well…. he ended up getting deal with a label, and has had a pretty decent career. I still have his a cappella group’s CD, but I wish I could find that CD of demos I was given before he was signed. D’oh!
#DKLPHOTOS 