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My Favorite Albums of 2009.

Here they are, folks!  My top 10 albums of 2009.  Cutting it mega close to the new year, but better late than never, right?

10. The Fray - The Fray

Every year, I have one album on this list that kind of makes me feel like a tool.  The Fray's sophomore album is that album.  The only problem is, I would be lying to myself if I didn't include it onto my list this year.  The Fray are just so damn good at doing the piano ballad/piano rock thing, and I'm a huge sucker for that.  Listen to: Syndicate, Enough for Now

9. Jenny Owen Youngs - Transmitter Failure

Transmitter Failure reminds me of my summer spent interning at Nettwerk.  It was in a stack of albums that my boss handed to me on my first day, and the first album from the label (that I hadn't already listened to before) that I fell in love with.  One day I was jamming to Transmitter Failure with my headphones on, and didn't even realize that Jenny was upstairs in the office just kickin' it.  She walked past the interns and smiled at us on her way out, and I lifted up my head and had the most classic eyebrow raising moment where I realized that the girl smiling at us was the same girl whose music I was listening to (and would spend most of my summer pitching to bloggers).  Anyway, if you like singer-songwriters from Jenny Lewis to Regina Spektor, JOY's music falls somewhere in between that spectrum -- catchy and fun folk/pop music with sweet vocals.  Listen to: Led to the Sea, Last Person

8. Kid Sister - Ultraviolet

Kid Sister is everything that is so right about the hybrid hip-hop/electro scene right now.  Her songs are a mix of infectious dance beats, rapping, and sung-choruses.  Even the "ballad" of the album, Daydreaming, comes with a rap breakdown and enough synth and bass to get your head nodding.  Basically Kid Sister is one BAMF, and if this album doesn't make you want to dance, I suggest you go get your feet checked out.  Listen to: Right Hand Hi, Get Fresh

7. The xx - xx

WTFz is dream pop?  The xx's music, that's what.  One bass, one guitar, and one beat machine is all it takes.  I say this in the most unpretentious way possible -- The xx are both simple and complex.  Psychedelic, soothing, and catchy.  More than often I think about how the average age of this band is 20 and end up asking myself, "What the fxck am I doing with my life?"  Listen to: Intro, Islands

6. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Phoenix came back from a short hiatus with Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, and proceeded to take over the world.  No, but seriously Phoenix probably made it onto every single mixtape that came out this summer, and there are probably enough remixes of Lisztomania and 1901 to make 80 minute mixes of each track.  This is a good thing, though.  Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is 55 minutes of straight sing-a-long, air-drumming, fun.  Listen to: Lasso, Armistice

5. Tegan and Sara - Sainthood

It felt like I had waited ages for Sainthood to drop, but when I first heard it, I just wasn't impressed.  I set my expectations too high -- I was expecting another Con, another album to hit me hard in the chest and send me on some sort of emotional ride.  Instead, I got a rougher album with a ton of synth, quicker tempos, beats that overlapped and didn't quite seem to match, and even some electric gutiar distortion.  It took a few cycles for me to understand what was going on with Sainthood, but once I did, I was hooked.  The more I listened to the album, the more I realized it wasn't so much of a new direction for Tegan & Sara, as it was a different direction.  And yeah, there's a difference between new and different.  "New" makes fans that are scared of change, cringe, and "different" excites fans -- makes them say "Yeah, I can dig it".  Listen to: The Cure, Alligator, Sentimental Tune

4. Miike Snow - Miike Snow

Yes, it's two ii's.  No, it's actually a three-piece band from Sweden.  Yes, correct.  So there really is no "Mike Snow" -- just an Andrew Wyatt, Christian Karlsson, and Pontus Winnberg.  What started off as an experimental project turned into an amazing album to reflect with, drive with, sing to, and of course, dance to.  If there's one band's music that got remixed more than Phoenix's this year, it could very well be Miike Snow's.  Crookers, Treasure Fingers, and DJ Mehdi did some of my personal favorites of Animal and Burial.  I'm really looking forward to seeing these guys perform in the future, to hear if the music translates live as well as it does recorded.  Listen to: Sylvia, Black and Blue, In Search Of

3. Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires

This album actually came out in the UK in September of 2008 (and was re-released with Kiss of Life in August of this year), but I really didn't start listening to it until early this year.  If I had listened to this album when it first dropped, it would have definitely taken a top spot on my list for 2008.  With that said, the debut drop from Friendly Fires takes my number 3 spot for favorite albums of 2009.  The self-titled debut is a perfect blend of disco synth, clean electric guitar, smooth vocals, and bass lines and beats that make you want to shake what your momma gave ya'.  Listen to: Lovesick, Kiss of Life

2. Paramore - Brand New Eyes

This was probably my most anticipated album of 2009.  I've followed Paramore for close to five years now -- I've watched them go through band member changes, make the move from opening for bands in small basement venues to headlining shows in large theaters, evolve from the pop rock/punk scene's best kept secret to MTV's poster band, and finally go through some really iffy drama that even had Perez Hilton talking.  I wanted this album to come out because it was proof that Paramore was going to be okay -- that the band that defined my senior year of high school and early years of college was here to stay.  Well, Paramore came back with an album bigger and better than I ever expected.  The opening track, "Careful" is one of my favorite Paramore songs to date -- Taylor and Jeremy set the heart-pounding stage with rhythm bass and guitar, Zac drums at breakneck speeds, Hayley kicks the album off with a taste-test of her vocal range and more mature songwriting, and Josh makes the song with an incredible lead guitar part.  This album is a look into the trials and tribulations that Paramore have been through to get to where they are today, and an inspirational look into where they're heading.  My favorite line from the album comes from a breakdown towards the end of "Looking Up", where Hayley sings, "I can't believe we almost hung it up; we're just getting started".  Every time I hear it, I just want to sing back, "I can't believe you almost hung it up, you're just getting started".  Listen to: Careful, Brick by Boring Brick

1. Passion Pit - Manners

There's not a lot to say about this band that hasn't already been said this year.  Five kids from Boston, living the dream, making indie electro pop that makes the ladies swoon and the gents sing in falsetto.  If you haven't heard of Passion Pit, I'm sure you've heard their song "Sleepyhead", which tracks the new Palm Pixi commercial that's always on TV.  Although a few people claim that Passion Pit and Manners are the most overrated band and album of the year, I'm pretty convinced these are the same people who don't like puppies, or the kind of people that eat sawdust for breakfast.  Manners was the soundtrack to my summer, and the title album to my year.  Listen to: the entire album. It'll do you some good.

The Perfect Bowl of Ramen.

The problem with (most) people and preparing instant ramen is laziness.  I know the package says you can just add hot water, wait for three minutes, and enjoy, but if you just put in a little more time and effort, you can really make yourself an amazing bowl of noodles.

Start with your favorite package of ramen -- mine is spicy Shin Ramyun, which you can pick up at all Asian grocery stores (and even at some of the bigger western chain supermarkets in the "International" section).  Now, the trick is to actually COOK the noodles until they're well done.  Forget your hesitancy to bust out a pot/turn on the stove, or rationalizations that you like your ramen al dente; cook your ramen in boiling water for at least ten minutes on high heat until the noodles become clear (make sure to stir every now and then so the noodles don't burn/stick to the bottom of the pot).  Once the noodles are see-through, you've got yourself some nice chewy ramen.  I also like to crack in an egg or two at the end to add some protein into the mix, and if you have some leftover veggies in the fridge, throw those in too!  The bowl below has some leftover spinach with minced garlic. 

Really, all it takes to make the perfect bowl of ramen is a few extra minutes and some additional garnishes of your choice.  I hope I've convinced some of you guys and gals to keep that in mind the next time you bust out your hot water pot and styrofoam cup full of instant noodles.

Calvin Harris - I'm Not Alone

I know people have been talking about Calvin Harris' new album "Ready For the Weekend" for a while now, but I only just recently started to listen my copy, partially because I took a long break from anything electro after HARD Summer.  But let me just say, "Ho. ly. cow. 'I'm Not Alone' is exactly where it's at".  Legitimately, it's one of my favorite tracks of the entire year. 

For a little bit, I couldn't pin point exactly why I fell so hard for this song or why I kept it on repeat, but I was walking home and listening to it tonight when it suddenly hit me.  This track is the best of all worlds dance! 

It's got that discotheque electro sound, the new wave vibe and vocals, that friendly synthpop feel, and those somewhat cryptic lyrics, but it also has that heavy house beat and use of the synth (that kicks in at around 44 seconds) that makes you want to throw your hands in the air and let it all out.  It's a song that caters to guys and gals in their skinny jeans and plaids, just as much as it is a song for ravers with their UFO pants and beads, and certainly everyone else in between.  And the Deadmau5 remix? Listen for yourself, but don't say I didn't warn you about having your mind blown.

I'm Not Alone (Radio Edit)

I'm Not Alone (Deadmau5 Remix)

Cheers, Oasis.

So, multiple sources have written that Liam Gallagher has "officially" declared the end of Oasis.  Even though I was disappointed over their last few albums and their '05 show at the Hollywood Bowl, and as much as I chuckled over the issue of the Gallagher boys and their tussle backstage in August, or at the thought of Snoop Dogg collaborating with Noel, and Jay-Z with Liam, this news is seriously upsetting. 

Oasis was never the band of my generation, but it was of my sister's.  Thanks to her, I grew up listening to Oasis.  When she was gone for the day at school, I would sneak into her CD collection and pop (What's the Story) Morning Glory? into my mom's Sony CD/Radio/Cassette Sound System, lay on my stomach and read liner notes and lyrics.  Wonderwall was the first full song, to my recollection, I had ever memorized...in the THIRD grade.  It became a huge sing-a-long song for people during high school, but I don't think I know anyone else my age that this song means more to.  Wonderwall and What's the Story opened up mind at the very influential age of 10, and showed me a world of music outside of mainstream and Top 40 radio.  To this day, What's the Story is still one of my favorite albums.  That guitar solo in Don't Look Back in Anger was one of the reasons I wanted to even play guitar (Unfortunately, I never learned how to shred like Noel). 

And don't even get me started on the first time I saw them live -- 2000 at the Universal (Gibson) Ampitheatre with Travis as the opener.  My first "real" concert.  You know when you go to a show and you see a 10 year old with his/her parents and think, "Damn, that kid is so cute.  He/she's so lucky to have such awesome parents"?  I was that kid.  Except those awesome parents were my sister and her friends.  I was that short 5th grader shyly rocking out and singing Oasis songs amongst a crowd of raucous high school and college students, and 30+ year old drunken Brits waving and holding up the Union Jack.  Suffice to say, that night was one of the most memorable of my life.  It was the night I realized I would some day end up in the music industry, where I would always be surrounded by people who shared the same passion and love for music as I do. 

Oasis...Liam, Noel, you guys changed my life in ways that you'll never know.

Cheers.

Pass the MASH(ed)-UP (potatoes and gravy)

The theme of today's post is mash-ups. 

If I were to ask you about the most talked about and referenced event in pop culture to happen in the last two weeks, you'd be a fool if you couldn't list the Kanye West/Taylor Swift VMAs incident as one of your answers (okay, maybe not a fool, but certainly someone who's been living under a heavy, heavy rock).  Well, some dude named Matt Kammerer (or DJ Makaio) found inspiration in that debacle and turned it into an opportunity to produce an amazing track.  Here's his mash-up of Kanye's Stronger and Taylor Swift's You Belong With Me, otherwise known as You Belong With Me (DJ Makaio's Kanye Club Mix).

I also come bearing a McNasty mash-up that includes one of my favorite bands at the moment, The xx.  The song sampled in this track is the opener for The xx's debut drop, which also happens to be one of my favorite album openers of 2009.  The original ("Intro") is pure instrumental, with a simple and clean electric guitar riff over some seriously infectious and pounding percussion.  I never really even considered the idea of someone remixing this track, so when I stumbled upon this mash-up with the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac, I basically peed in my pants.  This is that gangster isht your momma warned you about.  On that note, enjoy Biggie vs Tupac vs The xx - Runnin With The xx (Quix vs Elliot Blend).

My dad is cooler than yours. Edition 1.

I love catching up with my dad over the phone, but I do also love receiving his e-mails because they always put a giant grin on my face.  Below I've attached an excerpt of the most recent e-mail I received from him so you can get a glimpse of his awesomeness and words of wisdom.

"Congratulations!!!! You got the new internship at Billboard Magazine. I like this magazine very much when I was crazy about the rock & roll music in mid 60’. I did really enjoy reading it at that time.  As you mentioned, they are a big company which will not bring you too much challenging things to do. In the order hand, you may learn something about the “big” corporate culture which could be a nice experience to your future career. At least, you have your own nice & cozy cubic."

(*cubicle)

I'd also like to mention that my dad totally WAS "crazy about the rock & roll music" -- Back in Taipei during the 60's and 70's, he rocked shaggy long hair, bell bottoms, and thick framed glasses/big aviators.  He also owned an extensive collection of vinyls (Beatles, Hendrix, etc), all of which he special-ordered and had shipped from the US.  Honestly, is there any wonder which parent I obtained my love of music from? (I mean, yes.  My mom does love music too, but her taste can be quite questionable sometimes.  One of her favorites is Rod Stewart.  Just sayin'...)

Guess who's back?

Yes, as my buddy JYoh kindly pointed out in my previous post, I have been seriously MIA.  I've even missed not one, not two, but THREE editions of WTF, it's Wednesday?  Well, I'm back.  And I come bearing NYU AKPsi's Fall 2009 Rush Video.  It's one of the first videos I've seriously and actively been a part of scripting, directing, and music supervising since my high school days on ASB, and it's one of the reasons a large chunk of my time since I've been back in the city seemed to have vanished into thin air.  If you're an Entourage fan, I encourage you to check it out.  If you're a fan of good music, I also encourage you to check it out.  If you're bored, well, hey -- here's 8 minutes of video to kill some time.  Co-Directed, Co-Scripted, and Edited by production mastermind Mike Rosich, this video will (hopefully) rock your socks.

 

Thank God, it's Thursday! Edition 1. Paramore & (Tommie Sunshine + Mightyfools) x FOB.

To anyone that follows WTF, it's only Wednesday? I hope you didn't think I forgot to post!  There's a music video that I really wanted to share for this week's edition, but I knew it wasn't going to premiere until today, so I had to hold off on it until now.  This might have actually worked out for the better, though, because I've now added a new weekly post "Thank God, It's Thursday" (Thursdays are usually pretty swell because they signal the end of the week.  More importantly, once school starts up again, I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with frequent postings on Wednesdays all the time, so I might just need a Thursday post to fall back on).  So here it is, the first edition of "Thank God, It's Thursday!"

I come bearing Paramore's newest music video for Ignorance, which just dropped today.  When Hayley tweeted that she was all cut up from the video shoot in LA a few weeks ago, I was quite intrigued.  WTFz were they doing?  Sounded like Emergency, Part II.  Well, I get it now.  They had been having a serious jam session in a dark tiny room that would probably make Harry Potter appreciate his digs under the Dursely's stairwell at #4 Privet Drive.  Do I really understand the snippets of Hayley throwing herself around in a jumpsuit in a funhouse/room of mirrors & neon lights? No.  Do I think it adds much to the music video? Not really.  But do I still think the video is great?  Yes.  Not sure if the little pre-teens are going to be eating this one up too much to get it onto the top spot for TRL, but I do think most fans will appreciate how the video compliments the song.

As for the mp3 of the day, I thought I'd try to keep the theme of this post semi-similar throughout.  Ever since I saw Paramore with No Doubt a few weeks ago, I've been re-visiting a lot of the music that I lived off of in high school.  Tons of old Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Underoath, Anberlin, the Academy Is, Copeland, you get the idea.  Just great Pop-Punk / Pop-Rock / & Power-Pop.  (Er, I guess Underoath isn't really any of those 3, but we'll let it slide).  Anyway, I love remixes, especially good ones for any of the genres listed above (which is probably why I love the Snakes on a Plane Soundtrack), and this is one I've been digging a lot recently.  It's the Tommie Sunshine & Mightyfools Remix of Fall Out Boy's I Don't Care.  The remix starts off pretty clean and dance-y, but ends up turning into some dirty ass electro not long after.  Enjoy it.

Have a great Thursday!

My thoughts on HARD Summer 2009

I woke up this morning and had to ask myself if last night really happened.  Had I really spent over three months eagerly awaiting the arrival of HARD Summer only to have it get shut down by the LAFD and the Inglewood Police before the night had even really begun?

We got there before doors even opened at around 7:15 because we really wanted to see Busy P open the night at 8 PM.  Why they chose to open doors the same time they slotted Busy P to open the show, I still cannot even understand.  On top of that, the crowd control and line system to get in was SO unorganized that we didn't even reach ticket scanners until close to 9:00 PM.  It was the first time I had seen a two-phased entry system, where they would only let about 15-20 people go to the ticket scanners/security at one time, and would leave the rest of the line standing behind a barricade.  It was also the first time I had been to a show where kids were so angry and so eager to get past this barricade, and inside, that a giant pit of pushing and shoving occurred.  Pushing, and shoving, just to get IN to a venue? 

By the time every single person in our group was in the Forum and settled, Crystal Castles was ending their set and I only got to see them perform one song.  As disappointed as I was, though, I wasn't going to let it ruin my night.  There was nothing but good vibes in the venue and I was optimistic about everything to come.  But stuff just kept going downhill.

We tried to make our way down to the actual ground floor after CC and before Chromeo, but security wasn't letting anyone down.  Long backups were forming at each staircase, and I could tell things were getting hostile as kids shouted at unresponsive Event Staff to let them down.  I was pissed, too.  Did I really pay $75 dollars to have some rent-a-staff tell me, without reason, that I couldn't go down to the stage and dance?  Only half of the capacity of the floor was even full -- it was an even BIGGER hazard to keep everyone waiting at the stairwells, fidgeting to get downstairs.  We got over trying to get down there and decided to just stand in the loge section and enjoy the show from above.

The next two hours went by so painfully slow, but I remember each moment vividly.  I think it started when a few kids began to hoist themselves down to the first floor from the second floor railings.  Instead of addressing this TOTAL safety hazard, Event Staff just stood with their arms crossed at the staircases like bouncers, assuring no one could walk down.  Soon enough the music was killed, and we were all told to be quiet and sit down.  Stairwells had to be cleared and everyone sitting in the first 2 - 5 rows of the loge section had to move.  The first half hour or so, people were remaining fairly positive.  At one point, the crowd did a wave along the entire arena.  But, soon enough, chants of "We Want Music" turned into "Fucking Bullshit" and "Refund".  From across the arena the crowd had become so hostile that guys were pushing through Event Staff and JUMPING down to the second floor -- throwing their bodies over the railings.

The entire time, I wanted so badly for the event to just start again, and for everyone to be happy.  But I knew it was over around midnight, when I saw FOH starting to pull out wires from the soundboard, and ultimately pack up.  More lights came on, people began leaving the stands, and the Riot Squad had come in to the ground floor with their helmets on, and batons and mace in tow to get people out.

Small dance parties were starting outside in the parking lot, but those got broken up soon as Inglewood PD stormed around on their motorcycles shouting at people to go home.  Helicopters had arrived to wave their spotlights at any groups not getting into their cars.  It was a devastating night, and I ended up back home with nothing but disappointment to remember what was supposed to be an amazing event for electronic music.

So, who's to blame?  I think people want to first say, the riot squad, Inglewood PD, and the Fire Department.  You always want to point the finger at the higher authority that comes in with their badges and guns and breaks everything up.  Unfortunately, if they hadn't stepped in last night, things would have been way worse.  Next, up event staff.  Why did they just stand back and do nothing while people threw themselves over the second floor railings?  Well, you can't really blame them.  There wasn't enough of them, and I doubt they were ever prepared to handle such a volatile crowd.  That leaves the promoters.  Screw the promoters for only thinking about reaching capacity and wanting their cut of pie, right?  Wrong.  I don't think the guys at HARD saw for the night to turn into this.  But I do think that they should have been prepared with MORE event staff and MORE security -- how else do you think 15,000 people are going to react when they've all purchased $75 GA tickets, and you're not going to let them down to the dance floor? 

There's still one group left to consider, though, and it's some of the people in the LA rave scene.  Don't get me wrong, some of my best friends are a part of that scene.  It's not the culture I hate.  I don't mind the beads/the candy and the outfits.  In fact, I love the entire concept of PLUR, and of strangers joining together as friends for the love of music and good times.  What kills me though, and what I think is what killed the show last night, is when a bunch of heavyweight ravers show up at Electronic events like HARD not truly giving a shit about any of the bands or DJs billed for the night.  They show up just to do their thing -- to drop some e, and enjoy some tunes.

I know it sounds selfish of me.  All music should be shared and so should good vibes.  But when you're going to come with all of your gear, your fancy gloves and your glow sticks, and back up the security line for the rest of us that just have our car keys and maybe some gum in our pocket, that's a problem.  It's a bigger problem when I see you walking around with all of this stuff and I hear you shout over Crystal Castles and complain "What is this noise?! This is terrible."  Maybe you shouldn't have showed up in the first place, because you're ruining the night for the rest of us that actually care. 

What I especially don't respect about the rave culture is how its recently turned into a scene where the drugs come before the music.  So many times I've come across a conversation where someone has asked, "Why would you want to go to [insert rave here], if you're not going to drop?"  It's a simple answer really, for the music.  Because you ravers would have nowhere to go right now, if it wasn't for cats like Tiesto or Benny Benassi, who at one point, started their careers playing small smoky clubs to kids who danced around simply because they loved the music these guys were spinning.  I guess it's fine if your mind-altering drugs will allow you to enjoy and elevate music you already love to another level, but it's a completely different thing if you can ONLY enjoy that music, if you can only go to a rave, with drugs in your body.  For people in that latter group, I'd ask you to seriously consider what music means to you, and politely ask for you to stop showing up at events like HARD, because you're killing it for the rest of us.

With that said, I'm so sorry for everything that happened last night, Destructo.  HARD Summer was supposed to be epic, and it turned into nothing but an epic fail.

Captain Crab! You aiite...

Sunday evening I wanted to go to Boiling Crab in Alhambra with my parents to see what all the hype is about surrounding the local cajun seafood craze that's going on.  I heard from a few people (and confirmed through Yelp) that Boiling Crab is apparently where it's at, and that other imitation places fall really flat.  So, we got there around 5:50 because I read that it gets insane after 6, only to find that the wait was already over an hour and a half! Crazy. If you know me, and if you know Momma Lo, there's really little food worth waiting an hour and a half for, especially in the blistering heat.  I'll wait maybe forty five minutes for chicken and rice in NY, but that is a serious, serious exception to the absolute extreme.  Anyway, we made our way down Valley to San Gabriel to eat at Captain Crab, instead.  Overall, it was pretty good, but I wasn't blown out of the water. 

Personally, I went in with a huge bias because I LOVE me some blue crabs from Baltimore (like, to the point where I once trained out from NY three times in two months just to get some before the season ended).  Eating at Captain Crab was the first time I had "real" cajun style seafood before, and I shouldn't have expected it to be of equal/close awesomeness to the crabs in Baltimore, but I couldn't help it!  Anyway, I'm not sure if this is really how seafood is prepared down South, but everything was personally a little too watery for my taste.  Don't get me wrong -- the seasoning and sauces were delicious, but there's something I find very unappealing about sticking my hands into an industrial size plastic bag of liquid cajun goop and seafood.  As for the crabs, they ran out of blue crabs, so we could only get dungeness.  While my mom complained that they weren't fresh out of a tank, I thought they were still pretty plump and sweet.  Except, I would have appreciated it if they had broken down the crab for us and thrown the pieces into the bag.  Blue crabs are easy (and fun) to go at with a mallet, but a COOKED dungeness crab? That takes some work.  There's really no need for a bib when you're munching on blue crabs in Baltimore, but I see why you need one for these. 

Overall, Captain Crab was affordable and tasty, but not tasty to the point where I am salivating at my computer right now, as I often do when I'm blogging about a recent food adventure.  I'll definitely be checking out Boiling Crab when the wait isn't horrendous to see how it matches up to Captain Crab, but I'm not expecting much...

Sweet potatoe fries -- bomb, especially dipped in the sauce

A pound of fresh shrimp, corn, and sausage in spicy cajun seasoning -- shrimps were delicious and probably the highlight of the meal (would go back to snack on a few pounds of these, instead of getting crab), corn was terrible (either frozen or old, then grilled), and sausage was tasty, but too soft for my taste (kind of felt like hot dog)

Dungeness crab in medium spicy Captain's Mix sauce (a combination of cajun, lemon pepper, and garlic)