MOG - msquared64's Posts

Death Cab For Cutie - Brothers On A Hotel Bed (Live)

msquared64 — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:02:17 GMT

While I trouble-shoot my way through an auto-tuned rebuttal of sorts to Troy's Instant Classic, I wanted to post this outstanding version of "Brothers on a Hotel Bed" from DCFC's recently released EP that Charley posted on earlier today. The whole EP is pretty good actually, but this song has been one of my favorites of theirs since it came out off Plans.

It's been a bit of a rough day, and a depressing-ass song isn't exactly what I was looking for as a pick-me-up, but this version of this song is tremendous.

Dope Boy Remix

msquared64 — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:42:09 GMT

Ha... not the Game's song Dope Boys. This is the singular version, just one Dope Boy, though there are multiple artists (3 great ones too) on the song.

Check out Lupe, Wale and Kardinal Offishall rhyming over a very reminiscient beat.

If you think that the only person I write about is Wale... well, you might have a point.

P.S. Get it? Reminiscient beat?

Cold War Kids - Something Is Not Right With Me

msquared64 — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:00:10 GMT

Check out a new song off of Cold War Kids' 2nd album, Loyalty To Loyalty, "Something Is Not Right With Me.

Though a bit more upbeat than some of their debut album, it pretty much sticks to a similar sound.... and that's a good thing. But at a brisk 2:23, it leaves the listener wanting more.

Free Rock The Bells mixtape

msquared64 — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:21:31 GMT

Though most people who will take the time to download this probably already have most of this, free mixtapes... hell, free anything is always nice.

Most tracks are cut down in traditional mixtape style...

http://www.zshare.net/download/162528272866b928

Tracklist:

1. Intro
2. A Tribe Called Quest - Excursions
3. A Tribe Called Quest - Can I Kick It? (Remix)
4. De La Soul - Breakadawn
5. De La Soul - Stakes Is High (Pennyworth Remix)
6. Rakim - Ghetto
7. Rakim - The Great Rakim (Medley)
8. Raekwon - Ice Cream
9. Wu-Tang - C.R.E.A.M.
10. Wu-Tang - Can It All Be So Simple
11. Ghostface - Camay (Pennyworth/Alizay Remix)
12. Redman - SuperMan Lover
13. Redman - I Ain't Hearing This (Break)
14. Method Man & Redman - How High
15. Nas - Philosophical Gangsta (Alizay/Leave It To Beaver Remix)
16. Mos Def - Ms. Fat Booty
17. Mos Def - Travellin' Man (DJ Honda)
18. Outro

a Kid named Cudi samples Band of Horses

msquared64 — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:16:48 GMT

Over recent years, the lack of creativity and originality in mainstream hip-hop is something that gave credence to the feeling that the genre was "dead." Thanks in part to the emergence of artists like Lupe Fiasco & Kanye West and their genre-bending (but not breaking) take on the hip-hop "industry," the door has been opened for artists like The Cool Kids, Busdriver, Wale (that I post way too much of) and guys like KiD CuDi, featured on this song from his mixtape "Plain Pat & Emile Present a Kid named Cudi" that samples Band of Horses' hit "The Funeral," to display that hip-hop, in my opinion, is in full revival mode. There are no formulas that these aforementioned artists stick to, they take chances and make the music that they want to make, not necessarily the music that is going to make them huge stars and big bucks. They are not "ring-tone rappers" (okay, maybe Kanye has his moments), and I, for one, am loving the rebirth of creativity in hip-hop, and I hope it continues and artists like CuDi get some play. At one point in the mixtape, CuDi explains how he's been asked why his stuff is so "different," to which he replies, "why not?"

P.S. Troy, if you're reading this, KiD CuDi is from your neck of the woods... how big is he in Cleveland?

F it... another new song from Wale

msquared64 — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:04:19 GMT

Happy two-for-one Hip Hop Thursday... really enjoying this new track from the MC from DC, Wale as it features a sample from a James Bond movie theme song (bonus points for who can point out which one).

Rhymefest ft. Wale - Ain't Heard It From Me

msquared64 — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:01:06 GMT

New Rhymefest track from his upcoming album El Che featuring the much-hyped and much-talented Wale called "Ain't Heard It From Me."

Side note, I downloaded this song to my Wale folder on my hard drive, and when I tried to upload it I couldn't find it, so I checked the properties via iTunes and it got auto-moved to a Rhymefest/El Che directory. Nice feature Steve Jobs!

Download My Morning Jacket's Show @ Radio City... for free

msquared64 — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:23:33 GMT

God I love Archive.org and all of those kind people that leave the goods on there....

Click the link below to select a downloadable version of MMJ's near 3-hour set at Radio City Music Hall last Friday, June 20... the quality is pretty good too

http://www.archive.org/details/mmj2008-06-20.dpa4023.flac16

Chris Martin's Brain

msquared64 — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:50:08 GMT

For what you are about to read, let me first preface by saying that I mean no offense to any fan of Coldplay's, and especially no offense to anybody who is religious on any level. This is strictly in jest to the artists across the pond that are rapidly cascading downwards on my list of likable artists.

From SPIN magazine:

"So, does Coldplay think Viva La Vida can save EMI? 'No, but it'll probably save the world,' Chris Martin deadpans. 'I don't want to blow my own trumpet, but I'd be surprised if it didn't put an end to all violence and suffering.' "

Kidding or not, this, combined with evidence that Coldplay steals other people's songs is one reason why ~ 85-90% of MOG loathes Mr. Martin's band. I for one cannot possibly hate a band with educational lyricism [thanks new MOG features!!] like: "lights will guide you home... and ignite your bones... And I will try to fix you."

First of all, thank you, Chris Martin and Coldplay, for trying to fix me because I am needing repair because "all those signs, I knew what they meant. Some things you can't invent. Some get made and some get sent, ooh." But secondly, and most importantly, I didn't even know that bones were flammable, but ignite them if you must.

Normally I wouldn't be all for burning my bones, but due to Martin's recent lyrical revelation in Coldplay's song '42' off of Viva La Vida, etc, etc, etc, "those who are dead... are not dead, they are just living in [Chris Martin's] head. Whoa. For serious??? Think about this, digest this concept, for a minute or two. Inside Chris Martin's head is purgatory... At first listen, knowing the write of the song, and at first guess, I would have assumed that it would be hell inside his head. But Martin continues in the song "you didn't make it to heaven but you made it close..." leading me to conclude that most people that go to hell don't make it close to heaven, so these people that are stuck in Chris Martin's noggin are f_cking stuck in the ultimate c_cktease of limbo... purgatory. Ouch. I mean, now that I know all of this, I can totally see it. Of all places that I could end up when I "die," Chris Martin's head could quite possibly be my last choice. But this brings up a larger issue. Martin is trapping many of our friends and family who we thought have moved on to a better place. He is trapping them in a prison where the only thing that is on TV is Bounce, where the only words echoing through the walls are "I swam across, I jumped across for you. Oh what a thing to do. 'Coz you were all yellow." And just when you think his soft voice might lull you to sleep... that's when Chris Martin reminds you that he used to f_cking rule the world, and he'll be damned if you get some rest on his watch [or whilst you are trapped inside his all-powerful brain] .

Who knew that Coldplay, and its lead singer were truly this powerful. While their music can "put an end to all violence and suffering," they can also suck your souls into an endless vortex of boredom and self-indulgent propaganda. Evil, it seems, has been incarnated in the form of 4 dudes who wear bright colored ribbons, possibly made from the flags of the nations they've conquered, on their arms and fingers.

By the way, and in all seriousness, RIP George Carlin. For your sake, I hope God Puts A Smile On Your Face and you weren't Swallowed In The Sea, having to Shiver in the Twisted Logic of Chris Martin's head .

The Roots on VH1's SoulStage

msquared64 — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 19:04:56 GMT

As if I needed to pimp these artists any more than I already do...

But there are 5 video performances on VH1.com that are definitely worth a watch. Why VH1 doesn't allow for embedding on other sites is beyond me (it's called "exposure" people), so you'll have to check them out at the site:

The Seed/I Can't Understand It/The Next Movement

Rising Up/Be OK (with Wale & Chrisette Michele)

You Got Me

Rising Down

The Next Movement

Wale - The Mixtape About Nothing

msquared64 — Sat, 31 May 2008 14:44:00 GMT

... is now available here:

WALE Mixtape About Nothing - Tracks 1-10

WALE Mixtape About Nothing - Tracks 11-19

Hopefully his album will be following soon...

You've Done It Again, The National

msquared64 — Thu, 22 May 2008 00:37:20 GMT

The National has released a combo DVD/EP called A Skin, A Night/The Virginia EP which thusfar I am very impressed with (not a surprise considering the source of the music). I haven't watched the DVD yet, but plan to soon.

Anyway, posted with this is the first song on the EP called "You've Done It Again, Virginia," and if you listen real closely (actually it's not that hard) to some of the accompanying music to Matt Berninger's baritone, you might hear Sufjan Stevens contributing to The National's latest effort.

TROY....

msquared64 — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:15:04 GMT

Mr. Powers, if I am remembering correctly, you are a Cavs fan, which means you shall be the target of my light-hearted sh*t-talking.

You ready for some more suffocating defense tonight? Do you think that the band of ruffians that Danny Ferry assembled from mostly Celtics cast-offs has what it takes to reverse inevitability? Because your boy Lebron should be prepared for more of this tonight:

Drew Gooden ain't walking through that door... Carlos Boozer ain't walking through that door... Mark Price ain't walking through that door... Larry Nance ain't walking through that door... Brad Daugherty DEFINITELY ain't walking through that door (he likes NASCAR now)... and Craig Ehlo is still in a vegetative state after he saw the clip of MJ dropping that shot in his face for the 50,000th time.

Unfortunately I didn't have my hard drive with me to upload the song, so this video will have to do...

Death Cab's Narrow Stairs - a premature review

msquared64 — Wed, 07 May 2008 01:43:14 GMT

I cheated and was able to acquire Death Cab For Cutie’s new album Narrow Stairs a week in advance. I had already pre-ordered this on iTunes (for the free tracks) and I’ll be venturing into my local record store to pick up a real copy and get the free DCFC pint glass that comes with it a week from today. However, I wanted a preview of what I will be hearing this Saturday when DCFC plays in Boston.

Upon reading the initial reviews of Death Cab For Cutie's new album, Narrow Stairs, I made a deal with myself. To take an unbiased approach to my sentiment towards this album. Unshockingly to hear for anyone who follows my MOG posts (Population: 2), Death Cab is my favorite band, though depending upon the day, others (the Roots, MMJ & the Decemberists) might give them a run for their money. Therefore, an unbiased review for this album was going to be tough for me, especially when MTV was calling it DCFC's OK Computer, the album that would finally recognize them as a "great band" (when were they not??). Then Rolling Stone reviewed and gave the album the 4-star treatment. Moggers also came out in full force to praise the band for their first single and video for “I Will Possess Your Heart.” Due to all of this, for a person that is convinced that Ben Gibbard has the Midas touch, someone who would buy a full-length EP of his April Fool’s joke-album for Just Jazzin’ if it ever actually became a reality, my expectations could not have been higher, though I tried my best to keep them grounded.

I'll be completely honest, I am thusfar not blown away by Narrow Stairs and every review I've heard says this is such a huge step forward for them, but I'm not hearing it. At least not at that high of a level, because by no means is it a bad album, but one guy compared this album to OK Computer... umm... not so much. I am not an absolutely enormous Radiohead fan, and in fact, [please sit down before I write this] for me, The Bends gets more play than OK Computer, but I do recognize OK Computer being a classic, and it did move Radiohead into a new echelon of artistry. I guess it remains to be seen with this album and how it affects DCFC, but... I don't see it happening. And that's perfectly fine, seriously. I just wish people wouldn't get so goddamn carried away sometimes (and yes, I recognize the irony in that statement because I have over-hyped this album on my own as well).

I wrote the paragraph above this one as I was wrapping up the first 5 tracks of the new album, 3 of which I had already heard in some form ("I Will Possess Your Heart" being the only one in album-form). So the other 2 tracks, the opener "Bixby Canyon Bridge," and "No Sunlight" were the only 2 songs that I was not prepared for, and they did not entirely knock my socks off. I was waiting for the equivalent to "Karma Police" and "Let Down." According to David Bazan, lead singer of Pedro The Lion and good friend of DCFC's Ben Gibbard, "Let Down" is the greatest song of all time. There is no possible way to measure these types of things, so that might be a reach, but you get the point. None of the first 5 tracks would be considered for the category of "greatest song of all time," though “Cath…” sure sounds good in every version I have heard thusfar. Which is unlike the album version of “The Ice Is Getting Thinner,” as I actually prefer the version Gibbard played during his solo show last spring on piano to the album version.

At this point you probably think I’m giving this album a thumbs-down. I am not. Not even close. The album is very, very good from top to bottom. There isn’t a bad song on the whole thing. However, the album has less of an edge than I was hoping for. The band definitely takes some chances here and there, and they don’t follow any specific patterns, but where people have seemed to have said that DCFC’s past albums sounded similar or were relatively hesitant to explore new territory, I have completed disagreed. The band has progressed and no two of their albums really sound the same. DCFC has always taken chances in my opinion. This album is no different. Though I can hear “influences” from past songs within the songs on Narrow Stairs, this album is certainly different than anything they have done in the past. Their last album, Plans, was an instant hit for me, and maybe that is why I’m having a hard time getting used to this. However, more often than not, unless I absolutely hate an album, it is the ones that take a bit to wear on me that I end up truly loving.

Like the way I felt about “I Will Possess Your Heart,” it takes a few listens of this album to have it really set in and notice the intricacies, the details that Death Cab For Cutie has poured into it. When those details are revealed is when the appreciation for the song or album is fully reached. In time, I am certain that this album will grow to be one of my personal favorites from this group, however, right now the sum is not greater than its parts. I will repeat that by no means do I feel this is even close to a poor effort by Death Cab, I am just giving a subtle warning to all that bought into the hype, such as myself, that this was going to be the flagship album of this band. I do not think it is or will be. I think Death Cab For Cutie has bigger things in their future, but this album certainly adds more credibility to their catalogue and is a worthy purchase by even their most casual of fans.

The album opens up with “Bixby Canyon Bridge,” a tribute to the Big Sur landmark that Gibbard spent time with to help find the words for Narrow Stairs, and grow closer to his idol Jack Kerouac. “I want to know my fate, if I keep up this way…” Gibbard sings as the musical accompaniment begins to grow more intense. As if it needed to.

“I Will Possess Your Heart” is then followed by “No Sunlight,” which, as you’d imagine, is a song with rather dark lyrics, but a surprisingly light-hearted feel to it. “With every year that came to pass, more clouds appeared… till the sky went black.” I think the only way to talk people off the ledge after hearing words like this would be to accompany them with very catchy music. Mission accomplished.

One of the highlights of the album is up next, “Cath…” which is one of the downloadable songs from DCFC’s visit to the Daytrotter studio, along with “Talking Bird,” the 5th song on the album. “Cath…” features an incredible drum performance by Jason McGerr and I really am looking forward to seeing/hearing this song performed live. “Talking Bird” is one of the slowest-paced songs on the album, and gives off vibes of a person trapped by their own decisions. I had also heard this song via Daytrotter and I wasn’t enamored by it then, but I can definitely see this song growing on me in the near future, however, upon the first couple listens it’s not a song that I will seek out on my iPod to kick off a playlist.

“You Can Do Better Than Me,” is the first song that really got me on the album. At a quick 1:59, the song is brief, but effectively breathed new life into the album upon my first listen. And it provided the perfect segue into my (and unfortunately Rolling Stone’s) favorite track off the album, “Grapevine Fires.” “I couldn’t think of any place I would have rather been to watch it all burn away…”

“Your New Twin Sized Bed” features more heart-breaking lyricism, as it has Gibbard singing about someone who replaced a queen-sized bed with a twin-size as suddenly they have no need for the extra sleep space.

“Long Division” is the wild-card on this album for me. With a fast-paced, up-tempo beat that features some synth that I normally don’t take a liking to, I must say that this song is wearing on me faster than a couple of the others.

“Pity and Fear” with its tribal beat is as intense as the song title. It builds you up only to take you down on the final song of the album, the aforementioned “The Ice Is Getting Thinner.” When it was first rumored that this song would be on the album, after Gibbard played this in his solo tour last spring, it was supposed to be Narrow Stairs’ answer to “I Will Follow You Into The Dark.” As morbid as it was, “I Will Follow You Into The Dark” was actually a positive song, about undying loyalty and dedication to a loved one. “The Ice Is Getting Thinner” is the opposite. This song is about inevitable failure, and the urge to give up in the face of it. Musically it is more like “Stability” than “I Will Follow You Into The Dark.”

All things considered, I would give this album a solid B+ with the potential for improvement to that grade over time. Shame on me, I know… I never thought I would give a DCFC album anything less than an A. Maybe this album caught me on a bad day. Maybe tomorrow I’ll delete this post. Or maybe… this is not yet Death Cab’s finest hour, and their best is yet to come.

Bixby Canyon Bridge:

The Roots featuring Chrisette Michelle & Wale - Live on Letterman

msquared64 — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:31:38 GMT

The Legendary Roots crew [and then some... 3 extra drummers, etc] performed with special guests Wale & Chrisette Michelle on Letterman... as Dave himself says at the end there's "a lot going on there..."

Rising Up Live
Uploaded by yardie4lifever2

P.S. just listened to Rising Down in full and naturally am loving it...

Death Cab on Daytrotter

msquared64 — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:54:44 GMT

Needing a little more filler before DCFC's Narrow Stairs hits stores on May 13? Daytrotter recently hosted Death Cab for an interview and to record 6 songs (listed below). Each song is a free download and available here: http://www.daytrotter.com/article/1253/death-cab-for-cutie.

Track list:

1. A Movie Script Ending 2. Cath 3. Styrofoam Plates 4. Talking Bird 5. The New Year 6. Why You'd Want to Live Here

New Video for "Hold It Down" by 9th Wonder & Buckshot (ft. Talib Kweli & Tyler Woods)

msquared64 — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:24:09 GMT

Not only was Kweli kind enough to appear on the track, but as the video reveals, he's also Buckshot's lawyer! And 9th is a judge! No but seriously, interesting video, and really liking the track... hopefully this album will be a bit better than 9th's The Dream Merchant 2...

Colin Meloy Sings Live! In Somerville! Slightly Inebriated! Covers Sam Cooke!

msquared64 — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:16:34 GMT

How's that for a long and annoying title for a post? Well, it does sum up his show, but is hardly insightful, so I'll carry on...

I returned to the scene of Ben Gibbard's solo show almost an entire year since I'd been there for that, only this time I was sans camera, which was beyond dumb because Mr. Meloy put on quite the show as always and I should have expected some film-worthy banter. Colin made sure to make fun of himself regularly, as he fumbled his own chords and forgot his own lyrics, and of course working in a bit of his self-proclaimed "worst song," named "Dracula's Daughter" into the middle of "O, Valencia!"

Aside from a great set, Colin informed us that after the tour he and his 'mates were on their way back into the studio to record a new album, even though he explained (in jest) that it took this solo tour to make him miss his other band members instead of wanting them to choke on copious amounts of "chips & salsa." Meloy debuted a new two-part song about a miner named Avery and a funeral for a person named Davey. The song was terrific as always and I wish I had captured it. Another YouTube worthy performance was when Meloy brought opener Laura Gibson (whose shyness was exceeded only by her talent) to help cover Sam Cooke's "Cupid," which was on his tour-only EP Colin Meloy Sings Same Cooke that I got right before the show and I will upload a song from later (please check back on this post tonight).

As always, Colin was extremely interactive with the crowd, and after a fan [I hope jokingly] requested "Freebird," the Decemberists' fearless leader also let us know that he was the Chairman for MACOF (Musicians Against Calling Out Freebird) and another group for musicians that support songs about gypsies. As only 3 guitars, and an increasingly depleting bottle of wine were his only stage companions, Meloy made sure to involve the audience for an incredible amount of sing-a-long moments, none better than his closing performance of "The Mariner's Revenge Song."

Though he made sure to take the last few drops of wine backstage with him, Colin definitely left another fine memory in the hearts & minds of the lucky fans that ventured into the Somerville Theatre last evening.

Here's a nauseating clip I took at Coachella ('07) of the ending of "The Mariner's Revenge Song." A cinematographer I am not, however, it will give you an idea of how much Colin loves to involve his audiences:

Wale - The Perfect Plan

msquared64 — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:21:05 GMT

Check out this SPIN article which sheds a tiny bit of light on Mark Ronson & Wale's progress on his debut album, as well as featuring a great song of his upcoming mixtape The Mixtape About Nothing, which supposedly features a lot of Seinfeld samples, including the one on this song, which if you don't remember is from George's plan [for Jerry] to suggest a threesome with his girlfriend's roommate in order to break up with the girlfriend lightly...

Additionally, the MP3 on this post is another mash-up in the fashion of his W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E, this time featuring his song "Ice Cream" over Justice's "We Are Your Friends." Not really my taste... but someone on MOG will surely enjoy it...

The Roots new blog

msquared64 — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:07:33 GMT

The Roots have launched a new blog (doesn't Mr. Ahmir Thompson already have his own MOG???) on Okayplayer.com in anticipation of their new album Rising Down, due out next month. Check it out at: http://blogs.okayplayer.com/theroots/

Be sure to check out the video below as well, which features a jam session of NWA's "Express Yourself," ?uestlove channeling Stevie Wonder, and what appears to be a drunken Black Thought...

Death Cab For Cutie - Cath... (Acoustic)

msquared64 — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:49:08 GMT

Here is an acoustic version of "Cath..." which will be featured on DCFC's album Narrow Stairs due out in May.

Originally I ripped the audio from a YouTube video featuring Ben Gibbard playing this solo & acoustically, but then I found a much better and cleaner version to share with you all... enjoy.

Death Cab gets mad...

msquared64 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:22:22 GMT

...props from MTV on their upcoming release, Narrow Stairs.

"After hearing Narrow Stairs earlier this week, it turns out that everything I had known about Death Cab was wrong. They are actually a really great band, and Stairs is unquestionably the best thing they've ever done. It's a ballsy, brave effort, sonically every bit as dissonant and sanguine as you have heard, full of songs that thrash and rattle and bounce around echo chambers, tunes that display muscle and bravado and even brains. Lyrically, Ben Gibbard — who had always erred on the literal side a bit too much for my tastes — goes to places he's never visited before, documenting the harrowing (and often unspoken) truths that course through our brains when we're trapped in dying relationships or dead-end lives. It's terrifying and unsettling and liberating all at once — a record that sounds like a band throwing caution to the wind and just going for it, which makes it everything you could possibly ask for from a group of musicians, and an early contender for the best album of 2008."

For full article click here.

A song of the album, called "The Ice Is Getting Thinner" that I recorded on Ben Gibbard's solo tour last Spring, which though played on the piano here is supposedly played on Gibbard's acoustic guitar in the same vein as "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" :

Free mixtape from Wale

msquared64 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:19:20 GMT

Wale (pronounced WAH-LAY)... I'm sure this has been posted already, but in case you haven't heard it yet and you want to check this guy out before he blows up and probably winds up sucking, here's a link to his 100 Miles & Running mixtape:

http://www.zshare.net/download/2652561edde1f9

Chris Walla - Sing Again

msquared64 — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:57:25 GMT

I'm somewhat suprised that there haven't been any write-ups on Chris Walla (of Death Cab For Cutie fame) and his debut solo album, Field Manual. Though Chris' voice is something of an acquired taste, listening to this album, you can definitely see where his influence on DCFC lies. There are some tracks on the album that I could live without, but overall it is solid. One of my favorite's off the album is "A Bird is a Song," and it could easily be a B-side off of a DCFC album. In fact, the video below, featuring cameos from Walla's bandmate Ben Gibbard, and 60% of the Decemberists (and apparently the little boy is Colin Meloy's son) was a B-side on a DCFC single. The Decemberists must have owed Walla a favor after he produced their last album, "The Crane Wife." Walla has also produced albums for The Thermals and Tegan & Sara.

"Sing Again" :

Still got my Nike boots

msquared64 — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 00:24:53 GMT

Mannnnneee.... I love being the first person on MOG to write something up on an artist.

I just encountered this hip-hop-soon-to-be-emerging-superstar-type on the information super-highway aka the internet. This dude can really rhyme, and he has a style that is a blend that really transcends the genre almost. I hear a bit Mike Jones and Paul Wall in him, at the same time as hearing Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West. I'm gonna double up on mp3s (check the comments section) for you loyal readers...

The two tracks are vastly different, but both very entertaining... while "Nike Boots" is a favorite of mine because of the fact that I still own a pair of Air Jordans, and I remember how big of a deal it was to own Nikes growing up. Reeboks & Adidas' were like scarlett letters for your feet compared to a nice pair of Nike boots. And then there is W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E. that I love for the lyricism (listen for the Zachary Morris line... classic).

Musical Family Tree

msquared64 — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:32:41 GMT

Man... been a while since I've posted. I've had an incomplete "best of '07" post waiting in the wings since mid-December, but I've just kept forgetting to wrap it up. So in the meantime, I was thinking today as I had a song come up on random: "Timeless Melody" by Death Cab w/Eddie Vedder helping out on the chorus and a verse, that I got from a bootleg of a show in 2004. Though this song/artist combo is a bad example, it made me think of the fact that I wouldn't be listening to some of the music I consider great today if I hadn't listened to some of the music I consider crap now, but enjoyed in the past.

For example, I saw Pearl Jam live one time before I was a full-fledged Death Cab fan and DCFC opened for them, and I was officially hooked. Then I saw Youth Group and Stars open for DCFC on separate occasions. So thanks to Pearl Jam, I was introduced to 2 bands that I had never heard that I like to this day, and another band that I was just a casual fan of, didn't own a single record by them, and then all of a sudden they are in my top 5 favorite bands. I also began listening to the Decemberists thanks to DCFC, and they are also in my top 5 favorite bands.

A better example of when bad leads to good is when I saw Ben Harper (on 2 occasions) open for Dave Matthews. Harper wasn't the only one I saw open for Matthews that I gained more respect for, as I saw Beck and Ben Folds, 2 artists whose music I loved beforehand, but never saw live until they opened for DMB, and it was only then that I became a real fan of their stuff because they both put on tremendous shows. Although I nearly vomit when I hear most of DMB's music (especially the newer stuff) now, I can't help but think that they helped me find what I really like in music.

So I ask my fellow Moggers, what examples do you have of your musical family trees?

The Return

msquared64 — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 20:51:25 GMT

"...the album's great by the way, it's nice to have the real Hov back..." - cashier at the Newbury Comics I bought American Gangster at.

The relative bust that was Jay-Z's first "post-retirement" album Kingdom Come to me was more of a major disappointment than an absolutely horrible album. Sometimes being one of the best artists in your trade hurts your ability to put out a product that constantly amazes and even redefines.

Admittedly, I was a major Jay-Z hater for a while. I thought he was too commercial (and probably still is), and I tend to jump off of bandwagons before they get too packed, it's a side effect of being a music snob, always wanting to discover new sounds/artists, etc. Much like the rest of the MOG-O-Sphere. I loved Reasonable Doubt from the second I heard it, I didn't mind In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 nearly as much as I should have, but I was living in my college dorm when Vol. 2 came out and "Hard Knock Life" was the hot single that was blasted through EVERY FRIGGIN OPEN WINDOW IN A 3-MILE RADIUS. I'm not kidding, multiple crappy car alarms were set off by samples from a play featuring a little red-headed girl. I said no mas to Jay-Z right then and there. I had had too much. After that I was consistently hot & cold with Sean Carter. I despised Vol. 3 (and still do, though I want to make a "Big Pimpin'" video of my own one day), I liked The Dynasty, mainly because of a couple beats provided from a then-mostly-unknown Kanye West ("This Can't Be Life"), I was pro-NaS during The Blueprint days, but now I'll admit that album is pretty damn good... unlike Blueprint 2. Then Jigga dropped The Black Album, which, ironically was only one of 3 Jay-Z albums I've ever paid for (Reasonable Doubt & American Gangster being the others). This album was, as most of us probably know, worth every penny. The only track I didn't love was "Justify My Thug," and that was mainly because I was petrified of Madonna's "Justify My Love" video when I was a young buck, the borderline-dominatrix gangsta shit going down in that little ditty was too much, too soon for this guy. I digress... The Black Album won me over for Jay-Z for good, but was it too little too late? Was Jay-Z retiring? I think we all knew he'd be back, and back soon, but the anticipation of the follow-up to T.B.A. was at the level of waiting for an album 10 years in the making, so because of this, and because of the route Jay-Z took it, for the most part, there was some backlash. Jay-Z maintains that the album was too smart for the mainstream, but I don't think that was it. I just think that it was a mediocre effort, at best, and if you were going to come back "from retirement," your comeback better be at least as good as your last pre-retirement album... and he left "at an all-time high."

But now with American Gangster, Jay-Z has returned to the greatness that his name is synonomous with. I have listened to this album probably about 15 times since I bought it on this past Tuesday, and one thing I can guarantee, is that one of the future most-overused samples/most over repeated lines will probably be "...and I don't need no hook for this shiiiiiiiiit!" I know that I'm waiting for the right time to say that line myself, so I'm sure Jay-Z's fellow hip-hoppers are doing the same. Anyway... the album is solid from top to bottom in my opinion. Jay-Z gives us a lot of different flavors that all work together in one melting pot, similar to how The Black Album was, where it featured so many different producers. This album is mainly produced by Diddy, with The Neptunes making a couple appearances, and... the most shocking thing I think about the album, Dunkin Donuts' own Jermaine Dupri co-producing a song [whaaat?!]. My favorites on the album include the song posted below ("Ignorant Sh*t"), "Fallin'", and the aforementioned "No Hook."

"...are you saying that what I'm spittin' is worse than all these celebutantes showin' they kitten, you kiddin?"

That line, in combination of Jay-Z's mockery of those that put too much focus on loving or hating the reasons for Parental Advisory Stickers makes this track a classic piece of social commentary. Jay-Z is all growns up as he tried to display on Kingdom Come, but where he may have failed on that effort, there is no doubt that American Gangster will not suffer the same fate.

... and I don't need no hook for this shiiiiiiit!

RI-GODDAMN-DICULOUS!!!

msquared64 — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 17:47:32 GMT

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!!!

If you read back on some of my posts (shouldn't be too far, I haven't posted much since landing at this new job), you'll see that in June I jumped over the fence to a new company.

Young'ns, please learn from the mistakes of this guy right here, that the grass is NOT always greener.

T h i s j o b S U C K S. In fact, it redefines the word "sucks."

Aside from being complete social morons, unprepared/disorganized "professionals," being completely clueless when it comes to dealing with clients and unable to deliver what their clients want in a timely manner, they also have a product that renders all computers and the programs on said computers useless and basically morphs you favorite devices into destructive forces (a la Decepticons, but a lot less "chic").

The products they have do NOT play nice with anything else, but that's not this company's fault, it is the fault of the other 8 billion incompatible programs.

Well, apparently the newest version of iTunes is the latest program to defy the sanctity of their products. Because after I downloaded it yesterday, I plugged in my iPod today, and it started to act weird when I was using one of these products I have mentioned. The song (the same song posted below) started getting choppy and then finally cut out. I had to shut down my computer to get the iPod ejected. Much to my chagrin, after I rebooted the iPod, I found that ALL of my songs have disappeared, sucked into the vortex that leads only to this company and its fortress of pure evil.

That was the straw that broke this camel's back. You steal my music? I'm out for f*cking blood. I have already given my notice prior to this happening, but I was playing nice in the meantime, but no more. Next time someone doesn't say hello to me when I say hi to them (this is common practice here, one time I went 0-4 on the way back from lunch), they are getting an earful. Who knows, it might do this company some good.

Now this isn't true for everyone at this place, but the ratio of Bad employee to Good employee is 3:1...

Fortunately I have the vast majority of my music backed up on CD and multiple HDs, but this is still an F-ing pain in the ass!

Anyway, here's one song I managed to salvage for the time-being off of 9th Wonder's new CD. Yes it features Memphis Bleek, but it's still pretty good.

Sorry for yelling. I needed a good rant.

T.I. Arrested for Purchase of Machine Guns

msquared64 — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:42:39 GMT

allhiphop, among other sites have reported that Hip-Hop superstar T.I. has been arrested for the illegal purchasing of multiple machine guns and also silencers.

"In addition to the three machine guns found in his College Park home, police also recovered six additional firearms from a closet in the rapper's house.

T.I. has been charged with felony possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.

According to U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias, T.I. allegedly sought to purchase an unregistered machine gun, as well as numerous other weapons.

T.I. allegedly paid almost a total of $21,000 in cash to his bodyguard to purchase over 25 firearms on his behalf. In addition to the three machine guns found in his College Park home, police also recovered six additional firearms from a closet in the rapper's house.

T.I. has been charged with felony possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.

According to U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias, T.I. allegedly sought to purchase an unregistered machine gun, as well as numerous other weapons.

T.I. allegedly paid almost a total of $21,000 in cash to his bodyguard to purchase over 25 firearms on his behalf."

It appears that the thug T.I.P. emerged victorious over the businessman T.I.

Indian Summer

msquared64 — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:45:25 GMT

Boy, what an appropriate name for a song as it relates to this time of year, at least where I'm from (Boston). These past couple weeks have been typical New England weather for September. It's 80 then it's 60 then it's 40, then it's back up to 80 again. The leaves are turning, I saw my breath the other day in the morning and the school buses are f*cking up my morning commute. Though it's not officially Fall yet, Fall is indeed here, and with the beginning of Fall almost always comes the typical Indian Summer. The world-famous Rawkkiddo graciously explained how the changing of seasons often alters his music tastes du jour, a symptom that I am very familiar with [Rawk, I meant to comment that 'New Hampshire' by Matt Pond PA, who I believe is one of your favs, is the song that always makes me reminisce of Autumn].

As if it was a sign (think Ace of Base, not anything religious or anything like that), an artist and fellow Mogger who I probably have featured way too much on my page helped score a new film about Kurt Cobain called Kurt Cobain: About a Son. Along with one of the instrumental score tracks, Ben Gibbard also contributes a great cover of Calvin Johnson's (I don't think it is the same freak of nature/rookie Wide Receiver from the Detroit Lions) Indian Summer, and what Mr. Gibbard has given to me to listen to, I now give to you to listen to.

Aesop follow-up

msquared64 — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 19:05:35 GMT

Here's another track for HHT that features Aesop Rock from the Definitive Jux crew... this track pumps me up every time I hear it.

Windmill: Tokyo Moon

msquared64 — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:54:51 GMT

I had been meaning to post this song for quite some time, but I suck.

The best way I can explain Windmill from what I have heard from them so far is that they are like a cross between the Flaming Lips and the Polyphonic Spree... but you guys be the judge:

HHT: Aesop Rock: Catacomb Kids

msquared64 — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:02:07 GMT

Damn... it's been a while for me to put up an actual post. It's quite pathetic. But I wanted to post a song off Aesop Rock's newest album None Shall Pass... so without further adieu:

Free Little Brother Get Back sampler!!

msquared64 — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 23:04:09 GMT

Follow the white rabbit to download a free Get Back sampler from Little Brother:

Is this funky enough for Funky Friday?

msquared64 — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 17:01:50 GMT

I'll be friggin honest, I don't know funky. Like not even close. But hell, I'll give it another shot.

This past Tuesday I picked up 3 albums. I batted a thousand when it came to quality choices.

Talib Kweli's Eardrum is fucking outstanding (track post coming soon).

The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter is also tremendous and really adds to the man's musical repertoire (my 6th grade History teacher Mr. Leavitt would be impressed that I just used the word repertoire). I will also try to post something from that as well...

But this is "Funky Friday," so the album that best represents the funk genre is Galactic's new one, From the Corner to the Block. Admittedly, I didn't really know what to expect and I had only heard them briefly before I picked this up, however, my man from Boston Mr. Lif was a guest MC on the album so I figured I'd give it a shot (besides it was like $8.99 and I'm rich bitch). The whole album is pretty damn good, I was pleasantly surprised... it feels good to pick an album up on a whim that proves to be good sh*t.

Anyway, here is "What You Need" from the album:

Hip-Hop's Resurrection

msquared64 — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:15:44 GMT

In 2006, a Hip-Hop superstar reiterated some feelings that Hip-Hop was dead. Apparently, in 2007, the genre/industry has been resurrected.

In a year that has already featured one of my favorite Hip-Hop albums of the last few years (Pharoahe Monch's Desire), that album probably won't even crack my top 3 for 2007. As it's been somewhat well documented on MOG, Common's upcoming album Finding Forever has the potential to out-do his last effort, Be as his best. That's difficult for me to say, as Be was a tremendous album. Furthermore, we have already seen the return of T.I. with T.I. vs. T.I.P., Kanye has released a mixtape with Graduation right around the corner, Talib Kweli (though admittedly I can't stand his new single) has his first Blacksmith (his own label) record on the horizon, and of course the legendary Wu-Tang Clan (sans ODB, RIP) have "Reunited" for a new album.

There are of course many more albums being released, but I am focusing on one with this post. North Carolina's finest emcee's, Rapper Big Pooh and Phonte have their new album, Get Back hitting stores soon. Though the album is without the now-very-famous-producer 9th Wonder, who was part of the group up until now (he supposedly did leave the group amicably, but who knows?), the remaining duo have some new producers featured for their new one, and I'm curious as to see the result. Here is their track featured on their myspace page, and if you haven't read their blog before, trust me, try it out... it is hilarious and well-worth it.

P.S. yes, I know it's not Thursday, hence, it's not Hip-Hop Thursday, but I can post only once in a long while now, so I gotta make do... my apologies to those offended!

This is not Ben Affleck's NASA

msquared64 — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 18:35:49 GMT

Thanks to G vs. B, I am now learned about a cool little project involving some of the music industries' (primarily hip-hop) biggest names called N.A.S.A. (North America South America)...

Off their myspace page here's who they list as their band-members:

Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon; Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), David Byrne (Talking Heads), Rza, George Clinton, Method Man, Cee-Lo, Tom Waits, M.I.A., E40, KRS-One, Lovefoxxx (C.S.S.), Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Fatlip (Pharcyde), and Slim Kid Tre (Pharcyde), Money Mark, Chali 2na (Jurassic 5), John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers), De La Soul, Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), Spank Rock, Sean Lennon, Seu Jorge, DJ Relm, Kool Keith, Kool Kojak, Dj Swamp, and more.

Ummm... what?

Anyhoo- I recommend you check out their myspace page (where you can download the posted song below) and listen to "Hip-Hop" with KRS-One, Fatlip & Slim Kid Tre. This is definitely an album that has my curiosity peaked.

How did we get here?

msquared64 — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 17:00:22 GMT

Can someone please explain to me how we go from this:

To this:

HHT: BDK Style

msquared64 — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:57:38 GMT

Gotta kick it a little old school for today's version of Hip Hop Thursday. Admittedly, I have a limited amount of BDK's solo works, but he collaborates with some of my favorite hip-hop acts including the Roots, Jurassic 5, and Little Brother (see MP3 in comments section), so I wanted to give him the respect he deserves...

Take Your Medicine

msquared64 — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 16:17:18 GMT

Sorry for the very impersonal post, but 'tis another overly busy day at my place of employment, Wu-Tang Financial. This song is getting a lot of love on my iPod lately, so I figured I'd put it up for all to enjoy... that is all, carry on.

HHT: Explicit Version

msquared64 — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:02:39 GMT

I held off long enough on this one... I gotta put it up now. I'll let Technique, Stic.Man, M-1 & Saigon do the talking on this track because they say more than I possibly could...

And now to completely contrast my last post...

msquared64 — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 16:13:38 GMT

One of the minor drawbacks of starting a new job is the fact that you're constantly looking over your shoulder to see if you're not following "the rules" of this foreign place. Due to this fact I have been a little hesitant of reading/posting on MOG since I started last Monday. And due to THAT fact, I had over 250 unread MOG posts, of which I got through about 45 of (I am very sorry to neglect you my friends)... but I promise to do better as I get more comfortable in my new digs.

Anyway though, here's a track off of Matt Pond PA's recent EP release, If You Want Blood. It's a typical Matt Pond track, soothing and due to the fact it was released in the summer, it seems to have been intended for that season (Matt seems to at least partly target his songs for seasons as far as I can tell). Seeing that it is hot as balls out, and I am about to step outside for my lunch break, and I will probably melt and never be heard from again, I wanted to make sure I slipped this one in for your listening pleasure prior to my departure...

Welcome To The Terrordome [B*tch]

msquared64 — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 15:57:39 GMT

Yesterday I had delivered to me my autographed copy of Pharoahe Monch's new album Desire, and upon first listen, it has catapulted itself into my Top 5 for 2007 without a problem.

I'll try to put up a full review on this later, but for now I wanted to share Pharoahe's 2007/updated version of Public Enemy's classic "Welcome to the Terrordome."

PE performing:

Knocked Up, a Review

msquared64 — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 16:19:06 GMT

So this is a bit late, and I meant to post earlier, however, MOG does not like me and quite frankly, I am feeling a little upset about that. So why should I put my feelings up for all to see? Especially when MOG apparently lives a week in the future, as it says I'm 28 now, whereas I won't be for another week. Anyway [jerks], a couple weeks ago I saw the new Judd Apatow film Knocked Up with my lovely ladyfriend Lindsay. Risky proposition taking your girlfriend to a movie about this subject matter, and knowing Apatow's work ("the 40-Year Old Virgin"), she was still a good sport about it and wanted to see it as well (I think). Besides, it didn't matter what she wanted because she owes me about 1,000 movies after putting me through "Alpha Dog." But that is neither here nor there...

On to the movie. I went into this expecting a lot from it, as it was getting rave reviews and I absolutely loved "40-Year Old." Furthermore, one of my idiotic friends who once missed a fantasy baseball draft (this is relevant to the film) to watch LEGALLY BLONDE 2 was saying that it was going to suck. To that I said 'nay.' And it turns out, I was right, as was pretty much every reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes.

One of the ways I judge comedies, is based on the quality and reuseability of their lines. I know, that seems pretty stupid and unoriginal, but in fact it's the opposite, the more original the line, the better. For example, and not giving anything away, there were several classic lines in this movie that will work their way into my repertoire upon a second or third viewing of this movie, one involving feces resembling a stuffed animal. I guess you had to be there. All together though, Knocked Up turned out to be a well-thought-out, and somewhat (jesus I can't believe I'm writing this) touching film about the struggles in relationships, and the struggles with life in general. Sometimes you're thrown a hypothetical curveball in your life where you have to make a decision one way or another, all the while dealing with the potential consequences of your choices. This is Knocked Up in a nutshell. Apatow manages to sustain the morality of the issues at hand while also making his audience laugh at the characters, who could easily be themselves.

Here's a song off the soundtrack that features some Bright Eyes, but a lot of this guy, Loudon Wainwright III:

HHT: Kweli

msquared64 — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:42:22 GMT

Busting out the big guns for this edition of Hip-Hop Thursday... usually for songs that I love as is, I don't love the remixes, especially the ones that featuring a ton of different artists. This is an exception. They keep the original classic beat from the song and some of the better known hip-hop acts are featured...

And a really cool video featuring Dave Chappelle/De La Soul, etc on some of the "behind the scenes" stuff from the making of Talib's & Hi-Tek's classic Reflection Eternal:

young Uncle Tupelo...

msquared64 — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:31:26 GMT

Here's a video I saw on another site that I thought was pretty cool. A) because it shows a very young Jeff Tweedy / Jay Farrar and B) because the music is great:

Exit Interview

msquared64 — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 19:45:43 GMT

First off, please check out contrabandwidth's post about the bullsh*t that is up for vote in Congress right now.

Next on the war-plan for this post is about my exit interview for my current job that I had about 10 minutes ago.

As mentioned in a previous post, I planned on taking the high-road, and I believe that I was successful in that, but due to people telling me their unfortunate situations at their current jobs here, I decided to lend some alms to the poor and speak up on certain issues. According to the person I sat in with, it was one of the "most constructive" exit interviews she'd ever partaken in, and my comments and concerns (I didn't snitch, Mr. Cam'Ron, I only shined a little light onto certain things that needed it). I got the backs of several of my fellow employees that I will also do my best to liberate from this place. But in the meantime, I went into battle for my peoples and took the fight to my sworn enemy who may have stolen a few strands of hair from me, but they never took my freedom!!

I'm a Legionnaire, but unlike Colin Meloy's, my camel's working just fine thank you very much (take that however you want to)...

Fast Food Nation... mmm mmm b*tch!!!

msquared64 — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:12:36 GMT

Last evening I finished up watching Richard Linklater's Fast Food Nation. Apparently I am misinformed, because I thought this was going to be a comedy... I guess I should read more because I knew that there was a book by the same name that this movie was based on. It is not a comedy, it's more like Traffic but instead of drugs, it's about Big Mac's. Another message that this film touches upon is that Big Mac's may just in fact be more of a danger to this country than drugs are, because they are equally as addictive, equally as cheap, and equally as harmful, though they may take different routes to get to the ultimate conclusion.

I got this off of Netflix, where it currently holds just about a 3-star (out of 5) rating. I would say that's about as good as I would give it as well. I'm not saying that it was bad, it wasn't, but the point it was trying to prove ultimately could have been proven by showing a series of commercials for McDonalds ("I'm lovin it" is the worst ad-campaign I have ever witnessed) and then shown the last 10 minutes of this film. In the last 5 minutes, they showed the "kill floor" of the farm where the cows used to produce the "Big One's," the film's not-so-subtle renaming of Big-Mac's, are shown getting the "Faces of Death" treatment. It was the most shocking, yet expected part of the film but it should have happened well before the last 10 minutes to save everyone some time.

One of the blurbs on Netflix shows A.O. Scott of the NY Times saying this:

"The film adaptation of Eric Schlossers best-selling book is far too rich and complicated to be understood as a simple, high-minded polemic."

I completely disagree with that statement, and I even looked up the word polemic to confirm my feelings. This is not a complicated film, it just involves complicated issues, more than just fast food and their impact on American society. One of the major storylines is seen through a group of Mexicans who get to working at the farm in various roles, and they don't get there with a visa or a passport. Also it shows the inner conflict of two employees of "Mickies," one a corporate big wig and another merely a cashier, but both know that the place is evil, and they each try to find the right paths for them... do they leave their jobs or do they stick it out because it's a safe money-making opportunity for them although it obviously will come with some nasty side effects?

Anyway, basically I feel like this movie did nothing original because you could watch Super Size Me, Walmart: The High Cost of Low Prices and Traffic and get the same information (though it might take a little longer, you might be better entertained/informed). Fast food is bad for you. Corporations are bad too. And drugs are addictive and can ruin families. One conclusion I did come to after this movie though, was why McDonald's has a character that looks like Grimace involved in their advertising. Nobody knows what Grimace is supposed to be, but perhaps McDonalds is playing with your mind because Grimace is what you will look like if you continue to eat Big Mac's as your main source of nourishment.

How do you break it to a song that it isn't good enough??

msquared64 — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 19:52:32 GMT

Okay so maybe I'm being a tad overdramatic here, but over the past few weeks/months, I have had to make serious cuts from my 30GB iPod. Yes, 30GB, as in, more or less 6000 songs. I have worked out a couple ways to do this painlessly, such as, removing all the "Intro's" and "skits" from Hip-Hop albums and any other albums that have those on them. Enough with those friggin things, there are few and far between good ones. However, that way has run it's course, I have pretty much none of those left on my iPod. And though I am considering the jump to the 60GB, I can't, well, afford it right now. So I have to take out some songs deserving to be on my iPod. I'm curious as to whether or not they know the difference from being portable and stationary. Or if they take any of this process personally. Recently I've been using the "Last Played" filter to see which ones have been getting no love and taking some out back and putting them gently into the dumpster that is my external Hard Drive... a place where a lot of music goes to die (or at least be forgotten about). Today I wanted to fit Boxer by The National on my iPod, and I needed to whack just one track to fit it on. One of the songs that I hadn't listened to in over 3 months was the one below. I am ashamed of myself that I forgot about this song because I really like it. Forgive me "To The Sky," we all make mistakes!!

been a long time comin'... a very special Hip Hop Thursday

msquared64 — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 17:49:01 GMT

Follow with me here... I'm gonna tell you a story that's supported by some music (a lot of hip-hop in honor of it being HHT), however, I need to use the comments to finish the story, so it's probably best if you use the 'Permalink' version of this post to see the whole thing... I apologize in advance to the MOG-Gods, but I couldn't resist the multiple mp3 postings (trust me, I cut this down a LOT)...

At least for the past year I have struggled with my job, frustrated by the lack of opportunity it presented me, frustrated by the lack of money in my wallet, frustrated by the lack of respect I was offered for the amount of work I had to do in relation to that money in my wallet. I scoured the internet and all of my friends/contacts to try to find a new employment opportunity, telling them that I Hate It Here. I was slowly losing my mind. Okay, maybe not so slowly… I fortunately had quite a few friends at my job that kept me in line and relatively sane. I also had plenty of people telling me ”Don’t Give Up”.

So I didn’t. I pushed on, thanks mainly to the support of others. Months rolled by, I got a few nibbles on my resume here & there, but nothing that really had the proverbial light shine down from the heavens telling me that I had found the right fit to get the fuck out of dodge.

That was until last week. A phone interview and a ‘real’ interview later, I have a new job, That comes with

Okay, well at least 2 of those things…

On to the fun part, after letting me wilt away under their unholy rule, I am completely torn about what I want to about all this to them on my exit interview. I basically have decided that I am going to take the high road because there are a lot of people here that I still like and I also respect my manager, however, to put it lightly, a lot of the higher-ups are probably direct descendants of those that escaped Jonestown alive. I am NOT drinking their Kool-Aid.

Rant by Chuck Palahniuk

msquared64 — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 23:51:57 GMT

Recently I finished one of the most bizarre books by one of the most bizarre authors I've ever read. Rant by Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club, etc) takes out a mixing bowl and tosses in chunks of 1984, bits of "The Matrix," a smidgeon of "Back to the Future," and a dash of "28 Days Later," to finally provide truly inspired bits of real insanity, so much so that there are probably about 5302 different conclusions the reader can come to after the last page has been turned. Due to the writing style, where Palahniuk takes on an interview-style approach, where he formulates his story through the "first-hand" accounts of the 40 or so characters that were "interviewed." Though the majority of the characters didn't particularly make the light go off in my head as to what I believed the main point of the book to be, one character, "Neddy Nelson," takes a direct approach that reflects a little of all the books/films listed above aside from "Back to the Future," and that is an anti-establishment vantage point. His character tied a lot of the other stories being told together, just by having them make a bit more sense. I won't go too far into it, but Rant, is about a character (named Rant) that is quite possibly a self-wounding, time-traveling, rabies-infested entrepreneur, but it leaves everything up to the readers' imagination. In reality, Rant is Palahniuk's "rant" against some of the more prevalent and controversial issues of our time, specifically those that involve less-than-noble acts done by our governments and the agencies under their control...

So that got me to thinking, what are some of the best anti-establishment songs out there? Oh sure, there's a ton of them, but what are the Mog-gers opinions on this?

I got two of the more recent ones I can think about here:

Ahh, the 5-Finger Discount

msquared64 — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 18:06:33 GMT

Only half-way through it, and the year 2007 has been an interesting one for me, that's for sure. I won't go into the details fully, but let's just say, if there is a God, he/she is testing me quite frequently. But this story is worth sharing to my peeps on MOG...I wrote a long, offensively worded e-mail to some friends of mine this morning to warn them of the goings-on at the gym we all go to, I will paraphrase here to spare the virgin eyes/minds of those that have them...

Yesterday evening I stopped by a liquor store to purchase some beer, and when I pulled out my wallet, I realized that something strange was afoot [at the circle-K]. My debit and credit cards were missing.

Upon returning to my home, I logged on to my computor and perused the “Information Super-Highway” to locate the customer service phone line of the Bank of America. It took me just 4.2 seconds into my call to realize that BOA was going to do less than nothing to help me. However, in the process I learned that the assclown who stole my card made a purchase in the amount of $2,099.99 at Best Buy in Watertown, MA (I am cutting out most info, but I left this in to let you know never to shop at this location). This person also filled up their tank with gold-flaked/velociraptor-blood-infused Premium Super-Plus gasoline at Exxon, either that or they drive a firetruck to work. I then placed a telephone call to Best Buy, and demanded to speak to a manager. Though the manager admitted that the cashier a) should have checked for ID and b) was probably in on the deal, and furthermore during the conversation she realized that the thief, while using my name, this person also applied for a Best Buy “Rewards Zone” membership. However, this person was actually unintelligent enough to use their address.

My next step was to contact the Police, as the store manager asked for these individuals to swing by their store to obtain the security tape of Dickhead McDouche and his fraudulent purchase, as well as sign up for 8 free issues of SI or Entertainment Weekly (by the way I used this joke when I went to Best Buy later on that evening, it was perfect comedic timing and I think it helped my cause… it brought the house down). However, the police apparently were too busy escorting Canadian Geese across the road at the time I called them as they said I needed to come down in person, or the Best Buy manager had to go to the Po-Po shop to file a report. At this I simply said: HUH??!! You mean to tell me, that although you have the culprit's address, a Zapruder film showing the offense, and the opportunity to get an outstanding deal on some stimulating news rags about what’s on tap for the new season of One Tree Hill, you need me to come down there and write on a notepad exactly what I just f*cking told you beforehand?? Seems pointless to me, but I’ll play your game you rogue.

Long story short, the thief bought a Bose surround system and nothing else. It was a 28 series DVD/speaker system. A 28 series? Seriously? Shoot for the 48 series bro, it's not like you're paying for it!! But then again, we're talking about a guy that stole and then gave his address.

Anyway, the person stole my cards from the gym I go to and managed to barely damage my lock so it was still able to be put back on the locker, and he locked it back up afterward, as well put my wallet back in the correct pocket, folded my clothes, and left me an Andes mint, hence why I didn’t realize any of this upon my return to my locker.

Q: What does this have to do about music? A: Well, I'm glad you asked.

In honor of my recent event, I have made a mixtape. Said mixtape, I would like to share. Now, I must warn those of you who do not like the hippity-hop, that is what this mixtape consists of, as the thievery took place on Hip Hop Thursday, and also because yesterday I was not able to really access MOG due to maintenance (facebook, you are not on my good side).

Q: What do I have to do to obtain this mixtape? A: Well, I'm glad you asked. It's simple, the mp3 that I have posted to this entry is a mash-up (this will be the only mash-up I ever post most likely) of two specific songs, though one of them, the primary beat, is from a different song that has a lot of history. What I want you to do is put a comment up telling me one piece of information about this song that nobody else has posted thusfar. It can be things such as which two main artists are mashed-up here; what are the names of the songs mashed up; what's the original song; who sang the original song; what band was this person originally in; who has covered/altered this song in the past, etc, etc. And to really impress me, post the music video (hint: circa about 1992) that featured one of the first written verses of the artist mainly featured (vocally) on the track posted.

I will then MOG-Mail you a link to download the mixtape... and here's the album art for your ass(es):

Bonus Wilco track...

msquared64 — Wed, 30 May 2007 21:37:26 GMT

Oh those clever Wilco guys... here's a tip, plug in your copy of Sky Blue Sky, open up the disc so you can view the files, click "extras.mov" and reap the rewards:

Couple Covers

msquared64 — Mon, 28 May 2007 02:39:16 GMT

Here's a low-quality, but great video of Colin Meloy (of the Decemberists) and Ben Gibbard covering Blur's "End of A Century"

And also, Britt Daniels of Spoon covering Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me."

Hip Hop Thursday

msquared64 — Wed, 23 May 2007 23:20:03 GMT

No more overkill like I did last week... this will be my one and only post for Hip Hop Thursday. I'm back in New Orleans, sharing a room with a raccoon sized cockroach (or maybe it is a raccoon afterall) named Sasquatch Bob... this time I'm here on business, very ready to get back home for a while because I've been on the road way too much lately, I haven't had a chance to feel at ease... so I'm posting a song that puts me at ease and also fits the criteria for HHT... 9th Wonder's remix of Pete Rock & CL Smooth's "Take You There." Enjoy!

the ARE

msquared64 — Mon, 21 May 2007 23:18:36 GMT

the ARE is a Houston-based hip-hop producer who's got some of the slickest post-Jay Dee beats around. Recently he remixed (just the beats for the most part, the rhymes, probably due to copyright laws are left out) one of my favorite hip-hop albums of all time, Midnight Marauders by A Tribe Called Quest. Here's a track from the CD, the remix of "We Can Get Down." Also, I put up a comment with another of his tracks off the Still Climbing EP. Again, these are just beats, but the dude can produce. For those of you looking for some new, real hip-hop beats, look no further than this guy...

Going to California

msquared64 — Mon, 21 May 2007 13:06:23 GMT

This one goes out to Blair, as he is "taking his chances on a big jet plane," so in honor of his bold, inspired move to Cali, as well as my ladyfriend who is not yet fully familiar with Led Zep, I present to you Led Zeppelin's "Going to California" from their How the West Was Won live CD set...

The Saturday Knights... got a little funk in 'em

msquared64 — Fri, 18 May 2007 18:59:00 GMT

A Hip-Hop group from Seattle??? Sounds like a recipe for quality to me... I just just got my hands on this track from The Saturday Knights, and immediately it fit the bill for me to post. I'm still workin my way up to the proper funk level, but I think these guys have some stuff to offer without a doubt... AND.... it's a great song to play as we wind down to the weekend....

...and I'm all better

msquared64 — Fri, 18 May 2007 12:45:57 GMT

...thanks to my man Dave Chappelle:

Another rainy day.... who's up for a 2-mile walk in sandals?

msquared64 — Fri, 18 May 2007 12:26:25 GMT

Ugh. Not a great way to kick off a Friday. I had to bring my truck in for 4 new tires and an alignment this morning, and I was proud of myself for doing my homework and finding a Sullivan Tire that was offering a 3 for 1 deal on Goodyears and it was only about 2 miles away from my work... I called them up Wednesday and scheduled an appt. for today... they said that they had a shuttle that could take me to work, I thought, great! If I need it, I'll take it, but I figured that the last 3 weeks or so have been amazing weather here, and if I felt like it I could take a brisk stroll back to my place of employment. Well, apparently the "shuttle guy" is not an early riser and he wasn't going to be in until "about 8:30." So after receiving my bill for $571, I get this doozy. My part in the story is that I am wearing sandals today because after a certain date in the year, it is my footwear of choice. Bad move today dipshit. It's 43 degrees out and raining, about as miserable as possible. Anyway, one of the first songs that came on my iTunes this AM was "Strangulation" by one of my personal fav-O-rite bands, My Morning Jacket and I couldn't help but think it was an appropriate tune, if not just for the name of it... thought I'd share...

I promise, happier songs are on the horizon!

HHT Pt. V

msquared64 — Thu, 17 May 2007 20:32:53 GMT

And once again, I'm spent... here's my last Hip-Hop post of the day, one of my favorite 2Pac songs, it's different than the "No More Pain" on All Eyez on Me, but I don't think it's the remix to that song, I think it's just a completely different song... got this off a CD my old college roommate gave me, one that he had found in a shady mixtape store back in the day...

HHT Pt. IV

msquared64 — Thu, 17 May 2007 19:47:33 GMT

So maybe at the time of release this song was not really a collaboration, but the fact that the artist that wasn't in the group just so happened to go on to super-stardom, I would say it fits the bill. Main Source featured two Canadians and New York-based producer (Large Professor) who you may owe for launching the career of the most famous of Queensbridge based emcees. What doesn't make this song a classic?

HHT Pt. III

msquared64 — Thu, 17 May 2007 16:53:11 GMT

Though the original "Ms. Fat Booty" off Black on Both Sides definitely reigns supreme, it's strictly Mos on that version, so in order to get some Wu-Tang involved in this post, I am throwing up "Ms. Fat Booty 2," off of Lyricist Lounge Vol. 2, even though posting a Ghostface song dredges up some undesirable memories from Coachella..... eeeeeeeesssshhhhh....

HHT Pt. II

msquared64 — Thu, 17 May 2007 15:34:05 GMT

Round two... and in honor of the T-Cha's new album dropping next week, Zack's return with Rage and to showcase the Last Emperor (highly underrated, his comic book character rap is great, which I can't find DAMMIT)...

Hip-Hop Thursday

msquared64 — Thu, 17 May 2007 14:58:12 GMT

So for today's installment(s) of Hip-Hop Thursday, I'm going to put up some of my favorite collaborations (for varying reasons, such as uniqueness, quality, and of course, guilty pleasure)... kicking it off I've got a track that I didn't put the artist or song name in there because there are too many artists and the song name would give it away... so this way you'll listen to the song (and hopefully get a good laugh from the memories that this song may or may not bring you)...

Ezekiel 25:17

msquared64 — Wed, 16 May 2007 19:40:21 GMT

....and you will know my name is the Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon thee.....

What does that have to do with the song I'm posting? Nothing... but the Lord sure is giving us here in the Boston area some funky weather. It just went from sunny to grey to green to greenish grey with rain to what appears to be a little brightening.... nope, false alarm, there's some lightning and just heard/read that there's a tornado watch.... I hope that doesn't mean Helen Hunt will be making an appearance anytime soon. Anyway, since the apocalypse is upon us, I figured I'd put up some soothing music to make my final moments seem nicer.

Serenity now please....

DJ Jazzy Jeff & BDK - The Garden

msquared64 — Wed, 16 May 2007 16:18:00 GMT

Yes that DJ Jazzy Jeff... he hath returned. I'm guessing that many people reading this had no clue that he's really a damn good DJ. He kinda got overlooked because, well, he was involved in "Parents Just Don't Understand," and "Nightmare on My Street," but his Hip-Hop Forever discs are very good for the most part and I have heard positive things about his newest mixtape, The Return of the Magnificent as well. Here's a track off that album that I pulled off of Spinner, featuring Big Daddy Kane...

Consequence - Don't Forget 'Em

msquared64 — Wed, 16 May 2007 16:05:35 GMT

This one's for TroyPowers as promised. Took me a bit longer, but I forgot I grabbed this album off iTunes so I had to de-securitize it...

Wilco Wednesday (I know, I know...)

msquared64 — Wed, 16 May 2007 13:24:15 GMT

Once upon a time I was locked in a sonic prison, filled only with the musical stylings of radio-friendly artists like the Stone Temple Pilots, Dave Matthews Band, U2, Bell Biv Devoe, etc.

There was no originality. There was no experimentation (not the kind you're thinking of, get your mind out of the gutter), aside from maybe Alice in Chains, though I didn't know that at the time. There was no, well, style. I was stuck in a rut, and I didn't even know it. Perfectly content with my music taste, my CD collection and my radio presets, I rarely went out of my way to find new music to push my limits. At the time, the closest thing I had to a non "Top 40" artist in my catalogue was Guster, and they were only there because I met 2 of them at a concert one of my classmates' band opened up for. I was pathetic, and I am totally discrediting myself and my music taste right now, but I digress.

One fateful day my evolution and enlightment began. And I can't help but think that it was Jesus himself that led me to what would be the best accidental purchase I ever made. The year I believe was 1999, I was a sophomore at the prestigious University of Massachusetts Amherst and I was perusing the local Newbury Comics, I probably had another DMB import CD tucked under my arm when I stopped by the listening station at the store. Summerteeth, by Wilco was one of the CDs on the rack. I thought the album art was relatively interesting, and seeing that I was in college and had more time to kill than your average kindergartner, I popped on the headphones and took a gander. What I heard was some pretty standard alt-metal-rock, and I just got some nice cash from a successful launching of a Spring Break prostitution ring (just kidding...or not), so I decided to pick it up, I wanted to be trendy. I mean, suddenly, you go to college, and you're supposed to be this entirely different guy. I didn't feel different. I mean, take high school for example. We were out at Sam Goody, which was lovely. And uh, I happen to look over at a certain point during the trip and see a cheerleader from my school listening to some CD, and I found myself wondering what CD she was listening to, and what color her underpants might be. Her panties. Uh, odds are they are probably basic white, cotton, underpants, and that she was probably listening to some standard, Casey Kasem Top 40 music. But I sort of think well maybe they're silk panties, maybe it's a thong. Maybe it's something really cool that I don't even know about. Maybe this cheerleader was my musical messiah. You know, and uh, and I started feeling... what? what I thought we were in the trust tree in the nest, were we not? Sorry, I digress again... For those of you that own Summerteeth, it's not alt-metal-rock. As I mentioned before, Jesus meant for this accident to happen. Either Newbury Comics put the wrong CD in the wrong slot in the changer (highly unlikely), some freshman frat boy a-hole switched up the CDs on the rack (somewhat likely), or due to a Natty Ice Light-inspired hangover, I wasn't able to successfully push the correct button for the CD I was trying to listen to (bingo!), I was actually not listening to Wilco, but a different CD at that clever listening station. So imagine my surprise, if you will, when I brought the CD home, popped it into my Aiwa dresser-top CD player and hit 'play' for the first time. Uhh... what the FUCK is this??!! At first I was enraged. I had just wasted $7.99 (Newbury was awesome back then, still are today, but any CD they suggested was always cheap as hell), and $7.99 to me was six 40's of Bull Ice, which would last me two full weekends.

And as easy as it would have been to turn my ass around and go back to the store and give them an earful of how they sold me some bullshit, no-talent assclown music, I also realized that it was probably my fault, so I swallowed my pride and gave it a chance. Now I'm not saying that I loved it immediately. I didn't. I buried that thing under the plush seats of my 1988 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight for quite some time while I further poisoned my ear drums with more crap. But a month or so later, I was headed back for summer break and I needed a CD to listen to on the hour and a half long trip. I had played out pretty much everything I owned, and while I was searching for something I found this CD. With a grumble, I put it on. By the time I got to "Via Chicago," I was on Mass Pike, some of the most scenic parts of it (check out the ending credits of Good Will Hunting if you don't know what I'm talking about), and the song touched a nerve. Then, although (and to this day), I had a problem with country music, the slight twang that is featured in "ELT" had me hooked. I had begun my understanding of what good music really is.

Wilco opened the door for me to so many different artists and genres of music. Before I had musical tunnel vision and would not venture outside of my tight-knit circle, but Jeff Tweedy & co provided me the inspiration to try out some new stuff. Though they are not my favorite band (DCFC as you probably have figured out by now), they are certainly in my top 5, and each of their albums age like fine wines in my opinion, which, again in my opinion, is the mark of classic albums.

Flashback to right now, and after acquiring pretty much their entire catalogue (AM still eludes me) I finally gave a listen to Wilco's newest album, Sky Blue Sky. I don't need to give my review on this, because Jenny Tatone does it much, much better than I can, and Puffmagic already showed that Pitchfork is a bunch of glue-sniffing buffoons for giving this album a 5.2 rating (!!), but I did want to throw in my two cents. Though this album does not follow the paths to where Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born began to venture, this album is going to be another of Wilco's that is cherished by most people that come into possession of it. Call me Captain Obvious, but aren't great artists/bands supposed to reinvent themselves?? And not put the same, freeze-dried and canned music into each of their albums?? Apparently Pitchfork thinks that Wilco should have kept going in the same direction as they had been (which I admit wouldn't have been a bad thing) rather than try out a different approach. Pitchfork is hatin' just to hate. Don't listen to them. Listen to the masses on MOG. If you don't know Wilco yet, try 'em out. Like this Mikey right here, if you try it, you'll like it. And I'm spent.

Free Downloads of Ben Gibbard's Solo Act

msquared64 — Mon, 14 May 2007 16:33:08 GMT

Here's a link for free downloads of Ben Gibbard's, David Bazan's and Johnathan Rice's sets from their show at the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C., courtesy of NPR:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9935188

Off to the Big Easy... gotta take care of Hip-Hop Thursday early

msquared64 — Wed, 09 May 2007 20:13:37 GMT

Against all of our girlfriend's wishes, 7 of my closest friends and I will be venturing down to the sweaty South for a bachelor's party in New Orleans tomorrow in the AM... and I haven't yet decided as to whether or not to bring my computer or not (seeing that it's a bachelor party and I might have a few too many Hurricanes to safely use a computer), I wanted to take care of my post for Hip-Hop Thursday a bit early... here's a track off of Consequence's second to last album, Take Em To The Cleaners. Though it's off his album, Kanye, Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh dominate this track... please enjoy!!

Doveman - Honey

msquared64 — Wed, 09 May 2007 17:07:47 GMT

This song just came on my iTunes randomly, I thought that it was a nice little soothing tune for the afternoon. And then I thought, maybe I should share it... and share I shall:

Ben Gibbard covers Nirvana; Debuts 2 New Songs

msquared64 — Tue, 08 May 2007 11:51:53 GMT

Last night I ventured into Somerville Theatre to catch Death Cab For Cutie/Postal Service frontman Ben Gibbard perform a solo set for as he said "the quietest crowd" he'd ever played for. As he alluded to during the show, the lack of noise was clearly out of respect for his performance, and the general mood in the building was to listen and enjoy and nothing more. Well, aside from Ted Leo who was apparently in the audience, demanding that Ben and the rest of the DCFC boys take him on tour with them again, and also asking Mr. Gibbard to perform specific songs.

Touring with Ben was David Bazan of Pedro the Lion and an artist I was previously unaware of, Johnathan Rice (see below for one of his songs). Rice, though soft-spoken had a witty sense of humor that perfectly served as an opener for the notorious Gibbard (who later in the show jokingly let the audience know that his fellow artists and crew were travelling the country in a Bio-Diesel Maserati that towed their equipment in one of those yellow baby carriages usually reserved for bikes). Bazan also was a good companion for Gibbard, and he played a great cover of Radiohead's "Let Down," which I taped... but lost somehow. Very odd.

Though the lighting in the building rendered my camera useless to take photos, I was able to get a ton of video, including Ben's encore performance of Nirvana's "All Apologies," as well as two new songs, one definitely called "Casino Blues," the other I believe called "Thin Ice."

All Apologies:

Casino Blues:

Thin Ice:

Other songs included:

Why You'd Want to Live Here

Title & Registration

You Remind Me of Home

We Will Become Silhouettes

-and-

Brand New Colony

Staying with the Bob Dylan covers

msquared64 — Fri, 04 May 2007 19:56:36 GMT

I can't recall where I initially came across this recording, but it just popped up randomly on my iTunes for the first time in a while. As I posted about the Roots' covering Dylan's "Masters of War" earlier this week, here's M Ward & Beth Orton covering Dylan's "Buckets of Rain," originally off the classic album Blood On The Tracks.

Ted Leo covers Kelly Clarkson

msquared64 — Fri, 04 May 2007 18:42:02 GMT

Jumping on the cover tip a little early, this is also a real fun song for a Friday afternoon... here's Ted Leo covering Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" and also working in the Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Maps."

Kinda Funky Friday

msquared64 — Fri, 04 May 2007 18:33:57 GMT

Here's a remotely funky song off of Common's most funky record, Electric Circus...