15 Best Songs of 2010!

Boom!  It is that time again, can you believe it has been a year already?  This post, and the subsequent best albums of 2010 post that will follow, are also important becasue they mark ONE YEAR of my blog.  So let's also give it up for me!

Seriously....go ahead, give it up for me.

Hm.

Ok then....on to the music.

On the whole, 2010 was an amazing year for music, there was an embarassment of riches genre-wide including major releases from huge artists like Kanye, Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, LCD Soundsystem and more.  But also, for me at least, 2010 was about some suprisingly wonderful under the radar releases that impressed equally if not more than their much lauded counterparts.  The sound of 2010 was both ambitious and big, but also interesting and varied.  As I mentioned, I'll follow up with my favorite albums later, so without further ado....my 15 favorite songs from 2010....

Click the artist/song title to liste to the tune...

1.  LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean - James Murphy can do no wrong and this dance rock number kicked off his incredible new record with a funky, dark breakdown.

2.  Japandroids - Younger Us - One of my favorite bands from 2009 returned with an amazing new single this year.  This tune is everything perfect about their gritty and emotional sound.

3.  Katy Perry - Teenage Dream - A perfect pop song, I couldn't get enough of this tune this year.  I lip sync this in the mirror using a hairbrush as a microphone.  It stirs the 16 year old girl in all of us.  Listen to this song and DON'T EVER LOOK BACK, DON"T EVER LOOK BACK!

4.  How to Dress Well - Ecstasy With Jojo - A wonderful surprise in 2010, HTDW is a curious mix of distorted, fuzzed out vocals, dreamy beats, and odd samples.  This track melds this melange with an irresistable Michael Jackson sample to create something truly special, dreamy and danceable at the same time.

5.  Gold Panda - Same Dream China - Gold Panda was another incredible surprise this year.  This is beautifully intricate and interesting electronic music.

6.  Kanye West - Runaway - For all of his hyping, meltdowns, and preposterous, well...posturing in 2010, it would have been poetic justice if Kanye's new album had been a mediocre flop.  Remarkably though, Kanye not only lived up to the impossible hype but also exceeded expectations with his ambitious new album.  Runaway is everything that is great about this album, introspective lyrics, gritty samples, guesting from the flawless Pusha T...dramatics at its finest.

6. Cut Copy - Take Me Over - This is the first release off Cut Copy's forthcoming album being released in 2011 and boy is it a gem.  Like an electrified Talking Heads, this track promises amazing things to come from the band; it'ss gonna be a long, agonizing wait until the album's release in Febuary.

7.  Yeasayer - Ambling Alp - While not as huge in 2010 as in 2009, the experimental "brooklyn sound" continues to be a force in indie music.  Yeasayer embraces all the most diverse sounds in this new soundscape and Ambling Alp is both interesting and catchy as hell.  Despite a very early in 2010 release, this album and this track in particular really stuck with me through out the year.

8.  Mumford and Sons - The Cave - Another spectacular 2010 debut and a massive hit, this track just builds and builds into an incredible climax.  I love the almost Gaelic musical influences, strumming acoustic guitars, and banjos.  Undeniable brilliance.

10.  Daft Punk - Derezzed - Daft.  Punk.  Is.  Back.  What sweet, sweet words those are, almost as sweet as, "free beer".  While the soundtrack as a whole didn't wow me as much as I had hoped, given the impossible heights I expected, this track is pure Daft electro goodness.

11.  The Black Keys - Shes Long Gone - The Black Keys broke in 2010 and broke in a huge way.  Their remarkable album "Brothers" had a very diverse collection of sounds but it was this track, most similar to their older, more bluesy sound, that really hit me.

12.  The Arcade Fire - Sprawl 2 - Far and away the most critically lauded album of the year, this track was, for me, far and away the standout of a mixed outing.

13.  Surfer Blood - Neighbour Riffs - This stunning debut album was top to bottom an amazing effort but the one non-vocal track really stood out with its surf rock vibe and unforgettable bassline.

14.  Lcoal Natives - Wild Eyes - The perfect spring/summer track from this wonderful, dreamy pop rock album.  Along with a sunset and a cold beverage this is the makings of a perfect warm weather package.

15.  Underworld -Scribble -  Dance godfathers Underworld returned in 2010 with a miraculous album, easily their best in years, and this stunning, uplifting gem.  It is far, far better than "ok".

So there it is....this list easily could have been 20 or even 25 songs without too much trouble given the amount of great music this year.  Stay tuned for my albums list.

flawless....

Daft Punk wearing Balenciaga to the Tron Legacy movie premier.  Awesome.  I'm definitely wearing robot gear to my next black tie event.

pure magic...

As if my love for Zooey Deschanel could get any deeper...

My affection for this adorable hipster is well documented but she took it to another level this week when she performed with her musical partner M. Ward on Conan. For those who don't know Deschanel and Ward perform together as the aptly titled She & Him and just released their second album of beautiful indie rock this year. The duo rolled through an incredible cover of the Screamin' Jay Hawkins classis "I Put a Spell on You" that nearly had me weeping. Deshcanel has always had a great voice, deeper and more resonate than you'd expect coming from a tiny body in an impeccable vintage Chanel but this performance absolutely blew me away. Its like somewhere inside her lives a soulful, heartbroken african american woman in her late 40's. Enjoy...and if you need me I'll be sitting outside Zooey Deschanel's house in a tree with binoculars doing a little semi-harmless stalking.

Gorgeous....

New track from Cut Copy's forthcoming album Zonoscope. Absolutely delightful. It has kind of a 80's Talking Heads feel to it. Can't wait for this album to come out.

You win again Deadmau5...

Pretty much eveything you do fucking rules, and this is no exception.

Perfection....

Nothing else needs to be said....

MADE. OF. WIN!

A new Daft Punk track off their upcoming album, the soundtrack for the insane new Tron movie. Completely awesome.

Wierd band name...good tune

Sometimes it just works out...in fact, 2010 was FULL of very odd band names and awesome tunes. 

(GRATUITOUS FORSHADOWING FOR MY RUNDOWN OF MY FAVORITE MUSIC OF 2010 THAT WILL NOT ONLY SURPRISE BUT DELIGHT!!!)

Ahem...

Words to live by...

Some great advice from Coach Bobby Finstock from Teen Wolf:

"There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese."

Ftune for Friday...

Yeah, I know it is spelled wrong but ITS MY BLOG AND I'LL DO WHAT I WANT. Alliteration is a fools errand I tell you!

Ahem...

Enjoy some math rock. Yes that is an actual genere, albeit an extremely pretentious, overly descriptive, micro-trend one. Here is the definition from Wikipedia..."Math rock is a rhythmically complex, guitar-based style of experimental rock[1] that emerged in the late 1980s. It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (including irregular stopping and starting), angular melodies, and dissonant chords."

Yeah, I agree, whatever. This tune rocks though. The drumming (from genius John Stainer, formerly of Helmet) is superb and unique.

Best lyrics of all time?

It has appeared on this blog before but we'll revisit. I'll make the case for LCD Soundsystem's All My Friends...there is something really poetic about this song and lyrics that captures a time period in life like nothing I have ever heard.



That's how it starts.
We go back to your house.
We check the charts,
And start to figure it out.

And if it's crowded, all the better,
because we know we're gonna be up late.
But if you're worried about the weather
then you picked the wrong place to stay.
That's how it starts.

And so it starts.
You switch the engine on.
We set controls for the heart of the sun,
one of the ways we show our age.

And if the sun comes up, if the sun comes up, if the sun comes up
and I still don't wanna stagger home.
Then it's the memory of our betters
that are keeping us on our feet.

You spent the first five years trying to get with the plan,
and the next five years trying to be with your friends again.

You're talking 45 turns just as fast as you can,
yeah, I know it gets tired, but it's better when we pretend.

It comes apart,
the way it does in bad films.
Except in parts,
when the moral kicks in.

Though when we're running out of the drugs
and the conversation's winding away.
I wouldn't trade one stupid decision
for another five years of lies.

You drop the first ten years just as fast as you can,
and the next ten people who are trying to be polite.
When you're blowing eighty-five days in the middle of France,
Yeah, I know it gets tired only where are your friends tonight?

And to tell the truth.
Oh, this could be the last time.
So here we go,
like a sail's force into the night

And if I made a fool, if I made a fool, if I made a fool
on the road, there's always this.
And if I'm sewn into submission,
I can still come home to this.

And with a face like a dad and a laughable stand,
you can sleep on the plane or review what you said.
When you're drunk and the kids leave impossible tasks
you think over and over, "hey, I'm finally dead."

Oh, if the trip and the plan come apart in your hand,
you look contorted on yourself your ridiculous prop.
You forgot what you meant when you read what you said,
and you always knew you were tired, but then,
where are your friends tonight?

Where are your friends tonight?
Where are your friends tonight?

If I could see all my friends tonight,
If I could see all my friends tonight,
If I could see all my friends tonight,
If I could see all my friends tonight

Fine...you're right.

I accept it.  The hype about Florence and the Machine is correct, she is supremely talented and her album is wonderful and intriguing.  It just took me a little while to come around.  To be fair, having her wonderful song Dog Days Are Over play in the preview for "Eat, Pray, Love" didn't win her any favors from me.

Its Fall...finally.

I'm kicking off a new series of blogs about some essential items for fall over at my other gig, Menswear Mondays for Apparel Therapy.  The Fall Essentials will run for the next 5 weeks.  Here is the first post.

Enjoy.

Ready for cool weather!  (sorry April)

More to love...

My world domination continues...I scored another new fashion gig and will be interning and writing for a local styling and fashion company called Apparel Therapy. I'll be the featured menswear blogger for the time being and will post a new blog every monday for the awesomely appropriately titled Menswear Mondays. Super excited about this opportunity.  My first post is up, here is a link:

Check Me Out!

Enjoy!

Songs I'm digging at the moment...

Bonjour friends, I am here again to enlighten you with a few songs that I have really been digging the last few weeks.  Listen and enjoy, don't make me say it twice.  I think at this point my reputation for steering you in the right direction with regards to good music speaks for itself.

Japandroids - Younger Us
These guys continue to bring the thunder with excellent garage rock tunes with just a hint of yearning and emotion.  NEW ALBUM PLSKTHXBAI!


Local Natives - Wide Eyes
Maybe my favorite song this summer. Smooth and beautiful. This song is best enjoyed with a sunset.


Metaform - Electric Eyes
A criminally overlooked album thus far, Metaform's electro rock is just superb. For fans of M83, Digitalism, and the like.



The Cribs - Mirror Kisses
Primed to be the next big Brit rock phenomena. Catchy, powerful, eveything great about the genre.


La Roux - In For the Kill (Skream remix)
My love for La Roux has already been documented on this blog. British downtempo genius Skream (check out his excellent album Outside the Box) puts a haunting spin on an already nearly flawless track. Let the make out session commence.


HUEY LEWIS AND THE FUCKING NEWS!!!

unbelieveably awesome....

The internetz are a strange and magical place and very often they birth incredibly hilarious things...this happens to be one of them:

If Historical Events had Facebook

And I'm not even on Facebook...

TRUTH...

"the good is the enemy of the great."

-Voltaire

Gorgeous....

Underworld. Enough said...

Ok, maybe not, but this is the first single of their new album and IT. IS. GORGEOUS. I can't wait for this album to drop. This song is perfect for the long awaited sunshine that has finally arrived this week. Enjoy.

Listen and feel GOOD Part 2...

Early MJ is unbeatable. UNBEATABLE I SAY! Rest in Peace.

It's pretty simple...

Listen to this...feel GOOD.  That's it!

Snookin' fo sum trouble....

Something about this picture just makes me crack up.

If you are fortunate enough not to know who that it is, I say you are most likely lying.  Should you be telling the truth, it is Snooki from MTV's The Jersey Shore.  Perhaps it is her Lilliputian size or the juxtaposition of her zebra Ed Hardy tank top against the cold and unforgiving polyester of the police officer's uniform, or maybe the sand on her legs from a no doubt ungraceful face plant onto the sparkly sands of Seaside Heights, NJ.  Who knows. To put it in an indelicate fashion, any way you slice it, that is some funny shit.  I'd like to think I don't particularly make a habit out of schadenfreude but in this case it was a temptress I could not resist.  Fare the well Snooki, may your legal troubles come to a swift and hopefully more successful end than Lindsay Lohan.  At the very least you are a far more entertaining and endearing famewhore than she.  My heart goes out to your glitter covered Ed Hardy journal that will no doubt take a beating tonight as you vent your frustrations and fears.  That is of course under the very large assumption that you can indeed read and write.

Don't do it....

Click here at your own risk.  You were warned....

New Sublime song...

So, Sublime has a new singer named Rome Ramirez. He sounds uncannily like Bradley Nowell. I mean so much that it is almost freaky. After a long and protracted (that's what she said" leagal fight over the rights to use the Sublime name we finally get to hear the end result. They debuted a new track on Jimmy Kimmel last week and I must say, it is very promising. I am really looking forward to new music they put out.

Enjoy...this is their new track "Panic"

....ahem...

I LOVE IT AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS IT!!

Glorious....

I am going to assume you are aware of the US Soccer Team's recent victory against Algeria in stoppage time on Landon Donovan's stunning last minute goal. It was far and away the most riveting moment in what thus far has been a very uneven World Cup. Check out this awesome video of fans celebrating that miraculous goal in locations all around the earth. Really cool...

For all your booty shaking needs...

For all your Hump Day booty shaking needs (that sounds erotic) I present to you the new Juvenile track.  Yep, I agee, it is about time he came out with a new album.  It is definitely what you would expect from Juvey, further directives to an unnamed female companion regarding the continued movement of her posterior area.  His eloquence is breathtaking...

Zapatos...

Read my take on brown shoes on V-Style for Men here:

http://www.vstyleblog.com/men/2010/06/a-man-needs-some-brown-shoes.html

Tune for Tuesday...

I laughed...

Great Victory...

Congrats to the Lake Show on another title.  They outlasted the Celtics in a brutal Game 7 in what was easily the most poorly reffed NBA game I have ever seen in my life.  Kobe had a terrible night shooting but like a championship caliber team should do, his teammates rallied with some big shots and plays.  None bigger than a Ron Artest who had a huge game and nailed a crical three with time winding down.  Ron Ron also gave one of the funniest post game interviews I have ever heard thanking "all the peeps from his hood" and profusely thanking his therapist for several minutes.  Ron Artest, I take you as my GOD.

LAKERS 2010 NBA CHAMPS!!

Regarding Obama's speech last night about the oil spill...

Check me out...yet again...

The review I wrote on the recent Vanteria Di Eleganza fashion show I attended in LA is up and live on Fashionably San Diego if you want to continue to revel in my writing and photography prowess....

Check Me Out

Some fresh tunes...

Dave over at Holiday Matinee, has a really nice June mix up on his site.  Me rikey...

Listen Here

Nice work Dave!

It's funny becasue it's true....

L-I-V-I-N

In Dazed and Confused Matthew Mcconaughey's character, when asked how he is doing, responds "L-I-V-I-N". We should all aspire to this and one of my friends is indeed LIVIN.  He runs a sneaker boutique up in Santa Barbara with his partner DJ Vice called CRSVR. For those that don't know Vice is one of the hottest club dj's on the planet and rocks one hell of a party. Their store is an awesome place and both he and Eric (Vice) have created something really special with it. Despite Nick being kind of a jerk, Eric is awesome and I am stoked to see how their venture went from an idea on a plane to a sucessful boutique, they also recently celebrated their one year anniversary.  Needless to say, running in these types of circles certainly leads Nick to some terrific adventures and his recent trip to Portland is no exception. Here is a link to his store's blog describing the insanity....

http://www.crsvr.com/blog/post.cfm/crsvr-x-hollywood-x-portland-x-nike-x-vegas#commentForm

While you are there buy some shoes from their online store!  Or go visit them in person; CRSVR is located in Santa Barbara at 632 State St.  Twitter: @CRSVR

SWEATER IN THE BUILDING!

Awesome...

Minus the Bear is one of my favorite bands and they just realeased their new and highly excellent album Omni.  My Time is the first single off the album and in addition to be a really creative and excellent song the video is really fun and cool, plus we all know I am a sucker for breakdancing. Wait, what? We don't all konw that? Ok, well...I am a sucker for breakdancing.

If you are interested in this band I can't recommend enough their earlier album "Menos El Oso" really really good.

Peep this...

I'm over here today....

Check me out guesting on my friend Laurnie's blog:

Boo Ya

It is a re-write of an earlier post but a worthy re-read.

What's up bro?

Some Fugazi for your Friday...

Like Husker Du, Fugazi is one of those seminal rock/punk bands you probably haven't really heard of, but whose influence is massive and exceedingly well deserved.  Rising from the ashes of the incredibly influential harcore punk band Minor Threat, Fugazi was a departure from the hardcore style of Minor Threat and utilized a wide range of influences to create a truly unique sound.  Like Minor Threat, the roots of the 80's and 90s Washington DC punk and hardcore sound was a big part of Fugazi but their sound was also more experimental, more diverse, and charted new territory from founder Ian McKay's traditional sound.  Personally, I prefer some of Fugazi's more straight forward  punk and rock songs but the diversity of their sound is really interesting.  Enjoy...

Public Witness Program



Great Cop



For Joey...his favorite Brendan #1



For shits and giggles here is my favorite Minor Threat song, "I don't want to hear it".

A witty victim...

This is really funny, and also great advice...

Thanks to my homeboy JoeyBoots for this.

http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-get-your-camera-back-when-you-lose-it

Thank you for being a friend....

Rest in peace Blanche, rest in peace.  For the love of god Death, leave Betty White alone.

Spreading some awesomeness...

In this version of spreading some awesomeness I give you a double dip...

The Big Caption is an awesome site, as you can tell by that awesome image. Twisted, random, and hilarious, just the kind of humor I like. Click here to enjoy: The Big Caption

The Big Caption comes courtesy of Holiday Matinee, one of my favorite blogs. Started by a local San Diego creative, Dave Brown, his site is a great place for cool stuff, creative inspiration, and just all around awesomeness. I also love his book "I Swear to Good You Are God At This". It is a wonderful collection of creatively inspiring people, places and things. During my own personal creative re-awakening his site and book were incredibly inspirational. Dave is a testament to spreading the awesomeness and his creative and ad/marketing work has been utilized by many notable companies. As a 30 year old career changer himself he was not only an inspiration to me personally but truly embodies what the new entrepreneur looks like in today's business and economic climate.  Enjoy Holiday Matinee

Regarding the Gulf Coast oil spill...

Dear BP, TransOcean, US Government,

Perfect Part 2

Clean.  Simple.  Flawless.  Get ' em here (an amazing store, by the way):  http://www.norsestore.com/

Interesting article...

An interesting article on social media and the hospitality industry:

http://mashable.com/2010/05/24/hospitality-social-media/

I think we all know social medis here to stay but making it a viable and essential business practice is really the trick. It's not just enough to have a twitter/facebook/myspace, how do you really make it work for you?

Lets keep the party going...

Since I am on a blog tear today, I might as well keep the party going. Have been hearing this song a lot lately and I really, really like it. It is Lay Me Down by the Dirty Heads. If it sounds like Sublime, well that is because it pretty much is. The guy singing the chorus is the new singer of Sublime, and I can see why. This is sure to be some great beach music for this upcoming summer. Enjoy, and grab me a beer from the cooler would you?

Jean Ralphio adn Ron Swanson...

Easily the two best characters on tv right now, they also happen to be on the same show and together in this scene. God that mustache is so damn majestic...

Thanks to Jim for this.

Perfect

This is how to dress in the summer in the south of France.  Ryan Gosling has great style.  Obviously having a gorgeous blonde on your arm as an accessory helps too...

Reason number 393,017 I am not on Facebook...

Interesting article on Facebook, privacy, and targeted advertising/marketing...

http://outspokenmedia.com/branding/zuckerberg-we-have-a-problem/

Best wedding DJ ever!

Just keep watching...

Slacky McBlogerstrom...

So, yes, due to my new professional obligations I have been slacking on my blog a bit. My apologies, I certainly don't want to deprive the internet masses and my ardent fans of my unique and wonderous account of the world around us.

Allow me to make it up to you, I shall woo you like The Good Reverend Al Green after 3 Cognacs....

I give you another one of my all time favorite songs from this or any other era. Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes". This song is amazing. And of course the immediate late 80's teen angst movie connotations add to its luster in just the right way. I love this song so much I wish I could Lloyd Dobler this song with this song. Though I think the ensuing black hole would probably cause more harm than good, but I digress....

P.S. - I highly recommend Jeffrey Gaines's live cover as well.

Underrated...

Husker Du is one of my favorite bands, and other than The Pixies probably the most underrated alternative band of the 80's and 90's.  If it sounds like you have heard their sound it is becasue you probably have, their sound was hugely influential on countless bands from punk to alternative to low fi garage.  Their sound was far ahead of its time and changed a lot over their history as a band; moving from a tradtional punk/thrash sound to more of a classic alternative rock sound as they gained in popularity.  One thing that didn't change thankfully is the quality of their songs..  If you are in any way shape or form a fan of alternative rock, punk, or any popular "The" band, pay homage to one of the originals and listen to some Husker Du.

"I Apologize" is one of my favorite songs by the band but some others include "FlipYour Wig", "Don't Want To Know If You are Lonely" and "Sorry Somehow"

HOLY...

Boo ya achieved!

I got a new job.  Boo ya achieved.

Thanks to all those who supported me along the way with encouragement and positive vibes.

The best picture in the history of the internets...

Thanks to my brother Kevin for amusing me with this picture.  The name of the picture is "Dog Suit".

La Roux...

I'm pretty late to the game on La Roux but I am really liking her latest. I have been hearing bits and pieces since the album came out back in September but never got around to giving it a solid listen. It is a hell of a lot fun. Her tunes are great remix fodder and there are a bunch out there. Its so damn 80's but in the best possible way. Plus chicks love synths...

It is a reference to King Lear...

This is so hilarious...

absolutely hilarious...

This is one of the funnier things I have seen on the internets in a while.  Make sure you watch the whole thing...

All the way live....again...

As I mentioned a ways back I am a featured blogger on two San Diego fashion blogs. New posts from me on each blog have gone live. Here are the links:

V Style For Men

Fashionably San Diego

Enjoy and keep checking back regularly.

Boo ya achieved.

A summer anthem comes early...

Great new tune, heard it on Eelke Kleijn's Out of the Box podcast.  If you haven't checked out this podcast, i highly recommend it for fans of electronic music, it is really excellent.

I give you...Add2Basket & Interplay - Summer is Back

There are a few excellent remixes but I prefer the original mix.

Spreading the awesomeness: Carstache.com

Its time for another installment of Spreading the Awesomeness.  In today's edition we have truly one of the funniest things I have ever had the pleasure of bearing witness to, indeed it is truly awesome.  I received an email from a friend about one of his friends new business and website.  It is called Carstache.  You are damn right, it is mustaches for cars.  I know, I know, incredible, that is just what I said.  The website is awesome, the product is awesome, there really is no need for me to go on, just go check it out immediately:

Carstache!

Boom goes the Carstache...

Lefty...

Congrats to Phil on winning his third Masters in a great finish.  It was a huge win and he played brilliantly, particularly his driving off the tee which had been suspect and off and on for awhile.  I believe that was a huge factor in why he played s well.  But this post isn't really about Phil's game, or golf in general for that matter, this post is about the appreciation of a beautiful moment.

After Phil sunk the tourney winning put he went over and embraced his wife in what is easily one of the best and most heartfelt moments in sports so far this year.  If you aren't familiar with the story, his wife Amy has been battling cancer for awhile and has been very ill and on bed rest.  For her to even travel to Augusta much less make it out on the course yesterday is a huge accomplishment.  In Phil's words, "The long term prognosis is good but it has been a long tough road recently."  So to see them able to share this moment together and share some joy in what has been a tough road was absolutely beautiful.  For us as spectators, golf fans, or just human beings in general it was great to be able to witness such heartfelt and genuine emotion.  All of this was made even more prominent by the shadow cast over the event of Tiger's return to the game after being busted for banging lots of sluts.  There couldn't have been two more disparate portraits of a man and his wife than the two that happened this weekend.  Hopefully for all of us, it will be the good one that will be remembered and not the bad one.

Old School...

I wish I knew how to breakdance because I love old school tunes like this...Freestyle's kickin in the house tonight so move your body from left to right...

Song for Monday...

Uptown baby, we gets down baby...

One of my all time favorite songs....

Choosing "All time favorite songs" is such an impossible task, ranking them even more so. My tastes vary so greatly and change so often it makes it very difficult but every so often there are songs that I keep going back to and they keep blowing my mind. "All My Friends" by LCD Soundsystem is one of those. This song is magic. The lyrics, the way it builds and peaks, its emotion; it is just perfect. Do this...listen to it all the way through once, then listen to it again, I promise you you'll hear new things and the lyrics will really hit you the second time around. It is the perfect soundtrack to the confusing late 20's, early 30's. In short, this song is a modern classic.

I DON'T CARE, I LIKE IT!

All the way live...

My second contribution to the fashion blogosphere (you're damn right it is a word) has gone live.  Check it out here:

http://www.vstyleblog.com/san_diego/2010/03/local-flavor-king-kouture-in-solana-beach.html

Dig it peeps...

My legend grows...

I will be contributing to a few different blogs in the coming weeks, the first of which has gone live.

I will be a featured contributor on V-Style for Men, a Men's Fashion Blog run by a local San Diego wardrobe stylist named Vanessa Valiente. She has given me some great opportunities to contribute to a lot of awesome things she has going on. Naturally I will keep all of you updated.

Here is my first in a series of postings on V-Style for Men:

http://www.vstyleblog.com/men/2010/03/scott-wickens-first-law-of-fashion.html

Enjoy.

DJ AM

Today, March 30th, would be the late DJ AM's birthday.  Sadly he is no longer with us but his talent and music live on.  He was insanely talented and single-handedly changed DJ'ing and ushered in the mash up era.  I had the pleasure of seeing him live on many occasions and every time was an absolute blast.  Some of the best times I have ever had are with my friends in Vegas when AM was rocking it.  His live mixes are available everywhere online but in his memory I'll post a link that lists a ton of them for download, all free.  So throw an AM mix on, boogie, and have some fun.  That is what he was all about...

http://www.freshbasilcrew.com/2009/09/headlines/dj-am-mixes-collection/

Incredible...

This is absolutely amazing. Some young kids perform Scarface for their school play. What bullshit, I got stuck with Bye Bye Birdie.

Have a good time, unwind , we're here to blow your mind...

As you may or may not know I spent the weekend in Austin, Texas for a bachelor party.  Yes, it was a fucking epic time, of which I am still days away from recovering from.  I'll blog more about it later but this is a quick music hit for now.  SXSW also happened to be going on this past weekend and weekend and while it is tragic that I was unable to experience any good shows the town still provided endless music experiences that were first rate.  It is in this vein that I bring you some of Austin's best music.....Ghostland Observatory.  This band hails from Austin and I have been listening to them since around 2007 when I happened to randomly catch a live recorded performance of theirs at the Austin City Limits festival that was showing on an HD music channel.  I was absolutely blown away.  I immediately found their major label debut Paparazzi Lightening and the rest is history.  This band absolutely hammers, the enormity of sound that is produced from just two people is astounding.  It's just one genius on keyboards and beats and one singer. That's it.  I suppose dance rock or electro punk would be apt monikers if you had to place a pseudo-intellectual label on it but in reality they are all over the map with beats, guitars, drums, funky ass dancing, the works.  I heard their music at a few different places over the weekend and it reminded me of how awesome they are and how huge they are in Austin.. I highly recommend both their albums Paparazzi Lightening and their newer release Robotique Majestique, which coincidentally is one of the best album names ever.  Here is a taste...and I highly recommend going to your favorite online video website and watching some live performances.

A cool idea to support...

My friend Lauren over at Some Wine with Cheese is working on another cool experiment. It is called Pay It Forward Tuesday, wherein everyone is encouraged to do one small act of kindness on Tuesdays. We definitely need more kindness in the world.

Check out the details here: http://www.somewhinewithcheese.com/2010/03/new-experiment.html

Do it....

The hardest working man in drugs...er..show business

This video is fucking gold.  Rest In Peace Godfather of Soul, you are dearly missed.  I am thankful I got to witness your glory and pageantry live in concert before your unsurprising yet untimely death from drugs.  Fare the well Grandmaster of Funk, fare the well.

Slainte!

An Irish toast to all of you fair readers, Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May you always have a clean shirt, a clear conscience, and enough coins in your pocket to buy a pint!

May the face of every good news and the back of every bad news be towards us.

May you have the hindsight to know where you've been,
The foresight to know where you are going,
And the insight to know when you have gone too far

May misfortune follow you the rest of your life, and never catch up.

'Beannachtam na Feile Padraig!'

Spreading some Awesomeness....

For this edition of spreading some awesomeness I give you my favorite stand up comedian and his web series. Enjoy Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis featuring Ben Stiller.

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: Ben Stiller from Between Two Ferns

Great video...

Here is an awesome video of Ben Folds on Chatroulette.  He is great.

If you don't know what Chatroulette is, keep it that way.  It is a despicable invention designed to make Baby Jesus cry.  Basically it randomly links you with a person to video chat.  I have never been on it myself but have hear horror stories of large fat men with their pants off, and WORSE.

Just enjoy Ben Folds and call it a day, eh?

The Station

The Station

By: Rober J. Hastings

Tucked away in our subconscious minds is an idyllic vision in which we see ourselves
on a long journey that spans an entire continent. We're traveling by train and, from the
windows, we drink in the passing scenes of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at
crossings, of cattle grazing in distant pastures, of smoke pouring from power plants, of row
upon row upon row of cotton and corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of city skylines and
village halls.  But uppermost in our conscious minds is our final destination--for at a certain hour and on a
given day, our train will finally pull into the Station with bells ringing, flags waving, and bands
playing. And once that day comes, so many wonderful dreams will come true. So restlessly, we
pace the aisles and count the miles, peering ahead, waiting, waiting, waiting for the Station.

    "Yes, when we reach the Station, that will be it!" we promise ourselves. "When we're
eighteen. . . win that promotion. . . put the last kid through college. . . buy that 450SL
Mercedes-Benz. . . have a nest egg for retirement!"

    From that day on we will all live happily ever after.

    Sooner or later, however, we must realize there is no Station in this life, no one earthly
place to arrive at once and for all. The journey is the joy. The Station is an illusion--it
constantly outdistances us. Yesterday's a memory, tomorrow's a dream. Yesterday belongs to a
history, tomorrow belongs to God. Yesterday's a fading sunset, tomorrow's a faint sunrise. Only
today is there light enough to love and live.

    So, gently close the door on yesterday and throw the key away. It isn't the burdens of today
that drive men mad, but rather regret over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and
fear are twin thieves who would rob us of today.

    "Relish the moment" is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24, "This is
the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

     So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, swim more rivers, climb more
mountains, kiss more babies, count more stars. Laugh more and cry less. Go barefoot oftener.
Eat more ice cream. Ride more merry-go-rounds. Watch more sunsets. Life must be lived as we
go along. The Station will come soon enough.

Dear NBC...

Dear NBC programming executives,

I demand answers.  How can the hours of 8-10 pm on Thursdays be so awesome and full of so much win when literally every other hour of every other day of the week on your network is so preposterously awful?  How can said vortex of suck inexplicably reverse itself so wholly and completely for such a brief period of time?  Do you have some sort of complex device utilizing quantum physics, bio mechanics, and black magic to achieve such a feat?  Could this device be used for better purposes like curing diseases or addressing world food and water shortages?  Please respond to me directly.  Thank you for your time.

P.S. - While I greatly appreciate the adorable overload of Allison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Rashida Jones, and Elizabeth Banks during your Thursday night awesomeness I recognize these as blatant efforts to get me to forget about ConanGate.  I won't be fooled by your tricks.

very cool

Check out the interesting work of sculptor and installation artist Adam Parker Smith. 

http://adamparkersmith.com/home.html

Um...exscuse me sir?

AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Happy Birthday Chuck Norris....

Chuck Norris celebrates many years of kicking ass today when he turns 70 years old.  Correction, 70 years old turns Chuck Norris today.

Interestingly, I refuse to believe that Corey Haim dying on the same day that is Chuck Norris's birthday is a coincidence.

In order to commemorate such an auspicious day I give you the top 10 facts about Chuck Norris:

01 Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried.

02 Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.

03 Chuck Norris does not hunt because the word hunting infers the probability of failure. Chuck Norris goes killing.

04 If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can't see Chuck Norris you may be only seconds away from death.

05 Chuck Norris sold his soul to the devil for his rugged good looks and unparalleled martial arts ability. Shortly after the transaction was finalized, Chuck roundhouse kicked the devil in the face and took his soul back. The devil, who appreciates irony, couldn't stay mad and admitted he should have seen it coming. They now play poker every second Wednesday of the month.

06 When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

07 Chuck Norris built a time machine and went back in time to stop the JFK assassination. As Oswald shot, Chuck Norris met all three bullets with his beard, deflecting them. JFK's head exploded out of sheer amazement.

08 Chuck Norris has already been to Mars; that's why there are no signs of life there.

09 They once made a Chuck Norris toilet paper, but it wouldn't take shit from anybody.

10 A blind man once stepped on Chuck Norris' shoe. Chuck replied, "Don't you know who I am? I'm Chuck Norris!" The mere mention of his name cured this man blindness. Sadly the first, last, and only thing this man ever saw, was a fatal roundhouse delivered by Chuck Norris.

Spreading some Awesomeness....

I am stating something this week which hopefully will be a regular occurrence, I shall call it....Spreading Some Awesomeness, wherein I will spread some awesomeness.  I believe the children are our future and in the name of said belief I shall share awesomeness because it is awesome and it is not awesome to bogart the awesome and not share it.  I suppose it is pretty self-explanatory.  Here is the inaugural spreading....

I follow a film maker and comedian on Twitter named James Gunn and he recently put together a new list of The 16 Rules of Fight Club. Since there is so much win here I thought I would re-post. Again, while I would love to be able to associate myself with this level of genius, I did not come up with these, I am simply spreading the awesomeness...

here is a link to his website: http://www.jamesgunn.com/2010/03/09/the-16-rules-of-fight-club/

1st Rule of Fight Club? Don’t talk about ‘potpourri’.

2nd Rule of Fight Club: Don’t put a cigarette in your penis and pretend like it’s smoking.

3rd Rule of Fight Club: Always know where Fight Club is held, so you don’t need to stop and ask for directions to Fight Club.

4th Rule of Fight Club: The safe word is “Bernadette Peters.”

5th Rule of Fight Club: Don’t put peanuts in any of the pot luck items. Sal is deathly allergic.

6th Rule of Fight Club: Turn off your cell phone.

7th Rule of Fight Club: No one wearing any Ed Hardy apparel will be allowed to enter Fight Club.

8th Rule of Fight Club: You have to admit, it’s still fucking hilarious when Philip does jazz hands in the middle of a fight.

9th Rule of Fight Club: No, the Lord’s Prayer at the end of Fight Club is not necessary, but please be respectful of others who pray during this time.

10th Rule of Fight Club: Just wearing a Ramones T-shirt doesn’t make you hip.

11th Rule of Fight Club: Anyone sending me a Facebook invitation to play Farmville will be immediately ejected from Fight Club.

12th Rule of Fight Club: Don’t flush the paper towels. We’ve had a lot of plumbing problems from idiots doing this.

13th Rule of Fight Club: No air saxophone in Fight Club.

14th Rule of Fight Club: Don’t do a “retarded voice” in Fight Club. It may be funny to you, but Kenny’s brother has Down syndrome and he’s, understandably, sensitive.

15th Rule of Fight Club: This is supposed to be fun! Smile, you guys!

16th Rule of Fight Club: IN FIGHT CLUB, THERE ARE NO RULES (besides the preceding 15 rules. Especially that retarded thing: seriously not cool.)

If you are having a bad day...

In an attempt to utilize perhaps the most generic phrase in recorded history I shall start this post with the phrase...we all have bad days.  As they are unavoidable, it is really how we handle those bad days that defines us as people in a lot of ways.  Some people have a delicious cocktail or beer (both excellent cures) others meditate (also an excellent cure) but a lot of times at work or out and about we can't throw down a stiff cocktail or take 15 minutes in lotus position.  ( a minor digression here...seriously, how the fuck do people sit like that, even for a few seconds?  I think even indian style is an uncomfortable seated position...)  Anyway, so now I present to you my patented Bad Day Cure....Please follow these steps to the letter, its pretty simple.  All you need is Pandora, an excellent free internet radio station.  If you don't have it already go get it immediately.  They also have it for mobile phones as well.  It allows you to create your own stations based on artists you like and then it plays songs and artists similar to that.  It is freakin genius...

So here we go:

1.  take a deep breath
2.  Open up Pandora
3.  Create a new station starting with the artist Al Green.
4.  Sit back and listen for 20 minutes

I guarantee you will feel better after this. 

In case you are a complete retard and aren't aware of the sweet sounds of Mr.Green's soul music, here is a sample.  Preach on brother, preach on:

Cole Trickle...

Its a good day to be alive.

For those of you that know me you know that I am, at times, prone to some hyperbole, this is not one of those cases. I don't say that to be dramatic but after a pretty serious car accident in the rain on the freeway on Saturday afternoon, I really am glad to be alive.

I was driving back down to San Diego from Newport Beach on Saturday afternoon and it was raining pretty hard but nothing I hadn't been through before. I was just past the Birmingham exit on the 5 in Encinitas and in the fast lane going around 50 or so, nothing too fast when all of a sudden out of nowhere I was spinning. It was one of the most frightening things I have ever experienced in my life. I was spinning and skidding across three lanes of the freeway and ended up stopped facing the wrong way. A guy in a silver pick up then hit me head on. It was exactly how most people describe it, a blur and then slow mo. Crazy, it could have been bad, very, very bad.

It was a miraculous situation, thankfully, no one was hurt. Behind our two cars, two other cars had spun out and crashed, minor damage and no injuries there either. The damage to my car was not very significant given the severity of what occurred before we hit, I even drove it home. The other guy's car was quite messed up and un-driveable however.

here is a picture of my car (click for larger):

As you can see there is some damage but not much considering the accident.

I remember standing on the side of the freeway looking at my car facing the wrong way, smashed up on another car, with cars driving by on the freeway and just thinking to myself "What.  The.  Fuck?"  Very surreal.  Needless to say I went home and had some wine.  My guardian angels were looking out for me on Saturday.

A few days post and I am feeling better after a few days of reeling mentally and struggling to stop playing it all over in my head.  I guess this is why you have car insurance.  Plus I have a sweet sparkly purple Hyundai rental car.  Oh yeah, that was not a typo, it is indeed purple.  Like Grimace purple, grape jolly rancher purple.  Awesome?  Hell yeah.  However, I have no game talking to girls at the coffee shop after they saw me get out of a purple Hyundai.  I guess it is a small price to pay temporarily.  Especially considering I DIDN'T DIE.

Be safe out there fair readers....

The 2nd worst band name ever...

The last two weeks I have been rocking some new 2010 tunes and one that stands out in particular is the debut from a band called Surfer Blood.  Their album Astrocoast is really, really excellent and really lives up to the large amount of hype it was recieving.  Its really nice California influenced pop rock; it has some beach boys/60's surf rock type of influences.  If you are a fan of bands like Vampire Weekend and Phoenix I highly recommend this album.

For the record, the worst band name of all time is a UK band called (I swear I am not joking here) Dogs Die in Hot Cars.  So there you have it....

Here is a taste of Surfer Blood (that sounded gross)...

Not as lame as the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants...

My friend Laurnie over at Some Wine With Cheese ( www.somewinewithcheese.com ) has started a cool project and as the title of this posting says it is way cooler than the Sisterhood of Traveling Pants.  It is a traveling notebook, a means of sharing small or large bits of wisdom, life experience, wit, photos or anything else worth sharing with the world, albeit in a more old fashioned way than the faceless, gaping, electronic maw that is the Internets.  For this and countless other reasons, SUCK IT AL GORE!!!

For information and how to participate go here:

http://www.thenotebookjourney.blogspot.com/

It is in this spirit that I give you one of my favorite quotes from Robert Hastings:

"The true joy of life is the trip"

You heard it here first...

A timely reminder...

 

I want this immediately... 

Thanks to my good friend Laurnie at www.somewinewithcheese.com for this.  Check out her blog, it is awesome as well!

Lost....

 

That is all....

Still so good....

Far and away their best song, still waiting for something to even come close...

Just call me Lance....

 

This is my new rig, just bought it on Monday.  First stop cruising the streets of San Diego, next stop, dominating the slopes of Mt. Ventoux like a proud eagle.  

SUITCASE OF COURAGE!

The Bottom Line

"You can't win if you don't play."

There it is folks, the bottom line of bottom lines, courtesy of the California State Lottery. Now you being an astute reader (reading this blog automatically makes you an astute reader) you probably know that this post has nothing to do with playing the lottery, which, for the record, is gambling for the ultra stupid. Seriously you might as well just burn your money, or send it to me. But I digress...In this instance I am referring to, you guessed it, LIFE.

Fear, self doubt, feelings of low self worth, anxiety, lack of self confidence; all of these feelings (notice I said feelings and not emotions) are things most people struggle with every day and compel us to half ass it through life or just to quit "playing" out right. Trust me, I know, I have been there. But that moment when I realized that I was on the bench (stupid sports metaphor continues) and started working on getting back to playing was a great day. Its not an easy journey, some days are magical, some days are a struggle, but that is part of how it works. I am excited just to be back playing the game and trying to push myself to making the most of it every day. And just like in any game, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, in fact more often than not, you lose. But dammit, you are playing and that is the important part.

So when people ask me that trite, well worn question "What is your New Year's Resolution?" I just say, "To Play". Are you playing?

Now let me adjust my crystal ball....

My best friend Joeyboots asked me, in response to my "Music of 2009" post, "well genius, now what is going to be good in 2010?"  A worthy and appropriate question my good man.  Since I am an evil gypsy with a crystal ball and the powers to see in the future I can, for you dear readers, give you a few bands to look out for in 2010.  I have included some video examples for your enjoyment if available.

-Vampire Weekend - Contra - A highly anticipated sophomore album from these guys. It has already been released and I have listened a few times through and while it is good, I have not decided as of yet how it compares to their debut which I absolutely loved. Their sound is like no other band out there, which I love about them.



-Yeasayer - Odd Blood - Another early release I have already listened to. They too have a unique sound. I really like this album, the songs are interesting and varied. Here is my favorite song off the album so far, "Ambling Alp"



-Pantha du Prince - Black Noise - Easily one of my own personal most highly anticipated releases, this drops in about two weeks. His 2007 album "This Bliss" was a flawless mix of beautiful ambient minimal techno. Here is a cut from the upcoming album, this one is "The Splendour"



Hot Chip - One Life Stand - Next to Vampire Weekend's Contra this band's third full length is probably the most critically anticipated album to be released. Their danceable electro rock is damn catchy. Should be a good one for the old moneymaker shaking.



The Shout Out Louds - Work - These catchy Swedes return in late February with another collection of great pop tunes. Here is the first single "Walls"



Other notable releases include the trip hop maestros Massive Attack with their release Helioglad and the Queen of baby-making music, Sade. That's right, Sade, her first album in over 10 years. Additionally, one of my all time favorite bands, Interpol will be releasing sometime in the summer or fall. Hooray.

Other big names releasing in the first half of 2010 include Lil Wayne, Redman, Wu Tang, Christina Aguilera, Usher, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Blink 182, No Doubt, The Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and...wait for it...wait....for....it....Jennifa Yopez! I know, I too wept with unbridled joy.

Here is a great link that lists pretty much everything of note that will be releasing through the summer and beyond.

http://www.aolradioblog.com/2009/12/02/new-music-releases-2010-calendar/

To guido or not to guido...

In light of last nights Jersey Shore finale, I give you this:

Now that is a situation...

This is still funny....

Certainly I am not implying that Hurricane Katrina or Telethons in general are funny but Kanye West and Mike Myer's reaction to Kanye's idiotic ramblings certainly are.  Between this and Taylor Swift this is why you don't get invited to telethons, live events, barmitzvahs, or really any sort of public gathering anymore.  But dammit if you don't make some great tunes.  You are a complex mass of diametrically opposing forces (SAT words, BOO-YA) Kanye.  I mean can you really blame Clooney for not inviting you to his Hati shindig?  I agree that it is easy to be pissed at Clooney in general for banging supermodels, owning mansions in Italy, and just being an all around awesome dude but not for a Kanye-free telethon.  But I digress...Or do I?  I guess not.  That's pretty much it.

On a serious note I don't think it needs to be said that you should get off your ass and donate to the Red Cross if you haven't already.  Other than just money I would also encourage you to donate blood on a regular basis.  It is something I do yearly because I have a semi-rare blood type but everyone should make a habit out of it.  I don't care if you are scared of needles or blood or clowns.  Just do it.

www.redcross.org