Mixtapes - Nothing Can Kill The Grimace

Nothing Can Kill The Grimace by Mixtapes  
Download now or listen on posterous

03 Nothing Can Kill The Grimace.mp3 (5270 KB)

Mixtapes are a four-piece pop-punk band from Ohio. I have no idea how I found them, but they are the poppiest anything I've held a weeks-long obsession with in years and not felt guilty about on any level.

The bands debut album, Maps, opens and closes with an acoustic track, so you're pretty much immediately thrown into the alternating male-female vocals don't always work out but make Mixtapes because it works, mostly because Maura Weaver's voice is suited to both an acoustic guitar and doot-kat-doot-doot-kat style punk rock.

"Nothing Can Kill The Grimace," the song that instantly convinced me how much I was about to listen to Maps, mostly covers not wanting to go out and get wasted for no good reason. Not that there's anything wrong with getting wasted, but tied to that is a desire to sit home and write. Personally, the two should be combined for ultimate effectiveness. That's me though.

Barely a year old, the band has put out Maps and a few 7-inch's. They also just signed to Warner Brothers. If it was any other major, I'd  be worried but Warner tends to let bands flesh out a bit before actually expecting anything. Man do I hope they don't screw these guys up cause this band actually has potential. They're even smart enough to keep their shots at Green Day good-natured instead of getting all bitter about it. Love it.

Buy Mixtapes debut album Maps at Shockhound.

PS My lesson of the day is that both me and Mixtapes mostly qualify as orgcore. 

Posted via email from One Stupid Mop

Kanye goes graphically horrorcore for "Monster" video. Thank god we have the Internet instead of MTV now.

The real version of this video wouldn't even have made it to late-night "Smack My Bitch Up"-style if MTV were still playing videos. One of the best songs on My Dark Beautiful Twisted Fantasy gets a sick video that you can't take your eyes off of. I know why people hate this guy, and it only makes me appreciate him more.

From Kanye in bed with a couple of dead girls, to two Nicki Minaj's, and back to Kanye again, this video is more art from the top artist in hip hop. Excellent.

Posted via email from Stephen Feller

Radiohead - "Lucky"

Lucky by Radiohead  
Download now or listen on posterous

11 Lucky.mp3 (6088 KB)

I pulled out OK Computer last night with the intention of setting up the epic 01 and 10 playlist. I haven't done it yet, but you can be sure I'll post some sort of explanation on some other website when I do. 

In the meantime, "Lucky" was the last song that uploaded to my mp3Tunes locker and every time I've opened the website today, that's the first song that played. Which means I've heard it at least four or five times in the last 12 hours. (Why I open and close the mp3Tunes tab on my browser so much is an entirely different story.)

Unlike "Paranoid Android," "No Surprises" or "Karma Police," nobody ever posts "Lucky." "Electioneering" was always my favorite track on OK Computer. Right now, it's got competition. Something about the mid-tempo mix of self-doubt, new confidence and begging for a savior appeals to me as we get to the end of another year. 2010 has been a good year, but I'm convinced there's bigger things around the corner.

It says something that an album I listened to obsessively for large stretches of the last 13 years can still reveal new things to me. Worship OK Computer the next chance you get.

Buy Radiohead's OK Computer at Shockhound.

Posted via email from One Stupid Mop

Goldie - Digital (feat. KRS-One)

Digital by Goldie  
Download now or listen on posterous

2-02 Digital.mp3 (8252 KB)

This morning, while getting into my car, I had an epiphany: Why did I never start calling my Saturn "Goldie"? Lots of people have names for their cars, right? So, why not me? 

Putting aside the fact that my 2001 SL1 has nothing to do with the one-time "King of Jungle" as many referred to him in the late 90s. (Including Tricky, though I don't think he meant it as a compliment. That story can wait for another post though.) The truth is that Goldie is an innovator from both a production and label standpoint. His sound helped define a big part of drum n bass in the late 90s, and his label, Metalheadz, pushed like-minded producers. Also, Metalheadz had the coolest label logo in history.

To cut to the juicy bits of his Wikipedia bio: After putting out the legendary and darkly atmospheric Timeless in 1995. That album got him charting in the UK and he went global. He also went epic, and probably jumped the shark.

In 1998, the double-album Saturnz Return hit turntables and CD players worldwide. The second disc was filled with the sort of stuff Goldie staked his name on, and includes appearances by KRS-One (that's this track) and Noel Gallagher of Oasis (that would be "Temper Temper"). The first disc was a 60-minute largely orchestral but ultimately punishingly good drum n bass track called "Mother." I enjoyed it, but I imagine many thought the concept was preposterous. Those are probably the same people who think Zaireeka was bull shit too though and they don't matter to me.

Pounding beats and rolling, thundering bass lines. Mmmmm. If you didn't experience the electronic music scene in the 90s and early 00s, you missed out cause this stuff sounded great in wall-to-wall packed clubs. 

But my car is maroon. I don't know if it's right to call it Goldie, although I guess I could just tell people it's short for Golda Meir, cause she was tough as shit, kind of like my car. Yeah, that could be fun.

Posted via email from One Stupid Mop

Usher and Will.i.am need to watch less of The Simpsons. For real.

Posted via email from Stephen Feller

"I'm gonna up to the fire truck. It smells like pee up there."

That's what we get for coming to McDonalds.

Posted via email from Stephen Feller

Somebody missed something when they were proofing sports last night.

Posted via email from Stephen Feller