Love Songs in Cinema

Some movies are filled with cheesy, borderline-nauseating love that gives the feeling a bad name. These movies make me wary of watching the love stories of cinema altogether. But not to worry, there are movies with romances that can actually leave an impression, leading me to appreciate love in a way I never thought possible.

Blue Valentine with Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling is a movie unlike any I've ever seen before. It's touching yet cold, honest yet provoking--the sort of love story that leaves you hopeful and disappointed, all at the same time. In one scene, Ryan sings and plays ukulele while Michelle tap dances one evening on the sidewalk. It's a beautiful scene where a song, "You Always Hurt the Ones You Love," sums up the entire film and epitomizes true love in its most raw form.

The Jerk is a Steve Martin classic. And his brilliant, humorous acting is not overshadowed by the timeless love story of the film. One of my favorite love scenes from any movie is when Steve sings "Tonight You Belong to Me" to his love, actress Bernadette Peters. Watch for the "kiss" at the end--it's everything. And wouldn't ya know it... Another ukulele. Must be the instrument of love.

You sound like you're from London!

 I get very excited when I can look forward to an album's release. To loosely quote the movie Clueless,  "my main thrill in life is a [new album to listen to], it gives me a sense of control in a world full of chaos". And Theophilus London's new album- Timez Are Weird These Days which comes out on July 19th, will do just that for me. Score. He's got skills- and fly style! Recently featured as a hiphop up-and-comer in both Uptown and Vogue magazines, London is getting hotter by the moment. Listen, love, and buy the album.

 

http://theophiluslondon.net/site/

 http://twitter.com/#!/THEOPHILUSL/

 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Theophilus-London/

MixMash

Remixes and Mashups via Soundcloud... Take a listen.

D.veloped - The Childish Games (Childish Gambino Mashup) by Hypetrak

The Hood Internet - All Of The Lights (Ellie Goulding x Portland Cello Project x Kanye West) by hoodinternet

Luniz - I Got 5 On It (Wick-it Remix) by Wick-it the Instigator

Never Chasing Pavement (Urban Noize Remix) by AndamosArmados

Heaven is a Bitch [Nas & AZ vs. Led Zeppelin vs. Gramatik] - Vico Ono by handsb100

Girl Talk-Triple Double by Check The Availability

Current Obsession: Grieves

Yes. New Grieves album finally came in the mail last week and I've had a few days to drink in the goodness. And mhhmmm nothing but ecstasy for these ear drums.

A few songs from Together/Apart

My first notice of Grieves was years ago on his first album Irreversible, and for me, it was love at first listen. With his unique and unparalleled style and beats from talented producer Budo, I see Benjamin Laub, aka Grieves, as the future of hip hop. His buttery smooth voice translates into both singing and rapping, which sets him apart in the best way. And echoed through this voice are incredibly honest, thought-provoking lyrics that inspire true self reflection in their message. Through the heartfelt emotiveness, he maintains a certain coolness in the stories of his songs that will forever leave me wanting more. But this album is just the fix I need to tie me over for some time. Together/Apart is everything you need. The cover art, packaging design, the CD/DVD combo, and the tracks themselves come together as one conceptual piece of art. This boy knows what he's doing. And paired up with Budo for some beat magic, the album is on another level. Currently touring on the Van's Warped Tour, Grieves are Budo are rapidly expanding their fan base and successfully introducing hip hop to a swarm of indifferent rock fans. Buy this album like it's your own embarrassing sex tape and spread it like wildfire to every damn person you know. 

http://twitter.com/#!/Grievesmusic

http://www.facebook.com/Grievesmusic?ref=ts

http://www.rhymesayers.com/grieves

Mainstream Mumbo Jumbo

You know what's really wonderful about music today? Hearing the mainstream pop stars' hit songs blowing up the radio, playing at every rubbish bar I go to, and spreading like wildfire among the untrained ears of people everywhere. And by the way, my use of 'wonderful' in the previous sentence is based on its other defnition. The one where it means dreadfully awful and perpetually disappointing. But not to worry, at least these pop stars are great role models for teens across America, right? Ohhh wait a second, so...

 dancing on stripper poles,

                                          

wearing candy as clothes,

 Exclusively singing about partying,

and randomly throwing water into the mix

arent' dead giveaways for true Artists? Well bollocks! Turns out many mainstream "musicians" use their fame to make money, not art. And in today's music, this is becoming more and more common. Many are simply puppets of the music industry, tools to gain fame and money. They are contracted into an image that becomes them. They transform into the industry's idea of a star, and from here, the honesty and soul of the music slowly dies and is replaced by dollar signs and lip synced performances.

But there is hope. You can simply learn to shun the musical shit that is being hurled in your face day after day. Don't give in to the hype. Just because something is popular doesn't mean it deserves your respect. There are so many real artists out there who write their own songs, perform every show for the fans, and stay true to the music because it is their true home. So, go on, give them your love.

Flashback: First Love

When it comes to music, everyone experiences their first love. It's always pure, exciting, and best part is, an album will never get jealous, clingy, or break your heart once it's time to move on. For me, one of the first albums that hit *love* status was No Shame by Pepper.

I would say that it was a gateway album for me. Before then, I hadn't really listened to albums in their entirety. But after No Shame, I started to understand that paying attention to every track allowed me to appreciate the flow of the album and feel the continuity the artist was looking to get across.

The Album. Listen away!

Pepper has an airy, positive, reggae-rock-ska sound that is both refreshing and unique. Perfect for a summer day with laughable tracks like "Point and Shoot" and velvety smooth tracks like "Green Hell". The band website allows you to listen to all their albums, so take advantage!

http://pepperlive.com/