So, where does one start when writing about Maya Arulpragasm? Let's get personal: Maya, A.K.A. M.I.A. first caught my ear in 2004 on internet radio. The song in particular, "10," possibly describes, in a way fit for your ears, what excitement is. I was rapt, prepared to bow down to something so new, a plane ticket to anywhere that wasn't the west, a magnifying glass held over Maya's homeland, the tiny island of Sri Lanka. Long story short, her debut, Arular, dropped in March 2005 and after months of raw, hot anticipation it became my favorite record of that year.
After Arular immediately established itself as a timeless classic, what next? I've fallen in love musically many times since then. Bands came and most went but the question lingered. It's been answered.
Fierce and urgent drumming opens Kala, letting you know straight away what you're going to be served. Arular was M.I.A.'s entrance, a polite hello. Kala is her coup d'etat, taking everything you think you know or believe about music and hacking it down like stalks of bamboo. Opener "Bamboo Banga" pins us against wall and let's us know this is her show. What's surprising is our incredible willingness to follow.
"Bird Flu" predictably squawks along whilst Maya pokes fun at our idea of her, ups her self-image throws at us a portrait of a sick 21st century third-world. The Bollywood kitsch of "Jimmy" is a welcome respite following the chaotic politics in the hook-laden "Boyz." It's obviously catchy and its driving string sample and hissing hi-hats wouldn't sound out of place at Studio 54.
Afterward, the record moves forward, becoming slightly darker along the way. M.I.A. creates for us a world barely holding on to infrastructure, made complete by ghetto superstars Afrikan Boy (on "Hussel") and the little children of the Wilcannia Mob. It's a hot place, where rebellion is a reality happening in the jungle outside the city wall and Kala plays on continuous repeat from the sky.
"Hussel" boasts not just the aforementioned appearance by soon-to-be sensation Afrikan Boy, but also, in a year saturated with synthesizers (Kanye, Timbaland,) the hookiest keyboard line laid to hard disk in 2007. It's a tirade against money and the lengths people go through to get it. "Why has everyone got hustle on their mind?" Poverty anthem "Mango Pickle Down River" is almost cute with its chorus rapped by kids ("almost 10") and ambling, yes river-like, beat.
The album's centerpiece, "20$," is gorgeous in its huge-sounding simplicity and genius in its flawless production-a heavy beat with an 808 kick and a slithering keyboard, huge snare and not much else. Her lyrics globetrot from issue to issue-western materialism, Muslim extremism, the military dictatorships of Africa (the songs title is a reference to how much you need to pay to buy an AK-47 in a given African country,) living on the dole in London, the internet... It's all there, it's smart, she's smart, we love it, she's qualified.
"Down River," "The Turn," and "XR2" continue to pair smart production and enigmatic beats with lyrics fit for the "third-world democracy" she idealizes in her music. The closer, "Come Around (ft. Timbaland)," is better than almost all of what you hear elsewhere and fits in with the rest of Kala, but it almost feels useless after the outright masterpiece "Paper Planes."
The track feels to me like a summation of everything she tries to prove over the course of the record. It just sounds revolutionary without even needing a meaningful set of lyrics (which it still delivers) to back it up. It's fitting then that a sample of revolutionary music's godfathers the Clash forms the basis of the song which...is pretty much glorious. That's the only way that I can describe it, because listening to it she describes for me everything that I will ever need to hear ever again. On a record where she seeks to prove herself, nothing does so more than a song that makes me not want to listen to anything else but it ever again. It's beautiful and angry but oh-so-much-more all in the same instant. Songs like "Paper Planes" are the reason I even bother to listen to music in the first place and trying to describe that idea is futile.
And so the record ends with us, me at least, wondering not what's next but prepared to defend good, produce section fresh music until the curtain has been closed on the world's last bad act. And that's the way it should be.
There's my review of Kala... which is an awesome record actually. I decided to write it after what I saw last night. Saturday was very busy, lots of back and forth and brief encounters so I wasn't really looking forward to getting my dance on with a bunch of bandwagon jumpers at the M.I.A. show. Well my sister and I went anyway with lots of other good people (the Dude, Kara and Alexa Kalmbach, Anna, Dunna, Kit, Kelly G, Frankie, Kate, Benj) and I experienced something awesome. It was unreal and I'm not even going to bother unless you were there and feel like rehashing it with me via AIM (wolfpartyjoe) or myspace messages. The Cool Kids and Amanda Blank opened and they were good also.
Goodnight!
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Just Signed Up For a Free Screening of Juno, 10 December
I'm excited for that. I'm also excited for Superbad DVD release Tuesday, but so is everyone else between the ages sixteen and nineteen. That in itself is a good feeling though, how often does that happen, seriously? Something cultural that so many people kind of like you (age-wise anyway) get a lot of out of?
OK, no more sounding like an advertisement for Fox Pictures.
I'm reading the new Nick Hornby book, Slam, "his first geared toward young adults!," which is typical Hornby (so typically, it's awesome especially if you have a penis) and, like Superbad, I enjoy it. It's about this fifteen year old Londoner, Sam, who starts having sex with his first girlfriend serious girlfriend Alicia the night of their first date. A few weeks later there's a sort of accident but they let it go. Then they break-up and Alicia finds she's pregnant...wildness ensues. At times it's really sad and I feel down for Sam, but then there's always some really funny crack at the end of a paragraph every chapter or so and I laugh out loud. I love bonding with characters and laughing with them...wow, lame, but reading is cool so what's the deal?
My endorsement entry won't be complete without one of my favorite clips from Superbad. Here it isss...
OK, no more sounding like an advertisement for Fox Pictures.
I'm reading the new Nick Hornby book, Slam, "his first geared toward young adults!," which is typical Hornby (so typically, it's awesome especially if you have a penis) and, like Superbad, I enjoy it. It's about this fifteen year old Londoner, Sam, who starts having sex with his first girlfriend serious girlfriend Alicia the night of their first date. A few weeks later there's a sort of accident but they let it go. Then they break-up and Alicia finds she's pregnant...wildness ensues. At times it's really sad and I feel down for Sam, but then there's always some really funny crack at the end of a paragraph every chapter or so and I laugh out loud. I love bonding with characters and laughing with them...wow, lame, but reading is cool so what's the deal?
My endorsement entry won't be complete without one of my favorite clips from Superbad. Here it isss...
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Drops of Armpit Sweat
As I went on about a few entries ago, Dillon was awesome. I'm really going to miss him, but I've had a little while to set up for this so it's not a huge blow. I'll miss him though... I put him to bed last night, made sure he was comfortable and he had water nearby, as per the vet's instructions. Him dying was pretty unexpected, but I think he went out ok...comfortable at least. I love him, and the gray around his mouth.
School was pretty lame today. [School is just becoming this tired act, walking through the hallways, half-assing discussions, getting pissed off at lunch and in English and at Will when he pushes me down the hall.] I figure if I've applied to my top two schools, why can't I just take off the rest of the year? Not just not do work, but leave school. I have money to make and then I have places to go see! After second semester, I could go work in a restaurant while also working at the butcher, then in March, ship down to Austin for South by Southwest, then to California for Coachella...lay low there with my cousin, see L.A., come home for graduation. Then senior week, my decidedly punk rock and offbeat senior week that I'd like to put together in North Carolina. I hope people I know want to go too! If they don't, it's just Mimi and I, maybe some cousins, slumming it in a tent on Ocracoke for a week. Actually, that's really appealing too.
I've been trying to listen to a lot of music lately. I checked out Kevin Drew because I try to be a different cool sometimes. Yesterday, I was compelled to listen to Violent Femmes, so I did. I did this morning too, then John Doe while I was doing homework. Kala in open time. I think I like Arular better, but M.I.A. sure does the innovative thing well. And I listen to Dispatch because I'm lame.
Now, I'm listening to that dog. because their music makes me think of the 90s (surprise! you fucking ham.) Well what else can I get out of watching Dawson's Creek daily? Let's see... an obsession with Katie Holmes' expressiveness, respect for James Van Der Beek and Dawson Leery, and a longing for everything that High School was before I got there. Hahaha, that just made me feel like such a loser. Not the Dawson's Creek part, but how I so envy the 1990s. Get a grip!
I love it.
School was pretty lame today. [School is just becoming this tired act, walking through the hallways, half-assing discussions, getting pissed off at lunch and in English and at Will when he pushes me down the hall.] I figure if I've applied to my top two schools, why can't I just take off the rest of the year? Not just not do work, but leave school. I have money to make and then I have places to go see! After second semester, I could go work in a restaurant while also working at the butcher, then in March, ship down to Austin for South by Southwest, then to California for Coachella...lay low there with my cousin, see L.A., come home for graduation. Then senior week, my decidedly punk rock and offbeat senior week that I'd like to put together in North Carolina. I hope people I know want to go too! If they don't, it's just Mimi and I, maybe some cousins, slumming it in a tent on Ocracoke for a week. Actually, that's really appealing too.
I've been trying to listen to a lot of music lately. I checked out Kevin Drew because I try to be a different cool sometimes. Yesterday, I was compelled to listen to Violent Femmes, so I did. I did this morning too, then John Doe while I was doing homework. Kala in open time. I think I like Arular better, but M.I.A. sure does the innovative thing well. And I listen to Dispatch because I'm lame.
Now, I'm listening to that dog. because their music makes me think of the 90s (surprise! you fucking ham.) Well what else can I get out of watching Dawson's Creek daily? Let's see... an obsession with Katie Holmes' expressiveness, respect for James Van Der Beek and Dawson Leery, and a longing for everything that High School was before I got there. Hahaha, that just made me feel like such a loser. Not the Dawson's Creek part, but how I so envy the 1990s. Get a grip!
I love it.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Various Artists
Thanksgiving was delightful, time well spent with the cousins and "the random guy at the party," my cousin Frankie's boyfriend Ben. He was my BFF of the night. We were all drunk.
I've noticed something. A lot of things make me feel compelled to listen to good music. I come home from driving somewhere, I want to listen to good music. I masturbate (rarely, I swear!,) and I want to listen to good music. Staring at Katie Holme's hairline tonight, watching my new Dawson's Creek Season Five DVD with my sister, I wanted to listen to good music. The trouble comes when I open iTunes and I just can't pick anything. I usually go to my "Recently Added" smartplaylist and pick what looks neat or unknown. A lot of times, I end up wishing I had a New Pornographers album, because they seem to me to be good music. I almost bought one today, actually. Instead, I dropped fifty bucks on aforementioned Dawson's discs, and so far, it seems like money well fucking spent.
So I'm a senior, where did all the time go? I'm overwhelmed with every thing I haven't yet done and all the things I can do/want to do. Like, it's time for me to travel to Europe right? And the west coast too? And Mexico and South America? Weekend in Canada? I've barely seen New York City. But I forgot what I've wanted to do most! Backpacking through post-bloc Eastern Europe and Russia... and then of course, domestic adventures like getting a job in a kitchen and an internship at Magnet Magazine or Jade Tree Records.
Which kind of a good segue into my next thing.
I wish I could have my summer back. The one I just had, between junior and senior year. I feel like I missed out on so much because of a certain something that I decided it'd be a good idea to dedicate my life to; lots of parties and alcohol, days at the beach, laying in fields, trespassing, scavenger hunts, epic capture the flag matches never planned. All with really pretty Kirsten Dunst-esque teenage girls until I settled (briefly) with someone more on the Katie Holmes side of things. Looking ahead to summer 2008, I'm afraid I was locked away through the warmer season where everything happens and next year, it's going to be all business. Two jobs in preparation for the school year ahead, friends off doing the same thing as me, a brick wall of orientations and moving where August should be. I'm fucking terrified.
Endnote: My friend Allison's brother Justin, who is becoming a friend in his own right, is in an awesome band called Channel Underground. He's been sending me some of his own recordings lately and I'm posting one of them. It's called "Ancient Sock" under the name Little Kingdoms. I think it's something, he's got a unique way of doing things for a freshman.
I've noticed something. A lot of things make me feel compelled to listen to good music. I come home from driving somewhere, I want to listen to good music. I masturbate (rarely, I swear!,) and I want to listen to good music. Staring at Katie Holme's hairline tonight, watching my new Dawson's Creek Season Five DVD with my sister, I wanted to listen to good music. The trouble comes when I open iTunes and I just can't pick anything. I usually go to my "Recently Added" smartplaylist and pick what looks neat or unknown. A lot of times, I end up wishing I had a New Pornographers album, because they seem to me to be good music. I almost bought one today, actually. Instead, I dropped fifty bucks on aforementioned Dawson's discs, and so far, it seems like money well fucking spent.
So I'm a senior, where did all the time go? I'm overwhelmed with every thing I haven't yet done and all the things I can do/want to do. Like, it's time for me to travel to Europe right? And the west coast too? And Mexico and South America? Weekend in Canada? I've barely seen New York City. But I forgot what I've wanted to do most! Backpacking through post-bloc Eastern Europe and Russia... and then of course, domestic adventures like getting a job in a kitchen and an internship at Magnet Magazine or Jade Tree Records.
Which kind of a good segue into my next thing.
I wish I could have my summer back. The one I just had, between junior and senior year. I feel like I missed out on so much because of a certain something that I decided it'd be a good idea to dedicate my life to; lots of parties and alcohol, days at the beach, laying in fields, trespassing, scavenger hunts, epic capture the flag matches never planned. All with really pretty Kirsten Dunst-esque teenage girls until I settled (briefly) with someone more on the Katie Holmes side of things. Looking ahead to summer 2008, I'm afraid I was locked away through the warmer season where everything happens and next year, it's going to be all business. Two jobs in preparation for the school year ahead, friends off doing the same thing as me, a brick wall of orientations and moving where August should be. I'm fucking terrified.
Endnote: My friend Allison's brother Justin, who is becoming a friend in his own right, is in an awesome band called Channel Underground. He's been sending me some of his own recordings lately and I'm posting one of them. It's called "Ancient Sock" under the name Little Kingdoms. I think it's something, he's got a unique way of doing things for a freshman.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thanksgiving
is awesome, i'm thankful for it. i'm thankful for my hearing, the fact that i even exist and can type this to whoever is reading it, thankful for good music, blogs, mechanical pencils, the green movement, my main man barack obama, my family (everyone.,) my friends (all of them.,) relationships and friendships even those gone sour, ice cream, taste buds, cooking, heat, crinkly leaves, seatbelts, the color green, cotton, wes anderson, DFA records and james murphy, mashed potatoes, living in the first world (but i feel for those in the third.,) and you if you took the time to read this! i'm also thankful for the delicious thanksgiving eve dinner i had with my friends kelly g, robert ohman, allison berger, anna morris, caitlin krause, kit ramsey, special guest lyndsay baltus and my sister mimi! it was really fun.
have an awesome thanksgiving, nuke a gay turkey for christ, just kidding, but eat a lot of food.
have an awesome thanksgiving, nuke a gay turkey for christ, just kidding, but eat a lot of food.
Our generation is so narcissistic! Don't read that and say you aren't, you probably are. I don't know if it's totally a bad thing...we're really into ourselves for sure, but we're also a lot about other people and legitimate causes. It makes sense though, that we are so narcissistic. We maintain our Myspaces and Facebooks to a T, staring at them for minutes at a time to make sure we look as subtle-y cool as possible. We openly share that we are self-conscious. We tag ourselves in photos. But it's okay, I promise!
I'll write a Thanksgiving entry in a few hours, but until then...it's sleep. :)
I'll write a Thanksgiving entry in a few hours, but until then...it's sleep. :)
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Tuesday Was Mildly Frustrating
Thanks for the Dillon support, I love all eight people that read my blog.
I applied to Temple! I'm going to post my essay on here sometime just to put it on the internet...for like, the world to see.
Sometimes I can't believe some of the people I knew in middle school and it's interesting to see how they've all gravitated toward one another...more on that soon I hope. That's not to say middle school wasn't awesome because it was...pretty much utopia.
I think it would be funny for Lily Allen and I to go out on a date. If we went back to her place, I'd ask if she could sing me "Naive." Before anything got sexual, we'd probably agree to be just friends. At exactly the same time. And it'd be great, just Lily and I and no one would really know that we were buddies.
Thanksgiving at the Butcher...and it's fucking excitement.
Why so many ellipsis tonight? Because...that's the way my mind has been working since Sunday morning.
Earlier, I watched a program on WHYY about the Kennedy assassination. It was so sad to me. That poor family. Jacqueline was really beautiful in her heyday, easily the best looking first lady...or Barbara Bush...just kidding.
The songs I've last listened to, in sequence:
13th Floor Elevators-You're Gonna Miss Me
The Knife-Pass This On
Blur-Moroccan Peoples Revolutionary Bowls Club
Joan of Arc-Diane Cool and Beautiful*
(definitely a mistake, not in the mood.)
The Magnetic Fields-A Pretty Girl Is Like...
(pretty girls are pretty great.)
Rufus Wainwright-One Man Guy
(I'm gonna stop now.)
Speaking of the best gay pianist still keeping it real here in the States, he's coming to the Wilmington Grand Opera House January 4th...I'm going to buy two tickets for myself and someone else, to be determined the week of the show. Not that like it's a huge deal and I know all my acquaintances are hungry or fighting for tickets, it's not that at all. I just don't know who wants to see the best gay pianist still keeping it real in the States with their straight friend Joe.
I hope you like me!
I like you if you're reading this, hold me to that goodnight <333>
I applied to Temple! I'm going to post my essay on here sometime just to put it on the internet...for like, the world to see.
Sometimes I can't believe some of the people I knew in middle school and it's interesting to see how they've all gravitated toward one another...more on that soon I hope. That's not to say middle school wasn't awesome because it was...pretty much utopia.
I think it would be funny for Lily Allen and I to go out on a date. If we went back to her place, I'd ask if she could sing me "Naive." Before anything got sexual, we'd probably agree to be just friends. At exactly the same time. And it'd be great, just Lily and I and no one would really know that we were buddies.
Thanksgiving at the Butcher...and it's fucking excitement.
Why so many ellipsis tonight? Because...that's the way my mind has been working since Sunday morning.
Earlier, I watched a program on WHYY about the Kennedy assassination. It was so sad to me. That poor family. Jacqueline was really beautiful in her heyday, easily the best looking first lady...or Barbara Bush...just kidding.
The songs I've last listened to, in sequence:
13th Floor Elevators-You're Gonna Miss Me
The Knife-Pass This On
Blur-Moroccan Peoples Revolutionary Bowls Club
Joan of Arc-Diane Cool and Beautiful*
(definitely a mistake, not in the mood.)
The Magnetic Fields-A Pretty Girl Is Like...
(pretty girls are pretty great.)
Rufus Wainwright-One Man Guy
(I'm gonna stop now.)
Speaking of the best gay pianist still keeping it real here in the States, he's coming to the Wilmington Grand Opera House January 4th...I'm going to buy two tickets for myself and someone else, to be determined the week of the show. Not that like it's a huge deal and I know all my acquaintances are hungry or fighting for tickets, it's not that at all. I just don't know who wants to see the best gay pianist still keeping it real in the States with their straight friend Joe.
I hope you like me!
I like you if you're reading this, hold me to that goodnight <333>
Monday, November 19, 2007
Today I Received Bad News
My dog, Dillon, the favorite of the two for his incredible obedience, loyalty, good looks and pleasant attitude, has an enlarged heart.
The last few days he hasn't been going to the bathroom and has gotten increasingly more tender and wide around the sides (he's kind of like a pregnant woman. Haha.) So last night my dad finally decided he would take him to the vet today. The vet said he has an enlarged heart. So pretty much he's just on his way out and I'm really sad. He's not all that old, nine or ten. Lucky, the other one, is like 14, he just keeps kickin'! Maybe it'll be like those old couples that are so in love they die within hours of each other. I don't want to think about it. I love my dogs, especially Dillon. Dillon appears to be in mild discomfort, or maybe he's just embarrassed cos they shaved his belly. I hope he's here until at least Christmas.
Dillon and I had big plans. After moving off campus sophomore year of college, Dillon was going to live with me in my apartment in the big city. We were going to go on walks to Rittenhouse Square, and then some days go all the way over to Fairmount for frisbee and relaxation. I was going to have a girlfriend, whose smell he approved of, who also had a lab. They could chill. Friday nights, we would post up in front of the TV, me drinking beer and he from his beloved metal water bowl. :(
C'est la vie.
I love dogs.
The last few days he hasn't been going to the bathroom and has gotten increasingly more tender and wide around the sides (he's kind of like a pregnant woman. Haha.) So last night my dad finally decided he would take him to the vet today. The vet said he has an enlarged heart. So pretty much he's just on his way out and I'm really sad. He's not all that old, nine or ten. Lucky, the other one, is like 14, he just keeps kickin'! Maybe it'll be like those old couples that are so in love they die within hours of each other. I don't want to think about it. I love my dogs, especially Dillon. Dillon appears to be in mild discomfort, or maybe he's just embarrassed cos they shaved his belly. I hope he's here until at least Christmas.
Dillon and I had big plans. After moving off campus sophomore year of college, Dillon was going to live with me in my apartment in the big city. We were going to go on walks to Rittenhouse Square, and then some days go all the way over to Fairmount for frisbee and relaxation. I was going to have a girlfriend, whose smell he approved of, who also had a lab. They could chill. Friday nights, we would post up in front of the TV, me drinking beer and he from his beloved metal water bowl. :(
C'est la vie.
I love dogs.
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