http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Fri, 11 Aug 2006 13:34:08 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/08/11/133408.php Miss HipstahA couple weeks ago, I was granted the opportunity to talk to one of the music scene's newest rising stars, Lady Sovereign. Hand picked by Jay-Z to sign to Def Jam, this British teen has hard lyrics and an even harder stage persona. Calling herself "the hardest working midget in the game". Lady Sov got the blogosphere a buzz with her EP Vertically Challenged. Fader described here as a pint-sized girl who once slapped a bouncer three times her size for not letting her father backstage at one of her shows. When I got on the phone with Lady Sov, I was expecting a rock hard attitude. Someone who would answer my questions with blase indifference. To my surprise, she was quiet and shy, nothing like the rough edged lyrics she spits so fluidly. I was actually really embarrassed because I was having problems with my tape recorder...I kept getting very loud feedback and while I was apologizing profusely, Lady Sov laughed and said how it reminded her of the sound system at New Yorks giant club Webster Hall. She waited patiently till I finally figured out what the problem was and fixed it and reassured me in her cool street London accent that everything was, indeed, cool. The following is the transcribed conversation in which Lady Sov told me such things like being signed to Def Jam, chavs and why Philadelphia was sending her hate mail:You’re in New York now and you’re performing at Summer Stage on Sunday?Lady Sovereign: Uh huh.Are you excited about that?LS: Yeah! Like, you know, it’s a big deal isn’t it? Everyone’s like “Aww yeah”.. And I’m headlinin’ it.Not too shabby. I wanted to ask you about your experience with Def Jam and first I wanted to ask you if, before you got signed, were you aware of the legacy of Def Jam?LS: Yeah, of course. Ah…yeah…So now that you are kind of a part of that, how do you feel? How do you see yourself fitting into that?LS: It’s still not fully sunk in yet, and I mean, like, it’s been like a year and a bit now and it’s like, you know. Still tryin’a realize exactly what I’ve gotten myself into. It’s like… wow… I’m still… my feet are still on the ground and I just don’t realize…So none of it has sunk in?LS: Yeah, obviously it has a bit, but…Cause you have your album coming out here in the fall?LS: October…So, how does that feel?LS: I just want it to come out. I just want the album to come out now. You know, I’m just anxious for it. So how do you feel being one of the few female artists that have been handpicked to Def Jam, as a female artist, how do you feel about that?LS: See, now that, when people mention it to me that’s when I’m realize it. It’s like damn, I’m like one of the few.Four or five maybe?LS: Yeah, I dunno. I’m just representing for myself, you know what I mean. It feels good. It feels good. Cause you’re also one of the leading female artists in the Grime scene in the UK…LS: Well…Do you see yourself as a role model for other women MCs who want to get into it?LS: Yeah, I mean, people would like, message me on MySpace and tell me things like things like that… so you know, that’s cool… like… but I’m not perfect. (chuckles) You don’t have to be perfect...LS: Bah…You’ve performed for UK audiences and you’ve performed for American audiences, is there a difference?LS: Yeah.What’s the difference?LS: It’s better in America.(Laughs) Well, what makes it better?LS: The way that people react. Like, in the UK, people are so stiff. Like and they’re so like, hard to please sometimes, and so unappreciative. But when an American goes over there, they love it, you know what I mean? Treat me like royalty. In America it’s a different story. I can feel it, I can feel ‘em… my presence… yeah… and honest.Honest?LS: Yeah. In London, people just stand there…. I dunno…ok, I’ll revisit the situation soon. I gotta do some business. (chuckles)Well, even though the American audience is more receptive, do you feel that you have to American-ize your music? To make it more palatable to an American taste?LS: Um…no. No?LS: No. I mean, there’s one exception, yeah…What’s the exception?LS: What do you think?You tell me…LS: “Love Me or Hate Me” yeah? See that to me is [a] different me because I don’t really… it’s like I don’t really like make a certain genre of music and to me, that is like hip hop. Straight up hip hop, I like it, but that’s me being experimental.Really?LS: Rather than me being normal, that’s me experimenting.So how did it feel to work with Dr. Luke for that?LS: Yeah.He’s worked with Kelly Clarkson who’s kind of this super pop star. How did you feel about that?LS: I dunno. I find it funny, but in a good way. It’s different though like working with an American producer and someone with experience like him. It felt a bit different but yeah it was fun. It was a bit weird recording in America. I kinda prefer recording back home.What were the differences? If there were any or was it just kind of a sense of where you felt comfortable?LS: Um, I felt comfortable, but it’s a new experience for me, like, to sit in a really nice studio. Which is cool but overwhelming.You were featured in a documentary about chavs.LS: (chuckles) Yeah…You’re trying to create a new image to go against the stereotype?LS: Uh uh…What’s your take on the situation? When people, say such negative things about it, what do you say to them?LS: What? About the whole chav thing?Yeah…LS: See, I was on that program like a few years ago now, but I mean, I still get called a chav but… I dunno… I’m not a chav! Like, I’m not. But, I mean like, the way that people talk about it, yeah, it’s like disrespectful, know what I mean? And you know, it’s just the way some people are, know what I mean? You know, it’s discrimination, man! Like people make money off of selling books about chavs and like probably making fun of it. It’s funny yeah, but, you know, there are some horrible chavs out there and they really do get grilled for it, yeah, and I just look at them and I’m like “I’m NOT a chav”…Don’t even go there! You know what I mean? But…I’m a groomed chav. Along that line, how’s the “Save The Hoodies” campaign going?LS: I dunno, I haven’t checked it for a while. (Laughs) I mean, it’s still there…I mean…Do you think that’s something that’s gonna change? Do you think they will allow hoodies in shopping malls and certain places, do you think that’s gonna change?LS: There’s only a few places that don’t allow you to do that. Yeah… but if it does start kicking off again then I’ll just give them a little initiative to shut up (Laughs)So, I know you’re a sneaker fan…LS: Uh uh…So what’s your favorite pair of sneakers right now?LS: I only wear Adidas. So, I just got these ones made by Adidas and they’ve got lights in the stripes. And I’m the only person like, rockin’ a pair of ‘emOh, excellent…LS: So I’m gonna set a trend. I’m never gonna be able to get them in this country cause they’ll think I’m a shoe bomber. Cause they have the little battery things in the sole and everything. Oh, lord. Those sound really cool though. Do you have like an Adidas sneaker/hoodie combo that you do?LS: I’ve got so many combos! It’s fun, just like mixing and matching all that.Do you have a favorite?LS: You know what? Just whatever looks good is my favorite but I’ve got every single color, apart from pink.Is the whole sneaker phenomenon more popular in the States than in the UK?LS Um…nah, people are big on sneakers in the UK (singing) But they ain’t got shoes like mine. It’s always like “Sovereign where do you get your shoes from?!” I’m like, "well you know." It’s always like “Get me a pair please!” I’m like “Aww, come off it.” “I’ll pay you, I’ll pay you!” and I’m like “I don’t want your money”.So, musically, what are you listening to right now? What are you into?LS: Right now? Um… There’s this guy called Mickey Avalon. I think he’s funny. He’s good. You know, my Ipod, I just listen to that lately because you know, I haven’t got myself time to sit down and find out what’s going on these days, which is a bit shameful, but you know. And I like early Hip Hop anyway. So my Ipod is good.So you’re touring a lot now? LS: Yeah, like I start my headline tour in October 24th.So where are you starting out?LS: Where?Yeah, like where is the headlining tour starting out?LS: Uh, somewhere in America, I don’t know where.So it’s an American tour?LS: Yeah, yeah…Is it international or just American?LS: Just American for now, but like, I’m going to Japan in like about a week and a half, as well.You excited about that?LS: Yeah man. (Laughs) Bigtime. So where has been the best show that you’ve ever done?LS: Ever?Well, so far yeah…LS: I dunno. The show I did in Denmark was all right actually, which, it was surprising because I didn’t think no one in Denmark knew what was going on, you know. I had about like five thousand people just going crazy and they all knew my lyrics. It was mad. That was cool. I’ve done some good shows in America as well. Most of them have been good so I can’t really say “Aw, this one was my favorite.”Right…well, what about the worst?LS: Philadelphia.Philadelphia? Really?LS: I didn’t even do the show.Why?LS: I don’t know if you’ve seen, on YouTube.com, if you type in my name, there’s like a video of when I freaked out in Philadelphia, and I didn’t do the show and I started going mad. I just looked like a spoiled little brat. I was like “I’m not FUCKING doing this”, I was like AARRRRGHHH.Was there any reason why?LS: Because the sound system, the PA was the most budget, rubbish, cheap, lamest system I’ve ever come across in my life. I couldn’t hear anything. It was bad. I pushed the speakers over and everything. Oh, Philly hates me I think. No seriously, I got hate mail after that. But I’m going back there soon…So you’ll do a better show?LS: Yeah…Do you have anything you want to say about the album? LS: October the 10th. Public Warning. You know, help a girl out. (Laughs)So you know exactly when it’s coming out?LS: October the 10th. Definitely this time. Is it already out in the UK?LS: No, no! You lot are gettin’ it first. Music51448@blogcritics.org Fri, 11 Aug 2006 13:34:08 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/07/24/070804.php Miss HipstahATL is a movie that will surprise you. Like its characters, ATL will show you that what you see is not always what lies beneath the surface.The movie takes place in Atlanta, Georgia (hence ATL) and follows Rashad (Tip “T.I.” Harris) a 17-year-old who, after the death of his parents, has to take care of his little brother Ant (Evan Ross). They live with their Uncle George (Mykelti Williamson) who is in his forties, but acts younger than both boys. Rashad’s three friends are a motley crew of misfits: Esquire (Jackie Long) who goes to a private school, wants to go to an Ivy League, but lives on the wrong side of town; Brooklyn (Albert Daniels) who is originally from New York and can’t seem to keep a job; and finally, Teddy (Jason Weaver) who just wants to graduate high school and get a girlfriend. The four friends hang out at the Waffle House or at Cascade, the skating rink where they are the skate champions. It’s there that they see New New (Lauren London), a girl who no one seems to know anything about, and who takes a liking to Rashad. While Rashad spends time with New New, and his boys spend time trying to prepare for the upcoming skating tournament, Ant falls prey to a local drug king pin Marcus (Antwan Andre Patton aka Big Boi of Outkast). ATL, which was written by Antwone Fisher, is loosely based on the childhood of producer Dallas Austin and singer Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins (of TLC). It is also music video director Chris Robinson’s first full-length feature. Unlike other music video directors (whose attempts at longer movies end up being two-hour long music videos), Robinson makes the jump smoothly. His use of imaginative POV shots, humorous flashbacks, and inter-spliced words on film make the movie not only more interesting, but also show off his creative vision in making the story work. Whoever cast ATL did a good job. The transition T.I. makes from rapper to actor is flawless, most likely because he’s playing himself. Laid back, calm and cool, he makes Rashad a likeable character with forgivable flaws. You want this guy to pull through. Evan Ross (son of singer Diana Ross) is another good casting choice. He is young and reckless and his stupid choices make you want to smack him upside his head. Watching him, you can see the angst of not only a poor 15-year-old who wants everything handed to him, but the angst of a young boy desperately trying to be a man. In fact, that is something that almost all of the characters are dealing with: The desire to be something more and something other than what and who they are. It’s what makes many of the characters humorous and heartbreaking. They are easy to relate to, which is what makes ATL so much fun to watch. Video50685@blogcritics.org Mon, 24 Jul 2006 07:08:04 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/07/21/212114.php Miss HipstahGreen Street Hooligans, the first full length directorial effort by Lexi Alexander, takes a look into the explosive world of British football hooliganism and how it not only impacts the game, but the lives of those who get involved. It also sheds light on how far some hooligans will go in order to protect their gang’s honor. The movie begins with a fight between two “firms,” essentially the groups of hooligans for two different teams. The leader of the Green Street Elite is Pete Dunham (Charlie Hunnam), a cocky youngster who has no problem smashing a rival’s face through a glass window. As the fight ensues, the scene flashes to a prestigious building at Harvard. Here we see Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood) packing his things. While he is packing, his roommate, Jeremy Van Holden, hands him a packet of money. As the film goes on, it is revealed that Van Holden hid his cocaine stash in Matt’s closet and when the school got raided, it was Matt who was expelled. Van Holden paid Matt off for his silence as he explained he had a reputation to uphold. Matt takes the money and gets on a flight to London, where his sister Shannon (Claire Forlani) has been living for the past few years with her husband, Steve (Mark Warren) and child. Matt hasn’t been in London a day before he is cast off to Steve’s younger brother, who, it is revealed, is none other than the aforementioned Pete Dunham. Pete begrudgingly takes Matt to his “place of business” (the local pub) before dragging him to a football match. During this time, the rest of Pete’s “crew” is introduced. To make a long story short, Matt becomes part of the crew, helping them in their wild fights and escapades. The climax of the film is as bloody as it is heartbreaking. After seeing how French favorite Zidane acted in the final game of the World Cup, it’s no wonder that fans would act even worse. This film clearly shows how deep the hatred between two teams can run. For a first-time director, Alexander does a good job of keeping the viewer visually connected. The fight scenes are graphic and the use of camera angles and stop motion create a jarring sense of reality, where the viewers have to question whether or not they themselves are fighting in a drunken stupor. The script and characters, however, leave a little to be desired. While I love his acting in other films, I will say this: Elijah Wood will annoy you, whether it is because of his horrible Bostonian accent or because of his character’s inflexible sense of entitlement. He is, in many ways, an “ugly American” who is searching for his identity by appropriating someone else’s (in this case, the identity is that of a British street thug). The moral lesson of the film (that if you want something, you should stand your ground…I’m guessing) is lost amid the British slang and the gratuitous violence. But there is a moral. Really…there is. You just have to find it. And while the acting and script may not be completely Oscar caliber, the visual beauty of the film makes it well worth watching. Video50634@blogcritics.org Fri, 21 Jul 2006 21:21:14 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/07/11/043152.php Miss HipstahAmid the mountains of musical garbage, it is difficult to find a new sound that is worth listening to. For this reason, José González shines. His music is a rare gem, one that should appeal to young urban hipsters as well as aging baby boomers. As someone told me, it’s the kind of music you would listen to in the tub after lighting some candles and incense.With its Spanish guitar influences and his soft, gentle voice, it easy to see that the beauty of González’s music is in its intimacy. His presence is as unassuming in his character as it is in his songs. You could be listening to his album Veneer in a room full of people and still feel like he is singing just for you.For example, the song “Heartbeats” (a cover of The Knife’s electro, New Wave-ish song and a personal favorite of mine) rings of early Simon and Garfunkel, with a beautiful guitar medley and vocal harmonies. But, unlike Simon and Garfunkel whose music was made for two parts, González puts the piece together as a solo artist while creating a sound of more than one person. Songs like “Slow Moves” or “Deadweight on Velveteen” are lyrically poetic and musically sound. “Lovestain” takes bitter and dark lyrics and sets them against an upbeat guitar picked tune that includes hand claps, making your head nod.In his song “Crosses,” González makes an obvious religious connection (“Crosses all over, heavy on your shoulders”) but the entire song plays like a lullaby, one that could be sung to a sleeping child or a heartbroken lover. This song is also featured on the Zero 7’s “The Garden,” an album on which González also worked.The songs on Veneer are short vignettes, the longest song being less than four minutes, which makes the entire album just about thirty minutes long. Short, but sweet. And it will make you want to play it over and over again. Music50225@blogcritics.org Tue, 11 Jul 2006 04:31:52 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/06/19/134544.php Miss HipstahDubbed by BBC Radio as one of the top artists to watch in 2006, Corinne Bailey Rae’s made anything but a quiet debut. Her album, which was released in the UK on the 27th of February and is being released in the States tomorrow, has already been given four stars from Q Magazine and London’s Times. Her single “Put Your Records On” has already been nominated for a “BETJ Cool Like That Award” which will be given at the BET Awards on June 27th. The 26-year old chanteuse was born in Leeds, UK to a West Indian father and Yorkshire mother. Growing up, Rae, like many soul singers, got her start in Church: "I started off singing in church, I suppose, but people think it must have been a gospel church because of the whole, you know, black assumption," she says in reference to her mixed-race background. "But it wasn't gospel at all, it was just your regular brethren church, very middle-class, where we would sing these harmonies every Sunday. It was always my favourite part of the service, the singing."At the age of 15, Rae and some friends started an all-girl punk band called Helen, which gained some attention among the London indie punk scene, but was ill-fated and did not last very long. While attending Leeds University, she worked at a jazz nightclub as a hatcheck girl. On occasion, she was allowed to sing with the band. This would lead to her being signed by EMI Records last year. Because of this eclectic background in music, Corinne Bailey Rae’s talent goes beyond her singing voice. She has successfully managed to create a sound that appeals to a wide audience. She has more than enough soul to appeal to Jazz fans while at the same time being cute and quirky enough to make Massive Attack listeners take pause. Surely the neo-soul movement of Erykah Badu and Jill Scott will want to claim her as their own as well. Her sound is definitely reminiscent of classic songstresses like Holiday or Scott or Beth Orton or Lauryn Hill.She combines soul and pop, adds a dash of church music and creates a style uniquely her own. With Britain’s “Urban” R&B and Soul scene on the rise, Rae finds herself in an interesting situation. While she can fit into the Soul genre, she can also separate herself into her own category. Her single “Put Your Records On” is a good example of this. While it has the R&B/Pop quality that is so popular today, it hails a sound from a different era. It is definitely a summer song that will lift you up and make you want to go out. It is no wonder that Blender Magazine rated it one of their top 20 songs to download. Some of her other songs are softer, sadder even. “Till It Happens To You” and “Choux Pastry Heart” are painful songs about heart ache and love where Rae voice contradicts itself by being strong and soft at the same time. On her other single off “Just Like A Star”, Rae’s voice has a childlike quality, filled with wonder and awe and reflected in the lyrics of this sweet love song. This is completely contrasted by the funky, sexy, horn-blasting track “I’d Like To.” Her song “Butterfly” is a jazzy dedication to her mother, describing the happy childhood from which she blossomed into who she is today. Even though her album has not come out yet, Corinne Bailey Rae is already making a huge impression on many in the United States. She was a guest on today’s Good Morning America and will be on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on June 27th. She will also have featured appearances on PBS’ The Tavis Smiley Show and A&E’s Breakfast With The Arts. On June 21st, Rae will be performing in NYC’s Bowery Ballroom, just one of her (soon to be) many North American tour dates. Corinne Bailey Rae is definitely not a singer to be slept on as she is one of the rising stars of 2006. Music49418@blogcritics.org Mon, 19 Jun 2006 13:45:44 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/06/17/173902.php Miss Hipstah“Do you wanna ride tonight?” That was the question posed by Boots Riley of the Oakland, California based group The Coup at their show Monday night. The group, along with three other hip hop acts, performed at Washington, DC’s Black Cat. The weird, eclectic, mostly white audience did indeed want “to ride” but, at first, lacked the enthusiasm expected by the performers. The show, which was part of the The Coup’s “Pick A Bigger Weapon” tour, was not just a gathering for music fans. It was part of the political “Not Your Soldier” campaign, an anti-war and highly anti-Bush movement that is trying to stop military recruiting on college campuses. The sense of activism was in the air. At the merchandise tables there were the standard T-shirts and CDs. But there were also books about anarchy (Emma Goldman’s biography was a favorite), activism and what to do when confronted by the police. Flyers and pamphlets informing on how to get rid of army recruiters on college campuses were also being passed out. The Coup have already made their political beliefs clear both on their amazing new album, “Pick A Bigger Weapon” as well as in their concert choices. They performed at Operation Ceasefire, an activism-fueled concert that took place on the National Mall back in September, 2005. A year earlier, Boots Riley received the first AFL-CIO Arts and Activism Award for his work on The Coup’s “Tell Us The Truth” Tour. They are favorites among the DC (as well as national) activist circuit. The show started off with a set from the DC-based Poem-Cees, who were accompanied by the ever awesome (okay, I’m biased) DJ Eurok. They were followed by Oakland artists Iselyfe and T-Kash (who a fellow writer referred to as “The Coup’s ‘weed carriers’”). Towards the end of his set, Iselyfe provided the audience with an impromptu spoken word poem about the trials and tribulations of the urban lifestyle which was well received by the suburban politicos and pseudo activists. T-Kash opened up his set with a song “Lex Luthor,” a political rap about the evils of corporate America. They ended their set with a speech in which they called Kerry a quitter, Cheney the actual president and Bush “Hitler.” This, of course, riled up the crowd a bit, as did the shouts of “we’re keeping it real.” But it was still very much a DC music crowd, fitting the reputation that DC audiences are notoriously underwhelmed by musical acts. There was a brief pause between T-Kash’s set and The Coup’s, during which a band set up. This was surprising because The Coup is normally Boots Riley and DJ Pam The Funkstress. But sadly, Pam was no where to be seen, an all-male live band having taken her place.After being introduced, Boots Riley sauntered on stage. He looked like he had just stepped out of the 1970s: His well-kept afro was only accentuated by his flame-decaled black button-down. He immediately broke into “We Are The Ones,” one of the various hits off the album. The live band performed the song well enough, making the Hip Hop beats almost indistinguishable from those at a rock concert. Which is indeed sort of what this was…A Hip Hop show being played for a Rock & Roll audience. Towards the front of the crowd (right up by the stage), people danced (or had epileptic seizures) while most in the back remained still. That is until the band played a rhythm similar to a Limp Bizkit song. Then the crowd just sort of nodded their heads. Some even raised their arms up. The guitarist at one point (I believe it was during “ijustwannalayaroundalldayinbedwithyou”) played a solo like he was channeling Jimmy Page. Afterwards, Boots Riley performed the hit “My Favorite Mutiny” in which Black Thought and Talib Kweli guest. But because neither one was in DC, Boots performed one verse of the song and maybe the chorus before moving on to a different tune. After a few more songs, he left the stage so that the female singer could perform “BabyletshaveababybeforeBushdosomethingcrazy.” She was phenomenal. Her voice carried throughout the club like nobody’s business and towards the end of the show, it was her energetic dance moves that made everyone else get up and get down. All in all the show was good. But as a friend said to me later: “It’s not The Coup.” For a group that has been highly criticized and have such controversial politics, the show seemed rather tame. First, the crowd was an odd one. There was a weird juxtaposition between longtime fans of The Coup and the group of activists and protesters. That and the fact that DC scenesters are a tough crowd. Second, the fact that Pam the Funstress was no there was a little disheartening. In a music scene where talented female DJs are few and far between, it was saddening to see an amazing woman DJ being replaced by an all-male band. (Insert all “it takes 3+ men to do one woman’s job” jokes here.) Having a female DJ is progressive. It’s forward thinking. And for a group that has been dubbed political and progressive, this was a bit of a disappointing step back. The show could have been better, but that has nothing to do with the actual music. The album “Pick a Bigger Weapon” is still one of the best albums of 2006. To find more about it and to hear some of the tracks, check out The Coup’s MySpace page. Music49358@blogcritics.org Sat, 17 Jun 2006 17:39:02 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/06/08/085219.php Miss HipstahFor a young alterna-pop band, the key to getting noticed by the likes of MTV is a selection of songs with catchy hooks and a band with a certain level of physical attractiveness. Luckily for the guys of Plain White T’s, they have both. Since the group’s creation in 1997, the Plain White T’s have grown considerably. Their debut album, Stop was recorded in a friend’s basement. After eight years, their sophomore album All That We Needed got a little help from We Are Scientists' producer Ariel Rechtshaid and was recorded at Hard Drive, an actual studio in North Hollywood. Originating as a garage/basement band from suburban Chicago, Plain White T’s has a certain teen angst appeal. Lead singer Tom Higgenson has a voice that recalls a high school romance, especially on the single “Hey There Delilah,” a love letter song to a girl who has left and gone to New York for college. Written from the apparent perspective of a high school dropout boyfriend, the song drips with puppy love and first heartbreak. It is this song that touches the Plain White T’s listeners so much as you can hear on the last track, the live version of “Hey There Delilah.” Recorded at a December 2005 concert at Chicago’s Metro, the concert hall seems to be filled with an audience of predominantly young women, most likely teenagers. And they all know every word to the song. So well, in fact, that at one point, Higgenson stops singing and the audience continues on without missing a beat. This is a good sign for the Plain White T’s. It means they have a hit single, one with a hook that will help sell them on MTV and help get them nation-wide gigs. There’s no need to really discuss the rest of the album. The songs are catchy, but mediocre. None capture the emotion of “Delilah.” If there is one thing all the songs on this EP have in common, it’s a sense of insecurity. The track “Down The Road” is a song about being young and having insecurities about the future. “Losing Myself” is about insecurities with finding new love and keeping it. “If I Told You” is about the insecurity of admitting you love someone and the fear of rejection.. Overall, this is the most honest trait the Plain White T’s have: their ability to capture a sense of complete and total insecurity within their music. Not to say they are insecure ABOUT their music. They are not. It's easy to see why many young people who suffer from low self-esteem will find their music appealing. You can hear some of the Plain White T's music on their MySpace page. Music48953@blogcritics.org Thu, 8 Jun 2006 08:52:19 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/05/26/101157.php Miss HipstahIf you haven't already heard, The Artic Monkeys have been making waves. Their fast-paced punk sound and their sassy, ironic hipster style has been getting them a lot of notice. Not bad for four guys who look like they haven't even hit puberty. Not only have they been called "the next Beatles," but one of their songs has even inspired a series of short films. Scummy Man is a short inspired by the song "When The Sun Goes Down." It shows the lives of young people who live in the shadows of night and somehow always manage to be in society's emotional blind spot. Written by Paul Fraser, the film was shot on Super 16 MM by award-winning cinematographer Danny Cohen. Cohen's filmography includes Dead Man's Shoes, which I believe is coming out in the states this year. It's hard to say what Scummy Man is about, but from the trailer and the Arctic Monkey's "When The Sun Goes Down" video, it seems to me that the short follows the life of a young unassuming prostitute, her pimp, (played by Stephen Graham, who played Tommy from Snatch) and a motley crew of other outcasts who only come out at night. Scummy Man Trailer Real Player Lo Real Player Hi Windows Media Lo Windows Media Hi Quicktime Lo Quicktime HiThe Arctic Monkeys' "When The Sun Goes Down" RealPlayer Windows Media QuicktimeYou can also check out the Arctic Monkeys on their MySpace page. Video48145@blogcritics.org Fri, 26 May 2006 10:11:57 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/05/20/174211.php Miss HipstahBack in 2000, I was fortunate enough to meet the United States' poet laureate of that year, Stanley Kunitz. He was reading from his latest collection of poems. Seeing him read his work, Stanley Kunitz reminded me of my father - a man who held everything in a quiet regard. His poetry was written in the same way.Stanley Kunitz died in his sleep early Sunday morning, May 14, 2006. He was 100.The son of Eastern European Jewish immigrants, his father commited suicide in a public park a few weeks before he was born. His mother opened a dry goods store to support her family. Later, Kunitz went to Harvard where he graduated summa cum laude in 1926. His Jewish background, however, prevented him from becoming an assistant in the English department.During WWII, Kunitz served three years in the army, even though he was a conscientious objector. His experiences in war were fuel for his collection Passport To War, which was published in 1944.Over the years, Kunitz held teaching positions at Yale, Princeton, Rutgers, Bennington, the New School, and of course Columbia, where he spent 22 years. He won several awards. His poetry was widely recognized in the United States as well as the rest of the world. It wasn't until his old age, however, that he really came into his prime: Kunitz had just turned 95 when appointed poet laureate in 2000, capping a career that began 70 years earlier with the collection Intellectual Things and later included a Pulitzer, a National Medal of the Arts and at age 90 a National Book Award.He served a single one-year term as U.S. poet laureate and was also the Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, the precursor to poet laureate, from 1974 to 1976. One of his best poems was "Touch Me", which he wrote for his third wife, Elise Asher, a painter, after her death in 2004. It was one of the poems he read at the reading in 2000. A portion of it:So let the battered old willow thrash against the windowpanes and the house timbers creak. Darling, do you remember the man you married? Touch me, remind me who I am.Stanley Kunitz was one of America's greatest poets. His contribution to American literature is one that will not soon be forgotten. Stanley Kunitz will be greatly missed. Books48039@blogcritics.org Sat, 20 May 2006 17:42:11 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/05/19/114044.php Miss HipstahThis is an interview I recently did with artist Lupe Fiasco. It was originally posted on Imageyenation.com where I post under the name "Lady Glock." However, I changed the name back to Miss Hipstah especially for Blogcritics."I'm not the greatest skateboarder, but I'm a damn good rapper, so I made a damn good skateboarding song." -Lupe FiascoSo there I was lying on the floor of my room, waiting for my phone to ring like some sort of lovelorn school girl in desperate need of a date for Friday's dance. I looked at my watch. It was 5:15. As usual, (well, usual according to the various articles I'd read about him) he was late. I was still working on a crossword puzzle when the phone finally rang. The woman on the other line said "Hey, hang on a second," and then I heard her call "LUPE!" And before I could say "Kick... Push... Coast," I was talking to Lupe Fiasco. For the next half hour or so, Lupe skooled me in skateboarding, sneakers, being Hip Hop's new darling, changing the world and of course, a robot named Seymour. Check it out: Miss Hipsta: How you doin?Lupe Fiasco: Uh, I'm good, I'm good.MH: Long day?LF: Nah, short day, short day...MH: Oh, that's good.LF: Very good day...MH: Well, that's good. My first question is about skateboarding and how you got into that?LF: I got into skateboarding when I was like a shorty. It was a toy thing. (He says "what's up" to someone else) A toy thing, you know, like riding bikes and scooters and all that stuff. It was like...a toy. I skated for a minute when I was really small and then it phased out. I became like a teenager and left it alone and then I picked it right back up about a year and a half ago cause I got back really heavy into collecting sneakers, and you know a lot of the dope sneakers are in skate shops and stuff like that, so I was like "Yo, lemme get a board."MH: Well, do you remember what your very first skateboard was?LF: It was like a little small, plastic, blue, Lords of Dogtown looking board with big ass yellow wheels on it but it was plastic. MH: That sounds kinda cool. So it said in the Fader article that you had published the song "Kick, Push" and it was about the guy who gave you your...LF: The dude who gave me, not that skateboard, but the first skateboard I got when I started back.MH: When you came back?LF: Yeah! That's my man, Ken from Uprise Skate Shop in Chicago. And like, as he was makin' the board and he was like tellin' me his story with skateboarding. You know, he's been skateboardin' since...well skateboardin' for so many so many years, tens and tens of years and whatever. He just...like what it meant to him, you know. It was deeper than just a hobby. You know, it was a part of him. It was more than just a lifestyle...it was like his life. And I was just like "wow" you know. And I know there's kids like that with basketball and types of other little situations where they really internalize and absorb it and let it become a part of them. So I was like "Yo, someone needs to tell that story." And yeah..."Kick, Push."MH: So now, you're doing remixes of it right?LF: Well, Pharell did a remix. Pharell did a remix for it and he really just jumped on, just spit on it. He didn't remix the record.MH: Well I actually heard that remix this morning.LF: Oh yeah yeah yeah, so he just spit on there. I got some other stuff planned, you know like a real remix of the recordMH: Well, I was told to suggest to you, not that you should take this, but I think you should, do a remix with Murs. Have you thought about...LF: With Murs? What was his song, "The Transition" or something like that? He did a skate boarding song not too long ago. He did one of the first skateboardin' records. I forgot what it was called...I dunno. I'll see. I definitely want to do something that people aren't expectin'. So it's still in the works, for like a real official, real different beat remix type situation.MH: So kind of veering off for a second. How did you become a sneaker connoisseur and on that note, what is your favorite pair of kicks right now?LF: My man Drew and my man Success who do a lot like re-selling and buy a lot of sneakers...I got into it kinda with them. There's a store in L.A. called Undefeated.MH: Yeah?LF: And I went to Undefeated one day and was like "Wow, they got colors of Air Force 1's other than white?" You know what I'm sayin? And it was like "Oh snap!" And I bought a pair of wild lookin' sneakers and thought "yo, this is kinda fresh", you know. They come out with a different color every two weeks, and you gotta stand in line, and you gotta do this that and the third. I started to see that people really have collections, they have 250 shoes, you know and different pairs of dunks, and you know "Oh what's this?" or "Oh what's that?" and I just started learnin' and pickin it up and I got a love for it. And then I went online with it and seen that there was kids actually talking about it and discussin', you know, how the break down of it and waitin' on different colors and different stuff like that, and I was like, oh it's a whole movement. It's a whole culture. It just kinda took me from there and that lead into like streetwear and you know, art, different things all spawning from the sneaker stuff, even the skateboarding. It all goes back to the skateboarding.MH: Right...LF: My favorite pair of shoes right now are Chuck Taylor.MH: Ok. (Pause) Any specific type? Any specific ones?LF: There's a John Lennon Chuck Taylor where it has a picture of John Lennon sittin' on the world...MH: Oh really?LF: It's called the Peace Chuck, it's a "Peace to the World" Chuck and on the front, written in the rubber, is "Imagine All The Peoples Of The World Livin In Peace." That's like my favorite shoe, the color, the execution and everything, the shoe strings, everything. MH: That's pretty cool ...sorry I'm just reading my notes here.At this point Lupe stops talking to me and starts talking to some people on the street.LF: Yo...I'm sorry. MH: It's ok. You're probably really busy right now.LF: Nah, I'm walkin' the streets of New York City which I probably shouldn't be doing.MH: (Laughs. A lot.)LF: On the Lower East Side where I'm like a superstar.MH: (Still laughing) So are people gonna be stopping you a lot right now?LF: Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah we good. MH: So, "Kick Push" is your new single. You have the video out on BET, MTV...LF: Uh huh.MH: It's not like a lot of other rap songs at all. How do you feel being able to create these raps songs but not be part of that major hip hop/rap scene?LF: It feels good, you know. It feels like you're out there, you know, doin' your own thing, know what I'm sayin'? It's like, people can't really compare it to anything, and that kinda feels good. It opens me up to a lot of different arenas, a lot of different type of situations, you know like Tony Hawk will call. You know what I'm sayin'? I can just image if my songs was about shootin' up, and like sellin' cocaine, I doubt Tony Hawk would be callin' you know?MH: You did a concert for his benefit didn't you?LF: He invited me out to do a skateboard benefit and there was rock groups there, you know rock groups and actors and movie directors, and all type. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were there...with there kids though! So I can just imagine if I was out there rappin' about just wild and sayin' stuff, then I wouldn't have been there rappin' to Tony Hawk's kids. You know what I'm sayin'? MH: (Laughs) Right.LF: So...it feels good. I know I'm putting something positive out there you know, and for me that's good, cause to me that's more important than anything, 'cause I don't want to put anything negative into the world, especially anything that's going to reach the masses.MH: Well, that kind of goes into my next question. You don't do drugs, you don't drink, and you're a pretty devout Muslim from what I've heard.LF: Yeah, I'm struggling, struggling...MH: (Laughs) Do you hope to make some kind of social impact, I mean through your spirituality, through just being an outsider to the hip hop. I guess, to what is considered the hip hop culture now?LF: I hope so. You know, like, there's a lot of...I went back and listened to the records that I used to listen to as a kid and I fast forwarded to how I am now and what made me as a person. I be thinkin' wow if if I didn't know every word to this Spice 1 record, how would I be? Would I be a different person, you know. If I didn't listen to so much negative or wasn't exposed to so much, negative music? So I wonder...it's like if my [nephews] are like five, I wonder what they're gonna turn out listening to the most ultra violent, watchin' the most crazy pornographic video...you know stuff like that. I wonder, how they gonna turn out. And I really be thinkin' about they affairs. I was thinkin,' I wonder what would happen if they get a bunch of positive stuff. If drug dealin' aint cool, you know if this particular activity ain't cool and now skateboarding is cool or like doing art is cool, you know. (Pause) Like, I do, but I'm not a preacher. You know what I'm saying? I'm a hypocrite just like the next person. I'm not really trying to change the world, like a fool tries to change the world. 'Cause you come to the conclusion that you can't change the world. MH: But you are hoping to make some kind of impact, to show, that there is more to hip hop?LF: Yeah! Definitely trying to show kids and people who observe hip hop and give it a bad name or give it a bad rep. "Oh...Lupe Fiasco"...Now what?MH: So, how do you feel then, being considered... I mean, you're Kanye's "protégé." You're being compared to Kanye, you're being compared to Pharell Williams as kind of being an outsider 'cause you know you're into sneakers, you're into skateboarding and it's kind of being seen as an outsider to Hip Hop but being part of Hip Hop culture.LF: Uh huh.MH: How do you make sense of that?LF: I like it. It's good company to have. You know what I'm sayin'? MH: I'll say, yeah...LF: To be mixed in with...I'm not mad at it at all. I always knew that I'm gonna get compared to somebody. Somebody's always gonna try and put me under somebody else, you know. But you'll have the Kanyes and the Pharells come out and be like "Yo, he's his own dude. We look up to him in certain aspects. We admire his work in certain aspects and pull from his work as much as he probably admires and pulls from our work." So it's kind of a back and forth relationship you know, as opposed to where I'm Kanye's protégé, you know what I'm saying. I came from up under Kanye and Pharell...MH: Well, that's what's been written about you.LF: It's good though. It's good.MH: I bet it's good. It's definitely nice company to be keeping.LF: (Laughs) Yeah...MH:: So, I heard you got really mad about this and I don't want to make you mad now, but what about the album leak? LF: I was mad. I was mad, initially, but I'm not mad any more. (chuckles)MH: All right, that's good. LF: I'm actually happy, I feel like relieved to know that the album got such a good acceptance. MH: Do you know, well, do you have any idea who did it?LF: I'll never find that out. I came to that conclusion when it first happened, like two minutes after it happened, I was like I'll never be able to get...MH: But do you think in the long run, it's a good thing? A bad thing? Or kind of neutral?LF: Definitely a good thing. It's such a good thing. 'Cause I'm comfortable, you know what I'm saying? At first it was like a pressure situation of how are people gonna receive me? I'm gettin' all this hype. And when the album leaked, it immediately like confirmed all of the hype. MH: So now you know that people are gonna go out and buy your album?LF: Oh, yeah, they comparin' it to Illmatic, they comparin' it to Reasonable Doubt, they comparin' it. They're giving it four out of five, they're givin it classic, and this is just the kids online. The heads and the people who heard the album prior were like "Oh, there's gonna be a problem." Pharell and Kanye and Jay-Z hearin' the album were like "Yo there's gonna be a problem."...but now for the public to be accepting it and Hip Hop fans to be takin' it and absorbing it...it's crazy. MH: But, you're a big part of the online community too,LF: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah....MH: You're on Okayplayer. You're on MySpace. You're on all that, so you keep tabs online?LF: Oh, yeah, 'cause for me, it's instant feedback. I can see if somebody likes the album. I can see if somebody likes the record or not, instantly. You know what I'm sayin? It's like BOOM, do you like this? Do they like this record or not...No. 'cause we got a thousand hits in ten minutes and the response from it was everybody hated it. So, it's like, ok...it's a good testing ground. You know what I'm saying? And it's a good way to interact with people, you know? It's real personal, even though it's through a machine and they're a million miles away. It's real personal for somebody to hit me on MySpace and I'll hit 'em back. MH: So you actually do check your MySpace? It's you behind your MySpace, not somebody from the record company?LF: Nah, it's me. It's kinda crazy, now not as much, but initially I was on there kinda heavy. MH: Do I have time for one more?LF: Yeah!MH: We had a question that we wanted to ask you from the site. We read somewhere that you like robots?LF: Yeah, I love robots.MH: You love robots? Ok, so we have a series of robot questions for you...LF: Ok, go head...MH: What's your favorite robot?LF: My favorite ROBOT has to be...uh...AH! So many! So many robots. Um. (Lets out a big breath of air) I'm gonna have to say...SHOOOOO....Gundum. MH: Gundum?LF: GundumMH: That's your final answer?LF: Yeah, Gundum. ANY Gundum. MH: Ok...so then the next question is if you were a robot, what would your robot name be and would you have any special powers?LF: I got a robot. His name is Seymour.MH: Seymour?LF: Yeah, Seymour. MH: But I mean, is that who you would be? You'd be a robot named Seymour?LF: I would be inside of Seymour, I would sit in his head and control him but he would be a part of me, I would be connected to him.MH: So then what kind of powers would he have?LF: I'll tell you what he does...like he flies. Um, he has like, little machine guns in his hands and a laser. His weapon is the sword so he has like this humongous laser sword on his back.MH: Oh, that's cool...LF: And he can travel through time at ease. (Laughs)MH: Does he rap too?LF: Seymour? Nah, nah Seymour doesn't rap. He doesn't rap.MH: Oh, ok...does he skateboard?LF: Nah, he doesn't skateboard. He's a ROBOT! He can FLY!MH: But can't robots skateboard?LF: He can fly...like, humans need to skateboard because they can't run really fast and they don't have wheels attached to their feet. (Laughs)MH: (Laughs) Ok, I guess he could do tricks...like skateboard tricks?LF: Nah, nah...he flies...He gets where he needs to be really quickly. MH: Do you watch Adult Swim, at all?LF: Yes, I do. MH: What's your favorite show?LF: Right now? The Boondocks.MH: The Boondocks? Really?LF: Oh, yeah, oh yeah...Boondocks...and then Cowboy Bebop when that used to come on. MH: They're bringin' it back I think.LF: Yeah, but they stopped it for a minute, and they were like re-doing the same episodes and whatever...MH: Ok, so the albums coming out. When's the album coming out?LF: June 27th in the US, June 26th in the UK. Pretty good to have a simultaneous release around the world.MH: Ooooh...nice...LF: Fresh...freshfreshfresh...MH: Cool...I think that's all the questions I have for you...I didn't think I was gonna get this much time.LF: (Laughs)MH: But thanks. LF: No problem..Lupe Fiasco's debut album 'Food & Liquor' will be released by Atlantic Records on June 27th. You can also check out his MySpace Page Music47970@blogcritics.org Fri, 19 May 2006 11:40:44 EDT