I Liked It: In-N-Out

IN-N-OUT IS INCREDIBLE!! DELICIOUS BURGERS!! CHEAP PRICES!! GOOD SERVICE!! I'M PROBABLY GONNA BUY AN IN-N-OUT TSHIRT CUZ I LIKE IT SO MUCH!! IF YOU ARE EVER ON THE WEST COAST YOU HAVE TO EAT THERE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN!! I LOVE IN-N-OUT!!

Seriously though, it's really good.

Something I Like: Jamble

I was up late last night downloading free apps for my iTouch when I stumbled upon Jamble.  I'm just gonna throw it out there: this is my favorite app ever (sorry JellyCar and Paper Toss).  Jamble allows you to create seamless mashups on the fly.  I have experimented with mash-ups before, always failing miserably, but Jamble made it extremely simple to create an awesome sounding mix.  If you want you can check out the lite version for free, but I don't think you'll be able to resist ponying up $2 (price reduced for a limited time) for the full version (it took me about 2 minutes to decide to buy it). As of now, the app is somewhat limited by the amount of loops available, but free loops will be released every Monday.  Check it out here, download it from the app store here, and have a nice time.

Bonus: Listen to my first mix!

Listen to This: Music From The Week I Was In Vegas

Yeah, one post for all these songs because I'm laz...busy.

Reflection Eternal – Just Begun f. Jay Electronica, J. Cole & Mos Def [CDQ]

 

Drake-It's Been A Pleasure

Reflection Eternal – Untitled f. Jay Electronica, Mos Def & J. Cole 

 Wale – Bedrock Freestyle

Wale – The Meeting (prod. Osinachi) 

Yeah, that's it.  I know, it's kind of disappointing. If you have any songs I missed, by all means post them in the comments and I'll throw the link up.  Yes, I know first track of L.A.S.E.R.S. leaked, and yes, its sweet, but no, I won't post it here out of respect for Lupe.

via 2dopeboyz

Something I Like: United State of Pop 2009 (Blame It on the Pop)

DJ Earworm made another one of these cool things.

Download this song.
Download the one from 2008.
Download the one from 2007. 
More DJ Earworm
DJ Earworm's Youtube Channel

I Liked It: Avatar

Ahhhhh!!! That last week in Vegas with no internet has put me so far behind.  Today I'm just gonna try and get caught up and everything I missed.  New music posts will be coming later today. Yes, that means the College Dropout review is gonna be pushed back till next month.  I was also planning to do my own best of the decade type deal, but I'm gonna postpone that indefinitely (probably never gonna get around to it).  Yes, I know, I'm lazy. With that being said, I decided to get my Avatar review out before it comes out on DVD.

I'm gonna keep it real short. Avatar will blow your freakin' mind: though the plot is predictable and the acting is average at best, the stunning visuals keep your eyes darting across the scene, greedily drinking in the spectacular effects James Cameron and his team created.  This is not a movie so much as an experience,a preview of the future of cinema.  If you haven't seen Avatar, go see it as soon as possible: don't deprive yourself of this awe-inspiring experience.

 

 

Listen To This: Nothing on You

 I wasn't going to make a post today until Amy (my only known follower who actually follows the blog at this point, so big ups to her EDIT Not true!!!) complained that there wasn't anything new on the blog.  I couldn't really think of anything, so I decided to post this older song from an up and coming new artist,.  With a really unique style, today's featured artist delivers scorching lines with a southern drawl under the name B.o.B. and sings under the moniker Bobby Ray.  I like to think of Bobby Ray as a less-boring Drake (who nearly puts me to sleep when he sings his slow boring woman songs).  This is B.o.B.'s newest single, Nothin' On You (yes, I know I'm almost a month late on this one, but whatever), off his upcoming first album, B.o.B Presents The Great Adventures of Bobby Ray.  The song exemplifies B.o.B./Bobby Ray's (wow, that gets really confusing) half rapped, half sung, all awesome style. Check it out, and be sure to download some of his mixtapes as well.

Nothin' On You- B.o.B. Feat. Bruno Mars

via 2dopeboyz

Something I Like: Iron Man 2 Trailer

Of course, the day that I make a "filler" post something worth posting comes out.  Iron Man was a fantastic, nearly flawless superhero movie and the sequel looks to be just as good.  Robert Downey Jr. was brilliant in the first one, and with Scarlett Johansson thrown into the mix, this movie will be another blockbuster.

Quick Update

I know no one has noticed, but I haven't been able to post anything for a while because I've been swamped with work and school.  For those who will continue to drop by once in a while, here's what I have planned for next few days.  I would like to highlight Kanye West's first album, "The College Dropout", and review Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. In addition, Avatar comes out tomorrow, so I will definitely be seeing that and reviewing it as well.  So, yeah, that's what's up, stay tuned. 

Something I (Kinda) Like: Top 25 Songs of 2008 Mashup

Because I am lazy, tired, and extremely angry about having to go to school today, I will continue to steal videos from Today's Big Thing.  This one is not so much something I like as something that I think is kinda cool (I don't wanna post something I really like because I don't think I will be able to introduce it sufficiently tonight).  Since it's a mashup of 2008's top 25 songs, the selections are naturally very weak, and 80-90% of these "artists" (wow, I am not at my nicest today) will never appear on this blog again.  I honestly liked two songs total from this video: Viva La Vida and Whatever You Like. Regardless, the end result is a fun listen.    I'm rambling now, so I'm just gonna post the video.  Enjoy!

via Today's Big Thing

Something I Like: Prediction Trick

After I posted the OK Go link, I decided to poke around Today's Big Thing a bit more, and found this.  It will blow your mind.



via Today's Big Thing

Something I Like: WTF?

There's a reason I filed OK Go's newest single under Something I Like rather than Listen to This.  The song is, simply put, crap.  Apart from one or two lines delivered with a semblance of melody, the song is a mash of strange beats and off-key whining.  Come to think of it, I don't really think of any of their songs as above average.  So why did I post this?  Because, as can be expected by now, OK Go has given us another quirky, strange, and cool video.  Utilizing a single video effect, the band creates a interesting and memorable video. Check it out below (annoyingly, youtube disabled embedding for the music video itself so I have the video from Today's Big Thing, a great website which I will highlight in the future).




Bonus: HTF?-The Making Of WTF?

Something I Like: WhoSampled

Something I Like today is a nice music website called WhoSampled which breaks down songs into the songs which they sampled, complete with youtube links to both the new and original tunes. Text on its homepage states: "Dig deeper into music by discovering direct links between over 17,000 songs and 7,500 artists, from Hip-Hop, R&B, Funk and Soul via Electronic Music and through to Rock, Pop and beyond." It's really cool to see the ingenious ways in which the producers altered the tracks to create something new, and provides a nice portal for finding new and different music based on the songs you already enjoy. Click here to go there.

via Lifehacker

Listen To This: cudderisback freestyle

I'm gonna keep this post short.  Today we have a brand new Kid Cudi freestyle. Give it a listen, and Wisconsin residents check out Amy's section at the right for info on the Kid Cudi concert in January at The Rave.

Download cudderisback freestyle

via Dat New Cudi

Listen To This: Chelsea Dagger

Today's Listen To This is the song Chelsea Dagger, by The Fratellis.  Driven by an incredibly upbeat and catchy chorus, this 2007 song quickly became many sports teams' goal celebration song of choice. It's not hard to see why, as you'll find yourself humming the anthemic chorus while imagining yourself in a stadium full of fans singing along.  I will not post download links to songs that can be purchased, but this song is definitely worth the 99 cents on iTunes or whatever music source you prefer. Give it listen via youtube below.

Bonus Video: Stadium of fans celebrating victory with Chelsea Dagger

Listen to This: Enemy of the State: A Love Story

Things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving:

1. My family
2. My beautiful girlfriend
3. My life in general
4. Lupe Fiasco's new mixtape

I haven't been able to listen to it yet, but I have no doubt that it will be amazing.  Enjoy, and have a fantastic turkey day (I'm planning posting pictures and a review of my dinner, so stay tuned).

Tracklist:

                      01 Intro

                      02 The National Anthem (Radiohead)

                      03 Turnt Up (Travis Porter)

                      04 Fireman (Yoga Flame) (Lil Wayne)
                      05 L.A.S.E.R.S. Manifesto Interlude

                      06 Angels (rmx) (Dirty Money)

                      07 So Ghetto (Jay-Z)

                      08 Say Something (Timabaland)

                      09 Thank You (Jay-Z)

                      10 The One (Slaughterhouse)

                      11 Popular Demand (Clipse)

Download Enemy of the State: A Love Story

via 2dopeboys
alternate album art by ArtByShake

Something I Like: L.A.S.E.R.S. Manifesto

 I was originally going to do a Genius segment on Lupe Fiasco today, but since I don't have enough time, I'll share this instead.  Having already created two masterful, Grammy-nominated albums and established himself as one of the greatest lyricists of our time, Lupe is ready to attempt to reinvent the world.  The L.A.S.E.R.S Manifest is Lupe's vision of the world, an inspiring and earnest plea to everyone.  Why would I want to listen to Lil' Wayne rap about being "a venereal disease like a menstrual bleed" when I could be listening to someone who wants the world to be a better place?

THE L.A.S.E.R.S. MANIFESTO

To Every Man, Woman & Child...

1. We Want An End To The Glamorization Of Negativity In The Media.

2. We Want An End To Status Symbols Dictating Our Worth As Individuals.

3. We Want A Meaningful And Universal Education System.

4. We Want Substance In The Place Of Popularity.

5. We Will Not Compromise Who We Are To Be Accepted By The Crowd.

6. We Want The Invisible Walls That Separate By Wealth, Race & Class To Be Torn Down.

7. We Want To Think Our Own Thoughts.

8. We Will Be Responsible For Our Environment.

9. We Want Clarity & Truth From Our Elected Officials Or They Should Move Aside.

10. We Want Love Not Lies.

11. We Want An End To All Wars. Foreign & Domestic (Violence).

12. We Want An End To The Processed Culture Of Exploitation, Over-Consumption & Waste.

13. We Want Knowledge, Understanding & Peace.

14. WE WILL NOT LOSE BECAUSE WE ARE NOT LOSERS, WE ARE LASERS.

Lasers are the opposite of losers. Lasers are shining beams of light that burn through the darkness of ignorance. Lasers shed light on injustice and inequality. Losers stand by and let things happen. Lasers act and shape their own destinies. Lasers find meaning and direction in the mysteries all around them. Lasers stand for love and compassion. Lasers stand for peace. Lasers stand for progression. Lasers are revolutionary.
Lasers Are The Future.

We're Not Losers...We Are L.A.S.E.R.S.!!!

Love Always Shines Every-time Remember 2 Smile

-Lupe

I Liked It: Five Guys Burgers and Fries

This is will be the first of many positive food reviews (I didn't take any of these pictures, but I chose those most representative of the meal I had).

Yesterday, I went to Five Guys Burgers and Fries for the third time.  The red and white themed restaurant is decorated with sacks of potatoes and complementary peanuts.  Reviews of the burgers and fries are posted on the walls, and a whiteboard near the cash register reveals where today's potatoes are from. The menu is relatively simple, consisting of little (single patty) burgers, and regular (double patty) burgers, as well as hot dogs and fries.  A few of my friends complained about the lack of shakes, but I didn't miss them.  Add-ons for the burgers such as lettuce, tomatoes, and onions are available free of charge, but be careful, as it is really easy to get carried away and overload your burger (something I learned the hard way my last two visits).  It should be noted that the jalapenos available are fresh, and I ended up taking them off of my burger the last time I dined there as they distracted from the taste.  This time, I kept it simple, ordering a little cheeseburger, a large fries, and a regular drink.  Unfortunately, this cost about $11, a little too pricey to pay for on a regular basis.  Burgers are made to order, so there was about a 5 minute wait.  Service was friendly, and the food came in a slightly grease-stained brown bag.  The burger was delicious, the meat juicy and flavorful and the toppings fresh. 

The fries, made from fresh cut skin on potatoes, were crispy and brown on the outside and soft on the inside, a nice departure from the frozen then fried fries found at most fast food restaurants.  The large fries, which cost me $5, came in a gargantuan cup, with an extra scoop of fries in the bag (I definitely would have been satisfied with the regular size fries).

 

Five Guys Burgers and Fries is definitely worth a visit for anyone who enjoys a good burger (though it should be mentioned that the quality of burger from nearby Kopp's is on par with that of Five Guys).

I Liked It: Waking Up

To be honest, I am really surprised that I liked OneRepublic’s new album.  I didn’t really like their singles (“Apologize” and “Stop & Stare”) from their first album, and if I don’t like the two songs I hear from a band that gets most of their plays on top 40 radio stations, I don’t give them another listen.  I made an exception in this case, which turned out to be a good decision.  The band shows an ear for great choruses, and can be easily likened to bands such as The Killers, U2 and Coldplay.  However, the outstanding production of their sophomore effort is the best reason to pick it up.  Unique drum beats, acoustic riffs, and lush string accompaniments create beautiful tracks such as “Good Life” and “All The Right Moves”.  Though some tracks drag on a little, OneRepublic's new, slightly tweaked sound is leaps and bounds ahead of their first outing, with great melodies and interesting lyrics creating a very nice album.


YES!!
 All The Right Moves,  Good Life, Marching  On, Secrets, Everybody Loves Me
No.
Waking Up, Lullaby, Missing Person 1 & 2

I Liked It: Attention Deficit

Fans of hip hop expect great things from Wale, an aspiring young rapper from DC, and they weren't disappointed with his debut album, Attention Deficit.  His first official LP combines clever rhymes and witty wordplay with his trademark go-go sound in order to convey his positive message.  His quick punchlines cover issues ranging everywhere from race relations to bulimia and coke addiction.  Wale shines on tracks such as the riff-driven Mirrors and the upbeat World Tour, but at times seems to be drifting away from the uniqueness that made A Mixtape About Nothing great.  All in all, this is a fantastic debut album from a rising star which should definitely be given a listen.

YES!!
Mirrors, World Tour,  90210,  Beautiful Bliss, Chillin', Triumph
No.
Contemplate

Listen To This: Angels (rmx.)

Lupe newest remix is these two verses which he delivers over the beat of Dirty Money's Angels.  With every song he puts out, its becoming more and more evident how far ahead of everyone else he is.  Look for his next mixtape, Enemy of the State: A Love Story, which drops on Thanksgiving (download link will be here), and for his 3rd album, L.A.S.E.R.S.

Download Angels (rmx.)

 via 2dopeboyz

Listen To This: Whatever U Want (G.O.O.D. Music Remix)

This is the just released remix of Consequence's Whatever U Want featuring nearly ever member of Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label:  Kanye, Common, Kid Cudi, Big Sean, Consequence, and John Legend.  The song acts as a sort of sampler of the talent Kanye has compiled under his label, and is definitely worth a listen.

Whatever U Want (G.O.O.D. Music Remix)

via 2dopeboyz

Something I Like: Best of GI Joe PSA's

There's really nothing I can say about this video.




This video was shown to me by my buddy PJ.  You can check out his hockey blog at danglersdigest.blogspot.com

Something I Like: Window in the Skies

I quickly figured out that I do not have the time or motivation to write full length posts daily or even weekly. In order to keep content rolling on the site, I decided to create a new segment. These new posts will be short and sweet, solely containing Something I Like. The first one is the music video for U2's song Window in the Skies, from their compilation album U218. The song alone is great, but the video is really something special.

Window in the Skies-U2

Genius: Olubowale Victor Folarin

Genius (n.)- Extraordinary intellectual and creative power. A person of extraordinary intellect and talent

Olubowale Victor Folarin

Better known as: Wale

Background: The son of two Nigerian immigrants, hardworking DC hip-hop artist Wale grew up in Washington DC.  He released his first mixtape, Paint a Picture, in 2006, and was quickly noticed thanks to his combination of go-go inspired beats, clever wordplay, and smooth flow.  After releasing Hate is the New Love in 2006, Wale signed with Mark Ronson's Allido Records.   His popularity only grew after his 2007 mixtape, 100 Miles and Running, was downloaded over 75000 times.  His next mixtape, 2008's Seinfeld inspired Mixtape About Nothing, garnered critical acclaim and earned him a feature on The Roots' CD.  After his release of Back to the Feature, his fifth mixtape, anticipation for his full length album only grew. His full-length album, Attention Deficit, drops tomorrow, and is sure to please anyone who likes some thought put into their hip hop.

5 Wale songs I like:

W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.: A sample of Justice's electro-dance hit D.A.N.C.E. provides the foundation for Wale's clever lyrics in one of his earliest hits.

Work: With many of the top tier lyricists, the beat is often the determining factor in how much I will enjoy the song.  The piano driven go-go beat of this track is a great background for Wale's sweet punchlines and clever metaphors. 

Chicago Falcons Remix: This song is just fantastic.  The beat and flow all come together in a song laden with Seinfeld references, but the best part is at the end.  Wale actually slows down his last verse and does it a cappella, giving us a chance to really appreciate his talent. 

Chillin ft. Lady Gaga: This is a more radio friendly song as evidenced by the presence of a MIA-impersonating Lady Gaga.  Regardless, Wale goes in hard over a  Cool and Dre produced beat, and the result is a fun song with, of course, great lyrics.

Mirrors ft. Bun : "Mirror mirror on the wall, who the realest of em all" asks Wale on this track from Attention Deficit, a lament on the demise of rap at the hands of sellout ringtone rappers.

Bottom Line: Wale is a talented DC rapper in a very deep freshman class.  Though at times he rambles and his beat selection is sometimes suspect, he has a lot of potential and will be someone to look out for in the future.  Be sure to pick up his CD, Attention Deficit, which comes out tomorrow

Listen To This: DJ Hero Soundtrack

Here is the official soundtrack to the video game DJ Hero (youtube it if you don't know what that is).  The mixtape consists mashups from many high profile DJ's including the recently deceased DJ AM, and features such artists as Kid Cudi, Michael Jackson,  Daft Punk, The Killers, Tupac,  and Jay-Z.  Odds are you'll be able to find at least one track you like out of the 88 on the cd.  I haven't actually gotten my hands on the actual game yet, but it looks awesome. I'll update this post with my favorite tracks after I've had some time to listen.  Enjoy!

 











Click here to view the track list and download the DJ Hero Soundtrack

via popcultureshock

Listen To This: Jay-Z and U2 Perform Sunday Bloody Sunday

I'm working on a whole bunch of segments which I will publish soon, but in the meantime, I will link to a bunch of great stuff.  This is two of the legends of music sharing a stage, performing a classic song, and just having fun making music.  Hov whips out a great little verse, and Bono sounds as good as ever.  It was also a nice surprise to be reminded that Edge can sing just as well or better than most current popular "singers".  Hopefully a recorded version of this will surface soon.



via Kanye's Blog

Beginning

Helen Rowland once said "You will never win if you never begin."  I have never heard of Helen Rowland, and, honestly, this quote sounds like it was plagiarized from Dr. Seuss.  Regardless, it came up when I googled "quotes about beginning", and since I like to "win", I decided to "begin"  my blog with it.   This will be the place for me to talk about things I like and dislike, and hopefully show you a little about me in the process. My plan for right now (I decided to create this thing about 7 hours ago) is to divide my posts up into different segments, kind of like The Colbert Report.  I want to post a few times a week, so check back often (if you check at all).  This is a work in progress, of course, but here is what I have so far in terms of categories.

• Over/Under- a discussion about something that I see as overrated or underrated.
• Geniuses- a profile on someone, usually multitalented, whose work I look upon with great respect
  
• I Liked It- a review and rating of something I liked
• I Didn't Like It- a review and rating of something I disliked
  
• Listen To This- new music, old music, good music. I'll post it all.
  
• Storytime- a random story about something that happened

That's it so far.  I know, that's a pretty weak little list, but I'm still throwing ideas around. If any of my 3 current followers (Bolens, I'm counting you twice) have any other good ones, please let me know.  I'm pretty sure my readership will be small and won't read often, but it's cool.  This is gonna be fun.  I'll leave you with a quote: “What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” Think about it.

Helen Rowland. Author of A Guide To Men: Being Encore Reflections of a Bachelor Girl, and If, A Chant for Wives: The White Woman's Burden. Wow, if I was a early 20th century feminist, those books would sound sweet!!