Category Archives: Music

End of the road

Posted in Everyday, Music

I was going through my email today when I received a comment moderation alert from the weddening site. Of course it was just more spam though quite timely spam: would I be writing about Michael Jackon.

And the answer? At first it was no, I won’t be because I planned on talking about something else. But as I write this, I know I am falling into the web as everyone else. I think there are enough people memorializing Jackson’s death as is and at the risk of alienating some people and pissing off others, I’m admitting that I don’t much care.

I’ve heard some people say they will always remember what they were doing or where they were when they heard the news. Me? I was in my car, on the way to a doctor’s appointment and my first thought after the initial shock [because anyone who passes at 50 passed away too soon]?

“Well, we all have an appointed time…and if didn’t make things right, I wouldn’t want to be in the room when that judgment goes down.”

Incredibly callous, yes?

He is a musical genius and did provide the soundtrack for my childhood. I remember sitting behind the couch listening to the Thriller video because the zombies and the werewolf he turned into scared the crap out of me but I still loved the song. I remember watching Captain Eo in 3D at Disneyland. I remember watching the premiere of “Remember the Time” with my mom. I even owned Moonwalker [I think we might still have that tape somewhere in the house. Maybe] and I fell a lot trying to imitate that sick lean he did in Smooth Criminal. I remember the discussions with my aunts as they reminisced about “vintage” Michael before he grew pale and changed his nose. I appreciate the musical and dance inspirations he’s brought to the industry. And no one will ever top his music videos. They weren’t just videos, but mini movies.

We do have him to thank for the introduction of Michael DeLorenzo after all.

That said, the legend did not pass away yesterday. The legend will live on in his music and videos and in the memories we all possess. Yesterday the man passed away. If I were to mourn anything, it would be the man who left a family and friends behind. A man who had a stunted childhood and grew into a slightly bewildered man-boy with questionable decision-making skills. In the end, his curious personal life outshone his brilliant professional life which makes it hard to feel much of anything.

As much of a fan of his music, I can’t get passed his very public personal issues. It’s a little unfair, yes, but it is a part of him. It’s been a long while since I was able to listen to one of his songs without feeling that pang of sadness of a busted and very tarnished image. Yes I still bop around and sing along to his songs but it’s with a different and very real perspective. After separating the man from the legend this is who we have left…and is that worth celebrating? Maybe. Maybe not.

But however I feel, my condolences go out to the loved ones he left behind.

It's all in the fine print

Posted in Music, Rants

So this Kid Cudi dude. Apparently I’m late to his party but honestly, I don’t even know why I showed up.

I’ve heard his name from a couple of friends and wanted to know what the fuss was all about. Turns out I actually did know one of his songs, and wouldn’t you know it’s a song I always change whenever it comes on. I just never got into it.

But since everyone and their mom was fussing over him, I thought I’d give it an honest listen but then I felt that familiar anxious feeling I get when I’m doing something that annoys me [and kind of close to the anxious feeling I get when I see Quddus]. But I kept on even when I really wanted to change the station. And I came close, like twice.

But then, THEN it was completely over when I heard “lonely loner” uttered through the speaker. A lonely loner? Really? It didn’t help when Mel suggested that maybe it was the radio edit and the loner was a lame stand in for stoner but that isn’t the case because stoner gets play in the lyric before that. I know being lonely is not indicative of being a loner but still. It just sounds lazy. And I left that party with the quickness.

Oh but the fun doesn’t end there.

Then I heard some other song, I can’t for the life of me remember who sung it [but it was a weird name] or the title, but it’s one of those “I’m so sad we’re broken up, I want you back, you’re one in a million” type of song. You know which kind I’m talking about. Well the girl is lamenting a failed relationship and then slips in that she cheated. But she wants him to stop punishing her and take her back.

I mean, you say this in the same vein that this other person is “one in a million”? If it were me, I’d so keep ignoring this person. Obviously I wasn’t enough for you if you had to go get some on the side. Whatever dude, I’m not coming back. Ever.

But these are all just rants. I don’t know why I get all worked up and frothy at the mouth whenever I hear something stupid but I do. And then I deride it and refuse to listen to it ever again, unless I want to make fun of it all over again.

I’m kind of silly like that.

So that is how I decided I still didn’t care about Kid Cudi. Isn’t this the longest most inane story on how I still don’t care about some rapper? I’m reaching new limits here! New limits.

I’m really wondering where the point disappeared to.

A pony by any other name…

Posted in Music, Rants

So I was in my car after work yesterday minding my own business listening to Live 105, the alternative Rock station [that significance to be explained shortly…just remember that] when I started to hear the beginnings of Ginuwine’s Pony.

Yes, that Pony.

Obviously I’m a bit confused since instead of the soft-core feel it was decidedly edgier rock and I wondered how and why anyone in this genre would sample such a song. Oh, if only that were it.

Of course I start singing the song because everyone still knows the words and to my horror the singer starts singing them too! Excuse me what now? And it was OH.SO.HORRIBLE.

I don’t know who lied to this group [after a little search I’ve come to find out that it’s a group named Far who have been around for a while apparently] and told them that this would be a fantastic idea but it’s not. This song was great for what it was, a strip club song [yes you know it, I know it and I’m sure Ginuwine knows it too] and works in the sultry R&B format but just because you add in harder guitars and some drums does not make it okay. There are certain subtleties in the original…okay that’s a load of crap but half the fun in the original was the weird vocalizations that Ginuwine did [you know..."sends chiiiiilllllls up and down my spine..."] and those are absent in the cover.

Never mind the fact that I don’t like covers to begin with [but there are a few that I do like] and there are some songs that just shouldn’t be touched either because they’re good or that it’s just not worth the effort. This is of the latter variety.

Anyway, I just don’t picture a group of rockers singing that type of song at all. It’s not a love ballad. It’s an Iwannadoyougetuponmerightnowandlet’sgoit song. And quite frankly, unless I missed something and there is a 95% chance that I have, I haven’t heard that kind of song before on an Alt-Rock station. It’s just so weird.

Is there a Country version of this song? Because I think that might be even weirder.

Now that the Feds have cut interest rates yet again, I’m sitting and waiting to see if that will affect my APR for my ING accounts. Considering that we’re in such an economic meltdown, some of which are linked to credit cards and such, why not bring down the interest rates on those cards instead of punishing the savers like myself. Heck, I’d LOVE to see my interest rate go down. Granted, one of them is already in the single digits but the other one is still at 15% with no chance of getting lower [stupid airline miles I won’t even use!]. Bring that puppy down! Wouldn’t that help spur spending, even just a tiny bit?

Obviously I’m nothing close to an economic wunderkind but it’s just an idea.

After careful consideration…maybe it's okay after all

Posted in Everyday, Music

I recently rediscovered Pandora. I used to use it back in 2005/06 when I was with the construction company but eventually abandoned it because I spent more time skipping over songs than anything. It seemed weird that, even after picking the artists and songs that I like, I still didn’t like much of what was suggested based on my picks. It was kind of sad really. I’m sure Pandora was confused. I can imagine it being, “here, try this music. You might like it.” and I just shake my head and turn around, “No Pandora, I think I’m going to stop. I don’t like anything you’ve brought.” Then Pandora is all confused, “But, I don’t understand? I based everything off your selections.” And I’m all nonchalant and just annoyingly shrug my shoulders, “Yeah, and that was cool but I just don’t like that.” Then Pandora glares at me, “BUT YOU PICKED THE MUSIC!!!” And I slowly back away, “Oooooooh-kay. So, um, I’m just going to leave now…have a good life.” and Pandora is left angry and confused and maybe a little bitter.

But this time it’s different, I swear. I returned to Pandora after finally growing tired of listening to the radio all day at work. Every couple of hours I’d hear the same songs though really I made the switch to stem the tide that is actually enjoying Kid Rock’s newest single. I didn’t like it but slowly, as I heard it everyday, I grew to tolerate it and now I find myself singing it every once in a while and THAT CANNOT HAPPEN. And while I do miss listening to Jayne’s on-air banter, the fact that the morning show started playing music the last hour they are on pretty much sealed the deal. There’s no real reason to listen to the radio anymore. I can get the gossip and traffic and any other news from the Internet and at least I don’t have to listen to the same 10 ads that air on the internet broadcast and since there’s a major delay on the streamed broadcast, its not like I can call in and win a contest so why keep torturing myself?

The major plus is that so far, I’ve been listening to Pandora since I got here and I haven’t had a repeat song yet. I did have repeat artists but that’s fine. Different songs. Plus, I haven’t heard Amy Winehouse, One Republic, Green Day or Katy Perry at all today. That’s a major plus! That and I got to hear Mo Money, Mo Problems. That will always be a fun song.

This second go round with Pandora has been a lot more successful than the first. Perhaps I matured a lot since then. Hopefully we can make this one work. So far so good! Though I completely did not mean for this to be a walking endorsement of the service. I guess it’s just that good.

Or maybe I’m feeling sorry for unceremoniously dumping it two years ago.

Tommorrow, maybe tomorrow I’ll write about the sad, sad state of the Raiders and also Mike Millen’s firing. I mean, way to grow a pair Bill Ford Jr.!

Four out of five fireflies approve…

Posted in Food, Music, Pictures, Weekends

Is it really Monday? But what happened to the weekend? I actually didn’t want to wake up this morning. Then again, my bed was quite comfy and warm so that made it a bit harder to get my body moving when the alarm went off.

Anywho, this weekend was pretty good. On Friday I wandered around El Cerrito to check out the neighborhood. I always see it from the BART train so I thought it’d be cool to see it from street level for once. I even came across a deer. Just walking along side a school eating grass. I took a couple of pictures, one on my camera and another on my phone to send to Jacki [inside joke].

Then Saturday came along. I woke up to a txt message from Amalia informing me that she wouldn’t be able to make the Rooney concert that night since she was still awaiting the birth of her latest grandchild. I was bummed but I do have a losing record against impending births and previously made plans. So far I’m 0-2 in that department [the first one when Mel had to miss a Yankees game because of the impending birth of her niece that ended up not happening until the next day].

Since she couldn’t make it that also meant our stop over at Clint’s parents’ house was also out, leaving me with practically the entire day to schlep around my house. I fussed with my computer trying to get it to acknowledge the strongest Internet connection and while I did that, I ended up overcooking my biscuits but I ate them anyway.

The big to do was held for later that evening with a trip to the Solano County Fair [for the first time in years] to check out Rooney who were performing that night. The turnout was okay I guess, lots of middle and high school kids and their parents. Our seats were in the second tier of reserved seating but once the concert started, everyone in the second tier rushed towards the open seats in the front section. So one of the guards just told us we could join the herd if we wanted. Of course we did. Thank goodness I didn’t pay first hand for those tickets. I would have been a bit put off.

Mel, Me and Rooney

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