Moving On Up...

Onwards and upwards, to have a proper go at this writing frequently, thoughtfully and well at Desperation Tentacles, Mk II. Feel free to follow.

MOAR JUKEBOX.

U2 - Obsessed
Prodigy - Warrior's Dance
Darius Rucker - Alright
Empire of the Sun - We Are the People
What happens when you mix David Bowie, Star Wars movie posters, and useless jargon like 'electroacoustic'? Whatever it is, it's called Empire of the Sun. It's got the same strum-along groove as Milow Technology and ethereal synths, but it doesn't really go anywhere, or justify its own existence. The fact that it reminds me of Weekend Wars, rather than one of MGMT's three tolerable moments, condemns it.
[4]
Eels - Fresh Blood
Fight Like Apes - Something Global
High energy, overstuffed, synthy, fuzzy, nindie dance punk? I think I'm in love. These folks sound like a more straightforward female-fronted Los Campesinos! They have the same dense, meta lyrical tendencies and the 'everything but the kitchen sink' musical approach. The lead singer's voice at times lacks passion and presence - the vocals sound a bit removed - but the song swings and is catchy as hell. Give me my hook!, they shout on the chorus, but clearly already have it. They got me too: hook, line and sinker.
[8]
Maxwell - Pretty Wings
Clipse - Kinda Like a Big Deal
"I'm the reason the hood need a dental plan." Also the reason why hipsters need a punch in the mouth. How many tired coke punchlines do we need from technically skilled rappers before we can move on to new topics? On Hell Hath No Fury, Golden Era Neptunes horror-house beats resuscitated the lamer moments, but the beat here is nothing special. That said, it's good to hear Kanye moving out of EmoTune mode and back to making corny punchlines about TJ Maxx and SpecEd blowjobs.
[5]
Kasabian - Fire
Keyshia Cole - Trust
Jonas Brothers - Paranoid
Manic Street Preachers - Jackie Collins Existential Question Time
Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
Sean Paul - So Fine
Lenka - The Show
Six-ish months after this song was inescapable on Canadian radio, I still have no clue whether or not it's harmless and a little bit drama school, or insufferably Diablo Cody. The hook feels like it was composed in a basement, on an out-of-tune piano, by an old Jewish couple in 1920s New York. If one half of the couple was Max Martin and the other half was named 'Mabel'. This is a good thing.
[7]
Drake - Best I Ever Had
Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling
Lady GaGa - Paparrazi
Little Boots - Remedy
Coeur de Pirate - Comme des Enfants
Wale ft. Lady GaGa - Chillin'
Kissy Sell Out - The Kiss
Cascada - Evacuate the Dancefloor

Almost a year since my last post. I've been posting a lot in the poptimists community on LJ and dabbling in discussion on ILX. Edited my Kanye West think piece from the concert last year into a piece that took on 808s and Heartbreak which got published in the McGill Daily.

Recently got recruited to write for the Singles Jukebox and I'm gradually honing my writing. I probably go for the cheap joke too often, and I have yet to really master the concise format, but there have been a few blurbs that I've quite liked.

Links to my published Jukebox pieces:
Magic System ft Cheb Khaled - Même Pas Fatigué
Jessica Mauboy - Been Waiting
Christophe Willem - Berlin
Green Day - Know Your Enemy
Maia Hirasawa - South Again
P!nk - Please Don’t Leave Me
Basement Jaxx - Raindrops
Chrisette Michele - Epiphany
Daniel Merriweather - Red
Cassie ft. Diddy - Must Be Love
k-os - 4 3 2 1
Milow - Ayo Technology
Kristinia DeBarge - Goodbye
Metric - Gimme Sympathy
Katy Perry - Waking Up In Vegas
Meg & Dia - Black Wedding