Aesthetic Fix

OHM Podcast and Blog NEWS

2009-05-11T07:35:00.000-07:00

OHM Podcast on iTunes
Kid Aloha's Mix for OHM

First off, I did a mix for the "Our House Music Society" Podcast. I play the second half of the podcast form about 59 minutes onwards. This is a great podcast and group that works at promoting all facets of EDM music and culture in Montreal, so make sure you subscribe if your into House/Electronic Dance Music. Big ups to DJ Holloway for getting me the guest spot this week. You can download it straight from the itunes through the link above, theres also a link if you just want to download my mix in MP3 format.

Second of all, I've got two bits of major blog news. I've been hard at work helping the guys at Saintwoods prepare for the relaunch of their blog and website. Remember that Saintwoods.com launch party you went to and destroyed your brains at in January? Well the website is definitely going to live up to the epic levels of that party. I'm going to be a weekly contributor along with some other big name DJs. Its going to be NEXT LEVEL.

I'd also like to announce that I'm currently working with some web savvy people to redesign and re-launch this blog. The new blog will still focus on the same topics (hip-hop, indie music, electronic dance music, fashion, culture, etc.), but will now follow a daily post format. Every day I will focus in on one thing that's really caught my eye, post up information and pictures/video on the topic, followed by some editorializing by me. If you've liked anything about the current blog, I promise that you'll be finding yourself visiting the new site daily. It will be rebranded and re-launched under KidAloha.com

I think Crookers said it best when they said....[b]BIG MONEY COMING[/b]

Diplo Rocking a Bmore Party!

2009-05-09T23:27:00.000-07:00

Clearly a different scene than the one we'd usually see Diplo in. He still kills it.

Why I like Kanye?

2009-05-09T22:54:00.001-07:00

I got a lot of hate for saying that I'm a Kanye fan a few weeks ago. Peep this video, arrogance aside, this guy knows music.

Mad Decent Tour Video

2009-05-04T16:14:00.000-07:00

Exclusive Mad Decent Tour Video from Mad Decent on Vimeo.

Video speaks for its self. Still yet to see the man Diplo in concert, he's high up there on my list a long with Crookers.

Weekly Fix #2 (More House!!)

2009-05-01T17:42:00.000-07:00

Weekly Fix #2: More House!!

Before I talk about this weeks Weekly Fix, I just wanted to address two things about this series. First of all these mixes are all recorded off of Serato and are done spontaneously. I pick a genre or theme before but then I just dive into the mix and pick out songs on the fly. So please excuse them if the mixings a bit shoddy. Also from now on I'm going to post the mix without a tracklist at first, so that you guys can listen to the whole thing without knowing what songs are. I'll post tracklists a few days after though so you guys can download stuff you liked. Now on to this weeks mix!

So I think its no secret that Electro-House is my main squeeze, the genre that motivates me more than any other to go out and wild out. I know that the vast majority of you who read this blog have the same relationship with Electro-House. I thought I'd shed some light on some non-Electro House this week. Absent are some of Electro's signature "hard" sounds, but I think you'll see that this stuff shares a lot of common DNA (its all House after-all).

I wish I had a cool sub-genre classification to throw on here, but as far as I know this stuff doesn't have any catch hyphenation. This is the kind of stuff you might hear from the Swedish House Mafia or Laidback Luke during a set. However Diplo, A-Trak and Crookers have been throwing down tracks with this edge to them recently.

House musics a pretty special thing, and its really been too segmented in recent years. If guys like David Guetta, Diplo, Laidback Luke and Crookers are playing each others music and breaking down the genre walls, we should make an attempt to follow suit. Its fine to be an Electro-House fan, thats what I am too, but lets not disregard other House music so easily just because its of a different sub-genre!

COMING SOON: Baltimore Club Weekly Fix!

New Weekly Fix #1 (This Week: Dubstep)

2009-04-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

The Weekly Fix #1: Step to This
1) Hold The Line - Major Lazer
2) Creator - Santigold
3) Pro Nails (Rusko Remix) - Kid Sister
4) Mr. Chips - Rusko
5) Weekend Wars (George Lenton Dub) - MGMT

So I've gotten some requests to just do a bunch of short mixes rather than just hour long mixes every couple months. I've decided to throw out a 10-20 mix every week or so comprised of genres and sounds that I'm feeling at the time. This will be my chance to play stuff that I wouldn't usually get to in an hour long club set. I'm a firm believer in listening to as many different genres as possible and taking little bits of what you like from each one. These shorter mixes will be a chance for you guys to see some of different sounds that are influencing me. You can still expect the long club oriented electro-house type sets every month, but these will fill the time between.

This week's mix has a few styles but highlights the UK based genre of Dubstep. If your familiar with the original Jamaican style of Dub, you'll quickly understand where Dubstep gets its name from. Dubstep is definitely one of the more exciting genres to come out in the 2000s. The wikipedia page on Dubstep is actually really good and I suggest you check it out "Dubstep Wikpedia".

There's a lot of exposure to Reggae in Hawaii, and I think that Dubstep has a good shot at becoming pretty big back home.

ZOMG! Cam'ron x Clipse x Pharrell

2009-04-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

ATTENTION, EXCESSIVE HYPING TO FOLLOW:

So I recently ran across some really exciting news on MTV News. It seems that my favorite rapper Cam'ron is collaborating with my favorite rap group the Clipse. See the above posted videos for some of these guys' finest work. Both of these guys have been out of the spotlight (at least the mainstream rap spotlight) for a minute, but both seem ready to make triumphant returns this year. Pharrell is going to be producing the track, and I expect much "gun-toting" and "drug-slinging" references. And these guys are the best when it comes to the "I deal drugs better than you" type of songs.

2009 is shaping up to be the best year in music of the decade.

The Inaugural Song of the Week

2009-04-28T01:02:00.000-07:00

Going to try and post a song a week that I'm especially liking. I heard this song earlier today on BBC Radio 1, and I instantly was drawn to it. It has a really throwback vibe to me, and by throwback I mean Marty McFly 1950's. Don't know much about this band, but the lyrics immediately jumped out at me. I know its exam time for a lot of us, and how great are these lyrics:

"Spent a week in a dusty library
Waiting for some words to jump at me
We met by a trick of fate
French navy my sailor mate
We met by the moon on a silvery lake
You came my way
Said, I want you to stay"

Great video as well, really makes me excited for this summer. Hope you guys enjoy it too!

Fuck Zombies. Vampire Weekend 2nd Album Underway.

2009-04-26T01:55:00.000-07:00

For those of you who do not know, I listen to a lot more than just Electro-House-Club-Loud-Dance Music. Amongst the non-dance music that I listen to, Vampire Weekend ranks towards the top, with their self-titled debut being one of my favorite albums of recent memory. I stumbled upon a great piece of news today, which is that Vampire Weekend are currently in the studio recording their 2nd album. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, lead-singer Ezra Koenig commented that, "It's definitely going to be a recognizably Vampire Weekend sound, but there are going to be new sounds. We're trying to challenge ourselves not to use the same bag of tricks that we used on the first album-- different instruments, stuff like that."

With the Strokes and Arctic Monkeys (two of my other favorites) also currently in the studio recording new albums, 2009 is going to be a pretty big year for the Indie music world.

Amazing - Kanye ft. Young Jeezy

2009-04-26T01:39:00.000-07:00

Amazing from kwest on Vimeo.

I guess I might as well come out and say it. I'm a pretty big Kanye West fan. You probably already could tell if you listened to my homecoming mix. The guy definitely has a poor attitude, but I'm a fan of his art and not his personality. Anyways 808's and Heartbreak was one of my favorite albums last year. Haters, please take note of all of the current 808 swagger-jacking. Numerous mainstream Hip-Hop acts have attempted to copy both the production and vocal style of 808s. The sound may not have been for everyone, but Kanye definitely was once again ahead of the curve.

Amazing follows suit, and is one killer video with ridiculously high production value. And what's this? The video was shot on location in my very own Hawaii. Yeah I'm from there mother fuckers.

Get LOCKED IN!!!

2009-04-25T23:32:00.000-07:00

For those of you who knew me in my earlier years, I was all about Hip-Hop. I basically listened exclusively to it up till Sophomore year in High-School. While I've moved onto a much wider range of music, Hip-Hop is still a big part of my life. I've always idolized the moguls in the Hip-Hop world such as Diddy and Jay-Z. This video is a really positive message that certainly got me amped to get on top of my game this summer. Check out the clip, and do your best to GET LOCKED IN!

Marok x Colab Sunglasses

2009-04-25T22:06:00.000-07:00

It's summertime, and after spending a year in the arctic tundra that is Montreal I'm more amped than ever before! I've been in the market for some new sunglasses, which are as essential in a Hawaiian Summer as a parka is in a Montreal Winter. These shades represent a collaboration between Australian sunglass makers Colab and Germany's Marok. Colab is famous for hooking up with the best creative and artistic minds from various fields. The straight-across square aviator look is going to be jumping off this summer, mark my words.

Kid Aloha Presents: "And Ting"

2009-04-23T20:56:00.000-07:00

I have been listening to a bunch of different music recently, and this mix reflects that. Its a bit all over the place genre wise, but I was just having a lot of fun, and decided to hit the record button on serato. I'm having a bit of the Kurt Cobain syndrome, trying to resolve the side of me that wants to play club bangers that make drunk kids go wild, with the side of me that wants to play stuff like this. I'm actually putting out a demo to give to clubs back home that will be pretty damn commercial/club so look forward to that if you for some reason hate this.

Kid Aloha Presents: "And TIng"
Link to Stream of this Mix

1. Hawaiian Fake ID Intro - Super Bad
2. Too Cool For School - Don Diablo
3. Touch My Horn (Mad Kids Remix) - Jesse Rose
4. Riverside - Sidney Samson
5. Weazals Love Reggae (Lee Mortimer Remix) - Bass Weazal
6. Gonna Fly Now (Barletta vs Rocky Theme) - Bill Conti
7. Must Be A Devil (CSY Remix) - Diplo
8. Blow Your Head (Crookers Remix) - Diplo Ft. Rye Rye
9. Summertime (Bart B More Remix) - Wiley
10. Everything Cool - Foamo
11. Cream (Arcade Remix) - Federico Franchi
12. Get Up (Diplo Mix) - Bingo Players
13. Solta O Frango (LAZRTAG Remix) - Bonde De Role
14. Bonkers (Doorly Dubstep Remix) - Dizzee Rascal
15. Where's My Money (Caspa Remix) - TC

Breaking News

2009-04-23T14:49:00.001-07:00

So in addition to keeping up this blog, I've started to write for the Saintwoods blog, and you guys should check it out. For those of you who live in Montreal, you probably already know these guys for throwing the best parties in the city. I will still be keeping up Aesthetic Fix, but for MP3 posts by me, look to the Saintwoods blog. They have a great selection of MP3s, all for free download! Expect a lot more in terms of posting, I'm on SUMMER BREAK bitches!

Kid Aloha Presents: The Homecoming Mix

2009-04-09T17:18:00.001-07:00

My freshman year is winding down to a close, with my last day of classes today. I should be on the grind studying for finals, but my mind wouldn't stop drifting to thoughts of the beach, summer nights, and hawaiian girls. I threw together a little live set on the decks and recorded it. For those of my friends back home, this may be your first time listening to my music, hopefully you'll enjoy it, I had you guys in mind when creating this.

EDIT: Thanks to South Park, my use of Kanye "Gay-Fish" West is now extra relevant!!!!

Kid Aloha Presents: The Homecoming Mix (Summer 09)
Alternative Link
Tracklisting:

1) N.A.S.A - Gifted [Feat. Kanye West, Santigold & Lykke Li]
2) Kanye West- Homecoming [Discotech Remix]
3) Dance Area - AA 24/7 [Diplo Remix]
4) Crystal Castles - Atlantis To Interzone
5) Bart Bmore - Bingo Players Get Up [Diplo Remix]
6) Damian Marley - Welcome to Jamrock [Pat Swayzak Dub]
7) Human Resource - Dominator [Hervé Remix]
8) Jack Beats - What! [Foamo Remix]
9) Tiga - What You Need [The Proxy Remix]
10) The Proxy - Raven [Les Petits Pilous Remix]
11) Bloody Beetroots ft. Steve Aoki - Warp 1.9 [Barletta Edit]
12) Laidback Luke and A-Trak - Shake it Down
13) Lil' Wayne - A Milli [Nadastorm Remix]
14) Kid Cudi - Day 'N Nite [Rusko's Big Trombone Remix]
15) Kid Sister - Pro Nails [Rusko Dubstep Mix]
16) Curses! - The Deep End [Bart B More Remix]
16) Rihanna - Umbrella [VND/LSM Bootleg]
17) DJ Class - I'm The Ish [Kanye West Remix]
18) Journey - Don't Stop Believing
19) The Outfield - Your Love [Rockaton Bmore Fix]

NEW Bloody Beetroots and Steve Aoki!!!

2009-03-25T22:23:00.000-07:00

April 4th in Montreal, WOOOHOOOO!!!!

Diplo x Switch "Guns Don't Kill" Shirt

2009-03-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

To celebrate their Major Lazer collaboration, Switch and Diplo are putting out this limited edition tee. This specific colorway is being given away at an upcoming gig, but they are planning on releasing a bunch in other colorways online soon. I'll keep you guys posted.

UNDRCWN x Mos Def

2009-03-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

Came across this picture of Mos Def today. The shirt he's wearing will look familiar to any fans of Dead Prez, as it takes its inspiration from their album cover for Revolutionary but Gangster. Apparently Mos Def is teaming up with Undercrown to put out a line of clothes. From the looks of this shirt it has the chance to be like the Hip-Hop "Ed Hardy".

Since I've been getting back into my Hip-Hop roots a bit these days, heres a sick track featuring Mos Himself.
Brooklyn We Go Hard Remix- Mos Def

Nike SB Dunk x Quagmire

2009-03-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

This absolutely absurd colorway by Nike SB, draws its influence from Family Guy's own Quagmire. This is not the first time Nike SB has gone this route, with the famous "Homer Simpsons" still being one of the most sought after Dunks on the market. I'm not the hugest fan of Family Guy, but these make for a hot sneaker, and I'm definitely a fan of the creative "named" colorways that Nike does. This shoes will soon be a collector's item so if you see them, be sure to pick them up.

Beats by Dre New Colorway

2009-03-03T13:56:00.001-08:00

The god-producer himself, Dr. Dre teamed up with Monster to create the "Beats by Dre" sound canceling headphones. Not only do they look ill, but I can personally attest to their amazing sound quality. I tested them at an Apple Store, and you could hear a full range of crisp highs and thundering bass with the iPod only turned up half way. I consider myself a headphone snob, and I would definitely rank these towards the top of my list . They absolutely beast the Bose QC3, which are in the same price range.

This is an exclusive colorway done by Color Ware, a company that specializes in making all your gadgets look damn sexy. DJ's be warned though, its apparently not great to use sound-cancelling phones behind the decks. I might still have to drop $350 regardless.

Young Jeezy Circulation Video

2009-03-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

Young Jeezy CIRCULATE (Full Video) from jeezy circulate on Vimeo.

The one good thing that has come out of the commercialization of Hip-Hop is the MAJOR cash flow these guys now have to create their art. From the multi-million dollar studios that they can utilize to make banging beats, to the major music videos like these, some good things have come out of hip-hop going mainstream. I can only hope that we start to see a bit more money being invested into Electro-House, because it could produce some amazing shit.

This video was done as part of the Belvedere IX campaign that I blogged about earlier. Its dopamine!

Simpsons x Justice?!?

2009-02-28T10:40:00.001-08:00

Spotted this on Justice's myspace today. I have no real information about it, but clearly it looks like a legit Simpsons illustration. Could we be seeing Gaspard and Xavier in Springfield soon?

Skam x Louis Vuitton

2009-02-25T22:12:00.000-08:00

Check out the job world famous graffiti artist SKAM did on the Louis Vuitton store in Toronto. Its a bit confusing that Louis Vuitton is choosing to go this route with their image, but the stuff they are putting out has been mighty safe.

In4mation "Aloha State meets the Big Apple"

2009-02-24T11:42:00.000-08:00

Being from Hawaii myself, I am of course very proud when things from our islands blow up. In4mation is a local streetwear/sneaker store which has recently delved into creating their own lines. Their new Spring/Summer line aims to combine influences from our sunny homeland and the hustle and bustle of New York City. Theres a lot of basic patterns and colors, that I really think a lot of people will find a liking to, regardless of their styles. Check their online store for their other threads, they ship worldwide too.

Ra Ra Riot Guerilla Style

2009-02-22T16:46:00.000-08:00

RaRaRiot - Dying is fine - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

A friend of mine showed me this awesome site which has guerilla style performances of a number of bands and musicians. Heres a little baroque-indie band that I've been digging for a while. The video's also amazing to look at, and its nice to give our ears a break from heart-racing dance music every now and then.

Kanye x Kid Cudi: Welcome to Heartbreak Video

2009-02-19T13:19:00.000-08:00

KANYE WEST "Welcome To Heartbreak" Directed by Nabil from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

It seems that the general consensus these days is that Kanye is played out. There are numerous reasons to dislike Yeezy from his ridiculous arrogance, to his new musical style. The fact of the matter is that Kanye West does challenge the norms which often confine talented rappers and pop artists. From his days as a up and coming Hip-Hop producer, where he championed the soul-sample sound, to his current experimentation with vocoders and synths, Kanye is always pushing the envelope. In his newest music video, he has decided to utilize vivid colors and graphics to portray the mood of the track. Its definitely a cool idea, and I think the video's pretty well done.

Made With Aloha Mixtape

2009-02-17T18:35:00.000-08:00

Here's a mix I threw together last week when I was crippled by strep-throat. It's a bit sloppy at parts due to people coming into my room while recording to check if I was still alive. Hope you enjoy it, I'll be putting out more mixes on a regular basis.

Made With Aloha Mixtape

1. Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop [Tittsworth Remix]
2. Diplo - Must Be a Devil
3. Daft Punk - Harder Better Faster Stronger [Diplo Remix]
4. Three 6 Mafia - Stay Fly
5. Kanye West - Stronger [A-Trak Remix]
6. Kanye West - Champion [Cousin Cole Dub]
7. Lee Mortimer - Champion Sound
8. MGMT - Kids [Soulwax Remix]
9. Justice - Phantom Pt. II [Soulwax Nite Remix]
10. DJ Class & Lil Jon - I'm The Ish [Bmore Remix]
11. Metallica - Enter Sandman [Hervé Fix]
12. Human Resource - Dominator [Hervé Remix]
13. Kid Cudi - Day 'N Night [Crookers First Remix]
14. 24Skorpionz - We Some Playerz featuring Chamillionaire, Chew-Fu & J-Cast
15. Autoerotique - Gladiators
16. MSTRKRFT - Neon Knights
17. Bloody Beetroots - Cornelius [De La Edit]
18. Fukk Off - Rave Is King [La Castle Vania Remix]
19. Fake Blood - Mars
20. Busy P - Protect and Entertain [Crookers Remix]
21. Mr. Oizo - Positif
22. Kaiser Chiefs - Love's Not a Competition, But I'm Winning [Nelson Grover Remix]
23. All-American Rejects - Gives You Hell [Bloody Beetroots Remix]
24. Mystery Jets - Half In Love With Elizabeth [Foamo Remix]
25. The Outfield - Your Love [ROCKATON Bmore Mix]
26. Bob Marley - One Love

Favela on Blast

2009-02-16T12:48:00.001-08:00

Diplo genre-bending producer and DJ is coming out with a documentary about the Balle Funk scene in Rio de Janeiro. This trailer looks amazing, definitely go and check this movie out as soon as you can.

For a sample of Diplo's musical work check the link: AA/ 24 7 Remix

Back In The Day When I Was a Teenager.....

2009-02-15T19:43:00.000-08:00

.....I was a huge Hip-Hop head, and Cam'ron was one of my favorite rappers. His flow and lyrics are rather unorthodox, garnering praise from the likes of Pitchfork, pulling in a 8.7/10 for his Purple Haze album. The guy has definitely fallen on hard times, no longer supported by Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella label or his once formidable Diplomat crew. This music video for his new song I Hate My Job, is low budget as fuck and hard to watch, but I like the creative subject matter that Cam spits here.

Belvedere Black

2009-02-09T22:23:00.001-08:00

[i]Sorry for taking so long to post again, I'm back though.[/i]

I'm a huge fan of Belvedere's vodka, and I'm not even a big drinker. The vodka giant is releasing a new black bottle of alchy, labeled as Belvedere IX. The roman numeral denotes the nine exotic ingredients in this 100 proof spirit, (ginseng, guarana, acai, ginger, sweet almond, jasmine, eucalyptus, three cinnamon, and black cherry). The bottle's design was done by socialite and graffiti artist Terry Richardson. Can't wait to sample this, hopefully the SAQs will get some in stock.

Electro Style going Mainstream??

2009-01-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

Nike teamed up with BUSY-P late last year to come out with a fly pair of Air Forces. It seems like Nike is trying to ride the surge in popularity of the Electro movement. Is this a bad thing? I'm not one to care when the underground goes mainstream. All I know is I need to get these kicks.

Happy New Year

2009-01-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to everyone out there! 2008 was a year of major transition for me, and I look forward to a sense of stability in 2009. With that said, I still hope that I am kicked in the teeth by something so new music wise that I can barely comprehend it. Anyways as the saying goes, "If you don't know where you came from, how can you know what direction you should be going?" Here are some songs that follow that theme.

Blue Monday by New Order

Boys Don't Cry by The Cure

Don't You Want Me - The Human League

My Top 10 Albums of the Year

2008-12-30T08:45:00.000-08:00

I have always been more of a fan of Albums than of Singles. The feeling of downloading a new album and listening to the thing all the way through is rivaled only by finding a new dance track that you know will fill the floor at future parties. I'd love to see your guys top 10 lists too if you have time. I hope you guys realize I have more depth musically than 4 to the floor, electro-house, ear bleeding bangers. Happy New Year, I hope 2k9 has as many great albums (The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys perhapps?)

1. Oracular Spectacular - MGMT

My Favorite Tracks: Kids, Time to Pretend, Weekend Wars, Electric Feel

Talk about a cohesive album that can be listened to all the way through over and over. It helps that my favorite song of the year was also on Oracular Spectacular. As into electro-house as I am, its rare that I like an original more than the remix banger. However, in the case of Kids and Electric Feel, I enjoy MGMT's versions to that of Soulwax and Justice. My friend Max pointed out to me that the lyrical content really resonated with him during the period between highschool and college. After he said this, I realized thats part of why I love this album so much.

2. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

My Favorite Tracks: A-Punk, Oxford Comma, Walcott, M79

Vampire Weekend's debut is basically a tie with MGMT's for me. However, due to the fact that my mother found this band before me, I will put it at number 2 (ivy league punk is how she described it to me). Their live show at Pipeline back in Hawaii is one of the best shows I have ever been to if not the best. They make I like music, that sounds like nothing else out there. While they aren't "punk" as my mother stated, they might as well be, in that they do their own thing their own way. I like their name, I like their clothes and I like the fact that they went to Columbia. Take that!

3. In Ghost Colours - Cut Copy

My Favorite Tracks: Feel the Love, Lights and Music, Hearts on Fire, Out There on the Ice

I really think more people need to get into Cut Copy. They have a very accessible sound, that spans a number of genres. I love this album, and saw it as a significant step up from "Bright Like Neon Love." It elevated Cut Copy from a band that I knew and sort of liked to one of my favorites. Often I read raving reviews by various indie establishments, and find myself convincing myself to like the album. From the first song, I knew this wouldn't be the case.

4. Tha Carter III - Lil Wayne

My Favorite Tracks: A Milli, Got Money, Let the Beat Build, Mr. Carter

C3 was my vindication for being a hardcore hip-hop head for all of middle school and junior high. I used to be really into Lil Wayne during the Carter I era (yeah what you know about that?!?), and it makes me feel like perhaps young Drew was on to something. I should have realized that I would one day become an Indie fan due to the fact that I had an obsession with finding rappers that others didn't know about or like, and calling them my favorite. Seemingly things have come full circle, and now not only does everyone like Weezy, but I kind of dig rap again. Now if the Clipse and Cam'ron's next albums go huge, I might start going by the Nostradamus of Rap.

5. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles

My Favorite Tracks: Untrust Us, Crimewave, Courtship Date, Knights

Crystal Castles are so fucking cool. This band is essentially my personal Tyler Durden. "All the ways you wish you could be, that's me. I look like you wanna look, I fuck like you wanna fuck, I am smart, capable, and most importantly, I am free in all the ways that you are not." It really is true, you can tell that CC are making the kind of art that they want to, and are not being constrained by critics, fans or anyone else. If I DJ'd purely the music that I liked, I doubt I'd have anywhere near as much success.

6. 808's and Heartbreak - Kanye West

My Favorite Tracks: Heartless, Love Lockdown, See You In My Nightmares, Robocop

I really am confused whether I like Kanye West or not. Late Registration was and probably still is one of my favorite post-Pac rap albums. His talent as a producer and rapper is undeniable. I was turned off by the fact that if you wanted to be an alternative hip-hop fan, you just listen to and dress like Kanye and Lupe Fiasco. His arrogance is a bit annoying too, however in the case of this album, thank god for that arrogance. His belief that he is "the future of music", allowed him to experiment with some incredibly un-hip-hop sounds. This resulted in an album that hopefully points Hip-Hop in a different direction.

7. Made in the Dark - Hot Chip

My Favorite Tracks: Ready for the Floor, Touch Too Much, Made in the Dark

I really just wish that their lead singer didn't look like such a child predator. That aside they make really good electro-pop music. I really attribute Hot Chip with allowing me to see 80's synthpop through a new lens. Ready for the Floor is such a banger, just like "Over and Over" on Hot Chip's previous album. You can essentially play that song with the bass turned up at any electro-house party, with much success. I guess the reason that some people like the 80's so much is that a band like this, could have been popular back then. Come on guys, if we elected Obama we can like good dance music too. Yes We Can!

8. Pillowface and his Airplane Chronicles

My Favorite Tracks: Scanners Remix, Shake & Pop, Dance Remix
So Pitchfork gave this album a 2.3/10, well fuck you Pitchfork! (Jk, we are BFFS 4eva!!!). Steve Aoki is the man, and kind of my idol. What he tries to do in this mixtape is encapsulate a very diverse and complex scene (the electro/blog-house, indie rock, hipster one) into a single album. This leaves it seemingly very ADD, and not very cohesive. I see why some people think this is a rather poor effort, but to me it shows a greater vision. An increasing fusion of the indie scene with that of electro-house is a pretty exciting thing, and definitely something I'm down with. Viva La Aoki!

9. You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into - Does It Offend You, Yeah?

My Favorite Tracks: We Are Rockstars, Dawn of the Dead, Battle Royale, Weird Science

Sometimes I just like a band or album for an un-explainable reason, and I bullshit a deeper meaning to make myself feel better about myself. In regards to Does It Offend You, Yeah?'s debut, I have no such bullshit excuse for liking them. They make music that's a lot of fun, equal part British Indie, Electro and Punk, a la the Klaxons but with much less tact. It's probably my repressed punk rock ego latching on to dance punk as a way of staying alive. Hmm, that sounds pretty good, lets go with that.

10. The Rhumb Line - Ra Ra Riot

My Favorite Tracks: Ghost Under Rocks, Too Too Too Fast, Dying is Fine, Can You Tell

Ra Ra Riot really evokes a similar feeling to listening to Vampire Weekend. There are a lot of similarities actually between the two. Ra Ra is composed of a number of Syracuse classmates, and the lead singer's vocals sound strangely like Ezra Koenig's at times. I still would like to see this band get more notice, not from the mainstream, but from Indie fans, blogs and the like. I thought I might go to college and find myself in a band like this eventually. I think we all know that I'm headed down a much different path now.

UNDFTD x Puma

2008-12-28T21:20:00.000-08:00

http://www.hypebeast.com/image/2008/12/undefeated-puma-suede-mid-ii-2.jpg

For those of you who don't regularly check streetwear blogs (and don't be ashamed), today will be a lesson of sorts. These sweet sneakers are a collaboration between the brands UNDFTD (undefeated) and Puma. The x between their names in the title denotes said collaboration. Its quite common for two streetwear brands to work together on a project, and in this case the end result is something quite nice. The more you know!

Nike x DJ AM x Kobe Bryant

2008-12-27T00:11:00.000-08:00

Nike Zoom Kobe IV iD - Mike Epps + DJ AM from Freshnessmag.com on Vimeo.

If you keep reading this blog (which I hope you do), you will soon learn my love for sneakers. Not only are these some great looking kicks, but I'm also a huge fan of DJ AM and Kobe Bryant, making this commercial great.

CAN I HAZ NEW ALBUM PLEAZE?!

2008-12-23T12:41:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of things that I want in life, but many are far to unrealistic or require too much work to actually come to fruition. However, hoping for a 4th album by the Strokes will likely result in far less heartbreak. "Is This It" which I was introduced to a good couple years after Strokes-hysteria, quickly changed my music tastes. If you think I have a good taste in music these days, Julian Casablancas and co. are responsible for changing me from the shitty hip-hop fan that I was in my earlier years. We also really have them to thank for a number of fantastic guitar based indie bands (The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys, etc), and for the resurgence of the skinny jeans.

I've definitely come across a fair number of people who share my love for the Strokes, but I've also come across a fair number of un-fans. I find it fair enough that some people find their lyrics to be rather vapid, or their songs to be too similar. However, I am always baffled by those who say, "the Strokes are all privileged," and refuse to take them seriously for this reason. Maybe I'm missing something, but I fail to see why growing up without money is a pre-requisite to being a rockstar or making good music. It would be one thing if their lyrics were focused upon their inherited wealth and status, but I've yet to find that song on any album or EP. I really don't care if you like the Strokes or not, but if your reason for not liking them is because of their upbringing, learn to get off the dick of rock and roll writers and form your own opinion.

Dim Mak Winter Collection

2008-12-22T21:07:00.000-08:00

Steve Aoki is the man, and I don't care if you say otherwise. Critics often pick on his technical skills or privileged upbringing, people tended to say the same things about the Strokes, who we all know kick ass. Anyways, Steve Aoki's Dim Mak clothing released a couple of new shirts which are much nicer than their previous stuff. Clearly they are catering a bit towards the sneakerhead/hypebeast crowd, but theres nothing wrong with that.

check out the dimmakcollection.com to get these shirts.

Electro PUNKS

2008-12-22T20:29:00.000-08:00

These electro kids sure look punk these days don't they? I certainly have no issue with that. For anyone who's seen A Cross the Universe or the Cournelius vid, these guys have the ethos down way better than any of the psuedo-punk out these days.

and in other news, i currently have a love affair with this song.
Crystal Castles -- Crimewave