we wore masks.

we outta here, baby (2009)

2009-01-26T23:30:00.003-06:00

dear readers,

this is our last post here at weworemasks.blogspot.com. if you've grown to love us within the past year and a half, we hope you'll join us over at our new home, www.weworemasks.com.

update your browsers, rss feeds and google readers. we'll see you at wordpress.

www.weworemasks.com
www.weworemasks.com
www.weworemasks.com
www.weworemasks.com
www.weworemasks.com
www.weworemasks.com
www.weworemasks.com
www.weworemasks.com
www.weworemasks.com
www.weworemasks.com
www.weworemasks.com

love,

jerome/panda
roshan/grizzly

music video: tyga - live forever (2009)

2009-01-25T02:57:00.003-06:00

i'm not even gonna front like this isn't a dope video/song, cause it is. kid is really stepping his game up.

- panda

interview: colin munroe (2008)

2009-01-24T14:32:00.004-06:00

so i did this interview with homedude colin munroe for allhiphop back in mid-december, and they finally posted the joint up. it's a solid read. there's big things in store for him in 2009, so hop on the bandwagon.

read the interview here.

colin munroe on myspace.

also, if you haven't already, pick up his mixtape. one of my favorites of last year, and it features the likes of drake, wale and dallas austin, and production by black milk, just to name a few.

download:

-grizzly

album review: notorious - ost (2009)

2009-01-24T14:15:00.005-06:00

so i saw notorious and pretty much loved it. not the greatest movie, but i just love BIG way too much not to appreciate the movie. everything in the movie was solid, besides minor casting slip-ups likepapa doc playing tupac. dude was terrible, and portrayed tupac like some ignorant and irrational moron, which as we all know, he wasn't. angela bassett could've dropped on a heavier accent, because BIG's mom had a much thicker accent. other than that, i'd give it a solid B-.

did a column for my school paper, and my boy mike did the movie review, which you can read here. (note: anything about the movie was done by mike, the layout editors fucked that one up.) i took the responsibilities for the soundtrack. enjoy.

Artist: Various Artists
Album: OST - Notorious
Record Label: Atlantic
Release Date: January 13, 2008

The Notorious B.I.G. is a shoe-in for the list of the most influential hip-hop artists of our generation. If you’ve ever considered yourself a fan of The Notorious B.I.G., chances are you’ve already heard most of the material on the soundtrack for the biopic Notorious. However, if you happened to catch the movie and found yourself inspired to have a refresher course on his discography, then it’s a good starting place.

The soundtrack includes some of Biggie’s biggest hits, as well as underground classics like “What’s Beef,” “Juicy” and “Party and Bullshit.” The release also features a couple of new tracks, including Jadakiss’ “Letter to B.I.G.,” featuring Biggie’s infamous widow Faith Evans. The track is heartfelt and vulnerable, both emotions that many hip-hop artists may be afraid to express.

Also on the soundtrack is the incredibly disappointing “Brooklyn Go Hard,” which features Jay-Z, the most well known apprentice of Biggie, and Santogold, recent blog/hipster favorite. It seems unlikely that a song featuring this collaboration on a Kanye West beat would disappoint, but the three fail to deliver.

Perhaps the best things about this soundtrack are the three unreleased tracks from Biggie’s earlier years — “Microphone Murderer,” “Guaranteed Raw” and “Love No Hoe,” which stays true to the promiscuous and lighthearted Biggie that everyone has grown to love.

However, the soundtrack misses a few steps. It kicks off with “Notorious Thugs,” definitely a fan favorite, but not heard in the movie. Likewise, there is a slew of unreleased material that could have been surfaced through this release, but the team behind the release decided on only three tracks.

Notorious is probably not worth what you would have to shell out at the mall or Best Buy, but is an overall cohesive backdrop for the movie’s theme and serves its purpose well. For anyone who hasn’t been exposed to any of these influential and genre-defining tracks, it would be well worth your time.

Grade: B+

-the notorious grizzly

peter bjorn and john - remixes (2009)

2009-01-24T14:06:00.004-06:00

in anticipation for their newest album, living thing, two remixes have been dropped. one for "inland empire" off of seaside rock and "lay it down," a new cut. anyway, cop these and cop their single "nothing to worry about," somewhere on the internet.

pbj on myspace.

download:

pbj - inland empire (friend mix)
pbj - lay it down (golden filter remix)

-grizzly, bjorn and john

daytrotter sessions (2008)

2009-01-24T13:59:00.000-06:00

yes, i'm aware these are as old as shit, but after talking to a handful of my friends, i've realized that not many people know about these. regardless, some of these are definitely worth the time. here are some of my personal favorites. and no, i'm not posting the bon iver sessions. free music is always worthwhile. the entire list is located here.

check these out:

kevin devine.

death cab for cutie.

cursive.

tokyo police club.

minus the bear.

-grizztrotter

music video: ice cube - i got my locs on f. young jeezy (2008)

2009-01-24T13:55:00.002-06:00

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeestsideeeeee.

-grizzly

from monument to masses - beyond god & elvis (felix cartal remix)

2009-01-22T19:58:00.004-06:00

MAAAAAAAAAAAAAN. this shit.. this shit right here.. pure heat.

1. grab a glass of vodka.
2. grab a couple friends.
3. have them grab some friends.
4. put this on.
5. spazz out completely.

download the remix here.
felix cartal on myspace.
from monument to masses on myspace.

- panda cartal

lack of updates (2009)

2009-01-22T00:53:00.003-06:00

we apologize for the lack of updates. we actually have good reason for once though. we're THIS close to completing our switch over to wordpress. i promise, we'll be up and running within the next few days. we've already got new features ready to go, and a lot of REALLY exciting spotlights coming up. '09 baby, dig.

- el panda y los grizzlies

q-tip - we fight/we love on conan (2009)

2009-01-22T00:46:00.006-06:00

very interesting rendition of one of the better tracks from the renaissance (which by the way, if you don't have, you should be cut.. let me know and me or one of my cousins will be at your place shortly). i'm not sure how i feel about the scooby doo-esque ending. either way, great performance. tip looks cut.

- panda

music video: john legend - everybody knows (2009)

2009-01-19T16:55:00.004-06:00

john legend's new video for my favorite track from evolver, "everybody knows".

speaking of john legend, guess who's gonna be at his official concert after party hosted by the man himself on thursday night? yeah, yeah, we (and by we, i mean me.. not roshan) gon' be there!

- everypanda knows

music video: young jeezy - my president f. nas (2009)

2009-01-17T18:56:00.003-06:00

the realest shit i never wrote.

video dropped for the obama song to end all obama songs. i still bump this.

watch the inauguration on tuesday. history.

-grizzly

kenzo digital - city of god's son (2009)

2009-01-16T13:07:00.005-06:00

just stumbled across this. i'm listening to it now, and it is unbelievable. one of the most brilliant and seamless projects i've heard in quite some time. i'll let those behind the project, kenzo digital (with the help of many) explain it:

“City of Gods Son is an experimental hip-hop opera starring Nas, Jay Z, Ghostface, Biggie Smalls, Raekwon, Samuel Jackson, Delroy Lindo, and Laurence Fishburne. It is a crime drama/coming of age tale of three fictitious characters growing up in a crime ridden mythical city in a jungle. This project explores the icon of the gangster in modern media, and weaves musical history and gangster film history into an operatic music based story of brotherhood and survival. An homage to 90s New York hip-hop, City of Gods Son is the redefinition of the remix. Featuring legendary soul singer Joe Bataan. A sound film/hip hop opera by Kenzo Digital.”

so head over to the official website and download the entire opera and read all the information these guys have put together. i can't wait to sit down with this.

see the trailer:

-city of grizzly's son

p.s. "it is recommended that you listen to this at night, uninterrupted and on headphones."

the cool kids - 88 (chewy chocolate cookies remix) (2009)

2009-01-16T12:49:00.003-06:00

i know we've never posted about em before, but after stealing all of the remixes from SSDT, i took a huge liking for all of the remixes by this group/this guy/this batch of cookies. anyway, they just dropped a new mix, and this time for the cool kids' 88, off of the bake sale or totally flossed out or any of the 137964 mixtapes they dropped. get at it.

CCC on wordpress.

download:

the cool kids - 88 (chewy chocolate cookies remix)

-grizzly

music video: q-tip - manwomanboogie (2009)

2009-01-16T12:25:00.005-06:00

kamaal the abstract drops his newest video featuring amanda diva. directed by rik cordero, who did nas' "be a nigger too," one of my favorite videos from last year. one of the best songs off the renaissance. speaking of which, don't be an idiot and get your hands on that album if you haven't already.

-grizzly the abstract

gorillaz - phase III (2009)

2009-01-15T20:12:00.002-06:00

smokeYYY (another birdie) shot me these links. damon albarn (yep) guest dj'd at a radio station and premiered three new gorillaz tracks. i can see jerome's eyes lighting up from across interstate 45 right now.

gorillaz on myspace.

courtesy of that real ish.

download:

gorillaz - phase III

-grizzly

love between equals (2009)

2009-01-15T20:07:00.002-06:00

a little birdie dropped this off in the mailbox to share. i'm diggin the beats, but the vocals in "young love" are a little shifty. "get it in" is definitely the jam. judging by the titles of the songs, you should know what to do when you bump these.

love between equals on myspace.

download (right click, save as):

young love
get it fit

-grizzly

video: pharoahe monch - ondaspot freestyle (2009)

2009-01-13T23:25:00.005-06:00

this video is making the blog rounds, but woooooooooooooow. absolutely.

courtesy of nahright.

- panda

24 - season 7 (2009)

2009-01-12T22:59:00.003-06:00

ohhhhhhh god damn. jack's definitely back. four episodes in, and the writers of 24 have seemingly reinvented themselves completely. definitely a very action-packed premiere that has laid foundation for what seems like an epic season. they've turned away from the things that brought season 6 down and have used criticism from the past to turn the show around. anybody who used to be a fan of this show should definitely catch up to the first four episodes on fox's website. must-see.

now i'm just waiting on flight of the conchords and LOST.

i love this time of year.

-grizzly

tera melos - idioms vol. I (2009)

2009-01-12T22:54:00.003-06:00

i first caught these guys open for the fall of troy a few years back and they completely blew me away. one of the most technical and craziest live bands. very reminiscent of hella, and the likes. anyway, the dudes released a brand new covers ep. definitely not the best part. it's free. so head over to their site and download it.

tera melos on myspace.

download:

-tera grizzly

skins - the official skins soundtrack (2007)

2009-01-12T17:46:00.004-06:00

so jerome watches about 6 show total it seems, so whenever he starts raving about one, i end up watching it. considering i watch about 100 tv shows, it's usually no problem to add another. i just wrapped up season one of skins, and what jerome said about it is pretty much dead on. it's the UK's answer to the OC, only it's believable and has a lot more debauchery and drug-use.

watch episodes of skins here. (IE is required)

download:

*download is courtesy of popjuice.

-grizzly

music video: b.o.b. - i'll be in the sky (2009)

2009-01-12T17:32:00.007-06:00

one of the many hot acts coming out of the ATL (like that's a surprise). b.o.b. has popped up on some incredibly dope joints like t.i./luda's collab "sitting on top of the world," and also did "im dat nigga" with t.i., both which are some of my recent favorites. he's been on his mixtape grind as of late and this track is on "who the fuck is bob, available here. this is also his first single off of his upcoming album,the adventures of b.o.b., due out in 09 at some point.

anyway, peep the video and hit up his myspace for the rest of his mixtapes.

music video for i'll be in the sky:

-grizzly

n.a.s.a. - the spirit of apollo (2009)

2009-01-12T17:24:00.005-06:00

north america south america (n.a.s.a.) are a duo out of california, who have lined up one of the biggest collaboration projects in quite some time. the spirit of apollo is due out feb. 17, and features the likes of chuck d, kanye west, tom waits, lykke li, santogold, and a shit load of other people i can't name off the top of my head.

here are two of the tracks, so bump these till the album drops.

n.a.s.a. on myspace.

download:

gifted f. kanye west, lykke li and santogold
whachadoin f. m.i.a., santogold, spank rock and nick zinner

-grizzly

kid cudi - man on the moon mixtape (2009)

2009-01-06T17:21:00.004-06:00

an unofficial mixtape courtesy of hiphop update.

features some cuts you know or you may not know, but it's definitely worth the grab.

read the reasoning behind the mixtape and download it here.

-grizzly

movie recap: slumdog millionaire (2008)

2009-01-06T17:01:00.006-06:00

slumdog millionaire follows the story of jamal, a young boy who grew up in the poorest of neighborhoods in mumbai, india. he's currently one question away from winning the indian version of 'who wants to be a millionaire' and has been arrested for cheating, the reasoning being that he grew up in said impoverished neighborhood. seeing as that there is no way someone like jamal (see: slumdog, most similar to an untouchable) could know all this information. jamal then tells his story, which the viewer sees through perfectly executed flashbacks, which end up piecing the story together.

i was a bit hesitant about watching this, considering the fact that i grew up with bollywood films. i mean the standard flick consists of a forbidden love story (with no kissing!), some songs sung in a choreographic fashion either in a meadow or with rain, some violence and usually runs anywhere from 3-4 hours in length.

this was a very well-crafted and overall incredible movie that anyone should be able to enjoy. and fyi: it's about 70% english, 30% subtitled hindi, so it shouldn't be TOO hard to follow. the movie did a seamless job in terms of working with the language barrier, i'd say.

slumdog millionaire is still slowly getting added to theaters across america, so keep an eye out for your local spots. i saw it about two weeks ago and forgot to post about it, but it's definitely a must see.

p.s. hit up the sound rack for SM, as it features a new MIA cut, among others. i'm pretty sure if i posted it, this post would be axed by blogger in no time.

grade: B+

-slumdog grizzly

young love - new songs (2009)

2009-01-06T16:55:00.003-06:00

keyes dropped two new tracks ("black boots" and "one to ten") off of his upcoming album, one of us, due out in early april. one to ten uses the same young love formula found on their debut, but black boots is a little more on the rock side. both of them sound good on my end. my biggest beef with YL is his lyrics, but the songs are usually catchy enough for me not to give too big of a shit.

listen to the new songs.

-young grizzly

soonsoonsoonsoonsoonsoon

2009-01-05T22:00:00.002-06:00

in the next week, the wordpress edition of weworemasks will be ready, and quite possibly even weworemasks.com. sit tight, you know we're lazy as hell.

xoxo,
the bears.

idle warship - try it on (howwedoitoverhere) (2009)

2009-01-02T18:27:00.004-06:00

god bless idle warship (talib kweli, res, and graph nobel) and god bless this instrumental/beat. put the two together = win.

idle warship on myspace.

download try it on (howwedoitoverhere).

and in case you slept on this video and epic track:

download steady.

idle warship takes over your party video/mini doc:

this shit is so live. get ready for the mixtape. '09 off to a great start.

- panda warship

shawn hewitt

2009-01-02T12:39:00.003-06:00

if i had this entire album, i would go back and edit my end of year list and this would be in my top 5. this dude is absolutely incredible. AND I CAN'T FIND HIS FUCKING DEBUT ALBUM ANYWHERE. literally the only place i could find it online is amazon and it's a 22 dollar import. i may suck it up and order it today, cause this is seriously one album i don't want to be without any longer than i have to.

after reading a lot about shawn yesterday, i noticed comparisons ranging from (mostly) radiohead/thom yorke to rufus wainright to stevie wonder to maroon 5 and tv on the radio. none of which are without their merit. he's really managed to find a niche somewhere between indie and soul. and it's an amazing, amazing sound.

shawn hewitt on myspace.

download two tracks from spare hearts:
keep them at bay
one on one

video for try:

video for one on one:

- panda

music video: kid cudi vs. crookers - day 'n' nite (2009)

2009-01-02T12:36:00.004-06:00

i'm dumb. i never saw the video he ranted about, so i took it down. don't need cudi yelling at me in all caps. you can still grab the remix here, and the only reason i kept this post was to have an excuse to put up a fly picture.

-dear cudi, don't send grizzly any hate mail.

video: big sean and mr. hudson - way out (2008)

2009-01-01T15:27:00.005-06:00

2009 will be an epic year for G.O.O.D. music. these two are a big reason why. big sean and mr. hudson performing a fresh track that will be on both of their upcoming releases.

- panda

WEWOREMASKS END OF THE YEAR LISTS (2008)

2008-12-29T23:58:00.008-06:00

without further ado, the panda and the grizzly present to you the year-end lists of 2008. the year was somewhat like any other year, jerome and i (grizzly) have compiled the standard bs lists you've grown accustomed to on every site.

GRIZZLY/ROSHAN:

i'm not sure if my list will suit many, as i couldn't give a shit less about what genre is acceptable to choose, what's credible and what's not. i listen to what moves me and have never limited myself to one genre, the underground, or what is unacceptable for any blogger or music fan to like.

here's my list. if you have any gripes with it, listen to track 5 on justin timberlake's justified and GTFO of my face:

tv shows:

honorable mention:
the life and times of tim (season one)

5. entourage (season five)
4. how i met your mother (season four)
3. prison break (season four)
2. it's always sunny in philadelphia (season four)
1. lost (season four)

note: sorry i don't watch ______.

top 10 live shows (all in houston, unless otherwise noted):

honorable mention:
portugal. the man, wintersleep@ the meridian

10. tokyo police club @ the meridian
9. atmosphere @ fun fun fun fest; austin, tx
8. gym class heroes, estelle @ the meridian
7. girl talk @ warehouse live
6. the souled out tour - common, n.e.r.d. @ verizon wireless theater
5. clipse @ fun fun fun fest; austin, tx
4. the mars volta @ verizon wireless theater
3. 2k sports bounce tour - q-tip, the cool kids, the knux @ warehouse live
2. alkaline trio, thrice, the gaslight anthem @ house of blues
1. the glow in the dark tour - kanye west, rihanna, n.e.r.d., lupe fiasco @ the woodlands pavilion

note: i mean 10-2 were great shows, but fuck every concert/show/festival that has ever existed in 2008. glow in the dark is and will forever be the business.

top 10 mixtapes:

honorable mention:
charles hamilton - sonic the hamilton grab.

10. asher roth - the greenhouse effect vol. I grab.
9. dj benzi - the new deal grab.
8. the cool kids - that's stupid grab.
7. colin monroe - ...is the unsung hero grab.
6. mick boogie and terry urban - viva la hova grab.
5. dj benzi and plain pat - sky high mixtape grab.
4. clipse - play cloths grab.
3. nas - the nigger tape grab.
2. kid cudi - a kid named cudi grab.
1. wale - a mixtape about nothing grab.

note: many of these were better releases than a lot of the albums released, namely the top three. nas' nigger tape showcased some of what didn't and wouldn't make the cut for untitled, and in many cases, (see: be a nigger too) the reasons were apparent. cudi signed to g.o.o.d., worked with ye, and will undoubtedly blow up in 09. likewise with wale. the mixtape about nothing is easily one of the hottest releases/mixtapes/LPs in a long time. i mean concept albums are one thing, but this dude's dropping concept mixtapes. AND it's incredible.

top 15 EPs:

15. 65daysofstatic - the distant and mechanised glow of eastern european dance parties
14. manchester orchestra - let my pride be what's behind
13. the cambiata - "to heal"
12. person l - initial
11. the carps - waves and shambles
10. deas vail - white lights
9. the alchemist - the cookbook
8. coldplay - prospekts march
7. third eye blind - red star
6. the jealous sound - got friends
5. passion pit - chunk of change
4. looking glass wars - a place in a parlor grab.
3. the gaslight anthem - the senor and the queen
2. eye alaska - yellow and elephant
1. moving mountains - foreword stream.

note: easy choice. moving mountains are mindblowing. their debut lp pneuma was incredible, and this is no different. each song plays like a movie, with the typical post-rock crescendo/climax/decrescendo style. however, the vocals add that certain element that allows you to be more attached to what you're actually listening to. make sure you give this EP a chance.

top 10 disappointments:

honorable mention:
colour revolt - plunder, beg and curse

10. ratatat - LP3
9. stars - sad robot
8. minus the bear - acoustics
7. fear before - fear before
6. the re-up gang - the clipse presents the re-up gang
5. norma jean - the antimother
4. thursday/envy - split
3. death cab for cutie - narrow stairs
2. the faint - fasciinatiion
1. common - universal mind control

note: common -- i'll tell you what you should (did) do: dumb it down.

top 40 albums of 2008:

honorable mentions:
45. ne-yo - year of the gentleman
44. lykke li - youth novels
43. sophia - my morning; migration review.
42. alive in wild paint - ceilings review.
41. bloc party - intimacy

40. kidz in the hall - the 'in' crowd
39. 88 keys - the death of adam
38. this town needs guns - animals
37. santogold - santogold
36. lil wayne - tha carter III review.
35. sigur ros - með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
34. snowgoons - black snow
33. usher - here i stand review.
32. cut copy - in ghost colours
31. young jeezy - the recession
30. city and colour - bring me your love review.
29. doomtree - doomtree
28. q-tip - the renaissance
27. looking glass wars - the musician
26. portugal. the man - censored colours
25. vampire weekend - vampire weekend
24. tiger lou - a partial print
23. underoath - lost in the sound of separation review.
22. coldplay - viva la vida or death and all his friends review.
21. the roots - rising down
20. the fall of troy - phantom on the horizon
19. mgmt - oracular spectacular
18. flight of the conchords - flight of the conchords
17. n.e.r.d. - seeing sounds
16. wolftron - flesh and fears
15. ludacris - theater of the mind
14. alkaline trio - agony and irony
13. gym class heroes - the quilt review.
12. the knux - remind me in 3 days
11. innerpartysystem - innerpartysystem review.
10. tokyo police club - elephant shell
9. the game - l.a.x. review.
8. the mars volta - the bedlam in goliath review.
7. atmosphere - when life gives you lemons, you paint that shit gold
6. lydia - illuminate review.

5. thrice - the alchemy index vol III and IV: earth and air review.

note: it's no surprise that thrice is so high up on my list this year (just like every time they ever release an album. i just feel that they can do nothing wrong. the final two chapters in the alchemy index brought their experimental and ambitious project to a close, and together is one of the best collections of music that i've personally heard.

4. the gaslight anthem - the 59' sound

note: i was turned on to the gaslight anthem by a handful of people who nagged at me to listen to it. i'm not one to actually take the initiative on such a recommendation, but after seeing them live, i was sold. i spun all their albums, and the 59' sound is a modern day classic. i can see fans of literally any type of rock music getting into this.

3. t.i. - paper trail review.

note: i probably bumped this album more than any other album in 2008. was never die-hard about tip till i heard paper trail. king was my shit back in 2006, but this album took tip to a new level. touching base on everything from losing his best friend to his gun charges to flossin', paper trail has it all. this is easily his personal classic and his best album.

2. kanye west - 808s & heartbreak review.

note: 808s saw a heartbroken minimalist in kanye west, and thus 808s and heartbreak was born, which has easily his most critiqued and hated album. i find it hard to believe that anybody can listen to this album without feeling anything. this album proves yet again that kanye is an artist, and despite all of his shortcomings as an emcee/performer/human being/whatever you believe, he continues to push himself and expand his legacy, or at least what he came into the game for.

1. nas - untitled review.

note: after a few missteps, nas is back. everything surrounding this album was somewhat controversial, and all hype aside, i had very little doubt that this album would flop for me personally. although a bit moody, untitled touched base on everything that's going on with hip-hop, politics, and the trials, tribulations and the stereotypes of ethnicity/race. i might not have listened to this more than 808s or paper trail, but it was miles better.

and above all, this album was released on my birthday. it was fate for me to love it.

"hip-hop was aborted, but nas breathes life back into the embryo."
-nas, "queens get the money"

PANDA/JEROME:

i had just about every problem one could have with technology in '08, so there's probably a lot of things i missed out on. but i also spent much of 2008 drunk, so had i had a functioning computer, i probably would have missed out on a lot of shit anyway. here's a list of 50 things that made my taste better than yours in 2008:

50. the audition - champion
49. lydia - illuminate
48. not having vampire weekend or bon iver on my list.
47. ne-yo - year of the gentleman
46. neon neon - stainless style
45. eye alaska - yellow and elephant
44. wall-e
43. an albatross - the an albatross family album
42. michael jackson's 2008 demos/thriller 25
41. the new prince songs i haven't even heard yet.
40. lil wayne - tha carter III
39. cut copy - in ghost colours
38. looking glass wars - the musician
37. anything peter toh released in 2008.
36. young jeezy ft. kanye west - put on (song of the year)
35. wolftron - flesh and fears
34. santogold - santogold
33. 88 keys - the death of adam
32. gym class heroes - the quilt
31. tv on the radio - dear science
30. morrissey - that's how people grow up (single)
29. the all new adventures of us - best loved goodnight tales
28. N.E.R.D.- seeing sounds
27. yasutaka tsutsi - salmonella men on planet porno buy.
26. wale - a mixtape about nothing
26. martina topley bird - the blue god
25. jamie lidell - jim
24. the roots - rising down
23. boondocks (season 2) official boondocks website.
22. common - universal mind control
21. haruki murakami - after dark buy.
21. the knux - remind me in 3 days
20. gnarls barkley - the odd couple
19. kid cudi - a kid named cudi
18. the carps - waves and shambles
17. tgr lou - a partial print / the loyal
16. q-tip - the renaissance
15. john legend - evolver
14. ours - mercy (dancing at the death of an imaginary enemy)
13. innerparysystem -innerpartysystem
12. the dark knight
11. t.i. - paper trail
10. nas - untitled
9. the cambiata - to heal
8. tricky - knowle west boy
7. portishead - third
6. 2008 football season of the texas tech red raiders.
5. bloc party - intimacy

this album is legit, straight up. and the best songs are NOT the ones that resemble silent alarm. it's the ones where they took successful risks. they made a bold album, and it's proven to be their best thus far. they wrote better music, they performed it better, and best of all.. once again, they didn't make silent alarm part 2. deal with it.

4. lykke li - youth novels

you've probably read/heard a lot of hype about her late this year (late pass for other bloggers/magazines). this album is definitely worth the hype. believe it.

3. skins (season 1) skins official website.

between all things gordan ramsey, a few of my coworkers and this show, i've spent a lot of time listening to british accents this year. it's great to see a show about youth that doesn't patronize it's audience (cough disney cough). sex, drugs, alcohol, love, relationships, friendship, sex, drugs, alcohol...everything you want in a good tv show.

2. junot diaz - the brief wounderous life of oscar wao buy.

it was great to see my boy junot get so much praise for the release of his first novel. i'm a huge fan of his first book also, a collection of short stories called drown. this one is an incredible read. if you're a reader, i'm sure you've at least heard of this by now. get on it.

1. kanye west - 808s & heartbreak

at the end of the day (year), it doesn't particularly matter what any of us thinks he should have done on/with this album, but he made it. and it's intricate, flawed, detailed and simplistic. it's both aesthetically and musically, perfect.

that's it! congratulations if you've made it through both lists. hopefully we get off our lazy asses once the new year starts and move over to wordpress and will probably buy a domain for this little blog we've have started.

thanks to anyone who:
-reads on a regular basis.
-has us bookmarked as their homepage.
-sends us recs (even though we are too lazy and end up ignoring them)
-sends us cookies (no one has done this yet, and this needs to change)
-hates us.
-thinks we're ugly.
-thinks we're cute.

and until 2009, holla. have a safe, happy and inebriated new years.

love,
weworemasks
the panda and the grizzly

prince klassen remixes (2008)

2008-12-29T15:29:00.004-06:00

prince klassen is one of the few local DJs (austin, tx) worth mentioning. also worth mentioning is that he rolls with central booking, which is all sorts of texas DJ win. he comes through here and spins every once in a while, so that's never a bad thing. i just scoped two remixes/edits of his, so grab em.

prince klassen on myspace.

download:

ghosthustler - busy busy busy (prince klassen edit)
mr. oizo - it takes two (prince klassen edit)

-grizzly

dear michael cera, (2008)

2008-12-29T15:16:00.004-06:00

stop being a douche bag. according to an interview and an article on you ain't no picasso, you're the only one holding up the arrested development movie. for the love of all things good and pure, make the movie. don't make me hate you and do this.

love,
grizzly

music video: daniel merriweather - change f. wale (2008)

2008-12-29T01:12:00.004-06:00

new video from daniel merriweather, who's got a ton of soul. this is the first i'm hearing of him, and i'm definitely digging it. not gonna lie though, if i didn't see wale's name tagged onto it, i never would've listened, haha.

-grizzly

tkrmx - justice/cross tkrmx (2008)

2008-12-29T01:06:00.003-06:00

hot damn. just stumbled on this gem. anyone who's completely sick of justice can ignore this, but this is some top shelf business.

check the tracklist:

01 Genesis ft. 50 Cent
02 Let There Be Light ft. 3-6 Mafia & UGK
03 D.A.N.C.E. ft. Beanie Sigel & Beastie Boys
04 Newjack ft. Kanye West & Lupe Fiasco
05 Phantom ft. Lil Wayne
06 Phantom II ft. Lupe Fiasco
07 Valentine ft. Lupe Fiasco
08 Tthhee Pparrttyy ft. 3-6 Mafia, Youngbuck, 8-Ball & MJG
09 DVNO ft. Pitbull
10 Stress ft. Eminem
11 Waters of Nazereth ft. Kanye West
12 One Minute to Midnight ft. Wu-Tang Clan & Mobb Deep

i'd type out all the songs, but you know how i do. way too lazy.

download the entire thing right here.

-grizzly

morrissey - i'm throwing my arms around paris (2008)

2008-12-23T15:17:00.003-06:00

new morrissey song. very chill vibe. love this man to pieces. get into it.

- i'm throwing my arms around panda

2008 USER-SUBMITTED END OF THE YEAR LISTS

2008-12-22T23:14:00.004-06:00

ok...if you can make it through all these lists, then all the power to you. our personal lists will be posted very soon. happy holidays!

Kendall Phillips
southsidediscotech.blogspot.com
Houston, TX

The good homie Kendall over at SSDT is putting together an epic list for his top 50 songs of 2008, excluding any and all remixes. Not only is he making a list, he has provided an mp3 download of all his tracks.

part I
part II
part III
part IV
part V

Dance
The Bloody Beetroots – Rombo
The Bloody Beetroots – Butter
Justice – Planisphere Parts 1 through 4
The Golden Filter – Solid Gold
The Phantom’s Revenge – Moondancer
Surkin – Chrome Knight ft. Dave 1
A-Trak – Say Whoa
BURNS – Make Love
Beni – My Love Sees You

Australia
Miami Horror – Summerfest ’86
Miami Horror – Make You Mine
Bag Raiders – Shooting Stars
Ladyhawke – Dusk Til Dawn
Ladyhawke – My Delirium
Cut Copy – Hearts On Fire
Cut Copy – Far Away
Cut Copy – Out There On Thin Ice
Empire of the Sun – Walking On A Dream
Empire of the Sun – Standing On The Shore
Empire of the Sun – Swordfish Hotkiss Night
BMX – WAR

Hip-Hop
Kid Sister – Get Fresh
T-Pain – Can’t Believe It ft. Lil’ Wayne
Lil’ Wayne – 3 Peat
The Count & Sinden – Hardcore Girls ft. Rye Rye
Wale – The Kramer
Young Jeezy – Put On ft. Kanye West
Kanye West – Street Lights
Dizzee Rascal – Dance Wiv Me ft. Calvin Harris
Herve & A-Trak – Roll With The Winners
Lil’ Wayne – Let The Beat Build
Kid Cudi – T.G.I.F. ft. Chip The Ripper

B-more

Debonair Samir – Freaky Girl

Indie-Rock
Metronomy – Heartbreaker
Magistrates – Make This Work
Ghostland Observatory – Freeheart Lover
Boy Crisis – L’homme
Bloc Party – Mercury
Starfucker – German Love
Black Kids – Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo)
Cansei De Ser Sexy – Move
The Ting Tings – Shut Up and Let Me Go
Tokyo Police Club – Tessellate

Indie-Pop
Priors – What You Need
Lykke Li – Breaking It Up
Lykke Li – I’m Good I’m Gone
The Twelves – Works For Me
Little Boots – Meddle
N.E.R.D. – You Know What
Sam Sparro – 21st Century Life

Bradley Babendir
highbeamreview.com
Deerfield, IL

Top 15 Albums Of The Year

15. Thrice - The Alchemy Index (III & IV)
14. Russian Circles - Station
13. Fall Out Boy - Folie A Deux
12. No Age - Nouns
11. Butch Walker - Sycamore Meadows
10. Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak
9. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
8. City and Colour - Bring Me Your Love
7. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
6. Arrows - Modern Art & Politics
5. Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
4. Portugal. The Man - Censored Colors
3. Copeland - You Are My Sunshine
2. Forgive Durden - Razia's Shadow
1. Lydia – Illuminate

Best EPs of 2008

10. Thursday/Envy - Split
9. There For Tomorrow - There For Tomorrow
8. Eye Alaska - Yellow & Elephant
7. New Found Glory - Tip Of The Iceberg
6. Past Lives - Strange Symmetry
5. The Cool Kids - The Bake Sale
4. Maps & Atlases - You And Me And The Mountain
3. Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant
2. Animal Collective - Water Curses
1. Manchester Orchestra - Let My Pride Be What's Left Behind

Biggest Disappointments of 2008

10. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
9. Underoath - Lost In The Sound Of Seperation
8. Thieves & Villains - Movement
7. Nine Inch Nails - The Slip
6. The Killers - Day & Age
5. Jason Mraz - We Dance, We Sing, We Steal Things
4. The Academy Is... - Fast Times At Barrington High
3. Common - Universal Mind Control
2. Weezer - Weezer (Red Album)
1. Anberlin - New Surrender

Kyle Olden
Buffalo, NY

Music:

Evol Intent - Era of Diversion - Serious heat from the guys that remixed The Sound of Animals Fighting’s "The Heretic." TSOAF does a track called "The Curtain Falls," it’s like glitch mixed with m83. WTF.

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago – “Skinny Love,” if you haven’t heard it, go find someone quick. You’re going to want to make out.

Department of Eagles - In Ear Park - You'd have to be fucking kidding me not to like this.

Dosh - Wolves & Wishes - Anticon produces another win with Dosh. Huge. Huge. Huge.
In the vein of Explosions in the Sky. Or like Battles staggering around Texas fucked up on lean.

Alias - Resurgam LP - Again, another Anticon Gem.

Movies:

Wall-E - If you can't get laid while watching this movie, you’re retarded.

A Complete History of My Sexual Failures - Huge movie about an indie film maker that is socially inept. Good laughs.

Tropic Thunder - "I'm David Beckham!!!!"

Let the Right One In - Amazing vampire movie with a heart of gold and a demeanor to match. This movie is adorable, seriously. It’s about a little German boy who falls in love with a girl who got turned into a vampire hundreds of years ago and never aged. It's touching. Really.

Rec - It actually came out in 2007 [in Spain] but it was released via bittorrent in 2008. This is what Quarantine was based on, and what Quarantine completely mutilated. I fucking hate that some idiot chose to make that movie. What a douche bag.

Cloverfield – I’m serious, this movie looked like so much fun to make and every time I saw people doing what they were doing in the movie, I wanted to be in Brooklyn forever. Seriously, fuck me. I want to move.

The Dark Knight – Nuff said.

Synecdoche New York - See it and be amazed.

Stepbrothers - I saw this high out of my mind on a mélange of downers. This movie is HYSTERICAL.

The Strangers - Saw this and went home and turned on ALL the lights. I never do that, ever. I hate to say it, but the Americans beat the French with this one. Way scarier.

Paranoid Park - Gus Van Sant does it right. A truly unforgettable scene amongst a haze of really well-done other scenes. Great script and acting.

Funny Games (US) - Give Michael Pitt an Oscar, he is fucking CREEPY in this remake of the Dutch original. Shot for shot with one extra shot that is a huge kick in the balls to Americans. I loved it.

In Bruges - Fucking AWESOME. And fucking FUNNY.

Misc:

The Knot - Best Whiskey ever. Go get a bottle and figure it out. Thanks Ireland.

Percocet - I should have found you in 2007.

Matt and Bill
climbingthehorizon.com
University of Connecticut

Matt's List

*Matt’s list may or may not have links for you to “preview” his top choices.

Bill's List

Vishal Bhatt (holla @ grizzlies cousin!)
Columbus, OH

the best of 2008*

the worst of 2008

*make sure to click the link for reviews of his top ten.

top 10 sports moments of 2008 (interesting read. plus, no one else did this.)

best TV and movies of 2008

Bedwetting Cosmonaut
bedwettingcosmonaut.blogspot.com
Provo, UT

10. the sound of animals fighting - the ocean and the sun
9. evangelicals - the evening descends
8. underoath - lost in the sound of separation
7. stray from the path - villains
6. mgmt - oracular spectacular
5. conor oberst - conor oberst
4. lydia - illuminate
3. colour revolt - plunder, beg, and curse
2. right away, great captain! - the eventually home
1. la dispute - somewhere at the bottom of the river between vega and altair

Kat Swansey
www.myspace.com/katswansey
Austin, TX

top ten albums of 2008
1. minus the bear – acoustics ep
2. the helio sequence - keep your eyes ahead
3. conor oberst - conor oberst
4. kanye west – 808s and heartbreak
5. jenny lewis – acid tongue
6. legacy fails – you were a ghost
7. third eye blind – red star
8. as eden burns – the great celestial delusion
9. mgmt – oracular spectacular
10.vampire weekend - vampire weekend

Herbie Hickmott
Philadelphia, PA

1. Death Cab For Cutie – Narrow Stairs
2. Jenny Lewis- Acid Tongue
3. Conor Oberst – Conor Oberst
4. Adele – 19
5. Kathleen Edwards – Asking For Flowers
6. Cataldo – Signal Flare
7. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
8. The Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound
9. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
10. Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak
11. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
12. Ray LaMontagne – Gossip in the Grain
13. Dr. Dog – Fate
14. T.I. – Paper Trail
15. Jack’s Mannequin – The Glass Passenger
16. Santogold – Santogold
17. The Killers – Day & Age
18. Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
19. Tokyo Police Club – Elephant Shell
20. Anathallo – Canopy Glow

Mike Damante
Soundcheck
www.thedailycougar.com

Top 15 Songs of 2008

Top 10 Albums of 2008

note: this is my co-columnist for sound check, the column i have at the daily cougar (university of houston)

Messineto
messineto.blogspot.com

Top 25 Records of 2008
1 Snoleoparden - Snoleoparden
2 The Walkmen - You & Me
3 El Guincho - Alegranza
4 Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
5 Black Mountain - In The Future
6 Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
7 Little Joy - Little Joy
8 Animal Collective - Water Curses EP
9 The Ruby Suns - Sea Lion
10 Plants And Animals - Parc Avenue
11 Dead Combo - Lusitania Playboys
12 Santogold - Santogold
13 Coconot - Cosa Astral
14 Air France - No Way Down
15 Fleet Foxes - Ragged Wood \ Sun Giant
16 The Bug - London Zoo
17 Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
18 Man Man - Rabbit Habits
19 Sun Kil Moon - April
20 Lindstrøm - Where You Go I Go Too
21 Quiet Village - Silent Movie
22 Deerhunter - Microcastle
23 M83 - Saturdays = youth
24 Lykke Li – Youth Novels
25 Pete and the Pirates - Little Death

AJ Gutierrez
Houston, TX

Top 20 Albums of 2008

20. Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life
19. Able Baker Fox - Voices
18. The Dodos - Visiter
17. She & Him - Vol: One
16. Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
15. No Age - Nouns
14. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
13. Santogold - Santogold
12. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins
11. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
10. Q- Tip - the renaissance
9. Kid Cudi - A Kid Named Cudi
8. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
7. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
6. T.I. - Paper trail
5. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
4. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
3. Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak
2. Vampire Weekend - S/T
1. The Gaslight Anthem - The 59 Sound

Emily Driskill
emily's flickr.
Houston, TX

top ten albums of 2008
10. rhys chatham & his guitar trio all stars - guitar trio is my life!
9. the raconteurs - consolers of the lonely
8. she and him - volume one
7. sun kil moon - april
6. fleet foxes - fleet foxes
5. beck - modern guilt
4. sigur ros - með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
3. adele - 19
2. robyn - robyn
1. colour revolt - plunder beg and curse

Justin Peevey
cemetery shakedown on myspace.
Houston, TX (check em out)

20 MOVIES YOU SHOULD'VE RENTED IN 2008 (IN NO ORDER)

Across the Universe
Why You Should See It: Visually stunning and sonically captivating, this is the ultra sensory experience of the year.

American Teen
Why You Should See It: Experience high school again, but this time around see your classmates in a new light and reevaluate the whole experience.

Charlie Bartlett
Why You Should See It: Anton Yelchin gives a surprisingly good performance as the titular character, and Robert Downey, Jr. as his alcoholic principal certainly doesn't hurt either.

The Dark Knight
Why You Should See It: I could give you a million reasons, but really at this point, it just comes down to peer pressure, doesn't it?

Death Sentence
Why You Should See It: While it looks like just another "Death Wish" knock-off, this movie will truly surprise you with how far it goes to show the tragedy of violence and how much it will resonate with you.

The Fall
Why You Should See It: This may be the most overall beautiful film of the year, shot across 18 countries in a 4 year span, and the craftsmanship shows.

Juno
Why You Should See It: Intriguing characters and infinitely quotable dialogue catapulted this indie comedy into the limelight where it wholly belongs.

The King of Kong
Why You Should See It: This just shows how excellent film making can make even the most boring or trivial subjects come to life, suck you in, and entertain the hell out of you.

Kung Fu Panda
Why You Should See It: Not only is this the best animated film of the year, but it's certainly one of the funniest.

Lars and the Real Girl
Why You Should See It: You would expect a movie about a man in love with a sex doll to be so heartwarming, but this movie is really about the lengths people will go to support the ones they love..

No Country for Old Men
Why You Should See It: Tommy Lee Jones' crusty sheriff and Javier Bardem's psychopath put this gripping thriller over the top.

The Orphanage
Why You Should See It: This one's well worth sitting through the subtitles for, as it is by far the scariest and most suspenseful film of the year.

Redbelt
Why You Should See It: A story of honor, integrity, and personal strength, this surprisingly great flick is rounded out by an amazing cast that makes it a must-see.

Step Brothers
Why You Should See It: Hands down the most outrageous, ridiculous, and absolute funniest film of the year.

Sunshine
Why You Should See It: Danny Boyle can virtually do no wrong, and this venture into the realm of realistic science fiction is no different.

Teeth
Why You Should See It: I dare you to NOT be instantly intrigued by a movie about a girl who suffers from "vagina dentata..."

There Will Be Blood
Why You Should See It: In my opinion, this is absolutely the most perfect all-around example of excellent film making this year, from writing to directing to acting..

What Would Jesus Buy?
Why You Should See It: The most creative and entertaining protesting you will ever see, and for what I believe to be one of the greatest overlooked problems in today's society.

Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?
Why You Should See It: Surprisingly funny and eye-opening, this is leaps and bounds better than Spurlock's "Supersize Me" and does a wonderful job show its audience the dangers of thinking ethnocentrically.

Wristcutters: A Love Story
Why You Should See It: Creative, compelling, insightful, and entertaining--this is the most original film of the year.

---EDIT---

late passes:

deskdoorbeat.blogspot.com
blogspot, USA

After much lazy laze. Here is my 'Best Things I've Heard This Year' list. It might be albums, it might be singles, it might be from last year. Enjoy.

5. Thrice- The Alchemy Index: Vol. IV Earth (album)
10. M83- Up! (single)
4. Lupe Fiasco/Justice- The Coolest vs. Let There Be Light (single)
11. Kill The Noise- Hey You (Le Castle Vania Remix) (single)
7. Innerpartysystem- Innerpartysystem (album)
13. Grum- Go Back (Le Castle Vania Remix) (single)
15. Coldplay- Viva La Vida (single)
12. Burden Of A Day- Burden Of A Day (album)
6. Astronautalis- Two Years Before The Mast (single)
1. Emery- Broken Hearts Will Prevail (album)
3. Kanye West- 808 and Heartbreak (album)
2. The Twelves- Anything I heard by them
14. Glassjaw- You Think You're John Fucking Lennon (single)
8. Cut Copy- Lights and Music (Boys Noize Remix) (single)
9. Lies In Disguise- Penis Vs. Vagina (single)

Trang Nguyen
aka chuchutrang
Houston, TX

the nine albums i liked in 2008:

1. cut copy - in ghost colours
2. mgmt - oracular spectacular
3. crystal castles - crystal castles
4. ra ra riot - the rhumb line
5. santogold - santogold
6. portishead - third
7. the cool kids - the bake sale ep
8. lykke li - youth novels
9. t.i. - paper trail

-weworemasks

p.s. thanks to everyone who took their time to submit. twas fun. expect our lists by christmas -- happy holidays.

par avion - zombie america (2008)

2008-12-22T12:55:00.001-06:00

par avion literally just dropped their new track "zombie america." shit's sounding good on my end so head over to their page and listen to it.

listen to "zombie america" at par avion's myspace.

-par grizzly

fukkk offf - rave is king (le castle vania remix) (2008)

2008-12-22T12:18:00.001-06:00

this is filthy. i don't think i've ever hated any of lcv's material, seriously.

fukkk offf on myspace.
lecastlevania on myspace.

and if you still haven't gotten on lcv, i suggest you go here. it's a fuckin' gold mine.

download:

fukkk offf - rave is king (le castle vania remix)

-grizzly

flight of the conchords - season two premiere (2008)

2008-12-18T00:12:00.003-06:00

funny or die has the premiere for season two of the hit HBO show flight of the conchords. this show is easily one of the best new series in a while. i got on the bandwagon pretty late, but everything from season one is probably funnier than everything you watch. the soundtrack goes hand in hand, and is always a fun spin. head to your nearest store and buy (or download) season one so head over to funnyordie and catch the season two premiere. sorry to every other countries, it's for the USA ONLY.

FOTC on the web

watch:
the season two premiere of flight of the conchords.

-flight of the grizzlies

renegades - magnetar (free download) (2008)

2008-12-17T17:51:00.001-06:00

some more dancefloor jams for you. "rngds" or renegades (if you want to be less cool and use vowels) are a group out of colorado bringing their newest album magnetar to you for free download. hit their myspace and give "control" and "dawn raider" a spin. if that's your shit, grab their full length asap.

rngds on myspace.

download magnetar:

-grizzly

music video: mstrkrft - bounce (2008)

2008-12-17T17:35:00.004-06:00

the new sexiness from their album fist of god, which is due out in march sometime. probably in time for some sxsw appearances? let's hope so.

download:

mstrkrft - bounce via rcrdlbl.

-grzzlykrft

music video: n.e.r.d. - sooner or later (2008)

2008-12-16T14:35:00.003-06:00

p and the gang just dropped the video for their third single from seeing sounds. video rules, and i don't think i've ever seen a flyer janitor in my entire life.

-grizzly

DMCA (2008)

2008-12-12T14:48:00.004-06:00

it seems like the blogger digital millenium copyright act has been on our blog tip recently, deleting some of our posts for "infringement." that's cool and all, but some of the shit they've been deleting (see: the twelves post) featured links that were not mine, and also available all over the internet for free download. so why us? and why delete the entire post? why not have the links removed? no clue, but these tyrant assholes can go fuck themselves. i just wanted to share this rant.

also, this is just another reason why me and the panda are taking our shit to wordpress soon. till the wordpress drops in 09.

-grizzly on behalf of wwm

moving mountains - foreword (2008)

2008-12-11T13:41:00.003-06:00

absolutepunk dot net got their hands on the brand new EP from moving mountains, foreword, and has put the entire thing up for stream on their site. this thing is another unbelievable release for these guys. oh and if you haven't done so, check outpneuma and their demo ep.

stream foreword:

h.i.s.d. - summer sessions (2008)

2008-12-10T23:52:00.002-06:00

ok, a bit of a strange post. i was watchin' a questlove video blog the other day, and he happened to drop this little group's name. h.i.s.d., short for HUESTON (houston?) INDEPENDENT SPIT DISTRICT.

sidebar: worst. group. name. ever.

anyway, this group's out of my hometown, and it's a collective of twelve emcees who are trying to get their shit poppin. aside from their terrible, terrible name, these dudes really have something going on. i knew that questlove droppin their names couldn't have been a mistake, so i took it upon myself to check it out, and was not disappointed.

anyway, please hit up okayplayer for a download of their mixtape and see what's up. i'm just glad michael 5000 watts and swishahouse isn't the only houston dent in hip-hop.

h.i.s.d. on myspace

download:

-grizzly

dj benzi and 10.deep present - the new deal mixtape (2008)

2008-12-10T23:39:00.003-06:00

benzi on his grind AGAIN with another ridiculous mixtape. this one's also a freebie courtesy of 10.deep, who has brought you kid cudi and wale's mixtapes.

get this shit now.

-grizzly

video: the gaslight anthem - the 59' sound (live) (2008)

2008-12-10T23:20:00.004-06:00

the group, fronted by a ripped chris conley with tattoos ([c] jerome) made their television debut (i made that up, please don't get pissed if i'm wrong) on conan o brien's show last night. aside from conan's god awful soundsystem, i'd say the dudes did well.

also, if you haven't already, and you're into the whole "buying albums" thing, head over to amazon and pick the download up for only $3.99.

-the grizzly anthem

the cambiata - hell's kitchen (2008)

2008-12-08T22:18:00.002-06:00

hopefully you're familiar with these guys. hopefully you purchased their ep after i ranted about them earlier this year.

well if not.. the cambiata have posted a new track off their upcoming album (due out in january.. holler atcha bears for artist spotlight!). there's a very good chance it's most likely better/sexier than whatever you're currently listening to. the rhythm section sets such a perfect vibe for vocalist chris moulton to croon over.

anyway.. here's the part where you open itunes, click pause, and go to the link below to listen to "hell's kitchen".

the cambiata on myspace.

- panda

fred hart - 808s and heartbreak covers (2008)

2008-12-08T15:01:00.004-06:00

i was hoppin on my blogroll today (at work, of course) and these really caught my eye. spotted over at gowhere hip hop (sidebar: this blog stays on topic/rides the jock of the chi for the most part) did a post about fred hart, a graphic designer at the university of arizona. the dude did his own visual interpretation of every song on 808s and some of these are extremely dope.

here's his take on it:

“Well here it is, the complete series of my version of 808s & Heartbreak song covers! I begin with the initial cover for the album, and then go song by song, as they’re presented on the album, each telling a story through imagery, as a metaphor for the journey Kanye West has traveled that allowed us this genius piece of work, 808s & Heartbreak. Each cover looks to create a sort of frame by frame for the album as a whole, with imagery relating to each song, a still shot from each song that allows you to use the lyrics and project your interpretations of each song onto the piece. This is my tribute to Kanye West, whose trials and tribulations have undoubtedly made this the album of the year, if not this decade in my opinion, and a tribute to his mother Donda West as well. So I hope you enjoy this artwork, and please feel free to let me know what you think.” [Fred Hart aka Fhart06]

Fred Hart
University of Arizona [Fine Arts]
fredhart@email.arizona.edu

head over to this link to check out the rest of them. ignore all the 808s and heartbreak hyperboles, though.

-grizzly

it ain't easy being a blog (2008)

2008-12-05T16:28:00.005-06:00

ok the end of 2008 is approaching quickly, and we're gonna try to do something awesome this year. i'm sure some of you are making year-end lists for your top albums, songs, movies, sandwiches, beers, whatever. try to limit them to 10-25 a list. we don't care what your 73rd favorite album was this year. type them up and email them to weworemasks@gmail.com with your name, city, website, myspace or whatever you want linked (hey give us your SSN and credit card numbers while you're at it) and we'll put together a post near december's end with everyone's list. i'm hoping more than 5 people get off of their lazy ass and make a list.

hearts.

-weworemasks

edit: comment them too if you like!

wale (2008)

2008-12-05T13:47:00.005-06:00

wale just dropped a video for "nike boots," and i realized that this is the worst blog ever. the sole reason is that we have yet to post about wale yet. 2009 will be a HUGE year for dc's finest, and he's surely going to drop one of the flyest debuts hip hop has seen in a while.

in the meantime:

1. go to wale's myspace and 10deep and download both of his mixtapes. 07's 100 miles and running and 08's the mixtape about nothing, both mixed by nick catchdubs, the resident dopeboy over at fool's gold records.
2. love your life.

download:
wale - nike boots

and peep the new music video:

-grizzly

treasure fingers - cross the dancefloor (designer drugs remix) (2008)

2008-12-05T13:39:00.006-06:00

droppin the ball yet again. the original was one of my (and every other asshole hipster's) favorite songs last year, and designer drugs never seems to make a shitty remix. also, if they ever roll to your city, go party with them.

designer drugs on myspace.
treasure fingers on myspace.

download:

treasure fingers - cross the dancefloor (designer drugs remix)

-designer grizzlies

looking glass wars - a place in a parlor (2008)

2008-12-04T16:13:00.003-06:00

looking glass wars are a nice band out of new york who put out a great full length, the musician, earlier this year. to my surprise and with the help of a reminder from ap.net, i was directed to their myspace, where homeboys put up their newest ep fo free!

looking glass wars - the musician

download:

-grizzly glass wars

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 2 PANDA (2008)

2008-12-02T01:03:00.004-06:00

today is jerome's 37th birthday, and even though he probably has to work at 7 a.m. tomorrow, he's rippin' heads off of innocent puppies and grindin' on strangers. he may or may not be the flyest mexican panda i know.

everyone send him love notes and whisper sweet nothings on his:
voicemail: 281-330-8004 ASK FOR MIKE JONES.
or
aim: pandalikessmallboys

i'm too busy with finals to give a shit about jerome's birthday now, so in about 2 weeks, i'll be trekking up to dallas for a weekend where horrible things will be done to horrible people.

these little guys will be the product of that weekend:

but he ain't payin' no child support, hoes.

with many man hugs (yes homo),
grizzly

clipse - play cloths mixtape (2008)

2008-12-02T00:16:00.003-06:00

clipse and complex (which is a great magazine) have teamed up to bring you the newest mixtape (sans re-up gang) play cloths. this coincides with the release of their clothing line of the same name, which you can find up on the web somewhere. i'm too lazy to look. for now, head over to complex and download that shit. road to "till the casket drops" in 09.

download:

-grizzly

kanye west press conference from new zealand (2008).

2008-12-01T22:45:00.005-06:00

it's kanye west talking for a long time.. of course we had to post it.

- panda

music video: tgr lou - crushed by a crowd (2009)

2008-12-01T22:39:00.004-06:00

to me, tiger lou will always be tgr lou. deal with it.

you need to listen to this band. you need to tell your friends to listen to this band. you need to give me twenty dollars.

- panda lou (aka pnd lou)

the alchemist - therapy f. kid cudi, evidence, blu, talib kweli (2008)

2008-12-01T13:58:00.004-06:00

the alchemist is another producer who recently dropped the cookbook ep. the ep has everyone from the names on this track to pusha t, snoop and jadakiss. real solid ep, so check that out. this is a track that appears on the EP, but the EP version is sans talib kweli, so i figured i'd throw this one out there instead. also, the rest of them will all be household names come 2009. and if no one else does, it'll be kid cudi. endless props for him.

the alchemist on myspace.

download:

the alchemist - therapy f. kid cudi, evidence, blu and talib kweli

-grizzly

jay electronica (2008)

2008-12-01T13:50:00.004-06:00

jay is somewhat of a well-known name, but mostly for his production work (and most notably, for "queens get the money" on untitled) anyway, he's been releasing some new music as of late. exhibit A is from some guitar center compilation that i'm too lazy to find the real name of, and the other two are from a compilation called scratches and demo tapes vol. I. blah, blah.

jay electronica on myspace.

download:

jay electronica - exhibit a/transformations
jay electronica - annakin's prayer
jay electronica - not too far from nothing

-grizzlay electronica

little boots - meddle (treasure fingers remix) (2008)

2008-12-01T13:43:00.001-06:00

treasure fingers popped out another hot remix on a europop tip. this time, it's little boots' "meddle" from her arecibo ep, which is out on iamsound records. bump it.

go listen to the original and more of little boots on myspace.
treasure fingers on myspace

download:

little boots - meddle (treasure fingers remix)

-grizzly fingers

the game - laugh (2008)

2008-12-01T13:40:00.003-06:00

another b-side from the LAX studio sessions. this one's a bit more laid back than the rest, and really has that nasty compton feel to it, and he semi goes in on other rappers. classic game though. don't grab it if you hate his namedropping or whatever the fuck else.

head over to the old post to grab some more b-sides from LAX.

download:

the game - laugh

-grizzly

vyle (2008)

2008-12-01T13:34:00.005-06:00

vyle is yet another chicago hipster tryin' the hip-hop thing out. a friend put me onto him, and i see a lot of potential in this dude. he sounds like chuck inglish's big brother, and he might as well be a long lost cool kids as far as lyrical ability and flow goes. however, he's mixin' electro into his own formula of hip-hop, for something a little different.

second city 2008 needs a better mix, overall. give this man some autotune and turn his vocals up, and this song is dope as hell. possible is nice as is. give this dude a shot and head over to his myspace for some more stuff.

vyle on myspace.

download:

vyle - second city 2008
vyle - possible

-grizzly

sono - panoramic view (2007)

2008-12-01T12:55:00.003-06:00

man.. europeans know how to make some sexy music. if you vibe with stuff like bloc party, placebo, 120 days, tgr lou (you know, that big city-bright lights shit you can dance/have sex/do drugs to), etc.. these three germans are definitely right up your alley. with three releases under their collective belt since 2001, this is definitely their most defined and strongest release to date. check out the video for my favorite track, all those city lights, below:

sono on myspace.

download panoramic view:

- panda

LA riots - remixes (vol. 1)

2008-11-30T16:08:00.002-06:00

a lot of sick remixes (including the ting tings, the toxic avenger, kid sister, justice ft. uffie, etc) gathered into one dirty, 45 minute mp3. get your next party started right.

LA riots on myspace.

download the remixes vol. 1:

- panda

rx bandits - part I: from the garage (2008)

2008-11-29T20:56:00.002-06:00

RXB From The Elizabethen

anything this band does makes me happy. their album will dominate all. catch a little jam on this video.

-grizzly

glassjaw - you think you're john fucking lennon (2008)

2008-11-28T23:34:00.006-06:00

1. go to glassjaw's website...or click.
2. wait for it.
3. get completely fucked.

official glassjaw website.

- panda

panda can party - soul of the city demos (2008)

2008-11-28T01:45:00.001-06:00

at the start of this year, i began working on panda can party with this collection of 9 demos. i've recently decided to put pcp through some changes musically and aesthetically. in the meantime, i figured i'd give away the collection of songs i started with. get into it if you're into the whole electro thing.

p.s. shots of patron help enhance the listening experience.

panda can party on myspace.

download the soul of the city demos:

- panda

thanksgiving (2008)

2008-11-27T11:27:00.005-06:00

we here at wwm are thankful for the following:

1. you, our sexually indiscriminate readers.
2. kanye west.
3. patron and vodka.
4. wall-e.
5. brown skin.
6. meth jokes.
7. hand turkeys.
8. vodka and patron.
9. our families and friends.
10. each other.

that's right.. we're thankful for each other. gobble gobble, bitches!

- panda y grizzly

i suck at life (2008)

2008-11-25T18:26:00.004-06:00

my bad alright.. MY BAD. i've been trying to update lately, but i'm literally using the worst computer ever made (it's made out of cardboard and leftover beakers from my meth lab). updates that should take me ten minutes end up taking an hour and half the time my uploads fail or my browser crashes. roshan can vouch for this. between that and the holiday rush at work, it's been really hard to update. i'm old and not in college like roshan.

anyway, i'm getting a new computer in the next week, at which point you'll all start thinking i'm as cool as my fellow bear roshan again. just BEAR with me in the mean time (C WUT I DID THER?!).

- 808's is amazing and if you don't think so.. suck it.
- watch boondocks. a lot.
- wear white shoes that don't have laces.
- a week left in national pomegranate month. go buy some.
- lots of fresh ish coming.
- more meth.

- panduh.

kevin devine - i could be with anyone (2008)

2008-11-25T17:43:00.004-06:00

it's kinda odd that i haven't posted about kevin devine before. he's released some of the best acoustic and folk shit in the past few years and is one of the best singer/songwriter around. he shot an exclusive over to guys with record collections and tossed them a new track off of his upcoming tour ep. the goddamn band is on this one, too.

download:

kevin devine - i could be with anyone

-grizzly

concert review: 2k sports bounce tour featuring q-tip, the cool kids and the knux (nov. 21, 2008)

2008-11-25T02:15:00.006-06:00

so i got the very rare opportunity to catch some of the best acts in modern hip-hop open for q-tip, who's in a league of his own. to be honest, the man's solo stuff is good (the renaissance more so than amplified) but he will never step from the reign that a tribe called quest had put above hip-hop. seeing q-tip perform tribe songs was truly unreal.

anyway, check the review here, and hit the comments for set lists.

EDIT: the cool kids have been keeping a blog and also posted some pictures from the houston shop, so get up on that.

if this tour is hitting your town, DO NOT MISS IT.

q-tip on myspace.
the cool kids on myspace.
the knux on myspace.

it's always sunny in philadelphia - dayman (2008)

2008-11-24T17:10:00.003-06:00

in honor of a completely incredible fourth season of it's always sunny in philadelphia (sans the episode about the shit turd, which for the record, is the only bad episode of sunny in existence), this post is a tribute to charlie.

so please, enjoy this completely epic video clip about dayman. fighter of the nightman. champion of the sun. master of karate and friendship for everyone.

-it's always grizzy in houston

tv review: 24: redemption (2008)

2008-11-24T01:35:00.005-06:00

wow. 24: redemption's two hours were single-handedly on par with the entire tank that was season six. the writers really tightened up what they were initially great at doing; action. i'll try not to ruin too much, but hit up the redemption imdb for your plot rundown, characters, etc. i don't wanna ruin anything for you.

this was two of the best hours of television i've seen all year. yes, including lost. everyone that personally knows me knows that my two dudes are kanye west and kiefer sutherland, and sutherland completely delivered. give the dude an emmy. redemption has setup for what seems to be a very epic season seven, in which we'll see the return of my homeboy tony almeida. i knew you weren't dead, tony.

some thoughts:

- wtf? jon voight has a career again.
- cherry jones (seriously) might be a shitty president, but will never be shittier than wayne palmer.
- this prequel was the best idea for the writers. after everyone started to jump ship after season 6, this is a good way to get people back on the hype train
- i am a nerd
- please keep coming back to our blog
- the love for 24 is in no way, shape, or form related to jerome/the panda. he is too busy watching bravo, re-runs of shear genius and jon and kate plus 8. he does nothing manly.
- go cop the dvd in stores this tuesday.
- season 7 premieres on january 11, 2008.

-grizzly bauer

album review: kanye west - 808s and heartbreak (2008)

2008-11-22T17:10:00.003-06:00

Artist: Kanye West
Album: 808s and Heartbreak
Record Label: Roc-a-Fella/Def-Jam
Release Date: November 24, 2008

If anyone in hip-hop was going to put out 808s and Heartbreak, it’s Kanye West. West has been known to meddle with hip-hop, manipulating sounds and styles that are out of the ordinary and giving it that mainstream appeal. He intertwined orchestral arrangements with hip-hop on Late Registration, soul samples on The College Dropout and electro and pop on Graduation. So when he premiered “Love Lockdown” at the MTV VMAs this year, everyone knew he was cooking up something different with 808s and Heartbreak.

It’s no secret that Kanye West’s lyrical ability has seemed to dwindle over the years, but is easily overlooked due to his immeasurable production talent and the fact that he knows how to put songs together. Using only the TR-808 drum machine, West has created some of his most ambitious songs to date, abandoning the standard hip-hop beat and rapping for singing and tribal drums, which might be his biggest antithesis’ to hip-hop yet.

On 808s and Heartbreak, Kanye West relies heavily on the auto-tune effect. This may easily push listeners away, as the T-Pains and Lil’ Waynes of the world have already saturated the mainstream with the effect. However, Kanye West hopes to achieve something completely different. He created a voice deemed “Heartbreak,” something West refers to as a “mixed drink with auto tune, distortion and a little bit of delay on it.” He uses this voice as a tool, not a crutch, to express the tribulations he’s faced within the past year, including the death of his mother and the break-up with his fiancée, who is the subject of the overall bulk of 808s and Heartbreak.

“Say You Will,” the albums opener, starts off slow and haunting, with a beat slightly resembling that of a heartbeat. It’s slow pace is somewhat of an awkward start to the album and would be better if placed as a closer or even somewhere in the middle. Despite the placement, it’s one of the highlights of the album. Carrying on this very consistent theme, “Amazing” and “Streetlights” are also slow burners, which will definitely be a change of pace for the standard West fan.

There’s very little rapping on the album. However, it’s still prevalent in songs like “Heartless” and “Welcome to Heartbreak,” the latter of which features up-and-coming Cleveland rapper Kid Cudi. Together, the two sing a handful of melodies that will undoubtedly be stuck in your head for weeks. Other highlights include the Chromeo-esque “Paranoid,” and “See You in My Nightmares,” which features Lil Wayne, who sings what might be one of the best hooks he’s ever worked on.

There’s a few problems with 808s and Heartbreak. Lil Wayne’s verse, much like his verse on “Barry Bonds” on Graduation, falls flat, complete with boring metaphors and trite writing, despite how good the hook is. Young Jeezy is the only other guest rapper on 808s and Heartbreak, and his verse on “Amazing” is completely out of place and awkward, shuffling up the overall theme of the album.

Minor gripes aside, 808s and Heartbreak is a fantastic album, and Kanye West has yet again proved that he is an artist with many talents. This is unquestionably his most polarizing release, and he will alienate a large part of his fan base. However, West doesn’t seem to care, and this further proves that he is in it for the music. His production continues to test the limits of hip-hop, transcending genres and breaking from the mold of your typical producer. This may not be his best album, but it is by far the most consistent and thought-provoking album he’s released. If worst comes to worst and you don’t enjoy the album, sit tight. He’ll be back with a hip-hop release in the summer of 2009.

Grade: A-

kanye west on myspace

-808s and grizzlies

justin timberlake - follow my lead (2008)

2008-11-18T15:09:00.004-06:00

JT is slowly creeping back into the spotlight. he just released a new song/single, "follow my lead" up on his myspace. the song's proceeds will benefit the shriners hospitals for children, which provide free care to children. i'll be hittin that up later since i'm at work, but in the meantime, hop to the remix of "can't believe it" with teddy pain in case you've been under a fucking rock in the last 2 weeks.

justin timberlake on myspace.

download:

t-pain - can't believe it (remix) f. justin timberlake

also, did anybody check out justin on SNL? dude is funny as hell. peep the link.

"we're the dancers."

-grizzly

dj benzi and diplo present: fear and loathing in huntsvegas mixtape (2008)

2008-11-18T14:45:00.004-06:00

maddecent teamed up with benzi and diplo to put this mixtape out for paper route recordz, some just post-summer lovin' life fun-to-bump kind of shit. you can pay what you want for this one too. definitely recommended.

paper route recordz on myspace.

download:

fear and loathing in huntsvegas from mad decent.

-grizzly gettin' money.

vampire weekend - covers and remixes (2008)

2008-11-18T14:23:00.002-06:00

vampire weekend is everyone's favorite (or in jerome's case, most hated) group preppy indie dorks. i think they make some solid tunes and i enjoy them thoroughly. here is a fleetwood mac cover, which rules the planet, some cover of a band i've never heard of, and an extremely addictive chromeo remix of "the kids don't stand a chance."

vampire weekend on myspace.

download:

vampire weekend - everywhere (fleetwood mac cover)
vampire weekend - a plane pour moi (plastic bertrand cover)
vampire weekend - the kids don't stand a chance (chromeo remix)

-grizzly weekend

graham wright - the lakes of alberta (2008)

2008-11-18T14:10:00.002-06:00

graham is the keyboardist for tokyo police club and is giving away his solo/side project ep for free (128kbps) or for $5.00 you can take a higher quality. i'll take it for $0.00, please.

download/buy the lakes of alberta here.

-grizzly

dj benzi presents - sky high mixtape (2008)

2008-11-18T14:06:00.006-06:00

in light of the inevitable leak of 808s (it's already out there in shitty webrip format, which for the record, i've yet to cop), benzi dropped this mixtape that is beyond dope. some of the best remixes of ye songs i've ever heard. it's up for stream through imeem, with the download supposed to be dropping sometime today. for now, enjoy the stream -- which you must sign up to imeem for. the post will be updated with the download later on.

dj benzi on myspace.

download:

-grizzly

EDIT: DOWNLOAD LINK ADDED.

video: gym class heroes - guilty as charged (2008)

2008-11-18T14:02:00.001-06:00

this shit reminds me of a blink 182 video or something equally ridiculous from back in the day. i'm still diggin' this album.

-grizzly

video: young jeezy - crazy world (2008)

2008-11-18T14:00:00.001-06:00

dope new video for the snowman's new single. one of my favorite tracks off of the recession.

-young greezy

lola ray - liars (2006)

2008-11-16T21:25:00.006-06:00

i love this album. john balicanta really has a knack for writing solid as fuck dance/pop songs (not to mention some fresh tattoos). something like a hybrid of nightmare of you and hot hot heat (with influence from acts like the cure, morrissey, and the jam shining throughout), the band turn liars into songs you can grind to, as well as songs for any late night drinking-your-sorrows-away session.

lola ray signed to benji and joel maddens' (ew) DC flag label and released their debut album in 2004, but are now free agents and hard at work on their follow up to liars (their second album). give this one a shot, i promise you'll have these anthems in your head for days.

lola ray on myspace.

download liars:

- panda ray

third eye blind - why can't you be/red star (2008)

2008-11-13T15:38:00.002-06:00

pardon the bro, but third eye blind posted two more songs off of their digital ep, red star, which is dropping this tuesday. it's so good to hear new shit from these guys.

listen to "red star" and "why can't you be" up on their myspace.

-grizz

music video: the gaslight anthem - old white lincoln (2008)

2008-11-13T15:31:00.003-06:00

new video for their second single off of the 59 sound. good stuff, catchy as all hell.

-the grizzly anthem

gatsbys american dream - gatsbys american dream (2006)

2008-11-11T15:50:00.005-06:00

i've definitely posted about GAD before, and i tend to get a little twisted when we're on the topic of their self-titled album. a lot of people, for some reason or another, do not like this album. why, exactly? it has the same GAD formula, except the vocals are less polished and sound more like nic does when he plays live. the same amount of technical musical talent is still there. lyrically, it's still there. and for god's sake, there is a shit ton of gang vocals on this album. so what's there not to like? you all are probably the reason this band doesn't exist anymore.

"we don't believe, you kids are so naive
to think that things could change,
cause nothing ever changes in the real world.
we're gonna drive that message home,
cause money fills the gas tank in the van."

download:

-grizzlys american dream

the gaslight anthem - the señor and the queen (2008)

2008-11-11T15:41:00.004-06:00

these jersey boys are one of the biggest surprises of the year for me. i'm not typically into this sort of thing, but the gaslight anthem have perfected the songwriting craft. everything i've heard from these guys is top shelf. i also caught them open up for alkaline trio and thrice a few weeks back, and it ruled as well. the 59' sound will more than likely be pretty high up on many (including myself) people's year-end lists. but for now, enjoy this ep, which is a little ditty they released earlier this year.

sorry to anyone who told me to check these guys out at any point this year, because i probably ignored you.

the gaslight anthem on myspace.

download:

-the grizzly anthem

concert review: fun fun fun fest 2008

2008-11-11T14:40:00.004-06:00

did a write-up of the festival. setlists from atmosphere and recover are in the comments. hit up the minus the bear and clipse posts for their's. recover, clipse and atmosphere were my personal highlights. recover wasn't a part of the actual festival, but the dudes ripped it like it was 2002.

read the review here.

-grizzly bear

video: clipse - live at fun fun fun fest (2008)

2008-11-11T14:31:00.006-06:00

i got the chance to see clipse (who brought the re-up gang with em) this past weekend in austin for fun fun fun fest and dudes were absolutely nuts. definitely regret the fact that i didn't get into them much much much much much sooner. i got the videos of them doing "wamp wamp," "mr. me too," "keys open doors," and their verses from "what happened to that boy," so have fun scrolling through this epic video post. setlist is in the comments, too.

keys open doors:

mr. me too:

wamp wamp:

what happened to that boy?:

enjoy. audio is pretty solid. video can get a little sketchy, but it was an outdoor show at night.

-grizzly

charles hamilton - sonic the hamilton mixtape (2008)

2008-11-11T03:58:00.001-06:00

homeboy stays real busy. here's his 342nd mixtape titled, sonic the hamilton. dj skee worked this one out.

i am not charles hamilton

download:

-grizzly hamilton

album review: t-pain - thr33 ringz (2008)

2008-11-11T03:09:00.003-06:00

Artist: T-Pain
Album: Thr33 Ringz
Record Label: Jive Records/Nappy Boy Entertainment
Release Date: November 11, 2008

You either love him or hate him, but chances are, you’ve heard at least one of his songs in the past few years. T-Pain has been hip-hop and r&b’s go-to guy for hooks and cameos since he released Rappa Ternt Sanga in 2005, which along with 2007’s Epiphany, have been subpar and underwhelming releases in the genre, save a few chart-toppers.

500 hooks and an inflated ego later, T-Pain is on a high from his third studio release, Thr33 Ringz, which has been highly anticipated for some time. The circus-esque concept of the record comes from T-Pain, who deems himself the “ringleader” of the current rap game.

Although T-Pain is commonly known as the guy who made the vocoder cool again, he shows off his emcee skills in lead track “Welcome to Thr33 Ringz,” which abrasively leads into melody-heavy “Ringleader Man,” which puts the album off to an awkward start.

T-Pain never fails to deliver songs that will undoubtedly see huge success on the radio. Aside from his lead single, “Can’t Believe It,” Pain teams up with Ludacris on the Texas-inspired “Chopped and Screwed,” and Chris Brown on “Freeze,” both of which are set to be singles and club staples.

He also maintains a subtle sense of humor in many songs, like the Kanye West assisted “Therapy,” where the both of them speak on failing relationships and having their couches returned. “It Ain’t Me” shoos away the gold diggers, as T.I. and Akon lend their talents to the track.

As is the case with many hip-hop releases nowadays, there is a lot of filler on Thr33 Ringz. Aside from the obnoxious skits that everyone hates or skips, songs like “Blowing Up” and “Long Lap Dance” are throwaways, and the latter of which has sentiments already expressed in 2006 single “I’m In Luv Wit a Stripper.”

T-Pain even branches out and takes a shot at diversity while attempting a ballad with “Keep Going,” a song complete with acoustic guitars and piano. Aside from “Keep Going,” the second half of Thr33 Ringz falls completely flat. Songs like “Superstar Lady” and “Digital” are hardly impressive and instantly forgettable.

Overall, Thr33 Ringz is an entertaining release that bridges the gap between hip-hop and pop, and will surely be saturating your local radio station in no time. T-Pain is not necessarily as legendary as he claims to be. However, the man has an obvious gift and with his work ethic, he will remain relevant. None of this matters, though. In the time it took to complete this review, T-Pain just wrote the hooks to five more Billboard top 100 tracks.

Grade: C-

t-pain on myspace

p.s. related/unrelated note: who the hell said dj khaled could drop N bombs all over t-pain's albums? ridiculous.

-g-pain

interview: minus the bear (nov. 3, 2008)

2008-11-11T02:21:00.004-06:00

pic via kat swansey. thanks for letting me sleep on your floor!

i recently got the chance to talk to cory murchy, bassist of minus the bear for a few minutes over the phone last week, and this is what i got. the group played at fun fun fun fest this past weekend (post soon) and dude's played a great set, and got them hips moving. one of the better sets of the weekend. enjoy.

Interview with Cory Murchy of Minus the Bear
November 3, 2008
Houston, TX

Roshan Bhatt, The Daily Cougar: For the record, what is your name and position in Minus the Bear?

Cory Murchy, Minus the Bear: For the record, my name is Cory Murchy. My position is fun, but I play the bass, and I like to draw things, ride my bike and just all around being killer.

RB: How did you guys end up playing Fun Fun Fun Fest? Is this your first time?

CM: This is our first time with the festival. The people that are doing the festival just asked us to do it and heard that we were fun. So we said, “Yeah you guys are fun,” and we just decided to be fun together. So…it should be fun.

RB: Whose sets do you plan on catching at FFF Fest?

CM: I am stoked to be seeing my homie Tim Barry. He’ll be playing with the Revival Tour [with ….], also excited to see Scared of Chaka, my other homies from New Mexico. My old roommate Dave is in the band, and that should be a hoot. Hijinks should surely ensue. I don’t think we’ll be in town to see the Dead Milkman, so yeah.

RB: Do you like playing festivals more than one-off’s or being on tour? What are the biggest differences?

CM: Well festivals are a little more chaotic, and you’re just playing for a small amount of time and there is a lot going on at the same time. Tours are a little more organized. Festivals are fun because they’re just so much bigger, and when you’re stoked about the bands, it makes it better.

RB: What are Minus the Bear’s biggest influences inside and outside of music?

CM: Well, love, peace and happiness. They’re pretty big influences. We like to keep things groovy, and other shenanigans. All that hippy stuff. We just listen to a bunch of different stuff, though. I listen to a lot of reggae, dub and Jamaican music, but we’re also lucky because we’ve met a lot of bands on the road and a lot of friends of ours are musicians, so it’s nice when your friends are making good music. Bands like The Helio Sequence and These Arms are Snakes, 27, and just bands we aren’t always able to bring on tour as well.

RB: The songs on Planet of Ice are noticeably longer than most of your older material and the sound has gotten more experimental musically. Are there any particular reasons for this?

CM: We’re all growing up and we’re all getting older, so logically we’d get more experimental. We’ve been playing for 7 to 8 years now, and so if we were just writing 3-chord pop songs, we’d have exhausted the band. So we’re always exploring and trying to push ourselves musically and artistically, because it’s something that we wanna do, and we like to please ourselves as well as our fans.

RB: How is the tour with Annuals going? Reception?

CM: Tour is great, folks are coming out and dancing. They seem to be having a good time, so you can’t complain.

RB: After the current tour, are there any more touring plans?

CM: We’re just gonna be taking some time off for the holidays and we’ll be writing on our time off. Well be in Australia in February for the Soundwave festival, and even Hawaii.

RB: Are there any plans for a new album? If so, what new directions do you guys plan on taking, if any?

CM: We’ll try to get into the studio sometime in the spring, we don’t have any real plans. We’ll just try to finish up some songs, but we don’t have any concrete plans for recording, yet. We’ll definitely be writing, which we’re very excited about.

RB: What is your most and least favorite thing about the Seattle music scene?

CM: It’s pretty great. It’s a lot of good musicians and people. There’s a lot of recess as far as people playing with different people in different bands. It’s good because no one is really playing the same kind of music, which has always been indicative of the Seattle scene. IT even back in the day when the grunge thing was going on, all those bands were different from each other. So that’s what I think is good about the Seattle scene. There’s a lot of music but everyone is doing their own thing. These Arms are Snakes and Minus the Bear have a lot in common but the music is totally different.

RB: What is your current playlist?

CM: I picked up this album by this artist called Rodriguez, courtesy of my friend Julie [inaudible] Butterfield. It’s a pre-release put out by Light in the Attic records and a lot of reggae and dub as usual.

RB: If you could open a show for any three acts, dead or alive, who would you open for??

CM: John Lennon, The Cure…and who else is awesome? Who would we be stoked to play for? Jawbreaker.

RB: That’s about it. Anything else you want to add?

CM: Not much besides, keep on keeping on. Thanks for all the support, and peace to all.

holla. the group's setlist from the festival is in the comments if you're into that sort of thing.

-minus the grizzly bear

video: thrice - live at the house of blues trailer (2008)

2008-11-11T01:43:00.003-06:00

this release can't come soon enough. i've been waiting on a full DVD-quality/dolby/all that shit set from these guys, and the 25-song performance that this dvd will hold will fulfill all of my manly dreams. droppin' december 9th.

thrice on myspace.

-grizzly

music video: dj khaled - go hard f. kanye west and t-pain (2008)

2008-11-10T11:52:00.005-06:00

WE DA BEST.

- dj panda

christiansen - stylish nihilists (2003)

2008-11-09T22:31:00.005-06:00

"HEY. YOU'RE GOING TO DIE. WE ALL DIE ALONE. YOU'RE SUCH A LITTLE GIRL."

with lyrics like that, you should have a pretty clear picture of what you're getting into with this album. often compared to at the drive in, they combined stop-and-start time changes with huge bass lines and balls-out southern influenced guitar riffs. add glassjaw's daryl palumbo making guest vocal appearances on two tracks, and you've got one amazing album.

not too long after touring on nihilists, the band changed their name to your highness electric, though i don't think they've done anything in a while. whatever, download this album.

christiansen on myspace.
your highness electric on myspace.

download stylish nihilists:

- panda

jay-z - history (2008)

2008-11-08T03:08:00.002-06:00

epic song is epic. and produced by kanye west. holler.

download history.

- panda

music video: kanye west - heartless (2008)

2008-11-08T02:53:00.004-06:00

epic video is epic. holler.

- panda

fun fun fun fest - austin, tx (2008)

2008-11-07T15:11:00.003-06:00

headed to fun fun fun this weekend at austin's other big festival besides ACL and SXSW. on my personal agenda:

-clipse
-atmosphere (sorry, panda)
-minus the bear (interview coming soon)
-the toxic avenger (interview coming soon)
-dj z-trip
-rival schools (wtf)
-and you will know us by the trail of dead
-the octopus project
-islands
-annuals

also, a surprise twist to the weekend: recover is playing a show in austin this weekend for $5, so it looks i'll be scraping up the cash to hit that up. shenanigans shall ensue, drinks shall be consumed, and fun shall be had. expect reports, interviews, and whatever other shit in the next two weeks or so.

-griz griz griz

88 keys - the death of adam (2008)

2008-11-06T22:55:00.003-06:00

88 keys has teamed up with imeem, and threw his entire new album up for stream. the death of adam has been in the works for a minute, and the joint is produced by none other than kanye to tha. album's dropping this tuesday.

be on the look out for album reviews for t-pain's thr33 ringz and the knux' remind me in 3 days this week, too.

88 keys on myspace.

listen to 88 keys' the death of adam here:

-grizzly to tha