Follow The Leader

AT LAST I HAVE CONTROL OF YOUR MONITOR! ARE YOU RECEIVING ME?

Ah, nothing like a good Ren and Stimpy joke, huh?

Anyhow, usually this is where you get my favorite songs. In its various nomes de plumes it's been the Rosser Top 15, KWBR, and most recently Radio Free Chula. But since KRS-One and T-Bone were kind enough to get me an iPod, I have decided to take my bimonthly music post and turn it into something different. In this, the post-Pod era, the thin string that music videos and radios were already barely hanging on by in my life has now been about severed completely--only because I can't listen to it while it charges.

Also, this sea change has been inspired by mulitple comments about me finding good music for people. I burned a lot of copies of Night Ripper as a result of the play it received at the holiday party and Libby managed to find one and buy it. I've been known as the biggest audiophile in my circle for a while--somehow completely slipping my consciousness--and I'm always stunned when I'm all geeked out about something and my friends haven't even heard it.

So now, the music post is going to be about recommendations. Just whatever I'm really into that may not be getting the love I feel it deserves, and an old school hip-hop pick [this time: Gimme That Nutt by Eazy-E, just for the Green Acres riff alone].

Hence the new name. And as they sampled from James Brown, I know you got soul/if you didn't you wouldn't be in here...

Nas feat. Kanye West, KRS-One, & Rakim, "Classic (Nike remix)" Speak of the best-MC-ever-not-to-get-filled-with-bullets devil!

Point #1: I would listen to these four guys if the hook was 'we're tag teaming your mom and broadcasting it on YouTube'.

Point #2: Holy fuck. This is like some Voltron shit and if you're getting sick of hearing BALLIN' every other song, this will be your remedy. Rakim now owes it to us to fulfill his promise in his set of verses and drop something this year. Is Eric B. really that busy?

Modest Mouse, "Dashboard" Because when I think Johnny Marr (or for that matter Modest Mouse), I think getting funky. What the--HUGH!?

Incubus, "Dig" It's weird, because Incubus became a more political band with the previous album and have always been known more for their guitar work and everything straight with a clitoris creaming themselves at the sight of Brandon Boyd, but when I hear their rare forays into more romantic songs, those are the ones that stick with me. This is the latest in the series that began back with "Stellar" and I really think it's the best one of the lot. This just begs to be slow danced to at your heart-rending moment of choice (in my mind, the video for this has them as the house band singing this song for the Office's Jim & Pam at their wedding). Why am I so into this with barely a prospect, if that? Good question. It is saying something that I am, though.

OK Go, "Do What You Want" They're rereleasing it to piggyback off of the success of "Here It Goes Again". Since this is the song on the album I like better, I'm perfectly fine with that. Plus, the video seems to be inspired by Garden State and ain't nuthin' wrong with that.

IF You Can Only Get One...
Party Ben, the Pink/Madonna masher "Get This Holiday Party Started" OK, I knew Party Ben before I knew Party Ben. Let me explain: the radio station would play these mashers sometimes and I never got his name before this week. While I wasn't able to get his name I heard an excellent Beasties/Kool & the Gang "Hey Ladies Night" and the phenawesomnal White Stripes/Eric B. & Rakim (sensing a theme this time out?) "Pump Up The Doorbell" which took my Riff of the Year '06 with my favorite remix ever. You may even know him once I name drop "Boulevard Of Broken Songs". Yup, there he is. You can imagine how gleeful I was to find his site with a shitload not only of his singular tracks but some of his half-hour and hour-long live mixes. They range from just decent (the Cake/Gorillaz "Never Feel Good") to fucking sweet (Nelly Furtado/Michael Jackson "Promiscuous With You") to the You-will-get-down-right-the-fuck-now of the mash in bold. It was literally nearly 2 in the morning when I heard this first, and I started dancing in my chair to not wake up the rest of the house. After the cocaine rush that's trying to figure out Girl Talk, this is merely an excellent high with plenty of bags of Cool Ranch around and cheat codes for the PS2. And sometimes it's better.

Justin Timberlake, "What Goes Around (Comes Around)" Yup. I give up. I'm going to out myself: the times I've heard his singles I've liked them. And then immediately deliked them when I found out who made them. (Even in that last sentence my natural instincts went to type what instead of who.) But let's just be honest: the musicianship is untouchable, and Justin at the least doesn't fuck anything up. Not only that, but he's a brilliant mind and the sort of guy I need picking stocks for me. Seriously. Britney Spears before she became a more-conscious Anna Nicole, Alyssa Milano, Cameron Diaz, Scarlett Johannson. If I wasn't so full of admiration I'd hate him, too.

the Game featuring Kanye West, "Wouldn't Get Far" It's hilarious. It's sexist. It may even be accurate. Most of all, it's just great. The Game pretty much gets a Kanye beat and rips every video chick of the past 5 years two new orifices for him to deliver the Shocker to. Out of all the songs that are both about fucking and not giving a fuck, this may be my favorite.

Since U Been Gone Kelly Clarkson