roadrunner roadrunner going 100 miles per hour - bamboo banga
She sings. She raps. She dances. She knows how to get the crowd worked up. M.I.A. put on such a great show. She played a good mix from Arular and Kala. The mostly-young crowd was in such a frenzy.
The sound system was so loud that my left ear is still ringing. I guess I should be worried but a little hearing damage is a small price to pay. It was a great concert experience, and I rank it pretty high on my list. I will definitely catch M.I.A. on her next tour.
M.I.A. coming back with power power M.I.A. coming back with power power
Tonight I'm going to see M.I.A. at the Wiltern. I saw her two years ago at Coachella, and she had amazing energy. She owned that crowd. I liked Arular a lot, and I like her latest Kala. She doesn't have the best lyrics, but she makes solid dance music that you can bump to. I love it.
I haven't been to a lot of hip hop performances, but my brief experience tells me that live performances can be hit or miss. Hip hop is one of those genres that may sound better on CD than live. It really depends on whether the performer can grab the crowd's attention. Last night's concert was enjoyable, but I didn't leave satisfied.
We arrived at the venue on time, but the show didn't start until an hour later. The three acts were backed up by a live band. They sounded okay, and they started with a latin jazz set. I wasn't too thrilled because I didn't come to see latin jazz.
Brother Ali came on first, and he did a pretty good job of keeping the crowd hyped. His delivery is decent, but his set felt too long. Maybe it's because I'm not really a fan, because a lot of people seemed to be into him. When he started rapping about love and relationships, he lost me. His freestyle verses weren't very good either.
Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang was next. I think he missed Wu-tang because he was determined to have as many people on stage as possible. he bought about 14 members of his entourage, and the hype men rapped more than he did. I think I saw Keven Federline up there at one point. They called for ladies to get on the stage and dance and it all went to hell from there. I don't want to watch entourage members rubbing up on women. I just don't.
Finally Rakim came on. It was my first time seeing him live, and I was impressed by his presence. He played a lot of the classics, and the crowd was into it. I was a little disappointed that he only did the first verse for "Paid in Full." He was fantastic at times, but sometimes he threw the mike to the crowd too much. I came to see him perform, not to hear the crowd participate in hip hop karaoke. Overall it was a good set. He didn't need a dozen hype men to back him up. It was Rakim doing what he does best. His performance made the night.
I think this year is the first Halloween that I'm not surrounded by bags of Halloween candy. Part of it has to do with my New Year's Resolution to maintain my weight. I haven't been able to quit drinking or (social) smoking, but I have cut down on my sugar intake by A LOT! It does make a difference.
Instead of pigging out on candy, I'll be at the Hip Hop Live! Tour with Ghostface Killah and Rakim. I'm going with friends, so it should be a fun night. Oh, I may pick up a bag of candy on the way. It is Halloween after all....
This song is one of the classics- Paid in Full, Eric B & Rakim
Last night's Interpol show was absolutely amazing. I have goosebumps just thinking about last night. It was the first time I saw them live, and I was blown away. They're one of those bands that sound even better live than they do on the CD. The lead singer's voice sounds so good, and the music translates really well when they're live.
When we arrived at the Forum, I was a little nervous. I thought the Forum was going to suck because it's such a big venue. We got there a little before 9. paid $22 (!!!!) for parking and made our way to the clusterfuck in front. If you had tickets for the floor, you needed to still stand in line for wristbands. We got herded like cattle, got our wristbands and made our way inside. The beer and bathroom lines were the longest I've ever seen in my life. I'm not standing in line for watered down Bud Light.
We finally got on the floor and they were doing sound check for Interpol. We didn't have to listen to the opening band...which i've never heard of. Interpol started 10 minutes later, so our timing was perfect. We were in the middle of the floor and the view was still great. I was impressed with the Forum's layout and sound system.
Interpol played a mix of songs from all three albums. They started with Pioneer to the Falls, my favorite song from their new album. I heard all of my favorites: Narc, Evil, Not Even Jail, Slow Hands, Rest my Chemistry, No I in Threesome. I totally wanted to hump the lead singer. They also played The Lighthouse which is one of those understated songs that didn't receive much airtime. It was pretty amazing. They played a bunch of other songs that I can't remember. The set list will probably make its way to Interpol's fan forum.
For their encore, they played three from the first album "Turn on the Bright Lights": Untitled, PDA, and Stella was a Diver... I admit that I didn't listen much to the first album, but now I will. The songs sounded spectacular. All in all it was a memorable night, and I'm so happy that I went.
Tomorrow I'm going to see Interpol at the Los Angeles Forum. I'll be somewhere on the floor rocking out to one of my favorite bands.
You've heard the phrase "music takes you to another place." Well, that is so true for me. When I was going through a low point, I discovered Interpol's second album Antics. Some say their music is depressing, but I say it's intentionally melancholy. The lead singer's somber voice matches their slow-paced melodies.
I love to listen to Interpol when I'm feeling down. If I'm sad or depressed, the last thing I want to do is listen to upbeat dance or pop music. Personally I want music to match my internal mood. I've listened to "Antics" over and over in my darker moments. Their music was perfect for moments of voluntary solitude.
Their recent album Our Love to Admire is a solid effort. I haven't listened it more than Antics, but it has the same sound that I love. I'm really excited about tomorrow. The tickets are for the Floor - General Admission so I might have to elbow some youngsters out of the way to get to the front.
I spent most of last night listening to Radiohead's In Rainbows. The website has been super busy since yesterday, so I assume the whole world wants a copy of it. After two listens, I really, really like the album. I don't know if I love it yet, but I like what I've heard so far.
I've been a Radiohead fan for a long time. The Bends is one of my favorite albums of all time. From first song to last, the album is flawless. I loved Kid A and Ok Computer, not as much as The Bends but they are both solid albums. I liked Hail to the Thief, but I didn't love it. I loved some songs, and some songs left me hanging. Amnesiac was my last favorite Radiohead album because a few of the songs just sounded like noise. "Knives Out" was the only redeemable song on Amnesiac. I didn't care much for Pablo Honey either.
I was really looking forward to "In Rainbows." I wanted to know if Thom Yorke was making an album for the hardcore Radiohead fans or for the general public. My first impression is that In Rainbows will satisfy both. I'm having a hard time describing the album in a few words. It has elements of pop, rock, acoustic, and electro/synth. One song has a funky, almost danceable beat, and others are very melodic.
While listening to the album, the word "pretty" kept coming to mind. A lot of the songs really are pretty. They are designed to show off Thom's voice and his songmaking skills. Track 5 (All I need) is definitely my favorite so far. It's the melancholy love song that I always wanted him to make. Track 7 (Reckoner) is another favorite that shows off the musical range of Radiohead. It's one of the few songs that uses a tambourine to its advantage.
It's a short album with 10 songs, but I think that's a good thing. Thom Yorke designed an album that doesn't have any filler songs. His plaintive voice is as good as ever and I can't wait to hear this album performed live. I really think that this album can reach a wider audience than his last one, Hail to the Thief. I don't know if it's the best album of their career. I just know it's very satisfying to this long-time fan.
I wish I could write something sexy and erotic today, but I'm fighting this damn cold. There's nothing sexy about a runny nose and sore throat.
Today is a special occcasion: Radiohead releases their new album "In Rainbows."
You order it online and set your own price. You can also order the disc box which comes with a downloaded version. You may have to keep hitting Reload because the website has been super busy today.
I agreed to listen it with my guy, so I'm going to wait until tonight. If you're a Radiohead fan, you can not miss this opportunity.
