Vampire Weekend has been known for having really cool music videos and their newest one is no exception. It's for a song named "Cousins" off of their new album "Contra" set to come out in January. This definitely is one of the coolest music videos I've seen in long while.
And just because it's Thanksgiving, I am thankful for quite possibly the greatest mascot of all time...
Some say that pound-for-pound he's the best boxer in the world. But to Filipino people around the world he's much more. On his back he carries the hope of almost every Filipino worldwide.
I've been following Manny Pacquiao's career for years, before he was fighting great lightweight fighters like Barrera, Morales, and Marquez. My dad used to bring home VHS tapes (for all you kids, this is what we had before DVDs, amazing I know) that he borrowed from his co-worker of this really good Filipino boxer and since then I've been rooting for Manny. Years pass and he has become one of the most respected fighters in boxing today.
Last week, I was able to attend a taping of the Jimmy Kimmel show and Manny was his guest. I've been to many of these tapings but never been this excited to see anyone and I've actually never seen a crowd so pumped to see one guest! He doesn't speak the best English so I knew I was in for a good laugh regardless of what happens. But nothing could prepare me for what was in store...
In that last video you can see me for a split second around the 2:00 minute mark rockin' a L&O 'BRB' Tee.
This weekend, November 14th, Manny takes on the biggest challenge of his career. Trying to make history by winning 7 titles at 7 different weight classes. He's going to take on the biggest, strongest fighter of his career, Puerto Rican warrior Miguel Cotto. Cotto has a 34-1 record, with that one loss surrounded by controversy (alleged cheating by his opponent).
I'm anticipating it to be the 'Fight of the Year'! If you aren't already stoked for this fight, watch the first episode of the 'Emmy Award Winning' series HBO's 24/7 and you will be. GUARANTEED!
When I was an adolescent trying to find myself, filled with teen angst, and a broken heart; I used to look up to a man named Chris Carrabba. You might know him from a band named Dashboard Confessional. As a hopeless romantic, I used to praise Carrabba for opening himself up to anyone that was willing to listen to him. And through every Dashboard Confessional record you can hear Chris' progression as a song writer as well as the progression in his personal life. I might be going on a limb here, but to me Max Bemis is the new Chris Carrabba. Except he's the more brash version. Max Bemis is the lead-singer/songwriter/heart&soul of this band. And with every record he becomes a much better singer, songwriter, and lyricist.
In 2007, Say Anything released a record named "In Defense of the Genre" and though I've been a fan of their previous work, this album completely blew me away. It was my favorite album of 2007. It had heart, guest appearances from anyone who is anyone in the "scene," and it was just a great testament to love and loss. But what got me more than anything was Max's way of opening himself up to his listeners, making his life an open book.
So fast forward to 2009... Their "Self-Titled" album is in stores today.
The first single from the album is named "Hate Everyone" and it really brings back Max's brash lyric writing from his past records. And the name of the song pulls no punches, it definitely is about him hating everyone.
"Eloise" is the single most heartbreakingly beautiful song on the record. To me, it's about letting go of someone that made you believe that you meant something that you really weren't to them. That's just my interpretation of the song.
Band-Aid, just a bloody Band-Aid. That’s all I ever really was to you Eloise. A soldier with a syndrome, the dreams of childrens’ screams. You molded, you shaped, like a god who loathed to create. Two Band-Aids, two infected Band-Aids, that’s all we really were to each other Eloise. A couple of stupid kids, throwing a ball back and forth, to see who drops it first!
While "Eloise" may be an emotional low for the album, "Crush'd" is definitely the emotional high point of the album. In one word this song is: cute. Cute plain and simple, it's about falling in love with a girl. In this case, Max's wife Sherry (you might know her from the band Eisley). This song is fucking adorable, even the end where he sings; "Did it hurt, did it hurt when you fell from heaven girl?" In most cases that line would be considered to be grossly cheesy, but not the way Max lays it down in this song.
You're no witch, you're no wench, you're like Bjork with better fashion sense...
"Property" is quite an interesting look on a relationship. I love the song, but I'll just let the monologue speak for itself...
Baby I know you've got all those crazy, lofty goals Going to art school and following your dreams and whatnot Blah blah blah Just throw it to the side; you know I can support us all on my own And worst case I'll just have to sell some drugs to my little brother's friends If you do have to sell your body once or twice or seven times, it'll be worth it And trust me, one day my band is going to make it and this will all be just a distant, distant dream
Those are just 4 songs that stood out in my mind, but believe me this album is good in whole. The songs are all so catchy and even the songs that I find to not be my favorite tracks, I sing along to. This album has been stuck on repeat for me the last couple of days. I can't put it down. Max's song/lyric writing ability also staggers me. He brings you through a spectrum of emotions, it even made me burst out in laughter a couple times. There's actually this line in the song "Mara and Me" about the Kings of Leon which is completely hilarious and it made me replay it 4 or 5 times on first listen. There aren't many albums that I can laugh at, unless they are that bad.
Bottom line: This album is definitely a must-listen. It's got heart, it's got teeth, it'll make you feel all kinds of funny feelings you've never felt before, you'll laugh, you'll cry, and so far this is a very strong "Album of 2009" candidate for me. I love this album first to last song, bar none. Slight fans will increase their love for the band and hopefully this brings them new fans as well. Please give it a try, it's got my seal of approval!
I'm going to review the new Say Anything album real soon, I promise. Let me tell you: Album of the Year candidate for sure as far as I'm concerned. So definitely pick it up tomorrow, 11.03.09. It's a real solid album!
