New (kinda) Murs and 9th Wonder album

 

So this record was recorded two years ago but never dropped. Murs' new cd, Murs For President, is coming out soon and they decided to give this one out for free. Check out this site for a message from Murs, and download the record. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Muxtape.com

           Muxtape.com was created in March by Justin Oullette as a way to replicate a mixtape online. And before we go any further, let me explain for those of you born anytime after 88. A mixtape is a cassette tape filled with music, usually presented from one person [the creator] to another [the listener] with the explicit goal of turning the listener on to new music, and in the process, on to you. I remember laboring over mixtapes that I just knew would convey the exact way that I felt for [girl's name here]. As soon as she pressed play she would find herself enthralled with longing to be with the person that had obviously put so much time and emotion in this project. This labor of love. This mixtape would obviously become a favorite, played over and over until the ribbon snapped. After some tears, it would then be sent to the shoe box/drawer where she kept the rest of the mementos of our relationship. Yes, if anyone could help me win her heart, it was bands like the Ataris and MXPX. Now that I think about it, mixtapes never did me a whole lot of good, but I loved making them almost as much as I loved the girls they were made for.

          These days however, mixtapes are more or less a thing of the past. With CD's, I-pods, and the internet, it's easier to just stick to your guns (or your itunes library) and listen to what you know. That's where Muxtape comes in. Instead of searching for music you already know you like, Muxtape only allows you to click from one muxtape to another and play what you find. This may sound obnoxious, and in a lot of cases it definitely is, but it's also a great way to find discover music. For example, let's say you happen upon this muxtape, and you see that this person has added Modest Mouse and Iron & Wine. Well by golly, you just happen to like those bands! So here's what you do-  skip em. Go straight on to the other tracks (specifically the Bowerbirds track). Chances are decent that with an open mind and a little bit of patience, you could find new music that twists the ends of your mustache. Pretty sure that's a good thing.

 

        Now that I've explained the mixtape/muxtape situation, I might as well blow your mind right open with my own muxtape. Pay no attention to the fact that it's labeled as Jayloyalty rather than Jaycation. I may or may not have registered the Jaycation name and entered my email wrong. whoops.

 

go ahead..  touch it..

"Muxtape is a living music platform in its early stages. Our goal is to redefine the mixtape on the internet as a model for music discovery and social interaction, and to do so in the most elegant way technology allows. We believe that music is better when it’s presented to you by a person with care." - muxtape.com

this is a story i wrote a year or so ago. not completely real, not completely false either.




          Its ringing.. come on damnit, I know you're there..

     I excuse myself from the din of the room and step into the hallway, phone pressed to my ear, still ringing. Then it stops.

     "Hey, you've reached Hannah. Or actually, you haven't. I'm too busy doing something else. Leave me a message and if I don't hate you I'll give you a call back."

     I snap the phone closed and slide it into my pocket. Feeling a little lost I wander aimlessly down the corridor until I reach a balcony overlooking the entrance. This place is pretty swanky, with glass elevators, a decorative fountain, and couches cluttered around the lobby which all look to expensive to actually sit on. After three months of sleeping in parking lots I can't help but feel like I don't belong here. As if any moment security will find me and escort me out, muscled hands clamped over my bony shoulders. Heading back the way I came I pass a mirror and see my reflection for the first time in days. Living on the road has done a number on me, awkward sleep and gas station food shifting the weight of my body. I find a twist in the hallway overlooking the street through floor to ceiling windows and pause to take in the view.

   I think back on the last time I saw her. A Bottle of cheap wine between the two of us, we layed on her bed and talked about everything. About Europe and the rest of this country, about what pulled us away and what always brought us home again. And then we kissed. My phone rings.

"Hey"

     "Hey," she says, "sorry, I was in the shower"

"I had one of those this morning" I slump down against the wall, with my knees to my chest.

     "oh yeah? How long's it been since the last one, a month?"

     "a few days.. maybe a week.. not sure. What's up?"

     "not a lot. Hey, I can't talk too long, I've gotta go to work in an hour. Where are you?"

     "Memphis" I scan the horizon but its nothing but dull gray buildings poking jagged from faded green trees. I miss the west coast for reasons I never expected. The flat dry lands of the center states choke me.

     "Memphis, Tennessee?"

     "is there another Memphis?"

     "could be, dick." I know she's smiling.

     "sorry. Anyways, yeah. Eric's mom got us a hotel for his birthday. Its real fancy and I keep getting strange looks from wealthy old people. I guess I do kind of look like a bum…" As the words come out of my mouth I see a woman in a white robe with pink flowers and matted gray hair pushing a shopping cart down the sidewalk. A bag of aluminum cans falls out and she stoops to pick it up, then places it back with the others. She stops to talk to a well dressed man at the bus stop. After a few seconds he pats his pockets and shrugs and the woman continues on her way.

     "have you shaved yet?"

     "no" I scratch my beard, as if from pride. I guess I am proud of it. My most manly of traits.
     "if you don't shave by the next time I see you I'm not gonna make out with you. You know that, right?"

     "that's fair"

     "when is next time?" she asks, and I can hear her bracing for an unfavorable answer.

     "were still not sure. We haven't heard anything past the 29th. And that's in Florida." This is a sore subject for both of us.

     "tell your manager I said you had to come home," the edges of her words go soft and a lighter flicks, "tell him I said so."

     "ill get right on that."

     The cherry crackles and I hear her pull the cigarette from her lips like a cork, puh.

     A maid walks by tugging a cart behind her loaded with carpet cleaners and clean towels. Her smile reveals crooked teeth but she's sincere and I like her immediately. "so where were you last night" Hannah asks. The maid ducks into the room behind me.

     "Arkansas"

     "Little Rock?"

     "no, some little town about an hour west of there. I forget the name already."

     "how was the show?"

     "not too bad, about 200 kids. I think most of them were there for one of the local bands. Goth rock. Can you imagine that? Goth rockers from Arkansas. Ridiculous" I say, and chuckle at the thought for maybe the fifth time.

     crackle, puh. "make any money?"

     "75 dollars, enough for gas and food.."

     "that's shitty" she tells me, as if I haven't come to the same conclusion.

     "yeah." My left hand picks at the carpet, plastic thread so thin it pretends to be soft. The kind of carpet that only comes in blue and green, this one is blue.

     "well I should probably be going. I have to leave for work pretty soon and I still haven't bru-"

     "I miss you, fuck I miss you."

     "I miss you too," she almost whispers the words.

     "this sucks. I hate this"

     "so come home"

     "I cant"

     crackle, puh. "why not?"

     "I just cant"

     "youre obviously not getting rich and famous, just poor and miserable, and unhealthy, you sound like shit. Tell your manager you want to go home."

     "its not up to him. the label decides when we tour and when we don't.

     "fuck them"

     "it doesn't work that way."

     crackle, puh. "whatever. I hate this." She says.

     "me too.."

     "I have to go now. I miss you."

     "I love you.." click. I feel like I might throw up. Staring out over the bleak city I struggle to remember why this was a good idea to start with.

What It Is?

So I got an antenna for my TV just in time to catch this gem on Jimmy Kimmel last night. The Cool Kids first network television appearance. They did two numbers, but both seemed a little off because of the addition of DJ Klever. At least for me, a huge part of the Cool Kids sound is in the sparse production, which relies almost solely on drum machines and vocal samples. Not to say that Klever isnt a good DJ, a 'cool kid', or anything like that. Just a little different. Anyways, this is 'What It Is' from The Bake Sale.



enjoy!!


ps, if you havent copped their new mixtape (That's Stupid The Mixtape), get it here.

I'd vote for you Greg

So this week is/was the ESPY Awards, which stands for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards. Kind of a stupid name if you ask me, it's put on by ESPN and is obviously chosen to be similar (ya know, espn and espy). Anyways, here's a video of Greg Oden 'auditioning' to host the show.



The ESPY's were filmed on Wednesday but air this Sunday at 9pm on ESPN. Sadly, Greg did not get the job, it was instead given to Justin Timberlake. Who is kind of a goober. Had Greg been the host I would probably find a way to watch, but now I have no incentive, especially because ESPN leaked the winners on their own website. Scrolling through the list of accolades theres not much I can bring myself to care about, but I will mention a couple.



Best Female/College Female Athlete: Candace Parker
In case you weren't aware, Candace Parker led the University of Tennessee Lady Vols to the 2007 NCAA Championship, and was the number one pick (to the Los Angelos Sparks) in this years WNBA draft. She's also cute as all hell, even if she is 6-4. Although according to J-Tim, she will emasculate the shit out of you.



Best Sports Movie:Semi-Pro
Yeah, it's not Anchorman, nor the criminally seldom seen Blades of Glory, but it was good enough to beat 'Resurrecting the Champ', 'The Game Plan', and 'Leatherheads'. Semi-Pro made me laugh for a solid hour and a half, but then again I do like most movies when they cost less than the beers I drink while watching them (if you live in Portland and dont go to the cheapo theaters, get hip or get out). Honestly though, pretty good flick. And its about basketball so.. ya know.


Oh yeah, and some D-Bag out of LA won best NBA player. I heard it's because he can jump over a speeding car.

free slurpee day at 7-11

An Alphabetic List of shit to know brought to you by a ham sandwich, a tall glass of milk to wash it down, and riding the bus home from work stoned as shit.

Cool Kids, The - That's Stupid The Mixtape
Monae, Janelle - Metropolis-Suite I: The Chase (EP)
Roots, The - Rising Down
Wale - The Mixtape About Nothing