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Yearly Archives: 2011
Great Accents…Great Music
How did the colonialists win the Revolutionary War? With a massive army that could topple empires, the British still lost to the revolutionaries. Some people believe that England was losing too much money and were outmatched in enemy territory. Instead of honing their skills with guns and naval artillery, I believe they honed their skills with clarinets and pianos. I can proof it too. While it is not in any of our history books (insert a World War II fact), I could prove it by showing you anyone’s playlist.
The Beatles
Pink Floyd
The Rolling Stones
Oasis
The Sex Pistols
Black Sabbath
Judas Priest
Led Zeppelin
The Who
Before I get carpet tunnel by pressing enter again, I have to admit that I was taken back by the amount of music that is exported from Britain. It still hurts me that people who made “Stairway to Heaven” were not hippies from California.
While there is great talent from the United States, they are not in the same league as the Brits. Americans rock hard, but the Brits rock harder. Even today, the British are well represented in music. With bands like Muse, Franz Ferdinand, The Artic Monkeys, and Coldplay selling out venues, the English are well represented today. What makes them stand out.
Dominic Brown, the drummer for Muse once said in an interview with ilikemusic.com that he likes music because “it makes [him] feel the most free [he has] ever felt in [his] entire life and gives [him] the freedom to do anything without much consequence.” What makes them stand out is how free their music. Supposedly the United States is the home of freedom, but yet music is limited by Record Companies. Unique and different does not sell. Once an artist starts to break out they have to water down their product to accommodate the norm.
Band of Skulls
The XX
One of those accommodations is the role of women in Rock music. Once a female artist begins to become a brand, she is quickly adjusted to Country or Pop Music. Jennifer Nettles from Sugarland and Haley Williams from Paramore are exemplars of this transition. Rock Music should not be a male dominated avenue, but the facts still remain that these women have made more money on dropping the bass and drums kit for more album sales. The XX and Band of Skulls are two unique British bands that are beginning to gain notoriety with their uniqueness and their lead singers. Both bands have both a female and a male lead singer. The XX consists of vocalist Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim [bass]Baria Qureshi [guitar] and Jamie Smith [beats/production]. Band of Skulls consists of Russell Marsden [guitar/vocals], Emma Richardson [bass/vocals], and Matt Hayward [drums]
Honestly both female leads sound identical but it is evident that both bands have a different voice. I rather hear this on the radio then most of the “music” on the radio.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/Pib8eYDSFEI" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/aY8RcFD3m_k" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
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Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
Posted in Independent Film
13 Comments
Too Many Labels Can Cause Clutter
Genres, in today’s music world, there are over a hundred different ways to categorize music. How some music listeners may label one form of music, others would label those forms differently.
Why can’t there just be basic universal genres such as rock, alternative, metal, hip-hop, R&B and Jazz for some. But no, there’s death metal, hardcore, gothic, alternative metal and the list goes on.
Some may wonder, why waste the time to debate the music classifications when all that needs to be done is to change the genre to your liking on computer. However, this is a nuisance in itself. We find ourselves driven at times, compelled by unique and catchy sounds of beats and heart felt lyrics to purchase songs on the spot, such as in the itunes app.
But after the well deserved download, so that inspiring music can be replayed to its maximum enjoyment, often we discover the annoyance. If you’re not looking for the song in the purchase list, you’re attempting to run a vigorous and irritating search through you 30,000 song filled 120GB MP3 device.
When the song is finally discovered, it is realized the melody you had become love stricken with was well hidden somewhere in the punk genre that’s just been added to your device without you even knowing about it. What nerve to have your own personal MP3 device, that you have taken great pride and care to order, be modified just to correspond with the genre as labeled by someone else. I mean how rude.
What defines the certain music to be labeled with such complexity? Who gave those people the right to dictate how we perceive the intricate sounds and moving words in a given song. Personally felt, why can’t the decision of labels be left to the individuals. Many music artists throughout the years formulated their unique sounds and words with the intent to separate themselves from the society and the masses. Therefore, why put a label on yourself and your music, why can’t it be the individual listener’s brand just as it belongs to the artist.
Perhaps there a bunch of policies and rules to go along with some secret chamber of music listeners who sit around and justify how music is labeled and why. If there is such a chamber, I would question how this confusion is resolved? What is looked at in songs to determine whether a song is rock, metal, alternative, gothic, etc?
Whatever the case maybe, too many genres makes for a big headache and unnecessary time scanning for a song, when you could be reaching ecstasy with the uplifting ear orgasms of a fine song.
Alias Restaurant Behind the Red Walls
Clinton Street in the Lower East Side tends to be a little scary at first glance, due to the unnecessary clutter of four nail salons and two beauty parlors at the head of the block, but once you get to the corner of Rivington Street, you’ll hit Alias, one of the infamous restaurants located on Clinton.
Alias's Walls
While NYC & Company’s Annual Report showed that there were 23,499 active restaurants in New York City in the past year, few of those restaurants are as eye-catching as Alias. The bright red walls on the restaurant’s exterior were painted by Emily Noelle Lambert and her Foundation students from Parsons The New School for Design as their class’s final assignment. The animals, people, figures and shapes featured on the walls have customers curious and enticed before even entering the restaurant.
After almost ten years, Alias has become extremely involved in its community. It has raised money for several organizations, including the Unicef Tapwater Project and the Grand Street Settlement, but most recently, the restaurant hosted its Annual Charity Eggnite Eggstravaganza. The event included egg painting competitions with prizes, free food and free drinks. The proceeds this year were donated to Mark DeGarmo & Dancers’ programs in literacy, dance and creativity in local LES schools.
“We definitely support all schools and local charities,” says owner Janet Nelson, who is also a Lower East Side resident. “I think every business owner should definitely be involved in the neighborhood and supporting it, especially since I’m also a neighbor.”
Nelson has had plenty of experience in the business after owning several restaurants, including 71 Clinton Fresh Food, but it took a lot of hard work to get to where she is today. “I started at the very bottom, which is the way a lot of people start in the business,” she says. “I was a buffer, then a waiter and then I went to doing office work and financial work. There was never cooking for me. I never made it into the kitchen, except to wash dishes.”
While Nelson is extremely dedicated to Alias, she accredits much of the restaurant’s success to her staff and the other owners, one of which is her sister, Marybeth Nelson. “We’re a small restaurant, but the people who own it and run it, we’re all a family,” says Nelson.
Customers agree that a large part of the restaurant’s appeal is the environment created by its staff. They are not the typical behind-the-counter staff that serves you your food and disappears until it’s time to bring you the check. They are friendly and attentive to the needs of their customers. “They always walk around and converse with people,” says Sunita Lofters, frequent customer and owner of Sunita Bar in the Lower East Side. “It’s important as an owner to have that connection with your customers. The more they get to know you, the more they want to come back.”
To show its appreciation to the community that has made it so popular, Alias now offers a 10% discount to customers who live or work in the area. Aside from the discount, residents are drawn to the restaurant because of its unique menu.
Duck Leg Confit
Seared Hanger Steak
The Duck Leg Confit was the appetizer that appealed to me the most, despite ordinarily being a chicken and turkey eater. The duck, which was slightly crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside, had a wonderful texture and easily fell apart in my mouth. It was served with dirty rice, caramelized onion and apple chutney, giving it a sweet and tangy taste.
The Seared Hanger Steak entrée was prepared with blue cheese butter, sherry glazed onions and olive oil crushed potatoes. The blue cheese provided a delicious kick, but wasn’t so overpowering that you lost the flavor of the meat, which was tender and perfectly cooked.
Chocolate Guinness Goodness
The desserts are all exquisite, but the infamous Chocolate Guinness Goodness is a staff favorite. The chocolate mousse is topped with a Guinness-flavored cream and the bitter addition is a refreshing change from the traditionally too sweet chocolate mousse.
With such a distinctive menu, it’s no surprise that the restaurant is a favorite in the Lower East Side, but with dishes that change seasonally, how do they ensure each one will “step up to the plate?” Nelson insists their secret is in the ingredients.
“We try to use local ingredients,” she says. “We go to the Farmers Market and use a lot of fresh and organic foods. We’re also part of the Slow Food Movement now.” In the spring and summer, the menu changes more frequently, due to the exciting produce that emerges during these seasons. As the warm weather approaches, Nelson recommends that customers try her favorite dish, the Asparagus soup. “The soup is for spring and it’s fresh.”
So You’re In A Band Too?
Not my definition of being in a band...
The first couple of times it sounded charming. “I am in a band,” “I play guitar,” “I am a musician.” But then I grew older, reality hit me, and today hearing these lines makes me amused, at the most. “Oh, really? Is there anything else to know about you?”
I cannot deny that I may be a bitter ex. girlfriend of a musician or two, but the story that follows is based on purely true events.
“I am in a band.” Oh yes, I’m sure these words still works to pick up girls with, or to be straight – I know it from experience. It is not too long ago when I was a naive teenager, and whoever mentioned “in a band” could probably catch my heart at that instant moment. But I have lived and learned and today I know, that a musician does not always equal a good date.
I love music, I mean, who doesn’t? But I do believe that music is to be enjoyed on a non-personal level, as a listener or spectator. Musicians can be charming, yes, and who has not dreamed about walking to a show saying “”I am with the band.” But just think about it, really. How many of those sitting down next to you at a coffee shop, taking of their sunglasses and proudly announcing “I am a musician,” does much more than play guitar in their friends basement, or write songs they never finish? Yes, exactly – not many. And the rare ones who really does live for their music, well, they live for their music. You got it – the music, not you or anything else. As my friend, himself a struggling musician, once told me: “Never date a musician.” I laughed, ignored it, and got charmed. But that was once, or twice. Now, I need more than a cheesy love song.
Today, when approached by that unfamiliar young man, I am the one taking of my sunglasses, smiling and asking: “So, are you a musician too?” Suddenly, not many wants to brag about their musical talents, but looks a little lost, thinks for a while, and says: “Well, I am an artist!”
Here we go again…
Posted in Music Rant/ love song
4 Comments
Turn Those Volumes Down!
Even great music can become noise.
Do you ever have those times when you feel like wringing someone’s neck out of pure annoyance? Well, believe it or not, despite my usually calm temperament, I’ve had those feelings plenty.
Whenever I’m on the 7 train going back home, I’m usually exhausted– tired from a long, stressful day at school. Sometimes, because of headaches, I don’t like listening to my ipod, not even when I could drown out the sounds of the train with my favorite bands and musicians (ie. Bright Eyes, City and Colour, Death Cab for Cutie, Laura Marling, Aloe Blacc, and Local Natives).
So imagine what thoughts are running through my head when I hear music blasting out of headphones. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love good music, I respect other people’s preferences in music, but in public spaces, when everyone is tired and getting home from school or work, the blaring sounds of music traveling BEYOND the listener’s headphone is just plain rude and inexcusable.
It might just be that the person doesn’t quite realize that his or her music is on so high, so sometimes, when I try to be more forgiving and rational, I do tap them on the shoulder and I ask them politely, “Would you mind lowering your music?” They usually comply, so just like that, the volume is lowered, and I can enjoy a more restful ride on the train.
But most times, I don’t say anything. You might ask me why I do this– why I choose to walk away so that my mood doesn’t become more foul– when I could just tap them on the shoulder and get it over with. My reason is simple. It’s common courtesy to check if your music is blasting out of your headphones, because I’m certain that you (and your beat up ears) can tell when the volume is way up there or higher than usual.
We have more than enough noise pollution in the world. Need we add more?
Posted in Music Rant/ love song
4 Comments
Divya Gugnani Proves the Ancient Belief That Sexy Women DO Eat.
Jars of Kusmi tea. Half-full bottles of Hypnotiq. A pipe that serves as a makeshift closet. Books with titles like “Farm Food” and “New American Table” perch atop shelves that appear ready to topple under the weight. Framed covers of the Wall Street Journal and promotional pictures sit atop a file cabinet, waiting to be hung. No, this is not the well-stocked kitchen of a Michelin-star rated restauranteur — rather, it’s the office (and bedroom, living room, and dining room) of Divya Gugnani, author of Sexy Women Eat: Secrets to Eating What You Want and Still Looking Fabulous and CEO of Behind the Burner.
CEO and acclaimed author aren’t the only two things on Gugnani’s resume. In addition, she was also an employee of Goldman Sachs, voted a 2010 Game Changer by The New York Enterprise Report, and received an award as one of the Top 50 Outstanding Asian Americans in business. She’s also on the Board of Directors for New York Entrepreneur Week — and she’s not even 35! With an MBA from Harvard and a degree from the French Culinary Institute, Gugnani has a portfolio to make any Wall Street-er jealous. However, she did find her one true calling, and it wasn’t cash-flow analysis or checks and balances — rather, it was her love for food.
“I reached this point when I couldn’t stop thinking about food,” says Gugnani, “I knew I wanted to start a business where I could share my best tips, tricks and recipes for food, wine, mixology and nutrition, and put them in bite-size videos, blogs, articles, recipes…and then, I just started doing it.”
Gugnani didn’t leave her full-time job just yet, however. Rather, while working at FirstMark Capital, she began to compose recipes and blog posts and putting them up on Behind the Burner, along with interviews with world-renowned chefs and behind-the-scenes looks of some of Manhattan’s most famous restaurants. Eventually, NBC got a whiff of Gugnani’s culinary website, and reached out to her to film a segment — and, as Gugnani proudly puts it, BTB “has been running ever since.”
It didn’t end there. In 2008, Gugnani was approached by Harper Collins, and initially, she pitched an idea for a book about her favorite recipes and tips and tricks for the kitchen. However, her editor had better plans, and instead, suggested that she write a book about her life.
“I said ‘this is crazy, I don’t want to write a book about myself!’” Gugnani exclaims with a laugh, “and then she said to try out a few sample chapters, and I just sat down at home at night and I wrote a couple chapters and my editor liked them and I sat down on my parents’ kitchen table — which was the perfect place for inspiration because snacks were nearby — and then I just wrote it, wrote it in two and a half weeks.”
The inspiration from her parent’s kitchen table was always a place dear to her heart. As a child, Gugnani fondly remembers coming from a “food-loving family” and having a grandmother that cooked day and night and two fully-stocked refrigerators that would sometimes get so filled up that the leftover food would have to be stored in the trunk of the car.
Divya herself!
“We’d wake up in the morning and at breakfast, we’d talk about lunch; at lunch we’d talk about dinner, and at night we’d marinate our minds and get up the next morning and start the process all over again.”
With a childhood that embraced a love for all things delicious, and a future that only gleams brighter, what are some tips that Gugnani can offer on living a healthy and fabulous lifestyle?
“It’s important to have a positive relationship with food, and if you have a craving and you just really want it — it’s okay to have it!”
Posted in Food
3 Comments
Rising from the underground but staying true to the people that sent you there.
A few weeks ago, on a brisk Monday evening, young adults–anywhere from the ages of 16 to 25– gathered up in the small clothing store Prohibit NYC. It got so crowded to the point where I had to stand on a chair, which would end up being abnormally convenient. After about an hour and a half of waiting, in walks Dom Kennedy, the underground rapper who will very soon be joining the company of famous rappers such as J.Cole, Big Krit, Kanye West, and more. After giving his motivation speech and a little background on himself, he came around and personally met every person in the audience, keeping a smile on his face the entire time. It was a beautiful thing.
Everyone attempting to meet Kennedy. Which they did.
There is something about an underground artist that I love. Don’t get me wrong, mainstream artists cannot help their amount of fame, and I have love for them too. But, when you are able to go see an underground artist, one you feel is on the brink of stardom, you feel a certain rush. And many underground artists, especially underground rappers I’ve found, will talk to you no matter the occasion, even giving you a motivation speech on how you can reach your potential.
The ability for an artist not to forget the people that allowed them to reach stardom is inspiring.
Aspiring rappers meeting Dom Kennedy, center.
Two friends that were with me at the Dom Kennedy event, who happen to want to be rappers, got to not only shake his hand and take a picture with him, but actually talk to him and his producer on how to make it in this industry.
So, for all the underground artists that are getting that “big break,” don’t forget the little people who always knew you. Because when you recognize we were there, it’s a beautiful thing.
Posted in Music Rant/ love song
1 Comment
Making Classics
Can you see yourself at 50 willingly listening to a Soulja Boy song? I hope not.
They don’t make ’em like they used to – music, that is. I grew up sitting in the backseat of my mother’s Buick singing along to The O’Jays, The Delfonics, and Earth, Wind, and Fire – all which currently reside on my ipod.
I’ve always wondered if there was an exact formula to determine how much time must go by in order for something to be considered an ‘oldie’. I wondered what those oldies might be. Will I want to listen to 50 Cent or Spice Girls twenty years down the line? (The answer is only “In Da Club” and yes, any Spice Girls song.)
However, I can’t help but grimace when I hear the music that my 14 year old sister listens to – Justin Bieber, Big Time Rush, or…well, I can’t even think of a third act, which proves how forgettable they all are. Today’s musicians are more caught up with catchy beats and superficial lyrics. Everyone was in an uproar over Rebecca Black’s simple minded lyrics, but this trend has been going on for years.
The quality of songwriting has decreased tremendously and music lovers are the ones who suffer. Music artists should strive to be memorable and create songs that are not only catchy, but meaningful as well.
All hope is not lost, though. Artists like Aloe Blacc and Miguel seem to still know the value of selecting crafted songs.
We’re all entitled to listen to a song with uninspired lyrics for the sole purpose of enjoying the rhythm, but for musicians, this should never be the norm. Anyone can be a one hit wonder, but isn’t it worth more to be remembered 50 years later?
Posted in Music, Music Rant/ love song
5 Comments
O Canada Can Sing Too
Unless one is listening to music with half an ear, it has become quite apparent that the tunes migrating from Canada are bordering on greatness.
The country that developed ice hockey in the 19th century has now developed a nonpareil artist in three major genres of music.
Son of Dennis Graham, one of Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jerry Lee Lewis’s drummers, is Toronto’s Drake who has carved his name into rap’s glitterati via a blackberry Smart-phone. His august record So Far Gone preluded his unforgettable, debut album Thank Me Later, which went platinum a little over a month after releasing. The adeptness he possesses to be able to both rap and sing well makes him an intercontinental, sui generis musician, and his success has helped lay the foundations for other ambitious, undiscovered artists from the second largest country in the world.
House of Balloons Featured in Drake's Blog
The Weeknd, also from the capital of Ontario, roared to the flower of imminent, rhythm and blues lions, a short time ago. The singer, who is still months away from being legally allowed to drink, supplied a resounding recording, House of Balloons, this past March. It is the majority of people’s first peek into his uncanny vision for music, and it has left all staring at its splendor. In spite of the fact that the record has a mere nine tracks, as one listens to it, nothing but brilliance echoes.
Both artists have achieved the few and far between feat of producing an album that has a track or two that one skips each time one listens to the record; Drake has a remarkable two to his credit, So Far Gone and Thank Me Later, and The Weeknd has one, House of Balloons.
As Drake continues to exercise control over rap and The Weeknd adjusts to having mastery over rhythm and blues, fellow Canadian Justin Bieber, for all one knows, commands the genre of pop. The Twitter sensation has two platinum albums and is going to have another, in all probability. I have yet to listen to more than a single minute of his music, yet it would have been foolhardy for me not to acknowledge the boy’s ascendancy.
As the trio continues to home in on impressive music, the borderline that once separated great musicians from Canada to outshine those from the United States has all but dematerialized.
Posted in Music, Music Rant/ love song
1 Comment
Grand Scale Voice: Female British Soul Artist rising off the charts
Adele, leading Female British Artist
British accents are one of my favorite; in fact my dream year is to backpack through Europe visiting all of the amazing cities like London and Spain. Recently, I have developed an appreciation for great music that derives from the fierce melodies and ballads sung by many talented British female singers. For example, my top three artists would be Adele, Leona Lewis and last but not least Jessie J. These ladies are simply outstanding, bona fide starlets. Immediately, after listening to a few tracks from their debut albums, I was impressed. They have successfully built a fan base in the United States by radiating a soulful, confidence outlook on life and through their passion for music which is truly inspiring.
What I like most about their songs in particular would be the range of versatility presented in their albums. I can select a song that’s upbeat, lively and easy to dance to. Or choose a soft, low ballad that’s filled with a nice harmony that is great to sing along to. With the large variety of up and coming young artist today, it’s actually wonderful to find a set or style of music that you enjoy. Personally, I love the song, “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele, it has quickly become the most played song on my IPod this year.
Universally, it’s pretty phenomenal that Adele and so many other female singers in London represent the rising, fantastic talent that will be setting the course and introducing folks to new, equally fun music material. These artists have cultivated a massive following of fans over a short period of time, and I am happy to say that I’m a part of that category. You may be a casual listener of the usual suspects in the music industry such as Kanye, Jay Z, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga or Brittany Spears. There is nothing wrong with that, my only worth-while suggestion would be to try something different by stepping into some new rooms that will introduce you to some diverse, unique music talents.
Posted in Music Rant/ love song
5 Comments
