Earlier today I was lounging around after lunch thinking of different blog topics. I looked up some new bands, read some sports articles, and even checked npr.org for a bit to see if I could enlighten any of you politically (I'd rather not take my chances). An hour went by, than another, and before I knew it I was knee deep in writer's block without a single idea worth expanding upon. I looked down at the crumbs of shrimp tempura I devoured for lunch, partially defeated from a personal brain-storming session gone wrong, and walked the trash to my waste basin. All of a sudden, the idea came to me like a rush of freezing air bursting out of the ice box - restaurant reviews...
Welcome to the first post of the Morty's Corner special segment, TEMPURA-mental. Isn't that just a great title? On a weekly basis, I will try to dine at a random Bay Area restaurant, check out the scene, and write up a bitchin' review for people to check out. Sometimes, like this week, I will take an eatery suggestion from whomever suggests, and other times I will pick one myself. No, I am not turning my blog into a Man Versus Food or No Reservations styled write up where I base every post off of a restaurant or meal; that would suck. My main goal is to change up the blog topics every so often and, quite frankly, see how good, or shitty, I am when it comes to food reviews.
I would like to visit places that also have a fun vibe because we all know the food is not everything. Music, population, and activities all have to do with making a restaurant the "hang out spot." Old dive joints, taco trucks, local delis; let me know which one I should head to first and I'll test it out. If there are particular dishes I should order, jot them down. I know people have their go to spot that they love, mine is the Dutch Goose in Menlo Park. I think The Goose is so good I have even spent a couple Full Day Soul Searching Experiences (another post, another day) there - what is that spot for you? I would love to check it out and, as always, publicize my opinion on a worldwide scale. What eatery should be the topic for TEMPURA-mental, Volume Two?
Monday, February 27, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Get Your "Breakfast" While It's Hot!
It is my pleasure to review the debut album of hip-hop's own, Chiddy Bang. Breakfast hit stores today and is the first course in Chiddy Bang's soon to be five star rated career. This two man team from Philadelphia, comprised of a lyricist/vocalist named Chiddy and a producer/DJ named Xaphoon, have been a part of the underground hip-hop scene since 2008 and have gained a respectable following throughout the years. The band's musical style infuses hip-hop, electronica, and indie influences to create an energetic, futuristic sound. Chiddy (rapper) and Xaphoon Jones (producer) traditionally bring together two unique styles of musical perspective. Breakfast is another example of their catchy creativity.
Chiddy rhymes with a quick flow when rapping and while his topics rarely stray from girls, success, and aspirations, the way in which he pieces lyrics together is what makes Chiddy so special. Towards the end of the second track, entitled "Breakfast," Chiddy showcases his quick witted and creatively fast paced style, proclaiming, "Yeah, I'm just swellin' on em/ I don't hear em, I'm about to go Helen on em/ Get the based god, call Ellen on em/ We give a tour for cheaper, we wholesalin' on em." There are not many rappers I know who can use references to Helen Keller, Lil B (The Based God), Ellen DeGeneres, and inexpensive ticket sales in four lines to describe their talent on the microphone, but Chiddy rips through the lines with ease. Another track off of the album that Chiddy takes total control of is "Ray Charles." In the second single released off of the album, Chiddy takes music legend Ray Charles' blindness and uses it as a metaphor for rising above "the haters," as many lyricists commonly say. These are aspects of Chiddy's lyrics that have been evident since song one, so I was not surprised the songs off Breakfast were his finest stories yet. There is undeniable originality when it comes to the rapper of the group and the producer of the group, Xaphoon Jones, is breaking down musical boundaries of his own.
Xaphoon has garnered popularity of his own by producing the music for Chiddy Bang. Known for using live instrumentation, original electronic beats, and obscure indie samples ranging from Passion Pit to MGMT on past mix tapes, Xaphoon was at it again on Chiddy Bang's Breakfast. Musically, each song on the album is very involved. Tackling Chiddy's lyrical style is one thing, but capturing each aspect of a Xaphoon Jones beat is an entirely different monster. These are some of the most creativity produced beats I have heard. The foundations of each song range from containing guitars, pianos, electronic rhythms, synthesizers, drums, and samples of other artists' songs. The first single for the album, "Mind Your Manners," is my personal favorite Xaphoon production. In the beat, the listener hears a beautiful combination of snare drums, electronic synths and sounds, and a perfectly placed sample of Incona Pop's song "Manners." Like I said, each song on the album has such quality production and I cannot sit here and easily pick my favorite one. Right now, it's "Mind Your Manners." Tomorrow it could be "Run It Back." Thursday it could be "Happening." Each song is that good.
I went into this album thinking I was going to have another Wale record on my hands. If you recall, Wale, another famous East Coast-based rapper, grew a huge following by way of releasing several successful mix tapes, but when it came time to release a label album, Wale's Attention Deficit brought changes to Wale's sound and, in turn, effected his credibility. Thankfully, Chiddy Bang's Breakfast stayed true to their previous mix tapes such as The Swelly Express and Peanut Butter and Swelly. Combining hip-hop and an electronic based sound, Chiddy Bang have the potential to step into a league of their own with the release of their first album. I heard about these guys when a was a freshman at Santa Clara University from my buddy Miller and I am so thankful I gave them a listen. I have continued to listen to Chiddy Bang for the last four years, seen them live in San Francisco once, and am so stoked they are going to experience mainstream express through the release of Breakfast. Go buy the album in stores or on iTunes to support a new style of hip-hop and a group who truly loves what they do.
Key Album Tracks: "Breakfast," "Ray Charles," "4th Quarter"
Chiddy Bang's "Mind Your Manners:"
Monday, February 13, 2012
2012 Grammy Awards: Dave Grohl on Musical Creation
Last night music fans around the world celebrated the 54th Grammy Awards. Together, we witnessed a dazzling Coldplay/Rihanna duet, a heart-warming cover of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" preformed by Jennifer Hudson, and a mask on Lady Gaga's face too closely resembling a Waffle Maker imprint. However, what I found most interesting was not the host's presence (LL Cool J) or who won Best Album (Adele), but rather the words of Dave Grohl.
Grohl, front man of Foo Fighters and former drummer of Nirvana, took the stage shortly after the band's first performance to receive the Grammy for Best Rock Album. With his four other bandmates and record producer behind him, Grohl approached the microphone with the award in hand. Grohl went into how special their newest album, Wasting Light, was to the band because they did not rent out a fancy studio and opted to record the album in his garage with a tape machine. Harking back to his grunge days in Nirvana, Grohl seemed to be paying tribute to the late Kurt Cobain with that comment and the crowd responded well. However, it was the quick jab the Foo Fighters lead singer tossed out at the end of his speech that caused the "Big Dogs" running the Grammys to transition away from Grohl. After the traditional thank you's every artist gives out to family, record labels, fans, and so on, Grohl dropped a decent sized bomb on why the award was so special in this musical age:
"This award means a lot, because it shows that the human element of making music is what is most important. Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument and learning to do your craft; that's the most important thing for people to do... It's not about being perfect, it's not about sounding absolutely correct, it's not about what goes on in a computer... It's about what goes on in here (points to heart) and what goes on in here (points to head)."
Woooaaaah! Sounds to me like little Davey Grohl and his gang of rockers are going out late at night and tee-peeing the house of the electronic music kid in the class. It comes as no surprise to anyone that electronic music is breaking through to the mainstream music scene. Electronic DJs such as David Guetta, DeadMau5 (pronounced Dead Mouse), and Skrillex (nominated for Best New Artist) were in attendance and preforming at last night's Grammy Awards. It should also come to no surprise that certain musicians and music fans do not approve of the new electronic sound. The fact that vocals, guitars, drums, and other human-played instruments (for lack of a better term) do not need to be in a song to make it a song can frustrate people. What does surprise me, though, is how Dave Grohl vocalized his disdain for the genre on music's biggest stage. I mean, how many musicians in that room have been involved with making a song composed of electronic rhythms, ninety percent? There was some applause as the transition music came on, but it was pretty obvious Grohl had laid a rotten egg on the party. As soon as Grohl finished, those editing the awards night quickly flipped the switch to the music before commercials. The transition song, you ask? Party Rock Anthem by the popular electronic/party band, LMFAO. I took this as a very funny way of those running the Grammys telling Grohl, "Hey, this is what the kids are into, get off the goddamned stage."
Now, the quote by itself is badass. While I dabble with bits and pieces of the electronic scene, I have always taken traditional music with actual instrumentation as my first pick. Also, I have had an extreme interest in the Foo Fighters for a number of years and Nirvana was my gateway drug to alternative/punk music, so I was listening to one of my idols speak, as well. Grohl was up there defending the music he likes to create. If I could guess, I am sure he felt slightly out numbered when he showed up to the Grammys and saw less and less instrumentation over the years; I am sure it freaked him out. I was thinking of an entire list of ligament reasons to defend someone as legendary as Dave Grohl, but then I saw Foo Fighters second performance of the night... a split show with DeadMau5.
WHAT?!? Make up your mind, Dave! Was this not the guy who was accepting a Grammy on stage and bashing computer made music? Did Dave Grohl not tell the audience to go with feelings of the heart and mind over a perfectly produced, perfectly recorded album? This guy either has no clue what he just said, loves going back on his word, or received a handsome reward from the Grammy Academy to do the song with DeadMau5, squashing any and all future problems relating the prior comment. It was literally one of the craziest moments I have ever scene. Grohl went from sounding like the most anti-electronic musician ever to standing on stage with and preforming with an electronic DJ...talk about your all-time backfires.
So, what happened? Personally, I think Foo Fighters were going to play with DeadMau5 to end the show regardless. This split between the top rockers and one of the top DJs of the modern day was a great way to gain viewership, but I believe what Grohl dropped at the podium came as a shock to those in the stands and watching on the monitors. Grohl's words were honest, but intense; suggesting those involved with the electronic scene focus too much on perfection and production, rather than the heart and mind. What do you guys think? Do you respect Grohl for saying what he did? Do you think he's a close-minded old man? Do you think he and the rest of the Foo Fighters are crazy for bashing a scene they later preformed with? Let's get the conversation flowing, I'd love to argue with all of you.
Check out Dave Grohl's musical rant upon winning Best Rock Album at last night's Grammy Awards:
Grohl, front man of Foo Fighters and former drummer of Nirvana, took the stage shortly after the band's first performance to receive the Grammy for Best Rock Album. With his four other bandmates and record producer behind him, Grohl approached the microphone with the award in hand. Grohl went into how special their newest album, Wasting Light, was to the band because they did not rent out a fancy studio and opted to record the album in his garage with a tape machine. Harking back to his grunge days in Nirvana, Grohl seemed to be paying tribute to the late Kurt Cobain with that comment and the crowd responded well. However, it was the quick jab the Foo Fighters lead singer tossed out at the end of his speech that caused the "Big Dogs" running the Grammys to transition away from Grohl. After the traditional thank you's every artist gives out to family, record labels, fans, and so on, Grohl dropped a decent sized bomb on why the award was so special in this musical age:
"This award means a lot, because it shows that the human element of making music is what is most important. Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument and learning to do your craft; that's the most important thing for people to do... It's not about being perfect, it's not about sounding absolutely correct, it's not about what goes on in a computer... It's about what goes on in here (points to heart) and what goes on in here (points to head)."
Woooaaaah! Sounds to me like little Davey Grohl and his gang of rockers are going out late at night and tee-peeing the house of the electronic music kid in the class. It comes as no surprise to anyone that electronic music is breaking through to the mainstream music scene. Electronic DJs such as David Guetta, DeadMau5 (pronounced Dead Mouse), and Skrillex (nominated for Best New Artist) were in attendance and preforming at last night's Grammy Awards. It should also come to no surprise that certain musicians and music fans do not approve of the new electronic sound. The fact that vocals, guitars, drums, and other human-played instruments (for lack of a better term) do not need to be in a song to make it a song can frustrate people. What does surprise me, though, is how Dave Grohl vocalized his disdain for the genre on music's biggest stage. I mean, how many musicians in that room have been involved with making a song composed of electronic rhythms, ninety percent? There was some applause as the transition music came on, but it was pretty obvious Grohl had laid a rotten egg on the party. As soon as Grohl finished, those editing the awards night quickly flipped the switch to the music before commercials. The transition song, you ask? Party Rock Anthem by the popular electronic/party band, LMFAO. I took this as a very funny way of those running the Grammys telling Grohl, "Hey, this is what the kids are into, get off the goddamned stage."
Now, the quote by itself is badass. While I dabble with bits and pieces of the electronic scene, I have always taken traditional music with actual instrumentation as my first pick. Also, I have had an extreme interest in the Foo Fighters for a number of years and Nirvana was my gateway drug to alternative/punk music, so I was listening to one of my idols speak, as well. Grohl was up there defending the music he likes to create. If I could guess, I am sure he felt slightly out numbered when he showed up to the Grammys and saw less and less instrumentation over the years; I am sure it freaked him out. I was thinking of an entire list of ligament reasons to defend someone as legendary as Dave Grohl, but then I saw Foo Fighters second performance of the night... a split show with DeadMau5.
WHAT?!? Make up your mind, Dave! Was this not the guy who was accepting a Grammy on stage and bashing computer made music? Did Dave Grohl not tell the audience to go with feelings of the heart and mind over a perfectly produced, perfectly recorded album? This guy either has no clue what he just said, loves going back on his word, or received a handsome reward from the Grammy Academy to do the song with DeadMau5, squashing any and all future problems relating the prior comment. It was literally one of the craziest moments I have ever scene. Grohl went from sounding like the most anti-electronic musician ever to standing on stage with and preforming with an electronic DJ...talk about your all-time backfires.
So, what happened? Personally, I think Foo Fighters were going to play with DeadMau5 to end the show regardless. This split between the top rockers and one of the top DJs of the modern day was a great way to gain viewership, but I believe what Grohl dropped at the podium came as a shock to those in the stands and watching on the monitors. Grohl's words were honest, but intense; suggesting those involved with the electronic scene focus too much on perfection and production, rather than the heart and mind. What do you guys think? Do you respect Grohl for saying what he did? Do you think he's a close-minded old man? Do you think he and the rest of the Foo Fighters are crazy for bashing a scene they later preformed with? Let's get the conversation flowing, I'd love to argue with all of you.
Check out Dave Grohl's musical rant upon winning Best Rock Album at last night's Grammy Awards:
Monday, February 6, 2012
Put Down that TiVo, Super Commercials are Back
I feel bummed for Tom Brady because I am a Padre alum and I cannot blame Wes Welker for his two drops. I feel a small amount of happiness for Eli moving past Big Brother Peyton, but I hate Old Man Coughlin because, well, he's Tom Coughlin. Basically, I do not want to talk about the Super Bowl game because I wish the Patriots won and that other team that walked home with the final 'W' knocked my beloved San Francisco 49ers out of the playoffs. So what is the next best thing to talk about? The commercials.
Now, people I have spoken with dislike the Super Bowl commercials because they are seen as glamorized advertisements that are no different than the regular ones shown every day of the week. Seen at times to be both over-priced and over-rated, Super Bowl commercials have become synonymous with the game, itself. Whether we like it or not, as long as they play the Super Bowl, companies will be fighting for television advertisement time like it is The Holy Grail. Personally, I love the commercials each year. It is fun to see Coca-Cola bring out their signature polar bear characters and personify them as two middle-aged people enjoying a football game. And admit it, even though we all know GoDaddy.co is not actually a porn site, it is fun to watch Danica Patrick and Jillian Michaels pretend it is.
Also, what I find most interesting about the commercials is the cost companies are willing to pay for a minute, sometimes only 30-seconds, of advertisement time. Spectators can disagree, claiming the commercials cost too much. Companies are wasting money by, in effect, committing to unknown revenue successes. According to cleveland.com, a news website, "all of NBC's TV-Commercial airtime for the game was sold out way in advance. Average cost for a 30-second spot? $3.5 million. That's $116,667 per second." That is ludicrous! I like it. Major companies are giving their advertisement teams $3.5 million dollars for a 30-second idea and story line; $7 million for 60-seconds ones. This is done in the hopes the commercial will be successful and that the consumers who watched will go out and buy more than $3.5 million dollars worth of Coke, Bud Light, Audis, or whatever advertisement was watched. Talk about trusting your employees.
So what did I think of yesterday's ads? Having just re-watched them on my computer at http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/46/commercials#video=09000d5d826a7e10, I would have to say I enjoyed a majority of them. Here are the YouTube videos of my Top Three Commercials of Super Bowl XLVI. In third place, Audi's "Killing Time" vampire ad was well done. It is a good spoof on those God-awful Twilight movies, which made me happy. Second Place goes to the first Bud Light commercial shown sometime in the 1st Quarter. The ad is promoting their new "Platinum" beer (whatever that means), but all I could hear in the background were the opening instrumentals to Kanye West's single "Runaway" featuring my boy Pusha-T. The song appears on Kanye's newest solo album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and is so good it could have been played in a Fanny Pack ad and the commercial would be in second place. Finally, I have to hand the golden price of First Place to the Honda CR-V car commercial staring Matthew Broderick reprising his role as 1988's lovable slacker, Ferris, from the classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Broderick acts out the opening scene of the film with some minor changes, of course.
See for yourself and let me know which commercials YOU would put in a Top Three. Enjoy.
3. Audi LED Lights Commercial:
2. Bud Light Platinum:
1. Honda CR-V Commercial:
Now, people I have spoken with dislike the Super Bowl commercials because they are seen as glamorized advertisements that are no different than the regular ones shown every day of the week. Seen at times to be both over-priced and over-rated, Super Bowl commercials have become synonymous with the game, itself. Whether we like it or not, as long as they play the Super Bowl, companies will be fighting for television advertisement time like it is The Holy Grail. Personally, I love the commercials each year. It is fun to see Coca-Cola bring out their signature polar bear characters and personify them as two middle-aged people enjoying a football game. And admit it, even though we all know GoDaddy.co is not actually a porn site, it is fun to watch Danica Patrick and Jillian Michaels pretend it is.
Also, what I find most interesting about the commercials is the cost companies are willing to pay for a minute, sometimes only 30-seconds, of advertisement time. Spectators can disagree, claiming the commercials cost too much. Companies are wasting money by, in effect, committing to unknown revenue successes. According to cleveland.com, a news website, "all of NBC's TV-Commercial airtime for the game was sold out way in advance. Average cost for a 30-second spot? $3.5 million. That's $116,667 per second." That is ludicrous! I like it. Major companies are giving their advertisement teams $3.5 million dollars for a 30-second idea and story line; $7 million for 60-seconds ones. This is done in the hopes the commercial will be successful and that the consumers who watched will go out and buy more than $3.5 million dollars worth of Coke, Bud Light, Audis, or whatever advertisement was watched. Talk about trusting your employees.
So what did I think of yesterday's ads? Having just re-watched them on my computer at http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/46/commercials#video=09000d5d826a7e10, I would have to say I enjoyed a majority of them. Here are the YouTube videos of my Top Three Commercials of Super Bowl XLVI. In third place, Audi's "Killing Time" vampire ad was well done. It is a good spoof on those God-awful Twilight movies, which made me happy. Second Place goes to the first Bud Light commercial shown sometime in the 1st Quarter. The ad is promoting their new "Platinum" beer (whatever that means), but all I could hear in the background were the opening instrumentals to Kanye West's single "Runaway" featuring my boy Pusha-T. The song appears on Kanye's newest solo album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and is so good it could have been played in a Fanny Pack ad and the commercial would be in second place. Finally, I have to hand the golden price of First Place to the Honda CR-V car commercial staring Matthew Broderick reprising his role as 1988's lovable slacker, Ferris, from the classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Broderick acts out the opening scene of the film with some minor changes, of course.
See for yourself and let me know which commercials YOU would put in a Top Three. Enjoy.
3. Audi LED Lights Commercial:
2. Bud Light Platinum:
1. Honda CR-V Commercial:
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