de la soul throwback

I'm really into this jam. This takes me back. I was just watching Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" for, like, the millionth time when I thought to check out this video. By the way, that Beyonce video is FIERCE. I'm serious. I watch it several times a day so I can memorize the moves. Fortunately, most people in my life understand this and support it. If I looked that good in a one-sleeve leotard with high heels and a pompadour, I would dance down South Congress with my cyborg hand. BACK ON TOPIC.

I needed some quality De La Soul in my life. How good is this video? I can't get this song out of my head. So fly! I can't get over that chalkboard with the instructions for THE STANCE. Amazing.

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Ms. Peachez - Fry That Chicken

happy thanksgiving!

I hope all readers have a wonderful holiday tomorrow. Thank you for reading and stroking my ego for the past eight months via my annoying blog.

Tomorrow, please enjoy your feast and the people you are with. Take a moment to reflect on how great life can be and remember to think about William DeVaughn. Be thankful! Toast Obama! Toast unicorns and rainbows! Toast toaster strudels! Also, get ready for me to unleash Christmas shit on this blog faster than you can say cranberry sauce. The h is so o. Love u.

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i'm buying plane tickets right now

I don't even know where to start. Loss for words. I guess I should start by telling you I have an unnatural obesession with monkeys doing thangs. I love when monkeys dress like humans and smoke cigarettes. So sue me! I just can't help myself. I think this explains my extreme love for Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp.

I've had a pretty good life so far. Lots of trips, great friends, wonderful job. Nothing has made my life better than this video clip my dad just sent me. Honestly, I want this played at my wedding, every anniversary, the birth of my children, and my funeral. Also, someone needs to immediately book me a trip to Japan so I can see this for myself. So tight.

So, in Japan, they are having a pretty bad time with restaurant bankruptcy. So to curb that problem and save money, this one restaurant has hired MONKEY WAITERS.No, read that again and then take a deep breath. They are fully allowed by the health department as long as they wear their MINIATURE UNIFORMS. Calm down. They only work two hours a day, but they help with everything, from taking food to customers, to bringing back change to your table, to ANSWERING THE PHONE. Can you imagine asking a monkey for a beer and he brings it to you? I need a Xanax. Basically, I will marry the first person that can get me to this restaurant and I will bear your children if you find me the exact monkey that is clapping at the end of this clip. OH LAWD.

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Desmond Dekker - Please Don't Bend

Laid Back - Bakerman

tight person of the day: alton ellis

Alton sees you! He's staring into your soul. I was first introduced to Alton from Bob Dylan's radio show. He used a Christmas song Alton did on his show. I flipped out and had to know more. This song will get stuck in your head but it's better than having the llama song invading your brain cells.

Alton Ellis is from Jamaica and is a huge baller. Mostly, he is known as being an innovator of rocksteady music. He was one of the first to actually call it "rocksteady" in a song and led the movement away from ska in the 1960s. He is often called the Godfather of Rocksteady. Holla! Alton has been sampled out the ass, so you might have even heard him before WITHOUT KNOWING IT. Also, I read that he has over twenty children. Damn! Working overtime on that.

Sadly, Alton lost a battle with cancer and passed away in October. He was only 70. That is too young for me. I hope he has a blast in the great gig in the sky making music for eternity. I hope you enjoy this little Alton ditty and maybe pour one out for him sometime soon. I think he might appreciate that.

Alton Ellis - I'm Still in Love With You

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tight people of the day: breakwater

Before I get into anything else, I need to discuss some things about the above picture. Um, where do I start? My mind is exploding. First, the seahorse next to Breakwater. I'm five seconds from getting that tattooed on my forehead. Next, the BOOTZ. Are we dead serious right now? They are like rain boots, but also a massive moon boot. I have never seen anything like that. I'm secretly hoping the band walked in a Payless and was like, "Excuse me, do you have eight pairs of bright lemon yellow planetary future boots for our band?" How tight is that? Every band should play in those.

Moving on. Oh my lawd! This song rules my life. I was just listening to my iTunes, which I have mentioned before is my true one and only love. iTunes always knows what I want! It went from some delicious Sam Cooke straight into THIS! I will never forget when we were driving somewhere with Blake and Chappy put this on and his whole life changed. Can I get a witness from Bucho on this? He started moving his head to the beat in such a way that would make angels sing.

Breakwater is a funk band from Philly. You know a band is good when their name is a ridiculous compound word AND they have a band member named Love Gilmore. Haters to da left! "Release the Beast" should be played at every high school graduation, every anniversary party, every funeral. People would flip and just drop everything and start dancing. From young to old, no one can resist the funk of this tune. Supposedly, this song is the major antithesis of what Breakwater was really all about, which was apparently "slow jams." LOL. However, I'm glad someone threw this out there and turned up the funk. Daft Punk also sampled this song at one time, so you might recognize the beat from that. Either way, it's super tight and deserves a place at your next dance party. Release it!

Breakwater - Release the Beast

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tight person of the day: graham nash

I love Graham Nash. He has gotten me through me some tough times in life. And by tough times, I mean that time my Swiss Cake Roll fell on the ground as soon as I opened the package. I was really ready to eat it! But seriously, break-ups and shake-ups have come and gone, and Graham Nash has always been there. For these reasons, I have a special affection for him and his music. Most of you might know Graham from his stint in The Hollies, followed by his time spent in some joke of a band called CSNY. Sike nation! One of the best musical groups of all time.

Recently, Graham was on American Idol singing with one of those f-ups. Basically, my jaw dropped when I saw him come on stage. I couldn't have been more surprised. But then I realized how many people would not appreciate it as much as they should and I felt a little sad. Then I had another drink. Kidding!

My two favorite Graham Nash albums are Songs for Beginners (1971) and Wild Tales (1974). It's crazy to think that anything could top CSNY's amazing album Deja Vu, but then each of those tools came up with something that kind of did! Songs for Beginners features guest-starring roles from Rita Coolidge, a personal fave of mine, and Jerry Garcia. I think I was reborn during the song "I Used To Be A King." I'm dead serious. The song today is from Wild Tales, which is also a great album. I used to listen to the A side on vinyl when I was writing papers in college. I just kept getting up and putting the needle back and I would listen to that one side over and over again. Of course, I had trouble doing any actual school work so that might have been part of the problem.

I feel like Graham Nash is some weird ghost in some crazy old haunted house. But not the kind of ghost that would hurt you. More like one that would sit in a crazy tattered armchair with a ridiculously old guitar and make you listen to songs of the past. WHOA. I think I just wrote my thesis.

Graham Nash - Hey You (Looking At the Moon)

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Graphic Work of the Day: Jonathan Barnbrook

Let's hear it for balanced color sensibilities.

At what point will everyone realize i'm going into avoidance disorder because of some writer's block?

For the Q Tip fans

On his new album, Q Tip's Won't Trade samples some Ruby Andrews's You Make Me A Believer. Super tight.

Q Tip - Won't Trade

Dance It Out, DDL

Just because everyone needs to watch this a few times per day.

This should've been the Oscar clip.



Is there any way I could love the internet more?

The Dirty Cowboy

Gav's 2009 Halloween costume.

tight person of the day: dee dee warwick

Man, I'm on a roll with the female tightness lately! I think most of us are semi-familiar with Dee Dee's more famous sister, Dionne Warwick. I mean, I think Dionne last appeared on stage with Whitney Houston after Whitney said she was off the crack. Anyway, Dee Dee is a great singer in her own right. This is truly a song of lament but somehow I still want to snap along to it in slow motion.

Dee Dee (can I have this name please?) was singing gospel in New Jersey before going solo in 1965. She had a string of mild chart toppers throughout the sixties, but mostly gained a reputation as a talented vocalist. Homegirl was still working and singing her little booty off in 2006, when she sang back-up for her big sissy Dionne. Dee Dee recently passed away and went to the great gig in the sky in October of this year. I know if I ever get to a place in the sky, I would love to have Dee Dee waiting to serenade me.

The song I am sharing with you today was recorded in 1970. It's quite sad, actually, when you stop and listen to the lyrics, but I'm obsessed with that talk-talk-talk-talkinnnn part. You'll know what I'm talking about in a few download minutes! We could all use a good break-up song sometimes! I also think this a good song for a winter mix. As you know, cold is coming! I had to totally hold myself back from posting a Christmas song today, but then I remembered I have the whole beautiful month of December to indulge.

Also, shout outs to all those who listened to my dumb ass on the radio. Thanks to Josh again for the invite and thanks for telling me I sounded good even though I probably made cats howl in alleys.

Dee Dee Warwick - She Didn't Know

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Gloria Jones

Your iPods can thank me later.



Gloria Jones - Tainted Love

is this tight? on the radio

My friend Josh has very kindly asked me to join him on his radio show tonight. You can listen online here or on the radio in Austin at KVRX 91.7 FM from 7-8 central time. This is going to be so tight. I've been fighting a raspy voice for a few weeks so I might sound like a husky man, butit'sallgood.

Leslie and the Ly's - Beat Dazzler

tight person of the day: cat stevens

Cat Stevens is such an awesome name. I wish I knew the secret to choosing the most perfect stage name. I also wish this song didn't make me cry like a baby. But I don't give an f! It's the day after the election, so I'm allowed to continue welling up for weeks. What will make me well up with tears of laughter is that photo! Crotch shot! I'm also loving his wearing of a Texas tuxedo. Denim on denim!

This is obvi a pretty old picture of Cat Stevens, but from around the time the song I am sharing today was released. "The Wind" is off Cat's 1971 album Teaser and the Firecat, which is also a super tight name, and is pretty and simple and lovely. I want to bottle this song and make it a perfume to wear around. Then I can be all like, "Yes, I'm wearing the wind." People will freak!

These days, Cat goes by Yusuf Islam. He converted to Islam in 1977. He's been involved in a bit of controversy in various ways throughout the years, but it doesn't deter from his sweet songwriting. His songs are introspective and meaningful and are really perfect as the weather starts changing and Starbucks gets those red holiday cups again. I just totally ruined everything with the last part of that sentence. Don'tcaredon'tcaredon'tcare.

Cat Stevens - The Wind

gobama

I still can't believe it. I mean, I watched television all night and barely got any sleep. I stared longingly at Anderson Cooper and his wonderful rapport with a hologram of Will.i.am. I made some cupcakes to bring hope to the table. And then homeboy totally won! Wowtown, USA. I wanted to believe, but some part of me still thought he couldn't pull it out. That's what she said! Anyways, he did. So I hope the next four years find us happy and excited and inspired. I'll still be making cupcakes.

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tight person of the day: johnny rivers

I was strolling the 50% off Halloween candy at Walgreens the other day and over the speakers came a tasty treat not for my mouth but for my EARHOLES. Some genius at the Walgreens Mix Tape Center got smart and included Johnny Rivers singing "Whiter Shade of Pale." Never have I wanted to buy strawberry cream pumpkin candy, tons of CoverGirl make-up, and a Frappuccino in the bottle more. (Love you, Walgreens.)

Johnny Rivers reminds me of a little leprechaun. But not the kind that will kill you in a freakishly bad horror movie. The cute kind that will show you the pot of gold and then dance around in a meadow with you. Johnny Rivers is widely loved by the entire Roch family, and for good reason. His album Realization is the perfect culmination of rock and folk and true blue songwriting. Basically, you wouldn't understand how many good tracks are on that album.

Johnny started his career being a little folksy, then got a little rockalicious, then got a little psychedelic town. Either way, I still love me some Johnny. He is also quite well known for singing "Secret Agent Man" from the show of the same name. Also my dad's personal theme song? Can I get a witness from Paul on this?

Anyway, this song is really amazing and after you listen to it, you will be a liar and practically dead to me if you say you aren't moved. Look, everyone needs to believe in something, so I'll believe I'll have another drink. Kidding! I believe that you should let the power of music take over your life. If you haven't done that already, we need to talk.

Johnny Rivers - Whiter Shade of Pale

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tight person of the day: otis clay

One thing I love about writing this blog is searching for the perfect picture of the Tight Person of the Day. How good is this? Blue shirt tucked into blue pants. This could be seen from the moon. I think a picture of Otis Clay wailing away in this blue ensemble should totes be in every child's textbook in grade school. I know I would be willing to teach about this huge baller.

Otis Clay is a soul singer that really knows the meaning of breaking it down. I think it's also a well-known fact that if your name is Otis, you are going to be good to go in life, know what I'm saying? Anyway, Otis is bluesy and awesome. This is a pretty tradish sounding soul song, but I love the hell out of it. I usually listen to this while I'm getting ready to go out. While I'm running around my room changing shoes and putting my face on, the calm and understanding voice of Otis Clay gets me through. Otis is still performing and out there being a baller, so let's all take a moment and raise a glass for O.C.

Sometimes I get nostalgic listening to songs like this and knowing the singer is still alive because it makes me wonder what could have been for singers like Otis Redding, Richie Valens, Sam Cooke, and even Marvin Gaye. They had a lot left in them. Good thing we still have Otis Clay.

Otis Clay - If I Could Reach Out (And Help)

costume geniuses

Another Halloween has come and gone. Last year I threw together my costume and it was somewhat of a p.o.s. It was a crappy Amy Winehouse using a Walgreens brand Elvira wig and a blue bra under a white shirt. Not too creative. I stepped it up this year. We all did. Behold Veruca Salt (goose egg straight from Hobby Lobby and hand-painted!), Tippi Hedren, star of The Birds, and Amelia Earhart, back from the dead/strange disappearance. Check out our tumes!

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