Peisin Lauren Yang-Lazo

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She said you ain't got no defense!: A Post About Hip-Hop

• Mos Def's new album The Ecstatic is out new week on the 9th. Mos Def is a fantastic MC, listen to Black on Both Sides. On one track from the new album, Mos works with Talib Kwelli (Black Star!!) on a track produced by the late J-Dilla. Check "History" here.
• Wale has released a video for his track "Chillin" featurign Lady Gaga. And part of it was shot in Boston. Bodega is in it. Check it out.
• Just a thought: Has anyone else noticed the lack of hip-hop on the Lollapalooza lineup. Beastie Boys, Snoop, Asher Roth, The Knux and Kid Cudi are all the initial lineup offers in terms of hip-hop. Hopefully the next round of additions has more hip-hop. Maybe a certain Chicago based group that is going to release an album in the next few months....
  
• Speaking of the Cool Kids, no news on when they are actually gonna drop their new album but "A Little Bit Cooler" was used in the best of the awesome series of Lebron vs. Kobe puppet commercials. Watch this:
  

"She said you ain't got no defense!"

Music and Advertising: is it Impossible to sell out?

Last week in Seattle, Pearl Jam shot a music video with movie director Cameron Crowe. Nothing out of the ordinary. But it was strange that the historically anti-corporate band (see their lawsuit against TicketMaster) was being sponsored by large corporate emporium Target. What the what?

In the past, this probably would have sparked an outrage. But, the times they are a-changin’.It seems as though we are completely desensitized to our favorite artists' being in commercials for everything from crayons to push up bras to all kinds of cars. Apple is to blame. iPod and iTunes ads are highly coveted PR spots for any band, whether small, big or biggest in the world. It’s now acceptable that bands sell random junk to us (including the Wuggie).

But it’s not just on TV. Most music festivals are using corporate sponsorships to manage costs. Last year, Rage Against the Machine played on the AT&T stage at Lollapalooza. One of the most politically outspoken bands of the last decade was playing on a corporately sponsored stage. And no one cared! It doesn’t bother me that I saw Modest Mouse on the Bud Light stage or LCD Soundsystem on the Myspace stage or Girl Talk on the PBR Hipster Stereotype stage. If advertising can help subsidize ticket costs and get more bands, I’m all for sponsoring everything at a festival (this year, Rob Blagojevich sold naming rights for the fountain in Grant Park (Slightly dated, totally lame topical reference!))

Exceptions: I don’t want to see Bon Iver for the Wisconsin Board of Rural Tourism or the Arcade Fire for Crest White Strips (seriously, lets keep the Arcade Fire exclusively for soundtracking mindblowingly awesome movie trailers). But for the most part, I don’t mind this trend at all.

Happy June!!!

Welcome to June. My goal is to post 3-5 times a week this month. So keep reading. Also, watch this:

Top 5 songs to miss High Fidelity to

5. MIA - Paper Planes (so overplayed)


4. Beastie Boys - Brass Monkey


3. Clarence Carter (Ooooh shit!) - Strokin'


2. Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime


1. Shwayze - Buzzin


MISS Y'ALLLLLLLZZZZ.

Top 5 Albums to Study to

So this week is finals week. Lame times. So, to procrastinate, I thought about my favorite albums to study to. This is my top 5:

5. Funeral- Arcade Fire
One of my favorite albums period. Great study music and Wake Up can renew your soul after its been crushed by your organic chem test.

4. The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place- Explosions in the Sky
Instrumental music= Good to study to. Not as heavy as "Those Who Tell The Truth..." nice and mellow with great buildups. Especially Six Days at The Bottom of The Ocean

3. Kid A- Radiohead
First, I didn't just put this here because I love Radiohead. It's just that this album is great to put on in the background while you read monotonous text books. And who doesn't want to know How to Disappear Completely when your about to take a test! (I apologize, that was a terrible joke)

2. Takk...- Sigur Ros
Really any Sigur Ros will do. But Takk... is a little less reverby, more triumphant and just as hypnotizing as Agaetis Byrjun. Zach properly described their live show as being immersed in a warm blanket. The album might not be as warm blanketty but its close. Especially Glósóli

1. Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
The classic. One of the greatest jazz albums ever made. Anytime I have a paper to write or a test to study for this is what I put on first. So What

Ok. Tell me why I'm wrong. Good luck to anyone who has tests in the next few days/weeks.

The Cool Kids: "Popcorn" and "Champions"

The Cool Kids are making some unbelievably good hip-hop right now. If you don't already have it, get last year's Bake Sale EP which is full of retro beats and summer jams. Later this year, Chuck Inglish and Mickey Rocks are going to release their first LP, When Fish Ride Bicycles. But before that drops there will be a new mixtape "Gone Fishing" which will hit the internet on Monday. Here are the first two leaked tracks "Popcorn" and "Champions." Both are really good, not as mind blowing as When Fish Ride Bicycle's first single "Pennies," yet they should be enough to hold you over until the LPs release.

They haven't released any summer dates yet other than the All Points West Festival in NY but if you get the chance to see them don't miss it. I caught them at last year's Outside Lands festival in SF and their set was one of the most fun of the weekend.

Edit: Here's the full mixtape if you don't already have it