welcome to the world of hot cheetos and takis. this jam is so deaf (and clever) that it warrants the accolade of, the summer jam. not only does it have outrageous beats, snappy lyrics and an ultra fresh video, it's totally listener friendly for all ages. thanks to the after school programs at the nellie stone johnson beacons center in minneapolis, local kids are offered the chance to hone their skills in a multitude of culturally creative outlets. where was this when i was little? the Y.N RichKids took it to a whole new level by churning out not only a potential club banger, but also the playground anthem of the summer.
no matter what your musical flavor is, this track will probably resonate with you due to it's adorable performers and G rated subject matter. what's not to like about "ridin' around on my bicycle..." it's safe to say that these youngsters have talent (they're not signed) and will hopefully influence the grown ups of the rap game. there are seven rappers on this after school track. their transitioning flows are seamless and the overall sound is easily high-end. throughout the track you're reminded about the day in the life of a 12 year old. there is an ensemble of story telling, yet the lone young lady is the secret weapon who unleashes the smoothest lyrical lines. regardless, they all have legitimate skills and unique deliveries.
so if the beats don't move you or the video isn't quite your thing, just bring yourself back to the lyrics, they're too dope to overlook. big ups to the youth of minneapolis, the after school programs at nellie stone johnson beacons center and the north community beats and rhymes program for keeping it real.
wilco performed last saturday night at the greek theatre (9/22) and proved that they are some of the premier craftsmen of music, both in artistry and professionalism. as with most of this tour, wilco blasted through an inflated first set, aka the mega set, deploying nineteen songs from throughout their catalog. the encore spawned another eight tracks. this two (plus) hour platform allowed them to establish their newest effort, the whole love, while pleasing the listeners with past gems as well. there were some replicated songs during this performance however. normally i'm disappointed in a band playing the same song in back to back shows and eight songs is pushing it, especially when they have such a deep chest of treasures. aside from the mini rant, i was glad to get: i might, the whole love, i'm the man who loves you and a shot in the arm, even if they were doubled up.
wilco has an inner knack for honoring each song amidst exploratory sounds and individual personalities. this means-to-an-end is always beginning, then changing. in the first set i remember misunderstood being incredibly thoughtful and melodically undone. tweedy's voice was captivating listeners in the current of layered sounds his band mates conjured. jesus, etc. is such a treat to hear live. this track epitomizes the melding of lyrics to music in a way that recognizes observations and relationships. the line, "you were right about the stars, each one is a setting sun" only helps to create visions of something that seems revelatory yet we've all shared in.
jesus instigated a steady stream of rousing music. a highlighted quartet of songs started with whole love. this title track carried its anthem-like pulse directly into a candid bit of banter. tweedy commented, "we should've played this one last night." a reference to earlier antics where he compared the two nights.
"...wind must be blowing out. i don't smell nearly as much mary-ja-wanna. that's good for me. i'm still high from last night."
this made for the transition into i must be high, a classic tale of letting go. next came more chit-chat followed by the piano roll of walken, which has a definite cadence and is a favorite of mine. nels cline totally dismantled it with his hollow, sliding riffs on this cool night. he's a machine. the entire band is unfairly awesome. next came the squall and crash of i'm the man who loves you! this one i wanted to hear for selfish reasons, it makes me think of my life, attached to the journey of partnership.
the love vibe kept pace with, dawned on me, a good tune with lyrical wit. then it got all rock n roll. for reasons too long winded, a shot in the arm simply rocked. it seemed to liven the crowd with the energy of what rock music is supposed to feel like. six days later its energy was still clinging to me. commuting on her bike, my wife said this was the song in her head. without question it was a great tune to segue the set closer, on and on and on, another testament to love and its battles.
the encore started with a straight-up missile of potency. via chicago steals all the air out of its surroundings. how it blends its poetic tale with seamless tone before it becomes a beautiful contradiction of its words and experimental noise-rock, is untouchably unique to wilco. the voice does upend the indulgence of sound if you care to care. i do. it was serious heat.
two songs later, the political season and perhaps the environment they were performing in elicited the woody guthrie penned, christ for president. it seemed too right not to oblige this politically holy comedy. another two songs passed and we found ourselves face to face with kicking television. abrasive as this cascading rocker is, it's hurricane of kicking ass wins you over. sometimes you need to raise a raucous and be done with it. they closed it down with a saloon style dreamer in my dreams. the night felt good, the band was hot, the setting was just right and we were getting after it with friends.
"i said it last night, i'll say it again tonight, best rock audiences in the world. right here... but you guys invented it, you invented rock concerts. and we appreciate that, we thank you for that. it's like deep cuts, no problem, we're with ya buddy. ya make bands feel good. and a lot of the bands don't deserve to feel good. that's their problem, not yours."
- jeff tweedy
it's that mindfulness that helps me connect to his words and stay honest to being perceptive. thanks to all of the great fans in the bay area, across the globe and the bands that bring out the best in all of us!
sorry for the MIA results late in the summer, which has been beautiful (and dry in many places). there's always a glimmer of time to catch your breath, this may be that time.
first off, i was fortunate enough to spend some time along the pit river in northern california. having not been there before, i found the mountain and riparian ecosystems to be gorgeous and untouched. there were some amazing butterflies throughout the different sites i was working with, not to mention the secret swimming hole scattered here and there. it was an interesting time to be in the burney area during a fire season in which CalFire showed how incredibly valuable they are. thanks to all of the firefighters who risk it all to help us fellow citizens. it was cool, literally and figuratively, to absorb burney falls. it's a wonderful force of river dynamics and hydraulics. the woderfully cooling mist created by this working system allows for a lush ecotone within a seasonally dry area. if you're ever traveling on highway 299 hit up the alpine drive in, great burgers and fries. amidst a busy work schedule we also made a trip to see our new little cousin in santa cruz. the following week we played host to our amazing younger sister. one of the highlights for me was kicking it with her at lake tahoe. i'm pretty sure the three of us were digging on chimney beach like no other.
after a busy five weeks it was off to minneapolis, the mississippi and then onto my good friends wedding, which was set amidst a lovely back drop of rolling agricultural hills and natural standing tree lines near the iowa border. i was reinvigorated by the vibe of the twin cities, as well as, the beauty of the drift less area encompassing lake pepin on the mississippi. if you're ever chill'n in the lake city marina area i recommend grabbing some papa tronnio's pizza or doing some good old fashion bowling at port 104, drinks are super cheap and the fun is super clean. lake city is beautiful. if you adventure elsewhere along the river, check out read's landing brewery for a strong beer menu, tasty food and some local history. also, you must definitely afford yourself the opportunity to eat at the harbor view, on the wisconsin side of the river, they have outstanding food, mmm.
while back in minneapolis i saw some friends who always allow me to have a good time and to be myself. whether i was crashing at the house of the groom to be, digging for goodies at the electric fetus, dancing to antibalas at first avenue, destroying a juicy lucy at matt's bar, re-visiting the Guthrie, falling in transit love with the light rail or sip'n on a bells beer from michigan, i thoroughly enjoyed the different neighborhoods i hit up. by the way, bell's brewery kicks out some rad suds, their oberon and the two hearted IPA were my personal favorites! if you're near the uptown district i suggest perusing the confines of everyday people and the corner store, for chances at an awesome second hand score. when you've started to become hungry, grab some amazing ethnic food on 27th. definitely give peninsula your business, it's so damn good, best malaysian food i've ever had in the midwest.
Since returning to california however, i realize how much that this western state feels like home. i'm always glad to be back when touching down on the golden state. we'll soon be hitting up a wilco show at the greek, should be awesome. in the mean time, you all have to check out the debut album of matthew e. white. it's titled, the big inner and is the inaugural launch from his own spacebomb records. white has a lot going on in this stunning yet simply written path of songs that feel instantly like old favorites. there's a melting pot of great influences rambling around in this seven song gem. regardless of who comes to mind, his craft for the song, mixed with his willingness to share the glory, make this one of the best albums of the year. check it out. thanks to the guys at the last record store. also, the first 2,000 copies are hand numbered and come with an embossed letter that is hand signed. this singer/song writer, along with his fellow "villagers" are producing stories and sounds that richmond virginia should be proud of. give it a listen, tracks i've been groove'n on are: one of these days, big love & hot toddies.
thanks to all of those who made the last six plus weeks a real journey. it fed my heart, my mind and brought me to some revelatory places. here's to flipping kayaks, racing pelicans and the triumphant bond of two immensely beautiful people getting married, cheers to the burke couple!
be here now,
~eightychoices
ps. a special thanks to all of our amazing friends who looked after Mr. Salty, tended the homestead and reaffirmed the strong community we have here in california. much love and many thanks!
Chief Seattle tried to remind us that, "humankind has not woven the web of life. we are but one thread within it. whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. all things are bound together. all things connect. (1854)
when we slow down enough to enjoy the present, we can all realize the grandeur that makes life possible, let alone stunningly amazing. it's sometimes tough to 'be here now'. recently i took the time to stop and smell the roses (actually i was in awe of the artichokes). what i saw inspired me to capture my appreciation for the buzz of life. being involved with a home garden is gratifying in a multitude of ways. a tasty portion of any home cooked dinner is the satisfaction of edibles moving from the garden to your plate (mmm yellow string beans with dill). wonderment only grows with each journey taken.
beauty is all around us, the size & scale of which range from the largest creatures to the smallest insects. the natural world never ceases to amaze me. on any given day the artichokes will be brimming with bees, lace wings & arachnids, pretty cool.
California has a gluttony of environmental splendor. recently a friend & i were privy enough to have seen 3 blue whales migrating along the pacific coast. the next day we were standing amongst the ancient redwoods.
the blue whale is thought to be the largest living animal ever, that's right ever! once mature they can reach 98 feet in length while weighing up to 180 metric tons. then you're dwarfed yet again by the coastal sequoia which ranks as the tallest living organism on earth. forty-one living trees have been measured at over 360 feet. the current record holder is the Hyperion tree, stretching toward the sky at over 379 feet. west Sonoma county is one of my favorite native playgrounds. the natural beauty of this region is pretty ridiculous. i'm blessed to call it home...
time may be the barometer for human life, yet ecology & the environment need not such a device. if we as a species wish to thrive for generations to come, we ought to respect the natural systems that allow us all to breathe, eat, drink & inspire us to survive, let alone live.
"when all the trees have been cut down, when all the animals have been hunted, when all the waters are polluted, when all the air is unsafe to breathe, only then will you discover you cannot eat money." ~ Cree prophecy
there is a poignant proverb that relates to the polarization of man made modernity and convenience versus mother earth and the reality that life is impossible without her...
"I do not think the measure of a civilization is how tall its buildings of concrete are, but rather how well its people have learned to relate to their environment and fellow man."
~ Sun Bear of the Chippewa Tribe
wow, it must be that i'm totally blessed. thanks M, you're the best & that makes me the luckiest hyper hypo ever! our team is mighty b/c of you. nothing like spending a beautiful day in the friendly confines of west sonoma county with great people whom i'm lucky enough to call my friends. thanks to everyone who's a positive force in my life.
to the good times that come with gaining experience through the process of aging with someone who loves you. from the 507 to the 253 down to the 828 & of course the 707 it's been quite the ride. there's more to come...
bron bron gets his ring, messes around to notch a triple double in the finals' clincher & shows us an incredible smile that only the NBA championship can deliver. way to silence the haters, albeit temporarily.
en route to becoming the finals MVP, not only did he stymie the 3 time scoring champion (love durant too) while guarding positions 1-5 & playing focused team ball at a beast mode level, he shredded the finals to the tune of 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds & 7.4 assists. as far as performances go, this has few rivals. jordan in '97 comes closest with averages of 32, 7 & 6 (and MJ is the greatest). he became just the third player ever to lead his team in points, rebounds & assists during the finals. the other two who have accomplished this feat go by the names of magic & duncan (two of the five or ten greatest ever). quite the showing considering the microscope of unfair scrutiny that james is constantly under. mad props to the best all around player on hardwood.
shaggy 3 pop, aka mike miller, went off in game 5 connecting on 7 treys. prior to shaggy, there was the other former grizzlies forward, shane battier, putting his fingerprints on games. then there's mario chalmers, who may have become the heat's 4th man (kinda like rondo in '08). of course there's wade, one of the fiercest competitors in hoops, acknowledging the fact that it took "sacrifices" to accomplish their goal. that same sentiment of sacrifice came up a lot in post game interviews (love wade's mint slacks). and who can forget bosh-a-saurus-rex? he definitely showed us his value. way to go heat. i'm especially happy for lebron, he's both the gift & the gifted & such a joy to watch. we have all been witnesses, now we may be in wonderment. he's only 27, so there's most likely more to come. the association is in good hands right now.
as an avid nba fan i can only hope that the zombies, aka the thunder, will learn from this setback as other aspiring champions have. i trust that they will improve during the off season, as all of them appear to be dedicated gym rats. this explosive & relentless group of personalities seem utterly devoted to the concept of team. they're too good & youth is on their side, potent ingredients when trying to conjure something special in sports. westbrook (aka westbeast & one of my three favorite players to watch), harden (who needs a contract) & durant (a real baller, who gets buckets) have some seriously absurd game. add to the mix ibaka "i block ya", sefolosha & perkins and you begin to realize why this team is not going away any time soon. they'll be back & i'll be rooting for them.
i get the feeling that this heat/thunder match up has the potential to be celtics/lakers version 2.0! although this battle between two extremely skilled & athletic teams finished in 5, it was a joy to watch. i was genuinely excited for each game day. thanks to oklahoma city & miami for making it a hard fought series showcasing amazing talent. these were the two best teams, apologies san antonio & this was the match up i wanted to see. in case you weren't paying attention, they didn't disappoint. hopefully we get to see these two teams duking it out for the championship again. i wouldn't be surprised.
adios en bee ah, i'll catch you on the flip side.
~eightychoices
ps. the draft is june 28th, 4pm pst - where a teams' future can be made or delayed...
