Blog is a Mix Tape

my city?

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 09:59:09 -0800

Dangerous Dame

Last weekend, Melle and I rode up to San Francisco (well, Oakland, really) in a white pony for less than 48 hours. In that time, I drank. A lot. Played some tracks. Talked up Writers with Drinks. And a bad-ass chick. Then attended Writers with Drinks and met some all new bad-ass chicks. Ran into Doc. Had a tarot card reading. Drank some more. Played Scrabble with my peoples in Alameda. Ate Korean with the same peoples in Jack London Square. Lost my phone.

Felt alive.

The ties and tugs get ever stronger with each visit.

My tuning fork is decidedly pointed north.

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@away: Costume or Awesome?

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 19:17:41 -0700

Felicia and I sat on the BART heading towards SFO and as the doors of the train closed someone's cell phone began playing a TruTones version of Bittersweet Symphony. I saw our getaway film fade to black and the credits roll up right then.

There was a post-script, sure, a bonus scene of she and I sitting in an airport bar drinking doubles of Ketel & soda and turning a not-so-innocuous comment about how we didn't want the life of the family of 4 a few tables away from us into a deeper conversation about the relationships we've had with our own parents but this weekend was more about doing than reflecting.

The last 24 hours seemed less intense but in that time I'd brunched with a lady, hung out in Washington Square Park, eaten Dim Sum, seen live action Sailor Moon at the Cherry Blossom festival, geishas on stilts, and a Japanese drum circle and created a new game for all ages - "Costume or Awesome?" or it's alternate rule, "Costume or Crazy?"

I enjoyed life that didn't require a car. I liked being close to humanity. I liked feeling connected to not just the city but to the community.

And whether costumed or crazy, I judged those people and found them all very much awesome.

I'll be back in about a month, my lovelies. Rest up. Get familiar.

This post's playlist
1. Nobody Like Me by Little Brother
2. Elevator Music by Beck
3. Keep it Playa by Pharell
4. As Long As It's You by Incognito

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@away: Feels Like Home

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 11:42:43 -0700

Date Stamp: 04.21.07

A light rain covers San Francisco. It's 6:33 pm. I'm sitting in the mezzanine at the Hotel Metropolis trying to angle appropriately for the complimentary wifi that seems to elude me. Felicia and Melissa are napping in our kryptonite colored room. I've just coordinated dinner plans with some of my very favorite people like Mita and Mr. West and I trust that our evening will only begin with tapas.

I'm very happy.

I've twittered about random things like leg cramps and Dixie bands and cannoli while I've been here and they are all true. I'm still battling the muscle tightness that cropped up last night at the Element Lounge. MJ's web 2.0 birthday party featured some ridiculous pop confection - at least 4 songs featuring Fergie and the Timbaland/Nelly Furtado/Justin Timberlake hit twice - along with the requisite megamixes and reggaeton and after trying to play it cool and take it easy, I was overcome. We danced it out. We walked it out. We got George to break it down. And then, because I'm old, the back of my right leg seized up. It hasn't quite relinquished it's hold.

This should be a problem because we spent the day walking the city. Breakfast at Cafe Mason was followed by a cable car ride to The Buena Vista and many an irish coffee, many a joke, and one camera lesson on the wonder of the macro feature and food shots. We then trekked through North Beach and found the "WashBaG crawdad feed" that featured the most excellent Dixie Band covering some of your 80s favorites including Rockwell, Phil Collins and the Eurythmics. We didn't stop there.

Can't Stop. Won't Stop.

So we continued on through the Italian rooted enclave until we found Mara's Italian Eatery and had the finest of pastries, gelatos and coffees before walking back to Union Square and then on to the hotel.

In betwixt all that, I've seen Smokler and Tim Ferriss and Jaschu. I've danced with strange women and been drunkenly encouraged by strange men. I've discussed local politics and web industry gossip and eaten my face off.

I've felt both special and normal at the same time. I've felt at home.

Huh.

So, if this feels like home what does LA feel like to me right now?

A question for another day, methinks.

This post's playlist:

1. To Dry Up (feat. Charlotte Savary) by Hope & Sorrow
2. Don't Sit on the Pickets by Racetrack
3. Morning Child by 4Hero
4. Interlude by Jay Dee aka J Dilla
5. You Broke My Heart by Cavalry of Light
6. Sweaty Wet/Dirty Damp by Gameboy/Gamegirl

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Song for Sunday: So Far

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 21:06:11 -0700

So Far

Miguel Migs

My birthday present from Melissa was an Amoeba run. We made a commitment in January (actually I think it started when I was on holiday vacation between Christmas and New Year's) to do an Amoeba run once a month. It's a return to the record store after I'd spent much of the last two years buying almost all my music via iTunes or Amazon.com. So, the fair lady bought me the following: Writer's Block by Peter Bjorn and John, The Beautiful Mix Tape 2: The Struggle Continues by Talib Kweli, Voices and Choices by Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra, Introducing...Joss Stone by Joss Stone, Play With the Changes by 4Hero, and Those Things by Miguel Migs.

Dave Hoffman at Popmatters argues that it is the first great electronica release of 2007. I'm on board with that sentiment.

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VOTD: SWV

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 06:39:23 -0700

SWV- Weak (Down Mix/Radio Edit)

Somebody's mentioning of SWV a couple months ago (was it Mel? Anna? Jen?) got me to buy the Best of album and Coko, Taj, and Lelee have been creeping into my shuffle ever sense.

This video is so early nineties. It looks like it was ripped right out of New Jack City or an episode of New York Undercover. The song itself is brilliant. It doesn't really get going until the third verse almost 3 minutes in but, at that point, it's too much. When they harmonize, "Something 'bout the way you do the things you do ooh ooh ooh it...knocks me right off of my feet," I'm just done.

I want to be rockin' jean jackets and cross color jeans and pristine caps with flat rims and possibly a metal X on the front that's hiding my flat-top fade.

"Can't explain why your lovin' makes me weak..."

Damn.

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Meme Wednesday: Super Hero Quiz

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 02:55:44 -0800

Blech. Where's my Nightwing, Black Panther, or Luke Cage? Or Mr. Terrific!!

via anna and mel.

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman		70%
Iron Man		65%
Spider-Man		65%
Robin		55%
Catwoman		55%
The Flash		55%
Green Lantern		55%
Wonder Woman		45%
Supergirl		45%
Hulk		40%
Batman		35%

You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

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Song for Sunday: Dwele

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 09:34:40 -0800

Philadelphia Featuring Dwele

Bahamadia

Just a little peace offering to Melissa after dissing her love of Dwele over margaritas at La Cabana last night. It's not that I dislike Dwele, I just think he's better in small doses than as a full-bodied solo artist. This is a perfect example. He gets open on the woefully under-appreciated Bahamadia album BB Queen. Vikter Duplaix used the same track on his DJ Kicks compilation to great effect. But this is Dwele to me, riffs and mood and hooks.

Anyway, enjoy. And if you've got some secret Bahamadia tracks in your crates, holla atcha boy. She's fire.

Bonus: The two together on BeautifulThings (Dwele kills the hook here)

BeautifulThings

Bahamadia

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Bonus Beats: Riot & Riotous

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:55:37 -0800

Melissa dropped some Fela a few days ago and, it should be known, how much I enjoyed Red Hot + Riot

Shuffering And Shmiling

Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, Jorge Ben, Bilal & positive force

Unrelated, Lynne asks to Walk It Out with me at SXSW (of course we will!) and gave a silly song playlist which reminded me of the only time I've been down with Peanut Butter Jelly Time

Peanut Butter Jelly Hustler

Sach

Now, we think about eating for the first time today but, more likely is a nap.

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Bonus Beats: Think Twice

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 22:25:03 -0800

Melissa posted Carl Craig's re-imagining of Donald Byrd's "Think Twice" which is my favorite Donald Byrd track off my favorite Donald Byrd album, Stepping Into Tomorrow. Byrd is working with the Mizells at this point in his career (which is also during the same period when he was mentoring my dad as a member of The Blackbyrds).

Two of my absolute favorite artists in the world have covered it with quite different outcomes:

Think Twice (Featuring Roy Hargrove)

Erykah Badu

Think Twice

Jay Dee

Enjoy.

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Bonus Beats: The Makeover

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 17:59:35 -0800

As Melissa noted earlier today, we're all about this Mark De Clive-Lowe remix of Watley's Midnight Lounge. The rest of The Makeover is pretty great as well. It features remixes and re-imaginings of some Watley classics and some of her favorite songs (she does a particularly interesting rendition of Madonna's Borderline).

This one, however, is of special interest to me:

A Bed of Roses (featuring 4Hero)

Jody Watley

First of all, y'all know how I love 4Hero. Watley says of 4Hero (The Makeover Liner Notes):

I discovered the music of 4Hero in 1998 - the record was "Two Pages". I was at a apoint in my career where I really felt like giving up. I'd had a huge disappointment with a brief sting at Atlantic Records...I was soured on the music business. When I heard "Two Pages," I was blown away. It reminded me about why I was an artist and what music should be about. My thoughts were - WOW, there are people making music LIKE THIS! This is where I want to be. Being a pop star is one thing - to be an artist is another. It was a dream come true when they asked me to collaborate on this piece. I'm so proud of this song. I kept looking for that one last piece - this was it! The spoken word takes me back to Junior High - Nikki Giovanni was a childhood heroine. This song feels like a defining moment each time I listen to it.

If I was a good music voxer, I would post "Two Pages" but instead I'll post the two songs that "A Bed of Roses" immediately reminded me of.

Brother Sister

The Brand New Heavies

Keep On Movin'

Soul II Soul

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