Titanic Vandalism

wowwww. its been a long time since i last posted...i didn't realize it until one of my readers emailed me asking me where i was...well its been so long and so much has happened since that time.
Well first...my 21st birthday....i'm not going to say much about it, just that i danced a lotttt, and it was a lottt of fun. Check out my facebook for pics. sooo funny.
Now vegas was just amazing. not only can you buy 99 cent margaritas, but also just walk around drinking screwdrivers and shopping. The highlight was of course seeing the beatles, "love," which was absolutely mezmorizing, but winning over $200 playing roulette was pretty nice too. Now the dilemma is whether to go to vegas for halloween, or go to hardfest 2008 in hollywood. I mean cmon, justice and crystal castles??? ahhhhhhhh. I don't know!! Again, hilarious pics on the fbook...go check it.
okay...so one of the reasons i haven't had time to post is the gool ol' new school year. I know a lot of you are going to go wtfff when i say this, but it looks like i will probably just stay in pomona now...hahahahaaaaa After everythingggg it looks like i will stay, not because i don't want to head up north, because i reallyyyyy do...but because i checked my transcripts and since i took over 20 units every qtr last year, and because i took summer school and will again this year, i will be done by winter 2010. The thing is, i could move and get a minor so i could be there for longer, but if i move, i'm paying for it all on my own, so i'm thinking that i will just finish fast, with no minor, so then i could move immediately to grad school, (which i was going to anyway.)
one thing i've also discovered is how unimportant money is to me anymore. I always thought i was going to major in business, because thats where all the money is...but thats not important to me...i don't want to be stuck in America, i want to change the world, i want to travel for a living and make a difference. thats what i want to do, thats what i care about. Also, if i stay here, my mom said she would chip in if i wanted to study abroad, which i am for sure going to do this spring if i don't move. Its become either i move up north, or study abroad, and i think i'm going to choose to study abroad. There is nothing like living in a new environment on your own for over 10 weeks...
I've also come to realize, (in a week of a lot of thinking for me) that when i get out of school, i really want to move somewhere in Europe with nothing but the money in my pocket, because it would be life changing to live in survival mode, and i know it would change my perspective on life...
so i went to american apparel yesterday, and they asked if they could take pictures of me...(wtf?) So you may be reading the blog of a new aa model?? hahaha wohhh.
okay so for music tonight, i normally like posting my true love, dance/electronic music....which by far controls my itunes library...but since i have so much, it kind of gets repetitive, so i kinda like posting the songs i find great at the moment...
so the first song, is the new vampire weekend song, from "nick and norah's infinite playlist" coming out soon. Its a good song, hopefully this is the first of many new ones to come.
the next is probably the most covered song of any song in the past 5 years. its a great one, but still, god, i have posted covers of this song since i started this blog. Its yet another cover of young folks by pb & j. but this time by the kooks.
and the last song of course, i have to have at least one electronic song...and its my faveeeee remix(er) RAC, and a remix of the above video, for the virgins - rich girls.
thug lifeee.

Vampire Weekend - Ottoman
The Kooks - Young Folks (PB & J Cover)
The Virgins - Rich Girls (RAC Remix)

CUT COPY FRIDAY!! YEAHHHHHHHHH

My Last Week of Sanity.

I cannot rave enough about black kids. Their album, "partie traumatic" is truly magnificent. easily in my top 5 of 08.
1 week from tonight, the fun will commense in Hollywood and my 21st birthday.
And then the following week in Vegas will continue the celebration.
So i decided to make a facebook as many of you now see. And i don't know why i decided to do it now after all of this time, but it just felt right. And its great...catching up with old friends and such is amazing. so i'm glad i have it now.
I don't have that much to say tonight...just that i couldn't be happier with where i am right now. my life is a giant constant change, but i wouldn't have it any other way.
i am going to be completely honest....being a guy its hard to admit, and i know i mentioned this last week, but pretty much gossip girl is the best show everrrrr. Everyone should watch it. seriously.
Now for some political mumbo jumbo. I can't seem to understand why ANYONE can find John McCain an honest choice for President. He is suchhhh a douchebag, and he is identical to the president we have now, people just think that because he is a war hero that he knows America better. Bullshit.
Don't get me wrong, Barack Obama is far from a perfect candidate, but compared to that conservative idiot, he is gold.
In my opinion neither are really the right choice, but what can we do when our two party system gives no real people an opportunity to change the world. Neither want to change America, and neither are going to change America. Its all lies. But thats what America is, lies and insanity. But i swear to god, if John McCain is elected President, i am not kidding. i am moving to Canada. Hell, i want to move there anyway. so whatever. But i really think the political establishment is just trying to make this race look close when in reality, Obama SHOULD destroy McCain in the election, but whatev.
In my opinion, Ralph Nader is the best choice for America. but no one ever takes him seriously. Maybe its just because i care about the environment too much...
And that whole McCain choosing a woman thing is just a ploy to get all of the Clinton women who are pissed at Obama for winning so they want their votes. Ridiculous. She is horrible...but hot i must say haha.

okay. so for music tonight i have 2 great covers and a great live track. The first is a truly magnficicent cover of radiohead's high and dry, but by a great singer i found by watching the amazing movie, "the motorcycle diaries," which is based on che guevara's life. Well, this guy did most the music for that soundtrack in spanish, but this cover is truly one of the best radiohead covers i have ever heard, and thats saying something considering i have over 100 in my library as it is. The next song is a cover i can't believe i have never heard, despite me being a big fan. Its a DP cover of "Personal Jesus," but by the man himself Mr. Cash. And the last is a live version of truly one of my favorite songs ever, and i'm posting it to commemorate their new album entitled, "You & Me." Its the Walkmen, and "The Rat"
thuggg lifeee.

Jorge Drexler - High & Dry (Radiohead Cover)
Johnny Cash - Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode Cover)
The Walkmen - The Rat (Live)

Melodies & Desires

i loveeee her. A Swedishhh beautyyy. Spectacular album as well...you can find the link to the song below. gooood stuff.
less then 2 weeks till my 21st birthday...how exciting. Hollywood (my new loveee) and Beat It! afterwards, so if any of my wonderful readers plan on being in Hollywood on Sunday, the 14th, come to Beat It! and hanggg with me. I'm always on stage in the electro room hahaha.
So this week has been rather surreal for me. A great week nonetheless, but a week where old friendships were mended, and life for me continues to change.
I find myself rather angry (at myself) because i feel like i completely wasted high school and the beginning of college refusing to meet people and EXPERIENCE life. Life can only be experienced once, so if things aren't going the way they should be, then you really have to look at your priorities and where you are headed. If you are not completely certain, then just think about it....because you do notttt want to regret decisions you made 20 years from now...especially when i'm so fun now! haha
I really want to make a facebook....hmmm.
It is very hard to interpret where things are headed, life throws you curveballs and you have to either be ready or not. I was never ready for things that happened to me because i figured life would never change, but now look at where i am at. I swear to you, i am a completely different person. Despite me getting home at 8:30 in the morning on sunday hahaha (whattt a greatttt saturdayyy) I still (somehow) had the energy to go to church a few hours later, because that part of me never changes...
so hollywood insane costume party or vegas for holloween? idk!
okay...so i know the entire blogopshere shares my love, but there are others who laugh. But seriously, I LOVE GOSSIP GIRL. This is the best show everrrr and the premiere of season 2 is tonight! For those of you who think its stupid or something, the minute you watch this show you will be hooked! It is the absolute best, and sooooo much better then the OC everrr was. So do yourself a favor and watch it, you won't regret it...
okay so for tonight i have two lovely girls with really catchy songs and a great cover. The first is the song from the video above, the gorgeous Lykke Li and the song "Breaking It Up." The next is a song i never liked until i heard it in a club in Hollywood, its "I Kissed A Girl," from Katy Perry, but a really good remix. And the last is a cover of my fave mgmt song, its a cover of "kids" by the kooks.
Thug Lifeee.

Lykke Li - Breaking It Up
Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl (Vanderbilt Remix)
The Kooks - Kids (MGMT Cover)

Tequila Sunrise

oh portishead...i love thee. This song is brilliant.
omg its been a month since i last posted? wow. Well so much has happened in the past month. My vacation was amazing, like seriously. I finally am figuring out who i am as a person. I know for sure where i want to be, but as an individual i feel everything is coming full circle. So yeah, the caribbean was amazing, wow. i have so many funny pictures you all must see, but i don't like posting pictures of myself, so eventually when i get a facebook or something i'll post them. I met so many great people and it was just beautiful. My tan is perfect i must say as well...Next year we are thinking another cruise, not sure where though. But thats also with me and blake going to spain next summer. ahhh hellllll yeahhhh.
so some things happened, and now i'm not moving till january. I'm kind of sad, but not so much, this leaves me more time to get things ready and still enjoy the holidays down here. So whatev. Not to mention all of the crazy fun that will ensue 3 weeks from sunday, for my 21st birthday!!!
Its really strange, i used to hate the taste of alcohol, but when i was on the cruise we were return guests, so there were a lot of open bar, free drink parties, and i started having a few, and then another, then another, then another, then another, and before you knew it, i was drunk for the first time EVER. Honestly, i used to never understand why people drink, i mean why would someone want to get drunk? But i never knew how good it feels! or how incredibly social i become. I mean i was talking to everyone, singing karaoke, it was greattttt. So i mean, this isn't going to be a normal thing for me, but once in awhile its a lot of fun. Like going to Hollywood tomorrow night, who's downnnnn?? Tito's tacos, and club bang, going to be a lotttt of fun. Gooooooo.
Vegas for my birthday is really going to be great. I am soooo excited. 3 more weeks, well 4 more till vegas, because i'm not going to vegas on a sunday...
Okay so now to music. Bloc party, who i saw in concert less then a month ago, unexpectedly pulled a radiohead and released their album YESTERDAY. After announcing it on Tuesday. The release, "Intimacy" is somewhat of a mix between "Silent Alarm" and "A Weekend In The City." I actually don't have it yet, but the digital only release is available now and the hard copy should be available by November or December.
I know what i want to do on Halloween. I know i am def going to celebrate it this year, i can't believe i haven't celebrated it in years, this year will be different though. Nonstop fun, and i already know my costume!! Okay but i really want to go to the "Hard Haunted Mansion," which although it sounds like a bad Halloween porno, its actually a hugeeee dance party in la. Featuring JUSTICE, CRYSTAL CASTLES, SMD, boys noize and a tonnn of others. Its a nonstop costumed extravaganza, so it sounds amazing.
I have a lot of other music news, but this post is too long so i'll get to the free music.
This post will have one song from 3 different genres. The first song i'm posting today, i've had forever but i remembered it recently when i heard it on a commercial. Its the amazing, one of the best songs of the 1960's, its the creedence clearwater revival hit, "have you ever seen the rain?" but a cover by Juju Stulbach. Really, really good. Next is brand new Vampire Weekend song, but a cover of Fleetwood Mac, its really good, vintage VW. Enjoy it. And last is a band i kind of stumbled upon accidentally, i love the person in charge of all of the electronics and his band called YACHT. But before he went solo, he was with a great girl as a part of a duo called The Blow. So this song is beautiful and the girl's voice is very pretty. Enjoyyyyyy. Wow this has been a longgg post, but it's my only one of the month so whatevs. Thug Lifeee.

Juju Stulbach - Have You Ever Seen The Rain? (CCR Cover)
Vampire Weekend - Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac Cover)
The Blow - True Affection

Winning A Battle, Losing A War. The MEGA Post.

i believe erland oye (the great dancer/napoleon dynamite lookalike) is one of the most brilliant songwriters of the 21st century. and thats saying a lot coming from me. Everything from the folky kings of convenience, to the beutiful soft electro of the whitest boy alive, to his solo work is all nothing short of brilliant. If you haven't heard the kings of convenience remix album, "versus" you really are missing out. a truly great work.
so i decided to stay in tonight, largely because this is an insane weekend for me in general. So its nice to just sit at home and take in everything that is going on...starting to get stuff ready for my cruise next week. I am sooo incredibly excited, out of any of the past 5 years, where i have taken at least one vacation (niceee) this year, i need one the most. This year has been so...strange i guess i would say. Some things bad, some things good, but definitely an experience nonetheless.
Okay so tomorrow is my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. How cute is that? 60 years....thats unbelievable. One day i hope i will find a girl i want to be with every single day for the rest of my life....in due time i guess. So its a big celebration at my aunt's house tomorrow night, which is fun, all of my cousins and family from across the country will be there, my cousin from colorado, my cousin from france, so it'll be nice to see everyone.
And sunday, my mom has this what she calls "graduation" which celebrates the ending of these classes she has been taking to be in charge of this ministry, we are going for taps brunch, yummmm and then its time for me and my best girl-friend to head to downtown la for the sweetest event of the year, the annual American Apparel Party. Which has made a huge improvement from last year, because not only is it a flea market sale with a tonnn of stuff for a buck, but this year its an all out, all night party, with Sebastien Tellier dj'ing (who has provided one of the most impressive French dance albums of the year). So that should be fun, i'll be there all night, so if you are going, let me know! Everyone by now knows by complete obsession with aa clothing, strange the first time i bought regular aa clothes, i was buying large, and now i'm buying smalls, but xs fit well too! crazy!
thennn monday is the wonderful kele and bloc party, with another band i saw at coachella this year, "does it offend you, yeah?" Who i don't really care for to be honest with you, but still a worthy opener. So that show is at the glass house, which is amazing enough that a band of such high stature like bp is playing such a small venue. But then i looked at the calender of future shows, and OMG! CUT COPY playing there in oct? Vamp Weekend playing there as well? What the hell is going on? What happened to the days of the el rey and the mayan? perhaps the troubadour and the roxy? Or the fonda and the hob? No, lets play a little place in ghetto pomona guys! alright! Whatev. saves me on parking and gas.
so nothing much has changed in the past week, just continuing to be very busy. i don't know if i'll have time to post again before i leave on friday, but we'll see.
sorry i just have to do a couple quick record reviews. 2 that have constantly been on my mind

the dodos - visitor
this honestly, may be my favorite album of 2008 so far. A truly brilliant album. I have not stopped listening to it, really. The style ranges from beautiful acoustic ballads (below) to ambient klaxon-esque stuff. I cannot recommend this album enough, it is so different, yet so accepting and familiar. This song is one of the most beautiful, yet simple songs i've heard so far this year, sounds like it'd be on the juno soundtrack.
9.4/10
the dodos - undeclared

black kids - partie traumatic
as spin so elequently said, "no band has received this much hype since vampire weekend." And i'd have to agree, i have been hearing about them pretty much every week for months and months, and this week the group finally released their long awaited debut, and it does not disappoint. As spin also says, no lyricist has possessed such songwriting ability since morrissey, or stephen merritt (a la magnetic fields) arguably, and in my opinion, two of the best songwriters ever. But back to the album, it truly is great, mixing the go team! shouting vocals with beautiful vampire weekend melodies. A great debut.
8.5/10
black kids - hit the heartbrakes

wow, a lot of music today! i also have two, amazinggg covers for you. first, is a great australian singer, lenka, covering one of my favorite modest mouse songs, "gravity rides everything." A very interesting take on the song. And the other is a cover/remix of the greatttt 80's hit "take on me," where the singer sounds like ben gibbard, like a lot! enjoy everyone. I hope to post one more time before fridayyyy. Thug Lifeee.

Lenka - Gravity Rides Everything (Modest Mouse Cover)
Karl Kling - Take On Me (A-Ha Cover/RAC Remix)

Mixed Emotions

i <3> the rolling stones. Having their albums just gave me so much more significant respect for them. And this song is honestly, my favorite song of the entire 1960's. Omg. i just typed all of this and it all erasedddd.... ahhhh. Okay whatever.
Well, my life is changing constantly, i always think i know what i want and then something happens and everything changes...As mentioned last week , i thought i maybe wanted to stay here, but Urban doesn't want to pay me enough money, so i now am more sure then ever that i will be leaving. So thats exciting...
Well exactly two weeks from tonight, i will be on a ship in the caribbean with family and friends. No doubt, i will be in my standard cut offs, super v and fedora haha. seriously, i haven't worn jeans in a month...and i've cut up like 10 pairs of pants...and i'm thinking of doing more...hey maybe i'll post pictures of me in the caribbean with a martini in my hand or me parasailing? Or maybe not...
Last night i saw the dark knight at midnight. Going into it, i was hesitant because i didn't really care for the first one, and considering this one was 2 1/2 hours long, but this movie was truly brilliant. Heath Ledger gives one of the best acting performances i've ever seen, very well done. go see it.
Okay... so in commemoration of seeing them in a little over a week for like the 30th time, here is THE NEW bloc party single, "mercury" its like low carb strawberry beer, its okay. so as i mentioned, i love the rolling stones, and this soulwax remix of one of their hits is no exception, very well done. And last is the very fun original version of possibly the best justice song, and also in commemoration of the fabulous new black ghosts album, and also the upcoming new simian mobile disco release. Its the "we are your friends" original, "never be alone" by simian. Fun fact about the justice "we are your friends" remix, justice, before they were big, made that remix for a local french contest, where dj's entered their remix of "never be alone." The funny thing is, justice's remake, came in SECOND place. I have been trying religiously to find the first place finisher, but with no avail. I just found that funny because the justice version is one of the most widely used remixes i've ever heard, not to mention the most amazinggg.
nothing but love.

Bloc Party - Mercury
The Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want (Soulwax Remix)
Simian - Never Be Alone

Robot-Phobia

daft punk - alive 2007. without a doubt the best live album i have ever heard. absolutely incredible, its been on repeat in my car for weeks!
wow! i haven't posted in two weeks! crazy. i guess so much is going on i don't really have time to post. Well, so much has happened in the past couple weeks, i may have made a complete 180 in my idea of where i'm headed...well ultimately i will end up in the same place, it will just take me a little longer. So okay...as you know i was having trouble finding a math class so i could transfer schools in enough time. Well i finally found a class, but there's a problem. the class doesn't end till aug 19th and i start school on aug 25th. So with sending transcripts and everything, that is reallyyyyy cutting it close. And i spoke to my advisor and she said that i would get dropped from all my classes, and when they got my transcripts i would have to try and add them all again...which sucks. not to mention housing problems, so i've really been stressing about this whole thing....but i skipped school on wed, and went up there for orientation, and it was 70 deg! and when i came back to corona that night it was like 100 haha. Ahh! sooo amazing. So i figured i would just deal with the stress and hope for the best. But then something happened...
a part of me has always wanted to stay here till january, because then i could test for my 4th degree black belt in december and i wouldn't have to deal with all this crap, but i was still set on leaving...until the one job that would make me stay offered me an amazing opportunity. Well its no secret i LOVE urban outfitters, and they called me and offered me a great job, the catch is, i would have to stay here. But if i stayed here until jan, i could transfer to the store near my new school. I would choose urban over nordstrom any day...mainly because i loveee everyone i'm working with, and the store is just that amazing.
so now i'm really struggling with the confrontation between the two....what shall i do????
Summer school has been okay...but i much rather be doing nothing haha.
RAGING WATERS tomorrow!!! omg i haven't been in so long...this is exciting!
i can't wait...i leave for the caribbean in three weeks and three days before i leave...BLOC PARTY!!! yet again...oh kele, i will be so close to you i hope you don't mind my homosexual remarks towards you. haha.
wow. its strange. i guess more people read my blog then i thought. i kid you not, on my last post i mentioned the university of phoenix, and a couple days later i got an email from someone from the school asking me about what i was planning to do...wtf??? hahaha
i really do enjoy posting. i hope to continue this until i change my blog completely....
someday soon...
two great songs. the first is from a guy who i have grown to like probably more then any one single performer in the world, beirut. throughout the past 6 months or so, i have constantly gone back to his albums and continue to fall more in love with them. so here is a greattttt cover of hallelujah, with that great 20 year old beirut spin on it. And the other is a great acoustic version of a great electronic song from an amazing australian electronic band, its "road to recovery," acoustic, from midnight juggernauts.
nothing but lovee.

Beirut - Hallelujah
Midnight Juggernauts - Road To Recovery (Acoustic)