Allure Charm

Music: How To Destroy Angels - How Long? + Album Release Date, Tracklist, and Artwork

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:55:00 +0000

How To Destroy Angels has been improving through every release. Headed by Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) and his wife Mariqueen Maandig, the group has finally found their sound. Which is great, because they have announced that their debut album will be released on March 5, and it'll be titled Welcome Oblivion.

They have also announced the artwork and tracklist for the album:

Vinyl Cover

Track list for CD/digital:

01 The wake-up
02 Keep it together
03 And the sky began to scream
04 Welcome oblivion
05 Ice age
06 On the wing
07 Too late, all gone
08 How long?
09 Strings and attractors
10 We fade away
11 Recursive self-improvement
12 The loop closes
13 Hallowed ground

Track list for vinyl (includes two extra tracks):

01 The wake-up
02 Keep it together
03 And the sky began to scream
04 Ice age
05 Welcome oblivion
06 On the wing
07 Too late, all gone
08 The province of fear
09 How long?
10 Strings and attractors
11 Recursive self-improvement
12 Unintended consequences
13 We fade away
14 The loop closes
15 Hallowed ground

Vinyl edition will include a free white label CD of the vinyl version of the album.

"Pre-order from us coming mid-February."

Website
iTunes
Free EP Download

Music: The Strokes - One Way Trigger (with download link)

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 16:29:00 +0000

The Strokes have released a new song about a year and a half after their last album, Angles (which I liked a lot), and it is awesome.

It sounds like something off of Angles and also from Julian Casablancas' solo album Phrazes for the Young. Also, Julian is getting his Robin Thicke/Justin Timberlake on in the intro. It does sound strange to hear him like this (and the song being synth-pop-ish).

Hopefully this means that there will be a new album this year. You can download the song here and listen below.

Music: Justin Timberlake feat. Jay-Z - Suit & Tie

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 20:10:00 +0000

Will you look at that! Justin Timberlake, after making movies and reviving websites, finally releases a new song after years.

The song is called "Suit & Tie," it features Jay-Z and is produced by Timbaland. Surprisingly, Timbaland didn't make it all electro like JT's last album. The song somewhat sounds like an older R&B song with some rap thrown in (aka a Robin Thicke song, but that's not a bad thing). Listen here.

As for the new album, it will be entirely produced by Timbaland and will be called The 20/20 Experience, to be released this year.

iTunes

Music Review: Lupe Fiasco - Food and Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Part 1 (Track-By-Track)

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 19:57:00 +0000

The very highly anticipated new album by Lupe Fiasco, Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Part 1, is out now!

In honor of the album, the blog has been blacked out for the week (should have explained before, sorry). No need for introductions here, we all know who he is. This is the "sequel" to the original Food & Liquor, his debut album, and is much darker. Now, time for the review.

1. Ayesha Says (Intro)

This album traditionally starts like the first two albums: A spoken word intro from Lupe's sister, Iesha. Here, she prepares the listeners for what's coming on the album, summarizing all the topics that will be discussed.

2. Strange Fruition (featuring Casey Benjamin)

The album starts off very strong with one of the best songs on the entire album (and maybe his career). This is the only track produced by Soundtrakk, which may be strange to most people, since he is typically Lupe's main producer. Either way, Soundtrakk does his thing as usual, providing Lupe with a strong beat to go with the lyrics. Casey Benjamin sings the hook here, and although it is heavily distorted, it fits with the theme of the song. The song discusses the state of America. The first verse is about how he distrusts the government, how it is corrupt, his frustration with society, and the government continuously being against blacks since the beginning, and now also. The second verse is about him going mad over society, Illuminati references, "killing them with happiness," and how today's youth do not care what they do, "as long as they look good when they be doing bad."

3. ITAL (Roses)

ITAL = Vital. Song for the kids. Telling them not to join gangs, don't spend all your money, don't listen to the messages of most rappers, etc. The hook is the problem, it's corny when he actually does a kiss. Also, he provided us with this: "I know you’re sayin’, 'Lupe rappin’ ‘bout the same shit.' Well, that’s ‘cause ain’t shit changed, bitch."

4. Around My Way (Freedom Ain't Free)

The first and highly controversial single of the album. It has a lot of political talk and is pretty fast paced. The beat is almost exactly like T.R.O.Y. by Pete Rock, who had a fit about this.

5. Audubon Ballroom

To explain the title, the Audobon Ballroom is the place where Malcolm X was assassinated. Mostly, this track talks about the racial problems throughout history and present time. Present time is mostly about how white people can't say "nigga," but black people can say it freely, even though they are actually demeaning themselves. When it comes to history, this song talks about the Reagan Era, Harlem Renaissance, etc.

6. Bitch Bad

The second single from the album, also controversial. The song criticizes the use of the word "bitch" in rap. The song uses a slow-ish, simplistic flow and the beat sounds like a Lupe spin on trap music. Here is my analysis of the video, if you want to go deeper into the meaning of the video

7. Lamborghini Angels

Third single, once again, controversial. In my opinion, this is one of the best beats I've heard, and is possibly the best Lupe has rapped on. The verses are all split into separate stories. Verse 1 speaks of the relationship between white Christian settlers and brown/black pagan natives. The whole verse mentions that the natives should not be allowed in stores, turns virgins into whores, etc. But in the end, we find out that it's talking about racism, wanting to "cure" his color. Verse 2 is about lobotomy and changes into women rights at the end. The one flaw of the song was in the third verse, where he randomly mixes two stories. The main story there is about molestation from Catholic priests, where it's bad if their wives are raped, but it's okay when they do it. In the middle of the verse though, a completely different story pops up about the army killing civilians, then taking pictures with them, then urinating on them. If you're aware, this actually did happen some months ago.

8. Put Em Up

One of the best beats on the album. In this one, Lupe kind of brags, but he does it in his usual lyrical way. In the end, he says that only 2Pac is better than him. Also, he disses his previous album.

9. Heart Donor (featuring Pooh Bear)

Here's when the albums weaknesses start. This is the worst song on the album, which is disappointing because Put Em Up was one of the best. It has what is probably the worse hook on a Lupe Fiasco song ever, provided by Pooh Bear (only Trey Songz can compete against how bad this hook was). It is highly generic, auto-tuned, and irritating. If anything, the hook itself isn't bad, but the way "heart donor" is said is just terrible, the hook alone makes me want to skip it. In itself, the lyrics for the verses are uplifting and include Batman references, but it still isn't very good. The beat itself isn't too bad, except for some chopped up vocals in the hook. The beat sounds like something from the first Food and Liquor, but watered down. The beat and the hook (when not auto-tuned) strongly reminds me of the ending of Audition Mantra by P.O.S., which I loved.

10. How Dare You (featuring Bilal)

I remember when this was announced to be released as a single on 9/11, I thought that it was going to be Lupe going all out talking about that event. Boy was I wrong, and so was everyone else. This basically, to quote the editors of RapGenius, is Sunshine Part 2.

11. Battle Scars (with Guy Sebastian)

Well...when this first came out, I compared it to the first three singles, and I was baffled. This was completely different from the other songs and felt completely out of place. It still feels out of place. The song itself, again, isn't bad. This is a song about love being war, thus "Battle Scars." Basically, it's about the emotional scars you get from your exes. Do you see why it doesn't fit with the rest of the album? Again, it's not bad, just too different from the rest of the album. Also, don't play this song too loud, Guy Sebastian might break your windows with his voice.

12. Brave Heart (featuring Pooh Bear)

I don't know what it is, but something feels a little off here. This about the comparisons of the rich and poor, along with how he feels guilty of living the rich lifestyle. Pooh Bear does a good job on the hook here, much better than Heart Donor.

13. Form Follows Function

Back to business! This is the Dumb It Down, Failure, or SLR of the album. Just completely lyrical, with a lot of religious references and some drug references. The beat sounds like SLR combined with Mean and Vicious. So you know, this is one of the best on the album.

14. Cold War (featuring Jane $$$)

This is a slower song, the beat is reminiscent of "Gold Watch" but with a slower tempo. It mostly about how his friend/brother died and how Lupe had to cope with it. The title is Cold War because he saw it as a cold world afterwards, he could not be happy after his death. This is a touching song, but the one problem is the chorus. Not that there's really anything wrong with it, but the hook is way too loud compared to the rest of the song. It's kind of screamed out, while the verses are slower and quieter.

15. Unforgivable Youth (featuring Jason Evigan)

The first two verses here are like a history class taught by Lupe. It recalls Spanish settlers coming here, murdering natives, taking their land, starting slave trade, and many other things that happened during the development of America. The final verse though, tells of a post apocalyptic world, where archaeologists come here to an annihilated America to find out about us. They search and make assumptions that American was an utopia, a perfect country. Obviously not true.

16. Hood Now (Outro)

The outro and goodbye for the album. Two verses, one is saying how blacks go places and make it "hood", and the second is how blacks from the hood became celebrities, such as rappers, athletes, etc. A great closing for the album.

17. Go To Sleep (Digital Bonus Track)

I've said before that I don't review bonus tracks, but this is an exception. This was released before Lasers and it was meant to be the lead single for this album. I can see why this was left off the main tracklist, but it should have been there anyway. Sure, the song is two years old, but that doesn't change the fact that it's one of the best Lupe songs. The beat here is dark and haunting, and it fits perfectly. The lyrics are about Lupe telling the competition to "go to sleep" because they suck, basically.

Highlights: Strange Fruition, Around My Way (Freedom Ain't Free), Bitch Bad, Lamborghini Angels, Put Em Up, How Dare You, Form Follows Function, Unforgivable Youth, Hood Now.

Extra: Go To Sleep

This album is great. It is not up to the level of the original Food and Liquor, but it can be compared to The Cool. It has minor flaws, but it's all good. Buy it.

Design: Space Invader Couch

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 16:23:00 +0000

An instant conversation starter, this unique retro gaming inspired couch will be the highlight of any room. Designed and manufactured in Los Angeles, California; to insure the highest build quality. It features and all fine leather pixelated retro design, a low profile, and memory foam cushions. This is a limited production and will only be available for a short time.

I remember seeing this many months ago, but it was one of a kind at the time and wasn't for sale, looks like the designer found a manufacturer. Obviously, this is the best couch of all time (of all time!). I'm sure even Rick James wouldn't mess with it.

Price: $5950

Shoes For Her: Kanye West Cruel Summer Giuseppe Zanotti Sandals

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 16:13:00 +0000

I have no information on this outside of these pictures. I'm guessing these were made in honor of the Cruel Summer album (check my review here).

Thoughts? I'd say these are very classy. No information on the price.

Fashion For Him: Burberry Men’s Shearling Collar Quilted Coat

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 02:32:00 +0000

Burberry strikes again with the perfect outerwear option for this Fall season in the Burberry Men’s Shearling Collar Quilted Coat that lends itself to multiple fashion wins.

Love this, very elegant but can also be used casually (not too casually, of course). I don't think you will find a better coat anywhere.

Price: $2,295

Fashion For Her: Marc Jacobs Safety-Pinned Faux-Fur Scarf

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 02:23:00 +0000

For runway-inspired styling, drape this Marc Jacobs scarf over the shoulder of your favorite fitted jacket.

Kind of eccentric for Marc Jacobs, don't you think?

Price: $1,200

Awesome Stuff: "Get The Hint" Mini Sticky Notes

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 01:09:00 +0000

Point them in the "right" gift direction with these "not-quite-subtle hint" sticky notes.

Five mini pads of sticky notes: "Fuck This", "Fuck That", "This is fucking urgent", "Don't fuck this up" and "Fuck yeah". 2 pads - 20 sheets per pad. Stickers measure 1 7/8" x 7/8".

If you ever need a reminder of things you need to get done with, this is the best f*cking solution. Seriously, this is just awesome. It makes me actually want to do things. Price is kind of high, but you won't find this elsewhere.

Price: $15

Fashion For Him: Stars & Stripes Sweater By Givenchy

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 01:22:00 +0000

Emblazoned with stars and stripes, Givenchy's sweater encapsulates the sportswear theme that ran through the brand's AW12 'American Dream' show. Master the label's inimitably modern aesthetic by pairing this cotton-jersey crew neck piece with sleek tailored trousers and leather low top trainers.

Price: $490

Fashion For Her: Jeremy Scott TV Sunglasses

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 22:59:00 +0000

These fun shades are available in tortoise and black and have grey lenses and the most notable part is the nobs on the frame and the antenna, which gives it the illusion of a television.

Ladies, what do you think of these sunglasses? I think they're awesome. Would you wear these?

Price: $269

Shoes For Him: Christian Louboutin Geek Sneakers

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 22:54:00 +0000

These are awesome

Some guys are computer geeks, others are sneaker geeks. If you categorize yourself as the later then you know why "Louis Geek" is so unique. This classic "Louis" has been covered in hand embroidery to resemble the motherboard of a computer.

Material : Satin

Price: $1295

Music Review: G.O.O.D. Music - Cruel Summer (Track-By-Track)

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:29:00 +0000

Cruel Summer has finally been released! Was all the hype true? Let's find out.

GOOD Music Appearances:

Kanye West - 8
Pusha T - 5
Big Sean - 4
2 Chainz - 3
Teyana Taylor - 3
Cyhi the Prynce - 2
John Legend - 2
Kid Cudi - 2
Malik Yusef - 1
Common - 1
D'banj - 1
Mr Hudson - 0
Mos Def - 0

To the World (Kanye West and R. Kelly) [Teyana Taylor was also featured but not credited]

Beat: The songs starts off slow and then...synthesizers everywhere! Seriously, they couldn't have had anymore and make it sound good. Oh, there's some piano in there too. Anyways, R.Kelly is in charge of the vocals for the first half and Kanye then takes the other half (and Teyana the end). Although I don't like Kelly, I think he did a good job and provided us with a hilarious line (The whole world is a couch, bitch I'm Rick James tonight), although he sang the overused line of "middle fingers to the sky". Kanye does great as usual, here he features the "controversial" line of Mitt Romney don't pay no tax, and ends the verse by saying R.Kelly and the God of Rap, shitting on you, holy crap.

2. Clique (Kanye West, Jay-Z and Big Sean)

Before I start this, I just wanna say that I have a problem with Big Sean, I think he's corny as hell. Surprisingly to me, he does very well, except that he says on thing that makes me cringe: I've been up straight for nine days, I need a spa day...really though? Spa day? Come on son. Anyways, the hook is simple and is done by Big Sean, which I'm okay with this time. Second verse is by Jay-Z, who doesn't really add very much to this, but, you know, it's nice to have. The winner here is Kanye once again, he has the best lyrics and flow, and has the longest verse.

3. Mercy (Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz)

You've heard this one. In my opinion, not really the best choice for the lead single but hey, it's not in my hands. Again, Big Sean delivers a cringe worthy verse as the opener. Pusha T is next and he does what he does best: cocaine references, girls, luxury. Usually I wouldn't like this very much, but Pusha does it so well that I don't care. His flow is impeccable once again along with being his lyrical self. To me, the beat change in the Kanye verse is the best thing about this song. Kanye raps about the usual but switches up the flow to go with the eurobeat soundtrack behind him. 2 Chainz is another person I have problems with, but does very well here.

4. New God Flow (Kanye West, Pusha T and Ghostface Killah)

I believe there's a God above me, I'm just the God of everything else, that is what Pusha starts this track with, meaning that this track will be amazing. The hook is a loop of a Ghostface Killah vocal sample done well. Anyways, Pusha T pretty much dominates this track, taking the first two verses with him. Kanye jumps in for third, and as usual, has a bit of change in the beat. For those that miss the old Kanye, this will somewhat make you happy. He talks about murders in Chicago and other social problems, even talks a bit about being signed. Now, in the original version of this, there was Kanye shout outs saying Good Music!. In the album version though, that part is cut off and is actually replaced with a new Ghostface Killah verse. Ghost KILLS it. Like, damn, he owned it.

5. The Morning (Raekwon, Pusha T, Common, 2 Chainz, Cyhi the Prynce, Kid Cudi and D'banj) [Kanye West was featured but not credited]

Aka, the Illuminati song. When I first heard the hook, I thought it was a vocally modified sample, but it's actually D'banj singing, and he does it very well. Raekwon from the legendary Wu-Tang starts it off, and just like Ghost, he kills it too. Personally my favorite lyric here is this: I say Ye with Two Chains on, we common, lets push. The second verse is Common and Pusha, which I don't like (more on this later, even though they went in). Then 2 Chainz spits like 6 bars, which is funny because he still has to announce himself at the end of the hook. After that is the always underrated Cyhi, who holds his own against all the veterans (and 2 Chainz). There's a bridge after that, which has D'banj in the background, Cudi singing, and New God Flow sample. Then Kanye jumps in at the end to finish off the track with lyrics from New God Flow.

6. Cold (Kanye West and DJ Khaled)

There is no necessity for Khaled to be here, no one needs him to be yelling on a track. Anyways, this sounds like something that would be on a mixtape, by that I mean that it's "dirty" and aggressive. As the great Big Ghost said, "ignorant music must be played at ignorant levels."

7. Higher (The-Dream, Pusha T, Mase and Cocaine 80s)

The sampled voice is a bit weird, but it works. The-Dream has his voiced autotuned and kinda sounds like a horny robot, in a good way (it's your job to make sense of that, not mine). Pusha does his luxury raps. Then the surprise came in, Mase. It took me a lot of listens for his verse to grow on me. His lyrics are great, but it's just that his voice just doesn't go on this kind of beat. It doesn't fit well. But again, after many listens, it grew on me. To finish it off, it's Cocaine 80s. Who are they? No one knows, but we know they make awesome music (which you can download here). They finish it off well, and transition onto...

8. Sin City (John Legend, Travis Scott, Teyana Taylor, Cyhi the Prynce and Malik Yusef)

This song is all about the Sin City. How people want publicity and do all things for it. Malik Yusef's spoken word poetry explains it. Also, Teyana Taylor sings from the perspective of the city itself. Cyhi and Travis do this track perfection. The beat has a lot of bass and loud, echoing claps.

9. The One (Kanye West, Big Sean, 2 Chainz and Marsha Ambrosius)

The softest and slowest song on this album (expect for the chorus, Kanye went crazy with the beat machine). It's a lot of piano and singing, raps are slow. Kanye raps about his successes and just being happy. Big Sean...well he's being himself. It's another "I made it" verse, and he accomplished in making me laugh by saying: I'm a double X L nigga : magazine and condom size. Anyways, 2 Chainz kinda raps about the same things, expect that he somehow makes it sound better than Sean. The outro is by someone named James Fauntleroy, who closes it out well.

10. Creepers (Kid Cudi)

If I had one wish it'd be to have more wishes. Duh. Cudi has the only solo song on the entire album and is produced by Dan Black, yes the electronic artist. I have a feeling that this song wasn't meant to be here, it's too different from everything else. Duh.

11. Bliss (John Legend and Teyana Taylor)

This song is a ballad about love. Synthesizers everywhere but it's almost like on John Legend's Evolver, where it all works with the pop element.

12. Don't Like (Kanye West, Chief Keef, Pusha T, Big Sean and Jadakiss)

This sounds so out of place. This track has been heard by everyone already so you should know what to expect. Everybody bragging, Kanye and Pusha doing it best. Even though the song was originally Keef's, he is actually the worst thing on this song, even the album. But like before, this must be played at ignorant levels.

Highlights: New God Flow, The Morning, Cold, Higher, Sin City, Creepers, Bliss

All beats are great, most lyrics are great (MOST. see: Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Chief Keef). It's a good thing that it's only 12 tracks too, it shows variety and doesn't overexpose itself, unlike collab albums that have like 18 tracks and most of it is filler. My complaints here are that Don't Like should have been a bonus track. The album should have ended at Bliss, or if anything add another song. It's okay though. Common...why did he say like just 7 lines? He should have been featured more, and where the hell were Mos Def and Mr Hudson? Mr Hudson especially fits for these types of beats. Cudi should have been here more, a little less Kanye. I know this was his idea and all, but he could have left more space for everyone else. But overall....

Buy it...is what I would usually say, but since all these people are rich, might as well stream it or something.

Shoes For Him: Panel Detail High-Tops by Pierre Hardy

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 17:20:00 +0000

Black calf leather hi-top sneaker from Pierre Hardy featuring a round toe, a top lace up fastening, a velcro strap fastening at the ankle, curved panel detailing to the sides with a contrasting graduating grey design and a white rubber sole.

Damn I would love to have to have these, too bad I don't have the money. Either way, these are great. Not only do they look fantastic, but you can tell that these will last you for a while.

Price: $540

Music Review: The xx - Coexist

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 20:24:00 +0000

Hey guys, I will be reviewing half this album, just a heads up.

After surprising the indie music scene with their self-titled debut three years ago, The xx has finally returned with their second release. Titled Coexist, the album borrows from their debut along with some new sounds previously unfamiliar to the band. The sound is still simple and minimal, but with a bit of an added "oomph" and extra layers. Three years is a lot of time musically, have they still got it?

1. Angels

Angels was the first single released for the album and you've probably already heard it. It starts off with some gentle guitar strings, which repeat throughout the song, and features a small amount of piano and barely any drum. A mostly acoustic song, Romy Croft's voice is the center of attention. The lyrics deal with being in love, where Croft is in love with a person and she does not miss any details from them, where other people would. When she tells others about this person, they don't believe how perfect he is, but if they did, they would be as in love with him as she is.

2. Chained

Chained was the second single from the album. Synthesizers run in the background and actually sounds kinda "breezy," you know? The beat here is somewhat upbeat and the guitar is quiet, until around the end when it comes into the foreground for a small solo. In this track Oliver Sim sings as well. He and Croft keep going back and forth here, the lyrics and the song itself sound like a dialog between two lovers.

3. Fiction

Oliver Sim takes lead vocals here. The song is slower than the previous, so the album has a good pace so far. Synthesizers and drums here sound great while guitar is featured the most so far in the album. The lyrics deal with him being alone and seeing his lover in his dreams, but it's fiction because they are not together anymore.

4. Try

It starts off with a hypnotizing synthesizer, it is wavy and continues throughout the song. Again, Sim and Croft both sing here, although they sing the chorus together. There's a little guitar and the drums sound like claps. Overall the song is gentle and smooth. Lyrics deal with heartbreak.

5. Reunion

The first thing I notice here is what appears to sound like a steel drum in the background, but then the drum changes to an 808-type of sound. A quarter of the way into the song, there's a section where there's no drum, a few guitar strings, and a relaxing synth in the back. The song features guitar strings all around, but mostly simple. Sim and Croft keep going back and forth here, except at the end. Lyrics are about being back with someone, thus Reunion.

6. Sunset

Another song where it's more upbeat. It has basslines that are kind of catchy and a relaxed-but-also-loud synth. Croft sings most by herself and Sim appears throughout. When Sim sings, Croft is the background at parts and it sounds beautiful with the small amount of reverb they add. The lyrics deal with wanting someone after breaking up with them.

I think you should buy the album if you're a fan of this minimal sound and you like the lyrics to be all about love and loss, because that is what this album is all about, although it is more upbeat than their debut and a bit more experimental. If this is not your type of thing, then you should stream it because it is still a wonderful album.

Music Review: DMX - Undisputed

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 04:00:00 +0000

So DMX has not released an album in six years, what has he been doing? Well if you don't know, he's been in prison, assaulting people, talking shit, and being called a crackhead. Not a good time, right? He finally returns in full form to give us music, but is he back to his old self?

The album starts off strong with the track What They Don't Know, which was produced by Swizz Beatz (and he doesn't feature!). The track has a 90s-early 2000s feel to it and DMX sounds like he used to. I'm Back and Have You Eva have the same type of feeling, but of course it's not as gritty as he used to be. Tracks like Cold World are mellow but fitting for DMX, it sounds like something off The Great Depression.

It seemed like he was trying to return to how he was in his prime and he succeeds for the most part, even has a new version of Up In Here with I Don't Dance.

The weakest tracks are really the slower ones, meaning the ones about love and the ones with a lot of pretty piano in the background. I mean, DMX is too DMX for slow songs and prettiness, like Sucka For Love. Another flaw is when he tries to sing on a chorus, sometimes he sounds like a recovering alcoholic, but sometimes he croons okay. Still not a fan of the singing. Also, on Frankenstein, the beat is kind of overwhelming and DMX sounds like he's in the background and not the main part of the track.

I really can't say that you should buy this album because only about 50-60% of this album is actually good. Yeah the album is listenable, but no one gets a DMX album just to "listen". I'd say stream it, because it's not a bad album, it's good but you'll start getting tired of it after two or three listens. It's still much better than his last album (I think it sucked, too much gospel).

So what do you think? Love it? Hate it? What should I review next? Let me know in the comments!

Highlights: I Don't Dance, Slippin' Again, I'm Back

PS: The xx review will be posted tomorrow.

Fashion For Him: Marc Jacobs Red, White And Blue Men’s High-Top Sneakers

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 23:04:00 +0000

For America.

Returning again to the hi-top, Marc Jacobs brings a typically refined sense of luxury to the skater-inspired sneaker. The American roots of the classic footwear design have inspired the colourway of the sneaker, suitably produced in red, white and blue.

Crafted from premium, metallic leather which augments the luxury of the style, the sneaker is built on a thick rubber sole. The retro upper is trimmed with suede, and the lace-up ties with white waxed laces. The sneaker is finished with embossed branding on the tongue.

From the Fall/Winter 2012 collection.

Price: $645/£415

Lupe Fiasco - American Terrorist 2, Petition, and Poem Book

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've known that Lupe Fiasco says he's gonna quit music after Food and Liquor 2 because of Chief Keef (mostly him). Above is a letter that Lupe's fans have written for him, along with reactions from other musicians about his possible retirement.

Along with the letter above, the fans put a petition together, asking people to sign if Lupe's music has affected them. You can sign it here.

As a last thing to give his fans before leaving, Lupe released an unfinished version of American Terrorist Part 2 (Superheroes), which you can hear below.

Lastly, some of his fans wrote poems for him about how his music affected them, which was put together into a small digital book. Read and download it below.

LupeTalk.com Poems for Lupe Fiasco

September 25 has now been called "Blackout" by fans and Lupe, wear all black everything when you get the album. I'm actually going out to buy it and will blackout.

As a huge Lupe fan, it saddens me that he's leaving so soon. I know that he has a lot of dedicated fans (see: the strike/riot at Atlantic Records about 2 years back) and this shows it once again. I hope that this letter, the poems, and the petition all get to Lupe, I hope he at least reads it. Sure, I'd hope he would change his mind after all this, but if he doesn't, I just hope he realizes how much he means to his fans.

Lupe:

Love
Always
Shines
Every time
Remember 2
Smile

We'll miss you, Lu.

Shout out to LupeTalk.com and TheLupendBlog.com.

Music Review: Supreme Cuts and Haleek Maul - Chrome Lips

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 15:02:00 +0000

Last week I posted Chrome Lips by Haleek Maul and Supreme Cuts, and now here is a review.

I have not heard Haleek Maul, or Supreme Cuts, or any of the features before this record, so this was my first impression. First of all, when I saw the cover, I thought "damn, this album must sound dark as hell, Wesley Snipes dark," and I was right.

By the way, if this review sucks, it's because it's my first one so cut me some slack. Feedback in the comments is appreciated.

Chrome Lips by Supreme Cuts & Haleek Maul

Sound:
Let's start with the beats though. The production duo Supreme Cuts handles all the music on this album, so much of the beats sounds similar one way or the other. By similar, I don't mean it's like modern pop songs where every song by every artist is literally the same as the other. No, what I mean is that there is a lot of percussion in all the songs, strange and dark backdrops to the lyrics (which is fitting), and just a lot of aggressiveness all over the place. Basically, most of these are loud. In reality, the first sign of mellowness on this album starts at (unless you count Come With Me) Smoke Tires, which is a highlight of the album because it's oddly beautiful. The beat is mellow, has soft synths on the chorus, a piano throughout the song, it's very different from the rest. Hoverboard is another highlight. Again, it's mellow, but this one is spacey. It has big echoing claps and keeps you zoned out. But yes, most of the beats are loud and aggressive.

Lyrics:
Combine Childish Gambino, Tyler The Creator, and Earl Sweatshirt and you get Haleek Maul. To narrow it down, he's lyrical at times, self-doubting, and right down evil, not necessarily in that order.

Features:
Honestly, the features didn't do much for me. It's not that their bad, sure some of them add something to a track, but most of the time you can just picture Haleek spitting the same lyrics and there wouldn't be much of a difference because he can carry the entire album by himself. I think Kool AD had the worst feature on the album. On the track Testify, he has the second verse and just seems out of place. He kind of sounds like Big Sean here, which of course doesn't fit with anything in the album. His flow and lyrics here are just off. I think the people that actually did bring something to the table were Squadda B, Issue, and Deniro Farrar.

Verdict:
Overall, I think that this album is worth a listen. Yes it can get a little redundant and repetitive at times, but it's a lot different from most music out there and it's not bad. The positive outweighs the negative. Give it a listen, if you like it enough you can download it for free. If you don't like it, no loss there.

Highlights: The Dummy, Gully, M00N, Smoke Tires, Hoverboard, Jupiter

Download/Listen

Music: Kanye West, Big Sean, and Jay-Z - Clique

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 01:38:00 +0000

Cruel Summer drops on September 18 and the latest single has been released. This one features Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Big Sean. Thoughts?

By the way, does anyone else find it weird that Kid Cudi hasn't showed up in any of the singles?

Listen

Free Book: Martin Shervington - The Art & Science of Google+ (Update!)

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 23:35:00 +0000

Author Martin Shervington has written this book about Google+ and has released it for free for only 36 hours, so until about 10pm on September 7th.

UPDATE: Not free anymore, but it's cheap and Prime members can rent it for free.

Here's what he has to say:

"The Art and Science of Google+ Kindle version!

Get it free for the next 36 hours!

Why am I doing this?

For the next 36 hours you can get the kindle version for FREE on Amazon as I wanted to say thank you to everyone in the Google Plus community. You have made the last 6 months incredible and many of you have a mention!
Thank you all.
Having launched a preliminary version in June I've spent all my time adding in loads more content, re-structuring, editing and re-designing!
I am delighted with the result :D

Who is it for?

It is a complete guide to Google+ so if you are a newbie or with less than 2000 followers, this is one great way to get started - there are step by step instructions and suggestions along the way.
If you are into business or are a marketeer, then I will show you a load of ways to build up niche circles, create clubs, pages, and more...
And if you are interested in enriching your own life as well as others, then the section on the psychology of Google+ will certainly be of interest!
There is something for everyone.

Get yours now!

So, choose a country and download it for free...

USA

UK

Germany

Italy

Once you have downloaded a copy and it would be awesome if you'd write an Amazon review as well. I'd love to hear what you think.

What else?

You don't need to own a Kindle to read a Kindle book!
Get any of the FREE Kindle reading apps here.

(Printed version also available on Amazon)

I really hope you enjoy it and I look forward to engaging with you all for years to come!"

And there you have it. The book is also in sections:

Introduction
Section 1: Google+ Essentials
Section 2: Deepening your understanding of the ‘Social Layer’
Section 3: More tips and tools once you get going!
Section 4: (Advanced techniques) ‘What’s Hot’ and Trending
Section 5: Google+ Psychology and Communication
Section 6: The Future

So go get it! It's free and you get to learn about something, why not give it a shot?

Music Interview: MEND

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 01:09:00 +0000

MEND (Kassi Cork and Max Glascott)

MEND is a musical duo by Kassi Cork and Max Glascott, formed and based in Chicago. Stylistic influences range from hip-hop to industrial with nods to dub-step, acid, electro, classical and beyond.

Photos courtesy of Chelsea Ross Photography.

MEND Live

Allure Charm: So tell us about yourselves.

Kassi Cork: I'm Kassi Cork and let's see - I have played piano since I was 8, started writing music when I was 13 and went to school for music education. I teach private piano lessons. That's the boring info. I also used to play in an industrial band and once played on a cruise (the Gothic Cruise, no less). If i was a ninja turtle I would be Leonardo, even though I want to be Donatello.

Max Glascott: I grew up in and around Chicago. I was raised around visual arts and at some point decided that music was more gratifying. I started producing solo works when I was about 12 and started "The abominable twitch" as my primary focus. Kassi and I met in high school. I spilled ketchup on her trapper and we've been pals ever since.

Kassi: I demanded he draw me a comic of him destroying my Trapper Keeper as an apology. I still have it.

AC: Ha that is awesome. Kassi, how did you go from playing piano to being in an industrial band?

Kassi: I have always been into electronic music and grew up hanging out in the Chicago industrial scene and the singer for Cruciform Injection and I were talking about music once and I jokingly said "if you ever need a keyboard player, let me know." A week later I joined the band. I played with them from 2003-2010. I was really confused about backing tracks. I thought I had to play everything. I was dumb.

Max: Yeah. I felt the same way about DJing. I didn't understand that you could just play other people's music. Thats another story though.

AC: How was MEND created?

Max: Well...Kassi and I had been experimenting casually for years without any real project in mind, as we both had our own outfits to worry about. A couple years ago, I was hitting a ceiling creatively with my solo work, and I didn't really know where to go. Kassi had tons of music written and she sent over a few pieces for me to work with and we just kept nursing it until it turned into a cohesive sound. "MEND" as an identity was the result of trying to do something simple yet compelling. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't...haha. But I think its easy to remember, easy to communicate, and lends itself to an intriguing aesthetic.

Kassi: We had no idea if anyone would even like it, but we were mostly making it for us. We didn't even check to see if anyone else had the band name MEND. The is a boy band in the UK called The Mend. It gets confusing sometimes. But we are so thrilled that people love what we do because we love what we do. I've never had so much fun making music ever. Test Landing was our first track, it was a piece I originally wrote for harp.

Max: Working on that song came so naturally. We needed to keep going.

Kassi: So i started sending Max MIDI files of all these pieces that were hanging out on my computer. He could translate all these ideas I had into really lush electronic tracks. I think our first few songs were written completely via the internet.

Max: Yeah. I might be jumping the gun, but we had a full length completed after a year. It came together pretty quickly in retrospect. That was all lost though...But that's a different story. Ha.

AC: Why the name MEND?

Max: I was auditioning several names for another side-project, and I was really looking for something short and interesting. "The Abominable Twitch" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Symbolically, of the both of us I think it kind of fit with our world...we were kind of 'on the mend' respectively. I know I was definitely trying to fix shit in my world...Whether or not it was a conscious influence on the name, I don't know. I often think of how it looks first. If it looks cool, and can tell a story, then it's worth exploring.

Kassi: It just fit. It made complete sense, it wasn't even a debate or really a conversation. We just kind of knew that was our name.

AC: What inspires you?

Max: Good music inspires me. Interesting people inspire me. I also torture myself and get overworked and spend too much time NOT writing music, and it just flies out eventually.

Kassi: People, visual art, music, space, and weird chords that collect in my brain. Just the other day we were writing a new track and getting amped up by listening to the Blade Runner soundtrack and Squarepusher. I think we both motivate/inspire each other in some ways - one of us will have an idea and the other will get an idea from it. But I think that is what is supposed to happen with collaborative song-writing... i think.

Max: We share a vision for sure. We definitely bounce off of each other.

AC: What are the most fun and stressful parts about this music business? This could be actually making the music, getting ready for live shows, etc.

Max: Playing shows will always be stressful, but they will always be fun and infinitely gratifying in ways you never expected (most of the time). I think we love the music making process a lot. It's so great to start with nothing and walk away at the end of the day with a piece of music that didn't exist when you started. It feels like sorcery. Playing out can certainly feel like that too, when it goes well.

Kassi: Agreed. The one other thing that can be very stressful in both live and in the studio is when stuff doesn't work for some wacky reason. But I guess that is just part of making electronic music though. I also get stressed out by doing anything last minute.

Max: I always assume my gear is constantly broken or ready to explode. That way I'm not worried about. I just know the end is near. Haha. So when it actually works out, its that much more exciting.

Kassi: Its super mega exciting when people love the music and come up to us/message us to tell us they love it. That's such an awesome feeling. What is not awesome is when random dudes come up to us while we are in the middle of playing and say weird stuff to me. That has happened a few times now, but thats another story.

AC: If you could live in any fictional world (Star Trek, for example), where would you live and what would you do?

Max: Oh boy

Kassi: NERD QUESTION! YUS.

AC: Fire away!

Kassi: Okay, have you ever seen Dragon 1/2 the anime? Where is like a normal anime and then for some reason everything gets super cute and tiny and ridiculous. Yeah. That's my world.

Max: The ewok village always seemed quite fun.

Kassi: I had that toy as a kid. I could live in the Star Wars universe as long as there are no JarJars/gungans.

Max: I might have to go for something a bit more first world though. Or maybe an episode of REBOOT.

Kassi: Max is the Batman. Don't tell anyone. Actually, have you ever seen Baman and Piderman? Its a web cartoon. There is one called Da Band which pretty much sums us up as friends/a band.

AC: (after watching) Okay that was awesome. If there was a book written about your life, what would the title be?

Max: Is that a Golden Retriever in my oven? : The Max Glascott Story.

Kassi: Kassi Cork: American Salad Dressing

Kassi: MEND: serious music, total weirdos.

AC: Awesome titles. Like, seriously.

AC: What problems do you run into with each other?

MEND in the studio

Kassi: Well, I actually think we work quite well together. But i'm super organized and Max is freeform. But I think we have been friends long enough to know how to work together. We both get easily distracted and speak in a strange language that only we both can understand. One time we spent an hour watching Boys II Men videos instead of practicing for a show.

Max: I definitely get distracted easily. But I think we've known each other too long to even identify real problems any more. We probably just put up with each other's shit without even knowing it.

Kassi: Sometimes I get all "come on Max, we gotta stay on task. We have this show tomorrow and I'm freaking out blah blah blah I suck, wah wah."

Max: "Freeform".... that's very diplomatic of you.

Kassi: I told you, I'm Leonardo. He was the most diplomatic of all the Ninja Turtles. But in all honesty, I think we just know when to let the other go off on a weird tangent.

AC: If you were stuck on an island and could only have three things, what would you have?

Max: Peanut butter, potatoes, and a knife.

Kassi: An El Camino, Jorts and my smartphone.

AC: i'm guessing the El Camino is to sleep in? Because, you know, it's an island and no gas.

Kassi: Well if I am trapped on an island I obviously didn't plan very well, did I?

AC: Point taken. When is your next show?

Kassi: Our next show is in Chicago on Nov 7 with Assemblage 23. Bam.

AC: What do you do when you’re not making music?

Max: I work a lot. I play poker on Fridays. I cook. I watch movies about space. I have a cat.

Kassi: I teach piano. Have two cats and a rad gent. Ride my bike until my legs fall off. Drink fancy whiskey drinks. Pretend I'm tough.

AC: If you were to make it big, what would be the first five things you’d want to do?

Max: I'd want to make a movie and score it, and buy a castle. That feels like five things...

Kassi: I would want to buy a castle down the street from Max's castle, high five Richard D James, buy a yacht, and visit Mars. I would also settle for just playing a show at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. Oh! Movie score or video game score would be awesome. I second that.

AC: What kind of movie though? Does it matter?

Max: Something heavy.

Kassi: Agreed. Maybe something like Drive. Or maybe more artsy.

Max: That was an incredible soundtrack.

Kassi: Or Tron. We would totally be okay if Disney wants us to do the next Tron soundtrack.

Kassi: Wait, no, it's Disney. I'm sorry.

Max: I'm over Tron. It's in my blood... And I'm over it

Kassi: Oh, I run to that soundtrack and it makes me feel epic and awesome.

AC: Are you working on new material?

Kassi: Yes. We are trying to complete a full length album. We have a bunch of new tracks that aren't quite finished yet. Maybe by spring we will have something new and complete.

Max: Our sound is evolving and we keep writing. The new stuff is much more "heavy" than the EP. I'm really excited to see where it ends up in the coming months. Other than that we keep working on new material for shows, trying to keep it fresh.

AC: Can't wait. Anything else you would like to say?

Max: I guess, we're just excited to keep going. All of our currently available material is online and available. There will be much more, very soon. Thank you!

Kassi: Thanks!

MEND:
Bandcamp
Facebook
Twitter

The Abominable Twitch (Max' solo work):
Bandcamp
Facebook
Twitter
Blog

Shoes For Him: Salvatore Ferragamo Arpa Striped Sneaker

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 14:11:00 +0000

A luxurious interpretation of athletic footwear, the Salvatore Ferragamo Arpa sneaker features comfortable mesh construction with suede and leather accents.

Price: $480

GOOD Music's "Cruel Summer" Cover Art and Possible Tracklist

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 02:31:00 +0000

The cover art is above and should remind most of use of Watch The Throne, but this looks much more elegant.

The possible tracklist (not verified by the artists, but it record labels in Japan said this was it) is below, Cruel Summer drops on September 18:

01. To The World (Kanye West & R. Kelly)
02. Clique (Kanye West, Jay-Z & Big Sean)
03. Mercy (Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz)
04. New God Flow (Kanye West, Pusha T & Ghostface Killah)
05. The Morning (Raekwon, Pusha T, Common, 2 Chainz, CyHi Da Prynce, Kid Cudi & D’Banj)
06. Cold (DJ Khaled)
07. Higher (The-Dream, Pusha T & Ma$e)
08. Sin City (John Legend, Travi$ Scott, Teyana Taylor, CyHi Da Prynce & Malik Yusef)
09. The One (Kanye West, Big Sean, 2 Chainz & Marsha Ambrosius)
10. Creepers (Kid Cudi)
11. Bliss (John Legend & Teyana Taylor)
12. Don’t Like. (Kanye West, Chief Keef, Pusha T, Big Sean & Jadakiss)

Lupe Fiasco's "Food and Liquor 2" Tracklist and Cover Art

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Hernandez) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 01:35:00 +0000

So Lupe has finally revealed the artwork and tracklist for his highly anticipated "Food and Liquor 2." Well, umm, that's the artwork above. Yes, seriously, this is not a hoax. I'm sure there's a meaning behind it, but since I have not heard the album, I wouldn't know. Anyways, the album comes out September 25 and you can preorder here. I will be posting a review of the album the day it comes out, or the next day.

But here's the part you're mostly interested in, the tracklist:

01. Ayesha Says (Intro)
02. Strange Fruition (Feat. Casey Benjamin)
03. ITAL (Roses)
04. Around My Way (Freedom Ain t Free)
05. Audubon Ballroom
06. B*tch Bad
07. Lamborghini Angels
08. Put Em Up
09. Heart Donor (Feat. Pooh Bear)
10. How Dare You (Feat. Bilal)
11. Battle Scars (with Guy Sebastian)
12. Brave Heart (Feat. Poo Bear)
13. Form Follows Function
14. Cold War (Feat. Jane $$$)
15. Unforgivable Youth (Feat. Jason Evigan)
16. Hood Now (Outro)
17. Things We Must Do For Others