Sterfish's Place

R.I.P. Michael Jackson

2009-06-25T19:35:00.000-05:00

The King of Pop has passed away. He was a phenomenal artist and a polarizing figure in the later years of his life. I feel for his family and his three children. I don't know what's worse...people who hated him suddenly saying that he was a great person or the inevitable deluge of nastiness that will surround his death. Larry King said it best when he talked about his death. "He gave us his talent. Let's celebrate that."

When Is Diet Soda Not Diet?

2009-06-11T14:35:00.004-05:00

When you hear the term "Diet" in regards to beverages, you assume the drink is going to be sugar free. That is the case for virtually every Diet drink from Diet Pepsi to Diet Green Tea. However, I found out recently that some companies (or at least the Dr. Pepper/Snapple Group) have been using the word "Diet" to simply mean "lower-calorie."

My sister purchased some Diet Crush Orange the other day for our mom. Our mother is a Type I diabetic and she likes orange pop, so it seemed like a no-brainer. Then, when I tried a can of it, I looked at the nutrition facts and discovered that this drink wasn't sugarfree. The second ingredient after carbonated water is the ubiquitous high-fructose corn syrup.

One can of "Diet" Orange Crush has 25 calories and six grams of carbohydrates. To be fair, this is a lot lower than regular Crush but it is certainly misleading. Why? Well, maybe because nearly every other Diet beverage has 5 calories or less and almost all of them do not have or sugar in them.

A big trend in drinks is to mix regular and sugarfree sweeteners. However, most companies do not call drinks with this mix "Diet." Vitamin Water has been touting its Vitamin Water 10 as having 10 calories per serving. It mixes crystalline fructose with the new natural sugar-free sweetener Truvia. However, nowhere in its advertising does the word "diet" appear.

The same can also be said for Propel, which mixes HCFS, simple syrup (sucrose syrup) and artificial sweeteners. A bottle of Propel usually has about 30 calories but, again, it is never described as "diet."

If any word is used to describe the mix of regular and sugarfree sweeteners it is "Light." That's what Minute Maid uses to describe its Lemonade with fewer calories. Again, the word "diet" isn't used.

The use of the word "Diet" on Diet Crush Orange may not seem like a big thing, but it's troubling for those who want (or need) to avoid sugar/HFCS-sweetened products. The Dr. Pepper/Snapple Group should seriously consider either changing the name of their product to remove "Diet" or making it clear on their packaging that this product is not sugarfree.

The TV, The TV

2009-05-27T00:38:00.003-05:00

After really watching HD, I think I want a new TV. Although I don't really watch TV in my room, I probably would if I had a nice, mid-size HDTV.

My history with TVs in my bedroom is surprisingly lame.

I can't remember exactly how old I was when I got my first TV in my bedroom. I want to say I was maybe 12 years old or something like that. My first TV was a 20-inch Zenith with a dial for VHF and a dial for UHF. It became my TV when we got a new TV for our living room. The TV that was in that room became mine.

That TV was not cable ready and it was so old that you needed a special attachment in order to hook cable to it (the antenna connection involved screws). I have fond memories of staying up late on Friday nights (the only weeknight I could stay up) and watching The Tonight Show on that TV.

When that TV konked out, the next TV I got was the first (of two) that would come courtesy of one of my grandmother's friends. It was the first cable ready TV I had and the first TV with a remote. It was brown and the channel number was visible on a red LED display on the right side of the TV. The one main thing I remember about that TV was how I had to push the buttons really hard in order to go to a channel.

When that TV stopped working, I got my current TV. It also came from my grandmother's friend and it's notable for being the first TV with inputs on it (mono though...it's not stereo). It's not really a bad TV. The picture is just a little too dark. I never really noticed it until my family had to use it as our living room TV while I was at school. Watching stuff on that TV looked a lot darker than on any other TV in the house.

Even though I've had it for at least seven or eight years, it hasn't stopped working yet. It illustrates one thing about me...I'm reluctant to spend a lot of money at once. I could afford a new TV right now but I can't just drop $300 without doing some research. I buy a lot of stuff I don't really need (DVDs and CDs especially) but I rationalize it because it's in small doses. Spending $20 five separate times doesn't seem as bad as spending $100 at once.

A new TV is one of a list of things I should buy in the near future like a new bed, new bedroom furniture, and a new computer. I'm going to get one and I deserve to buy myself the first brand-new TV I've ever owned. It's going to just take time, I guess.

Updating

2009-05-27T00:06:00.003-05:00

-Yeah, so no full-on Star Trek review. I really wanted to do one but I had trouble with it. It annoys me quite a bit when I can't write the type of review I want to write. I can't bring myself to write something short and post in anywhere other than here. It's basically like if I'm going to post it some place where a lot of people could read it, I want it to be the best thing I can do. The only time I ever write a review even when it isn't the way I want it is when I have to do it (assigned review).

-I want to review the last two CD's I've bought, Divided by Night by The Crystal Method and Blackout! 2 by Method Man and Redman. My early opinion on Divided by Night is that it's kind of meh. My early opinion on Blackout! 2 is that it's quite enjoyable. Of course, the more I listen to these albums, the more that opinion could potentially change.

-Since my review copy never came, I bought the second (and final) season of Freakazoid! recently. I intend to review it. As I watch it, I'm still struck by how much it may have influenced later animated comedies. There was a gag in an episode, for example, that purposely went on for far too long. It was really reminiscent of how some Family Guy gags go on for a lot longer than they should. I can't be sure that the writers of Family Guy watched Freakazoid but it certainly caught my eye.

-I'll probably do an anime thoughts post soon but I will tell you that this season I've watched Cross Game, Eden of The East, 07-Ghost, Hanasakeru Seishounen, K-On, and Sengoku Basara.

Quick Thoughts on Star Trek

2009-05-09T03:16:00.002-05:00

I saw Star Trek on Friday morning and overall, I enjoyed it. It's a lot of fun to watch and it's a great way to introduce/reintroduce the characters of this new Star Trek universe. I want to do a full review of the film for Blogcritics but I'm not sure if I will. If I don't do that full review, I'll post a lighter one here.

DVD Review: Death Note - Volume 2 Box Set

2009-05-03T15:58:00.000-05:00

The anime version of the popular Death Note manga concludes in the Death Note Volume 2 Box Set. The series comes to an end but not before a flurry of new characters, twists, and shocking character deaths.

[Note: If you are not familiar with Death Note, you should probably check out the review of the Volume 1 Box Set first to learn about the characters and premise.]

When we last left the characters of Death Note, Light had relinquished ownership of his notebook in order to lose all his memories of it. He did this in order to gain L's trust and eliminate suspicion that he was Kira. He even arranged it so that another person, an exec at a large corporation, could continue killing as Kira in his absence. The episodes on the Death Note Volume 2 Box Set begin with L and Light working together to find the current Kira.

The current Kira is caught in dramatic fashion but when Light touches the man's notebook, all his memories involving the notebook return (as well as his evil personality). Light kills the current Kira and resumes his plans to stop L from within his organization. L and the task force also learn of the existence of shinigami, the gods of death that normally use Death Notes.

Much happens over the course of the episodes on this set. Light triumphs against one foe only to gain a brand new one just as suspicion of him grows in the Japanese anti-Kira group. He grows colder and more sinister in his attempts to keep enemies off his trail and further his goals for a new world. He manipulates a shinigami's feelings to make it do his dirty work. He exploits the affections and admirations of two different women to get them to kill as Kira. He considers killing his own sister when her kidnapping threatens his plans. He even uses his own father to attempt to kill one of his enemies. The scene with Kira in the hospital with his father shows how evil Light has truly become.

These episodes also give us a look at how the world has reacted in the years since Light first used the Death Note. Tasteless TV producers make programs appealing directly to Kira and his fans. One man even claims to be Kira's official “spokesperson” and organizes a riot against the headquarters of the new group going after Kira. People's names make them vulnerable as criminals refuse to reveal their names and kids threaten bullies with the promise of putting their names on the Internet. Even whole countries aren't immune to Kira. The President of the United States receives a call from Kira and gives in to his demands.

There are many interesting themes and questions within Death Note. However, the simplest one is that absolute power corrupts absolutely. At the beginning of the series, Light is a brilliant young man with a bright future. By the end of the series, he is a shell of his former self. He has become a sociopath with a God complex who is hellbent on ruling a new world with only those he judges worthy. The contrast between the the young man he was and the man he has become are what make the final sequences of the series so haunting.

The five-disc Death Note Volume 2 Box Set is packaged in a handsome digipack with a slipcover that mirrors the Death Note Volume 1 Box Set. Inside, you will also again find representations of the instruction pages of the Death Note (the text is different this time around). The first four discs of the set contain the episodes. The fifth disc is a brand-new bonus disc exclusive to this set.

The excellent presentation from the last set is carried over to this one with little to complain about transfer-wise. The episodes are available with both Japanese and English audio with available English subtitles. Unfortunately, the ridiculously long sequence before the main menu remains on these discs. However, the sequence is also skippable like the previous set.

There are a nice amount of extras on this set. The first four discs each feature a behind-the-scenes featurette with voice actors for the English dub of the show, audio commentary on one episode each with people involved with the English dub, and production art. The first disc also has the clean version of the show's second opening and ending.

The extras on the fifth bonus disc revolve around the original Japanese version of the show. There is a behind-the-scenes featurette with the Japanese voice actors along with an interview with the the show's animation director and character designer. There are also conversations with the Japanese cast and crew as well as the original Japanese interstitials and a larger gallery of artwork.

If you enjoyed the first Death Note anime box set, then you will likely enjoy this one too. These episodes leave you at the edge of your seat until the very end. Although things get a little confusing at times, the journey to the show's conclusion is often exciting. While this is the end of the anime series, there is plenty more Death Note out there including three Japanese live-action films, a companion novel, the original manga series, and a Hollywood remake potentially on the horizon. This is likely not the last time you'll ever hear of Death Note.

Blogcritics Redesign

2009-05-01T01:40:00.003-05:00

Blogcritics recently got a nice new redesign/relaunch. The new look takes a little getting used to but I like seeing more images and the new logo. Although I haven't written a new article since the redesign, I did update my writer page with a new (terrible) bio and a twist on the picture I've used to represent myself on this blog for the past five years.

Although the look is different, all the great writers are still there. I'm looking forward to posting my first article for the new BC, my review of the second Death Note anime box set, very soon.

Brief Thoughts on Dragonball Evolution

2009-04-26T03:03:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, my sister and I went to see Dragonball Evolution. This movie was about 10 years too late to be a success but I enjoyed it. There were some changes to the original story (the word "saiyan" is never uttered once, for example) but a lot of things were kept in. I really thought they were going to change Bulma's last name but, no, they didn't. It was funny to hear Emmy Rossum introduce herself as Bulma Briefs.

The fight sequences were pretty decent. I enjoyed the opening "fight" between Goku and Grandpa Gohan. There's also a nice one which consists entirely of Goku avoiding attacks by a group of bullies. Also, the fight between Piccolo and Goku featured DBZ's trademark "punching at high speed at close range."

Overall, it's a nice PG-rated action flick that took me back to the days when I was a DBZ fan.

A New Mog

2009-04-15T22:16:00.002-05:00

Here's a quick little post. MOG has a brand new redesign that's nice and clean. Check it out by visiting my MOG. Blogcritics Magazine is also set for a new redesign soon and I'll let you know when that happens.

CD Review: Junior by Röyksopp

2009-04-08T20:40:00.001-05:00

After a long hiatus, Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp return with their third release Junior. Teaming up with a variety of intriguing female vocalists, they have created an album of wonderful, immersive electropop. Whether you are an electronic music fan or more of a casual listener, this album offers up some great music.

The album begins with “Happy Up Here,” a wonderful, upbeat track that recalls the breezier portions of Röyksopp's debut, Melody A.M. combined with a little bit of the moodier elements of their last album, The Understanding. The result is light but also intoxicating. The song itself is as fleeting as the feelings it brings as it is less than three minutes long.

It is followed up by “The Girl And The Robot,” a decidedly darker track. Sweden's Robyn provides the vocals as she pines for her workaholic “robot” to be with her. This track pairs a pulsing beat with dark atmospherics such as strings and haunting background vocals to make it one of the album's highlights. It's a bit over-the-top but also so enjoyable that you'll want to sing along with the chorus: “In the night I call you up and / Wanna know when you're coming home / Don't deny me / Call me back / I'm so alone.” Indie darling Lykke Li brings her unique vocals to “Miss It So Much,” a lovely little track. The music's bubbly synths and heavy bass pair up well with Li's understated performance.

Anneli Drecker, who previously worked with Röyksopp on their first album, appears on three tracks. “Vision One” is an excellent reworking of the bassline of Stevie Wonder's “Too High.” Drecker's vocals keeps things steady as the melody goes off into bleepier directions. However, her best vocal performance is on “You Don't Have A Clue,” a mellow treat with a dark undertone. The somewhat dreamy quality of her vocals is put to good use and her refrain of “You're hiding from yourself / Yes you are / Yes you are” resonates. The one misstep is “True To Life,” but that's not her fault. That song is a bit clunky compared to the rest of the album.

Another previous Röyksopp collaborator featured on Junior is Karin Dreijer-Andersson of The Knife. Previously appearing on “What Else Is There?” from The Understanding, she is featured on two tracks. Both tracks use her abilities in different ways. “This Must Be It,” has more of an upbeat, celebratory feel. “Tricky Tricky,” on the other hand, is a lot angrier. There is a purposely cold feel to the music here and it's a credit to Andersson that she could sing the following line without making you want to laugh: “Is six afraid of seven cause seven ate nine? / I'm about to lose it a second time.”

Each Röyksopp album has had an epic instrumental and the one on Junior is one of their best. “Röyksopp Forever” is sort of a mini-journey through their career. The song starts off with a more minimal, relaxed feel (it samples Skylark's “Suites For My Lady”) and things steadily get more grandiose. At its high point, the song has a triumphant feel with insistent strings, ethereal background vocals, and a nice bassline hidden under everything else.

When Röyksopp released The Understanding, it was a dramatic departure from Melody A.M. Junior is not so much a departure from The Understanding as a melding of its sensibilities with that of Melody A.M. The result is an album that definitely deserves to be in their company. Röyksopp have crafted a great album of electropop that not only pleases fan but also manages to be accessible to nonfans. With rumors of a companion album called Senior, we may get to hear more from the duo soon. Even if we don't, whatever comes next will likely be worth the wait.

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Let's Take It Back To The Early 00's

2009-04-05T21:10:00.002-05:00

Borders is currently in the midst of a CD/DVD clearance where most of their stock is 40% off. I took this as an opportunity to buy a couple of CDs I liked that I never bought.

The first one is the first Gorillaz album. I liked the singles they came out with but I didn't hear the album until my college roommate Paul bought it. I never actually bought a copy of my own and I wouldn't actually buy a Gorillaz album until Demon Days, which I enjoyed a lot as well.

In listening to the first Gorillaz album, I forgot how long it was. It also made me realize how catchy it is. It's hip-hop infused (thanks to Dan The Automator) but it's not really hip-hop. This album and Demon Days are different but enjoyable animals.

The other CD I picked up is The White Stripes' Elephant. This is the first White Stripes album I heard in its entirety and I enjoyed it quite a bit. For some reason, though, it took all the way until Icky Thump before I actually bought one of their albums. I've wanted to pick up this album for a while but I never did. Now, I finally have it and I remember why I liked it so much. I just love hearing Jack White play the guitar.

Sometimes You Gotta Spoil Yourself

2009-04-05T18:47:00.001-05:00

My dad, my sister, and I went to the Chicago Bulls game versus New Jersey yesterday afternoon. We had been trying to get to a Bulls game this season for a while (we went to Bulls games in 2006 and 2007 but didn't go last year). When my sister came home from school for the weekend, she suggested we go to a Bulls game since both me and Dad were off work. Usually, I work on the weekends (the perils of retail) but I actually had Friday and Saturday off this time.

What made this game a little more special than the other ones we've gone to was the section we were sitting in. The United Center has three levels of seating: 100 level (on the same level as the court), 200 level (the club level) and 300 level (nosebleed seats). For the other games we went to we were in 300 level seating. This time around, we were able to get (and afford) 200 level seating. Now I see why those seats always sell out.

The United Center has pretty good sightlines all the way around, but our seats were great. There aren't as many rows in the 200 level as there are in the other sections, which means that you're not as far back. Two things tipped me off immediately that this level was meant for at least semi-high rollers. First, Lexus sponsored the entire level. Every section number sign had the Lexus logo below it and there was a Lexus on display on the level. The other thing that tipped me off was the presence of a coat check. A coat check? At a basketball game? Damn.

However, the piece de resistance had to be what happened once we sat down in our seats. A United Center employee started chatting with us (we were there over an hour early) about sports and stuff. Then, he revealed that he was the attendant/waiter for our section. The waiter. There were menus attached to our seats. If we wanted anything from the concession stands all we had to do was place an order with him and the food would be delivered to us. The prices were exactly the same as at the concession stand.

We definitely took advantage of this. It was quite amazing. The only time I left my seat during the game was to go to the bathroom at halftime. The concession prices were both steep ($5.50 for a 20 oz. bottle of pop?) and not as bad as you'd think ($4.75 for a huge bucket of popcorn which would probably cost at least a dollar more at the movies). My sister summed it up best regarding our experience on the 200 level: "I can't go back [to the 300 level]."

If there is one negative about being on that level it is that the people who sit there are quieter. The three of us had a great time yelling, clapping, and booing at the game. However, the people in the row in front of us sat perfectly quiet the entire game. We were probably the loudest people in our section. The people on the 300 level were quite loud the entire game. Some Chicago Bulls boosters went through the various sections and pumped up the people to cheer. Their roars resonated through the stadium.

Finally, let me talk a bit about the United Center crowd as a whole. It's already well-known among Chicago Bulls fans about how the stadium gets really loud whenever the Bulls get 100 points (because if they get 100 points and win, everyone in the stadium gets a free Big Mac). What I don't think is as known is how loud the crowd gets during the Dunkin Donuts race. The Dunkin Donuts race is a little contest played during a timeout in the game where a bagel, a cup of coffee, and a donut race against each other in an animated video. Everyone in the stadium has a card with one of those three items on it. If the item on your card matches the item that "wins" the race, then you can take your card to Dunkin Donuts and get the item free.

During the entire game, the crowd never got louder than it did during the Dunkin Donuts race. When the coffee won, you'd swear Ben Gordon had hit the game-winning three. What can you say about a crowd that gets livelier when they get a free Big Mac or a free coffee than when their team actually wins a game?

Goings On

2009-04-04T00:02:00.002-05:00

Well, I got my copies of Jonny Quest and Royksopp's Junior the other day and am enjoying both of them. I will probably write a review of the Royksopp album (and I actually mean it this time). I'm not sure if I'll review the Jonny Quest set.

I saw Monsters vs. Aliens last weekend and liked it. It's simply a light action comedy romp with some sci-fi and pop culture references scattered around. I worked on a review of the movie but I couldn't write a version I was happy with, so it hasn't been posted.

After seeing two animated films at the theater in a row, the next movie I'll likely see is Dragonball. I used to watch the anime back in the day when it aired on Toonami, although I wasn't the biggest of fans (i.e. I didn't watch the Japanese version). This movie will probably be what I dub an "awesome failure" as in it will be bad but immensely enjoyable in spite of itself. This is the same thing I expected when I saw Speed Racer, although that movie ended up being something a lot more special than that. I'm looking forward to seeing it.

The Perils of Being A Physical Media Fan

2009-03-27T14:51:00.002-05:00

With Circuit City and most traditional record stores gone, there are fewer and fewer brick and mortar places to buy CDs and DVDs. I've seen the effects of this lately in my quest to buy a CD and a DVD I want.

There are two main places I go to buy CDs and DVDs: Best Buy and Borders. Borders is conveniently located right next to where I work and if I have a coupon, I can usually get a good deal. There are about three Best Buys I can get to easily but I usually go to the one nearest my job.

The DVD in question I'm looking for is Season 1, Volume 1 of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest. It's one of my favorite animated shows and I've been looking for it on DVD. Since it came out a few weeks ago, I've only been able to find a copy of it at Target. However, Target wanted $10 more than any other place, so I decided not to get it.

Unfortunately, neither the usual Best Buy or Borders has the Jonny Quest DVD available. Borders' website states that it's available from their online store only while I'd have to go to one of the other Best Buys around me to get the Jonny Quest DVD.

The CD in question is Royksopp's newest release Junior. I love the album and I want to buy it but in this case, both Borders and Best Buy state that the album is available from their websites only. This CD just came out on Tuesday.

The reason this kind of annoys me isn't because I don't like online shopping. I do it quite frequently. What annoys me is that I like actually buying a product from a store and bringing it home to enjoy immediately.

Your enjoyment of online shopping is entirely dependent on the quality of the delivery of the product. While our mailman is great, UPS just sucks. The UPS drivers in our area will frequently drop a package on the doorstep, ring the doorbell, and leave, even if it requires a signature. I've come home to see packages out there on the front porch ready for anyone to steal. I like FedEx, but they're often a bit too expensive.

To give you an idea of how much things have changed even in the past couple of months, I was able to walk into Borders on the day Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion came out and buy it. It was readily available in the new release section. With the way things are now (and rumors of Borders getting out of the CD/DVD business entirely), if that album came out next week, I bet I'd have to order it online too.

I guess what it boils down to is that the days of me trying to buy anything non-mainstream in a store are probably over. My main reasoning for buying stuff online used to be for the price. Now, it's going to be because I won't be able to get stuff any other way.

A Kinda Sorta Review

2009-03-20T23:46:00.002-05:00

I've put up an impromptu review of Isbjerg's Dilla tribute Danish Donuts up on my MOG. What do I mean by "impromptu review"? Well, I was just planning to write a simple post about it but the more I wrote, the more it actually sounded like a simple review instead. It was completely unintentional. It's like my subconscious really wanted me to write a music review.

As a side note, I'm probably picking up Royksopp's new album this Tuesday. I like the first single, "Happy Up Here." It reminds me a bit of the stuff from their first album.

A Short Review of Coraline

2009-03-13T00:19:00.002-05:00

I saw Coraline last Sunday with my sister. Although it wasn't the best animated film, I really enjoyed it. The artistry on display in this film is amazing. There are some really beautiful and creepy sequences. The climactic sequence with the villainess is just amazing to look at.

Although this movie is PG-rated, it's not a film I'd take a little kid to see. However, I think older kids would enjoy it. I saw the movie in 2D and I can imagine that this movie is fantastic in 3D.

I definitely recommend checking this movie out before it leaves theaters.

Briefly...

2009-03-05T00:57:00.002-06:00

-If you haven't seen Sita Sings The Blues, you can now stream it or download it for free from the official website. It's a very cool, unique film that more people should check out. I think I may review it for Blogcritics Magazine.

-It's a slow time for music listening for me. Hence no music reviews.

-A review of the live-action Death Note II: The Last Name is forthcoming as is a review of the second anime boxset when it comes out.

CD Review: Universal Mind Control by Common

2009-02-14T14:29:00.001-06:00

After two critically acclaimed albums with Kanye West at the helm, Common goes in a different direction with his new album Universal Mind Control. Executive produced by Pharrell Williams and produced entirely by The Neptunes and Mr. DJ, this album isn’t without its charms. However, it's also not nearly as good as Common's previous work.

The first thing that sets Universal Mind Control apart from Common’s previous two albums is the sound. While his recent music has been more organic, the music on this album is very electronic. In fact, there are no samples to speak of on the entire album. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean that the beats aren’t good.

The Neptunes provide most of the production on the album and come up with some interesting, unusual sounds. The title track has a futuristic sound complete with spacey synths, artificial drums, and Pharrell Williams’ robotic vocals. “Punch Drunk Love” floats on an odd combination of 1980’s sounds, a variety of layered vocals (both normal and auto-tuned), and Kanye West on the chorus. Even with its hard-hitting drums and synths, “Gladiator” has a quirky feel thanks to a weird piano bridge and horns that seem to come out of nowhere.

If you’re looking for examples of Common’s lyrical prowess, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Lyrics take a back seat on Universal Mind Control and this, more than anything, sinks the album. “Sex 4 Suga” actually features this terrible line: “But I don't mind being behind / 'Cause I'ma touch you where the sun don't shine.” More often than not, the lyrics are just pretty shallow. The exception is “Changes,” a track produced by Mr. DJ and geared towards young people. This is the only song on the album that's close to the type of music fans expect from Common.

Universal Mind Control can probably be best described as a diversion, a chance for Common to make some lighter, more party-oriented music. It's reminiscent of Q-Tip's debut solo album, Amplified, in that respect. The problem with the album isn't that Common decided to make this type of music...it is that the music itself isn't that good. It's unfortunate that smart artists like Common feel that the only way to make a party album is to dumb things down. This album isn't nearly as bad as some hip-hop but for Common it's a bit of a letdown.

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Sterfish's 10 Favorite Albums of 2008: Deluxe Edition

2009-01-25T18:22:00.002-06:00

When I first started my favorite albums of 2008 list, I didn't realize how difficult it would be. How difficult was it? Well, my list of honorable mentions has eight albums on it and there are three EP's I would include if this were not a list of albums. I also did not properly listen to some great 2007 releases until 2008.

Thus, in the spirit of those re-releases record companies love, this is a Deluxe Edition of my favorite albums of 2008 list and is full of extras. As always, this list isn't ranked. Everything is presented in alphabetical order by artist name.

Now, my 10 favorite albums of 2008:

Black Milk – Tronic: I first noticed this producer/rapper from Detroit with an Internet release (see honorable mentions below) that came before this commercially released album. I didn't hear this album until only a month before 2008 ended but it left an impression on me. The production is top-notch, the lyrics pretty strong, and the guest appearances (what few there are) are solid. It's a great hip-hop album that deserves your attention.

Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends: The best way for me to describe this album is audio comfort food. Excellent production, wonderful melodies, and pretty good songwriting lead to a very enjoyable album. From the celebratory atmosphere of “Viva La Vida” to the infectious beat of “Lost!” and the beauty of “Lovers in Japan,” there is a lot to like. While it may be reminiscent of a certain Irish rock band, I'd rather they acknowledge their influences instead of overthinking their music to mush.

Girl Talk – Feed The Animals: It takes a lot of talent and skill to take artists as diverse as The Jackson Five, Lil Wayne, Nirvana, and The Beach Boys (among countless others) and merge them together into a great party album that's part mix and part mash-up. No matter what genre you enjoy most, there is something to like here. You'll never think of your favorite songs the same way after you finish listening to this.

Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple: Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse's follow-up to St. Elsewhere doesn't have an instant crossover hit like “Crazy.” Instead, this album is a richer experience overall. Whether it's the haunting “Who's Gonna Save My Soul,” or the upbeat craziness of “Run,” there is just so much good stuff to be found here. While it's more of a pop album than their last one, it gets better with every listen.

Hot Chip – Made In The Dark: This is an album that I started to like a bit more after I wrote my review. There's a nice mix of great dance tracks (“Ready For The Floor,” “Shake A Fist”) with more delicate, slower songs (“Made In The Dark”). I've been following this group since their first album, Coming On Strong, and it's something to see how much they've grown.

Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak: You know an artist is great when their failures are this good. This ambitious combination of 1980's-esque electropop and hip-hop doesn't entirely work. When it's bad, it's kind of frustrating and silly. However, when it's good, it's really good. Tracks like “Paranoid” and my personal favorite, “Welcome To Heartbreak,” are some of the most interesting music I heard in 2008. I wish more artists were willing to “fail” as beautifully as Kanye did.

N.E.R.D. – Seeing Sounds: This underrated album is one of the more purely enjoyable albums I heard in 2008. The group's hip-hop/rock hybrid sound is played with a bit more here. “Spaz” manages to feature rock guitars, speedy electronic drums, and hip-hop beats without feeling like a disjointed mess. There are times when it's a little ridiculous (“Everybody Nose”) or self-indulgent (“Sooner or Later”) but it's never boring, which is more than I can say for some albums.

Portishead – Third: This is the comeback of 2008. You'd think that a new album after more than 10 years would sound a bit dated or stale but that's not the case here. This group made the bold choice to update their music for the times and the result is stunning. There is a surprising amount of variety but it never feels like anything other than a Portishead album. Let's hope we don't have to wait another decade to hear the next one.

Rhymefest – Man In The Mirror: This “dedication album”, released free on the Internet, is a loving tribute to Michael Jackson and a stellar work in its own right. Overseen by Mark Ronson, it cleverly combines dozens of samples of songs and interviews from Jackson's entire career with new audio from Rhymefest. Rhymefest “talks” to Michael about a variety of things while paying tribute to him by rapping over tracks that sample his work. It's a great album that never, ever, could've been released any other way.

Solange – Sol-Angel and The Hadley St. Dreams: This album was the most pleasant surprise of 2008. Beyonce's younger sister sets herself apart by combining her love of old-school R & B with her quirkier side. The list of collaborators is impressive (Thievery Corporation, Cee-Lo, Mark Ronson, The Neptunes, The Freemasons) and so is the music. Solange is an artist who can sing about her regrets over a smooth soul beat one day (“T.O.N.Y.”) or sample Boards of Canada the next (“This Bird”). She'll probably never be more popular than her sister...but her music just might be better.

Bonus List #1 – The Honorable Mentions:

Black Milk – Music From The Color Purple: This Internet-released collection of instrumental beats was my first introduction to this producer/rapper. The beats take songs by a certain artist and make them damn near unrecognizable...and funky at the same time.

Murs & 9^th Wonder – Sweet Lord: Another free Internet release, this is an album that's good enough to want to pay for. Both rapper and producer are on point and there are some great tracks to be found.

Nas – (untitled): This album did not live up to the hype nor its controversial former name. However, it's still a pretty solid Nas album with some good tracks including the hilarious “Fried Chicken” with Busta Rhymes.

Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts I-IV: I love instrumental music, so I enjoyed this massive collection from Trent Reznor and crew. With the group no longer tethered to a record label, I hope we see more experiments like this.

The Roots – Rising Down: Any album that starts with a recording of an angry exchange between a group and their former label is not going to be a happy one. This album is darker than their last but, unfortunately, not quite as hard-hitting. It's still quite good so it's unfortunate that it got completely overlooked.

Snoop Dogg – Ego Trippin: This is probably one of the most interesting albums of Snoop's career. He's not afraid to do whatever he wants whether it's a Roger Troutman-inspired jam (“Sexual Eruption”), a remake of a classic song by The Time (“Cool”) or a country track (“My Medicine”). Never let it be said that Snoop follows the crowd.

Various Artists – Verve Remixed 4 & Verve Remixed Christmas: 2008 was the year I got into the Verve Remixed compilations and these two, both released in 2008, are my favorites. Verve Remixed 4 is worth a purchase for a stellar James Brown remix by Kenny Dope alone. Verve Remixed: Christmas is a worthy addition to my holiday music collection.

Bonus List #2 – Great EP's of 2008

AmpLive – Rainydayz Remixes: This collection of hip-hop remixes of tracks from Radiohead's In Rainbows is approved by the group and a lot better than it should be. Released for free on the Internet and featuring rappers like Del The Funkee Homosapien and Too $hort, this collection respects the spirit of the original tracks while giving them some flavor.

Animal Collective – Water Curses: Featuring tracks not used on Strawberry Jam (one of my favorite albums of 2007), this collection is a little less manic and more fun.

Janelle Monae – Metropolis The Chase Suite: This is a stellar debut that combines multiple genres (including hip-hop, rock, and R & B) into something unique. “Many Moons” is one of my favorite tracks of 2008. I cannot wait for this artist to release a full-length album and really let her artistry shine.

Bonus List #3 – Great Albums of 2007 Not Recognized Until 2008

Daft Punk – Alive 2007: A fantastic live album that has the duo remixing and reinterpreting their catalog in wonderful ways.

Ghostface Killah – The Big Doe Rehab: Yet another excellent Ghostface album that proves that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Lupe Fiasco – The Cool: A larger, more ambitious album with plenty of great songs.

Panda Bear – Person Pitch: This solo album from the Animal Collective member is a bit psychedelic and more accessible than AC's work.

Wu-Tang Clan – 8 Diagrams: A sometimes difficult album that dares to tweak the Wu-Tang sound. It's not their best but does remind you of Wu's earlier, more experimental days.

Music Review: Feed The Animals by Girl Talk

2009-01-19T02:28:00.000-06:00

In an era where mash-ups, remixes, and mixtapes are plentiful, it takes a lot to stand out from the crowd. Girl Talk (aka Gregg Gillis) certainly does so on his newest album Feed The Animals. Drawing from an unbelievably wide variety of songs and genres, Gillis has not only crafted a great party album but also one of the best albums released in 2008.

For those who are unfamiliar with Girl Talk's work, his style of music involves combining elements from many different songs into something new. It would be easiest to describe it as a "mash-up" but it's really something quite unique. While most mash-ups are meant to be singular tracks, the songs on Feed The Animals are really meant to be listened together as a cohesive work. Each one flows easily into the next one, like a DJ mix.
However, with over 300 songs sampled across the entire album, it's a lot more intricate than most mixes. Many dance/DJ artists sample obscure tracks or make familiar samples unrecognizable. Girl Talk does neither. If you have been a fan of popular music at any moment in the last 20-30 years, you will probably be able to recognize at least one or two of the songs sampled.

All the samples used don't matter unless the music made with them is good and fortunately, Feed The Animals is very good. It's immensely entertaining from start to finish. The music is always changing and songs progress in unexpected ways. Some of the album's best moments come from successfully combining hip-hop tracks with ones from very different genres. "Set It Off" pairs Jay-Z's "Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)" with Radiohead's "Paranoid Android" which gives Hova's lyrics a darker tone than the original celebratory beat that surrounded them. One can't help but laugh at the combination of Eminem's raunchy "Shake That" with Yael Naim's sweet, Apple-approved "New Soul" in "No Pause." The hard-hitting drums of Lil Mama's "Lip Gloss" are replaced with the hard guitars of Metallica's "One" on "Like This" for a combination that works far better than it should.

While the clever combinations of samples are what drives the album, it's the actual construction that makes it great. A lot of the samples used on Feed The Animals are small and are used to transition to the album's larger moments. The opening drums of "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins lead to the Busta Rhymes/Police combination on "What It's All About." A very short clip from OutKast's "Ms. Jackson" leads to the Vanilla Ice/Jackson 5/Rihanna/Queen sequence that ends "What It's All About." It's these smaller elements that keep things moving and help make everything else seem that much better.

No matter what kind of music you like, Girl Talk's Feed The Animals will keep you moving. It makes unfamiliar genres palatable whether it's classic rock for a pop fan or heavy metal for a hip-hop fan. It's the perfect album for the music lover who is likely to have anything and everything on their MP3 player. It's detailed in its construction but still insanely fun to listen to. If you haven't heard it yet, it's worth checking out.

Feed The Animals is available in a variety of formats from Illegal Art.

The Other "Lost" Review

2009-01-08T16:47:00.004-06:00

I wrote the following review of Missy Elliott's album Under Construction back in 2002. Like the review of Cee-Lo's debut album, it was published in Blackboard. It's never been published on the Internet before today. I'm posting the review in its original form, which is noticeably easier to read than the Cee-Lo review. Enjoy!

CD Review: Missy Elliott - Under Construction
(Originally written in 2002 and presented in its original version)

In the past few years, Hip-Hop has lost many artists: Biggie, 2Pac, Big Pun, Aaliyah, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, and most recently Jam Master Jay. It is fitting then that Missy Elliott’s fourth album “Under Construction” is dedicated to them. Plain and simple, this album is a celebration of Hip-Hop at its most fun, creative, and innovative.

Missy and Timbaland look back to move forward in creating the music on this album. Most of the songs contain at least one sample from classic Hip-Hop songs ranging from Run DMC’s “Peter Piper” on “Work It” to Beastie Boys’ “Paul Revere” on “Funky Fresh Dressed.” A whole song is “reimagined” with “Bring The Pain” which samples the classic Method Man song and even has him contributing a verse. However, this doesn’t mean that the duo’s innovation isn’t present. Timbaland brings the electro-funk to songs like “Ain’t That Funny” and “Slide.” “Play That Beat” sounds only faintly of Timbaland, with its traditional drum pattern and horn sample.

Missy’s lyrics have always been her weakest point, but she continues on her twisted, sometimes silly, yet sexy path for the most part. Beyonce Knowles lends her voice to “Nothing Out There For Me” which has Missy trying to convince Beyonce to go out partying (and leave her man in the process). “P***ycat” isn’t as nasty as the title implies and has Missy worrying about trying to keep her man sexually. When Missy changes it up, she succeeds. “Gossip Folks” (featuring Ludacris) has Missy responding to the various rumors about her in a Cee-Lo-esque flow. “Can You Hear Me” is an emotional collaboration with TLC that pays tribute to both Aaliyah and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes. The mutual sadness is evident when Missy sings “I know you in real good hands/With God but damn I miss you/Aaliyah if you see Left Eye/Will ya tell her me and Boz miss her too.”

While not as instantly accessible as her last album, “Miss E...So Addictive,” “Under Construction” is much more personal. Missy openly gives us her thoughts on everything from the meaning of the album title to the controversy surrounding her racier songs in the spoken interludes scattered throughout the album. Her love of Old School Hip-Hop shines through in the samples, shouts of “Missy Elliott exclusive” (a la DJ mixtapes), and the overall party vibe of the album. This all combines to bring a Missy who has changed in many ways, both physically and emotionally, and is as she says “A work in progress.”

The Review That Started It All

2009-01-02T00:13:00.005-06:00

I've been writing music reviews on this blog since it started but the very first one I wrote wasn't posted here. In fact, I wrote it before I started blogging.

My first music review was of Cee-Lo's debut album Cee-Lo Green And His Perfect Imperfections and it was published in Northwestern University's black student magazine Blackboard back in 2002. Now, I'm posting it online for the very first time.

My writing style has changed in the six years since this review. If I were to review this album now, my review would probably be longer, more spaced out, and probably a little less positive. I apologize ahead of time for the really long paragraphs. Still, it's fun to look back.

CD Review: Cee-Lo - Cee-Lo Green And His Perfect Imperfections (Originally written in 2002 and featured here in its original version)

Cee-Lo’s last album appearance was on Goodie Mob’s lackluster “World Party” CD. Now almost 3 years later, he returns with his solo debut “Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections.” It’s a big departure from Goodie Mob’s stuff, and one of the best albums released so far this year.

A major difference between this and Cee-Lo’s earlier work is that he sings about as much as he raps. By doing so, he joins artists like Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott in combining elements of hip hop and R&B music. Cee-Lo takes this fusion in innovative directions by adding other musical genres into the mix. “Closet Freak” is an homage to 70’s P-Funk from the use of real horns, to the freaky lyrics (and even freakier video). “Live (Right Now)” has Cee-Lo singing over a rock track that owes more to Fishbone than Linkin Park. “Country Love” has a minimalist down-home flavor with Blues Traveler’s John Popper providing his harmonica skills. Dance influences are evident in “Microhard.” “Bass Head Jazz” is as smooth and mellow as the name implies. However, don’t think the album is all about fusing different genres together. “Suga Baby,” featuring Big Gipp and Backbone, could have been a song on a Goodie Mob album. “Spend The Night in Your Mind” is a full on R&B slow jam, and a song that he handles amazingly well.

Themes of freedom, growing up, spirituality, and hope run throughout this album. “El Dorado (Super Chicken)” tells a tale of a bird wanting to fly: “I can’t let nobody hold me down/This is my life and that’s my sky/I was born to fly.” “Gettin’ Grown” deals with getting older: “I remember the good old days/Broads and boxes of blunts to blaze/Now I got three children to raise.” “Live (Right Now)” encourages people to keep going, but not without being careful: “And don’t you let anybody tell you what you can do/Ain’t another minute promised to you/You better live.” Cee-Lo shows his spiritual side proudly on the album like proclaiming his “mother is nature” and that his “father is God” on “Bad Mutha.” In addition he acknowledges his darker side on “Medieval Times (Great Pretender)”: “A thin line between between divine and killing machine/A dark side of the light that no one ever should see.”

All in all, this is a great album. Whatever flaws there are are nitpicks: it’s long with a running time of almost 74 minutes, the fast songs should have been a little more spread out, the interludes are unnecessary, and etc. Cee-Lo took some big risks with his debut. He could have easily made a platiunum album by getting the hottest producers, collaborating a lot with his fellow Goodie Mob members, loading up on the guest stars and rhyming on 90% of the album. However, he decided to make an album that clearly represents him and not his image. In self-producing the entire album, using live instruments on many songs, dabbling in other genres, and singing for much of the album, Cee-Lo takes chances even OutKast hasn’t taken. The result is a near flawless album that defies categorization. Whether or not this means commercial success is uncertain. Yet, Cee-Lo joins a growing group of artists including N.E.R.D., Mos Def, OutKast, and Common, that take hip hop into new directions and keep it from becoming a stagnant artform.

A Look Back (and Forward) At Blog Resolutions

2009-01-01T03:31:00.006-06:00

Happy New Year 2009!

With the new year rolling around, it's the time for resolutions. Before making some new resolutions, I figured I would look back at the ones I made in January 2008 to see what progress I made.

1. Post More Consistently:
Blogging-wise, 2007 was a slow year for me. How slow? Well, not only did I actually forget my blog's fourth anniversary (it was December 18), but I posted only 87 posts on my blog in all of 2007. I posted only 30 articles on BC Magazine and 14 articles on ThaHipHop.com. I posted the most this year on MOG.

2007 was the first full year that I worked a full-time job. In some respects, I haven't really reconciled working and blogging. I'm never going to be the most prolific blogger out there. I would just like to post more often. Quality is always going to be more important to me than quantity. However, there's just no excuse for me to post only once in an entire month like I did here in September.

Umm...that resolution really didn't happen. I wrote a lot fewer posts in 2008 than I did in 2007 for everything I write for. I was in a bit of a funk writing-wise in 2008 I guess.

2. Write A Greater Variety Of Posts:
Even though I write for four sites (here, MOG, BC Magazine, and ThaHipHop.com), most of what I write breaks down to one word: review. I really enjoy writing reviews. They're fun to write and sometimes they are quite a challenge. I like shaking up the types of things I review from hip-hop music to shoujo anime. I also like finding new ways to write reviews.

I think I'm capabale of writing more than just reviews and I'd like to explore that in the things I post in 2008. Part of me is a bit frightened (and lazy) about doing this. Reviews are a nice comfort zone for me. I've done news posts before for BC Magazine but they're time-consuming because I have a higher standard for such posts than any type of review. The same is true of opinion posts. If I'm going to give my opinion on anything other than a creative work, I have to make sure I'm on my A+ game.

Doing a bigger variety of posts will be a challenge but it will probably result in making me a better writer overall. That would be well worth the troubles I may face along the way.

This didn't happen either, unfortunately. Apart from my Favorite Albums of 2007 post, every single article I wrote for BC Magazine was a review. Hell, I even abandoned music reviews (my usual bread-and-butter) for a while. Yikes.

3. Attempt Non-Blog Writing:
Just like how many people always put “lose weight” on their New Year's resolution list, I put up some sort of resolution about trying to do some non-blog writing (fiction, skit, script, etc.). No matter how “inspired” I get, it's supremely hard to start and stick with a story. I am going to keep trying until I can get it to stick, dammit.

I tried a few times during 2008 but nothing really clicked.

4. Do Some Exclusive Posts:
At the low points in my blogging career, this blog is basically an exact replica of the work I do for BC Magazine, work that I post there first. Unless it's a post about something going on in my life (or a “lazy” review), what I write will appear somewhere else in addition to here.

I've been planning to start writing more stuff for this blog only so as to give readers a reason to actually visit here in the first place. In addition to posting more, I will post more stuff for this blog exclusively. I have a few ideas rattling around and I'll reveal them as soon as I get around to enacting them.

Finally, one I actually succeeded in doing...sort of. All posts with the word "thoughts" in the title were only posted here. These include my takes on various new anime.

5. Appear On A Podcast:
For a brief time, I entertained the idea of doing a podcast. That idea disappeared when I realized that I had no idea what kind of show to do.

However, with the BC Radio Network, I'm thinking about calling in one day and making my actual voice known to the world. Even if I only do it once, it would still be kind of cool. I would have to just get over the supreme insecurity that writing naturally hides...

I succeeded on this front too in 2008 by appearing on the B Sides Concept Album, a web show hosted by Josh Hathaway of Confessions of A Fanboy. I'd like to do it again someday and maybe this time, I won't sound so damned nervous.

Looking back on 2008 makes me a bit wary about doing new ones for 2009. Still, there is always so much hope when a new year starts, so I think I'll do them anyway.

1. Focus on Quality
I will never be a consistent blogger. Instead of worrying about that, I'm going to focus strictly on writing the best posts I can. There may be few posts on this blog but I will make sure that each one is well worth your time.

2. Take More Chances in Writing
This is essentially a combination of numbers 2 and 3 from the 2008 resolutions. I need to stretch my writing skills and doing things I don't normally do will probably help me. I'm not sure if the chances I do take will end up anywhere where people will read them but just taking them is half the battle.

3. Be A Bit More Social Online
MOG is the only social network I am a member of. I do not have a Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, or FriendFeed account. I've been toying with getting one of these accounts but given the way I blog, I never saw the point. Maybe, just maybe, I'll become a part of the new social Internet age in 2009.

4. Don't Let Me Get Me
I am often my own worst enemy when it comes to things I want or need to do. In addition to being really, really hard on my own writing, I tend to start things and never finish them. If I can get out of my own way, things could be better.

I really hope 2009 is a better year than 2008 in more ways than one.

The Lost Post

2008-12-20T01:57:00.001-06:00

This past Thursday, December 18, was this blog's 6th anniversary. To mark the occasion, I'm about to bring you a "lost post" so to speak.

Way back in August 2004, I started a post commenting on the 2004 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremonies. For some reason, I never finished it and saved it as a draft.

Then, fast forward to some years later when I decided to actually look at my drafts section and I find this unfinished and unpublished post.

Below, is the original post published in its entirety here for the first time and without any changes by me. Also, as this blog gradually reaches 1000 posts, I'm going to post some reviews I wrote that have never been published online.

Comments on The Olympics Opening Ceremonies (Originally Written on August 16, 2004)

-Why did NBC feel the need to stretch out the Opening Ceremonies over four hours?

-Also, why couldn't Bob Costas pronounce the names of the countries right, even after Katie and the English voice heard in the stadium said them correctly?

-I also didn't like that it seemed like only the African countries (or those countries with black populations) were edited down in the Parade of Nations. Belarus gets its delegation shown in detail but not Gambia?

-There are way too many jokes that I could make about the glowing belly that woman had.

-

CD Review: Verve Christmas Remixed

2008-12-14T03:33:00.000-06:00

After four acclaimed collections, the Verve Remixed series finally gets in the holiday spirit with Verve Remixed Christmas. This new collection lets loose a variety of remixers on holiday tracks by jazz greats like Nina Simone, Count Basie, and Ella Fitzgerald. While purists will probably bristle, fans of compilations like the Christmas Remixed series or Merry Mixmas will find another great disc to add to their not-so-traditional holiday music collection.

Remix collections like this can often be a tricky proposition. It's quite easy to turn a classic song into something unlistenable and uninspired. Thankfully, the producers and remixers involved with Verve Remixed Christmas mostly avoid this...even when they sometimes stray very far from the original material.

Some of the remixes enhance and modernize the spirit of the original song. The album opens with The Real Tuesday Weld's Clerkenwell remix of "Good Morning Blues" by Count Basie. He brings the piano of the song to the forefront while adding light electronic drums and strings to create a relaxed, somewhat dreamy mood that doesn't feel out of place. The band The Heavy remixes Louis Armstrong's "'Zat You Santa Claus?" and adds some energy with some well-placed guitar licks and horns. They fit perfectly with Armstrong's charismatic vocals.

Other remixes put wonderful but radically different spins on the songs. Billie Holiday's take on "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" is given a dub/reggae twist by production duo Yesking. Mel Torme's voice is twisted in a number of ways on the electronic remix of "The Christmas Song" by Sonny J. Despite this, the song doesn't deteriorate into a techno mess. Instead, it has a futuristic sheen that somehow works.

Producer Oh No takes Jimmy Smith's version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and turns it into an instrumental hip-hop banger. It's one of the few Christmas tracks that would sound great on a loud stereo. The Brazilian Girls give Dinah Washington's version of the normally somber "Silent Night" a surprising (and danceable) samba-influenced groove. Washington's voice is barely used here, though, so it's probably one of the more "controversial" remixes.

Not all of the remixes work well. The one in particular that really doesn't is The Orb's remix of Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World." "What A Wonderful World" is one of two non-Christmas tracks included on the collection (the other is Nina Simone's "Chilly Winds," remixed by Fink). The electronic elements The Orb adds to this all-time classic feel kind of slapped on. The fact that Louis Armstrong's voice is pushed to the background a bit certainly doesn't help things. It's almost as if they didn't really want to remix the song in the first place. It's by far the most disappointing track on the album.

However, the album's standout track is the amazing remix of Ella Fitzgerald's "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" by Mike Mangini and Adam Pallin. They turn this relaxed, big-band song into a soaring, romantic epic. This song sneaks up on you at first but then it grows as the sweeping strings move in. This is a track that almost begs to be used in a romantic holiday movie.

If you're looking for something fun and hip to add to your holiday music collection, Verve Remixed Christmas is definitely worth your money. With a nice variety of tracks and remix approaches, this collection stands apart from other Christmas remix collections. If you're someone who is appalled at the idea of these remixes, don't worry. There is also a Verve Unmixed Christmas collection available featuring the original versions of all the tracks on Verve Remixed Christmas. Comparing the remixes to the originals would probably be a really cool thing to do at your holiday party.