The Lion's Den

Nice Lab, Nice Shit

2010-04-08T00:00:00.001-04:00

So, after a week long break from the blogosphere, I sat down to interview a Ron Sulewski, and Dylan Lawrence of Nice lab music for this weeks edition of Tunage Thursdays! Interview after the drop.

BTL: So, to start off, what's the name of your group? What's the origin of that name? Have you changed the band's name before?
NL: The name of our group is Nice Lab, it’s pretty much been that way from the start. When we were starting out, somebody asked us what our goals were and we told them that when it was all said and done we just wanted to have a really nice lab, like a dope studio. In response they were like you should be called “Nice Shit” which eventually evolved into our tagline…Nice Lab, Nice Shit

BTL: Please list the name, age, school, and what each member in the group does.
NL: Well we got three guys working with Nice Lab right now. There’s Ron Sulewski, who works the turntables. He’s 19 years old and plans on going to CMU in the fall. Then we got Dylan Lawrence. He’s a 22 year old who specializes in working with the APC 40 (Ableton Performance Controller). Lastly we have “just” Dan. Dan is 19 years old and is an amazing drummer who currently attends the Recording Institute of Detroit.

BTL: What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?
NL: There’s not really a genre out there for it, but I would call it Gangster Electro.(Ron) We have a ton of influences some of the main ones are Benny Benassi, The Swedish House Mafia, Girl Talk, DJ Godfather, and Dead Maus.(Dylan) Also, I’ve worked first hand with Mckinley Jackson (father of Detroit’s late rapper, Proof). He taught me many things in the studio. Those sessions were very intense, but I will always remember them.

BTL: If you could work with any artist who would you choose?
NL: We really appreciate Method Man and Redman. We would love to work with the two of them.

BTL: When did you form your band?
NL: Nice Lab came together in late 2009

BTL: Where have you performed?
NL: We do everything from live shows to backyard graduation parties. Recently, we played a fashion show at the Commune Lounge in Royal Oak, there was a really good turnout there. (Ron) One of my most memorable performances was when I opened for Mike Jones at the Eagle Theater. I was really nervous, but I pulled through and got a lot of really good exposure.

BTL: Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set play list?
NL: Lately, we have been playing a lot of Dada Life, Savoy, Swedish House Mafia, Disco Villains, and a lot of stuff off of our 2nd album, Nice Lab Nice Shit Vol. 2.

BTL: Who writes your songs?
NL: Well right now, we have been working on a lot of original stuff; in the past we’ve just done re-mixes, but currently another local artist, Zoë Smith and she’s been writing and recording some verses for us.

BTL: Could you briefly describe the music-making process?
NL: We listen to a ton of music. Music is our inspiration. If we hear something that we like, a dope hook, or a really cool beat, we take it from there. Usually we take a song that inspires us and we dissect it piece by piece. Then we take it and make it into something we can call our own.

BTL: How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?
NL: Well not much has changed. I guess in the beginning, we were more hip-hop primarily. We’ve begun to shift more to the Electro side of things. Also, like I said, we’ve been trying to crank out more original work as opposed just focusing just on mashups. We’ve got some big plans that I’m sure you should look out for.

BTL: What has been your biggest challenge as a group?
NL: I guess that the biggest challenge is just getting your name out there and networking.

BTL: Is there a lot of competition out there?
NL: Well, there is competition in every field. Nowadays, anyone can put his or her shit online. I feel confident in saying that there is a lot of competition, but rest assured, we are competitors.

BTL: What's your ultimate direction for your group? Are you seeking fame and fortune?
NL: We’d like to just keep playing. Right now, we are putting in a lot of work for a little pay. In the future, when we are more established, we’d like to be able to put in a little bit of work for a lot of pay. As far as fame and fortune go, of course we would love to have both of them, but generally speaking we just want to be able to live comfortably.

BTL: What advice do you have for people who want to do what you’re doing?
NL: Don’t. If you are willing to make sacrifices and take your licks then more power to you. It’s like working out. Most people who start out really stick to it for about two or three weeks and then they drop it. It’s all about dedication. This is what we do, and we don’t plan on stopping any time soon.

BTL: Is there anyone you'd like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
NL: Hah, I guess we have to thank Sue Sulewski on the financial side of things. Also, we’d like to thank Becca Bibby, Madison Ortiz (for designing our cover art) and our parents for putting up with all of the noise that we make in their basements.

BTL: Would you like to say any last words?
NL: Yeah, be sure to support “good” local artists. And Come to our shows, just support local shit.

Alright there you have it. Thanks to Nice Lab for sitting down with me last night. Be sure to check them out and support local artists.

Here is a new remix that they just did of a song called "Our Time". Be sure to give it a listen.

Warning: This song may cause SEVERE fist pumping sessions.

MIXTAPES

Nice Lab Nice Shit Volume One

Nice Lab Nice Shit Volume Two

More Nice Lab Links

Spring Electro Mix 2010

If you have any comments about Nice Lab or suggestions for artists to feature in future editions of Tunage Thursdays. Please write them in the comments section below.

I Just Got A Hot Tip About Hot Chip!

2010-04-01T02:25:00.000-04:00

What's goin' on everybody? Let me just begin to say that I am so amped about the future of Tunage Thursdays! I have a lot of cool interviews coming up for all of you in the weeks to come. However, due to the fact that this has been such a stressful week, I haven't had time to get to them just yet.

For this week instead of an interview, I am going to highlight an artist that I recently have found thanks to a viral video that they have put out. The music video that I am talking about will be featured after the drop. Until then, here's a little bit about the band known as Hot Chip.

Hot Chip is an electrorock band which formed in London, England, United Kingdom in 2000. It consists of Alexis Taylor (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Joe Goddard (vocals, synths, percussion), Al Doyle (guitar, vocals), Owen Clarke (synths, guitar) and Felix Martin (percussion). The combination of Taylor’s ethereal, high-pitched vocals with Goddard’s warm, low pitch and the band’s blip-blop electronics creates a dreamy sound. The band is best known for the hit singles “Over And Over” (2006) and “Ready For The Floor” (2008).

When I stumbled upon this video a couple weeks ago, my first thought was "What the hell is this?" However, as the day went on, I couldn't get it out of my head. I decided to check out Youtube to see if they had any other notable stuff. After doing some digging, what I found did not disappoint me in the slightest. Almost all of the video that I found were just as crazy as this one. If you like what you see here, I highly recommend that you check out their other stuff as well. Links will be provided after the video. Without further ado, here is the video for Hot Chip's newest single, "I Feel Better"

Hot Chip - I Feel Better

Hot Chip | MySpace Music Videos

Links Yo!
Official Hot Chip Website
Myspace
The Hot Chip Youtube Channel

If you have any comments on Hot Chip, or any ideas for future editions of Tunage Tuesdays, please post a comment below. Oh, and be sure to chiggity check the twitter here.

I'm Too sXe For Youtube

2010-03-31T00:00:00.002-04:00

Okay, last week I introduced all of you (Unless you were not already familiar to it) to the concept of an internet celebrity. I also made you more familiar with one of my all time favorite You Tubers, Dan Brown. This week's vlogger is one that barely needs an introduction in the internet community...I'm talking about the one and only Philly D (Philip DeFranco a.k.a sXe Phil)

Philip DeFranco is an American video blogger on YouTube, and a YouTube celebrity. His videos are centered around current events, politics and celebrity gossip in which he gives his opinion, usually presented in a sarcastic manner. He has over one million subscribers, and is the seventh most subscribed Youtuber of all time, current as of March 2010.

DeFranco started his YouTube channel in 2006, his videos regularly get hundreds of thousands of views. He has used his audience to win many awards and contests. One of his most prestigious awards even included being named Wired's Sexiest Geek of 2008. (A title that I can only wish to hold one day)

Though some of you may still be skeptical about the idea of an internet celeb, let me tell you, they make far more than the theoretical internet dollars that South Park joked about a couple of years ago. As a matter of fact, Phil claimed in an interview in January 2009 that his annual income exceeds $250,000, but says it's from a number of sources on the internet, not just YouTube.

I guess it pays to be a geek sometimes. :)

Below is a little taste of what Mr. DeFranco does on his main channel

Here is a few of of his links

Twitter
Youtube

And of course, if you want, you can follow me on twitter here

photoshop cs 5

2010-03-30T00:00:00.001-04:00

Cultural Decline

2010-03-28T20:30:00.001-04:00

Sorry guys, I had a really long weekend. This is all I have time for today, hope you enjoy!

Welcome To Super Saturdays

2010-03-27T00:00:00.001-04:00

Weird, wacky, random, and rad. Rest assured the content that you see on this Saturday and every Saturday from here on out will be really cool stuff.

First up is a hilarious video that I found on funny or die (Which is one of my favorite sites by the way). It is a fake trailer for a "would be" Bio-Flick about the life and times of Weird Al Yankovich. There are so many cameos in this trailer (including a special appearance from Weird Al himself) that I was almost convinced that they were going to actually make this movie. Check it out, it's good for a little laugh.

"Weird: The Al Yankovic Story" from Aaron Paul

Next is a really funny picture that I found of a referral explaining why a particular student received a 3 day suspension. If you ask me, he'll need 3 days rest in order to take on all of the high fives that he will be getting. (make sure to actually read the referral form...I know the print is tiny)

This next one makes me just feel happy on the inside. It's one guy playing two guys playing a medley of popular TV show theme songs. He even does the Firefly theme!

Update

2010-03-26T18:50:00.001-04:00

It was announced just a few days ago that Aziz Ansari will be hosting the 2010 MTV Movie Awards this year! Oh and for all of you who are into this kind of thing here is a link to Aziz's Twitter Also, I hopped on the bandwagon and made one myself specifically for this site. You can tweet my twat here.

Welcome to Funny Fridays!

2010-03-26T00:00:00.003-04:00

The first comedian to ever be featured in my segment called "Funny Friday" has starred in such films as School for Scoundrels, The Rocker, Funny People, and Observe and Report. He also has a leading role in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. Ladies and gentlemen, Aziz Ansari

Aziz started his comedy career in back in 2004, where he was a regular at the world renowned Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. Aziz's stand-up is absolutely hilarious. When he played a comic in Judd Apatow' Funny People (A character by the name of Raaaaaaaandy) In 2009, Apatow fell in love with Aziz. He then commissioned Aziz to do a series of online shorts to promote the upcoming film as Raaaaaaaandy.

Video of one of the Raaaaaaaandy shorts Below

Raaaaaaaandy - Part 1 (Funny People) from Aziz Ansari

Back in January of 2010 Aziz performed his own Comedy Central stand up special entitled Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening.

If you are unfamiliar with any of Aziz's work, be sure to check him out as soon as possible.

Some of Aziz's links
Tumblr
Myspace
and of course, my personal favorite
Raaaaaaaandy's personal page (complete with soundboard!)

If you have any suggestions for next week's featured comedian or any thoughts about Aziz Ansari, or this article in general be sure to let me know in the comments section below.

Welcome To Tunage Thursdays!!

2010-03-25T00:16:00.001-04:00

From this day forward, Thursdays here at the Lion's Den, will be dedicated to nothing but music. I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve, so be sure to click the follow link on the lower left hand side of the page so that you don't miss a thing. Some things you can plan on seeing in this edition and future editions of Tunage Thursday are artists that I feel are awesome in general, what artists are new and noteworthy, and I will also be talking about (and interviewing!) several local artists. I have a lot of awesome interviews lined up so you'll want to make sure to check back every Thursday to get smacked in the face with a lethal dose of freshness.

This week, the band that I will be talking about is none other than the California based super trio known as Hyper Crush!

Live and Direct from the Honky Tonk of Electro. Behold the all time greatest 50's Doo-Hop, Electro, Hip Hop Group from the 80's. Three shit-faced extra terrestrials known amongst the elite simply as Donny, Preston and Holly. A couple of real gentlemen and one broad with a steady diet of cotton candy and flat soda pop to calm the nerves.

Donny "Ponyboy" Fontaine is a straight shooter, who once won a trip to Reno, Nevada in a James Dean look-a-like contest. Despite his uncanny looks, he still has trouble with low self-esteem at times. Donny began rapping in the summer of '56 and has not stopped since. One of Donny's greatest achievements was a freestyle battle he won at the Country Manor Home for the Mentally Disabled. "As far as I'm concerned none of these retards stand a chance", said Donny, prior to his landslide victory. With the wits of a pigeon and an ego big enough for five men, Donny is destined to be a pretentious rock star of epic proportions.

What would the greatest Electro/Doo-Hop group of all time be without a super producer/dj extraordinaire? His name is Preston Moronie, a cool customer on the computer buttons with a pension for domestic violence. In an interview Preston once asked a reporter "What do you tell a woman with two black eyes?" "What" the reporter replied. "Nothin' you already told her twice", he yelled, as he strangled the broad next to him. Despite being a convicted felon and full time alcoholic, Preston sticks to his passion of creating timeless works of art. Donny and Preston first met in the fall of '62, during a fist fight at a local Denny's in the city of San Fernando. The two were involved in an altercation over what song was to be played over the jukebox. Preston wanted to hear some "Fats Domino" and Donny of course, insisted on "Martha and the Vandella's".

The waitress who stopped the quarrel was none other than Holly "Baby" Valentine a big time hussy with a foul attitude and a mouth full of bubble gum. Holly was born in the jungles of South America, but moved to the states after killing several cops. With a voice like an angel and a mouth like a truck driver, Holly hit it off perfectly with Donny and Preston. The three decided to start the Doo-Hop, Electro, Death-Core super group "HYPER CRUSH". Hyper Crush is part of the San Fernando Valley's aristocratic super elite known as "Le Brethren De Molak", and are said to have ties with such people as Ralph Macchio and the ever elusive Corey Haim. HYPER CRUSH seems to have the "rap game" in a constant choke hold status with songs like "Sex and Drugs" and "Disco Tech". It seems to be that once these three mad geniuses set their minds to ruling the universe at large there is nothing standing in their way!
(Semi-Truthful Biography posted from on Hyper Crush's personal page located here)

The Hip-Hop/Electronic group's first major label release The Arcade was released back in 2008. In regards to the album, let me just say this. If you have never heard of Hyper Crush before this post. Hop in your Delorean, plug in your Nintendo NES , hook up your Power Glove, and prepare yourself for the 8-bit odyssey you're about to embark upon!

Check out some of Hyper Crush's other links below

Myspace
Facebook
The Official Hyper Crush Blog

Below is a video for Hyper Crush's the Delorean

By the way, I want to thank all of you reading my posts and following me. Keep in mind that I want all of you (My Lion Cubs) to interact on this site as well. If you have any suggestions for bands that should be in future editions of Tunage Thursdays, or if you have any thoughts on the current band I have highlighted this week, please post them in the comments section below.

Welcome To Web Wednesdays!

2010-03-24T00:00:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe that there was actually a time before youtube. Growing up I was a huge fan of ebaumsworld and still love all of those original internet videos that came out in that era. All your base are belong to us! (If you didn't get that joke, then google it). When youtube came out I treated it as if it were just another ebaumsworld type website. I would only look at it to watch people getting hurt or other funny stuff like that. Since it's conception, youtube has evolved into a huge entity for which anybody can upload their own user generated content to.

When I was entering my Freshman year at Central Michigan University I got a phone call from my old friend Adam Brown. He had told me that his brother, soon to be internet sensation, Dan Brown (Not to be confused with the author of best selling DaVinci Code book) had just submitted a video on how to solve a Rubik's Cube. He told me to check it out and subscribe to him as soon as possible because he wanted to become a youtube celebrity. I laughed at the idea of a youtube celebrity. Later that day I went to his page to check it out and I subscribed as Adam had told me to do.

At the current time of this posting, that original How To Solve a Rubik's Cube video has 14,522,753 views. The power of new media outlets is simply astonishing. Do you realize how many people 14,522,753 really is? Well, it's a lot. I would like to congratulate Dan on his success, but at the same time blame him for my addiction to youtube. Dan was like my gateway drug to youtube. From his videos I proceeded to journey further and further into the rabbit hole.

Dan Brown was only the tip of the iceberg. Even though he has 206,867 subscribers he is not the only youtube sensation taking the world by storm. There are many others like him out there uploading their own content. Web Wednesdays will be a segment where I talk about youtubers like Dan, that really intrigue me and will hopefully interest you as well.

Below is an outtakes video from one of Dan's other videos, it's one of my favorites because His brother, Adam Brown himself, is in the background repeatedly ruining Dan's shot. And though Dan tells him to stop, Adam remains persistent. Check it out...Also here is a link to Dan's channel for you all of you to check out. Be sure to subscribe to him as well if you like what you see.

Welcome to Tech Tuesdays!

2010-03-23T03:00:00.001-04:00

Okay, If you haven't checked out the tentative schedule of blogging on the top of my page then you don't know about Tech Tuesdays. Well to sum it up, I will talk about cool upcoming gadgets that I think look really promising and cool. Likewise, I will talk about the gadgets that I think will fail miserably. Alrighty, Lets get this party started then shall we.

Marvell wants to get into the tablet business and it is showing a prototype that will offer web access and high-definition content at a price that would beat the competition by a wide margin.

The prototoype tablet, called Moby, is targeted mainly at students who may be looking for a digital device that could give them access to books and the internet, and could also act as a music player.

The Moby tablet will be powered by Marvell’s ARMADA 600 series of application processors. These chips can offer gigahertz-class speed, says the company. The device will also bring 1080p full-HD capability, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS connectivity and FM radio. Marvell hasn’t disclosed detailed technical specifications for the device.

It looks pretty sweet to me considering that one of it's main competitors, the apple iPad, is slated to have a $700 price tag and will not have multitasking capabilities like Marvell's Moby. So apple owners, put on your Northface Fleeces, head back to Ann Arbor in your hybrid cars and shove that one down your throat.

Ok before people get all pissy about that last comment, I would just like to state for the record that I do indeed own a Northface and a Macbook. And though that last statement was a huge generalization, you have to admit, it's a very common occurrence among the Ann Arbor crowd these days...that and herpes. Peace.

Welcome to Movie Mondays!

2010-03-22T12:00:00.001-04:00

I'm assuming that you have all read my "tentative schedule of blogging" page (link at the top of the page...don't be a Melvin and check it out) Anyways, you know what they say about assuming, so to give you a brief summary, every Monday I'll be discussing a movie or movies that I have seen. I will also be talking upcoming movies that I think are notable to look out for. So, Without further ado, lets get this party started!

Ahh, movies...How I love thee so. This Mondays notable movie of the day goes to 2001's "Blow" Starring Johnny Depp among a fully loaded cast. I don't have time to explain it right now, but Anyone who has seen it can tell you that it is utterly amazing. If not, then screw you man. If you haven't seen it however, here and be sure to watch it right away. I mean, buy it, you know, from a store, you naughty little pirate you. Or at least rent it.

Next up is a movie that I absolutely can not wait to see. It recently premiered at the SXSW film festival this past week. That's right, Kickass. Once again, I apologize that I don't have too much time to talk about this film right now, but here's the official red band trailer for the film, I'm sure you wont be disappointed.

Jesus FIRST POST!!!

2010-03-21T00:00:00.001-04:00

Wow! Would you look at that. My very first post. It's funny because it seems so important. I mean, there is so much stuff that I could post right now. I guess I'll keep it simple and just shoot from the hip here...

This is a video I ran across a long time ago. It's some old Start Trek TNG episode with people dubbing over the actors voices. Every time I see it, it puts a smile on my face. Hopefully it will put one on yours as well...