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December 24, 2009
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 1:15 PM | Comments (0)
December 23, 2009
Top Ten Songs of 2009: #3
#3: Poker Face - Lady Gaga
I don't think anyone who knows me would be surprised to see this song near the top of the list. Poker Face was that song of the year that got us all on the dance floor. How many different versions has this song have been seen over the past year? Even Rivers Cuomo put his own spin on it. Check out this v-v-v-video, v-v-v-video...
WIll have to post later...
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 10:45 AM | Comments (0)
December 22, 2009
Top Ten Songs of 2009: #4
#4: The Reeling - Passion Pit
Some say Passion Pit is just a bunch of disco infused rock, I say they're the best excuse anyone had to get on the dance floor. This isn't cheap music, but a golden mix of funky, screachy vocals and strong, electronic beats. The first time I heard The Reeling it was in a birthday mix one of my friends made...I recognized the voice, I knew it had to be Passion Pit...I love it!
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 12:57 AM | Comments (0)
December 20, 2009
Top Ten Songs of 2009: #5
#5: Time to Pretend - MGMT
Could there be a better band than MGMT these days? OK, maybe...but these guys from the Northeast combine synthesizers, guitar and electronic beats that motivated even Paul McCartney to seek their services on his next album...it's true, Google it! Time to Pretend gives the most shameful of hipsters the excuse to head towards the dancefloor, I'm sure this song got plenty of spins in it's heyday at London Calling. Although Kids is my favorite from this album, Time to Pretend is a close second...and was actually released in 2009. The video below was made by some British dude who put the music to images from BBC's Planet Earth...pretty cool!
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 7:27 PM | Comments (0)
Top 50 Songs of the '00s!
This was the decade that brought emo, electronica, and hip-hop into full fashion. The '00s were also the decade that brought death to the pop singer, that is until Miley and gang came back in full force. It's crazy, as bad as the music industry has become, it feels like at the same time we've been given new music that's beautiful and inventive. I thought I would do my best to put a list together, (since we all know I'm a sucker for a list), that would encompass what this decade has been about. I tried to do my best to think of our culture and what could be considered as signs of the times...then I put them into priority of what my favorites are...drum roll please...
1. Paper Planes - M.I.A.
2. Float On - Modest Mouse
3. Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4. The Scientist - Coldplay
5. If I Ain't Got You - Alicia Keys
6. Kids - MGMT
7. Rehab - Amy Winehouse
8. Flume - Bon Iver
9. Caring is Creepy - The Shins
10. Do You Realize?? - Flaming Lips
11. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens
12. All These Things that I've Done - The Killers
13. Honey and the Moon - Joseph Arthur
14. Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
15. Young Folks - Peter, Bjorn, & John
16. Bermuda Highway - My Morning Jacket
17. Sleepyhead - Passion Pit
18. All I Need - Radiohead
19. I Will Follow You Into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie
20. What Goes Around - Justin Timberlake
21. A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
22. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
23. Neighborhoos #1 - Arcade Fire
24. Shut Up and Let Me Go - The Ting Tings
25. Winter White Hymnal - Fleet Foxes
26. Crazy in Love - Beyonce
27. Can't Get You Out of My Head - Kylie Minogue
28. Knife - Grizzly Bear
29. Poker Face - Lady Gaga
30. Arise - Eddie Vedder
31. Naked as We Came - Iron & Wine
32. Down the Line - Jose Gonzalez
33. Screaming Infidelities - Dashboard Confessional
34. Around the World - Daft Punk
35. Cannonball - Damien Rice
36. Love Lockdown - Kanye West
37. Don't Tell Me - Madonna
38. Heartbeats - The Knife
39. Stan - Eminem
40. Island in the Sun - Weezer
41. Falling Slowly - Swell Season
42. Long Road - Patty Giffin
43. Hey Ya! - Outcast
44. Walk On - U2
45. In the End - Linkin Park
46. Forever - Chris Brown
47. Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys
48. Vanished - Crystal Castles
49. Lost Cause - Beck
50. Out of the Woods - Nickel Creek
The Three Worst Songs of the '00s
1. Hero - Enrique Iglesius
2. Love Drunk - Boys Like Girls
3. Any Song by the Black Eyed Peas
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 7:07 PM | Comments (4)
Alicia Keys and Stephen Colbert...A Duet
This is pretty awesome!
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down | ||||
| ||||
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 1:21 AM | Comments (1)
December 19, 2009
Top Ten Songs of 2009: #6
#6: Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear
I'll tell you right now that this video is nothin' but bizarre, but the song is freakin' amazing. Grizzly Bear have been around for a while, but made their biggest debut on the Billboard charts with their recent album, Veckatimest. Two Weeks reminds me of Tears for Fears, but in the future and better. Grizzly Bear is the indie world's melodic fantasy and Two Weeks is it's new anthem.
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 11:57 PM | Comments (0)
Merry Christmas!
The other day as I was driving home from work I made an observation that there are Christmas lights aglow all over St. Louis. My job takes me from South City to O' Fallon, and everywhere in between. I have seen huge blow up lights in the shape of Santa Claus and white lights neatly lining rooftops. While the decorations may be diverse, they collectively offer a sign of hope to me. I realized that this time of year is very hopeful for many of us, like Christmas lights, it transcends all parts of the city of St. Louis. I was moved as I thought about how common we all are...it's not just in our traditions at Christmas time, or even in our love for Jesus, but also in our desire to know and to be known. We were all created to live in community with God and with His people. Whether our differences are socioeconomic levels, or skin tone, or whatever, we have an innate need to be together.
My job, which I started around this same time last year has provided many humbling experiences that have presented commonalities among all of us. I have had such good conversations with black people, poor people, rich people, immigrants, etc; we are far more similar than we give ourselves justice. Just like wreaths that have been placed on doors both in Berkeley and in Ladue, people live behind those doors who have common needs. We have the need to be respected, to love and to be loved, having people to call our own. During the holiday season we acknowledge this with big meals and festive parties in an effort to celebrate Jesus, but also to do that in community. I think that as stressful as Christmas can be, it is such a sweet time of year. We get to see our friends and family that we haven't been with in several months and we get to laugh, see pictures and hear stories from the past year...it's a time of celebration! We ALL look forward to that.
I know this year I will be thinking about what kids in my case load are doing, I'll think about friends of mine who will return home, and I'll know that we'll be doing many of the same things...eating, talking, sharing, eating, laughing, eating, watching football, catching up, eating...a majority of our nation will be doing the same thing!
When I take my 9 hour drive home next week I will be looking forward to seeing my parents, my sister and her family, childhood friends, etc. I am so excited! Many of us have that same feeling of expectation. I think that's why peace is thought of at Christmas, because this season goes throughout our city and nation and touches so many people across many different cultures...it's a beautiful thing! I hope and pray that we also remember peace comes from the Father, and is in the form of a man...He truly makes it possible to take comfort in the Lord. Despite sin, the very thing that puts space between us and God, we are as close as possible through the Spirit...thanks be to Jesus who made this possible! In the Old Testament when the tower of Babel was built people were scattered in different languages and separated, I can't help but feel like Jesus is the undoing of the scattered pandemonium that must have been that event...He's bringing us back together through a common peace with God that we all share. It's true, we can have a relationship with Him and His people, despite our differences in politics, in race, etc. I encourage you to recognize that many of us share in this communion with the Father, both your neighbors and across town. We all worship the Father in various ways! It is He that brings us together, and it is He that is the basis for our commonalities! Thank you Jesus! Merry Christmas!
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 10:47 PM | Comments (3)
December 18, 2009
Top Ten Songs of 2009: #7
#7: My Girls - Animal Collective
I know Animal Collective have been on a national level since '04, but their latest album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, is ridiculous. I heard My Girls for the first time at Meshugga's Coffee on the Loop and it sent me into a psychedelic/electronic haze. I love the track, I love the beat, I love the voices singing in unison, and then with tight harmonies...it's pretty awesome...and #7 on the countdown.
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 4:36 PM | Comments (0)
December 9, 2009
Top Ten Songs of 2009: #8
#8: Bon Iver - Beach Baby
The first time I heard this song was during the "winter storm" of 2009. It was January and there were several inches of snow on the ground, Beach Baby came on the radio and it just fit with the quietness of freshly fallen snow branches and covered roads with no traffic in sight. I can't get enough of Bon Iver, they're up at the top of my list. Check out this video featuring the song below...
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 10:18 AM | Comments (0)
Moving is the Best!
When I began my venture to change addresses I never thought of the massive headaches that were going to come my way. I thought, "I don't have any furniture, I can just throw my stuff neatly in some boxes and get friends to help me; I'll be done with it in a weekend." However, I have been living in my new place for just over a month and have had several mix-ups and mishaps along the way, which have made this moving thing go from being a weekend event to a month and a half long Epic adventure. (This will be the ONLY time you hear me bitch about moving a mile and half down the road...enjoy, or skip to the next entry.)
I had planned to move out of 715A at the end of the month but the guy that was taking my place just had to be in by the 15th, so I did the best I could to get stuff together albeit haphazardly; the other guy got sick and is yet to move in. Because of the rush, and because of the fact that I have no furniture I am unorganized and flustered.
The cable people were scheduled to come during working hours, so I had to take off from work, they then cancelled and forgot to let me know they had cancelled. So 10 days later they arrived, I now have endless episodes of Top Chef and Mad Men to catch up on.
...and the winner of the biggest Pain in the Ass award goes to...drum roll please...Good Works! I have been without a bed and chest of drawers for weeks now. I literally have had piles of clothes lined around my room, although they're neat piles, they're annoying piles just the same. I paid for my bedroom furniture last Saturday, 10 days ago, and Good Works couldn't deliver the furniture until yesterday, (which sucked)...so I've been sleeping on an air mattress, which equals AWESOME! Last night I was at home because my bed was finally coming between 6 and 8...however, at 6:30 I got the call, "We're not going to be able to bring your bed. They're in Chesterfield now and have one more to go before they would get to you. It's gonna be too late, (in other words, we're not going to make our delivery people work late cause then we'll have to pay them overtime) but we can get there tomorrow between noon and 2, (which is good, because noon to 2 on Wednesdays I generally don't work...nor Tuesday 11 - 1, Thursdays 10-3, and Fridays 11:30 - 4). God willing, today I'll have something to sleep on...so glad I paid $50 for Good Works' crappy service. Congratulations goes to Good Works who beat out Charter Cable, a top contender, for the PITA award! At least I have glasses to drink out of.
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 9:12 AM | Comments (6)
December 8, 2009
Top Ten Songs of 2009: #9
#9: Mika - Blame it on the Girls
The first time I heard this song I didn't get it...the second time I heard the song, I wanted to hear it again...and then again. The ironic track in Mika's pop heavy Blame it on the Girls goes beyond the call of duty in it's effort to juxtapose the sad message that we've all had crappy childhoods, or at least tragic circumstances to allow us something to complain about. We don't wear our hearts on our sleeves anymore, we tattoo them, and wear ripped wife-beaters in plain view so that everyone can see the harm that has been done to us. Our rim glasses and vintage boots have become a sign of the thorns that are wrapped tightly around our souls, but at least we have someone to blame it on...
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 12:18 AM | Comments (0)
December 6, 2009
Total Eclipse of the Heart...the literal version
My friend, Lindsay, introduced me to a youtube sensation, Total Eclipse of the Heart, the Literal Version. Probably the funniest video I've ever seen on the website. You must watch this video...pretty amazing!
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 3:06 PM | Comments (1)
Sweet Chicken's Christmas Gift Guide
Help your people be all green and stuff with this clean and sustainable SIGG water bottle from REI for $24.95
Set your drink on one of these coasters made from old LPs, that's right, they're made form recycled records, from Uncommon Goods for $18.
It would never be a bad thing to find a Kandinsky painting wrapped up under the tree...although it could set you back 110 million pounds as this one did for some filthy rich bloke in Britain.
These USB drives are perfect for the inner I.T. geek in all of us...look for Yoda and the Storm Troopers as well. You can find them at tymemachines.com, $30.
Keep your lampshades shady. The Ray and Stevie Pendant Light, just over $200.
Do a friend a favor...help them get caught up on the greatest TV show around, only $17.99 at Amazon.com
I love this mug, find it at shakespearesden.com, only $10
The pictures in this coffee table book will make you want to hug a bear despite the fact that they could rip your head off with the nonchalant swipe of one of their claws, $17.81 at Amazon.com
This amp, made out of vintage toasters will have you making some hot music, find it at hottieamps.com for $279.
Bring the outdoors in with this "Enchanted Woods" dock, available at anthropologie.com, $98.
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 2:10 PM | Comments (0)
December 3, 2009
Top Ten Songs of 2009: #10
It's that time of year kids! I look forward to putting this list together...and all I can say is that it's very electronic. It just wasn't that interesting a year in music. There are some gems that came out of 2009, but nothing new and exciting, if you will. Seriously, have you seen those nominated by the Grammys? Ugh. You know it's bad when the best thing going is Taylor Swift. Don't get me wrong, she's beautiful and seems like a sweet and genuine person, but my gosh that voice...I'd rather her do the Ashlee Simpson thing...just lip sync and give us all a break. You can't think about 2009 without mentioning the Kings of Leon, I mean, those dudes that sing that one song...it came on the radio so much I've put it in the Voldemort category...can't even say the title out loud. However, this was a good year for electronic madness...Passion Pit, MGMT, Lady Gaga, Animal Collective and others all came out of the unknown shells and were brought to the masses, and the masses enjoyed.
#10: Highs and Lows - Mindy Smith
I love me some Mindy Smith. This song was released in support of the folk/country singer's fourth LP, Stupid Love , and she doesn't go far from the same soft and tender tones of her last releases. She's pretty great. I really like the words...and it's even upbeat with a somewhat cheerful mode. Way to get happy Mindy!
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 8:05 PM | Comments (1)
Grammy Nominations Revisited...
I did somewhat well in my predictions. I got three right in both the song and record nominations. However...where is Lady Gaga in the Best New Artist category? I didn't expect her get an Album of the Year nomination, although she deserves it...so that's good. Even if you find her annoying you can't deny that the girls got some pipes...not to mention, is a pop singer that thinks against the grain with an artistic edge. I actually had MGMT in the New Artist category, however, I thought they were out a long time ago so I took them out of my predictions...as well as the Ting Tings...I guess I tend to be more cutting edge and ahead of what's cool than I realize. What can I say? I basically start the bandwagon.
Enjoy some acoustic Gaga...
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 7:52 PM | Comments (0)
I Gotta New Home!
It's true...I gotta a new place! I'm living just north of Forest Park...pretty awesome! You should come over and check it out...
Welcome!
Hello Deck Parties!
Tom Colicchio would be jeolous of this kitchen
If you need to take a dump, you can always use my restroom...
...be sure to wash your hands!
I'm even getting a bed...on Tuesday!
Goodnight! See you soon!
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 7:36 PM | Comments (1)
December 2, 2009
Grammy Nomination Predictions
Ok, I've been gone for quite a while...buying a condominium and working...it's been kind of busy. So I figured since I'm starting the annual list of the Top Ten Songs of the Year I would go ahead and post my predictions for what will be nominated for Grammys, which are to be announced tonight.
I don't necassarily think some of these are worth the nomination, but it's who I think will get ones...
While they always get a few right, often times it's the best of what's popular that wins the vote. This was a pretty weak year for music in my humble opinion...no Bon Iver, no Vampire Weekend...heck, even the biggest album of the year is by a girl who just might have the most annoying voice in the history of music, (...seriously, has no one else figured out that Taylor Swift can't sing?) I'd rather hear the Chocolate Rain guy sing Handel's 'Messiah' over and over again for 24 hours, and then cleanse my pallot with Britney singing 'Amazing Grace' than have to hear Swift's 'You Belong to Me' again. But I digress...
Album of the Year
Taylor Swift - Fearless
Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak
Jay Z - The Blueprint 3
Some Old Dude...(there's always an old dude/band...see Steely Dan, Ray Charles, James Taylor...they've all been big winners in recent years)
Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Song of the Year
Beyonce - Single Ladies
Taylor Swift- You Belong with Me
Kings of Leon - Use Somebody
Neko Case - People Got a Lotta Nerve
Lady Antebellum - I Run to You
Record of the Year
Beyonce - Single Ladies
Taylor Swift - You Belong with Me
Lady Gaga - Poker Face
Kings of Leon - Use Somebody
Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow (...not that I like all of these songs...)
Best New Artist
Lady Antebellum
Lady Gaga
Passion Pit
Kid Cudi
3OH!3
Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 1:37 PM | Comments (0)