Whale of a Tale

Okay, I didn't go to the Go Jimmy Go concert, but there was a Reggae Battle of the Bands up at UH, so that's where we kinda went. The whole thing is a funny story, but if you want to hear the rest, let me know.

Speaking of funny, here's a video I just found on YouTube:

Dead Whale + Dynamite = Bad Idea

Soul Arrival

YESSYEYSEYEYSYSYEYSYESSYESSS!

Why am I so happy right now?

I got SOUL ARRIVAL!

Not the album, but I FINALLY found the free mp3 after weeks of searching.  Where did I find it?On the Go Jimmy Go official homepage - that's where.  Now, why didn't I find it earlier even though it was under the FREE MP3 section?  I guess I didn't expect it to be there, but now I'm SO HAPPY!  It just feels good getting what you want.

And I WILL buy the Soul Arrival album once I find it.  C'mon Jelly's - supply me!

So here it is and more from their KTUH live broadcast.  Maybe I should reconsider volunteering at KTUH.  Hmmmm....

Soul Arrival.mp3
Takin' It Off.mp3
(808) PD.mp3

Now, as I have mentioned before, these FREE mp3s are from gojimmygo.com, so I am 90% sure that me sharing the link is legal and okay, and appreciated.

BY THE WAY,
there is a show THIS Friday at Anna Bannana's! Here's the poster:

WHO IS DOWN?

There's a Reggae Band rrrOn My Street

It's almost 12 on a Saturday night, and the reggae band somewhere near is still playing since earlier tonight. I am kinda jealous. This happens maybe once a month, but this time I'm not in bed yet.

Where is it coming from?!
I am close enough to hear the crowd screaming. It sounds like a pretty big crowd; maybe at least 20 people, and the band sounds really good... at least from where I am, which is a few blocks away. Maybe it's 3 blocks. I really want to find out now. I mean, I've always wanted to know where it was coming from, but now I want to be there.

I also learned in MUS108 that lower frequency notes travel further, and thats why you can hear the bass better. At one point I could hear a keyboard, and I can still hear the drums and the two singers.

This situation reminds me of a few RBF songs.  Here's one:

Everything Sucks

Wow, after watching that, I've just remembered why I love the Reel Big Fish.

TOTALLY AWESOME!!

Well, now I'm not so jealous.

Close to Me

This just recently became my new favorite The Cure song: "Close To Me."
(I've got a funny feeling that I'm using those quote marks wrongly. Do you italicize song titles?)

I've had their greatest hits album for almost a year now, and never liked more than half of the songs on there. As usual, I would judge the whole song by the first 5 seconds of it, and in "Close To Me", it's a door squeaking, followed a simple, repetitive beat, so I'd skip it and listen to "Boys Don't Cry" or "Just Like Heaven" or "Lovesong."

So, while my broken iPod is on shuffle, this song comes on, and I'm too lazy to skip it. Actually, lately I've been trying to listen to the songs I never bothered with before, and it's been working out great for me. Another example is The Pietasters; I have 66 Pietasters songs, and now I can tolerate ALL their songs - not just 5.

Anyway, here's the video for "Close To Me"




and an alternate version I found on YouTube. I think knowing both versions is better than just one. They make each other better, in my opinion. They COMPLIMENT each other hah! That's the word, I think. It completes the story.



And don't let Robert Smith scare you. You haven't seen "Lullaby" yet.

Funk Band - Straight To Business

This "Funk Band" series will be featured on the Lab School Funk Band's news page.

Yo!  It's Will - still hanging around; helping out my favorite funk band.

As some of you may have heard, I am currently taking a "Fundamentals of Western Music" course at UH Manoa, and it has been a complete breeze so far.  At this point, I am confident that any Lab School student would be familiar with what I'm learning now - things like classical music history, identifying time signatures and dynamic markers, and clapping simple rhythms.  Later I'll be learning a little more about music theory, how to write music reviews, and maybe even do a little ear training - things I'm already used to as a former member of the Funk Band.  I will keep you all updated if anything interesting happens in my class.

Now, moving on to the fun stuff!

I've never stopped looking for songs to learn, and I have never stopped suggesting songs for the Funk Band.  Even before I was in the Funk Band, I was already suggesting songs!  Anyway, I have a feeling that the focus for this year's repertoire is on uplifting songs - songs that help us share a positive vibe with the world - so I have narrowed down my very large list to fit the criteria.

Here are my top song suggestions for this week/month (in no particular order):

Amber - 311 (chill song, cool reverb effects)

Australia - The Shins (lots of guitar parts, back-up vocals, and it's hip!)

Lights Out - Santogold

Naive - The Kooks (funky guitar rhythms.  the good kind of funky)

No Rain - Blind Melon

Don't Panic - Coldplay (powerful message, cool effects)

Fantastic Voyage - Lakeside (FUNK!)

Modern Mystery - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

Back On The Chain Gang - The Pretenders (hoo-hah!)

A-Punk - Vampire Weekend

That's it for now.  If anyone wants to hear my other song suggestions, let me know and I'd be glad to share.

And here's the music video for

Modern Mystery - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

Easy Skankin'

No, "Easy Skankin'" does not mean "to do easy skanks."  It's a Bob Marley song, you foos.

"Excuse me while I light my spliff.  (Spliff!)

Oh Jah, I gotta take a lift.  (Lift!)

From reality I just can't drift.  (Drift!)

That's why I'm stayin' with this riff.  (Riff!)

Take it easy.  (Takin' it easy.)

Gotta take it easy.  (Skankin' it slooow.)"

Why is Bob Marley's music so good?  It's beyond good, actually, but why?  Any ideas?  What makes bands so popular or notorious?  Like The Beatles, for example.  Hmm. . . does psychedelics have anything to do with it?  I do believe so yes.

Oh Bob. . . I have to buy some of your albums.  It feels better to own an album that to pirate it off the internet, even if you only like 2 songs out of the 15 that you paid for.  I take it back -- sometimes it doesn't feel that good, but it's the right thing;  It feels right, but not good.  That's the way it is.  (Oh that's another song: The Way It Is - The Strokes)

"Oh ya see?

I wish it were not true, but that's the way it is."

Aaaand . . . if you look to the right of this page, then you will eventually find the Imeem.com playlist I just put up recently.  Why half of it is cut off I do not know.  I have an idea why, but it doesn't really bother me much.  BUT if anyone is bothered by it, lemme know so I can pix it.

Once I find a legal way to upload songs from my iTunes, then I will share my musak with the people.  I anyone just wants to figure it out for me, then awesome!  I'll put you on the "Special Thanks" section of my first or second successful album.  PROMISE!  Just remind me.

Btw, I think I've just figured out a connection between the two meanings of the same word: skank.

skank        [skangk] Pronunciation Key

–verb (used without object)

Slang. to dance rhythmically in a loose-limbed manner.

See where I'm going here?  That's from dictionary.com btw, so I don't get sued.

Like They Do on the Discovery Channel

Heloo again.  I just got home from a long day on TheBus, and I'm pooped -- or I pooped.  Both.

First idea of the day:

I hear birds on my roof above my room, and it sounds like one or three of three things: 1)Fighting, 2)Eating ravenously, 3)Wild bird sex.  It may very well be all 3 -- I don't know.  Maybe there's more than 2 birds, but they are making weird cooing/squawking noises, and it sounds more like pain than pleasure, but I can't tell.  I've never seen birds do it before.  I've seen LIZARDS do it once, and that mystery was solved months ago.  If I remember correctly, then the best way that I can describe it is "violent love ball" or maybe just "violent sex ball" because I don't think lizards can develop strong emotional feelings for other lizzzzarrrrds.... blah blah.  Moving on!  The birds flew away long ago.  Or maybe they fell asleep haha!  'Cuz you know... no, you don't.

A Bloodhound Gang song comes to mind.  "You and me, baby -- we ain't nothin' but mammals, so let's do it like they do on the Discovery Channel."

Curse this internet connection...

Next:

So I spent my whole bus ride trying to find songs for this year's Funk Band.  For those of you who don't know, Funk Band is an elective class at the highschool I graduated from.  Here's their website that was just recently remodeled to look supa fine:

The Lab School Funk Band

I could spend a lot of time explaining what's up with the Funk Band, and what kinda highschool is called "The Lab School", but I think I'll pass for now.  Someday I'll help enlighten y'all.  In short, the school does nasty experiments on the teachers and students via experimental textbooks and curriculum, and the Funk Band plays more contemporary music than funk.  I learned some music theory and got some experience practicing and performing with a band, which is awesome.

So, my list of songs -- I like to call it a "playlist" -- keeps growing.  I just put my broken iPod on shaafuru (cuz it's in Japanese), and take note of songs I think they (we) could play. Yeah, if you haven't figured out already, I'm not in that class or school anymore, but I just visit them when I got time.  (Don't tell the office!)  But hey, I'm still (sorta) part of the Funk Band; my picture's on the front page.

There's more than 50 songs in my playlist, and I'm not gonna post them all here right now, so here's some of my best suggestions so far (in no particular order).

Last Night - The Strokes

No Rain - Blind Melon

You Talk Way Too Much - The Strokes

Hard to Explain - The Strokes

Take It or Leave It - The Strokes

Boss DJ - Reel Big Fish

99 Red Balloons - Goldfinger

The End Has No End - The Strokes

Well, there you have it.  Apparently, I'm really into The Strokes -- their songs aren't too complex, and they're hip, so everyone's a winner.  My goal is to find different songs that give the members of the Funk Band the opportunity to showcase their mad skills because no one likes to be left out.

Okay I must continue this later.  Maybe I'll post some music next time.  Peace.

Blog Cherry

Hey!  First blog post ever.  Exciting!

So I've started blogging because my cousin recommended it.  She didn't like reading my MySpace bulletins because they were hard to find, and I don't think she cared much for 'em.  Damn those surveys; what I do is... sometimes classier.  (I don't know if "classy" includes "Rockstar Sperm for Sale.")  If you haven't read any of my MySpace bulletins, you've been missing out on valuable info on some hilarious videos and awesome music, and movie recommendations/reviews.

Anyway, that's some intro for y'all for now.  Maybe if there's enough interest, I'll turn this into a music blog, which I've been interested in doing for a while now.  For now, I'll find some fancy music player to embed on this thang... or INto because I'd be embeeeddding it.

I'm falling asleep.  Moving on.

---

So the usual is that I am always on Wikipedia and YouTube, and I just look up shit... or stuff.  I look up music a lot -- music videos, live performances, covers, acoustic renditions, remixes --and I also look up the artist's info and I learn a LOT... or i read a lot; I'm not sure if it "sticks" yet.  And I'm still not entirely sure how to use semi-colons yet; please bear with me.

Oh that was another intro, kinda.  I need another one of these:

---

Here's what I stumbled upon earlier today.  It was actually recommended by YouTube especially for me.  How dooo they do it?

"Best Office Prank Ever"

Well, it IS the best I've seen so far.  So clever.  So inspiring.  I actually did "lol" watching this one.  Then I clicked on some related videos, subscribed to CheeksDown, and yeah, found a few more awesome videos that I'd like to share -- in the Future; like tomorrow.  I'd like to review this one a little more, but ehhh... watch it.  Do it yo-self, haha.  Just enjoy it.  Be inspired.  Go put up a drywall somewhere.  Confuse the hell out of your co-workers -- strangers even!  Yeah!

P's out.  I just thought of that one.... because my name, you know... nevermind

...and the band-name ideas start flowin'.