Man of the Year

With all this end of the decade talk, a lot of people are publishing the best of this and the worst of that lists. It's all a bit much so I decided to make a one person list of who to watch in the new year/decade. The most obvious answer is President Obama. Sure, he has a national crisis on his hands but it pale in comparison to the burdens of my nominee. Who is this champion of the people, this savior of the nation? None other than your boy from the 'hood, T-Pain.

T-Pain: Man of the Year 2009

For those unfamiliar with T-Pain, he is a a hip-hop and R&B artist who came on the scene as a solo artist in 2005 with his debut album, Rappa Ternt Singa. Also, he has a thing for top hats. Why, out of all the people in the world, did I choose T-Pain? It all started a few months ago when my friend and I were looking for a good taco place and discussing the status of the music industry. My friend brought up T-Pain and said he was a joke, at best a self-parody who always hides behind his top hat, sunglasses and massive grill. Plus, he always uses Auto-Tune, which corrects and/or distorts his voice. The more I thought about the guy, the more I agreed with my friend. But despite T-Pain seeming more artifice than true musician, I slowly came to appreciate his personal brand and approach to music. I'd much rather watch a self-aware rapper in a top hat than the aggressive posturing of other rappers. T-Pain seemed to be willing to bring a lighthearted spirit to the rap game and make a fine living doing it. 

 He's only 24 and has a record that has sold at least a million copies. To me, that's impressive. But more than just a seller of music, he seems very brand conscious and uses it to his advantage. By brand conscious, I mean he is self-aware of the image he is projecting and how that can be perceived and/or marketed to the general public. Look at 50-Cent with the Vitamin Water deal or Snoop with his T-Mobile commercials or Roca Wear and Baby Phat. Rappers were once the dangerous outcasts that lived and worked on the fringes of society and music. They were drug dealers and vandals who came off the streets and made music with lyrics like, "...motha fuck the po-lice..." and song titles like "Cop Killer." Now Snoop is on TV telling us we should buy a Sidekick. He's gone from gangster to lifestyle icon in the span of a few years. He's like the hip-hop version of Kramer, an eccentric, but lovable neighbor who, no matter what trouble he gets in, can always be forgiven with a knowing nod of an audience member's head. 

 T-Pain, being relatively young, grew up with fun-loving Snoop rather than thug Snoop. Tupac was killed when T-Pain was in the 5th grade.  When T-Pain was a kid rap was no longer a purveyor of social reform and a voice from the streets but a supplier of image and lifestyle. Music videos today are filled with rappers smoking cigars, driving Bentleys, and being surrounded by strippers. And through it all, the rappers keep a straight face. Their videos aren't fantasies but earnest aspirations, signs that the kid from the streets has made it in a big way. What I feel T-Pain brings to the scene is a sly wink. He is aware of how seriously rap takes itself and how ridiculous it can seem (If spotting Cadillac Escalades with rims and LCD screens were a drinking game, you'd be drunk in under an hour). 

 Some fans, however, have grown tired of the  rap cliches and want something new, In comes T-Pain with a a playful image and danceable tracks. One needs to only look at his album name (Rappa Ternt Singa) to understand his tone. My entire argument for T-Pain's greatness rests solely on two videos. One is for his song, "I Can't Believe It" and the other is for his guest appearance on SNL's digital short, "I'm on a Boat." 

"I Can't Believe It" is largely circus themed and begins with an image of T-Pain opening his palm to reveal a smaller T-Pain who begins rapping/Auto-Tuning his way into our hearts. Then, there's a close up of T-Pain where his top hat pops open to reveal three more T-Pains and a deer head wearing a top hat and shades. Later, a teddy bear with shades and a top hat shows up, along with contortionists, a Ferris wheel, and a largely unintelligible verse from Lil' Wayne. All of this done in a very trippy, Yellow Submarine like way where things just appear out of nowhere and explode from top hats. For the full effect, watch the video below.  

 The second video is "I'm on a Boat" which was done for Saturday Night Live and, as such, is meant to be funny and satirical. T-Pain, again decked out in shades and a top hat, hangs out with SNL's Andy Samberg and raps about how cool it is to be on a boat. I wouldn't even call what he does rapping. He's really just the featured artist/MC who repeats the words "I'm on a boat" about 200 times. But he's doing it while wearing a tuxedo and a nautical themed top hat. Most of the humor is derived from the lyrics and T-Pain is the lucky dude who gets to be featured in the video. His willingness to partake, however, proves his self-awareness both as a rapper and a promoter of his brand.

   

 There have been many a music video that includes rappers on boats (i.e. Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'"). In true Hype Williams fashion (the director of "Big Pimpin'" and by the way, what happened to that guy?), the "Big Pimpin'" video features fish eye lens work, women in bikinis, and women in bikinis walking in slow motion for dramatic effect. We get it, Jay-Z. You're a bad ass. Mad props to you and yours.

By 2009 the whole rap music video aesthetic had become played out and predictable. Andy Samberg, along with his Lonely Island crew (Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer), capitalized on rap video's tired imagery and brought T-Pain along for the ride. Who else but a man whose entire career is based on self-parody could have been in that video? 

 Some might argue that that's all T-Pain is--self-parody. That's certainly what my friend said when we were looking for tacos. And maybe all T-Pain is is a carefully marketed hype machine with no real skills. But the man sells records And not just to people who saw him on SNL and picked up his album on a lark. He's also reaching fans who feel he's as legitimate as his gangster rap predecessors. Whether T-Pain is talented or not, he's still loved by millions and making money while living his dream. Looks like the joke is on us.

Another Tantalizing Tuesday

Lots of good stuff to report, some from the tech world, some from music, and some from art. How typical of me, wouldn't you say?

Wired Magazine's list of top 8 online mix tape distribution sites.





Article detailing St. Louis and their Complete Street Project. Finally, urban planning that de-emphasizes auto-centric streets.





New York Times article examining the state of conceptual art and the welcoming of former rebels like Jeffery Koons into the establishment.

Google Android is making a grab at the Ipod Touch market with their Archos 5. It looks incredible.

French illustrator over at Nesk.

Ever get tired of pie charts and PowerPoint presentations? Let David McCandless' new book, The Visual Miscellaneum show you information in a colorful new way.


As per the A.V. Club, Tegan and Sara's new album is awesome to the max. Also, Midlake and Los Campesinos! are coming out with new albums in 2010. Oh Huzzah!

Friday Night Links: Saturday Edition

Thanks to a recent revisit to Hipster Runoff I came across some rather distressing news. No, Animal Collective hasn't broken up, but Ikea has changed their catalog font from time honored Futura to Veranda. Idsgn has the scoop. There's a tremendous backlash within the fontography community but as Ikea spokeswoman Camilla Meiby said in an interview with AP, "We're surprised, but I think it's mainly experts who have expressed their views, people who are interested in fonts. I don't think the broad public is that interested." Well that may be true, but it doesn't make it any less outrageous. OUTRAGEOUS, I say! For those of you who aren't hip to the differences between Futura and Veranda, the link posted above has a handy side by side comparison.

Overall, I think Futura is a cleaner Sans Serif font when compared to Veranda. And, as one commenter noted, using Veranda make the ads looks like they could have been printed by anyone with a computer, while Futura held a distinctiveness that was associated with Ikea. Idsgn also has a primer on Futura for those looking for a little something extra. Need even more typographical knowledge? Head on over to Typophile that, among other things, has a story about a woman getting fired for sending emails in CAPITAL LETTERS. Outrageous, I say. OUTRAGEOUS!

In other less exciting and more disgusting news, I came across a couple videos on YouTube that have made me question what it is to be human. The first is a video for something called the Neti Pot. Perhaps you've heard of it. If not, here is the video:



If that weren't enough I also found a hilarious video of a zit getting squeezed. Is it wrong that I am entertained by this late into the night?



For the music lovers out there, and you know who you are, the cover for the Monsters of Folk album has been been released and can be seen here. A band with M. Ward and Conor Oberst? Could it be true? Yes, yes it is. Try not to wet yourself. The records hits stores Sept. 22.

Lastly, a random endorsement for an author I've never read. Tao Lin.

Friday Night Links/P.J.'s Picks

There's a lot of talk among music critics about scenes. There was the grunge scene in Seattle, the hardcore scene in D.C., the punk scene in London, the new Pac Northwest scene that includes Death Cab for Cutie and the Decemberists. Every city seems to have had a "scene" at some point within music history. Omaha, of all places, has a scene thanks to Conor Oberst and Saddle Creek Records. Los Angeles never seems to make any of these scene lists, at least to my knowledge. The closest thing I can think of is the East Coast/West Coast rap battles of the 90's, which cooled down considerably after the murders of Biggie and Tupac as well as the incarceration of Suge Knight.


It's surprising to me that L.A. is void of a scene especially since it's described as being such a small town, socially speaking. This has a lot to do with Hollywood and the massive networking that goes within the entertainment industry. With all these people working together, how can some sort of scene or movement not exist in L.A? I think one does exist and has been around for a while. It's difficult for me to know whether this scene is currently emerging or I just think it is because I'm becoming cognizant of it.

Take, for example, Largo. (I think you will find that after a while, this article will be nothing more than a Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon like scenario which, incidentally, can be played here.) Largo is a sit down theater that is host to many actors, musicians and comedians. A quick look through their schedule shows performances by comedian Patton Oswalt and musician Jon Brion. Both work with director Paul Thomas Anderson whose movie "Magnolia" featured songs written by Aimee Mann who also performs at Largo along with Fiona Apple, who dated Paul Thomas Anderson.

If we expand the circle out a little wider, Zack Galafinakis also performs at Largo. He is friends with Patton Oswalt, who has done stand up for 826LA. 826LA is part of 826, a non-profit organization started by author Dave Eggers who wrote a movie, Away We Go, starring John Krazinski and Maya Rudolph. Maya Rudolph is going out with Paul Thomas Anderson. And this list could go on forever, circling outward into a vast orgy of Hollywood incest. All this is done to prove, however, that L.A. does a very credible arts scene that, at least according to my knowledge, has been developing since the 90's.

Much of the artistic movement of today has a lot to do with the so-called hipsters, particularly around the Echo Park and Silver Lake areas of Los Angeles. There has been a backlash against hipsterdom for a while now, primarily because of their alleged love of anything obscure, cerebral or pretentious. They're the new wave of art school prepsters pretending to barely get by on their boho chic lifestyle. Say what you will about their fashion, attitude, or gentrification of various cities, but at least they have a vested interest in the city's cultural life. I asked a friend how she liked living in Austin. She said there was a lot of plaid, so it was a pretty cool place. Plaid is shorthand for hipster fashion along with skinny jeans and funky colored sunglasses and there's plenty of that around L.A. I can only imagine what the crowd will look like at the FYF this weekend.

And what are the hipstesr listening to, what art are they promoting? They listen to, among other things, No Age, a stripped down indie outfit that often play at Family Bookstore on Fairfax. Family Bookstore, along with Stories in Echo Park and Origami Vinyl are all in the business of promoting local musicians, artists, and writers. Both Family and Stories are collaborating with 826LA on various events. For a mini documentary on Family Bookstore, check out the We Love You Blog all about Spike Jonze's new movie, Where the Wild Things Are. Oh, did I neglect to mention Spike is also a friend of 826LA? Small word, huh? No Age, in addition to playing Family Bookstore also play at a venue called The Smell. Need more like-minded, L.A. based non-profit organizations? Look no further than Machine Project, Ooga Booga, and the Silver Lake Conservatory of Music.

What makes all these people an organizations more than just businesses? The difference is that they are integrally related to the neighborhoods in which they stand. They don't just sell things to the community, but welcome the people in to be participants in conversation. Not just literal conversation, but to be a dynamic force both in the L.A. art world and the immediate neighborhood. There is a reciprocal relationship between the establishments and residents. And not only do the businesses provide workshops, classes, music, art, books, meeting spaces to their customers, but to other business as well. They work together for the betterment of everyone. As mentioned above, 826LA has worked with both Stories and Family Bookstores. It has worked with Maya Rudolph and Spike Jonze and Patton Oswalt and Largo. There are artists, musicians, and actors in Los Angeles who, without trying to, are part of a burgeoning group of people keeping the interest and promotion of art alive in Los Angeles. And that's more than can be said for LACMA who just recently had to cancel its weekend film series. And UCLA narrowly escaped having to close down its arts library. With major artistic institutions falling by the economic wayside, it's comforting to find people willing to make a scene. An L.A. scene at that.


Random Links:

L.A. FreeBee

Sartorialist

Look Book

NPR Story about the comedy scene in L.A. during the 1970's.

Two Martin Short interviews on Letterman that, although about 15 years apart, are eerily similar and equally hilarious.

Interview I
Interview II

Friday Night Links/P.J.'s Picks

Friday Night Links/ P.J.'s Picks:


I'm one essay away from finishing Consider the Lobster and I just picked up George Saunders' CivilWarLand in Bad Decline and Sarah Vowell's Assassination Vacation. Reading wise, things are going pretty well. And for those who don't read, well, you're probably not reading this either so nevermind...I've been pretty hungry this past week and have been relying heavily on cold cereal for sustenance. Never underestimate the power of shredded wheat. When not eating nine bowls a day I look to a couple L.A. food blogs for restaurant tips:

Eater L.A.

Eating L.A.

The sites are pretty similar in their content; restaurant reviews, events, and gossip, but I always find myself looking at both. They help fill in the gaps of the other. They both have a slight crackberry.com feel in that they both giddily slip out rumors and discuss the possibilities of soon to open restaurants. Gossip includes the hiring of new chefs, changes in menus, the addition/removal of valet service, and new desserts rumored to be in the works. Both sites also keep track of restaurants that have a BYOB policy, which is always an enjoyable find.

L.A. Weekly's Jonathan Gold recently released his 99 Essential L.A. Restaurants. Did your favorite hot spots make the list? There's only one way to find out.


If you're a lover of local newscasts like I am you'll be thrilled to know that long time Fox 11 news anchor John Beard, who has been off the air due to Fox's decision not to renew his contract, is alive and well and (like everyone else in the world) has a Twitter. If you're tired of getting news feeds from The Man and would prefer getting your news from a man, follow his Twitter. For those of you who don't know who John Beard is, I really shouldn't be talking to your because your ignorance saddens me. However, I will tell you he is semi-famous outside of the L.A. region due to several cameos on Arrested Development.


Pitchfork is known for giving practically every album a rating of four or lower. It's like they're not even aware that there are numbers higher than five. Sometimes they come off elitist and unabashed lovers of all things obscure/indie. Haven't heard of Florence and the Machine, Mungolian Jet Set, or Nisennenmondai? Too bad. Pitchfork has and they love them more than a new pair of skinny jeans.

Those who bash Pitchfork never seem to mention that it's more than just a site for album reviews. It's full name is Pitchfork Media. As such, they have lots of exclusive video footage, interviews and cultural essays. A few of the more enlightening articles include:
The Social History of the Mp3
The Decade in Pop
Twee as Fuck: The History of Indie Pop


For the burgeoning writers of L.A., I present to you UCLA's annual Writer's Faire. It takes place on August 30 from 11-3. The full schedule can be found here and a UCLA campus map here.


And, if you enjoy vintage diners but not the high cholesterol meals they serve, come on out to DRKRM Gallery, which is hosting a photo exhibit of lost L.A. diners. It's a Googie lovers dream come true with half the fat and none of the guilt!

Carl's Jr.: How Loathsome Can You Go?

There has been a lot of buzz on the interwebs lately over the new Carl's Jr. commercial featuring "Hills" cast member, Audrina Patridge. In the commercial Audrina is lounging on the beach in a bikini while eating a burger. Its pretty standard stuff for Carl's Jr. whose previous commercials have included Padma Lakshmi and Paris Hilton. This new commercial, though, this one really puts my fries in a twist.

The commercial is intolerable for two reasons, the first of which is Audrina's voice work. Her voice is sleepier than her eyes. At no time does she sound the least bit sexy or at all enthused about the burger. Stephen Hawking whispering into my ear is more arousing than listening to Audrina.

The most infuriating thing about the commercial, though, is the use of Rilo Kiley's song, "Moneymaker." This isn't Carl's Jr.'s fault, it's Rilo Kiley's. I'm of the school of thought that believes bands shouldn't license out their music to corporations. Beyond that, I never thought Rilo Kiley was the kind of band to do such a thing. They are indie darlings who have four albums worth of solid song craft. Added to that, many of their songs are about, in some way or another, female struggle and empowerment. They take an honest look at life as a female. Their artistic integrity and message are completely at odds with the imagery and message of the commercial. Not least of all, Jenny and many if not all of the other band members are vegetarian/vegan. Why would a band of vegetarians agree to release their song to a fast food corporation? Are they really that desperate for money? Are there really that many bills to pay? My only explanation is that Rilo Kiley doesn't hold rights to the song and it was sold to Carl's Jr. by their record label. And that, my friends, is shitty.

Although, it's a whole other discussion, a record label's job is to represent and promote a band in the best way possible. Not everything is about the bottom line. Part of representation means ensuring the integrity of the band's image and message. Selling songs to a fast food corporation is not how I would define the preservation of artistic integrity.


The abomination can be seen here:

"Come on Come on and Dance All Night, Despite the Heat It'll be Alright..."

Pitchfork has posted a list of all the major and not so major music festivals going on this summer. Some of them look pretty tempting. Anyone down for a trip to Chicago, Montreal, or Quebec? I need to get out of town for a while.

Battle of the Bands: Train vs. Foo Fighters

It's always a surprise to go to a concert and see a band play covers of other people's music. A few months ago I saw of Montreal and the last two songs they played were, Take Me Out, by Franz Ferdinand and Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. Needless to say, everyone went nuts when they played Smells Like Teen Spirit and some sweaty, psychedelic moshing occurred. It was most righteous. The songs were unexpected, but in no way clashed with the concert that preceded it. Good times were had by all, even by a group of girls who didn't look a day over 12. What possessed them to go to an of Montreal show is beyond me. How did they even know about them? It boggles my mind.

In 2008, the Foo Fighters played Wembley Stadium and covered a couple Led Zeppelin songs with some assistance from Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. It was one of those concerts I would have given my left nut to see. I didn't get to see it live, but I did get to watch it on YouTube with both nuts intact. They played Rock n' Roll and Ramble On. I thought Taylor's vocals on Rock n' Roll were closer to Plant's than Dave's scream-o version of Ramble On. All in all, not a bad little set.

While watching the Foo Fighters on YoutTube I saw, over to the left side of my screen, a link to Train covering Whole Lotta Love, Ramble On, and Going to California. This was a big WTF moment for me. Never in a million years did I ever think I'd see soft rock sensation, Train, do a cover of Zeppelin. Well, this was an offer I couldn't refuse. I just had to see how Train frontman, Pat Monahan, compared to Led Zeppelin's, Robert Plant.

The man has got some pipes. He held his own, as did the band, and made the songs sound fresh and vibrant. And, as much as I love the Foo Fighters, I think Train did a better cover of Ramble On, even without the aid of Page and Jones. To prove it to you, I'm posting the links to the vids. I'd embed them, but I'm worried it would slow down the loading speed of the blog.


Foo Fighters- Ramble On
Foo Fighters- Rock n' Roll

Train- Ramble On
Train- Whole Lotta Love
Train- Going to California

WOWZA, WOWZA, WOWZA!
BONUS VIDEO!!!!
Train covering Aerosmith's, Dream On

Clothing wise, I think Pat Monahan looked ridiculous in the black tank top and ultra tight jeans, but I guess that's what the kids are into these days. Also, I think on at least one of these videos, it's Pat Monahan and some backing band, not Train.

All-Time Most Annoying/Useless Thing about Rolling Stone Besides Its Mere Presence:

1. Their Top 100 Lists

Rolling Stone, like VH1 before it, has taken the easy way out and published yet another top 100 list. What are the geniuses at Rolling Stone ranking this time? The Top 100 People Who Are Changing America. Tina Fey and Kanye West are in the top ten, while the music industry's money-making marionette, Taylor Swift, graces us with her presence at number 100.

Previous Rolling Stones lists include, The 50 Greatest Artists of All Time, The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. (Don't think R. Kelly's, "I Believe I Can Fly" should be 406? Tough shit. Rolling Stone does. ) It's not that I have a problem with the rankings, which I couldn't care less about, it's the fact that Rolling Stone wastes 16 pages on it. Does the world really need another blurb about Danny Boyle? Do we really need another reminder about how he defied convention and brought racial prejudice to the forefront of American cinema(which he didn't)? No. If anything, Rolling Stone should have given another shout out to the grandaddy of all racially sensitive directors (which he isn't), Paul Haggis.

Arcade Fire is not going to gain any leverage in the music industry by getting named number 27 on this list, nor is Taylor Swift going to lose any cred by being named 100. If Rolling Stone is trying to shock its readers, they should do it by publishing interesting and relevant articles, not meaningless filler. Also, Gossip Girl actresses licking an ice cream cone on the cover? Really?