I shouldn’t be allowed to have a blog.

I make lists of things to write about about, but then I don’t  a c t u a l l y write. (Seven or eight unfinished posts are in my queue, and now they’re not even relevant to post anymore!) This foolish delinquency has got to stop. Going through my drafts from the last few months, it looks like I would have blabbed about the music below, so let’s just pretend this never happened…

Chromeo “Night By Night”

He’s like a (successful) male Snookie in the video. In all seriousness though, both the song and video are ill. Don’t skip it.

Young Money “Bedrock”

It’s a radio hit?!? Of course :/ Besides Lloyd (one of the most underrated r&b vocalists out), Nicki Minaj gets the win for being in this camp, does she not? Admittedly, she’s blowing up much more than I expected her to. If you haven’t seen it, James Van Der Beek (aka Dawson) shot footage of Michelle Trachtenberg doing a Nicki verse - a must see.

Vampire Weekend “Giving Up The Gun”

They still sound like Paul Simon to me. And since when did my favorite rapping producer become a tennis judge?! Rza >>>

OK GO “This Too Shall Pass”

No treadmills this time, but their creativity remains. And there’s another one… love!

Skyzoo “Popularity”

Big LOL to these cameos! Esso, Donny Goines, Emilio Rojas, Sha Stimuli and RickCaps… ha!

Since I’ve been MIA so long, here’s a little taste of what’s been in my ears…

Podzilla

Broken Bells– another Danger Mouse collaboration project, this time with James Mercer, lead singer of The Shins. I gotta tell you: everything that mouse does, I love. Regretfully, I’ve never blogged about B.o.B, but that doesn’t mean I don’t follow his work and respect it. The fact that J. Cole is also on this track forces me to share the wealth with those of you who may not have listened to it. Same courtesy applies to this Rihanna ditty… my ladies and I (@LAGraves and @Simply_SB) questioned if it was written for a guy, or if it was an intentional track about a lesbian tryst under a candelabra. We later confirmed the latter, paws… (c) @SowmyaK. Really feeling Mumford and Sons ironic folky sound, I’m bummed I missed their show a couple weeks back- nothing but great feedback on them has come my way. Lloyd Banks and Juelz’ dimple served up “Beamer, Benz or Bentley” -a new guilty pleasure for me- and in rare form, Joell Ortiz has blessed us all with a more humble freestyle version re: Nissans, Hondas and Chevies- AMAZING! Maino remixed it too? SMH. Justin Nozuka’s new project, You I Wind Land and Sea is coming soon. When I saw him perform “Heartless” live last week, I was moved so much, it almost brought me to tears. As for the next song, I’m angry with myself for liking David Guetta and Akon’s polite savagery so much, because in reality, I should hate it. Ugh. Civil Twilight’s “Letters From The Sky” is getting so many TV placements, I can’t keep count anymore. The song is pretty enchanting though, so that kind of response doesn’t surprise me. Lady Sade’s Soldier of Love LP is stupid good and outshines so much of the basura floating around these days- thank god she came back. And you know I had to slip a little Jay Elec-Chanukah into this list (again)… hate him or love him, he’s really rapping, and people are finally responding to the message.

Lastly, in case you’re not familiar with Matt Morris, please do yourself a favor and look into his music. Former Mickey Mouse Club member and (current) Justin Timberlake bff, Matt is signed to Justin’s Tennman Records imprint and sang with JT during the Hope For Haiti Now telethon. He has the voice of an angel, and his energy in person is genuine and indescribably sweet. Almost like he’s *glowing* - for reals.

Listen to “Live Forever” below… his album is out now.

I first became aware of Emmanuel Jal’s story when I saw War Child, the film based on his life, at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2008. As a former child-soldier-turned-MC who grew up in civil war-torn Sudan, Jal was eventually rescued and able to start a new life, making it a mission to tell his story and raise awareness through music.

Although he wasn’t present at the screening I initially attended, Jal’s strength and sadness were emitted through the screen, forcing me to become emotionally attached to his story. Naturally, when I discovered that he was booked to speak and perform at NYU’s Kimmel Center two months ago, I made it a priority to attend. As expected, hearing him explain the details of his experiences face-to-face felt like nutrition for my soul, and after photographing him speaking and performing, I even had the privilege of asking him a question during the Q&A (more on that another time!)…

Like Emmanuel Jal, “rapper” Bangs is also Sudanese. He, on the other hand, has chosen to go quite a different route. Ladies: if you haven’t seen his video yet, Bangs wants to take us to the movies. He’ll even buy us popcorn…

If you’re not hip to the viral world, you may not know that Bangs’ “Take U To Da Movies” video has been an online phenomenon- flying through the internets and landing on many music and culture blogs out there. Not to (further) pick on Bangs, but his video hasn’t received so many online “spins” because he’s especially innovated and talented, it’s received them because people are laughing at him. Just think: it’s a cultural-disconnect train wreck… horrifying and captivating all at the same time. What’s most disconcerting is that Bangs doesn’t even realize he’s the butt of the joke; when the guys at Shade 45 had him as a guest on the All Out Show, poor Bangs had no idea he was being patronized by fake callers phoning-in to tear him apart. The linguistic tragedy that he represents is one that deserves exploring- both to juxtapose with the painful triumph of people like Jal, and to also raise the mirror to our own faces (I’M TALKING TO YOU, RAP FANS). Just look at what Bangs is glorifying?!?

Cars.                                                                               Money.

Jewelry.                                                                 Multiplying. (JK!)

His castle, the movie theater.

And while I’m all for people repping their nationality, the map of Sudan feels a little bit out of place in the video, no?:

Just saying.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Jal just finished skipping breakfast and lunch for a year to help raise funds for his charity, Gua Africa.

He told us the story about “waiting for aid drop from the sky” - he’s talking about rain.

To be clear, I don’t want to cast judgement here… Bangs can rap about whatever the eff he wants. Music comes in many packages, and I’m sure a lot of people could argue that Emmanuel Jal’s tracks aren’t particularly spectacular (by top MC standards) either. I’m also certain that their backgrounds are extremely different since Bangs now lives in Australia and didn’t grow up murdering his enemies and eating his dead friends for food. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Jal has a body count that he carries around, trying to come to grips with- his close encounters with extreme violence forcing him to be highly-critical of American hip hop’s portrayal of gang culture (as he directly addressed in his song “50 Cent”):

“The ‘50 Cent’ song is kind of like I wanted to call up 50 Cent and just say ‘Who are you?!’ Because you see, my cousin in the U.K., they’re in a little group, they’re calling themselves G-Unit. So they go on the street and beat people up. But when they went to school they stabbed a white boy. 50 Cent is big, he’s huge, he’s like a God, no? I [told my producer I wanted] us to write a song whereby we appreciate his work but at the same time we have to tell him ‘this is the problem.’ So if I speak to him through the music he’s gonna hear it. But the whole song is not meant for him.” -Emmanuel Jal, Rolling Stone

In a recent interview with Aussie outlet 9 News, Bangs said he thinks his music is uplifting for the Sudanese community in Melbourne, which has apparently garnered some not-so-good press lately due to violent incidents. Hey- maybe he is a positive influence! I guess I’m just trying to wrap my mind around the fact that even though they come from the same battered nation, their messages have landed on opposite ends of the hip hop spectrum. Rap and hip hop, ying and yang. Whether or not these guys are even aware of the other’s existence (Bangs is from Sudan’s Muslim North, while EJ is from the Christian South, now living mainly in London), I find it interesting that Bangs doesn’t grasp the irony he embodies by embracing the most foolish of our Western hip hop imagery. My guess is that he probably doesn’t know any better, and we have ourselves to thank for that (*pats back and puts on goon rap*).

More photos from Emmanuel Jal’s NYU performance can be found here.

Even though his album won’t hit US “shelves” until February of next year, Daniel Merriweather’s Love and War has been out overseas for months. He’s signed to Mark Ronson’s Allido label and managed by Roc Nation - pow, pow - so maybe taking three minutes to watch the clip below isn’t a bad idea? If you have A.D.D., start two minutes in…

We’ve missed her, but thankfully, the queen is finally coming back. Sade’s first album in almost eight years, Solider of Love, will be released on February 8th. And the album cover?!?!?!… sick.

Can we just quickly discuss how incredible it is? The exposed back, the ruins in the background, and the visual juxtaposition of strength and femininity… salute this woman! And while you’re “at attention,” also enjoy this vintage Lady Gaga clip from before she was Lady Gaga. Not bad timing for this nostalgic footage to be released considering The Fame Monster drops next week. Thanks to the homie Dizzle over at theFABlife for the tip.

Besides Australian hunks and myth-like songstresses, something else I’m looking forward to seeing develop is the BlakRoc project:

The Black Keys + Dame Dash + a hodge podge of MCs= Blakroc — album out November 27th. The clip above is called “Ain’t Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo),“ featuring Capo Jim Jones and Mos Def.

Do we think they’ll make another?

We need something realler! Time for a new…

Podzilla

Jay Electronica has recently delivered his “Exhibit C” to the masses, and photos from his show at Santos last week are below. If you’re not hip to Florence and The Machine, you’re losing, and 50 Cent recruited Governor, one of my favorite voices, to sing on “Do You Think About Me.” Joss Stone’s new album is solid, and I really want to sit down and have a beer with her. Like, in a pub — is that creepy? Them Crooked Vultures are an epic collaboration, and even though J. Cole murdered Wale on his own shit, Whale’s verse is still solid. One EskimO is sonically relaxing… just sit back and take it in. Hot Chip has emerged with a new track from upcoming project “One Life Stand,” and this Robin Thicke/Hov song makes me want to grab the surf board; cowabunga. And we can’t forget Shakira… might like this song more than “She Wolf,” and the CuDi edition certainly doesn’t hurt… Annie, are you okay?

Hello, Damon.

Oh, and ladies… Mr. Electronica has quite a handsome fan base — #justsaying.

Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” video needs no introduction, and if you haven’t seen it yet- shame on you.

The video is  b a n a n a s.  After climbing out of a coffin/sleep chamber/cocoon thing, Gaga pursues an extremely unhealthy -perhaps adulterous- relationship, painting a sublime picture for us all to gawk at. The transitions in color schemes (from whites to reds), the overall story-line, and the bombardment of wild imagery are enough to entertain fans and critics alike. In the end, of course, her hyper-sexual character triumphs over the seemingly harmful suitor- leaving only his remains sizzling beside her on the bed. Ha!

Sidebar (and pardon my savagery here, but): I’m pretty certain Gaga’s nodding to the Tyler Durden School of Spliced Porn Footage at 4:39 of the video (below). She definitely looks like she’s having sex (in high school, we called this the O-Face), and it can’t be a coincidence that it’s just one second out of three-hundred and seven, appearing in the climax of the song… while the bed is on fire.

Es Em Eych. Did anyone else notice this? Hidden sex imagery aside, the girl who was originally signed via Akon has again proven that she is not messing around in this industry. With the help of her creative squad, Haus of Gaga, the pop sensation continues to awe us not only with her visuals and vocals, but with the innovative prowess that her *wacky identity* exhibits. I can, however, understand why some people view her as an attention whore, masquerading around in shock value-driven outfits to promote her “crappy pop music” — but to me, Gaga is a creative genius. She has a way of structuring her songs so that they include many influential elements at once; if they don’t grab you sonically or lyrically, you’re still likely to be singing along during one of the many anthemic moments she conjures up. Oh, and BTW, if you’re interested in the fashion used in the video, Nicola Formichetti did the styling, and she breaks down each set-up’s outfits on her blog.

(Image via Hilary.com)

Hyper-sexual in his own right, Serani is still one of my favorite artist finds of the year. I know a lot of people don’t think his voice is too special, but there’s something about his music that draws me in. Shout out to @DJJUANYTO and NJ for hooking me up at his Hot 97 show and album release party a few weeks ago… lady Ylna and I had an amazing time.

I don’t condone ANY of his pelvic thrusts in the live clip of this song, but I promise you that the original version of “Naked” is a freaky must-add to your favorite Slow Jams playlist. Press play below to hear it, and pardon the intro…

Each year that CMJ hits New York, you can feel the energy in the air… music heads take to the streets to soak up their favorite artists’ music, and in most cases, they also get a taste for some new ones along the way. Last week, I had the privilege of seeing three great shows and upwards of fifteen artists and groups perform, and I’m happy to report that both vets and newbies made all the running around worth it.

It wasn’t an official CMJ show, but The Clipse lit up Hiro Ballroom on Tuesday night at Myspace’s “The Release” concert series. Toting a set list stacked with vintage hits and newer soon-to-be-favorites, the Thornton brothers reminded spectators why they’re still a serious force to be reckoned with. Easily one of the most underrated rap duos in the game, Malice and Pusha T will unveil the highly anticipated Til The Casket Drops on December 8th.

I remember seeing them open for 50 in college, *sigh*… I digress: Watch clips for “Cot Damn” and “Grindin’”

Prior to The Clipse, Atlanta native and hip hop newcomer Donnis performed, bringing out fellow MC and ATLien, Pill. Like Wale and Kid Cudi did last year, Donnis released his mixtape Diary of An ATL Brave through streetwear company 10.Deep, so it’s safe to say he’s heading down the right path… I guess we’ll see where it goes.

The following night, I hit East Village subterranean venue DROM to catch the Brooklyn Bodega Showcase featuring a number of up-and-coming MCs. Missing out on a few openers, I arrived in time to catch Diamond District perform. The DMV group, comprised of MC/producer Oddisee and MCs X.O. and yU, released their free LP In The Ruff on their website in April, following it up with the Diamond Exchange mixtape and a formal release of the album - both of which dropped this October. Hailing from DC, these guys boast a gritty sound that has people who’ve heard the record talking, calling it one of the best hip hop albums of the year.

Tanya Morgan took the stage next, nailing a solid set before headliners Pac Div closed out the evening with an energetic performance that completely sold me. (Sidenote: They are sweet potatahs.) Prior to that night, I had never seen them live, but trust me when I tell you that this LA-repping trio has stage presence for days! Although they are often likened to A Tribe Called Quest, the Church League Champions embody a unique style of their own, mixing contemporary rhymes with throwback beats, and they thoroughly engaged the room full of supportive fans.

In case you haven’t seen it, watch their video for “Mayor” here.

But the night didn’t stop there… hopping in a cab, I then headed uptown to B.B. Kings, eager to see what hip hop blog mega-powers OnSmash and NahRight had in store for their Better Recognize showcase. Headliners included Raekwon, Styles P. and Jadakiss, and with a lineup like that, it’s not too surprising that fellow performer OJ Da Juiceman was actually booed off stage by the intolerant NY-centric crowd (much to the dismay of Hot 97’s MissInfo, who co-hosted the event with Peter Rosenberg). Sick and losing his voice, Raekwon almost didn’t make the show- and in case there was any question, Styles and Jada certainly did set B.B. Kings on fire. Other artists on the bill were Kidz in the Hall, Curren$y, Donnis, Pill, Emilio Rojas, and Stalley, and surprise guests Wiz Khalifa and Kid Cudi stopped by to grace the stage as well.

I don’t know about you, but seeing Styles and Jada perform together really tickled me. If you want more, check out my footy from the show: “We Gonna Make It” and “I Get High” OR feel free to go through my albums on Flickr. Pow. Until next year, CMJ!

A few Fridays ago, I was invited to an art opening…

From the pamphlet:

“Altered Luxury brings together artists of various mediums who have recognized both the power and irony of luxury perception in the modern world. Each piece in the exhibit in some way juxtaposes an element of luxury culture, creating a new aesthetic that is both engaging and thought provoking.”

The pieces were definitely interesting, and drinks were flowing while DJ Elle spun some golden oldies. Sylvia Rhone stopped by, and as an extra treat, Curt@!n$ performed too. That, plus open bar = a really fun night, all around!

Check out my bb snapshots of what I’m calling “Gucci Gun” and “Marc Jacobs Bricks” lol

The following week, I went to the Trey Songz f. Fabolous “Say Ahh” video shoot. A good friend, and immensely talented individual, invited me to tag along… she’s also the director. In addition to shooting “Say Ahh,” she shot Trey’s “Invented Sex” video that night as well- sans Drake’s verse. Bee-Tee-Double-You… it was pretty steamy!  It’s funny… even though I’ve been in this industry for almost five years, I’ve never gone to any shoots (by choice!), so this was actually my first time on a set. It was an incredibly eye-opening experience, and I felt privileged to see Ms. Geralds work her magic first hand. Here are some photos from the set:

…and here are some shots I got before my camera died:

Lastly, I just wanted to present a bittersweet piece of reality for you all. This Jason Derulo “Whatcha Say” song is climbing the Top 40 charts, and in case you didn’t know, the hook is actually an Imogen Heap sample from her song “Hide and Seek.” Kind of a oddball fit, but it works really well. While I’m glad she’s getting some mainstream shine, I fear that the Top 40 listeners may not even know who she is. Typical! In any event… both songs are below, and either way- I guess it’s all for the besssssst.

I’m sorry, but can we talk about the Roc Boys boys for a moment?

First of all, I’m not really a Taylor Swift fan, so the Kanye VMA incident didn’t leave me shaking with anger and/or yearning for revenge. Instead, I saw it simply as yet another instance of Kanye “accidentally” flexing his culturally-relevant muscle. It wasn’t until the Leno breakdown (below) that I was forced to really examine the bigger issues at hand. Let’s be honest… seeing celebrities get destroyed by fame is nothing new to us. If anything, we’ve grown increasingly numb to it, *paging Dr. Drew!* But you have to admit- watching it happen to Yeezy on live television was a bit unnerving, no? Maybe it was just me.

This is the guy who has been a pivotal figure in both hip hop and, by extension, popular culture. Whether it was by first climbing the ladder as a producer, by paving the way for MCs to deviate from hyper-masculine hip hop and delve into other creative realms, or just by causing mischief in general, Kanye has captivated us all at one time or another. And here he is, having a mega-meltdown before our very eyes! (”This is the fast life, we’re on a crash course.“)  Raw emotion — no blinking neon lights or shi-shi sneaker deals — just Kanye, grieving. I mean, KUDOS to Leno for asking the money question about Momma West (and also for holding Kanye’s hand when he realized how much it was affecting him), but wasn’t that reaction amazingly, dare I say, HUMAN? Pardon me for being a little geeked-out over here, but fame and its arsenal of predators are fascinating to me… but more on that another time.

On to the next one: The man of the hour, Mr. September, Sir Hovington. He landed the Oprah interview- in print and on TV. It’s cute that they finally smoked the peace pipe. His “Answer The Call” 9/11 concert was star-studded… so glad I decided to go instead of selling my ticket! Even though many people didn’t get it, the Letterman interview was beyond hilarious. The album though… The Blueprint 3? Hmm. It was  a solid Jay album, but for me- far from his best. I may have liked the Rhapsody commercial more- HA! Nevertheless, he’s still showing people who RUNS the game- mind-blowing album or not!

To make things even more interesting, an article crossed my path regarding the occult connection to the “Run The Town” video, and ultimately, to Jay-Z himself. The article may not win a Pulitzer any time soon, but there are definitely some points worthy of our attention…

Jay-Z is asking you to “Pledge your allegiance” to the new ruler and to wear black everything to honor him. Jay’s lyrics contain hints to Freemasonry who are hidden in the double meaning of some lines. “I gave Doug a grip” means he gave Doug a stack of money but the double meaning to that line would refer to the Masons’ secret handshakes which are called “grips”. And who is Doug? Might be Doug Morris. The last line of his first verse is “Back to running circles’ round niggas, now we squared up“. Aside from its obvious meaning, it also refers to the important Masonic concept of “squaring the circle”, which is way too deep to explain here (”I get more in-depth if you boys really real enough“).

The author of the article also took a screenshot from the Making Of for “Run This Town,” and in it, Hov’s hoodie says Do What Thou Wilt. According to the article, “‘Do What Thou Wilt” is the official dictum of the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) and of its reformer, occultist Aleister Crowley. The O.T.O. is a hermetic order modeled after Freemasonry and German Illuminism and teaches its initiates the secrets of the Mysteries, gnosticism, sex magick, Kaballah and other occult sciences.’” So in other words, Jay might be nodding at some more esoteric schools of thought here. I could see that. And apparently, many of the newer Rocawear designs portray strong occult symbolism as well.

I could be totally wrong, so I don’t want to come off like a know-it-all, but if this article’s theories were to be proven true, I may not be too surprised. Honestly, I’ve always thought Hov was secretly an atheist - “never prayed to god, I prayed to Gotti” jokes aside - although I’m not sure how that would work with his Methodist wife. Entertainers presumably just handle faith how some politicians do, pretending they believe in the man upstairs to get votes sell records. Hell, maybe that’s what him and Obama talk about on text?! But beyond all that, Jay once said on an episode of CenterStage with Michael Kay that his favorite book is The Celestine Prophecy- a book whose principles more closely resemble Eastern philosophy and New Age spirituality than they do Christianity. All just food for thought! And while you do the dishes, allow me to cue up our final Roc boy…

After enjoying his mixtapes for a few months, I got the chance (via Boz) to see J. Cole perform at NYU last month. I’ve been telling people that I’d put my stamp on him before I’d put it on Drake - partially for shock value, and also because it’s TRUE. The sincerity that radiates off of Roc Nation’s North Carolina MC is tangible. His lyrics slay you and remind you to take your vitamins at the same time… pandering to the progressive listener, he also simultaneously manages to not alienate potential fans who might be a bit less open-minded.

During the show, J. Cole mentioned his mother (in attendance) and pointed to her. I didn’t know it until I glanced over at her, but like Drake and our commander in chief, Jermaine’s mother is white. It was definitely one of *those* moments. I liked the kid’s music already, so adding this interesting layer of family background was purely a bonus. Once the hyper-sensitive-to-race-relations nerd in me calmed down, I decided to do a little recon - luckily stumbling upon Let’s Just Eat Cheese, a site where blogger Elle (Shauna Barbosa) posted an amazing interview with Mr. Cole a year ago. The passages that I found most interesting are below, and clearly speak for themselves:

Last book you read.

“Celestine Prophecy. I believe in spirituality. Also, The Color of Water, it’s about a black kid being raised by a white mother. Being embarrassed that you have a white mother but she really doesn’t care. She doesn’t give a fuck, ’cause that’s your mom. But in your world it’s so important to you. Like does she know she’s white? We use to go to a Baptist church and she was the only white person in there. She didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.”

Black and white – then and now.

“It was weird. You know you love your mom with all your heart. But you’re growing up in a society where your friends will clown you about anything. So then you do things you regret years later like deny your mom. Maybe shy away from bringing her to certain events because you think people may make fun of you. It’s an amazing experience because I get to see both sides of everything, from my white side of the family to the black side. I have it all. Suburb whites, suburb blacks, poor white and blacks. I can speak everyone’s language. Now it’s something I’m proud of. It’s an advantage. I’ll flaunt it before I shy away from it.”

Okay… wow. He was ashamed of his mother because she was white, but now he accepts it and embraces his identity- a mature step that is serving to inevitably broaden his scope. What he’s discussing in the interview is not only fascinating, but (like Ye and Jay) it’s also ridiculously culturally-relevant right now. And it can’t be bullshit, because it’s who he is, it’s in his blood. I would love to interview him… sheesh! Just like I said, you get a strong sense of sincerity from his music AND directly from him. If that’s not enough to raise an eyebrow, watch this footage from VH1’s Hip Hop Honors Pre-Party where Cole paid tribute to Jay-Z. After performing a verse from “Public Service Announcement,” he flawlessly delivers Jay’s verse on “Dead Presidents,” and then goes into his own version from The Warm Up. Oof!

Stamp of approval for him, and the party itself was also a huge success.

XV, Skyzoo, Torae and Mickey Factz all dedicated performances to renouned Def Jam artists as well.

So there you have it…

Jay-Z continuously re-emerges as a dominant force in music (however mysterious he may be!), Kanye publicly confronts his pain, and J. Cole is hip hop’s Barack Obama. All three of these gentlemen have been triggering the gears in my mind lately, and it seemed to work best to loop them all into one post. Hip Hop’s Past, Present, and Future- all in the same circle. L’Chiam.

I’m so lame for not blogging, but it’s been a busy few weeks. At least these songs have kept things interesting…

PodZilla

to the rescue.

I would have listened to it regardless, but I have to give Renaud credit for rushing me to give the Fab album some spins. You already know I adore The Gossip, and “Love Long Distance” might be my favorite track. When the I had the privilege of attending the Kid Cudi album listening, I fell in love with “Alive” - the rest of the album has grown on me heavily since. Maybe too much. Gary Go covered Gaga, Mike Posner’s lust for a lady drug dealer makes me giggle, and Eminem murdered “Forever.” Props to Jeremiah for introducing me to Livvi Frank… I look forward to seeing what happens with her project. Joe Budden’s Escape Route gets lots of love on my iPod, and we certainly can’t forget the incredible Miike Snow.

Since my last post, a lot has gone on that took me away from The Labyrinth. I hate when that happens! Admittedly, the main culprit was moving apartments- I was forced to take the time to pack, purge, move, unpack, and purge again. TMI? Sorry, just saying. I lived there for four years, and definitely have a lot of memories.

But alas… I was ready for a change, and forced to pull the trigger. “Hi love, bye love, I will miss my love.”

Thanks to Jey Guevara and Shimmy for calling me out on being a blog-abandoner. No more excuses!

Even though it’s stale news, it would be a waste to not post my “content” from Lollapalooza- especially since I had the most fun consecutive five days in recent memory. I owe that all to Alex’s amazing Chi City hospitality… she really is the best!

Photographing Lykke Li perform is always an event, so I was compelled to shoot her at the Citi Stage that Saturday.

I fell in sonic love with the band a while back, and this song is beyond dope. And! the fact that they released it as a single when it’s NOT even on their album, well… let’s just say I’m eager to see what they bring next to keep the momentum raring forward.

I dragged Alex to MCA while I was there, because to appease the art dork in me, I have to visit the contemporary art museum in every city I visit.  After strolling around for a bit, I determined that one of the paintings was my favorite…

Chris Johanson, I Am What Is Called Human. Get familiar.

As far as the rest of my Lollapalooza/Chicago adventure, I’ll let the blackberry photos help narrate the story…

A double exposure polaroid hanging in a cafe. Alex and I at Roof (at TheWit Hotel)  for “fancy night.”

What may be my dream man. The fountain at Grant Park against the skyline.

The helicopter Jane’s Addiction used to scare people. Post-Lolla trash.

Until next year! xo