"What music do you listen to?" *sigh* I listen to indie music.....

For all intents and purposes I can considered a music snob. I do not like a vast majority of mainstream music. I am tired of the horseshit pushed on to the masses from outlets like MTV, the RIAA and Clear Channel.

I am a Indie music fan. I wasn't always like this. There was actually a time and place when I believe Britney Spears was a credible artist (way before her crash and burn) not not a record company vehicle that was based more on her looks and not actual talent. I used listen to a ton of hip hop simply because its been expected for a young black man to do so.

For all intents and purposes I am not a hipster. I am not that anal or snobby. I hate PBR and I find Thrift Stores tacky as fuck. I am not super skinny as well, in fact i'm probably too fat for AA or Urban Outfitters clothes.

It sounds cheesy but one cold and depressing Buffalo winter day back in 2005 I had turned on to XM radio to a station called "The Verge" that had Canadian music (which I do not subscribe to anymore) and heard The Arcade Fire's song "In the Backseat". To this day it when I hear it it almost drives me to tears and it somewhat comforts me whenever I feel super depressed.

I began to find out more about them and similar bands across canada such as Broken Social Scene and Stars through places like BrooklynVegan, Pitchfork, DrownedinSound, NME and other place. Then I started to discover bands in this country like LCD soundsystem and in the UK like Bloc Party.

I would see many bands like them in person in Toronto and Buffalo over the next 3 years and I even joined an online community of "Indiefucks" (though they don't really talk about indie music often and more about other things!).

Even though I have made some friends who listen to the same music as I do I still find it very difficult to even explain to the uninitiated about these bands or to simply find someone to accompany me to a show. My brother continues to tease me and calls me a hipster, which i'm far from it.

I can't and don't want to be an elitist about this music. I still think SOME (but not all) mainstream artist are talented in their own right (such as Kelly Clarkson) I am also not a poseur. I do care about the music deeply and I am not going to shows just to be seen,(like *sigh* Scenesters)

I don't want to interject race into the matter, but I am a black indie rock fan. I simply don't care about those who feel the need tell me that the music I am listening to is simply made for white people. Call me a sellout (its happened so many times for me not to care), but I can't stand about 95% of today's rap. Its lyrics passionate nor made of any substance for me to care about. Tupac and Biggie must be rolling in their graves knowing that total garbage is released today. It pisses me off that people are buying Lil' Wayne or Mike Jones CDs.

I consider any hip-hop released past 1996(save for a few artists like Kayne West and Common) horrible. There is no creativity or passion in hip-hop anymore. Nas once said it perfectly, "Hip hop is dead".

So the next time you ask me what I'm listening to, I'm listening to music that is not corrupted by payola scandals or by the RIAA. I'm listening to indie rock. If you think its "weird" or "funny" go fuck yourself. :)

Rosay and Riot Becki leave "The Pipettes"

Of course its all over the indie blogosphere OVER 9000 times by now.

Rosay and Riot Becki have left the The Pipettes! They left "to pursue other musical pursuits" according to the somber press release on their website.


Riot Becki and Rosay at Lee's palace

This is PROBABLY by design according to their manifesto.

The good news is that they are working on new material but with new members Ani and Anna (whomever they are). So I won't become An Hero because of this.

It is also important to know this is not the first time The Pipettes had members leave. Julia left and now is in the band "The Indelicates."



Here is a pic of me and them when I saw them in Toronto at Lee's Palace in November.

Now excuse me while i BAWWWWWWW

(Just kidding) But I wish the best of luck to Riot Becki and Rosay on their new projects. I'm sure they will be as equally good as their contributions to The Pipettes were! I really hope the sophomore slump doesn't affect the pips.

Album Review: Be your own pet: Get Awkward

In my late twenties I shouldn't be listening to something that is meant for "scene" kids 10 years younger than me. But rules are meant to be broken.

I got addicted to the greatness that is Be Your Own Pet when I saw them play on Conan one random night. From there I got their self title album and many of their songs from it have been a mainstay in my ipod/itunes playlist for over the course of two years.

From the album the song "Bunk Skunk Trunk" comes to mind with the opening lyric by lead singer Jemina Pearl:

"I'm an independent motherfucker
And I'm here to take your money
I'm wicked, rad, and I'm here
To steal away your virginity "

It has stayed in my facebook favourite quotes box ever since.



The rest of that album has served a soundtrack for many drunken nights out. After listening to it over and over again, I saw them live at Mohawk Place in September of 2006. The crowd was your usual show up late, "I'm too cool for buffalo" scenester crowd. I wasn't the oldest guy there, but I was probably the most enthusiastic. I fondly remember getting squirted by mustard from the band at the end of their energetic set. After the show I thanked the singer Ms Pearl and her drummer (who had replaced Jonas). I told her I supported the band and got all of their EPs and even a shirt. (Which surprisingly fits my fat ass, considering most band shirts are made for AIDS patients)

That shirt got me laid twice, but thats beside the point. When I learned this summer that they were recording a follow up called "Get Awkward", I patiently waited for the day it would be leaked online the release date.

I got it a month ago and I've been listening to it ever since. (Of course I do plan on buying the album to support the artist. ;) ) While not as epic as the first album, Get Awkward beats the Sophomore Slump.

Jemima and her band mates sound a bit mature and a little more confident versus a few years ago. While some fans bemoan this, I prefer an evolution of their style rather than the exact same album. Still they are considered kids, but to me their music has more of an edge.


On the surface, a great song like "Becky" (which is nearing the top of my last.fm list) may sound juvenile, but the lyrical work is clever. It almost sounds like a murderous version of the "localmotion".

"What does it matter anyway, cause I'm gonna find a new best friend OK. Me and her, will kick your ass, we'll wait with knifes after class!"

From those lyrics in the chorus it is arguably the best song on the album.

Another song, "The Kelly Affair", is a tale about wanton sex and drugs consumption in seedy Los Angeles. If the song it self wasn't so freaky, the video is even creepier!

The rest of the album, however isn't that spectacular as the first...but its not bad either. If you are new to BYOP I strongly suggest you listen to their first album a few times and THEN listen to Get Awkward.

Don't shoot me, this is my first music review. I'm sorry if it doesn't sound pretentious like the dreck on pitchfork

edit: 3.23.08
It has come to my attention Universal took out 3 songs in the US release because they deemed it "too violent". (Which is hilarious because the SAME label releases a shit load of "violent" rap music). One of those songs are "Becky" which i'm extremely disappointed and frankly I think this is fucking bullshit. I urge all BYOP fans to boycott the American release and support the band by buying the UK version (that has ALL of the tracks).

This is just yet another reason why supporting the RIAA is supporting their evil practices such as censorship.