E-Slizzle is on a social media vacay, so I’m handling our weekly Follow Friday post for the next few weeks. YouTube: My favorite track from one of my top 10 albums of 2013, Yes, CookBook’s collaboration with producer Blu, the second in his CBEP series. Twitter: I’m a big Eagles fan, thus I am a…
Pete Seeger: An American Folk Hero
Pete Seeger died early this week at 94 years old. In his near century of life he would challenge the system through both music and activism. Seeger was a man of the people but also a man of music. He was an artist who over his career became the catalyst for American folk music through…
Talking Mercury
In perpetuating stereotypes, our resident Episcopal priest, Ben Wallis, spent some time drinking and talking with heathens… though, the heathens in question were also great musicians, so the time was spent interviewing them about their past, present, and future. Without further ado, here is Father Ben and Awaking Mercury:
Follow Friday
It’s that time again! Let’s take a look at what you’ve been missing out on… YouTube: Jeremiah Givens Are you picking up what Jeremiah’s puttin’ down? Rap with soul and meaning. [iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”//www.youtube.com/embed/DtFA440e5Ks” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen] Twitter: @egg_dogg This dog uses the Twitter machine properly. facte: you eat 28 spiders in your lifetime. always…
Against Me! – Transgender Dysphoria Blues
The sixth release, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, from Florida punk rock outfit Against Me! is a hard hitting and deeply personal record. It is a nothing held back statement from front-woman Laura Jane Grace about her transitioning as a transgender person. The announcement in Rolling Stone Magazine in 2012 where Grace discussed her transgender identity was…
Unconditional Love
Unconditional love Is often quite conditional Inside our selectively gracious hearts We withhold due to traditions and fears Loving sinners but not the sin Yet we choose the sins we love to hate We hate the sins we can’t overcome The ones we deny any knowledge of The ones we refuse to face Our self…
Middle Class Rut
This review originally appeared on thepaintedman.com in 2010. Listening to one of the bands that I mentioned in my top albums of 2013 (Sainthood Reps) reminded me of this band and I stumbled across this review to re-post. I think I am gonna have to go find out what they are up to… so stay…
Superlatives: 13 Best Albums of ’13
It’s more than halfway through January of 2014 and I’m finally able, I think, to put together my top albums of 2013… I’ve been struggling through this process since the end of November, but it’s time to stop fussing and just let it fly, so without further ado, here’s a countdown of the 13 top…
Follow Friday
Welcome to this Friday’s edition to Follow Friday! Here are my top picks for the week: Twitter: @TheFarsighted I know, cheap plug, but get over it. The FB page is rockin' and rollin'! http://t.co/Af1QVoYcgd #seebetterthings — The Farsighted (@TheFarsighted) January 13, 2014 Vine: @Kc James Hilarious, fresh, and clean clean. [iframe width=’100%’ src=’https://vine.co/v/h3lnA3XDJn3/embed/simple’ frameborder=’0′ scrolling=’no’…
The Faith of Bemis
This post originally appeared on thepaintedman.com a few months after the release of this gem from Max and company. The album still gets serious heavy rotation on my car stereo and wherever else I feel like listening to it. Max Bemis, the lead singer of the alternative rock act Say Anything, spends the duration of…
The Best Overlooked Indie Music of 2013
Indie music is an enigma. It’s both the new punk rock and the new mainstream. Everything, today, is labeled indie—and like emo before it—the word has lost its meaning. So when I say, “The Best Overlooked Indie Music,” let’s just say it means underexposed and really good. I think you, too, will enjoy these picks.…
Wanted: Smartphone Organizational Skills
I’m going to make a bold assumption: you have a smart phone. If this is false, you may skip this article, as this is the brain dump of a first-world citizen with severe OCD in regards to his iPhone. In 2010, I had switched to the iPhone after years and years of being a feature…
Remembering MCA
This was originally featured on thepaintedman.com just after the passing of MCA. It was entitled “A Eulogy” when it was originally featured. In the wake of the passing of Adam Yauch aka MCA of the Beastie Boys I have gone through several emotions. First was the shock when I opened my laptop and saw several…
Top 10 Worst Movies of 2013
Happy belated New Year! Here are the top 10 worst movies of 2013. These are based on what I have seen for 2013, so I want to hear your opinions in the comments below on what should be added to/removed from this list. This is not to be taken seriously (but you should take it…
Jehangir and the New Deen
(Originally posted 11/16/11 on thepaintedman.com) Recently, I posted my review of The Taqwacores, a powerful film about the clash of old time religion and the younger generation’s progressive paradigms, namely classical Islam vs. progressive ideas of a young Muslim punk movement. If you read my review, you’ll see that I was quite inspired by the…
2013 Hip Hop Album of the Year
thepaintedman’s top 10 albums of the year is not quite ready, but this is one of them… and, by far, my favorite hip hop album of 2013. Peep the below review that originally appeared on Burnside Writers Collective. Anyone who’s been around the Christian music scene for a little while knows of L.A. Symphony, the…
A Reason to Believe?
(This review also appears on Burnside Writers Collective) Few bands in the hardcore scene have impacted me as much as BoySetsFire. Emotive vocals, socially aware and poignant lyrics, and punishing breakdowns have all been hallmarks of why the band is iconic in the hardcore, punk, and emo world. For a band as iconic as BSF,…