Worst Album Cover Ever

It is Star Wars meets "hey, I just started using Photoshop!" Even if you take away those two elements, what is the thought and decision behind the main photo? Let's say it together, "Gay face". Lastly, am I supposed to connect deeply with the concept of the 'two faces of Blake'? The idea is nothing new and recently overused. There were the two faces of Britney in the video for 'Gimmie, Gimmie' and Kelly Clarkson fighting with label execs over exposing her rough-edge, rock-n-roll side. Now Blake Lewis is letting everyone know.

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Blake Lewis album review on All Music (2-1/2 stars)
Blake Lewis Official Site

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What Sucks
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Check Out This Music

If you like sampling new music, have a gander through my suggestions below. All music has value to me and on paper, songs are just bars and notes. Most of the time the production makes an album and that is what truly creates the idea of what the songs are personally. Whether arranged for live performance or for over-indulgence in the studio, production is the expression of the musical artist while song writing is the source.

Generally I will give an album four spins before establishing an opinion and most times this method has kept me from disregarding music by mistake. New music is like a new haircut in that it deserves the time for the newness to wear off on you before you can truly decide if you like it or not.

• Beirut - Flying Cup Club (website | iTunes)
• Duran Duran - Red Carpet Massacre (website | iTunes)
• Bruce Springsteen - Magic (website | iTunes)
• KT Tunstall - Drastic Fantastic (website | iTunes)
• M.I.A. - Kala (website | iTunes)
• Bat For Lashes - Fur & Gold (website | iTunes)
• Tegan & Sara - The Con (website | iTunes)

Men Who Look Like Old Lesbians

As a balding individual, I especially appreciate this blog: Men Who Look Like Old Lesbians. Not only does it have its own voice, it makes me laugh every day. What does my going bald have to do with this website? It is my conclusion that these men all look like old lesbians because they have full heads of thick, stylish hair during the later ears of life. I'd rather be bald than look like a man that looks like a woman that looks like a man.

Neil Finn. Singer. Songwriter. Mullet-y leader of New Zealand



From: Men Who Look Like Old Lesbians

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• Dutch Boy Painter
• Joe Piscopo
• John Davidson

Related

• Old Lesbians Organizing for Change
• Annie Leibovitz
• Hillary Clinton
  

Bat for Lashes - What's A Girl To Do

Bat For Lashes has made an incredible video directed by Dougal Wilson. It is one part Donnie Darko with a hint of Lily Allen's original video for 'LDN', fried in the 'one-take' batter of a Feist video.

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• Bat For Lashes Website
• Bat For Lashes on Facebook
  
• Bat For Lashes on MySpace
• Video: Prescilla

When You Love Someone

This video was not made by a 10 year old girl from Indiana.

Thanksgiving 2007

Thanksgiving was different for me this year in that I remained in Austin. Since 1998 I have traveled to London to visit my friends and it has now come to be tradition. With the price of the dollar to the pound and the fact that Kyle and Dan, who I usually stay with, are traveling in Australia and New Zealand, there was no other wise choice but to hang out with family and local friends.

Rebecca and I ate dinner with our parents at their place and then headed over to Chip and Sioban's for a second meal and gathering. There was tons of food at both places and I was thoroughly stuffed; so much so that I only nibbled at my second meal. I drank plenty of beer and everyone rocked out to the video game 'Rock Band' which is the same as guitar hero but with a bass, drums and microphone. Afer a few ditties from Hole and The Clash, Sioban took the microphone and showed everyone how it was done by busting out some Beastie Boys.

Thanksgiving 2007 @ Casa de Pumphrey.




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A Week of Fantastic Music

Last week was an overdose of live music that I thoroughly enjoyed. Starting off the week, I shook my thang with M.I.A. at Hogg Auditorium on UT campus and then parked it at Stubb's on Tuesday and Wednesday for Regina Spektor and Tegan & Sara.

I have spent such significant time and money at concerts that I have started to contemplate which career move would subsidize my love of music. Until that happens though, you can read about my concert experiences here - as an amateur.

Tegan & Sara @ Stubb's BBQ, 7 Nov 2007, Austin, TX

I am a recent disciple of their music though I've heard their name and have had other friends recommend them for years. I am disappointed that I didn't pick up an album sooner.

They opened the show with Dark Come Soon and finished with a three-set encore which included Rihanna's Umbrella. Covering Umbrella solidified their greatness in my heart and head.

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Regina Spektor @ Stubb's BBQ, 7 Nov 2007, Austin, TX

Usually I am irritated when I turn up at a concert and the artist performs an entire acoustic set. It tends to be boring and monotonous to the point of demystifying how seven notes can create millions of different songs. But Regina was an exception and she held my interest as she softly walked the audience through the musical manifestations of her brain.

Regina Spektor's music is interesting and "alternative' in how it is written and performed on the recorded CD. She uses her voice in a stylistic and somewhat quirky way that is fast becoming her trademark. When you hear her music live, it takes on a new layer of interesting and, yet, the songs sound more conventional and straight forward.

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M.I.A. @ Hogg Auditorium, 7 Nov 2007, Austin, TX

M.I.A.'s stage show leaves something to be desired and I think she should go by way of Bjork and produce her sound live. With only a single DJ, there was man power to play MP3s of her music minus the vocals, layered with sounds of gunshots and other politically influenced noise controlled by said DJ. The output is great like her albums, but the argument here is really about expectations and necessities around a live show's energy.

M.I.A. consistently moved about the stage and worked every minute of the show to get the fans involved and dancing. Hogg auditorium presented its own challenges as well by having irremovable seating in the floor area. Like a true professional, M.I.A. made due and improvised by bringing everyone up to the stage for a song or two instead.

Overall, M.I.A. was excellent and the concert was mash-up.

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