Week 16, 2009

Week of IFFLA. This was the first IFFLA I skipped. Well almost. I went to see Indian Ocean documentary, mainly to support Jaideep. I used to really respect Indian Ocean for being who they are. I never thought their music was very mindblowing to me or very original. I felt the same thing after watching the film. But Indian Ocean Live is a different beast altogether. I love their song Bandeh. Also I saw Deepeche Mode live in the streets of Hollywood this friday. They launched their new album with a free concert in the streets. It was beautiful.

1) Bandeh - Indian Ocean

2) Harder To Breathe - Maroon 5 ft. The Cool Kids(Remix) This was my discovery of the week. What a fantastic mix by the cool kids.

3) Crazy - Alice Russell This is an amazing cover of Crazy.

4) Personal Jesus - Deepeche Mode I was in that crowd in this video.

5) Bambi - Gus Gus Could not find this song on youtube. But discovered Gus Gus. I recommend them.

Week 15, 2009

This week I played Stevie Wonder a a lot. And my Verve Remixed CDs are still playing on loop. But the song i really discovered is the Method Man Mary J Blige one.

1) Love Having You Around - Stevie Wonder

2) You're All I Need - Method Man f/ Mary J. Blige

3) Keep On Running - Stevie Wonder

4)California Soul(Diplo/Mad Decent Remix) - Marlena Shaw

5) Take Care Of Business (Pilooski Edit) - Nina Simone

Week 14 2009

This week was mostly spent listening to Sebastien Tellier & Verve Remixed CDs.

1) Divine - Sebastien Tellier

2) Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles This song played a lot last week, mainly because I read Jaideep Verma's excellent book about Bombay - LOCAL. Read the book to find out. Its availabl on Amazon.

3) Something About Us - Daft Punk - I'm hooked to this track. Thanks to Michel Gondry. He was on kcrw promoting his new DVD & dedicated this song to some lady in his life.

4) Cry Me a River(Truth & Soul remix) - Dinah Washington This is in Verve Remixed 4.

5) Speak Low( Bent remix) - Billie Holiday This is in Verve Remixed 3. The audio of this song has been deleted from youtube due to copyright issues.

Week 13 2009

This week I discovered this a French Du0 ROUGE ROUGE & a LA based Electro Pop band FOL CHEN.

1) Cable TV - Fol Chen - Another LA based group.

2) C'est presque ça - Rouge Rouge French group from their Album Ce Soir, Apres Diner on Wagwam label.

3) Palm Sunday Tornado Hits Crystal Lake - Sufjan Stevens I love the video.

4) La Ritournelle - Sebastien Tellier So Sebastian is not a one hit wonder. I'm enjoying discovering one song every week. Another French. This video seems like it was shot in my neighborhood.

5) Left Field Boogie - Free Disco. Could not find it online. Heard it on Jason Eldrege's 28th March show. The only link I found was this
http://www.soundsoftheuniverse.com/releases/?id=15317
You can buy the single there. Its out on Rong Music label.

Joe Biden's Traffic Moment

A classic case of Real Life following Reel life.
Vice President Joe Biden's Daughter Ashley has been captured doing cocaine in a video tape. Apparently some asshole planned the whole operation to make a quick buck. He is even a friend of Ashley. Its a very interesting story to me. Joe Biden has been a very vocal crusader in the fight against drugs. Like Michal Douglas's character in the film TRAFFIC, his daughter has done drugs. Though Ashley seems to be a very unfortunate victim of some sick bastard. What is really sad is how will kids of famous people know whom to trust from now on?

How can someone hide a camera & tape his own friend doing cocaine & go about hiring DC lawyers to help him sell the tape. What he did was a crime to me. He should be the one going to jail.

Week 12 2009

This week I was literally haunted by Etta James's beautiful beautiful song - AT LAST. Everywhere I was if my mind stopped thinking, I would start hearing this song in my head. As if its being played at 2 houses down the street from mine. And I really enjoyed this feeling. It all is happening thanks to the President's Neighborhood Inaugural Ball where Beyonce sang At Last. It was a beautiful moment in History. One of the most beautiful moment of our lifetime.

1) At Last - Etta James



2) Sympathique - Pink Martini I have to go to a Pink Martini concert whenever these guys are in LA.

3) Peacebone - Animal COllective I'm slowly getting into Animal Collective.

4) Millionaire - Plastina Mosh My love for this Mexican band keeps growing.

5) Flight Of The Conchords: Sugar Lumps

How complicated is Wall Street?

I'm finding it hard to believe that we have to pay the guys who are responsible for this economic mess needs to be paid billions of dollars with our tax money to fix it. So they make twice the money. First they make all this money & tank the economy. Economy down. Govt comes running with its money bags to these white collar criminals to fix the very problem they created.
REALLY?
Are there no honest people who are smart also? Crooks are the only smart people left in Wall Street & Economics?

Now with GM's CEO Wagner being forced to resign, this week will have some interesting politics.

Week 11, 2009

Not much new music happened this last week. I spent most of my time listening to audio books about America.

1) Jon Stewart Presents America: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction

2) I Am America (And So Can You!) - Stephen Colbert

3) Nothing's Sacred - Lewis Black

Jon Stewart's America is a really funny history lesson of America.
I'm halfway into the other 2 books.

I was listening to some of my older cds i made last year. These 5 songs stand out from last week.

1) La Femme d'Argent - Air I just love to hear this song once every week. I feel like this song just creeps up on me & starts making love to me.

2) Streets - Nitin Sawhney My fav Nitin Sawhney song. Not very known even among his fans I think. I would love to use it one day in a film. Couldnt find a link on youtube. Its from the album Displacing The Priest

3) Differente - Gotan Project When will I get around to learning Tango?

4) I Dream - Blindboy. I could not find any link anywhere for this song. Jason Eldridge opened his set on March 21 Sat Night with this song. It used a signature Pink Floyd tune very beautifully.

Week 10 2009

This week I discovered this really cool Mexican band Plastinina Mosh on NPR's Latino USA. The guys sounded smart & creative. And through them I discovered another Mexican Band MOLOTOV. My love for Latino music keeps growing.


1) Phoenix - Love Like a Sunset - Jason Eldridge opened his Saturday night set @ KCRW with this song. And I was immediately Hooked. The Album is "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix". The song 1901 seems to be the one thats getting the most attention. But this song is my favorite.

2) The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight - This was one of the best songs of 2008. Love the lyrics. Love the vocalist. Video...hmmm not so great.

3) Plastilina Mosh - Mr Pmosh Mr P M.O.S.H I Must say I look Gorgeous :) Hilarious Video & Hilarious lyrics.

4) Plastilina Mosh - My Party

5) Molotov - Frijolero Great lyrics & an amazing video.

Love Live Latino Music...

BlackHand of Mexican Mafia

I just finished listening to the Audio Book of The Black Hand: The Bloody Rise and Redemption of "Boxer" Enriquez, a Mexican Mob Killer this afternoon. After I finished listening to the last CD, I turned on the car radio & 5 minutes later Pat Morrison started talking about Mexican Mafia on NPR. I thought - "Ah, what a strange co-incidence it was." I realised within seconds that it was not just about the dreamed Mexican Mafia LeMe, It was actually a interview with the man himself - Rene Enriquez. I immidiately started calling NPR. I finally got through & give my questions to the screener. I was asked to be on hold. But my turn never came. There were so many questions I wanted to ask him.
1) How is your son Bobby doing?
2) Whats your opinion on the dramatic increase in violence in the drug cartels of Mexico.
3) Do you think Cocaine & Heroin should be legalized.

After reading the book, I'm not sure about my opposition to Death Sentence anymore. Maybe some people are just pure evil & do not deserve any space in our society.

I also wanted to congratulate Rene on his bold decision & wish him good luck to "live" every day with a good heart.

Here is the debrief he gave the prison officials after he defected from LeMe



Via Con Dios Rene....