Thursday, October 28, 2010

Tunage

So I'm about to head to a Steve Aoki show and I'm ready to get my head spun. I'm hoping this act is as good as everyone says.


Regardless I'm in the music mood and I can't be stopped, so here's a little jam for your cerebrals. I can't explain my taste in music really, other than "I like what sounds good". This song by Thunderheist, a Canadian DJ/MC combo, definitely falls in that category. It's like a hybrid between a Run DMC beat, an edIT beat, and Kelis on the mic, quite the random combo, but for some reason it just works. One of those songs that I really got into, maybe you'll feel the same, definitely worth checking out. The anthem of the little booty girl, somewhere Sir-Mix-A-Lot is shaking his head.


And oh yeah the video features a hipster gang battle, what's classier than that. B EZ ninjas..


Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Halloween

OK Halloweiners I know you guys need help with costumes and I'm here for you. Forget Dorothy's costume shop on Mass Ave., no one is trying to wait 45 minutes on line to spend 70 bucks on a pair of rainbow suspenders.

Initiate Phase 2: Thrift Stores. Now that's kind of where I come in. I usually find myself at a thrift store for regular clothes shopping, so Halloween just seemed natural. Whether you're looking for the last piece of that Miley Cyrus costume you've been dying to show off or you need an idea all together, the thrift stores are the place to go. Here's a list and brief descriptions for the costume savvy:

Urban Renewals: This Thrift Store over near BU offers a surprisingly good selection. It looks small from the front, but extends way back into a warehouse and has some awesome and reasonably priced stuff. Not a great selection of jerseys of t-shirts, but tons of weird jackets and stuff for throwing together a costume. Also there is a huge section of old toys and sports gear that can make for some creative ideas, definitely worth a look.

The Garment District: Probably the most highly publicized thrift store I've ever been too (TV commercials, really?), this Cambridge store is hit or miss. It recently partnered up with a costume shop so there is plenty of merchandise, but the prices are kind of up there for thrift clothing. The real deal here is the Buck-a-Pound section on the first floor, which is essentially a ball pit full of clothes that everyone rummages through. As advertised the clothes are a dollar a pound, and you can buy in bulk. There's some really strange stuff in the pile, but hey you might get lucky, snagged a pretty sweet Boston Marathon jacket last time I was there. That one dollar purchase really broke the bank.

The Goodwill Store (West Roxbury): There's Goodwills all over Boston, but this one is by far the best. It's a huge store with a large selection and the best prices of anywhere I've found around the city. Add in that they literally have Halloween racks full of assorted clothes and it's easily your best bet. A 10 minute walk from International Village, this Goodwill definitely has what you're looking for.


Hope that helps a little folks, get on it.

PS when did thrifting become hipster? What if you're just cheap?

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Ah the Urban Fall

Touche Charles River, touche. Just as I was beginning to accept the fact that I'd miss fall once again by spending my autumn months in Boston's concrete jungle, today threw me for a loop.
On an impulse call, I skipped my first hour of work study this morning to hit up a bike ride along the Charles. I've been doing that since about June as a general stress reliever and time passer, but I had kind of figured the rides would be over by late October. Thankfully mother nature blessed us with a random gorgeous day, and I really couldn't pass it up.

I've heard from friends and family around New England that peak foliage season was about over, but around my apartment trees are either still green or leafless, leaving a very distorted image of supposed fall foliage. However, along my ride this morning I really got to see a full array of colors; Brilliant oranges, bright yellows and reds lined the pathway and I started to realize just how many different trees are down by the water, pretty cool. Now I know I sound like an old tourist when I talk about this stuff, but I'm kind of a sucker for a good photo and that's exactly what I was riding through for the entirety of my 40 minute ride. It felt really great to lose myself in another world, especially one I don't really get to see much in the city.

It's unbelievable how close we live to the Charles and yet I feel like very few of us actually go down there. I tried to make a point of it this summer, but since school has started I've again started taking it for granted. I'm hoping this weekend offers some more good days so I can take advantage of the scenery before it takes a turn for the worse, and if you have the time, I strongly suggest you do the same, if, for nothing else, just to clear your head. All I can say is that I'm glad I took a right turn out of my apartment and headed down to the river this morning, as it put a completely new light on an otherwise ordinary day.

Next time I'll bring a camera, but hey it offers you a chance to get down there and discover it for yourself, and I'd say it's worth it. Aight dudes and dudettes, as always, B EZ.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Monday Coverses

Monday Covers is branching out today giving you the largest variety of covers this side of Stetson East. Today's cover comes from a super talented dude by the name of Jake Shimabukuro. Don't let the frosted tips fool you, the dude can kill it on the ukelele. I stumbled onto his stuff a few years ago and this song is by far my favorite. Covering the Beatles' George Harrison, here's Sr. Shimabukuro with "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." B EZ bostonia, I promise I'll actually write something this week.



Friday, October 22, 2010

Sincere Apologies

Wow, kid's been lazy this week huh? Sorry about that folks, I'm trying to get my internship applications in order, I promise I'll provide proper enlightenment soon. For now I leave you with this remixed classic jam circa early 2000s. Hope you enjoy. Get outside this weekend, if you're in the Boston area, Head of the Charles will be awesome, definitely check it out. Also if you're on Northeastern campus, pick up a Tastemakers magazine, it's free, I wrote an article, what else do you need? Ok everybody, B EZ... and oh yeah...go ducks.



Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Git it

Fish tacos courtesy of Sr. Lange:

- Pan-seared tilapia w/ Adobo seasoning
- Corn tortillas (has to be)
- Avocado slices
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime
- Seasoned rice
- Frijoles Negros (black beans, gringos)

Add in some fried plantains from yours truly, and you got the dankest of the dank. Cafe 114, wutup, get at me.



Monday, October 18, 2010

Monday Covers

Columbus couldn't stop me two weeks in a row, I'm too sharp for that jazz. Speaking of the latter (like that segue?), today's ditty is a little Jamie Cullum jazz cover of Pharell's "Frontin". A completely different take on a solid Pharell jam, this song is surprisingly pleasant and easy to listen to. For the musically inclined, enjoy. For everyone else..happy monday?





Friday, October 15, 2010

wutup friday

Me: Want to hear something cool?

You: Uh, what is it?

Me: The best Jay-Z mashup ever.

You: I'm intrigued by your query, I'd love to take a gander..

Me: Dope.





ya dood is back..B EZ..

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Welcome to the Experiment

So I want to introduce you to a little pet project of mine: The Blind Camera. Now the concept is easy enough, but the results have been surprising to say the least. I have this cheapo digi camera that my friend gave me at a graduation party senior year of high school. Pretty solid, easy to take around and snap a few shots, and loads easily onto the computer. Needless to say I took it everywhere and got a lot of decent photos to remember some pretty cool trips. So when the little bugger fell on move-in day last year, broke its display screen and for all purposes seemed useless, I had a hard time throwing it away. Instead I changed the batteries, turned it on and started taking pictures. The only catch was, I couldn't see any of my photos, hence the birth of the blind camera. The pictures upload to my computer still and I can empty my memory card right off of the computer, so it's fully functional.

The actual shooting however, forces me to rely on my eyes, and thus far has helped me see my photos completely differently. I shoot what's pleasing to the eye, not worrying about the "mechanics" of my shot. Some pics come out great and some are eh, but that's been the beauty of the whole deal for me. The digital age has killed the "accidental photo", because deleting pics on cameras now is easier than taking pics. By deleting pictures though, we miss some of our greatest moments. Sometimes the group of girls in the foreground isn't the most interesting part, instead its the little kid picking his nose in the back. That's what the blind camera has allowed me to do; enjoy these random moments in time. They're not the tightest photos, but they also don't seem staged and fake.

I have to upload all of my pics, it's the only way I can see them, so I get an interesting collection. It's a return to old photography, minus the hassle of developing film, the perfect crime. And for the most part I don't even have to alter my photos (minus a few saturation tinkerings). Don't get me wrong, I still love taking real photos with functioning cameras, but the blind cam is a nice departure from the norm. Not a bad look, definitely worth a try. B EZ bostonia.


(This photo uploader is on the weak side)



Gotta love Burlington, VT. Rock on Purple Message House.


Top of Burlington


4th Fyrewerks


NH Lake Summer


Northfield, MA. Broken Shutter Sunset


More Northfield, fire on the mountain


Charles River Cruisin


Don't Mess With the Hoff. US/Czech game


114 Rooftop Pimpin


Boston Summer Haze


114 Eye of the Storm


Yup. Leash kid


114 Roofin


Boston Downtown

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Monday? Covers

Damn you Columbus. Way to throw a curveball and give me an extra day off. See what you've done? Ha, well today is Tuesday and I'm going to have to take my first Mulligan, damn.

No worries though, I have a cover for you that's been generating some buzz lately. This one is Passion Pit covering The Smashing Pumpkins. Usually when a good band covers a good band good things happen, and this little guy is no exception to that rule. Enjoy.




And I need your help on this one. Is this a Biz Markie cover? Either way, still jam status.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

College

coffee table + bed risers + cinder blocks= kitchen table


...college




Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Rainy Day, Press Play

Looks like that cold fall rain has taken over for the week here in Boston, let the lack of motivation and laziness begin. But before you chalk this week up into the loss column, check out some new music I was introduced to this past weekend. My friends up in Burlington turned me onto this growing downtempo movement, spearheaded by a dude named Emancipator. Emancipator's music is a mix of RJD2 and Pretty Lights marinated in chill. The term downtempo is relatively self-explanatory (the opposite of uptempo), the music is a bunch of laid-back instrumentals with some occasional hip-hop samples thrown in. This is the type of music that you just throw on your headphones and suddenly feel like the entire world is moving to a beat, you know, when the wind-shield wipers move to the snare and that crazy yelling lady on the side of the street is suddenly moving her hands to the melody. So whether you're in the classroom, the library or the office throw some downtempo on relax, it's only four days til the sun comes back, Noah did it for 40 and his Walkman was broken, think about it.







For those of you who can't get into a song without lyrics, I even thought of you..

Monday, October 4, 2010

Monday Covers

To all the killas and the hundred dolla billas,

Another Monday and as promised another cover. And no sorry, it's not that country "Gin and Juice" cover your friend showed you in high school. This one is a little bit outside the box, but that's why I find it intriguing. I don't know a lot about this artist, but I do know she took a creative chance with this cover of 303's "Starstrukk" and well, I just like it. Kind of haunting but strikes the right cliched chords. The artist: Marina and the Diamonds. The song: "Starstrukk". The verdict: well that's up to you. Enjoy.




PS for all you craving a "Gin and Juice" cover, this one is my favorite. Pretty hood. Keep comin' up with funky ass shit like every single day..

Friday, October 1, 2010

Bus Stop Chronicles

Chilling at a Springfield, MA bus station right now, and have to say, bus stations are one of the strangest microcosms of people I've ever been a part of. I guess it's pretty similar to being in a train station or airport, but its because bus stations are so tightly contained. There are so many different people heading so many different ways here, it's a really interesting dynamic. College kids, old-school travelers, city people, country people, and enough languages to start its own U.N., definitely an experience.

I've been eavesdropping for about 40 minutes, and have picked up some pretty cool stories. I'll just share one for now.

This one guy burst out of the convenience store here, pissed that the clerk couldn't understand him when he was trying to buy lottery tickets. In the clerks defense, the guy had a pretty thick West Indian accent, but regardless the guy was getting really angry. He goes over to his friend, trying to rally him to fight this clerk. His friend, who literally hasn't moved since sitting on the bench, seems slow at first glance. However, as often first impressions are far off the mark, the guy on the bench diligently listens to his friend's rant, then calmly whips out a Forrest Gump quote. "You know man, stupid is as stupid does." basically telling the guy to calm down and that the clerk isn't dumb he just didn't understand, it happens, life goes on. BOOM, conflict averted thanks to the ragged bench sage. Funny that a guy who has clearly dealt with hardship his entire life is able to see clearly how futile some fights can be. We should all be so wise, don't ya think? Anyways kids, enjoy the weekend and above all.. B EZ.