Why Aren't You Listening to Beck Right Now?

94 was a crazy one. Lorena Bobbit copped to insanity, Jeff Gillooly and Tonya Harding both pleaded guilty. Schindler's List swept at the Oscars and Kurt Cobain ended it all. Oh, and don't forget about OJ. The climate was perfect for Beck's hit, Loser, off his first album Mellow Gold. Moody, melodic and completely insane, Beck was strange, dark, and twisted, but tons of fun to listen to. The whole album was filled with bizarre ranting gems like Fuckin' With My Head and Truck Driving Neighbors Downstairs so catchy you'd find yourself singing along.

Most people go through an evolution as a music listener. You grew up on heavy doses of educational/non-threatening happy music - Raffi, School House Rock, etc. Also, if you were lucky, your parents had good taste. The Doors, Stones, Moody Blues, Clapton, and of course, the greatest song in the history of Rock N' Roll: AQUALUNG.

Eventually you start to branch out and find that you have your own opinion. This usually involves some sort of rebellion, no matter how small. The big eye opener for me was Dr. Dre's The Chronic. I remember sitting on the train to Seattle with my Babe Ruth baseball team listening to a borrowed tape of the album and having a major eye-opening experience. I wouldn't say I was sheltered, just tragically naive (oh, and I had a mullet - that's right, sitting on the train, rocking my mullet and mesh backed baseball cap about 12 years pre-Kutcher, bumping Nothin' But a G Thang). But that album did it for me and I realized there was a lot more out there than my parent's music collection. Granted, much of my early exploration was fairly clandestine as the black and white PARENTAL ADVISORY sticker was a death sentence for a disc in our house, but my growth as a music fan was on.

As usual, I have strayed from the original point of this post, which is to proclaim that Beck is among the best, most prolific and creative artists of the 15 or so years that I can claim to be a music lover. With each new album, Beck has continued to grow and reinvent himself - staying relevant, but also intensely creative, diverse and ambitous. He's strayed in and out of pop genres and had the obligatory celeb meltdowns and obsessions (hello Scientology). He also avoided becoming Dave Matthews (15 years, 9 studio albums completely indistinguishable from one another) or Smashing Pumpkins (reinvented themselves right out of mega stardom and their fan base) or REM (still cranking out albums but who cares?).

This year's release Modern Guilt not only lives up to expectations, but is immediately in the running for the QLE's annual top-10 albums of the year (a prestigious award I am sure he had in mind while in the studio). MG is 10 songs of pure pleasure. It's weird, varying in mood, blusey and and trés modérn. Danger Mouse's production is a phenomenal contribution and plays perfectly into the feel of the album as a whole. My personal fav, Youthless features a catchy, repetitive bass
"There's a bottomless pit that we've been climbing from
Just to get on level ground
Shake your seasick legs around
Dead of winter in a logo town
Signs of life are soft and flickering"
It all works swimmingly and the Beck/Danger Mouse pairing reveals itself to be the obvious answer to a question only too recently asked. Get it, rock it, and continue your evolution as a music fan.

Nelly - Hot in Herre

Juxtaposed to Radiohead, Nelly is on the other side of the music genius spectrum. We all jammed out to this track and we all know the lyrics. This was THE defining college fratastic classic. Banging Pharrell beat. Great sleazy video. Easy to remember hook and call backs. Its got it all. HOT IN HERRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEE

Congrats to Radiohead

This week marks the 9th year in a row that Radiohead is my favorite band. For being such a fickle bitch and waffler, I'd say that is a minor miracle. 

They must really be the best band in the world if they can stand up to all my non-committing and flakiness. 

In the same time period I've constantly wrestled internally about my favorite sports teams, cities to live, life priorities, soda vs. coffee, food preferences, snootiness and lack-there-of, authors and movie directors. 

However, I've never wavered on my music preference. 

Here we are on the morning of the first ever Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco and Radiohead is headlining tonight. They deserve that closing slot and have earned it by making and mastering all the right music specifically tailored to my yearns and desires. Here is the part in the post where I am supposed to dive into the nuances of what makes them so great. But suffice to say that you either get it or you don't.  Again, congrats to Thom Yorke and his band of brothers. 

Girl Talk - Free(ish) Music

Girl Talk is sick. Some people don't know or don't understand, but it's only because you haven't thrown on your headphones and listened to the ridiculous intricacy of what this kid does.

You can give it a listen on this "fan video" of my favorite song off the last album Night Ripper here on youtube. Or, an alternative version here featuring Hillary Clinton dancing to Girl Talk - not sure if it's even funny, but man Youtube is a weird place.

He leads off his latest release, Feed the Animals with a 17 sample mix up as detailed here on Wikipedia:

"Play Your Part (Pt. 1)" - 4:45

• 0:01 UGK with OutKast - International Player's Anthem (I Choose You)
• 0:01 Spencer Davis Group - Gimme Some Lovin
• 0:01 The Unicorns - I Was Born (A Unicorn)
• 0:32 DJ Funk - Pump That Shit
• 1:08 Pete Townshend - Let My Love Open the Door
• 1:19 Unk - Walk It Out
• 1:59 Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It
• 2:04 Huey Lewis and the News - The Heart of Rock & Roll
• 2:13 Lil Mama - G-Slide
• 2:29 Ludacris - Whats Your Fantasy
• 2:36 Temple of the Dog - Hunger Strike
• 3:04 Aaliyah ft. Timbaland - We Need a Resolution
• 3:05 T.I. - What You Know
• 3:08 Lil Wayne with Birdman - Stuntin' Like My Daddy
• 3:41 Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U
• 4:32 Shawnna - Gettin' Some
• 4:32 Jay-Z - Big Pimpin'

The good news? Illegal Art and Girl Talk are offering the new album for download "Radiohead-Style." Jump on the Illegal Art site right here and download it asap. According to Wikipedia if you opt to pay $0, you have to fill out a questionnaire (in short why the eff are you so cheap?). So download it and check it out, oh, and watch Hillary Clinton bounce that one more time.

Some Dude vs. Chris Martin

We've seen it 1,000 times. Coldplay releases amazing album featuring summer song Viva la Vida. Album shoots to top of charts. Chris Martin gets celebratory BJ from Gwyneth. Some dude (Andrew Hoepfner of Creaky Boards) says CM stole the song from him after attending a Creaky Boards show in NYC. Story detailed here. Be sure to check out the bulleted comparison of the bands at the end of the piece. Strangely enough, no one but Stringer actually believes that Coldplay stole their #1 single from some HD in NY. Hoepfner put together a little Youtube ditty to let you be the judge. Enjoy.

2 For One Entertainment

Although summer's just getting started, I am ALWAYS looking ahead to winter and the coming ski season.  I guess the fact that we're experience a "Juneuary" in the PNW makes it a little easier to ignoring the pending joy of summer and think about skiing again...

But, June is when Rage Films releases their annual ski film teaser.  A couple of minutes dedicated to sick, new school skiing, amazing cinematography and, as always, the hottest new track.  So, if you've never seen a Rage Films (or are already a fan) check out the teaser for "Such is Life."  As a special bonus, you will be introduced to MGMT with their cut "Time to Pretend."  Now you're in the know.

Reflections on Kanye

Although it would be a bit Kanye-esque to say this entry is a result of popular demand - a couple people inquired as to the quintessential health of the QLE so I thought I would check in with some thoughts on my experience at the Glow In The Dark Tour last night.

There were a variety of reactions when I told people I was going to the show. Most laughed, a few were jealous, and a surprising number of people said: Kayne, oh, I can't stand him, he is soooo arrogant (conceited, egotistical, cocky, etc.)! This struck me as slightly ridiculous for two reasons:
1. Yeah he is, he's one of the most famous pop stars of his era. And admit it, you love or have loved his music. It has played at your favorite parties, been on your workout mix or has bumped in your car.
2. Who gives a shit? I am not going to a massive arena pop show to see someone up there be self deprecating and humble. I want the guy to go nuts and put on a visual-musical spectacle worthy of my time and money, and I would contend a large ego is necessary for that!

This show was huge - almost 5 hours of music from some of the best pop acts out there - N.E.R.D., Lupe, Rhianna and, of course, Kanye. This is the first arena pop show I have been to since TLC, Mary J Blige and Bobby Brown (Humpin' Around) in '92. Combine that with the fact that I was the oldest person in Sec. 114 without a kid in tow, and I was a little self conscious in the beginning.

Is it really cool to go nuts, jump around and pound out some white guy fist pumps to radio-ready pop music? You bet your sweet ass, and I had a great time doing it, grooving to Lupe, bouncing with N.E.R.D., singing um breELLA, ELLA, ELLA, EA, EA and throwing my diamonds in the sky, because it's obvious I felt the vibe.

After an almost 90 minute set in which I imagine he played 20 songs, the show appeared to be over - the house lights even started to come up - but Kanye had other plans. He took the moment to go on a pretty impressive rant - against critics, against media (kind of) and in favor of art, musical expression and having a well developed love for ones self and what they do. The guy likes himself, he knows we like him, and he likes it. Granted, interspersed among the rant were hints at schizophrenia, some name calling and some non-linear logic, but overall it was pretty solid and entertaining.

Ultimately, Kanye asks, what's so wrong with having high self esteem, to liking ones self and what they do? It reminds me of Kobe Bryant. People love to hate Kobe, they call him arrogant, conceited, etc. But think about it this way - it feels good to be good at something. It feels even better to be better than others at something. Imagine if you were better than all 6 Billion people on Earth... I give the guy a pass on feeling good about that.

So, was the show life changing and analogous to a James Joyce novel as Luciana Lopez suggested in her pre-show drubbing of Kanye? Nah, but as my Uncle would say, it was significantly better than a sharp stick in the eye. Equal parts Vegas style stage show (yes, Kanye did some acting), Disney ride and mega-pop tour, it was an amazing time had by all, great music and a welcome change from the hipster asshole crowd who take themselves and music oh so seriously.

An interesting post script - Luciana (the pop critic for the Oregonian) apparently has a bit of a hubris problem as well. Check out her review in today's paper where she writes (and seems to believe) that Kanye's rant about media and all the haters in the world was directed solely toward her. It's clear she has the John Canzano syndrome, but we can get into that later...

First single off new Flight of the Conchords album

If you are unlike me, and find the Flight of the Conchords music funny and ironic, here is the first single off of their new, self-titled album - 'Ladies of the World'.

Enjoy.

JUSTICE - SF Concourse

Let me begin by saying that I have been advocating for Justice the last 12-14 months. I am on board w/ their sound and I like their studio album. I am also OK with the "rejected" Fabric mix from January '08 that was borderline over-indulgent on disco-glam.

I have seen Justice perform on three occasions. 1. Coachella '07. 2. Mezzanine in SF last October. 3. Last Thursday at the Concourse in SF. Deterioration is evident.

The Coachella show was great and the Mezzanine was one of, if not the most fun, engaging and sound-bastic shows I have ever seen. Ninety minutes of straight mixing and good, continuous music. It was a fluid, true DJ set.

Expectations and anticipation were high for the event last Thursday. Some notes from the show:

1. They have seemingly completely abandoned the typical DJ set in favor of a more rock and roll based set. They played songs, kind of, that lasted 4-5 minutes. 3 minutes would be a build up, of sorts, to the crescendo, which was almost always underwhelming. It probably would've been better had they just played their album straight through. And that's not a good thing to report.

2. The first serious bass-drop was 45 minutes into the show. Not OK.

3. Stopping the music every 5 minutes, raising your arms in victory and urging the crowd to applaud your splendor does not make for a good dance program. That is what happens at rock concert.

4. Speaking of rock concert, the encore was basically an undancable speed metal Rob Zombie guitar riff showcased by bass hits and 8-bit video game noises. It was tailor made for the Guitar Hero III fans in the crowd and it was not the way to end a set. But, it was totally unique and I've got to give them credit for this as it was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Even though I didn't care for it.

5. I felt like the oldest kid in the house. I've never been to an event where they were more 18-21 year old strung-out, neon-clad, spandex wearing, mustache donning H-Ds in my life. Justice is now evidently "cool," which makes me consider this possibly being my last show of theirs, if only for the fact that the concert etiquette from this younger American Apparel supporting crowd was absolutely horrible, if not borderline rude.

6. The venue was raining sweat. Literally. Condensation built up from the audience to the ceiling and then dripped profusely like the jungles of Amazon.

7. If you watch the video you can see all the things that were annoying about the show: lack of drops, the sign-a-longs, stopping songs for applause and mindless buildup culminating with less then stellar and way too short reward. Everyone wants the reward and it was just something Justice used to do, but have abandoned in their recent show.

However, you can also see that the crowd was going ape-shit. Which makes me wonder if my expectations are you high? Am I totally jaded? Maybe, I Am just a snob? Should I stop over-analyzing things? Or, maybe I didn't have enough to drink....

With all that said, there were some interesting and redeeming qualities about the event. However, I think my days of paying to see Justice are now over, even though their draw and legacy are seemingly only just taking off.

JUSTICE

The killer concert is in the eye and ear of the beholder, so we thought it would be fun to write two reviews of the JUSTICE Myspace tour - both the SF and the PDX shows.

JUSTICE's stop in Portland is the Roseland Theater. Located downtown with capacity of 1,400 - Roseland gets the slightly more recognized acts - usually on their second pass through town. So, you get people who know the hit song or are going on recommendation of a friend - and this group always creates an interesting dynamic with the "original" and hardcore fans.

For JUSTICE, the die hards are, of course, mega-hipster-doofuses. Mostly 20 and younger, these fanboys and girls were endowed with the power of the spirit - much like the middle American mega church revival crowd the glowing cross called to mind.

The other crowd could best be described as meat heads. I swear I watched an entire baseball team walk in. Everyone wearing (nonironic) tees, baggy(!) jeans and wearing hats that weren't even meant to make a point beyond their allegiance to a sports team. Weird. I owe their presence mostly to the Mos Def and Spank Rock remix of DANCE floating around on the web.

I understand the necessity of all ages clubs. I know up and coming H-D's want to see the shows, but it really does completely ruin the experience to have id checking, security lines and strict segregation. At the Roseland for example, the 21+ crowd is packed on to the balcony - forced to choose between a powerful thirst and the full music experience.

Despite all that the crowd was hyped, ready to move and about to bring the place down by the time the Augé and de Rosnay walked on stage. When the drop hit, well over 1,000 people jumped into a fist pumping frenzy. Illuminated by a glowing cross, insane crossed up strobes, LED amps and glowing speakers - in a word; shit got crazy.

There were some phenomenal moments in the show and some masterfully timed sound, light and effect touches. The boys know what they are doing, although often find themselves more interested in proving their intricate technical prowess than necessarily delivering what the people want.

Many of their set ups were strong: building beats, smashing rhythms and a delicious tease of samples from their biggest hits. But, frequently, as a result of ADD or a powerful desire to show off their cuts, the payoff didn't come.

A note to artists: no matter how much we like your music, we do not want an acoustic version with us singing your biggest hit, it's just not as cool as you think it is. We paid to see YOU.

Even when they decided to let the crowd revel in that dirty pleasure of just rocking out to a hit single (you know you like it) they still seemed to admonish that desire, such as significantly lengthening the builds and shortening the hooks on DVNO. JUSTICE is, if nothing else, a couple of kids with some great chops but an even greater ear: intensely pleasurable melodies and catchy hooks are your game, so let them play!

The overall flow was good, although they couldn't help indulging themselves in repeated samples of the same disco era cuts - one of which I counted four times through the evening. Despite distractions, the show, the beats and the lights (irrational fears of epileptic fits haunted me throughout the evening) built to quite a crescendo as the encores approached. I will leave a full description of them to those who still have the show to attend, but plan to rock the hell out.

JUSTICE put on a great show, played the audience and its energy well and even indulged in theatrics such as hand-holding and bowing, crowd surfing, smoking at the boards and numerous encores. Despite that, I never felt any real connection to the people on stage. Part of seeing a live performance is an insight into the bands you love - getting to know them on a different level, and to a large degree, feeding off their energy and their performance. Hidden behind insane light displays and mostly head down hard at work on the task at hand - the energy of the "band" just wasn't there to carry the music.

Overall I would say the show is good with some elements of greatness. The Myspace aspect was weird but not terribly distracting. The power of the spectacle and the energy of the crowd carried the night. As an "adult" who occasionally allows themselves to get down, head out on a school night and get down and just plain groove to some wild electronic DJs, I hope next time the group is willing to indulge me, give in to my hedonism and let its fans revel in all the best of their music (even if it is a top 40 hit)...

Hot Chip - The Quintessential Experience Paradiso

As you may be aware, elements of the QLE headed out on European vacation a couple weeks ago in there interest of serious blog-journalism: QL research and a further, deeper understanding of the cultures of the world. Along the way we stopped in Brussels, Bruges, Haarlem, The Hague and Amsterdam, soaking up the best that late-winter Europe has to offer.

Key on the agenda was the Hot Chip show at Paradiso, a onetime church converted to a great concert venue. Although covered in scaffolding (like much of Europe), Paradiso, now known as the Temple of Music, combines a great location (right off Leidseplein) with a novel layout that affords great proximity to the acts, and good views of the stage from various floor levels and balconies.

My goal was to put the many thoughts, impressions and descriptions down in writing as soon as I got home from the concert - however, I will spare many of those details as they are slightly incoherent upon further reflection... My "gonzo" blogging still needs some development.

The entire concert experience was amazing - the billing for the night consisted of three main acts with house DJs spinning in between.

Hot Chip is known for extremely high-energy shows that recreate songs entirely on the spot. Although I thoroughly enjoyed Made In the Dark, I would love to get my hands on a high quality recording of one of their shows. They are stoked and having a great time on stage, and it carries through into the music, the performance and the crowd. Combine that with insane decibels, and a wild lighting set, and you have a for sure winner.

Check their music out on Myspace and get yourself some ticket - their US tour hits the left coast right around April 21st.

Portishead - Third

Not sure if I like it or not. Be your own judge. Download at Nocna Hudba. It's a weird download process - but click the 'Free' link, then wait for a minute and a half.

Enjoy.

Tapes 'n Tapes - Walk it Off: LEAKED

While the rest of the dudes are in Amsterdam (see: drugs, fun, beer), I will do my best to hold it down with some free music fo' yo' ass. Today? TNT.

A little Bloc Party, a little Kings of Leon, a little Modest Mouse, a little everything else that you've ever heard. Whatever it is, get it while it's available. The new Tapes 'n Tapes album (Sophomore release) was recently streamed and ripped (Available to purchase April 8th). Some say it's not as good as their first release (but when is it?) Get it here while you can. It's good, I like it.

Enjoy.

Sunday Afternoon Music

Thought many of you would enjoy this acoustic set, by Shins front-man James Mercer, performed at the Moonshine Festival in '04. He performs mostly Shins cuts, but does a few covers, including Neil Young's Harvest.

Enjoy.

Made in the Dark Review

Hot Chip's latest, Made in the Dark, plays like a great date: fun, upbeat, high energy, beautiful at times - and what begins at at the club eventually makes its way to the bedroom.

A follow up to the whimsical yet slightly disquieting The Warning, Hot Chip dials up the experience with a heavier synthesized sound and up tempo beats. The same catchy, enjoyable and poppy nature is amplified, creating an album that frequently encourages reckless decibel levels and constant movement while listening.

They showcase digital abilities and creativity, seamlessly blending varied rhythms, heavy beats and whimsical noise to create tracks that are not only fun to listen to, but could easily find their way onto a very respectable dance mix.

Made in the Dark encourages straight through listening, and the progression shows that this is not solely a synthesized, electronic effort; there is a definite human element that will please even the die hard indie rock fan. The resonance and a genuineness of Taylor and Goddard's delivery brings an emotional, human quality to the project.

Tempo shifts and divergent sounds play as complementary and come together effortlessly for Hot Chip. On "Touch Too Much" the combination of up tempo, syncopated rhythms and electronic noise suddenly resolves into a mellow, singsong one-minute interlude with a very personal, intimate feeling. Just as suddenly, the beats are back and the introspective mood of moments ago is a distant memory.

Fun, versatile, upbeat, and diverse, Made In The Dark stands up well to repeated plays and will welcome new fans and reward Hot Chip loyalists alike with a great mix of sounds and experiences.

Music Videos

According to the Buggles, video killed the radio star, but I blame Jonathan Murray and Mary-Ellis Bunum for killing the video star. In less than one generation, we have seen the meteoric rise and fall of the music video. The ignominious end hastened by the likes of Puck, Pedro, and recently, a long line of undereducated, over served frat dicks, flaming homosexuals and girls with a severe shortage of self respect and strong moral foundation.

Most QLE readers remember (or almost remember) the beginning of the music video era:


And for the next twenty years or so, the music video became the ultimate marketing vehicle. Disturbing, funny, entertaining, or a downright work of art, the music video allowed for a whole new interpretation and experience of the music you loved.


As MTV digressed into programming so shitty you can't even watch it stoned, videos were pushed over to MTV2, and eventually to a small suite of channels that comes with the Digital Deluxe Silver Subscriber Package, hidden in the upper 400s. However, the video has persevered, with the best of the best becoming viral internet phenomenons.


I will include a couple more of my favorites below, but I would like to create a forum in the comments section of this post to try and create a list of the best music videos of all time. Find them on youtube, post them, and let's see what we can put together. Fight back, bring back the music video!








Here are links to more as I remember them:
Pretty sure I am STILL in love with both of these women from this video.

A scary one...

Videos that are short movies

I remember being SHOCKED by the lyrics of this one

So Sick

More Biggie

Something a little newer

The Noise of Naptown

Being that my relocation to the east coast is imminent, and hopefully will provide the QLE with some sort of editorial and geographical counterweight, I think it's best here to present a very brief summary of what goes on, aurally speaking, in my beloved home for 27 years, Indianapolis.

Having been an active musician in the city for ten years or so, I must confess it's truly a sad scene (hence the move to Brooklyn). No big college in town, no real history of big names, no chance for a visit by any big A&R rep. However, something interesting and creative intermittently arises from the Midwestern mire, before either disbanding or relocating.

A modest analogy: If Indy's music scene is a Chili's Triple Dipper appetizer, then truly the Boneless Shanghai Wings are Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos, a chamber orchestra of enfant terribles perhaps most easily comparable to the Arcade Fire (for instrumentation purposes, if nothing else...). They are on a major label, which is unheard of 'round these parts, and have a new album coming out soon. This video of "Quiet as a Mouse" is worth a watch if you are a fan of moody music, paper animation, or cartography.



The Southwestern Eggrolls are State, a former hard rock power trio that is currently retooling and recording something big and new. "She Dreams of You" absolutely kills. And the Reservoir Dogs meets Grace Jones workout tape video is a lo-fi treat.



And because I truly believe that real music actually gave up the ghost around 1974, I offer, as the palate-cleansing hot spinach and artichoke dip, a boogaloo funk cut from The Highlighters, "The Funky Sixteen Corners." This one-time local chart-topper lingered in milk-crate obscurity until some British DJs over at the Stone's Throw label resurrected it and made it a fitting soundtrack to accompany teenage Ecstasy binges in Manchester.



And finally, for a great central coast perspective on national music, My Old Kentucky Blog is stellar. Mp3s for days. Hipster, to be sure, but administrator Dodge always seems to find a few great artists that Pitchfork, et. al, overlook. And if you are a true music perv, type in "Covers Project" on the search, listen to 20 versions of "When Doves Cry" or "Suspicious Minds", and then reflect on another wasted Saturday afternoon.

Thom Yorke Gets Hyphy

Bay Area Producer/DJ Amp Live from the duo Zion I is a huge Radiohead Fan. Who isn't? When I like a new album, I play it in my car. When DJs dig albums, they remix and mash 'em. So, Amp Live goes out, gets some yay area hiphoppers to guest on the tracks, makes a great album and drops it in cyberspace for free distribution. Boom. Rainydayz Remixes

The only catch: you had to have bought the Radiohead In Rainbows album from the band's website within the first few days of release. Everything's good, right? He's in line w/ Radioheads ideology of supporting the music and not the beauracracy.

The Mixtape is posted, everyone loves it, rave reviews everywhere. Music fans are stoked, Amp Live gets good pub, starts playing the interpretations at his shows. People are, well, AMPED.

But, hold on!

Amp neglected to contact Radiohead and their publicist sends a cease and desist. So, Fuck! Nobody gets around to downloading the album, but there is still hope as the band agrees to give it a listen.

Low and behold, they like it, like everyone else, and realize he's not trying to profit off the sales.

It ends up that the whole issue stemmed from a likeness of Yorke being used on Amp's website and thats, evidently a big no-no.

But, alas, the album is now up for grabs, ITS FREE, and its probably your only chance to get tracks of Too Short, Del and Chali2na rapping w/ a bass and a snare over a Radiohead song.

Don't loose your head....

The Best Minute and Half in Grammy History

I don’t watch the Grammys. I want to start my first addition to the QLE by making this known, but I do have a girlfriend so...

This year they did the Grammys right. Performances. No boring speeches thanking people you and I don’t know. Three and a half hours of performances, one of which blew my mind and gave me a semi.

I couldn't believe my ears, “And next, Kayne West performs with Daft Punk.” They couldn’t be there…. I mean, the American Music Association is not only recognizing DP but letting them play the Grammys?

The next two and a half minutes slogging through John Legend Target ads and discussing that "not so fresh feeling" seemed like an eternity. Was Middle America really going to see the robot suited French men electrify a triangle? I had my doubts, but sure enough, there was the pyramid. Not quite the enormous monolith that blew my mind in the desert, but a lighted pyramid, nonetheless.

Kayne, not to be out done by French men in EL robot suits (or anyone for that matter), popped the performance off with a robot “control panel” lit suit, and glowing stunners.

Eruptions of steam, light and fire surrounded Kayne as he bounced around the Krypton inspired stage, but still no DP. I began to stare intently at the pyramid wondering if Jimmy Jam had thrown the millions of DP fans a wicked curve. What if the Wizard was simply a CD deck on which a pimply faced intern pressed play.

Two minutes in, breaking a sweat, I found myself screaming NO each time he kept asking, “Is this what all you been waiting for?!”

Then it happened: we were in U.S.S. Daft Punk privy to a rare look since DP surfaced at Coachella in ’06, a view of their control panel. Although the Grammys set was a smaller version of their normal set-up take this taste, and if you are ever within one hundred miles, go, dance your face off and witness history.

And as far as the Grammy’s go ….. Amy might make it, CBS is shameless (Thanks Joe Mantegna), and Vince Gill is funny.

You are missing out! Your life is not complete!

Cut Copy's recent EP So Cosmic is 100% awesome.

Download the mixtape and groove for an hour + of psychedelic-futuristic-disco raddness music as your introduction into their world.

Not familiar with Cut Copy? The boys from Melbourne have creatively and surprisingly accurately labeled themselves as "Indie/Dance." With mellow vocals and foot tapping, head bobbing, body moving beats they offer a nice nonthreatening intro to the world of electronically created music. Their first album, "Bright Like Neon Love" is, in a word, sick. It's rare that you can find a group that fits equally well on your workout, working it out and novel writing or skiing mix, but Cut Copy fits the bill.

The mixtape is a collection of dance tunes and records from the last three decades that inspired their new album, In Ghost Colours, due out in March. Throughout are snippets of new tracks remixed w/ Cut Copy's signature beats, synth and drum rolls.

The mix uses samples and tracks from Aphex Twin, Panda Bear, Giorgio, Fleetwood Mac and Holy Ghost to name a few. So, basically its all over the register, but it works swimmingly.

Click HERE, download and pop it on your iPod and your ready for your next hour of expense reports, Harry Potter reading, a mountain bike ride in Muir Woods and the weekend house party - my uses in the last few days.