Ugh White Men

I went to New York this past weekend, because Hanover is simply unbearable. After a solid night out bar hopping, Minyety, Thorn, and I have the drunken munchies and want to get chicken kebabs from a street vendor. While we're waiting in line, an uber obnoxious white dude keeps mumbling to himself. He overhears what the three of us are talking about (I can't quite remember what it was about, but probably about how we hate white people), and keeps on proceeding to but in. I say something intelligent-sounding and he automatically assumes that we go to an ivy league school. He was so presumptuous! The implication is that he doesn't think that an "average" minority would be able to say something intelligent; we must be from an Ivy (apparently, he though UPenn or Dartmouth). So what if I do go to Dartmouth, it is completely beside the point.

The man later goes onto claim that he's gay so he's all liberal and gets everything. I exclaim to "stop oppressing us" hahahah, but he thinks he is not oppressing us even if he's white, because he's gay. AAAhhh I hate gay white men, they think they are marginalized that they are capable of understanding everything. I still have yet to meet a gay white man who understands race. Even if they are gay, they are still reaping the benefits of their whiteness. Also, homosexuality is unnapparent marginalization, one can easily hide the fact they are gay or straight and therefore not experience explicit oppression (I understand that having to be closeted etc. is fucked up) but I am talking more about economic/emplyment/community etc. oppression. I mean whatever, white liberals are idiots all around.

Metronomy Radio Ladio

After sorting through a lot of Metronomy, I stumbled upon one of their newer songs "Radio Ladio." Generally, Metronomy tries to be too edgy so their music ends up being a really rough and unbearable to listen to; however, their super hard quirky synths with the deep male voice actually work together in this song. It's certainly not for everybody but it's a lot of fun, and the video is just sooo strange. Sometimes I wonder how the (white) British population is sooo unattractive.

Metronomy -- Radio Ladio (zhare)

Madonna's Hard Candy

Oh man, Madonna's new album is due out next month. Everybody knows that I love this woman, but as more of this album is leaked, my heart breaks a little. She's doing the whole awful Timbaland electropop scene, although Pharell produced some of the songs. But I mean, Pharell?! WTF, he's been so out after 2004. His last legit hit was what? Hollaback Girl? What happened to Madonna's sense of originality? She's becoming the new Britney. However, Candy Store (after playing it on repeat) will always be better than anything on Blackout.

Madonna did say when making the Like A Prayer album that she wanted the "perfect marriage between music and commerce." I suppose hiring Timbo and Pharrell is what she thinks is going to make her sell. BUT Confessions on a Dancefloor was just so brilliant. Who cares about what will sell! She is effing 50 years old, there is no way she is going to be able to reclaim the music charts. She should just make good music.

At least her lyrics are great: "My sugar is raw, sticky, and sweet." I wonder what that is a metaphor for...hmmm?

Madonna -- Candy Store (zshare)
Madonna -- 4 Minutes (zshare)

Yelle

The minimalist French electropop group Yelle was commanding my playlists last fall, but they've made a resurgence during spring break. I saw the video for "A Cause Des Garcons" today on MTV and was shocked. I guess MTV is able to venture outside the reaches of teen music. For a more lighthearted poppy feel go for "Ce Jeu," if you want the more electronic dance anthem type music "Je Veux Te Voir" (omg the bridge to this song makes me want to explode) or "A Cause Des Garcons." Also, Yelle is super elbo.ws-able if you want to check out some of the many remixes out there.

Yelle -- Ce Jeu (zshare)
Yelle -- Je Veux Te Voir (zshare)
Yelle -- A Cause Des Garcons (zhare)

Lovely Leona Lewis

I was listening to these pop gems a lot last fall after Leona Lewis won the British contest show "the X-factor" but now all of sudden Leona Lewis has hit stateside hardcore: "Bleeding Love" is in the top ten Billboard charts. She has a very classic R&B/pop type sound, and by classic I mean a woman with a good voice that isn't trying to be hip-hop. She is very refreshing during this electrogroove synthpop phase of music (I blame Timbaland. In the words of Schuyler, he should fall of a cliff).

Leona Lewis -- Bleeding Love (zshare)
Leona Lewis -- Better in Time (zshare)

British Pop Rock The Mystery Jets

The Mystery Jets are apparently coming out with a new album, even though they were never really all that great. This new song of theirs however is kind of amazing. The original is a fun song, but the remix is 2x better. and like always, laura marling adds a great semi-sullen feel, even though all i want to do is dance.

Mystery Jets -- Young Love (zshare)
Mystery Jets -- Young Love Shoes Remix (zshare)

I love the government

Since I am at home for spring break, I thought I would spend the wonderful mid-Atlantic March afternoon wandering about DC. I haven't done the typical touristy stuff in ages so I walked around downtown roaming about the different memorials. I never quite realized until now how most of the monuments really only exist to construct loyalty into mad ignorant American citizens. Por ejemplo, at the entrance to the WWII memorial, there is an arch that proclaims that "We didn't go to conquer, but to liberate and to restore freedom" and then the memorial lists all the countries that we fucked shit up in (e.g. the philippines). I can't believe our government has the nerve to say we went to Puerto Rico and Guam to "restore freedom." They are fucking owned by the US! aaahhh, American imperialism at its best. My favorite part was that they list the countries we "saved" by region of the world. Somehow India made it into the pacific. Who the fuck designed this monument, George Bush?!