Mickey Avalon- F****n Em All

Mickey Avalon's new single off his yet-untitled new album, which was co-produced by Travis Barker of the newly back together Blink-182 and +44.

But you already new that.

It's said that the 2nd album is the hardest to write, because you've had your whole life to write the first. Has fame gone to our boy Mickey's head? Sure seems so. Will the tales of his hard-knock life and upbringing be forgotten in exchange for some production value? Sure hope not.

Animal Collective- Summertime Clothes

--Via Pitchfork

Waie'hee Walkways

--Taken from a shitty old Verizon. (The bridge, known as the "swinging bridge," is one of two that follows 100+ year old channels & ditches through the West Maui rain forest to the 5,800-foot summit of Puʻu Kukui. The bridge is over 1,000 feet long that literally hangs--or suspends-- 80 feet above the river below.) It was fucking scary.

Lavarock/Sunset

As the wind died down on yet another atypical day in the tropical Pacific, I found myself heading back to the ocean for one more round. I spent the day searching for the unknown, the unattained-- in the vast un-tourist explored land of the Maui Upcountry. (Of course, I did the most touristy thing possible before this and snorkled with Japanese tourists. Gotta wash your hands clean sometimes, right?)

For me, it is home away from home. California with an ever-expanding coastline. Redwoods, fog, ranches and even the occasional vineyard speckle the "countryside" between 2,000-6,000 feet edging along the giant Haleakala mountain and crater that forms one half of the island. It is home to Cafe 808, arguably (and in my mind) the best damn plate lunch a Hawaiian can offer, deep in the heart of Kula and literally a point of no return on the island 3,500 feet above the sandy beaches and the resorts that inhabit them. I would love to live here. To be in California without the hassle of being in California. The 405 at 5 p.m. could be 5,000 miles away!

But as I desended back down into the reality of my comfy little shack on the dry side of the island, I was beckoned back to the water and the ocean much like any local seems to be at this time of day. Whether it be surfing, fishing, drinking, etc. it seems all Hawaiians find their way to the sea that surrounds them at some point during the day. It is as much social as it is a emotional grapple. A stress-reliever. A dependency, much like some of their forefathers were dependent on it centuries ago.

Speaking of centuries ago, the last lava flow on the lsland of Maui was in the late 18th century, on the south-south=east (the Dirty South if you will) side of the island. Two of the resulting lava flows are situated at Āhihi Bay on the southwest shore of East Maui. Here, lava rock clashes with an almost seregenti plain of dry wood and brush. The two landscapes coincide with one another yet struggle in beauty in the naked eye.

I had some time to kill and had never been past the touristy south side of Wailea (I had been through the treacherous "pot farm" route on the south that comes after Hana), and heard of a good surf spot through a bartender the night previous. My father and I drove out through the lava fields and came upon a rather acne-laden teenager biking his way to the same spot, and he gave us further directions. I strapped on the fins and prayed that lava rock would not be present. Of course, it was.

By the time we got there it was already 6:30 in the evening. But the 4 other locals (2 white, 2 hawaiian) in the lineup warmed up to me and accepted my presence after my first few lines, that consisted of just a semi-tiny left-handed break. It was just the hour I needed to cap off a day where I saw almost all the sides of an islands culture and topography in a single day.

By the way, not the hunky dude surfing....this is me....(the Doug took the photo from his phone in the car...lazy ass)
Tomorrow.....The Hangover review and the Taking Back Sunday review. Promise jah.

Paradise Deferred

Since I am posting up in a little shack on the beach for the week (ok, so it has TV, wireless internet, a sports bar a block down). I am going to be finding a good place to skim board here this afternoon, then watch game 2 of the NBA finals, then continue to drink my XXs in the hammock.

You can get all the analysis of the Finals that you need over at Rather Red's new blogspot, because well-- he just loves the NBA more than me and it takes two hands to dissect game 2, and my beer-in-hand policy for the rest of the weekend will not allow this to happen.

Things to look forward to:

• Taking Back Sunday album review
• Grizzly Bear album review
• Phoenix album review
  
• The Hangover review (if you haven't seen it, don't wait for any review)
  
• Animal Collective concert review/ D-Rock and his friend Brenden's Excellent Adventure
  
• An excerpt from my book about this summer (which will eventually turn into one of those backdrops for the Dodgers winning the World Series
• Some form of breakdown of the Finals after they leave L.A. I smell JJ Reddick shutting down Kobe today. (Article 2)

Dead Snow

This movie debuted at Sundance earlier this year, via the IFC (partly which is owned by Robert Redford's Sundance organization), and wow-- this is going to be trashly amazing.
Spring Break? Check. Snow bunnies? Check. Foreign languages? Check. Nazi Zombies? Triple Check. NAZI-FREAKING-GOLD!?!?! Done.



--Via Will Leitch

Empire of the Sun- Standing on the Shore

By now you know I love the Australian answer to MGMT in Empire of the Sun. And of course, there would be no way in hell this duo would let the other American bred duo outshine them on the video-spectacle scale, as MGMT just released a rather puzzling, scary, then scary-funny, then animated video version of their song for the uplifting and wonderful "Kids." (the singer's eye makeup is very EOTS-esque!!)

You decide who wins the battle of theatrics. You know where my vote lies (hint: its the title of the post). Here, everyone wins in 70's disco, marlin-women and aboriginal landscapes.
-- Via Subterranean

Empire of the Sun - Standing on the Shore (low res)

New Ratings Systems

Good afternoon fellow LOPers. Its been a while. Too much school has gotten in the way. I will be writing reviews for you, since my mass texts and word-of-mouth skills can only reach so far into the blog-o-sphere.

And in helping you not read a Bill Simmons'-esque 10,000 words on everything (I haven't still quite figured out how to "jump" posts, so they just go on-and-on-and-on) I will try and stick to a straight format that will hopefully get across everything your heart and mind desires when looking to purchase/steal an album, go see a movie, possibly see a band when they pass through the LA area again, eat at a certain restaurant, etc. Heck, I'll even review your mom if you want me to. Just email me ideas for things and I'll do them/find them for your reviewing pleasure.

5 points of interest on each thing, a rating out of ten (with decimals!). So anyone that is pro-whole numbers, get the f*** out. Now, lets kindly (maybe even almost too politely in Brooklyn hipster circles) make our way.

RR's Best Albums of 2009 (Thus Far)

1. Falling Up- Fangs! - Way more experimental and airy than their previous stuff. They started out as an immature but catchy rap rock outfit and have morphed into something much more creative. In this way, they're a lot like the Christian Linkin Park. The songwriting is too powerful. The album is based on a story that the main singer is writing. It takes a few listens to "get", but then you'll love it. Highlights: "Lotus and the Langorous", "Streams of Woe at Acheron", "Goddess of the Dayspring, I".

2. The Prodigy- Invaders Must Die- The title track and leadoff song begins this fast-paced intergalactic, apocalyptic adventure. The energy level doesn't let up until the very end. I'm going to see these guys at the end of the month, and I'm very excited. Highlights: "Invaders Must Die", "Thunder", "Colours".

3. Eminem- Relapse- His flow is unmatched. Other good rappers may have, at best, 3-5 lines in each verse that make you shake your head. Eminem gives you line after line of pure filth and never lets up. That, and he is literally insane. Just listen to Track 4, "Insane" and you'll see what I mean. He's gone from rapping about homophobia and killing his mom on the then-controversial The Marshall Mathers LP to getting raped by his own step father and kidnapping and eating victims Jeffrey Dahmer-style on Relapse. God help us all. Highlights: "3am", "Medicine Ball", "Beautiful".

4. RED- Innocence and Instinct- A powerful collection of mainstream Christian rock songs that are much more questioning than most of the other stuff in the genre. I don't see this style continuing much longer, so this may be the pinnacle for this sort of Tooth & Nail record. Highlights: "Fight Inside", "Mystery of You", "Never Be the Same".

5. MSTRKRFT- Fist of God- They basically tried to commercialize their genre, and they went a little overboard. The beats are almost too good. They get pretty repetitive. That's not to say I won't party to this stuff and techno headbang by myself in my car. Highlights: "Bounce", "Vuvuvu", "Fist of God".

6. Flo Rida- R.O.O.T.S.- Yes, it's over produced. Yes, he cops beats. But it's so infective and fun! Highlights: "Finally Here", "Mind on My Money", "Never".

7. A Love Like Pi- The Atlas and the Oyster- They have their own style. It's melodic electro-pop-rock, but not the annoying, overplayed kind you can find on purevolume's front page every day. It's original and crafty. These guys are going places, but only if they want to. Highlights: "The Oyster", "The Atlas", "Innocent Man".

8. Asher Roth- Asleep in the Bread Aisle- He impressed me with this. When it comes to white rappers, Eminem is for Type A's and crackheads. Asher Roth is for Type B's and potheads. Highlights: "La Di Da", "As I Em", "Lark on My Go-Kart".

9. Silverstein- A Shipwreck in the Sand- They haven't morphed much in their style over their four studio albums, but they have gotten better at what they do. This one is much more powerful. Nobody's gonna say that Silverstein sold out with this one. Highlights: "A Great Fire", "Vices", "I Am the Arsonist".

10. Papa Roach- Metamorphosis- They may tell themselves that they're in it for the music, but they're as label-tailored as it gets. The new Hoobastank album is the same way, but the new Papa Roach actually has some quality tracks. Highlights: "Change or Die", "I Almost Told You That I Loved You", "Had Enough".

I gotta give shout-outs to: Kelly Clarkson- All I Ever Wanted, Holiday Parade- Tickets and Passports, A Day to Remember- Homesick, And Then There Were None- Who Speaks for Planet Earth?, Julien K- Death to Analog.

I'm currently listening to: The Audition- Self-Titled Album, Madina Lake- Attics to Eden, Peaches- I Feel Cream.

I'm looking forward to: Family Force 5, Taking Back Sunday, Marilyn Manson, AFI, Brand New, Linkin Park (hopefully), Chester Bennington (hopefully).

I only have one rose left....

Yes, I have made a desicion on my basketball love of choice. But sadly, I cannot reveal it until the reunion show (and finals are over). Should be fun hijinks! Until then, I'm rooting for this guy...the Jewish Jordan.

Derek Sedam in... The Basketbachelor

Welcome to The Basketbachelor Season 1. Our bachelor, Derek Sedam, has become a depressed wreck after these years of disappointment by his Los Angeles Clippers. After last night's 4th quarter comeback by the Cavs (led by the object of Rather Red's nut-sucking: LeBron James), he has decided enough is enough, and Derek and the Clips have officially broken up. It's all but Facebook official.
So Season 1 begins. Thirteen teams have been chosen from the NBA. They must fulfill, and continue to fulfill, the following requirements (as modeled after Bill Simmons EPL league team-choosing requirements)
1. Avoid "jumping the bandwagon" (Cleveland, Miami, and Boston are out, Orlando barely makes it in)
2. Avoid a team that's too tortured (that would make this exercise pointless... so Sacramento is out)
3. Gravitate towards vacay spots (points for New Orleans and Orlando, detriments for Minnesota and OKC, Detroit is out)
4. Not too many "hooligans" (This is fine because the Blazers are no longer the Jail Blazers)
5. Pay attention to celebrity fans (Freddy Muniz is a Clippers fan, part of the reason for Season 1)
6. Pick a team that might get on TV from time to time. (Points taken away from OKC and Memphis)
Phoenix and the Lakers are already taken. The Warriors and the Sixers are out because they are cock blocks. The Spurs, Mavericks, and the Rockets are ugly and from Texas. So here are the contestants...
The Orlando Magic (led by their sexy big man, Dwight Howard)
The Atlanta Hawks (young and agile... in bed)
The Indiana Pacers (Granger can shoot in my basket anyday)
The New York Knickerbockers (so much potential, and very exciting... wink wink)
The New Jersey Nets (Jay-Z is married to Beyonce, but his Nets are single and looking)
The Toronto Raptors (led by Chris Bosh and his dinosaur-sized manhood)
The Utah Jazz (so good at home, so good in bed)
The Portland Trail Blazers (we all winced when hunk Rudy F. went down)
The New Orleans Hornets (cute Chris Paul looks to steal Derek's heart)
The Denver Nuggets (the addition of Chauncey was like a successful boob job)
The Minnesota Timberwolves (Al Jefferson needs to be nursed back to health)
The Oklahoma City Thunder (they have a reputation of bolting from relationships)
The Memphis Grizzlies (grizzly men... along with USC college sweetheat OJ Mayo)

Let's get it on!