my love for paramore began in 2005 when they released their amazing debut album all we know is falling. i remember the simple album cover and being fascinated that such a powerful voice came out of the tiny hayley williams. and that's what i loved about paramore. their ability to make the complex so simple and that they were just small-town kids making good music. i bought tickets to see them at the take action tour in 06. they didn't even perform that night, but i still waited hoping hayley would at least try to sing something. that's how big a fan i was: i waited for a band i knew wasn't there, but i still wished (or hoped) that they would randomnly come on stage. all we know is falling stayed in my CD player because paramore was fucking sick. sorry, that's the easiest way to explain it.

then, paramore started touring. A LOT. and they disappeared for a while to make some new stuff, which led to RIOT! yes, with the caps and exclamation points. (a little too panic! at the disco for my taste.) their first single was misery business and i LOOOOOVED it. there's no other way to play it. it was on repeat all day long. but there were some definite and evident changes to my favorite band. first, hayley's hair started doing some wild and crazy things. second, they were on MTV. this wasn't the paramore i knew and loved. the vibe was totally different. hayley was always put in the spotlight something i could see that she wasn't comfortable with. i found myself becoming distant to my repeat band. i stopped visiting their website. i stopped waiting for emails on new music videos. truthfully, i stopped caring.

there's this feeling that any fan gets when their favorite band starts getting really famous. you realize that their lyrical content has changed. hayley used to sing about feeling out of place in an all-male band. she sang about mssing her family and friends while touring. on riot!, i heard nothing of the sort. the lyrics felt general, like everyone was disconnected from each other and the music. i want the paramore back that didn't used to perform in arenas and write songs for movies like twilight (even though i ♥ decode and i caught myself.). but the feeling is just different.

but i rediscovered my love after hints / rumors that paramore would break up after cancelled tour dates. i don't want them to end. i just want who they were originally.

i haven't even bought brand new eyes yet. . .
when a band i love releases a new CD, i buy it without hesitation. or i used to.

somehow, this movie has taken over america. from black-and-white commericals to numero 1 box office weekend ratings. but it makes me wonder, how a movie made for under $1 million can make almost triple its budget in its limited release weekend? is it the premise of the unknown that truthfully no one has any answers to? or can it be the new trend of (fake)umentaries?

i have to admit that i've been looking forward for paranormal activity for a while. and i found 30 people to help me demand it for a nationwide release. i worked hard on that (thanks facebook friends!). but i had the lucky advantage of knowing very little about the film. okay couple living in a house where crazy, unexplainable shit happens. interesting enough, sweet movie poster, let's see it.

i'm not one for spoilers so if you haven't seen paranormal activity, you're SOL. there's a possibility i might have ADD, and when i'm really interested in something, i get crazy antsy. so during the first - let's say 30 minutes - i'm waiting for myself to scream like the people in the commericals. it's not a good idea to disappoint me as a movie watch or music lover. i'll go around my school, facebook, and twitter, spreading my hate for your piece of work. don't doubt it. Oren Peli (writer and director) ALMOST lost me as a fan. then nighttime came, and i got hooked.
  let's just say that the unexplainable begins to happen, and you seriously worry about these people. you also wonder why the hell they won't leave their house, but let's save that blog post for another time.

either way, paranormal activity is worth the watch. only if you know nothing about it. i have friends who have heard about the good and bad of paranormal activity so when they actually sit in their seat with a bucket of popcorn, they expect instant scared. sorry, it doesn't work that way. you have to get attached to these people. either you love the characters or they annoy the shit out of you. but once the-whatever-the-hell-it-is makes its debut and you feel the little waves of sickness in your stomach, that's when you know that this film is completely worth your $9.50.

the boondocks hit adult swim in late 2005, and things haven't been the same since. let me start off by saying that i never expected anything like this from adult swim. it's an accurate portrayal of black life: from people's fascination with violence to racism. but no one pays attention to these themes while watching the show. that's the kind of stuff you think about later, like while you're waiting for a new season.

and if you think about it, the boondocks is bound to educate white people. i think we all know (as much as we like to deny it) that there's is a fascination / curiosity about the lives of other people. well, white people if you want to know about all walks of life, the boondocks is for you. there's the brothers huey and riley, who'll educate you about the stereotypical acceptance of the gangsta lifestyle (wow, thanks wikipedia. . . so politically correct) and the few folks you'll find who actually try to understand themselves and the people around them.





if you don't find yourself laughing while watching this show (or you mouth hanging open from sheer shock), then you have major issues. the show reminds me of the everyday conversations i have with my friends. but in a way, it elaborates on the thoughts of americans (especially those ideas that one doesn't share).

and my fave characters have to be the infamous ed wuncler III and gin rummy. when you see these dudes, prepare yourself for a crazy episode. nothing ordinary / normal happens. as individual characters, sure they're funny. but their relationship is so ridiculous and outrageous that it makes you wonder why they're even friends. both are iraq veterans who have completely lost their minds. if riley or huey bring up the war, they have rages. instead of these "serious" moments causing the tone of the show to completely turn in a different direction, it actually enhances the episode. i guess characters like these prove why the boondocks can be what some call "politically incorrect" and still be so damn funny.

one thing i can't stand is a rapper that raps about what he doesn't know. take my chronic example of wackness in hip-hop: soulja boy. everytime this dude comes out with a club banger it's about his riches and swag. well, from recent blogs (the always credible TMZ) this dude is facing eviction from his LA house. supposedly he owes about $10,000 in unpaid rent. and i don't care how much you try to defend yourself on twitter. according to soulja boy, "numbers don't lie." if they were telling the truth, wouldn't this issue be cleared up in its entirety. but all of this is taking away from the main subject of this post. . .





you turned your swag on too high and too often. . .








asher roth

i appreciate this dude for so many reasons. he raps about what he knows. yeah he's from the 'burbs in pennsylvania. so that's what his music is about. it's completely refreshing to not hear somebody prove about how hard they are. and everybody's criticism is his rookie status. okay dude is a newbie, but give him a chance. he's learning. last time i checked nobody's debut album was a masterpiece.

and have you read his tweets? i followed this dude once i heard him raging on the balloon kid. "see what movies like "Up" do to kids?" priceless.

maybe my support stemmed from the greenhouse effect. i appreciated his verisimilitude on so many levels. even though he rapped over tracks from jay-z and the cool kids ("roc boys" and "black mags") it was still a fresh take on the song. he took something he loved and appreciated and made it his own on so many levels. after a whle you get tired of the shit some rappers put out nowadays. but at least with asher roth, you're getting a track from HIS point of view. it's not some overdone and highly stylized shit.

besides, i love a dude that has an individual style. in a complex interview he admits that he doesn't wear his pants hanging off his ass. he likes to keep it simple. there's a balance between the classics and the things he loves.

and anyone who feels the need to bring up the eminem comparison. . . let it go. okay there's some physical similarities (OBVIOUSLY). but damn, if they're not constantly bringing it up then why are you. they rap about completely different things. they've lived polar opposite lives. let it stay that way and let the man be.