Posted by The G on May 14, 2013 under The G Spot | 
Photo by G.
Daft Punk’d
When the 90′s house music French duo Daft Punk announced a new album, the blog-o-sphere was tilted on its side. Releasing teaser posters, commercials featuring 30 seconds or less of new music and a sound-byte a day to the music press, you realize that whoever does Daft Punk’s publicity should give up their day job and run for political office. They took a non-event and turned it into a media blitz. The press as well as the fans seemingly could not get enough and for over 3 months, very thin news with hardly any meat about Daft Punk clogged up everyone’s news feeds. The funny thing is, I actually like Daft Punk, but as the weeks rolled on, I got so fed up about hearing about them, I started rooting for them to fail just so the press and all the fans would once and for all shut the fuck up about them! The daily news on this band made me realize that while I’ve bought their albums consistently over the years (and there aren’t many), I like very few of their songs. Sure their debut track “Da Funk” made me shake my ass on a dance floor many times, but upon further inspection, it’s really a song featuring one minute of different music looped together over and over for 6 minutes! They pulled off the same trick for their next big single “Around The World” too. Take a serious listen if you think I am hating for the sake of hatred.
The music industry has changed a lot since Daft Punk first came on the scene and in 2013 the record labels leak the album in full and then are forced to “stream it” ahead of its release date. This gives the label the perfect excuse to account for dubious sales numbers by blaming the bootleggers on an album’s failure instead of the fact that many times, the biggest failure of the record is the record itself! Also, don’t these labels wonder that if an album is under lock and key and somehow it gets out, why don’t they question the hiring managers of these departments. There’s seemingly no accountability when you can loudly shout out in the press “we’ve been robbed!” Why nobody speaks about this very obvious fact is beyond my comprehension, so if you think of the last few years of blockbuster albums and how they’ve all followed this pattern, you can thank me later for being the true voice of a generation. You certainly can’t rely on press release regurgitating blogs because they are never going to jeopardize losing their perks by speaking the truth. Since I do things renegade style and 99 times out of 100 get better access on my own than going through the “proper channels,” the time has come to break the silence! So spread the word!!!!
Back to Daft Punk. I’ve given their new album “Random Access Memories” a couple of spins and I could not be any more underwhelmed with the record. However, I’ve noted that it follows the same pattern as their other albums – 2 or 3 decent tracks with a whole lot of filler. Obviously the best tracks are the ones that feature Nile Rodgers producing. The man knows how to craft a hook and has done so successfully for over 30 years. The tracks he is featured on should actually be called Nile Rodgers tracks featuring Daft Punk and not the other way around, but we can save that for another time. The vocoder is ever present in many of the songs ruining great cameo appearances by Julian Casablancas of The Strokes and the majority of the album features completely forgettable songs. The album hasn’t even seen the official release date and I am already at the point where if I never hear any of the album again, you will not see one tear fall from my eye.
The hype machine has already labeled this album a “game changer,” and for those who really believe that, I urge you to get a better education in dance music because if you do, you will find yourself (probably to your dissatisfaction) agreeing with me 100%. I didn’t come here to make you hate the Daft Punk record. I hope that you like it. I want you to stop allowing the media to force feed you what you “should” like because I am starting to find that with so many big time releases, people only like them because they read somewhere that they should. 6 months, or hell, in the one second attention span generation we live in, 2 weeks from now, I am quite sure once the buzz has died down from this record, your enjoyment of it will have as well. Think for yourself!!!
If you believe the hype, you’ve been Daft Punk’d!
Tags: 2013, A Commentary on the Hype Machine, Commentary, Daft Punk, Daft Punk'd, Photo, Review, Teaser Poster, The Hype Machine, Why Do Albums Leak, You Got (Daft) Punk'd
Posted by The G on May 10, 2013 under G Reviews |
Photo of the Lovesexy album cover by G.
Lovesexy by Prince
On May 10, 1988, Prince released his final 1980s masterpiece, “Lovesexy.” The 9 track album was his most spiritual record to date, possibly influenced by his last minute decision to scrap the dance/funk “Black Album,” which contained some of Prince’s dirtiest lyrics to date. Prince was the master of mixing spirituality with funk and turning the tables on you as evidenced by songs such as the opener “Eye No,” a rewrite of his still unreleased song “The Ball,” featuring the late Boni Boyer who takes you to musical church with her gospel flavored vocals. The mega hit “Alphabet St.” is up next, starting exactly where “Eye No” ends and in fact, for many years, the “Lovesexy” CD was issued as one track to give the listener an uninterrupted musical/spiritual experience. “Alphabet St.” features a rap from his dancer Catherine Glover (better known as “Cat”), and the line “Cat, we need u 2 rap,” is a favorite refrain even amongst non-Prince fans. “Glam Slam,” which inspired the name of night clubs that Prince would later build, is next and was a minor hit. Side one finishes off with the rock ballad “Anna Stesia,” which appears to be Prince apologizing to his God for even considering releasing the “dirty” “Black Album.” “The Black Album” was later officially released 10 years later when Prince was trying to get out of his contract with his label Warner Bros.
Side 2 kicks off with the current state of the world track “Dance On,” and its lyrics about guns and violence are still relevant 25 years on. The title track “Lovesexy” follows and it’s a perfect example of how Prince used to be the master of intertwining sex and spirituality as Prince’s alter-ego Camille makes an appearance during the climax of the song (that is literally a climax) but rather than have a proper orgasm Prince tells his lover that if he comes back as a woman, he wants a body like yours! The sexy ballad “When 2 R In Love,” recycled from “The Black Album” slows things down and features Prince’s sexy poetry that is so absent from his music today as lines like “The thought of his tongue in the V of her love / This thought / it leads the pack” let the mind wander into X-rated territory even though the lyric is G-rated. Threading sex and spirituality, the next track is the minor hit “Eye Wish U Heaven,” and when the song was released as a single, he turned the 2 minute and 43 second track into a 10 minute opus that has 3 distinct sections to it. The B-side of “Eye Wish U Heaven,” is the track “Scarlet Pussy,” performed by Camille trading licks (literally and figuratively) with then band mate Sheila E. And as only Prince can, the song is not about directly about sex. Instead it is about a feline and her suitors and is one of the funkiest tracks Prince has committed to tape. The album closes with the epic finale “Positivity,” which advises the listener at the end of the song “Hold on 2 your soul / We’ve got a long way 2 go.”
The album cover (as you can see above) was perfect for this record that fuses sexuality and spirituality in that way only Prince can get away with as Prince appears naked on the cover, but the picture is anything but “dirty.” Prince took the album on a world tour and his Lovesexy band consisted of some of the best musicians he’s ever played with. In addition to a lavish stage production that featured a ton of dancing, Prince playing many instruments and NO lip-synching, Prince transformed many of his past songs into funky new medleys and after performing in stadiums, he and his band wound down their night by playing completely different material, for another 2 hour “jam session” at small clubs in the cities they were in. Many recordings of those shows have been bootlegged and they stand out amongst Prince fans as a golden period in his career where he was musically on fire. As his lyrics fused sexuality and spirituality, on stage he was able to fuse every style of music often seamlessly blending jazz with guitar solos that would make Jimi Hendrix stop and take note.
One of the things that makes “Lovesexy” stand the test of time is that Prince challenged his audience to discover new ways of thinking without being a preacher. Unfortunately, 25 years on the same cannot be said as Prince strictly tells his listeners how they should conduct their lives as he has converted to the religious cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Comparing the way Prince conducts his life now as opposed to the way he did 25 years prior, the message of “Lovesexy” is stronger than ever – “Religion needs spirituality and not the other way around.”
Happy anniversary, “Lovesexy.”
Posted by The G on March 26, 2013 under Street Art |
Photo by G. Stickers by Homo Riot and Bod Bod
Homo Riot, Bod Bod
Today the Supreme Court votes on the constitutionality of Prop 8 in California. For those like me that don’t speak “news,” that means will you be able to marry if you are gay and have equal rights.
Equal rights, my ass!!!!!!!!! Until people admit that homosexual thoughts enter their brains from time to time (whether or not they intend on acting upon them), we will never be free. Think for yourself and don’t rely on the government for your happiness!
Posted by The G on November 7, 2012 under The G Spot |
Photo of the Daily News by G.
President Barack Obama
Have you heard? President of the United States Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term yesterday November 6, 2012. If you know me in real life, you know I am ANTI-POLITICS (regardless of political affiliation) and I truly believe that the people have the power, but they don’t seem to realize it. We’ve been programed and brainwashed by mainstream media into thinking that life is black or white (no pun intended). We are forced to choose between Democrat and Republican and BOTH sides are controlled by the funding of corporations who are not looking out for the interests of the people, but instead ways to increase their bottom line – at ANY cost. It’s very scary. The “established system” set up in this country over 300 years ago hasn’t benefited the majority of the people for my entire life and it seems to get a little worse each day. Geologically, when there are major cracks in the ground, eventually an eruption happens. Politically, people seem to be more and more complacent and just accept whatever decisions are handed over to the people.
Read more of this article »
Posted by The G on August 3, 2012 under The G Spot |
Photo by G.
Chick-Fil-A (located in Costa Mesa, California)
Growing up in Southern California, I’ve been eating at Chick-Fil-A since I was a little kid. Lord knows what they do to their chicken, but I’ve always found it to be delicious. For a fast food restaurant, I can think of many memorable experiences there and that is a testament to their food. I’ve known for most of my life that the chain is owned and operated by conservative Christians. While their beliefs are dramatically different than mine, I agree to disagree. Since I moved to New York (where there is only one Chick-Fil-A and it’s located in the NYU cafeteria, thus making it terribly inconvenient to eat at), when I visit my family in California, one of the things I look forward to the most is eating at Chick-Fil-A. Hell, I enjoy their food enough to take photos of the sign, just to make all my New York friends jealous!
While they make scrumptious fast food chicken, somehow the CEO of Chick-Fil-A has decided that he needs to get up on a soap box and tell the world – NOT about chicken but about what God will and will not accept in regards to marriage. If you put all the hate aside for just one second and you analyze this: “A fast food chain, whose food at best is UNHEALTHY for you, is preaching about family values as directed from God – SAY WHAT?!” you’d think the entire world would laugh in their face. Welcome to 2012. While wars are being fought, while the world is in one of the largest economic crises of all time and while technology is growing at an exponential rate thus giving more power to the people, the media and conservative politicians are taking to the streets to publicize the views of a motherfucking fast food chicken chain! WOW!
So here’s what I think the real issue is amongst these conservatives (not just at Chick-Fil-A, but across any conservative institution that tries to tell you that they are right and you are wrong for your innate feelings): When it comes to sexuality, which is an infinite concept – you cannot put a label on it. Trying to capture an infinite concept really pisses people off – because you CAN’T! That really makes people’s egos shrink and we all know that most people have bigger egos than penises. Let me elaborate on my earlier concept. It’s entirely plausible that a gay male would have sex with a female, just for the hell of it (if the right situation came up), but make no mistake about it, it would mean nothing. It would not make the person necessarily bisexual; it would just mean that the person is open to experimentation. One of the advantages of being gay is the fact that your world view is extremely liberal- and why? BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT!!!!! By keeping yourself open to the possibilities, you are not limiting yourself to a potentially great thing. At the end of the day, a gay male is into being with guys. On the other hand if you give a conservative straight guy a 6 pack of beer, suddenly their entire sense of values changes. Whether they act on it or not is a different story, but the fact that those thoughts could even pop into their heads somehow drives them up the wall. If a straight man thinks about getting jiggy with another man, it doesn’t mean he has to define his sexuality in any other way than he is “curious.” We’re all curious. Sexuality is a curious concept. It’s INFINITE so there’s no sense in trying to define it. What works for one person may not work for another. There’s nothing wrong with that. We all know that many people want to flaunt what they’ve got, just to fuel their ego. Hate to break it to you conservative straighties, no matter how hot your wife is – US GAYS DON’T GIVE A FUCK! Flaunting what you’ve got is not going to make us jealous and give rise to your ego. It’s not going to happen. Why does that drive you crazy? Can’t we all just get along?
These conservatives are so afraid of their own imagination, they are willing to wait in extra long lines to eat unhealthy fast food chicken just so they don’t have to deal with their own curiosity. You’ve seen all the media reports about the gay employees of Chick-Fil-A ‘breaking their silence,’ and you’ve seen all the video footage of lines wrapped around the block for people to effectively clog their arteries, but has anyone ever come out and said “Sexuality is nothing to be afraid of.” The answer is YES. On According2g.com. Turn off the media and turn on your mind. Even if it’s to entertain same sex thoughts.
Shame on you Chick-Fil-A for promoting hate instead of love. Shame on you media for giving this story ANY attention. There are much more serious issues at hand in the world. Have you heard the word “Monsanto” (who has effectively poisoned the ENTIRE world’s food supply – look it up if you don’t believe me) brought up even ONCE during this whole scandal? Of course not. Take a look at the Bible and let us all know where Jesus talks about discriminating against people for living differently than you. While you’re at it, show us where Jesus talks about loving thy neighbor as thyself.
Don’t be a chicken!
