Yo you were on here trying to get me to spin Mike Eagle in 2015. I never got super into him. Fast forward to now, he's one of my favorites lmao

found you.

lmao i sound creepy.

found you.

I know what you mean...trying to find something else since this isn't functional anymore. Current 93 seems prolific. What album is a good introduction? Tbh I don't care for some of the stuff I have on my ipod anymore so I'm planning to delete a bunch of stuff. I downloaded a new version of itunes and ended up losing a lot of album art. I've been sticking to mostly instrumentals . Oblivion access was tight.

I rarely talk to anyone from HS so I have no clue what they're listening to. Most people just don't take music all that seriously. With the majority, there's little initiative to seek out new sounds, they just take whatever's played on the radio and keep it moving. It is what it is. I kept my word about finding new music. I went to Amoeba last night and brought a slew of obscure titles from the clearance/used section. I intentionally looked for releases by artists that I've never listened to. Of the 10 albums, only 1 is 'meh' so far. We'll see tho. AP is blowing up here in LA. you hear 'Malibu' from a lot of car windows. It's funny, I was in the black metal section last night but had no clue where to start! lol.

I remember the musical discoveries I made thanks to this site, Sadly, those days are long gone even if this site is supposed to be about discovering new music. My computer scrobbles my iPod so I do have sporadic activity on my charts but aside from that, I'm not on here much. :( The pool of talent in LA isn't as deep as you'd think. I mean, there's countless hopefuls but from my vantage point, 80% of them lack drive, invention, knowledge of self and enterprise. They're looking to get discovered and hired without any grind or enterprising. Being from the East Coast makes me sharper, tougher and more savvier, I think. Life in the tri-state is tough, bro. Yet, it prepares you to live and thrive anywhere, I believe

I know I'm late but happy New Year. I can't believe that this is what the site has come to tbh. Almost forgetting about it. It's just not the same. Never heard of Current 93. Did you like the new ugly joint that dropped last month? 40k wow. I want/need to delete a bunch of stuff from ipod and start anew if anything lol.

Also, music has been boring as of late. The new Anderson .Paak album is getting rave reviews. Since I dig his sound (yet can only digest his voice in increments), I'll give it a shot. Hey, man, I just might like black metal! lmao. J/K Honestly, I've never gave the sub-genre a real shot. Perhaps I need a radical change in sound to awaken my currently idle ears. Kendrick's last album turned out to be a huge grower for me. It came out in March of last year and I didn't truly take to it until November. lol. Yeah, 2016 will be an incredible year for us all.

Sadly, it is! This used to be one of the first sites I checked when I hopped online. Now, it's an afterthought. LFM really f'ed up a good thing. SMH. Thanks, man. I'm fortunate that everything has being starting well thus far. LA is definitely a place for hustlers and since hustling is in my nature, I'm home. lol. My focus is on writing complex television dramas. While I'm not opposed to starting out in a lower rung position in the industry and eventually becoming a staff writer on an existant series, I really want to create my own webseries. I think my scripts/ideas are too strong just for a spec pilot. They should be seen. Music will always be an obsession for me too. Like you, I rarely meet people in my everyday life who share this passion for sound tho. I think my recent lack of music listening comes from a strong desire to flip the script and do something new. I've been burying my boredom and dissatisfaction w/ life in music since forever.

Damn, here I write back to you 12 days after you initially sent the last shout! So much has happened since. I am officially an LA resident now. Loving it out west thus far. I am working on the writing. I started class last week. I like it thus far. I still need to do my HW tho. lol. I hate how Last.fm has jettisoned the journal entries. I wrote about my favorites of last year on my Tumblr instead. I honestly haven't been as obsessed with music as I normally am. I think I'm in need of something else to blow my mind even if music will always be a very essential part of my day to day, How's the year starting off for you thus far?

Happy belated holidays to you too bro! I've been well. I plan to head out for the West Coast next week. I'm excited, curious and a lot less scared than I was before. I do keep in touch with Mel. How about you? I remember the NY crew we had going at one point. :)

Lol @ “Tumblr is still popular cus it's a big circle jerk full of different levels of ridiculous.” For some reason, I wasn’t feeling that Bonnie 'Prince' Billy track. I’m probably not in the right mood for it, but will revisit it another time. Thx you and Merry Christmas to you too.

I think everyone is striving to have stronger relationships in life, but sometimes when you're going through certain issues you get a sense of what things are worth salvaging in order for you to grow. Tumblr is surprisingly still popular. It's crazy that they'd rather put restrictions on the audio uploads than the porn. Who knows maybe they did partner with lfm considering the ads on here.

Yeah, It's the cycle of life. You have to be able to move with the tides. Some people spend a lifetime trying to figure that out. I'm surprised that black metal is your top 2-3 genres. Had you always been interested in the genre? Good point about the LFM community. That has always been its strongest area. Can't say that now. It's been completely crippled. I agree it should have been a choice from the beginning. How did Yahoo mess up tumblr?

Right, it's a natural progression. Seems everyone is going through it. The mid-late 20s is an interesting yet confusing time, but it's all about growth. I never got into black metal, but I like grunge and post punk. I miss the days when you could discover new, unreleased, b-side type music on here. I think the changing landscape of tech/music has an affect on all of this. There are more streaming sites than ever before, and so much pressure to transform even if many of those sites are offering the similar things.

Yeah I think we're all trying to balance life/work these days, but I'll let you know. I agree with you about Post Punk - it was refreshing to revisit that sound since it's been a minute. I'm going to check out Musicbee. Might just use that instead. Lol @ lfm giving us 1 song by the said artists. Well...ok, now that I think about it, that was a major downside haha.

Oh i should have reread the last shouts lol. When did you guys get together? I think Joanna is a great instrumentalist and I agree that she has a unique style, but her voice is polarizing. I finally got to Ought and really enjoyed their sound. I miss listening to bands like this! I get a cbgb '80s rock vibe from them and maybe a little Artic Monkeys, Franz or the Strokes. I haven't been able to scrobble so i'm not sure about the radio function. It also looks like you need to use Spotify to listen to everything on here so it's not like they have their own streaming platform. I actually liked the old radio.

what phone deal ? not sure what you're talking about. the site is a mess. the design is fine, but the layout isn't the most user-friendly. they took away the things that made it useful. i will check out Ought when i get a chance, although sadly i don't get to listen to new music as much these days. tbh i find Joanna Newsom's voice to be acquired taste. sometimes it's way too screechy for me, kinda depends on the song & how i'm feeling, but i liked "diverse" & "sapokanikan" so maybe i'll dig her new album.

sorry for the super late response. been busy with work and sadly the site isn't what it used to be. how are you? it's so funny that you recommended chelsea & julia's record since i was actually going to recommend them to you...really enjoyed both albums when they were released.

It's funny you mention Future. I dl'ed and listened to Dirty Sprite 2 which I found entertaining and well done but still, it didn't have much replay value. I honestly think I'm over most popular rap as well. I feel like the tide turns around the age of 25 or so. I just don't feel like playing along anymore, I guess. K&K's vapidity turns people off IMO. I haven't listened to the second installment of The Documentary 2 (and question it's existence) but the first half is strong. I agree about many unnecessary elements. He can be extra but I can't front on dude's ear for beats, taste in samples and overall vision for album making. He's a mediocre rapper who is a decent artist, if I must say so.

They sure are! NYC/NJ is the worst though. It's just so restrictive. I can understand why the area would like to prohibit the presence of cars since it's so severely overly populated and pedestrian in nature. Yeah, CJ is definitely a career that most opportune in the city. I have a cousin-in-law who is a PO. He gets paid very well even if the hours are a bit lengthy. The family analogy of the NE states is about right! It amazes me how little most New Yorkers know about CT and NJ. They treat their neighboring states as if they are foreign countries!!! LMAO. Cole is very talented but he lacks "oomph". Thankfully, a strong marketing campaign, his own personal drive and relateable music and image has catapulted him to stardom.

Fetty is on Gawd status here in NJ. They love him! Like Cole, he has a hell of a formula that he holds onto for dear life. I've merely listened to samples of his album online and yes, every song literally sounds alike. LOL. Again, I'm not a Kanye fan but I can't deny his status as a hall of famer in mainstream rap. He's an icon whether you love or hate him. I just think his musical output will be overshadowed by his media antics. The Kardashian connection will always mar him IMO. I always knew Wayne would have the trajectory he's had. Speaking of Game, his new album is dope! It tops TPAB and Compton as the major label West Coast rap album of the year IMO. lol.

I'm proud to say that I have been car less for a week now and enjoy it far more than when I had a set of wheels. I'm actually warming up to the city a little more w/o the stress of parking. Still, I plan on heading out west in a few months. I've decided to bite the bullet and go to back to school. Since I want to work in TV writing, LA is the obvious place to be. Truth to be told, I'm not sure if NYC is the place for me. I've experienced far more cons here than pros. A main one being that the city doesn't really harbor many resources for the field I want to be in. Philly seems like a distant cousin to NY/NJ, right? LOL. It seems like the oft-forgotten city in the Northeastern big three of NYC-Boston-Philadelphia. I agree w/ age being a factor. I'm not as interested in Cole as I was in his pre-stardom days but dude has built a hell of a niche. He knows his formula and sticks to it.

Fuck this site. And all I do is work all day at the hospital...I don't have time to listen to any new music lol.

I can relate. Life has been crazy for me here. I've had a huge problem with parking here in Jersey City. To make a long story short, I have spent close to $650 in parking tickets. It's insane. I plan on leaving my car in CT this long weekend and relying on public transportation since this is a pedestrian area. NJ definitely has a inferiority complex. It will always be in the shadow of it's big brother NY. Age plays a part with Kanye but like Madonna, he also realizes that his old tricks have grown stale. Younger, arguably more skilled artists have taken over the reins now. Plus, like Madonna, his mentality of all press being good press has taken a hit to his brand. I agree, evolution is very important towards any artist's growth. Then again, some acts do fine sticking a very specific sound. I will check out that Julia Holter album. The new job has robbed me of my musical discovery time. :(

Man...my life's become super hectic. there's no time for anything here but work. lol. NJ isn't much different from LI, I'd wager. There's more urban areas tho--JC, Newark, Paterson, etc.. It's sad but the NJ cities have higher crime rates than any NYC borough or CT/upstate NY. smh. Travis seems to be in the Odd Future/A$AP mode. They broke the mode so that an artist like him can be understood by the mainstream IMO. I agree, Cudi and Travis created the sound first but Kanye knows how to develop it for mass appeal. I always looked at Kanye as the black Madonna, really. They both are very similar. They're more curators/pop icons than actual musical talents IMO.

What are the other beaches on LI? Li seems like an ideal place for a New Yorker to start a family. Westchester too but parts of that county are still pretty urban. Have you ever been to Jersey City or any of Hudson County, NJ? If so, what was your impression? I had to entertain myself in CT so I know the feeling. lol. I definitely was reminded of A$AP Rocky while listening to Rodeo. He doesn't have Rocky's sense of humor and glibish charm but they both have the spacey, druggy, heavily stylized vibe. They're both products of the post-Kanye/Drake generation. And Travis' influence was all over Yeezus just like Cudi's whole style was on 808s. While I've never been a fan, Kanye's a great curator.

Yes! And I hate it. It doesn't need to be like Twitter. I can see if they added an IG-type feature with users posting pics of themselves but to eliminate key features of a site during a re-design is criminal. lol. I asked my coworker from East Meadow what the attractions in LI were. She said that aside from Jones Beach, there's not much. lol. Truthfully, Jersey is similarly dull. Aside from the countless malls and the sporting/event arenas, there's not much else here. I listened to Rodeo in full just now. The production is strong and often inventive (the many beat flips) but overall, I was bored. He'll go far tho since he's so image-driven. LOL, NY taxes are no joke!

On the real, I'm not feeling this new re-design at all. It seems fairly pointless IMO since there's no real new features on the site. I really wish the BETA layout was optional. I haven't scrobbled my iPod in a while, honestly. NYC living is intense, bro! I have little free time outside of the weekend now. I'm still in the process of learning how to manage my time because I refuse to become an overworked zombie like so many others in this city/area. That Toro y Moi joint on Travis $cott's LP is my type of joint! Toro's dreamy chorus rises that track to all kinds of height. LOL. I agree that Travis is making the most out of his increased production budget and superstar resources. Hey, are you familiar with East Meadow, NY? A lot of my new co-workers are from Strong Island. lol.

It sucks...there is no way around it. You still can't upload artists photos right?

I just scrobble..

What's up man? I still have to get used to this new layout. My scrobbles have decreased dramatically mainly because of my diminished amount of free time and Last.fm's sometime-y nature with iPod scrobbling. lol. Oh shit, I didn't know I was group texting! I don't mind tho. How's everything tho? When I get some time tomorrow after doing laundry, I may DL that Travis $cott. Seems like fun turn up music for the gym.

So, it's like most of the tri-state then. The disparity between rich and poor and the proximity between where both live is crazy. I'm a firm believer in the idea that no one truly has it all. We're all missing or lacking something. Those who may have money, for instance, struggle in another part of their life. While those may struggle financially may prosper in another area of theirs. It's balances out IMO. Music was secondary for my life for much of this summer as I was setting myself up out here but even then, it still played an essential part if only in the gym. I rarely listen to music in the car now, I notice. Would you say that your car is a major monthly expense? I'm just weighing the pros and cons of needing one here. There's a lot of deals for used vehicles in good shape so I may have options. Ditto w/ leasing.

lol, I love how nearly every US city/town only promotes the "nice" parts of a given area while neglecting to mention the slums nearby. I mean, it's obvious why they so do but it's still makes me shake my head. I mean, I'd love for there to be post cards of most of LA outside of the famed West Side, Miami outside of South Beach, Las Vegas outside of the Strip, Manhattan outside of the Upper West Side and Mid-town but it is what it is. I went to school w/ a local politician's son. He wasn't so much of an asshole but he was entitled. I also have lost the desire to be on top of EVERYTHING musically. As long as I have a general idea, I'm good. I only focus on the stuff I like instead of the "hot" or "acclaimed". I love film and literature too but I am not as committed to either as I am to music, admittedly. I'm pickier w/ film than I am music TBH. Hey, do you know anything about leasing a car or buying used? Would you also know any tricks on getting lower car insurance out here?

Which websites do you go to watch wrestling?

Here's the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/05/realestate/05lizo.html There's another article from 2013 about Riverhead in the Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/14/realestate/riverhead-li-ready-for-a-fresh-close-up.html Local corruption and laundering is nationwide, man. I feel like NY/NJ are both notorious for that, especially. I will plead guilty to not fully absorbing music b/c of the sheer amount of sounds that come out on a daily basis. That's a reason why I download so much less now. I want to take time to really 'understand' an album now. Many projects require repeated listens. I still need to listen to your suggestions! I'm working around to it. lol. Most people are casual music fans so technology can't be completely blamed for the general indifference to music the masses has now.

LOL, There's a NYT article from 2006 about the plans to revitalize downtown Riverhead. I take it that the changes never occurred? Les is a demi-god in the bass playing world. He's always talked about as one of the greats in bass player circles. I can now hear why. I didn't realize just how world renowned Queen are. A simple scan through their GH collection reveals that a bulk of their classics has been used in numerous TV ads and film trailers. Their estate must eat! LOL. I like '80s Bowie! I was just listening to Let's Dance earlier only to get the in car and hear Puffy's Been Around the World which loops Let's Dance moments later. Coincidence? lol. Yes, the distractions drown out the music, so to speak. It's so disposable now. People want to hear their favorite song on their phone or on Pandora/Spotify and that's it. Gone are the days of full rotation music listening. While for the most part, at least.

Would you describe Riverhead as trailer park-ish? I thought Brentwood was a middle class area? I will look up that Primus cover. I'm listening to My Name is Mud as I type. Wow, Les plays a six string bass. He's no joke! I have Sheer Heart Attack on vinyl but have never listened to it. I also have a copy of News of the World which features two of their overplayed classics (We Will Rock You, We Are the Champions). Rock music has many sub genres just as R&B does. Hell, rock derives from R&B it's damn self. lol. See, the "old days" seemed to have more substance and less distractions. I mean, people dropped the needle on a record instead of skipping through a song on their iPod, ya know. Folks actually interacted w/ each other face-to-face instead of burying themselves into their phones. ITA about the last great genre. I can't even think of one. LOL @ dubstep being one!

I've always known of Primus and heard of Les Claypool's bass prowess (as a just ok bassist, I've seen his name come up many times in bass player media). I listened to samples of some of their albums earlier. They sound very jam band-ish from the snippets I heard. Queen's legend is undeniable. They seemed pretty radical for such a popular band too. Mercury may be one of the best male vocalists ever. His range is unheard of. The harmonies...man! What is your favorite album by them? I started with Night at the Opera since that is their most celebrated LP.

As for my prior knowledge of LI, I just know of Hempstead and Brentwood mainly because, of you guessed it, the famed rappers that come from there. lol. I didn't even realize that Aesop and RA were from Strong Island too! I know of the icons--Rakim, EPMD, Busta, PE, De La, Keith Murray, technically Prodigy from Mobb Deep and LL--as well as R&B stars like CM and Ashanti that derive from there. So, Riverhead is grimey? Wyandach is always in the local news with crime, it seems. lol, we did discuss funk-rock bands recently. I'm just looking for new discoveries that I may not be up on. I'm already well acquainted with internationally known acts like RHCP (was listening to them earlier in the gym today), FNM, Fishbone, etc. I was inspired recently b/c I was thinking of all of the great '70s and '80s rock bands who got funky on occasion. See: Grand Funk Railroad, Steve Miller Band, J. Geils Band, Allman Brothers Band, etc. There doesn't seem to be any modern bands that carry on tradition. :(

;D

Cobain's legacy has been bastardized, no doubt. Like Pac, his imagery has overshadowed his music. They've become pop martyrs. It didn't help that they both died in their 20s right as they were discovering their sound. Kweli's one of the few artists that's politically active outside of social media profiles. LOL, I was looking at a map of LI yesterday. I haven't even heard of any of those towns! LI seems like a secret part of the tri-state area, for some reason. ITA with everything you said about the masks we often wear when we're looking. So, it seems like people in LI are typical suburbanites. Not necessarily mean but not exactly friendly...isolated. That makes sense. I'm slowly moving into a more rock-ish mode. Are there any rock releases that you'd recommend that have a strong funk and soul influence? I'm thinking of giving Queen's catalog a try. Are you into them, by any chance?

Thats crazy I had seen an article on Injury Reserve on Needle Drop was debating checking it out. Thanks for the recommendation

I'm the same way. Naturally, I crave meaningful interactions with others but I have no room or desire for BS. It's a balancing act, I find. Are people in LI friendly, in general? I find that relationships occur naturally. I think we stumble when we actively look for love or companionship from others. We can't make others who we want or even need them to be. Hey, did you hear Dr. Dre's new album? I liked it way more than I thought I would. It's no masterpiece but it's very solid.

Have you read any of the biographies on Cobain? I read a book of his letters and pictures years ago. Very fascinating. Remember when Kweli put CNN's Don Lemon in check live on air? He's still a live BK dude after all these years. lol. Cool, so you're in a good location on LI then. A co-worker of mine lives in Hempstead. I don't even drive in the city and my car has taken a light beating just on NJ streets. :( Why might you sue? I think lovers, in particular, make shaky roommies because you learn of their annoying habits. I do know that moving in with a spouse ALWAYS changes the dynamic. From my observations, it changes it for the worst. I agree tho that it takes 2 mature people to make it work. Yet in this generation of instant gratification and undeserved entitlement, do we even want to?

Who is that in your avi? Kweli isn't the most compelling on his own so I don't blame you for never getting into his solo discography. True, it's essentially the same everywhere you go. How far are you from the Queens border? LOL, I only take public trans into the city too. The last time I was stupid enough to drive into NYC, I racked up a $35 parking tab, got stuck in traffic for over an hour and became aggravated beyond belief. It was torture, man. haha, Living with unfamiliar faces can be heaven or hell. It's been cool the few times I've done it since there were no strings attached or expectations being held. I always say that when friends or lovers move in together...the beginning of the end is near! LOL.

I'm getting CN confused with Clouddead, a '90s alternative act. I associate Jean w/ Immortal Technique, Little Brother, MURS, etc., that early '00s underground scene. I used to love Talib's first solo release, Quality, back in the day. I jumped off the wagon for the proceeding albums tho. He's better as half of Black Star or Reflection Eternal IMO. Damn, you'd think LI's roads would be better. Do you use the LIRR? As strange as it sounds, I think it's better to room w/ strangers than people you previously have a relationship with. Nearly all of the roommate situations that I've heard of between friends, relatives or lovers ALWAYS turned out bad. People tend to be on their best behavior around those they don't know, I find.

Me either! Spitta's music is very consistent but it doesn't "feel" the same in a sober state IMO. I haven't been in a punk/folk/metal/lo-fi mood lately. Wow, Wavves and Cloud Nothings, the producer? That's an interesting team-up. Jean's been around since forever. I first heard about her in the early '00s. She and Kweli have done a lot together. Speaking of computer restoration, I upgraded to Windows 10 today. There's already bugs but I will say that it's very sleek. What are your thoughts on it if you've used it? Are the roads in LI as bad as they are in the city and NJ? I'd hope they're in much better condition since a car is almost mandatory there. Living on your own has it's pros and cons like everything else, I say. Are you open to roommates?

kanye is no longer subscribed to that movement. he embodies the things he claimed to loathe in those early years lol, but he def played a part in it as did artists like lupe, cudi etc. when did you first get into cobain..did you see the doc about him? lol you always come through w/ the recommendations. i want to listen to red house painters on some better headphones though. something tells me it'll sound 10x better.