I Miss You Man: Kittie

The other day I was going through my rolodex of cd's and I came across an unmarked burned disk. I put the disk into iTunes and it turned out to be Kittie's second album Oracle. Needless to say I had a very nostalgic moment. Kittie was a teenage all girl metal outlet (from canada!) with its peak prominence taking place in the early 00's. Kittie was basically living my rock and roll dreams. When I first started playing guitar at 16 my BFF Shelaine and I would sit in my basement (her playing the bass) and try to play Kittie songs (and also Sum41, don't ask). Kittie was a bad azz group of girls who could roll with the big boys (they toured with Sevendust,and Slipknot among many others). Unfortunately I never got a chance to see them live, I'm kind of glad though because I would just been so jealous of them. Like I said before they were living my dream. Now through countless changing band members (with sisters Morgan and Mercedes Lander being the only constant members) Kittie is still recording, touring and kicking your face in. I salute you Kittie, I salute you.



*Fallon was my idol, for real*

I Miss You Man: Staind

Some folks these days like to poop on the whole "Nu-Metal" movement of the late 90's early 00's. Even the bands themselves who were grouped into this sub genre like to mock it. Point of it being is this time in (rock)music was the musical highlight of my life as a teenager. The other day while having my iPod on shuffle a Staind song came on and I started thinking back to how dope Staind was. Yes to me, Staind was dope. Come on man have you heard Break The Cycle? Have you heard the FIRST SONG on Break The Cycle? If that wasn't a sonic slap in the face and a roaring opening to an album than I don't know what is. Yeah sure after a while Aaron Lewis got real whiny and stuff but for a moment Staind, to me at least, was THAT band.

I Miss You Man: Justin Timberlake

So Justin Timberlake has caught the acting bug. Who in the entertainment industry who's not an actor doesn't at least want to be in one movie? I blame Joey Fatone. Anyways JT has shown that he has pretty good comedic timing thanks to his several times hosting SNL and most of the movies he has been in so far were romantic comedies (except for Alpha Dog). The other day I seen a preview of Justin in a new movie with Amanda SiegfriedandRoy where he plays an action hero. Okay Justin it was cute at first, but now you've gone too far. An action hero? Just because you faced rabid dogs in the "Bye Bye Bye" video does not mean you should be an action star, but I digress. This post is after all about Justin's music. We all know Justin from N*Sync and I'm not gonna lie I was a little bit of a fan. But when he went solo and reached out to Virginia's superb beatmakers The Neptunes and Timbaland he went on to go and make his classic (in my opinion) debut album Justified. Every song (except for the one obligatory ballad, written by Brian McKnight no less) was an absolute banger. I played the CD so much I scratched it to its demise. After Justified he came out with that other album about sex and disco or something and that did exceptionally well also, but for ME anything after Justified was well, unjustifiable. Ha. Maybe one day he'll get back to music but it won't be the same and that's fine. For now let's all remember the good ol days.

**I remember when this video came out 7-11 started selling these shirts. Yes I bought one, yes I still have it, but now its a very snug pajama shirt, actually it was snug when I bought back in high school, but I didnt care, I had to have that shirt, ok that's it**


**Great song, but I got sick of it, its all good though**


**Gentlemen, good night, ladies, good morning!{snicker}**


**This was my FAVORITE song on the album, this song totally reminds me of driving my parents Kia Rio speeding out the student parking lot after school on a nice spring day, ah memories**

Jammie of the day

Back in the day when I first started to embrace the rocker in me I used to listen to 96X (the hampton roads alternative rock station, pfft not anymore) all day and wait for my favorite songs and record them thus making alt rock mixtapes. This was one of my favorite songs from the era. This song is from a band I have never heard of and I have never heard of again after this song. But this is such a good song and brings me back to those days of sitting in front of the radio all day and switching between the pause and record button. Good times. This is the band Ours with the song "Sometimes"

Metal Karaoke

If there was a karaoke night dedicated to strictly metal music I would sing this:

I don't remember when or where I first heard this song. I think it was on MTV (shocker!) early one morning and I was hooked. I think I then went to school and was talking about them and a day later a friend let me borrow a copy of Slipknot's self titled debut album which I promptly dubbed on a cassette tape. Remember those? In high school I always wanted to go to a Slipknot show but I always heard horror stories of their crazy early shows, like jumping into crowds throwing drums into the crowd, throwing poop? Yeah. However a few years ago when they came into the VA Beach Amp me and a few friends went to go see them. It was EPIC. Unfortunately Paul the bassist passed away last year and the future of the band seems to be at a standstill. But I would never forget those times of driving around with my friends doing hoodrat stuff and listening to Slipknot.LOL. Good times man, Good times.

Deftones!

So if you don't know Deftones is one of my favorite bands of all time. Last year I did a post on when I first heard the Deftones and I have been hooked ever since. They were never as 'popular' as the bands they were lumped together with during the late 90's early 00's "nu-metal" era (i.e. Korn, Limp Bizkit, Incubus etc). But I believe they are the most respected and consistent bands. Their latest album Diamond Eyes is phenomenal, definitely their best effort since White Pony. Last night I had the honor and pleasure to attend their show at the Norva (thanks to some comp tickets from my job, although I was put on a 'list' that my name wasn't on, which i assume was VIP so I had to be lumped with the peons and doshbags of the pit) And despite the sucky opening band by the name of Barroness and my feet and body aching, and this stupid b!tch who was in front of me, as my concert patna and BFF since the 9th grade Shelaine (whom gave me the white pony CD in 10th grade) told me "It'll be all worth it in the end" and man it was. They played a 2 hour set that included songs from all Deftones albums. Some of my faves of the night being "Ihabia" from Around the Fur and "Beauty School" from Diamond Eyes. Oh and Chino is adorable and amazing for he did not have in-ears and could not hear himself the whole show and still put on the performance of a lifetime...and he touched my hand! EEeeek. I really feel like I have lived out my teenage fantasies this summer. I saw Korn last month and now seeing Deftones, I kind of feel complete hmm. Oh and shout out to my cousin Rachahd whom is also a Deftones fan and told me an awesome story about when she got injured ribs from a Deftones show at the Roseland in NYC. And of course Shelainey for coming to the show with me. Alright I will now leave you with a video of "Change (In the House of Flies).

Current fav songs

I, as I am sure many people go through phases or cycles where they have a few choice songs playing in their head, car stereo, cd players (yeah they still exist) and mp3 players on a constant basis. You play them till you get sick of them, then you go through a drab period where you hate everything on your iPod(or whatever), then another cycle of songs tickle your fancy. As of now these are my faves.
Up first is a track from M.I.A.'s new album Maya. Now there is a story as to how I obtained this CD its quite a long one. At the beginning of the summer my mother and I planned a trip to NYC. It turned out the same weekend she wanted to up HARD NYC was also happening that weekend. HARD consisted of a lot of artist including: Ninjasonik, Theophilus London and Rye Rye among others. And the festival was being headlined by none other than M.I.A. So the thing was I was not able to afford tickets for my brother and myself to go but my mother assured me that she was able to get them for us. However; I was looking for a miracle to get these tickets. One day I was over at Dr. Jays website and there was this contest to win tickets to HARD NYC. Low and behold I actually win them, I never win anything. But before actually finding out that I won the tickets our trip was canceled due to the common disease ourfundsarelow. So the good people over at Dr Jays was supposed to send me the tickets and I was going to give them to my cousin Rachahd whom lives in NY. Oddly enough I never got the tickets. Cut to 2 weeks ago I get a package in the mail from them with a copy of M.I.A.'s new album. Pretty cool. In the end it all kind of worked itself out. Now since the release of the album critics have not been very kind to it, but as a huge M.I.A. fan I chose not to pay attention to it. My initial response to the album was, much like the critics not very favorable. To me the music was very distorted and the songs didnt have any real structure to it. But over time it has grown on me. So bringing me to one of my favorite tracks on the album, and one of my favorite songs right now here is "Tell Me Why"

Up next is a track from Cee Lo Green's Stray Bullets mixtape that came out a few weeks ago. This song is called "ChamPain". Cee Lo is just awesome.

During the summer I work at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater as a "production runner" where you run around in the heat for countless hours running errands for the different tours that come through the venue. A few weeks ago I got to work the Rockstar Mayhem Festival which is a traveling metal tour. This year the headliner was Korn which I was VERY excited about. I got to see a majority of the show albeit from a crappy spot, but hey I can't complain. I've loved Korn for many years and the chance to see them was like a teenage dream come true and it also kicked up how much I loved them. So I've been listening to them a lot lately and one of my current faves is "Throw Me Away" from their See You on the Other Side album.

That's all for now, sure there are other songs that I listen to but these are like my top choices for the moment. So yeah end of blog post. Run along now.

This is my confession

So I open this post with the requisite "sorry i havent posted ive been busy, I have two jobs, yadda yadda yadda" but its the truth, moving on. So on my travels to work the iPod is on shuffleage and it definitely gives you some time to hear songs you forgot was on there. The other day on the ride home from williamsburg this song came on.

Yes. Insane Clown Posse's "Another Love Song". Which leads me to my confession. For about a good year and a half while in high school, I was a...*wait for it* a Juggalette, yep I was. I was fully into ICP, bumped the Jekyll Brothers CD and thoroughly enjoyed their foray into cinema Big Money Hustlas. I dont really know what happened to make me fall out of the Juggalo phase. Wait I know what happened...I grew up. Anyways I do look back at that phase and chuckle. It also reminds me of one of my HS BFF's Justene whom last I saw her (about 3-4 years ago now wow!)she was not only still into ICP but the whole Psychopathic Records movement. Wherever you are girlie, hope you and the seed are doing well.

Weighty Issues.

About two weeks ago I randomly decided to start going to the gym. I really dont know why, well I do, but I dont...I just felt like if I made it like a new year's resolution kind of thing it wouldnt happen. Before I explain my reason(s) on doing so first let's go down memory lane shall we?
I was always a big girl, I was never a skinny kid. I 'developed'(got boobies)very early, I think I was like 7 or something crazy like that. Most girls get training bras and I went straight to the real deal. When I lived in NY when I was younger all these older guys would hit on me, it was very creepy, but now I understand why. I was an 11 year old girl with a not so 11 year old body. When I was 12 and we moved to VA I started having to take steroids. The reason was because my ezcema got REALLY bad, I mean crying rolled up in a ball in the middle of the room scratching and bleeding and going to the ER bad. I dont know what steroids have to do with controlling ezcema but I guess it worked to an extent. Anyways because of me taking them I got to be a little more 'stocky' if you will.

Through high school I balloned to be almost 300 lbs in my senior year. Thing is my whole life I never FELT fat, I was pretty active I think for a time I was an african dancer and people were surprised by how agile I was, I was an energetic fat person, ha.


So then I went off to college and through those years I think I lost about 20 lbs. That being from walking around campus and being broke and barely eating :}

I think after school I kept losing weight a tiny tiny bit, dont know how much cause I never weigh myself, like why would you do that? So this summer as some of you know my pops passed away. I started medicating myself with food and alcohol and for really the first time in my life I FELT fat. My back was hurting I was tired all the time, I barely had any energy. Sure my job and the hours has something to do with that but I know my weight had a factor as well. So one day I just decided to go to the West Hampton Community Center and become a member so I can use the fitness room and that was at the beginning of this month. Its going on 3 weeks now and I try to go 3-4 days out of the week, I've cut out having a pint of Ben and Jerry's EVERYDAY and started eating Skinny Cow low fat ice cream samiches. Yesterday I didnt even have ice cream but that's because my bank account is super dismal like -$600 dismal, but that's another story. So far I dont know if I lost anything I doubt, I haven't weighed myself in a long time (note to self: weigh self in gym today) But to me its not just about losing weight its about feeling better, my back does not hurt as much, I find myself with a bit more energy and I actually look forward to going to the gym. In the end yeah I would like to lose some lbs but overall in my life I just want to feel better 2009 has been a sh!tty year to be quite honest and I just wanted to get a bit of headstart for a better 2010 and looking and feeling better is a part of it. The other part is finding a better or second job and improving my finances so I can do extracurricular things that I enjoy. Such as save up for DJ equipment so I can start these BIU parties I've been pondering and have extra money to contribute to the household and extra funds to travel to see friends. I dont ask for much in life I just have to go after it.
One Love ~the end~

Song of the Day

Usually I do posts like these on my twitter but I wanted to 'splain this in further detail. Today's song is Deftones' "Back to School". You know at certain points in your life when you see something or hear a song and at the time you dont know just how much it impacts your life. Well this song did that for me. I did not even realize this till this morning whilst driving to work and having the iPood on shuffle and thinking about when I first heard this song. It was 10th grade so...2000 and I was really 'accepting' myself. That meaning I was a black kid from the 'hood' who was into rock music, and different than a lot of her peers. So I constantly constantly listened to 96X (which is an alternative rock station, a station I admired as a teen, ironically enough I work at the company that owns the station and it sucks now, definitely what it used to be, a sad affair really.)This song came on and I think my head exploded. Now this is not the Deftones' best song, but it is a good song off of their best album White Pony. A little while after that my girl Shelainey gave me a copy of the album, she bought another cause the copy she had did not have "Back to School" on it, go figure. But yeah I just wanted to share that. Your Welcome.
PS CHI update. As you may or may not know the bassist Chi was in a car crash and fell into a coma in November, on the website One Love for Chi it is said that is in a semi-concious state, not exactly out of the coma but out of the coma at the same time, make sure you go over to the site for updates.

Proms are over-rated

Prom short for Promenade is a gathering at the end of a high school students senior year (typically) also a night when babies are being born or made in some cases. All growing up I looked forward to "Prom" it was like a gateway into adulthood if you would. I always saw this footage of kids getting together with their friends, taking pictures, driving off in a limo having the time of their lives. Then there is me. In may of 2003 was my Phoebus High School junior/senior prom, which 1 peed me off cause I'm all on this "its my night why are these little kids here" steez. I brought my dress in november of the previous year at the JC Penny in the hampton coliseum mall, I figured if I brought my dress 'early' I would avoid all the big girls having my dress, more on that later. So the day of prom I got out of school early to go pick up my first and only paycheck from a telemarketing job that I have gotten 2 weeks prior after getting fired from my first telemarketing job a few months earlier. So I pick up the check and make my way to get my hair did, I asked for spiral curls, I dont know why. I make my way home and lay out my attire and I tried on these gloves that I had gotten to wear with the dress cause I HATE my arms. Turns out my tree trunks known as arms were to big for the gloves, go figure. So I run out to the chinese beauty supply spot and buy some fishnet stockings. I took these stocking cut off the legs found some elastic in the sewing can and made some gloves, yeah creativity ya'll. So finally it is time for me to get ready. Usually girls get together with friends and get ready. Not me. It was just me and moms, which was cool, but the perpetual media had me gassed! So I get finish getting ready and my mom is taking pictures and what not. So I go in the fridge and get out the corsage that I had to buy for myself cause you know I aint have no date! And the crosage proceeds to fall apart on me...great. So my mom found some fake flowers and splooged it together. In the words Tim Gunn we had to "Make it Work!" So my mom finally sends me on my way, by myself, not in a limo, but my parents silver Kia Rio, yeah classy, I drive myself to the Virginia Air and Space Museum in downtown Hampton. So I get there and realize I did not make any prior plans as to who I was going to meet there. Like no friends or anything cause I came by myself. So the first 10 minutes of my senior prom woo-hoo was spent walking around aimlessly. I finally see some people I know but they quickly scurried away. Then I finally find my constituents whom I had lunch with or as an assistant principle called us "the punk rock posse". I proceeded to tag along with them all night although I felt like I was cramping their style. Oh yeah the dress, turns out 4 other chicks had the same dress I had, all big girls, BUT I accessorized the *bleep* out of my dress, so I was mad but it was aiight. I only danced to one song and left by midnight, did not go to any after prom activities cause well I wasnt invited. Limped back to my car cause I can not walk in heels unless they are platforms or wedges and went to Wendy's then went home, and that was prom. The best night of young person's life. Yay. Although prom did crank out the now infamous "Flotah Inc Mafia" pic (above) with my best friends from Phoebus Troy (L) and Jazz (R), quite possibly the most gangsta pic of all time. All in all what im trying to say is DONT BELIEVE THE HYPE! But maybe im just bitter....yeah I am.

Whatever Happened to?....

Orgy!? No not that you sick bastards (me included) the band Orgy.

I was all about some Orgy back hi skool. Orgy reminds me one of one my besties Garcia, he loooved them, I wonder if he still likes them as much.Anyways Orgy is a synth-industrial band from Cali they were signed to Korn's Elementree record label for a minute and became popular from their cover of "Blue Monday". I remember one time I was supposed to see them on Papa Roach's "Raid the Nation" tour back in the day but apparently there were all sick from mono so I couldnt see them (sad face). So after some exhaustive and extensive research I discovered that the band is in fact still together but busy working on side projects but hopefully will be making some orgy-full music someday soon, Im looking forward to it.Here is a video of them performing "Opticon" from the Vapor Transmission album on the show Farmclub, OMG do you remember that show!Hosted by that ball headed dude ummm Matt Pinfield? Jeez sooo long ago!

In your Honor

In honor of my last post I figured I'd post some ol school P-roach vids
Live performance of "Between Angels and Insects"

And "Time and Time Again"


Damn, I really loved Papa Roach. You know what Im going to listen to Roach when I get home, and I just might give they're new stuff a try too.

Whatever happened to....

...Papa Roach? I used to looooove them. When I heard their first single "Last Resort" I was all about them. Then Infest came out i copped that, it was the height of the whole rap-rock phenom which I really dug. People always put down that sect of rock and roll but being a black kid who grew up on hip-hop and grew to love rock music I liked it. Sure there were some bands that were horrible at it *cough* Crazy Town *cough* but Papa Roach did it well I believe. Jacoby Shaddix or as he went by in those days Coby Dick could really spit. My first rock show was a radio show put on by FM99 (hampton roads area) called Lunatic Luau in September of 2000 and Papa Roach was the headliner and I was just in awe of them. I saw them again in April of 2001 at the Boathouse (R.I.P.) and I actually met Coby Dick and he signed my "Raid the Nation" poster that I had for a long time but I lost it through moving so much in college, but man that was such a great night, he was such a cool dude, I mean really fuggin awesome! So the second album came out Love Hate Tragedy and they wanted to leave behind the whole rap-rock thing which was cool, you know a band has to evolve. It was a decent album you know I gave them benefit of the doubt, I was a rida. Then the third album came out Getting Away With Murder separating themselves even further from the bunch they were first gathered with. They had a pretty big hit off that album with "Scars", again a pretty solid album some good songs. But my fandom waned after that album and I have not really followed their stuff since. They sound like a sunset strip LA band. It makes me sad cause I was such a huge fan and kept an open mind and respected they're need to expand upon the music and grow as a band, but I just dont dig it anymore, but I still love Jacoby Shaddix, he's such an awesome guy, or at least he was 7 years ago, I hope he hasnt changed.
So What Happened to Papa Roach? They have a new album The Paramour Sessions, Jacoby is on a track with Motley Crue, Buckcherry, Dominican Lou, your moms and whatnot. I mean they have a lot of success and have sold a lot of albums which I am happy for cause in the words of Q-Tip music people are shhhhaaaadddddyyyy. I will forever hold in my heart the memories of early Papa Roach.

Jammie

Home from Staind's first album Dysfunction. Im sorry but Staind was it for a minute, like I liked their first album was good but I fell in love with the second album Break The Cycle, it had to be 2000 or 2001 when that came out, that album was my joint. The first song just grabbed you and really didnt let you go till the last song. That was truly a great album. Well except for "Its been a while" they coulda kept that song to themselves.