To kick off the new year, UCLA Radio is giving you the chance to see NBC’s new show Smash before it premieres on February 6th at 10/9c. This advanced screening of the pilot episode is taking place at The Grove on Monday January 9th. Just be one of the first 50 people to click this link www.gofobo.com/rsvp and enter this code: UCLARAVS48 to download your ticket! Tickets are first-come, first-served so make sure you arrive early.

SMASH stars Debra Messing, Christian Borle and Katharine McPhee. There’s nothing more exciting than the opening night of a hit Broadway musical, except maybe what happens getting there. While Wicked and The Lion King pack audiences in on the Great White Way, Julia and Tom, a successful songwriting team (Debra Messing and Christian Borle), begin work on a new musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. When a tenacious producer (Anjelica Houston) jumps abroad, so begins the difficult task of casting the silver screen icon.

Ivy Lynn, a tough Broadway veteran, seems like the obvious choice. But enter Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee), a young girl form Iowa with a dream of making it on Broadway who walks in and blows everyone away. So who will get the part and begin a journey that will change their lives? It’s an age-old story, but a star just might be born once again.

While everyone is consumed with putting the show together, real life has a tendency of getting in the way. Julia and her husband are in the middle of a complicated adoption; the producer’s husband begins divorce proceedings which could threaten the finances of the show; and the brilliant but womanizing director could derail everyting if he puts the young star in a compromising position. This will be a rollercoaster ride that culminates on opening night when the adiences gets to determine whether or not the show is a smash!

In the era of The Voice and Glee, executive producers Steven Spielberg and Craig Zadan & Neil Meron (producers of Chicago and Hairspray), and songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray), bring you the blood, sweat, and tears of the making of a Broadway musical.

To find out more about SMASH, visit the official website for the show, like SMASH on Facebook and follow the show on Twitter. Don’t forget to check it out on NBC when it airs on February 6th at 10/9c. In the meantime, check out the extended trailer below:

Except for the hypothetical enemy being Chinese, this is the best political ad I’ve ever seen:

Amazing stuff.

Ron Paul’s foreign policy almost makes me forget all the issues I disagree with him on.

Almost.

This is the final installment in a five-part series listing my 50 favorite songs of 2011. Hope you’ve enjoyed the list and don’t disagree too vehemently with my top choices. Here’s Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and the complete Spotify playlist.

10. No Church in the Wild – Kanye West & Jay-Z (feat. Frank Ocean)

“No Church in the Wild” is the best album-opening song since, well, the last song to open a Kanye album. Like “Dark Fantasy”, Church’s beat does an incredible job of creating an unsettling atmosphere, substituting that song’s staccato piano for a looping guitar riff that ebbs and flows out of consciousness, hinting violence but never quite delivering. Teyana Taylor and Justin Vernon’s vocals, used to let in some light on “Dark Fantasy”, are replaced by a hook from Frank Ocean (appearance 3 of 4) that assures us there is, in fact, no light to be found here. Jay-Z’s opening verse sounds pretty good, until you take a close look at the lyrics and realize that the whole thing’s a reflection on the Euthyphro dilemma, at which point you gasp in awe and bow down before the most shockingly brilliant man in hip-hop (he miraculously pulls a similar trick later on a track called “That’s My Bitch”). Where Jay-Z’s thoughts are on philosophical discourse, Kanye’s busy with much more earthly matters. His verse is a perfect dispatch from the wild he lives in, not one of actual wild animals or urban warfare (as the silly sound clips at the end suggest), but one of hedonism, sex, and drugs. At least, that’s what it sounds like before you realize that his lines about forming a new religion aren’t just throwaways; he’s serious about this John Lennon stuff. Everyone else on the track has his back, too. Jay-Z’s verse is obviously applicable, Frank Ocean’s hook demolishes the Christian great chain of being, and an interlude from The-Dream introduces us to Kanye’s ideas before his verse even begins. This isn’t just a hot track from a couple of A-level rappers; they’ve got a coherent fucking agenda. Did I mention that this is just the first song on the album? Sit back and watch the throne drop, guys.

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This is the fourth of five posts listing my 50 favorite songs of 2011. Here’s Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and an updated Spotify playlist.

20. Weekend – Smith Westerns

When I went to FYF Fest earlier this year, the Smith Westerns had the same set time as OFF! My friend really wanted to see them (they were awesome), so by the time we got over to the Westerns’ stage their set was almost over. Turns out we got there in the nick of time, because at that point Cullen Omori introduced what he called their “crowd pleasing set” and the band tore into “Weekend”. Omori couldn’t have described the song better. Max Kakacek’s lead guitar practically squeals with delight, bringing to mind some of George Harrison’s Abbey Road-era solos. The Beatles comparison is apt, as the rest of “Weekend” is all sunny chords, soaring melodies. All Die Young was released in the middle of January, but this is a perfect song for summer or, as the Smith Westerns are well aware, a crowded festival. Read the rest of this entry »

This is the third of five posts listing my 50 favorite songs of 2011. Here’s Part 1, Part 2, and an updated Spotify playlist.

30. Meyrin Fields – Broken Bells

This song was first released as a b-side, eventually making its way onto a self-titled EP this year. Why Danger Mouse and James Mercer kept this song hidden I have no idea, because “Meyrin Fields” is easily better than anything off of last year’s self-titled album. Where most of Broken Bells was laid back to a fault, setting a mood without really drawing attention to itself, this track demands it. The world is falling apart at the seams around Mercer, and he seems to be the only one who notices. He screams out to anyone who’ll listen, accompanied by equally dramatic synths and a beat that gives the whole affair a sense of urgency.

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This is the second of five posts listing my 50 favorite songs of 2011. Part 1 can be found here, and an updated Spotify playlist is here

40. Gratisfaction – The Strokes

Most of Angles can be summed up as “The Strokes play ___”, with the blank filled in by everything from metal to 80’s synth ballads. In only one case, though, does this approach really pay dividends. “Gratisfaction” is a fantastic little rock-and-roll song in the mold of mid-70’s Queen, vocal harmonies, huge choruses and all. This may seem like an odd fit for a band renowned for its inhumanly efficient garage rock and cool air of indifference, but Queen’s rhythm section has always been ridiculously underrated, and Julian Casablancas enhances his normal laid-back style with the level of swagger and flair that copping Freddie Mercury requires. Throw in a guitar performance arguably amongst the best the Strokes have ever recorded, and you’ve got a hit. Read the rest of this entry »

Maybe it just seems this way because we were ridiculously spoiled the past couple of years, but 2011 wasn’t a great year for music. A lot of the highly anticipated albums disappointed, not a lot of amazing new artists emerged, and large swaths of the indiesphere disappeared in a haze of nostalgic stupor. That said, my view on things is that if you think good music isn’t being made any more, then you’re not looking very hard, and there were plenty of fantastic songs released this year. In that spirit, I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time picking and writing up a list of my favorite songs of 2011. Over the next few days we’ll be posting the full list in five installments. For now, here’s numbers 50 through 41 (Spotify playlist).

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The Los Angeles Lakers won’t have to wait too long to get back on the floor after they play The Chicago Bulls on Christmas Day.

Laker fans will finally get their basketball fix as the Lakers are scheduled to play three games in three nights. On Dec. 25^th the Lakers host the Bulls and the NBA’s league MVP, Derrick Rose. The Lakers are looking to start off on the right foot as they try to get their first home-win of the season.  On Dec. 26 the Lakers travel up north to play against the Sacramento Kings and then fly back to the city of angels on Dec. 27 as they host the Utah Jazz.

I guess the milk and cookies were enough for Santa Claus this year. The NBA season has returned and Santa seems mighty generous in giving Lakers fans plenty basketball action.

Christmas isn’t the only holiday on which the Lakers play. They are scheduled to travel to Denver on Jan. 1 and also play the afternoon of Dec. 31 against an unknown opponent.

The Lakers won’t be scheduled another three games in three nights, however there have been talks that minor changes will be made to the schedule, which will be finalized and released Tuesday by the NBA—the NBA schedule has yet to be publicly released.

Even though many Laker fans are looking forward to see the boys in purple in gold back on the court, Andrew Bynum will serve a five-game suspension due to the incident in the playoff in which Andrew body-slammed and J.J. Barea.

But no worries, at least we’ll finally get to see Kobe on the floor!

The NBA is finally back and scheduled to kick off its season with a triple-header this Sunday, December 25th. The season has now gone from what would have been a 82 game season—if the players had accepted the 50/50 split—to a shorter season which will consist of 66 games, after the players and owners finally came to a negotiation over Thanksgiving weekend. It will surely be a jolly holiday for all the fans and NBA players that have been anxiously waiting for this season to start!

The triple-header will consist of a rematch of last year NBA Finals; The Dallas Mavericks vs. The Miami Heat. A great match up between two plausible NBA contenders; The Los Angeles Lakers vs. The Chicago Bulls, and a team that’s been struggling to return to its glory against a team that will try to become a dominant powerhouse in the eastern conference; The Boston Celtics vs. The New York Knicks.

With these great match-ups anxiety is hitting every NBA fan in their hearts and bodies. The Miami Heat and their fans are looking to redeem themselves and prove that last years NBA Finals exit against the Dalla Mavericks is nothing but a motivational experience to show that they are still the most dominant powerhouse in the Eastern Conference. The Los Angeles Lakers and their fans cannot wait until they can finally see Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum hit the court as well as to how Mike Brown and his new coaching staff will make adjustments to the offense. While the Bulls and their 2010 league’s MVP, Derrick Rose, are still on the quest to make an NBA Finals appearance. The Boston Celtics still have their big three, who won the NBA championship in 2008 and are hoping to prove to everyone that they are still a force to overcome, but will the New York Knicks finally show up and manifest their two powerful all-stars–Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony?

Who will demonstrate the desire to win it all at the end? I can’t wait to find out!

Welcome back NBA!

After almost four years, the British indie-rock band, The Kooks, came out with their third album this past September. “Junk of the Heart” has topped at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart, while their original debut album hit Number 2 back in 2006.
The opening song for which the album gets its name, Junk of the Heart, is a poppy and typical Kooks song. The catchy and carefree chorus chanting, “I wanna make you happy” is very similar to many of the upbeat songs from their last album, Konk. It is influenced a lot from “Always Where I need to be” but they seem to play around with different beats and not just the two guitars. The next song transitions into a slower song, and it has a very similar vibe to the wonderful slow song of Konk, called “Gap”. However, “Taking Pictures of You” did not come off as well to me and I feel it gets a bit whiny at times.
For the sixth song, the album takes a turn as the Kooks start to venture into songs that are a little more out of their typical formula and sound a bit more mature. “Time Above the Earth” starts with a classical instrumental introduction and then into lyrics that give the song a 1960’s Beatles-esque sound. The song is a very different Kooks sound that is whimsical, almost psychedelic, and takes risks, and I think it really enhances the album. “Killing Me” shows a deeper side to the lead singer, Luke Pritchard rather than the happy-and-in-love vibe he always gives off. While still along the same lines, Luke chants, “Will the Wind Blow her Away?”. This opens our eyes to see that he is still the insecure 16-year old that wrote “Eddies Gun” all those years ago.
Transitioning to another typical acoustic song and ending on a piano based darker note, “Junk of the Heart” leaves me slightly dissatisfied. While I will always be a fan of the lovely British heartthrob voice, I feel that the musicians had the potential to really make a killer album. They changed their style up a little, took some risks, but we still love them. It’s the carefree vibes that lend themselves to easy listening in a variety of situations. Even though majority of the songs are either about being completely smitten with a girl, admiring a girl from afar, or trying to prove to a girl that he is worth her time, the Kooks have once again produced a decent album that will make you smile. If you’re interested, you can check them in concert at the Hollywood Music Box on December 7th and 8th as a post-finals week treat.

On the heels of the announcement of Nicki Minaj’s upcoming Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (named after her beloved alter ego, Roman Zolanski), I decided to rank her features on songs so far (because that’s what music-heads like to do)!! She’s had her share of memorable guest appearances on tracks of artists’ as diverse as Mariah Carey and The Lonely Island, but the following 5 stick out as shining moments:

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“Together/Apart” is the fourth full-length release from Seattle-based independent rapper Grieves. Picking up the street-art decorated, multi-layered CD jacket, I hoped that the album art wouldn’t be the best thing about the album (which is often the case). Lucky for this review, it wasn’t. The refined street art of the album case is very reflective of Grieves’ music; it combines the grimy, raw elements of underground hip hop with the pristine aesthetic quality of mainstream rap. This makes the album very accessible and enjoyable; it does not sacrifice artistic quality to gain mainstream listeners. It is also very listenable for independent rap. This might be a turn off for some listeners, though; sometimes the album sounds too suburban and friendly to be reflective of real struggle (maybe this was because I was listening to the clean version of the album, one of two options included in the cd case).
The jazz-influenced instrumental of “Bloody Poetry” (reminiscent of Lupe Fiasco’s revivalist song “Daydream” with neo-soul crooner Jill Scott) is exemplary of the aesthetic thought that went into creating this music. This can also be said of the opening track, “Lightspeed,” which combines the heavy subject matter of growing up at lightspeed (“19 I decided I was done with it/ hit Seattle with a head full of drum rhythms”) with a catchy chorus melody. And through the rest of “Together/Apart,” Grieves weaves in and out of melancholic narratives, painting stories of togetherness and stories of separation.
Notable tracks: “Lightspeed,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” ““Growing Pains,” “Bloody Poetry”
Grade: B-

Finals are over and Christmas is on the horizon, which can only mean one thing: time to make some sports predictions! With no particular rhyme or reason, here are some things I think will happen in the upcoming football/basketball extravaganza that is winter:

NBA

- The Miami Heat will start the regular season on a complete tear, winning their first 15 games while LeBron James unleashes holy hell on the rest of the league for doubting his greatness after the Finals.
- The Lakers will fail to get both Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, and they will fall off after a typical Kobe outburst permanently crushes Pau Gasol’s soul.
- The Thunder will take the next step and become the clear class of the Western Conference after Westbrook finds the proper balance between attacking to score and setting up his teammates.
- The Warriors will get both Chris Paul and Tyson Chandler and immediately leap into contention, sending the Bay Area into basketball frenzy.
- The Knicks will fail to live up to expectations, as Stoudemire’s suspect health and Carmelo’s terrible attitude tear the team apart.- The New York Giants will collapse as usual, leaving the Cowboys to win the NFC East.

NFL

- The Niners will cruise into the playoffs and get destroyed in their first game when everyone remembers that Alex Smith is still their quarterback.
- The Green Bay Packers will finish the regular season undefeated, only to lose to the Saints in the NFC Championship game.
- The Patriots will lose their first game of the playoffs again, followed by Tom Brady openly challenging Belichick’s authority for the first time.
- The Ravens will finally take the next step and defeat the Steelers in the playoffs, winning the AFC championship in the process.
- The Saints will expose the Ravens suspect secondary in the Super Bowl and win handily, 35-21.

NCAA FOOTBALL

- The Alabama-LSU rematch will fail to live up to expectations, as Alabama doesn’t make the same mistakes twice and handles LSU 24-14.
- Oklahoma State will dominate Stanford, prompting some to call for the AP to declare a split national title. However, the AP does not oblige and sides with the BCS in crowning Alabama national champions.
Man there is a lot to look forward to in the upcoming months. Stay inside, hide from the cold, and enjoy watching all of these games unfold exactly the way I said they would. You watch.

Blood Orange,

Coastal Grooves

Blood Orange is a solo-project of Devonté Hynes, a member of the short-lived dance-punk band Test Icicles. Hynes is well-known for really spilling and having too many creative ideas. In this album, Coastal Grooves, which was released August 8, 2011 by the label Domino Records, we really see him show casing his many talents.

First track off of Coastal Grooves that I made me check out the rest of the album was “Sutphin Boulevard.” Immediately the sweet, low, kind of groovy bass-line caught my attention. The track captures an 80s vibe, and before even listening to the song I heard many people say that the song has a “Prince-esque” vibe, and after listening to it, I can’t deny the Prince influence. Overall, this track has a constant sound, not changing much at all throughout the song. Starts off with a very simple introduction, but adds some weight to the song with the bass, which is the driving force in the song. There’s no catchiness or memorable melody in the song that really stood out to me. Instead, this track was filled with this relaxed and laid-back atmosphere, along with Hynes’ dreamy vocals fading in and out of the song, in a way sort of complementing the instrumentals.

Although there was no immediate catchiness to this particular track, the bass-line was enough for me to be impressed and intrigued to check out the rest of the album. The rest of the album has very similar qualities to “Sutphin Boulevard.” Possibly the most catchy songs on the album and the most instantly memorable are the first and third tracks, titled “Forget It” and “Sorry We Lied.” That bass-line that initially pulled me to hear the rest of the album is present in the other songs too. Most of the songs had great introductions and potential and I expected most of the songs to swell into a sort of “larger” sound, but I never got that. To me, Hynes’ talent is really in the bass quality and rhythm of the entire album, and also his lyrical composition. The lyrics on the entire album are again very simple, minimal, and very vague. Even at times, I thought the lyrics were pretty intentionally comical in its simplicity. This made up for the lack of any immediate memorable melody in this album. Even though the album didn’t grab my attention through its hooks and melodies, I was instantly hooked on this album because of its simplicity and because of its unpredictability.

Personal rating: 8/10

Favorite tracks:

-S’Cooled

-The Complete Knock

-Forget It

-Sorry We Lied

-Can We Go Inside Now