Monday Mixtape, Vol. 70

March 20, 2017 by David in Music

It's been quite the weekend - I just got back from the Oregon vs. Rhode Island NCAA March Madness game in Sacramento. What an unbelievable game. Oregon had absolutely no reason winning. They were outplayed in pretty much every facet of the game, but they continued to hang in there as the 11th seeded Rhode Island team smacked them around - at one point during the game RI went 17 of 21 in shots. ON FIRE!

Rhode Island was playing with nothing to lose and Oregon had all the pressure on them and were clearly faltering under it. It is remarkable to witness the psychological warfare that goes on at a live event like that. Oregon fans were losing their minds and SO negative the entire game. These are just KIDS that these people are screaming at. The players had to have felt the negative energy.

Meanwhile, the Rhode Island fans were going nuts and the players were playing with utter abandon and joy to be in the tourney with the opportunity to knockout such a huge team like Oregon.

Once the game got really tight in the last two minutes, it was Rhode Island's turn to feel the pressure. What once felt like walking on water, they now had saw the possibility of letting the game slip away. The pressure was too much for them to handle. In the end, Oregon pulled off the win with a ridiculously clutch three from G Tyler Dorsey. And the crowd went crazy.

Kudos to both teams. That was probably the best college basketball game I've ever attended, and the first March Madness game of my life. I recommend it to all. You can only hope for a crazy game like that.

Now listen to some music!

5 Faves - Best Coast

February 02, 2015 by David in Music

In light of the speculation that a new album is coming out somewhat soon (UPDATE: May 5!), I thought I'd highlight five of my favorite tracks by Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno's duo Best Coast. I've seen them live a couple times, the most recent being at The Fillmore in SF, and I was really blown away by Cosentino's voice. It's a bit reminiscent of Stevie Nicks, and I don't think any band encapsulates the SoCal beach vibe better. Cosentino's ability to turn three to five chord songs into catchy tracks is all based on her melodies. Love that voice.

Top 25 Albums of 2014

December 28, 2014 by David in Music

“As I’m getting older, chip up on my shoulder, rolling through life to roll over and die.”

Mac Demarco’s first line on the title track (and my #2 Top Song of 2014) of his album Salad Days perpetuates the strange dichotomy between Demarco’s public persona and his writing as a singer/songwriter.

One one side, there's his public persona - goofy, humorous, playful, idiotic, likable, and crude (instead of a band prayer/pep talk, I envision Demarco and his buddies playing the “Penis” game prior to stepping on stage). There's his ridiculously and I presume intentionally stupid documentary, Pepperoni Playboy, that has amassed over 500,000 views. His music videos are beyond comprehensible. His live shows are messy and completely enjoyable. I saw Demarco at The Great American Music Hall in SF, and Demarco broke his strings on three separate occasions, once asking his bassist to do a cover of Coldplay while he restrung his guitar. “Let Her Go” was played completely out of time, and Demarco laughingly stated so after they got through it. Demarco and Co. were in the middle of one song, and a fan jumped on stage, put his arms around the bassist and took a selfie. The bassist smiled happily for the camera. The show was more like a circus act, and I loved it. Demarco’s crazy persona was in full force.

Then there’s the other side...

Top 25 Albums of 2012

September 22, 2014 by David in Music

2012 starts and ends with Frank Ocean. Channel Orange is an album that I will play until the day I die. It’s beauty - naked and fragile at times yet full bodied and confident in others - is unlike any other album to compare to in the past decade. Ocean’s falsetto on “Thinkin Bout You” wails in sincerity. His epic “Pyramids” runs a wild gamut of funk, R&B, hip-hop, and electronic elements. I always find it an amazing accomplishment to have a song that’s over 6 minutes (this being 9:53) that I can listen to constantly.

Top 100 Songs of 2012

September 21, 2014 by David in Music

1. Jack White – Weep Themselves To Sleep

2. Tennis – My Better Self

3. Geographer – Kites

4. Delta Spirit – Tear It Up

5. Frank Ocean – Lost

6. Peace – 1998 (Delicious)

7. Kendrick Lamar – m.A.A.d city

8. Santigold – Disparate Youth

9. Jack White – Sixteen Saltines

10. Schoolboy Q – There He Go