Get My Tricycle! music, culture, art, randomness by Diz Mai Squidz

Stumble

2009-02-25T16:33:00.002-05:00

I stumbled upon this interesting site...
"it's 99 things you should have experienced on the internet unless you're a loser or old or something"... if you have some time... or are procrastinating... watch a bunch..

the name was enough to get me and if you've got some time some of my personal favorites are:
01) grape lady falls
06) Charlie The Unicorn
25) gangsta barney (idk this kills me)

this is why you're fat

2009-02-10T16:16:00.002-05:00

i was looking through UO's Blog and I found this little site, (click on the delicious pizza(?) above)... quite amusing if you ask me.
hope this entertained/disturbed you as much as it did to me.

trendstalk: menswear

2009-02-09T16:58:00.032-05:00

I'm not going to lie, i enjoy fashion. I enjoy looking at it. I enjoy wearing it. I enjoy talking about it. This leads me to read about trends and to follow numerous blogs. This season, one trend in particular had caught my attention. Menswear. Why is menswear for women so excellent? When it showed up in Fall '08, I was a little skeptical, but now I see the beauty in it. When worn well it is strong, yet sexy. It doesn't show too much, but doesn't have to be the "conservative mommy goes to work" outfit. Also, black and white is classic. It will never go out of style. The Yves Saint Laurent 'le smoking' suit (picture credit to: lightswitchclothing's Blog)is a classic example of this; sexy, sophisticated, simple, effortless, classic. Skirts can be shortened and blazers fitted. The best part of menswear is the ability to add feminine details. Menswear can be intertwined into many outfits, wither it is a men's watch, bow tie, blazer, button up, vest, oxford shoes, or suit shorts.

Here are some of my favorite menswear picks (that you can get at the mall) for under $75 to spark inspiration:

1. Urban Outfitter's "Lux Little Brother Blazer", $68 here
This lovely little jacket is cropped, which is perfect because it distracts from the masculinity of the jacket. It could be worn casually with a t-shirt or worn even with a dress. (Reese Witherspoon pulled of the casual blazer look here.) A bow accent would help add femininity to this piece.

2. American Eagle's Boy Fit Jeans, $29.99 here
These are honestly a steal. These are on my own personal wish list. For less than $30 (it's close, i know) you can get a relaxed, distressed denim look, which had shown up at the end of summer 2008. These look so comfortable. They could be jazzed up with a blazer or fedora. Even a t-shirt would work fine with this. It works for a relaxed spring look. (Check out Reese Witherspoon at the end of summer 2008, here)

3. Forever 21's Cuffed Dressy Short, $17.80 here
I own these and they are honestly my favorite shorts. They aren't hoochie short and they look good with everything. I typically wear them with a cardigan, tights, a t-shirt, and flats. Plus, they're only $18! I bet they'd even look great with heels.

Shake up your wardrobe a little bit.
Take some risks and don't be afraid to dress like a boy!

Shows Vs. Concerts

2009-02-04T17:52:00.005-05:00

Mmmm. Deerhoof.

I really love music. I love Satomi Matsuzaki and Deerhoof. And I love music pure from anything else, don't get me wrong, but lately I've come to realize it's the show aspect of concerts that really get me into the music, and goddamn if they don't have it down.

So when I recently started listening to Deerhoof based on a recommendation I recieved last summer, the music was great. But the most exciting part is that I listened to most of their music through youtube. I don't think I've ever appreciated youtube as much as then. It's fucking great.

So their kinda a mix of noise rock and japanese pop, and a bunch of people don't think that they're music. So, this is a 10 minute video of one of their concerts at UICA, and it's rad. I think that it's all brilliant, but flip to 9:09 on this video and watch the magic that ensues until about 9:28.

It's great. I mean really, really great. I can't describe how perfect those dance moves are.

But, does that mean there's a difference between a show and a concert? Yeah, I mean, that was a show. That might turn out to be a petty point in semantics, but there's something to be said for the difference I'm talking about. That isn't only their hearts and minds flowing through the amplifiers, those are laid out right on stage for everyone to see. There's no mask of fake-ness or uncaring to hide behind. In this age of communication, it's so easy to forget that before cds, before 8-tracks, before vinyl, there wasn't anything. If you wanted to hear music, you had to go out and listen to it for yourself.

Now, obviously, before vinyl, the music being made wasn't much about putting your heart on the table anyway, but the point stands. When everyone walked around with a walkman, exchanging mixtapes of some of the latest underground bands' recordings they've gotten a hold of, it wasn't as mechanical as it is now.

When you're playing a show, you're making a fool of yourself and standing behind it. It's not meant to be this picture perfect reproduction of how the recording sounded, it's meant to be the music you're making and the heart to sing it at the top of your lungs.

Fuck. I'm rambling. I gotta show another concert to keep me focused.

So I've also been in love with Man Man for the past 3 months. I wanna not short change them right now, because I love them too much, so I'll wait for next time to express that.

But I wanna say that this is great. It's all about taking drags from your cigarette in between lyrics and shouting without microphones. And we're slowly making steps from the heartiest to the heartiestest to the most heartiestestest.

I think I found the point of this post, and that's it right there. Having kids a foot away from knocking you to the ground and having another kid be your mic stand is something you can't really describe. I think what all this has been leading up to is that anyone can make music. The current music being made has so much post processing sometimes, it makes your forget that all you need to make music is a frying pan, a stick to hit it with, and vocal cords. You don't need to be doing funny dances to show your heart, but when you're not just hearing or playing music, and the vibrations in the air become a part of every inch of your circulatory system, that's when there's some soul.

A lot of musicians these days are starting to forget why they're playing. And sometimes they call the absence of heart they put on stage an artistic choice. And that's okay, but at that point, you might as well be listening to a cd. The noise that comes out when you're on the same level as the crowd, smiling as you shout. Fuck, man. That's how music is intended to make you feel.

Glamourous Indie Rock and Roll is All We Want?

2009-02-03T22:36:00.006-05:00

Supposedly, Brandon Flowers isn't the only one with cravings for indie music. Whether it be "experimental", "chill", or "pop" indie, there has been an explosion of new listeners. This can be credited to a few things. 1, everyone is tired of rap about dancing and grinding on your hoe. 2, who doesn't want to be a hipster. And finally 3, the internet. The internet is clearly the biggest reason why indie bands have been able to make it. With the ability to torrent, download, blog, and "scrobble", indie bands have been able to develop a fan base far beyond their local areas. Bands such as Vampire Weekend and Feist were popular topics of blogs and through that exposure were able to succeed. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah can also credit the large success of their first album to blogging. Last.fm has also had an extremely large impact on music. If you take 5 minutes to start an account, plus about a week of intense iTunes listening, you will be exposed to plenty of bands that you would love, yet never knew existed. The technology that Last.fm uses, as well as Pandora Radio, is allowing bands to get larger fan bases and more success.

This doesn't just apply to newer bands, although. This explosion of music blogs and increased indie exposure has also helped older bands, such as Neutral Milk Hotel, to get exposure they never got when they were playing the nineties. For bands like NMH, it was difficult to consolidate a fan base because they weren't a Billboard 100 band. Without blogging and a solid file downloading system, their music was never able to launch as far as it would have if they were playing now.The internet has allowed Neutral Milk Hotel's music to live on long after they have stopped playing, and have given them a name as an extremely talented indie band.

With the internet being a great medium for getting music, it seems as if indie music has a large pedestal for indie music to sit on. As it continues to get bigger, we can finally see indie hit more mainstream. Bands such as Vampire Weekend, MGMT , Passion Pit, and Chester French will be able to get much more exposure and fame due to their distinct, yet poppish sound. Although these bands have clear pop roots, they experiment and do different things that give them a completely different sound than all of the Fall Out Boy's and All American Rejects.

So as we continue to bask in the glory that is indie music, we give our thanks to the internet. Without downloading, myspace, and other blogs, what would indie music be now?

Super Bowl < The Office

2009-02-03T18:56:00.009-05:00

Like the majority of my fellow Americans, I could not wait for this past Sunday (February 1st). Unlike most of them, however, I could not care less about sweaty, large men running around tackling eachother. As I sat with my family, eating pizza and watching the Super Bowl, all that was on my mind was what would come after the annual game. As 10:30 PM rolled around, I rushed to my TV and turned to NBC, overjoyed that The Office was finally on.

The Office, which is usually on every Thursday night on NBC at 8:00, is arguably the funniest show on TV at the moment. The writers have yet to create an episode that I dislike. The characters, unlike those of most modern TV shows, are loved for their sometimes strange and somewhat unlovable characteristics. There are no unrealistically thin & blonde girls with perfect fashion sense, no gorgeous Abercrombie&Fitch model-looking boys. The characters of The Office hardly ever say the right thing or look notably good. They do, however, present an unusual yet very real & natural charm that keeps the viewers laughing.

After seeing the hysterical commercial for this past Sunday's episode, I just couldn't wait to watch. I wondered, however, if the writers, directors, and actors could once again live up to the extremely high expectations I had. I worried that maybe they would run out of good jokes, or that the plot would be stupid.

My worries proved to be completely unnecessary. Once again, the team of The Office had me laughing through the entire 1-hour special episode. This episode, titled "Stress Relief", may have been one of the funniest and best episodes in the show's history, which almost never happens in a TV show's 5th season.

There were many different subplots to this episode. It opened with Dwight; the cocky, socially awkward, gullible, and lovable top sales man (and, as he so often points out, "assistant reigonal manager"), setting the office on fire to prove to his coworkers that they are not prepared for a "real" emergency. This ended with Stanley (the quite, stubborn, token black guy) on the floor having a heart attack. Of course, this was the perfect oppourtunity for Michael (the immature boss with no self-awareness who loves both himself and his job, played by the hysterical Steve Carell) to yet again prove how rediculous he is by saying (in an attempt to revive Stanley): "Stanley you will not die! Stanley! Stanley, Barack is president! You are BLACK, Stanley!"

It was all uphill from there. Michael attempts to de-stress the office in order to prevent a similar situation from reoccuring (in his words: "Nobody should have to go to work thinking, oh this is the place that I might die today. That's what a hospital is for. An office, is for not dying. An office is a place to... live life to the fullest. To the max. To... an office is a place where dreams come true."), which makes him realize that he is, infact, the one causing the stress. It is because of this that Michael organizes a Roast, which will bring everyone together to publicly bash him and, therefore, relieving the stress he is causing. He does not anticipate that his workers will have many things to say about him that would be better left unsaid. After a truly harsh bashing of Michael Scott (I must admit, it was very upsetting to watch), Michael goes off to contemplate his life and his problems on a playground. This saga ends with uplifting laughter among everyone at the office when Michael returns to the office and attempts to harshly roast his workers (epic fail).

While all this is going on, there is also the storyline of Jim and Pam, the best-friends-turned-lovers. Now engaged, they had yet to experience real problems in their relationship (aside from the insane sexual tension and obvious love connection confusion pre-lovers phase). But in this episode, Pam's parents are facing mariage troubles and, after talking to Jim, Pam's father tells his wife that he is moving out. Pam is convinced that Jim said something to her father that made him want to leave her mother. Turns out, she was right. "He (Pam's father) said that you (Jim) told him how much you love me (Pam). About how you feel when I walk in a room. And about, how you've never doubted for a second that I'm the woman you wanna spend the rest of your life with. I guess he had never felt that with my mom even at their best." CUTEST PAM-JIM MOMENT EVER. God, I love them.

So in conclusion, this episode was filled with fire, stress, singing and dancing to "Staying Alive", meditation, romance, a CPR dummie with no arms or legs, a new version of the song "What I Like About You", disses towards Michael, hysterical moments and a happy ending. AND to top it all off, there were cameo appearances made by Jack Black and Jessica Alba. It just doesn't get much better than that. Actually, knowing The Office, it just might get better than that.

I love the 90s! Part I

2009-01-31T13:17:00.012-05:00

Being a junior in high school, I don't find myself often turning to Cartoon Network for my television entertainment. However, whenever I am flipping through the channels and Courage the Cowardly Dog is on, I watch. Although this show scared the bejesus out of me when I was a kid, I have grown to have a deep appreciation for the show. If you are unaware of the plot behind the show, maybe I should start with this...

We interrupt this program to bring you... the Courage the Cowardly Dog show, starring Courage the Cowardly Dog! Abandoned as a pup, he was found by Muriel, who lives in the middle of Nowhere with her husband, Eustace Bagge. But creepy stuff happens in Nowhere... it's up to Courage to save his new home!

My love for the show starts with the animation of the show. For example, the screams in the show are priceless. Courage's flailing arms and hole ridden teeth make my day. Another reason to love this show, is because you each episode has two mini episodes. Courage saves the day TWICE, every show. Then of course there are the villeins... like honestly where else can you see a fusia dog fight EGGPLANTS? Villeins include: Katz, Le Quack, The Snowman (aka S'man [??]), Freaky Fred (who has a compulsion to shave everyone's heads), and The Chicken from Outer Space (who sucks off people's heads with a plunger). Each villein is truely unique and convicingly evil.

Time and time again, i fall for Courage, his cowardice, and determination.

Courage: The things I do for love!

Just Dance?

2009-01-29T21:19:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow night, 150 teenagers will endure a typical yet sometimes painful experience. I of course speak of the school dance. You pay 15 bucks to gain entry into the exclusive scene that is DJ'd by "DJ Gary" (his real DJ name...sweet). What you see is many things. Awkward freshman guys huddled in one corner of the dance floor talking and sort of rocking their bodies side to side. Then we have the sophomore girls who drank 2 shots of vodka before the event and are out of their mind, jumping across the dance floor and screaming when the song "Buy You A Drank" by T-Pain comes on. Then you have the juniors who don't really want to be there, but truly had nothing better to do, and sit at the tables and make jokes about the underclassmen. The seniors do not come, except for the ones who organize the event, bring a couple of friends, and dance pretty weirdly on the dance floor. On this night, one will hear more Billboard Top 100 songs than one would want to, including six Rihanna songs, four T-Pain, DJ Gary's attempt top mix "Love Lockdown" with a catchy techno beat to make it danceable, and of course the infamous "Last Dance". I am not sure if it is possible to make this night anymore corny than it already is. But there is always hope. You always pray for that teacher who might decide to bust a move on the dance floor, their prime already past, and make a complete fool out of themself. Or perhaps the freshman guy, thinking that he is in highschool and fucking amazing, trying to spit some game on some sophomore girls, only to get shutdown and feel pain he has never felt in his life. These are moment that observers such as myself cherish forever. For me, the Winter Formal will be about watching. I will put my semi formal wear on, but not for nothing. School dances are memories I will hold forever, with laughs and moments that I will never get over. Ever.

Bring Back Straight to DVD Disney Movies!!!

2009-01-23T18:13:00.004-05:00

What the hell. When I look back onto my childhood, I just think, "how would I have gotten by without random Casper or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies?" My childhood was so defined by these movies, whether I was on a 5 hour car trip, or waiting for my dad to finish up at work, I knew that a sick episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was awaiting me. Without straight to video movies, who knows where I would be. I am personally insulted by Disney's move to take away sequels to classic movies, such as Cinderella and Snow White. What are the kids going to watch? Without these movies, there is nothing. Disney movies were depended on by most parents to keep their child entertained while they did whatever they had to do. I know I'm not raising my child on High School Musical. I need a movie that is so shitty, that it will have no influence on them. I want my child to hate movies so much by the time he or she hits 5, that instead of staying up and watching T.V., they will hit the books. I realized that at a young age, I was so used to lying on my couch and watching $1.99 movies (and we had a lot), I kept the habit by watching Wayans Brothers and Friends by the age of 12. But god damn, I can't have my kid watching any of the crap thats on T.V. today, so what is a person to do? If Disney brought back the sequels and prequels, my kid would be chilling with "The Little Mermaid: Ariels Begingings". If my child watches good television, such as Made, Lost, and Room Raiders, I'm dealing with a college drop out.

Conclusion: Disney movies raise graduation rates. Tell Barack.

Warning: New Cult Forming

2009-01-21T20:06:00.009-05:00

Well, its not so new. The craziness that is "Lost" is sweeping over America like a epidemic. Every high schooler and their mother is watching this show, and all I ask is...why? After watching the first couple of episodes, I was convinced I was watching the stupidest show ever. Polar bears on a tropical island, smoke that eats people, and other bullshit that seems to pop up on that show just doesn't phase me. Maybe I have the wrong attitude. Maybe I need to open my mind up to the possibilities. I understand that to many this show is good, but I could never imagine myself obsessing over this show. I just don't understand...

Oh my God, LOST IS BACK TONIGHT!!! FUCK YEAH!!!

I don't need that.

I like to think I watch pretty practical TV. Obviously nothing on TV is practical, but I watch shows that don't make Lord of the Rings look normal. I'm down with "House" and "The Office". Those are the only two shows I watch, besides the occasional "Colbert Report" at 2am. I really have tried watching "Lost", but I just can't sit down without thinking "what am I doing here?" But "Lost" has made me think, what would happen if I survived a plane crash. Obviously that's a miracle, and if I survived, there's no way anyone else would. It's a plane crash. Numbers of people don't just survive those. But anyway, what would I bring? The necessities.

1. A woman. If I'm on an island for the rest of my life, I'm gonna need to start a little family, perhaps a whole new civilization. But wait a second. How would she survive the plane crash? How do 20 people survive a plane crash? It escapes me.

2. Metal detector. If I'm living on the beach, I'm looking for some valuables. I figure on an island where polar bears roam free, I can find a pearl necklace.

3. Time travel device. Oh wait, nevermind. The island somehow is alive, and skips time for me. Thanks, island.

4. Season one of "Flight of the Conchords". If I were to be killed by human eating smoke, I'd want to go to "You're So Beautiful"

Michelle Obama: Fashion Icon? or Fashion SHM-icon?

2009-01-20T22:09:00.008-05:00

Now I am by no means a political person, but today I felt proud to be an american (woo freedom fries) when I watched the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States. But something had been puzzleing me since the night of the election... what was Michelle wearing and why was she suddenly worshiped as a fashion icon? To me, I do not see the difference in Michelle's public dress than oh say Laura Bush's. A first lady is meant to be polished and classy. But does Michelle's choice of dress make her a Fashion ICON? I think that's stretching it a bit folks.
As I listened to the news reports today I was shocked to see her compared to Jackie Kennedy. JACKIE KENNEDY? No, just no. DID YOU SEE Michelle's ALL GOLD ensemble today? Clearly we are not seeing the same thing. I don't care if the designer is some independent non American chick from new york who shares part of my name. The dress is not cute and until you get some better fashion advice you will be no Jackie Kennedy in my book. Sorry Michelle.

I JUST HAVE THE BIGGEST GRIN ON MY FACE!

2009-01-20T21:27:00.005-05:00

This kid blows my fucking mind. His words are magical. This is a child with insight that cannot be given by any pundit, anchorman, or expert. Some call youtube user Pruane2Forever (anyone with a username like that is the man) God's son. I just like to think of him as an enlightened fellow. Although his following is short in numbers, they surely are not short in love. Many came to his defense when comments were made regarding his beauty, voice, or citizenship. Some said "get a life", others said "get laid", but he kept going. He kept believing. For that, I admire him.

Pruane2Forever, who holds such wisdom and love, made me think. How much do people love Obama? Do people think he is going to save the world? Many people view his time as a time of change, as well as a new path for America. How much can one man do though? Its not George Bush who got us into this whole economic crisis, but fuck, he helped. So as we walk into a time change and hope, we must also realize that he is only one man, and that it takes more than the president to change the country. It starts with everyone doing their part. Barack Obama isn't going to save the world by himself.

Pruane2Forever is a mentor today. His love for Obama and his hatred for "that old piece of shit McCain and that bitch Palin" really hit home. Hopefully, by sharing his message of peace and love to you all, his words will enter your heart similar to the way they entered mine.

i would do zach condon.

2009-01-20T21:00:00.006-05:00

It's true, folks. Zach Condon is the sexiest trumpet-ukulele-accordion player of all time. Lead singer of the band "Beirut", Zach first tried the ukulele out when he realized that his wrist injury would prevent him from reaching around the neck of a guitar (that's right, straight off of Wikipedia.org. Embrace it. Wikipedia is your friend.) But seriously, this guy's voice will redefine orgasm for you. If I were a guy, I'd go gay for this man. No but seriously. Zach dropped out of high school at 16, adding to the "leather jacket-i-still-live-in-my-mom's-basement-but-can-still-bring-sexy-back" sexyness. Furthering his cool, he studied Portuguese and photography when he returned to college.

This guy's lyrics and song titles revolve, for the most part, around some kind of foreign country or language sorta thing, which would make sense since he traveled so much as a teenager (Nantes being in France, Italy being...Italy, Gulag Orkestar not being in English, etc).
With a couple of shows coming up in New York, an album coming out this February of 09, and a more recent album ("Gulag Orkestar") already released, I suggest you get on that shit.
If this hasn't convinced you that this guy is musical and sexi..al brilliance, I'm sure a couple of downloads will. Ch-ch-ch-check it.

Beirut- Elephant Gun
Beirut- Nantes
Beirut- Postcards from Italy
Beirut- The Gulag Orkestar
Beirut- After the Curtain

hope you guys agree, cause i'm not quite down for losing faith in the human race.
have a lovely night.
always,
the dizmaisquids/get that tricycle team.

we care.

2009-01-02T20:29:00.004-05:00

and this is your proof.
here's a decent soundtrack for all you party-goers (compliments of Brett Allen, be sure to get the correct remix) and a notification that we're alive. have a great night, kids.

1. santogold- LES Artists (graham zilla remix)
2. santogold- Get It Up (Radioclit mix ft. MIA & Gorilla Zoe)
3. santogold LES Artists (Left/Right Remix)
4. estelle- American boy (danger remix)
5. foals- hummer(passions remix)
6. klaxons- golden skans (sebastiAn version 1.2.0 remix)
7. mgmt- electric feel (justice remix)
8. digital mystikz- haunted
9. geeneus- you know me
10. mia- paper planes (LAZRtag Remix)
11. bloc party- banquet (boys Noize remix)
12. bloc party- hunting for witches (crystal castles remix)
13. electro rockerz- electro rockerz- beyonce & shakira- beautiful liar (electro rockers remix)
14. kanye west- love lockdown (clockwork remix)
15. mia- bucky done gone tenzin remix
16. mstrkrft- wolfmother- woman

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

2008-10-30T11:05:00.003-04:00

Check it out...Looks like a good movie. Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Justin Long, the black dude from Pineapple Express, and Superman make up the cast of this movie. I don't think Elizabeth Banks is all that attractive, but she has been in some decent movies. This film, directed by the one and only Kevin Smith, famous for the Clerks series, looks to be a promising comedy. Seth Rogen can be called todays comedy king for performances in Knocked Up, Superbad, Pineapple Express, and 40 Year Old Virgin.

Comment if you like it.

5 Steps to be a Joe Six Pack

2008-10-28T08:24:00.004-04:00

All right, so you want to be a Joe Six Pack? Awesome, you've come to the right place. Here are 5 steps to becoming the main focus of this years election.

1. You are going to be needing a blue collar job. Whether that be a plumber, electrician, or auto worker, you have to be good with your hands. If you are a spaz, please leave. If you have less than 10 fingers, please stay. The more battle scars, the better. This business is all about being a total bad ass.

2. No college education. You aren't going to Harvard for one of these jobs! We are going to be needing to go to a specialty school that you see on commercials during "Maury" and "Jerry Springer". The more locations it has around the country, the better. If it's over the internet, thats a plus.

3. You are going to be needing to be chugging a six pack of broskis (beers) about every day. After a long day of plumbing, you are going to unwind at the bar, possibly cheat on your wife, get completely wasted, and possibly beat your kids when you stumble home.

4. Body odor (BO) is optional. If you got a pretty successful buisness going, you will be needing to shower about every three days. If you make less than 250,000, I am sure you can afford to shower only once a week. Washing your hands is mandatory about every 3 hours, just so you don't die from working with some extremely hazardous chemicals.

5. Guns. You will need to hunt once a week, and hopefully you will be targeting some endangered species of wolves or something. Gun of choice? Uzi, or perhaps a semi automatic pistol. That's why we got them legalized, am I right? With an Uzi, you will be able to hunt down so many squirrels, you will be able to feed your 8 kids, wife, and the family you got on the side, for about 3 weeks. Talk about a great deal!

Note: Joe Six Pack, if you are reading this, we really do love you. It's all in good fun, and by no means do I really mean this. Much love.

Twilight Cult?

2008-10-25T18:59:00.000-04:00

A new cult that has been sweeping across the nation, stealing the hearts of pre and post pubescent girls across the country. Twilight. Yes, I said it. Twilight, the Stephenie Meyer #1 New York Times Bestseller. I hate to say it but I'm a part of this cult. At first I was embarrassed to admit it, now, I'm a proud Edward Cullen worshiper. (If you are a girl between the ages of 11-19, and you have read the first book, you know what it's like..) But I'm not here to convert you... yet... However, I will tell you that next month, the film version of it comes out. I checked out the playlist, and although I am not a huge Paramore fan it's not too bad. At first I thought it was a little dark, but it totally fits with the film. I've been a fan of The Black Ghosts, Iron & Wine, Muse, and anything that Rob Pattinson (he plays Edward, photo to the left) does. However I was pleasantly surprized by this playlist. Give it a listen. (www.skreemr.com)

1. Muse — Supermassive Black Hole
2. Paramore — Decode
3. The Black Ghosts — Full Moon
4. Linkin Park — Leave Out All The Rest
5. MuteMath — Spotlight
6. Perry Farrell — Go All The Way (Into The Twilight)
7. Collective Soul — Tremble For My Beloved
8. Paramore — I Caught Myself
9. Blue Foundation — Eyes On Fire
10. Rob Pattinson — Never Think
11. Iron & Wine — Flightless Bird, American Mouth
12. Carter Burwell — Bella's Lullaby

Bloc Party: Intimacy Review + Two Jams

2008-10-24T22:08:00.004-04:00

John-o just came back to America from England. He will be here for a week. His party was actually out of control, and these songs I'm posting completely express how I feel, which is just crazy happy. MGMT, holla.

Intimacy was one of the worlds best kept secrets. Band frontman Okereke announced the albums release about a week before the release date. This was most likely done to avoid leaks. A Weekend in the City, Bloc Parties second full album release, was leaked to the public about five months before the release date. But this new album, Intimacy, fails to disappoint.

After the success of their last CD, A Weekend in the City, Bloc Party fans were expecting something special here. Older Bloc Party really had a wow factor that no other band had at that time. Essentially, Bloc Party about 3 years ago was to indie kids as MGMT is to hipsters today. It was just straight up cool to like Bloc Party. Intimacy combines the experimental sound of A Weekend in the City, and old school lyrics of Silent Alarm. Intimacy seems to pull everything out of the bag, from electronic sounds to trumpets. Okereke's vocals are truly sensational in this album. His emotional side is definitely shown on this album as it progresses. There is also more of a balance in this album. A Weekend in the City was simply too emotional at times, but Intimacy is balanced out nicely. This album is so original, and is something we are not used to from Bloc Party. But when do we ever get what we expect from Bloc Party? Bloc Party doesn't give us that wow factor we got in 2005 with Silent Alarm, but is definitely an album that will be blasted through car sub woofers.

Bump this:
MGMT - Kids (We Don't Care EP Version)
MGMT - The Youth (MMMatthias Remix)

Tricycles.

2008-10-23T19:56:00.000-04:00

Everyone's ridden one. Everyone loves them. It's the commuting vehicle of choice, but very few people actual realize just how important tricycle choice is. When you're at the tricycle store, with Joe the Tricycle Repairman/Salesman, Joe's gonna wanna try and give you the most expensive, least valuable tricycle he's got, because he just had a crazy night with Joe Six-Pack and Joe the Plumber watching SPORTS and has a bit of a hangover.

BUT DO NOT GIVE INTO HIS SHENANIGI.
You have to know how to inspect each and every tricycle you see for pedal quality, wheel ratio, and stability. If you're buying used, I warn you, feel the tires for warmth. If Joe is trying to screw you, it will feel a little warm. This probably means that he took it out for a spin before to warm it up, because there's something wrong with it, like a cracked head.

While buying custom tricycles are best, not everyone has the dedication to keep up with tricycle maintenance to keep it in tippity-top shape, so here is a list of some you should keep an eye on.

Radio Flyer Classic Tricycle. A good fall back, with strong base bars, and a good frame. Small resistance, although the pedal radius is a bit small. A nice red sheen for all you hot rodders out there, eh, Cooper?
Sesame Street Push Trike. Do not be deceived by the paint job on this bike. Elmo is really cool. I mean really cool. But your eyes are so distracted by the beauty of it that you don't notice the blatant wind resistance bar in the back. You won't get a point over 45 MPH with that in the way.

Big Wheel. The obvious destroyer of all competition. Laid back seat position for maximum luxury. Yellow and black highlights to let the other motherfuckers on the road know that you're the shit. The official back to front wheel ratio has been calculated by experts to be an exact 1:2.213. Max speed is 72 MPH. And you'll feel good.
By observing the reference picture, you'll notice that the child in the image is the coolest kid on his block. In fact, he can't even comprehend how cool he is, and how awesome the big wheel is. Notice the clenched teeth? His head's about to explode from the awesome that is the big wheel.

What's Up With That?!

2008-10-21T22:13:00.000-04:00

5. World Series. Holy shit. I'm not a huge sports guy, but I do enjoy SportsCenter every once an while. But I hate me some fucking baseball. But I guess if I ever had to root for a team, it would definetly be the Mets. I guess that comes with growing up 5 minutes outside of New York. One thing I love is a good underdog though. I was really hoping the Dodgers would do something. Phillies ruined my dream of the Mets winning, then the Dodgers winning. Wamp wamp.

4. Politics. Honestly, what do people expect out of a political debate from two teenagers? I think kids just argue about politics just to do it, because there is certainly no point. People come up to me and call Obama a socialist and a terrorist, and they don't even know what those two things are. So come on. You can like McCain because he helps your family out, and I will like Obama because he helps mine. Next time, someone is getting punched in the mouth. Really hard.

3. Max Payne. I torrented that movie, and I still felt like I wasted 10 bucks. That movie was just plain awful. Mark Wahlberg just isn't a hero. He's better as a guy with an Irish American accent screaming random words that no one cares about. That's my Mark Wahlberg. He's not good at fighting flying demon things. He's good at killing Matt Damon. Resident Evil was pretty bad, but this made it look like Lord of the Rings.

2. Kanye's new album. Look at a few posts down and you will know why. You have to rap, Kanye. Ever since "Stronger's" success, he has been a little too into the techno and auto tune. His first three albums were three of the best albums of the 21st century, so we don't have to end the run here. But I will give him this: he's a genius. I'm confident he can do great shit with 808s and Heartbreaks, but I guess I just don't want him to. Call me selfish.

1. I missed House. God I hate myself right now. "House" is the best show on television. Would you know Hugh Laurie is British without reading a biography? Nope. Sure, every episode has the exact same story line, medically. But the problems Dr. House runs into are weaved into the episodes masterfully. It's crazy how good this show is.

Cooper: the next Will Smith?

2008-10-21T21:58:00.000-04:00

Cooper's life story:

Now, this is a story all about how
Cooper's life got flipped-turned upside down
And Id like to take a minute
Just sit right there
I'll tell you how Cooper became the prince of a town called Bel Air

in west englewood, born and raised
on the playground is where he spent most of his days
chillin out, maxin, relaxin real cool
shootin some lacrosse balls outside dwight englewood school
when a couple of guys who were up to no good
started makin' trouble in his neighborhood
he got in one little fight and his mom got scared
she said "youre moving with your auntie and uncle to bel-aire"
i whistled for a b&w cab, and when it came near
the license plate said "fresh" and there was dice in the mirror
if anything he could say this cab is rare
But Cooper thought 'Now forget it' - 'Yo homes to Bel Air'

Cooper pulled up to the house about 7 or 8
And he yelled to the cabbie 'Yo homes smell ya later'
He looked at his kingdom
He was finally there
To sit on his throne as the Prince of Bel Air

A Brief Introduction

2008-10-20T20:45:00.000-04:00

It’s safe to say that we never had a legitimate and proper welcoming to this blog. We also have an absence of credit to the contributors that inspired Diz Mai Squidz. Thanks to www.popsense.com, C-Dawg got motivated to create one for us as well. But, who is “us”, you ask? I’ll tell you precisely, but brace yourselves for quite a background for a story.

Back in September, a group of us concluded that our lives would fail to continue if we didn’t make an attempt (at the very least) to see MGMT in New York. Thus, we resorted to Facebook to create a thread concerning everything about this concert and how we’d get there. Because we are virtually a group of retards, the name of the thread was “MGMT by Jared” (don’t ask). We from the MGMT by Jared thread discovered the magic that is “lolcats”. With the comical mixture of misspelling words laike suchz, and the inspiration of a blog analyzing pop culture, Diz Mai Squidz came about. Oh, and you can’t forget the moose. With that said, welcome to the Squidz.

UNDEROATH: Lost In The Sound Of Separation By John-o D

2008-10-20T15:35:00.000-04:00

UNDEROATH never lets us down!!! This is a sick album that is different from all their previous albums, yet it definitely sounds like the Underoath that we the fans have come accustomed to. "Lost In The Sound Of Separation" is a much harder, faster and darker album then Define and all other Underoath Albums have been. I give this album an A-. REASONS? One of the sickest things about underoath in my opinion is the drums, electronic breakdowns and of course Aaron's strong vocals. This album as a whole is not as strong as Define The Great Line yet it still stands as one of my favorite albums of the 21st century.

Song by song:

Breathing In A New Mentality: Exactly the kind of song to open an album with. It starts out with an affect on all instruments, including vox, as if it were being played with tiny speakers, followed by an awkward drum fill (which works) followed by an explosion!!! Not literally, but this song is fucking SICK!!!!

Anyone Can Dig A Hole But It Takes A Real Man To Call It Home: One distinctive portion of this song is just after the first verse/ into, all instruments cut out except a brutal guitar riff accompanied by the line "Oh How the Plot Thickens!" whilst Aaron throws in a fill that sounds like a gun be cocked. This song does take a little getting use to as at first, one might say its a little boring, but it really is a good song.

A Fault Line. A Fault Of Mine: This is where the album changes up from a fast beginning to a feeling of the guys really getting a grip on things and sort of slowing things down. The chorus is really catchy and is followed by an aggressive guitar throw followed by a quiet breakdown of sorts where it is just drums followed by guitar and then topped off with choir like vox that then turn the song back into an aggressive masterpiece.

Emergency Broadcast: The End Is Near: The album continues its decrease in speed and excitement whilst keep the aggression on high. This song reminds me of underoath meets the Cure. A mixture of delicate instrumentals playing dreary chords, with vocals that suggest anger. The Ending of this song stands out as one of my personal favorite parts of this album. Huge build up into a crash that leaves you hanging.

The Only Survivor Was Miraculously Unharmed: The album picks up in intensity once again. This is something that sounds like it would fit in either this album or define. Its catchy and angry meaning it something that underoath fans understand, and pop fans could learn to like.

We Are The Involuntary: Unfortunately one of the "samey" sounding songs on the album. The opening riff during the intro sounds too similar to that of the one in Desperate Times... I do love this song though, especially when they keep letting everything surrounding the drums fall apart and fade numerous times throughout the song. Aarons vocal part in this song is my favorite vocal part on the album. That aspect of the song almost sounds un-underoath (contradicting myself a little).

The Created Void: This song is able to blend sweet melodies with harsh vocals. This song is very syncopated. At one point in the song they change to 6 (which is sick) and it sort of feels like the song drags in between the drum fills. Really good song, it allows the album to stay interesting which makes you wanna listen to it even more.

Comming Down Is Calming Down: This song sounds almost like a punk song in the intro. Then theres an epic build up right before a sick ass portion right before the prechorus. Another song where they build up a huge amount of pressure. Only this time they don't really let things explode as much as i feel would really suit the song.

DESPERATE TIMES DESPERATE MEASURES: Seriously in my top 7 underoath songs! ENOUGH SAID! ITS FUCKING SICK!!!!

Too Bright To See Too Loud To Hear: This song starts out with a thick layer of ambience, really chilled out, then builds over time into a really inspiring piece of music. This songs is really anthemic and shows off the Christian side of Underoath. Still not anything coming to a church near you, but hey who knows.

Desolate Earth: The End Is Here: Certainly has an electro feel, reminds me a little bit of a catchier version of Salmarnir, nope never mind. This is an experimental Underoath song. Sounds more like Aphex Twin playing with an orchestra, that is until it picks up with an almost coldplay sounding outro (that is if coldplay ever screamed in their songs).

Deep Poetry?

2008-10-18T17:46:00.000-04:00

Hi there, I'm Isabella. I'll be posting here with c-nasty (cooper)...
while, cooper and i both share love for music, we also have a passion for deep poetry. Yes, I said it. Deep. Poetry. (Let it sink in for a moment..) So anyways.. I thought I'd share an excerpt from a poem from our deep poetry hdubs (homework, h-w, hdubs..)

Of Ontology
"The bruises are beautiful really: orchid plum, bordeaux.
We need them. These are the overlush flowers of blood we bid
float broken through our pale skins when talk of divorce gets
physical and drunk. And we need that talk--that pain
in the range of our comprehension...

...no wonder
we chose familar hurt..."

DEEP.

THINK ABOUT IT.