snark! i heart los campesinos!

SONG: "We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed"
ARTIST: Los Campesinos!
RATING: OOO1/2
hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. Fuzzy wuzzy Los Campesinos! are back with their scuzzy buzzy guitar rock! They weren't gone for very long. The friendliest guitars this side of the galaxy get all jumbled up on their new album. If you want to call it that. Cus it's really really really short. But I like this song.
"He says he got his teeth fixed! I'm gonna break them!"
Haha. Love the snark. Love the bleeping siren thing going on in the background. Again. Love the snark!
They don't have the most unique sound out there, which will be dangerous for their life span. They'll need to work harder to maintain the pretty solid fan base they have now. The music's bright but the anit-romance lyrics scream louder. And scream it the band does. Wish I could see them live. Yeah, so get their new album. Cus it only took two weeks to make this album. It FEELS fast and furious but not rushed in the sense that they were doing it just to do it. But that they had so many ideas and wanted to get them out before they dissipated. Yeah? So get "We Are Doomed. We Are Beautiful". This song, the title track is one of my faves. it's on my MySpace profile page. The scruffiness. The negativity is positively charming. There's a reason why they have an exclamation mark at the end of their name...Hazim. Out.

the best song on the killers' terrible new album!

SONG: "Spaceman"

ARTIST: The Killers
RATING: OOOO

hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. The Killers have released their third studio album led by confusing single "Human". Many say it's a continuation of the brilliant and ambitious Sam's Town. Many also agree that it's really really bad. Brandon Flowers doesn't seem so confident in his music videos (check the music video for "Human" and the band seem lost with no artistic direction). They are, no doubt, talented. No other band could come up with the brilliance that is "Mr.Brightside" and even Hot Fuss was totally sparkling. More sparkling than their disco glitter ball rock concept album, Day & Age.
But Human is ridiculous. For me, at least, it's like an old man waking up from a coma. The lyrics? Meh. "Are we human or are we dancers?". Yes, that's very thought provoking...
That's the problem. Las Vegas cheesiness creeps into the cracks of most of their new set, but where this provided interesting muses last time. This time, they're affecting the nauseating way too literal lyrics.
But despite that, there ARE bright moments. Bright promising moments that live up to Flowers' Kanye sized boasting. Take "Spaceman" a ditty about alien abduction. There's no desperate attempt to sound smart or epic. There's no wrestling clumsy lyrics for credibility. There's just Flowers and the other dudes in his band showcasing what Day & Age could have been without the pompousness. Perfect piece of catchy new wave pop heaven. The rest of Day & Age can just rot in the desert outside the city of Las Vegas that this potentially Bono-fide awesome band came from. Hazim. Out.

hazim's totally most awesome albums of 2008!

hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. There are a LOT of new stuff (like albums and singles and movies) coming out at a fast rate. I don't know how to keep up with them all, really. Most of them are, of course, trying to cash in on the spending power of holiday-ers. Some do a rushed job (Beyonce's I Am...Sasha Fierce is as fierce as a one legged blind lamb) and some are awesome (Kanye West did a great job with his by the way), while some make you sigh and wish they would try harder because you're such a fanboy, you'd love anything by her, but you wish she'd just push the limit a little bit (Dido...sigh....just sigh....). So, this here, post, since it's already almost December, and my birthday's next week (that doesn't have anything to do with anything-just to remind you...hehe) is cus I'm bored. And I love listing things anyways (that's why I read Blender)...is about my picks for the totally most awesome 25 albums of 2008. I don't care really give a crap for credibility. I put Fujiya And Miyagi over Amadou and Mariam. And Lady Gaga's on the list. Soooo? I just love lists.

Wowee. Like I said, crap to credibility. I love this album. You should love it too, especially if you love pop at its shiniest. This is jittery jolting punk pop punctuated by Josephine's well placed chirping and yelping. But as happy as it sounds, negativity is prominent ("I don't want to walk my neighbor's dog and I don;t want to lend a cup of milk") and schizophrenics reign supreme. Sex is evident, and so is hate but for it to be mediated through such a chirpy joyful sounding album The Raveonettes would be envious of is just plain weird. And exciting. this is the kind of antsy restless music The Tings Tings have been trying to nail.
Beth Gibbons could make the "Happy Birthday" song sound depressing. In my opinion, even Kate Bush has nothing on her when it comes to dreary beautiful voices. Their hiatus left a crack in which the likes of Sarah McLachlan, Nina Persson, Dido, and Jem tried to crawl through, but nothing could fill the void. They were either too eager to please the charts (Jem..uhuh) or too unimaginative to do anything more than just sing (Dido...sigh). So, here it is. Portishead's return to form. Their first album in a very long time serves up more depression in the form of darkness ("Hunter"), bleakness ("Machine Gun") and more darkness (everything else here). Only the gentle "Deep Waters" offers a light of hope, but even that get consumed in the beautiful depression that is Third, Portishead's most accomplished most fully realized album to date.
Peter Brewis tones down the new wave and spit shines the acoustic on his concept album, one which is certainly much much much more ambitious and rewarding than the one his brother released earlier this year (that would be David Brewis' project School of Language). Vibraphones jab at the production as Peter disses wussies in swooping choruses ("Scratch The Surface") and you forget he ever had a brother.
While M.I.A was busy hitting the charts (her single "Paper Planes" managed to reach the top 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100), her buddy Santogold was busy chewing genres and kicking away boundaries herself, spitting out Tegan & Sara pop better than Tegan & Sara themselves (the catchy breathy "Lights Out") to independent stuttering anthems ("L.E.S Artistes"). Throughout it all, she retains her posture and pop sensibility, prouncing around like a lady too good for you. Where M.I.A lacks in melody and mainstream, Santogold delivers. Billboard Hot 100 sees you Santogold 2009!
Dance music can get really monotonous and repeptitive, especially when it comes to all the Euro trash that's floating about on the charts nowadays about half of them manage to make their way to the top 10 of the UK charts). Cut Copy make it an art, offering swooping moody music that leaves you wondering what to do-move your feet, or let it move YOU. There's the catchy addictive "Lights & Music" with a chorus that sounds ridiculous on paper but works wonders through Dan Whitord's knowing voice. "Hearts On Fire" has the cutest accompanying music video ever, and "Far Away" is just as far away and dreamy as the title suggests.
Sign of the Apocalypse: When superstar Beyonce's previously insignificant little sister whips up an album full of smart witty and fun that's heaps more enjoyable than anything Beyonce's released this year. That's the case here, where Solange ditches the bland R&B Aaliyah wannabe-ism of her debut and delves into her own wicked weirdness, hopping skotch on the catchy "Sandcastle Disco" and stomping heels on "I Decide". Vocally, she'll never top Big Sis, but lyrically, she's a hundred degrees stronger and her own honest quirky personality makes this all the more endearing.
Leaving the glitter ball behind and walking into the woods, Goldfrapp, led by the charismatic and awesome Alison Goldfrapp, have a go for a new sound. While Christina Aguilera is busy trying to catch up on the old sounds they used to make, she's left that behind in her Bjork-ian quest for weirdness. She finds it in Seventh Tree, its sound pure and relaxing. Like lying on an easy chair on the beach with a cool breeze sipping on a cool lemonade while watching the sun set. Lyrically, the darker sides of Goldfrapp are very much evident, but hidden under layers of lush guitars and sensuous piano, you hardly notice it at all.
You can only hope critical acclaim doesn't boggle Guy Garvey's mind, cus that might just ruin his band's future projects. Here though, on The Seldom Seen Kid, he lets go, immersing himself in his own growling ("Grounds For Divorce") and getting all dreamy and escapist-like on "Weather To Fly". The Mercury Prize might just turn them into Keane so enjoy this while you can.
Scotland has produced Franz Ferdinand and Shirley Manson. And now they've come up with Attic Lights, True, lyrically, it's a bit muddled, trying to figure out what they mean and what they're saying even. But these catchy pop songs show a lot of promise. Most might take it their country-pop-rock as cut copies of other bands' work from Blink 182 to even The Strokes, but for right now, I'll enjoy it as what it is, a solid album made by restless young people for restless young people.
The Decemberists have provided history of music before, but their way was a bit boring and preachy. Fleet Foxes present music of past generations in a much nicer enjoyable package, their self titled album. But even with all the instruments, the flutes, guitars, and drums, the most prominent remains Robin Pecknold's constantly shifting voice. From falsetto to deep, from spooky to dreamy, he's arguably the most important part of the band. Expect him to do a Gwen in 2010,yeah?


In which The Hold Steady get even more introspective an America-loving, led by Craig Finn. They retain their reputation as the critics' darling and hit the top 50 on the US albums charts.
In which a rerelease makes me look at an album by Liam Hayes with more interest and muse at his honesty and genuineness.
In which Shugo the real King Of Japanese pop, comes up with something, while not comparable to his past works, is just as beguiling with its chirpy tweaks and fluffy choruses about holidays.
In which a stupidly named band (The Dodos? seriously?) combine kick ass steady drumming with kick ass steady acoutsic guitar and Meric Long's kick ass vocal delivery into one big metal pop album Metallica should really try to copy one day. College kids with droopy spiky hair, look no further.
In which a previously unlikeable egotistical maniac sheds his hard exterior to show his vulnerable side. All that techno can't hide the heartbreak, Kanye. here's a tissue and your Grammy. Now boast, dammit, boast!
In which a snarky Swedish pop tart (not named Robyn) makes mock-ups of popular chart songs in her own experimental instrumental detailed ways- and hopefully send Robyn back to obscurity.

In which Santogold and Diplo team up to remix and rearrange their own work into something more wild and vibrant than ever thought possible.

In which a group of color coded obviously manufactured girls form a pop group and trundle over saggy representation from the Sugababes and Girls Aloud to become the new SugaLoud...or The Saturdays. Whichever. Noone asks me MY ideas for names for girl bands.
In which the princess of moody piano pop (forget Vanessa Carlton) splits her personality down into two CDs more successfully than Beyonce has done. One part smart, knowing, and mournful (Elephants), and the other, ferocious angry with teeth bared (Teeth Sinking Into Heart). Sasha Fierce.Take notes.
In which a bunch of outcasts produce urgent uncertain foot pounding gut wrenching guitar punk pop rock modelled after an angry Radiohead. Forget Trent Reznor. remember only Bradford Cox.
In which three Australian instrumentalists with not really nice voices manage to make a nice album with handclaps ("Pursue") and futuristic sounding perfection that is really pop in disguise (aren't most things like that?). Battles. Gawk.
In which English Electronic outfit get more detailed in their work, and less wordy to hit us with an album full of ridiculous rhymes (Knickerbocker with Lena Zavaroni) and even more ridiculous electronic soundscapes.
In which Mali gos global and M.I.A pales in comparison to two extremely gifted people-that's Amadou & Mariam-duh-who leave their ears and hearts out open to experiment and try new sounds from all over the globe. Results are nothing but exceptionally crafted masterpieces in an album full of nothing but highlights. World music has never sounded as refreshing and modern.
In which a random unknown names herself Lady Gaga as if she's already so huge as Madonna, and drowns herself in her own world dirty, sexy, money. And surfaces with an album more enjoyable and more hard hitting than Hard Candy will ever be.
In which an album with neither cats or French people try very very hard to be different bungling up traditional pop song structures for a beautiful mess of high pitched technology tweaked songs meant to soundtrack Muppets:Lost In Space 3.

new tracks up this week: britney loses her memory and kanye goes heartless

hhazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. I've downloaded a lump of songs this week and checked a few others on the internet. People send me links on forums and message boards recommending joints to me...and I decide whether I like them or not! My opinion matters to me. But I think I'm very fair. Unless I'm listening to a Jonas Brothers track. Then it's all death to Nick, Joe, and the other boy. So this time, we've got Kanye with a heartless bitch, Mudvayne being Nickelback, Telekinesis and marine biology, love is all gossiping, and Miss Britney with a pretty solid track.

SONG: "Do What You Do"

ARTIST: Mudvayne

RATING: OO1/2
Mudvayne aren't pop. I usually just keep strictly pop, right? Well, because I DID think their album The End of All Things To Come had promise. That maybe they could move beyond their Nickelback sound and go the Against! Me route. But judging from gruff sound of their latest album and this single, apparently not. You can almost imagine Chad Kroeger's dreadlocks when you listen to it. Listen to it HERE

SONG: "Plankton"

ARTIST: Telekinesis

RATING: OOOO1/2
Michael Benjamin Lerner is still in the process of finishing up his debut album, but he's letting people have a sample of the kind of sound his record would project. Unless you have the Internet Media Grabber, the only place you can listen to "Plankton" is on his MySpace music profile page. I love this track. It's kind of like Coldplay I guess, different than his other songs, but his voice is richer than Chris Martin. And a lot less whiny. This is the song to play Nintendo Wii's Endless Ocean to. Except it's so short (a little over 2 minutes) so you'll have to play it again and again. Listen to it HERE

SONG: "Heartless"

ARTIST: Kanye West

RATING: OOOO
His ego may be his downfall yet. But this track, he second single off his upcoming 808 and Heartbreak is low key thrilling. "Love Lockdown" was great, but to minmal and it pushed his off key singing to the fore, whereas on this one, he actualy raps-the thing he's really good at. I never really warmed up to his last album, but this promises a more clever use of techno bleeps and sounds. Listen to it HERE

SONG: "Rumors"

ARTIST: Love Is All

RATING: OOO1/2
Swedish bands rule! The Hives and Love Is All. Off their fantastic super duper album A Hundred Things That Keep Me Up At Night. This song reminds me of what The Ting Tings could be like if they ditched trying for chart positions and just having fun instead. Great beat. And I'm sure the spelling is the British English "Rumours" but as we know, America trumps even in English. Haha...whatever. If The Raveonettes were still going at it full bore and didn't sound tired, they'd record "Rumors". Listen to it HERE
SONG: "Amnesia"

ARTIST: Britney Spears

RATING: OOOO
Miss Lifestyles of The ich and Famous has had a great comeback so far with a number one hit and three moonmen under her belt in less than three months. This should set the stage for a number one debut for her upcoming album Circus. Except...all the tracks have leaked. Yes. Whether purposely done by her label or an accident, most people who care enough would have probably already heard the whole damn thing. Plus all the bonus tracks. This includes "Amnesia" which has Lady Gaga's influence on it. It's a 50s throwback kind of song, the kind that while not vocally strong (hey, it's Britney) could have been sneaked off Christina Aguilera's Back To Basic's track listing. It's unlike anything else Britney's ever recorded before and most of the things on Circus as well. Except this won't actually BE on that album. Too bad then. Britney reels in her own ditsy persona here, curling words like Fergie and actually sounding like she's having fun. And too bad Circus has to sound like Britney, her third alum's twin in sound and mood. Like she's testing the waters again. Listen to it HERE

album reviewed: dido plays it safe...again..

ARTIST: Dido
ALBUM: Safe Trip Home
RATING: OOO
hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. I am a self confessed Dido fan who loved and loved and loved her last album Life For Rent and No Angel and I must admit for five years, the wait for her third major release ( her first album Odds and Ends) doesn't count. It was a mixtape thingy) has been long and grueling
WHAT'S GOOD: What separated Dido from her soft-voiced counterparts (namely Sarah McLachlan, Jem, KT Tunstall) was the backdrop her voice always snuggled up against her older brother's electronic production. Here, that electronic is almost absent. Rollo's had to make way for ambient producer Brian Eno with a multitude of guests ranging from a Fleetwood Mac member to Citizen Cope ("Burnin Love is the song and he apears towards the last half of it with his signature sit-on-the-couch-and-sing delivery). The ambiance does her flat voice good, especially when she's sprouting personal lines that could have been taken right out of her diary. The very personal "Grafton Street" and "The Day Before The Day" deal with the death of her father. "Don't Believe In Love" deals with her fear f intimacy And so on. The Bridget Jones Diary themes passing by like familiar dreams. This is her most personal work and it's more gratifying for it.
WHAT'S NOT SO GOOD: This album, despite the stunning production value courtesy of Brian Eno can only go so far. As personal as the lyrics are, you kind of wish she'd let some of that gut wrenching emotion into her whispery soft voice. Just imagine how incredible it'd sund. True, her voice is limited as heard on several songs where she tries to pull off a falsetto. But the deadpan Sheryl Crow delivery is a bit disappointing. Especially when there's no electronica or bleeps and buzzes to hide the flaw. This album has no killer sngle and Dido doesn't seem to mind (although her label is trying everything in their power to make it a success a la Life For Rent with their promotional stints with the I Phone and Nectar and 11 short films being filmed and lah blah blah, this album still comes in second on the charts behind a rerelease of Leona Lewis's debut on the charts). If this hits a million, I'll buy another physical copy of Safe Trip Home.
SOOOO0....: Dido does the same thing that she's known for. She's the queen of easy listening. Like Sade was back in her prime. But even Sade took a few creative leaps here and there. This isn't a bad album. The emotional and production layers peel away with repeated listens but on the surface, it's just another Dido affair. And naming it SAFE Trip Home doesn't help either. Neither does putting a tiny laughable astronaut on the cover. But I'm a Dido fan through and through and hopefully, this presents a new possible direction for her in the future.
THERE'S THIS SONG I LIKE: "Grafton Street" "The Day Before The Day" "Let's Do The Things We Normally Do"
ARTIST WEBSITE: Dido