omg! M.I.A's actually on the US charts!

M.I.A. a possible chart topper? Maybe.I.Am
hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. You know that feeling that some people get when they discover an "underground" artist? And they think they're so cool because of it? Well, I kinda had that when i first listened to M.I.A's Arular. I thought I'd discovered a gem. A Sri Lankan motor mouth with a penchant for writing lyrics about sweaty sex and religion, often in the same line, and dribbling them over jungle rhythms and bongo beats. Not even the similiar sounding Santogold could topple her after the relase of her second album Kala. That album had a lot of gems, including the Bollywood inspired "Jimmy" and the crazy "Boyz". This song, censored or not, is the crowning glory. M.I.A usually doesn't give a damn whether her sound is mainstream or not but here, she accidentally stumbles into a catchy pop hook and a melody as undeniable as a newborn puppy. And it payed off. The song's hit the ground running, getting in at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 28 in Canada. It's not long before she sees herself in the top 10. And thank god. And finally. Please please knock that annoying "I Kissed A Girl" off the top. Crosses fingers. Here's the music video for this brilliant song about illegal immigrants. And whatever you do, do NOT look for the cover by Rihanna. You might be looking for hearing aids afterwards. My fair warning. Hazim. Out.

dido's got a new album coming out! can you say "finally"?

Dido's efforts to hail a cab in the rain turned fruitless
hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. Does anybody remember back in 2001, when Eminem and Dr. dre sampled Dido's "Thank You" for their own smash hit "Stan"? And then "Thank You" did better than "Stan" climbing to number 3 on the US and the UK charts?And then her debut album No Angel sold a whopping 13 million albums. And then her second album sold 8 million? And she had another big hit "White Flag"? And how she's been gone so long that her niche in the music world might have been taken over by the likes of Rachael Yamagata, KT Tunstall, and Jem?



Well, none of that soon. Cus they're all going to have to make way for the original (after Portishead, Kate Bush, and Sarah Mclachlan of course). She's coming out with a new album in November, with first single "Don't Believe In Love" being released to radios in September, the 16th to be exact. Let's hope the record label keeps to their word. The album's been delayed so many times. The long gestation time is probably due to the death of her father earlier this year.



She's been working with producer Brian Eno, who's famous for his work with Kanye West and Fiona Appl.e Although I liked her second album Life For Rent, it was a little too similiar to No Angel, just a little more polished. I'm hoping that she changes up her sound a bit though.



Anyways here are three videos, in my opinion, of Dido's three best music videos.Enjoy. Hazim. Out.



"Thank You"


"Don't Leave Home>




"Stan

3 days away to the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics: the whole pollution thing

hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. There has been a bevy of goodness this year from Lil Wayne's new album to The Dark Knight. Entertainment, the world, has spoiled us this year and with some exceptions (Eddie Murphy's latest flop of a movie and Madonna's Hard Candy), it's been really good so far. Now, with the Beijing Olympics coming up, I have a good reason (watching fit athletes duke it out) and an excuse (supposed patriotism) to just sit in front of the telly and just be a vegetable. Malaysia's sending a good number this year and yeah, I'll be rooting for them especially since the Chinese have always ruled the roost.
One big issue is pollution, as in the athletes don't want to go there cus they're all worried about pollution. The pollution index is at 87 so duh, they should be worried (although I do think some of the athletes are a bit prissy and need a wet towel slapped across their faces). The WHO's recommended index? 50. That's uh.......37 more than it should be! My math stinks...like Avril Lavigne on a good day. Most won't be affected though, not directly anyways. I mean, if they suddenly have unhealthy lungs, they're gonna shove their cigarettes away and point their index finger to the face of China. But marathon runners have been complaining badly about it and...I guess I feel bad for them. I'm a runner and avid jogger, and I hate hate HATE it when someone burns trash outside and the smoke reaches my nose and it throws me off focus. It sucks. But nevertheless, I think everyone should just stop whining and just enjoy the Olympics for what it is-a chance to see swimming suit clad babes up close. Or if you're gay, there's always Michael Phelps, I guess. Whatever floats your boat. Hazim. Out.

SOURCE: Bloomberg

Oh, and P.S. Here's a link to a video of a horrible Chinese singer. Just because. Just because. 'Insert smiley'
CLICK HERE

my friend's sad little birthday party

hazim and the new asymptotes

hey. hazim here...again. It's nighttime right now, and I just got back from something really weird. My friend. She has lots of friends. But it was her birthday today, and not a lot of people seemed to notice. Her boyfriend had asked me to cook a beef dip thingy which is about the only thing I can cook without setting the kitchen on fire. It was wrapped up nice and snug in Indian Chapatti bread. I thought I was cooking for 20 people, but when I brought the food from my college apartment, I found only 6, plus 2 cats. It was sad. Other friends had completely forgotten or were out shopping in the city. Fufufufu. I don't want friends to be like that towards ME. Forget my birthday and all. Anyways, although little, as in the number of shower-uppers, it was still nice to joke and eat and eat and eat and eat and...yeah. I'm full. But now that I think of it. These kinds of things can always be used as a way to find out who your real friends are. Right? Hazim. Out.

backtrack: annie-chewing gum (2004)

Annie-Chewing Gum

hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. I posted something about Mirah yesterday. Well. her voice sort of kinda reminds me of Annie. I really really dug her album Anniemal and the following album Dj Kicks. It was a bevy of electronica smash and Euro trance bits that kind of takes over like a maelstrom of blended genres in your eardrums, banging the tunes into your head 'til you can't even sleep without the song reverberating in your head. Yep, that was Anniemal, her debut album made after her hubby sadly passed away. Annie, the pop sprite from Norway, took over the dance charts and even got this song-the crowning glory of her debut- to appear on an episode of Grey's Anatomy. It's "Chewing Gum", and in it, she tells off herself, chewing and spitting out boys like bubblegum. The song, itself, is bubblegum pop so pure and obvious, a blind person could identify what genre it was. Too bad the Grammys always ignore artists like her. Who trusts them anymore? Especially after rewarding U2 with their undeserved Grammys for How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. And their repulsive love of all things John Mayer.

Anyways, and how. The video is simple, but sexy. Her dancing is HOT! You'd definitely be watching her in a club (besides the fact that she's already an acoomplished DJ). She's got a new album called Don't Stop due out later this year. Supposedly, Girls Aloud was supposed to help her out on a track called My Love Is Better, but that track will be appearing without their vocals on it. Wait...wait...wait..the next post will give more details about her upcoming album, yeah? Hazim. Out.

my connection is crawling like Star Jones on a treadmill

mhazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. I'm not going to be posting much today on account my connection speed today is extremely truly madly deeply slow. Like turtles swimming through spilled molasses. Like Air Asia flights. Like Star Jones on a treadmill! Hazim. Out.

there's this song i like: mirah-dreamboat

Mirah Needs A Bath Now!

hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. I was bored. Like, really unbelievably bored. I was making baked beans for my roommate. I NEVER cook for people. So that's how bored and unoccupied I was when I happened to come across this artist while surfing (being unbelievably bored). This artist...is not new. indie undergournd lovers probably know her already. But I didn't. And what's the harm in discovering her now, right?
Now, about this artist. Uh, she's Mirah. And uh, she's horny. Like, really extremely unusually horny. As in, her lyrics feature sex, sex , and sex. But that's just on the surface, but if you pay attention, there's bad love, love gone wrong, and a sad tinge. Anyways, she's got a new album, so Pitchfork Media was reviewing her so i decided to go and click on her because ya know I was bored and I needed something to do. The album's called The Old Days Feeling. And I've listened to a few songs. One, I particularly like. OK, so it's not 'particularly like'. More like it's because that's the only YouTube video with a song from the album that I could find. Haha. The song, however, is a nice appetizer for the real meat the album's got to offer. She's got her dirty lyrics down pat with sad laments trolling underneath the songs. Most of the time, it's in a cutesy voice though, kinda reminds me of Annie. The Chewing Gum Annie. But Mirah's definitely less electronic-y. And I'm going to find out more about her before posting anymore. For now, enjoy "Dreamboat". Because bored Hazim sure did...again and again. Plus, the song's really short anyways. Should take -4 seconds to load. How fantastic if you're busy. Junk food for bored people like me. I needs me some more music...NOW. Hazim. Out.

Mirah's Official Artist MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/coldcoldwater

i'm hungry.

hazim and the new asymptotes
hey.hazim here...again. I'm hungry. i just am. So I'm going to eat. NOW. lol. Hazim. Out.

can't log in to myspace...aaaarrrgh!!!!

hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. Today, something out of the ordinary happened. Something Mulder and Scully wouldn't be able to figure out. Something stranger than the Jonas Brothers' sexuality. I went to MySpace like I usually do and guess what? I couldn't log in. I have no idea why. I typed in my email and my password (which is...haha. Yeah, like I'm posting my password here) like I usually do and clicked the Log In button, and it led me back to the homepage as if I hadn't logged in yet, prompting me to type everything all over again. Thus, I, who was surprisingly patient at the tim,e typed my email and password an abysmal total of 10 times before blowing a raspberry to the computer monitor screen. I already emailed them about the problem so i hope they're fixing it soon. Cus if they don't, I'll be forced to while away my time on boring application filled filled Facebook. So 'aaaarrrgh!" I say. Fucking "Aaaarrrghh!". Hazim. Out.

b-b-b-b-back...i needs me some tea

Tea Is Sexy.
hazim and the new asymptotes

hey.hazim here...again. I just got back to college after an almost and almost illegal (haha...) two week hiatus. It was just me staying at home doing nothing for the whole time. It was quite fun actually. Just being lazy, not smelling good and not washing my hair which is something I get lazy to do sometimes. Anyways, since I've been away, I haven't been able to drink tea. yes, tea! A big LOL to that cus it's true! I miss drinking tea but I only drink it in college. I bought 2 big packets with teabags inside. It's my addiction.

I drink when I'm studying. I drink it watching the television. I drink it when I'm reading. It's like life support. So, then when I got back and looked into my stash of teabags I found out that it was empty. yeah....EMPTY! I couldn't believe it either when I reached my hands into the locker and found out there were no teabags left.



Asians are supposed to like drinking tea, right? It's the stereotype that fits me, while others (like Asians are smart or Asians play piano at 2 years old) are not.



I prefer the Boh tea from Cameron Highlands or the ones from Sri Lanka. Green tea sucks by the way. I heard it promotes cellulite. Yucks. This is becoming something like an unhealthy hobby for me right now. Haha.



So now I need me some tea. If I don't, I won't be sane. I'll blubber and walk like I've got a chainsaw stuck in my ass (not cool). Withdrawal sucks. Don't do drugs. I'm going to the store later. This is just a random thing my mind conjured up because being thirsty for tea is the only thing I'm thinking right now, really. Honestly. Hazim. Out.

eye for I (and other eye related puns to follow!). the story of my cornea transplant. pretend you care!

Eye and I.
hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. It's been almost three months since I've had a new cornea grafted onto my eye. It's called keratoplasty or a keratograft or a cornea transplant. I call it a second chance. I get nervous everyday that my body will reject the foreign tissue and I'll be forced to learn the piano in hopes of becoming the next Stevie Wonder. But I don't even know where the C note would be, let alone the W note (I know there's no such thing, but I didn't know that before!). Anyways, in December, I discovered I had keratoconnus, a disease (what a horrible ugly word) that causes your cornea to elongate into abonormal shapes, and morph (what a cool word) into a mountain peak. So glasses wouldn't help. You wouldnt believe how many times people told me I needed glasses. I'm not sure why this wasn't detected earlier, but whatever. My friend, Sharon, has the same disease, but hers is not so bad. She can wear contact lens to fix it. Hers is a hill, and mine are mountains. And no, I'm not talking about breast size. I'm talking about the peak of the cornea.

So, this disease, right? I had trouble seeing things properly. I could see. But it was blurry and the lights. Well, the lights throbbed in time with my heartbeat (ooh look at that stationary lamp Mom! It's moving!) and instead of seeing one point where the light comes from, it ends up scattered. Sucks. Depth perception sucks. Failed my driver's ed three times because of it. Ran into a lamp post at 10 pm at night because of it.

Anyways, I didn't have to wait long on the waiting list for a new cornea to arrive from the US of A. It came and I went for the surgery. it was uncomfortable lying there practically naked, my poor bare ass on an extremely cold steel table (which the nurses who didn't seem to like me probably imported from Antarctica especially for me), and me shivering like I swallowed a vibrator. But the surgery took just an hour and I was allowed to go home after a night in their even colder room.

So now, I'm allowed to go jogging and cycling. Two things I love. But I still can't go swimming. It should take one year for the eye to fully recover. Meanwhile I usually keep my right (your left) eye closed. It itches a lot sometimes. gets painful. But I have my medicine for that. There are risks of rejection to the new tissue, but I'm crossing my fingers. I'm going for riboflavin cross-linking treatment for the other eye cus it's not as severe. I might sign up for the organ donor thing so when I pass away (like die, like really really friggin die!) someone else can have my organs. Nobody wants my penis though, right?

I'm thankful. Sometimes I get pissed off. Like, why can't I have vision like other people? Why can't I see and they can? But then I coold down and count my blessings. I'm not blind...yet. I've still got a chance for good vision while my eye is recovering and I'm waiting to go for treatment for the other eye. While the doctor (whom is an opthamologist and loves Ironman by the way) says I won't reach 20/20 version. I'll be really thankful when I can actually see 4 feet in front of me. And if it fails? I'll get another transplant (Don't you just looove insurance coverage?). Meanwhile, I might take up piano lessons...kidding. I'm gonna play the steel drum. Haha. Hazim. Out.

For more information on keratoconnus, click here:http://www.supervisioncenter.com/keratoconus.htm
For more information on how you can help the cause, click here: http://www.supervisioncenter.com/keratoconus.htm
For more information on organ and tissue donations, click here: http://www.restoresight.org/general/faqs.htm
For more information on Stevie Wonder, click above where it says Stevie Wonder! Sure, its just a Wikipedia article but there's a percentage of credibility in there somewhere, right?

there's this song i like: wiretree-big coat

Wiretree-Big Coat

hazim & the asymptotes
hey hazim here...again. I'm a big power pop lover. I like my songs adorned with a chorus catchier than Asian Bird Flu. But I also like and appreciate cleverly written lyrics. Now, this song by Wiretree is perfect for me! I love love love it! I love the chorus bit! I love the 'du-du-du-dups' at the end! I love the voice! I love the background music cus it's so lush and evocative! This is probably my favorite song right now and it's been for so many months now. They're like shoegazer pop with a Radiohead glaze. I'd definitely suggest (have done already actually) this to my pop-loving friends. The album is called Bouldin. And I'll post a review of it later. Kevin Peroni goes on like a chirpier Elliott Smith. Now, here's the catch...he's the only guy in the band! That's right! The sound is like a full orchestra but there's one man behind it. Anyways, here's a video with the song attached so you can listen to it. I heart this song and I really suggest you get the album. Another brilliant song is "Feel Me",but for now, here's "Big Coat". Enjoy. Hazim. Out.

the joker

hazim & the asymptotes
hey hazim here...again. I just came back from watching batman, err...I mean The Dark Knight for the THIRD time! It was still great and it still had me on the edge of my seat, mainly because the music accompanying it makes it so that you might know what's going to happen next, but not when, so when it does come, it's a big surprise like dum...dum....dum...BOOoOm!!!

Hahaha...anyways, I thought that Christian Bale was brilliantas moody, dark, and contemplative. This Batman trumps all the past Batmans, especially the one which had that really weird kinky suit with a special compartment for his nipples.

Harvey Dent was great. Surprised me that I liked the character so much. We need more of him. Morgan Freeman was good, the usual. So was the butler dude.

But...the REAL amazing performance that totally blew me away, leaving an imprint on me after I left the cinemas was...Heath Ledger's incredible Joker. The Joker's one of the most badass villains in the comic book world, even though for me, DC Comics are a bit...meh. I'll always be a Marvel Man. But as a direct opposite to Jack Nicholson's kooky version some years back, he brought out the dark sadistic, really really really really evil side of the Joker. And I really mean the sadistic part. Blowing up a hospital. Carving people's faces. Attempts to coax people to blow up each other on ferries. Like, wow.

This is all me talking about Heath's performance without being influenced by the fact that he's sadly passed away. Dead or not, this performance was king. I'd say it ranks in line with Hellboy 2 or this year's top movies so far. Both are comic book movies. One is funny, the other thought-provokingly dark.

If Heath was still alive, I'd petition they do a spin-off movie on the Joker. There aren't many movies on villains ya know...and no one wants to see a movie of Venom (supposedly coming out). If he does get an Oscar nomination,not because he's gone, but because he milked thehell out of acharacter and took it to another level. Hazim.Out.

american idol: top 6 perform (a carly comeback)

Hey. Hazim Here...again. I don't normally watch American Idol, but...I mean, I started to at first, but, this season is so boring. Most of the contestants in the top 12 have already had musical careers (albeit failed ones) prior to being on the show. And it kinda spoils the mood for me seeing them pretend to be unknowns. I still update myself every week, but less enthusiastically, like whenever Brooke White takes the stage, I go to the kitchen and whip up some instant noodles. Anyways...despite my apprehensiveness, I did watch it...on YouTube. As in, I watched the individual performances. The top six took on songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber, and so...here's my two cents on their performance.

SYESHA MARCADO: 7/10

Wow. She's bubbly, energetic, and spunky. Better than last week. She sang "One Rock And Roll Too Many". She's better this way. less diva. More dynamite.

JASON CASTRO:2/10

Yikes. Just...yikes. He sang "Memory" like he had needles in his ass. Uncomfortable.

BROOKE WHITE: 2/10

Yikes. part two. She hd to restart her song. She sounded nervous. I liked her in the beginning (her cover of "You're So vain" was awesomeness), but she's becoming paler than she already is. Fading. Fast.

DAVID ARCHULETA: 5/10

Good. Not great. It's weird. Adorable on the outside, but I kinda see an evil robot glint in his eyes (don't you?). His version of "Think of Me".was like what Simon said...pleasant but forgettable.

CARLY SMITHSON: 8/10

Sang "Jesus Christ Superstar". And she SANG it! Kinda shouted it, but I loved it. hated her in the beginning because of the bad publicity and her desperation. But she's an underdog now. And I like underdogs.

P.S Her outfit was cool.

DAVID COOK: 7/10

Pretty good. Not as Daughtry-ish this time around. And thank god. He doesn't look as ego-tistic as usual. "the Music Of The Night" was, in my opinion, a good song choice for him. He coulda done "Don't Cry For Me Argentina". How awesome could that have been?!?

So, uh, props to Carly and David (Daughtry David, not Astro Boy David). I think Brooke will be out. That's all. Hazim. Out.

junk food: i keep playing x men legends 2

Hey. Hazim Here...again.

ONE: I'm crossing my fingers for X Men Legends 3 to come out, because I keep playing X men Legends 2 again and again and again. It's addictive. It's like "OMG. I get to control the Juggernaut!" click here

TWO: i'm still waiting for my cornea transplant for my keratoconus click here

THREE: this is stupid, but it's cute. a singing hamster? come on! who doesn't love that? click here

FOUR: i loved the movie Crash, but Sandra Bullock didn't have to take it literally. click here

album reviewed: ashlee simpson//bittersweet world

GRADE:OOOO
Hey. Hazim Here...again. Her last two albums sucked...hard. I was never a fan of her nasally vocal delivery or her 'woe-is-moi' attitude. Here, the emo-ness is stillpresent, but very much downplayed, making Bittersweet World her best and only good album to date.
WHAT'S GOOD: You can slap all kinds of labels on Jessica's younger sister. Trashy pop tart. Nose job junkie. Whiny ungrateful millionaire. All these would be spot on. It's the shameless negative attributes that draws people to reading about her latest exploits in the tabloids. Here, instead of trying to pretend she's normal 'just-like-us', she cranks up the trashiness we all know she exudes. And by doing that, this album excels. Timbalnd and Pharell do great work on her. Like plastic surgeons, they alter the outside, but the inside's still the same. The new wavey first single "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)" sees her crank and snap at haters with a pouty lip. It's annoying, but it's catchy. Like the rest of the album, you can hate her but you can't get her out of your head, especially when she cops Gwen so evenly on the reggae-infected "Ragdoll" or the shallow nonsensical "Murder" in which she demands that you get a monkey off her back (?).
WHAT'S NOT SO GOOD: Ashlee never had a voice for proper singing, so when she tries too hard on ballads, you sorta cringe listening to her struggle even through synthesizers and Pro-Tools. Maybe her Gwen-copping addiction led her to try and reinvent Gwen Stefani's sweeping masterpiece of a ballad "Early Winter", through her own "Never Dream Alone", but unsurprisingly, she falters.
GRADE:A-. True, she has an identity crisis, trying to mask the emptyness with different personas. But when that emptyness gets the spotlight (the loping sytnh-embedded "Boys"), her superstar only-money-can-buy producers make sure they fill it with 80s pop vibe goodness. Bittersweet World is really just junk food, but at its best, it's actually really good junk food.
SONG YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO: "Boys", "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)"
ARTIST WEBSITE:http://www.ashleesimpsonmusic.com