sugababes sample k-doe, become girls aloud

SONG: "Girls"
ARTIST: Sugababes
RATING: OOOO
hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. More like a machine than a pop group, but one that pops out brilliant shimmery girl-empowering pop like trailer trash mamas pop out babies. Their line-up changes seem to do nothing to take away from the Sugababe perfect pop formula. Their lead singles are always the most chewy and addictive out of their albums. There was the forceful and gritty "Freak Like Me", the perky bouncy "Push The Button", the boyfriend bashing "Hole In The Head" and the power chorus-ed "About You Now", all of which reached number one on the UK charts. Now, after releasing an album just last year, comes a new single called "Girls" in which the blur between Sugababes and power pop robots becomes even more unnoticeable. The song's got an interpolation of Ernie K-Doe's "Here Comes The Girls" and well, it sounds like they're trying to recreate the gritty aura that their early hits "Freak Like Me" and "Round Round" had. But without Richard X, who helmed their earlier hits, has gone off to knock high heels with Girls Aloud, it sounds flatter and more messy. It's not a weak single though. In fact, it's one of the most unique songs the Sugababes have had. And that's saying something. It's just a bit too much like a flatter wanna-be version of a Girls Aloud song. Anyways, this is off their upcoming sixth album. That's right. Sixth. In eight years, that's just...mechanic. Enjoy. Hazim. Out.

ooh. i like oxford collapse-the birthday wars!

hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. Yep.Yeps. I don't know what I think of their new album Bits, but I love Oxford Collapse's "The Birthday Wars" and "The Children's Crusade". I'm going to check out the album now...Hazim. Out.

album reviewed:solange knowles and the hadley st. dreams

hazim and the new asymptotes

ARTIST: Solange Knowles
ALBUM: Sol-Angel And The Hadley St. Dreams
GRADE: OOOO
hey. hazim here...again. Well, I wonder who actually listens to albums anymore. But whatever to that. I do. And Beyonce's less famous sister has just put out an album worth noting, worth giving a spin. And more than once.
WHAT'S GOOD: Solange Knowles didn't hit gold with her debut because it was safe and lacked any sort of personality. It merely hung on the fact that she was Beyonce's sister. And because of that lack of ambition, it was limp. Here though, the younger Miss Knowles gets itchy. Sure, it's still typical Motown in another dress, but it's never been presented in such a fun, flirty, uninhibited way such as it is with Sol-Angel & The Hadley Street Dreams. Here, she gets gooey-eyed and quirky such as on "Sandcastle Disco", where honesty and realness wins over her fragile sandcastle of a voice. The samples are used sparingly, totally unlike an album Kanye West would put out (littered with them). Where Beyonce's B'Day was brash and in-your-face, this album is arrestingly sweet and likeable. The electronic bits are strewn in perfectly in the seemingly disorganized mess that Solange and her crew coo and stutter over. And as startling as the act of her using Boards Of Canada's "Slow This Bird Down" as a sample, it's just another step she takes, while her mind wanders as far as it can away from her surname.
WHAT'S NOT SO GOOD: Solange's voice is wafer thin. Like litmus paper and sometimes the beats just weigh her down. And sometimes, this newly found ambition of hers is larger than life. Too large, in fact, in songs like the embarrassing "Cosmic Journey" in which she tries too hard to distance herself from her big Sis. When she gets all doe and sad, it's boring, like a plaid coat.
SOOOOO...: This is fantastic stuff. or rather, a fantastic start in her quest to be different. Only time will tell whether she can improve on this stroke of a quirk genius of an album. Where would she go after Motown? But the fact that this album leaves you pondering on that, means that Solange has put out a fantastic album. And Beyonce should be nervous.
THERE'S THIS SONG I LIKE: "Sandcastle Disco" "I Decided" "This Bird"
ARTIST WEBSITE: Solange Knowles

fefe dobson moves! RAWR.

SONG: "Watch Me Move"
ARTIST: Fefe Dobson
RATING: OOO1/2
hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. After a great first album that showed how real Avril-lites should do it, and a second album which never saw official release (of course the internet made it available). Then she was dropped from her label. So, it kinda looked like we wouldn't be seeing Fefe Dobson nyeah nyeah and chew guitars and spit out crunchy bubblegum pop-rock still more awesome than anything Avril conjures up on The Best Damn Thing. But here, she is, new single in tow. A short spasmic piece of grrrrl power attitude with a bouncy chorus slapped on like black masking tape. She's the Energizer Bunny of pop-rock princesses, not letting down after being dropped. Not sure if this from her upcoming third album, but hey, this might actually make it big. It's been featured in commercials for Lipstick Jungle and Margaret Cho's using it for her show. But it's so short though, not even reaching a full 2 minutes. Whatever. This is a good sign of things to come from Fefe. I swear, if her third album doesn't see official release, I'm going to strip naked and smear SAVE FEFE on my chest with paint and run though music stores across the country. Hazim. Out.,

surprise. dido does 'dido'...again

SONG: "Look No Further"
ARTIST: Dido
RATING: OOO
hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. So...uh, Dido's got this new song available as a free mp3 download on her official website (Click HERE freebee lovers). And uh...what does it sound like? It's a sparse simple ballad about 'poets walking on moons'. The lyrics get a bit cringe-worthy. Her voice is still beautiful, as always, it remains something you can count on, like an old dog. But it's been a long time since her last album and the music scene has changed drastically. If this is the type of music Dido wants to put out, then good for her. But bad for her career. "Look No Further" was produced by Jon Brion and you can catch glimmers of an orchestra, his signature, but this isn't worth the long 5 year wait. Dido's upcoming album will be titled Safe Trip Home, and apparently, this is just a song to garner excitement for the album. Not the official single. But this will still be on the album. Boo. I was expecting something more though. This could have been a hidden track off Life For Rent or No Angel. All I know is, even Jem would snort at this. Her next song had better be better. Or am I just an unhappy fanboy? Yeah, that's it. Still, at least she didn't take as long as Axl Rose. Hazim. Out.

so uh,...post?

hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. I'm planning to get a new computer soon. I'm really excited for that. Anyways, I was reading the newspaper recently and I found out that the next Harry Potter movie is delayed until next year. On account that I've seen the trailer for it and on account that I'm not spurred to write positive things about it, I don't very much care. Harry Potter, surprisingly, I'm doing fine without it.

Anyhow and ways, I'm reserving my next post for this weekend, when I'll be at home. Home is good. Home has free internet connection and my mother's beef curry. Hazim. Out.

Beyonce's sister skins Big Bird, wears it in music video

hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. I first heard this track earlier this year with no music video to accompany it. The song is really awesome stuff, the kind you can't get out of your head unless you go for a memory transplant. So anyways, if you've got bad eyesight like mine, then consider yourself lucky. This music video for Solange Knowles' "Sandcastle Disco" is dizzying and corny. And if you've ever wondered why they don't make muppet movies anymore, have a look at the various contraptions Solange dons in this video. She skinned Big Bird and pals and wrapped them around her. PETA's going to be giving her a call soon. The special effects look like a 3 year old did them blindfolded, and the overall effect is that of someone who went out of the loony bin way too early. But despite the insanity streak Solange is on with this horrendous video, the song is super catchy. And I love it. But I'll stick to just listening to it. It's a must watch. Once only though. This video won't make Beyonce nervous at all. Hazim. Out.

fever to tell. top 3 "fevers" in music!

hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. God must hate my guts. After having my phone stolen by an unknown bastard, I now have been stuck with a high fever for three days now, and still counting. I feel hungry and thirsty all the time, but when I DO eat, I feel like throwing up and I don't finish my food. Sucks. But these three songs don't though. First off is Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Maps" off their famous Fever To Tell. Then, there's Kylie Minogue's "Fever" off her famous Fever album (ya know...the one with the Na Na Na Na...single). And lastly, there's the band Dengue Fever with "Seeing Hands" because ya know...they've got fever in their name. And the band is cool. So while I'm trying to get through this annoyingly annoying fever of mine, I'll be listening to these. Especially the Kylie Minogue one. Yups. Yups. Enjoy. Hazim. Out.

Dengue Fever-Seeing Hands

Kylie Minogue-Fever

Yeah Yeah Yeahs-Maps

there's this song i like:keane-spiraling

hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. I'm not a big fan of Keane. Their first album was great. Their second was okay. But they never really made me excited. Mainly cus I thought that they sounded like The Bravery with a heavy accent most of the time. But this! THIS! This song is like a total complete unashamed full-plated serving of sugar rush. The lyrics aren't as happy go lucky as the spiraling house beat that Tom Chaplin squeals over. But this serves as a slice of retro awesomeness in a time when The Killers aren't killer anymore, and ABBA are dead. This song, "Spiraling" comes from the band's upcoming third album Perfect Symmetry. And yes, the talked out verse after the second chorus is a bit grating, but the whole "WHOO!" thing going on in the song makes you feel like Tom and his band just filled up a big fat syringe with sugar and injected your brain with it. Yeah, it hurts. But it hurts so good. Hazim. Out.

the streets get epic

SONG: "The Escapist"
ARTIST: The Streets
RATING: OOOOO
hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. After that horrendous track that was leaked, ya know, the one where Muse and The Streets are featured on together "Who Knows Who", I was kinda expecting something yucky (again) for The Streets next album. One man band Mike Skinner really won me over with his Original Pirate Material. His snark was obvious even if it was delivered through Sheryl Crow-plain-speak. And we got a lazier remake of that with the last one, The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living, even though we did get the spectacular "Dry Your Eyes". This time, it might look different though. Here's "The Escapist", a new track supposed to be coming from his upcoming release Everything Is Borrowed. And just like the title, this is a bit of Asobi Seksu with the same intellect that won him credibility and an Ivor Novello. There's a layer of orchestra feel blanketing the song staying true to his claims that his new direction has "a peaceful, coming to terms" vibe, and in my opinion, this is probably his best song ever, like ever! And I haven't even listened to the rest of the album yet (mainly cus it's not released yet). If you're tired of school or your job, at the end of the day, you could just plug this into your eardrums and...escape (duh). Mike Skinner plays with words like he's on par with UK's other great rapper-Dizzee Rascal. Bur Rascal's gone soft, so Skinner's going softer.
This beats Coldplay's "The Escapist" off their latest album by a good ten thousand miles. And the video is simple, but effective too with Mike Skinner just showing his back to the camera (like we really want to see his ass for 5 minutes and 25 seconds). But this song means there's still hope. Mike Skinner plans to release only five albums, like J.K Rowling with her seven Harry Potter books. With this track, it's hopeful he'll pull off a better closing than a not-dead Harry Potter. Hazim. Out.

losing my religion...my phone

hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. Sorting through what has happened since the last time I posted, there's only one thing I remember. My phone got stolen. True, it was just an X-Plore PDA phone 2004 model, but it looked smart enough to come across as something that could be pawned for a considerable amount. It was flashy, but the functions kinda sucked. Despite that, I still really liked it. And the fact that it was stolen from my own apartment was what made it worse. Errrmm, sorry...I mean, MAKES, it worse. I'm still grieving about it. I expect it to be at least a year before I fully recover from the shock. Then I have to deal with the anger phase, and then the regret phase. I left it charging in the living room while I was in the bedroom and some desperate bastard sneaked in and unplugged it from the charger and whisked off with it. Kinda stupid he didn't take the charger since an X Plore PDA phone's battery life is about as extensive as Danny DeVito is tall. Usually, I have to recharge every single day. Most of the time, it's a common thing for me to lose things and misplace them everywhere. My roommates are used to it by now, but this time, I am a billion percent sure that someone stole it from me while I was in the bathroom reading.
But yeah, the phone's gone. Stolen. So, excuse me, while I go to the temple, mosque, and church to pray unspeakable things for the bastard who stole it. I'm not used to something other than my privates vibrating in my pants once every five minutes. Withdrawal. It's gonna suck. No phone is no life. Hazim. Out.

anjd when malysia almost didn't win a gold...

"Some Rezona Under Here Would Very Much Be Appreciated!"
hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. In my opinion, I come from an underdog country that's always being overshadowed by neighbors Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand. Especially on the world stage whether it's sports or politics. But when I found out Lee Chong Wei had made it to the finals of the Men's singles badminton for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, I was kind of ecstatic and proud. So I sat in front of the telly last night with a bowl of instant noodles, thinking it was going to be a long and grueling match for Lee, the world's number two badminton player and the world number one Lin Dan. And it wasn't. Lee looked unfocused and distracted and the horrible Chinese majority crowd booed him (I would have thrown my racket at the crowd for being so noisy) and got annoyingly noisy for their hero. But the boos were few as Chong Wei didn't score a lot of points, sweating profusely and committing simple but costly errors, losing badly to Lin Dan. But Malaysia hasn't won a single medal for a decade more or less. And silver is still something to celebrate, right? So when I heard a someone calling in to the radio station complaining about Chong Wei, it pissed me off. Hey, why don't YOU try and play badminton in the Olympics? Anyways and how, I'm content with a silver medal and I'm happy with Chong Wei, regardless of the terrible loss. Malaysia's still the underdog. It's kind of boring to see China scoop all the medals up, but that's competition, isn't it? Hazim. Out.

oasis suck. like, really really suck

Oasis. Gallagher Brothers' Egos Too Big Too Fit In Picture
hazim and the new asymptotes
SONG: "The Shock of The Lightning"
ARTIST: Oasis
RATING: O
hey. hazim here...again. Fufufu. Internet connection is really slow, but it's the only connection I have access to at the moment at this dump college. Anyhow and ways, when was the last time you enjoyed an oasis song? For me, it was probably only once, when "Wonderwall" was released and that's it. You know why? I can't stand Noel Gallagher's humongous Kanye West-worthy ego. He's a dick and I'm so glad Jay Z dissed him in "Jockin". really glad. His brother's a dick too. They're both dicks. And not the good kind either. So with that totally unbiased opinion of Oasis prerequisite, this is "The Shock of The Lightning". Through the years, while Noel's ego has been growing bigger, his band's songs are getting less and less fantastic. And this song supposedly took just 8 minutes to write. Yeah, we can believe it. Apparent lack of melody? Check. Elton John-predictable lyrics? Check. Noel's snark and smarts have been replaced with volume. And when a band like Kean could do better in their sleep, this track just doesn't cut it. Especially when your ego's as big as the Gallagher's. In the end, "The Shock Of The Lightning" isn't shocking at all. Hazim. Out.

did the jonas brothers make a good album? or is Blender crazy?

Yep. I Just Posted A Picture Of The Jonas Brothers On My Blog. Shoot Me
hazim and the new asymptotes

hey. hazim here...again. I really don't get the Jonas Brothers cus I think only one is a heartthrob who should have a good stint as solo artist in the future, but to think that they could have so many hits in so little time, winning out over Miley on the charts and whatnot. Well, apparently, Blender magazine loves their latest release A Little Bit Longer so much they awarded four stars. I'm not one to be influenced by reviews, but this has piqued my interest...kinda...maybe...yeah. Check it out in the link below or listen to their latest single "Tonight" and gauge. I can't. Figure. It Out. "Burning Up" was banal. "When You Look Me In The Eyes" was painful. And their tight fittingclothes post a question mark on their sexuality (sure to put off hormone induced teenage girls should they find out Nick, Joe and the other guy like it man to man). Whatever the case may be, Blender, the magazine I heart and love has endorsed the Jonas Brothers. Shudder. Maybe I'll just check the album out and see...eek. I'm scared. Hazim. Out.

Source: Blender

rachael yamagata and her elephants

Rachael Considers Consuming The Microphone
hazim and the new asymptotes

hey. hazim here...again. I had a good but mostly boring weekend full of really slow internet connection. The weekend saw me staying in and pretending I was studying hard and hitting the books. I used be so studious. The Starbucks drinking, spectacle wearing, serious faced librarian type who listened to Damien Rice and Rachael Yamagata. And while my love for Damien Rice has been flushed down a toilet bowl, my anticipation for new material from the pixie of posture and mistress of mourning not named Fiona Apple, Kate Bush, or PJ Harvey-Rachael Yamagata, that is, remains strong. She's pretty brilliant with her debut album Happenstance, the way the paino tinkling complements her "Hi-I-Smoke-Too-Much" husky vocal delivery. Anyways, and how, she's releasing a new second batch of new material this year. This new album by Rachael entitled Elephants/Sinking Into Heart will be produced by Bright Eyes and Rilo kiley producer Mike Mogis. Aside from the WTF album title, will have another surprise. It'll be in two parts. Whether this means a separation into two or two different CDs of material, i don't know, but I'm crossing my fingers hoping it's the latter. She describes it as being PJ-Harvey and Tom Wait-ish. Because PJ's voice is smoky like Rachael's, my hopes are definitely up. I love and love and love listening to "Worn Me Down", her best song ever-in my opinion. The acoustic kicks ass too. So I'll post the video and you'll watch it and fall in love with her too. Because this time around, her music will NOT be featured in The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants 2. Hazim. Out.

hazim's top 4 favorite music videos, like, EVAH!

hazim and the new asymptotes
hey.hazim here...again. Does anybody care about the MTV Video Music Awards? It's not really credible anymore and it's been this way even before the mess that was last year's ceremony with footage of singing in hotels and Britney's disastrous performance. Okay, it was pretty hot to see Madonna and Britney share tongue a few years back. But now, it's just a sad excuse for teens to turn on the telly. Anyways, nominations are under way for this year's round of sadness. And while I won't care much for the actual nominees, here are four videos that in my opinion should have won in their respective years. Bjork's for being just plain cute with the cat and David Hasselhoff's for making me snort grape soda up my nose while watching it. Oh, and I'll throw in The Bird and The Bee's "Polite Dance Song" because seeing an old disgusting looking man try to dance was amusing and makes me glad my sperm is still fertile. And Katy Perry's "U R So Gay" because of the proper use of Barbies. That one is still eligible though. Hazim. Out.

Bjork-Triumph Of The Heart



David Hasselhoff-Hooked On A feeling



The Bird and The Bee-Polite Dance Song



Katy Perry-Ur So Gay