I want to do big things.

Back in the days of my bachelorhood, my roommates and I had a phrase. "Big things". It was essentially used as a subtlety sarcastic dig toward someone. As in a biting-off-more-than-you-can-chew sort of way.

Nevertheless, I'm using it today in the positive and ambitious way that it's normally used. Frankly, I need to get off the creative snide. Although Blogspot blogs are pretty straight forward, they can be an easy step into the Web field and I desperately want and need to learn more about the web*.

Heretofore, this space is going to be my virtual playground and showcase. I plan on getting my portfolio up here soon, as well as various well thought out thoughts and views (sort of a plus-140 character Twitter at times, if you will). Being that I'm going to need steady content, I'm hoping that this (and a new MacBook Pro... *hint*) will motivate me to get back into my creative endeavors.

Anyway, without further ado - Let's get it!

-jay!

* - If I get asked one more time on an interview if I "know web stuff" and can't answer in the positive, I'm going to rip off my own eyebrows - and if you have seen my eyebrows, you know that's quite a statement!

Blogger Album Project

I, too am crazy late with this post, but i wanted to participate no matter how late i posted this up. I was tagged by Mr. 8thlight himself wanted to try and give my input. The task: to list my 7 albums of all time. Pssshhhhawww! Tough indeed. I'll give it a shot.. ugh, my head already hurts :)
Here are the rules: 1. Post your list of the seven best albums, the seven bloggers you will tag, a copy of these rules, and a link back to this page.
2. Each person tagged will put a URL to their Blogger Album Project post along with a list of the seven best albums in the comment section here.
3. Feel free to post the “I Contributed to the Blogger Album Project” Award Graphic on your sidebar, along with a link back to this page.
4. Post a link back to the blogger who tagged you. (http://youneedpeaceofmindheresapieceofmine.blogspot.com/) (in no particular order and off the top of the dome)

Fulfillingness' First Finale - Steve Wonder: I grew up with this album and it's basically what made me love music. Inspired, great writing and musicianship, great lyrics and feel. What albums SHOULD be like! Reminds me of childhood and good, happy times.

Roy Hargrove with the Tenors of Our Time - Roy Hargrove: This isn't what got me into jazz, but what helped me realize that it wasn't "weird" for me to be into it. That it wasn't just me and a bunch of "old cats" that loved jazz. Here was a new school, hip hop cat the same approximate age as me hanging with the legends. I hoped that my boy and I could start a jazz band. But hey, I was only in high school and had big dreams.

The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest: This is when I fell in total, drooling love with Hip Hop. I grew up on it of course - with Run DMC and Whodini and so many others, but this is what made hip hop "mine". Something for the guys who loved lyrics and samples and instruments. For lack of a better term - "thinking man's hip hop". I swear i listened to this at least 3 times a week on the way to school with my boys and brother. Makes me smile just thinking of it.

Bizarre Ride to the Pharcyde - The Pharcyde: Pretty much just like The Low End Theory, but what made it just as special was now the West Coast had a non-gansta answer to the East Coast boom-bap. Showed the world that West Coast could be lyrical (and smoked out), too. Also it gave me and my "crew" a voice. We weren't gangsta and we weren't East Coast, so they helped us see where we fit in.

Royal Garden Blues - Branford Marsalis: When I started playing saxophone in 4th grade, my dad gave me a tape to listen to. "If you're going to play sax, play it right". He didn't give me this tape, but this is the first jazz album i ever bought with my own money. I STILL bump this to this day (it came out in 1984). I consider Branford the Coltrane of our era. So talented and so underappreciated (even over looked because of his brother Wynton). Dude can do anything with a horn.

OK Computer - Radiohead: This is what I would consider "backpack" rock. I always kind of liked rock but wasn't crazy about it, but when this came out, it showed to me that rock could be creative and abstract, too. Plus, it introduced me to "indie chicks" LOL. The girl who lent me this cd never knew about my crush lol. This got me into "indie rock" and opened a whole new world to me.

tie: The Main Ingredient - Pete Rock & CL Smooth / Midnight Marauders - A Tribe Called Quest. This is a cop out. I didn't want to leave either one out, so i included both. Yeah, i know.. whatever. Every hipster/backpacker mentions Midnight Mauraders but what can i say. It's a classic. It goes hand in hand with the Low End Theory to me. Just what i feel hip hop should be in every aspect. The Main Ingredient was the same. Bumped this everyday for like 3 years (or more). Pete Rock is my fave dj of all time and I'll take time to listen to ANYTHING he touches because of this album. CL was mad underappreciated also. But, Pete and CL just went together. They just complemented each other so much. Honestly, each one wasn't the same after they "broke up". Still good, but not as good as they were together.

So there you have it. Sorry about the lateness on this post. Plus, I excluded about 5 more albums that i could have easily added to this list. It was so difficult to narrow it down that i just went with what came off the top of my head. Hope you respect it!

I tag:
Best.Team.Ever
Mouse (Classical Geek Theater)
Von Pea (for kicks & giggles)
& Don Will (more kicks & giggles)

that's all i know, sorry, i ain't got 7 blogger friends =\

New segment - Some of My Fave Things!

Just some random things that I love.. (honestly, something short and sweet to get me blogging regularly)

(in no particular order, ever)

#1. The Blues scale.. so simple, yet so wonderfully full of endless possibilities.

That's It... No really, that's it. I'm done...

"...yo diz stuff must stop..."

-Havoc from Mobb Deep on "Drink Away the Pain"

That quote was the first thing that came into my mind when I read this story from a music blog* that I RSS (I just made "RSS" a verb, but I'm sure someone else has beaten me to it...).

Long story short, L.A.'s (and Orange County's) own Indie 103.1 is closing. It's going away as of today. That's unacceptable. Now mind you, I agree with some that the station isn't as "good" (*cough* "indie" */cough*) as when it first hit the scene, but if it wasn't a great resource for L.A.'s indie scene and a haven away from all the steaming hot garbage on the radio today, then I don't know what it was (a good radio station maybe?). And since I'm only slightly elitist, Indie was pretty dag good to me.

(the station's official message is down below. It's semi-lengthy, so I'll post it after my rant)

The truth is that music sucks right now. No, not music in general, because there's great stuff "on the underground", but mainstream music. And not even all of that sucks, just the stuff force-fed to us on mainstream radio. And don't even let me get into radio Hip Hop right now. If you think Scotty's posts are long.. don't even get me started on that. The fact that one of the few stations, that isn't college owned or suscriber radio, is forced to take it's act to the 'net is disturbing. The music industry as a whole is in shambles. Complaints about sales, downloaders/pirates (arrrg, me harties), and all the BS is clowding the fact that they don't give a ish about artist development and true talent. Just about what they can pre-package in shiny disposable plastic and move on to the next money making single.

We've all heard it before, so I'll just say this. I give up on mainstream radio. That's it. I'm done. Out. I pretty much have been doing this in practice but now it's official. If it's not NPR or KCRW (89.9... shouts out to Chocolate City, Garth Trinidad and Jason Bentley - who may not be there anymore either), then it's my portable mp3 player (see, i didn't say iPod, Qbix!) and cd's (until they eventually die, too). Eff you music industry. Suck it.

(here's Indie 103.1's official statement being played as we speak)

This is an important message for the Indie 103.1 radio audience.

Indie 103.1 will cease broadcasting over this frequency effective immediately. Because of changes in the radio industry and the way radio audiences are measured, stations in this market are being forced to play too much Britney, Puffy and alternative music that is neither new nor cutting edge. Due to these challenges, Indie 103.1 was recently faced with only one option --- to play the corporate radio game.

We have decided not to play that game any longer. Rather than changing the sound, spirit, and soul of what has made Indie 103.1 great. Indie 103.1 will bid farewell to the terrestrial airwaves and take an alternative course.

This could only be done on the Internet, a place where rules do not apply and where new music thrives; be it grunge, punk, or alternative simply put, only the best music.

For those of you with a computer at home or at work, log on to www.indie1031.com and listen to the new Indie 103.1 - which is really the old Indie 103.1, not the version of Indie 103.1 we are removing from the broadcast airwaves.

We thank our listeners and advertisers for their support of the greatest radio station ever conceived, and look forward to continuing to deliver the famed Indie 103.1 music and spirit over the Internet to passionate music listeners around the world.