Fresh out the Package..

Elliot Yamin, third runner up on season five of 'American Idol' has released the first single off of his sophomore album titled "Fight for Love". Unlike most Idol rejects, he found temporary chart success with his Top 20 single "Wait For You". Elliot is point blank, an amazing vocalist. He's one of the most talented male pop singers on the scene right now, but his problem is, he releases songs that sound old and irrelevant. "Fight for Love" is not a bad song at all, in fact it's very catchy and has decent lyrics, but the production is very average and forgettable. Sure, he's more of a Adult Contemporary artist, but he never can solidly create a sound that is mature and current. He has a small shot at Top 40 airplay and even a decent run on the AC stations, but if he wants to kick the Idol curse for good and establish a solid career, he's going to need to bite the bullet and pull out a decidedly unique album, not just another cheesy pop album just waiting to be karaoke'd by every wannabe Justin, Usher, and even Elliot.

Online Shopping

Forever 21, the perennially female clothing store, has finally released a men's line that's actually worth talking about. Heritage 1981 is the name of the line, and it's actually quite affordable. Now the only cons that I've seen so far is that some of the jackets really REALLY need to be a little thicker. Because we call can't live in beach weather all of the time.


Fredrick Herringbone Jacket ($34.90)
Nice, vintage feel to the jacket. Personally I'm not a fan of all of the buttons, but it's definitely a unique jacket


Elwin Plain Jacket ($32.90)
The plaid is hot. Plain and simple. Great track jacket and fresh design.


Kaden Windbreaker ($34.90)
One of my personal favorite jackets. Perfect for spring weather, and it's a dope, creative, trendy jacket that is perfect to wear.


Kyle Hooded Cardigan ($19.90)
It just looks warm. And that's really all that counts.

And just because I think this tee is too fresh..



Music is My Life Tee ($14.90)
It's self explanatory.

Shop Forever21 Mens

Fresh out of the Box..

The Fray have just released their second self-titled EP "The Fray", and they're nothing if not consistent. "How to Save a Life" and "Over My Head (Cable Car)", the two biggest singles from their first album (How to Save a Life) are pretty good indicators of the sounds of the new album. Piano heavy ballads and mid-tempos, coupled with contemplative and at times overly dark lyrics are once again found all over the record. However, it's not a bad thing, because Issac Slade has the perfect voice for these types of records and they have mastered what sounds work, and what sounds don't. Lyrically The Fray is still on a strong level, but I think a band like them would be perfect tackling more varied subject matter in their songs.

Quick Rundown of Standout tracks:
"You Found Me"- Lead single. Wonderful production, strong lyrics. Great vocals 4/5
"Syndicate"- A mid-tempo ballad, which is more unusual for the band. Production is decent, however it's missing some power which would make this easily one of their best tracks. It's almost anti-climatic. Worth the download. 4/5
"Happiness"- I was surprised by the sound of this song. More guitar, less piano. There should've been more tracks like this on the album to make it thoroughly versatile, but this is definitely an interesting track. It's raw and bare sounding, which is a perfect compliment to Slade's vocals. 5/5
"Say When"- The best mid-tempo song on the album. The vocal structure and melody is very climatic and breaks into a powerful, flowing chorus. Production and vocals are very good.

Overall, the album is another solid effort from The Fray and while their sound hasn't radically changed, they have stuck with the format that first found them chart success and have put out another great record. Hopefully in the future they will begin to evolve their sound so they can avoid the bottomless pit of contemporary rock bands with no new tricks up their sleeves.

Here's an exclusive Yahoo! Music performance of "Never Say Never" off of the new album



Buy on Amazon

Window Shopping

So in my quest to fill my closet with more clothes, and at the same time being hit with an unfortunate reality that the economy is killing me, I landed on Crooks and Castles. Well re-landed, I guess. Anyway, a quick FYI for people, Crooks and Castles is an L.A. based urban clothing company, with a steady rise in fresh designs. The prices are not for everyone but they definitely reflect the quality of the brand.



Castellano Sunglasses ($250.00)
Definitely one of the better sunglasses I've seen in a while. I can't stand glasses that are just made to follow a current trend and then are stupid to wear 2 years later ("nerd glasses"). But these are fresh and current but still able to be worn down the line. And they're white. Which is always a good color to add to an outfit.



8021 Crooks Stripe C Belt ($60)
Yes, that's not cheap for a belt, but leather and nylon are generally durable combinations and the gun metal buckle is just pretty cool.

The majority of their online store are original T-Shirts designed by the company, and I was more interested in the accessories, but they are definitely a good up and coming company to check out. As they expand and put out new clothes I will keep you guys posted.

Shop Crooks and Castles Online

Spin Worthy

B.o.B - "I'll Be In The Sky"



B.O.B. - "I'll Be in The Sky"
I don't know what it stands for, but it's the name of up and coming ATL rapper B.O.B. he's not super unknown thanks to collaborations with T.I and Ludacris, but I'm sure to 95% of you he's a new name. I'm not much on hip-hop/rap these days, because outside of the ringtone songs, it's pretty boring, but B.O.B is a new Andre 3000. Or he at least gives off that aura in his new song "I'll Be in The Sky". Andre 3000 is badass in every way and "Sky" utilizes a lot of the same big band, upbeat instrumentation that gave Outkast some of their greatest hits ("Hey Ya" "I Like the Way You Move"). His voice is also very very similar to Andre's, almost to the point where I thought it was a new Outkast song. But he's definitely released a buzz worthy single and it actually would be a nice fit on radio, especially with the spring season coming. But the only negative to his sound is that since he is so similar to Andre, there will almost certainly be critics who will say he needs his own sound. But he makes good music, and that's all that counts.


Now on to the video. B.O.B doesn't take himself seriously at all, and I like that. But it's kinda weird because at first glance he doesn't give off the off kilter, quirky vibe that artists like Andre have. Long story short, his voice doesn't fit his look, but that's what makes it all amazing. The video is not bad, although the 'hype' men in the background look really random and out of place. Actually all the background people don't fit this song, but whatever.

His album "The Adventures of B.O.B" is due sometime later this year.

Ludacris is a giving man....

Now I might get crap for this, but whatever. Jesse McCartney is the white Chris Brown. He's that one kid that was super nerdy in high school, and then one summer he shows up at school with a fresh cut and new clothes, and the next thing you know he's got chicks all over him.

I hated Jesse McCartney. Well the R&B Jesse at least. It wasn't believable, the lyrics he was singing. And I stand by it. Sometimes people need to embrace flip flops and guitars, not fitteds and Jordans! But Ludacris, either really saw this as a last ditch attempt at a hit, or just felt bad for the kid and jumped on his new track "How Do You Sleep?". I'm not even gonna respond to that, because there's jokes all in that. But long story short, typical 'pop n b' production, decent vocals, cheesy lyrics. Miley Cyrus fans should eat this up. Maybe I'm just getting old. Is this the new pop revolution? Dammit No!

First Post of the New Year...

Yea Yea Yea...back in this mother f*****!!!

Good shit.

Now on to the good stuff.

DJ Earworm is a genius. His mashups are genius, seamless, and dope.
Nuff said

"No More Gas"


"2007 Mix"


"2008 Mix"