Let's take a trip to the windy city!

With yesterdays wind causing all this trouble in the city, we decided to bring you the windy city's finest.


Chi-Town mixtape Side A:

1. Chicago-rillas - Rhymefest ft. Mikkey and DJ Bump
2. Much More - Lupe Fiasco ft. Yummy Bingham
3. Stolen Car - Twista
4. Go - Common
5. Through the Wire - Kanye West
6. Retrospect for Life - Dug Infinite
7. Thinka 'Bout It - Paris
8. Brand New - Rhymefest ft. Kanye West
9. R.P.M. - Shawwna ft. Twista and Ludacris
10. 1 2 Many - Common ft. Dug Infinite

~sarah p.

Side B's Nutz

1. Testify - Common ( plus the girl from "Hustle & Flow" is on the track)
2. Pop - Lupe Fiasco
3. Jesus Walks - Kanye West
4. Ignition (remix - R. Kelly
5. Funkdafied- Da Brat
6. Touch the Sky - Kanye West (at first I hated it but now......)
7. Po Pimp - D.O.D. ft Twista
8. Spit Your Game - Notorious BIG (RIP) ft Crazy Bone & Twista
9. Dynomite - Rhymefest
10. Hell Yea - Dead Prez ( in know theyr'e not really from Chi- town but, M-1 did spend some time with the InPDUM)

-Pickle

F You Trebeck

Is there a heaven? Depends on your definition, dancing can feel like heaven sometimes. Besides it's not one of the 25 most important questions ever.

And for the worst things to happen to music, besides Celine Dion, go here.

I will see you on the dancefloor.


-Pickle

mp3 blogs.

Man, I really do love mp3 blogs.... Probably even more than I-Tunes and Limewire combined.
I'm pretty obsessed with them, so I've got a good little list of ones that I visit on a regular basis. Here's my top 5:

5. Cocaine Blunts and Hip Hop Tapes. These guys took a vacation a while ago, and I went through withdrawal pretty badly.
4. Aurgasm. This was probably the very first mp3 blog (beyond sites like Largehearted Boy, Tofu Hut, and Stereogum that everyone knows about) that I came across. Believe it or not, sometimes I like shit that isn't hip hop/soul/funk-based, and Aurgasm has a good mix of genres.
3. Funky 16 Corners. Tons of old, hard-to-find soul. Looking for something to sample? This is where you'll probably find it.
2. Palms Out Sounds. Really amazing features, such as Remix Sundays and Sample Wednesdays. Always has great tracks.
1. Freemotion Hip Hop. Not only does Freemotion have some of the best downloads, it also has some of the most opinionated and insightful commentary out there (such as this article, their most recent). It's a pretty well-done site... For an Oklahoman. ;)

~sarah p.

An ode to my least favorite food.

I know I give a lot of love to my favorite food while writing, but now it's time that we discuss the worst food in the world.

Here's the truth:

Nobody actually likes protein bars (even this guy). People mainly eat them so that they can either avoid eating an actual meal (ladies, that's what cigarettes and blow are for), or because they think it will get them totally ripped. They taste like peed-on cardboard, and are really not very much fun at all. Tacos, on the other hand.... Fun city.

~sarah p.

p.s. Another reason not to eat them? Travolta seems to enjoy them, and I don't want to be a part of anything that is Travolta-endorsed.

p.p.s. I'm going to second the fact that MSTRKRFT is going to be rad, and raise you a Diplo on the 2nd. Yesssss.

Gulity as Sin

I don't know what's worse, the new Paris Hilton Vid, or the new Jessica Simpson vid. Or the fact that I like one of these songs. (If you can guess which one you get a prize) It comes as now surprise though, I am famous for guilty pleasures. 90's techno: check. Destiney's Child: Check. Pretty much any music you can bob your head and wiggle your shoulders to. And speaking of dancing, MSTRKRFT will be here tommorrow night at HIFI. I know it's going to be hotter than hell and sweatier than than an accountant convention in Ibiza, but it will be fun as hell.

Also Peaches is coming to Calgary soon. And yesssssssssssss Stink Mitt is opening. It should be a fun, lesbian filled time.

-Pickle

Some links and stuff (because I have writer's block...bad).

This guy is a genius. I am hiring him to come over to my house and hook me up next Saturday morning, when I'm not feeling so well.

Now, I'm not saying that my tattoos are meaningful or awesome or anything, but here are some really, really bad ones (The winner? Anything to do with American Idol. Sweet Jesus, that's really horrible).

Hey! This happened to me last week, too. Some say it's Bigfoot, but I would be waaay more excited about seeing a chimp carrying a club than just another stupid-ass yeti.... Bo-Ring.
There is potential for a movie, perhaps? It would totally star Shelley Long as the lady that sees the chimp in her yard, and Jim Belushi as the actual chimp (plus, Johnny Knoxville would have a drawn-out cameo as the club), and the merchandising would be out of control. Just an idea.

I am a smart consumer, particularly when I'm hungover, and need some grease to keep me from throwing up all day. It's good to have a handy guide such as this to keep me on top of the game.

Top Ten Hip Hop Diss Songs. I'm actually really happy they left 'Ether' off of here. I love Nas about 3/4 as much as I love Jay-Z, which is still a whole lot, but the beat on Ether is really not that great (and really, if you're going to try to insult Hov, you need to do it right).


If you need a reason to quit smoking today, here it is.


More episodes of full shows on YouTube (in case you need another reason to stop working, which I do).


~sarah p.

What!?!?!?! Okaaaaaaaaayyyy!?!?!?!

Lil John, what happened? Did you finally get a commodore 64? This is officially the worst (c) rap vid ever............ever........ Not only is the video that bad, but the song. Seriously how crunked up were you? I was a fan. Now, we'll see.


-Pickle


PS. Congrats to Biz Markie. I was watching Celebrity Fit Club yesterday (I seriously didn't move from the couch for like 6 hrs, that's how awsome i felt) and he was the all star.

Gnarles Biggie

http://www.gnotorious.com/

Pretty sure the record companies are going to flip the fuck out when they find this one (remember The Grey Album?), so there's no telling how long it will be up for.
Get it while you can.

~sarah p.

Web comics that aren't horrible.

You may be saying to yourself: "Sarah, all web comics are horrible. You know that, I know that, everybody knows that", and I agree with you for the most part. On the whole, web comics are for straight-up nerds (not the good kind of nerd, either). However, we must remember that there are exceptions to any rule (let's not be ignorant, guys).

Here are the top-five web comics that are actually mildly entertaining (believe it or not):

5. Dinosaur Comics. Dinosaur Comics is talking dinosaurs, and there's no way that's not funny. Ryan North is the artist, and has used the same dinosaur template for every comic for years. It's pretty impressive.
4. A Softer World. A Softer World is made using photos instead of drawings. Emily takes the photos, and Joey does the writing. These kids give Victoria a good name (unlike some people *cough*Furtado*cough*).
3. Elephantitis of the Mind. My good friend Kev Sweeting hooked me up with this gem. Asher Sarlin is a friggin pro.
2. Perry Bible Fellowship. PBF is probably one of the more obscure web comics out there (but not in the 'paint my nails with a sharpie and wear fishnets under my Tool t-shirt' kind of obscure). This one is particularly great to read because the artist, Nicholas Gurewitch, is constantly switching up his drawing styles. What'll his comic look like today? Nobody knows.
1. Natalie Dee/ Toothpaste for Dinner/ Married to the Sea. You guys already knew about these, right? Thought so. Our good friends Natalie and Drew have been pretty much owning web comics for years now... Plus their dogs are outstanding.

~sarah p.

Everything I do, I do for my Hood

Did you ever notice how where you grew up decides your music for you? I'm from BC and we rocked the shit out of Too $hort and Funkdoobiest. Albertans as a whole love Biggie Smalls (not saying that I don't, but not as much as born and raised Albertanite). Middle Easterners, and Natives love Tupac. There's a couple we can share like Dre, Snoop, Jay Z, and A Tribe Called Quest. But the one we all love from Winnipeg to Whistler is The Rza, The Gza, Method Man, Ghostface, U-God, Raekwon, Mastah Killa, Inspecta Deck,Cappadonna, and Dirt McGurt aka O.D.B.

THE WU-TANG CLAN

I was going to put in a mixtape here but seriously it's to hard. There'd always be that one song that was left out, and I just wouldn't feel right about that. Besides with over 200 discs in the library I would be here for like 2 months figuring it out.

-Pickle

In case you need something to do....

Our dear friends at Cracked, the world's best magazine targeted at 11-year-old boys, have posted The 11 Best Chapelle's Show Skits of All-Time (complete with full videos of each)!

I know it's shit that everyone's seen a billion times, but if you're like me, and stuck in an office with no windows for eight hours a day, anything is a welcome distraction.

~sarah p.

I don't know if you know how much we hate Smelly Potato. Like a LOT. I hate that Timberland produced her new song and that it's been playing non stop on every local radio station becuase it's new "canadian content." I also hate Nickleback more than anything too. With that being said, this drove me nuts. I mean I hate Avril, Celine, and Alannis too. But, coming out of her moth is like the whore calling the prostitute a slut.

So Nelly Furtado, FUCK YOU!


=PICKLE

PS. She has a bigger moustache than I do and that's why I really hate her


I would just like to get in on this post for just a damn minute. It always sounds like vengeful bullshit when I say it, because of, um, personal history, but every word is true.
Plus, did you check this shit out? Way to rack up the publicity, Furtado.
I'm going to stop now, because I sound like a bitch, but honestly Furtado.... Just stop it.
~sarah p.
p.s. Don't even get me started on Nickelback.

Oh Urkel, where art thou?

Urkelquest is on. There is seriously $1000 on the line here, so get your ass on the go, and find yourself some Urkel.

Here are some tips for hunting Urkel:

1. Put out some cheese.
2. Remember when Urkel used to go in that machine, and when he would come out, he was Stephan Urquelle? And he was all cool, and all of the ladies were totally into him, even though all he did was change his pants, take off his glasses, and speak in a lower voice? If you made one of those machines and it worked really, really well (because that shit always backfired on the show), then Urkel would probably be your BFF.
3. Act really sassy like Laura Winslow, and Urkel will be unable to resist your charms (Urkel was mad horny).
4. Put on some early '90's R&B (perhaps a little New Edition?), and Urkel will come and dance at your party.
5. Call up his agent and offer him a job. Any job. Probably even mowing lawns would be okay.



As well, you guys should know that Paul Davidson ran into Mr. T at Starbucks, and his encounter was more than amazing.

~sarah p.

Me so Hornay

I don't know if you knew this but...

2 LIVE CREW is coming to Calgary.

Lately there have been a couple "old school" guys in town. Del & Prince Paul to name a few, when are we going to see Tony Touch and Heavy D ?

I will see you next mon at HIFI.

-Pickle

The Life and Times of Shawn Carter.

I'd like to thank Dylan for saving this one for me. It's more than a little apparent that a have a bit of a Jay-Z fetish. When I bought Reasonable Doubt, I was just 14, and have keeping a close eye on Hov since. He's one of the few artists out there that has continued to stay fresh, and one of the only willing to retire before losing his game.
In Jigga's honor, here's a mix CD. It was tough to stop at 20 tracks, but let's not get excessive.

Jay-Z mix CD Disc 1:

1. Takeover (Produced by Kanye West). This is one of my favorite duos out there. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not always crazy about Kanye's solo shit (that being said, he's also thrown down some amazing stuff), but when he produces pretty much anything, it's a sure thing. This was the track that started battles with both Nas and Mobb Deep.
2. 99 Problems (Produced by Rick Rubin). I didn't even like this track that much when I first heard it, but it wasn't long before it was #1 on my I-Tunes Top 25 Songs.
3. Can't Knock the Hustle (ft. Mary J. Blige). This was the track that got me hooked. I remember being in high school and putting this track on repeat in my room.
4. Friend or Foe '98 (produced by DJ Premier). It's also a well-known fact that I have a Gang Starr fetish too, so to hear these two on a track together for the first time was pretty outstanding.
5. The City is Mine (ft. Blackstreet, Produced by Teddy Riley). A lot of people criticized Hov at the point of In My Lifetime-Volume 1 for putting out too many pop-influenced tracks. I, however, am a girl, and sometimes we dig that shit.
6. Cheat on You - Ma$e (ft. Jay-Z). Ma$e is so hit-and-miss with me that when he makes a track I love, and it features Jay-Z, I get a special little feeling.
7. '03 Bonnie and Clyde (ft. Beyonce, produced by Kanye West). This track reminds me of the summer of '03, and features Hov's other girlfriend (besides me).
8. Threat (produced by 9th Wonder). I am under the impression that 9th Wonder can do no wrong. Ever.
9. Money, Cash, Hoes (ft. DMX, produced by Swizz Beatz). When In My Lifetime Volume 2: Hard Knock Life came out, I felt like everyone grabbed onto 'Hard Knock Life' so hard that they didn't really listen to the rest of the album. Don't get me wrong, 'Hard Knock Life' is a serious track, but 'Money, Cash, Hoes' is the track that really got me.
10. Big Pimpin' (produced by Timbaland). This was at a point where Timbaland was at the top of his game, before started making shitty tracks along side Nelly Furtado.
11. Heartbreaker - Mariah Carey (ft. Jay-Z). Okay, I knocked Mariah pretty good a few posts back, and I stand by my comments, but when I hear this track, it reminds me of when I lived in France and smoked vanilla cigarettes on the roof, and FunRadio played it constantly.
12. Allure (produced by The Neptunes). There is a lot of Neptunes-produced shit out there that I'm not that into, but this track, I like..... A lot.
13. Moment of Clarity (remixed by Dave Jonsen). I downloaded this a year or so ago, and it is one of the more serious remixes I've ever heard. Hard to find, well worth it.
14. Watch Me (ft. Dr. Dre). Seriously, you guys know how I feel about Dre. This is a really solid track off of In My Lifetime Volume 3: Life and Times of S. Carter, but really.... Did you expect anything else?
15. Izzo (H.O.V.A.) (Produced by Kanye West). This is in my top-3 Jay-Z tracks of all time, and that's a hard list to make.
16. I Love The Dough - Notorious B.I.G. (ft. Jay-Z)- This was one of my favorites off of Biggie's Life After Death album.
17. Renegade (ft. Eminem). The Blueprint is arguably my favorite Jay-Z album. My feelings on Eminem are pretty wishy-washy, but when he's on point, he's on point. Hov is famous for having a ton of guest appearances on his albums, but Eminem was the one and only guest on The Blueprint. Nas used this track as leverage on his track 'Ether', in response to 'Takeover', where he rhymes "Eminem murdered you on your own shit".
18. Beware (Jay-Z Remix) - Punjabi MC. I was pretty jazzed when Hov latched onto Punjabi MC. English/ Punjabi hip-hop doesn't get much love, but this track is tight.
19. 22 Two's. This was off of Reasonable Doubt as well, and was probably one of the finer examples of what he was capable of, lyrically, even in his earlier years.
20. 44 Four's (Click for audio download and YouTube video, courtesy of our friends at Palms Out Sounds). This was performed just a few weeks ago at the Nokia Theatre. Thought it was a good way to end the CD.


All Jay Z Disc 2 Bitches
1. Lucifer Produced by Kanye West
2. Lupe Fiasco ft Jay Z & Biggie Smalls- Sittin Sideways
3. Heart fo the City
4. Talib Kweli ft Mos Def, Kanye West, Jay Z, & Busta Rhymes- Get By (remix) seriously best remix eva
5. Hard Knock Life
6. Nigga What, Nigga Who ( I know on the radio it was "Jigga" instead of "Nigga")
7. My 1st Song ft Biggie smalls
8. Dead Prez ft Jay Z- Hell Ya (remix)
9. Interlude
10. Poppin Tags/ ft Big Boi, Killa Mike, & Twista

I would make it longer, But someone, used all my favourites


Pickle

p.s. My dear friend Crystal is having her debut as one of Rob Faust's go-go dancers at HiFi this evening. You are all invited. It should be fun times ten.

Straight outa compton

Dear NWA,
Thank You. Thank you for Ice Cube, Doctor Dre, and Eazy E. Thank you for Mc Ren and Snoop Dogg(who came much later). And thank you for everything that they did after you (except for 50). In your honor here is a mix cd, because a tape could never do you justice.

NWA MIX CD Disc 1

1. NWA- Express your self
2. NWA ft Too $hort- Players Club
3. Dr. Dre ft Snoop Dogg- Nuthing but a G Thing
4. Ice Cube-It was a good day (remix)
5. Eazy E- Just Don't Bite It
6. West Side Connection- Bow Down (if you went to bush parties then you know)
7. Dr. Dre/Ice Cube- Natural Born Killaz
8. NWA- Straight Outta Compton
9. Ice Cube- Cave Bitch
10. MC Ren- Final Frontier
11. Eazy E- Boyz-N-The Hood (remix)
12. Dr. Dre ft Eminem- Forgot about Dre
13. The Game- Hate it or Love it
14. Bone Thugs N Harmony- Home (any one that Eazy loved and can sample Phill Collins gets an automatic in)
15. Westside Connection- The Gangsta, the Killa, and the Dope Dealer
16. Snoop Dogg- Gin and Juice
17. Dr Dre ft Eminem & Xzibit- Whats The Difference
18. Ice Cube- Check Yoself
19. Eazy E- We Want Eazy
20. NWA- 8 Ball (remix)

***Bonus*** NWA- Drink it up

Keep it Rzneal

Pickle


NWA MIX CD Disc 2 (my turn)


1. Fuck Tha Police- NWA
2. Jackin' for Beats - Ice Cube
3. Nobody Move - Eazy E
4. Doggy Dogg World- Snoop Dogg
5. Bitches Ain't Shit - Dr. Dre
6. Dreams- The Game
7. Murder was The Case - Snoop Dogg ft. Dr Dre
8. Alwayz Into Somethin- NWA
9. What Would U Do? - Tha Dogg Pound
10. Let Me Ride (Remix) ft. George Clinton- Dr. Dre
11. No One Can Do It Better - The D.O.C.
12. Nutz on Ya Chin - Eazy E
13. Put It On Me- Dr Dre ft. DJ Quik & Mimi
14. A Bitch Iz a Bitch - NWA
15. Must Be High - MC Ren
16. One Eight Seven - Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg
17. Gangsta Gangsta- NWA
18. Still a G Thang- Snoop Dogg
19. Once Upon a Time In the Projects- Ice Cube
20. 100 Miles and Runnin- NWA

~sarah p.

facial hair after menopause

So, I am trying to grow a moustache right now because I can't grow a beard. I have tried and tried and all I succeed in growing is a neard. I would like to thank my dad for this lack of facial hair and my baby face.

On a side note early 90's gangsta rap is better than anything else.


D

Girl Crushes.

You guys, I really do love Lily Allen. Especially after she made some hilarious jokes about Class-A drug use. She should probably just hurry up and move to this country so we can be BFFs.

Shhhh.... If you go here, you can download Lauren Hill's amazing set that she performed in Tampa this month. Watch out: it's good.

Sorry to get all girly, but it's my job as the resident lady around here to bring some softness to the joint.

~sarah p.

Concerts to avoid.

I was on the Ticketmaster website today, just to see what is going down, and let me tell you, there are some sad concerts coming to this city in the next little while. Here are the top five to avoid:

5. MC Hammer - No parachute pants, no love (p.s. Hammer has a blog).
4. DJ AM - Has everyone forgotten that this dude used to be in Crazytown? Unforgivable.
3.Rob Zombie - When is the last time you washed your hair? If your answer is anything under a year, you should not go to this concert.
2.Mariah Carey- Once a promising, fresh-faced young artist; her music is now reserved strictly for fat chicks to scream out "THIS MY JAM" when her songs begin to play.
1.Tool- Have you ever made out with anyone ever in your whole life (this includes that time that you were five and curious)? Do you think that worn white baseball caps and jean jackets are kind-of awful? If the answer is anything but "no" to both of these questions, then you really should re-think this concert.

~sarah p.

If anyone in this world loves me...

...they will buy me this.

Thanks.

~sarah p.

Yes sir.

Super busy at work today, but I'd just like to second everything said in the previous post. Times ten. I'm glad Dylan brought this to everyone's attention, because seemingly awesome people seem to really enjoy Stampede, and it's just not right.

For the sixth (or maybe seventh?) year in a row, I will be boycotting Stampede, because it is stupid. I may, however, go and tear up some Stampede breakfasts tomorrow when I'm still wasted at 9AM. Without a cowboy hat. Without boots. And with a bad attitude toward cowboys.

I suggest you do the same, and don't be afraid to be a jerk about it.

~sarah p.

just another excuse

To get drunk. Yes it's that time of the summer again. Stupid cowboy hats, slutty outfits, sweet tribal tattoos, and everything else that is a Don't. All come together for 10 of the worst days of my life.

STAMPEDE IS LAME

cartoons be realer than reality TV.

In case you needed more of a distraction to keep you from doing any actual work, here is a list of complete cartoon episodes available on YouTube.

As well, for some reason, Adult Swim/Chocolate Industries released a free compilation to a bunch of the mp3 blogs, and it's full of some pretty fresh tracks and remixes.

~sarah p.

Guys and Girls at the smoke pit

Dear Stoners,
I know lifes hard. I understand that you are not content being just a barista. You have goals and aspirations. You want to take hackey sac to the olympics. You have single handedly not let "the man" cut your hair. And you have kept wide legged pants from dying out. But come on, do you really need to wear these. Please, cut your hair, put away the tye died shirts and hemp necklaces, quit listening to slipknot, nu metal, rap rock, and Phish, and do something productive besides working at 7-11. I have faith in you.

D

Canada Mixtape (side B)

(my turn)

1. State of Crisis-Ghetto Concept
2. Split Second Time- Masia One
3. Sharks- Cadence Weapon
4. Unexplainable Hunger- Classified ft. Royce 59 & Choclair
5. What's Hardcore- K'Naan
6. At the Top -Rochester AKA Juice
7. Roc the Crowd- Dragon Fli Empire ft. Ohmega Watts
8. Bang- Eternia
9. Live in My Element- DL Incognito
10. Play Dis (99 Remix)- Saukrates ft. Common (this track has been so, so underplayed)

Happy Canada Day, friends.

~sarah p.

Canada Mixtape

Seeing as it is Canada day, Here's some Jams from Canadian artists to get the juices flowing.

Side A
1. Dream Warriors- Definition
2. Kardinal Offishal- Old Time Killin
3. Choclair- Rubbin'
4. Dragon Fly Empire- Mt. Pleasant
5. Swollen Members- Watch This ( I don't really like them but.......)
6. Rascalz ft Barringto Levy- Top of the Wold
7. Fiest ft K-OS- Mushaboo (remix)
8. Classified- No Mistakes
9. Stink Mitt- Pinch Da Box
10. K-OS- Love Song