MidPoints - Now On Twitter @MidPointsMusic

Hello there! I've decided to take MidPoints into the future with it's very own dedicated Twitter account. I'm a busy guy and there is a lot of stuff I want to share but sometimes don't have the time to post and I don't want to wait for my ScatterPoints recaps to get it out there. So check it out at: www.twitter.com/MidPointsMusic

Also, I reworked the layout! You like?

ScatterPoints #3: Mid/Late Novemberish

Here is a breif recap of the past weeks in the world of MidPoints music...

MUSIC VIDEOS:

Passion Pit - Little Secrets

Any music video with bright colors and journeys through space is a winner in my book. Way to make it happen, Passion Pit. Unfortunately, the embed feature is locked on this video, but it's definitely worth checking out. Watch the HD "Little Secrets" video on YouTube.

One Sentence Reviews:

The xx - xx

Rating: 92/100

Dark, sexy and simple, The xx's debut album is one of the most finely crafted indie-pop records of the year and it proves that minimalism can still be both stunningly complex and dramatically infectious.

High Point Tracks: "Heart Skipped A Beat", "Crystalised"

Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk

Rating: 82/100

Like most super-groups, the more you enjoy the collected of works of Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket and M. Ward, the more you will enjoy the Monsters of Folk's eclectic and satisfying debut album.

High Point Tracks: "Say Please", "Slow Down Jo"

Michael Jackson - Dangerous

Rating: 76/100

The most surprising and condemning aspect of Dangerous is the fact that it is by far his most dated sounding album, though the stand out tracks are as good as anything the King of Pop has ever released.

High Point Tracks: "Black or White", "Will You Be There"

ScatterPoints #2: Late October/Early Novemberish

Here is a breif recap of this past weekish in the world of MidPoints music...

ScatterPoints #2: Late October/Early Novemberish

Welcome back to ScatterPoints! This week I've got some hot new track downloads, music videos and a handful of reviews. Lets go!

DOWNLOAD THIS ISH:

"Mirrors" - Wale ft. Bun B (Produced by Mark Ronson)

Hey Wale, this song is awesome. I've been on a crazy Bun B/UGK kick lately, so way to time your leaks with my mood. Can't wait for your new album!

"Bye Bye Bayou" - LCD Soundsystem (Alan Vega Cover)

Long, bizarre and dancey as shit "Bye Bye Bayou" is typical LCD Soundsystem in the best way possible. New album drops in March of 2010 and it can't come quickly enough.

WATCH THESE VIDEOS:

ONE SENTENCE REVIEWS:

Lil Wayne - No Ceilings

Rating: 77/100

It's been a while since Weezy has released anything really noteworthy and it looks like it could be years before we get Rebirth or Tha Carter IV, but until that day arrives No Ceilings serves as uncharacteristically sleek and focused addition to the Lil Wayne mixtape canon.

High Point Track: "I Gotta Feeling"

Michael Jackson - This Is It (Special Edition)

Rating: 95/100

Contrary to what it would seem This Is It, is NOT the live recordings from the film or the rehearsals but rather just the original recordings of the songs that appear in the film making it essentially another greatest hits collection although the new song "This Is It" and the surprisingly incredible bonus disc demos make this a must-have for serious MJ fans.

High Point Track: "This Is It"

FILM REVIEW:

Michael Jackson's This Is It

So I went and saw This Is It this past weekend and it offered an immensely fascinating look inside the final months of the legendary entertainers life. The film is entirely comprised of rehearsal footage for MJ's 50 show residency at London's O2 Arena and clearly was never meant to be an actual feature length film as much of the footage is lo-fi and incomplete. That being said, the film perfectly illustrates the eccentric genius of Michael Jackson. As I walked out of the film I came to the conclusion that he is essentially a mad scientist; as bizarre and bat-shit crazy as he is meticulous and intelligent. His approach to his music and his show was unlike anything I have ever seen. The film outs Jackson as a perfectionist (to put it lightly) but it simultaneously shows us that the results of his process are truly unparalleled in popular entertainment. In one of the most insightful and intriguing scenes, Jackson discusses his music with the show's sound director and he explains that the music must sound exactly as he wrote it. Rather than updating or reorganizing his timeless compositions, MJ wanted to his show to be a flawless replication of the original recordings; demanding that the audience hear it precisely how they have been listening to it for years (this explains why the This Is It album is the just original recordings). Had the This Is It concert series ever actually made it to the stage, it would have been everything he promised: a show that is entirely dedicated to the fans. Decades after his prime, the man still could dance and sing exactly as he was able to in the 80s and he even looked pretty much the same although I have a sneaking suspicion that he has had some work done. Overall, the film was enormously satisfying and anyone who has ever enjoyed his work would be wise to see what he was planning for his own personal finale. Unfortunately, This Is It ends essentially the same way Jackson's life did: abrupt, unexpected and sadly incomplete.

ScatterPoints #1: Mid/Late Octoberish

Here is a breif recap of this past weekish in the world of MidPoints music...

SCATTER POINTS #1: Mid/Late Octoberish

10/20: Black Eyed Peas & U2

This past Tuesday I was finally able to fulfill a long standing music wish. The first CD I ever remember going to purchase was U2's All That You Can't Leave Behind back in 2000 and ever since then they have been one of my favorite bands. It was a long 9-year wait to see them live, but it absolutely lived up to my expectations. They played an epic two and a half hour set, on the biggest stage ever built, and ran through just about all of their hits. It was easily one of the best shows I've ever been to.

U2 Setlist:

1. Breathe

2. Get On Your Boots

3. Magnificent

4. Mysterious Ways

5. Beautiful Day

6. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

7. Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of

8. No Line On The Horizon, Elevation

9. In A Little While, Unknown Caller

10. Until The End Of The World

11. The Unforgettable Fire

12. City Of Blinding Lights

13. Vertigo

14. I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight

15. Sunday Bloody Sunday

16. MLK

17. Walk On

Encore 1:

18. One

19. Where The Streets Have No Name

Encore 2:

20. Ultra Violet (Light My Way)

21. With Or Without You

22. Moment of Surrender

Pics:

ONE-SENTENCE REVIEWS:

Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown

Rating: 68/100

Five-years after Green Day's American Idiot opus, the American punksters return with an album is only for those with a long standing loyalty to the band, and even then don't expect to hear anything you haven't heard before.

High-Point Track: "East Jesus Nowhere"

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Rating: 83/100

While it is both louder and noisier than the band's debut, Veckatimest is one of the more interesting records of the year, blending pop sensibilities and harmonies not unlike Pet Sounds era Beach Boys, with the twist of modern distortion and sonic exploration.

High Point Track: "Cheerleader"

T.I. - King

Rating: 75/100

Clearly inferior to last years Paper Trail, this is an album that hints at greatness to come and although it is often lacking strong lyrical content, it offers it's fair share of truly original and memorable tracks.

High Point Track: "You Know Who"

The Flaming Lips - Embryonic

Rating 81/100

This album is f***ing strange, but stick with it and after each listen the pieces will start to come together and add up to a true album experience in the most classic sense of the format.

High Point Track: "The Ego's Last Stand"

Michael Jackson - Off The Wall

Rating 79/100

Despite a being fun, memorable and genuinely classic pop album, Off The Wall proves just how far MJ was able to take both his music and the entire pop genre in the span of four years with this album's incomparable predecessor Thriller.

High Point Track: "Burn This Disco Out"

Thanks for stopping by ScatterPoints, check back next week!

My Life Is 100% Full of Everything That Isn't Blogging

...and it hurts my soul. Heres the deal: I'm super busy. I love writing about music and sharing all the cool new stuff I find with you folks. Unfortunately, I lack the free time to write anything of actual length. I'm just writing this to let you know that MidPoints is alive!!! That doesn't change the fact that I don't have much free time, but as a peace offering I give you a series of one sentance reviews of recent music I've come across. It's mostly new stuff, but I think I might start reviewing old tunes I get my paws on. I'll try to post at least one little recap per week from now on, but no promises.

RECENT ALBUM REVIEW:

Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon: The End of Day

Rating: 76/100

A fun, refreshing take on modern hip-hop that fails to reach it's full potential despite a number of truly phenomenal stand-out tracks.

High Point Track: "Alive (Nightmare) ft. Ratatat"

Simian Mobile Disco - Temporary Pleasures

Rating: 72/100

Less imaginative and epic than its predecessor, Temporary Pleasures is a very solid, very fun, rather top-heavy album that relies a little too much on it's guest list despite featuring one of my favorite songs of the year.

High Point Track: "Audacity of Huge"

Pearl Jam - Backspacer

Rating: 81/100

If you've ever liked Pearl Jam, odds are you will still like Pearl Jam's latest batch of surprisingly mature and up beat alt rock jams.

High Point Track: "The Fixer"

Muse - The Resistance

Rating: 78/100

Ambitious, flawed, polished and epic in proportions, The Resistance continues Muse's upward climb on the ladder of rock with some of their best (and most boring) songs to date.

High Point Track: "Undisclosed Desires"

U2 - No Line On The Horizon

Rating: 83/100

Edge's guitars keep sounding better and Bono's lyrics keep getting cheesier, but none the less, over 30 years into their career, the biggest rock band in the world proves they can still rock though they sound their best when they don't venture to far from the formula (shiny guitars + soaring vocals) that got them to the top.

High Point Track: "Magnificent"

PS Check out the new Album Rating side-bar thingy -------->>>>

The Blueprint 3 Review & VMA Performance

JAY-Z - THE BLUEPRINT 3

Rating - 84/100

Ok, so The Blueprint 3 was the first album I went to a record store at midnight to purchase. Thank you Zia Records for operating on college kid hours (late morning to midnight). I got home, hit play and was immediately intrigued by the albums opener "What We Talkin' About" which sounds more like an atmospheric M83 dance track than a Jay-Z songs. But it's no secret that Hova has become quite the fan of indie rock as of late as evidenced by his appearance at a NY Grizzly Bear show, his use of a "D.A.N.C.E." sample, as well as the fact that Luke Steele, lead vocalist for Empire of the Sun appears on "What We Talkin' About". The album is clearly a bit top heavy with the two singles "D.O.A." and "Run This Town" coming back to back and immediately followed by the outrageously incredible duet with Alicia Keys "Empire State of Mind". The ballad is swelling with well deserve pride and egoism, both a tribute to the rapper's home city and his own empire. Keys' vocals matched with Jay-Z at his most epic level of class proves to be more than just a great duet, it's easily one of the finest song either artist has released. Unfortunately, the album peaks early because after "Empire Sate of Mind" things die down a little. I'm not normally a fan of Swizz Beatz production style, but "On To The Next One" is a straight up, capital 'J' Jam. And of course, it samples Justice so of course I'm gonna drool all over it. When I first saw the tracklist for BP3, I got really jazzed up about both Kid Cudi and Drake features. The fact that neither of these up and coming rappers gets to actually rap on the legendary MC's latest outing is surprising but interestingly fitting. They are good enough to be on the album, but not big enough to actually do anything yet. The Drake track "Off That" is a fairly typical Timbaland joint with a futuristic, dancey beat that wouldn't be complete without the attention loving producer yelling 'HEY!' over the beat from start to finish. The Cudi track on the other hand is one of the slickest, most polished songs I've ever heard in hip-hop lately. Jay-Z's verses aren't super memorable, but the beat is baller. The album closes on a nostalgic and surprisingly heartfelt note with "Young Forever" which features K. West protege Mr. Hudson singing the chorus to the cheese 80s classic "Forever Young". I wouldn't go so far to say that the song is humble, but there is a glimpse at humility and an acknowledgement of just how far he has come since the Reasonable Doubt days. However, my favorite track on the album is easily the first single "D.O.A". Its a scorching, natural sounding reminder that he is the best at what he does and contains a bold and refreshing statement; Jay-Z doesn't follow trends, he only sets and kills them. The track also highlights the production skills of No ID, with natural drums, guitars and other elements not commonly found in the realm of hip-hop. Also, that drum breakdown at the end of the chorus before the verse is just nuts. I'm pretty sure I'm going to break my steering wheel in my car because I pound on the thing so damn hard during that part. Overall, The Blueprint 3 is a solid effort from start to finish. It's somewhat a departure from familiar Jay-Z, but it seems like a natural progression for the artists. BP3 is a glossy, epic production that is yet another high-quality entry into the Jay-Z canon.

Heres a special bonus just for you! Jay-Z & Alicia Keys last night at the VMAs performing "Empire State of Mind" and in case you missed it, this was obviously the best performance of the night.

Jay-Z - New Music - More Music Videos

Drake ft. Eminem, Kanye West, Lil Wayne - Forever

Well isn't this is a MidPoints dream come true. Someone decided to put the four dudes I seem to blog the most about on one insanely hot track. It's just shy of 6 minutes long, giving plenty of time for all four of these guys to do their thing and do it right. Drakegrassi sings the hook and gives us the lead off verse about how awesome he is and how quickly he got to where he is. Not particularly original, but still fun to listen to. But after the three other guys get their shot at a verse, Eminem flat out kills it. Drizzy, Yeezy and Weezy might be good at what they do, but this track reminds us that they all pale in comparison to Em's lyrical and flowdacious prowess. I mean he threatens to literally eat your face. What more could you want?

Download this ish. Now!

Thanks again to my buddy Kia for the tip.

New Radiohead - These Are My Twisted Words

Radiohead just put a new song up as a free download in their W.A.S.T.E. Shop. It's called "These Are My Twisted Words". This new cut come hot on the heels of their tribute the the last WWI survivor "Harry Patch (In Memory Of)". Its a pretty straightforward Radiohead song, brooding guitar, haunting vocals, weird sonic effects, the usual. There have been a lot of rumors circulating about the potential upcoming release of a new EP. Maybe something called Wall of Ice? Who knows. The download comes with a bunch of weird pictures and instructions on how to print them and other weird extras.

Download "These Are My Twisted Words" 4 free on the band's website

Lollapalooza Sunday Recap

Sorry for the delay. I've been busy. Let's not waste time with the boring stuff. Lollapalooza 09. Sunday. Lets go.

SUNDAY (8.9.09)

By sunday the heat/humidity was ridiculous. It was easily one of the hottest days of any Lollapalooza I have attended. Luckily, it was also had some of the best performances of weekend.

BAT FOR LASHES

Bat For Lashes was an unfortunate victim of scheduling. She played a great set, with plenty of energy and fire, she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Playing the kind of subtle, piano driven stuff that she does is lost on most of the crowd this early in the afternoon. At 130 most people are just hanging out or walking around trying to find something to watch and those who have planted at stage are far more concerned with finding a beer and chatting with their buddies than watching the band. I don't blame those folks, I've been there, I'm just saying Bat For Lashes probably would have been a lot better with a time slot later in the day. It didn't help that some drunk asshole yelled all the lyrics to her set finishing "Daniel" as she was singing them. Still a solid, enjoyable performance.

KAISER CHIEFS

I used to like the Kaiser Chiefs, but I kinda got bored with them pretty fast. They did put on one hell of a show. I just chilled back and layed out in the grass, but they were giving the crowd all the stuff us festival goers eat up; handclaps, call & response, etc. They were one of the most pleasant surprises of the weekend. This massive fire hose attached to a giant fan that blew mist over the crowd was THE most pleasant surprise of the weekend:

THE HOOD INTERNET

I actually planned on seeing Gang Gang Dance in the time slot following the Kaiser Cheifs, but as I was walking past Perry's DJ stage I heard something familiar. The music of french electronic duo Justice...except some Phil Collins vocals had been mixed on top of it. At that moment, all bets were off. I made a bee-line for Perry's and yet again, this turned out to be a great decision. I saw some DJ pair called The Hood Internet. Whatev, they were just mixing for the crazy-ass dance party that was going on around the stage. Like I said, when in doubt always always always go to Perry's, its where the party never stops. Don't believe me? Check this out:

The whole crowd stopped to cheer on this 10 year old crowd surfer with dyed green hair. What a badass. This is much weirder.

Yes. That is an old dude crowd surfing with a lightsaber. I love you Lollapalooza.

OLD POET DUDE

Those who have been to Lolla before know to always keep a look out for this guy. I have no idea who he is. I do know that he goes around to random stages at random times and reads original poetry. Its usually about the band, but is also too abstract to really figure out how or why. Anyway, he usually gets the people pumped.

PASSION PIT

Best performance of the weekend. Period. They were just incredible. I only got into them a few weeks before Lolla but I really fell hard for their debut LP Manners. I still can't stop listening to that album. So I was pretty amped up to see them because they are such a new and exciting band, and there is something special about seeing a band right on the cusp of taking off. The crowd was beyond packed. Once they started, it was just pure chaos. There was so much jumping and dancing and crowd surfing. Only two times in my Lollapalooza history have I jumped/danced harder than at Passion Pit and that was at Girl Talk in 08 and Daft Punk in 07. And I don't dance for just anybody. Passion Pit was the apex, the pinnacle of the weekend. I had more excitement, sweat, and fun during their set than any other during the whole weekend. Their brand of pop is just pure energy and it translated beautifully live. Every chorus is an epic sing a long, and each song seemed to big more epic than the last. They were, in a word, perfect.

SNOOP DOGG

It took me about a half hour to recover, both physically and emotionally, from Passion Pit and as soon as I did, Snoop D-Oh-Double-G was there to get the party going again. Although I wasn't able to enjoy the show in quite the manner in which I had hoped, I still had a blast. I mean, he started his set with "The Next Episode" and then "Gin and Juice". Snoop Dogg is the crowd pleaser. He did his hits, he did a Tupac tribute, he played "Jump Around" which caused break dance circles to form, he did call & response, he did it all. There was a cloud hanging over the crowd that you wouldn't believe. He finished his set with a repeating chorus of "Na na na na Na na na na hey hey hey Snoooooop Doooooooggg".

Look. People dancing in the middle of the crowd. Hilarious.

I LOVE MY CITY

I love my city. I mean just look at it. Ain't Chicago the prettiest thing you ever did see?

THE KILLERS

The Killers headlining set, much like both the Kings of Leon and the Yeah Yeah Yeah, felt like a coming of age ceremony. Lead singer Brandon Flowers even humbly announced that this was the largest crowd they had ever played for. But Perry Ferrell doesn't pick somebody to headline his festival if he doesn't think they can handle the job. So the Killers did their home city of Las Vegas proud and put on a Show. I loved the band's first two albums Hot Fuss and Sam's Town but to be honest their third album Day & Age didn't do much for me. However, the songs that were boring and forgettable on that album were given new life on the giant Chicago 2016 stage. I mean, any concert with pyrotechnics is going to be a good time. Their biggest songs like "Mr. Brightside" and "All These Things I've Done" were huge, but the weekend closing "When You Were Young" accompanied with a shower of sparks and other explosives was truly one of the best moments of the weekend.

Lollapalooza Saturday Recap

After the miserable conditions of Friday, as soon as I saw the sun on saturday, I knew I was going to have a a much better time. It got hot and humid fast but being the Arizona boy that I am, I'll take sunshine and heat over rain any day of the week. Lets get to the good stuff!

SATURDAY (8.8.09)

My first stop on Saturday was the Kidaplooza stage. In my previous years of Lollapaloozaing, I'd never visited the Kidaplooza stage so I was presently surprised to catch the last few mintues of boy wonder Quinn Sullivan and blues guitar legend Buddy Guy. I only saw them play a few songs, and sadly didnt get any pictures, but it was enjoyable while it lasted.

KASKADE

The biggest lesson I learned this weekend is to always always always go to Perry's DJ stage when I have down time. I didn't have any firm destination once I got to the festival on Saturday, so I was just moseying around when I saw some crazy shit going down at Perry's. DJ Kaskade was spinning and scratching and mixing up a storm and it was a blast. There were two scantily clad identical twins dancing and throwing t-shirs into the crowd, and everyone was dancing up a storm, despite the intense mid day heat. I honestly have no idea who Kaskade is and I will probably never listen to him again, but he sure did put on a fun set.

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE (DJ SET)

I knew I wasn't going to be able to catch Animal Collectives performance later in the day, so I thought I would catch their DJ set at Perry's to make up for the loss. After hearing Kaskade provide the mastermix soundtrack to a party in the park, I was pretty excited to hear what AC had up their sleeve. I was expecting them to do the same kind of thing as Kaskade or maybe do dancey mixes of their own tunes, I would have been happy withe either. But boy oh boy was I disappointed. As far as I could tell, they just plugged in their iPod and played a bunch of bizarre, rhythmic world music. Whatever it was, it wasn't dancey, wasn't fun, and wasn't a party. I stayed for about a half hour, waiting for something interesting to happen. It never did, so I took off and headed for the Chicago 2016 main stage to catch the last half of Atmosphere's performance.

Although attendance on Friday was still in the tens of thousands, it seemed about 12 times more crowded on Saturday. Look at all those people!

ATMOSPHERE

I don't really know much about Atmosphere, beyond the fact that he is a white rapper and most of my hardcore hip-hop fan friends aren't particularly huge fans of his. Still, what I caught of his set was decent and I enjoyed what I heard in that 'its live music and the sun is shining so I can't complain' kinda way. Not a bad way to kill a half hour, but not particularly great either.

ARCTIC MONKEYS

I have long been of the opinion that the Arctic Monkey's are one of the most grossly overrated bands in the indie world. But that didn't stop me from checking out their set on Saturday afternoon. They rocked it pretty hard, and although I still don't really see what all the fuss is about, I definitely enjoyed their performance. Whatever, live music is live music and when the weather is nice, there ain't nothin' better. No complaints. Keep doing what you are doing Arctic Monkeys, it seems to be working for you.

SANTIGOLD

Santigold put one of the most fun sets of the weekend. She burned through most of the songs from her debut LP but not without taking some truly awesome detours. First, she played the Jay-Z track "Brooklyn We Go Hard", singing her part before then transitioning into "Shove It", the song Jay-Z sampled for his track. Later in the set, for reasons that escape me, she and her dancers/back up singer started dancing to Soulja Boy's "Turn My Swag On". It only lasted about a minute, and like I said, I have no idea why it happened, but it was pretty fun. Then, just before closing her set with "Creator" she cover the classic Cure track "Killing An Arab". Her show was the last one of a tour that has spanned the last 2 years and was her first show back in America in some time. Artists always love to end their tours with a bang and that's exactly what she did. Way to deliver, Santi.

Also, check out the GZA of Wu-Tang Clan fame chillin' on the side of the stage. WU-TANG-WU-TANG

TV ON THE RADIO

I saw TV On The Radio at Lollaplooza 2009 and they were great then, but they were much better this year. They were on a much bigger stage, and they played louder, and harder than I expected. Their music is so inherently energetic, but the often bizarre rhythms present on their latest albums suddenly made so much more sense when played at a deafening volume. Although bands like TVOTR depend a lot of the sonic composition of the studio environment, they take on an entirely different, but equally enjoyable feel live. Their set was mainly comprised of stuff from Dear Sceince, but they included some of their classics like "Wolf Like Me" and an epic, set finishing rendition of "Staring At The Sun". They were definitely one of my highlights from the whole weekend.

YEAH YEAH YEAHS

It hurt my heart, but I had a pretty decent spot for TVOTR and I knew if I skipped Animal Collective and moved up for the YYYs I could get a pretty decent spot. It was the classic conundrum of the festival. I could abandon my post to squeeze one more band in but then have a bad view for both, or skip the one and get a great spot for the headliner. These past few years have taught me that it's always worth it to get close to the headliner. So thats what I did, and boy was it worth it. Just like the Kings of Leon, I've been a fan of the YYYs for a long time and seeing them fill the shows of a festival headlining spot was awesome. They opened with the slow building "Runaway" and the high priestess of alt rock Karen O took the stage wearing a giant colorful head dress. They played a great mix of material from all three of their studio releases. From the scorching dance punk of "Heads Will Roll" and "Pin" to the slowjam ballads like "Skeleton", the band was clearly having a the time of their life, more than taking advantage of their last minute headliner status. However, they were at their most human when they played an acoustic version of their love ballad single "Maps", with Karen O forgetting the lyrics midway through. Luckily she had thousands and thousands of fans their to help get her on track. Overall, it was an outrageously high energy performance and one of my favorite shows of the weekend. It was an exhausting but perfect end to a long day of great music. For however miserable Friday was, Saturday more than made up for it. Once the YYYs played the final notes of "Date With The Night" and brought the day to a close, I knew the festival had been redeemed.

Check back tomorrow for my recap of Sunday!