Hate The Players, Hate The Game, Hate the World (Insomniac Edition)

Some days you just thank God Apple made it's superior mp3 player that allows you to listlessly space out continuously for days on end like the horrible (or extraordinary) aftermath of a junkie who won the lottery.

Besides Maxwell's latest attempt I'm hard pressed to find anybody singing who isn't visually backed up by what appears to be genetically engineered stripper-mimes in the last throes of a fatal epileptic seizure. Of course that could be due to fact Viacom won't let me watch anything that isn't soft porn, the last gasps of fame starved attention junkies, or the mewing whine of sexually confused young men.

Speaking of which, I have no hope that this Drake cat won't last long unless the unicorn and rainbows happy fun land promised by the president's supporters extend to the Hip-Hop consumer; rap aficionados have a low attention span for high yellow MC's, even ones with a noticeable screen presence.

Luckily Steve Jobs gave me the ability to quit my already ruined radio experience and the machinations of Al Gore made sure I can find new and forward-thinking music at my callous whim.

This month I've been busy devouring the latest incarnation of supreme band leader, songwriter, and influential musician Meshell Ndegeocello (I believe that's the latest spelling). Her latest album, Devil's Halo, has flown in under the radar of everyone who isn't already itching for another release of hers and will most likely stay that way due her music being very Prince-like uncategorical and most definitely dismissible to anyone without patience to listen to music.

For all those out there sick of hearing the same 80's hair metal effects and scale used in every other black artists' song featuring an electric guitar (looking at you Jigga), Meshell's newest is the aural wizardry that will allow you to momentarily forget the Disneyification of modern radio and record companies and possibly be left field enough to allow you to poison your enemies while they ponder what soundscapes they are being subjected to.

It's true, this time around Meshell made an album with a lot of indie aesthetic value while keeping it a Meshell LP. The reworking of Ready For The World's panty-dropping "Love You Down" to a modern focused bedroom groove speaks to the care she takes in her art.

Plus, you can probably play bits of the album around your older relatives and they won't look at you like you shat in their cereal cupboard like when they found out you may have bought that Three-Six Mafia album that one time in a moment of weakness and intoxication, and that has it appeal too.

Love You Down - Meshell Ndegeocello

Stay Cool

With the growing clusterfuck that is this country's choice of "civil discourse" we all need to take a few minutes here and there to cool down and reflect for a bit on how best to stack weapons and train for the coming idiot revolution.

Publish Post

Luckily one of our friends recently got a radio show to help you do that. Retro started working at a radio station in San Antonio hosting a jazz show, and not shitty jazz either. Retro is probably the foremost authority on jazz music that any of us know, so we'll just say that he's the foremost authority on jazz period in our generation.

Anyway, the guy has a really good show which you can find in the KRTU archives here, and then going down and clicking on The Line-Up under Friday at 9:00p.m. It's a good listen for anyone who has any interest in jazz (other than what is played by those wankers who wouls see Kenny G in concert).

None For Me, Thank You

Well it looks like too many of you out there in the realm of upper academia are reaping the rewards of your highfalutin attitudes, namely mass exposure to the swine flu.

In celebration of the fact I'm nowhere near you and happily unexposed, I leave with with this:

R.I.P. Ted Kennedy

Today, if you missed it, was the funeral of the last Kennedy brother and second to last member of the Camelot generation of Kennedy's.

It was a nice catholic funeral if you haven't seen one and of note to me and to this blog was a nice version of Franz Schubert's "Ellens dritter Gesang" commonly known as "Ave Maria." Personally, I'm not a fan of opera usually, but I love this song, especially the version sung by Barbara Bonney.

Ave Maria -

Good Morning and Shut Up

Last time I posted a song it sucked balls. This time it doesn't. Go do something with your weekend.

I Think This Proves They Have Lost Touch With Anyone Who Isn't In A Focus Group

Besides our good friends Attractive Eighties Women's new album release this Friday, the music world has been quietly hanging itself abuzz with other news; the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards.

Of course most people like me could could give two shits less about the VMAs. They lost respectability sometime when they sold the rebellious streak for advertisements and first access to half-assed performers, and when confirming Billboard's ground breaking analysis of the most important/biggest performers of the time, (their method? 1+1=2, and so on until it eventually adds to gold.)

It seems all of the entrenched corporations of the music press and history took a swan dive as of late, mirroring the problems seen in the recording and music distribution industry. And like the rest of them they turn their eyes towards the internet (and by proxy, people on the internet) as a large reason for their downward spiral.

I will agree that the inability for anyone to create a great model of making money using the internet (because good models exist, just not enough good enough for companies to pour the millions into advertising like they used to before a recession), a place where entertainment goods are treated as much a commodity as the notes you slip a friend in high school chemistry class. But also give credit where credit is due, and a good amount of the blame goes to just plain shitty or average music made out to be good, great, and phenomenal.

I know this argument is rolled out by everyone when they hit a certain age, but fuck all. I am 23 years old... I shouldn't be looking back at my middle and early high school years as the high point of culture of my generation. I do like music and there are artists I deeply enjoy whose albums I will go buy... when I can make it out to an independent record store to buy them. Sorry but Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy doesn't often carry The Pains at Being Pure at Heart or Sonic Youth's SYR releases, or Sunny Day Real Estate's reunion album? (We had a giant corporate mega store for that, it folded years ago to great sadness).

And unfortunately for the record industry, there are several thousand, if not millions of people just like me, who compulsively go out to buy albums and who have been turned off by the fact that the radio and music video stations don't carry what I want to listen to anymore. MTV embodies that.

I looked at this year's crop of top performers according to MTV, most of them being no surprise and nothing particularly greater than a "meh" on my radar. Then I saw that breakthrough artist was a good dozen artists deep; some how it became the dumping ground for anyone who had a moderately good year but didn't have the full weight of a music distribution company behind it.

Then, of course MTV had to piss me off by adding another category, one I've not seen before so I have no idea if it is brand new. This new second chance category, Best Video (That Should Have Won A Moonman) is such a shill for attention.

What the hell MTV? Are you really so desperate to try and reclaim some of the cultural relevance you squandered away on non-believable reality TV and playing the same four videos that somehow have something to do with Kayne West and Justin Timberlake all day on your actual music video stations that you would try to pander to the audience you once had, that made you a powerhouse in the media (and not just entertainment; remember Rock The Vote specials? MTV News?)?

You've lost it with us. We're gone. Same as the people who used to read Rolling Stone or the people who checked out Playboy's music section. You lost credibility years ago and trying to regain it by throwing out a half-hearted "sorry" to artists who, for the most part, you won't even play on your tertiary stations late night is... sad. It's really fucking sad.

Good Morning All

This song has no balls.

Since the original had a sack full, I am convinced this band who covered it was either born genitally impaired or fucking chopped off their own nuts to fit into a ridiculous pair of ridiculously tight jeans.

But Back To The Point (review of Capitol Hill Block Party)

Moving away from the angsty-ness of my earlier post I decided to put up some constructive criticism of the CHBP. Now I've never been that huge a fan of festival type shows before but a few hold a special place in my heart, and CHBP is certainly one of them.

What the open air takeover of the main drag of Capitol Hill in Seattle for a day and a half manages to do what most concert promoters should look to emulate is create an all ages venue that doesn't feel strictly under-16 oriented. But that could also have something to do with the great people at the Vera Project having a hand in the Seattle music scene for some time now.

With just three stages, and one specifically over-21 it truly was an all ages event, which is definitely something my high school self would have benefited from way back when. Even so, all the braces, acne, terrible haircuts, and squeaky voices made me feel both old and grateful that I had the freedom to go where ever I chose and drink whatever I wanted to.

But getting down to the acts, I only went one day, Saturday, and only for a few hours at that, but enough time to see The Thermals, The Gossip, and Sonic Youth. I went basically just to see Sonic Youth and only Sonic Youth, but the other two bands were an added bonus to getting to see one of my favorite bands ever.

The Thermals are an easy enough band to like, they play fast catchy songs that are accessible to anyone with even the slightest ear for music and basically apart of the repertoire for anyone who claims to listen to punk. They are fun to listen to and watch. They don't really arouse much emotion or other thoughts in me.



The Gossip was a rollicking good time. Beth Ditto is probably the best front-person in the past decade, and obviously the best of our generation as far as rock goes. She draws you in and keeps your attention the entire time she is on stage, and you completely enjoy giving her the attention. Circling through their hits the absolute high point was the band's cover of Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody." Although I gotta say it was one of the first moments I felt old, because absolutely none of the kids who showed up to watch the Gossip knew any of the words to the song, while anyone obviously my age or older was seriously rocking out.



The second moment I felt old that night was when about 90% of the people under twenty left the main stage after The Gossip's set, while the rest of us moved in to watch the dozens of guitars get loaded on stage.

If there's one adjective that can sum up Sonic Youth's career at this point is that Sonic Youth is damn cool. They are years away from collecting social security but they still manage to be just... fucking cool. While I loved the songs from the new album I would have rather seen a longer set and one incorporating songs from the past albums, the ones that made me fall in love with the band. But man, I got to see Sonic Youth perform. What a fuckin' deal.

Movies to Watch : Whitewash

Whitewash, the documentary, is a film exploring the complexity of race in America through the struggle and triumph of the history of black surfers. It is narrated by Ben Harper and Black Thought, and tells the story through the eyes of black surfers and historians from Hawaii, Jamaica, Florida, and California. The film is being scored by The Roots , with music from Erykah Badu as well. Let's hope it hits the big theaters soon so we can all catch a glimpse of this historic exploration of race, identity, and surfing culture.

Whitewash Trailer

What the Fuck Have I Been Doing?

It's a very valid question seeing as I've taken friggen forever to post here, seeing as I find time time to post other places. Well shit happens, people get busy, and sometimes people are just away from computers, like earlier this month when I was back in Sacto and met up with my man Scott post-family obligations.

But that's neither here nor there unless you count shameless plugs as somewhere; I want to talk about music, specifically live music. This past weekend I was lucky enough to get a pass to the Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle. One of the city's best music festival which may or may not be approaching critical mass if the lack of comfortable space this year is any indication. But really it could be because of the acts in this years line-up. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Thermals, Built To Spill, The Gossip and, most notably, Sonic Youth.

That's right I got to see Sonic Youth play. For free. and It would've been a dream come true if it weren't for certain people, mainly assholes. These people really impacted mine and many others concert experience. To put it mildly, you fuckers made it less great than it should've been. So here are the dicks that ruined a perfectly good moment of my life. Don't be these people.*

The Asshole Who Has To Get Closer After Everyone Else Has Settled Into Their Spot:
I don't mean the people who try to get closer after you've found your spot in the crowd or even the ones who slither through during sound check. No, I'm talking about the people who shove past you after everyone else is without elbow room and then decide to stand right in front of you where you can feel their body heat and you're left wondering if this is the type of person who would screw at a public (frat) party because they seem wholly unconcerned with your crotch very clearly grinding on their body anytime anyone moves.

The Lady With Sunhat, After It Gets Dark:
It's twilight, and I know you've been out here for all day at an outdoor festival and it's been warm. I agree you shouldn't let your shoulders get so red they peel, but now you can take off the hat. Seriously it's blocking my view, they guy next to me's view, his "not a date's" view, the people behind us, and anyone shorter than you within line of sight. Messenger bags are trendy now, buy one for your hat.

The Dude Taller Than Me Who Has To Stand Right In Front Of Me:
I'm shorter than you dick, you don't need to be this close to see everything. You're part of the reason I moved closer anyway, thus putting my ability to hear in the future at stake.

The Drunk and High People Who Keep Moving Through The Crowd:
There is seriously nothing and no one so important you have to leave and go back to where you were standing four goddamn times. FOUR GODDAMN TIMES. You aren't using the bathroom, you aren't getting food. Did you decide to mainline heroin during that first trip away from the stage? Stop following the shiny things everywhere, there's more if you just pay attention to what's in front of you, that's what everybody else here is doing. Be a lemming, follow the crowd.

and finally,

Those Asshole Who Feel They Have To Mosh and/or Slam Dance At Every Halfway Loud Song:
Fuck off you brainless waste of space, flesh, and genitalia. I seriously hope you never reproduce, because obviously your critical thinking skills have been negated by all the jumping around you do to relieve "aggression" and "emotions". Here's a few rules for everyone out there to follow if you cannot figure out whether or nor to fail your body about in crowd during a band's set.
1. If the band's first few albums are more like free jazz or jazz fusion you aren't allowed to slam dance no matter how loud the next few albums are.
2. If the band in question has released more than six or contemplative songs in the span of two albums, under no question do you mosh, you can pogo though.
3. If at the beginning of the band's set there isn't a mosh pit, don't start one. Bands who have regular mosh crowd always seem to have their pit form before the act starts playing, not after.
4. The band's most recent albums have no moshable songs.
5. You have to mosh to get to other moshers.
6. The band is as old or older than your parents... And you've stopped living with them a few years prior.
7. If more than one person gets crowd surfed to security for being a dick, you're probably next.
And lastly, 8. If it looks like I'm about to commit a horrible range of violence upon your entire being, I am, because your forearm just hit me for the final time.

People, please, Don't be this person.



*With apologies to Lindy West for totally biting her style.

Movies to Watch : Visioneers

When the guys at Trivial Design aren't watching movies that deal with sparkling vampires or futuristic god-like machines attempting to vanquish all of mankind, we will watch a comedy here and there. We invest a good portion of our time in all types of comedic films (romantic, dramatic comedy, etc.). On those rough and cynical days, we tend to find the darkest comedy available at the moment, and this is what was stumbled upon.

Visioneers is based on the Jeffers Corporation where Zach Galifianakis' character, George, works. Productivity is a means of happiness but the mundane and arbitrary actions of one's life made them explode...yes, literally explode. When George is on the road to self-destruction, he begins to reevaluate the relevance of his life. It's a twisted story between what is expected and what a person expects out of themselves.

Visioneers Movie Link

A Stella State of Michael and Michael

Known from their work with the comedy troupe/MTV's 90's sketch comedy show, The State, and their involvement with a surrealist Comedy Central program with David Wain called Stella, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter are now staring in a show called Michael and Michael Have Issues. It deals with their fictional selves undercutting each other in a showbiz working environment inbetween their performed sketches.

A radio interview has been conducted on The Sounds of America in which they converse about their early success, business downfalls, and even describe their personal friendship which spans over 20 years. Needless to say, hearing their insight may give you a chuckle...maybe even two.

Interview link

MJ does the Bartman

Remember a while back there was a post written on Trivialdesign about Sesame Street being an American institution? *pause* (If not you should click on this link) Another iconic television staple, The Simpsons, made history by gracing its audience with Michael Jackson on their cartoon back in 1991. Everyone remembers hearing the song "Lisa it's Your Birthday" and seeing his character, Leon Kompowski, moonwalk in an asylum. Did you also know that he wrote "Do the Bartman"? It's true! Read more for details...

MJ and the Simpsons Article

Teachers Can Legally Date Students in GA

The GA Supreme Court now rules (5-2) that a teacher may have a sexual relationship with a consenting 16 year old student. Questions...Concerns...? Read the article and tell us what you think.

GA Supreme Court Article

Movies to Watch: Dark Matter

Liu Xing arrives at a big Western university to study the origins of the universe. He finds other Chinese students there and together they find modest living accommodations. He befriends an older woman who is somewhat of a philanthropist, but has an interesting infatuation with Chinese culture. With his family name on the line, can Xing make all of his dreams come true in this unfamiliar environment? Watch and discover the complexity of dark matter.

Watch here----> Dark Matter

Movies to Watch : Cashback

An amazing British comedy/drama film about a art student named Ben who develops insomnia due to constant contemplation about his breakup with a former love interest. Ben attempts to make a fruitful situation out of his extra sleepless hours by working a menial night shift job at a local grocery store. To relinquish the monotony of his position at the supermarket, he has learned to pause time and draws portraits of the female patrons.

The antics of Ben's coworkers and his best friend, Shaun, are fairly entertaining, and his growing friendship with Sharon changes his sleeping patterns for his benefit. Knowing what to do with one's time and handle their own situations while in them is a common theme that is underrepresented in modern film. Take a gander at what's in store.

Cashback Streaming Movie Link

Tweet Us!

If you haven't done it already, make sure to follow the band @ twitter.com/tendaberry. Carlton also has his person tweet link @ twitter.com/phoenix2618.

Make sure you follow to keep in tune with the latest band and personal info.

This Just In...

If you haven't heard already, Al Franken has been declared the winner of his respective state's senate seat in Congress by Minnesota's Supreme Court. This could be the game changer for the Democratic party to pass policy without a hint of opposition. Who would have thought a former SNL member could be a senator? Only in America!

Al Franken Article

Michael Jackson Is Dead... And We Killed Him

Everyone is talking about it, and I do mean everyone. It's the biggest news of the decade practically, even bigger than Iran's slow burning revolution. The King of Pop is dead.

There was never a time in my life where Michael Jackson was not a figurehead. By my birth both Off The Wall and Thriller had been released and his dance moves already ingrained in the world's collective unconsciousness. I grew up with Jackson being a larger than life and completely unreachable figure. And I guess that's one of the problems I'm having with all of the coverage of his death. How does one really talk about someone who is known all over the world? How do you report on the most famous person ever?

I know some people may argue with the idea of Michael Jackson's at this uber-popular figure, but those people are bullshitting themselves. Even his exes have admitted there is no place with even slight public access that he could go without being mobbed, literally. Think of how much attention the media gives (or is claimed to give) our current president. . . now imagine having that same amount of attention since age 11 and it increasing exponentially to the point where you have to have more on hand bodyguards than the President of the United States while still in your early 20's. And now do that for almost 30 years straight.

Michael was famous amongst famous people. I remember watching MTV, the station he once had a symbiotic relationship with, and seeing that the stars of the evening, N*Sync (during their heyday) were trembling at having briefly performed with Jackson, and backstage tried to get his autograph.

Look at the reports on his life and his death; No one can really get a grip with who he was as a person. They either focus exclusively on his music or his eccentricities, and they have a hard time reconciling that he had a life. He had children, he had marriages, he had friends, he had numerous pets, he gave to charities, he took up world causes, he was influenced by religion, and shit and eat and breathed just like the rest of us. But in our minds it just won't compute. The figurehead of Thriller can't just be a real person can he?

We made him a recluse. We didn't give him our empathy while he was alive unless he was on stage. He retreaded to his own massive world when he wasn't performing; A world that by all accounts was not based in reality. So we let him be alienated and preyed on him for it, a person whose self esteem was already precariously low by all standards.

Look at how much love R. Kelly got during his pretty unambiguous criminal allegations. Look at how we tolerate all sorts of crack addictions among our other entertainers. Michael was only good to us when he was singing and dancing, that's what we implicitly said and that's what the news has all but stated as we remember his life. It's a sad sad thing that we let one of the treasures of the 20th century die much before his time, but i guess this is just one more reminder about how humanity in general and America in particular treat the things that matter to us and add to our lives.

Watch Yr Head Extravaganza pt 8!

Once again! Featuring fine folks such as:

TENDABERRY
(myspace.com/tendaberry)

TEENAGE ILLITERATES
(myspace.com/teenageilliterates)

HAT PARTY
(members of the long shadows)

DOZIER GENESIS

Dupe on a Hoop
(formerly the Concentration Camp Counselors)

and others soon to be announced!

BYOB and Friends!

Start Time:	Saturday, June 27, 2009 at 9:00pm
End Time:	Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 3:00am
Location:	Watch Yr Head House
Street:	166 eleanor street
City/Town:	Atlanta, GA

T-Swizzle and T-Pizzle

Taylor Swift and T-Pain collaborating to manufacture "Thug Story" for the CMT Awards intro...I'm not sure if I think this is cute and endearing or if it's a sign for 2012. All in all, the video should at least have a view or two.

Jeepers Creepers Conan

Is Max Weinberg really as creepy as CoCo (Conan O'Brien) makes him out to be? Let's watch!

In Other News....

Good friend Janelle Monae was profiled today in NPR's Fresh Air. Check it out.

Sesame Street

Last night I was dealing with my usual insomnia at 3 in the morning and trying to come up with sitcom ideas. To find inspiration, I began to view a Feist video on youtube called "Gatekeeper". After being enraptured with Leslie's voice and the smooth tone of her guest bugle player's horn, I came across to a link of Leslie Feist performing "1,2,3,4" on Sesame Street. I thought *This is a must see! Two of my favorite things in the world; Muppets from my childhood and Leslie Feist!*

I took a gander at the footage and I realized how many stars have wondered into the Sesame Street Universe. Notable persons such as Buzz Aldrin, Julia Roberts, and Stevie Wonder. Even the modern heroes in entertainment and beyond such as Natalie Portman, Beyonce, and Tina Fey have made appearances on the show.

I realized that when a person has truly "made it" in whatever industry and their star quality permeates throughout the country, they will eventually become a guest star on Sesame Street. Hanging out with Big Bird, helping Elmo cross the street, and eating cookies at a feverish pace with the Cookie Monster is something that should be taken as a credit to one's work. It's a plus to be on the cover of Forbes Magazine, or being asked to throw out the first pitch at Wrigley Field, but being honored with having your visage immortalized for a television institution that has been shaping children since 1969 is something in itself.

Happy Birthday Prince

Joy In Repetition - Prince

He's an obvious influence to the guys in Tendaberry and the folks here at Trivial Design. He's a master songwriter and musician, the most underrated guitarist ever, and just damn cool. There are artists you can listen to often and you're fine with that, other artists you can listen to daily and you have no problems. With Prince you can listen to his music all the time, anytime, because his repertoire is so diverse there is something for everybody at anytime. If you don't listen to Prince you don't listen to music.

So if by chance you read this your purply highness, we need someone to produce the L.P. and take us on a national tour... How much more begging do we have to do?

Dear Billy Corgan,

We here at Trivial Design are longtime fans. We even gave Zwan a chance for a little while until we discovered it was The Smashing Pumpkins lite (Paz Lenchatin was a huge selling point). And I personally thoroughly enjoyed "Superchrist" for all its grandiose feel.

But we really think that unless you do something hella awesome really soon, we'd all rather you disappear quietly until a full band reunion can happen, because, well, you're embarrassing us and yourself, especially when the Silversun Pickups is out there making the type of music you should be making.

That's not to say they have bitten off your style completely. No, elements of your Siamese Dream and Gish days are present along with a healthy dose of Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine. But this LA band has unpretentiously melded snappy lyrics with Brain Aubert's distinct vocals to a melodious, droning guitar-driven music with fantastic bass and drum accompaniment.

We thoroughly enjoy listening to their albums and seeing them live, as they always give us our money's worth. We feel "There's No Secrets This Year" should be as popular as "Cherub Rock" while at the same time don't want the band to get too popular otherwise have to see them with screaming teenage girls with too much makeup at an amphitheater (they and their sullen looking waifs of boyfriends can discover good music when they've all mellowed out a bunch).

Mr. Corgan we think the album you meant to make was Swoon, Silversun Pickups' second LP and that maybe your loneliness after Jimmy Chamberlain left or inability to make James Iha clean your toes has made you go a bit crazier than before (and you were absolutely batshit before). We understand your pain but at the same time are excited and amazed at the fact that the Pickups' Swoon is a better album than their debut LP album Carnavas.

Despite the fact they aren't as angsty as you were (or are) we enjoy them mightily. As your audience we've grown up a bit and don't need every song to be a veiled reference to how much life sucks anymore; that's why we have Jon Stewart.

So please Mr. Corgan, don't emerge from your lair in Chicago until you have done something cool and grown up, or at least made amends with James. Until then we're gonna enjoy the band you should have formed back in 2001.

They are really awesome.

Sincerely,
Your fans at Trivial Design

PRINCE TRIBUTE SHOW!!!

A full night of all the greatest hits and rarities of Prince will be played all night by your favorite local bands such as Madam CJ, The 54, The Lost Boys, etc) including Tendaberry. Come and hear some of your most beloved Prince covers. You may hear/see a surprise or two. It's something that can't be missed.

Doors open at 9! Show starts at 10!

$5 donations going to Saint Francis' Table Atlanta

Start Time:	Friday, June 12, 2009 at 9:00pm
End Time:	Saturday, June 13, 2009 at 3:00am
Location:	THE STAR COMMUNITY BAR
Street:	437 Moreland Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30307
City/Town:	Atlanta, GA

Trends And Such

Yeah we're a music blog... so the fuck what?

So check out these trailers here; Do you see what they have in common?

The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009) (Theatrical Trailer #2)
Uploaded by NakedBrotha2007. - Watch feature films and entire TV shows.

All these videos use music from deep dark rock bands. In the cases I've pointed out two from Nine Inch Nails and the other from A Perfect Circle, although i should add the music of the APC track was done by Danny Lohner, a former member of NIN during it's heyday.

So does anyone else out there realize that major studio companies are using music from artists who have a history of giving away their product for free?

Besides all that it is suffice to say that this industrial-metal-alternative blend is going to keep showing up in movie trailers to add ambiance for awhile; I just wish it didn't become apart of some meathead's work out list as this happens...

Kim Gordon Redux

Seriously though I can't leave you with just the one vid. This is by far one of my favorite Sonic Youth performances (with a bunch of extra people) and I feel I have to share.

This cover first appeared, in a slightly different fashion on the band's first full LP. Their sound at the time was still deeply embedded in the No Wave movement and because of that this song was perhaps their most accessible on Confusion Is Sex. My Mom still hates it when I play this album around her.

Sonic Youth - I Wanna Be Your Dog
by UniversalMusicGroup

Tenda Berries Make Fine Wine: Kim Gordon

You've got to be a total idiot if you listen to rock music and are not at least acquainted with Sonic Youth's bassist and most photogenic vocalist.

I was shocked, SHOCKED I say, to realize that SY is releasing their 16th full studio album and that the band's ages are approaching the time where they could collect social security. Personally I have about half of their studio albums and each one is different and awesome.

When I first got into alternative music most of my new grungy looking friends were heavily into the indie scene, having already pledged their undying love to Nirvana and constant devotion to modest Mouse and Quasi, I went around the lot and started listening to Sonic Youth. The Choice was an easy one for me... SY's most notable single featured Chuck D, a welcome bridge from two seemingly unbridgeable musical landscapes at the time.

I am especially excited for this new Sonic Youth record because it sounds more like the Sonic Youth I first got into. And this is one of those bands who never disappoint live, the below clip is merely a smattering of what really goes on. And yes I enjoy seeing Kim Gordon bop around while doing vocalist duties and letting someone else handle the bass for awhile; although I gotta say she is a primary reason why women who can play the bass guitar is so damn hot.

And You May Hate Us After This:The Click- Hurricane, Captain Save-A-Hoe

The weather here in the Pacific Northwest is slightly crazy during this spring. A third of the time it's wet and cold and very winter like, another third it's warm (like low 70's), bright and the day begs you to go outside and play. The last third it's sunny, with a few clouds and welcoming, but a good 40 degrees outside so you are momentarily confused on how to dress. Ultimately you go with the tried an true jeans, t-shirt, and leather jacket. That type of day is today, and this type of day feels so like the Bay Area it hurts.

I want Ghirardelli Chocolate, clam chowder in french bread bowls, and the smell of the ocean... Man I miss the Bay. I grew up in Northern California, so I made frequent trips to S.F,. Berkeley, and Oakland and, when I got older, San Jose and Santa Cruz where my friends went to college. I also grew up with all of the Bay Area nineties rap.

These songs were far from my first introduction to E-40 and his extremely distinctive voice and flow, but it remains they are the foremost in my mind. They aren't great songs, and they painfully show their age, but they remain those type of songs that are really fucking equated with growing up, the place I first called home, when things were simpler before I had to worry about money, jobs, people, politics, time, etc.

Today you can barely get to The Bay from the central valley (Sacramento) in less than two hours due to the upswing of new suburbs surrounding both areas and the fuck-all-ness state of I-80. But the Bay's ignorant dumb as shit hyphy music travel with break neck speed all around NorCal and somehow (thankfully) stay and settles there (except for that ghostride buffoonery). And if you'll take note this is one of the least dumb songs of the Bay, which is probably why they have ingratiated themselves to me for this long.

Every time in Atlanta I miss being in a city that smells like the ocean... and that's usually when I'll play this music.

Conan on "Tonight"

It's been since February since Conan's last episode of "Late Night" on NBC. Things have been rearranged from that moment in television history. Jimmy Fallon is now the host of Conan's former position, Jay Leno will be hosting the "Jay Leno Show" at 10 pm, and Conan shall be the ringmaster of all the "Tonight Show" activities.

Some think this will be an easy transition since his comedic prowess has grown over the past 16 years, and other think it may be a bad decision for Conan to move up to an earlier time slot with his off-kilter antics. All in all, it should be entertaining to watch. For more info read this current NY Times article about Conan's transition to being the new king of the late night talk show.

The "Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" will make it's grand debut on June 1st at 11:30.

You May Hate Us After This (I Know I Do) : Who's Crying Now

Back in my hometown (Small Southern Town, USA), life seems to progress a little bit slower and people's lifestyles are simple. Everyone is mostly spending time with their friends and family, cruising the Walmart strip to show off the new rims placed on their car, or just up to something completely mischievous (i'll leave that up to your own imagination). The most glitz and glamour that may be experienced is at the local Homecoming game when announcing the King and Queen.

I'm not knocking this way of living at all. In fact, I miss it from time to time. Home will always be home. The one thing I don't miss is what is usually placed on the local FM radio stations. One of the stations would consistently play music that was outdated. That's fine if it was an oldies station but it classified itself as a pop/rock station. It would act as if Christopher Cross was going to be the next big thing. Also, they had an affinity of playing current hit songs a billion times. The song " It's Been a While" by Staind is still in constant rotation in my mind.

Even though I have my complains about the local radio station, It has at least given me one song that connects me to the spirit of my hometown, and that's "Who's Crying Now" by Journey...Yes, I typed Journey. For most that know me, know that I've never been a fan of theirs but there is something about this song that draws me in. It's not one of their most famous songs, it's not the catchiest, nor does Journey have a specific connection to the south; however, when I hear Steven Perry's vocals, I think of that radio station back at home, which makes me think of cheesy old songs and unrelenting mainstream chart toppers, which leads to my mind being flooded with unforgettable memories. Late night runs to Waffle House, bonfires in the country while parents were out of town, and conversations on the telephone that were held until someone fell asleep saying "nah uh, you go to bed first..."

Is the song a guilty pleasure...probably...but does it hold sentimental value...definitely. It helps me to relish in the delightful parts of my youth and to remind me from whence I came from.

Is that too deep of an attachment for a Journey song? Possibly...

TENDABERRY EP RELEASE SHOW!

CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF "AM I STILL ILLMATIC?"

Prepare to have your socks rocked off, you're feet shufflin' and your head to bang for Tendaberry's EP Release Show with our friends The Killer and The Martyr, Night Nurses, The Doppel Gang, Small Eyez & L-Marr the Great, and of course, Tendaberry. Come and celebrate with us. It should be a shindig to remember.

$5 bucks at the door!

Start Time:	Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 10:00pm
End Time:	Wednesday, May 27, 2009 at 2:00am
Location:	Lenny's Bar
Street:	486 Decatur Street SE
City/Town:	Atlanta, GA

Wingman

While watching an old Coors Light commercial on Youtube recently, it crossed my mind that there should be a post dedicated to the actions of a wingman (wingwoman or wingperson if you prefer). This person know their role and plays it to perfection. That person is John Stockton and you're Karl Malone, and you can execute the pick and role at will. Also, you should know the playbook well enough to switch positions and do the same thing. This person is looking out for your best interest and may be sacrificing themselves for your personal gain. Isn't that what friends or for?

Tenda Berries Make Fine Wine : Lykke Li

Lykke Li is the latest imported artist that's beginning to make a splash in the American music scene. Originally from Sweden, this slightly nomadic singer has produced a buzz for herself with the release of her EP called Little Bit in 2007. Eventually Lykke's music would make it's way west to the U.S. with her debut album Youth Novels in 2008. Her sugary pop vocals gels smoothly with electro/synthpop. Also it has a slight dash of hip hop/trip hop.

State side Lykke has had a huge promotional push due to the Canadian hip hop artist Drake. After the release of the his mixtape So Far Gone and their collaberation on the song "A Little Bit (Remix)", her voice has been heard by hipsters, indie kids, and hardcore hip hoppers alike. Lykke has worked with the likes of Kanye West, Kings of Leon, Santagold, and Kleerup just to name a few, and she has covered such hits as "A Walk on the Wild Side" by Lou Reed, and "Hustlin'" by Rick Ross.

This 23 year old has only made a dent into the music scene. With her popularity rising rapidly, this will soon turn into a rip...a tear...a gap...or even a chasm. Looking forward to what happens...

LCD Soundsystem- "Someone Great"

LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great
Uploaded by epb21

I have the horrible knack for ignoring wonderful bands and wonderful songs if too many people are talking about them. It's not completely my fault, it's conditioning. Growing up (not that I'm really an adult anyway) all the different bands and artists who were touted before me as the next big thing or the "greatest since..." whoever was the great thing that died in the 90's was a severe disappointment.

So if you come of age where the music that is popularized by pr machines and ad campaigns rather than an honest-to-god recommendation from someone you trust, be it a friend, your local record store employee or an artist you greatly enjoy you'd be pretty initially cynical about any band that got real big real quick. Unfortunately for me, as immersed as I am into underground bands, my concept of "popular" is somewhat skewed. Hence why I've willfully ignored LCD Soundsystem for so long and lately to my detriment.

For the past month I've been fretting about a song I heard on the best terrestrial radio station out and generally being frustrated 24 hours a day due to my not being able to remember a friggen song whose infectious bass line was haunting my everyday. This happens more often than I'd like it but never for a month. Imagine my relief when this morning I turned on said radio station and it was playing (thank you John Waters).

Finally listening in full to the two-year-old song I was happy to learn that the song didn't just stay in my head because it was catchy, but also because it was good. Jesse Murphy has long since proved himself to be one of the top electronic musicians around and "Someone Great" is one of the best his best examples.

Filling your head with a neo-disco groove perfectly suited for a packed house party in someones too-small-to-do-anything-but-stand-and-drink living room. Murphy's vocals seemingly are less important to adding meaning to the song but rather another layer of smooth melody in contrast to the sharp bell tones of which he harmonizes.

But most striking of the song has to be the cool delivery of what has to be some of the most melancholy lyrics in the past decade. The downer tone the song takes when you finally listen to it might be one of the reasons it never received too much notice here in the US and was pretty much relegated to widespread acclaim in the indie music circles; a factor which probably led to my not getting into the group before now.

But for the rest of the day I can now properly listen/dissect/obsess over "Someone Great" and get on with the rest of my life until the next song that gets stuck in my head comes along. If I'm lucky I'll actually have that song too.

You May Hate Us After This (I know I do)

About a week ago Maximus and I were going over the state of the blog and our respective posts. in his infinite wisdom he suggested there be some type of order and consistency to the blog. I agreed not knowing he'd practically assign me weekly homework and that I'd have no way of declining (being that I'm not exactly plying my writing trade for real American dollars yet). So yeah, thank you Maximus. Ya jerk.

Much like the new regular feature of eye candy/cheesecake/soft porn that is going up the folks here at Trivial Design would like to reach out to those who might not have the auditory acumen of the Tendaberry affiliated. We all would like to make it clear that we aren't a bunch of snotty music heads who frown upon anything that hits above a certain level of name recognition.

We like music, we aren't hipsters.

That being said there are plenty of songs and albums we shouldn't like because as we have what can only be described as impeccable taste in music. But we do; there are legions of records that we enjoy for no possible logical reason. And there is a reason for it.

We like music, and we aren't goddamn hipsters.

So yeah we'll get involved in a band that's entirely too popular to be worth it. Or we'll be in agreement that the single of the week by said rapper of the month is hot. Hell, you can have one good song by luck of the draw really.

So to kick this feature of the agreed upon theme "Guilty Pleasures" I thought I'd go all in and pick a song that I am constantly ridiculed for despite it's sheer greatness.


Motley Crue- Too Young To Fall In Love

Motley Crue - Too Young To Fall In Love (Official Music Video) - The best free videos are right here

Motley Crue is obviously not one of the best bands ever. Hell artistically/musically/logically they weren't even one of the best bands during their heyday. What they were though was fun, loud, and cocky, and despite what I have to say about the quality of their music those elements are oddly and shamefully appealing.

Moreso than the song though, I love this video. It has absolutely nothing to do with the song and not in a Spike Jonze "why the hell is this in here" montage but like Nikki Sixx decided he wanted their next video to be an homage to all the martial arts movies they were watching while stoned on the days they were too fucked up to record the song.

The lyrics and music of this song are generic especially for the era in which it came out. Guns N' Roses were a substantially more honest and likable archetype of the 80's LA metal scene. But sometimes you gotta check out what the runner-up has going for them seeing as you've already consumed everything the breakaway top spot has got.

I am pretty shameful for liking this song at all, not to mention having put the vid in my Youtube favorites whereas not all of my fave metal songs have even been looked at. It's not a great song, and it's chart position reflected that, and it's hardly a good song, but I like it for all it's campy visualization and forced earnestness. I am sorry world, so very sorry.

Tenda Berries Make Fine Wine

On Trivial Design, the gentlemen and myself bring a plethora of musical knowledge to the forefront for the enjoyment of the masses. It ranges from us speaking about obscure 80s groups, to the newest metal group moshing it's way through the music scene. It's not only entertaining but educational.

Not to pigeon hole ourselves as just a music blog, we wanted to expand our blog-a-sphere horizons are write about other various subjects that we hold near and dear to our hearts; therefore, we are creating a post called "Tenda Berries Make Fine Wine" (this is subject to change if you can come up with a more fluent and catchy title). It shall be about actresses, writers, singers, and other members of the fairer sex that are making productive strives in their respective industries.

This particular post will be a double feature. The first dedication goes to Megan Fox. She has been compared and often referred to the next generations Angelina Jolie. This 22 year old has been recently thrust into the mainstream limelight due to her role in as Mikaela Banes in the movie Transformers. She has also been featured in other films such as Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, and How to Lose Friends and Alienate People. Megan has also been dubbed in 2008 as FHM's "Sexiest Woman on the World". Viewers will be paying close attention to her as she reprises her role in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen due out June 24th, which will be one of the summers biggest blockbusters. Even with the Angelina comparisons, she is becoming a star in her own right.


Another tour de force in the film industry is an actress named Zoe Saldana. Some may know her as Nick Cannon's love interest in the movie Drumline or as the daughter of Bernie Mack in the comedy Guess Who. This New York native bodly plans on going where no man has gone before in the feature film Star Trek, which is released on May 8th. She will take the U.S.S. Enterprise to new heights and will give Trekkies more to believe in out their in the universe.

If anyone has any suggestions on whom shall grace the next post, we are open to suggestions. these lovely individuals all deserve praise for their accomplishments and what they bring to the table. On that note, there is only one song that could be played to finish this off..."A Girl Like You" by Edwyn Collins! Thank me later.

New Transformers Trailer

FHM's "Sexiest Woman in the World"

Star Trek Trailer