Karen O – If You’re Gonna Be Dumb You Gotta Be Tough

Since it’s the 100th post and all today, I figured I’d double team it and go for a good ol’ DP - double post of course.

I know this has been out for a while, but I thought this would be a fitting backdrop for my weekend plans of getting together with some old friends for a foolhardy and reckless time. Naturally what better way to celebrate that than with the theme song for the Jackass 3D movie by Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

In another impressive solo turn, Karen O covers Roger Alan Wade’s “If You’re Gonna Be Dumb, You Gotta Be Tough.” It’s a fun little song with Karen O singing with a Southern twang, losing her shit at one point, and finishing things off with a rowdy bar room chorus. All in all, a fantastically fun song.

Also, be sure to check out the original which is actually written and sung by Johnny Knoxville’s cousin, Roger Alan Wade.

Karen O. (of Yeah Yeah Yeahs) - "If You're Gonna Be Dumb, You Gotta Be Tough" by Some Kind of Awesome

Point: Point Break Just Got Better

Whaddya know, today is AA's 100th post and what better way to commemorate this magical, historic, monumental, extraordinary, and noteworthy moment in time than with Point Break.

I’m about a year late on this and incredibly disappointed in myself for that. So, if you’ve like, totally seen this around, I’m sorry but I peed my pants laughing so hard at Cinemash’s recreation of Point Break with Reno 911 and Human Giant. I didn’t think the scene where Johnny Utah confronts Bodi on the air strip could get any better, but it seems I was entirely mistaken. Just see for yourself in the clip above.

Other great mash ups include Joseph Gordon Levitt as Nancy and Zooey Deschanel as Sid in a combination of Sid and Nancy and 500 Days of Summer. While Zooey Deschanel does a hilarious cockney accent, Joseph Gordon Levitt takes a disturbingly well acted turn at playing Nancy. Although, I really could have done without his hairy legs and No Pants Time moment.

Also be sure to check out Cheech and Chong’s mash up of Tron. Their debate on the recession is both highly informative and hilarious.

AA Loves: Spectrals

Leeds based, Spectral, just dropped his debut EP entitled Extended Play on October 10. With a sound straight from the 1950’s, this is good times music at its best. It makes you feel tingly inside, like nothing could be wrong in the world as long as people make music like this.

The video for Peppermint is as bright and colorful as the song itself.

Watch the video for Peppermint and listen to Chip a Tooth below.


Spectrals: 'Peppermint' from TLOBF.COM on Vimeo.


Spectrals - Chip A Tooth (Spoil A Smile) by ginoballon

AA Endorses: Scout Books

Update: Scout Books has free shipping on all orders, so head over now to take advantage of this deal.

I’ve always had a strange love for stationary and school supplies. Something about stockpiling an army of pens, erasers, and notebooks gives me an odd pleasure. I can’t even begin to document the number of notebooks that I’ve accumulated over the years that lie empty, simply because I don’t want to ruin their pristine white pages. Weird, I know.

These fantastic Scout Books, will soon be the latest addition to my graveyard of unused notebooks.

They are the perfect size – large enough to comfortably write notes, but small enough to fit in your pocket. These simple notebooks, come in classic designs and fantastic colors that can be completely customized. As an added bonus, you can feel better about yourself knowing that they’re made from 100% recycled paper and Soy ink.

For only $10 for a 3 pack, what’s not to love?



AA Loves: Gino - Shall We Disco?

Shall We Disco? is the perfect mix for the next time you have a spontaneous dance party that lasts exactly 29 minutes and 1 second.

LA based Gino aka Last N!ght has made an instant dance-floor masterpiece by seamlessly blending together bits of danceable classics from Black Kids, Treasure Fingers via Chromeo, Uffie, Daft Punk, Cut Copy, Pony Pony Run Run, Armand Van Helden, and even a bit of Pharell and Ludacris. I mean you really can’t go wrong with names like these, especially if you have a strong cohesive narrative underlying it all, like Gino does.

Notable moments include 10:48 where there’s a mini chord break and an amazing build up to where the orchestral chorus of synths go into overdrive on a fantastic remix of Mr. Oizo’s “Steroids,” the transition at 12:09 into Cut Copy’s “Light and Music” makes you tingle in your pants – the fact that he never breaks into the chorus is perhaps the most tantalizing tease in music I’ve heard in a long time – and of course 15:47 when gods of electronica Daft Punk make a brief but insane ectoplasmic pulsing cameo.

I must offer fair warning, download this mix at your own risk. You may not have legs left after dancing so hard. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

On a side note, I used to hang out with Gino as kid in band and I’ve always been impressed by his ear for music whether we were playing it or listening to it. So I suppose it comes as no surprise that he’s dropping jams like these now.

Get your free copy of Shall We Disco? here or just stream it here.

Shall We Disco? [mix] by LAST N!GHT

Sports – Every World Is A World Of Your Own

Here’s a little more love for Sports today. I just received this track the other day, and it’s been stuck in my head since.

The synths are spectacularly 80’s New Wave and after just a few bars you will be whisked away to a magical land filled with big curls, shoulder pads, members only jackets, big glasses, and power suits.

Have a listen.

On a final note, it seems that  Sports has got the “internet going nuts”.

AA Loves: Big Deal

As their Myspace page aptly states, “we don't know how to put this but we're kind of a big deal.” A bit of a bratty thing to say, but Big Deal has the musical talent to back up their claims.

This UK duo, comprised of Kacey Underwood and Alice Costelloe, are destined for big things. Their sound is straightforward – 2 people, 2 voices, 2 guitars, and nothing else.

Their duets are stark, yet emotionally rich and haunting as they seem quite personal. The sullen detached vocal duets are paradoxically both emotionless and poignant, not unlike the XX. It’s as if we are privy to a special moment in their lives and they graciously shared something intensely private with us.

NME describes their sound beautifully, “The music recreates the feelings of long, lustful summer afternoons in bed. It's intimate and beautiful.”

Their first single “Homework” will be released on November 8th. Be sure to keep an eye out for them as the next Indie darlings of 2011.

Big Deal preview by Tim Chester NME