(Music) Beastie Boys

I've spent the last few days listening to the Beastie Boys Pauls Boutique and Ill Communication, and I always forget how good these two releases are. They really rewrote hip-hop in ways I dont think they get credit for outside of the music review circles. I mean, I dont think people in general appreciate that the things they did on these releases changed the direction of hip-hop and even rap in so many ways. The non-traditional sample sources, live instruments, the use of noises and sounds as music... Even the rap that is popular on the radio at the moment owes its success to these guys, and that is not even counting the fact that the Beastie Boys made rap into something accessible to suburban kids, and put a less frightening face on hip hop/rap for their parents.

For all of their nonsense, sometimes silly rhymes and general adolescent behavior, they really are the grandfathers of hip-hop and deserve a place right up there with the Jungle Brothers, pre-sell out LL Cool J, Tribe, Boogie Down Productions, Rakim and the rest of them.

...and just try and tell me those werent great times! Run DMC and the Beastie Boys together?!?! The Tougher than Leather tour?

Beastie Boys at Last.fm

(Music) Deadbolt!

Seriously. This is the best band in the world. Crazy surfer voodoobilly with a dont give a fuck attitude. I missed them when they played a rare performance in the Detroit area, but just found out that they will be in town again in October! I damn well better not miss them this time!

Deadbolt on Myspace

(Weed) Mountain Dew

I was heading to the dispensary for a 1/4 oz of Snowcap, having just called to verify they had it in. I got there, and the girl working was one I am pretty friendly with... she took me in the back room where it is all stored for dispensing and closed the door. She told me people had been saying the Snowcap wasnt very good, so she offered me Mountain Dew at the same price ($25 a gram).

I am led to believe that this is a hybrid of Mountain Jam and Morning Dew (I cant verify that, but if anyone else can?).

I picked up a quarter ounce of it and was on my way (I took a pinch of it to try before taking this picture, hence the 6.9!)

The smell of it was a earthy plant smell, pleasant and crisp. The smoke was very nice, with a clean taste and a finish that was sort of earthy but otherwise unremarkable. This is another head high. It sets in fairly quick and stays even, and I still get a nice high from one hit, making it then just a matter of maintenance! It didnt make me tired, and I felt fine going out shopping and whatnot after smoking. This is a pleasant kind of high where you can go out and do something or just sit home with a movie and enjoy. I like this stuff a lot!

Side Note: I let a friend get a couple of ounces to take camping with his girlfriend and a couple of friends... he reported the same experience as me, with the exception of his girlfriend, who had never smoked before.

Apparently she took a good sized hit as they sat outside, then went in to get something. An hour later she came out with a bump on her head saying that when she got in the house she got light headed and the next thing she new she was picking herself up from the floor where she had been laying! HAHA! After that she was fine, so maybe it was just a rookie thing, lol! Either way we had a good laugh about it!

(Music) A Lucky Find!

I was browsing music sharing blogs recently and came across something that I had given up hope of ever finding. The group, called No Mercy, was a favorite of mine around 1988 and I played their cassette until the words had rubber off of the plastic, skated (street mostly) and lived my version of the skater bums life. I'd grab my board in the morning and skate all day. Stop at a store and buy a bag of chips and sit out front eating it, and then back out looking for new places to skate.

I remembered the band years later, but I was never able to find a replacement cassette, and as it happens, it was never pressed to CD. I had come to find out that it was out of print and the owner of the rights to it had no intention of re-releasing it.

No Mercy is Mike Muir (of Suicidal Tendencies) doing vocals and Mike Clark (also of Suicidal Tendencies fame) on guitar. It is hardcore Venice metal at its finest. A couple of the songs were re-recorded on various Suicidal Tendencies releases, but these versions are much more raw. The song We're Evil is worth the price of buying it, if you were even able to find it to buy, which is probably not going to happen.

But would I tease you like that and then just leave you hanging? Probably so, but in this case I wont. Below is a link to download this fine piece of work... its a vinyl rip, but sounds really good. If you have some sort of qualms about downloading music, remember that this is not in print, nor is it for sale anywhere, so you arent actually taking away a sale from the artist. The release is called Widespread Bloodshed-Love Runs Red. Enjoy!!

No Mercy - Widespread Bloodshed-Love Runs Red

(Weed) On the menu today... G 13

Ok, this is a particular growers version of G13. I wont get into the specifics of the G13 debate, but for all intents and purposes, I'll be calling this G13... because, hell. Why not. I have reason to suspect that it is a G13 Haze from Soma Seeds, but Im not 100% on that.

It was from a dispensary and went for $30 a gram.

It seemed a little bit leafy to me, but the girl at the dispensary told me not to be concerned and that it is a nice smoke. I went ahead and got a gram and figured I would give it a whirl.

It was a nice head high. I was still functional and able to get things done around the house, though I was slightly hesitant to go out anywhere as I did feel a bit, um... "out of sorts" I guess you could say?

It had a light pine smell on the nose and was a good smoke with a slight earthy taste and a pleasant enough finish. Also, a little bit went a LONG way! Not bad all in all, but not what I had been led to expect from the illustrious G13, lol! Still, I would buy it again.