Well, we were supposed to have a new mix up for you by now, but, well… Mike left the coffee pot on and when it died a fiery death in the wee hours of the morning, no one knew how to cope. I mean, the fire put itself out and no one was hurt—or at least, not directly. But unable to get their caffeine fix in this sad state of affairs, Mike, Niina, Joel, Jason, and the homeless guy who’s been crashing under Joel’s desk variously lapsed into comas and/or delirium. The hardiest of the bunch, Niina managed to crawl downstairs and around the corner to Starbucks, using her dying strength and the chipped and cracked edges of her fingernails to drag herself toward a $4.99 Americano. This she graciously shared with the rest of us, caring soul that she is. Well, except for me, because I don’t drink coffee. So while the rest of the crew are on the DL, here’s some wacky internet shit I’ve dug up to hold you over:
First up we’ve got this curious and heartbreaking Youtube video in which a group of brave, misguided teens from the frostbitten wastes of Canada go on public access television to give you their vision of the sublime. As the uploader put it, “The band is called Mental Note, and they appeared on a show called Johnny Sizzle’s Entertainment Watch, which aired on the Winnipeg Public Access channel in 1992.” Enjoy! 
Wow, what an incredible solo, amirite? Reminiscent of Creed Shreds 3: You Shit Here With Me, don’t you think?
Up next is a gem of a remix—a reworking of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” by longtime hipinion.com boarder j_brooks. Now, I hate brooks as much as the next guy, but this remix… well, it’s good. Someone in the thread where brooks outed it described it as “shits like audio ambien,” to which brooks replied, “ambien is like my main musical influence.” Thrilling, no? It sounds like exactly what you’d expect, given that exchange.
Lady Gaga — “Paparazzi (Élite Gymnastics Remix)”
And actually that’s all we’ve got for today. I have to go tend to the sick and wounded (I think I hear Jason calling for a mocha drip), and get that mixed finished up for (we hope) tomorrow. Please send all get-well-soon cards and/or packets of instant coffee via overnight shipping to Girlpants, Inc., at the address in our Contact Us page.
User
Jason
/ March 5, 2010Ben, it’s not cool to make fun of bands just because they have no talent or passion. Every band that takes the time to pick up some instruments and practice their hearts out for twenty minutes before the public access talent show starts deserves at least one serious pretentious blog review to encourage their potential by highlighting the positive. Now, I’m new around here, and I haven’t figured out all of the intricacies of the job, like finding convenient parking that doesn’t end up incurring $200 in towing fees, but this is what we do here, isn’t it? So let’s have at it!
Mental Note is an up-and-coming six person band from Canada best known for their song “When You Run Out of Gancha.” Their lineup consists of two vocalists, two guitarists (one of which appears to produce music), a drummer, and an intently focused bassist. The music itself might be described as… sparse, with occasional notes from the guitars and kicks from the drums interrupting the silence like occasional oases dotting a vast desert, or suns blazing at great distances from one another in the endless night of space. One of the vocalists works his way methodically through the lyrics, wearing a wry grin that tells us he is aware of the edginess of his lyrics and the shock his audience must be feeling at the brazen words. The second vocalist, despite evident disorientation, adds his own powerful voice to the mix after some subtle prompting. The song winds down with an inspired guitar solo that, without words, seems to say that this man is definitely playing his guitar. Then, with a gradual faltering that must be charmingly tongue-in-cheek, the song ends without fanfare or pretension. This band can’t help but catch our attention with their no-frills, unapologetic approach to the art of music, and we eagerly look forward to their next offering.
I’m tired now.
Niina
/ March 10, 2010Ben, when you punish a person for dreaming his dream, don’t expect him to thank or forgive you.