LDR

                   (She whips her hair back n' forth also, Willow Smith!)


I'm dipping my toe into the Lana Del Rey fracas, with the Sirius XMU version of Video Games. It's been a while since I've seen such a polarizing figure in the music scene. Deep hatred, or deep nerd love, is all I've come across in my LDR experiences, nothing in between. I can only say, for myself, that there is far worse out there in the Pop Spectrum.

And yes, her attractiveness has undoubtedly made her a target. As well as the fact that she doesn't sit in front of a piano, a la Tori Amos, and perform any instruments. The whole, Lana Del Rey is actually "Lizzy Grant" issue, plus she comes from powerful, parental influence and success, yes, these can all be factors in loathing and ridiculing her, I agree.

However, you cannot deny the well polished product that is her brand of Pop music. The Born to Die video is an example. Her inevitable skyrocketing success, has just been stamped by an upcoming musical guest slot on SNL in January.

Check out the Sirius XMU session version of Video Games below. Also check out a collection of live clips, when LDR played the Troubadour earlier this month. I must confess, I think a lot of these live clips seem more like a terrible performance at a small town mall, but hey...being a big star is often a work in progress.

"Video Games" (Live on Sirius XMU) by Lana Del Rey

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Top 10 Things of 2011

I think 2011 marked a new low, in regards to the amount of blogging I've done...but having a baby seriously alters your life, and I welcome it. Look for EENC to get back to as much regularity as possible, in 2012. Despite the lack of posts, it didn't mean I wasn't getting hyped on the new that was out there. I just couldn't resist, so here's my top 10 for 2011:

10)A$AP Rocky "LiveLifeLoveA$AP Mixtape" -- What does Aesop Rock think of A$ap Rocky, I wonder? Either way, I am a fan of this Eazy-E look-a-like hailing from Harlem. Lana Del Rey attempted to add street credit, by saying she's a fan.

9)Arcade Fire's "We Used To Wait" video. -- I went to college with the gentleman who directed this video, amongst Kanye videos also in his resume. So innovative, I couldn't get enough of this when it first surfaced Google Maps.

8)Jay Z + Kanye West "Watch The Throne" -- Having a daughter impeded my wife and I from seeing the 'Throne' tour stop in LA, as I hear we missed a hell of a treat. Consolation: this album, that seems to be the product of two egos keeping themselves in check for a brief while.

7)Yuck "S/T" -- Hearing a band make a record that could've been in my adolescent era, along with the likes of Teenage Fanclub, Dinosaur Jr., etc., makes me have faith in the youth of today. This album, and subsequent deluxe edition sounds so brilliant to me, based on it's familiarity.

6)Portlandia -- The genius of Fred Armisen + Carrie Browenstein was such a pleasant surprise for me this past year. I can't wait for season 2, early in '12.

5)Forgetters "S/T" -- Blake's newest 3-piece incarnation provided a short 4 song EP, that much like Yuck, felt familiar, but so welcome in my book. Seeing them play at The Echo was one of my live highlights of last year, also.

4)Youth Lagoon "The Year of Hibernation" -- Quiet. Slow building. This record really does lend itself to the band's proclamation, "Music is meant to be listened to, very late at night."

3)Drake "Take Care" -- I can't believe this record ranks so high on my top 10. I can't even listen to the album as a whole. But the tracks that do stand out, really, really, really stand out. Judge for yourself.

2)New Look "The Ballad" -- 2011 is the year everyone went Gaga for Lana Del Rey, but this is my personal female sung anthem right here:

1)10.20.11 -- The day my daughter, Gigi, was born. Best day of my life. Best day of 2011.