THE GOOD LOOK.NET

Julune Edition Launches

2009-07-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

Bundle One features

Music from: The American Watercolor Movement, Belief, Coole High, Dwele, Feast of Fetus, The Bronx Ubervilliani

The works of: Marco Brambilia, Janet E. Dandridge

The Good Look :: Julune Edition, Bundle 1 from Sum Patten on Vimeo.

The first part of The Julune Edition of The Good Look video magazine (TheGoodLook.Net)

The Launch of Malkovichmusic.com

2009-07-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

Close collaborator and friend of The Good Look, Malkovich, has officially launched his new site this week. Sleek, crisp and hinting at the theme of "flight", if you're a fan of the kid's music, bookmark it.

All the music, videos, shirts, pics and showdates abound. Show a friend, shout him out....hell, buy a Skeletons shirt. Lord knows there's not enough of those goin' around.

Congrats, Malk!

GLAM RAP? TRAP MUSIC? GRUNGE RAP?

2009-07-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

I remember a couple summers ago I was crashin with this shorty in Bed Stuy. Her punkass roommate had just gotten the first Akon record. In effect, every Saturday and Sunday morning I'd wake up to "I wanna love/fuck you." Granted, it's the right idea to start a Sunday with, but I'm not a fan of modern Rn'B or auto-tune. As if hearing it blasting out of every passing car window wasn't enough, my personal time was being invaded as well. Miserable.

Walking down the street, I'd hear kids talking about the "Hip Hop" they were feelin on HOT97. As an independent rapper and musician, and a strong supporter of Hip Hop as a movement, I can't help but cringe when kids defile this sacred community and lifestyle. Most of the time, they don't know any better. They have simply succombed to what I prefer to call "Trap Music."

(Trap Music: Rap related music engineered by the powers that be to keep the masses entertained and complacent, focused on money, material things, and the attributes of wealth rather than the potential paths to better lives.)

Fast forward two years and there's more of this Auto-tune R'n'B B.S. being mis-represented as Hip Hop. Now, I know that there are plenty of opinions on this. A lot of people are quarreling over what's hip hop, and maybe it's different to different people. I'm just feelin' like nobody is really ready to call it like it is.

Most of the crap on the radio that's being marketed as Hip Hop is just Pop music. Face it. It's candy wrapped junk food aimed at kids and adults who would rather act as such. Catchy hooks, flashy clothes, and superstars spouting nonsense: these are the unfortunate heroes of our decade (and future stars of reality TV).

But I harbor a belief that this trend may be quavering on its last rickety legs.
To help defend this point in a manner that I think no one can argue with, I gotta reach back into the 80s to the glam rock era.

Glam rock, also "cock rock" or "hair metal," is exactly to rock music what this Trap music is to Hip Hop. It was the polished and over-produced step-son of Rock n' Roll, birthed from the financial gains that accompanied the artists' superstardom. In a similar way Hip Hop, which developed organically, has been assimilated into popular music and polished up and over-produced into this Glam Rap.

Peep this new joint by Maino and T.I. called "All of the Above.":::

Overall, not a bad track, but I had to laugh the first time I heard it because of how much the hook, particularly the harmonies, reminded me of so many 80s bangers like this Autograph track, "Blondes in Black Cars":::

Pretty amazing similarities, eh? Busta Rhymes "Don't believe 'em" from his new album shares similar qualities. Maybe it's just T.I. to blame, but I doubt it.

More will come I'm sure. Those harmonies drove a whole movement of Cock Rock for about 10 years. Now they've made their way into "Hip Hop." Brace yourself.

But all is not lost. Out of the teased bangs, cans of hair spray, and treacherously revealing spandex arose a great movement of music. From the dank garages of Seattle and the vomit crusted bar basements of L.A. erupted new sounds. A stark rebellion against the make-up laden rockers of the 80s: The Grunge Rock movement screamed onto the scene with bitter disdain and squelched out their sissy predecessors.

Bands like Poison, Warrant, and Skid Row were replaced with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains. Spandex and eye make-up were replaced with ripped jeans and flannels. Hairspray was replaced with, well, completely unwashed and greasy hair. Power ballads were strangled out by the gritty, honest, and often somber anthems shouted, screached, and wailed into microphones.

A couple years back I would have argued that Underground Hip Hop was going vanquish Trap Music in the same way that Grunge music did Cock Rock, but it's a different environment now. The major labels are crumbling, and so are no longer viable options for independent artists. And, for those that chose to move with the flow of the digital revolution as opposed to against it, independent labels managed with forward-thinking methods are flourishing.

So what's going to happen? Are we stuck with the minstrels of Trap Music? I don't think so. It gets a lot of mainstream exposure, but more and more of the youth growing up in the digital realm are becoming more sophisticated consumers from earlier ages. Websites like Reverbnation.com, Pandora.com, and LastFM are breaking new artists all the time, and the internet is a world of musical diversity and options.

The independent artists are out there. They're popping up all the time (no pun intended). The machine doesn't chunk along like it used to, so they're not being snatched up and thrown on MTV with such fiendish relish and the underlying speculation of the next great mu$ical movement. The next generation of artists are recording and mixing their tracks in their closets and basements. They're uploading them to their favorite sites and then it's up to the world to decide if they're going to be spread across the blogosphere and rocketed into some new form of internet superstardom.

The radio still plays what it's paid to play.
The TV still plays more reality shows than music videos, and less of the videos we really want to see.
But real Music was never about the money used to make it or market it.
("broke is okay")
Music is about the feeling in it that hopefully transfers to the listener.
It's this undeniability that will push those diamonds in the rough into your MP3 collections.

"I know we facin a recession, but the music ya'll makin gon' make it the great depression."
"you rappers singin too much, get back to rap, you t-painin too much"
"I don't be in the project hallway, talkin bout how I be in the project all day.
That sound stupid to me, you a gangsta, this is how you prove it to me."
-Jay-Z "The Death of Auto-Tune."

..peace from brokeMC..

Cookin' Healthy, Cookin' Drunk

2009-06-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do is to get shit-faced, go home and cook a glorious gourmet meal. I'm a former biology major and fan of the internal arts (tai chi, chi kung, yoga). On top of that, I'm a weekend warrior with the pop physics and culinary arts. So on any given day, I'm levitating in the kitchen doing aerial push-ups, reading a cookbook and moving the pages with my mind. I've always been into experimentation...as a youth, I used to grow rocks in a fish tank and eat spoonfuls of glue and paste for the sake of science. My room was a lab. After I got my Bio degree, I chose the microphone over the microscope,.....so the KITCHEN is my laboratory. It's where I keep my head straight. For the past year or two, I've been deep in the science of food combining (Herbert Shelton wrote the book on it, "Food Combining Made Easy", you should check it out) and the Ayurvedic diet. What I made last night was from this book...

Ayurvedic is simply an ancient way of saying "holistic", for all points and purposes. The science was developed alongside yoga to support and enhance yogic practice and an excellent lifestyle. It takes into account things like time of day and year, how to cut a carrot so it will follow you on Twitter, and how different types of soaps, fragrances, fabrics, exercises and sexual techniques will keep your mojo swinging.. Most importantly it observes how to eat according to your age, gender and body type. These body type are known as "doshas" in Ayurvedic science, and there are three of them: Vata, Pitta, Kapha.

If you're a Vata, you might be slender, excitable, and able to outrun a woodchuck. You may also prefer warm climates where you can be outdoors and constipated in relative peace.

If you're a Pitta, you might have an athletic build, dream in color, love all meat, and have flexible but strong toenails. You might also emit a small, puffy cloud of seahorses from your ass if you miss a meal.

If you're a Kapha, you might be more on the heavy-set side, you are a deadly combination of stubborn and rarely thirsty, money is easy to save for you, and the only way you will remember a dream is if it was about bread.

I'm mostly Pitta myself, with heapin helpins of the other doshas.

Last night I made my first stab into the realm of Ayurvedic cooking. Up to now, my culinary arsenal has included Southern/Soul Food (my macaroni & cheese has given sight to a blind Senegalese man and raised a dead Texan baby from the grave), Carribean, Chinese, Mexican, stews, pastas and even some experimental tinctures, potions and elixirs. They've served me well so far, but now I'm ready to go maniac with the cooking. And it's about time I learn how to cook things of a more royal and divine nature for my royal and divine wife.

The Ayurvedic technique took me a while to get to, because it's kind of intimidating...even just the base ingredients, seasons and spices you have to get. They might included (but are not limited to):

-"Ghee", which is basically Clarified Butter from an Enlightened Cow
-Black Mustard Seeds shat by a fiery phoenix
-Mandras Curry beat from the rugs of the Mothership
-Cleric-pressed Sunflower Oil
-Ginger root from the set of the first Terminator movie

Shit's easier to find than you might think.

This first dish I made was tridoshic, which means none of the doshas will get heartburn, nightmares or bleeding ankles after eating it. Actually, if they're so lucky, a small droplet of golden ambrosia will appear at the corner of their eyes afterwards. In that droplet will appear a vision of Dave Chappelle in a pair of goat pants, playing a flute. And he will murmur God's one true name in French.

The short of the concoction was this: broccoli, cauliflower, string beans, and green peas in a curry sauce completely fashioned from scratch. Served over a bed of aromatic herb basmati rice....with a side of fresh tomatoes and red bell peppers.

The helpful properties of this meal:

The cooling qualities of peas balance the warming qualities of the curry and spices, bringing balance to the heat element in your body.

The small amount of yogurt in the curry, thinned by water, aids in digestion.

The cauliflower, chopped gingerly, activates the Bailey's from the Irish Car Bomb.

When it was all said and done, this was one of the best meals I've ever had in my life, and was a fine way to soak up the three pints of Guiness and two shots of Jameson I had used to align my chakras a couple of hours before. Special thanks to Vishnu, Dr. Candyshots and the cast and crew of the first Terminator movie.

Trevor Traynor Launches "I Shoot People"

2009-05-11T12:44:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite photographers and people-in-general, Trevor Traynor, just launched his new series/brand "I Shoot People" in his headquarter city of San Francisco last week.

Check him out here: www.ishooteverything.com

Here's some footage from the event.

The X-RoVision MixTape; Videojournalism by Musicians in Action

2009-04-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

I always say this is a great time in music, because everything's wrong. It's forcing truly creative people and artists to get their weight up and use more than a corner of their brains to make things happen.

My man X-ro has executed this concept beautifully with his video-journalistic mixtape series "X-RoVisions", which chronicles not only the independent movement in Los Angeles (I even make a few appearances in there), but it's all soundtracked by his music. Here, we can not only vibe out to his hypnotic music, but also get informed along the way, and maybe pick up on some other artists we may have not known about before. That's a Good Look. Speaking of which, I'm a little jealous that he kind of beat me to the punch with the video journalism thing, because that's EXACTLY where the Good Look Monthly Newsletter is going next (nudge, hint). Great minds think alike...

For those who don't know, X-Ro, (or "Ro" as we call him), is the founder of The VJC, my music fraternity...and he is also a member of The Milky Way, The VJC's new band.

So pull up a chair and take your time with this one, it's about 20 minutes long..take it in chunks if you need to, but take it all in. There are some dope jewels in there, including some videos from one of my favorite artists, Two B.

X-RoVision MixTape DvD from Jesse Pinkney on Vimeo.

Clips I have produced or edited in the past with the help of the following artists. Ras G, Two B, Freddie Harris, Pac Div, SumKid, X-Ro, Chula Vista Skate Park, and Mind Frame. Enjoy some underground in X-RoVision. Produced and edited by: Jesse "X-RoVision" Pinkney. For more info contact: JPINK3@GMAIL.COM

10 Sites Every Serious Indie Musician Should Have Bookmarked, and Why - Pt. 2

2009-04-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

6. The Sixty One

The URL:
www.thesixtyone.com

One of my personal favorite music communities, and probably the one that has shown me the most love as an artist, The Sixty One (or T61) somehow managed to marry music fandom with gaming. I've made a few personal friends and valuable allies over there. Basically, the more love you can show for the music you love by "bumping" it, the more points and status you can gain, which ultimately give you a reputation among other people in T61. And of course, the more points you get as an artist, the more music you can upload.

Why Bookmark It:
The notoriety you get is real and long-lasting. The people of T61 very rarely "bump" something they aren't feeling. Even if they do, they have to sit there and really listen to your music before they can even think about giving you a thoughtless "bump" (if that makes any sense). Usually though, once the folks dig your music, they expose you to other users and word can spread very quickly about who you are and what you're doing.

How to Maximize It:
Listen to the stuff people are bumping, make comments and connect. You'd be surprised how much talent is on that site.

7. MOG

The URL:
www.mog.com

Why Bookmark It:
Well, this is like a super-blogger training ground. Budding music fans, veteran music fans, bloggers, writers, publishers, all kind of collide here on this big ass site that combines the scrobbling powers of Last.FM with the intimacy of Facebook. Many people move on from MOG to become top-notch bloggers, so it's good to meet them before they spread their wings. Not to mention it's a great way to discover new music (indie or not).

How to Maximize It:
You know the drill...go out and talk. Make friends.

8. Tube Mogul

The URL:
tubemogul.com

Why Bookmark It:
Well, if you're looking to promote your video, this one's a no-brainer. With one upload and one click, you simultaneously hit all the major video outlets on the internet (Youtube, Vimeo, Yahoo Video, etc.), and maybe even a few you haven't heard of. They also give you several options for how to actually promote it once they put it up for you.

9.TheHypeMachine (Top List)

The URL:
http://hypem.com/#/list

Why Bookmark It:
The Hypelist is cool...kinda. It can be a good resource for finding new music and blogs that are getting props for writing about new music. It is also a hipster haven, so beware. You will run into a ton of crappy electronic remixes and pictures of bearded men in tight pants with keyboards under their arms. I'm not judgin'...I'm just sayin.

How to Maximize It:
The secret jewel is the toplist, which lists for you which blogs are actually on their business, so you don't have to waste your time wading through tons of sites that are dead. You can go straight to the ones that are actively looking for new music and posting about it everyday (or in some cases, several times a day).

10.ping.fm

The URL:
www.ping.fm

Why Bookmark It:
This is the one-stop solution for status updates. Unlike Tweetdeck, which is Twitter-centric, you can use Ping.fm to update ALL of your sites at once. No toggling between tabs and pages and browsers to tell your Myspace fans what you just told your fellow Tweeters and Facebookers. Just go to Ping.fm, type it in once and save yourself a few minutes and some needless distractions.

How to Maximize It:
Coupled with the Flock browser and a cool lil application I found called Self-Control, Ping.fm becomes an effective way to manage the way you spend your time online, and how you promote your business.

DIY Touring -- Get on the Bus!

2009-03-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

Indie Musicians hold on to your laptops: Gas is Cheap again! You’ve just lost your job and the government has taken you under its ample wing! You still have 964 CDs from that first pressing of your album under your bed collecting dust. You’ve always wanted to tour… It’s time to hit the road! But how to start?

These days everyone and their uncle make music. We play shows in our towns to our friends and modest crowds of earnest fans, but we yearn for that next step. The road beckons us with a promise of smoky bars (some places it’s still legal!), cozy hotel rooms, and late nights trading stories with friendly strangers. It’s the new American Dream, and it’s really not that hard to realize.

I’ve hustled my way through 4 national DIY tours. The first one was a small investment, we broke even the following two, and now we’re just starting to make some money. I’m not promising you the same results, but this article will hopefully help you learn from the mistakes I’ve made, and get you started on some of the best experiences an independent musician can have.

One of my fondest memories from my third tour was waking up at the crack of dawn in Johnson City, TN to the sound of a concrete drill directly outside our host’s apartment. Lifting my face from the drool spot I had unwittingly contributed to the menagerie of other stains and burns on the carpet, I looked around the dim living room.

Domer’s head was buried in the couch (it was his turn), but he definitely was not sleeping. The Metermaids were tossing around in their sleeping bags like alien eggs about to burst. Only DJ Halo, sprawled out in an armchair, seemed to sleep peacefully despite the 500dB screech shaking the windows in their frames. I lifted the curtain and an overweight workman looked up at me sullenly, “Sorry. ‘Be done in a few minutes.” It was 9am on a Sunday; we had gone to sleep at 6am.

By 11am we had eaten some cereal, smoked some cigarettes, and were back in the car—most of us back asleep—speeding to our next sound check 8 hours away. Some nights we played to a smattering of ornery locals in a dive bar, other nights we rocked a packed house at a giant venue. If you’re not Michael Jackson or Miley Cyrus, this is just the way it goes.

The goal is to have a show booked for every night of the tour. If you aim for that, then you’ll have a night or two off when a few of them inevitably cancel at the last minute. And they always do. Also, try to book a big show somewhere first. Even if it’s on the other coast, you’ll feel better playing a bunch of smaller shows if you know you’ve got a guaranteed banger opening for Busta Rhymes in Missoula. Once you have a big show or two locked-in, then you need to start filling in the gaps.

I know Myspace has gotten shady lately, but it should not be completely abandoned as a resource. Their music search pages allow you to enter a town or zip code and a genre, and then see who in that town has the most fans, hits, etc. Start searching for profiles that fit your type of music, who have decent fan bases, and, most importantly, shows lined up.

Aim for acts that seem to be roughly on your level. If a group has three shows on their page, chances are that they can get you on one in the future. This doesn’t mean that if a group has no shows, you should disregard them. If you like their music and the vibe of their page, then you should hit them up anyway. Sometimes a well-planned house party jumps off better than playing the local bar and grill.

Build a database of these connections. Save them to your favorites list. Then send them emails offering a show trade. Tell them you’re booking a tour, you’ll be in town around certain dates, and if they hook up a show, you will do the same for them should they ever want to play your town.

Don’t make promises you can’t keep—you should only do this if you can actually throw a decent show in your town. It’s not hard to rent a PA and invite all your friends out, so that’s the bare minimum. However, if you’re planning on hitting the road with your box of cds, t-shirts, and stickers, but don’t even have a rep in your own town, you’re probably going to waste a lot of time and money.

When you finally hit the road, stick your ego in your pocket. I’ve found that most of the cats on the DIY circuit are humble people. They open their homes to us, feed us, and sometimes even come out of pocket to hook up some gas money if a show goes particularly wretchedly. As a rule, I will give a touring group at least $50 for show, even if I brought out the whole crowd. It’s a professional courtesy.

Please keep in mind, though, that if you’re touring for your first time, and you reach out to someone for a show, this does not entitle you to any money. Chances are this person isn’t making any money, and it’s not like he or she called you. If you’re calling a person for a show, then you need to be ready to walk with only the money you make from your merch sales.

The key to substantial merch sales is to work the crowd after your performance. You’re on the road to spread your music, so you should walk around with your email list and a stack of CDs and talk to people. If you spend the night sulking or looking pretentious behind your merch table, I guarantee that you will lose out on $50-$80 each night. Most people at a bar are more reluctant to lose their seat than drop $5-$10 for a CD.

(As a side note, I suggest to never write off a small crowd. Sometimes the smallest crowds at the lousiest bars will buy one of everything at the merch table. If you’re really dope, you have the chance to let the people there feel like they’ve been lucky to catch a rare performance of an artist on the rise. Be humble. Be grateful. Look them in the eyes and listen to their stories. If you’re lucky enough to really take off one day, you’ll miss these past days of awkward intimacy.)

As you crisscross the road atlas, be sure to keep all your gas, toll, and motel receipts. Have everyone write their name on what they pay for, and keep them all in an envelope. At the end of the trip, add up all the receipts (x). Divide (x) by how many people were on the tour. This will be everyone’s equal share of expenses (z). Add up everyone’s individual contributions (y). The difference between (y) and (z) will be what each person either owes or has overpaid and is owed. I’ve found this to be the best way to make sure no one gets shafted with paying for too much gas.

Finally, make sure you’re friends with the people who you tour with. The last thing you want is a fight breaking out when you’re 800 miles from home and heads being salty for the rest of the treck. Your first couple tours are going to be rough. You’re going to play to near-empty venues of completely ambivalent locals. You’re going to eat a lot of crap fast food. You’re going to sleep on a lot of floors. And you’re not going to be making fistfuls of dough. If you’re with the right people, the worst case scenario is a musical vacation / road trip. If you’ve chosen to tour with some people you barely know, you may end up stranded in Iowa rapping about glocks with MC Rusty Bushes.

Good luck booking your tour. If you’ve toured the DIY circuit, please leave some comments with your favorite tour stories. I’d love to hear them!

10 Sites Every Serious Indie Musician Should Have Bookmarked and Why, Pt. 1

2009-03-10T03:48:00.000-07:00

Musicians and artists, there's a lot of crap on the internet.

Yeh, I know, big wake-up call. But if you're anything like a lot of friends of TheGoodLook.Net, you might be a bit disenchanted with trying to sift through all the bull to find something that works for you and your career. It can be a bit overwhelming, especially when Tom, Dick and Jane are constantly telling you that you have to endlessly market yourself online and there are 58 million options out there.

I've been bumping around on the internet for years now trying to make a living for myself as a musician and entrepreneur, and I think out of all the crap I've thrown at the wall, there are 10 that seem to stick, or really be worth checking out (according to my old wizened spidey-senses). Most of these work whether you're a musician or not.

So here are the first five of 10 sites that really matter, and that all of you should have bookmarked. I highly advise setting up accounts and signing up for the feeds. Make it to the bottom of this post and there are some OUTSTANDING musical Good Look goodies for ya....chomp, chomp, enjoy, Lookies.

1. Reverbnation

The URL:
www.reverbnation.com

Why Bookmark It:
Reverbnation is the ultimate free online press kit. It gives you all the advantages of free exposure that MySpace gives you with TEN times the functionality. You can manage your email lists (as well as import and export them), filter your email list by demographic (age, sex, location, etc), check out real data on how often your site is getting hit and by whom, and tons of other stuff. There is no pretense here of "friends" and "friending" like a lot of other social networking sites. At Reverbnation, it's all about the music and ONLY about the music, so you know the fans and musicians are genuine and genuinely interested in your music. You can match your "band equity" up against other acts to see who's really moving and shaking, and you can also deploy an army of friendly music widgets across the web to serve your bidding. And those widget hits add up to site hits. Which actually adds up to money.

That's right, they split their ad revenues with you, so at the very least, you'll get paid for bringing traffic to the site, which is more than I can say for most music sites out there claiming to empower artists.

How to Maximize It:
-Make sure you use the email list function and take the time to organize it. It'll come in handy when you have to only send an email to women in Toronto over 23 for your two-day Canadian tour.

-Put your widgets up on your various sites (Myspace, Facebook, your blog). Look, I even have some over on the sidebar.

-Input your press clips in the press clip function. It makes your HTML emails look that much more juicy and turns your page from just another music site into an official and respectable press kit.

My favorite features:
Blog/Buzz- With the click of a button you can see who's chatting you up ANYWHERE online

The "My Band" Facebook application - This basically builds a Reverb outpost on your Facebook page that is inobtrusive, but still super functional.

Stats - Pie graphs and line graphs lay out to you how your buzz is building over time, and give you suggestions on how to bring your numbers up.

2. Facebook

The URL:
if you don't know, I aint got sh!t for you.com

Why Bookmark it:
Plain and simple, there's no more personal way to interact with your fan base than Facebook. You can't even SEE people's profiles if you don't know their name or have their email address, so the MySpace Promotion Cesspool Factor is nipped in the proverbial bud. Which means the people in your friends at least KINDA know you. This is a good thing because it means there's maybe a little seedling of genuine interest in who you are and what you're doing. That's a great start and means this is probably your core network of supporters above any other site...."randoms" number very low in your Facebook friends, relatively speaking.

How to Maximize it:
-You should spend at least as much time if not more on your Facebook as you do on your MySpace page. These are the people that will actually buy your next release.

-Update your status frequently and get the people who know you best interested in your life as an artist, not just somebody promoting your next show at Jack Cotton's Cock Bar.

-Comment on other people's postings, pics and notes. Participate in some of the little stupid games that go on on that site....it might seem dumb, but that kind of stuff gives your (potential) supporters insight into who you are, which goes a long way.

My favorite features:
Linking to Wall Posts-Attaching a video (from YouTube, Vimeo or any video host) to a wall post comes with all the description and meta-data included, so it saves you a hell of a lot of explaining if you just want to make a quick video post.

My Band - (read the Reverbnation entry)

3. Bandcamp

The URL:
http://bandcamp.com/

Why Bookmark It:
You can pretty much host your site here and handle alot of your business from it. Without seeing a bunch of random ads that have nothing to do with you. The Bandcamp guys help you convert all of your music into different formats and input all the data for you. You can then hook your own site and URL up, then you can name your price for your music. The only way they make their money is if you sell a certain amount of music, and they have yet to determine what that amount is because they're waiting on our feedback. How dope is that??

How to Maximize it:
I don't know, haven't used it long enough.

Favorite features:
Not sure yet, the site is brand spankin' new, but I know it's gonna be big.

A quick INFORMATIVE video intro to Bandcamp:

Bandcamp Screencast from Ethan Diamond on Vimeo.

4. Vimeo

The URL:
www.vimeo.com

Why Bookmark It:
Vimeo was around before YouTube, but YouTube got all the shine because they allowed people to upload copyrighted material. And it is for this very reason that Vimeo is a jewel. You cannot upload copyrighted material, which is a huge plus. People on Vimeo are there for business. You can have your own little portfolio of videos that are ONLY you....and the quality is ten times better than YouTubes because they allow up to 500MB at a time for your upload, and even let you upload and view videos in HD. Sure, on YouTube, you can create your own channel that people can subscribe to, but Vimeo to Youtube is Facebook to Myspace. It's crisper, more personalized, much easier to use and navigate, and there is 0% trash. I repeat, 0%, unless you just don't like somebody's work.

Vimeo's a much classier way to present your music videos, video press kits, or whatever...trust me. It's also a good way to see other artists that are serious about their music videos or live performance footage, so you can compare notes and get some inspiration.

How to Maximize It:
Search for channels of people that are into what you're into and connect with them. When I was working on The Nobody Hole, I looked for animators and found a virtual goldmine of talented artists that I didn't find ANYWHERE else online.

This is a good place to find hungry video directors if you're looking for one, so network it.

My Favorite Features:
The "Explore" Tab - Sniff around the different channels and staff picks and you'll find alot of cool things...most of it is dope.

5. Guy Kawasaki's Blog Site

The URL:
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/

Why Bookmark It:
Guy Kawasaki is basically my hero right now. He is the CEO/Co-Founder of Alltop.com, and has been the brains behind many a successful startup (including a little operation called Apple Mac). The dude makes millions and travels around the world doing what he's good at, and HELPING people with good ideas learn how to make it too. Dude is the truth, he's a forward thinker, and a successful entrepreneur on the cutting edge. Because he's so cool with everybody, Guy gets the scoop on ALL the new trends and technologies in the Web 2.0 marketing world, so if you're an artist trying to make noise online, he knows all the tricks and what's coming down the pipe. And if you're an artist running your own business or looking to start one, you have double the reason to follow The Guy. He's got the wisdom you need.

Some things I learned from Guy:
-The purpose of Twitter and how to use it effectively
-The existence of Animoto
-The Art of Generating Buzz

stay tuned for Pt. 2 of this blog, coming next week...

Thanks for makin it this far....here's a Good Look snack...

Doom - "Gazillion Ear"

And also, here's an extra added Good Look goodie from my buddy DT of Clan Destined/The VJC. This one is called "Auto2ne Master" and is a mellow, hypnotic intellecrunk jewel I just couldn't wait to post. You won't find this anywhere else, I promise. Please snag it:

DT - "Auto2ne Master"

New AmDex Video "Change Your Style"

2009-02-26T22:28:00.000-08:00

ATL Standup!

My very good friend and brother-in-music AmDex is dropping his new solo effort this Spring, "The 7 Scrolls" and trust me when I say it doesn't disappoint. Here's the video for the first song, "Change Your Style" featuring Carolina titan Supastition and one of my new favorite voices on the mic, Elevadar Dan.

V-Day Advice from new Good Look blogger, Poodie The Byz

2009-02-10T12:43:00.000-08:00

Everybody give a warm welcome to the newest addition to The Good Look family, Poodie The Byz.

Since the big chocolate and panties day is coming up, she thought she'd introduce herself by giving some advice for any gentlemen aspiring to plunder booty ...especially those on a budget. Tune in to the lovely Poodie's Myspace Page to get the raw uncut genius of her personal blog. Now with no further ado...

Valentine's Day for DUMMIES! How NOT to Eff up!

Everyone knows that times are in the toilet, so your special lady is not expecting a 'pimp my bride' gift this year. Whether you’re dead broke, blue collar, white collar, or dog collar, let Poodie show u how to do this SON!!

Here are two Valentine's Day game plans that should brighten any young man’s chances of 'ass-gettage' by nightfall.

Sidenote to Ladies that buy V-Day Gifts

Valentine's Day-themed gifts for a grown ass man... are GAY AS FOCK! NO MAN wants shiny heart-ridden boxers with "Be Mine" on his ass crack. He is NEVER gonna wear that Cupid tie! Try to fathom… WHERE can he dignifiedly display a red velvet monkey that sings "Signed, Sealed, Delivered"? Stop Man Abuse NOW!

Now, back to the fellas.

The PRACTICAL Plan

[For the employed]

Simplicity works! Your lady uses products & shit. Eventually she runs out of them. Secretly write down her regular brands (i.e., lotions, perfumes, oils, warming jellies, candles & the rest of that shit she uses JUST for your ass), ….head to the store and get to replenishing! Have a female relative or friend 'PANSY IT UP' into a basket or some cutesy package. Add a glittery, ignorantly large, funny or tenderly poetic card, and if you so have it like that......go in for the kill and add the receipt of a paid bill or "SOM'N ON" a bill!

Mmmmm, sounds like foreplay to me!

WARNING: Depending on the size of the bill you pay, she may feel incited to propose marriage. Or babies.

The EMERGENCY BROKE ASS Plan

[For those of you who have less than a job]

Keep in mind that she KNOWS you're broke. There's NO need to spend your lil' unemployment check on some foolishness that you KNOW she will inevitably HATE or PAWN when the lights get turned off. You'll need approximately $10.

1-Cop a nice card, $0.99 bubble bath and about 2 roses/flowers. Take the card and write something all of your boys would clown you about.

2-Break out the cleaning supplies. Clean up as best as your hairy, testosterone-filled body can [ie., seat down in the bathroom, make the bed, take the trash out].

3-Spray Febreeze for effect.

4-Find a free recipe or two on the back of a packaged good already in the house [ex: 'Oodles of Noodles' usually has one!].. Base your recipe choice on the one with the majority of the ingredients already in your fridge or cabinet and get to readin' & cookin'... IN THAT ORDER.

5-Run a bubble-bath (the cheap kind makes the same bubbles. NO BUBBLES are special]. De-petal the roses/flowers & toss lightly across the bubbles.

**Footnote:

Do NOT STRESS the cleaning for immaculateness nor the food for pleasurable edibility, as she understands that you are merely a man.

I PROMISE SUCCESS! She cares about YOUR EFFORT more than anything! If you make "Oodles of Noodles a la Teriyaki", she will act like it's Filet Mignon because YOU MADE IT for her. The bubble bath is also for effect. You're gonna get some as soon as she even SEES it!

Thank me later.

And if she doesn't like either plan… GET RID OF THAT UNGRATEFUL BYTCH!

Fin.

-Poodie

Sum Goes Flowbama

2009-02-09T16:00:00.000-08:00

I've done lots of stupid things in my time.

I used to eat ants, construction paper and glue.

I used to vandalize cop cars.

One time, I kicked a mailbox so hard, two of my toenails fell off.

I had a mentally challenged friend named Richard who used to challenge me to see who could stare at the sun the longest. For this reason, I am legally blind.

He was retarded and adventurous, and I was competetive, so we made a reckless pair.

On Saturday, I ate a candle.

I've slept in an air shaft to skip work, jumped from a three-story building onto concrete, and lit my leg hair on fire because I enjoyed the smell.

And now I've done Flowbama.

Lotus (Badtouch Hop Li Remix)

2009-02-04T00:04:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd toss something yalls way while I'm experimenting with embeddable players. This is an old old Badtouch remix of a song called "Lotus" from my first album, THE LIL FOLK. Badtouch also produced the original...here, he just flips the same sample for fun and came up with something izfresh. Enjoy..

"Lotus" - Sumkid (Badtouch Hop Li Remix)

Bucky Sweat Naked Booty Sex Dancin Chucky.

2009-01-15T01:09:00.000-08:00

Another goodie, brought to my face by Good Look member (and future featured artist), Voice. Check her and her Featherperm label out at www.featherperm.com.

In the meanwhile, try to understand this wonderful video from Flying Lotus, which Voice dug up on Pitchfork.

"Parisian Goldfish"

Oh, and under that is a sneak preview of me and my band, The Milky Way's, first live performance at Spaceland this Sunday past. Official video of the entire show coming soon.

Subscribers get it first though ;-)

Video courtesty of X-ro Vision.

Ernest L. Thomas Returns

2009-01-13T13:04:00.000-08:00

For the performance of his career. The man formerly known as "Rog" from "What's Happening?" delivers a powerful performance in what might be the funniest clip I've seen in months!!!

Thanks to Good Look Member Ron Frazier for this one....WHOA!!!!

Album Review :: Common's Universal Mind Control

2008-12-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

Common :: Universal Mind Control

(The Official Good Look Review)

38.1 Minutes

10 Songs

Imagine the playground at your local McDonald's was renovated and turned into a strip club, but they kept the Hamburglar statue on stage. Now, put a bookshelf in that strip club instead of a bar. Congratulations, you have successfully experienced Common's new album Universal Mind Control.

This album is an excursion into mind-tickling, rainbow-tinged electro-Neptunes land, where Pharrell finds only the frutiest of beat barrels, scrapes the bottom of them and serves the beat scum to Common on a pillow of fluffy satin. It kind of picks up where Electric Circus took off, if Electric Circus were a more terrible album with less balls. Funny factoid: This album's original title was Invincible Summer. To me, it feels more like a Vulnerable Autumn, or perhaps a Tender Winter.

When I first heard the single, "Universal Mind Control" back in the Summer, I thought it was the nail in the Common coffin. It sounded like a midlife crisis on wax, which it is, kind of. However, the video renewed my interest in the song, and next thing I knew, I was playin' it in my DJ sets.

Now that I've heard the album, my hatred for that song burns anew, because it's a WHOLE ALBUM of weak attempts at party songs, just like that. Actually the rest of the album is two notches weaker than "Universal Mind Control". Except for one song, which might actually be the most genius thing I've heard this year.

I'll get to that in a second.

Let's get one thing straight, just as sure as camels can't play hockey or Dick Cheney can't be in natural sunlight, Common CANNOT make a party song when he tries so hard ("Reminding Me of Sef" and "I Am Music" are exceptions...he did it naturally). Let's get another thing straight....Common is a free-thinker, a philosopher, a wordsmith and an abstract poet. He's a vicious lyricist given the freedom to express himself without bounds. He's one of the best to have ever done it. Unfortunately, his immense talent does not offer him the luxury of driving too far out of his lane. And with this album, he has done just that. He has driven out of his lane, gone over the cliff, and landed in a ravine.

Alright, I'm done bashing. Here's the song breakdown:

1-"Universal Mind Control"

A well-intended, out but poorly executed ode to Afrika Bambataa and the Soulsonic Force's "Planet Rock". Very cool video, kind of a fun beat, very flat lyrics. Jay-Z makes party joints all the time with Olympian lyricism, so there's no excuse for this.

2-"Punch Drunk Love" (featuring Kanyeeeeeezy)

Lots of sex-talk. Pretty cool track by the seventh listen.

3-"Make My Day" (featuring Cee-Lo)

One of the more musical tracks on the album, provided by Outkast's own Mr. DJ. This sets the pattern of the most interesting tracks being all Mr. Dj and NON-Neptunes. Still at this point, Common is failing on the mic.

4-"Sex 4 Suga"

Will somebody put me in a garbage can, fill it with water, seal it with ducktape and throw rocks at it please? After two minutes of this, push me down a hill. That is what this song feels like. The end of a great MC's career.

5-"Announcement"

And the award for "Worst Chorus in the History of American Music" goes to this song! And Common continues to baffle me with lines like "When Com start buckin/these other rappers start duckin/fuckin' on the kitchen sink, bought my Mamma a mink". So the dude has shot bullets, had sex in his kitchen and bought expensive shit for his moms..... all he gotta do is buy a grill next and tapdance in the rain and the transformation is complete. The music is bland at best.

6-"Gladiator"

Interesting. Schizophrenic song....Common is trying his best to remind us that he can bust. But the problem is that at some points, the beat sounds like an army of rats playing a mile-long harmonica. During other points, the beat sounds like good steak and potatoes hip-hop, which is a sorely missed element on this album. You guys know me, I'm all about progression, but it was slightly refreshing hearing him trying to bust on at least one track. But all in all, this track is a clusterfuck.

7-"Changes" (featuring Muhsinah)

The most bizarre and interesting song on the album, by far. Again, produced by Mr. DJ. Here we have Common virtually skipping down a candy-coated road with rainbows and starbursts filling the sky. A butterfly lands on his shoulder and he starts talking to the kids. Part of me loves this song, because it's so noble....he took time out from his partying to speak frankly to the children and inspire them. We need more of that in music. And Muhsinah's voice is beautiful. Part of me hates this song because it was ill-placed and surrounded by so much flat and uninspired material that it will never get the attention and discussion it needs. And alot of kids that need to hear it probably never will....

8-"Inhale"

Back to the flat shit, but it's a little easier to swallow.

9-"What a World" (feat. Chester French)

A collab with the white guys from Harvard who Pharell & Kanye got in a bidding war over because to them, white guys who can make beats AND play guitar AND make pop music is just too futuristic to resist. Not a TERRRIBLE track, and I appreciate Common's attempt to tell his story. I might play this in my DJ sets, but only after I'm good and drunk.

10-"Everywhere"

This would have been experimental on Electric Circus. But in 2008, this sounds totally uninspired.

I think Common has finally gotten this stuff out of his system...at least I hope. And in a strange way, it's got me looking forward to his next album. I want him to grow old gracefully, but right now, this is mid-life crisis rap. I look forward to him assuming his mantle as a revered and stylish statesman in the game, and not the 40-year-old that just went out and bought a bunch of tight new clothes and a bright red sports bike because that's what all the kids are doing.

Fists of Oblivion

2008-11-20T13:29:00.000-08:00

We're busy over here...and the future is fast approaching man. I think at the end of the tunnel, I see a light. And that light is coming from my laptop screen....and that laptop screen is playing a new kung-fu puppet cop drama called "Fists of Oblivion" which you can see on Scion.com sometime soon. Sweet lord, when will the madness end?

UNAUTHORIZED Fist of Oblivion Trailer (via Tubefilter) from Tubefilter on Vimeo.

The Temper Twins....

2008-11-13T14:49:00.000-08:00

Whaddyall think about these guys?

Change it up

Just because....

2008-11-11T18:19:00.001-08:00

Good Look Artist AmDex enters Roots Remix Contest...Guns Blazing

2008-11-05T13:51:00.001-08:00

THE GOOD LOOK MONTHLY : NOVEMBER 2008

2008-11-03T14:12:00.001-08:00

This Month, in The Good Look:

The limited digital release of The Nobody Hole,

ONLY available to The Good Look Members

Think of an artist. Play their song.

Even if it's Philip Michael Thomas, you can't stump one of the sites we highlight.

CONSTRUCTING COMPUTER JAY

An Intriguing Interview with this generation's Herbie Hancock

And a spotlight on a few of our favorite sites ...including

And LaBlogotheque

Look over to the left, try subscribing...it really is a good look.

Introducing THE NOBODY HOLE : A Halloween Hip-Hop Opera

2008-09-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

On October 31st, 2008, The Good Look will make it's first official release..... a limited edition of The Nobody Hole. In celebration of the release and the video contest that's going along with it, we've posted the entire album here (courtesy of ReverbNation's widget muscle) for your listening pleasure. What's The Nobody Hole, you ask? Why it's a dark Halloween fairy tale....a hip-hop opera....an epic fantasy....some ill music....crazy visuals....and a vivid imagination, all wrapped up into one.

And it's only posted here until November 1st, and then it's for sale only... so eat it up. Enjoy!!!!
All music by Badtouch
Artwork by Doug Hoffman
Narration by Nzinga Kadalie
Story & MC'ing by Sumkid

The Creation of The Nobody Hole

“The multimedia concept album is an idea that has traditionally been better on paper than in practice. The Nobody Hole is one of the handful that manages to turn a big idea into a HUGE experience.” James Dunn, RIME Magazine

Hey everyone, this is Sum, creator of The Nobody Hole. I’m so passionate about this project, and so attached to every aspect of it, that it’s hard for me not to start gushing poetic straight from the heart about it at every turn.

In 2005, I started work on an album that was initially just going to be a series of nonrelated and spooky bedtime tales that complemented my friend Badtouch’s sometimes eerie music. Over the course of a long, dark year of writing in a Brooklyn basement, those tales evolved into one long Halloween story. That story became a wild adventure of epic proportions and an homage to the many influences on my imagination; from The Wizard of Oz, and John Carpenter’s Halloween to R.A. Salvatore’s The Dark Elf Trilogy and Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street. I realized how big this project was going to be, so I took it a step beyond the musical realm and involved a few visual artist friends of mine to help bring my visions to life.

When recording was finally done in 2006, what we had built together was totally novel: an extremely visual, dark fantasy hip-hop opera called The Nobody Hole.

What is The Nobody Hole?

“As we place rare jewels in a deep setting to enhance their beauty, so nature sets man’s mind in dark surroundings, that it may better try his faith.”-The Nobody Hole, Act I

The Nobody Hole is a place where broken spirits come to heal, shattered hearts mend, dark souls find peace and the restless psyche comes to ponder. It’s definitely not Heaven, Hell or Limbo….no one in The Nobody Hole is dead, but nobody is whole. That’s why everyone in the Hole manifests as strange, partial renditions of themselves…because something is missing that they’ve yet to find. It’s here that the mournful consciousness can lament in peace, under the caring and watchful eyes of the Kings of The Nobody Hole… a long line of architects reaching as far back as Creation. It is here where our story begins and where Pygmy Paul finds out who he really is and what fate holds in store for him.

The Nobody Hole is a collection of tales and fables, woven together in one chilling and engaging tapestry of a yarn that asks “where does reality end and the imagined begin”?

Radio does Portis (heads)

2008-06-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

Good look to Douchebagface for this one.... a cover of Portishead's "The Rip" by Radiohead. Def one of the freshest songs of the year....glad Thom and the boys noticed.

Find more videos like this on w.a.s.t.e. central

The Good Look

2008-05-27T17:19:00.000-07:00

Yodel....

So this is pretty much where it's gonna begin for me. I had this grandiose scheme to launch The Good Look on a whole different level, but this makes perfect sense for the time being. So since this is about my career as an artist as well as all the other talented fools I know, let's go ahead and get this crackin' with no further ado. Here's a free download of my newest song release, "Chuck Norris on Drugs", produced by BadTouch and recorded in Brooklyn, October 2007.

Chuck Norris on Drugs
(Download hosted courtesy of Domination Recordings)

And here' s a new video from the homie Malkovich for his bangin Wild Style tribute "Like A Glove" (feat. Pudgemcee & Ali Baba Abnormal), ....it's the lead single from his album/mixtape Sicksteens (Dir: Nzinga Kadalie):

Enjoy...