what better way to kick things off?

Damn. One of the things I love about Kanye is the conviction he puts into every single piece of art that he makes. He treats every release like it's a world event, and most of the time it is. He'll never just let something sneak it's way onto the blogs or the radio. He releases snippets of songs ("Can't Tell Me Nothing," "Stronger") with cover art (!), when he finishes a video he posts a screen shot, and now, before any tour dates have been announced, he hits us with this ill tour poster. No one has figured out this brave new world of Web hype like Kanye West. Maybe it's because everything he does is just so fresh. 

The look is consistent with his newfound adoration for Daft Punk, but this time with a Star Wars theme. It could have come off mad corny, but the dude pulls it off like the pro he is. (I wonder whose design this is? Murakami?) There's a fine line between ripping stuff off and using it as a jump-off point for your aesthetic and Ye has managed thus far to walk it like a tight rope, but let's just hope he can stay away from the pyramid for his stage show. 

Now, I wouldn't normally even bother with thinking about some new big-name, pop superstar tour. I don't think I've ever even been to a show like this. But this one is serious! Rihanna at this point could probably headline her own tour, and she's quickly becoming that one teen pop star who's cool to like. Her songs are actually good and she's gorgeous. Not to mention the return of N*E*R*D* which is both crazy exciting and kind of mind-boggling. Pharrell, who is not only both Kanye's production predecessor and homie but also his equal in the stadium-sized ego division, gets equal billing with Lupe. This tour is gonna be massive and awesome. Has there ever been a more hipster-friendly teenie bopper show???

a new beginning

So I've finally decided to begin blogging again. I had a short run with it a while back, but this time it will be much different. I'm keeping the blatant ineptitude moniker, but I'm gonna publish through this site rather than the one Dan and I set up in order to keep it low-key, more personal. I don't plan on publicizing this among my real-life friends, which would very easily be accomplished with a simple link on my facebook page. Maybe I'll switch it over if anyone actually ever reads this... 

For months, blogging has been one of those "t0-do" things for me, like  joining a gym or something like that. I've been needing some kind of therapeutic intellectual release, and it's pretty silly that I haven't just done it already. I spend all day on the internet, obsessively checking message boards and music blogs. At the same time, I'm constantly kicking myself because I feel I don't write enough, or that I don't have a well-rounded portfolio of published clips. The internet has become both my most time-consuming hobby and the bane of my existence, so I figured maybe if I channeled all the energy I put into traversing the Web into writing I may be able to relieve some of this pent up nervousness I have over finding a job in four short months, etc.

Since this blog is going to be my very own confessional, it's important to know a little bit about me. I'm a senior graduating in May, I'm a journalism major and I tend to write about music mostly, although I have not been doing it as much as I should be lately. I'm also a DJ, so much of what ends up on here will most likely be about the music that saves me from obscurity/insanity/killing myself or everybody else. I'm hoping to become a writer, or at least be involved in some sort of media, whether it is online news, traditional newspaper or magazine or even television writing. I would really love to work for a music culture/lifestyle magazine in NYC, so we'll see over the coming months how that works out.