Hi, my name is Jeffrey Mack

54 Real Estate

On the advice of a random girl that I had met at Maxwell’s last Saturday, I decided to head back on Sunday to check out a NJ-based band called Real Estate (featuring an ex-member of Titus Andronicus). As I usually do, I jumped on Spotify to give a listen to their back catalogue so I knew what I could expect. If I had to characterize their sound prior to seeing them live, I would’ve said they were a mellow, slightly trippy surfer-ish sound. They sort of reminded me of Tame Impala, but less rocking (if that makes any sense). Regardless, I thought they were good enough to pay the $10 to see them live while enjoying a few beers.

The band was great live and played a bunch of songs off their upcoming album, which sounds like it’ll be their best to date. I’m eagerly awaiting it’s September release. Anyways, have a listen to the first single off the new album below.

It’s Real – Real Estate by jeffreymack

July 28, 2011 | In Music | No Comments

50 The Chapin Sister

Being hot, bored, and thirsty on Saturday night, I decided to head over to Maxwell’s (my local live music venue) to give a listen to The Chapin Sisters. While I gave their most recent album a once over on Spotify, I really didn’t know what to expect seeing them live. I’m not the biggest fan of mellow, folky girl bands, but I figured they were pretty enough to warrant my $10 (is that sexist?). I arrived a little bit late, downed a pint of Allagash, and settled into the sparse crowd. The Chapin Sisters (Lily & Abby?) started their set with a harmonious and hypnotizing rendition of Sweet Light, the first track off their 2010 album, Two. I have to admit it was captivating. Overall, their set was ok – again, not really my preferred genre of music – and it certainly beat staying in my hot, humid apartment. Kudos to Maxwell’s for pumping the AC. You can give a listen to Sweet Light below:

Sweet Light by The Chapin Sisters

July 25, 2011 | In Music | No Comments

45 I love Phantogram

Ok, so maybe I love the beautiful lead singer more, but still, there’s no denying that Phantogram is a talented band. I first saw them when they opened for Ra Ra Riot at the Bowery Ballroom and cannot wait to watch them again at Coachella in April. Until then, I love that they’ve been churning out videos and getting opportunities to play on some late night television.

February 11, 2011 | In Music | No Comments

42 Don’t Look Back

It’s no secret that if I had to choose one celebrity to marry tomorrow, it would most definitely be Zooey Deschanel. Not only is she beautiful, but she’s quirky (in a good way). She’s also kind of a rock star. How can you beat that? The unfortunate news is that she’s already married. Even worse, she’s married to a rock star. Regardless, the new video for She & Him’s “Don’t Look Back” is pretty fun, the song is pretty decent, and it gives me an excuse to stare at Zooey for a few minutes. Enjoy.

January 20, 2011 | In Music | No Comments

35 The Walking Dead

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November 30, 2010 | In Television | No Comments

32 Before They Were Bad

As many of you will know (or at least soon learn), I’m a pretty big music fan. My tastes are pretty much all-encompassing and there are very few bands that I dislike, and even less that I hate. One of the bands that falls into the latter “Hate” category is the Black Eyed Peas and when I learned a few days ago that they would be this year’s Super Bowl halftime performance, I immediately began thinking about what else I could watch during their time on stage.

I’ve tried to find others who share my hatred for BEP, but for some reason I can never find them. They’ve somehow managed to convince everyone that they are amazing. The truth is they suck. While their songs might be catchy, their songwriting is the worst and juvenile at best. Have you listened to their lyrics? Seriously? Mazel tov?

I didn’t always hate BEP. In fact, I was probably one of their earliest fans. I’ve even seen them in concert a few times and thought they were amazing. So what happened? Fergie happened.

I don’t hate Fergie, but I hate what she represents to the band. Pre-Fergie, BEP were a welcome new addition to the maturation of hip hop. Flowing lyrics, A Tribe Called Quest-esque beats, and low budget videos captured our hearts. They were truly underground heroes. But I guess being underground doesn’t pay the bills and the group’s end goal was not just to be acclaimed artists. They wanted to be rich artists.

So how do you take the leap? Add one attractive female, ditch the deep lyrics, create overly-produced pop beats, and wear ridiculous clothing. Voila. You’re now the biggest band in the world.

I didn’t want this post to be a complete ragging on the Black Eyed Peas. Instead, I wanted to point everyone to what they were BF (before Fergie). If you’ve never done so, listen to their first two albums Behind the Front and Bridging the Gap. Both albums showcase the true talents of the band. Both albums offer good old hip hop.

For your listening pleasure, Fallin’ Up

November 30, 2010 | In Music | No Comments

30 Gettysburg Address

Gettysburg Address from Adam Gault on Vimeo.

I’m pretty sure that at some point in my life I’ve read the Gettysburg Address, or at least I was supposed to. Regardless of whether I did or didn’t, this beautiful animation of the speech demonstrates perfectly the power of the words uttered by President Lincoln at a time where America had reached a crossroads. Not only is the animation masterful, but the narration of the speech is spot on. For those of us who’ve forgotten the message of the Gettysburg Address, or for those are simply fans of great animation, take a few moments to check out the Gettysburg Address Revisited.

November 20, 2010 | In Video | No Comments

28 Danny MacAskill is a Good Bike Rider

Nulla dui purus, eleifend vel, consequat non, dictum porta, nulla. Duis ante mi, laoreet ut, commodo eleifend, cursus nec, lorem. Aenean eu est. Etiam imperdiet turpis. Praesent nec augue. Curabitur ligula quam, rutrum id, tempor sed, consequat ac, dui. Vestibulum accumsan eros nec magna. Vestibulum vitae dui. Vestibulum nec ligula et lorem consequat ullamcorper. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos hymenaeos. Phasellus eget nisl ut elit porta ullamcorper. Maecenas tincidunt velit quis orci. Sed in dui. Nullam ut mauris eu mi mollis luctus. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos hymenaeos. Sed cursus cursus velit. Sed a massa. Duis dignissim euismod quam. Nullam euismod metus ut orci. Vestibulum erat libero, scelerisque et, porttitor et, varius a, leo.

November 19, 2010 | In Sports | No Comments

25 North by Northwest

Vivamus auctor leo vel dui. Aliquam erat volutpat. Phasellus nibh. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Cras tempor. Morbi egestas, urna non consequat tempus, nunc arcu mollis enim, eu aliquam erat nulla non nibh. Duis consectetuer malesuada velit. Nam ante nulla, interdum vel, tristique ac, condimentum non, tellus. Proin ornare feugiat nisl. Suspendisse dolor nisl, ultrices at, eleifend vel, consequat at, dolor. Vivamus auctor leo vel dui. Aliquam erat volutpat. Phasellus nibh. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Cras tempor. Morbi egestas, urna non consequat tempus, nunc arcu mollis enim, eu aliquam erat nulla non nibh. Duis consectetuer malesuada velit. Nam ante nulla, interdum vel, tristique ac, condimentum non, tellus. Proin ornare feugiat nisl. Suspendisse dolor nisl, ultrices at, eleifend vel, consequat at, dolor.

November 19, 2010 | In Movies | No Comments

21 Luxury Skateboarding

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November 16, 2010 | In Fashion | No Comments