EgoAssassin.com - Music. Satire. Controversy.

I’m a slow learner in life, but I’ve picked up on some golden rules regarding cosmetics and fragrances:

1. Having a clean, fresh odor is simply not good enough; You must go above and beyond. Soak a few brand name or otherwise unknown chemicals into your skin until you can be smelt from a mile away.
2. Women need to cake on lipstick and eyeshadow so that others can easily determine that they do in fact have a face.
3. If you don’t wear a form of makeup, you simply look haggard and don’t resemble people in magazines. (Remember that no one wants to see what you actually look like in real life)
4. Men must have on hand at least four different fragrance products between the bedroom, the bathroom, and the office, so that way they can be sure to achieve the perfect aroma of miscellaneous shaving creams, bitter deodorants, and even some breath mint on the side.
5. Have a mirror on your person at all times….just to remind yourself of how good you look today.

One name matters in music right now and you most likely have never heard of him. His name is Manu Chao. A brilliant revolutionary and one of the most talented living artists of our time (as close to Bob Marley and Joe Strummer as you can get). To say he is global is an understatement. His music reaches the masses on a huge scale, but for some reason he is not very well known in the U.S. (as much as I would imagine). I got to see him live in Los Angeles and was amazed how well he breaks through boundaries with his lyrics, musical styles, and substance filled messages. This video below starts off with the band playing a live tune entitled “Mr. Bobby”, which is a tribute to Bob Marley. It’s good to hear some real musicians and real instruments for a change, innit?

Interesting fact about Manu Chao: Listen to his records and you will hear lyrics in English, Galician, Arabic, Spanish, French, and other languages that I could not even recognize by ear. Quite an eclectic and sharp guy.

I was about to lose hope in all new music coming out, as most of it simply rips off the old stuff with no attempt at originality (like my music) when I found a discovered a solid postmodern jazz band from Helsinki called “The Five Corners Quintet”. Don’t ask me how I found them, but I did and I must say that it is music to my ears and a true inspiration for me to get back into writing more tunes with a horn section. This band is cool in every way and has covered the genre with epic keyboard, solid horn lines, energetic drums, and a group of talented vocalists that appear throughout the record(s). Most of the songs are instrumental, but you don’t have to love jazz to really get into the music. A good way to descrribe the The Five Corners Quintet sound is to call it a supreme mix of old jazz and samba classics similar to the John Coltrane/Johnny Hartman and Getz/Gilberto collaborations.

The band was said to have been spawned from some highly acclaimed band called “Nuspirit” which I have never heard of. But as for the music itself, I recommend that you listen to a few songs to get the full vibe and see how you like it. From a musicians standpoint, the production is airtight and it achieves a new sound while still remaining gritty and raw overall. If you are looking for something that is good and new that reminds you of something good and old, definitely consider The Five Corners Quintet. I suggest listening to the song “Trading Eights” first….Listen To The Five Corners Quintet Here

Click to view their official web site

Someone save me from these zombies! The people who think that because I tell them my birth date or blood type, that they suddenly know every detail about my personality. The same people who think that saying the phrase “God Bless You” after a sneeze, actually means something. The individuals who give me a stupid frog-faced grin when they walk past me on the street or cut me off on the freeway. The same zombies that spend time stressing about making a “good impression” at work, but fail to focus on basic interaction with their own families or speak their minds when it is most critical.

And why are there so many plastic people that mimic one another’s superstitions and social behavior? I mean, why do you have to appease everyone by sounding exactly like they do? We don’t all have to buy into the idea of wasting time on trivial nonsense. Why can’t we just act natural and not like a bunch of junior high idiots? Will we ever be comfortable in our own skin and not feel the need to fill our existence with pointless formalities, silly superstitions, and ridiculous assumptions about how people should be viewed? I struggle with foolish concerns every single day, but I make a conscious decision to reject my mistakes and strive for some realism.

Let’s be more honest with each other….how about we start getting to know people on a deeper level than simply status quo gibberish and small-talk. Bottom line: Less time going through the motions in life and more time doing things that matter.