Weekly Song Recommendation: Har Mar Superstar – Girls Only

Dark Touches

Dark Touches, released this past week, is the newest album from Har Mar Superstar.  It’s an album I was really looking forward to for a few reasons.

But the first step before talking about Har Mar is to have you watch a video of him.

He’s an artist that you can really watch grow with each album.  But with that, you never know what’s going to happen.  His last album, The Handler, while substancially more mature than his past releases, I thought was far too serious.  The persona of Har Mar is that where seriousness is the last thing you think of.  It’s about fun, parties, sex and enjoying everything around you.  So I was a bit worried that this new album would continue the trend of deep thoughts and seriousness.

Then I saw him perform his new material in concert here in Omaha.  And I found what I was in for.

Not only was he no longer following the trend of seriousness, but he took the ridiculous factor to the next level.  I saw him perform new songs such as “Almond Joy” (he explained as the male version of the Camel Toe),  Tall Boy (Who he originally wrote for Britney Spears), Creative Juices (with references to his ever growing IMDB profile), and this week’s recommendation “Girls Only”.

In typical Har Mar Superstar fashion it’s a party tune about women.  Along with the other songs from this album when he performed them live at The Slowdown a few months ago it lit up the place.  This guy with songs like this turns every venue into a an awesome party.  Girls are throwing themselves at him.  Guys are throwing themselves at him.

He’ll be back in Omaha next month and I can’t wait for the party that is Har Mar Superstar in concert.  I’m trying to convince friends to go, but people only give me weird looks.  But whatever.  They’re missing out on a hell of a show.

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My thoughts on the Mophie Juicepack

A few weeks ago I purchased the Mophie Juicepack Air in preperation for my trip to Chicago for my class reunion.  When I announced on Twitter I was picking one up I had a few requests for my thoughts on it after some use.

Admittedly, the new iPhone 3GS has substantially better battery live than the 3G.  Very noticeable.  However, there are times and situations where that’s still not good enough.  I thought forward about what my situation would probably be.  I’d be flying on a plane listening to music/watching videos (no way to charge), then getting off the plane and going downtown (no way to charge), then hanging out at the CenterPost office (not charging), then heading out to wherever I was going to end up for the remainder of the day (maybe not charging).  And not knowing where I’d be staying one night to the next I knew when I had an opportunity to charge I had to make it worth my while.

So the Mophie Juice Pack allows you to double your battery life by building a battery into a hard case for your iPhone.  You can turn it on and off at will, and I think that’s really key.  When you turn it on it starts to charge your internal iPhone battery.

Knowing gadgets and charging like I do there are times and places to be charging a device.  Inside your warm, confined pocket is not one of those times.  Not only does the device head up when charging (like almost all electronics do), but it can’t be good for that to happen while against your body with no way for it to exchange heat to the outside world.  So I made sure only to turn on the Juicepack when it was on a table, or sitting next to me, or I was watching a video or something.  I never just turned it on and then shoved it in my pocket.  I don’t recommend you do either.

The only drawback I see is the cable that’s used to charge the Juicepack (and therefore your iPhone as well).  It allows you to still sync your iPhone to your computer while the Juicepack is on, so that’s cool.  It charges both the external and internal battery at the same time.  That’s cool.  But it’s some lame proprietary cable.  That’s not cool.  It looks exactly like a micro usb, but it’s just a little different.  So if you lose it you have to go buy a new one from mophie for $10.

Was it worth the $80 or whatever?  Yeah, it really was.  Now I keep it with me in my bag, fully charged and I can take it out any time an emergency arises.  I haven’t had to, but you never know.  It’ll happen.

It’s a great device, and it’s built well.  Adds very little extra size to your iPhone.  So if you’re willing to spend the money on it, and you know you could use it, I wouldn’t think twice about recommending it to you.

Weekly Song Recommendation: The Go! Team – Bottle Rocket

The Go! Team is one of those bands that I should have discovered long before I did.  In fact, there were even opportunities to see them previous to checking them out that I missed out on.  But oh well, you can’t know all cool tunes all the time.  You can just get close.

They’re a band that mixes what I’d explain as cheerleaders with an indie synth pop band who are influenced by the 1970s.  It doesn’t make any sense, but the most interesting bands rarely do, right?

This song, “Bottle Rocket” is a horn sample-heavy rockin’ good time fronted by a female rapper and drum fills o’plenty.  It’s just such a good time listening to this tune.  You can’t help but notice the sun is just a little bit brighter and your coffee is a little bit stronger while it’s playing.

The album, Thunder, Lightning, Strike, where you can find this song generally has a pretty similar feel throughout.  So if you like this song, you’d like the rest of the album.  Not too technical, not too deep, not too anything.  Just a really fun time.

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Gabe Sings T-Pain

I’ve thought of some bad ideas before, but I’m proud to say this may be my worst.

As a person who doesn’t like rap music, I thought it’d be a fun time to try to “sing” a rap song that i’ve never heard before, by an artist who’s material I’m not familiar with.  So here’s my attempt at T-Pain’s “Kiss Kiss”.  Happy #MusicMonday.

To be honest, I kind of think my version is better.  What do you think?

Gabe Sings T-Pain from Gabe Kangas on Vimeo.

Reflecting on my ten year High School reunion

I didn’t originally want to go.  But to everyone who told me I should: Thank you.

Everyone knows I didn’t know what to expect.  But now that the Grant Community High School class of 1999 reunion is over I can’t help but look at those four years far different than I did before.  I’ll be honest and tell you that I really did discount that time.  It wasn’t awful, but I was glad it was behind me.  But now after reuniting with my friends for the first time in ten years I realize things were quite different than I remember them.

I forgot how amazing my friends were in high school.  Smart, passionate, creative, extremely fun people.  Obviously I know I had a good time with them, but I forgot the details.  I guess time can do that.  I forgot all of that “silly fun” we used to have.  The singing in the car, the dancing like an idiot.  All the inside jokes.  And it came back right away.  Immediately.  We all picked up where we left off.

Becky is still the beautiful, intelligent, exciting girl that she always was.  Al, though certainly out of his shell in so many ways, is still the logical guy I always remembered.  Michelle… is still Michelle.  Loud, passionate, and proud of it.  Christy is still the bubbly, cheery girl that you never find without a smile on her face.

Starting from the moment I saw Becky Friday I felt like I was transported into a different world.  I was sent back in time and surrounded by the people who filled my life from 1995 – 1999.  We goofed around, we ate good food, we saw old teachers, we went to the football game, we partied hard and I didn’t want to leave.

We immersed ourselves in the soundtrack of the 90s.  The boy bands, the pop rock, the Lilith Fair superstars.

The only thing different is that we could legally drink with each other now.  Something none of us partook in during the high school years.   Our group was too busy with rehearsals and performances to go party like many may have in their four years.  We discussed how others would have parties and sneak in beer or wine coolers, where that was always the last thing on our minds.  We had no interest in it.

Our favorite teacher showed up to the reunion.  Something he’s never done before.  He felt we were a special group and he wanted to see us all again.  To celebrate we took part in a 10 person shot.  Who would have thought ten years later I’d be buying my teacher a drink.

I wish I could have spent more time with Amanda Glassford , who never graduated from Grant due to a family move, but always felt that it was her home.  And Jill who I lived near for years after moving to Illinois.  I hadn’t talked to her even online in the ten years since graduation.  And Amanda Perryman who just recently joined Facebook and I was able to say hi to again.

So all in all was it a good experience?  No, it was an amazing experience.  It makes me wish the past ten years would have had these people in my life more than they were.  Even though we’ve all scattered across the country I’ve never made an attempt once to see any of them, ever.  And to make it worse, maybe due to having internet access to them at any time I wanted: I didn’t feel the need to.

Now I do.  I miss them, and that’s a good feeling.

Michelle, Christy, Becky, Gabe, Al

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