Gold Panda - “Snow and Taxis”
Golda Panda is where I’m at today. I like to listen to NPR in an effort to make myself both smarter and more cultured. I still always latch onto electronic artists first, but at least I can say that NPR told me about it, so clearly I’m validated. Today, NPR’s “All Things Considered” introduced me to a UK artist whose first album is exactly what I needed right now, as Los Angeles tries to figure out its purpose in life by crying all over everyone and yo-yoing from record highs to dreary 60s in less than a week.
Songs like “Snow and Taxis” manage to be the right amount of reflective and moody without sacrificing energy. It’s so entrancing that I totally watched the whole five-minute music video and didn’t even realize until it was over that it’s just a faceless dude walking through roughage. (Oh god, so many pointless plants. Watching this must be like having an epiphany about life, the universe, and everything when stoned.) I would feel duped, but it seemed alright while it was happening.
Everyone go to the Gold Panda website, listen to, and then download Lucky Shiner. Keep it on deck for when you need a good, hazy day folk soundtrack.
NPR Speaks to Antoine Dodson About Using YouTube to Get Out of the Projects
In the interview Antoine Dodson did with NPR, he mentions that he’s been using the media attention and proceeds to help support his family and eventually get out of the projects. This includes selling t-shirts and — let’s assume — the USTREAM live chats like this one where he appears in his stunna shades, hair perfectly pressed to speak with fans, sings a bit of the song, and reminds people that despite the fun, it was a real, scary situation.
I love the “Bed Intruder Song,” for the record. I hope we get an opportunity to see where this dude is again in a year, because if one viral clip does finally help him transform his life, that has to be a pretty interesting win for the internet and, of course, YouTube. Though, after Justin Bieber, I’d imagine they’re pretty set in the way of helping to facilitate success stories.
