The little things about big cities

I love cities. I love the hustle and bustle, the constant motion, and the uninhibited sense of freedom that everyone seems to possess. But some of my favorite aspects of cities are the small, arbitrary things that usually remain overlooked.

Graffiti I saw while in Manhattan

I love being in surrounded by art. The way every visible post or pole shows traces of sticker bombing, the way artists pass out their demos, claiming them to be the "next best thing", and the way building facades are tagged with elaborate and sometimes thought-provoking messages. It's like everyone's trying to leave traces behind, as to make their mark in a place where they would otherwise go unnoticed.

Random sticker slapping on scaffolding in Chelsea (and my cousin in the background!)

There's an unrelenting sense of determination that everyone wants and needs to be heard. No matter how big of a message or how it gets across, the point is--- it gets across. Quite frankly, I think that if someone has the guts to lay a piece of his mind out on the table, to be dissected and picked apart by thousands of critical eyes; then he deserves to be recognized, or at least acknowledged for doing something that so many will never have the courage to step up and do.

In need of new study jams?

With the end of Thanksgiving Break peeking around the corner, I am slowly starting to realize that with the amount of work I have to do over the next two weeks, I should probably get a move on. However, being that it is a holiday, there has been a spike in the amount of activity going on in our house. From the constant coming-and-going of friends and family members, to the never ending commentary of football or hockey echoing throughout the entire house, it's hard to find a peaceful place to get things done. Fortunately for me, when I'm done stuffing my face with homemade food (a luxury I have taken full advantage of the past few days) I can retreat to my room, shut the door, and enjoy some much needed solidarity.

I, for one, know that it is nearly impossible to get anything accomplished unless my music selection is perfect. I guess it makes me an anal person, but it's crazy the way one song can throw off my entire study groove. Thankfully, I've finally come across an album that appears to be sent directly to me from the Study Gods themselves. Kaskade has been one of my favorite artists for a while now, so the release of his new album Fire and Ice on October 24th was like an early Christmas present.

The album is comprised of two discs Fire and Ice. The first disc, Fire is everything you would expect from Kaskade; ten catchy progressive house tracks, with awesome vocals and collaborators. Each song is so distinct, yet still maintain the deep-house signature style Kaskade is known for. What's awesome about this album is the way the second disc Ice mirrors Fire. This disc contains the same ten tracks, but they are deconstructed to give them more of a chill, lounge-esque vibe.

When I find myself in need of music that will not only keep me awake, but also help steady my focus, I turn to this album. The way the two discs seamlessly flow together keeps me from having to constantly scroll through my jumbled iTunes library to find a new song to play.

The music video for Kaskade's "Eyes", one of the hit singles off Fire & Ice.

My personal favorites from the Fire disc include the popular single "Eyes" (featuring Mindy Gledhill), "Llove" (featuring Haley Gibby who frequently collabs with Kaskade. Check out "Dynasty" and "Move for Me" to hear more their work together), and "Turn it Down" (featuring Rebecca & Fiona).

Although everything from Ice is amazing, I'd suggest listening to "Lick It" (featuring Skrillex), "Room for Happiness" (featuring Skylar Gray), and again "Turn it Down" (the reduced BPMs and touch of dubstep juxtapose really well with its Fire counterpart)

So whether you need to get work done, start getting work done, or just feel like chilling out, I'd highly recommend buying this cd to help you do so.

Scary Good

I stumbled upon this ad a few months ago, and I think that it's genius.


Dirt Devil: The Exorcist (April 2011)

In all honesty, upon first viewing this, I was pretty scared (that being said, my fear tolerance is pretty low). From the eerie music, camera shots of flickering lamps and a man saying the rosary, to the screeching girl on the ceiling, I had absolutely no idea what was possibly being advertised. But then, the camera slowly pans upwards, the music goes from horrifying to happy-go-lucky, and we see an old woman vacuuming her floor. Wow. It's so perfect. Not only does this ad keep the audience on edge until the final second, but it throws in a humorous and completely unexpected twist as well.

In my opinion, this ad works for multiple reasons: for one, it's catchy. My attention never gravitated away from the screen for the entire 1:32 duration (and that's saying a lot because normally I can't stand scary movies for a second!). On that note, this ad speaks to multiple audiences. It isn't just targeted to a specific market, rather it can appeal to everyone. A teenager could enjoy this just as much as a 65 year old man could. I mean, I'm sure this might be a bit much for an 8 year old, what 8 year olds are even buying vacuums? Finally, it establishes the competitive advantage of the product; Dirt Devil Vacuums are powerful. The whole purpose of the ad is to show the strength of the vaccuum, and it does so pretty blatantly (although maybe slightly exaggerated).

Some people are critical as to whether or not humor is effective in advertising. I think that if used in a smart way, that isn't too over-the-top, it definitely can be. Humor makes things memorable, and if the whole point of advertising is to ingrain a brand into the mind of a consumer, then why not use humor in order to help do so?