NEW: The Weeknd – ‘Can’t Feel My Face’

June 8, 2015Leave a comment

What a great Monday! Today in San Francisco, Apple unveiled its new music streaming service at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a little help from an idol of mine…

…Drake! He will be using Apple Music to promote his own new album, so you better believe I will be supporting this new streaming service. And in the above picture, he is high-fiving (real word?) Eddy Cue, head of software and Internet services, after discussing the Connect feature of Apple Music. To learn more about the service, check out this New York Times article here. I haven’t done enough research to compare all of the streaming services out there, so I will write another post on that once the proper research is done! But I have a feeling this might be the cake taker. Or it could be just because Drake’s involved, but whatevs. From the few articles I’ve read thus far, Apple Music looks like it could have some real potential and truly engage fans, while still benefiting the artist (and not at $20/month for the fan). #praise

If that wasn’t exciting enough for me, The Weeknd also came out to world premiere his newest single ‘Can’t Feel My Face.’ Produced by Max Martin, who has also worked with Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift, Abel swoons over a love so strong that he can’t feel his face, metaphorically speaking of course.

I’m totally blowing it with embedding the actual song into this post, so you will just have to click here to listen. Sorry for the extra step, yinz, but I’m no coder and just want you to listen asap!

And at Drake’s most recent performance at the Governors Ball in NYC on Friday, he made mention during ‘Crew Love’ that an OVO + XO collab could be making a comeback. Maybe it will drop on Apple Music! Stay tuned, yinz…oh, and this post is my first post written in Pittsburgh 🙂

Weekly Wrap-Up 6.5.15

June 5, 2015Leave a comment

Well, tomorrow is the day all of Robinson Township has been waiting for. 6.6.15 – Anthony’s high school graduation party. Tonight I’ll be taking a red-eye flight to head home to Pittsburgh to attend the extravaganza. #6615 is finally here, and I cannot wait to see all of my mom’s very hard work and party planning paid off. Considering she made all of the reservations, including venue and live band, for the party LAST February, yes February 2014, I’m sure it will be nothing short of amazing – much like my and Michael’s parties. But most importantly, we will be celebrating Anth! So very proud of him 🙂

For those who cannot make it and for those who will be attending but plan on having one too many shots of Fireball or Limoncello, expect a full blog post about the event next week. The selfie stick is packed. #frigginTaylorSwift

In other celebration news…

HAPPY #NATIONALDONUTDAY
This quite possibly may be my favorite day to celebrate other than my birthday. Who can really resist a piece of fried dough covered in literally whatever topping you want. My favorites are old-fashioned and cake donuts – covered in sprinkles, chocolate icing, coconut, bacon… I could keep going.

And if you’re fortunate enough to live in a massive city like Los Angeles, there is no shortage of donut shops. Check out this map, courtesy of Studio DIY (really cute website!), below to hit up all the famous and best donut shops in LA.

Map created by Studio DIY

And those not in LA, you can get your free donuts here. Happy celebrating!

Serge’s Selections 6.1.15

June 1, 20152 Comments

Caitlyn Jenner stole my thunder of this originally scheduled post (ladies first!), but I’m going to post this anyway. So this week’s Serge’s Selections don’t include tunes but delicious foods instead (and probably something my mom will finally enjoy reading). This past weekend, I really indulged and strayed away from the usual Top Ramen (or oodles and noodles as I called them as a kid) lunch and/or dinner and feasted on some really yummy dishes.

Friday dinner. While I don’t have a picture of my dinner (wasn’t planning on this post until yesterday #fail), I can tell ya a little bit about it. A sushi dinner at a place called Rice Sake and Real Food in Manhattan Beach. What was different about Rice compared to other sushi joints is that this place is gluten free and their sushi uses organic brown rice (so Californian). No but really all of the sushi and sashimi was really good, paired with a glass of Pinot Grigio – solid.

Saturday lunch. After a morning coffee from Two Guns Espresso on the Manhattan Beach Pier with Kylie, we ventured up to Marina del Rey to meet up with our good pal Jimmy to 1. hang at his pool but 2. (and most importantly) to eat at this quirky little restaurant near his place, 26 Beach Restaurant, that he recommended. So good! With a very extensive menu, I was really overwhelmed, I eventually went with the following:

Cool as a Kimba cocktail: Vodka, cucumber, lime juice, with a rim of Mexican seasoning consisting of primarily chili peppers, lime, and salt

Baja Benedict: Crispy tortillas, fried eggs, chorizo, cilantro-jalapeno cream sauce all served over brown rice and beans

Lemon Ricotta French Toast: Honey lemon ricotta with fresh blueberries and raspberry Honey lemon ricotta with fresh blueberries and raspberry coulis

Sunday lunch. Three letters – K.F.C. And no, I am not talking about Kentucky Fried Chicken. I am talking about Korean fried chicken and am asking myself WHY I’ve never eaten this before. As a recommendation from a good friend of mine and off of a Korean fascination kick, Kylie and I ventured to Seoul Sausage Co. This was truly some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. Okay, enough typing. Just feast your eyes on the pictures below, check out their website, and please visit a Korean restaurant ASAP to try out these foods!

Galbi poutine: 8 hr. braised short ribs served on top of twice fried french fries with cheese, kim-chi pickled onions and avocado lime crema

Da KFC: Korean Fried Chicken with a sweet and spicy glaze, served with pickled daikon radishes and a kim-chi cheddar cornbread

Galbi sausage: Handmade Korean BBQ beef sausage with garlic jalapeno aioli and kimchi relish served on a toasted soft roll

Sunday snack. In the city of Los Angeles where donut shops are very accessible and home to some of the most famous donut shops, Kylie and I couldn’t pass up a chance to try a new spot. We decided to hit up the famous Randy’s Donuts located in Inglewood (pretty close to LAX). NOM. There were cars wrapped around the building in the drive-thru and a line of about 10 people in front of us – worth the wait. Kylie got a cake donut with chocolate sprinkles (jimmies), and I devoured a coconut donut. And coming in at only $1.90 for both, I think we’d go back.

Thanks for reading!

EXCLUSIVE: Welcome, Caitlyn Jenner!

June 1, 20153 Comments

Say bye bye to Bruce. Caitlyn Jenner has made her debut on what will be the July issue of Vanity Fair, shot by world-famous celebrity photographer, Annie Leibovitz. Read more about it here.

I have a feeling this image will go more viral than Kim and Kanye’s debut on the cover of Vogue, and this magazine will outsell Kimye’s issue, as well. #CallMeCaitlyn

You can pick up this issue at newsstands on Tuesday, June 9.

Weekly Wrap-Up 5.29.15

May 29, 2015May 29, 2015Leave a comment

Praise the weekend is finally here!

ONLY IN LA…
…will you find Kendrick Lamar standing on top of a traffic light in downtown LA (on Figueroa and 11th – near Staples Center) to film a music video. The video will be for his track ‘Alright,’ off of his most recent album To Pimp A Butterfly. He already shot part of the video in Oakland, CA over Memorial Day Weekend.

Check out Complex’s article here to see videos of the Compton emcee filming.

#BEYONCEALWAYSONBEAT
Earlier this week the Internet went Ham Newton with the hashtag #BeyonceAlwaysOnBeat and posted videos of her performing but to different songs. It’s actually quite hilarious and props to everyone who created a video. One that has been circulating a good deal is the ‘Single Ladies’ music video but to the Duck Tales theme song. It had me quacking up. Watch it below.

BEHOLD
I can’t forget to make mention of my West Coast best, Bre, who is currently driving cross country back to Philly to start a new job.

While I am so very happy for her to begin her new adventure and chapter in life, I will be missing her dearly – truly a wonderful person inside and out! She has made my over 3.5 years of living in California pretty darn memorable – thank GAWD you also found The Purp – also saying bye to that too 😦 I can’t say much more because then I’ll start crying (yes, I have emotions), so this will do. One of these days though I will write up a post about this epic friendship and where/how it allllll began – over a bottle (we didn’t drink the entire thing) of Captain Morgan, of course. Love you, Bre, and see you sooner than later!

Happy Friday, yinz!

NEW: The Weeknd – ‘The Hills’

May 28, 2015Leave a comment

Better late posting than never! Having dropped yesterday, The Weeknd released not only a new song but (dark) visuals, as well, for his track titled ‘The Hills.’ Really really digging it. And no, Lauren Conrad and Lo aren’t featured in the video 🙂 Watch and listen below – enjoy!

Also check out…

FUTURE FT. RICK ROSS & BIG SEAN – ‘F*CK UP SOME COMMAS (REMIX)’
Listen to the star-studded remix on Future’s banger ‘F*ck Up Some Commas’ below.

Weekly Wrap-Up 5.22.15

May 22, 2015Leave a comment

MY POWERHOUSE RECAP
Power 106 put together a nice little recap video. Check it below! You can also see pics (better than mine since I was in the nosebleeds) on their website here.

So I know Powerhouse was last Saturday but it was pretty epic, and I want to tell you all about it! My friend Parker and I got to the Honda Center in Anaheim (where the Ducks play) around 8pm, although the concert started at 7pm, we really didn’t mind missing Casey Veggies, Logic, and G-Eazy – no offense, guys. We got right to our seats at the end of Tinashe’s performance – sorta bummed we missed it, but whatevs. I’m sure I’ll be attending some other concert where she’ll be performing. Anywho. Next up was Nipsey Hussle, Tech N9ne, and B.o.B. It’s cool to say I’ve seen them perform, but they weren’t the highlights of my night.

Cut to where my excitement began to build. Ty Dolla $ign, Kid Ink, Ludacris, and last but definitely not least… Kanye West. Ty Dolla $ign, who I’ve always liked, got the crowd moving and even brought out the Regulator, Warren G, and DJ Mustard. Now if you don’t know who DJ Mustard is, he’s a super producer who has produced MAJOR hip-hop joints you hear on the radio today. You may also be familiar with songs that start out, “Mustard on the beat.” That would be him. And yes, he rocks a giant gold Heinz mustard bottle hanging from a chain necklace. It’s obnoxious and somewhat comical, but hey, he’s branding himself and also supporting Pittsburgh. Kid Ink was dope as usual, but Luda really got the crowd going. He played mainly his old songs, which I really appreciated.

Now for the headliner. Yeezus. I know I may lose some readers during this part, but the man is truly talented – I’ve been seeing many negative comments on Facebook about him not being an actual artist, especially since his most recent (and overly censored) performance at the Billboard Music Awards. Okay. Bai. I’ll save my pro-Kanye rant post for a rainy day. Back to his set! He also performed a lot of his older stuff, but we were #blessed to hear his newer material like “All Day,” “Only,” and his verse from Big Sean’s “Blessings.” Not gonna lie but when he performed that, I got more excited I think when they played Drake’s voice for the chorus leading into Ye’s verse. Yes, it was just a recording of Drake’s voice – he didn’t actually show up. I have issues I know. Kanye played for a solid hour despite his sore throat issues he was having. It’s just amazing to me that one person on stage, no backup dancers or band, can have 20,000 people rapping along with him and just filling the arena with so much energy! I live to experience things like this.

But that was my Powerhouse experience, and Power 106 did yet another fantastic job with the lineup and smooth transitioning in between artists. Any way you guys can get Drake to headline one of these like you did for Cali Christmas in 2011? 🙂

Happy Friday, yinz!

NEW: Drake ft. Beyoncé – ‘Can I’

May 20, 2015May 20, 2015Leave a comment

I’m just going to leave this right here. I’m pretty confident this will be on Drake’s Views from the 6 . It’s definitely got a slower feel to it – not my favorite, but I’ll give it a few more listens. Also, apologies in advance if the track gets taken down, so enjoy it while you can!

And it got taken down – as did most of the others 😦 I will keep an eye out for another link for yinz!

EXCLUSIVE: #MiguelMonday

May 19, 2015Leave a comment

So what did you do after work last night on Monday, May 18? Probably didn’t go to an impromptu FREE Miguel concert in Venice Beach. I still can’t even believe this was real. Let me explain.

Sunday night I see…

…which obviously meant I had to turn on his tweet notifications so I could be alerted the second he released the time and location.

Monday around 4:30pm…

Once I realized my roommate Kylie couldn’t come with me since she had #sports (a co-ed soccer game), I text the one person who is down for anything… Mac Bab. Conveniently enough, she was heading to Venice for the night already, so it worked out perfectly. Not knowing if we’d make it in time or if we would even get in, we said YOLO and went for it. Praise to the heavens we did. We were the first people there, so we grabbed a drink at the bar until a very kind man from Vevo told us what to expect and when to head downstairs.

We walked RIGHT up to the stage. It was a very tiny stage – we were in the basement of a pretty grungy (but epic) bar.

Not knowing what to expect and with a crowd of no more than 50 people, Miguel and his band walked on the stage. Now this is sorta when I went into a state of #celebushock* – might have blacked out a bit (and no mom, not from alcohol). Yes, he was that close. No, this is not zoomed in or filtered. I die.

His performance was part of Vevo’s #VevoGOShow – mini concerts/performances, normally a surprise with last minute locations and times that are filmed and posted on the Vevo YouTube channel. I’ll be sure to post the Miguel one once it’s up. But for now, you can check out the videos I took below and visit my YouTube page to see the rest of my footage!

It was truly one of my most memorable experiences yet, not only living in Los Angeles but in my life (and it was completely free!). Experiences like this just keep adding on years to my time spent in LA. 🙂

After his performance, he told the crowd all drinks were on him in the upstairs part of the bar so everyone should go hang with him, and that is exactly what Mac and I did. We got another picture with him, chatted for a bit, and left around 9:30pm. A solid Monday for sure. And if you aren’t that familiar with Miguel’s music, I highly suggest you check him out. He is so incredibly talented and not to mention so very nice which made me like and respect him even more as an artist and as a person. I cannot wait for his new album WILDHEART, dropping on June 30!

Oh, and thank you #VevoGOShow and my new friend Alex for the autographed Miguel poster. I look forward to more #VevoGOShows and more epic Mondays (or any day of the week really)!

*celebushock – when one enters a state of shock when coming within a few feet of a celebrity and you forget where you are and what occurred during that time but you know it was the best experience ever

VIDEO: Nicki Minaj ft. Beyonce – ‘Feeling Myself’

May 18, 2015May 19, 2015Leave a comment

Looks like you don’t need a Tidal subscription after all. The video for Nicki and Beyoncé’s ‘Feeling Myself,’ originally released for Tidal subscribers only, is now hitting the Internet for anyone to view. The video features the two BFFs partying at Coachella, slaying burgers, and just being epic. Why wasn’t I invited? Check out the exclusive on californyinz here! Hopefully it stays open to non-Tidal subscribers for a while!

Californyinz

Category: Music