this must be the place....goin strong , yeah baby!!!

Saturday, September 27, 2008

mixtape of dj screw 96-98 live mixtapes



1. 96 live side a-1
2. 96 live side b-3
3. 97 live side a-3
4. 97 live side a-5
5. 97 live side b-1
6. 97 live side b-3
7. 97 live side b-6
8. 98 live side a-2
9. 98 live side b-4
download

this is cut down so it will fit on a cd. i had some other great tracks but they wouldn't fit. i don't mind telling you that this is fucking amazing. however, a lot of the levels are fucked up so some songs are waaay louder than others. be careful listening too loud with your headphones.
i promise to post some non-screw soon.

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ACL = the "new" (bad part of) SXSW

last night was weirdddd. First of all I didn't even really realize it was Friday, because I skipped work on Tuesday and I've got a lot of shit I am doing this weekend (football games, granny's birthday, etc) so it just didn't feel like Friday. Secondly, I didn't even realize it was ACL this weekend. I knew it was coming up or whatever, which is to say it was on my radar in the vaguest sense, but it just basically didn't occur to me that this free Cool Kids/Voxtrot/Belaire show sponsored by Rolling Stone and (apparently) Sprint had something to do with that fact. Anyways, I wasn't in party mode and I didn't really feel like drinking, but Shane got me a beer, I got him one back and things sort of took off.

When I am at the Mohawk I really like to go around the place and see the band from a lot of different angles. There is a spot on the side of the stage you can get to, and also the 2 balconies. I went to go up to the top balcony only to discover that it was a VIP area and I wasn't on the list. Hmm...that was interesting and slightly annoying. I went to check out the other balcony. That area was unfortunately roped off to allow Rolling Stone and Sprint to have an area for their recording cameras and the giant lights projecting their logos. The little side nook was also roped off. So no dice at all, a complete strike out.

Last night's show was also my first night seeing a show at Mohawk next to the Berlin Wall. It was...interesting. I think it created some serious bass nodes, and I hope they figure out a way to make it sound good out there again, or else this whole noise ordinance bit might have the completely unlikely effect of once again making Emo's Outside the premier Austin venue of its size for sound quality. I'm still not exactly sure what constitutes "irony" (for such a college boy, too...i know right?) but something tells me you could dig it out of that situation.

So, what happened? Well, I caved to my neurotic tendency to get into a VIP area I didn't really want to be in and had no business in. It was cute when sneaking in meant waiting for 2 hours in a portapotty at Stubbs (in August!) to get into the 2nd of 2 sold out White Stripes shows after having already seen them in the afternoon, but when its "get to the magic patio where none of your friends are" its just this enslaving compulsion. I decided to try and get up the back way, just because I was curious if they even had anyone at the stairs. They did but it just so happened that when I waltzed up he was deep in conversation with a girl telling her why she couldn't go up there. It was a walk-straight-up situation, but i wasn't out of the woods yet. I got to the top, only to discover i was in the SUPER VIP area, not just the regular one. I talked to this guy I sort of recognized who was either from Mohawk or Transmission and would have almost immediately made an ass out of myself for being there except I had watched the debates so after pleasantries we had something to talk about. That went on a while in a civilized manner but eventually I was just sort of stuck there. I was just trying to get to the patio, but the door was closed (to separate the VIPs from the Super VIPs), and rather than ask to leave that way, I just blew it off and went back down the stairs.

One thing about the whole after party mini-SXSW extraveganza is it kills all the regular fun that happens on a weekend in Austin (we will see...Theatre Fire show tonight @ RanchO). The glut of SXSW tends to trickle down to the little guy in a way that you could go see awesome bands at house parties that are actually house parties, which is cool. The "party" everyone was going to last night was a Hot Chip House Party thing off Caesar Chavez (existential DIY question...is it still a "house party" if it costs $7 to get in, and capacity is limited?) No one I know got in, and I didn't even make it over there because as I was getting on my bike and heading down there I ran into Jess who was taking photos at another "house party" on the other side of Club Deville. Some of my friends were there and she got me in. There was free booze and a long line for it. I'm sorry but I don't understand this one particular aspect of party dynamics. People seem to prefer this scenario to a keg as far as what constitutes "a place to be" for the evening, and yet there is usually considerably more waiting in line. Drinks are free in both situations, but only in one is there this bizarre social pressure to drink of "dude, an open bar!" I don't know, i sort of understand it, I just dislike it. There was a major highlight to the party, which was a Gibby Haynes DJ set. I said about 2 words to him, and I know its probably the worst person in the world to choose as a role model of any kind, but just knowing that guy exists, is tall as fuck and also from Texas is inspirational to me on a personal level. There was also a major lowlight. More VIP access only shit (and not like, don't go there...thats my bedroom). Confronted with this now essentially 4 drinks I didn't want in, and surrounded by neon yellow t-shirt wearing Los Angelites, I managed to mistake DJ Mel -- guy who I've never had a conversation with, is busy running the whole operation, and also talking to a girl -- for DJ Mel, fellow Austinite/guy I recognize and person who I should ask to get me a beer because I'm too lazy to wait in line outside like everyone else. I'm sure at this point he's a party pro and knows how to handle a drunk guy, but in hindsight when I realized how fucking rude that is I felt really bad about it and wrote him an apology. Luckily, I was dumb enough not to realize what a braying jackass I had made of myself for another couple hours into the night, so I was still able to have some measure of fun for a while. Ended up meeting some people at the Peacock and then went over to Dann's, listened to a record, and went home. The end. Another "Friday" growing up in the city...

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Friday, September 26, 2008

cultural study #3

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Thursday, September 25, 2008

Lil' Wayne blogs sports

It takes a nation of millions to make me copy a link straight off of pfork...millions of sports fans that is! Where the sports and music world collide, you can bet the fat guy making it all the way to third base that CasaVista will be there. And so with that, I relay the information that Lil' Wayne is now blogging for ESPN.com.

da link:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3607474

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cultural study #2

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Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Favoritesong Wednesday #2

How soon the week rolls back around. Here we are, hello Wednesday. Last weeks track was a killer, but on closer reflection I'm not sure it is really my favorite song. I was just really excited about it at the time. I felt like big dancin' on the floor.




Otis Redding - Cigarettes and Coffee
(from the Soul Album, 1966)

This is maybe my favorite song. It probably ranks in my top 5 listened to songs ever. I wrote a paper about it for Clifford Antone's class on the blues that talked about how Dock of the Bay is a natural lyrical progression from songs like this one. I've posted the paper here on this new blog. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning the Casa V, a blogger just needs some room to stretch out you know what I'm saying.

But back to the task at hand. Cigarettes and Coffee. Lyrically this is closer to Sam Cooke's work than your average Otis Redding song, Otis generally doesn't sing about specific scenes as often, his style is more conversational than Cooke's. This plays to his strength on Cigarettes and Coffee, he can focus lyrically on setting a vivid late-night scene and the listener can easily imagine the content of the conversations between Otis and his lover based on the colloquial tone of most of Otis's other writing.


BONUS:



Awe inspiring video from the Monterrey Pop Festival in 1967. Otis starts by dedicating it to all the mini-skirts out there, and then you're treated to 3 minutes of the most beautifully happy women the late 60's had to offer. At 3:08 it cuts to Otis for a fiery as hell finale, complete with a fake stage-exit.

(I've realized that this is the second time I've posted this Monterrey Pop video. Relive an old post about me singing the song at a karaoke bar in Boulder here.)

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bottom feeder: dear red river venues

this isn't the top thing that i want to talk to y'all about by any means. but it needs to be addressed and it is a relatively simple topic.

put the f'n prices for your shows on your website. god knows i don't want to transmit socially about your shows or add them to my ical, whatever the fuck that is. i want to know how much they cost. because that determines how much i can drink. or rather how much i should drink before i come to your show and spend my days wages on a $10 cover and $3.50+ bottles of lonestar.

also, i read in citizine that mohawk is spending assloads of *urban developer* money expanding their capacity. i understand that y'all are into *big$$$*, being esquire's #1 bar in america, and the sweet moneybag gems of indierock. i get it. it's a business. and austin is the *live music capital of the world* whoo. so post your ticket prices or pay me off to shut my mouth (i'll delete this post if you give me a ticket to monotonix, i swear).

chippendale demonstrates some of the urban conflict

ps. to further rip off that linked story from citizine (who in turn was paraphrasing the chronicle ... bottom feeding off the journalism foodchain here people)...

"[City council's Live Music Task Force's proposed marketing] campaign benefiting the local live music industry would entail hiring a public relation firms (who would "create" the message) and then require up to $1,000,000 in payments for purchases of advertising space (pay outs to billboard companies, printers, television and radio stations, newspapers and magazines, and internet marketing professionals) to make the campaign truly pierce the public's consciousness."

Because evidently, as Katherine Gregor wrote..."The supply of musicians eager for gigs far exceeds the number of venues that reliably pack a paying house; as a result, bands play for free or at a net loss."

So the solution is ... give more money to the bloated near-music businesses that make money off of lowering standards and inflating the marketing machine. good job y'all. good job. while you are throwing money around, why not throw rancho some? we could use it to replace the goddamned broken bathroom door.

also, monotonix would be more fun at club1808. just saying. (and hey, i'll work for y'all pro-bono ... or for beer. let's say for beer.).

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Tuesday, September 23, 2008

DIY Touring advice from The Oh Sees // A Pink and Brown show

As a band you’ve been on the road for quite a long time now - especially John. Do you have any advice for young DIY bands that have similar touring intentions?

JD: Write down names.
Petey Dammit : Yup, definitely names.
BD: Basically if you don’t, your screwed.
JD: I think whats really important is getting to know people and learning who or not to trust. A booking agent organised our UK tour, but Giles (Nuts and Seeds) for example, is a guy I can continue to come back to and trust that he’s going to put on a good show, pay our guarentee, feed us, and put us up for the night. The worst scenario, of course, is when some dick doesn’t pay your full guarentee - its good to keep a ‘never again’ list of names.


and for good measure, this is a Pink and Brown show from 2002. Thank you youtube for existing!

pt. 1


pt. 2

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Olneyville Sound System

from the recently discovered bands file:

...apparently if you are to talk about one bass and drum duo from Providence in the late 90s, early 2000s, of course you will talk about Lightning Bolt. And if you are to talk about two drum and bass duos from Providence at that time, you talk about Lightning Bolt and Pink and Brown. But if you are curious about three bass and drum duo's from Providence, you may chance yourself upon this band, as I have done tonight. They are called Olneyville Sound System, were on Load, and sound like this:

http://loadrecords.com/sound/immigrantradio.mp3

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The Oh Sees

...are my new favorite band. what the fuck, they are amazing. I want to see them live again. They make me want to drive to Dallas tomorrow just to see them and then drive back in the morning or something. Anyone want to split the gas?

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Monday, September 22, 2008

Noggin and Sievert with Projections



From 9/19/08. Projections by Zak Loyd, Michael C. and Lori

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Sunday, September 21, 2008

I was always kinda (almost morbidly) curious about Aphrodite's Child's pre-666 output. Not because it's supposedly good, but because vocalist Demis Roussos went on to pump out disco albums after the 666 catfights. I hesitated because 666 is an anomaly, not only of rock music but of human existence. You don't sell 37 billion albums by releasing 39 minute cuts of Irene Pappas screaming "I am to cum." But how do you convince your 350 pound band mate, who's also the third highest selling Greek artist world-wide, to get to that point after being phenomenally successful?

I don't really want to know. I never wanted to rationalize the mystical; I wanted fucking Satan to be responsible.

For that, or any other number or reasons (laziness), I never listened to End of the World or It's Five O'Clock. That is, until Saturday around sun rise when I heard their first smash hit "Rain and Tears" released in 1968.

Here it is, lyrics and fan art included!



In my nocturnal daze, I decided to start Hou Hsiao-hsien's Three Times, which stylistically sums up his progression as a filmmaker and the history of Taiwan in three very different segments. Covering the entire quality spectrum, the segments range from brilliant to abysmal.

The only one really worth mentioning is the first, A Time for Love. Taking place in 1966, it opens in a small pool hall with the smooth crooning of The Platters, immediately creating a beautiful and nostalgic mood, perfect for five o'clock in the morning. [boring plot summary] You see the main character and his love interest, who are torn apart by required military service. Years later, she moves, and he, of course, must find her. Their inevitable meeting at the end is the reason movies exist.

A dude in the rain holding hands with a girl he barely knows but loves completely with fucking "Rain and Tears" on the soundtrack. It's the wholly enviable, youthful, romantic idealism that most often fails in the movies, but couldn't have been more exciting.

At the time, I did not recognize Demis Roussos' angelic voice, but now it's something I'll never forget, and it only adds to the 666 enigma.

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Saturday, September 20, 2008

Review: Bevo Spicy Chicken Combo



So I went grocery shopping on Friday, and if there is one thing I can't stand its being hungry while grocery shopping. Some people say it makes you buy more, but I actually buy way less when I'm hungry, because all I want to do is get out of the store and eat something. Its like a water water everywhere situation. So anyways, I was hungry and knowing my tendencies I decided to stop in the Wendy's at the I-35 side of the Hancock Center, and being as though I had just had a long, hard day of work (watching South Park's and listening to music) I decided to eat in the dining room. Waiting in line I noticed a new menu item. For $5.99 the brand new Bevo Spicy Chicken Combo (small) was now available. I inquired as to the specifications and had my attention directed towards a sign behind me. I tried to find a picture on the internet, but I couldn't so I will just describe to you what a Bevo Spicy Chicken is. For comparisons sake, I noted a regular Spicy Chicken combo is $5.29, and a double cheeseburger combo is in the $5.59 range (the lowly single hamburger combo is $4.39ish).

Ok, so a Bevo Spicy Chicken sandwich is exactly like a regular spicy chicken sandwich, except it includes a slice of Colby Jack cheese, 3 strips of bacon, tomatoes, and a mayonnaise based "chipotle" sauce in exchange for the regular mayonnaise. I asked the guy behind the counter for some reviews and he mentioned that he hadn't had one, but reviews overall had been positive, with the exception of the chipotle sauce which garnished mixed reviews. Leery, but not wanting to miss out on the full experience, I went ahead and ordered the chipotle sauce on the side.

So the burger comes. The first thing I notice about it is the hefty size. My complaint on the regular spicy chicken has always been the height. To me what really makes wendys work is the way the confluence of flavors masks the inferior quality of the ingredients. When I eat a regular Spicy Chicken, the freeze dried nature of the lettuce is not lost on me. Furthermore the regular Spicy Chicken (especially when the chicken is overcooked) can leave me feeling like I am eating nothing but bread and breading, making it feel like a very thin sandwich. The Bevo Spicy Chicken remedies both of these problems, and although my particular chicken patty was not overcooked, I could see the BSCS weathering the storm much more effectively than the SCS.

My verdict on the chipotle sauce: It tasted cheap, but passable. I did end up putting onto the sandwich after a couple bites. I don't recommend the sandwich with no sauce at all, it was a bit dry, but if you are not feeling adventurous, regular mayonnaise or mustard would probably do the trick. When comparing it strictly to regular mayonnaise, I can't really call it better or worse, but I can see the desire to add a bit of extra flavor in there to round out the sandwich. It is a relatively mild sauce, and it's meant to provide a supplementary role. While I don't really consider it a "premium" item, I can understand their wanting to sweeten the deal, but also not wanting to go above $5.99 for the combo (which keeps it just shy of $6.50 after tax).

No nutritional facts were available from the Wendy's website on this particular sandwich, and I assume its just the particular franchise, or whoever runs all the Austin Wendy's that is doing this.

Overall, I give this sandwich as a fast food item an A- for taste and a B+ for value. Although a bit more expensive, its one of the best items on the Wendy's menu, and probably the best chicken option.

Further reading:
If you'd like to answer the question "hey what the fuck is Chipotle anyways?" like i did, go here -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipotle

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Wednesday, September 17, 2008

yeah, i feel it coming back too

the blogging thing that is. What he said. That picture is hillarious, BTW. Ignore the Interpol post; i don't actually like them i decided. I was drunk when I wrote that and just being like "yeah lets write something on the blog, hey!"

anyways this is Oneida doing Up With People, probably my single favorite jam of theirs. It was live this february.

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Everything Happens Review



Growing old gracefully once you’ve been canonized isn’t easy. Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, isn’t an indulgence, a tenure requirement, or an out of left field experiment, it’s a collaboration born over a friendly lunch. Eno had been working on these tracks, some existing for the past 8 years, and given his history of lyrical ambivalence he asked Byrne to contribute some words to a collection of “electric gospel songs”.

Drawing on several other canonized acts, most notably Flaming Lips sunny day textures and rhythms, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today shows Eno and Byrne weighing in on alternative rock music from the platform of elder statesmen, unanimously positive and excited about the potential of the next generation and their place within it.

Opener “Home” sets the tone of the record both musically and thematically. Byrne’s extended vocal lines hover over a minimal bass line and a bed of acoustic guitar and keyboard textures. On the chorus Byrne sings, “I’m looking for a home/Where the wheels are turning”, an enthusiastic view of aging and the prospect of artistic domesticity. Throughout the album Byrne’s soaring vocal melodies never verge on the terse paranoia of his work with the Talking Heads, they simmer in a wash of harmonies and reverb. He sounds really content to be singing these songs.

Aside from the tense and dated trip-hop experiment “I Feel My Stuff” and pensively fast “Poor Boy”, the album’s tone is unanimously positive. “Strange Overtones”, a fuzzed out tropical bongo and organ groove, tongue in cheek reminisces over maverick musical innovations becoming passé. The saccharin of “One Fine Day”, recently performed live by Byrne accompanied by a choir of senior citizens, features an army of Eno-provided harmonies and is the most spot-on candidate for the electronic gospel genre.

Eno and Byrne haven’t gone stale, boring, or irrelevent, but for those looking for a genre-busting record of musical superhero proportions, this isn’t it. The album succeeds in serving up a satisfying listening experience and a gentle reminder of Eno and Byrne’s longevity rather than their reinvention.

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Favoritesong Wednesday



It's been awhile since I've blogged. Oh, I can feel it coming back. The solipsism, the inflated sense of purpose, the imaginary audience. Oh yeah, that's the spot, right there.

So in an effort to post more tracks, this is the inaugural post of Favoritesong Wednesday.


Bounce Camp - Big Dancin'



I thought I couldn't really handle club tracks anymore. I went through a nice Baltimore phase a year and a half ago, just couldn't get enough of that break and fast fast shit. Call me jaded but now it seems like every fucking wanna-bee with Tittsworth's zip-file of drum break's throws together a remix every five minutes and blogs just lose their semen all over it.

Bounce Camp is from Berlin, don't know much else about him or them or whatnot. This song makes me want to enjoy dance-club culture. Giant piano chords (clean as cake), a hip-hop stab just about to scream out what it's sampled from but I can't place it, Rob Base's ubiquotious "whoooo", and enough bass drum to keep yr ass shaking. Really I think it's something about the vocals that really get me though, so simple and triumphant, not the least bit of irony or self-consciousness, even with lyrics like "folks strippin' on the floor", it just sounds natural.

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There is a show on Friday + music thoughts

So there is a show at our house friday, if you somehow stumble on this blog without knowing that from other channels. It is an "8 bit showcase" so we will see how that evening turns out.

Ok. Music thoughts. This is sort of a retro bit of music thoughts. The first Interpol album is awesome. Even if its a rip-off (specifically of Joy Division...an assertion which their later albums would prove correct beyond reasonable doubt) Joy Division never wrote those songs on the first album. The only giveaway is the lyrics which can be interpreted (probably correctly) in their shittier moments and also general feel (macabre?) as pretty phony. But its honestly easy enough to leave that to the side. There are things that Joy Division never did about that first Interpol record. Not that I've listened to that much Joy Division. Drum changes mostly, but also I think the melodies stick with me better from Interpol (again, I haven't listened to Joy Division in a long while). Still, not making a direct comparison its amazing to compare Interpol to how music sounds right now even. Turn on the Bright Lights was only 6 years ago, but nobody tremolo picks like that right now. I think the whole post-punk delineation between parts is coming back, but certainly not in a 2 guitars, bass, drums, and vocals format. I think you see it in like these second-wave 90s rock bands (Pavement---->Why?) where the differentiation is still there, but now you get 2 percussionists, or varying keyboards instead of guitars. I saw Why? recently and they were great, although I will say after the first half of their set I was not as into it. Eventually the xylophone stuff wore on me. I really liked how they used it percussively, to be sure, but I don't think at the time (during the first part of the set) I realized it would be used throughout the set as a mainstay and not an accoutrement. Their drummer was great though. Some hip-hop in him, as with most drummers these days it seems. Really solid and inventive use of double-bass hits. The rapping as alternative vocal texture was cool, but I'm not sure if I internalized everything the dude was saying I would be like "oh yeah, that was ace," necessarily.

Also I played guitar at my cousins wedding in San Fran this weekend. That was cool in the sense that it was "a great honor" (and it was) but I wouldn't mind having my weekend back. Its been hard for me to get back in the swing of things since tour. I could use it. A more permanent routine or something, I don't know.

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Friday, September 12, 2008

mom at progress coffee on saturday

Remember the bad ass basement show at the original Casa Vista? Our friends 'mom' from denton totally killed it in that dank, dark environment. Well the guys have been busy ever since and return to austin on saturday night for a set at the supercool progress coffee. come check it out at 8 on saturday the 13th for $5.


mom at casavista 2k7:

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Sunday, September 7, 2008

country guitar in 3 minutes or less

WATCH

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Tuesday, September 2, 2008

color changin' campaign





color changin' click - bobby booshay

Some info from mixtapetorrent.com where i downloaded this torrent:
This second mixtape released by the Color Changin' Click in late 2001 is all freestyles and features the regular members of the click, Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, 50-50 Twin & Lew Hawk, and also some other random Houston rappers including Lil O, Lil Shane, Big Tho, Big Pic of the Swisha House, Lil Nate, Chris Ward, Poppy, Diction, Foulmouth, HP, Lestor Roy, and Mr. Brown.

The CD is called Bobby Booshay because he was the Waterboy in the movie of the same name and as a click, C.C.C. felt that they were underestimated by people and came up from the bottom like the waterboy did.

When this CD was first released it was a big deal in HTown and people were going crazy over the hot freestyles. People started recognizing that C.C.C. could make it big and succeed without Swisha House, which then led to other Swisha House rappers leaving and starting their own mixtape groups.

tracklist/some faves you can download:
1. Paul Wall & Chamillionaire (Best U Can Beat) [2:55]
"datin your sister and momma and i love em both, i would take em to the mall and buy em stuff but i'm broke haha"
2. 50-50 Twin (Unknown Beat) [2:15]
3. Chris Ward & Big Tho (Knock Yourself Out Beat) [3:12]
4. Poppy, Chamillionaire & Paul Wall - (What It Is Right Now Beat) [3:37]
freestyles about answering machine messages
5. 50-50 Twin & Lew Hawk (Dead Wrong Beat) [3:32]
6. Diction, Foulmouth & HP (U Don't Know Beat) [3:17]
7. Lil O (Oochie Wally Beat) [1:20]
8. Paul Wall, Lil Shane, Chamillionaire & Lew Hawk (Waterboyz Beat) [5:22]
9. Mr. Brown (Grimey Beat) [4:07]
10. 50-50 Twin, Paul Wall, Chamillionaire & Lew Hawk (Help Beat) [5:47]
11. Lil Nate & Lestor Roy (Ballin Outta Control Beat) [3:09]
12. Paul Wall, Lew Hawk & Chamillionaire (Cut Song Beat) [4:38]
"catch me at a frat party up at ut austin, excuse me lisa ray do you come here often?" - then raps about fairy tales (little red riding hood/3 blind mice), tongue twisters (peter piper), and kids songs (frosty the snowman)
13. Big Pic (Bakardi Slang Beat) [1:22]
14. Paul Wall, Billy Cook & Chamillionaire (Can't Deny It Beat) [4:23]
15. Paul Wall & Chamillionaire (Hotboyz Beat) [4:21]

and don't miss the opportunity to own a grill by paul wall. i am personally enamored with the 'don't f#!$ with texas' grill.

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