A couple of days ago I read this story in the paper about a Bosnian couple who are going through divorce proceedings as a direct result of each getting caught cheating on each other -but, here's the twist, with each other.  In a scenario that seemed almost identical to that  portrayed in Rupert Holmes' sappy but engaging 1979 number one pop hit single "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" in which a guy, bored with his relationship, answers a newspaper personals ad to find that he has a lot in  common with this blind date (pina coladas, walks in the rain,  and a dislike of yoga and health food etc.). He finally meets up with this mystery  woman only to discover it  was in fact his own "old lady" that he thought he had little in common with.  This unusual and unlikely situation brings the two formerly drifting lovers back together again and they all live happily  ever after.  But not so in the recent  real life similar scenario with the couple in Bosnia where the disgruntled pair (Adnan Klaric 32 and his wife Sana, 27) go online in search of new love.. There under the pseudonyms "Sweetie" and "Prince of Joy" each meets some seemingly new soul in whom they can confide and find solace complaining about how awful their marriages have become. Finally they've found someone who understands. They've found their soulmates (they think). So they arrange to meet up in person.  And when they do:  Shocker!   Each accuses the other of being unfaithful and they start divorce proceedings pronto.

    
                                               If you like Piña Coladas
                                               And getting caught in the rain
                                               If you're not into yoga
                                               If you have half a brain
                                               If you'd like making love at midnight
                                               In the dunes on the Cape
                                               Then I'm the love that you've looked for
                                               Write to me and escape.

A couple of weeks ago in San Francisco at the big Apple computer "special event" titled "The Beat Goes On" - to unveil all the new Apple iPod models the innovative company's mainman Steve Jobs gave Cali emcee P.E.A.C.E. of Freestyle Fellowship a major plug by featuring the artist on the giant screen at the Moscone Center during his September 5th keynote speech in which, as an example of a video-podcast, he played a short G4 segment featuring the Freestyle Fellowship emcee off a new Nano model.





 Meantime a couple of days ago I visited the Apple Store  in Manhattan and even though it was near 11PM (the box-shaped Fifth Avenue store is open 24 hours) the place was packed to the rafters with salivating consumers in a long line desperate to part with their money in exchange for some shiny new iProduct.  "This is nothing compared to earlier today," noted one iEmployee whjile eyeballing the line of about 40 customers all patiently queuing up for an average of twenty minutes to buy iPhones and iPods and other stuff.  

 iMazing!                                                             

This is the third and final part in the Yokohama, Japan graffiti series. These photos were taken recently by Amoeba Music and graffiti/hip-hop fan ACCO.







                         






                             

JAYDEE Plastic Dreams

Ever since last Sunday at the 14th Annual Clubhouse Jamboree when I heard DJ Spinna spin this classic early nineties house track (which like most longtime electronic music fans, I own and have somewhere in my collection) the damn song has been stuck in my head non-stop. So consequently I felt compelled to dig it up and play it on WFMU two days ago. And when I did I got a ton of  calls, emails, and comments from other music fans who shared my love for this everlasting funk-driven house classic from fifteen years ago.  Odds are if you went to any clubs or raves or parties in Cali in the early nineites you too also know and love this song. Released in 1992 on R&S Records, with the video (below) dropping a year later when Epic picked it up, it was recorded by JayDee (no not J Dilla) the Dutch DJ/producer Robyn "JayDee" Albers who consequently remixed/re-released it (including in 2004 -see 12" cover above) although the very original mix was just so perfect that it couldn't be topped (in my opinion).  Look for it at Amoeba Music in various formats and on various releases. I own it on a 4-CD compilation from few years ago called "Funky House No.1" - one of many it can be found on.

And if you remember hearing this track at some club/party please take a moment to share your memory in COMMENTS box below. Thanks! 

This is Part II in a three part series of graffiti found around the streets of Yokohma Japan - all captured on camera recently by Amoeba Music fan ACCO - who is a diehard hip-hop fan.  Note the many stylistic differences between Japanese and American graffiti - both subtle and distinct - including the common recurring  influence of Anime (Japanese animation) in many of these Tokyo pieces.