The Launch of a New Era

It's time to say goodbye to you, dear blogspot readers. It was good while it lasted. We had some good times, shared some laughs, learned some new things. But now I move on to bigger and better things!

www.kadrianalvarenga.com has begun its reign of awesomeness!

What will you find on this new site?
---My movies!
---my photography!
---bigger and better podcasts!
---Don't Worry About It 2.0!
---Resumes
---and so much more!

If you still like reading my stuff (as much as I enjoy writing them), you'll definitely enjoy the blog, especially the last two posts.

Keep it real. Keep it simple. Keep it real simple.

---Kage (www.kadrianalvarenga.com)

The Roman Empire

My sweet internship has allowed me to obtain a lot of amazing music, so for the most part, these mixes are a compilation of some of my favorite songs from the new music I've listened to, and songs that you should be listening to. Enjoy.

Roman Empire: Hip-Hop and Electronica Make A Baby
1. Shimmy Shimmy Ya by Ol' Dirty Bastard
2. Regulate by Warren G feat. Nate Dogg
3. Charlotte by Booka Shade
4. Black Panther by Crystal Castles
5. Get Em High (Remix) by Kanye West, Common, Talib Kweli, & Ratatat
6. Everyone Nose (remix) by N.E.R.D. feat. Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco
7. Pela Janela by Thievery Corporation
8. Stuck (Hot Chip Remix) by Little Boots
9. D.A.N.C.E. (remix) by Justice feat. Mos Def & Spank Rock
10. Around The World (rap remix) by Daft Punk vs. Wyclef Jean
11. Go (S.T.O.R.Y. R.E.M.I.X.) by Common
12. Life of Clocks by Coldplay vs. Jay-Z
13. If I Never See Your Face Again (Swizz Beats remix) by Maroon Five
14. The Stars by Andy Caldwell
15. Alice by Moby
16. Juicy / New York New York by Notorious B.I.G. vs. Frank Sinatra
17. No One Takes Your Freedom (mash-up feat. Scissor Sisters, The Beatles) by DJ Earworm

Roman Empire: Chill Hippie
1. She's A Rainbow by The Rolling Stones
2. Amsterdam by Peter Bjorn & John
3. Right in the Head by M. Ward
4. Black River Killer by Blitzen Trapper
5. Sugar Man by Rodriguez
6. Skinny Love by Bon Iver
7. Mykonos by Fleet Foxes
8. Operator by Jim Croce
9. Tangerine by Led Zeppelin
10. No One Does It Like You by Department of Eagles
11. So Many Nights by The Cat Empire
12. Crosses by Jose Gonzalez
13. Run Thru (Okonokos live) by My Morning Jacket

Roman Empire: Play That Funky Music
1. Clocks by Rhythms Del Mundo Cuba & Coldplay
2. Gronlandic Edit by Of Montreal
3. Strange Overtones by David Byrne & Brian Eno
4. Bees by Caribou
5. The Steady Roller by Gold Animals
6. Like A Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan cover) by Funk.Soul
7. Crosswalks by Alias
8. If I Ever Feel Better by Phoenix
9. S.E.X.Y.R.O.B.O.T. by The Pinker Tones
10. One For The Cutters by The Hold Steady
11. Impossible by The Shout Out Louds
12. Things Ain't Like They Used To Be by The Black Keys

Most tracks available at my Project Playlist page here.

What'd you think? Any songs you'd like to share? Post them below!

And I Love Her

Happy Valentine's Day! Here's some sweet love music to make your sexy time even sexier.

And I Love Her: Side A
1. Fell In Love With A Girl by The White Stripes
2. Love You Madly by Cake
3. Valentine by Justice
4. And I Love Her by The Beatles
5. Lovestain by Jose Gonzalez
6. Lover by Devendra Banhart
7. The Mating Game by Bitter:Sweet
8. How Deep Is Your Love by The Bee Gees
9. Love Song (Acoustic Version) by The Cure
10. Once I Loved by Astrud Gilberto
11. I Need Your Love by Boston
12. Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen
13. As Lovers Go by Dashboard Confessional
14. Say You Love Me by Fleetwood Mac
15. You Sure Love To Ball by Marvin Gaye
16. Something About Us by Daft Punk
17. Donate by My Morning Jacket

And I Love Her: Side B
1. Dear Valentine by Guster
2. Think I'm In Love by Beck
3. Make Love by Daft Punk
4. I'm In Love by Moby
5. Something by The Beatles
6. Baby, I Love Your Way by Peter Frampton
7. Lover by Leonard Cohen
8. Love Her Madly by The Doors
9. She Will Be Loved by Rhythms Del Mundo Cuba & Maroon Five
10. Earth Angel by The Penguins
11. One Love by Bob Marley & The Wailers
12. Love Fool by The Cardigans
13. Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love by Coldplay
14. True Love Way by Kings of Leon
15. Every Man Has A Woman Who Loves Him by John Lennon & Yoko Ono
16. For Your Love by The Yardbirds
17. Valentine's Day by RX Bandits
18. Since I've Been Loving You (live) by Led Zeppelin

Any love songs I didn't put on the playlist? Post a comment with your suggestions!

The Sundance Kids

Utah is a very interesting state. While it is totally gorgeous with its white crystalline snow, it took me a while to get used to the serene and tranquil atmosphere the mountains effused. One thinks of Utah and one immediately thinks, "Mormon." You know it's true (kinda). Upon meeting a Utahan (Utahian? Utahoan? Utah resident?), I learned about some very interesting laws:

A. It is legal to own nuclear arms as long as you promise not to detonate them.
B. Whaling is illegal. (Because there are so many whales in Utah, right?)
C. If you want to drink at a bar, you must either sign up for a membership or get sponsored by the local drunks.

I got to learn such fun facts when I attended the Sundance Film Festival 2009 this past weekend. I got to meet some celebrities (Joseph Gordon-Levitt! Michael Madsen! The Karate Kid!), check out some sweet bars and parties, and see some great movies. Here are some recommendations if you ever get to Park City, Utah, or want to see some great movies in the very near future.

1. Humpday
Directed by Lynn Shelton and starring Mark Duplass, one of the directors of The Puffy Chair and Baghead, pic focuses on the heterosexual relationship between two best friends, who get drunk one night and in full machismo masculinity, somehow challenge each other to create an art porno . . . starring them. Awkward hilarity ensues. I won't lie when I say that I was very hesitant to see this movie. It ended up being the first film I saw at the festival. And I loved it. Shelton handles the material subtly and earnestly. The movie is not a gross-out comedy but a hilarious testament to the loyal bonds of friendship. How far would you go to help out your best friend? Magnolia Pictures recently bought the picture for distribution.
2. Zombie Girl: The Movie
This film was actually submitted into the Slamdance Festival in Park City. About 15 years ago, Dan Mirvish, John Fitzgerald, Shane Kuhn, and Peter Baxter got together to create a festival "by filmmakers for filmmakers." Apparently, that's not Sundance?+ Slamdance has spawned notable directors such as some people you may have heard of: Chris Nolan (The Dark Knight), Marc Forster (Monster's Ball), and Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite). Now, 15 years later, the festival still continues its tradition by showcasing this documentary about a 12-year old girl from Austin, Texas, who makes a feature length zombie film. She openly admits that her film sucks as it took her two years to make, but boy did I feel lazy after watching this! She shot, produced, directed, wrote, and edited the whole thing with the help of her very supportive mother. Speaking of her mother, the film's subtext is really about this mother/daughter relationship as they argue with each other incessantly and find inspiration in each other. Funny as hell, this doc was a rare find.

3. Art & Copy
A fascinating documentary about the evolving perception of advertisements as works of art. Doc chronologically charts the beginning of advertising to where it is now, with an optimistic emphasis on digital marketing. The film touches upon every facet from the relationship between copywriters and art directors to the conception and collaboration of creating concepts to the cultural impact advertisements have on us today. Inspiring and influential, this documentary is a must-see for anyone interested in entering the world of advertising.

4. Cold Souls
The feature debut from Sophie Barthes, pic stars Paul Giamatti as, well, Paul Giamatti: an actor so burdened by the world that he decides to pay a company to extract his soul. Then, a Russian soul mule steals his soul and takes it to Russia, so Giamatti follows her to the USSR to get it back. While not a film in which one could emotionally engage with, the film is thought-provoking as it raises several philosophical questions about the nature of the soul and what it consists. In the Q&A, director Sophie Barthes stated that the idea came to her in a dream, with the difference of Woody Allen having his soul extracted instead of Giamatti. An interesting unison of dreams and filmmaking I would say.

I also checked out some sweet bars, so if you ever get on Main Street, check out these places:

1. The No Name Saloon

Like the name, this bar is remniscient of those old cowboy saloons, stocked with modern alcohol of course. Pints are relatively cheap (around $6). However, the main staple of this bar is their world famous Buffalo Burgers. Served six different ways, the buffalo meat is leaner, more tender, and better tasting overall. I had the mushroom and sour cream buffalo burger and although my stomach went into a coma, I had "the hunger" for another one. Worth it.

2. O'Shucks
Apparently, this place was the "place-to-be." I say this because of "the list" one had to be on in order to enter. Fortunately, my dear friend O-Rizzle got me a hook with the bartender James and got us in for free. The bar is known for its schooners of microbrew beers. Schooners are basically huge fucking goblets of beer (it's nearly three beers). The place also had some really decent fish and chips. Adorned with Mortal Kombat and Safari Hunter, this place was a great party bar.

3. Cisero's
Just your typical Irish pub in Utah, complete with pool tables, two bars, large dance floor, and an Irish rock band named Swagger, who ended the night with the inspiring song "I Just Sat On Your Face." I had the pleasue of meeting the bassist after the show--a robust man with a mohawk and a kilt. When I asked him if he was cold because of the kilt, he responded, "Dude, I'm going commando. My balls are freezing."

4. The Star Bar
I had considered the option of going to Star Bar on my first night at Sundance because the Slamdance Festival was having their opening night party there, but I opted not to go because the cover was so steep. The next day I found out that I would truly regret it for the whole cast of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia was present and drinking heavily. Hoping to see them again on Sunday night, we all hit The Star Bar only to find that we were pretty much the only patrons in the joint. It was pretty cool to have the place to ourselves, but as stated in Swingers, "This place is dead anyway."

Sundance was an incredible experience, and the great thing is that it's open to anyone! I got to stay in a beautiful condo, met some really cool people, and really saw with my eyes what could possibly be the rest of my life. I definitely going to come again, but this time with business cards.