Obligatory Self-Evaluation vol. 1

With every creation of mine, I come to a point of self-assessment, questioning the intention and message of each of my projects. However, upon typing up an assignment for my Digital Rhetoric class, I've come to have a better awareness of what this blog is aiming for.
The assignment was to create "Blog Parameters," or guidelines that the blog should intend to follow. Fortunately, writing this gave me a better sense of what I should expect from myself in the future (and perhaps it will give you a better sense of what to expect from me).

And now to reveal the guidelines which will whip me into shape:

1. The blog must not venture too far into personal territory. It should not read like a diary, but rather a source of information for those seeking to find out more about independent music, and issues that are relevant.

2. The blog must not stray far from its original theme. It must stay within the realm of music as well as the subsequent lifestyles and cultural phenomena that result from it. The blog may deal with other themes such as film and politics, and anything else that might touch on that theme.

3. The blog must deal mainly with the peripheral culture around us, and must stray from mainstream issues. It should also try to expose artists, issues, and other writings that lack representation in popular culture.

4. The blog must contain links to sources of information. Providing additional links in the blog might cause the reader to look at the article from a more insightful perspective.

5. The blog must somehow hold the reader’s interest. It must not be written in a way that deters people from reading. By developing its own unique style, the blog should try to maintain a base of regular readers, who visit more than once.

6. The blog must not alienate readers. It is important the blogger should maintain personal opinions on issues. However, these opinions must not be “forced” upon the reader.


This is basically the Cliffnotes version, but as a (now) dedicated blogger, I will try my best to uphold the name and highly respected (stop rolling your eyes) reputation of Fresh Cuts Radio's first and only blog.

People often say, "You are your own worst critic." These parameters are evidence that I am living proof of this. But perhaps that's a good thing. Well, actually, by posting this, I sorta violated numbers 2, 3, and 5.

Eh, It's 2 in the morning.

Shocktoberfest...and Remixes Galore!

Due to my frustration with failed internet connections, power black-outs, and a general lack of sleep, I’ll keep this somewhat short. But anyhow, for those of you who go to the UCI, you might know that Shocktoberfest is just around the corner. Regardless of the terrible conditions Southern California is facing right now, this is one thing I am actually looking forward to this week.


The headliner for Shocktoberfest this year is Lupe Fiasco, who is no stranger to UC campuses.
Months back, he performed at a UC Riverside event. While I did hear mixed reviews about this show, I anticipate his performance to be well received.

However, I am looking equally as forward to watching Pigeon John, whose latest album features Fresh Cuts-loved artists such as Othello, Lyrics Born, and so much more. Either way, I expect this event to be pretty fun, so UCI students, come out, and show that social life here is not completely dead.

Check out Shocktoberfest on Friday, October 26, from 7PM-11PM at the new UCI Student Center.


And now, for the "remixes galore" part of the post.

For those of you who listen to my show on a regular basis (yes, all two of you), you might know that I’m quite fond of the Los Angeles hip-hop crew, Time Machine. The very first song I played as a college radio DJ was “Who Needs a Mic?” (a very fitting song for a show that gets an average maximum number of ten listeners streaming per show). But anyhow, I digress. Time Machine has recently released a new album, and even more recently, an interesting new M.I.A. remix.

To listen to Time Machine’s remix of M.I.A.’s “Boyz,” check out Time Machine's Myspace page, or visit Glow-in-the-Dark Records.

In other remix-related news, Hip-Hop duo, Panacea is planning on releasing a remix album of one of my current favorite new releases, The Scenic Route. Now I bet you’re wondering, who’s lined up to produce this future gem? Well, it all depends who wins.

Yes, wins.

There is a contest going on right now, in which fans (yes, you) have the opportunity to remix a track ("The Scenic Route") for Panacea’s next album. But be wary. The competition is stiff, and includes Numark of Jurassic 5, Mekalek of Time Machine, and Thes One of People Under the Stairs.

But hey, it’s worth a try.

So, if you like making beats, try it out. You can download the acapella version of, "The Scenic Route" on the Glow-like-This website.

And that about wraps up my post. I'm ending this before the power cuts off again.

Stay safe everyone!

Fresh Cuts on Blogger

Hey all,

Consider this a complement to my radio show. The material on this blog will deal mainly with music, particularly the type of music I would play on my show, which means I will mainly be writing about Hip-Hop, Funk, Jazz, Electronic, and so on. I will be posting about music-related events, new releases, and other things that I consider worth writing about (let's hope I drop the mindless banter). My playlists continue to be posted on the Fresh Cuts Radio Myspace page, so continue checking that out.

But in the mean time, stay tuned for future contributions to the blogosphere.