| Reviews: CDs, Gear and Gadgetry! |
|
|
| Written by Paul Stone & Eric Myers | |
| Monday, July 16 2007 | |
GEAR REVIEWS Do away with the clunky old casings for your digital camera – Vivitar has made an underwater digital camera! Six megapixels await you along with a 4X digital zoom for all the fish-stalking you want to do! Not the biggest screen (2”) but the video mode is excellent, plus SD card support means that the Vivicam 6200W Underwater Camera can go for hours! $199/Target.com  Um... who doesn’t remember Mr. Frosty? Well, head on over to our friends at Firebox.com, order Mr Frosty and grab Percy Penguin for some summer flavored goodness! With some serious accessories, Mr Frosty is straight pimpin' - from popsicle molds and ice trays to sundae dishes, he's got you covered. We just love it when his belly explodes with ice... but we're weird like that. Crushed mojitos are the office favorite (just put the mint and sugar in the ice!). $18/firebox.com  Give the old flip flops a break and slip into a pair of cool Detny shoes by footwear phenoms SHANE&SHAWN. A decadent, jetsetter-inspired collection of designer shoes for men and women, the Detny line has flashy kicks ranging from shiny gold boots to vintage-style heels and sleek black sneakers. We took a liking to the fuschia Rhonda sneakers.$110-130/detny.com  There’s no denying the cool factor when you don a pair of Sennheiser PXC 450 headphones. Comfortable, spanking audio quality and some serious noise reduction technology blocks out the world to leave you alone with Fergie (or whoever). The headphones sit well on ears and can be collapsed so they aren’t the only item in your carry-on luggage! We dare you to look un-cool wearing them. $450/amazon.com .jpg) If, like us, you are just sick of boarding the Lear and going to $26/Bevmo.com  Who doesn't love a little music on the beach without headphones? But there's so much to lug around, right? WRONG! Not with the retro iBag. Just plug in and go, so get your iPods, mp3 phones and players ready. Cleverly also comes with an FM auto-scanning radio if your stuff runs out of juice. It's a must have item for any vacation or beach retreat. Prices vary/Floater.ca  The Samsung 226BW Monitor is bigger than you. Okay maybe not, but it's huge, we're talking 22 inches of LCD widescreen love. At $330 it's a bargain and makes multitasking even easier because you have more room for applications. Never be late with another paper again and still keep up with MySpace, IM and e-mail whilst you work! Plus, you can fiddle with the exclusive Magic technologies so you get the best color every time. Check out more tech stuff at amazon.com/electronics.  Who said plastic can't be sexy? Switch rings are two pieces of smooth plastic that fit together to form one ring. What's so great about that though? Well, both pieces can be interchanged with hundreds of others to fit your mood or need! Their slogan, "Never the same ring twice" is right on the money and each pack comes with four inserts, while more can be bought from the website.$10/switchring.com  If we see any more of those ugly (and dangerous) silver coal trays on the beach this summer we'll puke. Why not try the super skinny (8.5lbs of joy) Cobb Premiere BBQ? A must for all summer beach inhabitants! You and your buds can get your feed on AND look like you know what you're doing as you sport this stainless steel beauty around. Best part? Well there's two - one: it CAN cook a pizza and two its unique construction prevents accidental burns by keeping the heat in the middle. That’s hot…but not really. $140/cobbamerica.com CD REVIEW BROTHER READE - Rap Music In stores now! “This is for the strippers and the fans of the Clippers, ‘cause life ain’t easy for y’all.” -Brother Reade, “Life Ain’t Easy For Y’all” The above comparison of two of Los Angeles’ underground industries on the third track of Brother Reade’s “Rap Music” shows promise for the “Los Angeles by way of North Carolina” duo Jimmy Jams (MC) and Bobby Evans (DJ). Unfortunately the promise ends there, the remaining tracks on the album mere recycled creations (the running tuba line on “Baby it Pays” is damn close to Kanye’s “Jesus Walks”) with beats too conservative to strike a unique chord. Evans attempts to make up for the lack of originality through a varied display of synthesized sounds but it’s only partially successful, never coalescing in complete compositions worthy to bump from fifteen inch subs, five inch subs, sub sandwiches, or anything else. Jimmy Jams spits his best Eminem/Jay-Z inspired flow, with mixed results. Sometimes the mainstream influence is transparent – he throws the line “What more can I say,” a line surely retired by the combination of Jay-Z’s recording and Danger Mouse’s famous remix. Throughout rhymes from Jams seem forced, connected by their sound rather than their meaning. What more can I say? On an album boldly titled “Rap Music,” one expects more – the best rap elevates wordplay, infusing bravado with style and imagery. Claiming excellence in verse after verse, beyond the catchy “Life Ain’t Easy For Y’all,” Brother Reade fails to bring the noise. 2/5 Stars www.brotherreade.com Review by Eric Myers Comments
(0)
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
.jpg)